ONE PIECE SPECIAL: THE DINNER

Mira

I stared at myself in the mirror and took a deep breath. Do I look okay? Is my hair right? Am I dressed for the right occasion? Do I have enough make up? Too much?

I groaned and messed my hair up. I blew a strand out of my face and stared at myself. "Don't give me that look. I don't know what I'm doing! I've never had to dress up nice before!"

I picked my brush back up and got rid of the tangles I made. "You're one hot mess, Mira..."

A knock at my door made me jump. I looked up to see Vivi step in. "Hey, I heard you talking to yourself. You okay?"

I nodded, peeked at the mirror, and shook my head. "No, I'm not okay. I've never really had to worry about how I look, or how people see me, and I don't know how to dress up. This is my very first date and I don't know what to do."

She grinned and stepped in. "Mind if I help?"

I waved a hand at her and had a glaring contest with my reflection. "Be my guest."

She shut the door and paced over to me. She picked up my brush and slowly smoothed it out. "The best results for smooth, shiny hair is to give it one hundred strokes. It helps give it new life and make sure you got every last little tangle out."

She counted to herself as I watched her in the mirror. She had a soft smile on her face. "Next, we're going to put your hair up. It'll make it more manageable and less likely to get in your face. I would suggest something like this," she put my hair up into a half bun, the other part tumbling down my back in waves. She left a few strands to hang loose at the sides of my head.

"Now, about your clothes..." she tapped her chin.

I stared down at my simple T-shirt and skirt. "Is it bad?"

"No, no!" She assured me. "They're fine! It's just that this is going to be a very nice meal! You'll want to dress right. Come with me; I might have something you could wear." She dragged me from my room to hers. I was placed in front of a standing mirror as she went through her clothing chest.

"Aha!" Vivi grinned as she walked back over to me. "Try this on! It's not too fancy, but still looks really nice."

I put on the soft, silky fabric. The skirt came down past my knees and swished every time I moved. The teal color shimmered in the light. I put on the matching half top, it's long sleeves just as flowing.

"And to top it off," a soft fabric was draped across my neck. "A nice, simple black choker necklace." She fastened it in place.

I stared at myself, not believing it was me. I looked... beautiful. A hand went to my mouth. I just can't believe that's me!

"Turn around," I did and soon had a cloth to my face. I shut my eyes as she wiped off the makeup I did. "Soft and subtle is the way to go. Neutral eyeshadow and pale lipstick. Add a bit of blush, and tada!" She spun me back around.

Now I look completely unrecognizable. "Vivi, you're amazing." I pulled her into a tight embrace. "Thank you. Hey, where's Nami? Didn't she want to help out?"

"She was still tired from today," Vivi explained as she had me slip on some black flats. "She's laying down right now."

I nodded. "Okay, that's fine. Well, am I ready?"

She grinned. "You're more than ready! Come on, they're waiting for us."

"They?" She ignored me as she lead me back up to the main deck. "They who?! Vivi!"

We reached the top deck and I gasped. Little lights were strung over the masts, making it look like fire flies were dancing around our ship. They gave off a soft glow to light the path to an elegantly set dinner table for two. Zoro was already standing there, messing with his bow tie.

He wore a simple, yet charming dark blue suit. His white undershirt contrasted with the dark pants and jacket. He seemed displeased with the bow tie.

I giggled. He looked up and spotted me, no longer interested in the bow tie. Vivi brought me over to the table and had me stand by a chair. I was about to sit down, but her hand stopped me.

She cleared her throat. I glanced back and watched her nod to me. Feet scrambled and soon Zoro was pulling my chair out for me. I sat and he carefully pushed me in. That is, until the chair squeaked. He swore softly and quickly took his seat across from me.

Vivi stood beside the table. "I'll be right out with your drinks." Wait, how did I not know she was dressed up?! She wore a long, black skirt and a black jacket over a pale pink under shirt.

They're really going all out for this.

I looked back over to Zoro and pushed the small candle aside. "I thought we asked for no candles."

He grinned. "Yeah, we did. Guess they didn't listen."

Vivi and Luffy came back to our table. She instructed him how to carefully set down wine glasses and where they go. "Tonight's drink is a sweet red wine from the south blue." She poured us a small amount as Luffy tried not to shake as he poured us a glass of water.

I swished the wine around in my glass and sniffed. It smells heavenly. I took a small sip and glanced up at Zoro. He gave a slightly confused glare at the delicate glass before taking a swig as well.

"Do we have any good sake?" He asked as I rolled my eyes.

"I'm afraid this will have to do for now." Vivi said as Luffy held the water jug. "The chef insists that this drink be paired with the meal."

"I don't care what that-" I cleared my throat to cut off his next words. "Fine, I'll take the wine." Vivi filled our glasses a bit more.

"Your server will be out with your soup in a moment." She pulled Luffy along back to the kitchen. I'm even surprised to see he has nice clothes as well. I think Sanji even slicked his hair back.

I took a sip of my water. "I didn't know you had a nice suit," I commented to fill the silence.

"Tch," he set his wine glass down. "Somehow that damn cook had my size in clothing stored away somewhere. He made me wear it."

I smiled at him. "That look suits you. I like it."

His cheeks colored slightly as he looked away. "Yeah, whatever." I looked away and sipped from my water. We're not very good with small talk... plus, we've never done this before. How are we supposed to act?

"Um..." I met his gaze again as he scratched at his chin. "You look... nice."

I gave him a half smile. "Thank you. You know, I was actually panicking a bit earlier."

"Why?" He asked as he leaned forward a bit.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I don't own any nice clothes. I actually borrowed these from Vivi. She has really nice taste."

"Yeah," and awkward silence again... I glanced up towards the kitchen to see four smooshed heads duck away from the window. What was that about?

The door soon opened and out came a very nicely dressed Usopp. His hair was tied back with a fancy patterned headband with a simple deep purple suit to go with it.

"Here we are!" He carefully set the bowls of soup down. "Our chef has prepared the finest soup for you! It was carefully crafted and simmered most of the day in a rhino bone broth." He gave a deep bow and walked off.

I grinned and picked up the soup spoon. "Rhino bone broth? Isn't that what you caught?"

He smirked as he picked up his own spoon. "Guess that means mine was the superior meat." We tasted our soup.

I about melted at the taste. "It's so good! He really outdid himself this time!"

"It's okay." I gave him a look. He simply smiled at me. Ah, that's right. He doesn't like to admit when Sanji's food is good. He doesn't want to inflate the cook's ego.

I chuckled to myself and continued eating. "This is actually a really nice dinner. The sun is creating a nice light as it sets, no one is bothering us as we eat, and it's so peaceful."

"I'm surprised Luffy isn't trying to eat the food." We laughed at that, only to hear an angry Sanji yell at Luffy. We laughed harder at that, knowing Luffy couldn't resist one meal to try and steal from.

The second we finished our soup, Luffy and Usopp came out from the kitchen. Luffy cleared the bowls, most likely to keep him from stealing food, and Usopp set our dinner plates down before us.

"Tonight, the chef selected the perfect cut of meat from Mira's catch. He slow seared them over a low fire and made sure to keep those tender juices inside! On the side we have the finest greens to compliment the steak and a small helping of potato mash. Enjoy!" He bowed once more and pulled Luffy along as he complained about the yummy smell.

I snickered once they were back in the kitchen. "How much do you wanna bet Sanji made him say all that?"

Zoro pick up a fork and chuckled. "Knowing that cook, he probably had him memorize a card or something that had exactly what should be said on it."

"I don't doubt it," I cut through my steak, the knife having no resistance. It steamed as I lifted it to my mouth and ate it.

Oh, this is heavenly. "Zoro, you gotta try this meat! It's divine!"

"How is it so tender?" He asked as he moved the meat around with his fork. "I can't get a good piece on my fork!"

I giggled. "Like this, silly." I used my knife to push pieces of the meat onto my fork. He nodded and tried it.

The rest of the meal was very pleasant. We shared laugher and talked about small things. The sun continued to set as we got closer to finishing our food. Just as the last bit of sun disappeared behind the horizon, we set our silverware down.

"I don't know what could top this night." I said as I folded my hands in front of me. "The food was phenomenal, the service was great, and the wine really did pair well with the food. Plus, we got a small show from the kitchen staff!" I was referring to when Luffy cried out when he could finally eat. Sanji was scolding him and telling him to slow down and savor the food.

I slowly shook my head and locked gazes with Zoro. "What will they think of next?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. That cook will probably send out a dessert or something."

As if on cue, Luffy and Usopp stepped out, Sanji right behind them. The two cleared away our dishes and empty glasses. Vivi came down once the other two were back in the kitchen. She had the jug of water with her.

"For dessert, I've prepared a very light and refreshing tart with lemon zest. It's garnished with mint leaves and will leave a cool, refreshing taste." He set the plates down as Vivi refilled our water.

"I take it the food was to your liking?" He asked as Vivi walked off.

"It was amazing!" I spoke before Zoro could. "The soup didn't ruin the meal and it didn't fill us up too much. The steak was rich and tender. The greens and potatoes added a nice contrast to the overall meal. Thank you very much, Sanji."

He grinned. "No, thank you for enjoying the meal I prepared. Please enjoy your dessert." With that, he walked back to the kitchen.

I stuck my fork into his dessert and took a bite, loving the cool, slightly sour tart. It really brings he whole meal together.

I glanced up to Zoro to see he had already finished. "I see someone enjoyed that." I teased.

"Yeah, so what?" He pushed the plate away and took a drink of water. "Did you have a nice meal, though?"

I nodded. "Yes, very much so."

He grinned. "Good. Finish your dessert. I gotta show you something."

I stared at him in confusion, but continued to eat the last of my food. What could he need to show me?

Once I finished, we glanced up to the kitchen window. "Good, they're not there. Let's go." He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him.

"H-hey! Not so fast!" I protested as he pulled me up the stairs to the other side of the ship. It didn't have the string lights to illuminate the area around us. It was a little chilly. I wrapped my arms around myself and stepped closer to Zoro.

He draped his arm around me. I snuggled into his warmth.

The moon was slowly starting to rise. It gave off a gentle glow as it reflected off the waters surface. I sighed softly and leaned my head on his chest.

"I'm glad I decided to join you guys on this journey." I suddenly said aloud. "If I hadn't, I wouldn't have met such wonder people and made so many new friends. I'd probably still be living off the streets, fighting for myself."

His grip tightened around me. "You're here now, so there's no need to think about the what if's. Just enjoy this moment and look up."

"Look up?" I questioned him. "Why do I need to look- oh my..." millions of stars danced above us. A cloud like dust cut across the sky of multiple colors, adding to the pure beauty of this moment. I stared, wide eyed and mouth agape.

"It's... I don't..."

"I discovered this the other night," he explained. "I went out for a walk and just happened to look up. I didn't really think much of it, but I thought you would like it."

I nodded slowly as I continued to watch the twinkling lights above us. "I'm always asleep when night time rolls around. I never expected to see so many... it's so different from the Navy island. It's beautiful."

"Yeah," Zoro turned us so we were facing each other. I felt my cheeks warm up as I got lost in his gaze. This is it. This is how I wanted to say I loved Zoro. No other moment could be this perfect.

We slowly leaned in towards each other. My lips puckered slightly as my eyes shut.

Just as our lips touched, we quickly jumped away at the sound of someone shouting frantically. "NAMI'S SICK!! NAMI'S SICK WITH A HIGH FEVER!!!"

I sighed and pulled away. "The moment always seems to get ruined."

"Yeah." He turned away and scratched his head.

"We should probably go check on her and get Sanji to stop screaming." He nodded and followed me to Nami's room.

What suddenly came over her? She was fine earlier. I hope it's just a small cold and nothing more.