Chirp Chirp

A soft growl made its way out of my throat as the birds continued to call loudly to one another. Couldn't they shut up for two minutes?

After the fight with the Black Cat Pirates everyone had got their injuries treated and it was now the next day. The rest of the crew was inside pigging out again, and I was lying underneath a tree, with my head lazily resting on my paws. My chest had several white bandages wrapped around it which in my opinion looked bloody ridiculous, but it could be worse. At least I was still alive with all my limbs still attached.

My wounds were nothing serious, the cuts would scab over in a few days, and in a week or two they will be just pinks lines. My fur covered the scratches anyway, so you couldn't see them very easily. Other than the few cuts on my muzzle that is, they were a lot more shallow then the ones on my side. They would be fully healed within the week apparently. Other than that I just had some sore muscles and that I could put up with rather easily.

I lifted my head up from my paws when I saw Luffy, Zoro, Nami and Kaya walk out of the shop together, following a road somewhere. I slowly hefted myself up to all four paws, and leisurely padded after them, my tail wagging in indolent motions.

"Hey..." muttered Zoro although he had a pleased look on his face.

"A caravel!" exclaimed Nami in glee.

"Woah!" said Luffy in awe.

We were all standing in front of a large ship that had the head of a ram. It was a lot bigger than any boat we had been using previously, and Kaya was giving it to us! But then again I did know this, this was the ship the sailed around in most of the time from what I remember.

"I've been waiting for you," Merry stated, his hand sweeping out and gesturing towards the ship. "It's slightly old styled but I designed it myself. It's a caravel and it uses a staysail. The controls are at the back. It's called 'Going-Merry'."

"Can we really take this?" Luffy yelled happily.

"Yes, I insist," confirmed Kaya, a bright smile on her face.

"I will explain the steering system," said Merry, turning his attention to Luffy. "First of all, in order to adjust the yards in relation to the crew garnet.."

"Don't tell him, I'll listen to the explanation," Nami said with a sweatdrop.

"I had everything you would need for a voyage loaded onto the ship," Kaya said.

"Thanks for going through all this trouble!" Luffy smirked.

"WAAAAHH!" a voice yelled out, and we all turned around to see Usopp rolling down the hill with a huge backpack on his back. "Please stop me!"

"Usopp!" yelped Kaya in surprise.

"What's he doing?" Luffy asked. I slipped behind them so that I wouldn't get hit by Usopp hopefully.

"I think we should stop him, if he keeps going like that he'll hit the ship," Stated Zoro.

BANG! Luffy and Zoro had just lifted up a foot each, planting it on Usopp's face causing him to stop.

"Thanks…" he whimpered in pain.

"No problem."

Zoro, Luffy, and I turned and headed to the ship as Usopp took off his backpack and went to talk to Kaya for the last time.

Luffy ambled up the rope attached to the side of the ship with no problem, and then next Zoro went to go up. I was standing behind him trying to figure out how I'd get up to the boat. Dogs couldn't exactly climb a rope ladder last time I checked, and I didn't want to aggravate my injuries anymore by attempting to jump onto the ship.

Zoro solved the problem for me as he turned around, picking me up under one of his arms and ignoring my yelp of shock. He was really strong to pick me up with one arm like that as I wasn't a light dog. He then climbed the rope with one arm, carrying me up with him.

Well what do you know, the lug could be considerate of others after all. He dropped me on the ground once we reached the top of the ship, leaving me to explore the new ship by myself.

I stuck my head up after a while as I heard Usopp call out, "Well safe voyage you guys! Hope to see you again somewhere!"

"Why?" questioned Luffy blankly as he rested his head on the rail.

"Huh, why?" Usopp said. "Sheesh, such a cold hearted man. We are both going to be pirates now, so we might meet on the high seas one day."

Laughing mentally to myself, I trotted up to the front of the ship next to Luffy, placing my front feet on the railing of the ship so I could look at Usopp. I ignored the uncomfortable tightening of my bandages as I did, I can't wait to get them off.

"What are you talking about?" sighed Zoro. "Hurry up and get aboard."

"What?" Usopp said, dumbstruck.

"You are already our companion right?" hummed Luffy.

"Wha..." he stuttered looking even more shocked. He quickly recovered though as he ran towards the ship yelling, "I… I'm the captain right?"

"No way!" yelled Luffy. "I'm the captain!"

Oh my, another companion. At least my days won't be boring anymore, not that they ever are when I'm around these people.

We had set off sailing about an hour ago, everyone was lazing about on the deck somewhere or another, and I was walking around to familiarize myself with everything.

"Hey... Weren't we going to name the dog after the fight?" questioned Nami suddenly.

Hearing her talk about me my head shot up, tilting my head to the side. This again? Let's see what they came up with now.

"Ah!" said Luffy as if suddenly remembering. "We were!"

I looked at Luffy, waiting to hear his suggestion, "Uh…"

Oh gods, he had no idea.

"How about we call her Mamori?" suggested Usopp, a thoughtful look on his face.

I hesitated, that name didn't sound too bad. It's one of the better suggestions that they made. But what did it mean?

As if knowing what I was thinking Usopp said, "It means protector."

"I think it suits her," hummed Nami, turning her eyes to me.

I guess the name wasn't that bad, I could live with it. There was no way that I knew of that I could tell them my real name. I just looked at Usopp, wagged my tail and let out a soft bark.

"She likes it!" called Luffy, obviously happy that I now had a name.

"Of course she does," bragged Usopp. "Every captain needs a loyal pet, so when I become captain she can follow me!"

I just rolled my eyes and ignored him, pondering over my new name. I was now Mamori. Something about it seemed so final. I was no longer Braylie, a 17 year old girl from Earth. I was Mamori, a dog that was part of the Straw Hat Crew. It was like that two of us were completely different in a sense. I wasn't sure if I was ever going to be Braylie again…

"Alright!" yelled our captain. "Our pirate flag is done!"

'Oh dear lord, kill it with fire!' I hissed mentally, pulling my head back in disgust. Our captain apparently was far from an artist, his flag looked ridiculous.

He stood in front of us, holding out his flag and he laughed stating, "Haha, I put a lot of thought into our symbol."

"Calling him artistically challenged would be an understatement…" muttered Usopp, his jaw just about reaching the floor.

"This…this could be some sort of abstract art?" tried Nami.

"A pirate's flag should be a symbol of death, but this flag is… Well… I guess it's quiet terrifying in a sense," Zoro said, at a loss for better words.

"Whaddya think?" Luffy asked, a huge grin on his face. The poor kid had no idea…

"You're beyond terrible!" Usopp stated bluntly. "Leave the drawing to me."

A few minutes later Usopp held up a completely different flag that resembled him. I sighed but couldn't help the impish grin that crossed my muzzle.

"You completely change the symbol!" snapped Zoro and Luffy, hitting Usopp over the back of the head.

Another few minutes later Usopp had painted another pirate flag, but this time using Luffy's design.

"Wow, it's perfect!" exclaimed Nami.

"It doesn't even look remotely like the other one," sighed Zoro.

"That's great! Draw another on a sail too later!" Luffy said.

"Yeah well I've honed my artistic talents by drawing on the walls of people's houses for years. I'm quiet the master artist!" boasted Usopp. Although I wasn't sure if admitting to vandalism was cause for pride.

"Ah! I'm tired," huffed Usopp, laying spread eagle on the deck of the Going-Merry. Nami was next to him, both of them covered in paint. I was sitting next to Zoro who was leaning against the mast of the ship, also exhausted from painting the symbol on the sails.

BANG!

I jumped as a loud noise sounded, my eyes snapping up to my captain. I should of known, he was standing by the cannon, smoke rising from it.

"Hey, what are you doing all of a sudden?" Zoro asked.

"I'm testing out our cannon. It would be a waste not making use of it," Luffy replied. "But I can't get it to fire well."

Usopp jumped to his feet, walking up to join Luffy, "Stand aside my amateur friend."

"Try aiming for that stone!" Luffy demanded.

"Okay!" replied Usopp. He fiddled with the cannon a bit before declaring, "Judging by the distance between here and the target this should about do it!"

BANG!

They fired again, and this time the rock in the distance smashed into pieces.

"Holy carp! You did it on your first shot!" Luffy yelled in surprise.

"You're right! I did!" Usopp yelled back, looking just as shocked as Luffy.

Idiots…

"I mean of course I did! I'm an expert when it comes to all thing aiming!" Usopp quickly corrected. "Feel free to bow down before me and address me as 'Captain'."

"I've decided!" Luffy ignored his earlier statement. "You can be our sniper!"

"Alright, I guess I can settle for that for the time being. But if you ever chicken out on your duties I'll take charge as the ship's captain," Usopp decided, we were all sitting in the kitchen now and talking.

Nami was on one side of the kitchen table bench, Luffy and Usopp siting opposite her. Zoro was leaning up against the wall, one leg laid out on the ground, the other pulled up to his chest. I was laying with my head on the leg that Zoro had stretched out; my body lying across the path of his other leg. My steel blue eyes were open and staring sleepily at others at the table. The longer I had been a dog the more I acted like one. Now, half the stuff I did didn't bother me, but if I had been a human while I had done it, I would have looked like a complete fool and probably died of embarrassment. I was never in the habit of laying my head on a men's legs back on Earth.

"All right, that's fine," Luffy shrugged. "Hey! I just had an idea! There is still one crucial position we need to fill before entering the Grand Line."

"That's right, we do have a fantastic kitchen after all," Nami said with a smile, her head resting on one of her hands. "Of course I could do it so long as I get paid."

"An indispensable crew member for long voyages," Zoro commented.

"You think so too right? Yup, what the ship needs is…" Luffy continued with a bright and goofy smile on his face. "A musician!"

I mentally sighed and laughed at the same time, Luffy was so thick sometimes.

"Are you retarded!"

"And here I thought you were going to say something smart for the first time in your life!"

"Do you have any idea what sailing on the seas is like?"

"B-but a pirate's gotta sing," Luffy whimpered like a kicked puppy.

"COME OUT YOU DAMN PIRATES!" a loud voice called, causing me to rocket to my feet in shock, my eyes darting to the door. "I'M GOING TO SLAUGHTER ALL OF YOU!"

My eyes widened even further when I heard loud bangs from the deck of the ship. It sounded like whoever it was, was smashing things.

Luffy lunged at the door, slamming it open and yelling, "HEY! Just who do you think you are!"

By this time I had walk over to the door, poking my head behind Luffy's legs to see what was going on. This sort of rung a bell, didn't this guy have a partner and didn't they know Zoro?

"Who am I? I should be asking…" The guy then launched himself forward, swinging his sword at Luffy and breaking the railing of the deck as Luffy jumped down. "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!"

"How many enemies are there out there?" I heard Zoro asking lazily from behind me, he hadn't even moved.

"Just one I think," replied Nami from the place Usopp and her were looking through a small round window to watch the fight.

"I've killed countless infamous pirates, and yet a nameless face like your…" the guy hissed, charging at Luffy with his sword held high. "DARES TO KILL MY PARTNER!"

"Partner…?" Luffy questioned, jumping up in the air to dodge the swing, he then place his hands either side of the man's head, vaulting over him. "I don't know what you are talking about! Don't…" Luffy started, now on the other side of the man, his hands still gripped onto his head. Luffy then picked him up, flinging him over his shoulder and slamming the poor guy into the wall. "Wreck my ship!"

The poor guy then collapsed onto the ground, Luffy sitting crossed legged not far from him.

"Just what the heck are you shouting about anyway?" Luffy asked.

Zoro walked up to the door and I walked fully out of it, instead of hovering in the door way like I was doing before, so that he could get out.

"Huh?" Zoro asked in shock. "Is that you, Jonny?"

Hey, I was right, he did know this guy.

The guy suddenly launched himself to his feet, spinning around to face Zoro and myself. "ZORO! Is that really you, bro?

"Where's Yosaku, isn't he usually with you?" Zoro asked.

"He's…" the guy began to stutter, although he was obviously upset. "Yosaku is…"

"Sick!" Several voices exclaimed.

"Yeah… He was fine just a couple of days ago, but all of sudden he turned pale and kept passing out. I don't know what he's come down with!"

Jonny was sitting crossed legged on the deck, his face in the palm of his hand. His partner, who did look really sick, was laying on the deck in front of Jonny. I was starting to feel sorry for the poor guy, his partner looked like shit.

"His teeth have begun to fall out, and his old wounds have reopened!" he continued as I walk forward, standing on the other side of his partner.

I gently placed my nose against his cheek, whining softly at Jonny. I felt bad for the poor guy, you'd have to heartless not to care.

"I just don't know what to do anymore…I was trying to at least get him some rest on top of that rock… But all of a sudden a ship fired a cannon ball at us!"

Usopp and Luffy got a horrified look on their faces as I lifted up my head, my eyes flicking towards them.

"We… We're truly sorry!" they apologized, bowing as they did so.

"It's fine.. what's done is done…" the guy sighed. "'Jonny and Yosaku, we were famous enough to have pirates shaking in their boots at the mere mention of our names from time to time. We lived and worked as bounty hunters together for years! And this is how it's going to end?"

"God! How thick do you think you can get!" shouted Nami.

"What did you just say?" hissed Zoro, turning his head to glare at Nami.

"Lady, I won't let you go free if you dare to make a mockery of my partner's suffering," Jonny growled, getting to his feet, sword in his hand.

"Usopp. Luffy. There are some limes in the kitchen, go squeeze them out and bring it here ASAP," Nami sighed, jerking her thumb towards the kitchen.

I gently lowered my weight backwards to perch lazily on my haunches next to the sick pirate, my brows furrowing. I remembered this bit, didn't he have scurvy?

"Roger!" Yelled Luffy and Usopp, going to the kitchen and doing just that.

Luffy and Usopp then brought it back in a small bucket and gave it to Yosaku. Luffy was straddling the man's waist, tipping the liquid down his throat whilst Usopp was behind Yosaku holding up his head.

"He afflicted with scurvy," Nami stated. "If we are not too late he should recover within a few days."

"Are you telling the truth sis!" Yelped Jonny, his face filled with hope.

"Please don't call me sis," she sighed. "In the past it was practically a death sentences for sailors. It's caused by lack of nutrients found in fruit and vegetables. It was quiet common back then because we didn't have the technology to store fresh fruit and vegetables for long periods of time."

"Wow! You're like a doctor!" declared Luffy.

"Yep, I always knew that girl was special. Usopp's eyes are never wrong," Usopp boasted.

Idiots. They had left me to watch over the guy now they had finished shoving the lime juice down his gullet.

"IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE SAILING YOU SHOULD AT LEAST KNOW THIS MUCH! GOD, YOUR STUPIDITY WILL BE THE DEATH OF YOU ALL!" Nami finally snapped.

Suddenly the man I was watching over stood up, and began jumping around with his partner.

"Alright! I'm charged up on nutrients and ready for action!" The man had pulled of a "miraculous" recovery.

"Haha! My partner's fine now!" called Jonny.

"Like hell you could recover that fast!" snapped Nami.

"Sorry for the late introductions," Jonny said. "The name's Jonny."

"And I'm Yosaku," continued his friend. "Zoro used to bounty hunt with us in the past. Nice to meet you all."

I was still sitting on the ground, staring wide eyed at the apparently now fine pirate who had thought it would also be a good idea to pull out a cigarette and start smoking as well. Is he really that stupid?

"I don't know how to thank you." Yosaku said. "I thought I'd bit the dust for sure."

"Well, colour me surprised! I never would have expected the famous pirate hunter Zoro to become a pirate himself," Jonny exclaimed. I was still watching his partner with narrowed eyes, waiting for him to keel over any second.

As if on cue, blood suddenly shot from his mouth and he made a choking sound as he fell to the ground.

"Yosaku!" his partner cried.

"JUST SHUT UP AND GET SOME REST ALREADY!" snapped Zoro.

"Let this be a lesson to you," chided Nami, sitting back on the steps.

"These kinds of dangers we'll have to face in long voyages," continued Zoro.

"He would have died for sure if he hadn't come across us," stated Usopp, leaning back against the mast.

Now that Jonny's partner was resting I padded across the deck and slumped to the ground next to Usopp, my head dumping itself on my paws. I wiggled for a second to get my bandages sitting correctly and then tuned back in to the conversation.

"We definitely need someone to think about our diet and see to it that we stay healthy. What we need is chef of the sea," Usopp continued.

"If you think about it, that's one of the most important talents to have when you are out on the sea," Nami hummed, looking thoughtful.

"Alright! I've decided then! Let's look for a sea cook!" Luffy said, his tongue poking out of his mouth in a childish way. "Eating good food is never a bad thing."

"Bro!" called Jonny, holding his arm up like a child in school. That familiar gesture caused me to raise my eyebrows, well the eyebrows a dog had anyway.

"What is it Jonny?" Zoro questioned.

"If you're looking for a cook I know just the place. Of course getting one to join you is another matter altogether. There is a restaurant that floats on the seas and has many chefs there that would be a good chef for your ship."

"A restaurant on the sea?" the crew questioned.

"That's right," Jonny confirmed. "You should be able to reach it from here in 2-3 days. But that place is close to the Grand Line so you have to be careful. Lotta dangerous guys around those parts. Even that 'Hawk-Eyed' man you've been looking for has been seen there."

I didn't miss the look that passed Zoro's face. It looked like a cross between excitement and fear. I recalled only bits and pieces of the whole floating restaurant thing as well. I knew we got Sanji in the end, and that there was a fight with some tough guy. I remember that Zoro got in a fight and just about dies to, and that Nami runs away in the thick of it all. Great. Just what we need, more fun. Isn't sarcasm the best?