Getting Around the World in One Piece

vi

We had been sailing for a day or so. Taking a detour to an island only a three days journey away. Luffy wasn't opposed to the idea after I had set the Eternal Pose down, and explained why I wanted to go.

It wouldn't feel right if I skipped over the island that Lulu called home when it was so close. It was dark when Chopper had taken off my bandages so no one could really see my wounds, but now the semi-healed wounds were on display for everyone to see.

I was oblivious to the crews gazes. I hadn't talked about what happened, not even to Chopper, but I'm sure Tamara had said something. He needed to know how it happened I suppose. I hadn't even told Luffy anymore than my captor was a male, and he did this to me.

I turned around walking over to Luffy who was sitting in his special seat. He hadn't seen me all morning. "Hey Luffy. I'm excited to show you around Lulu's home island. Every so many days they have a show in an arena. It's what the island is known for. I don't want to ruin anything though. I know you'll be really surprised."

He smiled at me opening his mouth to reply, but his smile dropped and he seemed to be analyzing me. His eyes going over my body as if trying to confirm something. My heart thundered in my chest at his calculating gaze. He clenched his jaw, his eyes darkening, but the moment passed and his usual grin spread across his face. It happened so fast I almost thought I imagined it. "Oh yeah?" He laughed getting up. He dusted his shorts with a mischievous grin.

He jumped down wrapping an arm around my waist and pulled us up towards the very top of the observatory. I shrieked, but the crew just smiled at his antics.

"What was that for?!" I glared at him.

He just smiled leaning back on his hands. His arms no longer wrapped around me as he stared out at the ocean. "I just wanted to get you alone."

"Oh." I said dumbly looking down. I could feel my cheeks heat up at the words. "Any particular reason for that?"

"Nope." He said popping the 'p'. He turned to me with a curious gaze on his face. "Can I ask you something about your time in the New World?"

"Of course." I said, "What do you want to know?"

"Well I know that Shanks is there, and I wanted to know if you had happened to run into him."

I tapped my chin in thought. "Well honestly I avoided the four emperor's. I knew that neither of us were truly ready for any of those battles, but there was a rumor that he was in the area I was in on one occasion."

He nodded with a neutral expression before he smiled, and I smiled back. "I can't wait to see him. I know that we're going to fight when I do, but I want to prove that I'm just as strong if not stronger than he is!"

"I can try to get a vision of him. If you want to that is. That straw hat was originally his wasn't it?"

"Yes it was." He said touching the rim, and pulling it over his eyes. "I'd like to wait, and see him in the New World."

I slid closer to him smiling at how cute he looked lost in thought like that. I poked his cheek lightly with a fond smile on my face. "You've grown up a lot Luffy. You're not that little crybaby anymore." I teased him.

"I wasn't a crybaby!" He said defensively. "I just had allegories."

"You mean allergies?" I giggled.

"That's what I said."

"You're still cute. That won't ever change."

"I'm not cute. I'm a man! Men aren't cute...they're-they're manly." He huffed looking away from me with pink cheeks and pursed lips.