Stop and stare, you start to wonder why you're here not there.

Usopp rubbed the back of his head, running his tongue along the back of his teeth. He felt like a shoe had decided to die in his mouth. Chopper stood beside him in the over-lit airport with a five-o'clock everything, wavering back and forth slightly, his eyes bloodshot. The exams had been hard on him and the three hour flight bloated to six due to weather and ice and delays hadn't helped any. At least there had been complementary peanuts. Though, was it just him, or did they keep making those baggies smaller? Chopper listed to the side a bit and Usopp poked him under the ribs. Chopper jarred upright.

"Ahh! Sorry, Doctor!" His voice carried through the sterile air and other red-eyed people gave him bleary glowers. Chopper's cheeks darkened and he pulled the brim of the hat over his eyes a bit. The hat was one thing Usopp had never completely gotten. The kid was understandably self conscious about his condition—though less so than he used to be since Luffy had that effect on people— yet wore a cotton candy pink top-hat as casually as someone would wear a baseball cap. He knew the hat was special from his grandfather, but still, Usopp had always been surprised by his attitude about it even when people laughed. Maybe Usopp just needed to join the cool hat club somehow.

He rolled his neck and rubbed the sand out of the corner of his eyes as he returned his attention to the luggage carousel, willing it to start moving with all the willpower he possessed, which at the moment was about enough to fill a teaspoon. Chopper shifted the straps on his blue backpack and looked around, a frown crossing his face.

"I hope Sanji's okay."

"Yeah," Usopp said, glancing toward the double doors not a few steps away. It was dark and thick wet snow was falling fast, hissing to nothing on the salted sidewalk but who knew what he roads looked like. They'd passed two accidents just on the way to the airport in Minnesota and he knew that was on the forefront of the med student's mind. Usopp tried not to think about things like that too much. It was too easy to worry about things without worrying about them on purpose. Chopper was still frowning and Usopp patted his arm.

"I'm sure he's fine." Sanji was pretty capable. The worst that could happen was he ended up in a fiery cataclysm of death—
No. He wasn't going to dwell on it. He really wasn't. He patted Chopper's shoulder again and adjusted the strap of the guitar case as it dug into his shoulder. He stared at the carousel again, willing it to move. For that buzzer to sound, starting their journey to get the hell out of here. Come on, he thought at it wearily, narrowing his eyes. Go off!

It went off, making Usopp jump a mile as the metal plates of the carousel rattled to life. Shit. His heart was going to knock right out of his chest. He either had to stop doing that or it had to stop working.

"Alright?" Chopper asked.

"Yeah…fine…" He wasn't psychic, he told himself. It was just coincidence. He didn't need to be psychic. That was one step away from straight jackets and seeing dead people. Chopper did the awkward zombie shuffle to get closer along with everyone else and Usopp squeezed up beside him, letting his heart-rate settle down. He had to stop freaking himself out. From down the hidden passage way came the thump thump of loading bags and a moment later, a row of identical black bags slid their way through the plastic strips. Usopp cursed inwardly as he squinted them. When he could afford it, (halfway to never at this point) he really needed to get a different color bag.

As he was leaning forward, trying to grab at a name tag to see if it was his or not, a familiar voice called:

"Oi!" somewhere behind them. Usopp felt a wave of prickly relief wash through him.

"Sanji!" Chopper said, his voice going squeaky and making a few people stare. Screw 'em. Usopp twisted to shoot a grin at his friend, as he came up behind them, resisting the urge to lean over and hug him. Sanji did not do bro-hugs unless post winning a zombie apocalypse.

"Hey, shitty longnose," Sanji said with a wan smile. "Didn't think you'd make it."

"Yeah well I had to fight off several ice monsters to get here." He scratched the side of his nose. "Oh and I picked up a yeti."

"Yeah? Looks more like a moose," Sanji said, grin widening.

"I'm a reindeer, you bastards!" Chopper snapped, but he was grinning.

"Whatever. It's good to see you," Sanji said, clapping Chopper on the shoulder in a manly way and then just sort of kept his hand there, leaning on Chopper a bit. The closest thing Sanji would come to mano-a-mano affection in public.

"So how did exams go?" Sanji asked. Chopper started to go into it and Usopp used the med student's distraction to give his friend the once over. Sanji looked as healthy as he ever did. Was he always that pale? There were dark smudges under his eyes, but that was always like that this time of year. The blond grinned at something Chopper said, rolling the chewed up lollipop stick from one side of his mouth to the other. He must have come straight from the resident care facility.

Usopp suddenly remembered Sanji still had something to tell him. Buut he didn't need to tell him that now, did he? Nah. It could wait. Sanji glanced at him and Usopp looked away, realizing belatedly that Chopper's houndstooth patterned suitcase was going by.

"Oi! Oi oi! Excuse me." He snaked his way through his fellow passengers before snagging the handle and pulled. It was like trying to shift lead. Usopp could only stumble after it a few steps, nearly running into an old lady who gave him a glare that could level small countries. He apologized sheepishly and with great effort managed to wrangle it off and drag it back to where the yeti wasn't paying the least bit of attention.

"Oi!" Usopp said, kicking him lightly in the calf.

"What? Oh, thanks, Usopp."

"The hell did you pack anyway?"

"Mostly textbooks."

"Chopper, Chopper, Chopper," Usopp said with a gusty sigh, shaking his head. The poor deprived boy. He'd never learn, would he? But Usopp was too loyal of a master to give up on him so readily. He put his hands on Chopper's shoulders.

"What?" Chopper said.

"Haven't you ever heard the old axiom, no more classes, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks?"

Sanji snorted a laugh as Usopp knew he would and Chopper just blinked at him.

"Is that really an old axiom?"

"Of course it is, created by my direct ancestor."

"What, really?!"

"Yep. He went to the same one room school house as George Washington and—"

"Oi, shitty liar, here's your bag," Sanji said, and Usopp blinked in surprise that he'd found it so easily. He always did somehow… It was probably because he'd seen it so often… Usopp decided not to mention it, though could help the little secret smile that he directed at the floor as they started for the doors.

"The floor makes you happy, dumbass?" Sanji said.

"Go die!" Usopp snapped and shoved the cook's shoulder making him stumble a little and laugh. It was good to hear that sound and Usopp grinned in spite of himself. Sanji grinned back and for a moment thirteen years of friendship flushed like warm cocoa through Usopp's soul. They looked away at almost the same moment and Sanji pushed ahead into the cold.

It wasn't that cold out here. At least not as bad as lose your balls Minnesota. The cold was kind of a waiting stillness here, snow falling gently in quiet layers. They had to wait a moment as Sanji ditched the lollipop stick and lit up a cigarette, cupping the flame of his match with a black gloved hand. Chopper frowned, said nothing, but Usopp could see the kid gearing up for the long battle that he and Sanji fought every year. Usopp admired his tenacity, though doubted anything would come of it. Sanji had been smoking since he was 13, ducking behind the school or the bleachers. Usopp had watched him finish a whole pack right before his 14th birthday when Zeff…

Well that was ancient history. The point was, a Sanji without a cigarette was hardly a Sanji—and no one anyone wanted to deal with for any amount of time. He watched his friend's face relax a notch as the nicotine flooded his system and felt a little relieved himself. Sanji took another drag before knocking off the ashes and flipping the end of the yellow and black scarf over one narrow shoulder.

"Let's go."

By the time they got to Zeff's dented four door sedan, a thin snow had collected on the roof and the hood. It was so old that there was still a faded AC/DC bumper sticker on the back In fact, the only reason Usopp knew it was AC/DC was because he'd seen it so often. They stuffed their luggage in the back, Usopp carefully wedging in his guitar before sliding into shotgun, wrinkling his nose at the cigarette smell that swirled everywhere.

"Shit, sorry," Sanji said, seeming to catch his expression, staring the car and cranking open the window a crack. Usopp immediately felt bad.

"It's nothing," he said. He could get used to it again. It just always hit him when he'd been gone for a while.

"You should really stop," Chopper murmured.

"I know," Sanji said softly. "Not tonight, okay?"

Chopper said nothing. Sanji turned up the heat to counteract the icy stream slipping in from the open window and for a while they traveled a while in silence except for the quiet roar of the heater and the hush of tires on the road. Eventually a quiet snore added to it and Usopp glanced over his shoulder to see Chopper had fallen asleep, head resting on his small blue backpack. Sanji sighed and Usopp could see him gearing himself up for something.

"So Nami—" the cook started.

"How's she doing? I haven't heard from her in a while." But it was best not to keep talking about Nami since apparently she was related to whatever Sanji was going to say which—suddenly-Usopp did really not want to hear. "I saw a gorgeous girl that reminded me of her."

"Yeah?" Sanji said. Then, immediately: "No. Listen, Usopp—"
"I wonder what's on the radio." He reached for it but Sanji swatted his hand away.

"You're going to be a pain in the ass, aren't you?"

"What, I just wanted some tunes," Usopp said, folding his arms tightly across his chest. "It's good for the digestion."

"Whatever, shit for brains, but I get the hint, I'll just let her tell you." He finished his cigarette and ground it out.

"Well fine, do that then." That would give him some time to figure out how to get out of it.

"Well fine, I will," Sanji said, sounding irritated. Another bout of silence. Sanji tapped his fingers against the wheel and Usopp could tell he was already itching for another cigarette. Whatever the news was, it was bad. But, even if it was, there was nothing Usopp could do about it so why hear it? Yeah. The only thing It would do was upset him and that wouldn't be good for anyone so it was probably better just to let it go for now.

"The Bannermans called," Sanji said. "They want to see you."

"Oh cool," Usopp said, reaching forward again to turn on the radio, but Sanji pushed his hand away and shook his head, gesturing over his shoulder. Oh right. Chopper.

"Are you going to see them?" Sanji asked.

"Yeah, sure," Usopp said, though Sanji knew better and Usopp knew he knew. Sanji let out a breath but said nothing. It was none of his business anyway. It wasn't like they were anything like Zeff and he was twenty-seven now. He didn't need them for anything and hadn't for a long time.

"See Luffy tomorrow," Sanji said.

"What?" Excuses spilled into his brain and he tried to sort out which would be the best fit. It wasn't like he had a problem with seeing Luffy but he couldn't do it tomorrow. That was way too soon. Maybe a week from now. Yeah. Or when everyone did on the 25th…or before he left, yeah that was probably best.

"Well you see uh…" he started.

"You're not allowed to weasel out of this one," Sanji said, digging out another cigarette and lighting it from the car plug. "I don't care if you don't listen to what Nami says or avoid the Bannermans until you're fifty, but you're going to see Luffy even if I have to drag you into the facility myself."

"Okay, okay, I'll go." Of course he'd always planned on going. It wasn't like he was going to avoid seeing Luffy completely.

"Tomorrow?"

"Okay…" He didn't want to but…maybe getting it out of the way sooner was better than waiting in anxiety about it.

"He'll appreciate it," Sanji said as they turned onto the broad bright strip of parkway where street lights flashed in a rhythm against the windshield. Usopp grunted to say that he'd heard and rested his forehead against the cold glass. As if Sanji could really tell if Luffy really appreciated anything. Maybe…maybe he wasn't even there anymore..

Can someone tell me why it's so hard takin' chances?

Despite the baking heat of the day, Usopp shivers as they approach the old abandoned warehouse, sitting in god knows where but probably a really scary mostly desert place ville. This is a bad idea. A really bad idea. A very illegal idea.

'Then why are you doing it?!' Usopp had shouted at the thick brained idiot last night when that little factoid had slipped.

'It's fun, I said,' Luffy had replied.

'Aren't you worried about getting into trouble?'

'Maybe. But that's not going to stop me from having fun.' And somehow or another, Usopp had been swayed by the powerful awesomeness in his words and the devil-may-care grin. That feeling had lasted through parking the car about a mile and a half back, covering it with tarp, and wilted a little on the long hot walk—and then as the warehouse came into view it completely died with a comedic puff of black smoke.

"I think I'll wait in the car," Usopp says.

"It's going to be hot," Zoro says, shifting the long black case with, Usopp guesses, spare swords, against his back. "And we're going to be here a while."

"How long is a while?"

"Six hours? Seven? Depends on how long the fights last."

That's six or seven hours with a risk of getting caught. Oh god. He's too young to go to prison! The Bannermans will kill him if the inmates don't do it first! Luffy laughs and whaps his shoulder making him stumble.

"Don't worry, don't worry. It'll be fun, you'll see."

"I don't wanna go to jail," Usopp whimpers.

"If you don't fight or don't bet you'll be fine," Zoro says, waving a hand over his shoulder.

"Or if we can run fast enough," Luffy says with a grin. "Or if they don't have shotguns."

"Don't say such scary things so lightly!" Usopp snaps. Already these guys are bad for his heart. Still he has no choice but to walk inexorably forward toward his doom… But on the other hand, maybe not. He doesn't have to run if he isn't gambling or fighting, and since he has no money and is definitely not fighting, he has nothing to worry about.

He straightens and tries to look like he belongs with these wickedly cool (if stupid) guys. Sanji'd be so damn jealous to see him like this. Hell, all the jerks at school would be and Usopp revels in the moment. They enter the building through a side door which looks rusted shut but swings open easily. There is a long dark hallway here, and a man built somewhat like a gorilla who is sitting behind a low table and snickering behind his hands.

"You're Roronoa, right?" the gorilla man says with a snicker. "I'm surprised you got here in time! Snk snk"

"Can it," Zoro says.

Though Usopp is surprised, too. It took them three days to find this place and they'd gone over the border twice before Usopp thought to get directions at a gas station. It turned out no one really knows where abandoned warehouses are, so they found this place by pure luck in the end. Usopp watches as Zoro leans over to sign in, and looks muscular and strong even doing that. It's like he carries this cloak of badass action hero around him at all times. Not that Usopp is jealous. Who wants that many muscles anyway? He'd be afraid to pop something.

"Got a place for him?" Zoro asks, jerking a thumb at him and Usopp's heart stops as the gorilla man looks right at him. He frantically points to Luffy who is standing beside him and chewing on a left over honey stick.

"I've got a spot or two. Snk snk. What class?"

Zoro glances speculatively at Luffy who is currently lapping honey off his fingers. Usopp wonders if he's really going to fight, and if he is going to fight, if he's going to die.

"'D'," Zoro finally says.

"'D'? Are you sure not 'S'? Snk snk"

"Look, Luffy, you should really go with 'S'," Usopp says, guessing it's the lowest level and seeing his chance to intervene on behalf of this kid that was way too dumb to have lived this long.

"What? Why?" Luffy says, blinking at him. Usopp doesn't think he's going to go with taking the easier path just to not die, so he tries a different tack.

"It means specialty. You have to be really special to enter this class."

"Ain't that the truth," says the gorilla man. And then as an after thought adds: "snk snk"

"I'd rather do D," Luffy says, brushing past Usopp to sign his name. He looks back at him. "You wanna try?"

"We-e-ll you know I would but this kinda place, if I were to let loose even in 'A' class, it would be a massacre." He holds both palms upward and shakes his head woefully. The gorilla man snickers but Luffy just grins.

"What really?"

"Of course really."

"I wanna see it!" Luffy says, snatching the pen.

"What?" Oh shit what was he writing on that paper. "Hey wait a minute!" He looks frantically at Zoro who just watches him mildly. What? Oh come on! This can't be the penalty for lying! Not death! He's too young to die!

"Wait, Luffy, stop!" Usopp cries, grabbing onto Luffy's wiry shoulders and trying to pull him away. The gorilla man is just sitting there snickering and Usopp hopes he choked to death.

"Don't worry," Zoro says with a grin Usopp wishes he could wipe right off. "When you die I'll avenge you."

"That's not even funny!" Usopp snaps. And then to Luffy. "I was lying! I can't even fight a can of coke!" Because there was pride and there was living to see tomorrow. Luffy pouts at him.

"Aw, that's no fun, I wanted to see something cool."

"You can see Roronoa getting his ass handed to him, snk snk" says gorilla.

"Not likely," Zoro says, and Usopp uses the opportunity of Luffy pouting to shove him out of the way and scribble out his name so thoroughly that there's no mistake. Also how many 's's did Luffy think was in his name? Well that didn't matter. The point was he is safe. Usopp breathes out a sigh of relief and follows Zoro and Luffy though the hall into a huge arena. Tiered seats rise up in a large circle around a raised platform with a fence around it. He can spot large monitors dark around the room and something that looks like a huge plastic sparrow, tied in place above the ring.

"What is that for?" he asks, pointing.

"Who knows?" Luffy says. "Wanna go see?"

"Yeah sure!"

"No time," Zoro says. "We better get ready."

Usopp follows them through the thick crowds and the further they go, the smaller he feels and—kind of terrified. There are lowlifes and thugs here of every stripe. Some he would have never have thought to have seen outside of TV. There's one guy with a tattoo of a skull on his face! How kosher is that? Skull guy looks at him and Usopp looks away, keeping his focus steadily on the arena. Some creatures attack if you keep their gaze for too long after all. There's smudged rusty brown stains on the white of the mat. They look kind of familiar…and then Usopp gets it.

"O-oi." He pulls at Luffy's shoulder to get his attention. "That looks like dried blood."

"It is," Zoro says seeming unconcerned.

"That means people get hurt here! Or even die."

"Sometimes. It is a cage match."

He can say that so easily? Usopp stops in his tracks feeling like he's suddenly over his head and drowning. He doesn't want to attract the attention of the roughnecks around him but all the same he feels like he can't breathe. Luffy stops first, turning to look at him and Zoro goes only a few steps onward before turning as well. Usopp feels the pressure of their gazes. It's been a week. He doesn't know these guys. They're strangers. He kind of wants to turn himself in, go to a local police station and say that he's a runaway—if they don't know that already. He rubs the side of his nose self consciously. Someone laughs nearly in his ear and Usopp startles, but it's just a pair of what looks like gang bangers moseying by. They all look like that. Man what is he doing here. What are any of them doing here?

"Usopp…" Luffy says, drawing his attention back to him.

"You don't have to watch," Zoro says, shifting the white katana further on his shoulder. Luffy just watches him. Waiting. Usopp fidgets and feels like his life is going to change in a breath. Really change and not just cuz he decided to make a rash decision and then change his mind and go back home.

"What do you want?" Luffy asks.

"To go to New York," Usopp says, then rubs the back of his neck. "But…ah maybe it was a bad idea. Listen, I'll just…use a pay phone and call a taxi or—"

"Why?"

"Well there's not really anything else out—"

"Why do you want to go to New York?"

To visit my dad. He wants to say. I haven't seen him since I was a kid and— and he meets up with him and then what? His dad will take him away? Take him really cool places? Be like Zeff is to Sanji and teach him really neat skills? Maybe even open a business together—

But if he wanted to do that, Mrs. Bannerman had said. He would have come gotten you ages ago. He knows where you are.

Well now he doesn't. Showed him right. Usopp rubs his arm. A microphone noise sings through the air and an announcer says.

"All participants to the prep rooms."

He looks back at Luffy and Zoro, they are waiting. For him? But what do they want him for? He's not a fighter. Well he can use a slingshot really well—other than that he doesn't have any special abilities or skills other than fixing beds.

"You'll miss your chance," Usopp says. Luffy shrugs.

"This place is nothing. People come here to fight and they expect to get hurt or even die sometimes. If you don't plan on giving it your all, there's no point. That blood is people trying really hard. Fighting for what they want."

"Yeah but…they lose…"

"Mm. Sometimes. Anyway, if I can't fight here I can somewhere else." He looks at Usopp. "What do you want?" Luffy's eyes are so dark. So intense. How can anyone even have eyes like that?

To see the world. To have adventures. To belong somewhere. To become a man. To make father proud of me. To be on the same level of Sanji. To be respected. To find my place.

"Everything," Usopp murmurs, looking at his feet to get away from that expression. "Nothing. I don't know."

"Yeah, me either," Luffy says with a laugh. Usopp is surprised, expecting anything but that. But Luffy doesn't look ashamed to say this or even sheepish. Usopp looks to Zoro for some…something. The swordsman's head is canted to the side and he's watching Luffy with an unreadable expression.

"I thought you said…World King?"

"Yeah. But I dunno what that means yet. Shanks said it." He pushes his hat back. "He said that anyone who can find the truth can be King of the World."

"So you want to find the truth."

"No way, that's boring." Luffy grins and Usopp wants to fall over. That makes no sense.

"I want to have fun," Luffy says. "I want to have adventures and meet people and get stronger. I want a lot of friends. No…people who can come with me and have fun and adventure together."

"Nakama," Zoro says and there's some weird sentiment in his voice that Usopp can't place.

"Yeah, that," Luffy says with a nod. "And if I do all that, maybe the truth will come find me."

"You can't be king of anything that way," Usopp says, leaning on a post for support. It's…sort of awesome really. Even if it makes no sense, the thought of it makes his knees weak.

"Maybe, maybe not. I won't know until it happens." He puts his hands on his hips. "Be my nakama, Usopp."

Not even a question. Geeze. This is all too much. The announcement comes again. This time last call for check ins.

"Ah, maybe," Usopp says. "Look, you guys better go. I gotta make a phone call."

"Okay," Luffy says with a wave. "See you later. Watch us close!"

"Sure sure," Usopp says—and then he's left to himself. He shoves his hands in his pockets, wondering who to ask for a phone. After a bit of searching, and ignoring the gathering tough guys who all seem to be leering at him, he finally asks the gorilla guy who is still sitting at the side table where the pay phone is.

"Snk snk. Use the office phone. Snk snk snk."

"Oh uh …thanks."

He's not sure about this but it's an organization so there's probably nothing to worry about. He follows the gorilla guy through a kind of hidden door. The hall is dim here, too, and from a room nearby, someone groans. Usopp twitches. Spooky…

"Guy has a migrane. Snk snk," says the gorilla guy, opening a door and waving a hand. "In here. Come in come in."

"Thanks again…" He isn't utterly stupid so he peeks around the doorframe first. It just looks like an office—the only thing weird is a goofy looking fox bobblehead. He nods to the gorilla guy and sits at the desk, wiping his sweaty palms on his legs before picking up the phone. The tone sounds in his ear and the Bannermans number is on the tip of his finger.

I'm sorry. I'm at xxx. Come pick me up.

He should say call them up and say that and have them pick him up. He can't stay here. This is crazy. Absolutely nuts. He can't go on or he'll get himself killed…right? Usopp bites his lower lip, then dials another number.

"Welcome to the damn restaurant," comes an annoyed, familiar voice while Zeff snaps at him in the background. Usopp curls the coiled receiver cord around his finger, swallowing hard. Man. What should he say? What can he say? Maybe he should just hang up.

"Hello?" Sanji says. After a moment. "Usopp?"

"Um…hi."

"You bastard, I'd recognize your shitty mouthbreathing anywhere! Where the hell are you? Where did you go? Get your shitty long nose back here before I come over there and kick your ass up through your brains!"

Yeah. He is pissed.

"There's no way I'd come back after a threat like that," Usopp mutters. "I'm not crazy."

"The hell you aren't! Usopp you can't— Look—"

"Sanji, I'm—"

"No, shut up, okay? I know that you liked Kaya a lot. I know what happened is shit. But you can't just disappear! I'm freaking out of my mind over here!"

"It's nothing to do with her…" Well not exactly and he doesn't need to be reminded of that either. A fresh pain stings him and he clenches his teeth.

"I'm fine," Usopp says. Which—isn't entirely true but— "I'm going to join the future King of the World."

"What?"

Okay it sounds stupid when he says it out loud but…

"I'm going to be his namaka."

"What the hell are you even talking about?"

"I—"

A shadow falls over him and he looks up, jumping a bit as he sees a guy with a pointy red nose, grinning down at him.

"He'll be perfect," the guy says with a wide grin.

"Um…" Usopp squeaks.

"Usopp who is that?" Sanji says. "Where are you?!"

The red nosed guy folds his hands behind his back.

"Do it," he says.

"Snk snk snk."

Usopp jerks around to see the gorilla guy—then sees what's in his hand.

Oh, shi-