Wow… it's been awhile since I started this fic.
Chopper: You're alive! (starts crying)
(quickly hugs) I'm sorry Chopper! I was just busy! And had to get my schoolwork done, which I still have some left, but it could wait.
Chopper: I also heard that you may stop doing the reviewer's reply…
At the moment I'm not doing that. It's something that the reviewer's themselves decide if this should continue or not.
Chopper: That's good.
(lets go) Speaking of which, I do believe there's a lot to go through. Especially back in the other studios…
Chopper: (grabs first review) From Tsume-san!
Thank you! (bows)
Chopper: (grabs another) From Kyo-kun!
Isn't it?
Chopper: (grabs another) From Lectori-san…
Well… It's slowing down a bit now, but I'm back. And not dead, thank heaven!
Chopper: You almost died!?
No, no…
Chopper: Oh… (grabs another) From twilightserius.
Uh… Zoro really doesn't need me… But yeah I have been putting this story off for sometime.
Chopper: (grabs another) From OPFAN.
(nervous giggle) Right here, sorry for the wait.
Chopper: (grabs another) From Dreamer-san…
Thanks!
Chopper: (grabs another) From Blu-san…
Sorry for the wait, hopefully all your questions will be answered in this chapter.
Chopper: (grabs another) From Tsume-san again…
(bows) Thank you!
Chopper: (grabs another) From seamy…
You're just going to find out. (winks)
Chopper: (grabs another) From Kira-chan!
Sorry for the wait…
Chopper: (grabs another) From Sai-chan…
Sorry for the wait… Hope you liked this chapter.
Chopper: (grabs another) From Mimi-chan!
Luffy doesn't plan on introducing Zoro to anyone, otherwise he would've done so. And, as I tried to put a little mystery in, the merfolk that Zoro saw are not the bad guys. And sorry for the wait.
Chopper: (grabs another) From MissChabre…
Thanks!
Chopper: (blushes and dances around) That doesn't make me happy!
(giggles)
Chopper: (grabs the last review) From Mint-cha…
(shocked) No way! The Mint-cha!? I read her fics and they're good! Even though English is her second language, it's great.
Chopper: Wow! Really!?
(nods) Well, I'll try to make my chapters longer, but I still got four other fics and one major one I'm working on.
Chopper: Make sure you get plenty of rest now!
(sighs) I have a messed up time frame. I'm a nightowl since ten and it's kinda hard to sleep easy on school nights…
Chopper: (starts working on a low dose medicine to help her sleep)
(doesn't bother to stop him) Well, anyway, enjoy everyone! And sorry again about the wait!
Chapter 2
"Is everything well with you?" Said the octopus to Zoro, who was on his back on the sandy cove floor.
The said sharkman looked back at the elderly octopus. "The group returned."
"Ah… It has been ten years since the last time they arrived."
"Yeah… Then the storm hit…" He said as he remembered how rough the waters became, but what happened during the storm was what made him despise their arrival.
"Zoro!"
He looked up to see the distorted shadow of the only human friend he has. "Excuse me old tentacles!" He said as he quickly darted up.
When he reached the surface, the teen looked like an eager puppy. "Let me guess, you found out the theme."
"Even better! I'm going to be the lead!"
"Say what!?"
"I know! I couldn't believe it either! But I guess my blue crab dance last year was enough for them to think I could handle it!"
Zoro laughed, remembering the time Luffy tried to grab a crab only to be pinched. "Well, I'm glad that you got it. So, what do you have to do?"
Luffy sat cross-legged as he sighed. "I have to do this one traditional dance and apply it to my own style."
"That will be easy."
"Yeah… but I like doing my own dances…"
'Because they're unpredictable.' Zoro thought as he went up to the shore and rested on the wet sand. "You can still do that you know. As you said yourself that you have to do this dance in your own style. Just know the theme and let it loose, like you usually do."
Luffy smiled widely, as if told that he did a great job. "Yeah! Thanks Zoro! You always know what to say!"
Zoro shrugged. "We have been friends for ten years, I should know what you're thinking by now."
"Really? What am I thinking right now?"
"About meat and if your brother is making steak for dinner."
"… You're good."
Zoro chuckled as he listened to the teen about how his day was before getting to see a part of the dance steps. He would never admit it to the teen, friend or not, but he liked seeing the other move when he's dancing.
Luffy, to warm up, was to do some stretches, bending here and there. Then he was in some dancer's starting pose, with both his arms out at front of him before moving his hips and started to do some steps while moving his arms in a manner of how an artist uses his brush in a painting. He bent down as he moved to go around, moving his hips as he was coming up.
Zoro was entranced by the movements, as well as the rising heat on his face every time he saw the hips move in a way that a normal, non-dancer guy would have difficulty in perfecting.
After Luffy did the same routine for a few more times, making sure his muscles and mind got the whole deal down before he had to go home. "Want anything Zoro? Ace is working late tonight."
"I think I'll swim by the shore near your place." Zoro said. "Kinda sick of eating seaweed."
"Then why didn't you say anything!? I could've brought a week's worth of sandwiches!"
"Oi, I don't eat seaweed all the time. You'd be surprised of how much fruit grows around here." He pointed out to one particular plant off to the side with an odd shaped fruit on it.
"Oh! I forgot about that tree." Luffy said with a smile. "Well, okay! I'll see you later at the beach, right?"
"Right."
"See ya later Zoro!" Luffy said as he grabbed his stuff and ran into the vegetation, leaving the sharkman to go back down to tell the old octopus about what took place. As he ran out into the unused path, he ran down until he was out into a dirt road, which he was close to being hit by a pale blue car.
"Oi! Watch it!" Said the driver.
"Sorry, sorry!" Luffy said when he recognized the driver. "Oh! Sanji!"
"Luffy? What the hell are you doing way out here?"
"I was practicing my new dance moves."
"Oh, for that festival in a few months, right?"
"Yeah."
"Want a ride then? It's getting dark."
"Thanks Sanji!" He called out as he hopped into the passenger side.
"How's school?" Sanji asked as he started driving again.
"Like any other school." Luffy said.
Sanji grinned before sighing.
"What's wrong?"
"I saw this really good looking gal, but she was already taken by this moron." He said, feeling comfortable with telling these things to the teen.
"Geez Sanji, this is the tenth time you told me about liking some girl." Luffy said. "I don't get it!"
"When you find someone you like, you'll understand."
"I do like someone… I like my brother, I like Usopp, I like you, and I really like Zoro."
"The mysterious friend of yours?"
"Yeah."
"How come we don't see him?"
"He just doesn't like people, except me."
"How old is this guy again?"
"No older than you."
"Are you sure this guy is okay?"
"We grew up together, so yeah he's okay."
Sanji sighed. "Okay kiddo, I'll take your word for it." At that moment, they were in front of the beach house that Luffy lived with his brother.
"Thanks for the ride Sanji!" He said as he dashed up to the house.
Sanji shook his head as he brought out a cigarette and lit it before driving out of the property and took one of the scenic routes overlooking the ocean. He drove a bit slower to see the sunset, only to notice something in the water. He stopped and got out to see clearly, but it was gone. 'Was that a…?' He shook his head. "Nah! Probably a dolphin and the sun playing tricks on me." He said as he went back into his car and drove away as the sun sank down into the horizon.
A bit later, Luffy got out of the beach house and ran towards the small joint beach that very few people, especially tourist, discovered. Another secret spot that he could share with his brother and friends, but at a certain time of day his best secret friend would take advantage to visit him. Soon as he got there, there he was, back onto the sand and watch the changing sky. "Zoro!" He called out, carrying a picnic basket with their dinner of the evening.
Zoro looked straightened and looked back with a smile. "Hey Luffy." He said as the said teen placed the basket on the ground between them. He watched as he saw the other bring out a huge pot of what looked like stew, a couple of bowls and spoons, and some rice cakes for dessert.
They enjoyed their dinner and Zoro watched Luffy practice afterward, just before fireworks came up.
"Somebody is celebrating something." Zoro said as Luffy was in awe of the scene, amusing him with the other's childish antics. He stayed until the firework show was done before he said good night to Luffy and left.
Luffy did the same as he gathered the empty pot and such and quickly returned home.
Zoro, on his way back to his cove home, he spotted someone not far from him, swimming really fast, as if trying to get away from something. He saw that it was a great white shark, very rare to see on these parts of the ocean and he knew the creature. And what the creature was chasing is a mermaid with a tangerine tail. "Damn it!" He called out as he went after the chase and managed to grab the dorsal fin of the creature and turned it towards the rocky island wall, smashing the front nose of the creature. "I've told you to stay away from my side of the island! You want to become my next meal?!" He looked at the black eyes as the creature went away. "Couldn't eat you anyway." He said as he swam to find the cove entrance, only to see the mermaid go in. "Shit… Just perfect!" He growled as he went in anyway, only to be hit in the head and knocked out.
"Oh my god!" The mermaid called out. "I'm sorry! I thought you were that shark!" The mermaid had a tangerine tail, orange-ginger hair, dark hazel eyes and fair smooth skin.
"Oh? A new visitor?"
She looked back to see an octopus. "Uh… I think I killed him…"
The octopus crawled out steadily, due to his age, and checked the young shark man. "He'll be okay, but you're being quite rude entering his home at such a haste and do harm."
"His home?" She asked as she looked around the cove.
"Yes…" The octopus said. "Well, don't just float there like a discarded seaweed, you better bring him in. I'll let you stay here if you're really in some danger."
"I was being chased by a shark, then he came out of nowhere… I guess I thought he wasn't strong enough."
"Makano has been coming into these parts of the island some years ago, then when the boy was threatened, he could not allow the creature to roam here freely."
"Boy? As in a human boy?"
"What else? I'm known as old tentacles."
"Nami… But that's illegal! No merfolk, in any shape or form, should be seen or heard by a human!" She said as she started to drag the man, only to see the tail. "What the hell is he!?"
"Miss Nami! I would like it if you don't say such foul things like that around me! He was brought here by the only human companion, no… the only companion he has in all the oceans in this world after the last merfolk group came by here when the storm hit."
"Wait… I've heard something like this before… But, no one went missing."
"Missing? Or never wanted?"
She felt slightly guilty as she dragged the man to the cove's sandy floor, right by the octopus's little cave.
"You may rest here if you like, but he doesn't take kindly to anyone who done what you did."
She nodded as she went to the other side of the area and saw a fruit floating on the water's surface. She went up and broke to the surface and saw the fruit, took a small bite and deemed it safe to eat. 'I have to thank those two for letting me stay here for the night.' She thought when the green shark tail bothered her. 'I heard a little about someone being different in our group, but I never seen that merfolk.' She began to have questions about it. 'I'll ask Nojiko if she knows anything.'
Well, here's the chapter many of you were waiting for. I hope none of you are PO'd at me.
Chopper: I'm sure they'll understand.
Thanks, I tried making it longer than five pages in Word. But you tell me guys!
Chopper: See you next chapter!