The Merry is in the midst of the biggest and most dangerous storm it has ever faced. Lightning streaks the sky, darkened by black clouds and raging waves that shake the ship and its occupants from side to side. Giant icebergs stand in its way, threatening to pierce its hull at any moment. The crew on board fight with all the strength they can muster to stay alive and protect their precious ship.
But the pirates are faced with what they had hoped they would never have to experience. To see one of their nakama fall off the ship in the middle of such a deadly storm. With the added bonus of a disproportionate wave that rumbles and swells skyward, threatening to capsize the ship and kill everyone aboard.
Luffy and the others are desperate. They're at an impasse. Either they let the Merry take the wave to try to save their friend, or they sacrifice Zoro for their own survival.
But a flash of white and blond lightning passes in front of them. Stella grabs Luffy's elastic arm and wraps it around Usopp's waist before tying a knot.
"Stella, what the-" The sniper doesn't have time to ask his question before he's sent flying like a javelin into the sea, just above Zoro, who's still reaching out in front of him. "HAAAAA!"
Zoro's head is already underwater when he feels someone grab his hand, preventing him from sinking further into the icy water. His eyes widen when he sees Usopp above him, grabbing his arm with both hands, tears of fear in his eyes.
" I've got him! Pull us up!" He shouts in desperation. Immediately, Luffy and the rest of the crew pull on the arm to pull the two men up quickly. They fly through the air due to the speed and land heavily on the deck. Usopp bursts into tears, saying he'll never do it again and that he's in the middle of a nightmare.
The swordsman's breathing is irregular, his body shivering with cold. He can't believe he was almost killed by his lack of attention to his surroundings. Damn it, he should have seen the storm coming!
"Everyone to their posts. You must stay focused! Otherwise, you can say goodbye to your dreams and your life!" Shouted Stella sternly, sweeping her gaze over the rest of the crew who were beginning to rush towards the swordsman to see if he was all right. The woman's strong, serious voice reminded them of the trouble they were in. Instantly, they threw themselves on the sails and rudder to brave the giant wave that had narrowly missed capsizing them.
Nami shouts out a hundred instructions a second, confident in her ability to get out of this hellhole in one piece and all together.
Zoro is still on the ground, a little dazed by what has just happened. Stella arrives at his side and crouches gently beside him to gently shake his shoulder.
"Fingerling, here's the earth. I know you're in shock, but the others need you." The swordsman's eyes widen, snapping out of his trance. He seems to realize that everyone is running around him to stay alive, despite the giant waves, howling wind and icebergs blocking their path.
He shakes his head, stands up and starts running to join the others.
Seeing that Zoro is back and focused, Stella stands up and watches the children struggling as best they can. They need all the help they can get, and a few extra arms wouldn't go amiss. But they won't be hers. She heads for the kitchen and opens the door as the ship leans dangerously to the left.
Inside, she spots Mr. 9 hiding under the table, clinging for his life to the legs of the large table fixed to the floor and not moving despite the waves.
"Go help, you coward." She says, grabbing the false king by the back of his jacket and tossing him unceremoniously into the driving rain and rumbling thunder. He rolls onto the deck, which isn't straight because of the waves, and lands at the foot of the navigator, who looks down at his sudden appearance.
"You! Go and help with the sail!" She orders the poor man, still wondering where he is. He shakes his head to clear his thoughts and casts an incensed glance at the redhead who dares to give him orders, putting his crown back on his head with an irritated gesture.
"I don't take orders from you!" Nami's eyes crinkle and she kicks the man who dares to complain in the back.
"You're on our ship! If we go down, you'll die with us!" The man's eyes widen, realizing the trouble he's in. He stands up hurriedly and helps the pirate crew as much as he can for his own survival.
Stella quickly looks around to check that everyone is still on board. Sanji and Luffy fight against the obstacles in front of the boat. Zoro and Mr.9 work hard on the sail ropes to keep the sail from flying away or tearing. The swordsman's face is wrinkled with pain from his already damaged hands, but he doesn't let go and grits his teeth.
Usopp is at the helm, trying as best he can to steer and dodge the obstacles in front of them. And Nami stares frantically at the sky and sea, listening to the breath of wind, the sudden change in pressure or the invisible currents that steer the ship.
A presence inside the room draws her attention. With all the commotion, she'd forgotten all about the princess. She must be awakened by all this sudden movement. Stella leaps over the balcony railing to land just outside the door to the girls' room below. Without hesitation, she opens the door, expecting to see the princess sprawled on the floor, thrown out of bed.
The girl isn't on the floor, but under the bedroom desk, protecting herself from the books that have fallen to the floor and the clothes that have escaped from the wardrobes.
Vivi is curled up with her head between her knees, hoping the storm will soon pass.
"Get up, princess! We need all the help we can get! So get moving!" Shouts Stella to drown out the thunder that continues to rumble outside. The blue-haired girl is startled when she hears her loud voice. She raises her head in surprise, eyes wide as she watches the blonde woman in the doorway, hair flapping in the wind raging outside, with her long white coat billowing and lightning streaking the sky just behind her. Her body trembles even more at this unreassuring sight.
Especially as she has no idea what happened between the moment she arrived in her arms and the moment she woke up to the sound of thunder. Her memories are hazy, which makes the situation even more frightening.
Seeing Vivi's terrified eyes. Stella rolls her eyes, clicking her tongue in annoyance, as a wave crashes over the Merry, shaking the whole ship.
"Stop dreaming and get out of there right now! Your buddy is helping us, but he's not going to make it on his own, he needs you! So get up and go help him!" She said, moving towards the frightened woman to grab her and throw her out.
But seeing the tears appear in her eyes and her sudden backward movement, Stella hesitates for a second. The princess's breathing is ragged and panicked, her whole body trembling with fear and terror.
Cautiously, she kneels down in front of the desk where the young girl has hidden for safety. She slowly reaches out towards her, as if to catch a panicked, cornered animal. Her big hazel eyes widen as she sees that hand approaching her. She presses herself even harder against the wood of the desk behind her.
Stella stops advancing her hand when she sees the recoil and looks at the terrified girl with a puzzled face. Slowly, she lowers her hand and begins to speak in a voice that is soft and reassuring, but loud enough to be heard despite the storm outside.
"What's the matter, princess? Are you afraid of the storm?" She asked, looking intently into the frightened child's face. Vivi was about to answer, but a clap of thunder lowered her head to her knees and her hands clamped over her ears as a small cry of terror crossed her lips. It didn't take much for her to realize that the noise was partly responsible for her distress.
Stella let out a sigh as she ran a hand through her hair. She hadn't prepared herself to have to comfort the cries of a child terrorized by thunder. But in a way, it doesn't surprise her all that much. Alabasta is a desert region where rain is rare, not to mention thunderstorms.
She rises slowly and heads for the wide-open door. She glances quickly at the other people on deck, checking one last time that everyone is present, before closing the door, plunging the room a little further into darkness.
The sound of thunder and storm is still audible, but much fainter. Cautiously, Stella returns to the little princess' hiding place and crouches down again in front of the desk. The little girl doesn't move, still trembling with fear.
The woman's hands rest on the floor as she slides under the table to sit next to the blue-haired child.
Vivi didn't move as the woman approached, too focused on her fear, her eyes closed, to perceive a presence beside her.
Slowly, she feels a hand move up her back and start to make slow, reassuring circles. Surprised, she raises her head and turns to see who's there. She looks, teary-eyed, at the green-eyed woman beside her. Her face is calm and gentle, unwavering despite the storm outside and the pitching of the ship braving the storm.
She blinks several times, not understanding what she's doing here, trying to reassure her when she was ready to torture her just a few hours ago.
Seeing that she has the princess's attention. Stella reaches out with her free arm to grab the shoulder furthest from her and bring Vivi into her arms. Then she wraps her arms around her, taking her white coat with her, and hugs her to comfort her, enclosing her in a warm white cocoon.
"It's all right, princess. The storm can't do anything to you here." She says calmly, reassuring her.
Vivi is confused, but tries to pull away, not feeling confident in the arms of this person she doesn't know. But the particularly loud sound of a thunderclap makes her cry out and clutch the garment in front of her to hide her face in the chest in front of her.
Stella giggles slightly at the girl's instinctive movement. But as things stand, she's not likely to calm her down. She begins to think of something that might reassure her, something that reminds her of her childhood. How about a lullaby?
Slowly, gently, rubbing her back with slow movements, she opens her mouth and begins to sing one of the lullabies she knows.
The sound of her voice fills the room, drowning out the noise of the storm outside. Her voice is calm and velvety soft.
Vivi blinks as the lullaby echoes around her. She looks up slowly to see Stella singing with her eyes closed, concentrating on her voice and the lyrics. The princess remembers the song. It tells the story of an ancient legend, about a little girl and her brother who want to leave their country to explore the world, meet a multitude of people and make lots of friends.
It's been years since she heard this song, and the last person to sing it to her was her mother, who died when she was still very young. But despite the years, she still remembers the song.
The notes and lyrics envelop the room in a bubble of security and comfort. Slowly, the princess's muscles relax and her fear disappears, as she concentrates on this melody from the past.
The verses and choruses follow one another, some of the lyrics are different from what she remembers, but this makes the message even more beautiful and powerful than she remembers it.
The last verse is sung, saying that the little girl and her brother have succeeded in healing their world. But Vivi's eyes widen as Stella continues to sing verses she's never heard before. Tears slowly appear in her eyes at the sad words that end this lullaby about the brother's abrupt departure, a betrayal that has torn the sister's heart to shreds, and the curse of loneliness she receives.
She understands why this part of the song was removed from the lullaby. It ends with eternal loneliness and the disappearance of the older brother.
The last notes leave Stella's lips, plunging the room into silence. The storm outside seems to have subsided and the ship doesn't move as much as before.
The tears continue to flow until Stella opens her eyes and looks at the two marks on the princess's cheeks. She smiles and wipes one of the wet cheeks.
"Thank you." She says under Vivi's surprised gaze, who doesn't understand this thank you. "You've finally stopped being afraid." She sighs softly in relief as she lets go of the girl and steps aside, leaning on the wood behind her, leaving her free to go.
The girl blinks several times, the spell of calm and gentleness just broken. With a sudden movement, she stumbles away, falling backwards and banging her head against the desk above her, which she had completely forgotten.
A groan of pain escapes her lips as she lands on her buttocks, rubbing her head to make the pain go away.
Stella rolls her eyes and lets out a bored sigh before starting to climb out from under the desk, taking off her fur coat as the heat rises again. She throws it on the bed, replacing it with her denim jacket and starts to remove the fur balls from her Den Dens before they die of heat.
Then she moves over to Vivi, who's still on the floor rubbing her head, to put her hand on her head and check for a bump or something more serious. Her fingers run quickly over her hair and she feels the appearance of a bump.
"You're going to have a nice bump, princess. You should put some ice on it so it'll disappear faster." She says as she heads for the door, leaving Vivi staring at her with wide, surprised eyes. The blonde puts her hand on the door handle and turns to her with a smirk. "Ask Sanji for some ice, I'm sure he'll pass you some. If not, you should go out and see if your friend is still alive." She declares mockingly before opening the door and stepping out, leaving Vivi staring at her with wide eyes, her head full of thoughts and questions.
Damn! What the hell just happened?
Stella emerges from the room into glorious sunshine and calm seas, putting her orange cowboy hat back on her head to protect herself from the strong rays. The crew has clearly made it through the weather belt in one piece, as evidenced by the entire crew and Mr. 9, sprawled out on deck, short of breath.
"I see you've made it through Grand Line's first storm in one piece. Well done, youngsters!" She exclaims encouragingly, stepping out into the middle of the deck to take a closer look at any injuries or damage to the Merry.
A few heads turn towards her while they're still on the ground, wondering if they'll ever be able to get up again.
Nami is the first to try and sit up on her elbows, glowering at the blonde.
"Can I ask where you've been? We've been through hell, I'll have you know!" She grumbles as she tries to stand up, but quickly falls back to the ground as her legs shake with fatigue.
Stella approaches her and offers her a hand to help her up.
"And you came through it brilliantly! Few crews can boast of having come through this ordeal without major losses or damage." She says with a big smile that makes the navigator grunt, but she still catches the outstretched hand that easily pulls her to her feet.
"You could have helped us anyway." Pouts the redhead as she lets go of Stella's hand and rubs at her clothes to remove the dirt that had clung to them during the storm. The woman smiles with amusement and taps the tip of Nami's nose with her finger in a playful gesture.
"I warned you that it wouldn't be fun and that you had to be ready for anything and everything. By the way, can you remind me thanks to whom you were able to fish out Zoro?" She concludes, before sweeping her gaze around the ship in search of the seaweed head, which lies a few meters away on the ground, fists clenched and a grimace of pain on his face.
Nami's gaze became annoyed, but she simply clicked her tongue, abandoning the attempt at verbal punishment directed at the blonde.
"Thanks for the rescue, but I hope you won't fail us next time." Stella gives her an amused look before moving over to Zoro to see what's the matter with him.
"I'm not promising you anything! ~" Nami rolls her eyes and shakes her head in exasperation, before looking at the Log Pose on her wrist to check that the ship is heading in the right direction despite the storm they've just weathered.
Stella walks quietly towards Zoro, who is still on the ground, eyebrows deeply furrowed as he looks down at his open hand above him. An ugly rope mark cuts right through to the blood. He was the only one holding the sail's rope, which nearly sent him tumbling several times. His hands held the rope so tightly to prevent it from slipping, that it cut into his hand when a powerful gust of wind tore the rope from his hands a few centimetres.
He now looks at his bloody palm, which he'll have to treat and bandage quickly. It upsets him so much to see his hands in such a state. He's a swordsman, and his hands are indispensable for fighting and realizing his dream. Approaching footsteps catch his attention and he turns his head to see Stella approaching him quietly, her eternal annoying smile on her lips.
"Well, fingerling? What's going on?" She asks, crouching down while he's still on his back. A growl passes his lips and he straightens up, trying to hide his hands from her piercing vision.
"That's none of your business. Go piss somebody else off." He says harshly, rising on slightly shaky legs.
He heads for the men's room, passing Stella, who's still crouched, her face hidden by her hat and her smile gone. A faint smell of iron hangs in the air.
His legs aren't even two meters when his wrist is grabbed and he's pulled backwards. He turns to see Stella's stern eyes looking down at him with a neutral but somewhat angry face. The swordsman grits his teeth and starts pulling on his arm to free himself.
"What's the matter with you? Let go of me this instant!" He growls, pulling harder on his wrist. But the hand holding him won't let go.
"Stop acting like a child and tell me where you hurt yourself, you mule-head." The swordsman's face scowls and he pulls violently on his arm, but all he gets is a near-crushing of his wrist.
"Get the fuck off me! I'm fine!" The green eyes scanning him glint slightly.
"Liar!" Zoro is really starting to get irritated. Why does she always have to be on his back? He's not a fucking child, he's fought many times and been injured countless times without anyone looking out for him. So this isn't going to change today.
"Who are you calling a liar?" He questions, still trying to free himself, but nothing helps, he's stuck.
"Blood." Says the woman in front of him softly. "You've got the smell of blood on you, there's your cheek, and..." Slowly, she turns Zoro's wrist and forces his hand open, her slender fingers pushing the swordsman's, showing the gash running across the palm. "...your hand." She finishes by staring into the face of the swordsman, who clicks his tongue in annoyance and gives a big jerk of his arm to make her let go. He only manages to free himself because Stella has loosened her grip now that the wound has been revealed.
"What are you? A dog? I know I'm hurt. I was just going to take care of myself, I'll have you know." He growls irritably. Stella's stern face continues to look at him with a flat stare.
"I feel sorry for the ship's doctor who'll be joining your crew. He's going to see a lot with you, especially if you don't seem to trust the others enough to tell them you're hurt." She finishes by crossing her arms, judging the green-haired young man in front of him. Zoro squints, rubbing his wrist irritated by this crazy woman's firm grip.
"Why do you feel sorry for the future ship's doctor? You seem to have put yourself forward for the job. Always on other people's backs, talking to the crew like immature children and scolding those who don't want to tell you their problems. You're not a teacher, you're a pain in the ass." Stella smiled with amusement.
"No, I'm a babysitter. You're not immature children, you're immature babies." She replies bluntly, flashing a wide smile and showing off her white teeth. The swordsman's face is priceless, somewhere between disbelief and misplaced anger.
Aoi takes a nice photo of the man before hiding behind Stella's back as the swordsman's stormy green eyes focus on him to the unmistakable sound of a photo being taken.
"Delete that photo immediately, you wretched mollusk! If you don't, I swear I'll cook you on a spit!" Menaces the man, as Aoi sticks his head out from behind the shoulder and sticks out his tongue, letting him know that his threat goes over his head.
The blonde laughs at their immature behavior and flicks Zoro's forehead, who was starting to get too close to her little Den Den.
"Calm down, fingerling. We've just come out of a storm where you almost died. Let's concentrate on taking care of your hands before we try any torture" She says as she heads for the kitchen to tend to the bruised hands of the recalcitrant swordsman.
Zoro watches her go, squinting and rubbing his forehead. If she thinks he's going to follow her gently, she's sadly mistaken. He doesn't need her. He starts heading for the hatch leading to the men's room, totally ignoring Stella.
Of course, this doesn't escape the woman, who sighs and runs a hand through her hair in exasperation. But if the man really doesn't want her help, so be it. But she'll have to observe him more closely after each fight, at least to make sure he doesn't have a serious wound he's deliberately hiding. She'll also have to keep an eye on the others until a doctor joins this band of kids.
The others struggle to their feet, trying to catch their breath and muster the energy they have left to get back on their feet. Well, except for Luffy, who's already on his feet, a big smile on his face.
"That was so cool! I hope we have more storms like that! " he exclaims, before getting slammed by everyone for his totally idiotic words.
"NO!"
Stella chuckles softly at the electric pile that has made his entire crew stand up.
Nami lets out a sigh before turning to the horizon with a worried expression. This storm has taught her one thing: she can't predict exactly what's going to happen, unlike when she was on East Blue. She's going to have to learn very quickly to adapt to these new conditions and these deadly, unpredictable situations.
Her gaze turns to Stella, who smiles and laughs as she listens to Luffy recount everything that happened during the storm in her absence with grand gestures.
She's still a little conflicted about how much this woman really cares. On the one hand, she's helping them by giving them information they wouldn't normally get, but on the other, she gives the impression that they don't matter to her. True, she saved Zoro from drowning by using Usopp and Luffy, but she's puzzled by her behavior. With her power and speed, she could have saved him herself, even before Zoro let go of the rope and fell into the sea. Because she was sure Stella had noticed he was in trouble.
It's a bit like watching cats at play, watching them until something really bad happens and they can't cope on their own. It's a strange, unsettling feeling, but as long as Stella is watching and helping them, she won't be the one asking questions. And maybe, in time, this woman will see them as important people to her and help them more.
But in the meantime, they need to focus on their next goal, which isn't far away, as evidenced by the faint shadow looming on the horizon.
"Attention, everyone! " Everyone on deck turns their heads towards their navigator, with the exception of Zoro, who is still in the hold nursing his hands. "This storm has made me think about my skills, and I have to admit... I'm totally out of my depth!"
"What? But Nami-swan! What are you talking about? You're the best navigator in the world! Look at us, we're all in one piece and the Merry's still floating!" Says Sanji with a touch of concern, not liking to see the redhead discredit herself in this way.
Nami shakes her head, indicating that she doesn't quite agree with the cook.
"Thank you Sanji-kun. But I'm aware of my shortcomings, which I'll make up for as best I can. Anyway." She points in the direction of the island beginning to appear on the horizon. "I've managed to get us safely to port!"
Luffy's smile widens as he leaps to the front of the ship to position himself over Merry's head.
"This is the first island! It smells like adventure! !" He clapped his hands above his head.
"Wait, Luffy! You forgot this is the lair of a super-secret organization of pirate hunters!" Usopp warns, worried that their captain will rush headlong onto the island without them. The hyperactive boy stops clapping for a few seconds, before clowning around again with a big smile.
"I'd forgotten! That's even cooler!"
"NO!"
Stella giggles at the boy's childish, oblivious behavior. The sound of a door being gently opened attracts her attention. The princess's head slowly pokes through the doorway to see if there's any danger before stepping out of the room.
Vivi watches the crew on deck. She spots the boy in the straw hat at the front with the guy with the long nose and the redhead who seems to be talking animatedly. The blond cook is leaning against the railing, lighting a cigarette. The swordsman is nowhere to be seen, which worries her a little, lest he appear from anywhere and attack her.
She breathes a sigh of relief when she sees Mr. 9 in one piece in a corner of the ship.
And finally, her gaze catches the two emerald-green eyes that look at her with an amused little smile. She swallows at the sight of her piercing eyes, but gathers her courage and exits the room, heading discreetly towards Mr. 9. She sees out of the corner of her eye that the blonde is following her with her gaze, but says nothing.
Mr. 9's face lights up when he sees her arrive in one piece.
"Miss Wednesday!" He exclaims before throwing himself on top of her to hug her with relief. Vivi is surprised by her colleague's behavior. He seems so relieved to see her, as if he thought she was dead. Her hazel gaze turns to the blonde, who watches them with a wry smile. The princess has an inkling of what's happened.
"Mr. 9! Release me at once!" She says harshly, seeing that the rest of the crew are looking at them quizzically because of the fake king's outburst. The man immediately releases her, realizing what he's just done, his cheeks pink with embarrassment.
Stella giggles, finding it cute.
" Look, you're here!" Said Nami disdainfully, approaching the princess and crossing her arms in front of her. "Can I ask what you were doing during the storm? I hope you didn't do anything to the boat, or I swear I'll throw you overboard." She threatens, squinting, wary. After all, they haven't seen her since Stella brought her into the room. Besides, she hopes this poacher hasn't done anything to her stuff.
Vivi widens her eyes at the accusation and glances at Stella to see if she'll do anything. But she notices that the blonde has gone to the front of the boat to talk to the boy in the straw hat and look at the island in the distance. She's not sure whether it's good or bad that she's not there.
"Uh... I was... sleeping." She said softly, little reassured by the eyes that crinkled even more.
"Sleeping?" The princess nods at the redhead's scrutinizing gaze.
"Yes... Sleeping." Telling them she's afraid of thunderstorms is out of the question. Even Mr. 9 doesn't know, despite their year-and-a-half partnership.
Nami doesn't know whether to believe her or not, but the easiest thing to do is to go and check the state of the room.
"We'll go and check, then." She says, striding towards the bedroom. The princess watches her pass and open the door. But Nami's immobility in front of the door doesn't bode well. A hint of concern begins to creep in when she sees the redhead's body trembling with anger and slowly turns her head in her direction.
"Can I ask what happened?" Interrogates the navigator in a low, menacing voice.
In front of her, books lie on the floor with clothes out of their wardrobes, rolled into a ball. Miss Wednesday swallows before the redhead's furious eyes.
"Er... I... I didn't do it. It fell down by itself during the storm." Nami's irritated face becomes annoyed as she looks more closely at the blue-haired girl who seems a little uncomfortable. She finally clicks her tongue, annoyed by the work ahead.
"In that case, you're going to help me tidy up before we get to the island. Let's go!" She demands, pointing inside the room and staring intently at Vivi.
The princess blinks at her, wondering why everyone seems to want her to stay in this room. In front of the redhead's irritated face, she finally lets out a sigh and enters the room to start picking up the books as Nami looks on and closes the door.
Mr. 9 watches warily as his partner is abducted again. But he reassures himself that he'll soon be back on the island and can gather all the others together to attack those annoying pirates.
Stella sits quietly on the rail at the front of the ship, legs dangling over the sea, enjoying the view with Luffy, who continues to talk about what he hopes to find on this mysterious and dangerous island. She smiles with amusement when he starts talking about dragons and unicorns.
Her mind wanders around the ship to check that all is well.
Sanji is back in the galley, jotting down recipe ideas in his little notebook. Usopp is at the helm, steering his precious ship towards their new destination, which is growing by the minute. Mr. 9 is leaning against the bedroom door, ready to come in if he hears Miss Wednesday screaming. Nami and Vivi are still in the room, tidying up the things that have fallen on the floor. And finally, Zoro is still in the hold, fretting over his hands, which he can't seem to bandage properly.
Sensing the swordsman's irritation, Stella decides to give him one last helping hand. If he rejects her, she'll leave him alone forever.
"I'm going to see if Zoro got lost on the ship." She warns the captain when he finally pauses in his tale of imaginary adventures.
"It would be so funny if he had! Shishishi!" He chuckles as he looks at the island ahead of them, now close enough to see giant cacti.
The blonde-haired woman gives him a small smile as she tousles his black hair.
"Indeed, it would be great fun. ~" She affirms with a playful smile before heading for the hatch at the foot of the mast that leads to the hold and the men's room.
In a few steps, she reaches the hatch, which she opens gently and silently. A ladder leads inside, but she doesn't need it. Without hesitation, she jumps inside and stops a centimetre from the floor.
Inside, she sees a large room with hammocks hanging on the walls and a light blue sofa against the wall, on which the swordsman scowls as he tries to tie a knot in the first bandage on his hand. Only a bandage on his cheek indicates he's at least managed to bandage that.
"Fuck! This is so boring!" He mutters between his teeth, ignoring the emerald-green eyes watching him with a hint of amusement.
"Need help?" Zoro gasps when he hears Stella speak and turns his head towards her to see her leaning against the ladder with an amused smile.
" Damn, you sure don't give up!" He growls, returning his gaze to his bandage, which is beginning to fray under the effect of his startle. He clicks his tongue and glares darkly at the blonde. "What do you want from me? Laugh at me?" He tries to pull his bandage back into place, but it only makes it uneven.
Stella's smile fades a little, making her face a little more serious. Slowly, she detaches herself from the ladder and comes to sit next to the swordsman. Zoro gives her an irritated look and grunts, moving to the side to keep his distance from the woman. He tries to forget her while putting the bandage back on properly, but as always, he can't tie a knot with one hand.
Stella watches him struggle, but after three unsuccessful attempts and an insult from the swordsman, she reaches out to Zoro, palm up.
"Let me help you, you mule-head." The man's eyes twitch, and in the spirit of contradiction, he pulls his hands away from Stella like a child who doesn't want to return a play to his parents. The blonde lets out an annoyed sigh as she runs a hand through her hair and leans back against the back of the sofa. "Why are you refusing my help?" She asks, staring at the wooden ceiling above them.
Zoro's eyes narrowed in suspicion, even though a small flicker of curiosity appeared when he saw the woman's face change at her words. Stella's smile has disappeared, replaced by a pensive expression he's never seen before. A growl echoes in his throat and he tries again to tie a knot, but to no avail. An awkward silence settles over the room, until the swordsman decides to speak.
"I've never needed help looking after myself. I've always taken care of myself, so today's not the day I'm going to change, least of all with you." Stella's eyes continue to stare at the ceiling before she closes her eyes. She takes a deep breath and blows gently, letting her body relax and sink a little further into the sofa.
Zoro glances up at her silence - she always has something to say, but here she says nothing. He watches her relax in the sofa, her face turned towards the ceiling and her eyes closed. Her breathing is slow, giving the impression that she's asleep. He lets out a small sound of annoyance before refocusing on his hand. He doesn't understand why she's come to bust his balls, if she's going to ignore him in the end.
"You're the lonely type." She murmurs, keeping her eyes closed. The swordsman pauses, wondering if he heard what she just said. He slowly turns his head towards her, frowning questioningly.
"What makes you say that?" She lets out a sigh, frowning in turn.
"You refuse help from others, and that can come from three things: Either asking for help is a sign of weakness in your eyes. You want to be a figurehead, strong and unwavering whatever the trials." She opens her eyes and turns her head toward him. "Either you're shy because you're afraid of disturbing them by asking for help." The swordsman raises an eyebrow doubtfully. "Or you think they're incompetent and will do everything wrong."
Zoro's eyes widen slightly at this underlying accusation.
"What?! No, I-"
"Yet that's what you're doing by staying here instead of asking someone on your crew for a little help. I'm not asking you to lean on me, but at least do it for the others. They're your nakama, after all." The young man's face becomes more complex and thoughtful. He looks down at his hand and the bandage that is slowly coming undone with each gesture. True, he could have asked someone to tie the knots for him. "There's no shame in asking for help. After all, you're the first to go to their rescue and take care of them, so let them do the same."
Zoro's eyes continue to stare at his hand, pondering what she's just said. Is she also the type who always does everything on her own? Which wouldn't be surprising, given that she navigates alone. Well, she navigates alone now, there's still the whole child's room thing that remains a mystery.
He finally sighs and holds out his hand to Stella, palm up, turning his head away so as not to look at her.
Stella watches as the Marimo holds out his half-bandaged hand, clearly waiting for her to do something. Gently, she straightens up and places her hand beneath the man's. Sensing that Stella has taken his hand, he releases it and tries to relax his arm, even though he continues not to look.
A small smile appears on the woman's lips as she begins to undo the loose bandage completely, revealing the scratch marks that cut the palm in two. She grabs the bottle of disinfectant lying carelessly on the sofa and sprays it directly onto the wound. Zoro's shoulders tense with pain, and he grits his teeth to keep from letting out a grunt.
Seeing that Zoro remains stubbornly silent, Stella concentrates on her task with gentle, controlled movements. Soon, the first hand is properly bandaged. The braided bandage is clean and neat. She drops the healed hand and reaches out in front of the swordsman, who continues to stare at the wall.
"Pass me your other hand." The swordsman is a little reluctant, as he'll have to turn around and therefore be forced to look at Stella while she heals his second hand. He grunts in frustration and eventually turns to hold out his still-injured hand. His face scowls like that of a child forced to finish his plate of vegetables.
As with the first, Stella's gestures are gentle and professional. Zoro's eyes watch her gestures, as if expecting some deviousness. But within minutes, it's over.
" Finished. You see? It's not death." She says with a hint of amusement as she stands up.
He looks down at his newly bandaged hand, he has no trouble moving his fingers and when he touches his palm, he feels almost no pain.
"... I... Thank you. " He says with difficulty, turning his head to the side, a little embarrassed.
Stella giggles at seeing him so embarrassed and ruffles his green hair with a big smile.
"You're welcome, fingerling! I'm counting on you to protect everyone and I'll take care of your wounds, all right?" She asks as the swordsman brushes her hand out of his hair with an annoyed movement, but his gaze isn't as irritated as he'd have liked.
"Why do I feel like I have no choice?" He grumbles, running his hand through his hair to put it back in place and erase the spikes pulling his roots into unpleasant angles.
The woman places a hand on one of the ladder rungs and turns to give him a sarcastic smile.
"Exactly! I'll follow you all the way to hell if I have to wind you up. " She says with amusement before starting to climb the ladder, but a hand wrapped around her ankle stops her in her tracks. She looks down to see Zoro holding her, with his head bowed. "What's wrong?" She asks questioningly, raising an eyebrow.
The swordsman's head rises to look at her with a victorious smile, causing the blonde's head to tilt in question at the sight of his grin.
"I caught you." He says victoriously. Stella blinks several times before bursting out laughing.
"Ha ha ha! You got me good!" With a smooth movement, she falls back to the ground right in front of the slightly shorter man with a big, amused grin. "Your reward." She says, pulling out the photo hidden in her jacket.
With a swift movement, the swordsman grabs the photo and starts tearing it into thousands of pieces, without even checking that it's the right image. He doesn't want to see it again anyway.
The pieces of paper fly in all directions in a small firework display of confetti. The blonde hums as she watches the white and colored pieces of paper litter the ground.
"Too bad, I really liked that picture." Her smile grows more seductive. "I'm sure I could have sold it to a fan at a good price. ~" She purrs, while Zoro's happy face frowns and begins to stare at the woman right in front of him with irritation.
"I'd have skewered his corpse with yours." An amused smile appears on Stella's lips as she leans a little closer to the man, who doesn't flinch at this proximity.
"I'd love to see that. Feeling one of your sabers pierce me must be a special sensation. ~"Sshe coos, running her hand over the three katana on the man's belt, which hiss in an attempt to draw her away. His drill-green eyes contract and Zoro straightens as much as he can to stand up to his counterpart, his face less than a centimeter from hers.
"I promise you'll feel nothing but this." Stella hums at the swordsman's retort.
"I hope you use the one with the most vigor. ~ And that you'll manage to touch my heart, like Cupid." The swordsman squints even more, unimpressed by her words.
"You won't miss me."
"We'll see. ~" She straightens and adopts a more relaxed stance. "Nevertheless, as pleasant as this flirting is. " Zoro clicks his tongue in annoyance at the word. "We're approaching the first island on Grand Line. An army of poachers and pirate hunters awaits us!" She says as her face lights up with an ominous, predatory glow that Zoro is quick to imitate.
"They don't know what awaits them." The two smile at each other before climbing the ladder to join the others on deck, who are looking at the giant, cactus-shaped island a few meters ahead.
With a quick glance, Stella spots Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 in a corner of the boat, near the railing, looking nervous. They're probably hesitating between jumping ship or waiting for the pirate crew to be kind enough to drop them off.
Luffy turns his head in their direction when he sees them exit the deck.
"Stella! You managed to find Zoro in the boat! So? Where was he lost?" He claims with a big smile, while the swordsman's eyes crinkle as he turns to the woman next to him, who is purposely not looking at him.
"Lost? What have you been bullshitting about me again?" She ignores him and smiles at the young captain.
"He was lost in the midst of his dignity, I had to get him out of there." The swordsman's eyes widen in disbelief, his jaw hanging in indignation. Luffy, meanwhile, tilts his head to one side, not understanding which part of the ship is called "dignity".
"Arg ! What?!" Stella glares at him with a superior smile.
"You tore up my photo, I'm tearing up your ego." She murmured almost imperceptibly, but the swordsman heard her loud and clear.
"You! You're-"
"Well ! As pleasant as your verbal jousting is, we have stowaways to eject from our ship!" Said Nami, staring intently at the two poachers who remained at a safe distance. And who begins to feel a certain apprehension as all eyes turn to them.
"Er... Talks?" Asks Mr. 9 in an instinct of survival, not even knowing why he said that.
Vivi looks at him with surprise and questioning; she too doesn't know why he said that. But all the eyes on them make her uncomfortable.
The navigator's eyes fill with suspicion.
"Talks? If you think we're going to make it easy for you to disembark, you've got another thing coming." She points to the island a few yards away. "If you want to go home, jump!"
The two poachers blink before looking at each other. Their uncertain faces become more serious and determined before they nod and jump over the railing. They look back at the pirates with mocking smiles. Clearly, the fact that they're about to leave the ship has given them renewed courage.
"Thanks for the trip, but now we're leaving you. We hope never to see you again!" Declares Mr.9 in a grand theatrical gesture before jumping without hesitation into the icy water.
Miss Wednesday turns towards the sea to follow him, but hesitates when she hears Stella speaking to her in a soft voice.
"Good luck, princess." A shiver runs down her spine. She turns slowly toward the woman with surprise. Seeing the sweet smile on her face and the strange gleam in her eyes, something stirs in her stomach. She has the impression that this woman knows who she really is and what her true attentions are.
She freezes, wondering if it's just her imagination or not, but she doesn't have time to ask any questions as her partner calls out from the sea, asking what she's up to. Taking one last look at the blonde, the princess jumps into the water and they begin to swim the few meters that separate them from the shore.
The pirates watch them go, making no attempt to stop or attack them. The swordsman's forest-green eyes look quizzically at the woman beside him.
"What was that about?" Stella smiles at him, giving him an amused glance.
"Nothing that concerns you." Zoro growls with annoyance at her reply. Nami doesn't give the two swimmers another second and looks at her Log Pose.
"Well, that's a good thing done. Now all we have to do is wait for Log Pose to tell us our next destination." She looks up at Stella, who continues to smile mischievously at the swordsman. "Do you know how long it will take to recharge? "
Stella's green eyes turn to her, losing her smile and raising an eyebrow.
"Do you honestly think I remember? There's nothing interesting about this island, and it's at the very beginning of Grand Line. You should have asked the two intruders before chasing them off." She said, crossing her arms and looking unimpressed at the navigator who was staring intently at her.
"You really are useless..." Said the redhead before letting out a small growl as she looked out over the island. "You must have some idea." Stella shrugs.
"I don't know. It could be a few hours or a few days. At least it's not several months, or I'd remember." She finishes without being more concerned than that.
The navigator wrinkles her nose when she hears that they could be waiting several days on this island full of pirate hunters. She's sure the two idiots will go and warn their friends, who will come and attack them without hesitation.
"What if we stay well away from the island? The hunters won't be able to reach us." Asks Usopp, who is no more reassured than the redhead. Stella shakes her head, uncrosses her arms and puts a hand on her hip.
"Unfortunately, it won't work. Firstly because these hunters will probably have ships, but also because we need to be close enough to the island for the Log Pose to change direction. Otherwise, he'll think it hasn't reached its destination yet." The sniper's face breaks down. They'll have to face an army of pirate hunters armed to the teeth until Log Pose is kind enough to change direction.
"I don't see what the problem is." Everyone turns to the swordsman. "We just need to get rid of them before they attack us." He finishes with a shrug as if it were something innocuous.
Nami, Usopp and Sanji look at him as if he were totally stupid, while Stella smiles even wider and puts her arm around the shoulders of our intrepid swordsman.
"Now there's an interesting idea. ~" She begins, her eyes shining with amusement. Zoro turns his head towards her with a smirk, liking what he sees and hears.
"HA NO!" Shouts Nami. "There's no way you're going to that island! Is that clear?!" Both swordspeople turn their heads towards her.
"Why?" They ask in the same voice. The redhead's face turns even redder.
"YOU'RE GOING TO GET US IN TROUBLE! "Zoro looks at her without flinching, unimpressed by the navigator's anger.
"So you want us to stay here until they come for us?" He asks boredly.
"Yes! No! I mean... If everyone stays here, at least no one will be lost in the wild! Especially you!" The swordsman's eyes crinkle.
"I never get lost." He growls, crossing his arms. The woman next to him lets out a small laugh, which is rewarded with a dark look from the Marimo. "Can I ask what's so funny? "Stella looks at him with an amused smile and eyes shining with mischief.
"No, Nothing.~ I just feel like your loss of orientation is something common." She declares, ruffling his green hair. "It's kind of cute, I think." Zoro pushes her hand away again, giving her an annoyed look.
"Shut up! That's not even true, and don't you ever say I'm cute again!" He demands, pushing the woman away so she can't touch his hair again.
Stella places her hand in front of her mouth to hide her widening smile.
"Rhooo ~ Fingerling doesn't like to be called cute and sweet. I'll make a note of that." Zoro's eyes crinkle with suspicion at this statement. For he's beginning to understand her way of thinking and preparing jokes.
"Oh no, you're not going to take note of anything. Otherwise I swear I'll really skewer you!" Stella puts her face in front of her student's less than 1 cm away.
"Like I said, I can't wait to see it."
The rest of the crew stares at them with wide eyes. Not knowing the nature of the aura floating around the two swordspeople.
On one side, there's Zoro, with his usual scowl and irritation, and on the other, Stella, with her seductive, amused face.
Not wanting to see how far these two can go, Nami coughs into her hand.
"Your little squabbles are all very well, but I'm not letting you go until you promise not to leave the ship." She looks at the others. "All of you! "
Usopp shows his hands to indicate that he has no intention of moving from here. At the same time, coming from the man who constantly says he's sick of mysterious, dangerous islands, this isn't surprising.
"Nami-chwan! ~ I'll do anything to please you! If being near you fills you with happiness, then I'll stay on the boat!" Roucoules the cook in a tornado of heart with a big smile, which earns him an annoyed look from the redhead, but she says nothing as long as the gentleman stays here to defend her from poachers.
Zoro clicks his tongue in annoyance, it's not the redhead who's going to scare him. If he wants to go to the island, he'll go. Besides, a bounty hunter means plenty of booze, and there's no way he'll give that up.
Stella watches the swordsman's annoyance with amusement, knowing full well that he'll try to slip away at some point.
As for Luffy, well... he hasn't listened to a word she's said, and he's standing on the railing, looking out at the cactus island with glittering eyes.
"Adventure..." Everyone looks at him, already knowing what's coming as a big smile appears on his lips and he looks at his nakama. "Smells like adventure!"
"No, Luffy! Wait-" But too late, the elastic man is already flying towards the island, leaving his crew behind, all with incredulous faces, except Zoro and Stella.
Seeing their captain off, Zoro turns to the others.
"Well, since our captain's gone, does that mean we can go too?" He said before turning to Stella. "Are you coming along? I'd love to try out my new blades."
Stella's smile widened.
"I like your plan. But I warn you, I'm just watching." She warns before starting to walk with the swordsman toward the railing to jump toward the island. The man's smile becomes more carnivorous.
"I'd expect nothing less from you. That'll be more training dummies for me." A chuckle answers him, but Stella ends up frowning as she thinks of something.
She mustn't go to this place looking like this, because there's a risk it'll get back to Crocodile and cause her problems in the process. And changing her hair color might not be enough.
The swordsman notices the disappearance of the smile, and raises an eyebrow.
"What's the matter with you now?" He asks boredly. Stella rests a finger on her chin and ponders until she sets her eyes on the swordsman, looking him up and down. An unpleasant shiver runs down Zoro's back as a mocking, predatory grin emerges.
"I need to find a better disguise, and I've just had an idea. ~ " Marimo frowns, wondering what this nutcase could have had in mind, another dumb trick.
"And what did your deranged mind produce to make you smile like that while looking at me?" He said as the grin in front of him grew crazier and crazier.
"Something very amusing. But I'll have to put on some bigger clothes. ~ " She said mockingly. Zoro frowns. Why does she need bigger clothes? He looks at her intently, imagining her with a bigger body. Then something occurs to him. There must be a situation where her body gets bigger, and that's why he's wearing a white shirt.
He holds out his finger at the vicious woman.
"HA NO! Don't you dare!" He exclaims as Stella flashes a toothy grin, now that the swordsman has guessed what she was up to.
The others look at them with incomprehension. But not liking the swordsman's harsh, authoritarian tone, Sanji jumps on him with a kick.
"You're going to talk better to Stella-chan than that! Fucking swordsman!" The attacked man immediately defends himself by drawing one of his swords.
"Calm down, Shitty-Cook! You don't even know what she's got planned! And I'm warning you, you'd better never see it!" He said seriously, which unsettled the Cook a little.
"Huh?"
"Yes, she-" A hand closes over his mouth to silence him. Unsurprisingly, it's Stella who has crept up behind him and forces him to shut up before putting a finger to her lips.
"Shhhh ~ It would be a shame to spoil the surprise. ~ Besides, I can guarantee you'll have a great time." The swordsman squints in irritation at being silenced so easily. He easily disengages himself and puts away his katana before heading for the edge of the ship.
"Do what you like, but I'm not taking part in this!" He climbs onto the railing, ready to jump into the water to swim the few meters separating them from the shore.
"Too bad! But don't worry, I'll take plenty of pictures." She receives a dark look.
"No thanks." He replies dismissively before jumping into the water, wanting to escape as quickly as possible from this situation that's about to get out of hand.
Stella's face remains amused as she watches the man swim away. Eventually, she turns to the others, who look a little skeptical.
"Do what you like, but I'm off to join those two hotheads." She says, before heading for the bedroom with a light step and locking herself in.
Nami pinches the bridge of her nose at this catastrophe. She wanted everyone to stay on board, but in the end, they ended up with a captain and a swordsman lost in the wilderness. And they can't count on Stella to go looking for them, since she seems inclined to leave just for the fun of it.
Of course, they can't send Sanji either, or they'd have no fighters left to protect the ship.
"Great! It can't get any worse!" She looks at the two men still on board. "We have to organize our defense until those idiots come back! Sanji you make sure no one gets on the boat!"
"You can count on me, Nami-chwan!"
Usopp and Nami meet in the kitchen to discuss traps and surveillance systems that could be useful in the fight against a possible invasion of pirate hunters. And above all, to find a solution to catch the two idiots.
Sanji is outside, a cigarette between his lips, staring at the cactus-shaped island in front of him, which is getting darker and darker now that the sun is starting to set, turning the sky purple and red.
"Moron." He lets out into the wind.
"Who are you calling a moron?" Cook's body freezes as he hears this deep, unfamiliar voice. He turns abruptly to attack the intruder who has dared to climb onto their ship. But his eyes widen when he sees the person in front of him.
A mocking smile on his lips, a square jaw, an impressive musculature visible under a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, revealing his muscular arms. Straight black pants and heavy black boots. But what makes Sanji's eyes widen are the mid-length green hair pulled back and the forest-green eyes staring back at him intensely.
"Ma... Marimo?" The older, taller man's smile widens.
"Hi, Cook. "
And here's a new chapter, arrived early. As promised!
It's a little calmer and, above all, gentler. But the rest promises to be a little more eventful, and may hold a few surprises in store.
So, what do you think of this Fanfiction? I hope you don't mind the slow pace of development and plot. But if you're here, I guess not.
I try to make all my chapters as immersive as possible and keep you in the story until the end, and I hope I've succeeded so far.
But otherwise, I'm curious to know if there's anything you don't like about my story, whether it's the Mugiwara's rather OCC behavior or the way Stella treats them.
A little message for those who read my first version of this Fanfiction: the chapter will be late because I'm concentrating more on this one at the moment. But it's by no means stopped!
I think this message is long enough, so I'll leave you to it!
See you soon!