Hi, all! Same legal stuff: I don't own any original plot, characters, or settings. It all belongs to Eiichiro Oda. Enjoy the chapter!

Zoro scowled. It was too cramped in the Straw Hat's unofficial headquarters. He had a lot on his mind, and he couldn't think around the chaos of the crew. He glanced at the siren. She was sleeping peacefully. It was just as well. He wanted to be alone for a little while. Magina would understand. He pushed himself off the chair and headed towards the door.

"You're up early, shitty swordsman," Sanji smirked at him.

"Shut up, crappy Love Cook. I'll be back later," Zoro growled.

"If you're out too late then we'll send Magina-san to find you!" Sanji called out the door.

Zoro ignored him and started to wander. The town was busy repairing buildings and walkways. Nobody bothered him. He preferred it that way, but the noisy streets weren't the solitude that he searched for.

"You look like you're a man in pursuit of something," a voice interrupted him.

A thin, reed-like guy stared at him. Zoro grunted. Unless he knew of a quiet place to think, he wasn't interested. The guy smiled, his front tooth missing and nodded sagely.

"Are you having problems with your lady friend? My wares are the best on this street! I have jewelry, silk scarves, and vibrant bolts of fabric. Whatever you need, stranger!"

Zoro growled low in his throat. It was meant to warn the merchant. Instead, the stall owner ran his hand over his oily hair and stepped closer.

"Oh… do you not have a lady friend yet?" he whispered conspiratorially.

A vein throbbed at the temples of his forehead.

"No need to be shy about that, dear customer. Buy some jewelry from me and you'll have a lady in no time! As I said, it's superior craftsmanship. Just a flash of something sparkly and she'll fall for you in an instant!"

Zoro's hands were suddenly around the little man's throat.

"I don't need to buy anything. Unless you have something practical for a fisherman, I doubt she would like your wares. What I need is peace and quiet. If you can't guide me to someplace where I can think, I might take it out on you instead."

Another merchant interrupted him. Zoro relaxed his grip.

"Yusei, are you bothering this man? Don't you know that he's a Straw Hat? And you're supposed to help repair the shop today! Go on now!"

The merchant bent his head like a whipped dog and shuffled away. Zoro breathed in sharply through his nose before expelling the pent-up air with a humungous sigh. The partner smiled in understanding.

"Yusei's not a bad guy, he just doesn't know when to stop. Apparently, he has a nagging wife that keeps asking him for money. Did you want to go somewhere, stranger? I'll guide you. It's the least I can do after Yusei cornered you."

Zoro stifled his growl. Maybe a guide wouldn't be a bad thing. The city streets were confusing, and he just wanted to meditate somewhere quiet. What would you do without me? Magina's voice floated out of nowhere. He gritted his teeth.

"I want someplace alone where I can think."

The merchant nodded again, "I know just the spot. Follow me."

Zoro silent stalked after the man. That other merchant put him in a bad mood. Thinking about the situation with the siren was going to have to wait for another day. He had other issues that needed to be addressed first. Zoro was led to a huge junkyard.

"Here we are, the best place to be alone and think! It's far enough away from the city that if you needed to work out your frustrations, no one would be bothered. Later!"

The merchant left and he was finally alone. Zoro climbed on top of a broken mast, perching in a spot where he could see the ocean. A slight breeze tugged at his shirt. He unsheathed Yubashiri. The sword was beyond repair. Half of the blade was disintegrated. The shards of the hilt was all he could save. The rusted iron stared back at him.

The shop owner in Rogue Town gave Zoro his family's heirloom because of his luck. What would he tell the man if they ever crossed paths again? A rusted flake of metal flew away on the breeze. He shoved Yubashiri's remains back in the hilt.

"Tch."

Zoro might get lucky again. Water 7 was one of the largest islands that the Straw Hats visited. He put the issue aside. He would look around town and check the stores. They had some time to kill until they got a ship.

He instantly sobered. They needed a ship before continuing their journey. Zoro knew he would have to take a hard stance soon. They all needed to deal with another issue. They needed to deal with Usopp.

…

She woke up feeling excited for the first time in days. She hummed brightly as she bustled around her closet. Which outfit should she choose for her first meeting with Zoro-sama?

"You're in a better mood today, Mimi," Jotaro observed from the work desk.

"I have a lot of reasons to be happy," she began brightly, lifting a blue dress and a lavender dress and comparing the two.

"I mean," Mimi continued while holding up the dresses in the mirror, "first, there was that awful storm. The Straw Hats left the island during it and we weren't allowed to go after them!"

Jotaro nodded. "That storm was something else. I didn't realize that storms could be that large! I'm glad that I experienced it though. It'll be good experience when I finally become a navigator."

Mimi threw her best friend an aggravated look. He clamped his mouth shut tightly and turned back to his book. He cleared his throat.

"Yeah, that storm really messed up your plans."

Mimi nodded. "It really did! Then, I find out that even though they made it back to Water 7, the shipwrights won't let anyone see them! I guess, even if those shipwrights aren't letting anybody in to see them, they aren't stopping the Straw Hats from going out into the city. This is the perfect opportunity to finally meet Zoro-sama! Of course, I'm excited."

Mimi threw the dresses on the bed and flopped on top of them. She needed to come up with a plan. Zoro-sama's sense of direction was so bad that he got lost when she called for him! Was there any way to work around that pitfall?

"What do you think I should do, Jotaro? I never expected Zoro-sama to get lost while I sang to him! If he gets lost that easily, calling him might be completely useless!" Mimi sighed in frustration.

Jotaro shrugged at first. "They're not that far away. We could always meet with them face to face."

"No! My discussion with Zoro-sama has to be without the other pirates. Especially that half-bree- I mean, Magina-Oneechan. She probably won't even let me speak with him! I have to talk to him alone," Mimi spoke vehemently.

Jotaro shrugged again, "I mean, I guess you could try to call him and meet him along the way, but there's still no guarantee…"

"Jotaro, you're brilliant! That's got to work!"

Mimi jumped off the bed. Now, she really needed to find the perfect outfit. She was finally going on a date with Zoro-sama!

…

Magina stretched and got up a few minutes after Zoro left. Sanji opened the door and walked back in, looking surprised.

"Oh, Magina-san, you were awake? You just missed that marimo swordsman."

She smiled tightly. "Zoro was in a bad mood. He probably needed some time alone. It must have bothered him to always be taking care of me."

Sanji snorted. "Magina-san, if that shitty swordsman ever gets tired of taking care of you, I'll gladly take over that position. He doesn't strike me as the caretaker type anyway. What would you like for breakfast? Is your throat still sore?"

Magina thought about it. Her throat was tight, but it wasn't painful. "A simple meal sounds the best, with a cup of herbal tea, please."

Sanji rolled up his sleeves and grinned. "Got it! Coming up! Your meal will be a light warmup to the main cooking I'll have to do later. Our captain's food requirements are the real bother! Well, he did use up all of his energy battling that cat bastard, so I guess it's only to be expected."

Magina smiled softly. Even if he complained, Sanji obviously looked happy to have his skills relied on. Nami staggered to the table. Chopper and Robin joined her a minute later. Her breakfast arrived only a second after her nakama sat down. Magina grabbed a pair of chopsticks and dug into her rice bowl.

"Sanji, I'll have what Magina's having. And a cup of coffee, please," Robin smiled.

"Aye, aye, Robin-chwan!"

"I'm visiting the Franky Family, today. Would anyone like to come with me? Some of their members were hurt so I wanted to check up on them," Chopper asked, his eyes sparkling.

Nami gloomily stared at the table. "I don't really feel like going anywhere. I can't believe that we lost all of our money. We were running around so much that we never stopped back at the hotel. And that Zoro was completely useless! He got lost in the hotel. He never even made it to our room! If he had, then all of our stuff wouldn't have been captured. Bellemere-san's orange trees…" tears streamed down Nami's face.

Robin smiled easily. "If we talked to the mayor, he might be able to do something to recover some of our belongings, so don't be upset, Nami. Everything will work out some way." She turned to the doctor, "We can go after we eat, Chopper. Magina, will you come with us?"

Magina sipped her tea before nodding. The warm liquid relaxed the tightness in her throat. She sat quietly, relieved that her nakama's songs were peaceful and calm. Sanji handed out the plates of food. Breakfast was quiet and they finished quickly. The cook waited by Chopper's spot after they ate.

"Chopper, I have an important mission for you. I need you to keep an eye on Robin-chan. Never let her out of your sight!" Sanji commanded.

Chopper gleamed and sat straighter as soon as Sanji said it was an 'important mission'. He saluted the cook seriously.

"Aye, aye! I won't let her out of my sight!"

Sanji saluted back and waved them off at the door. They walked in companionable silence for a while, enjoying the sights and sounds of the busy island, but Magina could hear the question in Robin's song.

"Is something bothering you? I can listen to your troubles. No one likes it when you're upset, Magina," Robin spoke as they walked together.

Chopper guarded them, walking behind so that he could watch Robin. Magina's head jerked up in surprise. That was what Robin wanted to ask? She thought she was hiding her feelings better than that! She cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Well, umm…"

Thankfully, before she had to answer, they arrived at the Franky Family House. Chopper waved them a little bit away. Two chairs, mostly in working condition, were set a fair distance from the doctor, to let Chopper concentrate in peace.

"It's Magina! I wasn't expecting to see you around here," somebody remarked behind them.

Magina craned her neck to see who approached them, glad for the interruption. Maybe she wouldn't have to say what was bothering her after all.

"Tetsu! How are you? You looked pretty hurt at Enies Lobby. I was worried."

He still looked really hurt, with his neck wrapped with bandages and one of his arms in a cast. He grinned and waved off her concerns. Tetsu held up the arm.

"Your doctor friend only put the arm in a cast to keep me from straining it. The rest are just surface wounds. I'm assuming that you and the rest of the Straw Hats are on the mend too. With that battle and epic victory, no one was going to come out without some sort of injury."

Magina nodded in reply. "Chopper says that we're going to be okay, as long as we don't overdo it for a while."

Her lips quirked in a half-smile. Asking this pirate crew to not overdo it was like asking a fish to breath on dry land. Tetsu laughed loudly.

"Your doctor asks for the impossible sometimes."

"Yeah, we thought so too. Right, Robin?"

"Hmm, historically speaking, this crew has never let anything keep them down for long. Chopper is bound to be disappointed," Robin replied sagely.

Another group of the Franky Family members were just about to walk on by when Chopper halted them.

"No, you don't! Nobody can leave unless I've looked at your wounds! Everybody, line up behind Tetsu-san!"

A small drop of sweat trailed down Tetsu's face and he paled noticeably. "Behind me? I'm first?"

There was a mad scramble to form a line behind Tetsu.

"Now that the interruptions are being looked after, we can go back to the topic. You should tell one of us soon about what's troubling you before you worry yourself to death," Robin smiled.

Magina dragged in a ragged breath. She was surprised that anyone noticed. She thought that she was covering her emotions very well. Could she really voice her feelings like this? But Robin was expecting some sort of answer and she didn't want to lie.

"I don't know which is worse, Robin: this guilt that I'm going to have to live with, or the worry that if I tell anyone that you would all feel guilty instead. What can I really choose?"

Her voice sounded strangled and her words cracked when she spoke. Robin smiled gently.

"Keeping it to yourself is the worst option, Magina. I tried to keep quiet and it nearly cost me my life. Don't make that same mistake. Telling everyone all at once might be too difficult, so you can tell me while Chopper is distracted with patients. Of course, Zoro is also an option."

Magina sighed. Maybe saying something would release the burden. She could trust Robin to be discreet and impartial. She must have recognized Magina's capitulation because she gently patted her other hand.

"Now, what do you mean? What guilt will you have to live with?"

"Everything has a song that a siren can hear. I lived on Merry for so long, but I wasn't able to hear her song clearly until the very end. If I had tried harder, spent more time just listening… we might still have Merry if only I could have…" Magina babbled.

Robin reached out and gave her a quick hug.

"Even with your incredible abilities you can't blame yourself for what happened to Merry. I doubt things would have changed much, Magina. The boys would still be rough and Long Nose-kun still wouldn't have been able to fix her. Would it really be better to hear her slowly dying and being unable to stop it?"

Magina let out the breath she was holding. Some part of her worried that her nakama would blame her for not preparing them for this farewell.

"And why are you worried that we'll feel guilty?"

Magina had to pause before she explained.

"Zoro was right. Going up to the crow's nest was difficult. Being alone was hard too, but… I would've had a harder time if I was with everyone."

She stopped. Magina swallowed. Robin nodded, indicating that she should continue.

"Merry… she asked me to sing her song when we said goodbye. I—If I tried to sing when I was close to everyone, I would've been overwhelmed by everyone's emotions. I-It wasn't that I didn't want to share that moment with everyone. I just couldn't be strong enough to do both."

Robin stayed silent. Magina shut her eyes tightly. It sounded a little silly when she said it out loud but those were the feelings locked in her heart. The silence dragged on until Magina looked up at Robin. She smiled only a little sadly.

"Magina, as soon as Merry started saying her final goodbyes, we all understood what you were asked to do, and why you went alone. You carry such a burden because you can hear all of us. If we feel guilty about that, I think it is because we don't know what we can do for you to ease that burden. But doesn't saying something make the heaviness a little lighter?"

Magina breathed in deeply. Her breathing was a little easier. She was surprised. She normally didn't share her deepest thoughts. She would always listen to everybody else first. Magina smiled and nodded tentatively.

"Yeah, it helps. Thanks, Robin."

Robin squeezed her hands again and smiled at her. Her smile broadened when she looked beyond her.

"That's what nakama are supposed to do. Right, Chopper?"

Magina heard a sniffle behind her. She turned around to face a crying Chopper.

"That's right, Magina! Rely on us more. I'm a man, you know! Stressing too much all by yourself isn't good for your health!"

Magina stifled a giggle. Of course, Chopper would worry about her health. He really was an overprotective doctor. She coughed the ticklish feeling in her throat away.

"Yeah, I'll remember that next time."

"Sure, you will," Chopper grumbled.

Magina and Robin burst out laughing. There was a worry still nibbling at the back of her mind, but it was too vague to tell anyone yet. That worry would have to wait another day.

"Are you finished here, Chopper? Should we go back now?" Robin asked.

Chopper nodded and they started walking back to Galley La's headquarters.

There it is! Chapter 32. It's crazy to think that we're getting to the end of this arc. I hope everyone is staying happy and healthy and that your own projects are going well! Keep plugging away! Thank you all for reading. See you next time!