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RUMBLE!	By : TreeStar Category: +M to R > One Piece Views: 7990 -:- 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.

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RUMBLE!!

3

Layers

~~~ *** ~~~

The table was clean, and the counter crowded with vegetables currently being chopped on the cutting board. It had been quiet in the galley for a while now, only the rustling of papers now and then as Chopper flitted through books and papers. The faint scent of ink was in the air, but it wasn�t enough to bother Chopper, so Sanji had figured complaining about it would be stupid. Chopper�s work was very important at the moment, and at least it wasn�t the scent of axle grease that occasionally followed Usopp around.

Their captain�s �state of Rumble� had the two in the kitchen a little more on edge than normal. The others -sans Zoro- seemed to be okay with simply knowing that Luffy would be fine provided he was watched. Sanji had spent his whole life around good men and pirates in the ocean, and he knew things were always what they seemed to be at a glance. Most �good men� were evil, but there were also a whole lot of �evil men� that would lose a limb to save a friend. The legacies of two such men were on this one ship alone, and every person on the Merry would sacrifice anything for each other� even though they were pirates, and pirates were evil.

The point was that everything had layers, and Sanji wasn�t ready to size someone up (even if that size was only four inches) and presume to know everything that they felt. Rumble Balls obviously messed people up. That�s what they were named for! They took something�s shape and Rumbled it, usually in a few different ways, and both Sanji and Chopper felt that a few more hours would tell the whole tale.

Chopper looked up from his books as Zoro walked back into the kitchen with the captain curled into a ball against his chest.

It was Sanji, however, who was the first to speak. �What the hell are you coming back in here for? I�m cooking dinner, asshole. Leave.�

�Shove it, Dart-face. It�s not about me.� Zoro commented in passing as he walked over to the doctor and sat down on the floor on the other side of all his books. Once he was comfortable with one leg bent into the sitting position and the other knee raised to rest his elbow on, he set Luffy down on the floor between them� whereupon the tiny captain skipped straight toward the ink bottle next to Chopper.

Before he reached it, Zoro�s hand came down between the exposed ink and the now-miniature Luffy. �Let�s not, Luffy.�

The captain pouted at this and considered just stretching around Zoro�s hand to grab the bottle anyway, when Zoro reminded him, �That�s not what we�re here for.�

�Why�d you come back in? Did something happen?� Chopper asked as he picked up the bottle and placed it on the other side of him next to his brush. Luffy watched the bottle move with a frown. He could still reach it, but he didn�t want to knock it over trying, because then Chopper would be sad. Also, it wouldn�t exactly be very appreciative since Chopper was trying to help him. Luffy knew there was nothing he could do about a Rumble Ball because he�d already said that, but still�

Seeing that his captain�s mind was already someplace else now that they were indoors again, Zoro got the conversation rolling to bring Luffy back to the here and now. �When we went outside Luffy noticed that some stuff was different other than the whole smallness thing. It might just be stuff that has to do with the shrinking, I couldn�t tell.�

As Zoro spoke, Chopper nodded and picked up a piece of paper covered in his own writing and placed it down in front of him. �Okay. What kinds of stuff, and how was it different?�

Sanji stopped chopping celery, dried his hands on a towel, and sat on the closest table bench to listen. Zoro half-expected the cook to start giving irritating commentary about Luffy�s stupidity for shrinking in the first place� but Sanji just sat forward on the bench -elbows on his knees- and didn�t say a word. He didn�t even light a smoke. He�s concerned, too� Zoro thought.

Luffy also must have noticed the lack of dialog, because he toddled back toward Zoro and sprang himself up to sit on the lowered knee before starting. �It�s cold.�

�Do you want to curl up in your tank-top?� Sanji asked, reaching behind him.

Luffy shook his head, �No no, I mean it�s colder now. And it feels different, like it�s pushing on me, and it�s making the wind hurt because that pushes really hard��

Chopper nodded and looked down at his paper again. He didn�t actually seem surprised at all. �Does the cold itself hurt?�

Luffy nodded, �Sometimes. So does the light. It hurts my eyes.�

Now Chopper dipped his brush and began writing a note at the bottom of his page. �Any light, or just bright light?�

�Mmm� Bright more than normal, but normal light is brighter now, too. I couldn�t really see well at all in the sun light.�

It felt, to both Zoro and Sanji, very much like being at a pediatrician�s office. Chopper was very professional with his little paper and his simple questions. He kept Luffy�s attention focused mostly on himself and his symptoms, but at times Chopper noticed that he would glance behind him to visually reference the two other men in the room for expression and location� even though he had to be sure that none of them had moved.

The little reindeer wrote another note, then he posed a new question. �Luffy, is your hearing sensitive?�

Luffy nodded sharply, �Everything�s loud, and there�s new stuff.�

For his part, Luffy answered every question as best he could, which everyone around him seemed to be pleased with even though he felt like he was saying it wrong. This type of attention wasn�t odd to him at all. Chopper was always running around with a roll of bandages when someone was hurt, and the line of questions about how he felt was something that Luffy had been put through every time he got any type of injury -no matter how small. Which was a good thing, really. He had the best doctor ever!

Said doctor stopped moving his brush and put the paper down again before putting a hoof to his chin.

Now Sanji lit a cigarette. �So, doctor,� he took a drag of smoke and blew it out, �what�s the diagnosis?�

Chopper raised his eyes, moving them to meet with the other three sets in the room intermittently, so as to keep the information open to all present. �I think it�s a case of super-sensitivity, and it doesn�t really surprise me even though I hoped it wouldn�t happen.�

The reindeer pointed at the piece of paper, and Zoro could now see that it had a list on it.

�I listed all of the ingredients in a Rumble Ball and multiplied them by ten. Since then, I�ve been going through my books to find what the materials could potentially do to a normal human body both individually and in pairs. All of them together will obviously shrink a Paramecia, but it�s been hard to figure out all the things that could go wrong with Luffy otherwise -because he�s NOT a normal human. I did find that the human symptom of heightened nerve sensory to external stimulation ran in four of the seven drugs used in a Rumble Ball. And of course he took ten times as much of them, so�� he paused to make sure he still had everyone.

Sanji seemed to be right with him. Zoro did, too, which was unusual and Chopper felt that the only reason he wasn�t asleep was because this was important to him. Luffy was completely lost.

Chopper decided to make his speech simpler. �Luffy, you described the cold as �painful� and �pushing on you�-�

�He was saying outside that everything felt too heavy,� Zoro put in as Luffy nodded in agreement.

Sanji took another drag, but didn�t get on Zoro�s case for interrupting. Zoro was ready for it all the same, and turned his gaze to the cook�s face. Sanji met his eyes but didn�t move. The message passing between them was clear to both in an instant. It may have seemed strange to an onlooker, but there was more crap going on right now than either of them cared to fight over. It just wasn�t the time, and might not be for a while. He really is worried� They didn�t know it, but each had reflected this same thought about the other at the same time.

Luffy looked at both cluelessly.

Zoro�s comment had encouraged the small doctor, however, who continued, �Heavy� Right, that�s a good word for it. The effect the temperature has on him suggests that his sense of touch has been amplified. The sensitivity to light testifies to a reaction on his eyes. And I�d actually like to try something.�

He got up and went to the cabinet.

�What are doing?� Sanji responded at once to the infringement of his territory.

�It�s okay, I�ve got it.� Chopper walked back with half a milk chocolate bar and slid it out of the wrapper. Luffy felt like Christmas had come early when he saw Chopper break off a piece of the candy bar and hand it to him. The tiny captain didn�t know why he was getting a treat, but it really didn�t matter to him anyway, and he stood on Zoro�s knee and received the chocolate with a happy �Ittadakimasu!� before the whole thing was in his mouth.

Then the strangest thing happened. This chocolate wasn�t really chocolate; it couldn�t possibly have been. It looked like chocolate but it was obviously something else because what Luffy had in his mouth was the most bitter, disgusting, nauseating taste he had ever experienced in his ENTIRE life as he knew it. He reflexively heaved, clapped two hands over his mouth and began looking for something to spit it out in to.

Through the overpowering upchuck reflex, he registered Zoro�s hands to his left and right, ready to steady him should he need it. He also clearly heard Sanji say, �Don�t even THINK about not swallowing that food!� But he just couldn�t seem to get his throat to work.

Mercifully, he also heard Chopper say, �It�s better that he spits it out now than throws it up later,� right before a napkin was in front of him.

Luffy cupped it in front of him and spit the atrocity that someone had dared to stick in the chocolate wrapper into the napkin. He wiped his face, but continued to choke for a few seconds, his legs shaking beneath him. He felt Zoro�s fingers touching him now, and gratefully turned to hide his face against one of them as he regained his shuddering breath. Never had anyone played such a nasty trick on him!

Chopper sat back, �I was afraid of that.�

Luffy tensed at Chopper�s off-handed comment. Tearing away from Zoro�s hand, he jumped off the leg he had been perched on and marched straight over to his doctor. �WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!� he spun on Sanji, �and WHY is it in MY kitchen?!�

Sanji shot off the bench, where Zoro�s open blade at his chest reminded him that this was not a time for violence. This brief respite also reopened his eyes to the fact that Luffy was only four inches tall, and so it would probably be inhumane to step on him.

It was Chopper who answered, laying the package down before his captain. �It�s real chocolate, Luffy. The Rumble Balls must have made your sense of taste too strong, so now sweet stuff will taste terrible.� the doctor looked near tears under his captain�s glare. �I�m sorry. I should have warned you��

Upon seeing his little-big reindeer start to cry, Luffy softened his glare and tone. Chopper wasn�t Usopp. If Chopper said it was chocolate, then it was chocolate. �It's alright. Just tell me if something�s gonna do that.�

As a way of cueing them to move on, Luffy -who couldn�t help but be a little sore about the event- turned back toward Zoro. In an instant he had grabbed his swordsman�s shirt and shot up to his chest, where he clung to the white fabric and pouted adorably at the candy bar like some kind of grudge-holding baby monkey.

Zoro felt kinda bad for the kid and let him hang there without complaint while turning back to Chopper. �So what does all this mean?�

Chopper sniffled before answering, �Well, really it just means that his senses are much stronger. They�ll probably get over whelming at times� It might be a good idea to keep his exposure to direct sunlight minimal, not just because it hurts his eyes, but because he�ll probably sunburn easily now. Oh! If his response to external stimulation is so strong that the 75 degree temperature outside can hurt him, it�s probably not a good idea to get rough with him anymore. He won�t be able to laugh it off the same. I know that he�s made of rubber and there would be no lasting damage, but dropping a bowling ball on him or falling out of the crow�s nest now will hurt him like hell.�

�Do we have to change his diet?�

Chopper looked as Sanji. �I�m not sure yet. Probably not too much. He should be fine with most things, just nothing with too strong a flavor. So anything with salsa or mustard or mint or vinegar� stuff like that are off the menu. He also shouldn�t get near coffee or perfume or other strong scents, because the smells will knock him out. He�ll be able to tell you soon enough on his own when he thinks something is a bad idea.� He turned back to Luffy in an attempt to make amends. �You should still be able to eat meat, Luffy.�

Luffy hadn�t moved this whole time. He really missed Boshi. At least Zoro was in a position that let him see Boshi over there on the bench� but it just wasn�t the same. He would just feel so much better if he could touch Boshi, but he wasn�t about to shoot across the room, because Boshi wasn�t as warm as Zoro�

�What about the noises?� Luffy finally asked, changing the subject from his traitorous candy experience, albeit sullenly. Zoro looked at him and remembered that he�d been more disturbed by the noises than anything else so far. Well, before the chocolate incident.

Chopper spoke directly to Luffy now, happy that he was, indeed, forgiven. �I would say that our voices getting louder and the new sounds are normal, but with everything else more sensitive now, I would be surprised if your hearing wasn�t affected as well -so you can sort of hear too good. It would just be weird for the sense of hearing to have been skipped when everything else seems to have been raised abnormally high.�

Luffy nodded after a moment, but everyone had to wonder if he really understood.

�So what do we do now?� Zoro asked the tiny doctor patiently, raising a hand to cup Luffy into so that the boy would be able to relax his grip a little. This just seemed like such a lot of information for such a tiny little Luffy.

Chopper furrowed his brow, answering �Try to keep him comfortable and don�t leave him alone� Luffy, you need to make sure you stay with someone because while you�re in Rumble you�re symptoms will get stronger and weaker at different times. I think you�ll start to figure out what makes them worse in time so that you can stay those things, but in case you have an attack you�ll want to be near someone who can-�

�What do you mean, �attack�?� Luffy interrupted.

�If the effects suddenly get so strong that you feel dizzy or start to pass out. Like if you get really hot and need to move someplace else where you feel cooler, or if you get too cold, or if you start to feel sick all of a sudden, or it gets too bright to see your surroundings. Those are all attacks, or it�s what they might feel like if they happen to you. So you�ll need to have someone close by you so they can help. And the rest of us�� he turned to look at the other two, �will have to watch out and be ready for anything.�

�He might have had something like that earlier�� Zoro started.

�Maybe. Or it might have just been his first time outside. But remember he�s still newly in Rumble, so it could get worse.�

Luffy�s face was set with a rather grim and thoughtful expression. No one had to question whether or not he understood this new information. It was obvious that he wasn�t looking forward to any of this at all. Being tiny wasn�t so neat anymore.

Chopper finished up with, �I�ll keep looking for anything else I might have missed, but it�s been a couple hours since he Rumbled, so I think all the layers of the condition should have shown by now. There still isn�t anything that I can do to make the duration shorter, or any way to make it any less intense. I just� don�t know of anything that will counteract each of the four ingredients causing the sensitivity. I�m sorry��

Sanji smiled at the baby Xoan. �It�s not your fault, Chopper. You�re a great doctor. We�re proud of you.�

Chopper blushed and giggled, �Urursei na, kono yarou baka!�, but didn�t seem to have the energy to dance while the knowledge that he couldn�t do anything for his hero was in the back of his mind.

The cook rose up from his seat and headed back to his cutting board to proceed with dinner preparations.

Figuring that Luffy wasn�t ready to move just yet, Zoro leaned back against nearest wall and relaxed while they both absorbed all of this new information.

So Luffy could be hurt more easily now, and probably would be at some point. What fun. Still, as bad as all that had sounded to Zoro and probably Sanji, the swordsman knew that Luffy was probably feeling much worse. He wanted to get his mind off of it somehow� or at least make it a little easier for him.

Then he thought back to his earlier idea. Perfect! The only problem is�

Luffy was in the pits. There was just no other way to put it as he mulled over the words he had heard Chopper tell him. First he had been betrayed by a candy bar, and now he was going to be having weird �attacks�. He had secretly been hoping that all that overwhelming stuff earlier had been a one-time deal, and that he would feel better soon. But now his nakama had informed him that this was just not going to be the case. The tiny captain -who wasn�t known for putting much thought into anything- now contemplated if that meant he would get numb sometimes, too, because wouldn�t that be odd?

He was jerked out of his reverie when Zoro began to sit back up again, and then stand. Ooo! Were where they going?

�Where are we going?� Luffy asked, completely rejuvenated.

Zoro hesitated. How was he going to do this�?

He set Luffy down on the tabletop. ��actually, there was something that I wanted to do really quick, and I don�t think it�s a good idea for you to go outside so soon� but I�ll only be gone for a little while.� He saw Luffy�s smile fade away little by little, and pressed on quickly, �I�ll be back really soon, and Chopper�s here, and Sanji. So if anything happens -anything at all- he�ll call for me, and I�ll come back straight away. Right, Sanji?�

�Yeah, sure.� answered Sanji, who had paused in his work again to hear the exchange. He didn�t know what the idiot was doing, but he didn�t want to be the cause for a hurt Luffy, �You can even help me cook dinner, Luffy.�

Luffy started to say something, and then stopped� and then, �But� I thought��

Zoro felt so guilty. But he knew that Luffy would appreciate it later. �There�s just one quick thing I need to do, and then I�ll be right back here, okay? Do you feel okay?�

Luffy bowed his head, and started to fiddle with the red string around his waist that held his hanky in place. After a moment, though, he nodded.

�That�s good.� The weight-lifter took Luffy up and then set him on the counter near Sanji. �I�ll be back in just a little bit.� And he headed for the door.

Luffy had turned around and still wasn�t looking up, but Sanji noticed Zoro pick up Boshi on his way out of the galley. Ahhh, Sanji thought as something of a picture began to unfold for him.

He turned back toward the counter again. �Wanna help?�

Luffy didn�t answer right away. Sanji was fine, but he still felt disappointed that Zoro had left for a few moments. He had been thinking that he could stay in Zoro�s sight all the time, but of course now he realized how unrealistic that was. Of course Zoro would want to take care of his personal business without being saddled up with a charge. And it wasn�t like Zoro would be gone long, or that he had said that he wanted to leave him�

Deciding that there wasn�t really too much he could do about it, and not wanting to be annoying, Luffy looked at the food on the cutting board. �What can I do?�

�Well, you can take the veggies after I chop them and put them into that big bowl over there. The hot stuff is already finished, we have it simmering over on the stove. So you and I are going to make a salad to go with it.�

�Yeah!� Luffy started to feel a little better now that he could help out and be important.

Sanji smiled and turned on the water for the boy to wash his hands until they were squeaky clean. They headed back across the counter again, and Sanji started chopping -slower now, he didn�t want any accidents - and when he finished with a carrot, he moved the knife away so that Luffy could pick up as many of the pieces as he could and walk them to the bowl. While Luffy transported, Sanji would grab something else and begin to chop that.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Luffy sneak one thin slice of carrot� and then hesitate to eat it. It was weird to see Luffy look at food like that. He took a nibble� and then stuffed the whole thing into his mouth, crunching it up and swallowing.

�How�d that taste?� Sanji asked.

Luffy cringed. He hoped Sanji wouldn�t throw him out� but Sanji didn�t even look upset at all. He only looked curious. Luffy thought about it and told him, �Not bad. It was stronger than normal, but it still tasted like it was supposed to �unlike some chocolate that will remain nameless.�

Sanji laughed a little. The poor kid. But at least it looked like he would be eating more vegetables for a change.

The two continued to work as they talked about what kind of Dials Usopp�s new invention was going to use, and speculating how it would work. Before long they were done with the veggies, and Sanji let Luffy mix the salad. Luffy especially liked that part, because he was allowed to stick his arms and hands into the food and toss it about the bowl.

Time flew quickly, and soon after they started working together, dinner was finished, and it was starting to get dark.

Zoro came walking back inside, now empty-handed.

� ©
Zoro ©
!� Luffy chirped happily, �You�re back!� He rocketed over to the addressee, wrapping his arms all the way around his neck.

Zoro smiled in surprise, �Told you I wouldn�t be gone long. Is dinner ready?�

�Yeah,� Sanji called over his shoulder from where he had just finished washing his own hands at the sink, �I�m just going to get everyone. Chopper, why don�t you put that stuff away for the night and wash up?�

Chopper sighed, but then closed the book in front of him and smiled. �Yosh!� he picked up some of his stuff and ran downstairs to, presumably, create some floor space so that his work wouldn�t be trampled.

Luffy began to wiggle around in excitement. �Guess what! Na, guess what, Zoro!�

Zoro�s attention was diverted from Sanji�s leaving to Luffy�s squeezing. �Nanda?�

Luffy gave him a huge grin that he could hear more than see because of the captain�s position, �Neehee! I helped make dinner.�

Zoro looked around the galley in mock surprise. �Sugei na, and everything looks so clean.�

Luffy puffed up his cheeks. �You�re rude! Humph! �I helped with the salad.�

Zoro gave the boy the small smile as he walked over to the counter. �This salad?�

�Yep!� Luffy cheered, jumping down on the counter and starting to run over to it, �Na Zoro, umasou?�

�Aa, it looks delicious. Good work.�

Luffy grinned, looking decidedly proud of himself� before that slowly faded and he put a hand to his head, toppling over.

�What the- Luffy? Luffy!� Zoro had his hands down near him in an instant, but he didn�t really know what to do. And Luffy wasn�t answering him.

He was conscious. He just didn�t look like he could answer him. Sweat was rolling down his forehead, and he looked so pale all of a sudden. And of course Chopper had just left the room, and Zoro wasn�t about to run out to get him. Which was good, because it only lasted a few seconds before Luffy was reaching for him.

Luffy didn�t know what happened. One second he was talking to Zoro, happy as can be, albeit a little warm� and the next he knew, the room caught on fire and began to spin and he couldn�t seem to stand straight anymore. He couldn�t focus on anything. He forced himself to breath while he waited out the pain of the heat. He felt like he was surrounded by fire; as if he wasn�t actually touching it but it completely surrounded him. His eyes swam as though he were looking through steam. Everything around him soused like a blurry mirage.

He could hear Zoro�s voice, but it sounded booming and echoed in his ears so he couldn�t understand it. Forgetting he wasn�t 5�4� anymore, Luffy raised his hand hoping Zoro would grab it. He forced his vocal cords to form Zoro�s name, and felt his skin come into contact with something cool that could only be his first mate touching him, because of the scent that now surrounded him. Zoro didn�t feel like he was burning. His hands felt cool as they wrapped around him, lifting him up.

Even as Zoro was moving him, Luffy began to cool down. First sound came back into focus. He could understand Zoro�s voice coaxing him now, and Luffy didn�t like how scared he sounded. He actually sounded pissed and impatient, but also like he was forcing himself to stay calm, and Luffy knew fear when he heard it.

As the world clarified before his eyes, the first thing he did was turn his eyes to his first mate. �I�m okay, Zoro. I�m okay��

Zoro felt relief wash through him with his captain�s voice. He knew he should have been ready for anything. Chopper had just told them this would happen! That things would get worse, but still�

�The hell you�re okay�� he whispered, more to himself than Luffy. That had been� Hell, LUFFY had just passed out right in front of him, �and there had been nothing he could do.

Luffy was now looking at him clearly. His color had come back. The whole �attack� had lasted maybe a minute.

Outside, they could both make out the too-passionate cries of �Mellorine! Mellorine!� on the deck, which everyone now took to mean �dinner�s ready� at about this time of evening. It usually took a few minutes to assemble everyone in the galley. The girls always took their time, and the rest (who weren�t already in the kitchen) knew it was pointless to beat them inside for the evening meal, because no one was allowed to eat until all seven of them were present. Sanji was weird about that. After dinner, he was done cooking for the day. Lunch and breakfast were fine because he kept making treats for them throughout the afternoon, but he wanted to be sure EVERYONE got a chance to eat their fill at dinner, because that was it.

��Zoro?�

Zoro�s eyes were back on his captain, and he sighed. He�d just been holding Luffy without moving or saying anything. He was probably freaking the kid out. �Luffy� daijoubu ka?�

Luffy nodded cheerfully for his first mate as he was let down on the table �Aa, daijoubu yo. I guess that was what Chopper was talking about.�

Zoro frowned, �What happened? -I mean, what kind of attack was it? Was it cold or��

�Iya, it got really hot. Made me dizzy, but it got better because you were there. You�re hands were really cool. Kimochiiii!� Then he laughed and turned to point at the salad. �Let�s put that on the table where everyone can see it!�

Zoro sighed. And he�s back on dinner again. He followed his captain�s order, to Luffy�s apparent excitement, and then took his seat on the bench. Outside, the sun had almost completely set and the sound of everybody talking at once began to (finally) get closer. Zoro looked down at his hands where they rested on the table. Kimochi, he reflected, They feel good�

Maybe he had done something after all. Luffy seemed better, so� maybe just being here-

�Zoro.�

Zoro was pulled out of thought to see Luffy spanning the short distance between the salad bowl and himself. His head was bowed, eyes hidden, and although it looked strange with the white hanky and no mugiwara boshi, Zoro knew what this particular pose meant. Sure enough�

�Don�t tell anyone, okay?�

Zoro knew what he was talking about, and was about to say that it wasn�t probably wasn�t a good idea to keep something like this from everybody else, but then Luffy looked up� and Zoro stopped short. His captain�s sharp eyes made it clear that this was an order, not a request, and Zoro instantly understood why.

A split second later, everyone else came flooding into the galley, taking seats and arguing. They kept their voices down, though, and there was already some conversation going on about what Luffy�s addition symptoms would mean, so Chopper must have told them just enough to make them aware of the situation without breaking the doctor-patient confidentiality that he had always been taught.

while they gathered around and Sanji passed out empty plates, Luffy was jumping up and down by his salad, laughing. No one could have ever guessed that only a moment ago�

�This all looks delicious, cook-san,� Robin smiled as two bowls of hot stew was set before she and Nami.

�I�m so pleased that it meets with mademoiselle�s tastes!� Sanji burst out, before recovering himself, �But the credit isn�t just mine. Luffy helped me out a lot on this one.�

Everyone looked down at the rubber munchkin on the tabletop, impressed.

�That makes it extra-special then, doesn�t it?� Robin smiled again.

�Luffy cooking. Bet that was fun,� Usopp laughed, tonging himself up some salad for his plate.

Sanji was back at the stove, filling more bowls. �It was, actually. I might even need his help with breakfast tomorrow��

�CAN I, REALLY?� the subject of the conversation spun toward Sanji.

The cook smiled without turning around. �We�ll see.�

�WooHoooo!� Luffy ran around the salad bowl in excitement.

Sanji finished passing out the stew and then put some in front of Luffy on a plate. He�d scooped out some of the mild vegetables, draining the water first so that Luffy would be able to eat everything with his hands and not get too messy. It wasn�t like they had silverware for him, after all. Luffy also got milk in a thimble which Nami had provided from her sewing kit earlier when she�d made his new clothes. He seemed to be enjoying his food, because he ate it all more quickly than Sanji had expected him to.

�How was your day, Luffy?� The navigator now asked.

�It was interesting!� Luffy answered, using his favorite descriptive word without offering any more detail than that.

Then Robin distracted Nami with a question about the Log Pose.

As Zoro watched them all interact normally in their blissful ignorance, maintaining that familiar, comfortable atmosphere that they were all so fond of� it was obvious why Luffy didn�t want them to know any more than they had to.

Even if others were told about what had happened, there was nothing they could do about it. They would only worry, and maybe feel guilty for enjoying themselves while their captain suffered. Feelings like that could lead to them all crowding him in their desire to help. If that happened, there was a good chance they�d end up doing more harm than good if Luffy was struck by another attack.

His first mate was one thing, but Luffy didn�t want everyone to know every detail of every thing, every time. If the others didn�t see something happen to him, then as far as they would ever know it hadn�t happened at all.

But those eyes had shined on Zoro with another, much more important meaning, and THAT was what had made everything clear as crystal: Luffy had CHOSEN him, specifically, to be his highest officer, and to protect him, should he need it. Now he was calling that in, and Zoro now understood that he was the only one from whom the captain would have no secrets regarding this.

He knew Luffy was watching him out of the corner of his eyes, he could feel it. Zoro discretely met those eyes again for just a brief moment, and the understanding passed between first mate and captain: from now on what happened between them, STAYED between them.
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RUMBLE!