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Chapter 69

Indirect messages

The straw hat crew's captain stretched and opened his eyes. Surprised, he noticed that it was dark and that he was visibly outside as evidenced by the starry sky above his head. He moved a little and saw the long, dark outline of the hotel wall a few feet away. Definitely astonished by his presence on the floor when he should have been in his room, he sharply straightened up before wincing in pain. Something had scratched him heavily and seemed to want to hold him to the ground, but he fought.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! It stings! That hurts!"

Luffy struggled for a few seconds against the brambles that had sunk into his skin and torn his clothes before hopping away from the flower bed. Pulling the last thorns out of his arms, he frowned. What was he doing here anyway? He was remembering walking Nami home and then… The memory of his actions finally came back to him and he froze. The party! He had agreed to go to a party without thinking with the navigator! Yet he better rise to the challenge because moments that Nami and him were saving for them alone meant a lot for the young woman and therefore for the rest of their relationship.

Luffy felt panic wash over him. He was absolutely needing help! Without a care for his scratches, he rushed across the lawn and darted towards the hotel doors.

"Sanji! Sanji! Sanji!"

From his bed, the cook jumped up and ran to the door to swing it open.

"What's going on?! We're under attack?!"

Luffy gazed at him from the doorstep, stunned.

"No."

The captain quietly entered his friends' room and the blond followed him with his eyes in disbelief.

"What the fuck are you doing yelling in the middle of the night then?!" he roared, slamming the door behind his surprised guest.

"I needed to talk to you", the straw hat boy answered innocently.

"What?!"

Sanji turned the light on and then ran a hand over his face, trying to calm down as Zoro was rolling over in bed and slamming a pillow over his head so he couldn't hear them.

"Wait, where's your hat?" the cook suddenly wondered.

"Oh, heck! I forgot it in Nami's room!" Luffy remembered, his eyes wide.

"Well, that's fine", the blond sighed. "What did you wanna talk about?"

"Nami told me she wanted to go to the party with me and I said yes but I don't even know what it is!" the captain uttered.

Sanji took a second to massage the bridge of his nose.

"Must be the official dinner party she talked about this morning. There'll be a lot of people, it's a really, really chic event."

"Oh la la…"

"Why did you accept that?" the swordsman who had finally sat up on the bed growled.

"I wanted to make her happy!" the straw hat boy answered with sincerity.

"We'll see tomorrow morning, Luffy", the cook cut him short. "There's no point in panicking now, you've already accepted."

"Where the hell'd you come from?" Zoro suddenly wondered.

Luffy remembered at the same time the cook was paying attention that his jacket was open and that he had scratches all over his body, not to mention his disheveled face.

"I fell in the brambles at the foot of the hotel", the captain replied, scratching his head.

"Huh?!"

"I was totally elsewhere; I didn't see them! I was walking and because at the end of the hall there was a picture window opening onto the garden, I wanted to look at the landscape but I didn't pay attention and I fell."

He then shrugged under the gaze of his two friends, taken aback.

"After that I must have fallen asleep and when I woke up, I was in the brambles!" he concluded with a fact tone.

"Wait, what have you been doing since you left with Nami-san?" the blond asked suspiciously.

"Well, I walked her home as she had asked me and she offered to come in. Afterwards, I jumped on her mattress, it was really comfortable! And then, uh…"

Luffy paused, suddenly embarrassed, and he even flushed. Sanji shook his head.

"It's a private thing, isn't it?" he understood.

"Yeah!" Luffy exclaimed, delighted that his friend had guessed.

"Please, I don't wanna know", the fencer begged, pushing his pillow back over his head.

"Shut the fuck up!" the blond replied, annoyed by his attitude.

He then turned to the still smiling captain and observed him for a few moments.

"Is that why you got messed up and fell?" he asked him.

"I dunno but I promised Nami to go to this party and then she did all this stuff to me and-"

"Hey there, stop!" his cook firmly cut him short, putting his hands on his shoulders. "Remember what Nami-san said: it can't be told, okay?"

"Okay."

"I'm gonna throw up", Zoro whined behind them, clearly paler.

Sanji glared at him then returned his attention to their captain. He was looking lost and the blond sighed.

"You're gonna go back to your room and get some sleep. It'll be better tomorrow."

"I don't know where my room is", the young man answered sheepishly.

"What, you don't know your room number but you remember that one?!" Sanji choked.

"Yours is easy, it's 444! Usually, I'm always following Usopp or Chopper!"

"Well… I guess you can stay here then…"

"No!" Zoro protested.

"Awesome! Thanks, guys!"

Luffy hurled onto the bed and settled himself against the fencer who moved with a sigh.

"I'm gonna sleep on the armchair", the cook decided, fatalist.

"And me on the floor", the swordsman muttered, snatching his pillow from the captain who had already fallen asleep on it.

Luffy was hopping all around the room, excited. Sitting on the carpet, Chopper was looking at him in wonder while Usopp was hesitating between two shirts he was holding at arm's length.

"Stop moving like that, you're making my head hurt", the swordsman slumped in the chair in front of him grumbled.

"I can't help it, I'm so bored!" the captain explained before throwing himself on the bed.

Zoro heavily sighed. When Brook and Franky had suggested to take a walk on the beach after lunch, he had declined so he could rest in his room. He liked the sand but for the past three days he had had enough of being woken up by inadvertent cries of joy and buckets of sea water in his face when the captain was playing too close to him. So he had thought he could finally be quiet this way.

It was without counting on the cook who had turned up two hours later with Luffy and bringing in his wake the ship's doctor and the sniper of the crew. The blond had taken charge of the preparation of the straw hat boy so that he would be presentable for the official dinner in a few hours and that was implying to find him suitable clothes. What Luffy didn't have. Sanji had therefore dug up several shirts for him but then left in search of pants, leaving his partner in the midst of their friends and their mess.

"Blue or white?" the sniper suddenly asked the captain, pointing them to him.

The latter shrugged.

"Blue."

Usopp handed him the shirt and Luffy slip it on.

"You look great, Luffy!" the little reindeer gushed.

"Yes, you look smashing! Nami won't resist you!" the gunner agreed.

The captain started to jump again in all directions and Zoro was about to leave the room to escape this ordeal when the cook entered again, blocking his way.

"I finally found black pants, one of the waiters lent them to me!"

He threw the garment at Luffy, who eagerly grabbed it. For his part, the swordsman sprawled again on the chair, dying of boredom.

"Take your shorts off first, idiot", Usopp sighed as he saw his friend slip them on over his clothes.

Luffy did so, laughing and then proudly sat up.

"Great!" Chopper shouted again, delighted.

"Absolutely not, take that shirt off immediately!" the cook who was trying to clean up the room ordered.

"Why?" the captain asked, his eyes wide.

"This shirt isn't bad though", the sniper wondered in turn.

"It's blue, you morons!" Sanji got annoyed as he was continuing to tidy up. "What if Nami-san decides to wear red or green, what will it look like with his blue shirt, huh?"

Chopper and Usopp shared a puzzled look before looking questioningly at Zoro who shrugged in return. Meanwhile, the blond handed his captain the white shirt.

"White is a safe color", he continued. "Besides, it's a cocktail party. Men will probably all be in suits and women in dresses so now is not the time to look quirky."

Finally, the straw hat boy put on the white shirt and turned to Sanji.

"I'm ready!" he got enthused with a huge smile.

"Almost. Tuck your shirt into your pants and go do your hair. It's almost time."

The captain rushed to the bathroom and the cook sighed. Preparing Luffy had taken him hours and it wasn't his friends who had given him a helping hand with their total ignorance of the life codes in society.

Luffy returned a minute later, his hair still wild since he had put his straw hat back on his head. Sanji decided to give up given the time and gave his final recommendations to the captain.

"When you see her, compliment her outfit."

"Okay."

"Don't pounce on the food."

"Okay."

"And above all, stay quiet."

"No problem."

"If she asks you something, always say yes", Chopper added.

"And if someone wants to know your opinion, answer as she has", Usopp insisted.

"Great!"

Luffy stomped, delighted. He couldn't wait to go to that party after all. It shouldn't be that hard to do everything his friends were telling him to!

"Okay, we'll be setting up for the barbecue with Chopper", the sniper said, addressing Zoro and Sanji. "We're gonna wait for you on the beach."

"Something interesting at last!" the swordsman appreciated, getting up in turn to follow them towards the door.

"Wait a minute", Sanji stopped him. "You're gonna stay with Luffy in the foyer while I go get Nami-san."

"Can't she get moving on her own?" Zoro growled indignantly.

"It's an evening where good manners are essential so we might as well start with a perfect game because I don't know what our captain will be able to endure", the blond commented while observing the young man pull on his shirt buttons with application.

"Good point", the fencer admitted, dragging the straw hat boy with him. "Hurry up anyway. I'm starving."

"So am I!" Luffy exclaimed, laughing.

Sanji sighed and closed the bedroom door behind him before quickly heading for the navigator's door. He was sure he was feeling more nervous than Luffy about this evening…

Nami stared at herself in the mirror once more, wanting to make sure the object was reflecting the perfect image. She had put on a long, low-cut dress with thin straps and matching high heels. She had also pulled her hair up into a soft bun from which a few shorter locks were escaping. Nojiko's bracelet and the Log-Pose were sparkling on her wrist. She then applied a little black to her eyes before examining herself again.

She was almost ready but she was feeling anxious. It was the first time she was going to attend a real party and not one of these pirates drinking sessions. People would be well dressed, polite, conversational, and respectful. It was really the perfect place to meet interesting and educated people. It was the dream. And then Luffy would be here. He had promised her he would accompany her.

Being lost at sea was ultimately a blessing. This island was allowing them to take a little vacation, which they had never really done. Of course, the Log-Pose would soon finish recharging and they would be back on the road but in the meantime, this place was heavenly.

"Nami-san, your date is waiting for you in the foyer! I left him with Zoro but you know them! Alone for too long, they'll do stupid things…"

Sanji entered the room and suspended his move when he discovered the navigator. For him, she was always breathtaking, but today she was even more so.

"Don't say a word", the young woman chuckled, noticing the cook's blissful look.

She turned to her mirror again and seized the ruby jewelry she had mount up a few weeks before. Its glowing red brightness were from the stone Luffy had given her on the marmots' island and she examined it for a second. She had initially thought of selling the stone before changing her mind. To cut it into jewelry, she had spent berries instead of getting some but in this way she had a gift from her captain and she was quite proud of it. The jewel was splendid.

At that moment, Sanji gently took it from her hands.

"May I, miss?"

"If your hands move even a millimeter, I'll make sure you never get to have fun with your buddy the swordsman again, got that?"

The cook nodded in amusement and slipped the ornament on her neck before hanging it up.

"You really are gorgeous, Nami-san", he sincerely said after a few moments of examining her.

"Thank you. Do you… think he'll like it?" she then asked, blushing.

"If that idiot isn't already crazy about you, it's only a matter of time. What's the point of looking for the One Piece when you have the most wonderful treasure in front of you?"

The red-haired young woman thanked him with a smile. Sanji was truly the best to make a woman feel unique and wanted.

"Let's go."

The blond elegantly offered her his arm and they left the room. When they arrived in the foyer, Luffy and Zoro were having fun hitting each other on the ribs to see who was more tough and Sanji cleared his throat to get their attention. Yet he had briefed his captain during these last three days, reminding him how important the evening was for Nami and therefore for him. Fortunately, the fencer heard him and he nudged Luffy who froze before seeing the navigator a few steps away.

"Wow, Nami! You look so pretty!" he exclaimed, stepping forward with a huge smile on his face.

"Thank you. Did Sanji tell you to say that?"

"Yeah but it's true! He knew it would!"

The young woman glanced at the cook with amusement before leaving his arm and taking Luffy's. She noticed then that he had made an effort on his outfit since he was wearing black pants and a white shirt but he couldn't bring himself to take off neither his sandals nor his straw hat and she winced.

"Luffy, you need to take your hat off."

"What? Why? That's my hat!"

"They won't let us in if you have a hat on", she explained. "Besides, you're too recognizable that way and I'd like us to go unnoticed."

"It's not fair, I don't wanna!" the captain sulked.

"Luffy, gimme that damn hat!" Sanji stepped in.

"Never!" he protested, screwing it on his head.

"With your permission, Captain, I consider it my duty to keep your hat safe until your return", Robin who had appeared in the foyer intervened.

The boy turned to her, considering the question.

"Okay, I'll give you my hat!" he then decided, handing it to her.

The young woman bowed to thank him.

"I am honored to have your trust."

She then disappeared through the opposite door and Nami breathed in relief.

"Okay, let's go now. See you later, have fun!" she told her friends before heading to the reception room with Luffy.

Zoro watched them walk away and shook his he ad.

"Luffy's not done going through hell. This thing seems to be a pain in the ass and besides, he's gonna have to restrict himself with the food or she'll kill him."

"They're gonna have a wonderful evening, moron!" Sanji rebuffed him. "Making efforts and compromises for each other is the basis of a harmonious relationship and a strong couple!"

"If you say so."

The cook watched the swordsman shrug before stepping out into the hotel's park and he sighed. Zoro was totally insensitive to his surroundings when it came to relationships and the effort he had made to be romantic was showing it beyond doubt. Too bad, he had knowingly dropped the idea the day he and the fencer had decided to make official their relationship anyway. Besides, seeing him try to please him all the same had delighted him more than he wanted to say. Fortunately, Zoro didn't need to know it…

Outside, a light cool wind had arisen with the end of the day, pleasantly refreshing the atmosphere. Usopp had made a large barbecue and put it up on the beach to celebrate their last evening on the island of lost paradises. With Chopper's help, he was grilling meat and fruit skewers. For his part, Franky was sipping cola and Brook was warming his violin enthusiastically. Robin was seated not far from them, the straw hat in her hands.

"Nice place, eh?" Usopp called out when Zoro and Sanji joined them. "I think I'll miss this island…"

"I have to say that this is one of the most wonderful places we have visited since I embarked with you", the musician confirmed with delight.

"I totally agree", the cyborg approved, knocking back his bottle. "By the way, how are things going for Luffy and Nami?"

"Good for now. Luckily, Robin-chan has avoided disaster earlier", Sanji replied.

"Lucky guy that Luffy! I wish Kaya was there too…"

The crew ate merrily. The food's hotel wasn't equivalent to that of their personal cook, but still quite acceptable. Brook was joking at regular intervals and the group was shrieking with laughter in front of Usopp's imitations.

After a while, Chopper suddenly straightened up and leaned towards to look behind the archaeologist before him.

"Robin, there's this guy looking at you again."

The other five members of the crew sharply turned and saw a tall brown figure rush into the hotel.

"This salesman again", Franky noted. "Ever since he came to give us Adam's wood and saw you, he keeps making excuses to bump into us…"

"He doesn't dare to approach you", Sanji guessed.

"It proves he's not suicidal", Zoro whispered to the sniper who strongly approved.

"You bastards!" the blond roared, giving them each a clout. "Apologize to Robin immediately!"

"That won't be necessary, cook-san. I have a feeling that I must go and explain myself with him", the archaeologist replied, smoothly getting up.

"You want me to keep Luffy's hat?" the reindeer kindly offered her.

"No thanks. I promised to give it back in person on his return."

The young woman then walked away in the direction of the disappeared figure under the curious gaze of her crewmates.

"If this guy's still alive tomorrow morning, we can erect a statue for him", Usopp gravely said before Sanji tried to hit him again.

Franky raised his bottle of cola as if to pay their last respects and the rest of the boys silently did the same under the cook's angry gaze.

"Aren't you too bored, Luffy?" the navigator asked him.

"No, it's pretty cool here. Except they're not generous with food and the shirt itches!" the captain sincerely replied.

Nami smiled sympathetically. Luffy hadn't made too many mistakes so far. He had wisely followed her from one group discussion to another and if he didn't understand the conversation, he was smiling widely to the other guests who were generally pleasantly surprised by his good humor. However, she hadn't dared to take him to the dance floor where the orchestra was playing some ballroom dance while couples were smoothly moving.

Despite this exemplary behavior, as time passed, the captain had a hard time restraining from dipping with his broad elastic hands into the tray of the canapés while the navigator was chatting at his side.

After exchanging their Den-Den Mushi phone numbers with a diplomat and a Log-Pose specialist, Nami took him outside to be a bit away.

"Thank you for coming with me, Luffy."

"Well, that's normal, I promised you!"

The young woman smiled again. The guests had complimented her jewelry continually and she had been proud to tell them her captain had given it to her. She had even slightly blushed the first time when Luffy had stared at the jewel and then at her navigator, obviously excited to see she had kept his gift.

"You kept it, I'm so happy!"

At the memory, Nami leaned closer to the straw hat boy and gently kissed him. When she straightened, he was looking blissful again and she stifled a small laugh.

"You can go if you want to", she offered him then.

"You sure? You don't want me to stay with you?" Luffy wondered.

"No, go ahead. I know you're starving."

"Great!" he cried out. "See you later!"

Nami watched him rush towards Robin who was a little further away with a young man on the dance floor. The archaeologist gave him his hat back which he hastened to stick on his head, then he jumped over the fence of the terrace before dashing off towards the beach and his friends.

The navigator then left the terrace in turn and walked towards Robin, a smile on her lips.

"So how'd it go?" Usopp asked as soon as the captain had finished his fifth plate.

"They give food only in the form of very small squares", the latter explained between two brimming bites. "You need to eat at least twenty for it to have some taste!"

"What about Nami?" Franky asked him as Brook was beginning a romantic ballad on his violin.

"She hasn't eaten much", Luffy replied, shrugging after a period of reflection.

Everyone sighed around him. The straw hat boy was a hopeless case…

"At least you got your hat back", the swordsman next to him pointed out.

"Yeah, Robin kept it for me like she promised!"

"Where is she?" Chopper asked.

"In the reception hall with a tall guy I've never seen."

"You mean she's not burning him to ashes?" Usopp exclaimed, flabbergasted.

"I dunno. They were dancing when I got my hat back. Why do you wanna know, you know him?"

"You gotta be kidding! Robin was dancing?!" the shipwright choked.

"I need to see it with my own eyes!" the gunner cried out, rushing towards the hotel.

"So do I, I wanna see!" Chopper exclaimed as Franky and Brook were following him too.

"Come back here, you stalkers!" Sanji yelled at them unsuccessfully, jumping on his feet.

He then sat back down with a jaded air beside Zoro and Luffy who was continuing to eat and took out a cigarette.

"You know him too, Sanji?" the captain asked him.

"No."

"And you, Zoro?"

"No."

"Oh."

After a few moments of silence disturbed in part by the sound of chewing, the cook turned to the straw hat boy who was finally slowing down.

"Tell me how it went with Nami-san, Luffy. Was she happy?"

"I think so. She didn't scream anyway."

"It's encouraging", the blond approved. "But why isn't she with you then?"

"She told me I could go and since I was hungry…"

"She stayed there all alone?" the cook worried. "You sure she wasn't angry?"

"I asked her is she was sure and she said yes so I went to get my hat back and I came here", the captain confirmed.

"Nothing else?"

"No… She just kissed me before I left."

"A kiss on the mouth?" the blond asked hopefully.

"Yeah, it was weird!" the straw hat boy approved, laughing. "It tickled my stomach!"

Sanji breathed out the smoke from his cigarette, a smile on his face. Luffy had been great, everything had gone well.

"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd never have believed it!" Usopp repeated for the third time.

"She hides her true self damn well, that one!" Franky exclaimed in turn.

"Who would have thought that our charming Robin-san masters ballroom dancing so well!" Brook was delighted.

"The salesman was very good too", Chopper recalled.

The small group was back around the barbecue after spying on the beautiful archaeologist. Night had fallen for several hours now but the mildness of the air didn't encourage anyone to go to bed and after Usopp's story about their friend's dancing skills, they celebrated Robin's handsome stranger by dancing in turn like crazy. Sanji then told Luffy's success with Nami and they celebrated his victory with meat and songs under the direction of Brook. Finally, while Chopper and Luffy were passing out from exhaustion, the gunner versed in melancholy and explained how much he was missing his dear and sweet Kaya on this auspicious day for lovers and they tried to dry his tears despite the sadness of the melody of the skeleton musician.

As dawn was about to break, Franky finally loaded Luffy onto his shoulders to bring him back in his bed while Brook was grabbing Chopper, both of them sound asleep. Neither Robin nor Nami had reappeared and everyone assumed they had gone to bed as well.

Usopp then remained with Sanji and Zoro, still plagued by his doom and gloom.

"If you could have seen her eyes! They're incomparably bright! They're like two sa-"

"I've already met Kaya, Usopp. I know what she looks like", the fencer wearily cut him short.

"And the blondness of her hair is like ears of wheat in the July sun! They wave around her laughing face, they're-"

"Stop worrying, you'll see her again", the cook reassured him in turn.

"Oh, I miss her!" the sniper whined. "I'd like to live like you, wake up every morning with the one you love, protect that person from all the dangers of the Grand Line and have adventures by her side! Devote an eternal love to that person that goes beyond all the oceans and that nothing can stop! Yes, I envy you, guys…"

Usopp came out of his reverie when he noticed that Zoro was glaring at him. Sanji for his part suppressed a laugh and the young man cleared his throat.

"Well, okay… Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit when talking about a love that goes beyond the seas but…"

"Go to bed, Usopp", the swordsman gravely ordered him.

"Okay!"

The sniper got up at top speed and almost ran away towards the hotel. Sanji then smirked and turned to his mate.

"You don't have a whit of pity in you. He was just sad, you know."

"Did you hear him?" Zoro got annoyed. "What a bunch of crap!"

"Don't be grumpy, marimo. It was still a beautiful tirade…"

"Fuck that, that's good for chicks!"

"What? You don't devote an eternal love that goes beyond all the dangers of Grand Line to me?" the blond provoked him maliciously.

Zoro's eyes widened in stupor before staring at him threateningly.

"Holy shit. If you ever say something like that again, I swear I'll cut your tongue, shitty cook!"

"You know it wasn't an insult?" the cook chuckled, unimpressed.

"I don't give a fuck. These things dripping with good feelings, it makes me puke!"

"You truly are beyond redemption…"

The swordsman gave him a murderous look and the blond gave it back in the form of a mocking wink but it was time to calm things down.

"Personally, I don't care if you're not the greatest romantic on the Grand Line as long as you only share this with me…"

Zoro growled an incomprehensible response and the cook stuck a cigarette between his lips with a smile.

"It's not my fault I don't like all that sissy", the fencer grumbled.

"I'm not blaming you, I was teasing you", the blond appeased him.

"Yeah. Yet I know you like that stuff, you", he mumbled.

Sanji gave him a sidelong glance before shrugging.

"Doesn't matter. It's not that important."

The swordsman didn't reply, but the cook wondered if his last remark had bothered him even more given his hard face.

"Stop worrying about that, marimo", he began.

"I'm not worrying!" he exclaimed immediately.

"Okay. So why don't you relax a little, eh?"

The blond moved closer to him and took his cigarette out of his mouth before gently placing his lips on his. He was feeling that Zoro was still annoyed because he was standing a little too stiff but after a few seconds he felt him relax and kissed him back with more vigor. He then decided to sacrifice his cigarette butt and throw it in the barbecue to run his hands under his tee-shirt.

"This proposal to cut my tongue… Otherwise, I agree you take my breath away", he whispered in his ear.

Definitely in his element now, the fencer toppled his partner over the sand and brutally kissed him, making their tongues dance a fiery ballet. At that moment, nothing else mattered but his skin against his, their tangled breaths and their burning desire.

Sanji didn't whisper to the swordsman how romantic he found the idea of making love on the beach in the rising sun and Zoro didn't admit to the cook how much he liked waking up next to him every morning.

Honor was safe.

I hope you enjoyed the humor amidst some serious scenes for our two couples. I have loved that way of playing with them.

As you know, next chapter will be the last. What a ride!