The World Ends With You

Chapter 9: Six Feet Under

SINCE ZORO WAS the only one who seemed to notice her feelings, aside from Robin of course, Nami decided it would be best to make him shut his mouth for good. The events in cafeteria the other day almost made her cry but thankfully, Zoro was there to snap everybody out of their trance.

Nami also found out that Hancock, a year 12, was the leader of the Kuja Clique. It was one of the largest factions in the school made up of only female members and led by the Gorgon sisters, the three Boa's, but Hancock herself mostly oversees everything.

The PA's around the school paged a way too familiar name for them to ignore. It belonged to a certain freckled boy who, as of the moment, was ignoring the summonings of his own name. He lodged down the table while snatching away the book Luffy was writing on.

"Hey!" Luffy blared.

The freckled one grinned. "Doing homework, little brother? That's so not like you."

It was Portgas D Ace, a year 11 at that. He was not wearing his complete school uniform; his shirt's buttons were undone and he recently abandoned the vest sweater. As of the moment, his chest was visible thanks to the undone shirt and the blazer he kept open. His shoes were similar to Luffy's. His pants? Well, he rolled them up a few inches above his ankles and he even had his signature hat hanging from his neck.

At first glance of an outsider, he would certainly be mistaken for a delinquent.

"Leave me alone, Ace. I'm a good student." hearing this, Usopp almost spit out his drink.

Ace pulled up the sleeve on his left, revealing a watch, that had a compass instead of a clock, and a striped bangle which doubled as a floating device when on water. "Good for you, Luffy! Oh, long time no see, by the way! You too, Jinbe!"

Robin, at the end of the table chuckled and felt weird. For some reason she imagined that, in another universe, Ace had suffered a painful death. She knocked on the wooden table. Luffy wouldn't be able to stand that.

Ace tilted his head while he returned his brother's book. "Why do I feel like there's someone missing?"

Franky and Brook exchanged glances while Jinbe kept silent. Not in an awkward manner, but Ace found it to be that way. The latter blinked. "Did something happen?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Chopper blurted out.

"What do you mean?"

Zoro was the one who spoke this time, "Your name was being called for the hundredth time, now."

"Oh, that? Never mind that." Ace chuckled. "Don't tell anyone about this but there's this chic in my year group that always chases my tail! She's also in the student council."

Right after saying that, a female voice reverberated across the halls. "Portgas D Ace!! You're coming with me this instant!"

Ace, and the others, turned to look at the vermillion-haired girl with a bandaid on her left cheek. It was his cue to leave, and so he gave Luffy a rub on the head, making his hair messier. Robin chuckled.

Nami would love to see Luffy like this.

===

"Nami-swaannnn!!!!"

Sanji came running from the other end of the pool holding a mop on one hand and an empty bucket on the other. He heard her sneeze. Even though she couldn't see his right eye through the hair on his face, Nami assumed it also morphed into a heart along with the other.

Nami frowned and held up an arm. "Stop."

The scorching sun was not helping with the work they had to do but Sanji seemed to be unaffected by it. Nami tied her hair up into a ponytail and removed her vest sweater, putting it on her bag, before she removed her footwear. She tucked her baggy socks inside her shoes before she dropped the broom onto the pool and climbed down using the ladder.