Chapter 8 Dragon Meets Sniper

It had been a couple days since the trio had left Orange Town. Luffy was staring into the sea, lost in her thoughts. Zoro was napping, though he had confiscated Luffy's markers. Nami was reading maps, though she did shoot a glance towards the 12 year old on occasion.

During the fight with Buggy, Nami had noticed that after he had damaged the hat, the child's eyes had changed from brown to gold. Nami had just shrugged it off as a trick of the light, though when said child had sent the clown flying her arms were covered in what looked like scales. When Nami had questioned it, despite Zoro's word of caution, Luffy had told the older woman that she was a dragon.

She can't be a dragon. Nami thought. Dragons are just myth.

"Okay," Nami started to say, catching the attention of her companions. "We cannot sail for the Grand Line like this. This crew, provisions and ship are way too small."

"We need booze." Said Zoro.

"We need more than that!" Nami screamed at him.

"So what are we gonna do Nami-nee?" Luffy asked.

"We'll stop by at an island and try to get a better ship and supplies." Then she checked the maps again. "Let's see, the next island is call Gecko Island."

Gecko Island? Why does that sound familiar? Luffy wondered.

Line Break

A few hours later, the trio had reached Gecko Island. Before Nami could get the boat on the shore, Luffy had jumped off, eager to see what was on the island. Zoro jumped onto the shore as well.

"Nice to be back on land." He said as he stretched. Then stopped as he heard rustling in the bushes on the hill.

"We've got company." He said in a dark tone, as he reached for his swords.

Nami and Luffy looked up at the bushes where Zoro was looking. Luffy jumped when something shot out from the bushes to land in the sand by her feet. Without realizing what they were doing, Zoro and Nami moved so they were standing in front of Luffy. Then the trio heard laughing coming from the bushes. Everyone looked to see a skinny young 17 year old with a long nose staring down at them. His arms were crossed and he had a confident smile on his face, many pirate flags appeared next to him from the bushes, bearing the man's Jolly Roger.

Wait is he…? Luffy thought, as she recognized him.

"I am Usopp, leader of this island and fleet of an invincible fleet of pirates. You must be fools to have tried to attack this island! If you don't get back to your boats now, my eighty million men will attack!" He yelled out.

"That's a lie." Nami said with a calm expression.

Luffy giggled at his expression.

"She knows!"

"Well I do now." Nami said with a smug smile.

Luffy couldn't help but laugh at the face Usopp made.

"Alright, eighty million may have been a little high, but I have many men on my side!"

"You mean those three?"

"AHH! SHE KNOWS!" Three children screamed from the bushes, before they took off running on the verge of tears.

"HEY YOU GUYS COME BACK!" Usopp screamed.

Luffy was now laughing so hard that she had to lean against Zoro to keep from falling over.

"Never seen a pirate who uses a slingshot." Nami said as she picked up the lead star that the boy had used.

"Be quiet!" Usopp shouted as he aimed his slingshot at them.

Luffy, at the sight of the slingshot, had stopped laughing.

"Now that you've drawn your weapon, will you use it?" She asked in a low tone, giving the older boy a serious look with her hat shadowing her eyes. Usopp just looked at the little girl in fear. Zoro decided to have some fun as well, as he flicked one of his blades from its sheath a bit so the boy could see the glint of the sword.

Usopp lost his nerve completely. He dropped the lead star from his slingshot and fell to his knees in defeat.

"Just as I thought, a true pirate's speech is much more intimidating. That's so cool." Usopp muttered.

Luffy looked up at Zoro and they both started laughing.

"I just repeated what someone else said," Luffy said, still laughing. "I stole that line from Shanks."

"Wait, you mean Red Haired Shanks?" Usopp asked the girl, leaning over the cliff.

"Yup! Your father's Yasopp right?" She asked.

Usopp was so shocked that he fell of the cliff, landing on his face. But then he was up, bombarding the young girl with questions. "You know my dad!?

Line Break

Usopp lead Luffy and the others to a restaurant. While he did, Luffy told Usopp how she met his father. He listened as she told him how his father went on and on about his kid. Usopp smiled as he listened to every word.

"Hey Usopp." Nami said after they had gotten their food. "We were hoping to get a better ship. Do you know of anyone who could help us?"

"Sorry, but we don't have anyone here who could help you." Usopp said.

He's lying. Thought Luffy.

Usopp looked at them nervously before grabbing his bag.

"I uh… gotta go. Eat all you want, it's on me." Then he was gone.

Before anyone could say anything, the front door swung open. It was the children from earlier.

"The Usopp Pirates are here!" They screamed. "Where's our Captain, you savages?"

Luffy studied the younger boys for a second, then she grinned flashing her canines.

"Ah, that meat was good." She said as she patted her swollen belly.

The kids stared at her in horror.

"M-meat?" Whispered the boy with the green apple cut hair.

"N-no way." Said the onion cut haired boy.

"D-did they…" The boy with light purple hair said.

"What have you done!?" All three shouted.

Zoro, picking up what his Captain was trying to do, turned towards them and gave a look of pure sadistic joy.

"If you're looking for your captain…" He said. "We ate him."

"AAAHHHHH! CANNIBALS!" They screamed, before promptly fainting.

The two trouble makers burst out laughing. In fact, Luffy was laughing so hard that she fell out of her chair and on to the floor.

Line Break

Luffy and her friends were standing in front of the manor that belonged to Usopp's friend Kaya. Before anyone could stop her Luffy was on the other side of the fence.

"Oi, Luffy you ca-" Nami started to say, but the girl was gone.

Zoro just sighed.

Luffy found Usopp up in a tree talking to Kaya through a window.

"Usopp-nii!" Luffy called out, causing the two to jump.

"Luffy? What are you doing here?"

"Usopp," Kaya asked. "Who's this?"

"Hi Kaya-nee!" Luffy said smiling. "I'm Luffy."

"Nice to meet you." Kaya said, slightly stunned at being called a big sister.

"What are you doing here Luffy?"

"I came here to see Kaya-nee!"

"Me? May I ask why?"

"Well I was hoping that-"

"What is the meaning of all this?" Came another voice.

Everyone turned to see a slim man with glasses and slick black hair.

"Khlahadore!"

Luffy narrowed her eyes, as she sensed something in the man she did not like. Now dragons (and half-dragons) are excellent judges in character. It is nearly impossible to lie to them as they can smell the truth from the lies. And so, the half-dragon's instincts were screaming at her to not trust this human. She wanted nothing more to do than grab both Usopp and Kaya and get them as far away from him as possible. But she stayed silent watching as an argument broke between Usopp and the butler. Though everything escalated when the man insulted Usopp's father.

"SHUT UP!" Usopp roared as he slugged the man right in the face, knocking him to the ground. "I'm proud that my father is a pirate! Being a brave warrior of the sea, I'm very proud of him! Yes it's true that I'm a liar, but a pirate's blood that flows within me! That kind of honor isn't something that can simply be imitated! For I'm the son of a pirate!"

Line Break

Luffy found Usopp in the woods, looking over a cliff. He was shaking.

"What's wrong Usopp-nii?"

"Hide!" He hissed, pulling the little girl down. She crawled next to him to look over the cliff.

On the beach were two men, one was a weird looking man with purple hair, the other one was the butler from earlier. Unfortunately, they were too far away to hear normally.

Good thing I'm not normal. Thought Luffy as she used her enhanced hearing to listen in.

And she was glad she did.

"They're gonna kill Kaya-nee." She hissed.

"WHAT!" Usopp yelled.

"Well if it isn't Usopp the town liar and the brat from earlier."

Luffy and Usopp looked back over the cliff to see both men staring at them.

"Did you hear anything?" The butler asked.

Usopp opened his mouth to say something, but Luffy beat him to it.

"I heard everything." Luffy said with a growl, her eyes flashing. "I won't let you kill Kaya-nee."

Khlahadore, or Kuro, eyes narrowed dangerously at the girl before he nodded to his companion, who sighed and stepped forward.

"Look here children and watch my ring closely. With 'One, Two, Jango' and you'll fall asleep." He said.

"One…"

"Hide quick or we're done for!" Usopp cried.

"Two…"

Usopp dove to the ground covering his head.

"Jango!"

Fortunately, it didn't work on Luffy, however at the same time her narcolypsy kicked in.

Usopp watched in horror as the 12 year old fell off the cliff to land on the rocks below.

Line Break

Zoro and Nami looked up to see Usopp running from the forest.

"Usopp! Over here!" Nami called, waving her hand.

There was no missing the boy's reluctance at coming over.

"Where's Luffy?" Zoro asked him, his arms crossed over his chest, looking at Usopp expectantly.

"Well she's…" Usopp said.

Zoro raised a brow, his steel gaze sharp on the boy.

"S-she's at the cliff side relaxing."

Zoro and Nami picked up on the lie immediately.

"Where. Is. Luffy?" Zoro asked again, there was an edge in his tone that sent shivers down Usopp's spine.

"She's DEAD!"

"WHAAT!"

Line Break

Luffy was currently waking up from her fit, yawning as she stood up.

"Luffy!"

She turned to see Zoro and Nami running towards her.

"Zoro-nii! Nami-nee!" She said happily, then noticed their worried expressions. "What's wrong?"

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Luffy asked confused.

"We were told you were dead."

"But I'm not."

Zoro sighed feeling a headache coming.

"What happened?"

Luffy's eyes widened as she remembered.

"Those guys! I heard! They're gonna kill Kaya-nee! The village! OH MY GOD! COME ON!"

With that she took off, leaving a dumbfounded Zoro and Nami.

Line break

By the time Zoro and Nami had located Usopp, Luffy was nowhere to be found. So the three older teens devised a plan where they covered the slope in oil, unfortunately for them it was the wrong slope. Usopp ran ahead followed by Nami, while Zoro got lost. Luckily he found them just in time to help take out the first wave of pirates that had reached the top of the slope.

The fighting continued for some time until Kuro made his appearance.

"C-C-Captain Kuro!" Cried out Jango.

"It's past the appointed time to attack." Kuro said in a calm voice from on top of the hill. "Yet, I find you being held up by children. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?"

Zoro, Nami and Usopp watched as Jango tried to explain to his former captain.

"This is disgraceful. To think that the Black Cat Pirate could be beaten by mere children. Have you all gotten that weak?"

"Weak!?" Two members of the Black Cat Pirates, Sham and Buchi, shouted out enraged before they charged at him.

But just before they reached him, he vanished. He appeared a second later behind them, this time wearing his Cat Claws.

"I'm giving you all five minutes to kill these pests." He said as he pulled back. "If you don't, then you all die by my hand."

"KURO!"

Everyone looked up the slope to see Kaya glaring at the former captain. Next to her stood Luffy, who was dragging a couple of pirates that she'd beaten. Zoro, from where he stood, could sense the young dragon's anger.

"Kaya! What are you doing here!?" Usopp screamed, terrified for his friend.

"Usopp-kun." She said in a quiet voice. "I was attacked by these pirates at the mansion. Luffy-chan saved me. I'm sorry for not trusting you."

"Miss Kaya. This is no place for one in your condition." Kuro said in a calm voice. "You should return to the mansion where it's safe."

He then turned his attention to Luffy.

"I believe I recall telling you to go play somewhere else child."

Luffy's only response was a growl as her eyes flashed angrily.

Kaya turned to Kuro, her eyes blazing in anger. "Merry and Luffy-chan told me everything. I will never hand my fortune over to you."

Kuro studied Kaya for a while before he sighed. Then he started to sway.

"NO CAPTAIN KURO! NOT THAT MOVE!" Some of the pirates screamed in terror.

But it was too late.

"OUT-OF-THE-BAG-ATTACK!" He said as he vanished.

Sensing an attack, Luffy tackled Kaya to the ground shielding the older woman. Luffy hissed when she felt the man's 'Cat Claws' slashing across her back, ripping the young girls clothing.

"LUFFY!" Her friends cried out in worry.

But Luffy paid them no mind. Instead she focused on Kuro, who was slashing at random things all around them, including his crew.

"DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR OWN CREW!?" She yelled enraged.

This drew Kuro's attention back to her, slashing her across the chest but that was the girl's opportunity to grab the butler and slam him into the ground.

Kuro glared at the little girl who dared to interfere with his plans. But before he could do anything, she hugged him, trapping his arms and legs.

"GUM GUUUM BEEELLLL!" She shouted as she looked him in the eyes, before covering her head in scales and slamming it against the ex-pirate captain's head.

"She did it!"

"She defeated Kuro!"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Monkey D Luffy! And I'm gonna be the Queen of the Pirates." Luffy said grinning through the pain, before she literally kicked Kuro's unconscious body straight into the deck of the Black Cat's ship.

The Black Cat's ran with their tails between the legs.

Line Break

"That was very reckless of you Luffy-chan." Kaya said as she finished bandaging the young girl.

Zoro, Nami and Usopp stood to the side. Luffy just shrugged, wincing when she pulled her wounds.

"I wasn't going to let a pirate who gave up his name and quit the sea, hurt my nakama."

Kaya just smiled softly at the girl.

"Well if you're ready I have a surprise for you all." She said.

A few minutes later Kaya led them down to the docks. Zoro was caring Luffy on his back as Kaya said that she didn't want her wounds to open again.

Standing on the pier was Meri, Kaya's other butler was waiting for them with a smile on his face and a bandage on his forehead.

"Cool!" Luffy said in awe.

"Wow." Zoro said.

"A caravel." Nami cheered.

As Meri explained the workings of the ship to Nami, Luffy despite Kaya's word of caution was running around on Merry Go's deck.

"Luffy-chan, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Kaya-nee."

"I was wondering if I could join your crew."

"Eh?" Nami and Zoro said.

Luffy just studied Kaya for a moment. "Why?" Was all she asked.

"In the past year I've been highly depressed over my parents' deaths. Usopp-kun to so much effort to cheer me up. I can't remain that way anymore." She paused for a moment. "I want to see the world. I want to be a nurse."

Luffy stared at Kaya a little bit longer, before a large grin appeared on her face. She embraced the older woman in hug.

"I'd love to have you with us Kaya-nee!"

At that moment, screams could be heard coming down the hill. Everyone looked to see Usopp rolling down the hill with a very large backpack.

"What's Usopp-nii doing?" Luffy asked in confusion.

"We should stop him," Said Zoro. "He's heading straight for the ship."

Both Zoro and Luffy, despite her injuries, stuck their foot out and stopped him by slamming their feet in his face.

"T-thanks." He muttered.

"You guys, take care!"

"Why?"

"I'll be a pirate just like you, so we might meet again someday."

"What're you talking about?" Zoro said in annoyance. "Hurry up and get on."

"Huh?"

"We're friends aren't we?"

Usopp stood there shocked, before tears ran down his cheeks.

"I'm the captain!" He shouted as he jumped on-board the Merry.

"NO, I'm the captain!" Luffy yelled angrily as they set sail.

It was then Usopp noticed Kaya.

"Kaya? What're you doing here?"

"Kaya-nee's coming too!" Luffy said cheerfully.

"EEEHHH?"

End Chapter

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