An Old Cliche:

the desert's rose

Chapter 04 - GHOST SHIP

By: L.R. Pelgina

and Starfirehime

Authors Note: bows humblely I AM SOOOOO FREAKING SORRY THIS IS LATE AND SHORT! Harry Potter movie #4 came out this weekend, plus a bunch of other crap happened in my life this week so I had to spilt this chapter into two! The next one will be longer and be on time! I PROMISE! Again I am sooooo SORRY! I beg for forgivness! Thanks so very very much and, Reveiw damn it!

Reveiwer responses: It seems I lost a few reviwers...what the hell happened?

tori007otaku: YEA! I love you and your awesome "rocking of socks" saying and what not! You rule! Thanks so much for reveiwing again and taking the time to read my story! And believe me it's no problem describing who characters are for you! I would feel really bad if I didn't actually! Sorry this is late! Lyra will iron her hands in apology!

Chibi-Hearts: Yes! We should ALL believe Chopper more shouldn't we. He is after all the best freaking most greatest person in one piece!

Nami-swan: I'll just have to keep the Sanji and Nami moments rolling won't I? I'm getting more reveiws from SanjixNami fans than anyone else! Thanks for reveiwing!

Vivi: Yes finding ZoroXVivi fanart IS a pain! But that what makes it so great when you actually find them! and I wouldn't know if I have any links you don't, I don't know what links you have! I'll see if I can't post a good one though. http/ kurotora.lad.jp/aotsuki/link/zv .html That's a place with a bunch of links! MAke sure you don't leave any spaces when you type it into your computer for a URL though or it won't work! If it doesn't show up I'll post it as my hompage so you can go check it out! Good luck! And I actually like Kohza quite a lot! To me he's a great guy put he just tends to bring himself off as an asshole half the time until you get to know him! I've actually been thinking I should make him a bit nicer before I upset some Kohza fans...but to me a writter should always write the characters as they would act! Not how they want them to act! And to me this is how Kohza would act in this situation! But it's alright if you hate him, I won't hold it against you! My friend Starfirehime hates him too! It IS a matter of tastes after all, ne?

InuBecka: Goodness there ARE KohzaxVivi fans actually reading this! I understand completely and let me explain! I had intended there to be a bit more KohzaxVivi in this fanfic but all I get reveiws from are ZoroxVivi fans (and SanjixNami)! So I play out to my reveiws! If no KohzaxVivi fans are reading of course I'm going to put less KohzaxVivi! So let me put it this way (and this goes for SanjixNami and LuffyxRobin fans as well) the more reveiwers I get supporting a couple in my jurisdiction (i.e. ZoroxVivi, KohzaxVivi, SanjixNami, LuffyxRobin) the more I will try to fit moments for them in there! But remember this is also a ZoroxVivi fic so there will be some of that as well! ALWAYS! But same goes for KohzaxVivi! It is a KohzaxVivi fic as well so there will be a lot of that! BUT ONLY IF I GET REVEIWERS FOR THEM! You are the first so say something so I thank you! Please reveiw again if you wish for the KohzaxVivi to continue!

Vivi again: I apologize for not updating on time! A lot of things have happened this week!

Disclaimer: Besides the villians I create I don't own any of this! I don't want Oda-sensei to get me for copyrights.

"Luffy you idiot we haven't even decided what to do about poor Vivi-chan's situation yet and you want to go and investiage some rotten piece of driftwood that calls itself a ship? Consider your priorites!" Sanji protested.

Luffy stared at Sanji blankly for a moment, as if considering Sanji's opinion.

"OK!"

Everyone sighed in relief, they were sure Luffy was going to respond with something stupid.

"We're going to go investigate!"

"WERE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?" Sanji demanded.

Luffy waived him off casually, "We'll talk about that when we get back!" Luffy insisted, "Let's go see what's in the ship! Right? Vivi? You wanna see too right?" he tempted.

Vivi smiled, she was so glad to be with her nakama again, "Eh, we'll talk about it when we get back! It can wait half a day or so!" She said.

"But--"Kohza began, but Vivi killed his protest with a look.

"We're all tired and need a break from all the turmoil of yesterday in order to properly put our heads together and come up with a solution," Vivi said, "And this may just be the break we need."

Luffy smiled, "GREAT! Then somebody go get Robin!" he said.

Nami, Zoro, and Sanji all gasped at the same time. All three coming to the same realization. Vivi didn't know Robin had joined them after leaving the Baroque Works!

"WAI--" they all began to yell but it was too late.

"ROBIN! GET UP HERE! WE'RE GOING SOMEWHERE!" Usoppu yelled down the cabin.

Nami spun around to face Vivi, "Vivi! There's something that we need to explain before--" but Nami didn't get to finish.

"Ara. If it isn't Miss Wednesday." Robin said as she emerged from the bottom cabin.

Vivi's face went blank then white all in a matter of seconds, "Mi-- MISS ALLSUNDAY!" she paniked.

Kohza's sword was out in an instant. He remembered her from the palace the day of the rebellion. What the hell was she doing on the boat with the pirates that helped bring that orginization down?

Kohza was began to charge out her when he realized his sword was no longer in his hands. He had enough time to see that the strawhat man had it before he fell face first onto the boat. The swordsman had tripped him.

Nami now had ahold of Vivi and was trying to reassure Vivi that Robin was now a fellow nakama and would cause Vivi no harm. Vivi however was not responding to her reassurences.

Kohza however was a lot quicker to act. If these pirates had betrayed Vivi and decided to join the orginization that had tried to conquer Alabasta then it was up to him to protect the princess now! More important then that, it was up to him to protect someone who was very important to him. Kohza summersaulted and pulled out the pieces of his secret weapon. He put the rifle together in record time and pointed it at the pirate closest to Vivi, the female pirate.

"Get away from the princess," Kohza demanded and instanly felt the air tense up. The swordsman, the strawhat, and the man with the weird eyebrow were all ready to massacure him at the drop of a hat, but were hesitant to move due to worry of him hitting their friend.

Kohza could tell from their auras alone he would be no match for any of these men, but so long as Vivi made it out ok then it didn't matter. Despite that Robin didn't have to move to knock the gun out of his hands. Robin was about to make a move but the princess herself interrupted.

"Leader! Put that away!" Vivi shouted, her face was showing no emotion.

Kohza couldn't believe what he was hearing, "But...Vivi--" he started.

"If she's with them then leave it alone." Vivi said and stood up slowly and walked over to him and grabbed the end of his rifle and forced it down, "But don't ever point a gun at one of my nakama again."

Zoro visably relax and Luffy audibly sighed. Sanji however didn't want this atrocity to go unpunished. How dare this man point a gun at Nami-san. Sanji began to stride over in Kohza's direction but Zoro put up a hand to stop him.

"Let Vivi handle this. You'll only make this worse." Zoro said

Sanji didn't like it but Zoro was right and Sanji let it go, for now.

Vivi stood up and brought Kohza with her, and it took Kohza a moment to realize she was shaking. Wihout letting go of him Vivi walked up to the end of the boat where Luffy stood.

"You can return his sword Luffy," Vivi said, "He won't do this again."

Luffy looked at Vivi for a moment then handed Kohza back his sword. Kohza put it and his rifle away quickly. Vivi would still not let go of Kohza's arm and she was still shaking slightly.

"Vivi--" Nami began.

"So let's get on this ghost ship," Vivi said in an obviously fake-happy tone.

Luffy looked at her he wasn't smiling no one was, but Luffy complied to her request.

"Alright," Luffy said and stretched up to the top of the large Ghost ship then pulled up everyone one by one after that.

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It didn't take Zoro long to notice that Vivi had quite suddenly distanced herself from the Mugiwaradan. As soon as Luffy had placed her friend sideburns on the other ship after her she and he immediatly went as far as they could to the other side of the boat without actually leaving them behind. Zoro began to wonder if Vivi wasn't planing on leaving for a different reason now.

Zoro had known something like this may happen ever since Robin had joined the crew. The Mugiwaradan had an inevitable strange stroke of luck that made sure when they left someone behind that was never the last time that they saw them, espcially with the enimes. But there was really nothing he could do about it now except make sure Vivi didn't try and leave. Despite whatever she was currently thinking about Miss AllSunday being on the boat Zoro knew that the safest place for her would be with them. So Zoro resolved to keep an eye on her, to make sure she didn't try anything funny. But despite that being what Zoro told himself he found he just really didn't want Vivi to leave. He technically never had, but that hadn't been his chioce, this time it was a little under his control.

After all the Mugiwaradan were aboard and they had anchored both of the ships they all moved into the first cabin. Inside the main cabin room was stuffy and smelled grossly of dust. The ship obviously hadn't been touched in quite some time. Robin of course was instantly intrigued. Everyone else looked around with mild interest but Robin being the wonderful historian that she was almost instantly found something worth while.

An old inscription was carved onto a very dusty side wall of the cabin. Robin tenderly brushed off the dust and read the insription to herself.

"Luffy?" Nami moaned exasperated, "There's nothing here! Can't we leave now?"

"There's adventure!" Luffy insisted, his eyes sparkling much like Chopper's do.

Nami sighed, "Nobody cares about that but you," she said.

"There's suppoused to be a treasure hidden on this boat," Robin read aload from the insription.

Nami instantly became interested in the boat, her eyes becoming berri signs, "Luffy! Lets go investigate the money, I mean the boat!" she exlaimed.

Everyone sweatdropped.

"No one cares about that but YOU!" Zoro muttered throwing Nami's words back at her.

Nami threw a scowl back and then turned her attention back to Robin, "What else does it say?" she demanded.

Robin read aload, "I, Captain Amos Kooter leave my vast fortune on my boat as I die and will set it adrift out to sea. If you are a pirate who is strong and brave enough to get to my treasure then it is all yours. To get to the treasure please hit this button," Robin stopped, the finger she had been using to point out the inscription on the wall resting just above a small button.

"Well, what are we waiting for!" Luffy exclaimed and hit the button without hesitation.

And the floor fell out from beneath them.

Authors Note pt.2: WARNING FOR SANJIxNAMI FANS: The next chapter will contain some SanjixVivi-ness! But that is solely to move along the relationship between SxN! I promise! We have to get freaking Nami jealous before she'll admit to herseld she has any feelings for our beloved Sanji-kun! So I apologize in advance! Thanks so much for reading. Reveiw and let me know what you think! Thanks again. Next update will be on Nov. 25! This time even if it KILLS me! Which it may if I don't!