Chapter Eighteen

The next morning came a lot sooner than Roronoa Zoro had expected. As the stray sunbeams filtered through the windows, he tried to cover his eyes with his blanket. Though he briefly woke up, he soon buried himself back into the comfort of his hammock until he heard a shout from above to come eat breakfast.

Grumbling some, he shifted irritably as he tried to block the obtrusive sound from reaching his ears. But his efforts were in vain as the call came again.

"All right, all right, I'm coming!" he muttered at last, trying to sit up without tipping himself onto the floor.

Luffy was sleeping too deeply to hear the call, which was amazing in itself since it dealt with food. He was sprawled across the hammock, buried beneath blankets with only his hair peeking out across the pillow, one hand dangling to his left and his right foot hanging over the edge. Lightly snoring, he seemed completely oblivious to everything around him.

"Oi." Zoro placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder, roughly shaking him. "Time to wake up."

Luffy jolted awake, blinking in confusion and staring at Zoro. "Wha-?" His body woke before his brain, though, because he smelled the aroma of breakfast and jumped out of the hammock immediately. "Breakfast?" he asked hopefully.

Zoro simply nodded. "We'd better go eat it before it gets cold." He paused, looking the dark-haired man over. The smell of their awaiting meal seemed to perk Luffy up quite a bit, but the ordeal from the other day still weighed heavily on the bodyguard's mind. "You feeling okay?"

Luffy yawned briefly but nodded. "Yeah but I'll be better after some meat." He grinned at Zoro before pivoting and heading for the door. He didn't run out, like he usually would, but he didn't look to be in pain and was still walking quickly. "C'mon, Zoro, before everyone eats it all!"

Crankily muttering a short reply, Zoro followed after him and stepped into the bright light of the morning sun. Rubbing his eyes, the green-haired man glanced around. "Wait...where's the kitchen again?" he blearily asked. The ship's layout was still annoyingly new to him.

Luffy was bounding up the stairs already by the time Zoro appeared. He didn't appear to have heard Zoro's question, but his loud shout of, "Sanji! Food!" certainly gave away his position.

As Luffy galloped into the room, Usopp looked up from his plate of eggs, bacon and toast. Apparently, he'd gotten up earlier with Sanji. Grinning, he gave the other fellow a cheerful wave. "Oi, Luffy! You look like you're feeling better!"

Luffy's grin was all the answer he needed for that, but he bounded to the table and dropped next to Usopp and nodded anyway. "Yeah! I'm really hungry though." He looked pointedly at Sanji, who snorted but otherwise seemed to ignore him from his place at the stove.

"Hey, Usopp," Sanji called over his shoulder. "Clear some space in the middle of the table, huh? If Luffy's up that probably means his cranky shadow is too and I don't feel like listening to him bitch that breakfast wasn't ready yet."

At that moment, Zoro ambled into the room, producing a small yawn as he sat down at the table between Luffy and Usopp. He glanced at Usopp and Sanji before looking down at the curly-haired man's plate. "So, what're we eating?"

"What's it look like?" Sanji asked idly as he expertly dropped more bacon in a pan and cracked a few eggs with his other hand.

"Hey, Sanji! Last night you said we'd get lots of meat and bacon's good but I want more! Don't we have a big hunk somewhere?" Luffy peered around the kitchen, as if expecting an entire animal carcass to be waiting just for him.

Sanji was rolling his eyes as he turned around and dropped bacon and an omelet on a clean plate. "Yes, I remember, Luffy. That'll be ready soon."

Luffy grinned widely in excitement and almost vibrated with anticipation. "Okay!" he enthused as Sanji pushed the latest plate toward Zoro.

Picking up a fork and knife, Zoro lightly nodded in Sanji's direction as he shoved some eggs into his mouth. "So, where's Nami?" he asked after he swallowed his food.

"I think she's out keeping watch," replied Usopp. "She's a pretty skilled navigator! It's amazing."

Zoro snorted. "You sound like the Love Cook over there," he muttered, jerking a thumb in Sanji's direction.

Sanji nearly fumbled the frying pan at the name, turning around to level Zoro with an irritated look. "What did you just call me, marimo head?"

Luffy started laughing in the background.

"Well, that's what you are, isn't it?" Zoro countered calmly. "You're always chasing after women's skirts."

Usopp chortled. "He does have a point..."

"What! I have far more class than something a 'Love Cook' would have," Sanji retorted, sounding a little indignant. "You should say... Beauty Connoisseur instead."

"Hey Love Cook, when do I get my meat?" Luffy asked, still laughing.

Sanji glared at him, though he seemed a bit sulky when he replied, "As soon as your boyfriend over there calls me something better."

Zoro scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not his boyfriend, you Love Cook."

"Keep calling me that and I'll have some better names for you," Sanji said with an evil little grin as he turned back to the stove.

Zoro snorted as he took another bite of his food. Suddenly, however, the door slammed open and Nami stepped instead.

"Good morning! Is that breakfast you're cooking, Sanji-kun?" she sang.

Sanji went from sulky to saccharine in 0.2 seconds, twirling around with his hands clutched near his chin, his visible eye creasing with exaggerated affection. "Nami-swan! You look so beautiful when you step through the door in the morning! I've created the ultimate delight for you, crafted to perfection from the freshest of our fruits and my overwhelming love!"

From behind a stack of dishes, he produced a plate of fruit so perfectly arranged that it looked to have been glued in place. A perfect omelet rested beside it, with perfectly browned hashbrowns and a few strips of the best bacon he had just made. A tall glass of juice appeared in his other hand as he swooped his way toward her, holding her breakfast as carefully as he would spun glass. "For you, the eternally lovely Nami-san!"

Clasping her hands together, Nami looked utterly delighted. "Why, thank you, Sanji-kun! You're so thoughtful!" She sat herself down at the table, giving the chef a sweet smile. "I've been spending all morning planning our next course, so this gorgeous breakfast is exactly what I need."

"You'll never need to cook again while I'm around, Nami-san! I'll be here to make sure everyone gets perfectly nutritious, delicious meals!"

Luffy craned his neck to see Nami's artfully-presented plate, and frowned petulantly. "Hey, Sanji! I thought I was getting my meat next!"

"Wait your turn!" Sanji snapped at him, turning back to Nami with a smile. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you, Sanji-kun," cooed Nami. "I appreciate the offer, though. This food is delicious." She took a small bite of her savory omelet.

"So, if you've spent so much time plotting our course, mind telling me where we're going to go, exactly?" Zoro asked.

Nami sipped her drink as Sanji disappeared to prepare the meat for Luffy. "Well, we're running low on fresh water, so the first thing we need to do is replenish our supplies. We need to head northwest from here for about a day and we'll hit Elbalia, where we can easily get more."

"Elbalia?" Zoro raised an eyebrow. "I've been there before. A lot of grasslands and mountains there."

"Right, with plenty of water," Nami said. "And it's by far our closest choice."

Luffy perked up, speaking around a mouthful of meat. "Mountains! I've never been to one! I hear they're big."

Zoro shrugged and took a drink of his juice. "They're kind of nice, I guess."

"You sound like you've been to a lot of places," Usopp remarked. "I guess you traveled a lot before you met Luffy?"

Zoro lightly scratched his cheek. "You could say that."

"Usopp, you must've traveled too, right?" Luffy asked excitedly. "With your army and everything? Have you ever seen a mountain? I bet it's amazing if Zoro says it's nice, since he understates everything."

"Oh, sure, I've been all sorts of places!" Usopp boasted. "I practically saw the whole world before I went to work at Baratie."

"That's amazing!" Luffy enthused.

Sanji snorted but said nothing aloud.

"Anyway," Nami said loudly, before a tangent could get them too far from their original conversation, "later I'm going to do a thorough search of the storage room to check for any other supplies we're running low on, and I'll need some help."

"I'm sure the Love Cook would be more than happy," grumbled Zoro. "Why didn't we take care of all this stuff before we left?"

"Well, we did leave in kind of a hurry," said Usopp.

"Of course I'll help Nami-san," Sanji said testily as he finally sat down with his own plate of food, leveling Zoro with a glare, "but that's because I'm a gentleman, unlike some lazy bastards we have on board."

"I wouldn't have made it this far with Luffy if I were lazy," Zoro spat.

"Says who?" Sanji challenged, pleased to have riled Zoro up even a little. "Maybe Luffy did all the work."

The swordsman glared at Sanji. "Luffy and I worked together."

"Ahh," Sanji smirked. "So you only help Luffy and no one else? How selfish."

Baffled, Zoro set down his fork. "Where the hell did you get that?"

Sanji shrugged with one shoulder. "You're the one that refused to help Nami-san but keep claiming Luffy as your excuse for everything."

Luffy blinked at the two, watching them mildly as he shoved his mouth so full of a piece of steak that his cheeks bulged out.

"I didn't refuse to help anyone. I just said that you'd want to do it. And I'm right, aren't I?"

"I'm always ready to help Nami-san!" Sanji said firmly, a little irritated that Zoro wasn't getting more angered by the conversation. He wanted to get at him for continuing to call him Love Cook, but it wasn't working very well.

"Well, I'm always glad for the help, Sanji-kun," Nami said with a sweet smile as she leaned toward him. "It will be in a few hours, so if anyone else wants to help, they can." Her tone made it seem more compulsory than volunteer work.

"I think Luffy would eat all of the supplies," teased Usopp.

Luffy burst out laughing, nodding amiably. "I bet I would!"

Nami grimaced a little at the thought. "Right. Maybe not everyone should go down there. It would get crowded, after all."

Zoro finished up the food on his plate and leaned back. "So it would seem."

"Sanji!" Luffy said suddenly, grinning innocently when Sanji looked over at him. "Seconds?" He held his empty plate out hopefully.

Sanji made a wry noise at how quickly Luffy had devoured that, but he stood and took the plate anyway. "We should get more food while we're getting water, with the amount we go through around here."

"Yeah, well, there are a lot of big cities in Elbalia, so I'm sure that won't be too difficult," grunted Zoro.

"Good," Sanji said, distracted with dishing up the remainder of the meat for Luffy.

The rest of the meal passed relatively quietly, although Sanji had to yell at Luffy that there was no more food, and Zoro called Sanji a Love Cook twice more. By the time they dispersed, the sun was well in the sky with little to no coverage from the clouds floating by. It was hot, but the wind was warm and fresh, and when Usopp went fishing later, he actually caught something.

Nami was pleased to find they had more in the storage room than she expected, including several canteens that they could fill in any freshwater ponds they may find. The night was uneventful, and the relative calm lasted until the next day when Usopp, who had decided to try the crow's nest, yelled that he spotted land.

After the small crew scurried around to bring their vessel to shore, it wasn't until Luffy had lowered the anchor into the ocean that Zoro finally took a moment to glance around their surroundings.

"What the hell is this?" he snapped suddenly. "This isn't a port city! It's a whole bunch of nothing!"

Sure enough, all anyone could see for miles ahead of them was flat, green grassland. Though graceful, snow-capped mountains added a bit of variety to the scene, it was apparent there was little to no civilization nearby.

Nami waved a dismissive hand as she pushed her bag higher on her shoulder and peered out at the land. "The nearest port city would have taken us out of our way by another few days. We just need to head inland a bit and Sien's within a few hours walk. It's a large enough city to support our needs."

Luffy ran past her and jumped down onto the grass without thinking, or bothering, to wait for Zoro. "Hey," he called cheerfully from the ground, enjoying the shade his straw hat gave his eyes, "the grass tickles! Come try!"

Usopp immediately ran down after Luffy, kicking off his shoes. Allowing his darker toes to sink into the carpet of shrubbery, he grinned. "Wow, I haven't seen this much grass in a long time!"

"It's just grass," grumbled Zoro. He paused, looking toward the mountainous horizon with a small frown on his face.

"But the grass is really cool!" Luffy protested cheerfully, grinning happily.

Sanji appeared calmly at Nami's side, looking down at the two frolicking in the grass. "What a couple of geeks," he said offhandedly, but there was no bite in his tone.

"If we're gonna leave," said Zoro firmly, "someone needs to stay with the ship."

Nami turned to Sanji with a sweet smile. "Sanji-kun?"

Sanji grinned immediately. "I'll protect the ship with my life, Nami-san!"

"I knew I could count on you," she cooed as she casually hopped down to the grasslands below. Turning around, she craned her neck to look up. "Even though the city's only an hour away, don't worry if we're not back immediately! There may be a lot of shopping to do. They supposedly have a really good marketplace there."

Sanji nodded as he lit a cigarette and leaned against the railing. "Don't worry, I'll be here when you return."

"Wait, wait, why does he stay with the ship?" Zoro said suddenly. "I think it'd be better if Luffy and I stayed."

Nami looked surprised at the idea. "You don't want to go exploring?"

Luffy looked at Zoro with huge eyes. "But I wanted to see the mountains..."

Zoro met Luffy's gaze with a small frown. "You can see them from here, can't you?"

"Yeah, but I wanna see them closer," Luffy said with a small frown of his own, though his was due to confusion. "Why would we stay?"

"You really think it's a good idea for you to wander around?" Zoro asked pointedly.

"If you're with me, I don't see how it's any different than me sitting on the ship where anyone from miles around knows exactly where I am," Luffy said mildly.

Zoro opened his mouth to speak before promptly closing it. After thinking for a moment, he seemed to concede. "...I guess that's true..."

Luffy cocked his head slightly at Zoro. "Are you allergic to grass? Come down here a second."

The swordsman was quiet for a moment before he made his way off of the ship and stepped into the sea of grass. "What?"

Luffy frowned at him, then walked over and pulled him gently by the arm away from the others a bit. Nami watched them go with interest, but didn't bother to step closer to overhear.

"What's wrong?" Luffy asked quietly, watching Zoro closely. "Is there something we should know?"

"Something wrong?" Zoro echoed. "Not really. I just don't think it's a good idea to go walking around in an unfamiliar place when there are all these people wanting to kill you." His dark gaze flickered toward the distant mountains. "I've traveled here before, so I should know how difficult it can be."

Luffy eyed him a little suspiciously but shrugged. "We can just be extra careful, then, right?" He smiled and clapped Zoro cheerfully on the shoulder. "It'll be fine! I have you here and no one's gotten me yet. I just wanted to look around while we have the chance. Don't you think it looks interesting here?"

"I guess," he muttered. "It's not really that big a deal for me, but I forget that you've been kept in that palace of yours for most of your life."

Luffy grinned amiably. "You just don't know what's fun, anyway," he said lightly, teasingly. "I had to practically twist your arm for the ice cream, didn't I? And you liked it in the end! So just look at it like you've never been here before and I'll bet you have lots more fun."

Zoro shrugged in a half-hearted agreement. "Whatever. It's not that far of a walk, so I guess we might as well if you're curious to see the area."

Luffy seemed very pleased with the decision. Pivoting, he turned to Usopp and Nami with one hand holding his hat down. "Alright, we're ready!" he called cheerfully. "Which way do we go, Nami? This way?" He pointed in a direction that obviously led quickly to the ocean.

"I said it was a few hours away, didn't I?" she said in exasperation. "Just let me lead and don't lose sight of me. I don't feel like looking around for hours because you wandered off."

Luffy's excitement was completely undiminished despite Zoro and Nami's moods. "Okay!"

"That city sounds like it could be really cool," Usopp mused aloud. "I kind of want to go see it, but..." He gave Sanji a concerned look.

Sanji laughed abruptly, the sound almost boyish in its suddenness. "I'll be alright, Usopp." He paused, a thought occurring to him as he dug through his pockets. Producing a little white sheet of paper, he crumpled it up and tossed it down to Usopp. "Actually, take this with you. Get any of this in the marketplace if you find it, will you? It's the grocery list I made yesterday."

Catching it with ease, the curly-haired man nodded toward his friend. "Sure thing!"

"Thanks," Sanji said with a grin, holding his cigarette to the side. "I wouldn't trust any of those idiots to know an apple from an orange." He glanced toward Nami. "Except you, of course, Nami-san! You're not an idiot!"

Nami smiled but otherwise seemed to ignore him. "Are we ready yet? I don't want to waste the whole day standing around."

"I'm ready!" Luffy enthused immediately, raising a fist toward the air. "Let's go!"

Rolling her eyes, Nami nevertheless turned and strode off, pulling a small compass out of her pocket to consult now and then. A map was in her other pocket, but she didn't expect to need it. She knew where she was going. She had looked their route over so many times that morning that it was burned into her brain.

And if they were really lucky, they would even run into the rich nomadic tribe that wandered the area. Not much was known of them, but rumors of their wealth and intricate metalwork had spread. Even just one of their worst necklaces or weapons could grant her a fortune in markets like at Baratie. Her eyes shone at the idea, and she found herself unconsciously quickening the pace.

"Why are you in such of a hurry?" Zoro grunted as he managed to catch up with Nami.

Nami looked over, startled out of her thoughts. "You're so paranoid today. I've heard of the clothing stores, if you must know. There's one that has the cutest little skirts that I've only seen replicas of!"

"Why would you make a replica of a skirt?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Why wouldn't you? If a design is nice but you don't have the actual material or talent, then you make a knock-off and sell it for a similar price." She shrugged. "It's the same with a lot of things. A good way to make money far from the source."

Zoro shrugged before glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Luffy and Usopp were following.

Luffy's eyes were wide as he looked all around him, the grin unwilling to leave as he ambled alongside Usopp. His gaze kept wandering back to the mountains, only to be distracted by something else. Considering the immediate area looked like the same grass he was walking through, it was amazing that he could find so much to be interested in.

"Stay close to us," Zoro warned. "There are tribes that wander this area sometime, and the last thing we need is for one of you to be shot or something."

"Sh-sh-shot?" stammered Usopp. "You've got to be kidding me..."

"Wow," Luffy piped up, impressed. "They have guns?"

"No. They have archers," Zoro explained gravely.

"Oh," Luffy said, looking thoughtful but not nearly as afraid as he should be.

Nami looked at them sidelong but said nothing at first. Pulling the map out, she consulted it briefly. "Well, how large is their area? We can't be in their territory for too long, I imagine." She didn't say aloud that she was hoping Zoro would know the boundaries better, having been here before. She needed to know how much time she had to try to meet them, or at least look for discarded jewelry or weapons.

"That's the thing...their territories probably change from season to season," Zoro muttered. "So, it's difficult to say where we are in relation to the other tribes."

"How do you know all this stuff?" Usopp asked suspiciously.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just find the trail to that stupid city and stick with it," muttered Zoro.

"Well, we're on the trail," Nami said testily, pointing roughly at the map and holding it up to him. "It says so right here. It's just that it won't be obvious at first. But once we're in the rocks, we'll know for sure."

"The rocks?" Zoro echoed blankly.

"There's a rocky outcropping up ahead somewhere," Nami said as she glanced at the map again, waving a hand in the general direction ahead of them. "And once we get there, we'll know we're exactly where we need to be. We go through them, and then on the other side, there's supposedly a worn dirt path."

"Sounds easy enough!" Usopp grinned. "Nothing like that time I hiked a thousand miles in a day."

"A thousand miles?" Luffy said loudly, turning to stare at Usopp with huge, shining eyes. "That's amazing! Didn't your legs hurt a lot?"

Usopp nodded sagely. "They almost fell off!"

Luffy laughed. "You should have had one of your men carry you. Then it would hurt less."

"Oh, but it was a quest I had to endure alone!" Usopp dramatically proclaimed.

"Really? Why?" Luffy stared at him, completely into the story.

"Because there was a special maiden of the village that needed saving," he replied. "Her honor had been tarnished because she had kissed me, an outsider to them, on the cheek. And so, the Great Captain Usopp had to go on a long, perilous journey to win the village's affection and restore her good name!"

"Wow! Did it work?"

"Of course it worked!" he stated pompously. "It was a hard, tedious task, but I ultimately prevailed by mere endurance."

Luffy made an impressed noise as he stared at Usopp. "That's amazing! You're amazing, Usopp!"

Buffing his fingernails against his shirt, Usopp grinned. "Of course I'm great!"

Nami rolled her eyes to herself but said nothing.

Luffy looked around the grasslands excitedly, as if expecting the maiden to pop up and recount the tale again from her viewpoint. The wind blew across the plains, furrowing the grass gently around them in a wave. It reminded him suddenly of running his fingers through Zoro's hair the other night and he looked at his bodyguard abruptly, sidelong, tilting his head down so the shade from the brim of his hat hid his sudden light blush. The reaction took him by surprise, and he pretended to watch the upper-thigh-high grass parting around his legs to distract himself.

As if sensing Luffy's mood, Zoro momentarily glanced back at him, but said nothing.

The time drifted along pleasantly as the group continued their trek. Between Usopp's tales and Luffy's enthusiasms, the trip was enjoyable enough despite the sun that beat down upon them. Still, it was a relief to see the rocky area coming toward them from the distance.

"About time," muttered Zoro.

Nami glanced at him, as if she wondered if he was saying it was her fault it took so long. "Alright. I obviously can't tell how long we'll be walking through there from the map, but from what I've heard, it's not very long."

Luffy had lagged to the back sometime in their travels, having been continually distracted by the grass, mountains, and Usopp. At the sight of the rocks, though, he jogged forward, falling into step just a little ahead and to the right of Zoro, so he wouldn't worry him. "Wow! Look how tall they are!" He peered all around, excited. "It looks so dark in there! I wonder if there are monsters." His laughter was far too jovial for the thought.

"Ehh! Monsters! Don't say that, Luffy!" cried Usopp.

"I doubt there are monsters," snorted Zoro.

"But there might me," Luffy laughed happily. "There might be huge clawing rock monsters, who've been lying in wait just for us to pass!"

"Well, if there are, they won't be a problem," said Zoro simply.

"Why?" Luffy asked curiously, looking at his bodyguard.

"'Cause I'll take care of 'em with my sword." At this, he grinned and placed a hand over the weapons that hung from his side.

Luffy's gaze unconsciously followed Zoro's hand movement, to settle on the swords near his hip. He blinked when he found himself looking just a second too long, and turned to jog ahead another three steps to give himself a moment to think. His straw hat shaded his expression briefly before he turned around and walked backwards, grinning, as if nothing had happened. In truth, it had only been a few seconds, but it was just enough of a delay to be noticeable to anyone paying close attention. Nami, at least, seemed distracted by the map, which made Luffy feel a little better.

"We're lucky, then!" he said with a laugh, hands holding his hat down idly. "We have a monster-slayer to protect us."

"I'll bet you could give any monster a good wallop on your own, though," Zoro replied easily. "What with those crazy rubber powers and everything."

Luffy laughed again, delightedly this time. "You bet I could! It wouldn't know what hit it."

"Remind me not to make you mad," Usopp replied feebly. For him, it was just starting to sink in that he'd join a ship filled with mostly freaks.

Luffy looked surprised at the comment, turning to blink at Usopp seriously. "What? I would never hurt a friend."

"Yeah? But you might bust something else up," Usopp pointed out.

"Hmm." Luffy considered that, continuing to walk backwards. After a moment, he snickered and grinned. "Yeah, that's tru—"

He cut himself off, eyes widening, as the ground suddenly gave way beneath his foot. With a startled noise, he reached out to catch himself as he fell backwards only to have what he thought was the ground around him snag and fall with. He stared in pure surprise at the cloth disguised in grass and dirt, and briefly lost his breath when he fell to the bottom of a deep hole.

Usopp barely had time to shriek before Zoro suddenly withdrew his sword and positioned himself beside the hole. "Stay still and don't panic," he muttered quickly. But at that moment, several people seemed to move out from behind the rocks, aiming bows and spears in the unfortunate group's direction.

Nami froze, keeping her hands in clear view as she held the map, crumpled, in one hand. Her eyes were wide and she was sweating, but she listened to Zoro's warning.

Luffy stood up, rubbing his head with a frown. He hadn't heard Zoro's mutter, and certainly couldn't see any dangerous people from the bottom, so when he called up to the others, he was his typical blithe self. "Hey, they have mystery holes here too! This place is so weird."

He craned his neck to look up and his hat fell to rest against his back, caught by the string. "Don't worry, though! I'm fine! Just gotta figure out how to get out..."

The apparent leader of the group, a tall, muscular man dressed in a dark-colored tunic, stepped out from the line of archers. "State your business."

"We're getting supplies," grunted Zoro. "Leave us."

"You carry weapons," the leader noted, his dark green eyes narrowing at the sword Zoro had withdrawn.

The swordsman met his gaze. "I defend myself."

"I don't have any weapons!" Nami said nervously, eyeing the gleaming points aimed at them. She held her hands up a little higher to make it clear she was unarmed. "We don't mean any harm!"

Luffy stared up at the edge, knowing he could reach it, but he wasn't very adept yet at lengthening his limbs without a lot of throwback first. Jerking a fist behind him, he tried to use the momentum to snap his hand forward but it just rebounded off the wall and almost smacked him in the face. Frowning, he widened his stance and worked on improving his skills. Since Zoro hadn't called out to him or appeared immediately, something distracting was probably happening up there anyway.

Suddenly unsheathing a sword of his own, the leader glared at him. "Defend yourself, then."

Before anything could happen (other than Usopp and Nami giving little cringing squeals), one of the archers suddenly cleared his throat loudly. He let the tension out on his bow and aimed the arrow toward the ground, eyeing Zoro strangely. "Um, sir?" he ventured, sidling closer to his leader. "Could I, uh, have a word?"

"What is it?" the leader hissed. "Can't you see we're about to fight?"

He leaned forward and whispered, watching Zoro still, "Um. That man has light green hair and three swords. I think it may be Roronoa Zoro, sir."

"Roronoa Zoro?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "I thought he was dead."

"Could be, sir. But he fits the description, and not many do."

Turning, the group leader stared at the swordsman. "Are you Roronoa Zoro?"

Zoro nodded. "I am."

A faint murmur washed over the crowd.

"Looks like they know you, Zoro," Usopp muttered in awe.

Nami stared at Zoro, trying to keep the delight of money on the horizon out of her eyes.

The archer started to lower his bow even more, staring at the leader with urgency in his eyes. The other archers began to follow his lead, glancing at each other in surprise.

The tension was just starting to drain from the group.

A hand appeared at the top of the hole, and Luffy suddenly came hurtling out of the ground, dropping next to Zoro with a huge grin. "I'm free!" he crowed happily, making enough of a ruckus that the lowered bows were suddenly tightened, arrows aimed nervously at him as a new threat. "Oh," he said blankly, surprised. "We're under arrest?"

"Far from it," Zoro muttered. Then, he made eye contact with the group's leader. "Looks like you guys are with the Lanshi?"

The man frowned, a little startled before he realized that the question just further confirmed that the person before them was truly Zoro. Who else would know their clan name with so little information? Holding a hand to the side, he signaled for the archers to lower their weapons, and he sheathed his sword.

"We are," he said, inclining his head and glancing at Luffy, Nami and Usopp before looking guardedly back at Zoro. "You have been gone for awhile." The comment was too pointed to be neutral, but he did not necessarily sound disapproving.

"I was separated from my tribe," Zoro explained simply. "Not quite sure how it happened, but I wound up near Merriana."

Luffy looked between Zoro and the strangers, silent but alert now that he realized these people had something to do with Zoro's past.

Usopp blinked, giving Zoro a startled stare. "Are you serious? But Merriana is...really far from here."

Nami stared at Zoro incredulously, caught between triumph that he was somehow connected to the locals and could lead them that much closer to their riches and astounded that someone could actually accidentally wander an ocean and several hundred miles across an entirely different continent from home.

"What would you have done if I didn't arrive?" she asked him, amazed. "You'd be halfway across the world by now!"

Zoro waved Nami off. "That's unimportant now," he grunted gruffly, perhaps a bit embarrassed.

Nami stared at him pointedly, a little amused, a little irritated. "You idiot," she said, but there was no real venom in her voice.

The leader of the Lanshi group eyed them all with a hard stare, but stepped back after a moment and turned away. "Come with me," he said, as the other Lanshi put their weapons away finally and began to trail after him. Judging by the angle, their route would bypass the rocks and head in a direction slightly eastward of Sien.

Luffy looked curiously at Zoro, waiting for him to move before he would follow. He still wasn't quite sure if the newcomers were enemies or just long-lost friends.

"Where are we going?" Zoro quietly asked, his dark eyes watching the leader almost suspiciously.

The man paused and looked over his shoulder, eyebrows raised a little skeptically. "You disappear for years, reappear in our territory, and we are supposed to just ignore it? You should know that the Kurska are our close allies, so we will give you proper hospitality until they return. They have, after all, been wondering where you went and would love to see you again." His tone was casual but there was some undercurrent that Luffy could not place, something else that was being said that only Zoro and the natives could possibly understand.

"The Kurska," Zoro faintly repeated, as if he tasted the word for the first time in years. "Do you know where they are?"

The man nodded, shifting slightly so he was facing Zoro more than looking over his shoulder. "Of course. They are a day's walk from here, due back soon." He paused, then smiled slightly. "I understand they found quite a few wild pigs roaming around and will have enough for a feast when they return."

"Heh." Zoro lightly grinned. "Okay." He glanced over at the others in his group. "Looks like we're going for a bit of a detour."

Luffy grinned back, wide and enthusiastic. "Alright, an adventure!" he said loudly, bounding toward the Lanshi without waiting for the others. "Hey, mister, did you say we get a feast?"

The man blinked and smiled in amusement. Turning, he started walking again without glancing back to see if they were following.

The group quietly followed, with Zoro trailing between the Lanshi warriors and his own comrades. It was pleasantly dry outside, the grass parting as they located a slightly worn trail within minutes.

"Your people don't generally wander around like hunters," Zoro said quietly to the leader. "Has something happened to change this?"

The man looked at him sidelong and nodded once, gravely. "I don't know the situation in Marana, or wherever you've been, but we've had more troubles with bandits in the past few months than I remember in the rest of my life. They almost destroyed Sien's marketplace last time. Without that money to support our crafts, we will not survive, and neither will your brethren. When the Kurska are gone, we have taken to defending the territory in their stead."

"Bandits are causing problems here, too, huh?" Zoro's eyebrows furrowed, and he thought of the situation at Baratie. "Are they really that desperate to draw attention to themselves?" Pausing, he regarded the Lanshi leader with an even stare.

"Hmm?" the man asked mildly, his expression unreadable. "Draw attention to who? The bandits? Surely these are all the separate attacks of crazed men, who care about stealing the riches of others and nothing more. But bandits on the other land too? How strange that they are so widespread..."

Zoro spoke with a calm voice. "Have the Kurska sustained any significant casualties?"

Another shake of his head, and the man smirked proudly. "The Kurska, the Lanshi, we are too strong for them. We know the land, the people, the weather. We have massacred the bandits when we've been around." He shrugged lightly. "Other than some bruises and minor injuries from stupid young ones, we have all been fine."

Zoro nodded, looking satisfied. Then, something seemed to occur to him. "You know my name, but apparently I don't know yours."

"Kamakiri," he said calmly. He turned ahead again, his sunglasses shielding the expression in his eyes. "Roronoa Zoro is a fairly infamous name in the area. Why have you suddenly returned after so many years, and with..." he paused, tilting his head in the general direction of Zoro's companions, "outsiders, at that?"

"Wait, wait," Usopp suddenly interrupted. "Zoro, do you know these people or something?"

The green-haired man blinked, regarding Usopp with a calm gaze. "Yeah. I'm actually a member of the nomadic Kurska tribe. These people here are with the Lanshi, who are our allies."

Nami's eyes widened and she had to fight to keep the grin away. The Kurska! The fables of their riches... She walked calmly, but there was a bit more bounce to her step than before. She knew it. She just knew those two smelled of money the moment she first laid eyes on them. Between the two of them, she could probably retire after spending just a few months in their presence.

Luffy divided his attention between the Lanshi and Zoro, watching the landscape as they passed.

"These 'outsiders' are actually comrades of mine," Zoro explained to Kamakiri. "It's kind of a long story..."

Kamakiri nodded. "We'll have to hear it later, when they return. You will stay until then, I hope." Although his tone was relatively light, something about his body language said that they would not easily let Zoro leave.

Zoro paused for a moment before speaking. "Sure. I'll stay, if the Kurska will return shortly."

Kamakiri nodded again. "Wiper sent a runner ahead just this morning saying they expected to be back by tomorrow night at latest. Until then, Laki has space in her house. You're welcome to stay there."

The swordsman only silently nodded as they continued on their way. Within a relatively short walk, they arrived at a small, cozy village that was surrounded by a wooden fence. Distant fields surrounded its borders, speckled with grazing livestock and the occasional farmer. Some chickens scratched around at the village's entrance, scurrying away from the newcomers. A plume of smoke drifted up into the air from a cottage's chimney, giving the air a flavorful smell.

Kamakiri raised his hand idly as several of the villagers stopped what they were doing and looked at the newcomers. Children came running over, milling about the legs of the Lanshi archers. A few stared at Zoro and the others with wide eyes, and one even tried to hide behind Kamakiri.

A tall woman with long black hair pulled into a high ponytail stuck her head out of a nearby house at the commotion and smiled when she saw them. "Kamakiri, you're back," she said as a little girl who looked about ten wandered out from behind her. As one, the two noticed the others at the same time, but while the little girl looked wary, the woman's smile became a little tense. "Who are they?"

Waiting until he was closer to her and wasn't yelling across the village, he said in a low voice, "Roronoa Zoro, with some people he met outside. I told them you had room until Wiper returns."

She looked over her shoulder at Zoro, her eyes a dark shade that seemed vaguely blue or green, and though her expression closed off, she nodded anyway. "Of course. They can take the upstairs; Aisa moved down next to me awhile ago."

Kamakiri nodded, then stepped to the side and gestured to the house. "This is Laki. She sometimes acts as the... innkeeper of our village. She can show you to your rooms."

Laki smiled still, a tight, tense smile but one that did not seem cold, and moved away from the door, dragging the girl with her so the newcomers had plenty of room. "Please come in."

Zoro stepped inside, noting how much cooler it was than out under the sun. "Thanks. You really don't need to trouble yourself..."

"Not at all," Laki said, and when she looked at Zoro, her smile was a little less tense. "You are practically our kin, aren't you?" She glanced past him, to the others in the doorway, and was about to welcome them in again when Luffy walked calmly inside.

"Wow, it's really nice in here!" he said, tilting his hat back a little to get a better view of the house.

It did not have a lot of furniture, but there was plenty of artwork on the wall; from drawings that looked like a little girl had created to beautiful works of art made from beads, leather, and feathers. A stairway led to the second level across the room in front of them, but Luffy got distracted by what he suspected was a kitchen peeking out of a partially open doorway.

"Hey, do we get food later?" he asked intently, looking at Laki even though the question seemed somehow directed at Zoro.

"You'll have to ask her," Zoro replied, motioning toward Laki. "It's her home."

Usopp glanced around, shifting nervously as his gaze roamed across the ornate decorations that hung from the wall. "Are you sure we're not intruding on anything? I mean, we really should get to that city for supplies, shouldn't we?"

"Supplies?" Laki asked, turning her attention to Usopp and leaning against the wall. "It's possible we could provide you with what you need. There's plenty of time for Sien later. You should rest for now."

Nami nodded gratefully. "Thank you very much for your hospitality. We really appreciate it." She glanced outside of the window, wondering if she should explore the village and see what kind of information about this Kurska tribe she could glean from the residents. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Zoro stepped past her, his hands burying into his pockets.

"I'm going out to train," he muttered, looking toward Laki with an unreadable expression.

Laki watched him seriously for a moment, her expression as unreadable as Zoro's. After a moment, she inclined her head slightly. "There are training grounds down the road to the left. You are welcome to use them." She turned back to Nami, and seemed to dismiss Zoro entirely from her attention. "It is the way of our people, to welcome the friends of the friends." There was only the slightest pause before referring to Zoro as a friend, but her light tone did not change. "I can show you to your rooms now."

"That would be nice, thank you," Nami replied with a small smile, though she seemed a little disconcerted by the slightly stilted exchange between Zoro and Laki, the carefully masked expressions they shared when speaking with another. It was if they were putting up some sort of barrier between themselves that they didn't dare take down, a barrier that outsiders could only try to understand. If Zoro was friends with these people, why did they seem so... uncomfortable around one another?

At this, Usopp glanced over at Nami with mild confusion, and the navigator knew that he was thinking along similar lines.

Laki smiled, and though there was nothing cold or cruel in it, a certain sense of sincerity seemed to be missing. She gently pushed the girl hovering around her legs ahead of her, saying softly, "Aisa, go prepare the second guest room. I'll show them the first." Aisa glanced at Usopp and Nami with partial distrust, but ran ahead anyway.

Stepping away from the wall she leaned against, Laki headed toward the stairs. "If you'll follow me, then."

"I want to train with Zoro," Luffy said suddenly, before she had gotten more than three steps up.

She paused, looked over her shoulder at his determined expression that clashed with his casual tone, and she nodded without saying anything. She continued without looking back again to make sure that Nami and Usopp followed.

Nami sharply glanced over at Luffy as she walked toward Laki. "Don't do anything stupid while you're out. We just got here and don't know much about the area," she pointedly reminded him.

"It'll be fine," Luffy said with a smile. "I'll be with Zoro, right? How much trouble could I get in?"

"He got lost and wandered off of the entire continent," Usopp stated flatly. "Nami's right. Just don't go too far."

"We won't, so lay off," Zoro snapped suddenly, his tone sharp with irritation. "I think I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

The navigator slightly rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go," she said, motioning Usopp to follow her as Laki showed them up the stairs.

As the three disappeared at a hallway past the landing, Luffy turned to Zoro with a smile that seemed less blithe than usual. "Alright! Ready to train? She said we go right, right?"

Zoro nodded vaguely, his gaze settling heavily upon a fragile vase that sat upon a table. "Yeah...I think so."

Luffy's smile remained, and he reached over to pull Zoro toward the door by his upper arm. At the doorway, though, he took a left and started wandering down the main road with Lanshi giving them odd or guarded glances on all sides. He dropped his grip as soon as he was certain Zoro was following, and looked around idly.

"They don't like outsiders, huh?" Luffy said casually, as if discussing the shape of clouds in the sky.

"No," Zoro simply answered, his feet sending dust from the trail up against his boots.

Luffy nodded, falling silent for a few minutes as he just watched the houses pass around them. The village seemed peaceful enough, and really interesting. He would have liked to run around exploring everything, but he felt it was better to stay by Zoro for the time being. That way, Zoro wouldn't have to worry if anything strange happened during their stay; at least he knew he was able to be a bodyguard during this time. But more importantly, there was something strange happening between the Lanshi and Zoro, and in this instance, Luffy felt more like Zoro's bodyguard than the other way around.

"I've been thinking of some new moves," Luffy said idly, kicking up some dust and watching it settle over his sandals, coating his toes.

"Yeah?" Zoro looked over to his companion; he sounded interested, but his face seemed just as blank as when he'd been talking with Laki. "With your rubber body, right?"

"I should hope so," Luffy laughed, "I don't think I have any other bodies lying around." He looked over, eyes sparking in amusement, grin wide, and it was unclear whether he had purposefully misunderstood the question.

Upon hearing this, a smile suddenly lit up Zoro's face and he snorted. "Oh, okay, I was just making sure."

Luffy couldn't help chuckling to himself, looking forward again. "Maybe I'll show you them." He leaned against Zoro playfully for a breath, just the briefest press of his arm against Zoro's, but with as casual as it had been, he could have simply lost his balance for a moment and was just walking too close to recover in time.

"I wouldn't mind," Zoro quietly replied with a subdued grin, his arm briefly nudging back.

Luffy glanced over with a wide smile. Around them, the Lanshi had mostly stopped paying them heed. When it became apparent that they were heading toward the heart of the village instead of the edges, they didn't feel the need to watch them anymore. Luffy watched a woman usher her children inside with an unreadable glance in their direction, and his smile faded in thought.

He looked at Zoro again, watching him as they walked, trying to understand exactly what was going on. He thought he remembered Zoro saying he was abandoned as a child, so even if he was from that other tribe, even though everyone called him friend, did that mean they still considered him an outsider? That they weren't happy to see him back? Luffy had been so certain that Zoro's family would have loved him, regardless of abandoning him or not, that he couldn't help feeling confused by the reception now that Zoro had returned.

"I didn't think we'd run into anyone," Zoro quietly stated, as if sensing Luffy's confusion. "We might be delayed for a few days. I should have anticipated something like this and suggested a different route."

"Delays are part of the adventure," Luffy said dismissively with a shrug. "You're not happy about being here, though." He spoke casually, an observation without a judgment.

Zoro paused for a moment, as if thinking over the other boy's words. "No, I guess I'm not. It's... kind of complicated."

Luffy nodded, taking that on face value and not pressing for more information than Zoro was willing to present. "Are you in danger? Everything seems a little weird."

Shaking his head, the swordsman paused and glanced at a few passing villagers. "No, I'm not in danger. They're probably just a little mad that I disappeared for a couple of years." Though with the way he spoke, it was apparent that there was probably more to the situation than that.

Luffy hmmed to himself, considering that. "I wonder if I'd be mad if you disappeared, too." He sounded honestly curious, his expression thoughtful. "But then I'd be happy to see you again, so..." He shrugged.

"They're not like you are, though," Zoro replied. He opened his mouth again as if he were about to speak, but fell silent for a moment before finally adding, "Like I said... it's complicated."

Nodding again, Luffy smiled at him. "Well, as long as you're not in danger, I guess it doesn't matter, does it?"

The swordsman's dark eyes found the horizon, his mouth suddenly pressed into a thin line. "Ultimately, I guess not, but..."

"Then you should stop worrying," Luffy said cheerfully. "We were going to be around for awhile anyway for the city, right? This way, you have time to be with old friends, and they have time to stop being stupid."

Zoro didn't say anything, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked over at Luffy. He only wished it were that simple.

"I don't see the training grounds anywhere," he said suddenly. "Did we go the right direction?"

"I dunno," Luffy said, looking around unconcernedly. "How far were we supposed to walk anyway?"

"It's probably on the other side of the village here," Zoro muttered, gesturing ahead of them.

"But, you know, there's a lot of shade over there," Luffy said, pointing to their left, where a hill rose, "and training grounds would be in a colder place, right? So that's up and North, I bet." Laki, of course, had said nothing about either direction, but that was unimportant.

Zoro shrugged. He couldn't argue with that. "I guess we could go over there, then."

Luffy veered in that direction, perking up at the thought of training.