Zoro had been awoken by Luffy whispering in his ear. Startled before glancing around at where they were. His eyes immediately looking for his girl before walking over to her. Holding her in his arms as he checked her breathing. "C? Cece, come on. Wake up." He mumbled.
Celestia woke up with a start as she gasped for air like she had forgotten how to breath. The light made her feel so much better as she kept her gaze on him. "Zoro." She spoke. Placing her hands on his cheeks. "You're okay." She let out a small breath of relief.
"I'm fine. You don't look so well. Is something wrong?" He asked.
Celestia nodded her head immediately. "No. No, I'm fine. I guess I'm not used to being on a ship for that long and then being knocked out so suddenly." She lied. Giving him a small smile before hugging him. Her hands usually brushing against his swords but not feeling them there.
Zoro pulled her close as he respected her answer. Knowing something was up with her. Simply hugging her as he felt her go from tensed up to relaxed in an instant. It was a good sign to him.
"Zoro?" She asked.
"Hm?"
"Your swords are gone." She pointed out.
Zoro had been more preoccupied over her that he hadn't noticed. Feeling the empty slots as he huffed. "Those bastards." He mumbled.
"Ugh." Nami spoke up. "They took my rucksack with all my navigation gear."
Luffy listened to them from his corner of wherever they were. His hands immediately reaching for his head. "Phew. They didn't take my hat away." He sighed in relief.
Nami scoffed a bit. "Yeah, small blessings." She spoke sarcastically. Unable to believe he could compare a hat to what was taken from them.
Celestia listened to them speak as her hand instinctively went to her neck. Feeling it empty as she panicked. "They took it."
"They took what exactly?" Nami asked.
Zoro sent her a small look as he stood in front of Celestia. Keeping his back to Nami. "Hey. We'll get back what they took from you. I promise." He spoke.
Celestia glanced up at him as she nodded. "Thank you." She lightly spoke. It felt empty without her necklace and her katana. The last things she had from her family. Staying close to him before her hand lightly reached down and held his.
Zoro noticed as he glanced at their hands before glancing back at her.
"Sorry. I just like the comfort you give. Is this okay? I can let go if it makes you uncomfortable."
Zoro immediately shook his head. Gripping her hand lightly in his as he held it back. "It's fine. You don't have to ask me, you know." Leaning close to her ear for only her to listen to him. "I might not be in the lead anymore but I can and will make you break before me in so many ways."
Celestia was reminded of their small challenge and forgot about her nightmare for now. Focusing on him as she hid a small smirk. "I don't know about that Roronoa." She whispered in his ear. "Maybe being in this contained space is making you too confident."
"Is that what you think?" Zoro asked into her own ear. "Wait until we get free." He smirked.
"I will gladly wait. It means making you wait." Celestia smiled innocently before glancing at the others. "So what do we do now?" She asked.
"We were caught by Marines. We have to think of a plan and make an escape. Damn it. We lost the map."
"Nope." Luffy spoke as he got up. Hitting his head on the ceiling of their confinement. "The map is somewhere safe." He reassured her before patting his stomach a bit.
Zoro let them talk as he walked over to one corner. Trying to peak outside before using his free hand to try and punch his way out.
"Gross." She mumbled towards the teen patting his stomach. "Woah woah woah! What are you doing? Stop that." Nami spoke up.
"Why? I'm trying to find a way out of here." Zoro spoke.
"What we need is a plan." Nami huffed.
"I don't need a plan. What I will do is beat the hell out of every marine I see." Zoro glanced at them.
Celestia listened to them go back and forth. "Great." She sighed. "So we're trapped here until we find a way out."
"Do you have any ideas then?" Nami asked a bit irritated.
"Maybe I do." Celestia mumbled.
"We'll find a way." Zoro intervened between the two.
Luffy raised his hands. "Everyone. Relax. We're fine." He spoke as he seemed unfazed.
"We are not fine Luffy." Nami spoke as she walked closer. "The marines have taken us and there's a slim chance they will throw us in jail. Maybe even go as far as executing us." She continued. A bit stressed by how relaxed he was.
"They are not Marines." Luffy spoke.
"What?" Celestia asked as she turned to him. "Then who are they?" She asked.
"Before I was knocked out I caught a glimpse of a Jolly Roger. We've been captured by pirates." Luffy explained excitedly.
Nami let out a breathy laugh of disbelief. "Oh that's much better news."
"No. He's right." Zoro spoke. "Marines have training. Pirates will be easier to kill."
Celestia listened as she reached up out of habit to play with her necklace before remembering they had taken it away from her.
"You know, Shanks used to tell me that not every situation can be solved with violence." Luffy chimed in.
"Who the hell is shanks?" Zoro asked.
Luffy didn't answer the question as he simply smiled. "We don't have to fight them." He spoke calmly.
"And what exactly do you plan on doing Liffy?" Celestia asked. "Because I don't feel like sitting around and waiting for them to hand our stuff back." She informed.
"I will talk with them. Pirate to pirate." Luffy grinned.
"You barely register as a pirate." Nami spoke as she sighed.
"What are you even saying? Yes I am." Luffy spoke.
"No, you're not. You're just a stretchy guy in a tattered hat."
Luffy listened to her. "I'm a different kind of pirate."
"Pirates are pirates. There is and always will be one kind of pirate."
"That's not true. He's kind of right." Celestia spoke up. "Not all of them are the way the bad ones made the reputation to be."
"Face one and come back to me." Nami spoke.
"I have." Celestia listened as she walked forward a bit. Being stopped by arms around her waist holding her back from doing something reckless to the ginger.
"Calm down." Zoro whispered in her ear. "We're all just tense from the situation we are in." He spoke.
Celestia listened to him as she forced herself to calm down at the moment. "I'm fine." She spoke as she composed herself. "I apologize." She added.
As she finished speaking the lid to their prison was lifted. The sound of carnival music filling the space. One of the walls being lifted as performers did their thing. Doing tricks as the audience laughed and clapped their hands. Being held against their will.
The group of four leaving their spots and stepping out. Luffy joined in on the clapping as Nami reached over and stopped him from doing so.
"No no no no no." A voice spoke up from the side before a clown came stomping out. "Stop the clapping. Everything is wrong!" He spoke up. Huffing as he began to speak again. "The spot light was totally off and you completely missed the cue to my entrance." Having them move the spotlight to him. "And where was the dancing lion?" He asked as he got close to the guy dressed as one.
Luffy seemed to recognize him as he stepped forward a bit. "I know you. Your wanted poster was in Shells Town. That clown guy. What was your name again? Binky, right?" He asked.
The clown glanced over at him as he looked a bit offended that a little nobody like him didn't know who he was. "The name is Buggy." Buggy spoke. Leaving the man dressed as a lion alone for now. Walking over to the group after their 'Captain' had called him such a name.