𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 ˚ ONE PIECE

THIRTY

The group walk in silence, although it's not awkward, but more fearful. At least for everyone but Helmeppo, who dramatically sighs every 20 seconds or so.

"This is dumb."

"I'm wasting my time."

"Imbeciles."

"This is all a load of-"

"Shut up! We're here." Shiori hushes his near constant complaints, making him silence.

After a few moments of Helmeppo looking at his surroundings confused, he speaks up, "no we're not?"

"Yeah, but it got you quiet for a while." Usopp's disappointed in shown, having a bored look on his face.

The the remainder of the walk is wordless, Usopp only speaking up every so often to notify Shiori of a rock or branch, and to not trip on it.

They finally arrive, the tall building looking threatening to their comparatively small figures.

The two that had previously ran from the house stick together, shaking slightly.

The double doors open, Kuro appearing in place.

"Marines? Whatever could be the matter at this time of night?" His smooth voice is manipulative, making Usopp angrier and angrier by the second.

"Sorry to bother you at such a late hour, but we heard reports of pirates in the area?" Koby weakly asks.

Shiori's eyes widen, feeling betrayed, but she has yet to speak up on it, Usopp doing so instead.

"What? What are you talking about? He is the pirate! He murdered Merry! Arrest him! What are you waiting for?"

"Oh dear.." Kuro whispers, pushing up his glasses.

"Oh dear? Stop trying to trick them. Koby don't fall for it!" Shiori nudges her friend, who looks at her then back at the butler, panicked.

"I'm so sorry if Usopp and Shiori here have wasted your time, you see, the boy's not well, and Shiori has always tended to be drawn by his antics, encouraging them even." Kuro's lies slide off his tongue, convincing the marines, "the entire village has tried their upmost to help, but the poor children have been this way ever since they were children. One lie bigger than the next. He was never quite the same after his mother's passing."

Usopp's confused face immediately switches to one of anger, him lunging towards the Black Cat Pirate, "you leave my mother out of this! His gloves! Check his gloves for blades."

Shiori's arms are cast firmly around his stomach, stopping him from attacking the man who would obviously over power him.

"Do you mind if we have a look? Just to be certain." Koby steps forward, feeling like he's blaming an innocent man for a terrible act.

"Well, I'm not sure where they get these ideas." Kuro continues to mock the upset duo, Koby personally removing the man's gloves, "a butler's gloves. Such an imagination. I guess some fruit gets so bruised it can't help but to be rotten at the core."

Shiori's hands go up to her face, and she drags them down, stressed, "are you just going to let him talk about us that way? C'mon Koby, why don't you trust me?"

"We know what we saw.." Usopp continues, although his voice is shaky and jumbled.

"All right. That's enough! I thought we had a job to do." Helmeppo is tired of the incomplete task he and his partner have been assigned with, "we're looking for a fugitive. Goes by the name of Luffy."

"What does fugitive mean?" Shiori doesn't know whether to panic or not, but Usopp shrugs. The girl turns her head towards her backstabbing EXfriend who stutters to reply.

"Fugitive: a person who has escaped from captivity or is in hiding." Koby pushes his glasses up, then proceeds to sneeze. "Erm, ex-squeeze me!" 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

"Luffy?" The pirate captain murmurs. "Luffy, why, yes, I do know that name. Belongs to one of the lowly criminals Usopp has introduced to the lady of the house. Horrible bunch, drank the place dry."

"That was only Zoro, and you can't shame him because he's dead. He's a dead man. A goner. A zombie. Departed. Deceased. Passed on. A corpse. Unalived. Not living. A carcas. Padme. Remains. Finished. " Shiori's face reddens from anger, "because you killed him!"

"An alcoholic is an alcoholic." Kuro raises his eyebrow, judging the girl, "I have one of the staff members keeping an eye on Luffy now."

The marines step forward to enter the house, but the doors are quickly shut in their faces.

"Do you really want to do this to Luffy? I mean, weren't you two best friends not long ago?" Shiori tries to get an answer out of Koby, but continues to get ignored. "If this is about Zoro dating him, he's literally dead now so there's literally no need to be jealous."