Zoro slammed the front door of his car and rushed around to the other side to open the back passenger door, cursing to himself. "Damn it, damn it, damn it. He's so gonna kill me!" He stopped when he opened the door and saw the gentle smile on his little brother's face. "Hey buddy, we gotta be quick. I'm running really late today." He reached in and helped unbuckle the boy from his booster seat, then picked him up with a grunt and set him on the ground.

"That's because you drove to the wrong pool first and then you drove past the entrance to this one six times!" Chopper chirped, chewing the last bite of his rice krispie treat.

"I did not! The pools just swapped locations and that entrance definitely wasn't there yesterday." Zoro responded as he shut the door with his hip and ran to grab their things from the trunk. "Come on and grab your stuff."

"Admit it Zoro. You got lost again. We come here everyday, I don't get it!"

"You'll understand it when you're old enough to drive and have to get places by yourself instead of someone else taking you." Zoro opened the trunk and handed Chopper his little blue backpack before grabbing his own and slinging it over one shoulder.

Chopper stood frozen next to the car with a confused expression on his face, clutching his bag in his hands. "I don't think that's how it works."

"How would you know? You're only five." Zoro teased and reached out his free hand, offering it to Chopper. "Now come on short stuff. I really am running late and Mihawk is going to kill me."

Chopper put his backpack on and grabbed Zoro's hand with a skip in his step. "I'm not five! I'm five and a half!"

"Right. Sorry. Five and a half." Zoro laughed lightly. He swung his and Chopper's arms together as they quickly walked across the gravel parking lot to the pool's gate.

Perona looked up from her magazine when Zoro reached the check in window. "Zoro! You're late again!"

"Yeah yeah. I know! I'm so sorry. I swear the entrance changed location though." He apologized, reaching for the pen to sign in. He paused for a second and grimaced. "Mihawk hasn't noticed yet has he?"

"Of course he's noticed you weren't here! He's called Hawkeyes for a reason, you moron!" she shrieked. She slammed her magazine down on the desk.

"Shhhh keep your voice down, you harpy!" Zoro said, looking around wide eyed to make sure Mihawk hadn't noticed his arrival.

"Ugh I told you he already knows you're late. What does it matter? It's such an uncute habit, Zoro. People can't swim until you get here! It's bad for our rep!"

"Then why don't you lifeguard morning shift instead then, hmm?"

Perona looked at him, scandalized. "As if I want to sit in the gross hot sun and actually get a tan! Being pale is part of my look and tan lines are so uncute."

Chopper stood on tiptoes and peeked his head over the top of the counter. "I like your look Miss Perona. I think you are very pretty."

"OOH CHOPPER!" Perona squealed. "You are just the cutest, most sweetest thing! Unlike, your brother over there."

Chopper looked at Zoro with a smug expression on his face and stuck out his tongue.

Zoro face palmed, then stuck out his other hand to Perona. "Just give me my walkie and I'll get my 'uncute' face out of your way."

"I'm glad you understand. Here you go." Perona handed him his walkie talkie. "Don't put it in your pockets this time."

Zoro picked Chopper up and hiked him onto his hip. "Yeah yeah I won't. See ya Perona."

"Bye Chopper!"

They left the gate and entered the swim club. Zoro stood for a moment, looking around for danger. Not seeing Mihawk in the immediate vicinity, he made a run for the stairs on the far end of the lower pool. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a loud voice boomed through a megaphone.

"I see you Zoro." Mihawk threatened. "No running!"

"Dammit!" Zoro hissed as he came to a stop. He looked over at Mihawk and gave a slight wave. "Hey." Chopper squirmed a bit in his arms, uncomfortable under Mihawk's piercing gaze.

"Don't just stand there. You're late. Get to work, we'll discuss this later." Mihawk put down his megaphone and went back to observing the pool, ignoring Zoro's presence. Zoro heard a snigger from the check in booth, but just rolled his eyes and continued on to the upper pool.

He took the stairs two at a time, trying to reach the pool as quickly as he could. When he reached the top, he placed his brother back on the ground and knelt down to look him in the eyes. "Hey buddy. How about you pick where we set up today?"

'OKAY!" Chopper said with glee. He immediately began scanning the pool area looking for the best spot. His eyes stop at a sunny corner of the pool by the diving board, next to a pair of dark haired boys. "How 'bout that one?" he said pointing at the lounge chair.

Zoro followed where Chopper's finger was pointing, shielding his eyes from the sun with a hand. "Hmmm… looks good to me." He stood up and retook Chopper's hand as they walked over to the seat. Once there, he approached the two boys to make sure the seat was free. "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

"Nope, nope, go right ahead."

"Thanks."

Zoro set down his bag and helped his brother shrug his off his shoulders, then began rummaging through it for some sunscreen. The search was interrupted by a tiny hand shoving a tube of SPF 30 under his nose.

"It was in my bag because I was worried you would forget." Chopper said as he handed the tube off to his older brother.

Zoro took the tube and squirted some on his hands. "Thanks, little man. Now let me help you with that." He wriggled his fingers at Chopper then grabbed him around the middle to tickle him.

Chopper let out squeals of joy while half heartedly trying to push Zoro off of him. "Ah Zoro! Stop!" He managed through the giggles. "It's cold!"

"When's he gonna get here?" Luffy whined to Sabo, as he dropped himself into a chair. All around the pool, people were equally slumped in lounge chairs or sitting at the edge with their feet in the water with bored expressions on their faces. A few chairs down, a pale redheaded man could be heard complaining to his heavily tattooed friend about how they should have just gone down to the lower pool instead.

"I don't know, Luffy," Sabo said. "I'm not psychic."

"Why do we even need to wait for him when there is already a lifeguard here?" Luffy gestured to the tired looking lifeguard watching from a tall chair next to the pool. He was a tan man with dark curly hair and a long nose, his arm propping his head up on the armrest. His nametag read 'Usopp.'

Sabo rubbed his temples wondering how he used to deal with this 24/7. "I already told you, Luffy. You need two lifeguards, incase something were to happen."

Koala gently pulled Sabo's hands away from his head. "How about we go put on our swimsuits now. So we'll be ready when the other guard finally gets here.

"Great idea babe." He kissed her forehead. "Ace, you're in charge of Luffy. Make sure he doesn't jump in the pool. Koala and I will be right back." He and Koala picked up their respective bags and walked off towards the bathroom hand in hand. Koala looked back at Ace and Luffy as she walked away.

"Behave!" she called with a smirk.

As soon as the two were out of sight, Luffy set his sights on Ace. Ace didn't even give him a chance. "Don't even think about it. We have to put sunscreen on anyway, idiot."

"I don't wanna."

"Well it doesn't matter what you want." Ace heaved himself out of the lounge chair he had been laying in and reached for Luffy's bag. Luffy reached for the bag too, grabbing it at the same time. "Luffy… let go of the bag. The sunscreen is in there." Ace tugged the bag towards him.

Luffy tugged it back. "I don't want to wear it."

"You have to or you'll get burnt." Ace said, pulling it back towards him.

"No I won't!"

The tug o' war was interrupted by shouting coming from the lower pool.

"I see you, Zoro! No Running!"

The brothers looked at each other in confusion, the bag hanging forgotten between them. "Ha! Sounds like someone else got in trouble for running like you Ace!" Luffy teased.

"Shut up Luffy."

"Don't just stand there. You're late. Get to work, we'll discuss this later." The voice came again.

"I wonder what that was about." Ace said.

"Hey! Maybe that's the other lifeguard and we can finally go swimming!" Luffy said throwing his hands in the air in excitement, dropping his side of the bag. Ace took the opportunity to grab the spray bottle of sunscreen and began to 'Shake well before use.'

Due to the commotion coming from the lower pool, nearly everyone was looking towards the stairs when a gorgeously muscled man with oddly green hair reached the top with a little kid in his arms.

Ace and Luffy watched as he placed the kid on the ground and knelt down to talk to him.

Holy Crap. He's an Adonis. Ace thought. He snuck a look at his brother and saw that his mouth was hanging open in a combination of shock and awe.

The kid pointed over towards the D. brothers and they saw the guy look over too. Ace gulped when he realized they were walking towards him and his brother.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Mr. Beautiful said.

"Nope nope, go right ahead." Ace stuttered, trying to remain cool. Luffy stood next to him unmoving, eyes huge. "Luffy, shut your mouth before you start catching flies." Ace planted a hand on top of Luffy's head and the other under his chin, and clamped his mouth shut for him.

"It was in my bag because I was worried you would forget." They hear the little boy say to the green haired guy as he handed him a tube of sunscreen.

"Thanks, little man. Now let me help you with that." He wriggled his fingers at the kid then began to tickle him all over. The kid squealed and a giant smile appeared on his face as he tried to wriggle out of the man's grasp.

"Ah Zoro! Stop! It's cold!"

Zoro stopped tickling the kid and instead, picked him up and dangled him upside down. "Oops, sorry Chopper." He said, a big grin appearing on his own face. "Does this help?"

"Zoro, you big dummy!" Chopper yelled. "Upside down doesn't warm up the sunscreen!" but the smile never wavered. Zoro gently flipped him right-side up and set him back down.

"Huh, you're right! Wow you're such a smarty."

"Shut up stupid jerk! That doesn't make me happy!"

'That kid sure looks happy though.' Ace thought as he watched Chopper dance around Zoro's feet. Luffy was watching the duo intently with a glow in his eyes.

"They're just like us!" he suddenly blurted out.

Ace had to do a double take. "Are you kidding? What part of that is anything like us? We're not that gooey."

"Well, they're brothers and they love each other."

"How do you know they're brothers?"

"I just do." Luffy said nonchalantly.

In the meantime, Zoro had finished helping Chopper apply his sunscreen. "My turn." He said as he took off his black tank top.

"Holy abs,!" someone whispered in awe as Zoro pulled his top off his muscled body and over his head, showing off his well toned stomach.

Other comments began to follow from people that had been watching him intently since he had shown up at the upper pool.

"He's hot AND good with kids!"

"I wonder if that's his son?"

"The kid looks like he could be about 4, young dad?"

"I wonder if he's seeing anyone." "With a body like that? mmmmm yum."

"Is he the lifeguard?" "He can't be the lifeguard. Come on. A lifeguard that hot? What is this a movie?"

"Isn't he supposed to be working?"

A blond man with curly eyebrows sauntered up to Zoro as he prepared to squeeze some lotion on his hands. "Hey Zoro, how are you doing on this gorgeous day?"

"What do you want?" Zoro asked, rolling his eyes. He squirted sunscreen on his hand and began massaging it into his pecs, tossing the tube to his little brother while he did.

"Would you like me to help you with your back?"

"Fuck off, Sanji. Chopper's going to help me today."

"Chopper? But aren't you doing his right now? I could do your back while you finish helping him."

"Nope." Zoro said, gesturing for Chopper to pass him the tube again so that he could lotion his legs. "We got everything but his face. Isn't that right, bud?"

"Yep!" Chopper chirped back.

"Well, he's five. He could miss a spot." Sanji said, grasping at straws.

"Five and a half!" Chopper said defiantly, stomping a foot.

Zoro whipped his head up from leaning down to reach his legs. "He could miss a spot? Him? What about you?" Zoro stood up and turned around to show Sanji his back. "Do you see my back right now?" He pointed indignantly over his shoulder at the giant red splotch in the middle of his back. "You did my back yesterday and look what happened!"

Chopper stuck out his tongue.

Sanji held up his hands in protest. "Hey, in my defense I was distracted."

"By what?" Zoro asked.

"Ummm…." Sanji scratched his head, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks. "Your shoulder muscles…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing, moss head!" Sanji yelled, before turning around and launching himself into the pool to hide his embarrassment.

"Oh no you don't!" Zoro yelled, running over to the edge of the pool after Sanji. "Usopp, blow your whistle for me." He called to the lifeguard already on duty. "Sanji, what the fuck! Get out of the pool!"

Sabo and Koala made their way back over towards Ace and Luffy, surprised to see the lifeguard on duty blowing his whistle until his face was red at a blond man in the pool and the previously missing green haired lifeguard running around the perimeter yelling at the swimmer.

"What's going on? We leave for five minutes and there's a fight?" Sabo asked.

"Did you two start it?" added Koala, putting her hands on her hips and raising a questioning eyebrow at the brothers.

"Nope! It was hot lifeguard over there." Luffy said, laughing at the scene in front of them. "The one flailing his arms at the blond guy in the pool. I think his name is Sanji."

Sabo was confused. "The lifeguard's name?"

Ace smacked Luffy in the back of the head. "Luffy, stop saying misleading things." He looked at Sabo. "No, the guy in the pool. The lifeguard is Zoro."

They paused and stared at the lifeguard in question as he yelled, "Get out of the pool, shitty curly brow! No one's allowed in until I'm in that chair and blow the whistle." He managed to get a hold of Sanji's shoulder as Sanji swam by him and yanked him out of the pool with a feat of amazing strength. Luffy and Ace gawked.

They were even more surprised when Zoro started walking towards them, leading a protesting and dripping wet Sanji by the shoulder. " Hey guys…" he began. "Would you mind watching my little brother behind you for maybe five minutes while I show this idiot to the exit?"

That's when Ace and Luffy suddenly remembered the little kid that the lifeguard had been with. Chopper was seated on the edge of the chair watching the events unfold. He gave a tiny wave when Zoro gestured towards him.

"Well aren't you a cutie!" Koala said. "Of course we'll watch him for you!"

"Great, thanks." Zoro said, sounding a bit relieved. "I'll be right back Chopper."

"Kay!"

"Alright, let's go curly." Zoro began steering Sanji towards the stairs.

"Come on you shitty moss! I didn't mean it!" Sanji protested, struggling a bit in Zoro's iron grip. "You don't have to kick me out"

"Yeah yeah. Take it up with Perona at the gate." was the last thing the group heard as the duo disappeared down the stairs.

"Anyway, you morons," Koala said turning away from the scene to the three brothers. "Put on your sunscreen. I can tell you didn't do it because you don't look greased up and I don't smell it."

This caught Luffy's attention. "Nooooooo Koala not you too!"

"Oh, I didn't realize we were taking sides on this. But yeah, I'm on team wear sunscreen so you don't get burned. Sabo, help me with my lotion"

"But, I've never even been burned before!"

"That's because you always wear sunscreen, you moron!" Ace scoffed.

Luffy crossed his arms and an angry, determined "The stupid sun's smiting and burning everyone. I'm going to go fight it and when I win, I won't need to wear sunscreen anymore."

"Luffy, you can't fight the sun."

"Yes I can. And I'm gonna beat it up until it agrees to be my friend and stop burning people."

"It's impossible for the sun not to burn people. You can't make it stop!"

"I'll just beat it up until it stops." Luffy struck a fight pose, fists at the ready next to his face.

Ace dragged his hands down his face in exasperation. "Sabo, back me up on this. Tell him he can't fight the sun."

Sabo just shrugged his shoulders, "Get lit, get hit." And went back to applying Koala's lotion.

Ace let out a frustrated yell. "SABO NOOOO!"

Sabo looked over his shoulder at Luffy and smiled, knowing what he was about to say would drive Ace ballistic. "Hey Luffy, did you know that NASA is building a sun probe? They're going to send it to the sun soon."

Luffy's eyes lit up with excitement; Ace's, with growing alarm and betrayal.

"Luffy no. No! You can't take the sun probe to the sun and beat it up! You can't even swim and you want to be an astronaut?"

Luffy looked at Ace like he was dumb. "Why would I need to swim in space?"

Ace runs his hands over his face again, trying to maintain his cool and his sanity. "Because you know how when you're in zero gravity and you need to get around—"

"I'm just going to punch the sun. Geez Ace."

"Pick your battles, Ace." Koala advised.

Ace closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You know what, fine." He put a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "Go punch that sun, little bro.

Luffy jumped and let out a joyous whoop.

"But until you do, you're gonna need sunscreen."

"Awwww man!"

Ace snagged the can of spray on sunscreen from the sun chair and shook is vigorously. "Hold still." He said with a devious grin. "This is going to be chilly."

"What a good brother." Koala cooed semi-sarcastically, rolling her neck to loosen up after Sabo's help with the sunscreen turned into an impromptu massage. "Hey sweetie, make sure you reapply often. Don't get too caught up in your brothers' nonsense and forget that you are not naturally tan like they are."

"Yeah, yeah I know. Geez. It'll be fine."

The couple is interrupted by a cough behind them. Collectively, they turn to see the green haired lifeguard.

"Hey, I'm back from dealing with the dumb blond. Was Chopper good for you guys?"

Koala's eyes grow huge. "Oh my goodness! I am so sorry! I totally forg-"

"Yep! I was good, Zoro!" Chopper piped in, popping up from directly behind Koala and Sabo, giving them a bit of a fright. "These people are really really nice. But that guy is a little weird though." He jerked his thumb to the side and everyone turned in time to see Luffy getting a face full of sunscreen from Ace, and immediately try to spit it out.

"Aaaace, it tastes yucky!"

"I told you to keep your mouth shut!" Ace yelled.

Zoro, Koala, and Sabo cringed in disgust.

"Okaaay then," Zoro began. "Thanks for keeping an eye on him even though it was just for a couple minutes. Come over here kiddo. Let's finish up." Zoro walked back over towards his stuff and grabbed his and Chopper's tube of lotion.

Chopper winked at Koala and Sabo as he turned to walk over to his big brother. "Don't worry. I won't tell him you forgot about me. I'm a big kid now, and also your brother is really funny." He blushed. "Thanks!"

Zoro squirted a tiny amount of sunscreen on the tips of his fingers as Chopper hopped up from his seat and stood in front of him. Zoro knelt down and delicately applied it to Chopper's chubby little cheeks, gently rubbing it in so it wasn't streaked. Then, Zoro passed the tube over to Chopper and turned out so Chopper could reach his back. The little kid squeezed a generous amount directly onto Zoro's back and then spread it around making sure to cover every spot, careful not to hurt Zoro's already burnt back.

"Thanks Chop." Zoro said when Chopper declared that he was finished. He put the sunscreen back in Chopper's backpack and pulled out a little pink and blue beach towel. "Here you go." He handed it to the kid as he ruffled his hair. "I'm gonna start working now so how about you go find Nami so she can watch you. She should be at the kiddie pool."

"Okay!" Chopper chirped. He gave Zoro a hug around the middle and then skipped off in the direction of the swimming pool. Zoro watched with fondness in his eyes until he couldn't see his brother anymore. Then he turned and walked over towards his lifeguard chair.

"About time, Zoro." He heard Usopp call from across the pool as he heaved himself up into the chair.

"Shut up, Usopp."

"Hey, I don't mind!" Usopp protested. "You've got your little brother to worry about. You're good with him. Seems like a cute kid."

Zoro puffed up a bit with pride. "Yeah, he is." He pulled his walkie talkie out of his pocket. "Perona, how's the situation with idiot curly brow going?"

A disgusted voice on the other end replied, "He's trying to flirt with me! He kissed my hand when he was trying to get me to let him back in and I think he smelled me?!"

"Is that the moss?" came another voice. "Zoro! I'm sorry! Let me back in!" Not only could Sanji's begging be heard through the walkie talkie, but was also loud enough be heard through the entire swim club.

Zoro rolled his eyes and then smirked to himself. "Let him suffer another 15 minutes, Perona."

"Nooooo!" Sanji's shouts echoed around the club.

Zoro placed the walkie talkie upright on the armrest and grabbed his whistle from his pocket and draped it around his neck. He picked it up and gave it a loud blow. "Free swim!"

"Alright Luffy. You're good on sunscreen." Ace said with a relieved sigh.

"Waaahoo!" Luffy cheered as he ran away from his brother and towards the pool.

"Luffy! NO!" was all Ace and Sabo could get out before Luffy jumped straight into the deep end of the pool.