Hello again to all! Up for the next chapter of CN? Again, I'm not too happy with this chapter! I've noticed I'm not really happy with any of the chapters when I write them, but I've read the story and they work well together, it's just boring have no action or anything. All for the sake of the storyline I guess. You liked my little twist last chapter? I'm glad I managed to make it a surprise!

Thanks for all my reviews, alerts and favourites.

DemonicallyAngelicNeko: Ha! No I just can't spell it, embarrasing :$ Thanks for pointing it out, I will edit it in the future.

Jenelric: Yea Im evil, that has been long established! I will leave you with your bad ending thoughts :D

Cogasha: Lol sorry! No relationship here! But glad you enjoyed

Blu: I am never happy with my chapters, ever lol. I liked your confused response, threw you huh?

Grace: All in time my friend, all in good time it will be revealed.

Marhi: Shanks is all good and stuff but we forget he is one of the biggest pirates, or in this fic, mafia dons. So he has clearly done alot of bad stuff in his time. Just because he helped Luffy doesn't mean he's always good! This twist was the first thing I established in this story, I wanted Shanks to be percieved as something different for once.

Yusukes: Lol you hate me now? Man you're gonna despise me by the end then.

Crystal: lol jaw dropping! Awesome

Santoryuu: Haven't seen your reviews ages it seems! Glad you're liking the story, Zoro's flashback was a bit separated up but I did enjoy it!

Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 10 – The Capo Di Capi Re

Zoro was noticeably happier the following weeks; Luffy commented he seemed more driven. Though he wasn't aware of what that drive was for, the don was pleased his usually grumpy friend was more affable

Even Sanji was impressed. His opinion of the Marimo went from "Bastard" to "Tolerable bastard", which as all knew was a major step.

If there was any change in him, Zoro didn't mention it, he just carried on with work like he always did. Everyone was impressed with his new found professionalism, particularly the family's rivals.

The Capone family were one of the most professional in the city. Established generations ago, the current Don was an organised individual, born and raised to run the family. Though with the current troubles, they seemed to be tiring of the Big City.

"So, Mugiwara, have you heard what Kid has been up to?"

Don Capone sipped on a glass of wine as he reclined in his chair. The Mugiwara's and Capone's were meeting in the back of Robin's speakeasy, having a friendly discussion. I didn't stop the area being heavily guarded. Ussop and Brooke were guarding the exterior of the shop, and many of the regulars noticed that the easy was packed full of the Franky Family tonight.

"Hm, that man is too vicious. Half the city is dead thanks to him." Nami scowled from her seat next to Luffy. The Don himself didn't answer; something most took for his seriousness when it was really just his simplicity.

Capone agreed "He just took out all of the Drake Family."

"All of them?" Sanji piped up from Luffy's other side, sounding impressed.

"Not that there were many left, the cops had been trailing them for too long.

From the dimly lit walls of the room, a snort echoed which got Luffy's attention.

"Zoro?"

"Drake hasn't been trailed by cops; he's been feeding details to them since I was in the force. They've always been running, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kid found out and finished them off."

"Well, I suppose the infamous Officer Roronoa would know" Capone sounded smug as he glanced at Zoro, who gave him a healthy glare in return. Luffy missed the bite in the sentence and laughed.

"Yea, Zoro knows lots!"

Zoro sighed at his boss' naivety, and Nami turned the meeting back on track.

"So we know you didn't just come here for a chat Capone, what is it you want?"

Capone took another sip of wine before answering.

"Well, with two of the main families taken out, and one leaving, we thought –"

His words were cut off by a sharp tap on the door. Robin entered, looking almost surprised.

"Excuse me Don, but there is someone here who wishes to speak to you."

Before Luffy could ask who it was, a sweet voice piped up from behind Robin.

"Well, what a cosy meeting we have going on here, I'm hurt I wasn't invited."

--

A tall, slim woman none-too-gently nudged her way past Robin to observe the private meeting. Don Bonney looked almost amused at the gawking faces in front of her.

In a flash, the guards recovered from their stupor. Capone's three bodyguards pointed their guns at the new arrival, and Zoro's sword paused not an inch from Bonney's neck.

"What are you doing here Bonney?" Capone looked at her quizzically, motioning for his men to lower their weapons. Luffy looked surprised, but smiled.

"What a warm welcome. I'm only here to talk; I heard you two were meeting so thought I could join in." Her smile was sickly sweet as she spoke to the room, but her voice was sincere. Both Capone and Luffy nodded and relaxed, and Robin shut the door on the meeting as Bonney sighed.

"You can call off the guard dog."

"Idiot Marimo, you're gonna keep threatening a woman? Put your goddamn knife away!"

Sanji growled at Zoro as he stood and offered his chair to the female Don. Zoro glared daggers back at the Consiglierge, but knew better than to start a fight in the middle of a meeting so moved to stand behind his boss, who turned to speak to Bonney.

"How'd you know we were meeting up?"

"You think your pirates are the only good bunch of people for gathering info?" She smiled and helped herself to a large glass of wine.

Capone eyed the woman with vague amusement.

"After all we learnt you still behave so unrefined. You are despicable Bonney."

"Ahh you're just too stuffy. I can't wait to be rid of you, Capone"

The pair had been raised in the mafia world since they were young, and there were no two families more connected than Bonney's and Capone's. Both dons were good friends, despite their bickering.

"Be rid of him?" Nami sounded curious, she knew the woman enough to know that was a strange thing to say.

"Yes, Miss Consiglierge. I will be departing for the coast within the week, we have some business organised with Whitebeard that's too good to pass up."

"Whitebeard huh, that's impressive. Your beauty will be missed love!" Sanji bowed at Bonney, looking ever the fool as he swooned over her. She did nothing but laughed at his antics. Capone sighed.

"With you gone, that'll be the end of the established families. It's no fun on my own."

"Na? What do you plan to do?" Luffy cocked his head as he asked.

"I plan to go back to the home of my family, Don Mugiwara. Things have fallen there recently; I feel it's a good time to head back to Sicily."

"So you're both leaving?" Nami was surprised.

"I just wanted to leave some connections with you before I left, Mugiwara. You are a better boss than those other two anyway. You can even get thieves and cops onto your side." He laughed at the shocked and angry looks on Nami's and Zoro's faces as he drained his glass.

"With you two gone, that's only going to leave four families."

"Three." Bonney corrected Sanji's statement "Hawkins was arrested yesterday."

"Really? The cops are getting braver it seems." Luffy laughed.

"Shihi, not tough enough to fight us!"

"So it seems, Mugiwara. You, Kid and Law are going to fight it for the top spot with no interruptions."

"Tch, the cops would just be hoping that the three of you will finish each other off." Zoro growled where he stood behind Luffy, and Sanji sneered at him.

"Is that what you would have done, pansy-officer?"

Zoro reached for his swords and took a step towards the blonde, but Nami sent the pair a scathing look that promised considerable pain.

"No, cook, I just know what they're like. Most of the force is too scared to do anything." Nami nodded

"Besides it makes sense, only one of us will make it to the top, why take us all on full strength when they can wait until we're at half strength after fighting?"

Capone and Bonney both stood and smiled at the young family.

"You speak wisely; I feel it would do the city well to have a Don like you." Bonney finished her wine as she spoke, and Capone said after her.

"We wish you luck Mugiwara, if you need any help you can count on us."

"Thanks!" Luffy shook Capone's hand enthusiastically, and Nami and Sanji both stood to show their guests out. As Bonney shook hands with the dark-haired Don she muttered.

"A parting gift Mugiwara. While we are leaving, Whitebeard informs me someone even older than us it returning to the City for a spell. You will be pleased with the return of your Capo di Capi Re."

Luffy looked confused for a moment, before breaking into an ear splitting grin.

"Really?!"

"So I hear, and Whitebeard has not steered me wrong yet." She turned and waved at the dumbfounded don, following Robin and Capone as they left the easy."

As soon as the door closed, Luffy let out a very excited holler.

"Yosh!"

"Luffy, what is it?" Sanji was busy lighting a much needed cigarette to question too much, and Luffy was too exciting to listen anyway.

"Didn't'cha hear Sanji? He's coming back!"

"Who, you idiot!"

"Shanks!"

--

At that second, Zoro was able to describe exactly how it felt for your stomach to freeze and simultaneously drop. Before he even realised it he blurted out.

"Shanks?"

The three turned to the swordsman, surprised at the almost angry tone at his voice. Zoro mentally panicked and quickly covered his tracks.

"Who the hell is Shanks?"

'Dammit! Gotta be careful or they'll notice!'

Ussop wandered in with Brooke, laden with drinks and food. As Luffy set cross legged in his chair.

"You don't know who Shanks is Zoro?" Ussop sat down the drinks and gawked at his boss.

"The Redhairs are coming back?"

"Yea Ussop! Shanks is coming back, isn't that great!"

Zoro still glared angrily, and fortunately Nami took the expression for confusion.

"The Redhair family are one of the biggest in the country Zoro, surely you know that? Shanks is one of the Capo di Capi Re."

Shaken from his thoughts, Zoro grunted.

"I'd heard something about it." He moved to sit opposite Luffy and picked up a bottle of Gin. "Why's it so important to you anyway Luffy?"

"Eh? Oh, 'cause Shanks is my hero!"

Zoro almost dropped the bottle.

"What?"

"You haven't heard the story yet, Zoro-san? Luffy told us the entire story when we joined!" Brooke laughed as his friends as he took up the piano in the corner of the room, and began playing a happy tune.

"…No, I don't know it." Luffy grinned his huge grin and turned to the baffled swordsman.

"Shanks is the reason I became a Don! When I was a kid, I used to hang out with him and-"

"You hung out with mafia when you were just a kid?"

"Sure! Didn't you?" It was Nami who answered.

"Luffy idiot, most normal people didn't spend their childhoods with dangerous criminals."

"Franky did"

"Franky was conceived by them, that doesn't count."

"So what did you do when you were kids?"

"We were with our family, or playing with kids our own age!"

Zoro ran his hand over his face and growled from his seat as he watched the petty argument.

"The story Luffy."

"Ah, yea! Anyway, I used to hang around with Shanks, and then one day he saved my life! I wanted to be a respected Don just like him! And Ussop's dad is in the Rehdhair family too."

Ussop beamed with pride at Luffy's words, clearly very proud of his father.

Zoro didn't know what to say.

Shanks…the goal of his life's dream, the man who ruined his life.

He was the hero of his Don and Nakama?

The green haired man sat and drank, lost in a swirl of conflicting thoughts.

Now what was he meant to do?

--

With all the other families gone, the Mugiwaras had a lot of business to get involved in, leaving them incredibly busy. In an attempt to get more business done, they had split off into teams.

Sanji, to his displeasure, was paired with Zoro to get some deals made. Though the blonde didn't want to spend any time nearer the Marimo than was absolutely necessary.

Zoro was thinking along similar lines, he had hated the prissy cook as soon as he'd laid eyes on him. The thought of having to spend all this time with him really annoyed the green haired swordsman.

Though he had enough on his mind as it is.

His dreams, usually plagued with memories of his Childhood and his goal, now balanced between that and new memories, of a smiling face framed with a straw hat, the strangest family he'd ever had, but the first real one as well. The way his nakama worked together made Zoro happy in their company.

But being in their company directly prevented him achieving his ambition.

"Oi Marimo, you in there?"

Sanji's sarcastic growl roused the swordsman from his thoughts and back to the matter in hand.

Namely, the seven thugs who currently were trying to muscle them out of their deal.

Sanji lit another cigarette and sighed.

"Listen idiots, I'm only gonna warn you once. Give us the money you owe."

The men chuckled, withdrawing guns and knives.

Before the blonde had a chance to warn them more, a blur of black and green zoomed past his vision.

Zoro's mind was confused, and the thought of a fight calmed his nerves. Why think about all that stuff when he could just slice something up?

Sanji watched as Zoro tore through the first thug, and quickly turned on the others. The man was being surprisingly brutal, and the floor was quickly littered with bodies and fallen limbs.

"…Hey Marimo, isn't that a bit far? There were no orders to kill them."

Zoro snapped around to look at the Consiglierge, and for the first time Sanij noticed the anger radiating through his eyes. The swordsman was tense; breathing heavily despite the small amount of exertion. He looked wild.

"…Marimo?"

"Shut Up"

Even Zoro was surprised at the harshness of his voice, but he blamed the damn cook. The bodies surrounding him were a shock; he never meant to break like that. Loosing control over his emotions, shouldn't do that.

But damn it, how can I follow 'orders'? Killing them like this…that's just what Shanks would've done.

Zoro felt sick at the revelation.

What have I become? I was trying so hard to find him, I've turned into what I hated.

Sanji kept a wide distance from the swordsman as they headed away from the scene. It was clear to him Zoro was detached, he just hoped he could figure out why that was before the swordsman killed them all.

-.-.-

A mini chapter almost! Not much going on, but it was all needed before I could launch into the final bit of the story! Plus, wanted to leave you all with a little something to tease over the festive period.

Next Chapter - The Trigger.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night

Thanks for Reading! - Pamplemoose