One Piece (Love Story) [Part Two]

Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty Four [Rewritten]

-Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-Four-

"Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Bink's brew" the skeleton softly sang as I leaned further against the railing, my eyes wide with wonderment as I took in the sight of him. Looking from the rugged clothing that hung off him in tatters to the oddly healthy afro that sat atop his head. Silently, I wondered how he was able to drink the tea he had in his hands as I stared at his jaw...

How was it not simply passing right on through him and splattering onto the deck of the ship?

"Did you see that? There's a singing skeleton on that ship!" Luffy excitedly shouted once the singing had halted and the rundown ship had come to a complete stop a short distance from us.

"I know!" I grinned, joining in on his excitement as we both began to bounce in place.

"Oh! No way!" Usopp cried. "Skeletons don't sing, they're dead! You're seeing things—that's not real!" he wailed in denial.

"Sanji, you heard him?! Come on, please—can we go?!" Luffy pleaded as he turned to the cook. "I wonder...if he sings, then what else can he do? Alright!" he eagerly rushed forward, already looking ready to fling himself up onto the deck of the rundown ship.

"Not so fast" Sanji said as he snatched up the back of Luffy's vest. "You can't go alone" he frowned as Zoro suddenly held up a pile of sticks.

"Listen up, we're drawing straws to see who stays here and who goes on the creepy ghost ship with Luffy" the swordsman explained, making it clear that instead of us arguing or bickering about who goes and who stays, we'd just leave it up to fate.

"Why us?!" Usopp cried. "There's plenty of people who want to go already—like Skylar!" he shouted as he jabbed a finger in my direction where I stood starry-eyed next to Luffy.

"Yeah, that's cruel!" Nami whined.

"Let us stay!" Chopper begged as he climbed on top of the swordsman's head.

"You really sure that's how you want to do this?" Zoro asked with a raised brow.

"Ready to see some ghosts and stuff?" Luffy eagerly asked.

"Yeah!" Franky nodded.

"Yes, sir!" I excitedly grinned, bouncing in place alongside our captain as we eagerly laughed. Excited to see whatever else these spooky waters had to offer us.

"Please, no...!" Nami silently cried.

"Hey, I like the drawing thing after all!" Chopper whined, quick to change his tune as he, Usopp, and Nami now clung to Zoro's legs in desperation.

"Yeah, please! We're scared—you can't just leave all the weak people alone with no one to protect them!" Usopp whimpered.

"We'll draw! We'll draw! Just don't go!" Nami desperately pleaded.

"Whatever, I'm fine going there alone, but we got to hurry or this ship's going to get away" Luffy huffed, already growing impatient with how long it was taking for everyone to decide who would go and who would stay.

"Hold your horses" Sanji grunted.

"Well, are you going to draw? Two will go and the rest will stay here" Zoro explained as he held the pile of sticks out once more. "Got to keep a tight leash on him—Luffy will do something stupid" he warned as everyone picked a stick.

"Aw..." I whined, my bottom lip jutting out into a pout when I noticed that Nami and Sanji were the lucky ones who got to go with Luffy.

How unfair.