Survivors Guilt DISCONTINUED REWRITING

Chapter 9

Zoro was not having the best of days. Normally he would be fine wandering around on his own, but now he had a captain he could already tell was childish. If he had learned anything while traveling alone it was that the childish people are either really stupid or really smart. In either case, those kinds of people always attract trouble. For some reason, he had the feeling that his captain was all of the above. He didn't know it was possible, but he wasn't about to question it.

No, he wouldn't question it because that was a lot of work. What he was gonna question, though, was how the hell he'd lost track of Luffy. Seriously! One second he was chasing after that orange haired witch with Luffy right behind him, the next he's wandering around everywhere because the idiot in the straw hat had gone and gotten himself lost!

"This kid is gonna be the death of me." the green haired man grumbled to himself. Though a smile quickly overtook his face, "I wouldn't have it any other way." And so, he continued to search the island for his captain. When he finally found him, though, he was a bit pissed off. "You have got to be kidding me."

***

Luffy wasn't sure whether to be relieved that the plan was the same as last time or not. It was good that it was the same because that meant that he knew what to do and say. He also knew what would happen and how to react accordingly. On the other hand, when he told Nami that he and Zoro were pirates, she had become noticeably more hostile towards him and he didn't know what she would do after they got out onto the open ocean. He just hoped that she didn't try to leave before the month was over. Or drown him. Drowning would be a big inconvenience to the plan. A small voice in the back of his head said otherwise, but he ignored it.

Putting everything aside, he remembered just how much he disliked being in this cage. He disliked this Buggy and his crew even more, though. Buggy had been and always will be a bit annoying, but he will get stronger and more helpful in the future...kinda. Not that he would ever further entertain that thought, let alone say it aloud. No, he didn't need the man's ego any bigger than it already was.

He pulled himself out of his mind when he registered the sound of fighting. Nami - despite her obvious and unbridled dislike for the straw hatted captain - was fighting off Buggy's grunts in order to protect him. He found the gesture sweet and couldn't help his small smile. Though, the fuse on the cannon had been lit and was getting a bit short. Luffy knew he could take a few normal cannon balls to the gut at such a close range, but he was rubber, not immune to explosions. And if memory serves correctly - which it did - Buggy Balls ended with a massive explosion. Yes, he knew that Zoro would be here soon, but that didn't stop the small bit of anxiety that fell over him. So, he called out, "Nami, I hate to rush you, but the fuse is getting a bit short!"

"I'm working on it!" the woman shouted back. God, boys can be so impatient!

"You've got to be kidding me." Luffy heard the whisper and could tell immediately that it was Zoro. He smiled.

"Zoro!" he called when his first mate came into view. He watched his two crewmates - although one wasn't even on his crew yet - fight to save him and his smile only grew bigger. He laughed a bit when Zoro flipped the cannon on the offending crew. When the cannon was fired, everyone closed their eyes. Luffy felt himself and his cage get lifted, and he heard two pairs of feet. Soon, he realized that he was being moved very quickly.

While he, too, was affected by the flash of light, Luffy knew where he was being taken. It might not be the same place as before - though he knew it probably was - he knew it would be a temporary safe spot. He debated on whether or not he wanted to get out of the cage himself or if he was going to let that weird lion he remembered attempt to kill him. The thought of the dog at the pet shop made him quickly decide to let everything play out as it had. He didn't want to change this interaction too much.