"Usopp, think fast!" Cassidy shouted, throwing a piece of chocolate towards her friend, who caught it in his mouth in moments.
"And that's number forty-two!" he laughed, taking a sip of champagne.
"Is it a challenge? I want to play!" Luffy joined in with notable enthusiasm, opening his mouth towards Cassidy.
The brunette smiled and took more snacks from Sham's bowl, who was watching them with a displeased expression. Cassidy smirked at him.
"Ready, Luffy? Today our challenge begins," the young woman warned.
"More than ready!" Usopp patted the brunette's shoulders.
Cassidy instantly threw the first sandwich, landing it in the captain's mouth.
"Woah!" Luffy celebrated, chewing the chocolate sandwich.
"That's number one!" Cassidy smiled, high-fiving both young men.
"They are delicious," Luffy put more of those snacks in his mouth.
"Isn't that true? Usopp smiled.
"Why don't you eat, Cassidy?"
He extended the sandwiches towards the brunette, which she denied, moving her hand away from her.
"No, thank you. I'm allergic to chocolate," Cassidy explained.
"You see, Luffy. Cassidy is a little. . . weird with food. There are many that she cannot digest," he pointed to her to speak.
"I won't say all the foods I dislike, Usopp," she denied.
"And what do you eat?" Roronoa interrupted, drinking liquor.
"Mmm, I like soup," she smiled, taking one last sip of her champagne.
"You're weird," Luffy laughed.
"Join my crew," he asked.
Cassidy glanced at Kaya coming down the stairs and smiled, completely ignoring Luffy's question.
"She looks beautiful, doesn't she?" she nudged her best friend, followed by a mischievous smile.
Usopp stared at the blonde, while Cassidy made hearts in the air, causing Nami to laugh.
"Nami, Cassie! Those dresses look divine on you," Kaya complimented, receiving a smile from both of them. "The red one belonged to my mother. It was one of her favorites," she smiled, caressing the garment that Nami was wearing.
"Ah. Sorry, I. . ." the navigator tried to apologize, being interrupted by Kaya.
"No, no, no," she denied repeatedly. "Surely, I would agree that you look splendid," Nami smiled again.
"You look splendid too, Kay-Kay," Cassidy complimented, taking her friend's hands with a smile.
"Always so sweet, Cassie," Merry spoke, giving the young woman a radiant smile.
Cassidy widened her smile.
"Kaya. Sorry for interrupting you, give me a second, please," Merry interrupted, whispering to the girl. "There are issues regarding the transfer of ownership of the shipyard that we must discuss as soon as possible."
"Merry, dear friend," Klahadore intervened, positioning himself next to Kaya,
"There is always business with you."
Both Nami and Cassidy looked at each other, somewhat confused and expectant about the situation.
"Tonight is a celebration, mmm?" he smiled forcedly.
"What if we better go to the dining room?" the butler suggested, pointing to the hallway that led them to this same one.
"Yes!" Luffy exclaimed instantly, making Kaya laugh silently.
━♡
Sham served Cassidy's dish, who tried not to grimace when she saw what it was. Usopp instantly noticed his best friend's discomfort and cleared his throat, drawing the bluenette's attention.
"Hey, Sham. I remind you that Cassidy doesn't eat fish," the brunette spoke.
The employee instantly snorted, rolled her eyes, and removed Cassidy's plate, exchanging it for a vegetable soup.
"Cassie, I'm sorry," Kaya apologized, but Cassidy raised her thumb with a smile, downplaying it.
"Well. . . I'd like to try the fish tonight," she spoke before Sham took Cassidy's dish.
"I am sorry, Miss Kaya, but that is not going to be possible," Klahadore denied the blonde's request.
"Maybe a small piece?" she insisted and Cassidy couldn't help but feel bad for her friend.
"You know that there are certain foods that can affect your constitution," the butler reminded.
"Peaceful. Buchi prepared his special soup for you," he smiled, the latter handed him her plate.
Cassidy shifted her gaze to her right, finding a rather hungry Luffy devouring the food rather quickly.
"Hey, slow down, beast," the girl mocked, handing him a glass of water when the captain began to cough hard.
Once the brunette had finished the food with a good drink of water, he smiled at Cassidy.
"Thank you, I needed that," and again began to devour the pieces of roast meat.
"Kaya, it's your birthday. You should eat whatever you want," Nami said, getting looks from everyone present.
"Kaya's medical condition requires someone to monitor her dietary needs," Klahadore explained.
"And do you also speak for her?" Nami raised both eyebrows.
Cassidy hid her laughter by hiding her face in the glass, taking a slow sip of the water.
"I'll eat your fish." Luffy raised his hand and that's when Cassidy almost spit out the water because of the small laugh that escaped her.
Wow, this boy's stomach is a bottomless barrel, thought the brunette.
"Luffy. Hey, wasn't there something you wanted to tell Kaya, buddy?" The great Captain Usopp interrupted.
"Oops. Yes," said the aforementioned. "Usopp told me that you own the shipyard."
"Oh, actually, my parents officially own it," Kaya replied.
"And Merry's been taking care of business since. . ." the tone of her voice died down instantly.
"Well, since they died," she sighed.
Luffy looked at her expectantly.
"But that's about to change," the blonde spoke again.
"Today, at midnight, I will become the sole owner," she looked away from her to Usopp, they both connected instantly and smiled at each other.
Cassidy clearly noticed that. She cleared her throat and slyly kicked Usopp's foot, which cut her eye contact with the blonde and gave her friend a pained look. The brunette moved her eyebrows up and down quickly, giving him a smile full of mischief. Usopp narrowed his eyes, hitting him back.
"Umh, well. . . Lucky, because we want to buy a ship from you," Luffy spoke again, taking a sip from his glass.
"I understand. Usopp mentioned that you are sailors," Kaya smiled.
"Nope, not sailors," Luffy denied. "We are pirates," he confessed, raising his glass with pride.
Usopp spat out his drink, Nami gave him a quick glance, Zoro smirked, taking a sip of his liquor, and Cassidy slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand.
"Pirates?" she mentioned incredulously.
"Yep," the captain stated.
"We haven't been sailing together much, but we've already defeated an evil clown, attacked a Navy base, and taken out a captain with an axe for a hand!"
He told of his recent adventures with a wide smile and notable emotion in his voice.
Zoro rubbed his hand slowly and Nami shifted somewhat uncomfortably.
"Sounds identical to your adventures, Usopp," Kaya smiled.
Usopp faked a laugh, feeling nervous. "Yeah. . . what. . . Crazy, right?"
She put her hand around her lips.
"Exactly. And we're just getting started," Luffy placed one of his feet on the table, surprising those present.
"What do you think you are doing? Get down from there immediately," Klahadore asked sharply.
Luffy ignored him.
"Being a pirate has been my dream since I can remember," the straw hat captain began to speak.
"And, finally, I will be able to fulfill it," he rested his forearm on his knee, directing his gaze to Kaya.
"We are heading to the Grand Line, where many more adventures await us," he smiled widely.
'And, at the end of the journey, I will find the greatest treasure. The One Piece. And I will become. . . the king of the pirates," he walked until he reached Kaya, taking one last sip from her glass.
"Are you serious?" Kaya spoke with amazement.
Luffy extended the cup towards Klahadore, who with a grimace held it.
"Kaya, you have a beautiful ship out there," he took her shoulders.
"A caravel with a goat figurehead, and she spoke to me."
Cassidy smiled, leaning against the back of her chair, listening attentively to the brunette's words.
"It is the ship I need to follow my dreams. I promise you that we will take care of her. Fondly. We will treat her like a member of the crew. Because a ship is also a home," he smiled.
"That's enough!" Klahadore interrupted with a loud shout, interrupting Cassidy's tranquility.
"I should have known that Usopp and Cassidy would bring trash to our dining room," he spat with displeasure.
Cassidy was ready to give her the middle finger, when Nami denied, slowly lowering her hand.
"Klahadore, it's okay."
"No. . ." he tried to speak to Kaya, but she let out a loud cough, interrupting herself.
"Look what you have done."
"Kay-Kay, are you okay?" Cassidy worried, trying to get up from her chair, but she was stopped by Buchi's rough hands.
"Everyone, get out of this house at once!" the butler ordered firmly.
"No. It's late. Let them stay," the blonde asked, getting up from her seat with the help of Klahadore.
"As you wish, miss. But they will leave first thing in the morning," the butler accepted with clear conditions.
In moments, both Kaya and her employees left the dining room, leaving a great silence in it.
"That went very well," Luffy smiled in an attempt to ease the tension.
"Don't you think?" he looked at his friends.
Everyone looked at him in complete disbelief. It was clear that that didn't go well at all .