One Piece (Love Story) [Part Two]

Chapter Three Hundred and Forty Seven

-Chapter Three Hundred and Forty-Seven-

"My head is killing me—I must have hit it when we fell or something" Zoro grunted after a while of running.

"Perhaps the same thing happened to me—my skull aches too" Brook groaned.

"Huh" I said. "Strange that Sanji and I hadn't hit our heads on the way down..." I muttered as my memory of what had happened before we had passed out slowly started to come back bit by bit with every passing moment as the fogginess that had once hidden it began to clear.

"We've wasted too much time—I wonder how the samurai's holding up" Sanji/Nami frowned. "I blame you and this stupid side trip!" they snapped over at Zoro.

"Me?" the swordsman frowned at the sudden accusation. "I thought it was something we all agreed on?"

"Trying to shift blame I see" I teased, causing him to turn his head and now growl in my direction.

"Shame we weren't able to locate the Yeti, I thought we were close" Brook sighed. "Still, those shadows we saw seemed quite promising, wouldn't you say?" he asked.

"Those shadows didn't belong to any Yeti—you said yourself it was an enemy attack!" Sanji/Nami pointed out.

"No, I didn't" Brook frowned in confusion.

"Yes, you did!" Sanji/Nami shot back.

"No, I didn't" the skeleton once more denied.

"I don't believe in the Yeti" Zoro said.

"You don't believe in anything fun it seems" I said.

"What? You believe in it?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" I asked.

"I do believe in Yeti" Sanji/Nami confessed.

"I don't believe or disbelieve—I am content to simply ponder its existence" Brook said.

"You know I'm a little impressed right now, that's a pretty mature outlook to have" Sanji/Nami said.

"Well, wisdom is a benefit of advanced age" Brook said.

"Sorry, but I'd call that way of thinking indecisiveness, not wisdom" Zoro grunted.

"He's right, that's the coward's way of thinking" I agreed. "You either believe in the Yeti or you don't—can't pussyfoot around it."

"Anyway, enough hunting Nature's mysteries" Sanji/Nami huffed, ready to move on from this talk of Yetis. "Think the samurai's around here somewhere?" he asked.

"Yeah" Brook nodded. "That would make the most sense at least, I'd imagine he's probably still looking for his torso in the vicinity of the lake" he theorized.

"We're not far from the water now" Zoro noted.

"Can you hear us, samurai?!" Brook called out.

"Hey! Samurai!" Sanji/Nami yelled. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"Yell back if you're not dead!" I shouted as I cupped my hands around my mouth.

"Samurai! Did someone kick your ass already?!" Sanji/Nami asked. "You got to be here somewhere, answer us! Hello!" they frowned, already growing impatient with the lack of an answer.

"If you're able, please say something!" Brook called out. "Uh...I truly thought we would find him here" he sighed after receiving no response.

"If you haven't been turned into an ice sculpture yet then I suggest you respond" I said, stumbling a bit at the sudden uneven ground I walked over.