sorry, i kind of forgot this story was a thing. i've gotten so used to ao3 that ffnet isn't even on my mental map anymore. also sorry for posting this like four times. ffnet formatting is a bitch that i've gotten out of practice fighting. anyway, like last chapter, no proofreading. good luck!

2.

"Sanji please stop! You're hurt, and I need to—"

"As much as I appreciate your concern, Chopper, we need to find Miss Nami and Miss Robin," Sanji growls, stomping ahead as he takes a strong drag from his cigarette and tries not to think about the fact that he only has half a pack left.

Chopper, in Walk Point, trots along behind him, not the least bit deterred from his fretting by the cook's tone. If anything, Sanji's denial of his own physical state sets the little reindeer even more on edge. (For a brief moment, he considers switching to Heavy Point and pinning Sanji down by force, but one glance at the crowded streets around them is enough to keep him from doing so.) "I know! But I'm your doctor, so you have to listen to what I say!" he huffs instead.

Sanji sighs, coming to a halt, and runs a hand through his hair. "Fine! But only after we find our lovely Navigator and Archeologist."

After rousing at the insistent prods of the little reindeer the night before, Sanji had woken on the outskirts of what looked like a massive city. He'd been severely injured, riddled with a plethora of what might have been bullet holes and sword wounds, and had reluctantly allowed the little medic to patch him up to the best of his ability with the supplies he had on-hand. As the two exchanged information, it had quickly become apparent that neither knew where they were or what had happened. Chopper, apparently, had woken on his own in the middle of the forest, and followed Sanji's scent because (due in no small part to all the blood) it had been the strongest.

They had both agreed to look for information in the city the next morning, but the plan had quickly fallen apart when Sanji had inadvertently picked a fight with the first person they tried to talk to. The population of the place was apparently not open to visitors, much less visitors without certain credentials, and the simple act of conversation had been viewed as a kind of insult on the man's person—an outright scandal. Immediately, guards had been called, and—despite how easily he had dispatched the men—several of Sanji's wounds had been reopened.

And the pattern had continued.

Leaving a trail of unconscious soldiers in their wake, over the past several hours the two Straw Hats have been strolling calmly through the stone streets of the most ridiculously spotless city either of them had ever had the displeasure of experiencing, Chopper loping behind Sanji the entire way. Chopper himself has garnered more than a few stares, but at this point it's almost hard to tell who is attracting more attention—him, or the dirty, bleeding, pissed off cook.

"Sanji!" Chopper whines as Sanji flicks his ashes onto the shining street. (A nearby man shrieks at the action, but scrambles away quickly at Sanji's responding glare.)

For the most part, Sanji ignores the doctor's pleas. "First things first—we figure out where the hell we are, then we find the wonderful ladies. Any luck so far?" He glances back at Chopper, who's now seething.

"I've seen several people wearing the same flower-shaped, gold seal on their clothes," he bites out, frustrated and bitter, "but there aren't any helpful signs anywhere."

Sanji sighs again. "Alright." After a moment, he stops, drops his cigarette filter to the ground, and stubs out the last embers with the toe of his shoe. "I guess that means we have to resort to more... forceful means of communication."

Immediately catching on, Chopper's protests start anew, but Sanji isn't paying attention anymore. He's tired, in pain, up to his damn ears in worry, and very much done with this shit—so with one last huff he scans the streets until his gaze falls on two nervous-looking guards talking frantically into a Snail Phone, casting wary glances his way every few seconds. Without a word, Sanji stalks over to the two, and in the blink of an eye he has one held up by the collar of his shirt, back pressed in the stone of the building behind him. The second soldier fumbles with his rifle, but Chopper lets out a frustrated groan and easily knocks him to the ground with his horns, glaring at Sanji the entire time. Unarmed and clearly not trained to stand his ground, the second soldier flees, abandoning his partner to their mercy.

"P-Please, just let me go! You won't get away with this!" the guard wails, frantically squirming in Sanji's grip, but the cook just rolls his eyes.

"Make up your mind. Are you going to beg for your life or threaten me?" Sanji drawls, and the guard just babbles incoherently in response. Sanji shakes him a little to get him back on track, startling the man enough to refocus his gaze. It's not a rough motion—just insistent—but things could certainly turn messy if he wanted. "Oi, pay attention. Where the hell are we?" When the soldier doesn't immediately respond, Sanji shakes him again.

"E-Edge Town! You're in Edge Town!"

Lazily, Sanji turns to Chopper with his one visible eyebrow raised, but Chopper just shakes his head. Tightening his grip on the man, Sanji hums—a slow, contemplative sort of noise—as he reaches into his pocket to slide out a fresh cigarette. After putting it between his teeth, he pulls out his lighter with the same hand and flicks it on, taking a long drag as he slips it back into his jacket. Several seconds later, he blows smoke directly in the man's face, making him cough and if possible frightening him even more.

"That doesn't mean shit to me," Sanji drawls, putting the cigarette back into his mouth. "Where the hell is Edge Town?"

The man blinks and doesn't immediately answer, so Sanji shakes him a third time, this time hard enough that the back of the man's head hits the wall behind him. Chopper squeaks, but doesn't complain as the guard finally sputters. "D-Dawn Island!"

Again, Sanji glances down at Chopper, and again Chopper shakes his head. "Well, shit," Sanji sighs, dropping the guard in a heap on the ground. He turns away, then, and stalk off, Chopper right on his heels. While he'd been interrogating the weak-as-shit-pathetic-excuse-for-a-soldier, a small crowd had gathered, but they part immediately when the two approach, letting them pass unhindered.

After a moment of wandering aimlessly with no real direction in mind, Chopper finally speaks up. "Is it just me, or does this place seem... really quiet for the New World?"

Sanji thinks for a moment, humming, and then nods absently. "Yeah, not that I'm complaining. It's nice to get a break for once, but still. It's pretty weird. Picked up on any of the others yet?" He hears Chopper sigh, and that's the only answer Sanji needs. "Fantastic."

Not long after, the pair turns down a side street, only to be met with a wall of trembling soldiers blocking their path. Sanji rolls his eyes and taps more ash on the sidewalk—which only serves to anger a few of the men at the front of the line—and absentmindedly rubs one of his temples. His head has been steadily throbbing since this morning, not that he's told Chopper. The little doctor seems like he's stressing himself out enough already, and one more thing might really put him over the edge.

As if sensing his distress, however, Chopper shoots Sanji one last glare and charges forward. "These guys are nothing," he calls, shifting into Kung-Fu Point. "Don't aggravate your injuries more than you already have!"

Sanji huffs but doesn't complain, instead choosing to sit against one of the nearby buildings and watch the fight as he pulls again on his cigarette.

Throwing himself headfirst into a brawl is unlike Chopper, Sanji thinks, even with enemies so shitty. But perhaps when one of his patients is concerned—and maybe with how soft these guys seemed—the reindeer could get annoyed enough to take the lead. Sanji files that thought away for later just as a familiar voice speaks up at the side blinded by his bangs. "My, my, how our little doctor has grown." Immediately, Sanji's head snaps over, within seconds he's beaming, all traces of exhaustion completely gone from his expression.

"Ah, Miss Robin!" he practically squeals, "How lovely it is to see you! I'm so glad you're alright!"

Robin smiles a little behind her hand, chuckling to herself, and only then does Sanji realize that the woman's body ends at the waist—at which point it's fused to the ground. A clone, then. "Likewise. I am pleased to see the both of you alive and well," she responds lightly.

Sanji brightens at her words, another stream of praises bubbling up just as Chopper yells, "Robin!" and rushes over with a wide grin. "I'm so happy!" Suddenly, Chopper freezes, a look of confusion washing over his features as he shifts back to Brain Point (all of the soldiers are now on the ground, now—groaning and thoroughly defeated—and both older Straw Hats smirk at the sight.). "But why didn't I—oh! You're not really here!"

Robin chuckles again. "That is correct. In actuality, I am just outside of the city, but have been discretely scouting for information from afar. The commotion you both seem to have caused attracted my attention, however, and it wasn't hard to follow you two after that."

Chopper frowns, suddenly looking thoughtful. "You don't remember either?" When Robin shakes her head, Chopper sighs, plopping down on the ground and crossing his arms. "Great."

Robin sighs as well, resting a cheek in her palm. "Unfortunately this city seems devoid of any identifying landmarks or signage, which suggests a very small, isolated population. Have you two been able to learn anything thus far?" She glances at Sanji, who is already nodding.

"Miss Robin, a wonderfully helpful bastard informed us that we're somewhere on Dawn Island, and I'm sure with your endless vault of incredible knowledge that means more to you than it does either of us!"

Immediately, Robin frowns. "Oh, my."

Both Sanji and Chopper freeze, the latter looking up at her with wide eyes. "Is that bad? Is it a dangerous island?" the reindeer asks, suddenly worried.

"Yes and no," Robin replies. "Perhaps it would be best if we discussed this further in person." She glances up, and when the two follow her gaze they see the guards starting to rouse themselves, at least two yelling frantically into Snail Phones. "The nearest city exit is just west of here, and I will be waiting for you outside the gate. Something tells me you won't be followed once you cross the walls, but there's no point in causing more trouble as you make your escape. I would suggest keeping local property damage to a minimum," she smirks, like she knows even asking the boys to avoid causing chaos is nothing short of futile, and with that her clone disappears in a burst of flower petals.

Internal fire renewed at the thought of seeing the lovely woman again, Sanji hauls himself up and then bends low, stretching a little, a look of severe concentration on his face. Before Chopper can ask what he's doing, though, Sanji is already gone, calling, "Miss Robin!" and leaving nothing but smoke and a shouting, angry Chopper in his wake.

At least one thing, Zoro notes with a smirk, hasn't changed.

Luffy, renewed by sleep, is back to bouncing around just after the sun rises. Zoro and Usopp had been forbidden to sleep in the base the night before, so they had taken up a position at the base of the tree while Zoro sat for the first watch. They had no idea what was on the island, after all, and they weren't about to be unexpectedly eaten by large animals or criminals or whatever else during the night. And, he'd reasoned, if he was awake he would be able to sense any of his other crew members, as well.

Unfortunately, the night had been uneventful during both shifts.

Immediately upon waking, Luffy demands meat so loudly it rouses Zoro, and in the familiarity of it all he almost forgets for a moment where he is. But the sight of the forest and Usopp's rolling eyes confirm once again that this is not a dream, and that sets him off in an impressively grouchy mood for the rest of the morning.

Luffy is the first to descend from the tree house, although that is putting it lightly. Without warning, the little rubber boy thuds down in front of the two startled men, forgoing the handholds and instead swinging from one of the lower branches, at which point he drops in a bouncing heap on the grass. He doesn't stick the landing, much to Usopp's amusement, and Sabo and Ace's angry cries at being woken are quickly drowned out by Luffy's laughter at the whole thing.

As soon as he notices the two men sitting below his base, however, Luffy's bright grin immediately twists into a sharp scowl, and he crosses his arms as soon as he's back on his feet, puffing his cheeks out. Zoro's just hazy enough from his interrupted sleep to feel the slightest twinge of hurt (although he'd never fucking admit it), but a moment later Sabo is on the ground as well, knocking his brother on the head. "Don't glare, it's rude. They're friends for now, and at the very least they can help us hunt for breakfast," he says as Luffy whines, and both Zoro and Usopp exchange confused glances.

Luffy looks ready to protest against being hit, but instead he just sort of blinks up at the two men, squinting slightly, as if scrutinizing them. Zoro, still sitting on the ground, can't help but think the look is a little too serious for the boy, and the thought makes him tense ever so slightly. But after a moment Luffy seems to register the mention of food and he perks up, shouting, "Meat!" before bolting off into the woods.

Sabo sighs, shaking his head just as Ace drops next to him. "We can find food just fine on our own, you know," Ace grumbles without looking back, already stalking after Luffy.

Sabo just rubs his temples. "The more people we have, the more we can get," he huffs, although at this point the statement is directed at no one in particular—the other boys are already too far ahead to hear. With one last huff, he waves absently over his shoulder to the two Straw Hats and stomps after his brothers.

Zoro and Usopp glance at each other and the latter just shrugs, the two taking that as their cue to start the day. They follow Sabo and Ace into the woods, and it's not long before the four of them catch up to Luffy. He's somehow already manage to get himself tangled in a clump of thick vines, and without a word Zoro takes out one sword and slices cleanly through the whole mess, sending the little boy tumbling to the ground in the process. Luffy glares and bolts off toward Ace several feet ahead without a word of thanks as Sabo rolls his eyes.

As soon as Luffy is out of earshot, Usopp sighs. "He's so different."

Zoro cocks his head to the side. "Which one?"

"Which one? I don't know, both of them? They're both so angry!" Usopp throws his hands up in frustration, but Zoro just shrugs as Sabo eyes them curiously.

"I don't think so. Ace, maybe, but Luffy? If anything, he seems happier."

Usopp groans, rubbing his hands down his face. "Of course you would think that. You and your stupid sixth Luffy sense. It's freaky, you know? But I think in this case you're way off," he says, and Zoro shrugs again but doesn't answer. Sabo is frowning, now, and looks like he's about to comment when Usopp suddenly stops dead in his tracks (which has Sabo skidding to a halt, too) and his eyes slowly widen. "Wait—you said there weren't any doctors around here. And we're—oh my God, we're hunting for food."

Sabo blinks at him. "Yeah, so?"

"You're acting like this is all normal or something!" Usopp yelps, suddenly frantic. "What about your families? What about other people? Do you guys seriously live up here all by yourselves?"

Zoro grunts, then, the same realization dawning on him, too. The thought hadn't occurred to him immediately because it seemed so like Luffy to go exploring through the woods and set out for food, but Usopp had an almost... normal childhood compared to any of the crew, so it seemed obvious he would see something wrong with it.

But at the way Usopp had laid it out so simply, Zoro can't help but frown. Maybe he had a point—maybe there's something more to this than just a fun adventure with his brothers. He doesn't like the thought of his Captain growing up like this—fighting every day for his life, fighting every day to survive. Even he, despite his rigorous training and wild tendencies, had a warm bed and prepared meals every night at the dojo. But this? This is something completely different. This is borderline abandonment, he thinks.

(And he can't help but wonder if this is why Luffy's so damn strong.)

Sabo, however, just shrugs. "We don't have families, and the only other people on Corvo are the bandits that live at the summit."

That just sets Usopp off again, though, and by now both his yelling and the fact that he, Sabo, and Zoro have stopped has attracted the attention of the two brothers ahead of them. "Bandits?" Usopp shrieks. "What about Garp? I thought—" Zoro holds out a hand, then, and Usopp freezes. The swordsman hadn't missed the way all three boys winced at the ex-Vice Admiral's name.

"That's enough, Usopp," he says, and it comes out quieter than he'd intended.

Usopp gives him a strange look, but he doesn't have the chance to question it because Ace suddenly shouts, "That doesn't matter, we have each other! We don't need that shitty old hag or the old bastard! We're just fine on our own!" with both fists in the air.

As he does so, Luffy tugs the brim of his too-large hat over his eyes, like he's trying to up in it and hide from something. "Yeah! Just fine on our own!" The little Captain wails, muffled, but both Usopp and Zoro exchange glances at how his voice shakes no matter how much he tries to hide it with bravado.

Even so, Usopp continues, a little quieter, "You... ran away from Garp?" There's a kind of awed tone to his voice, and he shivers a little. Anyone gutsy enough to give Garp the slip earned some major points in his book.

Ace scoffs, crossing his arms. "That old bastard only shows up once a year anyway, and it's not like we ran away. We're not cowards, we're men!" The statement seems to empower Luffy a little, and he nods.

"Right!"

At the new revelation, however, Zoro frowns, one hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. For all the ex-Vice Admiral's boasting about making Luffy strong, no sane man would leave three children, one of whom only seven years old, out in the middle of the jungle on their own with only a single visit every few months. That's beyond training—it's cruelty, and Zoro vows to give Garp the beating of a lifetime the next time they cross paths. If not for that, then at the very least for the fear in his little Captain's voice.

Sabo huffs, but there's a proud smile on his face at his brothers, and he echoes Luffy with a responding, "Right, we're men!" that instantly lifts the atmosphere. Tension gone, he rushes up to Ace and Luffy, casting one last warning glance toward Zoro and Usopp before clapping both boys on the back and striding forward. "Onward, to food!"

The two men hang back for a moment, before Usopp nervously turns to Zoro. "I can't believe..."

Zoro shakes his head. "There's a reason Luffy never told us about his childhood."

Usopp just sighs, slumping a little. "That's what I'm afraid of."

When the two Straw Hats catch up with the boys, they find them wrestling with an alligator in what looks like a large lake. Luffy is chanting, "Croc meat! Croc meat!" from the branch of a tree while Ace and Sabo try to wrestle the beast from the water.

"Damn it, Luffy!" Ace shouts, bashing it on the head with his pole. "Don't just sit there, get down here and help!"

Suddenly, Luffy looks conflicted. "But you said not to go near the water 'cause I'd drown!"

Ace growls as a second alligator surfaces, and Sabo immediately turns to engage it, leaving Ace to deal with the first on his own. "That doesn't mean sit there on your ass, you weak baby!" The alligator rears up, then, nearly throwing Ace off its back, but the boy holds on.

"Ace!" Sabo yells, but Ace isn't listening and is instead focused on keeping his grip. Before Zoro or Usopp can do anything, Luffy stretches his arms back and rockets toward the creature, landing hard on its head. The beast roars, thrashing, but even though the blow should have been powerful it seems more annoyed than hurt. The motion throws Ace off and into the water, however, and Luffy follows shortly with his own momentum. Sabo calls their names again as they disappear under the surface, ready to dive in, but Zoro is one step ahead of him as three more alligators descend on the spot where they'd just fallen.

Without thinking, he drops his swords on the ground and dives in, breaking into the water just as he hears Usopp call out, "Green Star: Devil!"

The boys aren't hard to spot. Ace has one arm around a limp Luffy while he frantically kicks at one of the many gators circling them, clearly straining for breath. Zoro punches two out of the way easily, before grabbing the collar of Ace's shirt and hauling him up to the surface. The minute they're back in the air, he tosses them both toward the shore and sees that six alligators have already been caught in Usopp's vines. The last few are swatted away easily and sent swimming, and when he finally hauls himself back onto dry land Ace is kicking Luffy, who is on his hands and knees, coughing up water.

Sabo sighs (he seems to do a lot of that, Zoro thinks) and thanks him for saving his brothers, and Zoro just shrugs as Ace turns to shout, "We didn't need your help! We were doing just fine!" Sabo rubs his temples but laughs all the same.

Half an hour later, one of the captured gators is roasting over a fire, and the three boys are munching happily on their breakfast. Ace and Luffy fight each other for the larger pieces of meat while Sabo and the two Straw Hats watch on, amused. The atmosphere is surprisingly light, but if the boys go through this every day just for food, Zoro thinks, they might be used to the danger by now. It's a sobering thought, even the second time. And it might explain why Luffy seems immune to the fear of death. (Not that he's one to talk, really, but Zoro's reasons are different, he thinks. He would risk his life for his ambition and for his Captain—not necessarily in that order—but surviving to survive is a different thing altogether.)

At his side, Usopp sighs through a mouthful of food, "As fun as this is and all, we really should be getting back to our crew. We've been wandering around the forest for two days, and haven't seen anyone else."

Luffy and Ace suddenly go quiet, and Luffy perks up. "Your crew? Are you pirates?" Usopp blinks, as though suddenly realizing his mistake, and Zoro sighs. Although he had explained during the night what he'd told Sabo and Sabo had apparently given Ace the short version of the story (which, from what Zoro could gather, had been something along the lines of They're trustworthy before Ace stopped listening altogether) Luffy had been asleep through the whole thing, and apparently no one had bothered to tell him.

"Mhmm," Zoro nods, and Luffy's eyes light up like stars in the night sky.

"That's so cool! What are you called? What does your ship look like? Who's on the crew? Who's your captain? I bet he's really strong, right? A crew can't survive without a strong captain—wait, you're really strong, old man; are you the captain? I'm going to be a captain someday, and then I'm going to be King the Pirates! But I need to get stronger first and—"

Ace's fist suddenly hits his head, knocking him to the ground. "Shut up! I'm trying to eat!" he shouts, and then turns back to the meat in his hands. "You're so annoying."

Usopp blinks, and then Sabo bursts out laughing, startling him. But Ace just glares while Luffy whines from the ground, calling Ace mean. The little boy bounces back quickly, though, and soon he's sitting up again, looking excitedly from Zoro to Usopp and back again. "Tell me! Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me!"

Zoro snorts, rolling his eye as he leans back in the grass, "Aye, Captain." Usopp gives him a look at the title and even Sabo stops laughing, but Zoro ignores them and continues. "I'm not the Captain. He's incredibly strong—even stronger than me—and," Zoro props himself up then, smirking at Luffy's excited face, "he's going to be the Pirate King." Usopp snorts at that, covering his mouth to stifle his snickers as Luffy's expression falls, suddenly fuming.

The little boy jumps to his feet, one fist raised. "No way! I'm gonna be the King! Where is he? I'm gonna fight him so he can't beat me to it! Where is he?"

Zoro suddenly goes still, then, all traces of mirth gone as he sighs and leans back. "I don't know where he is," he says quietly, and he can practically feel Luffy glaring at him. He closes his eye.

"What do you mean you don't know? It's a crew's job to always be by their captain's side, even when things are scary! Corvo can be kind of bad sometimes, but you can't just leave him!" Luffy shrieks, breakfast forgotten.

Zoro hears Sabo's voice say, "Oi, Luffy, lay off," but Luffy isn't done.

"Do you know how worried he probably is? You can't just—you can't just abandon him!"

Suddenly, Zoro's fist hits the ground with an impressive crack, and a small crater forms under the weight of the blow. Everyone freezes as he sits up slowly, now thoroughly glaring. It's one thing, he thinks, to hear accusations like that from some shitty brat. But even if he's just a child, this is his Captain, and the words sting even more than they should because of it. Thoughts of Saobondy, of Marineford flash unbidden in his mind, and he stands, gathering his swords.

"I would not abandon my Captain," he snarls out through gritted teeth, and then without another word he turns and stalks off into the woods, ignoring the knawing sense of hypocrisy at his words as he leaves Luffy by the fire.

When Sanji and Chopper reach the Edge Town gate, they stop in their tracks and just kind of stare at the scene in front of them. Chopper can't help it—he glances back into the city, likely just to be sure his vision is correct, and without thinking Sanji does the same. Because if the city is scrubbed too clean, the area outside it is something even more than its opposite.

Mountains of trash and debris are piled high, towering over their heads. Anything imaginable can be seen in the rubble, Sanji thinks—he spots scrap metal, bits of smashed ships, and crumbled stone among everyday garbage. Rotten food, old clothes, papers and books—and even, he thinks as he quickly looks away—a human hand buried underneath one particularly large heap.

Chopper covers his nose.

After announcing to the platoon of rousing guards that they intended to leave, no one bothered to stop the pair, and instead offered to guide them out. Although Chopper seemed willing, Sanji refused—he wasn't about to accept help from those shitty bastards—leaving them to find their way alone. It hadn't been hard, however. The message to move the intruders toward the exit must have been passed along, and groups of soldiers subtly pointed them in the right direction (much to Sanji's increasing annoyance) every time they took a wrong turn. He had started to feel an unbridled urge to gut the stupid swordsman for rubbing off his navigational skills on him just when the gate came into view, and for that he was eternally thankful.

Now, standing frozen at the city border, however, he quietly wonders whether leaving had been a good idea. The man guarding the gate is standing behind them, looking wary and almost ready to shove them out by force if necessary, but before he gets the chance Robin steps out from behind a mound to their left, and Sanji is immediately at her side, asking if she is alright and if she would like to leave this disgusting place. Chopper nods vehemently in agreement.

But Robin shakes her head despite looking a little pale herself. "Let us move to the edge of the Terminal, and then we can talk," she says, and then turns. Chopper and Sanji exchange confused looks at the title but follow anyway, picking their way through the mess carefully until they come to what looks like the end of a forest. Once there, Robin sits in the grass and leans up against the trunk of a tree, motioning for the other two to join her.

After a moment, Chopper uncovers his nose and breathes a sigh of relief. "The wind is blowing away from here!" Robin hums in agreement, then moves her sunglasses up into her hair.

"This is what's known as the Gray Terminal, according to the locals. After abandoning my search for through the city, I focused my reconnaissance efforts here, and discovered a strange, thriving community among the... waste. This also confirmed what you said—we are, in fact, on Dawn Island." She frowns, then, eyes suddenly dark.

Chopper looks at her nervously. "You said the island was both dangerous and not. What does that mean?"

Robin sighs, leaning back to look up at the sky. "The Goa Kingdom is divided into four major parts—the city, which you both just departed from; the Gray Terminal, where we are now; Mount Corvo and its surrounding forests, which is partially behind us but extends around most of the Island; and Foosha Village, a small fishing village beyond the mountains that houses one of the Island's two ports. Mount Corvo is perilous for natural reasons, as it is known to house both incredibly large, aggressive wildlife and a vicious bandit population, and both Edge and High Town are a danger because of those who live there."

Sanji scoffs, taking out a fresh cigarette. Somehow the smell of the Terminal had managed to seep into the smoke—or perhaps he'd imagined it. He doesn't particularly care. "Those assholes didn't seem particularly tough."

Robin quirks an eyebrow at him and sighs again. "Perhaps, but High Town is known to house some of the most important and wealthy nobles in the East Blue, and they entertain frequent visits from the Celestial Dragons on a basis comparative to other islands in the four Blues. Angering them could been seen as something more than a simple attack on the local population."

Chopper pipes up, "But we didn't see any—"

But Sanji cuts him off, lighter halfway to his mouth. "The East Blue?" he says, gaping, and Chopper pauses then, sudden realization dawning on his face. Robin simply nods.

"Yes, Dawn Island is located in the East Blue. It's likely the name was unfamiliar to you both because you're not native to this area. I, myself, am from the West Blue, but a close associate from my time with the Revolutionaries was born and raised here, and he spoke of it often."

Both Sanji and Chopper are staring at her now, and after a moment Chopper starts to panic. "We can't be in the East Blue! We were just in the New World! The middle of the New World! How is this even possible?"

"I would like to know that, myself," Robin replies, reaching a hand out to snag the reindeer before he can go running off in his frenzy and pulling him into her lap. It does little to calm him down.

Sanji growls, both at Chopper and the situation itself, and finally lights his cigarette with far more aggression than is strictly necessary. His headache is getting worse and his wounds are starting to throb underneath their bandages. "We need to find the rest of our crew," he says, taking a long drag, and Robin nods.

"That would be for the best, I believe. However, we cannot successfully navigate through the mountains without knowing where we are in relationship to whatever we might be looking for. If we are docked here, I doubt it would be in the Edge Town ports, as that harbor is strictly regulated and reserved solely for merchant and noble use. The Foosha Village docks would be our best option for finding the Sunny, as they are rumored to be somewhat pirate-friendly. However, if the others were scattered as we were, there is a large possibility most may be in the woods. I certainly hope they weren't eaten while they were unconscious."

"Robin!" Chopper shrieks, but the woman merely smiles down at the little doctor as he clings to her. "Don't say scary things like that! They'll be fine! Everyone's really strong."

Sanji huffs. "I wouldn't mind if a few people went missing, but I'm inclined to agree, especially if we're back in the East Blue. After the New World, shit here is going to be like kicking babies."

Chopper wails at the mental image, covering his ears. "Sanji!"

The cook sighs, reaching over to pat the little reindeer on his head. "Sorry, bad comparison. In any case," he turns to gaze up at Robin, "what do you think we should do, Miss Robin, dear?"

Robin hums, gazing out at the mounds of debris in front of them. Now that he's really paying attention, Sanji can see several people picking through the trash, collecting things and putting them in baskets on their backs or carts by their sides. Like the rest of the place, though, they're grimy—almost the same color as the wasteland, itself—which was why he'd missed them so easily before.

After a moment, Robin speaks up again. "My suggestion would be to wait here in the event that any other members of our crew decide to move toward civilization. Without proper means of guiding ourselves, we could easily become lost in the mountains, and possibly even fall prey to the beasts here, no matter how much your strength has grown since leaving the Blues. If we were able to procure a boat, we might be able to hug the coast and navigate our way toward Foosha in search of the Sunny, however."

"Both excellent plans, my dear!" Sanji sings, but he sobers quickly as Chopper still looks slightly shaken at the notion of large predators. It must instinctual, Sanji thinks. Despite his Devil Fruit, the little doctor is still an intrinsically prey animal, and there are some things that even men are afraid of. He rubs the reindeer's back for a moment as Robin hugs him closer.

They decide to wait in the Gray Terminal for three days, and in the meantime work on finding a means to reach the second harbor without crossing the mountains. As a way to escape the smell, they set up a small camp on the edge of the forest, and only when they're all seated around a small fire going in the afternoon sunlight and Chopper is re-securing his bandages does a single, very important thought occur to Sanji: food.

He brings up his concerns to the other two, and at the mention of a meal Chopper's stomach growls like he'd forgotten he was hungry in the first place (which, Sanji thinks, is highly likely given how stressful the day has been), and even Robin perks up a little. "It is likely the people here in the Terminal survive on what is thrown out from the city, given how sickly most of the population appears. However, there is also the option of hunting for live game in the woods. Most of the larger animals should be farther up the mountain, so securing protein at this level should be fairly easy."

At her statement, Sanji's expression goes angrily dark. "Unacceptable," he growls, and although Chopper looks up wide-eyed at the chef, Robin smiles softly.

"Perhaps, but this is the life they've been living."

He stands, then, stomping his cigarette out in the dirt. "I still won't stand for it. No one should have to eat crap like that, even if they can't afford to live in that shitty town with those shitty, arrogant people," he bites out, and although Robin nods she doesn't comment.

Chopper, however, springs to his feet as well. "Yeah! Who knows what kind of bacteria could be growing here? That's just—No! That's so terrible!" He howls, looking ready to cry. He rushes over to grab at Sanji's pant leg, tugging on it a little. "Sanji, we have to do something! I want to—I need to help them!" At the sight of Chopper's desperate face, Sanji's rage fades a little, and he reaches down to pat his head again.

"What are you talking about? Of course we will. I'm sure there are plenty of medicinal herbs in the forest if it's as big as Miss Robin says—which I'm sure it is because Miss Robin is never wrong, of course!" He turns to Robin, who simply waves him off. Mildly disappointed, Sanji looks back down at Chopper. "Make a list of what you think you'll need and we can do some exploring. I'd like to hunt a little, myself. If we're going to cook these people a feast, we'll need all we can get!"

Chopper cheers, hugging Sanji's leg tightly, and Robin chuckles. "That sounds like a lovely idea, I am sure the people here will be thrilled."

Sanji beams at the praise. "Ah, that is, of course, if you don't mind us leaving."

Robin waves him off again, however. "Not at all. I would like to continue speaking with several of the residents currently living in the Terminal, and since we have decided not to depart immediately now is as good a time as any. Feel free to go right ahead, but do be careful. We wouldn't want either of you to get lost and die in these woods." She smiles softly as Chopper pales, clinging to Sanji tighter.

After Zoro had stalked off into the trees, the three boys and Usopp had stared, frozen, behind him, until Luffy had started sniffling. Immediately, Usopp had turned back around, but it had been too late—Luffy had already been sobbing.

Now, after several solid kicks to the head from Ace and a few consoling words from Sabo, the little Captain is relatively calm (though still hiccupping every so often), but the tense atmosphere still feels heavy in the air. Usopp sighs, tugging on his hair for a moment. If Zoro knew he'd made Luffy cry, even just a child version of him, there was no telling what the swordsman would do. The bastard was loyal to a fault and they all knew it.

Instead of dwelling on that thought, however, Usopp stands, stretching a little. While the food had been delicious, he'd meant what he said about—

When he looks down again, Luffy is right in front of him, staring up with wide, red-rimmed eyes and gripping the brim of his hat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make him mad, I'm sorry!" he wails, tears welling up a second time, and Usopp immediately panics.

"No, no, no!" He waves his arms frantically in front of him, as if that would make the message even clearer. "It's fine! Zoro just..." he sighs a second time, crouching down so he's eye level with little boy. "We all care about Lu—about our Captain a lot, okay? And we would never do anything to hurt him, and we would never... we will always do our best to be there for him when he needs us. And you're right, our Captain is probably really worried about us right now, but he also knows we're strong and can take care of ourselves." He stands again, glancing back toward the forest where Zoro had left. "Our Captain trusts us, and we trust him. That's what's most important in a crew, right?" When he looks down again, Luffy is staring up at him with wide eyes, and the boy slowly he nods.

"Right!" Luffy beams at him, and Usopp reaches down to ruffle his dark hair. The action feels odd—this is his Captain, after all—but Luffy doesn't seem to mind.

"Okay!" Usopp puffs his chest out and points a thumb at himself, standing tall. "Zoro is hopeless when it comes to direction, so it's up to the great Lord Usopp to find him and bring him back!" Luffy's gapes up at him in awe, and Usopp smirks. "Wait here while I—"

"Get lost and die?" Ace deadpans around one of the last pieces of meat, and Sabo snickers behind a hand.

Immediately, Usopp deflates, and Luffy snaps at his brother, telling him to shut up. But, glancing back at the forest, the sniper admits internally that the boy has a point. Although he's heard of Dawn Island before, he's never actually visited, and he has no idea where they are now, let alone where to find Zoro. Suddenly, he turns back to the brothers, a new plan formulating. "Never! Mere wildlife could never harm the Great Usopp! Perhaps," he looks down at Luffy, then, who's back to gazing at Usopp like he's the sun itself, "you would like to accompany me to witness my glory firsthand?"

Luffy nods vigorously cheering, enthusiastically before bolting into the forest after Zoro. Usopp flashes a grin to the two other boys, now both scowling at him, and then follows. If they were anything like the Ace and Sabo he'd met in Alabasta and Dressrosa, they would follow without question just to make sure their brother didn't get himself killed, inadvertently becoming his guides through the mountains. Even Usopp can admit that he'd played it a little dirty, but as the boys bolt ahead calling Luffy's name, he can't help but smile.

They don't find Zoro.

In fact, they don't find much of anything for at least two hours, and by then Usopp is ready to just leave the swordsman behind to fend for himself. The brothers seem like they're having the time of their lives, calling out for Zoro and attracting whatever insanely huge animals are nearby, though, so the sniper can't really bring himself to call the search off (even if that one tiger was freaking massive and terrifying holy crap). Eventually, though, their pace slows down and Luffy starts to complain that he's tired. Usopp agrees (in the most manly way he can think of) and the group decides to postpone their search for a while.

Just as they start heading back in the direction of the boys' base, however, a chorus of bloodcurdling screams crashes through the trees, making all four of them jump. Sabo and Ace exchange nervous looks while Luffy clings to the latter (only to be shoved off immediately), and then all three turn to him.

"Maybe we should go check it out," Sabo says a little warily. "The only people out here are the Dadan Family, and..." he trails off, glancing at Ace again.

But Ace shakes his head. "No way. That hag can die for all I care!" Luffy looks conflicted, and eyes flicking back and forth between his brothers and Usopp, whose mind is running a mile a minute. If the Dadan Family are the only people for miles, and the only other group on the mountain aside from the kids are bandits, then... oh heck no.

The screams sound up again, and Sabo makes the decision for them, bolting off toward the noise.

"Damn it, Sabo!" Ace roars, following close behind with Luffy on his heels. Usopp sighs (totally not shaking) and runs, too. He isn't about to be left behind, no way! Even if he's... running right into what could probably be terrible danger if it's enough to make fierce mountain bandits shriek like that. He grips his slingshot tight and shouts for the others to wait up.

Soon, he and the brothers break through the edge of a clearing just in time to see a group terrified men shoving each other out of the way as they pour through the door of a small, wooden shack, yelling in fear all the way. A few stop when they see the boys, calling out their names and warning them to get away, and that surprises Usopp—the kids were on good terms with mountain bandits? Just what kind of childhood did Luffy have?

But what catches him even more off guard is what one of them men wails as he flees: "Get away! There's a demon inside! A zombie! Run as fast as you can!" At first, Usopp feels his knees start to shake again, because nope! He's dealt with zombies once and he is sure as hell not doing it again. He turns to head back into the forest, fully intent on running with the rest of them, when suddenly a familiar sound floats up through the open windows of the house.

Yohohoho!

In an instant, Usopp relaxes, and he beelines for the house. The brothers cry out in surprise and chase after him, Luffy a little too excited at the prospect of meeting an undead.

"Brook!" Usopp calls as soon as he hits the doorway, and lo and behold there he is.

The skeleton is sitting up in the middle of the room, blankets only half-covering his suit. His violin and cane are laying parallel to him, and there's another, smaller white cloth stick in his hair. "Mr. Usopp! Ah, it's wonderful to see a familiar face! Although I do not have eyes!" he laughs, and for once Usopp can't help but grin at the terrible joke as well. A few of the bandits still inside the house frozen in fear stare at Usopp with wide, confused eyes just as Luffy pushes between Usopp's legs and rushes forward.

"So cool!" He shouts, immediately heading for Brook, and the two brothers shove Usopp to the ground in a desperate attempt to stop their brother before he gets himself killed by a creature from hell... or something.

If Brook still had the capacity for facial expressions, Usopp thinks, he might be staring in shock as Sabo and Ace tackle Luffy. He goes completely still and slack-jawed at the trio now wrestling on the floor, before slowly turning toward the sniper, who is back on his feet and brushing himself off. "Usopp-san, is that...?"

Usopp sighs, nodding. "It's kind of a long story. Although no one seems to know much about what's going on, so I guess it's actually not that long after all. Basically, I have no idea."

Brook tilts his head to the side a little at the answer and the white cloth slips off, and then he bursts into another round of loud, raucous laughter, effectively startling the brothers into stillness. Then he turns suddenly to the three of them, and says, "My, Mr. Luffy, you've gotten quite short!" before chuckling again.

Both Ace and Sabo blink, but Luffy leaps up, effectively throwing the two off. "That's so cool! You know my name!"

Brook stops laughing, and looks surprisingly confused for someone without the proper tools to do so. "Ah, of course I do! You're ou—" Usopp makes a cutting motion across his throat and hisses, and thankfully Brook catches on. "My mistake, how about a song!"

Effectively distracted, Luffy looks ready to pass out at the prospect of meeting a living skeleton who also happens to be a musician, and without waiting for an answer Brook stands with one sweeping motion and grabs his violin. He bows, then launches into a joyful rendition of Bink's Sake. Usopp sags with relief.

The rest of the bandits in the room, now more dumbfounded than afraid, slowly inch their way closer as Luffy grabs his brothers' hands and swoops them into what might be a dance as both protest vehemently the whole time. Through the windows, Usopp can see some of the other bandits cautiously approaching the house at the noise. Suddenly, a massive shadow blocks his vision, and, shaking again, Usopp slowly turns around.

Towering over him is an incredible beast of a woman with long, orange hair and a hand-rolled cigarette smoking between too-large teeth. She's glaring, looking ready to kill, and Usopp can't help but suddenly feel very, very small. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing with my boys?" she booms, and suddenly the music stops. Usopp can hear Luffy start whine, but before he gets very far the woman whirls around again, jabbing a finger at the brothers. "And you three. Do you have any idea what Garp would do to me if he found out you were missing? You little shits, I ought to kill you myself for showing your faces back here again!"

Instead of cowering in fear like Usopp expected (and may have been doing himself) Ace sticks his tongue out at the woman and Luffy pulls down his lower eyelids, both mocking her. "Shut up, you old hag!" Ace yells, and the woman's face goes red as Sabo watches on, laughing.

The woman advances, but suddenly three other bandits are holding her back, shouting, "Boss! Isn't it great that they're okay?" with tears streaming down their faces. Usopp slowly inches around the woman, closer to Brook, and at that angle he can see that she, too, is a little wet in the eyes.

Huh.

"No, of course it's not! I'd hoped they'd died out there!" She roars, shaking off the three men and then yanking the boys off the floor into a bone-crushing hug, cursing all the while. The brothers shout and try to squirm out of her grip, but the woman's massive arms are too tight and their efforts are totally in vain.

Huh.

As Usopp slides next to Brook, the skeleton laughs at the scene. "It seems Mr. Luffy is very well loved wherever he goes," he chuckles, and Usopp just stares at the bizarre picture in front of him. The boys are now being crushed by an increasingly-heavy pile of ferocious mountain bandits as they throw themselves on top of them in one massive, deformed might-be-a-hug-but-it's-kind-of-hard-to-tell-at-this-point.

"Yeah, I guess so."

At Brook's words, however, everyone's heads snap up like in all the excitement they had forgotten about the dang living skeleton, and Brook laughs again, raising his violin. "Ah, Miss Dadan, I appreciate your respectfulness in trying to bury me, but as you can see I am very much alive, so that would have made living quite difficult for me." He bows low a second time, before launching into another song before anyone can comment.

Luffy manages to wiggle out from under the pile and start dancing again, yanking Ace and Sabo behind him, and after a moment Dadan sits up and throws her head back, laughing. "You little shits! You always bring me nothing but trouble, don't you?" But there's no real sting to her voice—no, instead Usopp can hear a kind of warm fondness as she watches the brothers whirl around.

Contrary to what many of the boys on her crew might claim, Nami is a very patient woman.

She had worked slowly, steadily over nearly ten years to collect enough money to free her village, and would gladly do it again if there were no other option (although now she knows there are other options, the sentiment still remains).

She is also, however, a woman of action. And when what is apparently her third day on Dawn Island comes to a close with no sign of the Sunny or the rest of her crew, he is ready to storm the gates and find them herself. Except she can't, because she has no idea where to start, and that is infinitely more frustrating than the waiting alone.

Makino had been kind enough to let her stay in the guest room above Party's Bar (as Nami learns the tavern is called) until she can figure out what she would like to do. At Nami's request, she also manages to track down several books on the layout of the Island from other members of the village, most of whom have stopped by at least once to wish her well. Although her initial impressions of Foosha had been that it was too quiet, after two conscious days getting to know the layout and atmosphere she is willing to admit that perhaps it is simply quiet enough.

After several subtle assurances from Makino that she wouldn't be hung out to dry if she were a pirate, Nami had finally relented and told the woman the just of her predicament—leaving out names, of course. Despite the fact that she had apparently not understood the gravity of Shanks's Emperor title, the Straw Hate crew had made quite a name for themselves, and to mention that she, the navigator, was missing would be like handing the others' heads to the authorities on a silver platter. Without her, they would be directionless and lost, and all too easy to intercept.

Even so, Makino had respected her decision to keep quiet, and sympathized as much as she could, promising to do everything in her power to help. After learning that there were actually two ports on the island, Nami had set her sights there, hoping beyond hope that the boys (and Robin) had somehow managed to dock the Sunny there without blowing up the whole damn city.

Getting there, however, proves to be something of a problem.

"I'm sure you understand—as much as we would like to lend you one of our fishing boats, they are a source of life and commerce for the people here. To give one away without any real guarantee of compensation would be..." Makino shrugs, looking genuinely sorry for turning the young woman down. Once again, both are in the main room of the pub, with Makino behind the counter as Nami sits in one of the bar stools. Unlike yesterday, however, there is a small crowd of patrons sitting in some of the many tables, and the young barkeep is busy at work preparing meals and pouring drinks to be handed out to her customers.

"Irresponsible, I know," Nami sighs, taking a sip of the (thankfully alcoholic) drink in front of her. She rests a cheek in one of her hands and stirs the ice with a finger, thinking. Perhaps she could build a boat herself...? No, not a chance in hell. Although she might be a woman of many talents, the skills of a shipwright were not in her repertoire.

"I really am sorry," Makino replies, loading several plates onto a tray and then sliding out toward one of the tables with a practiced ease. Nami has to physical resist the urge to her head in her hands. Theoretically, money wasn't an issue. The problem was that most of her stash of gold was on the Goddamn Sunny, which is very much not where she is right now. And though the village might be relatively tolerant of pirates, there was a reason they had managed to last this long relatively unscathed. They knew the game, and they were smart about it.

Makino returns, humming lightly as she begins loading up the tray again, and a thought suddenly occurs to Nami that she can't believe didn't crop up before. She wasn't about to steal from these people—the ones who had so kindly taken her in without a second thought—but there was more than one way to earn what she needed. Sitting up straight and effectively catching Makino's attention with the action, she fixes the woman with a firm gaze and says, "How about I work off the payment. Would that be alright?" Makino blinks, clearly startled, but Nami insists. "Please, I really need to find my crew, and they really need me. How long would it take?"

Makino suddenly breaks into a small smile and calls over Nami's shoulder, "Gyoru!"

Nami turns to see a short, middle-aged man sitting at a table with a rather plump woman with brown, curly hair. At the sound of his name, the man sits up, waving to Makino. "What can I do for you?"

"How much would one of your old boats cost? Something small, that you don't use much anymore."

And then, Nami is grinning too. The man—Gyoru—thinks for a moment, rubbing his chin. "Eh, four-thousand beri, give or take?"

Nami's face falls. "Four-thousand? Come on, old man—you can do better than that!" Gyoru whips his head around to her, scowling, and she quickly backtracks. "I mean, sir. What's the revenue you can get in a single day of fishing on one? They're old and small, right? Can't hold as much weight or volume?"

Gyoru continues to frown, but the woman at his side looks thoughtful and speaks up. "Only about three-hundred beri in a single day, if even that."

Nami nods, glancing at Makino out of the corner of her eye. The woman has a hand over her mouth stifling a grin. "Three-hundred, huh? I'll only be gone three days at max, likely much less than that if I can find my crew. That's a nine-hundred beri deficit you aren't even missing because you don't usually use the boat. If you add fifteen percent interest for the sake of a security, that would bring the price up to one-thousand-thirty-five beri. How about that? I can even throw in a guarantee that, if I do find my crew, our shipwright will provide you with a new boat regardless of the condition I return the old one in."

Gyoru blinks, and then suddenly the woman at his side chuckles. "My, she's good."

Nami smirks, leaning forward a bit. If there's one thing she knows, it's business. "That's an upfront payment of more than three days of labor, with the potential of an even larger investment. Sound good?"

For a moment, Nami is almost (but not completely—she had every confidence in her methods of persuasion, especially when it comes to money) afraid he'll turn down her offer, but after a brief pause the man starts laughing. "Sure, why not! If you can come up with the money, I'll let you rent the boat." Then, suddenly, his expression grows serious. "But don't even think about swindling me, girl."

Nami just shakes her head, grinning. "I wouldn't dream of it. Our Captain is very sincere about keeping our word as a crew, and I wouldn't want to let him down."

Makino giggles behind her hand, and then reaches across the counter to hug Nami by the shoulders. "Then it's settled! You'll work with me for the next few days!" She raises Nami's drink, then, and to Nami's surprise the others in the bar follow suit. "It's been so long since I had help around here! To the new member of the Party's Bar family!" Everyone cheers, whistling and clapping, and suddenly the atmosphere feels lighter than before, even after the chorus dies down. Makino promises that Nami will start bright and early the next day as night has already started to fall, and tells her with a laugh to enjoy being on her side of the counter while she can. Through it all, Nami can't help smile, happy she'd ended up here of all places, no matter how awful she might feel about being separated from her crew a second time.