Steel Heart

Ch 29 - Hide & Seek

Pygmy found Luffy first, clinging onto the bottom of the mast head. He then found Usopp, who had wedged himself inside the kitchen's chimney on the top deck. Chopper was discovered inside the service elevator that was stopped on the kitchen level. Nami was found tucked inside a cannon that was positioned in the aquarium bar. Franky was sneaky and hid behind the stairs of the mast head, where the control room for the Gaon cannon was.

Zoro didn't even hide at all and just meditated in the middle of the Crow's Nest, claiming he didn't think Pygmy could go north. Nana interpreted that as Zoro speak for "up" and reminded him that she was following behind Pygmy so had climbed up the ladder carrying her pet when he indicated to her to go up.

The only two people left to be discovered were Sanji and Robin. Pygmy was stumped. He sniffed around the entire ship and did not bark at all. After Nana and Pygmy looked through every room for the third time, the dog sat defeatedly in the middle of the deck and lowered his head.

"Are you giving up?" Nana asked.

Pygmy whimpered and then lied down on the grass. Nana's eyebrows raised to the top of her head. She pulled out her megaphone and held it to her lips. "Okay, Sanji! Robin! Pygmy gave up! You can come out now. You guys won."

The doors to the men's quarter was soon flung open and the cook emerged victorious, while Robin climbed down from the gaff. "Yes, Nana-chwan!" he cheered, "I can receive something precious made by your delicate hands. Are you impressed by my cleverness? Are you not falling in love with me?!"

"It would take more than a game of hide and seek," Nana shot back and then looked up at Robin, "You hid behind the sails so that the wind would take away your scent? Amazing!"

"Thank you, Weaponsmith," Robin said with a grin.

Nana then looked curiously at Sanji, "But I have no idea how Pygmy didn't find you. We went into that room so many times. Where were you hiding?"

Sanji lit his cigarette and walked down the steps to the deck. "I wasn't really, Nana-chan. I was sleeping in my bed."

"What?!" Nana gasped, "How did Pygmy not find you?"

"My guess is because since our beds already smelled like us, Pygmy ignored it," Robin mused.

"But...why didn't we see you? Surely Pygmy would've noticed a bump in the bed spread," Nana wondered.

"I sleep in the top bunk, Nana-chan," Sanji replied as he smoked, "It would be too high for you and Pygmy to see it."

"How did you know to hide in your own bed?" Usopp marvelled.

Sanji gave a confident grin as he lifted his cigarette delicately between two fingers. "The most dangerous place is always the most safest place." He then turned to Nana and smiled sappily at her, "Now what do I get from you, Nana-chwan? What are you going to make me? Oh! Anything you make, I will treasure forever!"

This guy has many sides to him, Nana thought with a raised eyebrow. "You're a very complicated man."

"Love is a hurricane, Nana-chan," he shouted, balling up a fist in front of him to show her just how serious he was about that statement, "It is a complicated whirlwind!"

Nana scoffed as she headed down to her room. "Okay, okay. Whatever you say, Prince Charming. I'll go make you and Robin's reward now."

"What are you-"

"You'll see," Nana called back just as the latch that led down to the lower decks closed behind her and Pygmy.

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