Long Term Hearts

by Trafalgar's Pet

Law's childhood friend has gone through thick and thin with him, now after many years of separation, they've found each other in the one place where Straw Hat Luffy slugs a Dragon. Now that the Straw Hats have been split up by the Warlord Bartholomew Kuma, Yukimi ends up in the care of the one and only Surgeon of Death.

7. Hawkeye Mihawk

~WHAT'S UP GUYS! Holy Jesus Christ that was fucking amazing! If you're wondering as to why I sound hyped, well I just got back from watching One Piece Stampede! And it was fucking epic~~~! And yes, I watched it in dub and I'm chomping at the bit for more! I won't say anything for spoilers, but I gotta say, Johnny Young Bosch can do no wrong! He was great at voicing Sabo. Aaaah...~ I can't wait for the dub to get its ass back into gear. I'm just so excited that Funimation had made the LONG awaited announcement to its return. Starting with PUNK HAZARD! Wait for me Doc~ I miss your voice Matthew Christopher Mercer~ WHOO! Don't mind me guys, go and enjoy the chapter while I fawn over Law elsewhere. Oh, and one more thing, if you don't review, Law will steal y'all's hearts~

Long Term Hearts

Chapter 7: Hawkeye Mihawk

**********^.^**********

After pulling Yosaku, and Johnny from the water, the boys pushed into each other to get into the drenched faces of the bounty hunters. Usopp pushed through first, "Is it true?!"

"For real? Did Nami sail off with the Going Merry?" Luffy was then pushed out of the way by Zoro.

"I need a straight answer. Now, what happened?"

"Well...it all happened so suddenly," Yosaku then recounted how Nami had deceived them, basically marooned them there, and stole the Going Merry.

"So that's the story of how big sis Nami took the ship," Johnny finished as he, and Yosaku bowed on the deck in shame. "We're really sorry."

Zoro punched the Baratie's outside wall pissed. "Dammit! She just had to make a bad situation worse!"

"That heartless thief! Kaya gave us that ship!" Usopp shook his fists in anger.

"Wait! I can see the ship!" Luffy had his hands next to his eyes, shielding them from the sun as he stood on the rail. "It's the Going Merry!" The straw hat wearing boy looked over his shoulder at them. "Tell me where your boat is."

"We still have it, but..."

The rubber boy fully faced them now, "Zoro, Usopp, Yukimi, don't just stand there, go get Nami!"

"Nevermind that. Just let it go," Zoro waved him off. "She's more trouble than she's worth."

"She's the only person I'll accept as the navigator," Luffy said stubbornly.

Yukimi stuffed her hands into her hoodie pocket. She couldn't believe Nami would do something like this. 'But then again, I've only known her, and the others for only a few days.' She hadn't gotten attached to the ship yet but, she had left her wanted poster of Law in there. Of course, she could always get a new one from the following day's newspaper but also wanted to do what her new captain asked.

Zoro sighed as he facepalmed after their silent staring contest. "Fine, we'll do it. You're one high maintenance captain, you know that? Alright Usopp, Yukimi, let's go."

"Oh, okay."

"'Kay."

The two bounty hunters quickly went, and came back with their boat, lowering the anchor just in front of them. "The ship is ready for action, big bro Zoro," they saluted.

Zoro turned to Luffy, "Hey, what about you?"

"I should probably stick around here to settle things with the restaurant, know what I mean?" Luffy said jabbing his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the head chef.

"Well be careful. The situation here can get really bad really fast," Zoro warned.

"Yeah, got that right," Luffy nodded.

"Don Krieg! The man who destroyed our fleet is back! What are we gonna do?!"

Everyone looked up at the pirate's voice, noticing a small ship with a man slowly sail through the new ship graveyard. Zoro froze up, "That's...That's him..." He gulped from the man's presence. "That man is..."

Luffy looked around curiously, "Hey, who's that?"

"That's the man I've been looking for, Hawkeye Mihawk."

Luffy lowered his head until the brim of his hat shaded his eyes, "So that's, Mihawk."

"Yeah, the greatest swordsman."

Yukimi stepped closer to the rail to get a better look. The kitsune narrowed her red eyes when she spotted the huge black sword on the man's back. "That's one big sword," she murmured. Her eyes shifted to Zoro as he adjusted his Wado Ichimonji with a tense grin.

Before anyone could say anything, Zoro ran off. Leaping from large floating pieces of the wrecked galleon to the next until he stood on the one where a small group of men was. One of them tried shooting at Mihawk, only for the renowned swordsman to deflect the bullets away by his black blade.

"What?! I missed?! But I aimed straight for him!"

"He diverted them." The pirate turned around in shock now seeing Zoro behind him. "He changed the course of the bullets by the tip of his sword," Zoro explained as the master swordsman put away his weapon.

"That can't be... Wait! Who do you think you are?" the pirate demanded as Zoro walked past him.

Another pirate looked at the swordsman's swords, the man's eyes widened at the sight of three swords strapped to Zoro's hip, "He's got three swords. He couldn't be..."

"I've never seen a sword handled so gently or with such grace," Zoro complimented.

Mihawk glanced his way, "There's no strength based in swordplay with force."

"Did you also use that sword to slice up this ship?"

"I did," the master swordsman answered calmly.

"Then it's true, you're the best!" This time he didn't get a response. "I've set sail for one reason, to meet you," Zoro started to put his bandana on.

"And what is your goal?"

"To beat you!" Zoro stated with a growing grin.

"Heh, how foolish," Mihawk grinned back with a scoff.

Zoro took out Ichimonji, "You've got spare time, so let's do this!"

"Woah! It's him! It's Roronoa Zoro! It's Zoro the Three Sword Style!" the pirate who shot his guns earlier exclaimed.

"It is?!" another pirate whimpered.

"Hey, Luffy c'mon! We better hurry because the Going Merry is almost out of sight! Hey, Luffy!" Usopp turned away from their ship as he tried to get Luffy's attention.

Luffy and Yukimi stayed where they were, not moving an inch. Yukimi trained her eyes on the swordsmen across the water.

"A fight? You're a weak, pitiful creature." Mihawk leaped onto the floating ship piece where Zoro was. He crossed his arms before continuing. "If you are in fact a confident swordsman, you should've been able to judge the difference in strengths without drawing your sword. I must ask you, why you challenged me? Could it be your courage? Or could it be simply your ignorance?"

"It's my ambition that drives me." Zoro placed Ichimonji between his teeth before drawing his other two swords. "And a promise to my fallen friend," he answered further as his scabbards clattered to the decking.

"No one can beat big bro! He's already the best in the world!" Yosaku shouted while Johnny grinned.

Not even bothering to make a reply to what the bounty hunters had indicated, Mihawk took off his cross necklace and detached the bottom revealing a small knife.

Zoro's eyes widened at the man's actions before narrowing them in irritation. "Funny, what do you think you're gonna do with that?"

Mihawk raised the knife a little higher to show it more. "It will be more than adequate. After all, you wouldn't kill a fly with a cannonball, would you? You may have a reputation here in the East Blue, but that doesn't mean much to me. This sea is by far the weakest of the four." Mihawk made a mock sorrowful frown, "Unfortunately, I don't carry any blade smaller than this."

"I had just about enough of your attitude!" Zoro clenched Ichimonji tighter between his teeth before he lunged at Mihawk. "Now you die!"

"You have no idea how big the world really is!"

"Oni Giri!"

Everyone's eyes widened in shock when the three swords were so easily stopped by the small knife. Yukimi's lips were in a firm line as she could clearly see Zoro shocked.

"What?! Big bro's demon technique was stopped!" Johnny shouted in shock.

"But, that has always worked one hundred percent of the time! What in the world happened?!" Yosaku responded just as shocked.

Zoro jumped back, and lunged again, "I am not that far behind the world's strongest!"

"It's...like a frenzy rather than a fight. And by no means this is a fair fight between the amount of experience between them," Yukimi observed under her breath.

Zoro was pushed back enough to fall. He quickly got back up and restarted the unmatched duel. Mihawk jumped onto a rail before leaping up, and over Zoro, as the swordsman slashed the wooden rail clean through. Zoro faced the Warlord again and continued the deadly sword dance.

"Such ferocious swordplay," Mihawk commented as they locked blades again.

This prompted a battle cry from the younger swordsman, resulting in Zoro swinging Ichimonji to strike, only to be blocked once more. The force of the blocked blade made a small whirlwind at their feet, making their clothes flutter from the wind.

Yukimi stiffened when she noticed her new friend falter and was struck at the base of his neck, collapsing a few feet from Mihawk.

As Zoro slowly stood back up, everyone could tell he was exhausted, especially when he struggled just to walk. He rose one of his swords to strike, only to trip as Mihawk sidestepped him.

"What is it then?" Mihawk asked in a calm tone as he observed Zoro like he was a child. "What weight do you carry upon your shoulders? Speak up, weakling!"

"How dare you call him a weakling! You'll pay for that!" Yosaku shouted.

"We'll teach you a lesson!" Johnny shouted as he and Yosaku jumped off their ship with their swords brandished.

"No! Yosaku! Johnny! Get back here!" Luffy grabbed the bounty hunters' collars and pulled them back onto the ship. "Just stay put!"

"Luffy..." Usopp looked in awe at the rubber boy as the young pirate forced the bounty hunter duo down. The sniper then looked over to his right. Yukimi was ringing the hem of her hoodie in one hand while clenching a kunai tightly in the other.

Zoro stood back up with a glare, "No, I won't lose! I refuse to be defeated!" The swordsman raised his swords over, and behind his blade, in his jaws, as the sun grew bright, and everything became silent to his ears but the beating of his own heart. "Tora Gari!" Suddenly it was like the world became black and white. There was nothing to be heard but of skin, and muscles being pierced through by nothing but a small knife. Zoro's arms slowly lowered from their frozen descent as he hunched over slightly as blood dripped seemingly loudly to the decking at their feet.

Mihawk had thrust his knife into the younger swordsman, just shy of impaling his heart. "You are defeated, yet you won't step back. Why not? Do you wish to have this go through your heart?"

"I don't know," Zoro answered as blood slid between his teeth and down his throat, staining his shirt and haramaki. "But I will not run. Even if I retreat a single step. I will be shattering the promises I've made. I can't run. I would lose my honor. You see, without that there will be nothing left for me here."

"That's what defeat is."

Zoro chuckled as more blood flowed down his nose, mouth, and front. "Then I won't accept defeat."

"Then you'll die."

"I rather die than give up!" Zoro shot back.

There was a pause between the two swordsmen before Zoro grunted from Mihawk pulling out his knife, and putting it away. "Sir, state your name."

Zoro held out his swords forming a triangle at the handles. "I am Roronoa Zoro."

"I'll remember it. No one as strong as you has come in quite some time." Mihawk drew out his large black sword. "So as a swordsman curtsy, I'll use the world's strongest black blade to finish you."

"Thank you, I appreciate your offer."

Yukimi tensed up further, eyeing the two swordsmen's standoff. "This doesn't look good guys!"

"Enough big bro! Stop it please!"

"Three Sword Style Secret Technique..." Zoro started spinning his swords clock, and counterclockwise. Mihawk lunged forth, swinging his black blade. "Three Thousand Worlds!" Zoro swung his swords just as the master swordsman was right on top of him.

Everything happened in a split second. One moment the two swordsmen stood still with their respective swords in the air at the end of their swing. The next, two blades cracked, and broke apart, clattering to the floating piece of decking loudly as blood spewed from Zoro's chest. Said swordsman nearly completely collapsed but supported himself with his hands still clutching the handles to his broken swords. Zoro let them go and took Ichimonji out of his mouth before slowly sheathing the faithful blade. Zoro stood up, faced Mihawk, and spread his arms out, exposing his chest.

"But why?" Mihawk questioned in astonishment.

"Scars on the back are a swordsman's shame!" Zoro replied with a bloody grin.

"Well said," Mihawk grinned back before slashing Zoro's front, spilling more blood.

Yukimi stood stock still as she heard everyone on the ship screaming the young swordsman's name. She flinched as water splashed into her face from Yosaku, and Johnny jumping into the water. The kitsune looked up in time to see Luffy crash into the side of the floating decking where the Warlord stood on. Yukimi growled as her ears pinned back through her raised hood. Before Usopp could stop her, she leaped over the rail, and dashed across the ocean's surface, making anyone watching her gawk.

"You damn bastard!" Yukimi held up the kunai she's been gripping and threw it at the man. Mihawk easily deflected the kunai before looking over to the kitsune. His eyes widened in the slightest in surprise seeing someone actually on top of the ocean's surface, and not fall into the water. The Warlord faced the kitsune as she took out another kunai, and stopped near where Yosaku, and Johnny dove under where Zoro fell through the waves.

"There's no need to be hostile, child," Mihawk commented as he put away his sword.

"Ch-child?!" Yukimi gritted her teeth furiously. "Don't judge a book by its cover. I'm far older than I look!"

The Warlord watched as the strange looking girl raised her weapon ready to throw it. Mihawk looked over his shoulder where Luffy was struggling to free his head from the broken decking, making his neck stretch in doing so. "Are you that young warrior's comrade? I'm impressed you didn't interfere with our duel." He glanced back at Yukimi noticing her lower her kunai cautiously. The sound of boards breaking, a thud, and a grunt behind him told Mihawk the rubber boy was finally free. "There's nothing to be upset about. Your friend will live."

Yukimi gasped when Yosaku and Johnny burst through the water next to her with Zoro in tow. "Zoro!"

"Big bro say something, please!" Yosaku pleaded as Johnny shook the swordsman's shoulder, earning a bloody cough.

Yukimi quickly put away her kunai before kneeling next to Johnny, "Let me help him out of the water or he'll bleed out faster!" This quickly prompted them to hand Zoro over to her. The kitsune grunted as she draped his arm over her neck, placed her hand on his waist, and made him lean onto her. Yukimi staggered under the new weight, rapidly realizing this was going to be harder than she thought. After all, they weren't on land where Zoro's feet would have something solid under them, but on water, in the middle of the ocean no less. Luffy watched worriedly as Yosaku, and Johnny supported Zoro's weight by pushing his feet out of the water to lessen the burden on the kitsune while she walked over to where Usopp was.

"Come on, we gotta get him on the ship!" Usopp said leaning over the side. After dragging Zoro onto the small ship, the sniper quickly brought some medical supplies over to them as the bounty hunter duo, and kitsune knelt around the injured swordsman. "I've got some medicine, here!" As they started to help Zoro, they could hear Mihawk speaking up.

"It's still far too early to die. My name is Dracule Mihawk! You're strong but there's still much for you to learn. No matter how many years it takes I will hold the title as the greatest in the world, and wait for you. Until that day, you must hone your skills. Then seek me out, Roronoa Zoro!"

Zoro's eyes twitched from the Warlord shouting his declaration out to him. Johnny and Yosaku sat on either side of him, noticing the slight movement. "Big bro please say something, anything!"

Mihawk looked back at Luffy with his arms crossed, "You, what is your goal?"

"To be the king," was Luffy's simple reply.

The Warlord grinned in amusement, "Your ambitions are even loftier than your friend's. That's quite a task."

"Yeah well, you just let me worry about that," Luffy then stuck his tongue out at the Warlord immaturely.

"He's alive!" Usopp cried out in relief.

Luffy looked back at the ship holding his friends, feeling relief flood through him.

"He was only unconscious," Usopp sighed as he held a medicine bottle away from Zoro. Yukimi felt a tight pull on her lips as she looked over the damage done to the young swordsman as she continued her medical ninjutsu.

"Big bro..." Yosaku's voice shook as he cried.

"Please say something!" Johnny pleaded.

Zoro took hold of his only sword left, Ichimonji, before raising it in the air, making Yukimi remind him not to move so much. "Luffy...can you hear me...?"

"Yeah!"

"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!" Zoro coughed up blood making everyone on board panic.

"Okay okay! You can stop saying things now!"

"Big bro!"

"Take it easy Zoro, you're not in the best of conditions if you haven't noticed," Yukimi muttered under her breath as she hovered her hands over his abdomen.

Zoro placed his hand over his forehead as tears poured from his eyes as he continued. "I solemnly swear...from this moment forward...that I will never lose again..." Zoro's breath hitched. "Until the day I defeat him...and take his title...I will never, never be defeated. Is that okay? King of the Pirates?!"

Luffy grinned happily as he chuckled, "Yup!"

"You're a good team." Mihawk turned to leave, "I hope to see you again someday."

Yukimi spared a glance at the Warlord then directed her attention back on the bleeding swordsman in front of her. "Johnny hand me the bandages please," the kitsune said as she finished closing the wounds.

"H-here," the bounty hunter handed the bandages to the kitsune next to him.

Just as Yukimi pulled up Zoro's shirt to start bandaging him, there was a sudden explosion making the small ship rock. The kitsune almost fell onto the injured swordsman but caught herself in time. She looked up to see a large cloud of smoke coming from where Luffy and Mihawk were. As the smoke cleared, neither were there anymore. Off to the side beyond the wrecked decking, she could make out Mihawk leaving in his coffin like ship. While out of the corner of her eye back at the Baratie, Yukimi saw Luffy land on the side rail, surprising the cooks there. "What is that idiotic bastard think he's doing?! Doesn't he realize that the man he tried to blow holes into is a freaking Warlord?!" Yukimi hissed as she saw Don Krieg standing among the smoke with a bunch of smoking guns.

Zoro tried to get up to see what had happened but flinched from the immense pain from his injury, "What..what happened?"

Yukimi smirked back at him as she started dressing his wounds, "Aw, you worried you lost your chance to defeat the greatest swordsman in the world? Pfft, as if. Donny over there just had a pissy fit about wanting to kill Mihawk for what he did to them on the Grand Line. Don't you worry your green hair gray, Zoro." The kitsune chuckled at the swordsman's unamused expression.

"Come on we gotta catch up to the Going Merry," Usopp announced after he got the "go ahead" from Luffy.

Johnny and Yosaku quickly got to work navigating the small ship, and within moments they were on their way escaping from the fight that was about to erupt.

"So, where do you think Nami's heading to anyway?" Yukimi asked the two bounty hunters as she started on a new roll of bandages, leaving behind the escalating battle.

"Well let's take a look," Johnny said taking out a map of the surrounding area.

Yosaku looked over his buddy's shoulder. "We're here," he pointed to where the Baratie was supposed to be near the Calm Belt. He looked up toward the direction Nami had sailed, then at the sun's position in the sky before looking back down at the map. "It looks like she's heading to..."

"...Arlong Park," Johnny slowly finished as he, and Yosaku looked at each other nervously.

"Why do you guys look like something really bad is there?" Usopp asked with a shaky voice growing a bit scared with how ominously they sounded.

"Arlong sounds familiar," Yukimi commented as she finished up making Zoro a half mummy.

"That's because Arlong has a bounty of 20,000,000 beris," Zoro added as he sat up stiffly.

Yukimi snapped her fingers, "Oh isn't he that fishman that's been terrorizing this area for a while?"

"How can you sound so calm Yukimi? This guy sounds more powerful than Don Krieg!" Usopp whimpered as he felt his knees shake from the thought of going up against someone whose strength is far superior to humans.

"How can I sound so calm?" Yukimi repeated with a flat look. A certain evil grin and maniacal laughter flashed through her mind's eye, making a visible shudder run over the kitsune as she clenched her eyes shut. "Because I've faced a despicable man who's twenty times scarier than this small fry will ever be," Yukimi murmured as she reopened her glaring red eyes. "A man I hope to never have to see again so long as I live. And kitsunes live for centuries, so that's saying a lot."

Silence fell over the small ship as they let this new foreboding information sink in. Everyone didn't know what to say or even how to respond to what Yukimi had said. Though it was obvious that they weren't going to face whoever this man was, they were still heading toward a potentially suicidal area.

Finally, Zoro spoke up, "I assume this man you speak of isn't that friend you're looking for?"

"Law? Heh, hell no," Yukimi answered before hopping up from where she was sitting. "Now let's get this show on the road, and get Nami back for our captain!" Yukimi said pumping her fist into the air. Nobody said anything, but it was obvious that the kitsune was trying to avoid the topic of whoever this man was by putting the retrieval of Nami and the Going Merry back in the forefront of everyone's mind.

Yosaku leaned against the rail to catch his breath and try to calm himself down when a large wave rocked the flimsy little ship, and Yosaku felt water on his back. It wasn't until he was submerged that he realized he fell over the edge. Johnny looked up when he heard a splash, quickly noticing his partner had fallen overboard, "Yosaku!" He ran to the rail just as the bounty hunter broke through the surface coughing.

Usopp tossed over a rope for Yosaku to grab, "Hurry, we're going to lose the Going Merry!"

Yukimi looked in the direction the ship had sailed in only able to see a speck on the horizon. The kitsune went over to the side of the small flimsy ship ready to help out. "Huh?" Behind Yosaku a few yards back was a large black dorsal fin coming straight at him. Red eyes widened with realization. "Yosaku look out!"

"Wha-aaaahh!" Yosaku looked over his shoulder in time for a large panshark to leap out of the water, and dive back in right on top of him. Fish and man went under for a few moments before the panshark resurfaced with Yosaku in its mouth. The shark shook the bounty hunter a bit much to everyone's fear, only for it to stop when Yosaku started punching it in the snout. This caused it to dive back under again before swimming off with him.

"Yosaku!" Johnny shouted, about to dive overboard after them.

Yukimi quickly grabbed the man's hood, preventing him from jumping. "Wait! Look!" Yukimi yelled over his struggling. She pointed in the direction the panshark was swimming off to, black dorsal fin showing. "It's going back towards the Baratie. Yosaku's going to be fine Johnny," Yukimi said letting go of the bounty hunter's clothing.

"How do you know?!"

"Well for one thing," Yukimi started with crossing her arms over her chest, "pansharks don't have sharp teeth like other sharks. So it's not going to eat Yosaku. And if it spits him out near the restaurant he'll just have to swim over to it and be back with Luffy. He's gonna be okay. 'sides, don't you have faith in Yosaku taking care of himself?"

Johnny didn't say anything but gave a small nod.

"Uh guys, I don't see the ship anymore," Zoro spoke up standing at the front of the small ship.

Everyone's attention pulled back to the front of the ship, now not able to see the Going Merry. But now on the horizon, there was an outline of a landmass.

*^.^*

"W-well we're finally here... That's Arlong Park!" Johnny gripped the edge of their ship tightly as they drew ever nearer.

Zoro sat up looking over his shoulder watching the so called feared pirate lair of Arlong draw closer.

Usopp peeked over the rail shakily, "Arlong Park huh? So this is the hideout of the infamous fishman Arlong from the Grand Line?" The nervous sniper gulped loudly at the sight.

Yukimi sat relaxed next to the shaky sniper with her arms crossed over her chest. She gazed at the flag waving in the ever shifting wind tied to a big saw shark head figure. "Wonder how many fishmen are here," the kitsune commented looking around the area for any sign of activity.

"I-I rather not find out," Usopp muttered ducking back down.

Johnny turned toward Usopp, and Yukimi with a cautioned look, "Big sis Nami's ship was the Going Merry. Before we do anything stupid, we should quietly check to make sure it stopped at this island first."

"Yeah good idea," Usopp nodded stiffly.

Zoro stood up with his remaining katana at the ready, "Let's attack them."

Yukimi couldn't decide if she thought the still injured swordsman was stupid or admirable for his determination as the other two berated him for his brash thinking. Zoro faced the now closer island with his hands on his sword, ready to draw it out at a moment's notice. "While the three of you are busy blabbering, and wimping out, I'm placing my thoughts on the battle we're about to face. Luffy told me to bring her back, and I'll do just that. Now let's go!"

Yukimi got up from her seat, and stretched, 'Might as well get ready for anything.' When the kitsune turned her waist to pop her spine, making her face away from the trio, she heard two identical bangs on a skull before a thud rocked the small ship. Yukimi turned back only to see Zoro dazed on the deck with Johnny, and Usopp standing over him with two small wooden mallets. "What the hell are you two doing?!"

"Preventing our deaths!" Usopp answered putting away the mallets.

"We can't have big bro doing something so stupid, and jeopardizing this mission to get big sis Nami back!" Johnny explained bringing out some rope. Then the two quickly tied up the swordsman.

Zoro shook his head after the two wimps finished tying him up. He glared at the two responsible for his predicament. "What the hell?! Untie me!"

"Forget it, big bro. It's for your own good," Johnny said as he steered the ship away from Arlong Park.

"Yukimi."

The kitsune looked over at the irritated swordsman, "Yeah?"

Zoro moved his head in a 'come here' gesture. When Yukimi crouched next to him, he tried moving his arms but couldn't from their bound state behind his back. "Can't you untie me?"

Yukimi frowned, "I could..."

"Then why not do it?! Luffy told us we gotta get Nami back no matter what. She could be right there in Arlong Park right now, but those two wimps are making it difficult in getting her back!" Zoro hissed as he watched Arlong's hideout move behind the ship, and began to grow smaller.

Yukimi glanced at Usopp, and Johnny as they moved their ship along the coast, scanning for the Going Merry. "I do agree that Nami could be there," Yukimi slowly started as she faced Zoro again. "But what if she's not there? But, then again..." The kitsune looked thoughtful as she glanced to the side with a finger to her lips. "I could go over there to recon, and if I find Nami, I could bring her back. Though if I run into any fishman, I can knock 'em out before some alarm goes off." Yukimi tilted her head to the side as she closed her eyes for a moment. "Wonder how I'd fare up against a fishman?"

During this Yukimi didn't realize she had stopped whispering and had gradually gotten a little louder as she spoke. Johnny and Usopp glanced at each other with a newfound worry before quietly nodding to each other.

As Zoro again tried to move his arms feeling the rope tighten, and strain against his attempts, he paused eyeing a certain two creep behind the unaware kitsune in front of him. Before he could warn Yukimi the other two quickly tackled her.

Yukimi let out a surprised grunt as she hit the deck. Yukimi looked over her shoulder up at the two idiots on her back. "What the hell are you doing?! Get the fuck off me!" Yukimi growled as her ears laid flat against her white hair.

"No can do Yukimi. You were going to untie Zoro, and then go into Arlong Park with him!" Usopp said from on her back as Johnny grabbed her arms, and begin to tie her up like Zoro.

"Will you just get the hell off of me! Your combined weight is fucking hurting my ribs!" Yukimi half wheezed half grunted. Before the kitsune knew it, she was sitting next to Zoro who was beyond irritated.

"This is just great! Now neither of us can do anything while these spineless cowards-"

"Make idiotic decisions without us? I agree," Yukimi deadpanned.

Usopp was gazing through his binoculars towards the island when he grinned, "Look! There's the Going Merry!" He lowered his binoculars as he pointed to said goat themed ship. "It's right over there!"

"Then we just have to find her. She must be here somewhere on this island," Johnny suggested looking over his map.

"What are you two idiots think you are doing?! Untie me this instant! I am not the enemy!" Zoro practically shouted.

Yukimi flinched away from the angry swordsman, "Don't forget about me you ear splitting idiot! Thanks for making my ears ring loudly!"

Zoro appeared to not have heard her as he shouted again, "Untie me dammit!"

Yukimi shoved her feet as best she could at Zoro, making him cringe in pain from his injury. "Tone down your volume idiot! How do you like it when someone yells in your sensitive ears?! Huh?! Ya jerk!"

Before Zoro could retort or even glare at the kitsune, Usopp walked over to them with a smile, making the swordsman glare at him instead.

"Zoro, you're way too hurt to be any help when we go ashore," Usopp placed his hand on Zoro's bandaged chest, causing him plenty of pain. "Just sit back, and relax alright?" Usopp chuckled before continuing, "Just rest up, and you can help next time!" The sniper then stood up oblivious as Zoro thought up too many ways to cut him up into a thousand pieces. Yukimi rolled her eyes as the cowardly sniper crossed his arms, looking like he was about to boast about something.

"Fear not lady, and gentlemen! I will bring the girl back safely!" Usopp began laughing causing everyone to sweatdrop.

"Looks like...skipping Arlong Park sure cheered you up," Johnny deadpanned behind him.

"Prepare the anchor! Bring us alongside the Going Merry!" Usopp pointed toward the goat looking ship.

Johnny grabbed the tiller, and began steering, "Aye!"

Usopp breathed in before letting out a sigh, "Ah yes. Now we're underway, it's time to give a name to this voyage. I think I shall call it: 'The Great Adventures of Captain Usopp!'"

Yukimi raised a brow in exasperation, 'Does he always talk like that? Then again, he did try introducing himself as the captain back at the Baratie.' The kitsune stopped musing when Usopp hastily ducked down with a frightened look.

Johnny quickly came over. "What is it? What did you see?" Instead of getting a verbal response, Usopp pointed over his shoulder toward the occupied pier.

Yukimi looked at the pier spotting three fishmen. "Hm? They look big," she muttered under her breath as the cowardly duo quietly steered the small ship past the pier.

Zoro, on the other hand, glared at the two before erupting again, "Why didn't we just dock right there?!"

Johnny and Usopp quickly shushed him not wanting any unwanted attention on them. "Didn't you see that? There were three fishmen over there! It's Arlong's crew! We can't stay here!"

"Do not yell at me!" Zoro kicked Usopp's face in, now officially ticked off.

Yukimi smirked at Zoro's work of smashing the sniper's face in. "You know, with you yelling at poor ol' Zoro here, you're practically inviting attention from the sharks that are swimming over here right now," the kitsune nodded toward two of the three fishmen now fast approaching them.

Johnny and Usopp quickly began sweating bullets as Zoro, and Yukimi tried again to get out of their restraints, to no avail. The cowardly duo scrambled over to the side opposite of the fishmen and took a flying leap overboard.

"What the hell?! Don't just leave us like this ya idiots!" Yukimi shouted irritated.

"Get back here, and untie us dammit!" Zoro yelled after them now wishing to kill them.

Yukimi strained to move her hand right above her kunai pouch. "Just a little closer and I think I can cut us out, Zoro." Just as her fingers touched the clasp the ship rocked unsteadily as the two fishmen jumped on board.

"Dammit, too late Yukimi," Zoro growled between his teeth as the fishmen leered at them, making her stop.

"There's just these two?" the big fishman wondered as they looked them over.

"What an odd couple," the slim fishman commented as Yukimi glared at him since he was closer to her.

"What of it? Better back off before I kick your ass!" Yukimi snapped at the fishman, feeling irritable.

The fishman grinned back, "Feisty thing huh?" He then looked over to Zoro. "And where did you guys come from? Someone ditched you?"

Zoro clenched his teeth thinking up more ways to maim the two who abandoned them, "Yeah...something like that..."

"Anyway, I think we should take them to Arlong," the big fishman suggested as he steered the ship in the direction of Arlong Park.

'Oh, would you look at that? Now that those two left us for dead, we get to go to the one place we wanted to go to,' Yukimi thought as the fishmen began moving the small ship to its new destination. 'But oh joy! Now we have a fucking escort now!' Yukimi huffed as her ears lowered in a somewhat defeated way as she forced herself to relax next to her now fellow prisoner. "Looks like we'll get to have an audience with Arlong whether we want to or not," the kitsune muttered to Zoro making him look over to her.

Zoro frowned in thought as he looked up now seeing the large gate to Arlong Park in front of them.

*^.^*