Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for the comments, faves and ect. I'm happy to know that you've enjoyed the story so far. I have been putting the other crew in italics. If that's too confusing let me know, I can always switch it, but it's made it easier to tell one crew from the other. It may change down the line. We shall see.

Disclaimer: Once again, Oda is a god and owns all these characters and the overaching word in which they're set.

Part One: The Godless Sea
Chapter Two: Landfall

Fog rolls in quickly. So thick that it's nearly impossible to see the dark island in front of him. Even the strange glow of mysterious light does nothing to help them see whatever waits for them. Most of the crew stand near the mast, looking around nervously, while Zoro naps against the rail closest to Sunny's figurehead. The figurehead that Luffy sits on while looking around excitedly, grin on his face.

"Can anyone see anything?" Usopp asks.

The crew shake their heads.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"We're sailing with Luffy," Nami mumbles. "Everything is dangerous."

"Look!" Luffy cries, leaping to his feet. "A dock!"

The rest of the crew rushes up the stairs, crowding in around a still sleeping Zoro to squint through the thick layer of fog. Sure enough, inch by inch, a dock like shape begins to come into view. Sanji glances down at the sleeping swordsman by his leg, nudging him with his foot. Zoro peeks his eye open to look up at the cook, who nods toward the island.

Zoro gives him a nod in return before closing his eye again.

"Oh, oh, there's a forest too," Luffy cheers.

Zoro's eye pops back open and he scrambles up to lunge for the captain. "Oi, Luffy!"

The swordsman isn't quite fast enough. Luffy rockets onto the island and into the trees before Zoro can get a good hold on him. A round of colorful swearing erupts from the first mate, who barely catches himself before his momentum throws him overboard.

"Luffy!" Nami shrieks. "Get back here!"

But the captain is long gone, hidden by fog and trees and god only knows what other obstacles.

"Of all the idiots to follow," Zoro growls. "I'm gonna kill him."

"Let's dock," Nami sighs. "We can chase after him once we've gotten ourselves sorted out."

"Is that really a good idea?" Usopp asks. "Robin said everyone who landed on this island died."

"Technically," Robin says. "I said they went missing and never returned. We don't know that they died."

"That doesn't make me feel any better!"

"I can't help but agree with Usopp-san," Brook pipes in. "Is this really such a wise idea?"

"Well, now that our shitty captain's on the island, we don't have much of a choice, do we?" Sanji blows smoke into the fog, watching the small whisps disappear without a trace.

They dock without much of a hassle. Somehow, it's not surprising that things go faster and smoother without Luffy around to try and wrangle in. It's also not surprising that the crew don't find much to worry about. Luffy is Luffy. And no one beats Luffy.

Though, Usopp, Nami and Chopper find plenty to worry about. Every small rustle of leaves has one of them clinging to Zoro's leg, leaving the swordsman to growl curses and try to shake them off as he continues with his own job.

"We should split up," Zoro says, successfully prying Chopper from his leg.

The small doctor is on his shoulder, clinging to his head in second. Biting back another round of curses, Zoro moves the doctor's small arm upwards, out of his line of vision in time to see Nami nod her agreement.

"Someone needs to stay and watch the ship," she says. "The rest of us should probably head out to find our moron of a captain."

"I'll stay," Franky offers immediately. "It'll give me time check Sunny over and make sure the storm didn't do any damage."

"I'll stay with him," Usopp offers.

"What?" Nami shrieks. "No, I don't want to go wandering around some creepy forest on some mysterious island. I'll stay. You go."

"Why should you get to stay?" Usopp demands. "I have I-Can't-Go-Into-The-Forest-Or-I'll-Die-itis."

Nami scowls. "I haven't heard you use that excuse since Dressrosa."

"He used it on Wano," Zoro mumbles.

The sniper rounds on him. "For good reason! I almost died."

"I almost died," the swordsman corrects. "You were fine."

"I broke four ribs!"

Zoro rolls his eyes again.

Robin giggles. "Why don't we draw straws?" she offers. "The short straw can stay with Franky. The rest of us go."

"Sounds fair to me." Nami nods.

Which is the exact opposite of what Nami is whining five minutes later when Chopper is waving from the deck of the Sunny with Franky. Zoro happily lets her scamper off with Usopp and the cook, still bemoaning having to search the island while he, Brook and Robin head in the opposite direction.

"Remember not to let the marimo off by himself!" Sanji yells after them. "The last thing we need is to be looking for two lost morons."

Zoro throws the middle finger up, but otherwise chooses to ignore the remark. It's obvious from the moment they enter the treeline that breaking through the thick layers of trees isn't going to be easy. Despite the dock, there seems to be no man made paths to lead them through the dense tangle of roots and low hanging branches. Not so much as an animal's running trail has pounded down the tall grass.

"Is it wise to split up like this?" Brook asks as Zoro leads them through the brush. "Perhaps we should have stuck together."

"There's no telling where Luffy's gotten off to," Zoro tells him. "It'll be faster this way."

"Unless we get lost in the thick trees," the skeleton protests.

The first mate glances back at him and raises an eyebrow.

"I don't think he's wrong, Zoro," Robin offers. "Perhaps we should find some way to mark our trail."

Zoro sighs and pulls one of his katana lose, slashing a 'z' into the nearest tree's bark. "There. Let's keep moving."

"I'm killing him," Sanji snaps. "I'm killing that brain dead moron as soon as I get my hands on him."

From across the deck, Zoro glances up at the cook as Chopper redresses the wound over his torso. "I don't know why you're so surprised. It's Luffy. Of course he's going to fly off the second he gets the chance."

The cook glares at him. "Because I thought after all the shit with Kaido, our beloved captain would be less of an idiot."

Zoro snorts. "You said the same thing after we left Dressrosa."

"I can dream, can't I?"

"Sanji," Nami sighs. "Breathe and pull a straw. We need to decide who's staying with Franky."

The cook blinks down at the three remaining straws in the redhead's hand and then glances around at the rest of the crew. "You can't be serious," he says before motioning to the bleeding swordsman across from him. "Zoro's staying."

"Zoro is not staying!" The swordsman wiggles up further to glare at the cook.

"Actually." Chopper's ears are flat against his head as he speaks. "I think Sanji's right, Zoro. This burn is still very raw and your lungs are-"

"Fine. My lungs are fine."

Nami sighs and thrusts a hand out towards Sanji. "It's not going to work, Sanji. We can fight with him all day, but it's not going to work."

Rolling his eyes, the cook reaches out and pulls one of the straws loose. A long one. The navigator nods at him before moving back across the deck to hold out the straw for Zoro. He glares up at her, jaw set.

"I'm going with you."

"Zoro," Nami sighs. "It's fair this way."

"Usopp wants to stay, let him stay," Zoro snaps. "I'm going."

"I'm okay with that," Usopp mumbles.

"Stop," Nami orders.

"First mate," Zoro says, voice firm and leaving no room for argument.

Nami spins back to him. "Did you - Did you just pull rank on me?"

His nose crinkles in a challenging smirk. "I'm going with you."

"I'm killing him," Sanji snaps, pushing his way through the thick brush. "When I get my hands on that shitty captain, I'm killing him."

Nami sighs. "We have no one to blame but ourselves, Sanji-kun."

A branch snaps off to their right and the group freezes. Usopp and Nami leap behind Sanji, peeking out from behind him as they wait.

"Oi," Sanji calls. "Luffy, that you?"

Nothing appears and no more branches snap. Carefully, the Strawhat cook inches a little closer, bringing the navigator and sniper with him. He doesn't dare curse his luck out loud. He's more than alright with having Nami-san's wonderful existence draped across him. The cowardly sniper, on the other hand, he should have sent with the shitty swordsman.

No more noises erupt from the forest and Luffy doesn't appear. Sanji leads them onward, conscious of the two sticking close behind him. Every once in a while, he can feel one of their hands brush his suit jacket, as though to make sure he doesn't disappear on them.

"Was splitting up really the best idea?" Usopp mumbles after a few more minutes of quietly crashing through the forest. "With everything Robin said earlier, should we have really split up?"

"What else should we do?" Sanji asks. "Hope that Luffy finds his way back?"

"It's possible!"

Both Sanji and Nami scoff.

"Luffy will find his way back safely when Zoro learns right from left," Nami sighs. She falls quiet for a minute as well. "Do you think we might really meet ourselves on this island?"

Sanji pauses long enough to light another cigarette. "Anything's possible in the new world." He glances around at the still thickening trees. "We should go back, before we get lost."

Nami nods. "You're right. The trees are only getting thicker. And if we get lost, Zoro will never let us hear the end of it."

"We're going back to Sunny?" Usopp asks, relief pouring from his words.

Sanji sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. For now. With any luck we'll make a better plan and we can start fresh after some rest."

"Perhaps we should turn back," Robin suggests.

They've been walking for well over an hour. Sweat is pouring off all of them. Zoro shed the upper part of his kimono but it does little to keep the glimmering sweat from gathering all over his body. Robin's hair is damped with her own sweat. No matter how many times she tries to wipe the sweat away, it comes back tenfold.

Ahead of her, the swordsman pauses and glances back, his eyebrow raised high on his forehead. Robin stops as well, feeling Brook follow their example behind him. She gestures towards the treeline around them, more and more leaves blocking out the strangely lit sky with ever step.

"The forest is only getting thicker. It's likely the others have turned back as well. We should all regroup at the Sunny and come up with another plan."

Zoro lets out a long breath rolling his shoulders and looking around. He doesn't want to turn back. This island could be dangerous and, he knows he shouldn't worry about Luffy - because its Luffy damn it -, but he's worried about Luffy. Not that he'll admit that outloud. The captain is more than capable for handling himself. Zoro hasn't had to save him in years. Yet, a deep suspicion in his gut tells him something is off about this island. Something other than all the things Robin listened earlier.

"Zoro-san," Brook calls gently. "I believe Robin-san is quite correct. Perhaps the others have found Luffy-san already."

Just when Zoro is about to turn around and agree to head back, he feels it. The shift in the air. Rare, penetrating power that brings relief and comfort to every fiber of his being. Air shifting as though trying to get out of the way for a king. For the king.

"Zooorrrrrrroooooooo!"

Luffy's long wail breaks the quiet around them. A grin spreads over Zoro's face as he follows the sound and turns to his blind side. Two rubber hands shoot from the forest and grip onto Zoro's shoulders. Seconds later, Luffy's body follows the arms, colliding with Zoro. rubbery legs wrap around Zoro's waist and Luffy laughs wildly in his ear.

"I found Zoro!" Luffy cheers.

Before Zoro can comment on the odd behavior - Luffy throwing himself into Luffy isn't all that unusual, but holding on like this, clinging to his swordsman is fair more on the strange side - the captain begins planting sloppy kissing all over his face. His entire body goes rigid and he can sense Robin and Brook staring at them in shock.

"Lu-Luffy," Zoro stutters out, tense and unsure of what to do.

The captain laughs again, pulling away to grin at his first mate. Within seconds, the grin disappear and the captain leaps back with a snarl.

"You're not Zoro."

And this isn't Luffy, Zoro realizes instantly. It is Luffy, it's his face, his voice. His strawhat hangs from its string against his back. His presence. But his chest is free of a large 'x' scar. Smaller scars litter his body, scars that Zoro knows Luffy doesn't have. And yet, here is Luffy, with these scars.

"Who are you?" the enraged captain demands. "Where's my Zoro?"

"Zooorrrrrrroooooooo!"

The long cry brings a smile to Zoro's face and he turns to catch Luffy as the captain launches toward him, burying his nose in Luffy's collarbone. Only an hour of searching. Definitely a new record. One that Zoro doubts they'll ever be able to break. But he's not going to complain about that now.

"Oi, Zoro." Luffy wiggles in his grip. "Let go."

He complies, allowing the young captain to fall onto his feet and look up at Zoro with a grin. A grin that quickly disappears as the two of them lock eyes. Luffy eyes widen and he jumps back, away from Zoro with a defensive growl.

"You're not Zoro."

And this isn't Luffy.