The next day one thing became plainly obvious.
There was a reason why Usopp had never worn a dress before.. no matter what Usopp did while wearing her dress, it seemed like Nami wouldn't be far behind shouting after Usopp.
As Usopp crawled around in the mast Nami was shouting. "USOPP WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
"What do you think I'm doing!?" Usopp shouted back. "I'm making sure the sails are secure! You know, the thing I do every morning after breakfast!"
"Let Luffy or some-one else do it! You'll ruin your dress that way!" Nami yelled back.
When Franky asked if Usopp wanted to help with a new invention, and Usopp happily agreed.
"I think not Usopp." Nami stated grabbing Usopp by the neck of the dress. "Down and digging in oil and machine parts in that dress, not a chance!"
"But Nami!" Usopp tried.
"I said NO!" Nami stated with a foot in the ground. "And if you ruin that dress, or the look I made for you, it'll be a thousand berri fine!"
Usopp gaped. "You can't do that!" She proclaimed.
Nami smirked. "Just be happy I didn't charge you for doing your make-over the first time around."
When Usopp was working on her bullets to her slingshot..
"Ahem." Nami hissed as she stood above Usopp with hands on her hips. "What is that?" she asked of Usopp with a lifted eyebrow.
"Erh.." Usopp swallowed. "Gun powder, colour, glycerine, Tabasco sauce and rubber among other things." She told.
"And what's that on your dress?" Nami pointed down.
"I think it's a little bit of gunpowder." Usopp observed, easily brushing it off.
"And what did I tell you about that dress?" Nami asked.
At that Usopp started to grow annoyed. "Why wont you just let me do my job!?" Usopp snapped. "Any of my jobs!"
"You are not even trying to act like a woman." Nami pointed out in a roll of her eye. "If you want Sanji to notice you, it isn't enough to look the part, you have to act like it to."
"If I had known being a woman would be so much trouble." Usopp muttered as she crossed her arms turning her head away.
"What was that?" Nami asked.
Usopp exhaled. "all-right, All-right Nami, you win." She stated holding up both hands. "So I can't secure the sails, can't work with machines or chemicals, what can I do Nami?" she asked, though it was clear her voice was very, very sarcastic.
And probably Usopp should have re-thought her tactic about the sarcastic route, because soon she found herself at the womans table up on deck, where Robin was reading her book and Nami drawing on a map.
And Usopp.. she hung over the table. "This is so boring." She muttered. "Can't I just as well go fishing?" she asked hopefully.
"Last time you fished you fell in the water." Nami reminded Usopp as she worked on her map. "Think about what that would do to your dress."
"ARGH!" Usopp hissed throwing her head back. "Hey, it was a good thing I fell in the water, Luffy joined me the moment after and I had to fish him up!" she pointed out to Nami, in a triumphant grin.
"You fell in the water together." Nami pointed out in a pout. "Beside, you really think Zoro, Franky or Sanji would just let Luffy drown?"
"So leave any work to the men, is what you are saying?" Usopp asked in a lifted eye-brow.
"Why work if you don't have to?" Nami asked as she leaned over her map.
"That is so your life philosophy isn't it?" Usopp muttered.
"I'm sorry I didn't quite hear that." Nami spoke as she looked up, and all though her voice was polite.. there was an underlying warning tone in her words, which made it shiver down Usopp's back.
"OI USOPP!" This time it was Luffy yelling from down on the grassy deck.
"LUFFY!" Usopp exclaimed gladly as she turned around looking down at Luffy, whom was standing together with Chopper down there, waving up.
"Wanna come play tag with us!?" Luffy asked in a big grin.
"Oh god yes!" Usopp exhaled under her breath as she stood up.. or would have, if it wasn't for that voice.
"Ahem." It was Nami.
Annoyed Usopp looked at Nami. "You are now going to forbid me from playing?" she asked.
"You can go if you want." Nami pointed said softly.
"Thank you." Usopp nodded as she stood up.
"It's just not very womanly." Nami then told softly. "If Sanji saw you run around like that, he would probably snort."
That made Usopp halt as she looked at Nami, then quietly sat down. "Sorry Luffy." She yelled down. "Not today, maybe tomorrow."
"Ehhh!?" Luffy asked. "Usopp you've been so boring today! I miss having you around!" he exclaimed.
Usopp had a hard time not just jumping down to Luffy and run, instead she fingered with a pencil that happened to lay on the table. "Where is Sanji any-way?" she asked Nami silently.
"Now that you say it." Nami blinked. "I havn't seen him since breakfast, Robin have you seen Sanji?" she asked the older woman sitting next to them.
"I believe he has locked himself into the galley." Robin observed without lifting her eyes from the book. "He can't avoid us for much longer though, it's almost dinner." She softly pointed out.
"Oh joy." Usopp muttered in a hollow voice, that was absolutely not the tiniest bit happy, in any-way. Then Usopp stood up.
"Hey, where are you going?" Nami asked.
"To the workshop." Usopp told. "Today has been fun and all, trying to be a woman and so on, but if I don't manage to do just some work today, I'll go crazy." She stated. "See ya Nami."
Later though it became clear what Usopp was actually doing.. she was avoiding dinner and thus Sanji.
Next morning Sanji was mysteriously gone after breakfast had been served on the table, easy for any-one to grab.
At dinner, Usopp was working again, and that's how it went.
"How is that even possible with all of us being on just one ship!?" Nami had to ask Robin.
Robin shrugged. "Sooner or later they will run into each other, I wouldn't worry."
"But what if.." Nami began, how-ever Robin cut her off.
"You really think cook-san would ever let any-thing happen to longnose-san?" Robin asked. "Cook-san may not admit it, but he cares for every-one in this crew. He merely have some thoughts he needs to sort out, and maybe what he needs, is just time."
"He better get his act together soon though." Nami hissed. "This entire thing is starting to drive me crazy!"