"Has anyone seen Luffy?"
"No, he went out last night, saying he was looking for something he saw earlier yesterday."
"Hmm... its past noon, I'm starting to get worried."
"Really?"
"Even that idiot can get in over his head."
"True... Do you think..."
A shout was heard from the dock side, calling for someone from the Thousand Sunny to make themselves known. Nami and Franky appeared over the side of the ship, looking down onto the planking of the deck, prepared for trouble or just the curious.
A man in the common dress of the town was stood there, looking slightly annoyed with his arms folded over his chest and a piece of paper in one hand. But there was also an edge of amusement to his expression, so Nami felt hopeful as she called down. "What's the problem?"
"This the boat belonging to the Straw Hat Pirates?" He asked in a matter-of-fact tone, seeming to just want to confirm he had the right boat.
"Yes." Confirmed Nami a little confused but still ready to duck or fight. "Why?"
"Your Captain is Monkey D. Luffy then."
It was a statement not a question but Nami answered anyway. "Of course."
The man nodded and called back down the little causeway to a group gathered there around something, the group started to move and chatter. Turning his attention back to Nami, the man now nodded his head at her, "then I hope that I'll be looking to you to pay your Captains bill?"
"Oh dear..." Nami felt her heart sinking a little, as unofficial treasurer because she was the only one that seemed to think past her own profession and thought of the ship as a whole. "Just tell me how much." She sank against the rails, one hand over her eyes as her mind raced.
"Only fifty thousand berries," said the man calmly but there was smile, hidden in the corner of his mouth.
Nami frowned at she lifted the hand off of her eyes and looked down at the man, "what?"
"Yeah," shrugged the man and held up the piece of paper for her to see if more clearly now. It was a poster for a restaurant the man must own, it claimed to have all you can eat. Nami understood instantly but then frowned again.
"But it says that just for one person?" She asked, "surely he must have eaten your entire kitchen empty. Is that really all your charging?"
The man did laugh now, "oh yes. We charge on the door you see so there's no trouble once people are in, they can help themselves. It's quite profitable to be honest and when I saw him going at it last night, I did start to panic, even with that girl trying to slow him down and control him." He paused to look over at the progress of the small crowd coming down towards the ship, then back up at Nami and continued to speak, "thing is, once people heard that was a rubber man eating my place out of everything, people were paying just to come in and watch him eat! It was amazing!"
The group finally made it up to the man on the dock and stopped, pulling back and breathing heavily, allowing Nami to see that the small hand cart actually contained her sleeping Captain, his stomach so distended from all he'd eaten that it over flowed the sides of the cart. Silk was amongst the group of people pushing the cart, Nami noted with a smile.
"Gross," she commented as she looked again at Luffy's bloated form. "Sorry again for the trouble."
"Trouble?" The man laughed even harder this time, "I made more money last night than I'd make in a year! My gratitude and blessings dear woman! But I will ask for his cost of the meal as the girl with him said you would be able to pay it when they came in."
"Sure," nodded Nami before turning to Franky and asking if the large man could help get Luffy on board so he wouldn't clutter up the dock for everyone else. "I'll just get that for you now."
Walking past a sleeping Zolo and a reading Robin, Nami nipped through the Aquarium Bar where Sanji and Chopper where playing game of cards with Usopp, on her way back from the little desk in the library Sanji looked up. "Hey Nami, what's up?" He asked curiously.
The orange haired woman smiled at him, "Luffy's just been brought back by a restaurant owner and I've got to cover his bar bill," she chuckled again as she remembered what the man had told her. "Thankfully he's got a sense of humour so I just took it out of the petty cash in the library."
"Okay," Sanji smiled widely, his cigarette clamped between his teeth as he did, "let me know if you want a hand my dearest Nami."
The man took the money cheerfully and left as Franky finished hauling the oversized figure of Luffy onto the grassy main deck and dragged him under one of the little trees and next to the sleeping Zolo. Nami was just shaking her head in wonder at the idiot called Luffy when Sanji called that he was bringing them some drinks. The cook complimented and cooed as he served them ice cold fruit drinks with a splash of syrup before bowing and asking if his darling ladies needed anything else.
Once he was gone, Robin spoke up, "he's a little bit back to normal now, do you think?" Nami was watching the retreating Sanji as he sauntered back to his kitchen, tray under his arm, her expression was unreadable.
"Nearly," said Nami at last once the blond was gone. "When he and Zolo were fighting so much, it was starting to sound so fed up all the time," she paused as she took a drink from the tall glass, enjoying every moment of the flavours swirling over her tongue. "He was even starting to sound bored when he came up here with treats for us, he knows he doesn't have to make them and we never ask. But..." She trailed off lost for words.
Robin just smiled, "he wants to make us happy and even if he was tired and annoyed at Zolo, he doesn't see why it should stop him trying." She shrugged and casually, as nonchalantly as possible, folded her arms over her chest so she could see into the kitchen as the cook moved around. "He just doesn't know when he should stop and take some time for himself."
"I know," agreed Nami, "its one of the most common traits on this stupid crew."
"It seems going out on the town with Zolo last night must have helped," said Robin idly, sipping he drink through the straw and humming in delight. Nami was staring at the blank haired woman like she'd said that Chopper was really a sheep in disguise and Usopp was off to join the marines. Seeing this, Robin just smiled that little enigmatic smile, "you didn't know?"
"Of course not!" Gasped Nami, leaning closer and desperate for details. "Which one of them made that first move?"
"I wouldn't say it was a move towards anything," said Robin shaking her head, "except to maybe being better friends and not ripping each other apart when we're at sea."
"Deatils! I want them now!"
"Yes Nami, of course..."