One Piece Goda belongs to.

Author's Note bottom at.

Chapter Titles The Beatles belongs to.


Chapter Twenty One

I'm So Tired

It was already two in the afternoon, yet Sabo and Koala hasn't reached the shore.

Yagara Bulls are made for strong streams, but they are most definitely unfit for unsteady sea. Every time the poor little Yagara Bull tried to advance ahead towards the safety of the solid ground of Water Seven, it would only succeed for say five minutes, and the unsteady sea will pull him back towards the opposite direction, rocking itself on fluctuating coordinates. This made Koala frustrated.

"I should not have listened to you!" She said frustratedly, her cheeks burned in anger.

This was perhaps the forty-fourth time she had uttered it to him, and while Koala being angry was first taken by Sabo as sexy, he became annoyed eventually. For you see, when a humour is repeated for the forty-fourth time, it no longer becomes entertaining. It becomes bloody annoying.

So the supposed bridegroom tilted his already-wrinkled top hat, and uttered with much patience. "Would you quit saying that?"

"Until we get to shore, I don't think so!"

He felt like his insides is going to explode. There are certain things that love itself couldn't put out, and her constant nagging in this situation is one of it. He was used to her nagging when on Revolutionary missions, but that was because he was reckless, and they have a mission to focus on, not to mention a leader to follow and please. But this—this is an entirely personal situation, something that was not tied to the wishes of a third party.

He began to wonder this is one of those situations which makes people in relationships drift apart. Because 'I should not have listened to you' starting to change its tune in his head, turning into a whisper of 'I will never listen to you again.'

When he focused again on what's going on outside rather than what's inside his head, a blurry image of Koala patting the Yagara Bull's head softly began to take shape. "It's okay, Yagara-chan, we'll try again..."

So she could calmly pet Yagara-chan, but throws all fit and blame at her own fiancé?

He glanced around, looking for something that he could do. But around him was all the sea, nothing but the great big sea. He cussed himself in his head, great, why do I have to be a fucking hammer?

"I should not have listened to you," he heard again, only faintly this time.

He couldn't help but respond now. "I said, quit saying that."

"Huh?" Koala responded, as if she didn't say anything at all. Yet, maybe she didn't. Maybe the last line was just a fragment of his imagination, hallucination, whatever it might be. But when it sinks deep into his head to the extent of tricking his senses, that's how he knew, shit got real deep.

"Alright, fine. It's my fault," he said, sighing, but unable to meet her eyes. "Do you have to keep on repeating it?"

Koala's face flushed red from anger still, and it's getting more visible now. "I will, I will. But ever since we woke up stranded here, what have you done exactly? Or are you waiting for me to save our arses, like I always do?"

Sabo's breath hitched. More than anger, a feeling of helplessness overcame him. There's nothing he had done, or even more correctly, there's nothing he could basically do. The vast sea that surrounded him are like a bed of lava surrounding a normal person. "Just forget it. Forget about trying to make it back to the island. Forget about trying to make it to the wedding. We won't get married."

Koala gasped, and with her eyes dropping into a frown, she turned to him. "Excuse me?"

"I mean it. You don't have to save my arse anymore. You don't have to listen to me anymore."

Sabo closed his eyes tightly, unable to bear the look on Koala's face. This lovers quarrel felt more insanely intense than he expected, and there was no pulling back the words that came out of his mouth. Suddenly, everything felt quiet. Sounds of rustling wind became faint, and so is the sound of the ocean. When he opened his eyes again with so much courage he thought he had lost, he couldn't see her face. She stood by the edge of the boat, still petting the Yagara Bull's head.

"If that's what you want," she said, without even turning, without a hint of crack in her voice.

A heavy breeze made its way and took his top hat away from him, and he watched as it flew into the graying sky. And just like that, he lost two important things today.


"One more time I catch you being present in this kitchen, I swear I will diable jambe your sorry ass!" Sanji yelled, his lit cigarette hanging from the edge of his mouth. He sighed in frustration, his blond locks fell over his left eye as he closed his eyes to contain his patience. "Usopp! Where are you?"

Usopp slid into the kitchen, and that was the first time everyone had seen him dress so decent and formal, in a neat black suit. "What's going on here?"

"Help me keep our captain out of this kitchen," Sanji said, as he straightened up his posture, while Nami held Luffy's wrist firmly to prevent him from doing anything foolish. There was already a bruise on his head from where Nami had hit him earlier for swallowing the vanilla cream topping for the wedding cake.

"Ooh, Usopp! You look like Sanji now in that dress-up!" Luffy said, noticing Usopp's suit.

Usopp laughed, narrowed his eyes and held his fingers together, pretending to smoke a fag. "The only wedding I will be attending, is mine with the beautiful Nami-san."

Luffy burst out laughing, while Nami immediately gave Usopp a hard smack on his head instead. "You shut up too, idiot!"

"Aren't you supposed to be the best man and be with your brother right now?" Sanji said, hands rested on his waist.

Luffy turned into a frown. "But Sabo—I don't know where he is!"

"Oh dear," they heard Robin said, appearing behind them from the kitchen door. She was already dressed in an Athena-like dress, and silver-coloured high heels. Her necklace resembled Cleopatra's golden one, and dangling from her wrists were golden coloured bracelets. "Are they still nowhere to be found?"

Nami shook her head in reply. "It's about three more hours to the wedding, and I'm worried."

Sanji's forehead wrinkled. "What do you mean, nowhere to be found? What happened to Sabo and Koala-chan?"

"Well, to be put simply, they're nowhere to be found," Nami explained with a sigh. "But the Franky Family's on it..."

"No news from them yet," Franky interrupted, showing up behind Robin in his fitting suit—void of pants, of course. "At this rate, they should've covered the whole island, it's impossible not to have found them..."

Sanji let out a heavy sigh, and immediately went back to the freezer to retrieve more eggs and whipping milk. He needed to make another batch of the vanilla cream topping before wrapping the sides of the five-tier cake with white fondant and paint the edges with edible gold. There was still so much to do, and not minding the presence of everyone else, he proceeded to continue his cake-making business.

Nami observed this, and grabbed Luffy's hand—as if it was the most normal thing to do. "Don't worry, Sanji-kun. I'll take care of Luffy, we ought to check on Chimney and Makino anyway." She turned to the captain, and with her free hand, she wiped the remaining traces of vanilla cream on his cheeks, shaking her head slightly at the captain's childish behaviour. "You, you are always a mess..."

"Sorry, Nami," Luffy said apologetically. "But I get hungry easier when I'm worried..."

"Ara, I'll follow up with the Revolutionary Army about Koala and Sabo's whereabouts. I hope they don't get eaten by the bigger Yagara bulls," Robin continued. She laid her hand on Sanji's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, reassuring him that everything will be alright. Sanji nodded, and she turned back towards the kitchen door to exit, dragging the hem of her Athena-like dress behind her.

"Aw, Nico Robin, I didn't realize you look suuper beautiful!" Franky commented, giving her a thumbs up. That made Sanji chuckle a little.

"What do you expect? She's our Nico Robin. The goddess!" The blonde cook continued.

Robin simply smiled, but uneasily, walks towards the door still. She straps on her new silver heels began to form blisters on her skin, and it's rather annoying when she thought of it.

"Ne Robin, are you sure you're gonna wear those tonight?" Usopp said, concerned.

Franky sighed, and to Robin's surprised, he carefully placed his hand on her back and under her knees to lift her up. "I can't watch this. You need another pair of suuuuuper new shoes. Let's go and find one."

"I think I have an extra pair," Nami said, lifting her hand.

"Let's get going anyway," Usopp suggested. "Sanji's gotta do what Sanji's gotta do!"

Sanji smiled, grateful at the thoughtful gestures from his nakamas. He continued whipping his cream topping as he watched everyone exited the kitchen with small bickers and arguments. And then finally, he was alone in the kitchen, with the five round red velvet cakes for the five-tier wedding cake resting on the kitchen table in front of him.

"Sanji-san, I knew I'd find you here," said the blue-haired girl as she appeared over the kitchen doorway fifteen minutes later. He had promised to be her date, for tonight—at least that was what he told Nami.


I know this chapter isn't long, I'm sorry. I hope you love it nevertheless!

xx Fleur