Free Heart

Ch. 14 - I am Not Good With Plans.

They found Luffy sleeping at the base of a cliff on the southern shores in the oddest position Emmy had ever seen. His back was on the sand but his legs were thrown over his head. He looked like a cinnamon roll on its side. Well this is a new one...even for someone who has fallen asleep almost everywhere on Mt. Colubo.

"Luffy?" Emmy asked as she brought his legs back to its normal spot so that Luffy was lying flat on the sand. She then pinched her brother's nose and covered his mouth, "Wake up, please."

She stayed like that for a solid 5 seconds.

"PWAHHHH!" Luffy gasped, mimicking the exact same movements of Carrot. He grabbed his throat and panted for air, "I'm up! I'm up, Emmy!"

"Good," Emmy said with a smile and placed Luffy's fallen straw hat back on his head, "Now can you please tell us what happened? Usopp ran past us and something has him scared. What made him feel like that?"

"Eh?" Luffy said as he looked around the shore, 'What am I doing down here?"

He fell back so that he could stare right up at the cliffs and then he frowned. "Last thing I remember, Usopp and I were up there," Luffy said as he pointed at the edge of the cliff, which was Usopp's favorite spot, "And we saw that butler guy with a really weird dude."

"Must be the hypnotist," Nami guessed, "And that explains why Luffy was asleep down here."

Emmy nodded and looked up at the cliffs, "He probably fell down and given how he was positioned, any normal person would assume Luffy would've died on impact."

"Shishishishi. I don't know about that," Luffy laughed as sat back up, "But I do know that Usopp and I overheard the butler and the weird guy talk about their plans to kill that Kaya girl and attack the village. Apparently, they're in a pirate crew together."

"EH?! They're going to kill Kaya-san and attack the village?!" the children shrieked as Emmy gasped.

"Klahadore-san is a pirate?!"

"Yeah, that's what they said," Luffy replied, "No question about it."

"Kaya-sama is in danger..." Emmy murmured, "No wonder Usopp was in a panic."

"He's probably off warning the village," Nami said with a wave of her hand and she turned to the kids, "The village is probably preparing to run away to safety. You guys should go too."

"Yes! Yes, we should go!" the kids agreed.

"Yes, we need to get all our belongings!" Onion said, "Our treasures! My books!"

"My piggy bank!" Pepper added.

"My toys!" Carrot finished. They all shared a firm nod and then they darted back towards the village.

"Shishishishi," Luffy grinned and then a horrified look came over his face, "OH NO!"

"What?" Zoro, Nami, and Emmy asked as they stood at the ready.

"We need to get to the meat shop before they pack up and run away! Quick! Follow the kids!" he screamed, getting to his feet and racing off like a bat out of hell.

"EH?!" his three friends cried and rushed after him.

They quickly caught up with the children as they headed back into town. The sun was starting to set and they found an orange glowed Usopp standing dejectedly in the middle of the road. His head was lowered and Emmy felt his depressed mood get stronger and stronger with every step she took towards him.

"CAPTAIN USOPP!" the children cried and his head snapped up.

"LUFFY?!" Usopp gasped when his eyes rested on the rubber boy, "You're alive?!"