Author's Note: So, it's the other Straw Hats perspective time. Their reactions to her creations are hilarious, or, at least, to me they are. There is, however, some ignorance from Sanji and Nami. A touch of transphobia and homophobia because, as we all remember, he was so afraid of the okama that he learned to walk on air to get away from them. But Bon Clay is an icon and won't let Sanji get away with anything.

Chapter Fifteen: The Fruit of The Blacksmith's Labors

As Vivi-chan ran down the dirt street, Sanji was left with Mr. Two, or should he say Bon Clay? Either way, he was that okama weirdo Silas wouldn't shut up about. Well, if he was so great then Sanji would have a challenge here.

"I don't remember you on The Going Merry," Bon Clay said, frowning. "Why can't I see Silas instead?"

Why won't people shut up about Silas? He wasn't that great. He was annoying. He wouldn't leave Sanji's kitchen alone, and he always had to bother him. It was as if that brat was trying to one up him. First of all, his cooking was mediocre at best, and the kid just got lucky in a few fights. Big deal, everyone around him just didn't get it.

"Ooh, do I sense tension? A bit of sibling rivalry?" Bon Clay taunted, and Sanji flinched. "Ooh, or maybe it's a different problem? Jealousy?"

"I am not jealous!"

A smirk grew on that stupid swan man's face, so Sanji kicked him. Bon Clay went flying, of course, and he took some calming breaths to try and regain focus. He swore he wasn't jealous. That wasn't it. Why would he be jealous of that stupid, mocking face of his? He swore he could hear that laugh. Where was he? Sanji looked around, and he realized it was all in his head. Dammit! He needed to calm down.

He saw Bon Clay touch his face, and then Usopp appeared. "You wouldn't kick a friend, wou— argh!" He would. "You're so heartless. He's supposed to be your nakama!"

"You may take on his appearance, but people are heart and soul," Sanji exclaimed, pointing at his chest with his thumb.

Bon Clay gasped, falling to his knees. The man was so eccentric like everything was a performance. It reminded him of that pink haired boy who for some reason women liked, hell even men liked. Ace was enamored with him too! And apparently, he gave Sanji some of his Blacksmithing crap. He opened it up, and he blanched.

Chef's kiss?

He didn't understand why, but the name made his face hot with anger and embarrassment. Was Silas mocking him? He even carved in puckered lips on the base of the armor next to the name. Like hell he'd let some pretty boy flirt with him. He wouldn't wear them! No, he was a ladies man, not a man's man.

"Did your handsome nakama make that for you?" Bon Clay asked.

"Handsome?!"

"His heart shaped face and lips make me want to fall in love with someone," Bon Clay cooed with his hands clasped together by his own face. "Don't you feel the same?"

"No!"

Silas's stupid face didn't make him want to fall in love with someone. It made him want to puke. He was a nuisance: always in the kitchen (which is his domain by the way) picking on him, and making Nami-san and Vivi-chan blush. Why would he ever want to fall in love when looking at his face?

He was about to tell him off when he looked up. What was wrong with this okama freak? Why was he smirking like that? That smug expression pissed Sanji off.

"You like him," Bon Clay said smugly and that stupid painted smirk grew larger.

"Shut up!"

Sanji kicked him in the face, sending the stupid swan man away. Talk shit, get hit. He didn't like men, even if the okama meant it platonically. Men were awful except for himself. He was every beautiful woman's gift, their prince, their knight in shining armor. So why in the hell was just about every woman and man, even, enamored with that short asshole? What did Silas have that he didn't? That boy wasn't exceptionally handsome, looked too soft for that, and please those muscles were average at best. It wasn't the looks. It must be his personality, but he's so annoying. The spooking and picking at him were the most annoying for Sanji. It drudged up some nasty feelings from childhood despite Silas sharing the same hair color as his one good sibling. Still, he hated that guy.

"Oh don't be a prude. Look at this f— oi."

He was graced with the face of an angel. Her golden, smooth skin; heart shaped face; long pink hair with white tips; red, full, heart shaped lips; and those green, cat eyes that just dazzled like emeralds in the direct sunlight. She was none other than his hero, the lady who had saved his life.

"Sienna-senpai! My hero!"

He ran over to her to give her a hug and tell her thank you, but a mischievous, oh so familiar, look crossed that beautiful face and suddenly his face hurt. He was tumbling to the ground, looking up and wondering why his hero was dressed up in a swan outfit and laughing at him.

"I'm still Bon Clay, you dumbass," she laughed, twirling around. "And you're the one who said people were heart and soul, not appearances. But, look at what the face of your hero did to your face. Hahaha!"

Sanji, despite his face hurting, was still mesmerized. He remembered how those strong arms held him and saved him from those gators. Her face was so strong and beautiful as he looked up at her, cradled, like he meant something to someone. He'd never felt that way before, and he needed more.

So… Silas was right? He did like being rescued by a woman. That pissed him off, but he couldn't help but feel a small nugget of gratitude for his wisdom. Wisdom? The kid was probably like 15 years old. What did he know? Apparently that Sanji liked it when a strong, beautiful woman saved him, that's what Silas knew. Goddammit what else did that kid know? It's like he could read Sanji's mind. It felt all kinds of wrong and made his head tingle. He swore he could see him laughing at him with that stupid grin as Nami-san and Vivi-chan fawned over him.

The anger in him was palpable. He roared, standing up, wanting to beat him up, "Silas, you son of a bitch!"

Then, he looked up and saw his hero's face, and he was putty on the floor. Pain erupted again, this time along his torso. He fell to the floor and looked up through the immense pain. It felt like something broke.

"My word this body is strong!" Sienna-senpai cooed. "I almost don't know what to do with all of my strength. Will you help me?"

"Yes!" he said, leaping forward.

Another kick to the face. He was really hurting now. Blood was dripping down his forehead and over his eyes, and his whole body throbbed. He knew that wasn't actually Sienna-senpai, but he just got so hypnotized whenever he saw her. She was just so…

"Ahhh~ the androgyny!" he heard her voice say amorously. "The biceps and the abs are so masculine, but the hips and the shoulders are so feminine! Ugh, I want to take my new friend on adventures with me!" He looked up and wasn't prepared for the cuteness of her hugging herself and smiling with her eyes closed. Be still his heart! He was now looking up at the sky, trying to catch his breath. She was too cute, and it nearly put him in an amorous coma.

But something stuck out to him. "Friend? You know Sienna-senpai?"

It was odd seeing Sienna-senpai's face laughing at him. That smirk felt oh so familiar, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it because she was the one who saved him. Those heart shaped lips and face made him want to rhapsodize until the end of time.

"You're an idiot," she said.

"I am~"

Dammit, that's Bon Clay. No matter how many times he reminded himself he wasn't actually Sienna-senpai he just couldn't commit to it. He got hypnotized by her face and voice. She was his hero~

"Mellorine~ Mellorine~"

"You're so dumb that I'm not going to tell you. Besides, it's wrong to out a friend anyway," she said with her hands on her hips.

Out a friend? Out them for what? What is Sienna-senpai hiding? He was dying to know. He wanted to know more about his bishoujo hero.

"Tell me!"

"No!"

Another kick to the gut, and he had trouble moving. He went to stand, but a swan-shaped shoe stepped on his chest keeping him down. He looked up to see Sienna-senpai towering over him with her hands on her hips, and he was just fine where he was. She was so powerful and beautiful as she cackled down at him.

Bon Clay touched his face and turned back to normal. "You wanna know why your nakama charms people and not just women?" he asked.

"You shitty…"

"Because they're a good dance partner," he said.

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"So young… and stupid!"

Then, just before Bon Clay was about to fuck up his hand and most likely break it and ruin him as a chef, he put on that damn armor over them. It worked. Bon Clay reeled backwards.

Bon Clay, undeterred, frowned before he got up again. He wished he could fight back, but Bon Clay was right: Sienna-senpai is strong, and he couldn't move. With a now swollen foot, Bon Clay kicked Sanji in the face.

He was blacking out now. He'd lost. He'd lost because he'd never strike a woman, especially his hero, even if the face was borrowed and it wasn't really her.

"Sienna-senpai, save me," he whispered before everything went dark.

X

Zoro was still mumbling and grumbling. How? How could a stupid housewife be able to bust open that cage with a shotgun? The wildness in those green eyes was something he'd hear rumors about. She was clearly a seasoned fighter given the skill and the way she conducted herself. She was so ruthless yet focused in her fevered state. And she chose to be a housewife. That's what made him most angry. This woman was stronger than him, and she chose to throw it away and become domesticated, and the Straw Hats got wrongly blamed for her kidnapping and having an affair with one of them. She probably just went gallivanting off with a new man, and Smoker didn't want to face it. He did look surprised as he and his nakama were at her strength and conduct. She clearly kept it from him.

What a joke.

Here he was supposed to be the Straw Hats' combatant, second only to his captain, and some woman who chose to be a housewife broke open what he couldn't. It drudged up some old feelings that the marine vice captain had already surfaced. It felt like that Sienna woman was mocking him, running circles around while not taking it seriously because she can go home to her marine husband and pretend she was a delicate, frail woman instead of someone capable of breaking open sea stone with her brute strength. She was the opposite of Kuina. His childhood friend worked so hard and complained about her gender just like that marine, seeing it as a hindrance. Sienna, on the other hand, didn't let anything hold her back, and she accomplished something he couldn't while she had lived her life as a housewife. It just… pissed him off.

He would prove himself worthy as the Straw Hats' number one fighter. He would!

There was a loud scream, and he suddenly remembered that he was supposed to protect Nami. Where did she run off to? He looked around, finding himself back where he started. Then, he saw her run past him down the dirt path, trip, and nearly get killed. He was glad he was quick and blocked that man with his sword. And out came a note with funfetti:

I modified these while you were asleep. I hope you don't mind. Remember, strength comes from the heart, not the muscle. I believe in you.

Was that stupid blacksmith making fun of him? There was just something about that kid that got on his nerves, and it's not just that he touched Zoro's swords. No, it was the teasing and the effortlessness as if he just didn't care that rubbed Zoro the wrong way, purposely trying to get on his nerves like it was a game. He was glad he didn't have siblings because he wanted to box that kid's ears.

What the hell did he mean by strength comes from the heart kind of crap? Of course it didn't. It came from the muscle. Silas knew that too. He had decent biceps and knew it wasn't just for vanity.

"Something getting on your nerves, swordsman?" Mr. 1 asked.

"Someone actually," he said. "The stupid blacksmith who wrote this note decided to mess with my swords and give me bullshit about 'strength comes from the heart not the muscle'."

"She sounds wise," he said plainly.

"He's annoying," Zoro said.

When he drew all three swords he noticed a change. They were lighter, more balanced like the blades were humming with him, a strange synchronicity. He didn't want to admit it because he didn't like it when people touched his stuff like that and the kid was annoying, but it felt better. The aura from the cursed blade in particular felt like it was calling to him. And suddenly, he was reminded of Silas' stupid smirk and was pissed off again.

"Focus, swordsman, my body is made completely out of steel," he said.

Steel, huh? He'd been waiting to cut steel. He couldn't cut that stupid sea stone, but he'd learn to cut steel now to defeat Mr. 1. Take that, stupid housewife!

"Fun, I've been waiting to cut steel," he said.

When he went to strike the man, it was true: Mr. 1's body was his weapon. And, he had to block a kick towards his guts with his other sword. The force of it had him sliding down the street.

Hmm, Zoro would have to get used to this lighter weight for his blades. He knew from experience, if too rough, he'd break them. He needed to work with the swords not against them. He relaxed his arms and jaw, trying to stay focused and listen to his swords.

He heard Mr. 1 running towards him, so he opened his eyes. Zoro crossed his arms blocking the strike with his three blades, sending him backwards yet again. He was starting to get the hang of it until he crashed into the back of a stone building. Now, his back and ribs hurt. He picked himself up and brushed off the rubble.

"Did your blacksmith do a shitty job?"

"No, they're just noisy," Zoro muttered, putting his blade back into his mouth.

What were they trying to tell him? Sandai Kitetsu was the loudest. Figures, that annoying blacksmith worked in that LogueTown shop. He probably touched Sandai Kitetsu before and wasn't afraid of it. That kid was a wild one.

Sandai Kitetsu hissed when he went to strike, so he stopped. And Mr. 1 smacked him down again. This time the side of his ribs were cut, and he hissed in pain. What was it trying to tell him?!

He just gave in as he was thrown around again. He stood on shaking legs and just listened as best he could.

Strength comes from the heart.

He might as well give it a try. He needed to cut steel now. He listened to his heart to which his blades hummed in synchronicity. This time when Mr. 1 attacked, Zoro countered him in a perfect parry. When he struck him in the opening, he didn't cut Mr. 1, but Zoro did send the man backwards into the dirt.

It felt like the air and stuff around him was breathing with him. His heart was beating in sync with his swords pulsating. Was this what Silas meant? Why was the kid right about everything? It felt like that brat was playing 3D chess while he was stuck at checkers much like how it had been with Kuina when they were kids. Who was he? He'd only gotten wisdom from his old master before he set out as a bounty hunter to gain strength as a swordsman. And, his words were true, and the blades were in alignment with him. Some people couldn't even cut paper, and some could cut steel. That's what his old master told him. Is that what Silas meant? He felt like that brat was laughing at him somewhere right now for taking this long to figure it out and needing two people to tell him.

With one sword drawn, he made one big sweeping stroke. And when he sheathed his sword, he said, "Thank you, now, I'm stronger." And with that, he heard Mr. 1 get sliced up.

X

Meanwhile, Nami was running for dear life, wishing that somebody, anybody would intervene. Zoro saved her, but now she was stuck with Ms. Doublefinger while he dealt with the other guy. What was she going to do?

She hugged the wall, trying to catch her breath. Where was Silas when she needed him? Apparently, Ace was more important in this rebellion. He couldn't even bother to give her a new weapon himself. He had Chopper do it. Did she not mean anything to him?

She huffed and puffed about it until a spike went through the wall. She screamed and leapt away. Out came Ms. Doublefinger in her black leather suit with spikes coming out of her body. It was freaky looking and had Nami scared out of her mind.

"There you are," Ms. Doublefinger said. "You had me running all over this city looking for you, girl. Just give up. I ate the spike-spike fruit, and it can go through any of these stone walls. You're as good as dead."

Despite being annoyed with Silas, Nami still pulled out the weapon she asked him to make for her. It was in six pieces all magnetically aligned, snapping together without her permission. It surprised her. But that didn't prepare her for the sheer amount of settings that man put on her baton. Not only did she have hot and cold air but density levels as well, and it had air or water settings as well. It was too much to learn on the fly, and Ms. Doublefinger wasn't going to wait.

"Silas, what have you done?" she said incredulously looking at the options.

"Silas? You mean that punk who beat up our foot soldiers on Whiskey Peak?" she asked.

"Yeah…?"

"I'm supposed to recruit him," she grumbled with a flushed face. "It should be easy. Every man falls for me in time."

Nami wanted to laugh. Not Silas, that man has been immune to every one of her advances. Granted, most of them were in attempts to manipulate him into doing something she wanted, but the man was unflappable despite him being a flirt, except when it came to Ace that is. She remembered trying to seduce him to make her this stupidly complicated weapon….

She was in her bathrobe, the fuzzy pink one, about to enter the room. She'd just got done showering, so she knew she smelled good. The perfume she stole from that unsuspecting shopkeeper better work too. She knew how to get what she wanted from men. If she played it right, Silas would be like a second Sanji – completely bent to her will. He'd already shown interest, considering he flirted with her and Vivi shamelessly. It'll be easy.

She didn't bother to knock. She entered one of the storage rooms he'd renovated into his workshop. He didn't even startle or turn around. Did he not hear her?

"Silas," Nami purred.

"Hi," he said, friendly but still didn't turn around.

"I got something for you."

He wheeled around in his chair just as she dropped her robe. He looked down at her body briefly and then back up into her eyes. There was confusion there. Where was the desire? Most men would get a nose bleed and be in a coma, completely wrapped around her finger. He just looked… indifferent.

"Why are you naked?" his voice was confused.

"I…," she began and didn't know what to say. This had never happened before. Never had a man reacted this way. What was wrong with him?

"If I didn't know you, this could be considered sexual harassment," he said casually, wheeling back around to his work station.

Her sexually harassing a man? What? Most men ate this up! It was Silas who was wrong here, not her. He was supposed to be putty in her hands. Why wasn't he putty? He'd shown interest. This should be a piece of cake.

"Why aren't you…?"

She looked at him confusedly as he got up and put the robe on her shoulders again. "You're shivering," he said. Then, he went to sit back at his desk. "You know if you need something from me, all you have to do is ask. I'll probably do it because we're friends. Also… if I'm going to be seduced by you, I want you to actually want me and care about me. Otherwise, it just feels kind of icky." He was blushing now and looking off to the floor somewhere.

She was floored. Never had a man said something like that to her before. They usually just took the bait or showed disdain. Not Silas, he didn't see her for her tits. No, he wanted something genuine. He wanted a connection rather than someone for the sake of sex for just sex. He… he…

She shook her head and asked, "Can you make me a weapon?" Why did she sound like she was about to cry? Her throat was scratchy and her face felt hot. Dammit!

"Sure," he said. "I already drafted some blueprints with you in mind. Wanna see?" That mischievous smile was back, and she felt better.

"Yeah."

She walked next to him by his drafting table, and she could feel her heart racing. This was stupid. She didn't like him. She didn't like him!

"I don't like him!" she said aloud by accident.

Ms. Doublefinger looked at her like she was a freak. And, Nami felt like it too. Never had a man appealed to her like this. They weren't a good source of connection or intimacy. She much preferred spending time with girls, so why was her heart racing thinking about how tailored a weapon Silas made her?

Whatever!

She tore off the top of the baton and pressed a couple of random buttons irritably. A murky air bubble sprouted from the tip, sluggishly traveling through the air. She and Ms. Doublefinger looked at it oddly before it suddenly burst right in front of the pointy woman's face. The scream was loud and caught Nami off guard. When the smoke cleared, she was just as surprised to see the burning boils on the woman's face and body.

"What did I do?!" Nami said incredulously.

"Now, I'm going to kill you!"

She came at her with spikes poking out of her body from everywhere. Quickly, Nami pressed some more buttons on the staff. A giant cloud bubble came out: charged in an angry grey, and moving quickly. And Nami leapt away just in time as the damn thing burst. This time it electrocuted Ms. Doublefinger, frying her as it splashed water on her and the hot sand below, sizzling the both of them. Ms. Doublefinger laid twitching with a few zaps left over on the ground and down for now and maybe even life it was that bad.

"Good God, Silas," Nami said incredulously. "And you said this isn't finished yet?"

X

Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas were standing on the sandy, hot desert outside of Alubarna menacingly with their dog-gun thing named Lasso. Usopp had never seen anything like it, and it was terrifying. Him and Chopper only narrowly escaped one of its cannon balls.

"What did Silas give you?" Chopper asked.

Usopp looked down at the rod curiously, pressed a button, and out sprung a five point sling net with a variety of settings on there. He saw the name etched onto the staff: silliest ostentatiously gutsy entertainer.

"That's Silas for you," Usopp said. He laughed and also felt tears in his eyes as Chopper warned him of an incoming attack. They dodged as the bomb the dog-gun fired exploded behind them.

"He also gave me this," Chopper said hoarsely, handing Usopp the bag.

He took it and pulled out a bandolier full of a variety of things in vials. Knowing Silas it was going to be nuts. The man was a total wild card, unpredictable yet keenly aware of his surroundings. Usopp noticed that the guy was just effortlessly able to traverse any kind of social group. Granted, it didn't always work out for him unless he was able to beat him up. He was so brave and cool. He wanted to be like Silas – not as nutty, but definitely brave and charismatic.

"Hurry, Usopp! Miss Merry Christmas is digging over here!"

Quickly, he strapped on the bandolier across his chest, picked out a vial, stuck it in the slingshot's net, pulled back, and let go. He watched behind the rock cautiously. It took a moment once the vial burst, and he thought, for a second, Silas played a cruel trick on him. Then, it exploded fun-colored confetti into the air reading:

'I believe in you, brave man and racoon!'

Usopp could feel himself blubbering like a baby, and Chopper said, pretending he was flattered, "I'm a reindeer, you asshole."

Meanwhile, Miss Merry Christmas and Mr. 4 were coughing and struggling. Lasso, however, seemed fine. He barked and stuffed one of the cannonballs into himself, and off it went. Usopp and Chopper ran again, screaming. They ducked behind a different rock as sand exploded somewhere off to the side. And Miss Merry Christmas and Mr. 4 were recovering from the glitter bomb.

"Come on, Silas, you've gotta have better stuff than this!"

Usopp, with shaking hands, grasped another vial and put it into the slingshot. He aimed at Lasso this time, and let go, watching it fly. It exploded immediately this time, and Usopp didn't expect to hear the horrendous squeals and cries from the barely sentient dog-gun, and when the dust cleared everyone was horrified.

"Was that acid?"

Maybe, Usopp should look at the labels or just not mess with Silas because good god. Who thinks of something like that? Did he intend for it to be used on people? How did he even bottle it? Usopp had so many questions.

There was nothing left of the dog-gun, by the way, having melted into just goop in the sand. And, Usopp didn't have any words just like the rest of them.

"Read the bottles first, please," Chopper whispered.

"Aye sir," Usopp swallowed.

"Quick, kill them now!" Mr. 4 said, panicked.

Usopp, having listened, quickly looked at the vial's label. It read: 'mild explosive'. Usopp was going to take his word on it, and as Miss Merry Christmas dug through her tunnels he told Chopper what he needed. The reindeer was far smaller than the man, so it should work.

"Plant this in one of her tunnels, and then it should explode. It says mild on it, I promise!"

Chopper nodded, turning into his normally small form before hopping down into the closest tunnel. Usopp was left up top with an angry and scared Mr. 4 above ground. He was so scared, in fact, he was carelessly throwing up his ammo and hitting them with his bat now that Lasso was, um, melted into the air towards Usopp.

Quickly, Usopp read the next vial briefly 'time bomb'. He didn't even know what that meant. Whatever, he didn't have time! Panickily, he put the vial in the slingshot and shot it at the small cannonball in the air. They collided and dropped into the sand below between the two with an underwhelming thud. Usopp looked at, huffing in irritation.

This wasn't funny, Silas! Why was— wait a minute, was that a ticking sound? It was cartoonish and sounded like something from an old clock. It was slow, so slow. He and Mr. 4 waited with baited breath, absolutely terrified as to what was to come. The acid was terrifying enough, and he didn't want to know what was awaiting in that timed bomb. The ticking was growing quicker and louder. It was getting close. He closed his eyes in fear, terrified of the impending bomb. And suddenly, the ticking stopped, and… nothing. Nothing exploded. He cracked open an eye and read on a tiny white flag:

'Sorry, I'm really not feeling up to exploding right now.'

Usopp just about had a heart attack, falling backwards on his wobbly knees. He took deep breaths, cursing Silas for this. Then, suddenly an explosion underground went off. He sat up as best he could, but his nerves were fried. He saw Chopper flying through the air along with Miss Merry Christmas, however, Chopper landed next to Usopp but she ended up flying towards that tiny white flag. And that was when the bomb decided to go off. She went flying, knocking into Mr. 4, looking rather burnt.

"Two down, one to go," Usopp said, looking over to Chopper, still trying to recover from his near heart attack.

Mr. 4 suddenly raised his hands in the air in surrender. He looked absolutely terrified as he picked up an unconscious and burnt Miss Merry Christmas before running away from Alubarna with his tail between his legs.

"Never mind then," Usopp sighed, relieved as he closed his eyes and laid back against the hot sand. His heart was still beating erratically, trying to calm down from the damn near heart attack Silas gave him.

Author's Note: So, um, I didn't expect to ship Nami and Silas together while writing this. Also, I'm curious: which is your favorite One Piece arc? Mine is Thriller Bark. I know Enies Lobby and Marine Ford are most people's favorites, and I will concede that they are probably better on a technical level, but personally Thriller Bark just gave me everything I wanted as a One Piece fan. It reminded me of The East Blue Saga in how isolated it was from the larger world and events happening in it and the character drivenness. Everyone got a moment to shine, something of value to do, and we learned new things about some of the Straw Hats. It was just… wonderful.