-tired yawn- Hi everybody! I hope you all liked last chapter! -snicker- I'm glad there were no freak outs. Well, I'm really tired right now for some reason, but I could not stop thinking about this story, so i had to write this chapter. It isn't really the best I can do, in my opinion, but I still like it. This chapter's just clearing up everything that happened in the last chapter, so it's a kind of... explanatory chapter. Like the piecing together of the clues. XD Well anyway, enjoy!

Key (For those who have forgotten or do/did not know):

" " - Dialogue

' ' - Thoughts

OoOoOoO - Scene change

Chapter 14

There was utter silence between them and about the ship. Lin was affixed in an odd position between emotions: Happy, surprised, confused, and glad. After some time, Sanji asked, "Is there something wrong, Lin-chan?" The school girl shook her head and brought her hands up in front of her chest and placed them together above her heart as if she as heartsick.

"What d-d-did you just s-say to me?" she stuttered shyly, her head looking down a little like a scared little girl. But, she felt like she couldn't look him in the eyes for some reason. The cook laughed, and placed his hands gently on her shoulders. She looked up hesitantly, blushing.

"I said I love you," he calmly answered, smiling his warming smile. Lin's heart skipped a beat and she squealed on the inside. Her body trembled with excitement and she rushed forward to hug him. She rubbed her head against him like a puppy would against its master's palm. This was a dream come true for her!

"Sanji-kun!" she said happily. "Let's go inside and have some breakfast now!" The blond girl grabbed his hand and began pulling him in with excitement, but Sanji stood still in protest. Lin looked back, seeing his soft, loving expression. He gently pulled her back towards him and added, "Let's stay out here a little longer. I don' want to share this radiant beauty of yours with anyone else." He smiled playfully and she blushed, grinning and joining him; the two hand in hand.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Nami shut the door to the navigation room and sat down when Zoro opened is back up. She glanced at his unusually happy face and stood up to pace around. He quietly came in, but left the door ajar. She was gripping at her red hair, trying to figure out what the hell happened.

"Stop," he said, gently loosening the grip she had on her strands of hair. "You don't want to ruin that pretty hair of yours." Nami blushed, but quickly pushed him away, pacing again. Zoro didn't seem to mind her distant attitude much though.

'What the hell is wrong with Zoro?! Is he drunk?!' she exclaimed in thought. She turned back to him, the swordsman taking a seat. "Zoro!" she said aloud. "Answer me a few questions, and you had better answer them truthfully, got it?" she asked in her usual threatening tone.

"Sure, I'll do whatever you want," he replied in a love dazed tone. Nami trembled a little, but she just ignored it.

"Why are you acting the way you are?" she began. Zoro chuckled and smiled at her.

"I already told you. It's because I love you."

'This is getting me no where…' she thought, rubbing her forehead. "When did you start having these… feelings for me?" He was hesitant before answering, but he was just thinking.

"I don't know. I've always felt like this," he answered. Nami was getting frustrated and banged a fist on her map table. Zoro gently grabbed her wrist and ran the other hand across her hair. "Calm down. Let's just have some breakfast first," he suggested. To tired to resist, she agreed and followed, not caring that his hand was still holding her wrist. It was surprising to her how gently he could be.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Saro sat up straight in her chair and her eyes were lightly closed. A steaming bowl of ramen was set in front of her, beside that was a smaller bowl of hard boiled eggs and on the other side a loaf of bread. But she hadn't touched any of it once since she placed it on the table. She opened her eyes and saw a smiling face looking at her.

'How can I eat when he's…observing me like that?' she thought. But, that was the least of her problems. Most definitely the least. She needed to figure out what in the world happened to Luffy. They sat in silence a while longer; the both of them just watching each other.

"Um…" she started, Luffy sitting up in attention. But before anything was said, the kitchen door opened and Zoro, along with Nami, came in. Saro raised an eyebrow slightly when she noticed Zoro holding her wrist. Nami glared at her and Saro just looked away like she hadn't thought anything about it, but it was still there.

"Good morning, Nami, Zoro," she greeted. Zoro returned the greeting while Nami simply sighed sharply. "Would you care for some breakfast?" she asked, holding out her hand to indicate the ramen. Nami shrugged her shoulders and nodded, Saro standing up from her seat to allow her to eat.

"Thanks," she grumbled, Saro sensing something bothering her. Zoro sat beside her while Saro decided to go clean herself up.

"I'll be back in a little while," she said at the door. Luffy stood up and bounded over to follow her. Nami observed with interest, thinking the same as Saro did. The two left and Saro noticed Sanji and Lin talking to each other. She watched them out of the corner of her eye thinking, 'I wonder…' She stopped Luffy at the bathroom door, and went in, locking the door behind her. She turned the tap water and looked into the mirror.

"I wonder how long this'll last. This… dream…" she whispered. The writer shook her head. 'What am I talking about? I must be tired…' She dipped her hands into the cool water, cupped them, and splashed her face.

After completing her morning routine, she came back out of the bathroom feeling awake and refreshed. Luffy smiled up at her from his sitting position. He had been sitting there the entire time. Saro narrowed her eyes a bit, feeling a little disgusted. Sanji and Lin were on the upper level of the deck and were hand in hand, standing right in Saro's view.

'Don't you dare…' she thought. Sanji smiled and began leaning in, Lin closing her eyes to accept the coming kiss. Suddenly, the cook was being knocked quite intensely in the face, sending him flying at the side of the ship.

"Saro! Why'd you do that?!" exclaimed the surprised school girl. She turned her head, her glaring eyes still set.

"No one's going to be kissing you under my watch. I already told you that so long ago…" she answered while lowering her fist. Luffy ran over and tried to help the pulverized Sanji. Lin faintly smiled and nodded. "Sanji! You ever try that again, you'll be dead meat!" yelled Saro. There was a groan and she took that as an "Ok". Usopp and Chopper emerged from the men's cabin, Robin from the women's.

"What's all the commotion?" yawned Usopp. He yelped at the sight of a beaten Sanji and scurried quickly into the kitchen with Chopper. Robin came out of the room civilized and greeted them with "good morning". She, too, was curious as to what had happened though.

"Nothing at all… he'll be fine after Chopper takes a look at him…" said Saro, waving it off. All five of them went into the kitchen while Usopp and Chopper were stopped in a surprised state. Robin, though not as bluntly as the other two, was also surprised. Zoro had given a kiss to Nami on the cheek, the both of them blushing red. Luffy looked at them, remembered the kiss Sanji had tried to give, and clung onto Saro, delivering his own onto her cheek.

"Luffy, let go!" she said, struggling and blushing. He gently pulled off and smiled at her, but he still had his arms wrapped around her. Sanji stole this chance to give a delicate kiss to Lin's cheek as well. "Hey! Who said you could-"

"Come on Saro! Quit being so tightly wound!" remarked Luffy. "Let them do what they want. It's only Sanji!" Saro gave up on getting out of his grip and thought, 'It's the very thought that it is him that worries me…' Usopp, quite confused, exclaimed, "Could someone please tell me what's going on?!"

'Gladly. If I actually knew, but there is a hunch…' thought Saro as she tried again to push Luffy off.

After a little struggling and recuperation, Saro was freed and everyone was finally settling down. The novelist placed her chin in her finger and thumb to think. She observed the group, especially four of them: Nami, Zoro, Lin, and Sanji.

"Alright, I think I've come to an obvious conclusion. Apparently, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji have suddenly "fallen in love" with three of us, "us" being Lin, Nami, and myself," she announced. "Now, what we need to find out next is why and how."

"Well, can't they just fall in love with you guys? I mean, Sanji isn't much of a surprise…" commented Usopp. Saro shook her head disappointingly. That was what one would usually think.

"Sanji is a sort of exception. But, have you noticed he hasn't flocked to the other three females on board this ship? That means something is up. And the other two, Luffy and Zoro, rule out that possibility as well," she explained. Usopp went back to thinking when Chopper came up with a reason.

"Couldn't they just be playing a joke or something?" he said in his little reindeer voice. He glanced at the three men and scrutinized them. Saro quickly explained with, "It's gone to far to have been a joke. Zoro kissed Nami after all…" Chopper nodded and Robin thought of another solution.

"Do you think… it could be Sirens?" she inquired. The writer pointed at Robin with a nod.

"Exactly what I was thinking," she answered, though it was expected of Robin to think of that theory in the first place. Luffy, puzzled as usual, scratched his head and asked, "Siren? Like those things that make loud noises and tell the Marines that they can see us?" Saro slapped a hand to her forehead and Robin chuckled.

"A Siren is a mythical creature that lives in and is made of water. They can sing a melodious song that puts a spell on people and they fall in love somehow," she explained. She quickly had a thought about the previous night and looked up. "Luffy, last night didn't you say you heard something, or someone?" He nodded and smiled at her. She was in thinking position again, also trying to hide her blushing.

'Maybe it is…' she thought. Her head perked up a little and she felt a little more moisture in the air than usual. 'This is what happened before outside… could it be…' She looked up at the ceiling, concentrating hard. There was smirk on her face and she walked over to Lin, whispered something in her ear, and stood back. The school girl concentrated on the air and soon, puddles in the air were forming and coming together to form a figure. Everyone looked in awe at what was discovered while Saro smirked in satisfaction.

Longer chapter and an odd, odd cliffie! XD I love these things. Except in manga and web-comics... Anyway, that little mystery hasn't been fully solved yet, so you'll have to wait until next time to find out! I hope you liked this chapter and please review!

Also some advertising! Battle of Romance is close to it's end! But, I need only two more scores, one for Luffy and the other for Sanji. You can still review if you like it, but I just need those scores and it'll be decided! So... I probably only need one person to score and it'll be done! So, just lettin' you know! Ok, bye bye then!