I know I'm late! I had started typing up this chapter when my computer suddenly decided, "No, I'm not going to work anymore. I'm going to sleep, so TTFN." and died on me for a week or so. After that I got writer's block. And then I couldn't decide how to continue. Because of where I left off, there were so many I could have continued: I wanted the next chapter to be exciting (I hope it is...). Ideas just kept coming and then I couldn't decide which ideas to choose D:
So, with no more excuses, I thank ye for ye patience.

As Makino hurried up the hill to Luffy's house, she looked down at the boy in her arms. His hair was dry now, but a bruise on his face from the day before was still visible. A surge of anger passed through her as she made her way to the top, the house only a few feet away now.

And then she stopped. Because there was something she hadn't thought of – the key to the house; she didn't it! Her heart raced. How could she get inside without his grandfather hearing her if she didn't have a key? She couldn't exactly ring the doorbell, and although Garp was notoriously known for being a heavy sleeper, it would be far too risky to break a window and clamber through - not to mention how guilty she would feel afterwards.

Tentatively, she crept closer to the door and shifted Luffy in her arms so he could rest in the crook of her elbow, balancing him with one arm. Then, slowly, she reached her free hand out and turned the knob.

It opened.

A flood of relief went through her and for once, she was happy that Luffy had been careless. She couldn't help but grin as she pushed open the door, but her smile quickly vanished as she carefully stepped inside, balancing all her weight on her toes as she tried make the least amount of noise possible.

She passed the doorway to the living room, but as she walked past, she froze. She peered inside the room. A beam of moonlight was coming through the window, illuminating the room and keeping the darkness out, the curtains not having been drawn. Her eyes drifted to Garp, lying fast asleep on the settee, a stink of liquor came off of him. Makino wrinkled her nose but she relaxed a little. He seemed to be completely out of it.

Turning away from the lounge, she let out a sigh of relief and headed for the stairs. She paused at the bottom, a little unsure of how to tackle such a huge feat. Because, after all, this was an old house, and the stairs would surely creak. She lifted a quivering foot before bringing it down again on the first step. A painful creak was let out. She pushed her weight onto the foot and brought up the second; being careful so as not to drop the boy who was lightly snoring in her arms. She made her way up the stairs slowly, carefully, and occasionally stopped moving altogether as Luffy's grandfather gave the occasional grunt.

Eventually, she reached the top and in the darkness and once again she passed Luffy into the crook of her elbow. Slowly, she fumbled her way through the dark. She vaguely remembered the way to Luffy's room as she had been in the house before, but this didn't seem to make it much easier for her to find the young boy's room.

Luffy's door was closed, and, just like in the living room, his curtains had not yet been drawn, and as Makino stumbled in she squinted slightly at the light. She breathed another sigh of relief as she realised she wouldn't have to light a candle to get Luffy into bed.

Luffy's room was your run-of-the-mill young boy's room. Messy and untidy, a few books lay strewn on the ground as well as the odd toy and play thing. Makino raised an eyebrow as she saw a jumper had been abandoned in the middle of the floor in a heap.

She made her way over to the bed and lay Luffy on the sheets and then brought the covers up around his neck. She smiled as she gently brushed a few strands of hair out of his face. But then, something caught her eye - she had spotted a drawing.

She cocked her head slightly as she looked over the illustration and she turned it over in her hands. The picture was of three figures, two tall and one short, and all were wearing stereotypical pirate clothing. The short figure had an eye-patch. Makino squinted in the darkness to make out some words – "Yasopp, Shanks and me" it read in bold, untidy letters. Her eyes softened as she gazed down at the young boy who was snoozing peacefully, 'You really do like them, don't you Luffy?'

The boy smiled as if he had heard her, and little did she know that he was dreaming about them. They were on a ship, somewhere far away in the great ocean, and having an adventure with the rest of their mighty crew of fearsome kings of the sea.

Makino put the drawing back on his bedside table, but turned it face down – she knew that if Garp saw it he would not exactly approve. And turning towards the door, she threw one last look back at Luffy, her smile still in place, 'Sweet dreams' she whispered, as she headed out the room.

Hurriedly, but still as quiet as she could manage, she tiptoed back downstairs and out the front door. She closed it softly and leant her back against it, craning her neck up to briefly gaze into the sky. 'Morning soon,' she thought, 'I should head back home and get all the rest I can.'

Meanwhile, Shanks had managed to retrace his footsteps back to the dock, but as he stepped out of the bushes he immediately knew something was off. He gazed around the shore but all he could see was sand and sea-shells, an odd plant sticking out of the ground here and there and a crab scurrying along the sand, pincers snapping. He turned his head the other way. Nothing.

The rowboat was gone.

A sharp feeling ran through him as he continued his search; he knew he would not find anything but he couldn't help it. After all, they needed that rowboat to get back to their own ship! After a good half hour of useless searching, he finally gave up and gave into the fact that it was most likely gone for good. 'But where?' he thought as he hurried back through the undergrowth and onwards to the village. If he was to meet Yasopp back at Makino's house before daybreak, he'd have to be fast.

Yasopp paced up and down the small living room, senses aware, mouth clamped shut, teeth grinding. He wrung his hands together, then spread them apart, only to wring them round each other again once more. He sat on the settee, his feet tapped the ground agitatedly and he made both hands into tight fists. How long had he been waiting? Makino had arrived home over an hour ago and had gone straight to bed, but Shanks was later than he had expected.

Just then, there was a tentative knock on the door. Yasopp sprang up from the settee and hurried over to the door, almost tripping over the carpet as he went.

'It's me, Yasopp,' Shanks' loud whisper came from outside, 'Let me in.'

Yasopp flung the door open wide and Shanks stepped inside. He closed the door behind him and stared at his shipmate, 'You said the boat was on the shore!' he practically shouted.

'Shhh!' Yasopp hissed back, 'Makino's asleep! And what do you mean? I told you it's on the shore because that's where I left it. What's wrong?' Yasopp narrowed his eyes as Shanks seemed to deflate at his words.

'I searched everywhere, but the closest thing I found to a rowboat was an old plank of wood that had been washed up on shore.' Shanks replied, keeping his voice low, 'It's nowhere to be seen.'

'What? It's gone?' Yasopp cried, momentarily forgetting the dozing young woman stairs. Shanks whacked him round the head. 'What was that for?' Yasopp demanded, rubbing the spot tentatively.

'You'll wake Makino,' Shanks replied sharply, 'The poor girl's done a lot for us. Let her sleep.'

Yasopp pouted at this answer before he straightened himself and said, 'Well what do we do? We can't get back to the ship without the rowboat.'

'I know.' Shanks said as he sat himself down in a squashy armchair. He had not even taken his coat or hat off yet. 'But that's not the worst issue. I'm sure someone on this island has a rowboat lying around somewhere, and if not you can easily make one.'

'I'm a gunslinger, not a carpenter.' Yasopp cut his captain.

Shanks ignored his crewmate's remark, 'The problem is, who took it?' He stared at the floor, feeling completely and utterly lost as to what to do.

After a brief moment, Yasopp spoke up, 'It must have been Garp.' he decided as he leant against the unlit fireplace and crossed his arms.

Shanks looked up at him, 'Why do you say that?' he questioned his friend.

Yasopp turned a blank look on him, 'Well it's got to be him! Hasn't it? Who else would steal our boat?'

'The entire village knows we're hiding around here somewhere, soon the whole island will know.' He paused as a sudden thought came to him, 'Was Makino seen?'

'I asked her that; she said she was sure she wasn't. Apparently Garp lay snoring on the settee the whole time she was there.'

Shanks nodded, 'Then it can't have been Garp. Luffy left the house whilst his grandfather was still at home, and Makino just saw him. If Garp had hidden the ship he would probably be out looking for us right now. And the possibility of him being in the woods without us seeing him if he was looking for us is… well not very high.'

'But it's possible.' Yasopp reminded his captain.

'But not probable.'

Yasopp sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets, 'Then who else could it be? I don't think any humble island villager is stupid enough to steal from a couple of pirates. Our names aren't unknown in these parts.'

Shanks nodded thoughtfully. He rested his elbows on his knees and his face in one hand, 'Who would have the guts…?' he wondered when suddenly a thought struck him, he clicked his fingers, 'The Mayor!'

'The Mayor?'

'Of course! Who else would take the rowboat? He was the only villager besides the fishùonger who stood up to us. He must be the person who's taken it.'

Yasopp nodded, 'Of course,' he murmured, 'So shall we go get him?'

Shanks gazed out the window, 'No. It's too late now. We'll have to wait till night time. After all, we don't want to give the villagers another fright; I don't think they'd be able to stop Garp from going after us a second time, and Luffy's trick isn't going to work on him twice. It'll be better if he thinks we're off the island – if our rowboat is gone, then he won't know we're here.'

'Unless if the Mayor tells.'

'True…' the captain trailed off.

'Maybe I can help,' spoke a new voice. The two pirates inclined their heads. It was Makino. 'What? I'm sure I could get the Mayor to come here. He doesn't know you're here, I could tell him I need his opinion on something, or... well, something of the sort.'

Shanks rose from his chair, 'You would do that for us?' he asked the young girl hopefully.

'I know how much Luffy looks up to you. And although he's not the brightest of children, I know that what he said about you is true.' She smiled, 'You're the "greatest pirates I've ever met".'

Shanks chuckled, 'He said that? But he's never even met any other pirates before, has he?'

Makino shrugged, 'He knows you have good hearts so I am willing to help.'

'You'd be putting yourself in danger again.' Yasopp reminded her.

'I know,' she said, and she studied the concerned looks on the pirates faces. She had made her mind up and she now she had, she wouldn't back down. She would help these pirates as much as she could, and she added, her face hard, 'But I also know that you also need me.'

ONWARDS, TO THE NEXT CHAPTER. - now I know exactly what will happen next, the next chapter won't take nearly as long to come out.