True Desire: A One Piece Fanfiction

Chapter 12: Festival

The swordsman carried the chibi cook in one arm while the child had one arm wrapped around his nakama's neck. The two walked through the streets lined with lanterns. The excited child's eyes reflected their light as he looked on with wonder at everything they passed.

They heard a familiar voice and soon spotted Luffy at a stall emptying plate after plate of ramen and takoyaki.

Luffy: (excited to see the two talks with his mouth full) 'Ooee! Horo! Hargee! Hum here! U hapta dast dis!' (He meant: Oi! Zoro! Sanji! Come here! You have to taste this!)

Zoro bought takoyaki for the chibi cook. They set off leaving Luffy to finish eating the rest of the stall's food. The child had a cat's tongue so Zoro blew on the takoyaki several times before holding it near the child's mouth.

Zoro: 'Curly open up.'

Sanji: (opening his tiny mouth) 'Aaaahm'

Once Sanji had one ball of takoyaki, Zoro had the second. Thus, they shared the food until they reached a stall where a crowd had gathered.

Sanji: (excited) 'Marimo what is happening there?'

They went to take a closer look. It was a game where one had to kick a pole at a designated place as hard as they could. The intensity of the kick moved a marker up a scale. The person who could make the marker reach the maximum height on the scale would win a grand prize.

Nami: (longing voice) 'I bet Sanji kun could easily win this if he was in his normal size!'

The swordsman looked back to see their navigator whose pupils had turned to Berry signs at the mention of the grand prize.

Zoro: (face in a grimace) 'Seriously!'

Sanji: (looking up at Zoro enthusiastically with his hands clenched into tiny fists) 'Marimo I want to try that! If Nami onee san says I can do it then I can do it!' (gives off steam from his little nostrils)

The result was known but Zoro had agreed due to Sanji's constant pleadings. (Author: Zoro couldn't stand those big bright blue eyes looking at him and pleading)

The child stood on the platform, almost at the brink of tears when the marker didn't budge a millimetre. Lips clenched shut and quivering, his cheeks puffed up and became red.

Nami: (placing a hand on the child's shoulder) 'Don't worry Sanji kun Zoro here will get the prize for you.' (devilish grin and eyes sparkling at Zoro)

Zoro: (angry) 'Tch!'

The swordsman was able to get the prize which turned out to be two tickets to the onsen.

Nami: (gloomy) 'Why couldn't it be a huge sum of money?'

Zoro: (offering the tickets to her) 'You can have these.'

Nami: (happy) 'Really! Thanks Zoro!'

The swordsman set off once more with the chibi cook and this time they came across Chopper at a cotton candy stall. Zoro bought a huge candy for the child.

Zoro carried the child in one hand while the child held the cotton candy. It was larger than his face. Zoro and Sanji started eating the candy from either side as they walked on. Eventually they came to another game shop that Sanji wanted to go to.

The game was simple. An array of items was displayed in a line. One had to throw three plastic rings over the item of their choice to win it.

Zoro: (confidently) 'Which do you want?'

Sanji: (longing voice, points his tiny finger towards a small toy sword) 'That one Marimo!'

Zoro: 'Ok'