Hello Guys!
Thanks so much for the warm reviews and comments on the last chapter! I love it so much! It was the most popular chapter yet! I'm so happy, I love to hear your comments, your questions and your praises! Somebody even called this fic a masterpiece? I doubt it is, but thanks for the comment, I'm flattered!

This part is longer because it covers several aspects, I hope you enjoy!


Hope in the Ugly Reality
Chapter 7


Luffy ran until his legs hurt and even longer after that, he couldn't stop now, he couldn't think of anything but finding Nami and seeing that she was alright…

-Something must be up, Nami would never, ever betray us- his mind insisted over and over again.

The closest destination he could think of was the Red Force Casino, his dad's workplace, there he would be able to fix his phone, get a new car and call his team. Whoever was making Nami suffer would pay dearly.

He turned around a corner and finally could glimpse the casino's logo, a big horned minimalistic dragon stood on the entrance, security guards nodded at him as he walked inside the building.

He stepped into an AUTORIZED PERSONAL ONLY entrance at the far back beyond the sloths machines and the black jack tables, beautiful waitresses winked at him as he went by –trying and failing as always- to get the attention of the owner's son, beyond the door, Luffy was greeted by one of his dad's new guys.

"Hey Rockstar, is Shanks here today?" he asked the red headed guy.

"Oh master Luffy, wearing the hat today? I bet there's serious business then…Shanks is here already, but he is having a meeting right now"

Luffy nodded relieved, and followed a series of hallways that required finger scans and security codes, finally he stepped into a big round lobby, with a vaulted ceiling.

A tick blue carpet covered the whole ground and a big circular logo read "CP9" with a golden circle around the letters, inside the circle a phrase could be read in bold roman style letters "There's no better justice than our own"

In the back of the room, behind a counter with a receptionist stood a big oil panting that covered almost all the surface of the wall on the back, a portrait of an imposing man wearing a mustache smirked eternally to those visiting this area, below the picture a plaque with a gold inscription could be read.

"GOL D. ROGER Founder and best Agent on the history of the CP9 agency"

Kaliffa the receptionist nodded at him while he took the hallway to the right, going first into Franky's workshop.

"Hey Franky" he said as the automatic doors let him in, inside, several monitors, robotic arms and all kind of devices stood sprawled almost in every table, there were several blackboards on the walls, and all of them had rough designs of weapons and machines.

"Oh Straw Hat, coming to check the new stuff?" Franky said moving his shades up.

"No Franky, I need you to fix my phone" Luffy said pulling the gadget out his pocket.

"Dropped it again huh? Look Straw Hat I told you to stop trashing my stuff" Franky said taking the phone from his hand.

"Nono Its just the battery… it got lost"

Franky frowned and reached into a drawer were several pieces of gadgets floated around, he fished for something finally pulling out the correct battery and plugging it into the phone.

"Done…" Franky took a moment to check Luffy's appearance, the younger man was sweating and he was wearing his straw hat, "Shouldn't you be with the cute sis?"

"Nami's in trouble that's why I'm here" Luffy said already starting his phone and browsing the directory, he called Robin first.

"Hey Robin, I need you to trace Nami, asap" he nodded on the phone and hung up. The dark haired woman was his team's research specialist; she would have Nami's full data, place of birth, workplace, bank account, the works, in no time.

"Hey Franky I need another car… mine got kind of lost" he said casually.

"WHAT! My poor poor baby, how could you lose it! You half brained moron!" Franky scolded, while Luffy started to laugh, always amused by the other man's reactions.

Franky got to the nearest computer and started to type and browse, a satelital view of the city appeared and a blinking red dot started to flash on the screen.

"There, the car is on the park, it's not moving and its unharmed… thanks Oda for that"

While Franky was busy with that Luffy had already texted his team, the message ordered they would have to meet in half an hour.

He stepped out the room and walked down a hallway, going to the briefing room to wait for his team, if only he knew where the hell Nami was he would have been there already, even if he had to go alone. A woman turned around a corner and he clenched his teeth, not her!

Fellow CP9 agent, and captain of the Kuja Team, "Boa Hancock" his ex girlfriend.

"LUFFY!" she said happily, her red tight business like attire didn't leave much for imagination, not with the V neck cut down so low her enormous chest almost fell off from it.

"mmm hi Hanckock" he said awkwardly.

"Ohh did you came to see me?" She said as diluted as she usually was around him. Hancock was a man hating woman, unless that man was Luffy, she had managed to persuade him to be her boyfriend a few years back –persuaded as a lot of boob work on the face- lots of stalking and finally getting him drunk on a party and dragging him inside a dark room, where he woke up naked and drowsy with her equally naked body next to him.

She insisted they were a couple now, and that he should accept that fact if he was man enough, and Luffy was somebody that didn't take anyone insulting his manliness…so he agreed to go out with her and try to be a couple, besides, the woman had gotten him out of a lot of pretty dangerous and potentially deadly situations before, she deserved at least the chance.

At first she was nice enough, and the sex part he couldn't deny was good, but then she started to act like a control freak, told him to ditch his friends and fellow team members, and become a double agent team with her only. She got jealous for no reason and the thing that made Luffy snap was her almost assassination attempt against his newest team member, Robin, just because Hankcok didn't tolerate he had a female team member that wasn't her. He just couldn't accept that behavior against someone on his team.

He broke up with her.

"Luffy?" she asked with her cheeks flushed.

"Not now Hankcock I'm busy" he walked past her, totally dismissing the beautiful woman. She just stared at his back with a dreamy look "I know you still love me! And someday we will get married" she shouted to his back.

"I won't marry you!" his voice echoed down the hallway, he didn't even turn back.

"Ahh… I love it when he is so cold with me" she whispered, resuming her walk down the hallway.

Luffy was frowning, why did he had to bump into her of all people… what could be worse! And then he knew when he heard a shout.

"Ohh Luffy my boy" the dark haired man cringed and turned around slowly, finding the smirking face of his step father.

"he he he" he laughed nervously "Shanks, didn't knew you were around today" The red haired man stood tall wearing an exquisite white dress shirt with the first three buttons left unfastened and untucked outside his black trousers that ended just below his knees… an style his adoptive son often copied with his own personal touch. A long black coat hanged lazily from Shanks's shoulders, covering the fact that his left arm was missing.

"Come to my office" Shanks called, now serious, turning around and going back to his private office.

Luffy gulped and followed, almost dragging his feet, he stepped into the room slowly and closed the door behind him, the office was ample, it had an oak desk and behind it the red haired man took a seat on an elegant leather business chair. On several shelves there were a lot of portraits of his family at various ages, and he showed no shame in bothering superiors, fellow agents and underlings alike with the pictures, bragging about his boys and his wife, making everyone groan –they had already heard like a million of times about that one time when Luffy… and then that time when Ace….-

Shanks glanced at him for a long time with a stern face.

"What is it", Luffy said crossing his arms

"I heard you are using the agency's resources to trace a woman, a woman that has nothing to do with our business", apparently Shanks was looking at a file on his desk.

"Well hum… but…" Luffy stuttered.

He kept his hard serious look fixed on Luffy until he couldn't hold it any longer and started to laugh, standing up and walking towards his son.

"HAHAHA, ABOUT DAMN TIME! My boy its turning to a man" he said wiping a false tear from his eye and reaching across the table to pat Luffy on the back.

"HEY!" the raven haired agent complained.

"And she is a beauty too" Shanks said while glimpsing at a picture of Nami.

"Hey!" Luffy protested again, causing Shanks to crack up loudly yet again.

Then the red haired man turned serious and sighed, sitting back on his big, elegant leather chair.

"Are you trying to recruit her too?"

"Yes… I meant to ask her yesterday but I never had the chance"

Shanks groaned and his right hand got to his forehead "Luffy you just can't go around picking random people to join your team, the other team leaders are pestering me about it"

"But Shanks! Our team is one of the best!" Luffy complained.

"I know! That's why you keep getting away with it, but understand this, we have an excellent academy and the other team captains have to pick up their members from the new recruits, the only captain that has been recruiting random people is you"

"They are not random people, they are skilled team members that I approve off!" Luffy shouted defending his friends. Shanks smirked proudly.

"I know, and that's the reason I let you get away with it, the fact that they named you a supernova two years ago stopped all the rumors about you getting your way because you are my son"

Shanks sighed again and couldn't help still seeing the seven year old Luffy when he glimpsed at the boy in front of him, he had the file of each member handpicked from Luffy's team. Aka Straw Hat team.

Roronoa Zoro: the very first team member, back when Luffy was just a rookie agent and was pestering Shanks to let him be a task team captain, Shanks told his adoptive son he could become a captain if only he could find a new valuable recruit on his own.
And there he went one week later, out of sheer luck –if you can call it that- Luffy ended up on prison one night after wrecking yet another of his sports car on the account of reckless driving, so Shanks left the boy to expend the night on the holding cell in hopes he would be more careful next time. There on the police station he met Zoro, the guy was handcuffed and a lot of thuggish looking men that were on the cell along with them were pestering the green haired men.

Luffy just grinned when he saw the other man trash the tugs even when restrained, afterwards Zoro just went to nap again, only to open an eye and ask Luffy what was the hell was so funny.

"You are strong" Luffy had said

"Yeah so?"

"I like you Shihihihi, but I don't know if you are a good guy yet"

"Why the hell would you care huh" Zoro had snapped back to the bothersome raven haired boy sitting casually against the wall. "So why are you even here huh?" Luffy had asked.

"I mmm… well you see…" Zoro began and then snapped "Its none of your business"

After several hours of incesable pestering Luffy had learned that Zoro had inherited his father's dojo and he was a kendo master, he had even developed his own style and told Luffy sometimes he wished he was born in a different era, so he could really test his strength as swordsman. Luffy smirked to that.

The night was soon over, and in the morning, the dark haired boy was released – not even a bail was necessary, just a call from the higher ups and Luffy was free-.

While he was gathering his cell phone and other personal belongings he overheard a conversation between two low rank police officers, for what Luffy could make out of it, Zoro was on the holding cell because he had punched captain Morgan on the face in a restaurant two weeks before defending a little girl about to be brutally slapped after she had accidentally spilled some juice on Morgain's expensive designer suit, so far he hadn't gotten a lawyer or even the right to a call..

So Zoro was a good guy, Luffy smirked. He turned around and demanded more information, only to be laughed off in the face by the two police man.

"CP9, Codename Straw Hat" he whispered darkly. The two officers almost pissed their pants and started to mumble apologies, why was a CP9 member doing on a holding cell in the first place!

"So tell me about Zoro will ya guys!" he said his face changing completely, a wide smile appeared as he draped his arms around the scared cop's shoulders.

He learned Morgan intended to implicate Zoro in an assassination by planting false evidence, and intended to send the green haired man to trial, in hopes he got the death penalty or at least a life sentence, all because Zoro had broke his jaw with the strong blow he planted while defending a child.

Luffy walked towards the cell and grinned at Zoro from outside the bars "Hey Zoro, I kinda have a proposal for you"

"Piss off" the green haired man answered.

"I can get you out of here, only hear me off" Luffy insisted.

Zoro stood up and approached the other man outside his cell, it was obvious their conversation wasn't meant to be overheard by the other prisoners, "I'm only hearing you out because I have not been able to get a hold of a lawyer not even make a lousy call.."

"Well I'm a special government agent, undercover agency that isn't even supposed to exist, so don't tell anybody" Luffy said making the universal sign of "Shh" with his finger.

"You just blurted it out!" Zoro snapped outraged.

"Hahahaha, that's different, you see, you are joining my team"

"Which team"

"I'm captain of the Strawhat team of course…besides if you join, you would be able to really test your swordsmanship skills on real battles" Luffy smirked

That got Zoro's interest, "What makes you so certain I will join?" Zoro asked raising an eyebrow.

"Because I said so Shihihihi"

"You are annoying go away"

"No can do, Morgan is gonna incriminate you in some murder to get back for what you did to him, you could even get death penalty"

Zoro scratched his head in exasperation "He couldn't be that corrupt… could he"
Luffy nodded.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall and a tall and imposing short haired blond man with metal prosthesis on his square chin approached, with the two cops Luffy had scared down earlier close on his toes.

"So you are the bastard that thinks he can come down to my station and do whatever he wants?" Morgan snarled.

"I'm Luffy" he said with a wide smile, causing the other man to become even more pissed.

"Look kidd, I don't care who you are, you are not gonna take away my special prisoner, I have plans for him" Morgan smirked and Zoro understood in that moment, Luffy was saying the truth.

"Watch me…oi you" the dark haired boy said pointing towards a guard "Open that cell and get Zoro out" the guard gulped but he knew better than to go against a CP9 agent… he fumbled with the keys and quickly got the green haired man out.

This outraged Morgan, that couldn't believe he was so easily outranked by a mere brat, he approached his man and punched him so hard he sent him flying to the nearest wall, breaking the poor guy's nose and making him loose consciousness.

"You two piss me up so much, look kid I don't care what agency you say you are but you are dead"

His underling had the courage to whisper the name "CP9" close to him, and Morgan's eyes widened.

"CODE NAME!" he shouted towards Luffy, and said boy just smirked "Straw Hat"

"Never heard of you. Men, shoot their asses!" The police guards took their pieces out but their hands shook while trying to aim between Zoro and Luffy, obviously distressed and not knowing whose orders to follow. CP9 could make you disappear without a trace; Morgan could also kill you for no reason at all without batting an eye.

"Look I don't care if you are of that agency, I have some friends in the higher ups in the government too, I can do whatever I want" Morgan boasted and charged towards Luffy.

Luffy and Zoro looked at each other briefly, coming to an unspoken understanding, Luffy charged towards Morgan and Zoro went to get the guards, they fired, but Zoro was quicker and disarmed them both, and at the very same time, Luffy kicked Morgan on the face so hard, the bigger man's brain rattled.

Luffy and Zoro stood back to back and grinned, the older man turning around "So…what is next… captain?"

That was more than four years ago, and since then the Straw Hat team had gained fame and respect among the CP9 organization, Luffy had recruited his other team members in similar fashion. Usopp had been his childhood friend but the long nosed man always insisted he was too weak to join the CP9, which was until a two faced criminal tried to take Kaya's life in a carefully designed plan, after he saw how proud Kaya was of him, Usopp couldn't help but to join, the fact that his dad was an agent too and he admired Yasopp also helped a great deal.

Each member had their unique back story, but each had something in common, they had Luffy to thank for taking them out of dark and difficult moments on their lives, so they joined gratefully working hard on behalf on their team and at the same time following their passions and dreams, and of course, enjoying the spoils of their work. You see, CP9 was an underground agency, but the founding didn't came from the government itself, but from the loot the teams took from criminal organizations, once they tore apart a mafia group, or a drug cartel, they could loot and feast on all their assets, giving a sixty percent share to the adequate government higher ups and enjoying the forty percent left. Luffy's car was a token from one of his most recent missions.

That's why CP9 agency's motto was "There's no better justice than our own" and for them, that held true.

Shanks knew what set Luffy's team apart from the rest, the complete trust and dedication between its members, because the special circumstances they each had joined, there was a strong bond of trust between the captain and the team members, a bond no captain could hope to achieve by simply recruiting academy rookies.

Shanks sighed and while looking at the files espreaded on his desk

"Shanks! Where you spying on us again?" Luffy said pouting and crossing his arms.

"Well I hehehe" the red haired man laughed feeling caugh "I worry for my boy"

Luffy groaned, hating that his father and superior always butted in his cases somehow.

"Shanks, you know the reason Ace changed to the other division with old man Whitebeard was because he got tired of you spying on his assignments" Luffy said.

"I know I know" Shanks approached Luffy and put his hand on the younger man's shoulder "But you wouldn't do that to your old man would you?"

Luffy groaned,

"..I've gotta worry Luffy, take for example the car bomb incident the other day, what would I do if…"

"I handled that just fine Shanks! You know Franky has the car secured for those situations, besides, we took care of those guys the next day, they just wanted revenge for what we did to them before… don't you trust me or what"

Shanks sighed "I DO trust you… but cut me some slack; I'm a silly old man hahaha"

Luffy groaned, "Alright alright… tell Makino I said hi", the younger man said starting to walk out the office.

"Yeah I will, but you will have to bring us that nice young lady home soon you hear!"

Luffy started to run out the office but before the door closed behind him, he managed to hear some fateful words, "We want those grandchildren y' know, we are not getting any younger!" *click* the door closed and Luffy sighed totally embarrassed. Shanks was what, in his middle forties or so now, too young to be whining about grandkids yet… Luffy knew half the things his adoptive father said were to annoy and embarrass him.

He finally started walking towards the briefing room, and once inside all his team was there ready for the upcoming assignment.

Robin had her laptop plugged to a projector and started to speak

"I have the report on Nami captain, should I begin?" Robin said with a serious face.

"I just want to find her and have her explain why she ran away"

"She ran away?" several team members gasped

"Must be your shitty personality" Sanji muttered with a tinge of jealously on his voice.

"I'm certain I found the reason behind her odd behavior in the last weeks since we know her… and its not pretty, as for what changed for her to run away? I think that's something she needs to inform us herself" Robin said, her black tight dress and boots making her look classy,sexy and dangerous.

"How bad is it" Zoro asked

"She is one of Arlongs's girls" Robin said with finality, everyone gasped, Sanji closed his eyes and hunched over on his seat, Zoro cursed under his breath, Chopper covered his mouth with a hand and Usopp looked in disbelief.

"I can't believe it… "he whispered.

"Huh? Guys, who is this Arlong guy"

"WHO is he? He is a bastard that traffics humans! He brings girls from other countries and sells them, sometimes he keeps them to make them work on his own business… of all the horrible things I thought Nami-san could be hiding.." Sanji explained.

"As Sanji-kun explained, that is quite correct, on Nami's case she was brought to this city by force six years ago from the northern country of Konomi, she used to live in a small farm village called Kokogashi"

"Robin, I don't care about any of that stuff, just tell me where Nami is" Luffy ordered exasperated.

She took her cell phone and pushed a couple of buttons, and soon Luffy's own device responded in kind "Done, you have her exact address, she is at her apartment right now"

"Good, you guys check this Arlong dude" Luffy ordered while running out the room.

"Wait Luffy!" Usopp gasped.

"Let him be… Oi Robin-chan, tell us the rest of the story" Sanji commented, preparing himself for the horrible truth by taking a big gulp of smoke.

Luffy took a car from this father's collection don't even bothering about make and model as long as the vehicle took him to Nami as soon as possible. He drove furiously to her place, finally stopping in front of a fancy looking building. He climbed out the car, leaving it in the door, ignoring the doorman as the old man protested informing him he couldn't just leave a car parked there.

The elevator took a second too long to arrive, so he climbed the stairs in a furious run, six floors up until he reached her hallway, he ran past the apartment doors that had golden numbers signaling the proper number,

…601..602…there, on the end, a half opened door…. It had to be her apartment, screams came from inside.

"ARLONG! ARLONG! MAYBE IF I DO THIS YOU WONT HAVE ANY MORE USE OF ME!"

He rushed and pushed the door open, and gasped when he saw Nami doubled over on the floor in the middle of the living room, she held a knife on her hand and was directing it towards her lower abdomen, a crazed look on her eyes, hand shaking and some blood already soaking her blouse.

She was trying to stab herself.

Her last attempt was halted by his hand grabbing her wrist.

He said nothing, but glanced at her with eyes that held a mixture of sadness and anger. Sadness to see her broken like that, anger to whomever provoked her that state in the first place.

She rose her head slightly, eyes full of tears, she was biting her trembling lower lip, as if trying to hold her sorrow, her watery eyes found his and she could only whisper.

"Luffy… " her voice trembling in anguish "…help me"

That was all the words he needed to hear, she didn't need to explain why she took the car, why she stole the money, none of that mattered as he pushed his hat on her head and taking a deep breath he shouted his answer.

"YOU ARE DAMN RIGHT I WILL!"

.


To be Continued…

What do you think? I'm quite proud of this chapter too!
I have all the alternative back stories for the crew on my mind but I didn't want to bore you guys with them, surely, you could also think fitting modern setting back stories for each of the straw hats. I wrote Zoro's because I dig Luffy x Zoro NAKAMASHIP.

I also love the idea of Shanks still teasing Luffy like when he was a kid but with other more adult themes and situations.

If you can drop me a note! Thanks!