Disclaimer for all chapters: I do not own One Piece or its characters.
Under Mirangu Branches
written by: Leiyoi
Adapted from the movie You've got Mail.
- 1 -
Dear Straw Hat,
I have a dog named Chopper. I picked him off of the streets because he was being bullied by a group of dogs. We quickly became friends and now, every morning, he wakes me up by jumping on my bed with a loud bark. I guess it's almost a routine now. Sometimes I fall asleep in a corner of the room but Chopper knows when I need to get up for work and comes to get me. He's a strange dog. I find him flipping through the medical books on the bottom shelves every now and then (and I admit that I am putting more there ever since I learned of his unique hobbies). He has a blue nose, too. You'd like to meet him. Write soon.
Sincerely,
Santoryu
PS. I was just about to send this to you when I realized that I'll be moving to your place soon. You told me that you lived in Raftel, right? I'll probably be there around 5 in the afternoon on the 25th. Did I surprise you? I'm looking forward to your next letter.
A young black haired boy smiled at the piece of paper in his hands, reading over the last few lines again. He's coming here?! On the 25th? That's today! The boy thought happily, his eyes shining in anticipation. He held the paper and smiled fondly, remembering all the letters he and Santoryu had exchanged for the past few weeks. They had become quick friends and he found himself waiting every week for Santoryu's letters. His heart would quicken in suspense every time he opened his door to a white envelope lying comfortably on the ground and he would open the letter as soon as possible. Now that Santoryu was coming to Raftel, they would be able to meet! The black haired boy's eyes sparkled in delight and he read the letter again to himself. I would like to meet Chopper...
"Oi, Luffy!" A voice called from outside of the boy's room. "Breakfast's ready, idiot. How many times do you want me to repeat it?"
"Sorry, Sanji! I'll be coming out soon. Mail just came in!" Luffy yelled back, a wide grin spreading across his face. He quickly slid the piece of paper under his pillow and leapt out the door to pounce on the blonde haired man standing a few meters away.
"Woah! Dammit, Luffy!" Sanji shouted angrily, trying to shove the boy off and balance the plates in his arms at the same time. "Get off of me! Your breakfast is about to fall!"
The black haired boy gasped and leapt off the blonde quicker than lightning, nervously holding out his hands to catch at any food that might happen to fall accidentally. Sanji chuckled and set the plates down on a table nearby.
"So, why are you so jumpy today?" The blonde smirked and watched as the boy quickly hopped into a chair, trying to wolf down the food at the same time.
"Santoryu's moving here!" Luffy shouted and the chewed food in his mouth was almost spit out in a flurry.
"What did I say about swallowing, idiot?" Sanji glared and watched as the boy gulped down the food before grinning sheepishly at him. The blonde haired man nodded in approval. "That's better. So, you're still staying in touch with that guy, eh? I didn't think you'd take Robin-chan's suggestion so seriously."
"Well, she did say that if I signed up at the Merry Post Office, I'd have a lot of fun!" The boy stuffed some eggs into his mouth and swallowed it whole. "And she was right! Sanji should try, too!" And then he dove right into the pancakes on another plate.
The blonde haired man shrugged and straightened his suit. "Not interested."
Luffy pouted with a few crumbs of pancake leftover on the edge of his lips. "Aww... but it's fun!" He passed the empty plates to the blonde and grinned. "I'm done!"
"Whatever..." Sanji shook his head and took the plates, starting to stroll towards the kitchen sink. "Dojo's opening in an hour. You should get ready."
"Right!" Luffy grinned and ran back into his room to get ready for another day in his dojo. The boy changed into a set of comfortable clothes and tapped the straw hat lying on the small table next to his bed. "Yosh! Let's go teaching! Oh, but first..." Luffy twisted around and pulled out a piece of paper, an envelope, and a pen. After a few minutes of scribbling, the boy smiled at the paper and folded it carefully before stuffing it into the envelope. With a dab of his pen, he finished the front of the envelope with a 'To: Santoryu.' and the boy leapt out of his seat to mail his letter.
"Zoro! Are you ready yet?" A woman's voice chimed from a few rooms away.
"Nn..." A green haired man grunted as something warm licked his cheek. He opened his eyes slowly and patted the brown dog standing in front of him. "Hey, Chopper. Is it time to go?"
The blue nose on the dog twitched slightly and he seemed to smile. That was a good enough answer for Zoro.
"Nami's probably getting all angry now." The green haired man groaned and stretched his back to get rid of the stiffness from napping in another corner of the house. Zoro felt Chopper nudge him and he heard a rustle of paper. An envelope was sitting in his lap and a small grin started spreading across his face. He ruffled Chopper's ears gratefully. "Good boy."
Zoro stared at the letter in his lap, remembering the first time he had been forced into signing up for this program.
Nami put a hand on her hip. "Zoro, you should go to the Merry Post Office and sign up for this program. I just tried it last week and it's very interesting."
"Merry Post Office?" He raised an eyebrow at the orange haired woman from his seat on the floor. "What the hell is that?"
"It's an organization that connects people from all over the world! They randomly pick a person for us and we start writing letters to each other. You should try it out. You'll make a new friend."
"No, thank you."
"It'll help you pass time! And there are interesting rules to this. We write to each other in nicknames and we don't share any specific information, like our jobs or our addresses..."
"Sounds irritating."
"Zoro! Just sign up! It'll get your mind moving and you won't be training all the time."
"I like my training!" The green haired man sat up defiantly, a scowl crossing his face.
Nami frowned at him and put both hands on her hips, leaning forward with a threatening look in her eyes, "If you don't sign up, I'm going to start charging you 1000 keri for each hour you spend training!" The orange haired woman's frown slid into a sly grin. "Besides, you're already paying the last week's program that I subscribed to. It'll be cheaper for you if you join the program with me now."
"WHAT?!"
Zoro plucked the letter from his lap and flipped it around, smiling as he found the familiar scrawl of 'To: Santoryu' on the front of it. He hadn't had a good friend to talk with since elementary school... In a way, he was thankful that Nami had forced him into signing up for the program. But, he would never tell her that. The green haired man was about to open the envelope and read its contents before an angry shout from the front door echoed through the empty wooden house.
"ZORO! The ship is leaving in an hour! Get your ass here, now!"
"I'm coming, dammit." Zoro stood up and pulled on a black coat. Then, he strapped three swords to his side and picked up a green bag on the floor, flinging it carelessly over his shoulder. Chopper followed after him eagerly and rushed past an orange haired woman standing at the front door with an enormous orange bag at her feet. Zoro raised an eyebrow at her. "You're bringing all of that? Why didn't you just give it to the moving company? It'd be a lot easier to carry."
"Of course not. I don't trust those people. And besides," She smiled sweetly at him. "You'll be carrying it for me, right?"
Zoro shrugged. After being engaged to this woman for nearly a month, the man started to understand that arguing against her would be pointless and it would be to his advantage if he just did what she told him to do. Why he was still engaged to her was a mystery to him. She was so annoying sometimes... He sighed and tucked the letter in his hands into his coat pocket before hauling the heavy bag up. It was a little difficult to hold up... He stared at the bag and then at the woman smiling at him, "What the hell did you put in here, Nami?"
"Things that we'll need when we reach our new home."
The green haired man raised an eyebrow and shrugged before walking out the front door, carrying the bags to where Chopper was waiting in excitement, his tail wagging at the speed of light. The blue nosed dog sat inside a black carriage, barking at the horses waiting patiently at the front.
"Put it in the carriage, Zoro. And be careful!" Nami shouted. The green haired man grunted in response and set the large orange bag down before throwing his own green bag in without another thought.
"Right, let's go." He jumped into the front seat, ready to take up the reins on the horses. But Nami climbed on and quickly snatched away the rope.
"I drive." She smirked at the man, giving him a knowing look. Zoro frowned and turned to stare at the road.
"Yeah yeah, I'll get us lost. Let's just go to the docks already. It's half an hour away and we have about an hour left to get there."
"I'm glad to see that you're actually paying attention to the time for once." Nami laughed before snapping the reins once to get the horses trotting. Zoro scowled and decided to ignore her comment, opting to focus on the paper rustling in his pocket. His mood immediately lightened and he smiled inwardly. I wonder what Straw Hat will write this time?
The evenly spaced trees on the side of the road passed by steadily and the shadows of the branches waved gently in the wind. Gradually, the green haired man was lulled to a calming sleep by the rhythmic sound of the horseshoes hitting the ground and the comforting rustle of paper in his coat pocket.
Monkey D. Luffy laughed happily, running through the streets decorated with red paper lamps and blossoming orange colored trees. "Santoryu is coming to town!" The boy jumped high in the air, waving his letter above his head around in circles. People passing by on the street chuckled at the boy and waved at him in return. It was a normal occurrence for the black haired boy to be running down the streets and shouting random sentences in joy. Almost as normal as having the sun coming up every morning.
The carefree boy skidded to a stop in front of a small white building with 'Merry Post Office' carved onto the front of the building delicately. A smiling ram's head decorated the tip of the roof, welcoming people passing by. The boy pushed open the wooden doors of the white building and skipped inside. He stopped for a moment to observe the hall that never ceased to awe him. Neatly polished wooden boards lay in the ground and small patterns of smooth shell were lined along the walls, creating a warm atmosphere. A few wooden booths stood on both sides of the room with small chandeliers hanging high above them.
Luffy hopped over to one of the booths and handed his letter to a red haired lady sitting behind it. "I want you to send this to Santoryu for me." The boy grinned widely.
"All right, hold on a moment and I'll give you notification that your letter has been sent." The red haired lady smiled and gently pulled the letter away from his hands and stuck it into a small slot in the side of the wall. After a few seconds, a small ding! came from behind the wall and the lady turned back to smile at Luffy. "It's done, sir."
"Thanks, red haired lady!" The young boy waved at her and ran back out the doors of the white building. He glanced at a large white tower in the distance, bearing a large clock on each of its sides. "Ah shoot, I'll be late! I should head back to the dojo soon..." And with that the boy raced down the street he had come from.
Sanji tapped his foot impatiently against the smooth floor of the dojo. "Damn that Luffy. He's late again. Why the hell did I agree to living with this guy?" The blonde haired man grumbled to himself, crossing his arms over his chest in irritation. He finally spotted the boy speeding around the corner.
"Saaaaaanjiiiii!" Luffy screamed in glee, aiming to jump on the blonde haired man again. "I'm not late!" Sanji stepped to the side before Luffy could tackle him down. The boy's momentum sent him crashing into the room behind the blonde.
"Start class, idiot!" Sanji quickly slid the door of the room shut and then strolled off to cook lunch for Luffy and all the hungry students who would come by later in the day. He shook his head and rolled up his sleeves. It just goes to show how much I like the kid, huh? The blonde haired man sighed and opened the large refrigerator in the kitchen.
Luffy pulled his head out of the wall he had crashed into and turned around to face the curious eyes upon him. He grinned and waved at the students in the room.
"Good morning, class!"
"Good morning, sensei." A chorus of voices chimed through the room and one of the students raised an arm above his head.
"Ah? What is it, Kohza?"
"Sensei, why are you always stumbling in and crashing into the wall?" A boy with dark blonde hair questioned, frowning slightly. A blue haired girl elbowed him in the side. He flinched and turned to glare at the girl, while rubbing at the spot she had elbowed him.
"Eh..." Luffy's eyebrows furrowed in thought. Then, his face seemed to light up and he grinned. "It's a mystery!" The students laughed and smiled at the black haired boy. Kohza merely shook his head in disbelief. Luffy pointed at his students. "Anyway, let's start class. Everyone, get into first stance!"
"Hai!" And then the students scrambled around the room before reordering themselves into two neat lines.
A dark haired woman casually walked into the kitchen of the dojo. Sanji turned his head to look at the new presence in the room.
"Ah, Robin-chwan! How are you today?" The blonde haired man smiled and hurriedly made a refreshing drink for the woman. Robin smiled serenely at him and sat down in a chair, putting one elbow down on the table and leaning her cheek against it gently.
"I'm fine, thank you for asking. How are you and Luffy?"
Sanji set a glass filled with a sky blue mixture on the table. "Please enjoy. We're fine. Or at least as fine as you can be after living with Luffy for nearly a year..." He smirked.
"Have you started working on the decorations for the festival yet?" Robin glanced in the direction of the room where Luffy taught his classes before gratefully accepting the drink and taking a small sip. She smiled at the taste. A little minty and not too sweet.
"I tried to think of something new to do for this year's festival..." The blonde haired man frowned in the direction Robin was looking in. "And that idiot's no help at all. If it weren't for me, he'd forget all about it." He turned to give a sarcastic smile to the dark haired woman sitting at the table. "It's all because you made him start that program at the Merry Post Office. Now he's practically obsessed with the Santoryu guy he's been writing to. I swear if I hear Santoryu come from that idiot's mouth again, I'm probably going to start tearing up all of those letters."
"Jealous?" Robin chuckled when she earned a frown from the blonde haired man and she sipped her drink again. "Why don't you try it? It's quite interesting."
"It sounds annoying." The blonde scowled before giving the dark haired woman an apologetic look. "I'm sorry if I've offended you."
"No offense taken." Robin smiled gently. "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions." They both shared a small smile before a rumble of footsteps came from outside the kitchen. Suddenly, the door of the room burst open, revealing Luffy and his students standing at the doorway eagerly.
"MEAT!" The boy pointed a finger at Sanji before running off to the dining room.
"MEAT!" The students chorused together and pointed at Sanji as well before storming out the door and settling in the dining room with Luffy.
The man's eye twitched in annoyance. He was being treated disrespectfully not only by Luffy but also by a horde of students! "Dammit, don't order me around, shitty kids." Sanji grumbled and stomped off to balance the meals in his hands and serve them to the hungry people outside. Robin smiled in amusement and sipped on her drink peacefully.
"Zoro, get up!"
The green haired man mumbled in his sleep and shifted away from the voice.
"Zoro, you idiot! Wake up!"
The man grumbled and his eye twitched but he didn't lift one eyelid.
"ZORO! WAKE UP YOU IDIOT!" A loud slap rang through the air like a clap of thunder.
Zoro sat up and blinked wearily around him. Somehow he had ended up on the dirt road and his cheek was stinging. He stood up and patted his pants of the dirt that had clung on. Then, he stared at the fuming Nami standing beside the carriage with two hands planted firmly on her hips and glanced at Chopper who was already waiting eagerly on the docks. "Oh? Is it morning already?"
Nami's arms dropped to her sides in surprise and her mouth opened and closed a few times in shock. She turned to look at the ship bobbing in the harbor before clenching her fists and sending a ferocious glare—which would've sent any normal person to instant death—in the green haired man's direction. "It's time to get on the ship, Zoro! How can you not notice these things?!"
He shrugged and plucked the bags off of the carriage. What can I say? I'm an impulsive man sometimes... Things just slip from my mouth. He thought to himself but didn't answer her question. "Ok, let's go to the ship."
"Here, follow me." Nami sighed, rubbing her temples. The couple and their dog walked into the ship casually and the orange haired woman led them to the seats that were reserved for passengers who paid more than the normal fee. She started to speak again. "Zoro, we're supposed to meet Usopp here. He's the one who designed the dojo for us."
"The one where I'm going to start working at when we reach Raftel?"
"Yeah, Usopp contacted me and he said he would be waiting on the ship here, in the VIP section..."
"What does he look like?"
"He said that he would be the most handsome man in the seating area..."
"So, basically we're looking for a liar." Zoro nodded matter-of-factly. Nami nodded in the same way.
"Exactly."
The couple scanned the room for any people who looked remotely like a liar. Zoro stepped over to a man wearing a tall black hat and tapped his shoulder.
"Oi, are you Usopp?" The green haired man raised an eyebrow at him in question.
"N-no! I don't know anyone named Usopp!" The man stared at the three swords strapped to Zoro's side nervously.
Nami pulled her fiancé away. "Don't scare people!" She reprimanded him and he frowned.
"I didn't do anything."
"Let's just search the whole ship. If he's a liar then maybe he's not in this seating area. I'll check over here. You go to the back. And don't get lost!"
Zoro scowled and walked back down the aisle of the ship, carrying his and Nami's bags. Chopper followed after him, wagging his tail in excitement, sniffing curiously at every corner of the ship. The green haired man stepped into another room where the usual seats for non-VIP passengers sat.
He shifted the bags in his hands and raised a hand to holler at the large section of seats full of people. "Is there a Usopp in here?" The blue nosed dog hid behind him in silence, watching the people tentatively. "The one who designed that dojo for us in Raftel?" Zoro stared at the people looking at him in surprise and fright. He raised an eyebrow at them and scanned the room closely. A boy with dark, curly hair sat nearby the window, trembles of fear shaking up and down his body. That must be him... Zoro assured himself and walked over to the boy with Chopper following closely behind.
"Oi, you're Usopp right?" The green haired observed a sharp shiver travel up the boy's spine and sweat started to pour from the boy's head. The boy shakily turned his head to look at Zoro and gave him a nervous smile.
"N-no... I'm not Usopp... I don't know anyone named Usopp! Do you think I would know an Usopp?"
"Ok... Nami! I found him!" The man hollered again so that his fiancé could hear him. A few passengers turned to give him a disapproving look which he shook off easily. The orange haired girl immediately appeared in the doorway and smiled at the boy shaking in his seat.
"Good job, Zoro." She patted him on the shoulder. "Now just put away those bags and sleep or something. I'll take care of the business."
The green haired man shrugged and slid the bags onto a seat behind Usopp and Nami. Better not to question what she does... Zoro thought idly and sat down heavily in the seat. Chopper jumped up on another seat beside him and laid his head on Zoro's lap. The green haired man smiled and scratched the blue nosed dog's ears roughly before sticking a hand into his coat pocket and pulling out the envelope he had hid away. Opening the letter gently, he scanned over the writing and smiled, re-reading the scrawl, imagining what Raftel would look like now.
Dear Santoryu,
Although sometimes it might seem like I've forgotten about what is going on in Raftel, I don't actually forget. Right now, everyone is putting up red lanterns all over the streets and the trees are blooming. There are orange petals falling everywhere! What I mean to say is that there is a festival coming up in town. We call it the Grand Line Festival and every year, we have a line of games starting from one side of the town stretching all the way to the other side and back. Sometimes, as I walk up and down this line with my friends, I feel like I am entering new worlds. As if every game booth along the Grand Line Festival is a journey to take with new adventures along the way. And who better to take with than your friends? Tackling the challenges blocking our path to the end of the journey together! Wouldn't it be awesome if you could come join us one day? Write back soon!
Sincerely,
Straw Hat
He tucked the letter back into the envelope and hid it away in his coat pocket again, returning to patting Chopper on the head. It would be nice if I could join you for the festival, Straw Hat. And then they could meet each other. Zoro smiled at that thought and stared out the window, watching the waves lap against the ship calmly, rocking it in a peaceful rhythm. Chopper's eyes drooped shut and soon, to the murmur of passengers and the song of the sea, Zoro fell asleep.
"Class dismissed!" Luffy clapped his hands together and opened the door for the students to leave. "Great job everyone! Practice over a few of those movements when you have spare time, okay guys?"
"Bye sensei!"
"See you, Luffy!"
"Thank you, sensei."
Luffy grinned and waved at the students happily. "See you tomorrow!" He watched as the last two students, a blue haired girl named Vivi and the dark blonde, Kohza, left the room together, shoving at each other playfully. Luffy smiled and walked out the door, sliding it shut behind him. He stared out into the courtyard of the dojo and noticed the tall white tower in the distance. The clock read 4:30. The black haired boy gasped and raced into the kitchen.
"Sanji! I'm going to the harbor!" Luffy jumped from foot to foot anxiously and noticed Robin sitting at the table. "Oh, hi Robin! Do you guys want to come?"
Sanji stood up and picked up his mug and Robin's empty glass, bringing them to the sink. "The harbor? What for?"
"Santoryu's coming!" Luffy grinned widely, still jumping from foot to foot eagerly. Robin chuckled and glanced at the blonde haired chef who twitched at the nickname Luffy had just announced.
"Yeah, sure, Luffy. I'm coming. Just give me a second to wash these up." Sanji replied lazily, deciding that it would be easier to just let his feeling of irritation ebb away on its own.
"I'll come, too." Robin stood up gracefully and smiled. The black haired boy nodded quickly and sprinted down the hall towards his room. Luffy sped into his room and grabbed his straw hat. Then, after ramming it onto his head, he ran out again to meet his two friends standing at the front door, across the courtyard, waiting for him.
"Yosh! Let's go!" He yelled and jumped out the front door. It was almost time! He would see Santoryu in only a few more minutes. Just a little longer!
Roronoa Zoro woke up with a start and opened his eyes lazily. He looked out the window and found an island bobbing closer and closer with each wave that crashed into the ship. He could feel his heart beat faster as the harbor of the orange island came in sight. Chopper lifted his head up and peeked out the window, barking at the island excitedly. Nami was sleeping peacefully in the seat in front of Zoro and the green haired man shook her shoulder gently.
"Nami, get up. We're close to the island." He got a mumble in response. Zoro stared at her for a moment before glancing over at the man sitting in the seat next to her. A curly haired boy with an extremely long nose sat there, sleeping. Usopp, was it? The green haired man thought, eyeing the long nose in curiosity. How could a person grow such a long nose? Suddenly, a horn blasted from the front of the ship and all the sleeping passengers, along with Nami and Usopp, woke up in surprise.
"All passengers please remain seated. We are arriving at Raftel." A voice called from the speaker stuck to the ceiling. Zoro grinned and stared at the orange island. Straw Hat lives there.
Luffy skidded to a stop at the harbor, watching, over the heads of other people, the sailors pull the ship smoothly into the harbor. He looked over his shoulder at Sanji and Robin who were still running to catch up to him. The boy wearing a straw hat grinned and waved at them.
"Oi! The ship is coming in!"
"Why can't you just wait for a moment for us to catch up, you idiot?!" Sanji shouted angrily at the boy. Luffy merely smiled and watched the ship pull in. A gust of wind blew through and the boy put a hand on his hat to keep it from flying off.
Zoro peered out the window and surveyed the crowd standing in the harbor. There's a lot of people... is it vacation for everyone? He glanced at the passengers aboard who were chattering excitedly to each other. The green haired man stared out at the crowd again and noticed a straw hat at the back of the crowd. Zoro felt his heart jump wildly in his chest. Is it Straw Hat? He blinked his eyes once and then suddenly, the straw hat had disappeared in the crowd. The green haired man frowned and scanned the massive crowd again, searching for the elusive straw hat.Questions shot through the man's mind as he scanned the people standing in the harbor. What would Straw Hat look like? Would Straw Hat take one look at him and then run off because he looked too scary or weird with green hair? Would they still be friends after they met? Zoro ignored his thoughts, which were quickly turning pessimistic, and stared hard at the crowd, as if his stare would bring out the straw hat from the mass of people.
"What the hell? Where did it go?" He mumbled irritably, scratching his short green hair.
"Zoro? What are you doing by the window? It's time to get off. Get the bags." Nami's voice rang from behind him and he tore his eyes from the window in frustration, picking up the two bags and adjusting his three swords by his side. Maybe he'll see them and find me. The green haired man shrugged internally and followed Chopper out of the ship. Nami and Usopp followed behind them quickly.
"Oof!" Luffy fell to the ground again as another person went by, pushing the boy to the ground. "What? What's happening?" The black haired boy stood up and brushed off his pants, trying to peer over the tall people standing in front of him. Sanji grabbed Luffy's arm and pulled him towards an area with shorter people.
"I'll help you look for him." Sanji gave the boy a small smile and watched the horde of people coming out of the ship. Robin came to stand next to Luffy and smiled at the people coming from the ship, helping the boy look for Santoryu. She glanced at the boy again and frowned, noticing something missing from him.
"Luffy...where did your straw hat go?" Robin blinked. Sanji turned to stare at Luffy and the boy's hand immediately shot to his head.
"AH! Hat!" He cried in despair, searching all over the floor for his straw hat. Sanji shook his head in exasperation and glanced around the crowd. He spotted a yellow hat floating off a few meters from where they stood.
"Hey, I think your hat is over there." He tapped Luffy's shoulder and pointed at the sky. Luffy's jaw dropped. But, he quickly recovered and ran after the flying straw hat anxiously.
The green haired man stepped out of the ship and noticed the straw hat he had been looking for float over his head and out into the town. Zoro nearly dropped his bags in surprise and watched the straw hat fly by and land somewhere in the crowd of people.
"Zoro, keep moving! Your bags are stopping the other passengers from getting past." Nami pushed at him angrily. The green haired man turned his attention away from the straw hat for a moment and raised an eyebrow at his fiancé.
"Whose fault is that?" He eyed the large orange bag slung over his shoulder. Nami sighed and pushed past him, ignoring his comment.
"Let's just get to the dojo. Come on, Usopp."
Zoro walked after them, with Chopper by his side, and he glanced back to the area where the straw hat had disappeared in.
"Zoro! Hurry up!"
"Dammit..." The green haired man scowled and jogged towards his fiancé and the long nosed boy. He had failed to meet Straw Hat. The man sighed and shifted the uncomfortable orange bag on his shoulder. Maybe I'll see him later...
Luffy watched his straw hat fall into the crowd of people. He gasped and pushed his way through the people to reach his hat. The boy picked it up and hugged it to his chest.
"Whew...that was close!" Luffy sighed and jammed the hat back onto his head. That was too close...He grinned and waved at Sanji and Robin. "I've got it back, guys!" Suddenly, he noticed someone with a light green head walking away and into town. Luffy blinked. Were there any green haired people living in town? The boy stared in awe at the green hair for a while. It looks so cool!
"What are you looking at, idiot?" Sanji stared in the direction Luffy was staring in.
"That guy with green hair! It looks really cool!" Luffy pointed at Zoro, who had disappeared behind a corner in the street.
"It's just a guy with green hair." Sanji shrugged and jabbed a thumb at the ship behind them. "What's more important is that while you were ogling that guy with green hair, all the passengers on the ship left."
Luffy's jaw went slack. "Oh no! I didn't find Santoryu!"
Sanji nearly snorted. "Yeah, sure. As if you could've found him in the first place. You don't even know what he looks like." Luffy pouted and stared at Sanji sadly. The blonde shot an annoyed look back at the boy. "Just forget it. If he came into town, you should be able to meet him sooner or later. Let's go home. I'll cook something good for you."
Luffy's pout was quickly replaced with a wide grin. "Yeah! I'll meet him later, right? Let's go home and eat meat!" Sanji sighed and then smirked, giving Luffy's straw hat a rough shake, eliciting a giggle from the boy.
"Come on, Luffy." The blonde haired man smiled and pushed the boy in the direction of their dojo.
Robin smiled at the two boys. "I'll be heading home then. See you."
"Good night, Robin-chwan!"
"Bye, Robin!"
The dark haired woman chuckled and turned into a corner, towards her own house.
To be continued...