To my amazing readers and Reviewers! :D

Guest:

I'm glad you're ready for this chapter... I'm not. YIKES!

Waterwomen1414:

You too! Wow, that's great! Thanks.

Jujub2001:

Yes, I'm sorry, no real Zoro x Tashigi yet. It is sad isn't it? Huh? But they've kissed already what do you mean no real ZOTASH? OH... you mean that...*... Well be patient okay. All great things comes to those who wait.

I can only imagine what I'll actually do with my stories once I have all this spare Uni time taken away from me. I love writing this, but as you say very few people update their stories during this period. I hope I can continue doing so.

TASHIGI22:

Thanks for reading through so many of my stories. I'm glad you liked them. :D Yep, I thought people would like that extra peace of information about Usopp having to wash Luffy's clothes, but he only does it when he thinks that Nami or Sanji will flip out on them if they do.

Scarlet Alapaap:

A small warning... This story probably won't end for a long time... So get comfortable and enjoy the read.
I'm glad you think 12 is your favourite chapter. It does seem to be getting better bit by bit.
I know what you mean by the falling on each other and landing in a kiss scene! I hate it when they have it in Manga, Anime, Fanfiction... It greatly annoys me. I haven't been knocked unconscious when someone has landed on me, but it is mighty uncomfortable. I tend to ask if they're all right first and if they are alright I tend to either Joke about it and call them clumsy, or Give them my best Zoro glare.

Tashigi, despite what some people think, is a very resolved person and she has a strong belief in right and wrong, and she doesn't want to sacrifice her pride and accomplishments for a man (although hot) who doesn't abide by the rules that she holds high above herself.

This is a war! And Zoro and her are going to battle it out. She is going to hold onto what she believes in and so is he. I can't tell what will happen that will ruin the story.

:D

Chapter 14:

70 REVIEWS! Wow! That awesome guys! This story now has the absolute most reviews out of all my other stories.

Nope. 71 now, just as I was about to upload a new chapter. Thanks Scarlet.

:D

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Hard Lines: Reasons to hate

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Out of the corner of my eye I could see Tashigi shaking her head and move away. My curiosity got the better of me and after a minute of waiting and listening I went after her. I found her pacing on the bow of the ship looking out to sea. "What's wrong with you?" I asked.

"WHAT'S WRONG?!" She was visibly shaking and obviously mad. "Let's free the mad scientist! You know, the one who kills his own men to inflate his ego, and just give him back to his psycho boss! Are you all mad!?"

'And this is why I shouldn't have told her. No, scratch that, I should have taken her away from us all and locked her up like a real prisoner somewhere else.'

"You've got to see the bigger picture."

"I do see the bigger picture! If you let that man live he will continue to kill thousands more innocent men and children." She carried on pacing back and forth.

I shook my head. "You really don't know how the world works do you? You're in your own little marine bubble where everything must be perfect, exactly the way you want it. But you know, the world doesn't want to live in your perfection. It wants to make it's own mistakes, it wants to be independent." I stated.

She glared at me. "This has nothing to do with that!"

"It does." I argued.

Her voice was hard and bitter. "The World Government and the Marines have never had a problem with countries being independent, but it's what they do with their independence that concerns us. If they think they can run off into their neighbouring countries and kill, rape, and steal, then NO. We will not stand by and simply nod in acceptance and say, 'Well if that's what makes you happy then of course we can allow you to do that.' NO! That's crap! They need to be brought down and be treated in the same way they have been treating others!"

'What sort of hellish country was she imagining?' I covered my face with my hand. "A simple independence doesn't lead into just raiding a neighbouring county. That's an extreme not an affirmed truth."

"Really?" She folded her arms and scoffed. "Can you name one independent country or island that hasn't stolen it's wealth from other places first?"

'Crap. I don't keep track of stuff like this? What can I say?...' "Um... Waterseven."

"Is funded by the World Government."

"...HA! Alabasta!"

"Is now funded by the World Government to support them in rebuilding their city from those many years of drought."

'Damn... now that I think about it, the only places and islands that often seem to worth visiting and have been populated where run by the WG.' I scratched the back of my head. "There are many more, I just can't remember the names."

"Right..." She said sarcastically.

"And where did your innocent people get those goods from in the first place?" I asked angrily. "You instantly assume that you will know who's in the right, and whose in the wrong!"

"NO, but it's often not to hard to tell who's being taken advantage of." Her voice raising up another notch. "Besides, what would you know about trade and politics?!"

"So, because you're a marine, you think what you're saying is more important than what I have to say?!" Zoro asked.

"In the long run. Yes." I scowled but her back was turned and she didn't see me. "When you, pirates, run into a certain place you stay for as long as you want, take what you want and then leave as quickly as possible! Marines have a responsibility to the citizens and will often have to act as the bad news bringers."

"You don't even...!" I started.

"No." Her dark brown gaze looked lost and hurt. "You don't know how many people, whether they be citizens, outcasts, bandits, nobles, and marines, that I've had to tell in a letter or face to face that their son, or daughter, husband, or father and friend have died because some idiot decided he wanted to go on a killing spree, or that wherever he was going or whatever he was doing is far more important than anyone else's lives."

"No, you're right. I don't know." I stopped her pacing and put my hands on her shoulders. "But what makes a marine's life any more important than a pirate's? They are both living, breathing people!"

"One is sharing and protecting, the other is stealing and destroying!"

Another scowl crossed my face at that. "You don't think that Marines steal or destroy anything? You don't think that pirates can protect and share?" I grabbed a hold of her shirt. "What are you wearing isn't this being shared?"

"You think because you're a pirate you understand all pirates and their behaviours don't you?!" She tried to hit my hand away. "Remember you used to hunt them down for a living! You can't judge our decisions to capture pirates off your own experiences! You strawhats are one group out of thousands! You can't compare the pirate psychopaths of the New World to the people on your crew and say they deserve the same treatment, because you don't." I loosened my hold on her as she looked me dead in the eyes. "And you can't tell me that what I'm doing is worthless! Because I have saved thousands of lives in the past three years."

"I never said that you hadn't. Are you finished?" I growled.

"No, Are you even aware that while your childlike Captain was looking for his brother two years ago he set 240 prisoners, murderers, and pirates free from Impel Down?! They were all sent there for a reason, and most of those reason's can be justified.""

"You mean, people like Robin, and Ace who have been labelled and condemned with crimes they didn't commit." I emphasized every word. "Good. For. Him."

"No!" She stiffened up and became like a statue. "No." She spoke quietly this time. "I mean people like Crocodile, Emporio Ivankov an ex Officer of the Revolutionary Army, Inazuma, and the majority of Blackbeard's Crew those sort of prisoners those that will force you to obey them or die."

'Their crew sounds like the world government. Wait a minute... Crocodile?'

"Crocodile and Blackbeard?" I asked. "He wouldn't have set Crocodile free."

She frowned. "Well, he did."

I sighed. 'I hadn't even thought about how he might have escaped Impel Down, but to free Crocodile...' "Wait a moment? Wasn't Blackbeard a warlord at the time? Why was his crew in Impel Down?"

"I don't know everything, but I do know that Blackbeard went in after them."

I frowned. "He was the one that handed Ace over to the Marines wasn't he?"

She nodded and sighed leaning against the wooden wall behind her. "You don't know, but there are some pirates that although the government condemns their actions... They are appreciated as large groups that actually do rule over islands and cities." she shook her head. "Whitebeard was a man that encouraged his followers to treat each others as brothers, once he conquered and island he would raise his flag and state it as his own he would put up officers to protect the citizens and would not burn their places to the ground or steal, necessarily." She scowled. "He did do that from time to time, but not often. He was more like a second Revolutionary army, except with a far more selfish ambition."

"Everyone's selfish to a degree. It will always depend on which side you're observing the other man from."

She rubbed her forehead as if wiping away the worry lines that had already began to appear. "Whitebeard was a very selfish and proud man. He sacrificed thousands of his men in order to get back one. He was standing right in the middle of the battlefield yelling and commanding his troops. He was a huge target, and in the end he died standing."

"Wow." I raised an eyebrow and knocked her chin. "Are you trying to recruit me into joining the Whitebeard pirate remnants because if so you're doing a far better job than Luffy's brother ever did?"

"What! No! How on earth did you get that idea?" She huffed crossing her arms in frustration. "But what I'm trying to say is that this scientist and his warlord boss are different, they are nothing like Whitebeard." She looked really worried. "Doflamingoe is mad, he is just crazy. I'm seen him strut about and mock people when they have called for the Warlord meetings, and even the other Warlords despise him. Let's just say he makes Crocodile look like a gentleman."

"So?"

"And so," She pointed back the way we had come. "That deal you made. He's lying. There is no way this deal will ever work out, not with him. You would have an easier time putting rock on paper and saying 'float away', or throwing a devil fruit user into the sea and telling them to swim ashore, or blowing up Luffy with so much of hot air that you can float away to the next island."

"Oh, what a good idea." I raised my eyebrow. "I can't believe Luffy hasn't done that yet. We should try it out some time."

"Gah!" What I'm trying to say is. It's not going to happen. It would be better off to put Caesar on trial for the accident on Punk Hazard, and for the experimentation on missing children, or sentence him to a lifetime in prison, or you could kill Caesar now, and throw him overboard so that the Warlord can't make any more of his fake Devil Fruits. I can only imagine what sort of horrific plan he has up his sleeve."

She glared up at me again. "What I'm trying to say is whatever it is you're trying it will fail and it's too simple."

I leaned against the wall beside her and turned to look at her. "I don't know why I need to tell you this, but you should know by now that nothing is ever simple for a strawhat pirate."

She looked back out to sea. "Your crew... it's like watching a child running around with a double edge sword, we reach out to take it from you and you run away and poke a bully with it." She looked back at me with a worried expression. "We never know when one good turn might suddenly become a fatal blow."

"Is that really how you see us?"

She shook her head. "No, but compared to the other 'members' of the worst generation your crew has done the most good, outside of what was expected." She shrugged her shoulders. "But that is more realistic and closer to what you look like to a lot of other people. I think in some ways the reporters make you out to be a lot more vicious and mean than you really are. Strawhat is a cheerful man-child that loves showing off to the world. He's just like his grandfather."

I laughed. "Don't let him hear you say that."

Caesar walked around the corner just then and groaned. "I want something to drink. I'm so thirsty. You people are absolutely terrible at looking after me! First I'm kidnapped then beaten, then kidnapped again, then treated as a dog... I deserve a medal for all the crap I've had to put up with."

Tashigi pushed herself up so she standing upright again and looked back at him. "What are you asking? Are you miserable?" She sounded uninterested and slightly annoyed.

"I am miserable. These pirates are so mean." Caesar looked like he was going to fake a faint any second now. "I feel so weak with these cuffs on."

"Do you want me to put an end to your misery." I suddenly felt a wave of killing intent come off Tashigi that I had never felt from her before and she suddenly sprung into action. "Child killer!"

"Move!" I yelled leaping forward and kicking Caesar out of the way. Grabbing Tashigi by her right arm and I swung her around until she collided with the wall.

"AHHHHHH!" Caesar screamed and ran away.

I grabbed a hold of her almost drawn sword and sheathed it.

"Let. Go." She demanded between sharp breaths.

I could feel her shaking badly. 'She's gone into mad mode again. Last time I saw her do that was in LogueTown when I refused to kill her.'

"No." I said as calmly as I could and turned her around to face me.

"I said let...!"

"No." I put my hand over her mouth and I pointed at her carefully. "Now you will listen and listen carefully." Her eyes were brimming with hate and anger, not directed at me, but at whatever she was thinking about. 'Her memories, her ordeals... I don't know.'

"Calm down. This isn't your fight. You got that?"

I felt her muscles tighten again and she tried to kick me so I came right up close and used my body weight against her. 'I do not want to fight you this way. Calm yourself.'

"Calm down." I said again.

Instead of trying that, she opened her mouth and tried to bite my fingers. I hooked my thumb under her chin and forced it up. "If you keep expecting me to become a ruthless, heartless pirate I might start acting like one." I leaned in and whispered into her ear. "And I think you know what I might want to do?"

She went still for a moment, but I could still see the look of hatred in her eyes. I took my hand off her mouth. "What do you think...?" She started.

I kissed her before she could get another word out. After a few seconds she pushed me up. "Zoro you Bas..." and I pulled her hands away from me, holding them out either side of us, and kissed her again biting her bottom lip.

"I'm a what?" I asked when we broke the kiss.

"A bastard." she answered back glaring and sucking her lip which I had just bitten.

I smiled and tilted my head to one side. "I suppose that's true." My left hand let go of her right one and I grabbed a hold of her neatly tied up hair instead pulling it sideways and revealing her neck. 'Her neck is so white.'

"Zoro, don't."

"Don't what?" I kissed her once there causing her to shudder at the touch. 'She's really sensitive to touch, I wonder how she reacts to something more intense.'

'From this angle I can see her new scar on her shoulder. I wonder if she's still sensitive there.' I licked her neck next going from her bruised collarbone to under the jaw. She gasped and tried and use her shoulder to shrug me off. I let go of her and smiled. "You like that?"

She was fuming in embarrassment and anger, rubbing her neck as if trying to get the kiss and saliva off, and looked furious at the same time. "No, it was stupid."

"Stupid?"

"Yes this is," she looked even more furious and shook her head. "I said no. Remember."

"Yeah, I do." When I pulled away from her, we were both silent our gazes not moving anywhere else. "If you are ever angry take it out on me. I can deal with it," I looked at her clenched hands. "And I can return it."

"What do you mean?" I couldn't tell if she was blushing because she was angry or if she was embarrassed by the idea.

"If you lose control and misbehave," I pointed to her and then pointed to myself. "Then I'll lose control and misbehave as well." I patted her on the head. "So be on your best behaviour and nothing bad will happen."

"Is that a threat!"

"No, it's a promise." I raised my eyebrows. "I think it's a pretty good deal."

"Fine." Tashigi was the first to look away.

"Anyway about what you said before. Thank you, I needed to hear what you had to say about it. As you said it sounds different coming from someone else's viewpoint."

"Good." I turned away from her. "You need to stay out of trouble that doesn't mean picking fights with someone that at the moment has no connection with you." 'I wonder what Law would think of Tashigi if he found out?'

"Babadum...dum...dum..." I spun around and I saw a wooden plank fall to the place where Tashigi had been standing. 'Speak of the devil. Damn!'

Caesar's shrill voice could be heard down below ten meters away. "It's her! She's the other prisoner. And she that tried to kill me!"

'Law had her! That Gas moron told on her?'

Then I heard Law's voice. "You want to die woman?! Wasn't being cut in two enough to scare you from acting more important that you really are."

I ran around the corner and saw Caesar standing near Law. On the ground infront of them was Tashigi lying down on her back with her sword, Shigure drawn. Law was standing over her with his own sword in his hand. "How about this time I cut you into pieces and throw you over board?" the tip of his blade touched her neck.

"That's what I'd expect given your reputation." Tashigi retaughted. 'she doesn't sound scared at all.'

I jumped down to the main floor deck and landed on Caesar and flattened him into the grass. I drew my sword and pointed it into the creep's neck. "If you dare do that Law, then your gas-pet man will die. She did not even harm Caesar I made sure of that, but if you're not careful I will."

Law scowled. "You know nothing of the complexities of this deal Swordsman, back down!" When I saw one of his feet was standing on the wrist of her sword hand I felt mad. 'Who the hell did he think he was? This is our ship not his! He has no right to make demands!'

"Zoro! What are you doing?!" Nami yelled from somewhere. I heard doors opening as people started coming back outside.

I saw Law's blade tilt into an angle that would be perfect for cutting her neck open and I darted forward ready to cut him. When Luffy jumped in between us and sprung up into a balloon shape sending me flying to other side of the deck. I sat up and saw Law was also on the other side of the ship, but whereas I had hit the deck he had been caught in the rope ladders.

'Damn, had I really been about to start a fight with our ally?'

"Wow! That was fun." Luffy bent down and pulled Tashigi to her feet. "I know how you feel Tashy I was able to punch him in the face a few days ago, but you weren't able to." He patted her on the back. "But we have an awesome plan okay! So don't think about that bastard." he grinned.

"It's not going to work Doflami..."

"Don't worry!" He patted her back again so hard she almost fell over from the hits. "I'll probably end up kicking Mingo's ass anyway."

"What?" She straightened herself again and looked at him with a frown on her face. "Do you always decide things this way?"

"Yep." Luffy looked bored thinking about the way he decides things and he started picking his nose. "That bastard is gonna get it if he crosses us. Right Law!?"

Law pulled himself free and approached. "Strawhat! She can't be allowed...!"

I took a hold of my weapon and readied it again. "Law, you're not really...!" I started.

"All right!" Luffy interrupted. "This is an exciting morning! Let's go and get something to eat!" He yanked on Tashigi's arm and pulled her up the stairs. "I'm hungry! Sanji! What's to eat!?"

"Sandwiches." he answered.

"Yeah!" Chopper yelled and followed after Luffy's footsteps and enthusiasm. "I want a cotton-candy sandwich!"

"I'll just have a cup of tea." Robin called up to Sanji following after them.

"Im gonna to have cola!" Franky said loudly in his metallic voice almost robotic voice.

"Yohohohohoho!" Brook jumped up the stairs. "A glass of milk for me!"

"Well, you've got to admit it Sanji's Sandwiches are the best in the world." Nami said.

"What's a sandwich?" Momonosuke asked.

And soon they had all gone up leaving only us two on Deck.

Law looked flabbergasted at the thought that he was being ignored, and that food seemed to be more important to Luffy than forming a plan.

I looked back at him. "Law?"

"What?!" He sounded both fed up and tired.

"Keep away from her."

"Why?" his voice was uninterested not giving any of his real emotions away.

'Had I just imagined the look of fear on her face? And what did he mean by 'cut her in two?' Had he done that before?' The idea of Tashigi being cut in half like I had done to the snow woman was horrible. What had he done to her?'

"Just stay away." I sheathed my sword.

"As long as you keep her away from Caesar, and I won't have any reason to fight her." He turned his back on me and walked back up the stairs to the kitchen.

Luffy's voice came out loud and clear. "Hey Zoro! Traf-guy! come on!"

"I don't like bread!" Law yelled up after him looking even more embarrassed for having to yell it. 'After almost killing a person on an allies ship that is what he ends up saying?'

"Sanji!" Luffy yelled. "Traffy doesn't like bread!"

"Weirdo." "So strange." "How funny." "Yohohohoho! Doesn't matter." came the joint noise at the information.

Sanji appeared at the door. "Don't worry. I've started cooking up some rice already for our samurai guests please feel free to have some. Come in."

I pulled Caesar out of the ground and pushed him towards the kitchen. "You said you wanted food didn't you. Walk."

"You are all so mean. So cruel..."

"I don't care shut up, and move to the kitchen." I tuned out his pathetic mumblings.

'I do not like this at all. I've figured out one thing. I value her life more than this alliance. That's not good. Not good at all.'

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I found this one quite a difficult thing to write. I will probably end up changing bits of it in a few weeks time, but for now this is what I decided would be good to update with next.

How would you guys think these people would act in this chapter? Do you think certain characters are OOC?

I know I did when writing, but I knew I didn't want everything to feel all happy and safe on this ship because it really shouldn't be.