"What kind of storm is this?" Zoro wondered as he ran after the short girl in front of him. "If we don't hurry, we won't be able to get off this island."

Sanji ran beside him in the heavy rain, "Nami wasn't kidding when she said to get back to the ship as soon as possible!"

Luffyko laughed as she continued running, "Run! Run! Run!"

Zoro looked around and realized he didn't know where he was, "Where's the damn harbor?!"

Luffyko giggled at her first mate's irritation, "It's raining so hard, I can't tell which direction!"

"There they are!"

Zoro groaned as he heard the marines running after them, "Damn they're persistent. Wanna stop and fight them?"

"No there's no time." Sanji said, as he looked forward seeing a woman, "WHOAH WHO IS THAT LADY?"

"So you're Roronoa Zoro, a pirate. I…You lied to me!" The woman said as she looked up.

Zoro felt his heart clench at the woman who looked so much like his childhood friend. Why did she have to look like her?

Sanji heard her words and stopped preparing to fight with the swordsman who had lied to the beautiful woman before them. "WHAT? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?"

"You never asked my name, that's all." He walked towards her and moved Luffyko away, "I never lied to you."

Luffyko felt weird as she was moved aside, their words falling on deaf ears as they began to clash. She had never seen this Zoro before, he clashed swords but his normal fire wasn't there. It was almost like he was playing, enjoying himself. She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at the thought.
"YOU BASTARD HOW DARE YOU ATTACK A LADY!" Sanji yelled.

"Stay out of this please. This is a fight between Roronoa Zoro and myself. Leave us alone."

"You heard her, get going." Zoro said as they clashed swords again.

Luffyko put on her grin to hide the uncomfortable feeling growing within her, "Let's go!" She quickly began running ignoring Zoro and her feelings. "There's the end of the street! The harbor's just over there!"

Sanji looked up and saw a man with white hair standing in their path, "Hey, who's that up ahead?"

"Here at last, Straw Hat Luffyko." Captain Smoker looked at the girl before him and remembered seeing her about to be executed. How could this girl be so brave and reckless? Why did he see The Pirate King within her? It didn't matter all he had to do was defeat her, she would not be going on. "I told you, if you can't beat me you will never get to the Grand Line."

Luffyko grinned at the reminder of the challenge, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that!"

"You enjoy playing dumb." The marine said as the girl sat there with a smile, even though she stood no chance against him.

"Hey Luffyko…"

"Sanji, go on ahead. I'll be right there." Luffyko said as she looked at the marine.

"I wouldn't bet on that." Smoker said as he stepped forward. "This is the end for you."

Luffyko smirked and waited as thunder came over them, "Go!" She distracted Smoker and watched as Sanji left. Smoker watched her as she lifted her head, streams of water coming off her hat, keeping her face dry, "I'll defeat you and enter the Grand Line! 'Cuz I'm going to be the Pirate King!"

Smoker glared at the foolish girl, "You won't be spouting that rubbish for much longer!" He let his smoke out and it surrounded the girl grabbing her and lifting her into the air, "I ate the Plume-Plume Fruit. My entire body can become smoke at my whim!" He threw the girl down and saw her hit the ground hard, "What's wrong? That all you got?"

Luffyko stood up and attacked, "Gum Gum Gatling!" She felt her punches hit, yet at the same time they did not seem as strong. "What the…Ew! That's creepy!"

"White Blow!" Smoker yelled sending the smoke at the girl crushing her into a wall.

"Damn you!" She pulled down her fist and attacked, "Gum Gum Pistol!" She watched as her fist went through as his body turned into smoke.

"You get it now? You can't ever go to the Grand Line. " Smoker moved and grabbed the girl's head, hat and all and leaped into the sky, "Like I said." He sat on her back as they crashed into the ground putting her face into the road, "This head is worth 30 million, eh? Looks like my run of bad luck is over." He reached back to grab his weapon when a hand stopped him.

"I wouldn't say that."
Smoker turned to see a large man holding his weapon, "You're…"

"Hey! What is it? Who is it?" Luffyko cried out as she squirmed under the mans weight. She tried to move to see what was going on ignoring as they talked when a strong gust of wind came through sending everything into the air. She felt herself hit a wall and then the wind died down. "What the…" She looked around and found herself with Usopp, Sanji and Zoro.

Nami had also finally seen Luffyko and she felt relief flow through her. Luffyko was safe, however, she was still by marines and other pirates, "LUFFY! LUFFY!"

Luffyko looked up and saw the red head watching her, "Nami?"

Sanji looked at the girl, "Luffy?" He couldn't help but wonder when Nami had shortened their captain's name, but quickly brought himself back to focus, "We have to do something fast or she will drift out too far."

"I got it!" Zoro, Usopp and Sanji started running when they noticed Luffyko went the opposite direction and then grabbed onto a railing flinging her body back.

The boys saw what she was doing and began to run faster, "Oh no…"

"Gum Gum Rocket!" Luffyko launched herself getting all three knocked air born hitting the sail and falling to the deck of the Going Merry.

Nami ran over with a big smile, "Guys!" She looked over Luffyko and didn't see much damage except a few scraps on her face, "I'm glad you weren't hurt and I thought you were about to be executed or something."

Usopp laughed at her comment, "Ya, I guess we overreacted." He stopped when he saw Sanji and Zoro's faces, "Wait…"
Luffyko just laughed, "I thought I was going to die!"

Usopp shrieked and jumped to one foot trying to protect himself from an invisible enemy, "What! You're lying."

Sanji broke the cigerette he had just lit, "The bastard had brought his sword down on her head, she only survived because a lightning bolt came down."

Nami heard this and then hit him and Zoro before grabbing Luffyko, "Are you telling me you almost died?"

Luffyko nodded nervously when she felt herself being crushed into Nami, "Nami?"

"You morons! How could you let them almost kill her!"

"Ya! Luffyko's saved both of your butts!" Usopp added in.

Sanji groveled at her feet, "Punish me, I am not a man. I couldn't protect her."

Zoro just looked at his feet feeling uncomfortable at the glare of the red head. "And you…Miss Captain…Learn to watch over yourself!"

Luffyko laughed and nodded, "Ya! I will work on that."

Nami sighed and looked up to see the lighthouse, "Look at that light!"

"The island's lighthouse?" Usopp asked as they continued to draw near. "That's our 'guiding light.' The light that points to the entrance of the Grand Line!"

Luffyko took her seat at the top of the goat head. "The Grand Line is over there?"

"But are you really gonna go in a storm like this?" Usopp asked as he hugged the mast as another large wave rocked the ship.

The rest of the crew grinned and Nami came forward, "Alright, let's have a little launching ceremony to mark the importance of our voyage!"

The crew cheered and Sanji stepped closest to the barrel they all stood around, "To find all blue." He said as he brought a foot up and placed it ontop of the barrel.

Luffyko went next and placed her foot on top of the barrel, "To become the Pirate King!"

"To be the greatest swordsman!"

"To draw a map of the world!"

Usopp lifted his foot last and joined the rest of the crew, "To become a brave warrior of the sea!"

Luffyko grinned, "LET'S GO TO THE GRAND LINE!"

"AYE!" They all yelled as they lifted their feet high into the air.

Nami smirked when another wave hit against them, "Alright let's get sailing!"

The crew worked tirelessly through the night until they were finally able to catch a break and sleep. However, Luffyko felt a pain in her side and couldn't sleep. Instead she went out and watched the stars enjoying the smell of the sea. However, she found she wasn't alone. "Zoro?"

"Captain." Zoro looked down at the slim female and sat down beside her, "You scared me today."

Luffyko looked at him and found herself surprised at how closely he was, "Why?"

"You almost died! How can you just brush that off?"

Luffyko gave him a look, "Just like you can. We know death is a possibility with our dreams. Right?"

Zoro realized he was being overprotective of the small captain, "I forgot sometimes that you are a pirate with a 30 million bounty."

Luffyko giggled and gave a dark grin, "I am pretty awesome huh?"

Zoro just laughed causing the girl to laugh and then cringe, "Are you okay? Did you get hurt earlier?" He asked looking over the girl carefully.

"No, my side just hurts today."

"Here have a sip of this."

Luffyko had a sniff of the drank and made a disgusted face, "I don't drink!"

"A sip and you will be right to bed." Zoro said, "It tastes like apples."

Luffyko gave him a look and then took the cup, "Well only a sip…" She took a sip and tasted the sweet apples, "Hmm…it's sweet."

Zoro watched as she quickly drank the glass and then realized what would happen, "Ah…Captain?"

"Whash?" Luffyko said her cheeks already red.

"Nami is going to kill me…."

Luffyko giggled and then hiccupped, "Nosh, Nami ish asheep." The girl yawned then, "Ahhhh…..sheep." She slowly fell over and then found herself on a warm surface, "Ahhh…"

Zoro felt stiff as the girl's soft body leaned against him. He realized she was asleep and slowly relaxed, "You are some pirate…I've never meet anyone like you, captain." He slowly got up and picked her up cradling her in his arms. He carefully went into the girl's cabin and laying her into her bed. He carefully checked to make sure Nami was asleep and then covered the small captain, "Goodnight captain…" He stood up but brushed a strand of her hair out of her face before leaving the room.

Nami waited until the door was shut before she fully opened her eyes and gave a smirk, "Stupid swordsman."

A/N Sorry it's been so long! I'm about to graduate so I've been swamped I hope I can start updating more soon and thank you for reading still!