One Piece (Love Story) [Part Two]

Chapter Three Hundred and Twenty Seven

-Chapter Three Hundred and Twenty-Seven-

"We really have to go, so could you help us out?" Nami sweetly asked as she bent down towards one of the tied-up guards who only looked the other way. "Pretty please" she pleaded as she batted her eyes.

"Maybe he could tell you where to find Luffy" Usopp suggested.

"That's a good idea—ah!" I squealed at the sudden and sharp smack that was delivered to my bottom without warning. "What was that for?!" I embarrassingly cried out, hands moving to cover my ass as I looked back at Zoro who only gave a strained smile.

"For that "Steamed Broccoli" nickname of yours, but don't you worry, that's not the only punishment you'll be getting" he said, a slight purr in his tone near the end that caused my face to explode in color.

"W-well, I think I should be going now" I nervously laughed, slowly starting to inch my way away from the swordsman only to squeal the minute I felt his arms wrap my waist and pull me back towards him.

"Where do you think you're going?" he grinned.

"Tell me where I can find the treasure vault?" Nami asked the guard that she was talking now—seemingly now interested in learning where the treasure to this place was as opposed as to finding our captain or learning how to leave.

"Cut it out!" Usopp snapped.

"Huh? Who me?" she innocently asked.

"Don't play innocent with me! You think I don't know how your greedy brain works!" the sharpshooter snapped. "Also, Zoro, stop harassing Skylar!" he turned his glare towards the swordsman and me. Not looking pleased at all with the racket we made as my stretched out arms currently began to flail about as I tried to get away from the man behind me—tears of laughter spraying from my eyes thanks to the overwhelming feeling of my sides being attacked by his fingers.

"This is a fate far worse than death!" I howled with laughter, squirming around in some pitiful attempt to get away.

"This is her fault—she must bare the consequences of her actions" Zoro deadpanned as he stopped for a brief moment to look up at the sharpshooter, giving me a second to breathe before my laughter started up once more as he went back to his assault on my sides.

"Please—have mercy! I can't...I can't breathe!" I wheezed, practically snorting at this point which only seemed to make my laughter worse.

"Alright everybody, let's take a little break and turn those frowns upside down with rock!" Brook wasted no time as he started to sing, strumming his guitar in the process.

"You aren't helping the situation, Soul King!" Usopp growled in irritation towards the rocking skeleton.

"Are you feeling any better now, your highness?" the Seahorse worriedly asked the now sulking king. "I can't believe that even the great "Knight of the Sea" was bested by these mongrels" he said in disbelief, baffled that his king had been defeated by mere humans.

"Things would have been different if I hadn't thrown my back out all of a sudden" Neptune groaned, silently looking to be recalling how his back had given out on him before the fight had really even had the chance to begin. "I don't know when I became so old, this is all my fault, forgive me" his voiced quivered, now on the verge of tears as he pleaded for his men to forgive him for his inability to protect them.

"Don't say that, your highness—if we had gathered our wits sooner, we could have burst their bubbles and won easily" the Seahorse reassured the merman. "Now that they drained the water from the room, it's hopeless."

"And who will rescue us now?" the Catfish sorrowfully asked.

"Hey! You criminals, it's only a matter of time before Neptune's sons—Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi—return to the palace, and once they get here, you're all going to be sorry!" the Seahorse suddenly proclaimed just as Brook finished playing his guitar.