•Black Hat•

•42•

"We've reached Zou!" Bartolomeo's watchman shouted from the highest mast, making every Strawhat and Law exit to take a first look on the island.

"What? Where's... what's that?" Pearl asked confused as a huge column surrounded by a thick mist stood before them. Gradually the most began to clear and the confusion turned to shock. "Is this an elephant?!" Pearl shouted and turned to her left to look at Luffy's reaction. But he didn't share her amusement even though he was definitely shocked he avoided looking at her and walked away. Before she could be able to think this through a voice from her left interrupted her.

"Her name is Zunesha" Law said. "She's like a thousand years old"

"Yes that's right" Kin'emon added "it's the home for the Mink tribe. They're pretty isolated and it's said that they hate humans!"

"How are we going to get up there?" Ussop asked and everyone paused to think about that, but when they heard the sound of Luffy's hand stretching.

"That's right Luffy can pull-!" Pearl began saying but Luffy jumped up and disappeared in the mist leaving everyone speechless. "What the fuck? What's wrong with him?!"

"His been like this ever since the bounties came" Robin noticed.

"You really think it's that?" Pearl asked slightly devastated and everyone nodded. "Goddamnit!" She hissed. "Anyway how are we going to climb on that beast?"

"I can't use room for that it's too much for me and I haven't healed completely". Law said

"I can help" Kanjuro said. He was a friend of Kin'emon's from Dressrosa who had that weird drawing ability that made everything he drew come to life. The only problem was that his drawings were horrific but still he managed to draw a dragon that he named Ryonosuke and the party began climbing on the elephants leg.

In the middle of the climb though Kanjuro and Kin'emon fell from the dragon onto the Strawhats' ship that was tied to the bottom of the leg. But they promised they would catch up with them.

Pearl, Law, Ussop, Franky, Robin and Zoro continued with their climb and soon enough they had arrived on the elephant's back. Surprisingly Luffy was still there sitting on the ground in front of a big stone gate. Pearl looked around at... her crew mates and signed them to wait while she rushed towards him.

"Luffy, can I talk to you?" She asked. Luffy turned his head, looked at her and then got up.

"What about?" He asked brushing off the dust from his clothes. "What?" He asked and raised his eyes to look at her when Pearl didn't speak.

"Are you mad about something?" She asked not being able to say the word bounties.

Luffy paused for a moment and peered at her.

"No"he said finally and left her to go deeper in the woods.

The rest of the Strawhats approached her

"What did he say?" Robin asked.

"That he's not mad!" Pearl said sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

"Maybe he isn't" Zoro said "and you're just the one that's feeling guilty!"

"Zoro" pearl began saying when a sudden noise interrupted her. It was the sound of Luffy fighting, everyone realized and ran towards the commotion, where they indeed found Luffy clashing with a rabbit-like creature. She was y'all and cute looking but her attacks had taken Luffy by surprise.

"Luffy what are you doing?" Ussop shouted at him.

"She attacked me first!" Luffy replied blocking the creatures attack's.

"Carrot-chan stop!" Another creature rushed to say, coming out of the bushes nearby. "He's a friend, he's the captain of the other humans that saved you ten days ago!"

"Bepo!" Law suddenly said. The white bear that was speaking turned around at the sound of his name and a smile lit on his face.

"Captain!" He shouted and fell on the man with tears of joy.

"Alright alright!" Law said trying to get the bear off him.

The rest of the party stared at them confused apart from Luffy and Pearl.

"Hello mugiwara!" Bepo said and Luffy smiled at him not really understanding who he was since he was unconscious when they had met.

"Hey Bepo" Pearl dared to say and waved at the white bear. "I used to have ginger hair" she added and smiled widely when she saw his eyes widening.

"Oh! You're that girl!" He said and Pearl nodded and patted him on his back.

"Bepo is a mink" Law explained to the rest of the confused crew. "And also my navigator, he left Zou when he was young so he has no memories of it!"

"How does Pearl know him?" Ussop asked.

"Well how does she know me?" Law asked irritated. "I saved both their asses at the war?" He reminded him and turned to Bepo. "Where are the others?"

"At the right belly captain!" Bepo replied. "The rest of the Strawhats are there as well!"

"Nice!" He said. "Room". And all nine of them were teleported to a place deeper in the forest. A valley with huge pineapples, that probably were used for houses, floating around filled with animal like creatures. These were the minks. Everyone suddenly felt uneasy. Kin'emon had told them that Minks didn't like humans, so they remained still anticipating their reaction. To their relief and surprise everyone seemed extremely exited about their arrival.

"Garchu!" They shouted happily and fell on the newcomers hugging them.

"I thought they hated humans?" Ussop managed to ask and everyone agreed. How exactly did Kin'emon come to the conclusion that the minks despised the human race?

"Guys!" Two voices said in sync as Chopper and Nami started running towards them. Luffy smiled at the sight of them and waved excitedly.

"Luffy!" Nami cried and fell on him, her eyes full of tears, making Luffy's smile disappear.

Everyone stopped talking and everyone's attention was focused to these two. The minks around them stared at the floor and so did Chopper.

"What's wrong, Nami?!" Luffy asked surprised as the girl wouldn't let go of him.

"It's Sanji... he has left" she finally explained.