Queen of the Pirates

The Knock-Up Stream

+~*~*~*~*~*~+

"Fix the ship, fix the ship," the crew of the monkey brothers sing.

"Raise the bow now!" Shoujou commands, and in the next few moments the Going Merry is being pulled back together.

"I'm surprised that you stayed behind, Akari," Usopp says. "Luffy even asked you if you wanted to come along."

I shrug, "As much as I wanted to tell those guys off, I knew that it wouldn't make the situation better. They wouldn't listen to me, but I knew that Luffy would knock some sense into them. Literally."

He chuckles, "That is true. He lets his fists speak for him."

"He also lets his kisses speak for him," Nami teases as she walks by.

My cheeks flare with heat as I shake my head. "He doesn't do anything halfway, and he doesn't think twice if there is something that he wants to do."

"Well, he loves you," Usopp softly grins. "That's what we do when we're in love. Don't think twice, and barely even once."

"Love is strange," Chopper (in his big form) says as he picks up some planks of wood to hand to the workers.

"But it is wonderful," Sanji happily sighs as he floats by with drinks.

"Okay, we know why Akari didn't go, but why did you not follow him, Zoro?" Nami asks.

"Seriously?" Zoro grits his teeth as he walks by with his arms full of wood planks. "Don't fight, fight, don't go, go. Make up your damn mind!"

"But they beat you up too," I say. "Don't you want to get your revenge?"

"Beat me up? Those guys weren't worth anything. It is heartbreaking when at the end of a fight you're only left with pity."

"Are you an idiot!?" Nami screams.

"Shut up and move out of my way!"

"Hey, moss-head!" Sanji shouts. "What did you just say to Nami!?"

"I need boards over here!" a worker calls out. "Boards over here!"

"Yes sir!" Chopper rushes over to the man.

"You are quite useful, racoon-dog!"

I giggle as Chopper exclaims that he is a reindeer.

"You're not worried at all for that boy," Robin steps up to me.

"Hm, against those weaklings? Not even a little bit," I widely grin. "He worries me a lot, yeah, but not this time. I know that he can kick all of those punks asses. You've seen him in action, so don't you go worrying about him now."

She lightly chuckles, "He throws all caution to the wind, but I won't worry about him."

"My darling, are you staying hydrated!?" Sanji calls out.

"Actually, I could use a drink!" I turn to spot the boy skipping my way. "You're suck a dork, Sanji, and the best damn cook around."

He hands me a glass of fruit punch with a tender smile. "Still sure you're in love with our idiot captain?"

"A thousand percent sure," I pat his arm as I take my first sip. "Nothing is ever going to change that."

"I figured as much," he sighs, letting his shoulders drop. "Fate did not bring us together young enough, so this is something I have to come to terms with."