A/N : Review if you are enjoying the story pls. Let me know if you want to see a chapter of Zoro's POV sometime in the future! Also, the arcs will be quite rushed because I don't want to have to spend like four chapters on insignificant details. P.S if Sanji seems a bit OOC - Remember that he's been changed into a girl which probably would mess up his hormones and moods but I'll try to keep him somewhat in character.
We were walking around aimlessly for what seemed like forever, neither of us knowing where we should be going. Everyone now and then I tilted my head back to make sure Marimo was still on my tail, he was doing quite good with following me.
"Oi Shitty Cook, don't tell me you're lost?" Zoro sneered from behind me, and I could tell he was enjoying this way too much.
I paused and turned around, "we don't know where we are meant to be going," I replied as calmly as possible. Nothing good would come from a fight right now after all. But it didn't suck too much having to walk around since we were at Fishman Island and there was just so much interesting stuff to see! I chucked my head to the side to make sure Zoro was still behind me, and noticed him staring.
"What?" I questioned him, expecting him to break his stare - but he didn't.
"It's just weird," he replied. "Having you like this."
I laughed, "you think it's weird? I had to get used to it while in the middle of training my ass off for the past two years!" I said with a grin. "But now I'm actually enjoying it, I don't really want to turn back. Plus, guys are way easier to score with than girls were. They were always so preppy and hung up on their self-respect shit."
Zoro let out a chuckle, "I'm going to tell Nami and Robin you said that about them," he commented smugly.
"Don't you dare, idiot Marimo."
"What was that?" he retorted immediately, his face scrunching up.
"You heard me," I said simply.
"Swirly eyebrow."
He tried to mumble it under his breath but I heard him. In a minute I had spun around and connected my black boots with his readily drawn sword. After a short struggle of power I broke it off, knowing that I was no longer as strong as I used to be when I was a man, and I didn't want to face the humiliation of losing to this moss-head. Perhaps I was physically weaker than him, but I've always been smarter than him - if I'm going to beat him head on like this, I'm going to have to outsmart him. Knowing Zoro was right handed, I took that information and put it to good use by slamming my boot towards his left arm. I could tell his reaction was a slight bit weaker, and pushed my leg against his sword as hard as I could.
"Still as hot headed as ever, cook?" he coyly asked.
"I could say the same about you," I replied, equally as smug. It was obvious he had gotten a lot stronger, and then there was his eye. I broke the contact and flipped a few feet away. "Hey Marimo, how'd you get the scar?" I asked curiously as he sheathed his swords.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I lost it from overusing Observation Haki when I hadn't mastered it yet," he stated.
I scurried over to him, suddenly very interested. "Lost?" I repeated. "Like you can't use this eye it at all?"
Zoro scowled at me as I poked his closed eye, "If I could use it why would I have it closed all the time, idiot."
"No need to be sassy with me," I retorted. Zoro simply huffed in response, and so I kept walking towards the left. To our surprise, a voice from behind us called us by name, and we both spun around - not recognising the voice.
"Roronora Zoro and Black Leg Sanji, we have prepared a feast and the rest of the Straw Hats have already joined us at the palace, we have been sent to alert you of the banquet taking place in your honor," the strange guard said, and Zoro immediately perked up.
"Is there Sake?" he asked, his eyes wide. I mentally face-palmed, Zoro was as bad with Sake as Luffy was with meat.
"Of course, what's a banquet without Sake?" the guard replied, much to Zoro's glee. I sighed, there was no way I could talk him out of it, and so we both followed the cheerful guard as he led us to the Fishman Palace. Perhaps I would be able to see that good-looking prince again…
It was a long walk, you'd think they would have sent a ship or something since we are expected gusts, after all. There were two more guards situated at the front gate, and they reached in to open the double-doors for us. Zoro reached for his swords immediately when we entered, noticing the lack of a banquet, but he swung his head down in surprise when they were missing.
"Looking for these?" an oddly familiar voice called. We both looked to the right and saw the blue-haired prince from before. He held Zoro's swords under his arm and was leaning against a pillar. Damn, he must have moved fast to grab hold of Zoro's swords without him noticing; although our guard was let down. The Prince chucked Zoro's swords onto the ground and they rattled over until they were a few feet away from us.
"What's the meaning of this?" Zoro yelled at the prince, who said nothing.
"The King has asked us to detain you here since you are suspects in a mermaid-kidnapping," a braver guard responded. Before Zoro could yell some profanity at them, there was a loud clang and a cage had fallen around us; entrapping us in the small enclosed space.
"Cowards," Zoro muttered, but no one paid much attention to him as they all began leaving the deserted castle. I frowned and crouched down to inspect our cell, jumping up immediately when the cage started moving and lifted us at least ten feet into the air.
After a moment of deafening silence I snarled, "this only happened because you were so hellbent on getting some Sake - hell we could have bought some for fuck's sake!"
"Shut up! Free Sake is better than bought Sake anyways, and you didn't try to stop me either so you can't talk curly-brow," he yelled back. Our tempers were firing up, maybe if we made enough ruckus in here the cage would break.
"How are you planning on fighting me without your precious swords?" I teased him, knowing his strength wasn't hand-to-hand combat.
He just grinned, "I don't need them to destroy you."
I felt a vein pop in my head, the nerve of this ass-hole! We were about to clash for the hundredth time that day when an eerie laugh stopped us. As a green transparent figure formed towards my right, I shrieked and raced behind Zoro, intending on using him as a human shield - I fucking hated ghosts! As the floating figure got closer, even Zoro's face held a tiny trace of fear which is not something you'd see everyday.
"Yohoho! What are you two doing here?"
It…spoke? I glanced at Zoro and my grip on his shirt tightened, but he had no intention of answering the creepy skeleton figure either.
"It's me! Brook!"
I let go of my grasp on Zoro's shirt and took a more proper look. It did indeed resemble a skeleton, and Brook was a skeleton.
"What's wrong with you?" Zoro asked curiously.
"This is one of my new techniques, I can resemble a ghost!" he said proudly, but Zoro and I were not impressed.
Zoro sighed, "it's very impressive, but can you go grab my swords so I can slice this cage in two?" he asked, getting straight to business.
As Brook moved towards where Zoro's swords lay, I still didn't feel very comfortable. "Can you please change back?" I asked him in a whine.
Before Brook could answer me, the shitty Marimo turned to face me. "You can't still be scared?" he mocked gleefully.
"I'm not!" I yelled back, "just break this fucking cage already you useless bastard."
Zoro chuckled, "touchy."
Brook handed Zoro his swords through the gaps in the cell, and I stepped back as Zoro effortlessly sliced through the metal like it was paper.
"I came to take you guys to where the rest of the crew is waiting, are you ready to leave?" Brook asked, and finally turned back into his proper skeleton form.
We walked out of the palace and followed a cement pathway for a few miles. Soon enough the town had branched off into some sort of underwater forest, which I'll admit was pretty cool. The trees were all massive and looked just like the ones on the surface would - it really was exactly like a real forest. Even Zoro seemed impressed by the sight, which was quite the feat. My eyes turned and I noticed a very familiar figure standing quite far away.
"Is that Luffy?" I questioned, and we made our way over towards our captain. Sure enough, when Brook, Zoro and I got a few steps closer we could tell that it was indeed Luffy and he was with Nami, a large mermaid and a tall, blue Fishman.
Hearing our footsteps, or perhaps sensing our presence made Luffy spin around and then grin. "Zoro, Sanji!" he called out. "I'm glad Brook found you, because we found Chopper, Usopp, Nami, Sunny, Franky and Robin!" He cried out to us, and both of us turned to notice the Sunny was docked in a nearby pool of water with the rest of our crew on board. Seeing us, Franky shot over a wave.
"Guys this is Jimbe," Luffy told us matter-o-factly.
I looked the Fishman over and suddenly recognized him from the papers I read about the Marineford War two years ago. He was with Luffy.
"Nice to meet you," I replied sweetly, as we probably owe him for saving Luffy countless times. "I'm Sanji, and this is idiot swordsman," I continued and ushered to Zoro who stood next to me with a scowl.
"I'm Zoro," he interrupted angrily.
Jimbe looked at us with a kind smile as he spoke, "it's an honor to meet Luffy-kun's friends."
What a nice guy, but there was an unspoken amount of tension in the area.
"Jimbe are you sure the plan will work? I don't want to be a hero!" Luffy's voice turned somewhat angry at the last bit, and I tried to resist giggling at his attitude.
"What plan?" Zoro asked, making me wonder as well.
At this, Jimbe opted to speak up. "Luffy has decided to help protect Fishman Island by defeating Hordy, and we have discussed that I will go in first and get myself captured, and then when it is the opportune moment, Luffy will appear from inside Princess Shirahoshi's Shark and you guys can beat up the New Fishman Pirates."
I just stared, wow we had really missed a lot. "I'm guessing this Hordy guy is trying to destroy Fishman Island or something?" I asked, trying to piece the puzzle together. When Jimbe nodded, I realized we were going to have a large scale battle on our hands. Plus, Luffy probably will not stick to the plan so we will have to follow on the Sunny and be ready for a change of plans. After a few more moments, Jimbe was the first to leave towards the Plaza.
"Sanji, I'm hungry," Luffy cried out almost instantaneously.
I smiled at him, "sure thing Captain! I'll go prepare some rice-balls for lunch before we head out."
