Author's Note: Yes, you just read that chapter title right. There will be scenes at a hot springs. But, sorry, my male readers, no fanservice.
Disclaimer: Eichiiro Oda owns One Piece.
Ch. 41: "One Part Fighting, Two Parts Bath Time."
Meanwhile, on the Helvetica, both Yuki-Rin and Rai seemed to be in a state of limbo regarding their battle. Both were locked in a stalemate, as their swords met in between them, and, yet, neither of them wanted to lose.
"Giving up, yet?" Rai asked Yuki-Rin. From the mocking tones of his voice, Yuki-Rin deducted that another blast of that Rakshana attack was going to come her way.
"No! I know your next move!" Yuki-Rin cried as she dug her heels deeper into the deck below her.
"If you know what my next move is, let me know if I'm right," Rai taunted. "Rakshana!"
"Yuki-Rin!"
Before Yuki-Rin could feel herself fly backward like what happened when she first got hit by Rakshana, she felt something tackle her to the ground. Yuki-Rin looked up and saw Kazuma.
"Ka… Kazuma?" Yuki-Rin wondered.
"Don't worry, I'm here!" Kazuma cried as he helped Yuki-Rin to the ground.
"This doesn't look promising for us. The Log Pose for this island is about to reset," Megumi said worriedly, looking at her Log Pose. "It's now or never, guys."
Yuriko groaned. As Megumi said, "It's now or never". "Rai! Beat the both of them!"
"Yes, Yuriko," Rai said. Yuki-Rin smirked.
"Come on, Kazuma, we're getting out of here," Yuki-Rin said before she grabbed Kazuma's hand and they grabbed up the sails.
"Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going?" Bao-Bao cried out to Yuki-Rin and Kazuma. "Rai, get them!"
"Rakshana!" Rai cried, directing his attack at the sail, which split in half in between Yuki-Rin and Kazuma.
"Kazuma!" Yuki-Rin cried as she grabbed the falling Kazuma.
"Thanks, Yuki-Rin!" Kazuma said as they continued to climb up the sail and up onto the crow's nest, where Kaoru and Mina were waiting.
"Figured you'd be waiting here," Yuki-Rin said with a smile.
"Guys, where are Yulia and Daisuke?" Kazuma asked. Kaoru and Mina picked up Yulia and Daisuke, who were both unconscious and had huge bumps on their heads.
"I think they got hit by the attack that Kazuma saved Yuki-Rin from," Mina said. Back down on the upper deck…
"Who are those people?" Zheng asked Yuriko.
"Intruders, and there's no chance in Hell that we can capture them," Yuriko said with a sigh.
"So, this means…" Hyung-Win asked.
"We forfeit. Looks like our little captive has eluded us, for now," Yuriko said with a sad sigh.
"Cheer up, Yuriko. I'm sure we'll get other crew members," Tetra re-assured her captain as she patted Yuriko on the back.
"Guys, I'm back!" Yuki-Rin said as Kazuma, Yulia, Daisuke, Kaoru, and Mina docked the Hyperion.
"There you are! We've been worried sick about you! Do you still remember us?" Hana asked Yuki-Rin.
"Yes, Hana, I remember every single one of you," Yuki-Rin said with an annoyed sigh. Hana grinned.
"Well, then, go give your boyfriend a kiss," Hana ordered. Yuki-Rin's face turned blank.
"I have a boyfriend?" Yuki-Rin asked Hana.
"Yep. I bet he missed you," Hana said. Yuki-Rin walked over to the Capricorn males, and… She kissed Holden on the lips. Everyone else's jaws dropped in shock.
"What the?" Hana cried.
"I thought Yuki-Rin liked Kazuma," Aki said.
"Bro?" Soren cried in shock.
"This must be the last thing Yuki-Rin needs to remember before she is completely cured of her amnesia," Ageha explained as she pulled Yuki-Rin off of Holden.
"What just happened?" Holden asked everyone.
"Yuki-Rin, Kazuma, Heathcliffe, Aki, how about you four go on a group date?" Ageha suggested.
"Ageha, are you serious? That's not the way to help Yuki-Rin regain her memories," Kartik asked Ageha.
"Trust me, this will work," Ageha told the shipwright. Kartik sighed.
"Well, then, enjoy your group date, kids, since we have three days left after this," Kartik said. Before Yuki-Rin, Aki, Heathcliffe, and Kazuma knew it, they were back on the island.
"So, Yuki-Rin, wanna do anything special?" Kazuma asked Yuki-Rin.
"Hmm… Let's go here!" Yuki-Rin said as she pointed to an onsen. Heathcliffe facepalmed.
"Are you kidding me? The hot springs?" Heathcliffe asked Yuki-Rin, who grinned.
"Yep! I've always wanted to go to one!" Yuki-Rin answered.
"The hot springs… I miss going to them. I always use to go to one near my house with my dad every Saturday. And, we went no matter what," Kazuma said with a sentimental sigh.
"So, Aki, Heathcliffe, any objections?" Yuki-Rin asked the couple.
"Well, let's go in. Mother always told me that thehot springswould always make her skin and hair beautiful," Aki said.
"Well… Uhh… Kazuma, I think we need some bonding time," Heathcliffe said nervously.
"I can arrange for that," Kazuma said. "Besides, this onsen isn't mixed-bathing."
After washing up, Kazuma and Heathcliffe were sitting in the bathing area.
"Man, how many years has it been since I've taken a bath in a hot spring?" Kazuma asked Heathcliffe.
"I have no clue. This is my first time in the hot springs," Heathcliffe said.
"I see. Didn't you go to bathhouses when you were living alone before Yuki-Rin found you?" Kazuma asked Heathcliffe.
"Not really. The island I lived on for a year had a bathhouse that was frequently closed. If it was open, I didn't have enough money to enter, since I had to choose between food or rent for shitty tenements whenever I got money," Heathcliffe said. "At least I'm glad my parents let me go with my guitar. Without it, I'd probably be dead of hunger because I wouldn't have a means to support myself."
"You know, Heathcliffe, if you lived on my home island, I'd take you in, let you come with me to the onsen every Saturday, and feed you. We'd be like brothers," Kazuma said.
"Well, I already have Holden and Soren. Plus, we're already great friends," Heathcliffe said. "Hey, Kazuma, have I mentioned how much I love the hot springs here?"
"See? I told you you'd fall in love with this place," Kazuma said.
"Yep. Reminds me of the first shower I took after I joined this crew. Man, that felt like the best shower ever. Of course, it can't compare to these hot springs," Heathcliffe explained.
"I know, right?" Kazuma asked. In the girl's bathing area, with Aki and Yuki-Rin…
"*Sigh*… Hearing Sarutobi-kun's backstory is sad," Aki commented.
"I know. He was so happy when he took his first shower in months, ate his first, warm meal in months, and got new clothes. I have no regrets about choosing him for this crew," Yuki-Rin explained.
"I second that. Plus, without him, I wouldn't even be at the hot springs with you right now. I'd… Well, I'd probably be off trying to have a kid with Gareth," Aki explained with a nervous laugh. Yuki-Rin laughed.
"I can't picture you two together. Plus, Heathcliffe is one of the coolest people ever. I wish I knew who my boyfriend was so I can come back to him," Yuki-Rin said.
"Still got amnesia?" Aki asked Yuki-Rin.
"It's almost gone. All I need to remember is who my boyfriend is," Yuki-Rin explained.
"Well, let's just say that he's with us. I think you know what to do when we leave," Aki said.
"Do we have to leave the hot springs soon?" Yuki-Rin asked.
"Yeah. Other people need to take a bath, too," Aki pointed out. Yuki-Rin laughed.
"Like all the people who went though what Heathcliffe had to go to," Yuki-Rin said. A few minutes later, the four were leaving the hot spring.
"Kazuma, we need to bring my brothers here! They'd love this place!" Heathcliffe suggested.
"We should bring the rest of the crew here," Yuki-Rin said.
"Yeah! We should," Aki agreed, giving Yuki-Rin a wink. Yuki-Rin then kissed Kazuma, who blushed.
"Thanks for not forgetting about me, Yuki-Rin," Kazuma thanked Yuki-Rin.
"Like I'd forget who you are! You're my boyfriend!" Yuki-Rin pointed out. The four laughed.
"Come here, you," Kazuma said as he pulled Yuki-Rin closer. Heathcliffe did the same to Aki, allowing the four to walk with their sweethearts.
Ending Note: Well... Nothing much to say, except that "The DysFUNctional Pirates" is getting a Christmas spin-off titled "The DysFUNctional Christmas".
Daisuke: "Still feeling the awkwardness of the hot springs scenes?"
Me: "No. I had no idea where I got a hot springs scene."
Spandam: "Me neither. Anyway, review this fanfic, and I will appear in "The DysFUNctional Christmas"."
Me: "Spandam, what are you doing here?"
Spandam: "I'm just waiting for the Thanksgiving chapter of "The DysFUNctional Pirates"."