Foiled plans, new determination.

"So Usopp, you wouldn't happen to know of any small ships for sale would you?" As we were all enjoying a mean. Nami decided to ask a question most of us were thinking.

"Hum. Not that I can think of. The town is kind of small, so most of our boats are small fishers." Usopp the stops to think for a moment, before telling us where we may find one. " Your best bet would probably be the mansion on the hill over there. Ahhh I got to go, see you guys later!" Once he pointed towards said mansion, he seemed to remember something and took off.

Soon the trio of kids came by and did their little skit. And In the proses of, let us know that Usopp likes to go and lie to and flirt with the Lady of the mansion. After we all finish eating we made our way over to see if we can go about buying a ship.

"Shishishi, there you are Usopp. Can you call out that Kaya girl. We want to buy a boat."

"Are these friends of yours Usopp?" Came a soft voice from the girl sitting in a windowsill. 'Huh no wonder Usopp fell in love with this girl, she's adorable.' I can't help but think.

"Haha yes, they are my rivals at sea. They're the only ones to ever beat my fleet of eighty thousand men." He says in an over dramatic way. You can really tell he's just doing it for fun. Maybe he isn't actually lying to Kaya, but really just trying to cheer her up. Looks like I had him pegged wrong, I had really thought he was just trying to get Kaya to love him when I watched the anime.

"Really, hum, we'll any friends of yours can't be bad people. I'm Kaya the owner of this mansion. As for if we have any ships for sale, I'm pretty sure we have a caravel. You'll have to talk to Merry about the price." She said with a grace I'm sure didn't have in the anime. So premade change number three.

"Miss Kaya, you really shouldn't let the rift raft come and go like this. It unbecoming of a lady of your stature." Came the voice of a sketchy looking butler.

"Well Klahadore, as the owner of this house, may I not invite who I so please. It should be a right to do so as a lady of said 'stature.' Wouldn't you think?" She she asked in a quick and decisive manner.

As Klahadore goes to retort Kaya cuts him off. "Don't you have work to be done. I'm sure Marry will complain again if it's not done."

As he turns to leave it seems only me and my captain noticed the hatred burning in his eyes. Turning to Kaya I have to ask, I mean I have to know. "Miss Kaya, if you don't mind me asking, who was that man." And boy was I not prepared for the face she made.

"That was one of the butler's my father hired when he was alive. A truly awful man, before I started getting better he had tried to run all of my affairs. I would have gotten rid of him long ago if I could, but he had saved my father from pirates a few years ago. So in gratitude he gave him the job he has now. But the actual trouble is that my father wrote in his will that as long as he wanted Khaladore was entitled to a job for the rest of his life." Damn girl I just asked for his name, not his life story.

It seems Zorro has caught on as well. "You said before you got better? Did you have an illness or injury before."

"Yes I did. All of the doctors Merry brought in couldn't find anything wrong with me. All of them came to the conclusion that I was in a state of grief and my body had decided to give up." She pauses for a moment to take a drink of tea. "I didn't start getting better until Merry started fixing me a special diet, he said it was good for getting over depression. He makes it for me every day. And I've been a lot better since."

And know it seems everyone has caught on except Kaya herself. Usopp has a look of horror on his face as he pieced everything together. And Nami decides to make sure. "Miss Kaya, did you become sick before or after your parents died?"

"What do you mean. Of course it was befo." She stops mid sentence with her face losing all color. "Ohh god. You don't think." Unfortunately for her we all just grimace at her implied question.

"Captain." I call out to Luffy

"Yea John, Usopp, Nami watch after Kaya. Zorro let's go kick some ass. John you go and see if anyone else involved."

"Aye Captain" I hollered back as I walked to the north of the island, I'm not sure if that's where they are right now, but I know they're here somewhere. Shouldn't be much of a problem. Just can't let those two brothers get to close.

—______________________________________—

(With Luffy and Zorro)

As they made their way through the mansion Luffy and Zorro ran into a well dressed man, whom had a unique hairstyle in the shape of goat horns. "I'm sorry but this is private property, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." He said politely yet firm.

"Can't do that old man, Kaya needs our help, so if you would take us to Khaladore we will leave as fast as we can."Luffy said walking past Merry.

"Wait, what do you mean by Kaya needing help and what does Khaladore have to do with it?" He asks while quickening his pace to keep up.

Zorro responds to him. "It's too long of a story, let's just say that Kaya doesn't believe Khaladore is who he says he is. We're just here to make sure he's not a threat to her."

"I-i, hum just follow me. He went to his quarters lot long ago. Let's get this farce over with." He said not believing that Khaladore could be any danger.

Soon they made their way towards workers quarters . When they came to the right room, Merry nocked on the door. "Khaladore, there are some guests that need to speak to you."

"Understood Marry. I'll be out in a moment." Came an even voice behind the wall.

When the door opened Merry was expecting to move to a more appropriate room to talk. Not see an empty room with the sound of tearing flesh greeting him soon after. As he fell to the ground he couldn't help but hope the kids behind him stay safe. For Kaya's sake.

"I has thought I had more time to be honest. I knew I had been found out when you and that mobster watched me leave. Ehh it doesn't matter much, the plan just has to be sped up. Starting with both your heads." Khaladore draws out slowly while pushing up his glasses.

"Mind if I go first captain." When Zorro got a nod in return she drew her swords ready for a fight. She had remembered a few of the conversations she had with John on the way here. So she decided to start with her strongest attack. This isn't a duel, he isn't even worth the respect of a drawn out fight.

As she rushed forward saying in her head ' oni giri' swinging the two swords in her hands downwards and the one in her mouth horizontally. Khaladore used his movement technique just barely too late. When he came back into view he wore a slash on his chest, and missing part of his left hand.

"I'll make sure you die slow and painfully." He growled out. All the while Luffy with watching from the side.

I didn't take long before both fighters rushed back towards one another. With an enraged flurry of blows. Soon the both of them were littered with wounds, leaking blood in various places. As their fight came to a close they used their last attacks.

Kuro rushed forward at break neck speeds yelling out "Feline charge" flickering in and out of view before he swung both of his arms forward. (He had to of had more then one attack, let's just say this was one he had for single opponents.)

Zorro on the other hand held her ground till the last moment before lunging toward her opponent. 'Tora Gari' at the last moment both her swords were slung vertically before she came to a stop. With our looking back she made here way over to where Luffy was standing. "Come on captain let's go get the butler checked out before looking for John."

It was just after she finished talking that all of Kuro's 'swords' broke from the shear force of Zorro's strike. As he falls to the ground dead his last thoughts of of how unlucky he was for them to show up the day before his plan would have played out.

"Shishishi, good job Zorro, now I know the only ones I have to worry about are Usopp and Nami when they finally join us." Luffy grinned as dragged the goat headed man behind him by one of his feet.

Zorro just gave a grin to her captain. "Come on, let's get him some help before he gets any worse." She said while grabbing an arm so his head didn't drag on the floor.

"Shishishi, yea let's hurry I want to see how much meat John 'found' for us this time" both of them grinned at the reminder of their friends antics.

—______________________________________—

(Back with John)

Oh hey your back. I didn't feel you watching me for a while, it was nice, you should do it more you perverts. Any who, I'm currently patching up the wound on my stomach, and putting some pressure on my back. Now I'm sure your wondering how I got hurt ain't cha.

Well it's your fault for watching the fight you thought would be cooler.

In all seriousness though I'm not that hurt, and the only reason I am is because I was careless. I really should have expected the fat brother, Buchie I think, to lunge at me when I thought he was down. So that was my fault, but who would have expected Jango to have a hidden knife in one of his shoes. The fucker got a real good kick in when I was trying to fight with my knife.

And no, I didn't kill them all. Even though Jango is trash now, he really does a bit of good when he works for the marines. So I left most of them alive, except a few unlucky ones who bleed to death, and those two brothers. Yea, no mercy for those who attack me from behind.

Any way after a finished dressing my wounds the best I could I tie up all of the pirates and put them on there boat, soon after I smacked Jango awake and told him to leave. Well of course not before taking all of their money and most the supplies.

As I made my way back to town with the black cats fleeing as fast as they can behind me. I ran into Luffy and Zorro, who for some reason were looking at me in shock. "What is there something on my face.?"

"No not really, I just didn't expect you to really be able to get hurt until we went to the grand line." Damn it why did she have to say it like that. A right hit to my pride I tell you.

Grimacing, I respond. "Me either, that's why I got hurt. I shouldn't have been so confident. If I would've taken them seriously, I would have seen the sneak attacks coming."

"Hypocrite." Zorro snorts out. After looking over my injury's she turns away seeing that they're not as bad as they look.

"Shishishi, just don't do it again, come on let's get Kaya to look you over before we party. Usopp agreed to join us after Zorro beat Khaladore."

"Sounds good captain. And his name was Koro, he was a pirate with 16 million on his head. But for the other thing I'll have to count on the both of you. I had already had plans on asking you to help me train when we get a good ship. You don't mine do ya." I ask as we near the Kaya's mansion.

"Shishishi, of course, as long you help me with some stuff too. I thought of a new technique when Zorro and Koro were fighting." Luffy laughs out thinking on what he needs to to do.

"Hum." Zorro just nods while walking forward. Heh must if let her down a bit, that or she's just worried. You can never tell. Either way I'll figure something out.

Now that I have a plan. I may as well just enjoy the party, I'll leave everything else to future me. We'll leave here tomorrow I'm sure and I want to enjoy solid ground for as long as I can. I need some booze anyway, it's been a long day.

(Luffy, John and Zorro get their bounties next chapter, if you have any opinions on an alias for John let me know. If no one has any ideas I was thinking of "Gun Runner" because of the way he fought on shell island.)