One Piece (Love Story) [Part One]

Chapter One Hundred and Ninety Nine [Rewritten]

-Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Nine-

"Crazy monster!" Usopp screamed the second he spotted Zoro who currently looked frustrated as he held his stomach from where I had harshly kicked him away with both my feet.

"You said you were kidding!" Chopper cried as I hastily fixed my sweater and attempted to make myself look decent.

"Aw..." I quietly mumbled, frowning when I realized he had stretched the material out so far that it no longer wanted to return to its normal size as it just fell and kept both the tops of my shoulders and collarbone exposed no matter how many times I pulled it back into place. "I rather liked this sweater..." I grumbled.

"Please don't eat me, Mr. Monster!" Usopp pleaded as he snatched up Chopper. "Eat this delicious raccoon dog instead!" he frantically cried.

"Usopp, don't go offering Chopper as a sacrifice!" I scolded as I stood, ready to march my way over to the sharpshooter...only to instead yelp when an arm suddenly wrapped around my waist and pulled me back. "Uh..." I owlishly blinked as my sword was harshly shoved back into its sheath before I was promptly picked up.

"Oh, it's just the swordsman and Skylar" Usopp realized, relaxing as he lowered Chopper who owlishly blinked.

"Ah! Skylar, you're hurt—are you alright?!" he worriedly cried, frowning as he frantically waved his arms the moment he spotted the bitemark on my collarbone that was no doubt already starting to bruise.

"I'm fine..." I mumbled, blushing as I brought a hand up and attempted to cover the hickey.

"Don't scare us like that, okay?" Usopp scolded the swordsman who seemed rather indifferent toward the two...well, actually, he looked more annoyed with them if anything as if upset by their sudden appearance...

Something wasn't right.

Something felt very off about Zoro, that much was clear based on his odd and unusual his behavior was. He was still himself in a way...just a lot more aggressive than normal as if someone was tampering with his emotions and desires—drawing them out and making them stronger than normal. I...I didn't exactly feel safe in his arms like I usually did and the small growls that emitted from the back of his throat every time I shifted made me almost afraid that he'd lash out any second now.

"So I take it you changed your mind, huh?" Usopp suddenly questioned, seemingly unaware of the swordsman's odd behavior as he grinned and proudly puffed out his chest.

"Usopp..." I mumbled, making a slashing movement with my hand over my neck as if to silently warn him not to get too carried away with whatever he was about to say.

He didn't listen.

"Well, if you agree to straighten up and swear your loyalty to me, I wouldn't mind bringing you on as one of the great Captain Usopp..." he trailed off, frowning as the swordsman simply ignored him and walked right past him. "Hey, don't ignore me! Where are you going?!" he irritably huffed.

"Wait, please! Can you tell us where the others are?" Chopper asked, hastily running after Zoro and me. I harshly bit my lower lip in thought—mouth now opening and closing as if to say something as I found myself struggling to trust my own gut. Normally, I wouldn't hesitate to trust my instincts...yet it felt wrong to think that someone like Zoro would ever be a threat or danger to either me or the rest. He may be aggressive and have an affinity for fighting, but it wasn't in his nature to hurt those he knew or hadn't ever done him wrong. He easily could have killed me back there after winning our fight, but instead he...

I blushed as I mindlessly rubbed the bitemark on my collarbone. That look of familiarity and desire in his eyes earlier told me that he was still himself in some way...yet that doesn't change the fact that there is clearly something wrong with him more than just simple memory loss at this point.