AN: Possibly as a warning to anyone where ships are not your cup of tea, this is a developing ZoLu story, with a few hints of Usopp 'n Kaya in it, and Vivi/Kohza. VuV


Saying that finding out a ghost had decided to haunt the room next door to Zoro and Luffy did not make Usopp very happy.

Not the least of because he was terrified of ghosts, but because Kaya had given him the place to take care of while she went to go deal with business overseas, and having a ghost take over the place wasn't going to be very easy to explain when she got back.

Thus, why Luffy was tearing off down the corridor and Zoro was meandering along behind, swords a comfort against his waist that he'd tried to argue he wouldn't need.

Considering most poltergeists would have tried to take off Luffy's head the second he charged into the room, and swords wouldn't do all that much against something that wasn't even solid in the first place, Zoro really wondered what Usopp wanted them to do against the haunting.

In his experience, if you left ghosts along they'd wander and haunt the place for a bit, and then leave when they were good and ready.

Waving vampire teeth or swords in their direction didn't really do much.

Still, he supposed he'd do something to appease Usopp, at least to get the Halfling to stop wailing outside his door, and the dark-skinned boy's chattering knees. Coming in the room behind the whirlwind that was Luffy, Zoro wasn't surprised to see that the vampire had already found the blue-haired ghost girl, whom was trying to avoid getting Luffy's arm poked through her middle.

Swatting the dark-haired boy's head and tipping his strawhat into his eyes, Zoro pulled Luffy away from the ghost before she decided to impale him with one of the continently placed lamps everywhere, and stated evenly,

"My friend wants you to stop haunting the apartment."

"I'm not dead!" She protested, and Zoro did have to note the lack of floating, glowy mist, or general drop in temperature usually indicative of a haunting.

"You're flicking in and out of reality," he pointed out, and indeed she was; through her form, he could see the window, but then she was completely solid, almost entirely visible.

"I'm still not dead," the blue-haired girl said, and Zoro tried to figure out some way to break the news to her without getting something getting thrown at his head.

Nope. Nothing was coming. Blunt approaches worked a lot, didn't they? "Why are you in here then? You're not exactly substantial, and you didn't ask permission to haunt the room."

The girl growled, pulling at her hair and revealing pointed ears, and she glared at the two. "I am not haunting this place! I just need to get out of here!"

"That's generally what ghosts want too," Zoro pointed out, and the girl gave a low groan, pacing across the room and mumbling softly to herself.

"I'm an elf! Even if I was to die, I would be reincarnated, not come back as ghost!" She said, stopping and folding her arms, face an expression of 'hah!'

Luffy poked his hand through her, and the girl gave a high-pitched shriek.

"Luffy!" Zoro said sternly, and the girl scampered away from the two of them, glaring.

"Oh my god!" Her hands rested over her belly, trying to guard from any more poke-related attacks, and she shrieked at the two of them, "Don't do that again!"

Groaning at Luffy's behaviour, Zoro grabbed the boy's collar to prevent him from going near the possibly-ghost girl. "Look, there's a witch downstairs, will you believe her when she tells you you're dead?"

"I'm not dead!"

Zoro nodded and turned, dragging Luffy after him, who was cheerfully waving at the blue-haired girl. She looked a bit stunned, still, and Zoro didn't think leaving the vampire with her would be a good idea.

"Nami there's a ghost upstairs who doesn't think she's a ghost, go do something."

"What do you even want me to do? I'm a weather witch, not a mage!"

Zoro shrugged, and Nami gave a growl, pushing past the vampire and the human, stomping up the stairs to go talk to their new 'guest.'

Luffy went to go attach himself to Sanji and try and get food, and Zoro went to the cabinet, filling up a glass of water and waiting until Nami came back down to see what was happening next.

"Right, so she's not dead," Nami declared as soon as she was back in the kitchen, and she ran a hand through her shocked-up hair, giving a light sigh. "But she's probably cursed."

About to open his mouth and say something, Zoro was interrupted as the girl fell in the middle of the kitchen table.

Quite literally, the middle of the table.

There were multiple sounds of surprise from everyone around the table, none so louder than the blue-haired girl, who quickly pulled herself from the middle of the table and tried to refrain from shivering. "That is so cool," Luffy breathed happily, staring at the girl in delight.

"Could you not?" Nami shrieked, her hand over her heart, and Zoro re-sheathed his sword, having automatically started to pull Wado from her sheath before he realised that there wasn't any danger.

The girl looked sheepish, staring at the wood of the table, a light red on her cheeks. "I apologise. I haven't really figured out how this all works yet."

Sighing heavily again, Nami flapped her hand at the not a ghost girl, and turned instead to the happy-wriggling Sanji and the other occupants of the kitchen. "Sanji, Zoro, Luffy, this is Vivi. She's the Elven Princess, and stuck in the apartment thanks to a curse from-," Nami paused and looked to the ghost – Vivi – a furrow in her brow.

"One of Crocodile's mages cursed me to get stuck a million miles away from my kingdom. I suppose this would be a million miles away." Vivi looked around the kitchen, observing the few utensils strewn around from Luffy's earlier attempts to get food, and she folded her hands in her lap. "I don't suppose you would mind helping me to get home? I will pay you, of course! I just wouldn't be able to find anyone to break a curse while I'm stuck here. I've already tried walking away, but I seem to end up back in that room..."

As soon as Zoro heard the word 'pay' he knew Nami would be sold on the idea of helping, if only to collect all the reward that Vivi would be able to offer as the princess of a kingdom. As it was, he truthfully didn't care, but seeing how Luffy's features had become exceedingly determined, he resigned himself to playing babysitter to the vampire and making sure he didn't accidently summon a curse-maker instead of a curse breaker.

Or, even worse, another lady like Nami.

There was a crashing sound, and the window above the sink crashed inwards, glass falling over Sanji as he quickly covered his head from the sharp shards.

Once again, Zoro reached for his swords, but was stopped by Vivi's delighted cry.

"Carue!" Vivi shouted joyfully, and the huge duck came and squished itself to Vivi, making squawking noises and alternating between nuzzling her and checking for any injuries.

"A duck!?" Nami screeched ear-piercingly, and while Zoro was wondering the same thing, he most certainly didn't appreciate his ear-drum being blown to pieces in the process.

Vivi's grin was wide on her features, and she indicated the duck happily, "This is Carue. He's a friend of mine!"

"Great," Nami mumbled, rubbing her forehead as though she knew what was coming next. "I suppose he'll be staying here for a while as well."