Brook: Yohohoho! That was quick!

What are you talking about? I still have to work on my other, written up draft fic, which is going to be my first crossover.

Brook: Well! You can do a few of these and then work on it.

That's what I plan to do. Reviews?

Brook: (grabs one) From Tori-san…

I wanted him to be smart, but still be himself as he did so. Because I believe there's a complexity in that simplistic mind of his.

Brook: (grabs another) From Kira-chan…

Hope this is worthwhile.

Brook: (grabs another) From Surguri-chan…

Thanks!

Brook: (grabs another) From Gene-san..

Hmm… Might have to find that song on YouTube.

Brook: (grabs the last one) From MintCa…

Here it is!

Brook: Yohohoho! Enjoy everyone!


Chapter 6

Luffy stared at the clock as it ticked away.

"Luf… We won't be out of here for the next three hours." Ace said with a grin.

"I don't wanna wait that long!" Luffy whined as he thrashed around the bed. "I wanna see everyone already!"

"You haven't told me about Zoro."

"Huh?"

"You were telling me back when we were here last time, back in the orphanage…"

"Oh yeah…" He settled back on the cot as he looked out of the window, where the sun was shining. "It was raining that day, and you just turned eighteen and we lost Shanks as our guardian because he was in love with Ben…"


#Flashback#

Luffy was fortunate that his brother was very responsible and that Shanks left the apartment to them as well as some good sum of money for them to go to college and other living expenses as he had to leave the state, court order. This put a huge damper in his life, which the other kids tried to cheer him up, which often worked.

One stormy day, he was on his way to the orphanage when he bumped into a kid. "Oh! Sorry about that!" He said as he extended his hand.

"Don't touch me!" The kid, wearing a black bandana, said as two men came and quickly grabbed the kid.

"Got you!"

"Let go of me!" The kid struggled. "I can handle fine on my own!"

"As if…" Said the man as he looked to Luffy. "Sorry about that."

He shook his head. "No problem, but what's going on?"

"We're taking him to the orphanage… And hopefully stays there…"

Luffy suddenly got curious of the child, and decided to take the long way to the orphanage so he could find out a bit more of the kid.

He went about two blocks when he finally got to the orphanage, which sounded like it was in chaos.

He ran inside to see a group of kids and a fight going on in the center. He managed to see who was fighting and recognized the kid in the bandana and Sanji.

"Oi! Oi! What's going on!" He said as he was able to separate them both with the help of the owner as she held Sanji.

"That bastard started it!" Sanji said, blood going down his nose, a cut lip and some bruises on his face.

The said kid managed to get out of Luffy's grip and bolted to the open door.

Luffy told the owner that he'll be back and started the chase in the storming rain as thunder was heard. 'The kid's fast.' He thought as he could barely see through the pounding rain and the sudden flashes of lightening and loud thunder.

He didn't know how long he had been running after the kid, but he was sure that it was close to an hour for his legs were getting pissed and his lungs were starting to burn. But he had to stay with the kid, who was getting harder to see, wearing a lot a dark colors.

When they were over the bridge, he saw the kid do something unexpected. He jumped over the railing and was heading down the fast current of the man made water canal. He was no swimmer, but he jumped over the railing as well and continued to go after the kid, even when he was having a hard time getting his head above the water.

The fast current was helpful for him to get close as he finally caught the kid by the wrist, which he then pulled him towards his chest as both were being swept away from the strong current of the canal.

The next thing he knew he was on the sandy bank of some lagoon. He coughed up a bit as well as puked some water out. He took a moment to remember and panicked. 'The kid!' He thought as he looked around, and saw foot prints.

He followed to see the kid, overlooking the ocean at the edge of the cliff. He went up and stayed some ways behind the kid and sat down. "Oi!"

The kid looked at him and realized he was cornered.

"I'm Luffy! What's your name?"

"None of your business!" The kid said as he kept a wary eye on him.

"I guess you had a bad time growing up then?"

No answer.

Luffy just stared at the kid, reading the body language and the hard stare he was getting. "Are you okay?" He asked. "That was some reckless move you pulled back there… jumping off the bridge into the canal in the middle of a rain storm."

"So…"

"Just so you know, I couldn't swim."

The kid's expression didn't change.

"But I went in after you regardless of my inability to swim." He looked past the kid and to the ocean. "You picked a good spot."

"I know what you're trying to do!"

He looked back at the kid.

"I'm not going back there or to any orphanage! I'm able to survive on my own! I don't need you or anyone!"

"Did you start that fight just so you could get out?"

"It worked… until you had to chase me."

"Why?"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

Luffy stayed silent, seeing that this kid wasn't like the others. He didn't know the kid like he knew Sanji, and he was more locked up than Nami was, and he was definitely sure that he won't risk ending his life like Robin. He was just… angry…

"Why do you hate everything?"

"I don't hate everything!" He said as he looked at his feet. "Forget it! You wouldn't understand!"

"Well, I wouldn't understand unless you tell me or someone."

"Like that's going to help anything."

"You wouldn't know, maybe it could."

The kid looked out into the ocean and didn't say anything.

Luffy, not risking getting up to get close, stayed where he was and looked out to the ocean.

It was two hours later that both of their stomachs started to let them know of the basic need.

"Hungry?" Luffy asked.

"No." The kid lied, which was stubbornly covered up.

Luffy sighed as he looked around. "I wonder where we are… Definitely far from the town…"

"Then find out…"

"And leave you alone?"

"I'm not helpless!"

"But you're alone."

"So? It not like everything revolves around having so many people in your life, only to disappear forever!"

Everything went dead silent for a moment.

"Damn it…" The kid said.

Luffy could only think of one basic idea of the reason the kid acted the way he did. "Did you lose someone important to you?"

"Like you know how that feels!"

"Actually…" He started. "I don't know my parents, only my brother talked to me about Mom a bit, but he never mentioned Dad. Then there was our former guardian, Shanks… he was more like father than I'll ever know… Then the court ordered him to move out of the state and never have contact with us until they say so… because he loved a man. It didn't bother me and my brother one bit, but the people in the apartment where I live, they thought it was wrong and that Shanks isn't able to take care of us…" Luffy seemed to remember about that day. "Ace and I were once orphans for only a couple of days until Shanks picked us up due to guardianship rights. And now I'll never see him again, just because he was honest about who he is."

"Have you ever seen anyone die in front of you?"

"Not that I can remember… Ace said Mom died a few days after I was born… And Dad was never around to begin with… He said I cried for a couple days straight afterwards…"

"That's nothing…"

"What about you? It's only fair that you tell me, since I told you."

"Your situation isn't even enough to hurt you."

"Maybe not too you, but everyone has a certain hurt point before it gets to the stabbing point."

"You sound smart for someone who looks like an idiot."

"I get that a lot."

The kid sighed. "If I told you, would you tell?"

"If you don't want me to, I won't."

The kid looked at him. "Promise."

"Cross my heart…" He said as he made the motion of crossing his heart.

The kid went up to the teen and sat down next to him.

#End of Flashback#

"Huh? You're not going to tell?" Ace asked.

Luffy shook his head. "I have to keep my promise." He said as he looked up at the clock, two more hours to go. "Oh come on!"

Ace chuckled. "Keep going to the point after you and Zoro talked."

"Okay…"


#Flashback#

After the talk, Luffy placed a hand on the kid's head. "You're right, my situation isn't nearly as hurtful."

"Get your hand off my head."

He did. "Why do you wear a bandana?"

"I don't like the way I look."

"How old are you?"

At first he didn't respond. "How old are you?"

"It's kinda rude to ask a question with a question, but oh well! I'm going to be fifteen soon."

"I'll be turning nine soon…"

"So, you're almost nine, yet you're worried about what people think about you?"

"It's not what they think of me that bothers me. I already got a reputation for being a demon child."

"Well… I wouldn't say a demon child." Luffy said with a smile. "A little misunderstood maybe, but not demonic. If you are then you'd be in a church being exorcised."

The kid seemed disgusted with the idea. "I don't believe in God, so why would I want to go to a church to get a demon out?"

Luffy shrugged. "You have to at least believe in something. Like I believe that when you got good people around, everything seems a lot better even when it's not."

"I used to learn about Buddha… until…"

"Yeah… That would shake anyone from what they've learned."

They sat there in silence until their stomachs growled again.

"Oh shut up!" The kid said to his stomach, making the other laugh.

"Wanna go for a walk? Maybe we could find something to eat around here."

"In the middle of nowhere?"

"It's not nowhere, it's somewhere!"

"You always this optimistic?"

"You use a lot of hard words for your age."

"No, I just happen to be a bit smarter than you."

Luffy chuckled, not bothered by the response. "Yosh! Let's go!"

"Where?"

"Wherever the shoreline leads."

The kid looked at the crazy teen before nodding and following along side. "I'm Zoro… Roronoa Zoro."

Luffy smiled. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, it's great to meet you Roronoa Zoro."

The kid slightly grinned, but walked side by side in silence for the next few hours.

It took them about three hours until they got back into the town city and walked around there, stopped by Luffy's apartment, where he saw his worried brother and a cop that was soon to be the secret lover of his older brother.

He offered Zoro to wash up until his clothes were being cleaned, this included his bandana.

At first, the kid Zoro didn't want to take his bandana off, but he did, and revealed the short green hair.

"Sugoui! Is that really your hair color?"

"Y-Yeah… I've been made fun of a lot… until I start fighting."

"It's so cool!" Luffy said as he ruffled the kid's hair, which was protested.

#End of Flashback#


"And ever since then you two were very close." Ace said as he chuckled at that memory. "I swear you two were inseperatable… I actually got a bit jealous."

"Ace!" Luffy said as he laughed.

"One more hour and we'll be out of here."

"Yeah… And everyone will be there to see us come out!"

"Unless Zoro get's lost."

Luffy chuckled. "I won't mind, as long as I get to see him, that's fine by me."


Outside

Everyone was present, except Zoro.

"That bastard…" Sanji said. "I swear that he'll get lost even in his own funeral!"

Robin, who got out some days ago with no problems as of late, giggled. "He'll be here, don't worry."

"He better." Nami said. "It just wouldn't be right if he was missing to see Luffy and Ace come out."

"I think he's trying to get Smoker to come as well." Usopp said as he held Chopper, who the man had asked him to watch for a bit.

"That could be it." Franky said.

"Yohohoho! I can't wait any longer! I've composed a returning home song just for this occasion!" Brook said excitedly.


Inside

Both Luffy and Ace looked at the hospital doors and had to take a few deep breaths before stepping out into the bright sunshine.

Luffy looked to see the group, who in turn looked up at him. He couldn't believe what he saw. The small kids he knew were older, with the exception with Franky and Brook, who looked the same. 'They're all tall!' But then noticed one is missing. He was going to ask when a screeching sound was heard, followed by a black motorcycle and a cop car as they screeched to a halt.

"You damn crazy brat!" Smoker said as he got out of his car. "You could've got yourself killed with that maneuver!"

"Smokey!?" Ace called, making the said man look up and realized where he was.

"You're welcome." Said the biker as he took off his helmet, revealing the green haired man.

Luffy, for that short moment, forgot to breathe. 'He grew up nice…' He thought as the boy he knew and the man before him now, turned to look at him and smiled. At that moment, the image of the boy he liked to hang out with became a distant memory as he saw the handsome and older version, and knew… that things were never going to be the same between them.