One Piece (Love Story) [Part One]

Chapter Thirty Six [Rewritten]

-Chapter Thirty-Six-

"Hey, carry me too, Zoro!" Luffy cheerfully laughed.

"Morons!" Zoro growled in annoyance.

"Looks like you attracted them like light attracts a moth" I laughed.

"Oh yeah?" he questioned with a raised brow. "Well, it seems I've gone and attracted myself another moron" he playfully teased, grinning.

"Well, at least this moron knows her north from her south" I huffed, childishly sticking my tongue out as I giggled at the way his face flushed bright red.

"S-shut up!" he snapped, quick to turn his head the other way as he started to grumble. I smiled, my heart practically swelling as I started to laugh—good memories flooding my mind for just a moment. Subconsciously, I found my grip on his hand tightening as we continued to walk.

-Later-

"Look up ahead, I see light" Vivi brightened, pointing towards the distant light that practically stood out like a sore thumb against the night sky.

"Does that mean we made it to Yuba?" Luffy hopefully asked. "I can't see anything with all this sand blowing everywhere" he squinted, attempting to see past the thin veil of sand that wisped through the air.

"Finally, hopefully now we can rest" I yawned, stretching my arms before instantly pouting the moment I cast a glance beside me. "Can't believe you actually gave in to carrying him and not me" I childishly huffed, jealous of the sharpshooter that was currently being carried by the swordsman next time.

"Because he wouldn't stop annoying me—this was the only way to get him to quit..." Zoro grumbled. "Jealous?" he asked, lips twitching upwards into an amused smile.

"Pft! You wish" I snorted, slipping my hand back into his own as I lightly bumped him with my shoulder.

"Something doesn't feel right here" Vivi frowned. "There's something wrong down there, I can tell..." she nervously muttered, already beginning to fidget as she squinted her eyes in an attempt to get a better look at the city in the distance. "Oh no! The entire city is being struck by a sandstorm!" she gasped in realization, the wind now starting to violently pick up as a massive sandstorm suddenly struck the city. "It can't be..." she shakily whispered once the storm had passed and we were finally able to enter the city.

"It doesn't look good—this place doesn't look much different from that Erumalu town from before" Zoro noted, quick to notice just how deathly silent and empty the city was.

"Your right, you would almost think we had gone in circles if it wasn't for the fully intact buildings" I remarked.

"Hm? Where?" Luffy panted, tongue now lulling out in exhaustion as he started looking around for any signs of life.

"Vivi, I thought you said this city was supposed to be some sort of oasis" Sanji said.

"It looks like the oasis has disappeared, it's been swallowed up by all the sand" the princess sadly answered. "Huh?" she perked up the second she caught sight of the extremely thin, old man who was currently digging not that far from where we were.

"I'm assuming you're travelers, you must be exhausted from all the time spent in that heat, huh?" the old man asked once he finally spotted us. "Sorry, but this town is a bit dried up too, it doesn't have much relief to offer—but still, you're free to rest here awhile" he kindly offered with a smile. He was a scrawny little thing, looking as if he hadn't had a decent meal in a long time and was slowly wilting away...such a sight made my stomach churn and chest hurt. "We may not have much water, but there are plenty of inns in town—it is what we've prided ourselves so much on after all" he continued, proudly boasting about the now deserted town as if it was still thriving.