Second Wind

24

"I knew it!" Usopp said enthusiastically. "He does do it on purpose! I'd tell you to pay up Nami, but I know better than to take any money from you, and I have no doubts that it would come back to bite my ass if I did."

"You're right. You'd end up paying me back 10 times over, maybe more depending on my mood," Nami remarked absentmindedly.

"So anyway, where are the others?" Ace asked curiously. "Didn't you say there were seven of you?"

"There are. A few of us, Vivi, Sanji, and Chopper, are out searching for Alabasta's rebel army," Luffy replied.

Ace blinked. "I'd ask why one of your crewmates has the same name as this country's missing princess, but I assume it has something to do with why you're searching for the rebel army to begin with."

Luffy nodded. "We're here to stop a civil war." Ace stared at him curiously.

"It's not really like you to get caught up in things like that. What brought this on?" he asked.

"Vivi's our comrade," Luffy responded, without missing a beat. "If she wants to save her country, we're with her all the way." Ace grinned and nodded in understanding.

"Well, that sounds like it could be difficult. The rebel army is pretty determined from what I hear. I'm not sure Vivi can persuade them, even if she still has a good standing in Alabasta," Ace said.

"Vivi knows someone on the inside," Zoro replied. "But that's not the real problem. We'll have to take down one of the Seven Warlords if we really want to end the war."

Ace frowned. "You mean Crocodile? What's he have to do with this?"

"He's the one instigating the civil war from the shadows," Zoro said, causing comprehension to dawn on Ace's face.

"That explains quite a bit actually. Well then," he said, turning to Luffy. "How are you planning to beat Crocodile? Do you think you can take him in a straight fight?" Usopp and Nami looked at Luffy, silently asking the same question.

"Of course I can," Luffy said, before pausing. "I'll most likely be fighting him in the desert though, so I'll have to be careful."

"You know about his power then," Ace said, with a hint of surprise in his voice. "You're more prepared than I thought you'd be. You've changed quite a bit since I last saw you."

Luffy smiled morbidly. "You have no idea," he muttered, causing Ace to frown slightly. As quick as it came, Luffy's gloomy mood disappeared, leaving Ace to wonder if it had been there to begin with. Luffy? Gloomy? Was he imagining things?

"I've changed in more ways than one Ace," Luffy said in a slightly smug tone. "It wouldn't be so one sided this time if we sparred."

Ace smirked at the unspoken challenge. "Oh really? Just because your first bounty is higher than mine was, you think you can give me a run for my money now?"

"I think I can do a lot more than just that," Luffy replied evenly, although the nonchalance in his tone didn't match the enthusiasm on his face. Zoro couldn't help but mirror their grins as he watched the two brothers stare each other down.

"Well then," Ace began, the confident smile never leaving his face, "I'll just have to put that on the list of things we need to talk about later, along with how you awakened all three forms of haki so early, and why both you and him..." he said, motioning to Zoro, "...are both suppressing your auras." He paused. "And we might as well throw in since when does Luffy think I'm an idiot while we're at it."

Luffy, for his part, was suddenly taking great interest in the clouds overhead, while Usopp stared in confusion, and Nami in growing suspicion. Suddenly, Zoro scoffed. "Believe me, that's going to be an interesting discussion."