Chapter 9.

Adventure

"Okay, is everybody here?" yelled the navigator and looked over the people in front of her.

Closest to her were Chopper who today wore green bathing shorts with a flower pattern, "I'm here!" He carried a little backpack which contained some playthings for the Strawhats to enjoy.

Next to the doctor stood the swordsman.

"Oh, Zoro! You've changed your clothes again! I'm surprised!" said Nami and grinned.

"Shut up! Did you expect me to go swimming in my other clothes, or what?"

"Oh, so you are swimming after all? That's so nice Zoro, really, I thought you didn't want to. By the way, you should wear those shorts more often, they suit you. Really, they do." The navigator nodded exaggeratedly many times at the swordsman and while at it, she stuck her tongue out.

The green-haired nakama snorted, "And maybe you should wear something quieter..."

"But I was so surprised, Zoro! Ordinary, long, black shorts and flip flops. I would never had thought you had such a taste for fashion! It's so.. different... so rebellious!"

"Well, yeah, but I got do admit, I really do look good in whatever I wear." He rubbed his fist smugly over his white tank top at his chest, raised his head, closed his eyes and smirked.

Some laughed, some smiled, some snorted and one just chuckled.

Nami grinned and continued, "Anyway, Sanji-kun, do we have all the food with us?"

"Hai, Nami-swaan! Everything is packed up!"

"Okay. Then listen up everybody! As you already know, Robin found a suitable beach for us yesterday. We're heading there to have our picnic. It's a pretty long walk but nothing we can't handle!"

"Wow, this is great! It's been too long since we've been to a beach. I'm gonna swim till my limbs go numb!" yelled their excited sniper.

"I have the beach ball!" yelled a just as excited Franky.

"I can't wait to go swimming with Nami-swaaan!"

"I'm pretty excited myself!" said Nami and laughed, "Let's go!"

The navigator, sniper, swordsman, cook and shipwright all happily picked up a fast pace for some direction.

"Wait..." Nami stopped, "Yes, that's right. We don't know the way." She turned, "Robin, you need to lead the- eh...?"

The archaeologist was turned away, her arms crossed as she still were standing at the starting spot together with the remaining others. Chopper and Brook was standing beside her, heads bent down of disappointment.

Luffy and Kiwa were both down standing on all fours, fists constantly slamming the ground while occasional mumbles came from their down leaned heads.

"The ocean... hates us..."

"Can't swim..."

"I want to play... with the beach ball..!"

A dark area was surrounding them all as their depression remained. The others sweat dropped.

"Enough!" yelled the navigator, "You're all acting like you've been hit by one of those negative ghosts! Robin, you must lead the way! And the rest of you, if you don't come now you all can be without food!"

There was a clicking as if something obvious finally reached the brains of Luffy and Kiwa. They were in only matter of seconds walking besides the others, talking like nothing had ever happened. Robin, Chopper and Brook quietly started to walk after them.

"It's fine, Chopper!" yelled the Sniper, "I have plenty of bathing-mattresses for all of us."

"You have?" Chopper lit up.

"Yes, of course I have! Did I ever tell you about the time when I fought off 2 seakings only sailing on a bathing mattress?"

"No! That's so cool, Usopp!" Star replaced the little reindeer's eyes.

"Yes, I was only 8 years old but defeated them with only one punch!"

"Ne, Robin, why are we heading for the town? Aren't we going to have an adventure?" asked a confused captain.

"Don't worry sencho-san, through town is the fastest way to the beach. Then we have to cross a small forest."

"Yay! Adventure! Adventure!"

"Ch-chot-chotto! What if there is monsters on the island!" yelled the sniper nervously.

"You know, you can stay back on the ship alone if you're afraid, Usopp," said Sanji while lightening his cigarette.

"As-As if! There's no way that I'm staying alone- I mean, there's no way I'm afraid of some monsters! Bring it on! All of them!"

"Then shut your trap and let go of me!" said an irritated swordsman.

"If a monster comes, I'll be your first backup Zoro. Now keep going forward!"

Kiwa laughed, "So you're like afraid of everything?" she asked the long-nosed man.

"Shaddaaap! I'm not like you, I feel physical pain!"

"Hey, I feel pain too!"

"Yeah, right. Oh, hey, look! A flying cat in the sky!" The sniper pointed up and took the opportunity to pinch Kiwa real hard in her side.

"...Where?!"

"You don't feel pain at all!"

The party walked through the town without gaining any special attention. Most people were exactly like before, drunk while in a laughing mood.

Luffy was walking beside Robin who had the lead. He was eager for his adventure, though it had already started. The swordsman was walking slightly after them in silence.

The navigator was walking in the lead of the group which was slightly after the others. The cook was dancing after her with his usual heart-shaped eyes. Kiwa laughed at him and Usopp had a hard time to not laugh with her.

Chopper, Franky and Brook were last. The musician couldn't hold back because of everybody's great mood. He began to play happy songs with his violin and soon grew very popular by the citizens. Some of them followed a bit while dancing and many of them followed the crew and offered them sake or to come and drink in the bar.

The swordsman was very happy about the thought of alcohol and were about to follow one of them but Luffy wouldn't let him and dragged him back. If everybody weren't there then he could not enjoy his adventure to the fullest.

When they had walked out from the town a bit, a few drunks hadn't realized that they were not were they were supposed to be anymore and turned back.

"This is so beautiful!" said the navigator while looking around to see how far the meadow reached.

"The colours are great!" said an astonished little reindeer.

"It's just a meadow..." mumbled the swordsman.

The archaeologist chuckled, "But you got to admit, Kenshi-san, it is pretty glorious."

Her green-haired nakama just shrugged, "I've already seen it."

"Ne, Robin, which way are we going now?" wondered the captain, excitement in his voice.

"We're going through the forest over there," she answered and pointed out the location.

The forest was rather hilly but the Strawhats had chosen a path pretty easy to walk on. After ten minutes of walking, laughing, talking, some complaining, and even tree-climbing done by Luffy, the group still was in the forest.

Robin was still in the lead while Nami was walking with her, chatting. Zoro and Luffy was walking after them. The black-haired captain had found a little round stone which he was tossing up and down in his right hand while he whistled. Then he had an idea and picked up many rocks whereupon he offered some to the swordsman. Out of boredom they then threw them in order to see which one of them that could throw the furthest.

The rest of the crew was not far behind the others and were casually chitchatting as well.

"Oh, I know this game we can do!" said Kiwa. "Say like an... hmm, an animal, Chopper-san!"

"Eh? Okay, uhm, reindeer?" he answered and smiled, interested.

"Okay, reindeer ends with an 'r', so that means that the next person must say an animal that starts with an 'r'. Hey, longenose, you answer!"

"What? Hmm... say, rhino?"

"Octopus," said Sanji.

"Let's see... sunburned dolphin!" said Kiwa.

"Oi, wait a little, does that really count?" asked the sniper.

"Haha! That's silly, Kiwa!" yelled the captain and turned his head back,"That's not an animal!" Whereupon a big argument burst out.

"So, cook. Have you noticed yet?" said Zoro and also looked back.

Sanji stopped arguing and turned to the swordsman, "Noticed what?"

"Didn't thought so. Not even you Chopper? Try sniffing over there." Whereupon he threw a rock to the group's left.

"Huh? Oh, alright," said the little doctor and did what his nakama said, "Eh! I smell people only about 100 meters away from here."

"Don't freak, it's probably only small fry. They have either been stalking us or maybe they simply aren't aware of our presence and just happens to head the same way. Considering our whereabouts, though, I'm guessing we're being followed."

"You are right Kenshi-san. It's the marines," said the archaeologist.

"The marines?! Why are they here?" said the navigator, looking confused.

"Why are they following us?" wondered Franky.

"It's only three of them, I checked. They don't seem to be very strong either. They began to run away just now," said Robin and shrugged, "I can't understand why they would send so few of them if they were after us."

"Maybe just to spy on us," suggested Sanji and shrugged as well.

"Maybe, but it still doesn't make sense. Even spying is a big risk for them. They don't know what abilities a crew may have. They could easily get spotted."

"That's right," said the swordsman, "Look, we discovered them already and if we wanted to, we could just end their life's here and now. It should be considered too risky just sending that few."

"Should we go kick their asses then?" said the cook and grinned, "We can squeeze the information out of them."

"Yeah, why not?" said Zoro and grinned as well.

"Where did Luffy-kun and Kiwa-san go?" Said Brook just when the two teens were about to take off.

Suddenly there was screams coming from behind the hill everyone was already looking at.

"Man, what is it with those two!" yelled Nami and sighed.

"Shitheads! Taking all the fun!" groaned Zoro and sheathed his swords again.

"Oh no! Hope they didn't-" started the cook as they all ran over to the marines whereabouts.

When they reached their destination, all everyone could do was to let out a deep sigh.

"You idiots!" yelled the navigator, "How can we question them if they're all unconscious or dead?!"

"Don't worry!" yelled Kiwa and picked up one of the beaten marines by the collar, "This one is still awake!"

"He is?" said Luffy and walked over to her. Then he grabbed the man she was holding by his arms and shook him violently while roaring at him, "Now tell me why you were following us, bastard!"

"OI!" yelled the others.

"I should beat you to a pulp!" Nami went and kicked the captain away, "Look of what you did! Now he's unconscious!"

"Oh?" Luffy and Kiwa walked to the others again, "Nma, it's not important anyway. If they come again, I'll just beat them up!"

"That's not the point," Nami sighed again, "Anyway, they don't seem to be waking up anytime soon so let's just head for the beach. I haven't walked all this way for nothing."

"Oh, the view's a lot better up here! I can see the beach!" yelled the sniper.

"Yes, finally!" yelled Luffy and began to ran there together with Usopp, Chopper and Kiwa.

"I guess they agree with me," said Nami and shrugged. Then she and the others also ran, "Hey wait for us!"


So... "Nothing but the Truth" told me that Robin actually stops calling the crew by their nicknames after the CP9 arc. I had no idea :o I actually saw the anime first but I kinda rushed through it cause I was eager to see more. I didn't understand their language and expressions very good back then either. Now I'm reading the manga but am yet to find out if this is true. However, the translations in the manga is very irritating so I don't know what I can trust.

So... I'm not really sure if Franky can swim. Or wait, he did swim while in Enies Lobby, right? But technically, you'd think that he would sink, he's half a gath damn cyborg for crying out loud! Well, it's not like the first unexplainable thing in One Piece so, he can just swim on, at least in my story xD

So... this whole chapter was all general and stuff but there's got to be a little of that too sometimes!

Tell me what you think!