Zoro concentrated on the steps of dancing. She didn't like this. It was to open and she felt exposed being this close to someone she didn't know, especially without her swords. And the fact that she was letting him touch her was a little nerve wracking so she concentrated on dancing and trying not think about the situation she found herself in.
"So what brings you here?" The old man asks. Well she says old man, he seems old but he doesn't look old, at least not that much.
"Me and my friend are visiting the island." Zoro answers after thinking about it for a second. It was the closest thing she could think of. It wasn't a lie but it also wasn't the whole truth.
"How long will you be here?"
"Don't know." Zoro says under her breath. She didn't ask Nami how long it took the log pose to set. The man just nods.
"Sorry for disturbing," Sanji stops them, "but I would like a turn in dancing with..." Sanji looks at Zoro wondering what to call her. It would seem weird to call her a friend in this situation. They were at this ball together so maybe he should call her something more. Hopefully she doesn't get mad at him. "My partner." Sanji says with a smile.
The old man nods letting Zoro go. They watch as he disappears into the crowd, then they start dancing with each other. "Thanks. For getting me out of that." Zoro says looking straight as Sanji's chest, she didn't dare look him in the eye.
"It's okay. I just talked to Nami. We might be here for a while. The party ends at midnight, so let's hope we find what we need before it ends." Sanji says. Zoro nods. Okay, midnight, they have a time frame.
"Anything else?"
"Just that we should wait here till Brook or Robin find something." Sanji looks up to see Usopp running to Nami. He whispers something to her ear. Then she nods. They make eye contact and she shakes her head. Nothing.
It was well into the night that Usopp whispered something into Nami's ears. She smiled. Finally, things were moving forward. With that the two made their way towards Sanji and Zoro.
The two unusual people stood standing against a table of food, snacking away and talking. Zoro had become use to the atmosphere. The way everything sparkled, how everything smelled nice. As nice as it is she is getting tired of it. So is Sanji, as nice as it is to see Zoro dressed up he'd like to go back to the Sunny and just relax.
"There you both are." Nami says as quiet as she can so no one can hear her but loud enough for them to hear it. "Robin might have found something." Nami looks over to Sanji. "The room Robin found might take a while to look through wait a minute or two after we finish this conversation to leave." Nami then proceeded to tell Sanji where to go. It didn't take that long before she left.
Sanji took out his pocket watched and stared down at it until a few minutes have past. When it was time for them to go Sanji grabbed Zoro's hand and pulled her into the direction they needed to go.
After going through the maze that is this mansion they find themselves in front of double doors. Sanji and Zoro looked at each other both wondering if this is really the place Nami was talking about. They both shrugged their shoulders, the hallway is empty, actually the whole place is empty besides those in the ballroom. If they aren't in this room they could look in another one.
Slowly and carefully they open the door. It was silent but the room amazed them both. From top to bottom, left to right the room is filled with books upon books. Zoro has never seen anything like this before. Robin must love this place, maybe even Chopper, if there are medical books.
"Woah." Zoro couldn't help but voice. Sanji stood there just as stunned as she is nodding his head in agreement.
"You made it." They turn to see Nami's head pop from behind a shelf. "Come help us search. The room is a lot bigger than it seems." She informs them. They nod and go into a random area to search.
But after what felt like hours and no luck Zoro decided to ask. "What made Robin think this is the place?" Zoro asks setting another book to the side of where she sat on the floor, very princess like.
"With this many books I'm sure there is something about where Nina and her lover are, maybe even a diary of some sort." Robin says. Zoro pauses for a second. Robin was here? Since when? She didn't make any noise?
"If it's a diary you want why not search the bedroom?" Zoro asks.
"Brook and I did." Robin answers sullenly. "No luck."
"Well this isn't exactly working." Usopp says. "Who's to say we'll find anything here? It also doesn't help that this library is as big as the ball room." Usopp says moving his hands around dramatically.
"It's something. If we don't find anything tonight then we come back another night." Nami says.
"What do you mean another night?" Usopp asks looking at the orange haired girl suspiciously.
"We'll just sneak in." Nami says like it's obvious, with a slight shrug of her shoulder.
"Should have expected that." Usopp mutters under his breath but with how quiet this place is they all heard it.
Zoro tooned them out as she looked at the next row of books. She set the small pile of books on the floor next to her as she turned her head to read the titles. Hoping something would stand out, so far she's taken some medical books Chopper might like and some physic books Usopp might like. When Zoro reached the end of that shelf she steps back to take a sigh. This might be hopeless. This was making her emotional and she couldn't tell anymore if it was her or if it's Nina and Alex making her feel that way. She looked up from the top of the book shelf to the bottom scanning every book.
One did stand out. It was more worn out than the others and it didn't have the title on the spine of the book. Curiously she reaches for it. She sits down on the floor again as she looks over the cover. It was dark blue with the edges engraved with a gold color. It just said Lockheart on the cover and that's it. Lockheart, that's Nina's family name or was before she married Alex and took her family name not wanting to have her family name anymore.
Now more curious than before she open the book to the front page, a small paragraph written there. For my descendants to never forget where they come from: the first line said. The next page had a picture of Nina's father and mother. Both young looking but tough looking as well. Must be from their bounty hunting days.
Sanji looks over to see Usopp and Nami discussing their plans for what happens if they don't find anything. Usopp just wants to stay away from this place and island. He has a very bad vibe about it an illness as he calls it. Nami doesn't want to give up plus this library has some good books. Even Robin got into the conversations, she wants to know a little more of the history about this island. Sadly for Usopp they all but him have some interest with this place.
Sanji did wonder why Zoro was so quiet all of a sudden. She would have said something, at least one word into the conversation. He's doesn't know for certain but he got the feeling that Zoro liked to see Usopp squirm like he does when he gets scared, but who doesn't? It's funny, especially when Chopper joins him. "Zoro?" Sanji calls. He starts searching for her when he doesn't hear an answer. A little worried, the chances of Zoro wondering out the room are rather high.
He turns the corner to see her sitting on the floor looking down at the book in her lap intensely. It must have caught her interest. But what book would? He gets closer to see it's a picture book but he couldn't read the writing. It had old pictures, and of different people.
"What are you reading?" Sanji asks out loud stopping the others conversation. Zoro reading? They all went over to her. Nami and Robin sitting down on the floor next to her. Sanji and Usopp hovering over her.
Zoro looks up at Sanji. "It's a family album." Zoro states. She looks down at the book longfully. "The album was started by Nina's father. Growing up, he was in a rather poor household so they didn't have photo albums. So when he started his business he started one. He included everyone, from the maid to the cooks, butlers and babysitters." Zoro says turning the page.
"How do you know that?" Robin asks, very curious. Zoro looks at her confused. Can't she tell?
"From his writing." Zoro says turning to the first picture where a whole story is writing on the paper around the picture. Zoro points to the page. Robin looks it over.
"You can read it?" Robin asks. Zoro turns back to the page she was on then looks at Robin, her cheek a little puff up in a sulk.
"As hard as it may seem, I do know how to read." Zoro says. Did they really think she couldn't read? She had all the basic skills.
"It's not that," Robin starts with a slight smile, "it's just that even I can't read that way of writing anymore."
"Huh? You can't?" Nami asks.
"I major in poneglyphs and other old language not writing in cursive. It's hard to read." Robin says. "To many curls and the letters aren't separated." Robin adds under her breath.
"That's surprising." Usopp says out loud. "So why can you read it?" He looks at Zoro who just shrugs as she look down at the page, her finger tracing the words.
They heard Zoro gasp and shove the book closer to her face. Her gaze got a hundred times more intense than before. She looks up at them and smiles, "this is it!" She practically shouts.
"It is? What does it say?"
"This isn't written anymore by the father but her brother. He talks about his own family that he started but goes on to talk about how he talked to Alex about Nina's grave." Zoro frowns as she continues. "Never mind, it was at the island we were just at."
"Well there goes. We don't have much time left. And we aren't even a quarter done." Nami says.
"So we really have to come back to look more?" Usopp asks his expression showing how much he does not want to do that.
"We don't have much of a choice." Nami says.
They all freeze in place as a grandfather clock strikes midnight. They all look over to the clock.
