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RUMBLE!	By : TreeStar Category: +M to R > One Piece Views: 7991 -:- 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.

Chapter List
- 22
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RUMBLE!

23

The Mookish-speaking Mooks of Mookloo

�So what did you bring me?� Sanji asked Usopp and Chopper clearly, closing the subject of Luffy and opening a new one.

The two boys scrambled to show him the various foodstuffs that had found in the jungle that day.

�This one�s got red stripes,� Usopp pointed out the obvious, �so we weren�t sure if it�s edible or not, because things of that color usually aren�t, but we brought a few and made sure to remember where we got them in case they are.�

�Hmm,� Sanji looked at it testingly. �Why don�t you eat one and find out?�

�Oh,� said Chopper as if he hadn�t realized something so obvious before, �okay.�

�Chopper, don�t listen to him,� Nami was quick to turn around and correct the situation.

Despite dizziness, Luffy was getting curious as to what his nakama were up to. He carefully checked his wounds under the blanket only to find that he wasn�t wounded anymore, and this put him in a good mood, so he decided to make his consciousness known to the room by groaning and trying to prop himself up.

Oh! There was Zoro!

� ©
Hi Zoro ©
� Luffy smiled weakly, giving his friend a wave.

Zoro had looked down upon hearing the groan and now got down on the floor in front of the hat. When Luffy waved at him -cutting off his exclamation again- he could only smile. �Hi, Luffy. How�re you feeling?�

�Good. Tired. Is everyone home?�

He could tell by Zoro�s face that his first mate was suspicious of why he looked so at ease with where he was and how he wasn�t hurt and how he knew they weren�t being lectured already by a disgruntled crew. Luffy smiled at him in a carefree way that he was sure confirmed Zoro�s suspicions that he�d been eavesdropping.

�Luffy!� Sanji called in a loud whisper from the sink. With there being no table in the way, it was easy to see the yellow hat with the red ribbon around it and the red bundle inside it. �You�re up!�

�Yep,� Luffy sang back, sitting up. �Mostly. What�s for dinner?�

Sanji shook his head with a smile. �That�s what we�re trying to figure out. Usopp and Chopper brought us back Experimental Fruits.�

�Experimental Fruits,� Luffy repeated. �Sounds yummy! When do we eat?�

�As soon as I figure out what to do with them,� Sanji repeated.

�Okay.� Luffy then looked up at Zoro and raised his arms in the customary �pick me up� position.

Zoro obliged, and when Luffy was latched onto his front like some kind of feudal koala bear, he said, �Bathroom?� in as cute a request as he could.

Zoro got up and headed outside, telling the other that he�d be right back. All they could do was watch him go, wondering what Luffy wanted to tell him.

--------

When they got into the restroom, Zoro put Luffy down on the edge of the sink and looked at the wall to give him some privacy while he did his evacuation.

�Zoro, you okay?� Luffy asked after he had retied his yukata closed.

�I should be asking you that, baka,� the swordsman answered.

Luffy smiled. �Maybe so, but I�m asking you.�

�Why?�

�Because I know I scared you today.�

Zoro rolled his eyes and was about to drop a worthless denial when Luffy insisted, �I KNOW it.�

And Zoro sighed and sat down on the edge of the tub. �Are you okay, Luffy?�

Luffy looked at him with a concerned expression and nodded. �I was scared today, too. And what that stripey-beak did hurt a lot. But I�m okay.�

�Then I�m okay, too. �Funny how that works, huh?�

��Why?� Luffy asked, truly curious. Zoro�s answer felt perfectly natural to him.

Zoro smiled at Luffy�s innocence. �No reason. Never mind.�

�But I sure healed fast�� Luffy looked at him arm in curious interest, thoughts already elsewhere.

�Did you know you could do that?� Zoro asked, his voice strained as he tried not to sound accusing.

Luffy shook his head, detecting the tone anyway. �No. I never could before today, and I don�t know if I would again. Guess we�re just lucky,� he smiled.

�Lucky�� Zoro scoffed. �Right. You almost bled to death in my hands because we�re lucky.�

�Aa,� Luffy repeated. �Almost. Shanks once taught me what it meant to be lucky in the world of piracy. Any night we all come back to the ship alive is a lucky day.�

�Akagami no Shanks told you that, huh? �I guess he�s right.�

�Of course,� Luffy answered as if that were obvious, too.

Zoro sighed, then frowned. �So why is it that every time I�ve freaked out today, you�ve been able to keep it together? Especially considering what happened to you��

��Because I�m the captain,� Luffy said, provided yet another obvious answer. Then he smiled. �And because no one can be strong all the time. Today was you�re off day, and I know I scared you a lot. I was scared, too. Really scared. But I wasn�t the one in danger of losing my nakama, and you were, so you had more rights to fear than me. After all, I was with you again,� he added.

�What?�

�I mean�� Luffy chewed his lip, unable to find exactly what it was that he meant.

Throwing him a rope, Zoro smiled reassuringly at him. �It�s alright.�

Luffy nodded without looking up. After a moment, he fidgeted like he wanted to say something else.

�Luffy? What�s up?�

Luffy took a deep breath and said, �I�m glad we went out today. I am. �But I don�t think I want to go back out tomorrow, kay?�

And all Zoro could do was laugh out loud. �That sounds like a great idea,� he agreed.

And the smile Luffy gave him absolutely glowed.

�Besides,� Zoro chuckled, picking his captain back up, �We�re lucky we aren�t both dead for leaving the ship today.�

�So I heard,� Luffy agreed, then slapped his hand over his mouth.

Zoro zoomed in on it. �I knew it. How long were you awake listening?�

�I�m sorry, Zoro! I didn�t mean to abandon you to the wolves or anything, but I couldn�t clear my head very well,� Luffy said, failing to answer his question.

�You were awake that whole damn time, weren�t you?� Zoro gave him �the look�.

�No!� Luffy said too quickly, �I wasn�t! I heard from when you and Na�mi��

He trailed off as they walked across the open deck for the staircase.

Zoro looked down at him. �Luffy?�

�Shhh,� Luffy shushed. ��Do you hear that?�

Zoro held very still in the shadow of the stairs and listened. He didn�t hear a thing, but he knew better than to second-guess Luffy�s hearing. Unless he was listening too hard again�?

��Hear what?�

Luffy�s eyes were scanning the tree line. �It�s the same thing I heard earlier. Before the frog croaked. It�s like a rustling in the bushes, except not quite.�

That�s when Zoro became aware of them. He couldn�t hear them, but he could sense them. �People,� he whispered.

�Aa,� Luffy agreed. �Can you tell how many?�

��At least fifty. And skilled, to be so quiet. They know this terrain well.� His eyes scanned the trees and saw nothing. �What do you want to do?� he asked Luffy. �Should we get the others?�

Luffy shook his head. �Not yet. They have a right to know, but we�re not in great shape, and I�d like to avoid a fight if possible. They aren�t actually doing anything yet, but if we tell the others, then they�ll rush out here and make the bush people feel threatened.�

Zoro understood Luffy�s logic as only Zoro could, and accepted it by relaxing his posture somewhat. �Fair enough,� Zoro whispered easily. �If they do try to start something, it�s not like we won�t notice and take action.�

Luffy smiled. Even though he couldn�t fight and he knew it, Zoro used inclusive speech, talking as though he were still in the game, and Luffy appreciated it deeply.

�At least Luffy had started feeling like they were one. It was a good feeling. He had always felt that he was one with his crew; they were a unit, and an amazing one at that! But this feeling of togetherness he had with Zoro was different somehow.

Which is what lead to his next thought.

�Zoro?�

�Hm?�

��If they do come, what should I do?�

Zoro found he honestly didn�t have an answer. He�d told Luffy the night before that Sanji would be allowed to handle the baddies from now on, but Sanji wasn�t in very good shape, despite how he talked. Robin was an amazing asset because of her powers, but if any of her bloomed appendages were injured, she would be forced to withdraw further and further, (that was the problem with fighting enemies that had each other�s backs - like a tribe) and the rest of the crew couldn�t handle fifty skilled fighters. Furthermore, Zoro was willing to bet that they�d have at least one sharp weapon each. Given those circumstances, it was very likely that Zoro would be called into battle. So where would that leave Luffy?

Luffy only frowned in concern when Zoro elected to move out of the shadows and head back for the Galley without giving him an answer.

Don�t leave me�

-----------

�-angry beavers with poisonous fangs and a lust for blood for hours while we were carrying the baskets of fruit, and that�s why we were late getting back,� Usopp was answering when Zoro and Luffy walked back through the door. �It�s not easy to do. I�ll bet you couldn�t do it and get back within a couple hours, either.�

Chopper was nodding along with Usopp�s story with a �can you believe it?� expression. Everyone else looked bored.

�I don�t suppose you managed to find something to use as an anchor while you where out?� Nami asked.

Now Chopper looked guilty. �I�m sorr-�

�I found one,� Robin threw in. �Just in the water.�

�A real anchor?� Nami looked surprised.

�Yes. It�s in pristine condition.�

�I hauled it in earlier, Nami-san,� Sanji supported.

�Sasuga Onee-sama!� Nami sang, thrilled that at least SOMEONE could get something done around the ship aside from herself. On that note, she turned to Usopp. �Usopp, did you see all of the wood on the deck?�

�Uhhh,� Usopp was thrown by the interruption. �Ah! Oh yeah. Is that for the new table?�

�Yeah,� Sanji answered. �Though most of it is from the old table. It�s in good shape, and strong.�

�You can sand the new surface and work on building it tomorrow,� Nami informed.

�Can�t you ask a little more nicely?� Usopp pouted as Zoro settled on the floor against the wall behind him. �But alright.�

Nami sighed and nodded. �Please, Usopp?� she asked genuinely.

Usopp smiled. It wasn�t much, but it still made him feel like an important member of the Mugiwara no ichimi.

�How�s dinner coming?� Luffy called from his place in Zoro�s lap.

�Another few minutes, Sencho,� Sanji answered, covering the rice to let it steam.

He�d set some of the green fruits aside, deciding that their green color probably indicated that they weren�t ripe yet, whatever they were. He was concerned over how Luffy�s sensitivity would take to strange new fruits. He�d cut up a couple to taste them and had found them a little too sweet for what he�d observed of Luffy�s tolerance so far.

�Robin-chan, what did you do today?� Sanji asked, knowing that Robin didn�t often invite herself into conversation. �Surely you didn�t stay on board all day?�

Robin smiled and got up to fiddle with the new coffeemaker. �As a matter of fact, I left the ship for a little while and discovered something very interesting right near the shore; a stone with writing carved into it.�

�A ponoglyph?� Chopper asked.

Robin shook her head. �No, but written in a similar dialect with identical symbols. It wasn�t quite as old, and frankly I have no idea who could have carved it.�

Paying no attention to the conversation, Luffy watched her handle the machine with curious interest. First she fiddled with that little whizzy thing, then that pop-doodle started spinning, and then she pushed that square button and twisted that other knobby thing to make the flame appear, then turned up the flame until it was just under that glass whatchamacallit, and after a moment he knew that all that water would be boiling hot and then that funny thing with the paper strainer would let out the black coffee stuff, then together they would spill automatically down that brass tube with the bolts in the side to collect in her waiting mug. It was all so interesting! He wished he knew how to work it. He was running out of time to get over there and inspect it, but his moment would come. He was sure of it.

Outside of Luffy�s attention span, Nami was asking a question. �Would the people who made the ponoglyphs not have made it? Because there aren�t many who are literate in them anymore.�

Robin nodded. �Indeed, I�m the only one that I know of today, but the age of ponoglyphs can all be dated to have been carved within the same short period of time. No one else knew how to make them as far as I�m aware. This makes me think that perhaps before the civilization that made the ponoglyphs was completely wiped out, a few ended up on this island by mistake and left a warning.�

�A warning? The stone was a warning?�

�Yes. It warns of some danger; shadow people that move as one with the jungle, staying in the foliage and speaking in an unknown tongue. It makes me wonder what became of the people who wrote the warning. The stone was carved in haste.�

Zoro frowned. This wasn�t sounding good at all. To be honest it sounded interesting, and he wouldn�t mind fighting them for kicks on a normal day, but this wasn�t a normal day. Zoro looked down at his captain. Luffy was paying absolutely no attention to anything that was being discussed; something Zoro was a little frustrated by.

�Did anyone see anything indicating that the island is inhabited?� Robin asked, unaware of Zoro�s change in demeanor.

�Nothing of recollection,� Sanji answered.

�We saw flower arrangements, but they might have been natural,� Chopper sighed with a shrug.

�Am I the only one who saw the pile of human bones?!� Usopp sounded seriously disturbed. �I was just telling you about the huge pile of bones I saw before those beavers saw us!�

Nami turned to Sanji. �Did he say that?�

�I don�t know, I wasn�t listening.�

Usopp�s shoulders sagged.

�Luffy found a spear,� Zoro finally spoke up, gaining everyone�s attention -- including Luffy�s.

�I did? I did! I found a spear!� Luffy announced, as if he were the first one saying it. �And we saw a sign.�

Usopp�s brows furrowed. �A sign? Like a sign from the heavens?�

�Noooo,� Luffy said slowly, �Like a sign in the ground.�

�It had writing on it,� Zoro added, �but I can�t remember what it said.�

�Makoot Kar Haktett,� Luffy recited informatively.

�What the hell kind of a language is that?� Sanji asked.

�No kidding,� Usopp seconded. �I sounds like some demented author making crap up.�

�We think it was a warning about quicksand,� Luffy informed.

�� everyone in the room enthusiastically replied. Zoro did his best to look unconcerned.

Nami regained her voice. �What an earth gave you the ide- You know what, never mind,� she cut herself off, her expression a juxtaposition of realization and bewilderment.

�Actually, I kinda think I wanna hear,� Usopp said.

�Well, coz we saw the sign and were trying to figure out what it meant and then I thought it might have meant quicksand because I looked down and Zoro wa-�

�Let�s move on!� Zoro announced as Usopp and Sanji both burst into laughter.

�Did you see bones, Sen-san?� Robin asked.

�I don�t remember seeing any myself,� said Chopper hesitantly, �But if Usopp says they were there, he must have seen them��

�There you have it!� Usopp said importantly.

�I did see that giant alligator head washed up on the beach on the far side of the island,� Sanji said, ignoring Usopp again.

�I wanna see it!� Luffy declared.

�No, you don�t,� Zoro informed him.

Luffy pouted, then thought of something, and in a tone reserved for little children tattling on each other, sang, �Chopper, Zoro got hurt by the gator last night!�

�No, I didn�t!�

�Liar,� Luffy said smugly.

�Zoro got hurt?!� Chopper�s jaw was on the floor.

�It�s barely anything!�

�Yeah, he did,� Sanji said with growing mirth. �You should have seen him last night. He was swimming like a dead fish.�

�Don�t dead fish float?� Usopp asked.

�Do they?� Luffy asked. �Wish I could swim like a dead fish.�

�I�m NOT a dead fish!�

�No one said you were, Zoro. Shut up,� Nami scolded.

�Let me see it,� Chopper demanded.

�No!� Zoro denied.

Luffy just started laughing at the whole situation, being completely unhelpful.

�It�s like being on a boat with two year olds,� Sanji sighed.

�I like all the noise,� Robin returned. �Did you and Ken-san find anything else, Sencho-san?�

Luffy caught his breath and shook his head. �I didn�t. Other than finding out the island is the mouth of a volcano, we didn�t learn too much today.�

�Volcano?� Nami sat up straighter.

�Aa,� Luffy answered carelessly.

�Will it erupt?� Chopper looked terrified.

�I highly doubt it, Chopper, judging from all the growth,� Sanji answered.

�But the amount of growth just shows that the island hasn�t erupted in a while, not that it can�t erupt. All the steam around it is evidence of new activity.�

�Come to think of it, we did get lost in a steam pit today,� Usopp murmured.

�Us, too!� Luffy sang. �There were hot springs!�

�I still doubt it�s going to erupt,� Sanji repeated. �There would be earthquakes to signal it days in advance.�

�Not always,� Robin added.

�ANYWAY,� Nami drowned out the quiet banter of the others. �Does anyone think that people live on this island? I�d really like a final answer to that question.�

�Okay, then. Yes,� Luffy stated.

�What makes you say that, Sencho-san?�

�Because about� what did we decide earlier, Zoro? Fifty? Fifty people are surrounding the ship,� he answered calmly.

�� everyone repeated, eyebrows quirked.

Usopp rolled his eyes. �Nice try, Luffy.�

When Luffy didn�t start laughing, everyone turned to observe him for a moment.

�Is he serious?� Sanji asked Zoro.

Zoro didn�t deny it.

�Then say something sooner, Crap-guys!� Sanji snapped, setting the food aside and drying his hands on a towel.

�That would be boring,� Luffy replied before Sanji opened the Galley door and went out onto the deck, followed by Robin and a timid Usopp.

The first thing the three saw upon looking out at the beach was a bunch of small mostly-naked people with bones in their noses and bright flowers in their hair creeping stealthily toward the ship from all directions, armed with spears, things that they probably considered decent-quality swords, and even a bizarre rendition of bows and arrows.

�Do you figure they�re just curious?� Usopp asked hopefully.

An arrow implanted itself in the wall and quivered back and forth beside Sanji�s head.

�Maybe,� the blonde answered.

�Sanji-kun!� Nami shrieked. �Get back in here before you get shot!�

Sanji spun around in a pink bubble and drifted back into the Galley behind Usopp. �My Mellorine worries for my safety,� he sang jubilantly.

Then he closed the door and was turned, seriously. �So how should we handle this?�

�I don�t think they like us very much,� Usopp hazarded.

�Who cares?� Zoro answered.

�I believe we should try to talk to them,� Robin said. �We can�t just attack them.�

�They attacked us!� Usopp argued.

�I don�t think that was an attack. I believe they just wanted to show us that we�re surrounded and that they�re armed. That means they follow a war conduct of some sort.�

�Oh, now I don�t feel threatened at all,� Nami retorted sarcastically.

�What do you say, Sencho-san?�

Luffy looked to be thinking very seriously, and Zoro had the feeling he hadn�t a clue.

�Robin�s right,� the captain said a moment later. �We can�t just beat people up because we feel like it. They might just be scared, so we should find out why they�re so mad before we hurt anyone.�

Zoro was surprised. So was everyone else.

When everyone stared at him and nobody moved, Luffy waved his arms and said, �Well?�

Everyone shook themselves out of it, and the same three plus Nami made their way cautiously back outside.

Upon seeing that they�d been spotted, a few of the natives lit torches and stood with a gap between them to make room for a pair of natives to come up between them. These two were the tallest on the beach, and wore the largest, most colorful flowers, so Robin considered it safe to assume that these were the leaders.

�What do they want?� Usopp whispered nervously, standing partially behind Sanji.

�I think we�re about to find out,� Robin answered from Usopp�s other side.

�MOOK!� the first little tall guy shouted out importantly.

��

If this was meant to have some astounding effect on the island�s intruders, they were sorely disappointed, because the four on the deck and those in the room behind them all looked at each other to assure they�d heard right.

�Yeah,� Sanji called back after a few moments of silence. �You�re a Mook alright. What do want?�

�Mookity mookmook!� the second little tall guy shouted back, seemingly enraged.

�Cook-san, they�re trying to communicate with us somehow, so maybe through body language we can sort something out,� Robin suggested.

�Be careful,� Luffy called from inside, though he wasn�t sure he�d been heard or not. Being small was not only a drag, but it was seriously inconvenient right now.

Robin stepped out in front of Sanji and spread her arms wide before bringing them together again to bow. She narrated as she motioned, and did her best to convey to them that they had arrived for repairs after being attacked by a giant alligator by pointing out at the sea water and then swiveling her arm like a big snake swimming over water. She was sure they would be able to understand that part, as they had probably had similar problems in their history if the gator was a local menace. Then she tried to indicate that they would leave immediately if it was required of them.

The Mooks looked confused at first, then enraged as they understood Robin�s communications.

�Kittmoot!� one said, pointing up the beach. A couple other Mooks pulled aside some bushes to reveal a large stone with an intricate finger painting of a giant alligator.

Robin nodded hesitantly, not really sure what to expect. At least they understood her.

�Kittmoot!� the little tall ones shrieked together, pointing harder at the painting.

The four on the deck looked back at it, and a few of the Mooks around it got down on their knees and began bowing and worshiping.

The little tall guys looked back as if waiting for some explanation.

Sanji put his hand on Usopp�s belly behind him and pressed, indicating that start backing into the Galley again, and Usopp followed instructions well. Nami was right behind him, and then Robin began to back up as well, but when a handful of arrows were sent flying toward them, Sanji grabbed the archaeologist around the middle and shot back inside, slamming the door before the arrows hit it.

�What the hell was that all about?� Luffy asked.

�It appears we killed their God,� Robin answered.

�God?� Zoro asked.

�The alligator. We said last night that it was probably the guardian of this territory. It probably kept all other seakings away, but it was too big to come inland and eat anyone, so they worshiped it as their protector.�

�How do they know we killed it?�

�I just told you its head washed up at the same time our ship did. Kind of gives us away,� Sanji answered. Damn, he needed a smoke! But it seemed that a distraction had presented itself, at least. �So now what?� he asked.

�You have to ask?� Zoro commented dryly.

War cries sounded outside, the natives no doubt assuming that the stupid invaders had barricaded themselves in fear.

Luffy nodded with decision -- as good as any verbal �go ahead�.

�A-all we have to do is scare them away, right?� Usopp stuttered.

Sanji shrugged. �In that case��

He kicked the door open again and jumped down to the beach, landing on his hands on the shoulders of a native and delivering a spectacular round-house kick to the six enemies around him, knocking them flat.

Robin followed out the door first and ran up to the roof of the kitchen from where she used her powers to bend to men so far backwards that they passed out and wouldn�t be able to walk again for a week.

Usopp and Chopper only went out when the first few started trying to climb onboard, at which time both grabbed heavy objects and began slamming them into the faces of the attackers while Nami stood at the top of the stairs with her climatact and started warning the others so that they wouldn�t get ambushed. Nami had no intentions of using her weapon as anything more than a staff if she could help it. Not in this situation; it would prove pointless and far too dangerous.

Luffy listened carefully and could hear that Sanji�s kicks weren�t up to their full potential. He glanced at Zoro, but Zoro didn�t look at him. Zoro was taking steady breaths and listening just as closely as Luffy was.

On the deck, Usopp cried out and clutched his cut upper arm while some of the natives that had been thus far hiding in the tide dashed for Aft and used their spears and each other�s shoulders to hoist themselves onboard. Sanji was completely surrounded off the Starboard side, and Chopper was knocking off as many of the little Mook men with the floral hairpieces as he could, but he couldn�t be everywhere at once, and more than a couple enemies had made it on board and were gunning for he and Usopp, who was back to fighting his best again, too.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sanji was able to make out a few Mooks heading straight for Usopp and Chopper whist Robin was helping him take out the larger number down on the beach.

�Usopp! Chopper! Look out!�

The two on the deck didn�t hear him, but two others did, and in the galley, Luffy looked up at Zoro and said without a single thought. �Zoro, let�s go.�

And for the first time ever in battle, Zoro hesitated to follow his captain�s order. Should he wait and give their nakama more of a chance out there? Because Luffy had said �let�s�, meaning he intended to come along, but there was no way Luffy would be able to handle the sound of swords clashing if he went out there, and their motions would make him sick for sure. Zoro wouldn�t be able to handle it if he gave him an attack. Could he leave Luffy in his hat to hide? No. No, he�d made a promise to the boy, and he would keep it. The last time they�d been separated was far to fresh in his mind to get past.

Zoro thought as quickly as he could. He�d have to fight by slicing the air with OniGiri and hope that he didn�t come into contact with any other blades. But he was the best there was� almost. He could control everything that happened on a battle field so long as he could focus on the battle and NOT on a certain little person clinging to him near his navel.

�Zoro!� Luffy shouted up at him after no doubt reading the emotions play over his face.

On deck, Chopper and Usopp both suddenly let out loud cries of surprise and fear.

Without thinking anymore, Zoro was up and out the door with Luffy.

Now his captain would be pissed at him later. His gut twisted at the thought of the disappointment Luffy would dish out at him later, and at the guilty feeling of realizing that the only thing he was thinking about when he was supposed to be saving his dear friends was how Luffy would feel later, when the captain was currently the one in the least amount of immediate danger.

The first thing Zoro saw as he made his way down the stairs was Usopp being pinned to the deck, arms twisted painfully behind him as he cried out in pain, and Chopper crying out for him, but unable to abandon his post hanging half-off of Port, lest seven more Mooks climb on and fill his inhabited area.

Zoro made a single slash with batoujutsu that cut both Mooks deeply and sprayed blood over the deck in a perfect arc, freeing Usopp. The young sniper got to his feet, wiped tears out of his eyes, and went back to help Chopper with a quick, �You saved me!� to Zoro.

At the top of the stairs, Nami screamed as she was grabbed from behind and pulled back from the stairs and onto Aft deck. Her weapon was wrenched from her grasp by a second little guy. �Zoro!� she cried as loudly as she could.

Zoro turned at the sound of his name and was on Aft in a flash, Luffy riding low in his haramaki. Nami wasn�t in as bad a shape as they had assumed based on her screams. She�d worked her way free, made evident by the Mook wailing over a broken wrist behind her, and was trying to get past two more little men and one little woman to get her climatact back.

This was obviously meant to be where Zoro came in, and come in he did -- with a slash of two swords that sent slices of air cutting right along either side of Nami and knocking the men off the ship and onto the sand, taking out another cluster of Mooks that had been trying to clamber up behind them. The woman backed off upon seeing her own companions fly off the Merry Go, and chose to retreat in fear, which Zoro allowed, uneager to fight more than he had to with Luffy in his position.

Nami picked up her weapon and went back to guarding the rails, from where more Mooks were constantly coming.

Zoro realized quickly that if he wanted to help his family, he had to get down there onto that beach with Sanji and start removing the root of the problem.

He held his hand over Luffy closely to keep the movement of the jump from jarring him too badly, and then ran over in Sanji�s direction, where many Mooks were attempting to work together and remove him, seeing Sanji as the highest threat and knowing nothing of Zoro�s ability. They changed their stance quickly when Zoro sent four flying at once.

Luffy could tell that Zoro was trying hard not to let any weapons come into contact with each other and clang, and while he was grateful, he could also tell that it was inconvenient.

The Mooks looked positively livid as they swarmed around Zoro to attack all at once. Left with little other choice if he ever wanted them to stop coming, Zoro began to draw blood on them as he worked his way to where the leaders were standing so confidently. Before he could reach them, however, Sanji took a spear jab to the left leg and had to drop to the sand before he could regain his footing and keep fighting. This brief moment of downtime was enough for the distance-fighting Mooks to zoom in on and begin firing arrows without fear of hurting their own. Hearing Sanji cry out upon hitting the sand, Zoro reflexively spun around on the spot and cut every arrow descending on the chef in half.

Sanji was having trouble standing back up, and while his cook getting hurt to the point of actually being taken out was extremely rare, Luffy knew it wasn�t impossible if the enemy hit the right spot on the body. Sanji�s legs were his greatest physical asset.

Noting that it suddenly seemed like there were a lot more than fifty Mooks on the beach, Luffy took stock of the situation quickly from his moving vantage point. He was dizzy, but couldn�t afford to faint no matter what, and assessed as quickly as he could.

Chopper and Usopp both cried out at once somewhere toward the front of the ship, and Robin was on the highest roof and sweating with the effort to keep so many power attacks going at once. She looked okay, though. Sanji looked exhausted, which was highly unusual and could only have been because his body was deprived of the substance it was so dependant on.

Zoro got another guy that was coming up behind the cook without trying to rub in how much help Sanji needed by being really flamboyant about it, but Chopper and Usopp were outnumbered on the decks, and it suddenly seemed like even Robin couldn�t keep up with what was happening when enough Mooks had assembled on Aft to attempt to charge her, and that left Zoro, who couldn�t be everywhere at once.

Luffy�s crew was in trouble.

He gained his first mate�s attention the only way he could at that point, with a little kick to the tummy that Zoro immediately centered on. �Luffy?�

Luffy pointed back at the ship, confusing the swordsman. �Nami!� Luffy shouted as loud as he could, then held his spinning head. There was little clashing of weapons off the ship itself due to Zoro�s avoidance of touching them and Sanji not having a clashy-sounding weapon in the first place, but the Mooks were still making a great deal of grunting noise and randomly crying out phrases in Mookish that the crew couldn�t understand, so Luffy wasn�t sure that Zoro had heard him right even as they began to move in some direction with purpose.

He knew Zoro was trying to move as steadily as possible given the situation, but Luffy�s vision was slowly becoming a prism of colors on that dark night. He was so dizzy that he didn�t know where they were going, and was already having trouble recalling why they were going there.

Zoro slashed his way through Mooks freely, no longer caring how badly hurt they got as he made his way around the stern of the ship to the other side, leaving an again-active Sanji to take care of things on his end. He felt a little guilty for abandoning the obviously sick fool on his own when he could just as easily have shouted to Nami from his fight, but Luffy looked to be having an attack, and giving him attention couldn�t wait.

�Luffy, you holding up okay?�

Luffy was having an out of body experience, feeling like his body was being tossed naked in open air when it couldn�t possibly have been. He couldn�t really hear very well anymore� Was Zoro saying something to him? He was slowly going numb with the world slowing down around him when Zoro stopped moving, leaving him able to begin catching up with it.

Wherever they were, there weren�t any Mooks nearby, because as Luffy began to regain equilibrium, he noted that it was much quieter here than it had been a few moments before. It wasn�t until he was able to open his eyes again and see with surprise that they were against the Port side of the ship, about twenty feet below where Nami was up on deck, that he remembered that he had told Zoro to come here for some reason.

�Luffy? Are you with me now?� Zoro was calling him softy, and he did his best to respond by looking straight into the swordsman�s eyes.

He wasn�t sure what Zoro saw there, but as his vision gained clarity, the taller pirate�s initially frantic expression began to change to relief. Good, Luffy thought. They couldn�t afford otherwise right now.

�Call Nami,� he said again.

Nami was under a lot of pressure, keeping a nice three foot berth of Mook-free space around her, and Zoro had to call up to her twice to get her attention.

�What?� she cried back over her shoulder after clocking some little strong guy over the head.

Zoro looked back to Luffy for instructions, and Luffy struggled to remember why he�d ordered them to her after his attack had somewhat wiped his slate clean. Then he suddenly lit up.

�Rainstorm,� he said.

�Rainstorm?� Zoro asked a little louder.

�What?� Nami called back. �Did you say �rainstorm�?�

�Yes,� Luffy folded his arms and nodded decisively. �Rainstorm.�

Zoro looked back up and shrugged as he called up, �That�s what he says. Rainstorm.�

Nami shook her head in confusion for a moment, and then groaned as understanding hit. �Luffy, Thunder Tempo strikes the highest point, and this is a beach. It�ll hit the mast!� she called back, but couldn�t help but test the strength of the breeze blowing inland from the sea whilst she spoke.

Luffy shook his head fiercely and watched her.

�He never said a word, yet she knew what he was telling her� and for a moment she saw him standing atop the rubble that was left of Arlong Park letting the world know that she was free, as promised; she felt the cool rain falling on the fighting people of Alubarna when Vivi�s voice was finally heard, as promised; she heard a giant bell of solid gold ring throughout the heavens, as promised� And she believed him.

Luffy�s eyes pierced her very soul, and his size did nothing to decrease the strength of his spirit. She could feel his aura supporting her as she disassembled her climatact into its three smaller pieces and began spinning two of them quickly in her hands, feeling the cool and heat balls rising of either side of her. Sensing that something had changed in the vibe on the ship, the Mooks began to back away uncertainly, giving her more room to work. Robin noted what was happening and took advantage of the distraction to get down from her perch. When she reached the lowest deck she quietly signaled for Usopp and Chopper to look at Nami, and the two boys followed her into the storage room for cover.

When the moon was blocked out by a huge rain cloud, everyone�s attention was drawn toward the sky, where the Mooks� remained. The pirates on the beach, however, didn�t need to think twice when the rain started falling.

Sanji bolted to the side of the ship and backed up against it, not knowing that Zoro and Luffy were in the same position on the opposite side.

The rain stayed over the ship for only a few moments before drifting inland on the wind, and once the cloud was over the jungle, Nami formed her climatact into a triangle, hollered �Thunder Tempo!� out loud to feel that rush of power she got whenever she used this move, and it fly.

�Cover your ears, buddy,� Zoro reminded, bringing both hands down over Luffy to shield the sound as best he could.

The cloud lit up in a couple places before unleashing a lightning bolt down through the rain that struck the jungle with a resounding CRACK!

Two more followed in unison, and those were followed by yet another, bigger strike. Several trees in the jungle burst into vibrant flames that began to slowly shift to the trees around them.

The rain would put these flames out in time, but the Mooks came out of shock and began to panic, dashing inland and disappearing behind the tree line to find some way to defeat the flames before the rain took its own sweet time doing it for them.

The climatact boomeranged its way back down to earth, and Nami caught it perfectly before spinning around to look down at her captain.

He had pushed his way up in the haramaki when Zoro had uncovered him, and was giving her a grin of triumph. She flashed him a victory sign and a smile, and he burst into that wonderful, loud, and carefree laugh of his.

�Let�s set sail!� Luffy cried out clearly for� well, really only Zoro to hear, and Zoro repeated the command louder, at which point Nami took over, doing one of the many things she did so well: getting them organized.

�Let�s move, people!� she cried out, heading downstairs and knocking on the storage room door.

The three inside emerged with great relief, at which point the two boys took in the scene, whooped, and jumped over the side to help push the ship back into the sea with Sanji and Zoro.

�Do we need anything else?� Robin asked as the ship began to scoot across the sand.

�Not badly enough to stay for it,� Nami assured, and began to call out �heave, ho� for the men down below.

Zoro suddenly stopped pushing when he felt violent shivers coming from his captain, which threw everyone off and earned him some grumbles. His haramaki had gotten a little damp in the rain. It was freezing and not keeping Luffy warm at all any more, so Zoro dipped down into his haramaki (something Sanji announced he never wanted to see again) and lifted the little pirate up to his collar, hoping Luffy would take the hint, which he did.

Luffy swung himself shakily into Zoro�s shirt with his head resting back in the nape of the swordsman�s neck, perfectly content to stay there and absorb the heat for the rest of his life. Zoro smiled and got back to pushing with the rest, and once they were all waist deep in the ocean and pushing as hard as they could, the sea finally aided them in carrying the ship off the sand and into her arms.

The guys climbed up the ladder one at a time, some heading straight for the Galley to get out of the cold, with their other nakama flopping onto the deck in utter exhaustion right where they stood as the caravel floated out with the remaining tide, leaving a smoldering island covered in shrieking natives in her wake.

Damn, it was good to be a pirate!
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RUMBLE!