One Piece: The Deadly

The sun was shining bright on the Thousand Sunny, and the Straw Hat crew was as lively as ever. They had just finished their latest adventure on a mysterious island (which they probably destroyed without realizing) and were now relaxing on the deck, taking in the ocean breeze. But of course, this being the Straw Hats, there was never a dull moment, especially when Kikidori was around.

As per usual, Kikidori was doing something completely ridiculous. This time, he was sitting on the figurehead of the ship with his feet dangling, swinging his legs back and forth as he tried to balance himself. His attempts were met with occasional *wooshing* sounds as he nearly fell off every few seconds. "Hehe, no biggie," he muttered to himself, completely unaware that he was an accident waiting to happen.

Ere'ana, who had been sitting nearby and keeping a watchful eye on Kikidori's antics, rolled her eyes. "You know," she said with a smirk, "for someone who's a *Yonko*, you sure are... *lacking* in the balance department."

Kikidori turned to her, his face filled with mock seriousness. "I'm an expert in all things *cool,* Ere'ana. You just don't understand *true* style," he replied, striking a ridiculous pose. He promptly lost his balance, wobbling and flailing his arms in the air, but managed to catch himself just before falling. "See? Totally got it under control!"

Ere'ana raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Right... You've got it *under control*... just like you've got *that* under control." She gestured with a little chuckle to Kikidori's infamous—let's call it—*lack of size* that had become the running joke among the crew.

Kikidori immediately froze. "Hey! That's a sensitive subject!" he yelled, clearly embarrassed but trying to play it off like he wasn't fazed. "Who needs size when you've got *heart*?!" he added, puffing out his chest dramatically.

The crew, who had been half-paying attention, suddenly stopped what they were doing. A long silence fell over the deck. And then...

"HE'S GOT *HEART*," Usopp echoed with a grin, clearly ready to join the fun. "Does it come in *pocket* size too?"

Kikidori turned red, his jaw hanging open. "I—I'm... I'm not small!" he stammered, flailing his arms like he was trying to explain the unexplainable. "You guys are just jealous of my... *perfectly average*—I mean, *ideal*—size! Yeah! That's it!"

Ere'ana, not missing a beat, leaned forward and whispered to Usopp, loud enough for Kikidori to hear, "Perfectly average, huh? More like 'perfectly *shrimp* sized,' am I right?"

"STOP!" Kikidori shouted dramatically, covering his ears. "You're just trying to mess with me! You're all evil! How dare you question my... stature! I'm still *growing,* okay?!" He crossed his arms stubbornly, like a child in denial, his cheeks redder than a tomato.

But that was when the whole thing really took off. Nami, who had been overhearing the conversation, couldn't help herself. She strutted over to Kikidori, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Oh? So you're growing, huh?" she teased, giving him a playful shove. "I thought you were already the *biggest* thing on this ship!"

"Ohhhhh, Nami-swan," Sanji cooed from the sidelines, obviously loving the drama. "I've *always* said size doesn't matter as long as you have the right... attitude." He gave a dramatic wink, his finger pointing toward his own chest as though delivering sage advice.

Everyone on the deck turned to Sanji, blinking in confusion. "I—Sanji, that's... not helping," Zoro muttered under his breath, rubbing his forehead.

"Wait—what? What did I say wrong?" Sanji blinked innocently, clearly proud of himself.

Usopp, seizing the opportunity to join the chaos, turned to Luffy. "Hey, Luffy! You're the captain, right?" he said, grinning from ear to ear. "Tell Kikidori that size doesn't matter. It's all about *what* you do with it!" He raised an eyebrow as if he were the master of wisdom.

Luffy, chewing on a piece of meat, stared blankly at Usopp for a moment. "Yeah, but like, I'm more interested in size of... the food, you know? And maybe the ship!" he said, tossing a half-chewed bone over his shoulder. "So what if Kikidori's a little smaller in some areas? I bet he's great at... other stuff!"

The crew stared at Luffy for a moment, trying to figure out what he was talking about. And then, just as everyone thought it couldn't get any weirder, Kikidori, still trying to save face, stood up from his seat on the figurehead.

"You guys are so mean! I'm the best Yonko! I've got the best *crew*! And, and, uh, I'm a... *powerful* fighter!" Kikidori exclaimed, desperately trying to shift the conversation. But Ere'ana, ever the playful tease, wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.

"You're a powerful fighter, huh?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Then prove it. Show us how *big* your *power* is."

Kikidori's eyes widened as if she had just challenged him to a duel. "Okay, fine! I'll show you all!" he shouted, preparing for what could only be described as the most ridiculous display of "power" anyone had ever seen.

And so, Kikidori launched himself into an *epic* battle stance. He pulled out his sword dramatically, holding it high in the air. "Witness the might of the *Tiny Tornado*!" he yelled.

The crew stood there, dead silent. A few seconds passed. And then...

He tripped over his own feet.

"AAAAHHHH!" Kikidori screamed as he face-planted into the deck. The sound of his body hitting the wood echoed across the ship.

"Great power, Kikidori," Zoro deadpanned from behind him.

Everyone burst into laughter. Even Ere'ana couldn't contain herself. She leaned over the railing, clutching her stomach from laughing so hard.

"Good one, Kikidori! You're *really* showing off your size there!" she called out, her voice filled with sarcasm.

Kikidori, still lying flat on the deck with his sword lodged halfway into the wood, groaned. "I swear, if anyone makes one more joke about me..." He was interrupted by a round of applause from Usopp.

"Bravo! Bravo, Kikidori! You've really earned your title as Yonko of the... *Miniature Marines*!" Usopp clapped exaggeratedly.

"Shut up, Usopp!" Kikidori shouted, sitting up and brushing himself off with a sigh. "I'm still growing, you know!"

"Your nineteen you should be done growing a while ago"

"Shut up Long Nose"

And with that, the chaos of the day continued, and Kikidori's "size" (or lack thereof) became the punchline for every joke that followed.

The End of Chapter 69.