One Piece (Love Story) [Part One]

Chapter Eighteen [Rewritten]

-Chapter Eighteen-

"Yeah, just like any other day" Zoro agreed.

"Cool! I can't wait to see the desert!" Chopper chirped in excitement as Carue quaked in agreement.

"Agreed" I hummed. "I'm curious to see all the different animals that inhabit the island..." I eagerly muttered in excitement, eyes shining bright at such a prospect.

"Okay, you guys, are you all ready to head out for Yuba?" Usopp asked.

"Yeah!" we cheered.

"Thanks" Vivi smiled, tears of happiness and relief already pooling around the corners of her eyes and she happily clasped her hands together.

"Wait...are we missing someone?" Usopp suddenly asked after a moment of silence as if the gears in everyone's brains needed a second to turn.

"I don't know, are we?" I asked right back, now peering around at all of us in search to see if anyone was missing.

"I mean it feels like we are" he responded, causing those gears to turn even more as everyone now sat in thought

"Luffy!" we loudly concluded in unison.

"That idiot!" Nami growled in frustration upon realizing that our captain was still nowhere to be seen.

-Later-

"Hm? Where did Chopper and Usopp go?" I curiously asked, looking around the busy streets of Nanohana after realizing that I didn't see either of the two nearby anymore. It didn't take long to spot them though. "Ah..." I sweat dropped upon spying them crowded around a stand not that far behind and listening to a man who was proudly boasting about the "golden" apple he was holding—talking it up like it was something unique. Just as the two were close to buying the "golden" apple from the man, Nami harshly butted in and smacked the two right upside the head.

"Idiots! Really, what are you thinking?" she sneered.

"Probably nothing" I mused aloud as Zoro and I wandered over towards them, the swordsman seemingly taking interest in the large curtain strung up right beside the man's stand.

"If I were you, I wouldn't take his word for it" Zoro said, motioning toward the "golden" apple the man held before pulling the curtain back to reveal another man who was to be busy painting a bunch of red apples yellow. Nami huffed at this, snatching both Usopp and Chopper's ears as she walked away—dragging the two right behind her.

"Hey! Let go, Nami!" Usopp whined, wincing as he began to struggle. "What are you doing? Put us down this instant—this is harassment!" he babbled which only further irritated the already annoyed navigator.

"You two need to quit wasting time and help look for Luffy with the rest of us!" she grounded out. "We're done shopping here, so as soon as we find the idiot, we can leave" she lectured, ignoring the still babbling sharpshooter.

"Okay, where would Luffy be?" Zoro asked. "He's got to be around here somewhere..." he muttered as he looked around the crowded streets and various stalls for any signs of our captain.

"If I had to gander where he was, I would guess it'd be somewhere that has lots and lots of food" I suggested. "So food stands and restaurants are our best bet at the moment."

"Sounds like a reasonable guess" he nodded in agreement.

"Shut up, you two!" Nami snapped, causing my head to snap in her direction.

"Ow..." I winced, cringing back at the way she ruthlessly beat on the two pirates she had been dragging before leaving them sprawled across the ground in agony. Heavily did her shoulders rise and lower in rhythm with her agitated breathing as she sneered down at the two—almost threatening them to continue complaining. Tilting my head, I looked at Zoro, ready to make a comment before stopping once I noticed that his attention was drawn elsewhere.