*holds up hands as shield and cowers in the corner* Please! Please don't kill me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I took so long to update! Things have been going on like exams and beta readings and college tours and work and trying to get this guy to ask me out and it's all so time-consuming I've barely had time to breathe! I swear! Please don't kill me!

To… uh… make up for my absence, I have somewhat lengthened this chapter from its original length. If it still seems short, you should've seen it when it was in its original form. Still, I hope it satisfies you. And it appears that this strategy I'm trying isn't working out so well. Maybe my updates are more spaced out than close together. Or maybe it's just me being lazy…

Enough of me talking. No one really cares about that, right?

Review Corner:

NinjaSheik – Nin-san, I regret to inform you, that I left it as a cliffhanger. And I most certainly can end it like that. I must be on an evil rampage because I just keep putting these characters through some tough shit. Day-um. Maybe I should try out lemon to spice things up. I look forward to your next Akuma Love Voyage chapter, though I may not be able to read it if you post anytime soon; I'm going to a two-week camp to learn Japanese and it's complete immersion; we're not even allowed to bring books in English. So update soon and I'll review when I get back. Promise. ;D

armaani – "Dusa extrakcie" is "Soul Extraction" but yes, it is basically the same thing. Credits to Google translate. XD Tried to find a language that used English characters but also was a language most people wouldn't recognize. And as for Robin being a mommy, I'll leave that decision to you. I won't spoil it. Thanks for your review!

Jabrax13 – Maybe I worded it like that on purpose! Nah, I didn't. I guess in the back of my head I wanted Robin to be pregnant so it kind of came out that way. Whether she is or not is left up to you to decide; I won't dish out any heaping plates of spoilers. Unfortunately, you won't know until I explain it, and it'll probably be very complicated. Thanks for your review!

DinieLuvYunho – I don't want to give away any major plot developments, so unfortunately I'm not able to tell you anything. I will say, however, that it's going to be a turn of events you won't see coming. I'm probably being very mean right now by being so mysterious and introverted, but I hope you'll understand when I explain everything in future chapters. Thanks for your review, and enjoy the update!

dukefan01 – You're probably wrong. It's going to be hard to explain when I get around to it, but I know it will be not be something expected. And even Zoro is entitled to be a jerk every now and then, right? Thanks for your review, and enjoy the update!

00000000000000000000Zero00000 – A lot of people seem to think that. Whether or not your suspicion is true remains for me to know and you to find out. A secret makes a woman, woman. Enjoy the update!

Broken Elsewhere – Zoro often jumps to illogical conclusions and more often than not resorts to the worst case scenario first, which is part of the reason he reacted so harshly to what Robin had said. I don't want to reveal too much, but it does seem a lot of people are questioning if I made Robin preggers. Now that I reread it, it does seem that way. Oh well… but anyway, thanks very much for your review, it makes my day. :D

Kojo (Guest) – I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. It's a secret, and a secret makes a woman, woman. - I'll give you a cookie if you know where that's from. Thanks for your review!

Guest – I'm going as fast as I can, I promise!

UltimateC3 – Now that you mention it… I put Robin through shit. I'm as bad as Spandam right now! But it's all good in the end, right? They all survive (kinda) right? So maybe I'm not the spawn of Satan, just one of his extended family. Like his second cousin thrice removed or something. Actually, you just reminded me of a scene from the new Star Trek movie when Ahura and Spock are fighting and Kirk is like, "Oh my god, what is that even like!?" I suppose if you're not a Trekkie that's a bunch of jibberish but the concept is the same. Thanks for your review!

untied fate – Well, I regret to inform you that the reason for Zoro and Robin's fight will not be revealed until a while. I hate to make you wait, but it's just the way it is. But I think it'll be something you're not expecting. Thanks for your review!

Zbluez – I kinda did take my time, didn't I? I suppose it's 1 part business and 1 part laziness. I suppose it is kinda weird having something crawl up your throat, so I will go back and add that when I can… but for now, chapter 3!

Pentastic – *reels in fishing line* Ha! Another successful catch! I'll throw it in the batch with the others, but not before updating! Thanks for your support, and enjoy!

ariahsop – A lot of people are thinking Robin is pregnant. Did I write it like that? Oh man… well… maybe I'll go back and change it, but right now I'll preoccupy myself with the chapters to come rather than the chapters now. Thanks for your support, and enjoy the update!

Gummiebear – Thank you for your kind review! I'm always being told my IC-ness is top-notch, and I don't always see it sometimes, but things like this make me realize that you know what, maybe it really is that good. It's the author's nature to criticize their own work, and the reader's job to convince them otherwise. You're a hard worker. ;D I shall attempt to do the internet more favors by updating. Sorry I took so long, I'll try to be better!

JusinAbel – Thank you very much for your review! I'm sorry I took so long to update but it's been one crazy ride after another. Enjoy the update!

Chapter 3 – Fight Back!

"We're going to fight to steal back what
those four took from us. If we can't
match them, then we'll never
be able to live it down."

Roronoa Zoro

Zoro POV

Women.

I would never understand them. They asked impossible questions and expect answers, but if the answer isn't what they want then they flip shit on you. It's a hopeless cause to try and defend yourself, and they won't even let you leave to cool off and then approach the situation in a calmer manner. What the hell.

I grumbled to myself, readjusting my position on the grassy knoll where I lay cloud gazing and wallowing in self-pity. It was a good way to pass the time and get a clear head. I had admitted to myself that I'd overreacted back there and the entire fight was probably my fault, but she was the one who provoked it by suddenly just coming out of the blue with it.

I guess I wasn't expecting it, is all. It's like being told the chick you met at the bar and spent the night with is pregnant, and you're just like… shit. It's not something you wanted to happen but it just… did. And now you're partially responsible, and you don't want to be. Looking back at it, I should have been happy for her. I should have been happy, but I was so scared of losing her. If she went through with what she'd said, then we would part ways. I may not be much of a romantic guy, but I don't know one man who couldn't bear to be parted with his woman.

I heaved a heavy sigh and sat up on my elbows, watching the ocean sparkling in the distance beyond a grove of trees beneath the cliff over which the knoll was situated. The sun would set soon, and the crew would probably be wondering where I was. But I couldn't go back now. I know I need to apologize, but so soon after my angry retreat would be awkward, at least for me, and I had to prepare myself beforehand. I could already see that sad look in her eyes, staring at me like I'd disappointed her, which technically I had.

Oh, shit, I'm screwed.

"Hey, Oji-san?"

I looked over, a tick mark appearing on my forehead. "Who're you calling old man, brat?"

The speaker was a tall boy probably in his late teens. He was dressed in slacks and a white sleeve-less shirt that hugged his skinny body, overlaid by a thin black vest. His skin was pale and sickly, but he held himself with pride as it to make up for it. His hair was a deep blue, the exact same color as his eyes. He stared at me like he didn't know who I was, which was a bit of a surprise considering this was the New World and the return of the Straw Hat pirates had been announced all across the oceans.

"What're you doing out here?" The boy asked, not moving from where he stood a few feet away.

I stroked the hilt of my katana, hoping he got the message to stay clear. "None of your damn business."

The pest didn't seem to catch the tone of my voice. "I'm making it my business."

"What's it to you?"

He looked to the ocean, a wind blowing his hair around his neck, and I noticed a thick scar running down the side of his neck and disappearing under his shirt collar. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

My mouth curved into a deep frown. Bit ADD, isn't he? "I suppose."

"I wish I could go to the ocean again someday," he said. "I traveled for a while on a ship before they dumped me her and took my dad away."

I wasn't interested in this kid's sob story. I stood and brushed off my yukata, striding away back into the forest behind the knoll. "Nice talking to you," I said by way of departure.

As I was about to step into the foliage, the boy spoke again. "Oh, Zoro-san?"

My guard immediately doubled, turning to face the kid again as I unsheathed the Wado Ichimonji partially from its sheath. He had turned to look at me as well, but he seemed a bit different. His eyes instead of blue were now a piercing green. "I would go back to your ship as soon as possible. A lot of bad things live on this island."

"What kind of things?"

The boy shook his head, smiling. I didn't like the smile. It was almost sinister, like he was plotting something really dangerous. "If you don't go to your ship, you'll never know."

I blinked. The boy was gone.

.o0o.

If there's one thing I've learned, don't trust teenagers. They're sneaky little bastards and will do anything to get what they want. It was unfortunate that about a third of the pirate crew I was a member of were teenagers, which only emphasized my point. Luffy and Usopp are still nineteen, and Chopper is seventeen (in human years anyway; I don't know how much that is for a reindeer). All three were conniving little nuisances who live to disturb my naps.

The mystery boy was no different. He failed to escape my mind as I wound my way back in the direction of the Sunny, hands tucked deep into my pockets. Was he like a soothsayer or something that was predicting my downfall? Or was he simply warning me that dangerous things live on the island that could potentially kill us? He appeared to me that he seemed the type to set the things on us in the first place.

I grit my teeth and shoved aside a branch. Whatever it was, a part of me wanted to believe him and go back to the Sunny right away and get the hell away from this place. Too many weird things had been happening lately, and ever since those weird puppets showed up, my mood had been growing darker. Was it influenced by the marionette? I don't believe in magic, but there was something about those puppets that didn't seem normal.

I stepped out of the forest and into the light, squinting as I found myself on a ledge staring straight at a setting sun. Damn, had I been walking that long? And what the heck!? On the next ledge over was the little pile of rocks I had been stacking to ease my boredom earlier today. Was the island rotating or something? God dammit, it was like the world was purposefully trying to keep me from going back. Fate seemed to enjoy playing games with me.

I turned around and headed back from whence I came, determined to walk in a straight line this time. By the time I had walked for maybe a good hour, the sun was already below the horizon and I had not yet reached the coast. This damn island was playing tricks on me. Already I had found my pile of rocks about four other times. I was ready to draw my swords and chop down every single goddamn tree until I saw the Sunny, but lumberjacking is not what my katana were made to do, and I wouldn't use them to quell my frustration.

So the next time I found the ocean, I made my way down until the waves lapped against my boots. I then set off across the water shoreline. This was an absolute foolproof way to stop the island from rotating. Sooner or later I would reach the Sunny, and if I didn't like what I found there, hell was gonna break loose.

I had time to think more as I strolled. I played over my apology in my head, scripting everything out until I liked it.

Robin, I just want to say I'm sorry for yelling.

It's okay, Zoro. I completely understand and I promise I won't ever, ever tell you something like that ever again. I won't even think about it without you saying so. I'll dispose of it right away.

Thank you, Robin.

Short, sweet, and simple. Now all she had to do was follow the script and everything would go back to the way it was. No more scary news or confusing signals. All I wanted was to just go back to training and sleeping and eating and talking like usual. The way I hoped things would be for a while yet to come.

It was coming on midnight when I finally spotted the Sunny. It had drifted away a bit from the island, the gangplank lying uselessly in the water. All the lights were out, and through the dark I couldn't even make out the shape of whoever was on lookout. This made me stop. The anchor wasn't down, so the ship had no way to stay near the island. Franky was too careful about his ship to forget something as simple as lowering the anchor. And even if he had, the person on watch that night would have told him.

A wave of caution swept over me. The ship wasn't too far out; I would have no trouble swimming. I was just a bit unnerved as to what I might find.

I would go to your ship as soon as possible. A lot of bad things live on this island.

There were a lot of things wrong with this picture. I used my bandanna to tie my swords to my head to avoid getting them too wet, and waded out into the ocean. I easily overpowered the waves and kicked toward the ship. The figurehead loomed out from the darkness eerily, like she had been abandoned and was silently weeping for her crew.

As I swam, rain began to drizzle across the water. I hadn't even realized it was overcast. This jarred me even more. Nami would have easily predicted the rain and had extra precautions made for the weather. None such could be found.

I drew alongside the ship, silently apologizing as I made small dents in her wood to serve as hand and footholds. Before boarding, I sat just below the railing and set my swords back into my haramaki, drawing the Wado and Kitetsu just to be sure. My Haki confirmed that there were eight individuals on board, all silent and still like the entire ship was under a sleeping spell. I didn't lower my guard, however as I lifted myself over the rail and on the deck.

The place was deserted except for someone collapsed on the opposite side of the deck. The darkness made it impossible to identify the person, so I approached hesitantly. The figure didn't move, even when I nudged the body with the toe of my boot. I sheathed Kitetsu but still kept the Wado firmly in my grip, and I knelt beside the figure.

I put my free hand on its shoulder, rolling it over until its face was revealed. The Wado Ichimonji clattered to the deck as clouds moved briefly to reveal the moon, rain still coming down. The light illuminated the deck, bringing to life the face of the individual.

"Robin," I said, tapping her face, trying to keep the panic in my voice under control. "Robin, it's me. You're gonna catch cold sleeping out here in the rain."

She didn't move. I knew her; she wasn't a heavy sleeper. In fact, she was the lightest sleeper I had ever known, probably due to her being chased by the government for twenty years. If she didn't wake to a simple tap, something was wrong. It may have been the rain, but she seemed to have been soaked long before this weather, like she'd run a marathon and sweated the entire time. Her skin was pale and a bit clammy, like all the life had been sucked directly from her body.

"Oi, Robin, not funny…"

Dangerous things live on this island.

Oh shit.

"Luffy! Usopp! Shit-cook! Franky, Nami! OI!"

I found Luffy in the kitchen, spread-eagled on the ground. A brief investigation revealed his skin to be also pale and clammy, covered in sweat and gravy, the dish to which was clamped in his hand as if he had been in the middle of a midnight snack when he was attacked.

Franky was in the cola room. Brook had collapsed in the crow's nest. Usopp and Sanji were in their bunks. Chopper was in his infirmary. Nami I discovered in her map room, ink spilt over her treasured maps. Every single one showed the same exact symptoms as Robin and Luffy. It hadn't happed too long ago, either. Brook's tea was still warm. Nami's ink hadn't dried yet.

I hoped whatever had done this to my nakama was still on the ship. I had no way of knowing what condition they were in, and the best way was to ask the perpetrator. With each passing second my rage and confusion increased until I was a rampaging mass of muscle and power that no one wanted to cross. I searched the entire ship from stem to stern and examined my nakama again, looking for anything that could lead me to finding the criminal.

I was no detective. I didn't know what to look for. Was I supposed to find a magnifying glass and stroke my chin thoughtfully? I wasn't going to look like an idiot as I tried to mimic characters in Robin's books. So I relied on my naked eye, and through this I noticed that all my nakama did not have their puppets on them. And I couldn't find them in the bedrooms or anywhere on the ship. I had been right to suspect the damn things. And Usopp had been right to suspect voodoo. I didn't believe in magic, so the only logical conclusion I came to was that some creature here had some crazy power or, the more likely choice, someone had a Devil Fruit ability.

"Damn," I said, opening the door to the women's room. "When I get my hands on this guy…"

I stepped inside. Something cracked, and I whipped around, katana at the ready, only to find no one behind me. I glared into the dark room, eyes narrow. Nothing. I stepped in again, and once again the crack came. I looked down, aiming the flashlight I'd picked up between my feet. The beam of light illuminated the shards of a coffee cup embedded in the stained carpet.

The cup I'd broken earlier.

Pressure built up behind my eyes. No. Goddammit, no! Crying is a weakness. I won't show weakness, not when I'm the only one who can do something about this.

I ruffled through Nami and Robin's drawers, trying to find something like a handkerchief or a napkin or something. I finally decided to use a towel, and carefully set to work collecting all the shards to the cup into the cloth. With each piece I made a silent promise to my crewmates. I'd rescue them. I'd set things straight with Robin. I wouldn't complain. I'd become stronger.

The ship creaked. I froze, my eyes going to the door. My Haki stretched out through the wood, detecting a single figure beyond. My anger rekindled, and I dropped the pouch into my haramaki, standing silently. I approached the door and opened it, swinging open on oiled hinges. The rain was coming down harder now, and through the haze I could see a figure kneeling beside where I moved Robin's body to recline on her sun chair, shielded from the rain with her umbrella.

I didn't even have to step out into the open before the figure stood and turned, smiling up at me. I somehow wasn't surprised to see the blue-haired boy from before, raising a hand and wiggling his fingers like I was an old friend.

"I told you, Zoro-san," he said, his hand falling to his side as a sinister aura overcame him. "Dangerous things live on this island."

"What did you do?" I asked dangerously. "Think carefully; your answer will depend on your survival."

"Hooooooh," the boy laughed. "You can't kill me. You do that, you'll never get your friends back." He glared at me with a smirk, his eyes a flashing red. "See, I've eaten the Soul Soul Fruit."

"So you steal souls."

"Quite. But you see, my ability comes with a catch. I can steal souls, but I don't have anywhere to put them. Until I discovered this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out Robin's puppet, dangling limply in his hand. It may have been my imagination, but I thought I saw its eyes move. "I make puppets of my victims as a holding vessel. But it only works if I have some essence of the person. See, this particular one of Nico Robin has her hair I stole from a hairbrush."

My eyes narrowed. Wood. Herbs. Ink. Food. Items stolen from us in the middle of the ocean, where no one could get to us. Unless someone had been hiding aboard the Sunny, hidden out of sight. "What need do you have for souls?"

"That's for me to know and you to never find out."

At that moment, Robin's soulless body suddenly moved, sitting up and turning to look up at me. Her eyes glowed a soft blue, and she looked at me dully like she had mutated into a zombie and didn't know who I was. Doors opened all around me, and the rest of my nakama shuffled out on deck, all with soft glowing blue eyes. They all advanced on me, shuffling like mummies, but I didn't let that fool me.

"Hold him," the boy said, and Sanji and Luffy latched onto my arms before I could draw a katana and fight back. Chopper clamped onto my legs in Heavy Point. The gravy was comically running in rivers from Luffy's body, but this was too serious to laugh. Franky approached from behind and wrapped his massive hands around my midsection, lifting me from the deck a few inches.

"Get a hold of yourselves!" I yelled, trying to shake them off me. It was useless, though; they had become as stiff and unmoving as the strongest metal that even I couldn't break. "It's me, Zoro!"

"They only listen to me," the annoying Ability User said, and held aloft my puppet. He smiled when he observed my widening eyes. "You dropped it. You should be more careful, Roronoa Zoro."

Something was happening in the pit of my stomach. An uncomfortable sensation I didn't like.

"Dusa Extrakcie!"

What occurred next was possibly the strangest thing, besides coming back to life, that had had ever happened to me. A bright light suddenly was emitted from my body, reflecting in the rain and blinding the Soul Soul user. He cried out, shielding his eyes with his hands. My crewmates – or the things that used to be my crewmates – were stunned into confusion, and I was able to wrench myself from their grip.

I ran to the railing, vaulting overboard and into the ocean below. My energy was completely drained from whatever power I had just produced, but I forced myself to think of it as training as I swam for shore. The light vanished, but it also seemed to radiate some sort of shockwave, because the water had begun to repel the Thousand Sunny out toward the open ocean.

"Roronoa Zoro!" I heard the boy's voice yell from the deck of the hijacked ship. "I will confront you again! See if you can rescue your friends. I'll be waiting!"

I dragged myself across the sand, breathing heavy. I sat in the rain-soaked sand, pelted with water, soaked to the skin as the Thousand Sunny sailed away, cloaked in the darkness of the night. I growled deep in my throat, glaring after the thieving bastard.

I had no qualms against him just standing there asking me questions on a grassy knoll. Annoyed, yes, but I possessed no personal reasons to hate the guy.

Shit just got real. He has dared to threaten me, steal my nakama's souls, and caused me to delay one of the most awkward moments of my life (I wasn't sure if this was good or bad, but if it was that guy, then it's definitely bad). He's made enemies of the wrong pirate crew, and if it took me an eternity, I sure as hell will fix this.

But first, shelter from this damn rain. Tomorrow morning I would find a way of this island and on to the next one. There had to be a village here somewhere.

I started walking.

Ok, phew! I've finally gotten this chapter up for you! Please please please please PLEASE don't kill me. I'm on my hands and knees here.

Anyway, thanks for reading! And thanks again for being so patient. I'm really trying my best to work quickly. I'm also trying to get some more personal projects done at the same time and learning Japanese (my family is having a foreign exchange student, and I'm taking language classes to see a bit of her culture…) and it takes up some time.

But I hope you'll stay with me throughout this, and I wish you all the best of luck on any future fanfictions you may be posting/updating. So until the next installment, ja-nah!

Coming Up: Chapter 4 – The Price of Zoro's Resolve