Quick note before you begin reading: This took me awhile to plan, and even at that, I'm still very unsatisfied with the way this chapter turned out and I'm still unsure if everything makes sense. I deeply apologize for that (and, yes, I apologize A LOT, that's just how I am). Also, I got a new keyboard, and it feels very weird to use, so, if there are mistakes here and there, just know that they were by accident. And I'm sick. Very sick. So give me a break, alright?

All in all, thank you everyone that has stayed with this story this far, because I know it's not the best story in the world. However, I still really appreciate all the support. Thank you and I hope you all enjoy.

Everyone tended to jump when the plate crashed onto the ground, finally breaking that heavy silence they had all fallen into. They looked back over their shoulders, towards Sanji, who had let the plate slip from his hands.

"S-Sorry…" Sanji stumbled out, looking down towards the shattered plate. He then walked off without another word, grabbing a broom and pan to clean up the mess.

"There has to be some sort of mistake…" Chopper mumbled, being the first to speak up about the subject at hand. His eyes were wider than normal and his words came out with nervous stutters. "M-Maybe that book you looked at was the wrong one. T-There's no way that…" Chopper couldn't even continue. He knew Robin wouldn't make a mistake like that.

"Are you sure?" Nami asked, a hand over her mouth. "There's nothing we can…"

Robin shook her head. "I've looked through everything that I have. Nothing that I've read has proven this wrong. It's done just the opposite."

"No…" Luffy mumbled, making his friends turn to him. "There has to be something."

"Luffy," Usopp said, eyebrows creasing, "you heard Robin. She's looked through-"

"Teaspoon's not gonna die on us!" Luffy shouted, standing to his feet and slamming his hands down on the table. "Those books were wrong! There has to be something!" Luffy then stormed out of the room, slamming the kitchen door behind him.

"Luffy!" Nami shouted, going to run after Luffy; however, the young captain soon returned, carrying all the pieces of armor the crew had gather thus far, minus the cursed box that has been placed in lock down.

Luffy dropped the pieces of armor onto the table, letting some role across the table top before stopping near the edge. He soon started yelling again.

"Oi, Shiny!" Luffy shouted, his face red slightly from his anger. "I know you can hear me! You have some explaining to do!"

"L-Luffy, that's-" Usopp was cut off by the armor actually answering.

"Of course I can hear you," Shiny said with a dramatic sigh. "Everyonecan hear you. I recommend that you low-"

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Luffy shouted slamming his hands down on the table.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Monkey D. Luffy," Shiny answered calmly, as per usual.

"You know what I'm talking about!" Luffy shouted once again. "Now give us answers!"

The room was silent as everyone waited for the armor to speak again, and after some time, he did.

"Would you have rather me tell you it was hopeless from the beginning?" Shiny asked, making most of the crew's eyes widen in horror. "You all wanted hope; I played along to give it to you. And now that you know the truth, I'll tell you: There is nothing you can do. Whether you want it to happen or not, Miss Chasaji is going to die by the end of this journey."

"What if we just cut you off before then?" Zoro asked, crossing his arms.

"Curses have ways of staying even if the object is removed, Roronoa Zoro," Shiny answered. "Whether you cut me off or not does not matter at this point. I've been attached long enough that my link with her will still be active even if I'm removed. I'd kill her right where she stood."

"It sounds like you want her to die, Shiny-san," Brook said a bit quietly.

Shiny seemed to fall silent for a moment, as if thinking, before speaking up again. "What happens to her is none of my concern. She's a mere human among many others. The only reason she's not dead yet is because I need her. She's also the most entertainment I've had in centuries."

"So you just consider her a free ride and entertainment?!" Sanji snarled, setting the broom from his hands aside. "And once you're done with her you're just gonna throw her away?! What happened to all that bullshit about-"

"That's the thing about stories," Shiny interrupted, knowing what the chef was going to say. "A traveler experiences something and decides to tell others. Those others pass it on, changing the story ever so slightly to fit their own benefits, or to make it seem more interesting to hear. Those people then go to tell other people, changing the story even more. This continues until the true story is lost to time."

"Like a child's game…" Nami mumbled, looking to her lap.

"In this case," Shiny continued, "the story about their being a, in your words, 'chosen one' is false. No one escapes my curse. Not even Mataj Torok."

"You killed your master?" Usopp asked, lifting an eyebrow in confusion.

"He wasn't my master," Shiny said, the words coming out bitterly. "The only reason I'm called his is because he was the longest to survive my curse."

"How?" Luffy asked.

"He made me a deal…" Shiny answered calmly before his words began getting quieter, as if he was talking to himself. "I stayed with him for years, all so he could accomplish one stupid wish… But like any human, he was overcome by greed, blinded by the power I had given him… I should have known better than to help a stupid mortal…"

"He betrayed you," Robin said, tilting her head. "He went back on the deal you two had made, right?"

"Yes," Shiny answered bitterly. This obviously angered him. "I should have known that he was going to go back on his word the second I saw him writing that journal… But I put my trust in him… I believed he would help me, but he didn't… After his death, his men split up my pieces. I tried for years to find them, using other people as hosts, but they were exactly like him… All they wanted was power…control…"

"So you killed them?" Franky asked.

Shiny didn't answer Franky's question, but it was quite obvious the answer was yes.

"What is it you really want?" Zoro asked with a small snarl. "You have more on your agenda then just wanting to find your pieces."

Shiny took a moment before he answered Zoro's question. "I want peace."

"Peace?" Sanji scoffed, light one of his cigarettes. "What the hell is that supposed to mean…?"

"Living for centuries is not what it's 'cracked up' to be, Master Cook," Shiny said. "I want rest. I don't want to be used for people's personal gain anymore, and I don't want to grant anyone else my power. I want to be destroyed."

"But I thought you couldn't be destroyed?" Usopp asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Everything can be destroyed by something, Master Sniper," Shiny said. "There is one place where I can finally be put to rest."

"Why didn't you mention this before?" Nami asked.

"Because he didn't trust us," Robin said with a smiling, looking to the armor. "He didn't think we would do it."

"We'd help you," Luffy said, with a shrug. It was apparent to Luffy how much Shiny had been suffering for centuries, wanting nothing but his own destruction and never getting it.

"Those are mere words, Monkey D. Luffy," Shiny said, making Luffy scowl. "And that still does not change a thing for you. As I said before, I cannot simply 'free' Miss Chasaji, even if I wanted to. It does not work like that. Even Mataj Torok knew that removing me from his body would cost his life in the end. Miss Chasaji knows the same."

"I refuse to believe that," Luffy said sternly, putting his hands on his hips. "We'll save Teaspoon, and we'll keep our promise to you. You can't just expect us to give up!"

Shiny was silent, as if thinking over what Luffy said.

"Do whatever you like," Shiny said before he left, leaving the crew in silence until they decided sleep was the best thing they could do.

Zoro turned in his bunk again, slamming his head against his pillow before shutting his eye. His eyebrows slowly creased together in his irritation. His brain just wouldn't stop thinking about earlier, nor would his ears stop focusing on the snores coming from his comrades.

Something about earlier bugged him, and it ticked him off that he couldn't figure it out. He just couldn't get to sleep. He never had any problems falling asleep before, so he didn't see why now would be so different.

Zoro sighed and sat up, rubbing his face. He glanced around the room, seeing everyone else was fast asleep. Luffy was hanging out of his bunk, his foot barely touching Usopp's nose as he also hung out; Chopper was snug under the covers of his bunk, snoring; the cook neatly in his bunk, back towards the swordsman as if wanting nothing to do with him; Brook was singing in his sleep, a few snores every now and then; and Franky was sprawled over his bunk, sheets tousled, as he snored just as loud as anyone else.

Zoro swung his legs out from his bunk, gently pushing Brook's boney leg aside as he stood to his feet. Maybe some fresh-air would get his mind away from things. Hopefully let him realize he was worrying over nothing.

Zoro grabbed one of his blades, slipping it through one of the loops in his pants before heading out the door, making sure he didn't wake anyone up. He doubted that the others would stop questioning him if they found out he was having trouble sleeping for something so juvenile.

Once outside, Zoro immediately headed towards the edge of the ship, leaning over the railing to get a look at sea. The moon's reflection shimmered off the rippling water, and small stars could be visible in the dark sky. It was beautiful, to say the least, but the view didn't help the swordsman feel any better. Something was still bugging him, making his stomach turn and form knots.

"Damn it!" Zoro snarled, lowering his head and running his hands through his hair. He had an idea about what emotion he was feeling that was making his stomach churn, and he hated the idea. It must have been something different, he couldn't be…

"Mochi?"

Zoro lifted his head and looked back over his shoulder. Surprisingly, Chas was standing there with her arms crossed under her chest, eyebrow lifted.

"What are ya doin' out here?" Chas asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I could ask you the same thing," Zoro replied, following Chas as she walked to stand beside him. Luckily, his voice didn't show that there was something wrong.

Chas pointed over her shoulder, towards the kitchen. "I was gettin' a drink from the kitchen and was just headin' back when I saw ya standin' here..." Chas tilted her head again, her gaze turning from confused to a look of concern. "Somethin' botherin' ya?"

Zoro looked back out towards the water, hiding whatever stress that could have been read on his face earlier. "Just thinking about something..."

Chas hummed, turning her head to look out towards the sea also.

"Ya have a nightmare?" Chas suddenly asked, turning her head to Zoro again.

Zoro's strict expression faltered for a moment, something Chas hadn't failed to notice.

Chas smirked and began giggling, making a blush rise and brighten on the swordsman's face. "Oh my god... The big bad swordsman actually has nightmares?"

"S-shut up!" Zoro snapped, glaring at Chas. He shoved Chas slightly, but she still continued to laugh. "It wasn't a nightmare, damn it!"

"Sure it wasn't," Chas laughed, holding her sides. After a moment, her laughter calmed, coming out as light chuckles until she stopped. "If it wasn't nightmare, what's gotten ya in such a twist?"

"It's none of your business, Manju," Zoro snarled, turning his head to look in the opposite direction.

Chas frowned, beginning to feel like Zoro was shrugging her off. It was clear he didn't want to be bothered, but Chas just couldn't get herself to walk away knowing that something was really bothering him. However, Chas couldn't get herself to say anything either.

The silence wasn't exactly unbearable, but it was obvious neither Chas nor Zoro had anything more to say to each other. Chas knew there was no way she could get Zoro to tell her what was bothering him, and Zoro didn't know how to explain what was wrong with him, so he didn't try.

Zoro turned his head slightly, glancing over towards Chas. Chas stood next to him with her chin on her palm, looking down at the rippling water. It was as if looking at her shed some light on what had gotten the swordsman in such a bunch. And it was like he had thought: He was scared. He was scared of losing someone his heart had deemed so important, someone that he had grown to know so well.

Zoro knew he himself would be considered strong on a physical, and most likely mental, scale. He knew that he could protect Chas, easily, and a stupid curse from Shiny was no different. The same goes for everyone else of the crew. They wouldn't give her up so easily. Yet, there was a small, very small, portion of his mind, far in the back, where the 'what if' questions were stirring. And after another moment or two, Zoro realized he was being a fool. He didn't need to worry, he didn't need to be scared, because no matter what, he would do everything he could to protect her.

Chas turned her head, feeling her heart leap in her chest when she saw Zoro staring at her. He was scowling at her, as if thinking.

"M-Mochi?" Chas stuttered, feeling her cheeks flush. "Is something wrong?"

Zoro chuckled, giving a small smirk as he looked away, turning towards the water. "Nothing."

Chas was the one now scowling, mostly in confusion though. However, instead of asking a question she knew she would receive no answer to, she looked away, back towards the water.

Zoro took a moment before he spoke up again.

"I'm going to protect you," he said calmly.

Chas turned her head, looking to the swordsman confused. "Ya say somethin', Mochi?" She hadn't heard him over the crashing waves against the ship, and also because she wasn't paying attention.

Zoro turned his head, scowling at Chas for not hearing him. However, he saw no point in clarifying and thought it would be more amusing just leaving her wondering what he had said.

"Nothing," Zoro answered with a smirk, pushing away from the railing. "I'm gonna head back to bed. You might want to do the same, Manju."

Chas could only stare as Zoro began walking away, heading back to the men's room.

"Don't think I'm going to be letting you sleep in tomorrow," Zoro said, waving a hand over his shoulder. "We have a lot of work to do." Zoro then disappeared behind the door of the men's room, leaving Chas on deck alone, still trying figure out what she had missed.