One Piece 1. Desire

_**I don't own anything, but you know that.**_

_**ZoLu pairing, maybe some side pairings. Haven't decided yet.**_

_**Set soon after Robin joins the crew.**_

_**Enjoy and Review Please! **_

* * *

It was another warm day out on the sea and the Going Merry was alive and buzzing with activity. Usually at this time, everyone was getting ready for lunch and sitting around the table discussing various bits of gossip, rumors, or jokes. Today however, the Straw-hat crew had decided to stay out on deck and discuss things in their little sects.

Nami and Chopper were listening to yet another tale of Ussop's greatest travels and dealings near the back of the ship, Sanji was in the kitchen cooking, Robin reading a mysterious looking book a few feet from the storyteller, and Zoro laying on the deck near the front by himself. For once, the captain was nowhere to be seen, or more appropriately, heard, but nobody really noticed.

Roronoa Zoro had been resting comfortably near the front of the Going Merry for nearly an hour, feeling the warm summer's breeze wash over him and the sounds of the waves lull him into a deep slumber, completely unaware that he was being watched. He was dreaming at the moment, but it was a cloudy dream. He couldn't tell exactly what he was seeing in his dream, because it kept switching between two fantasies, almost like someone was holding down the channel button on a remote, flickering from one reality to the next very quickly.

Just as he was beginning to catch a glimpse of one of the dreams, a loud crash came from directly behind Zoro, startling him into an attack position with one sword already unsheathed.

"ZORO what are you doing? It's LUNCH TIME!"

The captain had been sitting on top of the ship, watching his crew intently to better understand them while he waited for lunch to be ready, but most of his attention was focused on the sleeping first mate, though Luffy didn't know why exactly. As soon as he heard Sanji call for lunch, Luffy jumped down with extreme force to wake up Zoro before he missed out and starved until dinner. The first mate still hadn't gotten it through to his captain that he liked sleep much more than food, but then again Luffy did have a rather one track mind when it came to food, so no surprise there.

"LUFFY! I was enjoying my sleep you know!"

Before Zoro could further scold the boy, his captain was running top speed to the kitchen, and whatever delicious dish the ace chef had decided to cook today. Now the swordsman was grasping to remember what he could of the dreams, but could only see a single black sword and a straw hat. Deciding not to read too much into the dreams for now, he headed towards the kitchen and lunch.

After about a half hour of eating and drinking (mostly by Luffy, as usual), the Straw-hat pirates gathered around Nami to hear about her latest discovery and the pirates' next destination.

"I've heard rumors that Gold Roger often visited a place called Desire Island. We're on our way there now, but I was warned not to let everyone leave the ship at the same time. There should always be one person on the ship."

By now, everyone was wondering both where Nami had obtained her information, and what would happen if they did all leave the ship… Several hours went by with nothing too exciting happening. Zoro had started his training an hour after dinner and only now realized it was getting dark. Robin had gone back to her book, with nobody bothering to ask what she was reading. Ussop and chopper had been discussing the possibility of a Leviathan Frog devouring the ship and crew whole for the last twenty minutes, and Nami had trapped Luffy into a discussion about her share of One Piece. As usual, Sanji was preparing dinner, dreading the time when his captain would tear in and devour whatever masterpiece was currently in the works.

"So Luffy, 35 for me, 15 for you, and 10 to the rest of the crew… sounds fair right? I mean, without me there would be no way for you to even find One Piece, let alone become King of the Pirates."

Just as Luffy was about to accept her offer, Sanji yelled for dinner. The captain was so naïve, he didn't care about the treasure itself, he just wanted to wear the title of King as Gold Roger had done before him. Nami decided that Sanji would have to pay later for distracting the captain during her 'negotiations.' Oh how he would pay.

Everyone was gathered at the table for what would surely be a beautiful feast, as always. However, Sanji simply put a pot of soup in the middle of the table, passed out some spoons and bowls, and told em to dig in.

"We're running low on supplies at the moment, so soup will have to do until we can reach this Desire Island of Nami-chwan's. If the name is any indication, I think I'm gonna like this place."

Deciding he wasn't very hungry after a bowl of the stupid love cook's soup, Zoro silently stepped out onto the deck and walked over to the railing. He was trying to forget about the dream, but it irked him to think about Mihawk's sword and Luffy's hat in the same dream. Though he didn't know for sure whether he had seen them in the same dream or not.

Meanwhile back in the kitchen….

"God Zoro's such a weirdo. I mean, who leaves a warm kitchen with delicious food and all their friends to sit on the cold dark deck by themselves? sigh I guess men just can't be understood after all."

Noticing for the first time that Zoro had left, Luffy decided to check up on his first mate. Most people would walk straight up to their friend and ask what was going on, but recently Luffy had been trying to understand his crew from afar, not digging deep enough face-to-face. The Straw-hat captain snuck on top of the kitchen using his rubber-like arms quietly watching his first mate. Zoro seemed completely in thought at the moment, lost to the world, otherwise he probably would have heard the sound of Luffy's hat interrupt the breeze or some other ridiculous noise that was completely inaudible to any but Zoro.

Unable to shake the thoughts, Zoro decided to head to bed. He thought he saw something on top of the kitchen roof, but gave it up to his imagination and went below deck to clock out for the night. Recently, the Going Merry had been remodeled so that all seven of them had their own room, allowing for some level of privacy, not shared on most pirate ships.

About the same time, the rest of the crew exited the kitchen, their bodies warm from the dinner and their spirits warm from the wonderful conversation on how weird Zoro was. Nami took any opportunity to poke fun at the swordsman, but nobody else really disagreed with her, except for possibly the weirdest person on earth (Luffy), but he had strangely exited right after Zoro, a point Nami would make sure to note in her journal after everyone else was asleep.

It was Ussop's turn on watch for the night, and it had also been decided that he would stay behind on the ship during the expedition to Desire Island the next day so that he could get some rest, and also to heed the warning of Nami's mystery source.

Below deck, Zoro was having problems sleeping. He had thought that if he simply tried to go to sleep, the thoughts would drop out and he would wake up to another beautiful day within seconds. He was not so fortunate, and tossed and turned for several hours, unable to reach that resting stage.

Finally, he decided to head above deck, hoping the cool night air was enough to clear his head. Zoro had expected to find the deck deserted, but there against the railing was none other than Monkey D. Luffy. The swordsman decided to take a seat next to his hat-less captain, hoping that a conversation with Luffy would be enough to put his mind at ease.

"Luffy, what're you doing awake?"

"I couldn't sleep. I tried really hard to think of the biggest piece of meat ever, but even food wouldn't put me to sleep Zoro. Am I broken?"

"Haha no Luffy. I couldn't sleep either. Where's Ussop?"

"I don't know… I think he's on watch somewhere."

Deciding that Luffy was a bit out of his mind, well… he was acting like a normal person in his sleep deprived form, so that makes him odd, but strangely normal…

This was going to cause a headache more severe than that elusive dream.

Luffy was on the verge of passing out after several minutes of silence, and layed his head on the swordsman's shoulder. Zoro wrapped his arm around the captain's shoulder as he lay his own head on Luffy's. The two sat in this way for several minutes listening to the sound of the waves against the hull. They watched as the moon drifted across the sea of stars, until Zoro realized what was happening. He had been in a haze since coming to the deck, and assumed it to be another dream. Although he was comfortable and finally on the verge of meaningful rest, the swordsman jumped up from his sitting position. He nearly knocked Luffy over in his haste.

"uhh… I-I uhh… I'm gonna go to sleep… Night Luffy!"

Zoro raced below deck to his own room in a panic. Luffy had never seen him move so quickly before... in fact, it was probably faster than himself at dinner time. As the captain struggled to understand what exactly had just happened, he decided that sleep would lead to breakfast. Zoro was just so weird.

Meanwhile, Ussop had woken from his nap on top of the ship and noticed the strange couple below him. Nami would definitely reward him for this juicy peice of gossip. As Zoro suddenly stood up and practically ran below deck, it occurred to Ussop that being on watch might not be half as boring if this kept going on, and maybe much more profitable. Commenting to himself on how beautiful the night was, he drifted back to sleep as the captain headed to his own cabin below deck.

* * *

_**Alright… I think I'll leave it there for now.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed the story so far, I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.**_

_**Next Chapter - The next morning... won't spoil it, just read and review it!**_


	2. The Next Morning

_**This is the first new chapter in THREE YEARS!!**_

_**Please stick with it, the story will be completely fantastic (it's already mostly thought out!)**_

_**As always, I appreciate the reviews… they help me to update faster!! Thank You!**_

* * *

Closing his bedroom door quietly behind himself, Zoro slammed his back against its wooden frame.

How could he have been dumb enough to get close to Luffy in real life? It had seemed so much like every dream, so much so that he reacted as-if it was. Zoro had lost all grip on reality the second Luffy's head had touched his shoulder. The captain was obviously incapable of having any kind of relationship with any human being, let alone another man, and least of all Zoro. Besides that, he was just so damn innocent… that was part of the problem of course… it was somehow very attractive to the former pirate hunter.

Zoro beat himself up for several more minutes before putting on his pj's and heading to bed. As penance for his lack of self-control and discipline, he would do a minimum of 2,000 push-ups the next morning with a possibility of extra punishment depending on how many times these thoughts reoccurred in the process. Zoro curled up under the covers, but felt just as alert as he had before going upstairs. Unable to shut his brain off yet again, he kept replaying the scene with Luffy in his head.

'Damn Luffy for getting so close when I'm sleep deprived! Baka, baka, BAKA! At least Nami hadn't been on guard duty... I can only imagine the rumors that would fly.'

Not that the ship's navigator would ever stoop to such a lowly, manly job as guard duty. She had instead been doing the wake up calls until chopper came onboard. There was a certain event that had led to Nami giving up her duties as ship rooster… and Zoro grinned widely at the thought of it.

A seemingly infinite time went by where the first mate tried desperately not to dwell on thoughts of his captain, but he finally succumbed to the barrage of Luffys in his head. Almost instantly at the signal of his mental surrender, Zoro's eyelids became heavy and he began to slump as he had on deck. Something about Luffy just seemed to zap your strength, whether he was actually present or not. It was as-if his own enormous energy was generated by those around him.

Finally falling into a deep sleep, the swordsman began to dream…

* * *

_Morning…_

Tony Tony Chopper was excited to begin his rounds today. It was always much easier to wake the crew on landing day because the promise of new adventure and experiences was enough to lure them out of bed without too many beatings from the normally friendly reindeer doctor. To make things even easier, Chopper usually only had to wake Luffy to stir the rest. The captain's voice was loud enough to travel through walls and could probably be picked up on sonar… or by aliens in space. Ignoring the usual "Entry Fee: ten pounds of MEAT!" sign, Chopper entered the captain's quarters and proceeded to beat the crap out of Luffy, the only sure means of waking him. Rooster Duty (as Usopp had coined it) was an exercise in war; and the doctor had risen to the title of Surgeon General in his own mind.

Two people were rarely, if ever, included in the morning patrol because they woke even earlier than their reindeer crewmate. Nami and Robin had developed a habit of rising at dawn to sit on the deck with steaming hot coffee, and watch the sun rise over a fresh new batch of gossip. It was one of the few times in a typical day where anyone so much as heard from Robin, who tended to keep to herself. Nami was beyond ecstatic to have another woman on the ship to talk with. Between Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper, there was no shortage of communication among the small crew, but the navigator only participated in their conversations when absolutely necessary. There was no reason to senselessly lose brain cells with Robin onboard.

* * *

_Below Deck…_

As Chopper approached the swordsman's door, he was reminded of the event that had led to his current position as Ship Rooster. He wasn't going to think about it now, but the mere thought brought a smile to his face. Looking around, Tony noticed how cluttered and destroyed Zoro's room was. Nothing had a home and clothes were scattered all over the floor. The only things in their proper place were the three swords of Roronoa Zoro, except that the white one was missing? Chopper looked around for the missing weapon only to find it next to the sleeping first mate. Noticing his facial expression, the doctor determined that he must be dreaming… or perhaps having a nightmare? Unsure of what to do, Chopper sat on a reasonably clean spot of the ground to see if he could determine which it was.

There was no immediate need to wake Zoro… the rest of the crew was fighting for bathroom privileges and there was still several hours before they would land on the beach of Desire Island. It had just recently come into view according to Usopp, who was now catching up on his own sleep below deck. He would only be missing breakfast anyway, and Zoro seemed not to care much for food since the alcohol reserves had dried up anyway. As he focused on the sleeping figure's facial expressions, the doctor diagnosed his current status.

* * *

_Rolling around in Zoro's head…_

_-Heavy Breathing-_

_Zoro was running through the forest at top speed. He didn't know how he'd gotten there, or what he was looking for… but there was definitely a purpose. It was so dark that he couldn't see more than two feet in front of himself, not that it mattered. Zoro had navigated this treacherous pathway hundreds of times and no longer needed the light from the moon or stars. He seemed to run for hours before coming up on the grove he'd been searching for… the one where he and Kuina had dueled so many times before he was known as "pirate hunter" or "first mate." In fact, he hadn't even been a proper swordsman in those days…_

_Suddenly he was in his adolescent form holding a basic training sword. At the far end of the ring of trees was a figure he recognized all too well; that of his first training partner. Zoro dashed to close the gap between them in excitement when he noticed a straw hat upon her head. She was still facing with her back to the young boy, but Zoro was sure that Kuina was right there. _

_He called her name, but she didn't respond, and he seemed to be making less and less progress the closer he got. It was then that Zoro noticed she wasn't holding the sword he had always admired. It was laying discarded to her right along with the two broken swords he'd challenged Mihawk with back at the Baratie. Kuina turned around at that instant, black blade in hand as she leapt towards him and…._

"ZORO! ZORO WAKE UP!!"

The reindeer had managed to wake him in time to avoid that particular outcome, but it had only occurred to him to try when the swordsman was literally screaming. It was so strange because Zoro always slept so peacefully, never seeming even to dream. What could he possibly have been imagining?

As Zoro's eyes focused, he saw Chopper standing over him in heavy point form, shaking the poor swordsman like a rag doll. He quickly pushed the doctor away and jumped out of bed, ignoring the tear trails coming from his own eyes. The last thing he wanted to think about was that dream right now. It had been so different from the previous ones, but somehow more real than reality.

Chopper stopped him as he was ready to leave the room.

"At least it wasn't Nami waking you up today."

"Heh. After last time, I don't think that would ever happen again."

"You're right. That really was a brilliant plan Zoro."

* * *

_The past…_

Nami had been going out of her way to wake Zoro first lately, for no apparent reason. She would use anything to embarrass him and even added to his debt for the clutter in his room. The swordsman devised an ingenious plan to ruin all of Nami's fun forever… one night he slept naked.

The rest of the crew woke soon after she had walked in, making it unnecessary to complete her rounds; not that she was in any particular state to do so. Zoro had spent the rest of the day in Chopper's clinic for that trick. Nami could be more dangerous than all of Baroque Works put together when she wanted.

Chopper, being the ship's doctor, had seen all of his nakama without their clothing more than he could remember. He had to heal injuries in addition to performing his standard monthly physicals. You could never be too careful on the Grand Line. In passing one day, the navigator decided to poke fun at Chopper...

"Chopper, I don't know how you can stand to look at all that flesh every day and still feel as-if you have any sense of morals. Are you some kind of pervert? Hmmmmm??"

The reindeer chuckled, "Does it bother you to see a dog without clothing?"

He quickly made an escape before she boiled over… but he was too slow. Even jump point wouldn't have been enough to escape Nami's wrath. Apparently she didn't like being compared to a dog.

* * *

_The Present…_

"Chopper, can we keep this between us?" Zoro wiped the moisture from his face as he prepared to head for the shower. Hopefully the other idiots would be done fighting over it by now.

"Doctor-patient confidentiality. Try not to dwell on it Zoro, the meaning will likely reveal itself sooner than later."

"When did you get so smart?" Zoro said as he casually strolled down the corridor, likely towards a fight with Sanji. That's how it always went this early.

"Even if you say that I won't be happy, stupid human. A doctor should be versed in all forms of healing, mentally too."

With Rooster Duty completed for the day, the crew began preparing for their adventure on Desire Island, as Usopp informed Nami of some code red gossip.

* * *

_**Next Chapter - The crew arrives at Desire Island and Nami starts getting suspicious about certain people... What will happen? What is the meaning of the island? And how does Gold Roger fit into it all? Find out on the next piece of One Piece (sorry, couldn't help myself)!**_


	3. Island Adventures

_**Chapter THREE of Desire Island.**_

_**Don't quote me, but I'm figuring at about 7ish chapters for this story right now.**_

_**Please keep the reviews coming, they really motivate me to continue the story! **_

_**Enjoy, comment, suggest and ponder.**_

* * *

Two forks, one pancake.

"Back. Off. Chopper."

"No way Luffy, it's miiiiiiiine!"

"Oi you guys, don't be so selfish. The ladies only had one each. Would you like it Robin-chan, Nami-san?"

"STAY OUT OF IT SANJI!!" The two said in unison. They were having a standoff, both refusing to blink or move a single inch. Zoro hadn't joined the rest of the crew for breakfast, choosing to bathe last.

Usopp spoke up after a solid minute of gridlock.

"I got it! Why don't you two have an arm wrestling contest? That'll prove who wants it more for sure!"

They eagerly agreed, noticing that the last pancake was getting cold. They were evenly matched, with chopper in heavy point. When it looked like Luffy was about to take the advantage, Chopper quickly changed to his smaller form, grabbed the pancake, and dashed on deck with it.

"CHOPPER! GET BACK HERE WITH MY PANCAKE!!"

The captain was mere seconds behind him, and so began the Great Pancake Chase.

"Now that the animals are outside, let's get down to business." Sanji was eager to hear Nami's game plan for the day.

"Right, so we need three teams for today. Robin told me earlier that she would prefer to stay on the ship with Usopp. I was warned to leave at least one person behind, so two will be perfect. Robin's in charge, so follow her orders long-nose, and make sure to clean up while you're at it. There's a lot of dishes and that Zoro trashed his room again."

Usopp wasn't happy about it, but it was better than exploring a wild jungle island looking for treasure.

"Second, we need supplies. Luffy has no attention span and Zoro will probably take a nap if left alone, so I'll take them with me to hunt for treasure. That leaves Sanji and Chopper to gather food, herbs, and everything else we need."

Robin made a mental note that she was taking the two strongest fighters as her personal bodyguards, and would probably avoid any manual labor because of it.

Sanji was depressed that instead of being stuck alone with a beautiful, intelligent woman… he had to accompany a furry animal to pick flowers.

Usopp gave Nami a smirk. He had told her just before breakfast about his observations the night before and found it funny that she wanted to keep more personal tabs on the two of them. She had scolded the sniper for not overhearing their conversation, but it was enough. He had earned a larger percentage of the treasure for that info.

While everyone was analyzing Nami's motives, Zoro walked past, preparing the ship for landing. Luffy and Chopper had settled the chase, though it wasn't immediately clear who'd won. The navigator had quickly written a list of Usopp's chores and went above deck. She estimated at least two days of good weather and decided on the best spot to dock with the island.

_

* * *

An Hour Later…_

"Good luck everybody!" Robin was eager for the crew to leave so she could delve into one of her least studied books again. She made a mental note to pick up some new reading material at the next civilized island.

Team one consisted of Nami, Zoro, and Luffy. The first step was for Nami to finish the rough map she had started an hour before by exploring the island. During that time, they would look for landmarks, ruins, signs of civilization past or present, and of course treasure.

Team two was made up of Sanji and Chopper, formed for the sole purpose of gathering supplies. The doctor was still managing his supplies alright, but Sanji was always looking for new ingredients and species to experiment with.

Team three was just Robin reading a book and Usopp scrubbing the floor. The groups went their separate ways, dividing the island roughly in thirds.

_

* * *

Nami's Team_

"Naaaaaaami. I'm hungry." Luffy was dragging his feet and holding his stomach. The captain looked as though he could pass out any minute now. It seemed like they would have to take a break soon if the group was to gain any more ground today.

"Luffy, we only left the ship an hour ago. Show some more determination in front of your nakama! This isn't some vacation, we're on a mission." Nami's eyes had changed to the berry symbol as she chastised her captain.

There was a few minutes of silence when Luffy's stomach grumbled louder than before. Nami ignored it again.

"Naaaaaamiiiiiiiiiii….."

"No Luffy. One more hour, if you're good."

He started pouting. Zoro couldn't help but smile at the sight of his frown. That expression was just too damn cute. Nami took note.

_Thirty minutes later…_

"Naaaamiiiiiiiii…"

"What is it this time Luffy? It isn't time to stop yet."

"I'm bored, I don't wanna walk anymore. Why are we doing this again? I haven't seen anything but trees… where are the animals?"

"I don't know Luffy, we're making a map remember? Worry about your stomach later."

Zoro spoke up next:

"It is strange that there aren't any animals though, I haven't even seen a bird. This place is too quiet."

"Men, you always worry about the little things. Stay focused Zoro! We have to find that treasure! You too Luffy, don't slack off."

The three trudged onward for a while longer before breaking for lunch.

_

* * *

Sanji's Team_

The cook had been instructed not to separate from Chopper at any time on the island. Nobody was allowed to be alone according to Nami's source. So he stayed close behind the reindeer as he ran around picking various herbs and plants. Sanji had found several good spices to experiment with, but his main goal was meat.

"Oi Chopper, have you heard or smelled any animals around here? I need some meat for our fearless leader or he'll be in a bad mood."

The doctor hadn't taken any notice until now, but as he focused his senses, he realized that there was no sentient life in the area.

"I can't detect anything living Sanji, that's really strange, I hadn't noticed."

"Yeah… strange is right. We'll just have to get some fish I guess."

He sat down beneath a tree while Chopper studied another strange plant. He was deep in thought over this adventure. Something wasn't right about this island and Nami wasn't being specific about her source or their mission here. Why had she thought there was treasure here when nothing lived on the island? Why was it necessary for someone to be on the ship at all times? Why couldn't anyone be left alone? What did it all mean? Sanji was so caught up in his own mind that he didn't notice Chopper walk away.

"SANJIIIIIIII!! SAVE ME!!"

The cook leapt to his feet after Chopper. He was beginning to panic several minutes later.

"CHOPPER!! WHERE ARE YOU?? OI, SAY SOMETHING!"

Just when he started to think of the worst possible scenario, Sanji came across the doctor passed out on the ground. He was covered in webs, but the cook couldn't see any spiders in the trees. He decided to cut their expedition a little short and head back to Going Merry.

"Poor little guy, I wonder what happened to him."

_

* * *

Robin's Team_

"Long-Nose-kun,"

"What is it Robin?"

"You missed a spot."

"Still??"

"Please do it again."

She went back to reading her book while Usopp cleaned the same window for a 6th time. Who woulda thought that Robin could be such a slave driver??

_

* * *

Dusk…_

Sanji had come back early to get the campsite ready for dinner. Luffy demanded that they sleep on land whenever possible and nobody really disagreed with him. Chopper was still recovering from his earlier adventure, so nobody wanted to wake him before they had to.

Nami's team had also returned, with a completed map and a very moody captain. They had found no trace of meat the entire day and that tended to leave Luffy rather agitated. He wasn't speaking for once in his young life.

The most tragic moment however came when Sanji announced that he hadn't spotted a single fish in the waters around the island and that they were using up the last of their stores for dinner. Luffy was instantly crushed.

"SANJI!! What are we gonna do tomorrow?? I need MEAT!"

Again, Zoro couldn't help but smirk at his captain's one line train of thought.

"Yea cook, it'd be horrible if our poor captain withered to nothing on your vegetarian meals."

Luffy shivered at the thought of a no-meat diet and decided to eat his dinner quietly. He would savor this last piece of cow as-if it were the last one on the whole planet.

Nobody was really in good spirits that night as they usually would be after landing on a new island. They had found few food and medical supplies, no trace of civilization or treasure, and most confusing of all, no animal life.

Also, because of Nami's warning, the crew was split between sleeping onboard or on shore. Usopp was again on guard duty, having taken a short nap after Robin approved his 14th Windexing attempt. She had decided to remain on Merry in her own bed, rather than sleep on the grass out in the open air. Nami would have loved to do the same, but she wanted to spend the night keeping an eye on a certain swordsman in case he acted similarly to the night before. Usopp had clear instructions to gather information while she was sleeping.

As the crew settled into their sleeping bags, the fire began to dim and the night got even quieter. The stars drifted slowly across the night sky and the sounds of deep sleep became audible. That night, the dream hit Zoro more intensely than ever…

_**

* * *

To Be Continued…**_

_**Thanks for the feedback and reviews!**_


	4. Mirror, Mirror

**It took me nearly two months to get this chapter finished. I've been reworking the plot a little bit from its original form so I needed some time to plan.**

**I have a lot more excuses. None of them are good. I'll spare you. :]**

**Enjoy, and as always I appreciate the reviews, thank you!**

**

* * *

  
**

Zoro heard the unmistakable sound of swords clashing. It was getting more intense. The two opponents sounded as-if they were evenly matched. He could see nothing.

Slowly the swordsman became aware of his own body. Everything was dark, he couldn't even see his own hand. The ground was hardly tangible, but nonetheless Zoro started walking.

He seemed to be headed towards the battle, but there was no certainty in an environment absent of any sensory feedback. The clashing had gotten more ferocious and Zoro's ears began to sting. He loved to fight a strong opponent, but this was totally different.

It seemed to Zoro that he had been walking for a very long time. Being robbed of his senses, the swordsman couldn't even estimate how long that meant. Then there was a flash of light and a ten foot mirror appeared in front of the swordsman. The brilliance of the image reflected hurt his eyes.

It took nearly a minute for him to adjust. He could never have been prepared for what he saw. The first figure was an older version of Kuina with her single, white sword. She was fast. Kuina was fighting an opponent with two swords, most likely a man, but Zoro couldn't tell for certain yet. Every few minutes, the two would get within deadly close range of a finishing blow, but then the other would counter and the fighting resumed.

He watched in that way for a long time. It could have been minutes, or hours. All sense of time was lost to Zoro. His jaw dropped open as he caught a glimpse of the second warrior, so familiar and yet so foreign. As he came into full view, Zoro realized that it was his captain, Luffy.

He began desperately shouting at the fighters to stop. Zoro knew that he existed outside of their reality and that they couldn't hear his pleas, but he continued to yell, louder and louder, until his throat became sore. He banged against the glass with all his might but it wouldn't budge and the fighting continued. Feeling helpless, Zoro began to cry as he kept shouting. His voice was long past gone and he had had no luck in interacting with them, but he continued until the image began to blur. It faded all together leaving just a regular mirror reflection in its place.

It was then that Zoro noticed that he was naked. He took a few seconds to pull himself together as he stared at the image. But it began to change, slowly at first, and then drastically. What Zoro saw in the end was his naked self, a murderous gaze spread across his face and the bandana tied around his scalp. In his hands, the swordsman wielded Kuina's white blade covered in blood. His other two blades lay broken on the ground.

It was a lot to take in and Zoro tried to change the vision, but he had no further control over this world. The reflection reached behind his back and grabbed Luffy's straw hat, placing it on his head. It too was covered in a deep, rich red. In fact, everything was covered with it. The reflection spread a wide grin across his face, displaying more insanity than actual pleasure. He was intensely pleased with himself. Zoro sank to his knees and silently wept as he realized the extent of his powerlessness.

The mirror flashed and the sword's point came through, slowly crossing the gap to where Zoro kneeled. He had no desire to resist and simply sat in wait of what he knew would be a painless death. Then, a figure appeared behind the reflection in the now darkened mirror and a black blade sliced across his neck. Everything went black and Zoro again became unaware of his own body in the nothingness.

* * *

Nami woke to a series of shocking images. First and foremost, she was surrounded by small mounds of treasure. It took several minutes to take stock of the gold before anything else was considered. She didn't really care where it came from, just that it was hers.

Second, the navigator zoomed in on Zoro. There was years worth of blackmail and more than made up for the naked scare a few weeks back. The normally emotionless swordsman was crying in his sleep, and to make things even better, was cuddling a still unconscious Luffy in his arms. He seemed desperate not to let the boy go. Nami might have found it almost cute if Luffy wasn't drooling all over the place and snoring.

After jotting down some quick notes about the couple, Nami made her rounds of the rest of the campsite to find even more oddities. Sanji was laying in a pile of fresh fruits and vegetables, Chopper was surrounded by medicinals and herbs in glass jars of various sizes and shapes. Luffy's own sleeping bag had a small mountain of meat on top of it.

"Why would Luffy abandon a pile of fresh meat to cuddle with _Zoro _of all people? He'd rather eat than do ANYTHING in the whole world."

Nami took a break from spying on the crew to recount her treasure twice before hauling it back onto the ship to check in with Usopp.

_Going Merry..._

The sniper had been on guard duty all night, but briefly dozed off at some point. When he woke, his nakama were surrounded by various gifts and Zoro was holding a sleeping Luffy, though neither of them had moved.

"Oi, Nami's gonna be upset that I don't know how that happened. Maybe the treasure will put her in a better—"

"USOPP!"

_Sigh. Maybe not._

"Usopp what happened? Where did all this stuff come from?"

"Uhhh… well… We were attacked by pirates! They were tough, but still no match for my great skills! I plundered their ship killing every last man though they begged for their lives. After stealing all their precious cargo and putting it on shore with you guys to protect it, I destroyed their ship and returned to keep watch. I am afterall the Great Captain Usopp! Known throughout the seas as—"

"You fell asleep didn't you."

Usopp's head fell in shame, "Just for a little bit."

Nami was annoyed, she tried not to let it show.

"So you don't know how those two got that way then huh?"

"No. One minute, they were separate and sleeping like the rest of you, then the next Luffy was in Zoro's bed and he was crying. He hasn't stopped in the last hour."

"I see. I'm going to deal with some things on the ship and tomorrow night, I'll take watch. Somebody has to figure out what's really going on here."

_Meanwhile..._

As the two discussed further matters, Zoro woke up. Luffy instantly vanished and reappeared in his own sleeping bag and the swordsman nearly screamed out loud from the pain of his nightmare.

"—What the hell is going on?"

It wouldn't be long before he got the answer to that question.

* * *

**It's kind of short but that's okay. Hope you enjoyed.**

**To Be Continued Next Chapter in…**

_Just Another Day_


	5. Just Another Day

**There was some great feedback on the last chapter, so I've decided to focus exclusively on this story until it's finished! That means my other stories will have to sit on the backburner, but they've been there for a month already… sooo ehh.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The crew had been awake for about an hour when Sanji began making breakfast. Nami had insisted on eating it aboard the Merry so she could hold a meeting.

"Oi, everyone, breakfast is served. I didn't feel like anything fancy so it's oatmeal with some fried eggs. Enjoy."

"Thank you Sanji, now gather around everybody" said Nami.

Nobody was paying attention to the navigator yet. The crew had barely eaten anything the day before and devoured breakfast in just a couple minutes. It took Luffy less than one of course, but he insisted upon seconds, thirds, fourths, and so on till the cook lost count.

"Alright, now that breakfast is done, can we discuss some things?"

"Sure Nami, whatever you want." The captain was hardly present. He was so full that he could have fallen into nap mode on the spot.

"I want to talk about those gifts we found when we woke up. Usopp fell asleep so he doesn't know how they got there. We haven't seen another ship since we got here. Worst of all, there's nothing alive on this island as far as we can tell… so where did it come from?"

Luffy raised his hand, patiently waiting his turn.

"Luffy, you're the captain, you don't have to raise your hand."

"Oh, yeah. Ummmmm…. I already know how it got there."

"Whaa? You… do? How?"

"Isn't it obvious Nami? I can't believe you haven't figured it out yet. You're so smart too."

The navigator was getting frustrated.

"Spit it out Luffy."

"Well ya see… Me, Chopper and Usopp realized it this morning when we woke up. Who else could have brought them?"

She stared blankly at her captain as Chopper and Usopp sat quietly.

"You give up?"

"Yes Luffy, I give up. Please enlighten us oh wise Captain."

"Elves."

"…."

"Nami?"

"……….."

Usopp and Chopper simply nodded in agreement, patiently awaiting Nami's response. Her facial expression was still blank.

"…….."

Sanji and Zoro burst into laughter and Robin smirked from the corner of the table. She was used to her captain's logical train wrecks by now. The other two were just as bad if not worse. Chopper was extremely gullible and Usopp was all but a compulsive lair. These were part of the many reasons she had decided to join Luffy's crew.

After everyone had quieted down, all eyes were still on the navigator. She hadn't budged an inch.

"Luffy."

"Yes Nami?"

"It's July."

"Yep."

"Do you know what that means?"

"ummm…"

"Take a guess."

"That Santa is coming twice a year now?"

"It means… YOU'RE AN IDIOT! What kind of serious pirate captain believes in elves and Santa Clause?? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"

The room had broken into laughter again, all except for Chopper. The little reindeer's eyes had swollen to ridiculous proportions.

"Robin, what is she talking about? Santa Clause is real isn't he?"

Realizing her mistake, Nami decided to take Chopper into the next room to backtrack and save his innocence. Of course he would believe in Santa Clause. Only Nami knew that one of his secret dreams was to help the other reindeer to fly that giant sled.

"I'll be right back everyone. Meanwhile, figure it out and start putting that stuff away on the ship!"

_

* * *

An hour later…_

The Strawhats had finished storing and labeling supplies and were getting ready for their day.

Nami was taking note of weather conditions and making her morning predictions. She had a strange feeling about this place and found it hard to trust her own instincts. Everything in her experience said that tonight should be clear and calm, but there was something inside her insisting on a massive storm.

There seemed to be another consciousness inside of her, draining her energy, exercising independent thought, toying with her moods. Nami had only noticed that something wasn't right the day before when her team explored the island. She felt far more exhausted after the mapping than she should have. Mapping was a routine part of her job as navigator, and she'd had plenty of food and sleep the night before.

Nami thought it was strange, but a fluke. Surely if she rested, the exhaustion would go away and she could continue on like normal, right? That's what she'd thought until the previous night. She had dreamed, but of nothing in particular. She thought there was a distant sound, but mostly felt suppressed. Almost like there was someone inside of her dreaming and the embers of those memories had floated into her own subconscious.

Making everything worse, she had woken up dead tired that morning and eaten far more than normal. Coffee had no effect. The navigator was determined to save face and continue on as-if nothing was wrong. She wouldn't discuss this with any of her crew, and most likely it would resolve itself by the next night. Besides, maybe she'd wake up buried in even more treasure.

Deciding to get some fresh air, Nami wandered onto the island. She was making her rounds of the campsite when she noticed something just on the edge of it. A flash of color. She wandered closer to the trees and noticed that Luffy and Zoro were alone in a little clearing. Nami took cover behind a large rock and peeped as inconspicuously as possible.

_

* * *

From the beginning:_

Zoro wanted some alone time to make sense of the dream. He had decided to take a walk through the forest to find a quiet spot to think. He hadn't made it far before he was interrupted.

"OIIIIIIIIII! ZOROOOOOOO!!"

"Hey Luffy, what are you doing out here?"

"I came to get you Zoro! Where are you going?"

"I just need some time alone Luffy. It's important to me."

"But… Nami said not to wander off by yourself."

"I can take care of myself, captain."

*"I know, but…"*

"But what Luffy? You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I trust Zoro. But, I would worry about you."

"I'll stay close, I promise."

"Zoro, don't leave. Please."

"Why?"

"Because I need you. It's not the same when you aren't around. Even if you're asleep or alone, I like to see you nearby."

He was doing the puppy eyes. Zoro already had a problem refusing requests from Luffy, but the eyes. Why did he have to do that?

_Sigh._

"Alright Luffy, you win. I won't go off on my own, but I want to stay behind on the ship today while you guys do whatever. I really need some quiet time."

His captain smiled and nodded in agreement. As he turned to walk back to the ship, Luffy tripped on a tree's root and fell backwards. Zoro managed to catch him before he hit the ground. Nami smirked and ran away. The evidence just kept piling up. (She heard from the asterisks above, *)

* * *

Usopp had noticed a beach nearby from the lookout post. It wasn't on Nami's map, but the crew insisted on spending the day there. As the navigator struggled to figure out how she had forgot to chart it yesterday, Sanji and Chopper dug out some beach supplies. It was nice to sit by the water and do things near it, but half the crew was unable to go in the ocean due to devil fruit powers.

The girls worked on their tans while Sanji made drinks.

"Nami, have you seen the other three?"

"Nope."

"You aren't worried?"

"Nope."

"I wonder what they could be up to."

"Robin, take some time to relax. We're alone on a deserted island. How much trouble could they possibly get into…?"

"I think you just answered your own question."

"….."

"LUFFFFFFFYYYYYYY!"

_A little while later…_

Nami thought a healthy competition would be good for morale, so she suggested a volleyball match. Plus, Robin had scared her into keeping a close eye on her nakama. Even alone on an empty island, you never know the kind of trouble those three could start.

The teams were:

Luffy, Nami, Chopper

Vs

Sanji, Usopp, Robin

The match started without the use of special powers, but after Chopper's antlers popped two balls, the crew decided to let him transform. Robin wasn't doing much but assisting until they allowed her to use extra hands. The two teams were pretty evenly matched until Team Luffy pulled out their secret weapon:

The Chopper-Luffy Cannon.

Nami bumped the ball into the air, Luffy rebounded it off his head so hard that it became a speck. Finally, Chopper rumbled jumping point and spiked the ball hard.

Nobody tried to stop it. Needless to say, there was a hole in the beach and the game was over.

Robin approached Nami, "Good game miss navigator, are you alright?"

She had been smiling until she noticed Nami's expression. She seemed about to pass out.

"I'm… fine… Robin. Thank you. Just… a little... winded is all. I think I need… to sit down for a min…"

Nami fainted, but luckily Robin's arms were able to catch her mid-air. Sanji and Chopper were on top of them in a second while Luffy and Usopp celebrated. Even though they were on opposite teams, the two tended to gravitate towards each other in happy times.

* * *

The crew headed back to camp after Nami's fainting. She still hadn't regained consciousness and Chopper wanted to run some tests on her. Fortunately, the ship was only about a five minute walk from their current location. It was sunset and the cook was hesitant to start dinner. He had been planning a huge feast, but it wasn't the same if Nami didn't get to at least see how hard he worked for her. He was also reluctant to leave her side while Chopper examined the navigator, but Luffy demanded food, so he got to work.

Meanwhile on the ship, Zoro had had enough of "alone time." He hadn't been able to focus on the dream at all. Every time he tried to, his mind would wander off to something else against it's will. It was as-if something was trying to keep him away from that subject. He found it even harder to talk about it out loud than to think it. Like a word constantly on the tip of your tongue, he could only remember to about the second letter of whatever he was going to say before it was snatched away.

The crew was mostly on shore, except for Usopp who had taken up night duty for Nami and Robin who had said she wanted a shower. They were the only ones who hadn't started eating yet, though Robin regularly missed dinner, choosing to eat leftovers later at her leisure.

That night, she had forgotten one of her favorite books at the beach somehow and decided to head back for it. She left the shower running to give the water time to heat up. Usopp also wanted to head on shore, so he went to check with Robin. He heard the shower running from outside and assumed she was bathing. He stepped off the ship.

Merry Vanished.

The sky instantly shifted from calm and clear to tumultuous and stormy.

Nami opened her now turquoise-glowing eyes and stood straight up.

Luffy was struck by a similarly-colored lightning bolt from above.

* * *

_[I almost pulled a cliff-hanger right there… I don't deserve to make you guys suffer that much though!]_

The rain vanished along with the wind, but the sky showed no signs of clearing. The distant rumble of thunder continued in the background.

Then Nami spoke through a voice that was not her own.

"Thank you for returning me to my home, Strawhat Crew."

All eyes focused on the possessed Nami.

"Oh I'm sorry, I haven't properly introduced myself yet have I? Oh…"

The crew followed her eyes to Luffy. She was staring quite intently. They had completely forgotten about the lightning with their captain being made out of rubber.

"I see that you too have returned brother. Tell me, how does it feel to find a body capable of holding your spirit?"

"It feels good."

"Then shall we continue?"

"As soon as I find a weapon, sister."

"Of course."

**

* * *

It gets better, I'll update within a few days hopefully.**

**Please keep the reviews coming! Next chapter is going to be amazing if I do say so myself :]**

**Next Chapter:**

_Rival Sibling Spirits_


	6. Rival Sibling Spirits

_**It's been about three years since the last update… it seems to be my MO.**_

_**I'm going to attempt to finish this story today so that I don't screw things up again!**_

_**Enjoy and Review Please! **_

* * *

They had been going at it for at least a half hour now - Nami with the white sword in hand and Luffy with Zoro's other two. The swords had appeared in their hands without moving a single step and Zoro wasn't able to approach them. He had tried for a while just to get near Luffy, but with no success. Now he was silently kneeling on the ground with tears streaming out of his eyes.

Sanji had witnessed the complete emotional breakdown of Roronoa Zoro just a few minutes prior, and it had not been a pretty sight. The remaining Strawhats were now trying to come up with some answers without Nami, the self-proclaimed brain behind their operations.

"Sanji make them stop!"

He wished he could oblige, but the little reindeer was not the only one worried about his nakama.

"Just calm down Chopper, we need to stay level headed and figure out what to do here."

Nico Robin normally kept to herself and only acted when called upon, but with this lot, she figured they were doomed if she didn't take charge. Sanji was too emotionally involved and Chopper and Usopp were all but useless in situations like this one.

"I should be able to touch them. I can create arms on anyone or anything that I can see. Perhaps if I can get the swords out of their hands…"

"Absolutely not Robin!" Sanji had a very serious look on his face; one that Robin had seen only sparingly during her time aboard the Strawhat crew.

"What is your objection Mr. Cook?"

"My objection? My objection is that those two drew swords out of midair! If you take their weapons away, they'll probably just bring them back. I know you can be hurt if your arms are attacked."

Robin was ready to pick up the argument again when she noticed Chopper in the distance heading towards the forest. Sanji quickly followed her eyes to the fading reindeer and together with Usopp the three ran towards him.

* * *

_Earlier…_

'I can't get to Luffy… why can't I get to him!'

Zoro had tried everything he could think of to get closer to the fighting crewmates. It was some force that kept him away, not like a solid barrier. At least if there was something tangible stopping him, he could pound his fists against it and let out some frustration, but this was worse.

"Luffy!" The swordsman took a running sprint directly for his captain only to find himself tripping over his own feet at the usual distance. They just went dead as he approached the fighters. Zoro tried crawling towards the two with just his arms, but found that they ran into the same problem.

It was then that famous Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, first mate of the Strawhats broke down. The entire crew was witness to it, save Luffy and Nami whose attention never shifted from each other. His face buried in the grass, Zoro began to sob uncontrollably.

"Luffy… why did you leave me? You said it wasn't the same without me around… I need you Luffy. Come back… why did you leave me? Come back Luffy!" The rest was unintelligible. Although the onlookers felt that someone should go to Zoro's side, none volunteered. The whole scene was unfamiliar and downright uncomfortable for the group.

Zoro didn't move from that spot when the others headed into the forest. He hadn't actually taken notice of their departure, nor would it have interested him if he had.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"Chopper! Oi Chopper, where are you going?" The Strawhats had been chasing down their doctor for quite some time, but he was keeping a fairly brisk pace. He briefly switched from brain point to walking point in order to cover more ground, but then reverted until Sanji and the others got closer.

Eventually, Chopper disappeared into a clearing with his nakama close behind. It took several seconds for their eyes to adjust to the new scenery. They hadn't emerged into an empty field as they had expected, but something entirely different.

"Robin… where are we?" Unfortunately for them, she was as clueless as the cook. More than a field, it seemed they had entered some sort of room or cave except the ceiling was not discernible so they might still be outside. There were gigantic mirrors growing randomly out of the ground and thick spider threads created a net between them. The ground was different too; it seemed to be covered in purple fluorite.

Usopp had been quiet through this whole encounter, not resorting to his humorous boasting. Chopper and Luffy were his usual backup and knew that Robin and Sanji were least likely among the crew to indulge in his jokes. After a few minutes of wandering, Usopp spotted Chopper and signaled the other two over. They watched from behind one mirror as Chopper stared deeply into another.

"You brought them as I requested?"

It was a deep, ominous voice emanating from the mirror in front of Chopper. The reindeer didn't seem to speak, but there was definitely communication happening between them.

"YOU LEFT ONE BEHIND!"

Chopper turned around in an instant and headed back towards the forest at full speed in walking point. He passed within inches of his crewmates, but didn't give them a second look. His eyes were the same color as those of Nami and Luffy. Not bothering to chase after him again, Sanji approached the mirror that Chopper had stood in front of ready to get some answers. One way or another.

* * *

_**Next Chapter – Clash**_


	7. Clash

_**This chapter is heavily focused on Chopper and his alternate forms. Feel free to research them in detail if you don't know them, but here's a quick rundown:**_

_**Regular Forms: brain, walking, heavy point**_

_**Rumble Forms: jumping, arm, horn, guard point**_

* * *

Chopper, or more precisely, the one occupying his body, had no problems figuring out who he had forgotten to bring alone. The one he served had intended for him to bring Zoro along, but he hadn't counted on the swordsman being so enveloped in the conflict between those two. He had mistakenly assumed that they were all following him through the forest.

This new body of his took some getting used to. He had never possessed a reindeer before, especially one with devil fruit powers. He had managed to figure out the transformation between walking and brain points, but he was still having trouble accessing other parts of the reflex memory in his host. For example, Tony Tony Chopper was more than capable of detecting exactly who had been following them in the forest, but scent was something that he had rarely used in any of the previous bodies.

As he rounded onto the path out of the forest, there was a distinct whistling from up above and then branches were falling fast towards him. Luffy descended from the tree tops, swords raised in a striking pose. Chopper picked up the pace, sprinting for the exit. He would have a distinct advantage in the open as he could likely move faster than any normal human. It was still a few hundred meters to the exit though and Luffy was gaining.

He cursed himself for being so helpless in this body designed for speed and quick maneuvering. Four legs was incredibly difficult to keep up with when most of his hosts had had only two, but he could have mastered it in an instant if the body would just surrender.

* * *

_Inside Chopper's mind…_

'You have to let me in. I don't think I can outrun him without your help.'

Chopper became aware of everything in that instant. Up until this point, he had quietly been defending against the probes in his mind, not really alert about his actions or the situation that they were in.

'Why would I help you? Give me my body back!'

'I can't do that right now… I have a mission to complete.'

'What mission?'

'I can't tell you about it. There's no time!'

'Then I guess you better figure out how to use four legs efficiently on your own.'

'We'll both die if you don't help me!'

Chopper retreated into himself, erecting as many mental barriers as he could muster. The invader was ready to attack those barricades more aggressively when…

* * *

_In the forest…_

'The exit! Finally!'

As chopper sprinted the last few steps to the exit, he became aware of his own foolishness. Luffy had been herding him to this point for an ambush. There at the point of salvation, Nami stood poised with white sword in hand to deliver the finishing blow.

He didn't have time to argue with the host any longer. At this point, it was do or die with an emphasis on the latter. Chopper hesitated for a second, barely dodging a carefully aimed blow from Luffy before charging headfirst towards the other assailant. When he was almost within striking distance, the reindeer quickly shifted to brain point and dodged a precision slash from Nami, ducking under her arm in time to shift once more.

"You let him get away sister! After him!"

The two were hot on his heels, but Chopper had the advantage out here. Even though he didn't have full control over his legs, the ground was more even in the open and thus less complicated. The reindeer made a bolt for Zoro when he realized that he had no means of bringing the man with him.

_Inside Chopper's mind…_

'Listen to me! If you don't help me here, you and the green-haired guy will both die!"

Chopper was noticeably disturbed by that statement. He could bear with losing his own life just to show this body-snatching trickster that he was no pushover, but his nakama were another story.

'What are you talking about?'

'Those two are after me with swords and I can't use your body well enough to escape with him in tow. He's unconscious so I'll have to carry him back with me.'

'I'm not helping you kidnap another one of my friends! Forget it!'

'You don't understand what's at stake here! Please trust me.'

'It's hard to trust someone that steals your body and uses it freely.'

The invader thought about this for a moment, trying to weigh all of his bargaining chips and which would sway the reindeer to his side.

'I won't need your body after we recover him. You can have it back as soon as I complete my mission.'

'That's not good enough. I want you out now.'

'My mission…'

'Tell me your mission and maybe I'll complete it for you. Depending on what it is.'

'I can't discuss it with outsiders.'

He could feel many emotions leaking out of Chopper's corner of the brain; obviously he was working at double speed to win this debate. There was a surprising lack of information spilling out from him though. The invader hadn't managed to even get his host's name yet, let alone any valuable kind of intel. In the course of their internal argument, Chopper had gotten careless and was grazed on his hind leg by one of Luffy's two blades. He immediately retreated outward, trying to gather as much concentration as he could. This blow would surely slow him down, but the next would end everything.

'Give me control of my body!'

'I already told you that I can't!'

'Let's make a compromise then. Give me control until we save Zoro and get safely into the forest and I'll go quietly back here until you're done.'

The invader was incredibly shocked at this arrangement. No host had ever been so resistant towards him, and he had certainly never negotiated with one. This proposed deal could mean serious shame for him if the host refused to submit afterwards, but he didn't have much choice at the moment.

'You don't even know what my mission is. It could be to kill all of your friends and many more for all you know.'

'It could be… I haven't totally discounted that… but we're both out of options right now and you're going to get us killed for sure.'

The invader couldn't help but smirk. It was true. He had no hope of completing this mission in his present condition. As quickly as he could muster the concentration, Chopper lunged back into control of his own body.

* * *

_In the clearing…_

If he had been any slower in reaching an agreement, they would have been struck by all three katana, but luckily Chopper was back. In a blindingly fast maneuver, the reindeer shifted to heavy point, knocking both assailants on the defensive before grabbing a rumble ball from his pack. The doctor immediately went to jumping point and made a mad dash for the unconscious Zoro.

He reached the man in a few seconds with Luffy and Nami still trying to catch up. Chopper could feel the invader trying to probe his brain for information of any kind, but he was even more protective of his body now that he knew about the invader. Chopper quickly shifted to horn point, scooping up Zoro in his antlers before sprinting back towards the forest. He turned to glance back in time to see two katana flying through the air, straight towards him.

* * *

_Sanji's group…_

"Answer me!"

Sanji slammed his foot into the glass mirror for the tenth time after he had been ignored. Robin and Usopp were taking target practice upon their own mirrors nearby, but they all seemed to be having the same luck.

"Shitty voice. I'm gonna chop you up and make stew when I find you."

Robin reported back that she had no luck with her mirror either. The two glanced over at Usopp who had stopped firing shots a while back. He was climbing on top of the mirror now, obviously looking for something.

"Long nose-kun."

"Yes Robin?"

"What are you doing up there?"

"Hm hm hm. You all doubt the intellect of the great Captain Usopp! Obviously there are people inside of these mirrors so I'm looking for the hatch."

Deciding to test out the sniper's theory, Sanji attacked the nearest mirror with full force. It crumbled to the ground.

"SANJI! Why did you do that? Don't you know it's seven years bad luck to break a mirror?"

"That's strange. Mirrors are supposed to shatter like glass, not crumble like rock. This must be some sort of naturally occurring phenomenon. Fascinating."

Leave it to Robin to admire the geological principles in a time like this. Either way, Usopp's theory didn't hold up to the test. The two looked towards him for the next solution.

"Hmmm…. I know! Of course, you both should have realized by now that these screens have switches on them! All we have to do is locate the proper switch."

Although they were both skeptical, Robin and Sanji began looking.

* * *

_Chopper…_

Chopper was too slow in switching to guard point. One of the blades had reached its target in the same leg he'd been scraped on earlier. They bounced a few feet closer to the forest before Chopper returned to heavy point. Pulling the sword out, Chopper prepared for the worst.

'Give me control!'

'I thought we agreed that I know my body better than you.'

'You might know your body better, but unless you have a few more surprises tucked up your sleeve, this is gonna come down to a fight. I might make a bad reindeer, but I've had dozens of human hosts. Your current form is much more human than the others.'

'I can't move that well right now…'

'I have experience with swords. I can probably defeat them.

Chopper reluctantly released control of his body to the invader. He couldn't think of anything left to do in this situation with his mobility severely decreased. The reindeer was also forced to admit that he had next to no experience with swords.

'Don't kill them. Please.'

'I couldn't if I wanted to.'

Luffy took point coming at Chopper now with only one blade. For the first time, the host shared information with his defender.

'Luffy is made of rubber! He can stretch any part of his body.'

He then shared every memory of Luffy in combat that he could recall along with the medical exams and treatments following those battles.

'So your name is Chopper and you're a doctor, huh?'

'Shit.' Chopper had given away far more than he had intended. Like a tangled web, many memories were liked together to provide an understanding as to the context of those shared visions.

All of that aside, the invader seemed to be telling the truth when he said he was skilled with a sword. Even with his leg injured, Chopper was able to deflect all of Luffy's blows. Nami circled around the back, attempting to take advantage of his blind spot, but the reindeer hybrid wasn't falling for it.

'To be honest, I expected them to be better at this. I'm not having any trouble blocking their attacks.'

'They must be up to something…'

It was then that Chopper noticed their real objective. Zoro was laying on the ground back where they had initially been struck, but they had slowly been driving him back towards the forest entrance. Nami had abandoned her attack in favor of an easier target.

Luffy had suddenly become a tornado of devastating blows, attacking more ferociously than either Chopper could have predicted. It left very few opportunities for a counter attack so they could get to Zoro. Running out of options, Chopper took control of his own body again and switched to Arm point.

'Shit, I don't have much time left on the rumble. I'll have to make this quick.'

Luffy's blade was having a minimal effect on the reindeer's now massive arms as he barreled towards Nami and the sleeping Zoro.

"Sister, look out! I can't stop him!"

At that moment, Nami raised her sword above her head, intent on striking down the sleeping swordsman. With a carefully aimed punch to the ground, Chopper quickly tackled her and fell next to Zoro. In that same maneuver, he swapped to heavy point and sprinted for the forest with Zoro in tow. The two did not bother to pursue, luckily for the Strawhats.

As the adrenaline began to fade, Chopper could feel the pain in his leg increase until it was a sharp, throbbing reminder of the wound. He probably wouldn't be able to make it at a jog, so he slowed to walking speed and continued forward, praying that the other two wouldn't resume their attack.

* * *

_**Hope you enjoyed! **_

_**I'm planning two more chapters, so how about a little incentive to finish it up ;)**_

_**Next Chapter - My Solution  
**_


End file.

One Piece, Adventure, Romance