Next chapter up! Every time I post one I think, we're getting closer to the Baratie and jealous Zoro and then I get excited.

I hope you enjoy and I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I'm done.

Thank you for all the fantastic reviews! I really cherish them! You guys really rock!

Thank you Shirani-Chan, dante stigma.5, Vampchick2010, jadecraze, and Kaima.

This is not completely my story. Some conversations and parts have been borrowed from other Fem!Luffy and LuffyxZoro fanfictions. However, most of this has been completely redone and rewritten by me.

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

Expose the Plot! Pirate Butler, Captain Kuro

When explanations are hard to produce. Lie after lie comes shining through, truth gets locked away for reasons only known to yourself. Truth may hurt but the lie hurts more, one lie to cover another. What was the first lie? Can you remember? So much hurt and too many lies. What's the truth? Will I ever know? Can I ever separate the two?...by Louise Witwit.

At the field Zoro, Nami, and the Usopp Pirates were still relaxing and waiting for Usopp and Luffy to return from the coast. It was a peaceful moment with birds twittering and the wind rustling through the trees. Suddenly Zoro felt a cold shiver from his head to his feet. It startled him and he reached out and pulled Wado closer, his body tensing, as if readying for a fight as his eyes darted around the field. Some part of his mind screamed that something bad had happened and it had something to do with Luffy. Could Luffy be in trouble? His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword and his teeth clenched. Was she hurt? All he knew was that he needed to get to the coast... now!

"Captain sure is late," said Carrot breaking the silence, not noticing Zoro's tensed appearance.

"He must be more depressed than I thought," added Onion.

"Whenever he gets upset, he always heads for the coast and stares at the ocean." said Pepper. Zoro brought his legs underneath him, prepared to spring to his feet in a moment's notice, but staying still and listening to the others talk. He couldn't shake off the feeling that Luffy was in trouble and he had no idea where the feeling was coming from. It worried him slightly but his thoughts were interrupted when the kids yelled out.

"Captain!"

He looked up just in time to see Usopp running extremely fast towards them, an alarmed look on his face. His eyes widened and his heart clenched when he realized that Luffy wasn't with the long-nosed teen.

"Wait, isn't Luffy supposed to be with him?!" he asked, pushing himself to his feet, his hand tightening on the handle of his sword.

"Captain!" the Usopp Pirates yelled cheerfully, trying to catch his attention, but Usopp just ignored them as he ran past.

"Where's Luffy? Didn't she go to the coast with you?!" Nami asked, taking a half step forward, a little concerned at the look in Usopp's face. The teen just ignored her too and kept on running.

"You suppose he's still angry about having his father insulted and all?" She muttered, staring after the curly haired boy in bewilderment.

"I don't think so," Zoro answered, teeth clenched.

"He's right, I've never seen Captain Usopp like that." said Carrot.

"Ah, something must've happened." Pepper concluded.

"But what could have happened to him?" Onion added.

"Hey, do you know how to get to the coast?" Zoro inquired; he was really worried for Luffy's safety now. It wasn't like her to not be here. If Usopp was this upset she would have followed the boy, which meant that something was preventing her from coming. Zoro's eyes narrowed, if anyone had touched her he would personally deal with them. He glared down at the boys, who were still ignoring him.

"You guys think that something's happened?" asked Carrot, pulling the other two boys into a group huddle.

"Yeah, something must've happened at the coast." Pepper nodded.

"The Usopp Pirates will take action once again," said Onion excitedly.

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND TELL ME HOW TO GET TO THE COAST ALREADY!" Zoro yelled, finally fed up with being ignored and wanting to get to the coast as quickly as possible.

Once Usopp made it to his village, he started to shout louder than he ever shouted before, the lives of his beloved village and the people in it were at stake if he didn't warn them.

"PIRATES, PIRATES ARE HERE, I'M NOT KIDDING THIS TIME! PIRATES ARE REAL AND THEY ARE COMING, RUUUUUUNNN!" but his cries fell on deaf ears because none of them took even a second glance at him. His eyes twitched and he tried again.

"Please listen, tomorrow morning, the pirates will be attacking this place, everyone run. Please!" Nothing, not a single person was on the street, no windows cracked, no doors opened. No one was listening but he refused to give up.

"Please, this is not a lie, real pirates are coming, please." And then to his relief, every house's doors began to open and one by one villagers emerged. But his relief disappeared when he saw the looks on their faces and that they were carrying large forks, brooms, and other objects.

"Haven't you learned anything yet, when will your lies ever stop?"

"We had enough of your lies, it's time for your lies to end." Every one of them believed Usopp was doing one of his lie games again. Usopp quickly tried to reason with them, waving his hands in front of his face.

"No, it's not like that. This time I'm telling the truth," He insisted, however none of the villagers believed him. Instead they all gave him looks filled with mix of irritation and disappointment.

"Shut up, why should we believe you? Do you think we would fall for that?"

"If only you were trustworthy as Klahadore, then we might believe you." That remark seemed to stab him right through his chest and then he remembered what Kuro had said before.

"No matter what he says, his words won't reach them. After all, he is nothing but the village's liar" This was why Kuro didn't kill him when he had the chance. He knew that the villagers wouldn't believe a single word Usopp said and what was worse, they trusted Klahadore like he was their friend. Usopp gritted his teeth in frustration and cursed that slippery man to hell.

"Everyone, please listen to me this time. Real pirates are coming tomorrow morning to attack this village." he told them again, practically begging, but it only made them madder.

"If we had believed your stories, we would've abandoned our village several hundred times already."

"Please, believe me, you've got to hurry, I'm telling you the truth, you'll be killed if you don't leave, this is the truth."

"This time, we will catch you and teach you a lesson." The villagers advanced on Usopp, who was forced to take a few steps back. He gritted his teeth, not knowing what to do, before turning and running away from the angry mob.

"DAMN IT!" For the first time in his life, he regretted all the lies he had ever told the villagers. Because of that, no one would ever believe him. But there was still hope, he just had to get to Kaya. She was the only one who would believe him, Usopp was sure of that.

Meanwhile, Kaya was in her bedroom, clapping her hands together with joy at the sight before her. Her dear friend Merry had just returned from his trip and retrieved the present that she had ordered. Merry was a tall, formally dressed butler whose most distinguishing feature was his lamb-themed appearance. His hair was curly like a lamb's fleece and he had two lamb horns sticking out of it; his lips also resembled those of a lamb's and even his collar had a fleece around it. He held out the purple box to Kaya, who quickly grabbed it and opened it, revealing a pair of brand new glasses.

"These will do, won't they? These glasses were especially ordered from the next town over and I've just returned with them." said Merry.

"Yes, it's perfect. I'm sorry to have made you run all the way to the other town," Kaya replied, smiling apologetically at Merry.

"There is nothing to be sorry for Lady Kaya." The butler waved off her apology. "It has been a pleasure to serve and help, after all this is a present, isn't it?" Merry exclaimed with a smile, and she nodded.

"Tomorrow will be the 3rd anniversary of Klahadore's arrival to this mansion. He has been taking care of me all those years," Kaya said softly as she hugged the case.

"I'm sure that Klahadore will be very delighted." Merry reassured. Both were smiling happily, thankful that Klahadore had come and become part of their life, not knowing that very same person was about to betray them.

Zoro, Nami, Carrot, Onion, and Pepper had finally made it to the coast where Usopp usually went when upset, hoping they could find Luffy but she was nowhere in sight which worried Zoro even more.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Nami questioned, glancing around.

"Of course, this is where the Captain comes whenever he's troubled." Carrot answered, crossing his arms over his chest and nodding.

"It makes him feel good being here," said Onion.

"Yeah, but where is Luffy? I don't see her anywhere," said Pepper worried. Zoro frowned, eyes darting around the open area, hand still firmly grasping the hilt of his sword.

'Where could she have gone,' he wondered. 'Luffyko?'

Nami walked towards the edge of the cliff carefully, balancing herself as she stared out and down at the ground below.

"This place is pretty steep," she mumbled to herself, moving as cautiously as she could.

"Nami, be careful there." Zoro spoke, not bothering to look at the orangette, his eyes continuing to dart around, looking for any sign of Luffy.

"Alright." As she moved to slowly back away, her eyes caught a flash of red on the shore beneath her. Nami looked closer, her eyes widening and one hand flying to cover her mouth as she gasped in horror.

"LUFFY!"

Everyone turned their heads in surprise, Zoro's heart clenching at the tone in Nami's voice. He and the boys quickly rushed to where she was standing and followed her gaze to the shore, gasping at the sight before them. Luffy lay at the base of the cliff, crumpled and surrounded by piles of rocks, looking for all the world like she was dead. Her hat had fallen from her head and lay nearby, fluttering slightly in the wind and water from the coming tide gently lapped at her feet. Zoro continued to stare down at the girl, his mind seeming to not comprehend the sight before him, but his chest clenching in agony.

'No, it can't be... This isn't happening…Luffy…Luffy…'

"LUFFY!" He screamed, pushing past Nami as he moved to the edge of the cliff, finding a steep but solid portion that he could slide down. Rocks and dust tumbled down around him as he slid down the rocky slope, nearly loosing his balance a few times in his haste to get to his captain. Once he reached her though, he stopped, frozen in place. His body felt numb and his blood ran cold as he gazed at the lifeless raven-haired girl, watching the wind ruffle her short hair.

'No... No! Why do I have to lose another one?!…not her…please, anything but her.' He shut his eyes tightly, unable to stare at her peaceful face and felt tears begin to prick at the corners of his eyelids. He hadn't cried since that time but he couldn't seem to stop himself and his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his whole body shaking.

"She's alive!"

The words broke through the haze forming in Zoro's mind and his eyes snapped open with a gasp. He stared down at Nami, who had followed him down the cliffside and was currently checking the raven-haired girl over. The orangette placed her fingers to Luffy's neck, trying to feel her pulse, wanting to be right, to erase that defeated look from Zoro's face. The swordsman watched Nami work, his chest swelling with hope and he cleared his throat in an effort to mask the emotion in his tone before finally asking.

"What?"

"She's alive. The fall didn't kill her but the impact must have caused her to fall unconscious." Nami explained, sighing in relief. Zoro quickly dropped to his knees on Luffy's other side and reached out, resting one hand on her covered stomach and the other on her head, hands shaking with relief. He clenched the hand on her stomach into a fist in an effort to stop the shaking and let out a relieved chuckle.

"She's okay, thank goodness." Pepper exclaimed, the boys finally making their way to the teens, having taken the longer and safer way down to the beach.

"I'm glad." Carrot added. Luffy had been nice to them, he was happy she was still alive.

"But how did she survive that fall?" asked Onion bewildered. Now that he was thinking clearly, Zoro thought he might have an idea. He had never really asked Luffy about the specifics of her devil fruit power but if she could reflect a cannonball then maybe she could survive a long fall. He was drawn out of his thoughts when a soft whimper came from beneath him and he glanced down in time to see Luffy's eyes slowly flutter open as she regained consciousness.

"Ow, my head hurts," she hissed, lifting one hand to massage at her head as she tried to sit up using her other. Zoro's hands were there as she did, helping the warm and very much alive girl into a sitting position. It was then that Luffy took notice of all of the people surrounding her.

"What's going on guys?" She asked tilting her head, slightly confused. "What are you staring at me for?"

Before anyone could reply, Zoro's arms wrapped around her and yanked the small girl into his lap, clutching her to him. He lay his forehead on her shoulder and chuckled slightly in relief, feeling a lot calmer now that Luffy was awake and returning his hug. After another second, he pulled back, placing his hands on Luffy's shoulders and forcing her to stare at him. When she tilted her head at him curiously, he grinned and she mirrored his smile.

"You scared us Captain," he said, squeezing her shoulders once more before releasing the she-pirate.

Luffy opened her mouth to reply but froze when she remembered what had happened right before she fell asleep. Her eyes widened and a hand moved to cover her mouth.

"Oh no!" She breathed, glancing around, growing more worried when she didn't see the curly haired teen. "Where's Usopp?! Something bad is going to happen!"

Outside the mansion wall, Usopp was panting hard after running away from the angry mob. He was frustrated that no one in his village seemed to believe him but what mattered now was Kaya. She was in more danger than the villagers and warning her was the most important thing in his mind. He took one last gulp of breath, readying himself, and quickly removed the hedge block that he used to sneak inside the mansion grounds. He tossed it to the side, not caring where it landed and made his way to Kaya's window.

Kaya was on her bed reading a medical book in peace, when a small rock hit her window. She was startled by it but relaxed when she realized who it was, Usopp had come back. She got up from bed and opened the window and smiled at Usopp.

"Oh Usopp, I'm so relieved that you're alright," she said, but her smile has disappeared when she saw the grim look on his face, she thought he was still angry at Klahadore but she didn't expect what Usopp just said.

"Kaya, you need to run before you'll get killed."

"What are you talking about Usopp?"

"You've been double-crossed, Klahadore is actually a pirate." And then silence befall on them till Kaya spoke.

"Wait a minute; is this part of your story?"

"This is not story. I heard it with my own two ears, Klahadore is a real pirate. He became your butler for the past three years just to get your fortune, don't you see Kaya…he betrayed you so he can have all your fortune to himself." As he spoke, Kaya stared at Usopp seriously, trying to find out if this was really a joke.

"What are you talking about, Usopp?"

"I heard him talking to an old crew member, saying that they were coming to kill you." Kaya's hands fisted in her lap as Usopp continued to talk bad things about Klahadore. She had never seen Usopp act this way before and it was making her upset with him.

"He's a cold-blooded killer! You need to hurry and escape!" Usopp instructed, wanting her to move now, before it was too late. Kaya just looked up and stared right into Usopp's eyes and said.

"I know what he said was harsh and cruel…but to lie like this…this is not like you, Usopp!" Usopp's heart clenched at her words. First, the villagers didn't believe him, and now Kaya too.

"No, I'm not lying," then he started to shake. It hurt to hear that the one person he loved more than anything doubted him. It hurt so much that he couldn't breathe, he could barely force his words out.

"I'm telling the truth…I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!"

"WHHHHHHAAAA~ Kaya will be killed? The village will be attacked? Is this for real?" The Usopp pirates screamed after Luffy explained why she was so worried about Usopp.

"Yup, that's what they said, no doubt about it." she nodded, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against Zoro's chest. Since she had woken up, her second-in-command had forced her to remain sitting, letting the small girl use him as a sort of recliner. Nami had arched her eyebrow at Zoro when the swordsman pulled the she-pirate into his lap and forced her to rest against him.

Though Nami couldn't really blame the green-haired man. She had seen his face when he thought Luffy was dead, he needed this contact with her, it didn't mean that she wouldn't tease him endlessly about it later though.

"As we thought, Klahadore is an evil person," said Carrot.

"No wonder he was so creepy." Pepper spoke.

"This must be the reason why Captain ran like crazy towards the village," Onion said, glancing over his shoulder at the village.

"Aren't you guys relived to have heard all this beforehand. Now we can escape before they can attack, they got careless." Nami stated, relieved.

"Yeah, she's right, we should make run for it too!" said Carrot.

"Yeah, we should just take the important stuff," Pepper stated.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Onion agreed, the three all nodding in unison before turning to run back towards their homes.

"Freeze" Luffy cried, throwing herself out of Zoro's lap and stretching her arm out to stop the three boys from going any further.

"We aren't going to run away. Usopp is probably on his way to the village to warn them and even if they did escape I doubt that jerk and his weirdo friend are going to let you and the others live, so first we will find Usopp and then we will fight those pirates!" Luffy declared, snapping her arm back and grinning at the group.

"WHAT?" Nami and the Usopp Pirates screamed, their jaws dropping to the ground in shock. Zoro, quickly recovering from the sudden disappearance of Luffy's warmth against his chest, just smirked knowingly.

"I guess we'll fight then. It's been while since I fought and my swords are itching for a fight." He uttered, nodding at his captain, letting her know that he was behind whatever course she chose.

"Then it settled, let's go kick some pirate ass!" She yelled, grinning.

"Do we have to?" the others whined.

Meanwhile, Usopp stared at Kaya, a look of disbelief, hurt, and shock on his face. She didn't believe him, not a single word that he uttered. She thought he was doing nothing but lying to her, and that hurt him more than he thought anything could. Kaya, on the other hand, was watching her long nosed friend with a look of sadness on her pretty face.

"I-I really like…the stories that you made up, I loved them all. Why did you have to say such a thing?" she asked. Her vision swam in front of her face, Kaya starting to feel a little lightheaded, her legs turning to jelly. She braced one hand on the windowsill, about to fall, but Usopp saw he movement and caught her. His arm snaked around her waist, holding her close while his other braced against the window frame.

"Kaya, listen to me, I didn't say any of this to get revenge on Klahadore," he insisted, trying to assure her that his words meant nothing like that.

"Then…why would…"

"Kaya I…" before he could say another word, the bedroom door burst open and Merry entered, a vexed look on the man's normally calm face.

"Lady Kaya, are you alright?"

Merry gasped when he saw Usopp holding onto his lady. He quickly brought out a revolver that he had decided to carry just while the other servants were away. Usopp saw the flash of metal and placed his other arm around Kaya, jumping down from her window. With the agility of a cat he landed on his usual branch and then quickly jumped down to the ground, landing safely on his feet, Kaya held securely in his arms.

Once he landed, he set Kaya gently on her feet, turning just in time to see three bodyguards with guns ready and loaded, aiming at him. But Usopp was prepared, he drew out his slingshot and with an accuracy he inherited from his father, knocked down the three men.

Kaya watched the whole thing unfold before her with horror. Why was Usopp doing this? Why was he hurting them? What in the world had gotten into her friend?! Her voice wouldn't work though. She couldn't make the questions come as she watched the long-nosed teen battle with a fury that reminded her of the tales of... pirates. It couldn't be that what Klahadore said was true? That Usopp was nothing but a pirate who cared only for himself and that he was only after her fortune, it couldn't be that Klahadore's harsh judgment had been right?

Once Usopp had taken down the last of the bodyguards, he ran back towards Kaya and grabbed her wrist.

"Come, let's go," Usopp insisted, trying to get her to follow him, but Kaya refused to move.

"Once tomorrow comes, you'll believe me. But for now, we need to leave. Please Kaya, you need to listen to me…"

Slap

Usopp's already cracked heart broke in a single instant when Kaya…his Kaya slapped him across the face. His cheek would be bruised later but he ignored the stinging pain, the real heartache coming from the fact that Kaya had turned away from him. She was refusing to look at him but he could clearly see her face…her expression marred with disappointment.

"What you are doing…is despicable," she muttered coldly. Usopp could no longer feel anything, the only thing he felt was the silence in his chest, where his heart felt like it was no longer beating. Then Merry rounded the corner and took aim at Usopp with his revolver.

"Leave Lady Kaya alone." Usopp was brought out of his thoughts at Merry's shout and he dropped Kaya's arm, turning to run away. Merry followed Usopp's movement, his target sighted and prepared to fire but before he could shoot, Kaya stepped in front of him.

"NO, DON'T!" Merry gasped and he quickly twitched his arm to the side, averting his aim away from his lady as his shot fired. Usopp cringed at the throbbing pain that suddenly bloomed on his left arm and he stumbled, feet tangling in a tree root. He quickly forced himself to his feet, covering the wound on his arm with his other hand as he turned to take one last look at Kaya. His expression was broken and he appeared to be fighting back tears as he turned away and ran off. To make things worse, Merry had stopped the approaching villagers and told them about him and what he had done. Usopp ran out of the village as the villagers continued to chase him.

'Why...won't anyone believe me...why didn't you believe me…Kaya!'

The sun was finally beginning to set, signaling the end the day as Usopp walked aimlessly through the woods. He had finally managed to get away from the villagers and, while holding his bleeding arm, he walked along the path reminiscing on a fond memory from when he first came to help Kaya.

*Flashback*

"Who are you" the young, blonde lady was startled at his sudden appearance.

"I'm Usopp, brave warrior of the sea. You have seemed unhappy lately, so I came by to cheer you up."

"I don't know why you are here, but it's wrong to meddle other people's affair, so please leave."

"Don't make such a fuss out of all of this, I'll just take a little of your time. Let me tell about the time I saved a whale from the North Blue when I was three years old."

"A whale?"

"That's right, a very large whale, his throat was hurting so I explored inside it, but he mistook me as its food," Kaya began to laugh in excitement at the silly story and insisted he keep going, waving her hands for emphasis.

*End Flashback*

The tears Usopp had tried to hold back overflowed and he began to cry at the memory, turning back to glance sorrowfully at his village through watery eyes. He knew that there would be nothing left of his village once the pirates came tomorrow and Kaya would be…he bit his lower lip as more tears ran down on his cheeks. What was he supposed to do now?

"CAPTAIN!" Usopp looked up from where he had been staring at his feet to see his fellow crew members waving at him from the crest of the hill. He quickly wiped away his tears and hid his injured arm behind his back before putting on a confident smile as they approached.

"Oh hey, guys!" He called, noticing that Zoro and Nami were with his crew. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped in shock when he noticed the raven-haired girl being held semi-possessively behind the swordsman. She tilted her head at Usopp's stare and waved, clearly alive. Usopp quickly ran towards her and asked.

"Hey, you're still alive?"

"Alive? Of course, I'm alive, why wouldn't I be?" Luffy asked, smiling cluelessly.

"She was okay Captain, just asleep," Carrot explained. "But Luffy explained what happened."

"We need get to the village and warn everyone," said Onion.

"Warn…everyone." Usopp repeated, the blood draining from his face as he remembered the villagers' words.

"Despicable."

"Shut up, why should we believe you? Do you think we would fall for that?"

"If only you were as trustworthy as Klahadore, then we might believe you!" His body began to shake, his mind in turmoil as he remembered those words. Luffy and the others watched him, a little worried, when all of a sudden, Usopp started to laugh.

"It was a lie, like I always do. I was so pissed at that Klahadore so I went around saying he was a pirate." he continued to laugh, the Usopp pirates laughing with him.

"Ah, I get it," said Pepper.

"Even Luffy was fooled by Captain," Carrot said, his tone impressed. As the three laughed they one by one began to walk away from the group.

"Hey, where are you guys going?" Usopp asked, flinching when they turned back to look at him and he could see the disappointed looks on his Crew's faces.

"I'm starting to lose respect for you, Captain." said Carrot, sighing.

"Me too!" exclaimed Pepper.

"Me three! Even though the butler was bad, we never would've thought that you use your lies to hurt others," Onion finished, turning away from Usopp's sad face. "…to think we used to look up to you, Captain." They crested the ridge, walking out of sight and leaving behind a heartbroken Usopp and the Straw Hat crew.

Night time had come and the four teens had made their way back to the shore where Luffy had fallen. Usopp clenched his teeth as Nami tended his wound using antibiotic ointment and Luffy's green goo. Once that was done, she wrapped a bandage around Usopp's forearm and tied it tightly.

"Okay, it's done."

"So mind telling me why you lied to them?" Luffy asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared down at the long nosed teen.

"Coz I'm a liar, no one would believe me in the first place. I was too naïve," he cursed, clenching his fists against the rock he sat on.

"Even if you are naïve, the truth is still the truth." Zoro said, keeping one eye on Luffy. He had almost lost her once today, he would be keeping an eye on her from now on. Apparently, his captain could find trouble even on a peaceful island like this.

"Those pirates are really gonna attack, right?" asked Nami worriedly.

"Yeah, there's no doubt that they'll be coming but everyone thinks it's one of my lies. Everyone thinks that tomorrow will be just like any ordinary day." Usopp sighed. He looked down at his feet as his shoulders shook before he lifted his head up.

"But I will stop those pirates at the coast and make sure it was just a lie!" He insisted, his eyes narrowing with determination. "This is my duty as a liar, even though they shot my arm 'sniff' chased me out of the village 'sob' this is still my village, I love this village! 'sob' I want to protect everyone!" Usopp began to cry again and Zoro smirked as he watched the other teen.

"Never thought that you were that kind of a guy, ditching your friends so that you could face the enemy by yourself," he chuckled, resting an arm on his swords.

"Let me get this straight, all of the pirate's treasures will be mine." Nami said cockily, pointing first at Usopp and then at Luffy and Zoro.

"Alright," Luffy nodded at her navigator before turning back to Usopp. "We will lend you a hand." She cracked her knuckles and grinned at the long nosed sniper.

"You guys are…willing to fight beside me? Why?" he asked, bewildered.

"Because they have more pirates and you going to need all the help you can get…and you're shaking like a leaf." Luffy giggled, eying Usopp's shaking legs pointedly. Usopp stood up quickly and declared.

"M-me scared? Don't be ridiculous, it doesn't matter how many there are, its fine by me for I'm Captain Usopp, the brave warrior of the sea!" Even after he said it, his legs wouldn't stop shaking. He cursed himself and slammed a closed fist into one leg.

"Okay okay, maybe I'm a little scared but this is the Black Cat pirates we're talking about! I heard they killed a lot of people." He glared at Luffy, causing Zoro to frown at him slightly as he continued. "But I will fight and I don't need anyone's sympathy, so go away!"

"You think we're joking?" Zoro scoffed, relaxing slightly. "We're helping you coz' we admired your courage."

"If it was sympathy, would we put our lives at risk?" Luffy asked with a grin, tilting her head almost childishly.

Usopp stared at the three of them, a shocked and bewildered expression on his face, and he began to tear up again. He silently thanked the heavens that Luffy and her crew had shown up when they had. He was so lucky to have met such wonderful people.

"Damn it…you guys." It was settled, they would begin their plan to stop the Black Cat Pirates with Usopp's help. They would do whatever they could to stop the pirates from reaching the village even if they were torn limb from limb. They would fight to the death.

Syrup village was finally starting to calm down after the hectic day that had just passed. Many of the villagers had turned in for the night, letting their weariness take them to dream land, no fear or worry of the future invading their thoughts. All were unaware that a silent specter in a black butler suit currently stalked silently along the empty street. Normally, the villagers would just think that he was taking a stroll like any normal person, but the menacing and terrifying look on his face, an expression that promised pain and death to all that approached him, said otherwise.

Stopping at the edge of the village, Klahadore, or Captain Kuro, turned and took one last look at the small town. The village that had made him a part of it's community, made him one of them, but by dawn tomorrow there would be nothing left of this village or its people. Once he killed the brat and took her fortune, he could finally settle down with peace in his mind.

He smirked at the thought; everything was in place and he was finally ready to take what he had been patiently waiting for. It was true what they said "Patience is a virtue".

In the meantime, Usopp was currently telling Luffy, Zoro, and Nami of his plan to stop the Black Cat pirates. The only way for them to get into the village was to go past the rocky slope and cliff that they currently sat on and Usopp had a fool proof plan to deal with them.

"Listen, they're planning to attack the village tomorrow morning from this very coast," Usopp said as he and the others walked along the slope.

"However, this is the only route that leads to the village, the rest are cliffs, which makes this village pretty defensible. There's no other way to attack. In other words, if we hold firm on this slope the village won't be attacked." Usopp described his plan.

"I see, that sounds simple enough," said Luffy, walking across the top of a pile of rocks like she was on a balance beam. Zoro walked next to her, one hand resting against her lower back and providing some form of stability for her balancing act.

"Talking is easy, but we'll need true strength for the battle. What're you guys capable of?" Usopp asked, stopping and turning to face the others.

"Slicing."

"Stretching."

"Stealing."

"And I'll be hiding."

"YOU WILL BE FIGHTING!" They all yelled, Luffy jumping down from her perch so she could pinch Usopp's cheek like she had done to Zoro before, and boy, she pinched hard.

"Just joking, I'll back you guys up 'ow' would you please stop pinching my cheek!"

Inside Kaya's mansion, everything was quiet except the ticking sound of the grandfather clock echoing through the halls. Beyond those halls, in the servants quarters, Klahadore and Merry were having a late night chat, the head butler having returned from his trip.

Merry was on top of a ladder, polishing the chandelier as he told Klahadore of what had happened while he was away for business. He told him that Usopp had gone mad and caused a lot trouble for both Kaya and the villagers. It pained Merry's heart to see the boy his Lady trusted having gone wild and that he would go so far to hurt her. It truly pained him and Kaya.

"It's sad, really, I still can't believe that Usopp would do something so frightful. Even the villagers couldn't believe it." Merry sighed sadly as he polished the final edges of the chandelier.

"How is Lady Kaya?" Klahadore asked in a fake worried tone.

"She was shocked but has since calmed down. She's already asleep," Merry replied. "She appeared to be exhausted." Klahadore untied his tie as he walked to the window, adopting a thinking expression.

"I would've never thought such a thing would happen while I was away. I knew that Usopp was nothing but trouble," said Klahadore.

"I guess you were right about him, but what's funny though is that he claimed you were a pirate. Such a ridiculous idea," Merry chuckled, Klahadore joining in on his laughter as he stared at his reflection in the window. He was actually laughing at Merry's folly though, no one realized that Usopp's words were actually true.

'What fools'

"It surely is." Then Klahadore noticed a wrapped rectangle box lying innocently on the table next to his bed. He picked it up and turned to Merry.

"Is this…?" He asked, trailing off.

"That's a present from Lady Kaya to you. It has been three long years since you've been a part of this house, and it's an anniversary gift." Merry answered.

"Anniversary…"

"It seem your glasses slip quite frequently, so Lady Kaya had this custom-made for you. She is really an attentive and considerate lady," Merry said happily, silently blessing the soul of his kind mistress. Klahadore wasted no time as he unwrapped the present and opened the box to see a pair of nice looking glasses fit just for him. He smirked, chuckling darkly as he pushed his current glasses up, adjusting them.

"Speaking of anniversaries, tomorrow will certainly be a day to remember," he said, more to himself than to Merry, and then he looked up at the moon shining brightly through the window.

"It's a crescent moon tonight, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Merry didn't quite understand where the other butler was going with his train of thought as he carefully climbed down from the ladder.

"A night like this makes my chest throb harder and my blood boil in excitement." Klahadore tipped his hand slightly and let the box and glasses fall to the ground before crushing them with the heel of his foot. Merry couldn't believe his eyes as he stared at his fellow butler in shock.

"Klahadore, what have you done to Lady Kaya's present!"

"I have accepted the present, but it's not just that, it's everything in this mansion!" He said as he turned around to face Merry and the other man gasped as he saw the…the scary look on Klahadore's face. He had never seen such a look on the man's face before and it was concerning him.

"W-what are you talking about?"

"There's no need for me to continue this act." Klahadore adjusted his glasses as he walked slowly up to a very alarmed Merry.

"In a few hours, an unexpected accident will occur." He continued, pulling out his weapon and sliding it on to his right hand. It was a furred glove with five steel blades at the tip of each finger and thumb.

"These three years have been way too long." Merry turned, calling wordlessly out for Kaya, needing to warn her, but before he could move, Klahadore's mighty blades slashed down, slicing into Merry's chest and causing blood to pour from the wounds and drip on the floor. Silently, Merry fell forward, as if in slow motion, and crumpled to the ground with a thud.

Klahadore stared down at his ex-companion with glee, it had been so long since he had had the pleasure to kill someone and soon, Kaya and the villagers would suffer the same fate as him.

In order to prepare for the coming battle, Nami had insisted that the four of them get up early in the morning in order to set their plan into motion. Which was why she and Usopp were currently trying to force themselves awake, fighting the persistent urge to go back to sleep. Usopp had forced himself into a sitting position, stretching numbly as he tried to force his eyes to stay open. As soon as he remembered his reason for waking up early and the images of angry, violent pirates invaded his thoughts, the long nosed teen was suddenly wide awake.

Nami, used to early wake ups and limited hours of sleep, was already awake and currently trying to get the dying embers of their fire going again. She turned at the sound of Usopp waking up and nodded at him as he made his way over to her.

"Where are Luffy and... Zoro?" Usopp asked, yawning halfway through his sentence. Nami gestured to Usopp's left and the sniper turned, eyes widening at the sight in front of him. Luffy and Zoro lay a few feet away from them, splayed out on the ground together, both out cold. Zoro was stretched out on his back, his legs spread and one arm being used as a makeshift pillow. The other arm was curled around Luffy's waist, clutching the small girl to his side, her face buried in his collarbone and her body resting snugly against his chest. One leg hand been thrown haphazardly over one of Zoro's and her hand rested on his chest, clutching her straw hat.

Usopp had to admit, they looked pretty cute, and very comfortable. The problem was, how would Nami and him wake up the two without getting stabbed by one of Zoro's swords. Nami followed Usopp's stare to the two and sighed, running her fingers through her hair in an effort to brush out the tangles.

"They're all yours, Usopp." She said, waving a hand dismissively. "I have to wake them up all the time. It's your turn."

Usopp grimaced and turned to pout at the orangette but the other teen refused to look at him and he eventually gave up, sighing. He pulled out a pinball from one of his pouches and, aiming carefully, attempted to toss it so that it would hit Luffy lightly on the forehead. He had miscalculated the distance though and the metal ball ended up slamming into one of Zoro's eyelids.

The green haired teen's eyes snapped open and he leveled a glare at Usopp, who scrambled backwards and away from the dark and threatening aura emitting from the swordsman.

"Get your lazy ass up," Nami yelled from the fire, and Usopp breathed a sigh of relief when Zoro's murderous glare turned to the other teen and darkened, no longer focused on himself. Grumbling, Zoro forced himself into a sitting position, maneuvering Luffy so that she was resting comfortably in his lap. He knew the she-pirate would wake up soon from all the movement. He was finally starting to come to terms with the fact that waking up to Luffy in his arms was going to become a daily occurrence, and... he wasn't as bothered by that little fact as he felt like he should be. He frowned, trying to pinpoint where his thoughts had started to go when the girl in question squirmed against his chest, blinking herself lazily awake.

She stared up at Zoro, a small pout on her face, not completely happy with being woken up so early and Zoro grinned down at her. "Morning Lu."

"Morning... 'Ro," she yawned, stretching out her limbs before resting her head back against his chest, letting her eyes slip closed again. Zoro followed suit, completely content to fall back asleep sitting up when Luffy suddenly started in his lap, tackling her first mate to the ground.

"Zoro!" She yelled, grinning down at him happily, the very picture of excitement. "We get to beat up some pirates today! Get up!" She leapt off the swordsman and ran over to Usopp, pestering the other boy and asking if he had any food that she could eat, because obviously she couldn't fight without eating. Zoro just turned his head to watch her, still in a bit of shock at her sudden shout, one hand reaching out to make sure that his swords were still nearby. When his fingers brushed Wado's hilt he relaxed, watching his captain dance around the campfire excitedly, his lips crooking up into a fond smile.

'She really was something else,' he thought as he let himself slip back into sleep, a smile still on his face. They would wake him later when they needed him.

And there we go. Beginning of the fight starts next chapter with Luffy showing off some of her awesome attacks. I made up a new attack for her next chapter but I think its a plausible attack and I think I explained it pretty good so we shall see.

Thanks for the review on the timeline question dante stigma.5. I think I'm going to have Zoro fully realize and come to terms with his feelings starting at the end of this arc and into the baratie one which will lead to a lot of jealous moments with him and Sanji. I think Luffy will start to question her feelings after Zoro's fight with Mihawk with her realizing and accepting them during the Arlong arc. As for them getting together, we shall have to wait and see. :)

Thanks to everyone for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I shall have the next chapter up by next Wednesday at the latest!