So, lol here I am again, literally handed a great prompt idea, and breaking my promise that I was at last done with the bravery series. I also have a new laptop so I can actually type again! Yay. Anyway, thank you Koko4eva for the idea. Now onto the story.

I had been back in my world for several months now, my insatiable thirst finally quenched by having all of my adventures fulfilled with my favorite crew. The goodbye was bittersweet, and not unexpected. The crew knew I had to go back, but they still had tears in their eyes as I left, and I did too. They had become my family, and I was going to miss them terribly.

I came back and was almost assaulted by my blood family. I knew I had given them a scare and I felt bad for it. The only one I told about my adventures was my brother, and he had been surprised but didn't believe me very much. So I kept it to myself.

Now I'm going to college, and my mind is distracted by classes, work, cross country practice, and other distractions that One Piece falls back on a back burner. However, I never miss a premiere of an episode every Sunday, because I'm not stupid enough to know that One Piece follows the story line I followed. No way, so I want to see how it plays out without me helping. I am content in my life. I don't need to go back.

So I was just writing one night, another ordinary night. I was munching on some fudge leftover from our holiday celebrations and writing a new story. It was midnight, and I didn't need to wake up because I was still on Christmas break. So I put up my notebook, brushed my teeth, and went to bed. Completely normal.

I woke up to hitting something, hard. My eyes snapped open at the shock of it and I found myself in the floor of a very familiar crow's nest.

I glance around, my mind going a million miles a minute. Why am I back here? I'm not complaining, but why? I thought I lived out all of my adventures with the Strawhat crew. The only reason why I am here would be:

If they truly needed my skills for something.

Something happened.

I rose to my feet, ignoring the aching of my body hitting the Adams wood. I glance around. It's morning by the look of it, but it's strange. I hear no Luffy, Usopp and Chopper on the deck, and Zoro is usually up here by now training. Even though he is the best, he won't relinquish it to just anybody so he still trains. Still, the ship is way too quiet.

I make my way down to the deck. Not one crewmember is in sight. Where are they? I make my way to the galley, where the crew meets usually if something happened. Sure enough, I slowly ease the door open and there they are, and it worries me.

They are all there, sitting in a circle and silent as a grave. None of them are smiling, talking, laughing, or anything. They haven't even noticed me yet because they are staring at the table. I was about to speak up when Sanji banged his fist on the table.

"Dammit! What the hell are we doing?"

Nami laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Sanji it wasn't your fault."

I cock my head. What had happened? I decided to speak up.

"Man, I leave the crew for maybe three months and you all have already fallen apart."

Everyone jerked around. Chopper flew at me, sobbing as he hugged my waist and I struggled to remain upright.

"Rose!"

I chuckle, smiling even though I felt the tenseness of the air.

"Yeah, I don't know how, but I'm back."

Robin wordlessly gestured to a chair beside her and Franky, who was sobbing. I sit gingerly, my eyes not leaving Zoro.

"So pray tell, what happened? You all are acting like someone died."

No one laughed at my joke, and my brain finally caught up to my eyes. I glanced around the table counting. No, I only counted…dread rose in the pit of my stomach as I gulped.

"Guys, where is Luffy?"

The crew stared at the table, unable to answer. No, they have to tell me. Desperation leaked into my tone as I repeated.

"Guys where is he?"

Usopp gritted.

"He's…He's…"

I looked to Zoro, because I knew he wouldn't sugar coat it. He would tell it to me straight. It didn't take much imagination to figure out what was wrong. Something bad happened to their captain. It was all a matter of what and how to deal with it at this point. I took a deep breath. I was ready for the news.

"Zoro?"

He sighed, fingering Wado, which I had picked up from my time here was a nervous habit. He took a deep breath and begun.

"After you left at Raftel, we all loaded up and were about to leave, when the marines came."

Brook sipped some tea.

"We fought hard."

Robin bit her lip.

"We were overconfident, because we had just found the One Piece."

Nami clenched her hands together.

"We thought we were invincible."

I nodded. I had felt the same adrenaline rush that day. It was an amazing feeling, where one of them had literally became king of the world. Franky picked up the story.

"We were out of our league though. There were so many vice admirals and even the three admirals and Akainu were there."

Sanji banged his fist against the table again.

"It was like the damn War of the Best all over again."

Chopper scrubbed at his eyes.

"We were outnumbered and overwhelmed."

Usopp gripped his slingshot.

"We fought hard, but eventually Luffy…he…"

Zoro picked up the story again.

"He told us to retreat back to the ship, that he would hold them back so we could escape. We followed his order because we knew he would come and escape with us. He never came, and we saw Akainu take him down. He was captured by the marines."