One Piece: The Deadly

The night sky over the Thousand Sunny was a blanket of stars, the soft sound of waves lapping against the hull creating a peaceful atmosphere. Most of the crew had already settled into their quarters for the night, but Kikidori sat on the deck, clutching his shinai and staring out at the horizon.

He had explored every part of the ship that day, yet he still hadn't figured out where he was supposed to sleep. The thought of spending the night out in the open didn't bother him too much, but he also didn't want to look out of place as the newest member of the crew.

Luffy, chewing on a leftover piece of meat, plopped down beside him. "What's up, Kikidori? You look all serious."

"I, uh… don't have a place to sleep," Kikidori admitted, scratching the back of his head.

Luffy tilted his head, thinking for a moment. "Oh! I'll ask Nami if you can sleep in her room!"

Before Kikidori could protest, Luffy was already bounding across the deck, yelling, "Nami! Nami! Can Kikidori sleep in your room tonight?"

Nami, sitting at the navigation table and going over some charts, looked up in mild annoyance. "Why are you shouting? He's just a kid. Of course, he can stay in my room."

Sanji, overhearing the conversation from the galley, poked his head out, his cigarette nearly falling from his lips. "WHAT?! Lucky bastard!"

Kikidori blinked in confusion. "Why does he keep calling me that?"

"No reason!" Sanji shouted, slamming the galley door shut behind him.

With everything decided, Kikidori followed Nami into her room. It was surprisingly neat, with charts and maps carefully arranged on the desk and a faint scent of perfume lingering in the air.

"You can sleep on the bed," Nami said, gesturing to the large mattress.

"No, it's okay. I'll just sleep on the floor," Kikidori said, feeling awkward.

"Don't be ridiculous," Nami said, already fluffing a pillow for him. "You're my guest."

Kikidori hesitated but eventually climbed onto the bed. The mattress was soft, and the blankets smelled clean and warm. For the first time in a long while, he felt safe.

As the night wore on, Kikidori drifted into a deep sleep, the gentle rocking of the ship lulling him into dreams of adventure.

At some point during the night, Nami shifted in her sleep. Turning over, she inadvertently pressed her chest against Kikidori.

The boy stirred slightly, blinking awake. "Huh…?" he muttered groggily, feeling the unexpected warmth against him. His face turned bright red as he realized what was happening.

He froze, his mind racing with confusion and panic. "Why is she… what's happening?!" he whispered to himself, his heart pounding in his chest.

Not knowing what to do, Kikidori lay perfectly still, his face burning as he tried to will himself back to sleep.

By morning, Nami had already gotten up and was back at her charts, as if nothing had happened. Kikidori stumbled out of the room, his mind still swirling from the previous night.

As he stepped onto the deck, Sanji appeared, a knowing smirk on his face. "So… how was your night, *lucky bastard*?"

Kikidori's face turned beet red. "I don't know what you're talking about!" he yelled, running off to the galley in search of breakfast.

The crew watched him go, laughter echoing through the ship. Life on the Thousand Sunny was proving to be more eventful than Kikidori had ever imagined.

End of Chapter 6