Chapter 9:: Heat Wave
AN: I've finally estimated that this takes place around early August. I think it helps with the storyline, but let's see how this goes.
Side note: the term "dono" is more honorific than "san". Sanji calls Rhythm "Rhythm-dono" because she's the captain's sister. It's like he's saying "Miss Rhythm", "Nami dear" or "Miss Nami", and "Robin dear" or "Little Robin".
And this is a filler chapter sorry for making everyone wait so long for a simply 1600 word chapter :I
%Narrator%
Three weeks passed since the Straw Hats saw land. Three weeks of being stuck on the ship with a wavering food supply and stressful weather conditions.
"Naaa~miii~ I'm so bored," Luffy moaned from the mast. Out of sheer boredom he had climbed halfway up the mast and clung up-side-down to it, his hat swinging from the string around his neck and shirt failing over his head.
"I'm sorry, captain, but the islands keep changing stability. We finally found one that's not moving at all and if my estimation is correct, we'll be there tomorrow," Nami wiped sweat from her brow from watering her mikan trees. She couldn't help but feel a lingering gaze from the mast when she straightened up and wiped her hands down on her stylishly worn jeans.
"Judging by the heat, it's a summer island," Usopp rolled over on the warm lawn in nothing but cargo shorts and a baseball cap. Chopper lay next to him with a hand fan, panting slightly from the humidity.
"Urg and its summer time, too," Nami rubbed her sweaty arms. She had on a loose T-shirt with a low-cut V-neck and a hem that stopped just above her bellybutton with a pair of faded super skinny jeans and heels. It wasn't much, but she wanted to shed off all her clothes and jump into the cool ocean for a bit.
"It's so hot, my body feels like it's starting to simmer like one of Sanji-san's dishes. But wait! I don't have any flesh to simmer!" Brook joked, "Yohohoho~ Skull Joke!"
"No," Usopp, Chopper and Luffy said in unison.
"Aw."
"Nami-san 3! Robin-chan 3! Rhythm-dono 3!" Sanji sang from the kitchen door, "I have some refreshing drinks to relieve your tired, sweaty bodies from the heat~3!"
"Thank you, Cook-san," Robin took the offering drink and sipped it peacefully under the umbrella shade.
"Sanji-kun I just picked some mikans. Make something nice okay?" Nami traded the ripe orange fruits for the pretty blue drink.
"Where's Rhythm-dono?" Sanji asked.
"Gym with Zoro," Chopper said. "I'm hoping she's working on gaining back the lost muscle mass."
"Or doing more than that," Usopp nudged Franky, who snickered in response.
"She's a lady!" Sanji slammed his foot into Usopp's and Franky's heads then handed them a pretty blue drink.
"There's a bit of alcohol in it but not enough to get you tipsy. I made you a special one since I know you don't drink," Sanji handed Chopper a pretty pink drink with a red umbrella instead of a blue one.
"Mhh it's sweet!" Chopper smacked his lips and practically chugged the whole thing.
"Ice cubes are so badass," Usopp said lazily, "They float around in their own blood."
"Ew," Nami said.
"Not as 'ew' as bird shit and blood all over the deck," Franky snorted.
"That'll be interesting. If you had hit a major artery of that bird there would have been more blood," Robin sighed.
"Guys stop this is nasty. You know how much I hate that bird," Nami wrinkled her nose as the boys laughed.
"I'll take these last two to Rhythm-dono and Mossball," Sanji started making his way up the ladder to the crow's nest/gym.
(~)
Meanwhile, up in the gym, Zoro was finishing up an insanely large number of push-ups with a stack of heavy tombs from Robin's library on his back (with a towel between his sweaty skin and the ancient books, of course). Rhythm was a few feet away from him doing more complex stretches.
They had the radio turned up loud, a lot less static now that they were much closer to an island. Currently, it was playing some remix of a popular song on the island. The song itself was pretty terrible, and the remix just made it even worst.
"I can't stand this, could you change it?" Zoro asked.
"No. You can change it," Rhythm said, stretching forward and grabbing her feet, "You're closer."
"Rhythm-dwono~! I brought you a special drink to relieve you of your exercising~!" Sanji's singsong voice drifted from the ladder. He came in with a tray of pretty blue drinks, one more dressed up than the other.
"Ah~ do me a favor and change the station for us, dumb cook?" Zoro asked, plucking the less dressed drink from the tray.
"Lady's first, Marimo!" Sanji snapped, swiping his legs around to knock Zoro down.
"Just fuck already," Rhythm muttered as she took her own drink.
"What?" Zoro's head whipped around.
"Get a duck for me. I want a duck."
"I'll get you a duck!" Sanji volunteered happily. "How would you like it cooked?"
"Actually I've never eaten a duck before, so whichever way you think would be best." She took a sip and smiled, "Thank you Sanji! It's delicious!"
"I'm glad you like it, Rhythm-dono," Sanji gave a curt bow and descended down the latter, tray tucked under his arm.
"It's too hot to keep working I'm taking a break," Rhythm collapsed down onto the bench and practically chugged down the iced drink.
"Wimp. Can't stand a little heat?" Zoro set his drink down next on the ground by the bench and sat down, not too close where they'd feel each other's heat.
"It's 104F Zoro. How?!" she ran a hand through her sweaty hair and attempted to tie it back into a messy pony tail.
"And?"
She stopped and stared, "You're a hopeless idiot."
"Oi!"
"Just stating a fact, don't get all hissy over it," she pulled off her sweat pants to reveal her striped spandex booty shorts, using the sweats to dab her forehead.
"Have you always been this intolerant to heat? You're a dancer so I thought heat wouldn't get to you as bad."
"No it was worst when I was a kid. In the summer I'd make Luffy do everything and I'd refuse to move out of the shade."
"That's pretty pathetic," he teased.
"Oi!" she pounded his shoulder with her fists and made a weird gurgling sound in the back of her throat.
"Stop that that's weird," he swiped at her hands, missing and pulling the strap of her loose cut up top. "Sorry."
"That's fine just don't tease me on my heat intolerance! How about- Sanji didn't change the station," Rhythm frowned as a badly auto-tuned voice squeaked from the speakers. "I'm getting a head ache. Zoro change it."
"No."
"Don't be a dick and change it."
"I have a dick, dumbass."
"Do you really like this song that much?"
The cackling radio mixed with the horrible dubstep remix, the same three counts repeating over and over at an incredible eight note pace. Their hearts had accelerated to the already too fast beat, making their blood race faster than the heat of exercise already had.
"No. I don't."
"Change it or I'll start up my dubstep impersonation."
"No just don't I'm changing it." he got up from the bench and made his way to the sound system. He paused, finger hovering over the control board, "How do you change the station?"
"Turn the dial to the left. No Zoro left. The side you don't have an eye. Yeah, over there. Good Lord Zoro turn the knob slowly until you get the best signal." I was about ready to choke that man with his own sash.
"Just cool your tits woman," he sneered and turned the knob the right way.
"Good boy, shall I get you a treat?"
He flipped her off and plopped down by the weights.
There was a moment of silence between the two, where the mellow music played softly through the loudspeaker. Zoro broke it first, "Your break won't be short Chopper told me that either Sanji's going to feed you until you blow."
"I'm not actually fond of either options but at this point it's either that or Chopper eats my head off."
He leaned back and closed his remaining eye. "Impel Down, is it really that bad?"
I was taken aback by his sudden question. "Y-yeah. It is. Luffy had a hard time in there 2 years ago. But you guys are a lot stronger now so it probably won't be as bad for you guys."
"You're strong."
"What?"
"I said," he opened his eye, dark irises with the smallest hint of red in the afternoon light, "you're strong."
"I heard you dummy! It just caught me off-guard! You're not the type to just say stuff like that," I ran a hand through my messy hair.
"Don't call me a-"
The trapdoor slammed open and Usopp popped his head in.
"Oi guys! Nami said there's an island in site! We'll be landing by early evening!"
"Ew it's a summer island. I hate the heat."
"I retract what I said earlier," Zoro wiped sweat from his brow with a towel and started to pull on his over-coat.
"Oi!"
"I heard this might be the vacation island famous for its carnivals! If not then it's the island with the hot springs! Ooh I can't wait!" Usopp said as he made his way back down the latter.
"It's too damn hot for a hot spring. I'm going to take a cold shower then curl up down in the lower decks with chopper," I pulled back on my sweatpants and made my way towards the door.
"Wait," Zoro grabbed my wrist. "Whatever happened in Impel Down, don't forget it. But don't let it haunt you either."
"That was strangely . . . deep for you, Zoro," I pulled my hand from his calloused grip.
"And what's that supposed to mean," he gave me a quick peck on the cheek and followed me out of the crow's nest.
"Nothing. Let's go raid the kitchen and take a shower."
"Together?"
I smirked, "Together."