Book One: Treasure of the Heart (Zoro X OC)

Chapter Seventy ~ Party before Gold

~Third~

"Why'd you stop?"Zoro asked turning back to Chopper, him the reindeer and Nicole had gone out to gather some food "All that racket seems to be getting farther away"Chopper said "Yeah they seem to be calling a ceasefire for the night"Nicole said "Yeah sounds like the right idea let's go"Zoro said walking on ahead, Nicole quickly following "Don't leave me behind!"Chopper said going after.

"Sanji we found tons of great stuff"Chopper said as they got back to camp "Excellent let's see the haul"Sanji said "We found walnuts, aloe, banana, garlic"Chopper said "A ton of herbs"Nicole continued "Rats and frogs too"Zoro added "Nice it all goes in the pot"Sanji said "Disgusting you don't expect us to eat that mess do you?!"Nami asked.

"Oh silly me, Nami i promise i'll take the garlic out"Sanji said "The garlic's the only good thing!"Nami yelled "Is our navigator having another melt down?"Robin asked as she walked over carrying something "Now that's what i call a gemstone"Nami said "Big yes but it's not a gemstone"Robin said "Hey that's a big salt crystal nice find Robin"Sanji said.

"I found it on the shore and i figured we'd find some use for it"Robin said "Not only is salt fatal to our survival but without it my food would taste awful"Sanji laughed chopping up fish, "If i take half of the garlic and aloe i can use it to make an antiseptic and burn ointment and use it to heal the sky knight"Chopper said ruffling through their haul.

"Yeah? You need any frog?"Zoro asked "No, no frog"Chopper said, Nicole giggled a bit "Nicole my dear could you do something for me?"Sanji asked "Sure thing what do you want me to do?" Nicole asked "Just drop this rock in the pot would you?"Sanji asked pointing over to a glowing red hot rock "No prob"Nicole shrugged drawing her sword and borrowing a second one from Zoro.

Nicole picked up the rock and dumped it into the pot, Sanji closed the lid and now to let it cook, Zoro wondered off but Nicole stayed back, she wasn't sure what she could do now so she just took a seat and started wondering, what was her role in the crew? Did she have a role? She supposed there can be more then one swordsmen, yet she's not exactly that, she sold herself as a blacksmith which she is, sort of she hasn't actually made anything yet cause she doesn't have any of the equipment for it, although what kind of a ship would need a blacksmith on board.

Before she could think about it too much further though Sanji called for everyone to take a seat as food was almost ready to be served "Now if you'd all listen up while you eat i'll explain how we'll handle this tomorrow"Nami said as Chopper went around giving the ladies some of the soup Sanji had made while Zoro took a seat next to Nicole, she gave him a smile but Zoro knew something was bothering her.

"Anyway let's review Noland's book first, he discovered the city of gold four hundred years ago however after leaving the island and returning with his king he found the gold ruins had vanished luckily we know what happened to these ruins, the city was shot in to the sky like we were"Nami said.

"Do you really think a whole island could have done that?"Chopper said "Well it's the only thing that makes sense remember that Cricket said everytime this phenomenon occurs it's in a different location"Nami said "Yeah that explosion was enormous i'm not surprised it lifted an island"Usopp said "It's just hard to believe that the forest we're sitting in is the same one we saw back on Jaya"Zoro said.

"I believe it has something to do with the odd composition of island clouds up here look at all the trees, fish and wildlife something about this environment dramatically increases growth rates which explains how a society here could of been swallowed up by these forces"Robin said.

"That also explains  why the south birds who saved us were huge i couldn't believe it"Chopper said "Yeah four hundred years of growing will do that do a bird"Zoro said "I doubt those birds were the same ones shot up here four hundred years ago"Nicole said "Then why did those south birds go to such lengths to save you guys?"Sanji asked sitting next to Zoro after offering him a plate of the food.