Motion

~Dabi~

"It seems like crossing the lake is the only way to get to the other side."

Robin noted.

"But how do we cross the lake?"

Zoro puzzled.

"Make a raft or something? The water on this side is probably boiling so we can't swim."

Scratching the back of my neck, Usopp decided to pitch in his thoughts.

"I don't know if we can live long enough to get to the lake in the first place. It's hot!"

He said in exasperation, his complaining interrupted by Luffy's—who split from us—cheering of.

"Snowcone!"

As he skipped below us.

"I wonder how Luffy can be so high-spirited."

Usopp commented.

Raising an eyebrow and chuckling a reply.

"It takes a lot to bring down that kid's spirit, with some snowcone inspiration, he's probably completely forgot about the blazing inferno around us."

I had been staring off when Zoro's voice brought me back.

"So, Luffy made an odd friend again."

My brows furrowed as my gaze lowered to look down at Luffy noticing the new panther centaur that appeared out of nowhere.

"This adventure seems to be a long never-ending rollercoaster of confusion and mystery."

Commenting with a sign.

"They totally go together!"

Zoro laughed as my eye slightly twitched, staring down at the two, I glared at the centaur.

'Am I...Jealous? No, of course not. I just...Have a bad feeling about the guy, yeah...Bad feeling.'

A shiver ran down my spine, goosebumps probably would've covered my arms if the skin wasn't burned off, turning and looking around, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

'Weird, why do I feel like someone's watching us?'

Zoro seemed to take notice of my sudden change in posture and looked around as well, sighing and turning my head up to the sky.

'Maybe the heat is getting to me a bit?'

Shaking my head before looking over at Usopp and Robin who were on the transponder snail.

"What?! You can't find Nami and the others?! Are you all by yourself?!"

Usopp shouted when he suddenly seemed to realize something, "When you woke up you were surrounded by snow and ice?!"

"That's right! I was as surprised as a bone in thunder! Oh? No no, like thunder in a duck?"

Tuning out the skeleton's nonsense to process the information for a moment.

'Sleeping gas maybe? I'm assuming Eraser noticed before he fell prey to a dirty trick like that, he must not have noticed Brook and went to save the others. I'm sure they'll be fine, they have a hero to rely on.'

My brows furrowed, leering at the centaur guy, hoping to glare holes through him. A few seconds later, the manimal picked up a call from his transponder snail.

'That can't be good.'

It was interesting to see the quick change in the guy's attitude as he attacked Luffy, asking why he didn't tell him. To which I assumed he was notioning to the fact that we are indeed the intruders he's supposed to take care of. Usopp and Robin walked over after finishing their talk with their undead friend, seemingly interested in the turn of events.

"What happened? I thought they were getting along."

Zoro tuned back into the drama as Luffy took care of the guy, a giraffe centaur suddenly appearing behind him afterwards. Ready to take action, I was seemingly late, because Robin used her devil fruit and twisted the guy like a churro before he could even move.

"A panther and a giraffe, huh?"

Zoro hummed when a volcano exploded and startled Usopp.

Chuckling in amusement, no I'm not taking the piss out of Usopp being a scaredy-cat because I'm upset I wasn't the one to help Luffy, definitely not.

"There are many kinds of centaurs! How interesting!"

Luffy said seemingly amused as well.

"It's a mythical horse! It can't be real!"

Usopp denied.

Humming, unconvinced at his immediate denial.

"Well, a dragon is a mythical creature, and we just saw one of those. So I'm guessing this just isn't a normal island, not to mention the "bird human" you supposedly saw."

Usopp argued as he gave me a spiteful glare.

We joined Luffy and Robin asked him what happened and why the centaur attacked him, to which he replied by saying that the guy suddenly attacked him after talking to someone on his transponder snail. Nodding in affirmation to his words.

'So my guess was right, he had to have been talking to the giraffe, that or the bird human Usopp apparently saw.'

Tapping his hoof with my shoe, a serious expression fixed on my face.

'Sneaky bastard, he must have been the one watching us, I knew I felt creepy eyes on me.'

Usopp picked up a transponder snail that read.

"CC"

Then proceeded by saying they weren't wild centaurs and that they belonged to an organization.

"'CC'?"

Zoro read aloud.

"So, they're our enemies?"

Luffy didn't seemingly take to the idea of them being enemies.

As we continued walking, Usopp said something about not being able to return and going to the icy part of this island. To which Robin replied by saying the others were kidnapped and hopefully not riddled with holes.

"They should be fine, Eraser's with them. And as much as I hate the guy, he's good at protecting and helping people. Besides USJ…"

Slightly coughing to cover the last comment.

"We could get there faster if we had landed on the other side."

Zoro brought up as Luffy pouted.

"Then we wouldn't have gotten to eat the dragon or meet leg-maro!"

Mine and Zoro's brows furrowed as we looked at Luffy.

"Who's leg-maro?" He questioned to which Luffy replied with a smile.

"I named my hind legs."

Sighing deeply while placing a hand on my face, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Of course you did, I should probably expect it by now, but he just keeps surprising me."

"Bu! What happened this time-bu? What's going on-bu?!" The legs kicked as my eyes rolled to the side in annoyance.

"Shut up, you can't hear us even if we responded."

Kicking the legs' ass as a way to get my response through, though it caused a bit of ruckus.

"What are we going to do, Luffy?"

Zoro looked for directions from his captain.

"We can help rescue them if we can get to the other side, right? Then we have no choice!"

He smiled brightly.

Usopp seemingly decided this was the best time to hype himself up.

"All right! Let's go! The plan has changed! Let's go to the ice lands to rescue our friends!"

Robin made a comment about someone perhaps selling winter clothes on the way. Usopp, of course, responded with a shiver and words of.

"Seriously, we're going to die from cold like this!"

Which made me chuckle.

"You might, but I'll be fine. Luffy as well, and Zoro could probably handle it for a bit."

Claiming as he looked at me.

"Hey! Why only Luffy? You could share some of that heat of yours!"

He argued, a smirk dancing on my lips.

"Alright, if you insist."

Standing beside him, I held out my lit hand in front of him, heating him up as he tried to move away.

"Not now! It's too hot!"

He exclaimed ungratefully.

Laughing in amusement while responding.

"You're the one that asked."

Shrugging before putting out the flame and sliding my hand back into my pocket.

"Hey. Do you really want to cross this lake, Luffy?"

Usopp decided to question now, even after seemingly hyping himself up.

"Yeah."

Luffy stayed headstrong and carefree as the other sighed.

"But how do we cross it? Some parts are burning but there are ice flows as well."

"The temperature could be just right. We're all sweaty so let's swim!"

Zoro proposed as Usopp quickly tossed the idea out.

"No way!"

He shook his head in blatant denial.

"Robin and I can't swim so…"

Luffy implied as they both seemingly enjoyed the images pictured in their minds, laughing at the image in my mind and absolute joy the two would have on their faces.

"Are you implying I should carry you?! Why should I do it?"

Usopp complained as he looked at them, they of course replied with expectant looks.

"Stop looking at me like that! I'm sure Zoro wouldn't want to…" Humming and tapping Usopp on the shoulder, my arm stretched out and my index finger pointed over at Zoro.

"Might want to think again, he seems pretty ready."

Observing in amusement.

"He's already stretching for it! Having said that, if we don't cross it, we have to go all the way around. I have no choice. All right!"

He decided arguing was useless, so he grabbed some seeds from his pouch and shot some at the ground.

They grew into large fan-like plants, he then shot another just above the lake and it became a banana boat.

"Oh, It's a boat! That's awesome, Usopp!"

Luffy complimented as he jumped into it, joining him right after, the others waited a bit as Usopp broke off one of the fan-like plants.

"And we can use this fan grass as an oar!"

He smiled at his own brilliance, nodding in affirmation, a smirk tugged on my lips.

"Wow, you're smarter than you look."

Tossing the backhanded compliment as my hand covered my mouth to prevent myself from laughing.

"Of course I am! Wait...what?"

Robin thankfully diverted the attention to herself as she praised him. Yawning as my gaze trailed off towards the icy mountains, thoughts wandering.

'I wonder what Eraser would say if he found out about mine and Sho's connection, would he be shocked? Probably, have a hell of a time questioning the old man.'

I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, I'm equally surprised that Eraser is a teacher and also doesn't have any kids. Because even though they give him an unbelievable number of headaches, he still cares a lot about them. And he's a great teacher, pretty much a parent to them. Anyone can see it, even with just a glance. You might think they are his kids if you didn't know any better, he may be my "enemy" or whatever.'

'But he's helped Shoto more than I'd like to admit, I was more of a comfort than someone to look up to or be inspired by. And Shoto is better than he probably would have been if just anyone was his teacher, I've seen him open up more, even work with others when in battle. Admittedly, Eraser is Shoto's father figure, someone he can communicate easily with, tell his feelings to, and feel safe with.

Sighing while rubbing the back of my neck, slightly cracking it, the boat shook abruptly and wild with the waves. I hurriedly grabbed onto the seat tightly for balance.

"That centaur again!"

Zoro informed with annoyance.

"Hey! Did you change your mind and decide to join us?"

Luffy called to the centaur dude.

"No Luffy, I don't think he did. Considering the fact that he just tried to sink us with a damn boulder!"

Shouting.

"Were you recruiting again?!"

Zoro berated as Usopp groaned in annoyance.

"Stop asking strange creatures to join us!"

He shouted, I sighed and looked at them while speaking.

"I think you guys are focusing on the wrong thing here."

The centaur suddenly blew a horn before yelling something about a boss and us heading their way, along with a.

"Please stop them!"

Robin noted that there was something that appeared on the other side. Focusing my attention towards the icy land noticing figures standing in the distance.

"Great, so there are giant centaurs now. Fantastic."

Noting sarcastically

"Is that the boss?"

Zoro proposed.

I hummed in disagreement before presuming a reply.

"Nah, he seems more like a powerful lackey. But I'm guessing the boss isn't too far."

"So the emergency signal was meant for that boss? Then he shouldn't mean us any harm!"

Usopp said hopefully.

"I don't think so, that centaur dude told them to stop us. I think we're in plenty of danger."

Reminding as we stared at the inevitable fight ahead of us.