.:.
(Listening to Mirai Koukai. One Piece ending.)
Tick…
Tock…
Tick…
Tock…
Luffy lay on his bed idly, staring at the digital clock standing on Usopp's desk. Seven o' clock. Only one more hour until he had to get to the arena and fight Sanji. Truth be told, the black haired boy had grown to like the blonde haired man. So, Luffy didn't feel like beating up Sanji anymore. Sure, the man had insulted Usopp but he wasn't that bad of a person. And he usually acted mean only to protect the girls that he loved. Luffy snickered to himself and stared up at the ceiling. Sanji sure liked a lot of girls… The boy started humming to himself and watched as the minutes ticked by. He glanced into the mirror Usopp had set up in the room and stared at his reflection. Hopefully the plan would work and he wouldn't have to actually fight. And besides, if he started fighting against Sanji, he would probably have to go all out. Luffy pouted and lay in his bed sluggishly. He really didn't want to go all out on his first day in the city…
Bing bong~!
The black haired boy blinked and jumped out of bed. He hopped towards the door and swiftly opened it, blinking at Usopp and a person he had never seen. The person looked sort of like a man…but at the same time he was wearing thick green mascara…
"Eh…?" Luffy blinked and stared at the man wearing a ballet outfit with swans on his back.
"Luffy, this is Bon Clay. He'll help you fight against Sanji!" Usopp smiled confidently and swiped his nose, proud of the work he had done.
"You're going to fight Sanji like that?" Bon Clay spoke in a slightly nasally yet high voice. Then, with a quick twirl, the man/woman struck a pose and shouted. "Stop jooooking arooooound!"
"Ah-re?" Luffy blinked as Bon Clay pushed him inside.
"I'm going to teach you a few things before you go fight against Sanji…!"
.:.
Roronoa Zoro sat in the audience of the arena, sitting back in his chair and yawning widely. A few girls behind him giggled, blushing and watching him wipe away the tears that were forming in his eyes after yawning for so long. He frowned and turned in his seat to stare at the girls for a moment. They froze and stared back at him. Then, he turned back in his seat and scratched his head in annoyance. The girls behind him giggled and chattered to each other more enthusiastically than before. Zoro let out a heavy sigh. Why did that curly eyebrow wake him up? He watched Sanji fight for two years already. Surely, this fight would be no different! The blonde would face off against the new kid and then kick the kid's ass across the floor. But little did Zoro know that this fight would be entirely different. Because this time, Monkey D. Luffy was Sanji's opponent…!
The blonde haired man tapped his foot impatiently. It was eight o' clock already. Why hadn't the black haired boy come yet? Had Luffy chickened out? Sanji scoffed to himself. Yeah, right. Luffy didn't seem like that kind of person…so what was taking the boy so long?
In the audience, an orange haired girl peered over the heads of people interestedly, glancing around the arena.
"Nami-san? Why are we here…? I thought you hated the arena?" Vivi whispered to her friend sitting beside her. Nami waved a hand in the air dismissively and looked around for the black haired boy who had caught her interest. How would he fare against Sanji-kun? Nami smirked and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back in her chair. It would be an interesting match.
Suddenly, the elevator rang shrilly and the audience's breath caught in their throats as the doors opened. Bon Clay stepped out and twirled towards the audience. Then, he stopped, balancing on one of his toes, and smiled.
"I am proud to present you all… Plan B..." Bon Clay gestured to the black haired person stepping daintily out from the elevator, escorted by Usopp, "... Luffia!"
"Erk…!" Zoro's breath was nearly knocked out by the sight before him. He stared at the boy standing at the entrance of the elevator. This kid couldn't be serious, could he?
"Ah…ah..." Nami's eyes bugged out and her mouth was hanging open. No way…did he have any dignity at all? Vivi covered her mouth to stop from bursting out loud in laughter.
Sanji foamed at the mouth. The sight… it was…a monstrosity…!
Luffy stood at the entrance of the elevator, wearing a school girl's uniform. The blue skirt he was wearing was only as long as a pencil. It just about covered the edge of his bottom. His chest area was overly stuffed with cotton—almost threatening to burst out from the top of the shirt—so that he looked like he had breasts the size of watermelons. And the boy wore heavy make-up. So heavy that his cheeks looked like patches of pink and his lips were as red and glossy as a new car. His hair had been tied into two tufts on the side of his head, like two mini pigtails. To top it off, 'Luffia' stood in all 'her' glory posing confidently like a man: feet spread out with 'her' hands balled into fists on 'her' hips.
"Yosh! Sanji-kun, let's fight~" And then, as if 'she' had done it dozens of times before, 'Luffia' blew a kiss in the blonde's direction and winked, which nearly knocked all the people in the audience over their seats.
Nami stood up in indignation and clenched her eyes and hands together. "You IDIOTS!" Her ferocious shout bounced along the walls of the arena and everyone present froze. She walked towards 'Luffia' and grabbed 'her' hand, dragging 'her' towards the changing rooms. The orange haired girl glared at Bon Clay and turned to her blue haired friend, who was giggling to herself in the audience. "Vivi! Come help me…!" The blue haired girl's mouth formed an 'o' and she hurriedly picked up her purse while scurrying quickly into the changing rooms. Nami turned to the other girl's in the audience. "Come on! Who's got the make-up remover? We're gonna make the real 'Luffia', dammit!" She growled and ducked back into the changing rooms. The girls in the audience glanced at each other and then smiled mischievously together. Heck, they wouldn't miss the opportunity to dress up someone as cute as Luffy! They started digging through their purses, looking for any sticks of lipstick or tubes of mascara they could let Nami borrow.
Zoro glanced behind him at the girls who had been giggling before. He watched them through narrowed eyes as they dug through their purses, piling an assortment of make-up accessories on the chair. A bead of sweat rolled down his head and he quickly snapped his head to the changing rooms, wondering what the crazy girls were doing to Luffy. He never knew there were so many odd looking things just to make girls look pretty…
The males in the audience watched as girls rushed in and out of the changing room. One of the men searched around in their backpack and picked out a tube of chapstick.
"Maybe this'll help…?" He shrugged and handed it to one of the girls going into the changing rooms. His friends blinked at him in astonishment and he smiled sheepishly in return.
Sanji stood on the arena stage, staring at the changing rooms with a gaping mouth and wide eyes. What in the world were they trying to do? Make Luffy into a girl so that he wouldn't fight him? Who made up that lame idea? He knew that Luffy was a boy. So no matter how much they changed him, he would still be a boy! The blonde haired man shivered at the image of 'Luffia'. No way in hell would something like that turn him on…!
"Ah…ah, Nami?" Everyone in the arena space could hear Luffy's panicked voice echoing from the changing rooms. Beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads as they heard the boy struggle against the girls. "Ow! What the heck is that? Wha…? A small knife? Gaah! H-help me…!"
The people outside of the changing rooms gulped nervously as they heard the various comments flying out from the black haired boy and the girls inside.
"Hold still or else I might poke your eye out, idiot!"
"EEEE! My eyebrows!"
"Luffy-san! Stop speaking, please!"
"Bleh! This tastes disgusting!"
Zoro's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. This was more of a stand-up comedy than a battle…! What the heck was wrong with that black haired boy? And who gave him the idea to become a girl? That was just plain weird…
.:.
"All right! All done…!" Nami sighed and studied her work carefully. A wide smile spread across her face and she pointed at the black haired boy. "Stay in here until I tell you to come out, got it?"
Luffy nodded in understanding, staring up at the orange haired girl with round and frightened eyes. He was possibly traumatized for the rest of his life… But Nami didn't care! The orange haired girl stared at him for a moment and then let out a small 'squee!' before hugging him. Vivi giggled and she brushed Luffy's black hair with a comb.
"She's so cute, isn't she?"
Nami crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "Sanji wouldn't even lift a finger on a cute little girl like 'Luffia'!" She pulled out a digital camera from her pocket and pointed the lens at the 'girl' sitting on the white stool of the changing rooms.
"Make copies, will you?" One of the girls in the room giggled. The orange haired girl grinned mischievously.
"Of course, but it'll cost you!"
.:.
The girls who had previously entered the changing rooms were now leaving and settling back in their seats excitedly, glancing at Sanji from time to time. Zoro stared at the excited girls with raised eyebrows and he listened to the boys chattering to each other, wondering what Luffy would look like after being worked on by so many girls. Idiots. Why did they get so worked up about something like Luffy turning into a girl…? The green haired man scratched his head and glared at the changing rooms. This was stupid. He should've just left and gone to sleep…
"Okay, everyone!" Nami stepped out and walked proudly onto the arena stage. "With much perseverance and effort, we have gathered all of the suitable cosmetics in the room to create the most natural and cutest 'Luffia' possible!"
The audience clapped their hands and watched Nami gesture towards the changing rooms. "I present to you…the true 'Luffia'…!"
Luffy stepped out, smiling sheepishly in his new appearance. Sanji's jaw dropped along with a few other people. Some laughed and some stared at Luffy in awe. Zoro felt his breath knocked out from his chest for a second time as he stared with wide eyes at the black haired boy who no longer looked like a boy.
Vivi smiled and pushed Luffy forward to the arena stage so that he could be seen more easily in front of the audience. The black haired boy gulped and then nodded confidently to himself, standing up on stage for all to see. He still stood in his manly pose: feet spread out at shoulder's width and his hands balled in fists at his hips. But, his face was clear of the previous make-up and his cheeks were neatly accentuated with a light pink blush. Light eyeliner and eye shadow were applied so that his eyes looked brighter and deeper than normal and a brush of mascara made his eyelashes longer. His lips were colored a shade of pink and a small blot of lip gloss made his lips shine cutely when he pouted. His chest was also fixed to look like true breasts. Curved perfectly and slightly large, but not off the scale. The boy's normally messy black hair had also been combed straighter and a lacy silver ribbon was tied into his hair, finishing off the cute school-girl lolita look.
Nami kicked at Luffy's foot and the boy immediately changed his pose into the one the girls had made him practice. Feet together and hands clasped behind his back shyly.
Sanji ogled at Luffy's face and chest, wondering how the girl's had made 'Luffia' look so real…It was incredible…! And 'Luffia' looked so…so…
The blonde wriggled around the 'girl' on the arena stage and hearts circled around him as he watched 'Luffia' smile at him. "Luffia-chwaaan~! You're so adorable!"
Zoro had to fight back the chuckles that were starting to erupt from his chest due to the absurdity of the situation and he slapped his forehead with his palm. That idiot. 'Luffia' was still Luffy! Geez… They just changed him...! A little bit…
Or perhaps not so little…
But he had to admit, this battle—if he could still call it a battle—was quite amusing…and what made it even more entertaining was the fact that Sanji was losing so badly…! Zoro looked back up, and smirked, waiting for what would happen next.
Nami nudged the black haired boy, giving him the go signal. Luffy grinned and turned to face the blonde wriggling around like a boiled noodle.
And, as he had practiced with Usopp many times before, 'Luffia' blew a kiss at the blonde and winked. "Sanji-kuuun~ Let's fight!"
Sanji turned into a pile of mush on the ground.
Zoro burst into laughter and slapped at his thigh, pointing at Luffy and the blonde, not bothering to cover up his chortles as the rest of the audience had already started laughing long before he had.
Luffy blinked and peered down at the blonde haired man, who had keeled over with hearts still dancing over him. Then, he glanced over at Zoro and watched the man slap his thigh and laugh merrily. Luffy studied Zoro for a moment. Somehow, he could hear the man's laughter clearly over all the others and Luffy decided right then and there that he liked that deep laughter full of mirth. The boy beamed cheerfully at Zoro, which caused the green haired man to abruptly stop laughing and merely stare at Luffy in bewilderment. How could the boy smile so happily? Wasn't it strange to be standing up there in girl's clothes? But more importantly, who knew that people could actually smile so brightly and sincerely…?
Zoro's cheeks went pink from the intense smile that Luffy was sending him and the man frowned, averting his eyes and breaking the eye contact between him and Luffy. The black haired boy stopped smiling and blinked in confusion, tilting his head to the right, regarding the green haired man curiously. Why did Zoro turn away? Did he really not like him…?
Usopp made his way onto the arena stage and smirked, slinging an arm around Luffy's shoulder casually. "See? What did I tell you? The plan would work…! One hundred percent!" The long nosed boy grinned, giving Luffy a thumbs up. The black haired boy grinned back and the two boys danced around together happily, singing 'The plan worked! The plan worked!' repeatedly.
Nami pounded a fist into Usopp's head and muttered agitatedly. "So it was your idea, huh? You could've tried to make Luffy look better than that! Geez…!" She shook her head sadly and turned to the cross-dressing black haired boy. "You're an interesting kid, Luffy. So, from now on let's work together." The girl smirked and stuck out her hand. "My name is Nami and I accept you as my friend."
Luffy blinked and shook her hand dumbly. "Eh…but I know your name is Nami already…"
The girl let go of the boy's hand and huffed angrily. "Well, I've introduced myself properly now. So you know me through a proper introduction and not through some random yelling by a blonde haired dork!"
The black haired boy laughed loudly and then grinned at his new friend. "Nice to meet you, Nami. My name is Monkey D. Luffy!"
The two shared a smile. Maybe this would be the beginning of a beautiful relationship…!
"Okay, now that we're friends, 50,000 illeb." Nami grinned and held out her palm, "Pay up for the makeover."
"Whaaaa?" Luffy stared at the orange haired girl with wide eyes. 50,000 illeb? That could pay for a whole month's worth of food…! Usopp snickered from behind Luffy and the black haired boy turned to stomp on his friend's foot with force and annoyance. The long nosed boy abruptly stopped laughing and held his foot in pain. The two boys stared at each other irritably until Vivi jogged onto the stage, holding Nami's digital camera in her hands.
"Nami-san, are these pictures okay?" The blue haired girl smiled and handed the camera to her best friend.
Nami searched through the images, grinning slyly at the pictures. "Not bad…not bad at all."
"Pictures? What pictures?" Luffy hopped behind the orange haired girl and peeked over her shoulder. "Hey, that's me!" He stared at the cute looking girl in the pictures and he turned to look at Usopp. "Do I really look like that…?"
"Mm." The long nosed boy nodded honestly.
"Woah…" Luffy stared at his pictures with round eyes, "This is really weird…" There were pictures of him dressed as a very pretty girl, laughing and staring at the audience. It was practically a different person…! As the pictures flashed by, he observed himself and was surprised at how short the skirt actually was. At least the front part of the skirt covered his private area properly. But his backside… his eyes widened as he spotted a corner of the tight white panties Usopp and Bon Clay had forced him to wear under the skirt. He turned to Nami hastily. "O-oi…what are you planning to do with those pictures…?"
"Selling them of course." The orange haired girl smiled toothily at Luffy.
"AH?" The boy blinked and then tried to grab at the camera. But, Nami quickly maneuvered away from him and turned off the digital device, stuffing it back into her pocket.
"Hn hn. Think of it as payment for your makeover." The girl winked at him.
Luffy stared at Nami in shock. Then, he pouted and turned a pair of heartbreaking and dejected eyes upon Vivi, who jumped from being caught off guard by the boy's eyes.
"Why…?" The black haired boy sniffed miserably, "Why did you take those pictures of me…?" And the blue haired girl's eyes softened.
"It's okay, Luffy-san." Vivi patted the boy on the head and smiled reassuringly. "I'll make sure Nami-san doesn't sell the pictures off to anyone we don't know."
Luffy's jaw dropped to the ground and he promptly turned to Nami in horror. "You were planning on doing that?"
The orange haired girl shrugged. "Money is money." Then, she started to walk off towards the elevators. "It's been nice working with you, Luffy. I'll see you tomorrow."
Luffy stared at Nami with his gaping mouth. Even after she had long left with Vivi, he still stood there on the stage, frozen like a popsicle.
"Well," Usopp smiled and patted his black haired friend on the back, "At least you didn't have to fight against Sanji!"
Luffy slowly turned his eyes upon his long nosed friend and then, after a few moments of staring blankly, he started heading towards the elevators miserably. "This was a bad bad idea, Usopp. It's all your fault! I should've just fought against Sanji. Now there are pictures of me in this weird costume…" Ping! A horrifying thought suddenly surfaced in Luffy's mind. He gasped and turned to look at Usopp in terror. "What would happen if Shanks or Ace saw me like that?" The boy stopped in his tracks, his lips pressed into a firm line. No! That would never happen! It would never happen! He'd make sure of it…!
"Shanks? Ace?" Usopp raised his eyebrows at Luffy. But, the black haired boy merely sighed and leaned against the wall soullessly. The long nosed boy snorted and put a comforting hand on Luffy's shoulder. "Oi, oi. If it makes you feel any better, you and Luffia look really different! So, just think of the girl in the pictures as Luffia and think of you as you! See? Feel better now?"
"But…" Luffy glanced down at himself and then looked back up at Usopp skeptically, not feeling better at all. The fact that a few boys and girls in the audience were still ogling him made Luffy feel even worse.
"Okay…maybe we should go get you changed, now…" The long nosed boy hurriedly pushed Luffy into the open elevator doors and pressed the number 35 on the panel. The quicker Luffy was back in his normal clothes, the faster Luffy would be his happy, carefree self again.
.:.
Zoro glanced over at Luffy and Usopp, who were scampering into the elevators, and he let out a breath of air he didn't know he had been holding. The green haired man glanced around the arena seats and noticed that nearly everyone had gone now that 'Luffia' had left the stage. Zoro leaned back in his chair, staring at the bright arena. Today had been really abnormal…and it had all started since he met Luffy. The man scratched his head irritably and then sighed. He could feel his peaceful and quiet days slowly slipping away… Normally, he should've felt annoyed about having his peace disturbed. But for some odd reason, he wasn't feeling annoyed at all. Rather, his entire body felt sort of… light-weighted. Zoro scratched his head again, frowning slightly. He just couldn't figure it out. What was it that was making him feel so mixed up? One thing was for sure though. That all of this was probably due to Luffy's arrival at Lohm City's Academy of Arts.
"Nami-swaaan~ Luffia-chwaaan~" Zoro heard a familiar voice burble and he snorted at the blonde lying in an unconscious pile of the ground. The green haired man stood up and stretched out his limbs before walking towards Sanji.
"Oi. Wake up." Zoro nudged the blonde with his foot. "Everyone's almost gone."
"Luffia-chwaaan~ Give me a kiss~!" The blonde latched onto Zoro's leg. The green haired man blinked, remembering the accidental kiss he and Luffy had shared. Should he tell Luffy that he remembered…? Zoro shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. No, if he did, the boy would never stop bothering him. It was better to leave it be… but wouldn't it be better to tell Luffy that he remembered? Then he could explain to the boy that the kiss didn't mean anything. That it was only an accident.
"Mwuu mwuu mwuu mwuu~" The green haired man froze when he heard the sound Sanji was making. He shakily glanced down at the blonde and found Sanji's lips puckered up and ready to kiss Zoro's leg. The man's eyes widened in horror and disgust as Sanji's head inched ever closer.
"Fuck! Get the hell away from me!" Zoro shook his leg feverishly, trying to throw off the blonde haired man. Sanji was dreaming about kissing Luffy? Was he crazy? "You disgusting pervert!" The green haired man bashed the blonde's head into the arena wall, which finally caused Sanji to let go of Zoro's leg.
"Ugh…" The blonde shook his head, groaning as if he had a massive headache. "What the hell happened…?"
"You tried to kiss my leg, you asshole!" The green haired man shouted, nearly spitting out the words.
"What?" Sanji shot up on his feet in terror at the idea of kissing the marimo's leg. "That's disgusting! Who the hell would even think about kissing your legs?"
Zoro scowled at the blonde. "Well apparently you didn't mind it at all, shit head!"
The two boys glared ferociously at each other, daring the other to utter another insult. Suddenly, Sanji blinked and he glanced around the large room, breaking the unspoken glaring contest they had been competing in.
"Ah? Nami-san, Vivi-chan, and Luffia-chan? Did they leave…?"
Zoro nearly tripped over his own feet as he heard the last name in the blonde's comment. His eyebrow twitched slightly. Was this guy serious…? "Oi…you know that Luffia is Luffy, right?"
Sanji gasped and stared at Zoro in shock, clamping his face in between his hands. "How could you say such a thing, you terrible terrible person…!"
A bead of sweat rolled down Zoro's head. Sanji was serious…
.:.
Luffy sat on his bed in his light blue pajamas, staring irritably at the offending white panties lying far far away from him. He swore to himself that he would never ever wear that thing ever again. The black haired boy sighed and let himself fall onto the mattress. Snuggling into his new sheets, Luffy sighed contently, feeling extremely refreshed after freeing himself from all the make-up and clothes on him. He had taken a long and hot shower too, which made him feel very relaxed. The boy stared at the blank wall beside his bed and started reflecting upon the days' events. It was a habit of his. Every night, Luffy would stare off at a blank area on the wall and think about all the things that had happened in the day. The boy thought about arriving in Lohm City and being kissed by Zoro…Even though the green haired man wouldn't admit it, he was sure that they had kissed! Luffy smiled to himself. He was absolutely sure!
The boy's thoughts started going through the rest of the day…meeting Sanji, Nami, and Usopp…making Sanji angrier at him during lunch…finding Zoro and listening to the man deny the kiss. Luffy stuck his tongue out at the wall. Stupid Zoro just wouldn't admit it…!
And then the rest of the day…Usopp's super aim…the huge food fight…getting chased around by Zoro…getting punched by Dr. Kureha…and then getting ready for the fight against Sanji…
Which just reminded him of the skirt and the uncomfortable underwear and the pictures that Vivi had taken of him…!
Luffy's eyebrows furrowed and he mulled over the comment Nami had made…she was planning on selling the pictures…! The black haired boy frowned and pulled the sheets over his head protectively. Some how he would have to make Nami return the pictures she had taken of him…he couldn't let Shanks or his brother see him like that!
The sound of the bathroom door opening broke Luffy's thoughts and he heard Usopp's footsteps pad their way across the floor. The black haired boy slowly sat up in his bed and turned to his room mate.
"Usopp?" Luffy asked, pulling his sheets over and around him so that only his face could be seen. The long nosed boy stopped drying his hair with a towel and glanced at the black haired boy.
"Yeah?"
"Do you think Nami will really sell those pictures of me…?" Luffy frowned, thinking about the nice pictures and the not-so-nice pictures of him. Usopp rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"From what I remember, Nami usually gets all of those pictures printed and sold by the next morning..."
"WHAT?" Luffy cried out and fell back into his mattress limply, pressing his face into his pillow. "No way…!"
Usopp shrugged and returned to drying his hair. "I'm just telling you what I know. Sorry, Luffy."
The black haired boy sighed miserably into his pillow. Then, he sat back up and nodded to himself confidently. "Fine, I'll just have to get rid of the pictures right now!" He jumped out of his bed sheets and walked across the floor on his bare feet and blue pajamas, towards the room's entrance. But a hand on his shoulder stopped him and he turned around, frowning slightly. "Usopp, don't stop me! I have to get rid of those pictures!"
Usopp shook his head hurriedly, staring at his room mate with eyes open in terror. "You don't understand, Luffy! If you go to the girl's dorms or even try to take those pictures away from Nami…" The long nosed boy shuddered and started dragging Luffy back into the room. "Either way, you'll make things worse for yourself…"
The black haired boy shook Usopp's hand off and scowled. "I don't care! Anything's better than having Ace or Shanks see those pictures!" As he made a move towards the entrance, a pair of hands held him back again and Luffy turned around, rolling his eyes. "Usopp…just let me go. I'll be fine!"
"I don't think you understand the severity of the consequences, Luffy…" The long nosed boy spoke in a low and creepy tone. "If you go to the girl's dorms, Dr. Kureha will find you…! If you take those pictures from Nami, Nami will find you…! And the both of them will make you pay… They will make you pay dearly…you understand?"
Luffy nodded in understanding…
…and then started towards the door again.
An aggravated tick grew on Usopp's head and the boy breathed out heavily, watching his friend extend a hand towards the door handle. He had to stop Luffy quickly! At least he still had one more trick up his sleeve…
"Okay, I'm telling you just once. If you leave this room, you won't be coming back in ever again!"
The black haired boy stopped in his footsteps and slowly turned to stare at the long nosed boy in confusion. "Why…?"
"Do you know what Dr. Kureha does to people who sneak out at night…?" The long nosed boy stared intensely at Luffy, which made the boy involuntarily gulp.
"Eh…no?"
"She's got eyes everywhere and ears everywhere! You can't escape her claws…!"
Luffy's eyes widened in awe. "Claws? She's got claws?"
"Yeah," Usopp nodded as if he knew everything in the world, "I shouldn't tell you this but…I saw her when…when she…!" The boy shivered and turned away. "No, I can't tell you. It's too horrific…"
Luffy walked back towards his friend, staring at him with round eyes. "What? What? You saw her when she…?"
Usopp glanced back into the eager face of his room mate and pretended to sigh reluctantly. "All right…I guess telling you won't make things worse. And besides, I can rid myself of this burden."
"What is it?" The black haired boy nodded, waiting for his friend to continue, "What is it?"
"I saw her…" The long nosed boy's voice escalated in drama and volume, "I saw her when she was changing into a monster! Her claws were the size of this room and her teeth alone could rip you to pieces!"
"A monster?" Luffy gasped and looked left and right nervously. "Are you sure you can tell me this? Doesn't she have eyes and ears everywhere…?"
"I set up a special barrier in this room." Usopp grinned slyly and pointed to the beetles sitting in the glass tanks. "They're the secret! Hercules and Atlas will help hide us from Dr. Kureha's eyes and ears!"
"Wow…" Luffy watched Usopp pat the tops of the glass tanks gratefully and then smiled. "Then all I have to do is take Hercules and Atlas and then go to Nami!"
Usopp's head snapped up, causing Luffy to jump at the hasty reaction. "No! You must not do that! There are special magic spots in this room and if you take Hercules and Atlas away from these spots, the barrier will break forever!"
Luffy gulped. He didn't want that to happen…! But wait a second…that didn't make sense…! "But, Usopp…you said that I could take Hercules and Atlas to scare Sanji as Plan B, remember? You said that Sanji hates bugs and offered to let me borrow your Hercules and Atlas…"
The long nosed boy shook his head hurriedly. "No no, I said that you could take the tarantulas. Not Hercules and Atlas."
"Oh…" Luffy scratched his head and then pouted. "Then how am I supposed to get to Nami's camera?"
"I'm sorry, Luffy. It's just too dangerous outside…you'll have to wait until morning." Usopp nodded and watched as the black haired boy sighed in depression and slumped onto his bed. The long nosed boy wiped away the cold sweat that was running down his forehead. Yes! The lie had worked! Actually, he would've liked it if he didn't have to lie to his good friend…but it was for Luffy's own good. Usopp had heard about what happened to the students who went out past curfew.
CP9. Cipher Pol Nine.
He heard that name whispered in the hallways every time someone had tried to sneak out at night. And out of all of the students who had tried to sneak out, none returned to school the next day unharmed… All of the victims said the same thing…a flash of a dark cape and a strange looking mask…
So, he was telling a lie to protect his friend! It wasn't like the other times when he lied to save his own skin…
The long nosed boy heard Luffy sigh dejectedly again and he glanced over at his black haired room mate. Seeing Luffy with so little enthusiasm was so strange… He scratched his long nose nervously and tried his best to cheer up the boy. "You know…I was just making a rough estimate when I said that Nami would sell those pictures by tomorrow morning. She might take longer than that, you know?" Hopefully that would help Luffy out of his depression.
"…really?"
Usopp nodded reassuringly. "Mm!"
There was a pause and then he heard Luffy start to speak again.
"Thanks, Usopp."
The long nosed boy froze for a moment and watched the black haired boy shift in his blankets before lying still. Then, after regaining his senses, a wide smile started to spread across Usopp's lips.
"No problem, Luffy. You can count on me to help you!" He could see his room mate smiling back even though the black haired boy was facing away from him.
Usopp finished drying off his hair and hopped into bed, listening to the sounds in the room. There was the familiar noise of soft gnawing from the beetles and the tapping of hairy legs on glass. The whisper of soft wind, caressing the windows gently. But there was a new sound today. A light and comforting snore from the bed on the opposite side of the room. Usopp smiled and drew his sheets over himself, settling into the mattress beneath him happily. He finally had a new friend…!
.:.