We're getting closer to the end...

Enjoy~

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Chapter 7

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"Oi! Luffy!"

Looking up from where he was defending his castle, Luffy glanced back to see Sanji crossing the sands towards him. "Ah! Sanji! What's up? This is pretty fun, huh? Zoro said I'll be able to go out in another half hour! I'm gonna knock everything down! Haha!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Sanji chuckled at his captain's eagerness and stopped a few feet away. "I have no doubt. I came over to let you know I've got a surprise for you."

"Ooo! A surprise?! Is it meat?!" Luffy chirped as he hopped from foot to foot.

A sly smirk curled Sanji's lips as he nodded. "It is, in fact."

"Yosh! Gimme gimme gimme!"

Swatting away the grabbing hands, Sanji chuckled and shook his head. "I don't have it on me. That's the surprise."

"Ooo! Mystery surprise! Tell meeee!" the captain pleaded.

Sanji's smirk grew as he gestured over his shoulder at the rest of the contest area. "Under one of the castles I buried a huge pirate bento just for you. You have to go on a treasure hunt to find it."

Luffy's eyes grew wide as a giddy grin pulled over his face. "Really?! Where is it?! Give me a hint!"

"It could be anywhere from here all the way over to area 1. But I'll give you another hint. The castle is at an even numbered team area." Sanji added with a sly wink.

"Yosh! So I only have to search at half of the areas! This is awesome!" Luffy cheered as he nearly pounced on Chopper. "Chopper! We get to go on a pirate bento treasure hunt!"

"Really!? Yay!!" Chopper cheered happily.

Sanji's expression turned evil before he slowly backed away from the eager pair. "Too easy..." he mused on a low chuckle.

Another step in his master plan accomplished.

"Way too easy.."

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"Ah.. Sanji-kun?"

Glancing up from where he was filling more water balloons, Sanji quirked up a brow when he saw Usopp staring out over the beach with a perplexed frown. "Yes?"

The sniper looked to the cook and pointed out to the rest of the contest area. "Why is Luffy digging under the castles that Zoro's already knocked down...?"

Sanji gave a wicked grin. "Oh that? I told him I buried a shit load of food under an even numbered castle."

Usopp blinked and looked back to his partner. "Did you..?"

The blonde head nodded. "I did."

"Oh.. Well which Castle?"

"Castle 58."

"Ah..." Usopp paused for a moment. "Wait..."

Sanji smirked. "Yeah..?"

The sniper looked to the armbands he and Sanji were wearing. "We're 59... The girls are 60 so that means..." His gaze shot down the beach to a certain swordsman sitting on the sand in front of his castle looking very bored.

On Zoro's arm band was the number 58.

The moment he realized this his jaw dropped and his gaze shot to Sanji. "You.. You buried it under their own castle...? When..?!"

The cook pulled out a cigarette from his shirt pocket and grinned. "When no one was looking." he teased before lighting up.

Usopp stared blankly at the blonde for a long moment before he gave a chuckling sigh. "Damn... Zoro is so gonna kill you."

Sanji hummed thoughtfully as he stacked some more water balloons. "At least I'll die laughing."

"You're so twisted."

"And ya love me~!"

"Get away from me, freak!"

"That's no way to talk to your prince! Do I detect dissent?!"

"Wha? No! Wait! Gah! Sanji! Stop! I'm on your side, remember!"

Zoro lifted his head on hearing the yelps from the sniper and glanced in the direction of the orange castle. There he saw Sanji chasing Usopp and cackling with laughter as he chucked water balloons at Usopp around their moat. He quirked up a brow at the strange behavior, but was soon snorting in annoyance.

"Was only a matter of time before that psycho turned on his own teammate." he muttered before bowing his head once more. It was taking all of his discipline not to throttle the irritating blonde. He was fairly certain he was one more incident away from completely losing it.

He was also fairly certain it would happen soon.

"He's plotting something... I know it..."

"It wouldn't be as much fun if he wasn't."

His eyes snapping open, Zoro lifted his head again to see Robin standing in front of him. "Eh..? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be protecting your castle?" he asked blandly.

The woman smiled and gave a little shrug. "There's not much point between you, Captain-san, and Cook-san. Most of the competition is already obliterated. I just came by to see how things were." She glanced back to the orange fort and saw both Sanji and Usopp were now throwing water balloons at one another and laughing up a storm. "They certainly seem to be enjoying themselves."

"That's because they're idiots." Zoro muttered in annoyance. However his eyes lingered on the way Sanji's white shirt clung to his skin from where he had been hit by a few of the balloons. His blonde hair was sticking to the side of his face, and that bright smile that always seemed so dazzling...

"Damn annoying shitty curlicue.." Zoro growled through his teeth before stiffly turned his head to focus on Robin's feet.

They were okay as feet.

Yes. Adequate feet.

Nothing blonde or casually sexy about Robin's feet...

'Dammit!'

"Swordsman-san..?" Robin blinked and leaned over a bit to try and catch Zoro's gaze. "You've gone rather red.. Have you stayed out in the sun too long..? Should I get Doctor-san?"

"No! No.. I'm fine.. Thanks.." Zoro coughed and looked the other way. 'What the hell has he done to me..?'

The raven head tilted slightly, but Robin soon shrugged carelessly. "As you wish. Good luck, Swordsman-san." she called out before wandering back towards the orange fort.

Zoro watched her feet go, but didn't lift his head. He was too concerned he would catch another glimpse of blonde. What did any of this mean? Why was he so hung up on this? Why would the cook suddenly target him so randomly? Why was he starting to like it...?

"Okay.. That.. That didn't go through my head.. No.. Just.. No." he stated to himself as firmly as he could.

He also tried to ignore the fact he didn't sound very convincing.

"Heeeey Marimooo-chaaan~!"

Zoro's teeth clenched on hearing that singsong voice. 'Don't look up...'

"Oi! I'm talking to you, Shit head!"

'Don't look up...'

"You're asking for it, Moss brain!"

"Sanji! Don't do it!"

'Don't. Look. U-!!'

In the midst of his mantra, Zoro was suddenly struck right in the face by a heavy water balloon. The explosion of water completely soaking him on impact.

"Grrraah! You bastard, I'm gonna kill you!!" Zoro snarled as he shot to his feet and immediately charged for the blonde still laughing at him.

Usopp's eyes grew wide on seeing the swordsman headed towards them. "Sanji! Look out!"

"Eh..?" Sanji looked up from his side splitting laughter only to balk when he saw the Marimo charging full force at him. "Oh shit!" Sanji tried to turn and run, but a hand fisted in the back of his shirt. The sudden jerk threw Sanji of balance, so he automatically shot his hands out to grab a hold of what he could.

Zoro hadn't expected the hands that latched onto him, but his own forward momentum combined with Sanji's suddenly fall had him losing his balance as well.

"Gyaah!"

Sanji's yelp was immediately followed by a loud splash as both he and Zoro toppled into the moat.

Usopp stared with wide eyes with his hands covering his mouth. "Oh my god oh my god.. They'll drown each other! I can't look!" he squeaked before slapping his hands over his eyes...

Only for him to peek through the cracks between his fingers at the bubbles that were rising to the surface of the water.

The muffling water that surrounded them was a bit disorienting. It was a few seconds of struggling before either of them knew which way was up. Sanji was the first one to open his eyes. The soft sting of the saltwater was the first thing he noticed. The second was the angry glare that was fixed on him from the swordsman floating in the water close to him. He couldn't stop the grin that formed on his face, but was soon ducking when a fist came at him.

Zoro had to suppress the growl that wanted to leave him when he felt the water slowing his movements. He knew Sanji was faster than him under water, which only irritated him further.

However his mind went blank when he felt a pair of hands grabbing on to the waistband of his shorts and a firm pull tugging him to the bottom of the moat. He struggled against the hold on him, but that damn blonde was slippery as an eel under water.

A thought then struck him. What if...

'Eh.. What the hell...'

Zoro suddenly shifted in Sanji's grasp. He took a firm hold of the pale face and crushed their lips together.

Sanji's eyes grew wide at the kiss that came out of no where. He nearly lost his hold on the swordsman, but after a moment he smirked against Zoro's lips. He shifted them both in the water until he had Zoro's back pressed against the wall of the moat. There he pinned the broader body tight as he worked that mouth for everything it was worth.

To Zoro's own surprise, he responded to the kiss. The feel of their mingling limited air was a rush that made him slightly dizzy. He knew they wouldn't be able to stay much longer, or at least he wouldn't. He had seen Sanji stay under water for an ungodly amount of time. 'I refuse to be bested my this idiot!' his mind snarled out.

Sanji would have been purring if he had the extra air, but he was startled when an abrupt jerk had him slamming against the moat wall. A few bubbles of his much needed air escaped his lips, but Sanji was left frozen on the predatory gleam in Zoro's eyes. 'Eee... He's gonna kill me... Or eat me... Ooo... Eat me..'

That idea had Sanji grinning once more as his hands made their way to grab the swordsman's firm ass. With a firm pull he made their hips collide, causing some bubbles to slip past Zoro's lips. Which Sanji watched with a sick satisfaction as they floated upwards.

Unable to stop the growl that rumbled in his chest, Zoro reached back and grabbed a tight hold on Sanji's wrists. He jerked them away from his ass and roughly pinned them to the sand wall. With Sanji pinned, Zoro took a look at the source of his torment.

Blonde hair and white shirt floating weightlessly up in the water around him...

The rippling lights that filtered down to cast shifting patterns on the lean pale body...

And that damn smirk on his face...

Zoro found a slight smirk twitching onto his own lips.

'Heh... why not..'

Up on dry sand, Usopp was carefully inching his way to the edge of the moat. "Eeee.. Why haven't they come up yet...?" he whimpered as he watched the bubbles slowly rolling up to the surface of the water. Gruesome thoughts of blood murky water and a sudden body floating to the top had him shivering.

Suddenly the bubbles stopped, causing Usopp to panic further. "Omygod omygod omygod! They drowned each other! I knew this would happen! I tried to warn Sanji!" he squeaked out as his knees began to quiver.

All of a sudden a large amount of bubbles exploded to the surface along with the faint sound of someone crying out muffled greatly by the water. Growing pale, Usopp covered his mouth with his hand and held his own breath as he waited.

A few seconds later a green head popped out of the water followed by harsh gasps.

As Zoro caught his breath, Usopp nearly fell over in relief. "Damn! I thought you two killed each other down... There..." Usopp looked around the water nervously. "Um.. Where's Sanji...?"

A wicked smirk curled Zoro's lips as he moved to climb out of the moat. "Collecting himself." he answered simply once he was standing.

Usopp blinked in confusion but his worries were put to rest when a blonde head finally breached the water. "Sanji!"

Gasping raggedly, Sanji clung desperately to the edge of the moat as he struggled to breathe. His faced was heavily flushed and he seemed to be trembling, but there was a tired, and possibly sated, smile on his lips. "Damn... Remind me to go swimming with you more often, Marimo..." he called out on a breathless chuckle, water streaming from his wet hair plastered to his face.

A snort of amusement left Zoro as he turned to head back to his castle. "Don't press your luck, Ero-cook."

"Why not? Seems to be workin for me so far~!" Sanji cooed out with a laugh.

When Zoro only let out a quiet chuckle, Usopp looked in bewilderment between the cook and the swordsman. "Um.. Sanji..?"

The blonde glanced up from where he was still clinging to the moat's edge. "Yeah?"

"What happened down there...?"

A wide shit eating grin was instantly on Sanji's face. "What happens in the moat, stays in the moat."

Usopp's eye twitched hard. "... Perverts..."

Meanwhile...

Further down the beach...

"Wah! Robin! Your nose is bleeding!"

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TBC

Yaaay for perverts~!

Later~