Nami sighed in happiness as she walked through the crowd of the fashion show; trying to get to a good seat, "See what you can do when you put your mind to it?" She asked the group of semi-depressed men who trailed along behind.
"Why am I here again?" Zoro asked.
"Because girls are going to be walking around half-naked." Nami stated firmly, "Guys like to see half-naked girls, right?"
"Yes Nami-swan!" Sanji zoomed towards her, leaving a bored Zoro.
"Here" Nami pointed out some empty seats, "We're seven, so four people need to go find other seats."
"So…" Sanji started. "So, that would be the marimo, the washed out skeleton…"
"Washed out?" Brook questioned.
"And the raven-haired senior." Sanji stated.
"Why me?" Ace raised an inquisitive brow.
"Because the raven haired junior needs an iron leg if he messes up." Nami affirmed. "By the way keeping the three stupid mice together would eventually cause commotion."
Luffy grinned, "Cause we're popular?"
"Far from it." Everyone chorused.
"Wait." Sabo realized. "Doesn't that mean that I have to go find a seat too?"
"Shoo." Sanji waved them away with his hand as he sat beside Nami.
"Don't forget to meet me back here in thirty minutes, so that we wouldn't miss our interview."
Ace clicked his tongue, "Whatever. It's not like I even want to be here." He said, walking away.
"Hey. You!" A voice called from behind, prompting Ace to turn around. "Can you pose?"
"Huh?" Ace raised a brow in confusion as he studied the tall beautiful woman.
"It's a simple question." She stated.
"And you are?" Ace retorted.
"You must be a fool to not know who I am." She replied, striking an intimidating pose.
"Whatever." He said, turning to walk away.
"You didn't answer my question." She stated.
"You didn't answer mine." He walked on.
"Boa Hancock." She stated firmly.
Ace raised a brow and turned around, "Really? You're more beautiful in the magazines."
"Airbrushing." She flipped her black hair, "And you totally knew who I was!" She accused.
"Who wouldn't?" He muttered.
"So, answer me. Can you pose?" She repeated.
"I'm not a model. Sorry." He replied.
"But you have such a nice physique." She pestered on, "It wouldn't kill you to try, would it?"
Ace sighed, "Why would you ask some random guy to walk on your floor?"
Hancock frowned, "Certain things happened and I've run out of models, both male and female."
"Things like?" He questioned.
"None of your business." She spat out.
"I'm getting paid, right?" He glanced at her.
"15,000,000 bellies."
"And we have a deal." He shook her waiting hand.
Zoro walked for a short while before leaning on a wall at the corner of the room, watching people struggle to get seats.
"Again. Why am I even here?" He muttered to himself.
"Roronoa Zoro?"
"Eh?" Zoro glanced to the left and saw a teenage boy with a contemplating look. "Do you want n autograph or something?" He asked in a bored fashion.
"Look guys!" The boy called out to his friends, "It's really him! I told you it was!" He yelled and in the blink of an eye Zoro was dashing away from the crowd that seemed to increase as he fled.
"What the hell?" Zoro screamed as he ran, "Why now?" He ran onward, looking for where to run to next, he saw the door and he quickly zoomed out of the building.
"Mushi mushi." Nami picked up her vibrating cell, "Ah, Robin. How're you doing?"
"Robin-swan!" Sanji yelled, trying harder to get close to the phone.
"Of course we came." Nami ignored Sanji's nosiness, "We're all seated, waiting for you to do your last catwalk." She smiled.
Sanji chuckled to himself, "Robin-swan, half-naked. Sexy lingerie. Must see."
"Oh shit." Nami exclaimed and got an inquiring look from Luffy and Sabo who was struggling to share a seat with Luffy, "No, nothing." She laughed nervously, still talking to Robin, "Of course they're prepared."
"Prepared?" Sabo raised a brow.
"Yes. You can always count on me. Love you too doll. Ja ne." Nami sighed in relief as she kept her phone in her bag.
After a few moments of silence, Sabo spoke, "And what are we prepared for?"
"Oh, nothing big." Nami smiled at him, "Just that ASL is meant to perform for the show."
"Nothing big?" Sabo screamed trying but failing to jump out of his too=tight seat in anger, "When did that become the case? And why weren't we aware?"
"Hmph." Nami snorted, "You're too hot-headed Sabo." She said, ignoring his glare. "Everything can be taken care of."
"Try acting casual one more time…" Sabo glared at her.
She exhaled, "Fine. We just need to find Ace."
"And how would that make things better?" Sabo questioned, "We're not prepared means we're not prepared."
"What is your best performing song?" Nami asked.
"Why don't you ask Luffy what is convenient for him?" Sabo suggested.
"Nami…" Luffy whined, "When is the food coming?"
Sabo knocked his head, "We have far more important issues." He then raised a brow in realization, "And by the way, Nami. What about the interview?"
Nami chuckled nervously, "It's in about fifteen minutes, but don't worry we can make it work."
"Can I use the bathroom?" Luffy asked.
"Go already!" Sabo and Nami screamed in unison.
Luffy squeezed himself out of the seat and took off.
Sabo turned to Nami, "Are you sure…?"
"I know." Nami stated, "Sanji…" She called.
"Hai. Nami-Swan."
"Follow Luffy. Please make sure he comes back." She ordered.
"Leave it to me." He said, dancing away.
"Now Nami-Swan…" Sabo glared at her, "What the hell do you plan on doing?"
"Obviously something."
"Like?" Sabo inquired further.
"Finding a way to keep my rep-I mean your reputation."
Sabo cocked his eyebrow, "Why do you say it like our reputations don't go side by side?"
"If we attend the interview, then we would receive hell-based negative criticism from Hancock's fashion line, but if we stay and miss the interview, Tashigi would throw my name in the dust and do the salsa on my dead career." Nami evaluated.
Sabo face-palmed, "Still, even if we remain here, we're still not prepared for shit…For goodness sake why didn't you tell us?"
"It slipped my mind." Nami said.
"Something this big?"
"Haven't we had this conversation already?" Nami said, looking away from him.
Sabo sighed, "Anyway, even if we had to go for the stupid interview, we'd be late."
'What?" Nami shrieked as she looked at her watch, "Time flies this fast? We have to go now!" She ordered, getting up from her seat.
"What about our performance?" Sabo asked as she pulled him from his seat.
"I'd talk to Nico Robin. She might help ease the negativity." She pulled him hard behind her. "But right now, Tashigi comes first, is that clear?"
Sabo snorted and then forced his hand out of her grip, "What about the rest?"
"What-oh my God." Nami held her head in frustration, "How would we find them in such a big crowd?"
Nami held his shoulder, "Nothing is impossible, Sabo." She glanced around, "At least we have to find the legend and the superstars."
"What about the Ace and Luffy?" Sabo questioned.
Nami growled, "Priority Sabo!"
"Then I think there's something wrong with yours." Sabo affirmed.
"Is that so?" Nami asked venomously.
"Fine. Jeez." Sabo said, running off to find the rest.
"The show begins in five minutes." Hancock said to a fancy looking Ace.
"Why are you even here?" Ace asked.
"It's Nico Robin's last catwalk. I can't miss it." She stated.
"So, what am I meant to do?" Ace questioned.
"Cavendish." She called.
"Hancock-San?" He walked towards her.
"This is Cavendish." She motioned at the beautiful blonde man who was walking towards them. 'He's one of the few male models left and he's the best."
"I see." Ace said drily.
"He'd teach you everything you need to know." Hancock said.
"Under how many minutes exactly?" Ace asked.
"Give or take three." Cavendish replied, "You better be a fast learner."
Ace frowned lightly, "Even for a fast learner-"
"Have fun." Hancock said as she walked away, "If you're good enough I'd think about hiring you."
"Ace rolled his eyes and exhaled. He looked at the blonde man, "So, what the hell am I doing?"
Ladies and Gentlemen: Get ready as we present the Hancock models.
"Ah." Nami said as music started playing, "They got an alternative." She sighed in relief as she kept searching.
"Luffy!" Sabo called out as he saw his brother close to the stage.
"Ah. Sabo." Luffy grinned, "You came for food too?"
Sabo rubbed his forehead with his index finger, "Food isn't served here. Actually there's no food at all."
"What?" Luffy frowned.
"By the way, Nami is waiting for us." Sabo said.
"Why?" Luffy questioned.
"A dumbass like you wouldn't understand. Eh? Where's Black leg Sanji?"
"The superstar?" Luffy thought for a moment, "He was running behind me a while ago, then he started acting strange when the models came on stage.
"Strange?"
"Look." Luffy pointed at the twirling man who was loosing quite an amount of blood from his nose.
"He really is perverted." Sabo affirmed. "So brave."
"Ace?" Luffy cocked his head to the side in confusion.
"Ace? Where?" Sabo quickly followed Luffy's gaze, "You can't be serious."
"Oi! Ace!" Luffy screamed out.
"Shut up, you." Sabo whispered, trying to keep him shut.
"Luffy?" Ace murmured on the catwalk, "Ah, Luffy!" He said, stopping to wave at his brother.
"Is he an idiot?" Sabo muttered to himself.
"What the hell are you doing up there?" Luffy shouted.
"Nami is so going to freak out." Sabo said, slowly backing away from him.
"I'm getting paid 15,000,000 bellies for this, so why the hell not?" Ace replied, "Also, I get a free outfit." He stated, smiling on stage.
"I doubt he's allowed to keep that." Sabo said. He face-palmed when he heard the murmurs coming from the audience and the confused model waiting to get on the catwalk.
"Also, do you know that we don't get any food at all?" Luffy continued.
"Seriously?" Ace frowned, walking closer to Luffy.
"Oh, and also, Nami is looking for us."
"Ok then, thank goodness I'm done with this." Ace grinned, jumping off the catwalk.
"He's definitely an idiot. There's no other way." Sabo muttered to himself.
"At least I'm getting paid."
"Getting paid what?" Boa Hancock asked with black deadly eyes.
Ace turned around obliviously, "Did I do something wrong?"
"You…you…" Boa Hancock tried not to say anything offensive in front of the waiting paparazzi, "You ruined my show."
"Then that's clearly not my fault." Ace said.
"Then whose fault is it?" She screamed, unable to hold the anger inside her.
"That female man." Ace answered.
"Who the hell are you blaming? And who the hell is female?" Cavendish rushed to Hancock's side.
"And how is anything his fault?" Hancock asked.
"He didn't tell me that I wasn't allowed to have conversations on the catwalk." Ace defended.
"And you jumped down. You totally jumped off the catwalk." Cavendish added.
"Isn't that also your fault?" Ace inquired.
"Hancock-Swan!"
"And who's this pervert?" She pointed towards the spinning blonde.
"Not important at the moment." Ace affirmed.
"Not…important?" Sanji stopped.
"He's a superstar." Luffy grinned.
"And who might you be?" Hancock asked.
"Monkey D Luffy." He said, "And these are Sabo and Ace."
"I know who the dumb one is." Hancock said referring to Ace.
"If I may…" Sabo stepped in between, "We are every sorry for ruining your show…"
"We didn't do-"
"We hope we can make it up to you." Sabo completed, covering Luffy's mouth.
"But too bad, we can't." Ace said.
"Why the hell not?" Cavendish attacked.
"Because…" Ace started, "According to my brother, a very aggressive woman awaits us."
"Have you met her?" Cavendish motioned to Hancock.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hancock retorted.
"Well, trust me…she's a whole lot angrier than you." Sabo said, "And if we cross her line, she'd explode."
"So…bye." Ace smiled and pulled Sabo and Luffy.
"Where the hell do you think you're going to?" Hancock screamed, "After ruining my show!"
"Nami is a she-devil." Sabo said, "We really have to go."
"Nami, you say?" A voice said behind them.
"B-beautiful." Sanji stammered while drooling. He then tried to compose himself, "If I may-"
"You may not." Boa Hancock punched his head.
"You're friends of Nami?" The lady asked.
"You're Nico Robin." Sabo stated and she smiled.
"So beautiful." Sanji nose-bled, while standing a considerable distance away from the angry Boa Hancock.
"Where's Nami?" Robin asked.
"Probably thinking of a thousand ways to murder us." Sabo answered. "And we're really sorry for ruining your show."
"Don't worry about it." Robin smiled and walked towards Boa Hancock, "You can pardon them, can't you?" She plead.
"And why would I do that?" Hancock raised a twitching brow.
"Because I'm good friends with their manager." She replied.
Sabo smiled in relief, "Also, we're the band that was meant to perform for the show today-"
"We were meant to what?" Ace questioned.
"I apologize on behalf of our manager." Sabo continued, "She didn't mention it to us."
"At least this one is polite." Boa Hancock stated.
"Right now, we need to be on our way to an interview. Please pardon us for the moment." Sabo said, "Our manager would contact you soon."
"Actually…" Ace started, looking at his wristwatch, "I'm pretty sure that we won't make it to that that interview."
"Nami is going to kill us." Luffy said with a pout.
"That's right!" Sanji yelled, making them jump in shock as they remembered he was standing there. "I need to get to Nami-Swan!" He said and twirled away.
"We have to go too." Sabo said as he dragged his brothers away from an infuriated Hancock and an irritated Cavendish.
Robin smiled as she patted Boa Hancock's shoulder, "I'll talk to their manager about this. Don't frown so much."
"Where's Nami?" Sabo cocked a brow as he saw everyone standing by the exit.
"I was with her a minute ago." Brook replied, "Then she said something about reading something by Tashigi-chan that could damage her reputation…so she took off."
"Took off?" The three brothers chorused.
"She ditched us?" Sabo questioned.
"Tch. That bitch." Ace muttered before looking around and raising a brow, "Where's Roronoa Zoro?"
Reviews?
Next Chapter: "Finding Zoro."
· Introducing 'Buggy and the clowns', Dr. Chopper…
Summary:
Zoro hasn't been heard from in two days. Nami tries to save her career and reputation; meanwhile Luffy, Ace, Sabo and Brook take it upon themselves to find the missing superstar. However Sanji has other plans.