Mist of Memories

by HeroR

Guilt, regret, if left alone these feelings will consumed even the strongest of souls. That is the reality the Strawhats face as they go into their captain's memories to save their precious crewmate. To free their captain's from his guilt, they must first understand the depths of his pain and loss.

21. Water 7

After last week's special with a movie, we are back to the regular episode. Glad that so many of you loved my rendition of movie 6. I really put a lot of time into it to capture the mood and atmosphere of the movie.

Anyway, thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and follower and, of course, a special thanks to Cana-Puff for beta reading this chapter.

Now, to the story.

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Chapter 21: Water 7

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The Strawhats stood in the void between memories for a while; taken in everything they had seen.

So far, that was by far the hardest memory to witness. Seeing Luffy put into such a desperate situation where he had watched them die by some bitter, grief-stricken pirate was something that they would never forget. It was heart-breaking to see Luffy so emotionally broken over their deaths that he was willing to allow the Baron to kill him. He wanted to join them in death.

"That's….that's why he never told us..." Nami said softly, breaking the cold silence.

"I can't blame him. We were terrible to each other there. And the things Luffy saw..." Usopp couldn't finish as he shivered. He was going to have nightmares about that particular memory for months.

"He should have told us," Sanji growled as he tightened his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. "Even if it hurts us, he should have told!"

Zoro glared at Sanji. "It was his decision to make. We can't change that."

Sanji returned the swordsman's glare. "He was wrong! He should have never kept something like this a secret from his crew!"

"What would have been the point in him telling us!? Are you that upset over those words you spoke to him!?" Zoro yelled fiercely as he got into Sanji's face. "Dammit, you stupid cook, it wasn't just you who put the blame on Luffy! We all did the moment we didn't stick up for him!"

"It wasn't just that, shitty moss head! For over two years, Luffy has carried the burden of what happened on that damn island alone! He watched us die and said nothing! When he had nightmares so severe that Chopper had to sedate him just so he could rest during those weeks we couldn't do anything to help him because he never told us!" Sanji yelled. He took several deep breaths as he attempted to regain control of his temper. He was so emotional that he was actually shaking. "It was selfish. To save our feelings, he had to carry this darkness by himself."

Zoro said nothing to counter his rival's argument. He knew Sanji was right. He too was angry at Luffy for never revealing this incident. He may be the captain, but Luffy was wrong in this. The past was the past, but how were they supposed to learn from their past mistakes if Luffy kept secrets like this from them?

There was another long silence among the crew.

"It's scary to see what loneliness and grief can do to a person," Chopper suddenly said softly. "The Baron loved his crew dearly and he turned into a monster after he'd lost them."

"He allowed his grief and regret to rot him until he was a shadow of the man he once was," Brook said somberly. "Seeing the Baron...I feared that I would become like that during my isolation in the Florian Triangle."

"And that's what the Baron's story is. A cautionary tale of what happens when one is consumed by grief," Zoro said in reflection.

The Strawhats couldn't help thinking of Luffy as Zoro spoke those words. Weren't they here because Luffy's guilt was slowly killing him?

The mist surrounding them cleared and soon they stood in what appeared to be a lumberyard surrounded by buildings and water. The loud clank of hammers could be heard in the background. After the dark, gloomy mood of the last memory, this was a welcome change.

Franky began to smile as he looked around. "The shipyard. Looks like I'm home."

Nami lowered her head. "Water 7 would be next." After seeing what happened with the Baron, she really didn't want to see the whole fall-out with Usopp.

"So, this is the fabled Water 7," Brook said as he looked at the beautiful city. "It looks very different from the time I was here."

Franky looked towards the musician and smiled. "Yeah, you were here before the Puffing Tom, and even before Tom came. This city was near death before Tom came along and single-handedly revived this place."

"Tom, your master, right? He must have been great man if his efforts recreated this city," Brook said.

Franky gave a sad nod. "Yeah...he was..."

"Well, our shipwrights are not to be underestimated," someone said in an almost bored tone.

"By the way, who is this guy?" the voice of Luffy asked.

"Don't know," Usopp in the memory answered.

The Strawhats turned to look at a man with freshly cut blue hair and five o' clock shadow. Next to him was a fairly young female with blonde-hair tied into a tight ponytail and glasses.

"Iceberg!" Franky exclaimed happily. It was good to see his old friend again.

"Who is that lovely female next to him," Brook asked with interest. He bet his panties were lovely.

"That's his secretary, Kalifa," Nami said in a dark voice. "She was really a spy from the World Government and a member of CP9."

"CP9, you all mention them quite bit," Brook said in thought.

"They were one of our most powerful opponents. We barely survived our encounter with them," Nami stated.

"If you want fast, sturdy ships, then you cannot trust someone with run-of-the-mill skills," Iceberg said as he turned towards his secretary. "So, Kalifa?"

"Yes, I have identified them," Kalifa stated casually as she read her notes. "Strawhat Luffy, Pirate Hunter Zoro, Nico Robin."

The look on Iceberg's face changed slightly upon hearing Robin's name, but it was unnoticeable to the Strawhats within the memory.

"Three among their crew are wanted and their total bounty is two-hundred and thirty-nine million belli. They are originally from East Blue. Their crew currently have seven members and are known as the Strawhat Pirates," Kalifa reported.

Usopp in the memory was completely shocked by all the information that Kalifa had on them.

"Wow, she's good!" Chopper exclaimed, just as surprised as memory Usopp.

"She's from the government and they knew we were coming," Zoro said neutrally. "Of course they would have all our information."

"Although, given Iceberg's lack of surprise, she does this often," Nami pointed out.

"Of course. Galley-La only employs the cream of the crop, whether they're shipwrights or a secretary," Franky said with pride in his voice.

"Although, why did Ice-berg looks so unnerved when he heard Robin's name?" Brook asked.

Robin closed her eyes. "He knew about my ability to read Poneglyphs."

Franky sighed, feeling slightly ashamed. "Tom, Iceberg, and me knew about Robin for a long time. We, like the rest of the world, were led to believe that she and the others from Ohara were planning on reviving the ancient weapon and destroy the world. Her very existence was one of the reasons Tom was so protective of those blueprints." He clenched his fists. "We were fools. We completely bought into the government's propaganda."

Robin gave Franky a sympathetic look. "It was not your fault."

"Yes it was," Franky said stubbornly. "After what happened with Tom...knowing how those bastards twist the truth...I should have known that there was more to the story of Ohara."

"You couldn't have known. Unless you were there, you couldn't have known the truth," Nami said softly, patting Franky's large arm.

"And Tom and Iceberg had every right to be wary of me," Robin said. "Even if I never intend to awakening the ancient weapon, I am still dangerous. As Iceberg himself pointed out, even if I had good intentions, other people can use my knowledge to do terrible things."

"You're only dangerous because fools like Crocodile and Spanda exist in this world," Franky said firmly.

"None of that matters," Sanji said as he blew out some smoke. "None of those bastards will ever touch Robin-chan again as long as I live."

Brook nodded. "I don't know the entire story, but I'll give my life to protect you... Although, I have no life to give." He laughed loudly.

"I see, you have come a long way," Iceberg said, somewhat impressed. "I am Iceberg, the boss of this city." He petted a small, white mouse that was in his suit pocket. "And this is a mouse I picked up earlier. His name shall be...Tyrannosaurs. I still have to buy him food and a cage."

"That all has been taken care of, Iceberg," Kalifa informed her boss.

"Efficient as always, Kalifa," Iceberg complimented.

"Thank you, sir," Kalifa said humbly.

"She is good," Brook said in surprise.

"Tyrannosaurs for a mouse?" Franky chuckled. "Never change, Iceberg."

"More importantly, you have a lunch meeting at the Chiza Hotel with the management of the glass factory in ten minutes. After that, you are giving a lecture at Liguria Plaza, followed by a meeting with the Mayor Vimine from Puchi, the City of Exquisite Cuisine. You will then be giving an interview to the media and there is some paperwork for you to look over when you return to the office," Kalifa said as she finished the list.

"What a busy day that man has," Brook said in awe. "I admire his dedication to his city."

"Don't want to!" Iceberg exclaimed in an annoyed voice.

"Very well, I will cancel everything," Kalifa said nonchalantly as she wrote in her notes.

"You're letting him blow if off!" Usopp in the memory yelled in disbelief.

"What was that about dedication?" Sanji asked in a deadpan voice.

Franky laughed loudly.

Even Robin giggled. After getting to know the real Iceberg, she could fully appreciated the act he put on to make himself appear ignorance and childish.

"I am powerful enough to do as I please," Iceberg said casually.

"You're a pretty irresponsible mayor!" Usopp in the memory exclaimed.

"Yes he is," Franky said with a huge smile.

"This guy is selfish, but he's the guy the old lady was talking about, right?" Luffy asked as he turned towards Nami.

"Yes, that's the guy," Nami in the memory confirmed.

"Ungracious brutes!" Kalifa suddenly exclaimed as she rapidly kicked all the memory Strawhats to the ground.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Luffy shouted in surprise.

"That scared me!" Nami yelled in shock as she put her hand over her chest.

Poor Usopp had his face kicked in multiple times.

"You dare refer to the world's foremost expert in shipbuilding as 'that guy'!?" Kalifa asked angrily, pushing up her glasses.

"Wow, what an actress," Franky said dryly.

"She had all of us fooled," Usopp said as he unconsciously rubbed his face. His nose hurt looking at this scene.

"She's even scarier than Nami," Chopper said from his place from behind Zoro's leg.

Nami glared at Chopper. "What's that supposed to mean?"

This made Chopper squeal and hide further behind Zoro.

Kalifa's sudden outburst drew several people's attention and she began to blush in embarrassment.

"I am sorry. I lost my temper," Kalifa quickly apologized. "Iceberg, however, is beloved by the citizens. You must not be so discourteous towards him."

"Which is why you try to kill him," Franky muttered under his breath.

"Do not make Kalifa mad," Iceberg warned. He too was filled with bumps and bruises from Kalifa's kicks. "When she gets angry, she does not discriminate."

"She roughed him up nicely," Zoro humored.

"You kicked him in the face!" Usopp in the memory yelled.

"You're the ungracious one!" Luffy added in equal outrage.

Kalifa further blushed in embarrassment.

"Well, anyway, you're Iceberg, right?" Nami in the memory asked, getting back on subject. She took out a piece of paper and handed it to him. "Look at this. It's a letter of introduction."

Iceberg carefully took the letter and unfolded it. "Old lady Kokoro?" He promptly tore the letter, shocking Usopp.

"Huh, you mean you won't!?" Nami exclaimed. "Please, fix our ship! We can pay." She held up a black brief case.

"Merry's in rough shape from so much sailing," Luffy said with a note of desperation. "We need your help, mister."

"Okay," Iceberg answered casually.

"So flippantly!" Usopp in the memory yelled. "It's that easy!?"

Sanji raised an eyebrow. "What's up with this guy?"

Franky laughed. "CP9 aren't the only good actors around here."

"Sure," Iceberg said neutrally.

"Then why did you rip up the letter!?" Usopp in the memory yelled.

"That kiss mark was disgusting," Iceberg answered.

Franky nodded in agreement.

"Can't blame him for that," Zoro muttered, remembering what Kokoro looked like.

"Never realized how odd Iceberg was," Sanji said as he rubbed his hair. "At least, when he was pretending to be fool to keep the government off his trail."

"Kokoro is an old drinking buddy of mines," Iceberg explained. "Well, that aside, Kaku has already gone to perform an estimate. Everything is progressing smoothly. Do not worry." He stretched his arms and picked his nose in boredom. "Ahh, it is such a boring day. I will show you around the shipyard."

This made some of the Strawhats snicker.

"Cool, for real!?" Luffy yelled excitedly.

"This way, please," Kalifa said.

"He can canceled all his work and now he's bored!?" Usopp in the memory exclaimed in disbelief.

Luffy paid no attention to his sniper. "Let's go see the shipyard!" He started to follow Iceberg and Kalifa into the yard.

"Look for it!" Nami in the memory suddenly yelled, getting Luffy's attention.

"I did!" Usopp in the memory screamed. "It's gone!"

Luffy looked at his crewmates in confusion.

Usopp suddenly pointed towards something. "Hey, they've got it!"

In the nearby water was a group of strange men wearing goggles and some kind of black uniform with a reddish-pink star in the middle. In the boat was a black suitcase filled with money.

"Hey, you bastards!" Usopp yelled angrily. "What the hell are you doing!? Don't steal other people's money! Stop!"

"Been a pleasure," one the men mocked.

"Give back our two-hundred million belli!" Usopp screamed as he attempted to chase after the boat.

"Where did you all get all that money?" Brook asked.

"We got it from Skypiea," Nami explained. "After Luffy fought that crazy god, we stole a bunch of gold and pawned it off in Water 7. That money was to fix Merry, but someone decided to steal it!" She glared directly at Franky.

"Hey sis, it was nothing personal," Franky defended himself. "You were just another group of pirates at the time and it all worked out in the end."

Brook looked between the two. "It seems there was some bad blood between you guys in the past."

"That's an understatement," Zoro mumbled.

"How do those men relate to you, Franky?" Brook asked the cyborg.

"Those men are my brothers," Franky said proudly. "They are all part of the Franky Family!"

"Did you give them the money?" Luffy asked Usopp, who was still screaming at the Franky Family.

Usopp wasn't happy about the question. "No, I didn't give it to them! They stole it!"

"What!?" Luffy yelled.

Before Luffy could consider how he was going retrieve the money, a man wearing a blue worker's outfit and yellow-tinted goggles jumped from a nearby bridge and wrapped the members of the Franky Family in rope. He then clunked their head together before taking one of their boats.

"Who's that?" Brook asked.

"That's Paulie, one of the shipwrights," Nami said.

"Running away from the loan sharks again," Franky snickered as several men in suits threatened Paulie. Seeing this memory was making him homesick.

"This is great!" Usopp in the memory yelled as Iceberg and Kalifa approached the group. "He's one of your shipwrights, right?"

"Yes," Iceberg answered.

Usopp waved his arms. "Hey, thanks! That's our money!"

Paulie gave Usopp an odd look as he took noticed of the suitcases. His face suddenly brightened and stars seemed to appear on his face.

"I don't think you'll be getting that money back," Brook said almost dryly when he saw the stars in Paulie's eyes.

Usopp in the memory also began to realize that Paulie was in no hurry to return the money. "Get back here!"

Luffy pushed Usopp aside. "That bastard, I'll catch him!" He prepared to stretch his arm, but was stopped by a tall man with curly hair and a pigeon on his shoulder.

"Ah, it's the pigeon bastard," Franky growled.

"I've read about that man from Nami's logs," Brook said. "Lucci, right?"

Robin nodded. "He is also part of CP9. He was their strongest agent."

"Such an unassuming man has that much power," Brook whispered.

"I'll go," Lucci's pigeon said.

"Did the pigeon just talk!?" Brook asked in shock.

"I guess you could say that was the pigeon guy's gimmick," Usopp said. "He used his pigeon to talk the entire time he was in Water 7 under the guise of being a shipwright."

"Most likely to hide his lack of a personality," Franky humored.

"I wonder how he trained it to speak like that?" Chopper mused out loud.

Luffy was left wide-eyed as he stared at the pigeon in awe.

Within a few minutes, Lucci retrieved Paulie with the money in toll. Paulie was not happy about being dragged back to the shipyard like an unruly child. He was especially upset that he had to return the money.

"Wow, what a relief, Usopp," Luffy said happily as he patted his friend's back.

"Don't talk like you don't care," Usopp scolded as he pulled on Luffy's cheek, making it stretch to unnatural lengths. "That was our two-hundred million belli."

Nami stretched Luffy's other cheek. "Yeah, why didn't you get it back before him!?"

"The pigeon said he would get it back," Luffy answered.

"Well, my apologizes," Iceberg said. "Please allow my company to deal with this idiot. If you guys had caught him, you may have to use excessive force."

"Well, can we be thankful that the Franky Family did not get away with it and consider the matter settled?" Kalifa asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Nami within the memory said.

"I'm hungry," Luffy suddenly said.

"When are you not hungry?" Sanji asked in a dry tone.

Nami and Usopp responded to their captain's remark by both letting go of his cheeks causing him to fall down.

Nami asked about who the Franky Family was and got a brief explanation from Kalifa about whom their leader, Franky, was and their underground dealings.

"They make me sound so bad here," Franky whined.

"Well, you were a shitty bastard," Sanji said with a smirk.

After getting back their money and Paulie was reprimanded by Lucci, which ended in a brief scuffle, the Strawhats were finally led into the shipyard. They were given a brief tour of the yard, per Iceberg's promise.

All three of the Strawhats were left in awe of what they saw. None of them have been in a shipyard before. Somewhere during the tour, the Strawhats separated and each of them wondered in their own direction.

"It really is an amazing shipyard!" Brook exclaimed.

Franky gave a small smile. "Iceberg did good for himself. Even if had to become a dog of the World Government."

"Although, I have been wondering, why is Luffy-san the only one not carrying a suitcase of money?" Brook asked.

"It's because that moron nearly threw it into the river earlier," Nami said, becoming annoyed at the memory. "He's too irresponsible to be trusted with something so important."

Brook's face was blank, but the Strawhats knew him well enough from his body's movements to know that he was frowning.

"Perhaps, but was it really wise to allow Usopp to carry two-hundred million belli by himself?" Brook asked. "I mean, knowing that thieves were after your money, wouldn't it have been wise for Usopp to at least stay close to Luffy?"

Usopp looked down in shame. "That was the plan, but I got so caught up with looking around the shipyard that I lost track of my crew."

"Usopp..." Nami whispered. She knew seeing this scene would bring up many bad memories for him and it would only get worse from here. How she wished she could skip these memories.

"Luffy, come down!" Nami in the memory yelled at her captain. Luffy was standing on a tall wooden structure overlooking the entire yard.

"Okay, I'm coming down!" Luffy yelled as he jumped down and landed gracefully on some logs before bouncing the rest of the way to the ground. He then looked around for a moment. "Where's Usopp?"

"He was looking at the equipment over there a minute ago," Nami said as she glanced towards a giant booze cannon.

Just as Nami said that, one of the shipwrights approached them holding two suitcases. "Hey, these are your suitcases, right?" he said as he placed them next to Nami's black suitcase.

"Those are the cases Usopp had," Nami said in confusion. "Yes, they're ours."

"Thanks," Luffy said.

"Sheesh, where did Usopp go?" Nami asked in frustration. "He just left our money lying around!"

Usopp lowered his head as he listened to the memory.

"Money?" the shipwright asked.

"Yeah, there's two-hundred million belli in these," Luffy said.

The man looked at Luffy and chuckled for a moment. "Two-hundred million? Good one!" He then waved at them. "See ya!"

Now Nami was more confused.

"So, how much will it be?" Luffy asked the shipwrights before Nami could comprehend what just happened. "You can name your price! We're rich, after all! If possible, I want to make her stronger, faster, and give her more cannon!"

"Could you add some decorations to the hull too," Nami added almost meekly. "And remodel the rooms."

"Plus, bronze statues!" Luffy yelled excitedly. "The biggest one possible!"

"Hold on there, youngsters," a shipwright with a white hat and an orange jacket said. His most stand out feature was his long square nose.

"He got Usopp's nose," Brook remarked.

Usopp side-eyed Brook in exasperation. "He does not."

"That's Kaku," Zoro said to Brook. "He also was a CP9 agent."

"Was everyone in this shipyard working for the government?" Brook asked, more to himself.

Franky growled under his breath. "Those bastard from the government kept a very close eye on Iceberg for five years."

"You guys have had a pretty spectacular voyage, haven't you?" Kaku asked, although it was more of a statement. He wore a forlorn expression.

"Yeah, she flew to the sky, fell down, went up a mountain, and got impaled!" Luffy exclaimed. "We've been thought a lot! So, we want to fix her!"

Kaku said nothing as he put his head was down.

"What? I'm not lying!" Luffy yelled.

"I know," Kaku said before he paused for a moment. "The damage is too extensive."

"You mean it's going to take too long to fix her?" Nami asked, not understanding the implication.

"No. I'll tell you straight out, that your ship, even with our skills, cannot be repaired," Kaku stated bluntly.

This took both Luffy and Nami off-guard.

Usopp closed his eyes and felt tears building in his eyes. It was like reliving hearing your friend was dying.

Franky put a heavy hand on Usopp's shoulder.

Chopper was in tears, hearing first-hand Merry's inevitable fate.

"Was the keel damaged?" Paulie asked the fellow shipwright as he lit a cigar.

"Yeah," Kaku answered. "It's beyond any hope of repair."

"That can't be..." Nami whispered. "But we've been sailing just fine until today!"

"Even if we try to repair it, the chances of the patches holding until the next island are zero," Kaku said.

Luffy was left completely stunned. It took him a moment to wrap his mind around everything.

"You can't repair Merry!?" Luffy exclaimed in disbelief. "Why not!? You're the best shipwrights there are, right!?" He patted the suitcases rapidly. "If you want money, look! We can pay as much as you want!"

"Money has nothing to do with it," Kaku said firmly. "No matter how much money you have, that ship will never be the same as it was."

Luffy didn't looked like he believed him.

"What more, it's a wonder that your ship even made it this far in that condition," Kaku said in mild wonder.

"What do you mean?" Nami asked, completely baffled. "What's wrong with Merry?"

"Do you know what a keel is, harlot girl?" Paulie asked the navigator.

Zoro snickered at Nami being called a harlot. Everyone else, however, was too taken with the memory to notice.

"Harlot?" the Nami in the memory muttered, before getting back on subject. "The thing on the bottom of the ship?"

"Yes," Paulie confirmed. "It's a support that runs through the ship, from bow to stern. It's the most important piece of timber in the ship. Shipbuilding begins with properly aligning the keel and attaching the stem, sternpost, frames, ribs, crutches, and deck hooks. No piece of timber can stay in place without the keel. That's how a ship is build. The keel is the foundation of the ship's frame, its life. Even when it's badly damaged, it can't be replaced. It would be like rebuilding a ship from scratch. So, we're telling you, no one can fix it. Your ship is just a pile of wood destined for scrap."

Usopp flinched at the harsh words.

Chopper became teary eyed. The blunt dismissal of the shipwrights didn't help ease the news. Merry wasn't just a ship. This was their friend.

"Hey, don't say it like that!" Nami in the memory yelled, voicing the thoughts of the current Strawhats.

"Why should I care?" Paulie said nonchalantly. "It's true."

Nami in the memory bit her lips in anger.

"Well, fine then!" Luffy yelled. "Rebuild the ship! Remake the Going Merry!"

"We can't do that either," Lucci's pigeon replied.

"Why not?" Luffy asked in frustration.

"We could make a ship that looks the same, but no one can make the same ship," the pigeon explained. "No two ships can be perfectly identical."

"What do you mean?" Nami asked.

"Do you think any two trees will grow the same way?" the pigeon asked.

Now Nami understood.

"Sailing ships are made almost entirely of wood," the pigeon went on. "The ship's size, curve, every detail of its shape will vary based on the timber we use! Even if we use the same blueprints, we could never build the exact same ship! Say we made a ship that looked the same. The people who would feel that it's a completely different ship the most would be you!"

Franky nodded in agreement. Even if the pigeon guy was a traitorous bastard, he was indeed a true shipwright.

Sanji sighed. "That pigeon jerk's right. Having a ship that looks like the Going Merry, yet, not being our Merry would have made her passing worse."

"No..." Nami whispered in disbelief. "Are you saying the Going Merry will never sail again?"

"That is about the size of it," Kaku said. "You can either wait for it to sink or you can scrap it yourselves."

Luffy stared blankly at all the shipwrights. It was impossible to tell what was on his mind.

"Well, that is the life cycle of a ship," Iceberg said almost nonchalantly. "This is a good chance. Just let it go and buy a new one. You have the money, right?"

Usopp had to fight the urge not to growl. He knew Iceberg meant well, but his dismissal of Merry's life left a bad taste in his mouth.

"How...how can he be so cold?" Chopper asked as angry tears ran down his eyes.

"He's a shipwright doing his job. To him, Merry is just another ship, nothing more," Zoro said.

"But still..." Chopper wanted to argued. He knew Iceberg was just doing his job, but it still hurt.

"It sounds like your ship is a carvel," Iceberg said in thought. "With an old model like that, you would have trouble navigating the seas ahead."

"No, I don't want a new one," Luffy said in a low voice.

"Luffy," Nami in the memory whispered.

"Our...our ship is the Going Merry!" Luffy yelled defiantly. "If we repair her, she can still sail! She'll be okay! We've sailed here today without any problem! You expect us to believe that she can never sail again all of a sudden!? You guys have no idea how sturdy our ship is! That's the only reason you say that!"

The words stuck Usopp. It sounded exactly like what he had said about Merry.

Iceberg gave Luffy a cold stare. He seemed disappointed. "So, you will not be happy until it sinks. That is not what I expected. Is that how a captain behaves?"

Luffy flinched at the question. He was visibly shaking and actually looked closed to tears.

Zoro knew that Iceberg's words had cut him deeply, but it was something that Luffy needed to hear. As captain, Luffy couldn't live in denial. Not with the lives of his crew at stake. Especially with the lessons of that forsaken island undoubtedly still fresh in Luffy's mind.

Usopp felt like dirt watching everything. He didn't know Luffy was that broken up about Merry.

"We will leave it at that for now," Iceberg said, knowing that Luffy was too emotional to continue. "Think things over. If you want another ship, you can come back. We will talk then. With three-hundred million belli, we can build the very latest model." He turned to his secretary. "Kalifa."

She walked over to Luffy and handed him several sheets of paper. "Here, please consider it. This is a catalog of new and used ships. You can compare the prices."

As Luffy and Nami took in what happened, they had to quickly hide. Some agents from the government came to see Iceberg. The two Strawhats grabbed the suitcases and hid behind a tower of lumber.

As they hid, Luffy noticed something strange about two of the suitcases. His humming noise got Nami's attention.

"What's wrong?" Nami asked.

"I've just noticed when I picked up the suitcases to hide," Luffy said as he lifted one of the suitcases. "They're really light."

"Huh, why?" Nami asked before she began to wave her hand. "Oh, don't joke around like that. With all that money in them, they couldn't be light."

The two Strawhats looked at each for a moment before they opened the suitcases. They both screamed in horror.

"You idiots!" Paulie yelled as he ran to their hiding place. "What are you yelling about!?" His eyes widened and pointed frantically at Nami's skirt. "How dare you sit like that!"

Nami had other things on his mind to pay any attention to Paulie. "No...it can't be..."

"It just can't..." Luffy also stuttered.

Inside two of the suitcases, there was no money. The inside was even beat up.

"Our two-hundred million!" Luffy yelled.

"It's gone, it's really gone!" Nami screamed. "And now that I look at it, these suitcases are not even ours!"

"W...wha...wha...what should we do!?" Luffy stuttered in panic.

"Hey guys, what are you shouting about?" Lucci's pigeon asked as its master approached the Strawhats.

"Our money's gone!" Luffy yelled.

"It's just disappeared!" Nami shouted.

They were both white as ghosts. The sight would have been hilarious if the situation was not so serious and the current Strawhats didn't know how tragic everything would end.

"What!?" Paulie exclaimed in shock.

The pigeon pointed at Paulie. "Did you..."

"It wasn't me!" Paulie yelled defensively.

"Are you sure?" the pigeon asked, clearly not believing him.

"Why would I lie!?" Paulie yelled.

"By the way, Kaku, what were you doing with the Franky Family?" one of the shipwrights suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" Kaku asked in confusion. "I haven't seen the Franky Family all day."

"That strange," the other man muttered. "I certainly remember seeing your long nose."

That key word got Nami's attention. "Hold that thought!"

The shipwright told Luffy and Nami what he saw, shocking the two Strawhats.

"That was Usopp!" Luffy exclaimed.

"He went with the Franky Family!" Nami yelled.

"He went with them, yes, after they bound and gagged him," the shipwright confirmed.

"Moron," Sanji muttered.

"They kidnapped him!" Nami yelled before she turned towards her captain. "Luffy, we have to find them!"

There, the memory ended.

The Strawhats become very silent; they know what was going to happened next. Even Brook could sense he was going to see something terrible.

"Franky, if you must, you may want to turn your eyes," Zoro advised.

Franky shook his head. "I'm already prepared, bro. Besides, it's all in the past and I don't blame you guys anymore for what's about to happen. If it was me, I would have done the same."

In a flash of light, the Strawhats stood outside Franky House. There, they saw Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper surrounding something on the ground. Their expressions were mostly blank, but the tenseness of their body's betrayed their true emotions.

The current Strawhats moved closer to see what their past selves were staring at. On the ground, broken and beating almost beyond recognition, was Usopp. He was covered in bruises and had footprints on his clothes. His nose was bent in unnatural angles, showing that it was clearly broken. It was also obvious that the young sniper was unconscious.

Usopp gasped at the image. He knew he was bad off, but he didn't know he looked this bad. He looked almost dead. The thing that unnerved him the most, however, was his tear-stained face. He remembered shedding them as he lost consciousness.

Brook was left speechless. He had never seen the sniper look this bad. Even after fighting Oars and two Pacifistas, Usopp had never looked this terrible. What happened to him?

Robin was silent, but her body started to shake. This was happening while she was turning herself to the government. She left her crewmate to suffer and she knew nothing of it. That one thought made her sick with disgust.

Franky felt ashamed. He did this. He had ruthlessly beat Usopp and thrown what was left of him to his men. He even remembered telling his men to have fun. Yeah, he thought Usopp was nothing more than another pirate who deserved no pity, but the beating was unnecessarily brutal. He knew that the man was weak and didn't need to break every bone in his body to prove it. Pirate or not, he was the bully in this.

Nami felt almost sick as she put a hand to her mouth. He looked even worse than he did when she found him broken on the streets of Water 7. What was he thinking taking on the entire Franky Family on his own? She wanted to be mad at Usopp for being so stupid, but she couldn't muster the emotion. Usopp just wanted to make things right and he risked his life to do it. In his eyes, he was failure for letting some thugs take their hard earned money.

"Is he breathing, Chopper?" Luffy asked. Their captain's voice broke the Strawhats out of their private thoughts.

"He's unconscious, but not dead," Chopper in the memory said softly as he checked Usopp's body. "He'll be okay. I can treat him."

Luffy put his hat down over his eyes. "Wait a little longer, Usopp."

Sanji casually lit a cigarette while Zoro tied his bandana over his head. Even Chopper looked unusually fierce in his Heavy Point as he glared at the Franky House. They all had bloodlust in their eyes.

The four Strawhat members slowly walked towards Franky House.

"We're going to level that stupid house to the ground," Luffy vowed to his friend.

Just as the Strawhats reached the door, one of the members of the Franky Family had the bad luck of opening the door for them. He was an unusually tall man with a cowboy hat and thick red-tinted sunglasses, but his status made no difference to the pirate crew.

Without even calling his attack, Luffy stretched his arm and punched the giant man in the face, knocking him back inside.

"What, what going on!?" one of the man screamed.

"Who the hell are you!?" someone demanded.

Everyone gasped when they realized who had come to their door. They knew him by his strawhat.

"Strawhat Luffy!" one of the members of the Franky Family shouted in horror.

Brook was quietly informed by Franky that his named was Zambai.

After the shock had worn out, some in the Franky Family were confident that they could take on the small pirate band.

"He's that long-nose's sissy captain," Zambai mocked.

This made the others in the Franky Family laughed.

"That just shows how weak you are!" one of the teased.

Franky shook his head at his gang. They never did learn when to shut their mouths.

Zoro's eye twitched slightly. He would think those fools would learn not to overestimate themselves after he had so easily kicked their asses. While, they made sure they learned this time.

One in the Franky Family with giant steel armor approached Luffy. "Hit me, small fry!"

Luffy lifted his head and his eyes burned with anger. "Gum Gum…"

He began to punch the armor man rapidly like he was doing his Gatling, but none of his attacks hit. Instead, Luffy purposely stopped his attacks short of hitting the man.

"And what is this?" the man asked mockingly.

Luffy gave no response and kept punching rapidly.

"If you're just going to play around, I'll finish you right now," the man said as he raised his axe.

Luffy punched so fast and for so long that his fists had heated up and his arms turned a bright red. He quickly merged all his punches into one huge attack.

"Cannon!" Luffy screamed as he blasted the armored man away from him and destroyed his armor in one hit.

This really freaked the members of the Franky Family out.

Zambai held his hands out in what looked like surrender. "Hey, hold on, guys! Let's talk this over! Let's talk... Fire the cannons!"

Five cannons pointed at the Strawhats and they fired. Zoro easily cut each cannonball like they were made of paper. While the Franky Family was stunned, Zoro sliced one of their cannons.

When fighting was no longer an option, they attempted to run.

Sanji was not going to let them get away and cut off their escape route. He got on one of the Franky Family member's head and spun around, wiping out everyone within his range.

The remaining members attempted to escape from the window, but were met with a pissed off reindeer who had just eaten a Rumble Ball.

Chopper went into his Horn Point and mercilessly rammed and impaled anyone who dared crossed his path. It was somewhat unnerving seeing shy and timid Chopper being so brutal.

"Wa…wait a minute guys!" Zambai attempted to reason. He was close to panicking "The money...that's what you want, right? The two-hundred million that weakling had!"

Luffy's eye twitched when the man called Usopp a weakling.

"I'm sorry to say that it's not here anymore!" Zambai shouted. "Our boss, Franky, took it and went on a shopping trip! We only deal with the black market, so we don't know where he is! To put it simply, no matter what you do to us, you can't get your two-hundred million belli..."

Luffy cut off Zambai in mid-sentence by punching him hard in the face.

"Zambai!" one of his companions yelled.

"That's enough talk," Sanji hissed. "That's not what this is about."

"Damn straight," Zoro barely said above a whisper. "It's too late."

"You can kiss your ass goodbye," Luffy said darkly as he glanced at every member of the Franky Family. He gave them all a look of unreserved contempt. "Leave no bone unbroken."

Everyone in the Franky House yelled and screamed in horror.

Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper all glared at the Franky Family, more than willing to follow their captain's order to the letter.

In one last desperate offensive, the Franky Family fired a giant cannon at the Strawhats that literally had everything in it. The Strawhats dodged the odd ammunition and charged the remaining members of the Franky Family.

What followed was one of the most brutal beat downs that some of the Strawhats had ever seen. Some of the members of the crew were surprise that no one was killed. Even Franky was stunned by what he was seeing, although his men did more or less deserve it.

Usopp stared, transfixed at the beating. They did this for him. They were mad at the Franky Family not for stealing their money, or dishonoring their crew, but because they dared hurt him. It made him feel even bitterer about the events that would soon happen after this was all over.

Brook flinched at he watched the memory. There was a lesson to be learn from this, don't end up on this crew's bad list.

Nami was also a little put off by viciousness of the beating, but after seeing the shape they had left Usopp, she didn't feel a bit of pity towards the Franky Family. Even if they were soon become their allies, they deserved what they got and more.

Robin stared blanked faced through everything. Her only regret was that she was not there to Clutch all of the people who dared harm her crewmate.

In one big explosion, the entire Franky House was brought down, leaving its members broken and defeated across the ground.

The Strawhats' revenge, however, was not yet fully complete. While Chopper treated Usopp, the remaining Strawhats waited patiently for Franky's return. It was he that the Strawhats truly wanted to fight, not his wimpy lackeys.

Franky was glad at that moment that he didn't return home until the next day. He may have been able to handle Luffy, but there was no way in hell he could take on the entire crew, especially with Zoro and Sanji there. He had severally underestimated the bond this crew shared and it was only by luck that he wasn't skin alive.

After a few minutes, when all their heads cleared, it became clear to the memory Strawhats that Franky would not be returning for a while.

"Should we go after Franky?" Sanji asked, breaking the tense silence.

"Where should we look?" Zoro asked almost bitterly as he retied his bandanna tightly around his arm.

"Dammit, we have no idea where the money went," Sanji cussed as he bit his cigarette. "And even if we nailed this Franky guy, he'll have finished his shopping already."

Zoro took a quick glanced at Luffy who was standing on the remains of the Franky House's crescent moon. "What do we do? Even if we wait for him, he won't be back for a while."

"I've finished with the first aid!" Chopper yelled. "We need to carry him on a stretcher, so everyone come help!"

"We won't get anywhere just talking about it," Sanji sighed in frustration. "Let's head back to the ship for now. We left Nami-san alone and there is Robin-chan to worry about, along with the situation with the ship."

Robin's eyes became downcast since she was listed with all of their other worries.

Sanji turned towards his captain. "Hey, Luffy!"

Luffy didn't immediately answer. "About the ship, I've decided." He paused for a second. "We're saying goodbye to the Going Merry."

The memory faded and almost immediately they were back on the Going Merry. It was now late afternoon and the orange rays of the sun poured onto the deck. The day itself was serene, which betrayed what was going to happen on the ship.

"Must I see this?" Usopp whispered. He already had to relive this event once within the mist.

"Although this event is in the past, this is still a part of Luffy's memory," Zoro said as he turned towards Usopp. "This event is just as much a part of him as it is to you."

"I know, but..." Usopp started to say.

"Hey, Usopp's awake!" Chopper in the memory yelled happily as he ran out of the gallery and leaned against the railings.

"Great!" Luffy cheered.

Nami sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."

All the Strawhats in the memory rushed to see their injured crewmate who was resting in the gallery. Usopp was sitting in his makeshift bed, looking rather down. He didn't even bother putting up his usual cheerful front.

"You had us really worried!" Nami in the memory scolded.

"Damn right," Sanji in the memory said. Despite the harsh words, there was no real power in his voice. "You could have gotten yourself killed. We're just glad you made it out alive."

"Think things through before you act," Zoro in the memory reprimanded.

"You're one to talk!" Sanji in the memory yelled at Zoro.

Sanji nodded in agreement with his past self despite himself.

Through it all, Usopp looked he was on the verge of crying. "I've been nothing but a burden. I'm sorry." He suddenly stood up and threw himself at Zoro's legs and hugged the man fiercely. "I'm so shamed, guys!"

Zoro was completely taken off-guard by the outburst and attempted to shake Usopp off of him.

"We needed the money and I...I..." Usopp was near hysterical and couldn't speak properly.

"Stop it, calm down!" Zoro yelled as he pried Usopp off of him. "Okay, let me go!"

"But we had so much money!" Usopp screamed.

"Usopp, you should be in bed!" Chopper yelled in worry.

"Hear that? You should do what Chopper says," Nami said.

They eventually got Usopp to calm down after a few minutes. Once he had settled down, they told Usopp what had happened at Franky House and the current situation with the money.

"So, then there's no way to get the money back?" Usopp asked, although he already knew the answer.

"Well, we won't know until that Franky guy comes back," Luffy said optimistically.

"I see," Usopp whispered solemnly. "I'm sorry."

"Well, even if it's gone we still have one-hundred million belli," Luffy said cheerfully. "Don't worry about it." He began to laugh.

"Money is always something to worry about!" Nami yelled out of habit. It was only after the words had left her mouth that she realized that she said the wrong thing.

Luffy stopped laughing and stared at Nami. Everyone, even Sanji, gave her disproving looks.

"Sorry," Nami whispered in shame.

Nami lowered her head at her past self's behavior. That outburst only caused Usopp even more grief.

"No, it's okay," Usopp said as he pounded his fists. "But Luffy, what about the ship? What about Merry?"

Luffy smiled, but said nothing.

"Is one-hundred million enough to fix her?" Usopp asked almost desperately. "We're here at a first-class shipyard, so they can do it, right? They'll make the ship stronger than ever and we'll keep sailing. She'll be as good as new! So, can we afford to hire them a one-hundred million?"

Throughout Usopp's entire speech, all the Strawhats had saddened and sympathetic expressions. Brook and Franky were very uncomfortable at the scene. All except Luffy, who kept smiling.

"How about it, Luffy?" Usopp asked hopefully.

"Well, the thing is Usopp, about the ship...I've decided to get a new one," Luffy informed him like they were going shopping for meat.

Usopp stared at Luffy in disbelief.

"Maybe Luffy-san could have told him the news better," Brook said.

"That's just Luffy. He isn't good at breaking bad news, so he always tries to make everything positive," Sanji said.

"Besides, it's the captain's duty to maintain the mood of the crew. If he acted sad or upset, it would bring down the morale of the crew," Zoro said.

"I'm sorry I decided while you weren't around," Luffy said, although he didn't sound too sorry. "But I've decided! The Going Merry has been great to us, but it's time to say goodbye!"

Usopp couldn't believe what he was hearing.

All the Strawhats couldn't meet Usopp's eyes and there was a long silence to allow the young sniper time to take in the news.

"So look!" Luffy exclaimed as he held up the catalog that Kalifa had given him. He flipped through several pages. "I got this catalog from Ice-pop's place. There are a lot of brand new ships that we could build! Well, with one-hundred million, we could buy a really big used ship."

"Wait!" Usopp interrupted as he held out his hands. "Wait, wait, come on, that's pretty tasteless joke, not to mention ridiculous. Right?" he asked as he addressed the rest of the crew, who gave him awkward looks. "See, look, Chopper thinks you're serious! Our captain is such a kidder! Go ahead and tell him off, Nami."

No one said anything, and Luffy stared at Usopp. The sniper knew that look, despite rarely seeing it. It told him that Luffy was serious.

"What, you mean you can't afford the repairs? We can't afford it because I let them take the other two-hundred million, right!? That's it, isn't it Luffy?" Usopp asked desperately.

Luffy closed the catalog to stare at Usopp more directly.

"A first-class shipyard is going to have first-rate prices!" Usopp yelled.

Luffy held his hands up. "No, that's not it!"

"Then what is it!?" Usopp yelled. "Spit it out! Do you think I can't handle it!?"

"Of course not!" Luffy yelled, losing his cheerful demeanor. "Losing the money has nothing to do with this!"

"Then why are you spouting this shit about a new ship!?" Usopp yelled. He got a completely crazed look in his eyes.

"Stop it, both of you!" Zoro yelled breaking the argument. "What good is arguing going to do? Calm down and talk it over!"

Both Luffy and Usopp continued to glare at each other.

"How can I be calm about this!?" Usopp yelled. "This is the stupidest thing I've heard in my entire life!"

"Hey, this is important!" Nami yelled. "Don't get worked up!"

"She's right, Usopp," Chopper said worriedly. "You need to rest. Your body can't..."

"I don't give a damn!" Usopp shouted, completely stopping Chopper in mid-sentence.

Both Brook and Franky were shocked by Usopp's behavior.

Robin's eyes were wide in surprise as she stared at memory Usopp. She knew Usopp took the news about Merry badly, but not like this.

Usopp winched at his past self. How could be so mean to his crew? Especially Chopper who was only trying to help him.

"The captain simply says we're changing ships and I'm supposed to roll over and accept it!?" Usopp continued to yell.

Brook had to fight the urge to say, yes. A captain's order on a pirate ship was absolute. He also knew that Luffy was too nice to point that fact out to Usopp, especially since they were both emotional at the moment.

Luffy got right into Usopp's face. "It's not simple! It was a hard decision!"

"You make a hard decision and this is what happened!?" Usopp shouted he snatched the catalog out of Luffy's hands and threw it onto the floor. "Don't you dare wave this thing in my face and talk like that!"

Luffy scowled in anger. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to deck Usopp.

Brook shook his head as he watched the memory. If this were any other pirate crew, Usopp would have been shot by now.

Usopp became more upset as he watched his past self act more like an ass. He could see the pain in Luffy's face, but he just kept going. He was too lost in his own insecurities and grief to notice anything outside himself.

"What are you doing!?" Luffy demanded.

"I don't want to see it!" Usopp yelled. "Luffy, if it's not because of the money was stolen, then what is it then!? Tell me! Come on! Why aren't you saying anything!? If you think I can handle it, then don't hold back! Tell me! If you don't give me a reason, I'm not going to listen to another word!"

Luffy finally blurted out Merry's fate, shutting up Usopp.

Usopp had a look of utter horror on his face. "What did you say?"

"Don't make me repeat it!" Luffy almost growled bitterly. "The Merry can't be fixed!"

Usopp fell to his knees as Luffy's word sunk in.

Franky felt his heart go out to Usopp. He knew that Usopp already knew Merry's fate long before the others. The news from the shipwrights just confirmed everything he feared.

"If there was another way, I wouldn't be doing this!" Luffy yelled, but his voice held no anger, only grief and regret.

"It's our ship!" Usopp yelled as he patted the floor. "This ship we're all standing on!"

"That's right. The ship will sink," Luffy said with finality.

Usopp stared coldly at Luffy. "What are you talking about, Luffy?"

"It's true. That's what they said at the shipyard," Luffy said. "It won't even reach the next island."

"Oh, we won't reach it, huh?" Usopp asked almost mockingly. "So, you let some guy you just met feed you a line and you were happy with it?"

"What?" Luffy asked flatly.

"Some so-called first-class shipwright said it can't be done and you believe them!?" Usopp screamed in an accusing voice.

Now Luffy looked really pissed.

Usopp was practically begging his past self in his mind to shut up.

"We've been together for our whole journey! Through rough seas and battles! She's our comrade who has been with us through thick and thin! And you're just going to let her die!?" Usopp shouted.

There was a long silence on the ship and both men were shaking in rage.

"Is that all this ship means to you, Luffy?" Usopp asked softly, although he might as well had shouted it.

"That's enough, Usopp," Chopper pleaded. "If you keep on yelling like this..."

"Thanks, now move," Usopp said impatiently as he started to cough from exhaustion. "I'm not done yet."

"Usopp, please…" Nami attempted to reason, but stopped short when she saw how bloodshot Usopp's eyes were.

"So, you know better than the shipwrights?" Luffy asked almost in a dare. "We don't have a shipwright, remember!? That's why we had asked them in the first place!"

"That doesn't matter!" Usopp yelled defiantly. "We don't need any help from them! I'll repair her, like I always have! That's how we gotten this far, after all!" He crawled across the floor. "Okay, I'll go get started. You guys, come help too."

Franky shook his head as he watched Usopp.

Brook had a deep frown. At least he would if he had skin. Usopp was in complete denial.

Robin stared down at the sniper sadly.

"That won't work, Usopp," Sanji said firmly.

"You're right, we'll need more timber," Usopp said. "Go and buy some from the shipyard. We've got a lot of work to do."

Luffy finally lost his temper. "You're not a shipwright, Usopp!"

Franky, Brook, and Robin were stunned by the tone. They had never heard it from Luffy's mouth – at least, not towards a friend.

"Stop it, Luffy!" Nami yelled, trying to calm her captain down.

"Yeah, and what about it!?" Usopp dared as he reached for the catalog and crushed it in his hands. "Those workers won't go out on a limb to repair someone else's ship! I don't give a damn what some irresponsible shipwright who just gives up after just one look says!"

Franky frowned at Usopp's words. He knew that Usopp was only speaking out of anger and sorrow, but he didn't care for how he spoke about Galley-La. Kaku may be part of CP9, but he was also a shipwright hired by Iceberg. He knew his stuff.

"Usopp..." Nami in the memory started.

"This just shows us that we have to take care of the ship ourselves!" Usopp went on. "I swear...I won't abandon this ship! Have you all lost your minds!? Some big shot shipwright just fed you a convincing story and you believed them! The crewmates I know would see past their song and dance and believe in Merry's strength!" He finally stood up and walked towards Luffy. Once he reached him, he grabbed Luffy by the collar of his vest. "You're just spouting some oversimplified, senile bullshit while putting on the air of being captain. I misjudged you, Luffy!"

Franky and Brook gasped when they heard Usopp said that. They knew he had crossed the line.

Usopp was in tears listening to himself speaking to Luffy in that manner.

Luffy looked like he wanted to punch Usopp across the room.

"Wait, Usopp," Nami tried to reason again. "Luffy feels the same..."

This time, it was Luffy who cut Nami off. "Stay out of this, Nami! I've made my decision! I won't change my mind! No matter what you say, we're getting a new ship! We're saying goodbye to Merry here!"

"Don't give me that shit!" Usopp yelled while shaking Luffy. "I won't let you do it! Listen to me, Luffy, not everyone can tolerate following someone like you forever! I would never keep sailing if it meant leaving a wounded friend behind!"

"You're talking crazy!" Luffy shouted. "You can't treat a ship as a person even if it's our comrade!" He grabbed Usopp's hands and threw them off of him.

"Yes you can!" Usopp yelled angrily. "Merry still has power to go on! I know what you're thinking, you're hyped up about getting a new ship!"

"Hey guys, let it go!" Sanji yelled, tired of all the arguing. "Nothing good will come from being so hostile."

"That's enough out of you!" Luffy shouted as he tackled Usopp to the floor and pinned him. "Don't make it sound like you're the only one suffering! We all feel the same way!"

"Then how could you even think about changing ship!?" Usopp yelled as he struggled in Luffy's hold.

"Have it your way then!" Luffy sneered. "If you don't like how your captain does things, then get your ass off my..."

Sanji kicked Luffy in the face before he could complete the sentence. The kick was so powerful that Luffy broke the kitchen table on impact.

"Sanji!" Chopper exclaimed.

Sanji was breathing hard in anger. "You jackass, what were you about to say!? Get over yourself! Don't talk so carelessly!"

Luffy slowly picked himself up from the rubble and put his hat back on. He was much calmer now and was able to think straight. "I'm sorry. I let that slip out."

"No, it's okay, Luffy," Usopp said in a calm voice. "That's how you really feel, isn't it?"

"What!?" Luffy yelled.

Usopp rolled himself over and stood up. "Any crewmate who can't pull their weight gets cut loose and left behind. If you're going to do that to Merry, then do it to me too!"

There was a long pause as everyone stared at Usopp like he had grown a second head.

"Usopp, don't say stupid things!" Sanji scolded once he found his voice.

"No, I mean it," Usopp whispered. "I've done a lot of thinking. To tell you the truth, I've known that I could never be as incredible as you guys. Just as today, I couldn't even handle guarding some money."

All the Strawhats stared in disbelief at Usopp.

"Where you're heading, I'm nothing but a burden!" Usopp exclaimed as he fully stood up. "You don't need a weak crewmate, right? Luffy...you're the man who will be Pirate King. Well, as for me...I don't need to go that far. Come to think of it, just when I was about to set sail, you invited me to join."

There was another long silence as Usopp glared up at Luffy.

"That's the only relationship we have," Usopp said coldly. "There's no reason to sail together knowing we have different purposes!"

Luffy's eyes shook, but he made no move to say anything.

Usopp began to walk out the door.

"Hey Usopp, where are you going!?" Sanji yelled.

"I'll go wherever I want," Usopp answered coldly. "It's not your concern anymore. I'm...leaving the crew!"

Then he left the galley, leaving the Strawhats in silence.

Almost immediately, the memory changed and the Strawhats were standing outside the Merry. It was night and the wind blew heavily across shore.

Luffy was standing close to the Merry with his arms folded, while Usopp stood on the other side of him, close to the gate of Water 7. They stared at each other intensely, neither one of them moving.

"What's going on?" Brook asked as he looked between the two friends. They looked almost like enemies.

"This is when Usopp and Luffy had their duel," Zoro said in a neutral voice, speaking for the first time since the fall-out happened. "Usopp wanted to fight over who was going to have Merry."

Brook, if he had eyes, would have widened them in disbelief. "They're dueling over a ship that can't be saved? What sense does that make?"

"It's more of a duel of pride than of the Merry herself," Sanji said as he watched the memory. He too kept a blank expression.

Chopper wanted to turn his head. He didn't want to see anymore of this memory. He kept watching, however, for Luffy's sake. If he had to watch this terrible moment again to help his captain, then he would do it.

Nami's expression tightened as she prepared herself for the duel. Even with everything long settled, this was still hard to look at.

"So, you didn't lose your nerve after all," Luffy said coldly to Usopp. There was none of the friendliness that Luffy usually had in his voice. He spoke to Usopp like he was a true adversary. "No matter how this battle ends, you can't regret it. This is exactly what you asked for."

"That's perfect," Usopp answered in an equally cold voice. "Don't go easy on me. I won't be the underdog this time. In fact, I have already figured out a way to defeat you."

Franky tilted his head. "Really?"

Usopp couldn't speak as he watched himself. Despite his words and self-assurance, he knew he couldn't actually beat Luffy. By endurance alone, he had nothing to put Luffy down for any length of time. Still, he had to try. For nothing else then to prove to himself that he could handle the best.

Luffy slowly unfolded his arms as he prepared to make his move.

"Make no mistake, I'm not like any other opponent you faced before," Usopp said as he pointed at his former captain. "We've been friends a long time. I know all your powers. All your strengths and your weaknesses."

"Well, they do say to keep your friends close," Franky said in some humor.

"Usopp does have a slight advantage," Robin said softly, speaking for the first time since the conflict had happened. "He can hit Luffy from a distance, while Luffy's attacks become weaker the longer he stretches. As long as Usopp stays out of Luffy's primary range, he will have the upper hand."

"But there's something you don't know about me," Usopp in the memory suddenly said as he narrowed his eyes. "I have eight-thousand men on my side!"

Luffy became annoyed hearing this. It wasn't the lie that made him mad, but that Usopp had the nerve to invoke the memory of their first meeting.

It had the desired effect as the memory flashed for a moment to Luffy meeting Usopp up on that cliff. The Strawhats could see in vivid detail Usopp boasting about his army of pirates, surrounded by dozens of pirate flags.

"If you don't surrender now, I'll order them to attack!" Usopp in the memory yelled, bringing the memory back to Water 7.

Chopper in the memory completely freaked out, thinking that Usopp's lie was true.

"Really, you fell for that?" Franky muttered as he sweat-dropped.

"If you're going to fight, at least take this seriously!" Luffy yelled in anger, tired of Usopp's mind game.

Usopp responded by pumping his arms in the air and yelling about razor sharp needles in teeth.

"What is Usopp doing?" Brook asked, completely baffled by the bizarre behavior.

"He is trying to provoke Luffy into making the first move," Robin surmised.

Luffy finally had enough of Usopp's rants and charged in, fully intending to deck Usopp across the shore.

"Gum Gum Pistol!" Luffy yelled as he prepared to throw his punch.

At that moment, Usopp suddenly coughed up a fountain of blood and collapsed to his knees, startling Luffy. He immediately stopped his attack as he looked at Usopp in concern.

"What!?" Brook exclaimed in shock.

"Was he hurt that badly?" Franky asked, feeling a slight pang of guilt in his chest.

Robin looked down at the 'blood' and realized that it was too thick. "That is not blood."

Usopp in the memory held out his 'bloody' hand and glared at Luffy. "Special Attack, Ketchup Star."

"I see," Brook whispered as he glanced at their Usopp. "You played off of Luffy's pity for you."

Usopp lowered his eyes in shame. It was a dirty trick. Knowing how sensitive Luffy was to seeing his friends hurt, that one trick hurt him more than a physical attack.

"Pity for your enemy," Usopp mocked mercilessly as he stood up. He sounded insulted that Luffy had showed concern for him. "That's awful arrogant of you, don't you think?"

Luffy growled, upset by Usopp's words.

He moved to punch Usopp, but that moment of hesitation gave Usopp the time needed to lift up a dial. Before Luffy knew what was happening, a bright flash hit his eyes.

The entire memory flashed white, causing the Strawhats to cover their own eyes.

"What happened!?" Brook exclaimed. "It feels like my eyes are burning up! …Although I have none!"

"Usopp hit Luffy with a Flash Dial," Nami explained as she attempted to see again.

The entire memory was whited out, making it impossible for the Strawhats to see anything.

"Special Attack, Egg Star!" Usopp in the memory yelled.

The Strawhats heard the sound of eggs being broken, but they saw nothing. They did, however, smell something rotten in the air.

"What is that?" Franky asked as he fanned his face in disgust. "Smells like someone farted."

Sanji sighed. "Usopp pelted Luffy with rotten eggs." He still hated how Usopp would let food go bad just to power his attacks.

Chopper was near tears by the odor since he had such a sensitive nose. It felt like he was going to faint. "How old were those things?"

"Have to be more than a couple of weeks for them to get that bad," Zoro said as he casually fanned his face.

Luffy had the same thought as he screamed at the terrible smell assaulting his senses. "They stink! They're rotten! How old are these!?"

The memory started to clear a little as Luffy's vision slowly returned. Usopp was reaching into his bag as Luffy glared at him for shooting rotten food at him.

"Dammit, will you stop messing around already!" Luffy yelled in annoyance.

"You think this is a joke, huh?" Usopp asked darkly. "Because I'm dead serious."

Luffy growled at him. "Oh yeah!?"

"This is the way I fight!" Usopp yelled with anger in his eyes.

"True," Robin stated. "Luffy does not fight too well against tricksters. He is too straightforward and honest."

Usopp in the memory took aim. "Careful, or that gaping mouth of yours is going to get burnt!" He fired something at Luffy.

Luffy didn't get a chance to move as something flow into his mouth. By habit, he bit down on the strange object and got a nasty surprise. His mouth started to burn and he screamed in pain as he fanned his flaming mouth.

He was so distracted by his current discomfort that he failed to noticed that Usopp had booty trapped the ground he was standing on. In a span of a second, the entire ground was covered in spiky jacks.

By the time Luffy realized this, he fell on the ground and several of the jacks got embedded into his back and butt. He justifiably screamed in agony as he hopped around.

"Oh, he's going to be picking jacks out his butt tonight," Franky said as he winced.

"I have to admit, Usopp, I did not know you were so adapt at sensory torture," Robin mused. "You are taking complete advantage of the fact that Luffy hates minor discomforts and tends to overreact."

Usopp glanced at Robin, but said nothing. What could he say? Causing Luffy physical discomfort was the best he could do. It was mild compared to the mental torture he was subjecting Luffy to during the duel.

"Listen, Luffy! You can pity me if you want!" Usopp in the memory yelled. "But, I'm going to beat you and take the Merry with me! And I don't care what it takes!"

Luffy was too busy trying to crawl his way out of the spike battlefield with minimum damage to pay too much attention to Usopp. He wasn't doing too well given how many times he stabbed his foot on the spikes.

When he was able to stand straight up, he was hit by a paper ball that exploded in his face.

"Special Attack, Pepper Star!" Usopp yelled.

Luffy fell back onto the jacks, stabbing his hand and legs. To add to his misery, he was now sneezing uncontrollably from the pepper. He also couldn't see straight since his eyes were watering badly.

Within moments, Luffy was making sounds that were a mixture of sneezing and crying in pain. It was bizarre, almost funny to hear.

"I've forgotten how Usopp just controlled this entire fight," Sanji mused. He almost wanted to laugh, since much of the drama from before was gone.

"Like I said, I know you," Usopp in the memory said. "So, I know what attacks are going to work the best."

Luffy was finally able to regain control of himself as he position himself in a way where the jacks were not sticking him.

"Dammit, this stuff stinks, my mouth is burning, and it hurts," Luffy complained.

"I'm not going to give you an inch, you hear me!" Usopp yelled fiercely. "Special Attack, Shuriken Shooting Star!"

Luffy's eyes widened when he saw a horde of shurikens heading right for him. He jumped out of the way, but he had to triad carefully since he was still in the jack field. This made him easy prey as Usopp mercilessly shot rows of shurikens at him.

"Were you trying to kill Luffy or something?" Brook asked at the brutality of the assault. One of those shurikens could have seriously wounded Luffy.

"I knew I had to go all out, so I did," Usopp said softly.

"Question, where did you buy those things and why don't you fight like this more often?" Franky asked. "I personally have never seen you use lethal force before."

"As I said, I had to go all out. Luffy would not be subdued by anything short of excessive force," Usopp said.

Luffy finally escaped the jack trap and was now able to easily evade the shurikens, but it wasn't long before Luffy knew something was wrong. The entire battle began to fill with some kind of yellowish smoke and there was a loud hissing sound in the distance.

He looked around for a second in confusion and saw a dial not too far from him emitting the smoke.

"I'm using a Breath Dial," Usopp said when he saw Luffy noticed the dial. "You didn't notice the smell because of the rotten eggs. And now, you're completely surrounded by gas."

"Clever," Robin said.

"So, everything up to this point was a set up to allow that gas to build," Franky stated. "Since Luffy's senses were hindered by the eggs and pepper, he wouldn't be able to detect it."

Luffy's eyes widened in horror. He knew he was in trouble.

"Sorry!" Usopp, who he didn't sound particular apologetic, said as he shot a flame star at Luffy.

Within moments, the entire area exploded, startling the Strawhats who were seeing the duel for the first time.

"What kind of gas did you put in there!?" Franky asked as he covered his face. "It's like a napalm bomb went off! How did you even afford all this equipment for this duel?" It's no wonder the idiot didn't have enough money for food when he found him.

Chopper could say nothing as he watched everything. It was even worse than he remembered.

"I've never seen you so aggressive," Brook said as the explosion engulfed the shore. "You've never fought like this before."

Usopp chose not to say anything. The shame that built in his throat made it impossible for him to speak.

When the fire started to clear, Luffy was lying on the ground. He didn't appear hurt. If anything, the explosion just slightly burnt his skin. It was his eyes that told the crew everything.

He looked angry. Whether he was angry at Usopp for beating him, or wondering how everything had reached this point to begin with, none of the Strawhats could tell.

The memory shifted again and the Strawhats saw scenes of Yasopp telling stories about his son to a half awake Luffy. They also saw flashes of Luffy's first meeting again along with the memory of Usopp happily joining the crew.

Usopp teared up as he watched those memories.

Luffy eventually stood up and began to walk slowly out of the smoke that surrounded him. Once again, Luffy's eyes told his crew what he was thinking. At that moment, he wanted to hurt Usopp.

"I'm no fool," Usopp in the memory hissed. "I realize that it will take more than that to beat you."

Luffy kept walking towards Usopp. Oh yes, he wanted to hurt Usopp badly now.

"I know you, Luffy," Usopp said as his eyes narrowed. "You fight every battle with all your strength. But, I'm ready for any technique you got!"

Luffy charged at Usopp as he released a battle yelled. "Gum Gum Gatling!"

"Special Attack, Blasting Cactus Star!" Usopp yelled as he shot a small ball at Luffy.

When the ball hit Luffy's fists, it exploded into dozens of small spikes, nearly taken Luffy's eyes out and covering his body.

Luffy cried in pain as attempted to pull the small spikes out. Some were buried fairly deep into his skin.

Chopper cringed seeing that. He spent half the night pulling those things out.

Without waiting for Luffy to regain his bearings, Usopp rapidly shoot Luffy with exploding stars.

Luffy was forced to jump around the shore to keep from being blown up.

"I didn't think things went this far," Franky said softly. It really looked like Usopp was trying to kill Luffy, not just annoy or beat him.

Usopp could only stare in horror at the memory.

Chopper was now fully in tears. It was like he was really reliving this terrible event.

For Brook, this break up was one of the worst he had ever seen among pirates. Two crewmates...no, friends, shouldn't be fighting like this. Especially after everything they had seen and experienced.

Zoro looked at everything as dispassionately as he did back then. Although, seeing this again brought to light how badly Usopp had hurt Luffy. Throughout their entire argument and most of their duel, he could tell by the subtitle movements in his captain's eyes that he was on the verge of tears.

Usopp's accusations that Luffy would leave a friend behind just for being weak must have pierced the most given everything Luffy has done to protect his crew, including sacrificing his own life and health.

"Gum Gum Pistol!" Luffy yelled as he nailed Usopp's in the face from across the battlefield. Once Luffy's arm returned, he charged in for the finisher. "Gum Gum Bazooka!"

Usopp, however, took him by surprise and brought his hands up. When Luffy's attack hit, it was absorbed into a dial.

"Recognize this? I bet that Bazooka would have hurt," Usopp asked almost mockingly as held up the dial. "Let's find out!"

Because of Luffy's pervious momentum, he was unable to stop himself from running into Usopp.

"Impact Dial!" Usopp screamed as he hit Luffy point blank in the face.

Luffy was pushed back and blood spurted from his mouth.

Usopp's arm cracked and popped from the stress of the Impact Dial and was forced to his knees. "How's that, dammit!?"

Despite being hit by the force of his own attack, Luffy righted himself and landed gratefully several feet away from Usopp.

Usopp in the memory knew at that moment that he had lost. He had used all his tricks, all his techniques, and Luffy still stood tall. The outcome was expected, but it didn't make it hurt less.

Usopp chose to glare at Luffy as he slowly stood up on his unsteady legs. He refused to be defeated on his knees and to show defiant even in the end.

Luffy returned Usopp's glare with one of his own. They stood like that for several seconds, both breathing hard from the exertion from the battle.

As Usopp looked at the memory, he noticed a look in Luffy's eyes that he hadn't noticed until now. He was so caught up with himself at the time that he didn't see it at all. The look that shone in his captain's eyes was a look of betrayal, hidden beneath all his anger and hurt. He had betrayed Luffy.

Seeing it so clearly now, he felt sick. He had said some unforgivable things to his captain – no, his friend. He had damaged Luffy just because he was too hurt and selfish to see the suffering around him.

The memory shifted again and the Strawhats saw brief scenes of when Luffy met Usopp, when he joined the crew, and all the good times they had up to that point on their many adventures. Those memories were now very faint, unlike before, almost like they were disappearing as the harsh reality of the present took hold.

Luffy continued to glare at Usopp as the emotional turmoil continued within him.

"Since you can't see it, I'll tell you," the Baron's voice sadistically resonated across the memory. "The man with the long nose has just died."

"Usopp!" Luffy's voice screamed in despair.

Luffy moved to what he knew was the final attack of the duel. His eyes were void of emotion as he readied himself to do his duty as captain.

"A captain who can't protect even one of his friends is worthless," the Baron's voice continued to taunt from the grave.

Usopp's broken body in front of the Franky's House appeared for a brief moment before it disappeared.

The Strawhats were left physically sick by the images they were seeing. To have this happen so soon after that Baron had ripped Luffy apart must have been soul crushing. Luffy undoubtedly must have felt that everything that had happened was his fault. He failed to protect Usopp and now his friend was lashing out in anger and grief over money and a sick ship.

Usopp could only shake in his place. This was far worse than when he was forced to relive this moment.

"Gum Gum Bullet!" Luffy shouted as he nailed Usopp in the stomach, sending the sniper tumbling back. Blood gushed out of Usopp's mouth as he fell onto the cold ground.

There was nothing but silence for what felt like an eternity. Not even the wind bothered to blow.

Luffy went to his knees and clutched the arm that had punched Usopp with like he wanted to rip it off. His fists were meant to protect, not harm those he held dear. "You dumbass! You knew you couldn't beat me!" he yelled harshly.

Usopp's harsh breathing was his only response.

Luffy looked like he would cry right there, but he forced his body to stand up and turned away from his now former crewmate. Slowly, he began to walk away, heading back to the Merry for the final time. On his way towards the ship, Luffy grabbed his fallen hat and placed it firmly on his head, covering his eyes.

"Do whatever you want with Merry," Luffy said in a tight voice. "We're getting a new ship and sailing on." He walked away again. "Goodbye, Usopp," he said softly as the memory faded.

---

That concludes the first chapter of my personal favorite One Piece arc, Water 7/Enies Lobby. This was the story arc that turned me from a casual fan into a hardcore One Piece fan. With that said, this was a hard chapter to write. There is not much comment from the Strawhats, especially Robin and Chopper, since most of all their dialog is reflective and most of the Strawhats already know the events in question. Also, given the heavy drama, it did not feel right to have the Strawhat talking. Anyway, I hope you all stil enjoyed the chapter.

Don'tletthewingsfoolyou, thanks for the review. Admittedly, the last chapter was fun to write since the Strawhats had no idea what was going on and what was happening. It did not help that the first half of the chapter is a major mood whiplash from the last half.

Plural Force, thank you for your review. Although I do like Luffy/Nami, it was not my intention to underline them as a couple. As I said, that was more or less Oda's fault who had a lot of overtone for Luffy and Nami, especially in Arlong and Drum arcs. I will admit, my interpretation of the characters could be different from most. I am happy that you are willing to look at my interpretation instead of writing it off. Also, sorry that you do not care for movie 6, admittedly it is not for everyone. I just generally like the darker side of One Piece.

Alexsasha, thanks for the feedback. I have personally wanted to see a story that dealt with the aftermath of movie 6 just because the movie ended with the Strawhats being blissfully happy while Luffy literally had the worse night of his life. Since it is a movie, a lot of the issues raise were never address and there is precious few fan fics that are willing to bring to light this issue. Also, no problem with being a lazy reviewer.

LazyFoxLover, thank you for your feedback. The Baron really scarred Luffy and even in this chapter he is feeling the aftereffects. Usopp losing his head and leaving the crew after basically saying that Luffy would not want him around did not help Luffy mentally. Sanji is going through a major guilt trip, but he will not be able to resolve it for quite some time.

WhatifStoryTeller, thanks for the review. Movie 6 may not seem so bold now, but one have to remember that movie 6 was release in 2005, a whole three years before Sabaody happened. Before then, having the crew separated like that was unthinkable. Granted, Oda probably planned for Sabaody to happen long before movie 6 was on the drawing boards, but it is interesting to note how Masahiro Itō, the writer for movie 6, was so on point with not only Luffy's reaction to his crew's death, but how closely it mirrored what Oda would do years later. Also, the way I ended the chapter is not completely the way the movie ended. If you liked the chapter, I suggest you watch the movie.

sakuraxls2, thank you for your review. Well, since it is a movie it could only be long unless I broke the chapter up, something I wanted to avoid.

CHRISTINA bISHOP, thanks for your feedback and you are welcome.

RedKetchup, thank you for your feedback. Glad you loved the chapter and I did the movie justice. Hard to believe that it almost did not make it into the story.

MsSuzette, thanks for the review and no problem about being a late reviewer. Movie 6 is very bold which is why it has mixed reviews. From what I have seen you either love it for its darker edge, or put off by it. Also, trust me, I did not write all of this in a short amount of time. The first draft of this story was done back in December and I have be revising and rewriting it ever since. So, a lot of time and work went into each chapter.

Pokabu, thank you for your review. Funny, I was not thinking of Saul or Robin with that line. It meant to be an echo back to when Luffy was alone as a child and the pain he went through because of his loneliness. Much like Sanji hates anyone going hungry regardless if they are enemy or friend, Luffy hates people being alone and thinks even bad people needs friends. Also, Sanji's sweet talker comment was from the movie, not something I wrote.

Dementra, thanks for the feedback. Since it was a movie, there could be no follow-up, which is ashamed since movie 6 really needed one. All the Strawhats died and don't remember except Luffy and all they had him do is laugh at the end.

Honeydee, thank you for the feeback and glad you were so excited. It is funny I ended up doing movie special on Golden Week. That is some good timing on my part lol. As for the issues raise in the movie, it will be dealt with, along with several other issues, later in the story. As for a note, the training with Rayleigh will not be covered and nether will the two year time-skip, sorry.

Iaminlovewithademon, thanks for your review. The Baron is an interesting character. He is one of the most three-dimensional characters in One Piece, both canon and non-canon, who has real reason to be a bitter, vengeful old man. He is in some ways a sympathetic character since his grief drove him insane and he was a good person before he lost all of his friends. At that same time, you hate for destroying and torturing pirates to ease his own pain, especially what he did to Luffy. Needless to say, he was a fun character to write and probably one of my favorite villains in the series.

Shiningheart of ThunderClan, thank you for your review. If you liked the chapter, you should watch the movie. There are a lot of visual gags that does not translate well into writing, not to mention some of the unforgettable visuals. Beware of heavy nightmare fuel, however.

Jewel Princess1992, thank you for your feedback. Well, the reason why the other movies did not make it is not because of a lack of angst or drama, but they do not reveal anything about Luffy that the Strawhats do not know or need to see to get a better understanding of.

Lightningblade49, thanks for the feedback. As I wrote in the last chapter, movie 6 will be the only movie I write. All the Strawhats pretty much know the events of movie 10 and it really just repeat themes we have seen in the Arlong and the up coming Enies Lobby arc.

Greymon Leader, thanks for the review. Although it would be cool to see the Ace vs Blackbeard fight, it cannot happen since everything is from Luffy's memory so everything is limited to what he have seen and personally experience.

Zinfer, thanks you for your review. Yeah, Luffy had a long night, one of his worse ever, and the Strawhats think he is being lazy laying on the ground, blissfully unaware of anything.

Bluebird42, thanks for the feedback. Funny enough, that was my reaction to movie 6 when I first watched it. At first, I thought the movie was creepy, weird, and dark. I watched it after I marathon the first five movies and it was late at night, like 3am. After stepping back and re-watching it weeks later with my brother, because he liked dark stuff too, it became my favorite for the humor, visuals, and all the WTH moments.

.ace, thank for your feedback. I always wanted the Strawhats to find out what happened too, especially Sanji who was the biggest dick through the later half of the movie.

IceMaize, thanks for the review. I read Telling the Truth years ago when it was first posted, good story. Too bad not more stories covers the aftermath.

Rose Rain 7, thank you for your review. Glad you like the start of movie 6, it often get overshadow by the last half. Sanji's words were full of venom, which is probably why Luffy never told his crew what happened. Some things are probably better off forgotten. But, they know now. As for Franky guessing the game right, it was an accident at first. I have not seen the first part of the movie in awhile so I forgot what the second game was, so Franky's ring toss idea was just supposed to be some random festive game he thought up. When it was ring toss, I decided to make it an ongoing joke.

Neko-VongolaPrimo, thanks for the feedback. I honestly do not care for Kizaru much, mostly because he is a pain to write. He talks like he always on drugs and shows no emotion besides dull surprise. Not to mention he is the biggest troll who always seem to show up when the Strawhats are physically weak for whatever reason.

The Mad Reviewer, thank you for your review. Oh yeah, Usopp is in a lot of pain right now, far more than when he went through the mist.

Mike D, thanks for your review. Personally, movie 10 is kind of low on my favorite movie list. It was hyped up to hell because Oda wrote the story and it was kind of lackluster in my opinion. First, I was annoyed that he handed Nami and Robin the distress ball, again, and had to be rescue, even if Robin's rescue was meant to be a shout-out to King Kong. Shiki's men went down way too easily and too fast against Zoro and Sanji to the point of being anticlimactic and Shiki himself was beating too easily by Luffy. Yeah, he kicked all the Strawhats' butts in their first fight and was able to handle Luffy's Second Gear fairly easily and Luffy had to use a flying electric bird to keep up with Shiki, but it was still too easy. Shiki was considered a rival to Roger and Whitebeard and fought Garp and Sengoku to the point that they mess up Marineford. Luffy could not touch none of these people, even with their advance age, and yet he beat Shiki with minimum damage or fanfare. Movie 10 is still a good movie, but definitely not my favorite. Movie 12, in my opinion, did a much better job on both storyline and character power balance.

Sawada Tsukimi, thank you for your feedback. I will not be covering anything past the time-skip, although it would have been interesting to write about the Strawhats seeing Luffy's distress at being put into a dream before he came to accept his new reality. As for the red mist, it symbolize a particularly dark or trouble memory of Luffy that the entity is using to torment him.

Walt Disney and Anime, thanks for the feedback and I missed you last chapter. Hope you are feeling better. As for why everyone is acting OOC in later parts in movie 6, it has to do with what happened in the ring toss game that Luffy did not see. For the lack of better words, the game brought out the worse aspects of the Strawhats' personalities, which was why they wanted to kill each other, especially Nami and Sanji. You will have to watch the movie to get more detail since I would take some time for me to write exactly what happened. Also, I do agree that everyone seems to have their own personal guilt trip with Luffy, except Brook. It just kind of happened, it was not planned that way. The a part with Aokiji was fast in both the anime and manga. Aokiji more or less came and went after he told the Strawhats about Robin's past and kicked their butts. I could not really expand on it.

MysteriousEyez, thanks for your review. Give movie 6 a try, although it is not for everyone. Also, I could only imagine what images you saw given that you had no point of reference.

With that, until next chapter.