BROTHER ON BOARD
Bluejay Blaze - I actually do have an official position in mind for Zoro. But the position requires a ship. So Sabo won't be able to decide Zoro's actual job until they receive the Going Merry.
Mikila94 - It's a rivalry. Similar to Zoro and Sanji's. Sabo and Zoro have different ways of doing things and they're constantly out to prove which way is better. Gun or sword. They will of course take any chance they get to make a jab at the other. In a lot of fanfics I've seen OCs join the Straw Hats and instantly be at odds with Sanji since they have Nami or Robin as a love interest. Since Sabo is already 'spoken for' I was able to turn that cliche on its head and make Zoro the rival instead. Does this mean that Sabo will get along with Sanji? You'll see next arc.
Johnny Spectre - Perhaps some of Sabo's childhood noble-training helped shape that "outlook". Luffy mentioned last chapter, Sabo brings the "charisma" to the crew. Sabo added enhancing the crew's public image to his list of duties as Quartermaster. Slowly but surely its starting to pay off.
Fairy of the Friz - Careful! Bonnie might get jealous. I'd suggest investing in some kevlar just in case. This chapter you'll get to see Sabo slip from pirate to ass-kicker.
dhampire712 - Kuro did adjust his glasses a lot in the original but it seemed to be at random intervals. I changed it a bit to make it so when Kuro adjusts his glasses he's resisting the urge to kill whoever is in front of him. Like when Luffy mentioned that he'd deck any pirates lurking around in the shnoz or that he was looking to take down a pirate with a bounty of sixteen million berries. I'm trying to play up the humor in this story so I thought that might've helped in a semi-serious scene.
Kuro-
"So what's this about you and Luffy being brothers?" Zoro asked. He was leaning against a fence at the edge of Syrup Village, Nami was sitting on it and Sabo was sitting against the fence in between the two with Bonnie Anne propped on his shoulder. Pepper and Carrot were leaning on the fence on the other side of Nami. "You mentioned it when we first met but you're nothing alike."
"That doesn't change the fact that Luffy's still my younger brother," Sabo responded. "We shared a sake cup to make it official. We've actually got a third brother Ace. He set sail a couple years before us. I knew I was going to set sail with one of my brothers and while I'm closer with Ace since I've known him longer, I figured that Luffy would need my help more."
"But you're not actually related," Zoro pointed out.
"Why should that matter?" Nami interjected. "You don't have to be related to be family."
Sabo looked up at her and squinted. "You've got a sibling?"
"Older sister," Nami answered. "We were both adopted by the same incredible woman." Nami's expression turned wistful and that was enough to tell Sabo that the foster mother was no longer alive.
"Anyway, I'd rather consider Luffy 'n' Ace my family than my actual family," Sabo admitted, "The fact that those stuffy twats think I'm dead is the best thing to ever happen to me."
"So…" Nami said in an effort to change the suddenly-awkward subject, "Where'd Luffy and Usopp go?"
"The beach," Pepper answered, "The Captain always goes there when he's upset."
"Want to go?" Carrot offered.
"Nah," Sabo replied, "They'll be fine."
"Aren't you guys missing someone?" Nami asked as she glanced over at Carrot and Pepper.
"Oh yeah, Onion," Carrot confirmed.
"He always disappears," Pepper explained, "Then he comes running back screaming."
"IT'S HORRIBLE! WE'RE ALL IN DANGER! I SAW A STRANGE BACKWARDS MAN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
"I guess that's him," Sabo noted as Onion ran up to them.
"There's a strange man coming this way!" Onion exclaimed. "And he's walking backwards!"
"You liar," Carrot and Pepper scolded him.
"It's true!" Onion insisted. "Look!"
Sure enough, a man with a long blue coat and a wide brimmed blue hat was moonwalking down the road towards them. He had a face that looked like Steve Tyler's with a mushroom stalk beard on his chin and wore heart-shaped sunglasses.
"Who called me strange?" the strange man asked once he got closer. "I'm not strange."
"You look crazy," Nami remarked.
"Don't be silly," the strange man said. "I'm just a traveling hypnotist."
"Wow, a hypnotist!" Onion exclaimed.
"Show us a trick!" Pepper pleaded.
"Yeah, show us!" Carrot urged him.
"Why would I demonstrate my hypnotic powers to a bunch of random strangers on the side of a road?"
Sabo raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, you convinced me!" the Hypnotist announced. He pulled out a small metal ring on a chain. "Now watch this ring."
"So you are going to perform?" Zoro asked as he stared at the easily persuaded and now even stranger hypnotist.
"When I say 'One, Two, Jango' you'll fall asleep," the hypnotist instructed as he swung the ring back and forth in front of him. "Ready? ONE… TWO… JANGO!"
"Zzzzz…"
"Now that's really strange," Zoro admitted as he stared at Pepper, Carrot and Onion all sound asleep in the middle of the road… ALONG WITH THE HYPNOTIST.
"Zzzzzz…" Zoro and Nami looked down and found Sabo fast asleep against the fence with Bonnie Anne propped on his shoulder.
Sabo took another deep breath and Bonnie Anne slid sideways off of his shoulder and fell into his lap which caused the rifle to go off.
KER-CHOW!
Sabo's eyes snapped open. "Wha? I'm up! What happened?"
"Idiot," Nami scoffed.
"Hey! He fell asleep too!" Sabo protested as he pointed at the sleeping EXTREMELY strange hypnotist. "That's stranger."
"Yasopp's your father, right?"
Usopp jumped in surprise as he stood on a cliff overlooking the sea then looked back at Luffy.
"Don't sneak up on me!" Usopp scolded him. "How'd you know that?"
"I knew him," Luffy told him. "He was a member of my favorite pirate crew. I remember now. He was a great shot. I don't ever remember seeing him miss. If you're half as good a shot as he is then I definitely want you to join my crew. Ship or no ship. Yasopp was a great pirate. And if you're like him then you'll make a great pirate too."
"A great pirate," Usopp repeated as he looked back out at the ocean. "I've always looked up to my father. He set sail and lives every day with his life on the line. He's a Brave Warrior of the Sea. My greatest dream is to be a brave warrior like him. But then that butler had to insult him and crush my pirate pride."
"I hate the guy too," Luffy admitted. "Are you ever going to go and see that girl again?"
"Maybe is that butler apologizes and begs me to come back," Usopp replied. "Then I'll consider it."
"Oh, good, 'cause there he is," Luffy asked as he pointed down at the beach below their cliff.
Usopp looked down and his eyes bugged out in alarm as he spotted Klahadore on the beach with a strange man in a blue coat. "What's he doing down there? And who's that guy he's with?"
"Jango, what did I tell you about keeping a low profile?" Klahadore scolded the other man. "You were spotted sleeping in the middle of town."
"I'm not standing out," Jango the Hypnotist insisted. "I'm not strange."
"Who's that strange guy that's with him?" Luffy asked Usopp.
"I've never seen him before," Usopp admitted, "But he really stands out. That makes him suspicious."
"Have you made the necessary preparations?" Klahadore asked as he adjusted his glasses with his palm.
"Yes, sir," Jango confirmed. "Operation Murder Miss Kaya is ready to go at any time."
Up overhead, Usopp's eyes widened in shock and his blood ran cold.
"Don't say 'murder'," Klahadore reprimanded him, "It sounds too sinister."
"Right, sorry," Jango apologized, "It's 'accident', the accident is ready to go as planned, Captain Kuro."
"Kuro…" Usopp whispered in horror. This was getting worse and worse.
"Hey look it's the Captain!" Onion pointed out. The Straw Hat Pirates and the Usopp Pirates looked down the road and saw Usopp sprinting towards them like the hounds of hell were chasing him.
"Luffy's not with him," Sabo noted.
"Do you think he's still upset?" Nami asked.
WOOOSH!
Usopp raced passed them without a word or a backward glance.
"Yes, I think he's still upset," Sabo said. "But it's not about what the butler said at the house." Sabo stood up and brushed his coat off. "I think something might've happened down at the beach."
"That was where that strange hypnotist headed after we woke up," Pepper realized.
"I think we need you to show us this beach after-all," Zoro decided.
"Huh, I thought I was on top of the cliff," Luffy remarked once the Straw Hats and Usopp's crew woke him up down at the beach.
"Luffy… try to remember… what happened?" Sabo instructed.
"Well… that strange guy waved his ring-thing and I fell asleep," Luffy recalled.
"And before that?" Sabo asked patiently.
"Usopp got really scared," Luffy said, "OH! The jerk-face butler is evil! He wants to kill that girl! Usopp said he's a pirate called… uh… Kurgle…"
"Kuro?" Sabo supplied.
"Yeah, that's it," Luffy said.
"I knew I recognized that butler," Sabo boasted. "Captain Morgan had his wanted poster framed on his office wall back in Shells Town. That's the pirate that he supposedly arrested and executed. It's kind of funny, Morgan claimed that he rose to his rank with his own merit but he didn't actually do the thing that he's famous for. Typical Marines."
"So who's Kuro?" Zoro asked.
"A hypocrite," Sabo answered. "That butler is exactly the awful kind of pirate that he accused us of being. He faked his death and now he's after Kaya's money."
"So that's what Usopp was doing," Nami commented, "He was running to warn everyone about the pirate attack. That's great. They'll be able to evacuate and no one will be hurt. "
"Um… there's just one problem with that," Carrot pointed out.
"The Captain runs through town screaming about pirate attacks every morning," Pepper told them.
"Damn," Sabo cursed. "No one's going to believe him."
"Why won't anyone believe me?" Usopp cried to himself as he fled Kaya's house with a mob of angry villagers chasing him. He clutched the gunshot wound on his arm and kept running. This had gone from bad to worse. All his lying had finally caught up to him. His neighbors didn't believe him even though he was telling the truth. Even Kaya refused to believe him. He's gotten shot trying to help her escape! Everyone thought that Klahadore was a kind, upstanding citizen when we was the evil pirate that was planning to get all of them killed! "They'll attack the village at dawn…"
"Captain!"
Usopp looked up and spotted his crew. And the Straw Hats. All four of them.
"YOU! You're alive! I thought you fell off a cliff?"
"Yeah, I must've dozed off," Luffy admitted.
"Captain what's going on?" Pepper asked. "We heard about the pirates."
"Pirates?" Usopp repeated. They were just kids. Kuro's pirate crew would gut them without a second thought. "Don't be silly! The pirates were a lie! Like usual."
"But the Straw Hat guy said that the butler was evil and trying to kill Kaya," Carrot insisted.
"I'm a liar, remember?" Usopp countered. "I told a lie to get back at that butler for insulting my father."
"Usopp… you might be a liar… but Luffy isn't," Sabo stated. "The pirates really are coming."
Usopp hung his head. "Yeah… they really are…" he confessed. "The pirates are attacking at dawn… but no one will believe me." Usopp started sobbing, "I spent so much time telling lies that no one on this island will believe me when I'm actually telling the truth."
"We believe you," Luffy told him.
"So do we Captain!" Onion exclaimed.
"You're gonna fight the pirates, right?" Pepper asked. "We'll fight with you, Captain!"
"Yeah!" Carrot added, "The Usopp Pirates aren't afraid of anything!"
"You guys!" Usopp gasped. It was such a relief to know that at least someone trusted him. But he couldn't lead those kids to their death… They looked up to him. "No… you can't fight them."
"Actually, I think I have a very special mission for you three," Sabo announced. "The pirates are after Kaya… you three need to guard her house and make sure she stays safe. If you see the evil butler, stay away from him. If he leaves the house… let him. DO NOT confront him. Your job is to guard Kaya and get her to safety if things go to hell. The last thing on your minds should be confronting a pirate. So if you hear ANYTHING that sounds like an angry hoard of pirates charging through town, you three need to grab Kaya and get her out of there."
"I… right!" Usopp chimed in, "This is your most important mission Usopp's Pirates. Can I count on you?"
"Yeah, Captain!"
"You can count on us!"
"We'll keep Kaya safe!"
"Good, I'm glad I could count on you guys," Usopp replied. "You're dismissed."
The three boys ran off and Usopp was left alone with the Straw Hats as the sun started to set.
"So the truth is…" Nami summarized, "The butler really is a pirate and his crew really is going to attack the town at dawn."
"Yeah," Usopp admitted. "They're coming. And everyone thinks that tomorrow will just be a normal day. So that means it's up to me to face those pirates and fight them off! Then… I'll have a real adventure to tell stories about. I may be a liar… but this last epic adventure will be a true story! They can shoot me and chase me but this village is my home. I HAVE TO PROTECT MY NEIGHBORS! I don't have much time to plan… BUT I REFUSE TO STAND BY AND LET EVERYONE BE KILLED!"
"Oh gee, if only you knew a heroic band of pirates that would be willing to help you out," Sabo drawled. "Where could you ever find some people like that? Take a look. They may be closer than you think."
Usopp turned to the Straw Hats. "You guys… you'd really help me?"
"Hey Luffy, Kuro's old bounty used to be sixteen million berries," Sabo informed his brother.
"Oh! That's what we said at the house!" Luffy realized. "In that case, I'll deck 'im in the shnoz!"
"Heh," Zoro chuckled as he eyed Usopp. "You've got 'I'm terrified' written all over your face."
"Of course I'm scared!" Usopp snapped, "They're the Kuro Pirates! I don't need your sympathy!"
"I'm not sympathizing with you," Zoro said, "I'm commending you for having courage." Zoro looked over at Luffy and Sabo. "I guess I like him too."
"Here we go again," Nami groaned, "I want to make one thing perfectly clear. The treasure is all mine!"
Usopp stared at the Straw Hats and wiped tears from his eyes, "You guys…"
A crescent moon was hanging overhead as Usopp and the Straw Hats stood at the top of a pass.
"They're going to attack from this shore," Usopp announced, "This slope is the only way into the village. Everything else is just sheer cliffs. So as long as we defend this pass with our lives the village won't be harmed."
"Sounds easy!" Luffy remarked.
"Well it's easier said than done," Usopp reminded him. "What are you guys good at?"
"Slicing," Zoro answered.
"Stretching," Luffy said.
"Stealing," Nami replied.
"Shooting," Sabo added.
"Running and hiding," Usopp admitted.
"You've gotta fight too!" the Straw Hats scolded him.
"Where is Miss Kaya now, Merry?" Klahadore asked once he returned the mansion.
"She's already in bed," the sheep-headed butler named Merry answered. "Today's excitement was too much for her."
"And to think all this happened while I was in the other town," Klahadore remarked. "That Usopp is such a troublemaker."
"Yes, would you believe that he actually accused you of being a pirate?" Merry asked. "It's not even a good lie."
"Yes…" Klahadore said as he adjusted his glasses with his palm. Then he spotted a box. "What's this?"
"Oh, that's a present from Miss Kaya," Merry informed him, "She said that tomorrow will be exactly three years since you came to this estate. She says it's an anniversary."
"An anniversary?" Klahadore repeated as he opened the box to reveal a new pair of glasses.
"It's a new pair of glasses," Merry merrily informed him. "Miss Kaya noticed how yours are always slipping so she had me personally order these for you from the next town. She's such and kind and generous person."
Klahadore didn't bother putting on the new glasses. He just tossed the box aside and adjusted his old ones with his palm as he turned out the window. "Oh tomorrow will be a very special night indeed. It's a crescent moon tonight. Night's like these make me truly feel alive." Klahadore drove his foot down on the new set of glasses.
KRUSH!
"Klahadore!" Merry exclaimed. "Why did you destroy Miss Kaya's gift?"
"Oh, I'll accept a gift from her alright," Captain Kuro said as he slowly turned to face Merry. "And I'll accept nothing less than her entire estate."
"Wha-what?" Merry gasped in alarm.
"There's no need to continue this act," Kuro decided, "Because in just a couple of hours this village will be overtaken by pirates. I've been waiting for this for three years!"
"MISS KAYA! YOU MUST—"
SLA-SLISH!
Merry's bloody body hit the floor and Kuro took a small amount of pleasure in knowing that he was no longer the one that had to clean up the mess.
"This is perfect!" Usopp boasted as they stood on top of the pass. It was nearly dawn and the pirates were on their way. "There's no way they'll get up the slope now. Not with all the oil on it. So here's the plan! When the pirates charge up the pass they'll slip and slide on the oil. That's when we'll hit them. No matter what happens we have to hold this pass!"
"We just have to be careful not slip on it ourselves," Nami said, "Only an idiot would get caught In their own trap."
"Wow… you sure came up with a slick plan," Luffy commented as he slid his foot along the top of the oil-coated pass.
"That was terrible Luffy," Sabo scolded him.
"Like your joke was any better," Zoro remarked.
Usopp puffed out his chest as he boasted, "There's no one better than me when it comes to crafty ideas and a slingshot!"
"It's dawn," Zoro pointed out as the sun rose on the horizon. "Here they come."
"Hurry up!" Pepper urged the other two boys.
"I can't believe we almost overslept," Carrot complained. The three boys were armed with a shovel, a bat and a frying pan as they rushed to Kaya's mansion.
"Do you think the Captain will be okay?" Onion asked.
"He had those other pirates with him," Pepper reminded him, "I'm sure they'll keep him safe."
"LAND HO, BOYS!" Jango called out as the Black Cat Pirates' ship the Bezan Black pulled up to the shore.
"Captain! There's two boats anchored nearby," one of the two dozen cat-themed pirates pointed out as he motioned to the Straw Hats' boats.
"Ignore 'em," Jango ordered. "We've gotta follow Captain Kuro's plan. Attack the village! We'll sort out everything else afterwards!"
"YAAAAAHH!" the Black Cat Pirates cheered as they lowered the gangplanks and charged off the ship.
"Where are they?" Usopp wondered as they stared at the shore. There was no pirate ship in sight.
"Did they oversleep?" Zoro asked.
"Hold on… I hear something," Nami announced she cupped her hands over her ears. "I hear yelling somewhere north of us…"
"NORTH!?" Usopp yelped.
"What's the matter?" Sabo questioned.
"There's another pass like this one north of here," Usopp admitted.
"YOU MEAN WE'RE ON THE WRONG BEACH!?" Luffy shouted.
"This was where the butler had his secret meeting," Usopp reminded him, "I guess I just assumed that they'd attack from this shore."
"WAIT! OUR SHIPS ARE ON THE NORTH SHORE!" Nami realized. "THEY'LL TAKE MY TREASURE!"
"We've gotta get there before they reach the town!" Luffy exclaimed. "Which way do we go?"
"If we run straight north we should get there in three minutes," Usopp answered. "There's a pass exactly like this one. Hopefully we can stop them before they make their way up it."
"Three minutes… I'll be there in twenty seconds!" Luffy growled as he charged off.
"LUFFY WAIT!" Sabo called out as he chased after him. "That's not north! You're going the wrong way!" He stopped and stared through the trees. "Damn it, he's gone."
Usopp bolted passed him and Sabo turned around in time to see Nami come running into the woods.
"Where's the sword-hoarder?"
"He slipped on the oil. I had to leave him behind."
"What a moron," Sabo muttered. Nami rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "This is already going to hell. Look, I'm gonna go help Usopp. I need you to find Luffy and bring him along. He ran off that way with no clue where he's going."
"I can't abandon my treasure!" Nami exclaimed.
"Do you actually want to fight off a hoard of vicious pirates?" Sabo asked.
"Not really," Nami admitted.
"You're our navigator," Sabo reminded her, "Find Luffy and navigate him to the pass. I'll help Usopp fight off the pirates until you guys arrive."
"Right," Nami agreed before they split it. She turned and shouted after him. "Don't let them lay one hand on my treasure!"
"I… I'm the first one here…" Usopp gasped in horror as he stared down at the swarm of twenty-five vicious cat-themed pirates at the bottom of the pass. The Straw Hats were nowhere in sight.
"Oh it's you," One Two Jango the acting captain of the Black Cat Pirates realized. "You're the one that overhead our plan."
"I guess I'm on my own…" Usopp realized. He took a deep breath and shouted at the Black Cat Pirates. "I'M WARNING YOU NOW! TURN BACK AND LEAVE THIS ISLAND! I'VE GOT AN ARMY OF ONE HUNDRED MILLION MEN WAITING TO KILL YOU BASTARDS!"
"Only an idiot would fall for that," one of the Black Cat Pirates scoffed.
"WHAT? ONE HUNDRED MILLION!?" the idiot Captain cried out in alarm. "THAT'S TOO MANY!"
"Captain… he's lying!"
"WHY YOU!" Jango shouted. "YOU'LL PAY FOR TRICKING ME!"
"Captain you won't believe it!"
"What now?" Jango asked.
"We investigated those two boats and we found treasure! There's over ten million berries there!"
"Ten million!?" Usopp repeated. "That must be all the treasure they stole from Buggy the Clown."
"THAT'S MY TREASURE!" Usopp announced. "And I'll let you have it! All you've gotta do is leave now!"
"Is he actually trying to bribe us? The nerve of that guy!"
"Of course we'll take the treasure," Jango announced, "But why would we have to leave? What's to stop us from killing you and taking it anyway?"
"Uh… good point," Usopp admitted.
"I've had enough of you," Jango growled. He held up his metal hypnotic ring. "Look at this ring! When I say 'One Two Jango' you'll stand aside and let us pass! ONE… TWO… JAN"
KER-CHOW!
"OOOOWWWW!" Jango howled as he held his bloody hand.
Usopp looked back and saw Sabo holding a smoking Bonnie Anne. "Sorry I'm late," he apologized. "But don't look at that ring. He'll hypnotize you with it."
"You're here!" Usopp exclaimed. "Where's everybody else?"
"Zoro got caught in our oil slick trap like an idiot and Luffy got lost," Sabo reported, "I sent Nami to find him but for now it's just the two of us."
"But… there's one, two, three... TWENTY-FIVE pirates down there!" Usopp pointed out.
"Yeah, they should've brought more," Sabo remarked. He stepped passed Usopp and called out to the Black Cat Pirates. "HEY! Black Cat Pirates! I've been instructed not to let you lay a hand on that treasure. I suggest that you pull up anchor and leave now. Otherwise, I'll gun you down."
"YOU BASTARD! YOU SHOT MY HAND!" Jango yelled as he held his bleeding hand. Two fingers were missing. "MEN, KILL THEM BOTH!"
"ARRROOOOO!" the Black Cat Pirates howled as they charged up the pass.
"SCATTER BLAST!"
KER-CHOW!
The front five pirates were blasted backwards and crashed into the others behind them causing the hoard to go tumbling back down the pass.
"Usopp, cover me while I reload!" Sabo ordered as he cracked Bonnie Anne opened and pulled out a handful of bullets from his coat.
"Right," Usopp agreed. "I just remembered that I've got some caltrops." Usopp reached into his arsenal bag and pulled out two handfuls of caltrops that he'd custom made by twisting two screws together. "TAKE THIS! CALTROP HELL!" Usopp threw the caltrops down the path ahead of them just as the pirates were making another charge.
"YEEEOOOW!" the pirates howled as their feet were pierced by the nails. Some of the more blood thirty pirates pressed on anyway. But that was when Sabo snapped his rifle closed.
"OVERWATCH!"
KER-CHOW!
The lead pirate dropped and caused another pirate to trip over him.
"DOUBLE TAP!"
KER-CHOW!
Another pirate dropped.
DOUBLE TAP!"
KER-CHOW!
A fat pirate was hit but didn't Fall.
"BURST FIRE!"
KER-CHOW!
The fat pirate dropped.
"OVERWATCH!"
KER-CHOW!
Another charging pirate was gunned down.
"DOUBLE TAP!"
KER-CHOW!
A dozen pirates had charged through Usopp's caltrops. In the span of ten seconds they had all either been gunned down by Sabo or tripped over their fallen comrades.
"I… I think you might've killed some of those guys!" Usopp gasped.
"At times like this I don't really think of them as people," Sabo said. "They're vicious animals that are out to kill innocent people. So I put them down. They made the choice to become pirates and attack a peaceful village. Now they're suffering the consequences. I'm not gonna apologize or feel guilty for saving innocent people from being slaughtered."
"I'm just glad you're on my side," Usopp admitted as he readied his slingshot, "Quick, reload! I'll hold 'em off! SPECIAL ATTACK: LEAD STAR!"
CHEW-CHEW-CHEW-CHEW!
Another batch of pirates went tumbling back down the pass.
"WHICH WAY IS NORTH!?" Luffy screamed as he stood by a fence outside of Syrup Village.
"LUFFY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Nami yelled as she ran up to him then hunched over to catch her breath.
"Usopp said the pirates were north," Luffy said, "So I ran in the direction that felt coldest."
"IDIOT! THAT'S NO WAY TO TELL DIRECTION!" Nami scolded him.
"NAMI! THERE YOU ARE!"
Nami spun around and saw an angry Zoro.
"What the hell were you thinking leaving me in that muck?"
"I… It was either one of us slip or both of us," Nami defended her actions.
"THEN YOU SHOULD'VE STAYED STUCK!"
"What are you even doing here?" Nami asked.
"Usopp said the pirates were north of us," Zoro said, "So I ran in the direction that felt coldest."
"See?" Luffy said as he proudly motioned to Zoro.
Nami stared incredulously at Luffy and Zoro, "HOW DO YOU IDIOTS EVEN FUNCTION!?"
"Those idiots… they're late," Kuro growled as he sat on the front steps of the mansion. "They should all remember what the penalty is for ruining my plans." Kuro stood up and picked up a long bag that was sitting beside him. "I'll kill them all."
"Look… it's that evil butler!" Pepper pointed out as he, Carrot and Onion hid around the corner and watched Kuro leave through the front gate.
"Where's he going?" Carrot wondered.
"Maybe the beach?" Onion suggested.
"Should we warn the Captain?" carrot asked.
"No," Pepper decided. "Top Hat told that our mission was to guard Miss Kaya. We've just gotta hope that the Captain and those other guys'll be okay."
"Usopp… I've got good news and bad news." Sabo reported, "The good news is that we've managed to cut their numbers in half. The ones that I put down aren't going to be getting up anytime soon."
"What's the bad news?" Usopp asked nervously.
"I'm running out of bullets," Sabo admitted. "I was running low when we landed on your island. Only two dozen. I got so caught up in everything that I never got a chance to restock. Now I'm down to nine."
"ONLY—"
Sabo slapped his hand over Usopp's mouth, "Don't shout that. They don't know how many I have and that scares them."
"Captain! What do we do?" a Black Cat Pirates asked Jango. "They've got the high ground. The guy with the rifle keeps mowing us down! We've lost five men, five more are critically injured while another four managed to get away with only minor injuries. I don't think we'll survive another rush at the pass!"
"Did you stop to think what Captain Kuro will do to us if we don't make it to the village?" Jango retorted. "He'll murder us all! Do you want to chance fighting a guy that may kill you or do you want to retreat and piss off a guy who will kill you?"
The Black Cat Pirates stiffened. All of them were clearly terrified of Captain Kuro. "Right… Alright boys! This is it! One last charge! Let's get 'em!"
"ARRROOOOO!"
"Here they come," Sabo prompted, "Ready?"
"Ready," Usopp answered.
"SCATTER BLAST!"
"SPECIAL ATTACK: GUNPOWDER STAR!"
KER-CHOW!
KA-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
Fourteen pirates charged up the hill. Ten pirates went rolling back down it. Four managed to press on and raced at the two gunmen.
Sabo ran forward to meet them and swung his rifle like a bat. "KNOCK BACK!"
WHAM!
The four pirates went flying back down the hill.
"AND THEY'RE OUTTA HERE!" Sabo cheered as the four pirates crashed to the ground around Jango.
The Hypnotist surveyed his fallen crew then stared up at Sabo in shock, "WHO THE HECK IS THIS GUY!?"
"SABO! WHAT DID YOU DO?"
Sabo and Usopp turned around to see Luffy, Zoro and Nami come out of the woods.
"Oh, there you guys are," Sabo noted, "You took too long and we had to fight them all ourselves."
"But… there's none left!" Luffy complained.
"There's that guy," Usopp said as he pointed down the hill at Jango.
"Eh?" the hypnotist said intelligently as he stared up at the three newcomers, "Who're these guys?"
"Oh, right, he's that hypno-guy!" Luffy realized. "I'll get him!" Luffy pulled back his fist and let it fly. "GUM… GUM… PISTOL!"
Luffy's arm stretched all the way down the pass and his fist slugged a shocked Jango in the face.
POW!
Jango went flying backwards and slammed into the front of the Bezan Black.
Whap!
Luffy's still extended hand grabbed Jango's collar and he used his hold to yank himself down the pass. "GUM… GUM… SICKLE!"
Luffy stuck out his arm as he slammed into Jango and smashed him through the hull of the Bezan Black.
WHAM!
The Cat figurehead on the bow of the Bezan Black appeared to be bowing before it broke off and crashed to the ground.
KRESH!
Luffy pulled himself out of the wreckage and stood up. "Does this mean we win?"
"Koff! Koff!" Jango wheezed as he fell out of the front of the ship and dropped to the sand. "What kind of monsters does the Captain have us facing?" He held up a large chakram with his good hand and waved it in front of Luffy, "Hey you! Look at this ring! When I say 'One Two Jango' you'll fall asleep. One! Two! Jango!"
ZZZZZZZZZ…
Both Luffy and Jango dropped to the ground fast asleep.
"Well… that happened," Sabo remarked.
Usopp stared in wide-eyed shock at the fallen Black Cat Pirates, their sleeping leader and their damaged pirate ship. "Did… did we win?"
"Hey! Something's wrong with the bow!" a voice on the ship rang out.
"It's been destroyed! What's going on down there?"
"The Captain and the others… It looks like someone beat 'em up!"
"Why'd you have to say that, Usopp?" Sabo asked. "You jinxed us."
"There are still pirates on the ship," Nami realized, "Who are they? Some kind of secret weapon?"
"I don't care who they are," Zoro stated as he tied on his bandana. "They're mine."
Kuro stalked through the still sleeping Syrup Village holding his bag at his side.
"I'll kill them," Kuro growled to himself, "Every last one of them…"
So far the Nyaban Brother's had been an utter disappointment. Sham and Buchi had taken one look at Zoro standing ahead of them on the pass and nearly wet their pants.
"I don't wanna fight that guy! Too scary!"
"Yeah! He looks way too mean!"
Zoro stared at his cowardly opponents in annoyance. Sabo, Nami and Usopp sat at the top of the pass. The Nyabans were the only Black Cat Pirates left so they had been relegated to spectators. The only 'casualty' they had suffered was Luffy who was still asleep with Jango by the Black Cat Pirates' ship.
"We're only the ship guards. We're not supposed to actually fight people."
"But everyone else is outta commission… we have to…"
Eventually Sham was 'nominated' to fight Zoro first. The skinny green-haired man's legs shook as he nervously made his way up the pass towards Zoro.
"Just great," Zoro muttered, "The gun-nut gets to have all the fun and I'm stuck fighting these pussies." He drew one of his swords and called out to Sham as he approached. "I'm not gonna let you pass. But if you turn around, gather up your fallen friends and leave this island, I won't gut you."
"Just try it!" Sham suddenly sneered. He lunged at Zoro with his clawed gauntlets bared.
Zoro's eyes widened in surprise and he managed to get his sword up in time to block Sham's claws.
KLANG!
"You shouldn't have let your guard down!" Sham taunted. "I was only pretending to be a scaredy-cat!"
"UGH!" Zoro grunted and shoved the cat-man away from him.
"ZORO! YOUR SWORDS!" Nami called out.
Zoro looked down at his sash. His other two katana were gone. Zoro looked up and spotted his lost swords… on Sham's back. "Okay… joke's over. Gimme back my swords."
"What's the matter?" Sham asked. "Isn't one sword enough?" Sham took the swords off his back… then tossed them away. "I don't need this junk weighing me down while I fight."
Zoro's eyes narrowed as he watched his swords sail down the pass. One of them was Wado Ichimonji. "You shouldn't treat other people's katana's with such disrespect!" He voice was deadly calm, emphasis on the deadly.
Sham lunged at Zoro and Zoro swung his lone sword.
SLISH!
Zoro's blade tore Sham's shirt as it slashed across his stomach and he dropped to the ground.
"You shouldn't have touched my swords," Zoro scolded him before he turned and raced after his wayward weapons.
"ZORO! LOOK OUT!" Nami shouted.
WHOMP!
Sham landed on Zoro's back and drove him down to the ground.
"Did you actually think you cut me?" Sham mocked him. "I've got a cat's waistline, you fool!"
"That guy's really thin," Usopp realized, "There was no stomach under his shirt where Zoro cut him."
"That's what he gets for letting his guard down," Sabo remarked.
"YOU'RE UP BUCHI!" Sham called out to his fat brother as he pinned Zoro to the ground.
"Here goes!" Buchi called out as he ran forward. "CAT-A-PULT CAT-ASTROPHE!" Buchi launched himself up into the air then plummeted down towards Zoro,
"Rugh!" Zoro grunted as he used brute strength to push both himself and Sham out of the way.
KROOOM!
Buchi hit the ground and the rocky pass cracked under him.
"WHOA! HE'S STRONG!" Usopp exclaimed.
"I've gotta be more careful," Zoro realized, "I would've been squished if that had hit me."
"Almost had 'im," Buchi complained.
"Sorry, that guy's freakishly strong," Sham apologized.
"But he won't be able to beat us together," Buchi pointed out.
"Crap, I'm out of practice using only one sword," Zoro thought to himself, "But I'll have to make due."
"GRAND MARCH OF THE PUSSY WILLOWS!" Both Nyabans lashed out with their clawed gloves.
Zoro frantically swung his lone sword in a desperate attempt to deflect the flesh-cleaving strikes.
KLAK-KLAK-KLAK!
"Zoro's losing ground!" Nami pointed out at the top of the hill. "We've gotta do something."
"Right," Usopp agreed as he drew his slingshot and aimed it at Zoro.
"Don't Usopp," Sabo warned him. "Zoro called this fight. He'd be pissed if we interfered."
"So you'd just sit here and let him get mauled?" Nami accused him.
"Look, it's a matter of pride," Sabo told her. "Zoro's got those two distracted. I could easily use two of my three remaining bullets and gun them down right here. But Zoro would never forgive me. He started this fight alone and he's gonna finish it alone, even if that means it'll end with him being torn to shreds."
"Wow… so that's what a Brave Warrior of the Sea looks like," Usopp gasped, "He'd rather die than lose his pride by asking for help in a fight…"
"Well if you two idiots aren't going to do anything then I will!" Nami insisted as she stood up.
"You're going to fight the cats?" Sabo asked skeptically.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Nami scolded him. "I'm gonna steal back his swords." She ran off down the path.
"I guess that would count as helping without interfering," Sabo reasoned.
KLAK-KLAK-KLAK!
Zoro continued to frantically block and parry the flurry of claw strikes from the Nyaban Brothers. At this point he was so focused on keeping up his defense that he couldn't even attempt an attack. He was so focused that he barely noticed Nami as she passed him down the slope.
But all of a sudden, everything stopped. The Nyaban Brother's staggered back from Zoro and stared up the pass in horror.
Sabo and Usopp spun around and found Captain Kuro standing behind them at the top of the pass.
"It's long passed dawn," Kuro pointed out. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!? JANGO!"
"WHUH!" The hypnotist yelped at the sound of his former Captain's voice and finally woke up. "Oh crap, I dozed off!" He looked up the pass and started shaking at the sight of Captain Kuro. "Uh… uh… Captain! We… we hit a little snag!"
"I came to see what had prevented you from carrying out my plan," Kuro said, "AND I FIND YOU NAPPING ON THE JOB! IS THIS REALLY WHAT THE BLACK CAT PIRATES HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO?"
"I… uh… but you said it would be okay if he let the long nose go!" Jango reminded him.
"I did say that," Kuro admitted, "And I was right. Any fool could have predicted that he'd try to stop you. I didn't think that the Black Cat Pirates… COULD BE STOPPED BY A BUNCH OF KIDS!"
"Who do you think you are!?" Sham suddenly sneered. "You can't boss us around like you used to!"
"Yeah, you're not our Captain anymore!" Buchi added.
"Sham! Buchi! No!" Jango yelled in a panic as the two Nyaban Brother's completely bypassed Zoro and stalked up the pass towards Kuro.
Sabo caught Usopp's eye and the two of them moved out of the way so the two Nyaban Brothers could continue to confront their former boss.
"I hear that you've been sitting pretty in a fancy pants mansion these last three years!" Sham sneered.
"But we've never stopped fighting!" Buchi snapped. "We've won battles and sunk ships!"
"…" Kuro stared silently at his rebellious former-henchmen and adjusted his glasses with his palm.
"You've gotten soft, EX-Captain!" Sham exclaimed.
"WE DON'T HAVETA LISTEN TO YOU NO MORE!" Buchi shouted.
As one, the two Nyabans lunged at Kuro.
SLISH!
Their claws shredded the bag that Kuro had been holding but only the bag. He was no longer standing in the spot where he had once been. The shredded bag dropped to the ground and fell open to reveal that it was empty.
"You're right," Kuro's voice came from behind them as he rested his palms on their shoulders. The Nyaban Brothers went stiff when they saw Kuro's hands were now adorned by clawed gloves of his own. Only Kuro's claws were each as long as a katana blade. "I'm not your Captain anymore…"
"So fast!" Usopp gasped.
"I didn't even see him move!" Sabo admitted.
"That was one of Captain Kuro's 'Stealth Foot' Maneuvers," Jango said. "He moves so fast that it looks like he's teleporting. His enemies never knew what hit them."
"But I did hire you to carry out a specific task," Kuro continued, "And now I find myself disappointed that you couldn't seem to hold up your end of the agreement."
"He hasn't gotten soft at all," Jango continued to praise the former Captain. "I noticed it when I saw him yesterday. The way he'd adjusted his glasses with his palm. Like a cat licks its paw to avoid cutting its face. That proves that he's still Captain Kuro at heart. He still hasn't forgotten how to kill."
"Maybe you were right, though," Kuro announced, "These last three years have softened my heart. I'll give you fools one last chance to make things right. You have five minutes. If you can't finish them off within that time limit… I'll slaughter every last one of you."
"R-right, Captain!" Sham stammered.
"Any-anything you say!" Buchi agreed.
"ZORO!" Nami suddenly shouted.
THWAK!
Zoro spun around in time to see his two lost swords come sailing towards him.
"You kicked my swords!?" Zoro exclaimed indignantly.
"What? No thank you?" Nami teased him.
Whap!
"Thanks," Zoro said as he caught his swords and quickly drew them as he spun back around. He was whole once again. "Alright, you pussies! Let's try this again!"
"So what? You've got three swords now," Sham taunted him.
"That won't help you!" Buchi insisted. "We won't even need five minutes to beat you!"
"You idiots," Zoro scoffed as he readied his three blades. "There's a difference between wielding three swords and using three-sword-style."
"GRAND MARCH OF THE PUSSY WILLOWS!" The Nyaban charged for another barraged of claw-strikes.
"TORA GARI!" Zoro rushed to meet them and slashed all three swords as he slipped between them.
SLIKA-SLICE!
"Eh?" Sham and Buchi grunted as they froze in place with their claws still extended.
PLURT!
Wounds burst opened on their chests and they dropped to the ground.
"Now there's just two left," Zoro resolved as he glanced back at Jango then up at Kuro.
"Four minutes left," Kuro stated at the top of the pass. "Then I kill everyone here."
I know that the Straw Hats have a strong no-killing policy. But guns kill. A strong person could survive a gunshot as long as it doesn't hit vital organs and a skilled marksman could probably hit someone in a place that wouldn't kill them. But if you're faced with a charging hoard of pirates that are looking to kill you and the town-full of innocent people that you're trying to defend, I doubt you'd feel like putting in the effort of inflicting only minor wounds. Not all of the pirates that Sabo shot are dead but they are injured enough that its keeping them out of the fight.
Silver signing off