Second Wind

17

Finally Sanji shouted, "Dammit, Luffy, if you can't keep to your own food, you don't get a single bite of the main course!" he asserted. Luffy looked as if he'd just been issued a death sentence, and his jaw dropped as he started sweating profusely. He pulled his arm, which was dangerously close to Sanji's plate, back to his side. He started pouting and turned his head away.

"Sanji's a jerk," he mumbled to no one in particular. When the main course arrived, they were finally able to dig in without worrying about their food disappearing before their eyes. Vivi took a bite and smiled.

"It's delicious!" she said gleefully.

"Thank you ma'am!" Sanji said with enthusiasm.

"Sanji's cooking is unrivalled!" Luffy shouted. "He can prepare anything! Even a weird otter and creepy vulture." Vivi froze.

"Otter and vulture?" she asked reluctantly.

"Ah, that's what the main course is. It's a healthy blend of otter and vulture meat. Apparently, Luffy got them from Whiskey Peak. It was pretty easy to prepare, even if the meat itself is an unconventional consumption," Sanji said. Vivi felt a bit dizzy as she stared down at the plate in front of her. She was eating...the Unluckies. That felt...strange, to say the least. Sanji grew concerned. "Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly.

Vivi shook her head frantically. She brought herself out of her stupor and continued eating, not really caring that much all of a sudden. It really was delicious. Sanji just shrugged and sat down with everybody. After lunch, Nami informed everyone that they should be arriving at Little Garden soon before disappearing below deck with Usopp. Luffy and Zoro said they were going to train a little. For the next half hour, Vivi was lost in thought, worrying about the state of her country. She didn't know how much the situation had changed since she last checked with Igaram. She wondered where he was right now. Was he on his way to Alabasta as well?

Nami and Usopp came back up again, and she suddenly realized how long she'd been spacing out. "That's amazing, Usopp! Your theories are pretty sound," she heard Nami say. "Do you really think you can make something like that?"

"Of course," Usopp said confidently. "I once built a great cannon that could destroy islands with a single blast. This is nothing in comparison." Nami ignored Usopp's habitual lying in favor of thinking about the potential that the weapon he was working on could have.

"Hey, look," Sanji said, looking out over the sea.

"What? Did you spot the island?" Nami asked.

"Nope. Just a dolphin," Sanji replied. They all looked in the direction he was pointing.

"Oh,Oh, wow, that's so cool!" Luffy said. "It's huge!" Nami looked at him in confusion. Huge? As the creature drew closer, she soon realized what he was talking about.

"Just a dolphin..." Sanji repeated as the marine mammal that was five times bigger than the Going Merry flipped over their ship. It disappeared into the water and soon resurfaced, swimming right towards them. It looked like it was about to ram the ship, but Luffy held his hand out at it and it slowed down, coming to a slow cruise next to them.

"Good boy," Luffy said, to the exasperation of the others and the sheer amazement of Vivi.

"How did you do that, Luffy-san!? Why did it listen to you?"

Luffy grinned. "It probably knows that I'm gonna be the Pirate King and decided not to take any chances," he said jokingly. Vivi was surprised at that announcement.

"Pirate King? Are you after One Piece Luffy-san?"

"Sure am," he said proudly. "Just watch. I'll be the first to get to Raftel..." he trailed off as an odd, wistful expression made his way onto his face. It seemed out of place on him. Vivi was about to ask what was wrong when Zoro spoke up.