.:.

(Listening to Declan Galbraith's version of An Angel…)

From an outsider's point of view, Lohm City was a place known for its bleakness. It was a gray city, with gray roads, gray pavements, gray buildings, and gray people. But what the outsiders never truly witnessed was the deep and thrilling nights Lohm City held. The buildings would light up and glow against the dark sky and the normally gray shops along the road would morph into windows of fluorescent colors. Lohm City was in fact, quite very lively.

Monkey D. Luffy peered around the corner of the street, observing the couples and groups of people walking up and down the roads, entering and leaving shops. His brown eyes shone brightly and he turned his head to stare at the two older men behind him, his eagerness and excitement radiating off of him in waves. The blonde and green haired men merely stared back at the boy dumbly, each wondering to themselves why they were accompanying this idiot of a person on his quest to destroy pictures. Luffy turned back to peek around the corner.

"So, where is this Seven Caterpillar place?" He lifted a hand up to his eyes, twisting his head back and forth, searching for the elusive sign of 'Seven Caterpillar'. Sanji's curled eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"It's Seven Pillars, you moron. Not Seven Caterpillar!" The cigarette in his mouth bent from being clenched too tightly, "Where the hell did you come up with such a weird name? Who would want to drink at a place called Seven Caterpillar?"

Zoro snorted at the blonde's words and then quickly feigned a look of calmness when Sanji turned to glare at him. He ignored the sharp glares from Sanji and pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper. After smoothing it out, the green haired man turned it a few times in his hands before nodding in satisfaction and pointing ahead of them. "Don't worry. I've been to that pub a few times before. It should be right over there. Usopp's map also says that we're almost there..." Luffy and Sanji followed Zoro's pointed finger to a small sushi shop in the distance named 'Matsumoto Sushi'. Luffy scratched his cheek in confusion.

"But it doesn't say 'Seven Caterpillar'. It says 'Matsumoto Sushi.'" The black haired boy glanced curiously back at the green haired man. Then, after a short pause, Luffy continued with a concerned voice, "Zoro, are you hungry? It's okay if you are. We can go eat at the sushi restaurant, if you want. No need to hold it in."

The man blinked slowly when he heard the boy's words. Then, he blushed a furious pink, feeling thoroughly embarrassed for getting lost in front of these two people, and hastily yelled indignantly, as if that would cover his mistakes up, "I'm not like you, you idiot!" He crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance and frowned, "I was just following Usopp's map. Maybe he drew it wrong…"

Sanji shook his head and plucked the crumpled paper from Zoro's hands, eliciting a gruff 'hey!' from the man. The blonde sent Zoro a pointed stare. "You're so stupid, you probably couldn't read the map right. You've even been there before. How could you not know where it is?" He sighed and smoothed out the paper, lowering his head to scan over the intricately drawn map. The blonde looked up at the street name suspiciously and immediately scowled. Then, he rolled up the map and accusingly pointed it at Zoro, "You idiot. We were supposed to turn down the street a few blocks ago! Now we're wasting even more time." He started pacing down a street, leaving the other two no other choice than to follow him. "Come on, just keep up with me and I'll get us out of marimo's stupid mistake."

Zoro scowled, but followed after nevertheless. Luffy quickly moved to the green haired man's side, walking beside him, step for step. He chuckled lightly, grinning at Zoro with an easy smile. Zoro had so many interesting quirks. The boy really wanted to grow closer to the older man and know more about him. But for some reason, Zoro seemed reluctant to do so. But they had kissed hadn't they? That meant that Zoro wanted to be with him. But why was he still so reluctant? Luffy just didn't understand the green haired man. Maybe Zoro would tell him why one day? As the black haired boy smiled at the green haired man, the man stared back at Luffy for a moment, a frown etched on his face. Then Zoro gave a short humph and averted his eyes back to the blonde in front of him. After a few more turns and crossings of streets, the trio made their way into a street parked full of cars.

"Oi, you bastards. We're here." Sanji stopped on the curb and took his cigarette from his mouth, breathing out a trail of smoke. Then, he flicked the ash off the butt of his cigarette in the direction of the pub. Luffy jumped next to Sanji, joining the blonde on the side of the curb. His eyes grew round as he took in the sights of the people gathered around outside the entrance of the bar. Glowing fluorescent blue light pulsed around the two pillars standing at the doorway of the pub. Overhead, the words 'Seven Pillars' shone in a bright cursive font and a low rhythmic sound of the bass in the music could be heard echoing from the inside of the bar, beating deeply in Luffy's stomach and chest.

"Ou!" Luffy gasped and his fists balled into fists excitedly, "This is so cool! I've never seen or felt anything like this before! Look at all those people. And lights! And that sound!" He started to do a little bob of his head and then a tap of his toe. He was about to twirl in a circle when Sanji lightly slapped his head to stop him before he caused any further embarrassment. Zoro walked up to stand next to the black haired boy, raising an eyebrow at Luffy curiously.

"Never? Where did you live before you came here?" The green haired man glanced down at the boy and watched as Luffy paused for a moment. Then, Luffy scratched his head idly.

"Well, you could say that I used to live in—"

"Nami-swaaan~!" Sanji cried out in glee, spotting the orange haired girl slipping into the pub. Luffy's ears seemed to perk up and his sentence was cut off as he watched the blonde run towards the pub like a tornado. The boy sped off quickly towards the entrance, eyes alert and ready to spot any pictures. Zoro blinked, stunned by the flight of his two companions. And just when he was about to understand Luffy a little more… He rubbed the back of his head and then let out a groan before running after them. He could ask Luffy some other time…

The trio stopped in front of the doorway, blocked by an enormous person with a name tag clipped to the breast pocket of his black muscle shirt. Sanji and Luffy stared at the person in awe. Or at least Luffy did. Sanji's eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped open. The guard by the entrance seemingly had a panda head for a head… Zoro shook his head. Right. He had forgotten about the strange person the Seven Pillars had employed as a guard.

"Woah!" Luffy jumped around the man with a panda head, trying to take in every aspect of the guard. Was this normal in the city? No wonder the city was so amazing… there were people like this here! "What's your name?" The black haired boy noticed the name tag and grinned, "Oh, oh! Your name is Pandaman! That's so cool!" The man seemed to smirk and he flexed his bicep muscles impressively. Luffy grinned and imitated Pandaman, flexing his muscles. Sanji slapped his forehead and Zoro sighed. Sanji grabbed Luffy by the shoulder and started pushing him in.

"Focus, won't you?" The blonde muttered, steering the boy towards the doors of the pub, "Remember why you're here. Nami-san is already inside." Luffy immediately straightened and nodded seriously, moving towards the doors. But Pandaman swiftly stepped in front of them, arms crossed over his chest sternly. The man shook his black and white head solemnly and extended a hand out, as if waiting for some sort of pass.

Sanji's eyes narrowed and he frowned distastefully before sticking a hand into his pocket to pull out his wallet. He flipped open his wallet and displayed his ID card boldly in front of Pandaman's face. "You happy now? Can we go in? Luffy take out your ID card." The boy's mouth formed an 'o' before quickly digging around in his pockets for his ID card. Once he had found it, he proudly presented it to the panda man and smiled as the guard took it in his hands. But, Pandaman returned the card, shaking his head, and he waggled a finger at Luffy before pointing at Sanji to go in. Luffy blinked in confusion. Was there something wrong with his ID card? Was it a fake…? B-but it had only been this afternoon that he used the very same card to open his dorm room door! How could it be a fake?

"Wait, why can't I go in?" Luffy pointed at his ID, "I opened my dorm room with this card! It's not a fake!" Sanji frowned and reached to take the card from the boy's hands.

"Hold on… Luffy, how old are you…?" He flipped the card around and noticed the number '17' next to the word 'Age'. The corner of the blonde's mouth twitched and he threw the card back at Luffy, hitting the boy squarely in the cheek. "YOU'RE UNDERAGE, YOU IDIOT!" Sanji twisted his cigarette in his mouth with frustration. "Don't you know that you have to be at least eighteen years old to enter places like these?"

"WHAAAAT?" The black haired boy cried, clutching the card in his hands tightly. "NO WAY!" He glanced down at the card and stared at the number '17' in horror. He wouldn't be able to go inside just because he was seventeen years old? It couldn't be! A snort came from a few feet away and both Sanji and Luffy's heads swiveled to stare in the direction of the person who had snorted. Zoro chuckled and walked towards the pub coolly, lifting a hand up in greeting to Pandaman.

"It's all right. The kid's with me." The green haired man pulled the door of the entrance open and glanced over his shoulder. "Oi, are you guys coming in or what?" Luffy and Sanji's jaws dropped open simultaneously and they glanced towards Pandaman uncertainly. But, the man with a panda head merely smiled and nodded, gesturing for them to enter. Luffy took this as an expression of agreement and he grinned widely before hopping towards Zoro.

"Thanks Pandaman!" He waved to the guard and slipped through the doors into the dimly lit pub. The boy smiled widely at Zoro and the man stared back at the boy warily. Suddenly, Luffy made a pounce for the green haired man. Shanks had once told him that hugs were a good way to show deep gratitude. And he wanted to show his deep gratitude! Zoro's eyes went round and the green haired man quickly maneuvered himself so that Luffy didn't catch him in his arms.

"You idiot! Don't do something like that!" Zoro shouted, watching as Luffy's face collided with the door.

Sanji still stood outside, mouth agape. The blonde pointed a finger from himself to Luffy to Zoro, and then stared at Pandaman with round eyes. "Wait… wha? Why doesn't Marimo need to…? Why do I need an ID check? What the, wha? And Luffy… can just go in like that?" Pandaman nodded. Sanji narrowed his eyes. "Just because the stupid swordsman says so?" Pandaman nodded again, smiling. The blonde growled and started muttering agitatedly under his breath, moving towards the open door. "…stupid drinking buddy connections…"

Zoro closed the door when the blonde and the black haired boy had both entered. He turned to look at the crowd of people on the dance floor and the tables set around the room. A bar stood on the left side of the room and a black spiral staircase led up to the second floor on the right. Zoro nodded and started scanning his eyes across the crowd, looking for the orange haired girl with the pictures of Luffy. "Right. What do we do now?" The green haired man was about to turn to listen to their responses when he noticed two blurs flash away from his sides towards the center of the room. The next second, Zoro found Sanji sliding into a group of girls who were dancing together on the floor and he spotted Luffy jumping from person to person, searching their pockets for pictures and shouting, "Nami! Where's Nami?" The green haired man let out a heavy sigh and moved to the left side of the room to settle himself down in one of the cushioned chairs at the bar. A skinny looking man wearing black sunglasses grinned as he found Zoro sitting in front of him.

"Oh, Aniki! It's been some time! Yosaku's not here today. We've got a new person to manage the music. He's strange. Falls asleep at the worst times. But he's pretty good, eh?" Johnny smiled while deftly pulling out a large glass from the shelf. "Would you like the regular?" Zoro waved a hand at him and rubbed his temples.

"Just give me the strongest thing you've got here." He glanced towards Luffy and Sanji and felt his head start to throb. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples harder. "I'm gonna need it."

.:.

There were quite a lot of people in the Seven Pillars and finding one person out of the many would indeed be a difficult task. But if it meant saving himself from utter humiliation in front of Ace and Shanks, Luffy would do anything! The black haired boy stuck his hands into someone's coat pocket and inspected the insides carefully. No pictures. Good. It seemed like Nami hadn't started selling pictures yet… but he had to be alert and make sure that everything in the pub was searched through at least once. The best thing would be if he could find Nami right away and get rid of everything then and there. But… Luffy glanced up as the door of the pub opened and more people entered. At this rate, there would be too many people coming in and he wouldn't have any other chance to find Nami! The boy sucked in a deep breath and blew out slowly, feeling a little more relaxed. Usopp's words, from before they left the academy, started to return to him…

"Remember," The long nosed boy lifted up his index finger seriously, "When you get there just calm down. I know it's nervous for you, but just take a deep breath and calm down." Usopp smirked confidently, "Now, listen closely. When you calm down, I think finding Nami won't be as hard as it seems. She has orange hair, which most people do not have. So you might be able to just spot her in the crowd. But if that doesn't work…" The boy leaned closer, as if ready to impart an enormous secret, "…if you think about it, Nami's voice is very unique. You can hear her from a mile away. Just concentrate your ears on her voice. I've also heard that she likes to corner people and make deals like that. So, look for people who are more secluded and listen for her voice." Usopp grinned and placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder, "Anyway, I have to go back home tonight—something came up, sorry!—so I can't accompany you... But I'm sure you can do it by yourself! Just concentrate and relax."

"Right," Luffy nodded and closed his eyes, relaxing his body and pushing away all of the anxiousness he had been feeling. "Right… now where's Nami…?" As he opened his ears, the boy started to hear and see everything in his mind. He could hear the sounds of ice tinkling against glass, the high shrill laughter of drunk women gossiping to each other in one corner. The guffaws of the men drinking together rang in his ears and he thought he could hear Sanji laughing goofily along with the giggles of sweaty girls. Luffy could hear every pulse of the music and the creaks of the ceiling as people upstairs partied away. He even thought he could hear the distinct low rumble of Zoro humming contently after tasting a good drink. There was the patter of feet on the ground from the dance floor. And then…

"Hey, why don't you take a look at these pictures…?"

Luffy's eyes snapped open and he nearly twisted his neck to face the source of Nami's voice. There! He spotted her! The orange haired girl was leaning across a desk at the back of the room, holding up a packet of pictures for her victim to see. Luffy dashed towards her, ready to leap across the desk and snatch the pictures from her hands. But he abruptly stopped in his tracks as he saw who Nami was about to sell the pictures to. A freckled young man wearing an orange hat and headphones stared at the pictures carefully, with an eyebrow raised thoughtfully. It seemed as if Luffy's mind and body had become constricted. He couldn't move at all. Only his eyes seemed to widen as he watched the man peer at the pictures. Ace…! Ace was looking at the pictures…!

"Hm, this girl looks sort of familiar…" Ace scratched his head, frowning in thought. Nami blinked in slight surprise.

"Familiar…?"

"Mmhmm," The freckled man smiled sheepishly and passed the pictures back, "Sorry, I can't remember who she is. But, she's pretty cute." He blinked once as he noticed someone standing behind the orange haired girl. Wait, that black hair…! And red vest and tattered blue jeans! "Luffy? Hey, Luffy! It's me, big brother!" He waved happily, trying to get the boy's attention. The man swiftly pulled off his headphones and hopped over the desk past Nami, hurrying over to his little brother's side. Ace ruffled Luffy's hair teasingly and grinned down with affection. But then a look of confusion started to cross his face. "Wait, what are you doing in here…? Aren't you underage?"

"Ah…" Luffy could only stare up at his brother with wide eyes, too shocked to even say a word. His brother… had just seen… the pictures… His eyes slowly moved to fix themselves upon Nami, who had spun around when she had heard 'Luffy'. She was frozen to the spot, staring at him in horror. Then, she quickly made to leave the area, tucking the pictures safely away in her pocket and scurrying off towards the crowd of dancing people. That was when Luffy snapped. Ace had already seen it! He couldn't risk Shanks seeing it! He had to do something! The boy's feet did a little scuffle and then he launched himself at the orange haired girl.

Ace's eyes widened in surprise as he watched his little brother ricochet off the ground towards the orange haired girl. What was going on…?

Luffy caught Nami by the legs, bringing her down with him to the ground, and then he pinned her to the floor with his legs so that she couldn't move away. He quickly searched her pockets for the pictures while Nami struggled to get free, slapping at the boy's hands. No way would she let this stupid kid make her lose her business!

"Kyaa! Get away you stupid idiot!" She shouted, and glanced at the crowd of people dancing only a few feet away. The girl cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed, "KYAA! PERVERT!" She started struggling again, trying to wiggle away from the black haired boy. "HELP ME! THERE'S A PERVERT!" The people dancing on the edge of the crowd curiously glanced at the girl and boy on the ground, thrashing wildly. At the bar, Zoro gulped down another glass of alcohol and let out a loud sigh of content, banging down the glass on the counter. He blinked once as he heard Nami's voice and he turned his head to witness Luffy pinning Nami to the ground, furiously searching her pockets for the pictures. It seemed like Luffy had found the orange haired girl… The green haired man sighed and then handed the empty glass to Johnny.

"Yeah, I think I'll have another…"

Luffy ignored Nami's scream and swiftly pulled out a wad of pictures from Nami's right pocket. He smiled victoriously and looked through them. In every frame, he could see Luffia in a cute pose and smiling back brightly. It was either that or a natural shot of him flashing the back of those white panties. The black haired boy grinned and clutched the pictures in his hands before throwing a punch into the air. "Yeah! I did it! I found them!" By now, even the people dancing at the center of the crowd had stopped to watch the strange spectacle taking place on the floor. Sanji glanced over the tops of the crowds' heads and noticed Luffy pinning Nami to the ground.

"Ah? Nami-san!" He felt himself start to fire up. That bastard son of a bitch! How dare he sit on his Nami-swan in such a position? The blonde was about to rush off to the orange haired girl's rescue when a few hands clutched onto his arms and torso tightly.

"Sanji-kun~ I'm scared, there's a pervert in here. Protect me~" One of the girls he had been dancing with looked up at him with watery eyes. The other girls held onto him tightly and he could feel their bodies press up against him. Sanji smiled goofily and his visible eye turned to a heart as he felt his face flush.

"Of course, my ladies~ I'll protect you with my life~!"

The orange haired girl underneath Luffy scowled when she heard no one coming to her rescue. She punched the boy on top of her in the back angrily.

"You moron, give them back to me! Those are my pictures!"

Luffy's head swiveled around and frowned at Nami, "They're not your pictures. They're my pictures! And I won't let you sell them off to people!" The two proceeded to glare at each other furiously. Suddenly, a large hand pulled Luffy off of Nami and set him on his feet. Ace shook his head at his little brother disapprovingly and then went to help Nami to her feet. The orange girl stared at the freckled young man curiously before accepting his hand and standing up. Ace turned to his brother and gestured to Nami.

"Okay, now that you've gotten your pictures back, you should say sorry to the lady for knocking her over." Ace spoke calmly and then watched his little brother with narrowed but expectant eyes. Luffy frowned at first and stared at Nami with a pout on his face. But then he glanced at Ace and sighed. The boy stood up straight, hands aligned with his legs, and then made a deep bow.

"I'm sorry!" He shouted and then straightened again. Ace grinned and walked towards his little brother, patting him on the head.

"That's my little brother…!" The two smiled at each other, chucking happily. Nami's mouth dropped open. What? She hadn't even accepted the apology yet! Why the heck were they so happy all of a sudden? Was this the so-called younger-sibling complex?

Ace pointed at the pictures in the boy's hand and smirked. "So that cute girl in the pictures were you?" Luffy stiffened at that comment and quickly hid the pictures away in his pockets. His brother raised an eyebrow curiously, "What have you been doing, Luffy? Weren't you attending that Academy of Arts here? You've become a model now?"

The black haired boy turned his head away and crossed his arms over his chest, bottom lip jutting out indignantly. "It's all because of Usopp… It's his fault!" But that wasn't exactly true… since he had accepted Usopp's idea in the first place… Ace chuckled and ruffled Luffy's hair, which only caused Luffy to pout further.

"Usopp, huh? Is that your new friend?"

Luffy smiled at that and turned to face his big brother again, "Yeah! He's my new friend and room mate! He's really cool and he's got super aim!"

Ace laughed again and grinned, happy to know that his brother was doing okay by himself. "That's—"

"Sorry to interrupt." Nami butted in. She frowned at the brothers slightly, a hand on her hip. "But, we haven't settled the picture business yet." Luffy and Ace stared at each other in confusion. But weren't the pictures Luffy's? That meant he had the right to take them back and not let her sell them, right? The two stared back at the orange haired girl and she continued seriously, "I took those pictures. So technically, they are mine and not yours. So hand them back. But if you're willing to pay the fees for the developing, I'll let you have them." The girl stretched out her hand, waiting for Luffy to give her the money. "It's a good deal. Nobody will see the pictures and all you have to give me is the price for developing the pictures." The black haired boy put a hand on his pocket protectively and narrowed his eyes at Nami.

"How much do I have to pay…?"

The girl smirked and she closed her eyes before opening them again mischievously. Something in her eyes seemed to be glinting and she spoke with finality. "20,000 illeb."

The brothers' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Ace's jaw went slack, hanging slightly open. "That's a lot of money to spend on developing pictures!" Luffy's mouth dropped open, wide and gaping.

"She's rich!"

Nami waved her hand, waiting for Luffy to pay up. The boy glanced at his brother for help and the freckled man sighed, searching in his pockets for his wallet. Luffy smiled gratefully and fished around in his own pockets, looking for any bills he might have stuck inside. The two brothers gathered up all of their money in their palms and counted up the change. Ace frowned, "After counting up all of our money, we have a total of…"

"…10, 652 illeb." Luffy finished for his brother. The both of them stared silently at the money in their hands before turning to stare at Nami. The girl could feel her anger rising as she watched their blank looks staring back at her. Ace rubbed the back of his head and laughed apologetically.

"Haha, sorry… we don't have enough to pay full price. Maybe you can give us a discount?" He smiled sheepishly and Luffy smiled at Nami with expectant eyes. The orange haired girl frowned for a moment, thinking it over. Then she grinned slyly and sauntered over, taking the money from their hands.

"Okay, I'll accept this for now." She pocketed the money and listened as the brothers cheered happily. "But!" The girl cut them off again and smiled slyly, "Since you didn't pay the full price, I won't let you have the pictures."

"Wha…?" Luffy's jaw dropped open again, staring at Nami incredulously. He didn't understand her. Didn't she just say she'd let them have the pictures at a discount? Ace frowned and rubbed his chin. It seemed like this girl was up to something… The orange haired girl put both hands on her hips and leaned forward challengingly.

"The amount you paid was enough to buy you a chance to win the pictures from me. But, you have to beat me first." Luffy blinked at her words and then tilted his head to his side.

"You want me to beat you up?" The black haired boy raised an eyebrow curiously. What a strange girl… She wanted him to beat her up. Weird. The corner of Nami's mouth twitched in annoyance.

"No, not literally beat me, you idiot." She stepped back and spread her arms out wide, gesturing to the bar where an oblivious green haired man sat drinking from his glass. "You can challenge me to a drinking contest. Whoever stays conscious the longest wins and the person who wins will get the right to have the pictures." She smirked, confident that she could hold her liquor longer than the black haired boy. Ace's eyes widened and he glanced towards his little brother. Luffy had a confident smirk on his face. Uh oh, this didn't seem good.

The black haired boy grinned and stepped forward, fisting a hand up in front of him. "Okay, I accept the challenge!" Ace reached out to grab his brother's shoulder and pulled the boy around so that they faced each other. He stared at his little brother in concern.

"Wait, Luffy. You shouldn't try this drinking contest. Do you even have someone to take you back to your—" The freckled man's head suddenly hung limply to the side and snores echoed loudly from his prone form. Luffy blinked and then laughed, pulling his big brother towards the desk he had originally been sitting at. Nami, and a few people on the dance floor who were still watching the events between the trio, watched in surprise as Ace snored away on the desk. Luffy moved back towards Nami and grinned brightly, remembering past memories of Ace's narcolepsy problem.

"Silly Ace. Always falling asleep like that." Luffy chuckled and then gave the orange haired girl a fierce smile. "Right then, when shall we start?" Nami fixed her eyes upon Luffy again and her surprised expression quickly fell into a sly grin.

"Let's get the drinks." The two marched towards the bar, followed by a group of interested partiers from the dance floor, and they sat side to side at the counter, grinning confidently at each other. Nami slapped the counter twice, calling Johnny over. Zoro looked up from his glass curiously and nearly choked as he saw Johnny preparing two shots and a bottle of vodka for Luffy and Nami. What was that kid doing? How the hell did 'destroy the pictures' turn into 'let's drink'?

The green haired man reached a hand out to grab the boy. "Oi, Luffy…" Could he even hold his liquor? Who knew what would happen if that boy went drunk on all of them? "Luffy!" The black haired boy lifted a hand up to silence him.

"It's okay, Zoro." Luffy turned his head to grin confidently at him. "I know what I'm doing." And then he turned back, focusing upon the shot of vodka in front of him. Zoro stared at the boy's back, utterly stunned. Then he sighed and filled up another glass for himself. Well, if Luffy said that he'd be okay… But he'd still keep a steady eye on the boy. Just in case.

Nami lifted the small glass up to her eyes and she smirked at the boy sitting beside her, "No turning back now, Luffy-kun."

Luffy picked up his own glass and readied it in front of his lips. "Bring it on." And then, they gulped down the vodka at the same time. The two simultaneously slammed their small glasses down on the counter quickly, smirking and glaring at each other. A crowd surrounded them and they whooped, cheering the two competitors on. Johnny felt a bead of sweat run down his head as he filled up their cups steadily and watched them down the vodka again. Hopefully, they wouldn't get too wild.

.:.

"Heh," Nami scowled, shoving her glass in front of her opponent's face, "Ready to give up yet, ya sissy boy?" She downed the drink and slammed it on the table, waiting for it to refill. Luffy gulped down his glass quickly and then let out a loud sigh before laughing wildly while holding his cup out to Johnny.

"In yuur dreamsss… cweepy gurl!"

Zoro watched silently as Luffy and Nami made it to their twelfth drink. The boy's face had already flushed pink about nine drinks ago. It was a wonder why he hadn't fainted over yet. The green haired man sighed, wondering whether or not he should stop Luffy soon. But, if he stopped the boy now, wouldn't the pictures belong to Nami? And then Luffy's pride would be crushed and he'd be all depressed again… Zoro gave a soft humph and crossed his arms over his chest in frustration, watching Luffy in concealed concern. He had no idea what to do in this situation…

Luffy drank his thirteenth shot of vodka. He swiped a hand across his mouth messily and could feel his vision swirling. He smacked his head and his eyes lolled about dizzily. Damn, how long would Nami last? No matter what, he had to get those pictures. But, Nami wasn't giving any signs that she had reached her limit yet. He nearly keeled back but a hand on his back steadied him. Who was behind him again…? Oh, right… it was Zoro. Speaking of Zoro… The boy drunk another glass and lifted the small cup up to the ceiling, "Dammit, Zoroooo! Why won you say you waantss me? You belongs to meeee!" He slammed his glass down on the table and waited for the glass to refill. The green haired man sitting behind him tensed immediately. The group surrounding the drinking contest had grown larger now and they all turned to stare at Zoro curiously. The green haired man could feel his cheeks flushing and he growled under his breath angrily.

"You idiot, you're drunk…"

Nami smirked and raised her cup up to her lips, finishing off the alcohol before slamming it down on the counter. "You think I'll lose to you? Okay, here I go!" She sucked in a breath and started shouting at the top of her lungs, "Sanji, you big ass retard! How dare you kish me! How'd chu know my weakness?"

Zoro felt a bead of sweat run down his head as he heard Nami's confession to having a weakness. What the hell was this turning to…? A few meters away, Sanji stood in the midst of girls and his ears picked up Nami's voice.

"What…?" His eyes widened. Usopp had been telling the truth? The girls surrounding him grabbed him and pouted seductively.

"Sanji-kun? What's wrong…?"

The blonde smiled down at them and gently removed their hands. "I'm sorry, ladies. Unfortunately, I must part from your lovely company... There is something I must take care of." And then he slipped away through the crowd, leaving the girls pouting after him. The blonde made his way towards the large group surrounding two people. He pushed through and noticed Luffy and Nami sitting next to each other, drinking like there was no tomorrow. Sanji frowned. Nami was too drunk to know what she was saying or doing. He had to do something to stop them…!

Luffy stood up abruptly and closed his eyes, flipping his head back while downing the glass of alcohol. Then, he spun around on his toes and pounced into Zoro's lap, wrapping his arms and legs around the man's torso before the man could do anything about it. "Ohhh, I knows now…! Zorooo! I haf to kish you againnn-nuh…! Riiight? To seal our rehalionship! Hu hu. Okay, I start now… Muuuuu…" The boy puckered up his lips and closed his eyes, moving his head forward, trying to make a proper landing on Zoro's lips. The green haired man quickly held his hands up, pushing the boy's head away. The man fought back aggressively while blushing brightly the entire time. The boy was way too drunk! Zoro grit his teeth and took a peek at the boy's face. All Zoro could see of the boy were his puckered lips and black hair poking through his fingers. It was such a stupid sight…! "Muu? Muu…! Muuu….!" Luffy voiced, a bead of sweat running down his head as he tried his best to kiss the green haired man he had wrapped his arms and legs around.

Nami watched the two males furiously and stood up from her seat as well. She chugged her glass and practically threw it at the counter. Then, she swayed dangerously but quickly stilled herself. "That's not fair! You're not suppose' too go kish Zorooo! Ashhole! Dammit, I won loose to youu, little brat!" Her quickly blurring vision searched the crowd of people warily before landing upon a certain blonde haired man. She pointed at him and started walking towards him angrily, "Youuu! Youuu! You kish me and I kish youus!" The orange haired girl felt her head swirl and throb. Her eyes felt so heavy and she could feel her feet starting to go slack from all the liquor she had consumed. "Damn… youse, Sanji…! I want...! I... want..." And then she tripped forward, towards the floor. A pair of strong arms caught her quickly before she fell on her face. Sanji held the girl in his arms and watched her worriedly. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply, as if in a deep sleep. She had been completely knocked out by the alcohol. The blonde haired man sighed and clutched the girl to him, gently cradling her.

"Oi, Marimo." He spoke in a low voice, staring down at the girl in his arms in concern. "I think I'll head back. You take care of Luffy."

Zoro peered over Luffy's head and noticed Nami collapsed against Sanji. The green haired man nodded and watched as the blonde easily swept the girl up in his arms and started out the entrance of the Seven Pillars. Zoro didn't have to worry about Nami being taken advantage of by Sanji because the blonde—although the green haired man was reluctant to admit—was a gentleman. He suddenly noticed that the pressure against his hands had stopped and he turned his attention to the boy in his lap. Luffy's lips had relaxed from its puckered form and it seemed as if the boy had fallen unconscious as well. Zoro smirked. "Well, looks like you won, Luffy. The pictures are yours…" And now that the mission was finally over, he should get the boy back to school…

The previous crowd, who had been watching and cheering on the two young competitors, had slowly dispersed now, seeing that there was nothing interesting to watch anymore. Zoro stood up, glad that there were relatively few people at the bar again, and he pulled the boy away from his torso. Luffy fell forward and the green haired man let the boy lean limply against his chest. The boy groaned and then, as if in a last attempt, his lips puckered up and planted a gentle kiss on Zoro's shirt. The green haired man smiled slightly at the soft touch on his chest. It was almost… cute. But then, he quickly frowned, remembering that he had to get the unconscious boy back to school. This would prove to be a difficult task… How should he do it…? He couldn't just pick the boy up like Sanji did to Nami… Should he just throw the boy over his shoulder?

"Okay, Luffy." Zoro grabbed the boy by his arms and moved him across the floor. It seemed like a good idea for a few seconds, but then Luffy's dragging feet started to greatly slow the process of getting to the entrance door. The green haired man growled in annoyance. At this pace, it'd take the entire morning just to get back to the school! He grabbed the boy by the middle and simply tossed Luffy over his shoulder. Then, he held the boy awkwardly around the waist, hoping he wouldn't slip off. This was seriously embarrassing. Never had he had to carry a person out of a bar on his shoulder…! But… whatever. Nothing mattered anymore… He had gotten himself too involved with the crazy black haired boy. It was too late to back out now… The green haired man waved to Johnny and rubbed his temples. Then, he pushed open the door of the pub, allowing the crisp city air to flow into his lungs. The city lights were still bright as ever and the moon was now directly above them, glowing eerily against the dark clouds in the sky. "Must be around one o'clock now…" Zoro mused to himself, shifting his shoulder and bringing his free arm up to secure Luffy's legs so that the boy didn't slip off from his shoulder. The man glanced down the street and then started heading towards the tall silver structure in the distance. It was about time they went home…

.:.

Zoro stopped in front of a wall and cursed, studying the obstacle carefully, wondering why it had suddenly appeared when he had turned. Wasn't there supposed to be another road? He frowned at the wall and shifted the weight on his shoulders agitatedly. The boy wasn't really heavy, but having someone lying on one's shoulder wasn't very comfortable… The green haired man turned around and trekked back down the street he had just walked in. Then, he stopped in his tracks and sighed in relief as he found the silver building of the Academy of Arts looming in front of him on the other side of the road. The man glanced to the stars and noticed that the moon had moved towards the horizon already. "Is it already that late…?" He scratched his short green hair and then grabbed Luffy's legs before jogging across the street towards the glass door entrance. The boy's head bobbed along with every step Zoro took.

In a few steps, the green haired man had crossed through the empty street, dimly lit by the few street lamps on the sidewalk, and shoved his way in through the front doors of Lohm City's Academy of Arts. He hastily bounded down the white hallway to the right, which was illuminated by the fluorescent lights along the edges of the ceiling, and he wondered where in the hell he should take the boy draped over his shoulder. He could try and bring the wasted kid back to the boy's own dorm room… but his room mate said he wouldn't be in tonight, right? It would be a bad idea to bring him to the infirmary, too. Not only would Luffy get in trouble, but he would be in trouble as well. Then, was the only choice to bring the black haired boy back to his own room…? Zoro sighed heavily, head almost sinking down to his chest at the thought of having to take care of the idiot at this time of the night. His eyes glanced towards the slumbering boy for a few seconds before he sighed again, a little less heavy. Then, the man lifted his head up and positioned Luffy's body so that it felt more comfortable on his shoulder.

As he neared the elevators, Zoro started to notice a few strange presences surrounding him. His mouth twitched down slightly, in a small frown. This aura. It didn't feel good. Zoro calmly feinted ignorance, waiting patiently for the group of people to make their next move. He continued to walk towards the elevators, but his muscles were tensing and his senses were all on alert. The strange aura did not waver and his eyes narrowed. He wasn't sure what their motives were, but they were obviously following him. And coming closer by the second. He slowed to a stop in front of the elevator and pressed the up button while cautiously glancing up and down the hallway. There was no one in sight. The halls were completely empty. Zoro frowned deeply. That was strange... and for some reason… he couldn't sense the intimidating aura from before anymore.

Suddenly, the lights in the hall flickered out all at once. Zoro spun around on his heels in surprise. "What?" He grit his teeth and stared at the ceiling and the walls, scanning the empty hallway over and over with his eyes. He had heard rumors about this happening before... rumors of students who had stayed out of the dorms for too late and had met up with trouble. The most common trait these night-life students shared was that they were usually found in the hallway so badly beaten that they would not be able to attend classes for weeks. The second most common trait shared between all these victimized students was that they all said the same thing: that they met up with a group of strangely cloaked and masked looking people before blacking out from pain. This group of people was acknowledged throughout the school as the CP9, the name of the alliance who upheld the rules of the school by beating students into submission. The man's eyes grew sharp. Would he be meeting the famed CP9 tonight? His eyes shot towards the drunken boy balanced on his shoulder. Shit… if it really were the CP9, how was he going to fight properly with the kid all vulnerable and unable to protect himself from harm?

A dark shadow flashed near the edge of his eyesight and Zoro quickly spun around to block a blow with his free arm. He growled dangerously and swiftly blocked the next few hits aimed towards his head and legs. They were planning to either knock him out or bring him down to his feet and beat him up while he was caught off guard! But he wouldn't let them… The green haired man smirked and spotted a few dark shadows flittering around in the darkness. I can see them…! He targeted one of the moving shadows and, without a moment's hesitation, threw a heavy punch towards the spot the shadow was heading towards. Just as his fist was about to connect with the shadow, they quickly maneuvered away from the blow and the flurry of shadows came to a stop, revealing three separate people, wearing different patterned cloaks and large masks that hid their entire face and hair from view. They stood around Zoro at three points, as if enclosing him in an imaginary triangular cage.

"CP9, eh…?" The green haired man smirked and watched each of the cloaked figures warily. Would they make the first move...? Right at that moment, he felt the boy on his shoulder start to stir. Zoro blinked in surprise, impulsively taking his eyes off of his opponents to glance at the black haired boy. Luffy was waking up now?

"Nnn…" Luffy rubbed his eyes with balled up hands, much like a child would after they had woken from a long nap, "Nnn?" He stared at the green hair floating nearby his face. "Zooorooo…?"

Zoro, startled by Luffy's sudden awakening, had lost his concentration for a split second. "Luf—!" A heavy impact landed in his abdomen, sending all of the air in his lungs out. His hold on Luffy's waist loosened and the boy fell to the ground while the man flew across the floor, slamming into the wall with tremendous force. He coughed and gasped for air, ignoring the excruciating pain throbbing at his stomach. Zoro held a hand over the point of impact and his eyes narrowed dangerously at the flickering shadows moving swiftly in the darkness. "Luffy… be careful… these guys… are pretty strong." He coughed again but kept his gaze directed at the shadows.

Luffy slowly stood up and wobbled a few times, glancing around himself as if he were in a daze. Zoro noticed the boy's strange behavior and lifted an eyebrow. "Luffy…?"

"AHAHAHA!" The black haired boy suddenly burst into laughter. He took a few wobbly steps forward, zigzagging towards the green haired man. "Zoro frying like a butterrrd… hic!"

Zoro's eyes grew wide. "What…?" One of the shadows dashed towards Luffy and he hastily lunged towards the boy. "Get down, you idiot!" He pushed Luffy down to the ground, just in time to feel the powerful blow skim harmlessly over the top of his hair. The boy underneath him giggled goofily and clamped his hands around the man's face.

"Zoro want muu muuuu again? Shi shi shi… hic!"

Zoro's mouth nearly dropped open and his pupils almost rolled backwards in his eye sockets. The kid was still drunk? He felt a strong gust of air coming towards his back. Damn it! This was not the time to be carelessly surprised by Luffy's antics! He pushed Luffy to the side while jumping away right before a leg with heels embedded into the floor, causing cracks in the ground. The green haired man scowled. That was some mighty kick… and it was a woman…? Or a man who liked to wear heels? Zoro shuddered at the thought and quickly dodged another blow aimed towards him. His eyes shot towards the drunken Luffy, wondering if he was okay, and found the boy slumped on the ground, laughing hysterically. One of the shadows were speeding towards the boy and Zoro felt his heart quicken, beating fearfully in his chest. He sprinted to Luffy with all his might, but the distance was too far. He wouldn't make it in time…!

"LUFFY!" A blur from his right hit him square across the cheek, sending his entire head reeling to the side. A sting from the inside of his cheek told him that he had ripped his cheek open on his teeth. The man landed safely on his feet and spit out the blood pooling into his mouth. He glared at the shadows angrily, momentarily forgetting why he had gotten punched in the first place. Then, he remembered. Luffy! Was he okay? Two shadows teamed up on him before he could see if Luffy was all right and he managed to block all of the fast blows with his arms. He peeked through his defense to find Luffy on the floor, unscathed. What…? How was Luffy not hurt?

A fist suddenly entered through his defense and punched him in the chest, sending him into the wall again. He groaned from the impact and shook his head to clear his mind. Before he could get back to his feet, the heeled foot he had seen before had kicked him hard in the chest, nearly cracking his rib bones. He braced himself, expecting the person to kick him some more. But nothing came. The heel that had kicked him was still placed forcefully on his chest—so that he was pinned against the wall—but it was not moving to hurt him. What was going on? He panted for breath, glancing at his opponent in confusion. The masked person was staring over their shoulder, gazing in the direction of Luffy. Zoro frowned slightly and tried to inch away, but the foot pressed harder into his ribs, the heel embedding painfully in his stomach. He stopped and opted to see what had made the person stop in their attack.

Luffy was up on his shaky feet, wobbling this way and that, smiling in a silly way. The two other masked strangers were facing against him, standing cautiously away from the black haired boy. One of the attacker's masks had been slightly chipped. Zoro's eyes widened. Had Luffy done that…? How? When?

"Luff—!" Just as he spoke, the person with heels sent a kick towards his groin, causing him to shut up immediately. Zoro held his breath tightly, waiting for the burning pain to ebb away, and he glared furiously at the person pinning him against the wall. This person was definitely a woman. No rightful man would ever make a blow aimed towards that place… The green haired man silently turned his eyes to watch Luffy, hoping that the cracked mask was not a fluke and that Luffy would be able to protect himself, even in his drunken state.

Luffy's vision swirled and he tried to get a good footing within all the swirling. But no matter how he stood, everything just looked nauseating…! Yet even with the swirling scenery, he felt… strangely relaxed…! The boy laughed giddily and pointed towards the two masked strangers standing before him. "You err…. sunky…? Nerr… hunky? Err… grunky…? Nerr… nerr…" Luffy dangerously swerved to the right, nearly dipping down to the ground. "Monkey! Hee hee." He grinned, pointing happily at the strangers. "Funky punky monkey!"

Zoro felt his hopes sink. Luffy was in no condition at all to fight…!

The strangers, as if stirred by the comment Luffy had sent towards them, disappeared from sight. One of them reappeared behind Luffy, aiming a fast punch at the back of Luffy's head. But the boy bent forward, momentarily falling asleep. The second person aimed a blow upwards into Luffy's face, going for a broken nose. But the boy pulled himself backwards fluidly, gracefully dodging the attack by a hair. Luffy opened his eyes and blinked a few times. "Naa…hic?" He straightened his body as a kick aimed at his head came down on him. "Aha ha! Tha's denjaruss…hic!"

Zoro blinked in surprise, staring at the black haired boy in confusion. Wait… was that just a lucky move? Or did he…? As the fight carried on, with the attackers showering Luffy with endless amounts of attacks and Luffy dodging every attack by a nanosecond, Zoro began to wonder if maybe Luffy had been holding back on how great of a fighter he actually was. His movements were deliberate, albeit sloppy from the alcohol in his system, and he looked almost like a blade of grass in violent winds, buffeting this way and that, but never being harmed. Who was he? Where had he come from? Why had he suddenly enrolled into the Academy of Arts at this time, when classes had already started a few weeks ago? The foot that was on his chest released him and he saw the woman head towards Luffy as well, teaming up with her team mates to fight against Luffy. But even with the additional member, the black haired boy carelessly dodged through all of their attacks. Zoro watched Luffy in awe, wondering how long the boy could keep up his defense. And then suddenly, the boy laughed and grabbed one of the masked people's arms and tossed him into the other two members, sending all three of them flying into the wall. Luffy laughed and pointed at them mockingly. "Ever bodies press wall…!" The boy bounded towards the trio and lined himself against the wall, positioning himself so that he looked like an Egyptian painting. "Neehee! Mee tooo…hic!"

Zoro shook his head sadly. If only the boy weren't drunk he would be the perfect picture of a great fighter. No wait… even if he weren't drunk, the man was sure that the boy would still be doing something stupid… Zoro sighed heavily but then gave a small smile at the drunken boy. It looked like everything would be okay.

The three masked people quickly got back to their feet and simultaneously sent their angry attacks towards Luffy. But the boy merely ducked down, giggling, and the enemies hit their team members with each other's punches and kicks. Luffy then sprang up while spinning around on his toes, yelling, "Gomu Gomu no Sprinnnnng!" He poised himself like a super hero flying through the air, and sent all three attackers backwards by the force of his strange attack. The people landed on their feet, watching Luffy warily from a few feet away. Then, the person with the chipped mask made a little gesture with their finger and the three of them jumped away, disappearing in the shadows. Zoro smirked, glad that Luffy had taken care of them. But then a frown quickly replaced the smirk as he thought about how he had been so useless just now… if only he had his swords, he definitely would have beaten them! No... even without swords he should have been able to handle them. It just showed that he needed more training...

Luffy stumbled towards the green haired man, smiling widely and unaware of the man's internal dilemna. "Zoroooo…!" The boy's slurred yet giddy voice brought him from his thoughts and the man jumped in surprise when the boy suddenly lunged face first towards him. Zoro was tackled around the middle of his waist, his breath knocked out of his lungs (again) from being shoved against the wall so abruptly, and the two fell to the floor in a messy pile of limbs.

"Ugh, damn it, Luffy...!" Zoro groaned and raised a hand up to rub the new bruise forming on the back of his head. He scowled down at the drunken boy, about to reprimand him with a, "What the hell are you doing?" But the words died in his throat as he stared at the mop of messy black hair buried against his abdomen. The boy's movements were suddenly all too still and the surroundings were falling eerily silent. And why did Luffy seem so small and vulnerable now...?

"Does... Zoro not like me?" He could feel a slight trembling from where Luffy's hands clutched into the folds of his shirt. "I want Zoro to like me..." The man gulped and his muscles went tense. What the heck was this? Luffy was still drunk... wasn't he? So this was also part of his drunkenness? Zoro continued to give the top of Luffy's hair a wide-eyed stare, unsure of what to do. His entire body was frozen in place, arms stiff by his sides, and all he could do was listen to the boy's oddly soft voice mumble warm words into his stomach.

Luffy kept his eyes closed, pressing his face deeply against Zoro's firm body. What did he just say? That he wanted Zoro to like him? Ah... yes, he did want that. The boy smiled and nuzzled his face into the heat coming off from the man's body. It felt so good...! But... Zoro still denied the fact that they had kissed. Suddenly, all the worries that he had pushed to the back of his mind came flooding in, overtaking any other thoughts. "Zoro... why?" Why wouldn't he admit it? "Do you really not like me?" Was he so not likeable to Zoro that the magic in the promise had been cancelled between them? "Do you really, really... not like me?" Was it even possible to cancel a promise like that? And if it was cancelled, why did it still feel so good to hold him like this? "I don't want it to go away! I... really like these feelings... that only Zoro gives me..." But shouldn't all the weird feelings be gone if there was no more magic? "Why are they still there if Zoro doesn't like-?" A comfortable weight on his head suddenly cut him off and his thoughts halted at the tingling touch of fingers weaving through his hair.

"Idiot." Zoro's deep voice came floating down from somewhere above him, "If I didn't like you, you think I'd still bother to be here with you? Moron..." He felt the large hands tousle his hair roughly and Luffy couldn't help but giggle happily at the feeling. So Zoro... did like him!

Hearing Luffy's laughter, Zoro sighed in relief. His face had gone burning bright red from hearing Luffy's roundabout way of confessing-it was basically a confession, wasn't it?-and he kept his face turned away, not daring to look in the direction of the boy. Geez, he had listened to people confess to him in the past but the way this kid worded everything... even if he was completely drunk off his ass, it sounded so honest and innocent. In fact, did Luffy even understand what his words meant? It was all so unbelievably cute...! Zoro smacked the back of his head against the wall behind him. Damn it! He clenched his eyes shut for a moment to calm the blush in his face. It was a good thing Luffy didn't go around saying things like that to just anyone... who knew what kind of people would take advantage of that naivety? He sighed and then finally turned to look at the boy who still had his head nestled against his stomach. Zoro smiled. When did this guy start growing on him so much? It had only been a day since they'd met, right? Just a day. Yet it suddenly felt like he'd known him for longer than that. He tousled the boy's hair again and his heart warmed at the sound of Luffy's happy giggle. The two fell into a comfortable second of silence. Then, he heard Luffy gasp.

"Ahhh! I know now...!" He lifted his hand from the boy's head when he moved.

"Hm?"

Luffy sluggishly brought his head up and then clumsily pulled himself to a sitting position by hooking his hands into Zoro's shirt. His vision was still swirling a bit but he could pinpoint the green haired man's eyes staring back at him quizzically. He had been thinking about it for a while now. The boy gave Zoro a blinding and silly grin, "Because Zoro won't admit the first kiss, this time it's my turn to promise instead. I'll belong to Zoro! And then that way, we can still be together for a long long time, neehee."

Zoro felt his ears grow hot. Oh god, what the hell was this now? There was something seriously strange about Luffy. He would belong to him? They would be together? How could he say such embarrassing things so easily? And wait, shouldn't he be feeling more creeped out than embarrassed? Stalkers also said things like this, didn't they? So why didn't he seem to feel as bothered as he should be?

Luffy had his lips puckered up again. "Now to make the promise...!" Zoro heard the boy chirp and then lean forward. Before he could react, Luffy planted a soft and sweet peck on the corner of his mouth. The boy had swayed a little bit too much to the left and had missed the man's lips by only a few millimeters. But that still did the trick. Zoro felt a pleasant prickling sensation shoot up his scalp, sparked by the light touch from Luffy's lips, and his face bloomed into color again when he saw the look of bliss on Luffy's face after pulling away.

"Yep, this is the feeling...!" Luffy smiled to himself in pure joy, basking in the warm static running all across his body. "It's magic! Shi shi shi, I belong to you now, Zoro!" The man could only stare awestruck at the beautiful smile directed his way. It was that same sincere and carefree smile he had seen the night before, when Luffy had been standing on the arena stage. Except it was now ten times closer. Not to mention a thousand times more heart-warming. For the first time in his life, Zoro thought he might faint. The man lifted a hand up to cover his eyes, groaning weakly. There was something wrong with him this night. Maybe he was also a bit drunk as well. Or perhaps it was sleep deprivation...

Yeah... it was probably sleep deprivation.

"Zoroooo...!" Luffy called to him and Zoro tilted his face in the boy's direction to show he was listening. He didn't dare lift his hand from his face, especially if Luffy was about to say some more embarrassing things while smiling at him like that.

He managed a short and gruff sounding, "W-What...?"

"Zorooo... I think..." The boy's voice fell to that same uncharacteristically soft tone from a few minutes ago and the man slowly pulled down his hand, glancing curiously through his fingers. Was there something else bothering him?

"I think... I need to go to the bathroom."

Zoro nearly fell over. "W-What?" His hand flopped down immediately and he found Luffy's eyes screwed together in discomfort. When the boy's hands reached downwards, he began to panic. Oh hell no...

"Zoroooo! I need to gooo! I'm about to burst...!" Luffy whined desperately, clutching onto his crotch with firm fingers. "Take me to the bathroom! I don't know where it is...! Zoroooo!"

"Oh, fuck!" The green haired man shot up from the floor and glanced up and down the hallways, mind completely jumbled from all the unexpected events. "Hold it in, Luffy! You have to hold it in! There should be a bathroom in this hallway..." But which direction was it again? Left? Right?

"Zoroooo!"

The man grit his teeth together and then let out a frustrated growl. "Shit!" He turned towards the right and set his foot down in finality. This was the right direction. He just knew it. "Okay, Luffy. Follow me! We're going this way." He began pacing down the corridor at a rapid speed and Luffy followed behind, dancing on his toes with urgency. In a matter of seconds, they came to an abrupt halt and Luffy peered around a motionless Zoro to see if they had made it to the bathroom yet. Several meters ahead stood the front glass doors and a few feet to the right sat the empty reception desk.

The boy moaned and gripped his crotch harder, "Zoro? Why did we go back to the school entrance!"

"Hold on a little longer...!" Zoro returned in a clipped voice.

"I caaaan't! I have to goooo!" Luffy cried back. Zoro ground his teeth together. Damn it! Of all the times for the school to play tricks on him...! His eyes flashed towards Luffy. There was no other way. With a mighty scoop of his arms, the man lifted the boy up under the arms and legs.

"Z-Zoro...?" Luffy yelped at the sudden action. His bladder was already threatening to burst and the abrupt movement didn't do much to help. While clenching both hands between his legs, the boy managed to send the man a confused look. "What are you-?" Then, quicker than any human eye could catch up with, Zoro began sprinting back down in the direction they came from. Luffy flinched at every bouncing step the man took. "Ungh! Z-Zoro..! This... this is a really bad position...! It feels like it's going to come out faster...!"

Zoro's face was stony and determined. His eyes targeted the walls straight ahead, searching for the bathrooms that were sure to come around at any moment. "Hold it in, Luffy! You just have to hold it in...! We'll get there, all right?"

Luffy screwed his eyes together shut as another motion threatened him to lose control. "O-Okay, I'll try... just... hurry!"

The man continued down the straight path, cold sweat beading on every muscle of his body. At another insistent whine of, "Zoroooo," he grunted out impatiently, "Shut up, Luffy, we'll get there...! We're almost there, okay?" His eyes were still trained on the walls, nearly going cross-eyed from attempting to focus on everywhere at once. "We're almost-!" The familiar silver plaque of the male stick figure flew past his field of vision and Zoro immediately skidded to a stop, turning almost in mid-air to run back. Yes! A bathroom...! "Luffy! I found one... just keep holding it, okay? Almost there!" He lifted his leg to kick open the door but when his foot made contact, he felt his calf muscles rumble with a dreadful feeling.

The door wasn't giving way.

"Oh, no you don't..." Zoro half-laughed, half-yelled at the bathroom door. He gave it a heavier kick and still it didn't give way. He kicked it until there were welts in it from the heel of his boot and yet it still wouldn't open. It couldn't be... the bathrooms were locked at this time of the night...?

"Z-...Z-Zoro... I can't... anymore...!" Luffy's pitiful whimpering came from his arms and Zoro looked down at him, a helpless look in his eyes. The boy was viciously gnawing on his bottom lip, obviously trying very hard to hold it all in. "Can't... can't we just...? ...go to... one of the walls...? One that no one will... n-notice...?"

Zoro's eyebrow twitched violently at the thought of someone peeing on the corridor walls of the famous Academy of Arts. But then again, what other choice was there...? Wait. There was still...!

"Wait, Luffy. I think we can still make it to a bathroom on time. Just hold on a little longer, all right?"

"Hngh..." Was all Luffy could say back as he nodded weakly and held his crotch until his knuckles turned white.

.:.

"Haaaah~"

An audible and breathy sigh of relief thrummed from behind a thin bathroom door. Several long seconds afterward, the flushing sound of the toilet and the fffssshhh! sound of sink water running came echoing along the walls. Zoro sat on the edge of his bed, hunched over in exhaustion and with his head buried deep in his hands. This had to be one of the craziest days he had ever had while living in Lohm City: the cafeteria was constantly chaotic now, the first half of sparring class had been absolutely absurd, there was Luffy's creepy bout of depression and the school chores to take care of. Then, there was the destruction of the 'Luffia' pictures plan and the drinking contest, his first meeting with CP9 and then... the kiss (almost) ... On top of all that, he had sprinted with Luffy in his arms all over the first floor just to find an open bathroom cubicle for him to pee in. Zoro fisted his hands together and smacked his own forehead with it several times. What the hell was with all this? His life had been simple before: wake up, train, eat, train some more, occasionally go to classes, then go back to sleep. How did it suddenly get so hectic?

"Zoro?" He heard Luffy call out and immediately his thoughts were answered. That kid was the cause of all the new and strange events happening around him. The man didn't bother to respond to the boy, he merely shook his head back and forth. Not hearing any reply, Luffy's head peeped out from the bathroom door by his own accord and the boy stared at the man sitting on the edge of the bed. Then he stuck his tongue out, as if he had eaten something disgusting.

"Your sense of direction sucks."

Zoro's cheeks tinted a deep pink from embarrassment. "Shut up..." The bathroom door closed with a soft shhuup! and Luffy bounded closer towards the man, face nearly glowing from satisfaction. The boy grinned happily and then leaped forward, arms catching around Zoro's torso again, which elicited an awkward, "Argh?" from the green haired man. The two fell backwards onto the bed and the boy immediately rushed to snuggle closer, locking his legs along both sides of the man's waist.

"But it's okay, I still like Zoro! Neehee." Luffy rubbed his face against Zoro's chest and sighed happily into it. "Thanks... hmm... for taking me... to... mm..." He followed that with a wide yawn, sinking-if possible-further into the body beneath him. Zoro stiffened, having little time to do anything else, and he stared down at the warm bundle wrapped around him. He was about to fling Luffy off of him and kick him out the door but... The boy was looking sleepier and sleepier, eyelids drooping shut, blinking, then shutting again. The man breathed out a small huff of air, then let his head fall backwards into his sheets.

"Ugh... whatever." He was too tired to care anymore. Besides... staying like this wasn't too bad either. He closed his eyes and threw his arms out carelessly over the bed. Relaxed under Luffy's steady breathing, he also let out a loud yawn and then sighed. "Night, Luffy."

"Night..." He heard the boy mumble lazily back. A small smile spread across his lips. Seconds later, the two fell into a deep and peaceful slumber, uninterrupted by any stray thoughts of the past or future. They simply slept. And soon, the soft rays of dawn peeked in through the room's white window blinds, signaling the beginning of a new day.

.:.