"Urgh, I'm so hungry." Zoro's complaint caused me to let out a soft growl in annoyance. It was close to the fourth time that either he or Luffy had pointed out how hungry they were. I was hungry too, but I wasn't complaining about it. I know I couldn't talk anyway, but still! "It's funny that you have absolutely no navigating skills," Zoro said dryly, obviously not finding it that funny at all.

If I had remembered that neither of them knew how to navigate, I would have found a way to bring some food with us, but no, that was another conveniently forgotten point.

"What? I've always just been wandering," Luffy defended. "You're like me too, wandering and capturing wanted pirates for rewards."

"I don't remember saying I live completely off rewards! I was searching for a man and that's why I left to the sea, but now I can't find my way home." If I was human I would have been laughing my ass off. His sense of direction was funny and sad at the same time. I missed not being able to laugh, stupid dog vocal cords. "I had no choice but to start hunting pirates for a living, I had to earn my money somehow," Zoro recalled.

"Oh, so you're lost?" Oh poor blunt Luffy, one day that mouth of his is going to get him in some real trouble.

Zoro's head whipped around as he yelled, "Shut up! You're the one who's lost!" He then took a breath a calmed down before continuing. "Geez, never heard of a pirate that doesn't know how to navigate. How do you expect to go to the grand line like this? You should hurry up and find a crew member who knows how to navigate!"

"And someone who knows how to cook, and someone who can sing," Luffy said counting off on his fingers.

"Idiot!" shouted Zoro.

I smiled softly at their antics, but I was too tired to lift my head from my paws. Not having food for a long period of time can do that to you. I feel like all my energy had been sapped. Otherwise, I would have crawled over to Zoro and Luffy when they both dropped exhaustedly on the bottom of the boat in a spread eagle position. But instead I just looked at them for a few seconds before closing my eyes again.

"Oh!" Zoro said so suddenly that I opened my eyes again. "A bird!"

I suddenly realized what they were talking about and what was going to happen. If I had more energy maybe I would have done something about it, but instead I just closed my eyes again, my grin spreading as I realized what was about to happen.

"Looks pretty tasty," Luffy muttered.

'I dare say it's thinking the same about you right now,' I thought to myself.

"Let's eat that bird!" Luffy declared, sitting up suddenly.

"How are we going to eat it…?" was Zoro's only question.

"I'll get it!" I couldn't resist the temptation at cracking my eyes open and lifting up my head to watch what about to happen. "Watch my specialty," Luffy said whilst reaching up to grab the mast of the ship. "Gomu Gomu no… ROCKET!" He then launched himself up into the air and at the bird while Zoro watched in shock.

"I can't believe he thought of that…" Said Zoro, sitting up to watch Luffy. I'm guessing he didn't think Luffy was able to have that level of higher thought. Not that I blamed him.

"Huh?" I heard him say at the same time I saw the bird open its beak to trap Luffy's head in between its beak as it kept flying with Luffy in it's grip now.

"AHH! HELP ME!" Luffy screamed.

"YOU IDIOT!" was what Zoro yelled back, and yet again I wish I had the ability to laugh. It would have come in handy right now. I felt like I was going to pop from amusement at the hilarity of this situation. "What the heck are you doing!" Zoro grabbed the oars and began to try and paddle his way after Luffy, his hunger now forgotten.

Zoro was rowing as fast as he could when we both heard voices calling out.

"Hey stop the boat!" called one.

"Hey! Boat over there, stop!" called another.

I lifted my head up lazily as Zoro called out, "I don't have time to stop. You guys get on yourself!"

I was left racking my brain trying to figure out what part these guys played. It was vague but I knew these guys weren't good. I couldn't remember if they were they part of Buggy's crew, or if they were attacked by Buggy's crew. I couldn't figure it out but then I remembered that they tried to highjack the boat, and that Zoro kicked their asses.

All three of them managed to get a grip on the boat as we zoomed past – we were going pretty damn fast for a rowboat. I quickly scrambled up to sit near Zoro, pressing my side against his leg. He sent me a curious glance and I meet his gaze before looking back at the pirates that were now aboard our ship and growled softly at them so that only Zoro could hear me. He looked back at them and his gaze hardened as if he knew what I was trying to tell him. Well, I hope he did anyway.

"Hey, your climbing skills aren't half bad," Zoro said offhandedly.

"Were you trying to run us over!" they all cried. They muttered to themselves about how crazy we were, before they each pulled out a weapon.

"Hey, stop the boat," the one with the really weird hair, like a clown, demanded.

"This is the pirate Buggy's territory," said the fat one as Zoro's eyes narrowed.

"What!" he demanded sharply.

Within less than a minute the three pirates were rowing our boat for us, each bearing their own share of bruises and bumps. I smirked impishly at Zoro and was glad that I was on his good side.

"We didn't know you were 'Pirate Hunter Zoro'. We are really sorry," the one in the middle said with his stupid hat askew. They sounded really pathetic with their sniveling.

"You three made me lose track of my friend! Put your back into it. If I don't find my friend you three are in for it." That threat from Zoro was enough to get them to put more effort into the rowing. "Oh yeah, why were the three of you drifting in the middle of the ocean?"

"Yes, yes! Good question, you finally asked," said the seeming leader of the trio before they all starting blabbing out random things.

"That girl!"

"Yea! That bad girl!"

"But she's real cute too."

I could have face palmed then if I still had my human physique. They quickly explained about how the orange-headed girl outsmarted them and stole their ship and treasure.

"She can predict the weather? This girl must be something special. I wonder if she'd join us," mused Zoro, which in turn caused the trio to start spluttering random things.

"If I find her, I'm gonna kill her!"

"First we gotta get out loot back!"

"Yea…if we go back empty handed Buggy will…"

"Who's Buggy?" Asked Zoro.

"He's our pirate leader. Haven't you heard of Buggy the Clown? He's a dangerous man who ate one of the Devil's Fruit," The leader of the trio explained quickly.

"Ate a Devil's Fruit…" Zoro muttered causing me to let out a soft sigh.

Geez, what was I going to do during this whole Buggy saga. I hadn't been thinking about it much, so I guess I'm just going to have to do everything in the moment. Plus I forgot half the things that happened.

'Well, this is going to be fun,' I thought. 'Note the sarcasm.'

That bloody bastard! That no good son of a bitch!

We had arrived at the docks and tied up the boat, and Zoro decided that he was going to get our hitchhikers to take him to Buggy to see if he could get any information and Luffy's current whereabouts. So there he goes and hops out of the boat with them, and before I could get out of the boat he turns around and says to me, "You, dog. Guard the boat." And then he had the nerve to turn around and walk away, leaving me sitting in a boat all by myself and tied up at a dock that was in hostile territory.

I just sighed irritably and laid down in the boat, curling in a ball and shuffling under one of the seats on the boat. If anyone tried to come on the boat I could pop out and get them, but I wasn't just going to sit around in plain sight. Damn Zoro just leaving me here...

I waited for what seemed like quite a while, debating where or not to leave the ship. I was asked to guard it, but from what? No one would want this shit boat. I should really stay here though. Wouldn't I break their trust if I disobey an order now? But something was nagging me that I was here for a reason, and that I shouldn't sit on my ass.

When the smell of smoke reached my nostrils so did the memory of the dog and the pet shop. I remembered what happened to that poor dog and it pissed me off. But at the same everyone was mostly fine, and Nami came with when they came back this time.

If I'm going to stay with the Strawhat's I needed to prove my worth. If I was given a job or an order I was going to carry it out even if it drove me insane or killed me!

With that figured out I closed my ears again, letting my ears act as the main security measure, listening out for any strange noises or the sound of people.

At one stage I heard the three hitchhikers that we'd given a ride before crawl into the boat next to us, whispering something I couldn't hear properly. After I was satisfied that they wanted nothing to do with the boat I was charged with guarding I relaxed again.

I heard voices getting closer to my current position, and I tensed all my muscles until I recognized one of the voices as Luffy's. I instantly relaxed and crawled out from my pace under the seat, popping my head up so that I could see.

In front of me stood Luffy, with an injured Zoro over his shoulder and Nami standing not too far away from him.

I let out several loud barks and launched myself out of the boat heading straight for Luffy. I saw him grin when he saw me which made me happy; at least he was glad to see me. Running over to, I glanced at Zoro in concern and then gently poked his leg with my nose, emitting a soft questioning whine.

"He's fine," said Luffy, still smiling.

I just nodded my head and turned my attention to Nami, who was also looking back at me. Oh dear me, here we go, another staring contest with someone after I first meet them. Am I going to have to go through this with the whole crew?

Our staring contest was cute short though when a voice yelled out, "We have been waiting for you thief!"

It was the trio of hitchhikers, so that's why they had hidden on that boat.

"You…you guys…are," Nami stuttered, looking surprised to see them here.

"We knew you'd come back!"

"Hehehehe, I never dreamed that we'd see this boat again in this harbor after you stole it."

"You won't be able to say you've forgotten us."

"You know these guys?" Luffy asked curiously.

"Hmm, sort of…" Nami looked like she'd rather be having any other conversation then this one.

"'Sort of!' We have a long history!" cried the leader of the trio before continuing. "So you have a gang now? I guess we get to teach you all a lesson. "

"Stealing from others is such a terrible thing to do." The leader jumped off the boat and strolled over to Luffy, Zoro, and I before he reached over and started patting Zoro's green head. "Haha, man, don't faint like a coward, stupid. Hey, hold your face up properly!"

Zoro head lifted up with a, "Huh?" as he sent one of the most evil glares I'd seen so far directed at the trio. I was just glad it wasn't directed at me. The trio all jumped back in shock, crying out due to their fear. They then jumped in the water and took off swimming for their lives and leaving me barking a farewell to them in amusement. I guess they'd remembered Zoro from earlier then. Though, really? Who doesn't remember a guy with green hair and three swords at his hip? I guess it proves that they really were idiots then...

We then all clambered in our respective boats, Nami in her stolen one and the three of us in the little boat we got here in.

"Let's go!" Said Luffy eager as ever to get going before he noticed something about Nami's boat. "Hey, that flag has Buggy's mark on it."

"It was those pirates' boat, so of course it does," Nami said. "I'll erase it later."

"STOP RIGHT THERE YOU MORONS!" We all looked back to see an old man standing on the dock. If I remember the story correctly then it was the town's mayor. "I'm sorry! I owe you!" he cried. What a nice man.

Luffy just flashed one of his cheesy grins as we set off, Zoro flashed his trademark smirk, and Nami was the only one left smiling like a normal person.

"Don't worry about it!" Luffy yelled back. "Just live happy lives!"

Even though I hadn't really done anything this time around I was still tired, dogs seem to sleep an awful lot, so I just curled up in a ball by Luffy's feet and drifted off into a deep sleep, comfortable in the presence of the pirates and thief that were around me. I was glad that all was working out well so far, we might not be far into our adventure but it sure as hell was fun so far. Just I was on the verge of sleep though a thought came to me.

'I still haven't had a damn thing to eat yet... Bugger.'