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RUMBLE!	By : TreeStar Category: +M to R > One Piece Views: 7990 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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RUMBLE!

19

Tekinn Kar Mookloo

Usopp rolled out of bed with a spectacular thud into Sanji�s hammock, knocking the wind out of the cook and making him kick the first boy into the far wall, which woke Chopper and made him scream, which made Luffy wake up with a lurch on Zoro�s chest before rolling down it and into the lap below as Zoro sat up and looked around in bewilderment. In hindsight it might have been an omen for the kind of day that lay ahead of them.

As Usopp groaned and slid down the wall, Sanji marched over to the ladder and climbed it in a �don�t mess with me� manner. The rest were sort of getting used to this by now, though, and thought nothing of it after what he�d done to the table the night before. Zoro had hoped that killing the alligator would have been good stress relief for him, but Sanji just seemed annoyed because he was tired now.

Zoro looked down at the figure sprawled over his leg. �You all right, Luffy?�

The younger boy pushed himself up and gave Zoro a glowing smile, the thrill of the moment in the past. �Morning Zoro,� he sang exuberantly.

Well, at least someone was happy this morning. Zoro smiled back, relieved to see that the energy drain that the capsizing had left Luffy suffering was over. The boy had slept hard for the last� however many hours it had been since they had gone to sleep the final time the night before.

�You excited?� Zoro asked.

Luffy looked momentarily confused before a huge smile grew on his face and his eyes lit up and sparkled in recollection. �Island!!!! Zoro, there�s a new island! Island island island! Get up, let�s go let�s go!�

His captain�s bright smile had Zoro hoping that today would be easier for them both. Had he been a superstitious man -which he still was not- then he would have seen this as a better sign than the previous morning�s start. Well, except for Usopp�s new bruise and Sanji�s temper and Chopper�s havoc-filled awakening� Luffy was happy, and what else mattered right now? Honestly, Zoro didn�t know what he would have done if Luffy�s condition had been unchanged this morning. His sleep had been drifty and weak because of this concern, and now he wanted a nap.

Well, it was his own folly, he supposed, for not having more confidence in Luffy�s ability to bounce back, because now he was tired and Luffy was an energy ball.

Zoro sat up all the way and stretched, releasing a loud yawn as Luffy ran down to his ankle and looked at the hatch longingly, bouncing on his heels and just itching to be upstairs already before running back up Zoro�s leg and tugging on his shirt as if that would pull the swordsman to his feet. �Upupupupup!�

Chopper had rolled out of bed himself and was watching Luffy, laughing. �Do want to come up with me, Luffy?�

Zoro cracked one eye open in mid stretch to look down at his lap, expecting Luffy to scream �yeah� and then run for Chopper because Luffy at a new island was Luffy with a one-track mind. What actually happened was very different.

It happened fast, and he didn�t think Chopper noticed it from across the room, but Zoro felt Luffy slip in his shirt tugging efforts and watched his expression change from excitement to that nervous one he wore whenever mention came up of Zoro doing anything that Luffy couldn�t accompany him with. Then Luffy actually proceeded to pretend he hadn�t heard Chopper.

Luffy had never avoided anyone on the crew like this before� Least of all his little reindeer nakama. Zoro wondered if it was about the information Chopper tried so hard to obtain or if something last night had changed something in the boy.

The tugging came back with a different sense of urgency, and Zoro dropped out of his stretch immediately to lower a hand over the boy. �I�m up, I�m up,� he said softly to the bundle in his lap, which pressed its tiny face into his tummy and mumbled something that Zoro couldn�t understand.

Chopper, only seeing this as Luffy going crazy to get up top, giggled into his hooves and ran up the ladder ahead of them with Usopp, who had dragged himself up and was suddenly furious about being kicked for �no good reason at all!�.

When Chopper was out of hearing range do to Usopp�s injury rant, Zoro looked down at his lap. �That was new,� he commented.

Luffy kept his face firmly stuffed into Zoro�s shirt and didn�t answer. His hands were shaking a little for some reason, so Zoro decided that now wasn�t the time to talk about it. There would be another chance soon, but Zoro filed it away, because he DID want to know why Luffy was acting this way.

�Well,� Zoro said nonchalantly, �let�s get up top and take a look at that island, huh?� There. That should do it.

�Zoro?� The excitement had not returned to Luffy�s voice. �I want to keep you with me today, okay?�

Luffy�s choice of phrase was a little backwards, given the circumstances. Zoro�s brow drew together in confusion. As if he�d ever just give Luffy up. �Of course. I told you yesterday morning that I would stay with you. And from now on Sanji can deal with the sea monsters. Last night was just an emergency.�

Luffy shook his head and met his first mate�s eyes. �But we�ll be docking soon and� just� I just want to stay with you today.�

Zoro hid his confusion well. �Okay, Luffy. All day. I actually had already planned for it. I�m here for you now. Full time.�

Luffy sighed, a smile returning to his lips. His forehead rested back against Zoro�s tummy. �Kay,� he said quietly.

After a moment he leaned away again and said �Want to go up, now?�

Zoro nodded. �You bet,� he smiled, and cupped his hands behind Luffy for him to fall into. Luffy spread his arms and let himself freefall back into Zoro�s fingers and then slide into his palms. He had a hold on Zoro�s thumb as soon as he had settled, and Zoro got up and headed up top.

It was a nippy morning today as they approached the autumn island. Even in his new and much warmer yukata Luffy shivered hard enough to send a tremor through Zoro�s thumb. Zoro carried Luffy over to the side to see the island in the distance only to find that they were just about on it already. The girls had let them sleep late, it seemed.

Luffy was shaking like a leaf as he twisted to look at the island. �Wow~! Zoro, it�s so pretty! Look at all those trees! It�s like Skypiea!�

Zoro would have said Little Garden himself, but to Luffy it probably did resemble the Upper Yard more with its giant trees and creatures. Did people really live here? Because it sure didn�t look inhabited by humans�

They stayed for only a couple seconds before Zoro moved to get them both into the warm galley. He would not risk another attack like the one that had happened the first time he let Luffy stay outside in the cold with him to look at the stars. That night hadn�t even been that cold, but not even Zoro felt the nip in the air and they were getting out of it. He hoped it would warm up under the sun, because Luffy would likely want to go exploring despite his condition. To Luffy there was no reason that could exist that would justify him NOT exploring an island for the first time, so they would be going on land today.

Luffy curled into a ball despite his warmer clothing, and the two entered the galley to see a room that looked like it had been flipped upside down and then thrown back together in a hurry the night before.

�Oi! Why�s it such a mess in here?!� Luffy shouted, appalled at the scene before him. �This is disgraceful!�

Sanji turned a glare on the captain that made his blood freeze, and Luffy pushed himself back against Zoro. �S-sorry,� he stuttered out. He didn�t like being on the receiving end of that at all.

Zoro rolled his eyes and moved to sit at the table that no longer existed anymore when he looked down and remembered that the table no longer existed anymore, and therefore he could not sit at it. Desiring to grumble profusely, but not desiring to start a fight, Zoro sighed and changed course for the bench over by the far wall and sat down between Robin and Usopp.

Usopp was holding remarkably still and looking at the floor as if he were hoping that doing this would make him invisible and he would avoid Sanji�s wrath, but Zoro didn�t really care about that when Luffy crawled out of his hands and walked down his leg to look at something in confusion.

Ah, yes. His yellow placemat was over there on the floor under the broken wood that had used to be their table.

�Zoro,� Luffy called up to him without moving his gaze away.

�I know, buddy,� Zoro answered, �but you�ll just have to sit on my lap and eat. Or you can have your own space on the bench. Scoot over, Usopp.�

�No, it�s okay!� Luffy rushed at Zoro�s middle so fast that the three on the bench turned to look at him. �It�s okay,� he repeated, �I�ll stay here.�

Zoro nodded easily. �Okay, Luffy.�

Inside he was a little thrown. Luffy had said he�d wanted to stay with him all day, but� he wanted to stay WITH him all day? Without a doubt last night was having repercussions that neither had expected, not that it was hurting anything. It made the looks he was getting kind of weird, but they were also understanding. Understanding of what exactly, Zoro wasn�t sure, and that was freaking him out.

And Robin was smiling. Witch.

Nami walked in looking exhausted. �Okay, people. We have things we have to do today and since it doesn�t seem like there are any cities on this island, I�m going to divide jobs up as usual. Robin and I will stay on board because we stayed up all night after that whole thing happened and you guys got sleep.�

�But Nami-san,� Sanji said without his usual luster, sounding rather tired himself (probably from the withdrawal), �Don�t you want to map the island?�

Nami gave him a smile to cheer him up some. �I�ll take measurements later, Sanji-kun. Maybe tomorrow. We don�t know how long the Log Pose will take to log the island, so if you happen to see anyone, ask them if they know. In the meantime we�ll take it one hour at a time, as usual.�

Luffy was bouncing around again. �Island island island�� he sang quietly to himself.

�Are you excited, Sencho-san?� Robin smiled at Zoro�s leg.

�Aa,� Luffy answered cheerfully.

�So Usopp,� Nami pointed at the sniper. �When we land, you�re job is to find us something we can use as an anchor and bring it back here. It should be heavy, so Chopper,� she pointed at Chopper, �you can go with him.�

The pair nodded. �There�s- there�s no monsters on this one, right Nami?�

�Right,� Nami answered without really listening. �Sanji-kun?� she continued, giving him a smile. �Can you please check the island for fruits of various kinds? We have enough for a couple more days, but it will take longer than that to reach the next island.�

�Sure, Nami-san,� Sanji said, appreciating the smiles, but just not up to returning them full force this morning. His head was killing him and really all he wanted to do was go back to bed.

Robin looked around the room had got the impression that that was all any of them wanted to do except for Sencho-san. He was bouncing up and down in place on Ken-san�s thigh. She smiled. He�d been really bad last night, and honestly she�d been afraid to show how worried she had been. He seemed to have taken everything else in stride before then, but now he was acting a little more clingy to his first mate than he had even the last few days.

Everyone else in the room looked completely exhausted, and Cook-san�s behaviour was troubling, as well. If he was really starting to feel the full-on effects of withdrawal, then perhaps it was better for him to take some fever reducers and stay on board that day. Of course she knew he would hear nothing of it, especially if she suggested it, because he was another one of these manly men that she had found herself living with.

�Zoro,� Nami pursued, �you�re on hunting duty. You know what we need. Okay,� she clapped and looked from person to person. �Everyone clear?�

�Nami-san,� Sanji said tiredly from the counter, �Maybe it�s not the best idea to make sponge head hunt.�

�Huh?� Nami looked to Zoro. �Why not? He won�t know what fruits are edible, and he always brings something back.�

�Nami,� Zoro said this time, and in his lap, Luffy latched onto the finger that got pointed at him in indication.

�He can�t go on land!� Nami looked horrified at the very idea. �You�ll lose him!�

�I would never lose him!�

�I�m going with Zoro!�

�Luffy,� Chopper put in gently, �it�s a bad ide-�

�I don�t care!� Luffy shouted, not caring how much it made his ears ring. This was something he would NOT bend on. �I�m going with Zoro, and we�re going on the island. It�s decided.�

�Luffy�� Chopper looked at Nami and Sanji for support. �After last night� Na?� He looked at the others again pointedly.

Nami nodded. �After last night I don�t think it�s safe for you to be away from the ship anymore.�

�We were on the ship when it happened!� Luffy declared. They weren�t seriously suggesting that he stay on board! No way. They couldn�t stop him.

But then his wonky emotions got the better of him when he realized that they COULD stop him if they really wanted to. Right now, if majority ruled, he wouldn�t be leaving the boat. He wouldn�t be staying with Zoro.

But Zoro had PROMISED, and there was no way he would let him down. Not ever. Anytime now, he would tell them that they were being redicu-

�If he stays, I stay.�

Luffy blanched. Zoro wasn�t seriously agreeing that he might be better off here than exploring, was he? They wouldn�t do this to him! His chest started to feel heavy. �I�ll be good, though! I�ll be good!� he insisted, looking from nakama to nakama to find some sort of support.

Sanji looked at the floor and said nothing. Nami was looking reluctantly at Zoro, whose eyes were actually closed. Usopp�s gaze was where Sanji�s was. Robin met his eyes and gave him a nod. At least he had one person on his side.

Chopper stumbled through his next sentence. �Yesterday you fell into a can of paint, and you were being careful then, too. As a doctor� I can�t just watch you go into a dangerous situation.�

Luffy�s chest was locking and unlocking. They couldn�t do this to him. They COULDN�T! �But I�ll be extra extra careful this time!�

�It�s not just about being careful. This place is unfamiliar to you, and Zoro gets lost easily, so if you get sick who will help you?�

�Zoro will help me! He does better than anyone else can, anyway!�

Chopper looked hurt at these words, but the others were unmoved. This was so not turning out the way he�d expected it to go.

�Luffy,� Zoro decided to speak up before Luffy said something he�d regret later, �it�s really cold outside this time. Even I felt it. And you know you don�t do well with new places right now.�

�I DON�T CARE!� the little pirate screamed at the top of his lungs, falling back onto Zoro�s thigh. A moment passed before he slowly pushed himself to sit up again, and looked down at the black pants he was sitting on. �I don�t care,� he said again, softly enough that only Zoro and Chopper heard it. �I can�t be at an island and not go on it. That�s just not something I can do.�

Chopper looked at Nami imploringly, and she looked at Sanji the same way. Sanji looked at Zoro very seriously. Zoro was completely torn.

Sanji�s eyes narrowed. Zoro was standing at highest active rank, having an appointed role and the clear way of thinking that Luffy lacked right now. But could Zoro ever actually claim to pull rank on his captain? Sanji closed his eyes. His head was positively splitting in two and the last thing he wanted to do was think. Let Zoro do his damn job and make some judgments on his own today. Sanji�s Advice Counter was closed until further notice.

��I�m sorry, Luffy,� Zoro whispered. The others in the room nodded.

Robin raised an eyebrow. She�d never known Zoro to put on a show before.

Luffy made a strangled noise and went limp on Zoro�s leg. This wasn�t really happening.

�So who�s going to hunt now?� Usopp asked, eager the change the subject in some way.

Nami looked at Sanji for a moment, but he seemed rather out of it. �Maybe we should just wait on the food until tomorrow. We�ll see how people feel later today. But we do need to get started on an anchor and a table to eat at. The next island after this will be a winter one, and I�m not eating meals on the deck for that.�

�I�ll go out and gather lumber for a table. I broke it,� Sanji volunteered, being unusually agreeable, but it might have been due to his exhaustion. �Don�t worry, you guy-�

�Who�s worried about you?� Zoro butted in.

Sanji scowled at him. �I can go ashore and be fine.�

�So can I�� Luffy pleaded piteously, head hanging with the pain of betrayal.

Zoro moved his hand over Luffy�s back to stroke it, but Luffy didn�t respond. Neither did he run away to sit on the bench and out of contact with anyone.

Last night had a huge impact on him� Zoro thought. He usually sulks by himself.

�Alright,� Nami nodded. �You can do that, and if you see something good and edible, bringing it back wouldn�t hurt.�

--------------

The crew had to haul the ship onto the beach above the tide line because they had no anchor, so the whole boat was lying slightly crooked on the sand. This had been very hard to do with one of their major powerhouses down, another one working at only half mast, and the last one halted by the condition of the first one, but they managed.

Now Luffy had to watch as Usopp, Chopper, and Sanji had left to do their assignments. He shot them all piteous looks as they left, but didn�t call out because he didn�t want to go with them. He wanted Zoro to play with him on the island!

His swordsman had said that there would be repercussions during bath time, but no island?! He might as well have sentenced him to death, because there was no way he was going to live through this. He HATED RumbleBalls. If Chopper never made another one, it would be too soon! Who put medicine like that on the table with lunch anyway? What had he been thinking?

Luffy had managed to not blame anyone but himself for his state of affairs all this time, but this was the last straw. He had to be pissed at someone, damn it, and Chopper was taking the blame.

But that wasn�t really fair because Chopper was too cute� Zoro! Zoro had betrayed him! How COULD he?! He was SO getting the silent treatment!

But that might make Zoro angry�

Well TOO BAD! Luffy was angry and hurt and sad and frustrated, so Zoro could damn well be the same way!

Just as long as he didn�t leave him alone� Luffy didn�t want to be away from him, no matter how mad he was. Not yet. It was too soon.

What did I do to deserve this? The only bad thing I�ve ever done was devote my life to piracy, and now this is happening to me. It isn�t fair at all.

--

Zoro watched Luffy sit still on his leg for a few minutes where they were in the galley. Nami had just gone down to bed and Robin said she was going to read herself to sleep in the sun on Aft despite the temperature, so the two were alone now, and had been for at least a minute now. Zoro wondered if Luffy had noticed.

�Luffy?�

No answer.

Zoro brought his hands up to gently cup the boy, and soon Luffy was refusing to hug his thumb and glaring up at him.

Zoro sighed. Of course. Now it�s my fault.

Well, he could change this song fast enough. Zoro moved his hand to drop Luffy next to him on the bench, and the boy suddenly cried out and clung to the still-offered thumb hard enough to cut off circulation and turn it purple.

Zoro brought his captain back up to him. �Are you ready to talk to me now?�

Luffy�s jaw clenched and he turned his head sharply away from him, but he was still clinging to Zoro�s thumb and the contrast was so striking that Zoro didn�t know what to make of it. Sometimes Luffy was just loofy and there was nothing to be done for it, but sometimes there was more going on in his heart for even him to get straight.

This wasn�t getting him anywhere.

�Luffy, I�m sorry. I just didn�t want to deal with them you know? They would have started debating and making this huge fuss over it, then they would have started arguing and that always leads to shouti-�

�I hate you so much right now�� Luffy whimpered, glaring at the wall and squeezing his thumb again.

It was quiet after that.

When several seconds of silence passed and Zoro hadn�t moved at all, it sank into Luffy what he had just said, and an overwhelming guilt claimed him. He was so stupid sometimes.

Luffy was too afraid to look at Zoro�s eyes. He had told a lie. A mean one. He hadn�t mean it! He was just upset.. Would Zoro know it was a lie?

Luffy�s squeeze slackened into a real hug and he pressed his forehead into Zoro�s thumbprint.

�That�s too bad, because I don�t hate you at all.� It was a near-whisper, sounding both sad and patient. Another large, warm hand rose and cupped partly around the fingertips of the first to act as a shield from the world that was upsetting him so, and Zoro was just so gentle and so much like Shanks that the tears threatened to free and run down his cheeks soundlessly as he worked to keep them in check.

Zoro waited quietly for Luffy to collect himself and clear his mind a little before saying anything more. He found himself wanting to rock the boy, but wasn�t sure if that would do more harm than good with Luffy just depressed. Zoro realized reflectively that he�d never seen Luffy depressed before, but he hated it. It hurt to know Luffy was so distraught.

What would really do more harm than good was forcing him to stay behind on the ship while everyone else had a good time. (Whether they actually did or not wasn�t going to be important to Luffy. The only thing he would care about was that they had all had the chance to have a good time, and he hadn�t.)

Good thing I thought ahead, Zoro approved of himself.

Once Luffy had calmed and was just lying there in his palm, Zoro sighed and scratched his head with more drama than necessary. �So�� he said, �you ready to go?�

Luffy sniffled and looked up at him. �Go?�

Zoro sighed his all-too-fake sigh like it was such an inconvenience, and Luffy�s features brightened in hope. �We�ll stay near the ship for a little while to be sure, and if you do okay, we�ll go inland. But you have to stay bundled in something warm, no arguments, and if you start to feel sick -and you have to PROMISE you�ll say if you do- then we�ll be coming straight back.�

Luffy�s gotten himself up on all fours and was looking at Zoro with light shining in his eyes and a glowing smile. �Zoro!� he cheered suddenly, leaping into the first mate and throwing his arms out to grasp the fabric at Zoro�s sides, and his legs wrapped completely around his torso in what had to be the most bizarre looking hug in history.

Zoro laughed. This is so much better than being glared at, hands down. J

He hooked his fingers around Luffy�s middle to pull him away, and Luffy�s arms and legs both stretched as he refused to loosen his grip. Really, Zoro was just the greatest person ever!

Only when Zoro stood up did Luffy relax his limbs and let himself slide down into Zoro�s palm again.

They swung by their room so Zoro could put on a long-sleeved navy pullover and his lighter blue haramaki so that Luffy would have someplace really warm to ride in if when he needed one. Then Zoro adorned his swords and the duo came back outside. Rather than jumping over the side, Zoro climbed down the rope ladder as evenly as he could while Luffy climbed into his haramaki right away and got settled in the warmth there. Luffy really wanted to ride in his collar again, but he liked to see Zoro�s face.

When the odd couple reached the sand Zoro walked around for a couple minutes, eyes on Luffy the entire time, but the boy was laughing and pointing at things, perfectly fine right by the ship and out of the trees. Zoro was concerned that it would change in the jungle, but he�d already told Luffy the terms for going inland and Luffy had agreed. The captain was okay so far, and daylight was passing. It was morning and if Zoro wanted to catch anything while it was looking for breakfast then he had to get moving. He didn�t plan on going out of his way for prey with Luffy, but if it came to him then he would have to make a quick and clean kill. Otherwise Zoro was content to just let Luffy try to remember from what direction they had come, and explore around the forest with him.

When ten good minutes had passed and Luffy was not only having an attack from the cold, but was starting to bob around in the snug hold of the pale blue Haramaki, Zoro started toward a well-worn path that he could see leading into the jungle. If there were no humans then it had to be a game trail, but he didn�t have to stay on it. It was just a way in.

�Zoro, look!� Luffy piped from his middle, and the addressee turned to look at whatever Luffy had seen a moment ago.

Robin was standing on Aft, watching them. Zoro didn�t move, realizing he�d been caught. He knew he would get an earful for this later anyway, but he�d hoped that the long day of exploring (with regular naps for Luffy) would be worth it. He had hoped for a bigger head start.

Robin raised a hand and waved them off. �Have fun, you two,� she called after them.

Luffy laughed and waved at her, and Zoro had to admit that it was pretty cool of her to cover for them, but she couldn�t figure out what her reason for it might be as Luffy smiled for her.

Why is it always her? Is something going on between them that I�m just not seeing�?

When Luffy looked back up at him with a smile, however, Zoro looked into the little eyes and saw truth. He wouldn�t keep something like that from me, he told himself. He wondered why it mattered so much to him.

Giving Luffy a smile in return, he turned back toward the trail and started into the jungle past the tree line.

Luffy looked around in total awe like he always did when they saw someplace new, but with a kick this time, and Zoro had to smile. He hoped that awed look didn�t change into a sickly pale expression of pain too many times that day.

Behind them and several feet off the beaten path, partially covered in shrubbery and standing next to a small charred black body on a pole, was a make-shift billboard with a message formed from the bits of wood and bone that were nailed to it.

Heckeet! Tekinn Kar Mookloo

It had been adorned around the boarder with human skulls, and a few large, festive flowers had been poked into the eye sockets for color.

The two men disappeared behind the thick flora, having missed it completely.
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RUMBLE!