Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece yadda yadda yadda… you get the picture :)

Thanks for the reviews :)

Chapter 15 – The Butler's plot

"You be careful what you say Klahadore, next time there won't be anyone holding me back."

That said I left with my words lingering in the air.

When I left the mansion ground and jumped over the fence, I didn't bother going around to the entrance; I closed my eyes and concentrated. I wanted to find Usopp and tell him that he isn't alone, that his father isn't the only one sailing around, pirating. He was on the opposite side of the island from where we landed. As the island was not very big it wasn't very far away. I sensed Luffy was away from the rest of our crew and I figured he was probably looking for Usopp as well.

It was probably best if Luffy talks to him, he doesn't need me butting in. I walked down the road thinking and hoping that a walk would calm me down. My father and my brothers were all I had left from my family and even though Klahadore insult wasn't aimed at me it still made me furious. And as such I figured that Luffy knew Usopp's father by the way he was acting so it was better to calm myself down and let Luffy handle Usopp.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down and frowned. That man, the butler, he had some serious bad vibe. I couldn't help but feel unsettled by him. He has killed; I could sense that much about him. But I could probably say that about a lot of people I have met before. But him, he killed without regret and enjoyed it. He has something planned, but what?

Sometimes I truly wish I would have paid attention to the story my mom read to me. The one thing I remember clearly was the cover of the novel with Luffy on it. And it didn't help that my coming here to this world has caused my memory of the novel to get even vaguer then it was before. I asked Rassa once and she said that it was a by product of travelling from there to here. I was terrified that I was going to lose the memories I had while growing up and of my mom, but she assured me I wouldn't forget.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice Zoro and Nami calling my name and when Zoro touched my shoulder to rouse me from my thoughts I reacted and had him pressed against the tree with a coated needle in my hand.

"Whoa, Shana, it's me, Zoro!" said the trapped man and I blinked, letting him go and blushed, stammering, "S - Sorry Zoro, I – I didn't see you…"

"It's all right," he muttered rubbing his neck where I grabbed him and plopped down on the ground. Nami merely tilted her head and asked, "What were you thinking so hard that you didn't hear us calling you?"

I hummed and answered, "That butler, I don't know why but he unsettles me. He has something planned and I don't think the plan is something nice."

Piiman, who was with Ninjin following Nami and Zoro, said, "He's been here on this island for three years working for Kaya and her family. All the villagers like him."

I didn't have a response to that I just hummed in acknowledgement. Nami sighed and sat down on the fence while I sat down next to Zoro with my legs crossed.

"If your so interested what that butler is planning why don't you use your gift?" asked Zoro after a few moments. I hmmed and answered, "I could but it will take some time after all he came here three years ago."

"What gift?" Nami asked, frowning. I waved away the inquiry and said to Zoro, "I'm going to need you to leave me alone, I mustn't be disturbed."

Zoro nodded and I tuned them out. With my legs touching the ground I really didn't need my hands to be touching it as well so I merely closed my eyes and let the island show me Klahadore. I am not really a patient woman so I skipped the whole normal life and forced it to show me his actions with malicious intent. I saw him poisoning the parents of the sick girl Kaya when a spike of malicious intent from him hit me. He was talking to some strange copy of Michael Jackson. I could sense the presence of Usopp and Luffy nearby and I was curious what would merit such evil thought. And it wasn't long when I learned his plan.

I forced myself out the trance I was in and I opened my eyes feeling nauseous. I was almost at my limit with my gift and I took calming breaths to drive the nausea away. I was left with a pounding headache and when I held my head in pain I could feel cold sweat on my brow.

It was easy to reach with my gift recent events but forcing it to go back years, now that was a chore. Sometimes when events are traumatic then I'm immediately drawn to them as they literally scream at me and I have no trouble going in my mind to that event but forcing it now that is a chore and a half.

"Oi, you ok?" asked a rough voice. I nodded and I said quietly, "It was difficult to get the information but I got it. Now I just need some time."

He grunted in acknowledgement and looked in the distance and asked, "Hm? Is that..."

"Oh! Captain!" the vegetable brigade said enthusiastically and stood up. My headache was getting better so I looked at the arriving figure and Zoro frowned asking me, "Wait...wasn't Luffy supposed to be with him?"

Then he spotted my serious expression and I whispered later. He grunted and Nami speculated, "I wonder if he's still angry about his father being insulted."

"Maybe," was Zoro's reply and I stood up. Even though I sensed Luffy is unharmed thanks to the tattoo on my hand I wanted to go to him. I already knew that he learned of former captain Kuro's plot and knowing him, he'll want to fight him.

"No! That was a different face!" said Ninjin as Usopp was getting closer but then he deviated from the path that lead to us and turned to the village. Piiman then said, "Yeah! Something must have happened at the shore!"

"Why did he look so panicked?" asked Tamanegi. Zoro stood up as well and I could tell that he was a bit worried about my wayward brother.

"Hey, how do you get to this shore?" he asked the vegetable brigade but they weren't even listening to him. They continued to chat on how interesting this new adventure is. I rolled my eyes, thinking kids. I got up, feeling a bit better and headed over to Zoro as I saw he was on the verge of losing patience. I tapped his shoulder, "I know where he is. C'mon follow me."

"How do you know where he is?" asked Nami a shrewd expression on her face. I covered my emotions and answered in a bland tone, "It's a gift. Now are you going to stand there all day or are you going to follow me?"

I turned around and started to go the cliff where I sensed Luffy's presence and Zoro joining me with Nami. A few moments later the vegetable brigade ran after us, saying they wouldn't miss it for the world.

I could see on Nami's face that she had questions but I wasn't comfortable enough discussing what I can do. And besides I had a lot more on my mind then Nami's curiosity. When we arrived to the cliff we couldn't see Luffy anywhere. Zoro was scowling and looking around calling for our captain as was Nami. I walked over to the edge and looked down. What I saw was the sprawled form of my captain on the bottom of the cliff. I sighed, muttering, "Baka."

I jumped down causing the rest of the people cry in alarm. I applied ki on my limbs and jumped nimbly down without any injury. Zoro followed me when he saw Luffy but the rest of them took the long way around. I turned Luffy around as he was sleeping in an odd position, his head was face down and his butt was sticking up in the air.

"Oi, Luffy wake up!" I said slapping his face. It gave no result. I started to poke him, tickle him and still no result. Then I remembered how I used to wake him up and I leaned over to him, saying, "Luffy, meat is on fire!"

"What!" he shouted and got up. He looked wildly around looking for the object of his distress. What he found was me scowling.

"Aho! What were you doing sleeping here?" I asked and he told us what he and Usopp overheard. He left a lot of it out and I filled in what he missed. After we told them everything the vegetable brigade was outrageous and Ninjin asked, "Whaaaat?"

Piiman continued, "Kaya's gonna be killed?"

"Yeah. That's what they said. I guarantee it!" Luffy said and Zoro merely lifted his eyebrow in question and asked, "So why were you sleeping over here?"

Luffy pouted and tilted his head, "That's what I want to know. I thought I was standing on top of the cliff!"

I tuned out the Vegetable Brigade and thought about Captain Kuro's plan. Jango's crew was already on his way and even though they weren't particularly skilled there were more of them then us. The best way to counter them would be at the beach on the embarking.

I was woken up from my thoughts when Nami said, "Hmmm. So that's where your captain went, sprinting toward the village. Well, it's good that we found out ahead of time. Now they can get away safely. Those bad guys are pretty stupid!"

Ninjin said, "Oh yeah! That's right! We gotta get outta here!"

"Yeah! To go pack up the important stuff!" added Piiman and then Tamanegi added, not to be left behind, "Like my piggy bank, some snacks...and my model ship, and..."

And with that said they ran towards the village.

"Oh no!" Luffy shouted in panic which made us all look at him.

"What?" asked Zoro and Luffy grabbed my hand and started to drag me to the village, saying, "If we don't hurry up and buy our food the butcher's gonna run away too!"

I developed a twitch which started always when Luffy did something foolish and smacked him on the head and said, "Baka!"

We followed the boys to the village and my gift suddenly flared to life and I saw what happened to Usopp at the manor. It made me falter and Luffy was immediately at my side, grabbing my arm and looking at me. I shook my head saying it was nothing. He merely squeezed tighter and let me go. Nami was looking at me with even more questions but I was not in sharing mood so I kept my silence.

It wasn't long until we saw Usopp walking towards us and looking back. The boys were the first to see him and called him, "Captain!"

"Hey! It's you guys!" he said and when he looked at Luffy he gasped in disbelief, "You survived?"

"Survived?" asked Luffy puzzling, "Yeah, I just woke up."

Piiman answered instead of Luffy, "He was just sleeping. More importantly, Captain! We heard the news! We have to tell everyone about the pirates!"

I could see the tear tracks on his face and sorrow he held in but in a blink of an eye he out his injured hand behind his back and started to laugh, "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! C'mon guys, that was just another one of my usual lies! That butler makes me so sick; I figured I'd just make him out to be a pirate, that's all!"

Luffy looked confused and I smiled a bitter smile and said quietly, "Just like Little Peter and the Wolf."

"Whaaaaat? It was a lie?" shouted Piiman and Ninjin complained, "Aw mannn, and I thought it was a real adventure."

"Then you were just playing along with him, Straw Hat guy!" added Tamanegi and Luffy looked even more confused. The boys continued their tirade and I really didn't have the patience to listen to them so I watched Usopp instead. With every bad thing the boys said his smile became even faker. Eventually they left and I said, "They didn't believe you, did they?"

"No," he answered and together we left the ways we came from. I made him sit down when I took care of his wound. As I did with Zoro back in Orange village I reinforced the bandage.

As I bagged the last of my healing supplies Usopp said, "Because I'm a liar, no one will believe my story. I was a fool to think they would!"

"Fool or not, the truth is the truth. Those pirates are still coming, aren't they?" said Nami and I said, "They are coming, of that I'm sure."

"And everyone thinks I'm lying! They think tomorrow will be just another peaceful day," Usopp said and then he suddenly clenched his fists and stood up, "So I'm gonna stand right here and fight those pirates back! I will turn this entire incident into just another one of my lies! As a habitual liar that is my proper plan of action! Despite the bullet in my arm and the many escapes from angry broom-wielding pursuers this is still the village I grew up in!"

He took a deep breath while tears were streaming down his cheeks and continued, "I love my village! I want to protect my people! I...I can't just let everyone die..."

"What a pushover. You'll even brush back your own followers so you can fight alone?" said Zoro with a smirk and Luffy said, "All right, we'll help you out."

"You didn't think we'll let you fight on your own?" I added and Nami chipped in, "Just so you know, all the treasure is MINE!"

Usopp was now completely confused and looked at us in wonder, "You guys... re you really gonna fight along with me? Wh-why?"

"You're up against a whole bunch of bad guys, aren't you?" asked Luffy and Zoro added, "The fear's written plain on your face."

"Y-you think I'm scared? That's crazy! I don't care if there are hundreds of them!
Why? Because I am Captain Usopp, the valiant warrior of the sea!"

"You know, that would sound much better if your knees weren't shaking so much," I said with a smirk. He merely glared at me and shouted, "Dammit! This ain't a circus! Of course I'm afraid of Captain Kuro's crew, they're terrifying! What's the big deal? If you pity me then I don't want your help! Shove off! Just leave!"

"Wow, hold your horses; I hold no pity against you. If I was I wouldn't be here!" I said with a glare, my smirk disappeared with his tirade.

"Do you see us laughing?" said Zoro, "We're helping you because we think you're a good guy."

"I don't risk my life out of pity!" Luffy said annoyed and Usopp was again crying a river, "Y-you guys...!"

When he finally got his bearings back we started to formulate a plan of defense. Usopp started with, "They'll be attacking from this shore. But the only path to the village is up this hill right here. The rest is all cliffs! So if we can hold them off here, the village will not be attacked!"

"Oh, that's simple enough," said Luffy and I interrupted, "What about the path on the north where we embarked?"

"Oh, I completely forgot about that one. But since the meeting with Kuro and the hypnotist was here shouldn't they arrive here as well?"

"Are you willing to risk your village on that assumption?" I asked and I saw the doubt and fear in his eyes. I sighed and said, "Then it would be best if we split up, one team here and another back with our boats."

"Yosh, that's what we'll do," said Luffy and Usopp continued, "Easier said than done! The rest depends on how we fight...What can you guys do?"

"I slash," said Zoro and he adjusted his swords.

"I stretch," continued Luffy with flexing his arms.

"I steal," said Nami with a smirk.

"I punch," I said with a grin and waited what Usopp will say. He didn't disappoint when he said, "I sneak away."

"You're gonna fight!" we all shouted at him.

Ohh, this is going to get interesting I thought with a smirk. I can't wait.

That is it for this chapter. It has been quite some time since I last updated and I apologize for that. Unfortunately my life got a little busy with a new job and school.

Thank you again for reviews! :)

Ja ne