Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece yadda yadda yadda… you get the picture :)

First of I really must apologize for the late posting. I had some big troubles in my life and on top of that a death in my family but as they say life must go on and so does my story. I could not find the time for continuing this story but I must say that irregular updated will continue but the story is not abandoned. Second I really must thank you all for your reviews and to everyone who has read this story and added it to their favorites. You all have been a very nice encouragement from my last update. Thank you again and hope that you'll like my next update as well.

Chapter 17 – Going Merry

We all grinned and we sailed away from Usopp's home island. To new adventures ahead.

Our maiden journey with our new ship was going perfectly. Going Merry as we called her was perfect, at least in my eyes. She was not too big and not too small. She was a caravel type of ship and had a deck from where the stairs led up to the kitchen, which also served as a meeting room and helm. On the main deck there was a storage room and a place where the anchor is pulled and another storage room from where is an entrance to women's and men's room and bathroom. Even now a new ship I could feel the tingling of a spirit in the ship. It was a warm and welcoming sensation which I was happy to welcome.

Of course Nami and I were sharing the room, of which I might add, she was not happy about. But since there were only two bedrooms, there was no use complaining. The first night when we anchored down and were preparing to celebrate our new home, we quickly found a problem. Usopp while boasting that he was amazing chef, could only boil water, Nami charged us for cooking, Zoro's idea of cooking was an open flame cooking and do not get me started on Luffy. So again I was where I started. In the kitchen, cooking. Really now, I traveled so very far, I saw many things and put up with an idiot for a brother and I'm cooking and cleaning again. Well, not cleaning, now I have more minions to do that for me. Who were the lucky ones? Well, Usopp, Luffy and Zoro of course. Nami would have charged me, Luffy is used to cleaning, after all my greatest achievement to date was to teach Luffy how to clean and not break anything. Usopp with one look got scared and did what I asked of him and Zoro was easily manipulated, just challenge him to do chores.

Our first party was a big success and in the next morning after a party I was the only one awake. My skill at manipulating ki in my body is very useful at flushing poisons from my body and alcohol is one of them. Because of a habit I was awake shortly after dawn was on deck looking at the sunrise.

"I did it mom," I said quietly, "I'm on a ship, going out on an adventure."

I smiled and somehow felt giddy, after all it is one thing to imagine and dream of traveling and it is completely different thing to be living a dream. I sighed with a smile and started to stretch, even though I mastered Kyuusho bujutsu it doesn't mean I can abandon the practice. So I went through all of the katas Bill forced me to learn. It was oddly relaxing and invigorating. The first time I saw Bill going through the katas I thought it was beautiful and it inspired me more than any lecture or lesson. Doing the katas slowly it looked like Tai Chi I once saw on television back in the world I was born on, but the movements and hand gestures were sharper and it's based on hit and evade technique. I was just about finished when I heard, "That is your fighting style?"

I was so emerged in practice that I did not sense Zoro wake up and join me on the deck that I immediately fell in defensive position and relaxed when I recognized him.

"Yeah, it is. I was taught by my grandpa. Why?" I asked and he smirked, "Nothing, I would like to spar with you."

"Sure, after breakfast," I said and smiled. I was wearing my shorts and my top, for exercise I usually prefer less bulky clothes. And when I stretched to get the kinks out and turned away from him when I bend down I wanted to continue our conversation by asking him what he wanted for breakfast I got no answer. Puzzled I looked around and felt him in the kitchen already. Hmm, he must be hungry I thought and joined him. When he looked at me he blushed and said, that he's going to wake up the others.

I tilted my head in confusion and started to cook. It seemed to me that he was embarrassed but I did not know why, or he could have a hangover from last night. Yep, I thought, that must be it. I made breakfast and shouted for the crew to eat. Breakfast was as any other meal, loud, funny and messy. Today was Usopp's turn to clean so I asked Zoro, "So, ready for our spar?"

He choked on his drink and said, "Now?"

"Well, we did say after breakfast, are you in?" I asked. Luffy got stars in his eyes when I mentioned a spar and loudly asked, "A spar? Shana are you sparing with Zoro?"

"Yes, why?" I asked and he glomped me screaming that he wanted one too. I flipped him over my shoulder and said, "After Zoro and I finished then we can have our spar."

With that said, I looked at Zoro questionably if he is up to it. He shrugged and grabbed his swords on his way out. I grinned and went after him. I loved sparring and years of sparring with just Luffy and sometimes Grandpa and some wild animal became somewhat monotone. He waited for me in the main deck with his bokken, wooden swords, for a spar, real swords would be a bit overkill. I stretched a bit, when Nami was skeptically observing us and asked, "Are you sure, Shana? He is quite strong…"

"And so am I, Nami. Besides, it's just a spar," I replied with a grin. I took a deep breath and spread ki throughout my body to enhance its durability. Luffy was looking eager to our match and said, "Ready? Set! GO!"

I blurred in motion and kicked him from behind and he barely managed to intercept my kick with his sword. I don't think he ever saw me fighting with my real speed and I used half of my usual speed. His eyes widened and I saw a real fierce grin on his face which was mirrored on my face. I jumped back and attacked again. We traded blows after blows and for me it was too much fun to stop.

"Shana! Stop playing and finish it! I want to fight too!" shouted Luffy and I jumped away from Zoro's latest attack and sped up to him under his guard and pressed a few of Zoro's points to temporarily paralyze him. He fell down unable to move but his head.

"What?" he asked, stunned.

"Shishishi, Shana plays trickily. She does that trick every time against me," Luffy laughed. I wiped sweat from my face and said, "Don't worry it's temporarily. You'll be able to move in few minutes. It was a good spar. Thank you, Zoro!"

"How did you do that!" he asked and started to move. I widened my eyes at his already passing paralysis, usually it takes up to five minutes for a person to move. Not less than a minute. I must remember to use stronger attack next time.

"It's a family technique. My grandpa taught it to me since I was young. I use pressure points on the body to incapacitate the opponent. I usually use it in combination with my poisons and paralytics. Mostly it's just hit and dodge. The faster I am, the more efficient and accurate my attacks are. I must say you are faster and stronger than I thought you were."

He scowled and finally said, "Thanks, I think."

I just grinned and asked, "Next time?"

He returned my grin and agreed. Luffy was sitting on the rails vibrating with excitement, "My turn!"

"No, you're not!" Nami shouted, "Storm's coming, Shana, Luffy I want you up on the sail, Usopp, the helm, Zoro, anchor! Move it, people!"

"Aye, aye, Nami!" we shouted and ran to obey orders. The storm was over quite quickly and we made very far that day. Our days on Going Merry turned quickly into a routine. I was always an early riser so in the mornings I trained sometimes Zoro joined me and we usually sparred, he worked on his speed mostly and reflexes with me attacking him and I got more experience with our spars. After breakfast I worked on my book and after lunch we usually played some card games if there weren't any storms.

We have been on the open sea for a few days now and I was lounging on aft deck and writing the story I saw , a memory really from a very long time ago, when I got a very bad feeling. It was too quiet. Luffy was never quiet or at least not for long and his silence usually brings chaos. So I closed my journal and went to look for him. I found him drawing or better said painting on something. I lifted my eyebrow and looked at Zoro who was looking down from the rail as perplexed as I was.

"The pirate flag is finished!" he suddenly shouted and showed us his so called masterpiece. And when I say so called I really mean it. I sighed and shook my head, "Luffy, there is no way I'll sail under that flag!"

He pouted and showed it again to the rest of the crew. Usopp was staring at the monstrosity before us with mouth hanging down, "His drawing really sucks."

"Maybe the picture was supposed to be abstract," Nami mused and Zoro said, "Well, a pirate flag is supposed to be a symbol of death. This looks scary in a way."

"I'll draw it myself," said Usopp and few minutes later he showed us his own flag. I smiled and shook my head, saying no, while Zoro and Luffy cuffed him on his head and ordered him to make our flag, not his own.

He muttered something under his breath but went back to work and few minutes later he made us a flag. It was a jolly roger with a straw hat. I smiled and said, "Good job Usopp, its perfect!"

"It looks completely different from Luffy's!" said Zoro nodding and comparing the two flags. Luffy pouted a bit at his failure but quickly praised Usopp for his work and said, "It's perfect! Now we only have to draw it on the sail."

Nami, Zoro and I looked at the sail and I was contemplating the simplest way to do it. Luffy was looking at it with stars in his eyes while Usopp was bragging to which none of us was listening. Few hours later we finally managed to draw it on the sail. It took a lot of maneuvering but we did it. We were all smudged with paint and in Nami and Usopp's case they were panting on the deck tiredly. Luffy was staring at the sail, pride visible on his face, "Now the Going Merry is complete!"

"Aye aye, captain," I said and smiled at him. He grinned back and ran on the upper deck. I lifted my eyebrow in puzzlement but shrugged it off. If it was important he would tell me. I put the lid back on the open canisters of paint, luckily Usopp had enough paint for the whole project to succeed. I was just about to bring them inside when I heard a cannon fire. I dropped everything and ran to where Luffy had gone. In a corner of my eye I could see Zoro following me. When we arrived on the upper deck I could see Luffy with a smoking cannon. I palmed my face in frustration and asked, "What in the name of sanity are you doing?"

"Practicing cannon shooting," was his answer, "And apparently I am very bad at it."

I sighed and muttered something very uncomplimentary under my breath and turned around. Zoro smirked at me, hearing my comments but he didn't say anything. I swore again and finished cleaning our supplies. And it was already the time for me to start lunch. Nami was keeping me company and wrote in the ships log while chatting with me. During the time we spent on board Nami and I have befriended each other. We talked a lot before going to sleep and usually we ended bemoaning our fate that we are surrounded by idiotic men. It was all in joke of course, for me even though I sometimes want to bash my head against the wall I wouldn't change them.

After lunch, while informing me that Usopp is now our sharpshooter, Luffy got a serious expression on his face, "Listen to me guys, I have an idea. Before we enter Grand Line, there is one more crew member we should try and find."

"Yes, since we have such a nice kitchen, we should hire a cook. If we have the money of course," Nami said. I nodded in agreement, "I am not a cook."

"He's the most important member for a long journey," Zoro added and Luffy brightened, "You think so? Real pirates should have a musician!"

I choked on the tea I was drinking and when Usopp was hitting me on my back I got my breath back, "You idiot! A musician?!"

"Are you nuts?" Zoro and Nami shouted, "For a second I thought you had a good idea, but now you ruined it!" added Zoro. I wanted to say something when I sensed someone, no two someone's on our ship. I focused my senses and one presence was weak and another was furious, but riddled with sadness. The others haven't noticed anything yet, but kept arguing, when I said, "Enough, we have company!"

Zoro and Luffy turned to me and in that time we heard commotion outside our kitchen and a shout, "Show yourselves! I'll kill all of you!"

Luffy went out and because I knew that Luffy can handle himself I didn't say anything but pour myself some more tea. Nami and Usopp were watching and so was I but with my senses.

"Shouldn't we go out and help him?" asked Usopp and Zoro lazily asked, "How many are there?"

"Only one," Nami answered and he looked at me in I shook my head so he answered, "Luffy can handle it."

The fight didn't last long and when it was over, we went outside. Well, I should say Zoro and I went outside to see. Nami and Usopp stayed inside. Zoro got a glimmer of recognition in his eyes and said, "Ara, isn't that Johnny?"

"You know him?" I asked and he nodded when Johnny shouted, "Zoro-aniki!"

"Where is Yosaku?" Zoro asked and the man, staring at Zoro stifled a sob and said, "Yo… Yosaku is sick!"

"Sick?" asked Zoro and showed us his sick friend lying in the small sailboat tied to our ship. His bandages were soaked with his blood and he was panting and I could see he had a high fewer by looking at his face. I jumped down, even before asking permission and checked him over. I faintly heard Zoro stopping Johnny from stopping me but I was already too busy with checking his symptoms to respond. I recognized the illness and tsked at the foolishness of men. He had scurvy. An illness that could be prevented by simply eating healthily. And even with all the information about this illness out there, there is a lot of sailors still suffering.

I lifted him gently, while reinforcing my limbs with ki, and jumped back on our ship. I saw Luffy and Usopp crying with guilt and Nami watching with scowl on her face.

"Usopp stop crying and go get the lemons from the kitchen and make a lemon juice. He has scurvy," I asked her while I sent Luffy for my pouch. Luffy was back really fast and I used the time Nami explained what scurvy is to clean the wounds and bandage them anew. Meanwhile Usopp was back and I directed him to slowly pour lemon juice down Yosaku's throat.

"He'll get better in two to three days. It really depends on how vitamin C will absorb in his body. That is if it's not too late," I said while Nami nodded. Usopp, Johnny and Luffy looked at us with jaw dropped, saying, "Wow, you guys are amazing!"

Nami got a tick mark on her head and snarled at them, "This is common knowledge you idiots! You should know all of this if you want to be a pirate!"

Usopp managed to pour all of the squeezed lemon juice in Yosaku when he abruptly stood up and started dancing, shouting, "Yahoo, I'm healthy now!"

"Yes, my buddy is strong again!" joined Johnny and Nami screeched at them, "You don't get cured that fast!"

I just sighed and I get the awful feeling I have been doing that a lot lately and I don't think it will end that fast. I got roused by my thinking when Yosaku and Johnny fell in to a pose and introduced themselves as bounty hunters.

"How can we repay you? I actually thought I was going to die," said Yosaku while Johnny marveled, "I still can't believe that Zoro, the pirate hunter, became a pirate himself."

And in that moment Yosaku collapsed again. And here came another sigh from me.

"Lay down and don't move!" I said, giving him my best glare, "Otherwise I will paralyze you until you get better! Understood?"

He paled and nodded weakly. After that he fell asleep. I smiled and said, "Good!"

"Shana-nee is scary…" muttered Luffy and Usopp nodded with him.

"Thankfully they found us, otherwise Yosaku wouldn't survive," I said and Nami nodded, "This is a good lesson."

"So, during the long journey, the person who can make sure that everyone has enough food is the chef," said Usopp. In response to that Luffy grinned his wide smile and said, "Okay, I've decided! We should search for a chef and have a chance to eat delicious food!"

"Zoro-aniki!" said Johnny and eagerly put his hand up, "If you're looking for a chef, I would like to recommend a place. But I don't know if one would join you. It's a place called restaurant ship called Baratie!"

We all looked at him in puzzlement and he continued, "From here it would take two to three days to get there. But you'll have to be careful because it is close to Grand Line and there could be some bad pirates. I've also heard that the 'Hawk Eyed Man' used to appear there. I'll take you there if you want?"

When he said that last part I could not help to feel that the last part was meant for Zoro and I felt overwhelming glee and anticipation and just a small bit of fear coming from him. Luffy was immediately enthused about going there and Nami set our course. Yosaku was moved into the boys bedroom and Johnny was given instructions how to take care of him. The day passed quickly and I volunteered for the night guard. Even though we were in the open sea with nothing around I made a rotation for a night watch. Now that we openly sail under the Jolly Roger it is even riskier than before.

An hour into my shift I felt a presence joining me, "Can't sleep?"

"No," said Zoro as he joined me on the deck.

"Tea?" I asked and passing him a thermos. He nodded and poured himself a cup. I felt like I should know the man Johnny was talking about but I just couldn't remember. I had that nagging feeling like he is someone important but since my memory loss episode, the knowledge of what is going to happen is at best vague. I remember few important characters but that is it.

"So who is The Hawk Eyed Man?" I asked after few moments of silence. He looked at me with eyebrow lifted and answered, "He is the best swordsman in the world and he is the man I must defeat to achieve my dream."

"Hmm, can you do it?" I asked, "If you meet him in three days, can you defeat him?"

His eyes went colder and sharper and there was just a tiny bit of bloodlust in those eyes when he answered me, "I have trained all my life for this! There is no going back!"

"Relax, Zoro, I'm not doubting you. But if your conviction is not behind you, you will fail and die!"

He sighed and relaxed a bit, he tensed after my question and now I felt some arrogance and confidence seeping from him as he said, "I can do this."

"Good," I said and smiled. The rest of the night passed away quietly and it's just two more days until we reach Baratie. Here I know this much we'll meet a chef who will join us. If only I could remember his name.

Thank you for reading and again thanks for all the reviews and those who are following this story.

Ja ne