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RUMBLE!	By : TreeStar Category: +M to R > One Piece Views: 7991 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
RUMBLE!

16

Mischief Managed

The trio entered the Galley and Zoro set Luffy on his placemat, where he proudly showed off his new outfit to anyone looking. Robin took her seat as well.

�Hey, Smurf.� Sanji greeted.

Luffy puffed his cheeks. �I�m not a Smurf! I�m in red now.�

Sanji shrugged. �So you�re a colorblind Smurf.�

Usopp got an idea and went with it. �You�re a Mystery Smurf,� he said mockingly, moving his hands up and down, wiggling his fingers magically. �ooooOOOOoooo.� See if Luffy punned anything off like that again for a while.

Luffy was not amused. Now he understood why Zoro didn�t really like it when Sanji called him Marimo so much�

Still, part of his discomfort might have been because his chest felt heavy again. He decided to ask Chopper a few innocent questions.

�Chopper? You said something about breathing attacks earlier,� Luffy mentioned idly as though it was just some unimportant thought that had flitted through his mind. �Why would that kind of attack change my other ones after?�

Chopper swallowed his bite of food and said, �It�s just based a theory I have, but one I�m pretty confident in.�

Luffy sat down and drew his knees up to his chest to prepare for whatever Chopper was about to lay bare. He received his own plate of food with barely a glance, both Zoro and Sanji noticed, but they understood. They wanted to hear this, too. And Usopp was miraculously eating quietly while Sanji spoke.

�Well, it probably wouldn�t change all of them, but I think that once your body registers the trauma of a suffocation attack, it�ll be more prone to fall into them when another type of attack starts.�

�Why just that kind of attack?� Sanji asked.

Chopper waved the questions off, �Respiratory attacks will be caused by oversensitivity to smells, mostly. Once you�ve had one, if you have one, other sensitivities might cause them, too. So you had to wash that paint off so quick.� he started eating. �It�s hard to explain.�

�Try us,� Sanji challenged.

Chopper was confused as to why this was happening, but said, �When I take a new form that�s going to work, my body associates the form with some component of the RumbleBalls, and that makes it easier to repeat that form exactly the next time I eat one. I barely have to think about it, and the form can be held longer each time without changing to another one until the RumbleBall wears off. I think a RumbleBall will do for a Paramecia�s attacks, what it does for a Xoan�s forms. From what I see, that�s how the RumbleBalls have effected you the most.�

Zoro was confused. �If that�s true, why did he shrink?�

Chopper shrugged, �My guess is that the RumbleBalls shrank him simply to establish oversensitivity, which was it�s main goal. It would happen to Robin if she ate a bunch, too.�

And speaking of Robin, she asked a question. �You said your forms could last longer once you�d been in one. Were you implying that the different types of Sencho-san�s attacks could start to last longer each time he has them?�

Chopper nodded. �It�s possible, but I also said that only the ones that were really the most effective repeated themselves in me. A suffocation attack would be very traumatic, and I think it would leave an impact on anyone�s subconscious that their body wouldn�t be able to forget quickly.�

He looked at Luffy again. �It could become like a reflex to couple it with other types of attacks, which would be terrible, but the worst thing I can think of is that if a Respiratory attack started to repeat itself unexpectedly without being induced, it would probably get longer every time. I don�t have to tell you how serious that would be.�

Luffy nodded and rested his chin on his knees.

Chopper went back to eating happily and started trying to get Usopp to tell him a story or at least something neat, and Usopp managed to get his imagination functioning enough to come up with something half-hearted when Sanji sent him a warning nod.

Zoro and Sanji watched Luffy carefully, but his expression stayed neutral. It was impossible to read his thoughts. They had no idea how he felt.

Sanji finally shot Zoro a prompting look, and Zoro leaned forward. �Luffy, you gonna eat?�

And Luffy stretched his legs out a little and smiled up at them all, which was just� not what they had expected. Luffy nodded and scooted closer to food where he started to eat with enthusiasm. He watched Usopp in fascination, enjoying the story and saying �And then what happened?� at all the right times.

Zoro ate his food slowly and deliberately, watching Luffy avidly in suspicion. But Luffy didn�t let any clues drop that he was upset at all. He acted perfectly cheerful and unaffected. His smile even looked real, as far as Zoro could tell.

What Zoro couldn�t see, Sanji couldn�t see in this case, and he kept eating, too. Robin seemed to be the one with the wisest eyes in this case, because she recognized the symptoms she had once shown herself when she was a little girl. When she tried to pretend that her whole terrible past hadn�t happened, and that she was just on a trip from home and would be going back to Ohara soon and everyone would be there waiting.

�Okowari!� Luffy stuck his plate up and cried for another helping.

Sanji took the lid to the butter that he was eating off of, and refilled it with pasta back at the counter.

Unfortunately while doing so, he got sauce on his sleeve! Oh no! He had to look good at all times. He couldn�t be covered with sauce!

Entirely forgetting that he was wearing the shirt with the pink wine stain on the back that the suit was keeping oh-so-secret, Sanji pulled of his jacket and ran the sleeve under the faucet for a few seconds to get the sauce off. Then he started to hang it on a nail on the wall when something caught his eye.

Everyone at the table watched Sanji wash his sleeve in silence. His back was to them.

When he moved to hang it up on the wall, Nami and Zoro met eyes and Zoro picked up Luffy without warning and passed him off to her silently. She took him when Luffy reached for her out in the air, and tucked him into her lap at the same time Robin lifted her cup from the table and quickly drained it in a rather uncharacteristic way.

Usopp became very nervous when he saw this exchange, and when Chopper scooted against him and hugged his arm, he glanced at the door and tried to quickly figure out how to take Chopper and escape from the room undetected.

Sanji was standing over by the nail in the wall. He wasn�t moving much. He seemed to be captivated by something that the rest couldn�t see now, but they�d seen plenty of already that day�

He took a deep breath�

Then he released it�

And turned around, keeping his eyes down.

And then� �You know� just a second ago, it got really quiet. I suppose I�m supposed to believe it�s a coincidence that Luffy�s with Nami-san now.�

Everyone looked at each other.

Nami took a deep breath and made her move, holding Luffy close. �Sanji-kun. I�m sorry. I-I meant to say s-�

�I know who did it, Nami-san. And I think I know why.� He looked pointedly at Luffy in her hands. Luffy bowed his head, and Sanji looked back up. �It�s alright. You don�t have to take the fall for him.�

�Right,� Zoro agreed, rising. �I�m the one who did it. I don�t need anyone stealing my credit.�

Nami looked annoyed that she had been interrupted. She hoped Zoro wouldn�t screw everything up with his stupid mouth.

Sanji looked expectantly at Zoro.

Zoro nodded. �I�m sorry. I did it days ago when Luffy got sick. I used it for-�

�His bed. I know. I can tell by the cuts in my jacket. Look, I�m not pissed that the jacket�s ruined, okay? And it�s not like you didn�t know already. You were there when it happened.�

�Um?

Everyone looked at Zoro.

Usopp spoke, �When what happened?�

Zoro sighed. �Sanji tore this suit in the shoulder the other day taking it off the same nail it�s on now. That�s why I chose it. Well, that and it�s soft.�

Sanji looked at him. �I fixed it, but I told him I had to get a new one.�

�Why? That jacket is so ugly!�

Usopp dropped his forehead down onto Chopper�s hat. Leave it to Zoro�

Sanji glared incredulously at the swordsman. �That didn�t mean it was okay to tear it up, Asshole! Besides, what do you know about style?�

Zoro was a little thrown. Sanji wasn�t behaving as Zoro had expected him to. In the bedroom earlier they�d all figured he would� you know� fight.

But he wasn�t doing that. He wasn�t even shouting.

Luffy poked his head out of Nami�s hand. �Sanji, I�m sorry.�

Now everyone looked at him.

Sanji shook his head. �No, Luffy. This isn�t about you. Not totally.�

He sighed and looked at the table. �It�s just� Why didn�t anyone say anything?�

And then Zoro caught the strangest thing, and he was pretty sure he was the only one who did.

As all the others started to look down guilty, Luffy looked at Robin, and Robin took that coincidental moment to stand up, herself.

�They were going to wait until I was finished,� she answered simply on behalf of everyone. �I didn�t expect you to wear that jacket so soon.�

Zoro caught Nami nod in agreement, and noticed that Luffy was suddenly smiling almost� secretively? Knowingly?

Zoro personally was awesomely confused, but tried not to show it. It seemed the others were doing the same, and Zoro became suspicious. What did you do, little captain?

Sanji was looking curiously at Robin. He wasn�t taking in anyone else at the moment. �Finish? You knew what Zoro did?�

She nodded slightly, �Sencho-san mentioned it� a while ago. So I decided to start making you something special. It�s not finished yet, though. I need to take your measurements, so that I can see if the size is right.�

Sanji was getting the beginnings of a nosebleed. �Robin-chan made me a gift from her love��

�Well, not just me. Koukaishi-san will be helping with the inner layer. We can�t get the material for that until we dock at a town.�

Sanji looked like he was on could nine. He nodded, face completely red. �Nami-san� Robin-chan� You love me so!�

Robin laughed softly.

Nami�s smile became forced.

Luffy looked like he�d just baked pie.

Zoro couldn�t believe it.

Usopp nodded all too eagerly. �We knew they were going to be making it for you, Robin told us earlier. She wanted to get some more done to show you before we said anything� She said Nami wanted to tell you first��

Nami was inwardly impressed. Not a stutter anywhere. Nice job, Usopp!

Robin got up and started to leave. �Will you come look?�

�Yeees, Robin-chan!!� Hearts bubbled visibly out of his head in a rather disturbing image as Sanji literally floated out the door behind her.

Nami handed Luffy back to Zoro and followed them to help with the damage control.

The rest waited in silence until they knew the three were well out of earshot. Then Zoro looked down at Luffy. �What was that?�

Luffy looked up innocently. �I�d call it good luck.�

Zoro looked suspicious. �Is that what you�d call it?�

Usopp let out a deep breath. �I�m calling it a near-death experience,� he input. �Even though nothing had actually happened.

Zoro still wasn�t convinced. �I don�t think it was either.� He was still looking at Luffy. �What did you do while I was sleeping?�

Luffy shook his head. �Nothing. I slept, too.�

Zoro closed his eyes. �Then it was while I was awake. That�s why you started talking to them all that stuff��

Luffy shrugged. �There was no �why�. I just wanted them to know.�

Usopp looked humored and shocked all at once. �You had them do this?�

�I didn�t have anything to do with this. They did this by themselves. Like I said, I just slept.�

Zoro raised an eyebrow and looked at Usopp. �He specifically had to talk to the girls earlier.�

Luffy only shrugged again.

Zoro shook his head. His captain wasn�t normally so modest�

Chopper spoke up now, �At least Sanji wasn�t so mad. I thought he would be really mad��

Usopp nodded. �No kidding. I thought we were all gonna die when he first saw th-�

He stopped short.

Sanji walked back in. Alone. Wordlessly.

He looked at each one of the boys in turn. Eyes moving from Chopper� to Usopp� to Luffy� to Zoro� and then finally settled back on Luffy for another three seconds.

The captain met his eyes evenly. Commandingly.

Sanji�s eyes moved to look at the far wall.

Even at four inches tall, Luffy had one HELL of a commanding air.

Faster than the eye could see, Sanji suddenly kicked the tabletop so hard that it cracked and split straight down the middle.

Everyone shot backwards from where they were. Chopper burst into wild tears and jumped into Usopp�s shaking arms even as the sniper fell back over the bench and hit the floor without a sound.

The captain and first mate were deathly silent.

Sanji didn�t say anything for a moment. Then he turned and faced the door again so no one could see his expression.

He put his hands in his pockets.

�Apology accepted.�

Then he walked back out of the room.

A full minute of silence passed as everyone stared at the empty door frame and then at the remains of the broken table lying on the floor.

Finally Usopp whispered, �Y�know, captain� however you set this up� you made a good call.�

Luffy, ears still ringing, looked down from the comforting safety of Zoro�s hands. �Oh yeah.�

Zoro smirked. There it is.

-----------

Chopper did the dishes with Usopp drying, and Zoro took Luffy down below to their room because it was late and frankly Zoro was still tired from his nap.

He fell back onto the couch and noted that Boshi had mysteriously been returned to it�s point of origin on the table, meaning he wouldn�t have to go into the girls� room to get it with Sanji in there dealing with who knows what kind of distraction service the girls were providing him with. Though it couldn�t be anything the cook would so love, because that would just never ever happen.

He was too tired to deal with a big round about, so Zoro simply slid Luffy onto his tummy.

�Wee!� the captain exclaimed as he landed with a little plop.

Then he realized he was comfortable so he just stayed there sprawled on his tummy on Zoro�s tummy.

Zoro sighed and relaxed. �So the table�s broken now. I suppose Usopp�ll have to fix it sometime tomorrow.�

Luffy hummed a little and didn�t answer.

�Did you plan for all this to happen like it did, captain?�

Luffy�s grin stayed fixed on his face, but he stayed tight-lipped.

Zoro raised an eyebrow at him. �Alright. Keep your secrets. But don�t think I haven�t got you figured out.�

Luffy laughed a little bit, then took a deep breath and let it out sleepily.

Zoro closed his eyes as well. Just for a second.

�Zoro?� Luffy said suddenly and with great amusement, �You�re tummy is making rumbly noises.�

Zoro half frowned. You impertinent little--

�Then don�t lie on it, if all you�re gonna do is complain.�

�I�m not complaining. I like it.� Luffy smiled and snuggled in deeper. �I like everything about Zoro.�

Zoro�s cheeks heated up a little.

Not knowing what to say now that Luffy had opened up territory that he wasn�t used to treading in, Zoro scrambled mentally a little for a new subject.

He finally landed on something, and asked �So now you know the deal. What do you think about what Chopper said?�

Luffy sat up and shook his head with a smile. �What Chopper said about what?�

�About future attacks.�

�Hey Zoro, can you lick your elbows?� Luffy acted as though he hadn�t even heard him.

Zoro shook his head. �No. And stop making diversions. It�s too late to play games tonight, buddy.�

Luffy sat thoughtfully for a moment, then looked up and smiled again. �Then maybe we should just go to bed.�

Zoro was a little thrown on Luffy�s behavior. �Do you not want to talk about it right now?�

�I can talk about anything right now. What�s up?�

Zoro sighed frustrated. This is getting tedious.

�Earlier you were really worried about this. Are you okay now?�

�mm-hm! There�s nothing wrong.� Luffy smiled.

Zoro became slightly suspicious. Had Luffy�s smile at dinner been so real because he�d been trying to convince himself that there was nothing wrong with him at all?

It sounded improbable. But not impossible.

But then, maybe he was just too tired to deal with it right now.

Zoro sat quietly for a moment and watched as Luffy kept his façade of unknown origin going.

Luffy felt Zoro�s gaze and knew what he was doing. And it was bad timing, because almost as soon as Zoro had brought this up, this strange feeling of weight had started to pile onto this chest.

He took a deep breath as discreetly as he could to try to force the weight off of him.

It didn�t work.

Luffy didn�t feel so hot. The weight on this chest was making him feel a little sick. He curled onto his side and pulled his limbs in tight to him, at the same time trying to relax his mind as he tried taking a few deep breaths again.

The weight still didn�t go away. It was like something heavy was pressing on his lungs, keeping them from expanding normally. Which was crazy. He was still getting air, but he felt dizzy. He knew he wasn�t having an attack, and tried to calm down.

There was no reason to feel scared, he told himself. Just like he had at dinner a few minutes ago. No reason at all, because nothing was wrong. Everything was wonderful and he was only a little different sized but he wasn�t sick and there was just nothing wrong!

He covered his eyes to make it easier to believe it. The postion put more weight on his chest but he didn�t care, because there was no weight. He was imagining it and he had to stop now.

�Luffy.�

Zoro was here. Maybe he could make it better.

�Zoro,� he sat up and looked at his swordsman as if Zoro were some sort of miracle worker. �It won�t stop.�

When all Zoro could do was shake his head, Luffy pressed on, �There�s nothing the matter with me. So why won�t it stop?�

�Luffy, if you run from this I will lose respect for you.�

It became deathly quiet.

It was a complete lie. But Luffy was a captain. His captain. And Zoro had to make sure that, no matter how tiny Luffy got, he wouldn�t forget that. A captain�s actions bore heavy consequences, and Luffy had a responsibility to meet every enemy head on.

Zoro�s words hit Luffy like a ton of bricks bringing him back to reality. He stayed very still for a minute or so. Didn�t move at all.

Running. Was that what he was doing?

Yes. It really was.

But he was Monkey D. Luffy. He was worth 100,000,000 Beli. He had never run from ANYTHING in his life! How could he run now? He had a responsibility to meet every enemy he faced head on.

If he failed at that, then how could he be expected to keep the responsibility of the lives of those under his command?

This could not be allowed to beat him. The very idea was preposterous. And getting so upset was giving the enemy an opening!

So it was scary. He�d seen scary before. He must�ve nearly drown twenty times by now!

But someone had always been there to take him away from it. Zoro was always there to help him. And he was here now. And as long as he kept fighting, Zoro would fight with him. But Zoro wouldn�t fight for a captain that was weaker than he was. He wouldn�t stay.

He wouldn�t care about him.

Luffy needed Zoro to care about him. He didn�t know why all of a sudden that desire was so heavy and strong, but he needed Zoro to care about him more than anything else. He wanted that. More than anything else at that moment, he wanted that.

As long as he had that, he could defeat anything. And he would defeat anything to keep it.

I�ll fight for it. I will.

Zoro watched in silence as Luffy pushed himself to his feet and stood firmly. Decided eyes looked up at him. �Right,� he answered.

Zoro gave him a nod. �Did it stop?�

And Luffy realized in surprise that it had. The weight was gone, his mind was clear, the world was simple� He actually felt pretty good.

�Yeah. Yeah, it did.� He laughed a little.

Zoro smiled as Luffy laid back down on his tummy. The captain reached toward Zoro�s hand, indicating what he wanted, and Zoro laid it over him like a blanket.

�There�s no reason to run. I know it�s easy for me to say, because I�m not four inches tall. But I�m here. I�m not gonna go anywhere without you.�

Luffy smiled and closed his eyes. �And you�ll always be here with me. Even �til forever, right?�

Zoro smiled. �Even �til forever.�

Luffy was so cute like this, Zoro was starting to think that it was going to be hard letting things go back to normal when he got big again. He didn�t want Luffy to suffer anymore� But holding him like this was something he would never be able to do after this ended, and it was something that he found he was quickly becoming addicted to. Luffy was like a drug that got stronger with each dose.

Holding his captain, so small and vulnerable, gave Zoro the most amazing feeling. Everything became warm.

Luffy had always been able to do this, somehow. Make Zoro feel needed, that is. He was so young and innocent. But now he was depending on Zoro completely. More so than any of those other times so far.

He had reached out as soon as it had happened, and had taken hold onto Zoro so tightly. He�d given him so much trust, and showed so much faith in him.

Zoro didn�t deserve him. Zoro was a demon. He didn�t deserve to be looked at with such admiration and affection. Especially by someone that he had so much admiration and affection for.

But Luffy was always saving the swordsman from himself, and the captain had always been so strong and sure of himself that there had never really been much that Zoro could protect him like that in return.

The swordsman found himself savoring the moments he had like this. Moments when he could be the hero, and save Luffy for a change. He wanted to be there for him always.

Zoro sighed and stroked Luffy�s back. Luffy made a happy noise and didn�t move. It was obvious that he was drifting off right there.

Good. He needed sleep. If what Robin said earlier was true, then he needed the emotional escape to even get by.

But this niggling worry was in the back of Zoro�s mind. Luffy hadn�t had any sort of attack at all since that afternoon after lunch, and that had been hours ago. What if they both fell asleep now and Luffy woke in the middle of the night in pain, and couldn�t cry out for him for some reason?

Maybe I should just stay awake. He was exhausted, but he just had a REALLY bad feeling that something not good was going to happen tonight.

�Luffy? You want me to put you to bed?�

Luffy moaned a little. �No. Wanna stay here.�

Zoro smiled despite himself. Then he tried to look annoyed. �But you need to go to bed. Come on.�

He started to try scooping Luffy up, but the little imp would have nothing to do with it.

�Noooo�� He whined sleepily. �Can�t I stay here, Zoro? Pleeeeeaase?�

And Zoro crumbled like a cookie.

�Fine.� He tried to sound like he was putout by the whole thing. �But only because this way I�ll know sooner if you get sick,� he hurriedly added. Now he might be able to get some sleep.

Luffy smiled triumphantly around his tired countenance. Zoro was so easy sometimes.

Chopper and Usopp came down and rolled into their hammocks as Luffy basked in the afterglow of his great win, and a few seconds later Sanji followed them.

Before the cook had finished changing into something that wasn�t a lost cause for the night, Luffy was asleep.

Zoro tuned in closely as Sanji finished changing behind him, and then walked up to stand beside the couch. He said anything for several seconds, and Zoro knew he was looking at Luffy.

Then he bent down and picked up Luffy�s little Boshi-bed.

�You know,� the chef finally voiced quietly, �I have to admit, you�re doing well with him. If anyone else had done what you did, and if you had done it for any other reason than to make him happy, I would have been very pissed.�

�You expect me to believe you weren�t?� Zoro asked in a whisper.

Sanji scoffed a little. �What that? That was a show. I wanted to know what would happen. What he would do. Especially since he knows he can�t fight right now.� He pointed at Luffy. �I wanted to know how far he would go for you, so you wouldn�t be hurt for him.�

Zoro didn�t answer. Neither could see other�s face. So they focused their sights on Luffy entirely as they spoke to each other.

�You know,� Sanji lazily commented, �With him out of action physically, it seems like he tried to think his way out of the problem he probably felt like you caused. That�s something new for him. He didn�t do too bad. Even if he didn�t fool anyone.�

Zoro�s eyebrows knit together. That was something he hadn�t really considered. He kind of doubted Luffy could do that, but then he had been thrown at the dinner table that had existed a half an hour ago. Still�

He shook his head. �You�re reading too much into it, I�m sure.�

Sanji shrugged, though Zoro couldn�t see it. �Am I?�

He shifted sideways a little, and noticed from an angle that Zoro couldn�t see, that Luffy was smiling again. Just barely. No doubt because he�d gotten a compliment.

Sanji shrugged again. �I wonder.�

Then walked across the planks to his hammock and slung himself into it, whereupon he immediately started faking sleep himself.

Zoro rolled his eyes, and decided to ignore everything the cook had ever said in his entire life, like he was so good at doing, and got comfortable.

A few minutes later everyone was asleep save for Robin who was reading on watch.

Hours passed.

It was peaceful.

And then the ship capsized.
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RUMBLE!