Chapter 29:

Still getting used to my new life down here in London. It's a lot to keep up with. But here goes another chapter!

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Hard Lines: Keep in Contact

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"No! Not that way! It's down there!"

After what seemed like ages of doing what a damned fairy told me. I had finally run the distance required for us to get to the location where Wicca found her other company, friends... family. Whatever they were to her...

There were hundreds of tiny fairies that gathered around us. I first thought I'd have to watch out for where I stepped, but it didn't seem to matter as their lightening reflexes saved them from being trodden on.

The Dog seemed almost happy now, considering how it leapt from my arms and starting looking around as if it was enchanted with the place. 'Weird Dogtoy... What should I call something like that? A Doy …a Tog?'

"Where's the Captain!?" Wicca asked impatiently to her company.

"He's not in yet." explained another tiny fairy with a yellow hat, that had come up to her. He was busy scratching his neck as if a curse had been put on him to continue to do so. "He told us he'd be back soon to prepare for the battle!"

"Huh? What you all going to battle?" I asked.

All the fairies suddenly glared at me as if seeing me for the first time. "Why have you brought a big person back here!? What if he tells on us?!"

Wicca shook her head. "No! He hates Dolflamingo! He's going to fight him too! He's going to help us! You shall now call him Brother!"

"What! No, you won't, and don't." I tried to correct her, but the damage was already done. As they all started cheering.

"Big Bro!"

I glared down at her. But before I could continue to raise up any argument she was pulled away by a small group of fairies that started bombarding her with questions. So I started walking about looking at the amazing base of operations.

I saw a large box out of the corner of my eye and a booming noise came from it, so not only me, but a sea of fairies or whatever they were called, were drawn to it as well. I stumbled into a small open space where hundreds of the little people seemed to have gathered and made a space for myself there. As soon as I sat down I noticed how all them had gathered around, and started climbing up me to get a better look at the screen.

"Oi! Quit it."

"WE CAN'T SEE! YOU'RE TOO FAT, BIG BRO!" I felt little needles dig into my legs and arms as they started to prod and poke me.

"Grrrrrrr...!" The black dog, that seemed to have attached itself to me, growled in apparent disapproval to the little people's behaviour.

'What on earth did it think it was the behavioural police?' It then proceeded to come down a few steps where it had been observing the land, to confront the fairies on my back and feet. Once they had backed off and stopped needling me, it started nudging my feet and pointing towards the door. 'What did it want to do now? Did it want me to leave? I'm not doing what some random dog tells me.'

I tried to ignore it, brushing off it's prodding paws, so I could continue watching what looked like an impressive and epic showdown of the world's top fighters in an arena. "Hey, where is this taking place?" I asked the short little fairy at my feet.

It looked up at me with a shocked expression. "You don't know!?"

"No." I glared down at him. Trying my hardest to concentrate on the fairy and not on the dog that was tugging on my boots.

"It's taking place here!" It yelled. "Big Bro are you stupid or something!"

I fumed. I don't like being called stupid even on my worst days. "Listen you..."

'Hey! Wait a minute I could have sworn I just saw Luffy.' My eyes scanned the screen again and there he was...

"What the hell! When did this take place!?"

"It's happening right now!" the short red-hat fairy said.

"What why wasn't I told!?"

The fairies all gave me strange looks and start whispering very loudly to themselves about how strange green haired humans were.

All of a sudden the fight became personal, and a huge guy was yelling things at Luffy while leaping down at him head first splitting the ground wherever he landed. Luffy leapt and bounded out of his way on multiple occasions.

"Oi, Don't let him get the upper hand, Luffy!" I yelled at the screen pointlessly.

"Hey, Big Bro, we can't see!" The fairies seemed to get more interested by the match, the second I got angry at it.

"Zoro!" I heard my name being called but didn't really pay much attention to it.

"Shit... That Bastard..." There he was, Luffy, dressed up in some cape and helmet. "...wish I'd known there was a tournament like this... Why wasn't I invited! My swords want to see some action."

"Ah, Captain!" Wicca's voice sounded out loudly above the din of the crowd's roaring. I turned around to see who she was greeting...

"Oh, Franky." I exclaimed as the blue-haired robot guy stepped into the large gathering.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Franky asked angrily.

"Captain! We've compiled the info from the scouting Brigade!" Said another fairy, who's hat looked the same size as his entire body. He was really ugly-looking and like a lot of the others he had a spear-like needle thing he carried around with him.

"And we've confirmed the enemy's movement, as well as sugar's," Another female fairy added.

'Sugar? Was that supposed to be someone's name?'

"and also … now don't be too shocked, but today, with the fateful battle at hand..."

"That's right!" the original ugly speaker started saying...no crying. "It seems that the tontatta's legendary heroes have appeared before us! Their names are Usoland, and Robilane! Intel says they are heading this way Now! On top of that, it seems they have some friends with them. Their names are Luffyland, Zoroland, Namiland, Sanland, Chopperland, Fraland, and Boneland."

'Oh, crap. What has Usopp got us in now? What on this crazy island could have influenced Usopp to tell such a lie. Nuh! What the hell, it's Usopp why am I even surprised. - Might as well play along.'

I lifted up my hand and all the little people looked at me. "Ah... I'm probably Zoroland."

"EHHHHH!?" Their eyes almost leapt out of their skulls while their jaws fell to the floor.

"I'm Fraland. Nice to meet you." Franky said as well, playing along with me.

"AMAZING!" all the fairies cheered.

'Why do I have this nagging feeling at the back my mind?' The weird toy dog thing tugged out my leg trousers again and barked towards the road, as if it was impatient about getting me to do something. I could almost hear it's urgent bark as if I had a subconscious translator for dog barks. 'HURRY! YOU'VE GOT TO GO... NOW!'

'I really don't have time to dogsit for this thing.' I picked it up again by the soft part of it's back, and lifted it so I could see it eye to eye. "Listen dog, I don't have time for all this noise you're belching out, so why don't you go and play fetch some-place else. This looks like it'll get real serious soon. So move along."

I dropped the thing back to the pavement again and pushed it with my foot. It turned around suddenly and bit into my boot instead.

"Oi! Shove off! You little ..."

I reached down, but before I could grab the damned nuisance, and throw it behind me out of the way, it whined and let go of my boot. It looked up at me with those really sorrowful, sad, big eyes. It should have held no expression, because - well, it was a toy, but for some reason no matter how I looked at it, it seemed to be feeling pain and sadness as if it could really feel those things.

I knelt down and patted it's head at which for some reason it seemed to scowl at me. 'What the hell is wrong with this dog? I just can't do anything right for it can I!'

"Listen, I know whatever it is you want to show me is good, but I don't have time for that now, as I've got..." my mind froze and a flash of a memory came back again.

'How could I have forgot?' I shook my head in frustration. "Ah! There's no time for this!"

Franky looked at me with one raised eyebrow.

"If I don't hurry back to the Sunny-Go, Nami and the others..."

"Hmm?" Franky frowned. "What's that?"

"No time to explain!" I turned and ran as fast as I could in any direction. The dog barked and followed after me.

Wicca jumped onto my shoulder just as I left yelling in my ear that she had told me so... but I wasn't listening. I had an awful feeling that the dog had been trying to tell me to go for this very reason this entire time.

'But why would it know this information I only met it a little while ago? And where did it really come from?'

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"Zoroland we need to turn left soon." ….She cleared her throat. "Left is the side where you don't have any swords on your waist."

"You think I don't know my left from my right!?"

"Yes." she said barking out orders into my ear like some sort of commander. "The One attacking your ship is a female officer in the Donquixote family, Jora and her Crew! She artistically steals away her opponents' ability to fight, and can be quite a handful!"

"How do you know so much?!" I asked.

"We only know the names, faces, and powers of all those at or above officer rank, because we can't help but remember them. Especially because ten years ago... the dressrosa army was annihilated by just three individuals. The strongest of the officers, Trebol, Diamante, and Pica... We could never forget their faces."

"Just how old are you, … um... Wicca?"

"I'm twenty-seven."

'Damn, this tiny thing is six years older than me.'

I glanced briefly at the dog running beside us. 'What is up with that? Why does it want to follow me / us so badly. Why can't it just find something else to take up it's time.'

"Ohh! Zoro-dono! Zoro-Dono, we're over here, that we are!"

I turned in the direction of the very accented dialect that I recognized all too well.

"Keep it down fool!" Sanji kicked Kinemone in the hip in an effort to shut him up.

"Who are they, looking so friendly with each other?" Wicca asked pointing toward to two idiots.

"That's CurlyBrowsland and TopKnotland." I answered Wicca.

"Wow! So their heroes too?!"

I rubbed the back of my head absent mindedly. "I suppose so." I looked around trying to ignore them and get out of there as soon as possible.

"Oi! Zoro! Where have you been, you bastard!" Sanji came running up to me until he noticed the fairy, Wicca poking her head out of my shirt.

"What the hell! You collect little people and hide them in your clothes, do you!? You sick moss-headed..."

"I don't have time for this crap." I knocked aside the leg that had suddenly appeared in front of my face.

"Really? And what would be so important that you don't tell me why you..."

"The Thousand Sunny is under attack. I need to get there and save the others from the … 'Mingo family."

"Whaaa … you're going to save Nami? So it's really that bad! No wonder she didn't pick up the Den Den Mushi! Okay, I'm going too!"

"Wait, San-ji-Dono." Kinemon interjected. "We should remain here to inform Luffy-Dono of the situation."

Suddenly, a woman whose head and hair was covered by a hood popped out form just around the corner of a nearby passage. "Black leg?" She whispered.

'Who the hell is that? And since when did Sanji have the time to met up with her?'

"Uoohhh my beloved Violet!" Sanji bent over backwards and fell towards her.

'Oh, gross. Such a mindless, and unconsidered love. Disgusting. What has he only just met her or something. I will never understand that twisted mindset of his. If he keeps this up he's ...'

"You're going to end up passionately stabbed..." I said sneering at his stupidity with the flirtatious stranger. It was hard to tell who was being the most flirtatious they were both doing so well.

The girl Violet although blushing like there was no tomorrow, seemed not as seriously in love with Sanji as he was with her at that moment. After he fauned over her for a little while, she gained a serious expression very quickly. "Your ship has been taken by Jora, from our crew..."

'Her crew? Is she one of them?'

"They're heading for Green Bit!"

"Whhhhhaaattt!" I yelled at the same time as Sanji.

"I need to get going." I said and turned my back on the rest of them.

Sanji ran at me and kicked me in the back. "What the hell was that for moron!?"

Sanji scowled, glaring at me. "I've got way more business worrying about Nami than you do! And you know that she'd much prefer that I save her! That why I'm going!"

"Fine just go then!"

He turned to Kinemon, "This is a map to the Toy House where your friend is being Held."

"Ohhh, many thanks!" He said taking it.

"And you." He turned to me, and handed over a Den Den Mushi. "If you're able to meet up with Luffy, this will connect you to the Thousand Sunny. Let's try to confirm everyone's whereabouts and safety. I'm retuning to the Sunny!"

With that we were left again... 'Sanji will make sure the others are alright. All we have to do now is get to Luffy give him the message and get this attack started.' I looked back down to my left and there it still was following me as if it was some sort of guard dog.

"You bought a pet dog or something?" Kinemon asked.

It growled at the suggestion and deliberately walked five steps away from us and sat back down again.

"No. It just likes stalking me."

The dog shook it's head and flopped down to the ground as if exhausted or exasperated, 'maybe both I'm not sure which..' and then it glared back at me as if daring me to continue.

'Don't know why, but it feels like I've met this thing before...' I took one large step towards the black four-legged toy... 'I should really come up with a name for it soon.' and picked it up and held it underarm style.

"You think it likes that?" Kinemon looked on.

I took a look down at my new... sort-of pet. "Yeah, I think it does. It's not kicking up a fuss. I've seen it try to chew the face off someone that it didn't like, so I'm guessing it's fine with it."

"I do so often wonder where all these toys come from, that I do... Do you know if it's a bitch dog or a ..."

"Don't be idiotic. It's a toy it doesn't have a sex." I replied.

The dog let out another huff / sigh and struggled a bit in my arm and lifted up a leg pointing straight ahead.

"I think she wants us to go that way! Toward the Colosseum." Wicca said.

"So, it's a she is it?" Kinemon asked as he and I started to run towards the huge tall building in the distance.

"Don't think it matters." I looked dead ahead. "So, that's building where they're having that awesome battle." The dog barked and nodded it's head.

'Well at least someone has answered the damn question.'

I scratched it behind the ears. "Good girl."

"Are you going to give it a name?" Kinemon asked.

"It's probably really lonely, and doesn't have a name." Wicca frowned down at the dog as if it was something to be upset about.

I shrugged. "B.B?"

"What's that stand for?" Kinemon asked.

"Black Bitch?" The dog's head snapped around and glared at me.

"She did not like that."

I Laughed. "Oh, I like that reaction. We'll definitely go with that name. It's exactly what she is, so it's fine."

The dog visibly looked depressed.

Kinemon hummed in thought. "I feel sorry for any children you name. They would end up being called S.S.B, for Short, smelly baby."

"I'm not going to have any children."

"And all women everywhere are grateful for that."

"Yeah." Wicca nodded. "You're an ugly human!"

I scowled. "Hey, It's not all about what a person damn looks like. And if I wanted to, I could make any woman want me. And I'd be good at it. I can be good at everything I set my mind too."

'Wait why am I even discussing this stupid subject with these two morons. I don't need to explain myself to them.'

Kinemon shook his head as if he thought I didn't know what I was talking about. "Not parenting children, it's entirely different. It takes great responsibility. I have my son, and I know how much faith he puts into me, and how much he looks up to me."

"It'll be a hassle probably, but nothing I can't handle."

"What sort of names would you choose if you were naming your own children then?"

"Don't know. Something short and simple. Kuina, Nora,... Tara,... Una, Valda, …...Vera, Zara... They're easy to say and quick to write down, nothing too long-winded."

"Yeah they... hey! They all four letters like your name, and they're all girl's names, and they all end in 'a'."

"So? And Kuina is not four letters."

"What if you don't have a girl?"

"Then we choose something else."

"Who's the we?"

"Well, that's... I'd probably, be with..." I felt a blush coming up as I tried to, for a moment, imagine who the other one might look like...

An image flashed across my mind; a picture of a young girl knocking two swords out of my hands. I cleared my throat. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter anyway."

We walked all the way to the huge ass building … and stood infront of it. It was locked down by hundreds of metal bars that sealed off the entrance ways and the windows from above.

"So, how do we see Luffy?" I asked Kinemon.

"I know not, which is why I've been standing here, that is is! Every entrance is firmly shut... and it was my acting strangely earlier that led to my Capture."

'He was captured?'

"Alright, should we cut down this Wall?!" I pointed with a nod.

"That counts as acting strangely that it does!"

"Okay we'll cut it gently." I rolled my head round and up at him. 'Kinemon really is a giant man.'

"It's not a matter of your enthusiasm!"

For a while we just stood there looking for a way in or for an idea to pop into our minds. Until I noticed a person on the inside of the barriers looking out at us. He was staring gob-smacked as if he had just seen a ghost.

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"Why does he weep?" Kinemon said folding his arms.

'We have been here too long already.'

"Hey how do you know that's Luffy? And how do you know my name?!"

"B... b... becaub I'be beenyerpan dis whole tibe!" He whimpered out.

"This guy doesn't seem that good at talking..."

"W... Won't you give me an autograph!?"

"Huh?!" I frowned at him. 'That's the sort of thing that Chopper kept on asking for when he met someone famous right? Why does this guy want my writing for? Such a dumb request.'

"If I go and search for Luffy Senpai, would you give me an autograph?"

'Weird guy... Oh well...'

"You'll find him for us?! Yes, please! and hurry up!"

"J... Just … Just wait right there! I'll find him for you! Even if it costs me my life!"

"Your life, huh..." I shook my head as he tripped over himself in order to get to the wherever he was going.

'Well that was relatively simple. No cutting, and no extreme force needed.'

"That man a fan of yours or what?" Kinemon raised an eyebrow. "He's even got the same kind of green hair as you."

"No idea." I shrugged. "And having green hair doesn't mean he's trying to be like me at all."

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"Zoro! Kinemon!"

"Luffy! Keep it down, you idiot!" I yelled back at him.

"That Chickenhead guy led me over here!"

"Well, where's he now!?" I asked. 'He asked for that auto... thingy didn't he?'

"On the way here, he started foaming at the mouth..." Luffy explained. "Anyway, what're you doing here, Zoro!?"

I cleared my throat about to answer when I remembered. "You! If you knew there was a tournament like this …" 'How could he have kept something like this to himself. He's usually such a loud mouth...' "Why didn't you invite me to come along!?"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Luffy grinned. "I only just found out before they closed the gates."

"And here I've been, running around the whole city, chasing down fairies and being followed around by toy dogs." I scowled down at the black toy dog beside me, and I could have sworn it glared back at me and then turned it's tail on me and looked in another direction.

"You know that is not why we are here!" Kinemon hit my back, and pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his sleeve. "It operates like this, yes?"

"What're you doing?"

"Sanji-dono told me to call should we meet with Luffy- dono."

"Oh, right... ahh... anyway Luffy, the … Colosseum is surrounded by marines." I added remembering the name at last.

"Hmmph! That all?" Luffy picked his nose.

Kinemon almost dropped the snail at Luffy's remark. "So cavalier about it! That is the main issue at Hand, that it is!"

"Bulla bulla bulla! Bulla bulla bulla!"

"Gotcha!"Luffy yelled. "Are you there Sanji it's me!"

"Gotcha!""Usopp reporting in!" Usopp's voice came over the snail phone.

Sanji voice came across the noise of everyone. "This should be everyone, except for Law. Everyone, give us your updates!"

"Oww! Franky, here... but I'm with Usopp and Robin. Right now, we're with the anti-doflamingo group, the Royal Riku army."

"An Army!?" Luffy asked sounding excited.

"An Army of Dwarves."

"Dwarves?!"

'Dwarves indeed? I thought they were just these fairy people...'

In the background I heard Usopp yell. "This is a conference of Heroes! Please don't listen in!"

"Luffy, Remember that weird soldier we met in front of the Colosseum?" Franky's voice called out to him.

"Yeah! but what about the Dwarves!?" Luffy asked impatiently.

"He's actually the Captain of this Brigade! Just so happens that today, they're planning to take down Doflamingo!" Franky continued.

"Ah! That Guy! The toy soldier! The one who Rebecca was trying to stop! Hey, Franky! You have to hold back that Army!"

'What on earth Luffy?' I looked over at him wondering what he was thinking.

"Don't be stupid!" Franky sounded angry. "In fact I'm telling you the Opposite! Have you talked with that Rebecca?"

"Yeah, she seems like a really good person! She was really low on cash, but she treated me to three bento boxes anyway! But, listen, as soon as she entered the ring the crowd really started to piss me off!..."

'Where the hell is Luffy taking this story...?'

Franky thankfully interrupted him "I feel the same way as you! So, I full-well acknowledge Tora-man's plan. We're to destroy the Factory and let Doflamingo live to see another day, so that we might use him further. But... in terms of these guys who want to have their revenge on Doflamingo today, is it really in our best interests to have him win against them?" There was an uncomfortably long pause in Franky's talk. "Luffy, no matter what you say, I'm fighting with them! This Country might look great at first glance, but it's hiding some really deep darkness."

"To challenge such powerful underhanded enemy... this brave bunch of little fighters. Well, I can't just send them off to die!"

"Alright, we're heading back...!" Sanji's voice said over the Snail phone.

"Noo... Ehh!? We were hoping you wouldn't say that!" Brook, Chopper's and Nami's voices could also be heard in the background's receiver.

"Franky!" Luffy looked down at the Den Den Mushi as if yelling at it would give the person on the other end of the conversation more courage. "GO WILD! WE'LL JOIN UP AS SOON AS WE CAN!"

"Oww! Thanks a ton!" Franky yelled back.

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I lifted up my sunglasses just briefly and ran two fingers down my forehead, between my eyes and on either side of my nose. 'The miny army of dwarves are probably no definitely the Fairies... They're a tough bunch. But how are they supposed to keep anything like this a secret. If they are anything like the one I found they will have spilled and spelled out all their plans for attack to whoever asks them.'

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Well I hope I've updated fast enough for you. It is a beautiful sunny day here in London. The pink and white blossoms are showering from the trees in the local park, and we have clear blue skies as far as the eye can see. I really don't feel like being indoors, but I'm determined to use some of my free time for typing up these chapters so here you go.

This Chapter took me two days to write. Just because there was a lot of checking up and re-reading to be done. I'm trying to condense the storyline, so it's not sooooooo... LONNNNNNNNGGGGGGG...

I hope it has worked.