Disclaimer: I don't own anything

A/N: I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favorites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter.


(Two weeks later)

"My dear sweet Naruto, are you really going to leave me alone with these bastards? Your beautiful presence brightens up this restaurant."

Naruto chuckled and rolled her eyes as Sanji flashed her a flirty smile. It would have been romantic with the twinkling, glittering stars above them and the gentle tug of the waves against the boat, but she had been here for nearly three weeks now. I pretty much have Sanji's personality down from observing him. She shook her head and hummed a soft tune.

"Y'know if you ever want to get a girlfriend then you shouldn't flirt with me and every other attractive girl that walks through those doors," Naruto stated. She darted her eyes towards the dark shadows painted on the windows and then to the bright lights that illuminated just beside it. I still can't believe it had been two weeks. It was going to be strange to not hear the loud chatter of that loud batch of chefs.

Her nose wrinkled and bile rose to her mouth as rancid smoke filled her nose again. Naruto scowled and flickered her eyes to Sanji, who only offered her a little boyish smile before putting his cigarette back into his mouth. That is the one scent I'm definitely not going to miss. She wrinkled her lips, a tiny scowl forming on her lips as the scent continued to burn her nose.

"Now why would I ever want any other girl when I have you?" Sanji asked. The smile on his face widened as those honey sweet words tickled her ears. He is definitely trying too hard to be prince charming. She leaned closer to the ledge and closed her eyes. "My gorgeous Naruto, you mean so much more to me than the other women."

Naruto snorted and shook her head. "I swear I heard you say the same thing to one of the customers last week."

Her friend tugged his lips into a sheepish smile, eyes gleaming with utter most sincere apology and Naruto just let out a tiny sigh. Honestly, it was a regular occurrence for the 16-year-old boy to flirt and give sugary sweet compliments for every woman that walked through those doors. Those sugary, sweet compliments were the worst kind of poison.

"Is my beautiful little maelstrom jealous?" Sanji asked. She could practically see the hearts coming out of his eyes, almost trying to pierce through her heart, and Naruto thinned her lips. There was an itch for her to smack some sense into the male but she squashed it down. Smacking him would just give him an idea that it was true.

That was definitely not the case.

"Y'know it is hard for me to be jealous when I know you're using your flirting as a way to push any girl away from you," Naruto replied. The dark blue ocean glowed, shining almost with life as the fish flipped into a graceful summersault before jumping back down into the ocean. "I know that some people used flirting as a technique, not to open up to people."

The loud chatter from the restaurant filled the calm silence between them. Sanji eyed her for the longest time, lips pressed into a thin line and blue eyes filled with contemplation. Naruto offered him a half-smile and closed her eyes. It was probably not her place to tell him this but Sanji was a nice person. A bit of a womanizer but he wasn't a bad person.

Her friend said nothing and held up an opened packet of cigarettes, all of them bundled up together like a bunch of penguins. His blue eyes seemed to ask her if she wanted a cigarette. Naruto chuckled and shook her head as a pair of thoughtful black eyes flashed before her eyes. I wonder if that dense guy finally asked Temari out on a date. They probably haven't gone out because Sakura would have told her.

"I don't smoke," she admitted. Sanji bobbed his head and slid the packet of cigarettes back into his black pocket before gazing back to the silent ocean right in front of them. "I used to scold Shikamaru about that horrible habit of his and if I just started smoking then it would make me a hypocrite. Besides, I don't think I would like the taste…god knows I hated kissing Shikamaru after he smoked."

The words hovered between them and Naruto knitted her eyebrows when Sanji slacked his jaw at her. Why the hell does he look shock? It isn't like I'm ashamed of my past. She shouldn't be so opened about it but what was the point of hiding her past? The only reason no one in Konoha knew, was because they probably would judge her for going for the casual relationship route.

"Shikamaru?" Sanji frowned. "Is he your boyfriend or something?"

Ah, he might feel guilty for flirting with me if it turns out that I'm in a serious relationship. Naruto quirked her lips into a tiny smile and let out a soft laugh before shaking her head. For all that blond-haired cook did with his flirting, he had enough sense and brains to respect when a woman loved her partner or if she was married. Only those customers were safe from Sanji's flirting.

"I don't do relationships," Naruto answered. A snort escaped from her lips when blood began to dribble down from Sanji's nose and a laugh almost escaped her lips when the male looked up at the sky with envy blazing through his eyes. "What I had with Shikamaru was the whole friends-with-benefit thing and even then it was because we needed a way to escape the reality of what happened to our respective mentors."

She frowned and traced the smooth ledge. I don't regret what we did but I'm pretty sure Shikamaru did. The wind whistled and her hair swept up against the breeze like a free-flowing waterfall as her eyes rested on the fishes below them. Her friend probably would have preferred if he had done his first with someone that he truly loved.

"What about Ace?" Sanji asked. Naruto blinked and twisted her head as her friend gazed at her with curious eyes. Ace? What does he have to do with anything? She bit her tongue and clasped her hands behind her head, interlocking her fingers until they cradle the back of her head. Seriously, what did Ace have to do with Shikamaru? Those two had never met each other. "Aren't the two of you dating?"

The blonde blinked and shook her head. Breaking her interlocked hands, Naruto dropped her upper body on the ledge and dangled her hands over the ledge. Dating is impossible for someone like me. Even though she knew Kurama and her were different people and knew now that her parents truly did exist, a part of her would always wonder whether or not if she deserved love.

"Ace is my Captain and friend," Naruto let out a quiet yawn and closed her eyes. A savory scent tickled her nostril, bringing out a little growl from her stomach and the blonde shook her head. I'm not actually hungry. She cleared her throat and let out another sigh. "But that's it. I'm just grateful that he didn't protest when I invited myself into his crew."

Sanji blinked. "Why did you join him?"

His eyes looked a lot like mine. The thought always lingered on her mind, repeating like a never-ending song and that was probably the main reason she decided to join Ace. Even though her captain had a smile that could put the sun to shame, his pretty grey eyes shone with the same sadness and desire as her eyes did.

But telling Sanji those things when they were only just friends was something that she wasn't ready to do.

"Because I wanted an adventure."

Her friend regarded her for the longest time, blue eyes not looking completely convinced as the smoke filled the air between them. He removed his cigarette and blew out a ring of smoke. The ring of smoke circled and then floated in front of the ocean before fading into the night sky. Finally, the male leaned forward toward the ledge.

"Shouldn't you already have a lot of adventures because of your job, Naruto-chan?" Sanji slid the cigarette back into his mouth and inspected her for a couple of seconds before looking away. His lips curled into a love-sick smile and hearts began to color his eyes. "You must have saved some beautiful princesses."

Must everything go back to girls? Amusement flooded her whole body and bubbles of laughter threatened to come out of her lips, but she shoved it down her throat. She inspected the droopy smile of her friend before cracking her knuckles. Relief flooded her hand and Naruto exhaled before looking up at the night sky.

"I did save some princesses but that didn't make it an adventure in my eyes," Naruto explained. Her arms grew heavy, feeling almost like someone replaced her bones with lead. She crossed her legs together. "Adventures means having fun and I rarely have any real fun in those adventures. Besides, I always wanted an adventure like the ones that the merchant told me about. Having an adventure in the sea was always one of my dreams."

Sanji quirked his lips into a slight smile. "It must be nice to follow your dream."

"It's the best feeling in the world," Naruto admitted. She fiddled with her hands and beamed at the younger boy, who grinned at her. She swept her eyes across to the ocean and her smile faded slightly as pleading brown eyes played before her eyes. "It was probably selfish of me to chase after this dream but I don't regret it."

"You should always chase after your dream, Naruto-chan," Sanji declared. His tone was soft and filled with some understanding as if he understood what made her think like that. He probably did not know. I wonder what he will think if he knew I left a 14-year-old back home, who desperately wanted me to stay. Her foster brother lost his uncle and grandfather in the space of five years.

She could have taken Konohamaru with her but the younger boy needed time to grow up and she didn't want him to be out in the sea because of her. It had to be his own desire, not because he didn't want to be alone in the village.

It was very much selfish of her, but she was going to make it up to him when Kakashi-sensei had to officially hand her the hat.

Shaking her head, Naruto regarded the blond-haired teen. "What's your dream, Sanji?"

"To marry Naruto-chan," Sanji replied. She rolled her eyes before narrowing her eyes at the smiling chef. Those words might be sweet but that answer was way too quick for her to take him seriously. Besides, I doubt he would be feeling envy if that was his actual dream. She eyed him for the longest time, never allowing her eyes to wander away from him.

"Sanji, just be serious for once." The male sighed and lowered his cigarette before blowing out a single trail of smoke. The foul smoke filled between them, clogging her nose until all she wanted to do was gag. She bit her tongue and only wrinkled her nose as Sanji continued to gaze at the ocean with unreadable eyes.

The younger teen hummed and closed his eyes. Naruto swept her eyes from the 16-year-old boy to the giant ocean spread out before them. I wonder what is his dream! It must be something if he longs for it. She traced and drew images on the ledge; her mind wandering to the various possible location that her journey would take them on.

Would she find a giant one day? She heard from a merchant that giants existed.

"I want to find the All Blue."

Naruto blinked and smiled when her friend flashed her a large, childish smile. This definitely suits him more than that cool suave male that he is trying to be. She twisted her whole body away from the ledge, facing the grinning teen before her. Bright, joyous laughter echoed in the background as Sanji gazed at the ocean with a longing in his eyes.

"What is the All Blue?"

Sanji blinked. "You never heard of it?"

"The island where I come from, generally doesn't make much contact with other countries," Naruto explained. Sanji bobbed his head and offered her a little smile before directing his eyes back onto the ocean. She licked her dried lips, where the roughness greeted her tongue, and continued on. "But tell me about it! I wanna know more about the All Blue."

"It's a legendary sea," Sanji admitted, closing his eyes. "They say that the fishes found in East Blue, West Blue, North Blue and South Blue could be found in the All Blue. Y'know it is a chef's paradise because you can find all of the ingredients of the world's ocean in one place. I…"

Those blue eyes glinted and danced along with excitement as he continued to tell her about the legend of the All Blue. You can really tell that this is his actual dream. Her friend bounced and waved his hands with excitement and his voice was filled with so much passion that her lips couldn't help but smile at the desire coming out of his eyes.

She didn't know how long she listened to Sanji's story but she did know when the boy finally finished speaking, his cheeks were still flushed with excitement. If he really wants to find the All Blue then why is he still here? She scratched her neck and darted her eyes to the bright lights that illuminated behind the window before looking back at her beaming friend.

"You know if you want to find the All Blue then you have to leave because you can't find it, if you just stay here."

Sanji regarded her. "Are you asking me to join you and your friends, Naruto-chan?"

"Well if you want to join then join," Naruto answered, shrugging her shoulders. Sanji blinked and the blonde tucked a strand of her blond hair behind her ear before locking her eyes on the younger boy. "But joining Ace, Masky and me is your choice. I'm just telling you that if you want to find the All Blue then you've to leave this place, because staying here won't allow you to accomplish your dream. I doubt the Old Man would be happy if he knew you aren't following your dream."

The joy in his eyes died down and Naruto winced. Maybe I shouldn't have brought up Zeff. In the nearly three weeks that she had been here, not once did she ever miss the way Sanji and Zeff treated her. Those two might fight at times but there was no denying that there was love in their eyes. A love that reminded her of her own father, who gazed at her with those very eyes when they first met.

Though she punched the man for making her life hell.

"I have an obligation to stay here, Naruto-chan."

She knitted her eyebrows together and pulled her lips into a frown. Are you sure? She bit the inner corner of her cheek and folded her arms against her chest as Sanji continued to avoid her eyes. That tone did not speak of obligation. The guilt radiating out of his body alongside the way his shoulders hunched up, told her that it was not obligation.

"I think you are staying here because you feel guilty and scared," Naruto stated. She kept her tone even and calm as Sanji gazed at her with wide eyes. The lone cigarette playing on his lips crashed to the ground, burning a mark onto the floor. Black ashes littered the floor and she still kept her eyes focused on her friend.

The blond-haired teen finally cleared his throat. "Why would I be scared and guilty?"

"You should ask yourself that question," Naruto replied. "Because I definitely can't give you the answer that only you know the answer."

But I hope that you can overcome your guilt because it'll be a waste for you not to go and follow your dream.

She would probably tell him those words tomorrow.


"Are you two going to follow me?"

The smiling sun shone with all of its glory, illuminating the bright blue waters of the ocean. The birds chirped and shot across the sky but all Naruto could do was stare with furrowed eyebrows at Sanji and Patty. Both males sat on the boat, their backs turned away from each other and both of them had scowls playing on their lips.

She flickered her eyes to the snickering and sighing chefs before looking at Zeff. The blond-haired man gazed at the two males with irritation shining through his eyes before looking back at her. A faint smile played on the man's lips and his eyes swept from her hair to her eyes before lingering again on the whiskers marks on her cheek.

"They have to get some groceries," Zeff explained. Naruto blinked and flickered her eyes to her own bag. Scrolls overflowed her bag alongside a couple of cookbooks that Sanji and a couple of the other chefs decided to gift her. I'm the reason that they have to go shopping again. These kind people allowed her to take some ingredients out for the road ahead.

Sanji scoffed. "No, I'm only going with Patty because Naruto-chan needs protection from that scoundrel."

How many times must I drill it in your head that I don't need protecting? She clenched her jaw and took several deep breaths, trying to sooth the volcano that was her temper. The growing rage began to subdue when the male offered her a little smile before shooting a glare at Patty. She understood that he wasn't being serious but that didn't mean her nerves weren't grated by his words.

"If Naruto needs protection from a scoundrel then it has to be you," Patty grunted. "I like my women to be legal."

Sanji scowled at him. "Are you saying that our angel isn't pretty enough for you?"

"Don't put words in my mouth, Sanji!" Patty snarled. Laughter stabbed through the air and Naruto paused as something wet tickled down her cheek. Was it raining? No. Am I crying over this? She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. It was probably from laughter because today was a joyous day. Today was the day that she was going to reunite with her friends.

But it didn't mean she wasn't going to miss these people.

"Those two are going to teach you the final thing that every chef needs to know," Zeff informed her. Naruto blinked and tilted her head before flickering her eyes at the two males. I believe you but do I really need two of them? Her question must have shone through her eyes because the male elaborated. "I put Patty with Sanji because he'll be able to reign in that lovesick idiot."

Sanji's eyebrows twitched. "I'm not an idiot!"

"I will stop calling you an idiot when you don't fuck things up in front of any pretty woman," Zeff retorted. Naruto giggled as everyone else bobbed their heads in agreement. Patty only threw a smirk at Sanji, earning a scowl from the blond-haired teen. Her 16-year-old friend pinched his nostril and looked at every single one of them with disbelief.

Naruto rubbed the back of her neck, pressing against every knot of tension before looking back at the gruff man standing before her. His white chef hat sparkled and gleamed against the sunlight and the owner clasped his hands together. What do I say to him? There were just so many things that she wanted to tell him but if she had to pick one, then…

"Thanks Old Man for teaching me," Naruto bowed her head down and cleared her throat. "I know it was difficult for ya to let me work and learn under you but I'm grateful for the guidance that you and every member of your restaurant gave me."

She kept her head bowed down as her throat began to burn up with the unspoken gratitude she had for this man. The bet only consisted of him letting me work and train under him, not him giving me and the crew all the necessary groceries that we need. She rubbed her eyes and cleared her throat, hoping and praying that the burn would just fade away.

"If you really want to thank me then take Lil' Eggplant with you," Zeff declared. Naruto jolted and jerked her head upwards as the cheerful chatter died away at those words. Is he serious? The owner gazed back at her with thinned lips and eyes filled with so much serious that she took a step back. Her jaws dropped slightly and she turned her head to Sanji.

Her friend clenched his jaw together and his nostrils flared up with irritation. Naruto bit her bottom lip, pushing it backwards and forwards as several eyes fixated on her. You want me to take your foster son away from you? You want me to take a flirt with the crew? She bit back a laugh and looked at the blond-haired teen.

Sanji glared at Zeff and growled. "Do you want to get rid of me? As much as I want to be with Naruto-chan and follow every path that she goes on, there is an—"

"—Don't make excuses," Naruto stated. Sanji looked away from her and seemed to have bitten his cigarette even harder as Zeff looked at her with tired eyes. She shook her head and glanced at the window. Several of the customers crowded against the window, pressing their faces and ears against it as if they were trying to get more information.

They can be real busybodies.

She stared at her scowling friend, who stood on top of the boat with his hands on his hips, before looking back at Zeff. I don't understand what the hell is going on between those two and frankly, I really don't care. She blew a strand of her hair away from her face and took in several deep breaths before landing her eyes on Zeff.

"He isn't needed," Zeff grumbled.

Naruto frowned and darted her eyes at Sanji. The teen balled his hands into a fist and clenched his jaw. His eyes gleamed with irritation but hurt was inside there too. Idiots! They're both a bunch of idiots. She bit her tongue. It would be a good idea for her to have a conversation with the blond-haired teen when all of his coworkers and foster father wasn't here.

Sanji had his pride too.

"I don't make the decision," Naruto reminded him, digging her finger inside of her ear. She clicked her tongue and cracked her knuckles before looking straight at the stern-faced man standing before her. "That is Ace's decision alongside Sanji. Besides, I don't wanna have Sanji with us."

Zeff raised a single eyebrow. "Why not? With how much your Captain and you eat, it would be a good idea for you to have another set of hands."

I know Ace will be more than happy to take Sanji and god knows Masky needs another serious person with him but he isn't ready. She took a deep breath and stared at the scowling teen before her. A deep line formed across Sanji's forehead, almost making the 16-year-old boy look older than his age, and Naruto chuckled.

"Well someone here seems to be attached to his Papa."

The blond-haired boy gagged and choked before dropping down in his knees. "Naruto-chan, don't ever call the Old Geezer by that name! If you should call anyone Papa then it should be—"

"—Sanji, what did I tell you about being serious?" She shook her head and gazed out to the ocean. Her throat clogged up with laughter and her smile widened as her fellow blond slumped his shoulders. The other chefs chuckled; their lips stretched into one large smile and Zeff shook his head at the two of them. His eyes flickered between them before shaking his head.

The man rested his eyes on Sanji, lips curled into a slight scowl and eyes filled with hidden regret. They have a lot of history, don't they? But those two idiots probably will never say how much they mean to each other or why they act the way they do. Her heart twisted and throbbed with pain as a pair of dark eyes flashed before her.

"Just take Lil' Eggplant with you," Zeff grumbled.

Time to give an excuse to him.

"Sorry but as much as I like Sanji, I don't think my patience can last long with him," Naruto lied. Sanji blinked and swirled his head at her while Zeff eyed her with doubtful eyes. She offered him a little smile before looking at her sachet. "You know I barely tolerated Ero-Sennin when he was training me and he was my mentor and godfather."

The owner pinched his nose. "I thought I could finally get rid of Lil' Eggplant."

If you really wanted to get rid of him then you have to convince him to go. She chuckled and eyed the man for the longest time before bobbing her head. As tempting as it was for her to just tell him, it would probably be better for her to tell him in private. There was no way that Sanji would ever want to leave by the use of her words and if he knew it was her idea then he probably would be upset.

Her friend still had his pride after all.

"You probably need to find the actual Captain of a Pirate and one that can deal with our flirty Sanji."

Sanji grinned.

"So I'm your Sanji?"

Naruto sighed and flashed an amused smile to Zeff.

"And that's why I won't ask Sanji to come with us! I'll have my hands full keeping his head straight."

She already had her hands full with making sure that Ace didn't eat their food supply.


"We can't find a bigger boat until Naruto gets here."

Ace tilted his head upwards, allowing the sweet, almost fruity taste of his sake to run down his throat. Masked Deuce darted his eyes around the bar, his lips pressed into a very thin line. It's so difficult to listen to Masky. The laughter and chatter of their fellow customers almost drowned out his friend's voice, luring him into a trance and tempting him to join them with their dance.

His eyes lingered on a blond-haired woman, only to look away when the woman flashed him a hopeful smile. They slept together once but that hadn't stopped the woman from shooting hopeful, longing looks. I told her that it would be a one-time thing. It had been polite at the time. He thought informing her would make things clear that he wasn't looking for anything with her.

He exhaled.

"When will Naruto get here? She told us that she was done with her end of the deal with that owner," Ace grumbled. His friend shot him a knowing look and the raven-haired teen paused. "What the hell is that look, Masky? It's normal for a Captain to complain when one of his crewmates is late."

"I believe ya," Masked Deuce said. His eyes twinkled with amusement and a knowing glint. He did not look one bit convinced by his words but seemed to have enough brains to know not to vocalize it. Ace only frowned, eyebrows furrowed together before he quickly dismissed it. There is no reason for me to call him out.

A pair of soft palms covered his eyes. He smelled the citrus scent and felt his heart stopped as something soft pressed against his back. That softness was something he got familiar on his second day in this island. There was only one person who would do this to him. Well only two but Masked Deuce sat right beside him.

"Did someone miss me~"

A joyful, husky voice played against his ear and Ace relaxed his shoulders. He knew that voice anywhere, knew it from the number of weeks that they had been together. His heart thundered and danced against his chest and without a second thought, he pried those slender, soft hands away from him.

He turned his whole body around and grinned at the sight of Naruto standing before them. Warm, blue eyes shone with joy and those pink lips were now tucked into a pretty smile. The dull yellow lights shone against her hair, framing her but doing nothing to give justice to her almost angelic looks. Had it been only a few weeks since they last saw each other? It felt longer than that.

"Y'know damn well that we miss you," Masked Deuce declared.

Naruto's smile widened. Her blue eyes danced with relief and mischief, making her resemble even more like a mischievous little fox. He raised his hand, only to lower it when the whiskered teen plopped herself onto his lap. Why is she sitting on me? The question was on the tip of his tongue, ready to spill out but all he could say was…

"Naruto!"

Giggles erupted out of Naruto's lips, making his heart beat even more rapidly. His hand reached out to ruffle her hair, only to drop down when that bright smile landed on him. A ruffle on her hair isn't enough to express how glad I'm that she is here. Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her against his chest.

Warmth filled his system and the citrus scent enveloped him even harder, almost burning his nose in the strangest way. Naruto went rigid before hesitantly wrapping her arms around him. He probably shouldn't have done it. This was the type of thing that could give Masky the wrong idea, but it had been weeks since they saw her.

Masked Deuce cleared his throat, lips tugged into an amused smile and Ace quickly dropped his arms. He wanted to continue the hug but the blue-haired teen was giving them a cheeky smile. I liked it better when Masky was just serious. His eyes lingered on the bright, playful lips of his blond-haired crewmate, burning the image into his head.

Only when Naruto leaned forward, her soft chest brushing against his stomach, did he realize their position.

"W-Why are you sitting on my lap?" He asked, trying to keep his tone calm. Naruto raised a single eyebrow, sipping on his sake before gesturing at the crowds of people surrounding them. The tables were taken. Every available seat had someone sitting on them…which meant his petite crewmate had nowhere to sit.

Wiping away the sake from her lips, Naruto finally answered. "Well I certainly couldn't sit on some old man's lap and Masky already finished his sake."

"So you wanted to steal my sake?" Ace asked, chuckling. The blonde beamed and quickly bobbed her head before draining the last of his sake. Drops of sake spread across her lips, almost resembling a moustache and he couldn't stop himself from chuckling at the sight. He shook his head and placed his finger on her upper lip, rubbing away the sake droplets from her mouth.

Blue eyes widened slightly, almost taken back by his actions. Naruto looked away from him with cheeks burning in a dangerous shade of red. It was a nice shade. It suited the blonde if you asked him. Red was a wonderful contrast against her blond hair. It made her look pretty. Well prettier and tempting if those wandering eyes from his fellow males told him anything.

"Well drinking too much is bad for you," she answered, grinning. Her hand wandered up to his hair, playing and messing it up before moving back to the empty jug. The grin turned playful on her lips and Naruto offered him a tiny wink. "And as a member of your crew, it's my job to make sure that the Captain is healthy."

"Oh?" He hummed and let out a low throaty laugh. Naruto offered him an innocent, little smile before holding up the jug of sake to the bartender. The bartender stared at them with raised eyebrows, darting between him, Naruto and then to the blond-haired woman sitting in the dark corner of the bar.

The bar's door slammed opened. Ace looked away from the bartender, grey eyes now locked onto the figure that entered the room. A panting, sweaty blond-haired teen stood right in front of them, wheezing and panting like there was no tomorrow. His hair swept all over the his head, nothing at all like the neat appearance that Ace first saw him at Baratie.

"Naruto-chan, must you run…why the hell are you sitting on that bastard's lap!" Silence fell onto the restaurant. People looked away from their partners, flickering their gaze from him, Naruto to the green-faced male standing before them. That playboy chef looked almost strangled, eyes filled with unspoken jealously at their position.

Ace grinned. He pulled the blonde even closer to him, breathed in her citrus-scented hair as Sanji charged his way towards them. His eyes radiated with fury, nostrils flaring up like the two of them had done an unspoken deed. They weren't doing anything wrong but seeing that irritated reaction made his lips twitched.

It was rather enjoyable to see that playboy chef get irritated.

"Because there are no other seats," Naruto yawned and rested her head against his chest. She opened a single eye, fixing it on the foam-mouthing teen before them. "And I feel comfortable with Ace."

His heart fluttered in happiness as those words rung inside of his ear. Quiet laughter escaped from his lips, filling the silence that fell between the three of them. Ace patted the girl's back, hand rubbing across the rigid back of his blond-haired crewmate and pressing against every knot he could feel on her back. Naruto opened her eyes slightly, a silent question forming behind her eyes and he shook his head.

There was no need for her to question him.

"Don't you wanna sit on my lap, Naruto-chan?"

Naruto let out a yawn. "And have your nosebleed all over my clothes? No, thank you."

Ace's hands stopped rubbing her back. Curiosity and irritation crept up into his body, threatening to consume him but he shoved it down into a tiny jar. There was no reason for him to wonder about how close those two were for the male to be confident that Naruto would sit on him. Masked Deuce eyed the blond-haired teen before offering him a knowing look.

The raven-haired teen only grunted.

"Is he joining us too, Fishcake?" Ace asked, combing through the soft strands of his blond-haired crewmate's hair. Naruto groaned and pressed herself even closer to him, her slender body relaxing even more against him. Masked Deuce looked at the both of them with raised eyebrows. He ignored the judging gaze and kept his attention on the blonde.

Blue eyes contemplated and Naruto turned her head to the blond-haired teen scowling at them. Her golden hair brushed against his nose, tickling it. Ace bit back a sneeze and looked back at the sulky blond-haired boy. He waited for the male to sprout another complaint, only to blink when the chef leaned his whole body forward and crushed his cigarette against the ashtray.

"Hmm, I don't know," Naruto mused. She turned to Sanji. "Did you change your mind?"

"No matter how much I don't want to be parted from you my beautiful Angel, I still have—"

"Geez, just say that you can't leave your Daddy alone because you're Daddy's little boy," Naruto grumbled, scowling. Sanji spluttered, looking almost like a ripe tomato with his bright red cheeks. Oh, I didn't know that the playboy chef had a father on that boat. Ace inhaled and reached out to pick up his jug of sake, only to be greeted by an empty table.

Blue eyes twinkled with an apology and Ace watched with a slacked jaw as his blond-haired crewmate drank the whole jug of sake in one shot.

"Naruto-chan!"

Sanji waved his hands up in the air, flapping it around like a pair of wings. His whiskered crewmate giggled, cheeks already flushed red from the alcohol. She is getting drunk from only 2 jugs? I thought she was a heavier drinker than me. The fluttering of her eyelids alongside the lighthearted giggles told him that she was definitely drunk.

"Sorry Curly Eyebrow but your relationship with the Old Geezer is so adorable! You're definitely Daddy's little boy!" She hiccupped.

Ace's lips parted. Concern weighted inside of his heart. There were different types of drunk and while he was the touchy-kind as Masky painfully made him aware of, Naruto seemed to be the emotional drunk. He didn't know much about emotional drunks except that he probably had to keep the girl in check if she didn't say something that she didn't want people to know about.

"You two seemed to be close," Masked Deuce commented with a weary smile, eyes flickering from their red-cheek crewmate to the pouting male in front of them.

Naruto hiccupped again and hugged him even tighter. "Sanji is the best! He helped me so much when it comes to learning from the Old Geezer! Hey! Hey! Wanna know how much I miss you two and how Sanji is the best?"

For a whole two hours, the three of them listened to Naruto ranting about how great Sanji and Zeff were alongside how much she missed and adored them. The rant only ended when Naruto finally passed out, lips parted into a small opening and a loud snore echoing throughout the restaurant. Ace only sighed and cradled the girl against his chest.

He was definitely going to have fun teasing her but he was definitely going to limit her alcohol intake.

That day Ace and Masked Deuce came to the silent agreement not to ever let Naruto get drunk and they spread the unspoken agreement to every new member of their crew.


A/N: So Naruto turned down on the behalf of Ace about letting Sanji join the crew. Naruto also learns about the All Blue and Ace has decided that he was never going to let Naruto get drunk. Please do tell me of your thoughts on this chapter and what could be done to improve the story.