Treasure Hunters
Author's Notes: I have a Frosty! That is all.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but what I make up as I go along!
Chapter 6: Preparations
The last island before the Vindaloo Archipelago was Tiny Oar Peak. After learning about this section of ocean, most of the crew were worried about entering it. Robin had been the bearer of bad news when she heard Nami discussing the Archipelago with Franky and Usopp.
"Apparently, very few people pass through this route because of this Vindaloo Archipelago. Nobody seems to know why," Nami remarked, as she reviewed her notes. Robin edged closer to enter the conversation.
"That's because it's a wasteland." Nami looked up when Robin spoke. "Technically, Tiny Oar Peak is part of the Archipelago, and the first island in it." Robin took Nami's notebook from her hands and flipped a few pages. "Yes, as I thought. We have very little information. I know, however, that the Vindaloo Archipelago is a massive stretch of ocean with four hundred islands of varying sizes. Supposedly, it was once a single large island that was destroyed by a natural disaster, but any records of that are lost to us. Only four of the islands within it are named, and only three are civilized. Most of the islands are very small, only big enough for a man to stand on, but some are larger. Tiny Oar Peak is the biggest, and it's the furthest tip from Merman Island. Sanji?" She glanced behind her. Sanji peered in from the kitchen, an amorous look in his visible eye.
"Yes?"
"What is Vindaloo?"
"Ah! Vindaloo, my dear Robin, is a type of especially spicy curry! Prepared correctly, it can burn the tongue!" Sanji grinned sweetly. "Shall I make you some?"
"No; thank you, though." She smiled casually at him, and he melted to the floor. Robin turned back to Nami, Franky, and Usopp. "The Archipelago is a Summer island, or set of islands, and was named because it is notorious for 'burning' crews. The small islands form mazes for ships to run ashore upon, vast expanses of empty sea with nowhere to restock can starve the foolish, unpredictable weather can force even the best crews to their knees, misfortune will lead friends to feuds, and besides all that, the area has a notoriety as an ambush point for pirates, as it can provide a quick and easy path to the holy land of Mariejoa if you know the route, and high-ranking Marines know the route." Robin closed the notebook and handed it back to Nami. "They say that Gol D. Roger was captured there with nothing but a bottle of liquor and his flag. Of course, I think that's just folklore." Nami giggled to herself; she knew just how much folklore meant to Robin.
"So, you're saying this place is just made of bad juju?" Franky suggested.
"That's one way to put it," Robin replied with a shrug. "We'll be in big trouble if we go in unprepared. It could take us up to three months to navigate it successfully, and that's if there is no disaster. Nami, you will need to be on point, we will need to be prepared for bad weather, and everyone will need to be ready to fight for their lives and make sacrifices."
The first thing they decided on was rationing. Three months was a very long time to go without restocking staple starches and vegetables, and though they hoped the fishing would suffice for meat, they had to be prepared in case the fish didn't bite. Sanji consulted with Chopper and decided on a ration priority list: who needed to eat and who didn't.
"Top level is Luffy and Gilly." Sanji pointed to the chart on the refrigerator with an extending fork. The chart had magnet characters of each crew member in a pyramid. Luffy grinned, and the others groaned.
"But if Luffy's eating first, he'll eat everything!" Usopp whined. Sanji rolled his eyes, and tapped the paper to get attention.
"The beauty of it is that a ration means that only a certain, allotted portion of food is served. I've done restricted rationing before, and I know how much a person needs to eat. Each person, no matter where they fall on the chart, will receive only what they need to survive." Luffy didn't seem to hear this, instead wiggling in his chair.
"Yay! I eat first!" Sanji gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to smack Luffy.
"Not specifically you, shit-for-brains. It's only 'cause you're knocked up, get it? If you weren't, it'd just be Gilly. The second you deliver, you're down at the third level, and the baby gets the top. No matter what, the kid eats."
"Hear, hear," Zoro agreed quietly. "You've got something right for once."
"Second level is Robin and Nami."
"Idiot!" Zoro threw a cup at Sanji's head, and he deftly dodged.
"Hey! Hey! I've got a damn reason!" Sanji roared, and Zoro scowled, eye twitching as he waited for it. Sanji huffed irritably. "Nami's the navigator, and Robin has the most information about this damn place. We need them to get around." Zoro conceded with a shrug. "Chopper's on this level too, because he's the doctor and he can deal with injuries."
"Yay! I get to eat too!" Chopper celebrated with Luffy.
"Also, if we run out of food, we can stew him." Chopper wailed at this statement, but Zoro cackled and Robin laughed. Sanji grinned, and took a drag off his cigarette before continuing. "Third level is Usopp, Franky, and myself. We eat if there's enough for the top two levels. Franky, you're important because you can steer and fix the ship, but you use dual energy sources. As such, we're going to be stockpiling cola. Because his robot parts run on it, he's the only one allowed to touch it. On the other side of that coin Franky, you can only use the cola if you need it. That means you go flat unless you need to work hard or kick ass."
"Oh, uncool!" Franky moaned, but he understood and complained no further. Brook leaned forward, drumming his fingers on the table.
"And where, pray, do myself and Zoro fall on this hierarchy?"
"Down here." Sanji pointed to the very bottom of the chart, a level placed about two feet down from the third level. Brook and Zoro's caricatures were placed there. Zoro's eye twitched.
"Why am I down there?"
"Because you sleep all the time anyway, so you don't need food energy," Sanji replied curtly. "And Brook, you don't even need to eat."
"Ah, this is true. I lived for fifty years on but one teabag, I suppose three months without a meal will do me no harm," Brook conceded somberly. "Though I would like very, very, very much to eat."
"I need to eat, Sanji," Zoro growled. "I need to eat just as much as you and Usopp and Franky do."
"Fine, fine," Sanji muttered, and he moved the magnet with Zoro's caricature up to the third level. Brook sighed heavily.
"Ah! Fate is cruel! But this gentleman shall tolerate it. I recognize that it is vital that those of you with vital organs nourish them. Yohohohoho!"
"Skull joke!" Luffy laughed raucously, pounding the table.
"Don't get all bent out of shape. Wouldn't want you to break something," Sanji teased. "This is only in case of emergency. I plan on acquiring enough staples for four months, and I trust my crew to get us through this easily. Come on, we went to an island in the sky. A shitty maze isn't going to touch us."
With this plan in mind, Sanji had created a long list of things he would need to purchase in the market. Franky also made a list of repair materials he wanted to have on hand in case of emergency, and Robin suggested to Luffy that he get baby supplies before they entered the Archipelago proper.
"If you are indeed twenty-six weeks pregnant, we may in fact see the new baby born before we get out of the Archipelago," Robin told him. "You should have diapers and such ready." Luffy rubbed his head in thought, and then his tummy.
"Hey, little guy. When are you coming out?" Luffy asked, and then stared down expectantly, as if waiting for an answer. Robin giggled, as he continued to stare. After a moment, he frowned. "No, that's way too soon." He paused, as though waiting for an answer. "Well, I think you're wrong. Still, your Aunt Robin is right. We should prepare for you anyhow."
"What did he tell you?" Robin asked with a soft giggle. Luffy turned around, confusion on his face.
"Who told you it was a boy?"
"Oh, dear, did I let the cat out of the bag?" Robin briefly glanced behind her, where Nami eavesdropped. She laughed nervously and backed away, and Robin turned back to Luffy. "Well, perhaps it was a lucky guess. Is it a boy, Luffy?"
"That's a secret!" Luffy grinned. "I'll never tell!" Robin giggled again, but Usopp, who had heard most of the conversation, folded his arms.
"Luffy, you're a total idiot." Luffy and Robin ignored him.
"But anyway, he told me he wants to be here in a few weeks- except it's not a he, okay?" Luffy grinned. "But there's no way, 'cause I'm sure I'm not supposed to have him for at least another three months."
"Ah, so it is." Robin smiled distantly. "Well, still. Better prepared than not, yes?"
"Robin, will you help me?"
"Won't Zoro help you?"
"No, he picked out icky baby clothes last time. Besides, he promised Gilly they would go to the beach and he would teach her to swim." Robin stared at Luffy, as he suddenly started thinking. She could actually see it in his eyes. "Hey- wait- that's a bad idea! Zoro!" Luffy turned tail and dashed off to find Zoro and Gilly. Robin giggled to herself watching Luffy's waddling gait.
"He's so funny." Usopp frowned enviously as Robin continued to giggle, and continued his morning target practice.
"Zoro!" Luffy yelled as he ran the decks, but stopped as he saw Gilly admiring herself in a bathing suit in the girls' cabin. "Ah! Gilly! Where's Daddy?"
"He said he was going to make Uncle Sanji pack us a picnic and get a beach blanket and sunblock!" Gilly chirped, turning to look at the back of her suit in the mirror. She giggled happily; she seemed to like her little blue bathing suit with a turtle on the front and an aqua skirt. "I can't wait to swim in the ocean!"
"It's not safe," Luffy said grimly. "I will prepare you."
Five minutes later, Zoro returned in his bathing suit with a basket under one arm and his and Gilly's swords under the other. "Gilly, are you- Luffy, what are you doing?" Zoro gaped as he tried to see Gilly under the pile of flotation devices Luffy had covered her in. She had two sets of water wings on both her arms and legs, a flotation vest, and three inner tubes. Luffy turned at Zoro's entrance and grinned proudly. Zoro groaned and slapped his forehead with his palm. "Luffy, she's never going to swim like that!"
"Thank you!" Luffy replied with a beaming grin. "She won't sink at all!"
"Luffy, just because you sink doesn't mean she will. She hasn't eaten a Devil's Fruit, and we both know it's not hereditary."
"Daddy!" Gilly whined from under the inner tubes, and Zoro began to remove the water wings.
"Besides that, I'll be right there with her, and we won't go in deep. I won't go too much further than where she can stand. I was going to do some sand terrain training too. If we're living on the sea, she needs to know how to swim. Especially in this dangerous part of the ocean." Zoro yanked the vest off of Gilly. "I promise, we'll be really careful." He grinned at Luffy, and Gilly gasped exaggeratedly.
"I can breathe!"
"Fine, I'll trust your judgment. If she gets hurt, I'll punish you." Luffy wagged his finger playfully, and Gilly giggled.
"Daddy's gonna get punished!"
"I better not get punished," Zoro muttered, but he wore a smirk. "C'mere, you." He slid one hand around the small of Luffy's back, pulled him close, and pecked his lips. He gave Luffy's round belly a tender rub, thinking a silent prayer to a god he'd never believed in, and Luffy smiled sweetly and rested his hands on Zoro's shoulders. The pair smiled knowingly at one another, before Zoro turned back to Gilly, who had watched with wide eyes. Luffy grinned and waved goodbye, before rushing off to rejoin Robin.
Almost everyone set off into the city on chores and duties. Nami chose to stay on the ship that day because she wasn't feeling well, and Chopper stayed behind to tend to her. He did ask Robin to get him medical supplies and books, and everyone else was off to work. Zoro and Gilly went to a beach where they could see the Sunny docked. Zoro was charged with guarding the ship and not getting lost, and he figured that as long as he could see the ship, it was safe. He didn't spend too much time watching the ship as it was, much more content to dip little Gilly in the water. She flailed a little like she had when he took her in the water as an infant, too used to seeing Luffy do the same thing, but Zoro showed her how to tread water effectively. He didn't realize that while he was not watching the ship, someone was watching him. Three someones, in fact.
"You're saying that's not Roronoa Zoro's daughter?" Commodore Smoker grunted as he watched Zoro lift and toss Gilly around. Petty Officer Coby shook his head.
"I didn't say that at all, sir."
"You said she's Straw Hat Luffy's daughter," Ensign Tashigi reminded him.
"That's what I said, ma'am."
"Shit, are you kidding me? Roronoa Zoro's a twink?" Commodore Smoker spat. Coby and Tashigi both gaped at the slur. She couldn't believe she'd heard him right.
"Commodore-"
"He's a fag. A homo. A pansy. Roronoa Zoro is a fruit, is that what you're telling me?" Smoker demanded viciously. Coby shivered.
"I don't think he and Luffy are necessarily gay, but if that's how you want to put it, sir, yes. You would probably know about that particular side eff-"
"Yeah, I know about it, kid. Ugh. Pirates disgust me. Flaunting this violation of nature…" Smoker covered his eyes and grimaced.
"Roronoa Zoro and Straw Hat Luffy… perhaps one of the most dangerous marriages there has ever been!" Tashigi declared, folding her arms. "And you said Roronoa Zoro was indeed training her?"
"Yes. My source confirmed that she wants to imitate him, ma'am." Coby's head was hung as he spilled blood off his tongue.
"Vile. The girl must already be lost. I can only wonder why your Vice Admiral still wants her alive," Smoker muttered as he tucked a third cigar in his mouth.
"I couldn't tell you, sir," Coby replied quietly. "I suppose the Vice Admiral thinks she could still grow up normal. She's still very little, and maybe once she becomes a teenager and hits that rebellious phase, she'll stop wanting to be just like her family."
"We can't wait that long. If she's starting now, imagine where she'll be in two years," Tashigi said, voice quavering. "We've seen how fast Roronoa Zoro can improve his technique; though he refuses to fight me, I've seen his exploits." Coby couldn't help but wonder how they could talk so seriously while Zoro was pretending to be terrified of the little shark splashing behind him.
"So, what should we do, Commodore Smoker?" Coby asked, looking over at the older man. Smoker tapped the ash off one of his cigars.
"We corner them. If they're heading the way I think they're heading- and idiots like them, I know they are- then we can and will set an easy trap." Smoker smirked, as Zoro lifted Gilly over his head and tossed her up and down, laughing cheerfully as she wiggled and smiled. Coby swallowed a little, but Smoker continued, "No doubt, if you can bring in the Straw Hats, you'll get a good promotion. Go get your helmet-head subordinate. I'm going to need some of your ships." Smoker's smile was wide and devious, and even Tashigi had to wonder what her boss had planned. Coby simply shook his head and wondered what his thirty pieces of silver had bought.
Zoro liked spending as much time with Gilly as he could; she was all the things a father could ask of a daughter. However, he still remembered a conversation Nami and Sanji had had with him shortly before she was born.
"Zoro, I'm surprised you're so content knowing you're about to be a father," Nami remarked coolly. It was a quiet night on the island, and Sanji was preparing a midnight snack in his hut. Zoro was having a sake and enjoying the night air, while Nami had a glass of iced tea. "I mean, the way you are, I'm surprised you haven't complained…"
"Complained about what?" Zoro grunted.
"Well, you know. The fact that you made a girl," Nami taunted playfully.
"Why would I be upset about that?" Zoro raised his brow.
"Because you're a man's man, Zoro. You like man stuff," Nami explained with a little shrug.
"Yeah, I thought you'd want a boy and be disappointed with a girl," Sanji added. "So you could do boy things with him. Boys are stronger, so you'd be able to train a boy with swords, and play rough-and-tumble games, and all that stuff."
"Hey, girls can learn swords too!" Zoro protested with a frown.
"But they're girls." Nami shrugged her shoulders again. "I dunno. Most guys say they want sons, like to carry on the family name. It's a guy thing."
"I'm going to have a daughter, and I'm completely fine with that. I just hope that you two are," Zoro warned harshly. Sanji and Nami both chuckled.
"Just checking!" Nami giggled.
Zoro had, if only for a moment, worried about whether he'd be a good father to a little girl. He met Gilly and all his fears were instantly dispelled. Now that a little boy was on the way, Zoro began to worry more- simply put, he knew what to do with a little girl. A little girl was an easy proposition. Little girls wear their little jumpers and little sneakers and little pigtails. Little girls play jump rope and draw with chalk, little girls dance to the radio and sing along in their little girl voices. Little girls dress up in big girl clothes and stumble around in big girl high heels. Little girls would play with swords, this he knew. Little girls, he knew like the back of his hand. What the hell was he going to do with a little boy?
What do little boys do? What games do little boys like to play? What do they want to wear? He didn't remember what it was like to be young. All he remembered was growing up as quick as he could to join a dojo. As he floated on his back with Gilly paddling next to him, he could only wonder what kind of father he would be this time. He was good with Gilly, and that was satisfying, but he didn't know about this new kid. Luffy had really sprung a surprise on him, and Zoro didn't know if he had enough time to prepare himself.
"Kiddo, are you looking forward to being a big sister?" Zoro asked as she paddled along.
"Of course I am! It's gonna be fun!" Gilly chirped in response.
"Yeah. It'll be fun. A whole different adventure," Zoro reassured himself quietly. He just didn't know if he was ready for that adventure.
When the tide came in and the sun began to sink, Zoro took Gilly ashore to rest. Instead of going away to find Luffy or looking for something else to do, he sat beside her and watched her as she took her afternoon nap. He was somewhat tempted to join her, but he was content just to watch her sleep and the swaying ocean.
With their chores done for the day, most of the crew joined them by evening. Gilly was still water-pruned and smelling of the sea, and sat on the blanket wrapped in her towel and chanting for dinner. Sanji had set up a grill and wok and was preparing fresh squid and vegetables. Robin had a book and a beach chair, and Usopp was telling Chopper stories. Nami had joined them once her stomach had settled and was drinking unsweetened iced tea and reviewing the few notes she could get. Franky was dancing to his own beat while Brook strummed a guitar near Sanji's fire. Luffy was asleep on Zoro's lap on the beach blanket, tired from acting as Sanji and Franky's pack mule, and Zoro was simply asleep out of his usual lethargy. They were happy.
Even with the dark sea looming before them, and a great deal of unknown, they were happy.
End Notes: I read somewhere that, if you repeat something three times, it gets ingrained into someone's mind. Therefore…
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