~Third~

The Strawhats and wolves were all partied out, except Nicole and Zoro, the swordsman approached Nicole after everyone had gone to sleep and just as he was going to cheer her up Usopp approached him asking the swordsman to guard him cause he had to take a leak "No" Zoro said "Oh come on Zoro be a pal"Usopp said.

"Forget it i'm not going with you if you're scared just hold it til morning and quit whining you big baby"Zoro said "I would if i could believe me"Usopp said "Just go take a leak by yourself"Zoro said "That's cold Zoro that's really cold, how about -"Usopp was cut off "Don't even finish that sentence"Nicole said, Usopp whimpered as he walked off.

Zoro turned to Nicole after that "So what got you thinking about this whole role thing in the first place?"he asked sitting next to her as Nicole was poking the dying fire with a stick "I just had a moment to think"Nicole said "So you thought you don't add anything to the crew?"Zoro asked "Yup"Nicole simply said.

Zoro put his arm around Nicole pulling her into him, Nicole blushed her head laying right over his heart, she could hear his heartbeat, it was racing just slightly "You know none of that stuff matters right?"he asked "Doesn't it though? I don't add anything"Nicole said "You add plenty" Zoro said "Name one thing"she said "You add extra hands, you add knowledge about the Grand Line, you add a weapons expert, most importantly though you add a reason for me to stay"Zoro said.

Nicole giggled a bit shifting a bit to make herself more comfortable "That's funny, cause you add a reason to why i stay"she said, Zoro chuckled a bit "We've driven each other in a corner"he said, Nicole nodded in agreement leaning against him as she started to grow tired "Hey Nicole?"Zoro asked, she hummed in response "Why do you lean on me when we sleep?"he asked "You're comfy"she simply said, he chuckled a bit leaning back on a tree as both of them fell asleep.

~skip~

"I wasn't dreaming someone was here last night!"Usopp yelled, the sun was rising through the clouds as the Strawhats woke up that morning and headed back to the Merry, which to their surprise was repaired "I knew it, see guys i told you i wasn't insane"Usopp said "I don't believe it the mast is fixed, now that's service"Nami said.

"You can say that again can you imagine what a chore it was just to stand something this heavy upright?"Robin asked "Well i hate to say it but they did a lousy job"Sanji said "Yeah these repairs are haphazard at best"Nicole said "Well whoever did it sure is nice"Luffy said "There was somebody here i knew i saw him"Usopp said.

"But who'd risk crossing a river full of sky sharks and fix our ship for us? I mean as far as we can tell the only people here in upper yard are us and our enemies"Zoro said "Hey did you notice they took all the flying gear off the ship?"Luffy asked "Yeah i've been thinking about it and it's really got me wondering, it just doesn't make any sense to me how can this phantom repair man know what the Merry's supposed to look like? How did he know she didn't always have wings or a comb or a tail?"Usopp wondered outloud.

"What you see Usopp who was it?"Chopper asked "I still say he was partying too hard and was having a nightmare"Zoro said "Well it really doesn't matter, there's lots of work to do or did you forget?"Nami asked "But Nami aren't you even a little bit curious?"Chopper asked "About what?"Nami asked "About who fixed the Going Merry for us what else?"Chopper asked "Who cares but if they wrecked it that'd be another thing but it's fixed what you wanna track them down and thank them?"Nami asked.

"Well no but i"Chopper trailed off "It could have been the spirit of the ship"Nicole shrugged "What do you mean?"Usopp asked turning to her "It's something i once heard, there's a tale that a ship that's well loved have their own spirits usually a little girl in a raincoat carrying a hammer, but who's to say it's real or not"Nicole said "So you're saying it was Merry herself?"Usopp asked looking over to the sheep figure head "Well maybe, who knows"Nicole shrugged.

Usopp tried using the crow to pull Merry off the altar but it didn't work, next Usopp used Chopper as bait to lure in a sky shark and used it to pull the Merry off the altar, "Okay let's look at the map, the exploration team will be taking this route moving south there should be some old ruins near the skull right eye keep an eye out for enemies and bring back that gold"Nami said pointing out the route on the map.

"You make it sound so easy"Zoro said "I'm looking forward to investigating those ruins"Robin said "Hold on you're the one who keeps talking about gold and more gold but you're not coming?"Luffy asked "Well of course not it's way too scary, we'll be in danger too you know we'll be taking the Merry down river through the island then we'll head for the beach near the ruins as fast as possible, we can meet up here and then we can escape this stupid sky island"Nami said drawing the plan on the map.

"At long last we'll be a rich and powerful pirate crew able to buy anything"Nami said "Oh yeah all the meat i can eat!"Luffy grinned "Escape that sounds great"Usopp said "Just don't make me the bait"Chopper said "Look the weathers perfect"Usopp said "Sure we're on top of the clouds" Sanji said "Okay we'll all meet safely on the east coast"Zoro said "You bet"Usopp said "Let's get going then"Luffy said as the Strawhats split up once more.

Sanji, Usopp and Nami in one group and the rest in the other, "Just where do you think you're wondering off to?"Nicole asked pulling Zoro back in just as he started to wonder off in the wrong direction "We're supposed to be going right, so that's where i'm headed"Zoro said "No we're supposed to be going south you genius"Nicole said "Yeah south, this way!"Luffy said going in the wrong direction.

Nicole sighed grabbing him too "Ugh you both are unbelievable south is this way"Nicole said dragging the two boys with her as she headed in the right direction, Luffy got out of her hold and grabbed a stick "You should have said so sooner"Luffy said, Nicole sweatdropped as Robin lead the pack, Nicole stayed near Zoro to make sure he didn't wander off again.

"Luffy that's a pretty neat stick you got there"Chopper said "Isn't it? It's mine though you gotta get your own"Luffy said "I want one"Chopper whined before running off to find a stick "What's up with sticks?"Zoro asked "You know i thought this forest would be scarier but so far it's been nice and peaceful"Chopper said.

"Hey Chopper you're in a pretty good mood today are you feeling courageous for a change?" Luffy asked, Nicole glanced back sensing something massive just behind Chopper as the reindeer was bringing up the rear, she realized it was a giant snake but decided not to bring it up "Yup you betcha"Chopper laughed.

"Yeah you're right the forest has really been a big disappointment nothing but big birds and trees makes me wanna scream i'm so bored we haven't even seen one of Eneru's priest so i know exactly how you feel Chopper"Zoro said "Do you?"Chopper laughed a big smile on his face "Just listen to you two are you that eager for something dangerous to happen?"Robin asked "I for sure wouldn't mind some action"Nicole said sensing the snake was on the move.

"What do you see back there Chopper?"Luffy asked noticing the reindeer had stopped "Oh uh it's nothing really nothing at all"Chopper said catching up to the group again "There's something eary about this place"Robin said "Chopper why do you keep looking behind us?"Zoro asked "Uh no reason, no reason at all"Chopper said.

Luffy looked back "Whoa get a look at that weird stripy looking root back there"he said "Oh that so you guys can see it?"Chopper asked "I've never heard of roots moving before"Zoro said "That's cause it's a giant snake"Nicole said just as the head of the snake popped up, Chopper screamed as the snake hissed at them.

~skip~

"Run for it! It's a giant snake!"Luffy yelled and the group ran away as the snake came to attack them "It's enormous i wonder if it's another result of the environment here"Robin said as she was running away "It could be this snake just has a long life span and has been growing for hundreds of years"Nicole said running past her.

Zoro came to a stop and tried cutting the snake but the snake was way too fast even with its massive size, the snake rammed into a tree biting it, the venom of its fangs was strong enough to melt through it "Uh change of plan we're running away"Zoro said "Sounds good"Robin said "Yeah!"Luffy said "I thought that was the first plan"Nicole said.

The snake turned to them "Don't let that venom touch you it's death!"Zoro yelled as the tree went down, Luffy taunted the snake trying to lure it his way but the snake went to attack Robin instead, she just barely dodged it catching herself with her powers, the snake ended up separating the group.

"Zoro! Luffy! Chopper! Robin!"Nicole called caught in a bunch of vines with no sign of the snake or the others "Well damn, what should i do now?"she wondered looking around, she could still sense the others were okay at least, she cut herself out of the vines and landed on the ground with a thud "Ouch"she muttered before getting up.

Nicole hummed wondering if she should track down the others, knowing Zoro he's probably wondered off in the complete opposite direction, Luffy's probably wandering around lost as well, Chopper might be too scared to keep track of his directions, it would be pointless to track them down, Robin would probably head for the ruins she might run into her if she also went that way, Nicole decided to head towards the ruins.