Dawn found the Straw Hat Crew sleeping lustily, as everyone recuperated from the battle with the Marines. The sun rose slowly, as though it was giving the pirates a few more moments of blessed sleep before having to wake up. One member of the crew was already away—Sanji refused to let the most important meal of the day be neglected, and he was always up before the sun to make sure that the first meal was delicious. Robin joined him, sipping on the mug of coffee he always poured minutes before she entered. She was soon joined by Nami, who was reading the newspaper.

When Luffy and the other boys barreled into the galley, that was when the day truly began.

"Lightly buttered croissants and spinach omelets with a sprinkle of cheese and freshly chopped tomatoes on top," Sanji crooned, placing two daintily arranged plates in front of Nami and Robin. "Here," he growled to the rest of them, dumping an enormous pan full of fried eggs and bacon in front of them. "Here's toast, too," he continued, placing a large basket full of hot loaves of bread on the table. He went to the stove and carefully ladled thin anchovy broth into a large bowl. "Chopper, I'm taking the invalid his meal."

"Tell me that isn't soup," Zoro said immediately upon spying Sanji. "I've been drinking so much soup that I feel like my innards are going to become liquid soon."

"Eat it. It's delicious," Sanji insisted, shoving the bowl in front of the unwilling swordsman. "I made it especially for you."

"Only because Nami asked you to," Zoro shot back, reluctantly gulping down a spoonful of the broth. He wouldn't deny that it was indeed delicious—the chef even varied the broths that he gave Zoro, to relieve the monotony—but it was still just liquid. He wanted a hunk of meat to sink his teeth into, or even just a mouthful of rice. He finished the broth and made a face pointedly at the cook.

"Alright, alright, I'll ask Chopper if you can be upgraded to solids." Sanji left and returned a few minutes later with an amused look on his face. "The doctor says that you can eat certain solids now."

"Yes!"

"…such as gruel, porridge, applesauce, jelly, yogurt, pudding…" Sanji went on.

"I'm not an infant," Zoro grumbled.

"You certainly take enough naps to undermine that argument."

"…shut up."

"If you're done eating, I've got dishes to do. You're going on dish duty as soon as you get better, you cabbage head."

---

Zoro and Tashigi walked through the mountain pass that would lead them to the next city—the City of Sakura. Tashigi chattered on about all attractions the city had to offer, lamenting the fact that no sakura blossoms would be falling during this time. Zoro listened patiently, watching in amazement as even when they were fighting monsters, she was still light-hearted and cheerful.

"You sure are happy today," he remarked, slicing through a rogue Mountain Bear that had decided to attack them away from its group.

She beamed at him, looking at the items that the bear had dropped. "Ooh, a 'Mountain Bear Fang!'"

"What does that do? Do you just sell it?" he asked curiously.

She looked at him in utter shock. "Fangs are the rarest drops for monsters! Claws, fur, and feathers are pretty common, but fangs almost never drop."

"…and this is relevant because…?"

"You can make a special item if you collect a fang from the highest-level monster in each monster subclass! These Mountain Bears are the strongest bears in the game. The other animals would probably be tigers and dragons and so on, but I'm not sure which one we'll encounter next."

"Like this?" Zoro reached into his Inventory and pulled out the 'Tundra Wolf Fang' that he had picked up (A/N: See Chapter 5).

She squealed as she saw the claw, but covered her mouth in embarrassment as he raised an eyebrow.

"…that was kind of…" he mumbled.

"What?"

"…cute."

The rest of the walk was conducted in mortified silence from both sides.

---

The City of Sakura was famous in The World for many things. First and foremost—the history. The administrators had built the city to resemble a city that was famous for its culture and the arts. Exhibits, museums, art shows, and the like were all the rage. As a result of all of this art, a black market had developed in the city that thrived not only on jewels and precious ornaments but weapons and other items as well. The flourishing black market was where many of the characters of a more dubious nature met. One would be led to believe that this would make the city exciting.

"This is really boring."

"Well, I didn't know that you wouldn't be interested in the katana exhibit they have over here."

"If I can't use them, I don't care."

"What about the tea ceremony?"

"…ugh…"

"The museum of abstract art?"

"Listen, Tashigi. If I wanted to be bored enough for my brain fluid to run down my ears, then I'd definitely be all for it. But I want to do something that pumps adrenaline in my system."

"Tsk, fine…"

As they walked around the city, looking for an NPC in need of help or an interesting activity, Zoro suddenly stopped, peering down an alleyway.

"What's up?" she inquired, looking in the same direction. She saw another player scuttling quickly down the alleyway, looking around in all directions.

Definitely suspicious.

"Remember what that Uzumaki idiot told us? About the City of Sakura having a great black market?" Zoro replied, a look of excitement breaking through his boredom. "Looks like we just might find it." He immediately ran after the other player, dragging Tashigi behind him.

The narrow space between two tall buildings was empty; there wasn't even a side door to the neighboring buildings. Zoro walked silently, making sure that his armor didn't make a single sound. They walked until they met a plain wooden door; otherwise, it was a dead end. Zoro tested the door, finding that there were no visible knobs or handles. Tashigi pushed him aside and rapped smartly on the wooden surface. A thin slit at eye-level was slid open, revealing a pair of dark eyes.

"Who're you?" a stern voice demanded.

"We're here to buy," Zoro replied, just as gruffly. "Open up, or we'll cut our way through."

The pair of eyes surveying them had looked dubious when Tashigi had stepped up, but crinkled with laughter upon spying Zoro. "Come on in." The door opened, and the duo slipped through quietly. It shut without a slight thud, leaving them in yet another narrow space.

"Damn, couldn't you have invested in some breathing space?" Zoro groused. The man who had opened the door chuckled, his prodigious moustache bristling slightly under his glasses as he laughed.

"It'll get better. I had been apprehensive when I saw a Paladin, of all people, trying to get in. But if she's in the company of an Obsidian Knight, then she must be in the right place. Please, continue down this passage." The man bowed, gesturing down the hall.

"Hrmph," Zoro snorted as they walked on. "What do you think he meant by that? About our classes."

Tashigi chuckled when he asked. "The classes that we were offered at reincarnation weren't just based on our previous stats and classes, you know. I mean, there are certain classes that are only attainable through certain routes, but it also depends on your personality. Paladins are supposed to be virtuous, or something. I'm guessing that Obsidian Knights are a darker edge of the blade, neh?"

"After seeing you wipe out Sanji, I'm surprised that you were really a Paladin."

"He had it coming to him."

They reached the end of the hall to find a large warehouse filled with rows and rows of merchandise. The players gathered here were of a dubious nature—Zoro could only pick out a few of the classes, but it was enough to generalize to the whole population. An Assassin was sorting through a basket full of what appeared to be poisoned caltrops (Zoro thought back to his own ninja supplies with regret—he hadn't had time to experiment with them very much, since they weren't compatible with his new class). A Night Elf was examining cages full of what appeared to be tiny, vicious gnomes sporting sharp teeth. A Nightshade was looking at a dark purple crystal in the light that matched the violet shades of her clothing.

"Robin?" Zoro yelped, recognizing the last figure. Indeed, the shapely magic user was shopping here.

"Oh, swordsman-san. What a pleasant surprise," she greeted them genially, placing the crystal back on the soft velvet it had been sitting on and waving to them. All eyes in the room turned to look at them, and Tashigi flushed when they all seemed to stare at her.

"A Paladin? What the hell was the gatekeeper thinking?"

"That's an Obsidian Knight, though. Never seen one of those before."

"Kind of looks like a Dragoon, doesn't he? But he uses swords, not spears…"

"Still, a Paladin?"

"Best finish up quick, then."

The whispers that spread around the room did not fail to conceal their words effectively, and Tashigi covered her face. It was like being singled out as a Marine amongst pirates.

Come to think of it, all these people probably were pirates in the real world.

"So, swordsman-san, are you on a date?"

"…we're just looking around."

"Oh, of course, how presumptuous of me. I'll just be going, then…have fun." She winked slyly before turning around and leaving.

"Damned woman," he muttered under his breath. "C'mon, let's see what they have to offer." The two swordsmen predictably homed in on the weapons that were for sale.

"These are all splendid blades, but not nearly as good as 'True Air,'" Tashigi mused, drawing a blue blade that sparked upon contact with the air. "Do you think we'll find our old swords here?"

"No idea. But the swords that we got from that tournament seem like they'll last us a while. I doubt that the stupid Pirate Hunter will let go of Wado Ichimonji or Sandai Kitetsu, anyway." Zoro tensed as he felt someone place a hand of his shoulder and immediately drew his swords, letting them rest against the throat of the stranger who had come up from behind.

"Ara ara, that's dangerous," the man said with a smile peeking out from under a green and white bucket hat. "I believe you were mentioning Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu?"

Zoro slowly lowered his blade, keeping his defenses up. "And what if I was?"

"I just thought that it was such an odd coincidence that you would mention that. Fact is, a fellow came in a few days ago wearing three swords. Things like that stick out, you know. Someone offered to buy the blades from him—all very fine quality, very fine!—but he refused adamantly. He said something about how it would affect his image."

Zoro stiffened as Tashigi smothered a soft gasp behind him. "Who was it?" Zoro asked, feigning nonchalance.

"He called himself the Pirate Hunter."

"Aha!" Zoro cried. "Knew it! Old man, do you know where he went?"

The man tapped his wooden sandals on the floor, his black coat swishing slightly with the movement. "I'm not that old, you know," he pouted. "But he said he was going to stick around the city for another week. We're holding an auction in two days, you know? We'll only be selling the best items there."

"Where is this going to be held?" Tashigi asked politely.

The man raised his eyebrows at her appearance, but responded just as courteously. "It will be held in this room. Of course, it will be revamped and remade to accommodate the participants, but if you have already come then you should have no problem coming back again."

"Ah, thanks, mister," Zoro said in relief. "Are you a regular customer here?"

The man laughed airily. "Me? I'm just a mere honest, handsome, perverted businessman. My name is Urahara. Kisuke Urahara. Nice to meet you…?" he said, waiting for their names.

"Zoro. Roronoa Zoro," Zoro supplied shortly.

"Tashigi. Pleasure to meet you."

"Zoro-kun, is it? You would be wise to be careful around the Pirate Hunter. His level is nothing to be sneezed at. One Warlock tried to take his swords forcefully. The remains…" Urahara led them to a row filled with jars of strange animals and unidentifiable items. He picked up a jar with a severed head floating inside. He held it in front of them, and they saw that the gruesome item was labeled as "Warlock's Head."

"That's disgusting," Tashigi groaned. "You have a strange following, Zoro."

"Shut up! I don't know why he does what he does!" Zoro snapped.

"Oooh!" Urahara crowed as he stared at Zoro. "You look just like him!"

"You mean he looks just like ME, right?" Zoro snarled, grabbing Urahara by the front of his robes. "Because I'm the bloody original, damnit!"

"You've never heard of cosplay?" Urahara asked in surprise. "It's all the rage in The World right now."

"What the hell is that?" Zoro growled. Urahara led them to yet another aisle filled with racks of clothing.

"Is that a French maid's outfit?" Tashigi asked curiously.

"What, cat ears weren't enough?" Zoro teased, turning to cover the slight flush spreading across his cheeks. Tashigi, in a French maid outfit? he thought hazily. Sugoi.

"'Roronoa Zoro' has lost (2) Virtue Points."

"What the hell?" Zoro mumbled to himself. "I didn't even do anything!"

"Pervert. Whatever you were thinking, you're a pervert," Tashigi said.

"Yes, that is a French maid outfit," Urahara interrupted. "But more importantly is this." He pulled over a shelf of clothing, and Zoro's jaw dropped. "Special Edition, Straw Hat Pirate Crew costumes! Here is the classic and simple Monkey D. Luffy outfit! A red vest with denim shorts. Straw hat not included. The oh-so-classy Black Leg Sanji suit, with the standard blue tie. Normally, people cosplay as fictional characters, but your crew is so famous that Straw Hat attire is acceptable at cosplay events."

"This is so bizarre. Shit…" Zoro muttered, pacing back and forth. "What does mine look like?"

Urahara shrugged. "Unfortunately, we're clean out of Roronoa Zoro attire. Normally, it would consist of a white shirt, black pants and bandana, and green haramaki. It's quite a popular item, you know."

---

A/N: I'm cutting it off here because I'm just going to go straight into the next scene in the next chapter. This chapter was not that dynamic or anything, but let's just say that it's a light transitional chapter.

Coincidentally, I considered doing a Tashigi cosplay at Anime Expo last summer, but I didn't want to cut my hair, so I did a Nanao Ise one instead…just a bit of random information.