"So, Usopp, is there anywhere we can resupply?" Nami asked, ignoring the two boys beside her. They needed to fully restock before reaching the next island; Luffy had eaten everything. Speaking of the next island, she was a little worried. Not because they couldn't afford supplies or anything like that, but because she wasn't sure if their small sailboat could carry everything they needed. The next island she wanted to go to was about five weeks away by sea. She didn't like the idea of trying to cram so much into their small vessel; they were already pushing it too far leaving East Lodestone... Maybe...
"Yes, there are some places where you can get supplies. I can show you later. Tom might even sell you the food you need, depending on the quantity," Usopp replied to their question. He glanced at a clock on the wall and his eyes widened. He was going to be late! He stood up from his place at the table. "Sorry, guys! I didn't realize how late it was getting! I have to go; a friend is waiting for me."
The timing was perfect as Luffy finished what was left of his meal. Had he just heard the word "friend"? "Friend? Who's a friend? I want to meet him!" shouted the straw hat boy as he rolled off his chair; his stomach was making it hard for him to walk.
Usopp froze in the doorway. On second thought, perhaps meeting new people would be good for Kaya. He turned to the swaying boy. "Are you sure?" He pointed out the window by the door. "It's pretty cold out there," he said. "I'm sure she'd like to meet new people."
"Let's go!" Luffy shouted, jumping up and down, his stomach churning. He ran toward the front door as fast as his fat body would allow and turned to see if his friends were following him. Yes, they were. He grinned.
"Do they live in the mansion I saw before we arrived?" Nami asked Usopp as she walked toward a swaying Luffy, with Zoro following behind. Perhaps they had a...
"Yes, indeed! Good guess! Her name is Kaya!" Usopp said happily.
Nami's face took on a smug expression: "Is she your girlfriend?"
Usopp stumbled as he opened the door. "Girlfriend?" He shook his hands furiously. "Of course not!" he recovered. "It's nothing like that, we're just friends and we hang out sometimes!" said the long-nosed one. Now that he thought about it... he went there every day...
Nami and Zoro looked at each other. True.
"Okay, okay, let's move on and get this over with," Nami said, pointing to the door.
Usopp breathed a sigh of relief and turned back toward the exit, opening it and letting the sound of the deafening rain fill the space. Time to see Kaya! "Alright! It's not a long walk, but it's not a short one either, so be prepared to get wet."
"Do you say that kind of thing to Kaya?" Zoro asked with a smile on his face.
The words hit the younger man in the back as he ran out of the restaurant, a burning red blush consuming his cheeks.
"Captain!".
Usopp squinted in the pouring rain. The voice sounded like Onion's.
"Captain, where are you?!"
"Onion, is that you?" Usopp shouted in the direction of the voice.
Luffy laughed. Onion was a funny name. He looked toward the voice and noticed a small child approaching.
He had short, straight brown hair, with a tuft sticking up on top, giving it the appearance of an onion. Square glasses sat atop his tiny black eyes, and he wore a yellow shirt with a blue vest over it. His eyebrows were also unusual, slanting inwards to form a V above his glasses. He also wore a dark yellow sash, dark brown pants, and black shoes with gray buckles at the top and bottom. Everything was soaked from the rain, but Luffy found it curious that his hair stayed tied up. It really did look like an onion.
"Captain!" shouted Onion, running towards the long-nosed teenager.
"Onion! I thought I told you to stay home today," Usopp said to his subordinate.
The boy slowed his pace, and the whole group stopped at his reply. "But you were going to give me sniper lessons today, Captain!" he pouted. He looked a bit ridiculous in the pouring rain.
Usopp would have sworn he told Onion they'd do it on a rain-free day... Did he make that up too? "Onion, we can't today, look at the weather," he said, pointing to the sky as rain poured down all around them.
Onion pouted at his captain's words: "But you said-".
"Listen, kid. Get lost! I'm soaked and I don't want to be anymore," Nami interrupted from beside Usopp, looking up at the sky. The storm was truly impressive. She glanced down at her shirt... She'd chosen the wrong day to wear white. The rain had long since soaked through her bra. White and water just didn't mix well at the end of the day.
A jet of blood shot from Onion's nose, and he blushed so deeply the rain began to steam around him. He'd never seen anything like it. Had he just become a man? The boy whirled around and ran back home. He didn't think he could stand that girl's presence any longer; his captain would teach him a lesson later. He looked at the blood soaking his neck and paled. Perhaps he wasn't ready to see things like this yet.
Luffy and Zoro burst out laughing at the boy's reaction.
Usopp watched curiously as his subordinate retreated into the rain. What had made the boy run away? He turned to Nami and immediately turned away, steam beginning to rise from his body. Now it made sense. "Alright, let's go to Kaya's," he said, his cheeks flushed.
.
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 🤩