Straight Forward

Chapter 13: Plans

Sanji had been prepared for Shiloh's words. What he hadn't been prepared for was Usopp jumping to his feet and sending a projectile via slingshot right at the girl's forehead. For a split second, Sanji really believed it had killed the redhead due to the force in which she fell backwards. But she sat up immediately, a runny black ink spot right between her eyes.

As the rest of the crew stared in shock, Shiloh's face went from surprised to baffled. "What the hell, Usopp?!"

"That's for turning your back on your mother!" He loaded another pellet and let it fly into the girl's shoulder. "That's for leaving your friends!" Another one hit her in thigh. "That's for using us as your way to find your pathetic idea of atonement!" As Shiloh brought her arms up to cover her face, the furious sharpshooter loaded one more ball, this time aimed at her now exposed stomach. "And this is for being untrustworthy!"

Before he could let the pellet fly, Luffy put a hand on his shoulder and commanded gently, "That's enough."

Shiloh lowered her arms and rubbed at her forehead, smudging the mark that had been left behind. "It's fine," she sighed. "I deserve it."

Usopp turned to the captain with a deep frown. "You're not going to let her stay now, are you? Someone who gives up on their own mother won't have any problems back-stabbing us if they need to."

Shiloh turned away, shame clearly written on her features. Luffy looked up thoughtfully, the rest of the crew watching him intently. Sanji understood where Usopp was coming from. Despite the pain it brought him, he had stayed by his sick mother's side until the end. Even though the sharp-shooter had his fair share of moments of weakness, when it really mattered he had the heart of a lion. Shiloh had done the complete opposite: she had turned tail and run when she was needed the most. The cook agreed that it was a cowardly decision, but in his heart he couldn't really hold it against her. At least Usopp's mother had never forgotten him.

Luffy shrugged. "I do hate cowards and liars."

At his words, Shiloh brought her gaze down to her feet. "I'll understand if don't want me on your ship anymore. I'll stay out of everyone's way until we dock and then I'll leave. I won't cause you any more trouble."

A rubbery arm stretched out to place a hand on the girl's bowed head. "Who said you're going anywhere?" Shiloh's head snapped up so fast Sanji was surprised she didn't get whiplash. Amber eyes went wide as Luffy continued, "I never said I thought you were a coward." He gave her a toothy grin as Nami rolled her eyes, a smile pulling at her lips. Usopp's mouth fell open in surprise while Brook simply nodded. Robin gave a small laugh as Franky gave the girl a thumb's up. Chopper was looking unsurely up at Usopp while Zoro simply turned away expressionlessly. "I promised you I'd bring you to Shanks and I intend to keep that promise. On one condition." The shocked redhead watched him attentively, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "After you finish your business with him, you go back home and take care of the business you left behind." Shiloh's eyes darkened. "I know you have your reasons for wanting to see Shanks, but I don't think that's what will make you truly happy. If you really want to make things right, you need to clean up the mess you made. You need to apologize to your friends and kick that creepy Scrawly guy's ass."

Sanji could see a war waging in Shiloh's eyes. He could see fear, anger, hurt, but even more brightly he could see determination shining through. The redhead took a deep breath and brought her gaze straight into the captain's. "Alright," she agreed. Suddenly looking unsure of herself, she asked slowly, "Will you guys come with me?"

Luffy let out a laugh and wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulder, swinging her around. "Sure! Sounds fun!"

Nami groaned and threw an arm across her face. "Can't you think things through before you agree to them?! Idiot captain, we have so much stuff to do that we'll be busy for the next 50 years!"

The captain laughed even harder. "What's wrong with that?"

Sanji noticed Usopp cross his arms and sit down roughly, glaring at Shiloh. She must have noticed because she looked up at him and gently slipped out of the captain's grip as he bantered with Nami. "Usopp," she called gently as she approached him, "You're right. About everything." Sighing, she took a seat beside the sulking man. "I've done a lot of things wrong in my life. I just want a chance to make everything right." A gentle smile spread across her face. "And Luffy's giving me that chance. You all are. I know you're not happy about it, but thank you anyway." Her smile faded. "What I did to my mother… I'm going to live with that guilt for the rest of my life." Usopp's features began to soften. "But I'm going to be better. I'm going to be the person she wanted me to be. I'll be strong and brave and ambitious. And I'll learn it all from you guys."

A tan fist suddenly collided with the top of Shiloh's head. "Alright, alright." Shiloh couldn't see it, but a small triumphant smirk had begun to form on Usopp's face. "Stop with your half-assed flattery."

The redhead rubbed at the spot he hit, eyes shining with amusement. "I mean it." Eyes welling up with sudden emotion, she rubbed at them hurriedly and repeated, "I mean it. I'll be someone you can be proud of."

Before emotions could get a chance to get the better of them, Sanji nudged the girl with his foot and said, "You can start by helping me put away the rest of the dishes we never finished." Shiloh nodded eagerly. Many of the crew gave the cook a knowing smile or nod and began to file out of the galley. Franky made sure to pat Shiloh's head on the way out. Luffy gave her a rubbery-armed hug. Nami shrugged and patted her shoulder. Robin gave a nod of approval. Brook gave her a lipless kiss on the hand. Chopper squealed and gave her a quick hug around the knees. Usopp playfully stuck his tongue out at the redhead as he walked out the door. And Zoro, much to Sanji's disappointment, simply walked out without a word.

He heard Shiloh sigh. "He probably hates me now."

Sanji walked over to the sink and began separating out the plates and cups. "Well, he's an idiot," he stated, "So it might just be taking him longer to process everything."

From the corner of his eye, the cook saw Shiloh lower the plate in her hands and look tentatively toward him. "Do you think I still have a chance?"

Sanji weighed his words carefully before answering, "I'm not sure, Shy."

The redhead moved slowly towards the cabinet, extending her arm to stack the plate. "I guess I should talk to him."

"Actually," Sanji replied. "I think you should wait for him to come to you. If you get all up in his stupid marimo space, he might get all pissy and then I'll have to deal with his shitty attitude and that'll make me pissy."

An amused snort passed through Shiloh's lips. "Alright. I'll take your word for it." Sparkling amber eyes met his along with a sad, wistful smile. "I really like him, Sanji." The cook felt his heart soften for the girl. There was no deceit in those eyes. Whatever feelings Shiloh felt for Zoro, he knew they were real.

It suddenly dawned on him that Zoro had said he was going to talk to Shiloh about that very thing that very day. Everything inside him screamed for him to open his mouth and reassure the girl that whatever the outcome, she wouldn't have to wait long to find out. However, he held his tongue, knowing that it wasn't his place to tell her. Instead, he reached out and gently patted the contortionist's small shoulder and said softly, "I know, kid. I know."

Later that afternoon, Sanji found Nami, Robin, and Shiloh together on the grassy deck, huddled over something and giggling. Wanting to be nearer to the source of the beautiful noise that was Nami's adorable laugh, he danced on over and called, "Ladies! Allow me to join you in this jovial affair!" He stopped his noodly spinning when he spotted the open black box between them. "What is that?"

"This is the box of Shiloh's stuff that Scrawly gave us," Nami answered.

"Oh," he replied, a scow instantly crossing his face at the mention of the disgusting man's name.

Robin sent him an understanding smile. "Shiloh is willing to let Nami sell whatever she finds fit."

At his questioning look, the redhead explained. "A lot of the stuff is jewelry from clients. Scrawly made me keep them to wear whenever I entertained them so they wouldn't feel insulted." She rolled her eyes. "Perish the thought." Sanji was surprised and also a bit pleased with the ease Shiloh was able to speak about such things. He supposed she figured there was not point in hiding it now that they all knew. Sanji squatted down to take a peek into the box. With all the jewelry inside, it almost resembled a small treasure chest. He saw the gleam of the jewels reflected in Nami's wide eyes. Shiloh wrinkled her nose. "It's all so gaudy."

"Not your style, huh?"

The redhead laughed. "No way."

"Stylish or not," the navigator broke in, "They're genuine gems. We'll get a lot for them." She turned to Shiloh. "Are you sure you don't want to keep anything?"

The redhead's eyes grew unsure. "Well, if you find a small wooden jewelry box and a green notebook I'd like to hang on to those. But Scrawly probably got rid of them already."

"These?" In Robin's hands were those exact two items. Sanji's eyes widened, recognizing it as the notebook Shiloh had been using in one of the memories they had seen. It was at that moment that his eyes and brain registered that it's covers happened to be the exact same shade of green as Zoro's hair.

He snorted and pointed at it. "Really, Shy?"

The redhead blushed in response. "I've always liked that color," she mumbled.

"And the box?" It would have been nice for such a small wooden box if wasn't covered with stickers. On the top, in different colored capital letters, it spelled Shiloh's name.

"It was a birthday present from Laz and his family. He told me his littler sister put the stickers on." Sanji instantly regretted laughing. He opened his mouth to apologize but Shiloh stopped him and shook her head. "It's okay. I thought it was hideous when I first saw it too." Robin gently deposited the items into Shiloh's hands. The contortionist smiled as she pulled the notebook close to her body and opened the box. Nami and Sanji both leaned in closer. Inside sat three pairs of earrings, a mixture of gold crescent moons, pearls, and diamond studs.

Nami's brows rose in curiosity as she asked, "Are your ears pierced?"

Shiloh nodded. "Yeah. I have a double piercing on my right and a single on my left. I like to mix and match these earrings." Without a second thought, she grabbed one of each and put them on. The diamond and moon went on her left ear, the former above the latter, and the small pearl sat alone on her right. Seeing Sanji's raised brow, Shiloh smiled and pointed to the moon and diamond. "Venus shines brightest before dawn."

Nami laughed. "I get it."

The cook remained confused. "I don't."

"Don't worry about it," the navigator and the contortionist replied in unison. As they shared a smile, Sanji took a closer peek into the box and noticed something gold sitting at the bottom. It was a necklace with a flat, star-shaped pendant about the size of a small coin. He recognized it instantly.

Shiloh must have seen his intense stare because he heard her take a breath and say, "Yeah, that's the necklace Mama got from Shanks." A pause followed before she pulled it out of the box and held it gently in her hand. "I started wearing it after she died. It probably sounds stupid but I it made me feel less lonely, like at least I knew my dad was out there somewhere. 'Together under the stars' and all that."

The sentiment was endearing, but Sanji was too distracted by the last item in the box. Nami saw it too and let out a shriek. "I'll protect you, Nami-swan!" He placed himself between the orange-haired woman and Shiloh, who had quickly slipped her mother's necklace around her neck and let the offending object sit in her hand.

Robin giggled as Shiloh laughed and held it out, causing Sanji and Nami to take a step back. "It's plastic."

Sanji relaxed but Nami stomped towards the girl and yanked her ear. "WHY DO YOU EVEN HAVE THAT?!"

In Shiloh's hand sat a very realistic looking toy cockroach. "I use to want one as a pet but Mama said they were disgusting so she got me this instead. Plus, one time I used it to scare Rhiannon so bad that she peed her pants." As the redhead snorted at the memory, Sanji shook his head in disbelief. It took all his willpower not to grab the thing and throw it overboard so it could sink into the ocean where it would never scare anyone ever again.

"Is that a roach?!" A rubbery arm suddenly flew past the cook, towards the redhead. Luffy laughed as he plucked the thing out of Shiloh's hand. "It's plastic! Where did you find a plastic roach, Shy? I want one!"

"No!" Nami yelled. "No more roaches onboard, fake or otherwise!" Obviously done with the shenanigans, Nami picked up the black chest with the jewels in it and began to walk away. "Shy," she called with a glare over her shoulder. "Keep that creepy thing out of my sight or it'll be fish food."

Shiloh looked at Nami with almost too-innocent eyes. "Yes ma'am."

The navigator had turned her back, so she hadn't seen the mischievous smirk that had split the shorter redhead's face. But Sanji had seen and made a mental note to warn his ladylove. After all, what kind of man would be if he didn't warn her of the dangers that were headed her way, even if they were harmless and plastic? A part of him was glad to see the look on Shiloh's face though. Things were starting to feel normal again. From the corner of his eye, he saw Zoro watching them from the upper deck. Sanji sighed. Well, he thought to himself, Most things, anyway.

After dinner that night, Sanji contemplatively washed dishes, disappointed that he had yet to see the swordsman approach their spare passenger. A few times he had seen the pair walk past each other, but Zoro had simply kept moving, despite the questioning and almost expectant looks Shiloh gave him each time. Sanji doubted he even noticed; the oaf was making it a point to keep his eye away from hers. He turned his head to glance at Shiloh, who was quietly drying the plate he had just handed her. Despite the very long and emotionally trying day they'd all had, her amber eyes were untroubled, trained on the task at hand. He sighed dramatically.

"Something wrong?"

The cook nearly dropped the glass in his hand. He hadn't noticed Robin still sitting at the table. It wasn't usual for anyone except himself and Shiloh to stay in the galley after meals. "Robin-chwan!" He exclaimed, immediately putting on a smile. "Such a treat to see you still seated there! Please forgive my inattentiveness. Would you like a special dessert or maybe some soothing tea?"

The historian smiled sweetly at him and shook her head. "No thank you. I'm actually just waiting for Shiloh."

The redhead craned her neck to glance at Robin from the sink. "Me?"

"Yes. There are a few things I'd like to ask you."

"Okay," Shiloh replied as she gently put down the towel she had been using for drying. "Go for it."

"Would you like to go somewhere more private?"

The redhead glanced briefly at the cook before smiling and answering, "No, it's fine." Sanji grinned. Outward signs of being trusted were always nice and greatly appreciated.

"The pearl that held your memories," Robin began slowly as Shiloh took a seat across from her, "Where is it now?"

"Oh yeah," Sanji said as he sat to the redhead's right. "What did happen to that thing?"

Shiloh looked away uncomfortably but replied, "It's gone. They disintegrate once they've been used."

"In your mouth?" Sanji asked, a little grossed out by the idea.

"Yeah. It turns into this dusty powder. I mean, it can be spit out but all moisture makes it look really disgusting. Like a tiny pile of grey mucus." Shiloh wrinkled her nose. "It's better just to let it sit in the mouth until it dissolves. It tastes really bitter though."

"That's gross, Shy," the cook couldn't resist saying.

Shiloh made a face. "It really is."

Robin cleared her throat, re-capturing the younger girl's attention. "You said before that they're produced on your home island. What is their main purpose?"

Shiloh frowned. Sanji could see a bit of sadness in her eyes mixed with shame and anger. Right away, he knew that look could only be because of Cyrus Scrawly. The redhead took a breath. "Maroon Marble has two great industries: the production of Pearls of Memory and entertainment. Scrawly," Bingo, Sanji thought to himself, "He figured out a way to bring both those things together." Brows knitting together, Shiloh brought her hands to the table and folded them together, suddenly seeming much more proper than Sanji had ever seen her. "Disgusting and freaky as he is, Scrawly really is an amazing businessman. He really knows how to bring in the belis. He charges for every public performance. He charges even more for a private evening audience." Shiloh brought her eyes up to meet the piercing blue ones of the historian in front of her. "He charges the most for the use of a Pearl of Memory during the private booking."

Sanji had a feeling he knew exactly what Shiloh was saying, but before he could stop himself he asked, "Why?"

Turning slightly to meet his darkening gaze, Shiloh sighed. "Because that way the client could see the show one more time."

Robin nodded solemnly. "They could almost relive it."

"That's right," Shiloh replied darkly. "Scrawly makes the girls keep the pearls in their mouths until the client is done with them. Then the pearl goes to the client to use whenever he sees fit. He sells these girls' memories, their experiences. It's so messed up."

"Wait," Sanji broke in. "We had to form a connection or whatever to see your memories. Wouldn't the creepy-ass client have to do the same?"

Shiloh shook her head. "If only one person wants to access a memory, all they need to do is put the pearl in their own mouth. The pearls are sort of like bottles. They can be filled or they can be spilled, but not at the same time. So once they've absorbed memories, the next person to put it in their mouth is just an observer."

"Then they fall apart." The redhead gave Robin a nod. "What kept the clients from selling the pearls they bought to someone else for a higher price?"

"Scrawly," Shiloh replied simply. "He makes them sign confidentiality contracts before doing anything with the girls and if they break it, some how he gets rid of them and any trace of their existence. I have no idea how he does it. It's like… he just knows everything and anyone and how to make them disappear."

Silence fell in the galley. Sanji walked over to the porthole and opened it before leaning against the wall and lighting a cigarette. He didn't usually smoke inside but at the mention of the demented Cyrus Scrawly, agitation immediately coursed through his veins and only a smoke would quell the rush. Aiming the smoke towards the open air, he took another drag and tried not to think of all the lives Scrawly must have ruined.

Robin's voice broke the silence. "Scrawly said you had been trying to get a pearl for years." It wasn't a question and her tone, though gentle and calm, demanded an explanation.

From where he was standing, Sanji saw Shiloh's shoulders slump the tiniest bit. "I was," she replied sadly. "When Mama started to forget me I thought these would help her remember. Even after she died," the redhead's voice faltered slightly before she continued a little quieter, "I still tried to get one."

The historian's deep eyes were questioning yet soft. "Why?"

It was at that moment that Sanji just happened to look out the porthole to find a certain green-haired swordsman leaning up against the outside wall of the galley, right next to him. He wondered how much Zoro had heard so far and when the muscle head would finally speak to Shiloh. Rolling his eyes, Sanji blew smoke at him, which earned him a one-eyed glare.

"Well…" Shiloh shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I promised you guys I'd be 100% honest from now on," she paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "But that's not something I feel comfortable sharing. At least not yet. I'm sorry, Robin. I hope you're not upset with me."

Sanji watched as Zoro pushed off the wall and walked away, only barely hearing Robin laugh gently and reply, "That's still an honest answer. You can tell us when you're ready." Her tone grew serious as she asked, "Shiloh, there are still other girls who work for Scrawly, correct?" Shiloh nodded grimly. Sanji felt a chill run down his spine. If he ever saw that despicable Scrawly again he would make sure to kick him right in his creepy perpetually smiling face. "I'd like to add something to Luffy's condition for you staying with us." The redhead nodded again, this time more slowly with a bit of trepidation in her eyes. "When you return to Maroon Marble, you take down Scrawly's business and help those girls get a fresh start."

Doubt was written all over Shiloh's face. "I don't know if I'm strong enough to do that, Robin." Admitting such a thing caused the redhead's voice to crack. "What if I fail?"

"You won't," Sanji broke in as he walked back towards the pair. "You're a lot more capable than you think, Shy. You got out despite all the obstacles thrown your way. You know what to do and what not to do. You can relate to those girls and show them how to get back on their feet. You may not be perfect but you'd be a good example. Besides," he added as the girl gave him a small smile which he returned, "You've got us. We won't let you fail."

"Alright," Shiloh declared, "I'll do it. After we find Shanks, I'll go back home and shut Scrawly down for good. Then I'll take care of all the girls who worked for him. Whatever they need, I'll help."

A bubble of pride forming in his chest, Sanji nodded and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You forgot to mention apologizing to Milo and all the friends you left behind."

Shiloh shook her head. "I didn't forget. That's not something I'm going to do when I go back." Sanji raised a brow at her, earning him a small, nervous smile. "I'm going to do that right now. Got a pen?"

Robin smiled as two disembodied hands appeared by Shiloh, one holding a pen and one carefully placing down some paper.

Despite her good intentions, Shiloh had the hardest time getting started on her letter. Sanji had watched with slight amusement as the girl went from practically banging her head in frustration at the dining table to rolling around with dismay on the deck. Presently she lay on her stomach on the grass, pen between her teeth, eyes focused so hard on the paper Sanji was sure her intense glare would soon burn a hole in it.

He nearly swallowed his cigarette when he spotted Zoro making his way towards the girl. As fast as he could, he ran towards the library and practically knocked down the door. Usually he would use a little more finesse, but in the urgency of the moment he only managed to gasp out, "Nami-swan, it's happening," before grabbing the navigator's hand and dragging her back out on the upper deck.

"Sanji, what are you doing?!"

"Zoro's making his move."

Nami's attitude immediately changed. Her eyes grew wide and she pulled out of Sanji's grasp to sprint towards the railing. Sanji smiled as he stood beside her. He knew she'd want to witness this.

The swordsman stopped about thirty paces from the contortionist. "You don't think he's going to chicken out, do you?" Nami whispered.

Sanji shook his head. "No way. That stubborn idiot told me he was going to talk to her today and the day is almost over so he's got no choice. You know how he is about keeping his word."

Nami rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah. To the point of stupidity."

"Shiloh," Zoro called, causing the girl's head to whip upwards in surprise. "I need to talk to you."

Sanji watched as Shiloh pointedly looked away, a blush coloring her cheeks. "Um, okay," she stuttered. To the cook's surprise, instead of getting to her feet, the redhead pushed herself into a handstand and began to 'walk' towards Zoro on her palms.

Apparently, the green-haired man thought it just as weird as Sanji and Nami did because he asked confusedly, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Well," Shiloh said slowly, her red hair swishing against the ground. Sanji couldn't see her face, but he had a feeling it was beet red not just from gravity but something else as well. "I'm a little afraid to look you in the face, Zoro," the redhead admitted. "Since you haven't spoken to me all day, I thought you were upset. I don't want to see you angry."

The swordsman took a breath. Sanji could have sworn he saw the idiot's working eye soften. "I'm not angry," he replied. "So face me properly and stop being ridiculous."

Slowly, Shiloh brought her legs down and her torso up, eyes wide with worry, and, as Sanji had predicted, incredibly red in the face. The cook had to give her credit; despite looking incredibly uncomfortable, Shiloh met Zoro's intense gaze directly. "I'm sorry," she blurted out.

Zoro looked dumb-founded. Sanji bit his lip to stifle a laugh at the green-haired man's stupid expression. In his peripheral vision he saw Nami raise a hand to her mouth, mirth shining in her eyes.

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry," Shiloh repeated. "For not telling you everything sooner."

Zoro frowned. Letting out a sigh, he sat himself cross-legged on the grass and gestured for Shiloh to do the same. The redhead followed his lead, amber eyes never leaving his. That was all it took for Sanji and Nami to immediately somber up. The cook could feel something serious about to happen. He just hoped it wasn't a rejection.

"I don't care about that," Zoro stated. At Shiloh's questioning look, he added, "I wanted to talk to you about something… else."

Understanding seemed to dawn on the contortionist because she immediately paled and groaned, "Uh-oh. This isn't going to be a fun conversation, is it."

Zoro gave her a flat stare. When the redhead just continued to watch him with nervous expectation, he began, "Before that Scrawly guy showed up, I had made up my mind about something. Something that had to do with you."

"I've never heard Zoro beat around the bush before."

"Shit. I'm just going to say it." Sanji nearly laughed outright at Zoro's unknowing affirmation of Nami's comment, especially since Nami had rolled her eyes and let out a cute exasperated sigh. Then the words sunk in and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He gripped the railing in front of him so hard he thought it might break. There was a chance that the words that were about to leave Zoro's mouth would start something special, but there was also the chance that he would end it before it could even begin. Beside him, Nami was so still that he could barely hear her breathe. Zoro took a long breath and, with his one good eye, focused intently on Shiloh's face. "I'm interested."

Sanji's heart nearly flew out of his chest, not because of his joy for Shiloh, but because of the warm, smooth hand suddenly in his. Before he could even think to ask why, Nami turned to him, a stunningly beautiful smile on her delicate lips. "He confessed."

Reminding himself that as a gentleman he needed to keep his cool in the presence of his beloved, Sanji collected himself instantly and managed a small nod before saying, "I guess he did. In his own stupid Marimo way."

"She's not saying anything," Nami said, her tone growing worried. "Why isn't she saying anything?"

The cook brought his attention back down to Shiloh and noticed the confused look on her face. "In what?"

Zoro returned with a blank stare and a flat, "Huh?"

"What are you interested in? What are you even talking about?"

"Oh. My. God," Nami whispered, her eyebrow twitching. "They're idiots. They're both idiots. They deserve each other." Much to Sanji's disappointment, she released his hand in favor of bringing it to her forehead. "I've never seen so much stupid in one sitting and I've seen a lot of stupid."

Sanji was about to reply when the sudden blush on Zoro's face caught his eye. The swordsman had reddened to a comical degree, his cool façade falling apart as he petulantly crossed his arms and slouched forward in a very Zoro-like posture. "You've got to be kidding me. You… you're really going to make me spell it out for you, aren't you?" At Shiloh's confused face, Zoro let out a loud groan of frustration and turned even redder than Sanji thought possible. It would have been funny if he himself weren't so interested in what Shiloh would say. "A long time ago you told me you wanted to be more than just friends."

Slowly, Shiloh nodded, a softness filling her eyes as she hung onto Zoro's every word. "That's right."

"Well I don't really know what the hell that means. But I'm interested."

The moment the last word fell from Zoro's lips, Shiloh's cheeks warmed with an intense blush of her own. "What?!" She exclaimed.

"There it is," Nami said with a triumphant smirk.

Sanji was just about to celebrate by grabbing the navigator by the waist and planting a romantic kiss on her lips but the sight of Shiloh jumping up to her feet and turning her back to the stunned swordsman froze him in his place. He had been so concerned about Zoro rejecting Shiloh that he hadn't thought of the possibility of the exact opposite happening Why would he? Just a few hours ago, Shiloh had looked at him with such sincerity in her eyes when speaking of how she felt about Zoro. Could she have changed her mind in such a short amount of time? Perhaps Zoro's avoidance had been enough for her to give up on him? Was the sword swinging idiot too late?

Zoro got to his feet as well, a deep frown on his lips. "Are you not interested anymore?"

Shiloh spun back around to face him, face still red and eyes wide, her hands on cheeks in surprise. "No! I mean, yes! I mean-" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing in an only slightly calmer tone, "I am interested. I'm so interested. I just didn't think you would be. Especially after all the stuff you saw in my memories." Taking a deep breath and running a hand through her hair, the contortionist sat back down before giving Zoro a small smile. "I'm a little overwhelmed, to be honest. It's been a long day."

"Tell me about it," Zoro replied as he also resumed his sitting position. "I nearly busted my brain trying to think of a way to tell you this mushy stuff and then you just went and turned your back on me."

Sanji's heart lifted as Shiloh giggled. Things were all right. Hell, from where he stood, things between the two were even going well. Bravely, he sought Nami's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. His heart nearly stopped when he felt a small squeeze in return. "I'm sorry," Shiloh said with an embarrassed grin. "You just surprised me." The situation seemed to have hit the girl a second time. Her eyes filled with worry once more as she looked up at the swordsman. "Are you sure?"

Zoro snorted. "No. But why the hell not?"

Shiloh looked away. "Well, I assume the 'used to be a whore' thing is a kind of a turn off."

"Shy, look at me," Sanji was impressed with the mature tone Zoro's voice had taken. It was similar to the one he used when speaking to Luffy and the rest of the crew when situations grew serious, only softer and with a little less edge. As the redhead did as he asked, Zoro continued, "I had already decided to talk to you before you showed us your memories. Seeing them didn't change the way I feel about you because the past you isn't the you I know." Another blush crept onto Shiloh's cheeks, causing one to rise on Zoro's as well. At that point, the green-haired man could no longer look the redhead in the eye but he continued, "The past shapes you, but it doesn't define you. I'm interested in the person you are right now, right at this moment."

Sanji's mouth nearly fell open in shock. Where had those words even come from? How was Zoro of all people able to say something so honest and sweet? Nami must have had the same sort of thoughts because he heard her say with great surprise, "Who is this person?!"

"Someone help," the cook said only loud enough for Nami to hear, "Someone kidnapped our crew's swordsman and left a creepy, mush-spouting replacement!" He reveled in Nami's giggle. It was such a beautiful sound and he took pride in the fact that he had caused it.

Below them, Shiloh's face had broken into a large, ridiculous smile that she tried to cover behind her palms. "I have no words for that," she admitted to the swordsman. Lowering her hands she said more clearly, "But you did say you're not entirely sure."

Zoro scratched his head in mild frustration. "I don't know how this all works."

The redhead shrugged. "Let's start small then. How about a picnic?"

"What?"

"A picnic," Shiloh repeated with a smile. "Tomorrow evening, right here on deck. We can talk or just eat or whatever. Just to see how it goes and where we stand."

Zoro looked away, an almost embarrassed look on his face. "Alright."

"Alright," Shiloh repeated. Suddenly looking quite shy, she stood with her hands folded behind her back and looked away. "It's been a really long day. I think I'm going to go wash up and start heading to bed."

Nodding wordlessly, Zoro watched the girl scurry towards the women's quarters, pen and paper completely forgotten. Unbeknownst the swordsman, the blonde cook and the orange-haired navigator caught the tiny smile he threw Shiloh's way before she closed the door. Nami let go of Sanji's hand yet again but surprised him with a kiss on the cheek. He nearly fainted but didn't because that would have been incredibly unmanly and weak. "I'm going to go talk to Shy," Nami said as she began to walk away. "I'm sure she'll have plenty to talk about."

This time Sanji really did laugh. "Definitely." He gave the navigator a small wave as she disappeared around the corner. He wanted to dwell on her beauty a little longer, but the sight of Zoro still sitting on deck presented him with an opportunity to tease that was too good to pass up. Putting a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it, he began to walk down the stairs, making smoke rings until he was right next to Zoro.

"Crappy Cook," the green-haired man acknowledged with the smallest of nods. Was it just him, or did Zoro actually seem like he was in a good mood? Well, he could fix that.

"Marimo," Sanji greeted in return. He knew he probably shouldn't have given Zoro proof that he had been eavesdropping on a very personal conversation, but he simply couldn't help himself. "I heard someone's got himself a hot date tomorrow evening."

Immediately, swords and legs were all that could be seen in the cloud of smoke that was the Zoro and Sanji scuffle. But the cook kept laughing, even as the swordsman screamed, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU NOSEY SPYING COOK-BASTARD!"

A/N

Okay, romance back on track! Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following! You're all wonderful :) On to the next chapter!