Author's Note: So, I just had a nasty scare yesterday… My laptop blue screened a few hours after posting chapter 11! O.O I ended up having to reload my laptop. Everything was saved on the D drive though, so I didn't lose anything. :) All my fics, stories, RPs and music are safe! Woo! However, it seemed the problem was still persisting… I wasn't sure what the issue was. My husband had said it could be my hard drive… So I was really scared! D: I thought I'd lose everything! Well, not everything, I have back ups of all my stories, fics and RPs, but I would have lost my music! D: However, it just turned out to be a bad download. xD I deleted the folder and redownloaded it. Everything is fine now! xD I'm happeh~! Anyways, on to the next chapter. xD

Possession

Chapter 12

"Lift up your hands where I can see them… now," Luffy said, pressing the blade more into the blonde man's throat and forcing the man to obey.

"Luffy!" Nami cried more frantically as she turned about in the water.

Shifting his eyes towards her, Luffy finally called out, "I'm here." He then nudged the man, urging him to step out. "Avert your eyes," he said to the man as he stepped forward, and the blonde obeyed.

Nami turned and at seeing the other man stepping out with Luffy, she gasped and dipped down into the water to hide her body. "What the hell is this!?" she demanded with a scowl.

"Just a man…" Luffy said, removing the sword at the man's side to hold onto and briefly pat him down to check for any concealed weapons. He then checked in the pack the man was carrying, but found nothing, but plants inside. "Turn around," he ordered and the man obeyed.

As soon as he turned, Nami quickly got out of the water and wiped herself down with the towel she had brought with her. She dressed just as quickly and approached them. "What the hell did you think you were doing?" she demanded of the man as she approached him.

"Nami," Luffy said in a voice which left little room for misunderstanding in its warning.

"He was peeping at me!" Nami spat in her anger as she looked back at Luffy.

"Aah, I apologize, my lady, but I could not resist such beauty as yours," the man said with a soft chuckle as he turned to face her. "Please, forgive me. To make up for my transgression, allow me to make you a delicious meal; something most needed out here in the wild. I can turn any simple meal into a master piece." He plucked a nearby flower from its bush and bowed to her elegantly as he held it out to her, but she merely slapped it away. He looked up at her with his one visible, big eye and blinked at her reaction.

"You can cook anything?" Luffy asked, instantly perking with interest.

"Luffy, don't you dare-"

"Wait, wait, hold on," Luffy said, holding up his hand towards Nami, but keeping his eyes on the man. "Just how good of food are we talking?"

"Luffy!" Nami exclaimed, beyond furious.

Setting aside her reaction, he turned towards the dark haired man and smiled more brightly. "Very good; so good, in fact, the delicate taste will bring tears to your eyes. I am the best cook on this continent. I have a wide variety of knowledge of recipes as well as herbs and vegetation, which is why I was out here in the first place. For starters, you're stepping on an herb now, as we speak," he said and pointed down to their feet. "I was picking them when I noticed the lovely lady in the water."

Luffy quickly looked down and took a step back off the plant he was currently stepping on. Nami huffed, placing her hands on her hips as she glared at this stranger. "I don't care what you can do. I will not be disrespected!"

"On the contrary… I have great respect for your beauty. It's as if one could not tear their gaze away from beautiful scenery," the man said and smiled to her.

"I am not scenery!" Nami exclaimed with a scowl.

"Again, I apologize, my lady. Allow me to make you a meal, and if you don't like it, you can do whatever you please with me. If you do like it, I will travel with you and cook all of your meals," Sanji said, tilting his head to the side as he smiled his charming smile to her.

"All of our meals?" Luffy whispered with huge eyes.

"I could not dare part with such a beautiful woman such as she," the man said, again bowing to her.

Turning to Nami with his huge eyes, Luffy then said, "It wouldn't hurt to give him a try. If it's bad… then we can beat him up…"

Shifting her eyes to Luffy, Nami was silent for some time, but then she sighed and said, "I suppose it would beat your cooking…"

Luffy nodded emphatically and looked over to the man with a smile. "Name's Luffy, and this is Nami."

"Ah, such a beautiful name to go with such a beautiful woman. It is an honor… I am Sanji, my lady," Sanji said as he took her hand and tenderly kissed the back of it.

Instantly, she pulled her hand away and took a step back. "You are not to touch me," she said, her voice cold and unforgiving.

"As you wish, my lady," he said, bowing his head.

"Camp's back this way. Let's go," Luffy said, thumbing behind him and urging him to go first as he handed back his pack.

Sanji took his pack back slowly, staring at this man curiously for a moment before moving forward. "I'll need my horse. It has all of my equipment and necessary ingredients," he said, and Luffy nodded.

As they came into the camp, Zoro was already skinning some rabbits he had caught for their dinner. He looked up and immediately paused to frown. "Who the hell is this?"

"Zoro, Usopp, this is Sanji, Sanji, this is Zoro and Usopp," Luffy said with a bright smile as he motioned his hand to both men. "Sanji was peeping at Nami while she bathed. So, he's going to cook dinner for us. He said he's really good at it."

"Must you say it so happily?" Nami gripped as she plopped down onto her log.

"How are you not dead?" Zoro asked and glanced at the blonde man suspiciously.

"Dead?" Sanji asked in confusion as his brows lifted up in question, and then he glanced towards Luffy, assuming he would have been the one to do the killing. Were he and the lady together?

"Yeah, I'm surprised the witch didn't kill you," Zoro said, frowning even more deeply.

"I can do so for you, if you'd like," Nami said, glaring hatefully at Zoro.

"No thanks…"

"Witch?" Sanji asked, looking even more shocked at the man before frowning. "How dare you speak about the lady in such a rude manner!?"

"Finally, someone willing to stick up for me," Nami muttered under her breath.

"Rude?" Zoro asked and lifted a brow. "She really is a witch… you know… with power…" He then glanced to Luffy. "She didn't try to kill him?"

"Of course not," Luffy said with a frown. "I already told her she can't hurt anyone else."

"You don't tell me what to do…" Nami grumbled weakly.

"Wait," Sanji said as he lifted a hand, very confused, and then he looked over to Nami. "A real witch? You're… a witch…?"

"That's right," Nami said, lifting her chin at him with a cold look to her eyes. "Must I prove it to you?"

"Nami," Luffy said again with that same warning tone and look.

Everyone's eyes shifted to Luffy, even Nami's. Her eyes narrowed, but then she rolled them away, conceding to his demands.

Zoro looked very surprised by this as he looked between Luffy and Nami. His eyes shifted to Luffy, and they narrowed slightly. Somehow, Luffy was able to control the witch. His eyes then shifted back to Nami, but she also controlled him. Not only that, but this man could also resist her magic without any outside assistance, unlike himself. An interesting turn of events… This man really was special…

Usopp cleared his throat in hopes to quell the tension which had developed over the group. "S-So… y-you're going to cook for us?"

"That's right," Sanji replied in hesitation as he looked over to Usopp, but then he forced a smile. "I am a professional chef. I've mastered my culinary skills by traveling about and learning from some of the best. I see you've gotten started for me," he said, nodding to Zoro and the rabbits. He then turned to remove a larger pack from his horse and removed a pot. "Will you be so kind as to fill this with water for me?" he asked Usopp, sitting nearby.

"Uh, s-sure…" Usopp said, taking the pot and doing as he was asked.

Author's Note: Talk about the tension! D: It's so thick, I could cut it like a cake and eat it! D: Mmm… cake… I want cake! D: Oh wait, but I has ice cream! :D Mmm, buttered pecan ice cream… Stay tuned for the next chapter. xD