One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda
Kingdom Hearts characters belong to Square Enix and Disney
OCs belong to me.
-Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-One-
"They...um...they seem to be getting along with them pretty well..." Usopp sweat dropped. "Well, almost...I think Skylar might be uncomfortable—can't tell from this distance" he admitted as he looked between the two women being flocked by the men of the opposing team.
"It figures, I never trusted that woman to begin with" Zoro scoffed, referring to Robin who seemed to be taking the attention she was getting with stride as he glared daggers at Jacob who was getting a bit too close to Skylar for his comfort. He could see the way the brunette shifted around in her spot, currently looking both irritated and uncomfortable the longer the man attempted to invade her personal space every time she backed away. Zoro couldn't help but grin a little when the brunette finally lashed out and smacked the man away, snapping at him to back up...though that grin soon fell when he noticed how the woman's violent action only seemed to spur the other man on—practically looking drunk off of her hit as he reeled back and continued his advances.
"What are you talking about? Skylar and Robin trust us to get them back, that's all...I think..." Nami weakly defended. She was certain that the brunette wanted to return to them, but with Robin...it was harder to tell due to her calm exterior. But she was certain the older woman hadn't to be just as torn up as the rest of them about this sudden and unwanted separation, there was no way she could so easily adjust to joining another crew that quickly after everything they'd been through together since departing Alabasta.
"As always, Nami is right on the money—I'm going to give it everything I got in the next round and help win Robin and Skylar back for us!" Sanji proclaimed with complete and utter determination.
"Not as determined as Zoro is in getting Skylar back..." Nami muttered the second she caught sight of Zoro's expression.
"Let's get this next round going—let me at them!" Luffy impatiently shouted, ready to get the next game started and win his friends back.
"Luffy, you can't compete in the next round—you're in the third round, remember?" Nami scolded.
"Geez, just remember the rules already" Usopp rolled his eyes.
"Alright, I guess I'm on cheering duty then" Luffy firmly nodded, still just as eager to get through the next round even if he wasn't the one competing in it.
"With Robin and Skylar gone, that means there's only five of us in the next event" Chopper pointed out.
-Skylar's P.O.V-
"You look like you're enjoying yourself..." I quietly remarked, walking alongside Robin as we made our way to the next round's field.
"I see no point in stressing myself out—nothing is set and stone until the last game" she said.
"Yeah, I know...but still..." I mumbled, slowly nodding as we stopped at the cliffside the rest of the crowd was gathered around and stared down at the starting line where all the competitors were currently gathered and waiting for the round to officially start. There was a sickening sense of nostalgia in my stomach peering down this cliffside and seeing how high up we were—a familiar sight that brought back both good and uncomfortable memories as I quickly lifted my gaze and instead focused on the others who were currently stretching themselves out.
"Funny, you and the swordsman haven't been apart for that long and already you're acting like it's been forever" Robin chuckled as if she was amused that this temporary separation—at least I hope it was temporary—was already starting to have a strong effect on both Zoro and me the longer it dragged on.
"What? Pfft! No, we're both handling this pretty well" I nervously laughed with a dismissive wave as I looked down at the irritated swordsman, impatiently bouncing his leg and looking just about ready to blow a fuse if the round didn't start soon...
She's right.
It was rather funny. Sitting here, I still found it hard to wrap my head around all of this—for someone who used to bitterly think love at first sight was stupid and childish. For someone who only saw it as a cruel lie spread by fairy tales and only believed by children and overly romantic idiots. I certainly found myself falling hard and fast for someone I had only really known for three years as a child...
And yet those three years were ones I cherished so dearly and always remembered so fondly because of him.
How the heart was such a strange thing in the way that it could still desire someone who's simultaneously changed so much from what I remembered and was yet still the exact same in other ways. It was strange how it could keep such a tight hold on past feelings such as a childish crush—refusing to let them die or disappear, instead letting them silently bloom and fester over the years. Despite five years passing since we last saw one another, those feelings I had for him were still felt just as strong as they had on the day I had first developed them. It was as if nothing had changed in those five years of separation...I know most would consider such a thing ridiculous or find it pathetic that after all this time, I still hadn't moved on and forgotten my first crush as most would expect...
It's not like I really expected us to ever see one another again even after our promise.
Five years is such a long time and with how much people and things change with time...not only that, but I also hadn't expected to still be...
Despite what others might think and despite how bizarre it felt to still feel so strongly for someone whom I hadn't seen in years, I couldn't stop the loving smile that tugged at my lips as I stared down at Zoro. I couldn't stop the warm feeling that enveloped my chest the longer I looked at him and realized that he truly did cherish those few years we spent together just as fondly as I did. There was something...nice...about knowing that I wasn't the only one who held onto such memories and feelings for so long despite knowing the risk that it was possibly pointless and painfully dangerous.
"They're going to win these next two rounds for sure..." I softly mumbled, causing Robin to hum in agreement.
"Round Two will be held on the Long Reef!" Itomimizu announced. "The game will be Dash, Touch, Domination or DTD for short—although this is a seven-on-seven competition, the absence of Nico Robin and Skylar Strife forces the Straw Hats to compete with only five players" he remarked. "The rules are simple, basically it's played the same way as the game Red Light, Green Light—whoever moves just the tiniest little bit after the Light stops calling out is out! Whichever team touches the Stoplight at the top of the reef first will be declared the winner!
"But this is no kid's game—remember, when pirates play Red Light, Green Light they play hard and they play to win! The use of weapons is approved and encouraged. This is what makes DTD a truly perilous game!" he praised.
"They...uh...they sure do like to make these kids' party games pretty dramatic" I raised an eyebrow, causing Robin to chuckle.
-Everyone's P.O.V-
"Playing for the Straw Hat team is the same boring lineup as always" Itomimizu said, not even bothering to list off their names.
"Shut up!" Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Nami, and Chopper snapped, offended by his rude remark. It's not like they could help it with how small their crew was.
"Leading off for Team Foxy is our beloved idol Porche and the beastly oddity Hamburg!" Itomimizu grinned. moving right along into introducing the opposing team.
"Soon I will have my little Choppy right back in my hands" Porche brightened as Hamburg laughed, hands coming up to try and poorly cover his mouth as if to silence his own laughter.
"The rest of the team consists of ever-swift Chiqicheetah, the Fishman Capote, lady killer Jacob, and—back for their vengeance for their loss in the Groggy Ring—we have Tackle Machine Pickles and Big Pan the Wotan!" Itomimizu announced. Zoro couldn't help but glare at Jacob who was too busy sending a few flirtatious winks toward the women on his crew to even bother taking notice of the irritated swordsman. There was something annoying about the cocky grin on the other man's face as he basked in the attention he got from his fellow female crewmates who returned his flirty winks with giggles and blown kisses. Zoro thought him possibly worse than the lovestruck cook the longer he watched him.
"We're going to make those Straw Hat losers pay for humiliating us!" Pickles huffed as Big Pan laughed and smashed his fist against the palm of his other hand.
"These competitors will make Team Foxy a force to be reckoned with!" Itomimizu announced.
"Hey, why is the old stilts guy up there riding around with him?" Luffy questioned through a mouthful the minute he spotted a familiar old man seated up on the giant bird along with the announcer.
"And last, but not least, the role of our Stoplight will be played by none other than the nomad himself…Tonjit! This great fool—I mean man of bravery—stood on top of stilts for ten years to touch the heavens!" Itomimizu exclaimed. "This makes him the logical choice to stand at the top of the reef and be it!" he logically reasoned.
"I'm seriously sick and tired of high places though..." Tonjit muttered.
"Hey, wait a minute, if the old man is the Stoplight then that gives us a big advantage in the DTD" Usopp eagerly remarked.
"Uh...let's not get ahead of ourselves here" Sanji said, not wanting to trust they were going to have an easier time this round just because the old man from before was going to play as the Stoplight. Just because he wasn't a part of Foxy's crew didn't mean that he was going to be willing to play favorites with them.
"But Usopp's right, you guys! This could be just the lucky break that we need!" Chopper quickly agreed with the sharpshooter.
"You sure about all this, captain?" someone in the crowd suddenly asked now wary of the possibility that the chosen Stoplight would help give the Straw Hats an advantage in some way.
"Come on, this is nothing!" Foxy laughed. "If our crew is strong enough to battle the treacherous wide-open sea, then this is child's play! Don't sweat the small stuff!" he assured his men, seeing no reason for any of them to be worried.
"Child's play, huh?" Nami's eye twitched as she motioned to the jagged course in front of her and the others. "Then why did you give us this unfair, jacked-up course?!" she glowered before pointing over to the straight and narrow path that Foxy's team had. "Giving you the advantage from the start!" she snapped.
"I guess using that Doo Doo Beam really is his only talent..." Sanji grumbled.
"Stupid fox!" Chopper insulted.
"Split Heard!" Usopp sneered as Foxy once more fell into a depressive state the longer he listened to the other team's insults.
"You certainly wear your heart on your sleeve, Captain Foxy" Robin remarked.
"Ain't that the truth" Skylar sweat dropped, unsure how someone could be so cocky and yet sensitive all at the same time.
"To kick off this event, as the DTD rules state, both teams must start by calling out the first step" Itomimizu explained.
"Taking the first step, now" everyone said as they moved forward one step.
"So it begins, and Team Foxy is already off to an early start" Itomimizu commented, noting just how much further ahead Foxy's team now was with that first step compared to the Straw Hats.
"It's because of those huge freaks!" Sanji snapped, motioning toward the larger teammates on the opposing team.
"If we follow the boss' plan, this will be easy—let's do it!" Porche grinned as her team cheered in agreement.
"I'm sure this goes without saying, but there's more to winning this thing than just being the first one to touch the Stoplight—this twisted terrain makes it easy to lose your balance when coming to a sudden stop" Nami explained. "So that'll be the most likely time for the enemy to attack" she reasoned.
"Hey, Split Head!" Luffy suddenly shouted over to Foxy. "If you screw around with this race, I'm going to have something to say about it" he glowered at the opposing captain, making it clear that he wasn't going to put up with any of his tricks this time around.
"Split Head? Ha! Like I even need to interfere, we could win this race in our sleep, Straw Hat!" Foxy scoffed as he waved off the other captain's accusations.
"Stoplight, are you ready to begin?" Itomimizu asked.
"Uh-huh" Tonjit nodded.
"Then take your position" Itomimizu instructed as the old man finally covered his eyes.
"To recap, Team Foxy claimed victory in the last round" Itomimizu reminded everyone. "Let's see what happens in Round Two—DTD! Ready...go!" he shouted, officially starting the game.
"Green" Tonjit started, dragging the word out as Chiqicheetah shot forward with the rest of his team quick to follow after.
"Run! Quick, Hamburg!" Porche ordered, climbing aboard the monkey's back and opting to let him carry her all the way through the course instead of running it herself.
"Chiqicheetah sprints ahead to take an early lead with Full Dash Hamburg following behind in second place!" Itomimizu commentated. "Meanwhile, on the Straw Hats side, Zoro and Sanji are out in front running neck to neck" he relayed.
"Move, you're in my way!" Zoro angrily snapped as he tried to surpass the blond and quickly get to the finish line—he was determined to get Skylar back as quickly as possible and he wasn't going to let some annoying love cook get in his way. He rather they not possibly drag this stupid game out any longer than it needed to be.
"No, you move! You're in my way!" Sanji snapped right back, just as annoyed with the swordsman as he was with him.
"How can those two idiots run and argue at the same time?" Usopp frowned.
A/N: Enjoy
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