Another chapter! Not sure exactly when this takes place but it's sometime after finding the One Piece. I imagined it to be in the months just after. Wanted to do something different than sappy late-night talks and had this idea, I hope you like it!
The Night Raid
Luffy and Nami were crouched behind the huge barrels of cola in the power room of the Thousand Sunny. The navigator swayed slightly, struggling to keep her balance due to a combination of alcohol and the ship's movement.
Luffy giggled with blushed cheeks as his partner wrestled with such a simple stance.
"Ok, here's the plan Luffy." the soldiers helmet she was wearing playfully on her head fell in front of her eyes. She clumsily pushed it back up onto her head then continued. "I'll butter him up and you get the goods."
Luffy nodded enthusiastically, "Yosh."
"Then you give me the signal and we'll boot it." Luffy nodded again, saliva dripping from his mouth. "Then I'll get my snack and we can go to bed!"
Nami raised her hand for a high five and Luffy returned the gesture with a grin.
They clumsily stood up and made their way out of the room. They winded through the Sunny's corridors until they reached the kitchen door. They stood either side of the door peeking through the porthole into the room.
Robin sat at the end of the table, her legs crossed and a large book half closed in hand, her index finger tucked in to mark the page she was on. She was smiling at Zoro as he poured her another cup of sake, spilling droplets all over the table as he pulled the bottle away.
Sanji was working away on the pile of dishes that had accumulated hours ago, when the party first started. He picked up a half-full glass of red wine from behind the sink and took a sip before returning to his task.
Nami turned to Luffy, "Go under the table, behind the bench and straight to the fridge." Luffy nodded. Nami put on a determined expression then burst into the room.
"Sanji-kun!"
The three people in the room all turned their attention to the newcomer. While they were distracted Luffy used the opportunity to quickly slip under the tablecloth to safety.
Sanji had focused all of his attention on Nami, his eyes painted with hearts, "Yes Nami-swwwaan!"
Nami shot a quick glance back to the door, relieved to see it empty, before beginning her ruse. "I was hoping you could make me a drink to help with the alcohol. I'm feeling light-headed." This wasn't a lie, just standing still was a struggle for her at the minute.
"Of coarse, Nami-swan." He half danced, half walked to the bench and removed a handful of oranges from the fruit basket.
Zoro turned to face Nami, his cheeks were pink but his words came out clear and sober. "What. Can't hold your liquor no more?"
Nami was surprised by how insulted she felt by the comment.
"I haven't been properly dunk in so long I thought it would be fun to have spirits tonight." She smiled off dreamily as she remembered the different cocktails mixed with gin and vodka she'd been drinking throughout their festivities. Zoro laughed and took another swig of sake.
"I only drink spirits and you don't see me needing a fix-me-up from the shitty cook." Sanji was too busy pouring his heart into Nami's drink to notice the insult. Robin chuckled at the exchange, not taking her eyes off the book.
Under the table Luffy was trying to figure out if the coast was clear. Sitting here, he realised that their plan sucked. Even he had figured that out. Nami was the thief AND the lockpick, she should have been the one going for the fridge. But he was desperate for meat and it was too late to change the plan now, he decided to just take his chances. He shuffled under the table, making his way towards the back of the bench. He poked his head out from under the table cloth slightly to check out the situation.
Looking left the coast was clear, he could hear Sanji in front of him working away on Nami's orange juice. He turned his head to the right, ready to make a break for the fridge but staring down at him, a surprised look on his face, was Zoro. Seeing each other made both of them jump and Luffy smacked his head on the underside of the table, causing a loud *thud* to echo throughout the room.
"Lu-" before the swordsman could finish his exclamation an arm appeared on his chest and held a finger to his lips, motioning for him to be quiet. Above the table Luffy heard Robin whisper something to Zoro. The swordsman grinned and turned his attention back to the table, pretending that nothing was amiss.
Luffy sighed in relief, then made his way to the back of the bench. He edged along towards the fridge, sweat dripping down his brow. Being stealthy was stressful, it made Luffy feel a new appreciation for Nami's skills.
Reaching the end of the bench he poked his head around into the kitchen. Sanji was bent over, humming to himself while juicing the oranges. Nami was standing at the opposite end of Luffy and she immediately noticed him.
The navigator had to stop herself from laughing, Luffy's eyes and brow were the only thing visible around the edge he was kneeling. Sweat dripped from his face and his eyes seemed nervous. It made him look like he was robbing a bank, not a fridge. Nami thought the scene was cute, but she doubted many other women would agree with her. She raised her eyebrows and pointed very quickly to the fridge.
Luffy stuck his hands out and tried to mimic the action of a lock being opened. Nami immediately realised the huge floor in their plan; the giant chain that Sanji wrapped around the fridge, as well as a combination lock that hung on the handle. She must have been drunker than she thought, it was rare for her to miss a detail in a plan, especially one as glaringly obvious as this one.
"Sanji-Kun, could I please have some ice with that?"
"Anything for you Nami-swan."
Luffy ducked back behind the bench as soon as he realised what Nami was doing. The chef danced past where Luffy had been only a moment before and headed for the fridge, it took Sanji a full minute to unlock it. He reached for the freezer compartment and grabbed a handful of ice. As he was halfway closing the doors he heard a scream from the kitchen.
"SANJI-KUN THERE'S A SPIDER."
The chef's eyes bursted with flames and he dashed back over to Nami, dropping the ice on the ground.
"Worry not! Your prince shall protect you!"
Luffy eyed the open fridge with wonder. Since they had started living on the Thousand Sunny he'd never gotten this far. To Luffy, the fridge was an unexplored dreamscape, filled with the most marvelous things his mind could conjure. He crawled over, then stood up, using the open door to obscure Sanji's view.
The light from the fridge seemed to blind Luffy as if it were from heaven itself. He blinked a couple of times so his eyes could adjust. Saliva began to drip down his chin as he beheld the contents.
Half of the fridge was filled with meat, of all different animals, cuts and sizes. How was he supposed to choose? He realised he didn't care what it was, as long as it was meat. He grabbed as much as his arms could hold and then turned around, his face filled with euphoric excitement as he came into view around the door.
Now that he had the meat in his hands, Luffy had forgotten about the situation entirely. He strolled back through the kitchen, chewing on a drumstick, his eyes closed happily. 'That idiot, isn't even trying to be stealthy' Nami thought to herself.
Luckily Sanji was on the floor, inspecting every crack with a magnifying glass, looking for the non-existent spider. He didn't notice as the captain walked past him and towards the door.
Zoro was almost in tears trying to not laugh at Sanji's stupidity. Robin giggled, feeling a bit bad for the well-intentioned chef.
"Let's go to bed Nami." Luffy said absentmindedly, as he walked out onto the deck.
"Don't forget about the spider Sanji, I don't think I'd be able to eat here knowing it's around."
Dooming Sanji, Nami grabbed her drink and dashed out of the kitchen, quickly catching up to Luffy. She looked at his arms and laughed when she saw how much he had taken.
"I thought you wanted a snack?" She questioned.
"Mhmm." was the only reply she received.