- Chapter 2 - A Witch in the Woods

The farmer's market was located along a lengthy stretch of road near the harbour. Farmers and fishermen among other sellers were showcasing their goods, the entire area bustling as consumers conversed and shopped. The scent of newly caught fish and fresh produce was enthralling to one Straw Hat cook as he meandered from one stall to another, browsing to his heart's content. Inspecting the options of ingredients and cuisine with a keen eye, he only purchased the best from each seller's stand. Though he admittedly was not as proficient at bartering as his precious Nami was, he had managed to obtain a fair haul of goods considering the amount of gold he spent. Food was his specialty, after all.

I'm certain my Nami will be so happy! Maybe– maybe she'd even show me a little appreciation for my efforts… Sanji's mind wandered off as he imagined his beautiful navigator fluttering her half-lidded lashes as she gazed up at him, her body pressing up against his. He could see in his mind's eye a soft, delicious smile blooming on her face as she praised him for his hard work. Her hands twirling strands of his hair around her fingers as her face came closer to his, eyes closing just as their lips were about to connect–

The feeling of someone knocking into him broke the cook from his reverie, reality hitting him just as hard as he heard a gruff voice follow suit, "Hey, pay attention to where you're going, dimwit!"

Sanji shot a glare at the individual who ruined his moment with his fanciful Nami. The man was tall and built like a dumpling. A thick, bushy beard paired with eyebrows just as dense made up over half his face. Dark, narrowed eyes studied the cook with his arms full of bags as they glared at each other, the large man seeming to examine him. With a visible shift of his bristly eyebrows, the hulking man shook his head and turned his back on the blonde and walked away, somehow disappearing in the crowd despite his size.

Sanji stood in place for another moment, his scowl softening to a frown as he considered the strange interaction; if he could even call it that, "What was his problem?" He scoffed to himself, turning back to the stand that he had originally been scanning before he lost himself to his daydream.

"Oh my," a lady remarked, "don't mind him, dear. He's always very crabby around new folk. Always thinking they could be a danger to our little island. We've had our fair share of issues with the Marines as of late, so he sees any new face as a threat."

The Straw Hat's cook paused, his full attention on the woman who had just spoken. She stood short behind the stall with an apron covering her front, her graying hair was up in a neat bun and her smile showed her age on her face. Apprehensively, Sanji responded to her comment, "What do you mean, exactly? Could you elaborate on that for me a bit?"

The elderly woman chuckled and nodded, "Of course, my apologies. That man you bumped into is Monji, a dock worker here in Perigord. He's been at the forefront of many of the confrontations we've had with Marine ships docking at our town's harbour and making unreasonable demands of our people. Ever since the witch arrived, we've been seeing them more and more–"

"Wait, wait," Sanji interrupted, holding up a hand to pause her as he gathered his thoughts, "did you say a witch?" He immediately thought of Dr. Kureha, Chopper's former mentor from Drum Island. Was this witch similar to the doctor? Was she even a witch at all for that matter?

"Indeed young man, she washed ashore not eight months ago or so. She has become a source of pride within the community with her abilities and knowledge. However, due to said knowledge and power the Marines have set their sights on her," solemnly, she shook her head and her face puckered in distaste, "Due to that, they have been causing many issues for us and have been trying to tax us heavily unless we give in to their requests… namely handing her over to them. I don't blame her, however– she has been more than helpful to our Island."

The blonde was silent for a moment as he processed the information she had just told him. So Marines were an issue here too, huh? Guess they'd have to make a getaway sooner than they thought if they wanted to avoid a confrontation of their own. The details of a witch were interesting too, don't get him wrong, but their priority was getting supplies and making headway to their target destination– not getting into another fight with Marines over a potentially wrinkly, albeit helpful old witch woman or whatever she was.

"I see," Sanji murmured finally, sighing, "That's a bummer. How often do the Marines come by here? Are they due to come by again soon?"

The older lady hummed as she stared off in thought, "They come by every so often… Perhaps once a month at most? They do get called away frequently, however they tend to stay for over a week each time. I couldn't say when they are due to return," she stated, looking Sanji in the eye with a serious expression, "I fear it might be soon though. Best keep your wits about you, young man. They can be a nasty lot."

Nodding his head in understanding, the cook regarded her heavily, "Thanks for the heads up, ma'am. I best get going," he bowed his head politely and turned to make his way through the crowd once more, his mind whirring with the details she'd shared with him. He needed to go and meet up with Nami and Robin soon and warn them before anything happened.

x . ~ . x . ~ . x

Just where the hell did the town go? Zoro groaned to himself as he carried three large bags full of goods for trade. If he didn't find the shop and trade these things in for some gold, Nami was going to let him have it. Just thinking of it exacerbated him. All he could see around him were trees, a dense forest of green. No sign of a town anywhere. How long had he been walking for? They were just outside the town when they arrived at the harbor, so how did he miss it entirely?

Pausing, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, listening to the sounds of nature the forest provided. He could hear the breeze rustling through the leaves and other foliage, the chittering of squirrels and coo's of birds. It felt tranquil, peaceful even. He hadn't been in such a calming environment in quite a while. To his recollection, all the other forests or jungles he and his crewmates had visited recently were death traps with strange and dangerous creatures ready to swallow them whole. Maybe he could take in the amity for a bit? A nap was beginning to sound very nice right about now. Zoro opened his eyes and peered skyward, frowning when all he could see were dense leaves above him. He'd have to find a patch of sky to see where the sun was to make sure he didn't waste time and teeter on receiving Nami's anger. That girl certainly had a temper to her.

The swordsman sighed heavily and adjusted his grip on the large bags before trudging on, keeping an eye and an ear out for anything out of place.

Guess a nap would have to wait.

The trickle of water sounded in his ear as he walked, making him halt in his step as he heard another noise accompany it. Is that swearing he was hearing? It sounded feminine in nature, but it had been proven to him that not all feminine voices belonged to women...

Cautiously, Zoro slowly neared a group of trees and shrub that bordered what he could only conclude was a river stream and silently dropped the bags for trade, nestling his hands on his sword hilts. Trying to make as little sound as possible, he peered through some of the leaves that cloaked him to see what was causing the disturbance in the forest's tranquil atmosphere.

"...stupid pipes…cold… hot springs!"

Several meters ahead within the river was a young woman. Her back was facing his direction, her body submerged from the torso and below. Furiously she scrubbed at the skin of her arms and she seemed to shiver from the cold water. She growled, her voice much louder now that he was within hearing distance, "The damn pipes just had to burst while I was preparing to have a warm bath. I mean really, just how fucked is my luck? Ugh!" Suddenly the girl halted in her movement, arm still outstretched in front of her. Just as abruptly, she dove fully under the water and Zoro lost sight of her completely. He stayed crouched, eyeing the rippling river water, Seconds turned to minutes yet she still didn't resurface.

Frowning, he wondered if some kind of creature may have dragged her under water– next thing he knew though, the girl had reappeared along the bed of the river, dressed half-hazardly in a towel and aiming a longbow in his direction. His eyes widened, brain short-circuiting a moment as he realized she was aware of his presence. She was fast.

"I know you're there, pervert. Come out slowly or I will shoot," the girl commanded, her stance steady and determined. A smirk appeared across his lips. He stood from his crouched position and stepped out of his concealment behind the brush, keeping one of his hands positioned over the hilts of his swords while his other sat on his waist. Her eyes followed him as he made his appearance, watching his every movement like a hawk… like she expected him to attack, "Who are you and what is your purpose here?" She demanded, her voice stiff and low.

Zoro raised an eyebrow, shrugging his shoulders, "I was on my way to exchange some goods in the town then heard someone swearing like a sailor so I went to have a look. That's how I got here."

She narrowed her eyes at him, examining him and tilted her head almost inquisitively as she spoke, "If you meant to trade goods in town, why are you in the forest then? This is nowhere near the location you said was your intended destination."

Sweat-dropping, the swordsman looked away as his face began to turn red against his tanned skin, "I, uh– well…" He stuttered, scrunching his face as he admitted what he didn't wish to, "...I got lost."

The girl blinked once, twice, three times before she pursed her lips together and made a choking sound. It caught his attention despite his embarrassment and he noticed she was trying to hold back a laugh.

Damnit it.

"Lost… Pfft, I see. He hehe. I understand now," she said, lowering her bow as a few giggles escaped her, "I can tell you're telling the truth," she took a deep breath to compose herself before she continued, "Sorry about that. I'm sure you understand, considering my… precarious situation, right?"

"Uh, yeah…" Zoro agreed, his face flushing as he registered in her state of dress once more. Due to the earlier tension, he didn't really pay attention to her lack of clothing until now. All she wore was a flimsy white towel to cover her still dripping wet body, her long raven hair sticking to her skin like black vines. The more he realized, the redder his face got and he suddenly spun around in a stiff manner, resembling a food soldier with how straight his back was. Another giggle sounded behind him at his actions, then he heard shuffling. He didn't dare turn around again even when he heard the crunching of shoe-clad feet walking towards him from behind. The clearing of a throat gave him sound permission to look over his shoulder at the girl, now fully dressed in a sky-blue tank top and white shorts. Her feet sported brown sandals similar to those that Nami wore, her bow and a quiver strung over her shoulder as well as a raggedy yellow bag. She gave him a light smile, brushing her still damp hair out of her face as she looked at him.

"Thank you for being considerate. How about I show you the way to the town? I'm on my way back myself," eyes widening, she hurried to continue, "I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Higurashi, Kagome."

It took a moment to respond as he stared at her, namely her eyes– how were they so blue? Robin had blue eyes too, yet hers were intense in their pigment. Why did it matter? It was distracting him and he had to shake his head to regain focus.

"Hello? Swordsman-san…?"

He blinked, "Uh, what did you say?"

She gave him a look and repeated, "I just asked for your name?"

"Ah, right. I'm Roronoa, Zoro."

Nodding, she smiled once more at him, angling her body in an entirely different direction he had originally been heading, "I see, Roronoa-san. Shall we get going then?"

"Yeah, just hold on a second," he muttered as he returned behind the shrubbery to retrieve the three bags of trading goods before he walked back up to her, "Just call me Zoro," he said, keeping his gaze straight ahead.

She chuckled, "Alright, then call me Kagome. I prefer that too."

x . ~ . x . ~ . x

"Food! Food food food food food food foo–"

"Oh, just stuff it already!" Nami screamed, shoving a large hambone in her captain's mouth. The Straw Hat captain ate it greedily as they sat inside one of the only pubs within Perigord town, the Tartufo Bianco. So far, only Luffy, Nami, Robin, and Usopp had gathered at the designated meeting place. They hadn't been there long, yet as time went by they wondered where the rest of their crew was. Luckily, Nami was relieved Luffy had somehow stayed out of trouble despite his wandering around the town. One thing seemed to be looking up for them, at least.

As they sat and conversed lightly– ignoring Luffy as he devoured plate after plate of food– Sanji made his arrival, shoving the doors open and searching the bar for two distinct female crewmembers. Once he spotted a head of short orange hair, his face lit up and he practically danced towards them, arms flailing behind him as he called out their names, "Nami baby! Robin, my love! You look gorgeous even under the dim lighting of this dingy place!"

"Yeah yeah, come sit down. Robin and I heard some interesting rumors while we were walking around town," Nami said, lowering her voice. Not needing to be told twice, the cook eagerly took the seat beside his beautiful navigator and leaned towards her, "I have some information to share too, Nami-swan! I also saved quite a bit of the berri you gave me despite everything I bought. Are you proud of me, my sweet?"

"I–" she started, leaning away from his close proximity before she let out a breath, "Lower your voice, we don't need others to hear our discussion here."

Swaying like a palm leaf in a breeze, Sanji covered his mouth as he set a heart-filled gaze on the girl beside him, "Of course, my dear! Anything for you~"

Nami just sighed at his antics. Why were all the men in her crew such idiots?

Robin spoke for the first time since Sanji's arrival, "We heard something about a witch residing within the town. Apparently, she is quite revered by the inhabitants of the island."

"A wi-wi-witch?" Usopp stuttered, his voice quaking, "D-do you mean a real w-witch? Or s-someone like Dr. Kureha?"

Regaining some of his composure, the blonde looked at Robin with a sedated expression, "Yeah, I heard about this witch too while I was at the market. I also heard about the Marine's putting pressure on the town's people to get their hands on her."

Nami and Robin shared a knowing look before the former spoke, "We heard the same. Some of the people we spoke to described some of her miraculous acts and honestly, it sounds like it could be the work of a Devil Fruit," she folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair, a contemplative look on her face, "What I don't get is why the Marines are so obsessed with her? What do they want an old woman for, even if she is a Devil Fruit user? They have plenty of Devil Fruit users among their ranks, and powerful ones to boot. What use is a healer compared to the likes of them?"

"S-so, she is like Dr. Kureha?" Usopp interjected, feeling a little lost. Luffy looked up from his plate as he listened to the conversation taking place around him, putting the cleaned bone on a stack of plates beside him, "Maybe she's actually an alien from another world."

"Shut it, you idiot!" Nami, Sanji and Usopp yelled in unison, Usopp slamming a fist onto the head of his dolt of a captain. Said captain whined and rubbed his head as he pouted, "What? It would be so cool!"

Sighing heavily, Nami ignored him and turned to face the others, "Anyway, this whole thing rubs me the wrong way. I can't explain why though."

"I agree, something doesn't seem right," Robin conquered, her features displaying a delicate frown, "I am under the impression that not everything is as it seems with this 'witch'."

"Ah, you are so smart Robin-chan! No one is as beautiful or intuitive as you!" Sanji praised the brunette. Nami punched him in the side of his head, her brow twitching in annoyance, "Will you shut up for once? You're making people look at us. We don't want to gain more attention than we already have!" She pointed at Luffy's gluttonous appetite and his stack of dishes on the other side of the table. For once, Sanji collected himself in the presence of his two favorite women, albeit at the request of one of said women, and took stock of who was gathered at the table.

"Say, where's Chopper?" He asked, glancing around the rest of the pub for a tiny blue-nosed reindeer wearing a pink hat. His question made his other crew members look around as well, some shrugging in uncertainty.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him nor Zoro since we all left the harbour," Usopp commented. Sanji muttered how he wasn't concerned about the stupid weed head under his breath, Usopp rolling his eyes and looking at his friends, "Should someone go looking for them?"

The Straw Hat navigator groaned, "I bet Zoro got lost again. Seriously, how has he survived so long with his poor sense of direction? He even got lost during one of the Foxy Pirates games!" Everyone nodded in agreement, wondering the same thing. Remembering the task she delegated to the former bounty hunter, Nami grit her teeth, "I swear if he still hasn't traded those bags in for gold, I'm going to let him have it. I shouldn't have had any faith in him to begin with."

"Who's going to let who have it?"

Everyone turned to the entrance of the Tartufo Bianco to see the man in question, arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. Standing beside him was a shorter woman with long, wavy black hair and piercing blue eyes. She had a longbow, quiver, and worn yellow bag thrown over her shoulders and a dazzling smile on her lips. Instantly, Sanji's face glowed as he pranced over to the noirette who stood beside the dumb Marimo, falling onto one knee and grasping her hands in his, a startled look crossing her features.

"My dear, your beauty knows no bounds! Looking into your stunning cerulean eyes, I feel the connection between us like the red string of fate! My heart is overjoyed–" The cook's rambling was interrupted by a kick to the face from the green-haired man, his face contorted from irritation. He took a step in front of the girl, blocking the blonde's view of her and they glared at each other, "What do you think you're doing, moss head?"

"I could ask you the same thing, curly brow," Zoro grumbled, unmoving. Peeking around his large form, the girl looked down at Sanji with suspicion, her lips twisting in mild discomfort. She looked up at Zoro with questioning eyes, the green-haired man glancing at her in his peripheral and huffing. He placed a hand on the small of her back and directed her towards the table with his other crew members, all of whom were watching the interaction with wide eyes. Sanji stared at the back of the Marimo's head in fury.

What the heck was going on?!

"This is Kagome," Zoro introduced; the girl waved her hand timidly, sticking close to the swordsman, "She, uh, helped me out with the trade and stuff."

"Hello, I'm sorry to disrupt your meals. I figured it would be best to show Zoro the way to get here, since I found him in the forest half a mile outside of town. He doesn't seem to have a very good sense of direction," Kagome stated bluntly, causing the swordsman to gape at her and growl. She simply giggled in response, unperturbed by his reaction and smirked at him, "Well, I'm not wrong, am I?"

The whole table stared at them, silent, until a wheeze escaped from Nami and they all burst out laughing, save for Robin who chuckled. Zoro's brows twitched the more they laughed before he finally erupted, "Shut up! It's not funny!"

"You're right, it's not funny," Nami croaked, holding her stomach as she inhaled a breath, "It's hilarious!"

Usopp managed to control himself enough to speak, "I was wondering if we'd have to send someone out to find you. Luckily you had your own personal tour guide to show you around!"

"Alright, let's settle down now," Robin said, her calm demeanor rubbing off on the others as she spoke, "It's nice to meet you, Kagome. Thank you for showing our swordsman the way here. Why don't you join us?"

Waving her hands before her, Kagome stammered, "Oh, it was no problem. I didn't mind at all; he's good company," everyone looked at her dubiously, and she blinked, "honestly, I mean it. It was no trouble. I wouldn't want to intrude more than I have. Thank you for the offer though."

Zoro pulled out a chair beside Kagome and placed his hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her down into the seat, "Just sit, they won't shut up otherwise," he muttered, taking the seat beside her.

Sanji finally returned to his seat beside Nami, a heavy scowl on his face and he stared daggers at Zoro. Kagome glanced between the two of them, her brows furrowed in moderate concern before she turned her attention to the others, "Thank you, then. It's nice to meet you guys. My name is Higurashi, Kagome."

Luffy spoke up through a mouthful of food, "I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" Nami thwacked him behind the head and muttered about a lack of manners and before placing a smile on her face as she regarded the noirette, "I'm Nami and this is Robin, Usopp," she indicated towards each member as she announced their names, "and Sanji."

At his name, Sanji swiveled his head towards Nami, his glare instantly replaced with a visage of amour, "You rang, my sweet?"

"I-I see…" Kagome sweat-dropped, looking at Usopp and asking, "Is he always like that?"

Usopp went to answer her but Zoro beat him to it, "Yep. He's always been a perverted, terrible cook. Just ignore him."

Sanji's glare was back on his face as he yelled, "What did you just call me, Marimo?"

Zoro glared right back, "You heard me. Are your ears full of seawater?"

The blond stood up from his chair to gain height over the seated swordsman, his scowl intensifying, "I'd be wondering more if you actually have a brain inside that empty green weed you call a head, dumbass!"

Kagome gasped as the swordsman sprung up from his seat, the two men in their own world as they glared at one another and threw one insult after another, ignoring everyone else around them. With a huff, she stood from her own seat and narrowed her eyes at them both. Nami seemed to be on the same page as she stood as well, hands on her hips as she was prepared to let them have it. Before she could do so however, Kagome had beaten her to it and grabbed both men's ears, dragging them low to the ground with a twist. Their insults were replaced with protests and grunts of pain, Kagome releasing her hold on them and she sat down without a word, ignoring both men in favor of conversing with the four others. Those two reminded her too much of another rivalry duo…

Fortunately, it appeared both the cook and swordsman got the hint and pouted in their own ways silently at the table, the former glaring at the wall and the latter downing mug after mug of sake. It was finally peaceful…

The door burst open and a small, blue-nosed reindeer ran in with watery eyes, voice carrying as he ran towards their table, "I- I heard something terrible! The Ma-Marines! They're coming!"

…Maybe they spoke too soon.

x . ~ . x . ~ . x

And here is Chapter 2! Thank you everyone who has read and reviewed so far; I was honestly astonished by how much engagement this has received from a single chapter. Another big thanks to those who've PM'd me offering to make artwork for this fiction. I've never been at this point, so I hope I don't disappoint.

If you see anything that needs an edit, please let me know! I've looked this over a few times and made some tweaks already, but who's to say I caught everything?

Until next time~