"Sweet Heaven-!" I whirled around and came face to face with the person I came here to get away from. I took a few deep breaths, composed myself then said, "While your criticism is appreciated, I think I'll leave the judging of the technique to myself, thank you." Hawk-Eyes just kept staring at me. I felt unnerved under his intense gaze. I turned back to the tree, and suddenly realized the cross was crooked! I cursed at myself and him, at myself for thinking It was perfect, and at him for pointing it out.

I sheathed my swords and glanced back at him. He was just leaning casually against a tree. I quickly glance to my left and right, formulating an escape plan in my head. Looking back, I really can't believe how silly I was, thinking I could outrun/out wit the greatest swordsman in the world. Drawing up a mental map of the island, I dashed right, nearly hitting my full speed immediately.

Keeping in line with a route I ran sometimes, I took a sharp left turn soon after. All in all I felt like I was doing fairly well, I added in a few detours through the more rugged parts of the island, that is until I found myself tumbling to the ground and doing several somersaults. I knew I hadn't tripped on a tree roots or anything, so I almost didn't want to open my eyes because I knew who'd be staring back at me. I rasped out one sentence, "Why the hell are you following me?"

"Why are you running?" Came the simple reply.

I sat up keeping my eyes closed, wishing it was a terrible dream. "I asked first."

He just repeated the question, "Why are you running?"

I opened my eyes and looked up, Hawk-Eyes was glaring- or just staring, it's hard to tell- down at me. I gauged where I was by what I saw behind him, a tree that had been cut horizontally and vertically. I sighed, and made a mental note to clean that up.

"Honestly? You're just plain creepy, and I..." Shoot, I need another valid reason other than just 'I saw you almost kill a man.' I quickly glanced left, then came up with a half-lie. "And it really gets sort of awkward around Shanks because I refused to join his crew."

I stood up and began to turn on my heel to leave. "You're a very poor liar."

I turned back. I was ready to ask how he knew when he cut me off before I'd even started.

"Though I must admit it was a rather good one." My eye twitched, though his words implied some sort of interest, his tone of voice did not.

"Excuse me?"

"You don't think I talked to the red haired idiot about you?"

"Hey, Shanks is not- ok yeah he is but how does that imply that I lied?"

"It seemed to me that you were perfectly fine on drinking with him."

I rubbed my arm and glanced left again, "I wasn't going to stay long." I offered.

"Yet you were going to ride with them to Lougetown?"

Hawt dang can't he leave me alone!? "Yes." I readjusted my swords. I didn't need to glance back to see if he was looking at me, I could feel it. I knew it wasn't going to be long before I completely lost my nerve so I spared what little I had left. "OK fine I lied about that second part! Is that what you wanted to hear? I lied, because truthfully I find it calming being around Shanks because he some how always knows what to say, even if he is drunk most of the time."

I sucked in one large breath. "The real reason I ran was because I saw... I saw you nearly kill a man named Roronoa Zoro, But the thing is I didn't."

A look that could be easily mistaken for confusion or irritation passed his static features, "What?"

"I. Wasn't. There. I never saw you fight this... Roronoa Zoro until now. I left the Baratie awhile ago, I saw them arrive as I left! Therefor, I didn't see you fight Roronoa Zoro." I took a breath, not really paying attention to him, "In fact I think I actually passed your boat as I was leaving. That's why this feeling is familiar, I felt it after I saw Don Krieg's ship pass." I ran a hand through my hair, "It's impossible that I could have seen you fight Zoro, and nearly kill him. But I did, just now. You came I saw, I ran. That's just the way I deal with things I don't really understand, I run. I don't understand you, and I don't understand what I saw." OK now I'm just rambling. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'd like to have some wine." I started off towards the clearing where Shanks and the rest of them were. Not really caring if the bastard followed me or not.

When I arrived back in the large clearing it became rather obvious to me that they all wanted to know what happened. Partly because they were are looking at me expectantly, but mostly because one of them asked, "Why is there a twig in your hair?"

I reached up to check if there really was a twig in my hair, and came away with what looked to me was half a branch. I stung together several curses and threw it behind me. I plopped down in front of where I had set one of my bottles of Éclair Tonerre wine earlier. "I got some unwanted advice."

"And did the advice get that twig in your hair?" I knew it was rhetorical.

"You could say that." I popped open the bottle, "Got a glass?" Shanks handed one to me, I took it and poured a glass of wine. I downed it quickly and poured another, and another, and another, and well another. Frankly I didn't care if the alcohol had killed me, I needed something to stop me from thinking, because all I could think about was Luffy and his crew. Heh, I can't help but think that Sanji's with them now... living his dream of finding the All blue. And there'd be a girl named Nami too... They'd all be that ship I saw at the Baratie, lounging around, except for Zoro, he'd be training... "Huuuuuu..." I rubbed my eyes.

"OK, I've been allowing you to drink way over what I think you should, but that's your tenth glass and you don't look the least bit drunk." Shanks grabbed the wine bottle and poured some for himself. After having one glass a soft flush came over Shank's face. "Jesus Leanah! This stuff is some strong wine! Stronger than anything I ever let you drink on the ship!"

"Hm? Oh... yeah, I've only ever been able to drink less than half a glass before..." I was about to drink what was left in my cup but Benn grabbed it from me. "What?"

"Bad for your health."

"Smoking is worse." I snarled. I covered my eyes, right now, this went beyond just wanting to forget my encounter with Hawk-Eyes, I wanted to forget about Luffy as well. I leaned back, "I just don't know..."

"Don't know what?"

"Anything, I don't know anything." I was trying to assure myself that everything I knew about Luffy and his gang- The Straw Hat Pirates, I reminded myself. "But I can't know that!" I hissed to myself. "I don't know Luffy, therefore I can't know that his pirate crew is the Straw Hats!"

"Leanah, I think maybe you should rest a bit."

"Yes... Rest... That's all I need." A little sleep would sort out my thought. I got up, and that one motion set off a chain reaction in my body, because I was suddenly feeling the full effects of the ten glasses of wine. I staggered backwards into someone. Before I knew who it was, and before I had a chance to think about what I was going to say I said, "I swear, the next time I meet Hawk-Eyes I'll have beaten Roronoa Zoro in a fight."

"I'll hold you to that." He pushed me off him, I fell into Benn.

"That wasn't very nice." I heard Shanks comment.

"Then maybe you ought to keep your underlings in line."

"I'm... not hish underling..." I slurred. "Just a passenger." I started to push off Benn to walk away but I felt legs melt away, so leaned farther into Benn, "I want some sleep, take meh back to the ship pleash." I fell asleep after I uttered the last syllable.