❛ AREN'T WE FRIENDS?! ❜
₊˚៹ . ❪ episode : 104 ❫˖ ₊˚.⋆
࿐┊ CH. 11┊🏴‍☠️🌊👒

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   "EXCELLET WORK TODAY, MY FELLOWS!" Usopp's cheery voice filters through the inning the Straw Hats were staying in for the night, the sky quickly turning dark to set the environment into a chilling one.

    He had a jolly smile over his mouth closing his eyes, one hand perched on his hip while the other waved lazily at some of the crew mates inside with him, "So let's hit the hay for now and regain our strength for tomorrow!"

    He zips into the single bed that wasn't made, resting his cheek under his hands placed on the soft pillow, "Night-nighty!" He calls, and goes to fake snore very loudly.

   Zoro, who was standing beside the bed he had in the corner from his captain and him, threw a pillow at Usopp's head roughly knocking him back, "You've been sleeping this whole time!" He scolds.

   Usopp twitches on the bed being hunched on his stomach, and grits through his bared teeth annoyed, "Why, you-" He turned his head sending a scowl at Zoro huffing, "Don't compare me with you monsters!"

   He picks up his pillow to abruptly send it flying straight into the swordsman's face, causing Zoro to gain a red blush across his nose and cheeks from the hit scowling, "Now you've done it!"

   Another pillow is thrown around the room, hitting poor Happy and Chopper who were waiting together for (Y/N) to come back, and both get knocked back together in the face. Vivi placed a hand up to her mouth worriedly, sweat dropping at the scene she was watching.

   "Besides, you two win today's laziness award!" Usopp pointed out in a grumble at the animals, having gotten up from his comfortable bed to walk over to them.

   Chopper made sure Happy wasn't actually knocked out before jumping on Usopp, getting right up in his face with irritated tears lining his eyes, "It's not our fault we can't stand the heat!"

   Vivi diverted her eyes from the males fighting, blinking a bit taken aback spotting Sanji laying down on (Y/N)'s bed, resting on top of it like it was his, while Zoro was leaning on the wall beside it giving an evil side eye to the cook.

   "Sanji. Isn't that (N/N)'s bed?" She questioned a bit confused, sweat dropping again not expecting anything less from the blonde male. Her words gained the attention of the other males, who turned to see what was happening.

   The cook grinned dopily leaning his elbow on the bed to press his face into his palm, mindlessly tracing patterns into the bedsheets, "Oh, I do know that." He mused in a giggle, "It's how we normally sleep, so nothing bad here."

   This gained him four different pillow slamming into his face hardly, coming from Happy, Usopp, Chopper and Zoro who was the most jealous, all showing shark teeth at the pervy cook for being inside the girls bed so casually.

   "And what do you think you're doing there?" Usopp asked in a narrowed suspicious stare, having a cackling Chopper on his shoulders, and a evil chuckling Happy next to Zoro, cracking his paws ready to punch the cook.

   Sanji slowly sat up with an irk on his one visible curly brow, pushing away the pillow growling at the four males who attacked him, "Oh, that took some nerve. Which one of you is spoiling for a fight?!"

   Now all the males were engaged in a massive pillow fight across the room, throwing the soft material's at one another, while Nami peeked over the railing in the entrance annoyed, "Do you guys not understand the point of a nap?!"

   She was also hit in the face from a pillow, making her yelp startled before exclaiming and sent it back down to hit one of them. Sanji joined the pillow fight once he cracked his knuckles, and Vivi was hit in the face from being in the middle, her nose gaining a red mark now.

   Vivi turned her head back around from when it snaped sideways, placing a hand on the sore spot that was red, and watched the four males wrestle each other in front. It had a soft, amused smile breaking over her mouth, making Nami's expression relax still near the railing on the upper level.

  OUTSIDE IN THE COLDER ATMOSPHERE, the moon was up high in the starry sky giving the desert a dull light across the land. Toto was still digging in the sand with his shovel, while the Monkey. D siblings watched him from inside their own hole, both dying for something to drink.

   "Hey, old guy. There's still no water." Luffy weakly speaks swallowing to ease his throat, but it didn't help whatsoever and glanced at his quiet sister who looked close to falling asleep, "My throat's bone-dry. How can you live in a place like this? This is bad."

   Toto wipes the sweat off his forehead with his clothed arm, and grunted as he dug up some more sand, "There'll be water." He corrected confidently, "The Yuba oasis is still alive. Yuba, you see, cam't be beaten by some lousy sand! I'll dig it back up as many times as it takes! This is very important land that the king left in my hands."

   (Y/N) squatted down on the ground leaning her elbow on her knees, making a humming sound tilting her head to the side. She looks to her brother, who grinned pointing to the sand across from them, causing her to sigh tiredly but understand what he meant.

   "Okay! Then let's dig!" He chirped happily turning around with his sibling, both of them using their hands to start digging which made the sand flick back onto Toto, and his already deep hole in the ground.

   Toto squinted his eyes from the sand getting inside them, placing an arm over his head to protect himself, "Wait! Stop, you two!" He tried to protest, but it went deaf to the siblings ears still messily digging, "Don't re-fill the hole I just dug!"

   She paused waving her wrist around to bend some of the sand out, an innocent look over her face looking back at Toto confused, as Luffy also stopped for a second wondering why his sister did.

   "Are you trying to fill holes?!" Toto scolded the duo incredulously, having shark teeth again holding his shovel's handle in one of his clenched fists.

   She gave him another confused, weird look from inside the hole that Luffy as digging again behind her, "No, we're digging." She responded in a hesitant tone, not understanding why he was getting mad.

   "No, the sand you two are digging out is going into the hole I dug," The older male began to frantically explain, using his hands to make motions in the air, "so I'm trying to say that all my hard work will be for nothing!"

   A look of realisation crossed over her face, "Oh." She mumbled hitting her fist into her other palm, nodding her head in agreement smiling widely, "So it's a mystery hole! That's gonna be even more cooler to dig up!"

   Toto irked in disbelief at how navie she was being, jaw dropping watching her going back to digging a new hole with Luffy in the sand, "No, it's not, kid!" He claimed but they just ignored, making him sigh in defeat letting the two do as they pleased.

  A FEW HOURS HAD PASSED SINCE THE TRIO WERE OUTSIDE DIGGING, the only sound being heard was Toto's shovel still moving in the sand, and the night desert sounds traveling through the empty town.

   Toto stopped his digging to rest his foot on the shovel, and wipes off more sweat from his forehead, "Come to think of it, the and has stopped flying this way." He mumbled to himself peeking a bit behind him, and went to walk over to the other hole.

   His sandals scuff the sand a bit when he came up to the edge of the hole, and his eyes went wide shocked seeing how deep the thing actually was, "All this in such a short time?!"

   His eyes moved down to spot (Y/N) and Luffy nestled at the bottom of the sizable hole they had dug, their bodies seeking comfort in each other's warmth. The rhythmic sounds of their snoring filled the air as they succumbed to the embrace of sleep.

   "Even though they must be exhausted from their long trek..." A fond smile played on Toto's lips, marveling at the sight of the siblings, worn out from their hard work that he would forever be grateful for.

   As Toto contemplated how to lift them out of the hole, he heard the soft approach of footsteps behind him. Turning around, he was met with the figure of Sanji, the cook of their group.

Sanji, with his hands casually tucked into his pockets, approached the scene with a quiet determination, the only one awake apart from a certain swordsman waiting for her also.

   "Leave it to me." Sanji whispered softly to Toto once he arrived beside him, indicating that he would take care of (Y/N), and peered down at her sleeping self lovingly.

   With a gentleness that contradicted his tough exterior, Sanji reached down to scoop her into his arms, making sure she wasn't bumped nor touched the wrong way by his hands, and stood up once he had successfully secured carefully.

   Her head landed against his shoulder, hidden by his disheveled hair, arms loosely going around his shoulder. In her slumber, (Y/N) shifted slightly, emitting a soft sound that caught Sanji's attention as he began to walk back to the inn, Toto following behind with Luffy in his arms.

   Sanji cooed softly, his warm hands rubbing up and down her back in a soothing motion, "You're alright, my love." He whispered into her ear softly, coaxing her to relax, "Go back to sleep. I'll take care of you. Always."

   He pressed a gentle kiss onto her forehead, a silent reassurance that all was well. She stirred briefly but soon settled back into a peaceful sleep, face finding the crook of his neck comforted by the warmth and care of his embrace.

   Sanji navigated the corridors with careful steps of the inning, mindful not to disturb (Y/N)'s slumber. However, as they reached their room, an unexpected sight awaited them.

Zoro, their swordsman with a penchant for napping, was sprawled out on her bed, seemingly taking claim to the spot. Sanji's annoyance flared, and he grumbled under his breath. He shot a disapproving glance at Zoro, who, unfazed, merely shifted to make room for the approaching duo.

   With a resigned sigh, Sanji gently laid (Y/N) down on the bed, next to the now-grumbling Zoro. She stirred but remained in the blissful state of sleep. The cook brushed a few stray locks off her forehead being careful of the straw hat, his caring touch unaffected by the dust and rubble from the digging event before.

   He moved to the other side of her, away from the swordsman, and pulled up the blankets over the trio. Despite the less-than-ideal sleeping arrangements, Sanji's irritation melted away as he gazed at (Y/N)'s serene face. Her beauty, even in slumber and dirtied by the desert, captivated him.

   Lying on his side, Sanji propped himself up on an elbow, watching her with a soft, fond smile. The room was filled with the quiet sounds of night, and his gaze lingered on her face. He couldn't resist the urge to reach over and loosely drape an arm over her waist, a protective gesture as he settled in.

   Just as Sanji started to drift into the embrace of sleep, he felt a presence on the other side of (Y/N). Zoro, without a word, nuzzled up close to her, claiming his spot beside the girl, as they all drift into a much needed sleep soon after.

   THE BLARING SUN WAS BACK OVER THE DESERT'S BLUE SKIES, all the Straw Hat pirates wide awake standing outside looking at Toto, who was going to bid them farewell for their long journey back.

   "I'm sorry for being so unseemly, Vivi." Toto apologies to the princess holding something in his hand, and smiled sheepishly at the others behind her waiting.

   She waved a hand in the air covering her skin more with the purple robe, "No, you're not unseemly at all!" She assured returning the smile warmly, "Well, we should be off!"

   "Oh, (Y/N), Luffy." Toto called out the siblings names who perked up standing in front of their crew, "Take this with you." He handed them each a small barrel of water, a material around the wood so it could hang off their shoulders or necks.

   They take the small canister into their hands, faces in shocked but happy expressions that matched, "Wow! Water!" Luffy gaped at the said thing, while Usopp celebrated beside them, "You found some?!

   Toto closed eye smiled softly at the siblings, "Last night, just after you two fell asleep while digging, I reached a moist layer of sand." He informs them happily, "That water is the moisture I managed to extract from it!"

   She gasped in awe showing off the barrel of water to Zoro and Sanji proudly, who both smiled gently at how excited she looked, the males not fighting for once standing beside each other. That was normal though, whenever she was involved, their rivalry came to a complete stop. Only sometimes however.

   "That sounds kind of complicated, but we are grateful!" She chirps sweetly at Toto, bowing her head a bit to show their thanks, and wraps the string around her shoulders to hold the barrel up.

   Toto opened his eyes to gaze at the siblings warmly, a guilty smile across his mouth now, "It's genuine Yuba water!" He tells them before sighing sadly, "I'm sorry it's all I could get..."

   "We'll drink it with care!" She assured with a frantic head nod, knocking her fist into the back of Luffy's head gently to stop him from sipping the water early, gaining a whine and a pout back.

   They say their final goodbyes to Toto before heading off back into the desert, the older male waving until they were out of his sight, and the pirates remined quiet as they began to walk.

   Zoro and Sanji shared a small confused look with each other over (Y/N)'s head, wondering why she was so tense and silent walking in between them.

Normally she'd be clinging off of them, or chatting their ears off. It had their worries spiking up more spotting the straw hat covering her eyes, so they couldn't see how she was feeling.

   It surprised them even more when she went to sit down under a tree on the road, followed by Luffy coming to sit somewhat on top of her legs, both of them having annoyed pouts over their faces.

   Happy's ears twitched hearing his best friends moving off from the path, and span back around to frown seeing them not moving from the tree. He was picked up by Zoro who placed him on his shoulder, and walked towards Sanji, forgetting he hated his guts for the time being.

   "(Y/N)! Luffy!" Usopp called incredulously also spinning back around to the siblings, and pointed an acussing finger at them, "What're you two doing now?!"

   The crew mates gathered around them sat under the tree worriedly, wondering what was wrong, and what caused this sudden change of attitude.

   She stayed quiet using the brim of the hat to cover her gaze, the only thing visible was her hair and mouth in a straight line. Luffy instead goes to talk on their behalf, "We quit."

   "Huh?!" All of the crew mates let out in sync, shocked to hear the coming from the two people in charge, as they shared confused looks with one another, "What do you mean, 'quit'?"

   The cook and swordsman both stepped back beside Lashes with Happy on the camels back now, all three knowing not to get involved when (Y/N) had something on her mind. And telling from how quiet she was, the males could tell she was determined about whatever it was.

   "Vivi." Luffy called crossing one arm under his head, while the other was placed on his sisters leg holding her hand loosely, voice coming out strong, "We wanna kick Crocodiles ass! If we stop the people rebelling, will that stop Crocodile? Besides, we don't be able to do anything in Katorea anyway. We're pirates, you see. Things are better off without us around."

   The Princes tried to stumble out a protest hearing his words, and the crews mutters of agreement, and raised her hand up to calm him down, "T-That's-!"

   "You want it so nobody dies in this fight." Luffy was quick to interrupt her, hand squeezing his sisters firmly feeling her palm heat up from her powers, "None of the citizens, and none of us! Even when we're up against a Warlord of the Sea and a million people are going wild, you hope everyone will stay safe and sound. Don't you think that's too self-hearted?"

   Vivi, not understanding what he was trying to say began to get angry, her scrunched up fists shaking by her side trying to calm herself down, "And what's wrong with thinking that?" She exclaimed throwing off her hoodie, a determined expression over her face, "What's wrong with not wanting people to die?!"

   Luffy stared at her unbothered with a neutral expression for a few seconds, feeling his sisters hand slip from her as she was going to stand up, "People die." He mumbled bluntly, not backing down.

Vivi's expression shifted into a one of pure rage, gritting her teeth marching up to Luffy to slap her hand across his face, though before she could, another hand had stopped it from making contact with his skin.

   The others all gasped shocked a apart from Sanji, and Zoro who shifted in their spots, arms crossed over their chests watching the scene closely, and would interfere unless their beloved asked them to do so.

   (Y/N) had blocked Vivi's hit on her brother still lazily leaning on the tree, her fingers over the princess's fist caught inside her palm. She did that without looking, and only turned her head a little, to gaze at Vivi through the straw hat seriously, one gleaming eye visible.

   "Stop talking like that!" Vivi yelled out at Luffy trying to break free from the grip the other had on her, but it wouldn't budge causing her to grow more mad, chest heaving up and down, "Say that again, and I'll make you pay!"

   A blunt expression played across (Y/N)'s face, evident even in the half that was revealed. Her eyes, framed by the hat's shadow, remained impassive, lacking the usual sparkle of warmth or enthusiasm. The curve of her lips hinted at a neutral line, not quite a smile, and not quite a frown.

"That's exactly what we're trying to stop here!" Vivi continued her furious explaining, aiming her glaring gaze on the girl who wouldn't let her shaking fist go, "The rebel army, the royal army, and the people of this kingdom haven't done anything wrong! Sp why do people have to die when it's all Crocodile's fault?!"

   The transformation was swift and startling. (Y/N)'s features contorted from calm to a tempest of fury, like a storm gathering intensity. The lines of her face hardened, and her lips curled into a snarl, revealing the simmering anger within.

   In one quick movement she gritted her teeth tugging harshly on Vivi's fist in her hand making the princess yelp, as (Y/N) goes to roughly buttheads with her forehead, making Vivi make a noise of pain stumbling back onto the floor holding onto the sore spot.

   "Then why are you putting your life on the line?!" She shouted back matching the princess's rage, finally letting her bottled up feelings about this mission be released, and be known to the one who needed to hear it the most.

   Vivi shook a bit on the sand huffing out some air, a massive red mark on her forehead from the smack, and rubbed the back of her hand against her mouth, wiping away the sand and spit on it.

   She got back up straight away baring her teeth, throwing blind fists at (Y/N)'s chest not making any damage to the taller girl who stood their unbothered, "Just one look at this kingdom and even I can tell-"

   "Tell me what?!" Vivi screamed over the girls words, scrunching her eyes shut to continue hitting her fists against (Y/N)'s chest, trying to push her back but didn't work at all, yet she still didn't give up.

   The Monkey D. girl could sense the two males wanting to come help her, but signaled Luffy to stop them from intervening right now, as Vivi needed to hear this, "What needs to be done!" She exclaimed over the punching sounds, remembering the words Toto said to her last night, "As if putting your single life on the line is enough!"

   "Then what should I be putting on the line?!" Vivi fired back in a yell pounding her fists into the taller girls chest more, not caring how they hurt, as frustrated tears line her gaze not expecting this from one their captains, "I don't have-"

   (Y/N) swiftly caught both of the princess's wrists in her hands tightly, stopping the punching movements making Vivi tremble weakly, giving up on trying to harm the girl, "I don't have anything else that I can put in the line-"

   Pulling Vivi in close by her wrists still in her hands, (Y/N) pushed her face down just inches from the princess's ones, eyes and face full of determination staring into Vivi's wide gaze, "At least try putting all of our lives on the line together! Aren't we friends?!"

   Vivi's pupils dilated in shock hearing her screaming confession, her breathing in her throat staring into the other girls serious (E/C) eyes, which has her bottom lip quivering in realisation.

   One of her wrists slipped from the hold to place her hand over her mouth, tears falling freely down her cheeks as (Y/N) goes to gently cup her cheek, "Aren't we friends?" She repeated softly wiping away Vivi's tears, letting her other wrist go to chuckle warmly, "Oh, you can cry those kind of tears..."

   Vivi falls against (Y/N)'s chest weeping out in a fit of tears now, causing her to drop to the sand with the princess cradle close, "I know you actually hate this and want to beat him up the most." She whispered running her finger through Vivi's hair comforting, feeling her body shaking on hers crying louder now.

   All of the crew fall silent standing in a circle around them in different sections, just as the wind picked up again to blow a gust over the pirates. Nami come over to take Vivi off of (Y/N)'s hands, as she was helped up by a smiling Luffy proud of his sister handling the issue.

   "Now tell me..." She starts off in a low voice fixing the straw hat over her head, feeling Sanji and Zoro fall in line behind her silently as she picked up a determined looking Happy in her arms that matched her expression, "....where Crocodile is!"

❪ ✏️ ❫ 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳𝚂 : 3943
─►☆ AUTHOR'S NOTE :
heyyy guysss!! so sorry for the lack of updates with this fic, ive just had other stories ive been working on and kinda pushed this one to the side for the time being but with that being said i'll still update from time to time for those who are still reading it <33 (if anyone still is LMAO) 😭😭

also new writing style is kinda eating and i really love it so expect more of this style in my other fics, and chapters in this one 👹

i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and pleaseeee don't be silent readers, it really helps to
keep me motivated :') kisses🫶