One Piece (Love Story) [Part One]

Chapter Seventy Three [Rewritten]

-Chapter Seventy-Three-

"I'm beat, do we have to run?" Usopp groaned as he sluggishly followed along with the rest.

"Hey, wait! It's further than you think!" Zoro called after the group as I smiled before slowing down until I started to fall behind. Taking a quick glance back at Baxter, I saw that he had already fallen asleep by the fire. "Hey, you're falling behind."

"Huh?" I questioned, turning my head as Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah...I'm just worried about leaving Baxter here all by himself is all" I confessed.

"Baxter?" he questioned with furrowed brows.

"Yeah, that's the name I chose for the little guy over there" I smiled, pointing back at the sleeping goat as I started to walk side by side with him. "Cute name, right?" I giggled.

"You named one of the goats?" he frowned. "You shouldn't get too attached, we can't bring him with us when we leave—the cook would only end up using him as food" he lightly scolded.

"I know" I heaved a sigh, nodding in understanding because I knew he was right. "But...he's just so cute, don't you agree?" I asked, eyes sparkling as I peered up at him with an expectant look as if waiting for him to agree.

"You weren't kidding when you said you had a weak spot for cute animals..." he sweat dropped.

-Later-

"It wasn't that far" Luffy remarked once we reached the ship and began examining it up close. I couldn't help but giggle at the dejected expression on Zoro's face as his shoulders slumped downwards.

"Don't worry" I cooed, soothing rubbing his back. "Because of you, I didn't know the ship was this close either" I teased, laughing and jumping away as he swatted at me with an irritated snap.

"It seems kind of creepy if you ask me" Sanji noted.

"Yes, like sighting a ghost ship on a dark night" Robin agreed.

"Perhaps we'll spot some ghosts tonight, certainly looks like a place a bunch of spirits would be resting" I chuckled as a shiver rack down Usopp's spine.

"Robin, Skylar, don't say stuff like that" he whimpered.

"Why? You scared?" I teasingly asked. "Don't worry, I'm sure the ghosts will be merciful and make our deaths quick when they show up" I grinned the second he nodded.

"Skylar!" he cried, causing me to laugh.

"Whoa! What are those?" Luffy excitedly asked, staring in awe at the fireflies that suddenly took flight—their lights blinking in and out of existence as they lazily flew around us. Usopp flinched, jumping behind Luffy as he started to visibly shake before screaming.

"Vengeful spirits from the dead! What do you think?!" he cried out.

"They're fireflies" Nami corrected as she climbed aboard the ship with the rest of us soon following in her lead. Leaning back against the railing, I watched as everyone else started to explore the ship.

"He used lumber made from the local trees" Robin noted.

"It looks like he stopped building halfway through" Usopp pointed out.

"The old guy did all this by himself?" Sanji asked.

"Seems so, unless we're being lied to and there were once other people on this island before him" I shrugged, tapping the tip of my shoe against the ship's deck and listening to the hard knock it produced.

"Well, it doesn't look like it's here" Nami dejectedly sighed in defeat as she walked back out onto the deck.

"What's not here, Nami?" Luffy inquired.