A/N: This is the sequel to Her Name is Crocodile, and it can be read as a standalone work, although some parts may be confusing. It is in-progress and being cross-posted on AO3.

Monkey D. Luffy was the child of a pirate, the grandchild of a pirate, and the great-grandchild of a pirate; there had never been a question in her mind about her destiny because Luffy knew that, one day, she would become Queen of the Pirates.

Queen, not King.

Kings can't do anything, protected in their ivory towers and helpless to their enemies. When a king falls, the game is over.

A queen defends. A queen attacks. A queen is the most powerful piece on the chess board.

Not that Luffy really knows how to play chess. Her stepfather had tried to teach her more than once, but Luffy found the rules far too rigid. Too quiet. Too much thinking. Luffy wasn't the sort of girl who could sit quietly for any amount of time. She had to be moving. Had to be making noise.

All that Luffy remembered was that the Queen was better than the King.

So why strive to be King of the Pirates when Queens are so much better?

Her brothers had tried to explain to her that King of the Pirates was just a title and that it wasn't necessarily gendered. Luffy had just blown a raspberry at them, "If Gold Roger had been a woman, he would have been named Queen of the Pirates. The only reason the title is King is because Roger was a man. I will be Queen of the Pirates."

Neither Ace nor Sabo had been able to argue against that.

Lady Crocodile, Luffy's mother and the 'Queen of Desert Sands,' approved, "Never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. You want to be Queen of the Pirates? Carve your throne and place the crown on your head."

Crocodile was a big supporter of 'If you want it, take it.' Luffy loved that about her mother.

Luffy will become the Queen of the Pirates, or she'll die trying.

What did it matter that half of her family was made up of Marines?

That was the path they chose.

Luffy was choosing her own path.

Whether it was a good idea or not.

"Well, that's unfortunate."

She snorted at the irony.

Here she was, a day into her journey. About to be sucked into a whirlpool.

Luffy sniffed, wiggling her nose and popping her hands onto her jean-clad hips. "I wonder if this is a sign of things to come." The nose of her dinghy dips forward, and Luffy glances around at her supplies, eyeing a barrel. "Ah, well, I'm not dying here. I refuse." She grabs the edge of the barrel and tips it, emptying its contents onto the bottom of the dinghy and hopping inside. With one last cheeky smile toward the sky, Luffy replaces the lid just as the glorified row boat is sucked into the center of the pool. "What's an adventure without a few hiccups along the way? Booorinng."

–

Roronoa Zoro, Pirate Hunter and creator and master of Santoryu, is fucking hungry. How long had he been on this island tracking Alvida the Mace? A week? Two weeks? He doesn't even know anymore. With one hand resting on the hilts of his swords, he scans the pale sands of the beach.

God, how big is this damn island? No sign of Alvida or her crew. But there is a barrel that looks as though it had washed up on the shore fairly recently. Zoro shrugs, going towards it. If he's lucky, maybe it'll be filled with booze. He crouches beside it, pushing down his hilts so his swords don't get stuck in the sand. Knocking on the side, ear pressed against the wood, Zoro squints. It isn't empty…but…what…?!

He falls back onto his ass when the contents knock back, a quick sharp rap on the oak that couldn't be mistaken for anything else, "Uhhh, hello?"

The top of the barrel is nudged open, and a fluffy dark head rises cautiously over the rim, pretty dark eyes staring at Zoro drowsily. Her eyes shift away from him, checking out her surroundings. "I was having a dream that a sea king swallowed my barrel and pooped me out and that a mermaid was knocking on the side to see if I was still alive. Not sure why dream me thought opening the barrel was a good idea." Her eyes narrow, "You're not a mermaid."

Zoro stands up, crossing his arms, "Nope. And you're not booze like I'd hoped."

"Nope," She snickers, "And now we're both disappointed." She leverages herself out of the barrel, her sandaled feet create a crater where she lands. She's wearing cut-off jean shorts and a bright red tank top stretched taut over the swell of her chest, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her skin is sun-bronzed, and her long legs are shapely and muscular. Her hair is a warm black, choppy and mused, cut to the middle of her back. Around her neck was the stampede string of a straw hat with a red fabric band around the width. She stretches luxuriously like a cat and fixes her hat atop her head before offering a hand to Zoro, her drowsiness disappearing, "Hi, I'm Luffy!" She chirps the words, her grin unwavering. "Where am I?"

Zoro blinks, taking her hand after a moment, feeling strangely disoriented by her sudden shift in energy, "Goat Island."

"Huh? That whirlpool didn't really send me far." Luffy says under her breath, lips pursing. She refocuses on Zoro's face, "So, who're you?"

"Roronoa Zoro." How did she have so much energy after taking a ride in a whirlpool?

"What're you doing on Goat Island, Zoro?" She glances at the tree line, "Isn't it uninhabited?"

"There's a pirate named Alvida the Mace hiding out here. I'm after her bounty."

She crosses her arms, her head tilting, "You're a bounty hunter?"

Zoro frowns at Luffy. "Why else would I be after her bounty?"

She didn't answer his question, but then, he didn't really expect her to. "Roronoa Zoro. The Pirate Hunter." She grins, looking ridiculously pleased, pointing at him. "I've heard of you. They call you a demon."

Zoro grimaces, sighing and brushing a hand over his close-cropped, green hair. "I only started capturing bounties because I went out to sea to become the World's Greatest Swordsman, and I, uh, couldn't find my way back," he says it like he's confiding a secret, shrugging under Luffy's scrutiny.

"You've managed to make a pretty big name for someone who only started capturing bounties because he got lost." She grins suddenly, grabbing his arms, and Zoro is unprepared for her burst of exuberance. "You should join my crew! I'm gonna become Queen of the Pirates and find the One Piece, and I'll need the strongest crew ever. What's stronger than the World's Greatest Swordsman?!"

Zoro can't deny her enthusiasm, but they've literally only just met. He opens his mouth to give her a blunt 'no, thanks', but he is hit with the sensation of being watched before he can. He tenses and jerks his attention to the rustling bushes in the tree line. He notes how Luffy reacts similarly, her smile taking on an almost predatory edge.

Luffy and Zoro exchange a quick look.

The person yelps when they dart forward in unison, failing to react quickly enough to escape. Zoro grabs the kid by the back of his shirt and pulls him out of the foliage. He's younger than them, with bubble-gum pink hair and thick bottle glasses, frighteningly light in Zoro's grasp.

"He's just a kid."

Zoro snorts, "Only other people on this island are Alvida the Mace and her crew."

Luffy looks unconvinced, taking another look at the boy. "You sure? He doesn't look much like a pirate."

The boy finds his voice, shaky and wane. "I'm…I'm not- well, I-I guess I, maybe, could be–." He falters under the two older teens' scrutinizing gazes and hangs his head in resignation, "Koby the Cabin Boy." He tilts his head, squinting at the Zoro. "Hey, hold on. Green hair," His eyes fall to the black bandana tied around Zoro's bicep and then to the haramaki sash around his middle. Koby's eyes brighten, excited, "Are you Pirate Hunter Zoro?!"

Zoro looks at Luffy bewildered, and she shrugs in return. He drops Koby, and the kid stumbles, trying to keep his feet, "Uh, yeah."

"You're here to capture Alvida, aren't you?" Koby brushes off his threadbare clothes, firming his mouth. "Good."

Popping her hands on her hips, Luffy asks him, "Eh? You want her caught?"

Koby nods firmly. "Alvida's forced me to be her Cabin Boy for the past two years, ever since I boarded her ship accidentally." He frowns, offended when Luffy starts laughing.

"That's pretty dumb. If you don't wanna be her Cabin Boy, just leave." Luffy offers and Koby hates how simple she makes it sound.

But she wasn't wrong, was she? All he had to do was leave.

Zoro crosses his arms, his back against the rough bark of the tree behind him, observing the kid's internal struggle with Luffy's ostensibly callous words. But he notices the firm set to her jaw. She glances at him out of the corner of her eye, winking briefly. Zoro nods, "I already planned on capturing Alvida. I'll help you leave if you want."

Luffy rocks back onto her heels, bouncing a little, grinning brightly, "I'll help, too."

Koby is overwhelmed with gratitude and can't help but feel hope when she gives him an encouraging smile. "What's your name?"

"Monkey D. Luffy, nice to meet you!"

Monkey D? Why does that sound familiar?

Zoro has the feeling there will be a lot of exclaims in the future. He catches Koby's attention while the boy turns bright pink under the beam of Luffy's smile. "Where's Alvida's ship anchored? I've been searching for days and haven't seen it." Zoro grumbles, hand against his chin. "It must be well hidden."

Koby gives him an incredulous look, "On the other beach." Koby points straight behind himself. "Straight north."

Zoro gapes, his grip tightening white-knuckled on the handle of his Wado Ichimonji. Other beach? "There's a bunch of beaches, though, aren't there?"

Luffy snickers when Koby, astounded, tells Zoro. "Uh, no. Just two. The south beach," He gestures at the white beach behind Zoro and Luffy, and then back over his shoulder to where he'd been pointing before, "and the North Beach."

Luffy starts laughing in earnest, gripping her stomach, when Zoro curses. "Man, your sense of direction sucks!" Zoro glares dangerously at her, but she doesn't notice, cackling away.

"Let's just go."

The island is only a few kilometres wide, and it takes them less than an hour to cross it, Koby leading a still giggling Luffy and quietly cursing Zoro through the dense foliage. When they get close enough to hear the tide, Koby gulps, glancing back at the two. "We're getting close. You guys have a plan?"

"Win." Luffy shrugs, and Zoro nods his agreement.

"Pretty much it." Koby meeps, half-heartedly reaching out to stop them as they leave the tree line. He drops his hands in defeat when he hears shouts from the deck of the ship. Luffy and Zoro don't seem concerned; Luffy balls her hand into a fist, her other hand on her shoulder, rolling the joint to loosen it. Zoro draws his swords after tying on his bandana, one in his mouth and one in each hand.

Alvida's crew doesn't react for a moment, their eyes not leaving the two teens drawing closer. "What's this? Zoro the Pirate Hunter? Come to collect my bounty?" The crew jumps apart when that spiked club smashes into the railing of the ship, and the hulking form of Iron-Mace Alvida appears behind her men. "You think you can take me?! Who's the fairest throughout all the seas?!"

Luffy raises an eyebrow at Zoro when her crew shouts, "You are lady Alvida!" Zoro snorts, teeth gripping the familiar grooves of Wado Ichimonji's handle. They wait for Alvida to descend the gangplank of her ship. Luffy stares in amazement. Alvida is tall, taller at least then Luffy. Broad and strong, with long dark and a spattering of freckles across the skin of her face.

Glancing over her shoulder at Koby, she jerks a thumb at Alvida. "This tough-looking old biddy is your captain, Koby?!"

She hms when she realizes everyone is gawking at her. She blinks, whispering to Zoro, "Was it something I said?"

Alvida snarls, "Tough-looking?! Old?! BIDDY?!" She screams, rushing at Luffy, swinging her club down on the younger woman's head. Zoro jerks forward in shock, eyes on Luffy, effortlessly meeting the rest of Alvida's crew in a clash of blades.

"Hey, watch it. You'll crumple my hat." Koby falls back in surprise when Luffy seems to shrug the blow off like it was nothing. Alvida seems surprised, too, pulling her club off the girl's head. Luffy huffs, removing her hat and moving it around to assess if any damage was done to it. She tugs it back on when she determines it's okay. She points a finger in Alvida's face, "Hey! You forced Koby to be your Cabin Boy for two years!"

Alvida sneers, glancing over the girl's unharmed head. "Koby…you brought bounty hunters to our hideout." She tsks, "All these years, and you forget your place. I'll give you one chance…Who's the fairest in all the seas?"

Koby shakes in fear and opens his mouth to tell her what she wants to hear. But one look at Luffy rubbing her head beneath her hat and another at Zoro holding off ten pirates at once, and Koby decides he won't cater to her anymore. "I hear that the Shichibukai, Boa Hancock, is the most beautiful person in the world." He misses both Luffy and Zoro's grins, blacking out a little when he notices the enraged look on Alvida's face.

Luffy laughs, delighted, "Good for you, Koby." She steps to the side and winds up a hit that Alvida doesn't see coming. Luffy's arm extends like a shot, and the earth shakes when Alvida's strong body hits the ground. The men, still tangled with Zoro, started sweating. Zoro turns his head enough to confirm that it was Alvida who hit the ground.

"Your turn, Zoro."

His eyes shadowed beneath the edge of his bandana, Zoro grins. He moves quickly, and Luffy can see why they call him a demon. A downward slash with his right hand and a crossing slice with his left. He moves through the pirates like a whirlwind, and they drop like flies after he passes. The last pirate falls, clutching his bleeding throat, and Zoro flicks his blades to remove any clinging blood.

"I've never seen someone use three swords before," Luffy tells him from where she'd perched herself on Alvida's stomach. The old lady was out cold, and Koby had crept closer when he was sure of it.

"Santoryu. I developed it." Zoro grunts, pulling Wado Ichimonji from between his teeth. And sliding all three blades back into their scabbards. He looks at Koby, nudging the bottom of Alvida's shoe with his foot. "Where's the nearest marine base to here?"

Koby jumps, Zoro's question pulling him out of his frozen state, "Shells Town."

"Does the old lady have a supply ship or a dinghy or something? I'd feel weird taking her ship." Luffy slides to her feet, tapping her chin.

Koby nods, gesturing towards a shed visible just down the beach.

–

Zoro falls asleep within seconds of the boat hitting open water, hands folded behind his head, snoring lightly. Luffy leans against one side of the small supply ship, the wood creaking with the waves of the ocean. She blinks at Koby's surprise. "What?"

"I'm sorry; you want to go and sail the Grand Line, and you don't even know the basics of navigation." Koby frowns at her, keeping one hand on the rudder to keep them drifting in the correct direction. "That's the bare minimum you should know, Luffy."

Luffy laughs, shaking her head. "My parents tried to teach me a dozen times each, but it never stuck. So, they gave up and told me to find a navigator before leaving the East Blue."

Koby makes an exasperated noise, "You two aren't going to get very far, floating island to island."

She snorts, waving her hand dismissively, "It's worked out fine so far." Ignoring the fact that she was pulled into a whirlpool within a few hours of leaving Foosha.

Koby pinches the bridge of his nose, recognizing that arguing with her will result in a headache.

Luffy angles her head back, one hand holding her hat firm against her head, her hair trailing in the water. "What are you going to do when we get to Shells Town Koby?"

Koby fidgets and goes long enough without answering that Luffy looks back at him, head tilting curiously. He squirms under her gaze, saying nervously, "I've always dreamed of becoming a marine." His eyes grow dark, "I doubt I'll be able to join up with them after being forced to work for Alvida for so long." He looks over to where the large woman is tied to the mast, still unconscious.

"Pfft. You shouldn't let that stop you." Luffy sits up fully and doesn't notice the wet smack of her hair on the back of her top. "It's not like you had a choice. And besides, you aren't the first one to switch sides. She sounds so sure, so confident, that Koby can't argue with her. She crosses her legs and grabs her ankles, "Probably shouldn't lie about your past, but not sure why it would make a difference."

Koby nods, considering her advice.

"I have a question." Koby jumps at Zoro's voice, and Luffy turns to face the swordsman. He had one eye open, staring directly at Luffy. "Why didn't you get squashed flat by Alvida's mace?"

"Oh! Because I'm a rubber woman." Luffy says proudly, grabbing one of her cheeks and stretching the skin out. "I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi when I was seven." She grins, letting her cheek snap back. "Knives can hurt me, but things like bullets, cannonballs, and blunt weapons don't have much effect. They hit, and I just sorta bounce back." Zoro nods, digesting the information.

Koby gawks at her, astounded, "Where'd you find a devil fruit?"

Luffy snerks, lifting both her hands in a shrug. "There was a pirate crew that used to use my home village as a base. They had the fruit in a chest, and I thought it'd make a good dessert. My mom was maaaddd when she found out." Ace and Sabo hadn't known what to do when their baby sister had turned into an indestructible bouncy ball, and had been terrified of telling Crocodile about it. Luffy still wondered why Shanks' crew hadn't locked up the fruit, but they had always been a rowdy bunch. Crocodile grumbled about ulterior motives, but Luffy wasn't sure. She leans forward, a disgusted look crossing her features. "It did not taste good."

"Your mom let you go off to sea alone?" The green-haired teen asks.

Luffy raises her eyebrow, "Why wouldn't she? She was only a couple of years older than I am now when she went out on her own. She'd never stop me from following my dream."

Koby smiles, "She sounds really nice."

Luffy laughs, "My mom is not nice. She's vicious and powerful. She tears her enemies to shreds and always goes for the throat." Luffy makes a serious, sneering expression like she's doing an impersonation. Zoro and Koby stare at her, watching the expression evaporate and her sunny smile return.

"She's a pirate?"

"Uh-huh. Born and raised in the New World."

Koby blanches at that, stuttering, "The New World? Only the strongest, most vile pirates survive there."

All Luffy says in response is, "Yup!"

Zoro snerks, closing his eyes. "She sounds like quite the lady."

Luffy giggles.

–

Shells Town is a vibrant and bustling port, towered over by the marine base. Children running, playing and laughing. The overhanging sound of a busy market, the din of a few hundred voices. The shrieking of the gulls flying across the bay. They drag Alvida through the streets towards the base, the old lady grumbling and growling, wiggling in her ropes, stilling whenever Zoro or Luffy glanced at her. "It's so busy."

Koby makes a thoughtful noise, "The city really flourished after Captain 'Axe-Hand' Morgan was arrested. He was imposing heavy taxes on them, and Admiral Akainu discovered that he was using the berries to build a solid gold statue of himself." Koby's eyes widened, shaking his head, "The Admiral was furious. Morgan even had the gall to say he deserved it."

Luffy chuckles, "We heard about that all the way over on Dawn Island."

"I wouldn't surprised if just about everyone had heard about it. It was huge news at the time. Morgan was one of the first officers arrested when Admiral Akainu swept through during the purge."

Zoro squints, mouth tilted. "I remember that; seven years ago, wasn't it?" He sniggers, "It's all the marines back home could talk about for months. Master figured a couple of them had to be dirty, given how worried they were. And wouldn't you know it, the Admiral came by for his inspection, and just about half of them were taken away in chains."

The gate of the marine base is in sight, and a marine is posted outside. She was young, a year or two older than Zoro, with a long blonde ponytail and about the same height as Luffy, the name Helmeppo embroidered on her left breast. She watches them drag Alvida closer. "Bounty?" Her voice is silvery and clear, her eyes a crystalline blue under the brim of her hat.

Zoro nods, pulling a folded paper from his haramaki and handing it to the ensign. "Iron-Mace Alvida."

The ensign looks at the poster and steps around them, comparing the picture to the real thing. "No mistaking that face. Alright, let's get her to the stockade and into some irons."

Luffy chimes in, chirping, "I can knock her out again if she starts being a problem." The ensign gives her an amused glance, almost laughing when Alvida starts cursing. She manages to keep her expression neutral, though, and opens the gate to the stockade, pulling a pair of irons off the rack on the wall next to the door. With Zoro and Luffy helping, they get the irons on with minimal struggle. Once Alvida is secured in a cage, the ensign crosses the stockade and pounds on the door into the base. Another marine opens the door, and the ensign says something to him. He nods and shuts the door.

She comes back to them and Koby asks her, after fidgeting for a moment, voice quiet so that Alvida wouldn't overhear and criticize him. "I want to join the Marines, but I was forced into being her Cabin Boy for two years." He glances furtively at Alvida, and the ensign's eyes narrow. She frowns at the pirate woman before looking back at the pink-haired boy.

"Everyone's heard the story, but seven years ago, this city was under the thumb of Axe-Hand Morgan. He was an egotistical tyrant who would have been happy to watch the people of the city starve in order to satisfy his own ego." She gives a self-deprecating half-smile. "He was my father. I thought he was amazing. I thought that he was what a powerful man should be. He encouraged me to be cruel, callous and spoiled. I was his daughter and was never to do anything to shame him."

Helmeppo shakes her head, blonde ponytail rippling like silk, "Seeing a man like my father brought low and slapped in irons for his own words and actions… It really made me think. Was I going to turn out just like him?" She grins, gesturing over her shoulder at the base. "The marines here; most of them had known me for years. After my father was arrested, they took me under their wings and made damn sure I would grow up to be nothing like him." She grins, and Luffy hides a smile when she sees Koby turn pink. "The Helmeppo he wanted me to be and the Helmeppo I became are two very different people. Because those marines decided I deserved a second chance."

Her expression lightens, and she claps a hand on Koby's shoulder, "Be upfront about your past, and it won't come back to bite you in the ass later."

Luffy butts in then, wrapping an arm around Koby's neck and pulling him into a hug, "Which is exactly what I told him!"

Zoro muffles a laugh and watches Koby's face turn a hot, neon red where it was pressed against Luffy's chest.

The base commander arrives just then, and Koby escapes Luffy's hold, hiding his burning face. Zoro receives the total bounty amount, and Koby quickly asks the man about joining. Zoro and Luffy leave him there, Luffy's stomach starting to rumble.

"I'm starving," She looks up at Zoro, "You going to feed me?"

"I suppose if you're going to be my captain, I may as well make sure you don't starve." He says it so casually Luffy almost doesn't register the words.

As soon as she does, she beams at him. "You mean it?!"

Zoro nods, holding up a hand to stop Luffy from getting too excited, "I'm going to be the World's Greatest Swordsman; I made a promise to a friend a long time ago, and I intend to keep that promise. It's my dream."

"And I will never interfere with that." She grins, bouncing on her toes. She holds out her hand, and he grips it firmly, grinning back at her.

–

They find an out-of-the-way restaurant near the port. Luffy leads the way into the dim interior with a bounce in her step, and she breathes deeply. The soft buzz of the customers, the clattering of dishes and utensils against the plain ceramic and her mouth waters at the savoury aroma of roasting meat.

Koby finds them there, the table straining beneath the mountains of food Luffy had ordered, much to the horror of the waitress and Zoro's astonishment. He would have thought it wasteful, except Luffy appeared determined to eat every morsel of food. Her cheeks bulged like a squirrel, soft, happy noises escaping with every bite she took.

Zoro can't pull his eyes off the sight but manages to look up when Koby stops next to their table. "Look at you," Zoro smirks, toasting his mug at him. Koby is already wearing the white and blue marine uniform, and he fidgets nervously under their assessing gazes.

Luffy swallows, grinning at the younger boy. She wipes her mouth on the back of her arm, "So I guess they didn't have a problem with you being Alvida's cabin boy." She leans her elbow on the table, her other arm snaking out and snagging hold of Zoro's tankard. Or she tries to grab it, but Zoro snarls, smacking her hand away.

Koby shakes his head, pulling an empty chair out from the table and dropping down to sit in it. Having noticed Luffy and Zoro getting rowdy, the waitress brings over a fresh mug for Luffy. "Like Helmeppo said, the Marines here are pretty big on second chances. It won't be easy, but I didn't think it would."

Luffy pounds her mug on the table, "Atta boy, Koby!" Zoro tips back the rest of his booze with a cheer.

Koby ducks his head, embarrassed. "You guys are leaving soon?"

Zoro snorts, "Whenever Luffy finishes stuffing her face."

"Soon." Luffy agrees, going back to her food and using a spoon to shovel the contents of a bowl into her mouth.

The new marine nods, crossing his arms on top of the rough surface of the table. Hesitantly, he asks, "Are we friends?"

Luffy and Zoro glance at each other, "Of course."

Zoro puts down his empty mug, "Given Luffy's aspirations, though, we should probably keep it quiet."

"We'll still be friends, but like, secret friends," Luffy assures, reaching over and pounding Koby on the shoulder.

Koby breathes a quiet laugh, beaming.