"Speaking of which, does anyone actually know what this kitten's name is?"
Lifting the kitten onto the dining table, Nami stroked its smooth black fur while asking her crewmates, "We can't just keep calling it 'little black cat' forever, can we?"
Everyone shook their heads in unison.
The green-haired swordsman took a sip of his sake. "Tch. A name is just a name. Why don't we just make one up and call it a day?"
"Oh? Is that so? Then why don't you come up with one, Moss-head?" the curly-browed chef said without even looking back, currently busy remaking a bento for the little reindeer.
Whoosh! Nami, Luffy, and Usopp instantly whipped their heads around to look at the swordsman, their eyes brimming with anticipation. Even Robin and Sherlock, who usually stayed out of such antics, turned their gazes over, clearly waiting for the show to begin.
"Huh?" Caught under the weight of their combined stares, Zoro's expression stiffened.
In truth, he was absolutely terrible at naming things. If he weren't, his sword techniques wouldn't all be named after animals and food.
"A name... as for a name..."
Staring at the little black cat that was still face-down in its food, Zoro brainstormed for a long while before finally squeezing out a line:
"Then let's just call it [Blackie]."
"Huh? No way, Zoro. That name is way too cliché," Nami and the others groaned, looking utterly disappointed.
"It's a black cat, so you call it Blackie?" Sherlock gently pushed up his glasses. "What a straightforward and simple name."
Sanji blew a smoke ring and turned around, casting a look of pure disdain at Zoro. "Moss-head, would you believe me if I said seven out of ten black cats in the entire Grand Line are named Blackie?"
"Shut up!" A black line appeared on Zoro's forehead as he forced an explanation. "So what? Shouldn't a name reflect its characteristics?"
"Fair point! Speaking of reflecting characteristics, I just thought of a brilliant name!"
Usopp stood up with exaggerated flair, his face full of profound mystery. "Its fur is black, yet its eyes are red..."
"And so, Mr. Long-nose?" Robin asked, resting her cheek in her hand with curiosity.
"Therefore, I name it [Red-Eyes Black Cat]! How about it? Isn't that name incredibly cool?!" His long nose pointed high into the air, Usopp beamed with excitement.
"......" A mysterious silence fell over everyone.
Zoro clicked his tongue in disdain. "Tch, we might as well just call it Blackie."
"Honestly, can't you guys think of something a bit more unique?"
Nami looked completely defeated. "Preferably something that won't ever be repeated."
"Hmm... If you want something that won't be repeated, I actually have a great name."
"Luffy???" everyone cried out in astonishment, turning their eyes toward their captain.
The goofy captain nodded with deadpan seriousness and said softly:
"Let's call it [Puppy]!"
"Pfft—!" Everyone collapsed in disbelief. Sanji, who was currently chopping vegetables, almost sliced his own finger off.
Well, leave it to Luffy. To give a cat a name so shockingly unconventional and uniquely bizarre.
"You win, Luffy. That name is definitely one of a kind," the long-nosed sniper gave his goofy captain a big thumbs-up.
"Shishishishi!" Luffy's cheerful laughter rang out, as bright as always.
(That is profoundly stupid...) a certain glasses-wearer mentally grumbled.
"Sigh~" The navigator let out a long, heavy sigh, before turning a pleading gaze toward a certain archaeologist who had been watching the spectacle all along.
"Robin, do you have any good suggestions?"
"[Child of the Curse]," Robin blurted out. It seemed she had been brewing this name in her mind for quite some time.
"(⊙o⊙)???" Everyone stared blankly, utterly dumbfounded.
Nami blinked. "Uh... I think I misheard you. Robin, what did you just say?"
"Child of the Curse," Robin repeated. "I name this cat [Child of the Curse]."
Without waiting for Nami to ask again, this darkly-minded, devious woman took a gentle sip of her coffee and explained in a flat tone:
"Many books record it this way: a black cat's ink-dark fur is cursed by the Grim Reaper. It is the Reaper's messenger, sent to harvest the souls of the dying. Therefore, some people view black cats as symbols of death and misfortune..."
(Just like me, the [Demon Child]...) As she spoke, a strange gleam flickered within Robin's deep blue eyes, and her mood inevitably dipped a little.
(Robin, can't your thoughts be just a little bit more cheerful?!) everyone thought simultaneously.
Zoro's mouth twitched slightly, while the more faint-hearted Nami and Usopp turned deathly pale, goosebumps breaking out all over their skin.
"Hahaha... I think when it comes to names, we should pick something with positive energy."
Snapping back to reality, Nami laughed weakly. Then, slamming her fist into her palm, a spark of inspiration flashed through her mind.
"Oh, right! Why don't we call it [Paw-pad]?"
"[Paw-pad]?" Luffy and the others tilted their heads in unison.
"Mm-hmm!" the navigator nodded. "Because the paw-pads on its feet are so soft and squishy. They feel great to touch, and it's super cute!"
Usopp and Zoro glanced at each other. Somehow, they both simultaneously recalled that perverted camel back in Alabasta, which Nami had named [Eyelashes] simply because its eyelashes were long.
"What a wonderful name! As expected of Nami-san!" Sanji flattered her with a love-struck face. "It sounds way better than the name I thought of, [Chocolate Pudding]."
"That sounds delicious." Luffy wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. "Sanji! I suddenly want to eat chocolate pudding!"
"You bastard! Didn't you just finish dinner?!"
"Ara, the navigator's choice of name is quite unique," Robin smiled.
"Hmph~" Nami curled her lips into a smug smile, then turned her gaze toward the Sorcerer, who hadn't voiced an opinion yet.
"Sherlock, what do you think of the name I picked?"
"Well, I think it's not bad." Sherlock gently pushed up his glasses and said calmly, "However, whether a name is good or not, we should probably ask the opinion of the 'party involved.'"
Everyone froze for a moment, then simultaneously shifted their gazes toward the little black cat, which had already finished eating and was currently squinting its eyes while licking its paws.
"Yo, everyone! Sorry I'm late."
Just then, the blue-nosed reindeer, who had finally finished his experiments, pushed open the door and walked into the cabin. He looked at his crewmates and then at the completely empty plates on the dining table, his round, deer-like eyes widening to the size of saucers.
"Ah! You guys really ate all the food! Luckily, I asked Sanji in advance to save a bento for me, heehee."
"Meow___" Staring with a pair of crimson cat eyes, the little black cat gave Chopper a friendly greeting.
"Bestie, you're here too? Wait! Don't tell me what you just ate was my bento?!"
"Don't worry, the new bento is almost ready." Sanji stubbed out his burnt-out cigarette, narrowing his eyes as he continued in a highly uncertain tone, "Also, Chopper, that 'Bestie' you just mentioned... could it be...?"
"Yeah, [Bestie] is this little black cat's name."
Raising his head, Chopper tilted it to the side. "Strange. Did I not tell you guys before?"
Silence___ The atmosphere inside the cabin instantly became incredibly awkward.
Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji looked at one another in speechless silence, while Robin turned her head away, taking a light sip of coffee to compose herself.
"Oh yeah! Chopper can understand animal language!"
The goofy captain, whose reaction time was truly something to behold, pondered for a long while before finally grasping the crux of the matter. Slapping his thigh, he came to a sudden realization. "If we wanted to know the cat's name, wouldn't we just have to ask it directly?"
(Hehehe, exactly. So what in the world was the point of us discussing it like absolute idiots for so long?) Everyone railed frantically in their minds.
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