Well, I am really getting going on this story of late. I really hope you are all enjoying this.

Chapter 5

That day they finally reached the border of Luffy's land. The prince had recovered a lot from his upset that morning, but Zolo had been keeping an eye on him just in case.

"I remember that there's a village just through those trees." Luffy whispered from where he was crouching next to Zolo behind a large hedge. Zolo nodded.

"Yeah. Look, I know someone in that village. He's not exactly a friend, but he'll help us." Zolo whispered back. The was a loud gurgle and Luffy stiffened.

"I'm hungry." he announced. Zolo blinked and then instead of feeling annoyed like he should have, he smiled.

"Good thing he's a chef then." the soldier replied. The affect on the boy was instantaneous as a large smile spread across Luffy's face.

"Well then let's go!" Luffy cried making Zolo wince and make hushing sounds with his hands. Luffy cringed.

"Sorry." he whispered. Zolo shook his head.

"Never mind." and he glanced around for a moment before getting up and hurrying through the trees and down the slope that lay before them. The village wasn't very busy, but then, that was probably the best thing for the two right now.

Luffy scurried behind Zolo, keeping his head low, but also glancing at everything around him. Zolo stopped behind a fancy looking house and Luffy ran straight into him, causing the swordsman to look around at the smaller boy, an annoyed look on his face. Luffy grinned as though nothing had happened. Zolo sighed and looked back.

"Hey, there's a guy over there." Luffy said and Zolo looked in the direction the prince was pointing. A blonde haired man, wearing a rather done up tuxedo, was standing outside of the house. His back was facing them, but Zolo smiled.

"There's our guy." he said, "Stay here." and he hurried off. Luffy pouted but did as he was told. Zolo ducked behind a house and then reaching out, he was able to tap the blonde on the shoulder.

"What the fuck?" the blonde yelled, spinning around. He had a long piece of blonde hair covering his left eye, and over the visible eye was a swirly eyebrow. His chest heaved from the shock and then he saw Zolo in the shadows, "Oh, it's you Marimo. What the hell do you want?"

"Nice to see you too, Princess." Zolo returned, "Sanji, there's someone who needs help. I think you'll know him, seeing as you have everything to do with royal affairs."

"Hey, were you at the palace the day the villagers rebelled?" Sanji asked as he dropped his cigarette to the ground and stamped a leather shoe on it. Zolo paused for a moment.

"Yeah, well, just follow me." Zolo demanded and then hurried back towards where Luffy was supposed to be hiding. There was nothing there.

"Where the hell'd he go now?" Zolo growled as he ran a hand through his hair before looking around.

"Where'd who go? Your imaginary friend?" Sanji mocked, and then pointed over towards four guys in a group. "Hey, who are they beating up on?" Zolo's head snapped up and he squinted and then his eyes widened as he realised what was happening.

"Luffy…" he gasped and then ran over.

"Who do you think you are, some sort of a prince?" One man growled before shoving Luffy towards another.

"I think he thinks he is!" the other yelled before shoving Luffy towards another. All the while, the prince kept his mouth shut. He didn't say anything, although he dearly wished to. But, Zolo would get mad at him if he did, and he didn't want that to happen.

"Hey, back off!" a gruff voice called and all of the men plus Luffy turned to see the green haired swordsman standing there. Luffy grinned and was about to walk forward when a large, hairy… smelly arm wrapped itself around his chest.

"Or what?" the man who had Luffy asked. The prince frowned and then snapped his leg up, catching the man holding him in the face with his toe. Luffy was let go and he stood tall. He glanced over as the blonde haired man walked up and all the troublemakers cringed.

"Sanji." the head one said.

"What do you think you're doing assholes?" Sanji asked, lighting another cigarette, and then puffing the smoke out towards the men. Luffy came over to Zolo and stood beside his guard before poking his tongue out at the men.

"We were just, you know, having a little fun." the leader replied. Sanji sneered.

"Sure you were. Now buzz off ya bums." Sanji commanded and the four men almost fell over themselves to get away.

"Woooooooow." a voice said and Sanji looked over, not seeing Luffy from behind Zolo's thicker frame until the boy poked his head around the swordsman.

"Who are you?" Sanji asked. Luffy grinned.

"Monkey D Luffy." he replied and Sanji's eyes widened and he looked at Zolo who raised an eyebrow.

"He's… you're… the prince!" Sanji stuttered. Luffy tilted his head and then looked at Zolo, who shrugged. "I thought you were dead." Sanji added. Zolo shook his head.

"No, but if we don't get out of plain sight, he will be. That group then, it was lucky they didn't recognise him." Zolo said. Sanji paused and then his mouth formed a grim line.

"Right." and he turned towards the fancy looking building Luffy and Zolo had been hiding behind before. "This way." he instructed and walked forward and opened a door that the two hadn't seen before.

When they walked in, there were men in white uniforms rushing around everywhere and Sanji shooed them out of his way. The blonde led them through the kitchens and then into a small storage room that had a circular stair leading up onto the second level of the building.

"Only the service use this. That way we don't get in the way of the customers going up and down the main stairs." Sanji explained as they went up.

"Customers?" Luffy asked as he walked in front of Zolo and behind Sanji.

"Yeah. This is a restaurant. Didn't grass head tell you that?" Sanji replied. Zolo growled.

"Magic eyebrow." he muttered back.

"Moron." Sanji responded.

"Dartboard." Zolo quipped. Luffy blinked in confusion.

"Do you guys always do that?" he asked.

"Yep." both men replied and Luffy paused, then chuckled. When they reached the upper level, they came into a small room. Luffy looked around.

"Is this your room?" Luffy asked. Sanji shook his head.

"Nope. This is the old geezer's room. The owner of this place." he replied. Zolo gently pushed Luffy forward.

"All we ask is to stay the night." Zolo explained. Sanji paused and then nodded.

"Sure." and he opened the door out of the room and into a corridor.

"There's a spare room down the hall. You can stay there. Zeff won't mind." Sanji said pointing down the hall. "I have to get back down to the kitchen, but I'm off in an hour so I'll bring you up some food." Zolo nodded. "Keep it quiet up here Marimo, or there may be more trouble than you can handle… from me." and then Sanji walked suavely away.

Luffy watched him go and then tilted his head.

"He's weird… but cool!" the prince said. Zolo snorted and then grabbing Luffy's arm he pulled the boy towards the room.

Sanji was true to his word, and after much whinging and whining, the chef came back in the door, arms laden with plates. Luffy almost, no, scratch that, Luffy did drool. Sanji set the plates down on the floor in front of the boy, and Luffy pounced on the food, inhaling it as fast as he can.

"Geeze marimo, did you even feed the poor kid?" Sanji asked, watching in disgust. Zolo, who had grabbed a plate for himself before Luffy could get a hold of it, scowled at the chef.

"I couldn't exactly cook a tree for him, could I?" Zolo responded sarcastically. Sanji shrugged.

"Probably would have tasted better than anything else you could have cooked." the chef commented. Zolo growled, but let the comment go. He was too hungry to argue right now. Luffy finished his food and then sat pouting as he stared at the empty plate. Innocent eyes wandered over to Zolo's plate which was still in the swordsman's hand and still half full. Zolo paused as he saw Luffy eyeing his plate.

"No way kid." he said and then moved the plate away from Luffy. The boy whined in the back of his throat.

"If you want more, I guess I could bring you some more." Sanji said from where he was leaning against the wall. Luffy looked up.

"Really?" the prince asked hopefully. Sanji raised an eyebrow.

"Sure. Only take a minute." and then the chef walked out the door again. Luffy was bouncing in place now.

"You really like food, don't you?" Zolo asked as he lifted another bit of food to his mouth. Luffy nodded happily and looked at the door, which was slowly cracking open. Luffy blinked.

"What are you doing out there?" Luffy asked. Zolo looked up and noticed the door and then his eyes narrowed.

"Usopp, get in here." Zolo snapped. The door opened all the way and a boy of about Luffy's age stepped in wearing a waiter's outfit. He had a long nose and a yellow bandana holding his long brown curls in place. Zolo sighed.

"I suppose Sanji told you?" he asked. Usopp nodded.

"I didn't mean to peek, I just wanted to see the prince." Usopp said and then looked at Luffy who tilted his head and then smiled.

"Hi, I'm Monkey D Luffy." the prince said. Usopp paused.

"Name's Usopp." the boy replied with a smile. Luffy grinned and stood up, his gold belt clinking slightly. Sanji came back into the room, and Luffy's attention went immediately to the plates in the chef's hands.

"Usopp, I told you not to come up here." Sanji said after he had given the plates to Luffy, who inhaled the food almost instantly.

"I'm not on duty, I'm entitled." Usopp replied. Sanji sighed.

"Yes, but if you're up here, then I'm sure someone will begin to realise what's up here and come snooping, in which case, the prince could wind up in trouble." the chef replied as he sat down by the wall, drawing a knee up and then slinging an arm across it. Usopp paused.

"I didn't think of that. But, I'll be careful." the boy pleaded. Luffy looked up.

"Can he stay? I wanna play with someone!" he whined. Usopp faced the prince and smiled.

"Cool. Yeah, I wanna play too."

"Sanji?" a soft, feminine voice called from outside the door.

"Oh no…" Zolo groaned and put a hand against his forehead as a girl walked in through the door. She had short orange hair and was wearing a tight black shirt and a short yellow skirt.

"Ah, Nami!" the chef cooed, all pretence of coolness out the window as his visible eye turned into a heart. Nami paused at Luffy, who was sitting on the floor, looking up at her with a confused look on his face.

"Hi, who are you?" she asked. Luffy tilted his head.

"Monkey D Luffy, who are you?" the boy replied. Nami blinked for a moment and then she smiled.

"That's the prince's name. Come on, what's your real name?" she asked.

"Uh… Luffy?" the prince suggested, not sure of what he was supposed to say. Nami's smile faded.

"You're serious aren't you?" and then her eyes came to rest on the green haired man beside Luffy. "Zolo? That you? Haven't seen you in years."

"Yeah yeah, what the hell do you want?" Zolo asked as he finished the last of his food and set the plate on the floor.

"I only wanted to see Sanji. But now, I think I may stay and hear your explanation as to why you chose this place as a hideout." Nami replied, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall after shutting the door.

"Ah, Nami is so lovely when she's being impolite." Sanji cooed.

"Oh shut up." Zolo muttered. Luffy smiled.

"Oh, Luffy, do you know a girl named… Vivi?" Nami asked. Luffy paused and then put a finger on his chin as he thought.

"Hmm… oh, does she have blue hair? Purple eyes?" Luffy replied. Nami nodded.

"Yeah. I know her. She came by here once and we got talking. She was so nice." the orange haired woman said. Luffy nodded.

"She always used to play with me and Trace." and then Luffy's face fell slightly. Zolo saw it and he sighed.

"Leave him alone Nami. Luffy, why don't you go in the corner and have a talk with Usopp, I'm sure he'd like that." the swordsman said. Luffy perked up and then looked at the long nosed man excitedly. Usopp nodded and then beckoned Luffy into a corner. Zolo stood and then went over to Sanji, who stood as well. Nami followed.

"Guys, take it easy on him. His family's dead, and he had a bit of an upset this morning, saying he wanted to go home." Zolo whispered after making sure Luffy and Usopp were deeply in conversation. Sanji nodded.

"Awww, poor baby." Nami cooed, making Sanji frown a little in jealousy.

"Yeah. Thing is, we're supposed to be going to Shanks' castle, but, I'm not entirely sure where to go. I need a map." and he looked pointedly at Nami who put a finger on her chin.

"Yep, you'll get one. But, if it had only been for you, then it would have cost you something, but for the prince, nothing." and then she hurried out of the room. Sanji watched her go.

"Did he do that this morning, marimo?" the chef asked, pointing towards Luffy with his cigarette. The prince was gesturing with his bandaged hand, apparently telling Usopp about something that was of a grand size as the boy's arms were stretched wide. Zolo nodded.

"Yeah. He punched a tree." the swordsman replied. Sanji paused.

"He punched a tree? What, was he aiming for you and missed?"

"No!" Zolo replied. Sanji shrugged.

"Zolo!" Luffy called from across the room. The swordsman turned and smiled at Luffy, who was getting up.

"What's up Luffy?"

"You call him Luffy?" Sanji muttered. Zolo rolled his eyes at the chef and then turned back to Luffy who was now standing in front of him.

"Zolo. Do you wanna hear a story Usopp's gonna tell me?" Luffy asked innocently as he stared up at Zolo. The swordsman paused a moment and then shook his head.

"No. You go on. Usopp tells good stories." Zolo replied. Usopp's chest swelled with the praise and Sanji stared. Luffy pouted for a moment and then shrugged before rushing back over and sitting cross legged in front of Usopp again.

"Since when do you say nice things about others?" Sanji asked. Zolo frowned.

"I can say whatever I want, asshole." Zolo responded nastily. Sanji puffed on his cigarette.

"Whatever you say Marimo." the chef replied. "Whatever you say."

Wow, that's the longest chapter so far. Hope it was interesting. I'm gonna say this, plain and simple, thankyou to all those who have reviewed so far, and I hope to interest some new people into reviewing for me. It would be very much appreciated.