Chapter 22! I was really pleased with the competition-scene in the previous chapter and I hope you guys enjoyed it too :) I know I might process in their relationship almost too slowly but I want to give them some space to develop their relationship and also give the crew some space in the story too :) And I am sorry but I had to do the beta-work again, I hope you can manage! :D

Thanks to all who have reviewed, favorited and followed this story! They really cheer me up and keep me writing! :D And of course thanks to everyone who have read this fanfic and want to read it until the happy ending :D

...

Sara was somehow confused by the swordman's behavior earlier when the man had sticked his tongue out at her behind Sanji's back. The gesture was confident, it was as if he had won some price Sara was trying to reach.

Sara wondered what could have happened between the two males. It didn't look like the two males had fought, almost the opposite. She had her suspicions of what had happened but then again, she couldn't believe Sanji would turn gay all of the sudden. She had seen him swooning after women for too much!

"How long will it take to reach the next island, Nami-san?" Sara asked, smiling gently at the navigator.

"I can't be too sure but my guess would be from four days to one week. But this is the New World so we have to be prepared for anything!" Nami smirked a little.

Sara thought about it for a while. So she had few more days left before she should leave the ship and start to live with her mother - she had only few days time to decide whether to stay or not. She had started to think she would do anything just to stay with the blond-haired gentleman. It was sort of an teenage obsession, actually.

...

Sanji woke up with a killer headache. Not only could he hear even the smallest noises but every dim of light made his eyes hurt also.

Shit...what time is it...Should I prepare breakfast or something...?

He couldn't open his eyes, however, because of the strong light and he blocked his ears from all the noises around him.

Is this some sort of after effect from Sara's powers? I should be a lot more delicted that a lady touched me but still, curse this headache!

Sanji stood up slowly and went towards the kitchen, seeing everyone there already chewing on something.

"Ah, Sanji-kun!" Nami greeted the blond."You were late from your work so Sara-san prepared the breakfast for us!"

Sanji blinked, rubbing his temples. He couldn't understand how he could have overslept from his work. Usually he was the first one to wake up.

"Something wrong, cook-san?" Robin inquired when he noticed the face the chef was making.

"The fact that you worry about me makes me the most delighted, Robin-swan!" Sanji tried to swoon as usual but ended up blocking his own ears from his own swooning. "I am fine, I just have a killer headache..." He finally admitted and closed his eyes.

"Are your senses of hearing and seeing oversensitive?" Sara inquired and Sanji nodded slightly." Then it's my fault again. I should have guessed your senses wouldn't be back to normal this soon...but the fact that your other senses are reacting might mean that your sense of taste and smell are coming back soon too!"

Sanji just nodded but the harsh movement caused a stinging pain in his head so he hissed out aloud from the pain.

"Do you need some painkillers?" Chopper asked with a worried tone.

"Painkillers would be very welcome," Sanji admitted and allowed himself being dragged back to the infirmary when he had just gotten out of there and sleep in his own bed.

Chopper gave Sanji a quick check to make sure if something else was wrong with the man. Sanji complained slightly that his side was itching so Chopper looked at the wound and found out it was slightly inflamed.

"This wound has been inflamed but it's so deep that I need to operate," Chopper informed and Sanji gulped.

"Is it that bad?"

"Well, it's not bad but if I won't treat it, it might cause some further damage and it could also cause a bad blood poisoning if left untreated," Chopper explained. "Lay down and I will give you some anesthetic."

Sanji laid down as the doctor ordered and took his time to calm down. It was nothing unusual for him to be on the operation table but he still didn't exactly enjoy it. He hated the dizzy feeling after the operation, he hated the fact he had to just lay down and be vulnerable to any sort of attack and be able to do nothing if something happened.

Then Chopper touched his forehead carefully. "You have a slight fever. It might mean that you are already suffering from blood poisoning. Let me give you some antidote to kill the bacteria too."

Sanji didn't refuse the offer. He had to get better soon and return to his job, after all. He would lay there and let the anesthetic affect him, let the small doctor operate him and then get back to work as soon as possible. Besides, their crew couldn't affort loosing a chef who was able to keep up with their captain's appetite.

...

Sara washed the dishes with a smile on her face. She had had a change to prove that even she could be useful for the crew and she would continue like this if needed.

When she finished washing the dishes, she noticed that the pipes were probably stuck because the water didn't run.

"Excuse me, Usopp-san?" Sara said and tried to get the long-nosed man's attention. "The kitchen pipe is stuck."

Usopp blinked at the indirect request but didn't stop his own project."You wanted to take care of the kitchen so please do so!" He adviced and Sara blushed.

"But..." Sara whined but Usopp didn't give any sympathy.

"If you are on a pirate ship, you shouldn't be afraid of getting your hands dirty, you know?" Usopp winked at Sara who was utterly confused by the situation.

"What? The little lady is scared of getting her fragile hands dirty?" Zoro chose just that moment to get lost into Usopp's factory.

"The kitchen pipe is stuck," Usopp informed the swordman who raised a brow.

"I guess I have no other choice but to open it!" Zoro said and grinned at Sara." Because certain someone is too scared of dirt..."

Sara bit her teeth and headed towards the kitchen."Fine! I will do it myself!"

"That's the spirit!" Zoro said in a mocking tone, trying to annoy the woman. Usopp noticed the tension between the two of them but said nothing.

Sara wasn't going to open the pipe, however. She went straight to Franky's workshop, disturbing his piece and quiet. "You are the shipwright, right?"

Franky raised his sunglasses to look at the woman."That's right. But have you ever heard of knocking the door before you enter?"

"Sorry about that!" Sara apologised but it didn't sound like she was feeling sorry at all. "Could you open the kitchen pipe? If you built this ship, I know you can open one pipe at least!"

Franky stared at the woman."There is nothing on this ship that this super cyborg couldn't do! But still, you said you could take care of the kitchen so it's your job!" Franky hissed and Sara looked utterly stunned.

Sara tried to ask almost every member of the Strawhat crew to do the job for her. Nobody volunteered even though she asked nicely. Maybe she should have agreed to the skeleton's terms of showing her panties?

Finally she had to admit her lost and she started to open the pipe. Screaming was heard from the kitchen when she got a big piece of dirt out of the pipe. Robin knocked the door gently and opened the door." Is something wrong, Sara-san?"

"This is way too dirty job to my liking!" Sara whined but Robin only chuckled at her. She watched her working for a while before the younger woman finished her job.

"You know, there are some rubber gloves in the bathroom closet. You didn't need to do the job with your bare hands," Robin chuckled and left the kitchen and the very-annoyed Sara behind.

...

Author's note:

Opening a pipe was just a wild idea to show how a young girl is scared of doing dirty jobs XD