Disclaimer- I don't own any of this.
A/N: Oo la la! That's all I have to say. If you don't agree with that previousscene, ah, just wait for what's coming. I'm such a procrastinator, sorry. I'm caught up in the thrill of drawing manga! I'm still undecided about the waythe apparent pairing went…gosh, so many possibilities! SHould they or shouldn't they!And yes, I don't prefer other pairings. Sorry guys. All right, have fun! This is long…good, right? Ha!
I-I-I-Chapter Seven-I-I-I-
Zoro rubbed the sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand as the birds began to sing good morning to each other. He scratched his green hair and pulled on his three earrings. A bit chilly this morning…he patted his arms and stood up, stomping on the deck. "Hey hey, wake up!" he said loudly. Moments later a blonde head emerged from the deck.
"Ugh. Quiet down, will you?" Sanji grumbled as he ascended the steps. "You'll wake up the ladies."
"Some are already awake," Zoro told him, warming up his muscles.
"Robin-chan! Reia!" Sanji exclaimed with his arms wide open at the two women. Robin smiled and resumed reading, while Reia waved hello and also resumed reading her red book. Sanji walked with a spring to his step and entered the lounge to make breakfast. Then a bunch of curly hair and a brown bandanna-clad head poked out, eyes puffy with sleep.
"I….neeed…..more sleeeep…morning?" Usopp managed to ask in a slurred voice. Zoro whacked him on the head.
"What's wrong? You're usually energetic in the mornings," Zoro asked. Usopp crawled out onto the deck and dragged himself for a few meters before collapsing. Chopper struggled out and tut-tutted.
"He was going on and on about vampires and the tournament fight today. He couldn't sleep," Chopper explained, taking out a jar of transparent liquid. He peered at it and smiled. "I had to put him to sleep."
Reia's eyes widened from near the trees. She jumped down next to Chopper and knelt, looking at the jar closely. Sniffing it, her nose twitched and she sneezed, her hair flying all over the place. Looking back at Chopper, she asked, "All natural?" He nodded, amazed. Reia tweaked her nose and took out a handkerchief. Blowing her nose, she answered Chopper's inquisitive eyes with a muffled "Chasmine and chamoile."
Usopp looked up at the two in confusion. "What'd she say?"
Chopper's ear twitched. "Jasmine and chamomile." Then he scratched his ear. "A good nose she has!"
"Of course. She's a botanist," Robin spoke up from the bow. Reia stuffed the kerchief in her jean pockets, head bowed.
"Not a willing one," she murmured as her hands moved, almost like making a ball with the air. Blue ectoplasm poured out and two flowers sprouted from the inside. An almost daisy-like flower with a fuzzy yellow center and oval, white petals sat next to a fragile white flower with overlapping, pearly petals. Chopper gasped and looked at them, pointing at the pearly white one.
"Jasmine." Then he pointed to the other. "Chamomile." Reia nodded and moved her hands again, the blue energy morphing. Usopp leapt up, tiredness forgotten and sat next to Reia, the three forming a crude circle as they watched. A green stick surrounded with small, purple buds started to emit a faint scent.
Reia gasped as the aroma reached her nose. Chopper paid no heed and tried to concentrate. "Uh…lavender." She still gazed at the flower. Leaning forward, she sniffed hesitantly, smiled, and then sneezed a big one. Blowing in her kerchief, the lavender flower turned into blobs of blue, then a pink flower. Chopper opened his mouth to answer, but stopped, tears coming to his eyes. He bit his quivering lip, looking up at Reia. Usopp scratched under his bandanna, energy returned. Then he jumped up and down.
"I know this one! It's….it's a sakura blossom!" Reia nodded solemnly and bent down to give it to an emotional Chopper. He held it in his hands, smelling it. Then he frowned.
"Reia, I thought you can't make flowers smell like anything," he asked her, puzzled. She grinned.
"I guess I can now. No, don't give it back," she said quickly as Chopper started to place the blossom in her hand. She took it and tucked the flower in his hat rim. Standing back, she smiled again, and then frowned. "I'm sorry I can't make it pink. You look good!" Chopper waved his hoof as if to brush aside the comment.
"Oh no I don't, liar, ha ha!" he protested. Usopp scrutinized the little reindeer, and then moved the flower.
"There," Usopp said, arms crossed. Reia's smile grew wider.
"Chopper, if I take a nap or sleep, it'll disappear, okay?" Chopper nodded and clip-clopped away, a glowing smile on his face. His blue nose moved as he enjoyed the scent. Sitting down by the stairs, he started sniffing every few seconds, his thoughts somewhere.
"Oy Reia, could you make me one, too?" Usopp asked, rubbing his eyes. "Something to make me stay awake." Reia bit her lip in thought. With a flourish of her hand, a sprig of peppermint leaves appeared. Usopp took it and inhaled deeply, refreshed.
"I don't know if this is real. Or if it works…" Reia told him. Usopp tucked it behind his ear.
"It worked for Chopper, why shouldn't it work for me?" he said over his shoulder as he marched up the stairs. She grinned and moved her red book next to her. Now why could she make scents now, she asked herself quietly, flipping the pages.
Then a moving nose rose from the deck, followed by a straw hat.
"I smeeeellll something…." the captain drawled, jumping out. He raised his head, nostrils flared to detect anything. With a start he raced up the stairs and slammed into an exiting Sanji.
"God Luffy!" Sanji snarled as Luffy struggled to get inside. "All right everyone, breakfast time."
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"I really need the strength to fight this time, Luffy!" Usopp yelled as he grabbed the last roll from Luffy's hands. The captain's arm stretched, still not forfeiting the roll. Usopp's face grew strained with the effort as the two underwent a tug of war. Nami rolled her eyes and lifted her arm as the roll was ripped in half, showering the Straw Hats with bread crumbs. Some found their way into Zoro's mug, and he frowned into it. With a shrug he drank it all.
"When do you have to go and compete, Usopp?" Chopper asked as he popped a cherry into his mouth. The marksman rubbed his chin, looking out window to the sky.
"Hmm…about now. Time to go get some of the shells," he announced. Chopper bounced up and down on the bench.
"Will you bring the scent dial?" Usopp nodded.
"The fire dial?"
"Yup."
"…impact dial?"
"Of course!" Usopp exclaimed, patting his bag. Then he pulled out a cloth with camouflaged patterns running all over it. Luffy and Chopper gazed at it in wonder. "And with a detection screen, too!"
"It's just piece of fabric… What can it do to help you win?" Zoro muttered. Usopp's eyes flashed in Zoro's direction. Brandishing a jar of green powder, he gestured to it.
"This will." Luffy leapt up and pointed to it, frantic.
"Hey, I remember that stuff!" he shouted, leaping about. Nami held her head in her hands.
"The cause of all our trouble," she grumbled. Usopp looked at her in horror, than pointed to the jar.
"This? Trouble? You mean him," Usopp said, pointing to the captain. Reia snorted, thankful the rice pudding was only halfway to her mouth.
"Without him though, you wouldn't have met me, right?" Reia asked, smiling. Nami smiled back.
"You're right," she said. Sanji smoked thoughtfully.
"It must've been fate that led this ship to your island," he said softly. Robin chuckled.
"There is no such thing as fate. Hasn't our captain shown us that plenty of times?"Robin asked. Sanji's face broke out into grins and he nodded quickly.
"Robin-chan's always right, of course!" Usopp walked out into the sun, followed by the rest of the crew. The dishes were left behind, Reia scrubbing them with soapy ectoplasm while sitting by the trees. The scent of morning and oranges wafted around the ship, drawing a sigh out of Nami. The caw of a raven reversed the effect on everyone and shook Nami out of the short lull. She looked around, suddenly aware of the routine. Why her? Why always her that went around ordering these people? Oh well, it was fate…not really…
"So, who's going, who's staying, hurry up and decide," she bit out tartly. Chopper jumped up.
"I'm staying." Reia's face battled out the pros and cons. Get caught fighting on the ship or in the city….which one…
"Ditto," she said, raising her eyebrows in resignation towards Usopp. "Sorry, but the risks…" Usopp nodded at her with understanding.
"I understand. I'd do the same in your situation. 'There's nothing better than to hide on a ship than the city!'" he proclaimed, face to the sun. He glanced out of the corner of his eyes at her. Glowering blue orbs made him smile, then collapse in laughter. Nami surveyed the others.
"Anyone else?" Silence, except in the area near the kitchen where a certain someone was munching away… She clapped her hands with finality. "'kay then, let's go!"
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"Ah, the first four were such a doozie," Usopp gloated, sitting up in the raised stone steps with the others. Somehow the island's residents managed to make a large tropical climate out of a temperate zone. Palm trees and creepers dominated the center. Mist floated out, faint cawings heard from within.
"This is so awesome!" Luffy crowed, peering into the jungle. Nami glared at the back of his head.
"You've said that three times now," she said with gritted teeth. Usopp grinned and swung his legs over the edge. Sanji looked down and shuddered.
"We're kind of high up, no?" he asked, looking around at the rest of the crowd perched on the stone platforms.
"Fifty feet," Usopp told him.
"How much longer? It's so muggy," Zoro said, rubbing his neck. The edges of the mist tickled his nose and he scratched it.
"Aren't you next?" Robin asked Usopp softly. He scrambled to his feet.
"Shit, I forgot!" he managed to say before he raced for the stairs down to the jungle floor. Luffy watched him go and turned to look at the jungle with expectant eyes. Scratching a mosquito, Nami crossed her arms impatiently, everyone else in the crowd enjoying the cooling evening.
"This is so awesome!"
Phwack!
"SHUT UP!"
I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-
Pit-pat-pit-pat-poom. Usopp jumped the last step down and jogged over to the entrance of the humongous ringed-off jungle. They thought he forgot. They thought….wrong. He veered right and halted by the entrance. A tough referee with a clipboard walked towards him. The heavily-muscled man with a scruffy beard eyed him. Consulting the board, he looked back up with a grin, then asked, "Are you one of the finalists?" Usopp paled and, swallowing nervously, nodded and flexed his fingers. The referee smirked.
"All right, this time you and your opponent," he paused then to look at the list, "…Your opponent Aob, will start on opposite sides. Oh ho, it ain't that easy, you can get lost in this arena." He chuckled as he noticed the beads of sweat appearing on Usopp's forehead. The ref sighed tiredly. "Once again, win in any way possible. Just knock 'em out, no dying here, or you'll have to forfeit the prize money and get arrested by the Marines."
Usopp laughed then, shrilly, and waved his hands casually. "Don't worry, that won't happen, never, if I'll win." The ref stopped chuckling and peered over his sunglasses at Usopp.
"If you win." Usopp quivered and straightened.
"Okay okay, let's get it started, all right?" he bit out. The ref shrugged and Usopp thought he heard a "your death". He scoffed and flexed his fingers. The ref took out a bullhorn.
"All right, final match. Y'all know the rules by now. BEGIN!" Usopp crept into the thick jungle, thespectators roaring behind him. He chose this arena for a reason... Taking out some green and brown paint, he wiped it alternatively on his face, eyes darting at the undergrowth. Placing it back in his bag, he took out his green sling shot and fitted it with a cloudy bullet. The goggles wouldn't do any good in here. He stepped forward, eyes shifting wildly. Where was Aob? Watch out for traps…
Usopp stepped silently forward deeper into the jungle. The creepers brushed against his face, and the muggy air made the paint all sticky. Gnats began to buzz around his face. Gosh, where was the guy! Sun beams shot through the canopy.
Suddenly, he heard something behind him. Whirling around, he crouched, head moving. Something was touching his ankle…
Then the whip wrapped around his leg, pulling him down into the dead leaves. Flipping over onto his back, he left loose the bullet where the leaves rustled. As he stood up, hand in his bag, he tripped, feeling something whisk past his head. His head snapped to the left and he shot the bullet through the bush, hearing a responding snarl.
With a yelp he jumped back into the jungle, moving stealthily and trying not to make so much noise. Turning around and panting slightly, he glimpsed a verdant figure slip into the jungle. Lithe and carrying a dark-green whip, Aob looked back, slitted pupils resting under a messy crop of hair peering into the forest. He was quite good looking from a female's perspective, and surprisingly younger than Usopp thought. Butthat former thoughtnever entered Usopp's head as Aob's piercing eyes went over where Usopp himself hid. The marksman held his breath. After a few moments, Aob turned back and melted away. Usopp, eyes wide for any movement, moved through the leaves, then squatted, fitting another bullet in the slingshot.
"A few minutes…" he breathed. He could wait. Suddenly he noticed a trail of slightly crushed plants. With a gasp he spun around, then sighed with relief to see his own path didn't show. Strange…Aob didn't look like one to be this careless. To follow or not to follow... After a few moments of thinking, the pros outweighed the cons. Taking out a green, powder-filled bullet from his bag, he fitted it into his slingshot. Touching his palm, he felt the impact dial's outline. Let's see what this Aob's got.
