A/N - Here's the next chapter! It's very nearly the new year here in England! I'm so excited! I hope you all have a great start to the new year and have a good one in whole. Anyway, this is following the anime more, and next chapter Ace is introduced (finally)! I'm looking forward to typing it! Enjoy~!
*Disclaimer* I do not, nor will I ever, own One Piece, any of the characters or anything. I only own my OC's and the made up places and e.t.c. I apologise if any of this material offends anyone. I assure you I didn't mean it to offend in any way, shape or form. This story may contain some coarse language.
Chapter 11 – Shopping is a chore, not a luxury.
We drew closer and closer, until we very nearly touched the edge of the rocky sands. A small town sat not too far away and I could hear the laughs and hum of chatter coming from the cluster of buildings. We all stared in awe and Usopp commented, "So that's what an Arabasta city is like."
Luffy cried, "Food!" Of course, trust him to be thinking about his stomach. I sweat dropped as I looked at the boy, hands griping the rail tightly and eyes wide.
"Listen everyone, I'm only going to say this once," Nami said, taking control and stepping forward with a stern look on her face. "I expect you all to be on your best behaviour."
Sanji sung out, "Yes, Nami-san~!" His cigarette began to puff out heart shaped smoke while his cheeks turned a rosy red. I smiled and turned back to look at Nanohana, but was surprised to see Luffy climbing over the ships rails. I sweat dropped as I watched the boy. He can't wait to go get food... He has no patience what so ever.
Zoro also spotted Luffy's escape, for he said, "The guy you have to worry about the most has already taken off." Everyone was now watching Luffy charge away, a plume of dust kicked up behind him. His excited scream of, "Food," echoed through the air.
I giggled as Nami screamed, "HEY, HOLD IT!" She jumped forward, teeth like daggers and eyes glaring at the captain. Usopp watched him with disbelief.
"He's completely inhuman." I laughed and agreed with the curly haired boy.
"Agreed Usopp. I can't help imagining what his family is like. He must have got that appetite from somewhere..." I felt my ears and tail droop. "Could you imagine if he had a brother? Two Luffy's..." Usopp gasped and together we conjured up images of two Luffy's pigging out. It was not a pretty sight.
Beside me, Vivi clasped her hands together and gazed out at Nanohana and Luffy with a face full with worry. "What'll we do?" she asked softly.
Sanji answered, "Don't worry. Just go to the noisiest place you can find." Sanji stood up with his hands in his pocket and jumped down from the ship. "That's where he'll be." He landed softly on the sand and glanced back as Zoro moved to climb down the ladder. Usopp sighed and leant on the railing.
"He's right ya know." Luffy was nowhere to be seen now. He had disappeared.
Nami sighed, "Jeez. I wish he'd remember he's got a bounty on his head, especially in a country this big." I noticed Chopper pulling on a little backpack with a grin on his face. Zoro answered whilst climbing down the ladder, "Just let him be. He'll be fine. Let's just go eat. We'll think about stuff later." I looked over the edge and smiled. In a way, he was a bit like Luffy. Worrying about his stomach first. Chopper trotted over, jumped onto the rail and then off, landing soundlessly on the soft, golden sands.
Nami growled, "Every single one of 'em." Vivi backed away from the rails, a movement that caught my attention. I turned and looked at her whilst cocking my head to the side, staring at her with my amber eyes curiously. "Karoo and I cannot accompany you," she said quietly. Nami and Usopp both turned to her now, looking curious and confused. "What's wrong?" Usopp asked. "You have an upset stomach?"
"Too many people here will recognise me," she explained, almost sadly.
From beside the boat, Zoro added, "She's right." I frowned slightly and spoke up.
"We can bring her some extra food, right?" I asked, looking around at the other crew members.
Sanji's agreed. "Ah, Shiroi-chan is right! We'll bring back some food for you, Vivi-chan~!" A relieved and grateful smile spread across Vivi's lips.
"Thank you so much," she said to me, bowing her head slightly. I smiled back at the girl.
Suddenly, Karoo's 'scream' interrupted us. All eyes turned to the flapping duck.
"What's the matter?" Vivi asked him. Karoo was flapping wildly, his eyes blank with panic. We all quickly ascended the stairs and peered to where his wing was pointing. "Mr. 3's ship!" Vivi cried in horror. I stared at the strange ship blankly.
Who? Wasn't Mr. 3 one of the Baroque works members who the Straw hats had defeated? My ears perked up, straining for sounds, before laying flat. I'm a little confused...
Apparently, so were the others.
"That bastard! Didn't we take care of him already?" Usopp cried. Vivi nodded slowly.
"I'm sure of it," she began. "If I remember correctly, that ship moves by means of his Doru Doru fruit powers."
I cocked my head and asked, "So he's here?" Vivi nodded slowly, her face taunt with worry and fear.
"I fear so..."
"That means trouble. We'll be recognised," Zoro added. Usopp suddenly smirked and glanced back at us all. His smirk oozed pride and confidence. He had an idea.
"Don't worry, I've got a plan."
Note to self; when Usopp says he has a 'plan' it isn't as good as he makes it out to be, not in practice.
We were currently walking through a busy market street with Zoro, Usopp, Nami, Vivi and Karoo crawling awkwardly under a large sheet that had been draped over them. Locals were all regarding us strangely, though I received more than my fair share of odd looks. Sanji, Chopper and I were walking beside them uncovered. The three of us didn't have to worry about being spotted by Mr. 3 – he had never seen us before. We, therefore, acted as the eyes and ears.
We were looking for a secluded spot where the others could hide without being spotted. While doing this, I also checked out the local stalls. Foods of all sorts were being sold, as well as perfumes, clothes, merchandise, and general goods. Eventually, I spotted an area away from the hustle of the town where old stone buildings remained. "There's a good spot," I said, pointing in the right direction. Sanji nodded and kicked the lumpy blanket.
A deep voice cried out, "Ow!" I knew it was Zoro and smiled.
"Oi, marimo, there's a spot ahead that's secluded." I heard a series of muffled grumbles and stifled a small giggle, my tail happily swaying from side to side.
Usopp lifted the edge of the fabric over his head, peering out and checking the coast. Everyone else had already pulled it off them but he didn't notice. Finally, after deeming it safe, he dropped the fabric and cheered almost, "Yosh! Everyone, the coast is clear."
Zoro sighed and added, "We already took it off."
Usopp ignored him and carried on. "Looks like no one noticed us." He shielded his eyes and gazed about us.
"Usopp, I think everyone noticed us... It was kind of hard not to," I chuckled.
Sanji leant against the wall and exhaled a puff of smoke from his never ending cigarette. "Vivi-chan, you'll be safe from prying eyes here at the moment." Vivi was staring blankly at the sand, a saddened look on her face. Sanji blinked and stepped forward. "Vivi-chan?" Her eyes became wide and a sort of robotic smile creaked across her face. "Yes. Yes, yes, what is it?"
Sanji and I shared a concerned look before I asked softly, "What's wrong?" Her fake smile dropped and the same troubled expression came back. She glanced around the area before answering, "I'm sorry, I was just thinking... At least, while I was looking at the city. Everything still seemed to be fine." Everyone fell silent and listen to her speak. "And though I can't truly be at ease, I think it can still be saved." I noticed her hands were clenching the sheet very tightly, so much that they were shaking.
We stood in silence before Nami spoke up. "You're right. It's a very peaceful city." I had to agree. It reminded me slightly of Humble island – just 100 times hotter. Zoro suddenly asked, "Hey, Vivi. You said you have forces to suppress the rebellion, right?" Vivi blinked before nodding. "What's the next step? What do we have to do? If we can still save them, then have to take action soon." Vivi shifted nervously.
"Yes, that's right... But you only promised to take me as far as Arabasta and-" Nami raised her fist and knocked on Vivi's forehead, making a wooden sounding noise. My eyebrows shot up and I blinked. Is Vivi's head supposed to make that sound?
"Enough! I can't believe you're still talking like that," Nami snapped, sighing with exasperation. Vivi raised a hand to her forehead where a red bump was forming.
"Nami-san!"
Nami continued, "We've sailed together all the way here. You think we're just going to abandon you now?"
Usopp nodded in agreement. "She's right Vivi. Don't get all distant on us now."
Zoro even chipped in, "And I'm pretty interested in this Shichibukai." I sweat dropped. But, this was probably his way of helping Vivi. Nami frowned and turned on him.
"That's enough out of you!" She turned back to Vivi, leaning in close to her friends face. "In any case, quit over-thinking this!"
Sanji also added, "And of course, everyone expect me is being hunted, too."
The blue haired woman gasped in shock as Sanji's harsh words. "Sanji-san..."
Sanji shrugged. "That's how it is."
A shadow fell hauntingly over Nami's face, giving her a terrifying aura. I even flattened my ears at the waves of evil she was expelling. "And if this country is crushed, I won't get my fee for escorting you here. Understand?" she said with a false kind tone.
"Y-yes!" Vivi chocked out, visibly frightened. I shuddered. I would be too if I had that face looming in front of me. Nami's disturbing aura suddenly dissipated, and she now had a creepily big grin on her face and a cheerful facade. "Good, you understand!" she chirped.
Behind her, Zoro frowned and growled out, "You're going to hell." I blinked with surprise. Was he really allowed to say that to her? Keeping up her cheery facade, Nami almost sung out, "Why thank you, Zoro. And I haven't forgotten your debt either." Zoro flinched and turned fully to the crafty orange haired woman.
"Why you...!"
Smirking, Nami spoke to him over her shoulder, "I'll get it from you, even if I am a ghost!" Wow... talk about tenacity.
"Argh, you bitch!"
"You'll pay me back precisely 400,000 bellies."
"You raised it!"
"If you don't pay it back soon, it'll go up more."
I turned to Usopp who had a look of confusion and, perhaps a little bit of pity for poor, poor Zoro. I looked to him and asked, "Has she always been like this?" He nodded sadly.
"Unfortunately... yes."
Zoro suddenly addressed Usopp, "Oi, Usopp... could you..."
Usopp cut him off with a blunt, "No." I laughed and shook my head.
What were these people like? I noticed Vivi watching them with a small, grateful smile on her soft features. "Thank you," she whispered. I heard and stepped forward, standing by her side now.
"You know, you shouldn't be surprised by their wanting to help you." She turned to me, first with a confused look, but then it melted into contentment.
"I know... these people... they're so kind." I smiled softly as together we watched the rest of the crew – minus Luffy – arguing. I giggled at the scene.
"I know I haven't known you all that long but I'm just as willing to help you out," I said. Vivi started slightly, turning to me in shock.
"R-really?" I nodded. Vivi sighed and smiled again. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Oh, look at these!" I trotted over to a stall selling skewered fried meats. My ears were perked and I inhaled deeply, my tail wagging. "Mmmm, these smell so good!"
Sanji, Chopper and I were sent out shopping because we were the only ones safe from Mr. 3. The others stayed at the secluded spot, away from the crowds. We were going to be crossing the desert, heading to the Yuba Oasis where the Rebel's camp is. I was hesitant crossing the desert. I was born and raised on a snowy island, and the hottest place I had ever been to was Humble island, and it was nothing compared to this.
Sanji joined my side and together we peered at the sizzling meats. Sanji hummed in agreement. "These do smell nice..." He asked the stall seller about the meats, like what meat it was. Sanji laughed, picked one up and turned to Chopper. "It's venison." Chopper screamed and moved away from the offending meat.
"N-no thank you!" I giggled.
"Are you sure? It tastes really niiiiice," I grinned, rubbing my stomach. Chopper froze up and cried out no over and over. Sanji and I laughed and went back to browsing the stall. "Just what you'd find in a country like this, lot's of interesting foods." I nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, shame we don't have more time to look around." I heard sniffing and turned back to Chopper. He was sniffing the air with his blue-ish nose. "Chopper? What is it?"
"There's a strange smell mixed in with the food." I sniffed the air and smiled. A familiar and very powerful smell was wafting through the air and I was sure to what it was. "Oh, that's perfume," I explained. Chopper looked toward a shop hesitantly.
"Perfume? I don't like the scent very much." I could sympathise with him. It was a powerful smell to me too and if it was too strong it hurt. I smiled at Chopper before looking up at Sanji, only to find a cloud shaped like him. "Huh? Sanji?"
"OI!" Sanji had immediately zoomed in on a couple of local women who had come out of the perfume shop.
"May I say how ravishing you look?" Sanji said to a young woman while he held her hand. "With that mysterious aroma and your dazzling beauty." The woman was dressed in beautiful, long desert robes. They were the sort that we had to buy for us girls. I hummed in thought as I wondered how much they would cost. They looked expensive...
Suddenly, I noticed Chopper had left my side and was pulling on Sanji's trousers. After enough tugging his black trousers fell down, revealing blue underwear with red hearts on them. I stifled laughter and clasped a hand over my mouth. "Chopper, what the hell? I was doing great there," Sanji snapped, quickly pulling them back up. The woman had turned on their heels and promptly ran away.
"What're you doing? Buying supplies is more important," Chopper reminded.
"I know that!" Sanji retorted, doing up his trousers. I giggled and walked over. Sanji blushed when he remembered I was there. "O-oh, Shiroi-chan..." I laughed at his embarrassed face, unable to contain myself. Chopper whined, "Ah. I hate this smell. It's making me feel sick." One he recovered, Sanji squatted down next to the reindeer. "Ok, ok, don't push yourself. I'll take care of the shopping. Just wait for me somewhere," Sanji said. There was something hidden by his smile. I raised my eyebrows and opened my mouth. "I'll help you Sanji-"
"MISS~!" I was cut off by Sanji screaming at the top of lungs and chasing after the two women. I gaped at him and raised my hand in a futile gesture to stop him.
"Oi! Sanji! Wait!" I turned to Chopper. "Err... Chopper, you go lie down. I'll go get Sanji. See ya later!" I turned and quickly ran after the blonde chef, shouting his name as I went. "Sanji! Sanjiiii!"
I chased after Sanji through the streets of Nanohana. He was tricky to catch. He was weaving in and out of people, but I ended up bumping shoulders or knocking over people bags. "AH! I'm so sorry." I bowed to a young couple whose bags I had just knocked out of their hands. I sped off again, trying not to lose sight of Sanji. I turned a corner, leaving a dust trail and spotted Sanji swooning at more women. They girls were cowering slightly, intimidated by Sanji's advances. I ran up to the man, put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him away. "Sanji-san! We have to focus. Focus!"
"Aw, but Shiroi-chan..," he whined. I gave him a firm look that warned him.
"As much as I'd love to let you loose, Sanji-san, I can't. We need to go shopping!" Sanji sighed before looking deflated and – to be frank – like a kicked puppy.
"Yes... Shiroi-chan..." I frowned slightly and tried to think of a way to cheer him up. Something to do with food? No, that wouldn't be strong enough... How about? Got it! "If it cheers you up I'll let you pick out the outfits for the girls..." I said, a little hesitantly. Sanji visibly perked up at this, his face lighting up in pure glee and his eyes turning to hearts. "Thank you, Shiroi-chan~!" he cried. "I'll do the best job I can!" I smiled at the man joy and rolled my eyes, following behind him as he spun off to a nearby clothes shop.
The clothes in Arabasta were strange. I had never seen such fine and exotic robes before. I was a little confused at first, but a sales assistant helped me out. "Oh. So that wraps around the shoulders."
"Mmhm, and this ties around the waist to create a sophisticated and stylish look." I nodded as the woman showed me different components to an outfit, when suddenly Sanji sauntered over. His arms were full of colourful robes. "Shiroi-chan~! I picked out some outfits!" I looked over and smiled.
"Can I see?" I asked sweetly. Sanji nodded with a large grin on his face before placing the pile down and picking up the first outfit. My eyes nearly popped right out of my head. The clothes were way too revealing. In my paralysing shock I managed to choke out, "S-Sanji-san... those are way to revealing!" Sanji's excited face fell and he gained the look of a hurt child. "B-but Shiroi-chan... You said-"
"I know but..." I hesitated slightly before conjuring up a lie. "You wouldn't want any other men staring as us girls, would you?" Sanji hesitated, and I could see in his eyes the mental battle he was having. He was considering my clever words. A frown worked its way onto Sanji's face. "You're right Shiroi-chan!" he cried, startling the poor sales assistant. "I will protect you from those leeches!" I sweat dropped slightly at his sudden new found resolve. Before I knew it, Sanji was stalking around the store, finding new outfits. I grinned at my trick and decided to look for hats and long full body robes. I found some appropriate ones for the Nami, Vivi and I then looked for the boys.
Whilst I was looking through the rack, Sanji came over with new outfits. "Shiroi-chan, these are perfect!" I looked to him and sighed. Again, he had picked out pretty revealing outfits. I opened my mouth to object to the dancer girl's clothes. "Sanji-san, these-" He gave me his best puppy look. I stared blankly at him. It had no effect what so ever. "Sanji-san, don't you remember Vivi's conditions?" I asked, referring to her strict instruction on what to buy. Sanji grinned.
"It's OK, these are fine!" I shook my head but sighed.
"Fine, but I'm not wearing it. Nami-san and Vivi-san probably will though."
"But, Shiroi-chan-"
"Aha. No buts. I'll find something else, but you can buy them if you really want to." Sanji looked a little defeated, but pleased either way by the fact that he would at least get to see poor Nami and Vivi in the clothes. I shook my head and picked out the boy's clothes.
We paid for everything and left the shop, then continued looking for everything else we needed. We went on to buy lots of food and supplies for crossing the desert. Sanji – being the gentleman he was – carried everything in an overly stuffed backpack. I was impressed he had such strength. After we had got all we needed, we walked to where we were supposed to meet Chopper only to find that he had gone. I frowned along with Sanji. "Hm? Chopper? Chopper?" I called out into the streets around us but got no answer. Putting my hands on my hips, I frowned with concern. "Where could that reindeer have got to?" I asked myself. Sanji began to wonder around nearby alleyways, checking for him.
"No sign of him," he reported. I began to sniff the air in hopes of picking up his scent. I smelt a faint trace of him. Ears perked and tail stiff, I followed my nose to a nearby alleyway. "Hm? Can you smell him?" Sanji asked, following closely behind. I nodded.
"Yeah... but only faintly. It's mixed in too much with the perfumes." I frowned. Stupid false man-made smells. Though they were nice... My nose led me to a side alley, where the trail ended. I frowned as I stared at the blank sand. "It ends here," I explained. Sanji hummed.
"He might have gone back to the others." I nodded slowly, not fully sure. Something was up.
"Maybe... let's head back." As soon as I turned around I was met with a familiar furry face with antlers.
"Eh? Chopper!"
"Chopper? Where were you?" Sanji asked. Chopper grinned sheepishly.
"Well, I went for a lay down and it was too hot so I went into this shady cart and then they shut me in and it was moving!" I bent down to his level and nodded with interest.
"Go on, go on."
"Then, this friendly camel helped me escape!" Sanji and I stared blankly at the adorable reindeer before I slowly nodded.
"Ok... that's weird. But, still, we better be getting back to the others!"
We all changed into our clothes and I was glad, if a little scared, to see Nami was very impressed with the clothes Sanji had chosen. "This is gorgeous! I love stuff like this," she cried, looking over herself with pride. Nami and Vivi were dressed in blue dancing robes, with long flowing bottoms and a supportive bikini top. This left their long, pale stomach exposed. I had turned down their outfits and chosen for myself some nice soft robes. The first layer fit snuggly against my body – not too tight and not too loose. Vivi was not as enthusiastic and Nami. "About the errands we asked you to run, Sanji-san... Isn't this... a dance girl's-?"
"Isn't it lovely? It looks great on you," Sanji sung as he swirled over to Vivi.
She sweat dropped and continued, "But I asked you to get clothes like what the citizens wear."
"Dance girls are citizens too~!"
"But for walking on the desert..."
"But don't worry! If you get tired, I'll carry you~!"
I sighed and walked to Vivi's side. "It's no use talking to him," I said. She looked to me and scanned my clothing.
"How come yours are different?"
"I managed to save myself. I'm sorry you guys are stuck in those clothes. I did, however, get some extra robes for the desert." Vivi nodded gratefully.
"Oh, thank you Shiroi-chan!"
I grinned. "You're welcome. You should have seen the first outfits he chose..." I stopped there, leaving her to imagine her own clothes. She shuddered slightly.
"Chopper, what are you doing?" Usopp asked. Chopper was collapsed on the ground, his nose aching from the pungent perfumes.
"My nose is gonna fall off," he replied with the strained voice as Karoo sat nearby slurping noisily on a small barrel of drink. I giggled and looked over at him. My nose hurt a little too, especially because I was standing closely to Nami and Vivi. But, while I'm in my human form, my nose wasn't as sensitive as it could be. Vivi nudged me gently, "Is he feeling sick?"
I shook my head and answered, "The perfume is effecting him."
"Perfume?" Nami asked. Vivi nodded.
"Oh yes, Tony-kun's nose is very sensitive." Nami brought her wrist up to her nose and sniffed.
"Oh, this."
I nodded. "Some of those perfumes can be quite pungent," I explained. "Combined with a sensitive nose has left poor Chopper in pain." Nami gained a devious smirk and pulled out her glass bottle of perfume. "Like this one?" she asked, spraying the perfume in Chopper's direction. Chopper leapt up in pain, clasping his nose in between his hooves. "Hey, cut it out!" he cried. Even I cringed as Nami sent a fresh burst of perfume into the air. Sanji screamed out a string of love words that were too blurred together for me to understand. I blinked and stepped away from his 'love'. Zoro commented under his breath, "What a yutz." Sanji snapped at him but I just shook my head.
It had been fairly long, Luffy had been missing for hours, and we needed to get back on track. I stepped forward and said, "We've now got everything we need now, right?" Vivi nodded in confirmation.
"You said Yuba was where we're heading next, right?" Nami asked.
"Yes, that's right. But to get there we have to cross the desert," Vivi sighed. "It may prove a more formidable journey than any of you can imagine," she warned. "You can never be sure of what will happen. One wrong step and nothing can guarantee your life out on that land of scorching heat. I still have worries about taking everyone through such a place..." We all listened silently as she poured out her worries to us. Vivi was such a kind and gentle person and was constantly thinking about everyone. This brought a smile to my lips. "I want to restore peace to this land," she announced with a sudden determined resolve. "So... so, I would like to make another request." She inhaled deeply and looked at us with strong, hard-set eyes. In them burnt a fire I had never seen before. "Everyone! Please lend me all of your strength!" Her voice echoed around us. "Please!"
A grin spread to my lips. Vivi had finally asked for the help she so desperately needed. She said the words with such burning passion that it was as obvious at my twitching ears or wagging tail that she loved her country. This was an important quality she needed to be a successful queen – and she had it. Nami grinned widely, "You finally said it. We've been waiting for that." I nodded silently, agreeing 100%.
"There's nothing wrong with asking for help," I added, noticing Vivi's slightly embarrassed look.
"Not knowing what's gonna happen next is just like sailing the sea, eh Vivi-chan?" Sanji said with a smirk on his face, also comforting the woman.
"Yeah, nothing we haven't dealt with before," the ever-cool Zoro said, standing up and shifting his swords around his waist. Leaning against the wall, Chopper and Karoo sat together, observing the scene. "I'm looking forward to seeing the desert," Chopper said, turning to Karoo. Karoo quaked with glee. Usopp stood up, taking a deep breath and seemingly taking charge. "Alright, guys! Raise your spirits, we're heading to Yuba!"
I giggled as everyone shuffled closer together and made a circle of determination. "Aye!" we all cheered, raising our fists into the air. We cheered with excitement, anticipation and that itching feeling signifying we were ready to go. I turned to my side, going to speak to Luffy, but freezing when I saw the empty space that the rubber headed captain should be occupying. "Wait, aren't we forgetting someone?" I said, blinking at everyone, waiting for them to make the connection. I saw the pieces fit together in their head like pieces of a puzzle. I swear I could also see the sparks as they finally realised we were missing the most important person.
"LUFFY!" the others suddenly screamed.
Looks like they've only just remembered.