OOF, finally an update, I guess.

I'm taking a lot of liberties with scenes from One Piece BUT considering what I change, I hope the liberties sort of make sense?

also, fair warning, this is going to continue being more of a character study than a porno. that wasn't my original plan...but the plot has turned into something that i honestly don't mind it turning into.

(Zoro is still getting his scene with Hiyori tho in this chapter. It's totally unnecessary, but fuck it. For all that Zoro does, he deserves some head.)

as for your reviews, thank you for being respectful (most of you!)

and Drakon45: Sorry to reply here, but: Trust me, I know. If I were a better writer, I would have come up with a different way to create conflict between the Elemental Nations and the World Government...but I hope what's revealed in this chapter sort of makes up for it?

(Also yes, Brooke was switched to joining the Strawhats here because...idk reasons? He probably just likes to party. Chopper is still on the ship tho, because he's still a baby and he has no interest in humans so)

Disclaimer: Anyway, don't own anything, make money off nothing.

Chapter 6: Old Friends

Every inch of Nami's body was burning with pain, an agony that peaked right at her head, from the wound she was bleeding from. Surging through her, even more, was the paralyzing fear as Ulti tightened her hold around Nami's body. Nami had been close to death before, frighteningly close many might say; but still, she could not open her mouth. She could not say the words.

"Nami! Don't be stupid, she isn't playing around! None of us will think less of you," Usopp was screaming from across the room through his own agony, unable to move. Fat tears rolled down his eyes as he tried fruitlessly to drag himself across the floor, to get to her as he added, "so hurry up—and just say it!"

Nami's throat closed up. God, she really didn't want to do this to him or to the crew. She didn't want to do this at all. Why…?

"C'mon, you little bitch. Listen to your cowardly friend over there," Ulti was saying, her fingers near crushing her ribs. "Say it, and I'll let you live."

Nami trembled, feeling death breathe its icy breath down her neck. If she didn't…if she didn't…

"Luffy…help me."

She inhaled sharply then, seeing vivid images of that day in the rain two years ago in her village, when she was on her knees and her shoulder bleeding. How she turned to him and whispered those words. How he didn't hesitate in placing his straw hat on her head and stepped forward, glaring ahead as if fighting Arlong already—

"—OF COURSE I WILL!"

She pressed her trembling lips together one last time, and then, finally, she spoke:

"Luffy will never…never…never…"

Ulti began smirking behind her mask, watching as the Strawhat's mighty navigator continued dissolving to tears as blood dripped from her head, satisfied at bringing such humiliation.

Nami looked up at Ulti, not daring to blink through her tears as she finished in a raw, sobbing voice, "Luffy will never stop until he becomes Pirate King!"

Then she clenched her eyes closed, letting out what she knew would be her last sob, knowing that death was glowering down at her. Usopp started screaming in the background, his voice raw and full of tears. She could feel Ulti's rage tremble through the grip around her ribs, threatening to crush her bones, to throw her into a lifeless heap right before Usopp's eyes.

I'm sorry I won't be able to see it, she thought, her heart aching for her captain, her crew, her family. She inhaled sharply, gritting her teeth; after all, though most of her life she'd thought herself worthless, Nami knew she had lived a life without regret and that was a truth she'd take to her grave. Thank you, all of you, for making this life worth living…

"Dumb bitch—!"

"—NAMI!"

…

…

…

…

In retrospect, it happened all too fast.

There was a crash of some sort, from a wall in the room, Nami remembers. She recalls Ulti holding her and the sound of Usopp's sorrowful screams. Then there was a howl of some sort—a wolf? A dog?—and then Nami was being moved before she could really process what was happening. Had she been thrown? Was she dead already?

Then…why am I still breathing?!

"…I've gotta say, that was pretty moving, beautiful," a deep voice was saying in front of her, his smirk somehow audible through his tone. "I see those stories about you Strawhats and your loyalty are no joke."

Nami blinked, looking up to see Tama smiling down at her and realizing she was laying on Komachiyo's back. When she turned, she saw that there were two boys in front of them, facing Ulti. One had dark skin and wild brown hair, the sides of his face marked with long red fangs, sitting atop a giant white dog snarling up at the enemy. The other was a tall dark figure who had a green overcoat covering his head and two black clouds (B-bugs…?) surrounding his hands as he glared up at Ulti through a pair of sunglasses. Nami stared at them, feeling an odd sensation at their appearance. Why did she feel like she recognized them?

"Oi, Ino—think you can take care of them?"

"Already on it," the girl named Ino spoke up from behind Nami, coaxing her to turn and see that Usopp was sitting in front of a teenager with blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. Her hands were on his ribs, glowing an all too familiar green—one that made her think of two other girls she once knew, one with dark hair and the other with pink—but what stopped Nami's breath was the armored headband around Ino's neck.

"Great! Then you guys get out of here," the boy said, hopping off his dog. "Shino and I will take care of this one here."

"Got it, Kiba—"

"Wait!" Nami sat up, wincing in pain before looking first at Ino, then at the boys. "Konoha—you're shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village, aren't you?"

"Oh!" Kiba said, sending Nami a wide grin as he flushed with pride. "You do know of us, that's awesome!"

"But…what…what are you all doing here?"

"Precisely what I wanted to ask," Ulti snarled, her eyes still on the two teenage boys.

The calm boy, Shino adjusted his glasses, making the shades glint from a reflection of the light. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked in a stoic tone, while glowering up at her.

Kiba chuckled and leaped from his spot on Akamaru's head, getting into a fighting stance. He lifted one hand as his claws released, his grin wide enough to bare sharp canines.

"We're the fucking calvary," he growled.

Two years ago, even before meeting the Strawhats, Hinata used to be a different sort of person. Even when she got with Naruto, that really didn't change. She was polite, kind, and kept an open heart and mind, even for people the villagers didn't really trust. She did not give way to violence easily; she did not drink alcohol; and she absolutely did not and would never curse.

Things sort of stayed the same for Hinata, even with being imprisoned and then trying to shave off years of her sentence by fighting in a gladiator ring—but then, she met the Strawhats.

"Bullshit."

"No bull and no shit."

"You're telling me Kiba and Shino—m-my Kiba and Shino," Hinata says, still unable to believe it, her eyes wide and her voice hiking in pitch, "are in the Revolutionary Army? As in, big time, will-bring-the-World Government-down in a burning blaze of glory Revolutionary Army?!""

"They helped save mine and Usopp's life," Nami confirms with a grin. "Ino, too! Wouldn't have healed as fast without her."

Hinata sinks into the mattress under her, still clutching clothing(she decided on a light purple top and a pair of black shorts) to her bare chest. Her mind is rushing from the information that Nami is sharing with her, processing it as best as possible. But no matter what, she still has some trouble reconciling that many of the people she grew up with—the people she unwillingly left behind—ended up making such a turn. How were they able to do it? Doesn't this put them in trouble with Konoha and the accords Danzo established with the World Government alliance?

Did they manage to resolve all of that?

Finally, pale eyes have to close as Hinata starts massaging the back of her neck, trying to fight away a headache. This is just too much to take in one sitting.

"I think I need a drink," she says finally.

Nami bursts out laughing. "So do I. C'mon, get dressed and let's go see the rest of the crew!"

Hinata immediately groans, her face going pale at finally meeting with the rest of the crew. "U-uh…okay."

Every step she takes behind Nami in the hallway leading to the main suite, the more Hinata feels like she's walking straight to her death. She just keeps thinking of each person in the crew, how they will react to seeing her (well, except for Brook et. al, since this will be her first time meeting them), and how likely she is to end up in an early grave for her past crimes against the Captain.

Sanji and Usopp? They might not be an issue, considering how they reacted before. After all, Sanji can't hate any woman; and Usopp, Hinata always thought he was pretty cool. Robin and Franky? Unsure, because while Hinata recalls getting closer to Robin, she's still always been hard for her to read and the latter hadn't known her well enough to be as upset with her when everything went down between Luffy and Naruto.

But Zoro? Zoro? Hinata was sure that he'd kill her on sight.

So she can't help but gape at what's in front of her, her eyes wide and mouth falling open as Nami leads her to the lounging area of the suite they're staying in.

Zoro is sitting on the couch in the center of the room. He has his head tipped back, his eyes closed as he lets out low groans that do things to Hinata's insides, things she never wants to admit in public—especially considering how inappropriate her feelings are in this moment. Kneeling between his legs, her moans muffled from her actions and the club music coming from the speakers on the ceiling, is the late Kozuki Oden's daughter—the second representative of Wano. That same representative who is currently pumping her mouth around the very turgid cock belonging to Roronoa Zoro.

Hinata watches with a gaping mouth, watches as Hiyori's mouth widens with Zoro's girth, her bright green eyes rolling as he doubtlessly hits the back of her throat and then some. Zoro growls something soft and then sinks his hand through Hiyori's hair, pumping his hips at an almost lazy pace. Hinata watches this, her blood simmering as a familiar sensation fills her, as her mind and body slowly goes wild.

Then he finally lifts his head, his silver eyes blinking. When his gaze settles on Hinata, his whole expression goes blank.

Hinata suddenly wants the floor to swallow her up.

"…So, you really are here."

Fuck. Fuck, I'm dead, she can only think, unsure how to take his tone. Hinata's whole body locks up, her heart hammering from utter panic, as her throat dries up. Absolutely deceased.

Still, she lowers her head in a bow—still shamefully aware that Hiyori has not stopped, oh dear god why am I here, her wet moans only increasing in volume—and nods.

Zoro is silent for a moment before saying, his voice somehow clearer despite the club music, "Ya hurt?"

Hinata hesitates, almost bursting out into a mad mix of tears and nervous giggles—what a question to ask—and then slowly shakes her head.

"…Good."

Huh? That's all she can think, blinking wide eyes at the floor below her feet. She doesn't understand. Why isn't he pulling out his swords? Why isn't he demanding she leave? Why is her head still connected to her body?

Before she could lift her eyes and ask, Nami slaps a hand over her eyes.

"Shit, Zoro," she hisses, unnervingly close to Hinata's ear. "Just couldn't wait, could you?"

One side of Zoro's mouth curls upward, his smirk crooked as he sends Nami a shrug, his fingers sinking deeper into Hiyori's hair.

"Ugh, fucking pig! C'mon, Hinata—we're going over here."

"O-okay," Hinata stammers, allowing herself to be led away by Nami.

"We'll talk later, Hyuga," Zoro says as they walk away from view, his expression going from amused to blank.

"Who was that?" Hiyori asks, pausing to gently wrap her hand around him, slowly dragging her palm along his length as she looks up with those big doe eyes. "A friend?"

"…An old one."

"That's good, isn't it? You must be happy to see her!"

"We'll have to see on that one." Zoro looks down to stare at her, his gaze going soft and his mouth spreading into a little smirk. "Now, where were we…?"

"Ugh, can't believe him!" Nami is still ranting about it.

"U-um, is there anyone else…?" Hinata can't even complete the sentence, her eyes still covered by Nami's hand. She's not even sure she wants to know or visualize the Strawhats in such a display.

"Not here, thank god—everyone else is outside doing their own thing. Those two just don't seem to give a shit who watches or where they do things, or at least Zoro doesn't," Nami snorts. "Fucking degenerate."

"Everyone…? Wait." Hinata pulls Nami's hand away, her eyes full of panic. "Even Chopper?!"

"Omigod, NO! He's still back on the ship with Bepo and the others."

Hinata lets out a deep sigh, hand over her chest. Then, remembering, she lets out a little giggle and taps her head with her fist. Right, that's what the Captain said earlier.

After a moment or so, she says, "You still haven't explained everything, Nami."

Nami hums in thought as they walk through the rest of the suite. "Well, to put it shortly: About a week after Luffy defeated Kaido, we left Wano in the hands of the Konoha nin. Afterwards, Kidd insisted we come to this island to unwind and lay low—specifically this whole place."

"D-D-Did he even explain what this place was?"

"Of course."

"And you all agreed?!"

"I mean, yeah? We all kinda nearly died back there. We deserve to have a little fun—plus, haven't you heard?" Nami begins to smirk as she adds, "Luffy's been named an Emperor."

Hinata can't help but smile. "I heard! Naruto and I saw the newspaper article a couple weeks ago and—"

("—that fucking bastard!"

Crash!

She had to turn to face the other side to avoid the glass thrown at the wall next to her head. Every inch of her was trembling, her eyes wide and clouded.

It's fine. It's fine, we're fine. He's just in one of his moods. He'll get over it, like always, Hinata kept thinking, all while gnawing her lip, clenching her hands tight at her sides.

"HOW? How could they…choose him? A fucking Emperor…?! HIM?"

Another plate was thrown, this time near Sakura's head. Sakura gave no reaction, however. She merely rolled her eyes and let out a soft, bored sigh under her breath.

"Why?" Naruto paused in swinging his fists against the wall, his voice beginning to shake. "Why is he still so far ahead of me…?"

Silence, but only for a moment.

"Let's be honest, Naruto. The big reason why Luffy keeps getting noticed is because he's always doing something to end up on the government's shitlist. Our reputations from two years ago are no longer enough. If we want to be noticed the way the Strawhats get noticed, we have to give the Marines a reason to notice us…"

Hinata whipped her head to send Sakura a look, only to freeze when she saw the near smirk on the other woman's face. Shakily, realizing how silent Naruto was, she turned back to face him—only to see that he had turned to put all his focus on Sakura, his eyes sharp, the way they usually get whenever he began to plan something.

"...What exactly do you have in mind?" he asked.

Sakura's smirk grew.)

Hinata's expression is still frozen, her eyes blinking the memory away as she's brought back to the present. Her stomach gives a twist, her skin going pale. Th-that's right. How did I forget so easily…?

She freezes again, as more memories flash through her brain. Of fire, of blood, of screams of horror and of battle cries, of a gun in her hand—

"…Hinata? You okay?"

She jolts at Nami's voice, then turns to face her. "Y-yes, I—sorry, I just remembered something."

Nami stares at her for a moment, brown eyes full of worry—but then she starts to smile.

"C'mon, lady," she says gently. "We're going this way."

It's then that Nami leads Hinata to an outside area, with a rooftop bar and a pool that seems to be steaming—this is where the party is in full swing, in a way only the Strawhats can accomplish. Usopp is dancing on top of one of the tables, his face flushed from alcohol and his grin wide. Sanji is sitting on a couch with two women in bathing suits on either side of him, his smirk surprisingly confident as they both snuggle him on either side, one even lightly kissing the column of his neck. At the bar, Robin is sitting on a stool smirking at Franky—who is handing out the drinks, occasionally throwing a grin at Robin—and Jimbei stands near them, serenely drinking what Hinata assumes is sake.

Suddenly someone tall, insanely tall, walks into Hinata's view. Hinata blinks wide eyes, first seeing the long white hair with blue at the tips, then the very ample bosom, and then those mesmerizing gold eyes. She blinks and blinks, her gaze now upward, her heart jolting when she sees the person begin to grin.

"Hey, you're the ninja, right? From Konoha? Hina, something or…?"

"Uh, yes! Yes, that's me," Hinata replies in a near stammer, her cheeks flooding in red for reasons beyond her.

Gold eyes become starry. "That's amazing! Your people are legendary, so different from the Wano ninja. Is it true that you're part of the clan that can see through stuff with your eyes?"

Hinata slowly nods.

"Ah, that's so cool!"

"Hey, Yama-bro," Nami says with a grin. "Have you seen Ino around?"

Hinata nearly leaps out of her skin, her eyes wide. "I-I-Ino?!"

"Oh yeah, she's dancing over there by Brook!"

Following the pointed finger, Hinata stares ahead. After a moment of staring, her mouth drops open, but she's unable to let out a sound, let alone anything resembling words. She finds that ahead—laughing and dancing as Brook strums his guitar—certainly is Ino Yamanaka, as lovely and cheerful as Hinata last saw her. God, when was the last time she and Ino had spoken? As she takes a few steps forward, the conversation between Nami and Yama-bro(?) becoming muffled behind her, Hinata finds she can't really recall their last conversation—but she remembers the light feeling that would fill her chest whenever Ino would pull her into a hangout, especially whenever she felt the loneliness set in. Other than Sakura, if Hinata had any close female friends in the Before, Ino was definitely one of them.

Just as her mind begins to wander, Ino spins around to the music and ends up facing in Hinata's direction, and she freezes in place. Hinata freezes also, her heart stopping as their eyes meet.

Ino gapes at Hinata for another moment, her wide eyes blinking slowly, and then her face crumples. Her eyes fill with tears and her mouth begins to quibble.

"Hinata-chan!" she cries out before breaking out into a run.

Hinata's throat begins to swell, then she runs forward. "Ino-chan!"

And for a moment, everyone pauses to watch as the two run to embrace each other. The Strawhats turn to see Hinata bury her face in Ino's neck with her arms wrapping around her, while Ino squeezes her back, one hand burying in dark hair while the other rests on her back. They all watch from the corner of their eyes as the two girls hold each other for a moment before they both finally break, bursting to tears and sobs as they tighten their hold around each other.

"Gods, I missed you, Hina," Ino cries.

"Me too," Hinata sobs. "It's been so awful, you have no idea, Ino…"

"Oh, hun, I've definitely got an idea. When I heard about what Sakura was planning for you, I was so terrified—"

Sakura…? Hinata goes stiff in Ino's arms, her blood going cold. She pulls away to look up, her eyes wide and full of tears. "S-Sakura…? What are you talking about?"

Ino stares down at her, her mouth parting before pressing closed and trembling. "Before that, I have to ask you something…"

"Sure, anything."

"…What happened on Mariejois?"

Hinata's blood freezes. For a second, she's back there again, on that damned estate. She's surrounded by death and watching the man she loved leading in the carnage. The gun is in her hand again and—

Two hands land on either girl's shoulders. Jolting, they look up to see Nami looking down at them with a soft smile.

"I think you should all sit down for this," she says, then brightens up. "You two grab a table, I'll get you some drinks!"

Ino stares blankly for a moment before beaming. "That sounds great, Nami-san! You're so kind, thank you."

"Not at all. It's like I told Kiba," Nami sends a playful wink to Hinata as she adds, "Any friend of Hinata's is a friend of mine."

Hinata blinks, a warmth swelling in her chest instantly—gratitude, with a pinch of fear that this still isn't real—and smiles back. She watches as Nami turns around to walk to Franky, an odd fluttery feeling settling inside her stomach; but then she remembers Ino's question and her heart gives a sickening thud. Her gaze moves to lock with Ino's, her expression pensive.

"Let's find somewhere quiet," she says.

Ino nods, her eyes hardening. She nods over to a table on the far corner of the outdoor area, far from the Strawhats, and Hinata nods back in confirmation. Just far enough for a private conversation.

With a deep breath, and then an exhale through her nose, Hinata starts following Ino.

She's so different, Ino can't help but think, her expression stony despite the ache of regret in her chest.

The Hinata she knew was shy, sure; perhaps with a hint of a melancholic air about her, especially back when they were much younger and her relationship with her father wasn't that great. But that was often shadowed by the pure sweetness that seemed to encapsulate the Hyuga heiress whenever she was around their friends—the sort Ino would see seeping through whenever Hinata walked into the Yamanaka's flower shop. Even while with another customer, Ino remembers sometimes peeking over and seeing the little smile Hinata would get whenever she was around her favorite flowers, the sparkle in her eyes.

It was their shared love of flowers that resulted in Ino and Hinata becoming friends, much to the surprise of many. At the time, Ino would not say she was super close to Hinata, but she would say that the other girl's presence set her at ease. It was nice to have a friend one could just exist around, someone who was willing to listen to your troubles and accept that you could even be too much sometimes; it was nice to bask in the quiet.

When Ino looks at Hinata now, she found that although the latter hasn't lost the softness that was inherently her, it is overwhelmed by the steel in her pale gaze and how she's keeping her shoulders squared, no hint of calm or serenity in her stance—everything in Hinata screams, despite being around people who seem to care about her, pure survival mode. It's a truth that makes her throat swell, her mind going back to the last time she saw her two friends and Naruto, back in that courtroom. She remembers how they were dragged out by the Marines, the absolute dread that made her realize just how much Konoha had changed under all their noses—a change they should have sensed and stopped, from the moment they all saved Danzo from being killed by Sasuke and allowed him to rise to power.

Many have used the war as an excuse, that Konoha was so tired in the aftermath. In that moment of peace, their guard was down.

As Ino faces Hinata now, as they sit down far away from the Strawhats to talk, she only confirms just how much bullshit those excuses had been. We failed you, she thinks, even as Naruto and Sakura come to mind. Whatever the reasons, we failed all of you.

Only time would tell if joining the Revolutionary Army would make everything right.

For now, though, Ino has to finish her mission. And part of that requires, much as she hates it, her getting information from Hinata.

"Before I answer your question," Hinata starts. "How did you know I'd be here?"

Ino stares before giving her a tight smile. "You're very lucky that you have at least one friend on that ship who was looking out for you. I hoped it was Sakura at first, when my transponder snail rang. She and I have been keeping in contact for months, so I can check in with all of you while gathering intel—but it wasn't her."

("…Hey, you're that bitch Cherry likes to talk to, yeah? The one from that village the three of them are from?"

"Who's asking?"

"Does it fucking matter?" the woman growled from the transponder snail while violently chewing on food. When she swallowed, she added, "I just wanna know if there's still someone in that village who cares about Hinata Hyuga."

Ino froze, her eyes going wide. Swallowing hard, she replied as casually as possible, "She was part of a prestigious clan and served the village during the War, along with other things—"

"That's not a fucking answer!" The woman nearly roared, the sound of her fist hitting a surface in the background. "Is there anyone there who gives a shit about her or not?"

"…What's going on?"

"They're marooning her—the Fox and Cherry. In fact, Cherry's transporting her there tonight. Not in a terrible place, granted, but it's not exactly the sort of place you wanna go alone. She'll be safer around people who can protect her."

Ino's throat tightened. Sakura hadn't mentioned anything about Hinata in their previous conversation, and they'd just talked a few hours ago. But then again, had they talked about Hinata at all these past two weeks? It always seemed like Sakura was avoiding her as a subject, now that she thought about it.

But…why? Ino thought, before shaking her head. No, don't waste time, she added while reaching for a notepad and a pen.

"Where are they leaving her?")

Pale eyes flash, then widen in shocked realization. Hinata gasps around the name, "Bonney…"

"When she mentioned the name, I remembered hearing Kidd talk about taking the Heart Pirates and Straw Hats here for a 'special celebration'," Ino lets out a chuckle, blushing lightly as her eyes roll to take in her surroundings. "The rest is kind of history, I guess.

"But, Hinata, we're getting off topic."

Hinata swallows hard, her throat bobbing from the gesture. Her trembling hands move to lace together on the table, squeezing each other in small intervals, as if she wants to give them something to do. Then, with a deep breath, she finally speaks:

"…What do you already know?"

Ino swallows this time, feeling her insides tremble. "Just that when Shikamaru and Shino came back from investigating the aftermath, they didn't look the same. Shika still won't talk to me or Choji about it—and I'm not really sure how to approach Shino about it."

Not that she hasn't tried. But every time she has, well—

("…What do you mean you can't find her?" Ino heard Shino whispering harshly to a group of beetles in his hands, the sight enough to make her shudder against the tree she was hiding behind. "She has to be with them—go off and look again. And don't come back until you can give me results…")

Even now, Ino shudders. She respects the other ninja, yes, but—a girl like her has limits, damn it.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you, Hinata—but I need to know what happened."

"But why…what does the Revolutionary Army want with us? What do they want with Naruto?"

"Between you and me, I think Sabo wants to recruit you three—especially Naruto—to increase the power in our current shinobi factions. In order to do that, we need to evaluate whether or not Naruto would be Revolutionary material. But as for what those in Konoha want," Into says, adding in a gentle tone, "we're trying to do what we can to make things right—especially with all of you."

Hinata is silent for a moment, staring into Ino's face with a pensive expression. Then she sighs in acceptance, her gaze shifting to the side in thought. And then she finally nods.

"I don't know if I can talk about it," she says before lifting up one of her hands, palm open and facing up, towards Ino. "But I am willing to show you."

Ino stares at the open palm, her chest going tight. Then she reaches out and grasps Hinata's hands. Her thumb strokes the skin there for a moment, feeling Hinata's warmth. Then her eyes slide closed, and she enters Hinata's memories.