Chapter 2: Eating with them

Luffy came banging through the door, laughing at something Usopp said. "ZORO! DINNER IS READY!" Luffy yelled into the room, causing Zoro open his eyes and look at the captain.

"I'm up, okay?" Zoro got up slowly, feeling a bit better after having a nap. He followed Luffy loosely behind, not exactly in a rush.

He entered the galley, everyone already chatting away. Sanji was still tossing stir-fry in the pan, his finesse in the actions completely perfect. Although he would never admit it out loud, Sanji had to be the best at what he does.

"Oi! Marimo! Go get Buru-beri!" Sanji ended the sentence in dripping sweetness.

"Why should I have to get her?" Zoro grumbled, annoyed with the love-cook already.

"Because you're standing and everyone one else is sitting," Sanji reasoned, setting a plate of food on the table. This was almost immediately engulfed by Luffy.

"Fine," he left for the infirmary, hoping that their current patient was sleeping.

He paused in front of the door, and took a deep breath. Opening the door he peeked in childishly, hoping she was dead asleep. Maybe even asleep enough to skip the meal.

She was sleeping pretty soundly to his delight. A petit snore was evident, her hair was spread out against the pillow, and one of her hands was behind her head, the other on her stomach. She looked almost cute. Especially since she was not wearing what Zoro thought were hideously printed shirts. She was sporting one of Nami's pajamas, which was a plain blue.

He took a deep breath, and nudged her shoulder. She stirred a bit, rolling onto her right side, facing him. "Not now Sir, I'm sleeping…" Zoro grinned at her response.

Zoro cleared his throat, and spoke in a deep gruff voice, "Sergeant Major Tashigi, wake up now!" He chuckled, watching her sit right up, bleary eyed and confused.

"I swear Captain! I didn't eat the last of the strawberries!" She looked around, analyzing her surroundings. She blinked, "I don't seem to be in my room sir, where am I?" Zoro continued to restrain himself from laughing.

"You are in the infirmary on Mugiwara's ship."

"OH NO CAPTAIN, YOU WERE CAUGHT TOO?" Tashigi cried out, looking around for her glasses. Zoro burst out in laughter, placing her glasses in her hands. "Oh, thank you!" She put them on, and looked straight up at Zoro. She blinked several times, not taking her eyes away from him. A grin crept on to his lips as he finished laughing at her. Tashigi blushed immensely, not having felt this embarrassed in a quite awhile.

"By the way, dinner is ready. Sanji made stir-fry and tempura sea king." Zoro looked away, and walked towards the door. "Get up, let's go," he commanded, waiting for her.

"Why should I, you guys are pirates, heavily wanted pirates at that!"

"Because they saved you, and you're hungry. Hurry up, or the love-cook is going to yell at me for taking my time. Plus, Luffy might eat everything."

Tashigi grumbled, getting out of the bed, and followed Zoro as he walked out the door. They walked quietly for a moment, Tashigi fuming from the trick he pulled earlier. "Don't think I'm not mad at you still Roronoa! You lied to me! And then just now, you tricked me!"

"I never lied. You never asked for my name, nor did you even recognize me for who I was. And it's your own damn fault for now knowing my voice from you precious Captain's." Zoro changed the subject, ignoring her protests of how he was such an evil pirate, working for such an evil man. "Does he like strawberries or something? You claimed not to have eaten them all."

"That is none of your business!" She replied angrily, surprised when the galley door swung open, revealing Sanji's pride of the boat, his beautiful kitchen.

"Ah, buru-beri! You have awakened, and how are you?" He exclaimed to her, getting on one knee, and holding her hand up to his lips. "For you mademoiselle, I greet you with a kiss." Sanji puckered his lips, and before they landed on her land, his body was flung across the kitchen, Zoro acting as he had done nothing.

"YOU SHITTY SWORDSMANS, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Sanji yelled, looking like he was ready to fight.

"Because I felt like it, got a problem with it?" Zoro scoffed, sitting down at the table, grabbing a plate and meat that seemed to have evaded Luffy's eyes. Before he could take a bite, Sanji swung his left leg towards the marimo, crashing it into the back of his neck, face planting him into his own food. Sanji reverted back to watching the food in the kitchen, paying no mind to the furious swordsman.

"Tashigi, ignore them, come sit next to me!" Nami called her over. Ever since Vivi had been with them, she felt sympathy for any woman that had to deal with these men on a daily basis, however temporary it might be.

Tashigi's eyes grew to the size of plates, seeing Robin sitting at the table. She gawked, not knowing what to do in surprise. "I-It's her, the-the one that de-defeated m-me at Arabasta! Nico Robin!"

"Ah, I remember you glasses-san, it's nice to see you under different circumstances." Robin looked at her, greeting her with the lovely smile that Sanji swooned over. "I have no reason to do you harm, its fine."

"She's right, none of us do" Nami explained, yet again.

"How can pirates show hospitality to a marine? When we get to the next island, you guys will be arrested!"

"Well actually, the next island is pirate-friendly, and then after that is an uninhabited island, and then there is a marine base on the one after that. We show hospitality seeing as we know we can defeat anyone who gives us any trouble. Plus, by then you could change your mind. It'll be a few weeks." Nami explained more clearly to the very nervous marine. "Come sit."

Tashigi stubbornly sat next to Nami, across from Zoro. She glared at him, before receiving a plate of food from Sanji. She closed her eyes and took a bite, expecting the worst. "Mmm!" Her eyes opened, looking at the food. "This is absolutely delicious!" She took another bite, a smile coming to her lips.

The table filled with small chatter, Tashigi just listening to them, trying to understand why this group of pirates seemed to be different compared to any other pirates. They were all very close to each other, and despite fighting among themselves constantly, they cared for each other. Even in Zoro and Sanji's quarreling, there was a certain respect evident.

"Wait Sanji!" Tashigi blurted out, Sanji stopped himself from leaving the table, looking at her "Are you really 'Black-Leg' Sanji? That picture looks nothing like you." As soon as the last word left her mouth, Sanji was by her side, serenading her once again.

"I am truly him! Do you really think it looks nothing like me? I'm glad to hear that from such a beautiful woman. That illustration is an abomination. It's unfortunate that they don't have a real photo of me." He sighed, holding her hand to his cheek. He continued rambling, though soon stopped when Zoro boot met his face.

"Stop swooning over her and help clean." Zoro grumbled under his breath. He walked towards the kitchen, starting to clean the plates that had stacked up after their meal.

"Eh? What's his problem?" Nami wondered aloud, gossiping towards Robin.

"I'm not sure; he's rather defensive when it comes to glasses-san." Robin giggled, ignoring the obvious glaring from Zoro. He paid attention to the dishes again.

"Zoro said something about her looking like an old friend of his." Franky butted into the conversation. "Someone really close. Most likely she was a lover," he grinned in a rather deviant manner, taking a pose. "SUUUPER! "

"Zoro doesn't exactly come off as someone to have a lover." Usopp also entered the conversation. "Probably someone he was close to when he was young. Probably someone that he had crossed blades with. Probably someone similar her."

"Quit with the 'probably someone' approach, it's annoying." Nami ordered, thumping him on the head.

"Maybe a childhood friend?" Chopper jumped in, hating the thought of being excluded from a group discussion. Nami nodded, accepting the idea.

Tashigi started to feel insulted listening to their conversation. 'How rude can they get, I'm right here, and Zoro's with in ear shot too. Are they dumb?' She cleared her throat, reminding them that she and Zoro were still in their presents. They looked at her with slightly frightened faces.

"We weren't talking about you, I swear!" Usopp cried, fearing another woman's wrath. He raised his hands up to his face, not wanting to be hit.

"It's alright Tashigi, you can hit Usopp and Franky, they can handle it," Zoro chuckled, sensing her annoyance with their conversation.

"I am not going to participate in you people's childish antics!" She walked over to Zoro, bonking him on the head, and leaving the galley.

"OI! WHAT DID YOU HIT ME FOR?"

Her head appeared in the door way, looking straight at him, "because I felt like it! Got a problem with that?" She stuck her tongue out at him, leaving to return to infirmary. He growled, scrubbing the dishes a little rougher than had been doing before.

"If you ask me," Luffy started, speaking between bites, "that was pretty childish." He laughed, following her in curiosity. Everyone tilted their head in confusion, wondering what their Captain could be up to at a time like this. Luffy swallowed the rest of his food, and caught up with the swordswoman. "Oi, jou-chan! Wait for me!"

Tashigi turned to see the captain following her. She stood still, waiting for him to catch up. He panted a second, and then looked at her with his normally bright smile. "Jou-chan, I just wanted you to know that we very much intend to return you to a marine base island. You are safe while you are here. You'll just have to put up with our antics and playing. We're really nice!" He finished off with his trade mark laugh of 'he he'. "And don't give Zoro too much trouble; he already has to deal with one controlling woman like the rest of us."

"How can you expect me to trust your words? What if you hold me for ransom?"

"Who'd want to go through such a boring process to get a bit of beri?" He started walking away, returning to the galley. "Oh, and you can go where you please. Chopper said to take it easy on the ankle though."

She looked down at her ankle that she tried not to put pressure on, and took note of the advice. "Thank you, Mugiwara."

"No problem!" He said, having entered the galley finally.

She curled her toes, feeling the grass on the deck. The wind was relatively light, and the moon was almost full. She sat down where she stood, and decided to look at the sky. Her body felt tied, but her mind was very busy thinking about everything that was going on. She couldn't help but feel alright. They saved a country. They fought bad guys. They didn't pillage. The Mugiwaras were more of vigilantes then anything.

She was just going to have to trust them, that was all there was to it.