A.N. This is a chapter 11 redo. I want to Thank my loyal fan Charlett for pointiong out a key factor to me. I'll explain more at the bottom.

Ch. 11:

Meanderings

"So, it's decided." Nami said, setting her cup on the table. "Sanji-kun and I will search the forest to the east. Luffy and Usopp will look for Robin in town, while Chopper and Zoro head to the west.

"That's fine with me, Nami-swan!" Sanji agreed, enthusiastic to be able to be alone with his one true ladylove while they searched for their missing nakama.

"Whatever." Zoro grunted. As he pushed away from the table he snagged a bottle of grog and headed for the door. "Come on Chopper."

"Oh, Ok!" Chopper agreed, trotting out the door after Zoro. A few seconds later the little deer's cry of "Zoro! West is this way!" filtered into the galley, sending the entire crew into fits of laughter, and it only got worse as Chopper called out again, "No! West is the other way!"

"Hey Zoro…" Chopper said as they searched for Robin.

"Yeah?" He asked as he sliced quickly through a low hanging vine in his way.

"Do you ever miss Vivi?" Came the innocent question.

Did Zoro miss Vivi? That was an interesting question. On the one hand she was all the woman any man could ever want, sweet, and caring and very sexy to boot. On the other hand Zoro had entirely given up his right to exist on the day he set out to be the greatest swordsman in the world. His entire world now was focused on training and being the best.

The Ero-cook had, and still teased Zoro relentlessly about how he had no desire for the fairer sex, but that was far from the truth. Zoro was still attracted to women, but he just didn't have the time nor space for them in his life at this point. Maybe when all this was over, and he was the best in the world, he would go back and see what could be between Vivi and himself. But he didn't hold any illusions, and in fact he wouldn't be surprised if she was married at that very moment. If she was, good for her. He still had the score to settle with Mihawk.

"I guess so, sometimes…" He replied with a shrug. "Come on Chopper, let's go. It's a big island and isn't getting any smaller while we sit here."

"Yosh!" said Chopper in his deer form, walking beside Zoro. "You know what… I miss her too"

"I never really liked Hurley when I was younger." Kaicen told Robin with a shrug. He was suprisingly open with a complete stranger. She supposed it was of his upbringing here on Solstin.

Over the last half an hour he had recounted the first twelve years of his life story to her. He had told her about how he was the youngest of five, how his parents had met through a singing competition, and how his mother was the only person alive who had ever come close to besting his father in a vocal competition.

"And then… Then comes a day that I will never forget." This was obviously a tender subject for him. Robin couldn't blame him. When she had lived through a buster call herself it had terrified her to an extent that she still refused to even think about it, much less talk about it. That Kaicen would even attempt to address it spoke volumes of his courage to her.

"That morning I had a fight with my parents." Laughing sadly he continued, "That fight probably saved my life. It was the reason I was away from the house when the deadly metallic rain began to fall. I ran back as fast as I could… but I was too late!"

Choked by sobs, he had to cease his history for a few minutes while he had a good cry, but with a few great gulps of air he eventually regained a bit of his composure. "My father was dying when I arrived… He told me that he loved me… and… then he was gone… I was alone. So very alone…"

Robin would have comforted him, but she knew from personal experience how hollow any words she could offer would be to him. Wisely she held her silence, waiting patiently for him to speak.

"Not a minute later I found myself trussed up by the navy as they ransacked my home, searching for something. They must have found it too, because suddenly everything went black. When I awoke I was in a cell on a navy ship with no idea why, a headache the size of a sea king, and the urge to cry my eyes out."

"Go on…"

"Isn't it a beautiful day Nami-swan?" Sanji asked, practically gushing as he extended his hand and helped her over a large log that had fallen across their path.

"I guess so. Until you realize that we're searching for our missing nakama." Nami replied. Five steps later she realized that she was not only still holding onto Sanji's hand, she had actually entwined her fingers with his strong and supple ones. Blushing furiously she reluctantly extracted her hand from his grasp, and strode a number of steps ahead of him. "Come on! We've got a lot of ground to cover!"

Behind her Sanji took a long draw on his cigarette and blew a monstrously large smoke heart. Oh yes… it was indeed a beautiful day, for his Nami-san had held his hand for a full and glorious thirty seconds! He hopes as he had never hoped before that they would encounter even rougher terrain… and more of it. Then this day would be perfect.

"Bard-san?" Robin asked, shaking him gently. "Are you alright?"

"Wha? Oh, sorry… I must have drifted off." He said as he shook his head to clear it. That was odd. Why wasn't he able to think straight anymore? If he had been in a more lucid mindset it would have bothered him. "I must apologize. I don't handle captivity well… and lately I've been just completely drained of energy. I guess I like being chained up even less…"

"Well, that's easily remedied." Robin smiled. Casting around she was able to find a ling thin piece of metal wire attached to a pipe. Breaking it off, she formed it into a crude lock pick. Kneeling beside his outstretched leg she bent down to jimmy the shackle open, giving Kaicen an eyeful as the baggy shirt fell partially open. When she touched the metal she felt all the heat go out of her body in an instant and her skin crawled in dreadful recognition. Shuddering, she recoiled in horror. The fetter was seastone! This explained everything. Retreating, she took a seat by his side and leaned against the wall as he was. "I'm sorry. I can't open it. Can't even touch it… But tell me, What devil's fruit did you eat?"

"You put two and two together quickly Lady Nico." Kaicen replied. Turning to look at her he smiled a slow sad smile. He toyed with the idea of apologizing to her for peeking down her shirt, but decided against it. What good would it do? Instead, he continued his tale. "As I was being taken to wherever the hell they were taking me, the ship I was on encountered another ship. I think it was a pirate ship, because I heard the cannons fire. When the two ships closed there was a horrendous crash, and the peculiar music of swordplay echoed through the very fiber of the ship. Down into the brig a few nondescript pirates fought with a man in a long navy coat who seemed to be wearing a hat in the shape of a dog's head."

"Vice Admiral Garp!" Robin murmured in wonder.

"Well, whoever he is, I owe him my life… and much more." Sighed Kaicen. "when he saw me there alone he must have had pity on me. The pirates fighting him lasted about as long as a snowflake in a sauce pan, and after he dispatched them he flipped me the keys to my cell. He made it look like an accident of course, but I still know the truth."

Mercy from the navy? Such a thing was unthinkable to Robin. With wide eyes she continued to listen to him.

"Once he was gone I scrambled for the key, and made my way up to the deck. But when I saw that the top deck was filled with struggling bodies locked in mortal combat I got scared and bolted, looking for some place to hide." Caught up in his memories, he leaned his head against the wall, which caused his dirty, unkempt hair into his face in, what to Robin, was a handsome manner. "When I finally found a suitable place there was an explosion, and the next thing I knew I was floating face up in the sea with only flotsam around me. Luckily I was able to find a whole crate, and after a solid week of swimming I was able to discover an island."

"Come on Luffy!" Usopp called. They had almost made it to Quinox, and he was anxious to get there. "It's only a short way more."

At a mere seventeen years old Luffy was easily distracted, especially by meat, but today was different. Today he was locked deep in thought and only grunted in response to Usopp. After a long while of walking in silence, Luffy finally spoke. "Usopp…"

"Yeah, Luffy?"

"I love Zoro."

"What?" Usopp cried in amazement. Luffy was gay? He could see Zoro, or Sanji as being that way, but LUFFY?

"Well… I'd pretty much do anything for him, even die. Isn't that love?" Luffy said as he walked past a stunned Usopp.

"I guess so..." Usopp replied.

Turning back towards the marksman Luffy flashed a wide and happy, toothy grin to him. "Well then, I love all my nakama! I think it's what makes me such a good captain. I just figured it out."

Usopp could only shake his head and follow his captain. A captain who loved him. Trust Luffy to express such a simple and wonderful thought in the most innocent and confusing manner.

"Come on Usopp!" Luffy called in excitement. "I smell meat cooking!"

Breaking into a run they soon reached Quinox. Now all Usopp had to do was get Luffy to ignore the meat long enough to see Hurley. Talk about an impossible mission! "Luffy! Come on, we've got to see the mayor!"

"When I awoke on the beach I was starving!" Kaicen said, closing his eyes and resting them for a moment. "I honestly thought I was going to die."

"But you didn't."

"No… No I didn't." Kaicen agreed with a smile.

"I'm glad you didn't." She said, returning his smile.

"Well, what kept me alive was that I noticed a stream off in the distance. When I managed to crawl over and slaked my thirst, I saw through teary eyes a fruit filled vine. I didn't know that they were Devil Fruits, I just knew that they were the strangest things I'd ever seen. They looked like giant lemons colored white with odd swirls on the skins. Well, I was so hungry that I ate every single one of them. I ate the vine too, I was that hungry."

"But.. But if you eat more than one Devil Fruit you'll explode!" Robin cried out in alarm.

"Really? I didn't know that." Kaicen admitted with a shrug. "All I know is that I only did it because I was so hungry. A bit later I found out what they were called; the Vite Vite no Mi."

"The swift fruit? So that means…"

"That's right." He smiled. "I'm super quick. I can even run up walls and across water. That's why I'm chained up here, otherwise I would be able to slip out the door the second it was opened."

"Amazing…" Murmured Robin in appreciation

"I'll have to give you a demonstration sometime, Lady Nico." Kaicen offered.

"I'd like that Bard-san."

A.N. I hope you all like chapter 11! In this redux I changed the name of Kaicen's Kaicen's devil fruit from Hayai Hayai no Mi (Hayai: Japanese for Speed) to the Vite Vite no Mi (Vite: French for Swift) I think it flows better. Thanks again Charlett