The clone cursed Naruto's foolishness, hiding behind a door as Hatchan ran past him yelling for the red kid to wait up. That would've been good and all, but Hatchan was an enemy right now, and Boss wanted them all to get the fishmen going out the door. Everyone was leaving, and somehow Hatchan had remained ignorant and was now doing his all to find Naruto. Which was a problem, because while the clones could transform themselves for absurdly long periods of time compared to other people's shadow clones, these clones had already existed for a day.

Being in existence for a day as a chakra construct takes its toll in depleting reserves. Which made them squishier, and unable to call up fighting techniques without fear of poofing. And poofing right now, as very old clones? Boss would have all their exhaustion piled up, and the headache of assimilating memories, which was not good for fighting bad guys.

So they had to be careful to stay unpopped for a good amount of time, the amount it took for the Arlong Pirates to be taken down. Easy enough, they'd just hide or book it.

Except, when you looked at the surroundings, booking it would be very risky. Hiding in the building? Doable. Except it had turned into hide-n-seek because Naruto couldn't help himself and keep his mouth shut. Worst of all, he couldn't even warn the other clones or Boss of his blunder because his reserves weren't enough for another clone just to pop it, and Boss would have to deal with even more memories which wasn't cool. So there were two active participants, a seeker who didn't know about the multitude of Narutos, and a hider who was trying to hide the multitude of Narutos.

He could go physically find another clone to recruit them on his side.

Now how to do that… Well. He knew for sure the two new clones at the cell would be unguarded right this moment. Navigating there in the hustle and bustle of fishman gearing up — minimally, because "Arlong" was very confident humans were no threat and "he" wanted to show off being ten times stronger bare-handed — proved to be difficult. Too bad clones hadn't coordinated beyond the pranks, escape plans, and Nami's plan.

He avoided a team of fishmen by ducking by the kitchen, listening to them pass… only to jump at a surprised yell as he came face to face with a whole, roasted pig. His eyes climbed up to see tentacle hands holding it, pointing dramatically in his direction, with the roast pig that was definitely for a giant sea cow. And the fact that these people had a pet giant sea cow was so cool.

"You!"

Still sporting red hair, the clone grinned in challenge. "Me… Bye!"

And he dashed out, hearing the fishman follow, leaving a trail of roast pig scent behind them. Around the next corner he jumped into the ceiling and let Hatchan pass under him. Then he dropped back down soundlessly and ran the opposite direction. Only to do the same ceiling-corner-hiding trick again when a squad of just woken and just getting ready forces speed walked around the next corner. They walked past.

"Hachi! Is that Momoo's breakfast?" one asked.

Uh oh…

"Hm? Oh, yeah! Have you seen-"

Naruto crawled across the ceiling into the other corridor, but heard Hatchan gasp in offense and sent it for the stairs down. Yelps and yelled apologies trailed behind him, Hachi having evidently bowled through his comrades to get at Naruto. His stomping footsteps ran right past the entrance downstairs and Naruto smothered a snicker.

He bounded down, making it to the cells. It felt damp here. But then, it was under sea level and underground. A lone barrel sat in front of the one occupied cell.

"Pssst, hey!" he whispered as he got close. "We've got a small problem."

The blonde caged one groaned and he could've sworn the barrel radiated disapproval. "What did I do now?"

He shuffled, grumbling. "Very funny… An octopus knows I exist and is chasing me."

His fellow clone(s) turned more serious. "Hatchan?"

"He is as gullible as Nami said."

"Of course you went and tested! The plan was to scope him out, not reveal ourselves!"

"It went well! …At first. I might've snapped at him. But he thinks I have red hair."

Both glowered at each other, one miffed and the other smug, before the Narutos tapped at their chins in sync. Thinking. It wasn't a catastrophe. But how to use this blunder to their advantage…

"Prank him," they chorused, grinning.

xXXx

Hachi ran as fast as he could around six more corners trying to catch up to the little red haired scoundrel. The red hair… it wasn't a reference to Red-Haired Shanks, it couldn't be, because that was ridiculous. He scoffed, air hissing past teeth in an airy whistle, dismissing the thought in order to look around. He'd gone in a circle, right at the corner where he lost him. But there was no one around this time.

In fact the halls as a whole were rather empty. Why was that? It wasn't very late, and even late there would be regular guard patrols. Most of the time. Maybe today was one of those days? He'd heard people had mixed up a lot of his instructions yesterday. Bah. The kid, where could he have gone…?

Hachi retraced his steps, nearly walking past the staircase when… Hmm, that way led down to the cells. And the cell to the blonde brat. The red-head seemed concerned about the other kid, so maybe their magic drawing prisoner would know him? Hmmm.

Oh, it was worth a try. Momoo would get his dinner cold, but that was no matter. The sea cow never complained about temperatures. He marched through the doorway. Immediately his attention was caught by someone calling his name.

"Heeeey, you're Hachi, right?"

"Nyo!? A mysterious voice knows my name!?"

"Pshhaw, I'm not that mysterious. You know me!"

The voice was coming from the cells. A rather… familiar voice. It was the voice of the kid! Hatchan ran forward to screech to a stop in front of a cell to stare inside at a red headed menace. He was grinning.

"...How did you get in there? Wait, where is our prisoner!?"

The kid looked confused. "I am your prisoner?"

"But you were just outside!"

"I was?"

"You know me!"

"Well, yeah."

They stared at each other, at an impasse. Hatchan sighed and sat on the nearby barrel to think. His eyes latched onto the chain on the kid's ankle. If he'd seen that on Koala-! But no, she wasn't here and her people betrayed them all. They killed Fisher Tiger, sold him out! …But Koala was good.

Nami was loyal until the end.

…Hatchan too was loyal. Kuroobi was here, so he couldn't just leave.

But he had to admit it didn't always feel right to be here. It's why he mostly focused on Momoo and marines that tried to encroach their ways.

"You said I'm a person," he mused, mostly to himself, mostly because he hadn't really heard that from a human before.

The kid snorted. "Duh. What else could you be?"

Like it was that simple. And maybe it was. He'd thought once that if he wasn't a monster, he could have had his takoyaki stand. But he was called a monster, his race was a monster, and humans decided he couldn't have that dream… Oh, it was such a long time since he thought of it.

"A takoyaki stand owner," he mused aloud, dreaming of the sizzling and panning and all the times he'd made takoyaki before…

"Ooh that sounds good! …Why not ramen though?"

And Hachi suddenly gasped and pointed at him. The kid he was talking to was their prisoner! And he wasn't supposed to share dead dreams with prisoners!

"Uzumaki Naruto! How did you get out!?"

The kid raised eyebrows at him. "Have ya been dreaming? I was here the whole time, remember?"

He faltered, racking his brain, and certainly he could remember talking to this kid outside! But the walls, what color were the walls again… suspiciously similar to these walls… and he had a stick in his hand! …But was it one of these bars? Oh, he couldn't-

"No no, we were outside!"

"I totally was not. You saw me get dragged in here and nobody said I was gone."

That was… true. He faltered, racking his brain…

"But- Naruto is blond!"

The kid looked at him strangely. "Dude, are you good? If you're forgetting colors too…"

"Uzumaki Naruto has red hair!" he said, then realized that that didn't make sense. "No, Naruto is blond!"

The kid had gotten closer, leaning against the bars and peering up at him with concern.

"Seriously, maybe you should get your eyes checked. I have blue hair."

And the hair was suddenly blue. Hachi stumbled back to sit on the barrel again, staring wide eyed at the color.

"In fact, I'm not really here," and the kid disappeared I'm front of him, into a small, fast dissipating cloud of smoke.

"You're dreaming," said his voice from everywhere.

He was dreaming… Yes, that was the explanation. Relieved, he slumped against the wall. Only to yelp as the barrel under his butt disappeared and he fell. It didn't really hurt. But dreams didn't hurt at all! Oh no, the prisoner disappeared!

"Nice try! But I know you're still in there!" he yelled, bouncing to his feet.

Barrels didn't disappear normally either, so where- Oh! The barrel was in the cell!

…The barrel was in the cell?

He went to the cell door, grabbing his officer emergency key, and stepped inside to look. Yes, this was the guard's barrel. He recognized it from before. The shackle was empty.

The door slammed shut and locked, and he looked up to see a blond little brat grinning before bolting, taunting keys swinging from his hand, flying, and hitting the ground where the guard's barrel used to be.

Rage suffused his being.

He tricked me!

"YOU LITTLE SEA URCHIN GET BACK HERE!"

But the bars didn't budge. He yelled some more. Then got tired of yelling and started grumbling as he tried to figure out how to get the keys into the cell. He wished he had his fishing rod.

…Could this shackle do?

xXXx

Usopp trembled and quaked and convinced himself he didn't. His pride and efforts to remain calm had been undermined numerous times during Operation: Bring Arlong Down. First when Naruto decided to make himself hostage. Then when Nami ripped him a new one for even suggesting brave (foolish) things like attacking the oppression. And many other instances since, where he realized the precariousness of his mortality.

But he was here. Standing firm. Channeling that feeling where he stood against the entire Black Cat Crew alone, to stall for help or die trying to protect his village.

…Well however much one could stand while hiding in a tree with a bunch of ammo in a bag and within easy grabbing distance.

He almost felt secure there. Almost. It helped that he was behind a line of three absolute monsters who could kick fishmen six ways to sunday. He envied them. He… wanted to be like them. So he wouldn't run from the fight.

The pirates were coming. Traps started going off, and he sniped hands and eyes and mouths, small explosions and spice ending up down throats as a distraction while the monsters picked them off. Zoro didn't do as much as he was capable of because he was under explicit orders to rest his body.

These guys scared him sometimes.

It was over before he knew it. A pile of groaning bodies tied up and beat up into decidedly not working order. Scary.

He was a part of that.

But the thought didn't distract him for too long, and soon he joined the cheer of the villagers as they awaited the next part of the plan. But Luffy went off script.

"Wait wait, you were supposed to stay until Arlong came out!"

Sanji was trying to convince their Captain too but instead went with him and Usopp was starting to sweat as the adrenaline rush of winning once wore off. That scare as a guy sucked up all the water from paddies and started shooting insane water bullets at his hiding places had been enough for today, thanks!

And then Arlong jumped over the wall and started marching towards them.

"You have some nerve," he said, eyes piercing and passing over Usopp's new spot- "But we had a deal. Don't start anything, nothing happens to your precious brat. Well. Never say I don't keep my word."

His rapid beating heart lurched, stunned to a moment of stillness, and Zoro seemed much more tense from where he was sitting on the pile of bodies. There were two of them against the leader of fishmen pirates, the one everyone had warnings about. Johnny and Yosaku were crying manly tears near him and Usopp wanted to join them, because this was insane.

And Naruto may be…

No, now isn't the time! he told himself. Now you act, it's not over until you're dead!

Nami had a plan too. They'd probably gotten the real one out already and were biding their time. And- And Luffy was going there! Yeah, he got this, they got this, oh god-

"You know my stance on that," Zoro said mildly, finishing up tying his bandana.

He stood up, and placed the third sword in his mouth.

"Face me," he said with a growl to the demand.

Usopp trembled and began putting together the ugliest explosive tabasco star he could manage.

I won't run, he thought, hastily speeding through the process.

I won't run, he thought, watching Zoro become outclassed before his eyes due to injuries that hadn't yet healed.

I won't run, he begged himself as Arlong slammed Zoro to the ground with blood pooling around him, advancing towards the citizens who were about ready to enact Plan D: Scatter.

I won't run, he demanded of himself as he let the finished projectile go just before the shark could bite someone's face off.

Arlong bit. A deafening explosion puffed in his mouth, making smoke billow out between sharp teeth and nostrils. He chewed, humming appreciatively, and Usopp realized he remembered Naruto talking about the spice prank. A swallow.

Eyes swung towards his hiding place and stayed there.

He ran.

xXXx

Arlogn scowled deeply, stalking across the paddies with languid steps.

He was …exasperated. His crew, with him since braving the Grand Line, facing all challenges, facing down and losing to a bunch of bottom feeders. It was a… rude awakening on his crew's deteriorating abilities since coming to the easier waters of the East Blue. First, yesterday's hostage situation, he had not been happy. Those boys got an earful and a good meal, because one slip up after all these years was certainly forgivable.

Twice however…

He eyed the pile of comrades the three-sword-style pirate hunter was lying on, his blood pooling, wondering how they left on a venture like this without his input. Another strike against them. Some should have stayed behind to ensure the promise of killing the kid be fulfilled. Luckily Kuroobi was on the task now that they knew there were problems.

That sniper made his mood a little better — that was the tastiest explosive he'd ever experienced — so watching the villagers scatter he figured he'd give them a small head start before he started hunting them like chickens. He swiped a tongue across teeth to get a nice smoky aftertaste. He'd have to make someone figure out the recipe for this. The crew would give such amusing reactions if he started using this as a punishment.

Well, he gave them enough time. Maybe he'd start with the sniper, to really drive the point home for this motley little crew. They were weak, not even capable of protecting the one position who needed it most. Yes, that sounded poetic enough.

He strained his senses and started jogging in the direction he could faintly smell the trail of potent fear.

Good, be afraid, little chicken, he chuckled darkly.

These kids would dearly regret ever crossing him.

xXXx

Luffy came back to an empty camp, except for Zoro who was determinedly leveraging himself up with pure spite and fury alone. He never let his jaw relax, Wado Ichimonji still safely clenched between his teeth. He didn't just lose, not to someone this harmful to his crew's overall wellbeing, he couldn't-

Because I promised, he screamed at his uncooperative body. I won't break it the first fight after, I'll not allow it!

He managed to climb to his feet just as Luffy's sandals entered his field of vision. A blank face stared down at his chest, at the blood running down in rivulets, and his pride chafed.

"Did Arlong do this?"

Zoro hadn't heard Luffy like this before. The closest was with Captain Kuro, maybe with Buggy too if Nami described it as well as he thought she had. He burned with the desire to start running after the shark who nearly took his arm off just now, glaring at the discarded teeth in a muddy patch down the body pile.

He burned with shame too, at what he'd have to admit to himself and to his Captain if he said anything.

"Zoro," Luffy said simply, and he knew he had to obey.

"Yes," he grunted through Wado. "I let him past me."

And he stung for it. That was the closest he'd admit to… losing right now. Luffy would understand though. He was weirdly perceptive about these things. His Captain stepped closer and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"I can't cook," Luffy said. "I can't navigate, or make clones, or even lie."

Zoro stared into smoldering dark eyes full of promise and ancient, foreign wisdom that rarely came to the surface like this, and he couldn't look away.

"I can't wield swords," he said, meaningfully, but Zoro couldn't grasp what he meant with it.

"So?" he huffed, scowling, wondering if this was a roundabout way to demote him from first mate to a lackey, since he couldn't keep a simple promise nor protect the crew when they needed it.

Usopp and Naruto had to be alright. But he could barely stand straight.

"So I can't do everything. You don't have to do everything yourself," Luffy said, kind and admonishing at once, clapping his shoulder again. "Rest up. I'll hunt the shark down and kick his ass for you!"

Zoro felt… speechless. He stood still as he watched Luffy stretch and rocket himself up in the air to see where the enemy was, launching himself again to catch up, shouting the name of his adversary on the way.

And that was… that. No mention of his promise. No blame. Only a reminder that he had needs that needed taken care of, that the crew was there because they covered for each other where they were weak. Including injuries. Including him, one of the strongest, when he needed it.

He staggered back down to sit, reeling at this realization.

Or maybe that was the blood loss talking. Still, he had a lot to think about.

"Big Bro Zoro, we got the doctor!"

"Hey, Roronoa, what did I say about the stitches!?"

A lot to think about indeed.

"Is he ignoring us? I think he's ignoring us."

"I better get to work then, he was already near anemic!"

"That's a bad thing, isn't it?"

"Yes! Move and boil that water for me, sonny!"

"It's Johnny!"

…He was ordered to rest.

…Well, whatever else the fishmen were, they made for a pretty comfy smooth scaled bed.

xXXx

Naruto casually enacting psychological warfare.

Meanwhile, Luffy breaks into his ever famous monologue for Zoro, because Arlong decided he'd rather play fox in chicken coop than cooperate with my plans. Zoro just... happened to lose here, I don't know what to tell you. It also wasn't in my plans.

Hehe, I'm being surprisingly consistent with writing time at the mo! Tell me whatcha thinking, and catch you next time!