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Chapter 2: Please Help Me!

Aro let out a loud yawn as they continued to rumble down the road. "Cover your mouth." Cap said, slightly annoyed.

"Oh come on, you've done worse." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye again. "You use to give me rum when I was 12. A yawn isn't rude to you, and you know it." She rolled over onto her back, closing her eyes as if she was going to take a catnap.

"True, but that's not why I told you to cover your mouth." Cap had the cart turn the next corner, heading for a shadowy area under the mountain. Aro looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What then?"

"Everyone can see your teeth, and you know how they've changed since you ate the fruit." He didn't have to look at her to know she was covering her mouth now. He started to laugh as she climbed into the seat next to him. Her eyes were narrowed and were angry.

"You liar! There was nothing wrong with my teeth!" She put her feet up on the front of the cart so her knees were up to her face.

"Why the sudden curl up then? Feeling a little… Catty?" He choked down a laugh.

"Shut up." Aro looked away from Cap to hid her embarrassment. The streets were empty. No one was in town. "Everyone at the docks?"

"Yeah."

"Someone really needs to get Veldoro off his high-and-mighty throne and get him to learn how to buy food on his own." She stretched, letting out a yawn.

"You talk big for someone who is too scared to do anything on her own." Cap laughed as he spoke.

"Well, my claws are sharp while my meow is sweet." She looked at him, with her hands behind her head. "You said that to me long ago…" Silence again. Aro wiggled in her seat. Cap sat perfectly still, watching the road. For what, not even Aro knew. There were no people on the side of the road or even driving around. After a few minutes, Aro broke the silence, "So, any of the crew still hanging around?"

"Guzen is. Well, sort of." Cap trailed off into a series of mumbles.

"Hmm? What was that about Guzen?" Aro sat up straighter and looked at him with her head slightly tilted.

"Guzen went up against Veldoro and wasn't strong enough."

"What happened to him?" Aro held worry in her voice. Cap was silent. Anger rushed through her as she spoke again, "What. Happened?"

"Veldoro took him to a cell in the mountain."

"How far in the mountain?" Again, Cap didn't answer. Aro was suddenly on her feet. "How Far In The Mountain?!"

"Sign."

"What—" Aro didn't finish asking. A sign crashed into her head, sending her off the cart. "Kuso!" She said, landing on her hands in a sort of handstand. Her coat comes up, revealing her black cattail. She falls into a crab-walk position, and gets to her feet. She fixes her coat, and looks to see if her tail was visible. Once she was satisfied that it wasn't, she looked around for the cart and Cap.

They were gone, and she frowned. She started down the street, and stepped on something. She looked down, and gasped. Her bini laid on the ground. She snatched it up and pulled it over her black cat ears. Aro looked around quickly. She saw no one in sight. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

"PIRATES!"

Aro jumped, on her toes and wheeled around. A woman was running up the street towards her, screaming, "PIRATES! PIRATES IN THE HARBOR!" She grabbed Aro, shaking her shoulders. "Help us! Come quickly! They're going to mess everything up!"

Aro got dizzy and pushed the woman's hands away, "Ok, what exactly are you talking about? Pirates can't harbor hear because of the Marines here."

"The Marines are at the Mountain! They can't help!"

Aro frowned, "Did one pirate have a clone nose and a flag that had a skull with a clone nose?"

She woman shook her head.

"No? Hmm… this just might be a problem—GA!" The woman was shaking her shoulders again, sobbing.

"YOU HAVE TO HELP US!"

Aro pushed the woman back gently, and was swaying a bit. "Look, I'll help, but I can't do squat if I can't see straight. Led me to the docks, alright?" The woman nodded, grabbed Aro's arm and started to drag her down the street. "Nya! Careful!" She said as she stumbled a bit.

They had stopped by her own small ship before heading to the pirate's ship. At Aro's ship, they grabbed what looked like the head of a scythe with a hole large enough for a hand to fit in it at the wider end. It had it's own sheath that was made especially for it. She and the woman went to the pirate ship, or rather, Aro was dragged to the Pirate ship.

Upon arrive, Aro slowed the woman down, staring at the ship with a ram-like head on the front. She and the woman push their way through the crowd. Aro's jaw dropped, and she stares at what she saw.

"Why can't we dock here?" Aro recognized this girl to be the navigator.

"No pirates aloud!" A man stood in their way.

"That's the rule everywhere basically." The first mate spoke now.

"Shira is different. We can't have your kind here at all." The man answered again.

"What are you implying?" The marksman stood tall, but was in the back of the group.

"We want you to leave!" The man tried to stand taller.

"Come on… we're only looking for a place to eat!" Aro's eyes went wide at the Caption. Monkey D. Luffy stood there, face emotionless, yet still looking like he knew what he was doing.

"No! We don't serve Pirates!" The man swallowed. It was hard for him to stand up to a pirate.

Aro pushed her way more into towards the Straw-Hat crew.

"Come on," The cook spoke, "It's just one meal. I'll cook it myself."

The mans shook his head. Aro felt a sudden urge, and it showed. "MONKEY D. LUFFY!" She called to him. Him and his crew turned to look at her.

"Hmm? What is it?" Luffy asked in a tone that showed slight surprise.

Aro had to ask, but would they help, like the rumors said they helped those other towns? She didn't know, but she had to ask. Shira needed help. Who better than the caption of the crew she wanted to join? She spoke louder than she wished, but it got the point across.

"Luffy! Please help me save Shira!"