Chapter 3

The next morning Sanji woke with determination. He made breakfast for everyone and finished cleaning up. He quickly set out to buy the food they needed at the market. Bringing a small cart back with supplies, he wheeled it on the ship and set everything in place back in the kitchen. Mezumi was due to arrive sometime in the morning. As it was still early morning he figured he still had plenty of time to gather some information before she arrived at the ship. For the second time that day he set out to the market.

He started asking the shopkeepers about her. None were forth coming with anything useful. He heard plenty of rumors about her. She was a monster, a devil or a witch. One woman was trying to convince him that she drank the blood of anyone that dared look in her eyes. He sighed as he walked away from the woman still shouting at him to be wary of her. He stepped into a diner for a break. He sat down at a table and ordered a up of coffee.

"Good morning son. What brings you here today?" An old man in a suit was looking at Sanji with a friendly smile. The man looked to be in his late 50s by Sanji's guess. He had a full head of hair, but much of it was gray rather than the few strands of black that were still clinging to life. His suit was sharper than any he had seen on the island. Although most of the villagers wore street clothes rather than a formal suit.

"Just coming in to rest. I've been looking for information all morning." The waitress delivered his coffee.

"Well then look no further. I'm the town's mayor, Katsuo. I'm sure I can help you. What is your name?" Sanji took a sip of his coffee.

"I'm Sanji. I want to know more about a woman named Mezumi." The mayor's expression darkened. There were waves coming off of the man that Sanji couldn't place. He seemed to age ten years in just a few seconds. It wasn't hard to tell that this man hated Mezumi, much more than anyone else in the village.

"You don't want to deal with that one. I assume you heard about her from rumors. The rumors are all true. She is a monster. She lives all alone on top of the hill because no one wants to be around her. She is a thief and the daughter of a whore. 18 years she has spent on this island. 18 years too many. If you know what's good for you, you will forget you ever heard that name, boy."

Before Sanji could say anything Katsuo got up and left, slamming the door of the cafe shut behind him. He didn't believe the bad things about her. He had sat and talked with her. He could tell she was a terrible liar. She was all too honest. Something was going on and Sanji didn't like it. They were afraid of her powers. But an island in the New World that gets a lot of pirate and marine business must have come across many power holders. Sanji wasn't sure what to believe at this point but he knew she wasn't a monster. He finished and paid for his coffee.

He headed back to the ship with more questions than answers. Everyone knew her as a danger and something to avoid. It seemed no one but the rare shop keeper had ever interacted with her. He believed the stories were just rumors fed by a wild fire of lies. When one man told him of her interaction with the bread maker yesterday. The story had already spun out of control. Rather than the scene that Sanji had witnessed himself, it was widely believed that she had stolen both his money and his bread after injuring the seller. Sanji, gritted his teeth. He had always been an honest man. The lies on this island were pissing him off. His thoughts lead him back to the ship. Arriving on deck, he looked over to see her materials laying untouched where she left them last night. Mezumi should have been here by the time he got back. It was already past morning. Soon it would be midday. Sanji had a feeling of unease settle itself in his stomach. Thinking back to Katsuo's words he realized he let slip the location of her home. He needed to know why she hadn't come back. She said she would and she wasn't lying.

No sooner had he arrived on the deck, he turned around and left again. Once more he headed through the market and up the road that he had found her on yesterday. The houses on each side of him ended at the base of a hill. The stone path way under his feet ended as it began a foot path leading up the hill. Pausing momentarily to take in the scene of nothing but trees and brush, he continued up the foot path.

His walk was uneventful. The forest was full of life. Birds called, crickets chirped all around the trees and bushes. He found it difficult to believe that anyone lived here. Not long after that thought, the path stopped in a clearing containing an old hunting shack. Seeing as it was the only thing on the hill top it must have been what Katsuo was referring to. Feeling curious Sanji knocked. He heard nothing. He opened the door and let himself in. He found himself in a mud room with a small dresser. From the look of the out side there must only be this room and one main room to make up the shack. He saw the loaf of bread he had given Mezumi in the market yesterday laying on the dresser. A small chunk had been ripped out. However, a drawer was opened to find a small nest of cloth and straw with a bandaged blue jay in it, pecking away at the missing chunk of bread.

'She didn't even eat the bread. She just gave it to the bird' Sanji thought. 'Did she not eat it at all?' Sanji walked into the next room and saw Mezumi on the bed. He rushed over to her. He found her fully clothed lying halfway off the bed, shaking and pale. Next to the bed was a bucket full of what used to be food. She lurched up suddenly and began dry-heaving into the bucket. Sanji could do nothing but rub her back and wait for it to stop. She slumped back onto the bed drained of energy. Her face and neck were pale but her cheeks were crimson. Tears from exertion were in the corners of her closed eyes.

"Mezumi-chan what happened? What's wrong?" Sanji laid a hand on her face. Her cheeks were cold and clammy but her forehead was burning. Her eyes opened slightly as they tried to focus on him.

"Sanji." She said breathlessly. As if that one word stole the rest of her energy, her eyelids fell and her face turned sideways, succumbing to gravity. Sanji felt helpless but he knew if he could get her to Chopper, he would know what to do. Sanji quickly picked her up under her knees and her back taking a second to rest her head against his chest for her comfort he started running back to the ship. Ignoring everyone he passed by, he couldn't help but think that the first time she said his name had been a cry for help. Sanji wasn't thinking anything. He was too busy focusing on dodging people in his way and holding Mezumi against him.

Katsuo saw Sanji carrying the woman through the market place. From what he could see the woman looked very sick. He smirked. 'It's about time that bitch got what she deserved.' He decided this town had put up with her for too long. The time for action was long over due.