Hiding the Truth (One Piece)

Chapter 22 - The Devil's Triangle

After a week of recovery, we had rushed to set sail from Water 7. It wouldn't have been smart to linger where the marines knew we would be. It was a shame though that we had to say our goodbyes to Merry, whilst we had seen quite a number of journeys with the ship, it was time to let her go. 

I couldn't deny however how good of a job the shipwrights and the Franky family, both groups having accompanied us to Enies Lobby, had done on our new ship, the 'Thousand Sunny Go'. I was taking my time strolling through the levels of the ship, exploring our new home. The new facilities were certainly luxurious, ranging from an aquarium in the lower deck to a large library built in the crew's nest. The library was certainly a favourite, with the shelves well stocked with Robin and I's favourites. It was clear a lot of thought had gone into this, and the others had mentioned how even Iceburg, the injured mayor of Water 7 had helped build the ship.

We had only been sailing for a day, and the novelty had far from worn off. It would certainly take a while before the grandeur settled in. It was also worth mentioning how another person had joined our crew, though the cola-loving shipwright from Water 7 had mostly been coerced to join. I was beginning to wonder if Luffy convinced all his crew mates through manipulation, with the less than savoury methods used on Franky still causing me to cringe. I could say with full confidence that I didn't regret my decision of joining, and from what I could see, neither did the others, despite them proclaiming otherwise. The men's reaction from Robin's 'persuasion' on Luffy's orders still brought a smile on.

I was still under strict orders from Chopper, who'd rarely let me out of his sight. I was being mostly cooperative, listening to his ever word, but on one occasion where I had gone to get a drink of water, he had resorted to carrying me back to my bed thinking I was trying to make a break for it. It didn't help that as I was trying to explain to the frowning doctor that I wasn't trying to run, the others only watched and laughed in the background. 

He had mostly relaxed when we'd boarded the Sunny, though he was still making me sleep under observation in his new medical office. Seeing Chopper nearly faint at the sight of it was a situation on it's own, but I couldn't help but feel overjoyed at how happy he was with his new space. It was certainly an upgrade from before, where Chopper had to resort to treating any injuries on an open deck. 

It seemed everyone had managed to get a little nook for themselves. Nami getting her own orange grove, Sanji his expensive kitchen and the gym above the library for Zoro.

Zoro... was a subject I wasn't willing to get into. It seemed that whatever anger he held against me hadn't burned out over the week, with his silent treatment still going strong. At this point, I was beginning to wonder if it was anger or just outright hate, for he left that impression every time we interacted.

At first, I would try to start a conversation, but that would only earn me a scowl in return. Now though, I just avoid him completely, especially when it seems like an argument is going to break out. 

I'd started off angry, wanting to know what I had done wrong to warrant such a reaction, but that had quickly changed into sadness. I just miss having him as a friend, someone I could joke and laugh with and someone I could relax with. He had been that person until recently, and I was finding myself lost without that comfort in our hectic lives. 

I took the stairs one at a time to the upper deck, making my way into the kitchen where Sanji could be seen preparing for tonight's dinner. He had ensured we had departed with a well-stocked pantry and the large fridge in the corner already bolted tightly with a giant lock, in hopes of preventing Luffy from falling into temptation I thought with a grin. Sanji was quick to notice my entrance, waving me over and gesturing to the available chairs that stood behind the wide island.