Straight Forward

Chapter 16: More Plans

The entire crew plus Shiloh sat in the galley as Nami gave them all a poignant stare that rendered them silent. Sanji sat in his seat, impressed. Only Nami could silence the crazy group with only a single look.

The quiet didn't last long, though. Luffy let out a loud groan and slumped forward on the table, arms stretched before him so that his fingertips could practically brush against Chopper who was sitting across from the captain. "Sanji, how come there are no snacks?"

"Nami-swan said no food until after our meeting."

"You can't have a meeting without snacks, though," the younger man complained. "I'm the captain and I say we should have snacks." He was met with unmoving silence. Deflating even more, he stuck out his lip in a pout and declared, "You guys suck."

Shiloh tentatively raised her hand. "Um," she began with an unsure look at the navigator who was rolling her eyes at Luffy. "Is this about the fake roach on the toilet?"

Nami directed a glare towards the smaller redhead. "What fake roach on the toilet?"

"Never mind," Shiloh said hurriedly. "There isn't one. At least, there won't be after this meeting…"

"I'm going to forget you said that," the orange haired woman said as she turned her stern eye to Luffy and Usopp who had began snickering. "Because we have more important things to talk about." She took a breath and leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. Sanji knew that pose; not only was it incredibly sexy, but it also told them Nami was about to announce their next destination. "In about a month, we're going to be passing by an island."

"An island!" Luffy exclaimed before Nami could continue. "We're definitely stopping!"

"I knew you were going to say that," Nami replied with an annoyed sigh, "But I think this time we should put it up to a vote."

"Huh? Why?" Zoro asked. "An island is an island, right?"

Sanji raised a brow. "Is it dangerous?"

"Then we have to go!" Luffy put both fists in the air with enthusiasm, his former lack-of-food troubles gone. "Adventure!"

"Hear me out, " Nami ordered, turning to the rest of the crew. "The island has been charted, so it's in a few books. It's pretty big and used to be owned by a single family."

Franky whistled. "Must have been some superrr rich big shots."

"Whoa," Usopp said with wonder. "So the family ran the whole island?"

"Not exactly," Nami corrected. "The family owned and maintained the island, but the marines managed it."

"Figures," Zoro grumbled.

"There's something strange though," Nami said slowly, a suspicious look crossing her face. "For the past 315 years, the island has only been populated by a single person."

Sanji frowned. "How is that possible?"

"Perhaps they're a Devil Fruit user," Robin suggested calmly.

"It could be," Nami affirmed, "But it get's weirder. Every attempt to settle on the island has failed. There were reports of crops just wilting overnight and houses crumbling or bursting into flames, as if newcomers weren't welcome on the land, so they all just leave. Or they die if they're that stubborn, I guess. And the travelers' logs I found weren't much better. They all said the land was creepy and uninhabitable so they set sail as soon as they could." She sighed and closed her eyes, brows furrowed in a frown. "We're going to pass a few other island's before that one, but in our case, it doesn't exactly sound like a good place to gather supplies seeing as the town has been listed as abandoned."

"Hmm," Brook sang thoughtfully. "Sounds like it would be a fruitless stop, then."

"Unless we find the one occupant," Robin added. "They might be able to help us find supplies. Or have some useful knowledge of the area, considering their age."

Chopper tilted his head. "Do you think they'd help pirates? If they can survive that scary land for so long then they must be strong… and maybe unfriendly." The reindeer gave a little shudder.

"Oh, come on!" Luffy urged. "We're pirates! We don't scare easy!"

"Um," Shiloh began once again with her hand raised. "I'm not a pirate. And sometimes I scare easy."

"If we go," Nami broke in before Luffy could, "A few people need to stay and guard the ship." When she was met with silence, she took a breath and leaned forward. "So that's it. We either go right on by or we stop and take a chance on a single person living on an uninhabitable, unfriendly island and hope we don't die and also manage to gather some resources or information."

From his seat, Sanji couldn't help but feel a tingle of excitement run down his spine. It had been a while since they had seen any sort of action and maybe this island was just the thing to fix that. He stood and made a grandiose gesture towards Nami. "You heard the lady. All for stopping at the creepy island?" Every hand except Usopp's, Chopper's, Brook's, and Shiloh's went into the air. His eyes widened as he noticed their navigator smirking. She wasn't one for these adventures so seeing her actually want to go was new. "Nami-swan, you want to go?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention?" She asked with mock innocence that made Zoro roll his eyes. "It's said that the family's fortune is hidden somewhere on the island."

The swordsman groaned and brought a hand to his forehead in exasperation. "Of course." He turned his head to look at Shiloh, who hadn't raised her hand. "You don't want to go?"

She shrugged. "It's not that. I just figured this was a crew decision. I'll do whatever you guys decide."

"Alright," Nami declared. "I guess we're going then. We have around 25 days until we get there so you all better be ready by then." A cheer from Luffy broke into the air but was quickly silenced by a punch by the navigator. "Speaking of treasure," She pushed onward, "I've decided that the most efficient thing to do for income is to have set earners."

Luffy looked dumbfounded. "Huh?"

"Listen, Idiot Captain," Nami commanded. "We may be good at stealing treasure but that's not going to work out for us every time. Right now, we're doing pretty well financially but that's just not good enough for me." Sanji swooned internally. That's right, Nami-swan, he thought to himself. Never settle! "We have more expenses since our crew and ship have gotten bigger and maintenance doesn't come free. We'll be a lot better off in the long run if we have a fool-proof way of bringing in the belis."

Robin made a thoughtful noise and leaned forward, resting her chin on intertwined fingers. "You mean giving us jobs."

Luffy groaned and let his head fall against the table with a loud 'thud.'

Nami gave a small smirk. "Not all of you. Only the best at it."

Shiloh again raised her hand, earning a snort from Usopp. "You're not talking about pimping me out right?"

The galley went silent. Sanji was almost sure he heard a cricket chirp somewhere. Zoro found his voice first. "That's not funny!"

Shiloh frowned at him. "I wasn't trying to be funny! Nami still has my contract so I just assumed that's what she m-" The girl was interrupted by a shoe to the head by said navigator, thrown so hard that the smaller girl toppled backwards out of her chair.

"STUPID! Of course I didn't mean that!" Nami screeched as Usopp and Luffy howled with laughter.

"Alright, sorry!" Shiloh exclaimed as she righted her chair and sat back down, rubbing a red spot on her forehead. "You didn't have to throw things at me." Pouting, she tossed Nami's heeled shoe back at her.

After pulling her shoe back on, Nami huffed and continued, "What I meant was, we have two people on this ship who actually have marketable abilities."

"Oh," Chopper broke in with a smile. He gestured a hoof at the tall skeleton sitting beside him. "Brook! Because he's a musician right?"

"Right," Nami replied brightly. "And-"

"Shiloh," Sanji finished. "Because she's a dancer."

"Was a dancer," Shiloh corrected.

"Ah," Brook added. "She's been learning how to read music from me as well. She can play a few instruments." Sanji vaguely remembered a flash from a memory of Shiloh indeed playing a couple of different instruments.

"I didn't know Brook was teaching you," Luffy said cheerily. "I bet you're pretty good, Shy!"

The girl looked away with a blush. "Not really," she mumbled.

Robin smiled, a stray hand patting the girl's head. "What about dancing then?"

At the lack of response, Nami sighed and said, "Listen, Shy. I know it's a bit weird and maybe a little pushy to bring this up. But regardless, you're here with us now and you have been for a while and probably will be for a long time yet. You need to earn your keep."

"She's already an extra pair of hands," Franky reminded her.

Sanji nodded. That much was true. The shorter redhead was always "on call" for any task they needed and did them without complaint.

"I know," Nami acknowledged with a nod. "And I want her to keep doing that. In fact, I want us to start teaching Shy what we know. In case something happens to one of us, it's good to have a back up, or at least someone with basic knowledge." She turned to face the contortionist who was hanging on to her every word. "Do you understand, Shy? We need to be able to depend on you being flexible, literally and figuratively. If any of us is unable to do our jobs, you need to be able to step up and take their place."

"So you want me to be a cook, a shipwright, a historian, a doctor, a navigator, a musician, a craftsman, and a fighter?" Shiloh asked as she counted each thing off on her fingers.

"No," Nami replied. "I don't need you to be any of those things. I just need you to have some of their skills. In case of an emergency."

Sanji was beyond impressed with Nami's thinking. He himself had never thought about what would happen if a single one of them were suddenly rendered incapable. He thought back to when Nami was ill before Chopper joined the crew and his stomach flipped. It would be good to have more than one person with a specific skill set, even if that person only had the basics under their belt.

Zoro turned to Shiloh. "I think it's a good idea."

The redhead sighed and offered Nami a small smile. "Alright, Nami. I'll do it."

"Good," replied the navigator, returning the smile. "Now, I have a question, Shy."

"Okay."

Nami gave the younger girl a serious look before asking, "How much did you earn when you worked for Scrawly?"

Shiloh blinked then tilted her head. "As a dancer or as a prostitute?"

Sanji groaned and let his head fall into his hands as Luffy, Usopp, and Brook snorted. He sent them a glare for their rudeness. Sometimes he wished Shiloh were a little more tactful in her phrasing.

Apparently Nami shared this sentiment because she sighed dramatically and answered with annoyance, "As a dancer, Shiloh."

The contortionist put her elbow on the table and rested her cheek in her hand in thought. "Hmm… around… 100,000 belis per show."

Sounds of disbelief echoed around the galley. Sanji nearly choked on his own spit at the number. "What?!"

Franky whistled as Brook clapped in appreciation. Robin simply smiled, not looking the least bit surprised. Luffy let out a loud, "Wow!"

Chopper looked at Zoro and said, "That's a lot," to which the swordsman merely nodded.

Usopp gaped. "You're kidding right? One show was worth 100,000?"

Shiloh snorted and shook her head. "Oh no. 100,000 was my cut. Shows made around 300,000. I always got a third of the proceeds. One of the perks of being among the top earners."

The sniper promptly fell out of his chair at her words, causing Chopper to rush to his side. Mouth set in a firm line, Nami cleared her throat and asked slowly, "Shiloh, how much did the highest earner make?"

Blushing, Shiloh looked pointedly away. "Alright, I was the top earner at the time. I was just trying to be modest."

Nami's eyes instantly turned into beli signs. Jumping out of her chair, she threw her arms around the redhead and cried, "You're going to make us so rich! I'm so happy!"

Sanji shook his head in an effort to being circulating proper thoughts again. The image of a beautiful home with large hallways and a spacious study popped into his mind. No wonder Shiloh and her mother had been able to move from a small modest house to practically a mansion in such a short amount of time.

From beneath the buxom woman's arms, Shiloh mumbled, "So, wait, you really want me to go back to dancing?"

Nami let go and faced the entire group. "I want you and Brook to entertain whenever we dock. People will pay for a good show, right? You just proved that. Imagine how excited people would get to see Soul King perform with a pretty dancer as an opening act! What do you guys think?"

Sanji looked at Brook, who he knew would have been smiling if he had lips. "It would be fun to perform again," the skeleton said cheerfully. The cook turned his eyes to the contortionist, who seemed lost in thought.

"Start dancing again, huh…?"

Nami frowned at the girl's soft tone. "Do you not want to?"

"Aww," Luffy whined. "Come on, Shy! It sounds like you were good at it! And I want to see more of your weird contortionist moves!"

"Sounds like a superrr talent! It'd be a shame to waste it."

Chopper looked at Shiloh with large eyes. "Were you really that good, Shy?"

Zoro shrugged and crossed his arms as he leaned back in his chair. "It's your decision."

Breaking out of her thoughts, Shiloh let out a laugh and replied, "Alright, alright. I'll do it." Some of the crew cheered, Luffy being the loudest. "Anyway, Nami is the one who negotiated my contract so technically I work for her. What she says goes." Sanji's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't realized that. Nami beamed, looking incredibly pleased. "Besides, it'll be nice to dance without worrying about having to service someone afterwards."

The cook groaned as the others went silent, sobering at the girl's words instantly. He sent her a glare and barked, "Stop saying depressing shit like that!"

Shiloh had the good graces to give a properly abashed smile. "Sorry." She turned her gaze to Zoro. "I could make a special after-show appointment for you though."

Recovered from his previous faint, Usopp burst out laughing as Brook clapped and Franky jeered. Sanji made a disgusted sound and opened his mouth to chastise the girl but Zoro spoke first. Face red, he glared at the redhead and yelled, "Shut up!"

"Oh, that reminds me," Nami chimed in, causing the noise to die down. "I wanted to talk to you guys about that too."

"About sex?"

Sanji threw his arms up in the air in exasperation. That was it; he gave up. There was no point in correcting Shiloh's blunt speech. In that particular area, she was about as dense as the idiot swordsman she fancied so much. The cook rolled his eyes. They completely belonged together.

"No!" Nami screeched. Her face smoothed from anger to mild annoyance. "Well, not exactly." When Shiloh simply offered her an amused giggle, she sighed and continued, "Now that you and Zoro are a couple, we need to set some ground rules."

The shorter redhead blinked in confusion before turning to the swordsman. "Are we a couple?" She asked curiously.

He shrugged. "Dunno."

Luffy's loud laugh, Nami's sigh, and Robin's small giggle were all drowned out by Sanji shouting, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

The pair ignored him and continued facing each other. "We can't technically be considered lovers," Shiloh explained simply, "Because that implies that we have sex and we haven't done that." Zoro nodded once nonchalantly in agreement. The contortionist shrugged and asked the swordsman, "What would you call people like us, Zoro?"

Raising a brow, Zoro answered in a serious voice, "Sweethearts?" Shiloh bit her lip to stifle a laugh, but Sanji couldn't hold it in and neither could most of the crew. They promptly burst into laughter, causing the green haired man to glare at them all in turn. "What the hell are you guys laughing at?"

"Nothing," Sanji said immediately, trying and failing to wipe a huge mocking smile off his face. "That's a great word for it, Idiot Marimo!" He wrapped his arms around his middle and surrendered to the laughter that continued to shake his body.

"Wow, Zoro," Usopp gasped between hysterical fits, "I didn't take you to be the romantic type!"

"How cuuuuute," Nami managed through her giggles. "The future greatest swordsman in the world has a sweetheart!"

Flowers and hearts suddenly appeared around Brook's face, a warm pink light surrounding the musician as he crooned, "Ah, youth."

"I don't get it," Chopper stated with a confused look around at the crew. "Is a sweetheart a candy or something?"

Franky let out a loud barking laugh and struck a pose. "Of course not! It's something a man calls his lady! But," he added with a superior tone, "No real man would use it."

Before Zoro could protest, Shiloh's voice caught everyone's attention. "Hey," she chided, face serious but eyes full of mirth. "Come on now, Franky. We all know real men are judged by their honor, not their choice of words." For a second the crew grew still and Sanji wondered if somehow Shiloh had been bothered by the shipwright's words. "Besides," the redhead added, obviously trying not to laugh as she spoke, reassuring the cook that she hadn't been bothered at all, "I've always wanted to be someone's sweetheart."

As the crew once again broke into noisy laughter, Zoro stood up, fire behind him, and yelled, "ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF ME?!"

Shiloh swallowed a giggle and turned bright eyes on the swordsman. "Come on, don't be mad. It's just funny because it was so unexpected coming from you. I really don't mind being called sweethearts. It's actually kind of adorable."

With a huff, Zoro promptly sat back down and crossed his arms, making a point to look away from everyone. Nami cleared her throat and wiped her eyes as the laughed died down into occasional chuckles, snorts, and teasing looks thrown at the grumping swordsman. "Alright, now that we've all had a good cry," Shiloh let out a small laugh that the navigator returned with a small smile, "I really do have something to say about that." She paused and took a deep breath to collect herself. "Like I said, now that you and Zoro are… sweethearts, we need to set some ground rules."

"Uh-oh," Shiloh replied. "Do I have a curfew?"

"I'm being serious, Shy."

"Sorry."

Nami sighed. "You don't always act like it but the two of you are adults. I expect you to not let your relationship interfere with your responsibilities or the rest of the crew. Keep your personal affairs private."

"Got it," Shiloh replied with a pseudo-serious tone and a small salute. "We shall keep all personal business between the two of us."

"Good," the navigator nodded. "Now," she sent Zoro a glare, which he returned twice as fierce. "I'm not going to pretend that you two going to get physically intimate. First of all," she redirected her gaze to Shiloh and gave the girl a sympathetic sigh. "I'm sorry, Shiloh. Since you've chosen an incredibly stupid and inexperienced man, you're going to have to take the reins on that one."

Shiloh snickered while Sanji and Franky shared a boisterous laugh. "Second of all," Nami continued before Zoro could start making death threats, "If and when it happens, don't do it in the men's or women's quarters."

The redhead looked as if she were about to nod, but Zoro caught everyone's attention by growling threateningly, "That's not your decision to make."

Sanji glared. "Don't take that tone with Nami-san, asshole."

Ignoring the cook's warning, the swordsman kept his eyes narrowed at the navigator. "You said for us to keep our business to ourselves, but you're getting involved and giving orders about things you said shouldn't involve anyone but Shy and me."

Nami got to her feet and returned Zoro's glare just as fiercely. "It's about respect. Do you really think any of us want to sleep where we know you and Shy have been fooling around?"

"Who even cares about that?" Zoro practically shouted. The rest of the crew began to look a mixture of nervous and concerned. The jovial mood from minutes before had completely disappeared, replaced by a tense undercurrent of worry at the way Zoro and Nami were speaking to one another. "You and the cook have probably done it all over the damn ship and no one gives a shit!"

Sanji had always made it very clear to everyone that there was no physical fighting in the galley. However, at Zoro's crass words he was on his feet in an instant and delivering a kick to the swordsman's face. A sheathed sword blocked his foot before the green haired man leapt back and swore, glaring dangerously at the blond. Sanji could vaguely hear Usopp and Chopper trying to reason with them, but their attempts were in vain. His blood was boiling and the only way to make it better was to teach the sorry Marimo a lesson. "Apologize." He ordered, his voice practically a hiss. "Apologize to Nami-san."

"Make me."

Just as Zoro made to slash with his sword and Sanji pulled his leg back, fully intending to kick the other man as hard as he could, Shiloh was suddenly between them, arms out to keep them apart. Sanji's natural inclination was to tell the girl to move. However, both he and Zoro froze at the look in the girl's amber eyes. They shone with a sharp light, pupils nothing more than tiny black pinpricks swimming in liquid fire. The corner's of Shiloh's lips were pulled downward in a harsh scowl, brows pushed together as she sent the look first towards Sanji, then to Zoro, who's grip on his sword had gone slack. Sanji found himself slightly taken aback. It was the first time he had ever seen Shiloh angry.

"Stop it." She lowered her arms and added, "You don't need to fight about this. Just sit down."

Sanji recovered from his surprise first. He narrowed his eyes and scoffed, crossing his arms as he replied, "I won't sit until this rude idiot apologizes to Nami-san."

"I'm not going to apologize for anything, Shitty Cook. Maybe you're okay with being pulled around by the balls by her but I'm not. I won't let her make decisions for me or agree to her pointless rules."

"Then I will," Shiloh broke in, causing everyone's eyes to widen. She turned to Nami, and said firmly with a nod, "No sex in the men's or women's quarters."

"The hell?!" The cook really wanted to laugh at the swordsman in triumph but Zoro was so focused on glaring at the redhead standing between them that he doubted he would have heard anyway. "Why would you agree to that?!"

"Because it's not a big deal!" Shiloh took a deep breath and repeated more softly, "Because it's not a big deal." She brought a hand up and placed it at the back of her neck, the anger in her face fading. "We haven't even had sex and I don't really think it'll happen any time soon so there's no point in arguing." She paused and looked away. "Besides, it's what Nami wants and thinks is best."

Zoro threw his arms up in exasperation, sword still in hand, very nearly slicing Usopp's head off. "What about what you want?!"

"That doesn't matter," Shiloh answered with a meaningful look towards the swordsman as he sheathed his sword. "Because I'm not part of this crew." The room fell silent. Sanji briefly noted that Luffy hadn't said a word. "So," Shiloh added slowly, "It's only right that I listen to Nami about these sorts of things. Since this ship isn't mine to call home, Nami's right. It's about respect. You guys are letting me stay here, so in turn I need to obey the rules."

It had been a long time since Sanji had felt Shiloh was a stranger to them. But as she stood there, eyes set on Nami who had momentarily looked sad before resolve filled her face, he was suddenly stuck by the familiar feeling of looking at an outsider. It wasn't exactly a good feeling, but it wasn't entirely bad either. It was simply a fact. Just like the girl had said, she wasn't really a pirate. Satisfied at Zoro's sudden silence, Sanji sent him one last glare before sitting back down.

A quiet buzz filled the room before Usopp's hand went into the air, recovered from almost being unintentionally decapitated. "Sorry, but," he began slowly as if expecting someone to yell at him, "Why isn't Shiloh part of the crew?" When all eyes turned to him, he moved his hands frantically and tried to explain, "What I mean is, Nami already wants us to teach her some of our skills and she helps out all the time kind of like a cabin girl so, why not?"

"Yeah!" Chopper exclaimed. "Shiloh should join the crew!"

Robin smiled. "It would be the most logical thing."

As Franky and Brook nodded in agreement, the whole crew and Shiloh turned to look expectantly at Luffy. Sanji was surprised to see the absence of a smile on the younger man's face. He then realized it was odd that they hadn't discussed this sooner. The captain was always the first to invite people into the crew upon meeting them if he took a liking to them. If he took a liking to them. Sanji frowned. He knew for a fact that Luffy didn't dislike the girl. There had to be another reason she hadn't been asked to join.

Luffy and Shiloh's eyes met and a sudden hush fell over the crew. Sanji knew they had felt the shift in the air. The captain lowered his head, his eyes hidden by his hat. "The thing is-"

"It's fine." Shiloh interrupted, as she moved to sit back down. "It doesn't bother me."

Sanji noted that the smile she gave them was honest; she bore no hard feelings towards not being asked to join the crew. He remembered what she had said earlier that day to Zoro about not knowing what she wanted. Sanji sighed internally as understanding dawned on him. Their randomly insightful captain and made sure to leave the girl's options open for her. He had know all along that Shiloh would need to make her own path without any sort of suggestion from them. Turning his eyes to Luffy, he found himself filled with the admiration he had first felt when he had joined the crew. Despite feeling like the younger man was often too simple-minded and much too idiotic for his own good, he acknowledged that there was a reason, after all, that the straw-hat wearing fool was their captain.

No one else had said a word, so Sanji took it upon himself to break the silence. "Well that's that." He turned to Nami. "Is there anything else, Nami-swan?"

The navigator slowly shook her head. "No. But," she added with a tired sigh, "Let me just reiterate what we've discussed." She put up a finger. "We're going to be stopping at a mysterious island within the next month. Don't forget and be ready for anything when we dock." Another finger went up. "For now, Shiloh is our pinch-hitter. Start teaching her whatever you can." A third finger joined the first and second, though Nami's direction was aimed at Shiloh and Brook. "The two of you are going to start performing when we dock. I'll make all the arrangements and manage everything so just be ready by the time we get to the next island." As the fourth finger was added, she shifted her gaze from the skeletal musician to Zoro. "And lastly, you sweethearts behave yourselves, got it?"

It seemed as if Zoro were going to come back with some nasty retort, but Shiloh's sudden groan stopped him. "Hang on," she whined, "How come I've got so much work to do?"

Luffy and Usopp laughed at the girl's words as Robin smiled. Nami sent the shorter girl a smirk. "You said it yourself; I have your contract and what I say goes."

The redhead smiled and rolled her eyes. "I guess I've sold my soul." With a exaggerated bow of her head she declared dramatically, "I am at your disposal, Straw Hat Pirates!"

Sanji stood up and clapped his hands as laughs were drawn from the crew. "Great. You can start by getting some bowls ready so I can set out some snacks."

Shiloh let out a very sarcastic sounding monosyllabic complaint as Luffy jumped out of his chair and cheered. "Finally! Food! Food!"

"Sanji."

The cook turned around in surprise. He hadn't expected Nami to still be standing there. Shiloh had gone into the pantry to take inventory so the two of them were alone. "Nami-swan," he greeted smoothly. "Thank you for your hard work on our meeting today."

She moved to lean forward against the bar, giving Sanji a beautiful view of the top of her breasts as she drew her arms in close, folding them on top of the counter. "Someone's got to do it. You know Luffy wouldn't."

"Are there only supposed to be four bags of wheat in here?"

Sanji rolled his eyes at Shiloh's shout from the pantry as Nami giggled. "Sounds right. Make note of that, will you? We need to get more at the next island."

"Gotcha!"

Nami giggled again and the cook found himself smiling. His hands were already at work making her a lovely fruit cocktail. The rest of the crew had long since gotten their snacks and filed out of the galley in favor of fooling around elsewhere. He jerked his head towards the pantry and asked quietly, "You really think she'll be capable of everything we talked about?"

The navigator nodded. "Remember when we were in her memories and we saw that her mother put her in all kinds of activities?"

"Yeah."

"I figured it might be good for her to keep busy like that. Keep her mind from wandering too much, you know?"

Sanji's heart warmed at her kindness. "You're beautiful inside and out, Nami-swan."

It seemed as if the navigator ignored his compliment because she absently mixed around the fruit in the cup he had just handed her and continued, "Besides, I think Shiloh actually has a good head on her shoulders, despite her terrible taste in men."

Sanji chuckled then nodded in agreement. Feeling a blush rise and his heart start beating frantically, he lowered his face so that his lips were close to Nami's ear and said softly, "Not everyone can be as classy as Nami-swan." Orange hair gently caressed his face as Nami turned abruptly, her flushed face directly in front of his, pink lips parted in soft surprise. Sanji was sure his heart was going to jump right out of his chest. What he wanted was to bring his lips to hers, to feel their softness and to taste the sugar on her tongue, but instead he brought his forehead to hers and brought a hand up to gently stroke her cheek with his thumb. "You know I love you."

He had expected a laugh, or for her to pull away, or a smartly delivered, "I know." But what he got was a sudden warmth on his lips that spread throughout his entire body, causing tingles of electricity to run up and down his spine. It was gone in an instant, replaced by a tenderness in his heart at the sight of Nami's gentle smile and sweet blush.

Before he could even think to move, Nami had pushed herself off the bar and was walking to the door. She stopped before reaching the handle and turned her head to throw him an almost challenging look. "I'll see you later, Sanji."

And with that she was out the door, leaving him breathless, the fire of his love for her burning brighter and hotter than ever. Was that an invitation? And if so, to what? He brought his hand up to his nose. For all he knew, it could've started bleeding at any moment.

"Uh…" Sanji turned around so fast he was briefly amazed that he hadn't snapped his own neck. There stood Shiloh just outside the pantry door, amber eyes staring at him so intensely that he felt himself blush. She blinked and tilted her head to the side. "So… have you guys done it all over the ship?"

It probably wasn't the mature or manly thing to do, but Sanji couldn't help it; he grabbed one of the tangerines on the counter and chucked it right at the girl's head.

Over the next week, Sanji found himself observing Shiloh and Zoro's interactions, which he could honestly say hadn't really changed much since becoming sweethearts. As he leisurely smoked a cigarette on the upper deck, he laughed internally at the word. Everyone on the ship had started using it whenever they could simply to annoy Zoro. At first, the swordsman had gone straight to death threats for anyone who said it, but it was happening so frequently that he had settled for shouting, "Shut up!" with a red face.

He watched as Shiloh and Chopper chatted on the grassy deck, a book between them. Since their meeting, the girl had fallen into a routine: In the mornings she would help Sanji prepare and clean up breakfast before checking the ship and doing maintenance with Franky and Usopp. Next she would go over to the library where Nami and Robin would give her books to read and maps to study until lunchtime. In the afternoon, the girl would spend a few hours with Chopper, pouring over notes or helping the doctor mix various medicines. The next few hours were spent with Brook. Sometimes Sanji could hear the two singing and playing a myriad of instruments loudly with reckless abandon. At least they sounded like they were having fun. After a few hours of that Shiloh would part from the musician to spar on deck with whoever was free at the time. Usually it was Luffy and the pair ended up playing more than fighting. Once in a while the redhead got a good lesson. Sanji would never forget the pleased look on the contortionist's face when he showed her how to turn one of her contortion poses into a hard kick. The few hours before dinner, Shiloh spent dancing. At least that's what Sanji supposed it was. To him, it looked much more like acrobatics with how many flips, spins, and painful looking poses the girl did.

Sanji took a long drag of his cigarette and shrugged to himself. Perhaps that was why Zoro and Shiloh weren't acting differently towards one another. The girl was so busy she rarely even had a moment with the swordsman. The cook had to admit, the only times he had recently seen them together were during meals, and even then Shiloh merely offered a quick kiss in greeting before sitting down and chatting with the rest of the crew.

The cook felt a pang in his heart. He wished he and Nami could act that natural. Last week after they had their meeting, Sanji had been left wondering if Nami was actually asking him for… something. He worried about it all day, nearly burning dinner (Nearly. He was a professional after all.), much to Shiloh's amusement and his displeasure.

Fed up with fussing about it, he had showered and gotten into a nicer suit and gone to find Nami in the library with the intent of wooing her even further. He wasn't sure what to expect but he sure as hell was going to treat his beautiful navigator with the love and respect she deserved. When he entered, Nami had been ready for him. Candles littered the room, a blanket spread out in the middle of the floor. For a second he tried to remember how he died because surely he was in heaven. However, Nami's hand in his was warm and soft, sending blood coursing through his veins with the power of a million thundering horses, reminding him that he was, indeed, still alive.

They had skipped any and all conversation. Before he knew it, they were nothing more than a gasping tangle of limbs and lips wrinkling the nicely spread blanket. Sanji could have died happy right then and there but his heart told him to stay, stay right there where Nami was holding onto him like he was her life force, right there where his hands were never more than a mere inch from her beautifully flushed face.

They way they were clinging to each other spoke louder than words could. He knew what Nami wanted. However, the moment his hand moved from her face to gently cup her breast the navigator rolled away and sat up, breathing heavily. "Wait!" She had exclaimed. "Wait."

He also sat up and put up his hands in a non-threatening gesture. Even though he felt his stomach twist in disappointment, he kept his face gentle. "Alright. I'm sorry, I thought you wanted me to-"

Nami turned bright red and looked away. "I did. I do. I just… I guess I'm not as ready to go as far as I thought I was."

The disappointment Sanji felt was nothing compared to the giant wave of affection that washed over him. He loved that woman with all his heart and he would have rather died than make her feel uncomfortable. With a smile, he lightly caressed her face and planted a soft kiss on her lips. He had waited more than two years already; he could wait another week or two. "It's okay," he had said. They had spent the rest of the night simply lying next to one another, stealing kisses and gentle touches.

Nami had said nothing more about the incident. In fact, she had pretty much stopped talking to him and he was pretty sure she was looking away on purpose whenever he tried to make eye contact.

As Chopper flagged down Usopp so Shiloh could practice correctly splinting a broken limb on him, Sanji noted the differences between him and Nami and Shiloh and Zoro. Though the contortionist was busy, things between her and the swordsman seemed on pretty good terms. They weren't all lovey-dovey but they certainly weren't aloof. Just as she was with everyone else, Shiloh was open and honest with Zoro, and the swordsman just the same, though Sanji believed he had the emotional capacity of an ant. The minimal time they spent together didn't seem to bother either one.

He and Nami were different. He wanted to be lovey-dovey but knew better than to push it. Nami wasn't like Shiloh. When she ignored him it was because she needed space. He knew that she was probably thinking things over in her mind and it would be wrong of him to interrupt this precious process. She wasn't the type to just spill all her thoughts to anyone and everyone who would listen, and he loved her for it. To him, it showed class and self-restraint. He just wished it wasn't so painful waiting for her to finish thinking. If he had his way, he would spend every waking moment beside the beautiful navigator.

"Hey. You're spacing out, Shitty Cook."

He sent a glare towards the swordsman who had just walked by. Taking another long drag from his cigarette, he wondered if Zoro and Shiloh would ever have the same intense feelings that he and Nami did.

…

Sanji rolled over in his bed and grunted. What the hell was that sound? It was soft and muted almost like something falling on the carpet. Like footsteps. His half-asleep brain slowly registered that someone had walked into the men's quarters and was walking towards the beds. His leg tensed instinctively, but he suddenly remember that the last time this happened, it was only-

"Zoro," he heard Shiloh whisper. The swordsman's bunk was directly beneath his, the door directly to their left. "Zoro," the girl repeated, sounding much closer to them.

He heard a grunt from the bed under his. "Huh?" Came the sleepy response.

"Scoot over."

Sanji could hear shuffling before Zoro asked quietly, sounding much more awake, "What are you doing?"

"I'm getting in bed with you," Shiloh whispered.

"I thought you told Nami you weren't going to do this?"

"I'm not here to have sex with you. I just want to lay with you for a little while." The room fell silent again, the shuffling noises ceasing. Sanji heard Shiloh let out a soft sigh. "Fine. I'll go."

The cook heard a creaking, like someone getting out of bed, but Zoro's voice caused the sound to stop. "Wait." A pause, then: "What's wrong?"

As the pair quieted once again, Sanji noted the sound of the other men breathing even and deeply mixed with quiet snores. They were still sleeping.

Shiloh took a deep breath before saying so softly Sanji almost couldn't hear, "I lost my bandana."

Zoro huffed. "That's all? You don't need to look so upset. Just get another one."

"No," Shiloh whined quietly, sounding as close to tears as Sanji had ever heard her. "That was the one you gave me. It's special and I lost it. I can't believe I was so careless with something so important."

"Hey," Zoro called gently, the sound of shuffling returning, indicating to the cook that the swordsman was pulling the girl back into the bed with him, "Calm down. You'll wake everyone up. When did you last have it?"

"Before breakfast…? I know I was wearing it all day but when I went to take it off it wasn't there." Sanji couldn't be sure but he thought he heard the sound of a small kiss.

"Did you take a bath?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe in there then."

"I already checked. It isn't."

"Hmm."

The blond could tell in Zoro's voice, quiet as it was, that the swordsman wasn't overly concerned. However, he was impressed with the gentle care he was taking in speaking with Shiloh. It was the first time Sanji had ever heard Zoro speak softly.

When neither Shiloh nor Zoro spoke after a few minutes, Sanji wondered if they had fallen asleep, but the absence of deep breathing below him said otherwise. He heard shuffling again, followed by Zoro stating in a hushed tone, "Your hair is getting long."

"Yeah," Shiloh replied. "I think I'm going to grow it out again." She paused as if she had nothing more to say but then abruptly asked, "Um, what are you doing…?"

Zoro took a moment to answer, but when he did, Sanji could practically feel the other man blushing. "It looked soft so I touched it. I won't do it again if-"

"No, I mean," Shiloh stuttered. "I-it's nice. I just wasn't expecting it."

Sanji sighed internally. How he longed to whisper sweet nothings in Nami's ear and tangle his fingers in her luxurious locks. He felt a bite of jealousy just knowing Zoro was stroking Shiloh's hair while he himself couldn't even get a glance from his beloved Nami-swan recently.

"Are you asleep?" Zoro asked.

"Almost."

"Nami's going to kill us if she finds out."

Sanji wondered about that. Nami was always about precision and her precise words, like Shiloh had said, had been for the pair not to have sex in the men's and women's quarters, not that they couldn't sleep in them together. He supposed it all depended on her mood. She was as complicated and strong as the weather she loved so much.

Shiloh seemed to think the swordsman's words over before slowly and softly replying, "I'll be gone before morning. Don't worry."

Again, Sanji believed the pair had fallen asleep until Zoro whispered gently, "No. Stay here. It's worth the risk."

Sanji didn't need to look to know the redhead's face was on fire. "You think so?"

"I know so. Now go to sleep."

"…Zoro?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you help me look for my bandana tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

"Hmm."

About a minute passed in which Sanji was sure at least one of them had finally entered into dreamland when a soft, contented sound drifted from Shiloh. With a happy sigh she whispered, "Good night, Zoro."

Quietly, with almost more breath than voice, came the sleepy reply. "G'night, Shy."

Sanji cursed his heart for warming at the pair just below him. He had been wrong in thinking Shiloh's and Zoro's feelings went as intense as his and Nami's. They just expressed it in a different way. Shaking his head at himself, he realized if those two clueless fools could speak frankly with one another without fear, surely he could as well. He was a man, after all. With a huff, he turned to his side and made a decision: He would talk to Nami in the morning.

A/N

Ooooooh! Love is in the air! There might not be too many scenes with Shiloh and Brook performing in the future. I just needed to establish that Shiloh works to earn her keep, and that Nami is as cunning and business-like as always. Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following! Almost to the end, folks!

Confession time: All that jazz about the mysterious island? Yeah, that's just setting up for my next long fic.