17 Weird morning

'Ugh, too warm…' My still half-asleep brain supplied while my legs struggled to free themselves from the blanket that imitated more and more closely an oven if anything else, minus that metallic quality mind you, until my body seemingly had enough and just kicked once with slightly more strength than necessary.

Unfortunately, my body hadn't really involved my brain into its ruminations, which resulted in me waking up through a series of sneezes, that rattled my brain to kingdom come, due to all the dust, pulverized mortar from the opposite wall and remains of the blanket now suffusing the air of our small room.

"Eww, what did you do that for?" Another voice remarked from besides me, which I came to realize was the munchkin, covered from head to toe in both dirt and my saliva that I had sent pretty much into every corner of the room.

After my sneeze attack had finally subsided, I fell back down onto my bed and out of my forceful sitting position, completely spent for the moment.

"You say something?" I mumbled, only then realising that I had heard the munchkin speak but for the life of me I couldn't remember what she had said.

"Duhh!" She replied while motioning at her herself while simultaneously giving me a rather proficient stink eye for someone so young. Atta girl!

While I continued to grin a little, the munchkin fumbled out of bed herself and disappeared into the bathroom next door, which wasn't a bad idea as it was practically the only room which wasn't suffused with a sheen of white-dirty air floating from one wall to the other and covering everything in between in an equal amount of dirt.

With another yawn, which I supressed with difficulties, leaving a smidge of tears in the corner of my eyes, simply so I wouldn't get a mouthful of the dirt floating through our room, I also stood up from my bed and walked over to the windows and was promptly greeted by a joyous gust of wind that breathed some new life into our room.

Standing there at the windowsill, I gazed out at the scenery down below our rooms, which were situated not far away from the fountain in the top middle of the whole island, presenting us with a phenomenal view at the city and the sun that was already shining brightly down at the city at its feet.

'Should probably begin looking for a way off the island soon I guess.' I thought after a few minutes of silent appreciation of the presented view down below.

Before my mind could begin going through the options of where I could look for a ride to the next island however, my nose picked up the heavenly smell of freshly baked bread that seemed to come from one of the bakeries down the street next to our hotel.

Stretching my neck out of the window, I tried to get a glimpse of the approximate distance to the bakery but to my frustration, the walls of our hotel prevented me from doing so. My stomach agreed, judging by its vehement gurgling and demand for some filling.

"Oii! You're that ruffian from yesterday, aren't you!?" A voice from down below suddenly yelled up at me, and only my absolutely perfect control of my every muscle prevented me from smacking my head at the window sill up above my head from turning my head so quickly in said direction.

"Bloody hell, do you have to be so damn loud at such an ungodly hour, woman?!" I responded with no small amount of vitriol contained in my voice while I started to rub some more sleep out of the corner of my eyes.

"Wha-? I'll give you ungodly you jerk!" While I finally took in the redhead from yesterday, who was yelling something fierce up at me with her fist gesticulating wildly in the air, and the rest of her crew, I couldn't help but yawn once more, somewhat of the mind to hop back into bed for another impromptu siesta.

Obviously, Red didn't seem to appreciate my actions as she looked ready to come and get a piece of me for all I knew. 'Way too early for me to deal with shit like this…' I grumbled in my mind once I was finished yawning and slumped back into our room, all the while Red seemed to be getting really into things outside down on the street.

"Who was that?" The munchkin asked while I fell back onto my bed and tried to get into my trousers while enjoying the maximum comfort my bed could provide all the while.

"The redhead from yesterday and her friends. Jeezz, that woman has some temper." I replied, which seemed to be enough motivation for the munchkin to walk over towards the window and attempt to look out. Key word being 'attempt'. She didn't even reach the window sill.

To my eternal amusement she tried to look outside by hopping in place a couple of times, until she huffed a little in frustration at the unfairness of the world and pulled over a chair from next to our table, using it as a makeshift elevator.

While the munchkin began to chat with the now less arguing Strawhats down on the street I had finally come to understand that putting on your suit while lying on your bed was pretty much inefficient, despite doing two things, namely enjoying comfort and putting on your clothes, at the same time. Stupid reality and its stupid rules…

With a small grunt I heaved myself out of my bed, now for the second time already, and began to dress myself properly.

Once I was dressed fully, my stomach rumbled once again, and I knew enough was enough. Snatching the munchkin from her elevator mid-sentence, making her yelp a little in surprise, I practically flew through our door and down the floor, until we reached the ground floor.

Throwing the keys to our rooms to the hotelier, I deposited the munchkin back onto my shoulders and, after a slightly apologetic look directed at the hotelier, to said man's confusion and my amusement, we left the hotel and stepped into the bright sunlight of the day.

"Huh?! How did you get down here so fast? And where did you run off to yesterday?!" Red began once more seemingly where she left off when I disappeared from the window, while poking me into my chest with her index finger. That however had the funny side effect that she, instead of pushing me backwards, shoved herself away from me instead. And frankly, it was hilarious to watch her grow even redder in the face.

With a rather smug grin directed at her, and a slight giggle from Nico Robin at Red's failure to seem threatening, I shoved my hands into my pockets and moved past her, while she actually pouted at not getting anything more out of me. How cute…

"Lay off me Red, will ya? I've not even had breakfast…" I said while moving further down the street, accompanied by the rest of the Strawhats, who seemed to have nothing better to do than to follow us. Perfect…

"Oi Nami, leave the man alone... Your yipping is giving me a headache...." Zoro seemed to agree, as he looked just as tired as I still felt from waking up only a couple minutes ago.

"Oh shut up Marimo! Go away and play with your swords or something!" Red laid into him instead of me for an instance, while Sanji, the dude with the hilarious curly eyebrows from yesterday, joined into badgering Zoro along with Red.

I decided not to interfere. I wasn't gonna play hero after all. Fuck that shit! Dark side all the way!

While Nami and Sanji kept arguing with Zoro, the Tanuki and Nico Robin walked along rather silently, using the opportunity to do some window shopping. Still, I wondered where the rest of the crew were at the moment but after a few seconds of habituated consideration threw that train of thought out of my mind. None of my business.

Instead, it seemed it was finally time for breakfast. God, this smell. I think I may just move in here…

Eh, who am I kidding. I would probably grow bored the second my signature wet the contract. But nothing against a great breakfast now, was there?

Hence, the munchkin and I disappeared into the bakery and probably bought more than half its goods. Life's good sometimes. If only Red would shut up for some time…