For anybody who's a follower of this story, I'm really sorry for the delay! I've been busy catching up on schoolwork!

That being said, a huge thanks to everybody who's been constantly here to read, follow, and fave! You guys have no idea how much your support means to me!

Happy Reading!

"Look out below!"

Sakura looked up from her sketching just in time to see a whooping Luffy and screeching Usopp falling straight towards her. With a yelp, she rolled out of the way, and the two misfits crashed down only a few feet away from her stuff. Sakura watched as Usopp staggered to his feet and smacked Luffy's head.

"Oi! What kind of monster decides the best way to get out of the crow's nest is to jump straight down?!" he cried indignantly "You almost killed Sakura and me!"

Luffy chuckled. "Ah, my bad, Sa!"

"WHAT ABOUT ME, YOU IDIOT!?" Usopp roared.

Sakura laughed and gathered her stuff. "It's fine, Luffy. I'm not hurt."

"But Sa-chan! I'm very hurt!" Usopp complained. Sakura grinned and stuck her tongue out at him.

It had been about a day since she had officially joined the Straw Hats, but she was already slowly getting used to the ruckus. There had been several incidents where she almost wanted to bang her head against the mast over how idiotic the crew was, as well as multiple near-fights with a certain green-haired swordsman. At the same time though, it was definitely a lot more exciting than her life back at Loguetown.

"Hey, hey, Sa! Let's go fishing!" Luffy yelled as he smooshed Usopp's face into the ground with his palm.

"Fishing..?" Sakura echoed, confusion on her face. Usopp jerked his head up from the deck to look at her.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of fishing before?" he asked, aghast.

Sakura quickly scoffed to cover up her mistake. "I grew up in Loguetown. What kind of spy would I be if I've never watched the fishermen do their jobs? I happen to be great at...fishing, you know."

Well...

In truth, Sakura had never held a fishing pole in her life, and while she had observed the people of Loguetown, she herself had no clue how to actually fish. She watched nervously as Luffy and Usopp ran off whooping, reappearing a few seconds later with supplies.

"How hard can it be?" she muttered as she snatched up a rod and marched over to the side of the ship, "I've watched all those old geezers at the fish market loads of times. This'll be a piece of cake."

"Umm...Sa-chan, I think-"

"Shut up, Usopp, I got this. I told you, I'm an expert!" Sakura yelled back. She pictured the fishermen of Loguetown in her mind and with a grunt, wildly swung the fishing line behind her.

"Wait, Sakura, you got the hook stuck-"

"Alright, let's do this!" she yelled.

"Hold up! Wait! SAKURA!"

With a mighty roar of determination, Sakura pulled on the fishing rod and swung the line forward.

Huh. Why's it so heavy? She thought. It was taking a considerable amount of strength to pull on the fishing pole. Undeterred, Sakura tugged harder, putting all her weight into heaving the line forward. She watched triumphantly as the long fishing line sailed forward into the ocean…with a screaming Usopp stuck to the line's hook.

"GYAAAAAHHH!" The sniper screeched as he was launched straight into the water. Sakura let out a screech of surprise and promptly dropped the fishing pole, which slid over the ship railing and fell with a splash into the ocean alongside Usopp.

"Usopp! Don't worry! I'll go get somebody that can swim!" she yelled out.

"I'M COMING, USOPP!" Luffy screamed as he charged straight over the ship railing and leapt into the water.

"You're a hammer, you stupid donut!" Sakura screeched. She watched as Usopp dived under and resurfaced with a flailing Luffy.

"I'm gonna' kill you for this, Sakura!" he yelled.

"Uh, sorry?" Was all she managed to say back. She quickly looked around the deck and spotted Zoro napping in the corner of the ship. With no time to lose, Sakura sprinted over and dragged him back by his shirt, rudely waking him up.

"What the-? Let go of me, hag!" he choked out. Sakura hurriedly pointed over the railing.

"Luffy and Usopp are in the ocean. You needa' get them out," she ordered. Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"And how did those two end up there, chibi?" he asked.

Sakura grinned nervously. "...Fishing?"

"Help us, Zoro-kun!" Usopp pleaded from the water.

Zoro let out a sigh of defeat. "I'm not even gonna' ask."

"I told you I was sorry!"

"I was trying to warn you the whole time that your fishing hook got stuck on my clothes! And who fishes without bait, anyway?!"

Sakura huffed with frustration and smushed her cheek on the table. The crew was huddled in the indoor lounge area, with everybody but Usopp and Sakura laughing from the past incident. Even Zoro couldn't resist chuckling at their antics. Sakura wasn't used to being humiliated, and she wasn't taking everybody's reactions kindly.

"It's not like this type of stuff doesn't happen all the time here," Nami reassured Sakura, who felt like she was burning up with embarrassment, "Don't mind them."

"Perhaps a drink or snack to cheer up, Sa-chan?" Sanji offered kindly.

"I'm good, thanks Sanji," Sakura muttered darkly.

Luffy laughed, his hands clapping above his head. "You're really funny, Sakura!"

"Something finally knocks the chibi's ego down a notch," Zoro added, a smirk on his face.

"Call me chibi again and I'll kill you, kiwi brain!" Sakura warned.

"You bastards shut the hell up about Sa-chan!" Sanji yelled at the same time. Sakura wanted to bury her head into a hole and hide.

*BAM BAM BAM*

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji all fell back, lumps already forming on their heads, courtesy of Nami's fists.

"Stop making such a racket, you three," she growled before turning to Sakura, "Why don't we go outside, Sa-chan? You can help me prune my mikan trees."

"No thanks," Sakura groaned as she rose to her feet, "I think I'll sit and draw." Or bang her head against the ship mast. Whatever made her feel better.

"Make sure not to throw anybody overboard on accident again!" Zoro called out. Sakura slowly turned, and her expression was enough to make everybody shiver with fear.

"Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind," she growled, before exiting. The door slammed shut with a bang.

"Do you two always have to butt heads?" Nami sighed, "The ship's gonna' blow up one day from one of your fights."

Zoro simply grinned. "It's funny to watch her get so riled up."

Sakura awoke with a start, her eyes wildly darting around. Her hands felt the soft sheets beneath her and she took in the dark room around her and the quiet breathing coming from the bed next to her.

Wait. Sheets? Dark room? Breathing next to her? She staggered out of bed, her breathing ragged, but the gentle rocking of the floor reminded her of where she was.

Oh. Right. I'm a pirate now. Sakura thought to herself. She was sleeping on a ship in a room with Nami the navigator, instead of on a rooftop or in an alleyway with some rats and trash bags for company. Right. She walked to the window and raised her hand to the moonlight, the memories of the day coming back to her.

By dinner, everybody seemed to have forgotten about the fishing incident, as not a word of it was mentioned while they ate. The crew had finished the meal (with Luffy polishing off most of the food), and they had spent the night talking and laughing while Sanji had served dessert. Sakura recalled the slight discomfort she had felt then, waiting for somebody to mention her stupidity from before and for the humiliation to begin again.

She sighed, tugging at her bangs. Unless she did something to apologize, there was no way she would get over the embarrassment of throwing Usopp overboard, even if everybody was nice enough to not mention it. She glanced at the window, a thought forming in her head. Luffy liked to eat, and Usopp did seem like somebody who would love dessert.

Silent as a shadow, she tiptoed out of the room.

"Now where is the kitchen at?" she muttered to herself.

"FIRE! SANJI! SOMEBODY! FIREEEE!"

Sanji sprung up from his hammock, his sleepy eyes immediately turning alert. The cries of a lady could be heard coming from above. It was something he definitely couldn't ignore. Without hesitation, he sped up the ladder, exited the guy's sleeping quarters, and raced across the deck, before covering his mouth to stifle a scream of surprise.

The dark skies hinted at it being sometime in the middle of the night, but a soft orange glow could be seen radiating from the kitchen. It could only mean one thing. Fire.

Sanji burst into the ship lounge, ready to beat up whatever asshole had the nerve to set his precious kitchen on fire, only to find a burning pot on the stove and Sakura cowering under the table a few feet away.

Wasting no time, Sanji turned the stove gas off and used a wet towel to move the burnt pot into the sink and beat out the remaining flames.

"It's ok, Sa-chan. Just a small flame. Nothing serious," he called out.

"Did I damage anything?" Sakura asked softly. Despite Sanji's reassurance, she glared distrustfully at the stove.

Sanji crouched down next to Sakura and smiled. "Only a pot. It's the middle of the night, though. What were you doing in here that caused the stove to catch fire?"

Sakura scowled, her hands absentmindedly tugging on her bangs. "I felt bad about throwing Usopp overboard and almost drowning Luffy, so I was trying to cook something for them. That's what friends do right?"

"Those idiots get themselves into trouble all the time, Sa-chan," Sanji chuckled.

"Still wanted to do something to apologize," Sakura muttered as she stared ruefully at the ruined pot and blackened stove. "I used to cook a lot when I was little. Guess I forgot everything, huh?"

"It's not too late to learn again," the cook replied lightly as he rose to his feet, "Why don't we wait until tomorrow morning and I'll teach you to cook whatever you want?"

Sakura furiously shook her head. "I'm not tired. Let's start now."

Sanji raised his eyebrows, slightly amazed at her determined attitude. "Alright, what were you planning to make?"

She managed a faint smile. "Umm...some kind of cake?"

Sanji stared at the pot in the sink. "You set a pot on fire while making a cake?"

"What's your point?"

"Well umm," he replied slowly, "I guess we have some work to do."

"Bon appetit, guys! We're having cake for breakfast!" Sakura announced as she placed two dishes down on the table. One held a simple, but beautiful cake, with chocolate icing and delicately arranged pieces of fruit. The other held what vaguely represented a large brown brick, with some roughly chopped strawberries thrown on top. Sanji and Sakura had worked all night on them, and she was quite proud of her achievements.

"Sa-chan worked hard on hers, so dig in! I don't want to see any crumbs left over!" Sanji added. The crew crowded around the cakes.

"Oh yeah, Sanji," Usopp said, "I thought I heard somebody yelling last night. Was it you or something?"

"You probably had a nightmare! Nothing happened!" Sanji and Sakura both quickly replied, earning raised eyebrows from everybody except Luffy, who was too busy ogling the cakes to listen.

"Didn't know the chibi was such a great chef," Zoro said, ignoring the death glares from Sakura, "This cake doesn't look too bad."

"How pretty!" Nami exclaimed.

"And it looks delicious!" Luffy chimed in.

"So what's that thing over there?" Usopp asked, gesturing towards the brown brick.

Sakura frowned in puzzlement. "That's….the cake I made?"

Everybody in the crew looked at each other in confusion.

"Did...you not make this one?" Nami asked, pointing at the beautifully made cake.

"Umm...actually...Sanji made that one," Sakura slowly replied.

Zoro peered down at the brown block. "It looks...like a mud block. Is this really a cake?"

"You got a problem with Sa-chan's cooking?" Sanji asked angrily.

"Food is food, Zoro. And cake is always yummy!" Luffy said happily as he broke off a chunk with a fork and shoved it into his mouth.

"...Why is there a crunching noise every time you chew?" Usopp asked, fear on his face.

Before anybody could say more, the sound of breaking glass was heard. The crew's heads turned to see Sakura and a shattered cup at her feet. Without another word, she stormed out of the room.

"What did I say?" Usopp asked, earning a kick in the head from Sanji.

"Sa-chan worked all through the night to make that cake, and this is your reaction?" the cook growled angrily.

Zoro picked the cake up with one hand. It somehow managed to stay intact as a single brick. "You have to admit though, it's amazing that this thing could even be edible," he muttered.

"That's not the point, you idiot! She put her heart and soul into it, and all you did was embarrass her!" Sanji roared.

"It doesn't taste bad either," Luffy chimed in as he continued to chew loudly on a mouthful of cake.

Nami sighed in defeat. "Sanji-kun's right. I'll go talk to her. She'll listen to me." She then proceeded to punch Zoro's head. "And you, Mr. Cold Swordsman, should figure out a way to apologize."

The crew nodded in agreement, though Zoro scowled, obviously annoyed.

"It's her fault for taking everything so seriously," he muttered. One glare from Nami however, was enough for the swordsman to bow his head and mutter his acceptance of the task.

She found the spy sitting alone on the Merry figurehead. With a sigh, Nami slowly walked forward.

"Oi, Sa-chan, Luffy finished all your cake," she called out.

"Leave me alone."

"I don't recall sulking as one of your favorite hobbies," Nami responded lightly. It took a few seconds before Sakura turned around. Frustration could be clearly seen on her face. Nami smiled softly.

"Look, I'm really sorry for how everybody responded-" she began.

"Do I really belong here?" Sakura interrupted. Nami looked at her in confusion. The spy had risen to her feet and was staring at the horizon.

"I haven't been much of a help," Sakura continued, "I get into fights all the time with Zoro. I set the kitchen on fire last night trying to cook. Hell, Usopp and Luffy both ended up going overboard all because I pretended to know how to fish. Maybe I'm just not cut out for making friends."

Nami raised an eyebrow. So this was what had been bothering Sakura.

"Sa-chan, get off Merry's head and come here so I can talk to you for real," she ordered. Reluctantly, Sakura obeyed.

"Tell me everything you know about the crew," Nami continued, ignoring when Sakura frowned in confusion, "Just do it."

Sakura wasn't quite sure what was going on, but she complied. "The Straw Hat pirates, with Luffy as the captain with a bounty of 30 million berries. He is usually seen wearing a red vest, worn shorts, and a straw hat rumored to have been given to him by the great pirate Shanks. Along with him is the "Pirate Hunter" Zoro, who wants to be the strongest swordsman in the world. He practices the sword style of Santoryuu, wears three gold earrings, and likes onigiri…."

On and on Sakura went, wildly spouting information, both widely known facts and small secrets. The whole time, Nami watched her, a small smile on her lips.

"Alright, that's enough," she cut in, just as Sakura was starting to talk about their shower habits, "Let me tell you something, Sakura. You've been with us for three days at most, and you probably already know everything there is to know about our habits, descriptions, whatever."

"I don't really see the point," Sakura replied slowly.

"The point is," Nami continued, "You aren't a cook or a fisherman. You're a spy. You know more about blending in with the crowd and gathering information than anybody here. That's why Luffy asked you to join the crew."

Sakura could admit that the navigator had a point, but her insides still squirmed with discomfort. "What if...what if I need to know how to...cook or fish or whatever to be a good spy? What if I have to do stuff to blend in somewhere, and I end up sucking at it?"

"Then you do what a good spy would do and you learn, hopefully really quickly. Or you use that head of yours to fake your way through things," Nami placing her hand on Sakura's shoulder, "Luffy wouldn't have asked you to join us if he didn't want you here. Have faith in us. Have faith in yourself."

With soft smiles on their faces, the two women walked back into the ship lounge.

"NAMI-SWAN! SA-CHWAN! I saved you plenty of breakfast, my lovely ladies!" Sanji called out gleefully, as the pair entered. Sakura slowly scanned the room, taking in an arguing Luffy and Usopp, a twirling Sanji, and her missing cake. Judging from the crumbs on Luffy's shirt, Nami had been right about him eating it all. She grinned.

"I guess I'm pretty hungry!" she declared, moving to take a seat next to Zoro. Sanji placed a plate heaped with food in front of her, and with a nod of approval from Nami, Sakura dug in.

"Oi, chibi," Sakura looked up to see a rabidly reddening Zoro.

"About before...I guess I'm sorry," he muttered. Sakura grinned around her mouthful of toast.

"Friends forgive each other, right?" she replied. Zoro scowled but nodded in acknowledgement.

Sakura turned back to her breakfast. "Though, I won't forgive you for calling me chibi. So shut up, rice ball."