"OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH!!! OHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
"Even his crying is ear-splittingly energetic!" Nami forced out through grit teeth as she covered her ears.
"UUUUOOOOH–HOOOOO–HOOHHH!!"
"It's like looking at a waterfall..."
"OHHHHHH!!! OOOOOOHHHH!!!"
"Hey, look!" Luffy pointed at the sobbing giant, "I see a rainbow!"
Karoo was just in pain as he covered his... ears... with his wings. "Quaaack!!"
"My ears...!"
"UOOHHH–HOOOOHH!!! OOOOHHHHHH!!!"
"I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY, MASTER BROGY!!" Usopp exclaimed through his sobs. "I UNDERSTAAAAND!!"
"UUUUOOOHHH!!!! OHHHHHHH!!"
Dorry sat up
Everyone just stared at him in a shocked silence. They didn't think that he actually lived through that last battle. They legitimately thought that Brogy's final hit killed him. Well– expect the unexpected. Dorry didn't die, which was good. Now that they thought about it, it was probably harder than it looked to kill a giant.
Dorry clutched his bleeding arm and looked around. "Musta passed out for a bit..."
What he saw confused him a bit. The humans, tiny, in his eyes, stared up at him in a dumbstruck silence. Why was there water all over the ground? And... Was that wax? Why was there melted wax everywhere?
Brogy was the most shocked. "Dorry... You're...?!"
"Mr. Dorry!"
"Dorry!"
The giant sighed. "It's probably because of our weapons..."
"Ah, right..." Usopp rubbed his eyes and sniffed as he slowly stopped crying.
"Even Elbaf's weapons couldn't withstand all the stress of a duel between Giants that's been going on for more than a century."
"Unbelievable..." Usopp gaped as he looked at the old weapons. A worn battle axe and a chipped sword. They were worn with age and clearly deteriorating. It appeared to be as the weapon's time was almost up. "It's a miracle."
"GABABABABA!!"
"Don't hug me so tight, Brogy, you're hurting my wounds."
"THANK GOD YOU'VE SURVIVED, MY DEAREST FRIEND! GABABABABABAA!!"
"Gegyagyagya..." Even Dorry let out a small laugh as his friend hugged him tightly.
"A miracle? It's only expected. If anything, it's a miracle that those weapons lasted so long. Even their wielders continued to fight time and time again..." Zoro watched on with a ghost of a smile. Brogy was still crying as he shouted into the sky.
"WHAT A SPLENDID DAY THIS IS! LET US THANK THE GOD OF ELBAF!!"
Dorry chuckled again. "Happy you finally landed such a blow on me? Making me pass out?"
"That's not the reason, you old fool!"
WHACK!
"OW! Stop touching my wounds!"
"GABABABABABA!!!"
They both abruptly rose to their feet, a competitive aura surrounding them as they fiercely glared at one another. Oh god, not again.
"ARE YOU INTENDING TO START SOMETHING?!"
"I INTEND TO CRUSH YOU FLAT!"
Nami screamed at them in disbelief. "WHY'RE YOU ALREADY STARTING ANOTHER FIGHT?!"
Vivi sweat dropped before she glanced around. Well... Zoro was over there, next to Luffy and Usopp. Karoo was right next to her, and next to Karoo was Nami. The princess paled as she glanced around in worry. "Um, guys? Where did (Name) go?"
"Ah, (Name)?" Come to think of it, they hadn't heard her screaming for a while.
Zoro looked down at his bleeding ankles as his brows creased. "She probably went back to the ship for medical supplies."
Nami facepalmed.
"We need a doctor. She's the best we've got but she still doesn't know much."
...
...
...
"Who's a good boy? You are! You did so good today! I'm so proud of you! Look at you, saving my friend's lives! You're such a wonderful demon, Kosai!!"
Kosai didn't know if he should be ashamed or flattered. You were praising him so vehemently, hugging his form tight as you rubbed your face against him. Your smile was bright, and you clearly were very proud of him. You were giving him a big hug. So, was this his thanks? He'd be lying if he said he hated it.
"Say it! Say you're a good boy, and that you did a good job!"
"I won't say it..."
You felt Kosai grow warm from beneath you. You were a little warm yourself, but you could manage. He more or less resembled the size of your bed as you sunk into his form to hug him even more. But the heat– That's how you could tell that he liked it. Because he was just some monster oobleck with eyes, he didn't exactly have a face.
Meaning you wouldn't be able to tell what his expression was. Over the years, you have learned to read him better.
This heat, the one that he gave off currently, was the same warmth you felt whenever he was flustered or embarrassed. You rubbed your face into his form as you continued to press him to let loose.
"Please! Come on! You did so well today!"
"You're embarrassing me! If Annan were here to see this–!!"
"Oh, please! Annan's hunting because I let him go wild."
You lifted your face and pouted as a wall of eyes met your gaze. You were on the Going Merry and had gotten sidetracked when Kosai mentioned that he wanted to be thanked. In your opinion, you were thanking him greatly. But back to his eyes– They were half lidded in the way that one would avert their eyes if they were to blush. It made your grin return.
"So say it. You've got nothing to lose."
"I will not."
"I'll get sad if you don't."
"That's emotional manipulation."
"Say you're a good boy, goddamn it. Or else I'll go back to calling you Babygirl in front of everyone."
He sighed, his form beneath you sinking slightly. "I'd like to have my dignity intact."
"You abandoned it the moment you decided to protect me. Say it. Say itttt..." You began to whine. "Kosai, come onnnnnn... Say you did gooooood....."
He huffed and didn't meet your gaze. It was getting hard. Your sad eyes were locked onto him and he was looking anywhere but at you. Fuck it, you were gonna play the emotions card. You didn't care if it was considered playing dirty, you wanted him to just listen to you.
"Kosai."
"What?"
"I love you."
He let out a strangled grunt. "No, you don't. You're just saying that so I'll listen to you."
"I love you a lot."
"You don't."
"Like, I love you so much I wouldn't be able to live without you."
His form trembled beneath you. Finally, after letting out a long and dragged-out sigh, Kosai muttered under his breath. You leaned forward until your cheek was pressed against him again. "Didn't hear you, speak up."
"...--Boy..."
"One more time."
"I'm... A good boy."
You laughed as you buried your face into him again. "Again!"
"I'm a good boy..."
"Yes you are!"
He grunted, incredibly embarrassed and shameful before he sank back through your tattoo. You caught yourself before you fell to the ground, and you huffed. A smile was still present on your face as you brushed your legs off. Well, you win some, you lose some. That's the way it goes sometimes.
You knew he was just asking all high and mighty –haughty or whatever the fuck it was called– but you knew for a fact that he'd be happy if you praised him in front of everyone else. Maybe to warn Sanji that if he touches you, he'll kill him.
(You weren't really down with that– and you honestly just wanted to tell your demon how he did a great job. You had forgotten to do this earlier at Whiskey Peak, the day before, so you were making up for it now.)
But, Annan, dear god, you almost forgot about him– he was going to be the next reason that dinosaurs went extinct. Yatagarasu... You hoped that he took care of the Unluckies so that Crocodile wouldn't be suspicious of Sanji. If not... Well, it didn't really matter.
Crocodile wouldn't know what happened until you pulled the rug out from under him. Unless he somehow had a goddamn fortune teller on his side. Either that or his instinct and his own intuition surpassed yours.
You ultimately decided that you wouldn't get too hung up on the details. You couldn't do everything, you couldn't control anything, and anybody could pull a one-up on you if you were caught off guard, and they weren't a part of cannon. Case in point; Shizumori.
Ah, you supposed that he was more of an example. The Madmen Pirates– you knew a bit about them. However, you didn't know if they were taken from your imagination or were actually put in this world by the will of the things that brought you here in the first place.
You only knew about cannon. Anything besides that was outside of your territory. Your notes couldn't stop someone from just pulling a gun on you and firing. (Kosai would stop it, but you were just trying to prove a point.) You weren't in control– you just acted like it. That's why you acted like... Uh, that, when you spoke with Crocodile.
Anyways, you probably should get ready to leave. You're sure you heard Nami get on the ship not too long ago to discuss plans with Vivi. Hope your praises weren't too loud or annoying. You wondered where Sanji and Z–
"--MINE IS CLEARLY BIGGER!!"
"BULLSHIT! IT'S SMALL AS HELL!"
"OH, REALLY?!! HAS YOUR EYESIGHT GOTTEN AS BAD AS YOUR SENSE OF DIRECTION?!"
"YOU DAMN SHITTY COOK!"
"MINE'S BIGGER YOU MORON!!"
Oh god, this will be good
I can't fucking believe those two.
"NO, MINE!"
"LIKE HELL IT IS!"
You opened the door of your room and blankly stared out at the side of the ship. Their arguments were going to be nothing but pointless banter as your journey continued. It was going to be a good time. For you. Because you'd be dragging them through it.
As you expected, Zoro was standing on top of a triceratops and Sanji was standing on... whatever that creature was. You didn't know the names of most dinosaurs. Only the coolest ones, like the Parasaurolophus. You noted one thing about Sanji and Zoro– they were suspiciously close to one another as they argued.
"Look!" Sanji jabbed his finger at his kill. He even blew smoke out of his nose angrily. "Mine is obviously bigger than yours!"
If I was hearing this out of context, I'd be very confused.
"What's with the sexual tension?"
You think I know? I think they're gonna start making out on the ground if we just let this continue. I mean, I think it'd be funny. Yeah, the most self destructive pair on the ship dating? That's a disaster waiting to happen.
Then again...
You facepalmed. I'm just simping over everyone. I'm not against poly relationships either– what would happen if I just started dating everyone on the ship?
"Oh, I wouldn't let that happen."
Just wondering, Jesus Christ. You'd probably be tugged around like a chew toy.
Zoro's eyebrows were twitching as he glared at Sanji with such animosity and hatred that it was laughable that you thought the two even liked each other. Zoro was seething as he spoke. "Are your eyes for show or something?" That made you snort. "The bigger animal is my rhino."
I should probably try to break it up. You hopped onto the wooden railings of Merry, right next to the duo. "It's a triceratops, you dumb fuck."
"Who cares? They both look good and tasty to me," said Luffy, who rested his chin on his crossed arms. He leaned on the railing you stood on. Zoro and Sanji didn't appear so happy by Luffy's input.
"YOU STAY OUTTA THIS!"
Nami, the only smart person on the ship, was not amused by their actions. "How long are you two going to bicker? We can't even carry that much meat. Pack as much as we need so we can get out of here. We've got an eternal pose to Alabasta– let's set sail!"
"As you wish, Nami~!!"
"Oi. Usopp, my catch is clearly bigger, right?"
"Huh?" He shrugged, "I don't really care. Leave me out of this."
"Is a tie good?" Vivi suggested.
"There's no tie in a contest!"
We're leaving now? Ah, I gotta ask a few things first. You hopped back onto the deck of the ship– but turned to Sanji. You were actively trying to block out Zoro from your view, who had resolved to slice up his dinosaur. "Hey, you answered a call from Crocodile, right?"
He rested his chin on his arms, like Luffy did a few moments ago, as he gazed at you. "Yeah, I did."
"Did the Unluckies interrupt you?"
Sanji shook his head. "No...? Were they supposed to?"
"The otter and the vulture –the ones I told you about– are you sure that they didn't come crashing in through the window?"
"No, nothing out of the ordinary happened."
Your expression brightened and turned around, heading for the mast. You needed to get to the crow's nest. "Ah, don't worry about it!"
"(Name)'s so pretty when she's happy!"
As the others got the preparations to set sail ready, you clambered up the mast. After this, you'd have to sew up Zoro. He was going to get more stitches than a person if he kept this up. Once you were in the crow's nest, you started whistling. They were loud and long. You were calling for Yatagarasu.
"Rasuuu! Honey, where are you??"
His caws came distant and far away. "Caw!! Caww!!"
"We're leaving soon! Hurry!"
"Caaww!!"
You glanced around and sighed. "Annan! You too! I let you have free reign for over an hour!" Where is he?
"He's cutting a megaraptor in half. It's a massacre."
Tell him to get back here!
"I did. He's just... clearing the field."
That dumbass. You tapped your foot against the ground as you leaned against the low walls of the crow's nest. Occasionally, you'd look down below to see what everyone else was doing. Usopp was helping unfurl the sails. Zoro and Sanji had entered another competition; "Who can stock the pantry faster?". Luffy was sitting on Merry's figurehead. Nami and Vivi were reviewing the route.
Ah, I sense the beginnings of a fever.
Your brows creased in worry. Poor girl. She was going to suffer in this next arc. You'd help take care of her when she fell ill with the fever. You abruptly slapped one of your arms when you saw a little mosquito motherfucker land on it. It made your skin crawl just thinking about all of the bugs in Little Garden.
How does Nami get sick?
"I believe it was because she was bitten by a certain insect. I'm sure you'll be fine. Your immune system could take a hit or two."
I guess... You hadn't really gotten that sick in the past few years. You didn't get sick often, but you knew that when you got sick, it was baaaad. Still– you'd gladly get sick instead of Nami, and take her place, any other day.
Kosai tutted. "Don't jinx it."
You shrugged. I won't get sick. I usually smack the bugs offa me before they can do anything. You inhaled deeply. "Annan! Get your ass over here now!"
"He's coming, he's coming. Don't worry."
I'm gonna have to catch a flying goddamn blade. This is so not fun.
"Caw! Caw!"
Your eyes went to the sky. Though on each side your vision was partially obscured by the jungle tundra, you could still get a clear view of the soft blue and white skies above you. Your eyes fell on the large bird that circled around. You could just barely see the sword in its three large talons.
About time.
Rasu slowly descended and you held your arm out. You waited for him to place Annan in your clutches, which he did, very smoothly, might you add, before he latched onto your arm. He cawed loudly and flapped his wings. It hit your face a few times, but you were used to it, and all you did was squint as soft gusts of wind blew against your face.
"Have fun?"
"I've been a bad demon," Annan said, though he sounded as if he was filled to the brim with pride. You hummed as you strapped the sword back to your waist.
"Oh yeah? What've you done?"
"Killed hundreds."
At least they weren't people. You silently mourned the loss of the dinosaur species. "I'm glad that you're calm now."
"Speaking Of calm, aren't you rather docile?" Kosai commented.
So what if you got this way after fights? It was fun to be at peace with the universe when you just finished beating the shit out of some Baroque Workers. Even the thought of stitching up Zoro later didn't faze you. It happens. It was inevitable that your crew was going to get hurt at one point or another. You could only hope that their injuries would lessen as time progressed, and they wouldn't get as serious wounds and such.
"You're pushing your luck."
I know it's asking a bit much to keep my goddamn friends alive. You sent a pointed look to nobody in particular.
As the ship began to sail slowly down the river it first sailed down, most of the chatter and conversation had switched to the next adventure.
"Do you think we should've packed more meat?
"Don't be stupid– We don't have enough space to preserve any more meat than this. Are you trying to sink our ship?
"Hey!!" Luffy called for everyone's attention. And he got it. He always did, the little bastard. He was too cute and stupid to ignore. "The giants have come to see us off!"
They were even bigger when they were standing. Upon remembering that you'd be in for another ride, you climbed down from the crow's nest quickly as they spoke. Their voices were loud and carried, and their capes, the fabric lightly worn, flapped in the wind.
"There's a reason that all of the tiny people who come to this island do not make it to the next."
"And that reason is what lies ahead."
"What?"
The giants continued. Dorry spoke next. "You risked your lives so our pride would remain untarnished.
Brogy's arms crossed. "In return, no matter the foe..."
"We must not let your flag of pride be tarnished either!"
Brogy grinned as they continued to look forward. You weakly smiled and gripped the railings. Nami shot you a worried look. "Trust us and sail ahead– No matter what happens, you must sail straight ahead! Listen to us!"
I was down for getting swallowed by Laboon, but that's because he was kind. We're about to get blasted through a giant-ass magikarp.
"Got it!"
Zoro leaned on the rails beside you. "What're they...?"
Luffy yelled out his next orders to his crew. "Sail straight ahead!!"
As you all sailed forward, you felt the sea swell. You mentally prepared yourself and sighed softly. You always got caught up in so many shenanigans. You watched as Brogy and Dorry drew their old weapons, planning to use them one last time.
"Let us meet again in the future. One day, we will see each other again!"
"H-Hey, what's happening!?"
"Look at the water!"
Usopp paled. "I don't think that's normal!"
The sea began to rise in front of you. The two giants grinned. "So you've come, Island Eater!"
"In the name of Elbaf, we vow to clear a path!"
A giant goldfish surfaced. Everyone screeched.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
"WHAT IS THAT THING?!"
"What... What in the world? Is that a giant goldfish?" Usopp stuttered out, sweating intensely as he ogled the giant creature. He nervously gulped as the creature stared them down intently. A memory replayed in his mind. "Wh-Where have I heard this before?"
Nami shouted at Usopp, who was the closest to the helm. "U-Usopp! Grab the helm– hurry!! Grab it or we're going to be swallowed alive!"
You crossed your upper arms but kept your lower ones tight against the railings. "Eh, we did it once, we can do it again. Kinda like a rollercoaster, right? We did this with Laboon." You said that before you watched Karoo go ballistic. Oh, was that your crow on his saddle? Looks like he was freaking out too.
"QUACK! QUAACK!!"
"CAWWW!!!"
"QUACK!!"
"Usopp, HURRY!!"
"N-NO!" He yelled back, "I WON'T!"
"Wha...?!"
Usopp turned to Luffy, his teeth grit together as sweat poured down his forehead. "We're... We're going straight ahead, right, Luffy?"
As the goldfish opened its giant mouth, and the ship was starting to get sucked into the current, Luffy nodded once. "Yep. You bet."
Nami looked like she wanted to punch you and Luffy. "Don't be stupid! This is completely different from when we were swallowed by Laboon!"
"Pipe down already. Here, I'll even give you the last senbei."
"I DON'T NEED THE LAST SENBEI! IF WE DON'T TURN AROUND THIS INSTANT, WE'LL–!!"
"Nami. Just give it up already."
Zoro leaned against the wall casually as Karoo (and Rasu) screeched to get into the kitchen, as if they were seeking safety. Nami snatched the senbei from Luffy and munched on it– tears coming to her eyes. She lived with idiots.
"Luffy!" Sanji called out, "Are you sure they're trustworthy?!"
Luffy nodded confidently. He was serious. "Yup."
"Are you kidding me?! We're going straight into that MONSTER?!!"
"Yup."
"STOP SAYING THAT!!!" Vivi sobbed as she clung to Nami. They were going to die, weren't they? They were going to die.
Your world went dark as the giant goldfish's mouth closed in around the ship. Then, the ship tilted backwards as the water began to rush down its throat. You were going to be swallowed. Oh yeah, you were also screaming your ass off by the way. It was just as exhilarating as a dark roller coaster ride.
You couldn't see what was happening, and you wanted it to stay that way. The voices of the giants were muffled by the flesh of the giant goldfish, but you already knew what they were saying. You were just bracing yourself for the imminent impact.
Screaming wise, Usopp was in the same boat as you. "STRAIGHT AHEAD!! STRAIGHT AHEAD!!"
"WHAT ARE YOU SCREAMING FOR?! WE'VE ALREADY BEEN SWALLOWED ALIVE!!"
Luffy chanted with him. You wanted to die. "STRAIGHT AHEAD! STRAIGHT AHEAD!"
You were on your knees as you gripped the railings. Oh boy, oh ho boy, this was skirting between the lines of "this is so much fun" to "mom pick me up I'm scared".
"I wouldn't close your eyes if I were you. You might want to see this."
I'm scared of heights you bastard. Your body tensed as you stared straight ahead. You heard the giants let out a terrific yell.
"WARRIOR NATIONNN!"
The light hit your eyes so brightly you thought you had been blinded. There was a literal hole blown through the fish as it was pierced by the mighty final attacks of Brogy's battle axe and Dorry's longsword. Goosebumps littered your skin, spreading like wildfire as the wind whipped strongly against your face. The more excitable crew mates laughed– no longer scared.
"WO–HOOOOO!!!"
"WE'RE FLYING!!"
"DON'T TURN BACK NOW!! FLY STRAIGHT AHEAD!!"
The sea sparkled around the Going Merry as it sailed in the air. Luffy held his hat on tight– still seated on the figurehead to get a front-row seat since he was a maniac. "They're so... freakin' big!!"
Usopp shakily took a breath as tears and snot ran down his face. His eyes were screwed shut as his tears almost twinkled in the sunlight. "They cut... Th-the ocean itself... So this is..." He sniffed so hard he almost coughed. "The power of Elbaf's warriors!!"
"ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!"
"NOW GO!!"
The giants laughed heartily, watching as their new favorite tiny humans sailed off.
"GEGYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYA!!!"
"GABABABABABABA!!!"
~ . . . ~
Usopp was high off of sheer awesomeness
"Guys! One day!! I swear!! I'll visit Elbaf and the village of warriors!!"
Usopp and Luffy swung each other around in happiness as they both cheered. They were both enjoying themselves immensely after the events that had just occurred. The sea had calmed, but not the crew, and things were still buzzing around in the air.
"Alright, Usopp!! We'll go there one day for sure!"
"Yes!!"
"--To the home of the giants!!"
"El~ Baf~ Baf~ Eeeeehl~ Baaaahfff~ Where ev'ryone is gigantic~ 'Cause they're giants!!!"
You shook your head from the crow's nest, which you had returned to. Zoro was up there with you, obviously against his will, as you patched him up. He had various burn marks to add onto his cut up ankles. Kosai had divided himself in two, one half staying with you as the other went to Zoro, to once again heal his wounds.
Rasu was still inside, most likely resting, you had put all of your swords into your room, since you didn't really need them –because let's face it– dealing with Annan after a bloodbath was difficult–, and you were probably going to stay on watch if Nami actually showed symptoms of the fever. You guessed that she still would, seeing as you needed Chopper and all.
"Everything good?"
Zoro was clearly grumpy. Now he had to wait even longer for the fight. Stupid dipshit deserved it. " 'S fine. It's numb."
"Any tingles?"
He focused on his feet. "A bit."
"That's good– it means the bleeding stopped. Don't try to cut off your ankles again."
"Can't promise that."
"You're so stubborn. I can never understand you," you sighed, using one of your free hands to wipe the sweat off of your forehead. "I'm tired from everything that transpired. That hot weather was something else."
His brow raised. "Hot weather makes you tired?"
"Yeah. It's called heat exhaustion, have you heard of it?"
Zoro shook his head. Well, he had never been sick a day in his life so it made sense. Dumb bitch probably didn't know what hypothermia was either. Who let this man outside without basic knowledge of the environment and weather? That was such bullshit.
"Can I train after this?"
"Hmm... Don't see why not. No frantic movements with your legs. You know the drill."
You were wrapping up the wounds with clean bandages when you heard Usopp and Luffy cheer loudly. You could tell that one of them was using the stairs– and it was Usopp. Luffy was crawling up the railings like a spider. You didn't look up as you asked your next question.
"What was that?"
"Lunch, apparently."
The two of you were silent for the next few minutes as you finished everything up. Zoro had one of his legs over the crow's nest. He paused in his movements. You thought he was going to turn to face you, and you expected that he would ask you something. He didn't turn around, but he did ask you something.
"That wax."
"Hm?"
"Could you have cut through it?"
What...? What did that have to do with anything?
You cleaned your hands with some wipes as you answered him. "Uh, I don't really cut through a lot of things with my sword, but I probably could've. Annan can cut through stone and most metals."
He didn't say anything else after that. Did you say something to offend him? You hope not. You watched as Zoro left and– wow, actually took your words into consideration. He carefully climbed down the mast; eyes trained on his now bandaged ankles. You sighed and leaned back, tossing the bloody rags aside.
"Why's it gotta be so hot today?" You whined, covering your eyes with your arm as you leaned back on the wooden wall of the crow's nest. Sanji called up from the main deck.
"(Name)-swan!!"
You waved one of your hands over the side of the nest. "Up here!"
It was no shock how fast he was in front of you, plate and drink in hand. You smiled calmly at him as you took the dishes from him.
"What's on the menu today?"
"Petit's fours, some tea, and a salad." The air around him sparkled as you drank the tea slowly. "Of course, I can make anything else you'd like, (Name)!"
You shook your head. You set the plate on your lap with a short sigh. "No, Sanji, you've done enough. Thank you." Your eyes went up as you tried to recall what you made that morning. "I should have some bread or cookies in the pantry. Feel free to snack on some."
Sanji climbed down, empty handed, as he called back to you. "Let me know if you'd like anything else~"
"Sure will."
The iced tea helped with the sunny and hot weather. The ice inside of it clinked against the glass and droplets of moisture formed on the outside of it, spreading a pleasant cool feeling to your fingers.
There wasn't much cloud cover– but this was Grand Line. The weather would change soon enough. You wanted a milder climate next, like overcast or rainy. You hadn't seen a nice thunderstorm in a while– and Loguetown didn't count. You wanted a rainy day on the seas.
It didn't help that you really wanted hot pot, even if you knew you'd regret it after.
"I'm sorry I can't cool you down. My realm is dealing with heat, not the cold." Kosai apologized.
No–No it's alright. I'll just have to build up a tolerance to the heat. Grand Line's weather is just weird. Maybe I should drink some more water soon. You absentmindedly sipped your tea and ate your salad. Oh, this is good. Tangy.
"Do we have any pie left?"
How come you had to be the healthy one in this relationship?
It's in the fridge. Go ham on it.
"Oh, I have an idea..." Kosai bubbled off of one of your arms as he slowly crawled up the side of the crow's nest. Now that he was no longer touching you, he spoke aloud. "I'll go sit in the fridge for a while to cool off, and then I can help you cool down."
You yawned, "Ye–Yeaaah. Go ahead. I don't think there's any caffeine in this." You gestured to the glass. "The rest of the pie is yours, Kosai."
"I'll be back momentarily."
You waved him off. "Take your time. I might take a nap later... Oh, but I can't, because of, well..."
He 'nodded'. "I understand– Go put sun lotion on."
You gave him a thumbs up. You'd put some on if you decided to take a nap later– but you did have to watch the ship's route while everyone else helped Nami. You yawned again– Your stamina was good, you'd say it again, but today was just a lot.
"Everyone! It's an emergency!!"
Vivi rushed onto the main deck with a panicked expression. She glanced around for the others, who looked at her strangely. Zoro paused in his workout– Luffy stopped eating for a moment. Sanji and Usopp stood casually by, waiting for her to continue. What was the need for the rush?
"Eh? Vivi?" Luffy said, cheeks stuffed full of food. His head cocked to the side curiously. "What's wrong?"
"What is it?"
"Vivi?"
"N-Nami! It's Nami! She's passed out and she's running a high fever!"
The crew rushed back to the stern with Vivi, coming across their navigator. She wasn't looking too good. Some orange strands of hair stuck to her forehead, wet with sweat, and her face was flushed a feverish red. Her breath came out in strained pants. Nami was in pain.
"We-We have to get her to her bed!"
Luffy's eyes bugged out of his head as he looked at the girl's limp body. "Nami!"
"H-How do you pick up a sick person?? What if we hurt her?!"
"Nami! Don't die!" Luffy poked her forehead before the crew's chef kicked him out of the way. Damn. Why does Sanji have to do him like that? He bounced off the wall that he was kicked into.
"Stop screwin' around and open the door for me!" Sanji yelled, carefully picking Nami up from the floor. He definitely did not want to drop her. If he did, he'd be jumping off the ship to atone for his sins. "She's burning up– we need to get something cool on her head. Usopp, go get some ice and a wet towel!"
He ran off. "Got it!"
It wasn't long before they were in Nami and (Name)'s shared room. She was put to bed, a cold compress slapped onto her forehead to cool her down. Nami was still sweating profusely. As with most sick people, even her resting face conveyed that she was hurt. The slight scrunch in her nose and the gentle furrow in her brows.
Sanji was in tears. He sobbed as he trudged over to Vivi to seek comfort. "IZ NABI GUNNA DIE?! WELL?! IZ SHE, BIBI?!!"
Vivi was just as worried. "It must be from the climate change. This is one of the obstacles that sailors will come across sooner or later when they enter the Grand Line. It's a sickness caused by the abnormal climate."
The crew loitered around the room that Nami was situated in. The only ones who weren't in the room were (Name) and Zoro, tasked with staying outside and making sure that they stayed on course. Vivi's explanation, and her time in Grand Line, gave the statement the most credibility. A sickness brought on by the weather... It sounded scary. They hoped that the girl was doing well.
The blue haired princess was on her knees as she watched over Nami. "No matter how strong you are, helplessly dying at the hands of such an illness is a common occurrence here in Grand Line. Even the slightest symptoms can lead to death if ignored." She glanced at the pirates, continuing. "Is there anybody on board with medical knowledge."
They all pointed at Nami, minus Sanji, who was busy wiping his tear-stained face with his sleeve.
"But (Name) has some knowledge on it too!" Usopp hit his open palm with his fist. "If she can patch up Zoro, she probably knows what to do with illnesses and fevers like this. Plus, she has a ton of siblings and grew up as the oldest daughter of her royal family. She's got the best medical knowledge out of all of us!"
"Really?! That's great!" Vivi stood to her feet. "(Name) can help her then! We should–"
The door slammed open, startling the group. They turned to the open door. There was Zoro– his leg raised slightly, as he had kicked the door to open it. He grit his teeth together. The crew noticed something was very, very wrong.
(Name)'s forehead was slick with sweat, her own breath coming out long and strained– just as Nami's had been. Zoro was carrying her on his back, adjusting his hold as she nearly slid off of him. He didn't look happy at all as the rest of the crew covered their mouths in shock (and Sanji screamed in horror).
"It's (Name)... She's also got a fever."