"That cave is a day's walk from the city..." Zoro said, as he sweated a drop.
"You're right, it took me longer to find it, but when we brought you back it only took us a day," Nami said from her spot on the ground, where she was sorting supplies.
Luffy looked at the blank faces of his companions: "Seriously?" he asked.
"Actually".
"Actually".
The youngest occupant of the boat chuckled from under his hat. White must be playing a joke on him! Or maybe she just liked to hang out. Perhaps it was something more. But Luffy didn't care. He made a great friend and spent a whole month with her!
Zoro looked at Luffy curiously: "What are you laughing at?"
"My friend White told me she knew where the cave was, but it took us a whole month to get there. I think she was playing a joke on me," Luffy replied, laughing.
"Who's White?" Nami asked. It was a girl's name. She definitely wasn't interested in it at all...
"She's a big white wolf who's my friend." Luffy smiled inside his hat, closing his eyes once more.
Nami and Zoro stared at the boy in disbelief.
"She has some puppies too. Well, I guess they're not so little anymore," said the black-haired boy. He was going to miss the pack, but he would always remember them. Who knows, maybe he'd even see them again.
After the initial shock passed, Zoro realized he wasn't actually that surprised by his future captain's words; it was definitely something Luffy would do: "So, you were with wolves for a whole month?"
...
...
"Luffy?"
...
...
The swordsman sighed and stood up to walk back to where he had placed Saul's gift, away from a now snoring Luffy, and sat down beside him when he arrived.
"What's that?" Nami asked, after finishing organizing the supplies and making sure they were on the right course. She had seen the box when she boarded the ship and now she was curious.
"A gift from Saul," he said, beginning to lift the lid of the box. The bloodlust he had been feeling was stronger now.
"How creepy ," Nami thought as she watched the swordsman open the box with an almost devilish grin. She watched more closely as he fully opened it and sneered when she saw it was a sword. It looked like any old sword, and swords didn't matter to him, only money. The navigator turned away, bored, and headed to the bow of the ship to find a place to draw maps.
As Zoro looked inside the box Saul had given him, Sandai Kitetsu looked back at him.
The interior was lined with velvet, its color matching the exterior of the box. Printed on the velvet was a sheet roughly the same size as Wado Ichimonji. It rested in a scabbard covered in dark red wrappings up to the top, where a gold cap sat. Between the wrappings, in short succession, were two gold clasps, the only things that broke the wrapping pattern. The red wrappings on the scabbard continued, covering the hilt as well, with a gold clasp resting in its center. The matte gold tsuba, shaped like a rounded cross, separated the hilt from the scabbard. It was the only other thing that broke the continuous pattern of the sword. The final element of the note was another gold cap, matching the one on the scabbard, covering the pommel.
The swordsman reached into the case, grasping the katana by the hilt, and instantly felt just how bloodthirsty his new blade was. Zoro's smile widened. He hadn't even drawn it yet. The verdet held the scabbard with his other hand and drew his new sword, its silver edge singing songs of gratitude to the one who had freed it from its prison. He gazed at his new weapon gleaming in the sunlight, its blackness extending from its mune to a beautiful hamon of dancing blue fire.
Zoro's gaze swept along the edge of the Kitetsu. Saul had said he hadn't touched it since acquiring it, and yet the swordsman could still feel its razor-sharp edge. Moreover, his bloodlust was even more intense now that he had drawn the blade. Sandai Kitetsu was a feisty child... He already knew he would be a troublemaker. The teenager sheathed his new katana and placed it beside Wado Ichimonji. He sighed. It was the most normal he had felt in over a month, and he still needed one more. He was eager to find another sword; he was excited to see what he could do with Santōryū and the new things he had learned.
The green man glanced toward the bow of the boat and saw Nami drawing on a piece of paper. He couldn't tell what she was drawing. He wanted to ask, but just before the words left his mouth, he let out a yawn. She seemed to be taking a nap. The swordsman rested his head against the side of the boat and soon fell asleep, a smile on his face as he thought of his new sword and the man who had given it to him.
The group had been sailing for a week, and Luffy had finally fully recovered from his injuries a couple of days ago. Let's just say he hadn't been out of the water much since then.
"Nami! Come swim with me!" Luffy shouted from the boat. It felt so good to be able to swim again!
"No!" he shouted from the helm. If he got out, Zoro would find a way to steer them off course, he knew it.
Luffy pouted as he swam alongside the moving boat: "How mean! You never want to swim with me again!"
Nami pointed at Zoro, who was resting against the side of the boat. "Blame it on your friend and his sense of direction. Or his lack thereof," she snorted. She'd gotten out of the boat once to swim with Luffy because the heat was almost unbearable. It had been relaxing... for about five minutes. In the short time he'd been in the water, Zoro had managed to turn the boat in the completely opposite direction! The navigator shook her head at the thought. The two she was traveling with were complete idiots.
Luffy laughed; his green-haired friend was truly terrible with directions, though not much better. He swam to the boat and grabbed onto the side, sat up on the edge, and turned to look at Zoro asleep. The black-haired man smiled. He didn't want his friend to be any other way.
"Luffy, don't get so wet in the boat. I don't want to ruin the supplies," Nami said, glancing at her compass. They were still on course and making good progress. She checked their provisions. Luffy was still eating more than usual, but it was clear he'd at least cut down a little. After all, there was still food left. You never knew with Luffy, but she figured it would last them until they reached the next island.
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Hi everyone, what do you think of the story so far? The book has over 300 chapters. If you'd like to download the complete book, it's available on my Ko-fi page. Here's the link: 👉 🤩 ko-fi.com/winterstar01 🤩