2.
Drums Sound in the Distance

.

The dog days are done,
 The horses are coming,
 So you better run
 Florence and The Machine, 'Dog Days'

Aurora gawked as Luffy grabbed the dog by the neck, choking the poor thing until it was blue in the face.

"Let 'im go!" The redhead snatched the dog from Luffy's death grip, holding the animal protectively against her chest. "What is wrong with you? You can't go around choking animals, expectin' it to fix everythin'!"

"But he ate the key! That key was the only way to get me outta here, Rory!"

Aurora balked at the nickname, a sneer pulling the corners of her lips downward, nose curling upward. "Don't call me that name! Don't you ever call me that! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Luffy reared back, and blinks owlishly. He really didn't understand why she was so angry? Shanks (and the rest of the crew) always referred to her as 'Rory'. He hadn't expected Aurora to be so angry at what he assumed to be a endearing nickname.

Aurora pressed her lips tightly together, glancing away momentarily. She couldn't help but feel ashamed. She couldn't remember the last time she had gotten that angry that quick in a long while, but damn it, this kid was calling her a name he had no rights to. It wasn't his to say! Still… Despite her justifications, every thing she could think of to excuse her reaction felt weak in face of the truth. Her grandmother had taught her better than this. Ever since laying eyes on this kid, Aurora hasn't been able to help herself from hating him. Everything from Shanks' hat down to the stupid sandals on his feet continues to get under her skin.

I gotta get a grip. She adjusted the dog in her arms, staring at the boy behind the iron bars, the hate and anger of his audacity still simmering in her stomach. I'm letting the old man's favoritism rile me up, and over a stupid fucking hat.

But it wasn't just a hat, was it?

Roronoa watched her warily, as well as the ginger haired girl, both taken aback by her harsh outburst. Aurora ignoreed them and focused on Luffy.

"Don't call me that name. Ever," she stated, tone much softer than the last, but still just as unyielding.

Luffy stared at her for a long moment, seemingly filing the information away before his brows furrowed. "How am I getting out of here now?" He wailed, bottom lip poking out.

"I could always cut the key out," came Roronoa's bored voice.

Aurora gave him an evil glare, holding the dog closer. "Over my dead body you will."

The samurai's steel eyes train on her. "That can be arranged."

She raised a brow, a mocking smile twitching her lips upwards. "By who? You?" She snorted, moving the dog under one arm, petting the top of his head. "I'd like to see you try, shitty samurai."

A hateful smirk replaced the amused one at the expression Roronoa gave her at the title.

"What are you doing to Chou-Chou?!"

Aurora, along with everyone else, snapped her head in the direction of where the voice sounded, seeing a gray haired man in makeshift armor, spear attached to his back. The redhead put the dog down gently, and he goes to where he was before.

"I wasn't doing anything, old man," Aurora retorted, arms crossing over her chest.

"Who are you?" Roronoa asked, picking up his head and staring at the newcomer.

"Who am I?" The man parroted, eyes narrowed as he takes in the three teens' condition. "I'm the mayor of this town, that's who!" The mayor's eyes stopped on Aurora, recognition finally alighting his gaze, softening it. "I remember you," he said suddenly, pointing at her. "You fought Buggy the day he arrived here. You protected my daughter and grandson, thank you."

He bowed his head and the redhead looked away, uncomfortable. She tried to hide her awkwardness by locking her hands behind her head, regarding the man under a cool mask. "Yeah, well, tell that grandson of yours to learn some manners."

The mayor seemed taken aback by her abrasive response, but chose to ignore it. Instead, he turned his focus on Roronoa. "Are you alright there, son? You look a little pale."

"Yeah, I'm—"

"No, he's been stabbed." Roronoa's answer had been interrupted by Aurora. He shot her a glare, but she didn't pay him any mind. "You have anybody that can take a look at his wound?"

"Stay out of my business, wench!"

"Well, old man?"

Aurora stared at the mayor, expectant, willing him to not pay attention to the swordsman, but to her. To answer her questions, listen to her words. She commanded his eyes to stay on her. Her gaze was strong, stubborn and left him a little fearful, if he were being honest with himself.

He nodded. "Follow me, please." He helped Aurora in supporting the swordsman to his feet. He was oddly quiet, despite his earlier disagreements about help, but he did shake the mayor and redhead off, claiming that he could walk just fine without them.

The mayor led both to his house. "Since Buggy's came, we've had to retreat and hide from him and the rest of his crew. The town hasn't been safe the moment he's stepped foot here. We've all collected at the edge of town." He could feel tears burning the back of his eyes, but he was able to hold them back. He watched as the redhead tried to lift the swordsman's shirt to check her handiwork, to which the swordsman pushed her seeking hands away, ugly sneers on both of their faces.

She turned to the mayor. "You have a doctor?"

"He's at the shelter with the other townspeople. I am more than glad to lead you there."

The swordsman shook his head. "You got a bed? I just need to rest."

"Are you sure, son? You've lost a lot of blood and—"

"She stitched me up," he said, pointing to the redhead, "and bandaged me. What more can that doctors of yours do that she hasn't and that some sleep couldn't fix?"

He's going to die with a mentality like that. Aurora rolled her eyes, shoving her hands in the pockets of her brown pants. She's tired as well; after weeks of being in that cage and surrounded by Buggy's men, Aurora hadn't let herself drop her guard. Other than a few naps here and there, she kept her eyes and ears open. Sleeping around pirates was tricky business, especially pirates that held her prisoner.

The mayor showed Roronoa to a spare bed and when he comes back, Aurora is still standing in the same place he left her, eyes closed. "Do you have any food you can spare?" She asked as he stepped foot in the main room, opening those jarring eyes once more.

The mayor nodded and showed her the kitchen, opening the wooden cabinet. He gestured to the cans. "I'm afraid this is all I can offer. We keep the fresh food at the shelter."

She brushed him off, looking through the assortment of canned items. She reminded herself that she's been through worse as she chose a can of beans, heading for the stove. "Can I cook these?" The older man gave an confirmation and found her a small pot for her beans. As she began to cook, she gave the man a look over her shoulder. "Never got your name, old man."

"I never got yours either, young'n." Aurora smirked at his reply,

"Aurora. Don't forget it, gramps," she said as she cut the stove off. She began eating them from the pot, sitting down in front of the mayor. She realized that she's given her name two times today.

"My name is Boodle, miss," he finally gave in return, quirking a brow at her strangeness.

She almost laughed at the name, but the beans burn her tongue when she shoves them into her mouth. They continued in silence as Aurora eats, neither one motivated to talk about anything, especially about nothing. She cleaned Boodle's pot and spoon when she finished the beans, and sets them in the drying rack beside the sink.

"What of you, Aurora? Do you also need a doctor?"

Aurora pondered for a moment, hand unconsciously going to her own wounded side. Buggy had his doctor clean and stitch her wounds, so physically she was fine. Plus, it had been weeks since her initial encounter with the clown, so her wound was already healed; it was too late to do anything for it now.

But Aurora was exhausted, her own body and mind yearning for sleep, and yet, she refused to give in.

Her work was not done.

"Where'd you take Zoro, mister?"

Aurora walked behind the mayor as they travel back to where Luffy and the thief were.

"He's resting," he said, approaching Luffy's cage. "My house is just yonder." He pointed over his shoulder. "I tried to convince him to visit the doctor at the shelter, but he said he just needs to sleep it off."

The four fell into an uneasy silence before the thief decided to break it. "So… the dog's name is Chou-Chou?" At Boodle's hum of confirmation, the girl continued, "Why is he the only one left in town?"

"He's guarding the shop. I just came by to feed him."

Aurora looked at the shop behind the dog, eyes softening at the handmade sign that read Pet Food. It was a small shop, with a second floor for living quarters. Nothing too special to look at—it was quaint. Simple. Just like any ol' pet supply store.

"Why is he guarding the shop?" Aurora asked, now looking at Chou-Chou as he ate.

"About ten years ago, a good friend of mine owned this store," Boodle began, though there is a somber tinge in his tone. "He and Chou-Chou opened this little shop. They've got a lot of memories here… and so do I." The old man sat on the stoop and gestured to the marks on the white dog. "See those wounds? He's been fending those pirates from ransacking this store."

"I'm sure this shop means a lot to his owner, but this is just cruel," the thief interjected, brows narrowed. "Is he at the refugee shelter with the others?"

Boodle retrieved a pipe from his pocket, stuffed it with tobacco and lit it. He inhales before replying. "No, he's not. He got sick and passed on." Aurora looked back at the shop in the wake of Boodle's revelation, an uncomfortable weight of grief thickening the air. "He went to the hospital three months ago, but he never came back."

"The poor thing…" the thief sighed. "You mean he's been waiting for his master this whole time?"

"That's what everybody else believes," another huff, "but I don't. Chou-Chou's a smart dog. I think he knows that his master is dead. I think the reason he still stands guard is because this store was his masters. He put everything he had to build this store up—it was his treasure, and it's all that Chou-Chou has left of his beloved master. This store is Chou-Chou's greatest love." Boodle blew out another stream of smoke, a chagrined look coming to his face. "I've tried to get him to come to the shelter, but he won't budge from this spot. You know, he'd rather starve to death than to leave his post."

A sobering stillness settled onto the four and one eating dog. What was the silence for, Aurora wasn't entirely too sure. She just knew that it felt wrong to break the quiet.

All at once, a deafening roar shattered the calm, startling the four.

"What was that?!" The thief screeched, looking in the direction the sound came from.

"It has to be the lion tamer, Mohji!"

Before Aurora could turn her head, the mayor and thief had already made it a mile down the street, obviously leaving Luffy, Chou-Chou and her to their fates. The redhead spared a glance towards Luffy and the dog, before ducking between two buildings opposite of the pet store and sinking into the shadows.

Luffy and the dog stared each other down. "Something's coming, dog. Give me that key!"

Chou-Chou stayed resolute.

"Well, what do we have here?" Aurora peeked from her shadows, rolling her eyes towards the heavens when Mohji appeared. She never paid mind to the names of Buggy's crew—why would she? She didn't need to know, it wasn't like she was ever going to join the clown in the first place. But she definitely remembered this freak in his stupid fur-suit, along with his overgrown house cat.

"I'm Mohji the Lion Tamer, first mate of the Buggy Pirates!" Mohji introduced himself, smirking condescendingly from atop of his lion's head. "Looks like your friends abandoned you, straw hat… and after all that effort to get you this far." He urged his lion to approach Luffy. "Captain Buggy is pretty upset, you know. You guys stirr—"

"Hey, what's with the weird costume?"

"What!?" Mohji gawked, insulted. "Costume? This is my hair!"

What! Aurora pursed her lips, brows furrowing. His hair? No way!

Luffy is undeterred in his opinion. "That just makes it weirder."

"Shut up! Maybe you think you're safe in that cage, but you don't know who I am and what I can do, brat! There's not an animal alive that I can't control. I can even control that mutt!" Mohji hopped down from the lion's head, nearing Chou-Chou, intentions unclear. He outstretched his arm and Chou-Chou immediately latched onto his wrist, digging his teeth into Mohji's skin. Mohji cried out in pain and shook Chou-Chou off, climbing back atop his tamed lion. "You're just a nobody thief anyway," he continued, as if the previous event didn't take place.

"Don't act like that didn't hurt!" Luffy called him out, laughing.

"Shut up! You're just a small fry—you're nothing to me! Now, tell me where Roronoa Zoro is." The lion growled, feeding off of his master's energy and trying to intimidate the boy in the straw hat.

Luffy bared his teeth. "No way!"

"Then die!"

Aurora leapt into action as the beast lunged at the cage, ripping it apart with his teeth and subsequently freeing Luffy. The redhead paused. Huh, that was easy enough. She resumed, rushing towards the boy. The lion's front leg shot out and connected with its target, sending Luffy straight into Aurora. The two teens flew backward, bodies going through a building and out onto the other side.

Aurora groaned when Luffy lands on her. "Get off," she grunted, pushing him off of her.

"Woah! What a punch! He knocked us right through that house and into this street behind it!"

She rolled her eyes at the awe in his voice, picking herself up off the ground and patting the dust and rubble from her clothes and hair. "Don't be impressed by that, idiot," she hissed, grabbing his bicep and pulling him up. He was shorter than her, but only by an inch. She looked at the destroyed house, sighing, "Least he got you out of that cage though."

"Yeah, I can finally show all of these clowns." His smile is all teeth, eyes narrowed.

"Hey!"

The two looked in the direction of the voice, watching as the mayor and the thief came running towards them.

"I can't believe you both survived that!" The mayor stated incredulously, mouth agape in shock.

"How did you two survive that?! It's impossible!" Screeched the ginger. She pointed to the demolished building. "And without a scratch?! That's crazy!"

"Crazy's good."

"Nothing's impossible." Aurora flicked a piece of drywall from her shoulder. "You just gotta believe in yourself," she added in that dry tone of hers, winking when the ginger turns wide brown eyes her way.

"I gotta go get Zoro before that weird costume guy does!" Luffy told the mayor and thief.

Aurora nudged his arm. "I can take you to him, come on."

"Now wait just a minute!" Boodle snapped, hand reaching out to stop the both of them. "You both need to hide! If that lion sees you, he'll tear you to shreds!"

"Don't be so dramatic, geezer," Aurora scoffed, waving a hand dismissively towards Boodle.

"You have nothing to worry about—we'll be fine!" Luffy reassured him. The brunet followed after the redhead, putting themselves back on the street they once were.

A heat slammed into the side of her face before she saw the bright flames. Both teens heard Chou-Chou's urgent barks before they witnessed the dog sitting before the fire. They realized at the same time that the fire was engulfing the pet store, and that Mohji had been the cause of it. Aurora approached Chou-Chou, red hot anger shooting through her body, numbing all other sensations.

She bent a knee and rested a hand on top of the dog's head. The mayor's words about the pet store echoed in her mind.

"He put everything he had to build this store up—it was his treasure, and it's all that Chou-Chou has left of his beloved master. This store is Chou-Chou's greatest love."

Aurora could feel two presences grow close behind her, causing her to stand to two feet once more. The four watched as the store burned, unable to act on their instincts to help. It was too late anyway—the fire was too big, too strong and it gobbled everything too quickly. It wasn't long before the pet store is a pile of ash and charred debris, and Chou-Chou's tears dried.

The black smoke billowed, like black sails in the wind.

"Pirates," the ginger spat, "they're all the same! They take what's most precious and laugh at our pain!"

The shuffle of sandals come from their right. Aurora moved her head slightly in Luffy's direction, watching as the boy grew closer and closer.

The thief made a displeased noise in the back of her throat. "Still alive? I was hoping that the lion would eat you!" Mayor Boodle barely had any time to grab her underneath her arms, holding her back. "I oughta kill you right now, before you can get a crew and start pillaging!"

"Simmer down, girl!" The mayor struggled to keep her in control.

Luffy just stared for a long, silent moment before he stuck out his tongue. "You couldn't even if you tried!" The boy ignored the thief's exclamations, his target clear. He sat a crumpled box of dog food in front of Chou-Chou as Luffy settled down beside him. "That's all I could save for you, boy! The rest got eaten or burned. You fought well! I didn't get to see you in action, but I know you did good!"

Chou-Chou grabbed the corner of the box with his mouth and limped away, only looking back once to give Luffy a singular, "ruff!". The brunet grinned. "Good luck to you, too!"

Aurora proceeded toward the thief and mayor. "What's your name again?" She asked the ginger point blank, knowing that if she didn't ask now, she would never remember to ask later. Besides, writing about her experiences was always easier when she had names to record.

The ginger seemed hesitant to give her name, but gave in under the redhead's gaze. "Nami." She passed by Aurora, walking towards Luffy instead.

Aurora doesn't pay any mind to their conversation, losing herself to her own thoughts. She debated whether to leave. She knew it'd be wrong, despite her nature screaming at her to cut her losses and run. Besides, Luffy could take on Buggy and his crew—it wasn't like he was alone. He had that shitty samurai. Whatever happens, will happen. When did it become her problem? Why should she care? When did she decide to care? What's this town to her? It's not like it's her home; these people aren't her people. Dammit, if she can't even save her own then why the hell was she wasting so much energy sav—

"I can't stand it no more!" Boodle's impassioned cry startled the redhead, disrupting the tangent running through her head. Aurora gaped at the mayor in surprise at his outburst. "I can't take their cruelty any longer! Not after the efforts of Chou-Chou and these outsiders! What kind of mayor am I to stand back and watch everything be torn down?!" He dismissed Nami's concerns over his health. "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do?! Ain't that right, young'ns?!"

"You said it, old man!" Luffy indulged him.

Aurora crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. "It's your job, ain't it?"

"You two!" Nami yelled, rounding on them. "Don't encourage him! He can get hurt, or worse!"

"I can't let those forty years of hard work be in vain!" The mayor carried on, as if Nami wasn't trying to stop him. "It was a wilderness when we got here! At first, it started with just a few homes, but it didn't take long for our numbers to blossom! The more we cleared, the more we built, the more people came to open businesses, and now look at us! We're a thriving port! We old timers built this from nothing—it's our life's work! This town and the people in it are my treasure and I can't sit back and watch it all be taken away! I'm gonna fight!"

At the word fight, an explosion rocketed through the street, destroying all the shops and homes in its path. The four were knocked down by the shock, their bodies hitting against the cobblestones hard. Aurora stumbled to her feet, eyes wide at the sight of the destroyed row of buildings. She knew only one thing was powerful enough to do that—her nails bit into the skin of her palm.

"My house!"

Luffy gasped. "Wasn't Zoro in there?!"

Aurora ran towards the ruins and into the cloud of smoke. "You alive, shitty samurai?"

"Stop calling me that!"

She followed the direction of where his voice came and helped him push a wooden beam off of his midsection. "Lemme see that injury, samurai. I want to make sure it didn't come undone." She doesn't wait and pulled his shirt and haramaki, fingers lightly brushing over the still white bandages. She sighed and leaned back on her heels as the man brushed the rubble from his hair.

"What shit luck," she stated, standing. She offered him her hand, but he ignored it and stood on his own. The redhead, nonplussed, put her hands in her pockets.

"That was one hell of an alarm clock," Roronoa mumbled as the two step out of the smoking ruin together.

Luffy laughed at the sight of his first mate. "Zoro! You're alive!"

"That tears it! I won't lose another town to these sea rats!" The mayor choked out, one hand clutching his chest, the other gripping a spear tight. "These pirates think they can just come in and do whatever the hell they want?! I'm the mayor, dammit! I'm not gonna stand back anymore!" He started to rush off but Nami grabbed his arm, her heels digging into the streets as she tried to stop him. "Let me go, girl!"

"No, I won't! I'm not going to let you go and get yourself killed! You're being reckless—"

"I know I'm being reckless!" He howled, voice breaking, tears shining in those brown eyes. Nami's grip grew slack and Boodle broke from her easily. "Get ready, Buggy the Clown! Here I come!" He ran off, determination rolling off of him in waves.

Aurora watched, a small smile pulling at the downward corners of her mouth. Fine. You win.

"Looks like things are finally getting interesting around here."

Luffy's smile widened at Roronoa's statement. "Real interesting!"

Nami rounded on the two boys, angry. "This is serious! This isn't some joke! The mayor could be killed and you're here smiling like it's a joke!"

Luffy stayed smiling. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to him. I like that old man."

"How can you say that? Not even an hour ago you were locked in a cage! Besides, what do you get out of this?"

Aurora can't stop the shiver trailing down her spine at Luffy's unyielding gaze. "We're headed to the Grand Line! We'll steal that map back and then we can go together! Join my crew—be my navigator, Nami! I mean you want that map and the treasure, right?" He offered a hand in alliance.

Nami was silent, lips pressed into a thin line before she smacked his hand. "I won't become a pirate, but we'll join forces for now."

Luffy doesn't seem bothered by her reply, instead turning those intense eyes onto Aurora now. She stared back, and she can't help but to think, he's not afraid to look me in my eyes. His grin widened to an impossible degree and there's something in his eyes that she can't place. As if something had just taken place and she missed it.

"Alright, let's go kick Buggy's ass!"

Luffy wrenched Boodle's throat free from Buggy's grip, setting the old man down gently. The mayor fell to his knees, weakened by his oxygen supply being cut off for who knows how long.

"You!"

"I'm back! I told you I'd beat your ass!" The young boy glared up at Buggy defiantly.

The clown's hand flew from the boy's grip, snapping back onto Buggy's wrist, like a Lincoln Log. He sneered down at the group of five as he roared below, "You all must enjoy pain, but this time I won't let you escape me!"

"Have fun fighting," Nami said, eyes jumping from Luffy to Roronoa to Aurora. "I'm just here for the map and treasure."

"You've already made that clear," the redhead sighed, rolling her eyes to the heavens. Roronoa isn't bothered in the least, choosing to only give the ginger an uncaring shrug.

Boodle struggled to get to his feet, voice scratchy as he tried to speak. "You young'ns… this is ain't your fight! I'm the mayor, you're all just outsiders… this is my town and I'll protect it, so get outta my way!"

When the mayor turned towards the Buggy Pirates once more, Luffy thwacks the back of his head hard, his body collapsing to the ground in a heap. Boodle was out cold.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Nami shrieked as soon the mayor hits the street. "Whose side are you on? Why'd you do that?!"

"He was in the way," Luffy answered simply.

"You could have thought of something better to do than to knock him out!"

"If you don't understand, then there's no point in arguing about it," Aurora interrupted, orange eyes now on the ginger, stopping the girl from screaming any more.

"He would have gotten himself killed," Roronoa agreed. "He's safer unconscious."

Luffy faced the tavern's roof, gulping in a large breath. "HEY BIG NOOOOOSE!"

Aurora grinned at the gasps and shouts of disbelief that erupted from the circus crew.

"KILL HIM! GIVE 'IM A BUGGY BALL!"

They aimed the cannon and lit the fuse. The ball rocketed from the cannon, toward the straw hat boy. Aurora moved out of the cannonball's way, but Luffy stayed planted where he's at. Roronoa was at the boy's shoulder, screaming for him to get out of the way. "That cannonball isn't gonna work on me!" Was the boy's reply before he sucked in a deep breath "Gum-Gum…" his body inflated into a round ball and Aurora's eyes widened at the spectacle. "BALLOON!"

The cannonball hit Luffy in the stomach, but it doesn't explode. Instead, the heavy explosive sank into his stomach like a head sinking into a pillow before rebounding back to the rooftop of the tavern. Aurora can't help the gloomy thought of her things being lost to the explosion as the cannonball landed, but then she remembered how the explosion occurred.

So, he also has a Devil Fruit. Luffy deflated, body returning back to normal. Aurora walked over to the boy.

"That evens the odds a little bit!"

"Made me worry for nothin'."

The redhead pinched the skin of Luffy's cheek, pulling. His skin felt similar to that of a rubber band and stretched just like one as well, but she felt the oil and sweat his pores still produced. She let go and his cheek snapped back into place. It wasn't her first time being close to a Devil Fruit user, and Aurora was sure it wouldn't be her last, but she couldn't help but be fascinated by the qualities granted to Luffy by a paramecia Devil Fruit.

Luffy doesn't pay any attention to Aurora's musings, seemingly used to pokes, prods, pinches and pulls, but the redhead doesn't touch him again after her initial pinch. Curiosity satisfied, she looked towards where the Seafoam Tavern once stood, lips pursing.

I'm glad I keep my beri in my boot, she sighed to herself. Still, all my journals were in that knapsack. I hope it's okay.

"I knew there was something weird about you! How'd you do that?!"

"There's only one way someone could do something like that," Aurora answered Nami questions, barely sparing a look her way. "He's eaten a Devil Fruit. Ain't that right, rubber boy?"

Luffy laughed. "Yeah, I accidentally ate one when I was younger." A pause. "Shanks had it, actually!"

"He let you eat a Devil Fruit?"

He shook his head. "No, I kinda stole it."

She raised a red brow. "'Kinda'?"

He didn't answer, as their attention was brought back to the pile of debris as four people and a lion appeared from the dust—actually, that's not right.

"They used their own as shields," Nami hissed through clenched teeth, abhorrence clear in her tone.

When the smoke cleared, Buggy and two of his crew were left standing, holding lesser members out in front of them. They threw the charred bodies of their comrades away.

No honor, Aurora tsked. Disgust clawed at the back of her throat at the display. A captain was supposed to protect his crew, not throw them in the line of fire. Aurora was right to refuse Buggy's offer—he wasn't a man worth following.

There was a squabble when the man in the white fur suit pushed himself from the ruin and found that his pet lion had been used as a shield, but it was forgotten as soon as Mohji saw Luffy.

"It's that kid! Watch out, captain, he's got Devil Fruit abilities! He's a rubber man!"

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

Suddenly, Buggy picked up his crewmate by the scruff and threw him at the four teenagers. "I tried to!" He yelled as he flew through the air.

Luffy lifted a leg. "Outta my way, fuzzy!" He kicked Mohji in the face, sending the man to the side.

Aurora unsheathed her karambits as the other two men from Buggy's side flash forward; one on a unicycle and one rolling on a ball. Roronoa caught the man on the unicycle's sword with his own and Aurora kicked the balancing ball from under the other's feet, sending him overhead. She followed him, knowing that the swordsman would be taken care of by Roronoa and Buggy by Luffy.

This one was hers to deal with.

Hope y'all enjoyed! Aurora is so much fun to write, especially when it comes to her interactions with Luffy and Zoro. Don't worry, it'll get better, I promise!