The Pirate King and the Rose Queen
Chapter 8
~We Are Fine Like This~
I looked over the railing of the Thousand Sunny, in vain. I was trying to see if I could spot my beloved Rose Queen, I could just hear those marines scuffing the wood with their boots and oh god! What if they aren't keeping her waxed?! Rosewood gets horribly dirty out at sea!
I turned when I heard a blast of laughter coming from the deck. Zoro, Nova, Nami, Spade and few others of Luffy's crew were laughing up a storm. But here was Luffy, squatting down on the rail next to me, staring at me as usual.
I sighed, "Why are you staring at me?" I asked.
Luffy scuffed his nose, "What are you thinking about?" he asked, I groaned.
"It's rude to answer another question with a question, Monkeyboy." I said, Luffy laughed.
"I kinda like that name you've given me, it's like a tense-thing, right?" Luffy said as he laid back on the rail, I walked around him and to his side.
"What do you mean, tense-thing?" I was curious, over the months, I didn't really hate Luffy as much as I used too. Here's what I've found out about him.
He comes from a place called Foosha Village in the East Blue, his straw hat was given to him by his mentor of sorts, Red-Haired Shanks. I also know about all his friends like Zoro joined him while they were fighting marines and he helped Nami to get her independence from a fishman named Arlong.
It all sounds seriously unbelievable, I mean, come on! Fishmen? But Luffy is so straightforward, I can't believe him and he speaks with a stern and strong voice, very hard to forget his face too.
Luffy looked at me with those strong eyes of his and laughed, "I mean once you trust me, you'll start calling me Monkeyman instead of Monkeyboy." Luffy explained with that same goofy grin on his face, I laughed.
"We'll see once I get my Rose Queen back..." I lean against the rail beside Luffy, he looked at me kind of worriedly and sadly.
"You still want that ship, huh?" Luffy folded his arms behind his head as I nodded in confirmation.
"Yup, I love that ship, Luffy. It was my mother's so was this locket of Sweet Dreams poison. This pistol was my father's as well." I pulled out my pistol and showed it to Luffy, he pouted a little bit when he looked at the pistol.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked, "Well, it's just that..." Luffy sighed, "Where did your parents go?"
A sad and shocked grimace came over Cereza's face, she sighed and looked at Luffy.
"My parents...I don't know what happened to them, my only memory of their faces is when they were running from me, my mother was crying and giving me many kisses before she ran after my father. I remember blood being splattered on the orange sand and then I remember someone laughing...that laugh gave me nightmares for years."
Luffy growled at my story, "Is that why you don't like to laugh, Cereza?" I shockingly turned to Luffy and shook my head, "I like to laugh, Luffy, it's just that...I haven't found a reason to laugh for years now."
"What if I made you laugh, would that be a decent reason?" Luffy questioned me honestly, I smiled and scoffed. "Sure, try your luck, Monkeyboy." I looked at him with one hand on my cheek.
Luffy sighed, he gave me a serious look and then seconds later, he started making the cutest but the funniest faces I had ever seen, on one of the them, he wrapped his tongue around his head. That one made me start laughing. "Kya ha ha! Uh-hoo-hoo!" I started laughing too hard so I covered my mouth to calm it down, Luffy made me put my hands down so I'd look at him, I kept laughing every time. I turned to my right and he made me look at that funny face, I couldn't contain how hard I was laughing.
He held my hands down, he tried to speak but it was muffled. He stood on the rail and stretched his arms up.
"Woo! Theretha Thmiled!" He celebrated my laughing, he did a flip back onto the ship. It made me laugh to the point that my sides were hurting, he took my hands in his and I let my head fall into Luffy's chest and then I heard it...
His heartbeat...
It was warm and without a delay, but the weirdest thing is...
I touched my chest and listened,...his heartbeat matched mine.
I gasped and backed off of him, Luffy put his tongue back into his mouth.
"W-What's wrong? Did I do something bad?" Luffy said, I shook my head no and smiled to reassure him. "It's nothing, my lungs started hurting. Nothing too serious, I think-" Luffy took my arm and pulled me back into him, he hugged me tightly.
"There's always a reason to laugh, even if you're about to die." My eyes widened as I was shocked at Luffy's words, I looked up at him and he was serious. Wow, I thought, this guy is more straightforward than I originally thought.
I smiled and wiggled out of his arms, "Thanks, Luffy." I walked pass Luffy and my hand slid off his arm as I walked away. I went down to the forecastle to sit down for a little bit.
Luffy diligently and cheerfully watched Cereza as she walked away from him, he even checked her out a few times. Zoro, Nova and the others looked on with happy relief.
"Wow, Luffy's some guy, huh?" Nova said, Zoro nudged her shoulder.
"Nah, just the opposite. Luffy has an uncanny ability to make others want to do their best and give their best in return, I guess, that's the magic of Luffy."
Luffy blushed and smiled as he stretched to the topmast. Luffy looked at the blue sky and the clouds, they all reminded him how Cereza laughed, he couldn't keep the large smile off his face, he was so happy.
Cereza laughed with me, that's so awesome! I bet if I keep this up, I might just get her to fall in love with me!
Hee hee hee! Don't worry, Cereza, I promise you...I'll always be the one that makes your smile shine the hardest.
Luffy laughed out loud as his smiled over his no resolve, however in the forecastle, Cereza was intensely thinking about Luffy and his weird heartbeat.
I put my hand to my chest and sighed, "What a day..."
"Tell me about it." Nova walked with some tangerines, she tossed me one but I dropped it, not a norm for me. "Wow, you must really like Luffy, huh?"
My jaw dropped, I blushed and punched Nova in the arm, "No. I don't like Luffy. He's sweeter than I thought he was, that's it."
Nova was slightly surprised and then she smiled gently, "Zoro told me that he reminded me of the sun. Bright and warm but hard to look at. He says he has to double take so he doesn't go blind. I'm not sure that was an insult and I'm not sure if that was compliment."
"What do you mean? Why does Zoro cross your mind so?" I cross my legs and took a bite of my tangerine.
"Zoro has a special technique called...Asura." My eyes snapped to Nova who's face looked quite melancholic, "And? How does that make you feel?"
"It makes me think that...the end is near. That maybe...once Zoro and I get together, that'll be the end of all these great adventures. It's been gruesome with the Rose Queen getting taken. But I still feel that I have so much to do in my life besides be on the arm of some guy."
I was shocked by Nova's words and laughed, I bonked her on the head. "Now, you know how I feel! Look, I'm gonna put it to you the same way you've put it to me. You have no choice, he's your one and you have no reason to doubt the predictions of Almirierre."
Nova growled as she glared at me, "Fine! You win." I nodded, "But still, do you think even with Almirierre's prediction, that maybe Zoro and I can actually become a thing?"
"Oh, of course. But that mostly depends on Zoro, I don't believe that he's the type of guy that really likes to be in relationships. He probably has a reason for even being on this ship."
"So, what do you think I should do?" Nova asked me my opinion, that's strange. She hasn't asked me for my opinion since Tienlun Camp back at Loana when she wanted to know if eating a beached sea squirrel way past its prime was a good idea and just like back then, I will not give her a bad answer. I'll give her a good one and instead of following my advice, she'll probably do the exact opposite.
"Well, Nova, how serious are you about Zoro?"
"W-What do you mean?" Nova asks, I sigh, "He flirts with you, you guys have a giggle, a little chat and then you go on about your ways. Notice anything wrong there?"
Nova shakes her head, "No...Where's the wrong?"
"Nova, the guy likes you. He's using cheesy pick-up lines, he's making you laugh, he's staring at you and let's not forget the oh-so important sharp eye look when you talk."
Nova was shocked because she realized I was right but as usual she decided to ignore it, "I don't know what you are talking about but...tell me, don't those sound familiar in your case as well?" Nova strutted out the room, I groaned as I laid back.
What? She asks my opinion and throws it back at me? What kind of mind fart is that?! What is she talking about anyways? Luffy does not use cheesy pick-up lines on me!
He just makes me laugh...he doesn't look at me with sharp eyes but he does stare at me. But so what, Luffy's pretty slow!
I sighed as I looked at the top of the forecastle, I really like Luffy. He's kind and hard-headed. I don't like him because of any stupid prediction either! I like him because he treats me like a girl even when I act like a guy, it's sweet and very new to me. He makes me feel girlish and excited.
I looked at my palm, the heat has subsided from them. If I was to make the choice, I would definitely like to be at Luffy's side regardless of what was said. But still, I am a captain of the Loanan Seas and I am also the Rose Queen...
A title that is not taken lightly on the Loanan Seas.
The Rose Queen, a family name passed down from generation to generation. My mother was a Rose Queen so was my grandmother who was the original. They all married men they loved and not men that they were told to be with.
Maybe, I really am just following suit and Luffy isn't the man of the prediction. I'd hate to think I believed this theory out of spite against Almirierre, there's nothing to be gained by living in the past.
I decided not to follow orders and that mistake got my crown taken from me, I may be the Rose Queen but...my crown has long been cut from me. That reminds me of those legendary beads from that day too...
About five sets I think, if I remember correctly...
The red sets were called the Beads of Belias Degigas, a four-handed chimeran lion monk that brought destruction and passion to the battlefield with the Staff of Demetrik as a conductor for his power.
The blue set were called the Beads of Fymfreet, an ivory bear that brought famine and plague to crops but has the ability to give great fertilization to soil with the water of Lake Tiadolma, a lake of the spirit world, that he carries in an iron jug he keeps on his back.
The green set was called the Beads of Tashmil, a huge lion with three sets of paws and elephant tusks who fought with a silver axe in the War of Disadia when the Goddess of Light, Gwelfric no longer wished to follow the Grand Gods.
The yellow set were called the Beads of Diendensa, a former king of the spirit world brought down to earth by Fymfreet when he hit him over the head with his iron jug, the king is also called the Pirate God because it was his wind that guided adventurous souls out to sea.
The silver set were called the Beads of Barishklamal, the beads are said to be made from a substance of the same name and that they are beads that the Goddess of Light, Gwelfric wore to the War of Disadia when she sent the Grand Gods to the realm of Dutchman, a place where all pirates go when they die at sea. The king of the spirit world, Diendensa, broke the beads from Gwelfric's neck when he fell to earth. They say that the beads fell to earth like comets.
I remember there being more to that story though...that day...
Cereza felt her hair and sighed as she swept her fingers through her tresses. That day…Cereza remembers it vividly…
Author's Note: Again, you guys, so sorry if the previous chapter sucked, I wasn't exactly happy with it either but I had to make a time bridge from the ports to the scenes here. Sorry!