This update brought to you a day later than planned thanks to FFN Error Type 2. Round of applause, folks! ...No? Yeah, I didn't think so. :P

*ahem* Anyway, this is the longest chapter in this fic, nearly 5.5k words. And I don't really have anything else to say, so...enjoy! Oh, wait - thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited. You all make my day. ^_^ Okay, now you can enjoy. c:

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

Chapter 12 - Remembering

Luffy didn't even make it halfway to the mansion before he was spotted.

The dewy grass felt cool and refreshing on his feet as he ran towards the house, occasionally slowing to duck behind a bush or a rock. He was hoping to get to Usopp before Nami or one of the other adults caught him. Luffy had decided that the sniper would be the best choice to start with; he had been the first one to tell Luffy the story of the ghost ship, after all. He had seen it himself, more than once, and even heard Zoro singing. Hopefully it wouldn't take much to convince Usopp of the truth. And then the earrings will do the rest, he thought, grinning.

Luffy allowed himself to relax slightly as he reached the edge of the garden. Between the thick plants and the walls that Franky had built around it, he should be able to get quite close to the mansion without being spotted now. He crept forward, looking for the back gate that he knew was somewhere nearby—

And then a large hand landed on his shoulder. "Yo, kid," Franky said. "You got some explaining to do."

In that moment, Luffy was very glad that with all his body's problems, heart trouble had never been one of them. He bit back a startled scream and whipped around. "F-Franky," he said in a quavering voice.

In one smooth motion, Franky had hoisted Luffy off his feet and draped him over his shoulder. "You really did it this time, little bro. Don't think I've ever seen Nami so upset. C'mon, let's get you back."

Luffy gulped. "Y-yeah," he said. "Sorry. I didn't mean…" He trailed off. What was the point of saying anything now? He would need his energy for dealing with Nami and the others. He only hoped he would be able to get one of them alone and in a listening mood. Luffy made sure the earrings were still secure, then relaxed into Franky's grip, letting the man carry him to his fate.

Fighting Crocodile sounds like fun right now, Luffy thought. Or an army of zombies, or maybe an admiral or three…yeah, that sounds much better. Can I do that instead? He shivered, staring nervously at the orange-haired thundercloud in front of him. Nami appeared almost calm, if you didn't know her well. But Luffy could see the twitching, the pain and smoldering fire in her eyes, and he was beginning to wish he'd made Zoro come along. With the spirit standing right there, they'd have had to believe him. Or if nothing else, he would have had some protection.

"Y-yo, Nami." Luffy tried for a casual tone, as if disappearing for a day and a half was a common occurrence. "What's up?"

"What's up?" she repeated in a calm, quiet voice that had Luffy taking a quick step backwards and bumping into Franky. "I don't know, Luffy. Why don't you tell me?"

"Nami, listen, I can explain—"

"Oh? Sure, why don't you tell us all about it? Why don't you tell us what on earth possessed you to sneak out again and go gallivanting off god-knows-where for AN ENTIRE DAY!" Nami's voice was steadily gaining in volume now. "I'd really love to know what was going on in that brain of yours, because clearly thinking was not on the agenda!"

"I'm sorry," Luffy said. "It was important—"

Quick as lightning, Nami took three steps forward and smacked Luffy hard across the face. He blinked in shock. Nami – this Nami, at any rate – had never hit him before. Never, no matter how angry she'd been.

"You IDIOT!" Nami yelled. "You don't care, do you? Not for our feelings, or even your own life! All that matters to you are your precious adventures!" She glared at him, and Luffy could see tears shining in her eyes. "Well fine! Once you're an adult – if you make it that far – you can go running off on any adventure you like! You can go out with a bang! Get yourself killed, see if I care!" She snatched his arm and started hauling him forcibly towards the stairs. "But until then, it's my job to keep you safe, Luffy, and I swear I'll do it if I have to handcuff you to the bed!"

Luffy sighed and allowed himself to be dragged. Nami would probably be one of the hardest to convince, and it was no good trying when she was this upset. Maybe once she'd calmed down he'd be able to get through to her somehow. He rubbed his stinging cheek. She had slapped him, after all. Perhaps her old memories were closer to the surface than he'd thought. As they passed through the hall, he noticed Usopp hiding behind a corner. Luffy caught his eye. "I need to talk to you," he mouthed, hoping the boy would understand. If he'd spoken aloud, Nami would have heard, and it would only make it more difficult for Usopp to sneak in.

Nami gave him a thorough check once he was back in his room, refusing to take his word for it that he was fine. She then immediately hustled him into bed, telling him she'd be back with food later and that if he so much as put a toe outside his room she would make good on the handcuff threat. Luffy lay back and let his eyes drift closed. In spite of his long sleep on the Sunny, he felt tired; the emotional tension of dealing with Nami had been draining.

A soft click brought him back to alertness, and he looked up to see Usopp easing himself into the room. He looked nervous, shuffling quickly over to the bed and perching on the edge. "H-hey," he said, eyeing Luffy as though he were made of glass. "You, um, feeling okay?"

Luffy grinned. "Yup, I'm fine! And I have so much to tell you."

Usopp leaned closer. "You mean, about where you went?" he asked. "What happened, Luffy? You just disappeared – everyone was so worried! I thought you might have been eaten by something in the forest!"

Luffy's eyes danced. "I was on the ghost ship, Usopp."

The other boy's mouth fell open. "You…you were what?" he choked out. "How…"

So Luffy told him, about how he'd taken Usopp's advice and called to the ship, then the dream with Ace, the unicorn, the box, remembering…and finally the meeting with Zoro and what had happened on board the ship. He held back only the information about Zoro's current condition. Even though Usopp had always seemed to be comfortable with the ghost ship, Luffy knew the boy was almost as scared of ghosts in this life as he'd been before, and he didn't want Usopp's fear to prevent him from remembering.

By the end, Usopp was staring at him, silent and wide-eyed and believing, and Luffy knew it wouldn't take much to get the earrings to work for him now.

"You were the captain?" he whispered. "You're a pirate king? From another world? And the ship…it's been waiting here for you all this time?"

"Yeah," Luffy said. "And for you, too."

Usopp looked stunned. "Me?"

Luffy nodded. "And Tony and Nami and Robin and everybody. And now that I remember, I gotta help you all remember, too."

The long-nosed boy was shaking slightly. "You…you really think we can? I mean, even if it's true—"

"It's true," Luffy said firmly.

"I'm not saying it isn't! But the rest of us haven't been having dreams or anything – as far as I know, anyway. I've never had anything like that happen. Maybe…" he looked down, fiddling with the bedcovers. "Maybe we aren't supposed to remember. Maybe it's just supposed to be you."

Luffy shook his head. "We all promised to come back. Maybe you guys haven't felt anything because I needed to remember first. But you've seen the ship, right? And heard the voice, too. That wouldn't have happened if you weren't a part of this."

"But..." Usopp seemed to be struggling to find an excuse. "But what about the man that Robin told you about? You know, the one that actually talked to the voice. That was over a hundred years ago! That guy obviously wasn't part of this, but he still saw it. And there have been others!"

"I don't know," said Luffy. "Maybe…maybe there are some people that can see stuff like that, even if it isn't meant for them. But it is meant for you, Usopp. And these will prove it, if you let them." Luffy extended a hand towards Usopp, the earrings nestled in his palm.

The boy's eyes widened. "Are those—"

"Yeah." Luffy looked at him. "I remembered when I held them, Usopp. And so will you. Just take 'em."

"But—" Usopp bit his lip. There was a faint sheen of sweat on his face, and he looked slightly sick. "What if it doesn't work? If…If I touch them, and nothing happens…I don't think I could take it, Luffy!"

"You'll be fine!" Luffy said, grinning. "I believe in you." He thrust the jewelry at his friend again, the picture of confidence, and as Usopp stared first at him, then at the earrings, the fear faded from his face, to be replaced with determination.

"Right," he said, squaring his shoulders. "This is nothing! No challenge at all for the great Usopp! Let's do it!" And if his hands still shook a little as he held them out, Luffy pretended not to notice.

He tipped the earrings into Usopp's waiting hands. Almost immediately the boy began shaking and moaning, his eyes going wide then rolling back as he slumped, heading for the floor. It's working, Luffy thought happily as he caught his friend and pulled him back to safety.

Within a few minutes, Usopp had gone limp, and Luffy dragged him up to lay next to him on the bed. When the sniper was as comfortable as he could make him, Luffy lay back into the pillows and considered who to awaken next. Maybe Tony – Chopper, he thought. He's not as gullible this time around, but he does believe in the ship. Or Robin. She's seen it too, she told me. I wonder if any of the others have… His eyes fluttered shut as he considered, and a few minutes later, the only sounds in the room were the soft snores of two boys, boys who were no longer as young as they seemed.

He was on Sunny, the ship rocking gently in the water. A cool breeze swept over the deck, and he could smell the salt of the ocean. Around him, his crew was going about their business. Zoro was napping. Franky was showing Usopp and Chopper a new invention. Nami and Robin were reading, while Sanji danced over to them with a tray of drinks. And he could hear Brook's soft music playing over it all.

A shadow made him look up. Above him, dark clouds were massing, seeming to have appeared from nowhere. The breeze suddenly gained strength, nearly blowing him off his feet with its newfound ferocity. He could hear his crew's voices, yelling about the storm, calling his name. The relaxed rocking motion of the ship had intensified, becoming a rough shaking that made it hard to keep his balance. The wind was roaring in his ears now, but he could still hear the voices, louder than ever, calling him. He drew breath to reply, just as a wave surged up, soaking him from head to toe, and—

"Luffy!" His eyes flew open. The shaking hadn't just been in the dream. A trembling Usopp was leaning over him, hands gripping his shoulders, and one glance at his face told Luffy that he remembered. Tears dripped down the boy's long nose, splashing onto Luffy's cheek.

Luffy smiled up at him. "Usopp," he said. "You remember now, right?"

"Everything," the sniper said, settling back with a loud sniff as Luffy pushed himself to a sitting position. "I can't believe it…all my life I've dreamed of being a great adventurer…when we've already gone on adventures more amazing than anything you could find in this world."

"There are adventures everywhere, Usopp," Luffy said. "The one we're having now is pretty big, don't you think?"

Usopp let out a nervous chuckle. "Y-yeah, I guess. It doesn't get much bigger than d-dying, huh? And then coming back…"

"Well," Luffy said, "Brook might not think so, I guess. This is the second time he's died, after all. Doing something you've already done before isn't as exciting."

"Death isn't supposed to be exciting!" Usopp cried. "It's supposed to be horrible! It was horrible!" The boy curled in on himself, hugging his knees to his chest. "I mean…we died, Luffy! All of us! I saw Nami fall…and Chopper…there were so many enemies, so much blood everywhere…and it hurt. It hurt so much…!" His voice trailed off into an anguished sob.

"I know," Luffy said. "I remember it too. I know. But that doesn't matter anymore, okay? The past is the past. We're here now. We have another chance."

"To do what?" Usopp asked, sniffling. "Why are we here again? What are we supposed to do now?"

Luffy grinned. "Whatever we want," he said. "That's what's so great about it. But we have lots of time to think about that stuff. First we have to help everyone else remember, so we can all come back to Sunny like we promised Zoro. We can talk about what comes next after that." There was a box of tissues on his bedside table. He pulled one out and offered it to Usopp.

Usopp took it and nodded, shivering a little. "Zoro's…really there? How? I mean, it's gotta be at least a couple hundred years by now, right?"

"You'll see when you meet him," Luffy said. "But he's there."

The sniper looked for a moment as though he wanted to press further, but seemed to think better of it. "So…what now? Who are you going to try next?"

"Probably Robin or Chopper," Luffy said. "I don't think the others have seen the ship, so they might be harder. Do you know if your d— if Franky's ever seen it?"

"Not…not that I know of," Usopp said slowly, then made a face. "This is so weird. 'Cause to part of me, he's my dad – he's raised me since I was a baby! But now there's another part that remembers us from before, and I know he was sort of like a big brother, or maybe even a dad, but still…it's just weird, you know? What am I going to call him now?"

Luffy doubled over, giggling. "You're funny, Usopp. But I know what you mean. Zoro was teasing me about Nami. You know, 'cause she's almost like my mom here, so…"

Usopp managed a chuckle. "Y-yeah…she sure scolds you enough to be one."

"Ah, that reminds me, she said she'd bring me lunch, so she'll probably be back soon. It'd be bad if she catches you in here. She'd probably guard the door, and then I couldn't see any of the others until tomorrow, at least."

Usopp paled. "You could have told me that before I passed out on your bed! Why didn't you tell her not to come?"

"She'd have come anyway," Luffy said. "Actually, she'd probably come sooner. And I'm really hungry!"

"I guess some things never change," Usopp said, grinning a little. "I'd better get out of here, then. What do you want me to do?"

"Try to find Chopper or Robin," Luffy said. "If you can get Nami to let them in here, that would be good. Otherwise, I guess you'll have to sneak them in. Probably just one at a time would be better."

"All right." Usopp scrambled off the bed and started backing towards the door. "Um, I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Okay." Luffy grinned. "It's good to have you back, Usopp."

Usopp smiled, drawing himself up straighter. "Good to be back, Captain! You can count on me!" And with a wink, he was gone, slipping out the door as quietly as he'd come.

Nami arrived with lunch not three minutes after Usopp had left. Her eyes were still a bit red, and she set the tray down a little harder than was really necessary. Luffy wisely decided to simply eat the food and keep quiet. Sanji was every bit as good a chef as he had been before, Luffy decided as he devoured the meal. He supposed that after going almost two days without food, anything would taste good, but even so, Sanji's cooking had something special.

He made another attempt at an apology after he finished, but Nami was still in no mood to listen, and hurried out of the room as soon as she'd given Luffy his medicine. Disappointed, he sat back and waited for Usopp to return.

It was perhaps two hours later when the door eased open and the sniper entered, followed closely by Robin.

"Robin!" said Luffy happily. "Usopp found you! Did you guys have to sneak in?"

Robin smiled. "No. Your friend said you had something important to tell me, and I wanted to check on you in any case. I was able to convince Nami-san to allow a short visit."

"That's amazing," Luffy said, pulling back the covers and climbing out of bed. "When she brought dinner, she was still so mad she wouldn't even talk to me."

"She was worried about you, Luffy-san," Robin said. "Are you sure you should be up so soon? You just returned a few hours ago, didn't you?"

"I'm fine," Luffy said. "Listen, Robin, I have to tell you what's happened. And you have to believe me. I swear it's all true. Usopp knows too, now."

Robin blinked in surprise. "Well, I'll certainly listen, Luffy-san. Why don't we sit down?"

Luffy and Usopp perched on the edge of Luffy's bed, while Robin pulled up a nearby chair and seated herself gracefully. "Now," said Robin once they were settled, "what's this all about?"

"Robin," began Luffy, "do you believe in living? More than once, I mean?"

"Do you mean reincarnation?" she asked.

"Yeah, that. Do you?"

"I…well, I suppose the possibility exists. I've never seen proof of such a thing, but there are stories, naturally."

"I'd never thought about it," Luffy said. "Not really. I mean, I've thought about death before – it's kind of hard not to when everyone around you is talking about how you probably won't live long enough to grow up, as far back as you can remember – but I never thought that there might have been anything before this."

"And something's happened to change that?"

"Yes." Luffy met her eyes then, giving her the most serious, this-is-really-important look he could muster. "I remembered."

"Remembered? A past life?"

"Yes," he said again. "Two nights ago…I went to the ghost ship, Robin. Actually, I went to the forest, and then to the ship…I found something there. In the forest. It helped me remember. And Usopp, too. We've lived before. And we're not the only ones. You were there too, Robin. You were with us, before. And I need you to remember. I need you to believe so I can help you remember."

"Luffy-san…" She was staring at him. He couldn't quite tell if she believed him, or if she was starting to worry for his sanity.

"You have to believe me, Robin," he said. "Please. You've seen the ship, you said so! That's our ship, Robin! Her name is Thousand Sunny. We sailed all over the world with her. I was the captain. Usopp was our sniper. You were our archaeologist."

Her eyes were wide now. Hoping he might be getting through to her, Luffy plowed on. "The others, too! They were all there! Nami was the navigator, Sanji was the cook, Tony was the doctor, only we called him Chopper most of the time. Brook was our musician, and Franky was our shipwright. He builtSunny for us. We traveled the world together, and achieved all our dreams. I'm not making this up, Robin! I wouldn't lie to you about something like this! Look—" He fumbled in his pocket, bringing out the earrings.

"This was what I found in the forest, Robin. They belong to another friend of ours. He left them there, for me, so I could find my way back to him someday. So that we all could. They helped me remember, they helped Usopp remember, and they can help you, too." He held them out to her. "Please take them, Robin. Please believe in me."

For a moment, all was still. Luffy didn't move, could hardly dare to breathe. Then, very slowly, a slim hand lifted from the lap it had been resting in. Hesitantly, it stretched towards the golden glitter in the waiting hand of the former pirate king. Soft fingers brushed Luffy's skin, and now he moved, gently taking her hand in his and sliding the earrings into her palm. She stiffened, eyes going wide; then with a soft cry, she collapsed forward, Luffy catching her before she could fall off the chair.

"D-did it work?" Usopp asked, reaching out cautiously to take hold of Robin's arm. Together, he and Luffy managed to get her onto the bed.

"Yeah, I think so," Luffy said. "That was pretty close to what you did, and what I did too, I think. So it probably did."

"I have to admit, that wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be," Usopp said. "If the rest of them are this easy, we'll be done in an hour or so!"

"Except for Chopper, I think the others will be harder." Luffy sat down on Robin's abandoned chair, watching her as she slept. "None of them have seen Sunny, and adults don't like to believe in this kind of thing."

"Luffy…" Usopp bit his lip. "What if we can't get through to them? I mean, this Nami would never believe a crazy story like this in a million years, even if she was in a good mood! And the others…"

"We will," Luffy said confidently. "Even if it's harder, the memories are still there. We'll definitely find a way to bring them back."

Taking a deep breath, Usopp nodded. He glanced at Robin. "How long do you think it'll take her to wake up?"

"Dunno. How long were you out?"

"I don't know…it couldn't have been more than an hour or so, I guess."

"I hope Nami doesn't come back before Robin wakes up. It might make things more difficult."

Usopp looked slightly terrified. "S-she said a short visit, so she probably will…oh god, we're dead. It probably looks like we attacked her or something!"

"Nami knows I wouldn't do something like that," Luffy said. "But it'll make it harder to talk to Robin if Nami's there when she comes around."

But neither of them could think of any way to avoid it – if Nami came, she came, and they'd just have to deal with it. Usopp dragged another chair over to the bed, and the boys settled down to wait. They didn't talk much. Usopp asked a few questions about Sunny, brought up a few old memories, but they kept lapsing back into silence, and eventually he gave up. Luffy felt like time itself was holding its breath, the entire world paused while the young woman slept.

And then, after nearly an hour, Robin stirred. The boys jumped up at once, leaning over the bed as her eyes flickered open.

"Robin?" Luffy asked eagerly. "You okay?"

She blinked a few times, her gaze sliding over to rest on him. "Luffy…" she said softly.

"You remember?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"…Yes," she said, and smiled. "This is all…quite unexpected, captain."

A wide smile split Luffy's face. "Yeah, it's pretty weird, huh?"

"You can say that again," Usopp muttered.

Robin sat up carefully, looking at them. "Usopp…Luffy said you also remember? Do any of the others…?"

"Not yet," Luffy said. "We're working on it. I'm hoping it'll be easier now, with you."

"Yeah," Usopp said. "They'll be more likely to think we aren't nuts if we have an adult confirming the story."

"Or they may simply believe all three of us have lost our minds," Robin said as she stood. "But I'll do what I can."

"This would be easier if Nami remembered," Luffy said. "She's not likely to let anyone else in here today. But I don't think just us three will be enough to convince her."

"Perhaps Brook would be allowed?" Robin suggested. "He is your butler, is he not, Luffy?"

"Maybe…Nami usually helps me with anything I need in my room, but we could try."

"Brook isn't going to want to listen, though," Usopp said. "The minute we start talking about ghost ships…"

"We will simply have to choose our words carefully," Robin said. "Or if necessary, restrain him."

"Restrain?" Usopp gave her a look. "If we start tying him up or something, Nami's going to hear the noise and come running in!"

"We'll make sure to silence him quickly, then," Robin said, smiling.

"Okay," said Luffy, as Usopp edged nervously away from Robin. "You guys go get Brook. Tell Nami whatever you have to to make her let him in without her following."

His friends departed, and Luffy began pacing, too worked up to wait quietly. Five more to go…

Sooner than he had expected, he heard voices in the hall outside. Nami's didn't seem to be among them, though. Luffy tiptoed to the door and listened carefully.

"—as I said, Luffy-san needs Brook-san's assistance with a personal matter," Robin was saying. "If you would please step aside, Franky—"

"Not happening, sis," came Franky's voice. "Nami's trusting me to stand guard while she's getting something to eat, and she said the kid's had enough visitors for the day. Come back tomorrow."

"I'm afraid this can't wait," Robin said. "I will take responsibility with Nami-san."

"Now look here—"

"Please, Fr- dad," Usopp's voice was pleading. "This is important. Really important. Luffy's fine, honestly! It'd probably be worse to make him wait till tomorrow for this. I know I wouldn't be able to sleep if I were him."

"What the hell is this problem, anyway?" Franky sounded suspicious. "What's up with the kid that he needs a perverted musician's help to sort him out?"

"I beg your pardon," began Brook, but Luffy had had enough. He wrenched open the door. Franky, who had been standing directly in front of it, turned.

"Hey, kid," he said. "You're supposed to be in bed. How about you close that door and—"

"I need to see Brook," Luffy said. "It's important. I have to tell him something."

"Whatever it is, it can wait."

"It can't!" Luffy shouted. "I…can't leave this for tomorrow," he continued more quietly. He looked up, meeting the former cyborg's gaze. "You can come in with us, Franky. I need to tell you, too."

"O-oi, Luffy, are you sure that's a good idea?" Usopp asked. "I thought we decided it was better to do it one at a time."

"It'll be fine," Luffy said firmly. "We don't have time for this. Nami could be back soon."

With great reluctance, Franky was persuaded to allow them into the room, entering first so they couldn't try to shut him out. Franky and Brook sat on the chairs, with Robin hovering directly behind them and Usopp covering the door, in case anyone tried to make a break for it when things got tricky. Luffy stood in front of them, trying to project the image of a confident captain, and slowly, he began to speak.

Explanations were difficult. Franky openly scoffed, certain that Usopp had been making up stories again and had somehow roped Luffy and Robin into playing along. Brook, as predicted, lost his composure as soon as he realized they were talking about the ghost ship. Robin prevented him from running, so the musician had resorted to slumping in his seat, humming to himself in an attempt to block the words.

Luffy refused to give up, though. He told them more and more, stories from those other lives – how they'd met, adventures they'd been on – anything he could think of. And gradually, he could see a change in his two friends. Franky's incredulous expression began to slip away as the stories became too long and complex for a hastily-created lie. Brook's humming slowed and finally trailed off into silence. He spoke until his throat went dry, describing the places they'd been to, the people they'd seen – and finally, the story of their last adventure. The adventure that had ended so abruptly. The adventure they now had a chance to properly conclude – or continue.

"I'm not making this up," Luffy said at last, sensing they were near the edge. "I wouldn't lie about something this important. I need you to believe. Please." He set the earrings down on a nearby table. "If you pick those up, you'll know. You have to remember."

Franky was in tears by this point, saying it was a "super-touching story, even if it isn't true." Luffy was just drawing breath to speak again when Brook abruptly stood. Robin watched carefully in case he was going to attempt another escape, but the tall man strode over to the table, looking down at the earrings without a word. The three who remembered held their breath, waiting to see what the musician would do, and even Franky tried to stifle his blubbering.

In one quick motion, Brook reached out and swept the earrings into his hand. He jerked, yelling hoarsely, then crumpled. Luffy and Usopp were ready for it, and managed to ease him to the floor as he continued to twitch.

Franky had leapt to his feet at the first cry. Now he was frozen, staring in shock. "What…what just happened?" he asked dumbly.

"His memories are being restored," Robin said. "When he wakes, he will be able to confirm our story for you."

"It's all true, dad," Usopp whispered. "I swear it's true. I know it sounds crazy, but look at him! That reaction wasn't a lie!"

"Trust us, Franky," Luffy said. "You'll see."

Franky was rather pale now, looking from Luffy, to Usopp, to Robin, and finally to the prone form of Brook, limp and relaxed on the floor. "So…I just gotta touch those things?" he asked at last.

Luffy nodded. "That's all."

"We have to wait for him to come around?"

Luffy considered. "I don't think so," he said. "He's already remembered, everything's just settling now."

Franky held out a hand. "Then pass 'em here before I change my mind."

Luffy bent down and gently extracted the gold from Brook's hand. He turned back to Franky. "Remember all the stories I told you, okay? You have to believe for it to work."

"Hold it!" Usopp shouted as Luffy was about to put the earrings into Franky's hand. "How about you sit down first, Fr- dad? You're too big to catch if you pass out."

"Shut up, kid," Franky said gruffly, but he lowered himself to the floor before holding his hand out again. "C'mon, already. Give."

Luffy dropped the earrings into the waiting hand. For a moment, they thought it hadn't worked, Franky simply staring at the gold in his palm. Then the shipwright's fingers clenched into a fist, and he was screaming, louder than any of the three before him.

"Shut him up, quick!" Usopp hissed as Franky began to thrash. "Nami'll be here in seconds if she hears that!" Luffy snatched a pillow from his bed and pressed it over the man's face, trying to stifle the noise.

"Do be careful, captain," Robin said as she and Usopp attempted to hold down Franky's flailing limbs. "You may suffocate him if you continue that for long."

"It's not tight," Luffy muttered as Franky finally began to go limp. "I just couldn't think of anything else to do."

The three of them were able to drag Franky to lie near Brook, and were just pausing to catch their breath after all the excitement, when the door suddenly flew open.

"What was that noise?" said an irritated voice. "We heard screaming! What are you all doing in here? What—" The voice broke off in surprise, footsteps coming farther into the room. "What happened to those two?"

Slowly, the three conspirators turned around. Standing in the doorway, shock and anger written across her face, was Nami, Sanji standing a few feet behind her.

Challenge for this chapter (and the next): writing multiple remembering scenes without things getting too boring or repetitive. Hopefully I succeeded? ^_^; At any rate, that's four down; just Nami, Sanji, and Chopper to go now. c:

As always, thanks for reading!