Followed
Selene jerked and woke up. Sweat dripped down her forehead. Sitting up she looked around the unfamiliar room in what little moonlight filled the room through the portholes. Seeing the table and two chairs in the room she remembered she was on the pirate ship. In a panic she looked down to see if she had woken the two women pirates up. She didn't. They were still sleeping beside her. She was in between them. Carefully, she moved to the end of the large bed, crawled off, and left the room. The cool night air hit her sweaty body, making her shiver. Wrapping her arms around herself, she rushed to the bathroom just below the stairs. After knocking, to make sure no one was inside of it, she entered. Flipping on the light, she stepped over to the sink and looked at herself. A heavy sigh left her lips at the sight of the small red dots on her face. Shaking her head, she pushed it from her mind and cleaned herself up a bit. Finally dry she left the bathroom.
"Something wrong, Selene?" Sanji asked.
Selene jumped at his unexpected voice. Her knees buckled underneath her, she dropped to the deck. Pain shot through her knees when she collided with the wood. "Ouch."
"Sorry." Sanji rushed down the stairs. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's fine," Selene said as he knelt beside her. "What were you doing out here anyway?"
"I'm on guard duty tonight," Sanji said. "Sorry. I should have told you that."
"Don't worry about it," Selene said. "I should have known someone was. After all we had guards at night on our ship too. It would be dumb to leave the ship unguarded."
"What are you doing up?" Sanji placed a hand on her shoulder. "Couldn't sleep?"
"Something like that," Selene said hoping he couldn't noticed the spots on her face. Silence fell between them for a few minutes. "So, how have you been? We didn't get much time to talk today since Luffy was telling me of your crew's adventures."
"I've been fine. Let's go up to the helm so I can still keep watch," Sanji said.
Selene nodded. When he offered her his hand, she took it and stood up with him. She expected him to release her but he didn't. He kept her hand in his. The touch of his smooth skin made her heart flutter. She hoped she didn't start sweating again. She didn't have an explanation she wanted to give him for it. Mindlessly she followed him as he led her to the stairs. Reaching the helm he guided her to the bench the sat a few feet behind it. She sat down with him. "So what made you become a pirate? No, let me guess. Are you finally looking for the All Blue?"
"You remembered." Sanji smiled.
"How could I forget? You spoke about that often when we were at the Baratie," Selene said.
"You guessed correctly," Sanji said. "I actually refused Luffy's invitation to join the crew because I still felt like I owned Zeff. But he gave me his blessing to go. So I did. And here we are."
"It's kind of amazing honestly," Selene said.
"What is?" Sanji asked.
"That you've survived the sea," Selene said. "I know what's all out there. It's scary."
"Says the one who's out here all on her own," Sanji said.
Selene mentally cursed herself. She shouldn't have said that.
"Why are you out here all alone? Where's your family?" Sanji asked.
"They're back home like I said," Selene said. "And I've already told you that I wanted to see that rainbow tear. Is that wrong? It's not that much different from your journey to find the All Blue."
"I'm sorry," Sanji said. "I guess I'm just worried about you."
Selene swallowed when he ran his eyes over her. She wondered if it was possible he could tell.
"There's something different about you but I can't put my finger on it," Sanji said.
Selene shrugged. "Might be because we haven't seen each other for a while. You look different too." She pointed at the cigarette in his mouth "Though I can see you're still a chain smoker."
"Hey! I'm not a chain smoker!" Sanji smiled. "I take a break once in a while."
"Please. You smell like a chimney still," Selene said.
"Okay, I'll let that one go for now since it's been so long since we've seen each other and you're tired," Sanji said.
"Oh, don't give me that bull." Serena shoved him. "I know you would never hit me. Your code won't allow it."
"You're right." Sanji laughed.
"You still fight with your feet, right?" Selene asked.
"I do." Sanji nodded.
"You get along with your crewmates, right? Well, expect for Zoro," Selene said. "How are they? They good friends?"
"They're great. All but for that crummy swordsman of course," Sanji said. "I can do without him. Luffy is flat out insane. Nami's a wonderful navigator. Robin's has some amazing skills of her own. Usopp's a coward but a great sniper. Franky's an amazing mechanic. Brook's great with his violin. They're all pretty amazing."
"Even the crappy swordsman?" Serena poked his side.
"Okay, fine," Sanji said. "But if you tell anyone I said he was good I'll deny it like mad."
"Sure thing," Selene said. A wind lifted up, causing she to shiver. She wrapped her arms around her body, trying to shield herself from the cool air.
"You okay?" Sanji asked.
"I'm fine," Selene said. "It's just a bit chilly out here."
"Then you should go back inside," Sanji said.
"It's fine," Selene said with a shake of her head. "I want to stay with you for a while longer. I get the feeling we're not going to have much time together."
"You're right," Sanji said. "My crew can be rather crowded despite the low number of us. Still…" He took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. "Take this."
Heat rushed to Selene's cheeks. Her heart raced when his fingers brushed against her shoulders as he placed his jacket on her. "Uh, thank you."
"My pleasure," Sanji said with a sweet smile.
Selene looked at him. A small amount of blush appeared to be on his cheeks but she couldn't be tell in the low light of the moon.
"So how is your family? They doing fine?" Sanji asked.
"Yes, they're fine," Selene said. "Same as always. Not much has changed with them."
"I bet they're freaking out that you're out here on your own," Sanji said.
"Maybe," Selene said. "But I'm not a kid anymore. I can make my own decisions now." When Sanji didn't reply she glanced at him. He was studying her. She swallowed, her heart raced. "What?"
"Nothing I guess," Sanji said. "There's just something different about you."
"You think so?" Selene looked out at the horizon.
"What happened to you?" Sanji asked.
"What do you mean?" Selene looked at him.
"You and your family stopped coming to the Baratie," Sanji said.
"Oh, that." Selene shrugged. "Life happened I guess. We stopped traveling so much. I wasn't happy about it, believe me. But what could I do? I was still a kid then that had to listen to mommy and daddy."
"I missed you," Sanji said.
"I know. I've missed you too," Selene said. Her heart skipped a beat when he traced his fingers over her cheek. "So, uh, how's everyone back at the Baratie?"
"Fine." Sanji pulled his hand back. "As lively as ever."
"That's good to hear," Selene said.
"They'd like to see you again," Sanji said.
Selene twitched. "Maybe one day."
…
"Another wonderful meal," Selene said looking at the young man sitting beside her. "Thank you for breakfast, Sanji."
"It was my pleasure," Sanji said.
"Yes, that was a whole lot better than normal," Nami said. "Did you go all out for our guest?"
"What are you talking about?" Sanji flushed. "I always cook this good!"
"She's right," Robin said. "This was extraordinary."
"I hate to admit it but it was," Zoro said.
"Not you too!" Sanji snapped.
"You guys are so funny." Selene smiled.
"You ready for the tour?!" Luffy then asked.
"Sure." Selene nodded. She finished the last of her tea and stood up. "Oh, wait. Sanji would you like some help cleaning up?"
"No thanks," Sanji said gathering up the dishes. "I could never allow a guest to clean up. You go on with your tour. This wont take me long at all. I'll see you soon."
"If you're sure," Selene said.
"I'm sure." Sanji smiled.
"Yeah! Let's go!" Luffy cheered.
"You coming, Selene?" Chopper asked.
"Of course." Selene waved to Sanji then followed the two out of the kitchen. "So where are we going first?"
"Well, you've already seen the bathrooms so how about the fish tank?" Chopper asked.
"Yes, that would be nice. I'd love to see it," Selene said.
"Great!" Luffy said leading her towards the bar.
Selene gasped when they stepped into the room. The size of the fish tank was unexpected. It was practically the size of the wall. She was expecting a smaller fish tank. "It's so big."
"We use it to store fish that we eat," Chopper said.
"We even had a shark in there at one point," Luffy said.
"A shark, huh?" Selene pressed her fingertips to the cool glass. "That must have been so amazing. I wish I could have seen it."
"Maybe you will," Chopper said. "We fish all the time. Luffy might catch one again and shove it in there."
"And let me guess," Selene said. "The shark ate all the fish."
"It sure did." Chopper smiled. "We still blame Luffy for that."
"Hey! How was I supposed to know it would do that?" Luffy puffed out his cheeks.
"It was a shark! They eat other fish!" Chopper said.
Selene laughed. "You two are so funny. So what's next on the tour?"
"The Soldier Dock System!" Luffy said. "You have got to see the Shark Submerge!"
Selene nodded. She followed the two pirates back out onto the deck and down through a hole she never noticed before. Reaching the bottom of the ladder she gasped when she saw the small shark submarine sitting in place. "Franky did all of this?"
"Yeah!" Luffy nodded.
"He's amazing," Selene said. "I never knew someone with such skill existed. Have you guys used it yet?"
"We have a couple of times," Luffy said. "Would you like to go for a ride?"
"Could we?" Selene looked at him.
"Of course. I'm the captain after all," Luffy said. He walked over to the sub and jumped up on the top of it. "Come on."
"Oh. Okay." Selene walked over to the sub. Carefully, she stepped upon the steel fin then climbed up to the top with Luffy. He twisted the handle on the hatch and pulled it open before jumping in. Placing her hands on the edge of the opening, she lowered herself in. Reaching the bottom of the ladder she instantly found Luffy at the front of the sub.
"You can sit here," Luffy said patting the seat to his right. "You'll love the view."
Selene walked over to him and sat down. "This sub is so cute."
"I told the others we're going for a ride," Chopper said while closing the hatch. He then sat in the seat beside her.
"You're not going to drive the sub?" Selene asked Luffy.
"Naw," Luffy said. "I don't know how to."
"Don't worry, Selene," Chopper said. I've driven it before."
"That's good to know," Selene said.
"Let's go then!" Luffy cheered.
Resting her hands in her lap, she watched as the sub began to turn. When they came to an obvious door, it opened up. They launched. "Oh! Wait!"
"What? What is it?" Luffy asked.
"You two are devil fruit users," Selene said. "Isn't this dangerous for you?"
"You're a devil fruit user too. If we fall in the sea we would be in trouble," Chopper said. "But we're safe in the sub. Besides we're not going to be out here for very long."
"Yeah! Just relax and enjoy yourself," Luffy said.
"I'll try." Selene turned her attention to the window in front of them just as Chopper stared to dive. The world darkened around them until the small animal touched a button. A light lit up on the outside of the sub. She gasped. So many fish of different sizes, shapes, and colors appeared before her. "Amazing!"
"This is your first time underwater, huh?" Chopper asked.
"It is," Selene said. "I've been on plenty of boats and ships, but I've never had the opportunity to do something like this. It's amazing!"
"She's so happy." Luffy smile.
Chopper nodded.
Selene leaned forward to get a better look at the water world around them. Her heart raced with excitement and concern when a large squid swam by. She expected the creature to be bothered by them but it kept on swimming without giving them a simple glance.
They ended up spending over two hours in the sub before Luffy's growling stomach forced them to go back to the ship. They all left the sub and climbed back up the ladder to the deck. Sanji was there when she reached the top. He held out his hand for her. "So how was it?"
"Beautiful." Selene took his hand and stepped onto the deck. "I absolutely loved going under the water. It's definitely different from being above the surface."
"We should go again," Luffy said. "Right now I want meat!"
"Luffy, we just ate breakfast a little while ago," Sanji said still holding onto Selene's hand.
"Besides, Sanji looks like he's busy as it is." Usopp chuckled.
"He seems quite comfortable holding Selene's hand." Nami rested her elbows on the round table she and Robin were sitting at. Leaning forward she smirked at the blonde cook.
Robin smiled.
Selene's heart jumped. Her mind told her to pull away from Sanji but her body wouldn't listen to her. She dropped her eyes to the deck, hoping she could keep herself from blushing.
"Knock it off," Sanji said finally releasing Selene's hand.
The warmth of his hand left hers. Her heart sank. She wanted to take his hand back but knew she couldn't.
"Sanji! Food!" Luffy said.
"I could use a little snack," Selene said trying to force her mind off of wanting to hold Sanji's hand again. "How about a parfait?"
"That sounds wonderful," Sanji said heading for the stairs. "I'll get right on that."
"Thank you, Sanji," Selene said.
"My pleasure." Sanji smiled.
"Selene, why don't you come sit with us for a while?" Nami asked.
"Yes. Do join us," Robin said.
"Sure." Selene walked over to them and sat down. "So anything in particular you wanted?"
"Nothing much. But you can tell us what Sanji was like when he was younger," Nami said. "How old were you two when you met?"
"I believe we were both still ten years old at the time," Selene said. "And, at first, he was a normal boy who loved to cook."
"So he wasn't the fall in love all the time moron he is now?" Nami asked.
"No, he wasn't," Selene said. "That came later when his hormones hit him. He was such a cute little kid, always trying to impress Zeff and the other chiefs."
"You sound like you're really fond of him," Robin said.
Heat rushed to Selene's cheeks. "Well, we're friends. And he's a good cook. We did end up creating a game that I guess bonded us together."
"What kind of game?" Nami asked.
"We called it Catch Me," Selene said. "See the first time my family and I went to the Baratie I snuck into the kitchen. I slipped through the kitchen without being noticed until I was almost out. Sanji caught me then. Then every time we ate there I always tried to sneak through the kitchen without being caught."
"Did you manage to do it?" Nami asked.
"No," Selene said. "Sanji managed to catch me very single time. But the other cooks never did." Leaning back in her chair, she sighed and looked up at the sky. "It's like he knew somehow that I was there."
"Sounds like you two really did bonded over that game," Robin said.
Selene dropped her eyes back down to the table and smiled. "I guess we did."
"It's ready, my darlings!" Sanji sang.
"That was quick," Nami said.
Sanji danced down the stairs before placing the parfaits on the table for the women.
"Yeah!" Luffy ran over and grabbed his while the rest got theirs at a slower pace.
Selene took a bite. The tangerine flavor danced over her tongue. "This is amazing!"
"Glad you like it," Sanji said. "It was made fresh."
"Luffy showed me the tangerine trees," Selene said looking up at the trees. "I never would have guessed you could sail with trees."
"You can as long as you have the dirt and keep them watered," Nami said. "Those are from my mother's fields. I couldn't leave home without them."
"I see," Selene said.
"I'm so bored," Luffy said. "Brook, play a song!"
"Sure thing, Luffy," Brook said. He scarfed down the last of his parfait before pulling out his violin. He pulled the bow across the strings before he started the song.
"Wow. I heard this song before," Selene said. "It's beautiful but sounds kind of sad."
"It's called Bink's Brew," Brook said. "This is a ballet version I came up with."
"It's very lovely," Selene said. "I can tell you're a very gifted musician."
"Thank you," Brook said.
"Sanji." Selene jumped up from her chair. She grabbed Sanji's hand and pulled him to the middle of the deck. "Let's dance."
Zoro chuckled. "I'd like to see that."
"Shut up, stupid moss head! I can dance just fine!" Sanji snapped, his cheeks red. He turned back to Selene. "Though I haven't done this in a long while."
"You'll be fine," Selene said.
Sanji smiled. He stepped in beat with the music, guiding Selene along with him.
Selene easily followed his ever move. Like a well-oiled machine they moved together as if they had been dancing together every day of their lives. Forgetting where she was and what she was here for, she allowed herself to get lost in his eyes. Her heart skipped a few beats when he started leaning in towards her. Suddenly, her body grew tired. It caused her to misstep and she tripped over Sanji's shoe.
The movement caught him off guard as well. He tried to grab her but ended up falling to the deck with her.
Selene winced when her elbow collided with the deck. Warm blood leaked from the wound.
"I'm so sorry!" Sanji said. "I didn't mean to! I tripped! You're hurt!"
"It's fine. Just a small scratch," Selene said. "Besides I was the one who tripped not you."
"You okay?" Sanji helped her sit up. His hand brushed against her elbow. He lifted his hand up to his face when he felt the warm blood. "What? You're hurt."
"I'm okay," Selene said. "I just hit my elbow."
"Chopper, will you take a look?" Sanji said despite the reindeer already doing so.
"I didn't think you hit the deck that hard. But you're bleeding quite a bit. And it looks like there's a little dirt inside of it," Chopper said looking at the wound. "Come to my office and let me clean it out for you."
Selene nodded. She stood up.
"Wait!" Sanji jumped to his feet. "Let me carry you!"
"I'm fine, Sanji. It's just a scratch," Selene said before following Chopper to his doctor room.
Sanji watched her go. Guilt was flooding through his chest. He should have been able to catch her. Instead he just fell with her and she got hurt. Sighing he shoved his hands into his pockets and forced himself to stay behind.
"Don't worry about it, Sanji," Nami said pulling him from his thoughts. "It was an accident."
"Indeed," Robin said. "You got distracted by her lovely eyes."
"I think he got distracted for more than just her eyes," Nami added with a giggle.
"What are you talking about?" Sanji turned to them.
"Don't try to deny it, Sanji. It's obvious you have a crush on her," Nami said.
"Don't be silly. She's just a friend," Sanji said.
"A friend that you wanted to kiss," Usopp said leaning against the railing. "You two clearly wanted to kiss just now."
"You're being stupid," Sanji said.
"Oh? So what was that last night that I saw?" Usopp asked. "I came to check on you during our guard shift and found you two talking. And she was wearing your jacket."
"Like I said, you're being stupid," Sanji said. "We were just catching up. She couldn't sleep and decided to keep me company for a while. I gave her my jacket because she was cold. It was nothing more than that."
"Sure it wasn't," Usopp said smirking.
"Whatever." Sanji gathered up the empty glasses and headed for the kitchen to clean them.
…
Selene entered into the doctor's room when Chopper held the door opened for her.
"Go ahead and sit down," Chopper said.
Selene sat down on the bed. She watched as Chopper rushed around the room gathering the necessary items he would need to take care of her elbow. Within a couple minutes he had everything and joined her on the bed. Stinging pain shot through the wound as Chopper dabbed it with antiseptic. She winced.
"Sorry," Chopper said.
"It's fine," Selene said.
"You seem to bleed a lot," Chopper said.
"Sensitive skin, I guess," Selene said.
Chopper looked up at her.
Selene just shrugged. "I can be accident prone too."
"All right," Chopper said.
Selene exhaled.
"There you go. All bandaged up," Chopper said. He jumped off the bed and put the remaining items back up. "Let me know if it gets infected or if anything changes. Are you in pain?"
"No, no pain," Selene said.
"That's good," Chopper said. "You're free to go."
"Thanks." Selene left the room.
"So when are we going to find this Rainbow Tear thing?" Luffy asked when she got to the deck again. "How do we even get there?"
"My tear necklace leads me." Selene pulled her necklace off and let it dangle from her fingers.
"How?" Usopp asked.
"After it rains all I have to do is let the sun hit it," Selene said. "The tear then will create a beam that guides me to a cave."
"A cave? I thought this place was on top of a mountain," Nami said.
"It is," Selene said. "But we have to get to this cave to get the directions to the mountain. Or that's the only way I know to get to it."
"A temple?" Brook asked.
"Apparently some people use to worship the rainbow tears like they were gods or something," Selene said. "Though I don't believe it."
"Sounds farfetched to me as well," Usopp said.
"Why do we have to go to this cave? Why doesn't the tear thing just lead us right to the mountain?" Luffy asked.
"Legend has it the people who supposedly worshiped the tears created some form of barrier that keeps the mountain protected." Selene placed the necklace back on. "But they still needed a map and placed it in a temple in a cave. The tear will show the map when we get there."
"But how is that going to happen if we're inside of a cave?" Zoro asked. "The sun doesn't shine in caves."
"There has to be something there that I'm not aware of," Selene said. "These people would need to see the map."
"Maybe they have a mirror system in place that allows them to reflect the sun inside the cave," Robin said.
"Well, we'll see when we get there," Nami said.
Selene nodded.
…
Selene stared up at blue sky. It was spotted with a lot of fluffy white clouds. Without realizing it she started to look for different animal shapes. She found a turtle and a duck before Nami shouted out.
"Hey! There's a storm coming!" Nami said. "Furl the sails!"
"You got it!" the crew said.
Selene brought her eyes down to the crew as they rushed around the deck, pulling on ropes, and making sure everything was secure in place. The wind picked up. She glanced back up at the clouds to see that dark grey ones had rolled in suddenly. "Wow. She's good."
"Hey! Selene!" Sanji called. "Please, come to the kitchen with me!"
"Okay." Selene stood from her chair and headed up to him.
"Here you go." Sanji held open the door for her.
"Thank you." Selene entered.
"You'll be safe in here," Sanji said.
"I'm not worried," Selene said.
"Never said you were," Sanji said. "I just didn't want you to be outside and get knocked off the ship."
"You're so sweet." Selene smiled. "But shouldn't you be out there helping them?"
"They got a handle on this," Sanji said. "Besides they're done doing what's necessary."
"Then we're all alone," Selene said. Her heart fluttered just as her stomach flipped.
"I guess we are. Would you like some tea?" Sanji walked over to the stove.
"Sure." Selene sat down at the bar. She watched him fix the tea before placing it down on the counter. Thunder rumbled overhead. Lightning flashed brightly through the portholes. "Looks like it's getting worse."
"It does." Sanji poured him a cup of tea. A wave crashed up against the ship, thrown him off balance. He grabbed the hot teapot without thinking. The pot clanked to the floor. "Ouch!"
"Sanji." Selene jumped from her stool. She rushed around the counter and took his hands in hers. "What were you thinking?"
"Guess I wasn't," Sanji said.
Selene blew on his red hands.
"I guess that was stupid," Sanji said. "Haven't hot tea during a storm. You could have gotten hurt."
"You're the one who got hurt," Selene said. "And you're worried about me?"
"How can I not worry?" Sanji asked.
Selene glanced up at him. "What?"
"I mean you're my friend." Sanji flushed and adverted his eyes.
"Right," Selene said. "Well, I don't think there's any damage."
"Yeah." Sanji nodded.
Selene dropped her hands. She parted her lips to say something but was thrown off her feet when another wave knocked into the ship. Falling forward she took Sanji down with her. They landed on the floor. "I'm so sorry."
"Not your fault. You're not hurt, are you?" Sanji asked.
"No, I'm-" Selene looked up, coming nose to nose with Sanji. Both blushed. She tried to move away but he placed his hand on her back, keeping her in place. "Sor-"
Sanji placed his finger over her lips before leaning forward.
"Hey, you two all right in here?" Brook asked.
Sanji and Selene jumped and scrambled away from each other just as the musician came around the corner.
"Oh dear me. Seems I interrupted a tender moment," Brook said.
"Not at all," Sanji said. "We just were thrown off our feet by that wave."
"If you say so," Brook said.
"Did you need something?" Selene pushed herself to her feet, unable to look at Sanji.
"I was just checking on you two," Brook said. "And to tell you the worst of the storm is about over. We'll only have to deal with rain before long."
"Thanks for telling us," Sanji said adjusting his tie.
"I'll leave you two alone then." Brook dashed back out the door.
"Well, that was…interesting," Selene said.
"Yeah," Sanji said.
A beat passed between them.
"So, looks like the storm is finally settling down," Selene said after a distant rumble of thunder happened.
"Sure does."
"How about we have that tea again?" Selene walked back to her seat.
"Sure." Sanji grabbed towel and cleaned up the mess before putting a pot of fresh water back on the stove.
Selene exhaled as silently as she could to calm her racing heart. They had ended up so close. And he was actually going to kiss her. Or was he? Would he have if Brook hadn't interrupted them? Would she have kissed him back? She wanted to. Though now she never would know if she would have or if he would have actually kissed her.
Before long the tea was done and they drank in quiet. A few of the other Straw Hats ventured inside until the storm was over. Once it was they all stepped back outside. Selene glanced up at the sky. The clouds were parting, letting the sunshine through. Taking her necklace out of her shirt, she held it up so the sun could catch it. The sun beamed down into the crystal. A rainbow colored beam shot out.
"So cool!" Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp said. They jumped up and down, trying to catch the beam in their hands and hooves. "A beam!"
"Looks like it's pointing northeast of here," Nami said. "I'll keep us on track."
"Thanks, Nami," Selene said before putting the jewel up.
"Hey!" the boys whined when their game got cut short.
"We should head for an island first and stock up," Nami said. "And get you some new shoes."
"Thanks a lot," Selene said.
Half an hour later they pulled up into the docks of the island they found.
Selene slipped on the sandals Nami had brought her. They were half a size too big for her but they would do until she got her own. "Thanks for letting me borrow these."
"Don't worry about it. Come on," Nami said as she climbed done the rope ladder. "Let's get your clothes while the guys get the rest."
"Hey! Why do we have to get it?!" Usopp and Luffy asked.
"Because we have other things to do," Nami said.
"I'm going to come with you and the girls," Chopper said.
"Okay," Nami said.
"I'm going to stay with the ship," Franky said.
"I'll keep you company," Brook said.
"Okay," Nami said. "See you later."
Selene climbed down the rope ladder. Landing on the deck a strange feeling of being watched washed over her. Her heart galloped. She scanned her eyes around the sea and the island. Nothing appeared out of place. Those coming to and from the docks, and those on their ships, weren't even looking in their direction. Still, she knew someone was watching her. If she couldn't see them then it meant they were concealing themselves somewhere. She scanned her eyes around the area again. She spotted plenty of hiding places for someone to hide, inside of ships, in dark alleys, inside the buildings. Kneading her eyebrows she tried to figure out where they were watching her from.
"You okay, Selene?"
Selene jumped.
"Sorry," Sanji said. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"No, it was my fault," Selene said. "I was distracted."
"By what?" Sanji looked around. "This place looks rather normal to me."
"It was nothing," Selene said.
"You ready to go then?" Nami asked.
"I sure am." Selene nodded. Following after the three pirates, she waved to Sanji. "See you later."
"Take care," Sanji said.
"Don't worry, Sanji," Nami said with a wink. "We'll keep a close eye on your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend!" Sanji said.
"Seem that way to me," Usopp said.
"I thought so too," Brook said.
"They're super cute together," Franky added.
"I thought they were a couple too," Zoro said.
"Shut up, you idiots, before I kick all yours butts!" Sanji screamed.
"Those guys," Selene said.
"They're a handful," Robin said.
"I feel exhausted just listening to them," Selene said.
"You look a bit pale," Chopper said. "Are you feeling sick?"
"No, just tired," Selene said. "I guess I didn't rest very well last night."
"Hey, this place looks like it has some good clothes," Nami then said.
Selene turned her attention to the building they had stopped in front of. It was small with a couple dresses in the window display. They entered. Nami and Robin started looking at the clothes while Selene wondered towards the shoes. A dark red pair of sandals caught her eyes. She pulled them off the shelf.
"Is that all you're getting?" Chopper asked.
"It's all I need," Selene said. After paying for her purchase she wait for Robin and Nami to finish their own shopping. Once they were done they went to three more shops, where Nami insisted she buy a couple new set of clothes, before heading back to the ship. "You really didn't have to buy these for me. I didn't need them."
"Don't worry about it," Nami said. "Once I get my hands on a rainbow tear I'll get plenty of money back."
"So I'm not getting these for free after all," Selene said.
"Nami never gives money away," Chopper said.
"I see," Selene said. She eyed the bags on Chopper's back. He was in his normal reindeer form carrying their bags. "You okay with carrying that stuff?"
"Yes, I do this all the time. I don't mind helping," Chopper said.
Selene's hairs stood up. Grabbing Nami and Robin's shoulders she pushed them back before six kunai imbedded into the ground right next to Chopper's hoof.
"Ack! Wh-what the heck was that?!" Chopper shrieked his eyes wide as he eyed the kunai sticking in the ground.
"That was so close," Nami said. "We could have died."
"Yes," Robin said. "Those would have stabbed right into our hearts."
"Do you have to be so calm?!" Chopper asked.
"Who threw those?" Nami looked around. "Bounty Hunters? Pirates?"
"Ninjas," Selene said. She scanned her eyes around while slipping her hand into her bag. Pulling her hand back out, she produced twin sais.
"Huh? Where did those come from?" Chopper asked.
"A hidden pocket in my bad," Selene said. She twirled the sais and stood ready. "Here they come."
"Who's coming?" Chopper asked.
Selene turned to her right just as a black blur shot towards her. A clank of metal on metal sound through the air. She pressed her sai against the blade of a katana.
"Selene!" Nami pulled out her baton. She twirled it but before she could strike out another blur came rushing towards her.
"Nami! Jump to your right! Now!" Selene said.
Nami barely moved out of the way of a katana. "What the heck?!"
"Who are these people?" Chopper transformed into his human form.
"Are they ninjas?" Robin asked as she eyed the shinobi shozoku the two attackers wore.
Selene kicked her attacker away from her then kicked the one away from Nami. "Run!"
Without hesitation, the Straw Hat pirates turned and ran away from the area. Selene scanned the area before following them. She knew more were around. They were watching her, waiting for their moment to strike.
"Where are we going?!" Nami asked when Selene caught up to them.
"To find the others," Selene said.
"Who were those people?!" Chopper asked.
Selene swallowed. The town blurred around them as they dodged around the townspeople. Turning a corner they saw the rest of the their crew.
"Luffy!" Nami called.
"Hey!" Luffy waved to them. "What's going on?"
"We're in trouble!" Nami said as a kunai flew past her head. She squeaked. "Help us!"
"Hey, what's going on? Who's attacking?" Sanji asked.
"Is that a kunai?" Usopp asked.
"We're dealing with ninjas?" Zoro pulled out his swords before a group of fifteen ninjas surrounded them. Someone screamed, probably a woman from the town, before the shoppers scattered. "You want to tell us what's going on?"
"We don't know," Nami said. "They just attacked us. We'd be dead if Selene didn't save us."
"You did?" Zoro looked at Selene.
"You okay, Selene?" Sanji stepped up next to his friend.
"I just got lucky in noticing the attack." Selene kept her eyes locked on the ninjas. Running her eyes over them she noticed two particular ninjas were dressed in black shozoku while the rest were wearing dark blue. She swallowed. With her hands trembling she tightened her hold on her sais. Dropping them now could be deadly.
The ninjas took their stances, some wielding katana, some kunai, and some shuriken.
"So cool!" Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp said, their eyes shining like stars. "They are ninjas!"
"Will you two stop being so impressed by everything little thing?!" Sanji growled. "This is serious!"
Selene watched as the ninjas charged forward, ignoring her and going straight for her friends. The pirates struck out at them but with ninjas move were fast and swift like they were part of the wind. She knew the pirates were strong but they wouldn't be able to win if they can't hit the ninjas. Their only choice would be to run.
"Who the heck are these guys?" Sanji asked as he missed landing another kick on a ninja.
Zoro swiped out at a ninja wielding ninja. The ninja jumped, easily avoiding the attack before landing a kick on the swordsman's head.
"Gum Gum Gatlin!" Luffy called. He threw out his punches. The ninjas bounced around them. "Hey! Hold still!" He threw more punches. "Stop jumping around!"
Three ninja's ran towards him. Just before they were in striking distance, the three ninjas jumped over his head. One of the black dressed ninjas appeared, they landed a punch on Luffy's stomach, sending the rubber man flying several yards away from his crew.
"Hey!" Zoro raced towards the ninja who took out his captain. He took several swipes at the ninja, but they easily avoided them. The second blacked dressed ninja rushed the swordsman. They pulled out their own katana and knocked two of Zoro's swords to the ground.
"How's that possible?!" Usopp shrieked. "They took out two of our strongest fighters within a few seconds!"
"They're definitely strong," Sanji said. His eyes narrowed in on the two dressed in black. "Especially those two."
"We should run," Selene said.
"What?" the pirates asked.
"You don't have experience in fighting ninjas. It's obvious," Selene said.
"She's got a point," Robin said.
"No way!" Luffy came running back towards them. "I'm going to kick their butts!"
"Selene's right, Luffy," Sanji said. "We're in over our heads here."
"No!" Luffy jumped up. "Gum Gum Battle Axe!"
Selene gritted her teeth. Her heart pounded in her chest. She knew these pirates didn't have any battle experience dealing with ninjas. It was obvious the difference in their skills. Gripping her sais, she knew what she had to do. She raced towards the two strongest ninjas. Striking out her sais at them, she disarmed them within seconds.
"Whoa! Did you see that?!" Chopper said.
"She's amazing!" Usopp added.
"Run!" Selene screamed before tossing a small ball towards the ground. The ball exploded on contact with the hard terrain. Smoke rose up from it, giving the pirates time to escape. She turned and ran with them.
"What the heck?! What was that?!" Nami asked as they ran.
"Smoke bomb," Selene said.
"Where did you get one of those?!" Usopp asked. "Do you carry them around too?!"
"Ninjas always have them," Selene said.
"I see," Luffy said. "You must have pulled one off of the ninja. That was so cool!"
The group ran all the way to the docks. They boarded their ship, surprising Franky and Brook with their sudden arrival.
"Something wrong?" Franky asked.
"We were attacked by ninjas," Usopp said.
"Oh dear," Brook said. "Are they following you?"
"Doesn't look like it," Robin said scanning the town.
"Good." Nami dropped to the deck. "I don't want to have to fight them again."
"But how did you manage to do all of that?" Zoro asked while everyone was catching their breath. Everyone looked at Selene for the answer.
"I got lucky," Selene said. She lowered her eyes to the ground focusing on her breathing instead of the pirates. "They were distracted with Luffy so I took advantage of that."
"And why do you have those?" Zoro pointed at her sais.
Selene tucked them back into her bag. She looked up at the swordsman and frowned. "Is there something wrong with a woman protecting herself?"
"No," Zoro said. "I just find it odd that you've never mentioned them before."
"What are you saying, stupid moss head?" Sanji asked.
"I'm saying it's odd that she was able to handle them as well as she did!" Zoro said.
Selene watched as the two pirates argued. She was about to step in and stop them when her vision blurred. Her knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground.
"Selene!" Sanji rushed to her side. "Are you hurt?"
"No," Selene said. "Just overwhelmed." She sighed when he didn't move or say anything else. "Really, Sanji. I just got overwhelmed. It's not a normal occurrence for me to fight…"
"I guess you're right," Sanji said. "You should go lie down for a while."
"It's not necessary," Selene said when he started to pull her into his arms. She pushed away from him. "I'm feeling better."
Sanji frowned but didn't push her to do what he wanted.
"So who were those people and why did they attack us?" Usopp asked.
"They were most likely after me," Selene said.
"But why would they be after you?" Brook asked.
"A lot have shown interest in my necklace." Selene gripped her necklace. "I suppose some would pay a lot to have something like this since it's so rare." She exhaled. Her breathes started coming in pants. Her skin grew hot and clammy. "They were probably after it."
"You don't look so good," Sanji said. He placed his hand on her forehead. "You're burning up."
"I'm okay," Selene said as she tried to stand up. But her head spun. Her knees buckled under her.
"Whoa!" Sanji pulled her into his arms. "Take it easy."
"He's right. You have a fever," Chopper said. "Sanji, take her to my doctor's office."
"You got it." Sanji carried her to the back to the ship. He laid her down once inside the small room. He stood up and waited while Chopper checked his friend over. "What is it, Chopper?"
"She has an infection," Chopper said. "I have some medicine that will help but she needs to rest for a while."
"That's not necessary." Selene sat up causing her head to spin. She wobbled.
"Selene." Sanji grabbed her shoulders, took off her bag, and pushed her back down to the bed. "Do as the doctor says."
Selene sighed. Her body grew heavier. They both were right. There was no way she would be able to argue. She just wanted to sleep. "Fine. I'll stay put."
"Good." Sanji nodded before sitting down on the edge of the bed. "And to make sure I'm going to stay right here."
Selene giggled before letting herself drift off to sleep.
…
Selene blinked the blurriness from her eyes when she finally woke up. Turning her head she found that only Chopper was in the room with her. He was sitting at his desk reading a book. "Where's Sanji?"
"Cooking," Chopper said turning towards her. "You've been sleeping for about three hours now."
"Oh." Selene stared up at the ceiling. Her body was still heavy from her fever, but she felt a little better having slept.
"Selene, there's something I want to talk to you about now that we're alone," Chopper said.
Selene gritted her teeth. Her heart raced. It was only a matter of time. This guy was a doctor after all.
"I'm concerned about you. I don't mean to pry, but I've noticed some other symptoms while you slept that remind me of a disease called-"
"Stop!" Selene said. "I'm fine! Really!"
"Selene, I'm just trying to help. It's obvious you're sick," Chopper said.
"You can't." Selene sat up. Her eyes locked down on the blanket over her lap.
"So you are sick," Chopper said. "Does Sanji know?"
"No," Selene said. "And I don't want him to know. So, please, don't tell him or anyone else on your crew." Tears pricked her eyes. She looked at him. "I beg you. Please, don't them what you've discovered."
"I won't," Chopper said. "But if something bad happens to you…if you get worse I won't be able to keep this a secret from him. He's very good at noticing things. I'm sure he already has."
"I know he already has," Selene said shivering. She pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. "But I still don't want him to know. At least not right now."
"So that's why you didn't want to stay on the ship," Chopper said. "It had nothing to do with getting to the tears."
Selene nodded.
"Will you ever tell him?" Chopper asked.
"I don't know," Selene whispered.
…
Rolling onto her back, Selene placed the back of her arm over her forehead. Her skin was finally cool. Her fever had broken a few hours before going to bed, but she was still in the medical bay. Chopper wanted her to remain there for the night. She agreed. Mostly so she wouldn't have to dodge questions from the Straw Hats. But now she was unable to sleep. Her mind raced from Chopper discovering her secret and from wondering if she should tell Sanji about it.
Sighing, she sat up. Grabbing her bag she pulled out her flute and stepped outside. The night was warm. The sea was calm. And the moon hung bright in the sky. She pulled herself up on the railing, placed the flute to her lips, and started playing a slow song. Tears filled her eyes before streaming down her face.
…
Sanji didn't know what woke him up. His eyes appeared to have open up of their own will. Sitting up he looked around the room. Everyone, but for Franky and Zoro who was on duty, was sound asleep in their beds. Usopp, Luffy, Brook, and Chopper were haphazardly scattered over their bunks. Selene entered into his mind. He decided to go check on her. Getting out of bed he slipped out the door without waking anyone. As he walked up the stairs and across the deck that lead to the medical bay, he heard a sad song on the wind. He found the source coming from Selene. She was standing upon the railing of the ship playing her flute. Not wanting to disturb her, he leaned against the wall and listened to the song.
His heart skipped a beat when she gasped and folded into herself. He rushed forward when she stumbled backwards off the railing, catching her in his arms. "Selene!"
Selene gripped his shirt, her knuckles turning white.
"Hold on! I'll get Chopper!" Sanji said.
"Wait," Selene said before he took one step. "The pain's gone."
"What happened?" Sanji asked. He noticed her tears. "You've been crying." He noticed her body flinching in his arms. "What is it?"
"Nothing." Selene shook her head. "It was just the song. It always was makes me cry."
A few moments of silence passed. Sanji watched her carefully before saying, "You can talk to me. You know that, right?"
"Of course I know that." Selene reached up. Placing her finger on the straight part of his eyebrow she traced it. "I've really missed you, Funny Eyebrow Sanji."
Sanji smiled. His heart raced in his chest. "Let's get you back inside."
Entering into the semi-dark room, Sanji laid her back down on the bed. He covered her up then turned to go. The feeling of her fingers on his sleeve caused him to turn back around. "Do you need something?"
"Please," Selene said. "Will you stay with me?"
"You want me to stay?" Sanji's heart hammered against his ribs when she lifted her blanket up. "Are you suggesting that we…Selene, I don't think-"
"Don't be a pervert. I'm only asking you to lay next to me," Selene said.
Sanji swallowed when she started up at him.
"Are you suggesting you want more?" Selene asked.
"No, I-I was j-just," Sanji stuttered.
"Just lay down," Selene said. "You…you make me feel better when you're around."
Sanji froze, his heart pounding in his ears. He wasn't sure but through the semi-dark room it looked like Selene was blushing. He knew she had a crush on him. But did it go deeper than he thought? Slipping out of his shoes, he laid down beside her.
"Thank you, Sanji."
"Yeah. No problem."
…
Selene kicked her legs as she watched the cooks roam about the kitchen.
"How is it possible you always sneak in here without us noticing?" Patty asked. "And why do you always sit there on the counter? Get off there, girl. That's not a chair."
Selene giggled. "It's not my fault you cooks can't detect me when I come in here."
"You're impossible," Patty said.
"Just let it go," Carne said. "It's been two years since she and her family started to come here. She's not going to stop her little game with her boyfriend."
"I'm not her boyfriend!" Sanji snapped.
Selene smiled at him. He was only about two feet away from her, cooking like he was born doing. His cheeks flushed red as he clearly avoided eye contact with her. Her heart raced. She had to admit that he was cute. One thing she found that she was really growing fond of was his swirly eyebrows. Well, eyebrow. For all she knew he literally only had one eyebrow and one eye. She was going to have to lift up his hair one day and see if he was missing an eye and an eyebrow. When Sanji filled a bowl with soup, she slipped off the counter.
"So you finally leaving?" Sanji asked.
"That's my family's order, isn't it?" Selene asked.
"Of course it is. You know that," Sanji grumbled.
"He's so cute when he's around her," Carne said.
"Look at him," Patty said. "He can't even look at her. Must be the skirt she's wearing."
"Shut up! I can look at her just fine!" Sanji said. Turning on his heels, he marched out of the kitchen.
"You all shouldn't tease him so much," Selene said.
"The boy deserves it," Patty said. "Besides, he has a crush on you. He's just too shy to say so."
"He's not shy about his feelings towards other women," Carne said.
"That just means his attraction to Selene goes far deeper than a physical attraction," Patty said.
"You two are weird," Selene said.
"They have a point thought," Zeff said as he entered into the kitchen. "It's true that Sanji acts different around you. His hormones are starting to become out of control as he enters into his teenage years. He's always drooling over women yet he doesn't do that with you."
"Don't tell us you never noticed," Carne said.
"I've noticed. But it's not a big deal," Selene said. "Besides we don't see each other that often. I'm fine with the way things are. Well, I better get to my family." She waved to them all. "See you later!"
Selene exited the kitchen. Walking down the stairs to the main part of the restaurant, she instantly spotted Sanji. He was at another table, all heart eyed at a young teenager with long blonde hair. She sighed. A small bubble of jealousy bubbled up inside of her chest. The cooks were right. Sanji never drooled over her like that. But she smiled. She knew her relationship with Sanji was special. None of these other girls he was drooling over would ever be able to sneak into the kitchen like she could. And Sanji would always came to her defense when someone was trying to kick her out of the kitchen or any other time she needed to be defended by him.