A/N:I'm sorry that it took so long, but to make up for everything. I'm going to be posting the next three chapters rapidfire like. So, read and review.

The Silence of the Singing Isle

Chapter VI: A day without Gomu.

"Barkeep, food and grog!" Zoro barked as he led the Mugiwara pirates into the tavern. It hadn't taken too long for them to reach the tavern, only a bit over two hours, and he had only gotten lost three times. "Make it fast and plentiful!"

"Zoro!" Luffy called waving them over from his perch at the bar.

"Luffy!" the crew cried, clearly relieved to see their captain in one piece, and more importantly, out of trouble.

"Oh… you found us…" Hurley smiled. Ever the gracious host, he made sure that the pirates were comfortably seated, by chance at the very table that Saros had taken for his own a short while before, and plied them with enough food and drink to satisfy a small army. "Please, eat…"

Needing no more encouragement, the crew tore into the food voraciously. If Hurley was surprised by Luffy's ability to eat, he was absolutely amazed by that of Luffy's crew. They were finished almost before he realized it.

"Ah… That hit the spot!" Usopp sighed in contentment, patting his now bulging belly. "I don't even think that I could eat another bite." A chorus of agreement met his statement

"Wow, that's really too bad guys," Grinned Luffy as he and Robin took the last two chairs at the table. "Cause Hurley-san just went off to get us some dessert. I hope its meat!"

"Come on Luffy, no one eats meat for dessert." Nami scolded.

"But there is a place where they eat cheese for dessert, and pastries for dinner!" Usopp claimed a wide grin on his face. "And they're such bad fighters that-"

"Even you could defeat their strongest warrior?" Interrupted Zoro, a wide grin on his face. Shaking his head, he threw back another mug of grog. "No way, I don't believe it!"

"Who's hungry?" Hurley asked as he personally delivered the desserts to the pirates. The tray was stacked high with delicacies so fine that they made the Mugiwaras forget all about their full-to-bursting stomachs.

"I am!" Cried chopper as the crew muttered in agreement. Being the smallest, Hurley served him first.

"Hey, Not fair!" Protested Luffy. He had been here first, so he should get dessert first. With a smile, he reached back his hand, preparing to swipe a bit of food. "Gomu Gomu no Dumb Waiter!"

What should have happened is that Luffy should have snagged a sugary snack and eaten it before Hurley had gotten to him, and then eaten the second that the kind old man would have undoubtedly given him.

But his arm didn't stretch.

"What's wrong with my arm?" Luffy shrieked as he tried over and over to grab distant objects, the bar, a chair, the rafters, but it was of no use. His arm just stayed exactly the same shape he had been born with. "Why won't it stretch?"

"What's wrong, Captain-san?" Robin asked.

"My arm! It won't stretch!" Luffy explained. In desperation, and so quickly that the crew couldn't have stopped him even if they wanted to, Luffy took off running through the bar, and tried to stretch his arm out by snagging onto a support beam as he ran past it. In a way it worked, and his arm did stretch. However the part that gave was his shoulder, as it got wrenched out of its normal position. Writhing in agony, he collapsed to the floor, clutching at his shoulder. "Ow ow ow!"

"Luffy, what's wrong?" Chopper cried, rushing to his captain's side.

"My shoulder!" He cried through clenched teeth. "It's on fire!"

"Doctor! Doctor! He needs a doctor! Is there a doctor here?" Bellowed Chopper in panic, decidedly loosing his composure.

"Oi Chopper, aren't you a doctor?" Usopp pointed out, reminding his friend.

"Oh, Right!"

In an instant Chopper was down, examining Luffy, and it wasn't long before he had the diagnosis ready. It would have been easier, and far faster had his patient cooperated, but nonetheless he did his job. "It's not too bad. Stop thrashing around, Luffy!"

"But it hurts!"

"I know it hurts, but if you stop moving I can make it stop hurting!" Chopper half-snapped, clearly irritated with the-not-so-rubberman at the moment.

"Oh… Ok."

And just like that Luffy stopped fussing. Soon Chopper had Luffy's shoulder popped back into position, and was rooting through his backpack for a roll of medical tape with which to finish the job. As he found it he gave a small cheer and quickly had Luffy back in his seat at the table.

"What was that about?" Nami asked in wonder of the strange spectacle that she had just witnessed. Unfortunately no one had answers for her, only questions. As one they turned their gazes to Luffy, who was plowing his way through the double dessert that Hurley had kindly given him.

"Could it be seastone?" Wondered Nami.

"Nah, He would have just thrown the thing off." Zoro responded, downing another mug of grog.

"Well, what if he couldn't?" Sanji cut in.

"Then he wouldn't have any energy." Added Robin, factual as always.

"Good point." Mentioned Usopp.

"It could have been the food." Nami offered.

"Like in a powdered form?" Offered Sanji.

"Yeah, exactly!" Nami beamed, offering Sanji a slight smile that made his heart melt.

"No… Same problem as before, He would be a lump." Noted Usopp.

"Yeah, Robin and I would be lumps too!" chimed in Chopper, eager to add to the conversation.

"Hmm… Then if it's not that, what could it be?" Wondered Zoro.

"Perhaps some new technology the navy has." Robin said.

"New technology? Like a Devil Fruit dial?" Usopp asked.

"Ha ha that's funny!" Luffy laughed at the thought of a devil-dial.

"Shut up Luffy!" The crew, with the exception of Robin, snapped. This was the grownup's time to talk, and Luffy didn't qualify… most of the time.

As they argued Luffy lost interest, and an uninterested Luffy was a bored Luffy, and a bored Luffy was a Luffy looking for trouble… or adventure as he put it. Massaging his shoulder with his good hand he pushed away from the table and came over to Hurley. Maybe he would have something fun to do. "Oi, Ossan…"

"How can I help you?" Hurley asked, looking up from his coffee and a bit of paperwork he had brought with him.

"I want you to tell me about the island. You know… like its history, what happened here… stuff like that."

At Luffy's request Hurley grew quiet and said nothing. Swallowing one last gulp of coffee he set the cup down on the counter where he was seated. As he stood he put his arm around Luffy's shoulders and walked the captain back to his crew. This was something they all had to hear, and he only wanted to explain it once. As they approached the conversation died.

"What's wrong, Mayor-san?" Asked Robin, concerned with Hurley's drastic change of character.

"Your captain has just asked something very hard of me…"

"Luffy, what did you do this time?" Zoro muttered under his breath.

For a moment Hurley said not a word, obviously upset by something. Swallowing with what could be nerves, he cleared his throat. "…I'm sure by now that you've noticed two things odd about this isle; the first is that Solstin doesn't show up on your lockpose, or any for that matter. The second is that no one sings here… not even a single note. This is all because of one family…"

A/N: I hope you all liked it. It wasn't that hard to write... just... well, A bit time consuming. Read and Review!

Thanks!