I yawn and stretch, cracking my back. Yesterday we partied until 3-4am, Chopper eventually collapsed on the deck, quickly followed by all the other men. The girls went to bed a little early. I went to bed last as the sun began to rise. I scratch my hair and notice that Nami and Vivi's beds are empty. Through the window, the sun is already high in the sky. I wash myself, interrupted by my yawns, and dress quickly. I leave the room dressed in a red and orange tank top topped with a black jacket, tight black pants that fit my shape. At my wrists, black leather straps with golden beads and at my feet black studded boots complete this set. In my back, my hat hangs, rocked by the wind. And on my shoulder, there is Maru. Aoi is currently sleeping in the vivarium.
"Hello Stella-chan! You look great in that outfit!"
"Thanks Sanji, you are adorable."
"Good morning Stella, did you sleep well yesterday?" Nami approaches, a cocktail in her hand. Obviously, it's already mid-afternoon. Maru takes a picture of Nami who is in a red flowered swimsuit, a pair of sunglasses on her forehead and a cocktail in her hand. Very photogenic this navigator. I say to myself with a smile. " Hein? Isn't this your usual Den Den?"
"No, this is Maru. This is my second Den Den photographer." Everyone admires Maru's orange-red shell with gold threads, which create arabesques all over the shell.
"It is beautiful! How did you manage to get two such beautiful Den Den! They must be worth a few million berrys!" Exclaims Vivi. I don't like Nami's eyes looking too strangely at Meru. Is it just me or have her eyes become Berrys?
"I don't know its value and I don't care, because I don't intend to part with it!" Meru looks at me gratefully, he too doesn't like Nami's look. But he can't deny it, she is beautiful. He takes another picture of Nami's strange head.
"Stella-chan. ~ You must be starving! I kept your meal safe from the morfals!" A rumble is heard throughout the boat and I am looked at, well more accurately my stomach. I blush slightly as I hold my stomach.
"Indeed, I am starving." I say slightly embarrassed before following Sanji into the kitchen.
He opens the fridge and takes out a tray topped with a bell.
"Here's your lunch, lady." He places it in front of me and lifts the bell. A long silence follows... The tray is empty... I raise an eyebrow and look at Sanji who is red with anger.
"Who dared to eat the meal of STELLA-CHAN?" He yells as he storms off. I have to say that I am partially irritated. I'm hungry and that's not a good thing, because I'm getting much, much more irritable. But I'm under no illusions, Luffy must have taken advantage of a moment of inattention to eat my meal.
"I'm sorry, Stella-chan. That idiot captain has no control when it comes to food. I'll fix you something right away! Do you have any cravings?"
"I'm not picky, but make something quick." Otherwise, I'll make a killing.
"Your wish is my command!" He rummages through the cupboards, the fridge, the pantry. When he stops moving, I notice no ingredients are out on the table.
"Is something wrong?"
"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" He runs out of the kitchen again to hit Luffy. I frown and take my turn rummaging through the tackles. The first thing I notice is that all the meat is gone, then the bread, the cheese, even the vegetables, in short everything that is not condiments, flour or raw potatoes. The anger rises more and more, to make matters worse, my stomach is manifesting itself.
"Shit!" I storm out of the kitchen. Luffy is embedded in the wooden wall, head first. On the edge of the ship Usopp, Chopper and Kaloo are trying to catch something. But I can smell the food on them. I now know where the vegetables have gone.
"Stella-chan ~ I have punished that impertinent one who dared to eat your food!" Sanji twirls towards me, but seeing my face distorted with anger, he stays at a safe distance. "St... Stella-chan?" A menacing shadow falls on the three sinners.
"How did you DARE?" I punch them in the face, sending them unconscious to the deck.
"Stella?! Calm down, we'll figure it out. It's not the end of the world." Tries to calm me down Nami. My stomach growls once again. I clench my fists and my breathing quickens. She cautiously approaches me, but when I look at her, she pales and starts to back away. I try to keep control, but it's no use. They see me take off and run away from the ship.
"STELLA!" I continue to run towards the horizon until the ship is just a dot in the distance and I let my haki go wild.
"HAAAAAA!" Black lightning flashes through my body and waves of haki sweep across the ocean. Above me, the storm roars and lightning falls around me as if trying to hit me.
On the Merry, all faces are pale. Stella is not visible anymore, but the unleashing of the elements is clearly visible to them.
"Shit..."
"You said it, Nami. Stella-chan is really scary when she's upset."
"It's wow. We know she's powerful, but I wasn't thinking about that. She's quite a character."
"You're only saying that because you're as crazy as she is, Zoro."
"One thing's for sure... we need to make sure Stella never goes hungry again. Is that okay with you?"
"Yes!" Shout everyone in one voice.
I scream at the top of my lungs, releasing all the stress I've built up over the past few days. The storm around me does nothing to change my mood. On my shoulder, Maru is hidden in his shell which protects him from my haki. I catch my breath as I gradually calm down, the waves around me fall back with a loud crash and the sky clears.
"Shit..." I rub my face to relax my muscles. Maru pops out an eye to check that I'm back under control before exiting completely. "Sorry I scared you..." I take a deep breath of air to calm myself down for good, but my stomach is rumbling again.
"Argg ! I heard you!" Below, hundreds of unconscious fish surround three floating sea monsters.
"Well, I have something to eat after all." I grab a monster that has a bird's head and a fish's body. "Sorry for you, but you're going to be on the pan." I drag him to the Merry.
"STELLA-CHAN! YOU'RE OK!" I let the sea monster rest beside the ship and land on the deck.
"I'm fine, thanks... And sorry about that." I rub the back of my neck, a little embarrassed.
"It's nothing, don't worry. No one was hurt. Besides, you bring us something to replace what those morfals ate." Nami reassures me.
"MEAT! SANJI! COOK IT! I'M HUNGRY!" Says Luffy while jumping. He gets a kick from Sanji and a punch from Nami and Zoro.
"SHUT UP! IT'S YOUR FAULT WE'RE IN CRISIS!" Everyone yells. Luffy pouts and sulks in the corner.
"Stella-chan ~ I'll make you something to eat right now!" I follow Sanji into the kitchen and wait patiently for my food. Sanji cooks large pieces of meat with ease, a sweet smell of grilled meat and fried potatoes invades my nose. My stomach rumbles once again, but watching my food jump around in the pans calms me down.
"And here's to the most beautiful star." He sets down a huge plate of breaded meat and hash browns.
"Thank you Sanji!" I start without waiting. The meat is so tender and juicy that I can't help but groan with pleasure. "Your cooking is really amazing!" The potatoes are crisp and melting, marinating perfectly with the juices of the meat and the accompanying sauce. I finish three full plates before stopping and placing my hand on my tense stomach.
"Haaaa... Thank you Sanji, you save me." He pulls out a cigarette and lights it.
"No problem Stella-chan. As long as I'm on this ship, I won't let anyone starve." I purr lightly as I digest the meal. "Thanks to you, we won't starve anymore, that's quite a catch." I chuckle softly.
"There were three sea monsters floating in front of me, I wasn't going to leave them like that while I was hungry." Sanji stares at me before taking a deep puff of his cigarette.
"Anyway, I feel like thanks to you, we'll never run out of food again." I give him a flat look.
"Don't count on it too much. I lost my temper, normally I would have just caught a few fish. So just keep rationing like you usually do." I stand up and give the cook a pat on the back. "I'm counting on you to make sure this kind of crisis doesn't happen again."
On the deck, Zoro and Usopp are cutting up the sea monster and wrapping the pieces of meat.
"How's it looking?"
"We're halfway through, but we'd go faster if Luffy helped us, instead of trying to bite off every piece."
"But uh... We need to make sure every piece of meat is good!" Now that I have a full belly, I'm no longer angry at Luffy. But his flippancy in the face of potential starvation because of his behavior, seems to go right over his head.
"Luffy... You know, raw meat is not very tasty. You should wait for Sanji to cook it."
"You're right! SANJI! Cook the meat! Captain's order!" For all answer, he gets a kick in the head.
"SHUT UP ! YOU WILL EAT WITH THE OTHERS !"
At the end of the day, only a skeleton of the sea monster remains.
"Good! I think we'll have enough to last us until Alabasta. We can thank Stella for one hell of a catch!" Said Sanji as he raised his glass. A small party begins on deck to celebrate my catch.
"Let the party begin!"
The next day, I thought I could sleep until late. But it seems that it was decided otherwise.
"LUFFY! COME HERE, SO I CAN SLICE YOU UP!" Sanji yells throughout the ship.
I groan in my bed and fold the blanket over my head.
"AARRGGG! PUT THE KNIFE DOWN!" The ship shakes several times.
"BOM!"
"HAAAA! STOP DESTROYING THE SHIP!"
"BAM! BOM!"
Anger is visible on my forehead as I pull myself out of the covers.
"Tell me this is a joke... " I quickly get dressed and walk out of the room slamming the door against the wall.
"BUT YOU WILL SHUT UP!" Everyone stands still, afraid to draw my anger. Hair in a mess, shirt askew, barely-there pants and bare feet. Stella is even scarier than usual.
"SANJI! What's going on?!" He swallows and lets go of Luffy's neck.
"That idiot captain ate half the meat overnight." I look at Luffy and let out a sigh.
"Is there enough meat left until we reach Alabasta?"
"I think so, but..."
"Then there's no problem!" I walk back into the room, slamming the door. I rub my temples and wash myself so I'm fully awake. Ten minutes later, I walk into the kitchen to get my breakfast.
"Stella-chan! I'm sorry I woke you up with a start! Here is a royal breakfast to make up for it!" He sets a tray in front of me containing croissants, toast, fried eggs, freshly squeezed orange juice and a cup of sweetened latte.
"Thank you Sanji, you are a sweetheart." I start eating, ignoring the floating hearts. Finally, I'm starting to get used to his demeanor well. He seems to be less and less of a problem.
Breakfast over, I head out onto the deck.
"Your attention please!" Everyone looks at me, waiting for my next words.
"I want to apologize again for my behavior." I say as I bow to them.
"No need to apologize! You already did." Says Nami waving her hands. I straighten up.
"I know I already apologized, but I wanted to do it one last time." I clap my hands. "But if I ask for your attention, it's not just to apologize, but I'd like to move on to the second part of the training."
"What's it going to be this time? Telling us to hit harder?" Says Zoro sarcastically from his reclining position. I roll my eyes.
"No, I'm going to introduce you to the six powers. I should have started with that last time."
"Ho, and what are those six powers?" He straightens up and listens carefully.
"Actually, you already know three of them." I rise into the air.
"The first one is the moonwalk (Geppo), it allows you to walk in the air. I think Sanji has the most advantage in learning this technique, because he uses his legs in fights." I disappear and reappear behind Vivi. "The second is Soru, it allows you to move quickly by leaving an afterimage. Everyone should learn it." Vivi and Nami flinch as they hear my voice behind them.
"HA! Don't ever do that again!" They give me a dark look of reproach, but I just shrug and draw my ordinary sword.
"The third is the Rankyaku or Tempest Kick. This is something you'll like, Zoro." I sweep my sword towards the sea throwing a wind blade, which goes crashing into the water.
"So cool!"
"These are the three techniques you've already seen. The fourth is Kami-e, it allows you to dodge attacks as if you were a sheet of paper blown by the wind. Everyone should learn it, it will keep you alive until you find a solution or someone comes to help you." They all nod their heads.
"The fifth, Tekkai, allows you to make your body as strong as steel, but it doesn't allow you to touch the logias. It's the intermediate between the normal body and the haki-covered body. Luffy, Sanji, Zoro and Chopper, you must learn it, because as a hand-to-hand fighter, it will be very useful for you." I look at my hand and point to the horizon.
"The last technique is the Shigan, I wish you don't learn it now, because it is a deadly technique. It makes your finger as piercing as a bullet. It is meant to kill, nothing more and nothing less." I lower my finger.
"These are the six powers. Few people know about them, because they are secretly guarded by the world government. They are complicated to learn, but with the right teaching, nothing is impossible. Plus, they will make it easier to unlock your use of haki."
They look at me with wide eyes.
"You mean we could have started with that, instead of getting beaten up!" Starts to get annoyed Nami. I place my hands in front of me.
"Calm down Nami, this training isn't useless either. Let's just say that the two are related in some way. They complement each other, especially Soru and Kami-e for observation haki and Tekkai for armament haki. " Nami huffs, arms crossed.
"It better be!" I breathe a sigh of relief.
" Good, we'll start with the Soru, is that okay? "
"Stop asking and show us how to do it!" Said Zoro as he approached me. "Come on, we're watching you!" I roll my eyes.
"Very well, Mr. Impatient." I start by showing them the technique slowly and gently, giving directions. Correctly replacing everyone's movements and footwork. Of course, Sanji is the one who does the best.
At the end of the day, Sanji is able to move a little faster.
"This is amazing Stella-chan! You are an amazing teacher!" He moves from one side of the bridge to the other going faster and faster.
"Thanks Sanji, keep practicing. When you've mastered it, we can move to the moonwalk."
"Yes!" On Zoro and Luffy's side, they are doing pretty well. They are slower, but they have made a lot of progress. On the other hand, the others are out of breath, breathing heavily.
"She just wants to kill us, I'm sure!" Complains Usopp, I stand behind him and cross my arms.
"If you still have energy to complain, then you still have energy to train." He's crying his eyes out. "Are you getting there, Chopper? " The little reindeer is lying on the ground, sweating profusely.
"Too hot..."
"It's true you're not used to temperate climates. I think we can stop here. For the next few days, I want you to practice as much as possible. Remember, Crocodile is one of the Seven Warlords" Usopp and the girls breathe a sigh of relief.
"Pfff. Weak." Zoro scoffs.
"You can continue Zoro, I won't stop you. Maybe you'll manage to catch up with Sanji." Zoro immediately frowns.
"Don't compare me to that shitty cook! I'll catch up with him and overtake him!"
"You? Catch up with me? You poor thing, you'll have white hair when you get there."
"You want to fight, eyebrows twisted?!"
"Come on! Get over here! I'm sure you can't even touch me!"
We watch them fight and I have to admit that their training is visible. Sanji easily dodges Zoro's attacks with a big mocking smile. Zoro gets more and more angry, but doesn't let anger get the better of him. Besides, Sanji's attacks don't reach him either, he manages to block them all.
"That's not true, they are tiring!" Nami starts to approach them to stop them, but I put my hand on her shoulder and shake my head.
"Let them fight, they need it to become better together." She frowns but lets the two men fight.
"By the way Stella, you said Crocodile is one of the seven warlords. Do you know the others?" She asks me.
"Yes, I know them more or less personally. Just know that their power is not equal among them. Especially the ones who stay in the Shin Sekai." I'm thinking in particular of a certain flamingo, I hope I never run into him.
"Am I to understand that Crocodile is weaker than the others?" I shake my head.
"No, he is powerful. The best thing for you is that he underestimates you to defeat him." Except for the sounds of Sanji and Zoro fighting, there is a silence on the boat.
"Could you tell us more about him? Like his weaknesses?" I shake my head.
"Sorry, but that's a direct attack on him. I can't do that, sorry." Vivi lowers her head.
"Why...why are you protecting him after all he's done?!" She grabs my jacket and pushes me against the wall. I let her pin me against the wood.
"WHY?! WHY?! WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?!" She shakes me, tears in her eyes. She screams that this isn't fair, that I should help them more and fight Crocodile with them. I look at her blankly until she calms down.
"Why... Why Stella..." I put my arms around her waist and pull her against me.
"I'm sorry, but... If I fight him gratuitously, the consequences will be much worse... As much for you as for this crew..." She looks at me with eyes full of tears.
"And what are those consequences?"
"For this crew, it is the deployment of the three admirals to eliminate them. For you, it could be anything from imprisonment to death." She paled violently.
"Why..."
"You don't know this, but I have to follow a certain contract that prevents me from acting first against influential people, regardless of their side or opinion. In exchange, the world government leaves me alone, as do the other powers."
"The other powers... Like the kings..." I nod.
"This fight is about two powers. I can't side with either one. If the world government finds out I'm with this crew, they will be in danger. I'm sorry..."
"Isn't there any way around that rule?" I let out a sigh.
"Only my family members are protected from this contract. If they are ever in danger, no matter who the enemy is, I can act as I see fit." I step back from Vivi.
"I'm sorry. The only thing I can do is train you."
"It doesn't matter! We'll beat Crocodile anyway!" Luffy replies with a big smile, hand on his hat.
"Don't be so confident Luffy! Crocodile is not only powerful, he is considered a hero. If you beat him just like that, without any evidence against him, you will be considered the villains of the story."
"I don't care! We're pirates, not heroes!"
"Well said Luffy. If we do this, it's to help a friend. Not to get any glory out of it." Says Sanji, hands in his pockets. Zoro follows him closely.
"Guys..." I give Vivi a pat on the back.
"Come on, smile! Have faith in them." She nods her head and flashes a small smile. I look at the two fighters.
"Are you finished? Well? Who won?" They stare at each other, but Sanji smiles smugly.
"Since he couldn't touch me, I can be considered the winner."
"WHAT?! This is a joke! You're the one who couldn't touch me!"
"If it makes you feel good to think that, go ahead. But you know in your heart that I'm the one who wins!"
We see them arguing once again. But this time they are stopped by Nami.
"That's enough you two! Sanji will prepare the meal and Zoro in the crow's nest! Come on!" Sanji twirls towards the kitchen and Zoro growls as he climbs the ropes.
The night falls and the days continue quietly. In 3 days, Sanji has increased his speed, he is still far from mastering Soru. But for a normal person, he moves very fast.
"Look at this, Stella-chan! Are you proud of me?!" Said he as he appeared and disappeared from one end of the ship to the other.
"Well done Sanji! How about trying to dodge my attacks?"
"Uh... I..."
"What's going on Cook? Where's your confidence?" Taunts Zoro as he lifts weights.
"Shut up Marimo, I just don't want to hurt Stella-chan! " I give him a flat look.
"Sanji... You're the one who has to dodge, not attack me. So there's no problem."
"But..." I run towards him and punch him in the face, he manages to dodge at the last moment. I kick him in the stomach, but he disappears. I smile and stand up. Four meters to my left, Sanji appears. I don't even give him time to land properly, I'm on him again. We fight for 10 minutes, I speed up every minute, until I sweep his legs. He falls on his butt and looks at me in surprise.
"Not bad for a first time." He grabs the hand I hold out to help him up.
"Thank you Stella-chan. You're really strong."
"You're not bad either! I think you're the closest crew member to mastering Soru."
"Really! You heard me, Marimo! I'm better than you!" He said smugly and with a mocking smile.
"Hmmm... Zoro do you want to start learning Rankyaku?" Zoro's scowling face immediately lights up.
"Really?"
"But Stella-chaaann! He can't even keep up with me..." Sanji complains.
"Soru is easier for you, because it requires some footwork. Rankyaku will be easier for Zoro, because he's a swordsman." Sanji sulks as he chews on the filter of his cigarette.
"Come on Zoro, come over here." Zoro smirks as he turns to Sanji.
"Keep sulking, Cook. While I pass you. ~ " Cook immediately takes offense, but I grab Zoro's arm and take him with me before yet another argument begins.
We go to the front of the ship and I draw my ordinary sword.
"Well, Rankyaku is simple to understand, but not simple to execute. "I take up a position facing the sea. "You must be able to deliver a quick and powerful sword strike to compress the air on the edge of the sword." A blade of air comes out and goes crashing into the water. "You have to have some control to form that air blade, if you force it too much it will be cut off by your blade and not enough force doesn't form it. Then there's the trajectory that you have to control so it doesn't go anywhere." I throw several blades in different directions. I sheathe it and turn to Zoro. He looks at me with wide eyes, but quickly resumes with an excited smile.
"I can't wait to get started!" He draws his white blade and positions himself before delivering a powerful downward blow. Of course, nothing happens. He scowls and continues to deliver blows into the void, over and over again. After more than three hours with no results, despite my instructions, he really starts to get angry.
"Damn it! Why can't I do this!" He turns to me with a scowl on his face. I let out a sigh and approach him. I stand behind him and place my hands on his. My head is resting on his shoulder so I can see what I'm doing. It's a good thing I'm the same height as him.
"You... You're doing what?!" Yelps Zoro as I press myself against his back.
"Calm down and focus more on my movements." Stella's annoyed tone calms Zoro slightly, but he can't focus completely.
"Raise your arms." He complies, but he feels Stella press herself even more against him to accompany his movement.
"Relax your arms." The warm breath against his ear keeps him from relaxing. He doesn't know what face he should put on, but it shouldn't be glorious.
"Calm down... Breathe..." He takes a deep breath. He hadn't even realized he was holding it in. He breathes softly as he finally releases his arms.
"Take a good look at what I'm doing." He swallows, but keeps his head clear. His arms are pushed down and a blade of air comes out of Wado. He watches as the blade moves two meters away before disappearing.
"I did it... I did it!" He turns to Stella with a big smile. Stella looks at him with pride. He feels his heart miss a beat. What is happening to him?
"Congratulations Zoro! Now do it again without me and we can say you succeeded." She pats him on the back and walks away from him. He watches her go and shakes his head to clear his mind. He repositions himself and tries to remember the movement. He tries a first movement and feels a little resistance, but nothing comes out. He doesn't give up, because he felt something this time. He tries again, but he has put too much force and sees the wind coming from both sides of the blade. He continues on and on.
I look at him with amusement, his behavior when I was behind him was very cute. But it's better that I don't go any further, because he can never get anything from me from a sentimental point of view. All he can get from me is a friend or a big sister.
"Hey, look at that! There's smoke coming out of the sea!" Chopper points ahead to large plumes of steam. Drawing the attention of the entire crew.
"This is so cool! It looks like cotton candy!" Says Luffy from the figurehead.
"This is the entrance to hell! Let's turn around!" Trembled Usopp, curled up in a ball behind the mast.
"Don't panic, they're just clouds of steam. There must be underwater volcanoes." Said Nami as she emerged from the kitchen.
"Volcanoes? Under the sea?" Asks Chopper innocently.
"Yes! In thousands of years, a new island will rise from the ocean."
"That's so cool!"
The boat continues straight on until it enters the vapor cloud.
"AAAAAH! Kof Kof!" Usopp and Vivi cough.
"It stinks of sulfur!" Complains Chopper.
"We can't see anything because of all this steam!"
"Cheer up, we'll be out soon." Replies Nami to Sanji. I feel a ship pass right by us, but because of the smoke, no one saw it. I shrug, probably a crew of some kind. We get out of the vapor cloud with no problem and continue on our way.
The days go on quietly until the arrival of a particular guest. Emerging from the depths of the sea, a sea monster with a cat's head blocked our way. It's been a long time since I've seen one.
"MIAAAOU!"
"What's that sea monster!"
"It's... It's a sea cat!" Yells Vivi.
Luffy, Zoro and Sanji get into a fighting stance.
"Get him! We used the last meat yesterday!" Says Sanji, wanting to pounce on him. But the three men are stopped by Vivi.
"NO WAY!" The sea cat takes the opportunity to leave in the depths, he did not like the look that the boy with the straw hat gave him.
"Vivi?! But... But why?!" Luffy whines.
"It is forbidden to eat him! In Alabasta, the sea cat is a sacred animal!"
"Too bad... It looked delicious..." Says Luffy as he chews on the railing.
"Don't worry, you'll soon be able to eat whatever you want. We're back in the Alabasta climate zone." Reassures Vivi.
"Hooo. And what's approaching us is also proof that we're getting to Alabasta?" Asks Zoro, pointing to a dozen boats chasing us.
"But where do they come from, those ones?! They all bear the mark of Baroque Works! They must be the 'Billions', the men in the pay of the special agents!" Vivi panics.
"We... We have to bomb them right away!" Points Usopp as he heads for the cannons.
"No, it'll be faster if we ram them!" Says Luffy as he spins his arm.
"Let's leave them. They're no match for us, are they Stella." I smile at Zoro with a mocking expression.
"If they ever catch up to us and beat you, then I will have wasted my time."
"You are right Stella-chan. If we start to tremble at them, then we don't deserve to continue. Let's go on our way, they are not a danger."
Thanks to the lightness of our ship, we manage to outrun them before we finally reach the Alabasta coast.
"The port is in sight! We'd better hide the boat in the cove to the west. We docked in the small cove that Vivi pointed out to us.
The board has barely touched the ground when Luffy rushes in.
"EAT!" Everyone sighs desperately at their captain's behavior.
"But... But how are we going to find Luffy? Nanohana is a big city."
"Don't worry my beloved Vivi! Just go where there's a commotion."
"Yes, that's not wrong!" Nami pulls a desperate face. I let them get organized while I go to my room to get Hisui's bag and some money. I come out with the strap on my shoulder and Maru on the other.
"Ah Stella! Me and Vivi are going shopping while the others get supplies. Are you coming with us?"
"Let's go, I was going for a walk around town too."
We leave between the alleys of the city, many stands propose products of Alabasta. Fruits, jewels, clothes and perfumes. Nami leads us in one of the clothes stores. We can see many clothes ranging from desert crossing outfits to more exotic outfits like dance outfits.
"Ho ladies ~ You will look so gorgeous in these outfits ~" Said Sanji pointing to the dance outfits.
"They are pretty, but we have to cross the desert. I don't think this will be the best."
"Dear customers, I'm sure this man is right. These outfits will show you off, making you irresistible!" The salesman spun around, urging us to buy something, but bit his fingers when Nami started haggling like a tigress over a huge pile of clothes.
"You are ruthless Nami. You are really impressive!" I complimented her as we walked out of the store with about 30 bags.
"It's nothing, it's totally normal for me." Said the redhead happily.
"You are extraordinary Nami-chwan ~" Sanji follows us with difficulty because of all the bags he has in his arms, which are barely balancing.
After robbing three more stores, we end up at our meeting point.
Nami and Vivi exchanged their clothes for a dancer's outfit to finally make Sanji shut up. For my part I wear a black tank top with a red bird on the left side of my chest, a red muslin fabric surrounds my arms, held by two golden bracelets. A long slit skirt in black fabric with red and gold arabesques, protects my legs from the sun. On my feet, I wear black high sandals with golden buckles. Maru is very happy that I bought this outfit matching the colors of his shell.
"You are really sublime my princesses ~ " Sanji raves, still holding the bags in balance.
"Thank you Sanji. But I don't think this is the best outfit for crossing the desert."
"Don't worry Nami, I'll carry you if you get tired. ~ " I roll my eyes, if he mastered the moonwalk, he could do it. But for now, he can barely jump higher.
"Okay, now that we have everything we need to cross the desert, what do we do first, Vivi?"
"Our first priority is to stop the rebels! They could attack at any time. So we need to get to the Yuba oasis, that's where their leader is. To get there, we have to..." Zoro cuts Vivi off by grabbing her arm and taking cover.
"Watch out, hide!"
"Huh?! What's going on?"
"It's the navy, why are they here?" We watch the navy flailing around and chasing after someone. It's no surprise to see Luffy running through the streets. But the problem is that he has seen us and is running towards us.
"HE! ZORO!" But what a jerk. I was about to slip away, but I sense a particularly familiar presence. A smile naturally forms on my lips. When a column of fire stops the smoky marine's attack. I jump up. A young man appears in the flames, the Whitebeard tattoo on his back is the first thing to appear, then his wavy black hair topped with his ever-present orange hat.
"I don't believe it! What is he doing here?!" Everyone turns to me.
"You know him? "
"ACE?!" I practically unscrew my neck as I hear Luffy.
"I'll take care of them! You go ahead!" Ace says as he faces the marines.
"Come on guys, let's go!" Everyone starts running, but I don't move. How does Luffy know Ace?! No, wait... Luffy is Garp's grandson and that asshole took Ace from me... So they could have been raised together.
"Stella, hurry up!
"Go without me, I'm staying here. "
"Huh what?!" Sanji skids and looks at me with wide eyes. "But... But..."
"Forget it Sanji! She'll be fine!" Nami grabs his arm and pulls Sanji with her.
I look at Ace's back, laughing at Smoker. Silently approaching him, completely erasing my presence. The marine squints at me. I get within six inches of Ace and lean into his ear.
"Hi Ace ~" He flinches and turns sharply toward me, ready to punch me in the face, but when he recognizes me, he loses all color.
"Ste... Stella!"
"Hey, what's up? "
Thanks for reading this chapter!
How will Ace react to Stella, especially regarding his revenge plan? Will he manage to escape or negotiate with her?
You'll find out in the next chapter!
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