Wow, so two chapters uploaded in one day! Enjoy an extra chapter today when you read chapter 11!
Chapter 11
Lunch and Drinks on Me! Zoro's Theory and Ari's Suspicions!
After a while of walking through the hustle and bustle of the village, Zoro and Ari come across a sea monster restaurant.
Isn't this where Luffy and the others were going to meet for lunch? "We're here," Zoro says. They step inside and a bulky waitress motions toward some barstools for them to sit on. They both take a seat and a barista promptly greets them from the other side of the bar.
"I'll have some booze and skewered sea monster," they both raise a hand and say at the same time. Ari looks over at him, and he at her. They burst out laughing and let their hands come to rest on the bar. Zoro's hand accidentally brushes Ari's fingers. He stops laughing and pulls his hand away, but a grin stays stuck on his face. The barista sets two large drinks down in front of them.
"Cheers!" Ari clinks her glass with Zoro's and the two of them take a swig. After nearly finishing his drink, Zoro remembers what he needed to ask her about.
"Hey, I need to ask you something," Zoro says. "How often do visitors come to this place?"
She finishes her drink and searches the bottom of her mug, looking for any remaining drops. "I'd assume not very often." She looks over at him curiously and sets down her mug. "Why?"
"Just have a theory I'm working on." He stares ahead, lost in his own thoughts. If she's alive, then how do I find her?
Ari eyes him, but decides not to go on about it. "Well, I hope you find what you're looking for," she states.
Before Zoro has a chance to reply, the rest of the crew bursts into the restaurant, matching the cacophony of the room.
"Oooo you guys have meat, right?"
"This is a sea monster restaurant, moron," Sanji cuts in.
"Hey is that Zoro? Yeah it is, it's him. Somehow he beat us here." Usopp peers over Sanji's shoulder. Sanji turns and looks at Zoro and then over to Ari sitting beside him. Then looks back at Zoro. Then back to Ari.
"Wait here," Sanji says to the group. He waltzes over to the barstools and speaks up, "How is it that Mr. Plants-for-Brains can score a date with a lady such as yourself?" Sanji inquires to Ari.
Zoro's face turns red. "Funny since I came in first, number seven. And I thought I told you, moron, it's not like that! So would you quit saying it already?"
"Would you quit gloating that by some miracle you got to Sabaody first?! And I can say whatever I want." Sanji walks across the floor and out the door of the restaurant. As he's leaving, he says, "Sorry, Luffy. Guess we'll have to go somewhere else to get food."
"But I want sea monster meat," he pouts.
"We'll get it someplace else," Nami says. "All I want is some lunch so it doesn't matter where I get it." She grabs him by the collar of his vest and drags him out of the restaurant. Usopp and Chopper make kissy faces over to Zoro on their way out and Zoro grits his teeth.
"What a bunch of idiots," he mumbles under his breath.
Ari bursts out laughing, holding a hand to her stomach.
"What are you laughing at?" he shout-asks her.
She takes a moment to suppress her laughter before she responds, "Oh, nothing." His crew… in some ways they remind me of my old one.
He frowns. Soon after, some steaming meat slices are placed before the two of them. They eat side-by-side without another word passing between them. The silence is left unbroken until they both belch loudly.
"That was pretty good," Ari says and leans on the bar.
"Yeah, sure was," he says. "Hey, by the way, don't listen to Sanji. That cook can be a real pain in the ass."
"Alright." They look back over at each other in sync and their eyes meet. Zoro notices a slight indentation above one of her eyes.
A scar? Wonder how it got there. No, I gotta focus. She turns back to the barista and asks for a refill. A new mug is put in front of her with the booze foaming over the edge. He shakes himself awake. I need answers. "You haven't heard of the Fluttering Swordswoman by chance, have you?"
She chokes on her drink and slams it on the bar. "Oh, um..." Cough. Cough. She hits a fist on her chest and finally coughs up her drink. "Yeah, I've heard of her."
"It's strange. We got a newspaper from a while back on our ship. Said she died or something."
"Heard that too."
"So do you know anything or not?" He eyes her.
"No, not really." She takes another swig of her drink. "She died a while back in the Florian Triangle, but that's all I know."
"Hmm." He orders a refill as well. No, that can't be right. She has to be alive. The barista slides Zoro's drink down the bar and he drinks it all down right away.
"So… um… why?" She cocks her head at him.
"I have my reasons, and that's all you need to know." He puts a stack of bills down on the bar, pushes himself to his feet, and walks away.
"Hey, you overpaid, you know."
"Yeah, yeah. Drinks on me."
Ari looks at the bills. She turns to say thank you to Zoro, but he's already gone. Suddenly disinterested in finishing her drink, she gets up and leaves the restaurant.
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