Chapter 6: It's all over…or is it?
Morning once again found Zolo on the floor beside the couch. He woke up feeling considerably warmer than he had yesterday morning. He thought maybe the last two days had just been a dream and he was in fact in bed, dreaming that he was sleeping on the floor. What?
Okay, he really had to stop trying to justify things that he already knew were true. He was asleep on the floor, and he was warmer. He opened his eyes and looked down beside him. Little Luffy was curled up by his side.
Why? The way Zolo had treated him yesterday was kind of mean and it should have meant Luffy rejecting him, but, here he was curled up by his side with one hand grasping the sleeve of his shirt. He heard laughter and twisted to see Sanji standing behind him laughing evilly.
"You so have it for Luffy." the blonde haired chef said. Zolo felt his face warm and glared at the annoying love cook.
"Fact one, Luffy crawled into my bed." Zolo said and then thought if Luffy was normal, that would sound so wrong. Or would it? Ack, stop thinking like that, he's in the bed beside you for Christ sake! "Fact two, Luffy is my best friend which means naturally he would choose me to look up to, and Fact three, you wanna know what he told me? He thinks you're really scary." Okay, that last part was a lie, but, what could you do. Zolo smirked as Sanji stormed out. It probably wasn't wise to piss the chef off so early in the morning, but he just couldn't suppress that urge. He nudged Luffy and the smaller boy groaned.
"Just five more minutes." Luffy muttered.
"Now." Zolo said and nudged Luffy again. The young boy yawned and opened his eyes.
"Hi Mr Zolo!" Luffy cried and then hugged him. (Kinda reminiscent of young Gohan and Piccolo)
"Uh, mind if I ask what you're doing in my bed?" Zolo asked. Luffy's face fell and he grabbed his hat and jammed it on his head.
"I…thought you looked uncomfortable." he squeaked and then walked out. Zolo paused a moment. Well that was certainly different. It seemed like Luffy was scared of something and didn't want to tell him why. Zolo got up and followed Luffy out.
Where the hell was, ah, there he is on deck. Zolo walked over to Luffy's older brother who looked a little annoyed.
"Where did you go last night?" Zolo asked as they watched Luffy run around after Chopper.
"I fell asleep." Trace replied and sighed.
"Oh." Zolo said understanding. "Well, I have something to ask you. I woke this morning to find Luffy hanging off my arm in my bed this morning"
"Ah, he had one of his nightmares. He used to do that to me a lot as well." Trace said. Zolo tilted his head. "You see, the day that Luffy ate the cursed fruit, something else happened. He would never tell me the real reason why, but, he ended up in the sea, and his idol, red hair Shanks dived in to save him"
"Red hair Shanks! I wondered why that straw hat looked familiar, it was the one that Shanks always wore." Zolo said.
"You didn't realise earlier?" Trace asked. Zolo shook his head and then narrowed his eyes.
"But, that still doesn't make sense. Why would Luffy have a nightmare about someone saving him?"
"Maybe because Shanks lost an arm for him." Trace replied and then looked to where Luffy was busy watching Usopp draw a picture. Zolo stopped and watched Luffy as well. So that's why the last time he had seen Shanks, the man had had only one arm. He had wondered how that had happened.
"You see, to Shanks, Luffy was his treasure." Trace said with a smile. "Luffy meant everything to him, and Shanks meant everything to Luffy and they couldn't have had a stronger bond and if me and Luffy even have something that's close to that, then I'll be grateful." Heh, yeah, me too. Zolo thought and smiled as Luffy giggled.
"Oh! Guess what! I found an antidote. By itself the potion would have lasted at least 3 months." Trace grinned as he pulled out the vial with the green liquid in it. "Here's the antidote." Zolo took it and looked at it.
"Looks like poison. How are we going to get him to drink it?" Zolo asked. Trace smiled.
"Leave that to me." he said. Zolo shrugged and sat down on the deck to watch. Trace wandered over to where Luffy was sitting with a pen and trying to draw something, his little tongue between his teeth.
"Luffy." Trace said and little Luffy looked up. "You see this vial. You're not to touch it, okay? Don't drink it either. Okay?" Luffy peered up at him and then nodded. Trace smiled and set the vial down on the cargo box. He then proceeded to give Zolo a thumbs up and then walked back over to the swordsman.
Luffy's thought process.
That Trace guy, he has the same name as my brother, cool! Anyway, that Trace guy told me not to touch that vial, so it must be something either dangerous or really cool that he doesn't want me to see. I wonder if it tastes like chicken? Luffy's arm stretched up and snatched the vial off the box. Not dangerous at all! Wonder why he told me not to touch it, I mean, it's not like it's gonna hurt me. Luffy pulled out the cork in the top. Looks like melted seaweed. Yuck, but, then some things look really yucky but taste good. Luffy poured the contents of the vial down his throat.
"Hey, it does taste like chicken!" Luffy said aloud. He then saw Trace walking toward him. Uh oh. Alert! Run! Luffy jumped up, dropped the vial and then bolted.
"Hey, Luffy!" Trace called. Luffy looked back over his shoulder, tripped and fell over the side of the ship and onto the ground. It didn't even register as he got up and bolted into the town.
"Great!" Zolo said and then put a hand on his forehead. "Come on, let's go find him." and the two men jumped over the side of the ship.
Hmm. Little Luffy in The passing of the hat is so damn cute.