First new Chapter in a couple years. A lot has happened since I last posted a chapter. I quit my job, went back to school, and indulged more into my gaming hobby. I still enjoy writing, but I don't find myself doing it often anymore, though I will try to rectify that for this and my other Stories

I don't own Once Piece. I do had figures, replicas, and posters, and the manga, but not the whole series.

The crew laid Kuro on the deck, confused as to why the man they fought the night before was drifting alone and injured, well more than he had been. Of course they didn't trust him and confiscated his cat claws, which had been left with him for whatever reason, before cuffing him. Kaya, acting as the ships doctor, began checking his wounds. Brook aided the young woman, telling her which injuries had come from his clash with the man, and which ones were fresh. The two could tell he hadn't been drifting for long, likely that his former crew decided it would be better to strand him in the middle of the ocean rather than deal with his wrath. After tending to his wound, the skeleton picked up the man and took him into the men's quarters, laying him on the couch that came with the ship.

While Kaya and Brook were dealing with the castaway pirate, Usopp and Carrot were painting the flag and sails. The Jolly Roger they had sailed under felt like an old friend they hadn't seen in forever, and were glad to raise it once again.

It was hours later when Kuro woke up. He was confused, seeing as the last thing he remembered was being thrown into the dinghy. After being defeated he had woken up sometime past midnight, he had no idea who bandaged him up, but it wasn't anyone on his crew, they didn't have a doctor at all. Still weak, he confronted Jango and the rest of his underlings, who didn't react with fear, but with anger. More than a few had blamed their defeat on him and his plan, Jango included. So with rage prevalent, the crew restrained him, beat on him, and set him adrift, leaving him his claws so he could at least attempt to fight off the seakings and marines.

Kuro tried to get up, noting that his hands were cuffed in front of him, and looked around. The room was unassuming and bare, a couple of couches, a few hung hammocks, and a few chests against the walls, definitely not Marines. He noticed a few people lying in the hammocks, though the blankets obscured his view of them. In the center of the room was what Kuro could only assume was the mast of the ship, a ladder up the side leading to a hatch. Seeing his escape, he climbed the ladder with great difficulty, before going through the hatch leading to the next floor up. With nothing interesting on the second level he continued to climb, opening another hatch to reveal the dark night sky. "Lovely evening isn't it." A voice said.

Jumping to face the person, Kuro didn't expect to see the Humming Swordsman sitting on the bow. His face became stern. "Why am I here?" He asked coldly.

Brook looked at the captive, ignoring his question. "You've been abandoned by your old crew, haven't you?" he said, stating it as a matter of fact.

"I don't have to answer to you! Now uncuff me!" Kuro yelled.

Brook grabbed his violin, which had been sitting nearby. "I'm afraid I can't do that. You are considered hostile by a majority of the crew. Just sit and relax, I'll play a tune." He said, beginning Bink's Sake. Kuro growled. He was furious that this man, the one who defeated him, was so nonchalant. He took a step toward the skeleton before hunching over in pain, his wounds aggravated by the rash movement. The musician stopped his song, and went to aid the man. "I better wake Kaya." He said off handedly.

Kuro's eyes widened in rage. "Why is she here!?" he screamed. He didn't want to rely on the girl he'd tried to kill.

Brook headed for the women's room. "She joined us to learn, to experience the world, something you could do as well." He said, disappearing through one of the ships doors.

Kuro scoffed. "As if I would join a rag tag group of misfits." Brook and Kaya then returned to the deck and proceeded to treat his wounds. When they were done, Kaya headed back to bed while Brook continued watch. Kuro, deciding to stay on deck, walked towards the stern of the ship, and lay against the galley's wall.

During the week since Kuro's rescue, the Strawhats landed on a strange island full of hybrid animals. After helping Gaimon, a man stuck in a treasure chest, realize he had been chasing an already found treasure, the crew set off again, wishing their new friend good luck.

The entire time Kuro sailed with the Strawhats, he secluded himself away from most of the crew, with Usopp avoiding him at all costs. The only two who tried to interact with the man were Kaya and Brook. He had to admit he enjoyed sailing on the sea without having to worry about running the ship, and his former ward had used her powers to create a chess set so he had something to kill time, typically playing against Brook. "Checkmate." The bespectacled man said, moving his queen to corner the skeletons king. While he would never admit it, he was glad for this distraction, and while he still wore the cuffs, he had healed enough to where he could move easily around the ship, of course he wasn't allowed in the women's cabin or storeroom, but the rest of the ship was pretty much free.

"Yohoho! You're incredible at this Kuro-san." Brook said, setting up the pieces again.

Kuro looked at the man. The skeleton had been trying these last few days to get him to open up a bit more. "I'm renowned for my tactical expertise; it's actually how I received my epithet." Kuro stated, his voice in a bored tone. He had learned a bit about this crew over the past couple of days, though not much. Usopp in particular was rather wary around him, his voice never rising above a whisper in the man's presence.

Kaya, who had been watching the match, looked at the man who had been her butler. "Klaha… I mean… Kuro." She hadn't quite gotten use to calling him by his real name. "Would you mind teaching me how to play?" she asked. She had never played chess, despite her father and Merry offering to teach her many times.

Kuro raised an eyebrow. This girl seemed different than the weak one he knew, and he wasn't just talking about the Devil Fruit. He sighed. He didn't want to spend ANY time with the girl, but she was persistent, and he couldn't exactly leave the ship. "Very well." He relented. Brook went below deck and Kaya took his spot opposite Kuro as said man went over how each piece moved, as well as the basic rules of the game. It didn't take long for her to get the grasp of it, so he decided to ask something that was on his mind. "Why are you being so nice? You and the skeleton are trying so hard to make me feel welcome, despite my past actions." He stated, he said moving a pawn, silently challenging her to a match.

Kaya took a moment to think of her answer, several moves being made. "Well, all I've known about you has been a lie, so I guess I want to know the real you. As for Brook, I think he saw someone who needed the sea, even if you didn't think so. You have seemed rather relaxed ever since you woke up." She moved a knight to take Kuro's rook.

Kuro hummed then responded. "So you want to know the real me? I'm a murderer and a thief, and if things had gone my way then you wouldn't even be standing here." he said calmly, using his bishop to take her knight.

Kaya just stared at him, unafraid. "That may be true, but I know you missed the sea. I saw you many times looking out at the horizon. So tell me, do you still want to give up life on the sea?" Her queen took his bishop.

Kuro couldn't answer. While he did want to escape the pirate life, those three years stuck on Gecko Island made him yearn for adventure. He began to think about his life at sea. Was he really tired of running from the Marines, or was he simply tired of dealing with underlings. He looked at the changed girl, she seemed so confidant and energetic, even though it had only been several days. "I'm not sure, I used to think I was just tired of being hunted, but now, being on the waves again, it has made me question my choice." He moved his queen to corner her king. "Check."

Kaya smiled. "You know… Usopp has told me that this crew doesn't care much about treasure, well besides Nami. Luffy values freedom above all else, and he'll do anything for nakama." She stated, using her only rook left to take his queen. "Check."

Kuro looked at the board, and sure enough, his king was directly in line with the Girl's rook. "Well played." He said, before using his bishop to take the rook. "Checkmate." He said. The girl looked down, noticing her king was trapped.

"I concede defeat." The girl said.

Kuro pushed his glasses up in his usual fashion. "You almost had me after taking my queen. I'm surprised I failed to notice such a play." He stated.

She giggled. "You were distracted; I have always been able to tell when you're distracted." Kuro stopped. He always though Kaya was a spoiled brat, never really taking the time to really notice or learn ANYTHING about her. Perhaps he should remedy that.

A loud boom went off near the front of the ship, then a moment later a rock formation exploded. Kuro looked and saw Usopp and the captain, Luffy he had learned, standing near a canon. Some words were exchanged, but he couldn't hear them.

Everyone had then retreated to the galley for lunch, but it wasn't long before they heard a shout. "Hey you pirates! What do you think you're doing trying to kill my bro?!"

Everyone went onto the deck to see what the commotion was about, even though there were four present who already knew. Kuro more out of curiosity rather that caring what had happened. The person on deck was a tan man, with a tattoo reading 'sea' under his left eyed. He had a blue hooded jacket, shades, and a dadao sword strapped to his lower back. Zoro, Luffy, Usopp, and Nami all recognized him of course, and decided to let things play out as they had before. "Hey Johnny! Funny seeing you here." Zoro called.

Johnny looked where Zoro was, surprise on his face. "Big bro Zoro! Please, help. Yosaku is sick!" he pleaded, rushing over to the side where his partner was lying in their boat. Yosaku was then brought on deck and Kaya rushed to him. She instantly realized what was wrong and used her powers to grow limes, as she was unsure if they had any in storage. As Yosaku was being treated, Johnny observed the rest of the crew. He was shocked at Wanda's, Carrot's, and Brook's appearances, but he was truly surprised when he saw the once dead Kuro. He pushed it to the side for the moment, deciding to ask later, and turned back to Zoro. "So big bro, I never expected you to join a pirate crew." He stated.

Yosaku then tried getting up, only to be forced down once again by Kaya. Most of the crew ignored it, instead focusing on the standing bounty hunter. "I got bored of bounty hunting. This idiot." He pointed at Luffy. "Convinced me to join him."

Johnny didn't question the answer and instead turned his attention to Yosaku. "Hey sis, you did a good job fixing him up!" he praised.

Kaya blushed a bit in embarrassment. "Well, he's not quite healed yet, it will be a couple more days before he'll make a full recovery. Though this does bring up the concerning lack of a chef we have on this ship." She stated.

Luffy, overhearing this, just laughed. "We're on our way to get one now. Hey Nami, what was the place called?" he asked the navigator.

Nami sighed. "It's called the Baratie. We're still a couple of days away."

Luffy nodded. "Great." He then turned toward the bounty hunters. "You two can join us. The food is really good." He said, beginning to drool, much to the women's disgust, as there was enough to form a puddle on deck. Johnny and Yosaku gladly accepted the offer and introduced themselves to the crewmembers they didn't know.

That night was Usopp's first night on watch duty. After everyone went to bed, he went to the galley, where Kuro had decided to spend his nights. Entering the spacious room, he saw the man of his ire sitting at the table, reading a book Kaya had gotten for him from the small library on the ship. The man looked at the sniper. "I was wondering when we'd talk. It has been almost a week." He stated calmly.

The long-nosed teen wasn't going to put up with any bull from the older man's mouth and slammed his fist on the table. "Listen Kuro, I don't know what you're planning, but I won't let you get away with it!"

Kuro placed a bookmark on the page and closed the book. "I have nothing planned. I know Kaya no longer has her fortune. I've been cuffed ever since I first awoke on this ship, which I never even planned to be on in the first place. This is all due to an unfortunate coincidence." He stated, retaining his calm expression.

Usopp couldn't fault the man. It all had been, in fact, by chance that he had been found by the Strawhats, and he hadn't done anything since being on the ship to warrant any sort of punishment. He shook his head to get rid of these thoughts, he couldn't trust Kuro. "Look, just stay away from Kaya. I don't know what will happen to you, so try not to anger anyone on this crew, cause we can and will defeat you again."

Kuro scoffed. "Do you take me for a fool? I know I can't win, even if I had my weapons and the element of surprise. Besides, it's not like I even want to fight, as I know I don't have anything to lose or gain."

Usopp studied the man, looking for any sign of deceit. Failing to notice any, he sighed. "Okay, I'll trust you just this once, but you won't get your weapons back, nor will you be allowed in the areas already restricted to you." He said, pulling out a key and placed it on the table. Kuro's eyes widened slightly in surprised. "Don't take this as a sign of friendship, cause I still can't stand you. However, on this crew we believe in an eye for an eye. You've already been beat once, so unless you start something again, you're in no danger from us."

Kuro returned to his stoic expression. "Understood, so this is a sort of ceasefire then?" he asked.

The teen got up and headed for the door. "Take it however you want, though I wouldn't expect anything to change." He said, exiting onto the deck to start his watch.

Kuro paused for a moment, just staring at the key. There was no way it actually went to his cuffs, nor could it have been Usopp's idea, perhaps it was influenced by Brook, Kaya, or even the captain himself. He wasn't going to look this gift horse in the mouth though, and slowly reached for the key. With some difficulty, he managed to get it in the lock and turn it; a soft click could be heard before the cuffs fell to the floor. The ex-pirate captain rubbed his wrists once they were free. He thought deeply for a moment before a thought came to him. "Perhaps I should stick around for a while. This crew certainly has charm, and I don't need to stress about every little decision. In fact, the whole crew has a sense of independency while working as one. Yes, this may just be a blessing in disguise."

It was a couple more days before the crew, plus guests, came into view of the Baratie. Everyone was on deck waiting to dock, when a Marine ship pulled up beside them. On the other ship was a man with pink hair, dressed in a fancy suit, a pair of knuckledusters on his fists. "I don't recognize the flag…" He trailed. Deciding to make contact he called over. "Hey! I am Marine Lieutenant Fullbody! Who's the captain of the ship? He yelled.

Luffy, acknowledging the question stepped forward. "I'm the captain!" he exclaimed proudly. "We raised our flag just a few days ago."

Fullbody looked over the assortment of people on the ship, noticing Johnny, Yosaku, and Kuro. Addressing the bounty hunters first he spoke. "You two are those small time bounty hunters aren't you? Finally got yourselves captured?" he taunted. They couldn't respond before he turned his attention to Kuro. "And aren't you the deceased captain Kuro, I'll have to report this to HQ." he stated.

The swordsman duo was angry. "Hey, don't mock us you bastard!" they yelled. Kuro showed no care, though he was worried about the possibility of marines actively hunting him again, and he didn't have any doppelgangers around this time.

Fullbody was about to respond, but he couldn't before his date, a rather attractive blond woman, came onto the deck. "Oh dear, don't bother with them, just focus on our date." She stated.

Fullbody smiled. "Anything for you." He said. He then turned to lead her back into the ships cabin, but before he left the deck he gave an order. "Sink their ship. It's an eyesore." The marine didn't even get a chance to respond before the lieutenant disappeared inside.

The marines quickly began to follow their commander's orders, preparing to sink the Going Merry. The canon fired. Luffy reacted quickly. "Oh no you don't!" he yelled, using shave to get in front of the cannonball, which he effortlessly caught, much to several peoples surprise on both ships. Many of the people on the Merry also noted that the marines had terrible aim, as their goal was to sink the ship but it was level with the deck. Luffy smiled. "I always wanted to try this." He stated, rearing his fist back. With all his strength he threw the cannonball straight at the hull of the marine ship, a large hole now where the impact was.

Kuro was dumbfounded, and was quick to voice his disbelief. "That was the signature technique of Garp the Fist. How can you do it?" He asked, staring at the Straw-hatted teen.

Luffy just looked at Kuro. "Gramps taught me." He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. The group just stayed silent, continuing to head to the floating restaurant, the navy ship still sinking.

Once inside the restaurant, the group found a rather big table, in order to accommodate the ten of them, as Johnny and Yosaku volunteered to watch their ship. A blond man came out of the kitchen, dressed in a fancy black suit. He spotted the group and walked over. "I was wondering when you guys were coming." He said before turning to the five woman. "Oh how you grace me with your presences my beautiful mellorines!" he said, his eyes turning into hearts and his legs spinning rapidly."

Luffy laughed at the cook's typical behavior. "Hey Sanji, meet our new crewmembers Kuina, Kaya, and Kuro!" Luffy said.

The group looked at him shocked, but Usopp and Kuro were both the most annoyed by the statement. "I'm/He's not joining your/the crew!" they both yelled. The rest were silent, watching the events between their captain and crewmate, all except Sanji who retreated to the kitchen.

Luffy just looked between them. "Why not?" he asked, picking his nose.

Kuro pushed up his glasses. "I was your enemy just one week ago! How can you call me a crewmate?" he asked.

"Yeah Luffy, I'm not sure that's a good idea." Usopp added.

"Robin and Franky were our enemies but we befriended them, besides Kaya seems alright with it." The rubber teen said, looking towards the blond girl, who could only nod. "See? She's fine with it. Plus it's not like we can just hand him over to the marines, we're pirates!" he exclaimed. No one could really fault his logic there, they couldn't take Kuro over to a marine base and not have to fight their way out, and those from the future knew that whenever Luffy decided someone was on the crew it was impossible to change his mind.

Kuro, however, refused to call another man captain, his pride keeping him from accepting the position. "I will not be your crewmate. I could very well take those swordsmen's dinghy and go off on my own." He stated.

"We'll follow you." Luffy said nonchalantly, shocking the former captain.

Carrot sighed. "You'd best give it up, Luffy won't stop for anything once he's called you nakama." Carrot explained.

Brook could only nod, adding his two cents. "It's true. If you leave, Luffy will chase. If you're forced to leave, he'll fight anyone to get you back. There is no chance for you to leave once he's decided. At least consider it, both of you." He said, directing the last part at Usopp as well. "Besides, I'm sure we all noticed how relaxed you've been ever since you woke up." He said, directing it once again at Kuro.

Kuro adjusted his glasses. "I have been more relaxed, though I believe that is due to the lack of responsibility I had as the Black Cat's captain or Kaya's butler. But in response to joining your crew. Why would I lower myself to be your subordinate when I have already been a very successful pirate captain?"

Luffy looked at him. "Why would you join?" Luffy parroted. "Cause you'd be free." He stated. Sanji then returned from the kitchen, balancing a large platter, containing many plates of food.

His words shocked Kuro. He assumed since it was a pirate crew he'd have to fight at some point, but if he was being honest with himself, he enjoyed a good fight every now and again. Plus, he wouldn't necessarily be ordered around, because if what he saw was true, everyone pulled their own weight on the crew. "I can't believe I'm actually considering this." He thought.

Before he could say anything further, the door burst open, and the soaked marine lieutenant walked in. He looked around for a moment before his eyes set on Luffy and he stomped over, grabbing Luffy by his vest. "You little punk! I'll arrest you!"

Sanji guessed what had happened and intervened. "Excuse me sir, but I'll have to ask you to step away from our customers." He said.

"Shut up waiter! Because of this brat, my date left me." Fullbody yelled.

Sanji got angry. "One, I am not a waiter, I am the sous chef, and two…" he kicked the man hard in the face, knocking him back to in front of the door. "I don't want you messing with my friends."

A burly man in an apron exited the washroom. He saw the downed marine and Sanji standing not too far away. "Sanji! Stop beating up the customers!" he yelled.

Sanji turned to his coworker. "He wasn't a customer Patty; he was bothering our actual customers." Sanji explained, which seemed to calm the man down a bit.

The door opened up again and another soaked and ragged looking man walked in. "Food… please." He begged.

Patty went over to the man. "Of course sir, how will you be paying?" The burly man asked.

"Will a bullet do?" the stranger said, brandishing a pistol.

Luffy smiled. He remembered this guy; he had never seen him after he beat Krieg. "He can join us!" Luffy called. Many of the Strawhats, both new and those who had joined in the future, were confused, though they didn't question their captain's choice.

Both men's eyes widened at the strange act of kindness. "Thank you." The man said before joining the group, not caring about a few strange appearances. He quickly sat down between Luffy and Kuro, then began eating.

Wanda decided to start a conversation with the man her captain invited, assuming he knew him from the first time around. "So, what's your name?" she asked.

"It's considered rude to not introduce yourself first, but if you must know its Gin." He said, swallowing a mouthful of food. The Strawhats then went around the table introducing themselves, Kuro going last. Gin's eyes widened. "You're Kuro of a Thousand Plans? How are you alive? News of your execution reached all over the East Blue." he asked rapidly. The rest of the crew wasn't really paying attention, instead deciding to have their own small conversations.

"I faked my death to get the Marines to stop pursuing me." Kuro stated calmly, sipping some tea that Sanji had brought to the table.

"Well, it's good to know you survived, Don Krieg was in a mood for weeks after the news, he was considering getting you to join the fleet before news reached us, something about how the strongest deserved to have the smartest beneath him." Gin said.

Kuro's brow twitched. "Like I would join that imbecile." He said, he never really liked Krieg, not just because of his underhanded tactics or overly cruel personality, Kuro hated how Krieg insulted the strategic arts with false cowardice. He truly hated the epithet of Foul Play and all it stood for.

Gin gave a laugh. "Yeah, I get it. The Don won't listen to anyone. I always thought the idea was pointless." He stated. Kuro gave a small grin at this.

"So what brings you here?" The older man asked.

Gin raised an eyebrow. "You mean other than hunger and Marines?" He asked rhetorically. Kuro gave a small nod. Gin sighed. "Well… two weeks ago Don Krieg decided to head for the Grand Line, to take the title of Pirate King." He said. The rest of the group quieted down, now paying attention. Gin's expression turned grave. "Nothing… Nothing in that cursed sea makes any sense… and the people, no… the beasts there are stronger than anyone in the Blues."

Luffy beamed. "That's how Paradise is." He stated, causing the shaking man to look at him with wide eyes.

"You call that hell Paradise?" Gin asked.

Zoro yawned. "People who've made it through the Grand Line move on to the New World, the strongest sea. Compared to that place, the first half really is Paradise."

Gin, Kuro, Kaya, and Kuina just looked at him. "How would you know?" The blue haired swordswoman asked.

Her green haired friend brought out Wado, holding the blade in front of him. He looked at it for a second before turning to his friend. "How much do you know about your family history?"

"Huh?" she questioned.

"The old man back at the village, your grandfather, Kozaburo, how much has he told you about where he came from?"

The girl looked down. "I never talked to him much. All I know about him is that he came from a faraway country before coming to the East Blue and founding the village."

Zoro sighed. "You're ancestor, a man named Shimotsuki Ryuma, was a powerful samurai from the country of Wano." He paused, not sure how much he should reveal. "Anyways, Wano is located in the New World, and it's famous for its powerful swordsmen and excellent swordsmiths. Like the forger of Shusui, Ryuma's blade, and your grandfather, who made Wado Ichimonji." He looked back at Kuina. "I often talked to the old man, trying to learn new ways to improve, or gain knowledge that will help me in the future. That's how I know about the New World." He finished. Everyone was silent, taking in everything he just said.

Kuina looked at her fellow swordsman. "You and I are talking more about this later." She stated.

The Santoryu master yawned. "There's nothing to talk about. Wano's an isolated country. There's no way to get information about it since no one's able to enter. Everything I know is general information from the old man, and he hasn't been there in over fifty years. If you want to know more, wait until we enter the New World, but we'll need to get a lot stronger to survive there."

Nami continued. "Zoro's right, the New World is home to the Four Emperors, the Minks, Giants, and the Fishmen. Even regular people in the New World are stronger than anyone in the Blues. Paradise on the other hand has Marine HQ, the seven Warlords, and supposedly the Revolutionaries. If Krieg wanted the title of Pirate King, he'd have to face all of these people and more. Not to mention the number of Devil Fruit users you'd run into on top of all the strange things that happen there."

Gin gulped, not wanting to think about everything he just learned. "So, the man who wiped us out?" he asked.

Usopp looked right at him. "More than likely a Warlord, as they tend to work alone, there are a couple with a few associates, and there are only two with full blown crews."

The ragged man's eyes widened before he slumped back. "No way, a warlord." He then turned to Nami. "You said there were a number of Devil Fruit users on the Grand Line, was that how that man cut our galleons?"

Zoro sat up. "Actually, if your fleet was cut, then that means you ran into the world's greatest swordsman Hawkeye Mihawk, a warlord like you guessed, but the only one who's completely human." He stated bluntly.

Gin slumped in his seat. "So we never had a chance."

"Nope!" Gin looked at the straw hat wearing teen. "The Grand Line requires strength, and Krieg has tried to cheat his way to strength with numbers, but never actually took the time to make sure his crew was strong enough to face the people even at the beginning of the Grand Line. I hate people like him."

The Krieg pirate looked down, not saying anything and began to eat. The Strawhats began to dig in as well after Sanji brought the last of the food, getting into their own conversations. After a few minutes Gin asked Nami one question. "The compass... Why wouldn't the compass we had work?"

Nami frowned. "Gin. Tell me exactly how you entered the Grand Line."

This confused the man. "We sailed straight south, through the calm belt."

Nami sighed. "Krieg really is an idiot. Pirates can't go through the calm belt. There's no wind, no sea currents, and the large amount of Seaking nests make it near impossible to traverse, I'm amazed you guys made it through, let alone a second time. As for why your compass didn't work, every island produces its own magnetic field. This causes normal compasses to be useless, and contributes to the weather patterns and sea currents."

Kuro's eyes widened. "So there is no way to sail straight through the Grand Line, you'd have to island hop to the end."

Nami nodded. "Exactly. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to finish my meal before Luffy finishes his." Both older pirates looked to the young captain to see him scarf down a huge amount of food. They saw him eyeing their plates and began to eat faster, not going to allow the rubber boy a chance to snatch their meals.

Once everyone had their fill, Gin said goodbye and Nami paid for the food, expecting to only be there a couple of days. Kaya, at Usopp's request, made a small sailboat for Gin, who thanked the crew for what they've done and sailed off towards Don Krieg.

The majority of the group headed back to the Merry after this, carrying some food for the two bounty hunters, while Luffy and Nami, asked to speak to the Owner. Sanji gladly led them to one of the upper floors where Zeff was.

The peg-legged chef looked at them with a frown. "So why do you brats want to speak with me?"

Nami stepped forward. "We are actually looking for a chef for our crew."

"Yeah, we want Sanji!" Luffy yelled.

Zeff raised an eyebrow. "You want that brat? Take him. He's been a pain in my ass for too long."

Sanji scoffed. "We both know you don't feel that way old man. Besides, I already knew I would be leaving with them."

It was Zeff's turn to scoff. "What do you mean, brat?"

The curly-browed chef sighed. "I haven't been entirely honest all these years. The three of us, plus roughly a dozen others, are from the future." He explained to his mentor, motioning between Nami, Luffy, and himself. Zeff opened his mouth but before any words could come out Sanji stopped him. "Devil fruits are crazy sometimes, and it wasn't a time Devil Fruit, even though we know one exists."

The older chef sighed. "So I guess you joined their crew before." He stated.

Sanji nodded. "Yeah, I did. Luffy actually blew a hole in the roof the first time, took three days to convince me, though I believe it had to do more with the fight against Krieg." He paused. "By the way, we're staying until Krieg comes."

Zeff stood up. "You think we'll be attacked?"

Luffy stepped forward. "We had one of Krieg's men eat with us, he left not long ago."

Nami nodded. "It is very likely Krieg will come, and probably try to take the ship."

Zeff looked at the two. "And you want your crew to fight his?" he asked.

The Strawhat captain nodded. "I won't let him attack you, as this place means a lot to Sanji, and I want Gin on my crew."

The orange haired navigator piped up again. "Not all of us are staying though. Krieg's force is weak with maybe three strong fighters. Luffy and Sanji will probably be enough, but a couple of our crewmates might stay behind. I have to head to my home island to take care of a few things, and will be taking our ship."

Sanji headed to the door. "I'll come explain some things later, just thought you should know about Krieg. Please don't let the others know I'm leaving, and I shouldn't have to say it, but the fewer people who know about where we came from the better."

"Then why tell me at all?" The older chef asked.

Sanji shrugged. "Events that happened in the future made me realize how much you mean to me. I felt like you should know." Seeing Zeff had nothing else to say, he turned to his crewmates. "Come on guys, I've already packed, I'm spending the next couple of nights on the Merry." He said as he left the room, followed by Luffy and Nami.

Once Luffy and Nami returned to the Merry, accompanied by Sanji, the first thing Nami did was call everyone to the galley. The Strawhats, Kuro, and even Johnny and Yosaku all entered the room, seeing Sanji. "Okay everyone, we now have a cook." Sanji waved. "However, we are going to stay by the Baratie for a couple of days."

A few people were confused, though Kuro was the one to speak up. "And pray tell why are we staying? The Marines know we're here, and they'll likely send someone to arrest us."

Zoro stood up. "Gin left earlier to meet up with his Captain, Don Krieg, and given what kind of pirate Krieg is, you shouldn't put it past him to attack this place. As for the Marines, they don't know our strength, and none of us have significant bounties except Brook and you. But as far as the Marine HQ is concerned, both of you are dead, and one report isn't exactly going to cause them to rush over here. Krieg is our main concern here." He told Kuro.

The ex-captain couldn't fault the swordsman's logic. He turned to Luffy. "I feel there's another reason you wish to stay." He said bluntly.

"I want Gin to join the crew, and we know where he'll be, and if I have to kick Krieg's ass, so be it." Luffy declared.

Nami deadpanned. "Right, well, aside from Krieg, we have another issue." She showed her tattoo of Arlong's flag. "For eight years now, I've been working for Arlong. I've been gathering treasure in order to buy back my village."

Kuro stood up. "I've heard enough! I refuse to go along with these ridiculous ideas. Krieg I can somewhat understand, but going after Arlong is guaranteed suicide." He headed to the door. "I ask my weapons be returned to me, I am taking the hunters dinghy and leaving." He walked out. Usopp had to stop Luffy from going after him.

He glared at his captain. "Listen Luffy, we can't chase him, you need to focus on Gin and stopping Arlong." He turned to Nami. "Continue."

Nami cleared her throat. "Now that that drama is over, Usopp's right. Krieg will be here in a couple of days and I need to head to Cocoyashi to turn my report in. Arlong has no idea I'm going to betray him, but the timing is awful. We need to split into two groups. One will stay here to fight Krieg then follow with the Merry Lamb, the other will come to Cocoyashi with me on the Merry."

Sangi lit a cigarette. Taking a puff he spoke. "Luffy and I are staying. The Baratie is my home, and Luffy wants to recruit Gin."

Zoro stepped forward. "I'll stay too. Krieg isn't tough, but I want to see if Mihawk is hunting."

Kaya spoke up too. "I'll stay, I don't know how to fight well, but I can make platforms and stuff to fight on."

Usopp glanced at Kaya worried. "Are you sure Kaya? Krieg is known to use poisons, I don't want your health to deteriorate again."

The blond girl looked to her brother figure and nodded. "I may not have much experience, but I think fighting inside the restaurant is a bad idea, so if I can help with my Devil fruit, I will."

Brook laughed. "That's the spirit Kaya! And since Krieg uses poison, I better stay, poison has no effect on me."

Nami smiled. "Then the rest of us will head to Cocoyashi in the next couple of days." She turned to the swordsman duo. "You two need to stay too. I fully expect you to know the way to Cocoyashi, so I'm relying on you to make sure the rest of the crew meets up with us ASAP when the fight with Krieg is over."

Both men smiled and nodded. "You got it Sis!" despite only knowing the crew for a couple of days, they had gotten into the habit of calling everyone Bro and Sis.

True to his word, Kuro left sometime in the middle of the night on Johnny's boat, his claws and Kaya's chess set being the only things missing from the Merry besides a small amount of supplies. After another two days waiting around, it was time for Nami to head home. She lowered the Merry Lamb into the water and moored it on the far side of the restaurant. The navigator headed back to the ship, the ones staying already off the ship. "Okay guys, we need to get going, I can't put it off any longer."

Her captain nodded. "I can already feel Gin's presence, you better get away."

The blond-haired cook looked at the crew's sniper. "Listen Usopp, you'd better do your damn best to keep these ladies safe. I know their capable themselves, but I expect you to watch their back."

Usopp smiled and gave him a thumb up. "For sure, just be sure you do the same for Kaya. That goes for all of you." He told the guys. Each nodded.

The Merry's anchor began to rise, and the sails unfurled. The caravel ship quickly headed off into the horizon. Seeing the ship a good distance away, Luffy turned to Zeff. "There's about 100 weak presences heading this way, Gin is among them." As he finished talking, the massive ship came into view through the fog a distance off, from the opposite direction the Merry headed.

Zeff looked at the teen. "I didn't know there were any Haki users in the East Blue." He stated. "Though I guess it has to do with what Sanji told me." The teen nodded.

Sanji sighed. "Come on old man, let's get cooking." He said leading the old chef into the restaurant.

While the two chefs were cooking, Luffy and Zoro stood at the door. They watched as the heavily damaged ship anchored. A dinghy lowered and approached the two. Once it was secured the two saw Gin help his captain walk towards the door. The straw hat wearing boy stepped in front of them. "Gin, good to see you again."

Gin smiled. "Good to see you as well, could you move out of the way, the Don here needs something to eat."

The purple haired pirate groaned. "Yes, food, water, please."

Zoro scoffed, not buying the lies. "No issue, the owner saw you coming and they're preparing food now, 100 servings for you and your crew."

At this moment, Zeff and Sanji came out, carrying a plate for Don and a large sack of food. Zeff looked at the weakened man. "Sorry for the wait, but we can't allow you in the restaurant. We have customers in there we'd like not to be spooked." He said, giving Krieg the plate. He quickly scarfed it down.

After the food was done, Krieg stood up. "Now that I'm full, this is a rather nice ship you've got here..." He grinned evilly. "I'll take it."

Gin's eyes widened, while everyone else remained calm. "Wait, Don. That wasn't the plan. These people, they're helping us."

The larger man smirked, completely disregarding his lieutenant. "Our ship is in disrepair. We need a new one, and with a ship as unassuming and silly as this, we can easily pull into ports."

Zeff growled. "Take the food and leave, if you don't we have no problems with fighting you off."

The Pirate captain snarled, then he recognized who he was talking too. You're Red Foot Zeff, the infamous pirate chef who sailed the Grand Line for a year." He looked down. "How far you've fallen. I guess losing your leg weakened you."

Zeff frowned. "Losing my leg was no matter, now take the food and go."

Krieg gained a nasty grin. "Now wait just one moment, you must have a log of your travels. With it, I could finally conquer the Grand Line."

Zeff scoffed. "You're an imbecile. That log is the story of me and my crew, it isn't yours to take."

The pirate growled. "Of course it is! There isn't anything I can't take! Once I have that log, I'll know everything the Grand Line can throw at us!" he then grabbed the food and headed back to his ship. As he was walking away he called back. "Try and stop us if you can, but I will take this ship and that log, so you should flee while you have the chance. I won't be so merciful when I come back." He then continued to head back to his ship.

Gin looked at the group. "I'm really sorry about this. I had no idea he would do this."

Luffy smiled. "No problem, it's not your fault your captains a jerk. By the way, why do you follow him?" He tilted his head.

Gin sighed. "He's strong, I use to be a small time thug, there weren't many from where I came from but I was the strongest. I protected the village from the shadows, using my strength to control those weaker than me, to stop them from doing anything stupid. I was unofficially the town's protector. Then he came, Don Krieg. He arrived on a stolen Marine ship and began his raid. I beat dozens of his men before he came and completely destroyed me. I'm lucky he didn't kill me, guess I was useful. Anyways, he forced me to join his crew, and I agreed, afraid to die." He stopped. "I should go, can't let the Don think I betrayed him." He turned around to follow his captain.

Luffy looked at the gruff pirate. "Hey Gin…" The man turned around. "When I beat Krieg… Why not join my crew?"

Gin's eyes widened. "Why would you want me? I'm loyal to Krieg, and you know nothing of my abilities!"

Luffy just shrugged. "You seem stronger than Krieg, and I know you aren't a bad guy… So why not get stronger at my side?"

Gin looked down. "I can't… I can't betray Krieg. Now if you excuse me, I need to go." He turned back around and followed after his captain.

Zoro sighed. "Let him go for now captain. I'll watch them, you tell Zeff to have the guests evacuate and send Kaya out here."

Luffy did so, everyone helping the patrons to their boats and getting ready for the attack. Kaya headed outside, ready to do what she spent the last couple of days practicing. She stuck her hand in the water. "Grove of Giant Lily pads" She whispered. Numerous lily pads, each one big and sturdy enough to hold a giant, created a battlefield on top of the ocean. She knew this would help greatly as Luffy, Brook, and herself couldn't risk falling into the water, and it provided space away from the floating restaurant for everyone to fight. While her role wouldn't put her on the front line, she was in more of a supporting position, replacing destroyed lily pads and as the medic, in case anyone got hurt.

Once Krieg's crew finished their meal, they jumped up, reenergized. Krieg stood in front of them all. "Men, we're in need of a new ship, and there's one ripe for the taken. Show those cooks no mercy! Get me the owner's Log Book as well!" His crew roared, drawing their weapons and heading for the water. Before any of them could jump, something slashed through their galleon.

Zoro smirked. The man he wanted to show had done exactly that. He was eager to test his skill against his old mentor.

Luffy looked to Brook and Sanji. "No matter what, do not interfere." Both nodded in understanding.

The sliced ship began crashing into the rather calm waters below, making it turn choppy. Zeff ordered Patty and another chef, Carne to raise the Baratie's anchor, lest it be sunk. Krieg's crew had jumped overboard as soon as the mighty vessel began to sink, coming up after a couple of moments. "Gah! Phu." One member of the Krieg pirate exclaimed as they came up for air. He turned to one of his crewmates that was climbing onto one of the giant plants. "What the hell happened?" But he received no answer. His crewmate stared off into the distance. He followed the man's gaze and paled. "It's him… That monster from the Grand Line followed us!" he yelled.

Everyone turned at those words, eyes landing on the small coffin shaped boat with a single man. He had a short, well-trimmed, black beard and mustache. His coat was open, revealing his chest, a cross necklace hanging around his neck. On top of his head was a wide-brimmed black hat with a large plume, shadowing his face. The man looked up, revealing his striking yellow eyes. Most of the pirates shivered, remembering the terror the man had wrote upon them. Zoro grinned. "Hawkeye…" He mumbled, before jumping across the lily pad platforms, approaching the warlord.

Hawkeye eyed the green-haired swordsman in curiosity. His Haki seemed to focus on this young man, as if there was something… familiar about him, but the older pirate couldn't recall from where. Both men were silent for a moment before Hawkeye stood, never taking his eye off the teen that peaked his interest. He scanned the area with his Haki, picking up on three other powerful presences, but they didn't matter for a moment. "You… what is your name?"

Everyone was stunned. Mihawk was known to never ask his opponents name, unless someone earned the man's respect. Zoro drew his blades. "My name is Roronoa Zoro, the man who WILL take your title."

Mihawk showed no reaction. "I admit, you seem stronger than most swordsmen I come across, but you must realize how foolish you are."

Zoro scoffed. "I may not be able to defeat you today, but if I didn't try…" His glare intensified. "I wouldn't be able to call myself a swordsman." Mihawk cracked a smile at this.

All of a sudden Mihawk drew his back blade Yoru and deflected a couple bullets aimed for his head, no one even had time to register the gunshots. To the side you could hear one of Krieg's underlings exclaim in shock. "What! I missed?!"

Hawkeye lazily turned his head to look at the weakling. "I deflected the bullets you fool. Do not get in the way again, lest our previous meeting look like heaven compared to what I will do should you not heed my warning." The pirates paled. Mihawk turned back to Zoro. "It seems as though fate brought us here today."

Zoro never took his eye off Mihawk, all three of his blades ready to fight. "I challenge you, Dracule Mihawk." He stated.

"Very well." His old mentor stated, bringing Yoru in front of him.

Zoro realized Mihawk considered him a challenge this time, as he was using his black blade, instead of the small knife he had before. He held his breath for a moment before dashing forward. He knew he couldn't hold back. "Leopard Spinning Shot!" He called. He spun rapidly and he lunged towards Mihawk, his blades forming a ball in front of him. Mihawk quickly swung Yoru up, redirecting the attack and sending Zoro flying. He smirked. When he reached the apex of his flight, he righted himself. "Ten Thousand and Eighty Caliber Phoenix!" He said, sending his strongest flying slash towards his old mentor.

This caught Mihawk by surprise for a moment, as he was in the East Blue, yet this swordsman was clearly New World Level. He smiled, visible for all to see, before responding. "Black Blade One Flash!" No one saw anything, but Zoro's attack dissipated.

Thanks to his Haki, Zoro was able to dodge the invisible slicing wind by quickly rotating his body. Each onlooker was stunned, as behind the green-haired swordsman, the clouds were cleaved in two. Zoro approached the platform and landed in a crouch position. He stood up, bringing his blades forward, each one adopting a black sheen. All of a sudden, it appeared as though he had grown two extra heads, and four extra arms. "Nine Sword Style: Demon Nine Flashes!" he yelled, lunging towards his opponent."

Mihawk was once again caught off-guard. Trusting his Haki, he again countered. "Black Blade Arc Moon!" Swinging with great speed, Mihawk intercepted each strike, until Zoro attacked with all of his blades one last time.

Everything came to a standstill. Though the battle lasted no longer than a minute, it was still a spectacle to behold. Yoru's point was being held at the back of Zoro's head. The Santoryu user's swords were strewn across the battlefield, having been knocked out of his hands after that last clash. What everyone was shocked about was the shallow cut that appeared on Mihawk's cheek. Zoro huffed before straightening out. "I lost huh? I still have a long way to go."

Mihawk didn't move as he responded. "You may have lost, but I concede first blood." He wiped a small bit of blood from his face with his free hand, holding it up to inspect it. "You're an interesting one Roronoa Zoro, having faced me and my blade. I am not a dishonorable man, so tell me… where do you wish to be cut down?" Everyone watching was silent.

Zoro slowly turned around, an intense look on his face. "I will not die. You may strike me across the chest, and I will carry the scar as proof of my challenge against you." He then held his arms out to the sides.

Mihawk's eyes widened again. Here was a man not afraid of death, boldly stating that he will get stronger. The warlord smiled. "Do you not wish to retreat?" he already knew the answer. It was clear this young man in front of him considered cowardice unforgivable, even if it meant his life would be spared.

Zoro laughed. "Should I back down now, I shall no longer be worthy to wield a sword, as I would have disgraced myself in front of the one I wish to overcome."

Mihawk could barely contain his glee. Finally, he found someone who he felt comradery with, as if they were cut from the same cloth. "Truer words could not be said this day. I look forward to our future meeting Roronoa. I will hold this title until a time comes that you take it from me." He said finally bringing his blade down, slashing diagonally from shoulder to waist. Zoro flew back from the slash, but laid on the platform. Mihawk sheathed his blade and turned to his boat, before suddenly feeling an overwhelming presence. "A Conqueror, in East Blue?" he thought, before he turned around locking eyes with the Straw hatted boy. "You, are you this man's captain?"

Luffy kept his gaze on the Warlord. "I am."

Mihawk looked the boy over. He didn't seem like much at first glance, but he was pulsing with power. He spoke after a moment. "What is your goal?" he asked.

"To become Pirate King." Luffy replied.

Mihawk grinned. "That is even more difficult than your companions."

Luffy nodded. "I will see it through." He said as if there was no doubt it would happen.

"You speak with such conviction… I wish you luck on your travels. May our paths cross again." Mihawk said, once again heading for his boat, only to stop when he heard a groan.

He looked toward Roronoa, as he shouldn't be up. He watched as the green haired man sat up, blood seeping from his would. "Luffy…" he huffed, his breathing hard. "I promise you… I will not lose again. Until the day comes that I take his title… I WILL NOT LOSE!" a wave washed over the area, causing a number of the Krieg pirates to faint. Luffy was surprised, as was Mihawk.

"Two… Two Conquerors! This crew will go far!" the Warlord mumbled, then paused. He grabbed Zoro's blades and laid them next to their master. "So long Zoro. I expect great things from you."

He was about to get in his boat, but Krieg called to him. "What's the matter Mihawk? I thought you came for my head."

The warlord sighed. "That was my intention at first, but I found something else to cure me of my boredom."

The East Blue pirate smirked. "Too bad! I'm not done with you!" He fired a barrage of bullets at the Warlord, creating splashes in the ocean. The spray obscured the two swordsmen from view. When the water settled, both had disappeared. Everyone looked around, not seeing the two anywhere. Luffy turned around and looked up. Those around him followed his gaze, seeing the man holding the ex-bounty hunter over his shoulder.

Mihawk glared at Krieg. "I will not let this man die such a disgraceful death as a stray bullet." He then turned to Luffy. "You have a doctor, correct?"

Luffy shook her head. "Only a nurse for the time being, she's right here." He said, pointing to Kaya.

Mihawk nodded. "Very well, I will allow you to handle this fool, as it is your crewmate he nearly shot." He then turned around and headed inside. Kaya quickly headed inside to treat Zoro.

Gin watched the man retreat into the building before turning to his captain. "Don, you can't seriously think this is a good idea. That man just fought HAWKEYE FUCKING MIHAWK and drew first blood! Not only that, he somehow knocked out nearly half of our crew without even touching them! Now you want to fight his CAPTAIN!?" Gin was freaking out having watched the clash, and their recent experience in the Grand Line made everything just seem impossible.

The large man looked to his Combat Commander. "Did you just say what I think you said Gin?" he asked. Gin was silent. Don continued his rant. "Cause if you're suggesting that we can't handle one straw-hatted brat, then I will kill you where you stand."

Gin paled. "No… of course not Don Krieg, he's just a scrawny kid." Gin managed to get out through gritted teeth. If his own captain would turn on him so easily, maybe he should have joined the kid.

Don smiled. "That's more I like it. Besides, once we kill Zeff, take his Log and this ship, we'll be unstoppable!" he exclaimed. He then shouted to his crew. "Those of you capable of moving, get going! Once we take the restaurant it's back to the Grand Line!"

"You must be crazy captain! What if we run into someone like Mihawk again?!" a cowardly pirate next to Krieg asked.

Krieg Snarled before pulling out a gun and killing the man. "It must be because of a Devil Fruit. I hear the Grand Line is full of them."

Fearful of their captain, having watched him coldly kill one of their crewmates, the remaining pirates began rushing the restaurant. Luffy smirked. "Hey Krieg!" he called. The other captain looked to the boy. "How about we show you the powers Devil Fruits possess!" He then turned to Brook. "I'll let you handle the small fries, need to show Gin that everyone on my crew is strong."

Brook drew Soul Solid and held it in front of him. "Understood, Captain." He pulled out his violin, much to the confusion of many people around him.

Krieg laughed. "What are you going to do with that!? Play us some music?" a number of his subordinates laughed as well.

Brook answered simply. "Yes. Party Music!" Brook began to play lively music. Krieg, Gin, and all the crew underlings watched as the scenery changed. No longer were they on the sea, fighting for a ship that looks like a fish. Now they were at a party, with tons of food, women, gold, music, and merriment.

Zeff watched as the enemy crew began laughing and dancing like morons. When it got to the point of several firing their guns in the air, he turned to the teen captain. "What are they doing?"

Luffy laughed. "Brook's music is hypnotic. He pours his soul into it and makes its victims feel what Brook wants."

Sanji looked at the older chef. "He means that literally. Brook ate the Revive Revive Fruit, though by the time his soul returned to his body, he was nothing but bones. His soul is the whole reason he can walk, talk, fight, eat, and think, even though his body physically shouldn't be capable of it." He explained.

Brook played for a minute before he called his next move. "Quinte Tierce Fantasia!" Faster than the eye could see, all the grunts of the crew were slashed down. Brook returned to his captain's side. "How was that captain?"

Luffy smiled. "Great work. Can you go tell Johnny and Yosaku to ready the Lamb? It won't be long before we leave. Sanji and I can handle the rest."

"You got it Yohoho!" Brook then ran inside.

Krieg and Gin were freed from the illusion as soon as the music stopped and saw their crewmates get cut down. Krieg was mad, but Gin was beginning to question his crew's strength. They then saw a shape moving under the water. It approached on of the lily pads closest to the restaurant. Krieg smiled. "Gin, go kill Zeff, let Pearl distract them while you approach from behind."

Gin's eyes widened, but agreed to do what his captain ordered. "Yes Don." He said, his voice nothing more than a whisper. He didn't like all this underhandedness, as he would usually tackle challenges head on.

Pearl hopped out of the water and onto one of the giant plants. Sanji just stared at him. "I forgot about this guy. I'll handle him Luffy." The blond cook jumped onto the floating platform to face the big commander of the Krieg pirates.

Pearl laughed. "You think you can defeat me? I'm Pearl the Iron Wall! I'm invincible!"

Sanji just pulled out another cigarette and lit it. "Shut up you walking frying pan. You can't beat me." Pearl and Krieg were shocked by how fearless Sanji was being.

Krieg looked around in anger. He spotted the mast of his now destroyed ship, noticing it was right above Pearl. He smirked before opening fire it. The bullets tore through the wood, causing the large piece of lumbar to land on Pearl's head. Gin too saw this and was disgusted by Krieg's actions.

Pearl jerked forward at the sudden impact, hitting his face on his front shield. He brought his head up and noticed the blood. "Blood… blood… My blood…. Ahhhh!" He began hitting his shields together, catching himself on fire. "Danger! Danger! Danger!"

Sanji just watched in irritation, finishing his cigarette. "You aren't the only one who can set themselves on fire… though I guess there's no point since you're already burning." He threw his cigarette down and stomped it out. He launched himself toward the armored man. "Flanchet!" he yelled, delivering a strong kick to the plate. Pearl was launched back past Krieg and into the water. Sanji wasn't sure if he was unconscious, but figured someone of his size would take a while to re-enter the fight.

A yell from Zeff made Sanji turn around. Gin was successful in getting behind the others, and was now holding a pistol to Zeff's head, a tonfa in his other hand. Sanji looked at his captain angrily. "Damnit Luffy, why didn't you stop him!

Luffy just looked bored. "He won't do anything to pops here." He dismissed.

Gin's eyes were shadowed. "I saw what you did Krieg… I saw you break that mast on purpose. You injured your own crew for some stupid looking ship!"

"Hey!" Sanji yelled, he didn't move, as Gin was still holding the gun.

Krieg was mad as well. "Gin, go ahead and shoot Zeff! I don't care if the ship is silly, it's perfect for sneaking into port."

Gin looked to his captain. "Won't people realize this is our ship rather quickly?" He dropped the gun and begun to spin his tonfa, continuing to berating Don's plan. "You really think people won't notice that the Baratie, a famous sea restaurant, no longer serves food?" he was getting louder. "Do you not realize that this ship IS INCREDIBLY IDENTIFIABLE?!" he was full blown yelling at this point. "I refuse to go along with your stupid plans from now on! I owe these people my life…" He noticed something behind Sanji and rushed forward, smashing through Pearl's chest plate. Apparently Pearl was able to take the kick and make his way back to the fight rather quickly despite his armor and size.

Krieg was infuriated now. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING GIN?! I TOLD YOU TO KILL ZEFF!"

Gin yelled back. "YOU DON'T ORDER ME AROUND ANYMORE!" he took a deep breath. He glared at Krieg. "When I met Strawhat a few days ago he said the Krieg Pirates were weak. What I saw today has cemented that fact in my mind. All you do is gather weak people and make yourself toys. You've done nothing to help your crew gain strength. And even when I tried to get the others into shape, they all half-ass their training, instead, they made excuses that numbers will keep up safe. WELL LOOK WHERE THAT GOT US!" His glare intensified. "I renounce you as my captain and leave your crew." He turned to Luffy. "From now on, I'm a Strawhat Pirate… If you'll have me, Captain?"

Luffy smiled. "Welcome to the crew Gin. Feel free to watch as I beat Krieg down." He punched his fist into his open palm.

Gin smiled. "Will do."

Krieg growled. "If that's how you feel Gin…" He brought one of his shoulder plates down and put on a gas mask. "Then you can die with all those weaklings! Poison gas… MH5!" He launched a big bomb out of the front of the armor piece.

Gin looked panicked. If that managed to go off, his old crew would surely die, and while he wasn't their crewmate anymore, he didn't dislike any of them if he was honest with himself. Luffy and Sanji jumped into action. Sanji gathered his unconscious former crewmates and got them safely away from the explosion, and Luffy was headed right for the bomb. "Captain No!"

Luffy grinned. "Gum Gum… Balloon!" Krieg and Gin watched as the teen inflated and blocked the bomb from reaching anywhere close to the restaurant. Unfortunately, the bomb detonated on contact, engulfing the young captain in purple smoke.

"LUFFY!" Sanji yelled. The cook knew his captain had a high poison resilience in the future, but who knows if that remained true.

They watched the poison dissipate, only to be shocked when Luffy was still standing… with his eyes closed. He opened them after a moment. "Huh… I'm alive!" he yelled, laughing. He looked at the older captain. "Guess I'm immune to your fancy poison."

Krieg was silent for a moment. "What are you boy?" the pirate asked.

Luffy stretched his cheek. "I ate the Gum Gum fruit, making me a rubberman."

Gin's eyes were wide. "You ate a devil fruit too?"

Luffy looked to his new crewmate. "Yeah. But they aren't required to be strong. Shanks is a Yonko and he doesn't have a Devil Fruit."

Krieg growled. "Kid, you're getting on my nerves."

Luffy smirked as he jumped towards the pirate. "I was gonna say the same thing!" He reached Krieg and threw a right hook.

Krieg saw the attack and quickly pulled out his defense. "Porcupine Cape!" True to the name, what he pulled out was a large metal cape covered in outwards facing spikes. It didn't help him though, as Luffy covered his fist in Armament Haki and punched through the cape, sending Krieg flying to his wreckage of his ship.

Luffy quickly followed after him, getting above Krieg's prone form. He tossed his arm to the side, activating gear second. "Gum Gum…" He then threw his other fist back, spinning his arm as he covered it in Haki, causing it to burst into flame. "Phoenix Rifle!" the attack hit Krieg's chest plate square on, shattering the Wootz Steel as though it was glass. The attack forced Krieg through the remains of the ship and into the ocean below. The Strawhat captain then used Moonwalk to return to the lilypads.

Gin looked at his new captain. "You're pretty powerful. I think I'll enjoy it on this crew."

Luffy smiled. "Glad you think so, but this fight isn't over yet." As he finished that sentence, Krieg dragged himself onto the giant plant, a clear burn on his chest, visible through a burnt hole in his shirt.

"You rubber bastard!" he wheezed, trying to catch his breath. "Time to use my ultimate weapon…" He put his two shoulder plates together, a metal pole extending from the metal, and a spear tip coming out of the other side. "Battle Spear!"

Gin wasn't as scared of Don Krieg as he had previously been, seeing how strong the kid was, but he still recognized the power the weapon his former captain was holding had. He looked to the teen captain. "Hey Captain, be careful with that weapon, it explodes."

Luffy looked back at the man, a grin on his face. "I'm not worried. Watch." He then looked at Gin's former captain. "Hey Krieg! I'll give you five free shots with your spear, and I won't take a single bit of damage!"

Most people around thought this was absolutely crazy, the only exceptions were Zeff and Sanji. Krieg didn't say anything, instead he opted to rush Luffy and swing his spear. Luffy stayed true to his word and didn't move, letting the spear explode upon contact. Krieg smirked. "Guess he was just bluffing!" he laughed. When the smoke cleared, Luffy was standing in the same spot, no marks or anything. Krieg stopped laughing. He swung again, only for the same thing to happen. "Why…" he swung again. "Won't…" and again. "You…" and for a final time. "Die!"

The next swing went differently. Luffy brought his hand up and stopped the weapon mid swing. The older pirate tried moving the spear, but found he couldn't make it budge. Luffy looked right at the failed Grand Line pirate. "You're free swings are up. Gum Gum…" He threw his fist back. Krieg tried desperately to free his spear from the teens grip, but ultimately failed. "Bullet!" Luffy's fist embedded itself into the pirates stomach, knocking him out. To Krieg's credit, he was able to withstand the force enough to not be blasted away, but he was still knocked back several feet before collapsing. Luffy turned to Zeff. "Give them a boat so they can get out of here, I'm sure they won't come back." The chef nodded before heading inside to give his men the order.

Gin was speechless. He watched as Luffy walked to Krieg, took his diamond gauntlet, then pick up Kriegs spear. The newest Strawhat had to ask. "What are you going to do with those."

Luffy smiled. "Nami will want these diamonds, and Usopp would love to see how this spear works. Besides, I'd rather not risk the marines getting their corrupt hands on a weapon that explodes every time you swing it."

Gin paled at the thought. "I see what you mean, in this state almost any marine could catch Don."

The next half hour was spent gathering all the Krieg pirates and setting them off on a tiny ship belonging to the Baratie. After the pirates were gone, the remaining Strawhats headed inside, where they were surprised Mihawk was still there, a bandage on his cheek, enjoying a glass of red wine. The warlord looked up. "So you won, as I expected." He looked at Luffy. "Sit with me Strawhat, I'm sure your crew can handle stocking your boat."

Luffy sad down after telling Gin to go help Sanji. He then looked at the world's strongest swordsman. "What do you want Hawky?"

Mihawk's eyes sharpened at the nickname, but decided to let it go. He swirled his glass of wine for a moment before speaking. "You remind me of a boy Red Hair once told me about, though it's clear now he never told me the whole story."

Luffy's eyes narrowed as he subtly glanced around, looking for eavesdroppers. He found none. Looking back at the warlord he spoke in a more serious tone. "What gave it away?"

Mihawk smirked. "You and Roronoa. You both are much stronger than anyone I've met in Paradise, let alone the weakest Blue…" His gaze sharpened. "There was also a… familiarity about Roronoa that I couldn't quite place. It also seemed as though what Shanks told me didn't match what I was seeing."

Luffy hummed. "So what do you think was left out?"

Mihawk took a sip of his wine and thought for a moment. "Given your lineage, I think it's possible Garp taught you the basics of Haki early, though Roronoa knew techniques he could only learn on the Grand Line, facing enemies that would force him to get stronger." He sighed. "It's impossible to place this feeling, but I see a lot of myself in the young swordsman, as though I had personally trained him to one day take my place. That's impossible though, as I had never met him before today."

Luffy sighed, he didn't like what he was about to do, but he did so anyway. He pulled out a transponder snail and two pieces of paper he always had on him. Mihawk's eyes widened, recognizing a vivre card by the way the paper moved, and the other seemed to have a number written on it. Luffy dialed the nmber and waited for the click. "Hello…?" A clearly drunken voice asked. Mihawk recognized it as the voice of his favorite Yonko, not that he'd tell anyone that fact.

"Hey Shanks." Luffy said.

"Anchor?" The voice got a little quieter, likely the captain addressing his crew. "Hey guy's, Luffy's calling!" It then returned to clear, though Shanks sounded more awake than anything. "How's it going Luffy, I didn't expect to hear from you until you got your first bounty. How's gathering your crew going?"

Luffy couldn't help but grin. "Everything's good, my crew's up to eleven now. I just beat Krieg and got my cook."

"That's great Anchor. Going to fight that fishman next then?" Shank's asked.

Luffy nodded, even though the Yonko couldn't see it. "Yes, actually Shank's the reason I called was Mihawk is sitting across from me, and I need to know exactly how much I can trust him, because even though he's your good friend, he's still a warlord."

It was silent for a moment. "How would Jinbe feel if he heard that Luffy?"

Luffy panicked. "Hey, you know that Jinbe's one of the most trustworthy men I know, he saved my life!" Hawkeye raised a brow at this tidbit of information, knowing his fellow warlord never left Paradise.

Shanks laughed. "Yeah, yeah, take a joke Luffy. As for whether you can trust Mihawk, there isn't another Warlord you could trust more, Hawky doesn't necessarily like the Marines, and is reluctant to share any info with them, you'd be safe telling him everything. The only other Warlord you might consider telling would be Hancock, if what you told me about her was true." It paused for a moment. "And Hawky, listen closely to the kids story, he's got insight to a couple of issues I think you'd be grateful for the head's up on."

Luffy smiled. "Thanks Shanks, I'll tell him." Then went to hang up.

The veteran pirate quickly spoke up. "Wait! I want to hear Mihawk's reaction. Leave me on the line."

"Fine." Luffy relented, knowing the call was secure do to Shank's connections and Usopp's tinkering. He then told Mihawk about the whole story, how he and his crew were from the future, and everything that happened to them in that timeline, along with a couple of important events regarding the World Government.

At the end of it all, Mihawk couldn't believe what he heard. The war itself was enough for him to take everything said seriously, but this boy knew too much for it to not be true. Also learning about Blackbeard and the World Government disbanding the Warlords in two years' time, he was speechless. He looked at the straw hat wearing teen. "That is… a lot to take in. I'll be honest, I would prefer not to have to fight Whitebeard, but I cannot ignore the World Governments summons." He thought for a moment. "If events play out the same, I cannot ignore my duty as a Warlord." Luffy looked down. "However…" he looked back up. "I will allow any crewmates of yours refuge on my island if needed. I will not train them, as they already have a capable teacher."

Luffy grinned. "Thank you Mihawk. What will you do if the Warlord's disband?"

The Warlord thought for a moment. "When the Warlords disband, I will have to abandon my island. In that case I will seek shelter with Red Hair."

"Wait, WHAT!?" Shank's voice rang. "Hawky, you can't not react to as crazy of a story as time travel then drop a bomb on me like that!"

Mihawk grinned. "But I would have no choice. The combined might the Marines can gather, especially if Akainu were to become Fleet Admiral, is terrifying, and I'm not so arrogant to say that I could face all three admirals and the Fleet admiral at the same time. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll take my leave." He said before standing. He then placed a wad of beri on the table before leaving.

Luffy turned his attention to the transponder snail. "I guess I should congratulate you on your new crewmate Shanks."

Shank's was silent, taking in everything he just heard. Luffy heard a few of the Red Haired pirates murmur in the background before a new voice came through, which Luffy recognized belonged to Yasopp. "Heya Luffy, Captain's kinda… broke, so we'll be waiting to see your first bounty, it better be huge! Also, we ran into Marco recently and the Whitebeard Commanders know, though I think Ace doesn't know about Sabo, so… good luck when you tell him. We've gotta get going now, tell Usopp hi for me and that I'm expecting a duel when we meet each other."

Luffy laughed. "Sure thing, see ya in the New World." He said before hanging up.

The Strawhat captain stood up and went to meet his crewmates, who had gathered supplies and were waiting for the rubber teen so they could set off. Luffy looked over his crew. Zoro was bandaged heavily and sleeping calmly on the deck. Kaya was keeping an eye on Zoro, making sure his injuries were properly bandaged. Brook was leaning against the cabin, while Gin had his ex-captains spear and gauntlet in front of him, looking over them with caution. Johnny and Yosaku were getting ready to untie the boat. The only person Luffy didn't see was Sanji, though that was remedied when said chef came up behind him. Luffy turned around, seeing all the cooks had come out. Sanji lit his cigarette and took a puff. "Ready to go Captain?" he asked.

Numerous chefs began crying out in disbelief. "You're leaving Sanji?" Patty whispered, tears pricking at his eyes.

"Don't go Sanji!" Carne wailed, blowing his nose into his sleeve.

Sanji looked at Zeff, waiting for him to speak. The older chef sighed. "Hey Brat… Everything you told me the other night, I have no doubt it's true." He paused. "Though I have to ask, what made you think of me as your father?" Everyone was silent.

Sanji sighed, figuring he wouldn't get away without revealing this secret. "What do you know about Germa 66?"

Zeff huffed. "Those monsters from the North Blue? All I know is that they're ruthless, technologically advanced, and have four heirs."

Sanji sighed. "That's about right, though you forgot one of the heirs."

Zeff was confused. "What are you talking about? There has always been four… unless." His eyes widened.

Sanji nodded. "My full name is Vinsmoke Sanji, disgraced third son of the Vinsmoke family, rulers of the Germa Kingdom. From the moment I was born I was hidden, beaten, and hated by a majority of my family. I escaped one day they came to the east blue. I barely survived on my own until the day we met." Tears began to fall. "You took me in, taught me how to take care of myself, and did more for me than anyone had before. For that, I thank you… Dad."

Zeff too was crying. "Thank you for telling me… Son. Now it's time for you to go, fulfill your dream. Find the All Blue and when you do… come back and tell me about all your new adventures."

Sanji couldn't stop himself. He turned around and embraced his father figure. "I'll miss you Old Man. You and everyone else here."

Zeff returned the embrace. "We'll all miss you too."

When the embrace ended, Sanji hopped onto the boat and had Johnny and Yosaku set off. Brook looked at Sanji. "Zeff is a wonderful man, I'm glad you have someone like him in your life."

Sanji just watched as the Baratie got farther. "Yeah, I don't know where I'd be without him."

Luffy then jumped up. "Alright, set a course for Cocoyashi village, it's time we get rid of Nami's fish problem!" He then turned to Gin. "Hey Gin, you have your weapons right."

Gin looked at his Captain dumbly before pointing to his two tonfa next to him. "Yeah, I always have them with me, unless captain orders otherwise. Good thing I didn't have anything else to grab from the ship." He then realized everyone's eyes were on him after that last remark. "What?"

Kaya spoke softly. "Didn't Krieg give you a chest or something to store clothes and personal belongings in?"

"No, why?" was his reply.

Sanji spoke up. "The sea is ruthless, everyone on a ship needs access to clean clothes, water, and a place to store their personal belongings. It's almost an unspoken law of piracy."

Kaya nodded. "Yes, clean cloth can be used as makeshift bandages in a battle, but keeping things clean in general helps stop infection."

Brook's hollow eyes stared at Gin, which still kinda creeped him out, but he was slowly realizing everyone's point. Brook's next words made it especially clear. "I was a captain once myself, and in that situation you have a lot of responsibility. One such task is making sure there's no infighting. Theft happens often, especially on more ruthless pirate crews. I once had one of my buddy's misplace his bow, and later found one it in one of our other crewmates things, as he had ALSO misplaced his bow, and failed to realize he found the wrong one. Having a space your crewmembers can call their own ensures infighting is few and far between."

Gin sighed. "So what, next time we dock I go get some new clothes."

Luffy shook his head. "Not at Cocoyashi. You'd have to wait until Lougetown."

Sanji sighed. "Cocoyashi is Nami's hometown. For the last eight years a fishman named Arlong has ruled over it with an iron fist. Worse is that he's paid of the local Marine Captain to keep his crimes low. Obviously you see where the problem lies."

Gin nodded. "If Nami's allowed to leave the island, she either snuck away or has family she left behind, or she worked out some sort of deal and is working for Arlong."

Luffy chuckled. "You got it; she's gathering gold to buy back her village."

Gin smiled. "Tough girl, I'll give her that. Working for the man who's keeping her whole island hostage, I can respect that. Although if we're going, I assume we're going to beat the fishmen."

Luffy smiled brighter. "I knew there was a reason I liked you. A few days ago you were terrified of the Grand Line, and now you're ready to face Pirates ten times stronger than a normal human."

Gin laughed. "Well, after I realized how strong you were, it made me realize I had a lot of catching up to do. I won't fear the Grand Line anymore; that's gone with the loyalty I felt toward Krieg. I'll be prepared for anything that sea throws at me and if not, I'll get stronger and win the rematch."

Everyone smiled. "That's what I want to hear. We get stronger alongside each other." Luffy exclaimed.

Gin looked to his captain. "So what's the plan? Are we charging straight in, or do we meet up with the others."

Luffy thought for a moment. "Meeting up would probably be best." He looked to the bounty hunter duo. "Hey, how long until we reach Cocoyashi?"

Johnny looked at him. "It'll be a couple of days big bro."

Sanji stood up. "Might as well start cooking, anyone want anything specific?" Of course Luffy just said meat, but the others, sans Zoro, told the chef what they wanted. They all then settled in for the long sail ahead of them.

Sanji's on board, and Gin joined as well. I managed to make a decently long chapter just off the Baratie Arc, so I'm kinda proud of myself. Krieg was really hard to write combat for, as his crew isn't that big, and there are only Krieg and Pearl I could write fights for, aside from Mihawk.

I also removed Kuro, at least for the time being, I couldn't find a place for him in the upcoming Arlong Arc.

I also feel I should mention. There will be OC's in this story to fill holes (not a part of the Strawhats). Like if I need another character for a Strawhat to fight, I will scour other series for a fitting character, if I find none, I will make a character (though I will not make OC's for every member to have a 1v1, so only if they have nothing to do). I may have some OC-ish animals (like animals canon to the One Piece world, but I give them names and add them to the crew. This would be for characters like Sugar, who's power relies on/uses other people)