The Window Maker - (OCXCANON)

Chapter 44 (Alabasta Arc)

The next morning was quiet, the crew ate the delicious breakfast Sanji prepared, then Luffy began excitedly showing Chopper around the Merry from bottom to top.

Usopp tapped her on the shoulder with a grin, "Wanna play some cards to pass the time? Zoro and Sanji are playing too!"

Ki spotted the pair seated on the deck and Sanji gave her a coy finger wave, while Zoro rolled his eyes. She chuckled and hooked her arm around the sniper with a wink, "Sure! I'll try not to hustle you guys too hard! Haha!"

...

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Luffy and Chopper perched up on the railing together, both with a joy filled grin and a hand shielding their eyes from the sun. A small smile crept across her cheeks, "So cute. They're bonding."

Zoro grumbled as he tapped his foot, "Pay attention to your hand, geez."

A gust of wind swept her hair wildly and she squinted at the reindeer boy as he came running and hollering at the group. Chopper wailed and flailed his arms high, "Something horrible has happened, you guys!! Ahhhh! A bird has eaten Luffy!! This is no time for playing cards!!" He began trotting in nervous circles around the unfazed foursome, "Luffy's in trouble!! We've gotta do something!!"

Without looking up from his hand, Zoro grunted, "Did Luffy ask for help?"

The reindeer boy's tiny hooves came to a screeching halt as he hummed thoughtfully, "Well... No."

The swordsman shrugged, "Then there's no problem. Don't worry about it."

Chopper whimpered fearfully, "Yeah, but-" He gently tugged on Ki's arm and furrowed his brow.

Ki patted the boy's head and pointed to the sky, "Just watch."

From high in the sky, Luffy's shout ripped through the air, "Gum Gum Propeller!!"

Chopper craned his head back to watch in awe, "Woah... Amazing."

Before any of them had time to react, the bird crashed down onto the deck, rubber boy and all. The ship was tossed violently from the sudden extra weight, flinging the crew in different directions. Luffy popped out from underneath his massive catch with a playful giggle, "Hehe! Hey Sanji! I got some meat for us! Look!" He tilted his head in confusion as his crewmates splattered across the floorboards, "Why are you guys sleeping?"

Sniper, Cook and Swordsman all popped up with angry snarls, "We're not, you idiot!"

Usopp waved his fist at the rubber boy, "You owe me for this Luffy!! I had a really good hand!"

Luffy grunted, uninterested, "Oh yeah? Oops, hehehe!"

Ki rolled her eyes and tossed her cards, "No ya didn't," She gripped Sanji's outstretched hand and pulled herself up, "Welp, now that the game is over guess I'm gonna get some sketching done."

Luffy tilted his head as he watched Usopp collect the playing cards from the deck, "Oh yeah. Don't play cards with Ki. She cheats."

Ki slapped Luffy on the back of the head as she made her way into the cabin, "No I don't! You just suck and are easy as fuck to read!!"

She slid into the girls' room and tugged her sketchbook from the dresser and returned to the front deck. Sanji remained at the back of the ship, preparing the bird meat for storage while Nami and Vivi sat in the kitchen. She sketched the glimpses she got of the reindeer boy as Luffy and Usopp chased him around.

An ear grating scratching sound tore her from her peaceful afternoon. Her eyes flicked up to see the swordsman scraping his nails against the hardened wax on his shins.