Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, if I did, Sanji'll be the only character.

Another fine day of picking mikans had been accomplished. Lily dragged a wagon with ten baskets filled to brim but was unsuccessful until Nami came to her assistance; Rose hung around the back while holding onto a long piece of rope that kept the mikans from falling back.

"Rose, you all right?"

"Yeah mom, completely fine...don't worry-" By the time they went into the village, a fifth-teen year old boy came up to the trio from the grocery store.

"Ooooh! Rosey, your boyfriend's here!" teased Lily as the boy removed a glove from his hand and ran his rough hand down Rose's soft face. She did the same to him and received a hug and a kiss on the forehead. Nami gave him a hug too then gestured over to her mikans, he nodded,"Sure, Nami-san, anything..." He counted each basket to give an estimated price.

Even though Nami did come back loaded with treasure and became rich, she still wanted to earn a little more by selling mikans for a living.

"Hm...you need to check with Dad, I'm still learning and stuff..." Takeo rubbed his hand behind his head in confusion. "I'll be out by the docks, Rose-chan, you can come if you want..." She gave a slight blush.

"No thanks..."

"Okay, that's fine, it's break time for me and all...."

The two teens stood there bashfully.

Nami gave a slight smile,"Rose, you can go with him, just bring her back by five so you can eat dinner."

Takeo grinned,"That's great, c'mon, we can feed Chase from his pen!" He grabbed her hand and led her away. The shopkeeper came outside and greeted Nami,"Afternoon Nami, Lily, you got something?"

"Yep, just like always," Nami replied as he hauled the baskets one by one on to his porch and gave them his money. He waved back at them as they took the wagon back. Lily held Nami's hand as they strode down the street.

"Mommy?" Lily asked timidly while her mother went through the nearest clothing shop.

"Uh-huh?"

"Why does Rose have to do this..." She made the hand gesture that required her fingers to touch her own face. "...to everyone she meets?"

"...it's a thing Mommy and Daddy did," Nami lied. Wrong, only she and Sanji did that.

"What does it mean?"

"It just shows your affection for the person you love..."

"I don't see you and Daddy doing it...do you love him?"

She paused between two shirts.

"Of course!" she hesitated slightly.

"By the way, when's Daddy coming home?"

"Today, around your bedtime..."

.:Beach:.

Rose ran around the sandy space, laughing hard with Takeo at her tail. It wasn't long before she ran into something...or someone who seemed to have a stiff posture. She backed away, baffled by this barrier, and tried to go the other direction. Takeo merely helped her up, backing away from the man too.

"W-We're sorry, I, she couldn't see you, her head was turned and...we'll just go," he tried to apologize but was intimidated very easily. The man had a stoic look, but the boy was wise enough to never take chances...especially if the person wasn't a local. As the pair fled, clouds began to form along with the sea tossing and turning about.

.:Home:.

"Takeo! Rose-oneechan!" Lily shouted into the orchard. "Mommy, they didn't come back yet!"

"Just wait a bit longer...go to bed already! Don't go outside," warned Nami. "...there's a storm brewing-"

"Blib-blib-blib-blib-blib-blib!"

"Mommy, dendenmushi!"

"Blib-blib-blib-blib-blib-blib!!" the snail repeated over again."Blibl-blib-bli-"

Click!

"Mushi-mushi?...." Nami greeted quietly.

No answer.

"Hello?"

"Nami? Nami?! Usopp, is this thing working correctly?"

It was Luffy, the King of the Pirates...the man who still needed help with a dendenmushi.

"Of course it's working, you idiot! It took me two hours for me to-" Usopp was cut short in the background.

"Oh-um-Nami?"

"Yeah?"

Silence swept between htem.

"...there's a storm and...well, the Sunny's run a ground near the Baratie, it'll be while before we can get home. Zeff's fine as usual...."

"That's good..."

"...and about Sanji....No one's found him yet, not even Franky and Robin at Water 7....you don't think he's....you know....dead?"

She kept quiet before speaking,"He can't be..."

"Well, we went looking around the entire world for him for fourteen years! What do you think?!" Luffy yelled into the speaker, causing Nami to flinch and nearly burst into tears.

"L-Luffy-I-"

"No-no, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized hastily. "I guess we'll see each other in a bit..."

"How's Trace?"

"Trace? Got a little seasick, Chopper's taking care of him..."

"Hm....tell him good-night and I love him..."

"I will..."

...Click!

And the conversation was done.

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