Tomorrow's Romance Dawn (OLD VERSION)

by OtakuWithHazelEyes

The Straw Hats have left Drum, ready to take on Baroque Works in Alabasta. However, upon making a pit stop at a 'mystery island', they come across something they never expected to find: an older Zoro! Now they must locate the rest of the future crew, as well as keep an ancient treasure out of the hands of bounty hunters. (EDITED CHAPTERS NOW ON THIS SITE AND AO3!)

20. The Trojan Stratagem

Ohayo, minna! I'm back again with another glorious chapter. I had to do a lot of research into the Sunny's design, but it was totally worth it for the sake of accuracy.

On a side note, I'm taking suggestions for something. We already have names for future characters such as Roronoa, Lysopp, and Tony. But what will I call 3D2Y!Sanji, 3D2Y!Nami, and 3D2Y!Luffy? I want to hear what you think, and I'd love the help!

And last, but not least... anyone else read the current chapter? ODA, WHY?! Now the fandom has to make obligatory "disarmed" jokes! You have unleashed a force that cannot be stopped until Law fixes himself! Oh, but I guess then we'd have to make obligatory "rearmed" jokes. DANG IT, ODA!

Now that that's out of my system, onward with the chapter!

---

SBS 7!

Chapter Question: "What were your reactions to Cora-san, or who is your favorite posthumous character (those who are introduced into the plot after they were canonically dead)?"

My favorite dead character? Once again, that is one I can't choose. I like so many of them. Corazon, Bellemere, Kuina, Hiruluk, Tom, etc. They are all so likeable for different reasons, and I could sit here all day describing them to you.

As for my initial reaction to Corazon, what with his child-kicking and setting himself on fire, I thought that this man was a complete idiot. However, if Law respected him so much to hold a grudge against Doflamingo for so long, there had to be more to him. So as chapters progressed and I came to know him better, I thought he was one super guy, as Franky would put it. He did so much for Law, even died for him. You can't hate that in a character.

---

Chapter 16: The Trojan Stratagem... Or Runo Actually Is as Smart as He Thinks He Is

---

Time: 15 minutes after sunrise
Location: The deck of the Going Merry, currently next to the Thousand Sunny, both anchored in the waters next to Kāla

"The railing is a little loose- be careful when you lean on it."

"I got it, Usopp-bro."

"And try not to hammer the nails too hard- you might break the planks."

"I know what I'm doing, Usopp-bro."

"And don't forget-"

"FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" Franky shouted, turning his head to glare at the sniper. "WILL YOU BE QUIET AND JUST LET ME DO MY JOB?!"

Usopp reeled back from where he had been looking over the cyborg's shoulder. There was no way he was going to anger the guy who singlehandedly defeated all of Yari's men. In reeling back, he fell on his rear while shivering in terror.

Franky sighed and went back to hammering a new plank into the deck near the railing. "Sorry I yelled, but you forget that I'm the crew's shipwright. As long as it's me, Merry is in the best care in the world."

Usopp nodded and gulped. "Right, sorry."

Franky turned his head again to offer Usopp a reassuring smile, then returned to work.

After they had sailed their ships a reasonable enough distance away from where Vivi punched Yari, they weighed their anchors and finally took a much needed breather. In that time, they decided to see to their collective wounds with supplies Franky gathered from Future Chopper's office.

As Vivi stitched up Zoro's shoulder, much to the swordsman's protest, Franky had joined the Past Straw Hats on the Merry and demanded answers. Who was the blue-haired girl, who was the duck, and why did Zoro and Usopp act like they didn't know anything? Usopp and Brook took turns explaining everything that had happened, which took much longer than they would have thought. Throughout the entire story Franky remained silent, except for a few times where he had a question or started crying at something he found touching (all the while claiming he wasn't crying- Usopp had learned Franky was kind of emotional). By the time they'd finished, Zoro was stitched up and bandaged, and nearly half an hour had passed. Similar to Brook, Franky's final reaction was less than spectacular.

"Luffy gets us into the weirdest crap, huh?" he had sighed, then turned to Vivi. "In any case, it's super great to meet you, Princess! I never knew the crew once had royalty on board!"

Though she had tried to hide it, Usopp had noticed the way Vivi had clenched her hands at Franky's exclamation.

Vivi then tended to Usopp's jaw and other wounds, and once she finished, Franky announced that now was as good a time as any to start working on the Merry, reminding them he promised to fix the damage caused by the fight with Yari. While Zoro and Vivi followed Brook back onto the Thousand Sunny, Usopp stayed behind to oversee Franky's progress. He just watched at first, but it wasn't long before he started making suggestions... and obviously, Franky didn't appreciate being told what to do where ships were concerned.

Hammering the last board in place, Franky nodded with satisfaction and stood up, striking his favorite pose. "YOW! Battle repairs complete and super, if I do say so myself! Told ya I knew what I was doing!"

Usopp got up and inspected the repairs Franky had made. He had to admit, they were perfect. It was like Merry had never been damaged in Yari's attack at all. It made everything he had fixed for the Merry, from the mast to the figurehead, look shoddy in comparison.

"It looks good," Usopp admitted, before crossing his arms proudly. "Though it's nothing compared to the fleet of galleons a far away kingdom once asked me to repair for them!"

Franky glanced at the metal plates bolted to the mast. "Something tells me if that's true, those ships sunk super quickly afterwards."

"Shut up, jerk!" Usopp snapped at him. He placed one hand on Merry's mast. "Not that my own repairing skills aren't sufficient, but do you suppose you could... I don't know, do something about the mast? Or the other damages around the Going Merry? You are a shipwright after all."

The unspoken and I'm not was evident in Usopp's voice. Nonetheless, Franky walked up to the mast, held up his hand, and a smaller hand popped out of the palm.

He has a hand inside his hand?! Usopp thought, awestruck. That's so cool!

Franky knocked the knuckles of his smaller hand gently against the metal plates. "Hmmm... not exactly stable... it's fine for a temporary repair, but it won't last forever. I'd say with a break like this, it'd be better to just replace the entire mast."

Usopp scowled. Of all the inspiring things Luffy could have done for Laboon, why did snapping the mast off have to be part of it? He looked at Franky expectantly. "So, can you do that?"

"I could, but it's not like I can just pull a new mast out of thin air, bro," Franky said, retracting his second hand. "I'd have to either buy one or carve a new one entirely. I doubt there's a shipyard anywhere on this island, and carving a mast would take days. We just don't have that kind of time; I mean, we still have to decide whether or not we want to go find Luffy and the others or wait for them to come to us. Sorry bro, but as much as I want to, further repairs are just going to have to take a backseat right now."

Usopp deflated. "Oh. Okay, sorry I bothered you."

Usopp tried to swallow his disappointment. He hoped this Franky guy would join their crew soon in his time; the Going Merry could definitely use the TLC Franky would provide.

Franky smiled and began packing up his tools (in his arms, of all places). "Still, it's nice to be on board the Merry again. My time with her was pretty brief, but even then I could tell she was a work of art. Always has been, going off of what I've seen of her today."

"Brief?" Usopp asked, curious. "How 'brief' are we talking here? A week, a month...?"

"A little less than a day."

"WHAT?!"

Scratch that, Franky could wait as long as possible before he joined the crew.

Franky finished packing his tools and gave Usopp a sheepish look. "Yeah, that wasn't a good week for any of us. To make a long story short, stuff happened and by the time I was able to sail on her she was beyond fixing. We laid her to rest and then I spent the next week building Sunny."

Usopp's eyes widened, and he turned to look at the brigantine anchored next to the caravel's starboard side. "You built this whole ship by yourself?"

"What? Nah, I had help from Water 7's Galley-La shipwrights, but the blueprints and design are completely mine." Franky grinned widely at his ship. "Carved from Adam Wood and built to my specifications, the Thousand Sunny is a dream ship meant to carry the King of the Pirates across any sea!"

Usopp gazed up at the cyborg in wonder. He sounded so sure of himself and clearly had pride in his work, but he wasn't bragging. It was as if he were simply stating a fact. The kind of confidence reminded him of Luffy, and Usopp could tell their captain was where Franky was getting it from.

First Brook, now Franky... newer to the crew and very weird, but they both totally got it. He shouldn't have been surprised.

Still... Usopp couldn't prevent the sadness that spread across his features. "I don't doubt the Sunny's amazing... it's just I kind of hoped Merry would be the ship that carried us to the One Piece."

"Hey, listen bro, Luffy had to make a decision that was best for the whole crew!" Franky blurted out panickedly. "He loved the Going Merry just as much as anyone, but she would have sunk if she kept sailing in that condition! He had to-"

"Franky, calm down!" Usopp interrupted, gesturing the cyborg to take it down a notch. "It's okay, I get it."

"... Eh?"

"The Going Merry was a gift from my friend Kaya, so I really wanted her gift to be the ship that carried us all to the end. But I guess... the Grand Line is a rough place. If the weather or a sea king's not causing damage, something else is. It makes sense that we'd have say goodbye at some point. I'm sad that we're going to have let Merry go in the future, but we still have her now, so from this point on I'm going to make sure she lasts as long as possible. I couldn't call myself the Great Captain Usopp if I let this obstacle keep me down!"

Usopp grinned at the cyborg to show just how fine he was. Franky, on the other hand, looked at Usopp as if he didn't understand a word the sniper just said. (Or at least that's what Usopp thought. It was kind of hard to tell with the sunglasses covering the cyborg's eyes.)

"What's with the weird look?" Usopp asked. "Is there something wrong with what I said?"

"No, there's nothing wrong," Franky admitted. "It's just you reacted super differently than I expected."

"How was I supposed to react then?"

Franky looked extremely uncomfortable, and almost ashamed. "Then again, I guess the circumstances are different than when Luffy told you about replacing Merry in the future."

"Franky, how did I react in the future?" Usopp insisted. "I know Brook told you about Luffy's gag order, but you can tell me with the bare minimum of details, can't you?"

For a moment, Usopp thought Franky wasn't going to say anything. But the cyborg finally sighed and stood up.

"I wasn't there for it, but you didn't take the news half as well as you're taking it now," Franky told him. "You and Luffy ended having a huge fight, and that's all you're getting out of me, brother."

Usopp thought the new information over. A huge fight? That didn't give him much to work with; 'a huge fight' could be interpreted any number of-

"You idiot," his captain whispered. "You knew it would end like this! You knew you could never beat me!"

Usopp didn't reply. The last thing he remembered was the sound of Luffy's voice, sounding on the verge of tears.

Usopp broke into a cold sweat. No... there was no way... he knew he told Vivi that had felt more like a memory than a dream, but there was no way...

"Usopp-bro? You okay?" Franky asked with concerned. "You look like you're about to be sick."

"Um, no, I'm okay." He turned away quickly from the cyborg. "I'm going back on board the Sunny. Are you coming?"

"I was, but on second thought, it couldn't hurt give Merry a quick inspection," Franky said. "Maybe check to see if the keel is in good condition and stuff like that."

Usopp thought checking the keel was a little random, but Franky was the shipwright, so he guessed he knew best. The sniper walked up the gangplank connecting the two ships and stepped on to the Sunny's grassy deck (who the heck put grass on a pirate ship, anyway). One the first things he noticed was white steam pouring out of a hut-like structure at the stern.

"Hey, Franky!" Usopp called out. When the cyborg turned to look at him, he said, "Where's that steam coming from? Is it supposed to do that?"

"That's just the bathroom!" Franky called back. "I told Princess-sis where it was in case she wanted to clean up, but that was fifteen minutes ago! She must still be in there!"

"Okay, thanks!"

"No problem!"

Usopp was about to walk away, but stopped and once again shouted to Franky. "Uh, hey, Franky?! That fight you said I'm going to have with Luffy... was it more like a duel?!"

Franky almost did a double take. "What?! How the heck did you know that?!"

Usopp didn't answer, instead walking away from Sunny's railing morosely.

"Call it a hunch," he muttered to himself.

---

Location: The bathroom, Thousand Sunny

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Vivi blankly watched the stray drops of water fall from the bath tub's faucet. The water covering her body was almost scalding hot, proven by how steamy the air was, but at this point, the princess barely registered pain so minimal.

"Look on the bright side; you have never been closer as a crew! How many pirates can say they have shared each other's pain?"

Vivi lifted her hand out of the bathwater, and gently ran her fingers over the cut on her neck. That woman...

"What are you doing here? Should you not be in Alabasta, preparing for this year's Reverie? The newspaper did say your father was too ill to go this year..."

That horrible, awful woman. No matter how hard Vivi tried, Yari's venomous words kept echoing through her head. That snobby tone and condescending claims, how she took joy in the pain she caused... all were enough to make Vivi want to be sick. How could such a witch come out of Alabasta?

Alabasta...

How long had they been on Kāla so far? It had to have been at least more than a day since the super current dragged the Merry here. A lot could have happened in that time.

Vivi sunk into the bathwater until it came up to her chin. No, for once she wasn't worried about Alabasta in the now. Roronoa said the crew defeated Crocodile, and she didn't buy the "changed history theory" Nami explained to her; there were just too many possible contradictions. Whether or not they stayed on this island, she had a feeling Luffy's defeat of Crocodile and the saving of her country wouldn't change. And she wasn't worried about her father's future illness as much as she thought she would be. That was a long ways off and she was positive her father was perfectly healthy in the present.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

And though she knew she should be, she wasn't even worried about how close they had come to dying earlier. Mr. Franky and Mr. Brook had come in at just the right moment and saved them. They were both powerful and clearly could handle any further threats they would encounter. Mr. Roronoa was with Nami, Sanji, and Chopper, and it wouldn't be long before they had Luffy with them. They would be fine too.

So why did she still have this sick feeling in her stomach? Was it just an aftereffect from all the earlier pain, or was it just Yari getting to her in another way by not letting her forget her stupid words? 'What was she doing, should she not be in Alabasta?' Why Alabasta? Didn't she belong on this ship just as much as the others?

"Now, where is all that brass you were showing off earlier?"

"Easy pickings, boys!"

"Should you not be in Alabasta...?"

"Vivi? Carue? What are you doing here?"

"Last I checked, we left you in Alabasta-"

"ARGHH!" Vivi shouted in frustration, sitting up straight and hurling a bottle of body wash against the wall. The cap popped off upon impact, sending the citrusy-smelling goo within the bottle splattering everywhere.

Vivi panted, observing the object that had received her wrath, then slumped back down into the water. What was wrong with her?

Knock, knock. "Vivi-san? Are you alright in there? You've been in there for a while, and I thought heard a crash!"

"Quaw!"

Vivi sat up straight again. "Oh, um, I'm fine, Mr. Brook! I just dropped something!"

"Alright, if you say so," Brook said through the door. "Anyway, I noticed your clothes were a little worse for wear, so Carue-san and I took the liberty of procuring you some fresh ones! They're some of Nami-san's old clothes, so I think they'll fit you."

"Quaw!" Carue added proudly.

"I also threw in some fresh bandages and gauze, just in case you need them. The wound on your neck isn't serious, but it wouldn't hurt to bandage that and the bruises on your back."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Brook!" Vivi called out.

"Yohohoho, no problem!"

The princess stepped out of the bath (which she liked very much- it reminded her of the one in the royal palace, only smaller) and grabbed a bathrobe off a hook on the wall. It was fluffy and soft, smelling faintly of flower blossoms. She also noticed, with some distaste, the robe was meant for a woman with a much larger bust. Still, she tied it closed the best she could and approached the door leading out of the bathroom. She was about to turn the knob when something occurred to her.

"Uh, Mr. Brook?" Vivi spoke up. "Did you go through Nami's closet or whatever to get those clothes?"

"One of her chests actually, but yes," the skeleton replied.

"Uh-huh. Any chance while going through them, did you stop to look at something... else?"

"... Would you believe me if I said no?"

Vivi sighed. She liked Mr. Brook, but he was hopeless. "Leave the stuff with Carue and go, please."

"Okay, okay, I will," Brook assured her. "Are you sure you don't need help in there though?"

"I'm sure."

"In that case, I'm off to find some fresh clothes for Usopp-san and Zoro-san! Bye!"

A minute later, Vivi opened the door a crack and peered through. Mr. Brook was gone, but Carue stood there with a pile of medical supplies and clothes on his back.

"Quaw, quaw!" Carue said, saluting her.

Vivi opened the door fully, ruffled Carue's feathers, then let the duck inside. Once she had shut the door, she examined the clothes Mr. Brook had brought, praying that they weren't too revealing. Fortunately, the outfit wasn't bad. It was simply a pair of jean shorts, a belt, and a cute yellow t-shirt decorated with orange flower designs. For a perverted skeleton, Mr. Brook certainly had a keen eye... or would it be more accurate to say Nami had good taste? She guessed it didn't matter.

Vivi first bandaged her wounds with aide from a surprisingly helpful Carue, then quickly changed into the new outfit. Mr. Brook had been right; they did fit her pretty well. After that she slipped on her shoes and pulled back her hair, then stepped out of the bathroom and into the little space adjacent, which held a sink and the trapdoor leading below.

Vivi turned to Carue. "The library is directly below us, right? I wasn't really paying attention before."

Carue nodded.

Vivi opened the trapdoor and carefully moved down the ladder. Carue opted to jump down rather than try to climb the darned thing again. After they had their feet on the ground, Vivi looked around.

The library was almost completely circular, with numerous shelves of books and a bench encircling the whole room. Windows were positioned at various spots around the room, letting light flood in. In the middle of the room was a mapping desk Vivi assumed belong to Nami, as well as a hexagon-shaped table that emerged from the floor that was surrounded by chairs. Vivi made her way over to the desk, which held a half finished map that was labelled "Fishman Island." Next to the map was a book with "Ship's Log" written on the cover.

Vivi picked the log up, debating whether or not looking at it would break Luffy's gag order. She decided it did and put it down.

... Maybe a quick peek wouldn't hurt. She picked the log up again and opened it to a random page.

-That narcissist actually thought I would want to come with him to "Endless Vearth" or whatever he called it. That was the last thing I wanted to do, but considering he had taken out Zoro, Robin, Gan Fall, and Wiper so easily, I didn't want to risk what would happen if I refused him. I could only hope Luffy would show up soon and get me out of this. Luckily, he arrived just in time. I later asked him how he and Aisa got out of that snake, and he said-

Vivi snapped the book shut. She wasn't so curious anymore, and Carue kept shooting her disapproving looks. The princess placed the log in the desk's drawer then continued to explore the room. She approached the book shelves and began scanning the titles.

Modern Cartography for Advanced Use...

101 Tales of Daring Feats and Heroes...

The Barton Guide to Incurable Diseases...

Introduction to Devil Fruits and their Abilities (Vivi actually flipped this one open and found that one page in particular, the page on the Clear Clear Fruit, was dog-eared and well-read)...

Sailing and Ship Almanac for the Experienced Shipwright...

The Great Symphonies of Amadeus Row the III...

Sword Care Quarterly...

The Culture of the Lost Civilization of Remuina...

Vivi could guess just by the titles which books probably belonged to which Straw Hats. It appeared everyone had their own shelf dedicated to books of their interest. The only person who didn't appear to have one was Luffy, but then again, Vivi never took the rubberman as much of a reader.

As she further perused the shelf that held books on navigation and weather patterns, she came across something that didn't belong there. It was polished wooden box with a simple clasp on the lid. Vivi removed the box from the shelf, undid the clasp, and opened it. Within its confines, sitting in a bed of velvet, was an eternal pose.

"An eternal pose?" Vivi asked herself, holding the pose up to the light. Like Nami's log pose, the needle spun aimlessly. "Why would they have something like this locked away in a box?"

"Quaw, quaw!" Carue announced suddenly, gesturing his wing to the eternal pose's other side.

Vivi turned the pose in her hand and read the pose's label.

Alabasta.

This was the same eternal pose Sanji had stolen from the Unluckies. The crew still had it after more than two years?

Vivi wasn't sure why, but she smiled softly (and if anyone else had seen that smile, they would have seen the hint of relief it contained) and held the pose close. Then she carefully placed the item back in its box and put it back on the shelf.

Vivi moved to another shelf, selected a book, and sat down on the bench that ran the circumference of the room. Carue curled up at the princess's feet, and the latter serenely started to read.

---

Location: Men's quarters, Thousand Sunny

"Zoro-san? What are you doing in here?"

Zoro turned his head from where he sat at the room's kotatsu. Brook stood in the doorway, looking at the younger swordsman with an air of confusion.

"I thought you were resting in the infirmary," the skeleton went on. "Yari-san really put you through the wringer."

That was obvious even if he hadn't been around to see it. Zoro was covered in bandages, especially on his shoulder, and was still wearing the same blood stained clothes from earlier. He was also still shirtless from when Yari tore his shirt in half (though how the green haramaki remained unscathed was a mystery all its own). He had yet to even remove his bandanna, which was strange.

"Yeah, I know. I was there," Zoro replied in deadpan. He turned away. "I was looking for where Roronoa kept his weights, but found myself in here."

Typical Zoro-san, Brook thought. "I don't think you should be training with the condition you're in."

"Worry about yourself. What are you doing in here anyway?"

Brook walked over to the lockers. "I came in here to find fresh clothes for you and Usopp-san, but since you're already in here, I suppose you could find something for yourself. Your locker is here on my left."

As Brook looked through Usopp's locker, he realized Zoro hadn't gotten up to look through his own. The musician turned and saw Zoro was still sitting in the exact same spot, only now he was staring at the wall. Or more specifically, he was staring at the wanted posters pinned to the wall.

"Oh, so you've noticed those, huh?" Brook walked over to the younger man. "I don't think Luffy-san wanted you to know about those just yet, but I guess it can't be helped now."

Zoro didn't respond, but his glance did dart briefly between Brook and the poster on the wall bearing the skeleton's name.

"Oh, yes, that's what I looked like when I was still alive!" Brook explained cheerfully. "Yohohoho, I was quite the handsome devil! Not that being bone doesn't have a certain aesthetic appeal- or at least that's what Robin-san told me."

The younger swordsman still didn't reply, and now Brook realized he was reading the amounts written on the posters. He twitched slightly when he read Luffy's, most likely wondering what the heck Luffy had done to be given a bounty that size.

Brook chuckled. "I have to say, when I first joined the crew I was surprised at how large many of your bounties were. In my day anything over 50 million was almost unheard of! Bounties like Nami-san's were much more common, and amounts like mine, Franky-san, and Usopp-san's were a little out of the ordinary."

"... Why is Usopp wearing a mask in his?" Zoro said at last.

"That's a long story, and I'm pretty sure Usopp-san embellished the details when he told it to me."

"... Cook's poster isn't here."

"Every time time we try to hang it up, Sanji-san burns it. While his bounty is quite high, the picture the Marines used for it isn't the best and Sanji-san despises it with a passion."

Zoro snorted briefly before regaining his serious demeanor. Brook sincerely hoped Zoro's next inquiry wasn't about why none of posters' pictures were current. He didn't want to have to explain that one or lie about it.

"Brook, tell me something," Zoro said in a soft, but firm, tone. "How did Roronoa lose his eye?"

"Why do you want to know that?" Brook cocked his head to the side as he thought about it. "Wait, are you thinking about what Yari-san said?"

"So one has to wonder; what does he put you through in the next few years that causes you build a pain tolerance so high that you barely even feel it anymore? I do not know, but I bet it was excruciating. Maybe it involves why you are a cyclops in the future."

"Just answer the question."

"I'm afraid I don't know. We never asked Roronoa-san and he hasn't offered up any information, so we respect his decision to remain silent. But I can assure you, Luffy had nothing to do with it despite what Yari-san may have implied."

"I already knew that witch was full of crap, don't worry," Zoro assured him. "Like Vivi said, Luffy would never do anything that would explicitly put the crew in danger he didn't think we could handle. I was just wondering if the eye had to do with other things."

"Like what? Her comment about pain tolerance?" Zoro's silence was answer enough. Brook began to walk back to the lockers. "I can only think of one situation where you were in enough pain to build such a high tolerance, and it's something I greatly respect you for."

That got a solid reaction from Zoro. He looked up abruptly with a mildly stunned expression.

"You shouldn't dwell too much on the past or future," Brook said, pulling a shirt and shorts out of Usopp's locker. "It will only magnify your fears, worries, and regrets. This in turn can drive you out of your mind, even if the brain your mind was housed in rotted away many years ago. Look to the future for your goals and to the past for inspiration, but do not let these consume your thoughts."

Zoro said nothing as Brook finished speaking and closed the locker door.

"Well then, I should get these clothes to Usopp-san! The blood-stained outfit he has on now is an eyesore!" Brook said cheerfully. "Not that I have eyes anymore to get sore! Yohohoho!" He pointed to one of the lockers. "That one is yours if you want to get changed. See you later!"

Zoro silently watched the skeleton waltz out of the room, and once the door had closed, he sighed and removed his bandanna. He did not get that skeleton. He could go from goofy to serious to goofy again at the drop of a hat. And he respected Zoro for a situation where he was put through extreme pain?

-the gaze of a man who had been cracked in several places and welded back together. A man who had not quite been broken, but came pretty close-

Zoro knew the eyes of a broken man when he saw them, and he could tell how close his future self had come- even with the loss of one eye. What had almost broken him, and why would that warrant respect? He also had a gut feeling Luffy was involved. Did it have to do with the guilty looks Roronoa and Brook kept shooting Luffy in the beginning? Did he fail Luffy in some way and received agony for it? Luffy wouldn't have inflicted it- he wasn't like other pirates he'd faced over the years. Even then, why the respect, and how was Brook a part of it?

Zoro tiredly rubbed his temples. Perhaps he was over-thinking it, which was something he rarely did. The swordsman had never concerned himself with the future beyond defeating Mihawk and completing his promises to Kuina and, more recently, to Luffy. But for the first time in his life, he wanted to know what he was in for.

Unfortunately, he couldn't get the answers he wanted without deliberately disobeying Luffy's orders about the future. He had nearly disobeyed them now when he asked Brook about Roronoa's eye. The best he could hope for was that someone would slip up and reveal something. In the mean time, he would be patient, and if at the end he learned nothing, that would be that.

But he would find out what the deal was with the Love Cook's poster. That was a given.

Zoro got up from the kotatsu, retied his bandanna around his arm, and moved over the locker Brook had pointed to. He might as well get changed while he was in here.

---

Time: 25 minutes after sunrise
Location: Galley, Thousand Sunny

"I called you all here because we have a super important decision to make," Franky said, sitting at the head of the table. "We need to choose our next course of action. We can't just stay anchored here forever."

Once he'd finished his quick inspection of the Going Merry, Franky had used the intercom to call all hands to the Sunny's galley for an emergency meeting. Vivi came with Carue from the library, while Zoro arrived looking rather grouchy as he had just discovered the observatory's gym when the cyborg called. Brook came with Usopp, the former claiming he found the latter all the way down in the Soldier Dock bay. Usopp had apparently been doing some exploring. Franky quickly berated him about messing around down there and then started the meeting.

It was noticed that the past versions of the crew had received wardrobe changes. Vivi was in the clothes Brook brought her, of course, but the men had new ones as well. Usopp now wore a pair of cargo shorts and a green t-shirt with a black skull and crossbones on it. Zoro wore the usual dark pants tucked into his boots and his haramaki, but now also had on a mustard yellow short-sleeved jacket with the zipper left open- clearly showing that he had foregone wearing a shirt underneath.

Brook hadn't changed his clothes, but he now carried a fish-shaped guitar as opposed to the violin he had before. He strummed it gently as Franky spoke.

"I have narrowed down our choices to two possible options," Franky went on. "Either we stash the Sunny and Merry somewhere safe and go out looking for Young Luffy and co, or we stash Sunny and Merry somewhere safe and wait for them to come to us."

"It sounds like either way we're going to need to find 'somewhere safe' to hide our ships," Vivi reasoned. "We can't risk leaving them out in the open. I recall that Yari wanted to confiscate Merry before."

"Yeah, but only because Roronoa chopped up her group's galleon back on the beach," Usopp pointed out despairingly. "I should have known that was going to come back to bite us." He glared at Zoro. "Dang it, Zoro! Why do you have to be so impulsive?!"

"Hey, I wasn't the one who cut it up! That was Roronoa!" Zoro argued. Even if he had been the one to do it personally, he wouldn't have regretted it. Those cronies had it coming.

"Same difference!" Usopp scolded him. "Stop forgetting that you two are the same person!"

Zoro snarled, stood up, and slammed his palms against the table. "He may be me from another time, but we are not the same person!"

Usopp was taken aback. What was with the sudden rage?

"Take it easy, guys!" Vivi broke in. "Now is not the time to fight amongst ourselves!"

"Quaw!" Carue quacked in agreement.

"Princess-sis is right," Franky also agreed. "It's going to be kind of hard to fight the enemy if we're fighting each other, you know?"

Usopp and Zoro glared at each, but the sniper looked away testily while the swordsman sat back down.

"Thank you, Mr. Franky," Vivi said. "But do you mind not referring to me as 'princess'? Just 'Vivi' is fine."

Franky gave her a thumbs up. "Vivi-sis it is then!"

"No, I said just-" The princess sighed and cut herself off. "Never mind. 'Vivi-sis' is fine too."

"May I see your panties, Vivi-sis?!" Brook asked happily.

"NO!"

BONK!

"Yohohoho, how harsh, Vivi-san! You sure know how to make a rejection!" Brook said, rubbing the new bump on his skull- not that was anything there to swell. He started to play a lively tune on his guitar. "Rejection! Rejection! Always faced with Vivi-san's rejection...!"

Usopp gave a Brook a weary look. "You are such a pervert."

"Somebody talking about me?!" Franky announced proudly.

Zoro slammed his fist into the cyborg's head. "'PERVERT' IS NOT A COMPLIMENT!"

This action only served to create more silliness and shouting. It was at least another minute before the group calmed down enough to continue formulating a plan as to what they were going to do next.

"If the issue of finding a hiding place is first on the agenda, I think I know a spot," Franky said. "Right before I beat that jelly-boned freak, I found this huge cove in the side of a cliff that should be able to hold both Merry and Sunny. It's not too far from here actually."

"I've been meaning to ask you something, Franky-san," Brook spoke up. "How did you beat Runo-san?"

Franky raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Back during the fight on the Lamb-chan, I overheard Yari-san mumble something about telling Runo-san about hypnotism with music as a medium. Therefore, this gives me reason to believe that Runo-san is the hypnotist we've been dreading to meet."

"You mean this Runo is the one who hypnotized Tattoos into killing himself?!" Vivi gasped.

"Precisely, Vivi-san."

Usopp slumped and groaned. "I think I just came down with if-I-fight-a-hypnotist-I'll-die disease."

"Stop belly-aching, Usopp," Zoro said gruffly. "Franky said he already beat him, remember?"

Usopp straightened up. "I'm cured!"

"Now that you mention it, I think he did try some weird hypnotism stuff. He had a watch and everything." Franky waved his large hand nonchalantly. "I broke the watch, and then he tried to attack me head on. The punk was barely stronger than he looked, so I super kicked his ass and that's all she wrote!"

Usopp and Carue looked at Franky as if he were a figure to be venerated. Zoro just rolled his eyes, and Vivi smiled at Franky's enthusiasm.

"In that case, congratulations on defeating one of our adversaries all by yourself, Franky-san!" Brook congratulated. "I'm glad we don't have to worry about a frightening hypnotist anymore! I always found hypnotism to be very creepy!"

"Like you're one to talk about being creepy?" Zoro said with a sweatdrop. "And didn't you use hypnotism with music back on the Merry?"

Brook either ignored him or didn't notice the accusation.

"In any case, this cove sounds like our best bet," Vivi said while petting Carue.

Usopp crossed his arms and nodded. "I agree fully! And once we got Merry and Sunny set, then we can decide whether to stay or go! Personally, I think we should wait for Luffy and the others to come to us."

"But what if they don't come?" Brook asked. "What if they decide to look for the rest of my crew, and we're left there in the cove all alone, just waiting to be ambushed."

"On second thought, let's hold off deciding on what to do until we get there!" Usopp declared, rectifying his previous statement.

"Perfect, that settles it! Now there's only one thing left to do!" Franky stood up from his seat and turned to Usopp. "Usopp-bro, I need you to do me a favor."

"A favor?" Usopp repeated, "What kind of favor?"

"Press my nose for three seconds."

"... Why?"

"Just trust me on this."

Usopp shrugged and stood, balancing on his toes so he could reach the cyborg's nose. Franky leaned over a little to make it easier for the younger man. Usopp reached up and pressed Franky's nose like a button.

Three... two... one...

BOING!

Franky's buzz-cut burst into a blue shark-fin hairdo. Usopp tumbled backward in surprise, as did Carue.

"Hair came out!" Usopp shouted.

"Quaw quaw quaw!" Carue quacked, assumably the same thing but in duck language.

"YOW! What do you think?" Franky asked energetically. "I'm feeling especially nostalgic this week, so I thought I'd wear the hairdo I had back when I first met you guys!"

"It looks good, Franky-san!" Brook compliment the shipwright. "Next you should try an afro!"

"Awesome!" Usopp yelled with excitement. He got back on his feet. "How is it physically possible to be this amazing?!"

Carue bobbed his head enthusiastically. "Quaw quaw!"

"I'm more than just amazing, brother." Franky leaned to the side and put his arms together. "I'm SUPER! SU~PER FRANKY!"

"SUPER!" Usopp echoed, striking the same pose.

Carue attempted to do the pose as well. "QUAW!"

Zoro facepalmed, but you could see the faintest shadow of a smile on his lips. Brook and Vivi both laughed at the cyborg, sniper, and duck's antics. What else would you expect from members of the Straw Hats, past or future?

---

Location: Unknown

"Any word yet?"

"Yes. The lookouts all say they see both of the Straw Hats' ships approaching."

"Excellent. Now you can all just sit back and watch the magic happen."

"They're not here yet, moron. Your oh-so perfect plan still might not succeed."

"Oh ye of so little faith. Come guys, trust me on this! When have I ever let you down?"

"There was that time on Xuhl Cay-"

"Rhetorical, Vampire Boy."

"I'm not a vampire."

"Just keeping sitting there and looking pretty. I don't need you 'accidentally' releasing the captives once we have them in our grasp."

"Humph."

"Humphs are for camels."

"Shut your sister up, Dancing Haze."

"Never call me that. Now, all of you shut up! They'll be here any minute!"

---

Time: 35 minutes after sunrise
Location: Just outside of the Secret Cove, in Kāla's northwestern sector

As Franky had predicted, it hadn't taken long to sail the ships to the cove he had told them about (or more accurately the Sunny sailed there while towing the Merry behind her). Fortunately, there had been a favorable wind blowing in the direction they needed to go.

"See, what'd I tell ya?" Franky shouted from Sunny's helm. "This cove is perfect for stashing Sunny and Merry!"

Usopp stood with Brook at Sunny's bow, right next to the figurehead.

"My goodness, it's enormous!" Brook observed.

"It looks like you could fit a giant in there!" Usopp added.

From what they could see, the entrance to the cove was a massive hole in the side of a cliff and was bordered on both sides by thin stretches of beach. It was large enough and wide enough to easily let two of Sunny pass through. Craggy rocks stood around the entrance, giving it an eerie appearance despite the bright sunshine.

"I had no idea the island would even have cliffs this size," Usopp admitted as they sailed closer. "I guess it gets more mountainous the father north you go."

"Though I'd hate to fall from such a high cliff," Brook said grimly. "I would easily break my back... oh wait! I don't have a proper back anymore! Yohohoho!"

"But you'd still break your spinal column," Usopp pointed out dryly.

Brook stopped laughing. "... Don't be so morbid, Usopp-san. I'm supposed to be replacing Robin-san in the dark comments department."

"Stop making me afraid of meeting this Robin lady!"

"Oi, Usopp-bro!" Franky called out. "You and Brook hop back on the Merry and take the helm! I need you two to navigate the old girl past those rocks, got it?"

"Got it!" the young man and skeleton replied. They stepped away from the figurehead and left to do just that.

While that exchange occurred between those three, Vivi, Zoro, and Carue stood vigilantly next to the Sunny's railing. They watched as the ship approached the mouth of the cove.

"Big trees, big cove," Vivi rattled off. She giggled. "This place is starting to give Little Garden a run for its money. Who knows, maybe we'll meet a warrior giant in there as well."

Zoro didn't comment. In fact, it appeared he hadn't heard Vivi speak at all. His brow was furrowed, as if in deep thought.

"Mr. Bushido, did you hear me?" Vivi raised a finger to poke his good shoulder. "Mr. Bushi-"

Zoro caught Vivi's hand before she could poke him, and shot her a quick glare. He raised a finger to his lips to shush her and motioned for her to crouch down, doing so himself right after.

Vivi crouched down (as did Carue when he saw what his mistress was doing) and whispered, "Is there a problem, Mr. Bushido?"

"There might be," Zoro replied sternly. "I've been thinking about Franky's story. Something about it doesn't make sense."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Like what he told us about Runo. For a tough New World bounty hunter, he sure sounded like a weakling. Yari, however, said she was only the fifth strongest in the group. Wouldn't that make Runo stronger than her if he was one of the top members?"

Neither of them needed a reminder as to how powerful Yari had been.

"The rumors I heard about the Baba Twins in Alabasta did hail Runo as the stronger of the two," Vivi confessed. "Physically, anyway. That doesn't mean Mr. Franky couldn't have still beaten him."

"Without getting a scratch on that paint job of his? Doubtful." Zoro leaned forward. "That brings me to another thing; remember when Yari said how she should thank your father for banishing her?"

"... Yes. What of it?"

"She said that if they had never been banished, then they would have never gotten their powers."

Vivi's eyes widened. "Runo has devil fruit abilities too."

Zoro nodded. "Exactly. I didn't hear Franky say anything about devil fruits or fighting style or any type of useful information in his story. Did you?"

Vivi shook her head. "No. Now that you've pointed it out, I suppose his story was rather vague." She started to stand up. "I'll go ask him-"

Zoro yanked her back down. "Don't even think about it!"

"What are you-?!"

"Don't let Franky know we're on to him!" Zoro scolded her in a harsh whisper. "Let's just see how this plays out. Okay?"

Vivi reluctantly nodded, and Zoro let Carue help the blue-haired girl stand. Vivi returned to looking over the railing, but Zoro instead made his way over to Franky by the helm.

"What's up, Zoro?" Franky greeted cordially. "What were you and Vivi-sis talking about all secret-like just now?"

"None of your business," Zoro told him coolly.

"... You two aren't a thing, are you?"

"HELL NO!"

---

The Thousand Sunny and Going Merry, thanks to Franky's guidance and Brook and Usopp's steering, were able to clear the rocks with minimal difficulty. The inside of the cove was as equally impressive as the outside. Inside it was more like a dark, huge cavern, with sheer rock faces and stalactites and stalagmites. Erosion had carved natural walkways and paths along the walls. There was even a decent sized beach on the inside that would disappear with high tide (if the tides even worked normally with the weird night/day thing that was going on). On the far end of the cove's beach was an opening in the rock, most likely leading into a tunnel to the outside.

The water was deep enough that they didn't have to pull in the ships too far. They dropped their respective anchors when Franky announced it was okay to do so. Zoro had to jump over to Merry to help Usopp and Brook drop Merry's anchor, but it was an easy job for him. Soon everyone gathered back up on the Sunny's main deck and took in the sight around them.

Zoro whistled. "Have to admit, this is a decent hiding spot."

"Isn't it?" Franky crossed his arms, looking around. "I didn't think it'd come in handy so soon though."

"Handy indeed," Brook agreed. "Now that we're here, I suppose we should decide whether or not we're staying here or going after Luffy-san and the others."

"It would make more sense to go after them," Vivi pointed out. "They wouldn't know how far we've sailed since we split up."

"But the jungle's filled with bounty hunters who want to kill us," Usopp argued in a dejected tone. "Or worse, something else is waiting there to kill us."

"The bounty hunters won't kill us," Brook said in a sensible manner. "That would drop our bounties' value."

"Don't say stuff like that so casually, Brook!"

"Just filling my role as the temporary Robin-san!"

"What is wrong with this woman?!"

"I say we go after Luffy," Zoro said. "As Brook pointed out earlier, there's no telling what he and everyone else will do out there. We could be here for hours waiting for them to show up."

"Hows about we vote?" Franky suggested. He raised one hand. "I vote we stay. I'd rather we didn't leave the ships alone, hiding place or not."

"I vote we go. Sitting here doing nothing won't help anything," Zoro voted.

Brook raised his hand. "I vote we go look for Luffy-san as well."

"I vote we go," Vivi said, raising her hand.

"I vote we stay!" Usopp yelled as he lifted his hand. "I'm not going to risk going to prison when Luffy can take care of himself, and has Roronoa and Sanji to back him up!"

"And I also vote you stay, because it makes things easier for us!"

Before the Straw Hats could look up at the owner of the foreign voice, blinding lights flared to life around the cove. This left the Straw Hats blinded for a few seconds until the spots in their vision cleared. When the spots did clear, the crew almost wished they hadn't.

Along the natural walkways and cliffs stood the very same bounty hunter lackeys they had defeated earlier. All had some form of bandage on their bodies and all were clearly wounded, but what they lacked in intimidating appearance they made up for in the sheer anger they radiated. And big weapons. Every single one of them held a very, very big gun, and every single one of those guns were aimed at the Straw Hats. There was a simultaneous clicking sound as gun barrels were cocked.

On the largest cliff, which hung over the cove's beach, stood four people- two men and two women. Only one of the women was familiar- an undoubtedly pissed-off Yari.

The lead man, who bore a strong resemblance to Yari, turned to the other man. "And you said the flood lamp dials were overkill."

"Only because Yari said it first," the other man, who had blood-red eyes, replied.

The Straw Hats ignored this brief conversation, instead focusing on the fact the woman who had caused them so much pain was back on her feet.

"HOLY CRAP! SHE'S BACK!" Usopp hollered, pointing at Yari.

"That didn't take long!" Vivi said in shock.

"I guess it was too much to hope that she drowned," Zoro muttered.

Yari snarled and stepped forward, ready to unsheathe her sword. The lead man put his arm out in front of her, however, to stop her from her impulsive action. He gave the pirates below a friendly smile.

"Please pardon my manners. I haven't introduced myself, have I?" He placed one hand on his chest. "My name's Runo- I'm Yari's big brother! Blondie's name is Erity, and the vampire is Vaughan."

The other two people looked to be in just as much as bad mood as Yari was, and Runo's nicknames for them didn't seem to help.

(Why weren't they in a good mood? For starters, Yari wasn't in a good mood because she had been beaten by a skeleton, punched in the face by a princess, wounded, humiliated, and forced to use bandages as a shirt because they weren't going back to camp until later. Vaughan wasn't in a good mood due to having given Yari mouth-to-mouth earlier and being told to "sit and look pretty" so no more 'accidents' would occur when the Straw Hats arrived. Erity wasn't in a good mood because... okay, she didn't really have a reason- Erity was always in a bad mood. The only person who wasn't about bite anyone's head off was Runo, and his unusually cheery attitude was grating on everyone else's nerves.)

"Runo?!" Vivi exclaimed. "Baba Runo?!"

Runo bowed, as if he were a gentleman. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Vivi. You are just as beautiful as Queen Titi."

Vivi knew she shouldn't let herself be flattered, but she couldn't stop the faint blush that spread across her cheeks.

Zoro turned angrily towards Franky. "So what was that about you kicking his ass? 'Cuz he doesn't look like he's had his ass kicked recently!"

"You know, I don't think Usopp-san will appreciate being replaced as the liar," Brook added, sounding disappointed in the cyborg.

"HEY!" Usopp protested.

Their accusations went unheard by the shipwright. Franky just emotionlessly stared at the feral-looking man standing above.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid the news of my defeat may have been a tad bit exaggerated," Runo apologized with near-genuine sympathy. He clucked his tongue. "And now look at you- you've fallen right into my trap." He shrugged. "And here I thought the overall low IQ of your crew was just a rumor."

"HEY, SHUT UP!" the Straw Hats collectively protested.

"If your idea of a trap is a cheap ambush, then you've got a lot to learn!" Zoro shouted, gripping Kitetsu. "We're not afraid of taking you on, even if you're from the New World!"

"Yeah, what he said!" Usopp shouted, though he was shaking from fear.

"Yeesh, I thought blind confidence was only Straw Hat's thing," Vaughan observed. "It looks like it extends to his entire crew. Figures."

Usopp and Brook stared at Vaughan for second, before both screaming, "VAMPIRE! SCARY!"

"I AM NOT A VAMPIRE!" Vaughan hollered in aggravation, a vein pulsing violently on his forehead. He pointed at Brook. "And you have no room to talk, Soul King!"

Erity burst out laughing. "Yuhahahaha! Every single damn time! Vaughan, you poor jerk! Yuhahahaha!"

The pirates flinched at Erity's laugh. It was extremely masculine for a woman's laugh, and it unnerved them.

"Please excuse Vaughan's temper," Yari said flatly, speaking at last. "It has... shortened somewhat since his encounter with your captain."

"You fought Luffy?" Usopp asked worriedly.

Vaughan went from angry to calm in the blink of an eye. "Yeah, and the concern in your voice is well-placed. Straw Hat wasn't looking his best when I last saw him."

The deliberate taunt in his tone aroused anger within the Straw Hats, as well as concern. Did that mean Luffy was-

"Relax, we don't have him in custody," Erity said to them. She whacked Vaughan upside the head. "This idiot let him get away."

The Straw Hats relaxed, but only a little.

Vaughan rubbed his head and glared at Erity. "Didn't I already apologize for that?"

"No."

"Oh. In that case, I am sincerely sorry."

"No you're not. Don't apologize unless you mean it, Enoch."

"Enough!" Zoro interrupted. He drew Kitetsu. "Did you come here to talk or collect our bounties?!"

Vaughan smirked at the pirate hunter. "Straw Hat said the exact same thing back in the jungle."

"Then you know like Luffy-san, we will not surrender so easily," Brook said, unsheathing Soul Solid.

"Your trap isn't going to stop us from taking you all down!" Vivi shouted, drawing her peacock slashers. "We beat your lackeys before, and we can do it again!"

Runo looked around the cove in mock surprise. "Oh... oh! You think all this is the trap?" He chuckled. "The expendable lackeys and the guns aren't the trap."

Usopp visibly paled, holding his slingshot. "It's not?"

"No, it's not. This is." Runo snapped his fingers. "Cyborg Franky, the intermission is over. Please gather the cast."

All of sudden, Brook, Vivi, Zoro, Usopp and Carue were all gathered into Franky's arms from behind. The unexpected action caused them all to drop their respective weapons. The shipwright locked his hands together, effectively caging them in his embrace. And the tightness of that embrace was making it difficult to breathe.

"What the hell!" Zoro shouted.

"Mr. Franky, what are you doing?!" Vivi asked pleadingly, gasping for breath.

"Quaw!" Carue added.

"He's crushing us! Franky, what is wrong with you?!" Usopp cried out.

Franky stood there, grim-faced and quiet. His nakamas' shouts were not reaching him, a fact that was pleasing Runo greatly, if his grin was any indication.

Brook didn't yell anything specific beyond making distressed shouts. One of his arms was actually free and flailed about. The musician's bony limb got close to Franky's face, knocking off the latter's sunglasses.

"Everyone!" Brook shouted. "Look at Franky-san's eyes!"

They did (seeing as struggling against Franky's arms wasn't doing anything) and saw that his eyes were blank and glassy, just like Tattoo's had been right before he shot himself.

His eyes- he's in a trance? Zoro thought.

"Ah, the eyes. Always a dead giveaway," Runo sighed. He grinned ferally. "By now I assume you've figured it out. Franky is under my control."

"But when did you-" Usopp started to ask.

"He wasn't lying when he said I attacked him on that lion ship," Runo explained. "The only false thing about that report was him winning. In reality he lost, badly I might add, and has been in a trance ever since."

"How is that possible?!" Usopp hollered, sound more mad than afraid now. "Franky... he..."

"FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! WILL YOU BE QUIET AND JUST LET ME DO MY JOB?!"

"... he was so lively..."

"I was, but on second thought, it couldn't hurt give Merry a quick inspection."

"... and considerate..."

"I'm feeling especially nostalgic this week, so I thought I'd wear the hairdo I had back when I first met you guys!"

Usopp gritted his teeth. "... He acted nothing like someone under a feral freak's mind control! It's not possible!"

"Oh come off it!" Runo scoffed. He ran a hand through his bangs. "Do you have any idea how painfully simple it is to hypnotize someone into acting like they're not hypnotized? All I had to do was plant a posthypnotic suggestion telling him to act normal until I gave him the right command! That same suggestion told him to give that bogus escape story and lead you to this cove at any cost! You accepted him into your stronghold and he brought about your destruction!" He threw back his head, covered his eyes with one hand, and chuckled sadistically. "He was my very own Trojan Horse, and the poor sap doesn't even know it. I'd hate to be him when he wakes up."

"Shut up!" Usopp screeched, tearing up a little. "Let him go!"

"Make me, Longnose. I have no obligation to listen to you. Don't think I've forgotten all the stress your future self has caused me."

The violet-haired man continued chuckling for solid minute, effectively weirding out every occupant of the cove. (Except Yari- she was used to it.)

"It was so lucky for me that I happened upon him," Runo went on. He lowered his head and slid his hand down his face. "I had just lost my new reindeer teddy. Any child hates losing a toy, but also like any child, I easily acquired a new one to make myself feel better. I got myself a brand new toy robot."

Vaughan side-glanced Erity and spun his finger around his ear- the universal sign for 'cuckoo.' Erity nodded in agreement.

"And it was so easy too, thanks to the Hypno Hypno Fruit I ate." Runo tapped the air, creating a quick splash of color. "Any part my being- my voice, my movements, these colors I weave- can be used to entrance new toys to be put at my disposal. Who knows, maybe Boss Carrion will let me make you my toys before we turn you in. Yari still wants her princess doll."

Yari smiled at her brother.

Runo was definitely related to Yari- every word out of his mouth only served to fan the flames of of their fury. The most irritating part about it was that it was evident that he knew he was angering them. He simply didn't care and even thought it was fun- it was fun to refer to their comrade as a toy. There was also the implication he had Chopper- the future one at least- under his thrall. Thankfully, his claims also said the little doctor had escaped somehow, but the fact the hypnotist even got close to Chopper fanned the flames even hotter.

Zoro grunted as he shot Runo a stare filled with promises of death. "Anyone mind if I slash this guy to ribbons?"

"I'll gladly aide you, if we can get out of Franky-san's grasp!" Brook offered. "It's getting hard to breath, though I have no lungs!"

"Save the jokes for later, Mr. Brook!" Vivi scolded him, then coughed.

Runo clearly didn't see their threats as threats, for he was now cockily going on about something that had nothing to do with the situation.

"I knew my plan would work! This calls for celebratory food!" Runo turned around to face the other three. "Vaughan, give me my bento!"

Vaughan crossed his arms. "I don't have it."

"What do you mean you don't have it?"

"I gave it to Straw Hat."

"Wha- why?!"

"Because I know for a fact you rigged that coin toss."

"What?!"

"Seriously? You're mad about that?" Erity asked skeptically. "But right after you made that face-fault, you said you didn't care that you had to watch the brat. You said you were going to volunteer anyway."

Vaughan shrugged. "It's the principle of the thing."

Vivi took advantage of the bounty hunters' inane argument to start formulating a plan. They had to get out of Franky's grip, then they could escape. But how to make him let go...

That was when Vivi noticed what part of Franky's body her foot was close to and mentally groaned. She really didn't want to do that, but she saw no other way.

"Boys, get ready to run," she whispered.

"Eh?" the boys muttered in confusion.

Forgive me, Mr. Franky. It's nothing personal! Vivi thought, raising her leg as high as it could with the position she was in. I just hope he still feels it even while in a trance!

Before anyone could realize what she was doing, Vivi swiftly brought her leg down and rammed her foot into... a part of Franky's anatomy that had been viciously abused on at least one other occasion.

The hypnotized shipwright gave a cry that sounded like a wounded piglet and immediately dropped the captive pirates, princess, and duck, presumably to cover the body part that needed more attention. He never had the chance to, for Zoro planted a kick in Franky's chest that sent the cyborg flying into the Sunny's foremast. He may not be the swirly cook, but even Zoro knew how to land a decent kick.

The now freed pirates bent down, scooped up their dropped weapons, and began running across the Sunny's deck towards the figurehead. One by one they climbed to the top of the lion-sunflower and jumped off, landing on the beach. Once they were all off, they made a break for the exit in the back of the cove.

"Not that I'm not grateful, but how could you do that, Vivi?!" Usopp demanded to know from the princess. "You never kick a man there!"

"I sympathize with Franky-san, though I no longer have any of that to be kicked myself," Brook said in an oddly sorrowful tone.

"TMI, Brook!"

"I'm sorry, but I didn't see you guys thinking of anything! It got him to let go at least!" Vivi sighed and returned her focus to the exit ahead. "Never mind! Let's focus on getting out of here before they come after us!"

"They're not coming after us," Zoro muttered.

Usopp, Brook, and Vivi turned to look at him. Zoro gestured up the cliff where Runo and the others resided. As he said, they weren't coming after them, as were none of the lackeys. They were done arguing and aware that they had escaped Franky. They just weren't doing anything about it.

They had gone through all the trouble of trapping them, so why weren't they trying to prevent their escape?

---

"They escaped your 'toy robot.' Now what, Master Planner?" Erity asked sarcastically.

"Franky's strong, but he can be kind of a weakling," Runo said. "Luckily, I plan for every contingency. You lot don't even need to lift a finger."

He snapped his fingers.

---

The Straw Hats were only a few feet away from the exit, when suddenly their path was engulfed with fire. The pirates skidded to a halt and stumbled backward to avoid the inferno.

"Whoa!" Zoro shouted. "What the-!"

Zoro was then kicked in the gut and sent flying into his friends, which as a result sent them all tumbling back a couple yards. It happened so fast they never saw the assailant.

"Mr. Bushido!" Vivi cried out worriedly, untangling herself from Brook. "Are you okay?!"

"Where in the Four Blues did that fire come from?!" Usopp wondered aloud, voicing everyone's thoughts.

Brook helped Zoro stand, and gently prodded his chest. "I think you may have bruised a rib or two Zoro-san."

Zoro knocked his hand away and panted, "I'm fine. I don't know what the deal is with the fire, but I'd recognize that bastard's kick anywhere."

"Bastard?" Vivi echoed.

"You left too soon," an empty, deep voice said.

From the flames emerged a figure. It was a fairly tall and muscular man in his early twenties, wearing a fine black suit that had gold buttons, black tie, polished dress shoes, and a golden-yellow dress shirt. He had messy blond hair that fell in front of his right eye, a trimmed black goatee, and the beginnings of a mustache. His only visible eye was as glassy as Franky's.

What caught the Past Straw Hats' attention was what was above his eye; his eyebrow, which curled downward. They only knew of one man with eyebrows like that.

"Sanji?!" Vivi gasped.

"No, he looks different!" Usopp pointed out. "That must be Future Sanji!"

"You're right; that is Future Sanji-san!" Brook confirmed. "Runo-san must have gotten to him!"

Zoro raised his own eyebrow. "Cook's other eyebrow swirls down? How does that work?"

The others glared at him hard. That was hardly the point here.

Sanji removed a cigarette from his pocket and lit it on the flames behind him. He took a drag, then said, "Playtime's not over. You can't leave yet."

His voice was bland, cold, and almost mechanical. The hypnotized cook suddenly lept forward and ran towards the group ahead of him. Zoro was the first to retaliate. He drew all three swords and dashed towards the cook, ready to counterattack at any moment.

"Zoro-san, wait! Don't fight him!" Brook called out.

"Remember what happened when Sanji challenged your older self?!" Usopp added desperately.

Zoro remembered perfectly well. He could feel the strength this Sanji had back when he kicked him. But in the long run, Brook, the only future Straw Hat here not hypnotized, would be needed to take on the bounty hunters. He could at least hold off the Love Cook.

Once the swordsman and chef got close to each other, Sanji rapidly spun in place and kicked out his leg. Zoro lifted Yubashiri and Kitetsu to guard. It was a standard block he had used many times against Sanji in the past.

Only in the past, Sanji's foot wasn't freaking on fire.

"What the hell?!" Zoro hollered.

The cook's foot glowed bright red with heat and crackled with flames. The metal of his own swords were beginning to glow as well for the transfer of heat.

"What the- did Sanji eat a devil fruit?!" Vivi asked Brook.

"No, he heated up his leg with that spinning from before!" Brook answered. "It's his most devastating technique!"

Sanji pushed off of the katana. "Sky Walk!"

The entranced chef lept into the air, using Zoro's swords as a launching pad, and stayed there. The cook was literally walking on air until he was directly above his target... which was not the green-haired man.

---

"Hmm," Erity hummed. "That's new. Sanji-lolly couldn't do that before."

"I thought no one outside of CP9 were supposed to know Rokushiki," Yari said mockingly.

Erity scowled. "Put a sock in it. That's just what CP9 wants you to think." She paused. "Hey, wait, how do you know about CP9?"

"I have connections."

---

"Sanji!" Vivi cried out.

"He's going to attack us first!" Usopp realized in panic.

Carue moved in front of Vivi, and Brook took out Soul Solid, the sword already becoming coated in frost.

"Diable Jambe..." Sanji whispered so softly, they just barely heard it. His other leg ignited. "...Poêle à Frire: Spectre!"

Seconds before the attack made contact, a thick mass shoved into the Brook and the others, pushing them out of range.

"Dumbass Cook!" the moss-haired 'mass' shouted. "Your fight is with me!"

It was an almost depressing thought, but Zoro never stood a chance. There was no conceivable chance he could dodge, so he raised his swords up to deflect Sanji's attack in any way he could, but it was futile. The chef repeatedly kicked his flaming limbs down in a fiery onslaught of power. All kicks hit Zoro and tore up the ground beneath him. Soon there was so much dust and smoke that you couldn't even see the swordsman anymore.

"ZORO!" Usopp screamed.

"MR. BUSHIDO!" Vivi shrieked.

Vivi, Usopp, and Carue, both attempted to rush to the swordsman's side, but Brook grabbed them by the backs of their shirts before they could.

"Stop! It's no use!" he yelled at them, his voice filled with regret. "Don't let his sacrifice be in vain!"

The air around the attack site seemed to explode, and then it all stopped. Sanji allowed himself to fall back to the ground and land on his feet. He took another drag as the smoke cleared. The Past Straw Hats were almost afraid to see...

... With good reason. The smoke cleared to reveal that Zoro, miraculously, was still standing. That was the only good news. The man was charred all over, smoke rose generously from his body, and the crew could smell burning flesh from where they stood. Zoro's new clothes were remarkably still in one piece, but Roronoa wasn't to be happy about all the burn marks.

He must have been in unbelievable pain, but he still stood with a death grip (and the Straw hats dearly hoped that expression was still just an expression in this situation) on all three swords. His eyes were even still open, though all that was visible were the whites of his eyeballs.

Sanji slowly walked over to the swordsman and lightly tapped his chest. Zoro crumpled to the ground, and the bounty hunters standing on the walkways around the cove all cheered with triumph.

Sanji looked up, his eye still glassy and unfeeling. "Who wants to play next?"

Tears ran down Vivi's cheeks. This wasn't happening. Everything was supposed to be getting better; they had found the Sunny, the shipwright, and had time to rest. Why couldn't they have noticed that Franky was hypnotized sooner? They could have avoided this!

Carue, sensing her distress, nuzzled her leg. Vivi fell to her knees and hugged the duck's neck. She wanted this to end. She wanted to get back on the Merry and sail to Alabasta. Facing Crocodile was preferable to having to suffer through this.

While Vivi was having a breakdown, Usopp was having a wholly different, and uncharacteristic, reaction.

"That bastard," Usopp whispered. Tears exploded from his eyes. "THAT DAMN BASTARD! HOW COULD HE DO THIS?!"

The sniper turned on his heel and drew back the cord of his sling shot, aiming the ammunition at Runo. The latter had yet to even notice.

If I take him out, Usopp thought, then his devil fruit powers will deactivate and Sanji and Franky will return to normal! We can save Zoro and get out of here!

"Put that away, Usopp-san," Brook said, placing a bony hand around the sniper's wrist. "It won't do any good."

"I don't care!" Usopp snapped, turning to glare at the skeleton. "Did you see what he made Sanji do to Zoro?! He needs to-!"

Usopp froze when he saw Brook's face. The elder pirate may not have been able to show real expressions, but this was the grimmest and most dark Usopp had ever seen him. There was no trace of the cheerful skeleton who made corny jokes and asked perverted questions.

"You attack him, and he and the other three will join in the fight," he said with reprimand. "He alone took down Franky-san; what hope do you have?"

Usopp grit his teeth, but lowered his slingshot.

Brook visibly brightened. "Besides, I've seen Zoro-san take more damage than that and survive, so I'm sure he'll be just fine!" The old musician became serious again. "Now, I have come to the conclusion that only one of us will be able to escape. It's the job of the other two to ensure that that person makes it to the exit. Do you understand, Usopp-san?"

Usopp could easily tell who Brook was referring to, and for once, he didn't wish he was the escapee. He understood the only person who could easily escape was the one who had nothing to offer the bounty hunters.

Brook calmly stepped over to the person in question. "Vivi-san."

Vivi looked up from where she had her face buried into Carue's neck. "W-What is it, Mr. Brook?"

"Please forgive us for what we're about to do," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Forgive you for-?"

"Now, Usopp-san!"

The sniper and musician grabbed Vivi and did what was possibly the stupidest idea in the history of stupid ideas; they threw her towards Sanji.

Vivi screamed, then grunted when she bounced to the ground. The whole while she thought, What were they thinking?! She quickly stood up and found herself nose to nose with Sanji.

"Oh crap," she whispered.

Upon seeing where Vivi had landed, Usopp shook Brook by his shirt. "What the heck, Brook?! I thought we were saving Vivi, not dooming her!"

"We are saving her!" Brook said through the shaking. "Just watch!"

Vivi went rigid, preparing herself for whatever fiery oblivion Runo was going to make him do to her.

Sanji stared at Vivi, and without so much as another thought, walked past her.

Vivi blinked. Huh?

---

"Why didn't he take her down?!" Runo shouted in frustration. "His orders are to take down all of the Straw Hats!"

"Speaking of taking guys down, Pirate Hunter's still alive, right?" Vaughan asked.

"Of course he is! It's faint, but I know you can hear his inner voice! That doesn't matter!" Runo gestured angrily at the chef. "Why the heck isn't he listening to me anymore?!"

"That's an easy one," Erity said. "Sanji-lolly doesn't fight women. It's so against his code of honor he'd rather die than strike a lady. I think the skeleton knows that and wants the princess to escape."

"My hypnosis blocks codes and crap like that!" Runo argued. "He should still attack her!"

Erity shrugged. "There are just some things you can't force men to do, even with hypnosis."

Yari nodded sagely. "Amen to that."

The two woman fist-bumped, which was almost as surprising to Yari's twin as Sanji's inability to kick Vivi in a this-should-never-happen kind of way.

"You got a plan for this contingency, Master Planner?" Vaughan said snarkily.

Runo sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Okay, let's forget the princess for now. Sanji has done enough, so Yari, your new favorite dolly is up."

Yari clapped excitedly. This was going to be good.

---

"... so thus I knew Sanji-san would never attack Vivi-san," Brook finished explaining.

"WHAT IF THAT HADN'T WORKED?!" Usopp scolded him.

"Then Vivi-san would have died."

"STOP TRYING TO BE THIS ROBIN WOMAN!"

Carue rapidly ran past Brook and Usopp, as well as the steadily approaching future Sanji. Sanji apparently had no interest in fighting ducks either.

"Mr. Brook, Usopp, what's going on?!" Vivi shouted. "Why'd you throw me?!"

"Vivi-san, get out of here and find Luffy-san! We'll hold off the bounty hunters and Sanji-san!" Brook ordered her, taking a battle stance.

"But-"

"You need to get away, Vivi!" Usopp cut in. "Understand? You have to get away! You're the only one without a bounty in the future- they have no reason to capture you beyond making you a doll! SO RUN!"

Vivi tried to protest further, but Carue made it to her and threw her onto his back before she could utter a single word. The pair ran off into the tunnel, the darkness swallowing them up as they moved out of sight.

As the two ran off, Runo called out, "Go ahead and run, Princess Weakling! That's all you're good for anyway!"

"Be quiet, you jelly boned freak!" Usopp shouted, remembering what Franky had called him earlier.

"Pirates in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, long-nosed freak!"

Brook sighed with relief, then returned to his defensive position. Sanji was getting closer.

"Focus, Usopp-san," Brook commanded, interrupting Usopp's argument with Runo. "Allow me to deal with Sanji-san. I'll leave the hunters on the walls to you."

Usopp was terrified, but he swallowed and nodded, aiming his slingshot high.

Sanji got closer and closer, when out of nowhere... he stopped.

Brook raised an eyebrow (or he would have if he had eyebrows). Why was Sanji stopping? Had Runo called off the attack and was going to make him go after Vivi?

"U-Uh... B-B-Brook?" Usopp stuttered out, and pointed to the cove ceiling.

Brook looked up. Floating through the air were black bubbles that gave off random charges of electricity. The bubbles popped when they touched the thundercloud overhead that was forming at an alarming rate.

Brook went dry mouthed- if it were even possible for the skeleton to be even more dry mouthed then he already was.

"Usopp-san?"

"Y-Yeah, Brook?"

"Brace yourself."

"W-Why?"

"This is going to hurt."

---

Location: The Cove Tunnel

Vivi figured she was halfway through the tunnel when she heard the screams.

"ARGHHHHHHHHH!"

The princess yanked on Carue's reins. "Stop! We have to go back, they need us!

Carue shook his head and kept running. "Quaw quaw, quaw quaw!"

"I said stop! Why do you always do the exact opposite of what I tell you!"

"Quaw quaw!"

"Is that a tone you're using with me?!"

Vivi kept tugging and pull on Carue's reins but the duck wouldn't budge. She was seriously considering just jumping off when Runo's words came back to her.

"Go ahead and run, Princess Weakling! That's all you're good for anyway!"

Vivi hands went slack, as did the reins. Runo was right. Running was all she could do. She had held her own as Miss Wednesday, but these people were on a complete other level than the thugs she had to deal with over the last two years. She couldn't help Usopp and Mr. Brook even if she tried.

Taking a deep breath, she snapped Carue's reins. "Forward, Carue! We need to find Luffy!"

Despite the bravery in her words, tears streamed down her cheeks like waterfalls. These would not stop, not even after she finally found Luffy.

For the look on Luffy's face when she tells him of what the sniper and musician told her to do breaks her heart.

---

Next Time:

Chapter 17- Sunday's Child is Full of Grace, But Wednesday's Child Wants to Kick in Her Face

---

Franky looked extremely uncomfortable, and almost ashamed. "Then again, I guess the circumstances are different than when Luffy told you about replacing Merry in the future."

When Usopp was told of Merry's condition in the future, he had been robbed, beaten, and made to look completely useless. Here, he's just trying to take the future as he learns. Not to mention he doesn't know about Merry's Klaubautermann. Different circumstances, different reactions.

It was simply a pair of jean shorts, a belt, and a cute yellow t-shirt decorated with orange flower designs.

This was the outfit Nami wore on Sabaody the first time around. Why would she still have it two years later? Despite the incident she wore it in, it was a pretty cute outfit.

EDIT: One of my reviewers asked a good question: why did the past crew have to borrow clothes from the Sunny when they could have just gone back to the Merry? Well... in all honesty that did not occur to me. Let's just say for now that Brook was trying to be polite and Usopp, Vivi, and Zoro didn't really care by that point where the clothes came from. They had their own issues and worries to occupy their thoughts, so where they got new clothes didn't really matter to them. Despite inconsistency, that same reviewer said it was a nice touch, so I won't change a thing!

Introduction to Devil Fruits and their Abilities (Vivi actually flipped this one open and found that one page in particular, the page on the Clear Clear Fruit, was dog-eared and well-read)...

This book obviously belongs to Sanji, if you recall his encounter with Absalom during the Thriller Bark Arc.

This was the same eternal pose Sanji had stolen from the Unluckies. The crew still had it after more than two years?

This is a headcanon I have. Of course the Straw Hats would hold on to it- they would want to be able to find their way back to their friend.

"I can only think of one situation where you were in enough pain to build such a high tolerance, and it's something I greatly respect you for."

Thriller Bark, Kuma, pain bubble. 'Nuff said.

"You shouldn't dwell too much on the past or future," Brook said, pulling a shirt and sorts out of Usopp's locker. "It will only magnify your fears, worries, and regrets. This in turn can drive you out of your mind, even if the brain your mind was housed in rotted away many years ago. Look to the future for your goals and to the past for inspiration, but do not let these consume your thoughts."

Brook was on that ship, alone, for fifty years. Something tells me he had a lot of time to think, and his past decisions and future possibilities were some of the stuff he thought of. Could he have saved his crew? Would Laboon recognize him? That kind of thinking over a long period of time would drive anyone batty.

Usopp now wore a pair of cargo shorts and a green t-shirt with a black skull and crossbones on it. Zoro wore the usual dark pants tucked into his boots and his haramaki, but now also had on a mustard yellow short-sleeved jacket with the zipper left open- clearly showing that he had foregone wearing a shirt underneath.

Usopp's shirt is what he wore in "Brand New World," and Zoro's shirt is what he wore in the Enies Lobby Arc.

"Any word yet?"

"Yes. The lookouts all say they see both of the Straw Hats' ship approaching."

"Excellent. Now you can all just sit back and watch the magic happen."

"They're not here yet, moron. Your oh-so perfect plan still might not succeed."

"Oh ye of so little faith. Come guys, trust me on this! When have I ever let you down?"

"There was that time on Xuhl Cay-"

"Rhetorical, Vampire Boy."

"I'm not a vampire!"

"Just keeping sitting there and looking pretty. I don't need you 'accidentally' releasing the captives once we have them in our grasp."

"Humph."

"Humphs are for camels."

"Shut your sister up, Dancing Haze."

"Never call me that. Now, all of you shut up! They'll be here any minute!"

In the order of what's being spoken, the speakers are: Runo, Yari, Runo, Erity, Runo, Vaughan, Runo, Vaughan, Runo, Vaughan, Yari, Erity, and Runo.

"Because I know for a fact you rigged that coin toss."

This joke is from the first Review Special and chapter 11. They apparently flipped a coin to decide who would guard Siobhan. In fact, Runo did rig it. He used a double-sided coin.

"Cook's other eyebrow swirls down? How does that work?"

I'm sure we were all thinking that when the time skip occurred.

"No, he heated up his leg with that spinning from before!"

I know that officially, Sanji doesn't need to spin to ignite his legs anymore. But that just doesn't make sense to me, so I kept the spinning. He still does it in the anime, and this story is largely based off of the anime. Now Sanji just doesn't need to spin as much.