A/n:

Senchou: means Captain. I just used the Japanese word here 'cause I thought it sounded cooler :3

CHAPTER 7

The ground shook and cracked as the reindeer-man ran across the shifting earth. Behind him the ground split and flames shot out through the cracks. He could see Nami a little further away, clutching her bleeding arm, her face contorted in pain. Usopp and Brook stood on either side of her, trying to keep the flames at bay. He opened his mouth to call to them, when the ground below him fell apart. Before he knew it, he was plunging towards the flames of hell. The last word that came out of his mouth, was a desperate plea for help.

"Luffy…!"

"-pper! Chopper!" Some one yelled as they shook him awake. Chopper frowned and tried to bat away the hands. He slowly opened his eyes to see a worried Luffy leaning over him.

"Luffy, you saved me." The little doctor said happily. Luffy raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Eh?"

"You were having a nightmare, so I came to wake you when you suddenly screamed my name." Luffy explained. Chopper sat up and scanned his surroundings. Letting out a sigh of relief, he smiled at the seven pairs of worried eyes looking at him.

"Don't worry you guys. I'm fine!" He said, trying to convince himself more than the others.

The crew nodded and went back to whatever they were doing. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Chopper went over to Franky so see how the Shipwright was doing. Franky's state had stabilized overnight and chopper smiled in relief. As he began the process of re-bandaging his patient, he heard a groan. Snapping his head up, Chopper's eyes widened as he watched Franky slowly blink and look around in confusion.

Chopper whooped excitedly, causing the others to once again stop what they were doing and eye the small reindeer-man skeptically.

"He's awake you guys! Franky's awake!" Chopper screamed as he climbed onto the stretcher and started checking Franky's heart beat with his small stethoscope. This news obviously lightened everyone's moods. Luffy laughed in delight, as he ran over to them. Usopp and Brook stopped working on Usopp's new 'invention' and hurried behind Luffy. Robin kept her unfinished drink down, on her personal table and stood up to join them. Nami and Sanji happily walked over, with Nami yelling at the boys to zip it and Sanji asking if he should cook a celebration meal. Zoro stood aside and watched the others talk and shout at the same time, as they surrounded Franky who had successfully managed to sit up with a little help. Zoro smiled at the confused and slightly irritated expression the Cyborg had on his face, as he held his huge hands up, trying to calm them down.

Finally after several attempts of shutting them up, the crew sat around Franky who leaned back against a big rock and eyed Sunny with anger in his eyes.

"Those bastards. They'll pay for what they did to Sunny." He growled as he slowly sipped on the nutritional drink Sanji had made him. Franky looked around at the others.
"Well? You guys found out who those cloaked freaks were right?" He asked. Franky's eyes travelled around the semi-circle, noting the various degrees of guilt, exasperation, frustration and sadness on his Nakama's face. Unable to keep the anger out of his eyes, he clicked his sunglasses onto his nose and looked up at the unmoving sky.

"….I'll take that as a no."

"But Franky-" Usopp started, and was cut off by Luffy, who stood up and pulled his hat low over his face.

"We'll find them. Absolutely." As he said that, he turned around and walked off towards the beach, kicking small shells and stones in his path. The Straw hats looked on after their Captain as the unsaid words echoed in the silence.

"And we'll make them pay."

Robin watched as Luffy strode away from them, kicking stones and shells away in frustration. She knew that this whole ordeal had been hardest on their young Captain. Even though Luffy was powerful and always did what he promised, Robin couldn't help but wonder that sometimes they took his strength for granted. That fact had been proved when the Straw hats had looked down at an exhausted Luffy, who had just beaten CP9's Lucci and was lying on the floor of the tower in Enies Lobby, unable to move. It had also been proved, when she had heard the story of how Zoro had had a taste of Luffy's pain and suffering from Bartholowmew Kuma, on Thriller Bark. When Sanji had found the nearly dead swordsman, the others simply couldn't fathom how he had gotten such sever-life threatening injuries. Robin sighed and looked back at Franky who was re-assuring Nami and the others that it was merely a stroke of bad luck and negligence on his part, that had caused such a thing to happen.

She shut her eyes and breathed slowly, letting the cool morning breeze rustle through her hair. It had barely been a day and they had already gone through hell. She couldn't help but wonder what mysteries were waiting for them. That led her towards another thought. Sir Francis Leonidas Cart-emir. Or Emir, as he called himself. Even though Luffy had sent him flying with a single punch, she couldn't help but think that there was much more to the strange man than what he was letting on. Rather, what had happened last night seemed like it was done on a whim, rather than on a command.

Robin's eyes snapped open as realization hit her. She rose stiffly and walked towards where Luffy had disappeared.

"Luffy! LUFFY!"

Luffy popped his head out from behind a couple of big rocks and looked at her with an annoyed expression on his face.

"What is it Robin?! I can hear perfectly fine! There's no need to shou-"

"Luffy." Robin cut him off as she approached him. The dark haired man gave her a frustrated look, as he waited for the dark skinned archeologist to continue.

"Luffy. That man you hit yesterday. Don't you think he was strange?"

"Eh? You mean that mustache freak?" Luffy asked digging his nose and leaning against a rock. Robin nodded.

"Well yeah. He was a freak!" Luffy guffawed and Robin clicked her tongue in obvious disapproval at his answer.

"Robin? Did you figure something else out?" Nami called from behind them, as she climbed over some rocks and slid down to them. Usopp appeared around the corner, followed by the others.

Robin nodded and tapped her chin in thought.

"Yes. I was just doing a little reminiscing, when my mind wandered to our encounter yesterday." She paused looking around at them.

"And I thought that it was strange for someone who was able to defeat Franky and damage the Sunny-" She looked at Franky apologetically as he made a disgusted noise. "-to simply take a punch from Luffy and not return the favour. What I found even stranger, was that the jumpsuit-guy and his hooded minions hastily retreated before any of us could think of chasing them." She stopped and let what she was saying sink in.

"So you're saying…" Nami frowned. "….that this man wasn't MEANT to confront us?" As always Robin was impressed by Nami's ability to quickly grasp the situation.

"Ehh~?! You mean that guy just came to show off and nothing else?!" Usopp yelled as he threw his arms up in disbelief. The others looked slightly annoyed as well and Brook and Chopper joined in, as the trio 'Ehh'd loudly throwing themselves on the ground and falling over each other.

Nami rolled her eyes at their exaggerated stupidity as she eyed her Captain, waiting for him to react.

"And? What do you say to that Luffy?"

"Hmm? I still think they ran away 'cause their boss got beaten up." He said as he sat cross-legged on the sand, still digging his nose. Nami let out an exasperated breath as Robin chuckled and Zoro and Franky sat down across from Luffy. A tick mark formed on Nami's fore-head as she raised a fist and punched Chopper, Brook and Usopp who were running around in circles, with their arms raised and screaming for help. Sanji lit his cigarette and exhaled after a few seconds.

"So do we go after them Senchou, or just sit here waiting for someone else to attack?" He asked, looking at his captain.

Luffy, who had apparently finished his digging adventure, leaned back against the rock and chewed on a small twig. The Strawhats waited impatiently for their captain's decision. Robin couldn't tell what was going on in Luffy's head, as his precious Straw hat covered his eyes. He suddenly sat up and slammed his hand on the sand, causing them to jump. They watched as Luffy raised his hand to show a dead scorpion. The tiny yet deadly creature seemed to have been sneaking up on him, but Luffy was too quick for it. The man raised his head slightly, so one of his eves were uncovered.

" We wait for them. And when they come….." The nine companions eyed the scorpion, some of them wearily, as Luffy continued. "…. We squish them before they get us."

The man tapped his heavily ringed finger on the edge of his armrest, as he waited for his undeserving pupil. If there was one thing he hated with all his life, it would be in-discipline. And probably, waiting. He raised his head slightly as the doors opened and Emir walked in, bowing so low his weird, horned head almost touched the floor.

"Well?" The deep, gruff voice asked as Emir flinched.

"W-Well you see Master, I was merely trying to show them whose boss-" Emir was cut off by the loud thud of a heavy walking stick against the marble floor.

"Then tell me Emir. Who IS the boss?" The man who had been called 'Master' asked. Emir whimpered and collapsed onto his knees.

"I-Im so extremely sorry Master. I simply have no excuses whatsoever for this great misconduct of mine."

"I'm sure you don't. Now leave. And the next time you act on your own…." He clutched the edge of his armrest, turning it to fine dust in a matter of seconds. Emir nodded and hurried out the door, his head bowed the entire time.

"Weren't you a little too harsh on the boy?" Master turned his head slightly and nodded, acknowledging the woman who had appeared from the shadows.

"Risela LavenDark." He muttered.

"What in the world would the boss's right hand be doing here?" The woman who had been addressed as Risela chuckled silently.

"Well as you said, I am just the boss's right hand. There fore even I cannot disobey a direct order from him." Her snake-like smile widened as Master paled.

"…Direct order? From HIM? Why!? I have everything under control!" The woman tutted, as she walked up to him. Stretching a long finger, she caressed his cheek.

"It seems HE disagrees. If He sent me to clean up, then you really must have done something to-" She flicked his cheek, causing him to flinch. "-piss Him off." Master's eyes widened as he watched Risela's body transform into a Viper. His eyes reflected his fear and he barely had time to breathe out a desperate plea, before she struck.

Risela stepped over the bulky man's huge form as she made her way towards the shadows, his scream echoing in the silence.

"No! Please!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~