A.n I own Nothing.

WHOHOOOO! 100 Story Chapters! Also...It's DOUBLE CHAPTER DAY!

That's right 1 day, 2 chapters.

This and the next Chapter intertwine and given what is about to happen, it only seemed right to post both at once. Enjoy.

As always, Please Review.


Ezio yawned as he sat up in his bed, stretching out his arms before looking around. The rest of the Straw Hats were already up and around the table. Nami was reading a newspaper, Sanji was in the kitchen, and there was no sign of La Volpe, nor any evidence that he had been in the room. Ezio's eyes flashed gold, confirming that La Volpe was no longer in the temporary residence. However, he did see yellow footprints that led to the door, indicating that the thief had left prior. Ezio shifted his sight back to normal, and the footprints vanished. Satisfied that the only evidence that La Volpe had been in the residence was not visible to the pirates, he got up and walked over to the dining table, rubbing his head a bit, and pulled out an empty chair opposite Connor and next to Chopper. The reindeer looked up at him.

"Buongiorno, everyone," Ezio said. "Did I miss breakfast?"

"Take a seat. I'm just serving it now," Sanji said as he served up breakfast onto plates.

"Are you okay? I was worried when I didn't see you sleeping by the pool with everyone else this morning," Chopper said.

"Si, I came back last night after everyone was asleep. I found the ground to be quite uncomfortable," Ezio claimed.

"How did you get back on your own?" Zoro asked suspiciously. He knew Ezio was not able to walk that far on his own.

"I managed," Ezio shrugged.

Zoro still looked at him suspiciously but said nothing more on the matter. Sanji brought the food over, and breakfast was quickly devoured by everyone. Ezio politely asked Sanji for some coffee, and the cook brought it over for him and one for Robin.

"Sanji, Grazie for such a wonderful meal. Know that I am in your debt for your kindness towards me," Ezio said at the end of the meal.

"It was just eggs on toast. It's really not that big of a deal," Sanji claimed. "I plan on doing some shopping today to get some better ingredients for dinner,"

"You will forgive me, but my father raised me to acknowledge the kindness in others and offer proper gratitude when it was shown," Ezio said. "You're cooking and your captain allowing me to stay with you is greatly appreciated,"

"Yeah well, that was the deal, wasn't it," Zoro commented.

"So, what is everyone doing today?" Ezio asked once all the plates had been cleared.

"Robin is taking me to a museum," Connor answered.

"That sounds fun," Luffy said.

"I hope so. I hear there is an art gallery attached to it as well," Robin said. "Besides, I am keen to learn about the previous towns that have been swallowed up by Aqua Lagna,"

"How about you?" Ezio asked Nami.

"I'm going shopping with Robin and Connor after the museum," Nami said and turned the page in the newspaper.

"I'll go see if Franky needs an extra hand on building the ship," Zoro said. "Maybe I can do some heavy lifting, plus I need to tell him to make sure he puts a gym on the ship,"

"I don't know if it will fit, given everything else we wanted," Nami said.

"Doesn't have to be large, just a room I can weightlift in," Zoro claimed. "How about you cook? You're going to waste the day as usual?"

"If you must know, I'll be taking stock of the food today. Iceberg let us have access to some supplies while we're here, but we're still going to need food for our journey. Once I have the stock, I can start buying what we need tomorrow," Sanji responded. "After all, we're leaving in three or four days,"

"I'm going to look at a few bookstores in the marketplace," Chopper said.

"You're going to the marketplace? I want to come too," Luffy demanded.

"Sure," Chopper agreed.

"Alright, Nami, I want some spending money," Luffy cried out.

"I suppose it can't hurt. After all, we have 100 million to spare," Nami agreed. She put the paper down and walked over to the safe in the room where she'd stored the 100 million in cash. However, when she opened the safe, there was only a single stack of 1 million in the safe.

Nami's eye twitched, and she closed the safe and opened it again, not really believing what she was seeing. When the contents didn't change, she started searching the safe for sabotage or forced entry and eventually put her whole head inside. The movements made her lower body parts stick out and do very provocative movements.

Her distress made all the occupants of the room look in her direction, and they had a full view of her movements. Hands spawned on the back of Connor's chair and covered his eyes.

"That's an odd dance," Luffy commented.

"But a very much appreciated one," Ezio grinned perversely.

After a few moments, Nami pulled her head out and faced the rest of the crew, anger and worry forming on her face. Robin's hands disappeared.

"Does anybody know what happened to our 100 million bellie?" Nami asked.

"Oh, that. I spent it," Luffy admitted.

"Spent it?"

"Yeah, I gave it to the Ice Man's people to pay for all the food and booze at last night's party," Luffy smiled proudly. "Man, it was really big too. The whole town practically turned up,"

"You…you gave it…to Iceberg? Why would you do that?"

"Well, it was our party after all, so it's only right we pay for it, and Icecrab promised he'd make sure the proper amount went to all the right vendors," Luffy said.

Nami smiled sweetly as she walked towards Luffy. Zoro immediately stepped away from Luffy, who was standing next to his captain, and the other Straw Hats followed suit. They knew what was coming. Nami swiftly hit and beat Luffy up while yelling at him vehemently for wasting all their money... again. By the end of it, Luffy's whole face was purple, his lips were swollen, he had black eyes, and a bump on his head the size of a balloon.

"Why are you so angry? We're getting our ship for free, so there is no problem," Luffy reasoned. Nami hit him again for that comment.

"No... I wanted to buy some nice furniture for the ship," Nami cried.

"We can always search for bargains," Robin tried. This didn't help at all.

"Oi Nami, Chopper and I are going out. Can I have that spending money you said I could have?" Luffy asked innocently.

Nami let out a string of curse words that Robin once again had to cover Connor's ears for. Then she turned on Luffy.

"NO!" Nami yelled and punched Luffy in the face. "YOU SPENT ALL OUR CASH ON THAT BANQUET! YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING!"

Ezio watched the entire display and winced. He was very glad he had his own money. Seeing that none of the other crew were moving to stop Nami, he assumed this was a regular occurrence. That or they were choosing life.

"Ezio, what are your plans?" Connor asked while Nami continued to beat up Luffy in the background.

"Me... I don't really have any," Ezio claimed. "Truth be told, I was not meant to come to Water 7, and I am stuck here until you leave,"

"What about arranging for transport home?" Zoro remembered.

"I have done so already," Ezio answered. "A ship was supposed to leave at first light today. It should be here in 6 days' time,"

"When did you do that?" Chopper asked.

"Last night, when I came back here and before I went to bed," Ezio answered. "I am not complaining about the time. It is nice to have some time off from work,"

"You mean breaking into government islands and stealing their stuff," Sanji commented.

"That's right... among other things," Ezio agreed with a smile. He then turned to look at Nami, who had finished with Luffy and was panting angrily. "Although..,"

Ezio immediately got down on one knee next to Nami.

"I may not have planned to come here, but I am glad I did. Truly, the fates have decreed that we be together," Ezio declared. "If it is my destiny to be stranded here on this island, then let us be stranded together. Allow me to take you into my arms and show you the true passion of love,"

"No," Nami said coldly.

Ezio made an over-dramatic gesture, as if he had been stabbed through the heart with an invisible blade.

"Ah, such a cold-hearted woman... but an incredibly fierce and beautiful one too. Truly, you are one of a kind, and I am not worthy to be in your presence, let alone your affection," Ezio continued.

"DAMN STRAIGHT YOU'RE NOT!" Sanji yelled.

"All I ask is that you give me the opportunity to prove to you that this old warrior can still make the darkest nights come alive," Ezio said.

Sanji's eyes twitched.

"OI, BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU FLIRT WITH NAMI-SWAN AND TRY TO SEDUCE HER!" Sanji yelled and jumped to kick the assassin, starting a fight and claiming that only he was worthy of Nami.

"Robin, what did he mean when he said he could make the darkest of nights come alive?" Connor asked innocently.

"I'll tell you when you're older," Robin answered through a chuckle.

Luffy merely laughed at Ezio and Sanji's antics, while Nami was getting annoyed.

"It's bad enough we had one pervert, now we have two," Zoro sighed.

"They're both idiots," Nami muttered.

Eventually, everyone got ready to go out for the day. However, Ezio and Sanji were still fighting. Nami broke up the fight and made Ezio go with Luffy and Chopper, as she did not want to deal with the two fighting all day. Ezio grabbed his hidden blade bracers and put them on but left his robe and other gear at the residence.

"Ezio, are you okay?" Chopper asked as they travelled to the markets by Yagara.

"Yes, do not worry. Your cook did not harm me," Ezio assured.

Luffy was driving while Chopper sat on the bull's head, and Ezio was in the back seat.

"You guys fight a lot over both Nami and Robin," Luffy commented. "I don't get it,"

"Nami and Robin are both beautiful women. It would be a waste if I did not shower them with the compliments they clearly deserve," Ezio claimed.

"I still don't get it... I mean, I would if they were a piece of meat, but..,"

"Ah, Luffy, so young and innocent," Ezio said with a smile.

They stopped at several street vendors and shops. Ezio bought food for both Luffy and himself. Chopper went into a bookstore, leaving Luffy and Ezio outside to eat their food while he bought some medical books.

"Thanks for buying this for me, Ezio," Luffy said happily. "Nami's being stingy with our money again,"

"It is no problem. As I said before, I am in your debt for allowing me to stay with your crew and eat your cook's food," Ezio explained. "And I am not in the habit of leaving my debts unpaid,"

"Yeah, but you helped us out first in saving Robin," Luffy pointed out.

"True, but you promised me a ride off Enies Lobby and sanctuary for that," Ezio reminded. "You have delivered what you promised me already, thus allowing me to share your food was not part of our agreement. Therefore, it is a debt I must repay you and your crew somehow,"

"Hey, what's in that sack you brought with us?" Luffy asked.

"You did not look?" Ezio responded in surprise.

"Nah, Robin said you grabbed it off the Marine ship, and Zoro said you had it with you and even used it a bit while fighting," Luffy said.

"I stole a few things from the Marines, both from the ship and the battle. The sack contains my ill-gotten gains," Ezio answered. "I thought since I was with pirates, I might as well engage in some minor piracy,"

"Yeah, being a pirate is the best," Luffy agreed. "Hey, you should join my crew,"

Ezio stared at Luffy in a mixture of shock and surprise. Did Luffy even understand who Ezio was and what it would mean to have him on a pirate crew?

"Surely you jest,"

"Nope, come on, it will be fun,"

"As much as I would like to, I cannot. I have too many responsibilities as it is, and I fear my mother and sister would hunt me down if I did," Ezio claimed.

"But if you were a pirate, you wouldn't have responsibilities," Luffy pointed out.

"True... but I started on my path over a decade ago, and I must see it through to the end,"

"Why can't your path be part of my crew? Everyone on it has a different goal," Luffy pointed out.

"You are not the type to take no for an answer, are you?" Ezio stated.

"Nope," Luffy smiled. Ezio let out a low chuckle.

"It could be interesting... me being a pirate," Ezio mused.

"So is that a yes?"

Ezio shook his head. "When I was younger, I often wondered what it would be like to sail the world, what beauties I would meet and conquer. My older brother would tease me about it, and..," Ezio trailed off, and Luffy noted he suddenly became sad. "And my younger brother would tell me to bring him back souvenirs from my travels... it was a good life back then,"

"However, dreams and life are different," Ezio continued.

"Are they?" Luffy asked.

"Yes, sooner or later, one must wake up. My path is a long one, Captain Luffy. However, should it come to an end and your offer still stands... I will consider it," Ezio said.

"Hmm... sounds like you have it rough," Luffy frowned.

"It is not so bad, but we all do what we must do,"

"I don't get it," Luffy frowned.

"What is your dream?"

"To be the Pirate King," Luffy announced.

"An ambitious one," Ezio approved.

"Yours?"

"Mine... well... I dream of lots of things. Mainly women," Ezio smirked.

Chopper came out of the shop holding a bag of books.

"Chopper, guess what," Luffy said happily the moment he saw the doctor.

"What?" Chopper asked eagerly.

"Ezio is going to join the crew," Luffy cheered.

"Really?" Chopper asked eagerly.

"I did not say that," Ezio stated, but he was ignored.

"Yeah, he also dreams of women and the things he must do," Luffy continued.

Chopper's head snapped up, and he looked at Ezio. "I thought I told you no strenuous activity,"

"I assure you, Doctor, activities with women are never strenuous," Ezio smirked. "Not for me, anyway,"

"Come on, let's keep exploring," Luffy declared, and he jumped back into their Yagara.

Chopper looked up at Ezio once more.

"Are you really joining our crew?"

"No, your captain offered, but my refusal and reasons are out of context," Ezio clarified.

"He does that," Chopper sighed. "Sometimes he only hears what he wants to hear,"

"Hey, you two, hurry up," Luffy demanded.

Chopper and Ezio got in the Yagara, and they set off once more. They passed by other shops. Ezio stopped at a weapon shop and bought some ammo along with gunpowder. He also stopped by a spice shop and bought different spices and a small bag of flour. Finally, they visited a toy shop where he bought a bag of marbles. Chopper and Luffy were curious about his purchases, and Ezio stated that he was just restocking on some supplies.

As they travelled, the city looked different. They could see heavily damaged buildings that the Galley-la workers were repairing, and people were clearing the streets of debris or fixing any buildings that looked dangerous.

"The city looks so different now," Chopper commented. "I hope no one got seriously hurt in the tidal wave,"

"I wouldn't worry. They go through this every year, so I'm sure the people of Water 7 are used to it," Ezio claimed.

"I'm just glad all the meat vendors survived," Luffy commented.

"Indeed, it is a great relief that no providers of meat were harmed in Aqua Laguna," Ezio joked. "Truly, the citizens of the world can sleep soundly in their beds knowing that meat products will continue to be provided to them,"

"Right, I'm so glad you get it," Luffy said.

Ezio chuckled, and Chopper let out a sigh.

"Hey, you there. Pirates, hold on a second," a young voice called out.

Luffy stopped the Yagara, and he, Chopper, and Ezio looked over their shoulders and saw a young girl running towards them. The girl wore a red vest with yellow shorts. She had short brown hair with two white barrettes in her bangs.

Watching the girl curiously, Ezio hopped out of the Yagara and onto the street to greet her.

"Salute Signorina," Ezio greeted. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

"You're the pirates, right? The ones who saved Iceberg," the girl said.

"Yeah, that's us," Luffy agreed.

The girl pulled out a photo of her and an older pale teal-coloured Yagara with blue fins. "This is Aobire, he's my Yagara and he went missing during Aqua Laguna,"

Ezio took the picture and looked at it. He then passed it to Luffy and Chopper.

"Okay, but what does that have to do with us?" Luffy asked.

"I want you to help me find him," the girl demanded. "My parents say I shouldn't look for him because he was old, but he's missing, and I know he's out there,"

"Aqua Laguna only recently passed. Could it be that your Yagara has just not returned home yet?" Chopper tried.

"No, Aobire couldn't swim very well anymore due to his age, so he was a stay-at-home Yagara, and access to his pool was locked. But when we got back, it had been broken down," she claimed. "Our house is in the backstreets, so the storm must have broken it,"

"Forgive me for suggesting this, but have you considered that Aobire was lost during the storm?" Ezio asked gently.

"Of course, he's lost. That is why I am trying to find him. He's my best friend and our family's beloved Yagara. He wouldn't just up and leave and not come back," the girl claimed. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a small Yagara-shaped piggy bank. "Here, pirates like treasure, right? If you help me find Aobire, I'll give you all my savings,"

"Okay, that seems fair," Luffy said with a smile. "Hop in,"

Luffy reached out with his rubber arm and grabbed the girl. She freaked out at the pirate captain's arm and stared at him in shock. Ezio jumped back on the Yagara, and the group set off. They started searching around the upper levels of Water 7 and the Market Place where Yagara were common, thinking Aobire might be around a public place where someone may have seen him.

As they travelled, the girl introduced herself as Abi, and she went into more in-depth details about Aobire. She explained that the Yagara had been in her family since her grandmother was a girl. Aobire had been the family's beloved pet for three generations since Yagara live up to 100 years of age. During Aqua Laguna, Abi's family took shelter while Aobire was left at the house, as even if the house got flooded, he would survive due to being able to breathe underwater. However, this year he was not at the house waiting because the exit Aobire would normally use to get to the streets was broken apart. Abi had been looking for Aobire for the last three days with no success.

"Three days and he still hasn't returned?" Chopper asked.

"Yeah, that's why I have to find him. He could've gotten hurt in the storm," Abi said.

"Where have you not looked, Signora?" Ezio asked.

"I've looked around the places Aobire would be familiar with, but I haven't checked the Yagara pens or around the coast and most of the city,"

"That is quite a lot of ground to search," Ezio mused.

"It is," Abi agreed. "That's why I need your help,"

"We'll do what we can. Let's try asking some people if they've seen Aobire," Luffy suggested.

As they continued, they stopped to ask people if they'd seen Aobire, showing both humans and Yagara the photo. Chopper translated for the Yagara. However, none of them had any information. As their search continued, Ezio occasionally looked over his shoulder and caught glimpses of La Volpe following unseen in the crowd or darting across the rooftops. Soon, Luffy spotted two familiar faces.

"Hey, there's Robin and Connor," Luffy cheered as he saw the two exit a building. "Oh, I know, Robin can find Aobire! HEY ROBIN, CONNOR!"

Robin and Connor stopped walking and looked down the canal to see Luffy waving. They waited for his Yagara to approach.

"Hello, Luffy," Robin greeted happily. She then looked at Ezio. "Ezio," she said in a colder voice.

"Hey, Robin, this girl lost her Yagara. Can you find him?" Luffy asked. He then gestured for Abi to show her the picture. Robin looked at the picture for a moment.

"A Yagara with a blue fin. I can take a look," Robin agreed. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "Soru: Hana Flora,"

Arms started to sprout from the walls of buildings, with more and more arms sprouting out of the top of the hands. The arms had eyes on them, and they blinked as the arms quickly spread across the whole city. Abi screamed in terror at the strange phenomenon, as did many others who saw arms and eyes sprouting all over the place. The arms moved up close to Yagara, and even the bulls were freaked out by them.

Luffy laughed as the echo of screams was heard throughout the city. After several minutes, Robin released her power and opened her eyes. "I checked every street and inside most buildings. I could not find any Yagara with a bluefin," Robin said apologetically.

"Aw, really? Well, thanks for trying at least," Luffy said. "Come on, Abi, let's check down by the coast,"

Luffy maneuvered the Yagara away from the street as Robin and Connor walked off. After a good twenty minutes of travel time, they arrived at the gate to the coast. Leaving the Yagara at a pen in the city, they headed out and started walking up and down the coast, looking for Aobire. They soon spotted Franky and Iceberg, who were working on their new ship.

"Let's ask them," Luffy suggested.

Ezio, however, eyed Usopp wandering further up the coast past some people who were out fishing. Luffy and Abi didn't see him. "I will check further up the coast to see if some fishermen have seen our missing Yagara," Ezio said and walked away.

Luffy nodded and headed over to Franky and Iceberg. As soon as the workers spotted them, they immediately began to cover up the work they had done on the new ship, wanting it to be a surprise.

"Luffy, bro, what are you doing here?" Franky asked. "The ship's nowhere near ready as we only just started carving the wood,"

"So you started amazing. But have you guys seen a Yagara with blue fins?" Luffy asked.

"We have not," Iceberg confirmed. "Why are you looking for a blue-finned Yagara?"

"Abi here lost him in Aqua Laguna. We're helping her look," Chopper explained.

"I see, that is good of you," Iceberg said approvingly but also with sympathy as Abi showed them the picture.

"Have you tried Tsu Village?" Franky asked.

"Franky," Iceberg warned.

"What? It's the most likely place," Franky huffed. "No point in sugarcoating it,"

"What's Tsu Village?" Chopper asked.

"It's an old legend, nothing more," Iceberg answered and shot Franky a glare. "And not relevant,"

"Seriously? An elderly Yagara goes missing in Aqua Laguna, and you say it's not relevant?" Franky asked and tilted his sunglasses. "It's the only place he'd be,"

"Where's Tsu Village? If Aobire is there, I need to find him," Abi pleaded.

Iceberg let out a sigh. There was no avoiding it now.

"Tsu Village is a secret location that Yagara go to when they get too old or too injured. It is a village only Yagara can find, and once they are there, they never leave," Iceberg explained sadly. "In short, it is their final nesting ground,"

"Their final nesting ground?" Chopper asked, a little frightened. He knew exactly what Iceberg and Franky were implying.

"So Aobire is in this village then? That means all we have to do is go there and bring him home," Abi insisted. "I'll go there myself and bring him back,"

"It's not impossible for humans to enter Tsu Village," Franky mused. "They can enter if a Yagara takes them when they go,"

Iceberg let out another long sigh and looked at Luffy. "I do not believe there is any reason to continue your search. That girl must not enter Tsu Village. Do you understand?"

"Yep, got it," Luffy said with a smile.


Ezio walked past the fishermen and followed Usopp a bit. The sniper was muttering and mumbling to himself while writing notes in a notebook. He was unaware of Ezio's presence. Once the Assassin was sure he was far enough away from Luffy, he quietly approached the sniper.

"Ciao, Sogeking," Ezio said.

Usopp let out a yelp and jumped back in response, dropping his notebook and whipping around to see who had snuck up on him. Ezio laughed at the reaction.

"Oh, it's only you," Usopp said. "Don't do that, you nearly gave me a heart attack,"

"Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you," Ezio said as he picked up the notebook and handed it back to Usopp. "You walk really quietly, you know that, right?"

"I have been told that many times. What are you doing out here?" Usopp asked.

"Taking a walk, you?" Ezio replied.

"Looking for a lost Yagara. You have not seen an elderly Yagara with a blue fin, have you?" Usopp inquired.

"Can't say I have. I'll keep an eye out for it, though," Usopp replied.

"Grazie, by the way. I was very impressed with your sniping skills back on Enies Lobby. You made several impossible shots with deadly accuracy over and over while we were on the Bridge of Hesitation," Ezio complimented. "I have never seen such skill before, nor have I encountered a weapon such as yours,"

"I understand you not seeing my weapon. I made it myself just before we went to Enies Lobby. And as for what I did on the Bridge of Hesitation, it wasn't that hard. I've hit smaller targets from an even greater range before," Usopp explained.

"You have?" Ezio asked, interested. "What is the greatest range you've been able to hit?"

"Hmm... I guess that would be the eye of the whale weather vane in Logue Town. It was on the other side of town, up on a hill, and about 800 to 900 feet away. I hit it directly through the eye as it was turning," Usopp boasted.

"That... is highly impressive," Ezio said in surprise. "Did you have any aiming assistance at the time?"

"Nah, I actually got these goggles from that," Usopp claimed and tapped his goggles. "And that was with my starting slingshot too,"

"You made such a shot with a slingshot?" Ezio asked in shock.

"Yeah, I always use slingshots," Usopp replied.

"Why not use a pistol or a long-range rifle?" Ezio inquired.

"It's too easy," Usopp shrugged. "Plus, I like making my own ammo. I can't do that with guns,"

"You make your own ammunition? What do you have?" Ezio asked.

"Oh, lots. If you have time, I'd be happy to show you," Usopp boasted.

"Sadly, I do not. However, might I request a quick demonstration?" Ezio said and turned to look at the city. "Do you think you could hit the flag at the top of the city without your goggles?"

"The one at Dock One? I don't want to damage it," Usopp said.

"I doubt they will notice," Ezio assured. "If you make the shot, I will give you 2,000 berries,"

Usopp looked up in the direction of the city. The flag was uphill and over 1,000 feet away. He could only just barely make it out. He squinted his eyes as he was looking into the sun and there was a lot of glare.

"I can give it a go," Usopp said. He was confident he could make the shot, and he wasn't going to turn down free money. He pulled out his Great Kabuto and loaded it with a single pellet.

"Is that one of your homemade ammo?" Ezio asked.

"No, this is just a small bullet. It will leave a small, easy-to-repair hole. I might destroy the flag if I used my special ammo, and I really don't want that," Usopp explained.

Ezio nodded and waited patiently for Usopp to shoot. The sniper held his shot for a few seconds, still struggling against the glare. Finally, he let the shot go, and the small bullet disappeared out of sight.

"Well, thank you for that," Ezio said. "I'll confirm if you hit the flag when I get back to Dock One later,"

"Alright, just don't forget if I hit it, you owe me 2,000 berries," Usopp reminded.

"I won't. By the way, why are you not with the Straw Hats? Connor missed you at the party," Ezio inquired.

"I'm not part of the crew anymore. Luffy and I had a falling out," Usopp confessed, and Ezio could tell he was regretting the whole thing.

"I see... You know they are leaving in a few days, right?" Ezio mentioned.

"Yeah, Franky's building them a new ship now," Usopp agreed. "I bet it will be amazing,"

"If you are not part of the crew, what will you do when the Straw Hats leave?" Ezio asked.

"The giants offered to take me to Elbaf," Usopp claimed. "I've wanted to visit since Little Garden,"

"Did they? A rare treat. Elbaf is notorious to gain entry to on the account that giants do not trust humans and they do not like outsiders. To be invited is a great opportunity," Ezio commented.

"What about you? Did Luffy ask you to join his crew?" Usopp questioned.

"He did. However, I cannot accept. I have my own responsibilities back home," Ezio explained.

"And Luffy accepted that? He's usually pretty persistent when he asks people to join and doesn't take no for an answer," Usopp noted.

"I noticed that. To be honest, if things were different, I just might have taken him up on the offer," Ezio said wishfully. "Sailing the seas, exploring the world at my own pace, meeting all the lovely ladies out there, and going on a private cruise with Nami and Robin... sounds like a good life to me,"

"You sound like Sanji," Usopp commented.

Ezio chuckled. "I must get back before I am missed. Grazie for the demonstration and speaking with me," Ezio said. He turned away and walked back in the direction he came from.

"See ya," Usopp said.

Ezio wandered back to where Luffy had left their Yagara. Luffy, Abi, and Chopper were not back yet, so Ezio waited for them. He did not have to wait long because after a few minutes, the others returned.

"I regret to inform you that the fishermen had not seen our missing Yagara," Ezio said. "Did the shipwrights say anything?"

"Franky and Iceberg seemed to think Aobire went to Tsu Village," Abi said.

"I have not heard of that place," Ezio commented.

Chopper explained what Iceberg and Franky had told them and how the two had warned them to give up the search. Chopper agreed with this advice, but Abi and Luffy were against it.

"I see... did they really say all that?" Ezio asked.

"They did," Luffy confirmed. "Then I agree with Chopper. We should heed their advice. If Aobire is really in Tsu Village, then there is nothing we can do," Ezio said solemnly.

"But I have to go to the village to bring him back," Abi urged.

"Abi, you can't go there," Chopper said gently.

"It's alright. We can still get Aobire back," Luffy said.

"We can?" Ezio asked.

"Yeah, Iceberg and Franky said Abi wasn't to enter the village, right? So that means I'll go into the village and get Aobire back myself," Luffy said with a grin.

"I... do not believe that to be wise," Ezio stated. It was clear that Luffy, like Abi, had not understood Iceberg's true warning.

"Really, you'd do that for me?" Abi said happily.

"Yep, I promised I'd help get your Yagara back, didn't I?" Luffy smiled.

"Come on, let's find that village entrance," "Wait, Luffy, that is not what Iceberg meant," Chopper cried out.

"This is not going to end well," Ezio sighed. They got back on their Yagara and started to search for the entrance to Tsu Village. While Ezio and Chopper were very reluctant, they went along anyway just to make sure Luffy and Abi stayed safe. However, despite their search, they did not find the entrance. Luffy asked locals about it, but they didn't know anything other than it was an old legend. Chopper asked some Yagara, but they all told him they would not know the location or entrance until they had to go there themselves. Ezio concluded that the Yagara sought the village out by instinct; in which case, no Yagara would be able to find it until it was their time. It was starting to get late, and the group still hadn't found the entrance to Tsu Village.

"Abi, maybe we should stop now," Chopper advised. "It will be dark soon, and your parents will worry,"

"But we still haven't found Aobire," Abi claimed.

"Chopper's right, it will be dark soon, and I don't want to be late for dinner," Luffy agreed.

Abi started to tear up. She had been looking for her Yagara for a few days now, and with no success. However, now she knew where he was, but still couldn't find him. It was a bit much for a girl her age to handle. After all, she didn't understand. Ezio groaned. He never could say no to a girl in distress... well, at least one who was not power-hungry or had plans to take over the world anyway. Abi was neither, and as much as Ezio didn't want to put her in danger, he wanted her to cry even less.

"Luffy, I'll take the reins for a bit," Ezio said.

"Okay," Luffy said, and they swapped places. Ezio took a quick glance around to make sure no one was looking, and his eyes flashed gold. The moment the world faded into its darker form, Ezio spied a golden trail. He let out a sigh. If the trail was there, it was either leading to Aobire or Tsu Village. The sight couldn't lead to a place that didn't exist, but it could lead to a dead body. Ezio silently prayed it wasn't the latter. He maneuvered the Yagara to follow the trail, turning his sight off every so often if another person got too close.

"Where are we going?" Abi asked as Ezio steered the Yagara away from the more populated places. "Following a hunch," Ezio responded.

They continued to travel until the trail that Ezio was following led to a drain hole that looked like it had been forced open, as if something heavy had rammed into it. Floating on the surface and wrapped around the bars were remnants of a torn blue scarf.

"That's part of the scarf I made for Aobire," Abi claimed as she reached into the water and picked up the fragments. "He was here,"

"Alright, let's go in," Luffy cheered.

They entered the drain and followed the tunnel as it descended slowly down and further under the city. Ezio, still in the driver's seat, tensed up as, in his experience, hidden areas like these were seldom unoccupied. When the path finally leveled out, the Yagara they were riding stopped, as they had reached a part where the water level was ankle-deep.

"Guess we go on foot from here," Luffy said as he hopped out of the Yagara.

Chopper, Abi, and Ezio followed suit. Once the Yagara was secure, they continued their way forward, wading through the slightly above ankle-deep water. At some point, Ezio heard light splashing and stopped, looking behind the group, but he didn't see anyone following. Luffy and Abi hadn't noticed that he had stopped and kept walking. It was when they were a little further ahead that Ezio realized the light splashing was coming from in front of him, and that's when he noticed it. Luffy, Abi, and Chopper were no longer wading through the water; they were walking on it. He looked down at his own boots and saw that he too was standing on top of the water.

Ezio narrowed his eyes. That was not a good sign.

The passage led them to an open cavern with deep water and broken pillars sticking out from parts of it. Light filtered in from above, and there was no other way forward except for a door on a high ledge. Luffy, Chopper, and Abi took a moment to admire the old cavern.

Ezio glanced around. He could tell from the walls and rocks that this cavern was regularly flooded, given how damp they were. He looked ahead at the centre of the cavern where the deep water was. His eyes flashed gold for a moment, and instead of the white aura he expected, the water had a red glow. Ezio's brow furrowed. Environments were not supposed to have red or blue glows. But the yellow trail moved up past the only other exit.

"Do not enter the deeper water," Ezio warned the rest of the group, and his eyes returned to normal.

"Why not?" Abi asked.

"Just a feeling that it is not safe," Ezio claimed. "We need to go up there," he added, pointing to the door on the ledge. He was already calculating the best climbing route to get up there in his head.

"I can get us up there," Luffy said. He stretched both arms out and grabbed onto a stalactite above the ledge. "Grab on,"

Chopper latched onto Luffy's leg and held tightly, well aware of his captain's solutions for crossing long distances. Abi wasn't sure, but Ezio lifted her onto Luffy's back, and she wrapped her arms around Luffy's neck and over his chest. Ezio positioned himself the same way on top of her, so the girl was wedged between them to ensure that even if she lost her grip, she would not fall.

Luffy jumped, and the group was propelled and pulled all the way up to the ledge. Luffy landed safely, and everyone got off him. Ezio looked back over the room. It certainly beat his normal way of getting to high and difficult-to-reach places. Ezio envied Luffy's ability. While he himself had not eaten a Devil Fruit, he sometimes wished he had found one like Luffy's. It would make infiltrating and scaling large buildings much easier.

They continued on and eventually came out into a large open cavern made out of old ruined buildings. There was no further way in, and it was heavily enclosed. Deep water filled the center area, and the group looked around.

"Where do we go now?" Luffy asked.

"I'm not sure we can go any further," Ezio responded.

"Ah, look!" Abi suddenly yelled.

Ezio, Chopper, and Luffy looked to where Abi was pointing, and there in the center of the deep water was a shadowy figure of an old teal Yagara with blue fins and a scarf.

"It's Aobire!" Abi cried out in happiness. "Aobire, where have you been? We've been worried sick. Let's go home,"

The Yagara started making noises, and Luffy looked at Chopper for a translation.

"He says... Sorry, I can't do that," Chopper translated.

"Huh? Why not? No one is mad that you ran away," Abi claimed.

"I know, but I've found the entrance to Tsu Village. With you here, I can enter and be at peace," Chopper translated.

Something didn't feel right. Ezio's eyes turned gold once more, and he saw Abi, Luffy, and Chopper's auras. He also saw the red warning aura of the deep water, but that was all. Aobire did not have one. In fact, his sight revealed that the old Yagara wasn't even there at all. Ezio took a step back and switched his sight on and off just to confirm what he was seeing.

"What... what are you saying, Aobire?" Abi begged with tears in her eyes.

"You can't follow me, but thank you for everything," Chopper finished, and Aobire began to fade. Luffy got a terrified look on his face, realizing exactly what Tsu Village was. Abi, however, hadn't come to the same realization as Luffy and ran forward with tears in her eyes.

"Abi, no, don't leave me. Take me to the village with you," Abi begged.

"Luffy, stop her," Ezio warned. His eyes still gold as she rushed straight into the deep water. Luffy stretched out his arm to grab Abi, but just before he could reach her, Abi stepped into the dark water and fell in with a splash.

"Abi!" Chopper called out. He, Luffy, and Ezio ran over to the edge of the deep water and looked down. There was no sign of Abi resurfacing. Aobire frowned, looked down at the water, and faded from sight.

"Merda," Ezio swore. He grabbed Luffy's wrist, and the rubber captain looked at him confused. "When I yank, pull us up," he instructed and dove into the deep water.

"Ezio!" Chopper yelled. Luffy nearly fell over as his arm was pulled into the water, and it took him a great amount of strength to regain his balance. Abi sank deeper into the water, trying to swim but finding her limbs wouldn't obey. She did her best to hold her breath, but it became increasingly difficult. Abi looked around for something to grab onto to stop herself from sinking, but there was nothing within arm's reach.

A light shone beneath her, and she looked down. Her eyes widened at the scene below. It was an old submerged part of the city, and there were hundreds of Yagara swimming with a gentle current. Abi also noticed a few humans floating as well, only half a dozen, but they were there. Her eyes traced over the Yagara and the humans until they landed on Aobire. The old Yagara was swimming with the others. Abi opened her mouth to call out to Aobire, hoping he would help her as he always had.

However, no sound came out, and water filled her lungs, causing her to sink faster. Aobire made no movement towards her, showing no indication that he even knew she was there. As she got closer to the horde of swimming Yagara, Abi noticed that none of their fins were moving. It suddenly dawned on her that neither the humans nor the Yagara were swimming—they were floating on a gentle current that she was about to enter. Abi now understood why no Yagara ever returned from Tsu Village. The floating Yagara and humans would never move again. Aobire would never return home, and now neither would she.

As her vision faded due to lack of oxygen, Abi realized why her parents had warned her not to search for Aobire, why Iceberg had issued a warning, and why Chopper and Ezio had urged her not to continue the search. Tsu Village was not a nesting grounds; it was the final resting grounds.

Because she had not heeded the warnings, it would be her resting ground too. Her parents would never find her or know what had happened to her, and that thought made her profoundly sad.

Just as her last breath of air was about to leave her, something wrapped around her waist. Abi didn't know what it was, but a second later, she felt herself being pulled upwards at an alarming pace. Tsu Village grew smaller and smaller until it was out of sight. Moments later, she broke the surface of the water and crashed into something rubbery. She coughed and sputtered violently, and Chopper patted her back, helping her get the water out of her lungs as she breathed in the fresh air.

Once Abi had expelled all the water from her lungs, she looked over at the spot where Aobire had been just moments before, only to see a dark empty space and the deep water with slight ripples. Then she looked at Ezio, who was lying on the water and breathing heavily. He felt the girl's eyes on him and looked at her, offering a smile.

"I told you... stay away from the deep water," he said.

Abi started to tear up and grabbed Luffy's shirt, crying into the rubber captain. Luffy gave her gentle pats on the back to comfort her.

"He's gone... Aobire is really gone," she cried.

"Yeah, he is," Luffy confirmed.

"But... but why would he... why did he leave me like that... it doesn't make sense..," Abi sobbed.

"Abi, Aobire was over a hundred years old," Chopper consoled. "No one lives forever, whether humans, animals, or Yagara. When they get old, they... they die,"

"But why..," Abi sniffed. "It's not fair,"

"No, it's not," Ezio agreed in a low tone, as if he was speaking from experience. He pushed himself into a sitting position. "Death is never fair to those who are left behind,"

"Hey, just because Aobire is gone doesn't mean his life was without meaning," Luffy chimed in. "You loved him, right?"

Abi nodded.

"Then I'm sure he's happy," Luffy smiled. "Besides, I'm sure he wouldn't want you to be sad,"

"Luffy's right. Aobire had a good life with you," Chopper added. "That alone is something to be treasured,"

"But... but why does it still hurt so much?" Abi asked through her tears. "How do I make it stop hurting?"

Ezio stood up and walked over to her. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him.

"The loss of a loved one, particularly a family member, never stops hurting. But you can find meaning and peace in the pain you feel," Ezio advised.

"How? What meaning is there in Aobire leaving me like he did?" Abi asked.

"That is something you will have to discover on your own," Ezio answered remorsefully.

Ezio opened his mouth to continue, but he was interrupted by Chopper.

"Hey, I hear something," Chopper said, his ears twitching. "Sounds like a baby crying,"

"A baby?" Luffy asked, confused. What would a baby be doing in a place like this?

The group quickly spread out and looked around the ruins. Chopper followed the source of the noise and ran over to where some rubble was piled up. There, in a small crevice, was a small yellow-coloured baby Yagara wrapped in a torn blue scarf, emitting weak squeaks.

"Ah, I found it," Chopper announced and gently picked up the baby Yagara for all to see.

Abi stepped closer and touched the scarf. "This scarf, I made it for Aobire," she said.

"The phantom Aobire was wearing a scarf too, but it wasn't torn. This one is," Ezio stated.

"Why would a baby have Aobire's scarf?" Luffy asked.

Chopper put his ear to the baby and his eyes widened. "Luffy, this baby is very sick,"

"Sick?" Abi asked in shock.

"Yeah, and it's hurt too,"

"Can you save it?" Luffy asked.

Chopper nodded. "Yes, but we need to leave now and get somewhere warm,"

"I can agree with that, I am soaked, and so is our little Signorina," Ezio said, shivering a bit in his wet clothes.

"Let's go to my house; it's not too far from where we entered," Abi suggested.

Luffy, Chopper, and Ezio all agreed, and they quickly backtracked the way they came. Before leaving, Abi took one last look at the deep water where she had seen Aobire.

"Goodbye, Aobire," she whispered and then ran after the others.

Getting out of the underground area was easier than expected. The Yagara they were riding on was quite strong and sensed the urgency to get out. It swam back out against the strong currents, and soon the group was back up in the canals of Water 7. Luffy was driving and following Abi's directions to her house, while Chopper did his best to administer first aid and treatment to the baby. Soon, they arrived in front of Abi's house. Once the Yagara was secure, Abi rushed into the house.

Her parents were home, so seeing their daughter rush in, soaked to the bone, with two strange men and a walking, talking stuffed animal was quite a shock. Even more so when Abi bolted upstairs to get dry towels, blankets, and some emergency medicine that the family used when taking refuge from Aqua Laguna.

When she came back down, she gave the medicine to Chopper and a bunch of dry towels and blankets. She kept a towel for herself and gave one to Ezio to dry himself off. Luffy gave a quick explanation to Abi's parents about how they had been helping her look for Aobire and found a sick baby Yagara in the process. When asked about how she and Ezio got wet, Ezio stepped up and claimed that when trying to reach the baby, they had fallen into the canal. Since Abi's house was closest, they brought her and the baby home to warm up.

Abi was surprised that Ezio would lie for her like that, but she supposed it was better than the truth. After all, she had nearly drowned less than thirty minutes ago.

After ten minutes, Chopper finished with the baby.

"Good news, she'll be okay," Chopper said.

"She?" Abi asked.

"Yep, this Yagara's a girl," Chopper claimed. "Most of the injuries are superficial bruises. Rub a bit of anti-bruising ointment on her, and they'll clear up in a few days,"

"That's great," Luffy cheered.

"I'm a bit concerned about the baby's lungs. She's got pneumonia, likely from being exposed to the elements for so long," Chopper claimed and he pointed at the scarf in Abi's hands. "If she wasn't wrapped in that, she would have died a few days ago,"

"She would have... wait, don't tell me..," Abi said, and she looked down at the scarf. "The reason Aobire left was..,"

"He must have heard the baby's cries for help during Aqua Laguna," Ezio theorized. "That is why the baby was at the entrance to Tsu village,"

"So without Aobire..," Abi realized.

"Yeah, the baby would have also entered it," Luffy finished. "Aobire saved her,"

Abi held the scarf close to her chest and started to cry again. "Aobire..,"

Abi's mother came over and held the girl while she cried one last time for Aobire.

"Chopper, can you make sure the baby lives?" Luffy asked.

"Yep, I can make her some antibiotics. If Abi feeds it to the baby twice a day and keeps her warm, she'll make a full recovery,"

"I can do that," Abi sniffed.

"Great, I'll get on it now. Luffy, you and Ezio head back. Ezio needs dry clothes, or he might get sick again. I'll come back when I'm done," Chopper advised.

"Okay," Luffy agreed.

"Wait," Abi said. She pulled away from her mother and pulled out her Yagara-shaped money box, holding it out to Luffy.

"Your payment for helping me and finding Tsu," she said.

"Abi," her mother scolded.

"Tsu?" Ezio asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to name her Tsu," Abi claimed as she looked over at the baby. "After our adventure today,"

"Well, I think that is a fine name for an equally fine Yagara," Ezio stated.

Luffy took the piggybank and lifted it to his ear, he gave it a light shake and listened to the sound of coins inside. He smiled and walked past Abi and put the bank on the table. Before heading to the door.

"Wait, don't you want your reward?" Abi asked in shock.

"Nah, you keep it. Make sure you spend that money on feeding Tsu lots of meat so she can grow up big and strong," Luffy instructed. He then looked at Chopper. "See you later, Chopper,"

Ezio handed back the towel and left with Luffy. They hopped back on the rented Yagara and headed back towards Dock One.

"Ah, Captain Luffy, do you mind if we make a slight detour? I wish to discuss something with you," Ezio asked.

"But aren't you cold?" Luffy asked. "Chopper will be mad if you get your fever back,"

"It won't take long," Ezio promised.

"Hmm... I don't know. Sanji might get mad if we're late for dinner," Luffy claimed.

"Very well, it is too bad, though. Where I had in mind is just past a very popular Mizu Meat stand that is ranked best in the city," Ezio sighed, though he had a very knowing glint in his eye

"HUH, FOR REAL?!" Luffy shouted "MEAT!" as he turned the bull they were riding in a different direction.