Disclaimer- I don't own any of this except things the Oda Sensei didn't make up. Ha.

A/N: By the way, Reia's devil fruit powers are Logia. In other words, she can turn into her devil fruit and control it. I stumbled onthat knowledgewhile surfing the web. Quite a revelation for me. What a coincidental accident. All right, enjoy! Sorry for the delay, this bit is quite larger than normal. Oh, and i also apologize for the clumped words. It always happens when i upload the chapter. Sumimasem! (dunno if i spelled that right...i learned it on cds.) Enough of my babbling.

-I-I-I-Chapter Six-I-I-I-

Robin watched as Sline hit the corner of the ring. Almost every opponent underestimated the power that lay in the scrawny cook. She looked down at the mud. It had started to harden from the sun. Speaking about the sun...

She took off her hat to let the breeze cool her. Glancing at the others, she feared Nami's fair skin might get burnt. Reia would just flicker constantly. The crowd roared as Sanji was announced the winner. Suddenly, her hat was ripped out of her hands. She turned sharply to see a large black thing streak through the crowd, and she gave chase.

Running even gracefully in the mud, Robin raced to keep the black thing in her sight. Turn left, northwest, she bumped into various people without a word. In a few moments the crowd ended and the forest began. The trees sped past her in blurs of green and brown. Robin frowned slightly and ran faster. She lost sight of the thing as it veered into the dense underbrush. Following closely behind, she stopped and looked peculiarly at the situation.

Taking the hat left on the branch, she proceeded to place it on her head. A piece of paper fluttered to the mud. She bent down and picked it up, hearing Nami and Reia's footsteps nearby. They found her puzzling over it. Nami looked at it.

-I'm sorry

It was followed by a large, muddy paw print. Nami shook her head and asked, "Wait, what's going on?"

Robin brought the paper to eye level, Nami and Reia looking at her expectantly.

"Panthera Onca." Robin murmured. When met with confused silence, she pointed to the ground. Reia knelt and gasped as large paw prints became visible. "Jaguar." Robin explained to them.

Nami looked at her incredulously. "A jaguar took your hat? For what reaso-" she stopped and stared at her arm. Robin frowned as she noticed her cut, too. They both looked at Reia, who showed them unmarked arms.

"Remember the flickering? Oh wait!" She looked very carefully and pointed to a red dot. "Not a line, a dot. Ha..." she laughed weakly. For a moment they all looked at their arms in silence. Then Robin began to walk back, Nami and Reia following behind her. They glanced down at the forest undergrowth, spotting where the jaguar had stepped. As the forest ended, they sighted the ringed-off mud arena, empty now. The crowed milled about, bored. Suddenly, something or someone ran furiously into the trio and bowled them over. Standing up from the mud, Nami quivered in rage.

"Hey BASTARD! Watch where you're going!" she screamed. Then she gasped, the mud on her pants forgotten. Robin followed the paw prints immediately, almost lost in the crowd. Nami ran after her, arms outstretched. "Wait, Robin!"

As the two left, no one paid heed to Reia. Or, they couldn't, even if they wanted to. The other two knew. She moved through the crowd, a couple steps behind Nami. With a blue tendril, she wiped the mud off Nami's pants as she followed. Suddenly, Nami stopped so fast that Reia ran right through her and Robin. Reia heard them gasp at the cold and she reappeared right in front of Robin. A large woman was in Reia's way and she leaned to the side to see what the other two were staring at in shock. She glimpsed the pitch-black jaguar, or panther, and also stared, gaping.

The panther was about three feet tall and looked at her alertly with pale, yellow eyes. It looked so sleek…then its eyes widened. She looked around at the spectators walking around, not even noticing it. Then she noticed the people who did.

"It's them," she heard someone whisper nearby. Something was wrong with these people…about seven stood around casually, trying to fit in. But that failed. Their sickly-pale faces and shifty eyes spoke trouble right away. Then she noticed that the crowd was giving the panther's apparent owners a wide berth. Its companions looked at the mud disapprovingly.

Nami and Robin moved out from behind Reia and stared at the cat. Robin, however, looked piercingly at the group about ten meters away. The regular thunder of the talking people shrank to a trickling creek, like guests at a graduation reception, all tight collared.

One man in the group stood out, though. Tall with long, black hair, pleasant to look at, but with thin lips, he looked around haughtily, staring down his hawk nose. And those eyes…

Then her hearing went out. Everything was a low mumble, and she turned her head sharply in surprise. But she couldn't. All she had eyes for was…that man's eyes. She couldn't move. She couldn't break his gaze. What was happening! Panicking, the last intelligible thing she heard was Robin gasping, then a mere echo, before a pleasant voice filled her head, almost calming her. She could feel her heard beat faster and her thoughts accelerate.

Calm down.

Wh-What! Shit. She was getting epileptic.

That's funny. What's your name?

Wait. The man was talking to her? Couldn't be….No, she tried to block him out by thinking of nothing…oranges…

You like oranges? They taste good. And so do you.

She blanched out. Hell, she needed to escape. Her limbs wouldn't work. With all her willpower she tried and tried. Helplessness washed over her like a wave, and she could feel tears of anger well up.

Don't cry. Come closer.

NO! Her stone face twitched as, inch by inch, her leg moved up, as though in mid stride. No…Stop! STOP!

No can do, darling-

The pleasant voice snarled as a black streak knocked into her. The "spell" broke and she fell, looking up at the sky with her liberated body. With a splat she fell on the mud. She heard Robin gasp again and Nami attempted to catch Reia.

Still laying her back in the warm mud, Reia looked up at Nami's peering face. Robin was still looking in the other direction, wary.

"Who was that?" Reia asked, lifting herself up. She winced as she felt the mud on her. Nami started answer when suddenly she found that she couldn't focus properly on Reia. After a few moments of blinking, she could, and all the mud was off Reia.

"Um, what were you doing?" Nami asked back, looking perplexed. Reia looked at her.

"Answer mine first."

"Vampires."

Nami and Reia looked back at Robin.

"…What?"

"Vampires," Robin repeated gravely and turned to vanish into the crowd, heading in the direction of the ship. Nami turned pale and looked back where the cat and vampires stood. She darted after Robin, leaving Reia there. Reia glanced at the spot where the man had stood and started to run after the other two. With the characteristic wave of her hand, she roped Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper on the other side and propelled them to the ship. Sanji would have to take a risk. As she sprinted furiously to the ship, her eyes narrowed in anger. That man would pay.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-

Usopp frowned as the restless crowd drifted from one booth to another, waiting for he next match. Chopper looked in awe at the wonderful fruits at this one.

"This is so boooring," Luffy drawled, sulking next to Usopp's left shoulder.

"Go back then. Here, take this to Reia,too," he added as he tossed a twisty, iridescent fruit to Luffy. Luffy grinned widely and brought the fruit to his mouth, Usopp's face starting totwist in anger, when suddenly the crowed surged.

Or rather, the trio had lifted and started to fly out of the mud and into the forest. Chopper squeaked in horror as he saw the blue rope around all their waists.

"Something's happened," Chopper said. He giggled as they flew the two miles, about two meters above the dirt road. Luffy clutched his straw hat and whooped and shouted.

As they neared the beach, the rope disintegrated and they dropped to the ground gently. Usopp brought a hand to shade his eyes and squinted to make out the figures on the ship. Then Luffy stretched his arm out and grabbed the rail to snap onto the deck. Usopp sighed and jogged to the hull and ascended the rope ladder, Chopper close behind.

"Reia, what's wrong?" Luffy asked. Reia looked at them with contemplating eyes, perched by the trees. She looked away. Usopp raised an eyebrow and suddenly was confronted by Nami. She grabbed his shoulders and spoke urgently.

"Usopp, did anything odd happen to you at the arena?" she asked quickly. He drew back in surprise.

"Um, no," he replied. "What's wrong, guys?" He looked around and saw Robin sitting in her sun chair as usual. But the odd thing was that Zoro was sitting up alertly. Now that was something to worry about. Nami sighed and sat down on the stair, crossing her arms.

"What's wrong is that we've identified the enemy." Usopp's mouth dropped.

"E-enemy? Monsters!"

"No, vampires," Robin said quietly.

"VAMPIRES!" he shrieked. Half swooning, he fell to the ground, frothing at the mouth. Chopper gasped, while Luffy giggled maniacally from the bow. Zoro shook his head slowly at the heap.

"Well, do you three have proof?" Zoro asked nonchalantly. He realized his mistake when Reia flamed and streaks of blue shot from her, her eyes blazing.

"A man that can control my movements? Talk in my head? Give us cuts? And you need proof? Look at your arm," she said in a soft, menacing voice. Zoro shrugged and rested his head on the rail.

"Then where's Sanji?"

"Over here, algae head," Sanji grumbled as he leapt up onto the deck, swinging a bag in his hands.

"How'd you get here so fast?" Zoro asked, annoyed.

"How'd I win so fast? I'm still wondering about that…" Sanji murmured. He noticed a confused Nami and ran to her, hands clasped in love.

"Nami-san! Your Belli!" he exclaimed, giving the bag to her. She smiled slightly and took it, then returned frowning. He gasped and looked at the crew accusingly.

"…What did you guys do to Nami-san?"

"Aw shut up, will you," Zoro growled. Sanji turned on him and started to reply when hands sprouted from his shoulders to cover his mouth.

"Calm now," Robin said softly, closing her book. Sanji nodded in ecstasy. Robin sat up and the hands disappeared.

"Well, what do we do now?" Usopp asked, having recovered.

"We fight!" Luffy exclaimed. Nami sighed once more.

"He's right, you know. Keep on fighting in the tournament, get the Belli, then leave," she said in defeat. The Straw Hats looked at her in horror.

"You're still worrying about Belli right now!" Nami's eyes darted to them.

"…So?" Chopper's mouth still was open. Wow, Nami was so scary, he thought quietly. Nami turned on him, eyes narrowed.

"What're you thinking, Chopper?" He jumped and smiled nervously.

"Nothing, nothing." As Nami walked away he sighed, wiping his brow with a hoof.

"All right, tomorrow Usopp's fighting. We'll have to guard this ship carefully. Who knows who's watching us…" she said ominously. The Straw Hat's eyes lingered at the shadows of the forest. Luffy started to do cartwheels on the deck.

"Vampires, vampires, blood-sucking vampires!" he sang when he suddenly wheeled over Zoro. The swordsman leapt up, scowling.

"You BASTARD!" he thundered as he swiped Luffy with a closed fist. Luffy stood and bowed to him.

"I'm sorry." He evaded a punch and bowed again. "I'm sorry."

"God, you loser!" Zoro exclaimed as he sat down again. Nami looked over to Sanji.

"Sanji, could you prepare dinner now? It's getting dark…" Sanji smiled and proceeded to the lounge without a word. She frowned when she saw Usopp cowering near the mast.

"Dark…it's getting dark….Vampires!" he screamed shortly before Nami punched him.

"Get a hold of yourself, brave sea warrior," Nami said, smiling. Usopp sighed and looked at the setting sun.

"I should, before the vampires do."

"All right, who's taking night watch?" she asked the Straw Hats loudly. The crew looked at her but no one volunteered. She blew air out impatiently.

"What, no one? Guess I'll have to pick….Zoro, you do it."

"Sure, fine, whatever," he grumbled. He looked at the shadowy forest and held his katanas.

"What, you're afraid?" a voice asked near his elbow. He started and Reia materialized next to him. Grinning, he laid back.

"What, me? When was I ever afraid?" Reia smiled and sat in the lotus position, crossing her arms. He looked at the forest again, then back to the ghostly girl.

"…Reia…" he began. Her head lifted to look at him. "Reia, what happened to you at the arena?" She closed her eyes and breathed in. Opening them, he noticed she didn't focus on him anymore.

"I couldn't move. His eyes, so…bottomless. He talked to me. I resisted. He ordered me to come closer. I couldn't break eye contact…." she said softly. Then she gritted her teeth. "My leg started to move. I would've been in his power if I had stepped but once…" Zoro looked at her face, noting some anger rippling on it. "Then, something hit me, and the man lost his control." She shook her head violently and looked at him, eyes steely.

"What hit you?" he asked slowly. Reia rested her chin on a closed fist, looking down at the deck.

"The cat. The panther," she said quickly. Then her eyes found his. "You're unusually talkative today… so concerned about me?"

"Hmm? We've got to know the enemy before we fight them, don't we? And if you were hurt, how could we fight them effectively?"

"What, so that's it?"

"What else?"

Reia sighed and stood up. As she walked away, she said over her shoulder, "The panther was very beautiful. If you ever fight them, don't kill it, please? For me?" She couldn't see Zoro smile gently at her.

"Sure. If it doesn't try to harm us," he told her. She nodded and walked up the stairs to walk into the lounge. Nami descended moments later and walked over to him, leaning on the rail. A long minute passed.

"What do you want, Nami?" Zoro finally asked, looking up at her. She didn't look down but instead at the sunset.

"Zoro, do you feel anything for Reia?" He was silent and also looked at the streaks of pink and orange striping the horizon.

"Am I supposed to feel anything?" Nami sighed andsat down, looking at him straight in the eye. He looked back at her and saw how serious she looked. With a sigh, he continued. "We're comrades, Nami, just like everyone else is on this ship. Sure, she helped me out of some tight spots, and I helped her." Nami continued to stare at him. Then she shook her head and stood up, walking away.

"But she is different." Nami stopped and turned around slowly.

"Different? In what way?" Zoro sighed and lay back, looking up at the now purple sky.

"Like an ache I feel in my chest. A kind of longing…" Nami sat next to him, listening. "A strange feeling…it mustn't interfere with my fighting ability."

"This is getting silly, Zoro. You're not like this….you're usually straightforward, y'know? I think the sun is getting to your head," she said jokingly as she knocked a fist against his head. He scowled as she walked away. Crossing his arms, he thought for a while. She was right. Something was wrong with him. Gotta say it straight out.

He sat up and looked over at the trees, then started when he saw Reia sitting there, looking at him with those icy-blue orbs. She grinned and cupped a hand around her ear, then pointed to him. She gave him a thumbs up sign, and his eyes widened. He could feel a small amount of heat rise in his cheeks…

Then he nodded to her, hopingthat she didn't notice him blushing,and closed his eyes, dropping slowly back down to the deck. Well, that was over. Time for a nice nap.