Hunger

Chapter 6

Most of this wood might be too rotten to use."

At Sanji's words Columbina felt her shoulders slump, disappointment and defeat forming a knot in her stomach. They had dragged what they could back to shore, and the salvage operation was so far proving abysmal. He and Zoro were going back one last time into the water to see if there was anything else left.

It had been her fortune that Sanji had told her to stay ashore, that she was too pretty to get her feet wet. She said she'd been fine with that. The longer she could hide the fact that she was a Devil Fruit user and what her abilities were the better.

Luffy had stayed behind with her. A moment after Sanji and Zoro had taken off their shirts and pants and waded out to sea, he told her why.

"I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit," he said while he stood beside her, "That's why I'm stretchy. I think I forgot to mention that earlier."

Columbina felt the hairs on the back of her neck and along her arms rise at what he'd just said. Her assumption about him had been correct then. Either way, she wasn't about to have this conversation with him if she could avoid it.

"Like...like a Devil Fruit?" she asked, cringing at the word, "Aren't those a myth? What else are you going to try to make me believe while we wait here?" she snorted at him, trying to maintain a playful tone in hopes they could discuss something else. "Are you going to try to convince me that islands in the sky exist too? Gods that shoot thunderbolts at people? Sounds a little preposterous to me, Straw kid."

She twirled a piece of her pink hair between her fingers, pretending to inspect it for split ends with a level of intensity that tipped him off to the fact that she wasn't interested in delving further. To her frustration, Straw kid ignored her.

"Nope! They exist. Ate mine by mistake back when I was a kid. You should probably know they don't taste very good."

"Imagine that."

"Oh, and Buggy! Buggy ate the Chop-Chop Fruit! If we get the rest of his body back from Arlong maybe he coul-"

"Wait, Buggy? As in Buggy the Clown? Guy that destroyed Orange Town?" Columbina let her hair fall from her hand, her head snapping in Straw Kid's direction.

"You're talking about him like he's here. What are you-"

Before she could inquire further, Sanji and Zoro had returned to shore. Columbina deliberately averted her eyes, trying not to focus on the toned male skin in front of her that was now dripping with seawater. Instead, she frowned at the pile of wood and rope and torn canvas on the ground in front of them.

"What's wrong? Don't like what you see?" Sanji asked teasingly as he put his shirt back on. Off to the side Zoro made a noise of disgust.

"I'm apt to appreciate my surroundings better if they're far away from this place," Columbina replied.

Time for a different tactic if the sailboat debris doesn't work to their satisfaction. I'm running out of options here...

"Straw kid, did I hear you mention Arlong just now?"

If there's anything a pirate loves more it's waving berry in front of their face.

Before they had the chance to explain the name-drop of yet again another giant bounty in the East Blue Columbina reached into her bra and pulled out her last remaining stack of bills and coins she had to her name.

"There's an island on the way but slightly off course to Arlong Park called Havenblight. It's a pirate haven as it's name might suggest and not under control of Arlong himself. I've got berry and from the looks of it that's what your crew desperately needs. If we can make it there with no issues this'll at least buy you port fees until you can get the repairs you need."