I hope you are enjoying this fan fiction. If you see any major errors please just let me know and I'll do my best about getting it fixed. Also feel free to review. Constructive criticism is very much welcome.

Author's Note:

I'm using the original ... Marines.

Chapter 4: A Note of Hunger

Zorro looked at the little girl standing in the doorway. "Who are you?"

"What do you think you are doing?" Chopper inserted. "You're supposed to be in bed!"

"If only it wasn't in those bags. From now on I'm storing it in a chest or something that doesn't sink!" Nami moaned. "I could have saved it! All my savings! I swear that if I ever lay my eyes on them again..."

"Sanji... I'm hungry..." Luffy was tugging on Sanji's shirt anxiously.

"How far away are we from land?" Nina ignored the tug Chopper was giving to her shredded dress. This was far more important for now than going back to bed.

"... I swear I'll... huh? Oh, 3 or 4 days I suppose I can't really be sure. Robin said it was a one-month trip to the next post. Why."

"How about we hold a concert?" Nami looked up from where she was throwing a fit and thought about the idea. It had potential she had to admit, but just how good was the little girl anyway.

"Concert? Oh, I see." Zorro glanced at the happy Luffy. No wonder the Captain was so happy. After all he had been after a musician way before they had even started looking for a cook!

"I can perform. The violin isn't my only instrument, and I can sing too! I'm used to getting money for my performances they seem to go over really well... usually. I've got enough food to tide us over until we reach land so that's not a big deal. We'll be fine!"

"You're our guest though. It is our duty to take care of you." Sanji gently reminded her. "For a young lady such as yourself to do all the work it is criminal!"

"I'm a musician first." She pointed out to him. "Really I don't mind at all. Besides you guys saved me! I probably would have died out on the ocean if it wasn't for you! Let me repay my debt!"

"Musician plays. Musician. Musician. Musician performs! We'll get more meat!"

It was pretty obvious that Luffy liked the idea. Every one else looked hesitant though. She wasn't a member of their crew and it wasn't right to include her in their problems after all, still if that had only been a small sampling of her talents she could very easily be the best possible solution to their unwanted problem.

Nami agreed, but it was on the condition that she would be Nina's manager for the concert.

It seemed to be a bustling port, filled with every type of person imaginable. Including the Marines.

Nami was being very careful with the ship they couldn't afford to be caught after all, and the bounty on their heads was large enough to entice anyone that believed they actually stood a chance.

Nami just didn't have it in her to deal with a mess like that today. They needed supplies, and money, not trouble.

"I'm soooo hungry!" Luffy was staring at all the vendors selling food, and he was quite literally drooling.

"Maybe it would be a good idea for me to perform at a pub or something. Maybe they will exchange some food for some music. It never hurts to try."

Robin led the way to a near-by pub. The crowd was loud and obnoxious but they had a small stage for a musician to perform.

"I wonder who normally sings here?"

"I want meat!"

"Excuse me, sir." Robin leaned over and began to talk with the bartender. All that anybody could do right now was to sit and wait.

"Ouch!" Nina felt something crash into her and she fell onto the ground.

"I'm sorry, Miss. Are you all... Nina?"

She tried to pull herself off of the ground; a hand was extended down to her from the young man that had just tackled her.

"Rolfe? Is that you?"

She didn't even bother with accepting his hand; she just gave him a crushing hug.

"It's been so long!" Nina sobbed.

"So," Rolfe watched the group of people, it didn't take long for one person's face to strike him with a sence of recognition. "What brings you out here, Nina?"

The bounty on these guys was amazingly high was Nina in danger of any sort?

"My ship sunk." She gave him a bright smile. "These kind people saved me from drowning."

From drowning? Well Nina had eaten the devil's fruit so it wasn't like she was able to swim... had they saved her? What were they after? Pirates were never to be trusted.

"Why are you here, Rolfe? It's been a whole year and you were still at home when I left. How's Momma and your family?"

"Well... you see... a month after you left... we were... attacked. Pirates. The town was completely destroyed."

He watched as his childhood friend's expression began to change. She was not just worried she was completely scared.

"Momma? Is she?"

He just couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth and make her cry. That was the one thing that didn't belong on Nina's face. Tears.

"Everybody escaped, it's just that the town was destroyed."

"Thank heavens!"

Zorro studied the young man carefully. He knew the boy had just told a very big lie, but he also knew it wasn't his place to call him on it. Knowing pirates as well as he did he could imagine what had happened to the village, and he couldn't blame the boy for not telling Nina. Still... he had lied.

"Oh! So why are you here, Rolfe? Are you still performing?"

He held up his guitar and with a smile he answered her. "Like, I would ever stop!"

Chapter 5: To Compete for Meat!