Each of the Straw Hat pirates stared in stunned silence. The strange woman seated in their galley was quietly sipping tea that Sanji had prepared. Nami had generously donated some of her clothes to the girl. Titania, as she had called herself, now had a long wrap tied around her waist, saying it was more comfortable to let her legs be free.

"It's been so long since I've walked on dry land," she'd said, that perpetual smile playing on her lips, "I want to enjoy it a bit longer. I guess you could also say that I'm not used to wearing trousers."

Zoro took up a perch as far from the woman as he dared. He wanted to keep an eye on the suspicious girl, but couldn't bring himself to get closer to her. He feigned sleep, but kept one eye cracked open to stay vigilant. Why did she make him feel so vulnerable? And how does she know him?

Chopper had finally come around, and Sanji was busying himself to make a large pot of soup to revitalize the doctor. Meanwhile, Franky and Robin had emerged from below deck to check out all the ruckus. They were currently seated at the table with the self-proclaimed siren along with Luffy, Usopp, and Nami.

Nami was staring Titania down, a dubious expression on her face. "Are you sure you're not a mermaid? We all saw your tail."

"I'm very sure, Miss Nami." The white-haired woman assured her. "Although I may look like one, I'm very much a siren. The differences in appearance may be minute, but sirens serve a higher purpose."

"I don't recall reading much about sirens." Robin commented lightly. "The only mention of such creatures are from ancient folk tales."

Titania nodded, blinking. "Not surprisingly, a lot of our lore has gotten mixed in with mermaids."

"Ah," the historian smiled, "In that case, perhaps I can speak to you more on that subject. It would be a great opportunity."

"Sure," the stranger replied, "Whatever you'd like, Miss Nico Robin."

Zoro scowled. "Why am I the only one who's suspicious of her?! Isn't anyone else the least bit concerned with how she knows all of our names?"

Usopp frowned. "Well, of course we are. But, Zoro, look at her. She's unarmed, and besides, she looks harmless."

"I still don't like it," Zoro grumbled under his breath, averting his gaze, "Something's off about her."

"I assure you, I mean you no harm, Roronoa," the woman insisted, "Your heart is what drew me to you."

For the first time since she'd come aboard, she looked serious, allowing her smile to fade. She brushed back a lock of her hair, staring down at the table as she set her teacup down.

"You keep saying that," Zoro glared, "What do you mean by that?"

Titania stood, keeping her eyes turned away, and went to the porthole that overlooked the ocean. Everyone kept their attention on her.

"You could say that's just part of my curse." she sighed wistfully, placing a hand over the glass. "I can hear the loneliness that resides within the heart - it speaks to me, calling for salvation."

There was silence. Sanji placed bowls of warm soup in front of everyone, but even he was shocked at the strange news that had been unveiled.

Titania turned and cocked her head to the side. "What's with the weird looks?"

"Well," Usopp started, unsure of what to say, "You don't really expect us to believe all of that, do you?"

She frowned, looking every bit as beautiful as she did, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm aware of how unbelievable this must sound, but I really am a siren. I can feel a broken heart as easily as if it were my own." She snuck a glance at the swordsman who was now watching her intently. Their eyes locked for a moment and Zoro could feel the heat rising in his face. She suddenly looked down. "In a way, I share their pain."

Luffy was ignorant to the gravity of the conversation. He continued to pile food onto his plate, oblivious to what was going on around him. Meanwhile, everyone else was focused on the woman's heartfelt explanation.

"I know only too well what it's like to have lost someone I've loved deeply." She sighed, allowing a single tear to fall. She fell silent for a long while, lost in thought. The only sound was Luffy, eating noisily as usual. Zoro shifted where he was sitting, propping an elbow on his knee and leaning his face into his hand. He glared at the floor like a petulant child. For some reason, listening to this story made him uncomfortable.

"Unlike the other daughters of Poseidon, I've only just become a siren. Compared to them, I'm but a child." She continued to face the window, keeping her face hidden. "When a heartbroken soul comes close to death while at sea, they become a child of Poseidon. For me, it came to pass nearly three years ago."

Franky tried to hide the tears that were building in his eyes, but was failing miserably. "That's the saddest story I've ever heard!" He cried into his arm. "You poor girl, losing the lost the love of your life!"

No one was immune to the heart-wrenching story. Even Nami, usually cold and calculating, had a pitying look to her eyes. Zoro felt a weight drop in his chest. So she'd been in love before, so what? Why should he care? He chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to suppress the new flood of emotions that threatened to spill over. It was all so irritating to him.

"What does this have to do with me?" He crossed his arms, shooting a half-hearted glare at the white-haired woman. "Why do I care if you've lost a lover? That's not my problem."

Titania looked over, confused. "What do you mean, Roronoa? It's got a lot to do with you. After all, you're the loneliest person I've ever met. You've been carrying a broken heart for years."

Zoro couldn't contain the anger that flared to the surface. "You don't know what you're talking about!" He was suddenly standing, pointing angrily at the smaller woman. A moment passed in awkward silence; his crewmates, including his usually aloof captain, were all staring intently at him. Taken aback by his own outburst, and confused about his own reasoning, he huffed and withdrew into himself. "Forget it, I'm done listening to this nonsense."

He turned for the door and strode out to the deck. The nerve of this woman, to suggest such ridiculous things… He shook the anger away, trying his best to ignore the wounded look that Titania had shot him as he'd yelled at her. It was as if she were silently pleading with him.

Forget it, he thought to himself. He'd go and train until the irritation and anger subsided.