AN:
This chapter might make it seem like things are following the cannon storyline and we are to some extent, but I promise it's going to differ in some areas! lol. I had fun writing this one and I hope you enjoy reading it. As always I appreciate the support, so definitely let me know what you think of this one!
Chapter 29: Feeding Time
"What the hell is going on here?", Sanji asked again.
Patty and Carne began to shake slightly at the look they were receiving, but the larger of the two still managed to respond, "We d-don't give handouts, Sanji.".
The teen continued to stare at them for a moment before turning away to face the person lying on the ground, "Get back to the kitchen. I'll take care of this.". He heard their voices begin to rise in protest and shot a glare over his shoulder, "I said… Get back to the kitchen.".
The two chefs began to shake even harder. They knew what happened when they didn't listen to Sanji…
The blond smiled when he saw the two bolt toward the kitchen door, turning back to the man on the ground. He walked over and knelt next to him, "Think you can walk?".
The man looked up to a pair of kind blue-grey eyes and went to respond but was stopped by a fit of coughs. They lasted for a long moment before settling down and he attempted to speak once again.
"Don't.", Sanji said, waving a hand in dismissal. He stood up and turned back to the table his friends were sitting at. "Hey, Luffy! Mosshead! Come carry this guy to the back.", he shouted, before turning to address the other patrons in the restaurant, "Sorry about all that, ladies and gentlemen. Everything has been taken care of. Please go back to enjoying your meals.". At his words, the chatter in the room immediately began to pick up once again, Zoro and Luffy standing up to approach the entrance.
Nami remained in her seat at the table and tried to look relaxed, her mind moving at a blinding pace. She'd been so distracted by her thoughts that she hadn't even realized that she'd seen the man on the floor before, not hours earlier… All she could think about was the fact that it was time to go. However, the pit in her stomach was becoming almost unbearable…
The girl grit her teeth at the boys' backs and steeled herself. She wasn't going to get a better opportunity than this… Once they were gone she would make her move. The only thing that could really throw her plan was Levi… Hopefully, she wouldn't need to worry about it. Unless he was asked, the beast didn't usually stay very close to where they docked.
The orangette shook the thought away. She would deal with it even if he was around… Levi seemed to like her and she wasn't entirely opposed to trying to sweet-talk him into taking her home. The thought made her laugh internally as she watched the two boys make it to the front entrance, her eyes landing on the one in the straw hat… It would probably be pretty hard to separate those two.
"You look terrible, guy.", Luffy said, stopping to stand on one side of the person Sanji wanted them to move, Zoro finding the other. They both bent and slowly picked him up. He looked like he just might break if they weren't careful.
"No, shit…", the man replied in a gravelly voice, finally coming to stand with his arms hanging on the shoulders of the two who'd helped him. "Feel like shit, too.", he added.
Luffy smiled and turned excitedly toward the door. "Don't worry, guy! Once you taste Sanji's food you'll feel all better!", he exclaimed. Maybe Sanji would make him something too!
Zoro reluctantly grunted in confirmation.
The man's eyes widened and he turned to look at the chef standing behind them, "But… I… I don't have any money.".
Sanji smiled at the words before breaking their eye contact and turning to walk toward the kitchen. "I won't ignore a person in need of food.", he said over his shoulder, waving the three through the door, "I'll meet you out back in a little bit.".
"Thank you!", the man cried watching the person who was going to feed him disappear further into the restaurant. The two boys helped him cross the threshold of the building and he faced the direction they were moving in with only one thought on his mind… He hoped the room his savior had walked into was a kitchen…
"Alright, guy! Let's get you to the back", Luffy exclaimed, nodding at Zoro to get the door. "Sanji's food is the best!", he added.
The swordsman grabbed the handle and began to pull it closed, grunting at the words. He couldn't deny that Twirly Brow was a good cook. However, he would never be saying that out loud…
Before the door clicked shut and Zoro turned away from it, he thought he glimpsed a brown-eyed glare being sent in their direction. It happened so fast that he wasn't even sure he saw it… He shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head, and faced his captain, nodding to the back of the boat, "Alright, Luffy. Let's get this guy to the back."… He could deal with the witch later.
Nami watched the front door close with an intent eye. As soon as it shut, her gaze shot across the restaurant, to the kitchen door, watching it swing behind Sanji's retreating form.
The orangette looked down at her hands before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, beginning to wait. She needed to give the boys time to get to the back of the ship. Her heart rate was starting to pick up. Was she really going to do this?… Was she actually going to steal from her friends?… Was she actually going to try and take the Merry?…
The pit in Nami's stomach was growing larger with every passing second but she'd already hardened her resolve. It was for Cocoyashi. It was for her people. Her sister… Her mother.
When she thought enough time had passed, the girl stood from her chair and calmly made her way to the entrance, acting like she was doing nothing wrong. And, she wasn't. Well… Not yet… She shook her head, grabbing the door by the handle, and pulled it open, softly shutting it behind her.
As soon as Nami heard a click, she took one look in the direction of the back of the boat before dashing off toward the Merry, her eyes catching something that definitely hadn't been there when they arrived.
A massive ship, barely still capable of floating, sat anchored a ways off from the Baratie. It was a miracle it hadn't already sunk…
The orangette shook her head and focused back on her original goal, continuing to move her feet. The already massive pit in her stomach continued to grow larger with every step she took and, as she gazed up at the ship she was planning to steal, it seemed to hit critical mass.
Nami skid to a halt beside the Merry and stared at the vessel with wide eyes… Could she really do this?…
Sanji danced through the kitchen preparing his meal with a practiced hand. After all, he'd already made it for a starving man once.
The chef placed the last few garnishes on his dish and picked up the finished bowl of green tea on rice, gracefully moving to the back entrance. Nearing the door, he could hear soft voices coming through the wood and pulled it open. He couldn't keep the recipient of his meal waiting.
"Well, I don't care if you had fifty or fifty-thousand ships!", Luffy shouted as Sanji stepped out of the door to the kitchen, "We're going! I have to go to the Grandline to become the King of the Pirates!".
"Gin, just drop it.", Zoro added, waving the conversation away, "We're going.".
The man named Gin went to respond but was interrupted by a heavenly smell wafting by his nose, and turned just in time to watch a bowl being set down at his side… His mouth was already salivating just from looking at it.
"Order up.", the chef said, standing and going to lean over the rail. He listened to the man unceremoniously begin to gulp down his food with a smile, "Don't eat too fast or you might choke.".
Gin gasped and immediately acquiesced, grabbing his chest in pain. He'd swallowed too much… He caught his breath and looked up at the person who'd fed him with gratitude. "Thank you, sir.", he said, bowing his head, "This is the most delicious food I've ever tasted.".
Sanji turned and looked at the man bowing to him, a smile still resting on his lips, "It's Sanji. No need to call me sir.". He turned back to the sea when the man nodded his head, "You better finish every bit of that. We don't waste food around here.".
The man bowed his head once again, "I'm Gin and I'm very glad I met you, Sanji.". He glanced down at the food still left in his bowl and picked up his spoon, his stomach still grumbling slightly. "Trust me, I plan on eating every bite.", he added, once again ferociously digging into the meal he'd been provided.
"Did you bring me anything to eat, Sanji?", Luffy asked hopefully, his eyes hungrily watching Gin eat.
Sanji looked over and smiled, laughing lightly, "No, but I can go make you something real quick.". It gave him a chance to go check on Nami as well. The thought got him moving again and he pushed off the rail to return to the kitchen.
"Sake.", Zoro called before the cook could make it all the way through the door.
"Whatever.", Sanji replied, waving the request off as he walked back into the restaurant.
The three remaining occupants of the back deck sat in silence as Gin finished his meal, his gobbling sounds ceasing when his spoon hit the bottom of the bowl. The man leaned back and belched loudly, rubbing his stomach with a satisfied smile. He already felt better than he had in what felt like years.
Zoro looked down at the man as he finished and, now that he looked a little more normal, couldn't help but think he'd seen him before. He watched him slowly stand and look out to the sea, shrugging. He was a pirate, so, maybe he'd seen his poster or something like that.
Gin smiled at having felt some of his strength return and stood with a sigh, facing the two boys looking at him. The smile fell from his face and was replaced with a frown. They didn't know it yet, but they were dead meat. All because of some dreams… A couple of impossible dreams.
The man stepped beside Zoro and leaned over the railing, looking out to sea. "I didn't mention this part because I wasn't sure you'd believe me but…", he paused, as if still trying to come to terms with what he was about to say, "It was one man… One man destroyed almost our entire crew by himself.".
The pirate looked over at the boys to see their reactions and was surprised to see that their expressions hadn't changed… Weren't they surprised? He shook his head and continued, "He cut down multiple ships with every swing of his sword, each manned by crews of no less than twenty-five.".
"He wielded a blade?", Zoro asked curiously. He'd heard the word sword and the rest of what had been said was tuned out… He was interested now.
Gin gaped at the question. That was what he was most concerned with?… He shook away his shock and replied, "Yes… We never even had time to retaliate.". He still clearly remembered it… Watching the swordsman slice through an armada without ever leaving his boat… It was the most unbelievable thing he'd ever witnessed… And also the most horrifying… The screams of his crew mates and comrades still haunted him.
"We'd only just gotten through the Calm Belt when we ran into him… A lone swordsman standing on a boat only big enough to fit one person.", the man said, looking at something beyond the horizon, "He cut down more than half of our ships before a retreat could even be called.". He sighed deeply, as if the weight of the memory was physical. He'd been in such a panic at the time that he'd never even gotten a good look at their attacker. He just remembered scrambling to leave and the long journey back through the Calm Belt… Something else that gave him nightmares…
"The trip to the Grandline was bad… We lost quite a few ships to Sea King attacks… But… Going back was worse.", Gin admitted, his eyes still trained on the sea. "He chased us through the Calm Belt destroying ships left and right and the whole time I thought I was gonna die.", he paused, his grip on the rail tightening unconsciously, "If not from him or the Sea Kings… Then definitely from the starvation.".
Zoro looked over at his captain and tried not to laugh at his soft snores. Gin hadn't noticed and he wasn't going to bring attention to it. Honestly, the only reason he was still awake was the swordsman he'd mentioned… He wanted to know more about him.
"Eventually, parts of the armada started breaking off from the main group", the man said, smiling haplessly, "And the swordsman chased them… It's probably why we're still alive.". Even with the swordsman gone, they'd still had to deal with the Sea Kings and that was almost worse. "Every other surviving ship besides ours was destroyed by Sea Kings.", he continued, still not noticing the boy sleeping through his tale.
"Every time one would surface and take another ship, it would make a huge splash in the water.", Gin recounted, flashing back to seeing the monstrous creatures, "Every time it happened, a wave would push us closer to safety… Combine that with our paddling and we somehow made it back to the East Blue.". The waves had done a number on their ship, but they'd lived and that was more than he'd expected.
Before the man could continue Sanji stepped out of the kitchen and the smell of food woke Luffy immediately, the boy jumping up to grab a large steaming bowl from his hands.
"Thanks, Sanji! You're the best!", Luffy exclaimed, bringing the bowl to his face. He immediately started scarfing the food down and couldn't help but groan in ecstasy. He really had found the best chef ever.
The blond smiled at the words, "No problem, Luffy.". He looked up and sent the shitty swordsman a scowl, tossing a glass bottle in his direction, "Grabbed the cheapest one I could find.".
Zoro caught the bottle and returned the scowl, popping the cork to take a swig. He didn't really care about getting the cheap stuff but the stupid chef always found some way to annoy him… Maybe it was just his face…
Luffy burped loudly as he finished his meal, a semi-satisfied smile on his face. The food was really good but he could always eat more and that's exactly what he wanted to do. Well… That, and go get Usopp. He was ready to go to the Grandline! The thought brought a smile to his face and he turned in the direction of his cook, "Hey, Sanji! Can we go now? I wanna go pick up Usopp!".
The question made Sanji pause for a moment before he shrugged. He'd have to say bye to the geezer, but, other than that, he didn't have anything else to do. He'd tried to serve Nami her meal while he prepared Luffy's, but the girl was nowhere to be found… Maybe she was getting the ship ready to go? The chef shook his head and smiled at his captain, "Let me say bye to the old geezer first… And then…". He looked out to sea and thoughts of pursuing his dream filled his mind, his smile growing wider, "Yeah… Let's get outta here.".
"Wait! Sanji! Please don't leave yet.", Gin begged, listening to the conversation. "Please feed my captain.". He'd gotten so caught up in feeling better that he'd forgotten about his captain and the rest of the crew… Guilt began to weed its way into his stomach and he violently shook the feeling away. All that mattered was getting the Don fed. He could feel guilty later.
"You mind waiting a little longer?", Sanji asked in Luffy's direction.
The straw-hatted teen lightly pouted but it was obvious that he wasn't going to say no. "Finnneee.", he acquiesced, heading toward the kitchen door. He wanted to go see what Nami was up to, "Come on, Zoro. Let's go back inside and sit with Nami. She's probably lonely.".
The swordsman pushed off the railing and followed his captain without a word. Instead, he took a large swig of sake and burped in Sanji's face as he walked past him to step through the door.
"Shitty Mosshead…", the chef growled to himself, furiously waving the hot air away. He chose not to retaliate and turned to Gin, a slight scowl on his face. "Go get your captain.", he said pointing behind him, "I'll start preparing something.".
Gin immediately rushed to the door at the words. He couldn't keep his captain waiting… He could think about the rest of the crew after he got Don Krieg fed. "Thank you so much, Sanji!", he exclaimed over his shoulder, disappearing into the kitchen.
Sanji turned to follow the man but his eye was caught by something out on the sea. It looked like one of their cargo rafts was leaving for a pickup… Wait… Hadn't someone already gone for one earlier?
No matter how hard Nami tried, her legs would move no further… She'd barely been able to climb up in the first place, the feeling in her stomach making her want to vomit. However, she'd pushed past it and forced herself to.
Now, though. Now… As she stood there, staring at a place she considered another home… The girl didn't think she could do it… This ship wasn't a home to just her… And, if she took it from them… Wouldn't that make her just as evil as the pirate she hated more than any other?…
Nami had to hold a hand over her mouth to keep herself from vomiting at the thought, waiting for the curl in her stomach to settle down. As it did, she tried to think of an alternative means to leave the Baratie. Once she'd resolved herself to not stealing the Merry, the pit in her stomach loosened considerably and the orangette gasped in relief. Even with the feeling gone, however, she still needed to find another boat to sail home with.
Nami turned and searched the ships anchored around the restaurant, seeing several that were more than good enough to carry her to her destination… She shook her head. She would do it if she couldn't find something soon, but she was still reluctant to steal from civilians… Strange, considering she was about to steal from people thought of as friends…
The girl brushed the thought away and brought her vision around to the front of the Baratie, her eyes finding a small boat tied to the vessel while a man removed boxes from it to be taken inside. She watched him step through the entrance and, after a long moment of waiting, when he didn't come back out, she knew she'd found her way back to Cocoyashi... She'd definitely bring it back after she settled things with Arlong... For sure...
The orangette quickly turned and ran in the direction of the storeroom, rushing to pull the door open. She'd wasted enough time already… She needed to get off the Merry and leave before she ran into the boys she trying to steal from. She didn't know what they'd say if she got caught and, honestly, she didn't want to know…
Nami wanted only one thing at the moment… She just wanted to save her village.
"Nami! We're back!", Luffy yelled, pushing through the doors to the dining area.
Zoro followed behind and shot a glance at their table when no reply came, finding it empty. Where was the witch?… The thought made a tingle go through his head, like he was forgetting something, and he suddenly remembered the glare he thought he saw earlier, his eyes narrowing.
"Nami?", the straw-hatted teen questioned, looking around the area for his friend. He didn't see her anywhere and was wondered where she could've have gone… Maybe she had to pee?
"I'm gonna go check the Merry.", Zoro said, shouldering past his captain and moving toward the front entrance. He had a sneaking suspicion that they weren't going to be able to find their navigator… He just hoped she hadn't taken the ship…
"The Merry?", Luffy asked, confused. Why would Nami be there?… He shrugged and decided to just follow his first mate. It couldn't hurt to check.
The two moved toward the front entrance but before they could make it, the door slammed open and a panicked voice came through it.
"Sanji!", Gin yelled, carrying his captain's body through the door. He would have gone around back, but he wasn't sure the man would make it. "Please hurry!", he added.
Don Krieg groaned, trying to speak, but no words came out.
Zoro stopped and stared at the man. He felt like he'd seen him somewhere before…
Luffy halted beside his friend and eyed him curiously… Why had he stopped? He looked in the same direction as the swordsman and saw Gin at the entrance, moving to find an open table. He eyed the man being carried and wondered why his first mate was so interested in him… Why did it feel like he was forgetting something?…
The man had short light-purple hair, two long sideburns reaching down the sides of his face, and wrappings covering his forehead. He looked to be relatively muscular for someone who was obviously starving, his clothing still seeming to be filled out by the body underneath.
Most of his form was covered by the large coat he wore, but a cheetah print shirt with a purple collar and a pair of purple pants still peeked through. He also had on dark gloves and a pair of similarly colored boots. The only other thing of note, was something gold underneath his collar, glinting in the light. However, it was mostly covered by his shirt, making it almost impossible to tell what it was.
Zoro and Luffy looked away, meeting each other's gaze for a moment, before eventually shrugging and making to walk toward the entrance once more. As they took their first steps, the door to the kitchen opened and Sanji stepped out with a hot meal steaming in his hands.
The chef approached the table Gin had sat his captain at and his stomach dropped. He hated seeing people starve… He was so focused on getting the man fed that he disregarded the footsteps coming from behind him. When he went to place the food on the table, he suddenly stopped at hearing the click of a pistol's hammer.
Patty's hand shook while he held the flintlock at the back of Sanji's head but… He couldn't let this happen. He knew who that man was… It was Foul-Play Don Krieg… If he let that man regain his strength, there was no telling what might happen. "Do you know who that is, Sanji?", he asked, steading his hand as best he could. A part of him wished Carne hadn't stayed in the kitchen… But, he was doing this for the Baratie. He had to be strong.
"No. And I don't really care.", Sanji replied, "I'm gonna feed this guy whether you want me to or not, Patty.". He turned in the chef's direction and sent him a strained smile, "So… Unless you wanna die… I suggest you go back to the kitchen.".
Patty began to shake harder but he remained unmoving, "That's Foul-Play Don Krieg, Sanji!".
Zoro stopped at the door before he could walk through.
"What the heck, Zoro, why'd you stop?!", Luffy complained, running into the back of his friend.
The swordsman turned and shot an eye at the starving man sitting at the table… Foul-Play Don Krieg… He knew the name. And now that he'd heard that one… His eyes shifted to the man standing with his captain. He knew he remembered him from somewhere… He was Man Demon Gin.
The verdet turned away. It wasn't his problem unless Luffy said it was. They were done with bounty hunting, so he saw no need to worry about it. "Don't worry about it.", he said, continuing on his way through the door. The more pressing issue was their missing navigator.
Luffy scoffed. "Then don't stop in the first place, dummy.", he complained, following Zoro through the door, a part of him still wondering why Nami would be on the ship
"I said, I don't care.", Sanji replied to the man pointing a gun at the back of his head. He turned, smiling maliciously as he set the steaming plate of food on the table, and looked past the barrel of the pistol, into Patty's frightened eyes, "I also said you'd die if you didn't go back to the kitchen.".
Before the muscular chef could even blink, a black boot was buried squarely in the center of his chest and his eyes widened. Spittle came flying from his mouth as his body shot straight into the kitchen, the sounds of a loud crash and a gunshot echoing from the swinging door.
Sanji landed softly and began to turn back to the table to see how Gin's captain was doing. Upon rotating fully, the boy immediately folded himself in half to dodge a fist coming at his face and rolled away from the table, eyes wide.
"You're a quick one, cook.", Don Krieg laughed, letting his arm drop back down to his side. He didn't know what exactly he'd eaten, but he felt much better.
"Captain! What are you doing?!", Gin questioned, frantically, eyeing the chef who'd fed them both.
Don Krieg ignored his first mate and pointed in Sanji's direction. "I need meals for fifty men.", he demanded, "Do it… Or die, and I'll get someone else to do it.".
"SANJI!", an older man's voice yelled from the kitchen.
The pirate captain glanced up toward the still swinging door curiously as an older chef stepped through it, a large scowl on his face.
"What the hell did I say about leaving unconscious men in my kit-", Zeff stopped himself when he saw the blond brat crouched on the floor, his eyes looking up. "What the hell's goin' on here?", he growled, grabbing Sanji by the collar and roughly pulling him to his feet.
Don Krieg stared at the man for a long moment. Where did he know this person from?… The mustache and the peg leg were pushing someone to the forefront of his mind, but he couldn't see exactly who. However, the longer he stared, the more clear the picture became.
"Well?", Zeff questioned. He was tired of watching the man stare at him.
The pirate captain remained silent for another moment before he suddenly pointed a finger in the chef's direction. "You're Red-Leg Zeff.", he stated, a wicked smile beginning to form on his lips.
Zeff scowled at the words, "I haven't used that name in a long time.".
"More like you can't anymore.", Don Krieg said, pointing his finger at the ex-pirate's leg this time, "That'll happen when you lose the thing that made you famous.".
The aged chef sighed. Why did there always have to be some brat around trying to piss him off… "I didn't come out here for a meet and greet. I asked what the hell's goin' on.", he said, eyeing the boy at his side… He had a feeling this one might not be his fault.
"I need enough meals for fifty starving men.", Don Krieg replied, thinking. He wanted to go back to the Grandline but he couldn't… Not until he had more information… The thought sent a lightning bolt through his system. Most pirates kept a logbook of their travels… And Red-Leg Zeff had sailed on the Grandline already…
Zeff gave the pirate a hard stare before grabbing Sanji by the collar and dragging him toward the kitchen, "Come on, brat. We got work to do."… He'd heard no lie in the man's voice, so saw no reason to argue... No one starved on his watch.
"I can walk on my own you damn geezer!", the blond argued, slapping at the aged chef's hands.
Don Krieg watched the two leave in surprise. He hadn't expected the ex-pirate to agree so quickly. He hadn't even had the chance to demand he hand over his logbook… It was of no consequence. He would get it when the food was brought out… By any means necessary…
Gin watched his captain hungrily eye the man walking into the kitchen and a pit began to form in his stomach. He'd seen that look before. The Don wanted something... And he usually always got what he wanted… As the man's first mate, all he could do at this point was hope no one got hurt…
Nami tossed the sack into the small vessel and immediately began uniting it from the Baratie. She didn't know how much time she had left and was trying to go as quickly as possible. She jumped into the boat and pushed off from the restaurant, grabbing a paddle resting in the boat's interior. The wood in her hands immediately hit water and the small craft began to move.
As she passed the Merry, the orangette tried not to look but the ship seemed to be trying to draw her in. She ripped her eyes away and continued to paddle out to sea, brown orbs watering slightly as she looked in the direction of her destination.
After a moment, her sad stare became more determined. This time would be different. This time, she would bring everything to him all at once and there would be nothing he could do about it. The fishman prided himself on being a man of his word and it was time to test that.
The girl slowed her paddling when she felt she was far enough away and took one last look at the Baratie before unfurling the small sail above her head... After she bought Cocoyashi, she would finally be free to do whatever she wanted… Maybe even free enough to sail with her friends…
Luffy and Zoro climbed over the rail of the Merry and began to walk the deck, their eyes searching for their missing friend.
"I'm gonna check her room.", the swordsman said, walking in the direction of the storeroom.
Luffy didn't reply as he looked up to the front of the ship. Where could she have gone?… Did she leave again?… He hoped not. For some reason, he felt like it wasn't good for her to be by herself… His feet carried him to the front deck and he climbed up onto the figurehead, sitting down with crossed legs. He always thought better when he was in his place.
The straw-hatted boy sighed and looked out at the horizon. He stared for a good long moment before his eye caught something in the corner of his vision, turning to see a small boat with only one person in it. He cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice, "Nami?!".
The reply was silence.
The storeroom door slammed open and Zoro stepped out, angrily growling, "Dammit! She took my damn booze stash!". He'd been saving that for the Grandline! He'd never had Grandline booze before and he'd been planning on splurging when they made it to the first island!
Luffy rushed in the direction of his first mate, "Zoro! I think I might have seen her! I'm gonna go down to the deck!". He shouldered past him before a reply could come and jumped off the side of the ship, his feet landing on the wood of the Baratie's fin.
The swordsman landed behind his captain and followed in his footsteps, wondering if it was actually Nami he'd seen. He was doubtful… He was pretty sure she'd left right after she stole his stash… Damn witch…
"Nami!", Luffy yelled, his feet finding the edge of the large fin. He watched the boat, waiting for a reply, and realized that it was getting closer. Maybe she'd heard him and was coming back!
Zoro stepped up to stand beside his captain and looked out in the same direction, his eyes immediately finding the boat sailing in their direction.
The verdet's gaze narrowed when the craft had finally come close enough to clearly view… That definitely wasn't Nami… The hairs on his arms began to rise as he continued to stare at the approaching vessel, his heartbeat increasing in speed for, seemingly, no reason at all.
Its base was shaped like a coffin and the mast that rose from the center looked eerily similar to a tombstone. On the two outside corners of the small ship were a pair of candles, both alight with ominous green flames, and they illuminated a figure sitting a seat directly in front of the mast.
The swordsman's eyes never left the approaching figure, but his mind flashed back to earlier in the day.
The man stepped beside Zoro and leaned over the railing, looking out to sea. "I didn't mention this part because I wasn't sure you'd believe me but…", he paused, as if still trying to come to terms with what he was about to say, "It was one man… One man destroyed almost our entire crew by himself.".
Zoro's heart started to practically beat out of his chest while the image of the man sitting in the boat kept getting clearer… Was he about to meet the same swordsman that destroyed Gin's entire crew?… A part of him knew he wasn't ready for someone like that… But… The other part…
"Awww! Dammit! That's not Nami! That's just some guy!", Luffy huffed turning away from the sea with a pout. He didn't care about some random guy! He just wanted to know where Nami had gone!
A devilish grin spread across the verdet's lips, his eyes still locked on the object of his attention, and his hand brushed over the hilts of his katanas. "Hey, Luffy.", he said, finally breaking his gaze and turning to his captain.
Zoro pointed toward the small ship slowly making it's way closer and his grin somehow seemed to grow larger, "I wanna fight that guy.".