"Nira's going to be alright," said Chopper as he walked out of his office and looked at Sanji who took immediate notice that Zoro did not come out along with him, "Zoro is staying with her for a bit."

"Aww!" Madeline cooed, "That's just too cute."

She laughed inwardly as she watched Chopper hesitate when he saw Sanji's eye twitch.

"You know Sanji…" Chopper began while slowly backing away to the shelter of the men's quarters, "She hasn't really eaten anything and-"

"Really?!" Sanji exclaimed, "Then I'll get right on it!"

--

I laughed a bit more at the extremely sweet blonde's enthusiasm as I slid down the wall behind me while watching Sanji bound off into the kitchen.

I removed my barrette from the top of my head and messed around with it in my hands and my mind wandered to Luffy. I really didn't want him or the others to find out about all of this or my "little" fear.

I sighed as Yuuri landed beside me and watched me switch my brown barrette between my hands.

"Are you going to be alright?" she asked as she watched me intently.

I nodded at her. I could tell she was staring at my seriously bruised wrist. I smiled to myself seeing that she was concerned.

"Ow…" she whined, "If I had arms I would hug you."

"Haha. It's fine," I chuckled, "I need to speak to Luffy though."

Yuuri nodded to me.

"Be right back then," she told me as she flew off to some part of the ship.

"Really?!" screamed Luffy, "Okay!"

I smiled slightly as he skidded to a stop in front of me.

"What's up?" he asked as his eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Sit, will you," I told as I patted a section of the deck beside me.

"'Kay," he replied and plopped down by my side, cross-legged, "What is it?"

"I'm sorry…" I said in a large sigh.

He tilted his head in confusion.

"For what?"

"I didn't want you all to find out…" I mumbled.

"About the Marines thing?" he said, "It's fine."

I connected gazes with him and I was amazed.

He really didn't care about it. He still had that bright eyed and bushy tailed air about him like when we first met.

"Heck, Zoro was a pirate hunter. Just watch him fight sometime and you will see why everyone fears him," he stated suddenly, "Though I wouldn't ask him for directions. He couldn't find his way out of a paper bag."

"I heard that!" exclaimed Zoro's semi-muffled voice.

Luffy's eyes returned to me and he had a wide grin plastered on his face and for some odd reason… I couldn't help, but grin as well.

"HAHAHAHA!" I laughed while I stared back at him, "I like you Luffy."

"I like you too," he said back to me, "That's why you're my nakama. And Nira too."

"Awww!" I squealed and clamped onto his shoulders.

A few tears escaped my eyes when I shut them as I squeezed him close to me.

"Thanks Luffy…"

My eyes opened shortly once I felt his own arms wrap around me as well.

"It's okay," he said sweetly, still with a smile, "Just don't cry, alright?"

"Alright," I replied back with a laugh.

He laughed along with me, but stopped a few seconds later. I smiled, knowing exactly what he wanted as I watched his entire body shift towards the kitchen.

"SANJI!" he screamed, "I WANT MEAT!"

There was no answer from the kitchen.

"SA-"

"Hold up Luffy. Let me try," I cut off. I altered my attitude slightly and put on a happy and sweet persona. "Yo! Sanji-kun!"

The sound of his shoes hurriedly running to the kitchen door reached my ears and I smiled. Once he appeared in the door way I laughed at the sight that his eye had a gigantic heart.

"Yes?!" he exclaimed in a love struck voice, "How can I help you, Captain Madeline?"

"We're kinda hungry…"

"Really?!" he exclaimed happily and then motioned us to come, "Then why don't you come on in."

I nodded affirmatively as I started to trail after him and looked to Luffy. He was right behind me and apparently extremely grateful to the fact that I had gotten Sanji that quickly. I smiled more and moved out of the way for the captain and he took my gesture very willingly. Although I could tell Sanji wasn't too happy about it.

As I entered the door frame, I felt someone's hand grip my wrist and tug at it slightly.

"Come look at this," came Nami's hushed voice as she pulled a little more on my arm.

I nodded to her and quickly followed.

"Now, you have to be quiet," she told me while she held the door handle.

As I confirmed that I understood, she opened the door slowly. I smiled at the sight I saw.

There the two of them were. Nira was sitting upright in her bed asleep, her mid-thigh length hair crumpling up behind her back and Zoro sitting in a chair at the bed side with his head resting on her lap, asleep as well.

Nami signaled for us to head back to the kitchen while shutting the door silently.

--

My right eye opened as the sound of the door clicking shut reached my ears.

"Okay," I said, 'They're gone."

"You know, they're not going to let us live this down," he stated as he sat up.

"Yeah. Yeah. I know."

"So…"

--

"SHUT UP WILL YOU LUFFY!" Sanji screamed as we entered the kitchen.

"But I'm HUUUNNNNGRYYY!" Luffy whined

Sanji raised his arm quickly in annoyance at his captain's complaining.

"Woah," I said as Nami and I took a seat at the table, "Violence."

Sanji froze in his position and looked to the both of us. His smile returned to his face immediately.

"I'm sorry," he told us and smacked Luffy over the head anyways as he turned his attention back to him, "I don't care if you're hungry! You still have to wait."

--

After a long conversation about how I trained, Zoro became curious about me and my past.

"Now what about you?" he asked.

"Well… There's nothing to my story actually. I worked for the Navy for a few years, left, stole Yuuri, and met Madeline along the way."

Zoro nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but the door was suddenly thrown open. My eyes sunk as the knob of the door slammed into the wooden wall behind it and my dear friend stood in the door frame.

"Allo!" she exclaimed in a happy voice.

Both mine and Zoro's gaze went straight to her and the two steaming plates of food she had in each hand.

Zoro nodded again, but to her this time and stood up as well as stopping me from getting up. He took one of the plates from her and easily handed it to me.

"Thanks," he said for me while he sat back down.

I laughed inwardly as I watched Madeline's face scrunch up into a confused expression. It always seemed to make me laugh when she tilted her head when she was confused.

"Are you gonna take your plate?" she asked him, "Or are you just going to sit there and let the food get cold?"

Zoro turned to her slightly and stared at her and then at the plate.

"That's mine?" he asked.

"Well, duh," Madeline said with a "Point out the obvious" tone, "Who else's would it be?"

"Oh…" he said as he stood up again and retrieved the plate.

"Haha," Madeline chuckled, "I'm just giving you a hard time."

Zoro looked over at her and cocked an eyebrow at her, seeing that innocent smile she gave.

Suddenly Luffy screamed.

"HEY MADELINE!" his loud voice echoed, "What's up with this stick?!"

"You touch that stick and you won't see the light of tomorrow!" she yelled back and took off to the kitchen in a sprint.

Zoro had jumped at her sudden out burst and nearly choked on his meat. I chuckled at his surprised reaction. Luckily for me, I was completely used to her yelling bursts.

My eyes traveled to Madeline and I watched her skid to a stop as Luffy came sliding out of the kitchen. She turned back to Zoro and me with, yet again, a confused expression. The two of us shrugged in reply and then Sanji came walking out of the door frame.

"She warned you, didn't she?" he remarked as he calmly strode out of the door, 'Here you are."

He smiled extremely sweetly as he stopped in front of her and held the staff out. I could tell she was grinned back when she turned around to look at him to take the staff back.

--

The sound of plates crashing and breaking and curse words being said echoed as Madeline gripped Naoki. The two of them faced Chopper's office and Sanji's eye widened at the sight of the broken dishes. Madeline took notice and turned right back around to him.

"I'll take care of it, Sanji-kun," she told him as she spun him around gently and pushed him back into the kitchen.

She let out a sigh and threw all of her attention back at Chopper's office. She sped over to the room, where Zoro was finishing up picking the broken porcelain off the floor and she offered out her hands.

"Would you like me to take that?" the red head asked.

"Yes," he answered back while carefully setting the pieces in her hands, "Be careful. There are some really sharp edges."

'Will do!" she said affirmatively and headed back to the kitchen. "Hey Sanji," she started as she entered the kitchen, "I have some broke-"

"Oh my!" he said, "Why are you carrying those?"

The blonde took the multi-sized shards of broken dishes from her gently and swiftly and dumped them into the nearest trash can.

"Are you cut?"

--

"No," I said with a smile, "I'm fine. Really I am."

He smiled back at me and let out a sigh in relief.

"Then are you actually hungry tonight?" he asked me as he pulled out a chair and motioned me to it, "I have just finished preparing your plate."

I smiled wide as I hurriedly walked over to the chair and plopped down into it, my head going back so I could look at him better.

"Thanks!"

He nodded and quickly went to get my plate. He was extremely fast in all honesty and not too mention swift as he came back, expertly moving around the chairs. Sanji slid the plate off his hand and in front of me smoothly then took a seat right between Nami and me.

"Now, I think we would all like to know a bit more about you, Madeline," Sanji stated out of nowhere as I started to eat.

I froze in my spot slightly and gulped the food I had in my mouth quietly. My eyes went to the table before me.

"I just want to know why you had gotten so afraid of Smoker," said Nami, "I mean you were pretty shook up."

"Well…" I started, "I was…"

Suddenly a loud thump sounded from outside. I sighed heavily suddenly.

"And she says I'm the worse one…" I said while I stuck my fork into the fish on my plate.


DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ONE PIECE!!

I'm sorry that it's taken this long to get this out... Seeing that I've been working on Happy Meal as well, so yeah. But I am doing my best. I am also doing what I can to improve my writing so I'm hoping that either the tenth or the eleventh chapter will be written better. Please review!!

-Love Maruri