*3rd P.O.V.*
She left the room and moved down the hall, her current goal to get a wash rag and a bowl of water to tend to her friend's temperature. On her way down the stairs, she found herself humming that same song and it wouldn't leave her mind.
'Well... I suppose there's only one thing to do about that...' She thought.
"In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun." She said aloud as she made it to the bottom of the stairs, "You find the fun, and snap! The job's a game!"
(Y/n) began to skip to the kitchen with a loud snap of her fingers as she began to sing.
"And every task you undertake~! Becomes a piece of cake~! A lark~! A spree~! It's very clear to see~!"
"Ooo, there's cake?" Luffy chirped as his brothers in unison smacked him over the head.
"Ow! I was just asking!" He whined.
(Y/n) suppressed a giggle at Luffy as she skipped past them into the kitchen, "That~. A~. Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down~! The medicine go down-wown~! The medicine go down~! Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down~! In a most delightful way~!"
She went to the cabinet as she whistled the tune for a few moments and continued the song as she reached up for a bowl.
"A robin feathering his nest has very little time to rest~! While gathering his bits of twine and twig~! Though quite intent in his pursuit~! He has a merry tune to toot~! He knows~! A song~! Will move the job along~!"
She moved over to the sink and began to fill it with cold water.
"What about Robin?" Luffy questioned, confused by what she meant as his brothers face-palmed.
"For a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down~! The medicine go down-wown~! The medicine go down~! Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down~! In a most delightful way~!" She sang as she grabbed a small clean towel and skipped back out of the room with the bowl, happily whistling the tune as she went.
Luffy sweatdropped at the girl.
"Why is she singing?" He questioned his brothers as Ace simply shrugged.
"Eh, it's harmless, so it's not like it's a problem. We are in her home, after all." He pointed out.
"I don't mind it. I think she has a good voice." Sabo added.
(Y/n) suddenly turned and threw a pillow from the couch at Luffy, "I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE FOR SINGING MARY POPPINS! THAT IS A SONG FROM MY CHILDHOOD AND I WILL SING IT SINCE IT'S STUCK IN MY HEAD!"
'She almost sounds legitimately mad.' Sabo thought, 'She's somehow still cute when she's mad, though...'
"Hey, (Y/n)! Come here really quick, there's something beautiful by our window!" Noire quickly shouted to the (h/c)-haired woman, "C'mon, come quick before it disappears!"
"'Beautiful'?" Ace questioned with a blink, before humming.
What could possibly be near the window upstairs...?
"Coming~!" (Y/n) turns and runs up the stairs, nearly splashing water onto the floor in her haste.
She rushed into the bedroom and looked around for the thing that Noire found was so beautiful, "What is it, Noire?"
Noire was now out of her bed, to (Y/n)'s displeasure, as she beckoned her near the window, before pointing at a little birdie, that looked quite exotic.
(Y/n) placed the bowl of water down and approached the window to look at the bird.
It was absolutely beautiful! About the size of a pigeon and looked as if it were made of blue flames. It had a long golden head and tail feathers that shimmered and flickered. It had a purple cross-like pattern on its chest and purple markings around its eyes, almost making it look like it was wearing glasses.
(Y/n) gasped softly at the sight of the luminescent bird and opened the french doors to the balcony, being very careful not to startle the bird.
"W-wait, I am going to get some feed!" Noire spoke excitedly.
"A-and my phone!" She chirped as she rushed to get said items before gently lending out her hand full of feed for the pretty little birdie, taking a picture of the bird.
"I think this bird might be a boy, since male birds tend to be prettier than the female birds, and have brighter colors." She guessed while cooing at the pretty bird.
"That's right, I forgot to tell you! This island has so many pretty birds! I was going to suggest we go on a walk or something, but I forgot." (Y/n) said as she dropped to her knees and carefully approached the bird, trying not to spook it.
"Hello, little one~!" She cooed softly at the flame-like bird, "Are you hungry? I could get you some bread or something. I baked it myself~."
The bird chirped happily at the two girls, nuzzling its head against their hands which caused the girls to awe at its cuteness.
"I'll go get some bread right now~! Please don't go before I get back!" (Y/n) gave the friendly bird a gentle scratch on the neck, loving the feel of its soft and warm feathers, before getting up and rushing from the room as fast as her feet would take her.
"Maybe get the fella some water, too!" Noire suggested as she continued to coo at the bird while scratching under its fluffy neck.
"Who is a pretty bird? You are~!" She giggled before blinking in shock as the bird suddenly flew into the room.
"U-um, please don't poop here..." Noire begged as the bird then ultimately decided to rest atop something...
Something like... Noire's head.
"Oh my god!" She squealed before going to take another picture.
The bird went to ruffle her wavy hair a bit with its beak, seeming quite content.
(Y/n) rushed down the stairs and ran to the kitchen, "Bread! I need bread! Quick!"
"Why? What did you see?" Luffy questioned curiously.
"Only the prettiest bird I've ever seen~! It's the prettiest shade of blue and looks like it's made of fire! It's on the balcony right now!" The (h/c)-haired girl replied as she found a small loaf of bread she baked the other day.
The three boys went to look at each other, knowing specifically what bird she was talking about as Ace groaned.
"Of course... Now, of all times..." He sulked, still just in a towel.
(Y/n) paid them no mind as she rushed back up the stairs with the bread.
"... Do you think Marco saw you...? Or overheard the thing about the ducks...?" Sabo asked his freckled brother.
"I-I sure hope not, or I am forever going to be teased!" He sighed.
"Eh, I think it's a good punishment." Luffy nodded with a grin.
(Y/n) ran into the room and saw the bird on Noire's head, making her want to squeal with delight.
"Hello, birdie~! I'm back with the bread~!" She sang softly, tearing off a piece of the bread and holding it in the palm of her hand.
The bird gently tousled Noire's hair, before going to fly over to (Y/n)'s hand taking the bread with delight.
"Let me know how it is if you can, okay? I hope you like it~."
The bird, after eating the piece, then appeared to have nodded as if confirming it was good. It suddenly jumped up with a flutter of its wings and sat on (Y/n)'s head which caused Noire to take another picture.
"Aw~! I'm so happy you like it!" (Y/n) gushed, reaching up with her free hand and gently petting the bird's head.
The bird in response cooed and proceeded to do something that was quite interesting.
"Pretty... girls..." It squawked, which caused Noire to squeal.
(Y/n) practically had stars in her eyes, "It can talk...? That's so cool~! You're such a smart bird!"
The bird kept cooing that sentence over and over, as it played with (Y/n)'s hair with its beak.
"Pretty girls! Pretty girls!"
"I wonder what they call this type of bird... I think it's only native to this island..." Noire hummed.
"He's so cute~! I want him to stay~!" (Y/n) giggled at feeling her hair being played with, "Maybe I should give you some fruit too. I think birds eat fruit too... I think we have some pineapple in the kitchen."
The bird didn't seem to mind that suggestion, still going to play around with (Y/n)'s hair before suddenly fluttering over to Noire and perching on her shoulder.
"What's up, birdie?" Noire questioned as the bird then leaned its head on her cheek, seeming to be checking for something.
Then the bird nodded at her, which caused her brows to quirk curiously.
"Uh, what are you trying to say...?" She asked as the bird made a chirp.
Suddenly, the bird burst into blue and gold flames which spooked Noire.
"THE BIRD IS ON FIRE!" She yelped, not knowing what to do as the bird then nuzzled against her neck.
Oddly enough, she didn't burn, and even stranger, her cough was gone.
The bird seemed to extinguish itself as it turned back to normal. (Y/n) was stunned at the whole thing, so much so she couldn't even react or know how to react. I mean, who could have ever seen that coming; a pretty bird bursting into flames that didn't seem to burn at all?!
"Well... That was different..." She commented with wide eyes.
"(Y-Y/n)..." Noire called out softly as she held the bird up with her hands.
"Th-this is a magical bird~!" She proclaimed, "My cough is gone!"
(Y/n) stared at the bird and lost herself in her thoughts, 'This bird... It looks like it's made of fire... It can burst into flames... And it can heal people...'
It dawns on her.
"It's a phoenix, Noire! A real-life phoenix!" She shouted, "They really do exist! There is magic in the world!"
Noire looked at the bird in awe, who simply tilted its head to look at her and gently nuzzling her nose.
"Pretty girl~." It cooed as Noire kept looking at the bird in shock.
"M-maybe legends aren't so legendary after all... the legend of the phoenix could be based on this bird!" She nodded, trying to rationalize what just happened.
"You know how bees can produce honey? Maybe it's something similar with this bird... maybe it's feathers contain a special property that can heal any sick person from any ailments they may have!" She hummed as the bird didn't seem to disagree, simply going to snuggle into her hold instead.
"I'm sticking with magic! It appeals more to my inner child who still believes in the mystical wonders of what could really exist in the world!"
"Yeah, but true magic is dark, (Y/n), and that's if it exists. Magic is a supernatural thing, after all, so who on Earth will have access to it? Demons!" She pointed out as the bird went to playfully peck on her fingers.
(Y/n) pouted, "Noire the Grim strikes again--killing my hopes and dreams!"
"Hey, we still need to stick with the reality of things!" She argued before going to pet the bird with her thumb.
"This bird seems to really like us, so we should give him a name!" She smiled as the bird also nodded in agreement.
"I was thinking Doc, because of his amazing abilities and markings on his eyes!" She giggled.
"What do you think, birdie? Is there a specific name that you would want, or... will Doc do just fine?" (Y/n) asked, leaning in close to the bird.
That was rewarded with a gentle nuzzle on her nose as the bird nodded.
"..Doc!... Doc!"
"So cute~!" Noire awed, continuing to stroke the birdie, who looked to be in pure bliss.
(Y/n) giggled and gently cupped the bird in her hands, holding him up to her face so she could nuzzle him.
"Such a cute little bean~!" She cooed before giving the bird a quick kiss on the beak.
The bird chirped happily at the kiss, his cheeks even seeming to turn a light pink!
"Cute!~" Noire giggled, before going to do the same thing next. To say the bird was happy would be an understatement.
"Pretty girls! Pretty girls!" He sang happily, making a kissing motion to their cheeks and even trying to reproduce the sound of it.
"Aw~! He gave us a kiss back! What a sweetheart!" Noire awed, going to scratch under his beak as the bird continued to sing happily.
"We need to show the guys! This little one is so precious~!" (Y/n) sang as she rushed from the room with the bird in her hands, rushing down the stairs as fast as she could.
"Hey, wait for me!" Noire called back, going to follow her.
Doc didn't seem to mind as he sat calmly in her hands.
"Guys! Guys! Look at the cute bird! He's so pretty~! And he's super smart too!" (Y/n) said as she presented the bird to the three brothers.
Ace paled at seeing the bird as the bird started to laugh.
"Ha ha ha!" Doc cackled at Ace as Ace's cheeks burned a deep crimson, completely embarrassed.
"Oh, hush, Doc. It's not nice to laugh." (Y/n) scolded light-heartedly and gave the bird a kiss on the cheek, making Sabo instantly glare at the "bird".
Ace glared at the bird as well as Doc stopped laughing instantly, going to give a kiss back to (Y/n) which caused Ace's glare to become harsher.
"Oh, hi, Marco! I--ow!" Luffy stopped his greeting to the bird and glared at Ace, "Why'd you kick me, Ace? That hurt."
"You moron! They can't know that the Marco we know and that bird is one in the same!" He pointed out with a hiss.
"Marco...?" (Y/n) repeated as she glanced from Luffy to the bird.
The bird looked at (Y/n) blankly, not even going to acknowledge the name.
"Oooooh~! I get it! Is this his bird or something? You seem to know him... Is the bird's name Marco too?" She asked.
Ace slowly nodded.
"Um... y-yeah! It's technically his bird, but not really. He rescued that bird, and he is free to roam around as he pleases, but he is quite fond of my friend Marco for rescuing him. We never really gave him a name." He made up as Noire grinned triumphantly.
"I knew that guy was also a part-time vet~!" She fist-pumped.
"Wait... He rescued the bird? From what?" (Y/n) asked, getting curious.
"That bird was kind of the runt and was born very weak. He needed extreme medical care to even survive." Ace continued to make up, hoping his brothers also backed him up on this.
"Oh, I see. I was gonna say, if he was hurt or something he would be fine, right? He is a phoenix that can heal people and himself too, after all. Right?" (Y/n) pointed out with a nod.
"Where did you get the idea that this little birdie is a phoenix?" Ace nervously laughed as Noire looked at him with slight suspicion.
"'Cause he suddenly burst into flames that didn't burn and now Noire's cough is gone." the (h/c)-haired girl answered.
"W-well, that's just a, um, this is so embarrassing to say, but uh... th-that's apart of it's mating display!" He continued to lie as "Doc" blushed madly at that suggestion as did Noire.
"Uh... WHAT?"
(Y/n) felt her cheeks turn pink as she slowly looked to the bird in her hands, "... Say what now...?"
Sabo face-palmed, sighing at this whole scenario as he rubbed his temples.
"Great job, Ace..." Sabo sighed quietly.
"H-hey, at least I'm trying!" Ace hissed back before nodding.
"Y-yeah, he seems rather fond of beautiful young ladies, in general. He does that kind of thing to all of them." He continued to lie as "Doc" flew quickly over to him and started pecking him on his head, seeming to chirp angrily at him.
"Um, I need to process this... Excuse me for a moment." (Y/n) said as she turned and quickly rushed off towards the stairs, covering her reddened face with her hands.
"I-is what he saying true, Doc?..." Noire awkwardly asked as Doc quickly shook his head, pecking at Ace again.
"Moron! Moron!"
"You're right, Marco. That was stupid to say." Luffy agreed with a nod.
"Noire, maybe you should check on (Y/n)..." Sabo suggested, sheepishly running his fingers through his hair.
Noire nodded quickly, before going to check up on her friend.
"Are you alright?" She asked her, as Doc in the meantime continued to attack Ace, causing him to start running around the kitchen to avoid the assault.
"S-stupid bird, stop it already!" He growled, trying to shoo him away which resulted in an angry squawk.
(Y/n), now in the hall upstairs, leaned against the wall with her forehead pressed against it.
"I-I will be... Just... I just need to process it..."
"Doc shook his head when I asked him if what Ace said was true, so calm down, it's alright." She told her reassuringly.
In the meantime, "Doc" suddenly transformed into a grown man, who smacked Ace hard against the head.
"W-why the hell did you even suggest such a thing?!" He growled at him, as Ace glared back at him.
"Hey, I was covering your ass! If they found out that a middle-aged man was creeping on their window, what would they think, other than being surprised that it's even possible for people to transform?" He barked, as "Doc", or rather Marco, ran a hand through his blond locks.
"What're you doing here anyway, Marco?" Luffy asked, tilting his head, "Is it because Ace was being a jerk and went to see (Y/n) without me and Sabo?"
"No, I was just curious about the new humans. They're really pretty~." Marco smirked, earning a smack to the arm from Ace.
"Don't go perving on them now, Marco, or I will kick your ass!" He warned as Marco glared back at him.
"I'll help you." Sabo added, also glaring at Marco.
"Oho, so the young ones are being a bit feisty today, huh?" He chuckled, before shaking his head.
"I can do whatever I please. If I want to "perv" on them, then I will, and I will be enjoying a great sight that none of you will ever get to see." He grinned as Ace went to smack him again.
"We're not children anymore, Marco. But, then again, you aren't exactly as young as you used to be so who are you to comment on age?" Sabo sneered, feeling that hidden side of him coming out after hearing Marco's patronizing words.
"Word on the street is that the raven-haired beauty has a bad crush on Katakuri of all people." He pointed out, going to fold his arms behind his head.
"I don't know about (Y/n) yet, but I do know that Noire has a thing for guys my age, so I'm not even worried." He smirked.
"Don't you have something more important to do? Why don't you go tell Thatch about Ace's love for playing with rubber ducks or something?" Sabo suggested with a narrowed gaze.
"Oh, I will when I am done here, but I just want to remind you kids that I have a lot more experience dealing with those beauties than you three do." He chuckled.
"You may have experience, but that won't mean anything if (Y/n) and Noire don't like you outside of bird form. What are you going to do? Become their pet?" Sabo asked.
Marco shook his head with a snicker, "Oh no, I'll become something even more. You three will see."
"Hm? Something more? What's that mean?" Luffy asked.
"You'll see soon enough." He told him with a confident smile.
The taunting actually made Sabo's clenched fists ignite into flames, "Leave, Marco. Now."
"I can do that too, you know." Marco smirked more, going to appear his blue flames as well.
"The only difference is that my fire can actually burn. Want to feel for yourself?" Sabo growled, slowly standing to his full height.
"Yeah, sure, and I will make the girls even warier of you as a result. Noire already doesn't like you, want to make it into hatred?" He chuckled darkly.
Sabo was about to lunge at Marco but Luffy's tail shot out, stretching across the table and wrapping around his brother's waist to keep him in place.
"Oi. Stop fighting. Right now." Luffy spoke up with a deep frown and a narrowed gaze.
"Well, do you?" Marco smirked widely, "Go ahead, attack me! How will you explain injuring the bird that those two are fond of?"
"Marco." Luffy was now glaring at the phoenix man with his eyes having a slight red glint to them, "The way you're acting right now is reminding me of how Sabo was acting when he first met (Y/n) and it's starting to piss me off. Cut it out."
Marco held his hands up.
"Alright, alright." He smiled, before transforming back into the bird, and going to fly outside through the open window nearby.
"Now that you mention it... you're on to something, Luffy! The same thing kind of happened to me as well!" Ace nodded before sweating at the younger brother,"So, uh... how are you not affected...?"
"Hm? Whaddya mean?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.
"Oh, I forgot... you're a bonehead, so that's why..." He shook his head.
"You don't have to say mean things to me, Ace. I know that her soul is really strong and it makes me want to be close to her, but I've already decided that I won't let how I feel change the way I treat everyone else." Luffy replied with a frown, "But I won't hesitate to hurt anyone who hurts (Y/n) or her friend, no matter who they are. That's why I'm gonna find the guys who hurt (Y/n) and kick their asses."
"Alright." Ace nodded, not going to get in his way in that regard and sighed.
"Just great... I can't believe Marco was secretly hanging around here!" He shook his head.
He was guaranteed to be the laughing stock now...
"Could have been worse," Sabo said with a shrug.
"How in the hell could it have been worse?" Ace questioned Sabo in disbelief.
"Marco could have taken a picture of you playing with the ducks in the bath and showed them off to everyone." Sabo suggested.
Ace clicked his tongue.
"You're right about that... b-but c'mon, you should see Noire's collection, it's huge! She even has a duck that looks like herself and (Y/n)!" He pointed out.
"Cool~! I wanna see them now!" Luffy declared happily, stars in his eyes.
"You'll have to be very careful with them Luffy. Apparently, some deceased person who was close to her gifted those ducks to her. I-I didn't know they held such importance to her..." He awkwardly stated as he still felt guilty, "So, you'll need her permission!"
"Oh... So they're her treasures... I won't ask then." Luffy said as he touched his own straw hat.
"I'm back!" (Y/n) chirped as she poked her head back into the room from the hallway entrance, causing everyone to flinch.
'Thankfully, Marco's back in bird form. That would've been an awkward thing to explain...' Sabo thought with an internal sigh.
"Hey, where's Doc?" Noire questioned, standing by (Y/n) as she looked around.
"He flew out the window--probably to go back to Marco." Sabo informed, pointing to the open window.
"Aw... I hope he comes back soon." (Y/n) pouted.
"I don't..." Sabo muttered to himself under his breath.
"Yeah, he was such a beautiful bird! He gave me a lot of good pictures!" Noire chirped, fishing out her phone and going to show them the pictures she took, including the ones of "Doc" sitting on their heads.
Sabo couldn't help but frown at the pictures, really not liking how close "Doc" was with the two girls--(Y/n) in particular.
"Oh, Ace, I think your clothes should be just about dry now. They might still be damp in places, but..." (Y/n) informed as she checked the clock on the wall.
"That's fine by me!" He quickly replied, yearning to get back into his clothes again.
He'll just heat them up to dry them the rest of the way if need be.
"Alright. I'll be right back." She nodded before she left out the back door.
As soon as she left, Noire went to turn to the three, her face grim.
"If any of you are going to ever use our bathroom to shower, or for anything else, don't lay a finger on my rubber ducks; understand?" She told the three as they immediately agreed.
Luffy nodded with a serious look on his face, "Those ducks are your treasures, right? They're important to you. There's no way that I'll ever touch them without permission."
Noire smiled softly at his words, "Yes, they're my treasures..."
"This straw hat is my treasure. I made a promise to someone and he gave me this hat. When I fulfill my promise, I'll return it to him. Until then, I'm gonna take good care of it." He said with a grin.
"Promise...? What is the promise you made to this guy?" She questioned curiously.
"I promised that I would be the strongest on the island. And until I get the title of strongest I'm gonna take care of this straw hat and beat anyone who gets in my way--just like that Flamingo guy."
Noire quirked a brow.
"Flamingo guy? Who the heck is that?" She asked.
"Doflamingo... Trust me, the less you know about him, the better," Sabo added.
"I'm back!" (Y/n) announced as she returned, a pile of clothes in her arms.
"Here you go. They are damp in some places, but they should be dry enough to be comfy to wear." She said as she held the clothes out to Ace, "And don't worry. I won't tell Luffy or Sabo about the pattern of your boxers."
Ace blushed madly, before thanking her, and going to quickly get changed.
"About time." Noire chuckled, "We literally had a naked man in our house, (Y/n)!"
"I said I was sorry! I wasn't thinking it through! But you didn't seem to mind much!" (Y/n) defended, holding her hands up in surrender.
Noire rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, whatever, but anyways, (Y/n), apparently there's this guy named Doflamingo. Your boyfriend here said he's bad news, so be wary around any man who looks like a flamingo." She warned her.
"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" She immediately screeched, her face turning red.
"Yes, he is. He is a boy, and he is your friend. Therefore, he is your boyfriend." Noire smirked.
"Okay! Yes; He's a boy and he's my friend, but he isn't my boyfriend! Those are completely different things!"
"Sabo, do you know what they're talking about?" Luffy whispered to his brother, who just shrugged with a puzzled look.
"Would you want him to be, though?" Noire asked with a grin.
(Y/n) began to sputter incoherently before she pointed accusingly back at Noire, "What about you and Ace, huh?! You probably want Ace to be your boyfriend, don't you?! You even had a naughty dream about him last night!"
Noire blushed madly at that accusation.
"H-how many times do I have to repeat myself?! It. Was. A. NIGHTMARE!" She hissed in frustration. "And how do you know it was even naughty?" She questioned, "The only one I want for a boyfriend is your new boss, Katakuri!"
"Exactly! You said you wished it was him instead of Ace--which implies that you dreamed of something not suitable for children to witness! You blushed a lot too, so I know it's true! You dreamed of doing nasty things with Ace!"
"I-it was only a few kisses; that's it!" She waved her hands.
"I don't believe that for a single second! Admit it--if I wasn't the one to introduce you to him you would be all over him!"
Noire shook her head, "N-no, because Katakuri is way more attractive than him!"
"Then why'd you faint when you saw Ace walk out of the bathroom in just a towel, huh?!"
Noire gripped her wavy locks in agitation.
"B-because any man that's only covered with a towel will warrant that kind of reaction!" She explained, "L-look, let's just drop this, okay?"
"Then don't accuse anyone of being my boyfriend!"
"Fine!" She agreed.
It was only then that (Y/n) noticed that not only were Sabo and Luffy there for the whole argument but a fully clothed Ace was there too, standing in the doorway.
"Um..." (Y/n)'s face turned bright red, "How long have you been standing there, Ace...?"
"For quite a while." He smirked, going to lean against the doorframe.
"So... Noire, want to make that dream a reality?" He grinned, wiggling his brows as she smiled at him.
"Sure! As soon as you grow a few feet, get a haircut, lose your freckles, and wear a big scarf, lots of leather, and have a magenta tattoo." She grinned.
"Oh...! And when your name is Katakuri." She smirked at him.
"I dunno 'bout that... I think you like him just the way he is..." (Y/n) muttered, crossing her arms as she looked off to the side.
"Appreciating a man's appearance is one thing, actually liking him is a whole different matter," Noire told her.
"I thought you were starting to like Ace." (Y/n) pointed out.
"O-oh, just be quiet, (Y/n)!" Noire scolded her, shaking her head.
"A-anyways, these three had their breakfast... they can go now." She waved her hand, making a shooing motion.
"Aw, do we have to~? I wanted to spend more time with (Y/n)..." Luffy whined with a pout, his words making (Y/n) blush a little.
"I'm afraid we have to, Luffy. We've bothered them long enough." Sabo said as he fished out his wallet and pulled out a wad of money to hand over to Noire, "Here. This should cover the cost of the groceries, plus interest for taking care of Ace for us. We know he can be difficult sometimes."
Noire soon was smiling ear to ear, as she happily took the money.
"Thank you very much, Sabo. This is more than thanks to me." She grinned, going to hug the blond.
Sabo was shocked by the sudden, dare he call it, affection. So much so that all he could do was stay frozen in her hold.
"I'll come to see you again soon, (Y/n)~!" Luffy said as he rushed over and gave the (h/c)-haired girl a big hug, which she gladly returned.
"I'll have something tasty waiting for you, then." She giggled, causing Luffy to beam.
"Okay, now get." Noire chuckled, releasing Sabo from her embrace.
"Alright, we'll see you soon. Have a nice day." Sabo said as he turned to walk to the front door.
Ace had to pry Luffy off of (Y/n) in order to get him to go with them, much to the straw hat boy's protest as he wiggled to get out of Ace's hold.
"C-C'mon, Luffy! We have to go!" Ace told him sternly, trying to keep him away from hugging the (h/c)-haired girl again.
The boys left the house and were on their way back home when Sabo glanced at Ace.
"We're still having that discussion when we get home, Ace." The blond said with a slight glare.
"What discussion?" He quirked a brow.
"What do you think? About (Y/n)."
"Uh-huh..." He nodded, trying to casually brush it off.
"Brush it off all you want, but that talk is going to happen when we get back!"
"Ugh, you're like an old man, Sabo!" Ace rolled his eyes.
"If I'm old then so are you, Ace. You brought it upon yourself regardless."
Sabo suddenly froze as a shiver went up his spine, his eyes going wide.
"What?" Ace questioned.
"... Danger..." Sabo muttered, gulping hard as he broke out into a cold sweat.
He felt a sudden sense of dread and he knew the source of this feeling all too well.
"W-what kind of danger?..." Ace gulped.
"I finally found you, Sabo~!" A feminine voice cried as Sabo was suddenly tackled to the ground from above by a flash of brown.
Ace was frozen for a second, and then a few seconds more.
When he finally realized what had just happened, he began to laugh.
"Looks like you got your hands full now, lover boy, which means that chat you want to have with me... will not be happening!" He cackled before running off.
"Oi! Ace! We can't just leave him behind!" Luffy protested.
"H-hey, she's a Charlotte! We don't mess with Charlottes!" He told his brother, continuing to run.
"P-P-Pudding! What the hell are you doing?!" Sabo stuttered as he struggled to turn himself over, Pudding sitting on top of him.
"What we should be doing! What we should have been doing for a long time now~!" Pudding started to pull at Sabo's clothes with a hungry look in her eyes.
Sabo paled, "Hell no!"
He tried to drag himself away and managed to do so, though he had to sacrifice his vest and shirt to slip away from the Charlotte's grasp.
"Sabo! Where do you think you're going?!" Pudding shouted as she ran after the blond, his shirt and vest still in her hands.
"Away from you! Leave me alone, dammit!" Sabo shouted over his shoulder as he sprinted after his brothers.
"Get back here!"
"NO!"