A.N: Hey guys! My exams are over so look forward to the continuation of this rapidly updating story.
But note: I am a slug…so I'll go as fast as a slug possibly can…-_-'
Now on with chapter 7!
Chapter 7
Both men stood there, shirtless, starring into the waves. The darkest head fidgeted uncomfortably while the other stayed in complete stillness.
Luffy watched as a fly flew past his face. The green haired man's eyes narrowed towards the buzzing movement, then looked away in concentration.
The buzzing noise came to a halt on Luffy's nose and he scrunched up his face in disgust. He starred at the fly and it's big round buggy eyes starred back.
Luffy continued watching it, waiting for it to fly away, but after a full minute he began to admire it's unbreakable resolve. As Luffy glared harder the creature seemed to also increasingly intimidate.
Luffy smirked; he had found a worthy opponent, he would win this battle no matter what!
"Oi!" a gruff sound vibrated enough to faze the fly. Luffy's friend disappeared and only it's loud buzzing could be heard. The noise grew softer and softer until all evidence of it's presence had been disposed of.
"What?!" Luffy groaned. There was no victor and there never would be- something told him that those huge eyes would never come before him again.
"I asked you if you were ready." Zoro repeated.
Luffy's heart began to throb rapidly in his chest. He quelled the feeling into concentrated energy and decided to motivate himself.
"Bring it on!" he roared. He faced the swordsman, waiting for his first assignment. He starred intently, not wanting to waste a single moment of their rare quality time.
"Phase one: warm up." Zoro said.
Luffy groaned. Why did the warm up always have to come first?
"Well Luffy, at this point I do some sword practice. You warm up however it suits you." Zoro instructed and instantly yielded a single sword.
He closed his eyes and started performing a series of sequences, which Luffy noted looked akin to those peculiar kendo dances.
However, there was something about the way his swordsman did it that made it so…original.
Zoro's forehead was smooth and not creased in concentration; it was as if the routine he was persecuting came naturally to him. He also couldn't ignore the way his muscles rippled somewhat like a liquid. One by one each muscle would be used; from his shoulders all the way down to his toes. Luffy found that reason enough to look the stimulating body up and down.
… and the swordsman's skin was so tanned. So was his but Zoro's was even more bronze.
Zoro sensed the boy watching him, he wasn't stupid. He cracked one eye open and his eye found the boy and he caught him starring at him in slight bewilderment.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, I just like your weird dance." Luffy informed bluntly.
Zoro looked for signs of an apology. He found none.
"It's not a dance!" Zoro roared and ran over to Luffy, taking advantage of the situation and using it as an excuse to fight. He had been itching for one all day!
Luffy instantly dodged the charging man but Zoro, expecting this, moved his leg to knock the boy off his feet. Luffy jumped in surprise, but then his mind stepped into the zone.
He landed gracefully and then straightened up securely. "Now this is how I warm up!"
"You call this…" Zoro speedily drew out his sword and swiped it mid Luffy's height. As expected the boy ducked, clasping his hat as he sunk. "…a warm up?" Zoro smirked when he saw his captain's insolent grin.
"Exactly. You of all people can't give me anything less…" Luffy said as he rose, "…or anything more." Luffy's expression didn't waver, excluding the tiny twinkle in his eye.
Zoro frowned and lunged at him, "You pain in the ass!"
-------
Both of them panted quietly, not wanting the other to know they were even fazed.
"Okay, time for the real fun to begin." Zoro said, stopping to glance over Luffy but as soon as he noted his breathing was uneven he instantly turned away. Better to be safe than as sorry as he was the last time his imagination betrayed him.
"Fun!" Luffy cheered, and sprung over to Zoro's side.
"Yeah. Phase two: Press ups."
Luffy's ecstasy wilted and he slumped to the floor. "Oh please…those things are boring. I'm beyond press ups." Luffy waved his hand dismissively and waited for Zoro to move on, but he didn't.
"What are you talking about? Come here and stretch." Zoro said and commenced in ripping his deltoids apart.
Luffy put an arm above his head and leaned over to the side with his other hand on his hip. Then he squatted and lunged from left to right repetitively.
"Luffy, don't bother with that. You can do that later 'cause we're still in the body preparation phase." Zoro said as he also stretched his back muscles.
"No."
Zoro's eyes narrowed in irritation. "If you do more press ups than me in a minute, then you don't have to do them." he said, choosing his mind playing games wisely.
Luffy's next outburst consisted of the word "agreed."
There was a short bewildered silence on both sides.
"You're such an idiot." Zoro said scratching his head, slightly surprised.
"No…you are." Luffy said, his stomach starting to rumble slightly. "If I win, can we take a break and eat?"
Zoro nearly lost his balance. "Do you realise we…I mean you… ate only ten minutes ago?!"
"Yep," was Luffy's simple reply. Zoro brought a hand to smack his head….but decided it was pointless- the kid wouldn't be able to beat him at a task like this.
"Whatever. Let's do this."
(((((oOo)))00
Zoro stiffened in shock as he watched the body before him moving rapidly up and down.
Up and down.
Up and down and up and down.
His heart continued pounding in his chest- up and down and up and down.
His eyes glazed over as his mind grew more confused. Up and down and up and down.
His breathing grew faster and his ribs went up and down and up and down.
The world just seemed to go up and down and up and down.
Like a recurring decimal.
He couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene.
For some reason his reason for living disintegrated into dust. He just wanted to be released from this up and down.
He needed release!
He wanted to die!
"STOP!" Zoro half screamed, his eyes wide open in fear.
"Hah?" Luffy said and everything was calm and peaceful again.
"Thank kami." Zoro gasped. "What the fuck was that?"
"What was what?" Luffy said, maintaining his press up position. "I was doing press ups."
"Press ups…"Zoro repeated. They had to be the fastest press ups ever performed on the earth. It was like Luffy was trying to start a fire.
"I lost." Zoro announced defeated and definitely. How could Luffy…? It had to be because of him being a rubber man.
So then? What could this mean…?
Was that another ability the fruit had given him…speed? So did that mean Luffy had the potential to become the fastest? If he could just control it…
His brain refused to allow him to think on it any further; he was just getting into a sophisticated mess of complicated theories and methods of enhancing potential.
"Okay scrap everything. I don't understand the way your body works. Let's just be creative from now on." Zoro said, sitting cross legged on the deck. "Let's focus on controlling the elements."
"You sound like an shinobi ossan (1)." Luffy commented bluntly.
"You little-! Shut up and focus." Zoro instructed.
Luffy sat himself down and crossed his legs like Zoro, observing his annoyed expression. His nakama's face twisted in confusion and he seemed to be thinking hard about something.
"A wise man once told me that sometimes blood is the key to power." Zoro said as the memory swept past him. "And I ignored it."
"What? Why? You said he's a wise man." Luffy asked, trying to pay attention and involve himself deeply with everything Zoro had to say.
"Sometimes people assume their reasoning is ideal. Sometimes people make mistakes."
"But he's a wise man." Luffy repeated, growing slightly confused.
"Yes, he is a very wise man. But I don't believe that killing people should give you power." Zoro frowned. Why had he brought it up? It seemed as if it was the right thing to say at the time but-
"But if a wise man said it, then how could it be wrong?" Luffy asked again.
Zoro, feeling increasingly more irritated with the non-stop questions, directed his glare to Luffy, only to find the boy harbouring an equally intense expression.
"So what if he meant your own blood. If he was a nice old man then he obviously didn't want you to slice someone up for the soul reason of gaining power." Luffy said, looking at Zoro as if he was stupid. "Come on, they're such cool sounding words."
Zoro sighed. He felt slightly embarrassed that Luffy could even come up with a theory. He had no such luck in figuring out what the man was really trying to tell him. He had just closed his mind and flattened any chances of thinking on the subject again.
Luffy just dried up Zoro's brooding expression and laughed. "Let's just train Zoro!"
"Okay." He said. "You sit there and reflect on the times you felt weak and the times you felt strong."
"Are you an idiot? That won't help me…" Luffy was cut off.
"Yes it will. Trust me, I do it everyday." Zoro said, and decided on doing four thousand press ups.
"Okay then, hmmm, let me think. Hey, come to think of it there was this one time when I was fighting that giant robot…it was as if-"
"Luffy? What are you doing?" Nami said as soon as she opened her door. She stepped out of the shadows and walked towards him, with a surprised expression gracing her features.
"I'm training with Zoro." Luffy announced proudly.
"Nami-swan!! How lovely it is to see your beautiful face on this glorious evening. Would you ladies care to taste my new ice cocktail?" He asked, appearing by her side in an instant.
Zoro rose an eyebrow. He knew he had felt someone watching them…but Sanji…what the hell?
Sanji took that moment to turn back at the swordsman, in whom he knew was watching him carefully, and glared hard with hatred.
"What? You want a piece of this?" Zoro smirked and the presence of morbid excitement manifested his eyes just like it always did when the stupid brow finished his grovelling to be kicked in the ass. Well it was Sanji's lucky day; he was feeling charitable.
Sanji growled at him. "Sorry, but I'm not getting any younger shitty weed," answered ambiguously. Despite the nasty comeback and flawless indifferent appearance, Sanji felt his heart beat a little faster with agitation. Damn that shitty marimo and his shitty ass taunting.
"My dear," Sanji said upon realising the two males half nudeness and commenced in offering Nami a clean white handkerchief, "Do cover your eyes."
"Don't worry Sanji. I've seen so much of Luffy already that I've already become immune to caring about anything,"Nami said, refusing the handkerchief.
"Meloline?!" Sanji gasped dramatically and charged at Luffy for all he was worth. "Shitty gomu gomu!"
"That's enough Scribble face. Leave." Zoro commanded, getting up from the ground.
"You've actually got a death wish haven't you? Let me finally put you out of your misery moss man."
"What did you call me crap cook?!"
"Moss man, moss man." Sanji repeated, slamming his foot onto Zoro's shoulder. Zoro didn't flinch, and that half scared him and half excited him. "Today's the day marimo. Any last words?"
Zoro just grunted and wasted no time in unsheathing the nearest weapon. "You bluff every time even though you can already see your life flashing behind your eyes."
"Hahaha, omioshiro!" (2) Luffy gave a raucous laugh at the familiar scene. The two were such buffoons.
"This is a familiar scene." Robin giggled slightly when she walked up to Nami. "Have you finished your drawings Navigator-san?" Robin asked and Nami nodded in response.
"Robin-swaaaan!" Sanji roared and jumped off from Zoro's outstretched sword and ran towards the raven woman. "You look so brilliant this evening. I feel so underdressed in your elegant presence." Sanji said, bowing slightly and offering his arm to her. She took up his offer and expressed her gratefulness, as usual.
Nami took his other arm and Sanji led them away from the two sweaty boys.
Zoro starred after Robin, dusting off Sanji's brief encounter. She had been harbouring a slightly off expression ever since she met Ao Kiji… and that guy had advised them strongly not to continue having her under their care. That bastard.
"Come on Zoro, I've finished thinking. Now let's train."
"Okay, I'm sure you could do with a bit of weight training, hey? Go grap what you want from over there." Zoro said, pointing in a direction. He didn't want to admit it but he preferred training on his own. But who knew, training with Luffy might turn out to be interesting.
As expected, Zoro watched Luffy grab the hugest bell he possessed. He started to wave it around carelessly, as if it were a leaf.
"Zoro, you got anything heavier?" Luffy asked, frowning in frustration. "I want something HUUUUGE."
"No, but I know how to make do. Watch." Zoro said, grabbing the weight out of Luffy's dangerous hold. He waved it around a couple of times, then drew it forward and halted suddenly. Then drew it up slowly and repeated the process until he decided that Luffy had gotten the idea.
"Woah, won't you're arms come off it you do that too much?" Luffy questioned, impressed.
"Yes, for a normal person." he smirked. "I've thought up a game we could play."
"A game?!" Luffy said excitedly.
((((oOo))))))
"Where did that idiot go?" Zoro mumbled, nervously. He looked left, right, up and down. Still there were no signs of him. 'Is he planning on sneaking up on me?' he wondered before a loud noise sounded on the other side of the ship.
"Zoro!? Where are you?!"
Zoro sweat dropped, feeling a little stupid for even thinking Luffy would come up with a plan as intelligent as that.
"Come out here and face me!" Luffy shouted, nearing closer. Zoro side stepped his way into another hidden corner, further away from the voice. He clutched the gigantic weight tighter, his arms aching slightly from having to hold the thing for over ten minutes. At first he had been running away from the rubber boy until Luffy had lost sight of him.
A noise ahead of him nearly made Zoro drop the huge metal bell. He quickly composed himself upon realising that it was only Usopp.
"Oh…Zoro. What are you doing?" the snipper asked with his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Zoro?!" a voice shouted from a further distance than before.
"He's here Luffy! Geeze-" Usopp began but then froze in fear when Zoro instantly appeared in front of him with a monster sized weight held above his head. His eyes were hidden in dark shadows and his teeth gritted against each other. "Um...I wasn't supposed to do that was I?" Usopp laughed nervously. Zoro's piercing stare answered his question. He gulped.
"That's right." Zoro frowned, and ended the threat of death upon Usopp there and then.
"Yo Luffy! Over here!" Usopp shouted when he caught sight of the raven head frantically running around. He pulled a face at Zoro before giving his approaching captain a thumbs up.
"Shit!" Zoro hissed and growled at the stupid inventing big mouth before planning his escape. Crap…it was too late!
"Found you." Luffy's smile was painfully wide when he sprung towards him with such a force that he soon found himself having the wind knocked out of him. His back hit the floorboards with a hollow sounding thud and he squeezed his eyes shut in pain.
He felt a negligible weight on his torso but it was soon easily overpowered with the not so light tug on his arm.
"Give it to me!" Luffy insisted, heaving the bell half heartedly away from Zoro's grasp. As soon as it started to slip away from the swordsman's fingers said swordsman snapped his eyes open and automatically tugged back at the huge bell.
"Not a chance." Zoro said, his eyes meeting Luffy's freaky, yet alluring, gaze. He felt his arm grow numb when a cold hand pinned it to the deck..
Luffy's crazy laugh erupted suddenly and had already somehow infected him and he…
…just couldn't stop laughing damn it!
He felt tears reach the corners of his eye's as he continued to grip the metal handle, even though he didn't think he could resist it if Luffy pulled on it one more time. However, Luffy seemed to be just as engrossed as he was.
The volume of joyful sounds decreased within a small span of time and both of the previous emitters found themselves panting for breath and instantly aware that they were alone on the deck.
Luffy was the first to recover- he was used to laughing like a madman. Zoro soon felt conscious as his struggle for breath continued under his captain's calculating stare.
"Aren't you…going to…take it from me?" Zoro breathed, closing his eyes to blank out those eyes. And the fact that Luffy was able to pin him strongly to the deck was a victory within itself. He tried not to feel humiliated by completely shutting out Luffy's terrifying aura.
"No…not yet." Luffy said, and Zoro was quite sure he could hear the smirk on his face. It angered him more than anything else- it felt like Luffy was violating his human rights.
Luffy didn't know why but he really didn't want to move. He had never felt so perfect in his life. It was if he was meant to be sitting on Zoro.
…and he didn't want to take the weights from him whilst he was still recovering. He would beat him fair and square. Besides…he liked watching Zoro like this.
Like what exactly?
However, he knew one thing; he felt incredibly smug right now. He couldn't help but let one corner of his mouth twitch upwards. He knew Zoro didn't like what he was doing…but he waited patiently. The longer Zoro took to recover, the better.
Zoro took one last deep breath, and opened his eyes again wearily. He frowned when he was greeted with an unsurprising smirk, but then his face muscles were left with no instructions when his mind grew cloudy. What was going on? The two of them were just staring at each other…softly. Luffy's smirk had faltered almost as soon as he had spotted it and now he was looking down upon him with an intense expression.
Zoro felt a fiery desire to know what he looked like to Luffy…was there a dent in his face or something? Luffy's face was so…intrigued.
But his eyes…were just explicit…
Raw.
Hungary.
"If I win then we eat, Agreed?" Luffy asked dryly.
Zoro nodded, not knowing anything else to do.
Luffy's cold hand slid down his arm and Zoro could feel it's icy trails tingling his temperature receptors, which made his muscles overreact in response. His arm shuddered before he made a conscious effort to stay still whilst Luffy's hand made it's ramble down his frozen limb.
His hand didn't protest against the metal bar being ripped out of his hold, and Luffy easily took the weight and stood up from him, stepping back to allow him to stand. Zoro shook off his shock from who knew what and got up.
Luffy starred at him blankly for a while, then seemed to force a grin on his face. "Sanjiiiii!" he called, and turned away from the scene of the crime and ran to the kitchen, almost forgetting that he was even holding the bell.
Zoro unconsciously put a hand against his racing heart. Well, that was scary.
(((((oOo)))))))
"I just fed your ass you shitty piece of rubber!" Sanji exclaimed, with his foot now sunken into Luffy's face.
"Bwot Swanjiii! I'm so huungary!"
"Get out!"
((((oOo))))
"Zoro…fight me." Luffy begged as he sank to the floor, exhausted and beaten up with foot shaped dents on his head.
"I thought you were going to eat?"
"Change of plan." Luffy grumbled childishly, eyes narrowing to the opposite side of the ship.
"Luffy, I've been thinking." Zoro said after a while, crouching down to his level. He placed a hand on the dark mop of hair.
"About what?" Luffy asked, growing increasingly more helpless as Zoro rubbed his fingers along his scalp. If anyone were to shoot him there and then, then he didn't think he would have the strength or the will to dodge it.
He wouldn't need to dodge it anyway- he was a rubber man.
"About you." Zoro answered.
Luffy's heart stopped and every other sound around him- the waves and the wind- dulled into a slight lulling in the background. His heart pounded heavily in his ears and all could hear was his breathing. He concentrated strenuously on that one sound like his life depended on it. The fog in his mind cleared up-
He watched as his eyes widened in terror.
"Zoro, it's okay. Tell me…what's on your mind." He asked carefully.
"You are." Zoro answered immediately…truthfully.
What was happening? That happened ages ago…where was he now?
Was someone talking to him?
Who's voice was it?
"Luffy!" Zoro shouted. Luffy's eyes snapped open and he gasped, feeling a cold dampness pierce the skin around his eye. He whipped it away automatically.
"Did you hear a word I said?"
"Um…sorry." Luffy sighed. Man was he tired!
"You should get some rest, it's been a long day." Zoro said removing his hand from Luffy's warm head. Luffy pouted at the loss of comfort, which went unnoticed by Zoro.
"No…I'm not tired-"Luffy protested as a large yawn threatened to cut him short. It didn't, and instead erupted after he finished speaking.
Zoro smirked. "Yeah right. Off to bed kiddo."
Luffy pouted publicly this time and looked up at Zoro's rising form and frowned. "Let's take a break then." He demanded.
"Both of us?" Zoro said, looking at him in confusion.
"Yeah", Luffy said drowsily, "Both of us, cause we're supposed to be training partners."
Zoro shook his head in amusement, he knew what Luffy was trying to imply. "So we're only allowed to train together, therefore eating together and sleeping together and everything else follows?" Zoro asked, only because he thought he already knew the answer to that.
But once he had said it….it sounded wrong. It had sounded right in his head but in reality-
"Exactly!" Luffy nodded enthusiastically, using up the rest of his energy. He yawned once again.
"Okay, I may as well take a nap." Zoro said, stretching his muscles above his head. He, too, yawned and sat down beside the slumped over Luffy. "Hey, that doesn't look very comfortable." Zoro sweat dropped, looking at Luffy's slumped shoulders sagging on the ground with his neck bent uncomfortably.
"I'm always comfortable." Luffy said quietly as he became aware of the darkness taking over his vision. He wouldn't prolong his eyelids suffering anymore.
Zoro grunted in respond and watched Luffy slide gently out of consciousness. He put his arms behind his head and looked up at the stars. That's right, it was getting late. They really shouldn't be sleeping out here-
He was out like a light.
((((((((oOo)))))))))))
Sanji wiped his forehead and smiled to himself. The kitchen was gleaming- a job well done. He dried the last glass (Nami-swan had planted her lips gently onto the rim of this one!) and placed it in the glass cupboard to sit amongst the others.
He needed to go to sleep…it was only nine but he had an early start tomorrow- like he did on most days. He needed to be the first one to wake up so he could prepare delicious nutrient to feed the ladies fragile stomachs and to travel through those shitheads' long guts.
He turned off the light after running his eye over the room one more time. He walked up the stairs tiredly and opened the obviously 'repaired by Usopp' door. That new hole was Luffy's own damn fault, not his!
He soon found himself facing a lump of two men sprawled out on the deck. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and trod the glowing butt right by Zoro's head.
A dull throb of past anger throbbed in his chest when noted that Zoro was there. Well, he didn't want that shitty kenshi (3) anywhere near him tonight! He could sleep outside and catch a cold. Besides…he was supposed to be on watch. However, he should probably take Luffy inside.
He knelt down and tugged at Luffy's arm. "Oi Luffy. Get up." He whispered, not knowing why he was taking care not to wake up the swordsman.
"Oi Luffy!" he said, a little more loudly.
"Luffy!" Sanji shouted, kicking the boy in the gut to roll him over. Luffy's eyes creaked open and he stared at Sanji boardly.
"Sanji…meat…." Luffy grumbled, and then shut his eyes. The blond sighed, why did he bother?
Whatever.
He went into the dorm and returned back to the two, draping a blanket over both of them.
"Good night idiots."
He turned again, but then his eyes caught a glimpse of a….
…a raven beauty, sitting by herself. Neglected!
"Robin-chwwwaaaan! Don't take responsibility for these shitheads' carelessness. Zoro will wake up if he senses an enemy onboard. Come down and be comforted by the warmth of your room, or if you like the unending warmth of my arms!!!" Sanji said in his monotone singsong voice, galloping towards her for a few seconds before realising that it was impossible to fly all the way to the crows nest. He heard the sound of giggling and he attempted to gallop to her again.
"Don't worry cook-san. I'm not on lookout, I'm reading. I like to read up here, one day you should try it." Robin smiled, once again expressing gratitude towards his concern.
"Hai Robin-chwan!" Sanji said, melting away from her with hearts in his eyes. He literally slid into the boys dorm as he uttered blessings of 'sweat dreams' and such.
Robin laughed to herself again and returned to her book. As she slid the bookmark over the page she was on in order to see the words underneath it, she stole another glance at the sleeping two on the deck. They were wrapped up caringly by Sanji and shared the woollen blanket generously. They all really did care for each other, even though those three boys were always at each others throats.
Hmm, they really cared deeply for each other.
She cared for them all so much. She wanted their time together to never end. She would rather die then see any of them unhappy.
She would gladly throw her life on the line if the time came for it.
End of chapter 7
A.N:
1) Ninja grandpa
2) Interesting
3)Swordsman
Thanks for reading guys. Now I will leave you with this little question, answer it correctly and I will post up my next chapter that is really long and yaoi!
Who am I?
(in honour of those old and forgotten One piece characters)
I have dark hues underneath my eyes and short dark messy hair that is always accompanied by a thick striped headband.
One piece viewers didn't meet me for the first time on a 'good' day.
My fighting stance is unusual, but my choice of weapon isn't.
I use my weapons skilfully and even though the strawhat pirates and my crew fought with each other, we departed on good terms.
I resorted to using someone close to Sanji as a hostage in order to save him from the terrible wrath of my captain. However, in the end they didn't need to back down; they were victorious.
I owe my life to Sanji. He is a great man who saved the lives of my nakama and my dear captain in whom I would do anything for.
Who am I?
I bet you'll never guess!
Hint: I was starving to death when you first met me!
Know the answer?
I bet you don't…