Author's Notes: well...by chapters two, a few things became clear... I am taking the darker route of the story that I had in mind, which means psychological...but I am not going to change the title despite that. You will probably understand in the future why, but I don't guarantee that I will 100% NOT change it. I did change the title of the first chapter though.

About this chapter...don't expect too much, since I am still only building up to what will happen next. Hmm...and honestly speaking? Maybe this will turn out longer than five chapters... lol

Oh yeah, it's light-hearted...for now.

My rant is over.

Chapter Two: Noticing

"Heeey, Zoro! Care to try my newest invention?!" came a cheerful voice, practically knocking me out of my dozed off state.

"Eh? Onigiri?" I blinked slowly, turning my head around sleepily, slowly waking up. I dreamed about being offered an onigiri from a complete stranger...whose face I didn't remember anymore, but...it was suspicious none the less.

Raising my head, I was presented with a long nose. Usopp stood with hands at his sides, "No! Not onigiri...goodness, do you even have anything else on your mind?" he sighed and shook his head for a more dramatic effect, then pointed his finger up, "I have a new invention I think you would be particularly interested in!"

I was slightly confused still. Wait, an invention to do...what exactly? Prepare onigiri? Not something I would be interested in...

But Usopp didn't wait for me to open my mouth and simply forced me to follow him to his and Franky's workplace, presenting me with a...weirdest contraption I ever saw in my life.

A frown spread on my face. How are you supposed to make onigiri using...that?

"I present you with my latest invention, created by none other than my amaaaazing self - 'Sword Peeler'!"

And I was shocked. Sword Peel- Waait, no onigiri?!

"Oi, so what do onigiri have to do with this?"

"Are you still asleep or something?!" Usopp seemed kind of pissed, and that expression remained as he continued, "I told you it has nothing to do with onigiri!"

Oh. Now I got it...still, I couldn't help but scratch the back of my head in confusion. He said something about sword...peeling?

How weird...

But before I could open my mouth, he continued ranting on as if the only thing that existed in this world at that time and place was that one single contraption of his...most of the rant of which I simply ignored, as I was still staring at the weirdly shaped rock with pedals, except for the last part, "-in short, you can use this to sharpen your swords!"

And it caught my attention, "Oh?"

Usopp clapped his hands, excited to see my interest perk up, "Yeees! Allow me to demonstrate," he pulled out a pocket knife from his pants, got on the seat, started pedaling, the round rocks turning and...was he really sharpening the knife? I took a few steps closer to see what he was doing, all the while ignoring everything he was ranting about.

When he was done, I was amazed by the result and sharpness of the blade.

"-so you see, it's really useful. Give it a try!" he grinned brightly.

I blinked, thinking about it for a bit, then I smiled, "Maybe later..." my swords didn't exactly need sharpening, a given fact.

Usopp nodded happily and just then, Franky entered and he proceeded to brag about his new invention to the other, so I quietly left while he was occupied, letting out a sigh when I got on the deck, looking up at the cloudy sky. Hn...looks like it was going to rain soon.

Oh, there were Chopper and Nami, tending to the orange trees.

"Oi! Lunch is ready! Get your asses into the kitchen you damn uncivilized idiots!"

Lunch...great! Maybe there might be onigiri today...

And I absentmindedly took steps towards the kitchen...um...no wait, it was this way, yeah. I almost went back into the workplace. How silly of me.

When I was in the kitchen, my eye went wide because of a few things: 1) no, there were no onigiri, but that was okay... 2) the idiot cook was wearing a...hat.

But not just any hat. The ball from the Davy Back Fight.

Alright...the fact the idiot still owned the hat was one thing...the fact he was suddenly wearing it though was an entirely different matter.

I snorted. This amused me just way too much and I couldn't pass this up...and I wouldn't, "Oi, shitty cook. What's with the getup? Homesick for your dumbass kingdom?"

It was a joke, a taunt like any other, a usual thing between us, but...why... Why did I feel my stomach twitch as soon as those words left my mouth?

Guilt..?

And I had a reason to feel that...because the cook's shoulders tensed. His back was facing me, so I couldn't see his face, but his reaction spoke differently to me.

As he turned around, it's like the tension was gone in a matter of seconds and he bitched back at me in his usual way, "Shut up and go eat bacteria you damn algae!"

I blinked confused...and took my usual seat at the table.

The meals were always loud and eventful, with Luffy being the center of it all, along with his brother, Sabo, of course. Oh yeah, Sabo was the honored guest on the ship, the reason we were sailing off-course currently. I don't know the exact reason, for I slept through the time it was being explained, but it didn't matter to me in the first place. Where the Captain goes - we follow.

That aside... Despite my usual enjoyment, this time... I couldn't stop thinking about the curly's reaction. He acted completely normal...and no one pointed out the silly hat on his head, as if it wasn't there in the first place.

Hn...

Maybe I really was overthinking, so somewhere half into the meal, I brushed it off and completely forgot about the entire thing.

But maybe... I shouldn't have.

And maybe I should have noticed the cook's glances at Sabo throughout the entire meal.

Whether he reacted the same or not to the former noble during breakfast, I had no idea, since I usually skipped it because I was napping. I could have asked someone about this, but at that time I didn't feel like it was a big deal...neither was I sure anyone else noticed beside me.

Again, I don't know what it was, but I was suddenly noticing the cook's actions far more than before.

When we were done, everyone slowly left the table to return to their paused activities. I was the last to leave the table this time, surprisingly, because it was usually Luffy to leave last because of all of the seconds and thirds he had to finish, but he was probably too occupied with his brother right now...and I was spacing out for the most time during meal, so...

"Move your slow marimo ass already," the cook blurted out as he practically shooed me with his hand...then he stopped, securing the hat on his head, lit his cigarette and proceeded to clean the table.

I shrugged and moved towards the door without a word, only to stop in tracks as the nuisance said, "...why are you the only one who ever called me a prince..?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. Oi, where was this going all of a sudden?

"I'm not sure..." I eyed him as I turned around, the cook stopped gathering plates too and stared back at me expectantly, "Maybe because it looked fitting at that time to taunt you with?"

A long pause followed... It felt really awkward to me, but I still stood in place without doing or saying anything...though as time passed by, it was getting a bit...annoying? Patience wasn't my exact forte.

Finally, he looked back to the plates and continued gathering them with a normal, almost disappointed even(?), expression on his face, puffing his cigarette, "I see..."

I was again confused...and I frowned deeply. Maybe I would regret asking this, but I did so anyway, "Why?"

Curly eyebrows raised his head in surprise, as if I suddenly grew two heads (although it's not impossible with Ashura?), "Why...because I'm a prince, of course?!" he said it in such a tone that it felt like it was outrageous I was even asking something like that in the first place.

Okay, seriously...after three times that I heard this, I had enough, so I said without thinking, "Oi, want to tell me your entire, royalty, past?"

And even though I said it without thinking, it felt appropriate at that second, because the cook grinned brightly and nodded, "Gladly!"

...and for some reason, I couldn't help a feeling that... Something was very wrong...and I was going to regret it after all.

To Be Continued...