Part One: The Godless Sea

Chapter Five: Some Beach

The sun doesn't rise in the morning. Not that anyone's surprised. The sky gets a bit lighter, the strange glow returns, giving them a source of light to work with. But no morning star appears to light their way. Still, the disappointment is evident as they all sit down to breakfast the next morning. Unease still clear as Luffy - not their Luffy - gobbles down his portion while sneaking bites of everyone else's in between.

"Shishisi, my Usopp is better at this than you." Luffy laughs as he steals another piece of meat from Usopp's plate.

The sniper growls what might have been a curse back at him. "Your Usopp must be used to it."

"Shishishi, probably." He steals a bit of eggs from Zoro's plate, looking proud of himself.

"Don't look so smug," Usopp tells him. "Our Luffy takes food off his plate all the time. Just not everyone else's."

"Eh?" The captain looks over at the swordsman, not missing the blush on his cheeks or the glare he shoots at Usopp, silently telling him to shut it. "Why?"

"Because I'm nicer than they are," Zoro replies, poking his fork into one of Luffy's sausages and popping it into his mouth.

"Zoro!" Luffy squawks.

The swordsman throws his head back and laughs. Luffy stares at him for a moment. Taken aback. His Zoro isn't like this, not anymore. His Zoro hasn't laughed like this since the East Blue. A warmth spreads in his stomach and he smiles at the swordsman, receiving a smile in return.

"Alright," Nami says, placing her fork down once her meal is finished. "We need a plan."

Zoro turns to her. "We came up with a plan last night."

"We came up with a part of a plan," the navigator corrects. "Now, we need to finish the plan."

"What's to finish?" Zoro asks. "Walk the beach, find his crew. Then find Luffy."

"Don't make it sound so simple."

"It is simple."

"I think Nami's asking for a bit more detail, Zoro." Robin turns in her seat so she can look at both the navigator and the swordsman. "Are we splitting into groups or sticking in one? Who's staying on the ship?"

Zoro moans. "Robin."

"Don't," Sanji tells him. "We've been over this. You're first mate. You have to make decisions."

Luffy blinks around at the crew, all watching their Zoro. Confusion fills him. On his ship, the crew make decisions together. Here, they all stare at Zoro, expect him to tell them what to do. The swordsman shifts uncomfortable under their gazes, the bright smile previously on his face gone.

"We shouldn't split up," he sighs eventually, eyes flickering to Luffy briefly. "This island is strange. It's too risky to split into too many groups. Franky, you need to stay. Sunny still needs to be fixed. Usopp, maybe you should stay too, help him out."

The shipwright and sniper nod at their assignment.

"The rest of us will head out. Except, Brook, would you mind staying too? We could use some man power here, just encase."

The skeleton nods. "I'd be more than happy too, Zoro-san."

Body language still a mixture of tense and uncertain, Zoro glances between Nami and Robin. "Anything else?"

The two women glance at each other before shaking their heads.

"No," Robin says. "I think that's enough."

"Good," the first mate says. "We'll head out after breakfast."

"I want to check your bandages before we go," Chopper tells him. "Yours too, Sanji."

Sanji hums his approval, taking a bite of his breakfast. "Yosh. You can probably take mine off by now, huh? It's scabbed over pretty well."

"We'll see."

Luffy turns his attention to the cook. "Sanji's hurt too?"

"Not badly." The reply is as dismissive as the hand Sanji waves at him. "We had a small run in with Kaido about a week ago."

"Small?" Usopp squeeks. "It wasn't small! I almost died."

"You," Nami says pointed a fork at him. "Were fine. They," she motions to Zoro and Sanji, "Almost died."

"But they do that all the time. It's not a big deal when they do it."

With a bemused smirk, Sanji turns to raise an eyebrow at the sniper. "Thanks. I'm glad to know my almost death isn't a big deal."

Usopp sticks his tongue out. "When you really almost die, then I'll worry."

"You guys fought Kaido too?" Luffy asks.

Zoro hums. "Hai. He was after an island called Wano."

"Momo's island!" Luffy nods vigorously. "We helped him too." His eyes wander over Zoro. "My Zoro got hurt too, but he took off his bandages forever ago. And my Sanji didn't need bandages very long."

Sanji scoffs. "The last time our marimo tried to take off his bandages too soon, Chopper and our Luffy chewed him out for an hour."

Zoro pouts. "I didn't need them! And I couldn't move in them."

Chopper moans and drops his head on the table. "That's the point."

"Hai, hai. You keep telling me that. But I can't fight if I can't move."

"That's the point!" the entire crew choruses back at the exasperated swordsman.

Luffy laughs. "You're all funny."

Zoro shakes his head. "You're one to talk. Alright, Chopper. I'm ready if you're finished with breakfast."

Sanji frowns as Chopper crams the rest of his breakfast into his mouth, clearly not willing to give up this rare opportunity to treat a willing Zoro. "You didn't finish your plate."

The swordsman shrugs. "I'm not hungry," he replies, dumping the remaining food onto Luffy's plate.

Within seconds, its inhaled. Chopper leaps up, tugging on the swordsman's arm and Zoro sighs, letting himself be led to the infirmary. A small collection of sighs go around the table and Nami shakes her head, glancing at Luffy.

"Is your Zoro this difficult?"

"Hai. My Zoro doesn't like bandages eithers."

"That's not what I was talking about." Nami sighs. "Sanji, go ahead to the infirmary. Usopp and I will clean up."

"You sure?"

The navigator hums.

"Yosh."

"Zoro only has two swords!" Luffy declaration comes when they're twenty minutes down the beach.

Sunny is still clearly visible behind them, though Mini Merry's hidden by some of the larger boulders lingering around the beach. In the distance ahead, they can see a path that leads up to a cliff face a few miles ahead. Sanji and Chopper are in the back, Nami and Robin in the lead with Zoro and Luffy in the middle. Nami rambled something about not wanting them to get lost and Luffy barely contained his surprise when Zoro simply nods his agreement instead of yelling about not getting lost.

Zoro raises an eyebrow at the captain and nods. "Yeah. Kitetsu and Shusui. You look surprised."

"Does your Zoro only use one?" Sanji asks from behind them.

Luffy shakes his head. "Three!"

"Three?" the boys echo.

"Hai, hai! It's the coolest thing ever!"

"How does he use three swords?" Sanji asks. "He only has two hands." He raises an eyebrow at Zoro when he catches the swordsman's eye. "You do only have two hands, right?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I don't!"

"He puts one in his mouth!" Luffy announces. His gaze drops to Zoro's hip. "But you don't have that one."

"Really?" Chopper asks, stars of awe in his eyes. "That's so cool!"

Nami glances back at them, a small smile on her face. "This is going a bit better than I expected."

"Luffy is always Luffy," Robin says with a giggle.

The boys continue to discuss how cool Other Zoro is as they continue onward, up the rocky hill. A thin mist begins to wrap around them, just enough to give a hazy look to the surrounding area. Behind them, Sunny's shape seems to grow steadily more difficult to see.

Tension snaps through the air, every member of the monster trio shooting to attention. Zoro shoot forward, snagging Nami and Robin to pull them back, behind him. Both women gasp in shock but allow themself to be pulled back, behind Zoro as the swordsman pulls out his weapons. Sanji ushers Chopper back as well, glaring at the path ahead of them.

"What is it?" Nami asks, pressed against Sanji's back.

"Something's out there," Luffy says. He steps between the two monsters, to stare at the path. "Something powerful."

"Nami," Sanji says evenly. "I think you, Robin and Chopper might need to go back."

"Why?"

"We might be in trouble."

"Define might be, Sanji."

Luffy takes another step forward, much to Zoro's clear displeasure. He sticks out an arm to try and hold the captain back, sending him a warning glare. Luffy blinks up at the swordsman, cocks his head to the side in a silent question.

Then, without warning, the rubber man snaps back around and stares back at the path. Zoro feels it too. The heightened power. The familiar sense. Sanji is ahead of him. But Sanji is behind him. Luffy is beside him. But Luffy - his Luffy - is ahead of him. And all that stands between Zoro and his Luffy is them.

"Oi," Luffy breathes.

He's going to bolt. Shoot off ahead of them and Zoro knows he's not going to be able to stop it. Because nothing can stand in the way of Luffy and his nakama

"My nakama," he says. "My nakama are there."

"Luffy," Zoro says, because he has to try. Even if he knows it's useless, he has to try. "Luffy-"

"I won't lose my nakama," Luffy says firmly. "I'll never lose them again."

Zoro closes his eyes. He breathes. This isn't his Luffy, but it's Luffy. And he'll always follow Luffy.

"Hell," Sanji breathes. "You ready, Berserker Boy?"

"Only if you are, Flash."

Luffy takes off like a rocket. Cursing under his breath, Zoro shoots after him, well aware of Sanji on his heels. Chopper and the girls linger behind them without having to be told. By now, they're used to that order.

Ahead, a group of figures stand, the light mist giving them an almost fuzzy outline. Familiar hair colors begin to form on the silhouettes. Undeniable presences.

Nami.

Robin.

Usopp.

Sanji.

Zoro.

Luffy.

A dark blur shoots in front of the crew. Branches crack. Leaves rustle. Stone crumbles.

Nami screams.