One Piece: The Deadly

The day had been calm after the strange encounter with Ava. The crew was going about their usual antics—Luffy stuffing his face with meat, Zoro napping against the mast, and Sanji busy in the kitchen, humming as he prepared dinner. Ere'ana and Kikidori were on the deck, sitting near the railing, both lost in thought.

Ere'ana had been quieter than usual since her defeat. Kikidori, despite his goofy nature, noticed her unease. He kept stealing glances at her, unsure of what to say.

"You know," he began, breaking the silence, "you shouldn't let what happened get to you. You're way cooler than Ava could ever be."

Ere'ana turned to him, a small smile playing on her lips. "Thanks, Kiki. That actually means a lot."

"Of course!" Kikidori said, puffing out his chest. "I mean, you're, like, the best sword fighter I've ever met! Well... second best. Zoro's kinda scary."

Ere'ana chuckled, shaking her head. "You're such a dork."

"Yeah, but I'm your favorite dork, right?" he said, grinning.

Ere'ana didn't respond immediately. Instead, she just stared at him, her smile fading into something softer, more contemplative. Kikidori noticed the change in her expression and tilted his head.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

Ere'ana suddenly leaned in and kissed him, catching him completely off guard. It wasn't a long kiss, just a quick, gentle peck, but it was enough to leave Kikidori frozen in place, his eyes wide and his face turning bright red.

When she pulled back, Ere'ana looked just as surprised as he did. She quickly turned away, her face flushed. "I—I don't know why I did that," she stammered.

Kikidori opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. His brain was short-circuiting. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he did what he did best in confusing situations—he panicked.

"I, uh—yeah, okay—uh, I'm gonna go over there now!" he blurted, pointing randomly toward the other side of the deck.

Before Ere'ana could respond, Kikidori bolted, running so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet. He ducked behind the mast, crouching down and peeking out like a child playing hide-and-seek.

"What just happened?!" he whispered to himself, clutching his head. His heart was pounding, and his cheeks felt like they were on fire.

Meanwhile, Ere'ana sat frozen by the railing, her face buried in her hands. "Why did I do that?!" she muttered under her breath.

The rest of the crew, who had been casually watching from various spots around the ship, exchanged amused glances.

Luffy, who was perched on the figurehead, grinned widely. "Did you see that? She kissed him!"

Sanji, leaning against the kitchen doorframe, lit a cigarette and smirked. "About time something happened between those two."

Robin chuckled softly, closing her book. "Young love is so entertaining."

Nami sighed, shaking her head. "Kikidori's such an idiot. He didn't even say anything back."

"Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't faint," Usopp added, stifling a laugh.

Zoro, who had been napping nearby, cracked one eye open and grumbled, "Can't even confess properly. Kids these days."

Back behind the mast, Kikidori peeked out again, his eyes darting toward Ere'ana. She was still sitting there, her back turned to him. He groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"What do I do now? Do I say something? Do I pretend it didn't happen? Do I... kiss her back? No, wait, that's too much!" he whispered frantically.

Chopper, who had wandered over, tilted his head in confusion. "Kikidori, why are you hiding?"

Kikidori nearly jumped out of his skin. "Ch-Chopper! Uh, no reason! Just, uh, practicing my sneaking skills!"

Chopper frowned. "You're really bad at sneaking. Also, why is your face so red?"

"I, uh—heatstroke!" Kikidori said quickly. "Yeah, it's really hot today!"

Chopper looked skeptical but decided not to press further. "Well, okay. Just don't stay out here too long if you're not feeling well."

As Chopper walked away, Kikidori sighed, leaning back against the mast. He glanced over at Ere'ana one more time, his heart still racing.

"This is so complicated," he muttered.

End of Chapter 59