Wow, another chapter already. I love writing this story. Thanks xXAvastXx for asking me to write this. It's fun!
Chapter 8
Luffy wriggled as the doctor tried to undo the bandage around the boy's chest.
"Luffy, will you sit still?" The doctor ordered. The boy pouted and sighed and the doctor was able to undo another two coils before Luffy began wriggling again. Zolo, who was sitting behind the boy, slung an arm around Luffy's shoulders and hugged the smaller boy to his chest, effectively stopping Luffy's struggling.
The prince twisted his head a little to look at Zolo over his shoulder and he blinked at the swordsman before turning back to the doctor again with a slight pout. It was obvious the boy knew he was caught, but he was curious as to why it was Zolo who had caught him.
"Alright. The wound is healing nicely. It may take another week or two to get a proper covering but, it will heal within the month." the doctor said as he pulled a fresh bandage from his bag and began wrapping it around Luffy's chest.
"Will he have a scar?" Usopp asked. Luffy looked up and Zolo's eyes darkened slightly. The doctor shrugged.
"You can't really tell with a lot of these cases, but, most likely, yes, he will have a scar." the doctor replied and Usopp looked at Luffy who grinned.
"Cool. I have a scar!" he cried and was about to jump up when Zolo tightened his hold on the boy.
"Just because the doctor says it's healing, doesn't mean you can go running around like an idiot." Zolo reprimanded. Luffy pouted and looked towards the doctor who gave a nod of confirmation.
"Your friend's right." the man said as he clipped his medical bag shut. Zolo gave Luffy a triumphant grin and Luffy's mouth twisted.
"Fine." he huffed and relaxed against Zolo's hold. The doctor sighed as he stood.
"I don't think you'll be needing me to come back and check on you anytime unless something goes wrong, which I highly doubt, what with your friend here watching over you so carefully." he said with a smile. Luffy grinned.
"Zolo takes good care of me!" he squeaked, over his little moment of grumpiness. Zolo blinked and then a smile twitched at his lips. It was nice to have someone who had so much confidence in you.
The doctor tipped his head slightly towards Usopp and then left the room, leaving the three alone. Sanji was working in the kitchen and Nami had been roped in by Zeff to be a waitress for the day. Usopp looked towards the two and he noticed the look Zolo was giving Luffy's bandage.
"Hey, Luffy? You reckon I could borrow Zolo for a minute?" Usopp asked. Now, the long nosed storyteller wasn't one for being too sentimental towards the swordsman, or anyone else for that matter, but Zolo looked like he really had something on his mind. Apart from the fact that it had been Zolo's accidental fault that the boy would have a scar. Luffy shook his head.
"No. I want to talk to him." the prince replied. Zolo blinked and looked down at Luffy who was giving him a serious look.
"Oh, ok. Do you want me to leave?" Usopp asked. Luffy nodded and the boy left. The prince wriggled a little in Zolo's grip, obviously wanting the older boy to let him go. When Zolo had taken his arm away, a little reluctantly, Luffy scrambled around so he could face Zolo on the bed. The swordsman blinked.
"So? What did you want to talk to me about?" Zolo asked. Luffy tilted his head.
"When the doctor said that I may have a scar. I felt your arm tighten. Why?" and this made Zolo pause. He hadn't realized how sensitive the prince could be.
"Well… I don't want you to be scared… by me. I don't want you to have to remember what I did to you every time you look at your own chest." Zolo replied. Luffy shook his head.
"Zolo. Scars are cool in my opinion. I mean, look at my face. I have a scar right there. It's plainly obvious and yet, everyone seems to think it's not there. The prince is perfect, the prince doesn't have scars. The reason I have this scar on my face is because I am not perfect. Scars prove you're human Zolo." Luffy explained. Zolo sighed.
"Yeah. But, I guess there was something else to it as well." and he paused to look away. Luffy tilted his head.
"What?" he asked softly. Zolo had never noticed how caring the boy could be or how smart. Because most of the time, Luffy either insisted he was hungry, or insisted that he wanted to run around and play. Zolo sighed.
"I guess… your scar reminds me of my own." he muttered. Luffy blinked.
"You have a scar? Like mine?" he asked. Zolo nodded.
"Yep. Same direction too." he replied. Luffy blinked and then he smiled.
"Cool. How did you get yours?"
"I… failed at something. While I was training to be a guard, there was this man. He was the best swordsman in the world and he had come especially to see how the training of the men was going.
I challenged him, and we fought. He beat me. That's what the scar's from." Zolo explained and he wouldn't look at Luffy, afraid of the look of judgment he was see there. The look of disbelief that he had failed at something.
"Oh. That's cool. I mean, if you fought this guy, and he won, doesn't it just mean that next time you meet him that you'll have to make sure you'll be stronger?" Luffy asked and Zolo's eyes snapped to Luffy's. There was no judgement, just… confidence.
"What?" he replied. Luffy nodded.
"Yeah. Just because you lost the first time doesn't mean you won't have a second chance. Besides, my guard… my swordsman will win! I know you will!" the prince said brightly with a large smile. Zolo paused.
His swordsman? He had said that with such… certainty. Such confidence. Luffy smiled at him and before Zolo knew what he was doing, he grabbed Luffy in a tight hug. No one had understood him so well before.
Not even Johnny or Yosaku.
No one.
Luffy squeaked as he was pulled into the swordsman's embrace and he wasn't really sure what to do. On one hand, being held by Zolo like this was really nice, but on the other, his chest was beginning to hurt. Zolo let him go and Luffy sat back, rubbing the back of his head a little nervously.
"What was that for?" he asked. Zolo shrugged.
"Nothing in particular. You just made me see something in a different light. That's all." he replied. Luffy blinked.
"There isn't any different light in here." the prince said looking around. Zolo's eyes drooped. Okay, so Luffy was a little dumb. But, his big heart made up for that.
"Here moron and Prince." Sanji said as he walked in the door holding a tray of food. Zolo looked up and Luffy grinned, his tongue lolling from his mouth.
"Food!" the boy cried. Sanji raised his curly eyebrow before setting the tray down on the table beside the bed.
"Yes Luffy. Food." Sanji said sarcastically. Zolo rolled his eyes. That bastard could be so rude sometimes. It wasn't Luffy's fault that he loved food so much. Okay, so maybe it was but, still. There was the banging of someone running up the steps and then Nami and Usopp appeared in the doorway.
"Soldiers have just come into the town." they both gasped at the same time. Luffy blinked, his food halfway to his mouth.
"Soldiers from the village. They're demanding that Prince Monkey D Luffy and his guard Roronoa Zolo come out otherwise they'll burn the town to the ground." Nami stated. The room was still for a few minutes and then Luffy stood, followed by Zolo.
"Then I guess I'm going out there." Luffy said.
"You'll be killed." Zolo stated and Luffy turned to him with a steely glint in his eyes.
"It's better than the whole town being burnt." he replied and Zolo paused and then bowed his head.
"Very well. I'm going with you." Zolo said and Luffy smiled.
"Thought you might." and then he grabbed the red shirt off the table and pulled it on. Zolo stuffed the clothes back into the sack, including Luffy's jeans, and slung it over his back, tying the cord around his chest.
"Run." Sanji said, turning his back on the two. Luffy paused.
"I can't…" he replied. Sanji frowned.
"You can. You have a choice." the chef replied.
"But, the town! I'm not going to let it get burnt!" Luffy replied starting to get angry.
"And it won't!" Sanji snapped, turning back to the two. "I'm going to go out there and say that you guys disappeared back into the forest again. You can then run along the edge of the town and follow the river to the kingdom." and Luffy blinked for a minute before a determined expression came across his face.
"I'm going to come back here and make sure you get lots of money for this." he said and then smiled.
"Good. I figure Marimo head owes me at least a million for tolerating him when he lived here." Sanji said and then grinned at Zolo who shook his head.
"You really are an asshole." he replied. Sanji chuckled.
"I know. Now, get going or you'll get caught. Use the same entrance you came in and then run for it. I'll go out front and distract them." and with that the chef gave a short bow to Luffy and left.
"Sanji!" Zolo called. The chef popped his head back around the door and Zolo opened his mouth for a minute and then muttered, "Thanks."
"Shut up you asshole." and then the cook was gone. Zolo smiled. As much as Sanji was a prick, he was a good friend. Nami smiled and then hurried over and gave Luffy and Zolo a quick hug each.
"Be careful." she said to them both and then hurried towards the door, "And I want that money Luffy." and she was out the door. Luffy chuckled. Usopp looked at them, shaking like a leaf.
"Bye Usopp." Luffy said. The long nose paused and then he frowned sadly.
"Bye Luffy. It sure was nice to meet you." he replied. Luffy grinned.
"You too! Friends?" he asked. Usopp grinned.
"Friends." he confirmed and then looked at Zolo who raised an eyebrow. "See ya around Zolo."
"Sure Usopp. See ya." Zolo replied. Usopp smiled and then hurried out the door as well. Luffy blinked and then took a deep breath.
"Ready?" he asked. Zolo nodded.
"Ready." and the two went out the door.
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Sanji stepped out onto the dirt road, hands stuffed into his pockets. Nami followed him, and then last of all Usopp who was showing more bravery than he ever had in his life. Sanji raised an eyebrow as the villagers stopped in front of him.
"Where are they?" the lead villager asked. Sanji shrugged.
"Who's they?" he replied. The lead villager frowned.
"The Prince and his bastard of a guard."
"Oh them… hmm, don't know. Don't care." Sanji replied. The lead villager grinned.
"You have quite the attitude there you know." he said. Sanji raised his eyebrow and then smiled around his cigarette.
"You have quite the talent for realizing the obvious." the chef replied and the villager frowned.
"Where the hell are they?" he demanded. Sanji shrugged.
"I think they went into the trees or something. Not really sure." he replied, not phased at all by the man's temper.
"You're lying." the man stated, "Boys, throw a few torches at the restaurant. Let's teach this guy a few manners." Sanji's eyes darkened.
"You don't want to do that." Nami said from behind the chef. The men with the torches ignored her as they pulled their arms back. Sanji jumped forward and swung his leg around, knocking the four men to the ground.
"Told ya." Nami commented. The lead villager was in shock. He had never seen someone kick like that. Sanji stood in the middle of the group of rebels and his hands were set an angle that would allow him to balance for his next kick.
"Still wanna try me?" he asked. The lead villager frowned.
"Get him." he ordered and Sanji raised an eyebrow.
"Fine." he said darkly.
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Nami and Usopp were leaning against the wall of the restaurant while Sanji lit another smoke. All of the group of rebels were laying on the ground, seriously beat up. Most were bleeding.
"I don't think he listened when you asked your question Sanji." Nami commented as the chef turned to her.
"No, I don't think he did." Sanji replied before walking into the Baratie again, Nami and Usopp behind him.
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Zolo ran behind Luffy and they saw Sanji talking to the front villager. Zolo gently pushed the prince as he paused.
"Come on. Sanji's not doing that for nothing." he whispered and Luffy nodded, continuing around the back of the buildings. They came to a dirt road and began to run, Luffy gasping a little with his injured chest.
The two ran for a while until the pain became too much for Luffy and they had to stop. Zolo managed to get the prince to follow him into the trees beside the river and there Luffy sat down, breathing heavily until he drifted into a deep sleep. Zolo watched him for a while, but the silence and the gentle rustling of the trees combined with the splashing of the river lulled him to sleep within a few minutes.
Well, there you go. Everything's hunky dory. Or is it? Reviews would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and be prepared for a shock next chapter.
