"Oh, c'mon! I'm not a jinxer!" I said, laughing. My friend Mike just rolled his eyes.

"When you say it'll rain it does. You said there'd be no Maths test and the teacher cancelled it. You always know who the teacher will listen to. Sorry, but yes, you're a jinxer." he replied, rolling his eyes.

"Pfft, not always."

"If you were in the One Piece world, you'd have the best Premonition Hakki ever." he added.

"Oh, really? Alright, here we go." I pretended to focus hard, like a medium. "Sanji will walk into this bar."

He deadpanned. "That's impossible. You're just making shit up… Now…" he froze, staring. We'd been sitting at a small table, with him facing the entrance. I spun around and my jaw dropped. 'Well, that's one kickass cosplay.' My fangirl side had a heart attack. My rational side got a metaphorical kick in the balls. My jinxer side told me to go and poke him. He just walked in and ordered a beer. Outside, marines were running. Mike just stared. I stood up and went to touch him. Then ration woke up and told me not to be a freak.

I sat down on the chair next to his at the bar and smiled, resting my elbow on the counter.

"Black Leg Sanji." I said, scanning him. He smiled, leaning back. He was the pre-timeskip version.

"To what pleasant turn of events do I owe your graceful presence, milady?"

'Ohoho, not only the suit.' I thought, chuckling.

"Well, you are fairly popular, and my friend and I wanted to meet you." I motioned for Mike to come over. He kept staring at the blonde chef.

"She jinxed your coming here." he stated. I rolled my eyes in amusement. "What is a pirate doing near the continent anyway?"

Sanji looked around, his eye narrowing as some marines entered. "Sorry, but I have to go." he kicked some ass, then left. Everyone from the bar kept staring at us as if the damage was our fault, just cuz we seemed to know Sanji. That was our cue to leave.

Obviously, Akainu was around, smashing things left and right. Mike just glared at me as if it was my fault. Really, now, a normal cosplayer would have been more than enough so why was he blaming me?

The marines were running around the city, looking for the Straw Hats. Luffy started fighting Akainu so we ran away as quickly as we could, ending up at the docks. Sunny was there. I gulped.

"Mike, do you trust my jinxing enough to do something incredibly stupid?"

"Such as?"

"Well…" I trailed off.

All the pirates were fighting marines, so sneaking onto Sunny was easy. We went downstairs, hoping not to meet anyone. The battle outside continued for hours. Mike was pretty resigned to his fate, all things considered.

"Now what?" he growled.

"Now we hope that Zoro won't be the one to find us..." I instantly realized my mistake and tapped a wooden surface twice. "Ok, plan B. We hope he won't kill us on sight."

Turns out my jinxing was wrong/ my prayers were answered. Franky found us and, after very little arguing, he made us help him load our/their escape. Something told me he didn't want to deal with us. We seemed more than harmless. We were pathetically weak, having troubles with the heavy soda boxes so, by the end of our chore, it was obvious we had nothing to do with fights. He told us to leave the ship, to which I pointed out that the marines would kill us. He got my point. Coming off a pirates' ship usually meant you were a pirate, especially since they hadn't mentioned they had prisoners. So we held on tight as the Coup de Burst did its job. Soon enough, we were at sea.

I summoned the balls to go on deck before anyone else saw us. Mike had a defeated look, just complying with whatever fate decided to throw at him. Everyone stared at us in shock, except for Franky.

"They're harmless, guys." he stated. Sanji stared.

"What are you doing here?"

My eyes briefly widened and I only had a moment to bow, dodging a very sharp-looking sword. Mike had received a testing punch from Luffy. I rolled away, then pushed myself away from the katana with one hand, panting. Zoro scanned me carefully.

"Don't, please." I begged, knowing he was about to resume his attack, this time adding more than just a tiny bit of his strength. "I won't be able to defend myself." Mike was rubbing his head in pain. Luffy stared at us.

"Eeeh? You guys are weak, how did you get on?" Mike pointed towards me.

"We avoided the crossfire between you and the Marine. I… We would've died otherwise. I would know."

"Can't you just drop us off at your next stop? We'll find our way back." Mike said hopefully. I tilted my head to the side in confusion. "What?" I shook my head, a little disturbed by my sudden enhanced fortune-telling abilities.

"Umm… You guys… Where do you think you are?"

"On a bigger island on Grand Line. Why?" Nami answered, though eyed the Log Pose untrustingly. Mike stared at me. I nodded.

"I think we should tell them."

"Tell us what?"

"Umm... Can you please bring us paper and something to draw with?" Mike asked. Robin sighed and returned shortly. He scribbled several drawings, first a world map, then zooming in on Europe. Everyone seemed mildly disturbed. "Yeah… You're in another world." I said.

The following debate was short. We were to stay on the ship and tell them how to blend in. I briefly explained that their pirates' flag would get us killed, but they didn't listen. Zoro's swords were Mike's problem (rock-paper-scissors debate).

I sighed, lazing around the library. Robin walked in and I stood up. "No worries, I don't mind company." she said, making me relax. I sighed.

"I know you're a smart woman. Do you have any idea how you got here?"

"There was a storm a few days ago. Nami said that the water currents suddenly changed during it." I nodded. "Maybe then."

"I wish I had my deck of cards…" I muttered.

"You seem to have a strange ability." she remarked. I shrugged.

"I guess you could say that. I'm some sort of accidental fortune-teller, but it seems to be getting stronger since I got here."

"Interesting. And your deck of cards helps you channel that power?"

"Yeah. It usually works with any playing cards, but… If I'm familiar with them, it seems to be better."

"Oh… I have one on hand, if you don't mind using a stranger's." I smiled warmly as she retrieved it.

"Well, I suppose that since my power's greater, I can chance it." Robin nodded. "Now…" I selected only the aces and the cards with drawings and started shuffling them. "There are some rules. First of all, only yes or no questions. So you can't ask what happened, but can make hypothesis. Secondly, it's not certainty that I give, but probability. High probability suggests certainty. Last but not least, potent emotions affect it."

"How come?"

"Let's say you ask a question. If you really want the answer to be yes, I will draw a yes regardless of whether it'll happen or not." I clarified. She nodded. "Now… What should I ask first?"

"Whether we'd each get home would be a good one." she supplied. I frowned, still shuffling.

"And if only some of us will?" I replied. "Like, either you guys or me and Mike?"

"Hmm… True. You seem to know what you want to ask."

I nodded, then put the cards down. "I'd rather do this after Sanji comes, so he won't interrupt us." She chuckled, probably amused by my ability.

Soon enough, said blonde cook made his way inside, with the full heart-eyes and tasty-looking cocktails. "Robin-chan, Lily-chan, I made you a special treat!" I smiled as he set the drinks down, without asking any questions. I closed my eyes briefly.

"Nami's not in her room." I stated. "She's in the crow's nest."

Sanji smiled. "Thanks, Lily."

I shrugged. "Thank you for the drink."

After being done with my magical Q&A, I walked on deck. Mike was helping Ussop with something, so I didn't bother them. Instead, I decided to try my luck with Zoro, who was training.

"If I ask really, really nicely, will you please train me?"

"In what?" he asked, not stopping his movements.

"Combat. I think that something sharp would suit me nicely."

"Swords are too heavy for you."

"Agreed." I wasn't going to argue with him. He was being cooperative, which was good. "My ability allows me to foresee attacks, so that's a bit of speed advantage." I pointed out. "But my skills with long-range weapons are a bit lousy."

"What about two knives? You hardly need any defence, just speed and enough strength to deal a lethal blow."

"Can I find such a thing on this ship?"

"Yeah, Franky made us a weapon room for a certain reason." I nodded, and he interrupted his training in order to show me around. As soon as we got to the weaponry, he tossed me two 35cm knives. I caught them without getting cut. He taught me a stance and how to attack and defend. Basics, mostly.

After I knew how not to harm myself, he took one of his swords and testingly attacked me. I parried, then backed off. My legs were too slow for his taste, meaning he mopped the floor with me. I took several deep breaths, trying not to pant. He waited for me to recover.

"At least you know how to breathe properly." That was as close to a praise as I could get. "Ask the love cook to help you strengthen your legs." I nodded. Zoro left.

I went to bed after a shower. The other girls had been nice enough to provide me a change of clothes. I slept with them, incredibly exhausted.

In the morning, I spent a little time with Mike.

"You seem to be accommodating." he grumbled, displeased. I nodded.

"I like it here, to be honest. The others are nice."

"Cuz you're a girl." he bit back. "I understand that I can't just be a freeloader on this ship, but it really pisses me off that you don't get the same treatment just because Sanji…" I suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right! I had to tell him to make less food for me!" I said, then ran to the kitchen, leaving behind a fuming Mike.

Sanji glanced at me as he was chopping some vegetables, his hands still working. "I came to tell you that I don't eat as much as you guys." I said simply. "I'm just not used to it. I told you just so you wouldn't make too much food."

He nodded. "Alright. But you do realize that you'll need more energy around here?"

"Yes. I'm sure you can tell just by looking at me and Mike that our lifestyle was… lazier. I ate less to compensate."

"I get it. Just you?" I nodded. "Ok, Lily, tell me if you get hungry as the day wears on."

"Thank you, Sanji."

I went out to resume my argument with Mike. I sighed. We'd known each other for roughly a year. He had wanted to be my boyfriend and I'd friend-zoned him. I just didn't see him that way. He was still fuming.

"Speak." I said. "I'll listen."

"I saw you training yesterday. Are we ever fucking getting back home?"

"Yes." I replied smoothly. "We'll have that chance."

"Chance? What do you mean, chance? Lily, I hope you're not seriously considering staying here?" he inquired, scanning me. "You are! What is wrong with you? Do you wanna die?"

I sighed. I couldn't explain it. I mean, how would anyone explain that they felt like an alien in their own home? That their hands itched for a weapon instead of a pen? That they'd rather make plans of escaping impossible situations rather than solve math problems? That they'd rather risk their lives than go through social drama? I knew I'd get the chance to taste the One Piece world. If the others allowed it, I was going to stay. "I can't explain it."

He snorted. "You're a fool. What, just because they're nice with you, you think you can stay? You'll die, Lily."

"You sound a bit jealous to me." Zoro butted in. He was casually lounged on the grass, not too far from us. We had assumed that he was either asleep or didn't care, but that apparently wasn't the case. I gulped, knowing that I was going to drift apart from Mike.

"Jealous?" my friend asked.

"Cuz she seems to fit here. You don't."

"You don't even ask her to do anything! How's that a fair comparison?"

"I was gonna, but training counts as working too. And her Premonition Hakki is kinda useful." Mike shut up at that and walked away, defeated. I knew that I should go after him, but I also knew that I'd manage to make things worse. So I just sighed, resting against the boat's edge.

"You're welcome."

"You were too harsh." I scolded. Zoro rolled his eyes, uncaring. "This is not our home. We don't belong here. This is only temporary, and my mistake is treating it like it's permanent. If I get too adapted, I'll end up missing you guys, when I shouldn't."

"You could stay. Luffy never says no to new nakama."

"I have time until then to decide."

"Have you talked to the ero-cook?"

"Not yet. I will after breakfast today." Zoro nodded and closed his eyes, relaxing.

I went to Ussop, who was watering his plants. He looked up from his job and grinned. "Can I help?"

"Not really, I'm used to doing this alone." He looked at his water tank. "On second thought, can you fill this? Sea water works." I nodded and lifted it, heading to the ship's edge. I tied it with a rope and lowered it. The full water tank was almost too heavy for me to lift, but I managed it, albeit with difficulty. Ussop noticed my struggle and took pity on me. We lifted it together.

"I usually ask Franky to do this." he admitted. "Like most of the stuff your friend does."

"Franky did it?" It surprised me.

"We would split it."

I chuckled. "It's one man working like two."

"Nah, we help him."

"BREAKFAST'S READY!" Sanji yelled. Luffy darted into the kitchen.

Luffy was eating like he'd never seen so much food before. Mike and I took random seats, not next to each other. He was between Ussop and Chopper. I was between Nami and Sanji. The food was exquisite. I moaned audibly after my first bite. The blonde chef smirked at the indirect compliment. Mike voiced his praise. Everyone said that Sanji always made good food and we should get used to it. I chuckled.

"When I get home, I doubt I'll ever appreciate something so much."

"Sanji, Sanji, do we have a dessert?" Luffy yelled.

The chef stood up, gathering our dirty plates. I helped him. He then came with a huge plate of crepes. I hardly managed two before Luffy poured all down his throat. Nami got an evil look and scolded him for eating all the food. Sanji rolled his eyes and left with the clean plate. Mike groaned. He'd only got one.

I stood up and gathered all plates after we were all done eating. Sanji was coming back for them, but I also offered to wash the dishes with him. He accepted after a little insistence on my part. I dried each plate with a rag after he washed it.

"I trained with Zoro yesterday." I started.

"How'd it go?"

"I felt like a 2 year old against an experienced swordsman." He chuckled. "He told me to strengthen my legs. I guess I don't need to spell that one out."

"Sure. But you're gonna hate me for it." he replied. I shrugged.

"Doubt it. Unless you make me do pushups, I'll live."

He didn't make me do pushups. Or any exhausting exercise. No, what he did was much worse. Sanji had me lift my pants and tied some thin but heavy weights on my legs. I felt like my legs were sinking into the wood. When he came with a pair which would no doubt get on my thighs, I screamed silently. He chuckled.

"Wanna get used to the feel first?" he offered. I shrugged.

"My legs are gonna die either way, so I don't care." I regretted those words as I carefully rolled my pants down after he had attached the weights. I didn't move at all for several minutes. "I feel like gravity's pulling me into the wood on the floor." He shrugged.

"I usually use those when I feel I'm getting a bit lousy." Sanji admitted. "So they might be a little too heavy for you. But after a few weeks with those, you'll be stronger." I nodded, but still didn't dare move my legs. Sanji lit himself a cigarette. "Try to walk." I gulped, looking around. He was smoking, waiting for me. "Come on, Lily. I need to start preparing dinner, but if you move I'll help you get on deck."

It was an ultimatum. That much was obvious. I bent my left leg at the knee and carefully stepped forward, trying not to break anything. One small step. Then another. Then my leg gave in and I almost fell on a knee. I felt an arm wrap around my waist, keeping me up. Sanji easily lifted me and helped me regain balance. My legs hurt just after a few steps. He sighed and told me to help him remove the weights on my thighs.

It was a bit more manageable that way. I could lift my legs at least. Sanji told me that he'd reattach the other weights when I'd seem too comfortable with those. I nodded. My steps were hesitant and he had to help me wobble up the stairs.

Nami was sunbathing when I got up. She glanced at us questioningly. Sanji went to the kitchen and I shakily sat down.

"What's with you?" she asked, curious. I explained everything to her. "Oh, good luck then."

"Thanks." I groaned. "I hope I won't miss a step and twist my ankle."

"Your optimism is astounding." she replied.

"I can only pray Zoro won't want to train me today. That'd be an epic fucking fail."

"Or a great deal of fun for the spectators." said Marimo interfered. I groaned. "You can always say no."

"Maybe, but I don't reject favours." Zoro nodded. "Later, anyway. I can hardly walk now."

"You're not going to learn how to walk by sitting down."

"Wow, you're so perceptive, Zoro." I deadpanned. "I know that myself. I was just taking a break."

"I thought you were less of a wuss."

"And I thought you were less talkative, but apparently I was wrong too."

He pulled me up and I'll be honest, it hurt like a bitch. I groaned in pain, then put my hands on my knees. He crossed his arms over his chest. I tried to walk. It was downright annoying how my legs were suddenly unable to carry me. Zoro watched me in silence as I took baby steps, trying not to fall. Apparently, he was satisfied, because he returned to whatever he usually did.

It took me a while to get to the kitchen at lunch. Enough to be left with an empty stomach. Luffy had eaten everything by the time I got there. I must've made a funny face, because everyone started laughing. Dang it. I was really tired and hungry. The kitchen quickly emptied, only leaving Sanji behind. I sat down at the table with a defeated sigh, staring at the empty trays. He picked them one by one and I helped him by piling them on the table so that he could take them to the sink.

Sanji returned with a tray of food and placed it in front of me. I looked up at him. He smiled and said something about not letting ladies starve. I thanked him, then ate everything. He came back with the dessert.

"I figured this'd happen, so I saved you a portion." he clarified. I smiled.

"You're too good."

He got those heart-eyes while he chanted something about my being cute. I chuckled and finished eating, then washed my plate. Sanji had tried to make me not do it, but I insisted. He had been nice enough already.

At night, I was on deck. It was close to bed time, but I wasn't feeling too well. The sea was getting agitated and I held on the edge of the ship, trying to keep my balance. Mike was throwing up somewhere in the background. The Strawhats were getting ready for a storm. Sanji passed me.

"You should go downstairs. It's safer there." I nodded, holding my head with a groan. I wasn't nauseous, this was different. I saw a flash of Mihawk, then marines and blood. I fell on my knees and just laid down in foetal position, different images spinning around in my mind. I saw Mike, no, Zoro… no, Luffy, no, Sanji… Franky? Is that a devil fruit? I couldn't make sense of what I was seeing. I was vaguely aware of the fact that cold water was pouring over me. I forced my eyes open. I couldn't see anything, but I had a feeling I had rolled to the other side of the ship. I felt someone scope me up and maybe talk to me. I saw three swords crossing one.

And I fainted.

When I came to, I was at the infirmary. Chopper was next to me. I stood up. He was really agitated. "I'm feeling better. No need to worry."

"But, Lily, you fainted! I need to get some samples and analyse them!" he argued. I saw a needle and cowered.

"No needles, please."

"But, Lily!"

I sighed and rolled up my sleeve, then looked away, making a face that perfectly displayed my feelings on the matter. He prepared the area, then took a blood sample. The ship was rocking peacefully.

"What time is it?"

"10 am." The little reindeer answered while he was looking at my blood. "Everything seems normal."

"It was probably my ability." I said with a sigh. "I kept seeing flashes of different scenarios, which gave me a headache."

"Oh. Nami said we're back in our world."

"I see. Maybe that's why."

I wobbled on deck with Chopper helping me. My weights were still on. Everyone was doing their daily deeds and they greeted me.

"It's good to see you up." Robin stated.

"What happened, Lily?" I shrugged at Luffy's question.

"I think it's because we crossed the borders between worlds. My ability had a small defection." I replied.

"So what's gonna happen?"

"I… Nothing. Just nothing for a week or two." I answered before thinking.

"Huuuh? That's boring." he whined.

I shrugged and went to the kitchen. My legs hurt, but I forced myself to ignore it. Sanji chuckled and followed me in.

"I hope this doesn't become a habit." he commented, bringing me my breakfast. I pretended to be hurt.

"Aww, but I thought you enjoyed our… privacy, Sanji-san." I teased.

He chuckled, leaning down. "If you wanted my attention, you should've just asked, Lily-chan."

I blushed, my eyes widening. They didn't show this side of his in the anime! I was expecting the heart-eyes, maybe a nosebleed, but not that.

Sanji lit himself a cigarette, leaning against the wall. I could read a concealed satisfaction off him. "How old are you, anyway?"

"20."

He nodded. I finished my food, thanked him, then went to wash my tray. He rolled his eyes. "Is trying to stop you even worth the effort?"

"Nope."

"Thought so."

I went on deck, trying to lift my legs more than usually as I stepped. That earned me some wtf faces. Zoro threw me my knives. I got a small cut in my right hand, but ignored it, gripping the weapon tight. Zoro only used one sword, testingly swinging towards me. I parried, deflecting his attack and slowly moving away. He boredly attacked again. I parried this time, digging my feet in the ground so he wouldn't send me flying. He nodded, and attacked from my right. I spun, ending right next to him. One knife parried his sword, the other at his neck.

"Nice. Now, if only you moved faster than a snail, we'd get somewhere." he praised (I think).

"I was faster last time." I defended, putting some distance between us before we resumed our slow-motion spar.

"Still not fast enough."

"She'll get there, Marimo." Sanji commented.

"Shuddup, love cook. We don't have all the time in the world." The blonde shrugged, lighting himself another cigarette.

I ducked in order to keep my head. The additional weight unbalanced me and I fell on my knees, rolling away before Zoro attacked again. The sword came down and I used my legs to defend. The blade ricocheted from the weights. My eyes widened. I decided not to think too much about it and simply kept parrying, then tried to kick Zoro's hand. Now, that was a fail. He stared at me and asked what I'd intended to do. I blushed, incredibly embarrassed, and got up. I had a feeling I would make a fool out of myself many more times.

After training, I ended up in the infirmary, Chopper bandaging several deep cuts, including the one decorating my hand. I complained that I wouldn't be able to hold my knives. And no, the pain wasn't a big deal. Menstrual cramps were harder to deal with than that scratch.

Chopper was rambling worriedly about my lack of self-preservation. I assured him that I knew my limits. Which I more or less did. I had taken some self-defence classes at a certain point in my life. They were the reason why I had some coordination. More than Mike, for sure. I hadn't seen him much since we got to the OnePiece realm.

I wobbled to the library, briefly browsing around for a book. "Can I help?" Robin asked, entering. I smiled.

"Of course. Can you recommend me anything?"

She shrugged. "Most of these books are about history." I hummed in thought. "And other scientific information."

"Devil Fruits?"

"Yes. On your right. The red one."

"Thanks." I took the dictionary-sized book and went to the table, opening it. Robin was reading something else. It was quiet, save for the sound of shuffling pages. I eventually reached a familiar picture and frowned. It was the fruit I'd seen in my mind before I passed out. Kage Kage. The ability to blend with shadows. I tried to focus and remember any other details. Nothing.

"Is there anything of particular interest?" she asked. "You've been staring at that page for a while." Robin didn't look up from her book.

"Yeah. Before I fainted, I saw it. I'm trying to remember the context."

This time, she bothered look at the fruit I was staring at. "Oh. So we will cross paths with it?"

I rubbed my temples, thinking. A headache was coming. "Yes."

"Should I keep asking questions?"

I nodded. "It helps me remember."

"Alright. Will someone eat it?"

"Maybe. The future is uncertain and I have a feeling it's because of me."

"So… you'll find the fruit without us?"

"Yeah." My eyes widened and I abruptly stood up. "Shit! Mihawk…" Robin seemed confused. I sighed, sitting back down. "I think… It's best if we change course."

"Talk to Nami about that."

"Thanks for the advice. I probably will."

I made it in time for lunch, taking my initial spot. Sanji was acting pretty normal, until he stretched to get something from the big plate before Luffy swallowed it whole. That wasn't the problem. It was the fact that he had put his hand on my thigh to balance himself. I gave him a deadpan look as he returned to his place. Nami reached over me and slapped the back of his head, muttering something like "perverts need to be kept in line." Interesting.

After lunch, I approached her. "Nami-san… Can we talk about something?"

"What is it, Lily?" she asked.

"In private."

She nodded and we went to our room. She sat on the bed. "Is this about Sanji?"

I brushed her concern off. "As long as he doesn't do much more, I can live. No, it's… ugh, I don't know how to explain this… I saw something." I said before she could take another guess. "Mihawk. That's why I didn't want Zoro or Luffy hearing us." She nodded. "We'll meet him in a few weeks, which is why I wanted to tell you to change course. However." I stopped, taking a deep breath. "I do not know whether changing course would result in the dreaded meeting."

"So… What are you saying, Lily? I mean, what do you want me to do?"

"I want us to reach a decision together. I think my judgement is impaired by fear."

"Fear?"

"Yes, I… I am afraid of what's going to happen." I confessed.

"Lily, if it's just Mihawk, Zoro will handle him."

I sighed, looking away. "I will be directly involved, Nami. I do not know how, but I do know that I need to get stronger until then."

"I won't change course. I'm sorry, Lily, but it will hardly do any good from what you're saying." I nodded as she stood up.

"I knew this'd be your answer, but, truth be told, I thought I could hope. And, about Sanji…"

She stopped in her track. "Yes?"

"You wanted to tell me something." I clarified.

"I just wanted to tell you not to let him get to you. He can be a pervert, but he looks after us. Just hit him when he goes overboard."

I started laughing and followed her on deck.

I tried to busy myself with something, so I tried some movements with my legs. It hurt a bit, but, if I managed my weight correctly, it was ok. My arms were on my hips and I balanced myself only with my body. Zoro eventually noticed me and threw my knives, yelling that I should get used to them until they become parts of my body. I tried to keep my stance while I continued my movements, which proved to be another challenge. I hoped I didn't look like I was chasing flies rather than fighting.

Dinner was a challenge to reach. I had foreseen that, so I was first in the kitchen.

"Oh, Lily-chan, what a pleasant surprise!" Sanji chanted. "I'll hurry up with dinner for you!"

I smiled, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "I just wanted a head start so I wouldn't miss it."

"I'd've saved you some."

"I know, but I like to be on time. I have to eventually get used to the way things are done." I replied.

"Not if you go home. Your friend still seems out of place." he remarked.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"Of course not, Lily-chan! How could I ever want to be away from such a beauty?"

I chuckled. It was alright. I could get used to it.

~Two months later~

I stormed on deck, fully raging. Mike followed me, a hand imprint on his left cheek. I glared at him. From the corner of my eye, I saw the others staring at us, but paid no attention. Even Zoro and Sanji had stopped squabbling. I was angry. After we hadn't talked at all for 2 fucking weeks, he came and said… Ugh!

"Lily, I…"

I reached for my knives and put one at his throat.

"I taught her that."

"Shuddup, stupid moss head."

I growled, ignoring the duo. Mike palled.

"How can you even fucking think that? Are you that blind? Are you that fucking retarded?"

"Look, Lily, I'm so…"

"You say that and expect to get away with sorry? How dare you? How? And to think I called you a friend…"

He froze. I sheathed my knives and kicked him, hard, sending him into the ship's edge. Well, those weights must've hurt like a bitch.

"I taught her that."

I ran to the kitchen, fighting back tears. 'I won't cry. I won't cry. No tears.' I kept telling myself, but to no avail. I started rummaging, opening several drawers. I knew Sanji kept a vodka bottle there somewhere, though I had no idea why. My tears spilled. How could he? I knew I had been too happy. I finally found it. As I was about to take a sip, I found another hand on the bottle, gently taking it away.

"It is unbecoming of a lady to take refuge in a man's booze." Sanji said from behind me. My hair was covering my face and I tilted my head down, hiding my tears. "Don't cry, Lily." I shook my head. "What happened?"

"Don't touch me." I muttered and felt him tense. He set the bottle on the counter and forced me to look at him. I avoided his eyes.

"What'd he say?" he growled. I tensed. I knew the deal. I had become nakama. Mike hadn't. If he hurt me, they'd avenge me. That was when rage burnt my insides. "If he hurt you, I'll…"

"No." I growled. "He's mine." My voice would have made anyone at home either laugh or be afraid. He did neither.

"You sure?" I nodded, wiping my tears with determination. "What'd he say, anyway?"

I shrugged. "He said that we..." In the kitchen. Next to the food. He asked how we could even eat said food. But my blonde friend didn't need to know that.

I had to grab Sanji's arms before he stormed off. "I'll kill him."

"No, you won't. You'll start making dinner, maybe spit in his food, or no, you don't insult food. I'll return on deck." I said calmly.

"Hmph, fine."

I smiled. "Thanks."

I took the bottle from the counter and took a sip. He rolled his eyes, lighting a cigarette. I put the bottle back, then returned.

Mike was being nursed by Chopper. I stretched lazily and promptly ignored him, going to Brook. He was singing and I joined him. Nami sat down next to me.

"You cried?"

I made a vague motion with my hand, without losing the tune.

"Lily, if…"

I stopped her. Brook was looking at me, having paused in his song. Luffy was somewhere in the background too. Ussop was watering his plants, though his eyes kept drifting to us. Franky was listening to us too. Zoro was doing a kata. Robin was reading. However, I could feel their attention. I sighed. "I'm fine, really. Nothing I can't handle myself."

"Good." Zoro said. "Oi, shitty cook, can she take off the weights?" he yelled.

"Yeah, moss head, but you're too dumb to figure out how." Sanji yelled back from the kitchen.

I sighed and removed the weights myself. After I'd gotten too used to the ones I had, Sanji had attached a pair to my thighs as well. I breathed out in relief when the weights fell to the ground. My legs felt incredibly light as I stepped warily. Zoro lounged at me, which I had foreseen. I spun around, mentally cheering for my speed, and parried his sword with the weights, holding them with both hands.

I slipped away from the swordsman and unsheathed my knives. I jumped, ending up higher than I'd thought. Zoro slashed, sending a gust of wind towards me. I parried, landing with difficulty. Our blades crossed again. I slid away, then attacked. I knew he was stronger. I relied on that. I just had to be faster.

Our spar was cut short when Sanji called us for dinner. I ran into the kitchen, arriving first. The others followed, Mike being last. He tried to pass as unimportant. Sanji "accidentally" elbowed the back of his head when he put the plates down. I hardly found it in myself to care. I laughed and joked with the others, leaned onto Sanji when I couldn't stop laughing. Mike was looking at me. Luffy tried to eat everything and I managed to grab more food before Nami hit him, claiming we weren't done yet. I chuckled and slouched back in my chair.

After we ate, I helped Sanji wash the dishes. He seemed a bit distraught. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm thinking."

I blew on the smoke his cigarette was making. He glanced at me. "About what?"

He shrugged, not answering. The answer was obvious. "Don't." I warned.

"Hmm…"

We finished the job and dried our hands. "Sanji." He spun around. "I can deal with it." He nodded, finishing his cigarette. I sighed, then leaned up to his face. His eyes briefly widened before I kissed him. We parted and I stepped back, then went to my room.

It wasn't the first time. We had kissed before. The first one had been initiated by him and had caused me a lot of inner turmoil. In the morning, nothing had changed. We didn't talk about it. We didn't step things up. It was just... there.

Nami and Robin were getting changed for bed. "What'd Mike tell you?" Nami asked.

I shrugged, taking off my top. "That I was particularly close to Sanji." I said, hinting the true meaning.

"That's rude." I shrugged. "But you are a bit closer to him than us."

I finished getting changed. "So?"

"Nothing."

I looked down. "It's not like you're all gonna have much time for gossip in the near future so you might as well spill it."

"Are you two in a relationship?"

"Nope." I said easily.

"What is it then?"

I shrugged. "Friendship with the occasional kiss."

"That's some form of friends with benefits." Robin retorted.

"So? It's not like I'm leading him on or the other way round."

"True."

The next day started well. I woke up, did my morning routine, sparred with Zoro, ate, got my ass kicked by Zoro. In the afternoon, my real OnePiece adventures began.

It all started very quickly. I was just following my daily routine, when, suddenly, my 'shit's about to happen' alarm went off. A cold shiver ran down my spine, making me look around warily. I'd been helping Sanji with dinner, so he saw my change in demeanour.

"What happened?"

I didn't answer at first. I just stood there, frozen, unwilling and unable to move. "It's coming." I whispered.

"Huh?"

I gripped my knives tight, tensing. "He's close."

"Lily? Who..."

"Mihawk at 2 o'clock!" Ussop yelled from the crow's nest.

"Oh."

I went out, my heart slamming in my chest. I felt as if the ship wanted me off. My body was unbalanced. Sanji came after me, smoking, and had to steady me lest I should have fainted. Nami gave me a wary look. Zoro frowned when he saw how pale I was. "A bit of trust wouldn't kill." he muttered. I smiled weakly.

"It has nothing to do with you. His arrival marks the beginning of a chain of unpleasant events." I replied mechanically.

"Lily, go hide with Mike." Sanji advised.

"No, I haven't been training to run better. I'll fight."

"Fine."

Ussop was trembling. "I-I-I c-could g-go hi-hide..."

The blonde cook left my side, joining Luffy and Zoro in our first line of defence. I started praying in my mind, gripping my knives tight. My eyes fell upon Franky and I ran to him. "Be ready for a coup de burst."

"Ehh?"

"Trust me."

"Fine."

Zoro was soon fighting Mihawk on our ship. I slowly got closer to them. 'My timing has to be perfect.' I held tight onto the ship's edge when a seaking rocked the waters. Luffy seemed ecstatic at the idea of fighting it, but when another few popped up, Franky decided it was time to leave. Ideally without Mihawk.

I jumped on the swordsman, taking him down with me over the ship's edge. I caught everyone's shocked faces while we both fell into the water. The ship vanished moments later.

I quickly got onto the raft, taking a defensive stance. Mihawk narrowed his eyes. I briefly wondered how he could swim with that huge ass sword on his back, but whatever... His problem.

"I'll let you on if you don't harm me."

"You're brave, little one." He gripped his sword.

"Would you seriously risk your raft to kill me?" I asked, going pale. My jinxing was working like crazy. I was trying to find a way to accomplish all my visions. "Dang it, you would. Err..." I hesitated before revealing my trump card. "I could be useful. For real! I am a fortune-teller. You won't find someone with better Premonition Hakki around."

"Prove it."

"How?" I asked, deadpanning. "You'd better hurry with that decision, there's a storm coming our way."

"The weather on Grand Line is unpredictable." he retorted.

So we waited. Several minutes later, the storm came. I quickly pulled him on, then held onto the edge. "How do you fly this thing?" I yelled as the waves threw the raft around.

"I don't."

About an hour later, there was sun again. I was panting, lounged on my back. He was more composed, despite being soaking wet. "Don't." I panted. "Try. To. Kill. Me."

"I wasn't about to attack you."

"Liar." I bit back. "You gonna take me to Akainu?"

"To an admiral, yes."

"Akainu most likely."

Mihawk didn't answer. Truth be told, I didn't expect him to. He was a man of few words and I was practically a prisoner.

Akainu wasn't much better. I never liked him, anyway. He asked who the hell I was. Mihawk gave a brief explanation, then conveniently left. I was suddenly alone with the lava dude. He had his usual frown in place, which made me tense and wary. I wasn't an idiot. He could kill me because, in his eyes, I was a pirate. "So tell me something to make me believe you."

I sighed, concentrating. "Someone will come and ask about a devil fruit." Several moments later, there was a knock on the door. A random dude said something about Pizzaro wanting to know about a devil's fruit. Akainu opened a wardrobe and showed it to the messenger. I couldn't help my smile as the man left.

"Alright, now say all else you know."

"The Strawhats will come after me."

"We'll be ready for them." His frown deepened at my confident smile. I couldn't help it. My poker face sucked because of what I was seeing. "Anything else?"

"You will lose tonight at poker so do yourself a favour and don't take much money."

He deadpanned. "Something useful, maybe?"

I shrugged. "Prison break. A guy with a very long beard. Dragon will kill all the peeps you sent after him."

"Impossible."

"Tell them to fall back." I added, my eyes widening at the blood bath I was seeing. "By this time tomorrow they will all be dead."

Akainu palled, but he didn't listen to me. I hadn't even expected him to. He called a few underlings to escort me to my room.

As soon as I was alone, I went into bed, fully covering myself with the blanket. Akainu had left me my weapons because he thought I was weak. And I was. My body shook with my sobs. For the first time, I missed my home. I was terrified. My plan was incredibly dangerous and any miscalculation would result in a failure, which was certain death. I wiped my tears. It had all been my choice.

In the morning, someone brought me breakfast. I ate to keep my strength.

Around 5pm, two terrified underlings ran into my room and announced me that Akainu wanted to see me.

He was both angry and sad. I knelt, trying to avoid pissing him off any further. It wouldn't have been good for my general health.

"You... were right." he started. I didn't say anything. "Will the Strawhats manage to rescue you?"

"It's uncertain. I may die during the rescue mission, sir."

"Your ability is a great asset." he started. My blood froze. "In the wrong hands, it could do much evil."

"I was a prisoner!" I yelled. "They kidnapped me!"

"Then why would you go back to them?" he growled.

"Why would I help you if I was on their side? Why would I tell you they were coming?" I yelled again. "Leave me my knives. I can kill the weaker ones." I added.

Akainu glanced at me. "I sent a team after them."

"They won't find them." I replied. "You just weakened your defence."

"Hmm..."

A few days later, Luffy attacked the military base where I was held captive. Akainu with most of the guards went to fight the Strawhats. I easily knocked out my guards, then ran through the base. I avoided being seen with sheer luck and my ability. I was looking for something. The devil fruit.

It wasn't in Akainu's office. That one was a fake, made to deceive, not to mention it was heavily guarded. Had I gone after it, I would have been killed. No, the real one was very well hidden, somewhere in the floor. To my luck, I had heard someone talk about it, so I went to the place, took the fruit and shoved it in my bra. I wanted to give it to Luffy.

My next destination was the exit. Unfortunately, I got intercepted, then cornered. Only one way out: the window. I didn't even hesitate. With a battle cry, I jumped out, right above all the fights. Robin softened my fall. I ran to my friends while Luffy fought Akainu. We all ran to Sunny, but Akainu followed us. With a coup de burst, however, we were gone.

Everyone was laughing, some nursing their wounds, but all happy. I asked them all to gather around me and put my hand in my bra. I promptly ignored Sanji's rambling in the background and focused solely on Luffy. He grinned.

"What do you know, Nami's not our only thief!" he said, laughing. "Nice catch, Lily!"

"It's for taking care of both me and Mike. It is your decision entirely what to do with it. It's the Kage Kage no Mi. The power to control shadows." I explained. Robin smiled.

It took very little debate. The Strawhats weren't eager to get new powers. Luffy had taken the fruit and was waving it around. He stopped in front of me.

"What about you, Lily?"

"What about me?"

"Wouldn't you like it?"

I hesitated. He was right. That fruit suited my battle style. But he was forgetting something.

"I... I'm not from this world, Luffy."

"So you've made up your mind?" Sanji asked.

"Not yet. I... I feel that eating this fruit would force me to stay and I'm not sure I want that."

"Lily-chan's leaving me!" he exclaimed dramatically.

I managed to escape the crowd and went to Mike. He was cleaning a barrel.

"Hey." I said lamely.

"Hi." he answered, barely looking up.

"We'll get home soon."

He nodded. "You're staying here, right?"

"I don't know what to do."

A short pause followed. It was foolish of me to seek his help after our argument, but I had no one else.

"Do you think of home?" Mike asked.

"I only thought about it once." I admitted.

"Will you think of these days when you're home?"

"Most likely yes."

"Why? You got kidnapped. You dealt with Akainu and Mihawk. You should have been scared."

"I was... but when I look back, I had faith. In my power. In my friends." I shook my head. "But this is not home. I'll never be able to see my parents again. I... I just want to tell them goodbye I guess."

"I could give them a letter you wrote." he offered. "Lily... I'll say this now. I care about you. When we argued, I... I was just jealous on him. I was jealous on everything he is to you. I'm sorry. Now, I... I want you to be happy. And I think you can be very happy here."

My eyes were wide. He confessed! Shit, a guy just confessed to me and I was gonna leave him! Shit! "I... I'm sorry. Since we got here... I've been awful to you. I shouldn't have behaved that way..."

"It's ok, I understand." he cut me off. "Now... shouldn't you write that letter?" I stared at him in confusion. "Don't pretend you're undecided. You'll stay with them, Lily."

I nodded stupidly, then thanked him and rushed to my room to write that letter. Nami was in already.

"So?"

"I'm staying."

"You sound confident. That's good." she said with a smile.

"I'll give Mike a letter for my parents."

"Sounds great. Will you accept the devil's fruit now?"

"I guess so..." I said, unsure. "I brought it for you, guys..."

"Yes, but your power will help us a lot."

"True..."

I wrote everything I could think of in that letter. What happened, who I was friends with, why I was staying. Most of all, I said goodbye. I told my parents I loved them. I told dad to take care of mum. I told mum not to cry. I assured them that I was happy. It was the longest letter in my life.

When we passed to my world, I got a massive headache again. "Lily, go downstairs!" Sanji yelled. I nodded and dizzily made my way to my bed. Somehow, I fell asleep. Or fainted.

In the morning, I went back on deck, holding my head. Sanji offered me something to drink, which I gladly accepted. By noon, we were arriving at my city. Mike took the letter and smiled sadly. I hugged him, telling him goodbye. We were never going to see each other again.

After he left the ship, we set sail. Apparently, we didn't need any supplies.

I looked back until Mike became an ant, then closed my eyes, two tears falling down my cheeks. It was over. My life in my world was over. I... I was never going back. Ever.

I gripped the ship's edge tight, starting to cry. Had I made the right choice?

"Lily?" Nami asked. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head, then nodded, unable to speak. I took several deep breaths, trying to control myself. "Y-yeah... it's just... letting go is hard and..."

"It'll be alright." she assured me.

I smiled, wiping my tears. "I know."

"Lily-chan, I have a special dessert just for you~!"

Nami sighed, pinching the tip of her nose. Sanji offered me a small cake. I took it, then glanced at Nami questioningly. She shrugged, motioning for me to eat it. I obeyed.

For Sanji's standards, it tasted awful, but acceptable for normal people.

"What's this?" I asked. I was feeling weird from it.

"Kage Kage no Petit Pain." Sanji answered with a wink.

I nearly spat what I was chewing. The devil's fruit? I had fully expected eating it to be a dramatic moment, but nope, it was just a surprise for me.

"Does it taste good, Lily?" Luffy asked, popping up next to me. "Mine was awful."

"Sanji made it good." I answered, finishing my... dessert?

"Glad you liked it."

'How does my power work?'

I suddenly sank into my shadow with a startled yelp. Being in total darkness was surprisingly nice. It gave me a sense of power. I could see several sources of light and floated towards them. I came out with a gasp.

"Woah! Awesome! You can do that whenever you like?" Luffy asked eagerly.

"I guess so..." I answered uncertainly. Then I turned towards Zoro. "Let's spar."

"Don't think I'll go easy on you just cause you're still not adapted to your powers." he warned.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

I sank into my shadow. If I looked carefully, I could tell which source of light was his shadow. I popped up behind him and tried to hit him. Zoro expected me. He grinned and attacked, slashing at me. I sunk back into darkness.

I had to be extremely careful and pass into the real world really fast. Zoro would have really hurt me otherwise. He was never soft or gentle during training, but I liked it that way.

We finished our spar when Sanji called us to dinner. I vanished into my shadows and appeared at my seat at our table. Our cook chuckled when he saw me. The others appeared soon after.

"It suits you." Luffy said, laughing.

"Thanks."

"Still needs some polishing." Zoro commented. "But you're on the right track."

I smiled, subtly glancing at Sanji. He noticed and winked. I rolled my eyes, then tried to lift my fork using a shadow. It amazingly worked. Luffy seemed amused by my ability. Robin offered to help me research my limits the next days. I accepted.

After dinner, I helped Sanji clean up the table.

"Congratulations, Lily." I smiled at his praise. "You've achieved quite a lot on your short stay."

"Thanks. I'm still a little clumsy during fights, though." I admitted.

"If the stupid marimo praised you, then you're good." Sanji protested calmly.

"I guess I am..." I replied, blushing lightly.

"You're too modest."

"Do you kiss ass to all the girls or am I a special case?" I had meant it as a joke, but only after I spoke did I realize how rude my words were.

"It's not ass-kissing if it's true."

I dried the last plate, then looked into his blue eye and sighed.

"There is something that makes me special, though."

"Of course." he answered easily. "Many things, actually. You're going to be very strong."

He had completely missed my point. I shook my head, pouting.

"That's not what I meant."

"Hmm? Then what did you mean?" Sanji asked, looking at me questioningly.

"You know. I think it's high time we settled it." I stated, dead serious.

"Oh, that. What's there to settle?"

"What are we?"

"I thought you were fine with the way things were."

"I was, but..."

"But?"

"I thought of it as temporary."

"Oh, I see. You thought you'd leave and that would be it."

"Yes." I confirmed.

I held my head, feeling an incoming headache.

"Well, I'm fine with the way things are." Sanji replied. "Do you want more?"

"Depends what 'more' means." I replied, leaning against the counter. I was getting dizzy. We were going to switch realms again.

Sanji gave me a worried look, but I wanted to finish our discussion. He seemed to get it.

"What does your ability say?" he asked. I sighed, shaking my head.

"It's not that simple. It works best when there are no feelings involved." I replied. "So..."

"I understand."

The ship rocked roughly and I had to struggle to keep my balance. Sanji noticed my predicament and wrapped his arms around my waist. It felt awfully familiar. He sighed, kissing my forehead.

"Don't push yourself, Lily. Let's finish this talk tomorrow." he offered. "I'll give you an honest answer then. Okay?"

"It's not like I have much of a say in this." I retorted, struggling to keep my consciousness, but letting go when he scoped me up bridal style.

I woke up at the infirmary once more, Chopper being as worried as ever. I assured him that I was alright and that it wouldn't happen unless we crossed realms again. That seemed to calm him down. I smiled at the little deer, then went on deck, where I noticed that it was already past breakfast.

My first destination was the kitchen. Sanji was cooking, already working on lunch. Wow, I'd slept for quite a while. He smiled at me.

"Good morning, Lily-chan!" I rolled my eyes at his antics, chuckling.

"Morning, Sanji-kun."

"Hungry?"

"Starving!" I replied, eager to taste his cooking.

He pointed towards a small cabinet, which I opened. There was my breakfast!

"Arigato!" I said, starting to eat.

I ate in silence, looking at Sanji as he worked. As soon as I finished, I rested my elbows on the table, waiting for him to start talking. He eventually noticed my expectant look and sighed, hesitating.

"Lily..."

"Let me make this easy for you." I said, interrupting him. "You have two choices. Either we become an item or we forget about it and simply remain friends. What do you say?"

"You're not a patient one, are you?" he joked.

"Sanji! I'm starving!" Luffy yelled, entering the kitchen.

We sighed, neither pleased with the interruption. Sanji eventually managed to get Luffy out of the kitchen. By then, my ability had already allowed me to see his answer, but I wanted to hear it.

"Lily..."

"Ero-cook!" Zorro yelled, coming in. I appeared at the entrance from the shadows, blocking his path. He looked at me, confused. "What?"

"We have something very important to discuss. So... could you please give us 5 minutes?" I asked, giving him puppy eyes.

"Tch. Fine." Zorro slammed the door closed on his way out.

"Arigato!" I yelled, then spun around. "Now proceed."

Sanji chuckled nervously. "I like you, Lily. So, about your ultimatum..." he hesitated, looking for his words.

"I get it." I said eagerly. I went to him and wrapped my arms around his neck, smiling. "I'm really, really glad. I... I like you too." I admitted.

The cook wrapped his arms around my waist, then kissed me.

"Alright, guys, where's my foo... HOLY SHIT!" Zorro yelled, staring at us from the doorway. I blushed, tempted to pull away from Sanji, but his arms kept me pressed to him. Before either of us figured what to say, though, Zorro continued. "Stop taking breaks and finish my food! And you!" he added, pointing at me. "You got training before lunch! No excuses!"

"Stop ordering us around, stupid marimo." Sanji said boredly. "Lunch's in an hour." He gave me a short peck, then pushed me away. I followed Zorro back on deck, to our usual training area.

"Lunch'll take a while, marimo-san." I said casually.

"I know." he retorted, taking an offensive stance with two swords.

"You just wanted to pull us apart?" I asked, incredulous.

"As if. I don't care what you two do as long as it doesn't interfere with your job, which is, in his case, cooking, and in yours, training."

I attacked, then vanished into the shadows before his swords got to me. "Liar."

Zoro rolled his eyes, then successfully cut me. I slid away from him. "You're jelly, though, for the life of me, I can't figure out why." I said. He attacked and I dodged narrowly, then tried to cut him. Zoro stepped backwards, my knife cutting the air in front of him.

We kept going at it until Sanji called us for lunch. I smiled when we both took our seats, but made no couple lovey-dovey actions. Lunch went on as per usual. After everyone else left, I stayed behind to help my now-boyfriend with the dishes. I had a feeling that would become the norm.

A/N: And that's it. I may or may (most likely) not make a sequel of this. Hope you enjoyed!