Author's Note: I'm so happy with the response this story is getting. I know One Piece isn't that popular in the west compared to Japan where there are theme park attractions of the characters and ships. I blame the 4kids dub being many weebs first introduction to the series, and I think people are now intimidated by the size of it to try and get into it. But reading it never really feels like a chore despite there being a thousand chapters out now. Even the arcs/storylines that aren't as good as the others, are a cut above mediocre shonen manga that's out there. There's always something I like, and the structure/setting/themes are always different. However, the smaller fan base in English speaking circles has created this vibrant, tight-knit fandom that kind of reminds me of the nakama philosophy within the manga. It's kind of beautiful.

Chapter Seven: Leaving Little Garden and Illness Strikes

"Brogy!"

Sienna watched the large grin grow on the giant's face who was carrying her in his flat palm. She held onto one of his fingers as he ran over in leaping bounds towards the other giant. She smiled for him, feeling his infectious elation. She hopped down just as Dorry brought Brogy into a large embrace. She steadied herself on the ground.

"Ooh, what a ride!" she said playfully.

She looked over at the crew. It looked like they just went through a hell of a fight. Everyone was bruised and battered. Nami and Luffy were missing their tops for some reason. Vivi looked crushed and had her face buried in her hands in her face. What the hell happened? She didn't feel like they were separated that long. What could've happened?

"Silas! We're having a rice cracker party!" Luffy shouted.

"But, there's like three left," she said simply.

"Oh. Really?"

She smiled crookedly, affectionately at him as she shook her head. She turned towards the two girls again and walked closer. Without a second thought, she shrugged off her coat and placed it on Nami's shoulders. She doubted that the navigator was embarrassed about being so exposed, but no one knows for sure and it was just a nice thing to do. And yes, Silas understood the implication of a man giving a woman a jacket or hoodie to wear, but she would give her coat to her friend regardless of gender presentation if she needed it. Besides, Dorry had her thinking about honor since their conversation and how it relates to manhood. She might as well play and be the role she was taking up. Why not be the kind of man she liked as a woman?

"Vivi-chwannnn, Nami-swaaaaan~" she heard Sanji call. Then, she heard him growl angrily. "Silas! How dare you give Nami-san your—"

"Enough!" Nami said, halting him in his tracks. "We need to talk about what we're going to do."

"Why? What's wrong?" Silas asked.

"The log post isn't going to reset until a hundred years," Vivi said, very upset and sad.

Silas felt herself blanch. That's insane, but it's the grand line. It felt like a venus fly trap, ready to kill whoever dares to venture. It was exciting, but she didn't want to spend a hundred years on one island. That sucked.

"But I have an eternal post to Alabasta," Sanji said simply, raising what looked like an hourglass that had 'Alabasta' etched on the bottom.

She saw that the crew looked at him incredulously with a slack jaw. She didn't feel that level of shock. After all, on her adventure on this island she met tyrannosaurus rex and a lovely giant from Elbaf. It wasn't that shocking for her that he found something useful like that. However, it did make her curious as to what he did when they separated from the ship. Who did he steal it from? Baroque Works?

After the initial shock, Vivi ran over and hugged Sanji tightly. She was sobbing in relief and thanking him profusely, and the dork was absolutely pleased. It was kind of sweet actually. She couldn't help the small smile growing. She didn't hate the cook after all. Yeah, she picked on him because he got so mad at her for simply being a chef herself and good with women. It was petty and stupid, but it was just a little bit funny. Just a little bit.

"Yeah, let's have a rice cracker party!" Luffy shouted happily.

"You ate them all," Silas told him with the same simple tone.

"Oh. I did?"

"Yeah."

"Besides, we've still got our competition," Zoro said.

Silas startled slightly, and then she turned around to face him. When did he get here? Has he been here the whole time? How did she not notice? She must have been so distracted.

"When did you get here?" she asked.

"I've been here the whole time," he said.

"Oh… okay."

"Come on, let's go. Baroque Works may think we're dead, but we've got to get to Alabasta for Vivi," Nami said, clapping her hands together.

"Wait, I want to say bye," Silas interrupted quickly.

Nami sighed irritably, but Silas turned towards Dorry and Brogy. She specifically looked at Dorry with a growing smile.

"It was nice meeting you, Dorry," she said. "I…"

He leaned forward in his sitting positions, and he pulled off a piece of armor from his shoulder. She blinked at him confusedly as he handed her the piece of metal. It was so large that she couldn't hold it normally. She propped it up on the ground.

"I hope for the best for your journey, young man," he said. "Call it old age, but I can't help but support the youth."

Was she a blubbering baby now? Tears were blotting at her eyeline at the statement and the gift. She hugged his face as best she could. Despite the fact that a lot of times open affection between men was odd in most cultures, she couldn't help it. He helped click something within her about masculinity that she was having trouble understanding, gave her a gift, and believed in her.

"Thank you!"

"Alright, alright," he said, picking her up by the back of her shirt easily and plopping her down and away from his face. It's been a long time since she's felt like a doll. "You're welcome, kid. I hope you win that competition."

When they were heading back to the ship, she held the shoulder armor above her head. The muscles in her face were aching she was grinning so big and so much. The boys were ahead of her. They were arguing over 'who's bigger' of course.

"Who killed the T. Rex?!" Sanji demanded.

"It wasn't me!" Zoro shouted.

"It was me," she said, tossing the steel plate up and onto the ship. She heard Usopp yelp in terror. "Sorry, did I get you?"

"If I got me, you'd have killed me!" Usopp yelled back.

She laughed quietly to herself as she noticed her competitor's eyes on her, glaring. She hopped up and stood on top of her dead dinosaur between the two of them. The anger from her two crew mates was palpable, and it just grew at her casual indifference.

"Yep, he's mine, so that means I win," she said playfully, wanting to get even more under their skin for the fun of it. "It was fun, boys. Next time you might win."

They both attempted to strike her, but she leapt out of the way and onto the ship's railing, turning to face them and laugh at their anger. Why was this fun? It was a long time since she's had a sibling dynamic with someone. And, it wasn't ever like this though. Most men and boys were more brutal with one another than they were with women and girls. She understood that, most of the time, it wasn't fair for men and women to be brutal with one another. After all, there's a reason why when Nami hit Luffy or the other boys, they didn't hit back.

"You didn't win!" Sanji and Zoro said simultaneously and then glared at each other.

"Enough!" Nami said, coming out of the lower decks with a new top on her. "Just bring what will fit. Let's go!"

"Yes, Nami-swan!"

"And Silas!"

What did she do?

"Here's your coat back," she said, tossing it to her. "Thank you."

"Forget about it."

"Dammit, Silas!" Sanji roared.

She had to hold back laughter, but she still shook with it as a closed mouth grin grew. He truly was his own worst enemy. If he learned to get out of his own way, understand what women wanted in their men, and quit simping he may be popular with the ladies. It really wasn't that hard to impress women. And yes, she did realize she was speaking about it with insider knowledge, but still she gained Nami and Vivi's friendship without trying. Or maybe she gained their favor because she was effortless yet kind to them. Who knows? Either way, she didn't have to try to get them to like her.

"Forget that, cook," Zoro said. "Silas didn't win, right, Usopp?"

"Don't make me choose. Just call it a draw."

"There are no draws in competition!"

"So I won," she goaded playfully.

He looked as if he wished to strike her with one of his swords, but the ship was moving. And, Luffy was complaining:

"I want more meat!"

"Do you want to sink the ship?"

Suddenly, Dorry and Brogy stepped out on either side of the port at the edges of the island. Brogy picked up a flagpole with the Straw Hats jolly roger flying at the top and planted it in the ground. From this distance, she could truly appreciate just how giant they were. Even though the piece of the shoulder plate was huge, she couldn't imagine fitting the whole thing on the ship.

Silas waved and Brogy waved back. It made her smile. She wouldn't forget this kindness, and one day she'll go to Elbaf and hang out with some giants. She would hope she'd meet up with Brogy and Dorry again. Maybe, they'll get an eternal post as well, and they'll meet again some time. It would be cool if it was on Elbaf.

As they headed out, she noticed giant fish eyes emerging from the ocean. She blinked back at the overgrown goldfish as it opened its large maw for a mouth. And, the Merry was pulled forward by the pull of that wide, open mouth. Hmm, were they going to be swallowed by another sea creature? The fates are hilarious.

"Sanji-kun, turn the wheel!" Nami shouted.

"No!" Luffy shouted back. "We're going forward."

She couldn't help the smile that grew on her face slowly. Another adventure. She was ready for it. That didn't mean the others were Nami, Vivi, and Usopp didn't appreciate it. They were screaming and begging Luffy for permission to change course. He wouldn't budge, and even Sanji was looking a little nervous.

"Luffy, please," Nami said with dramatic tears in her eyes as she shook his arm.

"No," Luffy said, not budging.

"Give it a rest, Nami," Zoro said. "It's not happening."

The girl slumped down to the floor and whined dramatically about how she ended up with a crazy captain.

Silas turned to the fish as it grew closer. Excitement was thrumming through her veins at the idea of traveling through another sea animal. They were growing closer and closer as the gigantic goldfish's maw was growing wider and wider. They were funneling through quickly and picking up speed. She was ready for it.

Then, suddenly, a gust of wind threw them off course and into the air. Silas found herself laughing as she looked back to see that it was Brogy and Dorry who swung their blades to send their (by comparison) tiny ship flying through the air. Off they went, flying through the grand line, still laughing despite her cheeks being pulled back by the force of it.

Surprisingly, they landed pretty smoothly. She and the others only bounced a foot in the air before landing back onto their feet. It was only her and Luffy who laughed amusedly. Wow, how long has it been since she's had fun like this? Years, literally years. That's kind of sad, truly.

She wandered off to the kitchen, in the mood for soup. She bent down, getting the big pot in the drawer beneath the stove. Then, she got some spices randomly out of the rack, some vegetables and a random assortment of fish from the fridge, and broth, couscous and flour from the pantry. She didn't know what she was going to make. Recipes were more like a guideline to her. The real deliciousness came from the heart, what felt right. It was how she approached blacksmithing as well. She had to feel it otherwise, it wasn't right to her.

She went to pick up a cutting board, bending down to get it out of one of the lower cabinets. As she did so, she felt eyes on her. Hmm, who was being a pervert? At home, it would be her husband, and she would've been flattered because normally he wasn't so open about his desires. But on The Going Merry? There's only one real answer. Though, an argument could be made for Zoro if only for the curiosity of it all. Usopp wasn't the type, and Luffy didn't possess a sexuality given he was mentally and pleasantly stuck at about ten years old. So that left…

"Are you just admiring some booty like a true pirate, or do you want something from me?" she teased.

Immediately, she heard him sputter and cough on what she assumed was his cigarette. She laughed softly to herself as she placed the cutting board on the countertop. Immediately, she pulled out a large knife as Sanji continued to try and recover.

"As if I would— what kind of chopping is that?!"

She, by her own admission, was a bit of a butcher. When chopping whatever ingredient it was, she went all in. It was quick, hard chops all over the cutting board until she was satisfied. There really wasn't any finesse to it.

"The best kind," she said with a wide smirk as she dumped the hacked up ingredients into the pot. "And don't be embarrassed about liking a man's ass. Everyone has a butt who cares who it's attached to."

"I was not looking at your butt, you arrogant little—"

Her loud laughter cut him off. If she had to guess he was quite flush and deeply embarrassed right now. It kind of serves him right. She wondered if anyone ever took the piss out of him for his pervy behavior. He may claim to be a gentleman, but his admiration of women was not platonic by nature.

She heard him huff and puff before storming out of the kitchen. She still laughed as she waited for the pot to boil.

…

While they were eating dinner out in the open decks, she looked over towards Nami who collapsed. Odd, she looked flush and tired like she was having trouble catching her breath. That's bizarre. The smile left Silas as she looked at the teen girl quizzically. She stepped over, sat down next to her, and placed her elbows on top of her raised knees.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need a little rest," she said.

She was nodding off as she tried to hand either Vivi or Silas the log post. Silas looked at the other, and after a moment Vivi took the log post set for Alabasta. Without hesitation or permission, Silas gently touched Nami's forehead with the back of her hand. She heard a soft, weak protest, but Silas didn't care. Their navigator felt very warm, and it didn't surprise that the poor girl fell over to the side in an uneasy sleep. It did concern Silas and Vivi though.

"Nami-san!" Vivi exclaimed.

"Her forehead is hot," Silas said.

She picked up the other girl giving her a piggyback ride. The poor navigator wasn't helping much with holding on due to her being out cold, but Silas didn't mind carrying her. Though she's taller than her, Nami probably weighed less. Muscles weighed more, and Silas worked hard for her muscles.

"Where's the girl's room?"

"You bastard, why are you holding—" Sanji began angrily, and then he sobered up when he finally saw the poor girl hanging out on Silas's back. "Nami-san, what's wrong?"

"It's down the hall," Vivi said, clearly trying not to freak out as she quickly walked down to show Silas where.

They managed to get her to the bed in the girl's room. Silas began to ring out a cold wet rag to drape it across the poor navigator's forehead. It was clear it was getting worse. It reminded her of either pneumonia or the flu. Both of which require antibiotics which no one had on the ship, and besides she didn't even know if that was the diagnosis. Damn, they needed a doctor and medical supplies. Nami wasn't looking good.

"Is Nami-san going to die?" Sanji shouted, blubbering dramatically. "Tell me Vivi-chan, Silas, anyone!"

"I don't think so, but she needs medical attention as soon as possible," she said. "Unless some of you have some antibiotics on you?"

No one said anything, and she thought so.

"How long does it take to get to Alabasta, Vivi-chan?" Usopp asked.

"I don't know. It'll probably take longer than a week," she said, downcast.

Feeling badly and without thinking, she held Vivi's shoulder and squeezed gently. Oops, she kept forgetting that men weren't comforting/affectionate like that unless the woman is a lover or a family member. She couldn't help it. Her compulsory compassion couldn't leave a crying friend unattended like that. Vivi didn't react except to sniffle in her own hands though.

"What's wrong with a week?" Luffy asked dumbfoundedly.

Everyone blanched.

"Do you not understand that you can't have a 102 degree fever for a week?" Usopp and Sanji asked incredulously.

"Are you really Nami-san's friend?" Vivi shouted incredulously.

Silas turned to Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji and said plainly, "A 102 degree fever is serious. If we don't bring it down and get her treatment, Nami will die."

Finally, it dawned on the dumb-dumbs because they began to freak out instead of just stand there unaware. She shook her head incredulously with a wry smile.

"Quiet!" Vivi told them. "You're not helping Nami-san by yelling! We need to find her a doctor!"

There was a soft cough behind them. They turned and faced Nami who was sitting up slowly with the damp rag in her hand. She was still flush and sweaty, but she was trying to stay awake and focused.

"I don't think that's going to work," Nami said. "Vivi, look into my desk drawer at the latest newspaper."

Everyone waited as Vivi went to go get the newspaper. Silas looked at Nami, unable to hide her concern, as Luffy shouted naively that their navigator was cured to which Usopp shot down.

Vivi came back clearly upset as she said, "How could this happen?! 300,000 royal guards switched to the rebel army! How could they do this? Now, there's more rebels than the royal army."

"A civil war is going to start soon," Nami said. "It came out three days ago. I didn't show you because I didn't want to worry you, but I guess I couldn't avoid that."

Then, she started to get out of bed and handed Vivi her damp rag. It was a little odd as they watched their navigator find her feet again. She really was a stubborn girl. Silas could respect that, but the fever wasn't a joke.

"I don't need a doctor. Let's get to Alabasta as fast as we can," Nami declared, heading out of the girl's room.

"Are you sure you don't want some soup?" Silas asked. "I always made my hus– house mate soup when he was sick."

Damn, she was slipping as of late. It was because she was getting comfortable with the Straw Hats. They were growing on her. She had trouble fitting in normally, but it felt like she was another misfit in the group of misfits. However, they were still pirates, and they wouldn't appreciate knowing she was a marine's wife. They would feel betrayed, and she wouldn't blame them.

"No, I'm totally fine," Nami said, brushing it off.

When she left, Silas looked over to Vivi who was still upset. She could tell the poor princess was going through it, pulled between her people and the wellness of Nami. Silas had never been or felt responsible for preventing a civil war, but she could understand wanting to help a large body of people. Being a humanitarian wasn't lost on her, especially in this world where it's sorely needed.

Gently, Silas patted Vivi on her shoulder blade. She supposed she was committing to being a comforting man. She just hoped no one misinterpreted her attempts at providing emotional comfort as a romantic thing. She was just so used to being this way that she didn't want to change. It just sucked that any time a man was kind to a woman, it was always assumed that he wanted to be with her. It was a fair assumption though because most men who are affectionate to women, who aren't related to them, are trying to get something beyond friendship. That had been her experience as a woman.

"I don't know what to do. If I can't stop Crocodile, then Alabasta will be conquered. I worry about Nami-san, but if I don't get to Alabasta then a million of my people will die."

"A million people?" Luffy said incredulously.

"You have a tough burden, Vivi-chan," Sanji said.

She stood and offered Vivi her hand for help. The princess took her hand and stood. Silas watched as everyone left the cabin and followed behind, deciding that Vivi might need some time alone with her thoughts.

She closed the door behind her gently and went to the open deck. She plopped onto the rail with her legs crossed, slouching with her head between her hands. She could see all the Straw Hats present. Her eyes were mostly on Nami as everyone tried to convince her to rest and detour to a doctor. Of course, Nami wasn't having it. She was set on Alabasta, willing to downplay her high fever and her own personal needs. Despite the coarseness, especially towards men whomst Silas believed Nami didn't respect and saw as means of exploitation and manipulation, the navigator was capable of selflessness. She understood what Alabasta meant to poor Vivi and the lives at stake. But what Nami didn't realize was that they couldn't be a crew without her not only because she's nakama, but she's also the crew's navigator. They literally can't go anywhere without her.

"Nami-san, please rest."

"No, I'm fine!"

"Please, we're all worried."

"No, we need to get to Alabasta, so stop worrying!"

Suddenly, Vivi emerged from the door. She had a determined look on her face as she addressed everyone. Silas wondered what her decision would be. She would be the one to convince Nami to go see a doctor since it was Vivi whomst Nami was trying to be selfless for. Silas hoped the princess would make the right decision.

"Alabasta is getting worse by the minute. We need to get there as soon as possible. That's why we need to find Nami-san a doctor quickly."

A smile grew on Silas's face, and she felt a similar energy from everyone else as well. She didn't think Vivi would be cold hearted especially since the two had bonded due to them being the only openly female members of the crew. Silas looked over to Nami who seemed to concede.

"Alright," the navigator said. "I think I need to lie down."

Well, they were going to make a detour. This was for the best. Things were going well, right?

"Wh-what is that?" Usopp said, terrified.

"A cyclone. We're probably going to die," Silas answered simply.

"Show a little fear, you weirdo!" Usopp exclaimed.

Silas merely laughed softly to herself.