It took longer than Lambo would have liked, but with the help of Luffy's Devil Fruit, they managed to fish out Johnny and Yosaku from the water, pulling the two on to the deck, crowding around their panting forms as they lay sprawled, like a starfish, on their backs.

"What'd You Say!?", shrieks Ussop angrily/panickily as he jumped forward.

"For real? Nami sailed off with the Going Merry!?", Luffy asks worriedly.

Lambo pushes his way through, panic clear in his voice, "Why the hell would she do that!?"

"I Need a Straight Answer!", Zoro shouts, popping forward too, "Now What Happened!?"

"Well...", Yosaku begins weakly, "It all happened in only a few minutes."

They took turns telling how Nami pushed them into the sea then sailed off. Lambo was just irritated at how perverted they initially acted at the start of the situation. Yet it was more of a cover to hide the hurt he felt from what he heard in the story. Nami's words echoing in his head. He can hear her voice as they echoed throughout his mind.

'If it's truly meant to be, I'll see them real soon.'

A shadow fell over Lambos eyes as he grits his teeth and clenches his fists.

"So that's the story of how Big Sis Nami took the ship!", cried out Johnny.

"We're sorry.", whines Yosaku.

"Damnit!", shouts Zoro angrily as he punched the wall, "She just had to make a bad situation worse!"

"The heartless thief! Kaya gave us that ship!", Ussop angrily exclaims.

Lambo didn't trust his own voice to say or add anything else, the two pretty much summed it all up.

"Wait! I see a ship.", exclaims Luffy standing on the railing, "It's the Going Merry!"

His eyes trailed down to Johnny and Yosaku, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Tell me where you boat is.", Luffy demanded.

"We have it moored to the Restaurant.", Yosaku answered.

"Zoro, Ussop, Lambo, don't just stand there. Take their ship and go get Nami.", Luffy ordered.

Lambo honestly felt sick to his stomach.

'I don't want to be with you anymore! Because of you, I have no friends! The entire school avoids you. And because I hang out with a talentless dumb cow like you, everyone avoids me too! But no more! You are no longer my friend Bovino Lambo! NOT ANYMORE!''

"Calm down, let her keep the ship.", Zoro said uncaringly, anger still clear in his voice, "That woman's more trouble than she's worth."

'If it's meant to be than I'll take you back, but right now, don't come anywhere near me!'

'If it's truly meant to be, I'll see them real soon.'

"Tch, she acts like we need to come for her to take us back.", Lambo said darkly, his bangs casting his eyes in shadow, "Why should we go after her, she tossed us aside as if we're garbage."

"She's the only person I'll accept as the ship's navigator.", Luffy replied serious, face hard like stone, set on getting Nami back.

Lambo peered up at him, only showing a single eye, staring at Luffy who had a determined frown on his face, staring deeply at Ussop, Lambo, and Zoro.

Zoro sighs, "Fine, I'll do it. Your one high maintenance Captain, you know that?"

"Tch, whatever. You're the Captain.", mumbled Lambo before storming away.

"Alright, c'mon Ussop.", Lambo heard from behind him.

"What about Lambo?"

"... He just needs some time to cool off."

"Okay."

He didn't really mean to seem so stand offish. This situation just reminded him little bit of when I-pin left him alone. These emotions are swirling inside of him, he can't quite tell what they all mean, they keep switching between one another too quickly, but he is able to identify at least one emotion.

Betrayal.

Lambo clutched his shirt tightly over his chest where his heart is.

Why does it always hurt? How come every time he reaches out, he gets burned?

'Stupid cow, there's no use for you except for cleaning the toilets.'

'Why even bother trying?'

'Why do you think people don't want to be with you? Keep leaving you?'

'You are no longer my friend Bovino Lambo! NOT ANYMORE!'

'I'm sorry, but I have to go...'

'YOU CAN'T DO IT! YOU'RE NOT STRONG ENOUGH! IF YOU WANT TO TRAIN SO BADLY THEN TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND! ONLY GOD KNOWS HOW MUCH I HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOU!'

His knuckles were white with how tightly he was clenching to his shirt in his fist. Wiping away the tears before they could even fall.

No point in crying now. He's kept the record; he's not going to break it anytime soon. Not if he has anything to say about it.

With a deep breath, Lambo calmed down and his mind clearing. He began to think rationally once more.

Lambo reminded himself that he didn't know everything, he still just met Nami and she kept a lot of things to herself. Besides, now that he thought about it, Nami seemed sad, almost regretful even, from the way Johnny and Yosaku told the story.

He shouldn't, no, he won't make any judgments until he is sure he has the full story. The Vongola jumped to conclusions and made plenty of judgments about him. He's not about to do the same to others.

"DON CREED THE MAN THAT DESTROYED THE ENTIRE FLEET IS BAACK!"

Lambo's head snapped up eyes wide at the loud terrified voice.

"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DOOO!?"

Lambo swears his heart skipped a beat, his eyes wide. Zoro's eager face appeared in his mind. Then the image of fifty ships being absolutely destroyed.

He remembered how at the sound of the man's name, Zoro fingered his swords in anticipation, as if he wanted to draw them for a fight in that exact moment.

Lambo whirled around to see he's on the other side of the Baratie, he didn't even realize how long or fast he's been walking, having been so deep in his thoughts, trying to untangle them. A shaky breath escapes his lips.

"Don't you dare you idiot.", Lambo mumbled to himself, his heart racing.

Not knowing that his friend was already approaching the world's greatest swordsman for a duel of a lifetime.

He knew he'd be too slow, even if he sprinted, to get to the other side of the ship in time, sweat started to appear at his brow as his body trembled in panic and worry, Lambo struggled to keep his racing mind calm in order to try and think straight, to think of a way to get back to everyone faster.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew against him and he heard fabric flapping, he looked up to see a string of flags by the Baratie's roof. For a moment he just stared at them before a smirk slowly appeared on his features.

"Well, that's one way to do things.", Lambo commented light-heartedly as he reached behind him into the bag that rested at the base of his back.

...

Lambo jumped down, landing on the lowest level roof, just above the cooks of the Baratie. Only to find he was too late, Zoro had his bandana on and his three swords out, facing down the cool stare of Hawk-eye Mihawk.

"The Greatest Swordsman going up against Roronoa Zoro, two masters at swordplay.", Patty comments as he watched the upcoming fight with anticipation, "What kind of fight is this going to turn out to be?"

"There isn't a person alive that can beat Big Bro!", shouts Yosaku confidently while Johnny snickered.

"He's already the best in the world!", added Johnny encouragingly.

You're looking at the wrong guy, thinks Lambo with dread.

"Damnit Zoro.", Lambo mumbled, but knew it was too late to interfere.

This is Zoro's dream and goal, to fight and beat the world's greatest swordsman, despite the low chances of the latter happening at this point in time.

'One night, after a duel, we promised each other that one of us would become the world's greatest swordsman, this sword represents the promise I made, it was once hers."

'...where is she?', Lambo asks hesitantly.

'Gone.', Zoro states, replacing the weapon back in its proper spot on his hip with the other two swords.

Yeah, Lambo wasn't going to interfere. This is Zoro's choice, his dream, his promise to a lost loved one. And if Lambo believes in one thing, he is a firm believer in keeping your promises, especially those to the dead.

He clutched tightly to his pendant.

"Please, stay alive.", mumbled Lambo as he watched the two swordsmen with hyper-focus.

Hawk-eye slowly takes off his cross necklace and removes a piece from the longer end, revealing it to actually be a small blade. Zoro seemed to have said something, and Hawk-eye replied back with a cool.

Lambo sighed in frustration at being too far away to hear anything they are saying. But he still remained in his place at the edge of the roof, having slight Deja-vu when he first saw Zoro back when he was fighting Buggy just before Lambo had met Luffy and the crew.

Oh, how somethings never change it seems.

Whatever Hawk-eye said though, seemed to have pissed Zoro off as he lunged forward with all three blades, only to have Hawk-eye block and pin the blades in just a singule move.

"Merda.", Lambo mumbled his eyes wide as he stared at the two frozen figures, Zoro looked to be in shock as well (Shit).

This is bad, Lambo can already tell this will be a one-sided fight. Lambo just prays to whatever deity's that's out there that Zoro comes back from this fight alive.

"Zoro!", Luffy says worriedly, Lambo can tell, somehow, that Luffy came to the same conclusion as he did.

"What!?", exclaims Johnny, "Big Bro's Onigiri was stopped!?"

"But that's crazy! That attack never fails to stop an enemy!", chimed in Yosaku.

"What's Going On Here!?"

Zoro lunged again.

"I am not that far behind from the world's strongest!", Zoro shouts.

He then attached with a multitude of slashes and strikes which Hawk-eye blocked easily, all without breaking a sweat.

Suddenly Zoro was sent tumbling back, Lambo's body tensed, his jade eyes flashes and green sparks popped around him here and there, every last part of him was screaming to interfere. To help, to save Zoro.

But Lambo clenched his teeth, shoving his instincts and Dying Will Flames down, his eyes flickered before they dulled back to their normal dull jade-green color.

This is Zoro's fight, and if he got in the way, he's sure the green haired swordsman would never forgive him.

"C'mon Zoro...", muttered Lambo as he refused to look away from the swordsman's fight.

Zoro lunged forward again in a flurry of attacks, pushing Hawk-eye back, who only occasionally blocked here and there, but mostly evaded the strikes cast out against him.

Hawk-eye jumped on the railing behind him, only to swiftly jump high in the high again as Zoro sliced through the railing, he was just standing on moments prior.

But Zoro was quickly on him again, slicing at him with sword in his mouth that Hawk-eye blocked, sending out a gush of air from the force from both sides. They held fast for only a moment before Zoro shoved the blade away and began to slash and strike anywhere possible, faster than his earlier attacks, causing Hawk-eye to block every last one. Still easily sadly.

Suddenly Zoro froze, causing his last slash to be sloppy, and allowing Hawk-eye to get behind him, giving Zoro a harsh chop to the back of his neck.

Lambo clenched his teeth hard enough, he's surprised he didn't break them, nor did he notice how his hand crush the edge of the roof he stood on.

Just as it seemed he was going to fall to the ground, unconscious, he somehow caught himself, swiveled on his knees to face Hawk-eye. Panting heavily as the two just stared at each other.

Zoro pushed himself up, stumbling forward, and slashed down at Hawk-eye, who just stepped aside while Zoro crashed to the ground from the force of the attack combined with his imbalance.

Silence.

That was the only thing that you could hear in the entire area,

Then came Haw-eye's voice.

"What is it?", he asks, his voice carried so everyone could hear, "What weight do you carry on your shoulders? Speak Up Weakling!"

"How dare you call him weakling!", shouts Yosaku, hand on his sword, angrily, "You'll pay for that!"

"We'll teach you a lesson!", Johnny agrees, the two drawing their swords, leaping forward, only to be pulled back by Luffy's outstretched arms.

"No! Yosaku! Johnny! Get back here!", Luffy ordered, a growl in his voice.

Lambo watched in awe, his respect rising, as Luffy pinned the two bounty hunters so they wouldn't interrupt Zoro's fight.

"Just stay put.", Luffy says with gritted teeth, eyes boring into Zoro.

Lambo's eyes drifted over to Zoro to see him back on his feet, glaring determinedly at Hawk-eye. Lambo gritted his teeth, but continued to watch, refusing to disrespect Zoro by looking away as he continues to fight this uphill battle.

Time seemed to have slowed as Zoro and Hawk-eye stared each other down in a standoff, both frozen, waiting for the right moment to make their move.

Zoro then positioned his swords in a way that Lambo has yet to see.

"Tiger..."

'Huh?', Lambo said in confusion before turning to Zoro, 'Did I hear him right? I just asked him to join the fight not his crew.'

Zoro shrugs with a knowing smirk, 'Tell him that.'

Lambo sweat drops at Zoro's smug expression.

"Zoro...", mumbles Lambo eyes shaky as he stared, refusing to even blink, what may be Zoro's last attack.

"...TRACK!", Zoro shouts.

It was so fast; Lambo didn't even see Zoro move. It was just Zoro and Hawkeye standing there, then the next thing he sees s Zoro hunched over with Hawk-eyes small blade imbedded in his chest.

Right where his heart should be.

Lambo sucked in a sharp breath, the sound of a flat line ringing in his head has he faintly hears a child screaming and sobbing.

He watched as blood dribbled from his mouth and chest to the wooden ground he stood on. Lambo's vision grew blurry as his eyes welled with tears; he bit his lip refusing to let them spill.

His ears ringing, he can't hear what the two are saying to each other, but he knows they're speaking.

Hawk-eye removed the blade from Zoro's chest, who still hasn't moved an inch, and he took a couple of steps back. Regarding Zoro differently.

Somehow, through his blurry vision, Lambo is able to see the respect in Hawk-eye's eyes when he now looks at Zoro.

'Good. He deserves every ounce of respect that you have.', Lambo thinks to himself.

"Sir, state your name.", Hawk-eye demands as he sheathes his blade.

Zoro held out his swords, placing them into some sort of form.

"I am Roronoa Zoro.", he declares proudly.

"I'll remember it.", Hawk-eye states as he reaches back for the giant golden sword resting on his back, "No one as strong as has come around for quite some time."

He draws the sword and Lambo can't help but gaze at it, not in awe, not in fear, but with dread. Dread of what it's next deed may be.

"So as a swordsman's courtesy, I'll use the world's strongest black sword to finish you.", Hawk-eye informed the green haired swordsman.

"Thank you. I appreciate it.", Zoro states, and Lambo can here the sincerity behind the stoic seriousness.

Lambo felt himself clench up, he can hear Johnny screaming desperately at Zoro to stop.

"Three sword style secret technique...!"

Zoro began spinning his blades, staring out slowly, but soon got faster and faster.

"Fall!", shouts Hawk-eye as he sped forward, sword out.

"3,000 SWORDS!"

Everything was frozen, the two had their backs to each other, then two of Zoro's swords shattered, not the white one in his mouth, and blood squirted from his chest like a waterfall. Zoro fell to his knees.

Lambo was frozen, his mouth hung open as his body trembled.

But Zoro sheathed his swords and turned to Hawk-eye with his arms stretched out, knowing he's lost.

Hawk-eye stared at him in shock.

"But why?", he gasps.

Zoro doesn't answer at first before he looked up with a wide smirk.

"Scars on the back are a swordsman's shame."

Hawk-eye smirked, "Fine."

And slashed down on Zoro's chest.

"ZOORRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!", Luffy screams, his face filled with nothing but anger.

Lambo felt like screaming too, he wanted to scream, but even with his mouth open, no sound came out. His ears were ringing and he was struggling heavily at keeping his tears at bay. Yet somehow still managed to.

"Zoro!", Ussop calls as Zoro fell in what felt like slow motion.

He lost someone else.

Granted he wasn't as close to Zoro as he was Ms. Motina. But in the short time they spent together, they grew close pretty fast.

"Big Bro!", Johnny and Yosaku cried, tears falling down their faces.

Somehow, after hearing everyone else voice their anquish, Lambo found his voice.

"ZOROO!", Lambo screams, tears at the corner of his eyes.

"NNNNNOOOOOOO!"

Out of all of them, Luffy's cry was the loudest.

And out of everything on that day, it was the thing that would haunt Lambo the most whenever he would look back.

"Don't be stupid!", Sanji shouts, "Give up your ambition and live!"

Zoro fell into the water, and Lambo was quick to jump in right after him.

Leaping off the roof, with a little discreet help from his Dying Will Flames, Lambo flew several feet across the water before diving under the waves. It didn't take long for Lambo to find the swordsman; he was losing so much blood that it became a thick dark red cloud above him.

Lambo grabbed him from underneath his armpits and with harsh swift kicks, swam them up for air. But Zoro was too heavy, Lambo was struggling. He was using up a lot of his energy and air to keep them from sinking.

Suddenly he felt two pairs of hands grab hold of him and Zoro. He looked up to see Johnny and Yosaku, both with worried expressions, with the extra help, the three of them were able to swim up to the surface.

Lambo gasped as they burst from the water, he ignored the harsh tickle in his chest and throat.

"Come on Big Bro. Say something, please!", Yosaku begged.

Zoro gasped and coughed up blood and sea water.

Lambo sighed in relief, and let Johnny and Yosaku, with the help of Ussop, pull Zoro onto the boat.

Once he was sure Zoro was safe, as safe as he could be with the wounds he has, Lambo swam to the Baratie, collapsed and began to cough out the minimal seas water he accidentally swallowed and gasped for more air from how harsh his coughing fit was. It didn't help that he practically held his breath in order to keep himself from coughing earlier.

"You okay kid?", Sanji asked, worry clear on his features.

Lambo waved him away as he finished up coughing, "I'm fine. Just worried about Zoro."

"Don't worry, he'll live."

Lambo looked up and smiled up and Sanji, "Good, I can kick some ass and get rid of all my pent up frustration."

"My name is Hawk-eye Mihawk!", Hawk-eye shouts loudly for all to hear, "Your strong, but there is much for you to learn. No matter how many years it takes, I'll hold the tittle the greatest in the world and wait for you. Until that day you must hone your skills."

Lambo stared in awe and shock. Zoro proved to Hawk-eye his strength and character, proved he was worthy of his respect, and worthy for another duel in the future.

And that told Lambo, no matter how much skill he lacks compared to Hawk-eye, he will get stronger, and today he was strong enough to prove himself worthy of becoming the next world's greatest swordsman in the future.

"Then, SEEK ME OUT RORONOA ZORO!", Hawk-eye shouts.

"Not just anyone can earn the regard of Hawk-eye Mihawk.", Zeff said as he regarded the scene stoically.

With that one statement, Lambo felt proud.

His friend may have lost, but despite the defeat, Roronoa Zoro still took one step closer to his dream.

"He's alive!", cries Usopp happily.

Lambo couldn't help the quiet sob of relief that racked through his entire body.

Then his eyes widened at the sight of Zoro holding up his sword high in the air.

"Zoro...", muttered Lambo relieved.

"Luffy... can you hear me?", Zoro called out as loud as he was able, sadly that wasn't so loud.

"Yeah?", Luffy shouted back.

"I'm sorry for disappointing you, I know you need nothing less than the greatest swordsman in the world. I've let you down. Please forgive me.", as Zoro says this, Lambo felt his heart crack for him, but Zoro wasn't finished.

Nor was he broken.

"I solemnly swear...", Zoro's voice echoed everywhere, making his words more impactful, "...that from this moment forward, I will never lose again! Until the day comes, when I defeat him and take his tittle, I will never, Never Be Defeated! IS THAT OKAY? KING OF THE PIRATES!?"

Lambo smiled, already, Zoro grew stronger from this.

Luffy laughed a wide happy, relieved, smile on his face, "Yep!"

Hawk-eye said something to Luffy before turning to leave, but of course Creed jumped in, literally, and called out to him, arms crossed.

"I was under the impression that you had come here to take my life.", said Creed, his eyes boring into Hawk-eye's back, "Weren't you here to kill Don Creed, ruler of the East Blue?"

Someone is high and mighty, and wished to die. Did he think he was stronger than Zoro, or would fare any better against a man that took out his entire fleet?

Hawk-eye nodded, "The thought did crosse my mind, but I've had enough fun for today so I'm going home to get some rest."

Creed smirked and cracked his neck.

Dude, seriously, leave it alone, or run. You cannot survive a fight against this guy. Just let the man leave.

"I don't care if you've had enough, I haven't even gotten started.", Creed said confidently.

Lambo changed his mind, this guy is a hundred times more idiotic than his Captain, compare to what it'd be like apart of Creed's crew, not like he'd ever join or wished to, Lambo is perfectly content with the crew he is a part of.

It suits him perfectly.

Multiple guns on Creed opened up, making themselves known.

"NOW IT'S TIME TO DIE!", he shouted as he fired them all at once.

There was a loud crash and a giant wave of water from impact, the already ruined galleon was somehow shattered into more pieces, sinking deeper into the water.

Hawk-eye was gone.

"God Damn, he escaped.", Creed said in frustration, all his guns still smoking from his barrage.

Lambo notice Luffy stretch his arms out, and pull himself back to the Baratie, much to the cooks' horror, trying not fall into the sea. Lambo pushed past the cooks, grabbed Luffy's forearms, and pulled him on board.

"Usopp!", Luffy called to the sniper over on Johnny and Yosaku's boat.

"Luffy!", Ussop called back.

"Go ahead! I'll leave Nami to you!", Luffy orders.

"Right!", Usopp stepped up, holding up Luffy's straw hat, Lambo didn't even notice when it fell off, "Rodger that! Don't you worry about a thing! Zoro and I are gonna get her right back! And make sure you get that cook to join our crew!"

Usopp reared his arm back.

"And then, on the Going Merry!", Usopp threw the hat, "We'll finally sail off to the Grand Line!"

Luffy's arm stretched up and caught his hat. Lambo couldn't help but smile and feel his chest swell with excitement.

"Yeah!", Luffy exclaims excitedly, "Let's Do It!"

Lambo smiles and waves enthusiastically, "We'll meet up with you guys and Nami once we've wrapped things up over here!"

"Hey pops, can I stop doing these chores if I get these pirates out of here?", Luffy asked.

"Suit yourself."