Book One: Treasure of the Heart (Zoro X OC)

Chapter Forty Five ~ Risking Our Lives Together

~Third~

"Well great job today everybody really we did some good work"Usopp said as the Strawhat crew was settling in to one of the inns in Yuba, "Now let's all lay down on these comfy beds and get some well deserved rest, we'll need our strength"Usopp said and jumped into the bed behind him "Goodnight you guys"he said all ready to snooze when he was hit by a pillow "Please this whole trip you've been nothing but lazy"Zoro said having thrown the pillow "Why you, quit comparing me to you and all the other superhuman freaks"Usopp said throwing a pillow at Zoro hitting him right in the face.

Nicole snickered a bit at this "Now you're annoying me"Zoro muttered to Usopp as the sniper threw another pillow hitting Chopper picking a fight with him "Sanji i think that's my bed"Vivi said "I know, i thought you might have trouble sleeping all alone tonight Vivi"Sanji said before he was hit in the face with a pillow.

"And the award for biggest perv goes to Sanji"Usopp said as Chopper and Nicole were snickering "Alright slingshot boy i'll shove that pillow so far down your throat you'll choke on it"Sanji said and thus the epic pillow fight began with everyone except the girls who stayed out of it.

As the night went on everyone settled down except there were three empty beds, Nicole and Zoro had snuck out and behind another building now that they had a moment to themselves while Luffy was helping the old man dig for water, but since that tells us everything we need to know with Luffy how about we spy on Nicole and Zoro.

"Alone at last"Zoro smirked as he pinned Nicole to the back of a building after the two had snuck out "Well now, did someone miss me already?"Nicole asked wrapping her arms around Zoro's neck playing with his earrings "So what if i did?"Zoro asked giving her a quick kiss "Oh nothing, here i was thinking you wanted a moment alone because you were getting jealous"Nicole smirked kissing him back "Jealous? Me? Of who?"Zoro asked acting clueless kissing her again but for longer and deeper.

"Hmm maybe of Ace?"Nicole asked responding to his kiss with greater force "Pfft no, should i be?"Zoro asked a look of worry crossing his face, Nicole giggled a bit and kissed him "No, although i will admit he was quite handsome and those freckles were adorable and i certainly appreciate a man with his physic as i'm sure you can attest to that, however where was i going again?"Nicole asked more herself.

"This is serious Nicole"Zoro said "Relax i'm kidding"Nicole smiled and pecked him "Nicole we should really discuss this"Zoro said "Oh so you're suddenly a relationship expert? Then tell me what kind of relationship do we have? Everyone thinks we are a couple, we decided to make things official in a moment of passion but we haven't really talked about our feelings to each other"Nicole said stepping back and crossing her arms.

Zoro thought about it "I don't know"he ultimately said "Then i guess we're not a relationship at all"Nicole said walking away. (A/N: wow to be honest i didn't plan for this, but i'm not going back because i think i can work with this, i'm already planning how i want to fix this and how to form an actual relationship between these two, one that will hopefully be more natural in how its formed and how these two function in a real relationship, but what do i know i haven't gone on a single date ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

~skip~

Morning came and the sun was already high in the sky as the Strawhat Pirates were setting off from Yuba, there was a clear tension between Nicole and Zoro as the two were standing far apart from each other but thankfully the others except for Sanji didn't notice "I'm so sorry i didn't have more to offer you princess Vivi"Toto said sending them off.

"No please don't worry about it, we should be off now Toto"Vivi said "Oh Luffy here take this with you"Toto said handing a small barrel full of water to Luffy "Wow water!"Luffy grinned "Water!"Usopp said "You found some then?"Luffy asked Toto "Yes it was last night a bit after you fell asleep digging that huge hole of yours i finally reached a moist layer under the dry stuff that water there is what i was able to extract from the damp sand"Toto said.

"Wow it sound pretty complicated but thank you"Luffy said "That right there is genuine Yuba water it's not much but it was all i was able to get"Toto said "Right then i'll drink it with care" Luffy said and he actually meant it.

The group set off traveling across the desert once more, however they didn't go far as Luffy stopped at a tree and sat down the others walked past him until Usopp noticed Luffy was staying behind "Hey Luffy what are you doing over there?!"he yelled at the rubber boy "Luffy?"Nami asked "Um is everything alright?"Vivi asked.

"I quit"Luffy said "What do you mean?"Nami asked "What's that mean? Quit what Luffy?"Vivi asked "Oh come on we don't have time to deal with every little mood you have Luffy let's go"Usopp said "Yeah shouldn't we get going?"Chopper asked "Yes we should and fast if we don't get that Katorea place the way we came and stop the rebellion that's about to begin then a million Alabasta citizens will start fighting and things will get real ugly real quick"Sanji said.

 'Do we have to travel all that way back?' Nicole thought with a sweatdrop but decided to keep the whining in her head for now "We're doing this for Vivi so let's go"Sanji said grabbing Luffy by the shirt only to get tossed aside "What is wrong with you!"he then yelled getting up "Vivi"Luffy said "Yes?"she asked.

"Right now all i wanna do is kick Crocodile's ass you understand?"Luffy said "Maybe we can keep the people from starting a rebellion, that won't stop Crocodile besides we won't be able to accomplish anything in Katorea, we're pirates everyone knows things are better off without us around"Luffy said "You gotta admit he's got away of getting straight to the point when he wants to"Sanji said.

"Well yeah but not often"Usopp said "No that's not true"Vivi said "You want it to work out so nobody dies in this fight isn't that right Vivi?"Luffy asked "None of the citizens, none of us either we're up against one of the seven warlords of the sea and a million of your own people on top of that and you still want everyone to end up all safe and sound, you'll never win that way"Luffy said.

Vivi was shaking in anger "Come on Luffy can't you at least showing Vivi a little sympathy?"Nami asked "Wait hold on Nami"Sanji said holding her back "For what?"Nami asked "And what's with that huh? What is so wrong about not wanting to see people die or get hurt?"Vivi said "Cause people die, that's why"Luffy said and Vivi slapped him "Stop talking like that i won't listen to it! Say that again and i will really hurt you!"Vivi yelled at him "That's the whole point of what we're doing here don't you understand? No one here in Alabasta, not the rebel army, the royal army or the people are to blame for this, none of them haven't done anything wrong why should any of them pay for what's happened? When every last bit of it is Crocodile's fault!"Vivi said.

Luffy got up and punched Vivi "So you're saying it's only alright for you to die?!"he yelled "No Luffy you've gone too far"Usopp said "Damn it Luffy!"Sanji said, Vivi tackled Luffy "Just being in this country for one day and taking a look around even i can tell!"Luffy said "Tell what?!"Vivi asked repeatedly punching and slapping Luffy.

"What this country needs more then anything"Luffy said "You think putting just your life on the line is gonna stop this from happening?"Luffy asked "Well exactly what else should i be putting on the line Luffy?! What Luffy?!"Vivi asked, Luffy grabbed her hands stopping her punching "I don't have anything else i can put on the line, just me"Vivi said her voice quivering.

Luffy pushed her off him as he sat up "Well you can at least put all our lives on the line together, aren't we friends huh?!"he asked, Vivi started crying "Well aren't we friends?"Luffy asked calming down "There now you see, now you understand, hey you can cry, i know how much you hate this you wanna get Crocodile the most"Luffy said dusting off his hat.

Nami walked over to Vivi and held her as a wind blew past the group "So now tell me, where can i find Crocodile?"Luffy asked standing up and putting his hat on.