Disclaimer: One Piece doesn't belong to me, but to the amazing Oda-sensei instead.

Summary: Luffy and his entire crew are put to the test when he and Zoro are stranded on an island that's far more than it seems to be.

Warnings: None that I can think of.

Hide and Seek

By Quatrina Raberba

"And then what happened?" The question was a simple one, although it was riddled with anticipation and eagerness. A dramatic pause followed it in turn, which prompted Tony Tony Chopper to ask his question again. "Well, what happened?"

Usopp swelled himself up with pride, as he tilted his prominent nose into the air. "Well, after I reached the island, I realized that there were a lot of animals. And so, since I, the great Captain Usopp, had so tragically lost my lunch during that frightful hurricane -- which, might I add, was nothing compared to the giant beetle I'd encountered the week before -- I thought it would be nice to hunt for some wild game!"

Chopper squealed with fright suddenly, as he grabbed onto his own horns and nearly fell back from his chair.

"Er--well, that is to say I--well, I thought maybe it would be it would be fun to play with them?" Usopp added hopefully in an attempt to reconcile, apparently getting the hint that a deer wouldn't like to hear about hunting other animals. "I was bored because I lost my lunch, you see, so I thought it would be wonderful to play a nice game of tag with them!"

This seemed to calm their doctor down a bit, as he shifted slightly at the kitchen table. "Oh… really?" he asked with renewed curiosity, although a tinge of apprehension was still noticeable in his tone.

"Of course!" Usopp nodded. "It didn't take me long to find someone who would play with me, though, since there were so many. And so I, the great Captain Usopp, being the amazing animal lover that I am, played with the animals through the entire day. It was the most fun I'd had since the time I went skiing upon the backs of some penguins -- which, might I add, they were quite happy to let me do."

There was a brief pause.

"And then what happened?" This time, bits of food, chewed up beyond recognition, flew out onto the table as the query was spewed forth.

"Luffy, you spit all over my shirt!"

"I did? Oh, sorry, Nami."

Before his navigator could reply, there was a loud racket as Monkey D. Luffy found himself sprawled out onto the floor, his chair suddenly on its side. "Oi, Sanji, why'd you kick my chair over?"

The blond chef crossed his arms as he surveyed his captain coolly, one foot propped firmly onto the chair's side. "Food is for eating -- not for spitting on fine ladies." Suddenly becoming excited, he looked over at the orange haired woman. "Can I wash your shirt for you, Nami-san?"

She smiled sweetly at him. "Why, thank you, Sanji-kun. That's very kind of you." Sanji seemed to inch a bit closer to her, practically trembling with joy.

"…can I wash it right now?" He wiggled his fingers at her.

Nami's sugary smile remained as she dabbed at the chewed up food on her shirt on her own. "Don't push your luck."

"YES, Nami-san!" And with that, he whirled around and busied himself with washing a plate.

"Anyway, Luffy," she said as she placed the wadded up napkin beside her plate, "don't you know not to talk with your mouth full?"

The dark haired boy blinked. "What's wrong with talking with your mouth full?"

"It's bad manners -- not to mention you wind up spraying everyone with chewed up food," Nami answered, rather patient, as if speaking to a small child.

"Oh…manners." Luffy shoved another wad of rice into his mouth, now sitting upright as he looked at Nami from across the table. "I've heard of those." He swallowed his food within a single gulp.

"Well, you certainly had me fooled…"

Usopp suddenly cleared his throat. Loudly. "I was telling a story?"

The rubber man's eyes suddenly darted over to his handyman. "Oh, yeah! What happened after you played with the animals?"

Usopp beamed suddenly, glad to have some attention back onto himself for once. "Well, we were all really tired -- tag was draining, but hide and go seek was just plain exhausting. There're were so many places to climb, amazing areas to explore and a million ways to hide."

"I love that game," interjected Luffy.

"Anyway, little did I know that I would soon be faced with an incredible danger!" His voice suddenly switched to an ominous tone as he hunched forward, towards his audience. "There was a humongous monster living on that island. And when he saw that I was playing with his friends, he became jealous!" He held up a finger. "Of course, I had no idea that he was jealous, or else I would have asked him to join us."

"Well, why didn't you?" inquired Chopper.

"I did, after I defeated him in a battle," Usopp swiftly answered. Luffy beat the table with excitement as Chopper's hooves flew over his mouth again.

"You fought?" Luffy practically crowed with delight. "It must've been awesome!"

"It was." Usopp nodded sagely. "But I knew that he was a good monster, so I let him live and asked if he wanted to play with us. And he told me that that was the whole reason why he was mad to begin with!"

"Wow," breathed Chopper. "I'm so glad you reached an understanding."

"So was I," the curly haired man stated firmly. "He was a real champion at tag -- he added so much to the fun." He placed a hand under his chin and added as an after thought, "I can't say that he was too good at hide-and-seek, though."

"I like playing it with Zoro," Luffy added. A certain green haired swordsman snorted from the corner of the room.

"Anyway, my ship came to pick me up the next day," said Usopp. "I told all of the animals good-bye and that I would see them again someday. The monster was especially sad to see me go, but I told him that we'd always be friends, even if I went my way and he his. I think that made him feel better."

"You know," mused Chopper as Luffy clapped at the other fellow's last statement, "that reminds me an awful lot of a story I once heard."

"Really?" Usopp blinked curiously.

"Mm-hm." Chopper nodded. "But it was about a monster who lived all alone and had no friends at all."

There was a tiny pause.

"Well, my version's better!" proclaimed Usopp, his arms folding over his chest with pride. "And did I mention that it was all 100 percent truth?"

"Really?!" Boomed Luffy, his hands hitting against the tabletop again.

"You're kidding!" Chopper's voice accompanied Luffy's incessant banging.

"It's all true!" Usopp laughed and grinned, rubbing the back of his head merrily.

Just then, Nami suddenly got up from the table, glancing at Roronoa Zoro, who was resting against the corner of the room. "I don't see how Zoro can rest so easily with all this noise," she declared before exiting, rubbing at her aching temples.

"Wait, Nami-san!" Sink cleared and cleaned, Sanji suddenly followed after the navigator. "Do you need a neck rub? I could get some lotion for you if you'd like…" His voice faded as he reached the deck.

"I could tell you about the giant skunk of doom next," offered Usopp, his chin now propped into his palm. "That's who I encountered after leaving the island."

Chopper yawned, stretching his little arms into the air. "I really wanna hear it, but I'm so tired--" Luffy suddenly yanked the deer's rice from under his nose. "Hey! I didn't say you could have that!"

The scarred faced boy looked up suddenly, grains of rice stuck to his mouth. "But I thought you said you were tired."

"That didn't mean I was finished!" Perfectly aware at how quickly Luffy could devour anything, he swiftly snatched his bowl back, and resolutely finished his food. "Now I'm going to bed," he announced as he set the bowl back down. "Good night, everyone!" And with that, their medic hopped onto the floor and walked out of the kitchen.

The others called out their good night's, including Zoro, who regarded the reindeer with a single, half open eye.

As soon as his footsteps faded away, Usopp turned his attention to Luffy, who was then scraping off the food everyone had left on the table into his own mouth. "I could tell you about the giant skunk of doom. Wanna hear?" The flip flop clad boy nodded vigorously, much to Usopp's delight. "All right, this is a good one, so listen carefully…" Zoro merely rolled over onto his side, his back facing the pair, apparently not at all interested.

The spectacular tale went on as normal, just as farfetched as any of the others he was notorious for telling. Luffy applauded, laughed and cheered at all the right places, which made him a fantastic audience for Usopp. But as all things come to an end, so, too, did his story, and it wasn't long until Usopp bid his crewmates goodnight, ambling his way out of the kitchen and into their sleeping quarters.

For a moment, with nothing to do, Captain Luffy clapped his feet together, staring off into the silent kitchen as he sat in his chair. But as the moments drifted by, his eyes found their way to the refrigerator and a frighteningly large grin crept across his face.

"I wouldn't even think about it, if I were you," spoke Zoro knowingly, his eyes not even opening.

"Eh? Why not?" Luffy looked over at his first mate suddenly, blinking curiously. Zoro still retained his look of nonchalance as his eyes remained closed, his arms resting beneath his head.

"Because you know that stupid cook set a trap for you," he answered after a moment, opening one eye half way.

"Oh, yeah…" Luffy's dark eyes darted longingly over to the Box of Many Foods, his mouth salivating. "But I'm still hungry."

"You'll live until breakfast." His eye settled to a close again. Luffy simply looked at the swordsman for a moment, his feet tapping upon the floor without purpose

It was peaceful, then, with the soft rocking of the ship and the slight dangling of various kitchen utensils, sounding from where they hung. Their quiet, almost musical clanking was accompanied by Zoro's easy breathing. The mellow lighting of the room added to the scene, making it all the more comfortable.

The kitchen was a happy place, in Luffy's opinion, where everyone ate and conversed together contentedly. Even when it was quiet and almost empty, he still enjoyed sitting at the table and savoring the lingering scents of roasted meats, boiled vegetables and sweet fruits.

SNAP!

"Aughhhh! Zoro, help meee!"

Even if the ever present refrigerator proved to be a bit of a temptation.

***

Dawn rose bright and early the next morning, as it always did, peeking over the vast ocean and painting the sky with a mixture of light pinks and dazzling oranges. While Luffy and Chopper were both quite chipper as they walked out into the crisp, morning air, Usopp went out of his way to avoid Zoro, who wasn't a morning person by anyone's terms. Sanji was all ready busy in the kitchen, scurrying to make the most delicious breakfast that, he felt, Nami would surely die for.

Indeed, the breakfast was a hardy one, with fine, amazing touches of delicacy to it. Even Luffy felt full (for the moment), as he finished his fifth helping, rubbing his tummy with satisfaction. But before he or any of the others could wander out of the kitchen, Nami suddenly placed their region map onto the table.

"We should be approaching this island within the next few days," she announced as she pointed to a particularly odd shaped land mass.

"It looks like a dog's head," Luffy commented as he peered forward at the map.

"No, I'd say it looks like a boot," argued Usopp, leaning in past the rubber man.

"It doesn't matter what it looks like!" Nami suddenly slammed her hand down onto the map, glaring up at them sharply for a moment, making Usopp jump.

"Nami-san is so attractive when she's irritated," sighed Sanji as he listened from beside the sink.

"At any rate, we need to decide if we want to--"

"Let's check it out!" Luffy exclaimed abruptly, cutting of the orange haired girl. "It's what pirates do, after all."

"All right then," said Nami, folding up the map once more. "Everyone's in favor, right?"

Zoro shrugged, having occupied his usual place on the floor once more. "Captain's orders." No one else spoke, apparently having the same train of thought. Usopp's knees shook a little when he stood up from the table to leave, though, and Chopper fidgeted a bit as he followed Usopp's example. Since this wasn't out of the ordinary to begin with, it was in agreement that they would, indeed, explore the island. But then again, most of the choices made on the Going Merry were made swiftly, easily and without any agonizing. This, in Luffy's opinion, was the only way to make decisions.

As soon as Nami had left to go out on deck, Sanji's voice, holding a cool glint to it, suddenly reached Luffy's ears.

"My trap went off last night."

Zoro and Luffy suddenly exchanged looks, the younger looking the part of someone caught red handed.

"How can you tell?" asked Zoro. "It doesn't look like it went off to me."

"I heard it go off," the blond chef replied, folding his arms, as he glared at Zoro. "But when I came to check it out, the trap had been reset and there was no one in there."

The swordsman snorted, his eyebrows furrowed, and said, "You just imagine things."

Sanji narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I know everything that goes on in my kitchen."

"Your kitchen?"

"Right. So, if you don't want to wake up in the middle of the night with a sick stomach, I'd shut up." Sanji glared menacingly at the green haired man.

"Are you kidding?! Your food makes me sick anyway." At this remark, Sanji suddenly took a threatening step forward, grinding his teeth furiously.

"Well, your disgusting odor at the table makes me sick. I can smell you before you even walk into the kitchen!"

"I have more important things to worry about besides how I smell, Princess[1]," retorted Zoro, raising from his seat.

Deciding that he'd seen Zoro and Sanji fight more than enough times, Luffy felt boredom creep into his skull. Before he knew it, he had risen from his own seat and exited the kitchen. Not that he wasn't grateful that Zoro had distracted the "Love Cook", but he found that he'd much rather look at the funny shaped clouds than watch them duke it out. The two men, engaged in their furious quarrel, didn't even notice him leave.

Almost right away, he took his favorite seat on the ship -- atop the giant sheep head that rested at the front of the ship. He leaned back upon his hands as he stared up at the endless sky, his mouth hanging slightly open in wonder.

An island…

I wonder if they'll be treasure there.

A funny shaped island, no less.

I hope there'll be funny shaped creatures.

He grinned and gave a gleeful chuckle, his eyes closing momentarily as his body absorbed the warmth of the gradually rising sun.

Life was pretty good. Even with the odd events that would soon come to pass, life still proved to be nice. It was certainly a lot preferable to death -- especially since you couldn't look at the clouds if you were dead.

At least, that's what Monkey D. Luffy believed.

- End Chapter I -

[1] - Zoro more or less insults Sanji with this name during the third movie, by the way, incase you thought that was kind of odd thing for Zoro to say.

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