To say Sanji was in a good mood would be an understatement. The gentleman chef was having a great day. Not only was he sailing with his friends, but he also explored Loguetown and learned new recipes to create. Then he learned about a new clue that gives a hint that perhaps, the All Blue is not just an imaginary legend after all.

He was also never one who enjoyed partaking in cooking tournaments, because he already knew he was the greatest chef in East Blue. Still, he was enticed into the competition, not because it was a vibrant and flamboyant woman challenging him, but something more important than that.

A fish.

"Congratulations on winning, Sanji, but…This is the prize? What a rip off! Where's the gold? Jewels? The cold hard cash?! It's just a fish."

The smile on his face never wavered, "Nami~, It is not just any fish. This is an elephant tuna. Found only in the South Blue, and a rare find. Yet, one was fished up here in the East Blue. From the tales, I hear it has a magnificent taste. How should I cook it? Decisions, decisions."

"That's nice and all…but when are we gonna swap places? This thing is heavy." Whined Usopp, carrying most of the weight of the tuna's head upon his frail shoulder.

"One thing for sure is that we are going to have a wonderful party later." Sanji ignored his crewmate without a thought. "I just have one more thing to do. Ashe told me I could find her around here and I'd love to invite her to join me for dinner. I mean, us." He hummed before glancing at Nami. "By the way, have you asked her yet?"

"Oi, I'm serious. This thing is heavy."

Nami sighed, "Not yet. I got caught up in the moment and it slipped my mind. I told her I needed to talk to her later, so I'll ask her then."

"Um…I'm still here guys."

Sanji nodded before pointing down the pier at a familiar shade of amethyst. "Alright, just don't take too long. Otherwise I'll end up asking her myself."

"You better not. It was my idea in the first place."

"I know, but we were lucky enough to bump into her. Luffy wants to enter the Grand Line as soon as he's done. Which reminds me, did Mosshead change his mind?"

The navigator shook her head, "No, his stance remained the same. He's against it, but he won't go against Luffy who said it was okay. Zoro told me to be careful around her. I swear, he's so paranoid."

Sanji hummed to himself, filing that bit of knowledge away for the moment. His eyes watched Nami jog ahead, calling out to the lonely woman and her fishing rod. A murmur escaping his breath. "He noticed it too, eh."

"Eh, you say something?" Peered Usopp from over his shoulder at the chef behind him.

"No. Don't drop the fish. I'll be cooking this for the ladies and its more valuable than your life."

"You're so mean!"

With a hand waved in greeting, "Hey Ashe, what are y—Eh?" Nami was flabbergasted by the sight before her. Goggles over her eyes, hunched down over a metal box on her toes, Ashe was using a rusted nail to scratch onto a piece of wood. There was a hole in the deck. Nami looked back at Sanji and Usopp who shrugged before speaking. "Whatcha doing there, Ashe?"

All she got was an extended arm with a finger signaling, 'one moment'. That annoyed her, but Nami bit her tongue. Especially when she heard the quiet and rapid mumbling under Ashe's breath. Nami had no idea what she was saying, and she made no attempt to try and understand.

"Got it." The sudden normal voice caught Nami off-guard. "Attempt number thirty-four. If my hypothesis is correct, this should be the one." Once more, the alchemist threw the line out into the ocean waves. The Straw Hat crew members were watching with intrigue.

Usopp leaned back to Sanji, "Uh…What are we watching?" Said blond just shrugged before lighting a cigarette for a drag.

A small splash and tug on the line signaled a bite. Slamming a boot against the railing, Ashe grinned while pulling on her rod. "Behold! By my calculations and prediction, this should be a crab!"

The small audience watches in anticipation. A downpour of water splashes against the crackling wood. Followed by a loud crash and a slur of profanity. "You son of a b—" Nami palmed her face at the sight. Ashe thrashing and wrangling a sea serpent on the ground. Choking and slamming its head onto the floor as it hissed furiously. "I swear to God! If you're purposely screwing with my experiment, I'm going to tear off your—"

"Ashe! My darling! Don't worry, your knight in shining armor is coming for you my lovely!" Sanji dropped his side of the elephant tuna, rushing to Ashe's aid, grabbing and pulling the serpent away. At least he tried, the thing was stronger than it looked.

Usopp shadowed Sanji, grabbing Ashe from behind and pulling her off the sea snake. He thought she was the safer option between the two. Boy was he wrong. Ashe was kicking and thrashing, trying to break free to continue her brawl with the sea critter. "Let me at em! I'm gonna filet this bastard if it's the last thing I do!"

"C-Calm down Ashe! It's just a s-snake!" Usopp struggled to hold her back, feet sliding against the moist floorboards. Occasionally catching a straw elbow to his ribs or face. "Ow! That hurts! Hurry up and get rid of that thing before she beats me up instead!"

Sanji grumbled as he wrangled the critter, dodging a vicious bite at his head. "I'm trying! This thing is surprisingly strong." And it was. For a sea serpent, it was powerful and surprisingly intelligent. Even he was struggling to wrangle it in.

Until a shadow loomed over them both. A slender hand, quick as lightning, snapped at the serpent's maw. Shocking both Sanji and the critter. Nami towered over them with darkness over her eyes. "Sanji…Get out of the way." He obeyed without question. Nami clenched the maw tighter.

The snake trembled in fright. Eyes wide before being dragged along the ground, whimpering at the rough treatment. "Stop screwing around!" The group watched as the violent navigator launched the sea snake into the ocean. They could swear the poor thing screamed in terror. Nami huffed in annoyance.

Finding herself released from Usopp's grasp, Ashe overlooked the railing into the waters. A moment later the serpent poked its head out from the currents. Tail rubbing at its now crooked maw in a whimper. The two adversaries locked eyes.

Ashe snarled and gave it the bird.

The sea serpent scoffed before plastering a haughty smirk. As if proving her to be right about what it has been doing this entire time.

"I knew it! I'll kill you!"

It took all three of the Straw Hats to grab and pull Ashe back onto the pier. The woman had already tried to dive into the ocean for another round of fisticuffs. Which explains the position Ashe found herself in right now.

Kneeling before Nami with hands on her knees and pouting. The tangerine woman lecturing and giving her an earful about learning how to control herself. "In my defense, he started it."

"What do you mean?! It's just a dumb animal!"

"Lies! That's a spawn of hell!" That earned her a thwack upon the head from Nami's fist.

"Idiot! Just clean this mess up. We're heading back to the ship." Nami stood guard as she watched the amethyst haired woman begrudgingly obey. Foot tapping against the wood before an aura of fire erupts around her. "Ashe…If I find out you got the new clothes that I just bought you, wet…"

The clenched fist was the only threat Ashe needed to break out into a little sweat. Avoiding eye contact to inspect the bags she left aside. Breathing a sigh of relief to find them still dry and clean.

From a distance, a lit cigarette rested between Sanji's lips. Staring down at his hands before clenching them. 'I meant it. That thing was stronger than it looked.' Hiding them in his pockets with a slouch, he took a closer look at Ashe. Noticing a few scrapes along her arms and hands. 'How many times did she fight it off?' For now, he'll store that bit of knowledge away.

Ashe nursed her cheek with a red mark. Perhaps Nami forgot, but Ashe was not made of rubber. "Uh, not that I don't mind the company…But shouldn't you all be getting ready to sail out by now?"

Nami nodded as the two leaned against the railing, overlooking the East Blue. "We are. Once we get back to the Going Merry and Luffy returns, I plan to have us sail out. A storm is coming in and I would rather not get caught in it."

"Makes sense, so why are you all wasting time with me?"

A soft laughter echoed into the waves, "There is something I wanted to talk to you about." Nami peeked over her shoulder at the sight of Sanji and Usopp resting and casually chatting. "You want to get into the Grand Line, right? Why not just come with us? I've already talked it over with the others. Luffy said it was alright with him."

"What's the catch?"

"I'll charge you a hundred Beri per meter sailed." Nami sputtered into a laughter, catching Ashe by the wrist before the woman could leave. "I'm joking! I'm joking! There's no catch. You want to go into the Grand Line. We are heading into the Grand Line. It just makes sense to come with us…Stop looking at me like that."

Glossing a hand through her hair, "Honestly, I would love to accept your offer. It's just that…Why are you helping me so much? This feels a bit to one-sided and I do not want to be more indebted to you than I already am." Ashe flinched at the hand slapping at her shoulder.

Is it her, or does this woman just enjoy hitting people? Perhaps that's just how she shows affection.

"Nonsense! Think of the money I spent on your clothes as payment for helping me back home."

Ashe mumbled under her breath in a whisper. "I'd have preferred cash." The glare snapped her jaw shut into silence.

With a menacing smile, "As I was saying. The way I see it, we have a clean slate if you're still mulling over it. Just supply me with some ink and paper during our trip. That will more than cover any debt your brain imagines." Nami rested her lower back against the rail.

It started as a small shiver, causing Nami to perk a brow. Then slowly a quiet laughter rang out. A natural chuckle. "Pft-Hah-ahaha. You really know how to honey your deals, huh? I would be a fool to turn that down."

The navigator grinned, "You are not the only one who knows how to finesse." She gave a teasing victory sign.

Brushing a strand of hair behind the ear, the faintest of smiles cracks through. "Very well, I accept your deal. I'll board the Going Merry as a passenger into the Grand Line and earn my keep along the way."

"Hurray! Another beautiful maiden is boarding the ship! Lucky me!" Sanji rushed at the two having eavesdropped on their entire conversation before dropping to a knee after a pirouette. "Allow me to be the first to properly welcome you aboard, Madam."

Ashe snorted, "At least wait till we are actually on the ship, love cook."

The blond rose to his feet, "Yes! I'm the love cook! Usopp! We are heading back to the Going Merry, fast pace!"

"Eh? What's the rush? Oi. Why are you on that end? Oi! Trade places with me! This is the heavy end! Why am I doing most of the work?! Don't ignore me!"

Nami shrugged a cheeky grin. The two women collecting their things and following behind the tuna carrying duo. They were a strange sight to behold. A group of four. One with bags of clothes, a second with bags of miscellaneous rocks, liquids, and powders, and two carrying a giant, rare tuna.

Surprisingly, Ashe found herself walking beside Usopp. Though he was lugging around the head of the over-sized dinner, he was curious about the materials Ashe was carrying around.

Normally Usopp was brash and short attention spanned, but when it came to tinkering or something piquing his interest, he would give his full attention and ask a multitude of questions. Most of which Ashe was happy to oblige while prodding and questioning the gizmos and gadgets he bought.

A mutual understanding of tinkerers.

"This is weird…" Nami's quiet voice caught the groups attention. "The atmospheric pressure is dropping abnormally. I've never seen such a bizarre drop before."

Sanji gazed into the clouds. "Now that you mention it. I feel a strange wind coming in."

Humming in thought, "Agreed, the waves were increasing in ferocity and getting larger while I was fishing. I thought it was just me though. Is this something to be worried about?"

The navigator nodded, "A storm is rolling in, a big one. We should get back to the ship, quickly. We will be in trouble if we get caught by the storm."

"Just how big is this storm?" Before Nami could answer Usopp, a familiar voice called out to them. "Hm? Zoro?"

The samurai stood before them, seemingly lost but grateful at having found them. "Have you guys seen him around here?" Zoro and Ashe momentarily locked gazes, the latter nodding politely. "I see you guys found a stray instead."

Sanji moved to speak up, but a hand from Ashe caused him to back down with a scowl. "Correct, Nami offered me voyage into the Grand Line for my services and I accepted. Is there an issue with that?"

A silent pause filled the void before Zoro sighed and rubbed his green hair. "No."

There was a sudden weight on Ashe's side. Usopp slung an arm over her shoulder conspiratorially. "Yikes, you know how he is. Always a total grouch. Just means he likes you. Look at me. He's always pickin' on me. Just means Zoro likes me most!" He squints into her look of disbelief. "But nice guy that I am, I'll share some of that…grouchy personality with you, eh?"

Ashe rolled her eyes with an amused grin.

"Hey! Did you guys hear? Buggy the Clown will be executing Straw Hat Luffy!" A group of city folk shouted amongst themselves in excitement. With glee, they raced off into the distance toward the city square. Not every day they can see a public execution.

"No way! Luffy is gonna be executed?!" exclaimed Usopp.

Ashe sighed, "Well, there goes my free ride. Guess I'll have to find another ship now." Usopp whined into her ear, which she ignored. Zoro approached her from the side with Sanji in tow. The two stared at one another, his eyes flickering to Usopp, Nami, and then back to Ashe. She understood the hint. "I'll watch over them."

Clutching his sheath, Zoro raced off without a notion or word. Sanji offering a wink while flanking the samurai.

"Let's go! The storm is getting worse and abnormally fast. It will rain in a minute. I want to be at the ship before then." Commanded Nami.

"Aye, Ma'am."

On point, rain befell the group in a cascade. It was cold to the skin. Usopp grumbled as Nami dragged him along. The lone carrier of Sanji's prize.

Ashe jogged up next to Nami, "You're accurate with your weather predictions. It amazes me."

The navigator gave a victory sign. "Greatest in the world, ya know." Her face turned grim, "But I want to hurry and get to the ship. This storm is humongous. If Luffy is involved with Buggy in the square, you can bet the Navy is already on the move as well."

Usopp heard the last bit and started to worry. "Will the Going Merry already be in the Navy's hands by now?" A surge of wind nearly bowled him over.

"No." The two peered at Ashe with raised brows. "The Going Merry won't be in their hands, but I can guarantee you the Navy made their move long ago. More than likely, your ship is surrounded by cannons. Probably waiting on order to sink it."

"Ashe! You have to do something! Don't let them sink the Going Merry!" Cried Usopp.

She tried to soothe his nerves with words of comfort, but that was never her strong point. "If it sinks, it sinks." His screech of horror called her a bully. It was not till the Going Merry rose over the horizon with black clouds covering above, that Ashe noticed something in the distance. "Nami. Two figures at the ship. Friend or foe?"

"Foe! Get rid of them!"

The two figures noticed their approach and rose to greet them. A multitude of used matches at their feet. "Richie! Get em, boy!" Shouted a lanky man with blue pants, a yellow sash, a fur white top, and bunny ears poking out of a pink helmet. "Show those Straw Hats a flashy execution!"

"Aye, Ma'am!" Hunkering down with one hand free and the other holding bags, Ashe launches forward through the droplets of rain. A large feline-like beast raged toward them with red eyes. Silver maned fur with a red flashlight strapped to the head. Strange.

"Leave this to me Ashe, I got this! Special Attack: Fresh Egg Star!" Usopp launched an egg toward the beast. It wobbled in the air before crashing into the ground. "Ah! My hand slipped cause of the rain!" The marksman received a head bop, courtesy of Nami.

The beast suddenly lurched into a standstill, licking at the spilt egg on the flooded cobblestone. If she had been anyone else, Ashe would have broken stride and face planted at the sight of it. Instead, her leg wobbled and nearly slid from under her before changing targets. 'If it works, it's genius.'

"Hold it! You have to get past me! Mohji, Vice-Captain of the Buggy the Clown Pir-urk!"

A boot was already pulverizing in his face. Backwards momentum carrying and crushing him against the Going Merry from his purple assailant. "You're in the way." Squinting up through the pain, Mohji finds himself staring down the barrel of a pistol.

Panick swells through his being with shivers and tears. A loud gunshot echoing through the harbor. Foam floods from his mouth after losing consciousness at the sound.

Ashe retreated after a narrow miss shot across her nose. A loud splash signaling the drop of Mohji into the ocean depths. She then kicks off the hull of the Going Merry to safely drop her belongings before looking out across the railing. "Marines!"

The two Straw Hats panic into a fritz. Rushing onto the ship as gunfire pelts them from a distance. Nami lunged over the railing in anger. "If one of you bastards made a hole in my clothes, I'm gonna come down there and kick your ass!"

A giant elephant tuna plopped onto the deck with a flop. Usopp glossing over the fish with worry. "Please…Please…No bullet holes. Sanji will kill me. Then starve me!"

"Usopp!" Cried out Ashe, getting his attention. "Do you have any smoke screen pellets?" A nod and an open hand to show her the sphere. Swiping the pellet with an angry shout behind her, she quickly digs into her bag of new supplies. Sprinkling a shiny substance on it. "Here, use this and cover me if I miss any stragglers."

Usopp fumbles the pellet before giving it a critical eye. "What is this? What are you planning to do?"

Ashe glanced between Nami and Usopp. "Getting rid of those pests. With permission of course?"

Nami nods with a wave, "Give em hell. That will buy me time to get this ship moving. I'll wait as long as possible, but don't get too comfortable."

Gunfire continues to rain down upon the ship. With a slight smirk, Ashe leapt over the railing. "I'm counting on you, Usopp!" Hitting the ground, she rushes the squadron of Marines with her blades drawn.

"A pirate advances! Fire!" The concentrated fire shifts focus to Ashe.

"Ah! What do you mean countin' on me?! I don't want anything to do with this!" A stray bullet snaps off a piece of the railing of the Going Merry. An angry tick formed on his temple. "Oi! You bastards! Don't mess with my ship! Special Attack: Super Smokescreen!"

Flying over Ashe's shoulder, the pellet cracks against the cobblestone and ignites into a broad and hefty black cloud of smoke. While not spreading further than most smokescreens, this one was incredibly thick and heavy. Even the power of the wind struggled to blow it through.

A few coughs are spat out before the squad captain turned to bellow at his squad. "Smokescreen! Prepare for melee comba—urk!" A blade melted into his back from behind before a boot slammed into the side of his head. Thrusting him through an empty stall.

"You're the leader. Don't turn your back."

"S-Sabers! Charge!" The second-in-command draws their cutlass, assuming command of the squad.

She had to admit, they had heart and were trained well. They reacted quickly to having their leader taken out so fast. Yet it mattered very little. The Marines were dispatched without much of a sweat. By the time the rain melted into the smokescreen and weakened it to the wind, their bodies lay scattered upon the flooded cobblestone.

They twitched on occasion. Alive, but only. First aid would be needed to keep them amongst the living.

The main threat was eliminated. Swiping her daggers clean, she sheathes them before calling back out to the ship. "Nami! Do you want me to come back or search for the boys?"

"Find the boys if you're able, but don't stray too far! Tell them we are setting sail! ...And don't let Zoro get lost!"

Shuffling her foot to venture down the main street, a soft clink catches her attention. It was a cutlass. Reaching for it, the handle was brown, gold handguard and a nicely curved blade. A standard issue for a Marine.

A crack of thunder broke the mesmerizing spell before she sped off, cutlass in hand. The rain was pouring heavily now with bursts of wind slapping against the body. Each step against the hard cobblestone was with a splash of water. The streets were empty and void of people. They all found shelter within the sturdy buildings.

Finally, signs of life.

Further down the road was a gathering of people. A familiar shade of red stood out with a straw hat. "Luffy!"

That beaming smile waved her down, along with the cries of a love cook. Luffy pointed back down the main road. "Ashe! Where have you been? You should totally see the view from the gallows! It's amazing!"

Slowing to a stop, she is approached by both Luffy and Sanji, a group of marines huddled further back as Zoro was off to the side, giving her a momentary glance. "That's not important right now. You all need to get back to the ship. Nami is setting sail. It is too dangerous to linger around any longer."

"You heard her. Get moving and hurry to the ship." Gruffed Zoro, staring down a dark-haired woman with their blades drawn.

Luffy nodded, "Got it, see you later." He trusted in Zoro's judgement and ran off down the road.

Sanji followed suit, "If you hurt the lady, I won't forgive you!" The love cook turned and winked at Ashe with a heart shaped eye, "Hurry back to me, my darling!"

With a sigh, she watched them go before standing off to the side, allowing Zoro to do his thing. "Hurry it up. We have to go."

Zoro gave an annoyed grunt, "I said go on ahead. I can handle this on my own."

"Nami's orders. She doesn't want me to let you get lost."

A tick mark formed on his head, "What am I?! Some lost child?"

"Apparently. Hurry it up."

"Roronoa Zoro! Stop ignoring me and face me!" Shouted out a young and womanly voice. She charged at Zoro, clashing their katanas in a battle of dominance.

Ashe watched the fight with little interest in the outcome. Instead, she stared at the woman herself. How could she not? Zoro was battling against Tashigi. The swordswoman from the weapons shop.

While Tashigi was skilled and trained religiously, Ashe already knew the outcome of this skirmish. That was why when Zoro pinned Tashigi to the pillar, it was of no surprise to her. There was always something holding Tashigi back.

"Why aren't you finishing me off?!" Tashigi screamed as Zoro showed mercy and walked away. "Is it because I'm a woman?!"

There it was.

The same excuse whenever Tashigi would lose a bout. Especially when it came to the men. She would just chalk it up and say it was natural. Even when she lost to the women, it was because they were just older and bigger. Ashe was no exception. Who was closest to her in age.

Zoro and Tashigi argued but she heard none of it. With a sigh, Zoro approached her with a glance before the two turned to leave. The Going Merry was their next destination.

"Wait! Don't think I didn't hear your name! Ashe!" Slowly turning back to peer over the shoulder, amethyst hair clung to her skin from the pouring rain. "Is this where you've been?! You're a pirate now? A traitor!" Shouted the woman, resentment in her voice.

Closing her eyes in contemplation, Ashe wanted to avoid this confrontation. Zoro stood to the side, hand resting on his katanas. "I am no pirate. Nor am I a Marine. Just a traveling alchemist trying to get into the Grand Line."

Tashigi stepped forward in confusion and rage. "I don't understand! You had it made! Respect, knowledge, power." Tashigi clutched at her chest, "I looked up to you! And then I woke up one day to find out you were a turn coat and vanished. I even found out you were going to be promoted to—"

"TASHIGI! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Howled Ashe in a fiery rage. Cutlass thrusted directly at Tashigi with a snarl and sharp yellowed eyes. A crescent wave of air flung forward, before dispersing from a lack of power and control.

The swordswoman instinctively flinched back in a half step. Bringing up her katana defensively if not shakily. Even Zoro unsheathed his katana by an inch.

Realizing what she's done, Ashe drops the cutlass onto the cobblestone with a dink. Recoiling as if she's been burned before practicing controlled breathing. "Tashigi…There is so much…you do not know about me. Things I do not want to tell you." Deep breath, control, stand straight. "Maybe one day, you'll grow strong enough to force them out of me. But that day is not today."

"How do you know that? I've grown stronger since you've last seen me." Tashigi assumed a one sword style stance. Locking eyes with those dull soulless orbs. She flinched, as if those eyes were staring through her, piercing the façade. Biting her lower lip, Tashigi dropped to the ground. "It's not fair…Why…Why is there such a gap between us? We are both women! Am I really that weak?"

"I don't know. Only you know the answer to that. I am off to the Grand Line now. Goodbye, Tashigi." Without so much as a wave or fanfare, Ashe turned and left the swordswoman to her lonesome. "We've wasted enough time here, let's go, Zoro."

Properly sheathing his katana, he stared at the soaked cutlass before following next to Ashe. "I don't take orders from you. But you're right. We need to hurry back to the Going Merry before we get left behind." As the two find a rhythm in their steps, a question blurts out from his thin lips. "Friend of yours?"

"…No…We just occasionally trained together. Nothing more."

"Does it bother you…being born a woman?"

Peeking from the corner of her eyes, she frowns. He was much taller than her, making Ashe look up awkwardly. "Absolutely not. Do not lump me in together with Tashigi. Man, woman, or whatever else may come…I will crush anything that gets in my way."

A silence fills in the gap between them momentarily. Only for a small smirk to nestle upon Zoro's face. "It seems, we have one thing in common after all."

( Author Note )

My apologies for this one being delayed. I was stuck in bed for two weeks solid due to sicknesses. Finally I am up on the mend and getting back to normal.