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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.

Chapter List
- 30
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RUMBLE!

31

Turtle Beach

Luffy was grateful when Usopp charged into the galley, interrupting whatever Zoro had been about to say. He�d heard enough to have a general idea of where the conversation had been headed, and he wasn�t ready for it yet. He didn�t know if he would ever be ready to hear Zoro tell him that he was willing to do anything to get Luffy better so that he wouldn�t have to play nursemaid anymore, but until he got better, it was just too much to handle.

Zoro had taken the moment of distraction to get back down and clean up the mess they�d made, and as soon as he finished, Luffy, who was trying to make sure Zoro didn�t get the chance to pick up where he�d left off, gathered his exuberance and started hopping up and down and chanting �Island! Island! Island!� until they were both outside.

Trying not to notice how Zoro couldn�t seem to look away from him for more than three seconds, Luffy forced the island to take precedence in his mind.

It proved to be easy when he actually saw it.

�WOAH! What is THAT?!�

�Funky� didn�t quite describe this island as well as Usopp thought it did. It had a long beach surrounding it completely, with trees lining up at the top of the sandbar, but what captured attention was that the middle of the island was a giant rock.

Not a mountain. Well, not a normal looking one, anyway, but a big gray ovular stone that looked like it had been set down prestigiously in the center of the island, taking up almost all the land that wasn�t beach.

All of the others had come to line up along the rail on either side of Zoro, looking at the island with mixed expressions.

�It�s like an enormous egg!� Chopper giggled beside him.

�If it had two ends, maybe,� Usopp said.

�Hm,� Sanji grunted. �It looks to me like an unspectacular stone rising out of the water; interesting to look at, but superficial. �It�s so lumpy,� he added then as if to himself.

Robin was smiling in that way that told Luffy she knew something neat that she wasn�t sharing just yet. Luffy also noticed that Zoro frowned at her again, but decided not to point it out because it was getting cold and when he was cold he didn�t like to start things because he knew he wouldn�t finish them, be they arguments or projects he�d started. His normal excuse was that he tired easily when it was cold.

Though it wasn�t really THAT cold. In fact, seeing as this was a summer island, it shouldn�t have been cold at all. Perhaps it was just him.

Luffy turned to Nami to ask her what she thought the best course of action was, but then he stopped and took a moment to observe her instead. Nami was looking at a map, then at the sky, then at the Log Pose, then at the sky again, then toward the flag that was blowing hard in the wind, then back toward the island. She looked worried, and that troubled Luffy more than he cared to admit. They really didn�t have time to linger here� but how could they not? It was so�unique and original. They wouldn�t find another island like this again in their lives.

�I thought the next island was supposed to be a winter one,� Zoro commented.

�It was, dumbass,� Sanji informed, �and if we�d stayed on the Log Pose it would be, but we left it, remember?�

�You can�t expect a bunch of tropical sea turtles to lay their eggs on a frozen beach, Zoro,� Usopp reasoned practically.

�Let�s drop the anchor here and let Mama-turtle get to her beach,� Luffy suggested without sounding like he was giving an order. �Then we can go see the turtles!�

�I thought turtles could only come out of the ocean at night or they�d get dried out,� Chopper said.

�It�s probably the cloud cover that�s letting them stay come up early. It�s certainly not bright out,� Robin noted.

The anchor was laid and Mama-turtle was cut free, everyone watched her swim for shore. She was having a tough time against the waves because the coming storm had made the currents erratic. Indeed, Chopper became so fretful that Sanji finally jumped in to help her with the struggle and calm the reindeer down.

�We can go, too, right Zoro?� Luffy implored, turning on the Sad Eyes.

�Well, I�m going,� Robin told them all. �There�s something I want to check out closer.�

�I�m going too!� Usopp declared, turning to Chopper, who nodded energetically.

Zoro frowned at all of them. He didn�t know how comfortable he felt bringing Luffy ashore after what had happened last time, and the others weren�t making his position easier. Now Luffy had gotten all excited and the first mate couldn�t fairly say no.

�Who will watch the ship if all of you leave?�

Nami sighed. �Like we�ve never all been off the ship at the same time before. We�re not even going out of sight this time.� She ran her hand though her hair and looked back at the sky absently. �But you two know best,� she said vaguely.

Zoro wished she had argued; that would have made things easier. But Nami had other things to worry about, and had so resigned as the ringleader of opposition. Apparently the duty was harder than she made it look.

Luffy was bouncing against him again, but it may have been to keep warm. It wasn�t really that cold out, but it was getting there. To Luffy it was probably freezing.

When the dinghy was fished out of the storage room and lowered over the side, Luffy was all but begging to go in it with the others, and Zoro felt the painful suspicion that it was because Luffy didn�t want to be alone with Zoro again after their last talk.

He was right. Luffy desperately wanted to keep busy so that he wouldn�t hear Zoro say the words he was now dreading. So he was being selfish. So what? He wanted to capture and milk the rest of the time he�d be able to cuddle with Zoro for all it was worth.

The one thing that kept him from sinking into despair was that he hadn�t actually heard Zoro tell him he didn�t want him. In fact, there was one little part of the conversation that hadn�t tilted that way at all, and no matter what came after, He said �us�!

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

The boat ride was bobby and a little rougher than anyone would have liked given the temperature of the water, and even though Luffy didn�t comment for fear of being taken back to the ship, Zoro knew it made him nauseas.

When they reached the beach they were surprised by the number of sea turtles. It was covered in them!

�Wooaaaah!� Luffy cried, mouth open wide in amazement. Usopp and Chopper�s reactions were pretty much identical Nami could almost see the stars in his eyes and Robin laughed. She�d brought her backpack for some reason, and glanced toward the big rock that made up almost all of the island. It blocked out a good chunk of the sky from the beach they were on.

Turtles dug in the sand while others sat perfectly content to not move at all. Some were struggling over the backs of others in the surf, trying to get a hold in wet sand.

Usopp, Chopper, and Sanji set off through the mess of shells to see everything to be seen.

�You know, turtle eggs are great for omelets,� Sanji commented offhandedly, making Chopper and Luffy�s eyes both boggle at him, but for different reasons.

�We can�t eat them!� Chopper shouted.

�We can eat them? Do they taste good?� Luffy asked.

�They taste great,� Sanji said.

�Aahhhh�� Luffy drooled.

The pirates watched Mama-turtle come onto the beach and then hung around for a little while longer before they got bored. The same scenery everywhere got old fast, even if it was moving. At least this island wasn�t as hot as the Arabasta desert.

Luffy shivered and huddled down into Zoro�s haramaki. There was no protection from the wind on the beach and he looked longingly toward the trees� where he just saw Robin disappearing behind the foliage with her backpack.

�Zoro.�

�Uh-huh,� Zoro said absently to show he was listening to Luffy even if he wasn�t looking at him.

�Let�s follow Robin.

Zoro twisted around and climbed over a large turtle. �What?�

�She just went inland. Let�s go with her,� Luffy said hopefully.

Zoro became defensive. �Why do you want to follow Robin?�

Luffy frowned at his snide tone and started to answer when Usopp slid across three turtle shells and landed a few feet away from them on his butt.

�Where are you guys going?� he asked.

�Nowhere,� Zoro answered.

�Robin went inland and we�re going to follow,� Luffy smiled.

Usopp looked way over there to where Nami had been standing with Robin only to find that Luffy was right, and Nami that looked so preoccupied with the weather she hadn�t noticed it yet.

�Oi, Luffy,� Usopp chastised. �We can�t just disappear--we can�t stay long and when Nami says we�ve gotta go, we�ve gotta go.�

�All the more reason to get Robin back!� Luffy argued.

Usopp and Zoro glanced over to where Sanji and Chopper were arguing over the level of cholesterol in turtle eggs. They would never notice, and Nami still hadn�t.

Probably because witches have a black magical way of communicating, Zoro nodded to himself.

Usopp nodded. Luffy smiled.

Zoro sighed. Oh well, it was just a rock. If they�d gotten bored with a beach of turtles, a rock wouldn�t hold their attention at all. It wasn�t like they could get lost when the only things on the island were a rock and a beach.

Turning back toward the tree line, Zoro started towards where Luffy was pointing, and Usopp followed behind them.

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

Though the scenery was boring, in hindsight it was a lucky thing that there weren�t many trees for carnivorous hungry animals to hide in because Usopp and Luffy couldn�t shut up at any point during the entire walk.

So when they came strolling up to where the rock was, Robin didn�t need to turn around and find out who was there. She just smiled when she heard them coming, and went back to following along the length of the rock as if she was reading the longest single line of brail in existence.

�What�re ya doin�� Usopp asked her as they approached.

�I wanted to have a closer look at this rock. It�s shape and structure are curious, so I came to find out��

Luffy rubbed his arms for warmth. �Find out what?�

Rather than answering, she ran up ahead of them.

�Oookay�� Usopp quirked an eyebrow.

�Here it is!� Robin crouched down and smiled at them, pointing at a long, scraggily cut in the surface of the stone wall. �A way in!�

Usopp�s features lit up with Robin�s. �You mean it�s a cave? Awesome!�

It was quiet for a moment in which Luffy elected not to offer an opinion about this new discovery.

Zoro leaned over and looked inside as well. It was dark-looking.

�So, are we gonna go in?� he asked after the moment in which Luffy didn�t speak had passed.

Robin hiked her bag up on her shoulder and moved forward. �Maybe just to see if there�s anything in here worth seeing,� she called over her shoulder.

Usopp looked at her curiously. �I thought we were in a hurry?�

�We have some time,� she said.

Zoro looked down at Luffy. �Well, captain?�

Luffy smile was a little strained when he nodded. �Yeah. It�s just for a minute and we might never get the chance to come back in the future and do it, so we have to do it now.� He laughed, sounding both excited and nervous. �Let�s go!�

Zoro didn�t nod. He just cupped the bulge that was Luffy for body heat and made to follow Robin in.

�How will we see?� Usopp asked behind them.

�We�ll be alright,� Robin answered easily as the cave suddenly opened up into a wide cavern with various natural bridges and arches and holes and tunnels burrowed into the walls.

The others came out behind her and boggled at the site.

�See the green moss?� Robin pointed at the patches of brightly luminous moss lining the walls. �That will be everywhere in the cave.�

�What is this place?� Luffy asked, nerves assuaged for the moment.

�This is a nest,� Robin answered. �An abandoned nest that used to belong to giant drill-nosed sea tubers. It was originally underwater, but as they dug deeper in and down to lay their eggs, the weight shifted and moved until eventually they broke through the bottom and continued to next in the crust beneath it, stirring up the sand. Tubers need a new nest each year, and that involves drilling a new tunnel to a new small cavern that they can lay eggs in.

�The rock began to move upward on the constantly growing pile of sand until it breached the surface and this island was formed. That�s why it�s not on any map and the Log Pose won�t set to it: it�s not a traditional island formed by volcanic activity. This island was crafted and has very few magnetic elements.�

She shivered and started down a tunnel. �It doesn�t have insulation, and we don�t have a lot of time, so let�s go.�

Usopp stayed behind Zoro as he made to follow her. �Are you sure it�s abandoned?� he called over the swordsman�s shoulder.

�I don�t hear anything,� Luffy assured.

�Let�s do this, then,� Zoro said, anxious to get back to the ship and help Chopper finally batten down the hatches.

�What are we looking for?� Luffy called out as they traveled through winding green tunnels of different sizes.

�Gold,� Robin replied, sounded cheerfully in her element. The tubers horde the gold that they find in the sand and use the soft metal to plate their nests because it�s so flexible for them to lie on. They�re quite heavy, tubers.�

�Really?!� Luffy said, awed beyond believe� except that it was Luffy and everyone one was used to these reactions by now.

�Naturally,� Usopp said with an air of one about to fount insuppressible knowledge upon those barely worthy enough to hear it. �All giant screw-nosed scuba tubers collect treasure. The last nest I went into was stacked to the ceiling with diamonds and gold and things like that. It was like a dragon�s lair.�

�They�re �scuba tubers� now?� Zoro mumbled blandly.

�What did you do with the treasure?� Luffy asked.

Usopp stroked his chin with one hand as if he were posing to be sculpted. �I used it to open and fund the non profit organization �The Foundation for Poor Orphans of Tone Deaf Calliopes�.�

Zoro�s reaction had him looking not unlike Jabba the Hut and left him unable to even snort incredulously.

Luffy didn�t get it. �Colliape,� he repeated as if the word was the name of some hallowed deity.

They�d lost sight of Robin, but they all climbed up into a newer tunnel that they assumed Robin had climbed into ahead of them, as there was no place else to go.

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

Nami couldn�t help it. She couldn�t help looking at the Log Pose every thirty seconds, or toward the waves that were growing slowly larger, or at the dark clouds that were starting to thicken up in the sky. She looked out at the turtles the rest of the time, but her mind wasn�t focusing on the problem with the picture. Her mind was on clouds. She couldn�t help it.

She couldn�t help it, which was why, when she finally looked out over the turtles to call her boys in, she noticed that almost all of her nakama had wandered away right under her nose.

�Zoro? Usopp? Robin? �Sanji-kun?�

She didn�t yell the last name out, but a good distance down the beach, a blonde hornball popped comically to his feet beside Mama-turtle and made himself visible anyway.

�Hai, Nami-swan?� he cried, clasping his hands beside his cheek adoringly.

�Where are Zoro and Usopp?� she shouted back.

��What?� Sanji shouted after a minute.

Of course. He can only hear my voice when it�s saying his name. Doesn�t it just figure that way, she grumbled to herself.

�Where is Robin?!� she hollered, trying a new tactic.

Sanji looked around unsteadily. His leg was killing him. It had been fine after Chopper had treated the wound given to him by the Mooks, but he�d been clambering around and getting soaked, and the salt water was stinging his injured calf.

�Robin-chwaaan!� he called, sounding like the obsessed fool he was.

�You don�t know?� Nami shouted out to him. �Get back here,� she then shouted, not wanting to have to bellow the conversation over a bunch of turtles giving birth.

Chopper had risen behind Sanji and was sniffing the air.

�Ano�� he called out after a few moments. �I think they�re gone.�

Sanji stopped floating toward Nami like a streamer in the wind and looked back to him, �All of them?�

Nami�s fists clenched into weapons of doom. �Unbelievable. Just UNBELIEVABLE!� she screamed.

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

�So where�s this gold at?� Zoro said, eager to get the subject on anything other than musical instruments having children.

�It will be at the end of the tunnel,� Luffy answered simply, because he had just decided that was where it would be and the universe rarely corrected him on these matters.

�The tunnels don�t end,� Zoro argued. �They just turn into new tunnels. Isn�t this whole thing a nest? That�s what that witch said, isn�t it?�

�She�s not a witch! Zoro what is you�re trauma?! If you have a problem with another crew member and you can�t fix it yourself, then tell me about it. This has been going since she got on the boat, and at first yeah, I got it, but after all this time? She�s proved herself.�

�How so?� Zoro retorted.

Usopp kept wisely silent.

�C�mon, Zoro. She�s Robin! What�s she gonna do, kill us all in our sleep?�

�She specializes in it, after all.�

Luffy scowled at him. �That�s not funny.�

�It�s not meant to be,� Zoro snapped back. �What the hell gives you the impression that she�s suddenly a saint because she�s riding under different colors? She�s not one of us. You didn�t hand-pick her! You just let her stay when she intruded.�

�I didn�t want a saint. I wanted a pirate!� Luffy shouted.

�She was NOT a pirate!�

�Neither were YOU!�

The tunnel grew quiet as Luffy�s shout hit the other man square in the chest. Zoro had stopped walking, but Usopp had moved ahead of the fighting.

Luffy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. �Neither were you, Zoro. You were the exact opposite. But I�ve never once considered you any less than my best friend. You�re my first mate, Zoro. You�re the best call I ever made. But you�re determined to make her into an imposter, no matter what. You weren�t a mistake. Why does she have to be?�

Zoro was stumped for an answer that wouldn�t sound jealous and stupid, so he looked at the wall defiantly like a man and didn�t say anything.

Luffy knew he�d won his case, but still needed to know, �Why are you mad at her? I don�t mean suspicious. I mean angry. It�s like you�re holding a grudge.�

Zoro rubbed his lips together and said, �It�s nothing. I just� with you like this I�m just� It�s nothing. I�ll stop.�

�You only get mad when I mention her. The rest of the time you�re oka-� he cut himself off and rolled his eyes. �I get it.�

Zoro reacted like a startled animal. �What? What do you get?�

�You�re so paranoid,� the rubber boy burst out with a laugh. �Just because you�re a nervous wreck and she�s quiet doesn�t mean she�s planning something. She�s not going to wander off with me if we�re left alone together, Zoro. She can�t replace you! And I�d tell you about any attack I had anyway if you asked me to!� He patted Zoro�s tummy like he�d done something worth rewarding. �You�re so funny!�

Zoro was stumped. Luffy hadn�t quite hit the nail on the head, but he had managed to assuage Zoro�s main fear. She couldn�t replace him! That meant Zoro was more to Luffy than any of the others were, right? �Or not right? It sounded right. Luffy�d noticed the possessiveness, even if he didn�t completely know the why behind it, and that was fine! He was laughing and treating Zoro like he�d done something adorable, and while that wasn�t what Zoro was going for, given they alternatives, it was just fine like this. It was ooookay!

Acting disgruntled, Zoro grumped out, �I was just��

�Protecting me. I know,� Luffy smiled. �Thank you Zoro, but there are things worth getting paranoid over, and then there are things that really aren�t. Okay?�

Zoro nodded, and as Luffy�s laughs died down, they turned to follow the direction Usopp had headed in. Despite everything, Zoro smiled.

Luffy had laughed. Even though it had been at Zoro�s own expense, Luffy had laughed. He�d looked carefree for the first time since finding the entrance to the nest.

But as the moment was left behind them, the little pirate�s composure began to slip again. He looked unsure and even frightened, but Zoro wasn�t about to ask what the matter was.

Mostly because he was starting to get the feeling that he knew. They walked for a while and didn�t hear anything before they came to a hole in the side of their tunnel, starting a sharp new tunnel while the one they were already in continued straight� and then forked off into two equally large tunnels.

Oh crap�

�Zoro? Can you call for them?� Luffy requested, and then covered his ears and got down low in the haramaki before Zoro let out a loud bellow of �Usopp! Robin!�

The call bounced off the walls way down to where sight ended, and they waited.

No answer came back.

Zoro tried again.

Same result.

Now Luffy began to fidget and shimmy around.

�Should we should go back the way we came?� Zoro asked, noting his captain�s growing distress.

�I don�t know� we know they went one of these ways, right?�

�Yeah.�

�So then they�ll have to come back one of these ways, right?�

�Unless they find another way, yeah.�

�Another way?�

Zoro shrugged.

Luffy shivered with cold and curled his feet up to Zoro�s tummy. �I� don�t think Robin would do that. She�ll know we got left behind. She�ll come back for us.�

Zoro wisely kept his mouth shut.

It was quiet for a few minutes, and it began to grow noticeably colder.

Luffy was shivering harder now.

At the risk of sounding �paranoid�, Zoro cupped his hands back around him. �You holding out alright?�

Luffy nodded forcibly. �Y-yeah. H-h-how long d-do ya th-th-hink they�ve-ve be-een gone?�

��Fifteen minutes, maybe.� Zoro looked down the tunnels again, and when he still didn�t see anyone, he looked back toward the way they�d come. �Listen Luffy��

�I should never have come in here,� Luffy whimpered, cutting Zoro off.

Zoro tried not to scoff, because he knew that Luffy was aware that kicking himself wouldn�t make the situation better. �Listen, Luffy we can�t afford to think things like that n-�

�No! I mean, I should never have come in here!� Luffy insisted again.

Zoro stopped arguing. ��What are you really saying, Luffy?�

Luffy sniffled, and Zoro realized that Luffy was crying again, but this time he honestly couldn�t think of a reason why.

�When I was l-little, I w-was growing up in F-f-Foosha mura with A-Ace, a-and-� he stopped here to take several deep breaths, then picked up again, sounding clearer. �And we had woods n-nearby the farmhouse that we would g-go into sometimes. This one time w-we found a cave underground, an-and we went into it together to explore. I was ten. Ace was thirteen. As we went, the cave t-turned out to be deeper than we�d thought, and soon I didn�t know how to get out anymore. Ace i-isn�t really that great with directions, either. But we were st-still n-n-near the surface, so we didn�t care. But then Ace fell. He slipped and fell down this steep incline, and I reached for him cuz I was made of r-rubber then, but the earth was loose and I fell d-down after him.

�I-it was dark at the bottom, and I couldn�t get hold of anything at the top, and it was too loose to climb, so w-we had to f-find another way. It was� I couldn�t stretch far enough to get to the top, so we had to find another way when we both knew there was no other way. We were too d-deep and I-I couldn�t stretch�� Luffy sobbed out.

Zoro knew this wasn�t a spectator sport, and eased him on, eager to hear more. �Why couldn�t you stretch? Was it that far?�

Luffy shook his head. �N-no. I-it wasn�t that far. I was just pathetic. I couldn�t really stretch that far without being pulled apart until I was fourteen.�

�What happened at fourteen?�

Luffy let out a mirthless laugh around his tears. �Puberty,� he answered, grudgingly. �I was a l-little later than the other boys on the island, and I thi-think I wanted to grow up f-faster than any of them. �Don�t know why p-puberty had to ha-happen first, anyway. Stupid.�

Zoro sighed. He supposed he could give Luffy some slack. �I was sixteen,� he admitted.

Luffy looked at him in surprise. �You were?� He felt Zoro�s abs and said again, in disbelief this time, �YOU were?�

Zoro nodded, and Luffy tilted his head. �Oh.�

It was all he said, but when he said it he sounded not so alone anymore in his not-so-abnormal sufferings.

�It wasn�t fun,� Zoro said. �I�ll tell you that much.�

Luffy giggled in a way that made Zoro�s stomach do flips. The first mate hated to bring it back to the former subject, but it was important that Luffy get through this. He�d come so far.

�So you couldn�t reach the top��

Luffy sobered up and tried to rub heat into his limbs again. �Yeah� I couldn�t reach. So we went to find an-another way. We didn�t find one, though. We just wandered forever. It felt like forever� un-until we got tired and had to stop. W-we stayed huddled together, because it was c-c-cold.�

He was quiet for several seconds before admitting in low tones. �I was scared. Ace was scared too, I think, but he didn�t act scared be-because he�s my nii-chan, you know? We didn�t have any food or water�. We were d-down there for four days before Mr. Tanner and his ox were out p-plowing a new field and fell through our ceiling. But I d-don�t think th-that�s gonna happen this t-t-time.�

He started to shake more violently with cold, and his crying wasn�t helping matter. Zoro encased him tightly in warmth. �We�re gonna get out of this, okay? It�s only been a few min- Usopp, where the hell did you go?�

Luffy spun around to see Usopp and Robin both jogging down the right tunnel.

Usopp started waving Zoro to move. �We need to go, come on!�

�What is it?� Luffy asked, but no one heard him, so Zoro had to repeat it.

�We�ve been gone too long,� Robin answered as Zoro fell into step beside her. �Do you feel how cold it�s gotten? That means the wind has picked up outside.�

�We need to get back to the Merry Go!� Usopp shouted unnecessarily.

�Wait!� Luffy voiced. �If we go back now, Nami�s gonna kill us!�

�We can�t stay here! And you just wanted to leave!� Zoro reminded.

�Not to die!� Luffy corrected vehemently.

Robin laughed her soft laugh as she ran with them. �Don�t worry about Koukaishi-san. I�m sure she�ll forgive us.�

Luffy grinned. �You mean�?�

Usopp jumped off a ledge and sang, �Robin found a ton of gold!�

�HONTO KA?!�

Robin glanced down at him. �I�m a pirate, too, you know!� she laughed.

Luffy laughed loud and long, excitement and joy rushing back with the return of his greatest treasures.
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