"The only way they are able to get to the village is through this slope.", the sniper informed the group as they walked up the long slope, "The rest of the shoreline is sheer cliff. They have to come through here. If we can fight them while they are funnel in that narrow pass. Their numbers won't mean anything and the village will be protected."

Lambo nodded, that sounds good. It gives them an advantage over the blood thirsty pirates. This way it could even the odds, their numbers narrowing in order to get through the slope as Usopp said.

"Alright. Sounds pretty easy.", Luffy said.

"Talking about it is, but victory depends on our strength.", Usopp states firmly, "What is it that you guys can do?"

"I cut."

"I stretch."

"I zap."

"I steal."

"I hide.", Usopp pops up.

"WELL THEN PULL IT TOGETHER AND FIGHT!", all four of them screamed while Luffy held Usopp in a head lock so he couldn't run away.

"I thought it'd be funny.", Usopp managed to choke out, "Come on, calm down!"

Suddenly, once released, Usopp perked up.

"Wait! I have an idea!", Usopp then ran off somewhere cheering like crazy.

"What the heck is he going on about?", Nami asked confused.

Luffy giggled, "I don't know, but he's weird."

Lambo deadpanned, "That's rich coming from you."

"Come on guys! I need help bringing the stuff back to the slope!", Usopp called back.

The others shared a look, Lambo just shrugged, Zoro sighed, while Luffy smiled.

"Shishishi, come on, let's go give him a hand.", Luffy said running up after the liar, "Hey! Wait up!"

"Might as well.", Zoro states uncaringly as he and Lambo ran up after their Captain, Nami close behind them.

By the time they managed to catch up, they found Usopp rummaging through a worn-down shack.

"What's with the shack?", Nami asked, observing the small structure judgmentally.

"It's not a shack! It's my super-secret hide out!", Usopp shouts back offendedly.

"Woah!", Luffy shouts in awe.

"But wouldn't us knowing make it no longer a secret?", Zoro asked with a raised brow, arms crossed.

Usopp pushed out a heavy looking barrel, panting heavily once it's outside the shack before running back inside.

"This is an exception!", Usopp calls out.

"Aren't you a little too old to have a hideout still?", Nami asked with a teasing smirk.

Luffy laughed pointing to a gasping Usopp, who has just managed to push out a second barrel.

"That's not important right now!", Usopp shouts with sharp teeth.

"I thought only little kids have hideouts.", Luffy laughs, holding his belly as he did so.

"Hey! I have a hideout!", Lambo protested defensively.

"Yeah, well, you're still a kid.", Zoro states with a smirk before placing a hand on top of Lambo's head, ruffling is hair as he did so, "Plus your short for your age, that makes you a little kid."

"HEY!", Lambo shouted angrily with sharp teeth at the swordsman.

Who just laughed at the rise he got out of the usually quiet younger boy.

"You have a hide out?", Luffy asked curiously, not teasing Lambo, he must think the same thing as Zoro then.

Lambo scratched the back of his head embarrassedly, trying, and failing, to let the red in his cheeks show.

"My famiglia can be overbearing and chaotic, I go up to the attic for some 'è il tempo da me stesso'. Time to myself. It's were I like to go for some quiet or to think.", Lambo said, not looking anyone in the eye from embarrassment, "It's my thinking spot really."

"Cool.", Luffy giggled.

"Was that Italian?", Usopp asked, unsure, Nami wondering the same thing.

Lambo blinked before realization dawned on him.

"Oh yeah, sorry.", Lambo apologized, "It's my native tongue, sometimes I switch between languages, usually by accident when I'm really emotional or can't think straight."

"Huh.", Nami said in surprise.

"That about does it!"

Everyone turns to see Usopp standing next three barrels, hand proudly placed on top of one of them.

"We have to get these to the slope. This!", Usopp gestured dramatically to the three barrels, "Will be our trump card."

Nami nodded, satisfied, "At least we got a plan."

Zoro sighs, "Alright, let's get to it."

Zoro picked up one, resting it on his shoulder, and headed towards the slope, with Nami leading the way, Usopp gawked at the swordman's show of strength in shock. Luffy passed by the frozen Usopp, carrying the second barrel one handed on his hip, causing Usopp's jaw to drop further and eyes to seemingly stretch from his skull.

"Come on Usopp!", Luffy exclaimed excitedly, "This is your plan."

Not too far behind him, Lambo followed after Luffy, rolling the barrel on its side, easily keeping pace with the rubber man once he caught up. Usopp was surrounded by a depressing aura at the sight.

"Why didn't I think of that?", he mutters to himself softly.

"Get a move on long nose!", Zoro called back.

"Hey! Don't call me that!", Usopp shouts before running to catch up with the group.

Once they got back to the slope with all three barrels, Usopp immediately got to work.

He propped them all on their side, and the pirates watched as he uncorked each barrel, letting a stream of oil to flow out and cover the slope with the slick substance.

"Yep, I'm a genius.", Usopp comments proudly, "There's no way they'll be able to make it up this slope now. All this oil we put here should keep them occupied while we go to work on them."

"They're going to be busy slipping and sliding around like a bunch of idiots and we show up and beat the crap out of them.", Usopp announced the plan to them all.

"Wow. So that's your plan huh?", Nami asked, approaching the oil in order to get a closer look.

"That's right.", Usopp confirms, "I'm going to defend this village no matter what it takes."

"Let's just hope none of us slip on that oil and end up down there with them.", Nami comments lightly, "Because that would be like slipping into a meat grinder."

"Don't jinx it Nami, knowing us, it just might happen.", Lambo comments dryly before sighing and shaking his head, "Either way, over all, it's a good plan."

"Usopp, I've got to hand it to you, your pretty good at fighting dirty.", Luffy compliments (?).

At least, Lambo is pretty sure it's a compliment.

"Of course, I am.", Usopp takes it in stride, crossing his arms, feet apart, and looked deadly serious, "There isn't anyone alive that can best me with a sling shot, or beat me in the art of fighting dirty."

Lambo just stares at, he wasn't so sure that's something to be proud of, but he also has to admit that you can't always fight with honor. It'd may get in the way of winning a fight.

He smirked at Usopp. Maybe fighting dirty is just what this crew needs next.

"It's almost daybreak.", Zoro comments, his voice and tone going back to its stoicalness when it comes to battle, "They're coming."

Lambo felt his body tense as he stood in a single line across the slope with everyone, standing on the end of the line next to Nami. His hands clenching and unclenching into fists nervously as he waits for the upcoming fight ahead.

…...

They all been waiting for a while, dawn already has long since passed into early morning. Lambo couldn't help but twitch and fidget nervously. Something's not sitting right in his gut.

"Where are they.", Luffy whined, "I thought we were going to fight. The sun's up. What's the deal?"

"Maybe they over slept?", Zoro said unsure, just throwing out ideas to try and explain the Black Cat Pirates absence.

"No. They're going to show up alright.", Usopp said certainly, "Lots of 'em."

Lambo studied the shoreline before a thought hit him.

'Didn't we anchor our ships at the other side of the island?', Lambo wondered, eyes narrowing at the spot their boats would have been.

Nami looked to him, eyes narrowing before she put a hand to her ear, listening intently.

"Wait a minute, I might be hearing things, but it sounds like... battle cries from somewhere.", Nami said, both hands cupping her ears.

Lambo closed his eyes and listened as hard as he could to his surroundings, ignoring each sound he deemed unhelpful until he could her the faint sound of men shouting for battle and blood lust.

"Yeah, I definitely hear them.", Nami states firmly.

"I can hear it too.", Lambo says quietly, eyes clenched shut as he continued to listen, "Faintly."

"No way, it can't be.", Usopp said in shock.

"What can't be?", Zoro asked.

"Is something wrong?", Lambo added on.

"There's a shore just like this to the North!", Usopp exclaims panickily, "They went..."

"We're at the wrong shore!?", Luffy shouted, "That's Not Good!"

"Well, this is where they had their secret meeting so I just assumed, okay!?"

"We need to hurry.", Luffy said quickly, "Before they get to the village. Where is it!?"

"You have to head directly North from here.", Usopp directed, getting a hold of himself, if slightly, "If you run, you can make it in three minutes. The terrain there is almost exactly the same so all we need to do is stop them at the slope."

"Don't you worry, we're going to stop them.", Luffy assured the long-nosed man.

Lambo perked up as he remembered his previous thought from earlier.

"Didn't we anchor at the other shore?", Lambo asked quietly.

But Nami heard him with a gasp.

"Oh no!", Nami screeched with sharp teeth, "If those filthy pirates are at the North Shore, then they probably seen our boats! They'll take our treasure!"

"Huh?", Lambo sweat dropped at the greedy navigator.

"I'll be there in twenty seconds!", Luffy shouts as he ran off towards the shore.

"Aw man! My brilliant oil strategy was all for nothing!", Usopp exclaimed before running up the slope after Luffy.

Lambo watched for a second before shaking himself out of his reverie and running after the two. He could've sworn he heard Nami and Zoro shouting behind him, but he ignored it, thinking it was just his imagination.

The Guardian was sprinting through the woods when he heard a familiar scream behind him.

"I HAVE TO GET TO MY TREASURE!", Nami screams, sprinting passed Lambo, shoving him to the side in order to not slow down.

This caused the younger teen to run into a tree and collapse to the ground in a daze. Everything was spinning. He thought for sure, that he blacked out for a couple of minutes. But after regaining his bearings, with a groan, Lambo slowly got up to his feet waiting for the world to stop spinning before he even thought about moving forward.

"Uncool.", he muttered, shaking his head in order to clear it.

Once he was back to normal, fully recovered from the crash, Lambo's head snapped to where he heard screams and shouts.

"Usopp! Luffy! Nami!", Lambo gasped before sprinting to the slope once again.

It wasn't long before he was staring down at the scene below him, breathing heavily, quickly snapping his horns on top of his head. Both Usopp, who was heavily beaten and injured, and Nami, who looked perfectly fine, were about to be descended upon by many pirates, ready to either kill them, and/or run them over in order to get to the village.

He prepared to sprint down as he secured his horns to his head, ready to take on the many numbers of pirates. . . Hopefully.

Elettrico Cornata should work with more than one opponent, right? He's never tried it before.

Here goes nothing.

Lambo activated his Flames, green lighting charging up all around him, and he sprinted down the slope, using its decline to his advantage. He leaped over Usopp and Nami, charging head first, literally, towards the horde of pirates.

"Elettrico Cornata!"

All the pirates in the front were thrown back from an electric blast slamming into others as the pirates fell down the hill like bowling pins, those who were unaffected froze in their place.

Usopp and Nami stared up at a heaving Lambo in surprise.

"Whew, that was close.", Lambo commented breathlessly, "I don't think I have ever run so fast for that long period of time before."

"What the heck was that!?", Usopp exclaimed in shock while the Black Cat pirates began to mumble amongst themselves.

"What kind of a monster is he?"

"This is insane!"

"Do you think he used a hidden weapon!?"

"Gotta be! Look at his horns!"

Lambo sighs wearily, eyes rolling to the sky. These guys are annoying.

Lambo turned to the downed liar, "That was my Dying Will Flames, I refuse to let my friends die."

Both Nami and Usopp froze staring up at Lambo in shock.

"Just rest up, I'll hold them off until the calvary arrive.", Lambo said turning to face the pirates, "I may not be strong as strong as the others, but it doesn't mean I won't give everything I have to protect my friends!"

"It doesn't matter what he is! He's just a kid! Get him!", the weirdo with the heart glasses told the pirates as they all sprinted up.

Lambo's flames flared as green lightning surrounded his body, but it looked brighter at his hands.

"I've wanted to try out this move, I've thought it up on the voyage here, wanna see?", Lambo told the second wave of Black Cat Pirates.

They ignored him and sprinted forward; swords drawn.

The lightning flared around Lambo's hands has he thrusted them forward together, then separated them into a wide electric arc, hands held out at his sides.

"Elettrico Diga!"

Several streams of lightning burst from behind and around him, appearing from seemingly nowhere, and bombarded the pirates sending them flying, but he only hit four to eight people, the rest of the pirates were too close for another long-ranged attack now.

Lambo thrust his hands forward to shock anyone in their path, some of the pirates received the full brunt of the attack while others leaped back, only receiving a tiny tingle. Almost like static.

Lambo tried to swipe and hit any he could get his hands on, and those that hit him got shocked tenfold in return, but it still left behind bruises where he was hit, most specifically Lambo's face and arms were covered the most with bruises. Any that touched or got hit by his lightning, were down in seconds. Some even twitching from the after effects.

Nami and Usopp were cheering him on hope returning that they may succeed yet.

He liked to think he was doing really well while being out numbered, but the thing is, he's mostly fighting blind and a lot of his hits were just luck. And luck has the tendency to run out.

At some time during the fight, one of the pirates, snuck up behind him and Lambo felt a sharp burning pain across his back, blood spilling across the ground, his blood.

"LAMBO!", he could faintly hear Usopp screaming.

Lambo was going to try to let out one more desperate attack in order to push the pirates back, but his Flames weakened from his shock loss of focus. They were weak enough for someone to be able to grab a fistful of his hair and slam his head down on the hard ground of the slope.

Lambo groaned, trying to move, but his back flared with pain causing him to stay still.

The pirates all took advantage over the downed guardian and ran up to the top of the slope, Lambo's eyes blinked slowly as he watched the pirates run past him.

"S-sorry Luffy...Usopp...", he mumbled, about to let unconsciousness over take him when he saw every single pirate fly past him and land in a giant pile of crumpled heaps back at the bottom of the slope.

"What is this Captain Jango?"

"Nobody told us killers like those were going to be here!"

Lambo's ears picked up the sound of angry voices. Familiar angry voices, a small smile appeared on his face.

"Is that the best those pirates could dish out?", Zoro asked mockingly.

"Yeah, I was hoping for a challenge.", Luffy replied.

He did it. It was close, but Lambo managed to hold out long enough against an army of pirates for Luffy and Zoro to make their entrance.

"And you! After leaving me down there, you're lucky I'm not kicking your butt too!", Zoro shouts angrily, most likely at Nami, Lambo hazily thought.

Maybe he didn't imagine their panicked screams from earlier after all.

"USOPP YOU BIG BONE HEAD! YOU NEVER TOLD ME WHICH DIRECTION WAS NORTH!", Luffy shouts.

"Who are these guys?", Jango muttered staring up at the two men that took out the entire crew in shock.

"Luffy, Zoro... Lambo, he's hurt.", Usopp said, pointing to the barely conscious teen, laying face first a couple feet down the slope from Usopp.

He was dirtied and looked battered up, not as bad as Usopp though, he is way worst, but the worst part was the large diagonal slash on his back, bleeding blood profusely.

Lambo slowly looked up when he felt a soft pat on his shoulder, he looked up to Zoro with his bandana on and Luffy standing behind him.

"You okay kid?", Zoro asked quietly.

Lambo hums, "My back burns, but I'm fine. Just give me a few minutes of rest and I should be back on my feet... Hopefully."

Zoro chuckles, "Just don't push yourself to much kid."

"Hypocrite.", Lambo shot back, only making the swordsman's amused smile to widen.

Zoro carefully picked up Lambo's limp body while Luffy went over to Usopp, satisfied his Guardian was alive and well, in order to move him to the side so he would be out of the way and wouldn't get hurt anymore.

Zoro smirks down at the tired teen, "Do as I say, not what I do."

With that said, Lambo gave Zoro a tiny smile before falling asleep.

Authors Note: Okay, so I know a lot of you are wondering why Lambo passed out again even though his injuries weren't as bad as Ussop who, despite not being able to move, is still conscious. That answer is an easy one, it's because of the gash on his back, he was already tired, the blood loss, despite not being enough to be fatal, made it harder for Lambo to stay awake. But don't worry, we all know the straw hat crew are filled with reckless beasts that can fight through almost any injury because of their determination and pure stubbornness. Lambo is no better; he just needs a little reminder to get back up. I have the best, and most surprising, character lined up to help. Like Ussop, Lambo's not out of the fight yet! Be Your Best You! Bye!