Well, here we are again. Sorry for the wait, but I had quite a bit of trouble with this chapter. Quite a bit needed changing and my time has been sapped by my joint fanfiction Dramatic Differences with Plushie, my joint fic with VTM (not yet posted) and work and home troubles.

This chapter is dedicated to Zinfer. Please go and check out her drawings on deviantArt and videos on youtube. I've put a link in my profile for those interested. She's drawn fanart for Quest (its first fanart!) and it's totally awesome! Thanks so much Zinfer!

The Quest for the Gomu Gomu no Mi

Chapter 8: Bets, and Bitter Disappointment

"Look!" Luffy cried enthusiastically, practically flailing atop Merry's figurehead. "Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!"

"We looked the last five hundred times you told us to, Luffy!" Nami growled back, a vein pulsing in her forehead. "We are not going to look again!"

"But Naaammmmiiiii!" the boy whined, childishly. "LOOOOOOK!"

With an agitated sigh, the navigator turned away from her hyper captain to face the rest of the crew, who were evidently just as annoyed as she.

"Oh, lighten up," Zoro smirked, settling down against the railings near to Luffy. "He has a right to be excited."

Nami frowned at the lazy, good for nothing, stupid, mossy-headed… well, you get the picture. She soon found her anger dissipating though, as her eyes wandered to her joyful Captain. Zoro was right, after all. They were fast approaching Sandatei Peak, and would be docking within the hour.

"Hey, guys!" Luffy called, bouncing up and down, huge grin plastered to his face.

The crew knew it was coming… they were prepared… they wouldn't snap, no, not a chance.

"LOOOOOOOOK!"

SPLASH!

"Thank you, Sanji-kun," Nami crooned, smiling in relief as the annoyance that was her captain, vanished beneath the waves. "That's much better."

"Anything for you, my precious Nami-swan!" the cook replied, wiggling around like a sloppy noodle.

Nami had to admit, teaching Luffy to swim really had its benefits. If the brat got annoying, they could just toss him overboard to cool off. The most wonderful thing about it though, was that Luffy seemed to enjoy being kicked overboard, using it as an excuse to splash about for a while. His spirits had seemed so high since discovering that his curse had been removed, like an invisible weight had lifted from his shoulders.

They'd had quite a job keeping him out of the water at first, to the point where Zoro had simply secured an inflated ring to the ship with some rope and tossed to boy over, letting him float behind. They'd also got a nice selection of fish for dinner using Luffy as 'bait' that day.

"Do you think he can keep up with us?" Usopp asked suddenly, glancing over the railing. "We are sailing pretty fast."

"I doubt it," Nami replied with a shake of her head, eyes fixed on the island ahead. "He only learned to swim a little over two weeks ago, Usopp."

"Is that so?" Zoro asked with a smirk. "Then who's that?"

The straw hats blinked comically at the smirking swordsman before moving to the railing and following his gaze. In the water beside the ship was Luffy, swimming strongly beside the Going Merry, for now, anyway.

"Oi, Luffy!" Sanji called. "You think you can make it to the island?"

Swimming at the speed he was, Luffy didn't have a chance to reply without having to stop, and so simply kept swimming. The chef grinned, idly wondering if Luffy really would make it all the way. With his stamina it was pretty certain, whether he would beat Merry though was another story. Either way, the lengthy swim would calm him down.

Nami kept her eyes trained on the boy, before a sly grin crossed her features.

"Five thousand belli says he'll make it." she smirked.

"No way am I taking that bet," Zoro snorted, settling back down to nap. "Luffy's proven time and time again what he's capable of."

"I'll have to agree with Swordsman-san," Robin smiled, "Captain-san is full of surprises."

"No way am I betting!" Usopp cringed. "I still owe you three thousand from the last bet we made, Nami!"

"Me too!" Chopper whined, ducking behind Usopp's leg.

Nami frowned in aggravation. She could easily blackmail one of the boys to bet against her, but then, why bother with all the extra effort when she could always count on one love-sick idiot? A wicked smile crept onto her face, and the navigator turned her attention to the ship's cook.

"Ne, Sanji-kun," she cooed, voice pouty and best puppy-dog eyes in place. "You'll bet against me, right?"

The cook reeled back in horror as his mind was conflicted with decision. On one hand, his precious Nami was practically begging him to follow the request she had given, but on the other, if he did that he would be against her!

What was a love-cook to do?

"Please,Sanji-kun?"

Well, that was it for the blonde.

"It would be my pleasure, my heavenly angel!" he cried, wiggling around in typical noodle fashion. "And when you inevitably win, I will gladly pay you your well earned prize money and deliver you a delicious treat to celebrate!"

Nami smirked. Easy money.

The waters were fresh and pleasant, as Luffy continued to pump his arms forward, forcing his way across the light waves and attempting to keep up with Merry. He knew he couldn't, not yet anyway. Merry was an awesome ship, so she could out-swim him any time. He also wasn't quite as graceful in the water as some of the other crew members yet. He loved his new found swimming ability, but he often got distracted by something in the vast expanse of water, stopping completely, slowing down or losing his coordination. Either way though, he didn't care; he enjoyed being able to experience the free movement the sea granted.

With the water rushing in his ears, the young captain couldn't help but think of the island fast approaching. There, he would hopefully find his devil fruit, and with that would come the loss of his newfound swimming ability. He absently wondered if the crew would mind him postponing eating the fruit for a couple of weeks? After all, they wouldn't have to worry about him with the water. There was no doubt that the fruit was on the island. Of course it was, Shanks had said so.

Maybe he could take a couple of fruits? For his future crew… you never know who might want a devil fruit, and then he could have all sorts of crew members! Maybe he could get Sanji to eat a fruit that lets him clone himself? Then he could make twice as much food! That would be so awesome…

The young captain spluttered suddenly as a small wave splashed against his face, sucking the water up his nose and effectively slowing him down. By now his chest was starting to heave and his arms ache. It was strange to feel the limits normal bones offered. He'd tested his flexibility, and though he was still a good deal more flexible than the average person, his new limitation was quite a hindrance. Absently, as he picked up his pace again, tearing through the waters, he made a mental note to remember that, in case they encountered any trouble. He was used to the way his rubber body responded in battle, and though that little scuffle with Zoro had proven that he could still fight adequately, it had also been an eye opener for himself. His endurance and evasion had suffered quite badly at the loss of his devil fruit ability.

Luffy didn't have time to ponder on it any longer though, as he realised Merry was now sailing far in front of him. If he wanted to reach that island before he was thirty, he had to let his thoughts go and simply enjoy the swim while it lasted.

By the time they had reached the shore, Luffy was a considerable distance behind them. It was to be expected though, considering he had only been swimming for a few weeks. They took the rare opportunity of being together without Luffy to discuss the troubles on their minds. The boy was still a good fifteen minute swim from the island.

They settled in a quaint café only a few metres from the docks. Merry was still in open sight, and so when Luffy arrived, they would be able to see. They stayed quiet whilst they waited for their drinks to arrive. Sanji was the first to speak up.

"So, what if it's not here?"

"He seems pretty adamant it is." Zoro muttered back.

"Oh, you mean like that time he was adamant that the meat in the pantry told him to eat it?"

"That's different," Zoro reasoned, eyes narrowing a little at the chef. "He was drunk."

"All I'm saying is that we've pinned all our hopes on this island, Marimo." Sanji stated, settling beside Nami and pausing to take a sip of his tea. "What if the fruit isn't here? This doesn't exactly look like a 'devil fruit' paradise."

"I have to agree with Cook-san." Robin spoke softly, deep blue eyes scanning the area absently. "This island seems quite rural. Surely if there really was an abundance of devil fruits here, then surely there would be more pirates seeking them out?"

The straw hats paused to take a good look around. With its dusty roads and small, wooden houses, the town really didn't seem like anything special. Small boats dotted across the shore into the distance, suggesting that fishing was the population's main trade. There didn't appear to be many people and the island itself was a small one. People walked around in a lazy manner, as if they had all the time in the world and only soft chattering gossip from other people in the outdoor café floated through the air.

"Maybe it's a secret trade?" Usopp offered, smiling weakly. "I mean, Luffy got his information from Shanks, right?"

"When he was a kid," Sanji replied, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag. "It could have just been a story."

"Either way, we still have to search the island." Zoro spoke up, silently daring any of them to counter. "And if the fruit isn't here, then nothing will change. We'll sail on and Luffy will have to learn to live without it."

A blanket of heavy silence settled over the small group, thick and heavy. Soft splashes in the distance signalled Luffy's nearing approach and their dwindling time to discuss the possible pessimistic outcomes.

"He's happy," Chopper muttered softly, capturing the attention of the rest of the crew. "I mean, he misses his abilities, but he seems okay, and he's happy again. He's only had a few problems since it started, but Luffy's being strong for us, so we have to stay strong for him, ne?"

Soft grunts of approval followed the little reindeer's speech and he settled back, slurping his fruit juice through a straw. He had been worrying for his Captain, lately. When it all started, Luffy had come to him with breathing troubles. It had been a simple problem, really. When Luffy was made of rubbed, he was used to being apple to inhale more air and expand his ribcage, but now he was inhibited by the physical limitations of a regular human. It had only taken a couple of days for him to adjust, but it had gotten Chopper thinking. What if Luffy was in pain? They didn't really know what happened in that tent, or how Luffy's powers had been extracted, but what if it had let him in pain? What if his grinning Captain was really suffering? He had asked Luffy, and the teen had denied any such thing, but then Luffy had been worries about the crew doubting him. What if he had been lying? No, no… he couln't think like that. He should be trusting Luffy. Nevertheless, an extra check up surely wouldn't hurt his Captain now and again?

A wet slop signalled the arrival of said Captain as a tanned hand pulled the boy onto the dock beside the Merry Go. Nami ordered a drink and snack for Luffy as the rest of the crew made room for him at the table. The young captain walked over, sopping wet and physically spent. He panted heavily as he plopped into the chair between chopper and Zoro, grinning widely, chest heaving. Nami smirked and glanced to Sanji.

"Ne, I guess this means you're paying, right, Sanji-kun?"

"Of course, Nami-san!" Sanji cooed back, hands clasped under his chin, gazing at Nami adoringly.

Luffy said nothing, taking the time to catch his breath and rest from his rigorous 'work out'. The crew pretended not to notice, continuing the chat amongst themselves as their captain recovered from his latest exertion. When his breathing had softened to a shallow panting, they brought him into the conversation.

"So what now, Luffy?" Nami asked, leaning forward to rest her chin in her palm. "We don't know anything about this island except for the fact that it might have devil fruit on it and there was no information on the map I have."

"Well, I guess we should ask around." Luffy said, shrugging slightly. "Somebody might know where we could find the fruit."

"So the best bet would be if we split up and meet back in here in say… 4 hours?"

Nami turned to captain to see if he approved of the decision. An enthusiastic nod was her reply and with a grin the crew started to pair off.

"I'm going with Chopper!" Usopp cried, grabbing the little reindeer and pulling him closer to him. "He can use his nose to sniff out the fruit – he's great at that!"

"Shut up, bastard!" Chopper cried, as he pranced around, doing a little twirl around Usopp. "It doesn't make me happy at all that you said that!"

Usopp grinned at the doctor's expected reaction, as the rest of the crew chose their partners.

"It would be an honour to accompany a lady as beautiful as yourself Nami-san!"

"Sorry Sanji-kun," Nami drawled. "But I have to go with Luffy. If we let Zoro go with him, they'll probably end up on a different island, and he is the reason we're here after all."

Sanji pouted a little, love hearts deflating as nami moved to stand beside Luffy before a fresh burst of love hearts appeared. "I'll just accompany Robin-chwan!"

"I hate to disappoint you, Cook-san, but I'll be staying to watch the ship." Robin replied, smiling mischievously.

"Oh, so that means…" Sanji turned to the only crewmember remaining (consequently being Zoro) and both' eyes widened. "No way."

"There's no chance in hell I'm spending the day with dartboard-eyebrow over there!" Zoro spat.

"Likewise, Moss-head!" Sanji shot back, sneering back at Zoro.

The two stood opposite one another, face to face barely inches apart. Before Nami had a chance to intervene, Luffy came to her rescue.

"Hey Nami, are Zoro and Sanji gonna kiss?"

Needless to say, the crew burst into laughter as both the cook and swordsman shot apart blushing deep crimson before rushing at their captain demanding to know why he would even think such a thing.

Luffy just looked from one to the other in obvious confusion – what had he said wrong? A grin spread across the boys face as the shouting escalated into another argument between the swordsman and chef which only ended up mingling with the boisterous chatter from the rest of the crew. Soon he felt Nami tugging on his collar to get him to follow her as she muttered something about him not getting lost. His grin widened as the voices of his Nakama heading in their own directions floated to his ears.

"Marimo."

"Dumb blonde."

"Shitty swordsman!"

"Princess!"

"And then the great captain Usopp declared war on the entire army of giant swordfish!"

"WOW! That's so awesome!" Chopper cried in awe, starts sparking in his eyes. "What happened next?"

"I defeated them of course!"

"WOW!"

Luffy laughed softly as his nakama's voices faded into the background and Nami's tugs on his collar became a little more persistent. He had the greatest nakama ever!

Hours passed and by early afternoon, Sanji and Zoro had come across little to no civilisation. They had all been assigned an area of the island, hoping to find people that might know anything about the devil fruits, but so far the cook and swordsman had had no luck. Then again, it's not as if they'd been paying much attention anyway.

"Shit-head."

"Fuck-tard."

"Cabbage brains."

"Sissy."

"…what?"

"Sissy."

"I dare you to say that one more time."

Zoro knew by the way Sanji's eye twitched when he said that, if he spoke the insult one more time, the cook would attack.

"…sissy."

Then again, Zoro never really did mind a good fight with the shitty-cook.

The swordsman dodged as Sanji's black boot nearly connected with his face and at lightning speed unsheathed his swords, ready for the inevitable fight. He grinned around the sword in his mouth and the cook smirked back. They really did need this. With all of the trouble with Luffy lately, they'd had to avoid any battles and the tension had been building for a while.

Sanji in particular never realised how much he actually used to kick his captain. Having to control himself around the boy was starting to take its toll on the cook. It wasn't helping in the fact that Luffy seemed to actually be getting smarter (heaven forbid) and taking advantage of the situation by coming into the galley more often in search of food, knowing that he wouldn't be literally 'kicked' out.

"So are you going to start… or should I?" Zoro asked.

"Ladies first, Marimo." Sanji replied smirking.

"Exactly – make your move."

Sanji smirk instantly dropped as he ground his teeth around the cigarette between his lips. That was below the belt, and now, he was going to make that stupid, shitty, Marimo swordsman pay.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Chopper and Usopp, having chosen the opposite direction to Sanji and Zoro (considering how angry they had looked), had come across a small village that consisted of no more than 8 houses.

Both had dared to venture into each house only to find that they were deserted. They had then moved to search the area, as the wind blowing through the empty houses and making noises was creepy and neither of the boys wanted to stay any lponger than needed.

Usopp looked around at the marshy lands surrounding the village. Most of the plants looked pretty much dead and it all appeared juts a bit too spooky to the sharpshooter.

"H-Hey Chopper" he called, "It doesn't look like there anything here, how about we… what are you looking at?"

"I can smell them" Chopper replied, eyes distant as he stared at the ocean. "I don't know why I couldn't before - it must have been the wind."

"What?" Usopp asked curiously, "What can you smell?"

"Devil Fruits."

Nami groaned as Luffy started to sing another chorus of… whatever it was he was singing. They had been walking for what seemed like hours and the navigator's nerves were running short.

"Luffy," she ground out, "Stop. Singing."

"Huh?" Luffy noised, grinning at his navigator. "Why Nami? It's fun to sing! Why don't you join in?"

Nami shook her head and sighed. The duo had arrived at the main town on the island shortly after departing from the rest of the crew and had since been searching the town for any clues as to the whereabouts of the devil fruits. So far they had had no luck and Nami was pretty sure that if the day continued as it was currently going, her head would explode before they made it back to Merry.

A loud growl from beside her startled Nami from her thoughts and the navigator turned towards her captain who was sprawled across the ground.

"Oi, Luffy," she called, eyes slanting as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What's wrong?"

"So… hungry…" Luffy mumbled, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

Nami rolled her eyes; she should have known. Releasing a sigh she moved to grab the bag that Luffy had been carrying (courtesy of Nami's orders) and sit on a bench by the fountain in the centre of the town. She glanced back at her captain with a smirk and removed a small box from within the bag. Inside the small container sat one of Sanji's 'special' desserts, that he only ever made for Nami or Robin.

Luffy was on his knees at her side in less that a second with a line of droll hanging from his lips. Nami's smirk widened as she looked down at the delicacy in her hands. Truth be told, she had only asked Sanji to make it for her so that she could give it to Luffy when he got hungry, which she knew would inevitably happen.

Her eyes trailed back up to her captain, who was watching her hand like a hawk. Though she may not be able to get any money out of the boy, it certainly was fun to torture him a little sometimes. She clicked her fingers and pointed to the floor.

"Sit."

And Luffy sat.

"Have you been a good boy today, Luffy?"

Luffy nodded with a grin on his face.

"What do you say when you want something Luffy?"

The boy held his chin in though as a concentrated look crossed his features. A bright grin lit up his face and he turned back to Nami.

"Give it to me!"

"Wrong." Nami said, voice dull, eyes falling half lidded. She was not impressed.

The captain's smile fell as Nami took a small bite of the delicious looking dessert. Luffy seemed to be quite panicked now and Nami raised an eyebrow at the boy as he whined.

"Well?" she pressed.

"Um… you say… please?"

"Good boy Luffy – fetch!"

Nami threw the dessert into the air, knowing full well that Luffy would catch it. Sometimes she swore that boy would do anything for food. A laugh escaped her as he charged in the direction the food was heading and jumped up catching the sweet treat and downing it in one bite.

Unfortunately for him, he hadn't looked where he was landing and crashing straight into an old man walking through the streets. Nami jumped for her bench and ran over to where Luffy was dusting himself off. She clouted the boy over the head for not helping the old man and reached down to help him to his feet. Really, she hadn't expected anyone to be around. An hour ago the streets had cleared as the town settles for an afternoon 'siesta'. Since then only the odd person had passed by. It was just her luck that there would eb a frail old man standing in the spot her Captain landed.

"Don't you have something to say to this man, Luffy?" Nami asked angrily.

"Yeah," Luffy replied, frowning. "Don't get in my way next time, old man."

Another clout round the head and a one-sided screaming match later found the old man with an apology and Luffy with a headache.

"Come on, Luffy." Nami stated after a few more apologies to the old man. It was best to play it safe. The last thing they wanted was the people trying to chase them off the island. "We had better get back to searching."

"But nobody here knows anything about the devil fruit, Nami!" Luffy whined. "Let's go search in a different part of the island!"

The old man, who had started to make his way away from the two turned back around and cleared his throat.

"You young'uns say you're looking for them devil fruits?" he asked.

Luffy turned around to face the man and nodded. "Yeah, you know where we can find them?"

"Your not gonna find none o' them round these parts" he stated "Used to have a man comin' here an' sellin' em. He aint been 'round these parts for over two decades now! Not since that quake."

"A-Are you sure?" Nami asked in disbelief.

"I lived here my whole life, little lady." the old man replied. "There aint been one o' them fruits round here for a long time - doubt they'll be back either."

"Thanks…" Nami whispered before turning to Luffy, who had his back to her. "Luffy?"

"It's okay, Nami." Luffy spoke cheerfully, though she could tell it was forced. "We'll just try a different place. I don't really need to be rubber anyway… right?"

The tone in her captain's voice was far from convincing to the navigator, as she bit her bottom lip in frustration. Luffy had set his hopes so high for this island. Over the last weeks his careless façade had slipped a little and she knew that this had really been a crushing blow for him. He sounded so unsure right now and that was something that she just wasn't used to. Luffy was always the one to make solid decisions. He was a yes or no person. It was as simple as that, and to hear Luffy question himself like he just had was a hard thing to do. There was only one thing she could really do for him right now, and that was to agree.

"Right," she whispered back.

She slowly moved to touch Luffy shoulder, but the boy stepped forward and started to walk away from her.

"Luffy?"

"I need to think about some things."

That was al Nami needed to hear. Though Luffy was a naturally clingy person, craving human contact and friendship, even he sometimes needed a moment alone. With a resigned sigh she watched him go, eyes narrowing in thought, Slowly she turned back to the elderly man, still standing beside her.

"What did you mean by 'Quake'?" Nami asked, eyebrows rising in curiosity.

"Mm, terrible time, that." The old man croaked, stroking his beard absently. "Lost a lotta lives then. Lost a bit o' the island, too."

"You mean there was more of this island than there is now?"

"Yep, used to be a huge, rich place here, that man would come with them fruits, and people from all over the world flocked here to buy 'em. He was so rich, he's spend bundles in out taverns and inn's. Then the quake happened and that man disappeared."

"You mean, he died?"

"Don't know that, but I aint seen 'im is all I'm sayin'."

Nami frowned thoughtfully. On the map of the area, she had seen a small island, not far from Sandatei. Could it be…?

"E-Excuse me!" she called, heart beating. "Your island, it's now two smaller islands, isn't it?"

It was a long shot, but Nami had a feeling.

"We don't look at it that way, little lady," the man replied bitterly. "That place isn't ours any more."

"Thank you!" the navigator replied. That had been all she needed to know. There was still hope yet. She quickly headed back to the ship, itching to tell the others what she had found out. This would lift Luffy's spirits for sure.

By the time Nami made it back to the ship, the rest of the crew had arrived and were setting up for dinner. The sun was starting to dip over the horizon and the island was falling into silence. The crew curiously turned her way as she and she alone climbed onto the deck.

"Oi," Zoro called, "Where's Luffy?"

"Isn't he back yet?" Nami asked, blinking in surprise before sighing. "He said he wanted some time alone."

"What are you talking about woman?" Zoro asked, as his eyebrows knit together "Luffy never wants to be alone."

"Well he does now, alright!" Nami snapped back before sighing deeply and sitting at the table. "Something came up."

"Like?" Zoro pressed.

"We met a guy. He told us that the devil fruits haven't been around here for a long time – over two decades."

"Shit," the swordsman muttered, "Was he okay?"

Nami nodded slightly. Zoro studied her face for a few seconds before setting down the plates he had been laying out and heading for the dock.

"Hey!" Nami called "What do you think you're doing? He said he wanted some time alone!"

"Did he order us to stay away?" Zoro asked, raising an eyebrow as he climbed off the ship. Nami didn't reply and pursed her lips together angrily.

"I thought not." That was the last thing Zoro said before walking into the island in search of his captain.

"Hey, Sanji," Usopp asked as he watched Zoro disappear into the growing darkness, "You think he'll be okay? I mean he really does get lost a lot."

"He'll be fine," Sanji replied, as he moved to serve their dinner, quickly setting the table. "He's like a Luffy magnet or something – they find each other and get lost together."

The sharpshooter couldn't help but grin at the cook's reasoning and turned back to the direction Zoro had gone. A faint 'Nami-san! Robin-chan!' could be heard in the background as Sanji had gone to fetch the ladies for dinner and Usopp sighed deeply.

"Usopp?"

The liar looked down to see Chopper staring up at him.

"What is it Chopper?"

"Do you think Luffy's okay?"

A wide grin crossed Usopp's face and the sharpshooter turned to face the little reindeer fully.

"Of course he is!" he said, reaching down a hand to rest on Chopper's oversized hat. "I, the great captain Usopp would know, because once during one of my grand adventures on the mysterious island of-"

"What?" a sudden cry came from outside of the galley. "Are you serious?"

Chopper and Usopp exchanged quick glances before hurrying out. The story could wait. As they arrived, they saw Nami kneeling on the deck, a large map spread over the floorboards.

"You see?" she said, pointing the one of the small islands before running her finger over to another small dot not far from the first.

"So we're at the wrong island?" Sanji asked, eyes wide. "But those people near the dock, they said this place was 'Sandatei Peak'. It's even on the map!"

"Well, from what that old guy in the town told me, around twenty years ago, there was a terrible earthquake, and the island pretty much collapsed," she paused to slide her finger to the water between the two islands. "Right here."

"I see," Robin smiled, intense eyes scanning over the map before glancing back to the island. "And did this man offer any more information?"

"Mm," Nami noised. "He said that the devil fruits don't grow here, they were delivered."

"Eh? Delivered?" Usopp asked, "By who?"

"The old guy just called him 'that man'." Nami replied, shaking her head. "What if 'that man' is still selling them on that part of the island?"

"Ah!" Chopper squeaked, grabbing the edges of his worn hat and pulling them down, eyes bulging. "I could smell them! The wind direction changed and I could smell the devil fruits! I thought I was imagining it – could it be real, Nami?"

"Are you sure, Chopper?" Nami asked, eyes wide. "Are you sure it was a devil fruit you could smell?"

"Mm," the reindeer noised, nodding confidently, "I can still remember eating my own devil fruit. It's a unique scent, I couldn't describe it."

"Well then," Sanji spoke up, a grin slipping onto his face. "When Zoro and Luffy get back, it looks like we have a new lead!"

By the time the sky was dark, Zoro had finally found his wayward Captain. It was an accident really. He'd lost his footing in a small swamp-like area on the island not far from the docks (though of course he'd never admit that) and slipped into a small clearing. There was a large, clear water lagoon, and in the still of the settling night with not even the lightest breeze, the water almost looked like black glass. The illusion was destroyed when small ripples creased their way across the water, originating from the still form of the Merry Go's captain, standing in the middle of the lake.

The swordsman wanted to smile at his discovery, but instead a frown appeared on his face – just how long had Luffy been standing in that water? He had been missing for a good few hours now and it had taken Zoro an hour or so to find him.

The sky was now black with only a few stars sparkling dimly around the bright moon. The swordsman sighed deeply, but silently, not yet wanting to alert the boy to his presence. He crept a little closer, before removing his boots and swords and gently placing them on the ground. Luffy stayed still and silent, shoulder-deep in the crystal clear water, though Zoro could see the dim shadow of his hands, gently waving underneath. How must it have felt for Luffy to be able to move his arms in that body of water? Shaking his head, Zoro pushed those thoughts aside. It was neither the time nor the place. He moved forward and stepped into the water, wading through until he was beside his captain, Luffy looked up.

"Hey Zoro," the boy whispered, smiling softly, but genuinely.

"Hey Luffy," Zoro replied. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright."

"Nami told us about what the old geezer said about the devil fruits."

"Mm,"

"We have no other leads. If he's right, then you know we'll have to sail on without your devil fruit abilities."

"I know, and it's okay, Zoro."

Both fell silent for a short time before the swordsman shifted closer to Luffy, staring openly at him. Luffy seemed okay, but Zoro knew something was bothering him. The water was actually quite pleasant, not comfortably so, but not too cold, so if it took all night to get it out of him, the swordsman would be fine standing in the lagoon with his troubled captain.

"I don't think you're okay with this, Luffy."

"I am Zoro, really."

Luffy still wasn't looking at him, and the swordsman didn't like that at all. Luffy was a hands on, eye contact at all times person. Right now though, his eyes were fixed on his hand idly waving back and forth just below the water.

"I don't believe you."

"But I really don't mind that we didn't find the fruit - that's the problem, ne Zoro?"

"Eh?" Zoro noised, now quite confused. "If you're not upset, why would that be a problem?"

Luffy paused for a second, presumably in thought, his head tilting slightly as he turned to face Zoro, brow knit in confusion.

"I feel bad, because when I found out it wasn't here, I was happy."

"You were happy?" the swordsman repeated, crossing his arms across his chest. "So if you didn't want your powers back, then why did we come here?"

"But I do want my powers back!" Luffy said, crouching slightly and turning around, letting his legs lift of the shallow lagoons bottom, letting his body float in the water. "I really like swimming, Zoro."

"Ah."

Now it made sense. What a stupid, unselfish Captain he had. Did the boy honestly think the crew would think badly of him for feeling the way he did? They saw the elation on his face every time he hit the water and didn't sink.

"What would Zoro say if Luffy chose to be bale to swim, over being made of rubber?"

That question took Zoro off guard, but with the way Luffy had phrased it, it obviously wasn't a definite decision yet. He knew Luffy held his opinion in high regard, and so he intended to give it to him straight.

"Zoro wouldn't care." He replied, deliberately speaking of himself in third person, mimicking Luffy.

"But doesn't Zoro think Luffy's weaker?" the younger teen asked, glancing towards his first mate, eyebrows raised curiously.

"I think you're as strong as you've always been, Luffy. Whatever decision you make, is yours to make and nobody else's. I don't think any of us would be angry, or upset if you decided to give up looking for the fruit.

Luffy frowned thoughtfully before slowly it spread into a smile.

"Zoro's a good first mate."

"Damn straight."

Luffy laughed a little before turning his face up to the sky. The boy's eyes were distant as he gazed up at the moon hovering amongst the blackness.

"Is it what you want?" Zoro asked, suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Luffy replied curiously, blinking at his first mate

"I mean, you don't have to become rubber again just for us. We'll respect whatever decision you choose"

"I know that, I-"

Before Luffy had a chance to continue, a quiet rustling from the trees around them caught Zoro's attention. Usopp emerged from the surrounding foliage and the swordsman once again relaxed.

"Oi long-nose," Zoro grunted. "What are you doing here?"

"I c-came here to see my captain," Usopp stuttered, squeaking at a rustle of bushes behind him and scurrying closer to the waters edge, before clearing his throat and standing straight again. "Got a problem with that?"

Zoro watched with a raised eyebrow as Usopp's legs wobbled. He was impressed to say the least. The sharpshooter had made his way through the dark and spooky forest just to see if Luffy was okay.

"No problem here." he stated.

Usopp released a sigh of relief and inched closer to the boy still standing in the lake.

"You okay, Luffy?" he asked, grinning. "Dinner's been ready for a while, y'know! I had to defend your share from rabid dust bunnies! They took Zoro's though."

The swordsman's eyes narrowed in a promise of slow painful death if he returned to find no dinner. Usopp pretended not to see.

Luffy turned around with a small smile and stretched, shifting into motion as he waded out of the small lagoon. He shivered slightly as the chilly night air blew onto his drenched clothes, pausing only to wait for Zoro before the two made their way over to Usopp.

"I'm good!" he replied.

Suddenly he bent forward and shook like a dog sending sprays of water all over both Usopp and Zoro. Both men groaned before laughing and slinging and arm around their captain's shoulders.

"It'll be okay, Luffy." Usopp grinned. "We've got a new lead on the devil fruits, and it's a good one, too!"

"Huh?" Luffy said, "But that old guy said they weren't here any more."

"Well, we know there are no devil fruits on this island, because the island is only part of the big island it used to be!"

"What?" Zoro asked, "How do you know that?"

"Nami found it out from that old guy." Usopp replied. "The middle of this island collapsed after a huge earthquake and now even though they're still connected, the islands are separated by sea! We think that's where the devil fruits are, on the other island – Chopper could smell them!"

Luffy's eyes widened and a huge grin split his face.

"Really Usopp?" he said, practically bubbling with excitement. "You're not lying?"

"Nope!" The marksman's grin was genuine and Luffy whooped, pumping a fist into the air.

"That great! Zoro isn't that great?"

Luffy charged forward towards the ship which was now in view and Zoro turned towards Usopp.

"You had better not be lying." he warned.

Usopp just grinned; glad he could help, even if it was just a little. The two turned to leave after Luffy, charging after him once Usopp realised he was heading in the wrong direction.

I know, you hate me ;; oops? I'm really sorry for the late update, but extra long chappie to make people happy? So much needed changing in this that it wasn't even funny. Took me hours. Apologies for any typos. Thanks to all who review and don't forget to check out Quest's first piece of fanart by Zinfer. The ink is posted in my profile!