Okay wow
This is the first time I'm experiencing what it means to go on 4 hours of sleep for a month. I've got so many ideas coming in and not enough hours in the day to write them out.
I'm about to crash out but I just had to get these chapters out because if I'm feeling this beat so far, I can't imagine how everyone else might want nothing more than to drown their worries of reality in a good read.
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CHAPTER 37: Information and keeping Promises
"You do realize I'm underage, right?"
Robin glanced at the kunoichi attempting to keep her chin up. An amusing sight to learn. "I've already seen you drinking with the others. Besides, we're not going there for the drinks."
"I figured," Sakura sighed.
They walked into one of the rowdiest establishments in Mock Town. Glancing at the broken windows and peeling wood sign as they entered. Instantly hit with the smell of rum and smoke, but their eyes stayed ahead on the counter. Passing through the laughter and arguments, listening to the shuffling of cards and classes knocking together as they took their seats at the front. Fully aware of their surroundings.
The bartender, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, approached them with a grunt. He placed a glass in front of them, "What'll it be?"
Robin ordered two drinks with an air of nonchalance, and Sakura reluctantly took hers, though she didn't touch it to her lips. If she was going to get drunk she'd rather do it on the ship with her friends. Of course it didn't look like anyone cared about checking their ages. Was there just no legal limit?
The bartender leaned on the counter, eyeing them curiously. "You two don't look like the usual sort around here."
"We're from out of town," Robin took her glass, hovering it to swirl. "I've heard whispers about an island in the sky. Any truth to those rumors?"
The bartender froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Island in the sky? Lady, that's the funniest thing I've heard all week!"
His words did not go unheard by the other patrons of the bar and the laughter spread, with jeering voices that made Sakura ready to throw a punch and bring the entire building down. If it wasn't for Robin's calm disposition she likely would've. Perhaps a byproduct of spending so much time with her pirate friends.
"Another one of those fools, huh?" one pirate chuckled. "The only quack who believes in that nonsense is that lunatic, Cricket!"
"And where might we find this 'quack'?" Robin asked, undeterred by the insulting laughter.
The room fell silent for a moment as one of the pirates swaggered over to them. He was tall and burly, his grin revealing several missing teeth. "And what's a pretty lady like you willing to pay for that kind of information?"
Robin's calm expression didn't falter as she twisted her body to face the masses. Sakura kept her back from them, but her attention was stern. "I was thinking an exchange of information for no broken bones."
Before the man could respond, arms sprouted from his shoulders and back, wrapping around his body like constricting vines. Robin's arms were curled up crossing over her chest, as she bent him backward, making him groan in pain.
The bar erupted into chaos. Pirates drew their weapons and stalked toward the women, shouting threats and curses, attempting to posture.
Sakura sighed, rolling her shoulders. "I'll take care of it,"
It started with one man walking up to Sakura, he towered over her by nearly a meter. There certainly were many overly tall people in this world. He reached out for Sakura, it wasn't in an attempt to hit, but rather something more grotesque that justified the gut punch Sakura delivered. Her arm sank into his belly before he doubled over. That brought the others to rise from their positions and move to strike.
In an instant, the room became a battlefield. Sakura turned to liquid, dodging punches and kicks with ease and delivering brutal counterattacks. Her fists connect with her targets and without fail leaving behind the desired damage, breaking bones, shattering jaws, and sending men sprawling to the floor. Robin, meanwhile, used her ability to incapacitate opponents from a distance, sprouting her limbs to disarm them or knock them unconscious. The fight was over almost as quickly as it had begun, the bar now littered with groaning bodies.
The bartender, now pale and trembling, stood behind the counter like he had turned to stone. Robin turned her attention back to him. "Now, could you tell us more about this man Cricket?"
The man stammered, his bravado completely gone. "H-he's not welcome here anymore! Rumor is he's living on the other side of the island."
Robin smiled politely. "Thank you. One more thing; where might I find a map of the area?"
..
..
..
The girls returned to the ship with a handful of bags and information. The moment they stepped back onto the deck of the Going Merry, the quiet was a giveaway to an issue. The straw-hats ship was never silent in a normal setting. Even at night, there was noise of some kind, either snoring from the boys' rooms or Sanji scolding Luffy from the kitchen, or Usopp's late-night stories, even Zoro's counting during his exercise rounds, a reminder that someone was always there. Silence was the alarm that something was wrong, no one should be able to hear the creaking wood of the deck under their feet.
Then Nami's voice ran through, "Robin!" The orange-haired girl appeared from the top deck leaning over the handrail, her eyes fuming. "This is all your fault! If you hadn't brought up that ridiculous Sky Island nonsense in the first place, we wouldn't have been laughed at!"
Robin didn't react, neither defending nor deflecting, and Sakura found Luffy, his straw hat tilted low over his face.
His clothes were torn, his face bruised, and fresh blood staining his cheeks. Without a word, she hurried over, her medical instincts kicking in.
"What happened to you?" Sakura demanded as she knelt beside him. Her hands glowed faintly with chakra as she began to heal his wounds. "How do you even manage to get this banged up?"
Luffy was reckless and impulsive, as was Zoro but they had Nami with them, who had gone specifically to make sure they stayed out of trouble, to top it off it was hard to fathom he had gotten this injured.
"It's nothing to worry about," Sakura looked over at Zoro, who stepped up on the deck. He was in just as bad shape as Luffy.
"Did you two fight with someone?"
Nami chided in the answer, "They weren't fighting at all! They just let themselves get beaten up!"
Sakura looked between the two for an explanation, and Zoro caved. The three were exploring, and looking for information regarding Sky Island. Of course, Luffy didn't see a problem excitedly sharing his travel plans with the entire bar. That had turned on the chuckles to high volume and Nami took great offense to this. Their ambition of the sky island was nothing more than the fantasy of dreamers and wannabe pirates, none worthy of respect. And that prompted people in the bar to start attacking Luffy and Zoro.
The reason the boys didn't respond with their usual vigor towards battle was because as a precaution Nami made them promise when they docked that they wouldn't cause trouble or get into fights. A promise they took so seriously that being hurled through a window wasn't enough to break it.
"You know there are exceptions and such a thing as special circumstances right?" Sakura cautioned when she spoke. But Luffy was adamant on his stance.
"A promise is a promise!"
"I said I didn't care anymore but they just wouldn't budge!" Nami exclaimed. "Who cares about a stupid promise when you're dignity is on the line!?"
From the upper deck, Zoro's voice drifted down, dry and laced with sarcasm. "We were thinking about what you said 'Don't cause trouble, don't fight. Or did you forget?"
Nami's eyes narrowed, her hands balling into fists. "Oh, so it's my fault now? I told you it was fine to defend yourselves, but you two just wouldn't…." Her voice cracked with exasperation, and she threw her hands up in defeat. "You're impossible!"
Sakura, meanwhile, finished healing Luffy with a playful tug on his cheek. "All better, Captain. Try not to get into any more trouble okay?"
Luffy laughed through his teeth in that familiar 'shi, shi' pattern, rubbing his now-smooth cheek. "Thanks, Sakura! You're the best!"
Her smile faded as her gaze drifted to Zoro, who was leaning against the railing of the upper deck, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable. For a moment, their eyes met, and it felt like something just passed through, knocking them into a sense of discomfort. Sakura huffed, turning away abruptly.
'He'd probably find it annoying if I healed him anyway,' Despite her inner turmoil at the thought, she stomped over to him without a word. He once again stiffened in caution, reminding her of a cat a stranger wanted to pet.
"I don't need-
"Did I ask for your input?" She interjected through clenched teeth. It didn't matter what he thought of her, she wouldn't let him interfere with her position on this crew. She healed his wounds, noticing every time she neared his skin he would give the slightest shift. And Zoro was normally a calm composed type who trained under the deposition of discipline. So for him to show how much discomfort she caused was quite a blow. Why they had even come to this point completely slipped Sakura's mind.
"The wounds are shallow-
"Yeah, now shut up so I can concentrate and get this over with," Sakura hissed. Unbeknownst to him, she was resisting the urge to dig her fingers into his wounds and make them a little less shallow. But she didn't want to linger longer than necessary.
'This is stupid,' Zoro didn't know why he thought this, but it felt right to believe. He noted how Sakura's concentration was laid on his wounds only and not in his entirety. And he felt irked by the fact that he was becoming so aware of her presence in turn. The focus in her eyes, how her brow furrowed and how she had a few more lines in her forehead when she frowned, or the way her lips pressed into a line. He didn't even notice it till now, but her forehead was a little wider than average, and her breathing was light.
He didn't even realize when she finished until she stepped back, without another word and took off.
Observing the scene in quiet amusement like a spectator to a play was Robin, chuckling as she saw Zoro stare at Sakura's back with a look of utter bewilderment. Taking off his usual mask of stoicism and control.
"Well, well," Robin drew in a smooth tone, "It seems even the most unshakable swordsman can be caught off guard."
Zoro's face flushed, and he quickly looked away, muttering something under his breath about "meddling women."
Too bad for him, Robin was not about to draw back this curtain.
"Let's have a chat,"
Somehow he felt like he should've turned away.
..
..
..
Zoro stood at the bow of the ship, his gaze fixed on the horizon, but he was oblivious to the scent of the waves growing stronger. He was detached and void of all sense and feeling because he was consumed by the memory. The memory of that conversation clung to him like a second skin, stubborn and unshakable. He wiped his face with his hand as if he could scrub away the emotions that had settled over him, but they remained, heavy and persistent.
His eye flicked toward Sakura, who was standing near Luffy, her hands gesturing animatedly as she tried once again to explain why they needed to go to the other side of the island. Luffy, as usual, looked completely lost, scratching his head and grinning sheepishly.
Zoro's chest tightened, and he quickly looked away. He didn't think like this.
But as much as he tried to convince himself, the seed of doubt had been planted. And try as he might, he couldn't uproot it.
"I must be going crazy,"
..
..
..
Zoro and Robin stood near the ship's railing, their presence drowned in the sound of waves lapping against the hull, creating a backdrop of tranquility that should've been enjoyed in silence. Robin had no intention of following that intent and had just said what Zoro considered to be one of the most absurd things he'd ever heard.
"Are you out of your mind women!?" Zoro's arms crossed over his chest but his shoulders were raised in defense. His voice was steady, but there was a flicker of unease in his tone. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
Robin tilted her head, her dark eyes gleaming with amusement. They've been arguing on this topic for the last five minutes, "Denial doesn't change the fact that you're showing all the signs."
"Signs of what?" Zoro snapped, his patience feeling like wet paper. "You need to get your head checked if you think if you think….." He trailed off, unable to even say the words because every time he attempted to, he felt his skin grow warm and he looked away, scowling.
Robin's lips curved into a sly smile and Zoro never hated Luffy more for letting her join their crew than he did right now. "You are interested in Sakura?"
Interested. That was the word she used now, but Zoro couldn't pivot from what she had initially said straight out before. That he had somehow, his behavior towards his crew mate, could be concluded as an emotional attachment that went beyond the border of friendship, and kinship. Frankly, those were not boarder Zoro ever bothered to look for never mind cross, so he had a rather heated reaction, convinced it was because he took offense.
Zoro's head snapped back toward her, his eyes wide with disbelief. "She's a comrade. A member of this crew."
"It seems to me you've started seeing her as more than that." Robin didn't miss a beat in her statement but Zoro was ready to jump out of his skin.
"More?" Zoro repeated, his voice rising slightly. "What's more?"
Robin leaned against the railing, her tone light but pointed. "Have you ever been in a relationship, Zoro?"
"Of course not," Zoro replied without hesitation. "I couldn't be bothered with that sort of thing. What about you? Have you?"
That kind of question is something he never would've asked before, but he was desperate to shake Robin's foundation like she was inadvertently shaking his.
"My circumstances wouldn't allow it."
Zoro nodded as if that settled the matter. "Same for me. Besides, I'm not interested."
"Someone your age not being interested is… concerning. Are you sure there's nothing wrong with you? We have two doctors on board. I'm sure Chopper could do a physical."
Zoro's face turned beet red. "What the hell do you mean? I'm fine!"
"Not the kind of fine I was referring to," Robin said, her voice dripping with mischief.
Zoro couldn't bear to continue the conversation. He turned on his heel and walked away, his face burning and his thoughts a tangled mess. Over his shoulder, he muttered, "Think whatever you want but don't go spouting nonsense to the rest of the crew. Especially Sakura."
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The journey to this point had been anything but peaceful. While sailing to the other side of the island, they had been intercepted by another salvager ship. At first glance, it had been eerily similar to Masira's ship, so much so that Luffy and Usopp had started comparing the two, pointing out the uncanny resemblance. But it wasn't the same ship, crew, or captain. No, this was Masira's brother, and he didn't take kindly to Luffy's casual admission that they had kicked Masira off their ship. The ape-like man had attempted to tear their ship apart with nothing but his voice, a feat that was as impressive as it was terrifying. Rather than engage in a fight, the crew had decided discretion was the better part of valor and made a hasty retreat.
Sakura sighed in relief as her feet finally touched solid ground.
The day had been full of oddities, and even now, as they docked near what they believed to be Montblanc Cricket's house, the strangeness didn't let up. The house, if it could even be called was perched precariously on the edge of the island, a bizarre structure to say the least but it certainly made an impression. From a distance, it had looked like a bright, towering castle, a beacon of grandeur. But up close, the illusion shattered. It was nothing more than a mirage, a patchwork of cardboard and weathered wood, held together by a few nails. It was like a blown-up prop that belonged in a carnival.
"With a house like that, it's no wonder he doesn't live in town anymore," Sakura remarked, her hands on her hips as she surveyed the peculiar dwelling.
Sanji, lighting a cigarette, chimed in. "I bet he's not allowed to live in town anymore."
Nami turned to Robin with a furrowed brow. "Why are we so sure this guy knows anything?"
"Cricket claims there's a vast amount of gold in Jaya,"
Nami's eyes lit up like twin suns, and before anyone could stop her, she was off the boat, barking orders at Chopper. "Dig! Dig everywhere!"
The crew scattered, each member exploring the area in their way. Luffy was poking around the cardboard structure, fascinated by its flimsy construction, while Usopp attempted to coax him out.
"I don't think that guy is going to cooperate if he comes home and sees us tearing up his yard," Sakura muttered under her breath. But her caution, as usual, was ignored. Nami's obsession with treasure had a way of drowning out all reason, and the rest of the crew seemed content to follow her lead, in other words, create their own brand of chaos.
Out of shinobi habit, Sakura's eyes wandered, scanning the area for anything else of interest. Her gaze landed on an old book resting on a tree stump that had been carved into a makeshift table, surrounded by smaller stumps serving as seats. The title caught her attention immediately: Noland the Liar.
"I know that book," Sanji said, appearing beside her. Sakura wrinkled her nose at the smell of cigarette smoke, and Sanji quickly stubbed it out before stepping closer. "It was published in the North Blue, where I grew up."
Usopp blinked in surprise. "I thought you were from the East Blue."
Sanji shrugged his hands in his pockets. "I was born in the North Blue and grew up in the East Blue. This book is a popular fairy tale, supposedly based on a true story. It's about a man named Noland who lived in the North Blue 400 years ago."
Sakura opened the book, her eyes skimming the first few lines. "It says here that Montblanc Noland was an explorer who told incredible stories about his adventures. But no one knew if he was telling the truth." She continued reading. "One day, he reported to the king after returning from his travels, claiming he had found a city of gold on an island. The king decided to set sail in search of this treasure. After a treacherous journey, they reached the island, but all they found was jungle. In the end, Noland was sentenced to death for lying. His last words were, 'That's right! The mountain of gold sank into the sea.'"
She closed the book, her brow furrowed. "I don't understand. Was this story supposed to deter children from lying?"
Sanji nodded. "Exactly. It's a cautionary tale."
"It says this book is based on a true story," Sakura mused, her curiosity piqued. "Interesting."
"Do you like books like this, Sakura?" Sanji asked, his tone softening.
"Well, I like reading," she admitted, "but I'm not too sure about these kinds of stories."
Before Sanji could respond, a loud splash interrupted the conversation. Sakura turned just in time to see Luffy flailing in the water, having somehow managed to fall in. But what caught her attention more was the tall man who emerged from the exact spot where Luffy had been standing moments before. He had an acorn-shaped head and a stern expression, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.
"You've got nerve relaxing in someone else house without permission,"
Sanji rushed for the new arrival, "Usopp, get Luffy out of the water! I'll handle this."
The two men exchanged some hits. The man pulled a gun on Sanji, but before the cook could even land a kick, and before Zoro could draw his sword to assist the stranger collapsed on his own. Falling like paper.
"What just happened?"
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