Chapter 1: Lost
"Are you sure this is the right way, Zoro-kun?"
The disgruntled swordsman halted in his strict, measured steps. Turning to the inquiring short-statured female who had the nerve to ask such a thing, he snorted his apparent annoyance. Around them, the awed people of Water 7 stopped and watched in fascination. Women, children and men paused in their foot-travels to gaze at the pair. Several of them smiled and waved at the two pirates and moved closer in efforts to speak with them.
"GO AWAY!" Zoro shouted at the pressing crowd. The conversation-seeking city-people jumped back in alarm, before awkwardly drawing back.
"Oh, that was mature and oh so man-like, Zoro-kun." The lagoon-hazel eyes of the woman he was agitated with turned merry with amusement. "I'm sure they just wanted to talk." The sunlight drifted across her beautiful face, which was as innocent looking as ever. Her lagoon-green eyes sparkled with sarcasm. She turned back to the people and smiled and gave a small wave of hand.
"Shut up already, woman." Zoro turned forward again, this time grabbing the free feminine hand of the woman following him. She had no choice but to follow as the swordsman pulled her along by her hand, forging ahead through the path's human traffic. "It's just around the bloody corner! I swear it is!"
"I am absolutely sure it is, Zoro-kun. I trust you absolutely." The woman, trying her best to hold up the bundle of clothes she would wear during today's most special of occasions; tried and succeeded in holding back her own laughter at her sarcasm. "I am also absolutely sure that Luffy-senchou would absolutely understand how his first mate and his soon-to-be bride succeeded in getting absolutely lost in such an easy little city. Couldn't we just borrow a Yagara and ask it to take us straight there? Absolutely."
"I SAID shut up, Chibi!" Zoro snarled again, this time with more vehemence. The woman had absolutely gotten on his last, wavering nerve. The pirate woman known to the world as the Golden Thief had always managed to get under his skin.
Today was no different, in the floating city of Water 7. Zoro had opted to go and find the woman who had been missing since the first sun's rays. He had vehemently denied anyone else that chance, since it was his sacred duty to protect not only his captain, but his captain's chosen mate. Having found her in a third-level back-street clothing shop eighty minutes ago, the swordsman refused to take his eye off the wily woman as he tried to escort her back to the Galley-Ra headquarters. She had never left his sight since he had dragged her out of the clothing shop. It wasn't his fault that she chattered so damn much; as she was wont to do when she got this excited. He blamed the damned, confusing streets of Water 7; half of them were water-ways that needed the services of young Yagara beasts.
It had started out as a beautiful, sunny day; excellent weather for the occasion that would take place at noon. Zoro had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed, only because he knew the woman he loved was not marrying him. But the swordsman didn't mind too terribly much, since the man she was to marry was none other than his captain – allowing her to marry anyone else was completely out of the question. He would kill any other man that had the guts to do so. They finally found the huge set of stairs leading to the upper city, Zoro muttered darkly to himself the whole way up those gigantic stairs; dragging the bride behind him.
Jiru continued to smile as the swordsman forged forward, dragging her along. Minutes ticked by and Jiru was surprised that Zoro didn't become THAT lost.
"If I may interrupt your thought process, Zoro-kun," the treasure hunter sighed softly this time. "I believe the building we are looking for is to our left." The swordsman had been instinctively arrowed to the Galley-Ra headquarters all the while.
The green-haired swordsman had been without the use of his left eye for so long, thanks to a scar he had acquired in the past while training with the ex-Shichibukai Hawkeye Mihawk, that it was rather difficult to look for ordinary things on his left side.
"Hhmnnnn." Was all the answer she received as the course she was dragged upon changed and turned left. The pair finally emerged into the grassy front yard that was the prelude to the Galley-Ra headquarters. The space was well kept, and the concrete walkways were decorated with ribboned sticks and balloons. People going in and out of the large, sprawling building were here for the ceremony; all of them dressed elegantly.
"About time you showed up, you shitty swordsman." The sultry voice of the Mugiwara's infamous and insanely high-class cook, Sanji Blackleg, rang out as the pair stepped out of the alleyway into the open area. "Good morning, my lovely Jiru-chwan!"
The smoking cook was now behind them, leaning lazily against the building's white-stone wall. Next to him stood Chopper, in his natural form of a four-legged reindeer. It was that time of biological necessity that left Chopper without his antlers. It was still odd to view him without his horns.
"What the hell is your problem, shit-face?" Zoro released the woman's hand and spun to face his long-time rival and irritant. One of his three swords was out and less than a millimeter away from the cook's smooth nose. "Say one more word and I'll kill you."
"Somebody had a bad day." Jiru murmured. "Good morning, Sanji-kun."
"Mellorine!" Sanji smiled happily.
"Nami-san sent us out to find you guys!" Chopper's mature voice was giddy with happiness. "Where did you go, Jiru-chan?"
"I wanted to make absolutely sure that my dress was completely ready, Chopper-kun. So I went to a little specialty shop on the backstreets." The dress-carrying woman answered. "I didn't tell anyone this morning, but I believe in the bride not seeing the groom until the wedding. I just KNEW Luffy-chan would have bugged me. So I got out early."
"Jiru!" A trio of female voices was heard over the incoming mass of people.
"MY !" Sanji's attention switched from his macho-fight to the three women hurriedly walking from the building. Nami, Vivi and the blue-haired Najiko hurried over to the group.
"There you are!" a long orange-haired thief and navigator bustled past a bristling Zoro. "I swear Luffy was about to tear the island apart looking for you! WHAT were you thinking, sneaking off like that!" Nami came to a stop in front of her lagoon-eyed friend and scowled her fiercest scowl.
The two women behind her also stopped, hiding their mirth behind hands. All three of them were already dressed in their bridesmaids apparel; cream blue, sleeveless silk evening dresses. The three outfits were custom made for the women and looked absolutely breath-taking. It was a designer's challenge to find a color that would work on them all, but it was finally found – the crème blue matched not only two different shades of blue hair (Vivi's hair was sky-blue while Nojiko's hair was more of a cerulean shade) but Nami's orange hair as well. It was a great match for the three women.
"Hi Vivi-chan!" The unruffled shorter woman turned from Nami to the two blue-haired women behind. "How are you, Nojiko-san." The two women chuckled at the scene before them and the taller girl spoke.
"Nami-san, come on and hurry up! It's almost time and she's not even prepared properly!" Nojiko clapped her sister on the back; avoiding the elaborate hairdo the orange hair was twirled up in. "We have less than an hour to dress her up and get her there!"
"Fine, I'll charge your debt later, Jiru-chan." Nami grabbed the bundle of clothes from the smaller woman's arms and turned on heel, giving the package to the smiling princess. Nami's dress shimmered in the sunlight as she moved.
"It's your turn, Vivi-chan." The orange-haired female exhaled with a smile on her lips. "You said you wanted to do the honors of dressing the bride. Well, now is your time."
The spoken-about bride was behind the navigator, mimicking the navigator in a way that made the blue-haired princess laugh aloud.
"Let's go!" Nami had shoved – pointedly ignoring the masculine group behind them – the feminine group back into the building. "I'll kick your ass, Sanji-kun, if you even THINK of sneaking a peek! You better keep out any other man too."
"Mellorine!" Sanji was all but a puddle of pathetic manliness on the grass. Nami's longer, wavier hair and bustier figure still kicked him in the heart. Seeing her in a beautiful white-blue dress that accentuated her profile nearly stopped his heart.
"I promiiissseee, my ANGEL of Heaven!"
"I swear; that idiot is going to kill himself one day…" Nojiko chuckled at her younger sister as the two followed the pair of women who had entered the building already. They all had little time to work with and wanted to make the best of it. It wasn't everyday that a female would be able to see the future pirate queen naked before she became the loveliest woman alive.