"Morning Beautiful."

"Morning Sanji," you bowed your head with an amused snicker.

"You're up pretty early today (Y/n)," Sanji comments before returning to the stove with his back to you. Your ears heard the sizzle and pop of bacon meanwhile your nose picked up the smell of greasy, savory heaven. It made your stomach rumble even more than before. That was when you remembered the Cook said something to you and it would be rude to just ignore him.

"Yeah, the fact that you're the only one awake says a lot doesn't it?" You finally comment back, the sun was just barely rising over the horizon of the deep blue sea based on what you saw through the window.

Sanji blinked letting your comment sink in before gazing out the window with you. "Not that it's peculiar," the blonde began. "But you normally sleep in until the Mosshead wakes up."

"I know," you agree and cross your arms. "For some reason I haven't been able to sleep well lately," you sigh wondering if you should admit your reasons behind such a phrase. Let's just hope this conversation blows over.

"Bad dreams?" Sanji pushed the conversation forwards just like you Didn't want to avoid. "Maybe Zoro's snoring keeps you awake at night," you snorted to Sanji's small joke. "But really, is there something going on? It must take a lot to get through your tough shell."

"There is but..."

"But what (Y/n)?" Sanji crossed his arms.

"I've told Zoro already and he says I'm nuts," you sigh and take a seat at the counter to the kitchen. "You two fight an awful lot over your differences but you both are quite similar as well. I have a feeling you'll say the sane thing as he did."

Sanji hummed, standing across from you. "You could be right (Y/n). But we won't know unless you tell me what's up," such a brilliant reply.

The corners of your mouth pulled slightly, and you adjusted within your seat. "I can't help but feel watched... My skin crawls and my haki runs wild. I'm afraid to be alone y'know."

"So you use Observation Haki too huh?" The cook rather states more than asks. "At least half of the crew uses it and I haven't sensed a thing. You sure you sensed another presence?"

Immediately a whimper escaped your throat. "I don't sense anything during the day but it goes ramped at night. Like one second the presence is at the front of the Sunny and the crowsnest the next. Unless I'm sensing ghosts, there's something going bump in the night here on the Sunny," you felt crazy just explaining this phenomenon to Sanji the second tine around. You could mentally imagine Zoro's crossed facial expression again and want to cry.

Sanji hummed again, he saw the worry flood your face. "Now that you mention it... Luffy's been cranky lately cause he hasn't been sleeping well either."

"Oh thank god I'm not crazy," you held a hand to your chest.

"Technically it doesn't prove a thing," Sanji shrugged, tossing you a small plate of bacon to hold you over until breakfast. "Normally Brook takes the nightwatch, maybe you and Zoro can talk him into giving up his shift for tonight."

"That's not a bad idea," you lit up. "Yeah, I'll get Zoro to pull an all nighter with me."

"At least we got somewhere eh?" Sanji chuckled but went silent suddenly. "What're you doing with Zoro's sword?" He points at the sword sheathed in red strapped to your hip.

"Since I'm Zoro's third sword, he gave me one of his swords since Shanks' old one was too dull and unable to repair," you gladly explained holding the sword within your palms.

"That's smart but also risky for multiple reasons," Sanji frowned.

"W-why?"

"What if you're not there and Zoro has to fight? He'll have to fight with two swords when he prefers three. It could change the outcome of the battle," that factor never crossed your mind, guilt sat in almost immediately. "Plus (Y/n) it might be in your best favor to pick out your own sword at the next port... That's Zoro's cursed sword. It has a mind of its own."

"C-cursed?" You choked, gripping the sword tighter. That eerie sinister feeling emanating off the sword was the result of a curse thrown upon it. "Mihawk has told me about swords like this... I should keep away from them unless I have the spirit to make it one with myself. If not... It could kill me."

"So is it a shape-shifter like you?" Sanji gasped.

"N-no not exactly. But it's the same idea," you frowned. "Cursed swords do in fact have a mind of its own, but they can be wield by anyone unlike me who can only be wield by my other half. Which in this case is Zoro."

"Okay I understand," Sanji reassured.

"Cool but... Zoro could've warned me before giving me a cursed artifact."

"Yeah he should've," Sanji tuts, returning to breakfast.

You thought more on the subject, nibbling on a slice of bacon growing deeper and deeper in thought. "I'm going to talk with him later, probably tonight when we stake out." And the date was set.

-----

"Please!"

"No," Zoro growled.

"Come on Old Man do something for me just this once," you begged pressing your hands to Zoro's bare chest as he tried to step around you. He sighed, giving up his escape to hear you out with one cocked brow. "Take Brook's night shift with me just for tonight. I want to figure out what's been keeping me up at night."

"Why can't you do it alone?" The Mosshead groaned. "We do everything together as it is, can't you do the shift?"

"Says the guy who sleeps all day as it is," you tut with a pout. "All that I ask is for you to take the shift with me. You can sleep all night if you please. I just want you around in case something goes south... And so I don't get lonely," you mumble to yourself watching as his expressions changed within the second.

Zoro growled, "Throw in a bottle of sake and I might agree," he turned his nose up at you like a child.

"How about we snuggle and I won't bring up the fact you gave me a cursed sword," Zoro choked hearing your next offer.

"Crap," he muttered under his breath. "I can take the sword back-"

"Do we have a deal or not Old Man?" You leaned forward from your spot with a cocky grin. Zoro knew his girlfriend backed him up into a corner and he'd have no choice but to comply.

"Yeah it's a deal..."

-----

It was roughly around midnight, the time you went to sleep each and every night. Zoro was out bargaining with Sanji for one bottle of sake to get him through the night. Even though you knew the brute will out within a half-hour into the night shift, you were going to let him argue his way into getting his butt handed to him by Sanji keeping in mind he only had two swords.

While Zoro was doing that, you were setting up the stake out. More it was a surprise date, but what Zoro doesn't know won't kill him. You sat upon your knees straightening out the cute plush blanket you lied upon the ground at the base of one of Nami's Tangerine Trees. There wasn't really much else though, tonight shall be quiet and run smoothely!!!

You heard trudging of footsteps from afar. The noise had you turning yourself to the source, it was Zoro rubbing the back of his head with an annoyed groan. "Old Man got beaten up by the Perv-"

"Shut it!" Zoro snapped.

"Fine," you huff. Zoro sat down on the blanket beside you, lying his back against the trunk of the tree. Zoro pats his lap stretching out his legs before him. No words were needed to tell what he meant. You crawled over and sat between Zoro's legs and leaned back to use Zoro's chest as a personal pillow. It was that one sweet touch that he wrapped his arms around your stomach. Even though it was night, something about sitting under one of Nami's Tangerine trees while gazing out upon the sparkling sea in the dead of night made this experience nostalgic.

It wasn't long before you both drifted to cloud nine.

Bo-iiiiing!

Bo-iiiiing!

Bo-iiiiing!

Pulled from sleep, that was what you heard. The compress and release of springs? It was all so puzzling, even your haki was going haywire once again to a presence bouncing around the ship like crazy without rhyme or reason. This, this must be the mystery presence!

"Zoro Zoro get up," you pat his chest aggressively, but he doesn't stir. You growled and full on whail on his chest before giving up and giving the deck a search. However, the noises stopped and your haki claims that the mystery presence was nowhere to be detected.

"Crap..." You collapsed onto the deck. "Zoro was right... I really was chasing after ghosts..."