❛ L-LOVE ME NOW? ❜
₊˚៹ . ❪ episode : 109 ❫˖ ₊˚.⋆
࿐┊ CH. 15┊🏴‍☠️🌊👒

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THE WATER SPILLED IN MORE ROOM THE MOMENT VIVI HAD MANGED TO GET OUTSIDE PROMISING TO FIND HELP, a few of the pirates freaking out over the fact they were going to drown soon, Luffy, Usopp and Happy's sulking screams being heard loud and clear.

(Y/N) was perched on Zoro's back from the fact her body was weakened from the water inside the cage, her chin resting on his shoulder as her arms were loosely around his necks. He kept one arm under her thighs, while the other was on his swords like usual.

She sighed heavily listening to her brothers, and best friends freaking out together over the water, their arms waving around like idiots. She didn't blame them though, but she also knew they were going to be fine in the end. She believed in Sanji, Chopper and Vivi to save them.

Nami gritted her teeth reaching out her arm through the bars, a red hue cover her cheek from how annoyed she was, "Hey, you stupid gator!" She yelled to the animal near their prison in the water, "Come and get me!"

Happy and Usopp both shrieked together seeing her arm in the air for the gator to bite, the cat using his wings to fly over to Nami and pulled on her hair frantically, "What's come over you, Nami?! You'll get that arm eaten!"

And he was right when the bananagator snapped its jaws right where her arm was, causing the cage to shake and the crew to yelp in fear. Nami's eyes were white from just missing being food, her face pale falling back away from the bars.

She quickly got back up to her normal self though, and held a dizzy Happy in one of her arms, "I'm making that guy mad, to get him to bite the cage apart!" She declared sweating nervously to the crew.

Happy shakes his head knocking out of his scared state from almost getting eaten whole, and perks up as he hopes out of her arms, wings making him fly, "I get it!" He chirps beaming, "That's such a great idea-"

(Y/N) stifled her laugh into Zoro's shoulder at Happy's comment, and watching how Luffy was getting scolded by Usopp for touching the cage, and how the gators weren't bananas, but had the fruit growing from its head.

"I told you and (N/N), he's basically an alligator with a banana on his head." Usopp reminds him, long nose pointing into Luffy's cheek as the sniper had shoved his face next beside his to get his point across to the second airhead on the crew.

Zoro's cheeks flushed a bit hearing her sweet giggles in his ears, swallowing the lump in his throat he turns his head back to her a bit, and felt his heart jump at her grinning self so close to his face. His hand squeezed his swords so hard that the handles creased under the weight of the force.

"They are rotten bananas!" She commented in a cheery voice laughing in agreement with Luffy, shifting a bit on Zoro's back as her nerves picked up the more the water filled underneath them, and tried to keep her cool to not worry the others.

"Here he comes!" Nami warns in a panicked yell, eyes wide holding onto a sulking Happy to her chest again as the gator roars and opens his massive jaws to try and crush the cage.

That gator did manage to chomp down on the jail making a few members of the crew scream in fright, the water around them slasphing up everywhere in result. However, instead of the cage being broken, the gators sharp teeth were broken from the force behind the material, and it backed up howling in pain.

"What a tough cage!" Happy gapes in awe but also horror realising how it wouldn't be easy to break it, and sulks more into Nami's arms, dramatic tears falling down his blue furred cheeks.

Zoro was sweatdropping nervously also, his back turned away from the water to protect his captain latched to him, his scowling gaze directed at all the gators outside the cage in the water making things harder.

"Hey, you guys..." It surprised the crew when Smoker began to talk so causally, causing Happy, Usopp and Luffy to call him out for his behaviour, the Marine sat on the seat around the back of the cage, "How much do you guys know? What exactly is Crocodile after?"

The pirates all perked up confused not understanding what he meant, them calming down for now to let Smoker continue talking, "That woman who was at Crocodile's side..." He trails off crossing his arms over his chest, "She has had a price on her head by the World Government for 20 years. The price was over 70,000,000, as I recall."

"That's the same price that Crocodile has." Nami pointed out remembering the bounty on his head, sharing a wide eyed look with Usopp beside her also beyond scared now, his legs shaking like normal.

Smoker only nodded his head, the blunt in his mouth slipping a bit from his gaze being directed at the water covered floor, "The moment those two joined forces, this became more than just a simple coup. This can only develop into a matter that the whole world will get dragged into, if they're left to it."

(Y/N) furrowed her brows leaning up from Zoro's back to face the others, but still kept her arms around the quiet swordsman, "What are you guys talking about?" She asked seriously gaining shocked looks from the crew, apart from Luffy, her second mate and Happy who all smirked instead, "We don't need any excuse like that to kick his ugly ass."

Smoker took in her words for a few seconds thinking to himself, his eyes glazing over her determined figure despite how weakened she looked right now. His eyes fly closed for a moment, and realised an exhale of air, "I see.... So, how are we getting out of here?"

No one answered until Luffy's terror filled yell echoed through the cage, his jaw dropped seeing how far the water was up to them now, and was glad his sister was using Zoro as a back rest, since he didn't want her getting effected from the sea water like he was.

"We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" Usopp was chanting panicked behind him, the male running around like a fool in the growing pool of water, arms up in the air waving around.

Zoro cursed under his breath to himself, turning his head away from (Y/N)'s worried gaze on him, and gritted his teeth together frustrated, grunting out to himself, "If only my swordsmanship were better, this cage would be nothing!"

She frowned softly not liking him talking about himself like that, understanding where he was coming from but still didn't enjoy it. She never liked when people who mattered to most to her talked themselves down, she hated it.

So, she reached out to press a kiss onto his tanned cheek causing him to splutter, face turning red snapping his head back to her, hold on her almost slipping if it weren't for his swords also keeping her up.

"Don't worry, Zoe." She started off in a sweet tone, pressing her knuckles into his jaw to gently rub them against it giggling seeing how flustered he was, and ignored everyone else panicking around them, "You're already the greatest in my eyes either way."

His stomach leaped once again at something she did, the male having never experience this feeling before as his mouth opened and closed, not knowing how to react. All he did was scowl embarrassed, huffing as he turned away from her hearing her amused giggle at his red face.

"Try as hard as you can not to make any noise at mealtime." A sudden familiar male's voice rang out in the room somewhere, causing the pirates to all freeze hearing it. Next thing they knew, the gator standing guard in front of the cage was kicked roughly into the air, "Bad Manner Kick Course!"

Another wave of water had splashed over the crew in result of the massive kick, causing Zoro to try his best to protect his captain from it, and somehow Happy who clanged to his best friends back again, where he normal would be.

The gator was knocked out cold landing across the other side of the room in the water, as the figure standing in front of the cage comes more visible now. The male holds out a blunt in one of his hands, and blows out some smoke smirking in greeting at the crew, "Hey there. Been waiting long?"

Usopp, Happy and Luffy all sulk as they cheer for the arrival of the cook, where as (Y/N)'s eyes went wide in happiness seeing Sanji standing there smiling softly at her from across the other side of the cage, "Ji!" She cried out grinning widely, "Thank goodness you're here and alright!"

Zoro rolled his eyes not liking the idea of him being back, and scowled at the cook annoyed, "Stop goofing around with out captain and find the key already!" He exclaimed through gritted teeth, both hands squeezing the girls thighs around his waist now.

Though like usual, Sanji ignored the swordsman and instead focused his attention on his captain, "(Y/N), My angel!" He called in a babbling voice, doing his famous noddle dance in the water, eyes in hearts staring at her, "L-Love me now?"

She giggled sweetly at how cute he was being, hearing everyone else groaning at the display as she also snickered to herself feeling Zoro's growl rumble in his chest. She flashed Sanji a warm grin watching how he continued to ramble to her dancing.

"Of course I do!" She answered happily causing Zoro to scoff pinching the skin of her thigh, that she gently whacked him back for, and looked back to Sanji chuckling, "Can you please open the door for us now?"

Sanji still went on with his random babbling about her, his noddle dance not stopping which had Zoro deadpanning and turning his eyes to his smiling captain, "He's an interminable idiot, you know that right?"

"Maybe, but so are you." She mused pinching his cheek playfully that made him scowl at her, and she laughed more before turning to Vivi, sending her a bright thumbs up, "Vivi! Way to go!"

The princes was up on the rocks of the broken stairs, her head perking up hearing (Y/N)'s call and lifts up her thumb to send one back, her lips in a wide grin that had the other girl's one growing larger, feeling proud of her.

More of the gators were getting up to surrounded Sanji in the water, him seeing them through his yellow shades over his eyes, "Here they come, one after the next." He comments causally, arms crossed over his chest not bothered by the numbers.

The Monkey D. girl was fawning inside her head watching Sanji through the bars, a dreamy look in her eyes at how attractive and cool he looked dealing with those gators. It didn't help her either when Zoro's warm hands on her were increasing her emotions, both of them riled her up all the time.

"Bunch together as much as you like," The cook was speaking lowly, the blunt back in his mouth as he lifted up his leg into a high kick over his head, "and come get me, you damn bananas. Anyone with manners as poor of yours, who would attack a lady, gets some table manners beaten into them, but good."

"Sanji! There isn't any time for that!" Usopp screeched out in alarm, frantically shaking his head at the cooks idea of taking his sweet time kicking the gators, "One-second strikes! No, make that one-instant strikes!"

The Marine inside the cage had his eyes closed trying to focus, and found what he was looking for the moment more of the gators flooded in, "Take out the third one who just came in." He voices telling the pirates, who raise brows at him shocked and specktiall.

His eyes open hearing their confused comments about his information, making him scowl at them and furrow his eyebrows, "His growl is the same as the one who swallowed the key, isn't it?" He remined from before when it happened, causing the girls to gape in realisation.

Sanji glanced to his captain trying to ignore how she was on Zoro's back, and wanted her approval. Once she gave him a strong head nod, he smirked to himself and sent a powerful kick to the said gators stomach, and out came something from its mouth.

A ball of some sorts landed into the water creating a slapslh, as water comes down from the crash in rain all over everyone on the lower ground. However, it wasn't what they expected it to be, causing them all to exclaim, "What is that?!"

  "Wax-Wax Ball!" The sound of male's voice was muffled from inside the object, as it began to crack now and eventually spilt open to reveal a male's figure all dried up, "Release!"

The Straw Hat's pirates jaws dropped realising who it was that popped out of the wax ball, as he was celebrating over the fact there was water before him, "Oh! Water!" His voice was hoarse making it hard to yell, and he went to bend down using his palms to cup some of the liquid.

  "Mr. 3! What was he doing in the belly of an alligator?!" Vivi exclaimed in shock watching from on the stairs still, her hands on the edge of it to make sure she wouldn't fall forward into the water.

His once wrinkled up body was back to his regular strength when he gulped down the water, and spotted the key to the cage next to him on a piece of the broken stair. He picked it up to look at it closely, "Huh? What's this?" He murmured to himself confused inspecting the object.

  Luffy, Usopp, Nami and Happy all started to yell at him to bring it over, their hands and paws swinging around through the bars like a feral like state, "Hand that key over to us!"

Mr. 3's eyes almost fell from their sockets once he finally saw who was stuck behind the bars, a startled noise leaving him seeing the pirates, "It's you guys!" He exclaimed before looking back down to the key, a sudden thought occurring to him now as he scanned around the room.

  By the time he figured it out a wicked smirk was over his face, and snickered to himself looking at the frantic pirate stuck in the jail, "I know what's going on, now."

Sanji flicked some of his hair back that was annoying him, and causally walked up to the other male, hands in his pants pockets, "You're Mr. 3, are you?" He asked getting close to his face, causing the wax male to freak out startled again, "Hand over the key, quietly."

Mr. 3 just smirked mischievously instead of answering, and began to wind up his arm for a through, "Here comes a long throw!" He goes to send the key flying across the room, making Sanji curse him out for that watching the object land into the water below them.

He laughs at the look of annoyance over Sanji's face, and jumped back a bit with his hand up in the air in front of him, "I don't know who you are, but you appear to be on their side!" He voiced in a cocky tone, "If you want the key, go find it!"

Usopp's eyes went wide when he spotted something on Mr. 3, and quickly moved up more to the jail's bars to get his crew mates attention, "Just a minute, Sanji!" He calls getting the blonde eyes on him, "Couldn't his wax-wax power make a key to this cage?"

(Y/N) once again was swooning over how her cook looked, her face growing warm at how he smirked understanding what Usopp was saying, and the way those glasses on him made him ten times attractive to her. She was seriously going to pass out on Zoro's back, who has been scowling the entire time.

In the end though Sanji did get Mr. 3 to create a key for the lock with his wax power from beating him up, and watched as the door holding his crew was now unlocked, door opening up with a creaky sound. The cook placed a note on Mr. 3's chest, and sent him flying into the wall across the room by a powerful kick afterwards.

Everyone came out of the cage finally free after so long, (Y/N) giggling excitedly seeing Sanji's arms opening up for her when a grumbling Zoro dumped her in them reluctantly to go deal with the gators. He left her wit the blonde for now, and went to go finish off the animals with a yelling Luffy beside him.

"Sanji!" She squealed pressing her cheek against his blushing one, her arms around his neck as he spins them around a bit in a hug, her figure clinging into him like a kola.

He dopily grins down at her through his glasses, one arm around her waist while the other was under her thighs to carry her bridal style, and nuzzled his nose into her hair softly breathing out, "I missed you so much, angel."

She ignored everyone else screaming over the two boys getting into a fight with the gators, and pressed her forehead onto his giggling sweetly, noses grazing each others gently.

"I missed you more, Ji. Thanks for saving us." She tells him leaving a warm kiss onto his cheek. It had him squirming and becoming a love sick mess babbling, hearts in his eyes as the blush on his face rises, making cooing noises at her.

Vivi's jaw dropped when she noticed that Luffy and Zoro took out the rest of the gators, and placed a hand over her mouth embarrassed, "And after I had that much trouble with one of them..." She sulked turning around to face the other way.

Usopp sweated nervously sharing a look with Happy who patted the princess's head in comfort, "No, their strength is just abnormal, so don't worry about it!" The sniper reassured, frantically waving his hands in the air in front of him.

The walls around keeping the place together were staring to crack now also from the pressure outside, and the gators being thrown into it also. Everywhere was cracking, until all the windows suddenly broke to let it way more water into the already flooding room.

Luffy, (Y/N) and Happy all shrieked in alarm as they all grabbed onto one other, the cat in the middle of their normal trio, "The walls are crumbling!" They in sync exclaim fearfully, just as the passageway to the tunnel was also breaking.

"Out! We're getting out of here!" Sanji yelled to everyone alarmed, quickly making his way through the building up water to his captain standing on some rocks with Zoro, while her brother and Happy were still on the gators together.

However before anyone could react, a massive wave of water was hurdling towards the crew, causing Zoro and Sanji to try and grab (Y/N) knowing she couldn't swim very well. They shouted her name out panicked, meeting her wide eyes before the water was separating them, giving the males no chance at reaching her outstretched hand.

The entire room was clasoping on itself now, it making a big explosion that was seen up top by the bubbles and waves appearing and the ground shaking around the area, as the building was becoming one with the ocean.

Thanks to Sanji's strong legs he managed to catch (Y/N)'s unconscious body drifting in the water, having still tried to reach her after she went to bend the water, but couldn't since the force knocked her out clean from the pressure and almost drowning.

He broke the surface of the water with a breath, panting heavily to catch his breath as he cradles his captain's body close to his chest. He used one arm to pull himself up, and carefully lifted her body up next being careful of her straw hat, falling back onto his knees on the solid ground of the town now.

She was breathing steadily onto his palm that he raised over her mouth to feel if she was, and sighed in relief feeling she was alright. He brushed the wet locks of her peaceful sleeping face, "You're alright now, my love." He whispered in a coo, before standing up with her cradle in his arms in a bridal style hold once more.

Next to them Nami was pulling out of the water a panting Happy who sneezed from the water over him, and stuck his tongue out trying to catch his breath. His black eyes spot his best friend safe in Sanji's arms, and Luffy being tugged out by Zoro which made him relieved also.

"Usopp, wake up!" Vivi strained out trying to pull the male up by his nose, the sniper out cold with a bump to his head from one of the rocks hitting him in the water trying to swim away.

Sanji adjusted the girl in his arms who's head was resting in the crook of his neck now, him not caring about how drenched they were, and ran the back of his knuckles along her cheek softly.

"Sheesh, you guys with your abilities sure bear some hard risks, huh?" He hummed in a quiet comment down to her, and her brother also knocked out on the ground beside Happy, who was patting his cheeks for Luffy to wake up.

  Zoro broke the surface again this time carrying Smoker from out of the water, and placed him down onto the ground panting, as some of the people around watching them spotted the Marine being saved by the pirates.

"Hey now, Zoro, what are you doing brining the enemy along for?!" Sanji scolded the swordsman sat on the floor catching his breath, sending a glare at the male as he holds (Y/N)'s figure more against his chest to hide her away from the world.

The swordsman irked wiping the water off his forehead, and crossed his legs together sat beside Smoker, "Back off! I didn't wan to." He growls back scowling, expression getting softer once he saw his captain in the cook's arms, "He was close to drowning, after all."

  "Whatever. Let's just hurry on ahead." Sanji grumbled rolling his eyes, turning his attention to the princess standing a few feet away next to Nami helping Usopp, "We've lost quite a bit of time. Vivi, can we still make it?"

She was rinsing out her robes on her body, trying to get rid of all the water on it, while Nami fixed up her hair from the ocean also ruining it, "I don't know." The princess answered anxiously, sharing a look with the other girl.

"Roronoa!" Smoker was suddenly up and aiming his weapon at the said male who instantly gritted his teeth on alert, and stopped the attack with his blade, using the end of it near the handle to block the metal stick, "Why did you save my life?"

  Zoro's expression was blocked from view by a shadow, as his thoughts drift back to when the crew was getting sucked down to the water, and the conversation he had with his captain before he lost her to the ocean's current. '

"Hey, Zoe! Please, you have to save him!"

"Huh, princess?! Your my main priority right now, not our enemy! Leave him be!"

Her (E/C) eyes stared into his desperately, finding it harder and harder to stay a float on top of the current pulling them, "If we leave him there, he's gonna die, you know! He can't swim!"

His scowling expression breaks a bit seeing how she really wanted him to do this, and quickened his swimming to try grabbing her arms, but couldn't reach in time, "Yeah, well, I know that, but he's-"

Zoro scraps his sword against Smokers weapon pushing him off of it, and brings down his katana showing no harm now, "I was just following my captains orders." He voiced in a monotone voice, but his eyes held a softness to them, "I don't think you necessarily have to thank me."

His gaze flickered back to his captain still sleeping figure in the cook's arms, his hand gripping his sword handle more as that soft look in his eyes became a fonder one, "Besides, I can't bare to not see (Y/N) smile. And I know she'd kill me for not saving you, so thank her if anything."

Smoker's eyes went wide hearing that confession, also looking at the girl who was moving a bit in Sanji's arms probably about to wake up, and grunted out lowly, "Then, you'd have no gripes with me carrying out my duties here, right?"

The two continued to have a stand off waiting for the other to make a move, while Smoker's soldiers were heading their way getting ready to back the Marine up. At the same time, (Y/N)'s eyes were fluttering open with a groan, alerting Sanji who cooed at her with a dopey smile.

Her eyes adjusted to the bright light around her feeling her strength coming back to her, as Sanji gently places her back on to the floor, where Luffy and Happy were instantly by her side giving her a massive hug, sulking out happy she was alright.

Through the too tight hug she patted their backs and heads gently smiling warmly, and meet the eyes of Smoker over her brother shoulder, who was frowning no knowing how to feel about her saying to save him from drowning.

"Hey, Smokey!" She greeted in a chirpy call waving her hand, pulling away from the other two as she still had Happy in her arms, and placed him on Luffy's shoulders before smiling more at Smoker, "I see you're not dead."

  His frowned creased more at that, releasing a long exhale knowing he was now owes this girl a favour, and closed his eyes for a second, "Go." He grumbles lowly causing her to make a confused sound, "But this is the only time I'm letting you off. Next time we meet, consider yourselves dead."

All the Straw Hats either had surprised, or happy expressions, while (Y/N)'s heart was fluttering rapidly seeing Zoro's wide, closed eyed smile that lit up his features under the sunset. She felt her own lips perk up at that, a loving glint in her eyes watching how care free her swordsman looked in that moment.

"Come on, let's go." Sanji spoke up with a grin of his own, and spotted the other soldiers coming towards them from the alleyways pretty fast, "The Marines are coming. Which way is Alubarna?"

Vivi steps forward pointing in the direction of where it was, "Over there! Straight to the east!" She informs them joyfully, as the crew began to follow after her where as (Y/N) stayed put still staring at Smoker, causing Luffy and Happy to stop a bit ahead and Zoro to not move from his spot.

She hears the Marines getting closer and closer now, but all she did was flash Smoker a closed eyed toothy smile similar to Luffy's ones, and giggled, "You're not that bad, you know?" She praises in a kind way, that had his eyes going wide in shock, them doing even more so when she laughs loudly.

Smoker gets embarrassed by the way he had a red hue cover his cheeks, and gritted his teeth together scowling at the pirate captain, "Get going, already!" He exclaimed aiming his weapon at her that he purposefully made sure it missed, but she still yelped panicked and scattered away from it.

  She ran right up to where Zoro was quickly grabbing onto one of his hands, as her amused laughter rings in his ears. Turning to glance over her shoulder, her face lit up with an ethereal glow, a radiant grin stretching across her features like a burst of sunshine, as her eyes sparkled with a contagious joy.

Captivated, he felt his heart respond to her infectious happiness. His lips curved into a loving smile, a mirror to the warmth that radiated from her, and let himself be pulled along by her all the way down the path away from the Marines.

❪ ✏️ ❫ 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳𝚂 : 4797
─►☆ AUTHOR'S NOTE :
my fav chapter yet so far i think and i think its cause of the end scene with zoro and his adorable smile he showed omg plus the scenes with the trio in this one also but more to come soon and some angst also.... yeah not much YET but it will be coming later in this fic with the arcs 🥹🥹

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