One Piece (Love Story) [Part Two]

Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Seven [Rewritten]

-Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven-

"Neato!" Chimney happily cheered as she examined the train with childlike wonder.

"Did you have to add the face?" Zoro asked.

"I like it" I smiled.

"Don't worry, it may be mean, but it won't bite!" Kokoro laughed.

"Yeah, but I know someone who will" I chuckled as the moss haired man blushed a little and turned his head to the side, quietly grumbling to himself as he did so.

"Hey, look, it's Icepop's!" Luffy pointed out the minute Iceburg climbed down from the train.

"Hello there, Straw Hat, so you're okay after all" Iceburg greeted the moment he spotted us. "It seems your friends' faith was well-founded, I assume you bought them here, Kokoro?" he questioned.

"The question is, what are you doing here?" Kokoro asked. "You've been through a lot today, you need rest" she softly scolded.

"Well, let's just say you and I were thinking the same thing" Iceburg answered as he cast a glance back at the train. "We have a soft spot for idiots, don't we?" he smiled which caused the old woman to laugh. "Go ahead, I just finished servicing it—watering and coal have been loaded and steam is building up now" he assured us as he motioned for us to go on and get aboard the train.

"Thanks for getting it ready for us, we owe you one" Luffy grinned before almost losing his balance and falling right over.

"I wouldn't celebrate yet if I were you, you might not even survive the ride" Iceburg warned. "This was our failed prototype before we made the Puffing Tom, no matter how you tune it, you can't control its speed" he explained. "In other words, it's a runaway train."

"Oh, that sounds comforting" I nodded as I examined the train more closely. Well, now I know that Kokoro's warning from earlier was actually very serious.

"That's fine, it can go as fast as it wants" Luffy smiled as if not fully understanding what the man had just said. "Hurry up! Let's go—get on already!" he impatiently exclaimed as he started to push the stairs towards the train's entrance. "We're leaving as soon as Nami gets here, Granny!" he told us as he scampered up the stairs—almost falling—and pulling open the door to peek inside. "Oh man!" he awed the moment he poked his head inside.

"Luffy, are you okay?" Chopper asked. "You've been kind of shaky on your feet since we found you" he worriedly noted.

"Yeah, maybe you should take it easy" I frowned.

"He probably just lost too much blood" Zoro suggested.

"Maybe, I am kind of feeling dizzy" Luffy truthfully told us. "I think I need some meat" he said.

"Don't you mean rest?" I sweat dropped.

"No, meat!" Luffy wildly shook his head before huffing as he crossed his arms, not backing down from what he said.

"Hurry, this way!" I heard Nami order followed by the sound of multiple pairs of footsteps rushing down the stairs.

"Hey, wait! I don't know why you have to go all the way down here to eat your dinner!" a man shouted.

"He's right—if you're hungry, eat now!" another man agreed.

"You think all that food is for me?" Nami questioned, almost sounding a little annoyed with the men for their assumption.

"What?!" the two men asked.

"Sorry I took so long!" Nami apologized just as she entered the room.