One Piece (Love Story) [Part Two]

Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Seven [Rewritten]

-Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven-

"Neato!" Chimney happily cheered as she examined the train with childlike wonder.

"Did you have to add the face?" Zoro asked, finally taking note of the painted face himself.

"I like it" I smiled. "Gives it personality."

"Don't worry—it may be mean, but it won't bite!" Kokoro laughed.

"Yeah, but I know someone who will" I teased, causing the moss-haired man to blush a little as he turned his head to the side, quietly grumbling to himself as he did so.

"Hey, look, it's Icepop's!" Luffy suddenly shouted the second Iceburg climbed down from the train.

"Hello there, Straw Hat, so you're okay after all" Iceburg greeted. "It seems your friends' faith was well-founded—I assume you bought them here, Kokoro?" he questioned as he turned to the old woman.

"The question is, what are you doing here?" she asked. "You've been through a lot today, you need rest" she lightly scolded like a mother would her child.

"Well, let's just say you and I were thinking the same thing" Iceburg said as he cast a glance back at the train. "We have a soft spot for idiots, don't we?" he smiled, causing the old woman to laugh. "Go ahead, I just finished servicing it—watering and coal have been loaded and steam is building up now" he assured us as he motioned for us to go on and get aboard the train.

"Thanks for getting it ready for us, we owe you one" Luffy grinned, almost losing his balance and falling right over as he scrambled over to the train.

"I wouldn't celebrate yet if I were you—you might not even survive the ride" Iceburg ominously warned. "This was our failed prototype before we made the Puffing Tom, no matter how you tune it, you can't control its speed" he explained, finally telling us why such a perfect-looking train wasn't in use. "In other words, it's a runaway train."

"Oh, that sounds comforting" I nodded as I examined the train more closely. Well, now I know that Kokoro's warning from earlier was actually very serious.

"That's fine, it can go as fast as it wants" Luffy smiled, clearly not understanding what exactly the man had just said. "Hurry up! Let's go—get on already!" he impatiently shouted as he started to push the stairs towards the train's entrance. "We're leaving as soon as Nami gets here, Granny!" he huffed as he scampered up the stairs—almost falling in the process—and pulled open the door to peek inside. "Oh man!" he awed the moment he poked his head in.

"Luffy, are you okay?" Chopper asked. "You've been kind of shaky on your feet since we found you" he worriedly noted.

"Yeah, maybe you should tone it back a little and take it easy" I frowned.

"He probably just lost too much blood" Zoro suggested.

"Maybe...I am kind of feeling dizzy" Luffy truthfully told us. "I think I need some meat."

"Don't you mean rest?" I sweat dropped.

"No! Meat!" Luffy wildly shook his head before huffing as he crossed his arms, not backing down from what he said.

"Of course..." I muttered, sweat drop only getting bigger.

"Hurry, this way!" I heard Nami order followed by the sound of multiple pairs of feet rushing down the stairs.

"Hey, wait! I don't know why you have to go all the way down here to eat your dinner!" a man's voice shouted.

"He's right—if you're hungry, eat now!" another man's voice agreed.