He's staring.
It's longer than you want to admit before you notice, so caught up in whatever you'd been intent to tell him about the next island on your journey.
There was quite a Marine presence, at least you would assume, having 2 separate naval bases located on the opposite ends of the island. You'd felt it would be important to warn your rubbery Captain to keep things quiet and lay low for awhile--not that you expected him to really follow your advice, given his track record, but you felt it was worth trying at least.
It had been miraculous enough that he'd stayed in one place long enough to hear what you had to say, but when you'd glanced at him halfway through what you'd intended to say-
He's...just looking at you. Watching and listening...you think. His expression is not what you were expecting, thoughtful and yet far way, but in your general direction. Focused, yet vague. It was so unlike Luffy, it caught you off guard enough to drift off speaking entirely.
A few seconds pass, with Luffy only humming low under his breath.
"Uh...Luffy?"
"Hmm."
"Are you ok?"
"Huh?" The question catch him off guard, and he blinks at you with a frown. Perhaps he hadn't realized the way he'd looked for the past five minutes. "Sure I am. Why?"
"You're...staring." You point out, gesturing to him with a halfhearted lift of your hand.
"Ah." He stands a little straighter, eyes cast downward reflectively. Then, they flick back up to you, and his arms cross over his chest. "I was thinking really hard."
Well, now your curiosity was just too much, and you could help but ask. "About what?"
"You're really adorable when you ramble like that."
"E-Eh?" The noise of surprise that leaves your mouth is maybe a little embarrassing, but you can't help yourself. The words you found him saying were not at all what you'd expected. "Oh. Well...thank you."
"You're welcome!"
And without so much as an acknowledgement about what you'd spent so long explaining, he shot you a pleased grin before passing you by to head towards the kitchen.
It's about a half minute before you come to your senses and realize he likely hadn't retained a single word of the warning you'd been trying to give him, and with a frustrated sigh, you hurry after him. "Luffy, wait!"
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