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Characters: Perona, Zoro, Mihawk, Chopper's wanted poster

Genre: General

Warnings: Perona being childish; Zoro retaliating, Mihawk being probably un-Mihawkish. Unbeta'd.

Rating: K

Notes: The one thing I really wanted to see after the time skip was Perona's reaction to Chopper. Since it didn't happen in the manga, I've taken liberties with the actual time skip.

#8 – Bounties: Chopper

Perona smacks the piece of paper onto the table with a fierce expression on her face. "Why can't you be this cute?" she demands accusingly, indicating the picture. Mihawk hazards a glance over the pages of his newspaper and catches sight of the wanted poster of the Straw Hat's pet. Tony Tony Chopper, 50 Berri. As far as pets go, the creature wouldn't be his first choice: it's small, fluffy and almost derangedly loveable with its tiny blue nose, black button eyes and that ridiculously big pink top hat. Someone's been feeding it cotton candy for the picture and the excited expression on the creature's face is almost too much. The only thing worse would be a cat trailed by rainbows. And the bounty is... a bit of a joke.

At least the Heart Pirates have a pet that can tear an enemy to shreds: a trained polar bear is a different caliber entirely.

Zoro ignores the accusation.

Or Perona.

Probably both.

The girl pouts. "I want your pet," she says in a tone, that little children use when they believe it will get them what they want. It has yet to work on either of them, which Perona has yet to understand. Usually, the remark would go uncommented, but not today. How interesting...

"He's not our pet," the swordsman replies gruffly, but Perona doesn't seem to understand.

"I don't care! I want that pet!"

"And I said he's not our pet," the other man retaliates more forcibly and it's the first time he actually looks up from tending to his swords.

"But he's so cute, what else could he be?" Perona squeals, holding the poster close to her heart. There's a slight twitch developing over Zoro's left eye and Mihawk abandons the weather forecast in favor of watching his two houseguests squabble. Up until now, he's always thought of the little creature as a pet of sorts, too.

"He's not cute! He's no pet! He's Chopper and he's a monster!"

The girl begins to shriek her protests, but Zoro's angry roar easily drowns her out. "He's a monster like the rest of us! And now be quiet!"

There's a moment of silence in which the wheels start to slowly turn in Perona's head. There's no denying that the Straw Hats are monsters of a sort to her: after all, they did defeat her precious Gecko Moria and more or less destroyed his Thriller Bark, her home. She is starting to contemplate what hand the 'adorable' creature on the wanted poster had in her misfortune when Mihawk interrupts the quiet.

"A monster worth 50 berri?" he enquires.

Zoro smirks. It's proud and a little arrogant. "You've seen nothing yet," he says.

How very interesting...