One Piece (Love Story) [Part One]

Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Five [Rewritten]

-Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-Five-

"Let me ask you a question, boy—do you know why the Foxy Pirates are the strongest of the strong? The best of the best?" Foxy questioned.

"Huh? You really think you're the best, huh?" Zoro scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Then why did you lose to us twice?" Usopp pointed out.

"Aw, you're splitting hairs here—come on! Listen, you're asking for a third fight in a row, but we had five three coins game with the Fang Frog Pirates today before we ran into you saps" Foxy frowned. "Now, I don't like to back down from a challenge, but my crew is spent" he confessed, motioning to his men who were starting to look rather exhausted and done for the day. "They're tired, they're injured, they've been giving it their best all day long—take us for a third match all you want, but I'd be a fool to put my crew out like that. Being the best there is takes more than just strength, you have to know when it's time to keep fighting and when it's time to quit and call it a day!" he huffed.

"As much as I hate to say it, he's right" I heavily sighed, catching the other's attention. "Sometimes you have to put your safety and the safety of your crew first and understand that you're not going to win all the time—it's best to quit while you're ahead instead of trying to keep your pride intact because as captain, the safety and well being of your crew is far more important than your pride" I shyly blushed as I looked the other way, bashfully rubbing the back of my head at the sudden attention.

"Well spoken, Miss Swordswoman" Robin softly chuckled as Chopper happily nodded in agreement.

"Uh...what? So impressed that you don't know what to say?" Foxy proudly grinned when he noticed how silent everyone was.

"You got to be kidding me? First, you brag about how strong you are then we're supposed to feel sorry for you?" Zoro frowned as he crossed his arms. "I'll agree with what Skylar said though since her words were actually genuine and meant something."

"Poor Foxy, he's so strong, he has to cheat to win—it's not his fault he challenged us" Sanji mocked. "Come on, Skylar actually meant that you shouldn't push your crew, but you just want us to feel sorry for you" he scoffed, causing the opposing captain to fall into a depressive state.

"Even if we end up winning the final round, what should we do?" Usopp asked. "It's not like we can get Chopper, Skylar, and Robin back—how can we choose? And what if we have to leave all of them with those losers?" he worriedly frowned, clearly not liking the idea of potentially losing three crewmates all in one day.

"I'm not leaving anybody! I'll make it happen somehow" Luffy angrily huffed. I stayed silent, a part of me feeling uncertain about everything as I shook my head—declining the sweets being offered to Chopper, Robin, and me by one of Foxy's men who was clearly trying to buy our favoritism.

"Somehow isn't good enough, we need a plan" Sanji argued.

"I'm getting sick of dealing with these guys—how about I just chop them up instead?" Zoro irritably scowled as Chopper also turned his head away from the sweets that were being offered to him, refusing to take anything from the enemy this time around.

"I don't like them either, but let's try and keep the bloodshed to a minimum, okay?" Usopp weakly asked.

-Everybody's P.O.V-

Curiously looking toward the depressed Foxy who was now drawing circles in the grass with his finger, Nami grinned, now approaching the man as an idea suddenly crossed her mind.

"Hey, boss, I have a little proposition for you" she spoke up, catching the man's attention and causing him to raise his head. "Instead of one person, let's bet five this time—you know, like how you and Luffy did back in the first round with that two-person bet" she reminded him.