CH 81

"Insticnt." he said before looking around and seeing Miss Goldenweek moving through the woods. "Hold it you!" he shouted. She looked at him with a freaked out expression before running for it. "HEY!" he shouted before chasing her.

'Ah crap!' she thought as she ran away, desperate to get away from him. While they ran, she slipped off her luggage and left it to lighten her load and run faster. She ran aimlessly through the jungle as the occasional branch scratched her. One caught her cloud-print shirt before she slipped it off and kept running, leaving her arms to get scratched a bit more.

"I said stop!" Luffy shouted before disappearing and reappearing in front of her, causing her to run into him and be pushed back onto the ground. She stared up at him before shielding her face with her arms, bracing herself for the beating she felt was coming. She stayed like that for a moment before slowly opening one eye to see a hand held out in front of her.

"Huh?" she said before opening both eyes and looking up to see Luffy smiling down at her.

"Finally gonna stop running?" he asked. She just looked at him confused before looking at his hand. "Come on. I'll help you up." he said. She hesitated, but slowly took his hand before he lifted her to her feet.

"You're not gonna...hurt me?" she asked.

"No. Just wanted to know something." he said.

"What?" she said.

"You heard what Mr. 5 and Valerie said right?" Luffy asked.

"I heard." she said as she looked down. "If that's true, then it sucks."

"So, what will you do now?" Luffy asked.

"I...don't know." she said. They stayed quiet until Luffy bent down to eye level.

"Valerie said that a lot of you guys had dreams for this ideal nation." he said. "Do you have one?" "Me?" she said as she looked up at him.

"Yeah you." he said.

"Well," she said. "My dream...is to be a world famous artist." she finally said.

"World famous artist?" Luffy asked in an interested tone.

"That's right. I love painting, but I'm not good enough to be known everywhere." she said. "It's been my dream to have my name known throughout the world as a master painter!"

"Is that so?" Luffy said as he stood up and folded his arms with a smile. "Sounds like a great dream." he said. She just looked up at him in awe.

"You...you think so?" she said.

"Yeah." he said. "Hey, if you're gonna fight for your dream, why not do it on my ship?" he asked. "Your ship?" she asked. "Wait...are you asking me to join your crew?"

"Yeah!" Luffy said. "Everyone on my crew has a dream they're fighting for. Since you've got a dream that big, you'd fit right in!"

"But...I help Mr. 3 capture them." she said.

"That was when you didn't know you were being tricked." Luffy said. "Don't worry. They'll be okay." She just looked at him before looking down. They stayed like that for the moment before she looked up at him with a small smile.

"Well, I guess I have no choice." she said. "It's either join you, or stay stuck on this island." she said before sticking her hand out. "I'm in. And my name's Grace by the way."

"I'm Luffy." he said as he shook her hand. "Nice to meet ya. Now let's go join the others." he said before he started walking off. He stopped before turning back to her with a serious look. "W-what?" she said with a nervous voice.

"One more thing when we get thing." he said.

-Back with the others-

Everyone was gathered around and were talking before the giants went from laughing to a pointless arguement, causing some of them to laugh or rub their foreheads.

"Hey guys!" Luffy called from the jungle. Everyone looked to see him walking towards them with a big grin.

"Luffy!" most of them shouted before Luffy stopped and looked behind him before running back towards a tree.

"Come on." Luffy said with his arms folded across his chest. Everyone was looking at him confused until Grace peered out from behind the tree looking nervous. Soon both of them walked back towards the group until they were a few feet away. "What's she doing here?" Gin asked.

"Go on." Luffy said. Grace just looked at everyone before she bowed, causing confusion to them all.

"I'm sorry...for helping Mr. 3 capture you all...and for nearly ruining the giants duel." she said. Everyone stared at Grace, who didn't stand up from her bow.

"Well guys?" Luffy said. Everyone was quiet until Nojiko smiled.

"Well, she did say sorry." she said. "Plus, no one died, so I'm okay."

"Same here." Johnny said.

"Me too." Yosaku agreed. Soon everyone was letting bygones be bygones.

"I'm sorry as well." Mr. 5 said. "That settles that. Let's party!" Luffy shouted, followed by a few others. They started eating rice crackers, causing Grace to argue that those belonged to her.

"Really Luffy?" Nami asked before she winced. "Ow!"

"What's wrong Nami?" Nojiko asked before looking at her bare belly. "Looks like a bug bit you." Everyone then began to wonder how they could get off the island since the Log Pose took a year to get to the next island before Sanji came running towards them.

"Nami~, Vivi~, Alvida~, Valerie~, Nojiko~" Sanji called out in love mode before adding in a bored tone. "And you shitheads." He looked at everyone before seeing the giants. "WHOA! Are you Mr. 3?!"

"Wait, how do you know Mr. 3?" Vivi asked.

"I was chatting with Mr. 0 a moment ago on a Den Den Mushi." he said before he noticed Nami in a bra! "WOW!" "You spoke with Mr. 0?!" most of them shouted.

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