Chapter 10

A/N:Just enjoy the show...

Days past, and each day was all the same. The prince would head to his studies with Shanks-sensei, and then they would either hang around the palace or go into town. Though they had to admit, it wasn't as fun without Usopp and Luffy around, Franky and Chopper thought so too. But they hadn't gone to Onami's for the past few days, since she had to prepare for 'next week'.

Zoro still couldn't figure out what was actually happening that everyone was talking about. He would always here guards and workers talking about "it" at night when they were all together, and he noticed all the servants were working twice as hard.

There was a way he could find out. And that was to simply ask the prince of course. Sadly though, he could never bring himself to ask it. "It doesn't matter though. Whatever it is... It's happening tomorrow. I'll find out sooner or later," he thought to himself... But before he knew it, the curiosity was killing him, but he still stayed strong and never asked the prince. "Ugh, why is this day lasting so long?" He grumbled as he stood behind the prince himself.

They were in the garden, and Sanji was sitting on a bench by the pond, it was obviously his favorite place in all the palace. At this moment, Zoro had forgotten all his curiousness while, of course, watching the prince. He was just so beautiful. The bodyguard tilted his head to one side. His thoughts began to get a little, shall we say... dirty.

Zoro's eyes slowly moved down to the boy's waste, where his kimono was fastened tight. Zoro could feel his hands tingle as he pictured them on the boy's slender waste, squeezing, and rubbing tight. Then his eyes drifted to the bare skin of his neck. The swordsman licked his lips. How he wanted to bit down on that smooth skin. He wanted to taste the salt of his sweat. And his hair. His golden hair. Zoro just wanted to run his hands through it. He wanted to feel it's silkiness.

Just then, the prince stood to his feet and walked towards him saying, "It's getting late. I think I'm gonna turn in early. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow!" He smiled and then lead them back into the palace. "Ugh. I wanna ask him so bad. What is it! What's gonna happen tomorrow? What's everyone so worked up about? Heck, even him! Should I ask?" Zoro couldn't take it anymore.

"Um... Your highness-"

"There you go again with that. I thought I told you, you don't have to call me that when it's just you and me," said Sanji as he opened the door to his bedroom. Zoro paused, then said what he wanted to say when the prince first brought up the subject.

"Actually, your highness. I feel as though I wouldn't be your bodyguard if I didn't say it. I feel as though, I could not call you anything else." After he got it out, he looked to see what expression the blond had on his face. His was surprised; the prince looked a little hurt. But Zoro said nothing more. Once again, there was a pause between them. Sanij looked to the floor.

"Oh... Heh. I guess that would make sense." He opened his door, walked inside, then turned back to the swordsman, "Well. Goodnight then..." He nodded once then shut the door.

Zoro sighed, "I can't say anything to him without hurting him, can I?" he said to the ceiling. There was nothing else he could do so, naturally, he headed underground where all the guards (and sometimes servants) came at the end of the day.

Once he was down there, he was surprised to see everyone gathered together in a huddle, that is, mostly everyone. Bodyguards and captains were left out. Zoro instantly spotted Kid's big red hair and headed over.

"Hey, what's all this?" Zoro nodded to the crowd.

"Tch, nothing really. They're just discussing the plans for the one millionth time today. I don't know what's so exciting about it all."

"I don't even know what's happening," Zoro admitted, "What's going on tomorrow?" Kid looked at him, a little wide-eyed. Then, out of no where, his fellow bodyguard busted out laughing, almost getting some of the people in the crowd to look over their shoulders.

"What?" Zoro asked, annoyed.

"Ha! Like you don't know!" Kid laughed. Zoro was about to say more, but a curtain boy with a straw hat hanging on his back approached him.

"Hey there Zoro! Long time no see!" He smiled and waved. Once again, Zoro sighed since he wasn't getting an answer.

"Hey Luffy," he groaned, "How's training?"

"Mmmm it's good."

"Doesn't sound like you like it that much," said Zoro, judging by Luffy's tone.

"No it's fine! Usopp likes it too. But the best part is seeing Law everyday!" The boy's face lit up.

"Ha!" said Kid, "Sounds like you love the guy!" Luffy's face turned red instantly, and he became embarrassed.

Kid and Zoro's face turned to stone, they were stiff like it too. Kid was joking, but Luffy clearly didn't know he was. Now one was blushing and two were new additions to a statue museum. Soon, (kinda soon) they snapped out of it.

"Wha... Luffy, he was joking," Zoro tried to tell him.

"I... I know." Luffy made a pouty face and continued to blush. There was a pause.

"Eh?" said Zoro... *another pause*

"WHAT THE HEEEEEEEEELL?!" The bodyguards shouted at the same time.

"What the hell what?" a voice said behind them. The two bodyguards spun around to see Law standing behind them with his arms crossed over his chest. They couldn't say anything to him, they were still too shocked.

"L-Law!" said Luffy, pushing through the other two men.

"You, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to practice tonight since you have most of the day off tomorrow!" The captain didn't seem happy when he spoke to the boy.

"I know! I finished everything you told me to do. That's why I'm here. Usopp is finishing up soon too. He says that, that Captain Robin lady keeps him late, but she's a good trainer!"

"Then you should take by his example and train all night as he does." Law never seemed pleased with anything Luffy did, no matter how hard the young boy tried.

"Ah, give him a break Trafalgar. He's bran new to the palace," Kid butt in, "Geez. If I recall we didn't seem cut out for the job the first few weeks huh? This little freak here was better then any of us were in the try-outs alone." They all stared at him, shocked. Zoro would have never thought Kid would never stuck up for anyone, he didn't seem the type. Luffy smiled that big smile of his, then pat Kid on the back.

"Hey thanks! Haha!" Law grumbled and began to leave, but Luffy wouldn't seem to let up, "Hey Law!"

"That's Captain to you."

"Why do I have to call you Captain? I'm not under your unit!"

"Because that's my title stupid." They argued as they walked to their own table.

"That was pretty cool," commented Zoro.

"What? Sticking up for the kid? Nah. Law just doesn't like being bothered by it all. To be honest I bet he rather train himself!"

"It sounded like you've known each other for a long time."

"Huh? Oh, yeah." They sat down once again, "Yeah actually. Believe it or not, but the prince was only five when me, Law, and couple more of us started here."

"Five?" Zoro looked to his hands, which were resting on the table now. He tried picturing the prince as a little young five year old. He pictured big blue eyes on a pale face, and a big blond head in a tiny pony-tail, and his tiny figure in a tiny kimono.

"What's with the smirk," asked Kid. Zoro caught himself in the act, then cleared his throat.

"It's nothing." They drank the contents of their mugs and continued.

"Anyway, it took a lot of training to get as good as we are now. You're lucky, you didn't have to work here your whole life. You just got transferred."

"There's some part of me that wishes I was here. Sometimes I wonder... What the prince was like growing up."

"Ah, he was pretty weird if you ask me." Zoro gave the red haired man a curious look, asking him to continue. Kid sighed as he got into it, "It was the end of our first week, everyone in the palace was all excited for some reason, kinda like tonight. But this was for a totally different reason. Because that day... was the day King Zeff's nephew was travelling from a distant land. And he was to be the prince of Grand Jipang. That was the day everyone met him. He was scrawny at the time. He seemed afraid of everything. Ha! I remember, he was always hiding behind the king." This was all news to Zoro, he never imagined Sanji being like that, compared to the way his is now.

"Hm," was his only response. There was another long pause as everything sunk in. That's when the swordsman remembered, "Oh yeah, Kid, before I forget. What is happening tomorrow?" Kid chuckled at this once again.

"I can believe you don't know." He stood to his feet, but before he left he turned to his fellow bodyguard and said, "Why, it's the prince's birthday."

A/N:Yay! Next chapter we get to party! I hope you guys liked this chapter, I know it was short, but the next chapter should be bigger, (hopefully). Keep reading to find out what happens next!