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The forest seemed to go on forever. Even as the pirates followed after the stranger along the river path, it was a never-ending sea of trees. At least the precipitation stopped for now. Birds and bugs were chittering among the autumn leaves. The faded sun filtered through the branches in streaks of thread-like light. As tranquil as it was, there was a sense of unease. It was the perfect place for ghosts to haunt the trees. The only ones that appeared to pick up on the unsettling atmosphere were Nami, Zoro, and Chopper with his animal instincts. Robin wasn't bothered by it.

"Where exactly are we going?" Nami asked the stranger, walking in step with him.

"To a safer place. There're many members of the Boar Knights hiding in the woods."

"What's their problem?"

He shrugged. "To be honest, I really don't know. There's tension between them and the people living on the island."

"There's people here?" That's news to Nami. She couldn't find any sign of people. Neither did Robin. "The town we ran from was completely empty and didn't look like it had been lived in for decades."

"They're in hiding. The captain of the Boar Knights wants this island for themselves."

"Why can't we just go to a normal island?" Nami grumbled as she hung her head. It was a question she found herself asking almost constantly. This was her choice though. To go to sea and become a pirate.

A soft chuckle came from the stranger. "The wonders of the Grand Line. Some claim it to be a paradise. Others will say it's pure hell."

"What about you?" Robin asked as she caught up with the two. "Is there any particular reason you're helping pirates?"

"You're just bystanders, travelers looking for rest after days out at sea. There's no need for you to be caught up in this island's problem."

The navigator scoffed with a wave of her arm. "We've already been caught up in plenty of other people's problems. Let's just say our rubber-brained captain doesn't like to leave when people tell him to."

The stranger laughed again. "He sounds like an interesting character. What made you follow him?"

"He can be...rather convincing sometimes," Nami replied with a sigh then smiled brightly. "He's a big dumbass that doesn't know his way around a map, so I have to help him."

"And what about you?" he asked, turning his attention toward Robin.

"I was hoping to die, but that man decided for me to live. So, I'm making him take responsibility."

Nami sniggered at the stranger's expression of slight concern and alarm. Despite being enemies in the beginning, Nami was quite pleased to have another girl join the crew. And someone she could actually have an intellectual conversation with. She still doesn't understand Robin most of the time and still wonders what goes on in her mind. A true mysterious person.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question, Mr. Stranger?" Robin asked as they crossed over a stone bridge. Nami had to push the three childish morons over the bridge when they stopped too long to stare into the water where white fish were swimming with the currents.

"Go right ahead."

"How long have you been here?"

"A few months. I came here on a merchant ship and ended up getting caught up in this mess. If lucky, most ships are forced away if they don't have any use to the pirates. Sometimes, ships slip in just like yours."

"What do the inhabitants of the island think?"

He didn't answer Robin right away. Nami gave a sideway glance to Robin as if to question why she was asking him such inquiries. The brunette just returned the look with a faint smile. It was more like an interrogation. Did Robin suspect something?

"They have enough problems. Mainly with the pirates wanting this island. Why don't we relax here for a bit?"

The stranger stopped in a small clearing with a creek on the right and a little hill to the left. Several fallen logs outlined the glade along with a few small boulders. Bushes with blueberries and wild strawberries dotted the yellow-green grass. Mushrooms like morel, chanterelle, and honey agaric were scattered on the fallen logs. There were even wild pumpkins hiding in the ferns. A faint breeze rustled the dark orange, carmine, and golden leaves of the deciduous trees and the emerald needles of the conifers. There were quite a few patches of different flowers like garden mums, flossflowers, sunflowers, and anemones. If it wasn't such an eerie place, it would be such a tranquil forest.

Nami sat on the hill after Sanji placed his suit jacket down for her and took a deep breath in. It smelled of pine and rain. She wouldn't have minded staying here if those moronic pirates weren't here. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were watching beetles and butterflies flitter about now that the falling slush had stopped. Sanji was studying the mushrooms to see which ones would be the most delicious. Robin had an interest in some of the nearby rocks. The stranger was with the three doofuses.

"I don't like this."

Nami looked over to her left, seeing Zoro sitting on a log. He looked tense and ready to strike. His dark gaze was fixated on the stranger who was conversing with the three troublemakers on the bugs they found. It was odd having someone helping them, she'll admit that. But it was much appreciated to kind of know what was going on now.

"He's helping us out."

"And you don't find that strange? What kind of dumbass wants to help pirates?"

Nami shrugged, resting her head on her arms that were on her knees. "We can't stay here. But we can't exactly go back to the Merry with all those Boar Knights wandering around. Once we get to wherever he's taking us, we'll figure out what to do."

"If he tries anything-"

"Yeah yeah, I get it."

Zoro went quiet. He couldn't tell Nami the truth. He didn't like this because the man had that white fox mask with blue lines and fought skillfully with a spear. His stomach was in knots of restlessness. Did he know her?

"We ready to go?"

Slowly and one by one, the pirates left their small spots of relaxation and joined the stranger by the forest line. Luffy needed some extra convincing to leave. Once he had the promise of meat, he charged ahead with new vigor. Chopper and Usopp followed their captain in suit, shouting like children that were getting long-awaited ice cream. Sanji went back to hovering over Nami and Robin who were talking amongst themselves. Zoro stayed at the back of the group again.

"Hey hey hey mask guy. Where we going?" Luffy asked once he got bored of running around.

"You'll see."

"I want lots of meat!"

"There'll be meat. Don't worry."

Nami grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him back. "We'll need supplies once we get to wherever you're taking us."

"There should be plenty. I usually help the townspeople with stealing what we can get from the Boar Knights."

"And we better get a discou-"

Nami was suddenly pushed to the ground by the stranger right as an ax whizzed right by and embedded itself into a nearby tree. Sanji reacted for the wrong reason, fuming as the stranger helped Nami to her feet and apologized. He went into a defensive stance and face the direction the ax was thrown from. The forest critters went silent. Zoro and Robin were the only ones of the pirates that joined the stranger. Luffy was once again preoccupied with the big-eyed birds while Sanji stood protectively in front of Nami. Usopp and Chopper were on their own, holding onto each other as they shook in fear. The slow, quiet seconds trickled by.

There was the rustling of leaves and from the depths of the trees, a figure with a plain white mask appeared like a pale-faced ghost. They were cloaked in dark clothing, accenting the alabaster mask even more. The stranger readied his stance, his hands gripping the spear tightly. Nami, Chopper, and Usopp took this opportunity to hide in another bush with encouraging words for the braver pirates.

"That's one of the Boar Knights," he said through gritted teeth. "Don't take them lightly."

The new person raised a hand and wiggled a finger from side to side in a taunting manner. The stranger charged the masked figure, thrusting the spear right at their face. They ducked under the bladed staff and swiped out at his legs, knocking him to the ground. A fist connected with his face hard, and a repulsive crack rang out from his nose. The masked person rose to face the pirates. They cocked their head to the side like a dog seeing a new toy. They tried to take a step forward, but the stranger had wrapped his arms around one of their legs.

"Get out of here!" he shouted with blood spilling from his broken nose.

The pale-masked person kicked the stranger in the face and vanished from the pirates' sight. Zoro was the first to react, feeling a killing intent from behind but he was just a hair too late. The figure had reached Luffy with blinding speed and full-on slammed their fist right in the pirate captain's face, sending him bouncing back. Zoro took this chance to attack, swinging an unsheathed Kitetsu and Yubashiri right at their head.

But he missed, his blades slicing through the air. The masked person had backflipped a few times away from the swordsman and landed in a crouch. Their attention turned away from Zoro right as the stranger with the spear attacked them. The new enemy grabbed the spear away as they spun around, planting their foot into the stranger's gut. Before he could stand, his own spear stabbed right through his chest. The squelch of the weapon piercing flesh and muscle was almost ear-shattering in the silent forest. The stranger coughed up blood, looking up with fear in his eyes at the masked enemy.

Chunky crimson droplets splattered on the pale mask of the adversary as they quickly removed the spear with bits of viscera dripping from the metal. The stranger's body fell limp to the forest floor, dark blood pooling into the dirt. Sanji took action, flying in with a kick aimed at the figure's torso. His attack was blocked by the spear and the person lessened his blow by using their entire body as a cushion. They pushed back the blond cook who was shoved aside by Zoro. The swordsman ignored with angry love-obsessed gremlin to attack with both his blades. His swords swung down from over his head, connecting with the metallic staff in a loud clang.

It was like hitting a stone wall with an extremely discomforting air around them. Their head twitched as if something caught their attention and forced Zoro back then kicked him in the gut, using him to push themselves back to avoid the multiple hands that appeared from the ground. Robin had the right idea, but the person they were fighting was intelligent.

They jumped back onto a boulder and peered down at the pirates like a wolf gazing at a rival pack. Luffy's arms abruptly shot out from the shade of the forest and launched himself at the pale masked person. He came in like a screaming rocket, but it was all for naught. The figure stepped to the side, and he whizzed right by, crashing through some smaller trees until he was stopped by the thick trunk of a redwood.

With their head turned away toward the sudden human rocket, Zoro charged them with his blades ready for blood. Sanji had the same idea and attacked just as the swordsman did. The two ended up knocking into each other, sending both of them prone on the ground. They stayed like that for a few seconds before they jumped into each other's faces like angry dogs. Robin giggled to herself as the scaredy cat trio peered over the bush they were hiding behind.

"What the fuck is your problem, you damn cook?!"

"I should be asking you that, shitty mossball!"

"This bastard is mine, so you back off!"

"I have my obligation to protect Robin and Nami-swan so you back off dammit!"

Their yapping was interrupted by Luffy who attempted to catch the masked figure, but they dodged his advances and he crashed into them. The three tumbled to the ground with Luffy laughing like a child. Zoro and Sanji started to berate him and they three ended up in a free-for-all. The other four pirates and the pale masked person just watched out of befuddled amusement.

"Would the three of you knock it off?!" Nami shouted, standing from her hiding spot. "There's still an enemy!"

The three stopped at Nami's irked voice and looked over at the figure who waved at them. Luffy was on Zoro's back with his fingers shoved up his nose. Sanji had his foot in Luffy's face, trying to shove him away. Zoro was jabbing Sanji in the side with the sheathed tip of one of his swords. The person had rose a hand to their masked face and their body was shaking. They were laughing at the three. That ticked them off and they untangled themselves to attack all at once.

Immediately they stopped when the figure rose their hands in surrender. Luffy's fist was mere centimeters away from the mask. Zoro's blade was right at their throat. Sanji had his foot aimed at the side of their head. They all stayed like that, their bodies dead still. Luffy backed off first followed by Sanji. Zoro removed his sword from the figure's throat but didn't sheath it. They looked at each other confused then back at the pale masked figure. The person slowly and carefully placed a hand on the mask and removed it.

Sanji suddenly turned lovey-dovey.

Luffy had shoved his finger up his nose, wiggled it around then flicked a snotball away.

Zoro felt the coldest ice fill his veins when six family words were spoken.

"Fancy seeing you here, Mr. Swordsman."

*~.~*~.~*