One Piece (Love Story) [Part One]

Chapter Twenty Six [Rewritten]

-Chapter Twenty-Six-

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Usopp agreed, "because when I think about it, I get really thirsty" he panted as Chopper and I nodded in agreement. Despite coming to this conclusion, Sanji and Luffy still continued to go at it. Only coming to a halt when they noticed the group of birds walking past with all our stuff.

"Give us our stuff back, you thieves!" Luffy shouted, rushing straight for the birds the moment they took flight in an attempt to get away.

"No, Luffy! Don't chase them!" Vivi cried out.

"That idiot!" Sanji irritably groaned.

"Wait—will you be able to find your way back?!" Nami called out.

"Probably not" I said, causing the ginger to groan.

"Get back here, you dope! Luffy!" Usopp snapped.

"He's not going to listen, and besides, he's already too far gone" I said.

"I know, but it was at least worth a shot" Usopp sighed as his shoulders deflated in defeat.

-Later-

"Do you think Luffy's doing alright?" I asked.

"It's Luffy, so of course" Zoro responded as he leaned back against the rock behind us.

"Yeah, that's true...but he's been gone for quite a while..." I mumbled, biting my lower lip in worry.

"Zoro's right, the idiot's fine" Nami sighed. "Even if he is taking forever in getting back..." she grumbled.

"I just wish he would hurry it up so we can get moving" Usopp groaned, fanning his face with his hand in some desperate attempt to cool himself off.

"You don't suppose he got lost, do you...?" Chopper weakly asked, sprawled out on the ground and currently dying from the heat.

"He has absolutely no sense of direction, but he's always running off" Nami huffed.

"Hey, kind of like you, Zoro" I teased, earning a couple of chuckles from the others.

"Oi!" he snapped.

"There are still so many desert dangers I have yet to have the chance to warn him about yet" Vivi wistfully sighed, bringing back up the problem at hand as she worriedly stared out into the vast desert before us.

"Not to mention the moron was hungry, so you know that he's not thinking straight" Sanji pointed out.

"That's for sure" I hummed, gaze flickering to the side the moment I spotted movement as Zoro pushed himself up into a stand.

"The guy's so hopeless" he irritably sighed.

"You can say that again" Sanji agreed, standing as well.

"I'm sorry, I know my brother can be a handful—I apologize" Ace apologized to the two that were now starting to take off.

"Hey, hold on a minute, I'm coming too" I jumped up from my spot, quick to jog after the two only to come to a halt the moment I felt Zoro's hand make contact with my chest.

"Nope, you're staying here with the others" he shook his head.

"Oh? Says who?" I asked, an eyebrow raised as I placed my hands on my hips.

"Says me—we won't be too long, besides, three's a crowd" he simply argued, standing his ground in his decision to not let me tag along.

"Oh?" I tilted of my head. "So just because your hand is groping my chest that automatically puts you in charge of me? How sexist of you!" I giggled as I watched how quick he was to draw his hand back and away from my chest as if he had just been burned.