"Luffy…"
"No."
"Luffy come on."
"No!"
"Luffy!"
"NO!"
"LUFFY!"
For the past approximately 9 minutes and 50… 5 seconds now Zoro had been watching the shouting match. In the ring were Nami and Luffy, the former red faced and shouting, while the latter ran from her, bare chested with his red vest in his hand, trailing behind him. Zoro couldn't help but compare the chase going on around him to a bull fighting match, Nami the bull and Luffy the bullfighter, flash his red vest as he twisted around dodging Nami's furious grabs for him. In Nami's hands being swung around as she chases her idiot captain around the deck, is a black tux and a red dress shirt. When Zoro and Luffy had made it back to the ship everyone else had already beat them there, the crew getting ready for their outing to the restaurant. Luffy had, much to Nami's chagrin, gone to the boys room, put on one of his many red cardigans- albeit a clean one so he deserves some credit- and returned to the deck, declaring he was ready. The declaration was of course accompanied by a quick slap to head by their navigator and a loud shout.
"I knew this was going to happen," she said frowning down at Luffy who had been sitting on the ground clutching his head. "So I came prepared." She walks back into the ship quickly, leaving Luffy and those on deck to look after her curiously, before she returned, a large shopping bag in her hand. "So I bought you this!" With a large flourish she slides a black tux out of the bag, accompanied by a red dress shirt and black tie. She practically shines with pride at her forethought as Luffy stares at her in confusion.
"What's the fancy suit for."
"You."
"Ehhhhhhh!" Nami smirks.
"I know you're a fool Luffy and wouldn't have anything to wear prepared for tonight, so I bought you something myself. This is the only fancy place we'll be to for a long while and I'll be damned if we don't look the part." She glances at Luffy on the floor, expression darkening and smile twisting. "You'll pay me back in full of course. Plus an increased interest fee." Immediately the captain's expression pales, and his hands reaching behind him as he scrambles away from Nami's dark smirk. Sensing his impending escape she makes a run at him, hands reaching and suit clasped between her fingers. Yelping Luffy stands up fully and bolts, taking off around the ship and inciting the chase that had been taking place for the past ten minutes.
Knowing the witch'll get her way in the end, Zoro was content to sit down and watch the fight from his place by the railing, having given up fighting her insistence on formal wear already. Robin emerges from the deck and it becomes clear that's the deciding factor in the clothes battle as Luffy stops suddenly, sandals skidding slightly on the wood. The rest of the crew look on in mild amusement with various expressions of fondness on their faces while Luffy breaks out into his iconic loud laughter as arms sprout from his sides and begin to tickle him. Robin gives her usual small smile as he tips over, shaking with loud guffaws and more arms sprout from the deck and roll him over to Nami, who doesn't hesitate even a second before firmly grasping one of his ankles and dragging him into the ship and slamming the door behind her.
The rest of the crew sit in silence, but it doesn't take long before Nami emerges from the doorway, practically shining with triumph. Whatever doubts the rest of the crew had about her forcing their stubborn captain into a suit faded away quickly in the face of her smug countenance. More than one strawhat looks to the door in anticipation, and for a few minutes, wonder if she really had killed Luffy. Their slight worries for unfounded of course as Luffy soon bursts out of the ship with his usual energy and shouts for meat. His jacket is open and hanging off of his shoulders, and his tie is undone and barely around his neck, but it's clear Nami's run out of patience and she's done dealing with him for now. He looks good in a suit, Zoro thinks to himself, attempting to drown out Sanji's shouts of praise to Nami for her 'hard work'. Of course it's not the first time he's seen Luffy dressed up, but it is the first time that it hasn't been for battle. Ignoring the ominous implications of that thought he stands up, heading over to Luffy.
"Ready to go Captain?" Luffy turns to him and grins.
"I've been ready for a while Zoro!"
"Funny, didn't really look like it before." Luffy wrinkles his nose at the reminder of his battle with Nami, clearly not enjoying reminiscing about whatever had happened in the ship.
"Well I thought I was but Nami said I wasn't- even though I was!- so she made me wear this stupid suit." The last part is accompanied by Luffy flapping his jacket, as though shaking it some will make it disappear. He gives his captain a small smile and reaches over to fix his lapel and straighten his jacket which was once again skewed on his shoulders. Luffy leans forward obediently, letting Zoro fix the various issues with his clothes. Giving his tie one last tug after tying it, Zoro looks at Luffy and nods in the direction of the island. Luffy grins widely at him and together they turn to face the rest of the crew. "Alright everyone!" His resounding shout calls their collective attention back to him and off of whatever squabbles they'd been having (Nami had violently hit an overly affectionate Sanji, who had been flung to the deck. Usopp had laughed which had angered Sanji who kicked him into Franky, who also got mad and attempted a swing at Usopp, but he had run out of the way already so instead he punched Brook. So of course chaos ensued. They normally wouldn't be pulled into a big match like that, but over a week on the ship with no stops does that to even the best of crews.)
"Let's go eat fancy food!"
"Yeah!" And so the strawhats set out for their outing only 8 minutes behind schedule.
Sabo straightened his bowtie and swept his hands over his shirt quickly, smoothing wrinkles and clearing it of any residual dust from it being on the floor. Only then did he answer the transponder snail that had been ringing for the past ten minutes.
"Yo."
"Sabo."
"Koala."
"..." Oh boy. He definitely was going to get an earful when they rendezvoused after his infiltration. Her silence was never a good thing, it meant she passed her sarcastic mad stage, her angry mad stage, and went straight to her rage calm. So basically he was dead. Nice.
"15 minutes Sabo."
"Uuummmmm…"
"You left me calling you for 15 minutes."
"..."
"We are going to have a serious chat when you get back to camp."
"Anger aside Koala what were you calling about." There was a loud sigh on the other end of the line and Sabo could practically see her rubbing her temples in exasperation.
"Right. We just got word from Hack that the arms deal should be taking place at your location at some point today or possibly tonight. We need you to keep an eye on the staff and any suspicious persons entering the restaurant." He nodded with her words, most of that was in his briefing so the information wasn't exactly new. It was a pretty standard job as far as jobs in the Revolutionary Army go, just a basic underground arms deal that they needed to intercept. The prevention of the deal of weapons was good, as they got a tip that they'd be heading to a kingdom that was fighting against another that they were supporting, but they had also gotten word that one of the people in the transaction had close ties with a lead black market dealer that they'd been trying to catch for years. So if they got lucky and the info was right, it'd be hitting two birds with one stone.
"Oh and Sabo."
"What."
"I heard some people on the street saying that there was a pirate crew docked on the island somewhere." Pirates? Not too bad of a problem, but they always had a habit of stirring up trouble and interrupting revolutionary jobs.
"Any idea who?"
"No, but judging from some of the reactions, I think they're pretty big name." Great. Pirates themselves were one thing, a heavy hitter was another. Now it was practically guaranteed that there would be an incident soon, no island escapes a visit with pirates without one.
"Alright, I keep a lookout and if things get wild we'll ditch the deal and rendezvous at camp. From there we'll assess necessary measures."
"Right. Good luck Sabo." He smiled softly.
"Like I need it." There was a short laugh and then,
"Don't think you're off the hook." Click. Tucking the transponder snail in his pocket he prepares to slide out of the closet. A quick peek out the door reveals an empty hallway, so he slips through the opening and closing it silently. Trying to remember the map of the restaurant lay out Koala had him study he makes his way towards where he believes the kitchen is. Though the hallways are all identical and confusing, it doesn't take long for Sabo to find it. It's the only source of noise around and Sabo realizes it must have another door inside that leads directly to the seating area so the waiters don't have to navigate these halls. Pulling his hair into his face on the left side to cover his scar and smoothing it back on the right, he double checks his appearance. Satisfied he looks like a proper waiter, he plasters a bland smile on his face and walks into the kitchen, hoping he's suited for customer service.
The walk to the restaurant is quick, shorter than expected. That, of course, is partly due to the fact that Luffy is practically running in excitement, arm looped around Usopp who stumbles alongside him, halfheartedly cheering with him as he focuses on not face planting into the sidewalk. The rest of the crew are more leisurely, taking in the sights of the grand restaurants as they pass by. The whole island is elegant, covered in buildings of grandeur and housing the most exquisite variety of cuisines. It sparks the interest of everyone on the crew, an stirs excitement and speculation about what their restaurant will be like.
Their restaurant, The Fantaisie , certainly fits expectations. It's gilded outside commands attention from everyone who passes by, its many windows teasing the sights of crystal chandeliers and the golden rooms within. Zoro and Luffy, despite having seen it once already, are still taken aback by the sight of it practically glowing in the dimming sunlight. Excitement kicked up a notch, Luffy gives a loud excited shout before taking off up the red carpeted steps.
"Somebody grab that idiot." At Nami's command Franky reaches out and grabs the back of Luffy's jacket, letting him hang in the air until he realizes he's not moving forward anymore.
"Hang on Luffy bro, Nami's got some rules." Luffy pouts silently and crosses his arms, still hanging and spinning slightly in Franky's grip. Grinning when he's certain the strawhat captain isn't going to take off, the cyborg sets him back down.
"Now before all of you idiots go running in there making fools of us, we have to lay some ground rules." Nami levels them all with a glare before continuing. "This is a high class place so if we stir up trouble we'll get kicked out. That means you won't get food Luffy." Ignoring his shout of annoyance, she continues. "Rule number one: eat relatively neatly. I won't ask for completely decent because clearly that'd be too much to ask. Rule two: Be quieter to maintain the societal expectations of public behavior and to not call attention to us. Last rule, Rule number 3:-the most important of all-no fighting. At all."
Zoro's scoff and Luffy's whining were quick to follow the last rule.
"None at all Nami?"
"None."
"Really? Really none? Naaaaaammiiiiiiii."
"Luffy if you fight, you get kicked out, you get kicked out you can't eat meat." That did the trick. Luffy's face sobered up immediately and he turned to face the crew, face solemn.
"Hear that everyone? No fighting!" The strawhats all give their captain a quick nod of confirmation. Satisfied, Luffy puts his hands on his hips.
"Alright everyone, it's food time!" Various shouts and smiles follow him as he turned back to the restaurant, heads up the red carpet steps, and into the gilded building.