A bad question
4. A bad question.
"It was time!" Nami stood nervously a few steps away from the others and looked how Mina, Robin and Zoro were walking to them. Nami was still angry because of the spring incident and now she was living her anger out on the others. The only thing that could cheer her up would be a good dinner. That’s why she wanted to go on as quickly as possible. She had seen a place where they could eat, of course for cheap. Luffy and the others kept away from Nami because they saw that she was annoyed because Mina wasted time in her eyes.
“Are we going to eat somewhere?” asked Mina who stopped by Nami. “Or we go back to the ship?”
“Now when you are finally here we can go. I found a place where we can eat. Only because of you we aren’t going back to the ship.” Nami didn’t looked to Mina and walked away although Mina opened her mouth to answer to her, but when she saw that Nami didn’t listen, she hadn’t no other choice to follow her as the other did the same.
Sanji followed of course too, but he wanted to carry out a thing before he could run after Nami. And that thing what he wanted to do was to mock Zoro. He wanted to rub his success by Mina under Zoro’s nose, because he knew how it would hurt Zoro’s ego.
So Sanji slowed his walking so he would stay back where Zoro was walking. Of course Zoro noticed that Sanji was planning something, but he made a face like he wouldn’t see it. He wasn’t interested what that shitty cook was doing.
“A slave for a week. Doesn’t it sound wonderful?” said Sanji when he was almost walking next to Zoro. “You don’t know how much plans I have made. So much work for you to do!”
“I have no idea what you are talking about. Me? A slave for you? Forget it!”
“Yes you are. I am going to win. Don’t you see? I have made a huge advancement with Mina. But of course this wasn’t a surprise; we are talking about me after all.”
“Maybe in your dream world...” Answered Zoro with a little bit anger to his voice as normal. Sanji had achieved his purpose.
“No, no. This is so obvious. Actually it doesn’t matter; you are too stupid to see it.” Sanji took a cigarette from his pocket. “What have you achieved? Nothing as I see. Are you losing on purpose?”
“I said once, this is stupid.” Zoro walked faster, but it didn’t help to get away from that ero-kokku.
“Are you giving up? I remind you, slave.” Sanji smirked, “Or you are a coward?”
“Tch. Like this would be possible. I will not lose to you.”
“Then you are…” Sanji wanted to add something, but he saw that Robin, who was walking in front of them, turned to them.
“Kenshi-san, Sanji you are too slow and staying too much back. You will lose your way.”
“Oi Robin-chan! Don’t you worry about me! The marimo will get lost, but don’t worry about him too. We don’t need him.” Sanji’s eyes were shining.
“Tch. Urusai shitty cook!“ Zoro gave an angry stare to Robin, not to Sanji. Robin acted like she didn’t see it and walked on. But Sanji noticed it.
“Wait.” Sanji walked again next to Zoro and was now sure about it when he saw Zoro’s angry face. “Did I hear it right? She said to you the nickname and to me my right name.” Sanji grinned “As I can see, it disturbed you!”
“Go away!” It was hard to hide his anger.
“It’s driving you crazy!” Sanji stopped, he got a shock. Someone disturbed that heartless swordsman and that was Robin! “You don’t deserve even your real name.” Sanji laughed about. He had no aim, only that it made Zoro angry, it even hurt him and Sanji’s laughing didn’t help at all.
With a second, Zoro turned around and wanted to grab Sanji’s shirt, but he felt that someone hit his head.
“Dammit! We are there. Don’t you dare to fight!” It was Nami who stopped Zoro.
“Of course my dear Nami-Swan!” Sanji run after Nami, who was walking to the tent. Actually you couldn’t say that it was a tent, because the tent had only roof and the walls were open. Everywhere were hanging lamps and decorations. There were 6 tables under the roof and 9 people had place behind one table. When Sanji saw that there were only 9 chairs, he made his way to find the 10th for Mina.
Zoro stayed back. He had no mood to talk with someone, especially Robin, who seemed to also want to be alone. But Luffy, Usopp and Chopper seemed to want a nice party, luckily for Robin and Zoro, Nami didn’t allow them.
The Mugiwaras had to wait a little bit before they got a table. By the few minutes Luffy almost died. And when they were by the table he started to yell for food. This attracted the people attention, making them look at them.
“Food! Food!” Yelled Luffy like he would be alone there. He didn’t care that the others were watching him weirdly. But Nami cared.
“Shut up!” Nami hit Luffy. Luffy was now quiet, but the people watched on. They even began to whisper. Nami’s face turned red and she sat back to her chair. She understood that she acted too rush.
Luckily, the people forget them when the food had come and Luffy began to eat. Of course, Luffy wasn’t so quiet as Nami had it wished. He’d shove everything into his mouth and whine when he almost choked.
But he wasn’t the only one who did it. Chopper was doing it too. He seemed to be nervous. The reason seemed to be Mina who was sitting next to him. The last night’s talk about the Mina made him nervous because he didn’t understand it.
Mina was eating calmly, but she looked to Chopper and was surprised that such a little animal was able to eat so much. When she finished her food, she observed Chopper and made a huge mistake then.
“Chopper-kun is so sweet when he is anxious!” This was Mina’s mistake. Chopper stopped automatically, half of the food in the mouth. He looked to Mina with a scary face. Mina only smiled to him and that made it even worse. He swallowed all the food which was in his mouth or he tried it, because the food stayed in his throat and he began to choke.
“Chopper!” Mina jumped from her chair when she saw Chopper’s face was turning blue. She grabbed him and put her hands around him. She tried to push him against her so he could cough the food out; luckily it worked. Mina sat relived on her chair, Chopper in her lap. Chopper was breathing once more!
Mina sighed and then Chopper jumped from her lap. He was a little confused about what had happened. The others were deathly quiet.
Then Luffy broke the silent. “You saved Chopper’s life! Where did you learn what to do?!” yelled Luffy with a wonder.
“Mina-san you are so amazing!” Said Sanji
“My mother taught me, she was a doctor.”
“You mother was a doctor?” Chopper seemed to have forgotten that he was scared of Mina and the scenario that had just happened.
“She was a great doctor. She taught me a lot, even how to make medicine. Do you want to hear more?” Mina saw that Chopper was interested.
“Speak!” Chopper said it with an annoyed voice but pushed his chair closer to Mina’s. Mina smiled; it wasn’t hard to understand what he wanted.
When Mina started to tell her story the others went back to their doings. Robin finished her meal and took a book from her bag. It was totally normal for her and it didn’t seem to disturb anyone. But this wasn’t the truth. The first time Robin’s reading bothered Zoro. It had never disturbed him, but now it concerned so much that he had to do something against it. It was Zoro’s time to live his anger out.
“Oi Robin, don’t read here.” Zoro said it not loud, but enough loud so that she could hear it. He didn’t want to attract the other’s attention. But two of them heard it too, Usopp, who was sitting next to Robin and Nami who was looking around.
“Why shouldn’t I read here?” Robin didn’t get it. Everything seemed to be alright.
“The light here is not good enough. You are hurting your eyes. Think how useless a blind archaeologist would be on a pirate ship.”
“Oi Zoro. That was good!” Usopp started to laugh.
“You are worrying about me?” Robin smiled. This wasn’t Zoro’s purpose. He wanted to insult her, but she smiled.
“Tch!” Zoro turned his head away and didn’t say anything and ate on. Even when Nami added her own input.
“Robin you have to confess that Zoro is right. But…” Nami smirked to Zoro and her mood bettered, “….you are so caring Zoro. Where is that coming from?” Even the teasing didn’t help, Zoro didn’t listen. He didn’t want that at all. It seemed to be better to shut up. Nami knew that he was angry at her and Usopp’s laughter didn’t make it better.
Robin read ahead and Usopp ate on too, after a while. Nami leaned against her chair and was thinking. She had worried about it before as well. The others got good along with Robin; Nami didn’t worry about that. But she thought that Zoro would make Robin’s life a hell after Enies Lobby. Fortunately it wasn’t so. Nami noticed that their behaviour had changed especially Zoro’s. But the two were too stubborn not to see that something was between them, from Nami’s point of view. Their relationship seemed to be so good, that Nami hoped that they would eventually fall in love. As possible as it was, she only wished she could say the same about Luffy and herself. Luffy would never see that she was in love with him. At the moment Luffy had only eyes for Mina.
Nami observed Luffy, Mina and Chopper. Mina was talking, Chopper listening and Luffy was eating and nodded and showed that he was listening too. But then something else attracted Nami’s attention. Music came somewhere. She looked around and saw a band playing out from the tent. Then she heard that Mina shouted something. But before she was able to look to Mina’s sitting place she saw that Mina had walked to Zoro.
“Zoro-san, you have to come and dance with me. This is for the splash what you did this morning.” Mina grabbed Zoro’s hand. “Come on, be a man!” The main affect this had on him was his usual irritated glare. Him? Dance? Never! Thought Zoro.
“Zoro, if you go now then you don’t have to pay me the costs of the shirt that you ruined.” Nami smirked. She had to sacrifice Zoro so Mina would be away from Luffy.
“It was only water!” Zoro didn’t want to go at all. It didn’t work on Nami; she only waved with the dept paper. It made Zoro to think, because he didn’t have money and that bet. But then when Sanji offered himself Zoro decided to go. Only one dance, it wouldn’t kill me… would it?, thought Zoro.
He gave up, stood, and went with Mina, allowing the others to stare them.
Mina pulled Zoro to the dance floor where some people were dancing. With a second, without leaving a chance for Zoro, Mina put her hands around his neck and pulled him against her. It was totally embarrassing, as Zoro thought although as a man he shouldn’t complain.
At the same time by the table
Nami sat on Mina’s place. She wanted to talk with Luffy, but he seemed to like to eat more than to listen to Nami.
“Luffy, when are you going to stop eating?” Nami looked him with a worrying face.
“Ne-vffe-rfd”(Never) joked Luffy.
“Luffy…” Nami’s voice was warning.
“Hey Nami! What’s wrong? Eating meat is good!” said Luffy in his childish way.
“Luffy you are unchangeable.” Nami shook her head.
“Do you want me to change?” Suddenly Luffy seemed so grown-up. “If you want I will do it for you.” Luffy said it absent-mindedly without knowing what that meant to Nami. But Luffy’s grown-up moment left fast and he began to play with Chopper.
Back to Zoro and Mina
“I didn’t think that it would be so funny on a pirate ship.” Mina started to speak although Zoro had wished that she would be quiet and so one dance would pass faster. “I wish we wouldn’t reach the Mikano Island so fast.”
“Your sister is waiting you, isn’t she?”
“I know, I know.” Mina remained quiet, “Hey, Robin and Sanji-san are coming.” Mina stopped and let go off Zoro.
“Excuse us for interrupting, but Sanji couldn’t wait anymore. He wanted so much to dance with you, Mina.” Said Robin. When she reached Mina and Zoro with Sanji, Robin couldn’t stand with Sanji, because he was whining that he couldn’t dance.
“Certainly, I will dance with you Sanji-san.” Of course Sanji’s eye’s turned into hearts. “But you Robin, you have to dance with Zoro-san. It was so hard to get him here. He shouldn’t get away from here so easily.” Mina smirked and grabbed Sanji’s hand. “I will watch that you will dance and don’t you dare to go away!”
Zoro didn’t like it at all that someone decided over him. The thought that he had to dance with Robin was even worse than with Mina.
Even Robin didn’t want to dance. She just wanted to go back and read her book on, this would be the easiest. But one side of her wanted to dance with him because it was the best chance to get along with him.
“We can’t do anything against it, we have to give up.” Robin decided to use her chance. Nothing worse can happen, could it? So Robin walked up to him and put her hands around his neck as Mina had done it, but she didn’t pull him near her. Zoro could react in the first second. Everything went so fast.
Zoro’s first reaction was that he wanted to pull her away. It hurt his ego that everyone seemed to have the right to decide over him. But then his second thought scared himself. His feelings were messed up. He wished that Robin would pull him against her as Mina had done. Oh my god! What’s wrong with me! I have to get away from these thoughts…
“You should be grateful.” Robin stated when Zoro finally began to dance. “I saved you from Mina.”
“Was it so obvious?” He gave up. It seemed to be useless to fight against it. So he decided to play along. But it didn’t succeed well.
“It was.” Robin looked in Zoro’s eyes and saw that he was really bored and not in mood. Robin had a feeling that his bad mood seemed to be connected with her. “I wanted to ask something from you Kenshi-san.”
Zoro listened curiously. He knew that Robin’s questions didn’t mean good.
“Are you mad at me because of the nickname?” There was so much Robin wanted to ask it, but she was scared of the question. She had bad feeling about it.
“How do you feel when a Nakama says to you that she doesn’t trust you?” Zoro stopped dancing. A black shadow covered his eyes. “You are the right one to ask that!” He took her hands away and walked away living her there. This was a shock for Robin. Everything went so fast. Does he really hate me so much? Thought Robin. His reaction really hurt her. But Robin put her mask on and followed him, making a face like nothing had happened.
Zoro reached the table. He didn’t want to act so, but he couldn’t handle himself. Nami was really wondered that he alone came but when she saw his angry face she didn’t dare to ask. After a while Robin came too.
“Oi Marimo, did you step on Robin’s toe or something? Why did you leave so fast?”
“Urusai!” answered Zoro angrily. It was the wrong time to speak with him.
“Make me!” Joked Sanji, but he didn’t know how angry Zoro was.
“Do I have to put your pink shirt into your mouth?!” Zoro jumped from the chair and grabbed from Sanji’s shirt. Sanji pull him away after the first shock.
“Stop it!” Yelled suddenly Nami and the both stopped, “This isn’t possible. How you two baka’s always ruin everything! We’re going back to the ship!” Nami wanted to go away and blaming the two was a good reason to go.
“Nami!” Chopper and Usopp yelled together. They didn’t want to go away at all. “Luffy, do something. You are the captain!”
Luffy looked to Nami, but saw that Nami wasn’t going to give up. “Nami decided”
Although Usopp and Chopper whined they didn’t have any other chance as to go. Someone of them liked the idea to go back to ship too. So they started to walk in groups. Chopper, Usopp, Luffy and Mina were walking in the front. Behind them were Nami and Sanji. Zoro, Franky and Brook were walking after them and Robin totally alone in the back.
Nami was totally in her thoughts, but she observed the people in front of her. She wanted so much to go to Luffy and talk with him. Saying such things to her and then leave, was too much for her. The best would be when she could only say everything out what she felt. But the fear that Luffy wouldn’t feel the same or not even understood was too big. Luffy’s rejection would ruin their friendship and maybe even mess up the team. Nami didn’t want that. She decided that the best would be when she wouldn’t say at all and enjoy the time she spent with him.
“Nami I wanted to talk with you. Nami?” Luffy appeared in front of her. She was in her thoughts that she didn’t notice him. Luffy was now standing almost his nose touching her nose.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Nami pushed him away
“Sorry Nami. I wanted to ask you something. Would you be against it if I asked Mina to join us?”
Nami was surprised that Luffy asked her opinion but at the same time unhappy. Mina’s being would ruin Nami’s chances for ever.
“Luffy I wouldn’t agree.”
“So I thought.” Suddenly he smiled, “Then we will have only two beautiful women on ship.” After that he left her and went back to Mina.
A little smile suddenly appeared on Nami’s lips. Luffy had just said that she is beautiful. Maybe Luffy isn’t so stupid…
“Luffy is acting weird.” Said Sanji when he walked next to Nami.
“Maybe he is an adult now.”
Sanji watched Nami with a wondering face. Could there be more?
Half way to the ship, Robin had gathered enough courage to speak again with Zoro. She didn’t want that Zoro would go to the ship without speaking about. When this would happen he wouldn’t speak with her for days.
“Kenshi-san?” Nothing, “Kenshi-san!” Robin tried to attract his attention. But Zoro acted like she wouldn’t exist.
Brook looked to Robin and then to Zoro. “Yo-ho-ho. You know that with Kenshi-san she means you?” For that Zoro gave to Brook a death stare. “Yo-ho-ho. If stares could kill I would be dead! Wait…” He paused in thought. “I am dead! Skeleton joke!” Brook laughed.
Luckily at that same they reached the ship otherwise Brook would pass by death a second time.
It was late and no one seemed to have the mood to do something. Only Luffy yelled that he wanted food, again, but no one listened to him. Usopp, the unhappiest, had to keep watch
Of course Usopp didn’t like the idea at all. Night watch was so boring and scary because he didn’t know what was there in the dark. But Nami made it clear that he had to watch. So he was going to the deck from the kitchen when he saw Mina standing by the railing.
“Mina, why don’t you go to sleep?” Usopp walked to Mina.
“Ah Usopp-san. I forgot that you are on the night watch.” Mina smiled to him and turned back then to the sea, “Is someone waiting for you in your hometown?” asked she suddenly
“Of course someone is waiting. Why are you asking?”
“I don’t have anyone in my hometown.”
“What about your sister and your parents?”
“My sister doesn’t live there any more already for 10 years and my parents are not there too.” Mina seemed to lose herself in thinking back. “One day a pirate team attacked our home island. Me and my sister were in the forest, unfortunately. My father was a Marine admiral and captured a pirate a few days before. Then he came back home and when we heard the same team come for payback. The people on the island blamed us that a lot of people died. They sent us away, so I traveled with my sister around the Grand Line.” Mina looked still the sea, “Oh my god! You don’t have to listen to my problems.” With a second a lovely smile appeared on Mina’s lips. “I will to sleep now” Mina hugged him and didn’t let him to say a word. She left to the kitchen.
Usopp watched the door with a stupid face. What had just happened? thought Usopp. Mina was a mystery for him now.
