Unfortunately I don't own One Piece. *sadness*

CHAPTER ONE

MITSU'S POV

"Miiiiitsu!!!"

I looked toward the galley, seeing the "Love Cook" as we all liked to call him, beckoning me in. He had hearts in his eyes, as usual, and I sighed, wondering what he was up to now. "Yes, Sanji?"

"So, darling, when would you like to have a romantic dinner together?" He asked, making me laugh. "I could get everyone so drunk it would only be us..."

"You're crazy, Sanji." I laughed harder at the blonde's antics. He was always trying to win either Nami or me...or any other beautiful woman's heart, for that matter.

"Come on, Mitsu. You know you want to..." He smiled devilishly. "So?"

"No, as good as the offer sounds, I'll have to pass," I said. "I don't think so."

He pouted for a moment. "You'll come around," he said, mostly to himself.

I laughed again. The handsome hopeful was always getting his heart broken.

"Is that all you wanted her for?"

I looked toward the all-too-familiar voice of my sister, Sachi. "Kyah! Sachi," I squealed, running to her. I hugged her, making her roll her eyes. "You rescued me from the Love Cook!"

"And that's...good," she said, looking at me strangely. "I thought you li-"

"Hush up!!!" I said. "It's not true!! Did Luffy tell you?"

"Who do you like?" Sanji asked. There was no mistaking the hope in his voice.

"Noooooobody," I said, not meeting his eyes...well, eye. His blonde hair was covering his left eye, adding to his good looks.

"Oh, Mitsu! What I wouldn't give to have you on my arm!" He exclaimed, taking my hand. He kissed it gently, looking up. "What I wouldn't give to have you in my b—"

"That's enough!" Both Sachi and I whacked Sanji on the back of the head, knocking him to the floor. "Pervert!"

"It's fate, darling, love, baby... Mitsu!!!" He wailed my name as I walked out of the galley with Sachi.

Sachi and I are twins, only hours apart, and we've always had a very close relationship with one another. We both love to laugh and have a good time, but are also serious when we need to be. We're both sensitive deep down, but we hate for people to see us cry. There's only one person on our ship that's seen me cry besides Sachi, and that's our captain, Monkey D. Luffy. He was only a couple years older than Sachi and I, but acted like he was 4.

"So, you don't like ol' Dartboard," Sachi said thoughtfully.

I sat on Luffy's normal perch, the ram's head on the front of the ship. I shrugged. "Well, it's not like I don't like him...but it's weird. I want no relationship with him."

"Well, why not?" Sachi said. "I mean, it'd be great if you left him alone, but if you want to go out with him, do it."

"Nah. He's too much of a playboy. He likes to flirt too much. How will I know if he's sincere to me or not?" I said. I looked at my sister, who was lounging lazily against the side of the ship. She was the only one that saw the side of me that was insecure, naive...

"Well, the only way to find out if he really is sincere to you is to go out with him," she said, then shook her head. "But, only God knows why you're interested in someone like him."

I smiled. "Ah, I don't know, sis," I said. "But I kind of am. Besides, aren't you interested in—"

I was interrupted by a certain green-haired swordsman. "What are you girls doing?"

"Talking, you grassy bastard," Sachi snapped. "What's it to you?"

"A little Feisty, are we?" he asked, having a smirk on his face. "I was asking a question, Sachi. No need to worry."

I looked at him strangely. "Oh, Zoro?"

"Yeah, Mitsu?"
I thought for a moment. "I forgot."

Sachi laughed, sitting beside me now, her eyes sparkling. "Nice one, Itsy."

I made a face. "Don't call me that."

Zoro laughed. "Itsy, huh?"

"No," Sachi snapped. "That's something only I can call her. So go away, bastard."

I saw the anger in his black eyes. "You bitch," he growled. "I'm tired of you talking down to me."

She smirked. "Leave me be," she said, throwing her arm around my shoulders. "And Mitsy, too."

I sighed, hopping down. "I'm sick of your petty bickering. Come talk to me when you get over it," I said.

Sanji peeked out of the galley. "You may want to keep an eye on them..."

I walked to where he was. "No, they should be old enough by now to know when to stop. They're acting like they're 4 years old."

"Yeah, I guess," Sanji said. He looked sad now, which wasn't normal for him. "At least she'll talk to him."

I gave him a funny look. "What do you mean, Love Cook?"

He gave me a half-hearted smile at the nickname. "Even though they hate each other, she'll talk to him. Even using the harsh words and taking punches at him, she pays him a little attention."

"You aren't making any sense," I said to him.

"Even the smallest insult to make him angry..." he sighed.

"Sanji, do you like my sister?" I asked him as the realization hit me.

He gave a small chuckle. "No, I don't. I was talking about Nami." His voice got quieter as he lit a cigarette.

"Don't worry about Nami," I said softly. "If she doesn't want you, that's her loss, Sanji."

He didn't reply, just took a long drag from his cigarette. He closed his eyes, letting the smoke out slowly.

I cleared my throat. "Do you want to go somewhere we can talk?"

When we were in my cabin, I closed the door, sitting down on my bed. He sat beside me, cigarette in hand. "I don't understand, Mitsu."

"What's that?" I inquired.

"I do all I can for her and she treats it like it's expected," he said. "Which, I don't mind too much…but…"

"Look, she doesn't realize what a good thing she's got right now. She'll figure it out sooner or later." I put a hand on his and squeezed, as if I was reassuring him of something. "It's going to be okay," I promised. "Even if she doesn't want you, I'm here."

He took a puff from his cigarette. "Mitsu, don't lie to me," He said. His voice sounded defeated. "Please. I can't take anymore."

I turned to him. "Sanji, look at me."

He didn't do as I asked as fast as I would have liked, so I hooked my fingers around his chin, turning his head. "Mitsu…"

I gently kissed his lips…

"You did WHAT?!" Sachi shrieked after I told her. "You kissed that…that…"

"Yes, I know. I didn't think it over, Sachi, and I'm sorry," I said irritably. She was making way too big a deal about this. "Like I said, I wasn't thinking."

"Yes, I know," she said shortly. "But what I can't figure out is why you would…ugh, never mind." She threw her hands up. "Whatever makes you happy."

"Sis… Do you like Zoro? Be honest with me…" I said, in hopes that she'd drop the subject of my kissing Sanji. She did. I sighed in relief.

"There's no way. I can't stand him. What possessed you to ask such a question, Mitsu?" she chuckled a bit nervously. "Zoro's nothing but an insensitive, unfeeling, cold-hearted pig that has nothing better to do than toy with me!" Each word she said came out with more intensity and more force than the last. "He thinks it's funny to screw around with my feelings…"

"S-Sachi, are you alright? You aren't acting normal…" I said. I had only been teasing…

She looked at me. "Yeah, I'm just frustrated. Stupid man."

"So you do like him," I said in wonder. "Hmm…wonder what color hair your kids will have…"

She pushed me playfully. "That's not even funny, Mitsu."

"Yep, I know, but I think you will make a good couple," I said, a wide smile on my face.

"Please, don't say that…I'll have to hurt you…"

I laughed. "Fine. So what are you going to do about him, hmm?"

"Same thing I want you to do about Lover boy—nothing," she replied. "How stupid is that going to look? After 2 years of hating each other, insulting each other, fighting, I can't tell him I like him, Mitsu."

"Yeah, you can," I said.

"It's not quite that simple," she said. "I can't go up to somebody I loathe and tell him, 'Oh, I've just decided I like you'!"

I laughed. "I guess you're right. I'm like you…"

"Exactly, and that's why you can't tell Dartboard you like him."

"Yeah, I guess so," I said, now defeated. "I hate boy troubles."

Sachi stretched out on her bed, grinning widely now. "And that's why I choose not to get involved with grass-head out there." She shrugged. "I'd rather not deal with the headache."

I grinned at her. "Sure…if that's what you want me to believe, sis, then I will…for now."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" I giggled, while she sat up. "Oh, Mitsu… What was that supposed to mean?!"

"Don't worry, Sachi…You'll know later."

"Tell me now!"

"Sachi, chill out. I'm just joking," I said to my sister, who was growing genuinely angry. "I know that you and Zoro will never be together. I know that you both have too much pride to admit you were wrong. I know that you two will never get along more than 5 minutes. I already know that stuff. I just wish…I wish that you'd give up the act."

"Look, Mitsu, you don't want Sanji because he has a different crush every day. You don't like the fact that he's a good-looking flirt that can barely keep it in his pants. I don't want Zoro because he's an ass. He's too stubborn to admit anything. He'll think I'm screwing with him, if I tell him I like him. So, I'll go find somebody I can get along with, same as you."

"But if you truly like him, it won't be that easy, and you know it," I said quietly. "So…don't give up on him yet, Sachi…There may be hope for you two after all."

She snorted. "I doubt it."

"Nami," I started, startling the red-headed navigator from her mapmaking. "Sorry to bother you, but…"

"But what?" She asked. "This is surprising. You hardly ever come in here, Mitsu."

"Yeah, well, Sanji asked me to deliver you a letter. I don't know what it says," I said, handing the sealed envelope to my crewmate and friend.

"Oh, I should have figured," she said. "You don't really talk to me anymore."

"Yeah…sorry. It's just that you're so busy making maps and navigating. And as for me…I'm trying to keep Sanji away and Sachi and Zoro off each other…"

She looked down. She seemed to be unsure of her next moves, what to say next. "Umm, Mitsu, can you help me?"

"Umm, sure, Nami, what do you need?" I said. I was surprised, since Nami never acted so unsure of herself.

"I need to talk to Luffy…about…" She paused.

"What about?"
"Well, I… kind of like him. A little," She said slowly. "I always have. I've just been too nervous to say anything. Can you talk to him for me?"

"If you want me to, I guess I can. It can't be too hard," I told her. "I can't make any promises." I chuckled, thinking about Luffy.

A shout from Sachi interrupted us. "Look now!" A heavy object crashed. "You damn lunatic bastard, you almost hit me with the damn thing!"

"That's the point, sweetheart," Zoro spat at her. I rolled my eyes, shooting an apologetic look at Nami. I rushed out to the deck, watching the two circle each other like a couple of lions.

Sachi had her favorite wrench in her hand, ready to clean Zoro's clock if the need arose. Zoro had one of his swords out, ready to deflect her blows. "So you're trying to kill me now? You're such a gentleman, Zoro, you know that?" she gushed sarcastically.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Sachi," He growled. "It doesn't work on me."

"Yeah, well you don't have much going for you either, grass-head, so you can't say much," she shot back without missing a beat.

"Chill out, you two. Can't you go 10 minutes without trying to kill each other?" I said wearily. "It gets old after a while."

"Butt out, Mitsu. This is our fight," Zoro said, looking at me.

Sachi took advantage of this distraction and swung at him, the wrench glinting in the bright sunlight…and missed by just centimeters. Zoro swung as well, but his was more of a reflex than anything. I saw nothing but her cry out and fall to her knees. Her side bled slowly, covering the overalls she wore. "Damn…bastard. You swing fast…"

She fell on her back, a puddle of blood forming around her.