Charm Everlasting Chapter 6, an one piece fanfic

Chapter 6

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"Waaaaahhhh! Why me?! Why meeee?!"

Sanji continued to pound the deck of the Thousand Sunny. He had fallen to his knees and was sobbing heavy tears onto the grassy surface. The rest of the crew, minus their captain and navigator, were assembled behind him, staring blankly at the sky above, wondering why the other two crewmates did not return to the ship the previous night. Sanji convinced himself that Naku may have done something horrible to Nami. To make things even worse for him, Robin and Zoro had revealed that they were entering the Dance Prance Revolution together. As it naturally came as shock for the rest of the crew, they eventually shrugged it off, considering the fact things had gotten strange ever since they came to the island. The crew was okay with Robin and Zoro being a partnership until Zoro told them Luffy was entering the tournament as well. No one could believe that.

"Will you stop making such a fuss? Luffy and Nami are capable enough to take care of themselves. If anything, Nami is still with Naku and Luffy is probably just lost. Or he's with his partner, or whatever," mumbled Zoro.

Sanji's eye turned into a fireball. "How the hell can that idiot manage to get a beautiful lady, and I can't?! I'm much more attractive and a whole lot sexier than him! He's too stupid to have a girlfriend!"

Zoro shook his head. "You dumbass, I didn't say that this girl was his girlfriend, they're just dance partners. Robin's my dance partner and we aren't girlfriend and boyfriend."

He looked at Robin who gave him a cutesy wink. Zoro shivered and turned back to Sanji.

"Besides, you don't know what this mysterious girl even looks like. She could be ugly for all we know," he said to him.

"She is actually very attractive, Zoro," corrected Robin. Sanji's mouth fell.

"Well, sucks for you then, cook. By the way, can we get some breakfast going?" asked Zoro.

While the cook and swordsman continued their arguments, the rest of the crew decided on finding Nami and Luffy. Brook and Franky decided to look in town while Usopp and Chopper would go further into the forested areas outside of town. Calming down, Sanji decided on staying on the ship with Zoro and Robin who would be practicing for the upcoming tournament. After all, Sanji had to make sure that Robin was safe from Zoro's 'wandering hands'. He would leave Nami's safe return to the rest of the crew.

"Nothing's gonna happen you know," mumbled Zoro while giving Sanji a bored look. He glanced over at Robin who was walking off towards her room. "Where are you going?" he asked.

Robin pulled gently on her loose halter top and smiled lightly. "I need to change into something more suitable for practice, wouldn't you agree?"

Zoro accidently looked at her cleavage and turned away hastily. Sanji was puffing heavy fumes from his mouth. Without answering her, Zoro stomped towards the men's quarters, grumbling. Robin giggled and walked in her room, leaving Sanji alone on the deck.

"This sucks. How the hell can Luffy and that idiot swordsman be able to have the opportunity to dance with beautiful women? I should be the one getting a dance partner, considering I endured hell over two years. Dammit!"

Sanji lit a cigarette and placed it in his mouth. He leaned against the railing and looked at the clouds. The waves crashed gently along the side of the ship, and the overhead birds chirped happily above. The sky was blue and the wind was sweeping comfortably around his bare skin. The day looked to be promising. Realizing this, Sanji pushed off the rail and climbed down the ship.

"I'm gonna find a beautiful lady! I'm gonna find a beautiful lady, and we are going to go to the Christmas Romancia Festival together! That's a promise!"

'Maybe I'll convince Nami-san to ditch that Naku guy for me!'

Sanji pumped his hand in the air and charged towards town, leaving Zoro and Robin all alone.

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The wind softly blew across the trees. The temperature had significantly gone up and the wind had turned into something rather pleasant. The leaves shuffled amongst themselves, creating a makeshift melody within the forest. Birds chirped in harmony along the branches as their songs mixed perfectly with the surrounding sounds. The perfect scenery for the sleeping couple that lay snuggling together on the ground below. Still trapped in a Seastone cage, the two had unintentionally changed their cuddling position from the previous night. Instead of her back against Luffy's chest, Nami was now completely on top of Luffy, her chest pressed against his while his own arms were wrapped around the small of her back. His hold was strong yet protective, and he had a small smile on his face. Nami was somewhat similar, a smile around her lips, but her cheek rested in the small of Luffy's shoulder which acted as a comfortable pillow. Her own arms were wrapped gently around his neck. Nami's breaths were soft and relaxed, while Luffy was snoring away.

"How cute," came a voice not too far from where they were asleep. "I probably shouldn't wake them up…but…this cage was not meant for you two."

An older woman clicked her tongue as she pulled out a key from her breast pocket and silently pushed it into the lock around the cage bars. Twisting it, she unlocked the front set of bars. The woman quickly stepped aside and let the bars clatter down on the ground. The noise immediately awakened Nami from her cozy slumber.

"So very sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," the woman apologized. Nami quickly looked at the woman, then down at Luffy, and blushed. Embarrassed and feeling queasy, Nami pulled away from Luffy's hold and brushed herself off. Luffy continued to snore loudly.

"Who the heck are you?!" Nami screamed. She was, however, thankful that now there was a way out of the cage.

The woman stared at Nami for a minute and then blinked her eyes.

"It's you! We met a whiles back when you asked me about the island," said the woman.

Nami studied the elderly woman but then parted her lips in shock.

"Yeah! I remember now, I did question you about the island! What are you doing up here?" Nami asked. Her gaze met the key the woman was holding.

"Wait a sec," Nami gasped. "This cage thing is yours, isn't it?"

The woman glanced at the sleeping Luffy, then back at Nami. She slowly put the key back in her breast pocket and took a step back. Her forehead was sweating slightly.

"If I say yes," said the woman, "Would you be angry?"

From the sound of her voice and her actions, Nami deduced that she was in fact responsible for the cage which she and Luffy were trapped in. But instead yelling at her, Nami wasn't all that mad. If it wasn't for the cage, she and Luffy wouldn't have shared that moment together.

"I won't be angry," Nami sighed. "I'm just so confused. Why did cage bars suddenly shoot out from the ground? And why are they made of Seastone?" Hopefully she would get a reasonable explanation.

"Well that's the funny thing," the woman began. "This cage…I was trying to catch a wild chicken. It's not meant for human beings."

A small breeze blew past the two, creating an eerie silence. Nami's eyebrows slowly began to furrow and her hands clenched into small fists.

"A chicken?!" she almost screamed.

"Wild chicken," the woman corrected.

Nami wasn't sure if this woman was insane or if she was just plain stupid. Why on Earth would she need an enormous cage for some chicken? Surely this woman wasn't giving all the details.

"Okay, okay," Nami huffed in frustration. "So you mean to tell me, this trap was built for some small chicken? Don't you think you made this trap a little too big?"

The woman looked at Nami with dark eyes. Her expression was somber and serious.

"You don't understand young girl. This chicken isn't some ordinary chicken. It's a wild chicken that's been wandering this island for some time. I've heard rumors about it, but I won't rest until I've captured the bird," the woman replied.

The fiery rage that Nami tried so hard to suppress seemed much harder to contain, now that she had pieced together the whole situation.

"Then why is the cage made of Seastone? And don't tell me it's not," she said, pointing to Luffy. "That boy over there is a Devil Fruit user and he sunk to the ground when he touched the bars."

"Monkey D. Luffy," the woman whispered. "The pirate worth four hundred million."

Nami glanced over at Luffy. He was still sound asleep and his arms were behind his head. His snoring had toned down a bit and he no longer had the smile he wore when he and Nami were cuddling together.

"Yeah, that's him," she responded. She shifted her attention back to the woman. "So, about that Seastone?"

The woman walked over and touched the bars, running her frail fingers along their smooth surface. She didn't speak for a passing moment which irritated Nami. Then, she looked at her.

"Wait, what was the question?" she asked.

Nami almost smacked her face but managed to control her temper.

"The bars," she said, pointing at the silver cylinders. "Why are they made of Sea…S, E, A…stone…S,T,O,N,E?" Nami made it clear to spell out each letter.

"Ohhhh, the bars?"

"Yes, the bars," Nami grumbled. A voice inside her head told her to remain calm.

"Yes, the bars," the woman repeated. "Hmmm. Yes, well maybe the chicken has Devil Fruit powers like your boyfriend?" Her response was more of a question than an answer.

Nami crashed to the ground. "Maybe?! You don't know?!"

The woman chuckled. "Well, no silly, I haven't seen this chicken but rumors are pretty productive around Romancia."

Nami slowly pulled herself together and off the ground. She dusted herself off.

"So lemme get this straight," Nami began. "There's apparently some wild chicken running around this island that no one's ever seen and may have Devil Fruit abilities which are so devastating that it poses a threat to this island? And you built this large cage to capture it?"

The woman happily clapped her hands. "Yes! I think you are correct!"

Nami sighed long and hard, resting a hand on her cheek.

"Well, there's no point in investigating anymore. Thanks for opening the cage. We'll be on our way."

The woman lifted a finger towards Nami.

"You haven't told me who you are, missy," she said.

"Oh, I'm Nami. And of course, you know Luffy," she said, pointing to Luffy. The boy subconsciously smacked his lips and then licked them.

"Are you two a couple?" the woman asked suddenly. Her voice sounded eager and happier. Nami blushed lightly but cleared her throat.

"No, we're just crewmates. I'm just the nav—"

"But you two were sleeping together. Seems more than just crewmates to me," she interrupted. "More like crewmates without the word crew."

Nami had to illustrate the woman's words in her head. When she did, she blushed even harder.

"N-No! It's a long story, I swear! It was cold last night—"

"And your hormones were boiling so you bonded. Opposite temperatures call for bonding. There's no need to be shy, missy," the woman interrupted again.

Nami felt like grabbing this woman by the neck and shaking her until her head went flying, but being good for this long allowed her to simmer down. Besides, it seemed now that this woman had maybe a few screws loose.

"Now hold on a second, I di—"

"NAMI!"

The sound of Luffy's voice startled both of them. They looked over at Luffy who was suddenly breathing hard. His eyes were still closed, however, so it appeared he was sleep talking. He began to huff and puff while his chest heaved up and down.

"NAMI!" he screamed again. "YOU ARE MY CREWMATE!"

The wind around them blew slightly stronger. Nami's mouth slowly parted wide. She felt the tension in her body somewhat loosen as her heart began to pick up speed. For some reason, small tears began to form at her eyes. The woman silently studied the boy.

"Luffy," Nami whispered.

"Talk about random," the woman murmured.

Random or not, those words penetrated Nami's heart and released a thousand emotions throughout her body. It was two years ago when Luffy saved her and her village from Arlong. It was two years ago, that when he sent Arlong Park crashing to the ground, stood upon its rubble and yelled those words to Nami. Words that strung together as a promise that he made to her, that he would be there for her whenever she needed him no matter what. And even though he always acted so childish and naïve, he had a protective nature within his soul…something he'd carry with him forever.

Nami brushed away the small tears and walked over to Luffy. She sat next to him and lifted his hat which was lying on the ground. She held it close to her chest and watched him as his breaths softened back to normal.

"How interesting. Very interesting," the woman whispered. Without saying another word, she shuffled towards the same path Nami pointed out before the cage encased her and Luffy.

Nami stayed silent as she continued to watch Luffy sleep. His face looked incredibly peaceful and tranquil. How she wished she could take a picture of him and keep it in the diary she kept to herself. Now that she thought about it, the only picture she had of Luffy was the picture of his bounty taken two years ago. She needed a new picture of him.

His shirtless body was somewhat interesting to her and she studied the x-shaped scar that covered most of his chest. Directly under it was his tone abs, which were assembled in an eight pack fashion. Curious and feeling a little excited, Nami traced the scar on his chest and slowly moved her finger lower, tracing his eight muscles. Luffy suddenly smiled, causing her to quickly retract her hand. However, he only turned his body towards her so that he was leaning on his side. Nami's heart raced at a thousand beats but she managed to stay calm.

'Has Luffy always looked this…handsome?'

Nami couldn't help but think how this boy, who never fixed himself up to impress other people, could look so good. She always thought that Luffy was a little attractive, but his attractiveness really came down to his goofy smile. Always goofy, but always full of life. His face now wore that goofy smile. At that moment, Luffy's face could be compared to the stars in the sky on a romantic night.

"Luffy," she whispered softly to him, as she found herself lying down just inches across from his body. She pulled in her legs slightly as she rested her orange hair on her arm. With her other hand, she gently brushed the hairs away from Luffy's face. She smiled as his own smile grew wider.

'I wonder…are you thinking about me…Luffy?'

Slightly frowning, she traced the scar underneath his eye. He always had that scar, but she never knew how it came to be. After tracing it, her finger moved towards his lips. They were parted only slightly, but she could feel his warm breath against her skin. At first, she touched the lower lip and quickly pulled her finger back. When he didn't respond, she touched his upper lip and smiled.

'I wonder if Luffy's ever kissed a girl…'

She touched her own lips. First the bottom lip and then the top, just as she had done to Luffy.

'Come to think of it, I've never kissed a guy before…'

Nami's heart began to beat just a bit faster as she scooted even closer towards Luffy's face. Her heart pounding against her chest, she found her hand shaking as she lightly cupped his cheek with her hand.

'What am I doing?!'

Nami pulled her hand back and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. Opening them, she stared at the sleeping boy. He still had a very peaceful expression.

'I can't do this. It's not right.'

Nami began to pick herself off the ground before hearing Luffy groan. He smacked his lips and turned his body so that he was facing the sky. Nami sighed. She knew she would have to wake him up, but for some strange reason, her heart was telling her not to. It was as if she was being controlled by some unknown force. While at the same time, a voice was telling her to taste his lips and hold his cheek.

'I'm losing it. I'm going insane!'

Luffy stretched out his body and smacked his lips again, but stayed fast asleep. His movements were making Nami anxious. She felt herself move close to him again. She shuffled her body to his side and raised a hand towards his cheek. Before touching it, she rested her hand gently on his bare chest where his heart was. Luffy grumbled, but remained out.

Nami felt his heart beating at a mild pace. She moved her head slightly closer to his chest, wanting desperately to hear the music of his heart. Brushing her hair behind her ears, Nami rested her head on his chest and listened to the sounds coming within him. Suddenly, she felt his heart beat faster, almost as fast as hers. She quickly moved her face away from his chest as Luffy continued to sleep talk. After a moment of mindless noise, he settled down.

'What is he dreaming about?!'

Nami leaned in towards Luffy and felt her heart beat faster again. Then, she heard it. It wasn't loud, nor soft, but just right. Words she thought would never come out of Luffy's mouth.

"I love you, Nami."

She nearly fell over by his sudden words. This time, her heart felt like it was going to explode.

'Did he just tell me he loves me?!'

Feeling lightheaded, Nami pulled herself together and thumped on her back. She screamed.

"Shit! I forgot how hard this stupid ground is!"

Nami rubbed her back. It was then that she noticed she was wearing Luffy's cardigan. Her arms were in the sleeves instead of them being around her. She realized she must have subconsciously put on the cardigan while sleeping with Luffy. And then…they ended up wrapped together, sound asleep in each other's arms like they were in a relationship. How such small things, like being trapped in a cage, could lead to something greater. Nami was beginning to wonder if getting trapped in the cage with Luffy was all part of something greater. Was it an accident, or was it meant to be?

Staying still for a while, Nami laid carefully back and rested herself close to Luffy, listening to his soft snoring.

"I've never thought about love," Nami said aloud. "But here I am, with you, Luffy. I'm part of your crew, part of your world…"

'What the hell am I saying?'

Nami rolled on her side and sighed. "I'm spewing nonsense, I know, Luffy."

He continued to snore.

"Ever since we've come to this island…you've been filling my thoughts. You, Naku, just everything has been so different."

Luffy mumbled and scratched his face. He remained asleep.

"I've started to feel something in my heart. When we slept like that last night…I felt the best I've ever felt in years."

He scratched his head.

"You've really changed me, Luffy."

He scratched his side.

"And…I…well…I…"

She took his cheek in her hand and guided his face towards hers. She felt her eyelids starting to close.

"Maybe I…love…"

Her lips were just an inch from his.

"…you…"

"Nami?"

Her eyes shot open faster than the speed of sound as she shrieked and fell backwards. She felt a familiar pain on her back.

Luffy was now wide awake as he yawned and stretched his rubber arms above his head.

"What a great nap! That was just what the captain ordered!" he exclaimed.

Nami growled at him and while still massaging her back, lifted a hand and clobbered Luffy upside the head. Luffy wailed at her sudden punch.

"Nami?! What was that for?!" he hollered.

Puffing steam, Nami clenched her teeth and glared at him.

"You scared me, you idiot!" she yelled.

"That's not my fault! Besides, it's kinda hard to stay calm when you're that close to my face, Nami!" he argued, showing her exactly how close she was to him.

"Well! I…"

She couldn't find a good comeback for that one. Her cheeks began to flush as she stared off to the side.

"Why were you so close to my face anyway?" he asked. He rubbed the back of his head where she hit him.

"I uh…"

Again, she was lost for words. She could tell him that she was trying to kiss him, but that would only complicate things. Besides, she wasn't sure if Luffy even understood the concept of love, even if he did blurt out that he loved her. Which reminded her…

"Luffy," she called, changing the subject.

He leaned forward and rested his cheek in his hand. "Hm?"

"What were you dreaming about?" she asked, hoping to find out more about his dreams. "You kept saying strange things…"

Luffy rubbed the back of his head in thought. He hummed to himself as he tried to think back to his sleeping thoughts. Nami kept her eyes frozen on his.

"It was…it was about a chicken," he began.

Nami nearly toppled over. "A chicken?!"

"Yeah," he said. "A really big chicken. It had Devil Fruit powers and had a really large beak."

Nami was about to yell at him, but something hit the back of her mind.

'Wait a sec…didn't that old woman talk about some chicken? Is this the same chicken Luffy is talking about?! No way…that would be impossible…come to think of it, that lady's gone…'

Nami quickly looked around for the woman, causing Luffy to follow her gaze.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "The cage is open!"

"Yeah, some woman I met in town opened it," she grumbled. "It was about something stupid."

"Like what?" he asked.

Nami shook her head. "You don't want to know."

She wanted to have Luffy explain more about this chicken to see if his dream and the lady's logic had some sort of connection, but she shrugged it off as a mere coincidence.

"So, Luffy," she said, catching his eyes again, "Was there any other dreams besides the chicken?"

Luffy put a fist to his chin. "Yeah…there was meat, a giant cow, some talking flowers, a rotten banana—"

"Okay, okay," Nami interrupted. "Was there anything about me?"

She suddenly wished she didn't ask that. It might give away too much.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Nami frantically waved her hands. "Nothing, nothing!"

She frowned. She knew Luffy must have dreamt about the time he saved her at Arlong Park and of him saying he loved her.

"Wait, I did have another dream!" he blurted. Nami's attention was back on him. She felt a sudden charge of electricity run through her back.

'Here it comes!'

"A big tomato!" he exclaimed. "Yeah! A big tomato was crashing through town and gobbled up the citizens…yeah, yeah! It must have been a thousand pounds!"

Luffy started to laugh until Nami punched his head again and got up to cool herself down. Luffy groaned and clutched the back of his head.

"Stupid," she whispered to herself.

'I knew I heard him say that! He said he loved me! I wasn't hallucinating!'

While Nami began to pace around grumbling to herself, Luffy leaned back and looked towards the sky.

"I'm sorry, Nami," he whispered to himself. He studied the clouds above.

'It's just…I'm not ready to tell you…'

"I don't know what to feel," he said aloud.

Nami turned and faced him. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, grinning.

Nami sighed but walked back towards the cage entrance.

"Luffy," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Before I forget, thank you for taking care of me last night. For giving me your shirt and for keeping me warm. You really saved me, so thank you."

Luffy smiled at her. "Not a problem, Nami! I'm glad we could sleep together."

Nami blushed at his words.

'I think you meant, I'm glad we were able to keep warm, dummy.'

She returned his smile and then glanced at the sky above.

'I hope we can do this again…it really was nice…'

Luffy stood up and walked towards her, placing his hands on her shoulders. Surprised, Nami looked at him with a shocked expression.

"Luffy?"

He chuckled. "Do you want to keep my shirt, Nami? Or can I have it?"

Nami felt like falling down again, but instead she stripped off the cardigan and tossed it right at his face. He laughed.

"We should get back to the ship," she said. "Everyone is probably worried about us. They might get weird thoughts. Especially Sanji-kun…"

Luffy pulled on his cardigan and walked next to her.

"Down that path, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Hopefully, Sanji-kun hasn't made breakfast yet. I'm starving."

Luffy agreed. "Yeah, me too! I could really go for some more of that beef soup Lucille made last night. That was delicious!"

Nami frowned. "Oh, her. You guys are doing that dance competition, right?"

Luffy eagerly nodded. "Yup! We're definitely gonna win the million berry prize!"

The thought of Luffy winning a million berries and dancing with another girl besides her was kind of depressing.

"Which reminds me," Luffy mumbled. His grin turned upside-down. He felt a sense of dread sweep across his body. "I was supposed to meet Lucille in town at nine! Crap, it's probably past nine!"

Luffy began to panic. Nami was hardly paying attention though. All she could think about was Luffy dancing with another girl that wasn't her.

'Bah! What do I care! Come on, Nami! You'll find someone else to dance with you, definitely. Like Naku! Yeah, at least I still have Naku.'

Nami started towards the path in the forest, leaving Luffy to run around in circles.

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"He's late," sighed Lucille. She continued to scan the town, looking for any signs of a boy with a straw hat. She had been looking for him for almost an hour now, and she was starting to feel he was bailing out on her.

'It's not like he could. He wants to win the prize money after all…but where could he be?'

Moaning aloud, she started walking off towards the Glassware Express, the only place she didn't consider looking in. Luffy told her that his sole purpose for entering the tournament was to win the prize money and get his navigator a Log Pose. The only Log Poses sold in town were at the Glassware Express. Hopefully, he would be in there. She had never actually gone in the store and was immediately awed by the different sculptures and silverware. She noticed a row of Log Poses by a stand and started to search for one that was a million berries. As she was perusing, she accidently bumped heads with someone else.

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, as she made sure the person she hit was okay.

"That's quite alright. But are you okay, miss?"

Lucille was now looking into the eyes of a tall, handsome man with orange hair and black pirate hat. His eyes were bright blue and his smile was almost too perfect. She felt flabbergasted by his looks.

"I-I'm okay," she stammered as she tried to calm herself down.

'I gotta stop being such an idiot around cute guys!'

"Good," he said, grinning. "My, they are all such beautiful things, aren't they?"

Lucille looked at the Log Poses he was referring to and nodded.

"They sure are. A friend of mine wants to buy a million berry one. Does that actually exist?" she asked.

Smiling, the man pointed to a Log Pose on the opposite side of where they were standing. Lucille walked over towards it and was nearly blinded by its beauty.

"It's incredible!"

Lucille carefully picked it up and examined the shape and size of the Log Pose. It was interestingly light and made of gold. A tangerine was painted on the side, surrounded by tiny crystals. It was surely something of great value.

The man crossed his arms and grinned at her. "Pretty nice, isn't it? Sadly though, that's the last one in existence."

Lucille's mouth fell. "That's no good! Then my partner and I better win the prize money fast!"

The man turned his head slightly. "Is the prize money part of some competition?"

She nodded. "Yes, it's a dance competition called the Dance Prance Revolution."

"That rings a bell. One of my crewmates told me about that. So you're trying to win this for your friend?"

"Well," she began. "Actually my dance partner wants to win this to give to his friend. It's a long story. But we're a pair working towards a common goal."

The man smiled and patted her arm. His touch gave her goose bumps.

"Very well then. I wish you the best of luck," he said.

She grinned. "Thanks! Are you looking for a Log Pose? You're a pirate, right?"

The man tipped his black hat. "Indeed I am. I was actually looking for someone and came here, thinking that person would be here. But I guess I was looking at the wrong end of town."

"You and me both," Lucille mumbled.

He chuckled. "I haven't gotten your name, miss."

"Lucille," she said, extending her hand. He took it and they exchanged grins.

"And you?" she asked.

He smiled. "The name's—"

Budabudabuda. Budabudabuda. Budabudabuda.

"Sorry miss, that's the ol' Den Den Mushi trying to get my attention. Excuse me."

The man clicked the button located on the snail and talked with another man on the other line. While he chatted away, she picked up the golden Log Pose and turned it over so she could get a better feel for it.

'Luffy's really gonna try to win this thing…just for his navigator…even though it's not for me, it still is sweet of him.'

Just as she placed it back on the stand, the man finished his conversation and placed the Den Den Mushi back in his pocket.

"Sorry about that. One of my crewmates needs my assistance back on my ship. It's gonna be a long day," he said chuckling.

"Is it serious?" Lucille inquired.

"Not at all. Just a bit of a leak. Well…big leak. But all is good. It was nice to meet you, Lucille. I hope we can meet again," he said, taking her hand. She blushed.

"Nice to meet you too," she squeaked. The man nodded and rushed towards the exit.

Lucille found herself smiling as he left, but then remembered something.

"He never told me his name," she whispered. "But he sure is cute! Not as cute as Luffy…but cute!"

Lucille giggled and raced off to find her dance partner.

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"Run it by me just one more time," Zoro instructed.

He sat down on a chair in Robin's room. Robin had finally come up with the three dances they would perform during the Dance Prance Revolution. Although Robin had told Zoro about a million times, he still didn't understand what dances they were going to do and the meaning behind each dance. They all seemed so complicated. However, Robin promised to help guide him during their training. After all, he needed all the training he could get.

"Okay," she said, "The first dance requires a lot of movement. That's because this dance is fast paced and the music has a lot of rhythm."

"And you called it…?" he asked.

She smiled. "It's known as salsa dancing."

"Salsa?" he repeated. "I had some of that yesterday."

She giggled. "Yes, but it is also the name of a popular, fast paced dance. It requires a lot of energy."

Zoro nodded. "Yeah that makes sense. But does this one require us to touch each other?"

She noticed he was slightly sweating but gave him a small grin.

"Yes, it does."

Zoro grumbled and crossed his arms. "Whatever. The next one?"

Robin walked towards her dresser and pulled out a small book. She gave it to him. He noticed its smooth and leathery cover. He opened it.

"What the hell are they doing?" he immediately snapped upon looking at the picture inside. Robin couldn't help but laugh.

"They're embracing each other, while at the same time, dancing."

Zoro's mouth slowly fell to the floor. "W-We gotta do this?!"

Robin nodded. "This is the next dance. It's called, the tango."

He looked at Robin, then the book, then back at her. "What?"

"Tango," she said again. "This dance is a lot smoother and slower than the salsa dancing. But in order to pull off this one, it requires both of us to get real close and personal. Can you do that, Zoro?"

His eye went back to the page in the book. The man in the photo was holding the woman's back while her chest was pressed up against his. Their faces were so close together it looked as if they were going to kiss. He was really beginning to hate where this was going.

"We don't have to be this close, do we?" he asked, hopeful. His voice sounded drained of all energy and life.

Robin nodded her head while smiling. "We do. The same with salsa, but this one will be especially close. But you're tough, you can handle a big monster such as me, right Zoro?"

Her smile was really making him itch inside. He wanted to run away as fast as he could, maybe swim across the ocean and out towards a new island, far away from Robin. But he owed her a debt, and he could never turn his back on it until it was finished.

"I can handle it, dammit! I'm not a weakling. And I'm not afraid of you," he said with a stern voice.

Robin giggled. "Good. Then our last dance shall be one we will both enjoy."

His brow raised. "Is that so?"

For some strange reason, it looked as if Robin had a devilish smile form across her lips. Something told him that this next dance would be even worse than the two mentioned before.

"Well," she began. "It's a lot slower than the first two I've mentioned."

"That's a relief," he said warily. "But does it involve touching?"

"Of course," she replied. Zoro groaned.

"This dance is extra special. It requires a lot of sensuality."

He frowned. "What?"

"The two of us must be sensual in this last dance. A lot a passion is required," she said.

Zoro scratched his chin. "Go on."

"And…you must be on your sexiest behavior," she continued. "Don't be afraid to touch me, anywhere."

The emphasis of her last word nearly blew him across the room.

"W-What the hell is this dance?!" he hollered.

Before she could answer him, the sound of Nami's voice echoed across the ship.

"Nami," Robin said aloud.

Zoro turned his head towards the door. "Guess they found her," he mumbled.

Following her voice came Sanji's, then Chopper's, followed by Usopp, Brook, and then Franky.

"They made it back," Robin said.

"Yeah, but I didn't hear Luffy," reminded Zoro.

Robin nodded and made her way to the door. However, Zoro quickly snatched her hand and yanked her back. His sudden hold surprised her.

"That's good, Zoro," she said. "But remember to be gentle."

"That's not it!" he barked. He quickly released his hold. Though he didn't want to admit it, Robin's hand was incredibly soft and smooth. It almost felt like silk against his calloused one.

"You need to tell me the final dance so that I can go smash my head into the concrete!"

Robin giggled. "I don't want you to hurt yourself, so it's best I don't tell you just yet."

"What?!" he yelled.

Before he could say anything more, Robin was out the door. He stumbled after her.

"YOU BASTARD!" shouted Sanji immediately as he spotted Zoro exit the women's quarters.

Zoro gave him a dirty look. "What, shitty cook?"

Sanji pointed at Robin and then back at Zoro.

"You…you were in Robin-chan's and Nami-san's room! With Robin-chan! What did you do to her, you sick bastard?!"

The two of them argued.

"Sanji sure is fired up," whispered Usopp.

"As always," said Chopper. "This island sure is turning him crazy."

Nami quickly disposed of their arguments by punching both of them on the heads.

Grumbling, Zoro rose to his feet.

"By the way, Nami," he said, smoothing out his hair. "Where is Luffy? Did he get lost already? It hasn't even been that long."

"You're one to talk about getting lost," sputtered Sanji, rubbing his sore head. "Nami-san said that Luffy went off looking for his dance partner, right Nami-san?"

Nami shielded her eyes with her bangs. "Yeah…"

"But Nami-san is safe with me and away from that Naku guy!" exclaimed Sanji.

"Where's he at?" asked Zoro.

"He's fixing his ship," she replied. "I visited him earlier today."

"Why didn't you or Luffy return back to the ship last night?" Zoro suddenly asked. "Did you sleep with Naku?"

Nami felt her face heat up. "No, I didn't sleep with Naku! I slept with Luffy!" she defended herself.

"Yeah, you pervert!" Sanji yelled. "Nami-san would never sleep with that orange-haired brute. It was…wait, what?!"

The crew's heads all turned towards Nami. Her face had changed completely dark red. She realized she revealed a little too much to them.

"W-Wait, I mean, no! I didn't sleep with Luffy! I meant, he slept with me! No, that's not it! Kyaa!"

Nami clutched her hair and screamed, running into her room and slamming the door shut.

The sound of crickets soon followed and surrounded the ship. No one could believe what they just heard.

"So," said Zoro, ending the silence. "Who else is hungry?"

It took a brief moment for the rest of the crew to register his question.

"I am," replied Franky.

"Yeah, me too!" squealed Chopper.

"My bones are so dry," informed Brook. "I could use some milk."

"I would like something to eat," said Robin.

Everyone turned to Usopp and Sanji. Their mouths hung wide open as they gawked at the women's quarters where Nami went screaming.

"Yo, Eyebrows," called Zoro. "Some food."

Sanji wasn't at all listening. "You…you guys…did Nami-san just say she slept with Luffy?"

Zoro exhaled loudly. "Yeah, she did. It's getting late and we're all hungry."

"Yeah, food!" cheered Chopper.

"Milk, please," said Brook.

"Cola!" shouted Franky.

"Some tea, please," said Robin.

"Actually, I could go for some fish," said Usopp.

The more the rest of the crew talked, the more heat added onto the cook's misery. He was literally shaking with steam forming above his head.

"Whoa, he's getting hot!"

"Is he gonna explode?"

"Let's hope so."

"Zoro!"

The steam that was rising from the top of his head began to travel all around his body. The flame on the end of his cigarette turned into a ball of fire. Soon, Sanji was covered in flames.

"Hooo shit!"

"He's gonna…explode!"

"Everyone run!"

"I've got you, Robin-san!"

"Please let me down."

As everyone took cover, Sanji roared with all of his might, shaking the ship and causing the sea around the ship to quake. Waves began to rock the ship back and forth.

"He's…he's gonna blow!"

Sanji thundered with all of his might, flames bursting as high as the stars above.

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"Pretty," whispered Luffy as he watched fire light up the sky. "The town's already having their fireworks. That's so cool!"

Luffy shielded his eyes while watching the flames shoot into the night. Other townspeople had stopped their stroll to watch the scenes above.

"Fire? What could possibly be happening over there?" came a feminine voice not too far from where Luffy was standing.

He glanced over at the voice and immediately grinned.

"Hey! It's you!" he shouted. He waved wildly at the girl next to him. She looked over at him and furrowed her brows upon recognizing him.

"Well look who finally decided to show up!" she scolded. "Took you only over ten hours to meet me here!"

Luffy chuckled nervously and walked over to Lucille. She crossed her arms and had an angry expression across her face.

"We were supposed to train today! We wasted a day of practice!" she shouted. The people around them stopped to listen.

"Yeah, about that, you see, I got caught up in the moment," he said nervously. "It's a long story."

"I bet it is!" she retorted. She grabbed the sides of his cardigan and shook him hard. "We've only got one more day of training and then we've got to perform. We're not even close to being ready!"

Luffy tried not to fall over while trying to simmer her down.

"It's okay!" he shouted. "We've still got a day left. I promise we'll train all day tomorrow."

Lucille stopped her shaking and rested her head against his bare chest.

"Luffy," she whispered. "It's just…I want to win this more than anything. I want you to take me to the ball so much…I guess I'm just losing my head. I'm sorry."

Luffy chuckled and held her hands. Lucille yelped as she nearly stumbled backwards. Her heart was racing.

"Don't worry! Together, we're gonna win this tournament!" he assured her. The townspeople whispered amongst themselves and began to walk away from the commotion.

Lucille opened her mouth but no words followed. She instead rested her head back on his chest.

"So," he said, "Wanna go back to my ship? You can finally meet my crew!"

Lucille lifted her head and eagerly nodded. "Oh my gosh, yes! I want to meet everyone! Is your navigator there?"

"She should be," Luffy said. "At least, I hope she is!"

Lucille felt a mixture between excitement and sadness. She desperately had to meet his navigator whom he talked about so much. She was the driving force towards this entire tournament after all.

"Lead the way, Luffy!" she happily exclaimed.

Grinning, Luffy grabbed her hand and they raced towards the ship.

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"Hey, guys! I'm back!" shouted Luffy. He hopped off the ladder and helped Lucille up.

"You guys have the most awesome ship ever!" she beamed.

Luffy laughed. "It's the ship of the future Pirate King! Hey, everyone!"

Usopp exited the dining room to see all of the commotion.

"Hey! Luffy!" he yelled. "And some girl! Hey everyone, get out here, Luffy's back!"

The rest of the crew, minus Nami, joined the sniper on deck.

"About time you showed up," scolded Zoro. He noticed Lucille. "Who's the girl?"

Sanji's once sad expression turned into hearts of joy. "She's beautiful!"

"Beautiful?!" Lucille gasped. Her cheeks turned rosy.

"Lucille, it's good to see you again," said Robin.

Lucille smiled and waved at Robin.

"Panties. May I see your panties?" whispered Brook who crept up behind her. Lucille shrieked and accidently sent Brook flying. Sanji kicked him again.

"Hello, Lucille," greeted Chopper.

"A talking reindeer?!" she screamed. She looked at Franky. "A robot?!"

"Cyborg," he corrected.

"Aren't they funny?" laughed Luffy. He noticed that Nami wasn't present.

"Hey guys," he said. "Where's Nami?"

The crew became silent as their eyes drifted towards the women's quarters. Lucille followed their gaze.

"Luffy!" screamed Sanji, taking hold of his cardigan.

"W-What?!" Luffy hollered as the cook fiercely shook him like a rag doll.

"You bastard! Nami told us you slept with her!"

"Slept with her?!" yelled Lucille. Her heart took a sudden drop.

"W-Well, sort of!" said Luffy. "But we had to!"

"You liar, pervert, idiot of a captain! You are no longer welcomed on this crew!"

"Even though he's the captain?" mumbled Usopp.

"Slept with her…" Lucille whispered again. She slowly sat on the railing across everyone else.

"I told you, I had to!" defended the rubber boy. "If I didn't, Nami would have gotten a cold!"

Sanji wouldn't stop shaking him. Finally having enough, Zoro walked over to the cook and bonked him over the head. He went crashing down.

"Geez, you're annoying. Just because you're jealous you couldn't sleep with Luffy, doesn't mean you have to go acting like an idiot," grunted Zoro.

With his eye lighting up into a blazing ball of fire, Sanji began to attack Zoro, who quickly countered his attacks with his own. Luffy turned to Robin.

"Where is Nami?" he asked softly.

Robin pointed to the women's quarters. Luffy nodded and slowly walked over to their room. The rest of the crew watched Sanji and Zoro battle it out. Lucille remained on the railing, deep in thought.

Luffy lightly knocked on the door but came no reply. He tapped it again and received the same response. After knocking on it a third time, he slowly turned the knob. Like before, it opened.

Even in the dark room, he could see Nami's silhouette. She was curled up on her bed with her head in her lap. He couldn't see her eyes which were hidden from him. He wasn't sure if she was crying or not. Walking in, he slowly closed the door and switched on the light. She didn't even flinch to the change of brightness.

"Nami?" he whispered.

She didn't respond. He walked towards her bed.

"Leave me alone, Luffy."

He paused for a second before sitting next to her.

"Go away."

He lifted his hat off his head and gently placed it on her own.

"That's not gonna work again, idiot."

Luffy lowered his hand and rested it on his lap. He stared off towards the door and then back at Nami. She didn't move.

He frowned. He could tell she was upset, but for what reason, he wasn't so sure.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked.

Nami didn't respond.

"If you are…that's okay. I kind of acted like an idiot today."

'Just today? Don't you mean all the time, you idiot?'

"Sanji was pretty upset."

'Yeah, I heard everything.'

"He found out we slept together."

'Stop saying that so casually.'

"But we had to, right? If we didn't, you would have gotten cold."

'I guess that's true.'

"I didn't want to see you hurt like that, Nami," he said, slowly standing up. "I never want to see you in pain anymore. As long as I live, I refuse to see you break apart."

Nami lifted her head off her lap. She was very surprised to hear Luffy say those words. Sighing, her eyes slowly met Luffy's grin.

"Nami!" he beamed.

She stared into his eyes for a moment. Those dark eyes sure loved to dance in the light. How could she be upset with such an adorable face?

"Luffy," she said.

"Nami," he repeated, still grinning.

"Just...thank you, Luffy. Thank you," she whispered. She positioned her legs on the ground and walked towards him. Lifting her hands, she eased them around his waist and pulled him towards her. He slowly relaxed his hands on the small of her back. His hat fell off her head but he didn't care at the moment. She rested her chin on his shoulder as he did the same. He smelled her hair again, enjoying the tangerine aroma.

"Hey, Luffy?" she whispered into his ear.

"Hm?" he said, lightly pulling her even closer.

"You know, for a guy who doesn't bathe often, you smell pretty good," she murmured.

Luffy laughed. "Hey, Nami?"

"Mm?"

"You know, for a girl who bathes often, you smell really good."

Nami laughed at his reversed compliment and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I can't ever be mad at you, can I?" she mumbled into his ear.

Luffy giggled. "Nope!"

It donned to her that even though she had slept with Luffy, nothing would change between them. They would still remain crewmates and protect each other no matter what. Even when he did act regularly as an idiot, he was always kind and compassionate. He would be by her side until the very end. Taking a deep breath and picking up his hat, she ended their embrace and walked with him to greet the chaos outside.

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At long last, I've finished. My only excuse is college. It really takes a toll on updating. But thanks for your patience. Another build up chapter indeed.

I'd like to thank you all for your comments, favorites, and follows. Really, you guys are great.

I took your advice, megaMe, so a big thanks for helping me out XD.

Love all your comments. Continue reading everyone!