The midday sun beat down on the small crew as they finally managed to make landfall. What should have been a relatively easy trip turned needlessly arduous due the actions of a certain gluttonous Captain.

Nick jumped out of the ship and stretched, arms facing the sky. Damn did it feel good to be out of that tiny boat. Sailing lost most of its appeal when there was little leg room to be had. While their stolen vessel wasn't too cramped, it wasn't like there was room to run around either.

"Woo, we made it!" shouted Luffy as he happily spring boarded off their boat. Nami and Zoro also made their way off the ships, though at a far more sedate pace than their Captain.

"Was there any doubt?" asked Nami, cocking her hips. If she was being honest, there was in fact, a bit of doubt. But not because of her navigation skills, oh no, it was all because someone ate all the damn food. She liked to watch her figure, but not enough to starve herself.

"Huh, not bad. Guess you're useful for something after all," snarked Zoro. He stood near the boats, one hand on his swords, gazing out at the beach they found themselves on. There wasn't much to see besides rocks and sand. The only thing of note was a single path leading further into the island, surrounded by sheer cliffs.

"Excuse me!?" Nami asked, offended. The two of them glared at each other, as Nick watched, more than a bit nervous. He really didn't want to have to defend Nami from Zoro. It would prove to be rather emasculating, if not fatal.

Luffy laughed as he swiveled his head this way and that, taking in everything that he could, excited beyond measure for his next adventure. But then, a familiar sensation arose from his stomach, one that he had been feeling for about a day now, and a growling noise echoed throughout the area, sounding like a starving wolf.

"Ah man, I'm so hungry…" he complained.

The others turned toward him, Nami and Zoro forgetting their animosity for each other, at least temporarily, and shifted it to the straw hat wearing youth.

"I don't want to hear it anymore! You're the one who ate all our food, you don't get to complain!" yelled Nami. Luffy turned to her with big, sad, watery eyes, "But Nami…"

"Don't you "But Nami" me! We're all hungry thanks to you!" she screamed. Just then, her own stomach started to growl, reminding her again of her own desire for food. She grabbed her stomach, hanging her head low, with tears in the corner of her eyes, "Damn it, how did things end up like this?"

Luffy looked a bit guilty at causing his crew undue suffering, but he just couldn't help himself. When he was hungry, he couldn't think of anything else, and he always seemed to need to eat more than everybody else as well. Ace thought it was because of his Devil Fruit, but Luffy wasn't so sure about that. His grandpa liked to eat too, and he didn't have a Devil Fruit, at least as far as he knew.

Zoro sighed as he looked at the pitiful sight, "Geez, toughen up will you? It's just a bit of hunger, not like it'll kill you," he said. And he should know after his stunt in Shells Town and going nearly three weeks without food. This was nothing compared to that.

Of course, that knowledge didn't stop his own stomach from protesting the lack of food. It might have actually been the loudest, letting Zoro and everyone know it did not appreciate having to go without sustenance once again.

"Oh yeah, you're a real tough guy," said Nami, with a cocky grin on her face. Zoro's own face lit up with a blush, as he angrily told Nami to shut up. But she only continued to tease him, happy to have one up on him.

Nick watched this happen with a grin, fully enjoying the show. But something caught his attention, something in the corner of his eye. He made his way over to it, completely ignored by the others.

"Hey guys, take a look at this!" Nick shouted. The others turned towards him, only to find him some ways away, crouching over something. They made their way over to him, curious to see what he'd found.

"What is it?" Nami asked, as she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned over to see what had him so enthralled. Nick stiffened from the contact, not because it was painful or anything, but because he knew, just inches away from his head, were a pair of breasts most magnificent, taunting him with their proximity.

"Come on, just a little more, you can do it. Don't stop now!" he shouted in his mind. If she leaned over, even just a tiny bit more, his head would be encompassed by those mammary monsters. He would look like Mickey Mouse.

But they didn't. They stayed just out of reach, like all his hopes and dreams.

Zoro and Luffy looked curious as well, as Nick held up a piece of wood. It was rough and splintered, clearly having seen better days. Parts of it were singed as well, showing signs of a fire or an explosion.

"That's it? A piece of wood?" Zoro asked in his usual grumpy manner. Nick rolled his eyes. Honestly, did he think of nothing but swords and sake?

"It's not just one piece, look over there," he said. The others did so, and their eyes widened. Bits and pieces of lumber of all sizes lay strewn across the beach. They couldn't see it from the angle they arrived in, considering there was a massive boulder in the way, but they could sure as hell see it now.

"W-what happened here?" asked Nami, as she stood up straight, much to Nick's disappointment. That was the opposite direction he wanted her to go.

"You said they have a shipyard, didn't you? It had to have come from there," said Zoro, looking around. There was nearly enough wood here to build a whole ship. He doubted it was just leftover wood they didn't need, so what was going on?

Looks like they would be running into trouble here as well. That's what his gut was saying anyways.

"Yeah. Come to think of it, there was a bunch of lumber in the ocean as well. I didn't think much about it at the time, but now…" Nami said, trailing off.

"Yeah, looks like somebody was attacked. The wood's all burnt here, see?" said Nick. They did. And it wasn't just the one piece either. Several of them showed signs of fire damage of some kind.

Something definitely happened here.

"Y-you know, maybe we should just head to the next island?" suggested Nami. The other looked at her incredulously for a second, before a loud growl coming from Luffy reminded her of something important.

They had no food, and little water left. No matter what the situation was here, they couldn't leave without supplies. That was a simple fact, and one that should not be ignored.

"No! I want some meat!" shouted Luffy, seemingly to forget all about the piles of broken wood. "If someone wants to pick a fight, we'll just kick their ass!"

Zoro smirked and turned to the navigator, "Guess that's that then."

Captain and swordsman began to make their way toward the village, heading for the one path that led away from the beach. A slope, fairly steep, with rock walls on either side. There was no other way to enter the island that they could see. Not unless they wanted to climb that is.

Nami sighed, hanging her head again, knowing there was nothing she could do. Even if they were fully stocked, she doubted Luffy would leave. It wasn't like he was afraid of anything, so why would he?

An arm around her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Nick giving her a reassuring smile, "Come on, I'm sure everything will be ok. I doubt it could be anything worse than Buggy, and we kicked his ass. We'll be fine."

She returned his smile, "I guess you're right. Fine, let's go. But I fully expect you to protect me, got it? That's why I freed you in the first place."

Nick grimaced a little bit at the reminder of his debt, "Are you sure it wasn't my winning personality that won you over?"

"What winning personality?" she asked, throwing his arm off of her. He pouted at her response as she stuck his tongue out at him, running to catch up with the other two. Nick laughed to himself and made to follow, content to bring up the rear.

And not just because of the rear in front of him either. That was just an added bonus.

Nami turned to look back at Nick with a smirk on her face, before she found herself bumping into what felt like a brick wall. "Ow, what the…?" she complained, looking to see just what had the nerve to stand in her way.

And of course it was none other than Zoro. "Hey, what do you think you're-"

"Quiet," Zoro interrupted her oncoming tirade. He was looking above, to the top of the cliff, with his hand on his sword, ready to draw it in a moment's notice. As much as Nami wanted to yell at him for telling her to be quiet, she was more concerned with what put him on edge.

"What is it?" she asked, looking around nervously. He didn't respond for a moment, which allowed Nick to catch up. He and Luffy looked at Zoro in confusion, wondering what the hold up was.

"We're not alone," he responded. Nick desperately wanted to make a crack about aliens and how they were going to probe them, but he didn't. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the top of the cliff as well, trying to spot the person he knew was there.

If memory serves him right, which was a big if, it should be Usopp up there. He was pretty sure there were some kids too, but he wasn't sure. It had been a long time since he watched this arc, and it wasn't the most memorable.

Nami seemed to grow even more nervous, as she slowly made her way behind her meat shield, aka, Nick. He only watched her amused, knowing there wasn't really any threat.

Luffy was also looking around for whatever Zoro seemed to sense, but after a few short moments, he seemed to give up, his stomach reminding him it was empty, "So hungry…" he complained, falling to his knees.

The rest of them ignored his antics, waiting for something to happen. They didn't have to wait very long. Out from one of the bushes, something raced towards them at breakneck speeds.

Luffy had just enough time to look up and see it heading straight for him. With a panicked shout, he placed his arms in front of him to protect himself and shut his eyes. It was mostly a reflex, considering bullets did fuck all nothing to him.

Luckily for the rubber man, Zoro reacted instantly, his sword moving in an arc to deflect whatever it was. It hit his sword with a resounding twang, flying off into the distance. Whatever it was, it was clearly made of metal.

Luffy opened his eyes when nothing seemed to strike him, and saw Zoro standing there with his sword out. He let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks Zoro."

"Don't mention it," responded the three sword style user.

"What the hell was that?" asked Nami, still cowering behind Nick. She poked her head out from his torso, looking around for whatever made the attack.

"Don't know, but whatever it was, it was fast and metal," said Zoro, his eyes never leaving the spot the projectile came from, even as Luffy made to stand up beside him.

They all stood there waiting for another attack, but when nothing came, Luffy became angry, steam practically rushing from his ears. Not only had his crew been attacked, but whoever it was had the nerve to hinder his search for food.

That was unforgivable!

"Hurry up and fight us already so I can get some meat!" he shouted. His only response seemed to be the wind, which only made him even angrier.

"They're stalling," said Nick. Even though he knew the threat was minimal at best, he was just as hungry as the rest of them and wanted this farce to be over with. That was something he could agree with Lufffy on.

"Yeah, but why?" asked Nami. She couldn't understand the reasoning.

"Hmm, maybe whoever is up there is waiting for reinforcements," Nick suggested with a shrug. "Or maybe, they're just a coward." He said that last part a bit louder, hoping to get a reaction out of the long nosed liar.

And he wasn't disappointed. The shrubs and trees began to shake, until it was a cacophony of noise. How and why were plants so loud? It didn't make any sense.

"How dare you call the Great Captain Usopp a coward! You have invoked my wrath!" shouted a young sounding voice, echoing throughout the area. The others seemed to tense up, but Nick just crossed his arms over his chest, looking bored with the whole spectacle.

"Bring it on!" Luffy challenged, breathing from his nose like an enraged bull. Finally, he could punch somebody and then get some meat.

"You are not worthy enough to face me! If you wish to do so, you must first beat my crew of one million!" shouted the voice again. Having said that, shapes began to pop up everywhere. From the bushes to the trees, until there were dozens all lined up.

Each and every figure seemed to move and sway, giving the illusion of life. But Nick knew better. They were nothing but cardboard cutouts, shaped to look like humans, their true form hidden by the shadows of the woods.

"Bit short of a million, dontcha think? I only count about 5," stated Nami with a sweatdrop. Who in their right mind would believe such an outrageous lie? She was startled for a moment, but her keen eyes were able to pick up the people attempting to hide. They weren't very good at it.

"What a joke," mumbled Zoro. He too was able to tell the difference. For a second there, he thought he might have a good fight on his hands. Talk about disappointing.

"What! One million!?" screamed Luffy. The others stared at him for a moment, before Zoro face palmed, using the hand that wasn't holding a sword, thankfully.

"Damn it Luffy!" he complained.

Even the voice seemed a bit taken aback by the fact that he was believed, "T-that's right. So leave right this instant! Pirates are not welcome here!"

"Or clowns!" shouted another voice.

"Onion, shh!" whisper yelled the first voice.

"Oops, sorry Captain."

Three of the four pirates below sweat dropped at this. They couldn't be serious could they? And how did they know they were pirates?

Looking back, Nick saw the Jolly Roger of the Buggy Pirates, flying proudly on their stolen vessel, mocking them.

"Maybe we should have swapped that out?" asked Nick. Nami looked at him confused for a moment, before turning to see what he was looking at. When she did, a sigh escaped her lips, "Yeah, probably."

"I don't care how many of you there are! I'll kick all of your asses!" shouted Luffy. He thrust his fist in an uppercut motion to emphasize his eagerness to punch first and ask questions later.

"But Captain! How can we possibly defeat a million men? It's impossible! We should just leave now while we have the chance," Nick commented, with clear sarcasm in his voice. Nami and Zoro looked confused when he first started speaking, but that turned into smirks when they realized he was being sarcastic.

"What!?" Luffy shouted, turning to his crew mate in confusion and outrage. It was hard for the others to hold in their laughter at seeing his face.

"He's right Luffy. We don't stand a chance against them," stated Nami, her own sarcasm coming in clearly.

"Not you too!?" Luffy yelled in disbelief. What was wrong with his crew? Didn't they realize there was meat to be had? That was worth all the danger in the world. "Zoro?" he asked, sure he would agree with him.

"Hmm, I don't know… A million might be pretty tough," Zoro said, smirking at the steam coming off of Luffy.

"What! You can't be serious!?" he yelled, stomping his foot in anger. He turned back toward the cliff, glaring daggers at the top of it where he heard the voice come from. "Fine, I'll just beat them myself, and no meat for you!"

The three of them were now struggling quite a bit to keep the laughter in. But his angry, pouty face made it very difficult to do so.

"You should listen to your friends! But if you truly wish to die then so be it!" yelled that first voice again. Nick had to wonder if he picked up on their sarcasm, unlike Luffy. Or was the liar just as gullible as their Captain?

"Just you try it!" Luffy challenged.

Usopp glared down at the pirates below him. If that's the way they wanted to play, fine. He looked to his friends, each of them giving him a nod in return. It was now or never. They all loaded up their slingshots with ammo before taking aim.

Let's see if he could dodge this!

Usopp was the first to fire, and the first one to miss. He growled in frustration, as his foe easily dodged every attack made. How was he doing this? Sure, he didn't actually have a million men, but he did have five, and none of them could land a hit.

One after the other, the pirate maneuvered out of the way. He was as slippery as an eel. This wasn't going at all like how he pictured in his head.

"Captain, what do we do? We can't hit him!" questioned a panicked Carrot. It was crazy! No one should be able to move like that. It was like he was made of rubber or something!

"Just keep firing! He'll make a mistake eventually!" Usopp answered back. No matter how good at avoiding their attacks he was, no one could dodge forever, They just needed to wait for the right moment.

He was also worried about the rest of the pirates. None of them were doing a thing to help. The only thing they did was cheer him on.

"You got this!" or "That was a close one!" That was the only thing they did. And even that was only two of them. The third guy, who just so happened to also be the scariest, was just watching with a bored look on his face.

Seriously, what was wrong with them!? Did they not care if their friend was killed? While he may not have been using a pistol, the heavy metal balls they were using carried enough force to crack open a skull.

Or was it that they couldn't do anything? Maybe the straw hat wearing guy was the only tough one? Yeah, that had to be it! That other guy just looked scary. So if they beat the one in the straw hat, the others would flee in terror! Perfect!

With a grin, Usopp redoubled his efforts to strike down the people who dared to threaten the peace of his home. Such an action was unforgivable. He has never killed anyone before, but he couldn't think about that now. All that mattered was protecting his home and the people he cared about.

Now if only his knees would stop shaking.

"Uh-oh, he almost got you that time Captain!" yelled the man with brown hair. Usopp watched as their target grew angry at the mocking.

"Will you shut up!?" he shouted back, turning to face the person making fun of him.

This was his chance! The dodgy bastard was as distracted as distracted could be. He quickly loaded another metal ball before pulling his slingshot back further than he ever has before, releasing the pellet. It flew fast and true, striking the target in the back.

"Got him!" Usopp cheered, with the others following suit. It may not have been a head shot, but that blow should be more than enough to take him out.

So it was with great confusion that he remained standing, having only stumbled a bit. "What the heck? He should be down for the count. What's going on?" asked Usopp. He focused his eyes on the one he struck, only for them to nearly bug out of his head.

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His front was stretching! The point of impact was now several feet ahead of him. Just what the hell was this guy!?

After a few more seconds passed, Luffy straightened himself out, flinging the ball back where it came from. "Is that all you got!" he shouted, as it soared even faster than before, going cleanly through the head of one of the cutouts.

Usopp's own head leaned back as he examined the spot above him. Just a few inches from his head, embedded into the tree and still smoking, was a metal ball. The same one he had just fired moments ago.

He fell to his ass in fear, as sweat dripped down his forehead. If that had been just a little bit closer, he would be dead right now. It took all his willpower not to piss himself. But on the plus side, his knees were no longer shaking. They were too scared to.

"Captain, are you alright?" asked Onion. Usopp turned to look at him, noticing the concerned looks of his friends. With a gulp, trying to hide his fear, he said, "O-of course I am. It'll take more than that to defeat the Great Captain Usopp."

They seemed relieved to hear it, but the worry never left them. "What are we going to do Captain? That guy is some kind of monster," asked Pepper.

That was a good question. What could they do?

"Come on, we can't give up! We still have our secret weapon," said Akisu. They all turned to look at him in confusion, before their eyes lit up. Of course, how could they forget about that?

If a slingshot didn't work, then it was time to bring out the big guns.

Luffy and the others stared at the cliff waiting for something to happen. But when nothing did, said rubber man became agitated, "Come out already!"

Nothing. Absolute silence greeted his demand. The only thing that could be heard is the wind traveling through the trees and the shifting of the ocean tides. It was almost enough to make them forget about their troubles.

"Think they ran away?" asked Nami, arms crossing over her chest.

"Probably. I mean, after seeing their attack doing nothing to Luffy, what other choice did they have?" asked Nick.

"I won't let them get away!" shouted Luffy as he flung his arms back. Zoro was barely able to avoid them as he jumped out of the way, cursing Luffy the whole time. The rubber man then flung his arms forward, grabbing hold of the top of the cliff.

"Luffy, what are you-"

But that was as far as Nami got before the shout of, "Gum Gum: Rocket!" interrupted her. Luffy went flying off into the sky, disappearing past the tree line. The others covered their faces from the debris that was kicked up from the action.

"Damn it, what the hell is he thinking?" growled Zoro, wiping sand off of his haramaki. He really hated the stuff. It was coarse, rough and irritating. And it got everywhere.

"Who knows," Nami said with a sigh. When she agreed to join them, at least until the Grand Line, she never expected she would become a babysitter. Especially not to a pirate.

Nick was more curious about the weapons used to attack them. He squatted down and picked up a shiny metal object, holding it up and blowing off the sand. It looked like a pachinko ball, though it had a bit more heft to it than a normal one.

"Whatcha got there?" asked Nami.

"See for yourself," he said, tossing it to her. She panicked for a moment as she juggled it, trying to keep it from falling to the ground. When she was successful, she gave Nick a glare, which he returned with a cheeky smile.

Deciding to ignore him for now, she inspected the object in her hand. "A pachinko ball?' she questioned out loud. Zoro gave it a cursory glance before seeming to lose interest.

"That's what it looks like to me," said Nick.

"Weird choice of weapon," she commented, before tossing it back to Nick, who caught it with no problem, much to her irritation.

Then, without so much as a 'by your leave' Zoro began making his way toward the sloping path once more.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" questioned Nami.

"Where do you think?" he responded, without missing a step. Nami huffed at the non answer, before following. It was better than staying here at any rate. Besided, they needed to make sure Luffy didn't do anything stupid.

Something of a tall order.

Nick turned and gave the beach one last look. More specifically, the spot with all the destroyed lumber. He narrowed his eyes in thought, tossing the pachinko ball up and catching it before making to follow the others.

He could think about it all he wants, he wouldn't be getting any answers here.

"Ahh!"

Just as the three of them reached the beginning of the path, a loud yell stopped them dead. It wasn't just any scream either, it was one that was familiar to the three of them. It was a scream that just so happened to belong to their rubber Captain who flew off into the sunset.

And now he was screaming. Because of course he would be. The three of them weren't particularly worried about the sound as much as they were exasperated by it.

"Damn it Luffy, what have you gotten into this time," cursed Zoro. The last time he heard him scream like that he was in the maw of a big ass bird. Hopefully that wouldn't be the case this time.

"Come on, we better go see what's wrong," said Nick. The other two nodded and they began to run up the hill toward the sound of the scream. They weren't sprinting, because that would be too much effort, but nobody could call them slow either.

As they reached the top, they looked around, trying to spot their wayward companion. The sound of a struggle drew their attention. "Over there!" yelled Nami. They quickly made their way towards it, only to stop dead once more at the sight.

It was Luffy alright, or at least the lower half of him. The rest of him was inside of a large, wooden dragon thing painted red. Its neck was made of segmented barrels, connected by some kind of rubber tube. Its head was made of something similar, and they could see wooden, teeth shaped spikes coming out of its mouth.

Luffy was lucky they didn't seem to be very sharp.

The thing's body was just a massive box, also painted red. On top of it appeared to be spines, though these were painted yellow, and what looked like a hatch of some kind. In front of the hatch was what looked like a periscope, the kind they use on submarines.

Beneath the body were four tires that looked like they belonged on a wagon, only studded. A long tail jutted out from behind it, made of similar material to the neck, only each barrel got smaller and smaller until it reached a point. Like a real tail.

In other words, it was a large, wooden dragon.

The three newcomers could only stare in bewilderment at what was happening. The neck of the thing was flailing wildly, as Luffy's legs did the same thing. They could hear Luffy's screams, far more clearly from here. It didn't sound like he was in pain, so that was good.

It was far funnier than it was worrisome.

"Ahh, get it off me!" Luffy screamed. His arms were pinned to his side by the 'teeth', so he couldn't use his strength to get himself out. It was highly frustrating for the rubber man.

"Hahaha, you should have run when you had the chance! This is what you get for defying the Great Captain Usopp!" shouted a voice from inside the dragon.

"Ah, so that's it," thought Nick. He was wondering what happened to Usopp. Seems like he was inside the makeshift dragon. Those kids were probably inside it as well. Guess he should make sure Zoro doesn't cut it to pieces then.

"Luffy, what the hell are you doing?" asked Zoro. The whole spectacle would have been far more amusing if it weren't for the fact that he was starving. Instead, it just made the green haired swordsman irritated.

"Zoro, is that you!? Help me! I'm stuck!" Luffy yelled. His legs seemed to kick even more wildly at the plea.

"I can see that you moron! How did you get stuck!?" he yelled back. Nick and Nami were both snickering at the exchange, much to Zoro's further annoyance.

"Who cares, just help me!" Luffy ordered. By this point, the 'dragon' had stopped moving, and seemed to be looking at them.

"Damn it, fine," cursed Zoro as he began making his way toward them.

"You got this!" cheered Nami.

"I believe in you!" encouraged Nick.

"Both of you can go to hell," responded Zoro. They only chuckled at his misery, and wished they had some popcorn.

"So, you've come to save your ally?" questioned a voice from inside the dragon as Zoro approached. The swordsman raised an eyebrow as he came to a stop a few feet from it. "Something like that. Now let him go, before this gets ugly," he threatened, using his thumb to unsheath part of his blade.

Inside the dragon, a sweaty Usopp looked out through the periscope with concern. That green haired guy was really intimidating! But they had the upper hand here, and he wasn't going to give in so easily.

He turned to look at his companions, who were equally as sweaty inside the construction, "Alright men, on my mark, full retreat." They nodded in recognition, looking determined through the misery. They forgot how hot the inside of this thing was!

Usopp used some levers and pulleys to control the dragon's head, bringing it down lower to seemingly give their captive back. But that was just a ploy!

As soon as the body was lowered enough to obscure the front of the dragon, Usopp opened up a hatch on the front of the body, exposing him to the outside. He wished he could enjoy the fresh air that came through, but he had a job to do.

Grabbing a small ball from his bag, he loaded it into the slingshot and took aim. Unlike the last ammunition he used, this one was special. With a grin on his face, Usopp unleashed his surprise attack.

"Special Attack: Smoke Star!"

Zoro's eyes widened at the shout. He was just about to grab his idiot Captain out of the jaws of this thing, when suddenly his entire vision was obscured by smoke. He coughed and tried to wave the smoke away, but to no avail. His eyes and throat burned from whatever it was.

"Now!" yelled Usopp.

When the smoke finally did clear, he could see the dragon speeding away from him. "Hey, wait damn it!" he yelled as he gave chase. All he wanted was some sake, was that too much to ask for?

Usopp grinned as he watched through the periscope as the scary mad chased after them. Normally, that would scare the hell out of him, but this time he had a plan. Swiveling the periscope around, he saw what he was looking for. A nice big rock.

Perfect.

He looked back at his crew, who were pedaling like crazy. It was the way the dragon moved, like a five person bike.

"Good job men. Keep going, we've got him right where we want him," he encouraged them. But it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

"Captain, why aren't you pedaling?" asked Carrot, breathing heavy as his legs and lungs burned in equal measure. The rest of the Usopp Pirates looked at him, wondering the same thing.

"Because Carrot, that's what I have you guys for," he told them.

"You lazy jerk!" they yelled back.

"Hush, it's almost time!" Usopp told them. They grumbled a bit, but didn't complain any further. Looking through the periscope, Usoop made sure they were going right towards the rock, using a small steering wheel to guide them. He also made sure the green haired guy was just the right distance away.

With a cocky grin, he opened a hatch on the bottom of the dragon's body, and grabbed a bucket with a dark liquid inside. "Hehe, let's see how you like my Ultra Slippery Mystery Compound 5,000!" Usopp said with a giggle as he poured it down the hatch.

"I've got you now!" yelled Zoro, his hand mere inches away from grabbing the dragon's tail. But that plan went up in smoke as a strange liquid poured out of the bottom of the dragon. He didn't even see it before his foot landed on top of it, sending him sliding across the ground.

"What the hell!?" he shouted. He tried to grab hold of something to slow down, but his hands were coated in the liquid, so he couldn't find his grip. The dragon in front of him swerved out of the way and Zoro's eyes widened comically at the sight of the large boulder he was about to slam into.

"Son of a-" but that was as far as he got before sliding headfirst into it. He lay there for a moment, head throbbing in pain.

"Ooh, that looked like it hurt," commented Nick, as he stood beside Nami watching the 'fight'. The girl next to him was equal parts amused and irritated. Amused, because she got to see Mr. Tough Guy fall for the trap, and irritated because she wanted food.

"I wish they'd just hurry up already," she grumbled.

Zoro forced himself into a seated position, holding his head in pain and cursing up a storm, swearing vengeance. "When I get my hands on them…"

But a noise halted his tirade. Looking up, he noticed the familiar sight of the dragon heading straight for him. With another panicked shout, he tried to get up, but it was to no avail. He was just too slippery.

And the dragon barreled into him.

"Hahaha! Take that! No one can defeat the mighty Dragon Tank Mk. 4!" shouted Usopp in glee. He looked through the periscope, eager to see the sight of his enemy, squashed like a pancake into the ground.

But no matter where he looked, he couldn't find him. He was just gone, vanished, like he was never there to begin with. Looking away from the periscope, a thought occurred to Usopp… Could he have been a ghost the whole time? That couldn't be true, right? Ghosts weren't real…

Usopp was broken out of his fearful mind by a sudden jerking. He and the others nearly went flying.

"W-what was that?" he questioned. Looking through the periscope once more, Usopp's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he saw the grinning face of Zoro, firmly grabbing the tail and halting their forward momentum.

"Ahh! Where did you come from!?" Usopp shouted. He wasn't there a second ago, it was like he appeared out of thin air! He really was a ghost!

"I've got you now!" Zoro shouted with a savage grin. As the dragon passed over him he managed to grab onto its tail. It took him a bit to get to his feet, but now that he was, it was time for some sweet, sweet revenge.

"No! Let go!" Usopp yelled back. He quickly began to help his crew pedal, using all of his strength to do so. But their dragon tank refused to budge more than a few inches.

"Come on! Pedal harder!" he shouted behind him.

"We are!" they yelled back. But it was useless. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't get away, and it was exhausting them. If they didn't do something soon, it would be all over.

"Damn it, how strong is this guy?" complained Usopp. It was absurd! The guy must have been made out of muscle.

"Captain, I have an idea! Just give me a sec!" yelled Akisu. He hopped off of his station and made his way to the back. He opened up another hatch in the back, right below the dragon tail.

With a savage grin, he loaded one of the pachinko balls into the slingshot and took aim. "Take this you pirate!"

Zoro's world erupted into pain. Time seemed to stop for a moment, before he let go of the tail, allowing the construction to speed away. His entire body turned white as he collapsed on the ground, holding his damaged balls in his hands, a pachinko ball innocently rolling away.

Nick winced in pain as he watched this happen. That was just uncalled for. It didn't stop Nami from laughing her ass off though. She just didn't understand the pain a man went through when struck in his most vital area.

"Guess that means you're up," said Nami, getting her laughing under control. Nick sighed, realizing she was right. It didn't look like Zoro would be up and fighting any time soon. It actually looked like he was trying not to throw up.

"Fine, let's get this over with," he said as he started walking toward the battlefield. He wouldn't make the same mistake as the swordsman. He would protect his balls, no matter the cost. This, he swore!

"Great job Akisu!" Usopp cheered, as he saw them take out one of their opponents. If they kept this up, they just might win this thing!

"It was nothing," he responded, rubbing his nose with a smug look.

Usopp then returned his gaze to the battlefield, noticing they had another challenger. "Look alive men! Bogey at 12 o'clock!"

Nick watched as the dragon charged straight for him. He wondered if they grew overconfident at their victory over Zoro. Not that he could blame them if that were the case, very few people could claim the same.

The hatch on the front opened up again, and Nick could see Usopp glaring at him with his slingshot pulled back. Well that wasn't good.

The metal balls came swiftly, and Nick was surprised just how fast he could fire them off. It was nearly two a second. He couldn't help but respect the dedication it took to get that good with a slingshot.

But still, he should have used a gun. Nick was able to weave around every shot fired, even as they came closer and closer. His dodging ability was extremely frustrating for Usopp, who prided himself on his aim.

"Just hold still, damn it!" he yelled. Nick gave him a taunting smirk, further enraging him. But furthermore, he did exactly as Usopp asked. He stood there, and waited.

Usopp aimed another shot and fired. Nick held out his hand, doing something the sniper never saw coming. He caught it.

"Y-you've got to be kidding me…" said Usopp. He was so shocked he didn't even fire another shot. He just watched as Nick continued to give him a cocky smirk. Was everyone in that crew a monster?

While Nick may have seemed cool and collected on the outside, the inside was a totally different story. "Ahh! Mother fucker that hurt! That was stupid fucking idea, what was I thinking, god damn son of a bitch!"

But he did his best not to let on how much pain he was in. Honestly, he was just thankful his hand wasn't broken. But he did have an idea, "This isn't the item I ordered, so you can have it back!"

He brought his arm back like a pitcher and chucked it straight at the opening. With a panicked yell, Usopp ducked his head, the ball going inside the compartment and bouncing around.

The others screamed in panic as well, but luckily for them, it didn't hit anybody. With a sigh of relief, Usopp turned back to the opening, only to see a certain somebody missing.

Not again! What's with these guy's and their disappearing acts?

"Where did he go?" questioned Usopp. If he couldn't see him in the front, maybe he could find him in the back. Looking through the periscope once more, Usopp felt his heart stop as he stared into the smiling face of the man he was looking for.

"Hello there!" Nick said, giving him a jaunty wave, channeling his inner Obi-Wan Kenobi. The sound of Usopp's alarmed scream was music to his ears.

The long-nosed liar watched in horror as he placed his hands on the hatch and began to turn it. With a panicked yelp, he grabbed the other side of it and tried to prevent Nick from getting inside.

"Why are they all so strong!?" Usopp yelled, as the hatch door was slowly but surely turning. This was bad, he couldn't let him in here, but he didn't have the strength to prevent it. It was just a matter of time now.

"Hey, Captain…" said a tentative voice. Usopp looked through clenched eyes at Onion, who looked like he had something to say. "W-what is it? I'm a little busy in case you didn't know," he said.

"I know, it's just…"

"What is it!? Spit it out already!"

"Who's driving this thing?"

Usopp stared at him for a moment, not quite comprehending the question. But then, like a bolt of lightning, realization dawned on him. He turned to the still open hatch in the front, and saw a sight that took his breath away, in the worst way possible.

They were heading straight for a tree. And it wasn't a small one either.

"Oh crap, hit the brakes!" shouted Usopp.

Nick also saw what was coming and decided now would be a good time to bail. He jumped off the roof, rolling to a stop on the ground. He watched in amusement as the dragon slammed right into a tree.

Well, nothing seemed to be on fire, so that was good. Nick started walking nonchalantly toward the dragon, hands behind his head. When he did reach it, he saw some bits and pieces of wood laying on the ground, having splintered off from the main body.

There was also a Luffy, still struggling inside the things mouth. Man, that was some solid construction they put into this thing. Not a whole lot could keep him contained like that. Or maybe he just wasn't trying his hardest. If that was the case, then Zoro was going to kill him.

"Hey Luffy, need some help?" he asked, coming to a stop next to the rubber man. The flailing stopped, "Nick? Is that you?"

"Sure is. Hang on a second, I'll get you out of there," he told him. With that said, Nick grabbed onto the top and bottom of the jaw, and pulled. It took a lot more force than he hoped, and Luffy had to help, but he managed to get him free.

Luffy landed on the ground with an oomph, staring up at the sky. Nick peered down at him, obscuring Luffy's vision, "How's it feel to be a free man?"

Luffy stared at him for a moment, before a big grin lit up his face. He jumped to his feet and stretched his body out, "I'm always free."

"Uh huh, so what were the last five minutes then?"

"Shut up!"

A sudden movement distracted them from their bickering. The dragon they thought was out of commission was moving backwards, quickly gaining distance from them.

"Hey, get back here!" Luffy yelled angrily, before he started chasing it. Nick just watched them go, before making his way toward the downed swordsman, "I'm sure he's got this."

Usopp was breathing heavily as he and the others pedaled backward for all they were worth. That was too close. For a second there he thought that the Dragon Tank Mk. 4 was done for, but it seems like it was even sturdier than he thought.

But that was somewhat irrelevant. Looking back at this crew, it was clear that they've had it. They were simply too tired to continue. It took all of their remaining stamina just to get away.

He had only one option left…

"Alright men that's enough! It's time!" he told them. They looked at him with bleary eyes, but they held a spark of recognition at his proclamation.

"Are you sure Captain? We can keep going," said Pepper. It warmed Usopp's heart to see him acting so brave, but that's all it was, an act. He knew they couldn't actually keep going.

"Yeah I'm sure. Get ready, this is our final stand!"

They nodded, eyes sparkling. It wasn't very often they got to see brave Usopp, so they wanted to enjoy the moment while it lasted.

Because they knew it wouldn't last long.

The dragon suddenly came to a stop, causing Luffy to do the same. He gazed up at the thing in confusion, before a loud voice caught his attention.

"It seems I've underestimated you! Now, you'll witness the true power of the Dragon Tank Mk. 4!"

"Oh yeah!? Bring it on!" Luffy shouted.

"So be it. Behold! Its mighty transformation!"

The dragon's neck and tail began to straighten out, before the barrels that composed them locked together, creating a large tube. Its jaws opened wide, creating an opening that could be used to fire much larger ammunition.

"Huh, it really does look like a tank," muttered Nick, as he stood beside Zoro. "Guess they didn't name it that for nothing." The green haired swordsman was still on the ground, but at least he was on his hands and knees now, even if his whole form was trembling.

"Those little bastards… When I get my hands on them…" Zoro threatened through grit teeth. Nick could only give him a look of pity. "Man, you've really had it rough these last two islands huh? First the laxatives, and now this?"

"Shut… up…"

Nami only watched the transformation with exasperation, "Really?" She couldn't wait for this stupid fight to be over already. As much as she enjoyed watching Zoro get hit in the balls, that novelty has worn off. Now, she just wanted some damn lunch already!

Luffy, however, had the exact opposite reaction to Nami, "So cool!"

Usopp did feel a bit of smug pride as he heard the straw hat guy praise his baby. They worked really hard to make it and he was happy it was appreciated, even if it was by the enemy.

"You won't think it's so cool in just a moment. This is my ultimate weapon! If you thought I was dangerous before, just wait until you see this!"

Having made his threat, he pulled back on the rubber bands connected to the jaws, placing a much bigger metal ball inside of it. He carefully took aim at his enemy, pointing the tube directly at him.

"If you don't want to die, I suggest you leave right now, and never come back!"

Luffy's happy smile disappeared, as his gaze turned hard. He grabbed the top of his hat, causing shadow to cover his eyes. "So that's your best weapon huh?"

While he said that fairly quietly, it still seemed to be heard by everyone. Almost like his words were carried by the wind.

Usopp started trembling, even though he didn't know why. Sure, he was a coward, and trembling was part of his basic bodily functions, but until now, he hasn't felt threatened by these pirates at all.

Well, except for that green haired guy.

"T-that's right. So leave before I'm forced to use this thing," Usopp threatened again.

But Luffy did no such thing. In fact he did the complete opposite. He began to walk forward, taking slow deliberate steps towards Usopp.

"Weapons aren't for show. They aren't used to make threats either. Weapons are for actions. If you point your weapon at me you must be prepared to die," Luffy said, stopping just in front of the barrel, eyes staring daggers into Usopp's very soul.

The trembling became even worse, almost to the point he was vibrating. The sweat dripping down his forehead no longer had anything to do with the heat inside the tank. It was a response to his fear. Staring into the eyes of the pirate in front of him, all he could imagine was his own death. If he fired his weapon, it was all over.

"So can you do it?" asked Luffy, never once taking his eyes off of Usopp, "Can you fire your weapon? Are you willing to risk your life? That's what it means to take on a real pirate."

It wasn't just Usopp that was trembling now, his friends were as well. It was like they were looking into the eyes of the devil himself. They were too scared to even piss themselves.

That wasn't the case for Luffy's one crew. They watched the show with smirks on their faces. Well, Nick and Zoro did, Nami just wanted the whole thing to be over.

Seconds ticked by with nothing happening, before finally, Usopp couldn't take the pressure any more, and let go of the giant slingshot. But nothing came out, the heavy metal ball falling to the ground, and rolling out of reach.

Usopp sighed as he slumped back, small tears in the corner of his eyes. "Oh man, so this is what real pirates are like. I didn't stand a chance."

Before he could delve too deeply into his pity well, a loud boisterous laugh broke him from his thoughts. He looked out through the tank barrel to see Luffy chuckling at him. But that only seemed to make him angry.

"Hey, just because you won doesn't mean you can laugh at me!" Usopp shouted. Luffy seemed confused for a second, before he seemed to realize what Usopp meant.

"Sorry about that. I wasn't laughing at you. I was just remembering the last time I heard that speech," Luffy said. Now it was Usopp's turn to be confused. "Last time? You mean, you didn't come up with it?"

The young man didn't know whether or not he should feel insulted. On one hand, he wasn't good enough for his own speech. On the other hand, Luffy used a speech from someone he knew, and it was a pretty damn good one too.

Guess it all depended on where the speech came from.

"Nope. I stole that from a pirate named Shanks," said Luffy. Thinking of the man always brought a smile to his face, and Luffy couldn't help but remove his hat and stare at it, remembering the day he heard that speech.

"Wait a minute!" shouted Usopp, before he quickly undid the latch on top of the dragon tank, and popping his upper body out of it. "You're not talking about Read Haired Shanks are you?"

"Sure am," Luffy said with a smile. He then gave Usopp a curious stare, "Hey, have we met before?"

Now it was Usopp's turn to give him a curious look, "Uh, no. I don't think so."

"Are you sure? You look familiar…" Luffy said, adopting a thinking pose. Usopp could only stare in confusion, wondering just what was going through Luffy's mind.

After several seconds, the light bulb in Luffy's head turned on, "I know! You're Yasopp's son, right!"

Hearing his father's name caused Usopp to freeze solid. "Wha? How do you?" Without meaning to, he leaned forward and fell right off of the tank, landing in a painful heap on the ground. He looked up as he heard footsteps approach and saw the grinning face of Luffy.

"How do you know my dad?"

Luffy just kept grinning as he stared at Usopp, before he reached out his hand for him to grab. With only a small bit of hesitation, he accepted the offer.

"I'll tell you over some meat!"