Disclaimer- I don't own any of this except for anything not made up by the Great Oda Sensei. Truly, he is truly one of my greatest heroes!

-I-I-Chapter Four-I-I-

Dawn's rosy fingers reached up above the horizon, heating the crisp morning air. It tickled Reia's nose, and she opened one eye, yawning. Standing up next to the orange trees, she stretched and made small, satisfying noises as she worked the kinks from her spine. Wriggling her body, she planted her hands on her hips and breathed in deeply, then shouted out, "All right everyone, wake up!" Nico walked out as soon as the sun peeped above the horizon, smiling as she smelled the morning air. Unbeknownst to her, the other crew members were being tapped, propelled to their feet, or just shoved out of their beds by Reia.

A few minutes later, all were in the lounge, enjoying Sanji's breakfast. The blonde cook brushed his hair aside and surveyed his...consumers.

"Ah, Luffy, don't take that!" Usopp said gaily, grabbing a roll from the captain's grasp. "I need the sustenance to fight later," Usopp explained as he popped it into his mouth. Luffy grumbled and dumped the basked of rolls I his mouth, his face glum as he chewed. Usopp yelled out in anger, and he wasn't the only one.

Sanji descended onto Luffy with full force, face contorted in fury. As Luffy dodged the kick, Sanji shouted, "The ladies didn't get any, bastard!"

Luffy sulked and swallowed it all. Sanji froze, then wilted like a flower. Gawking, Usopp immediately shoved the remaining roll in his mouth, chewing vigorously. Nami slammed her hands onto the table and glared at them.

"We don't have time for this!" she shouted. "Eat up and get going!" Sanji raised a curly eyebrow.

"But Nami-san, aren't you coming with us?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Who's going to watch the ship? Nico and I will stay, the rest can go. You didn't get to leave yet did you, Reia?" Reia nodded and looked a bit more eager.

Chopper piped up, "I wanna stay. It smells more...alive here." Zoro shook his head and drank from the mug, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked on as Usopp and Luffy battled for the real last roll. Sanji looked to Zoro, and they both exhaled tiredly. For once, they both agreed in silence. This was going to be a long day. But then again, that was the life of a Straw hat, wasn't it?

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"The Bloodless Tavern!" Reia announced as they battled their way out of the crowd of passer-byers, tourists, and shoppers. A two-story building rose from the paved road and was built of fine wood. It was quite nice looking in the bustling city of...of what? Reia frowned as Luffy and Usopp went in, followed by Sanji. Zoro looked around cautiously, and then sauntered in. She also scanned the crowd and stopped a pair of men.

"Excuse me, but what's this city's name?" The men stopped and looked her up and down, as if trying to guess the sanity coming from this teen. The younger man on the right had blonde hair with observant eyes. He took up every detail of her, including the blue tank top and cargos she wore. He shrugged and answered, "Demon's eye." Then he looked around conspiratorially. "Do you wanna know why, though?" He beckoned for her to come closer and his voice softened. His tall, bearded companion looked at her alertly, and the younger man continued, as if whispering a secret. "It's because they can see everything from this city, y'know. The whole island." Reia's blue eyes narrowed.

"They?" The man's companion coughed and spoke in a deep voice while running a hand through his brown hair.

"We don't mean to frighten you anymore than needed, lass, but watch yer step. It's not called 'demon's' eye fer nothing. And they are not the normal sort, those-" Suddenly the blonde man nudged the older with his elbow. They both tipped their heads in farewell and murmured a "good day," with a "lass" added from the older man. As they melted into the crowd, Reia looked after them, contemplating. The doors swung open and Zoro's head stuck out, his earrings tinkling as he looked around. Spotting her, he frowned in concern.

"Having trouble finding the door?" She gave him a fake smile and went in. Before he followed her, he looked over his shoulder and surveyed the crowd, grasping his katanas. Shrugging, he went in. Before the doors closed, a dark pair slid in.

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Reia peered at faces she passed as Zoro led her between the patrons and tables to the Straw Hats' table. The light seemed cut off from the sunny outside. Here, everyone looked suspicious, thanks to the shadows coming from the torches. Sanji and Usopp smiled at her in relief as Zoro sat down. She also sat and crossed her legs. Zoro was on her left, Usopp on her right. Luffy and Sanji were across from her on the round table.

"Uh, Reia, we see to be in a...tight spot, right now," Usopp mumbled. Sanji ran a hand through his hair.

"Luffy managed to find the registration table," he stated shortly. She frowned.

"That's good, right?"

"Not at all, the idiot," Sanji growled as he looked at Luffy. The captain chewed away innocently, and Zoro rolled his eyes and drank from his mug. Sanji scoffed at him. "And what are you rolling your eyes about? You're as much to blame, too." Zoro raised his hands.

"What'd I do?" Reia looked back and forth confusedly, then hit the table with her hands.

"Wait, what's going on!" Usopp leaned towards confidentially.

"See, we all went to go register, and Sanji signed up at the mud arena, I at the jungle, and Zoro at the-"

"Sand," Zoro cut in. That left only one for Luffy...Reia's jaw dropped.

"No, you have to be kidding me," she stated in disbelief. Luffy looked at her and grinned.

"Who's kidding who? Of course I signed up for the beach!" Luffy exclaimed. Reia scratched her ear and sighed.

"Well, that's going to complicate things," she said tiredly. She looked around at the dim, crowded tavern. Men with bulging muscles and scars all over ambled to the tables. Many more guffawed and slapped their full stomachs at the wooden tables.

"Fights are scheduled for the tourists' convenience, too," Usopp added. Then he stroked his chin as he tried to remember something. With a snap of his fingers, he continued. "Tomorrow, Sanji fights in the mud arena, then the next day is me..." He shivered. "...and me in the jungle one." She noticed the pattern and nodded in understanding.

"Zoro fights on the third, then Luffy on the fourth. These tournaments take all day, huh?" she asked. Sanji nodded as he leaned back in his chair, smoking thoughtfully. She twirled a strand of hair as the others looked around idly. Suddenly, she noticed something red on Zoro's arm as he lifted his mug to drink. She pointed to it and inquired, "Zoro, how'd you get that?" He looked down at it and his eyes narrowed, then he shook his head.

"I don't know...a scratch I got somewhere. I always get these," he told her, shrugging it off.

"Oh," Reia said slowly. She tipped her chair backwards and rocked back and forth. "Oy Sanji, are the drinks here any goo!"

Sanji looked over at her when he heard his name and tapped his cigarette. He frowned at a surprised Reia and raised his hand in question. Not voluntarily, unusually...Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! She pointed to each crew member and their right arms flew up and landed on the table, palms up. Luffy paused, halfway through a chicken leg and managed a "Huh?" Usopp stared down at the table and a strangled scream came out before he quickly lifted the other hand and cut it off. All four arms had a thin line on each. The blood was dry now, but it was hardly visible to be noticed.

"Something fishy is going on her-" Once again she was cut off as someone behind her stumbled onto her tipped chair. Zoro grabbed his katanas, very suspicious. She quickly used her powers to prevent the chair and herself from sprawling on the ground. She did not do the same for the other. A woman with black hair stood up shakily and gripped the table. She looked up at Reia with her pale face and the others noticed it wass very hard to see which face was paler. The other woman smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. Reia cocked her head and looked at her without batting an eyelid. She waved her fingertips, and the woman frowned, and then smiled again. "Good day." The woman disappeared out of the tavern, and Reia rubbed her arm and sat down.

"Someone wants my blood, eh?" she said softly. The others looked at each other in shock, and Luffy stood up and flipped her arm over, seeing nothing.

"Why didn't you get a line, too? I thought we all were supposed to after walking to the tables," he asked. Reia rubbed her arm again.

"I shielded it with the devil fruit. Did you see her teeth?" she asked them. Usopp shook his head and scratched under his bandanna and suddenly froze, turning to look at Luffy.

"You knew about the cuts all along?" Usopp asked with his eyes narrowed. Luffy nodded and sat down, the straw hat's brim shadowing his eyes. Usopp sighed and examined Reia's arm, while Zoro looked at the tavern door, still suspicious. Sanji's eyes darted around more than usual, since the usual supply of girls thinned in the tavern. Usopp shook his head confusedly as he examined his own small cut.

"Maybe it's some kind of test?" he asked the group. Reia shook her head.

"More of a blood test, right?" Sanji stood up suddenly and looked down at them, fear in his eyes.

"If this means something serious, we better get back to the ship." The group shuffled out, elbowing the rough group in the tavern. As they burst out into the sunshine, Reia squinted as she got used to the light. A few minutes of silent walking brought them past trees and the dirt flew around them as the Straw Hats walked quickly back to the ship. They broke into the forest and pushed through. The ship came into view. Nami and Nico were lounging on the deck, hiding under sun umbrellas from the scorching light. Zoro reached them first and jumped up nimbly, turning over the women's arms. Nico made a startled noise as he flipped her arm over, and Nami frowned as the others made it on board.

"What's the meaning of this?" she wanted to know. Sanji leaned back onto the ship rail and turned his own arm over, indicating the thin cut to her.

"Someone's wanting trouble for us, see?" he told her. Nami gasped as Usopp showed her his, and another cut from the wilting Luffy. Zoro brandished his own arm and looked at the cut disdainfully. She looked up to Reia, but she shook her head and showed two pale, unmarked arms. Nico examined them, and was joined by Chopper. He carried some antiseptic and dabbed it onto the thin cuts.

"Usopp, you don't mind if I take a sample of the skin tissue around the cut?" he asked him. Usopp shook his head, and Chopper took out a pair of tweezers and delicately took some and placed it in a plate. Scurrying off to his lab, he closed the doors and Nico tucked some hair behind her ear thoughtfully.

"What happened?" Nami asked. Sanji sat and so did the others, some drifting to sleep. Reia described the registering and the mysterious cuts quickly, the words coming out in a gush. Then she told her about the attempted "cut" on herself, one which she prevented.

"Whoever it is, they know now that we know, thanks to me," Reia said without regret. Nami bit her lip and tapped her pencil on her chin.

"Blood samples? What can they do with them?" Nami asked softly. She looked disapprovingly at the snoozing Zoro and Luffy in the shadow of the mast and then shrugged, since she couldn't blame them. Usopp had retreated to the lounge, and only Reia, Nico, and Sanji stayed out here with her. This sun was going to ruin her skin if she stayed out here any longer. She looked over at Sanji and asked, "Sanji, could you make us a drink?" Sanji leapt up and gave her loving smiles.

"Of course!" He skipped the steps up and whirled into the lounge. Reia turned to the two women and the three of them sat under the table, shielded by the umbrella. She looked at them with concern.

"Nico, Nami, you two have to watch out, something's amiss," she warned them. Nico nodded.

"Obviously somebody wants to harm us. Do you think it's for the bounty?" Nico asked in her soft tone. Nami groaned.

"I knew it would do us no good. They never do," Nami complained. Reia grinned.

"Butit does add some zest to the Straw Hat's life don't it?" With that said she smiled at both of the women and jumped up the steps and lifted herself onto the warm wood, which had turned hot. Blowing at her hands, she reclined under the trees and closed her eyes peacefully. Nico and Nami shook their heads and smiled.

"Sharp one, she is," Nico commented. Nami agreed.

"Sort of like a...nanny to the rambunctious ones, eh?" Nami asked Nico with a wink. Reia protested from the stern.

"Heeey," she drawled out, knowing Nami knew that she could hear every word. The two women at the table smiled and giggled. Nico sighed.

"I think I'll go check up on Chopper. All about the analysis he must have done on the skin tissue..." Nico said. She stood up and walked into the storage deck. Nami leaned back and looked up at the blue sky, wishing for a breeze. Suddenly, her hair started to flutter, and the wind originated by her orange trees. With a smile, she propped her legs up onto the table and sighed. Small cuts and tournaments, what a wonderful day!

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"They know now, master," Victoria murmured, flicking her hair. Alucard shook his head.

"They know, but do they know how to act? I doubt it," he said from the oak table in the study. Victoria stopped leaning on the wall and stood stiff as Torikki entered. He swept in, trench coat trailing. Stopping in front of the oak table, he crossed his arms.

"Alucard, what are you going to do with the blood? Drink it?" he asked, sneering. Alucard nodded slightly.

"Not a bad idea, cousin. Actually, not this time," he replied, smiling coldly. Clasping his gloved hands, he looked up superiorly at Torikki. "Time's ticking away, Tor. Why don't you worry about yourself instead?"

Torikki looked at him with contempt. "If I die, at least I die fighting with tooth and claw!" he told him vehemently. Alucard's smile grew larger.

"I don't doubt that at all, cousin. A nice play on words, 'tooth and claw'."

"Don't start, Alucard. Don't."

"And what if I do?"

"Great-grandpa won't be here to stop me, Alucard. You'll see." Alucard cocked his head at him, and then motioned to Victoria.

"See him out please, Vicky. I need some time alone." She grasped his arm, but he shrugged it off and turned sharply to glare at her. She made a face and backed off. With a final look at his cousin, he turned and stalked out, followed by a furtive Victoria. The doors closed, and a peal of laughter echoed in the castle.