In the City of Love
A/N: Hey guys! Hope everyone had a good holiday. Please review! And thanks to those that reviewed, your support is much appreciated. (:
Chapter 2: An Opportunity?
"Wow, the buildings here are so big!" Usopp exclaimed, glancing excitedly at the structures around them. Parisee was a very clean city that was filled with pristine streets and neat buildings. There were fountains, parks, trees, rivers, and bridges that were found throughout the area to compliment the happy couples.
"Hey, don't get too carried away. We still haven't found our hotel yet." Nami said, matching her surroundings to the one on the map that Ichirod had given them. "It should be just after the next left."
The navigator led her crew to their hotel, earning curious glances from passer-bys. The crew stuck out like a sore thumb; but that was understandable when you traveled with a skeleton and a walking racoon. Nami did her best to ignore the hushed whispers around them as the Straw Hats finally reached their destination, the Ma Cherie.*
"This is it guys!" Nami announced. "This hotel doesn't charge rooms that are too expensive so we can probably afford four of them. There's also a pool in the back!"
Upon hearing this piece of news, Luffy, Chopper and Brook ran in, right past the check-in desk to the pool facility.
"YOU IDIOTS!" Nami cried. "YOU CAN'T SWIM!" Her desperate objections were barely audible over the three splashes that occurred simultaneously. The navigator shook her head sadly as the others ran in to help their less-intellectually gifted members.
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After rescuing the three drowning Devil-Fruit users, the Straw Hats checked into their rooms. Luffy, Chopper and Usopp were in one room, Franky and Brook in the second, the girls in another, and Sanji and Zoro in the last one. The protests of the latter two were quickly shot down by the navigator.
"Nami-swan! This is so unfair!" the cook whined. "I should get to share a room with you and the lovely Robin-chwan! I don't want to room with a moss-headed idiot!"
"Oi cook! Don't make it sound like it's a chore to stay with me! I'm the one that's being forced to deal with your pansy ass." Zoro snorted, walking ahead to press the 'up' button on the elevator.
"SHUT UP! I am tired and sleepy and I do not want to deal with your silly, immature complaints!" Nami snapped. "I'm trying to keep the damage to the hotel to a minimum by grouping the younger three and you two together. That way, only two of the rooms will be destroyed instead of all four."
The elevator arrived and the crew stepped inside, pressing the button to their floor. When the doors finally opened, Luffy ran out.
"Hey Nami! Where's our room?"
"It should be the farthest one down the hall."
"Eh, that's a long walk..." Luffy said. "I'll stretch!"
"Hey wait a minute Luffy!"
"GOMU GOMU NO..." the rubber man extended his arms, grabbing two doors handles down the hallway. "ROCKET!" Luffy flew forward, towards their room.
Unfortunately, his journey was brought to a halt when he hurled into an young couple who were leaving their room right at that exact moment.
"AHHH!" the girl screamed as her boyfriend, who had pushed her away at the last moment, fell to the ground. "John! Are you alright?"
John certainly was not alright. He was lying face into the floor with Luffy sitting on top of him.
"Sorry!" Luffy said, standing up and extending a hand to John. "Didn't see you there! Wow, that scared me for a second!"
"Oh that's alright..." John replied. "How did you fly anyways? And- OW! My back!"
"LUFFY!" Nami cried while rushing up. "I told you to hold on! Look what you've done! We're gonna have to pay for his medical fees now! And let me tell you, its coming out of your allowance!"
"Help him to our room!" Chopper said, appearing next to Nami. "Maybe I can take a look at him."
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After taking the couple to Luffy's, Chopper's and Usopp's room to recover, the Straw Hats gathered around the two beds in the room, watching as Chopper examined the man's spine.
"I don't think there's any serious harm." Chopper told John. "I think you just need to take it easy for awhile."
"Oh wow, thanks! Are you a talking racoon?" the man stared curiously as Chopper pointed out his horns and started yelling that he was a reindeer, idiot.
"By the way, how did that straw hat guy fly? Are you people new here?"
The crew then proceeded to explain about Luffy's power and how they had reached the island.
"Hey, do you have any idea how long it takes for the Log Pose to set here?" Nami asked John's girlfriend, who had introduced herself as Sarah.
"I'm pretty sure it takes a little more than a month. But on the up side, there's lots of stuff to do in this city while your waiting."
"Were you two set up together by those quiz results?" Usopp inquired.
"Yeah, the person who greeted you sends your tests here and your matched up by the hotel manager." John answered. "Since you just got here this afternoon, you'll probably be matched by tomorrow evening. Me and Sarah were just about to go on our first date before...uh..."
"Yeah I am so sorry about that." Nami said. "Rubber boy here is an idiot."
The others giggled while Luffy pouted at Nami who just glared at him. The navigator returned her attention to Sarah. "Do you have any idea how the couples are matched?"
"It's by similar answers." Sarah explained. "You are matched up with the person who has the most same answers as you. John and I figured it out after discussing our hobbies and finding that we both liked the same things."
Hmm... Zoro's brain gears were starting to whir. Similar answers huh? While the swordsman had seen this matching love thing to be a nuisance before, he was now viewing it as something else: an opportunity!
"Well I think we should be going now." Sarah said, helping John up so that he was leaning on her. "Maybe we'll run into you guys tomorrow."
"Haha that was just a figure of speech by the way. Don't actually run into us." John said as the couple left to return to their room.
The other Straw Hats soon retired to their rooms for the night too.
"Navigator-san," Robin said as Nami turned the key to their door. "Did you really just put swordsman and cook-san in the same room to reduce damage?"
"Partly..." Nami turned around and winked. "...and to help them realize their madly in love with each other. I know you see the way they look at each other too."
"Why, what a naughty girl you are." Robin chuckled as the room door closed behind them.
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Late that night, a certain green-haired man was sneaking through the lobby of Ma Cherie and into the door marked 'MANAGER'S OFFICE.' He tried the handle, finding it unlocked. He checked the other side briefly before treading in, only daring to turn on the small lamp next to the table. The man ruffled through the stacks of papers on the desk, finding one full of compatibility tests. He silently pulled two sheets out and grabbed a pencil from a holder, erasing the marks on one page.
What is your name?
Zoro.
What are your favorite past times?
Cooking and taking care of my ladies~
What are three traits you look for in a partner?
Strong, caring and attractive
Name your longest or most frequent occupation.
Cook
Have you had a history of dating?
None
Zoro looked satisfactorily over his test which looked identical to the one next to it, minus the first question. What could he say? He was an opportunist, and this was an opportunity to get what he wanted, and right now, it was the annoying shit-cook.
Putting the tests back neatly onto the pile, he left the office, taking the stairs back to his room, where his perfect match awaited.
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A/N: Yay! Another chapter done. The ZoSan parts will start soon so just bear with me for now. LOL review please! It can be my late Christmas present. (:
* Ma Cherie is French for 'my darling.'