So I got Friday off of work thanks to our fantastic opening night last night, so I found the time to write up what I had gotten during Intermission and throw in a little more. How awesome is that?
I am sorry to report this is the final chapter of Escape by Santoryuu3. Before we go on, I want to thank every single one of you who have stuck by me this entire time, reviewing practically every chapter. It means more to me than you'll ever know. Thanks you guys! I really appreciate your dedication to the story, and I hope you'll continue to follow my other fics and support me.
On that (happy?) note, please enjoy the final chapter of Escape.
Chapter 11 – Completion
Sanji was livset, which was Zoro's word for livid and upset at the same time. There was just no other way to describe the stupid cook, who was currently occupying himself in a corner pulling at his bangs, biting through his cigarette with shark-like teeth, and still managing to cry waterfalls. Doing his own little thing in his own little corner of the universe.
Of course, the cook hadn't been livset the entire time. At first, he and his crewmates, minus the captain and navigator, were holed up in the kitchen, gathered around the huge table. Even Robin listened intently to the conversation going on between Chopper and Nami, her expression intrigued. Zoro had no idea what was going on inside the woman's head, and he didn't want to.
"Nami, here's what you have to do. Mouth-to-mouth." The little reindeer instructed.
Sanji, who had been watching the snail imitate Nami's expressions with a lovesick aura, suddenly exploded in such a way, the Big Bang would be put to shame. A blur of black and yellow as the young cook leapt to his feet, his eyes burning with a fiery passion. Zoro could practically see the gears turning in his head, putting two and two together.
In huge steps, the cook circled the table and held Chopper in his puny hands, shaking the poor creature back and forth. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY MOUTH TO MOUTH YOU SHITTY DOCTOR! MY BEAUTIFUL GODDESS NAMI-SAN HAS TO KISS HIM!?" With every word, ero-cook's anger multiplied, by Zoro's guess, fourteen thousand eight hundred trillion. But then, the swordsman was never really good at math. So maybe it was fifteen hundred million trillion, eighty-four hundred? Times two. In other words, a lot.
Once Sanji's frantic ramblings had been stilled by arms growing out of his chest to release the tiny doctor, courtesy of Robin, Chopper tried explaining through exhausted gasps.
"No, no, no! Kissing is not the same as mouth to mouth! Unless there's a mouth guard aboard the Shark Submerge, she'll have to…" the reindeer's voice faltered. "Blow… into his mouth… to get air to his lungs so he'll cough up the water he inhaled."
Chopper's explanation fell on deaf ears, because Sanji was still focused on one thing. "BUT THEIR LIPS WITH TOUCH!"
"Sanji-kun," Nami's voice spoke through the transponder snail, so quiet Zoro barely heard it. After shouting as loud as he could to get the dumbass to shut up, Zoro held up the receiver so everyone could hear. "It's okay." The snail heaved a sigh. "If it's for our captain."
Sanji snatched the receiver from the swordsman's hand, holding it to his mouth. "Wait, Nami-san! Come back to the ship!" Sanji's voice was so full of pain, Zoro almost felt sorry for him. The operative word being 'almost.'
Franky stood up suddenly from his seat, a wild glint in his eye. Usopp noticed the glint and began shaking his head furiously back and forth as if to tell Franky that whatever the hell he was thinking, don't do it. The shipwright either didn't notice the signal or ignored it. He left the kitchen to return a few seconds later with a screen of some sort, connected by another Den Den. Usopp's eyes widened, tripping over himself to stand behind Zoro, who bonked him on the head with Kitetsu's hilt.
"What is that?" Brook asked curiously, running a skeletal finger across the screen.
"Usopp and I bought a super video transponder snail on the last island," The shipwright explained, working with wires and other mechanical mumbo jumbo. "I hooked it up to a camera inside the Shark Submerge, so we'll be able to watch!" He said all this very quietly, so as to not alert the passengers of said Shark Submerge to his plan.
Usopp merely whimpered. "Franky… don't…. please?"
The marksman was getting on Zoro's nerves. Although the swordsman didn't want to admit it, h wanted to watch as well. He had been noticing the signs for some time now, starting mostly after Arlong Park back in the East Blue, and possibly even before then. He wasn't stupid; Zoro noticed the glances she stole, how he tended to stand a little closer to her. It was obvious to anyone who was watching.
Sanji whipped around, his eyes glued to the scene that was slowly coming into focus on the screen. The pirates gathered around, all looking with interest. Luffy was lying on his back, limbs dangling limply at his side. Nami was kneeling next to him, her hands on his chest. As the crew watched, she slowly moved to tilt the raven-haired boy's chin up to the ceiling.
"Three times," Chopper spoke into the regular Den Den. "Then ten chest compressions."
Sanji began chewing on the collar of his shirt as he watched Nami slowly lean down, hesitating for a moment before finally, their lips made contact.
That was when the stupid ass became livset. He collapsed into a corner, poking at his new mushroom garden with a spatula, the depressed air around him stifling. Zoro had to force himself not to laugh as he watched the navigator perform CPR. She moved on to compressions again, and if he looked closely enough, you could see her face slowly turning bright red.
Suddenly, Luffy convulsed, and Nami scrambled backward, hitting her head on the control panel. Luffy coughed a few times, slowly sitting up. The entire Straw Hat crew, including Sanji who by this time had finally gotten over his fifteen-second depression, breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Luffy's mouth began to move, but the video transponder snail didn't appear well used enough to pick up sound. Sanji lunged for the regular Den Den, practically shoving Usopp from his chair. "OI! NAMI-SAN! WHAT IS GOING ON!"
Shit! That damn bastard was going to give away that they had video feed! Zoro gave the stupid dumbass a good punch on the arm. "Shut up, ero-cook."
Sanji glared daggers. "Go to hell, snot-head."
"It's the guys!" Luffy's voice rang through the receiver. On the screen, they could see him reach for their own Den Den. "Hey!"
Zoro took control of the conversation. "Oh. Luffy." He tried to make his voice sound as normal as possible, to not give away that he and the rest of the crew knew exactly what was going on in there. "You're awake."
"Did I fall asleep?"
"In the ocean. Nami went to get you."
Chopper crawled up on the table, motioning for the swordsman to hand over the Den Den. "Nami, bring in the sub. I want to give Luffy a check up, especially after the mou – "
Faster than a striking snake, Sanji sent the doctor flying across the room. Zoro was starting to feel bad for the little reindeer. He was saved by a few hands blooming from the wall to catch the doctor, lowering him slowly to the floor. You couldn't expect anything less than that from a lovesick bastard. "Ah-haha! The… uh, mou-mount- mountain climbing! Yeah, mountain climbing."
Seriously, mountain climbing? Zoro smirked to himself. Usopp could lie better than that.
"Yosh! We'll be right up."
Zoro nearly fell out of his chair, sweat-dropping at his captain's incompetence. Video-feed Luffy replaced the receiver on their end of the line and went to stand by Nami, who had retaken control over herself and was maneuvering the submarine back in their direction.
"Damn you, Luffy! You're way too close to my Nami-san!" Sanji's face was practically pressed against the screen. "When you get back here I'll kick your ass!"
The Shark Submerge pulled back into the dock, reconnecting again with the Thousand Sunny. Franky was about to cut the line when Robin suddenly intervened. "Wait, Franky. Look…"
Every pirate in the room watched with growing curiosity at Luffy, who had suddenly taken Nami by the arm, preventing her from leaving. Stunned silence as the two became pressed against one another again, mouths connecting in a single passionate kiss.
Zoro cast a glance at the cook, surprised to find Sanji appearing to not react at all, simply staring at the scene as if in a trance. Like he couldn't believe this was actually physically happening. Right now. On the ship. Below his feet. Right now. He began chewing on his shirt again.
When they finally broke apart, Nami looked flustered and a bit surprised, but happy. Luffy had a huge grin on his face as he spoke a few words. The poor navigator's hand instantly flew to her mouth, and Luffy laughed again. He took the lead to exit the submarine, out of the view of the video transponder snail.
Just before Nami disappeared, she looked down, staring directly at the screen. She squinted as if trying to figure out if that snail had been there the whole time, and finally vanished from view.
The entire Straw Hat crew exchanged looks, horrified looks. Nami had seen the video Den Den. If she found the screen, there was no way in hell anyone on board would make it out alive. Except Robin. And maybe Luffy. But the other boys…. Zoro didn't even want to think about that.
As one, the inhabitants of the kitchen scrambled to hide the video Den Den and its television, cramming them into a cabinet below the sink. Sanji yelled at Usopp to be careful, but the flustered teen was too busy saving his own hide to worry about the plumbing.
Footsteps could be heard outside.
"Act natural!" Brook said, striking a random pose with one hand behind his head and the other on his cocked hip. He plastered a huge smile on his face as the knob turned, and Luffy burst through the door, waving like nothing had happened.
"Hey, guys! Oh, wow! That looks like fun!" The captain stood by the skeletal musician, striking his own dramatic pose like a kung fu master. They were soon joined by Usopp and Chopper in Heavy Point, all forming random shapes like they were posing for a photo. Zoro rolled his eyes.
Luffy was followed quickly by Nami, who still had a light hand against her mouth as if trying to hide a smile, watching the four boys pose.
Zoro watched her, smiling slightly. It's about time.
"Well, what are you all standing there for?" Nami said, her expression growing angry. "Lower the sails and set our course for the next island. Oh, Zoro. Can you please get that television out from under the sink? Sanji needs his space." She turned on her heel and walked out of the kitchen, leaving the crew in stunned silence.
"How the hell…?" Zoro whispered, staring at Franky.
The shipwright shrugged, completely at a loss for words.
"OI, blockheads! We need to get out of here before reinforcements show up!"
"Hai, Nami-san, my sweet and adorable goddess!" Sanji noodled his way to the deck, a happy-go-lucky smile on his dorky face.
"Oi, Sanji! Food first!"
"Nami always comes before food!"
Robin chuckled. "Nami, food, and shadows," she said, referencing Luffy's to-do list on Thriller Bark.
The Straw Hats filed out of the room. Zoro remained put, his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. He suddenly felt light headed, and he knew it was not because of blood loss, unless he accidentally cut himself sitting down. Love-cook would never let him live that down.
"Zoro-san?" Robin's soft voice asked, sitting down next to him.
He opened one eye and stared at her through a space between his fingers. "Hmm?"
"Are you alright?" She asked, concern in her voice. "You look pale."
Zoro shrugged. "I'm alright. Still recovering, I guess."
"You'd recover faster if you kept your bandages on."
"It's hard to move in them. I can't train properly."
The two nakama were silent for a bit. Finally, Robin leaned over and spoke quietly in the swordsman's ear, whispering the secret she, Zoro, Sanji, and a select few random pirates liberated from Thriller Bark knew about.
He jerked, staring at her incredulously. "Who told you about that?"
Robin smiled her mysterious smile. "I have my ways."
"You eavesdropped, didn't you." It wasn't a question.
The historian shrugged. "All in all, it was a valiant act. Men with that kind of pride make excellent parents."
She stood and left the room, leaving Zoro staring blankly at the floor between his feet. "Damn woman…" he muttered. No matter how easily he could read his captain and navigator, the archaeologist was a closed book. He will never understand women.
XXX
A day passed since the escape. The Straw Hats were recovering at a remarkable speed; even Luffy's cuts were already healed and his appetite had not wavered. His share of meals were as large as ever, and possibly even more so. Not that he cared. Meat was meat.
Now he sat in his favorite spot on the figurehead, staring out at the open horizon, noshing on a sea king shish-ke-bob. The water broke around the hull of the Sunny-Go, splashing lightly into his face. The sun was bright on his skin, sparkling off the breaking waves. He smiled; this definitely was his favorite spot.
"Luffy?"
The captain turned and smiled at the orange haired girl that stood behind him, looking down at her shoes nervously. Even if he wasn't as good with women as Sanji was, he still knew exactly what she was thinking about.
"Um… "
"I like you," He said, interrupting her and sliding down from his spot.
"Well, of course," she said. "We're nakama. But that's –"
"No."
Luffy spoke with confidence, but was a bit confused at Nami's reaction. Her expression was hurt, and she took a step back. "No what?"
"We're not nakama anymore."
"What the hell do you mean, Luffy!" Nami's voice was strained, trying to keep from crying. "You want me to leave? After all we've been through?"
Luffy shook his head. "You misunderstand. We're more than nakama."
The navigator stepped back, confused. "More?"
"I like you. A lot. Like…. Um…" Luffy scratched his head, trying to find the right words.
Nami appeared to finally understand the confession. She laughed and moved in, giving her captain a peck on the lips. "I think the word you're looking for is love."
Luffy grinned, pulling her in for another kiss. The captain hadn't really ever kissed anyone, not really finding romance all that interesting. At least, not when he first started out. Over the last month had he really begun to realize how pretty Nami was. When the two finally separated, he stared into her eyes with an unusually straight face and said, "I love you, Nami."
Nami seemed confused at the fact he actually said it. She must have thought he was joking. Well, he wasn't. He wrapped his rubber arms around her waist multiple times, pulling her loser to his body in a tight hug. As they embraced, he whispered into her ear, "You know I never lie."
The literal meaning of the word nakama actually means the closest relationship you can have with someone without it being romantic. More than friends, more than family, but not lovers. So what Luffy is saying that he and Nami aren't nakama, they're romantically involved now. I'm not sure if that made any sense, so I thought I'd clarify. If I got it wrong, I'll go back and fix it. Yup.
The "act natural" scene was kind of an inside joke between me and a friend: we were... watching stuff we really shouldn't be watching at my place while my parents were out (this was a few months ago) and we heard my parents coming in the house. So we turned off the TV and my friend whispered "ACT NATURAL!" to throw off suspicion. So we both posed similar to Brook when my mom and dad walked in like WTH? Anyway... It was one of those you-had-to-be-there moments.
Thus concludes Escape. I hope you have enjoyed your ride. You may now disembark this train and receive your free tickets to board the Reunion roller coaster.
Again, I want to thank everyone for your awesome reviews, and unyielding support. Thank you, have a great day.
This is Santoryuu3, signing off.