The day of the Great Racing Straw Hats…
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It was originally a trip for the guys on the crew to get along, no women around, and just enjoy the sunny afternoon without getting in trouble for once.
The rubber pirate had found a bike shop and begged Sanji to rent one for him to ride, quickly zooming around the town in glee. After a couple of hours though, his hunger returned and Zoro was able to take a break from running after the boy in an effort to keep him out of trouble. The green-haired first mate was carrying a certain straw hat, blown off of Luffy's head from the wind while riding the bike.
The blond cook had found a nice café with outside seating and was sitting with Usopp and Chopper when the others joined them. The crew was sitting around a table together, with pastries and finished hot and cold drinks littering the surface, when Chopper noticed a woman going past in a large cart pulled by horses, and shouted out, "Hey! That looks like fun! Usopp! Let's go find one for us to race in!" Grinning like the kid he was, he bounced around on the table.
"Race?" Luffy grinned, "Let's go! Let's race!" The trio jumped up and immediately begged the lady to tell them where the contraption was bought.
Sanji was enjoying the coffee he bought from the cute barista, so he slowly followed the others, walking calmly with the cup in one hand and an unlit cigarette in the other, ready to light when he finished the caffeinated drink. "Oi Luffy, I hope you're being nice to that wonderful mάdemoiselle over there." He looked up only to see a handsome gentleman frowning at Luffy, who was currently attempting to ride one of the horses. I should've known this would happen. Lifting up one leg, Sanji deftly kicked his captain off to the side without hitting the horse. He turned back and, ignoring the whining session behind him, apologised and politely asked the couple where they could find a cart and horses.
"If you go to Jolly Molly's down those streets there, she can give you better directions. And perhaps learn to control your brother better, sir?" the man suggested in a posh voice, still frowning over Sanji's shoulder at his 'brother', causing the crew to laugh at the expense of the embarrassed duo. With a light crack and a rattle of wooden wheels on cobblestones, the cart carrying the couple was off down the street and gone. Left behind to splutter and complain, Sanji gave Luffy another kick-lighter this time-out of frustration.
"Well, brothers, shall we go to this 'Jolly Molly's' and find us a cart?" Zoro asked innocently, smirking as he prodded the new sore spot of his rival. He began walking in the opposite direction to where the man had pointed. Usopp walked after him and grabbed his shirt, attempting to drag him in the right direction. "Oh, right." Zoro spun around and walked with the group for a few meters before taking a sharp right turn into another cafe.
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Having gotten the best directions from Jolly Molly's and dragged Zoro around with them, they went off in search of their goal, while looking at the small port town as they walked. The island they had landed on bore a resemblance to Nami's home town of Cocoyashi Village, but had a small Marine outpost on the other side of a dark forest.
Finally the group found it: Welcome! To Mark's Horses and Carts! The boldly colored sign hung from a pair of rusted bars above the shop door, looking like it needed a fresh coat of paint.
"What's with the names of the shops on this island?" Zoro wondered aloud, wandering inside with the others.
"HELLO THERE! HOW CAN I HELP YOU TODAY?" A loud and very cheerful voice shouted from the front counter, not five meters away. The name tag sewn into his shirt indicated that this was Mark, owner of the store; the large fellow had to stoop to keep his head from touching the ceiling.
"H-hello, we are visiting this island and we want to rent a cart and some horses?" Usopp asked nervously, standing as tall as he could. The shopkeeper gave him an odd look, but asked for money anyway. The sniper handed the correct sum over while still on his tip-toes, feeling tiny compared to the man. Mark shut the register with a ding and gestured to the group to follow.
Going under a high door, Usopp looked up to see that the back was built like an old-fashioned barn, with light wood panelling and a dirt floor. Standing in their stalls were five horses, and Mark calmly strode over to a large pair of white stallions, talking back over his shoulder. "Bobby and Stuart haven't been out for a while, so these will be the horses taking you around town. Be careful, they like to run if they can-"
"Ah, that won't be a problem, Mark-san," Sanji interrupted, still standing by the door and avoiding the straw-strewn ground while he finished his cigarette. Thanking the shopkeeper, the smoker lied through his teeth and told him, "We will be mindful of speed."
Waiting just long enough to learn the do's-and-dont's of cart horses, Sanji jumped inside and picked up the reins,walking the pale green cart out of the double barn doors and onto the now busy-looking street. He scoffed quietly at the extravagant (read: tacky) black feathers attached to the front before he noticed someone running alongside the cart.
Usopp grinned, easily keeping up as he asked the blond if they still had the bike, the gears and cogs spinning in his mind as he started to concoct a plan…
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AN: i will be posting the next chapter in a couple days, as it only needs a grammar check.
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