Disclaimer: One Piece doesn't belongs to me, it belongs to Oda Sensei
This Part will be slightly shorter, but here you go :)
Chapter 4 - Their First Visit To Kawarime! Part 2!
"What's with the 'swordsman'?" Zoro stepped into the shop asking, his hand ruffing through the back of his head through his hair. He had placed the cart outside earlier, and beside him stood a blonde hair boy.
"Nothing," Perona's flame of anger in her heart previously slowly extinguish as she saw Zoro walked into the shop, it was overcome by shock, as if she was caught red-handed in an act of something. But she quickly regain her composure and acted as if nothing really happened, she looked beside Zoro and saw the familiar blonde hair boy.
"Kaito?!" Both the female in the shop shouted in surprise, Kaori rushed towards him first, bending down to suit his height.
"Kaito! Did you get into a fight again?!" Kaori's eyebrow furrowed, looking at the dust and dirt on the young boy's clothes, as well as a few bruises here and there.
"Kaito! Who bullied you! I'll go give them a lesson! Those idiots! They even tore the soft toy!" Perona followed him Kaori, her big black eyes staring at the torn soft toy held by the blonde hair boy by the chest.
"Perona…" Kaori turned to Perona, giving her a disproving look. She's not one that support violence.
"Hmph…" Perona pout, she understands what Kaori means. She too, also bends down to look at the young boy.
"Mummy…" The young boy pout, apparently he learned it from Perona. He diverts his big brown eyes to Perona, and show off a big grin. "Perona nee-chan!"
"Kaito! It's been long since we last met! You're still as cute as ever!" Perona smiled back at him, she put down her umbrella and stretches out her arms to hug Kaito. After a while, he then pull up the soft toy and show it to her, "I'm sorry I can't take care of Kumashi No. 2."
Kaori stood up and stand beside Zoro, both of them looking at the 2 "kids", Zoro took a closer look at the soft toy, and it does resemble Kumashi, just a little bit. Unlike Kumashi which have blue and white stripe around, it is made of pink and white stripe instead.
"Well, I guess I can't help it then, I'll fix it for you then, since you're so cute" Perona signed and took the soft toy and its part from Kaito's hands.
Kaori on the other hand, is looking at the swordsman standing beside her, trying to take in as much information as possible. "Did you send Kaito home? What happened?" Kaori looked at him, waiting for his reply.
"Uh… Just some fighting, anyway I stopped him and bring him back, so nothing much."
"Who say you stopped me! You've been standing one side and watch! Don't think I didn't see that!" Kaito shouted, still between Perona's arms.
"Huh… I wonder who is the one that bravely announce that he is a man, so I thought I shouldn't get into a man's fight, until I saw him almost getting beaten up," This kid, for some reason, is still getting on his nerves, he reminds him of Sanji, most likely because of the blonde hair and his cocky attitude.
"Beaten…up?" Kaori asked, looking at Zoro.
"Oi you stupid swordsman, did you let Kaito get beaten up?!" Perona gasped, she picked up her umbrella and stood up, staring at the swordsman.
"Huh?! What's with you two woman, didn't I just said something like "until I saw him almost getting beaten up?" Zoro felt irritated, he didn't even know why he bothered to explain anymore, "But he did get beaten up earlier."
"Huh?! You…" Perona tried to scold him, but was cut by Kaori.
"It's fine, they're always getting into fights anyway…" Kaori look disappointed, but this was not something that can be solve easily by just scolding. Kaori ushered Kaito into the room to bathe and wait for her in the room to take care of his bruises.
Kaito waved goodbye at Perona and went into the room, meanwhile, Kaori took the piece of paper with different cloth codes written on it from Perona and start getting to work. She walked to behind the counter, and took out rolls of cloth that is requested by Perona as well as a few bag of cotton stuffing and placed them on the table.
Black, Pink, Light Purple, Blue and White.
"Hmm, that's about it for this time. Thanks Kaori!" Perona smiled and placed a few beri notes on the counter and turned to the Swordsman. "Oi, take this and put in the cart."
Zoro grumbled a bit under his breath but still do as told, he gathered all the rolls together and slowly walked outside the shop and placed them in the cart, using up almost the rest of the space, now he know why they need such a big cart.
"Kaori-chan… Tell me if you need anything, Moria-Sama might be gone but I can still help you in certain stuffs…" Perona murmured in a low voice so only Kaori can hear, keeping her head down as her eyes stole a glance at Kaori. She knows the bullying incident must be because of the father again. They have been look down by the people in the town because Kaito doesn't have a father.
"It's okay Perona, and other than worrying me, you should spend more time with your new family. I'm glad you're not left alone and found someone to depend on," Kaori flashed her signature sweet smile again, Perona then look down and reflect upon her words. Slowly she lift her heads up and smile at Kaori again, waving goodbyes and went out of the shop.
Family huh… Perona look at the swordsman that has already lifted up the cart's handle and ready to move. Depend on… can she really depend on this guy like how she depend on Moria-Sama?
"Oi… Where are we going now?" Zoro followed behind Perona, wondering if she is walking aimlessly again.
"We still have some beri left, let's go get you some clothes and sake, the only clothes you have right now won't last you long with those hell training," Perona continued to stroll along the street with her umbrella opened, having Zoro to push the cart behind her makes it feels like she owns him as a slave, she can't help but start laughing her signature laugh in her mind.
After a few walk, they finally reach a shop that sells men's clothing. Zoro placed the cart outside the shop once again, and walked in together with Perona.
Zoro isn't some shopaholics, so he picked a few clothes and bottoms that are comfortable and they leave the shop. While they head to the next destination to use the remaining money to buy Sake, Perona comment on how little fashion sense he have and how he tend to choose all the not-cute-at-all clothes. Zoro ignored her, now as they are heading to their boat which is at anchored at the coast, they are walking together as there is more space on the street with lesser people now.
"You know the boy and the woman just now?" Zoro asked out of curiosity.
"Ya, we've been buying cloth from Kaori-chan since a few years ago, that kid is her son, Kaito," Perona eyed Zoro, then continued, "Anyway, thanks for helping Kaito just now."
"O… Nothing much anyway," Zoro was shocked at the fact that the Ghost Princess knows how to say 'Thank you'.
Their walk continued in silence even after they reach their boat, they unload everything up and started to head back to Kuraigana Island with the other eternal pose that Mihawk gave them.
"Oi, aren't we suppose to move towards there?" Zoro commented, looking at the eternal log pose on Perona's hand.
"Argh! Just be quiet you stupid swordsman! We're supposed to look at the direction where the arrows point!"
"But the arrow did point there…" Zoro pointed out, he was referring to the opposite side where the arrow "point" at.
"Argh! Like I say… Argh! Forget it, why did I even bother to explain to you! Ahhhh! Moria-Sama, when will you appear to rescue me out of here?!"
As usual, please do review! ^^