Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my OC, Aurora.

I'M BACK!

To all my readers, I am terribly sorry that I haven't updated in 4 years!

I had started this chapter and then my muse left me. Even when the tiniest bit of inspiration hit me, I got swamped with homework and projects. College took up a lot of my time, especially now when I only have one semester left and then I graduate.

But I'm on winter break and my muse came back to life! So here is the latest chapter of From Heaven Above!


Chapter 15

"Captain!"

Klahadore sat up from his spot on the ground, adjusting his glasses. "That pirate… the bravest fighter of all? Don't make me laugh! However, the product of that barbarian is still you!"

Usopp grit his teeth and glared, but didn't make a move or say a word.

"Never thought of anyone else. Whenever you're upset, you just use your strength to hit others." Klahadore continued to speak, standing up and brushing himself off. "After all, the reason that you want to be close with Miss Kaya is her money."

"What did you say? I…"

Klahadore interrupted. "ENOUGH WITH THE EXPLANATION! AFTER ALL, YOU ARE A PIRATE'S SON! THAT'S ALL I NEED TO SAY!"

Usopp was enraged and grabbed the front of Klahadore's suit. "DON'T YOU DARE INSULT MY FATHER!"

"STOP IT!" Kaya shouted from her window. "Usopp-san, don't hurt him!"

Usopp's fist stopped in mid-air as he looked over at the now crying Kaya.

"Klahadore is not a bad person at all. He's being too hard on you because he worries about me."

With that said, Klahadore slapped Usopp's hand away. "Get out of here! This is not a place for a barbarian like you! Remember this! Don't you ever dare come near this house again!"

"Yeah… I know. You don't need to tell me to get out." After saying that, Usopp stomped away with a few parting words. "I WON'T COME BACK TO THIS HOUSE EVER AGAIN!"

"Captain…!"

"Usopp-san." Kaya breathed out.

The three younger boys turned to Klahadore and started to shout.

"You idiot! Our captain is not that kind of person."

"You are stupid!" Pepper agreed.

Onion chimed in as well. "Very, very stupid!"

"Idiot!"

Zoro hit Luffy on the back of the head. "Hey! It's none of your business."

"Let's teach him a lesson!" Usopp's Pirates shouted, Nami and Aurora holding the three boys back.

"You want a piece of me?"

"Hey! Calm down." Zoro said, holding back Luffy.

"GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!"

Not wanting to anger the butler anymore than he already was, Aurora gently bumped her shoulder against Nami's, motioning her head in the direction of the gate. Understanding the half-angel's message, Nami helped to pull the boys along and Zoro had let go of Luffy, who gave up suddenly.


Later…

"Where's Luffy?" Nami asked from her perch on the fence.

"Maybe he went to look for Usopp." Zoro answered. Aurora glanced between her two companions before directing her gaze back to the skies above. Her thoughts were stuck on the butler, Klahadore. Something about him rubbed her the wrong way.

Carrot spoke up. "If you are looking for Captain, you have to go to that place."

"Yes. At the coast." Pepper continued. "Whenever he gets stressed, he always goes there. Do you want to go?"

"No, thank you." Aurora answered quietly, having spoken for the first time in a while.

"By the way, where is your other friend?" Nami asked.

"You mean Onion? He always disappears."

"And comes back overreacting about something."

"AAAHH! DANGER!"

"Onion?"

"We're in trouble now!" He said, running toward the group. "There is a person who walks backwards! There is a weird guy who is walking backwards towards here!"

"Liar."

"It's the truth!" Onion pointed in the direction he'd come from. "Look!"

And just like he said, a strange looking man was walking backwards toward them. He wore a long coat covered in disks and red-tinted heart-shaped glasses.

"Hey! Who told you that I am weird? I am not a weirdo."

"But you looked really strange." Nami said.

"Don't be stupid. I am just a regular hypnotist."

"Hypnotist?" Onion asked. "That's cool!"

"Why don't you show us your trick?"

"Yeah." Carrot agreed with Pepper.

"What? Don't be stupid. Why do I have to listen to someone that I don't know? You shouldn't show your trick the first time you meet someone. Listen! Look at this ring!"

Aurora looked at the man with a raised brow when he pulled out a hypnotizing ring.

Zoro sweat dropped. "Why didn't he just say that in the first place?"

"When I say "One, two, Jango!" you will be sleepy. Understand? One… two… Jango…"

Right after he said that, the man named Jango collapsed.

"Why the hell are you sleeping too!? Zoro roared.

Aurora glanced down at the sleeping man with narrowed eyes. 'A hypnotist? I don't remember seeing him in town earlier.'

From deep inside, Aurora felt her powers crackle with energy. There was something in Jango's aura that wasn't right. There was something… evil.

The half-angel's eyes narrowed even more. 'There's something wrong here… but what?'

Preoccupied with her thoughts, Aurora didn't notice the look Zoro was giving her.


After Jango had woken up, he'd left. This left the task of waking up Usopp's Pirate Group to the others. Now they were back to what they were doing before… sitting and waiting.

Suddenly, something came speeding toward the group.

"Eh? That's… Captain!" the boys rang, right as Usopp sped by.

"Isn't he with Luffy?"

Nami got down from her spot on the fence. "I think he's still mad about that guy insulting his father."

"I see." Zoro replied.

"I don't think so." Carrot said.

"I think that something must have happened at the coast." Pepper continued.

"He is in such a hurry, which means that something must have happened." Onion finished.

"Where's the coast?" Aurora asked, getting up from her spot against the fence.

"I smell something fishy."

"It's time for Usopp's Pirates to show their skills."

"Right! That hypnotist also went to the coast."

"You don't have to tell us that, just how can we get there?" Zoro asked.


At the coast…

"Wha!?"

"They will kill Miss Kaya!?"

"And they will invade our village, is this true?" Onion asked.

"Yes, that's what they said." Luffy answered. "I don't think it was mistake."

"Why are you sleeping here, then?" Zoro asked.

"That's… I think I was standing over the cliff."

Aurora went over to Luffy and began checking him for injuries at that statement, wanting to make sure her captain hadn't gotten harmed in any way.

Meanwhile, the boys were talking amongst themselves.

"That man is really bad!"

"I think so!" Pepper agreed.

"I think that hypnotist is his friend for sure." Onion added.

Aurora glanced at the young boy, silently agreeing with his thoughts. She could tell those two men weren't as innocent as they made themselves out to be.

Nami spoke up. "That's why your captain was running to the village. It's good that you knew this before it happened. If you can escape now, you will be safe. These enemies are very stupid."

"That's true." Carrot said. "Let's get out of here."

"Yes, let's get all our treasure and run away."

Onion started naming things off. "The treasure box, snacks, toys, and…"

The three glanced at each other before dashing off. "Let's hurry!"

"Gee!"

"What is it?" Zoro asked, turning to Luffy.

"We'd better hurry up and buy some food, otherwise… the butcher will run away too!"


Later…

"CAPTAIN!"

Usopp quickly turned, waving at the approaching pirates. "It's you." Then he noticed Luffy. "Eh? You are not dead!?"

"I just woke up. Dead, no."

"He was in a deep sleep." Pepper told his Captain. "Anyway, we know everything. We have to hurry and tell everyone about the pirates!"

"Tell everyone?" Usopp questioned. Then he burst out laughing. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! You should know I was lying again. I just hate that caretaker, so I made up the story about him being a pirate."

"Eh?" Luffy made a noise of confusion, his crew also looking at Usopp in bewilderment.

"You lied!?"

"I thought it was true." Carrot admitted.

Onion turned to Luffy. "Why are you playing along with him?"

"But, I don't like the Captain doing that."

"I don't like it either." Pepper agreed.

"Me too. Even though the caretaker is bad. Captain's never should make up stories about anyone."

Carrot started to walk away. "Let's go home."

"Yes, it's dinner time."

"What will I have today?" Onion wondered. The group of five watched them go, the sun slowly beginning to set behind them.


That night…

"Because I am a liar, no one will believe my story."

"But the truth is still the truth." Nami said. "Those pirates are still going to come, right?"

"I think so…" Usopp answered. "But everyone thinks it is a lie. They think that tomorrow will be a peaceful day."

Usopp then stood. "So I will wait for them here! I will make this become a lie. They will think that tomorrow… will be another peaceful day for them!"

Usopp then sat back down again, holding out his arm, which was bleeding. "I even got shot in the arm… I was chased by the villagers, but it is the village I have been trying to protect. I love this village… and want to protect everyone."

Aurora made her way next to Usopp, looking over his gunshot wound. Seeing no bullet in his arm, it appeared to have just grazed him, the half-angel began using her powers to heal the wound. Usopp, too caught up in his grief, paid no heed.

"I can't stand it. All of them will be killed without knowing anything."

"You are a good person after all. You think that you will have to fight alone? Without the help from those kids?" Zoro said.

"We will help you too!" Luffy added.

"But I have to tell you first, all the treasure, must be mine." Nami told him. Aurora held back a sigh at Nami's greed, but a small smile flitted across her lips.

"Eh? You will help me? Why?"

"You're hopelessly outnumbered, right?" Luffy asked.

"And you look pretty scared." Zoro added.

"Don't be stupid! You think I am scared of them! Even though they have more people, I will never be afraid of them. I am Captain Usopp! The greatest fighter of the sea!" Usopp stood and his legs began to noticeably shake. "Ah? Hell! Stop it!"

Aurora's gaze saddened as she thought back on the past, knowing exactly how Usopp felt. She knew what it was like to fear for the people you care about. Not wanting to dwell on those dark thoughts, Aurora forced them out of her mind and focused on the problem at hand.

"What are you looking at? They're the Kuro Pirates, remember? Everyone must be afraid of them. You got a problem with that?!"

"That's why we'll lend you a hand." Zoro said. "We didn't laugh at you. We just think that you're good."

Luffy spoke up. "I just feel sympathy, not that I'll risk my life to help you."

Usopp sniffed as tears began to stream down his face. "You!

"They'll come to this coast because it leads directly to the village. This path is the only way. It is surrounded by cliff faces. It's easy to say."

"Really? That easy?" Luffy asked Usopp.

"But the truth is not. What are your skills?"

"Cutting…"

"Stretching…"

"Stealing!"

"Flying…?" Aurora answered unsurely. She wasn't much of a fighter to begin with and she didn't want to go in depth about what her powers truly were. There'd be too many questions… too much suspicion.

"My skill is hiding."

"YOU HAVE TO FIGHT TOO!"


"This is perfect! They can't climb up this slope now because of the oil we put down. It's a strategy. We'll shoot them down while they try to climb up this slope. So our main objective is to protect this slope." Usopp explained.

"On the other hand, we have to make sure we don't slip on this oil." Nami pointed out.

Luffy sat on the ground, sliding his foot along the oil. "You really have a crazy idea."

"Sure, just leave the crazy ideas and shooting to me. I am very confident."

Aurora glanced over at Zoro when he perked up and followed his gaze. The others gazed out at the horizon as well.

"It's morning."

"They'll be coming soon." Aurora finished as a gentle breeze came by and whipped her hair into her face.


"It's morning. Where are they?" Luffy whined, kicking up dirt.

"Maybe they overslept."

Aurora sent a look in the swordsman's direction at his answer. "Umm… I don't think that's why…"

"Am I wrong or did I hear a voice from the north end of the island?"

Usopp tensed. "North!?"

Along with Nami, Aurora cupped her ears and nodded. "She's right. I hear something too."

Usopp began to panic and the guys turned to him.

"Hey! What is it?"

"There's also a port to the North."

"We've been waiting in the wrong place!" Luffy exclaimed.

"I thought that they would come this way because we saw them talking here!"

"Let's hurry up! Where are they now?"

"Going in that direction it'll only take 3 minutes!" Usopp said, gesturing with his thumb. "The landscape on that side is basically the same as this one! All we have to do is prevent them from coming on top of the slope!"

From next to Aurora, Nami grabbed her head. "Oh no! That's where we docked our ships! My treasure is going to be robbed!"

The half-angel threw her companion an exasperated look. "That's what you're worried about?"

Aurora immediately regretted her question when the navigator glared in her direction. Clamping her mouth shut, the berry-haired girl inwardly berated herself for saying such a thing. It was out of character for her. She was quiet and reserved. She never made a comment unless she deemed it necessary. Aurora was the type of person who preferred listening to a conversation than participating in it. The last thing she wanted to do was perform some kind of faux pas.

The half-angel was snapped out of her inner turmoil when Luffy dashed off. "I only need 20 seconds to get there!"

"Damn!" Usopp exclaimed. "Then our oil trap and preparations are useless!"

"Damn it!"

The exclamation caught both Aurora and Zoro off guard, the two turning to the source of the noise.

"Nami! What are your doing!?"

"Help! I'm slipping!"

It was true. Somehow the navigator had gotten caught in the oil and was about ready to go sliding down the slope. Unfortunately for a certain swordsman, the orange-haired girl figured that grabbing onto the back of his shirt was the answer to her problem.

"Waah!" Zoro cried out, landing face first in the oil. "Let go! Idiot!"

"Oops! Sorry!"

Sighing, Aurora released her wings, coming to hover over the two strugglers. Seeing as the half-angel wasn't particularly strong, she grabbed Nami first. Between the two, Nami was the lightest. Placing the surprised navigator down, Aurora turned her attention to Zoro. Unfortunately for her, he'd slid the rest of the way down the slope.

Turning to face the swordsman, Nami spoke up. "Sorry! But my treasure is in danger! You find your own way up!"

With that, the navigator ran off, leaving Aurora and Zoro behind.

"Nami! I'm going to kill you!"

Seeming to forget the half-angel was hovering nearby, Zoro attempted to run up the oil slicked slope. "Damn! I can't get up there!"

Aurora could only watch as the swordsman continued his attempts, only to slide back down in the end. The teen wasn't normally one to get irritated, but she could feel her eye begin to twitch. Sure, Aurora was prone to showing other emotions, as earlier events depicted, but irritation wasn't typically one of them.

"Damn Nami, I'm going to teach her a lesson!"

As Zoro was about to draw his swords for whatever he had in mind next, Aurora flew down in front of him. The half-angel's presence startled the swordsman, proving he had truly forgotten she was there. In all honesty, it didn't surprise Aurora. She was used to feeling invisible. People easily forgot she was around due to her being silent most of the time and not really being memorable in any way.

The half-angel heaved a sigh. "Hang on tight."

"What do you m-" Zoro was cut off when Aurora reached forward, grabbing him underneath the arms and flying up. Carrying the man was a struggle even with the short distance to get up the slope. As mentioned before, Aurora wasn't that strong physically.

Setting the swordsman down, the man wasted no time in dashing off. "Made it! Now… which way is north?!"

Feeling irritation begin to creep up again, the half-angel glided down to the swordsman's level. "Just follow me!"

With that, Aurora flew off, knowing Zoro would follow after her. It was as they were heading for the North port that Aurora glanced down, taking notice of a certain individual in a straw hat. Her eye began to twitch, irritation rearing its ugly head once more. It would appear that Luffy had gotten lost along the way.

Aurora swooped down next to her captain, Zoro not far behind. "Luffy, I thought you had gone on ahead?"

"I didn't know which way was North."

Yep, the irritation had fully set in. Aurora had to restrain herself from yelling at her captain and the first mate. Yelling just wasn't something she did. Only once or twice had she ever yelled at someone and afterwards she immediately felt shame and embarrassment. She'd rather not feel like that at this time, given the situation at hand.

Trying to shake off what she was feeling, Aurora led the way, the trio rapidly coming upon the North shore.

"CHAARGE!"

"I beg you! Please… PLEASE DON'T KILL THE VILLAGERS!" Usopp's voice rang out.

At that moment, Aurora was barely able to comprehend what happened. One minute the Kuro pirates were charging up the slope, then the next they were on the ground. Coming to a halt, Aurora stared in shock at the two men before her. Thankfully, she wasn't the only one gaping at the two.

"What's going on? Captain Jango… we didn't know they had these kind of people in the village…"

"What took us so long?" Zoro questioned, propping his unsheathed sword against his shoulder, bandana in place on his head.

"How should I know!" Luffy complained. "Right now I just want to kick some ass!"

"Nami!" Zoro called out. "How dare you kick me!"

"Usopp you idiot!" Luffy cried. "You didn't even tell me which way North is!"

Aurora grit her teeth, her eye rapidly twitching once more. It would seem irritation was becoming a constant the longer she hung around these people. Hopefully the half-angel would be able to get over this in the near future. She rather disliked feeling this way.

"I didn't know you guys were this strong…" Usopp breathed.

"Of course!" Luffy exclaimed.

It was then that Nami spoke up. "You're late… what took you so long?"

"It was you who made me fall down! And now you're blaming me?!"

Aurora could feel the anger and irritation radiating off of the swordsman. Not wanting to unconsciously incur his wrath in anyway, the half-angel began to inch closer to Nami and Usopp, noting that the two had been injured in some way. As long as it was nothing too serious, the half-angel knew she'd be able to heal them.

"I couldn't help it!" Nami continued. "Better one person fall down than both of us!"

"Then you should've been the one to fall!"

"You bastard!" Luffy roared, his attention solely on Usopp. "You just said North, you didn't even tell me which way North is!"

"It was your fault for running so fast!" Usopp countered. "I was just trying to help you!"

"Hey! You idiots!" Jango called out. "Don't tell me you guys are finished just from one blow from those fools?"

At his words, the Kuro pirates slowly began to rise, groaning in pain.

"Ah! They're still alive! They're pretty tought!"

"Listen!" Jango began. "We don't have time to waste here! Since the opponent is strong, we must be stronger… come! Look at my pendulum. After I say "1, 2 Jango" you guys will become stronger! Your wounds will heal! And you will become much stronger than before!"

Luffy appeared confused. "What's that guy doing?"

"I dunno…" Usopp answered, appearing just as puzzled as Luffy.

"It must be hypnotism! He's trying to make them think they're stronger!" Nami realized. "This is absurd!"

Aurora's eyes narrowed as she watched the scene before her. Her angel powers were roiling inside of her. Something was different this time with Jango's hypnotism. Something bad was about to happen.

"One… two… JANGO!"

"UWOOOOOOOOOOOH!"

"No way!?" Nami exclaimed. "They were still shaky just a while ago!"

One of the pirates struck his fist against the cliffside, the natural structure crumbling to pieces at the sheer strength behind the attack.

"UOOOOOOOOOOH!"

Zoro started. "He crushed the wall… how did they gain so much strength!?"

Nami clutched her head. "They have… really been hypnotized!"

"If just one guy can crush the wall…" Usopp started. "Then that many guys…"

"He was just playing with us before." Aurora realized. "I knew something felt off about him."

"Go! Kill those pests!" Jango ordered.

As the Kuro pirates began to charge, Zoro looked over at the half-angel. "Aurora, help those two up the slope and heal them. We'll take care of this."

The berry-haired teen nodded in response, ushering Nami and Usopp away from the fight. It was best to let Luffy and Zoro handle the situation. They were the strongest after all.

'But if either of them is in trouble, I need to try and protect them.' Aurora thought. At the very least, the half-angel could use her powers to form a shield around the two in case they couldn't dodge an attack.

"Hey! Luffy! Luffy!?"

Glancing back at her captain, Aurora could tell that something was off. Luffy's next actions only further proved her point.

"YEAAAAAAHHH!"

"YOU GOT HYPNOTIZED TOO?!"

"He's not your average idiot…" Nami commented. "Got hypnotized so easily…"

At the exact moment the Kuro pirates began to charge, so did Luffy. Under the control of the hypnosis, there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.

"GOMU GOMU GATLING GUN!"

In a flurry of fists, Luffy was able to easily take out the enemy, shocking Usopp and Jango alike. The sheer strength behind Luffy's attack was enough to scare the Kuro pirates back toward their ship. Luffy appeared to be charging after them, but ultimately ran head first into the ship's bow.

"He… what's he doing!?"

"AAARRGH!" Grunting loudly, Luffy ripped the bow from the ship itself.

From behind her, Aurora could hear Nami cheering and chanced a glance at Usopp. The liar was gaping in shock at Luffy's display of strength. The half-angel wished she could feel the same, but in the short time she'd known the boy, Aurora came to expect this sort of display from him.

"WAAAH! He's taking off the bow! He's destroying our ship!"

Luffy turned to glare at the group, swinging the cat shaped bow in their direction.

"He's trying to kill us!"

"Captain! Help us!"

"I'll say "1, 2, Jango", and you will fall asleep! One… two… JANGO!"

In that instant, Luffy fell asleep. Since the straw hat wearing boy was asleep, he was no longer able to support the bow he'd previously been carrying. As Luffy fell to the ground, the bow went with him, trapping said boy and some of the other pirates underneath.

"I think they're finished now!" Nami cheered.

"Hey…" Usopp began. "His head is squashed under the ship bow!"

Zoro piped up. "Don't worry! He won't die from that!"
"He's right." Aurora breathed, kneeling down next to the curly-haired boy. "You should worry about yourself. You're still bleeding."

"Hey Buchi!" a voice rang out. "Come look! Our ship's head is wrecked!"

"What!?" another voiced chimed in. "How did that happen!?"

Zoro shifted. "Looks like there's still something on that ship…"

From below, Jango spoke up. "Oh yeah, we still have… THOSE TWO!"