One Piece (Love Story) [Part One]

Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Two [Rewritten]

-Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Two-

"Didn't we also realize that they'd send warships after us...?" Usopp weakly questioned when he took note of the warships that were now following us.

"Looks like they went all out" I whistled.

"Look—there's our exit! The sea gate!" Nami pointed the second she spotted the gate that we needed to pass through to ensure our escape. "Usopp, prepare the bow cannon! Chopper, make extra sure you follow my orders!" she instructed.

"No problem" Chopper nodded from his place beside the steering.

"This is the base's only way out—we have to break through that gate" Nami explained. "The shore markings can't be right...the water's just way too shallow, so why put a port here? It's wrong, something doesn't make sense..." she mumbled to herself after taking a closer look at the map in her hands. "Are you kidding me? We don't have a single cannonball!" she scowled when Usopp suddenly came back and informed her that there were no cannonballs onboard the ship for him to load into the cannons.

"Not a one" Usopp shook his head. "No explosives of any kind—not even the boxes they came in" he said.

"Well, that's hardly surprising, given that they confiscated the Going Merry" Robin said.

"She's right" I nodded. "When a ship is normally confiscated, so is everything it carries—since this place's budget was cut, I bet they're making good use of the cannonballs they took from our ship..." I mumbled.

"What do we do? We can't burst through that gate without some serious firepower" Usopp frowned.

"We can, but we have to be smart about it" Zoro said as I jolted the minute I felt the bottom of the dress suddenly flutter a bit from behind, causing me to quickly turn to him with a glare.

"Excuse you?" I quietly hissed, frowning at the innocent look he gave me as he turned with a hum.

"Is something the matter?" he asked, grinning as he watched my mouth open and close like a fish out of water. "You know, you should wear dresses more often—they really compliment your legs" he suddenly complimented, grin widening as my cheeks flushed.

"Oh yeah? Well, my foot up your ass will probably compliment them real well as well..." I eventually grumbled, causing him to laugh as I crossed my arms and turned my head with a pout. Although...I couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at my lips when I felt him lightly bump me with his shoulder, causing me to look back at him from the corner of my eye and see that stupid grin of his. "You're such a dumbass, you know that?" I quietly snorted, shaking my head.

"Hm, and yet you still hang around me" he teasingly hummed.

"It can't be helped, you'd be so lonely without me" I dramatically sighed, leaning back toward him as he chuckled.

"All we have to do is gain control of that gatehouse" Sanji shrugged, he and the others clearly ignorant of the exchange between the swordsman and me.

"Don't talk like it's going to be easy!" Usopp snapped.

"It is because I have an idea" Luffy suddenly grinned. "Gum Gum Balloon!" inflating his stomach, he caught a few cannonballs coming straight for us and sent them flying back towards the sea gate. Strong was the force of the explosions as waves were created in the water that harshly rocked the ship. Coughing and waving her hands, we were pleased to see a decently sized hole in the gate once the smoke finally cleared a little and started to spread out.

"It worked!" Usopp cheered.

"That's one way to do it..." Nami muttered.

"A very creative way, that's for sure" I chuckled.