Hey there! Sorry, this took way too long. I promise that the next chapter will be up much faster, and we'll actually have some sneaking going on... So I'll get right to the point!

Thank you to all those who reviewed! I don't think any of my fics have had that strong of a response right off the bat! You guys rock!

To zoroluver003: I hope you'll think it's interesting! I'm still debating whether or not to put Zoro in a skirt... that would be so cruel...Thanks for the review!

To tori007otaku: Sorry, this took a REALLY long time... I had work to deal with and then a couple days of writers block... But I'm all better now, and I've got the rest of the fic pretty much mapped out! Thanks for the comments!

To Griever5: I hope you'll think it's fun! Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it! Thanks for the review!

To Sofia: Hehehe, there seems to be more people rooting for Luffy than Zoro... We'll just have to wait and see! Thanks for the review!

To The Plushie Bandit: I am back! And I know, I feel bad too... That's another person backing up Luffy! Poor Zoro, everyone's turned against him! But look at him just sitting there all day! Not even the least bit concerned with Luffy... He's too cocky... Maybe I'll have to knock him down a peg... hehehe, but that's not a hint for how this'll end! Oh no, not at all! Mwahahaha... Thank you for the comments!

To dichana: Me too! I've got a bunch more I want to write, and they're all ZoLu! I just adore this pairing! Why can't I have a Zoro? I've actually got several more multichapter fics I'm just dying to start, but I'm afraid that if I start more than one I'd get confused... And we have another person backing Luffy! I'm so glad you like it! Thanks for the review!

To KuroKame: I'm sorry! Here it is! And I'll be sure to get the next one up ASAP! I've found, in my years of sneaking up on my siblings, that I can be very quiet when I want to be, but I have trouble balancing when I'm just walking in a straight line, so I have to be careful. Hehehe... Thanks for the review!

I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own it! Just the plot idea.

The Bet: Reinforcements?

Luffy paced irritably over the deck, pulling his straw hat further down on his head in frustration.

Nothing had worked so far. Nothing. At all.

The captain of the Going Merry turned, leaning over the ship's railing and drumming his fingertips impatiently on the rough surface. "No fair..." He whined, huffing loudly.

He had tried everything: Stealing, crawling, slinking, creeping, tiptoeing, sneaking, skulking... Moving stealthily in general just wasn't cutting it.

Having realized this fact earlier, he had even tried simply walking casually up to Zoro, hoping that his first mate might mistake him for someone else.

No such luck.

The swordsman seemed to possess the ability to easily detect him. Whether it was something in the sound of his footsteps, or merely the boy's presence, it was really screwing up the captain's efforts to win the bet.

"What am I supposed to do?" Luffy groaned again, slumping dramatically to the floor where he flopped onto his back, glaring up at the clear sky as if it was withholding a solution from him.

"What's the matter, Luffy?"

Recognizing Usopp's voice, the smaller pirate blinked as the marksman stopped beside him, casting the rubber-man's head and neck in shadow. "Zoro."

A startled pause. "Zoro?" He repeated, his tone questioning. "What about Zoro?"

"I can't sneak up on him." Luffy gave an exaggerated sigh, pulling himself into a sitting position as the sharpshooter dropped down in front of him.

Usopp shot him a strange look. "And you would want to do that because...?"

"The Bet." The captain fiddled briefly with his hat, his reply short and casual as if it were a completely natural thing to say.

Opening his mouth to speak, the sniper stopped and sighed, apparently thinking better of it. "Care to explain?" He ventured, interest peaked at the mention of a wager.

Unfortunately for Usopp, Luffy's version of an explanation was a series of rapid-fire sentences: most of which had little or no relevance to the one that had come previously.

Fortunately for Usopp, he happened to be a fairly intelligent person, and had managed to pick out a couple of key phrases, piecing them together in what he hoped was the correct conclusion.

"So... Let me see if I have this right..." The sharpshooter began slowly, almost cautious in his approach. "When Sanji kicked you out of the kitchen, you, for some strange reason, felt like sneaking up on Zoro..."

Why someone would ever even consider startling someone who wielded three long swords (and an equally large temper) was beyond Usopp.

The rubber-man nodded vigorously to show his crewmate that he was on the right track.

"...But when you tried, he caught you..."

Another nod; this time accompanied by a pout and a low, depressed moan.

"...And then you two got in an argument about whether you could actually be sneaky or not..." The marksman paused, still sorting things out.

But Luffy, being the terribly impatient person he is, decided to finish for him. "So we made a bet so I could prove that I am stealthy and now I've only got 'til noon to sneak up on Zoro but every time I try he catches me and I've tried everything but if I lose I can't eat for the rest of the day but that can't happen so what am I gonna DO?"

Staring at the now panting boy, Usopp felt out of breath just listening to him. "Well, it's a good thing that I'm such an expert in the field of espionage." He stood, puffing himself up.

The captain gave him a bored look. "I don't care about espo... espan... expa... whatever it is you just said." He gestured frantically, his expression turning to one of desperation. "I need to figure out a way to stay undetected!"

The sharpshooter sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before speaking. "Being a master of espionage," He pronounced the word carefully for Luffy's benefit. "Means that I just happen to be a world renowned spy."

The captain was halfway through a mumbled statement about 'stupid ess-pee-oh-na-juh' when he finally processed Usopp's newest fib. "Wha-?" He seemed to have lost his voice, overcome with wonder and awe. "Really?"

Striking a heroic pose, the liar let himself slip into the boastful tone he reserved solely for his tall tales. He nodded proudly. "I'm known as The Great Captain Usopp: Bubblegum Bandit!"

"Bubblegum Bandit?" The rubber-man questioned, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"The Bubblegum Bandit." The sharpshooter squatted down beside the captain again, looking warily over his shoulder as if he were about to divulge a huge secret. "I'm so subtle that I'm like the chewed gum you get stuck to the bottom of your shoe. You never notice me until it's too late."

Digesting this with wide, amazed eyes, Luffy nodded. Almost as an afterthought, he twisted until he could see the bottoms of his sandals.

Sure enough, there was a disgusting wad of used bubblegum firmly glued to the underside of his right shoe.

'Well, isn't that convenient...' Usopp thought, smirking in satisfaction. "See?"

Lifting his face again, the captain laughed. "Wow! You really are sneaky!"

"Of course!" The sniper sniffed in offense. "I once broke into a heavily guarded naval base! Alone! There I was, standing in-"

"Can you help me?" Luffy interrupted, giving his crewmember a pleading look.

Although slightly disgruntled over being cut short, Usopp turned, tapping one finger on his chin in a thoughtful manner. "Well, I supposed I could bestow my vast knowledge upon y-"

"Great! Let's go!" Leaping to his feet, Luffy grabbed The Bubblegum Bandit by the wrist and dragged him into the kitchen.

"...And here we have plan C. I like to call it 'Operation Mole Hole'" Usopp held up a crude depiction of a stick-person digging a tunnel beneath what looked like the deck of the Going Merry.

After Luffy had released the sniper long enough to find some paper and a pen, the boy had quickly whipped up several complex strategies to sneak up on Zoro.

Leaning over the kitchen table, Luffy appraised the most recent diagram. "Operation Mole Hole." He repeated. "That sounds like fun!"

"These plans may sound fun, Luffy." Began the liar. "But they all require a lot of skill, and hard work." Ussop produced a fourth page of scribbles. "And this is my final idea. The best one yet if I do say so myself." He pointed out various details as he explained. "Operation Bonzai! We attack from above!" He concluded spectacularly, brandishing his marker like a weapon.

"Or..." Sanji's voice sounded from behind them, startling both boys as the cook approached from the sink. "... You could try something that would actually work."

"Hey!" Cried the marksman, noticeably insulted. "These tactics are foolproof!"

The chef snorted. "Hardly."

Thrusting his pen at the blonde, Ussop frowned. "Alright, then what would you suggest? If you're so smart."

"Well, you're ideas aren't bad, but they're far too extravagant." The cook supplied easily taking the offered pen. Pulling the cap off of the marker with his teeth, he bent over to address the drawings spread on the tabletop. "The basic principals are there..."

Nodding slightly, the sniper appeared to be considering his advice. "So you're saying if we tone it down..."

Throughout all of this, both members of the Straw Hat crew failed to notice the absence of their captain.

Luffy, having grown bored with their chatter, had moved to the one of the windows. Peering carefully through the glass, he could see his first mate, still looking smug, even in sleep. 'Does he really think that little of my sneaky-ness?' He pondered.

"Just you wait..." He muttered fondly, a smile gracing his features. "Now that I have Sanji and Usopp on my side, you are so going down."

And there you have it! Hope you like it! Please review! I love to hear from you guys. Don't ask where the Bubblegum Bandit thing came from, because I have no freaking idea... It had a ring to it... Anyway, I'll get the next one up ASAP! Thanks again for reading, you're all wonderful!

Next Time: So Luffy's pulling out the big guns, is he? We'll just have to see what they come up with! Wait... What's that in the sky? A bird? A plane? Find out next chapter!