WHOAH! I have not updated in a while. Time to get back on board~
Title: Hide-and-Seek
Pairing: Zoro and Sanji
Disclaimer: One Piece will never belong to me... ever...
Summary: Just after leaving Water 7, the Straw-hat crew stumbles across a rather pesky obstacle.
As a note, this is my first time writing something even relating to the genre Horror. Yeah, I wanted to make this angsty too... but I gotta face the fact that humor is my hot-spot. Oh well, I tried so let me know what you all think :)
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Meh~" Luffy slung himself over the head of the Thousand Sunny. His limbs were sprawled lazily at his sides and dangled over the sides of the Sunny lion's head. His tongue hung out similarly to a canine out of breath, minus any panting.
It was still a pathetic sight though.
"I'm melting!" he dramatically proclaimed to no one in particular. To his fortune, the crew's navigator replied,"Don't worry, the heat won't last much longer. Why don't you go and play with Usopp or something? He's probably just as bored as you are."
"Hm..." Luffy thought for a minute. Suddenly, a light bulb flickered on and he snapped his fingers.
…...
The way he thrust into the blond beneath him was perfect. The way they kissed, embraced, fucked, it was always perfect. Through each thrust, Zoro could feel himself reaching closer and closer to release. Of course, it was at this point, that he realizes the man under him began to giggle.
Since when did he giggle during sex?
Soon after, the blond started to full-out laugh. Now Zoro was just getting irritated. With a sudden 'thud!' he found himself not on on a bed, but on the lawn of the Sunny.
Figures. It was only a dream.
The swordsman glared angrily in the direction the laughter came from. His anger began to recede though as he noticed Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp standing around some sort of box or chest. Well, it really appeared to be a rectangular crate, but judging by the fact it was greatly concealed by numerous locks, one could guess something valuable was inside.
Or not.
"Move!" Nami shoved their captain out of the way in order to take a closer look at the box. While it may have been worn out from it's weary travel through the ocean, it was clear, through the multiple locks, that it was not made to be open by normal people.
Well, the Straw-hat pirates were anything beyond normal.
"Yo! Why's everyone in a circle?" Franky walked out onto the lawn to join his nakama. They can tell he had recently be working on some project judging by the grease and dirt that covered his skin and clothes. He happily pulled out his ukelele and strummed some notes. "We dancing or something? Super!"
Luffy grinned at him. "We found treasure!"
"How can you be so certain of that, Captain san?" Robin intervened while descending the stairs of the ship. She eventually made her way next to Nami's side. Silently, she observed the box."It would appear as though no one wants this to be opened," she stated.
The raven-haired woman stood up straight and gently crossed her arms. "Perhaps it'd be wise to simply toss it back into the ocean." At this, the navigator pouted. "I understand your concern, Robin chan, but aren't most things valuable, like treasure, securely locked? It's not everyday these idiots fish up a chest!" She pointed a thumb at Usopp and Luffy.
"Of course!" Usopp boasted, hands on his hips and his chin upwards. "Back in my town, I was known as the great Treasure-man!" He put he palm of his hand to the side of his lips and winked. "Get it? It's like a fisherman, only instead of fish, I reeled in treasure!"
"You're so cool, Usopp!" Chopper exclaimed. Luffy just chuckled at that. Soon after, he pounded the palm of his left hand with the fist of his right, crackling knuckles in the process.
"Let's smash it!"
Suddenly, Luffy found himself on his stomach with a loud thump, the sole of a polished dress shoe placed firmly into his back. He squirmed.
"What're we smashing?" Sanji casually plucked a cancer-stick from his mouth and blew out a stream of smoke. He leaned forward on his right leg, the one currently restraining their overly hyper captain.
"I don't think I've ever come across a crew so violent towards their own captain," Franky said as he came closer to the group. "Heheh." Luffy gave up and stretched his arms forward, hands balled into fists. "We found treasure, Sanji! If there's meat in there, you can cook it for me~" Sanji turned his attention to the crate for a moment. He scowled.
Something did not feel right about this.
Deciding the best course of action was to not get involved, the chef stepped off of Luffy and backed away, hands casually placed within the confines of his pockets. He headed back the way he came. "Well, have fun with that. I have dinner to make." The blond gave a small wave as he re-entered the galley.
"What's up with curly?" Zoro crossed his arms. It wasn't often Sanji would come outside, see his "lovely" ladies dressed in such skimpy clothing, and not be the first to comment on it.
Robin gazed at the door leading to the galley. Perhaps Sanji, too, felt the same way she did about that mysterious box.
…...
"What the hell is this thing?" The red-head held a small book up for her nakama to see. They were currently gathered in the spacious galley. Zoro sat on a dining chair with his feet resting on the edge of the table, a bottle of booze swinging lazily from his hand. He nearly dropped it when his legs were ungracefully kicked off.
He always forgot that rule.
The swordsman gave their cook a fierce glare which was returned with full force. He would never admit outside the confinements of his own head how much he loved that side of the shitty cook. Sanji was just as confident and stubborn as he was. It turned him on. Zoro grinned deviously at the blond. Sanji scoffed at him and kicked his chair for good measure. Good thing the moss-head had a better grip on his drink that time. Zoro sprang to his feet.
"Wanna go, dart-brow!?" he growled.
"Bring it on, asshole!" Sanji retaliated, raising a leg menacingly.
"Knock it off, you two!" Nami clobbered the back of their heads with the book she held. "We need to figure out what this is first."
"So then, after, I can kick his ass?" Zoro received another hit to the head. He'd charge her with brain damage if he could.
"May I take a look at the book, Navigator san?" Robin asked politely. Nami nodded and handed the book to her. As she flipped through it, a small frown formed on her face. "There isn't anything written here," she stated before pausing on a particular page about halfway through the book. Her frown deepened.
"The only thing written here seems to be smudged. A name I presume." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Why, though?"she whispered. Her elegant fingers caressed the top of the smudge.
"Maybe this'll help you out!" Franky held up a piece of paper. It was folded neatly and appeared to be the size of a note card. However, when opened, it was the size of an average piece of loose-leaf paper. "Where'd you get that?" the sniper inquired. "It fell out of the book, bro. Check it out." The cyborg gave the parchment to Usopp. He read it aloud for the rest to hear.
"Want to play a game?" he began.
"Oh, oh, I do! I wanna play!" Luffy ecstatically raised his hand as though he were a student begging to be called on. "Be quiet!" Nami smacked him.
"Ahem... Time for the most thrilling game of Hide-and-Seek of your life! Challenge your strength, intuition, and courage. Once the leader says "now" the game will begin. However, once started, the game cannot and will not end until the time of precisely two hours is up! It it up to those finding the one who will be hidden to successfully win the game. Win and continue moving forward! However..." The compulsive liar paused for a few seemingly dreadful moments. Perspiration suddenly glossed his dark skin.
"However?" Nami asked impatiently. Usopp gulped.
"H-However. If the seekers are unable to find the hidden one in time, they must face a penalty."
"What's the penalty? Franky questioned.
"It's-"
"Death."
Everyone became immediately silent as the word slipped form their chef's lips.
"B-basically, yeah." Usopp hung his head slightly. "If the one who's hidden can't be found, they'll be lost forever."
The room remained silent for a minute. An aggravatingly long minute.
Sanji broke the silence. "I knew that so-called 'treasure' was bad news." An outrageous scowl appeared on his face. In fact, it almost seemed to be fearful. "Throw it out," he demanded.
"What's wrong shit-cook? Afraid a ghost is going to appear and take your soul or something?" Zoro cockily teased as he sat back down and leaned in his chair.
"I'm not kidding, asshole, I know what this game is. I've heard about it before!" Sanji groused.
"What exactly is it then?" Nami spoke, her beautiful voice dripping with curiosity.
The cook sighed and leaned against the kitchen sink. "It's from a story I was told about while growing up on the Baratie. It told how many sailors were suddenly 'missing' after having played that stupid Hide-and-Seek shit or whatever. Although, the version I heard was a bit different." He blew out some more smoke towards the ceiling.
"What happened, dare I ask?" Zoro chimed in.
"In the version I was told about, a soul would be taken in order to 'hide' from the seekers. If the seekers fail to find it, it becomes trapped within the game itself. However, if the game should be played more than once, it's possible for whoever was previously trapped within it to break free."
"How the hell do they do that?" Usopp gawked.
Sanji pulled his cigarette from his mouth and scowled again.
"They possess the hidden soul's body."
Half the crew gaped.
"N-no way," Usopp stuttered.
"It's true," the blond cook stated as he shoved his spent smoke out on the sole of his shoe.
"Big deal," their first mate spoke."So you're gonna believe in some ridiculous ghost tale? Get real." He took a swig of sake before slamming it onto the table. A smug grin spread on his face as he stared at nothing in particular. "Sounds more like a challenge of wits to me!"
Robin disagreed. "I'm not so sure it would be the wisest of decisions to participate. Whether the tale is or is not true should be of no concern. Although, we are indeed heading for the Florian Triangle. Who is to say a game such as this could not exist?" She gripped the small book by her side a little bit tighter than necessary.
"Shishishishi..." A chuckle rumbled through Luffy's chest. A wide and mischievous smile suddenly plastered his childish face. "A game of challenges, eh?" He tipped his signature hat above his hairline. "All that ghost stuff is dumb. I wanna play this game!"
"Captain-san, please reconsider," Robin kindly asked. "Would this not be risking the life of a crew-member?"
"Heh, we're the straw-hat pirates," Zoro intervened. "If a challenge is thrown our way and we toss it aside, what does that make us?"
"Cowards!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Which we are definitely not!" Franky cheered.
"Besides, no one's life is really at risk. This is probably just some sign thrown at us to stop us from moving forward. I bet plenty of average crews have seen this and fled with their tails between their legs." Zoro continued.
He did have a point.
"...I suppose that is a possibility," Robin thought aloud. "There have been rumors of missing sailors and alike in the upcoming areas. Perhaps this acts as some type of decoy to elude them away from the island ahead."
"Well if that's the truth, then this game doesn't really exist, right?" Nami spoke up.
"It does exist!" Once again, the crew's attention was drawn back to Sanji.
Zoro scowled. Why the hell was the shit-cook acting like this? As if he were actually...
"You really are scared aren't you?" the swordsman taunted. He smirked devilishly. In return, he received a fowl glare. "Shut the fuck up, shit-head, I'm being serious here." Zoro's grin only widened.
He would not let this opportunity slip!
"Uh, bros?" Franky was quickly cut off with another snark remark from the moss-head.
"I can't believe you're gonna let a stupid piece of paper fool you, cook."
"One of us might die! What part of that isn't getting through your thick skull!?" Sanji lit a fresh cigarette and pointed it at the other man.
"Apparently none of it considering WE WILL NOT DIE."
"Use your fucking head for once, ZORO!"
"SHUT UP!" Nami fumed. She took a few moments to recollect herself and ran an unsteady hand through her hair. "Listen... I know this is a heavy subject to debate on, but the log pose is pointing in the direction we're heading."
"See? If we don't go this way, we'll never make it to the next island!" Zoro gestured toward their navigator.
"It would unfortunately appear so," Robin calmly stated.
"I don't understand why we can't just keep moving and ignore the game." Usopp was starting to get confused with this whole thing. So was everyone else, who were starting to ask themselves the same question. Robin closed her eyes as if in acceptance. She knew.
"Haven't you noticed?" The blond inquired.
"Notice what?" Nami asked, her voice slightly shaken with nervousness. Sanji stepped forward, and for a minute he remained very still.
So... very... still...
The navigator's eyes widened. "Oh my god." She sprinted out to the deck. The rest following suite. Surely enough, their ship had come to a complete halt. Wind blew and waves swept, but the Thousand Sunny refused to budge.
"Wh-why?" Nami ran to the rail. "Why the hell aren't we moving!?" She began to panic.
"We have to go back, Nami swan!" Sanji called for her. "We can't stay here!"
"But, this is the only direction we can go, otherwise we'll never make it to the next island!"
"Please, Nami s-!"
"LISTEN UP!" The crew directed their full attention to the captain. He seemed to be much less happy than before. His straw hat cast a shadow over his eyes as he continued speaking."We didn't come all this way just to turn back. And Sanji," he called his chef to attention. The blond waited for him to finish.
"I believe you, but I think you and I both know this is the only way."
Sanji gritted his teeth and bowed his head in acceptance.
"Everyone, back in the kitchen." Their captain lead his crew back inside. Sanji, however, didn't move. Zoro sighed and stood beside him.
"We risk our lives everyday, cook."
"..."
The marimo scratched his head in frustration. He had to know what this guy was so afraid of. So, he asked.
"Why are you acting so weird? You've gone up against worst."
Sanji breathed in."I know... it's just, after hearing that tale so many times and finally being a part of it, it just sucks, alright? I've had a bad feeling ever since I saw that shitty chest. We shouldn't be doing this, god forbid we can't find whoever it is on time!"
Zoro grabbed Sanji by the shoulders and looked him dead in the eye.
"We are going to be. Just. Fine. I promise," Zoro spoke seriously to his nakama, and while he was hesitant, he decided a 'reassurance' kiss wouldn't hurt, so he placed a small peck on Sanji's forehead.
Sanji couldn't lie, that made him feel better, a lot better actually. It was at this point he had to remind himself how absolutely right the moss-head was, regardless if he wanted to admit it or not. He and his nakama were strong and so was their bond. He could never throw doubt on them.
He felt like a jack-ass for doing so that day. He'd have to make up for that.
A small smile formed on his lips.
"You ready, shitty marimo?"
Zoro grinned.
"Time to kick ass."