The next morning you wandered into the kitchen for breakfast, sitting down and nearly falling to sleep waiting for the rest of the crew to wake up. Sanji kept you semi-company, asking you how you slept and trying to chat while he was cooking, but once he realized you were starting to doze off, he left you to it, only humming softly while he worked. The pleasant tune was enough to let you rest your eyes a little longer.

You hadn't had trouble sleeping the night before, but you had gone to bed a little later than usual by the time you and Zoro had parted ways. Your body still woke up when it was used to waking up, however, and if you dawdled in the bedroom Robin might not let you leave for breakfast before roping you back into more research about the clues.

The soft clunk of a mug against the table caught your attention and you look up to see a mug of coffee in front of you. You look over at Zoro who has seated himself next to you and smile as you sit up and take a sip of the dark liquid. You knew he wasn't a fan of the stuff, but you were grateful for it. Sanji probably brewed it, since it tasted good, but you were still grateful to Zoro for it.

A few days passed by in that way. Quiet mornings, quiet nights, and the long hours between spent with Robin as you worked through the clues and the languages. The two of you ran into dead end after dead end in trying to glean more specific meaning from the writings. What you were becoming convinced of, however, was that the One Piece wasn't where everyone thought it was.

The best way to be sure you were right was to go to the Grandline Metro and see if you could sense any winter magic anywhere. Unless you managed to decipher everything that the clues had to offer, and ended up with a certain route to follow. None of the ciphers the crew were familiar with were working, and even when you mashed the processes together with what you knew from your world it wasn't enough.

Someone in the Metro might be able to help. There were a lot of people, and a lot of knowledge to tap amongst them. Robin explained to you some of the alliances Luffy and the crew had with others, and how you'd be able to access several lines of information once they arrived.

The One Piece might not be in the Metro, but the key to finding it could be.

The risk was that the Grandline Metro was one of the most well-guarded islands in the world, second only to the Red Line. It was big, and there were ways to move around undetected, but it was crawling with pirates, bounty hunters and Marines more than anywhere else. Once the world caught wind that the Straw Hat Pirates were returning, it was only going to get worse.

Nami had spread out maps of the area and walked you through how the next few days would go. Heading toward the Grandline Metro's island was easier than heading away from it. It was just how the currents worked. There was still the risk of adverse weather, but nothing like what they had experienced on their journey as they had made their way out in to the seas.

While the journey was easier when heading toward the island, it wasn't very fast. The currents were sluggish, and outside of the occasional storm, the winds were mild too. The Sunny had a few ways to expedite the return, but it required fuel, and so they were taking a small detour to stock up on what they needed at an island that manufactured the fuel by the galloons.

Once that island was reached, and the fuel was brought on board, the journey back to the Metro would only take a few days, and not a few more weeks. The hope was that the shortened travel time would allow the crew to arrive in the Metro far sooner than anyone expected. Which, if everything worked as planned, would give you a couple days of freedom before anyone would seriously begin to look for you on the massive island.

"This island we're getting provisions on, it's called Carbra Nation?" You question, pointing on the map.

"Carbonation is the fuel that powers the Sunny," Nami corrects. "The island itself doesn't have a name, but I bet Franky will want to call it Carbra now." She adds, smiling.

Nami goes onto to explain the basics of carbonation and how to works. It's not too functionally different from the concept of steam power that you're familiar with, though the technology was fairly new back in Winternight. Both concepts worked because of pressure caused by heat or agitation, and that pressure created the energy to do the work.

It took a couple more days to reach the island, and the night before you arrived you were in your favorite spot again. Though tonight you were sitting on the rail at the back of the Sunny. You had been spending wordless evenings here after dinner with Zoro's company for days. Some evenings you would share a drink, some evenings you would share soft kisses, undefined emotions slipping between you.

In all those nights neither of you spoke.

Nothing was uncomfortable about it. Speaking would complicate things. Trying to pin words or lines to something that is comfortable in its formlessness was risky, but it was going to happen eventually.

The notion weighs heavily on your heart as you consider it. Sure, things could improve, they could grow deeper, but even that result carried with it a terrible risk. Luffy was to be the most important, that made sense, and as a knight you weren't even bothered by the idea of it.

Zoro wasn't a knight. He didn't come to his convictions lightly, but if you shook them, even a little, it could sway the results of a battle. You understood that, you'd seen it happen even within the Knightage. You had to trust your lover's skills as much as your own, and regardless of your heart you had to put your lord first. Some people couldn't do that, and you couldn't disparage them for it either; love was a strong and powerful force. It could override training, sense, honor and self-preservation.

Sometimes to beautiful ends.

Sometimes to terrible ends.

Zoro joins you and interrupts your thoughts. Smiling you move to slide off the rail but he stops you with a word.

"Stay."

Shifting back into your original seated position, you feel your heart skip a little as he stands in front of you. Perched on the rail, open ocean behind you, Zoro just a little above you, you're not afraid, but something about the situation has you feeling caught.

Caught, like you had been before you had gone into the icy mountains with half the crew.

The first arm wraps around your waist as his legs push yours aside. You could easily lift yourself up into the position you had been in when he carried you from the mountain if you wanted, but something kept you from moving.

The second arm gently places a calloused finger under your chin, tilting your face and your gaze up to meet his. Your interactions with him in the dark of the night, at the back of the ship, had always been quiet and gentle, but something about this felt so fragile. You worried that breathing too hard would shatter whatever it was building between you, and while you didn't resist him, you couldn't risk moving.

That gaze, his gaze, was hard to face. Too intense for someone with only one eye. Too nervous for someone who smelled of steel and sake. Too gentle for someone who carried the crew on his back.

"It wasn't an assist." He says. His voice is cool, and sharp.

"I know."

"Do you know the answer to your question yet?"

"My... question?" You're not sure what he means until the memory plays in your mind, of the moment before you shared your first kiss with him in front of the crew.

"You. I want to remember you."

"Do I like you?"

Embarrassment crashes into you, and it's by Zoro's arm alone that you don't accidentally pitch yourself off the rail as you tried to squirm away from him. You quickly compromise with your flight response by burying your face in your hands and leaning into his chest.

"I... I know." You admit, leaning back and uncovering your face. You manage to meet his gaze despite the rush of blood making you a little lightheaded. "I've... known. That's good enough for now, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

His actions betray his words. The arm around your waist tightens, there's an iron grip on the back of your head, the slow closure of the space between you is the only hint of his willingness to let you leave.

You stay, and he pulls you into the kiss. It's hot and strong and the soft moan that parts your lips fills your mouth with the faint taste of sake. The pressure makes your heart race, and the rush pulls the air from your lungs. The sweet shiver pleasure slips down your spine and the kiss breaks enough for a soft gasp of air before you resume.

Your hands clutch onto his back, and your legs curl around his. Who is holding who in place is hard to say, and the control of the kiss is just as questionable. Nothing changed, and everything did, and you were nervous and relieved and a few errant tears you didn't even realize had escaped you were kissed away by gentle lips.

You didn't know what your own goals were, but, right now, you knew that ideally he would be a part of them.

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You needed to get back to the Sunny, it was far more defensible than any other position, and everything had gone sideways almost the moment you had disembarked. With a little help from what little geppo you can muster, you manage to clear the lip of the rocky wall in front of you.

The island was a collection of hot springs and rocky precipices, and the towns were built close together and tall. It was easy to get lost, and easier to get separated. You had taken your eyes off the others for a moment and lost sight of them completely. After that you had run into marine.

It was some kid with pink hair who was a lot stronger than he looked, and a lot more knowledgeable than you expected. He recognized you right away and the ensuing scuffle turned into an all out fight, one you opted to flee as reinforcements arrived. It had taken almost ten minutes to shake the pink-haired monster on your heels, but now you had a new problem.

You didn't know this island, and your mad dash to shake the marine resulted in you being somewhere on the island, with no idea which direction the Sunny was in. There were a lot of place where you could get a good vantage point, but you'd be exposing yourself to an island of eyes, and the chances that you could outrun all of them were slim.

You stayed moving, picking up a forgotten rag from a narrow alley way and covering your hair with it. You ripped your pants to shorts, and unbuttoned your overshirt, tying it at your waist like you had seen Robin do with hers. By the time you reached the end of the alley you looked a little different. The only defining item you were carrying you didn't want to part with was your sword, but you tied the scraps of your pant legs to it so it at least looked different at a glance.

Forcing your pace to something more relaxed you slipped into the bustle of the market street and did your best to move with the general flow of the surrounding traffic. You kept your eyes peeled for a stall that could give you a better disguise since you had enough berries on you to avoid the risk of stealing a disguise. Pulsing your observation haki as you moved through the flow of people you tried to find the others.

Much closer than expected you found the silhouette of Luffy. You moved a little more pointedly toward him, and currently he seemed to be mostly still. It probably meant he found some food, or someone told him not to move and he's doing his best to comply.

Sure enough, you find him eating.

"Hey," you say evenly, sitting down beside him.

Luffy brightens considerably upon seeing you, and thankfully most of his excited greeting was lost in the mash of food he had in his mouth. You really didn't need him shouting your expensive name out in the middle of a bustling street.

"The marines know I'm here, so we need to get that fuel and go." You explain with an even smile.

He nods, talking between big bites of food. "Me and Sanji and Usopp are creating distractions, while Zoro and Franky get what we need." Luffy beams at you, and you give him an odd look.

"Creating a distraction by eating quietly in the middle of the market lane?" You ask, your eyebrows as crooked as your grin. Luffy flinches, looking oddly guilty before finishing his food in a few large bites.

Once the meat is gone he stands up and then gets up on the table he had been eating at. You're getting ready to tell him he shouldn't draw attention to himself when you're nearby because you need to lay low, but you're not fast enough. The captain bellows at the top of his lungs and you can feel your heart drop to your feet.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! I'm going to be the King of Pirates!"

The Market lane froze for a moment as everyone processes what they just heard.

"L-luffy."

"Eh?"

"THERE HE IS! AND THE PROPHET'S WITH HIM!" The bellow of nearby marines filled the market lane and the citizens melted into the shops and alleyways with surprising efficiency, leaving you and Luffy exposed in the open lane.

"Oh... sorry." Luffy apologizes as he winds up an attack. "Gatling gun!"

You knew Luffy could stretch. You knew he could fight. You didn't know how well he could fight, or the advantages his devil fruit gave him. As his two arms turned into a flurry of fists that stretched out and snapped back with lightning speed – and admirable accuracy – you started to understand how strong he really was.

Before the dust clears Luffy grabs you and lifts you up easily as he runs away. You knew Zoro was physically strong, but you hadn't expected to be hauled around so easily by someone who still looks more like a farm boy to you than a 3 billion berries' dangerous pirate captain.

"Luffy!"

"Yes!?"

"Can you sense all that?" You ask, concern rising in you as you're reaching out with your observation haki. There are several fights going on that you can sense, and you're fairly certain that Jinbei, Robin and Brook are in fights as well, despite having stayed on the ship initially.

"Yup!"

"Are we concerned?" You ask.

"Nope!"

It was the answer you were hoping for, but honestly it wasn't assuaging your own concern like you had hoped. There were enough marines that you were getting surrounded easily, and repeatedly. Luffy would set you down, mow down the marines and run again, and this repeated several times. You were beginning to think you'd eventually make your way back to the ship, since the captain was showing no signs of fatigue, and you didn't seem to be slowing him down at the slightest.

But your luck didn't hold.

You recognized the marines standing before you. You remembered Tashigi and Smoker from the first island you had been on, and the pink-haired youth who gave you trouble earlier was also there. From Usopp's drawings you recognized a few more of them. Stainless, Lacroix, Cancer, Dalmatian, and Doll.

Six vice-admirals and at least one captain. The Pink-haired one was probably a Captain as well.

Luffy sets you down slowly. He's tense, and you can feel it. He's not afraid, if anything it feels like there's joy coming off of him, but he's entered that rare serious mode of his and it helps you understand the situation you're looking at right now.

"(Y/N)." He says sternly. "Once you see an opening, run."

You wanted to argue. You wanted to suggest using the need of your survival against them. You didn't want to leave Luffy behind.

But you weren't there yet. You were going to hold him back as he worked to protect you. The order was irrefutable.

"Aye, aye." You took a couple of steps back, giving Luffy room to maneuver as the fight began.

There was no order to the brawl. You had expected formations or organization among the marines, and while they weren't getting in each other's way, it was complete chaos from your perspective. Somewhere in the back of your mind you were sure part of it had to do with devil fruits and the applications of haki. These variables would change the tempo of a fight compared to what you were used to back home.

Luffy defended against all of it like an impenetrable wall. For someone with no defined fighting style, the loose and adaptable brawling that was his hallmark served him well in a world of devil fruit users.

A flurry of exchanged blows kicked up enough dust that you took the opportunity to run. You slipped into the alleyway behind you as swiftly and quietly as you could, using the narrow passage to your advantage to kick off a wall and dart down a split in the buildings. You could hear Luffy's voice rising over a din of garbled panic from the marines as he changed gears. You didn't know what that meant, but you didn't waste your focus worrying about it.

You felt at least two people on your tail. It wasn't Smoker, his was a presence you were familiar with, but these didn't feel wholly new either. It was probably to two small ones – Tashigi and the youth. Losing one or the other on their own was easy, but the two of them didn't need to stay hidden and were using the higher ground of the rooftops to track you and coordinate.

Flight wasn't the viable option then.

Leaping from the alleyway you cleared the roof and lunged for Tashigi. She could fight, just as Zoro had admitted, and her sword stops your strike even as the surprise is still on her face. Once your feet are set you dart in with a flurry of attacks. She must be mindful not to harm you too much, but you have no such limitation.

Not that you intend to needlessly slaughter anyone.

The ferocity of your attack is simply meant to imbalance her and provide you with a better opening for escape. Your observation and armament haki are playing double duty as you twist to avoid an attack from the pink-haired marine.

"Koby!" Tashigi calls out as your sword scrapes along the roof before arcing toward the young man.

Rocks and dust fling from the edge of the blade, and you continue your dance by returning your attention to Tashigi. You can hear Koby coughing and sputtering, but the move will only buy a precious second or two.

Twisting your sword to the flat of the blade, you rush Tashigi, literally barreling over her with all the force you can muster. It's enough to knock her aside, and you have both of them in front of you now, instead of one in front and one behind.

Being up on the roof gives you a better vantage point for what all is going on in the town, and it's complete chaos. You catch sight of Robin's massive limbs several kilometers away, and at least one explosion in a completely different direction. There's also at least a dozen marine sail just barely visible on the horizon around the island.

Luffy's fight is still raging and has seemed to move away from where you are and not closer. Either he's pushing the Vice Admirals back on his own, or they're giving these two captains space to capture you.

You set your feet. There was no one to run to who wasn't already occupied. It didn't matter if you thought you were up to the task or not, you had to handle these two on your own.

A/N - Whew, Luffy is hard to write.

I had hoped to be done with Thrice Prophesized by the end of February - like how I managed to barrel through Some Direction in a month, but THAT'S Not happening XD

Also, uh... look. This is going to be at LEAST two books. ... maybe three. There's just So Much More to Cover and I know I can't do it in a single book at this point. (it was almost 46k words before these two idiot consciously kissed one another.

I could make it one big 100k word monstrosity, but I think I can break it up comfortably (I don't want to tackle balancing a huge single title like that, makes me nervous ^^;; )