Hi everyone! Yay! I got 3 reviews! Hands all reviewers a cookie Yeah, in case you didn't figure it out yet, the story is being told in Zolo's POV... for now. I'll make sure to mark it so there's no confuzlation. Now, to aknowledge the reviewers!

OffTheWalls33 - Thanks! You rock! Keep reading, I promise it'll get better.

YounamemeAkira - Thank you! Here's your update.

gothshadowdragonofhell - backs away slowly I'm glad you like it so much... sweatdrop

Same rules as before. "talking", thoughts, singing, here's a new one sounds

Okay! Onto Chapter 2!

Chapter 2

Of crews and captives

Zolo's POV

It took about an hour of groaning and assorted threats to get the whole crew out on the deck. While Luffy bounced around, Sanji and Nami took a moment to catch everyone up on what had happened. I looked over them without much interest, having been there when they joined the crew and seen them everyday since.

As unlikely as this may seem, Luffy is our captain. When he was 7 he ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, allowing him to stretch like rubber with the price of never swimming again. Even with this little problem, he's still determined to sail the Grand Line and become King of the Pirates. Pretty insane for someone who can't swim, but none of us can talk. We all have crazy dreams.

I'm the first mate and swordsman of the Merry Go, the first mate part mostly because I was the first one to join the crew. My dream? To be the greatest swordsman in the world, which means I have to defeat "Hawk-Eye" Mihawk, current holder of that title. I fought him once and lost, but that will not happen again.

Nami followed as our navigator, and thief when the time called for it, dreaming to map the world. We picked up Usopp, marksman, storyteller, inventor, and dreaming of being a brave pirate to follow in his father's footsteps. The crap cook joined us so he could find the All Blue. Chopper is a blue nosed reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit. He's our doctor, and a damn good one at that, but you didn't hear that from me. He wants to be a great doctor and find the world's miracle cure.

Crazy dreams for crazy people.

"Okay!" Luffy said, jolting me out of my thoughts. "Who wants to go on the creepy ship?"

"Me." Sanji stepped forward to stand beside Luffy.

"Yeah, we all figured as much." Nami joined Sanji. "I guess I'll come too. There might be treasure."

A love cook and a devil woman. They were perfect for each other.

I hid a smirk as Luffy looked at the remaining members.

"No one else?"

"Hey L-l-l-l-uffy. I'll st-t-tay and guard the sh-sh-ship." Usopp was shaking so bad he could hardly speak, staring wide eyed at the ship in front of us.

"M-m-me t-t-too." Chopper peeked around Usopp's leg.

"How brave of you." I said, walking over to join Luffy. "Then I guess I won't be needed here."

"Alright! Let's go!" Luffy yelled.

Stretching his arm, he latched onto the railing and catapulted himself on board as we climbed up a rope dangling from the side.

"Wow! You guys have got to see this!" Luffy yelled, acting like a little kid. Oh, never mind. That was all the time.

"What now?" I asked as I leapt over the railing, but whatever smart remark I had ready faded away as I saw what Luffy was looking at.

I hardly even noticed when Nami and Sanji finally got up to the deck, my mind a total blank as we stared at the scene in front of us.

"What happened here?" Nami whispered.

"A battle." Sanji said. "A big one."

The deck was stained with blood. There was hardly a spot where the boards weren't deep red. There were no bodies, no weapons, no sign there were ever actual people fighting. Just the stench of death lingered behind.

"Battle?" I said, regaining some of my thoughts. "Try war."

"Oh my God." Nami still stood there staring as we started to explore. "And she's been living here how long?"

I glanced sharply at the navigator. It was unlike her to care about anyone without any reason what so ever. She cared about us, the whole Arlong fiasco had been proof of that. But never just a random person, no matter what their situation. Maybe it hit home to her that this is what the darker side of the Grand Line was all about.

"Who knows?" I replied, wandering over to the cabin door.

It had a single bloody handprint on it.

"Hey Zolo!" Luffy bounded over. "Me 'n' Nami will check this place out. You and Sanji go below deck."

"Great. I get paired up with the cabbage head."

I just barely heard Sanji's comment as we headed below.

"Shut up and stay on guard." I snapped, hand on my swords.

"I don't need you to tell me that!" He snapped back.

I kept my silence as we poked through room after room. Nami might still be right. There could be pirates hiding anywhere, just waiting for us. And I really didn't want to give them any way to tell where we were. Sanji seemed to get the message, because he managed to keep his mouth closed.

In truth, if a battle were to break out right here and now, I would rather have Sanji here that someone else. He could fight well, so I didn't have to protect him like most of the others. We fought like a team, looking out for each other, practically reading the other's mind in the heat of battle. Probably because we knew each other so well. Crewmates? Not much of a choice. Friends? ……Only in the face of something grave would either of us ever admit to something like that.

"Who do you think she is?"

"What?" I said, leaving my thoughts.

"The girl. Who do you think she is?" The cook asked, not bothering to glance over his shoulder at me when I answered.

"Who knows?" I shrugged. "Maybe she was part of the crew…" I stopped to inspect a box tucked in a corner.

"Hm… Maybe-"

A sickening crunch of rotted wood, a small yelp, and a loud crash. By the time I had turned around, a hole in the floor was where Sanji had stood.

"Oh shit. Hey crap cook! You okay?" I ran over to the hole. No answer.

"Shit." I muttered, looking down.

It was pretty dark down there. Jumping down there would probably do more harm than help. But I couldn't just leave him there…

Chink

I whirled around in time to see someone darting around the corner. A lantern sat close by, a flame already dancing in it. Grabbing the light, I held it over the hole.

"Oi!" I called. "Come on Sanji! Answer me!"

A small groan was all I got in return.

"Damn." I swore under my breath as I leapt into the hole. "Sanji?"

"Over here."

I swung the lantern around until I caught sight of the cook. Hurrying over, I said,

"You okay?"

"Yeah." He held his head with one hand. "I must have hit my head. Crap ship."

I held out my hand and helped him up. Then I finally noticed my surroundings.

"I think I might know what that girl was." I walked to the edge of the ship, boots sloshing in the water.

"And what would that be?" Sanji asked.

I held up the lantern as high as I could, illuminating the space we were in. Row after row of benches on either side of the boat appeared from the gloom. The ends of oars slanted in front of the seats. I lifted the chains of the one nearest to me. Hearing Sanji's sharp intake of breath, I knew I didn't have to say it. The girl… she could have been… was she...

A slave?