Author's Note: Sorry for the lateness. But hey happy 1 year anniversary of when I published this story. Totally planned it to take this long…

Anyways, here's the chapter so I hope you enjoy. Please review to let me know how you're liking the beginning of the end.

Previously

"Hey guys, you don't honestly think we can take these guys, do you." Usopp questioned as they got off of the bus. "They're like, a real gang. And I have that, I don't want to have my faced bent in syndrome. *Cough it's already taking affect. Maybe is should sit this one out?" he acted hoping to get out of the fight.

The whole crew had gone in support of their Captain although not all of them were fighters. Nojiko was left home so it was up to them to save Nami.

"Don't worry." Luffy comforted with a mature smile. "As long as we have each other's backs, we'll be fine. And besides, I broke one of their guy's arm. So you can take that one" he added with a laugh that gave Usopp goosebumps.

"Is that why you told me to bring my bee-bee gun?! What's this thing going to do" the sniper cried as he looked to the one who told him to bring it.

"Improvise" Zoro offered before focusing his attention back into the distance. "I'm gonna get killed today" Usopp finished as he hung his head in acceptance of his demise.

"I'll take the guy with you man. I have my tool belt because I was tricking out Vivi's new range rover. Super!" Franky yelled just thinking of his automotive masterpiece.

Usopp scoffed at Franky's upbeat attitude before pointing his pointer finger at the blue haired teen. "Then take him on yourself. Why should I experience bodily harm?"

Franky yelled back with a defensive, "Oi don't dump all of your problems on me."

Meanwhile, Sanji couldn't help himself from staring at the three wooden bushido practice swords strapped onto his green haired rival's belt. "Oi seaweed hair, are you going to be able to fight with those?" the cook inquired slightly worried about his frenemy's wellbeing. "I figured we were kidding when we talked about your three wooden swords" he continued.

"I'll be fine. Focus on taking care of yourself, shitty cook" Zoro answered with a quick glance over towards Sanji before he again refocused on the road ahead. "I have to focus" Zoro thought minutes before the group stopped in front of a warehouse.

"Is this the place?" Robin asked taking notice to the construction being done. Scaffolding could be seen everywhere with danger tape, covering every square inch of the building's outside.

"Creepy" Chopper added as he hid behind Robin with his teeth chattering.

Luffy looked at the paper Nojiko had given him and then surveyed the area. When he was satisfied, he began to walk towards the entrance.

Brook called out as the rest of the crew ran to catch up to the anxious blackette. "Oi Luffy, hold up. Let's make a plan." Luffy stopped in front of the metal door and took a deep breath. He exhaled just as quick leaving his friends wondering why he'd stopped.

"Zoro, I'm taking a page out of your book" he said confusing everyone but a smirking greenette. Luffy raised his leg, placed his foot against the door before reeling it back and kicking it off the hinges. The giant metal door which looked like it could have been found in a submarine was launched inside the heavily populated building. Clattering and causing a few bangs and shocked screams.

Luffy took a step inside and was followed by his crew. The contents of the room were in view and they could now see Arlong as he sat in the middle of the room on what looked like a king's throne. A bit to the right at his feet was a tear stained, slightly bruised Nami. Around him is what frightened a certain long nosed teen the most though. At least fifty overly muscular delinquents with steel weapons were littered all around the hideout.

"I'm not gonna make it" Usopp muttered sadly. He took special note to the fact that none of the hoodlums looked happy that Luffy kicked in their door. In fact, they looked out right pissed. To the point of killing a person or so Usopp thought.

"Luffy!?" Nami called out in surprise as she was able to make out her friend through clouded eyes.

"ARLONG! I'm here to kick your ass and get my Nami back!" Luffy screamed as it echoed through the warehouse. Nami's eyes teared even more when she heard this but Arlong wasn't amused. In fact, the look he was giving Luffy made it seem like murder was easy to commit. And he was about to prove it. About eight times.

Now

"You bastard! My door!" Arlong seethed as he looked at a metal door that laid atop two of his unconscious men.

His crew were becoming restless as they stared at the adjacent straw hats with malice. Most of them smiled with murderous grins while others simply sharpened their knives and weapons with calculating eyes.

"I don't care about your door or anything." Luffy said with a dangerous whisper to his voice. "Just give me back Nami!" Arlong's crew looked to their leader for guidance. No one's ever willingly looked for Arlong besides the police. And anyone who did usually ended up dead.

"Shahaha" laughed Arlong with crude amusement. "Oi kid, hasn't this tart done enough to ya? Wasn't the first ass beatin enough? I'll tell ya, she aint worth dying over."

Luffy clenches his fist, cracking his knuckles in the process. His hat shadowed his facial features as he listened to this man's lunacy. He looked up quickly and with anger evident in his voice, he silenced Arlong's rowdy crew.

"I'd happily die for any of my friends." Luffy resounded, staring down his enemy. "That includes Nami. I'm don't expect to lose this time. I brought some backup so it's not ten to one anymore."

"I'm not alone this time" Luffy thought as this affirmation created a smirk on his face. His friends stood behind him watching as the tension in the room rose.

A smirk found its way to Arlong's face before turning into a raucous laugh. "You really are dumb kid. Haven't ya looked around? It's still ten to one!" Arlong used this as a rallying cry making his men jeer and scream from the inspiration.

The uproar sent vibrations throughout the room as the band of misfits stomped their feet and clanged their metal weapons against everything hard and sharp. Luffy's friends could only observe their surroundings with caution as they entered the room, almost as a silent rally for their leader.

The ground under their feet looked felt like splintered wood and tile. It made walking harder and sharp pieces poked through their shoes. A misty plume of dust floated around the room quietly infecting the lungs of everyone. The smell had a tinge of saturated mold that was almost sour and it made it's way to Usopp making his face cringe into a sneeze.

"Death's talking about us guys. Let's just grab Nami and leave, I'm pretty sure we can outrun these lugs" Usopp desperately pleaded in a quiet yelling tone before Robin nudged him to be quiet.

"Seriously, I feel like I'm in the gorilla pit at the zoo" Usopp whined nearly wetting himself. His body was already shaking with the pressure of living up to his friends expectations. Something about not being a fighter but being forced to fight for your friends made Usopp's sheepish stomach want to faint.

"The Usopp species finally found his place in a zoo. Happy day!" Brook and Chopper laughed. Usopp grew a vain on his forehead remembering that Chopper and Brook weren't helping them fight.

"Tough words from the people hiding behind Robin!" he rebutted making Chopper chuckle at his luck. Not being asked to fight was the best news he'd heard all week. Chopper just smiled mischievously knowing this made him automatically win the argument.

"Use that anger on the muscles with hair over there Usopp-san" Brook said pointing a skinny finger towards Chu who was standing tall, cradling his broken and cast covered arm.

Arlong was grinning even wider now if that were possible. He crossed his arms as he remained seated in his red cushioned armchair. "These are the losers ya brought to fight for ya. You really aint too bright huh kid."

Without missing a beat and not needing any starting gun, Luffy closed the distance between him and Arlong and punched him in the jaw which sent him and his chair hurdling back several feet. Arlong's crew watched in horror as they barley saw the straw hat wearer move. Luffy's crew just smiled with Chopper fanboying over his captain.

"You can call me dumb all day-..." Luffy said glaring at the downed Arlong. "You can even kill me... But never, ever disrespect my friends." Arlong stayed on his back for a second to recover from the brunette's assault. He wiped a bit of blood from his lip using his wrist and with an unpleasant look, he used his knee to help himself stand.

"I'm really startin to hate ya kid. That usually ends in blood" he said cracking his neck. Arlong smirked noticing something behind Luffy. "You die this time" Hatchan yelled swiping both his katana down towards Luffy's head.

The move was a death blow but before the blades could cause harm, Zoro kicked Hatchan in the back sending him through some scaffolding and into another room.

"Sorry but no one's gonna lay a finger on my Captain. I'm here to get payback for missing out on your last party!" Zoro yelled as he ran after the enemy swordsman through the hole he made in the wall.

Luffy walked over to Nami thanks to Zoro creating the small intermission in his fight with Arlong. She wouldn't meet his gaze as tears streamed down her face. "How can I look at him after everything I did" Nami thought building a wall of shame between Luffy and herself. Being short on time, Luffy had to do something that would get his point across quickly.

"Hold this princess" Luffy said as he took his straw hat and slapped it on her head. She looked up to meet his eyes shocked. "I will save you" he finished with a face splitting grin.

Letting his guard down, Arlong took the chance and grabbed Luffy's shirt, throwing the brunette over his shoulder and behind him. Luffy landed gracefully on his feet but had to guard as Arlong sprinted at him and wrapped his arms around Luffy's waist.

The thug used his larger mass to pick the teen up and run through a wall, Luffy first. The wonder board structure crumbled as the pair went through it, creating an opening into another empty room.

"He gave me his hat? His treasure-... how can he trust me so easily." Nami thought clenching the rim of Luffy's hat. Tears cascaded off her already wet, runny red cheeks and her brain continued to shortcircuit from everything that was happening. "Didn't he remember what she did? What Arlong did? I thought this was all over..."

"Did Zoro steal the Butterfinger's slogan? I just realized that. So not cool" Brook said with a laugh.

"So Luffy's a Butterfinger?" Robin asked trying to connect dots that weren't there.

Usopp yelled, "Be serious shit started going down!" scolding his friends for their out of place and badly timed inquiries.

"Speaking of shit going down, look" Franky nudged pointing out that Chew was walking towards them. "I can take the rest of you, even with one arm." This got the remaining members of Arlong's crew to cheer in anticipation. It reached it's zenith and Usopp and Chopper couldn't decide if it was them shaking from fear or the room.

Franky looked behind him to see an empty space where Usopp had been standing. Usopp was running out of the doorway past Robin and his other friends and into the world outside. "He's confident with one arm!? That's the sign of a murderer. I'm gonna die!"

"Usopp you idiot!" Franky yelled to his fleeing friend. He turned back to Chew who was approaching slowly, cracking his neck with a malicious smirk. Franky's hand slowly crept to his tool belt before what Usopp said resonated in his head.

"Why was this guy so calm?" Franky thought becoming nervous. "He was gonna fight two guys with a broken arm? Is he an assassin!?"

The blue haired mechanic stood his ground for another five seconds before the cold sweat on his brow swayed him. "Usopp wait up!" he yelled before he ran out and after his long nosed friend.

"Suppper scarred!" he yelled with his hands in the air flailing.

"Wha-…" Chew said baffled by their stupidity. "Oi, wait up assholes I'm trying to kill you!"

Chew took off towards the entrance scaring Brook and them into sliding over and out of his way. "He's coming over here! Go after Sanji, he's got a curly eye brow!" Brook and Chopper yelled as Chew ran right past them in pursuit of the two fleeing straw hats.

"Thanks, bastard" Sanji mumbled looking at Chopper who was on his back sobbing with fright.

"He didn't kill us? I keep getting lucky" Chopper muttered before drifting into unconsciousness. Lucky for him, Sanji began to step between Arlong's men and his defenseless friends.

"Chopper?! Doctor?!" Brook said frantically. He acted as foolish as Chopper sometimes...

Sanji looked back to the remaining enemies in front of him. His eyes shifted from the scores of thugs to the last remaining lieutenant. He sighed when he realized all the work he was going to have to do.

"Not fair. Guess moss head wouldn't be able to handle it though" Sanji thought while putting his hands in his pockets.

"Nami" Sanji said getting the exhausted girl's attention. "Go to Robin. You might get caught in the crossfire" Sanji said pointing to where Robin and Brook where.

She looked at him with an absent expression before she heard Robin call her from behind Sanji. Snapping out of her hazy disbelief, she got to her feet and ran. "Are they really here to rescue me? Why would they risk so much after everything that's happened? I don't deserve it. So why?"

"Are you hurt" Robin asked as Nami reached her. The blackette offered her battered friend a reassuring look but received a quiet "hm". Robin took this as a yes so she pulled the girl into an emphatic hug making Nami's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. She didn't remember what it was like to feel so secure. So hopeful. It was nice.

Robin rocked back and forth with the orangette in her arms attempting to comfort her obviously rattled friend. "We're going to help you. Luffy won't lose." Nami was a bit hesitant but eventually, she hugged Robin back and cried.

"When Chopper wakes up, he can look at your injuries" Brook informed as the woman broke away. She offered him a smile as she whipped her eyes with her hands.

"Thanks" she said with what felt like a lump of iron in her throat. "How did I get so lucky? To find and have friends that care about me so much.. Maybe they really can end all of this. And we can start over"

Franky

"How is he so far ahead of me?!" Franky thought running around a corner and after his long nosed friend. He exited the warehouse maybe a minute after his friend and yet he looked like a fly stuck on the horizon. The sun had begun to set as the orange shaded skyline brimmed dazzlingly through separate clouds.

"Wait up, Usopp!" Franky yelled before he was tripped from behind. He hit the pavement hard but used the side of his arm and his shoulder to roll out of it and avert some of the damage. Landing opposite to the direction he was running, the bluenette was shocked to see Chew already caught up to him.

It was almost humorous seeing someone so big and menacing stand there with a broken arm looking for a fight. Most people would wonder what he was even capable of in that condition. But Franky knew this guy was capable of plenty.

"Making me run after you? You're going to bleed either way. Now we're both tired" seethed a panting Chew. This threat sent a shiver through Franky's body. He was already reluctant to fight this guy. Why did he have to make it harder?

"Idiot. You have to find a way to calm yourself down. Usopp is long gone so it's up to you now" Franky thought putting his hands up preparing to fight. "Calm down. Think of what it probably looked like to see such a big guy run with one arm."

Franky couldn't help but laugh at his trailing thoughts. Imagine this guy waddling after him? Then again, he caught up to him rather easily. Franky's smile soon faded as he realized how out of shape he must be. "If I survive this with minimal damage, I'm joining the track team!" he said trying to pick his confidence up.

"I don't know what you think's so funny but let's see you laugh with a fist down your throat" Chew yelled sending a left hook to Franky's chest. "Is that sexual?" asked the mechanic as he weaved out of the way and towards Chew's broken right hand.

"Asshole. I'll kill you!" he yelled sending another punch into Franky's gut. This sent the blue haired teen back a few inches but he quickly backed up more to make space.

"I'm a mechanic, not a fighter" Franky muttered under his breath. "But if I stay on his broken side, I should be good. I'm doing this for my friends."

Chew looked at Franky with a smirk before settling into an awkward fighting stance. "Damn that straw hat. Taking away my dominant hand." Franky looked baffled by this. "That last hit wasn't his dominant hand? I gotta thank Luffy later for being a lifesaving badass."

"Too bad you're not a fighter. If you were and your friend hadn't bailed, maybe you would've had a chance" Chew taunted as he launched himself towards Franky. Although he couldn't use his right arm, his quick left jabs and hooks were keeping Franky on his toes.

Side stepping another jab and weaving past a too close for comfort hook, Franky punched at the delinquents ribs. Chew was quick though and back stepped out of range. Immediately after the miss, Franky was again bombarded with blow after blow.

Staying on Chew's week side really helped but he was still continuously grazed or hit by a lot of the strikes. The fight wouldn't last long if he stayed on the defensive. He was already feeling tired.

"Staying on my weak side, huh? Nice strategy but I don't fight with Karate like Kuroobi" Chew said before sending a crushing knee into Franky's quad. He went down to his knee with a grimace as he tried to catch his breath. His bruised flesh already started to swell as it ached in pain. He could feel his heartbeat in the throbbing of his quad and his vision went fuzzy.

"Stings a bit, hm? Sucks for you since I fight with my legs too. Just let me beat you close to death and we can end it quicker" Chew threatened taking a step towards Franky.

Putting strain on the bruised leg, Franky settled into his instinctual stance again. "This is getting bad. And what does he mean close to death? What a maniac!"

"Here I come" yelled Chew beginning his assault once again. This time he mixed in a combination of legs attacks as well as some elbow strikes which surprised Franky further. Franky found himself being pushed back in addition to having to cling to Chew's weak side.

"Offense or I die!" Franky panic flushing his senses making him push forward powerfully. He took an elbow to the shoulder before he started swinging desperately at the more skilled fighter.

It seemed like practice for Chew as even with a broken arm, he was able to counter and weave through the flailing fists flawlessly. "I'm getting nothing but air" Franky thought before running forward towards Chew for a full body tackle.

Chew sidestepped the maneuver and sent another knee into Franky's chest knocking the wind out of him.

"Gahk" was the noise he made when he unwillingly spat up from the impact. He landed on both of his knees and hunched over, holding his chest hoping to aid the pain.

"I don't think I can beat this guy" Franky thought grimacing as Chew began walking towards him.

Meanwhile

"Was that Franky?" Usopp thought as he stopped running and turned around. Panting heavily, the long nosed teen squinted his eyes enough to make out two figures. One was standing while the other was on their side on the concrete.

"That guy caught Franky?!" Usopp realized taking a step back. He watched as his friend started fighting the thug and his mind began it's pendulum of anxiety. Gripping his Beebe gun, a sheepish look spread across his face and he remained hesitant.

"Well I can't help him. I told them I'm not a fighter so what can I do?" he internally asked as if his conscience would provide an answer. Instead, he turned away, his back shielding him from the scene. "It's not like they know I saw Franky get caught. I'll be like, 'you tried your best Franky', and; 'we were so close Luffy. Sorry we didn't pull through.'"

Usopp began to run in the opposite direction but stopped after his first few strides when he heard Luffy's words in his head again. "If we have each other's backs, we'll be fine." Usopp grimaced at the dilemma he faced.

"What can I do though! I won't even be able to help. I'm no fighter" he thought shaking as he gripped his weapon with a vice grip strength unbeknownst to he. The veins on his hand radiated from the pressure and his knuckles turned whiter than normal tan skin. "But how can I face them if I run away?!"

That thought kept repeating in his head before he turned around. "I may not be a fighter but I am a man. And a man doesn't turn his back on his friends. So I can at least take the beating with Franky!" he yelled preparing his Beebe gun to fire.

Chew took a step forward as he now stood over Franky's downed form. The mechanic was now on his butt as he crawled away in desperation. "Think, think, think" he repeated over and over in his head. How could he get himself into this impossible situation? There was no way out.

"I promise to only break a couple of bones. Maybe puncture a lung or two." Chew whispered maniacally to the downed Franky. "Don't worry you'll live. Probably. Maybe" he said almost arguing with himself on whether to spare the man before him.

Chew sent a foot down towards Franky's face. Franky tucked his head down and threw his hands up for protection but at such proximity, he knew this was going to hurt.

"OWW!" Franky heard as no blow ever came. "Was that me? I sound like a bitch" Franky thought before lowering his hands and looking up to see what happened.

Laying on the floor was the brute who was about to pulverize him a moment ago. The visceral martial artist was holding his forehead and squirming in agony. Franky had no idea what had happened until he heard Usopp in the distance.

"If you're going to kill my friend, then you'll have to kill me too!" Usopp yelled reducing the distance between the other two people and himself by a few yards.

"That fucking hurt!" Chew whined more as he stood to his feet. He had a red and slightly bloody indent square in the center of his forehead. His eyes were watering and his cast was now dilapidated exposing his bandaged arm.

"Superrr nice shot Usopp!" Franky yelled happier than he'd ever been to see his long nosed friend. "I thought I was really gonna die."

"Bastard" Chew said charging Usopp. "I'll kill you!"

Now Franky was scared again. This guy was crazy but until now he'd been calm. Passive aggressive but still somewhat controlled. Now he seemed rabid, like a starved dog finally tired of rolling over for scraps of dust.

Usopp fired rapidly at the charging beast with deadly accuracy but to his shock, the man was maneuvering past the lead shells. "He's going to kill me" Usopp thought flinching in expectation of a harsh and painful blow.

Franky reacted as quickly as he could and pulled out a red, 24' monkey wrench from his tool belt. The massive tool was heavy to most people but it felt like another seasoned hand to the veteran mechanic. He ran forward and hit Chew as hard as he could in the back of the man's head. Chew hit the floor quick and hard and didn't get up.

Usopp opened his eyes when he heard a loud clank. Franky looked at him and then back at the unconscious man and Usopp mirrored him. The pair did a double take before they both broke out laughing.

"We freaking did it! No freaking way" Franky yelled throwing his arm around the sharpshooter's shoulders. "We almost died but we did it!"

Usopp wasn't laughing as he was mostly screaming. "YOOOSHH! YEAAAH!" Adrenaline pumped through him in a way it never had which made the vein on his head protrude excessively. He felt so alive. "I just did that! I can do that" he internally jeered.

When the excitement died down, Franky looked to his friend with a smile. "Nice shooting ace." Usopp couldn't contain his emotion as he started crying into the mechanics shirt. Franky was stunned at the switch in atmosphere as he was now extremely confused.

"I left you Franky. Ran off and then I almost didn't come back. He beat you up and I took my sweet ass time." Franky could feel the remorse in his friend's voice so he patted his back softly. When that didn't change Usopp's mood, he decided to be a little rougher.

"Better late than never bro!" the blue haired, rocker looking mechanic shouted patting Usopp on the back hard enough to knock him down. Franky laughed raucously as his friend looked up to him with an abandoned puppy expression.

"Thanks" Usopp said sniffling a glob of snot back into his nose. "Let's head back to the others."

Supporting his friend with his shoulder, Usopp began walking back towards the warehouse feeling lighter than before. Half way there, the pair was stopped by a giant SUV that served as eye candy for Franky. It swung around the corner violently and blocked their path scaring Usopp into a echoing scream.

"Wait I know this beautiful thing!" Franky yelled before the window rolled down to reveal Vivi. "What happened to you!? Did you think I wouldn't ask around and hunt you down!" she yelled scarier than she probably intended before the side door automatically slid open. The pair scooted their way into the hulk of a car and closed the door behind them.

"We'll explain on the way. Drive down this street here" Usopp said before pointing in the direction of his other friends. Vivi obliged and started down the directed path. She sat their almost steaming before she began to scold Franky. "You can't just be in the middle of upgrading my car, get a call from Robin and then take off screaming emergency. I was so worried and now you're all beaten up? What's going on?" she pleaded flushed from her rage. Franky meanwhile was using ice from the cooler he'd installed to try and sooth his bruised chest.

"God this truck is beautiful. The ice box was a nice touch if I can kiss my own ass a little" Franky said ignoring Vivi with a huge grin as he laid in the car he helped upgrade just recently.

"Yeah the car does look different" Usopp pointed out making Vivi smile.

Franky chuckled a bit before coughing uncomfortably. "I added a cooler to the center dashboard, televisions behind every seat, surround sound, and cup holders. Sweat, sweat cup holders." Franky boasted with little modesty as he tossed Usopp a soda and took a sip of the cola he stashed in the cooler.

He placed the drink in one of the new holders and smiled to Vivi. "Anything for my baby" he laughed.

"Wah-… You guys are a thing?!" Usopp asked extremely shocked.

Vivi's face lit up with a huge blush but Usopp was too busy looking to Franky for confirmation. Franky meanwhile didn't let his face reveal anything as he offered his friend a cool smile and a slouched nod that resolved the issue.

"I was referring to the car."

"Lying asshole... but smooth save" Vivi thought with a tick on her forehead as they pulled back up to the warehouse.

Author's Note: So how was it? Worth the wait? I really hope it was. I'm expecting only 13 chapters now that I've thoroughly outlined everything but the ending and content hasn't changed. I promise I'm not cutting corners. This story's my baby lol.

So drop a review if you enjoyed it, follow me for more stories and stick around for more content. Till next time!

Edited- 12/19/16