Here we go with the next chapter of Simmer and Spice! Enjoy!

"What? what do you mean, "leave?" Are you insane?" Zeff-Sensei asked his eyebrows raising. Sanji-Kun shook his head, a little smoke escaping the corner of his mouth. "I ain't insane, Geezer." he said. "I really wanna go with them. if i do, I might be able to find the All Blue, you know how much I've been wanting to see it." Zeff-Sensei stroked his braided mustache, thinking hard. "Um, I wanted to go too," I said quietly. "If it's okay with you." The head chef just sat there, silently alternating his eyes from Sanji-Kun to me. He sighed and got up from his chair, stepping up to the window overlooking the ocean. "Keneda, how old are you?"

"Fourteen, Zeff-Sensei, why?" I asked. Zeff-Sensei looked to Sanji-Kun. "I might as well tell her..." Sanji-Kun's eye twitched, and he frowned deeply. "Zeff, I don't think thats a good idea." He said cautiously, giving me a wary eye. I was genuinely confused. "S-Sanji-Kun? What's wrong? What can't Zeff-Sensei say?" Sanji-Kun ignored me, and came up to Zeff-Sensei. They started talking quietly, so I couldnt hear them. I could see Sanji-Kun getting a little upset as he whisper-shouted his argument.

"Oh!" A voice said from behind the door. I turned and the tall dark-skinned boy with the long nose stood there, sort of hiding behind the door. "A-am I interuppting anything?" he asked, his voice trembling. I shook my head. "I'm not sure." I said. "You're from Luffy's crew, aren't you?" I asked, holding out my hand for him to shake. He gulped and puffed out his chest, standing tall. "They call me Captain Usopp! Ruler of the seven seas! All bow before me!" Just then, a fly flew in and landed on Usopp-San's long nose. He immediately cried out, swatting at it, begging for it to go away. I held in a giggle as Sanji-Kun came up behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder. He said nothing and slipped out.

"Hey, what's his problem?" Usopp-San asked, watching after my big brother. I shrugged, concerned for him. Was he okay? I shook the thought off, and turned back to Usopp-San. "So, is it just you, Zoro, Luffy and that other girl?" I asked him. I stepped out of Zeff-Sensei's room so we could talk. Usopp-San shook his head with a grin. "Oh, we have quite the crew!" He said. "Say, how about i show you everyone? The ship is just outside!" I smiled and nodded as Usopp-San lead me around the back to where the large ship with a ram-like carving protruded from the front. "Hey! Could someone let down the ramp?" Usopp-San called out.

A little voice answered back. "Oh! Okay! Sorry!" Wow. They let a little kid here? Jeez. Usopp-San and I made our way up the ramp, and I saw a little animal meet us at the top. It smiled and waved at us. "Awww!" I gushed, picking it up and giving it hug. "Who's this sweetie-pie!"

"My name's Chopper!" The animal said. I gasped and dropped him, backing away a bit. "Wh-wh-Whaa?" Big, thundering footsteps came from behind us, I turned and a huge, bulky dude with big blue hair, a Hawaiian shirt, and a speedo made his way to me. The man smiled a somewhat mechanical smile at me. "Hey, Usopp! I see you brought that girl Luffy told us about!" He took my hand and shook it, almost ripping it off. "Call me Franky!" He said. I nodded and massaged my poor hand. I barely turned my head good, when a huge skeleton grinned at me. "Yohoho! So this is the maiden that might be joining our crew!"

i whimpered, and screamed. I'm scared of lots of things. Big scary skeleton men With Afros that can talk is one of them. What? I have lists. I pushed past it and ran a few paces before a hand came from the freaking floor, grabbed my ankle, and made me fall down. I let out a great "Oof!" Then a woman's gasp came towards me. "I am so, so, so sorry!" She said. I looked up at her. She was very beautiful. Her glossy black hair framed her angular face, and her big blue eyes were to die for. "It's okay, I think. Whatever that was." She helped me up and patted my hair down. I could see her staring at me for a while. I looked up at her. "What?" I asked. She shook her head. "It's nothing...you just remind me of a friend I used to have. She had white hair like you do."

"really?" I said, fascinated.

"Ken!" I heard Sanji-Kun call me. "Oh! Better go! My brother's calling me!" I dashed down the ramp to meet Sanji-Kun. He looked really down for some reason. "Is everything alright?" I asked him. He held out his hand and I took it. "Come with me. I wanna show you something."

"Hey, that drawing of us I made when I was seven! I can't believe you still have it!" I exclaimed. Sanji-Kun and I were in his room. It was a dump, but he somehow managed to find a box that he had filled with his childhood memories. Even the scrawled stick figure drawing of us. "You never were really good at art," he chuckled. I laughed with him. "Hey, remember when you started smoking?" I said. "That was hilarious! You could barely puff without choking half to death!" We laughed at this memory. When he sobered up, he took my hand, and squeezed. I felt my face grow warm at this.

"Ken...you know I think you're a great girl, right?" He asked me. I nodded, not really getting what he was going at. He turned his head to face me, a dead serious look in his eye. "What would you do if I wasn't your brother? Would you mind at all?" I raised my eyebrows. "Uh...Sanji-Kun...I don't understand..." With a final sigh, Sanji-Kun did what he did the best, besides cook.

He laid down the law.

"Keneda, you aren't my sister. And I'm not your brother. Never was. Never will be."

Thanks for reading, guys! Sorry for the long update, but lots of stuff going on. But it's here, now! ^^ please review!