Straight Forward

Chapter 7: Moments

It had been smooth sailing for nearly a week when suddenly the Thousand Sunny came to an abrupt stop that nearly knocked the entire crew to the ground. They had all immediately rushed onto the grassy lawn, poorly veiled concern on their faces as Franky and Usopp went below deck to figure out the problem.

"I have good news and bad news." Expectant eyes were on the cyborg as he ran a hand through his hair. "The good news is that nothing's wrong with the ship itself." He paused, as if expecting someone to reply but when no one did, continued, "The bad news is one of the gears that lowers and raises the anchor broke so it lowered itself and now we're stuck."

Sanji saw Nami tilt her head and couldn't help but be distracted from their current situation by her cuteness. "So what do we do?"

Luffy made a thoughtful noise before looking up, fingers under his chin in thought. "Let's just break the anchor."

"You idiot," the navigator replied. "Do you know how much it'll cost to replace an anchor that big?" She turned to Franky. "Please tell me there's another way."

Franky sighed. "I can make another gear, no problem. The issue is changing it. The space is so small even Usopp couldn't fit. The only other thing we could do is break the chain and move the anchor somewhere else until we can dock somewhere dry. Then I could take the whole compartment apart and fix it."

Sanji scanned the rest of the somber looking crew. They all knew it wasn't anything serious, but whenever things weren't 100% with The Sunny there was always an uncomfortable feeling of incompleteness penetrating the air. The ship was their home, and a crewmember in its own right. When all was not well with the vessel, all was not right with the crew.

"Will I fit?"

All eyes turned to the redhead who had raised her hand. Sanji took a drag of the cigarette in his mouth before slowly letting the smoke leak from the corners of his lips. He had seen Shiloh help both Franky and Usopp before, mostly with fetching things, but he was sure the shipwright and the sniper would never let her do anything dangerous.

"You could…" Usopp replied slowly, "But once the gear is switched the drum might start spinning and bring the anchor back up. It could crush your fingers or worse if you're not quick enough."

"I'll do it."

Sanji coughed, having inhaled a bit too much smoke on accident and scolded, "At least think about what he said for a minute, little idiot!"

"Seriously, Shy," Nami chided, "It's not worth the risk."

"I think we should let her do it."

Sanji sent Luffy an incredulous look. "You serious? She could crush her skull in there!"

The captain sent him a shrug in response. "If she said she'd do it we should let her do it. I don't want to waste time docking to fix something that can be fixed right now. That's stupid."

"You're stupid," Nami, Sanji, and Usopp said in dejected unison.

Franky turned his eyes to Shiloh and asked slowly, "Are you super sure?"

Sanji could have sworn he saw the redhead's amber eyes flit to Zoro before staring back up at Franky and saying, "Yes. It should be simple, right?"

Taking a deep breath, Franky nodded and replied, "It's simple, It's just not very safe." With that, he began to walk towards the ladder that led down to the workshop and added before he made the descent, "I'll get started on the gear. Give me twenty minutes."

The cook turned to the redhead. "Are you really going down there?"

She sent him a playful smirk. "Aren't you the one who told me we all have our advantages?" He couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Half an hour later, Sanji found himself sitting next to Nami on the lawn deck anxiously chewing the butt of his cigarette. The navigator kept glancing nervously towards where Franky and Shiloh had disappeared below deck five minutes ago. "Do you think she'll be okay?"

He wanted to soothe her worry but ended up trying to reassure himself as well. "Yeah. Franky and Usopp wouldn't let anything bad happen to the small-fry."

"It's not like they could reach her if anything did," came the grumbled response.

"Nami-swan, you're sadness breaks my heart! Please don't worry yourself so! Would you like me to make you a delicious snack to keep your mind occupied?" He found it almost difficult to put on a smile for her at the present moment but he did it anyway and he would continue to try even if it killed him as long as it eased her nerves.

"No thanks, Sanji-kun. I don't think I can eat right now."

She looked so vulnerable! Sanji swallowed hard as he took in the pretty shine of her long eyelashes as she blinked. He marveled at her soft cheeks and longed to stroke them with his thumbs. Her lips, slightly parted as she let out yet another sigh, were beckoning to him. He brought his gaze downward to where her hand was resting softly against the grass. Heart racing, he wondered if now would be a good time to gently take it into his, just so she knew he was there for her. With a deep breath, he slowly moved his hand towards hers, face burning and heart beating frantically in his chest.

A sudden yell from Franky below deck made him jump, but he could hardly recover from the surprise before he was shocked yet again, this time from Zoro appearing out of nowhere and racing towards the ladder that lead to the lower deck. The swordsman even didn't make it to the open hatch before Franky popped out, a dirty, but triumphant looking Shiloh sitting on one of his massive shoulders. Sanji saw the tension visibly leave the swordsman's body at the sight.

Shiloh sent the three of them a gloved thumbs-up. "Fixed it!" Immediately, the ship began to move again, gliding smoothly across the water. "And I still have my head and all my fingers!"

Sanji turned his head to watch as Usopp bounded towards the cyborg-contortionist pair, tears pouring from his eyes like waterfalls. "Shiloh! I was sure we had sent you to your death! I nearly died from guilt! Please forgive me!"

The redhead giggled in response and climbed down from Franky's shoulder. "Oh stop with your dramatics. I'm fine, the anchor is fixed and all is right with the world. You can all stop looking so worried now." She sent Nami a pointed look.

"Who said we were worried, you little urchin?!"

Luffy popped up between the two women before Nami could hit the smaller redhead. "Oh, you fixed it? Good! See, I told you it'd be fine. You guys worry too much!"

Nami hit the captain instead. "You don't worry enough! How can someone be so carefree all the time?!" As she began to chase Luffy and Shiloh around, Franky stood between Sanji and Zoro who were simply watching.

"She's suuupppeeerrr fearless for such a runt."

Zoro snorted. "She's stupid."

"Funny hearing that from an always lost idiot marimo such as yourself."

"You wanna go, shitty cook?!"

"Especially since you were so eager to come to that 'stupid' girl's rescue when you heard Franky shout."

"YOU'RE DEAD YOU DAMNED PERVERTED ASSHOLE!"

Even though they were fighting, both Sanji and Zoro heard Usopp ask Franky, "Was she smiling the whole time down there too?"

The blue-haired man chuckled. "Of course."

Usopp returned the laugh and brought his hand up to his forehead in disbelief. "She's almost too happy to help."

"Might as well just accept it, eh?"

"Yeah."

Sanji could have imagined it, but swore he saw a ghost of a smile pass Zoro's lips.

He was pulled from the galley by the sound of loud squealing coming from the sick bay. Granted, the shared wall was thin, but it didn't change the fact that the noise was distracting him from trying a new recipe with his beloved Nami-swan's tangerines. She had specifically asked him to prepare her something new using the small fruits, so of course it had to be perfect and for it to be perfect it had to be quiet. Or at least as quiet as it could be with a ship full of mostly noisy people.

With a frustrated groan, he walked out of the galley and around to the door of the infirmary. The squealing was getting louder. He could hear not only Chopper's voice, but Shiloh's as well. He wasn't at all surprised. Before he knocked on the door, he peeked into the small round window to find the pair bouncing on the small bed inside.

"The hell's going on in there?"

Sanji would have jumped if he were a lesser man at the sound of Zoro's voice right behind him. Instead, he replied calmly, "Two monkeys jumping on the bed."

"Huh?" Without so much as an excuse me, Zoro shoulder him so that he too could peek through the window.

As they stood in much too close proximity, Sanji rolled his eyes and said, "Can't you at least pretend to have manners, you ape?" He was surprised when the swordsman didn't answer, his dark eyes focused on the redhead and the reindeer inside.

Shiloh wrapped both her arms around Chopper mid-jump, holding onto him as she landed on her bottom. "You're so adorable, Chopper! Can I just hold onto you forever?"

Chopper's face broke into a wiggly smile. "Stop it! Calling me adorable doesn't make me happy, you idiot!"

The redhead giggled, "I'm sorry, Doctor. It's just I seem to have this addiction to cuddling soft, nice reindeer! Will you help me?"

The doctor playfully knocked the girl in the head with a small hoof. "There's nothing wrong with you, dummy!"

As their giggles grew louder, Sanji smirked at Zoro who had backed away from the window, seemingly having lost interest. "Don't you wish she would hold you like that?"

The swordsman stared at him like he had grown a second head. "Why the hell would I want to be as small as Chopper?"

Sanji brought a hand to his forehead. Were there brains between the green haired idiot's ears at all? "Oh just forget it." He was about to take his leave as well and return to the kitchen to prepare lunch, but the abrupt halt in merriment behind the door kept him still.

"Hey, Chopper…"

"Yeah?"

There was a pause, before Shiloh asked so softly that Sanji had to strain his ears to hear it, "Have you ever heard of Velorum's Disease?"

The doctor's expression became somber as he nodded. "I have," He turned concerned eyes on the redhead who had pointedly looked away. "Why do you ask?"

Shiloh's amber eyes met the ground. From outside, Sanji frowned and pushed his face closer to the glass. "There was a woman back home who had it. No one really knew what to do, even the doctors."

Chopper left the bed to sit in his swivel chair and reached for one of the books piled on the desk. The sound of pages flipping echoed around the small room loud enough for even Sanji to hear from the outside. "Velorum's Disease," Chopper read, "A terminal illness in which the body rapidly declines. The disease usually strikes the brain the hardest, causing the infected to hallucinate or suffer from memory loss. The final stages are paralysis, coma, and organ failure. Once the diagnosis of Velorum's Disease is made, the ideal action to take is to make sure the infected is comfortable and gets proper nutrition, to slow the bodily decline. Reports have been made of patients surviving with this condition for as long as two years before death. This condition is fatal. There is no cause or cure yet to be found."

A silence fell between the pair broken only by a sudden and slow breath from Shiloh. Sanji couldn't tell from where he was standing, but he was almost sure that the strange darkness he had seen in her eyes that one late night in the galley had returned. "Back home," the redhead began slowly, "They say you get it when you break a promise."

Chopper looked up thoughtfully before replying, "Medically, that's impossible."

"I know," Shiloh agreed, voice still hushed. "Chopper…do you think they suffer before they pass away?"

Sanji could tell there was more to the question than simple curiosity. Chopper must have sense it too because he asked gently, "The woman from your home who had it, was she a friend of yours?"

Shiloh's red hair whipped about her face as she turned wide eyes on the doctor. As quickly as she turned towards him she turned away, focusing instead on the corner of the room. With another slow breath she answered in a low voice, "No. She was a stranger."

Sanji frowned. There was something about the way she said those words that made them sound untrue and true at the exact same time. He didn't even know how that was possible but what he did know was that he felt it somewhere in his chest.

Chopper moved slowly from his chair to put a small, comforting hoof on Shiloh's knee. She gave him a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes in response. "Depending on the care the person receives, the suffering varies. But," he added with a sad smile of his own, "They do slip into unconsciousness before passing away so they no longer feel any physical pain."

"That's good right?"

"That's…as good as it can be in that situation."

Sanji rubbed his temples. How had the giggling turned into something so heavy? However, it seemed that Shiloh felt the exact opposite of him after getting the answer to her question because a bright, genuine smile had split her face and Chopper was once again squealing in her arms as she said, "That makes me feel better. Not only are you incredibly cute, you're so smart! You're the greatest doctor ever!"

"Cut it out! Complimenting me doesn't make me the least bit happy!" Shiloh stilled, her cheek pressed against the top of the reindeer's head. His hat had fallen when she had suddenly grabbed him.

A soft laugh escaped her lips. "Really though," she said gently. "Thank you."

Sanji took a breath and pushed away from the door only to hit his back against something solid. "Watch it, crappy cook."

The blonde swallowed his surprise at the fact that Zoro had been standing there the entire time and instead cursed himself for not noticing the swordsman a second time. He opened his mouth to come back with a snarky comment but one look at Zoro's face stopped him. The green haired man's eyes were filled with a softness Sanji had never seen them possess, a gentleness that made him look almost sweet. But Zoro wasn't looking at him. He was looking directly at the redhead on the other side of the door.

They had simply been having another loud dinner when Shiloh had sat down next to Luffy instead of Robin, as was her custom. Voracious as always, Luffy was stuffing anything in reach into his mouth, cheeks expanding like a hamster's. No one usually spoke to him during meals unless it was to yell at him for taking their food. However, Sanji was surprised when Shiloh, her food still untouched, gently put her hand on the captain's arm and called, "Hey, Luffy?"

"Hmm?" The captain replied, mouth bursting with food.

"There's something I've been wanting to ask you."

From his place behind the bar, Sanji was listening in on the pair's conversation despite the other chatter going on around them. Shiloh and Luffy got along well enough; Shiloh never got upset over his antics like Nami did. She was incredibly good at humoring him, such as when he insisted they had a stretching contest a few days after she had told them of her contortion skills. The redhead had done as he asked and of course, lost, but had very patiently explained with a smile on her face afterwards that she was good at bending, not stretching. The mood between the captain and the contortionist was usually a cheery one, so seeing Shiloh approaching him in a much more subdued manor piqued Sanji's curiosity.

Luffy's eyes turned to meet Shiloh's, but he was still shoveling food into his mouth and chomping furiously. "Mmm," he managed.

Shiloh paused, before propping one elbow on the table much to Sanji's displeasure and leaning her cheek into her hand. "What's Shanks like?"

Instantly, all other noise halted. Luffy's hands stilled, but his cheeks and mouth were still full. "Huh?"

"My…" Shiloh paused, as if the words had gotten stuck, and said instead, "Shanks. What's he like?"

Luffy swallowed everything in his mouth in one go and raised a brow at the girl. "You're his kid, aren't you? Why are you asking me that?"

Shiloh shrugged. "I've never met him. He went to sea before my mom even knew she was pregnant."

Luffy made a loud noise in surprise. "He doesn't even know he has a kid?!"

The suspicion Sanji had felt when Shiloh had first joined them suddenly returned, a strange tightness gripping his chest. They had grown to like the girl and accustomed to her presence. What would they do if it turned out she had lied and manipulated them the whole time? Sanji knew there were things she hadn't told them; he could see it in the way her eyes became vacant when she thought she was alone. He could occasionally hear it in her voice and see it in her posture. They knew this girl, yet who was this girl?

"Shanks doesn't know about me."

Sanji couldn't say he was entirely surprise. When Luffy had let her come aboard with the claim that she was Shanks' daughter, assuming it was true, the cook had figured either Shanks didn't know about her at all or her situation was similar to Usopp's. Judging by the passive faces of the other crewmembers, they had reached similar conclusions. The captain, however, seemed taken aback. "What?! How come no one's told him?!"

It took a moment for Shiloh to answer and before she did, Sanji saw her eyes meet Zoro's before returning to Luffy's. "I don't think anyone knew. My mom never told anyone. She didn't even tell me until…" Sanji frowned. There it was again; the redhead's sudden change of words before they even fell from her mouth. "Until I was already an adult."

"Why?" Sanji silently thanked his captain for his lack of consideration. They all wanted to ask the same question but didn't know how to without prying. It was a good thing Luffy didn't care.

Shiloh gave him a smile and placed her cheek back in her hand. "Because a pirate's true love is adventure."

With a deep intake of breath, Sanji turned away from the pair and moved to wash some dishes. He would have left them for Shiloh but he needed to do something with his hands. The simple acceptance in the girl's eyes and the implication of her words made him feel like he was listening to something that wasn't meant for him. She pretty much just told the whole crew that she and her mother had hidden her existence from Shanks so he could follow his dreams unhindered.

He could hear the clinking of silverware, signaling that most of the crew had gone back to eating without a single word. However, there was still the absence of Luffy's usual inhalation of food. The captain stared at the girl next to him with a thoughtful look. As Sanji turned around to collect any empty plates, he saw Luffy break out into a toothy grin and reach out to put a hand on Shiloh's head. "Shanks is a good man."

Shiloh seemed to process his words before smiling and giving him a small nod. "I thought so."

"Well," Luffy said as he began stuffing food into his face again, "He is missing an arm but that's sort of my fault. But it's okay, I'm pretty sure he's fine." Shiloh burst out laughing which prompted Luffy to do the same, semi-chewed food spewing over the rest of the crew.

Nami screamed and slapped the captain hard across the face while Zoro hit him in the head with the hilt of one of his swords. Usopp tackled him as Brook hollered with laughter, clapping his hands. Chopper decided it was a good moment to stick chopsticks in his nose and start dancing on top of the table.

It was loud, it was a mess, and it was a show of incredibly bad manners. But Sanji smiled anyway and joined the laughter, preferring the craziness to the serious, subdued manner of moments before. Every single one of them had quiet, vulnerable moments, but as long as they could bring back the loudness and the jovial spirit that so easily permeated the entire crew, he knew everything would always end up just fine.

Sanji hummed to himself as he gently grated a tangerine over the chocolate mousse he had just made. A little zest from the peel would give the sweet dessert a subtle bitterness that he was sure Nami and Robin would love. So far, he had been having a great day. He had awoken an hour early than usual feeling well rested and found himself with more than enough time to prepare breakfast before everyone else wandered into the galley. He was able to take his time cooking and reveled in the peace and quiet. For the first time in a long while, he was actually able to enjoy his happy place at a leisurely pace. When the crew had come in for breakfast, Nami's eyes had lit up at the assortment of breakfast foods on the table. She even praised him and rewarded him with a small wink.

Even lunch had been great. Most of the time they ate that specific meal separately since everyone was usually busy with something or other by that time of day. This particular day, however, the entire crew plus Shiloh had managed to sit and eat together in the galley. It was such a small thing but it made Sanji happy to see them all together, just like a family.

Sanji practically skipped out the door with his two finished desserts on a tray. Hearts in his eyes as he made his way across the deck, he didn't notice the small form lying in the grass. His foot collided with something soft and he nearly fell, his arms frantically grabbing at the tray to keep the special treats from spilling all over the place. When he managed to right himself again with the (thankfully) unharmed mousses once again arranged perfectly on the tray, he turned to look at what he had stumbled over.

Shiloh lay on her stomach, legs swaying absently as she scribbled on some papers scattered around her. "What are you doing?" He asked. "I nearly fell and ruined these desserts because of you."

The redhead looked up, noticing the cook for the first time. He was a bit surprised she hadn't reacted when his foot had caught on her. "Oh. Sorry, Sanji." That was all she said before her eyes were once again on the papers.

Sanji couldn't help but be interested. It wasn't often that he found Shiloh occupied with anything other than the menial tasks the crew asked of her. "What are you writing?"

Without glancing at him, Shiloh smiled down at the paper she was writing on and replied, "I asked Brook if he could teach me how to read music. The other day, he taught me the names of musical notes so today he gave me these papers and told me to write them in."

Sanji leaned down to get a better look and sure enough, on all the papers were scales with notes scattered around. On some papers there were letters beside the notes, on others they were still unlabeled. "Is there an instrument you want to play?" He asked curiously.

Shiloh looked up at him thoughtfully. "I can play a few instruments already but I can't sight read." At the look Sanji gave her the girl giggled. "I know, I know, it's a little backwards. You don't have to tell me."

Remembering what he was holding, Sanji straightened up and waved with his free hand. "Alright. Good luck with that, Tiny."

"Thanks," she replied. Sanji rounded the corner the exact same moment Brook did, and they exchanged quick greetings before the skeleton made his way to the redhead in the grass.

"How's it going, Little Miss Shy?"

"Great. I'm almost done. Thanks for taking the time to teach me, Brook. How can I ever repay you?"

As predicted, the undead crewmember asked, "May I see your panties?"

Shiloh laughed. "I would, but Nami would hit me. How about a kiss on the cheek instead?"

"Oh, you're very sweet, Little Shy." He leaned down to accept a small peck from the redhead and laughed.

Sanji shook his head and debated letting the navigator know that Shiloh was still humoring the old skeleton, but he was in such a good mood he decided it would be kinder to simply let the two have their fun.

A few days later brought in intense heat. Sanji loved it, because it meant Nami wore very minimal clothing and Robin less clothing than usual. The down side was that the sweaty men of the crew were also running around shirtless, but it was a small price to pay to see the wondrous bodies of his more feminine companions.

He had been passing around cold drinks to everyone when he spotted Zoro and Shiloh together on the lawn deck. The redhead was sprawled on her back, wearing a sky blue halter-type, summer dress. Her hair, which was normally loose about her shoulders, was tied in a small ponytail with the bandana Zoro had given her wrapped around the base. Zoro was sitting beside her, legs crossed and leaning against the tree on the left side of the galley wall.

"Favorite color," he heard the redhead say.

"Don't have one."

"Oh come on."

"Things like that don't matter."

"Fine. Color you hate the most."

The swordsman paused. Sanji wasn't even sure he was going to answer; why was he humoring Shiloh anyway? Unless he liked her. Sanji smirked. "That awful bright pink."

Shiloh giggled and rolled onto her stomach, chin in her palms. "Hot pink?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"I'm not really a big fan, myself."

Zoro raised a brow. "I thought all girls liked pink."

Shiloh smirked and replied, "That's a broad generalization, don't you think?" Sanji rolled his eyes as the redhead snorted at her own joke. "Get it, Zoro? A broad generalization? Because—"

"I get it," Zoro replied with a scowl. He bumped the girl in the side with his knee. "Don't be annoying." When Shiloh didn't reply, Zoro asked slowly, "So why don't you like pink?"

"Hot pink."

"Whatever!"

Shiloh shrugged. "It clashes with my hair."

Sanji had to agree. Shiloh wearing such a color would make her look like a walking Valentine's Day card and he knew for a fact every single one of those was tacky. Now Nami, however, would look amazing in hot pink. He could just imagine something skin tight and frilly of that exact color contrasting beautifully against her milky skin…

"You're looking at it, aren't you."

Sanji was jolted from his thoughts at Shiloh's sudden change in tone. Her voice had gone from jovial to passive in an instant. It was then that the cook noticed that Zoro had looked away. "I wasn't," he replied.

Confused, Sanji looked around, wondering what Shiloh was talking about. Not finding anything out of place, he brought his eyes to the figure sprawled on the grass, as if doing so would make things clearer. That was when he spotted the large scar running down Shiloh's spine, exposed by the open back of her dress. It ran straight down and looked much smoother than Zoro's; the only real indication of it being a past injury was the slightly darker pigmentation than Shiloh's already tan complexion. Vaguely, Sanji wondered how far down it went and how deep it had been. He found himself frowning and slightly angry. Who would dare raise a hand to strike a woman, let along something sharp enough to leave such a mark?

Shiloh moved to sit, legs tucked under her. The swordsman at her side had his good eye on the sea. "I'm sorry you had to see it. Sometimes I forget it's even there."

"It's not the first time."

"What?"

"It's not the first time I've seen it." He must have felt Shiloh's questioning gaze because Zoro very quietly, almost so quietly that Sanji couldn't hear, added, "The bathhouse."

Oh, right. Sanji had nearly forgotten that they had burst into the women's bath to help with the bounty hunters nearly a month ago. What he hadn't forgotten was the sight of Nami's bare womanhood directly in his face. The fact that it was so beautiful it had caused him to blackout explained why he hadn't remembered that every single on of them had been completely naked. He shrugged internally. That was just fine with him. Sure, he missed out on glimpsing Robin, but it was better for his mental well being that he didn't remember the sight of the naked men of the crew. Trust Zoro to notice something like scars instead of breasts, though. The blond rolled his eyes.

Shiloh said nothing as she plucked a piece of grass from the ground. Sanji couldn't make out her expression from where he was standing. He was surprised when Zoro turned his eyes back to the redhead and asked, "How'd you get it?"

The response must have shocked Zoro because it certainly shocked Sanji. Shiloh looked directly into Zoro's eyes, a strange glint behind her own, and leaned in towards him. The swordsman looked as if he wanted to back away, but he stood his ground, eyes wide, mouth drawn in tight line. His breath hitched in surprise as Shiloh placed a small hand on his scar, directly above his heart. Somehow, Sanji found his own heart thundering in his chest.

In a quiet voice Shiloh asked, "How'd you get yours?"

Taking a breath, the green haired man wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her palm away from his chest. "Dracule Mihawk gave it to me."

"Is…" Shiloh asked slowly, "Is that something you're proud of?"

Gently releasing his grip, Zoro shrugged and looked away. "I'm proud of everything that's made me stronger." He brought his dark eyes back to the redhead's and added softly, "So yes, I guess I am." He paused before leaning back on the tree then repeated, "How did you get yours?"

Shiloh replied by turning around so that Zoro could better see the long mark. "The same way you did, Zoro." Her voice was soft and a bit sad. "Someone hurt me."

Zoro sat up straighter at her words and frowned. "Why?"

When Shiloh turned to face him, Sanji could see the anger in her eyes. A thinly veiled pain made them dark, but there was also a spark of danger that seemed feral. "Because there are sad, pathetic people out there. Sad, pathetic people who think hurting others makes them bigger and stronger when really they're smaller and more petty than the ones they terrorize." The anger faded into a delicate sadness, Shiloh's eyes meeting the ground. "Someone thought I was garbage, Zoro. So they thought they'd do the world a favor and get rid of me." Zoro opened his mouth as if to say something, but Shiloh continued, "I was cut in five different places, but only the one back there left a scar. The deepest one."

The green haired man took a breath, and to Sanji's confusion asked, "Where were the other four?" He was going to have to talk to Zoro about not asking such personal questions. Only Luffy could get away with such rudeness. A part of him hoped Shiloh would get upset and tell the swordsman off. But of course, she didn't. Instead, she took Zoro's hand and brought it to her neck, just under her left ear. "Here…" Next she raised her arm and brought his hand to her right side, just above the curve of her waist. "Here..." She led to the top of her thigh on the same side. "Here..." Sanji saw her body stiffen as she hesitated before placing Zoro's hand in the middle of her chest. "Here…" Dropping his hand Shiloh turned around, exposing the large scar, her upper body expanding and contracting as she took a deep breath. "It's ugly."

"I don't…" Zoro began awkwardly, "I don't get what you mean."

Shiloh shook her head and turned ever so slightly so that only the profile of her face was visible to the swordsman. "Aren't scars on the back a bad thing to you?"

Suddenly Sanji understood. The scar held a lot of emotional baggage for sure, but Shiloh was more concerned about what Zoro thought. If she herself considered it shameful, a reminder of something horrible and cruel, she must have figured Zoro would see it as a sign of weakness, proof that she hadn't been strong enough to protect herself.

"That's…" Zoro brought his eyes to the ground. "That's only for swordsmen. Since it's you…" Sanji rubbed his eyes. Had Zoro just nudged the back of Shiloh's hand with his? "Since it's you it's fine." Shiloh's eyes were wide and bright as she looked up at the swordsman. "It's not ugly. I kind of like it…"

Sanji would have laughed at the extent the redhead's eyes had widened if he weren't so shocked himself. Had he heard that right? Did Zoro just compliment her? He looked up to make sure there wasn't a flying pig going by.

Shiloh stuttered. "What?"

Zoro turned on his heel and began to stomp away. "Shut up! You heard me, you little pipsqueak!"

The girl stood rooted on the spot for about five seconds before taking off at a run after Zoro, yelling, "I really didn't hear you! Say it again!"

The green haired man began running as well. "No way!"

Sadness completely gone from her face, Shiloh broke out into a smile as she chased the swordsman around the deck, cheeks flushed. "Come on," she yelled. "Just one more time!"

Sanji found himself chuckling as he began walking down the stairs. It was at that moment he caught sight of Luffy, who had been sitting on the Sunny's giant head the whole time, watching the pair just as he had been. Upon making eye contact, Luffy sent him a toothy grin and thumbs up. Sanji was unable to do anything but laugh and send the gesture right back.

A/N

This chapter was a little difficult to get through. It's up now though! On to the next one. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed and favorited and stayed with me so far! You guys are the best :)