The Boy With The Straw Hat (Luffy x reader)

Chapter 45: Erumalu, the City of Green and the Kung Fu Dugongs!

Recap:

Finally, you and Zoro were asleep at the starboard of the deck, with Zoro's arms crossed over his chest, and his katanas resting at his left side, and you on his right, head rested against his shoulder as you were finally asleep, your eyes slightly puffy from all the crying earlier.

Ace, on the other hand, had just returned as he hopped onto the deck, keeping his footsteps silent before sweat dropping seeing Luffy asleep on the seat, and you with Zoro. Huh.....

"Did something happen?" he wondered aloud, scratching the back of his head, and fixing his hat.

The following morning, everyone was boarding off the ship, making sure it was kept out of sight. Not a word had been said about the incident the night before, and nobody really knew what to do. For the most part, Luffy had been moping and pouting all around the ship. You have been doing the same, and neither of you had spoke when eating breakfast.

It was oddly quiet, and nobody on the ship liked it or was used to it. But, they tried to make the best of it. Vivi, who had a letter in hand, was the one who asked Nami to stop the ship, as she walked up to Karoo, about to give him an important task. 

"Karoo, I want you to go to the Alubarna palace on your own, and deliver this letter to my father. I've wrote down everything Igaram and I have learned about Crocodile and Baroque Works, and that I've returned safe and alive with friends and allies."

Karoo was silent as he listened, though he was deeply worried about his caretaker and friend. "Can you do it? You'll have to cross the dessert on your own." Karoo gave a reassuring squawk with a salute and ruffling his feathers. Mist couldn't help but smile at this as he reached over and pat the small bird on the head. 

'I'll take care of her.' his smile seemed to say. He knew what it was like to leave someone you cared about this much and while they could be in danger nonetheless. Vivi smiles as she wraps a light green cloak around his body, and a small drinking barrel of water to his neck. She then tucks the letter away in the cloak pocket. 

"You have to drink your water with care in the desert." she says before standing up, satisfied as she looked down at her bird companion.

"Good luck Karoo!" Luffy and you shout in unison, only to realize you did so, the two of you looking away from one another, crossing your arms and making a "hmph!" noise. 

"Now let my father know our kingdom can be saved!" Vivi says with a smile, as Karoo lets out a determined battle squawk cry, and takes off running as his claws slap across the desert sand, and he sprints, leaving only a trail of kicked up sand behind him.

Ace and Zoro, who had been on the ship still, watched this and Ace was the first amongst the two to speak up. "I knew Crocodile was in this kingdom, but, a pirate trying to steal a kingdom? That sounds like a bad joke." he says with a small chuckle. He turned away from the group on the ground, catching Zoro's attention with his next words.

"A pirate dropping anchor in one spot and settling down? Don't tell me he's trying to take the throne." he began to pace a bit, as he tried to figure out a bit more about Crocodile and his scheme. "There could be another side to this whole overthrowing thing."

'Another side...?' Zoro thought to himself as he watched Ace head down with the others. Well that was something worth thinking about. He did have a point though. What was Crocodile's true goal?

Sanji suddenly let out a wail when he saw Nami come down the upper deck, now dressed in a white robe. "What happened Nami-swan?! Where did your dancer outfit you?!" He cries in horror. Vivi was also wearing a similar robe, except in the color purple. "Not you two Vivi-chan!!!" Sanji says his eyes bulging out of his head practically.