Hi guys, it's been a while, hasn't it? Now that I'm writing this, I noticed that it's been what, four months since I last updated anything? WOW. Yeah... took me long enough, huh? But to be fair, I was a little busy with my life. That and editing DC's previous chapters (and drawing pictures for rose7anne101-if anyone here hasn't read her stories, you should go check them out! Honest.)

And speaking of the previous chapters, I've went and edited them quite a bit, so I'd suggest going back to read them before reading Chapter 3, 'cause I may or may not have made a few changes...? My friend and Alternate Mirai (my wonderful beta) said it looked a lot better though, so that's that. You guys can decide if it is and let me know.

Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed/favourited/followed, because it makes me really happy whenever I receive an email about my stories. Makes me more motivated to write when I get too lazy (Happens since I only work weekends and have the rest of the week to slouch at home). Hopefully, it won't take me as long to write the next chapter.

:Everyone who reviewed, thank you once again for the lovely reviews. I'm glad you guys liked the story. Hope you like this chapter too, I'm looking forwards to hearing your thoughts on it. :

Beta'd by AlternateMirai. She's wrote some nice stories too, my favourite is 'Hold Me Close'.

I don't own One Piece.

Anyways, on to the chapter!

Clink.

… ? … where… am I?

What… happened?

Clink.

… chains? Ahh… right.

… those inferior creatures… how dare they…

… they will pay.

...at least… safe.

… ? Safe…? What's safe…

… …

… …

Whose voice… is that?

It sounds so… sad, hateful… empty.

Why?

…

Where...am I?

What is this darkness?

…

...how long have I been here?

"357… 358… 359… 360…" With every count, an inhumanely huge barbell was rhythmically swung forward with an ease that suggested that either the barbell was lighter than it looked, or the person swinging it had monstrous strength that bordered on ridiculousness. Perhaps some would suggest a bit of both, but it was evident from the person in question that this feat was entirely the latter.

"361… 362… 363… 364…" And so continued this borderline extreme, rigorous training routine that belonged to no other than the swordsman of the Dragon's Fury, Roronoa Zoro.

Absently keeping count as his body moved automatically, long since accustomed to this routine albeit with differing tools, Zoro pondered the recent developments of his life in his head.

First things first, he'd been ditched. Completely, utterly ditched by the three assholes he called his comrades.

Sabo had gone off on some stupid quest with the pineapple-haired prince, and Luffy was staying at the palace by request of the royal family; "Just in case." They said and he quoted.

Which left only him and Sanji, though he would rather die than admit he enjoyed the blonde cook's company. Not that he did.

But someone up there must've had a grudge against him, because the night before Sabo left, Sanji had been 'reconciled' with his adopted father and head royal chef, who then decided that his 'imbecilic eggplant of a son' was better off helping out in the kitchens than loitering somewhere and promptly dragged the blonde off with him.

Zoro never saw him until the next day, when he came by to the guest rooms they were staying in to hand Sabo a huge bag packed with enough food and water to last him a week, looking like he was falling asleep on his feet. Which he did, staggering towards whoevers bed was closest and falling into it, deep asleep before he even hit the pillow.

And after sending Sabo off, Sanji -now fully rested- was immediately pulled to the kitchens while Luffy went with the princess to the king's chambers to check up on the old man.

Leaving Zoro all on his own.

And Zoro on his own was never a good thing. Alas, the only two sensible people in their group were absent at the moment.

The end result? Zoro somehow managed to disappear from the palace grounds and reappear in the Southern sector of Phoenix within the span of one hour in an unsurpassable feat.

The end result of the end result? Koala, who had been in the area on business happened onto the swordsman by some chance and resignedly brought him back to the Sun Arena, where Zoro was currently occupying one of its many courtyards to train.

Next development was, there was no more alcohol left in the Arena. Not even in the store. And the arena's wine cellar was huge.

Granted, that was technically his fault, as he had been the one to instigate the drinking contest last night. But hey, the arena staff were equally at fault for inviting him to drink in the first place. They had it coming.

Thank -not the gods, no. Zoro didn't believe in gods- whatever that Koala, utterly unimpressed by the emptied out wine cellar, had resigned herself to signing an approval to allocate enough funds to restock the alcohol supply, along with a strict warning. Simply put, if they depleted a few months worth of alcohol within days again, she'd do terrible things to them. And Zoro had no intention of letting Koala have her way; the staff may be ignorant, but Zoro would bet his drinks he knew what Koala had in mind when she said that, and he wanted no part of it.

And last of all… Zoro spared a glance towards the direction of the Arena gates which he could see from his courtyard where a sizable crowd had gathered, his attention drawn by all the noise. They're probably tournament contenders... Zoro thought, noting the aura surrounding the crowd. Most gave off the impression of seasoned fighters, with a few rookies mixed into the crowd. They're here early. I thought the announcement was tomorrow? He idly wondered, then shrugged and turned back to his training… or he would have, if a certain brunette wasn't headed straight for him.

Knowing he wasn't going to get anything done when Koala clearly wanted him for something, Zoro rested the barbell on the ground, waiting as Koala sauntered towards him with a box in her arms.

"Training again, I see." The petite woman greeted cheerily, holding a hand up in greeting. A single guard stood behind her - a captain named Hatchan that Zoro was fairly familiar with, having grown up together at the Arena's orphanage. Zoro nodded towards him as greeting, and shifted his focus back to Koala.

"What do you want, Koala?" The mercenary asked suspiciously. "I already told you I'll join the tournament."

If possible, her grin widened, and with it the bad feeling in Zoro's gut.

"I know you did. But right now…" She chirped innocently. "I just need you to pick out a piece of paper from this box."

Zoro glanced at Hatchan who met his eyes and responded with a shrug.

Then he reached in and pulled out the first paper his hands came across. The moment it left the box, the paper disappeared from his hands into Koala's who was studying the paper with intrigue.

"Well whaddya know." She muttered under her breath. "At least it's not the same as usual."

"What are you talking about?"

Looking up at him, Koala smiled excitedly. "I'm talking about this, Zoro." She said as she held up the piece of paper for him to see.

'Tournament format # ? - Team Battle Royale'

"And?" Zoro asked, not getting what his brunette friend was getting hyped about.

Koala huffed exasperatedly. "What do you mean 'and?' This is, like, the first time in years the format wasn't Elimination, Battle Royale or Round Robin!"

Still not seeing the point, Zoro picked up his barbell again as Koala continued her rant.

"It's always either of those three! It's like we're cursed or something!"

"Right." Though the swordsman didn't show it, the mention of 'curse' brought his thoughts to the events that transpired in the castle days ago.

Everyone had their own secrets, and it was up to them whether they wanted to share, Zoro was well aware of that and never pried, but something about how Sabo and Luffy, his two oldest friends had kept their ability secret didn't sit right with him.

Just like the way they had suddenly disappeared 10 years ago.

With the Solstice Festival just around the corner, people from all parts of the land had gathered within the imperial city of Phoenix.

Due to large influx of people, Phoenix was bustling with activity even more than usual. With the heightened activity, the Royal Guard -with aid from the army- that was headed by Prince Vista and Prince Jiru, too had increased the amount of patrols on the streets to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their citizens. Especially from any fights that may break out during the festival.

A requisite measure, if anything. While most people had came to Phoenix to partake in the festivities, there were another crowd that had came for a different reason. And that reason was the annual tournament hosted by the Sun Arena in conjunction with the festival.

Every year, during the Solstice Festival, the Sun Arena hosted a combative tournament that lasted approximately the length of the festival. As with the festival, people from all over travelled just to participate in the tournament. Some of them joined just for the fun of it, while some came with thoughts of the prize in mind. No matter what they came for, the tournament was open to all.

As the host, the Sun Arena had full jurisdiction over the tournament, so to spice things up some, they changed the tournament formats every year. No one -besides the arena's committees, obviously- ever knew how the tournament would be held until three days before the festival, the same day registry was opened. While some people didn't like the annual changes, most of the participants had shown a preference for it. Something about the thrills of the unknown.

Today, as it seems, was the day when the format was announced and registry was opened. As a result, there was a large amount of people gathered in a crowd outside the gates of the Sun Arena with the arena guards mixed in there, trying to maintain some semblance of order.

Usually, the arena would be opened to the public, but for the next three days starting today, it was closed so there wouldn't be any disruptions to the staff who were busy setting up for the tournament. Not to mention the many vendors that would be establishing various stalls around the coliseum where the tournament was scheduled to be held so to cater to the spectators whose patronage were sure to be garnered by the competition.

In short, this was the sight that a teenager ,who looked about fifteen years old, came across as he stepped out of an alley opposite the arena.

The teenager had dark, curly hair held in place by a plaid bandana, thick lips and a nose with significant length. Combined with his washed out shirt and ragged overalls, the teenager was easily recognisable by the locals as a chronic prankster. However, they did not know his name, only that he went by the name Sling, for no reason other than that the boy was a genius with a slingshot.

That being said, while people recognized him, no one stepped up to engage him in conversation.

It was just one of those things that was.

The boy, Sling, was an orphan.

When other kids were running around playing, the teen was finding ways to survive on his own.

Perhaps it was the difference in their upbringing, but Sling never could fit in with any of the local kids. Not to mention the fact that the teen was really lanky, as thin as a boy his age could get without being anorexic.

His constant pranks around the neighbourhood didn't help either.

To the locals, Sling was simply an annoyance that they had rather not have to deal with.

Although, the teen in question seemed like he could care less what others thought of him.

This year's tournament, as announced by the arena earlier this morning, would be held in the form of a Team Battle Royale.

Team battle royale; basically the same as regular battle royales, only it was done in groups. Along with the format, the Arena's administration had also published a set of guidelines regarding the oncoming tournament.

First of all, every group will consist of five people, and they must enter their names as a team. Secondly, the participants will be separated into numerous blocks, depending on number for the first round, where only three teams from each block will proceed to the second round. But to proceed, every team member has to survive the first round. If even one member is dropped out, they will not be allowed to proceed.

The teams who proceed to the second round will have one day to rest, and following that, they will participate in their second battle royale, which only one team will come out on top. The prizes changed every year, but if there was one thing everyone knew, it was that the prize was guaranteed to be worth the effort.

Once the notice came out, the excitement jumped up another level, with participants scrambling around to find others to form group.

Nimbly slipping through the crowd, Sling quickly headed for the registration counters at the gates that were being swamped by people. It was insanely hot amidst the crowd, with the morning sun beating down on them and the natural heat that radiated off people. Within minutes, Sling was already dripping with sweat, and his nose felt like it was about to fall off. God, the stench! Anyone could imagine what hell it was to be amongst a crowd of buff, sweaty males. Fortunately though, his torture didn't last long, thanks to his smaller stature that allowed him to bypass the crowd as fast as he could. Sling immediately headed to the closest counter, intent on putting his name down on the list.

He had just picked up the pen when a huge shadow fell over him. Dread bubbled up inside him with a thread of aggravation as the large hand grabbed him roughly.

And here he thought he would be able to make it through with so many people around…

Sighing inwardly, Sling looked up at the tall, beefy man wearing the Sun Arena's guard uniform.

"What do you want, Chew?" he said, trying to keep his voice steady and not cower in fear.

The man called Chew was a tall, muscular blonde man with thick lips which were turned down in a condescending smirk towards Sling. And did he mention this musclehead was also one of the most annoying people he'd ever had the "pleasure" of meeting, always picking on him for his physique.

Pulling the pen out of his hands, Chew started spinning it between his fingers. "Nothing much. Just on the lookout for scrawny brats trying to enter the tournament - like you."

"You doesn't belong here, squirt, " Chew sneered, looking down at the shorter teen. "Look at you, thin as a twig. Anyone here could snap you into two easily."

Two other guards behind him snickered at the insults thrown; obviously they thought the same of the teen.

Rolling his eyes, Sling made a grab for the pen. Those insults were really getting old, and the teen had long since learned to brush off comments from idiots with over inflated egos.

Noticing the teen's movements, Chew held his hand high up where it was out of Sling's reach. "Uh-uh. No way, shortie. Weaklings like you shouldn't be playing with the big guys here, y'know?"

Realising he wasn't going to get the pen back, Sling withdrew and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the guard. "And that's your business how?"

"Hey, I'm just lookin' out for ya! Don't want you losing in front of everyone and then going home to cry at mommy, do we? Oh wait, I forgot," Chew snickered. "YOU DON'T HAVE A MOM!"

Already the commotion had drawn the attention of the crowd, and they erupted into laughter at the Arena guard's words.

Sling lowered his head, teeth biting down hard on his lower lips and breathed deeply, trying to suppress the urge to run away. He was Sling, damn it! The genius slingshot sniper of North Phoenix.

...hella good that was in front of someone twice his size.

Still…

"At least I didn't turn out to be a jackass like you." Sling blurted out before he could stop himself. By the time he realised what he'd done, Chew had already gone red and was cracking his fists, ready to unleash a beating on him. The guy was never one who could take an insult.

"You wanna say that to my face again?" Chew said with a calm tone that didn't match the ire on his face, pulling his fist back.

Instinctively throwing his hands up to shield himself, Sling waited for the attack to come.

It never did.

A loud gasp sounded from the crowd as Chew fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

A hand reached down, plucking off the badge and name tag that represented his identity as an Arena guard from his armour.

"Chew, eh?" A woman's voice said, tossing the pin in her hand. "It seems an invitation to my office is in need."

Realising he was no longer in danger, Sling lowered his hands, finally seeing who his saviour was.

The crowd and Chew returned to their senses at the same time.

"Ms Koala!"

Koala, dressed in semi formal attire complete with heels and her signature cap, smiled brightly down at the fallen guard.

"Wouldn't you agree, Chew?

...

If Sling had known beforehand that he would be invited into the office of the Sun Arena's administrator, courtesy of Chew, he would have worn that other shirt that wasn't as washed-out.

But unfortunately, he did not and was currently seated at the couches available in his faded shirt and overalls, watching in silent awe as Chew got chewed out by one of the strongest women in Phoenix, his usual arrogance nowhere to be seen.

"…now, do you understand your mistake, Chew?" Koala asked, arms crossed over her ample chest as she stared at the guard who was standing stoically on the other side of her desk.

"…Yes, ma'am." Came the meek reply.

"And what is your mistake?"

"My mistake is picking on others and refusing them entry to the arena. The Sun Arena is open to all and by doing so I am misusing my authority as an arena guard."

"Very well. And what would be the appropriate disciplinary measure according to the Sun Arena's Staff Guidelines?"

"Violation of authority is to be dealt a month long suspension under supervision, a fine of 5000 beli, and demotion to any uncertain rank, depending on severity of case."

"Very good. Hatchan," Koala snapped her fingers, and the guard behind her immediately stood to attention. "Pick someone suitable to take charge of supervising Chew here. And Chew, make sure to hand in your uniform and badge to our Head of Security, Hack, on your way out. I'll see you in one month. You are dismissed."

As soon as the two guards left the room, the brunette rose from her desk and walked over to the sitting area, casually sitting down on the couch opposite Sling.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting... Sling, was it?" Koala politely inquired as she refilled the cup of tea in front of him, at the same time pouring one for herself.

"Actually," Sling replied a bit nervously. "It's Usopp. Sling is just a nickname I go by."

Koala nodded in acknowledgement. "Well then, nice to meet you, Usopp." She held her hand out towards Usopp. "I'm Koala, the Sun Arena's administrator, but you already knew that."

Usopp, highly aware that he was sweating buckets at the moment, grasped the offered hand hesitantly. When he noticed that Koala didn't seem to mind, he relaxed considerably.

"I-it's a p-pleasure to meet you, Ms Koala."

Not that it stopped him from stuttering.

"Relax, I won't bite." Koala joked, pulling her hand back. "So, before you were interrupted, I assume you were going to sign up for the tournament?"

"Y-yes?"

"Is that supposed to be a question?" The Arena Administrator cocked an eyebrow in amusement as she sipped her tea."Are you aware that this year's tournament will require you to be part of a team?"

"I've heard about it."

"Then do you have a team?" Crossing her legs, Koala leaned back into the couch.

"Sort of... ? I have a friend I was going to sign up with, but there's only two of us... "

"Hmm… it's fine if there's only two of you, but the ideal number would be five. Well, registration will be open for two more days, so you'll still have time to find people and put your name in."

"Yeah... I don't think that'll be possible though."

"Why not?"

"Umm... how to put it, me and my friend, we aren't exactly the most sociable people around? If we hadn't been neighbours, we wouldn't even have known each other."

"...I see." Koala looked thoughtful for a moment. She seemed to debate something for a while before directing a calculating gaze at Usopp. "Tell me, Usopp, what's yours and your friend's field of expertise...?"

The trip through Morsky was unusually uneventful. As a matter of fact, it was so smooth that it made Sabo even more uneasy than he had already been.

Doma had said that there were signs of activity in the ruined country, but they had already been here for the better part of two days, yet had seen no sign that indicated activity of any sorts.

Sabo glanced over his shoulders. Behind him, Marco and Doma were both trying hard not to grimace at the sights that surrounded them, and Sabo could wholly understand why. Despite the calm demeanor that he left on display, inside, he was tormented by the emotions he felt.

While he had expected this much, to see it with his own eyes was entirely another matter. A once rich land that, over the course of time, had been reduced to waste by a plague. Only, that wasn't all there was to it.

Sabo sighed inwardly, wondering -not for the first time- if bringing the crown prince and subsequently, the knight was a wise choice. The dangers this ruined land posed to the two was something beyond their knowledge, and although the mercenary had done his best to ensure their safety, he couldn't help second guessing himself at times.

The budding friendship he shared with the two didn't help his case either. The looks they directed at him everytime he refused to answer certain questions tended to make Sabo want to just come clean, though he never did succumb to the urge. Telling them everything was a lengthy effort, and one he felt unnecessary at the moment but knew they would find out soon.

All they needed to know for now was that they were here to find the cure for the king.

Later that afternoon, two days after crossing into Morskian lands, the group of three led by Sabo finally reached the midpoint of their journey - the city of Goa, second largest city in Morsky after Marineford, also the closest Morskian city to the Whitebeard Empire.

The city sat in the middle of a large plain, surrounded on all sides by a sturdy wall that rose 30 feet above the earth with four entrances located in each of the cardinal directions.

Before the plague, Goa had been a lively place, an interchange between the empire and the various Morskian cities. But now, like everything else they had come across during the last few days, Goa was a lifeless shell.

Sabo looked back at his companions, noting how they were starting to pale, obvious signs of tiring. "We'll take a rest in the city." He said, small sighs of relief escaping from the other two men as the words left him.

Over an hour had passed from when they spotted the city in the distance to when they finally reached the Southern Gates. At this point, Sabo decided to stay longer than he had first intended. Even though his two companions didn't show it, Sabo could tell they were obviously exhausted from almost two days of trekking, and frankly, he was too. Besides, while he did enjoy sleeping under the stars, it was just as nice to be able to get out of the elements. Furthermore, the winds had shifted earlier, and neither of them wanted to be caught in the storm that was sure to come sooner or later.

The Southern Gates stood wide and imposing, the metal crisscrossing to form the portcullis that barricaded the city. It would've been a sight to see despite all the rust, if not for the large hole in the lower right of the portcullis where the metal had obviously been cut and bent out of shape -signs that someone had broken into the city.

"Looks like we might be expecting company," Doma commented dryly.

"We might," Sabo agreed from where he was tweaking the metal a bit so their bags wouldn't snag on it when they pulled them through. Finally satisfied, the blonde mercenary pulled himself and his bag through the hole, then straightened and moved back to give his companions some space.

At that moment, a familiar symbol carved into the walls of the short corridor caught Sabo's eye.

A daisy with three feathers - the symbol of Goa. For some reason, Sabo felt like laughing all of a sudden. However, the urge went as quickly as it came, neither Marco nor Doma sensing the small shift in the mercenary.

As soon as all three of them had came through the hole, Sabo started leading them through the city with startling ease.

Marco and Doma picked up on it immediately.

"You seem quite familiar with the city, Sabo," Marco commented offhandedly, not expecting an answer from the mercenary. Presently, they seemed to be passing through what used to be Goa's central street, the many shops that lined the street giving it away. Marco had been here several times before, accompanying their father on diplomatic missions. Back then, when he passed through here, the streets were bustling with people; a stark contrast to the sight before him. Without the liveliness of the people, the place was near unrecognizable to prince.

"I am," Sabo -unexpectedly- answered, shooting them a questioning glance over his shoulders. "Hard not to be, considering I was born here."

Somewhat caught off guard by the unforeseen reply, Marco quickly recollected himself, years of etiquette lessons kicking in before he could make a fool of himself by gaping dumbly at his fellow blonde. Doma on the other hand, was openly surprised and didn't bother to hide it.

"I see," Marco responded smoothly. "I apologise. I didn't mean to pry."

"S'nothing." Sabo nonchalantly waved off his apology.

They continued walking after that, falling back into silence until Sabo came to a stop outside a large, fancy looking house surrounded on the perimeters by tall gates. The house -mansion really- was still in relatively good condition and Sabo pushed open one of the large doors at the front.

"This is…" Marco gaped slightly at Sabo's actions, recognizing the place where they were entering and wondering in the back of his mind if this counted as trespassing.

Not that there was anyone to stop them from doing it.

"The former Governor of Goa's home." Sabo said, for some reason putting emphasis on the word 'former' in an act of sardonicism. Marco picked up on it, but let it slide; everyone had their own story, and this place was obviously part of Sabo's. Doma, on the other hand, was a little less tactful.

"Is there a reason we're here?" The knight asked, eyeing the place searchingly for anything that could pose a threat. One could never be too careful, and with the crown prince here, Doma had taken it upon himself to look out for Marco's safety, even though the prince could handle himself well enough.

Discretely shooting a glance that suggested the knight was an idiot at said idiot, Sabo navigated the large house expertly, leading them directly through the multitude of halls to a large set of doors near the back of the house which led to the kitchens. Only then did he bother to answer Doma.

"Supplies," Sabo explained as he started opening cabinets and cupboards, anywhere that looked like it could store food. "Unless you think the little bit of water and rations left in your bags are going to last us to Marineford and back to Whitebeard."

While they had tried to pack enough to last them, there was still a limit to how much they could carry without the use of horses.

Remembering what little they had left in their bags, Marco and Doma silently started searching through the kitchen.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Sabo smirked as he registered the sounds of doors opening and closing behind him.

...

While he searched the kitchens, Marco secretly wondered if Sabo was perhaps closely connected with the former governor, or maybe related to him. It would certainly explain how the leader of the Dragon's Fury knew the layout of this place so well, as well as the way he carried himself that held the faintest hint of a sophistication usually only seen in the upper class.

He did say he was born here. Marco's head supplied. Who would've thought, huh?

...

Forty-five minutes later, Sabo, Marco and Doma gathered at one of the counters, piling everything they found on the table.

Picking through the small mountain of preserved foods, Sabo quietly marvelled at how little variety there was. Dried fruit, jam, pickles, jerky and candied fruit - that was all.

"Well, at least it's something."

"At least…"

"Better than nothing, I guess."

All three glared at the food with lifeless eyes.

Luffy was bored.

Very bored.

And a bored Luffy was never a good thing.

Unfortunately for the Whitebeard siblings, none of Luffy's comrades were around to tell them that.

Bored out of his mind, Luffy decided to explore the castle a bit. No reason not to, right? Besides, he'd just checked on the king a little less than an hour ago; his condition was stable, so there was no need for him to stick around.

Luffy started from the wing where the King's chambers were located, pushing doors open as quietly as he could and poking his head through them. Most of the rooms in that wing were the family's private quarters though, and the raven quickly lost interest, moving on to other parts of the castle.

His little adventure brought him to all sorts of places - the servants quarters, the kitchens (He found Sanji and Thatch testing recipes with an old man who had a cool-looking braided moustache.), the offices ("What are you doing here?" A surprised Blamenco looked up from his desk where he was being swamped by paperwork for the Solstice Festival. Luffy blinked, then grinned at him. "I'm exploring!"), and a few places the teen had no business being in. He'd almost been sent to the dungeons by a guard who'd caught him looking around the castle archives and suspected that he was an intruder. Almost. Lucky for Luffy, the seventh prince, Rakuyo just happened to pass by and promptly rescued the waywardly curious teen, sending him on his way after giving him an earful about running around the palace carelessly and handing him an official pass that he had been on his way to deliver.

Pulling the pass over his head to let it hang underneath his shirt, Luffy cheerily thanked Rakuyo and turned the corner to continue his exploration, leaving the prince to huff in mild exasperation behind him.

A few more turns later, Luffy found himself in a corridor that overlooked one of the palace courtyards.

Luffy thought he must be somewhere near the armoury, since he could hear the soldiers running through their drills and the sounds of swords clanging against each other from outside. Leaning over the railings to get a better look , he watched fascinatedly as the soldiers trained, their armour and swords gleaming beneath the sun.

His attention was completely held by the soldiers, until a presence brushed against the edge of his senses. Eyes widening in alert, Luffy turned towards the direction of the presence, where a large man carrying a plate of pies was just turning the corner.

Noticing the boy who was neither wearing a servant uniform or armour, the man narrowed his eyes and swiftly moved towards Luffy.

Luffy, still distracted by the familiarity of the man's presence, barely had time to move before the man was standing in front of him, looking down at the teen with suspicion clear in his eyes.

"Who are you?" The man asked sternly. Luffy stared at him, trying to place where he'd felt this presence before. He was sure he had felt it before somewhere, but couldn't for the life of him remember where!

"Who are you?" The man asked again when Luffy didn't answer, his almost snarling tone startling the teen out of his thoughts. "Uh..." Luffy's brain was straining itself to think of an excuse, and just as the man was about to ask again, it decided to play it safe and throw out the best card it had currently. "I was looking for my friend, Robin, but uh... I kinda got lost?"

He wasn't really, but at the moment she was the only person that came to mind. Luffy reminded himself to apologize to Robin later for using her as a shield. Although, what the black-haired teen told the man wasn't a lie... Not entirely, anyway. They were friends...

"Robin? You mean Lady Nico." Nodding his head quickly, Luffy beamed at the man, hoping he'd buy it and let him go. Unfortunately, the man didn't seem keen to let him off just yet. "Do you have a pass?"

At the reminder, Luffy remembered the card that Rakuyo had gave him earlier. The prince had said it was a pass, right...? Digging out the card, Luffy held it up to show the man, who visibly relaxed after inspecting the card.

"Should've brought this out earlier, kid." The man admonished as he let go of Luffy's pass and straightened, retrieving the plate he had left on the railings earlier. "If you're looking for Lady Nico, you should be looking in the library, not the armoury. That's where the lady always is if she's not with the family."

"Oh ok." Luffy turned to run off, but at the last minute remembered his manners and stopped short, turning back to the man. "Thanks!" And he sped off.

The mercenary kept his stride until he reached familiar territory - the royal's wing, before stopping to catch his breath.

"Luffy!" Not even a minute after he returned, Namur, who was sitting with their father today, came speeding towards him. The large, stocky man was visibly distressed, his brows heavily furrowed, causing Luffy to wonder what was going on to make him like that. "Where were you? I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Grabbing the teen's arm the moment he came within range, Namur started to pull Luffy towards the king's chambers, explaining as they went.

"Pops just woke up." Not really one for lengthy explanations, Namur simply summarized the entire situation into four words. The most crucial four.

Hardly a second passed before their positions were reversed, and Namur was the one being dragged along. Eyes blown wide with shock, Luffy broke into a sprint, reaching the king's chamber in record time.

The doors were already wide open thanks to Namur, the guards still dutifully standing guard on both sides, and Luffy breezed right in, not even sparing the two guards who were bickering at the door a single glance.

He braked right next to the bed, and looked down.

Black eyes met yellow ones, and Luffy frowned.

"You shouldn't be awake, old man."

Well... once again, NO ACE. I'm sure some people probably want to wring me for that, but you guys'll just have to stay tuned for the next chapter.

So, anyone wanna share their thoughts?

Ps. It'd really be highly appreciated if you'd leave a review about the chapter. Your thoughts about it, any errors (if you find them), etc... I like reading them, sometimes I even get ideas from them.

(I'm so bad at writing A/N's...Sigh)

To Guest reviewers: Kindly use a nickname so I know who to address replies to.

Thank you for reading!