Hey guys, and welcome to what is going to be the last chapter for a while actually.

Just like last year, I have exams coming up, so I'm not going to have much if any time to write anything for this story. I'm not going to completely rule out any new chapters, but it may be a couple of months before the next chapter. Sorry, but there's nothing I can do about it really :/

So, I'm sorry that I had to begin on that note, but it's just one of those things really. As always I'd like to thank Sev and a couple of anonymous reviewers for their reviews last week. Glad to see that the last chapter shocked everyone.

"Here."

Garp didn't respond, and just continued to stare blankly up at the ceiling. Marco sighed, and shook the cup of coffee slightly in his hand, before placing it on the arm of Garp's chair.

It had been a couple of hours since Marco had found the elderly man's two grandsons at the former Baroque Work's hideout. From what he could tell, it was likely that Luffy would comfortably survive and recover. Ace, on the other hand was currently being operated on. Marco didn't know what would happen with him.

"Where're the rest of the kids?"

Marco blinked, suddenly pulled away from his thoughts. Garp was staring at him, his mouth hanging open slightly. The poor man looked exhausted. Marco had never seen him looking so… pathetic.

"The two girls are with Whitebeard and Jozu. Henceforth, they'll be under police protection 24/7."

"And the rest?"

"They're together, at Zoro's home I believe. Although from what I've heard, it was a struggle to get them there. They all want to be here."

"And why aren't they?"

Marco sighed. "I… don't know. I just feel…. I just feel they'd be better off away from this."

Garp nodded slowly. "I understand."

######

Zoro watched Sanji, who was standing outside the door to his bedroom, where Nami was currently 'sleeping'. Zoro walked to the blonde's side.

"You still up?"

It was then that Zoro heard the soft sobs coming from inside the room. Sanji didn't look at the green haired teen, his eyes fixed on the door. "She's still crying…"

Zoro nodded wordlessly, before putting his hand on the blonde's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Sanji smirked briefly, before he heard another louder whimper from inside the room. "How's Robin?"

"She's fine. Safe."

"Good."

The two stood there in awkward silence, listening to the sounds from inside the room. Sanji sighed, before knocking softly on the door. "Nami?"

Nami didn't respond. Sanji paused, before hesitantly opening the door. "Nami… you need rest…"

"Luffy's…"

"Luffy'll be fine. Marco told me. We'll go to see him tomorrow."

Nami looked up at Sanji, her eyes still filled with tears. Both Sanji and Zoro inwardly winced. They had never seen Nami so… weak. Her… spark was gone. "Guys… I'm scared…"

Sanji was about to speak, when Zoro nudged him out of the way. He sat down on the foot of Nami's bed. "I… I'm scared too."

"Moss-head…"

Zoro didn't look at Sanji, his eyes fixed on the ground. "This is different from before… I don't know what's going to happen…"

Nami stared at Zoro, the tears beginning to flow again. She leaned forwards and wrapped her arms around Zoro and pulled him into a tight hug. "That's right… You've been with Luffy for the longest out of everyone…"

Zoro sniffed loudly. Sanji's eyes widened. "You're…." Nami hugged Zoro tighter, tears flowing freely down her cheeks, whilst the blonde just watched on in shock.

Sanji had never seen Zoro cry. No one had.

######

"I'm Monkey D Luffy! What's your name?"

A grumpy green haired five year old glared at the grinning new kid in front of him, who currently had one finger dug up his nose, whilst his other hand was resting on the oversized straw hat he was wearing. "Zoro."

"What's your full name?"

"Tch…. Roronoa Zoro."

"That's a cool name! Hey, want to be friends?"

Zoro rolled his eyes and turned around, beginning to walk away. "No."

Luffy whined, and ran in front of Zoro, blocking his path. "But why not?!"

"Tch… you're so annoying."

Zoro tried to walk around Luffy, but the dark haired boy kept running in front of him, stopping him from walking.

A vein popped on Zoro's head. "Leave me alone! Why'd you want to be my friend so much anyway?"

Luffy paused for a second, before grinning widely. "Because I like you! Besides, I've already decided you're my friend, because I want you to be!"

Zoro glared at him. "Just because you want something, doesn't mean it's going to happen! I don't need any friends, got that?"

"I don't care! I've already decided!"

"You can't decide for me!"

Zoro, finally losing patience, shoved past Luffy and ran off. Luffy however, after recovering from the initial shock, wasn't deterred, and began running after the green haired boy. "Oi! Where are we going?"

"I'm going away from you. So leave me alone!"

"No! It doesn't work that way! Friends don't leave each other alone!"

"We're not friends!"

######

"Hey, that's mine!"

Zoro frowned. What was that? He looked around the primary school playground, before he finally saw where the shouting was coming from. It was Alvida.

Alvida was your typical bully. Two years older and much taller and wider than Zoro, no one messed with the absolutely giant girl. Zoro of course couldn't stand her, but he figured there was no point in him intervening. This had nothing to do with him afterall. Alvida didn't mess with him, so he wouldn't mess with her.

"There you are Zoro! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Zoro groaned, not wanting to turn around to see the grinning new kid standing there. Therefore, Luffy saved him the trouble and ran around so that he was standing in front of the green haired boy, that same goofy grin on his face. "That was fun! What should we play next?"

"Who's playing?! Why won't you leave me alone!?"

Luffy was about to respond, when he heard the kid Alvida was picking on start crying. Zoro sighed. "Poor kid. Alvida picks on him every day."

Luffy didn't respond, instead taking his hat off. He handed it to Zoro, who blinked, but took it. "What are you-"

Luffy began walking towards Alvida. Zoro's eyes widened. He was about to call out to Luffy, but Alvida spotted the two before Zoro could say anything. "Oh, Roronoa! What're you looking at? And who're you new ki-"

That was as far as she got before Luffy punched the much larger girl, square in the jaw, causing her to stumble backwards and fall over. Zoro's jaw dropped, as did that of the previously crying pink haired boy.

Alvida wasn't down for long, picking herself up. She swung at Luffy, who ducked out of the way, before punching Alvida hard in the gut, again knocking the fat girl down. This time however, Luffy pinned her down, and was about to punch her again, when disaster happened.

The teacher had arrived.

"Monkey D Luffy! Just what do you think you're doing!? Get off that girl now!"

Zoro gulped. "Miss Makino…"

Luffy glared heatedly at the now terrified looking fat girl trapped under his body, before standing up. However instead of going to the furious looking Miss Makino's side, he instead went to the pink haired boy. "Hey, you OK?"

The boy, shocked, nodded. "Y-Yeah…."

"I'm Luffy! Monkey D Luffy! What's your name?"

"C-Coby…"

"Nice to meet you! Hey, maybe-"

"Monkey D Luffy!" Miss Makino shouted, "Come here, right this instant!"

Luffy blinked, before casually strolling up to the teacher's side, seemingly unaware of his current situation. Zoro rolled his eyes. "This kid really has no idea how much trouble he's in, does he?"

######

Luffy puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. As punishment, he had to spend every break for the rest of the week standing at the 'naughty fence'. This meant that as the children played, he had to stand at the fence, facing the fence, not allowed to move at all.

"Uh… excuse me?"

Luffy turned around, blatantly going against the rules of his punishment, not that he realised or cared. "Oh! Coby! Hey!"

The small pink haired boy smiled shyly. "L… Luffy was it? Th- Thank you for earlier. No one's ever done that for me before."

"Really? Why? That fat jerk's a bully, right?"

"Well yeah but… everyone's scared of her…."

"Not anymore."

Both Luffy and Coby turned to see Zoro walking towards him.

Luffy frowned. "Eh? Why's everyone scared of her? And why aren't they scared anymore?"

Coby smiled. "Because of you Luffy! You're really strong!"

"Eh? Really?"

Zoro crossed his arms. "Yeah. Alvida's too scared that if she picks on anyone, you're gonna kick her ass."

Luffy grinned. "Really? So everything worked out in the end! So… why did teacher punish me?"

Zoro rolled his eyes. "You can't just punch people. It's against the school rules."

"Eh? But what that fat girl was doing was much worse!"

Zoro glared at him. "It doesn't matter. Miss Makino has no idea what she's like!"

"But that's not fair!"

"I know it's not fair, but that's the way it is!"

Coby looked from the whining Luffy to the impatient Zoro, before bursting out laughing. Both Zoro and Luffy blinked, looked at each other, and then looked at the giggling Coby.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just… you guys are so funny!"

Luffy blinked, before laughing too. "You're weird Coby!"

Zoro glared at him. "You're in no position to call other people weird!"

This made both Luffy and Coby laugh even louder, further annoying an already pissed off Zoro. Suddenly, Luffy stopped laughing and turned to Zoro, a hopeful expression on his face. "Say, Zoro… since you came here to talk to me… does that mean we're still friends?"

Zoro glared at him. "We were never friends in the first place! And I came here because I wanted to ask you something…."

"Huh? What?"

"Why did you get so angry before? Alvida wasn't doing anything to you, so there was no reason for you to get upset."

Luffy paused, before giving his usual goofy grin. "Because… I don't like people like her. And you don't either!"

Zoro blinked. "How'd you know that I don't?"

"Because… you were just as angry at that jerk as I was! That's why I like you! And that's why we're friends!"

Zoro glared at him. "We're not friends! I don't get it, you don't like Alvida, but you like me? What is it about me that you like so much? I keep telling you I don't want to be friends, so why do you like me so much?"

Luffy grinned. "I like you because you're a good person! I like good people! I don't like that fat girl because she's a bad person!"

"And how can you tell I'm a good person? I don't get it!"

"Because… If I hadn't helped Coby… you would have! I know you would!"

"No way. I wouldn't do that for someone else. You're wrong."

Luffy blinked. "No… you're wrong. You would have helped Coby. I know you."

A vein popped on Zoro's head. "No, I wouldn't! What Alvida was doing to this kid had nothing to do with me!"

"But it did."

"How?!"

"Because Coby's our friend."

Zoro glared at the still grinning Luffy, before turning around and storming off in a huff. Coby eyed him worriedly, before turning to Luffy. "Uh… Luffy? Are you sure he likes you?"

Luffy grinned. "Of course! We're best friends!"

Coby nodded slowly, clearly unconvinced.

######

"Stupid kid…" Zoro grumbled, kicking a stone a few metres in front of him. "Just what is his problem? Acting like he knows me when he doesn't… Plus his stupid smile is so annoying…"

"Oh… the new kid with the straw hat, huh?"

Zoro looked up, hearing the reference to Luffy. It was Alvida. But she was…. kneeling?

In front of her was a giant, even taller than her, blonde boy. Zoro vaguely recognised him. He was a year older than Alvida.

"Please Morgan," Alvida pleaded. "Teach that kid a lesson for me…"

Morgan, the tall blonde boy, grinned. "Sure. I can't have him thinking he can do what we wants around here."

Alvida smiled. "Thank you! But… there's someone we need to see first… right, Coby?"

Zoro's eyes widened. Coby? Just then, said boy, who had been hiding behind a bush, gingerly stepped out of the cover. Morgan grinned.

"What, this wimp with the pink hair?"

Coby gulped, and turned around to run away, but Morgan grabbed him, before pushing him to the ground. He pinned the pink boy down, and began punching him in the jaw.

Zoro stared at the scene in front of him, feeling something welling up inside of him. Was he… angry? But why? He didn't care about this Coby kid. This had nothing to do with him.

"Because of you Luffy! You're really strong!"

Nothing to do with him…

"I like you because you're a good person!"

Zoro gritted his teeth. He ran towards the scuffle and threw himself at Morgan, tackling him to the ground. Clenching both his first, he began repeatedly punching the shocked large boy in the jaw. Alvida, shocked at the sight of her much stronger friend getting his ass handed to him, stumbled away, wailing loudly.

"Mr Roronoa!"

Zoro sighed. Miss Makino….

######

Luffy giggled to himself. Zoro glared at him.

"What is it?"

"Nothing… just that I was right. You got angry when you saw that guy picking on Coby, so you stuck up for him. Because he's your friend! Just like how we're friends!"

Zoro rolled his eyes. After Miss Makino had found him, he'd ended up with the same punishment as Luffy…. At the same time. So he and Luffy were going to spend the whole week together pretty much, together at the 'naughty fence'.

Luffy laughed loudly, further irritating Zoro. "What?! What is it now?! What's so funny?!"

"Nothing…. I'm just thinking about how fun this week's gonna be… spending so much time with my best buddy!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…"

"Hey, you didn't say we weren't friends like you usually do!"

"I don't need to! Isn't it obvious by now?"

######

From that point on, regardless of Zoro's grumbling, the two boys were inseparable. Zoro became Luffy's right hand man, a position he had held for twelve years and counting.

Zoro gritted his teeth, and gently withdrew himself from Nami's embrace. The still crying girl looked up at the now determined looking teen. "Z-Zoro?"

"I'm going to the hospital."

Sanji frowned. "But Marco-"

"I don't care. I'm going. It's up to you and everyone else if you want to come. But I'm going."

"Uh… OK…"

Nami also stood up then. "I'm going too."

Sanji looked between the two, before sighing, defeated. "We may as well all go then."

######

"Job well done huh?"

Crocodile smirked. "What job?"

Miss Doublefinger shrugged. "The escape I suppose. Although I didn't think getting away from the police was such a big deal… You're definitely celebrating though. You never come to my bar unless you are."

"I finally got Fire Fist Ace… and the Straw Hat kid too…"

Mr 1 crossed his arms, and glared at his slightly less cheerful companion. "What's wrong with you?"

Mr 2 sighed. "Nothing, it's just… Luffy seemed like such a nice boy… I really liked him, you know?"

"Hmm. You're an idiot."

Mr 2 glared at the stoic assassin. "Hey, just cuz I actually know the meaning of the word friend, doesn't mean you can be such a jerk about it!"

"Shut up," Crocodile grunted. "Your attachment to this brat is pathetic."

Bon Kurei wasn't happy, but he knew better than to keep talking after his boss had told him to shut up. Mr 1 smirked slightly, seemingly enjoying Mr 2's pain. "So boss… what next? Any information on Cobra?"

Crocodile nodded. "Yeah, actually. Miss Doublefinger, you were pursuing Cobra weren't you, on that day that you ran into the Straw Hat kid?"

"Yeah… And from what I can tell, the brat lied to me about seeing Cobra. That, or he purposefully led me in the wrong direction, since I could've sworn that Cobra bumped into the Straw Hat kid. I wasn't able to catch up to him, so I don't know how we'll find him again…"

Crocodile shrugged. "It's fine. I know how we can flush him out. I mean, what's the most important thing to Cobra?"

Miss Doublefinger and Mr 2 looked at each other, neither willing to offer an answer. Mr 1 inwardly scoffed. "His daughter… right?"

"Precisely Daz. Find her, and Cobra will follow. And from what I've heard about Mr 3's arrest, she's with Robin and those kids. Therefore, find them, we find Robin, and thus we find Cobra's brat. Simple enough?"

######

Robin placed a hand on Vivi's shoulder, a seemingly futile attempt to comfort the girl, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring ahead at the wall like it was a ghost.

"This… is all my fault…" Vivi whispered. Robin frowned.

"N… No. This is my fault. I… I was the one who brought that monster into their lives. It's because of me that this has happened."

"Robin…"

"If I had never… If they had never met me, they would never have been put in so much danger… Why are they willing to go this far for me…?"

######

Usopp sighed impatiently, not happy that Zoro had stopped outside the hospital entrance and was digging into his pocket. "What are you doing?"

"Just give me a sec, I'm going to call Robin. Maybe the police guys will bring her here…" Zoro smirked victoriously, at last getting hold of his phone.

"No."

Both Zoro and Usopp blinked, turning to see the sound of the voice. Standing in the doorway of the hospital, having just opened the door presumably to see what was taking Zoro and Usopp so long, was Nami.

Zoro frowned. "Why not? I mean, I know they might say no, but we might as well ask-"

"I don't want her anywhere near Luffy. Or the rest of us."

"Nami…" Usopp began, stopping when he saw the girl's deadly serious expression. Nami briefly glanced at him, before turning back into the hospital.

Zoro's expression hardened. He ran past Usopp, swinging open the door. "What do you mean 'the rest of….?'"

He trailed off at the sight in front of him. Standing there were Nami, Sanji, Chopper, Franky and Brook. "Don't tell me… you guys….?"

Sanji looked sympathetically at the green haired teen. He moved towards him. "It's for the best-"

Before he could finish, Zoro shoved past him, and the rest of his friends. By this point, Usopp had also entered the building, him also getting the gist of what was going on.

Zoro stopped, his back to the rest of his friends. "I'll keep protecting Robin, regardless of what you guys have decided. Even if it's not you who's in danger. Even if you can just walk away. Even if you can just say it's nothing to do with you. No matter what… you should never turn your back on a friend….

…That's what Luffy taught me."

With that, Zoro opened the door leading into the main body of the hospital, leaving his silent friends behind.

I hope you guys really liked this little flashback chapter, showing the beginning of Luffy and Zoro's friendship. I feel the two have a real bond in the actual series, even if they don't actually interact with each other that often.

So, I'm signing off here for quite a while now actually. I'm so sorry for that, but it has to be done. I'm sure you guys understand, so as always, thanks for reading, and please do leave a review if you can.