Author's Note: Guess what? I thought that first chapter was WAY too long, and was NEVER gonna be lived up to by the following chappies. It was making them all feel bad. So I cut it down a size. Now they feel better.

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Chapter Two

"He WHAT!"

Zoro, Usopp and Nami had kept their silence throughout Sanji's tale, but as soon as Sanji reached the climax, Nami jumped up from her seat and slammed her palms on the table. Usopp flinched back; genuinely surprised that the table didn't shatter under the assault.

Sanji took his last drag of the cigarette and put it out in one of the many ashtrays he had laying about the ship, trying not to wince under the vehemence of Nami's wrath. He had taken a lot of heat in all of the kitchens he'd ever been in, but none, in his experience, compared to the fire of a woman's rage.

"It's true," Zoro said, looking rather uncomfortable as well. "If it hadn't been for that freak storm, we'd be short one captain."

Not liking the weight of this conversation, Usopp laughed nervously in an attempt to alleviate some of the stress.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing we've got an indestructible rubber-man for a captain, then, huh?" he joked.

There was a sudden flash of lighting, followed by a clap of thunder, undertoned by an unmistakable cry of surprise as the ship gave a particularly strong heave. All four hearts froze simultaneously.

Without knowing exactly how they had gotten there so quickly, the crew of the Going Merry were quite suddenly on the deck of the ship, and all eyes were on the figurehead at the bow—or rather, the lack of and occupant on it's crown.

"Shit!" Zoro cursed, swiftly kicking his boots off—one of them landing amidst Nami's mikan, the other planting itself firmly in Usopp's face—and making for the railing of the ship, preparing to dive in after his hammer-like captain, when he was stopped in his track by a familiar shout of enthusiasm.

Zoro barely had time to react before Luffy slingshot himself over the figurehead—which he had apparently grabbed hold of before or as he had fallen off—and crashed straight into the startled swordsman.

"Aa, warui, Zoro," Luffy grinned apologetically at the now-prone warrior.

Those simple words seemed to wash over everyone, restoring calm and restarting the hearts that had stopped. Nami and Sanji sighed in unison. Usopp was still trying to dislodge Zoro's boot from his face.

"You idiot!" Zoro barked at the rubber boy, who was still sitting on top of him. "Get the hell off of me!"

Zoro attempted to swat the younger man off of him, but ended up swiping at air as Luffy jumped up and to make his way back up to the masthead.

"Oi!" Usopp growled around a couple of missing teeth, grabbing Luffy by his vest and pulling him back. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Back up there," Luffy gestured to his favorite spot. "Where else?"

"Like hell you are!" Usopp said. "You almost fell in the water! You're not going up there again!"

Despite all of Usopp's protests—physical and otherwise—Luffy was making steady progress towards his destination, if a bit slower that he would have liked.

"But I didn't fall in," he pointed out.

"Luffy, just get off of the masthead!" Nami suddenly shouted.

Luffy looked over and stopped trying to climb up. He and Usopp were frozen in mid-struggle.

"Oi, Nami," he whined. "Why are you so mad all of a sudden?"

Usopp saved her an excuse by whapping him over the head with his fist.

"Because you almost fell in, baka!" he spat. "What would we have done then, huh!"

"But I didn't fall in," Luffy said again.

"But you could have!" Usopp replied, hitting him again so that Luffy lost his balance in the ship's rock.

Usopp was suddenly seeing stars as Nami's fist made contact with his head.

"Don't hit him, stupid!" she yelled at him. "Then he might really fall overboard!"

"Yeah!" Luffy said indignantly.

Nami's fist found a new target and Luffy was soon cradling a second lump.

"You shut up!"

"Oi," Usopp griped. "Didn't you just tell me not to hit him?"

In a matter of seconds, he had a second lump to match his captain's.

"Lesson learned…" he mumbled submissively.

"Good," Nami said, apparently satiated.

"Hey, I think there's some meat left over from dinner," Sanji said. "Why don't you go look, Luffy?"

"Meat?" Luffy echoed enthusiastically. Nothing more needed to be said. He rushed off to the cabin, Usopp on his heels. Zoro followed a bit more slowly—still in the process of pulling his boots back on and grumbling bitterly on the way.

Nami watched them all go, and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She had forgotten Sanji was still standing there until he spoke.

"Kind of makes you realize that he's really mortal, doesn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah," Nami said thoughtlessly. Then she shook her head quickly. "I mean—no way! Are you kidding me? That kid is practically indestructible; if his body's half as hard as his head, we've got nothing to worry about."

Sanji's smile was unexpectedly tender as he watched her try to correct herself.

Nami's so cute when she's flustered! he thought blissfully.

"Let's go inside," he said, attempting to put a shielding arm around Nami. "I wouldn't want my dear Nami-san to catch a cold!"

Nami feigned him off with a laugh.

"Don't worry so much, Sanji!" she said, already making her way up the steps to the cabin. "I'm fine. Come on."

Sanji bounded weightlessly after her. "HAAI, NAMI-SAN!"