Nick stared at the large man in front of him with some disbelief. You couldn't blame the poor guy for his reaction. To him, Pett looked like somebody crossbred a Pianta from Mario with one of those buff guy's from Dragon Quest.

It really threw him for a loop. So much so he nearly missed the beginning of his story. Can't have that now, he needed to know what was going on, and what has changed. He stood beside Nami and Luffy as Pett began to speak.

"It all started 'bout a month ago. Everything was normal, and we had just completed an order for a rather large ship. But then, that evening, there was a terrible noise. So loud it darn near woke up the whole island."

"We all rushed here quick as we could, but it was too late. That newly finished beauty was up in flames. It was all we could do to watch her sink," Pett said, his eyes gaining a misty quality. Just thinking about the damage done to one of his precious babies brought tears to his eyes.

"So, someone set off a bomb and destroyed one of your ships?" asked Nami, wanting to clarify. She didn't understand why someone would do that. Revenge, maybe?

"That's right," Pett said, blowing into a handkerchief he pulled out of his back pocket. Poor old guy was really taking it hard. Luffy stared at his new friend with blank eyes, but one could tell he was simmering underneath.

"Anyway, if that were the end of it, we could have simply moved on. Built a new one. But that was only the beginnin'. It seems like everytime we were about to finish a project, somethin' would come along and destroy all our hard work."

Nick frowned at the story. It definitely differed from the plot he knew, the question is, why? He hasn't even been here a month. Hell, he hasn't even been here two weeks, so whatever was going on here had nothing to do with him.

It was like Zoro's swords all over again. He was definitely in some kind of alternate version of the One Piece story he knew. Great, that made his already spotty knowledge damn near worthless.

"Now, it seems like all we do is repair the damage already done. If this keeps up for much longer, ain't nobody gonna be purchasin' none of these here ships," Pett finished, placing his dirty handkerchief back into his pocket, making Nami and Nick crinkle their noses in disgust.

The darn thing was practically dripping wet from the snot. At that point, it was better to just throw it out or put it somewhere else. Anywhere else but his pocket.

"So that's it huh? Has anybody asked for anything? Like 'give me a million Beris and I'll stop the attack'. Anything like that?" asked Nami. If they weren't trying to get anything out of the attacks, then it was just senseless violence.

Although, if they were trying to extort money from the person who owned the shipyards, that would be an act of terrorism. Nami wasn't sure which one was worse, but either way, it was likely pirates who were involved. Only they would stoop so low.

"Can't say that they have," answered Pett, with a miserable sigh. A far cry from the ornery old man from just minutes ago. "And Kaya, that poor young woman, has been beside herself with worry. She hasn't been down to the docks in two whole weeks. Seeing that pretty face o' hers always got the boys motivated. Made them work twice as hard it did."

Nami rolled her eyes at that. Of course a bunch of sweaty sailors would try to show off for a pretty face. "And who is this Kaya person?" she asked. She sounded like somebody important, somebody they needed to talk to about getting a ship.

If they even could, that is.

"Kaya's the one what owns these here shipyards. Or she will, soon as she comes of age. Parents left her everything after they died about a year ago now," Pett answered.

That part checks out. It was the same, or at least similar to what Nick remembered. He was pretty sure they died of some sickness, but he wasn't positive. The butler claimed he didn't do it, but the odds were about 50/50 on that. A coin toss isn't what Nick would call particularly good odds.

"That so? Sounds like somebody doesn't want her to inherit it," Nick commented, making them turn to him. Nami had a contemplative look at that, and by some miracle Luffy was still listening.

Pett however, just sighed again, "Aye, you're probably right about that lad. 'Cept, nobody has a clue as to who that could be. Kaya herself is adored by the people 'round here, and her parents were well liked too. Can't imagine somebody holding a grudge against them folk."

"Well I can," stated Nami, making them turn towards her now. Luffy and Nick seemed curious about her statement, while Pett seemed a bit angry. When they didn't seem to understand, she sighed in mild frustration. How could she be the only one who gets it?

"Listen, from what I understand, the ship building here is the best in the East Blue. So that means they would have had to make some corporate enemies. People they beat out of contracts, or pushed out of business. Somebody like that could easily hold a grudge. And without a demand, it seems more than likely they're just trying to ruin the business."

That made them think, and even Pett simmered down, thinking about what she said. It made sense, if you thought about it. No way they became the best around without stepping on a few toes.

"You may have a point there lass. Never thought of it that way before," Pett said, rubbing his bearded chin. Nick nodded along, though he somehow doubted that would be the case. That butler had to have something to do with it, he just didn't know what.

Perhaps his goal was to make her so scared and feel so incompetent, she would hand the business over to him? Perhaps… It made sense, but he had no way of knowing for sure. Hell, he didn't even know if the butler guy existed, or if he was even the butler.

He could still be a pirate for all Nick knew. But then, wasn't capturing him the reason Morgan became a Marine Captain in the first place? If so, and he still was a Captain here, then what's-his-name must have still faked his death, right?

"I don't get it," said Luffy, making Nami groan in frustration, and interrupting Nick's train of thought. It was better for him not to think too much into it anyway, and just deal with whatever comes his way.

"Listen, all you need to know is that this Kaya person's parents made enemies, and they're likely looking for some revenge," Nami told Luffy. He hit his palm with a fist, an 'ah ha' expression on his face, making Nami rub her forehead in irritation.

"So, is that it, or is there something else?" Nick asked, hoping there was a bit more to go on. He needed info, and what he got from Pett was already something he was speculating.

Pett rubbed his hairy chin in thought for a moment, "Aye, that be about it. I know ye said you were looking fer a ship to call yer own, but it be best you speak to the young lady herself. I'm sure you can negotiate a fair deal with her. She lives up on yonder hill, in the big mansion," said Pett. Nick nodded at that, already hoping to acquire a certain ship for the deed.

"Sounds good to me. Let's go get ourselves a ship! Thanks old guy!" Luffy shouted with a laugh, before running to the ship's edge and jumping off.

"Luffy, wait!" shouted Nami before chasing after him. Nick sighed and gave Pett a shrug, before starting to take off after his friends. But before he got too far, Pett gave him a warning.

"Listen lad, you seem like a strong lot. Plenty o' fire in those bellies of yers. But listen to old Pett, whoever is behind these attacks be dangerous. Best be careful if you plan to offer aid."

Nick gave him a confident look, "Thanks for the advice, but I think we'll be fine. We have the future King of the Pirates on our side after all."

Having said his piece, Nick jumped off the ship and followed the other two. Pett walked to the edge and watched the group leave, with the orange haired girl smacking the 'Future King' in the head. A small smile worked its way onto his face, before he turned around and went back to work.

"That you do lad, that you do."

The three pirates made their way through the shipyard once more, with a new mission. They got all the info they could here, and it was time to head out. Their next objective?

Convince the rich lady to give them a ship for beating up the bad guys!

It was a working title, but it described the plan pretty well. Nick was sure they would need to explain it to Luffy another time or two, but that was future Nick's problem. Current Nick swaggered through the shipyard with a cocky grin on his face. Something Nami picked up on.

"And just what has you so smug, huh?" she asked. Nick turned to her with the same smarmy look on his face. Actually, it was about 20% more cocky, if that were even possible.

"Remember on the way here, when I said we'd have to take out some pirates to get a ship?" he asked her. It took Nami a moment to remember, but when she did, her eyes widened.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Wha? But how did you?" she asked, flabbergasted. If he was being honest, he really had no reason to be so cocky, considering his future knowledge, but at the same time, the look on her face was priceless.

"That's right, praise me, for I am a genius!" he shouted. Nami rolled her eyes, elbowing him in the ribs, causing him to groan. While he may have been doing pretty good for a guy who was tortured by clowns, he still wasn't at 100%. More like, 80% if he was being generous, so her elbow hurt more than he would have liked.

"Good for you Mr. Genius. Would you like a trophy? How about a nice pat on the head?" she asked sarcastically. Nick pretended to think about it for a moment, tapping his chin with a finger.

"Tempting, tempting… How about reducing my debt instead?"

"Not a chance."

Nick shrugged. Oh well, it was worth a shot. Can't blame a guy for trying. The trio continued on, nearing the end of the shipyard, when Nick suddenly remembered something. Something important.

"Hey, where's Zoro?"

His two companions stopped in their tracks, looking at Nick in confusion. They then looked around the area, before realization dawned on them. They were indeed missing a Zoro.

"Wasn't he drinking with some guys?" asked Nami.

"You mean them?" asked Nick, pointing to the three men currently passed out with drunken smiles on their faces. Looks like Zoro showed them a good time.

"Yep, that's them…"

Luffy started to panic, thinking his first crewmate was lost, "Zoro!"

Meanwhile…

"Damn it, where did those guys run off to? When I get my hands on them…" Zoro muttered as he wandered through the shipyard. He was humiliated, utterly and completely.

After sitting down with the three workers who were on break, he soon discovered he was made the butt of a practical joke. While he was sleeping, someone decided it would be a good idea to draw on his face.

In permanent marker! And he had a pretty good idea who it was too.

Luckily, his new drinking buddies took it in good stride, offering him some booze to ease his woes. And who was he to turn them down?

Unfortunately, for his friends that is, the alcohol in his system only made him angrier. His need for vengeance has never been higher. He would find them, and he would draw on their faces! See how they like it!

Zoro kept walking with an evil grin on his face, picturing what he would draw on them. Perhaps the words 'Pirate Queen' for Luffy, 'Greedy Witch' for Nami, and 'Virgin' for Nick.

Yeah that would do. They would never be able to live the humiliation down. Plan set, now all he had to do was find them, which was proving to be a bigger challenge than he thought. The shipyard's layout was rather confusing, and he felt like he was going in circles.

"Damn it, where are they?" he groused.

"What are you doin' on my ship?" asked a voice to Zoro's left. He looked over to see who addressed him, only to be met with a large man with a bushy beard and a palm tree hairstyle.

It was none other than Pett, wondering why there was another person wandering about his workplace. Did somebody put up a sign that said, 'Pett's ship, strangers welcome!'? Because if they did, old Pett was going to have a word or two with them…

"Ship?" Zoro asked, looking at his surroundings in confusion. Sure enough, he was aboard a large ship, gently bobbing up and down on the water's surface. How did he get here?

Pett raised an eyebrow at the man's confusion, "Yes, a ship. As in a sailing vessel. The thing ye be standing on."

Zoro sighed in irritation, muttering about why they would put a ship here, which confused Pett even more. Where else would they put a ship besides on the water? Somethin' wasn't quite right with this fellow, Pett could feel it in his bones.

Who just walks around with those markings on their face? Somebody with a screw or two loose, that's who.

"If ye ain't got no business here, kindly take yer leave. I'm busy, if ye couldn't tell," he said, before turning around and continuing his work. If he kept getting interrupted by youngsters with too much time on their hands, he would never get his work done.

Zoro tsk'd before doing just that, leaving the boat in a huff. Not like he wanted to be there in the first place, he had better things to do.

Like kicking some pranksters' asses.

Pett sighed in relief as he heard the man leave, thankful there wasn't a confrontation. While Pett could hold himself in a fight well enough, he didn't want to risk more damage to his ship. She's suffered enough in his opinion.

Not two minutes passed before Pett heard another person step onto his ship. With an angry huff, he turned around to confront whoever it was, only for his eyes to widen as he saw a familiar head of green hair.

"What the? Why did ye come back? Did ye need something?" he asked befuddled. The man however, looked just as confused as he was, staring at his surroundings in frustration.

"How did I get back here…? Hey, are you following me?" Zoro asked Pett.

"Following you? We're on a damn ship you idjit! How in the hell am I supposed to be following you!?" Pett asked, frustrated.

Zoro growled as he turned around to leave again, only to be stopped by Pett, "Hang on a second there laddy. You seem lost. Do you need some help gettin' somewhere?"

While Pett would much rather continue his work, making sure this halfwit left the shipyards was likely in his best interest. Especially if he kept wandering back here somehow.

"I'm not lost, I'm looking for somebody. You haven't seen a guy wearing a straw hat have you?" asked Zoro.

Pett narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "And just who is he to you?"

"My dumbass Captain," Zoro responded. That caused Pett's eyes to widen. This guy was part of his crew? Really? Well he guessed it made sense, that Luffy guy was a bit of an oddball as well.

"I see… In that case, ye should know they were here earlier, but left already, likely heading for the mansion on top of yonder hill. I suggest ye head in that direction," Pett told him. Zoro looked to where he was indicating, and saw a large, palatial mansion almost shimmering on top of a hill overlooking the shipyard.

"That right? Thanks," Zoro said, before heading off once more. Pett sighed as he watched him go. Good riddance, now he could get back to his job.

Less than a minute later, Pett heard the now familiar sound of someone walking on the deck of his ship. With a sigh of irritation, exasperation, and a hint of wonder, he turned around and once more saw the swordsman, looking around in confusion.

"Are ye serious?"

Back with the others…

The three remaining pirates sat down exhausted, having walked up and down the shipyard, looking for their wayward companion. Luffy and Nami thought they must have just kept missing him, but Nick knew the truth.

Zoro had an absolutely abysmal sense of direction. There was a good chance he was on the other side of the island by now, sleeping under a tree. It was funny in the show, but now that he had to deal with it, Nick found it just plain irritating.

The worst part was, he would be dealing with this nonsense for a long, long time. It shouldn't be possible for someone to have a sense of direction as bad as his, but here they are.

Nick sighed as he sat down next to Nami, frustrated. Not just at Zoro, but at himself as well. He knew about his sense of direction, or his lack thereof, and should have joined him to prevent such a thing.

Thinking about it, it was a miracle he found him earlier, taking a nap against the fence. Zoro could have ended up anywhere, literally. Perhaps it was a good thing he has the sleeping tendencies of a cat…

Crap, did he fall asleep somewhere? They searched everywhere, so if he did, it would have to be someplace out of the way. Ugh, the cat found a hidey hole to sleep in, wasn't that just great…

"There you are," responded a familiar voice, dragging Nick out of his thoughts. The three of them turned to look behind them and sure enough, there stood a familiar green haired swordsman. Luffy appeared relieved to have found him, after a long and grueling search.

"Zoro, we found you!" shouted Luffy with a happy grin on his face. He stood up and raced towards Zoro.

"I found you, you dumbass!" Zoro responded, making Luffy chuckle. Nami and Nick also stood up, turning to face the irritated swordsman.

"It's about time. Where were you?" Nami asked with her hand on her hip.

"Looking for you morons. That reminds me, I need to ask you all something…" Zoro said. Nick felt a sweat form on his forehead. Zoro's tone just took a major shift, causing his whole body to tense up.

He wasn't the only one to notice it either. Nami took an involuntary step back, gulping at the palpable aura of menace Zoro was exuding. The only one who was oblivious to the danger was none other than Luffy.

Because of course he was.

"A-and what would that be, Zoro old pal?" asked Nick. He had a sneaking suspicion what it was about.

"Well you see… It's about my face," Zoro started. Nick swore under his breath. It was exactly what he was afraid of.

"It seems some jokers decided to practice their art skills. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" he finished, and even Luffy was looking nervous now. It seems his survival instinct kicked in at last.

"I don't know anything about that…" Luffy said, trying and failing to whistle, while also trying and failing to look innocent.

"Like I'd believe that!" Zoro shouted. Luffy tried to run, but Zoro grabbed him by the back of his vest. His legs and arms kept going, as Luffy tried to run, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape Zoro's grasp.

"W-well it seems like you caught the perpetrator. But we had nothing to do with it, right Nick?" Nami asked, turning to Nick with a sweet smile on her face. As much as Nick liked Nami, he was perfectly willing to toss her under the bus in this instance.

"Nope, it was them, all them. Luffy drew the glasses and the mustache and Nami made you look like a cat," he said rapidly. The guilty party didn't appreciate him tattling on them.

"You jerk!"

"That's it, I'm increasing your debt by 100,000 Beris!"

Totally worth it.

"But you still watched them do it, didn't you? That makes you guilty by association," Zoro said, making Nick freeze. Perhaps he spoke too soon, and he would have three people angry at him instead of just one.

"Now that's not true! I only watched Nami draw on you. Luffy was done by the time we got there," Nick corrected. If he thought he was free and clear he had another thing coming. That explanation did nothing to soothe Zoro's ire towards him.

"That still makes you guilty!" Zoro yelled. Luffy had yet to give up trying to escape, squirming around in Zoro's grasp like a greased up hog. He could have just unbuttoned the vest and ran off, but it seems like he hadn't thought of that.

And Nick wasn't going to tell him.

"Come on, be reasonable…" Nick tried as he backed up slowly. Zoro's eyes gained a glint to them, promising swift and painful retribution.

"Oh I am. I'll beat you to a reasonable degree," he threatened.

Nick gulped audibly, taking another step back. He turned to Nami to ask her a question, "Hey Nami, what should we-Nami?"

But all he saw was a cloud of dust. Confused, he searched for the wayward navigator, spotting her down the road, running like the devil himself was after her.

Which wasn't far from the mark.

"Sorry, I just remembered I have a hair appointment! Can't miss it! See you later! Bye!" she shouted, barely glancing over her shoulder. The three men could only stare in disbelief at her retreating figure. None of them had even seen her leave.

How did she do that? And since when was she so fast?

Questions for later.

After a few seconds, Nick seemed to snap out of his trance, "Hey! Nami, wait!" he shouted after her, before he too took off at a sprint.

"Hey! Nick, don't leave me!" shouted Luffy. Nick paused his running and turned to face Luffy. For a moment, the rubber man thought Nick would actually stay and try to save him.

Poor, naive fool.

Instead, Nick bowed to him in apology, "I will never forget your noble sacrifice," and proceeded to run like hell as well. Mournful tears fell from his eyes as he retreated to the sounds of Luffy's pleas.

"Come back!"

But he didn't. Nick just kept running. Even as the sound of Luffy's painful screams entered his ears, he kept running. He only hoped it would be enough.