Queen of the Pirates

Off-Screen Events: Life on Going Merry Part 2

"This is so exciting!" Vivi giggles as she hugs a pillow to her chest. "I've never had a sleepover, and I've never really had girl friends to hang out and talk with."

"Neither have I, so this all new for me," I smile as Nami finishes putting my hair up into a bun. "I do have an older sister, but that's not the same."

"I think this is a first for all of us, but that is what is going to make it ever more fun," Nami plops down on the floor with us. "We'll learn a lot about each other, and I think we'll be close friends by the night's end."

For the first time in a while, I've been pulled to spend a night in the girl's sleeping quarters since Vivi is our newest member and it would be rude not to spend her first night together. Luffy pouted when I told him, but I assured him that I this wasn't going to be a regular thing. That I very much like to fall asleep in his arms, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. He was all smiles after that. Even gave me a kiss on the cheek before letting me head to the other girls.

"Well, do we ask each other questions?" Vivi asks. "Or do we just start talking and jump in whenever we have something to say? Are there games we can play? How does this all work?"

Nami chuckles, "I think we should start with asking you questions, Vivi, seeing as you're the one we," she motions between me and herself, "don't know much about you."

"Oh, yes, ask away. I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Before Nami can ask a deeply personal question, I want to know how long you've had Karoo," I easily block the pillow that Nami tosses at me.

"I've had Karoo for his entire life, which is about fourteen years at this point, so when I was about two we met for the first time. He really took to me, and I instantly loved him. I needed someone other than those tasked to watch over me to hang out with, so he became my best friend really quickly. I've never gone anywhere without him."

"So you don't have any boy waiting for you back home?" Nami asks.

"Nami!" I gasp.

Vivi chuckles, "I don't know if he's waiting for me in the way that you are asking, but I do have a really close friend, Koza, that is a boy, but we haven't seen each other in a long time, so I don't know what he still thinks of me. We were inseparable as kids. I fought the gang he had formed because I wanted to join. He risked his life to save me once," she looks down at her lap. No doubt reliving a painful memory. "He left with his father to start a new settlement in Alabasta, and I haven't seen him sense then. I miss him a lot, and I hope once we save my country, I can see him again. There's a lot that I want to tell him."

"You'll have quite the story with everything you've done recently," I softly smile. "If you two were close as kids, I'm sure that he thinks about you a lot too. Once you are back together, everything will fall into place."

"When did you become such a relationship expert, Akari?" Nami teases.

"I wasn't talking about them dating!" I feel a heat quickly spread across my cheeks. "I just mean that their friendship will pick up right where they left it. They'll be acting like nothing changed, even though I'm sure a lot has."

"I do care deeply for him," Vivi lifts her head to look back at us. "My father doesn't talk about marriage or anything like that with me, but I know he would let me marry the person that I am love with without question. Even a kid that knows nothing about being proper, grew up far away from the capital, but he would do anything for people that need help. He'd do anything to help me if I asked."