Strength (One Piece fanfiction)

Ch 59

When I woke up, I was laying against a snoozing swordsman.

I blinked sleepily when I realized something was being handed to me. "Hana-chan, have some tea," Sanji smiled.

I yawned and took the warm tea cup. "Thank you," I smiled. I noticed the three fish people had joined the rest of the crew on deck. They were telling us how to get to Fishmen Island, and the Sabaody Archipelago was mentioned again.

I tuned it out, I'm sure the others were listening closely enough. I poked at Zoro's toned stomach. How did I get here anyways? I had fallen asleep in the middle of the deck.

If he had brought me here...If he still wanted me near him, even without the promise of intimacy, it would make me really happy.

I pulled my hand back from my tracing as I felt him stir awake. "Sorry," I said. Usually he'd sleep through that.

"Don't be."

"Hey! Check it out, we're here!" Pappagg shouted.

We got up to see with everyone else. "What is this?!" I shouted, amazed. My companions were already darting into the thick of it.

"Are those soap bubbles?!" Usopp asked. "Are they coming from the island?!"

Robin expressed her concern about the Log Pose, and Hachi explained that the archipelago is made up of trees with no magnetic pull. So the log pose would be fine. We pulled closer inland. Only now could I see how truly massive these trees had grown!

"Let's dock here, at grove 41. Don't forget the number everyone!" He explained further, "the islands are all linked together by bridges, so as long as you can remember the number, it's impossible to get lost."

My eyes slid over to Zoro, along with many others.

"I can think of one guy who'd get lost anyway," Usopp deadpanned.

"Yeah," Chopper agreed.

Zoro shouted, "stop looking at me like that!"

I smiled and made my way back onto the ship. "Hana, you're not coming?" Nami asked me.

"Nah, Hachi said the place is crawling with marines. It's safer to stay here. Besides, we'll probably be here awhile. You can let me know how crowded it is later, okay?"

Franky and Usopp stayed back to fix up the ship, and Sanji was manipulated into protecting Nami's treasure.

Sanji and Usopp protested when Zoro jumped ship to go explore. But Zoro had a sound argument, even a kid couldn't get lost as long as he remembered the number. He could ask for directions if anything. This placated the two parental figures, but as Zoro walked away, I couldn't help but feel as if he had already made a wrong turn. I shrugged my shoulders, I'm just being paranoid.

....

It's been a few hours, and the repairs were finished. We were sitting on deck drinking tea when the den den mushi rang.

Sanji picked it up, but Choppers voice on the other side was already coming through. "Hello?!?! There are too many flavors of ice cream!" I pouted, I should've gone!

"Hey! Did something happen?" Sanji shouted into the receiver.

"Sanji?! This is bad! Caimie's been kidnapped!"

I jumped up, that's the worst thing that could've happened!

"There's too many human shops! We don't know where she'll be taken and we don't even know who took her! This place is too big!!!" The snail cried, mimicking Choppers face perfectly.