Chapter 25

Yay! First chapter after the special! The next chapter will be out tomarrow probobly. It is now October 29, 2006 at 1:29 A.M as I'm typing this up. I finished the chapter at around 1:27ish...Anywho, my other computer tends to freeze up when I use it, and I won't be able to use this one for a while. But I'll update regularly. Like always -nose grows longer-

And the next chapter you ask? Why, it's the Halloween episode, silly! Yay! I love the next chapter! Everyone is so cute!

Proceed!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Skie stepped into the kitchen loudly, everyone eating breakfast and chatting amongst themselves. Skie waited for them to say something like, 'thank you for rescuing us' or 'oh Skie! Would you like some of this here money?' But no, they ignored her.

And Skie did not like to be ignored.

"HELLO EVERYBODY!" she roared loudly, making everyone jump about three feet in the air. Sanji accidentally, keyword, accidentally threw the frying pan in his hand at Zoro, who dodged the cooking utensil.

"Oi! WATCH IT!" the green-haired swordsman roared.

"It was an accident, idiot!" Sanji barked.

"Skie! We didn't see you come in! Good morning!" Nami said cheerfully.

Skie grinned. That was good, they weren't ignoring her.

"Skie!" Luffy stood up, almost knocking the table over, and charged over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders and grinning. "That was SO cool! When you beat up those jerks! And with the giant bear! That was cool!" he grinned.

"Thanks Luffy. Twas nothing for an awesome person such as myself." Skie said.

"Oh come on, you sound like Usopp!" Nami laughed.

Usopp started protesting, his voice melting into Sanji and Zoro's argument on the frying pan.

"Skie? Um, Skie?" Zee asked, pulling Skie's hair lightly, getting her attention.

"Yeesh?" she asked the little orange-haired person on her head.

"Can I have some food now? Please?"

"You don't have to ask me to eat, Zee. Just, jump in! It's what the rest of us do," Skie grinned as Zee jumped from her head to Luffy's then, on the table, taking her advice a bit too literally.

The humanoid phoenix glanced at Zoro, seeing he was preoccupied with his argument, and started eating the large stack of uneaten pancakes on his plate, making sure to douse them with maple syrup first though.

"So, what's today's adventure?" Luffy said, turning to his navigator.

"Whatever the sea throws our way," Nami smiled, but her smile turned into a scowl as Zoro and Sanji broke into a fight, and an anime vein popped up over her forehead. "OI!" she roared, turning around on the two. Zoro had the front of Sanji's shirt in his hand, his other arm raised to punch him, and Sanji was just baring his teeth at him, as if daring the swordsman to hit him.

"Yes, Nami-San?" Sanji said, his attention snapping over to his beloved orange-haired goddess.

"Stop fighting in the kitchen! Take it outside," she said, pointing her thumb behind her towards the door.

"Yes, milady!" Sanji said, then with one smooth motion, swung out of Zoro's grip and swung his leg, sending Zoro basically through the door of the kitchen and into the mast.

"YOU LOUSY BLONDE! I'LL KILL YOU!" Zoro's voice roared angrily.

Sanji charged out, his angry face on again, "I'd like to see you try, Moss-Head!"

"He used my insult!" Skie crossed her arms.

Luffy and Usopp went outside to watch the fight, Nami following them just so she could get to her room and work on her charts. Skie stayed in the kitchen, laughing at Zee and wondered how he could eat a stack of pancakes bigger than he was.

"It's a spirit thing," Zee said, his mouth full.

-Z-E-E-I-S-A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E-

Zoro and Sanji's fight was done in about, maybe five minutes. Zoro stormed back in the kitchen and stopped at the doorway, his eyes locked on his now empty plate.

Skie looked from the empty plate, to Zoro, who was now glaring at her. "You…" He growled angrily, his teeth bared.

"It didn't do it!" Skie said, standing up as Zoro advanced. Skie really didn't feel like being tied to the ceiling again, or the crow's nest for that matter.

"Halt, strange heathen with moss growing from his head!" Zee said, standing up and puffing out his chest. Giving him his grand height of nine inches, since he was standing on his toes.

Zoro stopped, slamming a hand down on the table next to Zee, "What do you want?" he said acidly, leaning down so his face was an inch from Zee's, who didn't flinch. He looked like he did though, because the vibrations of Zoro's hand hitting the table almost knocked him over.

"I ate the pancakes!" he said bravely, not knowing the full multitude of the swordsman's fury.

Zoro's eye twitched, "You? HA!" he laughed unhumorously. "You couldn't fit a grape in your stomach, let alone ten pancakes!" he turned from Zee back to Skie, only moving his neck and head.

Skie looked around for her escape route…and…nope. Only the door. And the now-walking-towards-her Moss-Head was in the way.

Skie, acting on an impulse, kicked her feet into the kitchen floorboards and jumped over his head, landing on the floor behind him, and then ran outside.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU PANCAKE THIEF!" Zoro shouted.

"…I'm so proud!" Nami sniffed, smiling.

Skie ran through the kitchen door, Zoro basically right behind her, Zee chasing after him on his little legs, but he was going surprisingly fast.

"Luffy! Trip Zoro!" Usopp grinned. They were sitting by the mast, and Skie was heading right for them. Luffy laughed and stuck his foot out too soon, and Skie flew in the air, hitting her head hard on a stack of barrels by the mast.

"Ack! Skie-Chan!" Sanji's jaw hit the floor.

"Skie!" everyone ran over around the girl.

"Ooog…I don't feel so good," she said, looking up at the blue sky from her back. She saw the entire crew lean over her, all of them looking concerned. Sanji glared over at Zoro, who looked extremely guilty, but still slightly peeved.

Sanji looked down at her, looking angry, "You idiot-" Sanji said, but Skie blacked out before she could hear the rest of the sentance.

-O-N-I-G-I-R-I-

Skie's eyes snapped open a second later, everyone still crowded around her. Zee was tugging on her hair, repeatedly asking her if she was ok.

She sat up, rubbing her head. "Owww…" she said.

Luffy was jumping around, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I meant to trip Zoro!" he yelled, pointing at him.

"Oh, nice." Zoro sighed, looking angry.

Skie looked up at Sanji, but he was no where to be seen. "Where'd Sanji go?" she asked.

Nami pointed at the kitchen, and Skie stood up, wanting to know why the heck Sanji called her an idiot. She was no idiot! Well, sure, she was slow, but not an idiot!

She started marching towards the kitchen, looking determined, but was stopped by Nami's hand on her shoulder, "Skie, are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, smiling. "Now, I have to go talk to Sanji," she said, glaring at the kitchen door.

"Well, as long as you're okay…" Nami took her hand away and went back to sun-bathing.

Luffy and Usopp had disappeared, probably into the kitchen, or experimenting with Usopp's weapons.

She turned back to the kitchen, but was stopped yet again, this time by Zoro. "Hold on, Skie? I need to talk to you…alone." He said.

Skie raised an eyebrow, but shrugged, "Ok," she said.

The two walked over by the tangerine grove, Zoro looking nervous. Skie just wanted to go and smack Sanji with a book for calling her an idiot.

"Alright, here it goes." Zoro took a deep breath and looked down at Skie, his arms crossed in front of him, "Skie, the truth is…I love you." He said, rather bluntly.

"…Wait, what was that?" Skie did not believe what she just heard.

He sighed heavily, "I love you, dang it!"

Skie had no clue what to say. She was basically stunned silent, which happens…well…never. "You? …Me? What?"

Zoro leaned closer to her, his face a mere inch away form hers. "I. Love. You." He said slowly, and then leaned in to kiss her, but Skie ducked down, zooming past him, and then jumping up into the crow's nest from the back of the ship. She then jumped down silently in front of the kitchen, using that as a hiding place.

She closed the kitchen door behind her, exhaling. "Gawd…" she was blushing like crazy, then looked around, seeing Sanji at the sink. "Well, while I'm in here…Sanji!" she called.

The blonde seemed to flinch, but ignored her.

"Sanji? Sanji!"

"WHAT?" he snapped, turning around and glaring at her.

"Why'd you call me an idiot?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

He sighed heavily and stormed over, stopping in front of her, "Alright fine!" he said. "Skie, the truth is…I hate you." He said, rather bluntly.

"Whaa…?" she gaped at him. Since when did he hate her? Had he not started calling her Skie-Chan? Was that not a form of brotherly affection? JERK! Her brain screeched like an annoying seagull..

"Well…Well I hate you too!" she barked.

"Oh really?" Sanji sneered.

"Yeah! Really! In fact, I hate you more than you hate me!"

"Nu-uh! I hate you more!"

"Well you're an idiot!"

"Well you're stupid!"

"I know you are but what am I?"

Sanji's eyes flashed, "A stupid, moronic, idiot!"

"I know you are but what am I?"

Sanji grinned smugly, "Awesome," he said, knowing she'd say the 'I know you are but what am I' line. Calling him awesome on accident.

"I know I am but what are you?" she said.

Sanji blinked, "WHAT?" he roared, his brilliant scheme crashing down into a fiery mass in his brain. "You are an annoying parasite! You eat just as much as Luffy, and that bug friend of yours is a nuisance! Like you!" Sanji yelled.

"Well fine! If that's how you feel about me! I'm going too…" she tried thinking of something, "I'm gonna tell Nami you were mean to me! Yeah! She'll get mad and break up with you!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Sanji said.

"Yeah! I would! Watch me!"

"Hold up! Sto-"

"Talk to the hand!" Skie said, shoving her palm in Sanji's face as she turned to open the door.

"Skie! You in here?" the door suddenly opened as Zoro burst in, the door hitting her in the head and knocking her backwards onto the floor, unconscious.

-N-O-T-A-G-A-I-N-

"BWAAAAAH!" Skie sat up, her eyes wide open.

"AAAAARGH!" the entire Straw Hat crew fell backwards, "What? What's the matter?" Sanji asked.

"Why do YOU care all of a sudden?" Skie crossed her arms and turned her head away from him, giving him the cold shoulder.

"Why wouldn't I…?" Sanji said, his eyebrows furrowing as he sat down cross-legged next to her.

"Cuz." She said flatly.

"Why?"

"'Cuz."

"That's not an answer! Why wouldn't I care?"

"'Cuz! Lemme alone, jerk!" she barked without looking at him.

"…Nami-Saaan!" Sanji bawled, looking at Nami, who was sitting next to him. "Why's Skie being mean to me? Does she hate me?"

"No! YOU hate ME! Stupid idiot!" she yelled, turning and glaring at him.

"Wha? I do not!" Sanji said defensively, looking hurt.

"Oh yeah? Well! What about when you called me a nuisance, and that I was annoying, and when you called me an idiot when I hit my head?" Skie demanded.

"I never called you any of those things. And I was calling Luffy an idiot, and you must've blacked out before you heard me finish…" Sanji said.

"…Wait…" she looked around. No, she wasn't in the kitchen, where she last remembered getting hit with a door. She was where she was tripped by Luffy and crashed into a pile of barrels "So that was a dream?" she said, mostly to herself.

"Dream? What dream?" Zoro asked.

Skie jumped, shrieking and looking over at him, "YOU!" she yelled, pointing at him.

"W-What? Do I hate you too now?" he demanded.

"No! Just the opposite! Look, Zoro, I can only think of you as a brother, kay? Now shoo." She waved her arm.

"Wait, what? What do you mean 'just the opposite'?" he yelled.

Sanji and Nami smirked.

"Listen up, the only way I've ever looked at you is like a sister, or an annoying little cousin. GOT THAT?" he barked.

Skie narrowed his eyes at him, "Good. Because you creeped me out in that stupid dream. Sorry I got mad at you Sanji," Skie said, looking at him apologetically.

"It's ok…Happy ending!" Sanji yelled, hugging Skie like a teddy bear.

"Yay! Hug time!" Luffy hugged Skie, yanking an unwilling Zoro into the hug as well. Usopp and Nami laughed, joining in.

Zee was sitting on Nami's shoulder, comparing his orange hair color to hers.

"Well, what's for lunch?" Skie, Luffy, and Zee asked at the same time after the happy hug was over.

Everyone else sighed, but couldn't help but grin.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

And now it's 1:32 as I type up the finishing comments at the bottom of the chapter. That's AM by the way, just in case you forgot.
I know I said 13 reviews, but oh well. Be happy.

Awww, the crew bonded! How cyute! Agree or I'll bite you.

ROOTBEER AND ROCK! and roll! Review or...or...or...The future chapters shall be annoyingly short! HA!