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, bending 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, 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 near the end that caused my face to explode in color.

"W-well, I think I should be going now" I weakly laughed, slowly starting to inch my way away from the swordsman before squealing as I felt his arms wrap around my waist and roughly pull me back towards him.

"And where do you think you're going?" he grinned as I nervously started to sweat.

"Tell me where I can find the treasure vault?" Nami cooed to the guard she was talking to—now seemingly interested in learning where the treasure of this place was as opposed 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 pleased with the racket we were making. My stretched-out arms flailed 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, squirming around in some pitiful attempt to get away.

"This is her fault—she must bear 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 back up 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 irritably growled.

"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 muttered in disbelief, baffled that his king had been easily defeated by mere humans.

"Things would have been different if I hadn't thrown my back out all of a sudden..." Neptune groaned, silently recalling how his back had given out on him before the fight with Zoro really even had the chance to begin. "I don't know when I became so old—this is all my fault, forgive me" his voice 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 assured 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 as Brook finished playing his guitar.