One Piece (Love Story) [Part One]

Chapter Sixty [Rewritten]

-Chapter Sixty-

"What do you call this dish?" Sanji curiously asked through a mouthful just as one of the servants sat down another plate of food on the table. Eagerly did he listen, mentally taking notes as the man answered his question.

"Yummy" Nami hummed in delight as she ate her food, paying little mind to the rest of us.

"Here's more, eat up" Terracotta smiled as the empty dishes were swept away and replaced with newer ones.

"Old man, I never knew you were the king" Luffy said through a mouthful of meat. "So I guess that means you're Vivi's dad, huh?" sloppily did pieces of the meat he was eating drop back onto his plate the more he talked. "That's pretty cool" he said, quickly snatching up the fallen pieces and devouring them.

"Uh...maybe we should talk after dinner..." Cobra suggested.

"Yeah, okay" Luffy agreed as he went straight back to shoveling food down his gullet.

"His stomach must be nothing but an endless black hole..." I muttered, impressed by just how much food the captain was devouring while still showing no signs of stopping anytime soon as his arms stretched out to grab even more food to refill his now empty plate.

"I need another drink down here, guys!" Zoro called out, holding his empty cup up into the air and impatiently shaking it.

"And water down here" Sanji added, harshly patting Chopper's back in an attempt to get the reindeer to cough back up the food he was now choking on.

"They're loud, uncouth, and disgusting..." a guard grumbled.

"I'll say, I can't watch" another agreed.

"The princess...how can she keep laughing like that?" the first guard asked before he and the rest of the men slowly started biting their lips and clenching their jaws in an attempt to suppress the laughter that now bubbled up to the back of their throats the longer they watched everyone. It wasn't too long before they finally broke down and burst out laughing—tears streaming down their faces as Luffy started to loudly and happily cheer on a dancing Usopp and Chopper.

-Later-

"This feels good" Nami sighed in relief as she relaxed back against Vivi who was helping her bathe. "I wonder if a ship with a big bath like this exists?" she pondered aloud.

"I'm sure one does, the sea is full of surprises" Vivi smiled before curiously looking toward me. "Skylar, are you certain you don't need any help?" she asked.

"Huh?" I questioned, dumping a bucket of water over my head and wetting my hair. "No, I'm good" I shook my head, sending droplets of water splattering everywhere. "Besides, it'd be weird having someone else bathe you" I remarked, nose scrunching up for a minute at the thought of letting someone else help bathe me.

"How would it be weird? Surely your mother must have helped bathed you when you were younger" Nami frowned, not quite understanding where I was coming from. I only stared back at her as unpleasant memories now started to float their way back up to the surface.

"Mary! Come here for a second!"

"Yes? What can I do for you, ma'am?"

"I need you to go run a bath and put this filthy...thing...in it. They're starting to smell."

"Are you...are you asking me to bathe your daughter, ma'am?"

"No, I'm telling you to run a bath for her—she's old enough now to bathe herself."

"With all due respect, ma'am, but she's only four and this will be her first time having an actual bath...seeing how you and your husband have been neglecting their basic needs since their birth..."