"There is absolutely no way we will be able to reach the Grand Line in this condition.", Nami sates firmly, taking charge after sailing the rest of the day after leaving the town to rebuild from Buggy's tyranny the other day.

That was two days ago.

Luffy, Zoro, and Lambo all looked up from their respective positions, Lambo was leaning over the edge of the boat, letting his hand glide through the sea water as the two ships sailed side by side.

Luffy took the apple's remains that he just finished, staring at it thoughtfully.

"You're right.", Luffy agrees, "We're going to need a lot more meat."

And just as Lambo thought Luffy was thinking smartly about their voyage to the Grand Line.

"Eating fruit every day is for the birds.", Luffy complained.

"That's your fault.", Lambo commented dryly, "The moment we left port after saying good bye to the mayor you ate up all our meat in the next hour.

"We'll also need some booze.", Zoro added on unhelpfully.

He was rewarded with that comment with an apple hitting his chin, being thrown by none other than Nami herself.

"Shut up you bone heads!", Nami said angrily, "Ugh!"

Nami calmed herself down, tossing the apple in the air then catching.

"That's not what I mean.", she tried again, "The Grand Line is a dangerous place we'll need more than beer and meat to survive there. Not to mention the place is crawling with pirates that are also after the One Piece. And they all have ships that are way better than this."

"Like we should get more crew members.", Lambo added in helpfully, "At least a couple more people if we are leaving as soon as possible, I don't think four people are going to cut it. No matter how strong any of them are."

"Thank you Lam- Don't count me a part of the crew! I'm not going to become some lowly pirate!", Nami shouts with sharp teeth, threatening to throw an apple at Lambo as well.

"Lambo's right, we don't have a crew.", Luffy added.

Praise the Lord, Luffy is thinking ahead on what they need for their voyage to the Grand Line!

"We don't have a crew, we don't have any equipment, we don't have a proper ship for crying out loud!", Nami exclaimed, "There is no way we will ever make it like this."

"Yep. We need a cook and maybe a musician so we can be entertained!", Luffy said cheerfully.

"A musician?", Zoro asked skeptically before he burst out laughing.

Lambo sweat dropped, "I think we may need a couple more Luffy."

"A little to the south here is an island with some settlements on it.", Nami informed as she looked over a map she held in her hands, "And it looks like we might be able to get our ship and the supplies we need there."

"Fresh meat at last!", Luffy exclaimed.

"And some booze as well.", Zoro chimed in happily.

"I would actually like some sweets, maybe some candy like suckers.", Lambo pipes in scratching his cheek as he looks away embarrassingly.

"That's the spirit." Zoro teased the youngest crew member.

"Is that all you think about!", Nami shouts in frustration, "And Lambo, I thought you were more rational! Ugh! What am I going to do with you three!"

…...

It took a while, but the two joined ships finally made it to their intended destination. Anchoring just outside a wide set of cliffs. The only visible way to enter the island is through a long incline framed by the cliffs.

It'd be an advantageous area to defend if need be.

Lambo cracked his knuckles shaking out his fingers, stretching out his arms, and rolling his shoulders after being cooped up on a small ship for so long.

"Feels good to be on dry land again.", Zoro grunted in satisfaction as he stretches out his cramped muscles.

"You can say that again.", Lambo agreed.

"There's a village around here somewhere, right?", Luffy asked, excited for fresh meat.

"Yeah, it looks like a small one though.", Nami comments lightly.

"Oo! Oo! Then there's meat!", Luffy exclaims running up close to Nami while drooling, "There has to be meat! There's a place with meat in this village!"

"Just forget about meat for a minute would cha?", Nami asked irritably, a vein popping on her forehead as she scringed away from Luffy in disgust at the sight of his drool.

Lambo's ears perked up at the sound of the bushes on top of the cliffs rustling. The young teen is positive that the sound didn't come from the wind because it came from a specific area.

An area that Lambo studied closely, looking for something out of the ordinary.

Zoro noticed Lambo's gaze and followed it, studying the area as well for a moment before his eyes narrowed as he readied one of his swords, using his thumb to just remove just a slim of the blade from its sheath. Ready to draw the sword at a moment's notice.

"Careful.", Zoro warned, seriousness returned to his tone, "We're being watched."

"Huh?", Luffy asked before frantically, excitement clear on his features, looking for the culprit(s), "By who? Where are they? They got meat?"

Lambo deadpanned, "Is that all your worried about right now?"

"Look out!", Zoro shouts in warning.

His unexpected shout caused Lambo to jump in surprise, since he was standing right next to the swordsman.

Luffy began doing a weird dance with his feet in a panic in order to dodge the small barrage of bullets that were aimed at his feet. Nami ran over to her ship for cover and for a quick escape if needed.

Suddenly, multiple pirate flags appeared at the edge of the cliff, almost as if they were leering over the group.

"Woah...", Luffy said in awe before wildly waving his arms, "That's. So. COOL!"

"What kind of captain's crew did I agree to join?", Lampo asked incredulously as he stared at his easily impressed captain.

A laugh drew Lambo's attention back to the cliffs again to see a guy with darkly tanned skin, brown overalls, black curly hair, a bandana, with a satchel hanging at his side, and he had a really long nose.

"I am Usopp! Leader of the great pirate nation that reigns over this island!", the supposed 'pirate captain' proclaimed proudly, "You're standing before a living legend! The most revered pirate that has ever lived! I am the great captain Usopp!"

Lambo just stared at the man, unsure on how to react to all of this.

"Surely you know that plotting an attack on this island mean certain death!", Usopp exclaims convincingly, "My army of eighty million super pirate soldiers would squash you like bugs!"

Lambo shakes his head in amusement, he sounds convincing he just needs to work on creating a lie that's more believable. There's no way anyo-

"AWESOOOOOMMMMMEEE!", Luffy shouts in shock and complete awe over the stranger, Usopp.

Right. His captain is an idiot. He seriously needs to remember that better.

"Do you expect us to believe that?", Nami calls up to Usopp, not believing anything he has said for a second.

Usopp visible panics with a squeak.

"She knew!", he cried out.

"Yep.", Nami says smugly, "Well now I know."

"I'm so dumb! I practically told her I was lying! ...!",Usopp ranted, Lambo honestly couldn't understand what he said at the end of his ramble.

"What!? He was lying?", Luffy cried out shocked.

"Curse you! You crafty tactician!", Usopp cried out before regaining his composure surprisingly fast.

It was impressive honestly.

"Alright, eighty million may have been an exaggeration, but I have a great many men under my control!", Usopp declared.

Several flags began to move up and down as if to prove his point.

"My guess is three.", Nami said, unimpressed.

The flags froze before three kids jumped up from their hiding places in the bushes.

"Waaahhhhh! She does know!", they all exclaimed before dropping their flags and running off.

"Hey! Where are you guys going!?", Usopp screamed fearfully, "Come back!"

Lambo watches as Nami picks up one of the small metallic balls from the sand.

"A pirate that uses a slingshot huh?", Nami said thoughtfully, "Well now I've seen it all."

Lambo has to admit, Usopp has some crazy skill with that slingshot with how quick and accurate he was when he shot at Luffy's feet earlier.

Luffy laughed, "That's pretty cool!"

Usopp growls angrily at Luffy's laughter.

"Shut your mouth! Or I'll shut it for you!", Usopp shouts angrily as he began to dig around inside his satchel, "I'm a proud man and I won't stand for it!"

Usopp drew back his slingshot ready to fire and Luffy immediately stopped laughing, frowning up at the long-nosed man.

"This is your last warning, or you'll get to see why they call me proud Usopp and not push-over Usopp."

Luffy just stared with the same expression.

"Is that clear."

A dark seriousness washed over Luffy's form, as he tilted his hat down, casting his face in shadow and hiding his eyes from view.

"You've already seen for yourself just how good I am with this thing. So! You know I can rival anyone carrying a pistol.", Usopp declared, only this time, he wasn't sprouting lies.

"Now that you've drawn your pistol, are you willing...", Luffy peered dangerously from under his hat, "... to use it?"

Ussop seemed to freeze in fear and shock.

"Guns aren't for threats. They're for actions.", Luffy states firmly, "Are you willing to risk your life?"

Both Zoro and Lambo stared at their captain, trying to see where he was going with this before it both dawned on them. They both turn to Usopp.

Zoro with a confident smirk, showing off one of his swords threateningly, and Lambo looked up, wearing his familiar bored/neutral mask with hard eyes. Activating his Dying Will Flames for a moment. Enough so, for Usopp to see, but not enough where he can also call it a trick of the light. Either way, both male stances, as different as they are, are intimidating.

"I can assure you, we're real pirates, consider your next move very carefully.", Zoro calls up to the man.

"You'll never know if it'll be your last until it's too late.", Lambo added darkly.

Usopp began to sweat nervously as he looked down at the group of pirates, trying to think on what to do next. Causing the two parties to be at a standoff.

Usopp and Luffy stared into the others eyes, both refusing to lose contact.

It felt like they were staring at each other for hours, when in reality it was most likely only a couple of minutes.

Suddenly the ball fell to the ground harmlessly and Usopp released the empty sling shot, falling to his knees with a groan.

"Real pirates have a lot more punch behind their words because they can definitely back them up.", Usopp said in awe, "That's so cool."

Luffy, Zoro, and Lambo all smiled at each other knowingly, before the trio burst out laughing, Lambo's being quieter than his nakama's.

"I stole that.", Luffy told the liar.

"Huh?"

"I stole those words from Red Haired Shanks.", Luffy said, "A pirate I know."

"What!? You know Red Haired Shanks?", Usopp cried out in surprise, "You really are a real pirate. Wait, you gotta be lying, do you really know him?"

"Yep.", Luffy answered, "I know your dad too. His name's Yassop, right?"

Usopp stared down at Luffy in shock before shouting with joy, causing himself to accidently fall off the cliff.

Groaning as he sat up from the painful fall, Usopp stared at Luffy for a moment before replying.

"You're right. My old man's name is Yassop.", Usopp continued to stare at Luffy with shock and awe, "But how...?"

He paused before pushing himself into a sit up position, staring up at Luffy nervously. Unsure on what he would hear next.

"But how in the world do you know him?"

…...

The group ended up at a restaurant called 'Meshi' to eat some food before Luffy would explain to the liar how he knew his father.

They all sat at a booth together, Lambo sat on the inside across from Zoro, sitting next to Luffy, who was tearing into his meat, with Nami sitting across from the pirate captain, and Usopp pulled up a chair and sat at the end of the table.

All five of them enjoying their meals happily. Luffy got his meat, Zoro got his booze, and Usopp was nice enough to give Lambo a big bag of candies that the said boy clutched protectively to his chest. It was filled with a lot of different kind of candies, but mostly suckers, much to Lambo's delight.

The grape flavor was his favorite, he planned on eating one after the meal.

"This is good huh?", Usopp states.

Nami answered with a satisfied hum, still chewing gleefully on her food.

"So, I met your dad when I was just a little kid.", Luffy told Usopp, his mouth still full of course.

"Hold on, does my old man really know Shanks?", Usopp asked in awe.

"Know him?", Luffy said incredulously, "When I met your dad, he was part of Shanks crew, so they were probably pretty good friends."

"I can't believe it!", Usopp exclaimed, mouth full of food, "My old man sailing the high seas with famous pirates."

"I haven't heard from him in a while.", Luffy said after swallowing his food, "But I bet he's still with him."

"He was one heck of a sharp shooter.", Luffy said in awe, "I'd keep him on my crew."

Luffy seemed to reminisce for a moment before speaking up again.

"He use to go on and on about his son. I think I heard enough about you to make my ears bleed.", Luffy said fondly, "Let me tell you, he was a great pirate."

"Yeah, really?", Usopp said in awe, drinking up Luffy's every word, "I sure am proud of my old man. He left to a pirate's life to the endless sea. It show's a life of real adventure."

"Maybe you can help us.", Nami said, joining in on the conversation, "Do you know anyone who could provide us with a decent ship? Or even anyone who knows how to sail for that manner?"

Usopp sighs, "Well, it's a pretty small village. Sorry, but I just don't think we'll be able to help you."

Lambo was too busy licking the grape flavored sucker to notice Usopp's face, otherwise, he would have known the older teen was lying. He always has a knack of knowing when someone was lying to him. Especially with the obvious lies that Usopp tells.

"What about that huge mansion?", Zoro asked, causing Usopp to freeze, "The one on top of that hill over there."

Lambo looked to where Zoro was gesturing to see a big house, yet one that is much smaller than the Vongola mansion.

'That's a mansion? Then what the hell did I live in!?'

"Hey! Do you know them Usopp?", Nami asked hopefully, "With all that money surely they'll help us get our boat."

"You stay away from there!", Usopp shouted angrily.

Lambo's head shot up in surprise in mid lick.

Usopp gaped as he realized what he did, sweating nervously.

"I just remembered something that I really gotta do.", he said quickly, not looking any of them in the eyes.

Usopp got up, about to leave.

"Everyone knows me at this place, so...uh, stay here and eat as much as you want. They have a good dessert menu too."

Lambo's body tensed and his eyes widened. 'Dessert?'

"Well, uh, Gotta Go!", with that said, Usopp grabbed his bag and sprinted out the door.

"Why was he in such a hurry to get out of here?", Nami asked curiously.

"Who cares, I want some dessert.", Lambo commented, somehow with the dessert menu in hand, already scanning for some sweet treats to eat.

Better save the bag of candies for the voyage, he has plenty of money, one of the only times he is grateful to Tsuna's paranoia and low thought of Lambo. The money can be useful for supplies, candies and sweets, and maybe even a weapon. Lambo can't fight hand to hand combat forever.

Some things just never change, Lambo's sweet tooth has somehow remained intact.

"What's with you and sweets all of the sudden!?"

Several minutes later, Lambo was enjoying several small dishes of cakes and sweets. He literally ordered the enter dessert menu.

Zoro's shoulders were shaking with barely contained laughter while Nami stared at the younger boy gob smacked.

"What?", Lambo asks while eating a slice of cake, "When I was ten, Tsu- I mean-Boss limited the amount of sweets I could have in order to try and make me less hyper."

"Did it?", Luffy asked curiously as he finished up his meat.

"I stopped acting hyper when I was eight, almost nine.", Lambo shrugged unbothered.

"And he didn't notice?", Zoro asked surprise.

Lambo swallowed before smiling at the crew bitter sweetly, "There was a lot of things he didn't notice."

"How much were you allowed to have?", Nami asked, thinking he was just being dramatic, "It couldn't be that bad."

"I was only able to have sweets on my birthday and Christmas.", Lambo states matter of fact, "Even then it was pretty limited. It was extra hard because I have a bit of a sweet tooth."

"More cake please!", Luffy orders, turning to Lambo with a smile, "We need to make up all those years of sweets you missed."

Lambo just stared while Zoro just chuckled at his dumbfounded expression.

"Just eat your sweets kid.", Zoro said light-heartedly as he drank from his booze.

"Don't call me kid, I'm not that much younger than you.", Lambo crossed his arms grumpily.

Zoro shook his head, "You said you were fifteen, right? Well, I'm four years older than you and an adult. To me, that makes you a kid."

Lambo sulked harder at Zoro's comment, causing him to laugh at the younger boy's antics. Luffy gently pushed another slice of cake in Lambo's direction, immediately cheering him up causing Luffy to smile at Lambo's big sparkly eyes at the sight of the dessert.

Lambo just finished his last piece of cake when the doors to the restaurant slammed open and the three kids that were with Usopp earlier burst in.

"The Usopp Pirates have arrived!", they declared dramatically.

"Now those are kids.", Lambo pointed out to the weird looking trio.

"Who are these kids?", Nami asked, turning to look at them over her shoulder.

The boys, froze staring at the prates table with obvious anxiety.

"Captain Usopp is gone.", a tall boy commented nervously.

"Did they...?, the one with glasses trailed off.

They ran to the table, the leader leading the charge, looking for answers.

"Fess up you filthy pirates!", the one wearing green shouts boldly," What've you done with our beloved captain! Tell us now!"

The other two shouted in agreement.

Lambo leaned forward, arms crossed and resting on top of the table with a raised brow. What a brave small bunch.

Or is it stupidity?

Luffy sighed in satisfaction, patting his tummy, "That meat sure was good."

The three kids huddled close together in fear, eyes wide and staring down at Luffy's bloated stomach.

"What meat?", asked the tall boy with freckles.

"These pirates are cannibals!", the glasses one states shakily.

Lambo turns to Zoro curiously while Nami giggled at the kid's assumption.

"If I ate steak, would that make me a cannibal?", Lambo whispers to the swordsman.

"Are you part cow?", Zoro whispered back, humoring the youngest crew member.

"No, but people call me one."

"I'd say your off the hook.", Zoro states with a small smile before turning his attention back to the kids.

There's no way he's giving up this opportunity to mess with a bunch of kids. This is going to be priceless.

"What have you done! You savages!", the one in green, also the leader, shouted despite his obvious fear.

"If you're looking for your captain...", Zoro said darkly with a disturbing smile, "We ate him."

It took all of Lambo's composure to not combust and laugh his ass off right then and there.

The three boys started screaming with wide eyes staring at Nami fearfully.

"AAAAHHHHH! CANNIBAAAALLLSS!"

"WHAT ARE YOU PUNKS LOOKING AT ME FOR!", Nami shouted with sharp teeth, no longer amused.

Lambo just burst out laughing, gently hitting the table with the palm of his hand. Luffy and Zoro laughed along with him, both unable to contain their laughter any longer too.

The kids collapsed, still in the same position they were in when standing, mouths still wide open.

"You just had to go and say something stupid, didn't you!?", Nami shouted angrily at the three laughing males.

…...

Once everything calmed down and the group finally explained to the kids what happened with Usopp, the kids volunteered to take the pirates to the mansion. Ready to explain about the lady of the house and their captain.

Lambo decided against going along, stating he was going to explore the village for a while.

He needed to go for a walk alone in order to clear his mind, despite his banter and light-heartedness. Lambo felt kinda down after explaining a small personal detail about his past.

Besides his relationship with Ms. Motina, he hasn't really said much about how his famiglia is, especially around him. He doesn't mind telling them more, in fact he will if the time ever calls for it or if they ask.

It's just, seeing their pitiful looks opened a door, just a crack, that Lambo tried to keep shut. The hurt is something he can't quite described, because the hurt is magnified by the feeling of betrayal.

Vongola is Lambo's famiglia, you'd think that they'd know Lambo better than some strangers he met, somehow became friends with in little less than a day, although they aren't quite close yet but friends none the less, and ended up traveling with them. Prepared to go to the Grand Line.

The scariest, unpredictable, and most dangerous area in the world. A place that Lambo feared the most and wished to never travel too. And oddly enough, he's not as afraid of the place as he was when he was little. Now, he mostly feels excitement at the thought of journeying there with his crew mates.

The adventures, the battles, all of it.

Lambo sighs tiredly. He wondered, if his famiglia could see him now, see how differently he acts with Luffy and his crew compared to his famiglia, what would they think?

Probably find something negative about it and tell him how he would be unable to accomplish his goals.

Lambo passed by a wooden fence where a certain object hanging on it caught his eye. His hands twitched and he gently took it in his grasp, experimenting with its movement and feel in his hands.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?"

Lambo's head shot up as he tried to think of a good explanation that would get him in the least amount of trouble. But what popped out of his mouth was not what he was expecting at all.

"Can I buy this?"