One Piece: A Wolf's Happiness

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard is mine

Summary- The Straw Hats have a party to celebrate Blizzard joining up, but for some reason, Blizzard's heart doesn't seem to be in it.

It was a beautiful night on the Grand Line. The full moon gleamed and the stars twinkled on the ocean waves. The only thing that broke the silence of the night were the celebratory cheers on board the Thousand Sunny.

The Straw Hat Pirates were celebrating the recruitment of their newest member: Blizzard of Rivet Island.

Monkey D. Luffy was currently eating his 15th slab of meat..

Roronoa Zoro was fighting with Sanji over sake…again.

Nami was standing in the sidelines, laughing and holding a mug of grog in her hand.

A drunken Usopp was balancing a sake saucer on his nose.

Tony-Tony Chopper was dancing around with chopsticks in his little blue nose.

Robin just sat by, chuckling.

Franky was currently strumming a tune on his guitar.

As for Blizzard, however, he was surprisingly quiet, and he hadn't eaten a thing. Usually, at these kind of gatherings, he'd be howling his head off, by now, but…he wasn't for some reason.

Just then, Chopper hooked his arm around Blizzard's neck.

"Hey!" Chopper called with a pair of chopsticks in his hooves. "Put these chopsticks in your nose! Go on!"

Luffy, his stomach starting to bulge out from all the meat he ate, held a slab to the wolf-dog.

"Have some meat!" Luffy exclaimed. "It's really good!"

Usopp shoved Luffy away with a mug of grog in hand.

"Here~!" he said, voice slurred. "Have a drink, Blizzard!"

Suddenly, Blizzard stood up and walked away, heading to the bow.

"Hey, Blizzard!" Usopp called. "Where the hell are you going, you jerk? The party's over here!"

Luffy, his stomach having slimmed down, watched as the wolf-dog disappeared from his sight before he decided to follow after him.

"I'll be right back," he said to the others.

XXX

Blizzard was standing on his hind paws, looking over the aft railing.

Rivet Island was no longer in sight.

Ever since Luffy and Chopper had helped him avenge Robby's death, he has been forever grateful to the both of them and decided to leave his home for the first time in three years. After all, Luffy did want him join his crew.

Still…he couldn't help but feel rather empty inside.

"Hey, Blizzard."

Blizzard's ears swiveled back at the sound of his new master's voice as the boy stood beside him. The wolf-dog only cast one glance at him before he looked back out to the horizon. Luffy just chuckled before he gently pat him on the head.

"Homesick?" Luffy asked with a smirk.

Blizzard's ears twitched when he heard that word, and then he looked at Luffy with wide eyes. It was almost as if the captain had read his mind, completely!

Luffy's smile grew wider.

"I know what you're feeling, boy," said Luffy. "My friends and I felt the same way when we first left home for the first time. When I first felt homesick, my stomach felt a little sour and I was sad for a while because I had to say goodbye to all the friends I made at home…but I got over it after a few days because I knew that I'd make more friends on my way to becoming King of the Pirates."

There was a pause.

Suddenly, Blizzard jumped at Luffy and began to saturate his face in wolf-dog slobber, making the boy laugh.

"Hey!" Luffy cried. "Cut it out! I get the message! You're thanking me! Now GET OFF! Seriously! You're getting slobber all over me! HAHAHAHA!"

Blizzard gets down on all fours, tail wagging a million times a minute.

"Luffy! Blizzard!" called Chopper from the deck. "What's taking you so long?"

"Yeah!" Nami agreed. "The party's back here, remember?"

"Coming!" Luffy called back to her before he turned to Blizzard. "C'mon, Blizzard. You heard Nami. The party's back over there!"

Blizzard barked in agreement before he followed Luffy back to the deck.

Once they returned, the festivities began, again.

"Okay, Straw Hat crew!" Luffy yelled as he raised a mug of grog up high. "This is your captain speaking, so all eyes and ears on me!"

At that moment, the crew went silent.

"I propose a toast," Luffy began, "to our new friend, Blizzard of Rivet Island! May his new life with us be full of adventure and good health!"

"YEAH!" the Straw Hats cheered in agreement before they raised their mugs and tapped them together. "TO BLIZZARD!"

ARROOOOOO~! Blizzard arched his head to the starry sky and howled like there would be no tomorrow.

For some reason, the crew felt the strangest urge to howl along with him.

ARROOOOOO~! The Straw Hats pointed to their heads to the heavens and howled, long and loud till their throats felt raw. Even Zoro and Robin were howling!

Luffy soon broke out into laughter, followed by the rest of the crew.

Blizzard barked and panted, wagging his tail happily.

"Good for you!" Chopper said to the wolf-dog.

"What did he say?" asked Luffy.

"This is the happiest I've been in years!" Chopper translated. "If this is what life with you guys is gonna be like from now on, then I wish it'll never end!"

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered. "C'mon! Let's party!"

The Straw Hats yelled in agreement as the party went on. They danced, sang, ate, and drank to their hearts' content. They would've gone all night, but eventually, all the partying caught up to them.

The crew lay sprawled out on the deck, panting and laughing.

"Okay," said Luffy. "I'm all partied out now."

"I haven't had that much fun since Franky joined," Chopper gasped.

Nami stood up, yawning and stretching her arms.

"Well," she began, "I guess it's high time for us to hit the sack, huh?"

"You can say that again," agreed Zoro, also yawning. "Time to get some shuteye."

"Man," said Franky. "I am SUPER tired!"

"Yup," Usopp said as he stood up, rolling his shoulder to let it pop. "Time to hit the hay."

And so, the boys headed into their respective quarters while the girls headed to theirs.

"Goodnight, guys!" Nami called to the boys.

"Night!" Usopp called back.

"Night-night!" Chopper squeaked

"Sleep tight!" Franky added.

"Don't let the Sea Kings bite!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Goodnight, Nami and Robin, my lovelies!" Sanji swooned.

"Love-machine," Zoro whispered, but a bit loud enough for Sanji to hear.

"Hack swordsman," Sanji hissed.

"Dartboard-brow!" Zoro growled.

"Moss-head!" Sanji barked.

The two exchanged insults all the way to bed.

Blizzard followed the boys into the men's quarters, and upon entering, he saw the bunk beds on one side of the room, the kotatsu in the middle, and the pile of dirty laundry lying in front of the lockers. As he watched the boys climb into bed, Blizzard realized something: where was he going to sleep?

At that moment, Luffy pointed to something in the southwest corner of the room.

"Your bed's over there," said Luffy.

Blizzard looked to where Luffy was pointing and saw a wooden box with old sheets and a cushion. One the front, his name was carved into it, as well as Robby's insignia.

"You like it?" Luffy asked. "I asked Franky to make it for you, earlier today! I wanted it to be a surprise!"

Blizzard gazed at his new dog bed before he slowly stepped into it. The cushion and sheets felt so soft and plush, almost as if he were walking upon a cloud. He circled in it a couple of times before he laid down.

"Well?" asked Luffy. "What do you think?"

Luffy didn't really get much of an answer, for Blizzard had fallen fast asleep.

"Uh…Blizzard?" Luffy called.

"I think sleeping," Chopper began, "is expressing how he feels about it enough, Luffy."

Luffy only smiled before he reached over to the lantern.

"Goodnight, buddy," he said before he turned the lantern off, shrouding the room in darkness and casting into slumber, himself.

As the Straw Hats took their much needed rest, Blizzard seemed to smile in his sleep. As Luffy and Chopper being his friends weren't enough, now the whole crew had already done so much for him. They accepted him as he were a part of them from the very beginning, wolf-dog or not.

This was the happiest night of his life.

Goodnight, Luffy, Blizzard thought to himself. Goodnight…everyone.

THE END