Chapter 5: "He's A Pirate"
"Wahooo! Aesome!"
It was time for Luffy to leave home. But he couldn't go, not yet! He needed to warm up his awesome pirate cape! Whooosh to the bathroom! Nyooom back to the bedroom! Whooshoooshooosss around the kitchen table and out on the hallway! There, now he was all set! People were big idiots for thinking capes weren't cool.
He couldn't wait to get to the Baratie! His nakama organized a surprise birthday party, just for him! Well, it wasn't really a surprise anymore, but that wasn't Luffy's fault!
There was that one time where he caught Usopp and Chopper talking about when to reserve the Baratie in the hallway, even though they had known Luffy was home. And Zoro and Franky had tried to convince Nami to rent a balloon castle in the living room when they had thought Luffy was too into his video game right in front of them. And then there was Robin and Brook trying on Usopp's pirate captain hat, talking about a party theme, while Luffy sat on the toilet right next door. Then Sanji had forgotten his shopping list on the kitchen table, with 'LUFFY'S BIRTHDAY' written on it with red letters, and all kinds of meat listed! The others were just so easy to figure out! As if they had wanted him to know on purpose! Haha, dummies!
Luffy quickly slipped into his flip-flops and charged down the stairs and onto the street. His pirate flag cape was flying behind him. He held his precious strawhat as he ran, not to lose it. Luffy didn't need to put on a pirate costume. He already was a pirate!
"Wooohoooooo! Here I come!"
Usopp had left the flat long ago, saying he would help Sanji at the Baratie with something, and telling Luffy to come help, too. Shishishi, as if Luffy didn't know they just wanted to lure him there! And he decided to fall for it, but later than what time he was told. The strongest pirate warriors are always late!
There were a lot of cars around the Baratie, but that was a bad clue. People were always waiting in line to get in there. As soon as Luffy came close enough, he slowed down, then sneaked beneath the windows on his hands and feet, listening for sounds… It was quiet inside, as if nobody was there. They were really hiding well…!
"SURPRISE!" Luffy bellowed as he kicked the door in. Because that was what the birthday boy was supposed to do when arriving at their surprise party! Who would even call it a surprise otherwise?
However, when Luffy opened his eyes properly and looked around, he saw nothing but dark. Right! The lights were supposed to be switched off!
Luffy prodded around for a light switch on the wall, and… Aha! Gotcha, sneaky switch! But as light filled the huge dining room, he didn't see much more than before, either!
"Whaaaaat?!"
Nobody was around! No Usopp, no Sanji, no Chopper, no Zoro, no Nami or Robin or Franky! No nobody! All there was were a bunch of tables, but turned and kicked over, some swirly red stuff on the floor, and… Hey! Hey, there was someone sleeping there! In the middle!
"Oi!" Luffy quickly dashed over there. "Oi! You okay?" he wondered, squatting down closer. "Why are you napping down there? Are you Zoro's friend, too?"
A noise came from the person on the floor. He sounded like he had swallowed a drumstick the wrong way! Yes, Luffy could emphasize. That was so annoying!
But then, the guy moved! He shot out his hand to grip Luffy's shirt and he pulled himself up and…
"Ace?" Luffy blinked.
"Lu… ffy..." Ace was talking funny. "I'm… glad…..!" He had red swirls coming out of his chest and his mouth, and he was smiling even though he looked sad and weak, and…
"Ace…?" Ace was acting strange. What was happening to Ace…?!
"I wanted… to… tell you-," Ace coughed and shivered. "To tell you… something..."
Luffy couldn't move. It was worse than being stuck in a ball pit, or being at the bottom of a cuddle pile or being tied up in a dishcloth right before he could have gotten to the fridge! Ace wasn't okay…!
Ace then raised his other, shaky hand, placed it on Luffy's chest, and… Click? Why was there a click?
Ace let his hand slide away and Luffy looked down to where it had been. Eh? What was that? He reached down to touch the thing in his shirt. Oh, a skull! Its mouth was open and it said…
"'Number One Birthday Matey'...?" That was… so cool!
"Happy Birthday, little brother," Luffy found Ace grinning at him wide.
And as soon as Ace yanked the red swirls from his mouth and ticked Luffy's nose with them, a looot of people came jumping out from behind the tables, smiling, shouting 'Happy Birthday' and throwing even more colourful swirlies up in the air! So everyone was here! Ace was here, too! And Ace was okay…!
"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed out loud and flomped onto his back on the floor. He was laughing so much that he had to wiggle his hands and feet with it, or else he wouldn't survive it! "Maaaan, I fell right into the trap! You guys tricked me! Shishishi!"
The whole crowd around him laughed with. And suddenly, two people grabbed the whole row of turned-over tables and took them out of the hall! Whuoooa, those guys must have been really strong! Those tables looked a bit flat and wobbly, though. And glued together..
But behind those mystery tables, there were other ones, ordinary ones, packed with fooood! Sanji stood there explaining something, but Luffy didn't hear what, because of munching on the biggest, juiciest drumstick he could find! How did that suddenly get there? Luffy had no idea. Nope. Munch munch munch. Oh, and takoyaki! Roasted huge fish - tiger fish, or elephant fish or dinosaur fish! What were those things called? Tomatoes? Munch munch. No, tomatoes were still not meat… Whoa, and steak, too! Woohoooo!
"Luffy, you rubbery bastard, I'm gonna…!"
Uh-oh! Sanji was using his his asskicking voice! Better run! Oh, wait, that string of sausages had to come with him! Luffy needed a cool and tasty accomplice!
Somebody quick, hide him from Sanji! Luffy was innocent! Haha, so many people he liked were there!
Ace had brought old man Whitebeard and the gang, with Thatch and Izo and Marco and everyone! They had showed him the awesome truck they had driven there in. It had flames on its side! Awesoooome! And they also showed how all of them could fit into it! Haha, they had done a road trip as a huuuge dogpile! Or a box of sausages! … Meat…!
His nakama were all there! Usopp and Chopper came to hug him, Zoro was all cool and shook his hand, Nami and Robin kissed his cheeks, and ugh, their lipstick was all sticky and not coming off…! Oooh, Franky, they did a bro handshake! And Sanji? Where was Sanji? And the meeeat?!
Vivi brought her friends Chaka and Pell, and oooh, so that was Kohza! And Nami's sister Nojiko, and of course grandpa Zeff! Ah, the veggie brats from Usopp's home village, too? Oh-oh, and granny Kureha, and Iceburg and the Galley-La guys! Uoooh, even Aokiji?! And andandand Tashigi and grampa Smoker! And Traffy and Kid were around, too! His pal Buggy was there, too, even though he pretended not to be reading a newspaper in the corner with old man Three. You don't come to a party to read a newspaper! Even Luffy new that, haha! Aaaaaaah, Hammock was suffocating him with her big breast balloons, nooo! Quick, Bon-chan, Iva-chan, Kani-chan, heeelp! Huh, Sanji? Why was Sanji screaming and running away? Ah, Zoro was shouting, too! Were they dancing on the floor with each other in a circle? Haha, now they were fighting! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Oh! Who was that? Over there, by the window! Whoooa, his hair! He had an afro, so awesooome! He looked like he wanted to get inside, right? Would he wanna be friends? Luffy needed to find out!
"Ah, good evening," the tall guy said when Luffy opened the door. Whoa, he looked like a skeleton! So cool! "My name is Brook, Just-bones Brook." He had a pirate-y name! "I was wondering if I could come inside, as well. There is no music in here, which is a shame, and, well, I have a violin! See?" he gestured to the big, weird-shaped bag in his hand. "And maybe a bite to eat would be nice..."
"Oi, Luffy! Who are you letting into my shitty restaurant?" Sanji called from behind him.
"It's my shitty restaurant," grandpa Zeff shouted at Sanji lovingly, "you unripe little eggplant!"
"Shut up, old geezer!"
"I'm Luffy," he gave the skeleton his name, like his gramps had taught him. "Skeleton grandpa," Luffy continued, "are you a musician?"
"Why yes, that I am, Luffy-san," the skeleguy tipped his top hat. "I am both a skeleton and a musician, actually."
"Whoaaa, are these your real bones?!" Luffy went ahead and and papped the guy's face with his hands. Ah, that felt softer than bone. Mystery bones. Oh, and he was smiling and had double rows of teeth now? "So coooool!"
"Those are tattoos, to be honest. But they are pretty real to me, still," the afro skeleton grandpa confessed. That was what counted, though, right? After all, Luffy was made out of rubber, too. Luffy was glad for him.
"And can you poop?"
"Luffy! Stop asking strangers that kind of question!" Nami yelled. "And who is that, anyway? Get away from that door, right now!"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I can!" the pooping afro skeleton grandpa bowed.
"Why are you answering his question?!" Nami was now standing next to them now. Haha, she had a funny face when she was angry. Was she going to spit fire? That would have been awesome!
"Come in, then!" Luffy stepped aside to let the afro-guy enter.
"Ah," and his new friend stepped right in, "thank you ever so much."
"Are you even listening to me, you idiots?!"
Luffy and Brook could continue talking about important matters, like sea shanties and food. Right after Nami clocked Brook out for asking about her panties, and Luffy, too, because he let a stranger inside. But it was his birthday party! And he had wanted a musician on his crew for so long! And now he has one, woohooo! Best birthday ever!
"Oi, Brook or whatever you name is," Zoro was talking to Brook. No! It was Luffy's turn! He was gonna sing for him! "Come over here. He might follow you outside."
"Are you a fucking idiot?!" Sanji hit Zoro over the head, and Zoro poked Sanji in the tummy with his elbow. Ah, Luffy was so glad! Zoro and Sanji were friends now, too!
"But can he not hear you, uh… Excuse me, what is your name?"
"Roronoa Zoro."
"Ah, yes, thank you," Brook bowed his head. If Luffy didn't already have the most precious hat on his head, he would totally try on the skelegrandpa's! "Can he not hear you, too, Roronoa Zoro-san?"
"This is no time for introductions!" Usopp joined Nami in slapping both Zoro and Brook on the head. Chopper was flailing around nearby, too, calling out 'idiots'. Haha, dummies!
"Come ooon, you guys!" Franky waved to them from the door. "I can hardly keep my pants on, I'm too excited!"
"Pervert!" basically the whole crowd of guests yelled.
"OW shucks, you guys are just saying that~" Franky looked really happy! Robin, too! She was chuckling as she passed Luffy by to go outside.
"Hey, Brook!" Luffy looked up at his afro skeleton friend as they started walking together. He was so tall! "Can you sing me a pirate song?!"
"Ah, but of course! Gladly, Luffy-san!" Brook took his violin out of his funny bag so quickly! How did he do that?! "Do you know this one?" he asked, then started playing. And he sang! "Yohohoho~ yo~hohoho~ Yohohoho~ yo~hohoho~ Binkusu no sake wo~ todoke ni yuku yo~ Umikaze kimakase namimakaseee~!"
"Ooooh, that one! Woohooo!" Luffy cheered. He hadn't heard that song in ages! "Shio no mukou de~ yuuhi mo sawagu~ Sora nya~ wa wo kaku, tori no utaaa~!" they sang together.
"Oh, I know that one!" Lola clapped her hands as she saw them come outside onto the street. She was there, too! And she started singing with them! Awesome!
More and more others joined the song as they were walking around the Baratie. Some people even danced, like that moonwalker guy - 'one, two, Jango,' he kept saying, haha! Luffy felt like dancing, too!
Brook was just playing the song to its end after the last round of 'yohoho'-s, when Luffy noticed that they had gone back behind the Baratie to the parking lot. Hey, how did they get there? And what was a huuuge present like that doing there?! It was covered in a looot of bedsheets, and it had a giant ribbon and everything! Did his giant friends from the seven seas come to the party, too?!
Suddenly, his nakama ran ahead, grabbed the sheets, made funny noises and faces, and then pulled the whole thing down! It fluttered like a giant seamonster! So awesome! And what waited under that big blanket was...!
"This is the Thousand Sunny!" they cheered together. "O Captain, Our Captain! Happy Birthday!"
"Whuooooooow, a pirate ship!" Luffy's eyes and smile were so wide it hurt! "It's a pirate ship!"
Luffy was jumping up and down, his cape flapping. His arms were doing all kinds of rubbery tangling, he was so excited! The flags had the same jolly roger he had painted on the flag on his back! And it was so biiig and had a figurehead and even a crow's nest and and…! He ran right to it to tipper-tapper his hands along the hull, jump up on deck, try to climb the mast, crawl up onto the figurehead, slide down the railing…!"
"Soooo awesooooome!"
Luffy took his strawhat off and flapped it in the air, bouncing up and down until he was out of breath and plopped down on his butt onto the car park's pavement. Shanks had said he would have to leave for the great seas. He had said he couldn't take Luffy with him, but he had told him to go and find him, give his most precious hat back to him. Once he was the greatest pirate of them all…!
Grasping his strawhat tightly, Luffy pressed it down hard on his head. He tried not to crinkle the rim too hard. It was okay to cry. As long as he didn't give up on his dreams, it was okay to cry…!
"You guys…!" he sniffled and rubbed at his nose. "I have the best nakama ever!" He cried out, then sprang back onto his feet and ran to them, to his most precious friends, his family, wanting to hug all of them at the same time!
"Oi Luffy..!" there was Zoro…
"Haha! Hey, careful, you'll rip it…!" … and Nami…
"Luffy! Haha, hey, Luffy, you're pulling my hair!" … and Usopp…
"Oi oi oi, you big shitty baby, watch it!" … and Sanji...
"Luffy! I'm down here, down here!" … and Chopper…
"Fufufu, what a happy captain-san." … Robin, too…
"OW! So touching…!" … and Franky… "C'mon over here, you guys!"
"Oi, Franky, put us down!"
"Wait, wait, let me join, too! Yohohoho!" … and now Brook, too…!
Luffy had friends, so many friends surrounding him, wishing him well. And even if he couldn't be with all of his blood-related family, maybe not ever, his most precious people were all there with him! With a crew like that, Luffy could go anywhere!
"Let's set sail! Wahooooo!"
The engines were warming up as everyone boarded ship. The Franky Family's old truck had gotten a makeover, too, all shiny and wave-patterned! Haha, Usopp, Sanji and Chopper had been so blue in the face by the time they had been done! Luffy had been handed an envelope full of photos of how his very own pirate ship had been made; Sanji hanging upside down and tying the sails in place, Nami posing with the steering wheel, Robin's selfie with Franky's but peeking out, Usopp's heroic pose on top of the lion squid rabbit tiger figurehead, Zoro with three brooms instead of swords, Vivi hiding from the camera and Chopper asleep on her lap… Luffy's Pirates of the Caribbean poster had to go! His wall had a new mission now!
The envelope jumped in his hand as the truck started rolling, and he had to grab after it with both hands to catch it. Phew, that was close! The wind was picking up fast, so he tucked the photos safely into his inner shirt pocket, and held onto his strawhat with one palm. The Baratie and the main road fell away faster and faster behind them, and the distant horizon was inching closer, with each yelp and giggle floating up to Luffy's ears from everyone on board. Luffy was on top of the world! He just knew his seat on the figurehead was the best spot!
And they travelled far and wide, followed by the eyes of friends and strangers, onto new adventures! They left downtown; the clubs, the plaza, the sports centre, and oh, that was their flat! They zoomed across uptown, past the the residential area, the library, the university, the training hospital; and then they even left the outskirts, with the junkyard and the factory!
And father, farther still, Luffy could already see the shoreline! And maybe that, over there, was the roof of gramps's old cabin, where he had used to spend so many summers with Sabo and Ace…!
Suddenly, there was a bump on the road so big that when the truck hit it, Luffy's butt actually bounced up in the air and plopped back down! They have gotten into a real sea storm on their first sail!
"Mayday! Mayday!" Franky shouted from somewhere below, stopping the truck and jumping out of it. "OW, SUPER unbelievable!" he almost fell into the engine compartment, tinkering, clattering... "Looks like the engine's busted for good!"
"Whaaat?!" Buggy exclaimed.
"We're stuck here now?!" Mr. Three joined in, and he almost jumped over the rail, from the panic that started spreading behind his back.
"Hey, Franky!" Nami quickly got off ship, stopped to let a car pass by, then walked over to the engine hood. Should Luffy go see, too? Captains do that. Well, he jumped off the figurehead to take a peek, anyhow. "Why didn't you double-check before we headed out?"
"Naw, Nami sis, I even triple-checked! It was still all cool this morning!"
"Maybe the ship proved to be just too heavy, after all," Robin mused, all mysteriously, from the outer rail near them. "I am just glad that it didn't fall off the frame, roll for hours through roads and hills and rocks and then crash down onto us..."
"O-oi, Robin, stop saying stuff like that…!" Usopp called out from a lower deck window and looked around nervously at each wooden creak.
"We should just send someone back to the junkyard for a tow truck," reasoned Nami. "Since everyone of the Franky House is here, we can't exactly call anyone..."
"And who would walk all the way back there, Waina?!" Kiwi complained.
"Yeah, Waina!" Mozu agreed.
"And even if someone went back, the other truck is smaller that this one," Franky slammed the engine hood shut. Ouch, almost caught! Luffy was still looking, you know! "Even if everyone hopped off, not sure it could move the whole thing-a-majig..."
"Well, either that tow truck, or we all walk and leave the Sunny behind." Nami huffed. "We don't have any other choice, do we?" she added, and she rubbed her forehead like she usually does when Luffy did something exciting. It wasn't him this time!
Nami then pushed past both him and Franky, though, and quickly climbed inside the ship. There was a funny creaking noise coming from the inside of the hull, and all of a sudden, a little door opened on the side of the ship! Whoooa, it can do that, too?! And then, through that tiny door, one of those cool blow-up slides rolled out, and Nami leapt off deck just in time to catch the boat-shaped mini-scooter that slid off it! It had a figurehead, too - a lamb?
"Aaaah, Merry!" Luffy cried out. Their playing boat as kids, revived!
"It's the Mini Merry!" Franky exclaimed. "With an ultra turbo high speed switch, enhanced breaks, can go on land and on water, runs with eco fuel-"
"I'm taking the Mini Merry for a spin to the junkyard," Nami announced, not even listening to the awesome stuff Franky was talking about! Well, Luffy didn't really get all of it, but it was still cool!
"Ugh, fine!" Franky pouted. "You're gonna need this, then! Catch!"
As soon as Nami caught Franky's keyring, she stepped on the pedal and zoomed right off! Luffy wanted to ride, too…!
"Nami, come back! They took your license, remember?!" Vivi called after her, waving both arms, but Luffy didn't think the dust she left behind cared too much. Hehe, Kohza had to grab her waist to keep her from falling!
"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that. As a gift. You're welcome, Strawhat," old man Smoker hopped down onto the road, lighting his two cigars. Those were like smoked meat without the meat. Luffy stuck with meat. Meeeat...
"So… What now?" Sanji hit his stinky sticks, too, leaning his back against the rails.
"That is up to our captain to decide," Robin smiled down on Luffy. "Isn't it, Luffy?"
"Yeah," Zoro emerged and climbed onto the railing, and then jumped down, just like that. Zoro was so cool! "But I think we should just give this thing a push," he gave the Sunny's hull a pat. A loud pat, shishishi! People on the lower deck were all fidgety! "What do you say, captain?"
"A push?" Usopp came sticking out his head through the closest window. Bwahha, his hair didn't fit through! "So you think getting this thing that weighs about a bazillion tons all the way back to the city is just a push?! It would take hours-"
"Okay!"
"What?!" Usopp was hanging out the window with his arms like a stuffed animal. Was he gonna cry? "L-Luffy, you can't mean…!"
"Zoro! Everyone! Let's do it!" Luffy gave out the captain's command. Another adventure awaited!
"Come on, Usopp!" Chopper pulled Usopp's flabby, deflated body from the window and sprinted to the front of the truck where Zoro was heading towards. "Captain's orders!"
"Aa," Zoro nodded, and leaned his palms against the truck's bumpers. "Ready."
"Tch. Guess it can't be helped…" Sanji also came jumping down all cool-like, too, and took his place next to Zoro at the headlights. "Gotta make sure this idiot doesn't start pulling this thing the wrong way."
"Shut up, you damn-!"
"Vyou two can go on flirting later, boys!" Iva-chan's cape fluttered as he jumped down onto the top of the truck, and slid down from there! Awesome! "Vwe have work to do! Come on down, candies, and give these cuties a hand! HEE-HAW!"
"Go in front! Not here, to the front! Someone needs to pull! Right?! Go pull!" Whoa, Sanji was so pumped!
"OWWright, everyone abandon ship! We're gonna use the time while we wait for Nami sis!" Franky announced, and as the people all hopped down from the decks, he went to the driver door of the truck, pulled the window down and reached inside, ready to push from there.
"Be careful, there might be cars! Don't hurt yourselves!" Chopper warned, helping the guests off the ship.
"I'm only bones, but I'll do my best!" Maaan, Brook could run fast! Luffy would have to ask him to compete against him on the Mini Merry!
"Yosh! I'm gonna pull, too!" Luffy decided. The captain should go in front to lead the crew, right? "Iva-chan, over here!" he grabbed the metal frame at the back of the Sunny as tightly as he could.
"Oi, you, strawhat! You think your lame underhand grip's gonna move my metal? Here!" Eustass Kid leapt down from the ship, and shoved a giant snake at him! Luffy had to punch him awa-
"That HURTS! Owowow!"
"It's just a chain, Strawhat-ya" stepping up to him came Traffy took care of hooking the chain tightly onto the frame. "Here," he shoved some into Luffy's hands. "Don't ask me why he had it, though. Nor him."
"I heard that, Trafalgar!"
"Pops, you hear that, yoi? This ship needs a little pull!" Marco appeared to grab a hold of the chain.
"Gurarara, loud and clear, son!" and right behind him appeared the huge old man Whitebeard, to fold some of the chain over his shoulder. "Boys, get in the back and push! Let's get little Luffy's ship sailin' on home!"
"Come on, Luffy," Ace came in front, too. There was barely any chain for him left now! "Let's go!"
"Yeeeeah!"
"Uno! … Dos! … Trés!"
On Robin's count, the front team began pulling until their teeth clattered, and the guys in the back pushed their weight against the truck, grunting as if they were making the giant island of poop Usopp was always telling them stories about. And those who wouldn't fit anywhere hugged the Sunny at her sides and pressed on from there. It took some more funny noises and stomping around to get the ship moving, but it finally started crabbing backwards! By the time they saw Nami driving the tow truck towards them, they were almost at the outskirts, yay! They had to turn the big tow truck and the Sunny around first. But after booing off all the cars that came to interrupt them and not letting the Sunny slide off the narrow highway, the rest was easy as meatballs!
With the small truck pulling the front and everyone shoving against the ship from the back, they were at the Baratie again in no time! And old man Zeff was waiting for them! Grumbling for being late, but still waiting, with all that foooood!
Luffy ate through the seven course meal twice. That was what the others told him, at least, but Luffy didn't really check. 'When you're hungry, eat,' the popular saying went. No time for thinking!
Jumping around on the balloon castle outside until dark was super awesome! And after the tables had been cleared away and they had sat Brook down to the piano, Luffy did the monkey together with Ace, like old times! Franky, Usopp and Chopper jumped right in, too, wooo! It was really hard to make Zoro dance with them, though, but very easy to get him and Sanji to have a dance-off! Too bad old man Zeff kicked them both out after they started fighting on the floor… It was just getting good!
Phew, all that bouncing sure made a rubber pirate hungry! And there was just one thing for Luffy to do in that situation…
"Saaaanjiii! Sanji, where are you?! I'm hungryyy! Make me curry shriiimp…!"
Luffy looked all over for Sanji! In the toilets was only Buggy doing his make-up. Wow, he screamed pretty loud, and he even threw paper at Luffy! Rude!
In the kitchen, Patty and Carne were arm-wrestling - Luffy had to stay and cheer them on! Until his tummy reminded him of his mission!
Then, in the supply room, he saw Vivi, between Nami and Kohza, doing… a line dance? But they were standing too close to move their feet and Nami was facing Vivi! That wasn't how it went! And why were they almost naked? Was there hot in there? Eww, and they were kissing a lot, too… But Vivi looked really happy, so Luffy was glad!
Moving on, Luffy didn't find Sanji under Hammock's robes, either. Even though she had said she was sure he was there! Hammock was silly.
Ahhh, Luffy should have known! Of course Zoro and Sanji were at the balloon castle! Luffy had barely been able to stop bouncing around on it himself, it was so awesome! Maybe they would wanna see who of them can jump higher? Only after Sanji would cook something yummy, though.
Luffy had wanted them to meet for sooo long now! If Zoro had transferred to their school in elementary, and not the end of high school when Sanji had had to leave, they could have been the school's Monster Trio! Hey, maybe they still could become the Monster Trio, but of the whole city this time! Awesoooooome!
Luffy was still a bit hurt that he hadn't been the one to introduce the two of them, though. But Nami had said they were like peas in a pod! Or pigs in the mud? Fish in the free? What did that even mean? Owww, Luffy always got a headache whenever he tries to think about it…Probably because he was hungry. But Luffy figured it must have meant that they were best friends now! All of Luffy's nakama finally knew each other now, too! Wooohooooo!
"-and you weren't half bad, either. For a stupid cook."
See? Besties.
"Care to remind me how many times I had to kick you in the ass so you wouldn't turn the fucking ship in the wrong direction?"
"Shut up. I was trying to do it the easier way."
"Easier for who? The Thousand Sunny to tumble the fuck down into that shitty ditch beside the road?"
"You never shut up, do you?"
"Not for the sake of your suck-ass pride I don't, no. Also, this is my second can of beer. I can't stand your moldy mug sober. Something has to take the edge off, you know."
"Huh… You don't say. I kinda noti-"
"Saaanjiiii! Food!"
Luffy ran towards them in full gomu-gomu mode! He really couldn't wait any longer! He was starving! Besides, they weren't talking about anything exciting or important, like balloon castle jumping or feeding Luffy… Maybe Sanji will cook faster if he tackled him to the ground first! Sanji likes fighting!
"You've already eaten all of the food we had in stock, you shitty rubber!" Sanji's shoe sole was still not softer against his face…
"Oi, watch it!" and Zoro was still too hard to land on! Luffy's life was nothing but hard… "You… You made me spill my beer, you bastard!" Uh-oh…! Luffy already knew it wasn't a good idea to come between Zoro and booze.
"Sorry, gotta go!"
Luffy tried to run away, but Zoro nabbed him by his shirt and made him bounce right back. Luffy kept telling how he was rubber! See? He wished that would have helped him when Sanji closed in, and it didn't seem to matter to him which one of them he kicked in the ass…
"OW! You hit me, too, stupid cook!"
"It's your fault for being in the way, dipshit swordsman!"
"My fault?! As if! Insect repellent brow!"
"What was that, you rancid weed plantation?!"
Zoro and Sanji looked like they were brawling just fine on their own. It wouldn't hurt for Luffy to just… sneak out beneath their feet, right? It would definitely not hurt Luffy. He guessed it was time to see if Patty and Carne were as aggressive with guarding the fridge as Sanji was...