Disclaimer- I don't own any of this 'cept for Reia, of course. And the island.

---Chapter Four---

"Are there any more warai?" Sanji scowled and dumped the fruits into the boiling pot.

"No," he answered shortly. Luffy frowned and reached into the pot. He plucked one out, and then grinned.

"Luffy, that's pretty hot…" Sanji started to warn him. Luffy held the fruit in his hand and walked outside. The door closed. Suddenly, Sanji heard a loud howling. He smirked and looked out the window.

Luffy was running back and forth on the deck. Sanji went outside.

"That's what you get. I already warned you, you idiot," he said condescendingly. Luffy stopped fanning his mouth. He cocked his head.

"You did?" Sanji heard laughter over by the bow, and sitting across from Nami, who he must say was the most beautiful young woman on the earth, was…another beautiful young woman! He ran down the stairs, then up on the other stairs, and stopped by the table. He took the girl's hand.

"And what may I call you, beloved lady?" he asked smoothly. She looked up and quirked an eyebrow. Her long black hair trailed behind her in wisps.

"Eh, uh Reia," she managed to say out of her surprise. Nami giggled. Sanji turned his head to look at Nami.

"Ah, Nami-san!" he exclaimed. "How much you must love me to bring another beautiful lady on the ship!!" He suddenly froze and raced back into the lounge. The two women looked at each other and laughed. Then Nami resumed telling Reia the Straw Hats' story. Reia listened whole-heartedly.

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Usopp crept closer and sat next to Zoro. He had heard everything.

"I was gone, right?" Chopper nodded. "Butwhy didn't you seeher?" he asked quietly.

"Some magic trick?" Chopper guessed. Zoro shrugged and looked down at the panpipes. Taking out a hand from behind his head, he traced the patterns with a calloused finger. Usopp looked at them.

"Whoever created that is one fine artist," Usopp observed. Zoro looked up at Reia. She laughed prettily, and Nami continued talking. Zoro suddenly noticed something odd.

"Usopp, where's Luffy?" Usopp looked around.

"Good question."

Suddenly, the lounge doors burst open and Luffy ran out and down the stairs. He was coming right at the group by the mast...

"Oh no…" Zoro started to say.

....and impact! They all bowled over and lay sprawled on the deck. Somebody groaned. Sanji stepped out of the lounge.

"Dinner's ready, now," he said pointedly, glaring at Luffy. "Come get some!"

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Chopper, Usopp, and Sanji sat on the ground. (Sanji gave up his seat for Nami.) Reia, Luffy, Zoro, and Nami sat at the table. They all munched away, and Reia looked at her surroundings. A nice refrigerator….a whip-staff with a ram's head…it all fit in perfectly. She looked down at her food. Surprisingly, it tasted very good, unlike anything she had eaten before.

"Who cooked this? It's really good…" she complimented. Sanji looked up from the floor and grinned.

"I did, oh beloved Reia. Only for you and Nami-san!!" he exclaimed. Zoro shook his head and continued eating.

"Lusty cook…" muttered Usopp. Luffy was busy stuffing his mouth. Reia smiled. She suddenly noticed Chopper giving her side glances. He quickly looked away when he saw her, and looked at Usopp, who was also giving her side glances. She frowned slightly and adjusted her pale-green pants, then resumed eating.

"What's wrong?" Nami asked. Reia bit her lip briefly.

"Nothing. I'm just a little hot," she told her. She twirled a piece of hair around her finger.

"Not a little, very hot!!" said Sanji. She smiled sadly.

"I think I'm going to go out for some air," she told Nami. Nami nodded, and Reia stood up. She walked out of the room and closed the doors. Then she put her elbows on the rail and looked out to the sea.

She had never felt so care-free in her life. It was like she was a part of the crew. Their stories were amazing, that was true. But they accepted her. Would they do the same if they knew what she did? Wondering if Chopper had already found out, she watched the sun dip closer to the horizon. The waves calmly broke on the dock, and she went "pop". A tear trickled down her cheek, and she bit back a sob. She sighed. The sound of a mournful moan came out instead and floated on the breeze.

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There was a short silence after Reia left the room. Sanji could see Reia's hair fly in the wind as she looked at the sea. She had such beautiful hair, but it wasn't as beautiful as Nami's. Her graceful head suddenly disappeared. Sanji choked.

"Nami-san! Reia's gone!!" he managed to say. Nami started.

"What?!" she exclaimed. Zoro and Usopp stiffened. Then Chopper coughed for attention. Everyone was silenced.

"It's true," he said quietly. Nami and Sanji both looked quizzical. He drew in a deep breath and started to explain.

"We found out who our stalker was by the water merchant this morning," he said. Nami raised an eyebrow.

"It was Reia." Nami frowned. Sanji's jaw dropped.

"But how could she have escaped our notice?" she asked thoughtfully. Zoro shrugged. He took out her panpipes and laid them on the table. Sanji sucked in his breath.

"Chopper smelled her, remember?" he reminded her. Nami nodded. Luffy slammed both hands on the table.

"There was a stalker?!" he asked ludicrously. Nami rolled her eyes.

"Chopper, what did she smell like?" The whole crew quieted. He sighed sadly.

"Of loneliness."

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Reia went "whiff" and ran her fingers through her hair. I hope they didn't see me, she thought to herself. With a small sigh, she opened the door and walked back in. The dinner was gone and a warai dessert was placed on the table, served in miniscule portions, of course. Reia sat down next to Nami. Nami pushed towards her some of the dessert, and Reia smiled and shook her head.

"Thanks, but I don't like warai," she told Nami. Nami shrugged and started to eat hers. Everyone else was already half-way finished. Reia put an elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hands. Zoro was already finished, and Reia caught him looking at her. She stared back.

"So, how'd you know my name again?" he asked.

"I heard about you and recognized you immediately," she responded. Zoro raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"That's not what I heard." She raised her own.

"What did you hear?" she asked coolly. He gazed deeper into her eyes. His own narrowed.

"That a little somebody followed us to the market. They even made it to the water merchant," he said casually. Reia looked out the window.

"And who was that?" she asked quietly. Zoro shrugged nonchalantly.

"I don't know…" he began. Her eyes darted to his. "Maybe you do." She sucked in her breath and looked into her lap, then out the window again. Time slowed, and her thoughts tumbled about in her mind.

How did they know? It must've been Chopper. What if they did know already? It wasn't that big of a deal. But did they know she followed them? There was no use hiding that. But what if…..would they….how could….

She screwed her eyes shut and breathed deeply. All her doubts disappeared. She opened her eyes and looked into Zoro's.

"Yes. I was the one who followed you," she said quietly. Zoro smiled smugly, and she heard the crew let out a collective breath. So they knew! After that statement, everything spilled out.

"But you ask how I did it without being seen," she said rather then questioned. They all nodded. She continued.

"I have the powers of a devil fruit." Zoro's eyes widened and Nami was in deep thought. Usopp and Chopper nodded in unison and stroked their chins.

"Aaah…." They murmured in understanding. Sanji brought his hands to his chest.

"No matter what, dear Reia, your beauty will always be undimmed in my eyes!!" he exclaimed. Reia shook her head sadly.

"That's the problem. Now you see me…" A faint "pop" was heard and she disappeared. "Noooww yooouu don't…" said a wavering voice. Sanji seemed to snap out of it.

"What?!" Nami gasped, and Zoro sat up straight. Nami felt a breeze on her face, and Sanji turned quickly after he felt a tap on his shoulder. Usopp squawked as his nose was pulled, and Chopper grabbed his hat as he felt a tug on it.

Luffy, on the other hand, ate through all of this. He reached for his last piece of meat when it started to float away. Luffy pointed to it and said:

"Sanji!! What'd you do to the meat?! It's still alive!!" He heard a trilling giggle and grabbed his meat.

Zoro felt a pull on his bandanna around his arm and quickly grabbed the air. His hands brushed against smooth skin, and he closed his fingers around it.

"Hey, let go of me," yelped Reia. What really came out was:

"Haaay leeat gooo oovv meeh."

"Huh?!" In his confusion, Zoro let go.

"Thhiissss isss what I ssound liiike when I transssfooorm," she explained. "I can alssso flooaat, tooo." She pulled on Zoro's earring for good measure. He caught her wrist again and didn't release her. She strained, but he was too strong, and he knew it.He pulled out her panpipes with the other hand and waved it where he thought her face was.

"I'll be keeping these for a while for what you did back near the merchant." He grinned and put it back in his shirt. Reia materialized and landed on the deck with a "whiff".

"What?! You can't do that!!" she protested indignantly. Nami smiled. Usopp and Chopper were still open-mouthed at her transformation. Sanji lit a cigarette and drew in deeply, looking out the window. He leaned back on the wall.

"It's getting pretty dark," he observed. Luffy had seen the panpipes.

"Can you play them?" Reia nodded and looked at Zoro's chest in frustration. He grinned at her.She sat down across form him.

"Well, I can't now,' she muttered darkly. Zoro smirked wickedly. "But I can sing. Do you want to hear?" Luffy nodded, and she began.

"Oh when I cry

I eat warai

From Chinshima!

The sea hates those who eat

The cursed fruit…"

She began to tear up, and she went "Pop" and continued in a haunting voice.

"…Of Chinshima's womb

So be wary the doomed.

Then we all eat warai

And Laugh 'til we die!"

She finished and looked at the Straw Hats. Luffy was busy drooling in his sleep. Usopp and Chopper applauded, Sanji even more so. Zoro looked strangely at her, probably because of her voice, and Nami was again thinking deeply.

"Reia, that part about the fruit of Chinshima's womb…" she began to ask.

AN explosion was heard, and the ship rocked.

"What the---!" Sanji started to say. Nami and Zoro ran outside, along with Usopp and Chopper hot on his heels. Sanji sprinted after them. That left Reia and Luffy, who was still snoozing. Reia grabbed his shoulders and shook them.

"Luffy! Luffy!! Wake UP! Something's happened!!" she shouted. Luffy jerked awake.

"Wha---??!" he wiped the drool from his mouth and sprang up. He then ran outside. Reia went after him. They both stood still, trying to peer into the darkness. The silence unnerved her, and the wind moaned eerily. Luffy broke the silence.

"Where'd everybody go?" he asked quietly. Reia shook her head slowly.

"I don't know, Luffy, but something doesn't seem right," she murmured. A piece of paper suddenly fluttered down from above, and Luffy extended an arm and grabbed it. He brought it up to his face, then dropped his arm and clenched his fists. His head was bowed, and the straw hat covered his eyes. Reia took the paper and read it. She gasped.

---Be at the orchard closest to the mountain

when themoon reaches its peak,

or you will never see them again---

She held a hand to mouth. She had been there before.

"Luffy…" she started to say. He looked up and into her eyes. Hisown burned with fury.

"Reia," he said quietly. She looked at him.

"Yes, Luffy?"

"Reia," he said again. "Will you help me get them back?"

There was a short pause.

"I will do everything to help you, Luffy," she replied vehemently. Luffy's mouth set into a grim line.

"Then let's go."