Hey, chapter earlier than expected! Enjoy!

Chapter 13

From another world

The atmosphere was calm at the beginning of the evening in the small inn. The straw hat crew had been on Darjou Island for three days, waiting for the Log-Pose to finish loading. Their next destination was further north, and Nami had taken the opportunity to cross-reference the weather readings with Liam's first conclusions about the door data. Accompanied by Robin, Usopp and Chopper, the four friends were studiously discussing their hypotheses at a table near the window. Not far from them and leaning on the counter, Zoro, Franky and Brook were having a drink, the swordsman in silence and the other two rather noisily as they were telling each other their latest jokes.

At the card game table in the center of the inn, Luffy was focused in front of an imposing man whose gaze was also fixed on their last round. In the end, the man smiled and threw his cards on the table. "Aces full!"

"Oh-oh."

The straw hat boy's playmate laughed and reached out to pocket his prize. He then grabbed dozens of coins and notes before nodding to the captain who was watching him with wide eyes. "What about the rest?"

Luffy's elastic arm reached up to Brook and grabbed his hat before he grabbed Franky's sunglasses. Before his two friends had time to understand what was happening, the accessories had been placed on the table before returning to Usopp. Feeling something tugging at his bag, the sniper turned to his captain, frowning. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, Usopp!" The sniper's bag flew over his head and landed with the rest of the loot on the card game table in front of the man who cheerfully picked it all up.

"Luffy! My bag!" The sniper choked as he rushed towards him while the shipwright and the skeleton did the same.

"My sunglasses!"

"And my hat!"

The captain faced his crewmates, sheepish. "Sorry, guys, I lost them!"

"Yohohohoho! What sad news!"

"You could ask for our opinion when you bet our things!" The cyborg reproached him.

"You can't give him my bag!" The gunner got alarmed.

"I really thought I was gonna win!" Their captain defended himself.

"These sunglasses are part of my style; I feel super naked without them!"

"Luffy, you really can't give him my bag!" Usopp's panicked voice drew the rest of his crewmates' gazes to him and the sniper pointed at the man who was looking at his new accessories. "There are all the last coordinates of the doors in my bag, we can't lose them!" He made them understand as softly as possible despite his growing hysteria.

"Oh," The cyborg said.

"Oh-oh," Luffy repeated.

"You did what?!" The four friends jumped violently when the navigator's voice literally pierced their eardrums, drawing the attention of all the inn's customers to them. They turned around, grimacing, and Luffy didn't have time to escape her iron grip when she fiercely grabbed his ear. "You lost our coordinates in a bet?!" She roared louder, red with anger.

"I thought I was gonna win," The captain winced, his ear totally distended.

"Did you think about all of our work? About Sanji? About all the people of All Blue? About my future publication?!" The redhead pulled the captain's head towards her before crushing both her hands on his cheeks in an attempt to reduce him to a pulp.

"I'm forry, Nami. I didn't fink."

"That's exactly what I'm blaming you for, you knucklehead!" She abruptly released the straw hat boy whose head bounced against his body before standing up and planting herself firmly in front of the man who was staring at her curiously.

"I challenge you to a rematch," She said bluntly.

"Sorry, gorgeous, I've got what I want here."

He was about to get up with a smile when he was stopped by the Clima-Tact of the young woman who blocked his way. "Wrong. A man worthy of the name never refuses the possibility of a challenge."

"What do you suggest?" The man asked her, amused.

"A rematch for honor."

"For honor?"

Nami nodded, a confident smile on her face. "You choose the game, I choose the reward." She then pointed her weapon at Usopp's bag in his hands to tell him she had no other objective.

"Just the bag?" The man wondered.

The young woman was about to nod again when Franky approached in turn. "With the sunglasses."

"And the hat!" Brook added behind them.

The man turned to Nami again to look questioningly at her and she nodded. "The bag, the sunglasses and the hat. Nothing else."

"What if you lose, what's in it for me? Berries?"

"We don't have berries anymore," The young woman admitted, remembering that she had just paid the innkeeper for their three nights spent.

"I don't see what you can give me then," The man pointed out.

"I'm sure there's something else in our possession that you'd like to have," She provoked him.

"Hmm…" The man ran his eye over the crew members before settling on Luffy's figure. A huge smile then stretched his lips. "His hat," He pointed.

"His hat it is."

"Nami?!" The redhead aimed her weapon to stop her captain who was tumbling furiously behind her this time. "Nami, my hat?!"

"It's the only thing he wants, we have no choice," She told him dryly.

"But it's Shanks' hat!" He was offended.

"It's your fault, you idiot, so face the consequences now!" At these words, the navigator grabbed the straw hat and placed it on the betting table before fixing her gaze on that of the man who was contemplating her with a smile. "We have a deal," She pointed to him, "What's the game?" Nami met her opponent's gaze without blinking. She was confident. Whatever the challenge, someone in the crew would be ready to take it up and Luffy could recover his hat without a hitch. She knew how much he cared about it.

"Alcohol contest…"

Nami's smile widened.

"... with two people. I choose Rory."

Nami lost a bit of her smile when she saw his smiling buddy getting up from his stool to join him. The man in front of her was already a muscleman who must hold his liquor more than satisfactorily and if he had chosen this man, there was no doubt that his companion was of the same ilk.

From the corner of her eye, she observed the faces of her friends. Of course, Zoro was the obvious choice but for the second candidate, she was unsure. Chopper, Usopp and Luffy weren't an option given their ridiculous resistance. Franky and Brook didn't seem to be particularly talented either despite their appearances and concerning Robin, the young woman didn't drink regularly, so it was difficult to have a fair idea about her.

In the end, she sighed. "Okay. Zoro and me."

"It's a deal." The card table was cleared and the innkeeper brought four glasses for each participant who sat down. He then uncorked the first bottle. "The first duel wins the sunglasses and the hat, the second wins the bag," The man stated, introducing himself as Grapa. "I must warn you, I'm half cyborg and I run on pure alcohol."

He then poured himself a drink, a broad smile on his face, while Nami banged her fist on the table. "That's cheating!"

"Too late, you accepted."

The navigator sat down in a bad mood and poured her own glass before throwing the bottle to the swordsman who then passed it to the last participant.

"May the best win," Grapa added, raising his glass. As the other three did the same, the mugs clicked together. "The loser pays the bill."

Nami swallowed her first sip the wrong way.

Sanji took his frying pan off the heat while the other three continued to brown the freshly cut apples, then he drained the duck legs before adding coarse salt and parsley to the deliciously flavored food. He then put the pan back down to keep everything warm and took the opportunity to cut tomatoes and rinse a salad in a few gestures.

"Um, can I do something?" Liam inquired behind him.

"If you can, bring the bread and salad. I just need to make the vinaigrette and prepare the plates for the starter."

"No problem," The scientist answered, approaching.

"What about me? How can I help you?" Lily asked in turn.

"Don't bother, my sweet! Please go enjoy your friends, you have so little opportunity to do so!"

Lily looked at Liam who shook his head, the bread baskets precariously balanced in his arms and they walked back through the kitchen doors into the dining room, which was buzzing with heated discussion and laughter.

Like every year with the start of the harvest, the inhabitants of the villages of the main island gathered around the vines and ate dinner in the evening. However, this year unlike the previous ones, no one was forced to stay behind to take turns cooking the meals. The blond pirate made it his duty to feed them like kings at the end of each day and the atmosphere had rarely been so joyful. Moments of relaxation on All Blue were rare and this opportunity was all the more appreciated.

Nami sighed inwardly. By her side, Zoro was drinking like a machine and she herself didn't lose the rhythm, emptying her glass regularly and not forgetting to display a confident smile on her lips. She knew that in the end, confidence would make the difference. And she felt that the alcohol was slowly taking over her for a few minutes. She was starting to get hot and her mind wasn't so sharp anymore, which was no wonder considering the dozens of already empty bottles around them.

The innkeeper regularly brought new refills and made sure to serve them fairly to keep the accounts. In the meantime, all the inn patrons had gathered around them, the straw hat crew in the front line, and each commented fiercely on the scene while laying bets.

The redhead looked up at Rory, her opponent. This guy was a real menace, just as she expected. He was swallowing the contents of his glass without weakening but the young woman wasn't fooled: she saw his cheeks turning red and his breath growing heavy. He wasn't as sober as he wanted her to believe either.

Suddenly, the swordsman grimaced and Nami stared at him, her jaw clenched. He couldn't do this to her. "What?" She barked at him.

"Nothing." Zoro gulped down his glass and grabbed the next one the innkeeper had just filled. "It's disgusting," He added, "Is there no sake?"

Facing him, Grapa shrugged and nodded to the owner who hurried off to his counter to return with two brand new bottles. The swordsman grabbed the first one with a smirk and quickly downed his last glass of vodka to get rid of it before uncorking the sake one himself. "Finally, we're gonna have fun."

Nami held back a sigh and finished her own drink. The evening was far from over.

"I think the roasts are ready," Liam said, glancing through the oven window.

"Another minute and a half," The cook specified, sautéing his pot of fresh vegetables, "You can take out the bottles of red wine or they'll be too cold."

"Sanji, the tables are cleared," The dark-haired woman warned him when entering the kitchen.

"Wonderful, my sweet Lily!" He whirled. "The main course will be served in three minutes!"

The young woman left with a smile and the blond added a squirt of balsamic vinegar among his crackling vegetables.

"Where's the corkscrew?" Liam asked as he opened the drawers.

"Second drawer at the bottom left," The blond replied without taking his eyes off his preparation.

Liam opened the drawer and spotted the corkscrew, shaking his head. The cook had been in the village hall for barely a week but from the first meal, he had seemed to take possession of the place as if it belonged to him.

"The roasts!"

The scientist dropped his corkscrew and rushed to the gloves to open the oven door and remove the meat. A minute later, the plates left toward the dining room, this time garnished with meat and crunchy vegetables.

"Come on, Nami, he's gonna break down!" Usopp encouraged her.

"I know it very well," The young woman grumbled, trying to ignore her furred tongue. She focused her gaze on Rory who was leaning dangerously. She was seeing double now, but she took a deep breath and held out a firm hand for her glass. Next to her, Zoro continued to swallow yet another drink and she looked away to avoid throwing up. Seeing him swallow alcohol at such a speed was unbearable in her condition. "One more."

The innkeeper hastened to serve her again before moving on to his opponent's glass and Nami brought her mug to her lips. One more and Rory would collapse, she was dead certain. The only problem was not to collapse before him. Her opponent didn't take his eyes off her either and he grabbed his glass despite trembling gestures. After sharing a final look, they drank their glasses in one go.

The navigator's hands whitened on the edge of the table as she gripped it, feeling the alcohol burn her esophagus to her stomach in its path. However, she tried to breathe normally and offered her best smile to her competitor whose complexion had turned green. "One more, Rory?" She called out in her most confident voice.

"Y-Yeah," The other muttered.

"Innkeeper, a refill, please."

The man filled the glasses again and they raised it to their lips while Nami was feeling her friends hold their breaths behind her. She looked into the eyes of the man in front of her and gave him a mischievous smile. He paled and tried to tighten his grip on his mug. The navigator then tilted her head back to show him that she wasn't going to stop now when Rory suddenly collapsed on the table, knocked out.

"Hey, Rory!"

Grapa tried to shake his friend while Nami put down her glass, relieved, and all the customers cheered her. Upset, the cyborg-man punched his companion to wake him up, but he was now snoring like a bear. Grapa frowned and he stared at the swordsman who continued to drink without emotion while Franky and Brook collected their belongings with joy. "It's between you and me now. You gonna hang in there?" He provoked him. "I remind you that my circuits work thanks to alcohol!"

"Stop talking and let's drink. I'm thirsty."

"That dessert was divine, Sanji, everyone loved it!" Lily praised him.

"You flatter me," The cook replied, blushing with pleasure.

"It was amazing, how did you manage to prepare all these cakes in such a short time! We were more than fifty!" Liam agreed, impressed.

"With this ice cream coulis and this delicious whipped cream!"

The blond shrugged, trying to hide his flushed cheeks. "It's not that complicated, it's a matter of habit."

"Where did you pick up this kind of habit?" The dark-haired man laughed. "You cook alone for fifty people every evening and you even prepare packed lunches and drinks!"

"Not to mention the dishes!" The fisherwoman added, seeing him gather the mountain of dirty plates.

"I learned from the best, the old man and Luffy," The cook replied with a smile. He then piled the rest of the cutlery in the sink before twirling towards the coffee pot. "A cup of coffee, my sweet Lily?!"

"With pleasure. I prefer the-"

"The full-flavored, I know. Let me do it!" In record time, he placed a steaming cup on the small, cleared kitchen table, which he decorated with a biscuit and a cloud of milk with a flirtatious smile before returning to his dishes.

Lily and Liam then shared a look and the scientist shook his head, amused. "He's not human…"

Zoro watched the cyborg sway dangerously from the other side of the table despite being seated. The fencer's face still betrayed no emotion and he swallowed his mug, staring him straight in the eye. Clearly annoyed by his attitude, Grapa suddenly leaned forward and grabbed the swordsman by the collar.

"You're cheating!" He spat at him. "There's no way you're still standing!"

"You saw me drink all the glasses," The swordsman replied curtly, freeing himself.

"It ain't right!" He was indignant again.

Zoro shrugged in return and the innkeeper poured him another drink. "Don't find an excuse." At the same time, he gulped down the content of his glass with satisfaction before slamming it onto the table. "Your turn."

Grapa grabbed his own glass with an uncertain gesture but a determined gaze. Around them, the customers were speechless and the members of the straw hat crew themselves hesitated between admiration and disbelief. The empty bottles were spread out as far as the eye could see on the table, the counter, but also the floor.

The cyborg finished his mug and the swordsman turned to the innkeeper. "One more."

"Uh, it's the last one."

Zoro snorted and noted it was whiskey. Whatever, he'd have to make do. The man served them before leaving the bottle and the fencer brought the glass to his mouth to dip his lips in it. Not bad actually.

For his part, Grapa emptied his glass in one gulp and immediately went for the next one, pouring himself the drink. Zoro swallowed his own to keep up the pace and he was about to fill it again when smoke started to rise on the other side of the table. He put the bottle down, frowning.

"There's smoke coming from you," He pointed to his opponent.

"What?"

"He's gonna haywire!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Impossible!" Grapa roared. "Gimme that!" He gulped down his new glass and sat up proudly. "I'm an alcohol cyborg, I resist perfect-"

More smoke billowed from his chest and the man froze, wincing in pain. "What's goin' on?!" His arm started to slow down and he didn't reach his ribcage to examine himself. He then wanted to get up but his legs jammed in turn. "What the hell is that, I can't move!" Panicked, he tried to get out of his seat but soon, only his eyes were still moving and he was totally immobilized.

Franky came closer, puzzled. "He disconnected!" He exclaimed after a few moments of observation.

"Shame." The swordsman slowly drank his glass before settling back in his seat. "I don't often get the chance to have such a good opponent," He added, visibly disappointed.

"Zoro won, hooray!" Luffy jumped up on the table to retrieve his hat and Usopp grabbed his bag delightedly.

Beside them, Nami sighed in relief in turn before getting up carefully, her stomach aching. "Let's get out of here, I need some air…"

Robin led her to the door and the innkeeper put the bill next to the still-immobilized cyborg Franky was examining. "You'll need to drink water and lemon juice to purge yourself when your systems have absorbed the excess alcohol," He explained to his counterpart. "You'll also probably need to reset yourself, your circuits are saturated."

At that moment, Chopper walked towards the swordsman. "How are you, Zoro?"

"Fine. Why're you asking?"

"Uh… Because you drank dozens of liters of alcohol for hours? Don't you feel sick? You want me to examine you?"

"I'm good." At these words, he got up to replace his swords at his waist before stretching quietly, not without taking the time to grab the last bottle of which he emptied the contents in a few seconds. "We'll need to do that again, it was nice."

Usopp watched him walk away towards the door, totally stunned. "He's not human…"

Sanji and Zoro are both true monsters of nature, each in their own field. I like this surreal side of the characters. They're the heroes Luffy needs to complete his journey!