One Piece (Love Story) [Part Two]

Chapter Two Hundred and Forty Nine [Rewritten]

-Chapter Two Hundred and Forty-Nine-

"Sure, thanks for the help, Monster Granny" Luffy nodded. "You're the best and thank you, Merry—we never would have made it if you weren't there!" he brightened as I happily leaned back against Zoro.

"Indeed, we would have been toast if it wasn't for her" I hummed.

"I was pretty surprised when you showed up, but when I think about it, you've always been there to protect us" Luffy said, silently recounting to himself all the times the ship had been there for us through every difficult moment during our journey up to this point. "We've always counted on you—anyway, I'm just happy that you've been a part of the team, Merry. You're a good friend to have" he blissfully sighed as he closed his eyes and rested his cheek against the ram's head.

"I don't mean to spoil your mood" Franky suddenly spoke up. "But damn, you guys did some crazy stuff back there—I don't think the government's going to let you off that easy after you burned down their flag" he pointed out.

"Eh, let them be mad" I shrugged.

"Well, whatever, it doesn't feel like a big deal to me" Luffy said, causing me to softly chuckle. "The only reason I did any of that was because they took our friend and I wanted her back—we couldn't have done what we did without your help, so thanks a lot" he thanked, causing Robin to smile.

"Well, like you said, it wasn't really that big of a deal—I just did what I had to do" Franky blushed as he bashfully scratched the back of his head.

"The point is, we're all together—we're coming back in one piece and this fight was our victory" Luffy grinned, causing us to cheer in agreement. "Hey, Usopp! Are you there?" he shouted after a while of peaceful sailing, now curiously wanting to know where the long-nosed pirate had disappeared off to when he couldn't immediately find him among the rest of us.

"Where did you run off to? Come back!" Chopper worriedly called out.

"Hey, Usopp!" Luffy frowned as he and the doctor started to search the whole ship for him. "I thought he'd be up here for sure..." he muttered while checking the crow's nest before moving down to the rooms below. "Where are you hiding? Are you in there? Seriously, I just saw him!" he irritably huffed upon checking the kitchen and finding it just as empty as the rest of the ship.

"Are...are they being serious right now?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I watched them rush past the sharpshooter who had put his mask back on and picked back up that silly Sniper King persona of his.

"Hey, they're calling you" Sanji said.

"No, I can't—it's too soon..." Sniper King nervously whispered back.

"Stop playing hide and seek!" Luffy angrily snapped as his temper finally started to flare up the longer he couldn't find the sniper. "Get out here or I'll kick your ass!" he threatened.

"Kick your ass!" Chopper cutely echoed.

"Yeah, like that'll convince him to come out of hiding" I sweat dropped.

"Hey, do you know where Usopp's at, Sniper King?" Luffy pouted as he finally approached the masked man. "You're his friend, right?" he asked, not questioning where Sniper King had come from at all despite him not having been on the ship previously.

"Oh! Uh...no need to fear!" Sniper King proclaimed. "He took a different boat and went on ahead himself!" he explained before being kicked by Sanji.

"But why?" Chopper innocently asked, confused as to why the sharpshooter would just leave us like that without a goodbye.

"That doesn't make sense—the Merry's his ship, right?" Luffy tilted his head as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"That was a terrible lie and you two should have been able to see right through it..." I grumbled.