Zoro's eyes shot open, and he sat up, alert. The last thing he had remembered was dog paddling in circles out in the ocean, but that didn't matter anymore. He was back in his own hammock, and that was definitely just a gunshot. A very loud gunshot. Thing is, no one in the crew used guns. He swung his legs over the edge of his hammock, careful not to smack Luffy in the face with his foot, and heaved himself out of the net of threads. He landed quietly on the wooden decks, and padded towards the door with his bare feet. He stopped to retrieve Wado Ichimonji from its spot next to the door. Zoro briefly considered taking his other swords as well, but soon reconsidered. For what he was about to do, one sword was more than enough. He reached out towards the knob, but stopped, as he heard soft footsteps on the other side. With a smirk, he pulled Wado Ichimonji from its sheath, and stabbed the blade through the wood of the door. By his calculations, it should be perfect. He expected the intruder to be skewered on the other side of the door. What he didn't expect was for the sword to stop, as if it had just tried to stab through steel. Zoro frowned.

"Strange, maybe I got the weight wrong." He thought to himself. The footsteps stopped, and he leaned on the sword again. This time, the blade fully penetrated, and he could feel flesh separate on the other side, along with a grunt of pain. He grinned to himself, and pulled the blade from the door, cleaning the blood off his sword as he sheathed it. He placed the sword back in its spot, and yawned, heading back towards his hammock. Even as blood seeped through from beneath the door, he resolved to toss the body overboard in the morning. But that could come later. For now, he had a massive headache, and could really use some sleep.

Sanji opened a crusty eye sleepily. He could feel the sun pounding on his face. Which means it's probably morning. Which also means it was time for him to make breakfast. He sat up in his hammock and yawned, stretching the cricks in his arms and back as he stood up. Almost instantly, he was overcome with a wave of nausea, forcing him back into his hammock. Sanji groaned, and slapped his cheeks, forcing himself into action. He sniffed his hands and grimaced. Marinating in the ocean for hours on end didn't do anything good for his body, made him stink of salt. Making a mental note to shower after he made the crew a meal, he slowly got up again. Testing his balance, Sanji finally felt that it was safe enough to move. He walked over to the drawers, and after locating his, pulled out a new shirt and pair of pants. Just because he reeked of salt didn't mean his clothes had to too. As an afterthought, he sprayed some cologne on in hopes of drowning out the odor, at least temporarily. Buttoning up his new shirt, he slipped into his shoes, and walked out the door. Almost instantly, he fell on his face. He hastily stood up and brushed off his new pants, which now had dust on them. His temper flared and he kicked the idiot who decided it'd be funny to pass out in front of the men's quarters.

"Oi, don't sleep somewhere so bothersome you shitty bastard…" he grumbled as he stumbled towards the kitchen. He walked up the stairs and opened the door to his haven. First things first, he washed his face and made sure he was presentable. No way he could greet his beautiful Nami-swan with bloodshot, crusty eyes. He lit up his first cigarette of the day. Now, he could work. Sanji opened the fridge and pulled out two dozen eggs and a large chunk of pork. Out of the storage came onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and some salt and pepper. He cracked the eggs into a large bowl and beat it into a pulp. Expertly wielding a kitchen knife, he sliced the pork into bacon, ham, and minced meat. He set the bacon on a pan to fry, and dipped the eggs into a different one, letting them cook. He threw the ham onto the grill, and could hear the fat sizzle. He turned the faucet on full blast and let the water wash the tomatoes as he peeled the onions.

"Shit." Sanji cursed as he dropped an onion. He bent down and picked it up, blowing on the onion and cleaning it on his shirt. No need to throw away perfectly good food. Then he noticed something. His shoe had sauce on it.

"Huh…" He looked around, looking for the source.

"Wait a minute…" he thought to himself, "I didn't open any sauces yet." He put the onion on the counter and bent over, running a finger over the top of his leather shoe. He brought his finger to his face and inspected the substance closely. He gave it a sniff, and his eyes widened in realization. His freshly lit cigarette fell from his mouth.

"Oh shit…" He turned on his heel and ran out of the kitchen, brushing Robin without so much turning a head at her. He leapt over the railing, and sure enough, the body was still there, surrounded by blood.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Sanji frantically shook the man's shoulders, hoping that doing so would bring him back to life. "Oi! Oi! Come on! Wake up!" He looked around frantically. Robin poked her head out of the kitchen curiously.

"Cook-san, the kitchen is on fire…"

"CHOPPER!!!"

The Straw Hat crew sat around the table quietly, the usual bluster and excitement gone. Robin comforted a sobbing Nami, and even Zoro looked sorry about what he did. He raised a hand tentatively and opened his mouth to apologize, but a look from the archeologist silenced him.

"This isn't a good time for that, " her eyes told him, so he put his hand back down and remained silent. Zoro turned his gaze to the ground, and gritted his teeth.

"Stupid…" he thought to himself, "Stupid, stupid, stupid. Shoulda checked who it was before stabbing randomly through walls." Sanji suddenly stood up, muttering something about cleaning the burns off the walls, and walked into the kitchen. The awkward silence returned, and even Luffy knew better than to break it and complain about his hunger. Suddenly, the door slammed open, and there stood a blood encrusted Chopper. He looked at the crew, and burst into tears.

"THANK GOODNESS!!!" He howled, tears streaming down his furry cheeks and snot dribbling from his nose. "Uwaaaaaah!" The little doctor sat down right in the middle of the doorway, and cried his eyes out. Nami stood up, the chair clattering as it fell over.

"H-he's going to be okay?" She asked with a strained voice.

"Yeah." Chopper sniffed, wiping at tears that wouldn't go away. "H-he got lucky, cause Zoro didn't hit any vitals, but he lost so much b-blood! At his age, t-that kind of b-blood loss nearly killed him…and…and…" The reindeer couldn't even finish his words as a fresh torrent of sobs and tears interrupted him. Nami sank to her knees, clutching the table.

"Thank goodness…" she whispered, as tears of her own began rolling down her face again. "Thank goodness…"

Luffy let out a whoop and picked up Chopper, dancing with him. "You're the greatest doctor ever Chopper! That's incredible!" Suddenly, all the tension was gone. Usopp and Franky had broken out in song, accompanied by Brooke on his violin. Zoro had his head on the table, obviously relieved. Sanji had given up scrubbing the burns from the fire, and was now starting breakfast again with a smile on his face. And Robin realized she was suddenly very, very hungry. Amidst the partying pirates, Nami finally regained her strength, and crept out the door.

"Hey Chopper," she whispered to the doctor as he danced with Luffy.

"Hmm?" He asked, looking at her with watery eyes.

"Can I go see him?"

"Unh!" He smiled happily, "I'll take you down to go see him, I should check on him anyways." Prying himself from Luffy's arms, Chopper leapt down and waddled towards the infirmary. Nami followed him through the doors, and there was Lion, lying on the infirmary bed. His abdomen was wound with bandages, but even then, the blood seeped through.

"Oh no…" Chopper murmured, rushing over. "He's bleeding through the bandages." He cut the bandages off, revealing a gaping hole in Lion's gut, which had been sewn shut. Chopper gingerly cleaned the wound, and applied a salve. He rewrapped the injured man, and lay him down on the bed. "He's unconscious right now, so you can't really talk to him." Chopper said to Nami. "But you're welcome to stay by him if you want."

"No, it's okay." Nami said with a smile, "I just wanted to make sure Ojii-san was okay." She watched his chest rise and fall. "And he seems to be fine to me." She turned towards the door.

"Well, that's kind of harsh." A hoarse voice croaked out. Nami froze at the doorway. "Couldn't you at least come hold an old man's hand before he dies?"

"EH?" Chopper yelled. "You're dying?" Nami turned, to see Lion sitting up with a weak smile as Chopper hurriedly checked all his vitals. "Relax doc, I'm just messing with you." He chuckled as Chopper collapsed back in his chair. Nami stood at the doorway, head down and fists clenched.

"Y-you're okay…" She whispered. Lion gave her a smile.

"Yeah, I'm okay." He held out his arms. "C'mere." Nami shook her head vigorously. "Come on," Lion cooed, "You know you want to." He was thrown back as the orange haired girl bolted across the room and flew into his chest. The girl he had watched grow into this beautiful woman was in the end, still just a little girl. He laughed softly and patted her back, letting his warmth tell her that he was still alive and kicking.

"Hey." He said. "I'm alright, okay?" She nodded, still buried in his chest. He let out a small sigh. "Hey," He lifted her chin with a finger. "I'm alright, okay?" She looked into his eyes, and saw the usual sparkle. Saw the laughter in them. And then she truly believed that he was okay.

"Yeah." She said, standing up and wiping her eyes. "Yeah, you're fine."

"Alright, now get out of here and go play." Lion looked up as he heard a thud and the sounds of partying. "Seems like they're having a blast." And with that, he shooed Nami out of the room with one hand. After she left, he grimaced and looked at his wound.

"Hey Chopper," he said, digging in the pocket of his vest. "Here, use this." He tossed a small vial at the confused doctor. Chopper popped the cork out, and sniffed the contents. His eyes grew wide as his professional mind processed what was in it.

"T-this is a medical marvel! How-" Chopper went quiet as Lion leaned over in pain.

"I'll let you keep the rest for study. Hell, I'll give you the recipe, if you want. Just use a bit on me." Chopper nodded and started unwrapping the new bandages. "Oh, and when you go up, tell Nami to change out of that shirt." The doctor looked up at his patient questioningly.

"Why?"

"Well, for one, I think it's drenched in my blood by now." Lion let out a deep breathe as he felt the hooves applying the medicine to his wounds. "And it's way too revealing." He stated crossly.

Zoro paced the deck, reciting the lines in his head over and over again. Luffy danced across the deck, alone now that Nami had dragged off his partner. Brooke was still 'Yoho'ing as he played the violin, and Usopp was telling Franky about a dream he had last night.

"-and then, he stopped the blade with one hand, no, one finger! And the unbelievable thing is, after he stopped it, he stood in front of it and let it stab him!" Zoro froze. He turned towards the liar/sharpshooter and stormed over to him. Usopp turned in the middle of his story as he heard the footsteps approaching him. A hand shot out and grabbed him by the nose, lifting him into the air.

"Owowowow! Zoro! What are you doing!?" Usopp cried out. He stopped his stuttering and looked at the swordsman fearfully, and rightfully so. Zoro had a terrifying look on his face as he glared down at Usopp.

"Tell me that story." He said quietly. "From the beginning." Usopp flinched as Zoro threw him on the ground and glared at him.

"A-alright, alright." He stammered, rubbing his nose, "No need to be so harsh about it."

"Usopp…" Zoro hissed, effectively shutting the sniper up.

"Umm…let's see…it was this dream I had last night." Usopp began. "I was in the workshop, trying to finish my new super awesome weapon. I got tired, and decided to head to bed, so I head for the door." He stopped, scratching his chin. "I look out the window, and there was Lion, walking towards the edge of the ship, so I thought 'Jesus, he's going to jump!' except he doesn't. He pulls out this huuuuuuge gun and aims it at the water, so I thought 'Jesus, he's fishing with a gun!' except he doesn't." Usopp shivered. "Then, out of the water came this monstrous Sea King. Like, even bigger than the ones you encounter on the Calm Belt. It stops, and has this stare down with Lion, and then Bam! Lion just shoots it in the face. The back of the head practically exploded!" Usopp shivered again. "And Lion just puts his gun away, and walks back. Suddenly, the Thousand Sunny grows swords from its body, but Lion just sticks out his hand and stops them with a single finger. And then I woke up in the workshop. It was pretty amazing." Usopp concluded. Zoro continued to glare at him.

"W-what, that was it!" Usopp scooted backwards, in fear of having his nose grabbed again. But Zoro didn't make a move at him. Instead, he spun around on his heel and walked towards the infirmary. He walked over Chopper, who had come out asking if anyone had seen Nami. He walked past Nami, who was laughing at something probably not even funny. And he walked right into the infirmary, where the large man lay sleeping. He quietly closed the door, and stealthily approached the sleeping giant. Zoro picked up a limp hand, and turned it over. Sure enough, on the left index finger, was a small cut. His mind raced back to Chopper's words.

"He got lucky, cause Zoro didn't hit any vitals…"

A Marine ship traveled along the waves. On the deck, stood a beautiful lady with the Marine's coat draped around her shoulders. Sailors ran around the deck, working the lines and sails. Suddenly, one of them let out a huge gasp, backing away from the water. He seemed indecisive for a bit, but finally ran over to the woman.

"Ma'am!" He saluted. "I think you should come and see this." She cocked her head quizzically and followed the sailor to the railing of the ship.

"It's the water ma'am." The Marine stated. "The water is filled with blood." The woman let her eyes wander towards the front of the ship. The Marine followed her gaze, and stumbled back in shock. Because as far as the eye could see, the ocean was contaminated a deep crimson. Shouts came from the other side of the ship, and she slowly walked over to see what the ruckus was about. There, floating in the water was the bloated corpse of a giant Sea King. Even dead, she could see the fear in its eyes.

"Wow… That's 'The Beast'." a Marine whispered in a hushed voice.

"The Beast?" another one inquired.

"The Beast…you mean that monster Sea King that's been attacking all the ships in this area?" a third said. The whispers became chatter, which soon became shouts.

"Well, somebody fish it in!" The woman wrinkled her nose as the Marines hooked the carcass and hauled it next to the ship. Or to be more precise, sailed the ship next to the carcass with lines attached to it. She hopped over the railing, jumping onto the body. She walked over and inspected the wound.

"What do you think could do something like that to The Beast?" She could hear the hushed voices, even from off the ship. She sniffed the air intuitively, caught a scent, and grinned.

"Well, well, well…" She climbed the ladder back onto the ship, her inspection done.

"Congratulations Marines, you boys just killed The Beast." She smiled to her crew. "You all deserve promotions." She stopped her navigator and whispered a new course into his ear. He snapped to attention, and ran back to the bridge, yelling orders into a mini Den Den Mushi. The woman took another sniff.

"It seems that no matter where you go, a sea of blood follows…" she muttered to herself. She turned in her high-heeled pumps, and walked back inside the ship, humming a soft tune to herself.

……

Yeah, yeah, I know. I move the plot really slowly. I just felt it was necessary I guess. Hoping as much as you guys are that this thing'll pick up the pace eventually. Don't really write it as much as I just let things flow. Well, I know I updated really fast this time, but that's because I was totally bored today. (Twice in one day XD) I need a teenage female OC pretty soon, one or two years younger than Nami. If anyone has any volunteers…(looks around hopefully) just send me a message with their detailed biography. Well, y'know, semi detailed, whatever. I'll try my best to integrate them and all that jazz. Might tweak a few points, but it should work out. Okay, I'm just too lazy to come up with another name, sorry. Well, see you soon, maybe. ^.^;