Hello all, sorry it's been a while. Things for me have been pretty chaotic and have finally started to calm down. I'm sorry to say that my Harry Potter fics will be on permanent hiatus as I cannot in good faith continue with them. To be honest, most of my stories will be on put on permanent hiatus from here on out but I might return to them. This story will also be posted on my A03 under Bored_Writer so keep an eye out for that. To those who read this, I hope you all enjoy.

I own neither One Piece or Jojo, the idea for this story is entirely my own.

Chapter 1 Luffy

Noriaki sighs as he stares blankly at the canvas in front of him. He was trying to paint; he had a commission from Kaya to complete but the inspiration just wasn't coming. Inspiration had been pretty fleeting for the last year since he washed up in Syrup Village. He found he'd always struggled to paint when he was feeling particularly upset, and his happiness has been fleeting since his death.

He died. Dio killed him and yet, here he was. Still living and breathing in a place in a place that wasn't his home, nowhere near it. Syrup Village wasn't a place that was noted on any map from home, and the maps he'd seen of the East Blue where he has washed up had shown that he wasn't even in his world anymore. That was a realization that had been very difficult to come to terms with. He was still grappling with that discovery, the insanity of it and the dizzying questions that came with seeing the maps of this world for the first time.

Four massive oceans, divided by a single continent that stretched out in a thin line. Those oceans filled with islands of varying sizes, but nothing like the continents that graced the Earth he knew. A world where Japan didn't exist, where none of the places he visited did; where a single World Government controlled most of the world, a concept that was difficult for him to get his head around even once he'd accepted this wasn't some bizarre dying dream. Yet as the weeks went past and he didn't wake up or pass on, he gradually realized that whatever had happened to him... it put him in this place.

This place was real, he was still alive even though he'd thought he was going to die. That intense feeling of being pulled somewhere, a feeling that had completely swamped him in what he'd thought were his last moments of consciousness, that had been being lifted to heaven, right? And yet here he is. Breathing, taking in another sunlit morning on the relatively peaceful East Blue island.

This world is stranger than any dream I've ever had, Noriaki thought to himself. But what could possibly have brought me here? God? ...Could whoever or whatever brought me here sent me home? Please?

He'd come to terms with the fact that he'd been killed by Dio after about six months; he still had a noticeable scar across his stomach as a reminder. But. He'd yet to come to terms with the fact that he would never seen his friends or family ever again.

That fact was still too painful for him to even think about. He missed his mother; he could still feel her helping him with his school jacket before he left the house that morning, could still hear her singing as she watered her plants or laughing at one of those romantic comedies she loved so much. He missed his father; he could still hear him fussing when he was having a bad day, see the happiness in his eyes when he surprised his son with a new paint set or video game.

He missed Avdol, who survived one brush with death only to lose his second lease on life because he chose to help them. How his wisdom had helped Noriaki be more creative with his Stand and understand Hierophant better, how his fortune telling was strange yet comforting. He missed Jean, the reckless, hotheaded and honourable Frenchman always knew when he was feeling off balance and cheering him up with his laugh and his goofy antics. He missed Mr Joestar, his confidence and experience; he still remembered all of the stories the old man told him about his family line, anecdotes about the places they visited, everything.

And Jotaro... Oh, Jotaro...

'I have something to tell you... we'll talk after the battle, Jotaro. Once the battle is over, we can talk about the future without any regrets. Now go catch up with Jean.' Those were the last words he'd said to Jotaro. And he never got the chance to tell him that he...

Noriaki cuts that thought off with a shake of his head. Dwelling on those words and memories always brought him pain and he was trying not to get lost in those thoughts again. He had before, and sometimes they'd rendered him bedridden for days – unable to muster the will to do anything at all, even eat. He'd never come out of them if he kept drifting to them.

He wanted them back. Somehow, some way. He missed all of them. He's never felt more alone now, not even when he was a kid did he feel this lonely. At least then he had his family, even if they didn't always understand him. Now, he didn't even have his family anymore, and there were massive gaping holes in his heart where his family and beloved friends were.

Why had he continued to survive after that final fight? Was this some strange sort of purgatory? Did he need to pass some sort of test of character, why is he here?!

Noriaki sharply set down his sketchbook and roughly scrubbed at his face. He forced himself to do multiplication tables until his head was clear; better to see how high he could multiply seven than burst into tears.

At least the people in town were nice to him, if a little distant. He was still a relative newcomer to the area, and one who appeared out of the blue. Plus, he was fairly reliant on the charity of the sweet doctor's daughter who'd covered his hospital bills out of kindness, then opened her home to him.

Kaya... she was an orphan who lived in the mansion that overlooked Syrup Village. Noriaki suspected she was fairly lonely herself, to gladly offer to support a complete stranger; he's incredibly grateful to her, though. She gave him somewhere to stay free of charge for the forseeable future, even if it was the office in the stables; all despite her butler's objections.

Noriaki scowls at the thought of the man.

He didn't like Kladahore, unlike Kaya's other adult support Merry. There was something off about the man that Noriaki couldn't quite put his finger on. But everyone in town seemed to trust the man, so it wasn't like he could bring up his suspicions with anyone; not when its just a gut feeling.

"Pirates! Pirates spotted! The pirates are coming!"

The voice cut through his musings, and despite himself it lifted his mood almost immediately. "Right on schedule," The redhead comments with a little fondness.

"Pirates!" The familiar voice travelled past his window. Noriaki smiles a little, while Usopp crying wolf over the pirates was on the annoying side, he was also the other person Noriaki can say is more friend than casual acquaintance.

He's the one who found him bleeding to death when he first washed up on shore. Despite being frozen in panic at first, having never seen anyone that badly injured before and not having much in the way of muscles, Ussop had wrapped the wound as tightly as he could, hauled Noriaki up onto his back, and carried him back into town shouting for a doctor.

He saved his life; Noriaki owes him for that. Despite everything...part of him is genuinely happy to be alive still.

And Usopp is genuinely a nice guy; he made him feel welcome by visiting often while he was recovering, and he made a point to hang out with him more and more when he found out that the redhead was basically alone. He was nice to spend time with, even if he did understand why people considered Usopp to be a liar and made him an outcast because of it.

Noriaki knew what it was like to be an outcast, however; the loneliness that came with it was unbearable. Hence why he continues to spend time with him against the opinions of the townsfolk.

"Pirates are coming!"

Noriaki frowns, his paintbrush half lifted once again. Something about the tone of those words... He's heard Usopp's familiar calls about pirates but this time, he could hear a slight edge of actual panic to Usopp's voice. Like he was actually... scared.

Noriaki gets to his feet, putting his paintbrush in the water bowl. Could Usopp have actually seen something? Pirates are a very real force in this world, and this wasn't Japan, a strong nation with the money to spend on defence. Powerful marauders sacking entire cities were not unheard of.

Shit. If that was the case, that was a problem. Syrup Village wasn't big enough for a Marine base and while it did have a local militia, it wasn't very big or well-equipped. If there really were pirates, they'd need to be dealt with, and the village was ill-prepared for a real assault.

Good thing Hierophant is well suited for long range attacks. And Noriaki has never been one to stand around when people were in danger. He quickly gets to his feet and runs into town to go and find Usopp, which proves to be pretty easy thanks to how loud Usopp is. He taps Usopp's shoulder and spins him around to talk to him.

The long nosed teen shrieks in alarm and spins around. "Pira- Oh hi Noriaki." He says, his tone calming almost instantly when he saw who had snuck up on him.

Noriaki smiles apologetically before getting serious. "Hey Usopp. Are there actually pirates this time?" He asked.

"Yes." Ussop said anxiously; then he backtracked a little and uncertainly hinged, "Well, I saw a ship."

"Are out sure it's not one of the village's fishing boats?" Noriaki asks, needing to be sure.

Ussop nodded vehemently, utter relief on his face. He must have already tried to raise the alarm downtown and got the cold shoulder. "Positive. It's not a Marine ship either, it's flying the black flag. I'm sure of it."

Crap. This could actually be pirates. Noriaki shook his head and slid into the mindset he'd used when fighting other Stand users – cool calculation. "Did you see a flag?" He asked.

"It was too far away." Ussop puffed up his chest, his eyes shining with a mixture of overconfidence and determination. "I'm heading down to the cost to take a closer look."

Noriaki's fairly impressed; even if this was a false alarm, that Ussop was willing to actually go out and face potential danger was quite the statement coming from a guy who was pretty easy to scare. "I'll come with you." He said.

The other teen gasps. "Really?"

The redhead nods sharply. "Yeah. If there really are pirates, you're going to need back-up."

He almost expected the boy to collapse in relief, but he managed to keep his wits about him. "Thank you, Noriaki! I appreciate it."

Usopp gives Noriaki a grateful smile and the two of them start running from the center of town down to the forest by the beach. It's a bit of a trek, so at least if things were about to go south, they could kick up enough noise to alert the townsfolk together.

Once there, Usopp dived into a series of bushes and quickly digs out his telescope from his bag and looks through. Even without a telescope, Noriaki can see a small ship about twenty feet offshore. It's too far away to make out anything on the sail or on any flags it might have.

"Crap," Usopp mutters nervously.

"What is it?" Noriaki asks him.

"I see a flag and I'm pretty sure I recognize it too. Have a look."

He passes Noriaki the telescope and Noriaki quickly peers through. Sure enough, there is a black flag with a skull and crossbones on it fluttering in the wind. The skull also has a bright red clown nose which catches Noriaki a little by surprise. It's...not exactly what he would have expected from a pirate symbol.

"I'm pretty sure that's Buggy the Clown's Jolly Roger. And he is bad news," Usopp says with all seriousness. The redhead couldn't help but snort in surprised amusement, though it doesn't last with the wide-eyed look his long nosed friend gives him.

"You think he's onboard?" Noriaki asks instead, passing the telescope back.

Ussop gulps at the idea. "Maybe? I don't think that ship out there is Buggy's flagship, it's too small. It might be one of his scouting ships, I've heard he has a bunch."

Usopp raises the telescope again and Noriaki leans against a tree to watch him. "Can you see anyone on deck?" Noriaki asks, squinting at the shore.

"I see... three people."

"Three people?" That caught him off guard. Could three people sail a ship by themselves? He supposes that this one isn't that big, but...

"Yeah. Here."

He passes Noriaki the telescope again, letting the redhead peer through once more. Sure enough, there are three people on deck. There's a grinning boy in a straw hat being yelled at by a girl with orange hair holding a map, and a boy with forest green hair and three swords at his side leaning against one of the railings. They didn't look like typical pirates in Noriaki's opinion. In fact they look pretty young, like, around his age.

"You're sure they're pirates with this Buggy guy's crew?" He asked with a slight frown. "They don't look like pirates to me."

Ussop shook his head violently. "They have to be, why else would they be sailing under his flag?"

"Maybe they stole one of his ships?"

"And lived to tell the tale? Nori, I know you're an optimist, but Buggy wouldn't exactly take someone stealing one of his ships very well."

Before Noriaki can answer, the leaves on one of the trees rustle suddenly and the next thing he and Usopp know, the boy with the straw hat from the ship in hanging upside down in front of them. Usopp yelps and flails his arms, almost hitting Noriaki with the telescope. The redhead yelped and stumbled backwards, his eyes wide. When had the kid gotten up here? He hadn't even heard him moving!

The boy grins brightly at them, all curiosity and excitement. He's young and looks it, his facial features soft and untouched by troubles except for the scar beneath one of his hazel brown eyes. His black hair is messy and wild, and he's wearing a red vest and blue shorts; he keeps his head on his head with one hand.

"Hi, what are you guys talking about?" The straw hat wearing boy asks.

Noriaki almost finds his voice again when he notices the boy's neck. More specifically, he notices the way it's stretched out beyond what should be possible for the human body to achieve. He makes a choked sound and fails to say anything coherent. Usopp also notices because he starts screaming.

"Why are you screaming?" The boy asks, he honestly looks clueless. As if they were the weird ones here! How was he stretching his neck like that?! Was that a Stand Power? Noriaki can't see one around him!

"You!" Usopp shouts what they were both thinking in a high pitched tone. "How are you doing that?! How did you get over here?! Your ship is still on the water!"

"I rocketed myself over," the boy says by way of explanation. "I'm a rubber man!"

"What does that mean?" Noriaki wheezes, his hand grips his chest tightly and he wonders if this is what having a heart attack feels like.

"It means I can stretch my body like rubber," the boy says patiently. "Like this, see?"

Noriaki watches as the boy hooks one finger into the corner of his mouth and stretches it out until his arm is completely straight. Dear God, that was uncanny valley of the purest form. Was this one of those Devil Fruit things Usopp had told him about? Noriaki doesn't have much time to dwell on it before the boy topples out of the tree and lands in a heap.

"Ow," he says without much heat. He sounded less like he'd fallen from a tree and more like he'd kicked a chair leg by accident.

"Are you okay?" Noriaki says, preparing to help the boy to his feet.

"Yep," the boys says and hops to his feet before he can be assisted. His sunny disposition is back in an instant. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy! And I'm going to be King of the Pirates!"

Noriaki makes a noise of shock. He's a pirate?! This kid?! This kid and his bright, guileless smile? There was no way. No way! Noriaki has never seen a more friendly face in his life. Surely a pirate would look a little more menacing.

"You're a pirate? Really?" Looks like he's not the only one unconvinced by Luffy's words. Ussop has the same blank expression.

"Of course I am!" Luffy counters, sounding a little miffed.

"Sunnova...! Luffy, where'd you go?!" An irritated female voice calls out.

From the same direction, a deep sigh can be heard as well. Luffy just laughs, warm and carefree and there's something deeply magnetic in that sound that straightens Noriaki's back. When was the last time he heard someone laugh like that? Maybe the last time he saw Mister Joestar before he died? Maybe…

"Your eyes are really pretty. I've hardly ever seen people with eyes that colour; only Uta has them!" Luffy says brightly.

Noriaki's cheeks flush slightly, having been mocked for years about his eye colour, genuine compliments aren't something he's used too. "Thank you." He stammers, caught off guard. "I-I've been told violet is a rare eye colour."

"Super rare!"

"Yeah…" Noriaki rubs the back of his neck, unsure what to say.

"Luffy!" The girl calls out in aggravation, before she appears at the opening of the path. It's the same orange haired girl from the ship; she's dressed in white and blue and has what looks like an extendable bo staff strapped to her belt. "You can't just go rocketing off like that."

"But I saw people up here." Luffy responded with a pout. "Look, aren't they interesting?"

He stares at her with that big smile and the girl sighs tiredly. Her companion, the green haired swordsman stops beside her, his expression neutral.

Noriaki's eyes linger on the swordsman the most. His broad shoulders, muscular frame, strong jaw, and sharp eyes remind him of Jotaro in a way… The swordsman's silver eyes meet his and Noriaki's cheeks heat up for the second time that day. There are three swords at his side... three? Could a single person physically use three swords in a fight? Or was he just carrying the third blade with him because he didn't want to leave it sitting where it could be stolen?

"This is Nami and Zoro, they're my crew!" Luffy says brightly, like he was introducing old friends to some new friends even though he'd just met Ussop and Noriaki.

"Small crew," Usopp observes when he gets his voice back.

"I know, but I'm still looking for more people!" Luffy responded energetically. "So that's us, but what about you? What are your names?"

Usopp scrambled into a pround and confident posture, his chest swelling and pointing his thumb at his chest. "I'm the Great Captain Usopp!" He said boldly. "I have sixteen thousand men under my command so don't even try to pillage our island."

Noriaki closes his eyes, resisting the urge to groan because why is he not surprised? Of course, that's the lie Usopp is going with... couldn't he have kept it to a more reasonable number at least?

The swordsman, Zoro, snorts and arches an eyebrow, clearly not buying Usopp's tall tale. "Really? Because I've been hunting pirates in the East Blue for the last five years now and I've yet to encounter a pirate captain with a crew that big." The green-haired swordsman said succinctly. "Not even Krieg's crew is that big. I also haven't encountered a bounty poster with your face on it, with a crew that big, I'd assume you'd have one."

Usopp blanced, stammering. "Uh…"

"He's not a pirate actually, he's just joking around," Noriaki says quickly. As much as he would normally let Usopp try and get himself out of the situation he's gotten himself into, Noriaki would much rather his friend avoid getting into a fight with a bounty hunter.

"How disappointing," Zoro says with a sigh, his hand resting on the hilt of the white sword at his side. Ussop swallowed hard.

"You were just hoping for a fight," Nami retorts, unamused.

Zoro just shrugs but doesn't deny it. Luffy meanwhile frowns a little, tilting his head and looking intently at Ussopp. "Usop… Oh!" He grins. "You're Yasopp's son!"

"Wha? You know my dad?" Usopp stares at Luffy in disbelief.

"Yep! He was on Shanks' crew!" Luffy said eagerly. "I knew him pretty well!"

Shanks… Shanks… that name was familiar, he thinks Usopp mentioned him once or twice the few times he ever mentioned his family. How his father had left him and his mother here to join a pirate crew captained by a man named Shanks. Noriaki wasn't sure how he felt about that, being very much of the opinion that he should have either taken his family with him or stayed with them.

But those were thoughts for another time. "So… what brings you to Syrup Village?" Noriaki asks cautiously.

"We're looking for a new ship," Nami says simply, shrugging.

"You already have a ship though," Usopp points out.

Nami arched an eyebrow at him, then threw a disapproving look back at the sloo. "Not one that can carry a proper crew, and definitely not one that our captain approves of. We stole that one off Buggy the Clown."

Noriaki can't help but give Usopp a little satisfied smirk at being right. "Don't start," Usopp says and Noriaki merely chuckles.

"I wasn't going too."

Usopp gives him a dry look but doesn't argue. "Well, if it's a ship you're after you've come to the right spot, my friend Kaya, her family has a ship building company. I could take you to see her, she might be able to set you up with something."

"This another tall tale?" Zoro asks, glancing at Noriaki.

The redhead shook his head. "No, he's telling the truth. Kaya's family does own the shipyards here, I've done a few odd jobs down on the docks before." He'd been determined to at least earn some rent that he could give her for her troubles.

"Let's go see your friend then," Luffy says in excitement.

"Follow me then."

Usopp quickly takes the lead, chatting away with Luffy at they walk. Noriaki doesn't say much, his thoughts a tangle of loneliness and longing. He'd had that sort of instant camaraderie for a brief window of time, but it felt like it had been longer – the shining moments of his life. And he's not sure why, but he swears he feels someone watching him the closer they get to town.

Despite how much he tries not too, Zoro can't help but let his eyes be drawn back to the redhead walking next to his captain. He was beautiful, slender but having some visible muscle definition, with crimson hair and violet eyes, Zoro couldn't help but watch him. It was rare that you met someone with that sort of beauty, most would call such a person the work of a storybook.

It surprised him, the attraction buzzing pleasantly under his skin. The men he tended to be attracted to tended toward strength; muscular, confident, and worldly. Beauty didn't often play into his occasional decision to sleep with someone.. but sometimes a truly beautiful man would catch his attention, much like with how the redhead caught his attention now.

It was his eyes, Zoro suspects. He's never seen a man with violet eyes before, red hair yes, but never violet eyes. They were stunning, but also...rather melancholy. There was something heavy weighing on his shoulders, keeping that sadness in those lovely eyes.

Once they get to town, Noriaki reluctantly turns to Usopp and the three pirates and smiles apologetically. "I'm sorry everyone but this is as far as I can go right now. I've got a painting I need to finish for Kaya but it was nice to meet you," he turns to Usopp. "I'll see you for dinner?"

"Yeah, of course. See you soon, Nori."

Noriaki nods and bows before turning away to get back to his painting. Usopp sighs tiredly and hangs his head slightly.

"I hope he doesn't vanish into the woods for hours on end again," Usopp says. "I know he can take care of himself but seriously, Kaya's happy to have him sit in the yard and talk to him while he paints. I'm happy to sit with him while he paints, it gives me time to work on my own artwork or my sniping."

"Who was he?" Nami asks, realizing the redhead had never introduced himself.

"Oh, that's Noriaki. Kakyoin Noriaki, that's how he introduced himself after I found him washed up on shore with a bloody hole in his stomach." Usopp shudders, looking very queasy at the memory. "Kaya thought he'd been shipwrecked based off his injuries. There was a lot of blood. It was pretty scary actually, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to carry him into the village, or if he'd survive the trip. But in the end, it was no trouble for the great Captain Usopp!"

"I thought he said you weren't a pirate captain," Zoro deadpans.

"Uh…" Usopp twitches and looks about for a distraction. "Hey! Look over the counter in that shop there. See that painting?"

Luffy looks and makes an 'oooh' sound that prompts the other two to look over as well. Nami's eyes widen. "Wow… that is beautiful," she says.

Zoro's lips part slightly. He typically had precious little interest in art but… the painting is a man in a dark coat, his emerald eyes practically glowing as the vicious warrior ghost rises from behind his shoulders. The background is a city on fire, making the man and the ghost emerging from him look like spirits of judgement. If there was one thing Zoro could appreciate, it was another warrior. And the man in the painting was very nice on the eyes too...

"Noriaki painted that; it was so good the shop owner begged to buy it off him," Usopp says, a little smugly. "He's really talented, everyone here wants one of his paintings."

"Oooh… if he comes with us, that could be quite useful…" Nami's eyes are shining and she's grinning maniacally. Zoro can practically see the beri signs in her eyes. He doesn't resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"I don't know if he'd go with you, he seems to like it here. But at the same time, he just might. He's… he's pretty lonely," Usopp sighs a little sadly. "I spend time with him, so does Kaya, but she's sick a lot so she's not around as much. I wonder sometimes… Kaya offered to buy him a ship ride back to his home island, but when she asked where he was from, he just looked really sad. And when I asked him about it, he said there was no way for him to get back to where he came from. He had nowhere to go back too."

Luffy's face falls in a way that Zoro has yet to see. He hadn't thought anything could pierce through his Captain's cheer and exuberence – yet in that moment he looked like someone had kicked his puppy. "Alone…" Zoro doesn't recognize Luffy's tone either. It was...nearly heartwrenching. And very empathetic.

"Yeah… I've been kinda worried about him lately. He hangs out with me all the time even though everyone's always yelling about me being a liar. He doesn't listen to them, never has." Usopp smiles fondly. "He's a great friend; smart, kind, funny, he's a great guy."

"Okay. I've decided," Luffy says, abnormally serious. He got up from his seat and he had a glint in his eye that Zoro remembers from Loguetown.

"What?!" Nami yips.

"Decided what?" Usopp asks.

Zoro resists the urge to groan. He should have seen this coming.

"He's gonna be my crew's artist! Stay here, I'm going to go find him!" Luffy declares. Not waiting for Nami to protest or call him insane, the ravenette promptly zooms off – leaving the doors rattling in his wake.

"Just like that?!" Nami shrieks uselessly after him. "We barely even know the guy!"

"There he goes…" Zoro says, his surprise wearing off quickly as he remembers how Luffy got him to join the crew. "Ugh, you two go talk to the rich girl about the ship, I'll go after him."

"Alright," Nami sighs, sounding very much done with the day. "Lead the way, Usopp."

"R-Right."

Zoro watches Nami and Usopp leave before he goes looking for Luffy and the redhead. Where might that man have gone off to? How far could he have gotten since they last saw him. The answer was, somehow, they'd gotten out to a cliff overlooking the beach.

And by they, Zoro had just gotten there in time to see his lunatic captain grab the startled painter mid-work and spin him around, delivering his trademark recruitment pitch. Even startled, the redhead still looked pretty…

"Bu – what?" Noriaki squeaks.

"Join my crew!" Luffy says insistently. "I don't have an artist yet and you're good at it!"

The redhead looks even more baffled, having clearly never met someone like Luffy before. Which was fair. Zoro's moron captain was one of a kind. "I don't – you just met me!"

"So?"

Noriaki looks even more bewildered and can't seem to answer.

"Hey Nori... You look lonely," Luffy says, his voice softening a little..

That, in comparison, left the redhead looking like he'd been punched in the face. "Y-You could tell?" Noriaki asks quietly, in shock.

Luffy's expression briefly becomes unusually serious again. "Yeah," he says. "Nobody should be alone."

Noriaki looks like he got punched again, his lips moving without sound coming out. Luffy's serious expression disappears as quickly as it appeared. "So I've decided you'll be on the crew! We're going to the Grand Line, and find the One Piece, and have all kinds of awesome adventures! You can paint everything you see along the way and you'll never be alone anymore, it'll be great!"

Noriaki confusion had slowly turned to bemusement, but something in his eyes tells Zoro he's considering it. He might as well throw his two cents in. He made it here after all. And the redhead might appreciate it too.

"It's pretty useless fighting this… when I rejected him at first, he held my swords hostage," Zoro warns him, approaching the pair.

"Eh? Zoro!" Luffy said in surprise upon noticing him. "Shishishi, I did do that, didn't I?

"Really?" Noriaki asks, glancing at Luffy before looking up. He blinks rapidly when he spots Zoro. "H-Hello; I didn't see you there…"

Those wide violet eyes lock with his. Zoro's pulse stutters, reiterating that he's never seen a man with such intense violet eyes before. They were stunning.

"This is Zoro, he's my swordsman!" Luffy introduces cheerfully.

"Hello," Noriaki says a little shyly, entirely on the back foot.

"So… have you ever been out at sea?"

Noriaki bites his bottom lip, visibly stewing in a memory. "A few times…" Noriaki says quietly. "But I'd been a passenger, not a crewman. I'm not sure I-"

"No problem!" Luffy interrupts brightly. "You can learn."

Noriaki bites his lower lip again, clearly thinking. "Well… I…"

The redhead doesn't get to finish his sentence because they can hear a new voice.

"Boss? I wasn't expecting to hear from you until tomorrow," an unknown man says.

Noriaki makes a little noise of confusion and turns around at the sound of the new voice. Luffy blinks in surprise and peers over the edge of the cliff. Zoro also walks over.

"Wha? That's Kaya's butler," Noriaki murmurs. "What the hell are you doing here…?"

"Eh? The nice girl Usopp knows?" Luffy asks.

"Yeah. She's a nice girl, lets me paint in her front yard despite her butler's disapproval." Noriaki told him, biting his bottom lip.

"That butler?" Zoro asks.

Noriaki nods before urgently hushing them. The two on the beach are speaking and Noriaki intends on listening in.

"-bringing attention to yourself, you half wit! Now we have to step up the plan before any more things start to unravel," Kladahore says sharply

"What do you mean?" The other man, Jango, asks, confused. "Everyone here trusts you, you're the butler."

"Not everyone," Kladahore snaps. "That damnable painter is starting to get suspicious. Blasted drifter… he's been spending more and more time in the gardens, talking to Kaya. I give it a month before he tries to marry her for her money."

Noriaki makes a low, strangled sound of pure indignation. It sounds almost like a growl to Zoro's ears. It sounds like a warrior's. It gives him a little chill.

"But… that would just add an extra step to the plan, right?" Jango asks uncertainly. "Hypnotize him and Miss Kaya into putting you in their will?"

Noriaki makes the low sound again but this time it's definitely a growl.

"I don't get it," Luffy says softly.

"I'll explain later," Noriaki says. "After I've smashed Kladahore's smug face into a cliff." He knew there was a reason he never trusted the man, so he's somewhat satisfied to see he's right about his suspicions.

"Idiot! No one will believe he willed me anything after he publicly lectured me about "overstepping myself"! If I'm going to get that fortune, I need him and that pirate brat she befriended gone."

"Yeah, we'll see about that…" Noriaki hisses.

"So… operation murder Miss Kaya is still your final decision, Captain Kuro?" Jango still sounds uncertain. Having second thoughts perhaps?

"Yes," Kuro says.

"Over my dead body," Noriaki mutters.

And that's when the ghost erupts from his body. It shines green and silver in the sunlight. Zoro jerks backwards in shock while Luffy looks up in awe as a humanoid, serpentine figure rises with crackling energy rushing off of it… it's a deep green, coiling and glowing like ancient pagan god, its silver eyes gleaming menacingly.

"How do I want to do this…?" Noriaki murmurs. "As much as I would love to punch you straight out to sea, I don't quite have the strength for that…"

Luffy, of course, proceeds to murder the entire concept of stealth once again and screams at the top of his lungs "THAT'S SO COOL! YOU'RE POSSESSED?!"

Noriaki gives Luffy a look that's a cross between shock and panic. And of course, Jango and Kuro whip around to stare up at them.

"God fucking damnit," Noriaki groans. So much for his earlier ambush plan.

"Oh," Luffy immediately shakes his fist at Kuro. "Hey! You leave that nice rich girl alone!"

"So much for stealth," Noriaki sighs. "Well, I can always blast him out to sea. Hierophant…!"

The shining ghost draws up to its full height. Zoro can see Noriaki pause, briefly struggle with a memory. Then his expression hardens.

"Emerald Splash!"