— 6 —
"Why are we here?"
Shinobu seemed to be on a mission, paying no heed to Nami's question. Nami observed her surroundings as Shinobu's gaze darted around the kitchen, eventually settling on a familiar, slumbering figure with a straw hat. With an exasperated sigh Nami murmured, "Of course he's here."
Approaching the sleeping Luffy, she tried to rouse him with a gentle, "Luffy." However, the boy seemed deep in sleep. Nearby, Nami spotted an empty bowl that once contained a distinctive blue soup. As she pieced things together, she noticed Shinobu closely examining Luffy, then the bowl.
Shinobu hesitated for a moment before taking a cautious taste of the residue from the soup bowl. A look of realization washed over her face, confirming her suspicions.
As I thought. The soup is the delivery method for the poison.
It's the one that Klahadore mentioned at dinner, intended for Kaya. The symptoms Luffy's displaying are too similar to Kaya's, and she's likely been ingesting this poison for a much longer period. Her emotional distress might have accelerated its effects.
Sensing Nami's growing panic, she whispered, "The soup has been poisoned."
Nami's eyes widened in horror. "What did you say?"
Before Shinobu could delve further into the matter, the clatter of footsteps and Klahadore's voice grew nearer. In a split-second decision, Shinobu pulled Nami with her, finding refuge among large pots in a nearby cabinet.
Shinobu put her finger in her lips, silencing Nami who nodded as they both eavesdrop on what is happening outside of the cabinet.
Klahadore's voice echoed sharply, filled with a mixture of curiosity and irritation. "What is he doing in here?" he demanded gesturing to the unconscious Luffy sprawled on the table. Buchi, one of the staff members Shinobu had mentally noted earlier, gave Luffy a dismissive slap.
"What is wrong with him?" Klahadore asked.
"Seems like this little guy couldn't get enough of my latest recipè." he smirked, his voice dripping with a twisted pride. "I was chasing that perfect balance between bitter and savory." His face turned momentarily introspective, "I just wish I could've asked him how it tasted."
The other staff member, Sham, rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "It tasted like poison, you idiot."
Shinobu's look turned sharp. Confirming her suspicions. She felt Nami's hand twitch in her grip and squeezed it reassuringly, silently urging her to remain still. They continue to eavesdrop from Kaya's traitor staffs.
"Not while I'm the cook." Buchi's retort was cut off by Sham's frank admission, "You're not a cook and I'm not a maid. We are Pirates."
Shinobu's mind raced, connecting the dots. Pirates. That's why Zoro found them familiar. Given his past as a pirate hunter, their crew must have been notorious enough to be on his radar.
"Sell yourself short, Sham. But leave my cooking out of—"
"Enough!" Klahadore's voice, dripping with authority, sliced through their bickering. If these two are following him. It is obvious that Klahadore is the Captain of their crew.
"I can't hear myself think over your inbred nonsense. Now then, how much of the soup did he eat?"
Buchi assessed the empty pot, "All of it." He spoke.
"How fortuitous. Go ahead and toss him in the well with the green-haired oaf." The words struck Shinobu like a physical blow.
Green-haired oaf? Does he mean—
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𝐏𝐀𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐍 (胡蝶) | Roronoa Zoro x Shinobu Kocho
Fanfiction••• Shinobu leaves her village to find and defeat the demon who took her sister's life. Along the way, she meets Luffy, a young pirate with big dreams. Soon, she becomes part of the Straw Hat Crew's escapades. As the journey unfolds, sparks fly, Sh...
