I keep losing my memory about updating this story and I am obviously not that old. But my memories don't die so as long as I remember Alberta21stGenius's help this story will go on.

XXX

While she was doing this, Harry spoke to the boys, drawing them away to the other side of the room where their voices were less likely to disturb the woman.

" Sherry's appearance has nothing to do with her Devil Fruit. She ate the Neko Neko Cat Model Fruit. That's the only Devil Fruit that turns her into an actual cat. Her cat fruit didn't bother me, but it's been hard for her. Being my apprentice she says is the toughest experience of her life, that and always having to be polite to the big buy with the wavy purple eyebrows when she gets supplies. All I can say is if your nice she will be happy to remember you as new friends."

The boys looked at Harry for a long moment, and then shrugged in unison. They didn't really mind Sherry's appearance, they had just been a bit surprised, that's all.

Thud!

Yokai turned white as he dropped Christopher by accident, the act of shrugging causing him lose his grip on the cook. The monk's immediate reaction was to then turn to his friends and say "Please don't tell him I dropped him!"

Fletcher blinked dumbly in response, while Dorobou looked a little confused. Yokai then carefully picked up Christopher as if nothing had ever happened.

" This Sherry...can you ask her if Rodroy is going to make a fast recovery?" Dorobou asked Harry.

" See for yourself. Although no doctor can heal everyone quick and well it goes without saying if you look at your friend he will be a lot better."

As one, they returned to Sherry's side of the room to check on Rodroy-

Sherry had already finished with him, and was now trying to drag him off the bed onto the floor.

" Hey, if your going to move my friend ask for my help first!" Dorobou shouted.

Sherry looked embarrassed as Dorobou moved to help her with Rodroy. She motioned for Yokai to put Christopher on the bed . . . the cook now had a brand new lump on the back of his head from being dropped on the floor.

" Please don't notice the bump on your head. I pray you can hear me gods and goddesses and will change who Christopher blames."

What Yokai did said powerfully that he had ridiculous faith. He put Christopher on the bed before backing away from him. His words and actions also said much for his fear of the cook, even when said cook was basically half-dead.

Having finished placing Dorobou on the floor, Sherry began working on Christopher's injuries without a word. Christopher was starting to twitch in his sleep from the way Sherry was healing him, but he did not open his eyes or start moving again.
Fletcher reached out to touch Sherry' ears-

Bonk!

Yokai whacked his captain upside the head for his troubles.

"So . . ." Yokai began awkwardly, speaking to Harry, "Why is being your apprentice so tough for her?"

By 'her' he clearly indicated Sherry. Harry sighed, and once more dragged the boys to the other side of the room, even Dorobou who tried to resist so he could remain by Rodroy's side.

Harry opened his mouth to speak.

" Most people who work for me lose their minds. It doesn't matter how educated they are or how hard working they think they can be because it always ends with them yelling to my face how they can't sleep and just want it to end. I'm a very tough boss. Sherry would probably think the same way if she wasn't so educated she could work as a doctor than get back to scrubbing, brooming, lifting, cleaning, and much more." The words all came out in a rush, causing the boys to blink slightly. Harry continued more slowly, a frown on his face.

"And also . . . I don't know what she's hiding, and I don't want to ask, I have too much respect for her privacy . . . but I've noticed the way some of the townspeople look at her, and it disturbs me. I've also heard some nasty rumours about a woman matching her description, and she has never seemed entirely comfortable even when hardly anyone dares to come here . . . so, maybe . . ."

Both Fletcher and Yokai got what Harry was hinting at at the same time. The monk slammed his hand over his captain's mouth just the boy started to say "Sure, she-"

"Have you forgotten what happened this morning already?" Yokai hissed at Fletcher. The captain blinked stupidly, jaw working as he tried to free himself from Yokai's hand.
With a sigh, Yokai continued "Remember how that damn cook chased us all around?"

He took his hand off Fletcher's mouth as the boy's eyes gleamed brightly.

"Yeah! Playing tag is fun!" Fletcher exclaimed. The monk cuffed him 'round the head.

"Idiot!" Yokai hissed. Then he turned to Harry and bowed.

"I'm very sorry, sir." he said, "But I don't think that we ought to make an agreement without Christopher's permission." Yokai gestured to where Sherry was working on the cook as he said this.

"Why? Is he the captain?" Harry asked curiously.

"No, I'm the captain!" Fletcher said crossly.

"But he's the boss." Yokai said as he pointed in Christopher's direction.

Fletcher crossed his arms and pouted, since Yokai's words were unfortunately a little true. Since Christopher controlled the food, he sort of controlled the crew as well . . . when he was awake, that is. Before Yokai could prevent him from doing so (again), Fletcher said quickly "Sherrycancomewithus!"

He strung it all into one word in order to say it faster. Yokai gaped at him while Harry smiled. Fletcher grinned cheerfully at the man.

Harry clapped Fletcher on the back.

"Thank you, young man!" he began, but he was interrupted by Sherry.

"I'm finished." she said tonelessly, watching them with suspicion. Yokai blinked.

"That was fast." he commented.

" Say what you want but I saved your friend and the first thing he said to me when he got better was ' If I was still working for my father you would be dead."

" What didn't Christopher like about you?" Fletcher asked.

The boy peered past Sherry, but it seemed Christopher had already fallen back into oblivion.

Sherry acted as if she hadn't heard the question, face stony.

"Now, now . . ." Harry said with a worried expression, "I'm sure the young man didn't mean it . . ."

He withered for a moment under Sherry's glare, before abruptly straightening, coughing into his fist and saying "Sherry . . . please don't start a fight . . . not when the captain here has agreed to take you off the island."

XXX

"I beg your pardon?" Sherry said icily.

Sherry took a brief moment remembering who the captain was. She turned around to see Fletcher standing with Yokai. Yokai pointed his finger to Fletcher and mouthed that Fletcher is the captain. By doing so, he avoided what soon proved to be a formidable wrath as Sherry tackled Fletcher to the ground, to the surprise of everyone present.

"What gave you the right to make my decisions for me?" Sherry hissed, hands tight around Fletcher's throat.

"It was the old guy's idea!" Fletcher choked out, waving an arm wildly in Harry's direction.

" He's telling the truth Sherry. It was my idea to ask Fletcher to take you."

Sherry paused in her throttling of Fletcher to look at Harry incredulously. "But, why?" she asked.

" I am disturbed with the way people look at you. I tried fighting for you but you need to get away before these people's stupidity ruins this town."

While this was going on, Dorobou had been staring at the ceiling deep in thought. He was realizing that Harry was right. Whenever Sherry came to drop off Harry's weekly payment, Dorobou remembered people on the street giving the young woman a wide berth and dirty looks. With a sigh, he looked back at Sherry.

"Harry's right, you know." the businessman said, "While I may not know why, even I've noticed how people around here look at you . . . maybe it's time to move on?"

Sherry turned her incredulous gaze on Dorobou.

" I don't want to leave and even if I did I wouldn't go with you guys. Just because there's something going on in my life doesn't mean it needs to involve you."

"But we need a doctor!" Fletcher whined, "Why not?"

" And I need to do push-ups every day or I won't get any exercise. Your all challenged, I am highly educated, and none of you look like you could sail around a cardboard box."

"That's what he's for." Yokai said with a deadpan expression, pointing to Christopher on the bed. "Unless you know how to sail a ship?"

This last part was directed at Dorobou, who replied "So-so. I worked as a cabin boy for a couple of years before I reached this island."

"See? We're not all hopeless." Yokai said to Sherry. She stared at him.

" And we all know your not hopeless either, Sherry. Your only slightly missing what it means to be a true doctor, but you can still save these boys who can't stop getting hurt," Harry said. She stared at him.

A scowl crept over her features. Her shoulders slumped. "If you say so . . ." she said. She stomped off to pack her stuff.

A thought appeared in Yokai's head. He imagined the first thing Sherry packing being her underwear and swimsuits. His dirty mind imagined her wanting to show them to him when she was wearing them, but he didn't tell anyone what he was thinking. He had learnt by now that voicing such things out loud invariably led to either blank looks or angry cooks, Neither of which Yokai found particularly Yokai was off in his own perverted little world, Dorobou was thinking deeply.

" . . . and then you'll join my crew!"