𝑺𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑫 𝑫𝑨𝑵𝑪𝑬 || 𝒛𝒐𝒓𝒐 𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒂

• • ᴄʜᴀᴩᴛᴇʀ xxxɪx • •

Venus smiled as she watched how excited Luffy got again seeing Zoro awake. Chuckling when she watched him hug the green-haired. Hearing Zoro groan.

"Luffy. You'll open his wound again if you keep squeezing him like that. Come on." She spoke up.

"Right. Sorry. I'm just happy he's alive." Luffy spoke.

"Luffy!" Nami spoke up. "Luffy!" She called out to the straw hat male.

Luffy listened as he glanced at them. Excusing himself as he grew a bit serious. Leaving the room and heading to where he heard Nami.

Venus watched him before getting ready to follow after him and Vex.

Zoro reaching out as he grabbed her wrist. "Where are you going?" He asked.

"To help. I feel something is off. Stay here and don't move a muscle." Venus replied.

Zoro huffed. "I can help too." He grunted as he tried to sit up.

Venus raised her hand a bit. Making him lie back down.

Zoro noticed as he glanced up at her. Seeing how her eyes glowed a golden color compared to before.

"I wasn't asking." Venus spoke as she lowered her hand. "Stay here and keep that wound closed." Her eyes changing back to normal before leaving the room after Luffy and joining them in the kitchen.

Nami turned to them as her hand instinctively was a bit fidgety.

"What's wrong?" Luffy asked.

"The Arlong Pirates are at Baratie. We have to leave immediately." Nami replied even though she was still upset towards Luffy.

"What? Why? Why do we have to leave?" Luffy asked.

"Because they're looking for you and the map." Nami spoke.

"Me?" Luffy asked in confusion.

"Those fishmen will tear this place apart if Zeff doesn't hand him over." Nami spoke towards Sanji.

Sanji listened to her before getting away from the counter he was leaning on. Ready to get out of the ship and walked past them.

Venus noticed as she grabbed his arm before he could walk past her. "Where are you going?" She asked lightly.

"If Baratie is really in danger then I should be there." Sanji replied as he glanced down at her.

"That's too dangerous." Venus spoke.

"Zeff is like family to me. I will not leave them to deal with that crew alone." Sanji spoke calmly.

"I'll go with you then." Venus spoke.

"No, I-." Sanji tried to come up with what to say to her.

"Count me in." Luffy spoke up as well.

"Did any of you hear what I just said?" Nami asked from her corner of the room. "They are after you. Hunting you down. We need to go."

"Nami, there are innocent people here being attacked by this guy." Venus spoke as she let go of Sanji's arm. "We can't just leave them."

"I'm with Nami on this one. I'm really not trying to ruffle anyone's feathers or scales here.." Usopp spoke up.

"He's right. The Arlong Pirates are ruthless." Vex mumbled.

Nami ignored them as she glanced at Venus. She cared deeply for her and wouldn't admit it out loud. Trying to keep her and the crew safe. "You will not stand a chance against them Venus."

"We have one another to defeat them." Venus replied. "I have faith in you Mi but you have to have some for us too. We'll leave once they are dealt with." She tried to reassure the ginger.

"I'm not running." Luffy spoke up after hearing them. Making his decision clear. "We're going to protect and keep this place safe."

"This isn't your fight? Why would you do that?" Sanji asked.

"You fed us." Luffy spoke after a few seconds of serious thinking. Giving the blond a smile.

Sanji listened as his lips formed a faint smile. Amused by the answer he got from him.

"Look, I know this crew." Nami spoke up once more. "Their Captain, Arlong, has the highest bounty in all of the East Blue. He is not someone you want to mess with."

"He messed with the wrong crew first." Venus spoke as she grabbed her katana and placed it in the sheath.

"Did the room just get hotter or is that just me who noticed?" Sanji spoke up.

Nami listened to him. "You may have a way of smooth talking but she's mine and we have better problems to deal with right now." She spoke up.

Venus listened as she placed her hands on her hips. "You two done or are we going for round two?"

"We have Arlong to face." Luffy chimed in. Leading the way for Sanji and Usopp first.

Venus went to follow after them before feeling her wrist being held. Facing Nami at the moment.

"Venus, please. Listen to me this time." Nami spoke as she glanced at her. "Please, don't do this." She begged her.

"What are you hiding from me..?" Venus asked.

"What..?" Nami asked.

"You're hiding something. I don't know what it is and I know you probably won't tell me what it is." Venus spoke as she glanced at her hand on her wrist before glancing back at her.

Nami listened. "I can't tell you." She spoke. "You'll hate me and I don't want that." She mumbled.

"I once told that to a friend and now we are engaged Mi. You have me as your friend. I will never hate you." Venus spoke. Letting Luffy handle Arlong at the moment. She wanted to be there for Nami first.

Nami listened as she didn't know what to do. She wanted to confess to her in that instant and let the weight of her issues leave her shoulders. To finally have someone hear her. Another part knew that telling her the truth was going to put her in dangers way. She knew Arlong wouldn't allow it.

Venus kept her gaze on her. Staying silent to let her talk if she wanted to. Getting free from her hold and holding her hand instead. "Talk to me whenever you feel ready about it but right now I need to go help them." Unaware of how the fight with Arlong was going as she was worried about the guys who had gone ahead.

Nami decided that she couldn't tell her the full truth. The only way she knew of getting Venus to leave her alone, something she had done to people she cared about in the past, was to show her alliance with the Arlong Pirates and betrayals. "I hate you with everything I've got." Nami spat.

"Mi.. you don't... you don't mean that." Venus spoke as she smiled a bit. Trying not to take her words seriously. Rubbing Nami's arm gently.

Nami felt horrible about what she had to do. Reaching up and grabbing her wrist. "I am dead serious, Venus Crawford. I wish I had never met someone as stupid and gullible as you." Tightening her hold on Venus' hand.

"You're hurting me."

"What I really should've done a long time ago was thrown you over that damn ship."

"Nami-."

"I mean- I figured you would be the smartest one of the crew but you fell for my trap first."

"What the hell are you saying right now?"

"I'm saying that you should've had the same fate as your parents." Nami spoke with venom in her tone. Raising her sleeve up for her tattoo to be seen. "Because your fate is now in the hands of an Arlong Pirate."