"-And then he came and tried to punch me but I jumped away and kicked him in the stomach-"
Usopp's eyebrow twitched, while Sanji and Zoro just calmly ignored their chatterbox of a captain.
"-and it really hurt! He had a sword and everything-"
Nami let out a small breath, trying her best to pretend Luffy didn't exist, but to no avail.
"-so I punched him in the face and he went flying, just like I said! So then I-"
"COULD YOU SHUT UP?!" Nami, Zoro, and Sanji screamed all at once, and the raven-haired captain froze, mouth still open, and stared in shock at his crew.
"But-"
"Honestly, we don't even care!" Nami huffed.
"We never asked to listen to you blabber away," Zoro agreed, crossing his arms.
"I'm with the marimo on that one," Sanji said, pinching his cigarette in between his middle finger and thumb. Luffy stared at the trio, his gaze a mixture of shock, hurt, and confusion.
"S-so you just want me to stop talking? Is that it?" he asked voice cracking slightly.
"Yes!"
"Fine! I won't talk anymore!" Luffy said decisively, crossing his arms and setting his lips in a firm line. The other three sighed in relief, then turned back to the road and continued walking, a silent Luffy stalking behind them.
"Oh! Franky, they're back!" Chopper called, standing on the railings. Franky hummed in response, trying to stuff another barrel of cola into the storage area.
"Hey, Chopper!" Nami waved happily, a smile on her face, and Usopp mirrored her movements. Chopper waved back, then spotted Luffy and waved vigorously. Luffy merely nodded, his face set in stone. The five returning crew members climbed the ladder, Luffy coming up last before stomping to the Sunny's head and flopping down with a deep sigh.
"What's wrong with Luffy? Chopper asked worriedly, looking over at Nami.
"We told him to stop talking, so he said he wasn't going to talk anymore," Sanji explained. "Though I have to say, the quietness was pretty nice. Right, Nami-swan?" He turned his love-sick eyes to the navigator, only to find her halfway across the deck and heading to the women's quarters.
"I'm going to go train," Zoro muttered, before disappearing into the crow's nest. The sound of heavy weights hitting the floor indicated that he had already started.
Sanji looked around as everyone offered up an excuse to leave the deck, until it was only him and Luffy. Since dinnertime wasn't going to be for a little while, Sanji had nothing to do. He sighed in boredom, then headed to the figurehead, where Luffy stubbornly refused to acknowledge him.
"It's pretty warm out, huh?" Sanji mused, hoping to coax a word or two from his captain. But Luffy just nodded stiffly, still not turning to meet Sanji's gaze. "So, what do you want for dinner? Salad?" He saw Luffy's eye twitch, but he still ignored the cook. "Salad it is then." Sanji turned to the door, walking slowly so Luffy would have time to call him back.
He was sorely disappointed when the raven adamantly kept his vigil of silence, watching the sea with a blank stare.
"Nami-swan! Robin-chan! Dinner is ready, my dear flowers! Hey, shitheads! Dinner!" The familiar call roused the crew from their activities, and each member quickly gravitated to the kitchen. Luffy waited until everyone had disappeared inside, then followed warily, expecting a giant pile of salad on the table.
Instead, there was a variety of foods, and no salad anywhere in sight. He eyed the food hungrily, but he didn't comment at all.
"You know..." Sanji began conversationally, "it seems a little quiet today..."
"And it should," Nami snapped. "Luffy isn't talking, remember? We'll actually have some peace and quiet for a while." Luffy winced slightly, and busied himself with his plate to hide his face. Robin and Chopper were the only ones to notice his discomfort.
"Luffy...?" Chopper murmured. Luffy gave him a quick look before his eyes flitted back to his plate, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
"It's nice to actually have a real conversation at the table for once," Zoro added with a meaningful glance at his captain. Luffy ducked his head even more, and Chopper and Robin shared a look.
"Well, I'm full," Chopper said quickly, pushing his plate away and standing up. "Luffy, you can have the rest of mine." Luffy gratefully grabbed Chopper's plate, and nobody bothered to even look at him as he rapidly gulped it down and followed Chopper outside.
After dinner, Luffy stayed on the figurehead, refusing to acknowledge any of his crew in any way. Only Chopper drew a reaction out of him, and that was a wave telling him to go away.
"Robin, don't you think they're being a little harsh?" Chopper whispered, sitting close to Robin's side.
"I do think so, but they won't see reason, Chopper-san," Robin replied. The duo looked over to where Sanji was flirting with Nami, with Zoro muttering insults under his breath and Usopp looking on with a grin. Franky was busy below-deck, working on something or another while Brook had gone to the island, looking for a violin to replace the one he had accidentally broken at the last island fighting a rabid anteater with horns and feathery wings.
"I really hope they come to their senses soon. Luffy looks so sad..." Chopper cast a worried glance to the unresponsive captain, who was staring at the sea like it held the answers of the world.
"I hope so, too," Robin murmured.
"Robin-chwan! Your limeade!" Sanji twirled over, drink in hand, and placed it in front of Robin's hand.
"Thank you," Robin said sweetly, giving a small smile. Sanji sighed in contentment, spinning on his heel as he left.
"Do you know what's making them act like this?" Chopper asked quietly.
"I don't know, but I'm not sure if anything is 'making' them do anything," Robin answered morbidly. Chopper blinked at her.
"What do you mean? They would never say that to Luffy," he said quizzically.
"Have you not noticed how they still act the same?" Robin pointed out, gesturing to the other Straw Hat members on the deck.
"Well..." Chopper nervously rubbed his hooves together. "They could still be controlled or something..."
"Don't be so sure," Robin warned darkly, standing and heading inside.
That night, Luffy took watch, allowing the rest of the crew to sleep the whole night. The captain stared out at the sea from the crow's nest, his eyes glazed over. Suddenly, he spotted a ship in the distance, steadily growing closer. He quickly grabbed the telescope and peered through it. It was Smoker! He had found them again! Luffy opened his mouth to call everyone, but at the last second remembered his vow to stay silent.
So, he pressed his lips together and watched the Marine ship sneak closer, leaving his crew unaware. He would take care of this himself. The Marine ship came to a stop right next to the Sunny, almost touching the beach of the island they were docked at. Smoker himself stood on the deck, staring across the sea at Luffy.
"Straw Hat," he said blandly. Luffy just nodded solemnly. "What's with the silence?" Smoker raised an eyebrow when Luffy just shook his head.
"What? Not talking to me?" he asked, twirling his Sea Stone staff. Luffy shook his head again, a little more violently. "Then what?" Luffy just shrugged, getting into a fighting stance. Smoker barked out a laugh.
"I'm not sure whether to be offended or not," he mused, getting into his own stance, his jitte held before him. Luffy grinned slightly, then gestured for Smoker to go ahead and attack. Smoker obliged, darting forward, staff aimed at Luffy's heart.
A loud crash roused the crew from their sleep, rubbing their eyes and yawning. Only Zoro remained undisturbed, snoring away without a care in the world.
"What was that?" Usopp mumbled sleepily. Another crash, accompanied with slight rocking, woke him further, and he tumbled out of his bed, landing on his face on the floor. A few more crashes sounded, then everything went still and silent.
"What's going on?" Chopper asked worriedly, hopping off of his own bed to stand beside Usopp.
"Something's happening on the deck!" Sanji answered, already dashing to the deck. Usopp immediately popped up, turning to Zoro and shaking the swordsman harshly.
"Zoro! Something's happening! Get up!" When Zoro didn't budge, Usopp shoved him onto the floor.
"GET UP YOU GREAT LUMP!" Zoro's head hit the wood with a loud thunk, and he jerked up.
"What the hell?" He rubbed his head vigorously.
"Come on! Something's happening!" Usopp repeated, already sprinting away. Zoro kept grumbling under his breath, but grabbed his swords and stood. He followed everyone outside, still rubbing his head, then stopped cold.
The deck was in pieces, wood scattered everywhere and the mast cracked. The grass was torn up, and there was a hole in the floor. A knife was stabbed into the mast, which wasn't special on it's own.
But the straw hat dangling on it's handle was certainly interesting.
Luffy kicked Smoker once more, aiming for the place that shall not be named. Smoker just sighed and dodged, moving to walk in front of the captive. The ship rocked slightly, docked at a different port almost on the other side of the island.
"You know, you probably wouldn't have been caught if you had just called for your crew," Smoker said. "Why didn't you?" Luffy just shook his head and refused to answer, letting himself be dragged across the Marine ship's deck. The cuffs on his wrists clanked loudly when he was unceremoniously dropped to the ground.
"Could I ask why you aren't speaking?" Smoker asked, genuinely curious. He sighed again when Luffy once again shook his head stubbornly. Smoker pulled the cigars out of his mouth, then kneeled beside the Straw Hat captain.
"If you can't say it, could you write it?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow. Luffy paused, but then nodded reluctantly. The smoking captain replaced his cigars, then called for a pencil and a piece of paper. The materials were instantly produced, and he placed the paper on the floor in front of Luffy and held out the pencil.
"Do we need to take off the cuffs?" Smoker asked quietly when Luffy didn't move to take the pencil. The Marines were instantly alert.
"Captain Smoker! We can't take them off!" one Marine shouted nervously. Smoker placed the pencil beside the paper, then took out his Sea Stone staff.
"Unlock them. I'll keep him in check," he said gruffly, standing behind Luffy and pressing the tip of the jitte into the rubber man's back. The Marines saluted smartly.
"Sir!" One Marine ran forward with a ring of keys, and unlocked the heavy cuffs from Luffy's wrists. The Marines tensed, waiting for Luffy to burst, but the Straw Hat captain calmly grabbed the pencil and started writing. Smoker noticed his hands were shaking slightly. Once Luffy was done, he grabbed the paper and held it up. Smoker snatched it away and read it quickly.
[My crew told me to stop talking, so I did.]
Smoker blinked. His crew told him not to speak? Wasn't that a little... strange?
"Your crew told you not to talk?" Smoker asked, handing the paper to another Marine. Luffy nodded, turning his head to look Smoker in the eye. It obviously took a lot of effort, since he was touching Sea Stone. Smoker slowly took the jitte away, his face impassive, and motioned for one of the Marines to replace the cuffs.
"Who could've done this?" Nami whispered, squishing the hat against her chest.
"Way too many people to count," Zoro growled, examining the knife. "But I can only think if one person that would have a Marine knife in their posession and be this close to us."
"Smoker," Sanji put in, rolling his cigarette between his fingers.
"It was the Marines?" Usopp asked quietly, clenching his fists.
"Why didn't he tell us?" Chopper whispered, hugging Robin's leg.
"He couldn't," Robin said flatly. "He couldn't talk, remember?" Nami gasped in horror, covering her mouth with a hand, while Zoro and Sanji looked opposite ways, guilt in their eyes.
"S-so it was because we told him to stay quiet..." Nami murmured, staring at the hat in her grasp.
"It seems so," Robin agreed coldly. "Luffy-san was hurt that you told him to stop talking, so it makes sense that he decided that he wouldn't tell you about invading Marines."
"It's our fault, then," Zoro deadpanned. Nami nodded, and Sanji 'tch'ed.
"You guys have to save him, then," Usopp decided.
"Hey, you thought he should've shut up, too," Sanji argued.
"But I didn't tell him specifically to shut up," Usopp pointed out.
"He has a point," Chopper agreed softly. Robin nodded her consent.
"So, Zoro-san, Sanji-san, and Nami-san are going to look for Luffy-san?" she summarized.
"Yup. Now go!" Usopp ordered. "And find Brook while you're at it!"
"And bring back some nails! I'm running out!" Franky called from below, fixing the holes and cracks on the Sunny's deck.
"Fine..." Zoro grunted, turning to the island.
"We'll bring back Luffy for sure!" Nami said confidently, slapping the symbolic straw hat on her head.
Luffy dangled over the edge of the boat, staring into the water that was flashing with colorful fish. If he had had the energy, he would've at least tried to catch some. His stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten yet today. A few Marines that had heard his stomach looked at him fearfully, as if he had growled instead of his insides.
"Sounds like you're hungry," the smoky captain mused, leaning on the railing on the opposite side of the boat. Luffy shot a glare at him, but said nothing. After a while, a plate of food was set gently on the ground beside him. Luffy immediately whipped to face the startled Marine, who yelped and shot backwards, leaving the plate behind.
"We don't starve our prisoners," Smoker said flatly. Luffy blinked, then suddenly gave a giant grin. He mouthed the words 'thank you', and scarfed down the food as fast as he could.
Smoker simply blinked after Luffy smiled at him. Did a pirate really just say 'thank you' to a Marine? That was completely unprecedented.
"Once you're done, come with me," Smoker instructed, standing and heading to the door. Luffy gulped, then paused. He couldn't very well stand with Sea Stone on his wrists.
"Ah- Captain Smoker?" Smoker turned to the Marine that had spoken. "He isn't moving." Smoker turned around, then spotted Luffy still sitting on the ground, The rubber captain shook his wrists, making the cuffs clang loudly. Smoker immediately understood.
"You can't walk," he deadpanned. Luffy gave a sheepish grin and nodded, exaustion clear in his eyes. Smoker heaved one gigantic sigh, then stomped back and grabbed Luffy's upper arm and yanked him to his feet. Luffy immediately swayed, and almost toppled over, but Smoker's hand kept him upright.
"Come on." Smoker walked away, half-dragging the captive with him. Luffy tried to tug his arm back, failed, then suddenly became a deadweight in Smoker's grip. The Marine captain stumbled with the sudden weight, then turned to glare at Luffy, but paused. The boy was clearly asleep, snoring and everything. Smoker blinked hard. The famous 'Straw Hat' Luffy had just fallen asleep on a Marine ship.
"Why me?" Smoker muttered, then hoisted the prone raven onto his back. Luffy shifted sleepily, but didn't wake.
"Captain, I could take him-"
"No need. I got him."*
"Luuuuuffyyyyyy!" Nami called, long and loud. She got a few strange looks from the locals, but she ignored them.
"Shithead!" Sanji shouted, earning a small smack from Nami.
"He doesn't know what 'shithead' you mean," Nami reminded the cook.
"Yes, Nami-swan!" Sanji cooed. "Shitty rubber captain!"
"I guess that's better..." Nami sighed. "Luffy!"
"He won't answer," Zoro said abruptly. "He isn't going to talk, remember?"
"Ah, right." Nami put a hand on her head, feeling the rough surface of the straw hat that sat there. "How else do we find him?"
"I don't know, smell?" Zoro said sarcastically. "Maybe we can split up and look."
"Maybe we can ask around, see if anyone has seen him," Sanji suggested.
"I think Sanji-kun's idea is better," Nami said quickly, thinking of Zoro's direction fails.
"Uwaah! Nami-swan likes my idea!" Sanji twirled in place, while Zoro snorted.
"I think mine was better," he sulked, following the other two deeper into the town.
Luffy lay on his stomach on the couch, his head turned so he was laying on his cheek. He was watching Smoker stack a bunch of paperweights on his desk, papers scattered all over the floor. Smoker had shoved all the papers off the desk in favor of covering it in animal-shaped paperweights.
Luffy watched silently and attentively as Smoker placed a panther paperweight on top of an elephant one, balancing both weights carefully before releasing the cat. Luffy slowly pulled himself to a sitting position, then struggled to stand. Smoker paused, keeping an eye on the rubber captain. Luffy walked, excruciatingly slowly, over to the desk and sat beside it.
He reached up and grabbed a handful of weights, then dropped them to the floor in front of him. Smoker watched impassively, wondering what the boy was doing now. Luffy grabbed the biggest weight- a tortoise. He stood it up, then picked up the second biggest and placed it on top. Smoker leaned on his hand, watching, waiting for the slowly growing tower to topple over.
But it didn't fall. It steadily grew taller, until Luffy had to stand up and reach as high as he could to put the tiny butterfly paperweight on the top. He had to support himself on Smoker's desk, but the Marine captain didn't mind. His tower had long since fallen, and the pieces used for Luffy's giant tower.
Once the butterfly was in place, Luffy reached back to the desk and grabbed the last weight- an iron ant. It was heavy for it's size, and Luffy was almost worried the butterfly would break under it. He reached up- and he couldn't do it. He fell back with a loud thump, the ant falling from his hand onto the floor. Luffy looked up and sighed in relief. The tower hadn't fallen.
He jumped at a sudden movement, then turned to see Smoker picking the ant up from the floor. With his taller structure, he easuly placed the ant on the top of the animal tower. Luffy grinned widely, though he looked exausted once again. Smoker sat back down at his desk, keeping his face carefully neutral. He didn't know why he did that, but he didn't really care.
"Nice job," he said suddenly, surprising himself. Luffy didn't seem startled, though, and he turned his sunny smile to the smoking Marine.
'Thank you' he mouthed, once again. Smoker shrugged blandly.
"My tower was demolished anyways," he muttered, looking away. Luffy laughed softly, and Smoker couldn't help but smile when he heard the strange laugh.
"Well, there is a Marine ship docked at the other port..." a local murmured. "Think they might be who you looking for?"
"We're sure. Thank you so much!" Nami said with a sweet smile. The local waved the trio away, turning back to his market. Sanji, Zoro, and Nami hurried away, heading for the far side of town.
"We finally got a lead!" Nami said excitedly, leading the threesome.
"Let's hope it really is Smoker," Zoro grumbled darkly, still in a mood because his plan had been waved off so easily.
"Of course it's him," Sanji said, "because Nami-swan would never lead us wrong! Right, my dear?" He leaned towards the orange-haired navigator, but she chose to ignore him and nod.
"Stupid dartbrow..." Zoro said under his breath, making sure Sanji and Nami couldn't hear him.
"Hey! I see it!" Nami said suddenly, stopping. They were on a small hill, which allowed them to see over the thick copse of trees ahead of them. A white Marine flag was peeking just above the green leaves. Sanji grinned slightly. They were really on the right track now.
"We should hurry up, then." Zoro stepped ahead of them, somehow thinking they were heading left instead of straight. Nami's hand darted over and steered him in the right direction, and the three marched determinedly through the trees to their captain.
Luffy's observation Haki immediately sensed them coming closer, and he jerked his head up, making Smoker cast him a curious glance. Luffy gave a giant smile, knowing that his crew was coming to save him.
"Someone coming?" Smoker asked gruffly. Luffy froze. If he told Smoker that they were coming, he'd go and try to stop them. So he couldn't know! So he shook his head violently, eyes wide.
"Men, get ready! Someone's coming!" Smoker shouted. Luffy's eyes went wider, and Smoker turned to give him a hard stare.
"I know you're lying," he said flatly, "and that some of your crew is coming. But we'll be ready. We won't give you back without a fight."
"Look!" Zoro pointed with his unsheated sword to the cloud of Marines swarming through the trees. Nami pulled out her Clima Tact and assembled it faster than she ever had, and Sanji skidded to a stop and raised his leg. The Marines formed a half circle around them.
"Surrender now, pirates!" one Marine barked bravely. "We already have your captain in captivity!"
"Like we would just lay down and let ourselves be steamrolled," Sanji snorted quietly. In a louder voice, he said, "Oh, sure we'll surrender! When you make us!" This apparently wasn't the answer the Marines wanted, because they surged forward, a line of swords held in front of them as they shouted out a battle cry.
Luffy heard the cry,, and he struggled to get into a sitting position. But Smoker's heavy boot on his back forced him to stay down. He glared up at the Marine captain, who stared coolly back down at him.
"You're a pirate. Don't think anything that happened earlier changes the fact that you're a pirate and I'm a Marine." And with that, he turned to the door and went outside, leaving Luffy alone on the floor. Big mistake. The second Smoker was out of sight, Luffy started to fidget and wiggle slightly. He felt the Sea Stone cuffs rub harshly against his wrists, taking away a few layers of skin, but he ignored the pain for now.
He had to go and help his crew, no matter what.
Nami gasped when she felt something smack the back of her knees, making her go down. She glanced behind her to see Smoker, staff ready to hit her head this time. Sanji came flying out of nowhere, kicking Smoker in the face, though all it did was turn Smoker's head into a cloud of- you guessed it- smoke.
"Don't hit my Nami-swan!" Sanji snarled, landing back on his feet and helping Nami up. Zoro shouted something from where he was fending off the other Marines, but it was muffled because of the sword in his mouth.
"What did you say?" Sanji called, dodging a swing from Smoker. Zoro took a step away from the Marine swarm, then took the sword out of his mouth.
"I said- Here comes Luffy!" Smoker and the remaining Straw Hat members turned quickly. There, fighting his way through the Marine cluster, was the said rubber captain. Smoker saw his bloodied wrists and immediately understood how he escaped.
"Catch him!" he ordered his Marines. "I'll deal with the other three!" He turned to follow through with his claim, but Zoro and Sanji had already switched spots. And Zoro was a Haki user.
"Let's finish this," Zoro murmured, stuffing the sword back in his mouth.
Luffy grinned as wide as he could when he saw Sanji slowly breaking through the lines of Marines, making his way towards the rubber captain. Luffy dropped low to the ground as a Marine swung a sword, and once the sword was out of the way, he kicked his leg up in a devastating, bone-crushing Gum Gum Stamp.
"Luffy!" Nami called, whacking someone upside the head with her Clima Tact. Luffy smiled wider, jumping to Gum Gum Spear a Marine in the gut. Using the same Marine as a springboard, he flew over the cloud and landed hard beside Sanji. He copied Sanji's moves, kicking out a leg and spinning with it, catching a lot more Marines with his stretched out leg. He was avoiding using his fists, since they were a little... injured.
"Holy shit," Sanji breathed, spotting the blood on Luffy's hands. "Did you kill someone?" Luffy scowled and shook his head, keeping his foot on a Marine's face.
"Let's get out of here!" Nami shouted, backing away from a few wild swings. The smoky Marine captain was slightly cut up and bloodied, because Zoro had been using his Haki to make his attacks hit. Right after Nami had shouted, Zoro jumped away from Smoker and ran back the way they had come, though he was a little off. Sanji grabbed Luffy's wrist- making the rubber man wince- and ran as fast as he could back to Nami.
"You aren't getting away!" Smoker growled, turning into a smoke cloud and pelting after them. Luffy pulled his wrist out of Sanji's grip, then Haki-hardened his fist and threw it at Smoker. The punch connected, sending the Marine back into the crowd with a dhout of pain. Luffy retracted his hand with a frown, his hand now completely drenched in blood.
"Let's go!" Nami barked shoving him forward. The captain obliged, turning and racing after his crew.
"Ah! They got him!" Usopp shouted gleefully, throwing his hands in the air. Chopper instantly appeared next to him, squealing happily. Brook was next, coming outside and spotting Luffy, then letting out a cheerful laugh. Franky was last, brushing off his dusty hands with a smirk on his metal face.
"It was Smoker, alright," Zoro said once he was aboard. "Stupid bastard came to fight us himself."
"Luffy!" Chopper gasped. "What happened to your hands?!" Luffy sheepishly held out his hands for Chopper to examine.
"Into my office. Now," Chopper demanded, stomping to the infirmary. Luffy meekly followed behind, rubbing his wrists slightly.
"What happened?" Nami asked, trailing behind. Chopper didn't answer as he went to the sink, hopping up onto a stool, only gestured the rubber captain over to the sink. He grabbed Luffy's hands and thrust them underneath the running water. Luffy felt his strength ebb slightly, but he stayed standing until the water washed away all the blood. Chopper glared at Luffy's hands, until Luffy coughed slightly.
Nami curiously peeked over Chopper's shoulder, then gasped and covered her mouth. Luffy's wrists were shredded, down to the muscles, and blood was still leaking out of them. His hands weren't much better, though they had stopped bleeding.
"Luffy. What. Happened." It wasn't a question. It demanded an answer. The reindeer glared harshly at Luffy until the captain shook his head.
"Right. You can't talk," Chopper sighed. "Well, let's get those bandaged up."
"Luffy..." The said boy turned to look at Nami. She was staring at her hands, which held his straw hat tightly. Luffy automatically reached and grabbed his hat, then plopped it onto... Nami's head. She looked up, surprised, and Luffy smiled softly at her, mouthing 'It's okay', before Chopper turned him back around to bandage his wrists.
"Luffy... I don't want you to not talk anymore," Nami said quietly. Luffy turned his head, surprised. 'Really?' he mouthed, and Nami nodded.
"I think Zoro and Sanji would say the same," she murmured. Luffy smiled again.
"FINALLY!" he suddenly hollered. "I WAS GETTING SO BORED! I CAN TALK AGAIN!" Chopper giggled a little, tying the knot on the bandage.
"You're good to go now. We'll replace them tomorrow," he said, letting Luffy go. The captain was immediately gone, out onto the deck to tell everyone he could talk again. Nami smiled fondly to herself. Why did she ever think she wouldn't miss hearing Luffy's voice?
"Nami." She turned around to meet with Chopper's serious stare. "We need to talk."
'And... here comes the scolding...' Nami thought nervously.
Later in the day, with Luffy having talked until his thoat was sore, Luffy and Nami were sitting on the deck- well, Nami was sitting in a lounge chair while Luffy was on the lion's head.
"Luffy?" The said boy turned his head to look at Nami questionably.
"Sorry for telling you to shut up," Nami said quietly. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Luffy smiled again.
"No problem, Nami," he said, voice scratchy from lack of use then overuse. "I'm just glad I can talk again." Nami smiled back, then glanced at Luffy's bandaged hands and wrists.
"What did happen, though?" she asked. Luffy blinked, then looked at his hands.
"Oh. I had to pull my hands out of these Sea Stone handcuffs. .They were a little tight, so they cut into my wrists," he explained. Nami winced, rubbing her own wrists.
"That must've hurt," she sympathized. Luffy nodded.
"It did. But I had to come and help you guys," he said. I would never just sit there and wait for a rescue-"
"That isn't like you," Nami finished the thought. Luffy grinned again.
"Right. And not talking isn't like me either."
...So, there it is. I personally like it, but you don't have to. And yes, it is a lame ending. And it was fast because this is a ONE-SHOT.
This was a suggestion from a really good friend of mine. I sent her the whole one-shot, but she told me I had to post it, so I did.
And yes, there is a slight hint of LuNa at the end.
AND IT IS NOT SMOLU. I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY THAT LUFFY IS BETTER AT TOWER BUILDING THAN SMOKER.
Please review what you think~ Even if you hated it~
~Captain Luffy