One Piece: Grand Endeavours

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Not So Sweet

Nova
Another new island and I am already kinda missing the snow but I can't say I'm missing the drama that happened. Although it did lead to Kuro and Luffy – or KuLu as a lot of the crew have dubbed them- being more adorable than use it. As others call it I totally 'ship' it. It is much too cute to not ship. Especially after all he has been through, the two balance each other out perfectly and I think Luffy is much needed optimism to Kuro's cynicism.

We arrive outside a restaurant that seems to exclusively sell sweet stuff and I grin, starry eyed. Did I die and go to heaven?
"This is your dream restaurant then, Nova?" Usopp asks me and I grin, nodding enthusiastically.
"We may as well give it a try," Luffy says. Best. Day. Ever! "Kuro, that includes you..."
"But sweet stuff sucks," he huffs. "Refined sugar doesn't taste good and I don't feel like sugar crash."
"If you manage to eat a whole waffle and shake I'll get you any book you want from the bookshop," I bargain because I have money to burn with how well the things I sew sells. Plus if he hasn't had refined sugar in years then his taste buds may have changed.
"Five books," he replies.
"Two?"
"Four.,"
"Three?"
"Three and a bookmark," he replies, the rest of the crew watching this like some kind of tennis match.
"Okay," I agree, cheerfully. "Who knows, Kuro, you may have gotten over your hatred of sweet things."
"I very much doubt it," he says, flatly. "But there is a few books I want and I don't back down from many challenges." Luffy chuckles slightly, shaking his head.

We head in and glance through the menu. Kuro seems to be settling on the plainest waffle they have – the one that just has chocolate spread and nuts- and the pistachio milkshake. Both in the smallest size. I go for pretty much the opposite. The largest waffle with all the toppings and the death-by-chocolate shake.
"You are so lucky you are a robot or your heart would have given out from all the sugar by now," Kuro comments, cynically.
"At least I would die happy!" I retort, cheerfully. Kuro shakes his head slightly but I don't care. He is just being a hater of the best food to exist!
"Stop being a grouch," I say with a grin. "Sugary food is the best food."
"Nope spicy food and ramen is the best," he counters and I open my mouth to carry on arguing.

"Okay, you two break it up," Luffy says with a chuckle. "Kuro, how did you agree to this?"

"There's a saga I want," he replies with a loose shrug. "This bet will get me ¾ of it so I'm not backing down...My sugar crashes were only minor when little so it should be fine. Maybe Nova is right and I won't have them anymore." He huffs. "Never going to like the taste though." Some people have no taste.

The food arrives and even Kuro's 'small' size is huge. I instantly tuck in. Kuro finishes the shake so fast it is a wonder he doesn't get brain freeze. His nose scrunches and he rubs his temples.
"Ew..." he mutters and also gets through the waffle fairly fast too.
"Trying to get it out the way as fast as possible?" Sanji asks and Kuro nods.
"Also trying to taste it as little as possible. It is more vile than I remembered,"
"You really don't like sweet stuff do you...?" Luffy comments and Kuro shakes his head, putting down the fork on the already empty plate.
"Ugh. My head hurts from that much sugar...As does everything else," he mutters. "Not doing that again. Ever." I think this is one of the best waffles and shakes I have ever had!

Something is happening though. Something is wrong. Everyone is starting to look dizzy, especially Kuro, and one by one they pass out before any can comment. I ...huh?
"Uh, guys?" I say, confused, but none of them respond for obvious reasons. Just Kuro passing out, that would make sense, but all of them? Maybe the food has/had drugs in it? That would make sense.

I consider that possibility, eavesdropping to the conversation the people who work here have, not knowing who is who when the trio talk.
"Did you put extra drugs on the strategist's one?"
"Obviously. The others we can just hand over for their bounties but a damn strategist? Someone we could easily use."
"So you recognised Kuro but not the rest of an infamous crew?"
"Hey, he is renowned for being smart. That's why we need him unconscious longer so he'll be weaker. Otherwise he'll escape in moments."
"The drugs will only knock them out for about an hour...maybe two for bookwork so we'd better get on with tying them up." So they did drug us, are planning on getting all of us killed, and want to put Kuro through even more unnecessary and painful unnecessary torment? Heck no to that. My bat and I are not putting up with that. Poor Kuro though, he had more drugs and probably a stronger kind plus ate his whole thing. Now I feel like a total meanie for challenging him to eat the whole thing. Not that I suspected this would happen but still.