I want to tahnk all those who have reviewed so far.

And Daisylovesu asked me a very good question. Now, I would love to answer you right now, but if I did it would ruin something I have planned for later in the story.

But, if you guys have any questions the feel free to ask them and I'll answer them if I can without giving out to much information to future chapters.

Disclaimer: I don not own One Piece or any other references made. I do own the character and original ideas.

Now, Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Meeting The Crew

It's been roughly a week since I began my training to use chakra to enhance my strength, and I'll tell you it actually went easier then I thought. The 'Tree Walking' was a snap it took me a couple of minutes when, it took some one like Naruto days. Morgan told me it was because he was in my body so he could tell me the exact amount of chakra to use without a problem.

I was sitting on a branch just at the edge of the woods looking over Cocoyashi Village. I then noticed a small white dot over Nojiko's house.

'Looks like it's time for some action.' I thought as I jumped down and ran towards town.

'You know your even lucky that you arrived here before Luffy and his crew, right?' Morgan chimed in.

He was right, a few days back I saw the giant tower of Arlong Park, so it meant that Luffy haden't been here.

'Just shut it! I have more important buisness.'

'Yeah, but do you even know where to go?' Morgan asked.

At that I stopped dead in my tracks. I didn't have a freaking clue where to go! Hell, I didn't even know if they were already fighting Arlong and his crew.

'Calm down!' Morgan shouted at me. 'Just go to Arlong Park first and see if the fight has started.'

'Good idea.'

And with that I made my way to Arlong Park.

It wasn't real hard to find the place, I mean it had the biggest building on the island so it didn't take long at all to get to.

'Looks like I got go over the wall.' I thought.

I'll tell you knowing how to walk on flat surfaces is the best thing you can have at this point. Once I was over the wall I made my way towards the big ass tower.

'Looks like nobodies here.' Morgan said.

No sooner had he said that did we here the sounds of a fight coming from the tower."

"The human escaped! Get him!" came the shouts of the fishmen from inside the tower.

'You were saying.'

'Shut up!'

All of the sudden the green-haired swordsman, Zoro came bursting out of the building with about a dozen fishmen behind him.

Of course, they all stopped when they saw me.

"Who the hell are you?" asked a blue-ish fishmen with a spear.

"Me?" I asked pointing to myself. "I'm nobody speacial."

"He's lying!" a red fishmen with a club shouted. "I bet his part of this guys crew!"

The other fishmen apparently agreed with the guy as the group quickly surrounded me and Zoro.

"Hope you can handel yourself." Zoro commented as he looked at all the fishmen.

"Oh, I'm sure that I can." I replied.

Before, the fishmen had time to attack I charged towards the nearest one, which happened to be the red one that started all this.

"Pulverizer!"

I threw a chakra charged punch right into his gut, that sent him flying a good distance back.

The fishmen and Zoro looked suprised at me. But, that didn't last long as a fishmen with a sword tried to attack me from behind me.

"Chest Cracker!"

I slammed my elbow directly into the fishmen's chest. He went flying back knocking a few of his buddies onto the ground.

The fishmen with spear tried stabbing me, but I dropped to the ground to avoid the attack.

"Shattering Kick!"

I then lifted myself off the ground using my hand and deliverd a strong kick to his chin, sending him skyward.

I got back up to see a yellow fishmen with two swords looking at me. "What the hell are you!?" he shouted.

I slowly made my towards him, the entire time he never took his eyes off me, apparently he was scared or something.

Once, I made it towards him I answered. "Just you average, everyday joe."

"Skull-Buster!"

I then drove my fist right into his face sending the poor bastard flying back.

'That was kind of...anti-climatic.' I thought.

I looked to see Zoro sitting in, what I think was a chair, watching me.

"So, you mind actually telling me who you are?" Zoro asked in a blunt manner.

"Vladamire Cortez." I told him. "Just you average guy, looking for a little adventure."

"Yeah, average people don't have the strength to knock out a half a dozen of these fish guys." Zoro replied.

Before I could even reply I was cut off from a voice coming from behind the wall farthest from us.

"Ooooh! Ooooh! Oh! This one's awesome!"

Looking towards where it came from, I saw three fishing poles up in the air, one seemingly jerking something on its line.

"Even I, a member of Arlong's elite, Hachi-Hatchan can't pull it up! It must be a super great fish! I don't know where you've come from, but your gusto is East Blue's best…" It was here the middle fishing pole pulled upward, bringing along a pair of striped pantaloons with the bottom portion of a person still in them. "Wh..What the? What? Oh it was myself."

*SNAP*

Releasing the person from its grasp, the line snapped. Zoro and I shrugged at each other and went to investigate, peering over the top of the wall while standing on some small statue-like object. On the other side of the wall, was a pink-skinned man with a long trumpet-like mouth, six muscled and tentacle-like arms coming from its torso.

"Truly my gusto is East Blue's best." He said, before peering to the side with an inquisitive look. "Anything strange?" he asked.

"Define strange?" I asked.

Swinging his head up towards us, a look of surprise in his face. "Huh? Who the heck are you?" He shouted, teeth clenched and eyes wide. His face soon turned the opposite, resembling a kid who needs to introduce himself. "M-me? I'm Hatchan. Call me Hatchi." He said as he performed various poses.

"Nice to meet ya, Hatchan. We're guests of Arlong's." I said, wanting to skip the pleasantries. Before Zoro could object, I elbowed him in the side sending looks to the area we had just fought in.

"Yeah, guests." Zoro repeated.

"Ah…but you know Arlong-san is not here right now, right?" Hatchi replied.

"Yeah, could you take us to him, we need to talk with him." I said, lifting myself from the wall.

"Ahhhh….he's currently in Cocoyashi chasing some weird long-nosed guy…they say there's another uppity human caught and held here though." He declared, scratching his trumpet-mouth. "Arlong-san should still be there, so hop in." He gestured towards the floating jar near him. "I'll take you right to him, swordsman and beret."

After me and Zoro hopped in Hatchi speed off. And a few minutes later we were at a dock getting off.

"Arlong-san should be around here." Hatchi said, turning back towards the water.

"Thanks." I said to him.

"Yeah, thanks." was Zoro's reply.

"Don't mention it, later." He waved goodbye and dove into the water, re-strapping the jar on his back and began swimming. As we walked forward, he shouted at us. "Oui! I never got your names! My name? Its Hatchan. Come again!" and away he went.

"Strange guy…" Zoro stated with a smile.

"Yeah, but can you name one person you know who is normal?" I asked.

Zoro gave out a light chuckle. "Good point."

"So, correct me if I'm wrong, but your the famous Roronoa Zoro, correct?" I asked.

"How did you know that?" Zoro asked.

"I've heard that Zoro is a swordsman with green hair. No a lot of people with that hair color." I said.

"True."

We kept running for a bit till I heard soemthing crash not to far off.

I stopped dead in my tracks. "Hey, Zoro I'd stop if I was you!" I called out to him.

"Huh? Why would I..." his question was cut off.

"YO! ZORO!"

Poor Zoro didn't even know what hit him, literally! A green-striped boat came barreling through the forest and caught him right on the bow. Sighing a breath and stifling my laughter, I followed the swath of destruction the boat caused from landing into a batch of rice patties, seeing the dust settle as it crashed headfirst into a nearby hill. Avoiding the falling debris as I jogged along to catch up, I heard Zoro's shouting coming from the wreckage as I neared. Jumping upon the ruined cabin of the ship, I was met with sight of a black-haired, straw hat wearing, lean boy and a blonde-haired, suit-bearing lad with a cigarette in his mouth. I could only laugh at not only their appearance, but how it had come to this.

"Hahahahaha! I'm glad I'm not you!" I shouted out.

"Oi Zoro...you know this guy?" Luffy asked.

"Vladamire Cortez is my name, adventuring is my game." I said as I introduced myself.

Luffy just had a large grin on his face, laughing at my introduction. "Shishishi! My name's Luffy, this is Zoro and Sanji we're pirates." he told me.

During this point Yosaku dug his way out of the wreckage.

"Oui, Zoro, where are Usopp and Johnny?" Luffy asked as he turned towards Zoro.

"Usopp?...That's right! This isn't time to be messing around!" Zoro replied, "He was caught by Arlong. If we don't hurry, he'll be killed."

"He's dead." Came a broken and battered voice.

"What?" Everyone, but me shouted.

A dirty and bruised Johnny fell to his knees as he talked, "It's too late….Usopp-aniki is dead…He was killed!" Pounding his fist on the ground, Johnny continued sobbing, "BY NAMI-ANEKI!"

The shock was evident upon all their faces, not wanting to interrupt the tale, I merely sat upon a bench-like portion of the ruined mast. Apparently Johnny had the same idea as he sat criss-crossed upon the ground when he continued. "Yeah…it's horrible….that women's a witch! In order to obtain some hidden treasure in Cocoyashi Village for herself, she was kissing up to Arlong!" He bent over, a hand resting on the ground in front of him to support himself. "And for that purpose, she killed without thinking about it…She's a rotten-hearted low-life! We've been fooled this entire time!"

"BASTARD!" Luffy had grabbed a hold on Johnny by the collar and was looking him straight in the eye, yelling "Say that one more time and I'll kill you!"

"Stop it Luffy…this has nothing to do with Johnny." Zoro interjected, coming beside Luffy.

"You don't have to believe me…but I saw it with my own eyes! I saw what she did to Usopp-aniki!" Johnny cried out, still firm in Luffy's grasp.

"You're making crap up!" Luffy retaliated, "There's no way Nami would kill Usopp! We're nakama!"

"Who's nakama, Luffy?" At this point, I noticed a familiar figure in green approach us, her arms crossed on her belly. Nami held her staff in her elbow, a stern and unwelcoming expression over her face.

"Nami!" Dropping Johnny, Luffy turned to face Nami.

I tuned out most of the conversation that was going on until a certain part made tune back in.

"It wasn't until Roronoa Zoro and some mysterious guy with a black beret and a soul patch did something stupid…and I'm guessing that that would be you on the mast." Nami said sending a glare in my direction.

"Would you believe I was a tourist that got lost?" I asked her with a smirk.

I heard a what sounded like a chuckle from Zoro and Nami went back to ranting. Which, I paid no mind to.

After a few minutes Nami left, Luffy was splayed out on the road, and the other two were just lounging around.

A few minuted went by until Sanji spoke up.

"Why was she crying earlier?"

Zoro gave a guff, and replied, "That woman…crying?"

"She was crying in her heart."

"Keh. What? Crying tears of guilt for killing Usopp?" Zoro replied.

I hoped off the mast and made my to the road that Luffy was on. Ignoring the fight going on between Zoro and Sanji.

*Blam*

I turned around just in time to see Usopp get his head smashed between Zoro and Sanji's attacks.

It was so funny I feel on the ground laughing my ass off. And my laughing woke Luffy up from his nap.

"Eh? What's going on?" he asked groggily. It was at this point he noticed Usopp. "Ah! Usopp, did Nami do this!?"

I finally stopped laughing enough to answer Luffy. "No, it was Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb over there." I told him pointing to Zoro and Sanji.

"What was that!?" they both shouted at me.

"Luffy…you're here!" Usopp said, relief in his voice.

"Yo, I'm here too, remember me? From the restaurant?" Sanji added in.

"I SHOULD KILL YOU!" The sniper yelled, it was his attention shifted to me as I meandered over from where Luffy was napping. "Eh? Who are you?"

"Cortez, adventurer." I answered.

"Yosh! I'm Captain Usopp! Pleasure to meet you!" He cried, puffing his chest out, I simply nodded my head in acknowledgement and left them to continue their discussion about Nami as I leaned against a tree on the road.

A few minutes later I noticed Nojiko was walking towards us.

'Aw, crap.' I thought.

'Yeah, she looks pretty pissed.' Morgan added in.

And pissed she was cause she stopped her way towards me before even going up to Luffy and the others.

"You!" she shouted as she socked him on the back of the head. "I should have know you would do something stupid!"

"Who's she?" Luffy asked bluntly.

Nojiko introduced herself and informed us she was Nami's sister and how it was useless to try and stop Arlong.

"Why is it 'useless'?" Zoro piped up.

"I'm telling you now…don't interfere anymore than you have. Leaven Nami alone." She stated coldly, a hand on her hip and coldness in her eyes. "And I'll tell you the reason why…but once I do so, you need to leave this island."

"Is it about why she is with the fishmen?" Usopp asked.

"Yes."

"Pass." Luffy again blurted abruptly, heading down the path Nojiko had just come from. "I don't really care about her past…I'm gonna go on a walk."

"I think I'm going to walk as well." I said.

'Why are going for a walk?' Morgan asked.

'Need to have a clear head for when I go help Luffy fight Arlong.'

'Why would you do that?'

'For three resons. First, I want to join his crew and helping him is the best way to do that. Second, I have to repay Nojiko for all she has done for me.'

'And the Third reson?'

'It's the right thing to do.'

I hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter.

Now, don't forget to review or ask any questions you might have.

Oh, and another thing, I'm going to need an allias for Cortez for when he gets his bounty, so if any of you guys have an idea for one I'd really appreciate it if you left that in a review. (I suck at nicknames, so that's why I need help.)