Read and Review Please!!!
If there is some aspect to this story that you don't like, go ahead and say so. It's not like I'm going to turn around and start abusing you for it, unless you totally flame me and destroy my feeling of self worth, in which case, my protectors Clarobell, Scabbers and Shiru will attack your scaly hides and make sure that everytime you see the word Plushie, you'll flinch. Right guys?
Shiru, Scab and Clare: ... You're on your own.
Plushie: (evil glare)
I would like to thank all those who have reviewed so far, especially LetsEatScabbers, Shiruji-chan, Clarobell, FireonIce and a few anonymous people who have supported me the whole way through. Thankyou all very VERY much.
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Chapter 27: Finding the truth
Luffy looked around him, his eyes flashing back and forth rather excitedly. There were heaps of people here, and they were all laughing and yelling merrily. He grinned, and looked over as Nami called his name.
"You stay there with Chopper and make sure you don't wander off." and taking Sanji's offered arm, she disappeared into the crowd, heading for the front of the bar. Luffy puffed his cheeks and pouted before looking down at the violently shivering Chopper beside him. He smiled and laid a hand on the smaller animal's head. Chopper looked up and Luffy grinned.
"This is fun! Just enjoy it." he said brightly. Chopper nodded, but didn't really relax much. He trusted Luffy with all his heart, but, there were too many people in this place. Two many eyes watching him. A man sat in the corner of the room, a shadow over his eyes and his dark and lank hair falling messily around him. Luffy tilted his head and then grinned as he decided this man needed cheering up, and he bounded over.
All thoughts of what Nami had said went out the window, and suddenly Chopper found himself alone. The reindeer searched frantically for Luffy, but he couldn't see the boy anywhere, and he backed out of the bar and back into the street where it was safer… he hoped. Luffy skipped over to the table and leaned against it, a wide smile on his face.
"Hi there!" he cried. The man looked up with eyes like coal, and a face darkened by ash and soot. He looked as though he hadn't had a decent nights sleep in his life.
"Hello there." the man replied, a shadow of a smile flickering on his lips.
"Honey, sweetie." a barmaid said as she hurried up to Luffy and took a hold of his shoulders, "You don't talk to him darl." she explained as she led him away. Luffy blinked.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because he's crazy." she whispered. Luffy looked over his shoulder to see the man watching them go with a depressed look on his face.
"He doesn't look crazy to me."
"Well sweetheart, you've only just dropped in tonight. Here, let me get you a drink. What would you like?" she asked, her voice slightly panicky as her eyes flicked over her shoulder to the man in the corner. Luffy's mouth twisted and then he grinned.
"Something sweet!" he announced.
"Sweet. Good." and the woman turned away. She came back a few seconds later to find Luffy gone. She looked around but couldn't see him through the crowd and she sighed. He wasn't her responsibility, and she had other customers to serve.
Luffy wandered back over to the man and then sat down beside him.
"Hi." he said again. The man looked up and tilted his head, smiling gently.
"Hello." he replied.
"That lady said you're crazy. Are you?"
"I… don't think so. I'm not sure. It's been a long time since anyone's talked to me." and the man turned his head away and brought the heel of his palm up, as if to push something up his nose, but, there was nothing there to push up, and his hand dropped back into his lap again.
"What's your name?" Luffy asked. This guy was interesting! The man turned to him and a hint of a smile that used to be cruel, turned the corners of his lips, up.
"Clahadore." he replied. Luffy tilted his head and grinned.
"Cool! I'm Luffy."
"A pleasure meeting you Luffy." the man said and then leaned his elbows on the table, intertwining the fingers. He looked at Luffy with an interest that he hadn't shown many people, "So, Luffy, is there anything in particular you are here to ask? Or did you simply think that I was going to be good conversation?"
"Umm… actually. There is something I wanna ask!" And Luffy grinned brightly, "Do you know of a murder that happened here about a year or two ago. I'm not sure of the time thing, my friend was rather obscure about it." and Luffy waved a hand in the air as if to prove the vagueness of it all.
"Well, actually, I do know a bit about a murder. It was committed by a young man who happened to be passing through this town. He was rather… strange as I recall. Well, anyway, he caused a bit of a stir in this very bar. Ticked off the local Head of Police's son, and then he was accused of murdering a young girl and her father."
"Yeah, that's the one!" Luffy cried excitedly as he bounced in his seat a few times, "Do you know where it happened?"
"In the large mansion at the other end of town. It's abandoned now, but, you should be able to find a few bits of… whatever you're looking for." and Clahadore gave Luffy a rather scrutinising look. Luffy didn't take any notice. He had some information. He could go and find something that would clear Zoro's name and then his friend would be free! Zoro would be free!
"Hey!" a gruff voice shouted and Luffy turned. He knew that voice. The silver haired man who had taken Zoro away, was standing in the doorway, his gun now trained on Luffy. The boy frowned and then was shocked to see Sanji come flying from nowhere, and knock Smoker across the room. Luffy jumped up from his seat and turned to Clahadore.
"Thanks for the info." he said and then took off, leaping around various patrons to come out into the early morning air of the street. Chopper was standing by Sanji and Nami stumbled out just after Luffy and the four ran. Ran like they never had before.
---
Clahadore leaned back in his seat and smiled a cruel smile as he lifted a pair of sparkling glasses to his face, and then pressed them to the bridge of his nose. He had sent that kid to the mansion, and this morning, there would be another murder. He stood and moved from the bar, glancing at the barmaid as he left. She frowned back at him, her eyes showing every sign that she was afraid. Kuro smiled and was out the door and into the street.
---
Usopp stopped beside the car, the sun beginning to rise behind him. He was puffing from the run he had just taken. First, while he had been escaping from the prison, those damn dogs had shown up and Usopp had had to jump through the wire in an effort to avoid them, but they had pursued him down the street until he had leaped over the gate of some random yard and run through it and out the back, the barks of the dogs still echoing in his ears as he stood panting by the car.
It wasn't long before the others showed up. All four of them were puffing as if they had run a marathon as well. Luffy seemed very happy, and very pleased with himself though. He grinned brightly and expectantly at Usopp, who smiled in return.
"Well? Usopp? What did he say?" Luffy asked excitedly as he bounced over. Usopp grinned and winked.
"It wasn't easy for the Great Usopp to break in. I had to brave perils and dangers, mightier than anything anyone has ever seen before! Moats and gigantic dragons-"
"Just tell me what he said!" Luffy barked, his voice suddenly taking on a frightening tone that no one had heard before. Usopp blinked and then sighed.
"Another great story… ruined." he lamented and then quivered under the look Luffy fixed him with, "Zoro s-said he m-missed you. He doesn't know when he's going to be…" and Usopp gulped, "You know."
"He doesn't know?" Nami asked, unbelieving and then she groaned, "How are we going to rescue him if we don't know when he's going to be…" and she trailed off, looking distractedly at the car beside her.
"Why don't we just go to the house?" Sanji suggested.
"Yeah! Zoro said about an abandoned house at the end of the town. He said that was where we'd find answers, or something like that." Usopp added with a bright smile. Luffy turned to Nami with a bright grin.
"Yeah! C'mon!" and he turned to run down the street.
"Luffy!" Sanji called but the boy was already gone, having disappeared around the corner. Nami cursed under her breath.
"He's going to get us in trouble." Chopper added, silent up till now. Sanji nodded and lit a cigarette.
"Should we follow him?" Usopp asked. There was a brief moment of silence before everyone turned on their heel and raced after Luffy.
---
Luffy just kept running, ignoring Sanji's call behind him. If he could get to that house, he would know what had happened. He would be able to find the proof that Zoro hadn't done anything wrong. Zoro would be free! And then Luffy could be with him. It hurt to be without Zoro. Deep down in his heart. Much like it hurt to be without everyone else he knew. He paused at a corner and took a few deep breaths, getting his bearings.
"Now, where is that house?" he muttered, looking around until he saw a large map and he turned to look at it, "Hmm… Aha!" and he took off again, crossing the road and racing down an alleyway.
"Luffy!" Sanji's voice called again and the boy paused this time, bouncing from foot to foot as he looked around and finally spotted the chef coming towards him from the alley entrance he had just come through.
"Sanji! I know where the house is!" Luffy said brightly. Nami followed Sanji and Usopp and Chopper came after her.
"Great Luffy. Now, shall we go together so we don't end up getting caught and thrown in jail as well!" Sanji said in a harsh tone. Luffy pouted and bowed his head.
"Sorry. I just want to help Zoro! I want to get him out of jail and stuff!" the boy cried, turning and looking at each person's face, one at a time. Chopper tilted his head, feeling sorry for Luffy.
"We'll get him back Luffy." the little reindeer said reassuringly, summoning the most courageous tone he had. Luffy nodded.
"Yeah. I know. So, can we go?" he asked, bouncing from foot to foot again.
"Whatever." Sanji muttered, waving a hand. Luffy grinned and bounded off, almost leaving the others behind in his speed.
"Are we going to save Zoro?" Chopper asked unsurely as he ran beside Usopp.
"With Luffy in charge… there's no way we can't." the long nosed boy replied. Chopper grinned.
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Zoro was awoken by Ace's voice.
"Oi! Old man! When's breakfast?" the boy called, leaning against the bars of the cell. Zoro rolled over and glared at Ace, annoyed that he had been woken up.
"Shut. Up, Portgas." came Smoker's voice. Zoro got up and stretched his arms over his head.
"What are you doing?" he asked in a croaky voice. Ace turned back to him with a sly grin.
"Trying to get some food. I'm hungry, aren't you?" he replied. Zoro blinked and then realised the ache in his stomach. He was hungry.
"Uh… yeah." and Zoro fell silent, reflecting upon the dream he had had last night. Not really a dream, more like a nightmare. Luffy had been in it, but, it hadn't just been about the boy. It had been about Nami and Usopp and Chopper and even the Princess.
They had all been there, and he had been back in that house. The one that had haunted his dreams ever since it had happened. Now though, it wasn't just Miki and her father laying on the floor in front of him, it was everyone else. And when he picked up his swords, they were sticky with blood.
"Oi!" and Ace waved a hand in front of him. Zoro blinked and shook his head, coming out of his reverie.
"Sorry." he apologised in a mumbled tone. Ace tilted his head, looking remarkably like Luffy.
"What's bugging you? You seem distracted." his cellmate said.
"Nothing. Just… thinking." Zoro replied. Ace shrugged and turned back to the bars of the cell.
"Old maan." Ace called in a sing song voice.
"Oh for fuck's sake Portgas! You're a fucking thorn in my goddamn side!" Smoker yelled and Ace grinned nonchalantly.
"I know." he replied. Smoker walked past the front of the bars, whacking at Ace's hands with a bat as he did so. The boy withdrew them quickly before he poked his tongue out.
"So, what do you know about my brother?" Ace asked, still leaning against the bars. Zoro's head snapped up.
"What?" he asked and Ace turned and tilted his head slightly, indicating that he wouldn't fall for any 'dumb' act.
"I heard you talking in your sleep last night. You kept saying Luffy, over and over again. Not to mention a few other names, but, that's beside the point." and suddenly Ace's face became stormy, "You said you killed them." and the taller man moved towards him. Zoro stood up, holding his ground easily. He wasn't one to back down, not even to someone as powerful, and potentially dangerous as Luffy's brother.
"I did not kill Luffy. He's alive and well." Zoro replied as Ace stood before him, hands clenched by his sides. Luffy's brother relaxed upon hearing this though, and he smiled again.
"Fine. Now, mind telling me why you never said anything?"
"I… wasn't sure if you were his brother. He said…" and Zoro took a deep breath, "Luffy said you were dead." Ace was silent and then he shook his head.
"I don't believe it." he muttered and put a hand over his face and sighed.
"I'm telling the truth." Zoro growled, annoyed that Ace hadn't had the respect to believe his story.
"No, no. Not that." Ace said, waving a hand at him, "I believe you. I was talking about that bastard." and he sighed. Zoro was completely in the dark. What bastard? Who the hell was Ace talking about?
"Uhh…" Zoro intoned, looking towards Ace with an inquiring look. The boy sat down beside him.
"When Luffy and my parent's died, everyone thought it was an accident. Then, when Makino and Shanks died, we knew it wasn't. Or at least, I knew. I had figured it out. It was a man that I had known for a while. He had been hanging around for a while. Blackbeard. He was a bastard. I chased him all over the country side until I got here, and then he turned up dead. I was blamed, and thrown in here." Ace explained. Apparently it was a short version, "But, Smoker must have done something. Did Luffy say how he knew I had died?"
"Uh… yeah. He got a call from the hospital, and when he got there, they said that you'd died of third degree burns." Zoro replied. Ace nodded.
"Yeah. Someone must have set him up. Made everything up. Oh shit. Poor Luffy." Ace muttered and ran a hand through his hair.
"Whinging again brat?" Smoker's voice asked from outside the bars. Ace looked up and he frowned and moved over to the entrance.
"What do you care?" he asked as he leaned casually against the cold steel.
"Here." Smoker snarled and shoved a tray of food under the door. Dry bread, a few biscuits and a flask of water. Ace sighed.
"I'm a big boy Smoky, I need a decent meal." Ace taunted. Smoker paused and turned back to the cell.
"You need a decent thrashing." Smoker returned, smoke furling threateningly from his lips. Ace smiled slyly.
"I've already had one apparently. Dying of third degree burns. Couldn't you have come up with something better than that?" and Smoker paused, unsure about what Ace had just said. The Police captain frowned.
"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about." he replied in a low voice. Ace raised an eyebrow, the smile still lingering around his lips.
"Oh, don't you? What was the point of setting me up like that?" Ace asked. Smoker just shook his head.
"You've cracked. Just settle down and eat your meal… moron." and Smoker walked away. Ace blinked for a minute, thrown off.
"What do you mean I've cracked? You set everything up so my brother would think I was dead." Ace explained. Smoker, who by now was sitting behind his desk again, looked up sharply.
"Why the fuck, would I waste my goddamn time doing that?" he growled.
"Then who the hell…" Ace muttered, turning back to Zoro, who shrugged.
"Maybe he's bluffing." Zoro suggested.
"I am not doing anything of the sort Roronoa." and Smoker returned to the front of the cage and then looked over his shoulder before moving into it.
"You two have to shut up before you get me into shit." Smoker growled at them, his voice barely louder than a hiss. Zoro looked at Ace, who crossed his arms.
"What the hell you talkin' bout taisa?" Ace asked, intrigued.
"Look… you two bastards have been thorns in my side since you showed up. Roronoa has been on the run for a while, and now I have him, I can goddamn well keep him out of trouble." Smoker explained in a low whisper. Zoro was beginning to get a little freaked out.
"You, Portgas, I have kept you out of harms way." Smoker growled, his face dark, "And you, Roronoa, are going to be kept out of trouble."
"You'd make more sense if you had your head under wet cement." Zoro commented, sitting down on his bunk and crossing his arms. Smoker sighed, long and exasperatedly.
"For God's sake. You're both supposed to have killed someone, but didn't. Both were found slashed and horribly maimed. And I know very well who actually did it." Smoker explained.
"Then what the hell are we doing in here!" Zoro growled, getting up again and advancing towards the policeman. Ace held out an arm and stopped the swordsman. Zoro was seriously tempted to just shove Ace away and then lay into Smoker with his fists.
"To keep you safe you morons. You were both targets. Roronoa was set up by a certain police brat. And Portgas was set up by someone he had crossed. Think." and Smoker glared at them both, thoroughly annoyed that two people could be so dumb. Not to mention, he was seriously getting annoyed with Portgas's smug smile.
"…Hilmeppo." Zoro said slowly, "but, he doesn't have the brains to do something like that."
"And neither does Morgan." Ace added and then saw Zoro's inquiring glance, "I defeated him while he was drunk in a bar."
"Exactly. Those two set you up, but they hired someone to do it for them." Smoker was about to elaborate when a door slammed.
"Sir! Sir!" a voice called and then a young woman stumbled into view, "Sir, I think we have him." she said through the bars. Zoro glared at her, and Tashigi glared right back.
"You two might just have the opportunity to lead real lives." Smoker growled, "Tashigi, we're going to take these two with us. It's time to end this. Fucking Morgan is a moron who needs his ego deflated." and Smoker turned away.
"Very well sir." Tashigi agreed and then stepped back to let them out.
"You're going to trust us?" Ace asked in a smug voice as he stepped out of the cell. Smoker grabbed Zoro's swords and literally threw them at him.
"If you want to save your brother, you will co-operate." Smoker replied. Zoro placed his swords back at his hip again. Ace was serious as Smoker walked out the side door and back into the main offices and Zoro followed behind, Tashigi bringing up the rear.
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Wheee! So, everything is back to front, and everyone is now thoroughly confused. Ha ha. Aren't I a smart one? Actually, I owe credit to Clarobell because she gave me the fantastic idea that Smoker was actually protecting Zoro and Ace, rather than keeping them to be executed. Thankyou honey! -huggles- Reviews! Tell me how confused you all are!