Survivors Guilt HIATUS

Chapter 11

The three children, after getting over the fact that their captain had not been cannibalized, introduced themselves to the pirates. The one in the middle had green hair and was named Piiman. The one on the right was named Tamanegi and his hair looked like an onion. The one on the left had purple hair and was called Ninjin. After the children, Luffy took the initiative and introduced himself, Zoro and Nami.

"Where'd Usopp go, anyway?" Nami asked the children from her place on the wooden fence. The group of six had long since left the small diner and had decided to stop on a path out of the village.

"He probably went to see Kaya." Piiman shrugged.

"Kaya?" Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Ninjin said, "She lives in that big mansion over there!"

"But she's really sick all the time." Tamanegi looked sad, "So captain Usopp goes there everyday and tells her stories to make her feel better!"

Luffy jumped up from his seat on the grass. "Maybe she can help us get a ship!"

"You can't go there!" The three kids immediately stood in Luffy's way on the path.

"Why not?" the young captain asked. He already knew the answer, but he was still going to make Nami and Zoro learn the story as they go. Besides, nothing was gonna stop him from going to see Kaya. She's a nice girl and deserved more than what she got.

"Because the butler won't let you even near the property!" Piiman warned, though the other two seemed to have an idea.

"There is another way," Ninjin

Tamanegi was on the same train of thoughts, "We've seen Usopp go through a hole in the fence a few times."

"And the butler never caught him!" Piiman seemed to catch on.

"Can you take us there?" Luffy asked the kids. They nodded and the group made their way toward the mansion on the hill. He knew they'd deny him at first, but it was worth a shot anyway.

"Sure!" The three children smiled and started to lead the way to the mansion on the hill.

Luffy stared after the three for a long moment, barely aware that Zoro and Nami were walking away from him. He chuckled quietly as he stood to bring up the rear, "Or not."

The group of six trekked up the hill in a nice quiet, each caught up in their own thoughts. None of them really cared, though, as it was nice to be able to just think sometimes. Though as the mansion drew closer, Luffy became more and more restless. He was stuck in his thoughts about the fight to some and was reflexively clenching his hands into fists at his sides. Zoro noticed his captain's actions and nudged Nami before slowing to walk at Luffy's right. Nami did the same on his left. They didn't know why, but they were going to push those questions until later.

"Over here!" Piiman waved the three pirates over to a spot in the hedge. Ninjin and Tamanegi grabbed the hedge and pulled, a square just big enough for an adult to squeeze through coming out. "This is how the captain gets in!"

Luffy said nothing as he led the group through the hedge and into the mansion's yard. It was very plain, to say the least. There were maybe three trees within line of sight, but the rest was finely cut grass. Luffy, to say the least, was still unimpressed. He'd seen much better yards in both smaller and bigger properties. And on ships.

"Luffy?" he heard someone call. Pulling himself from his mind, he looked around and then up.

"Usopp!" he smiled and waved up at the teen. He then turned to look at the girl who was leaning out of her window, "You must be Kiyaya!"