2017 Note:
I have recently gotten some reviews so I must add:

These are from 2011! they are not going to be changed, edited or continued.

The animal references are from Vol. 20, so yes, a lot have happened since.

Hunting a Shark.

One Piece belongs to the wonderful Oda Eiichiro, who's got a hilarious humor and some mean drawing Skillz!

A/N This is my first written fanfic. It is number one of an installment of five stories in the Raising Anchor series.

English is not my first language, so some of the phrases may be a little weird. Many thanks to my Beta Death by manga, who have removed the worst spelling and grammar mistakes :)

The Usual Animal Note:

Oda Eiichiro comments himself that Roronoa Zoro resembles a shark.

Looking at different shark species I believe it must be the Galeocerdo cuvier, the Tiger Shark, in Japanese Itachizame.

Its name derives from the dark stripes down its body, which resemble a tiger's pattern and fade as the shark matures. It is found in many tropical and temperate oceans, and is especially common around central Pacific islands. The tiger shark is a solitary, mostly night-time hunter. Its diet involves a wide range of prey, including fish, seals, birds, smaller sharks, squid, turtles, sea snakes, and dolphins. While the tiger shark is considered to be one of the sharks most dangerous to humans, the attack rate is surprisingly low according to researchers. Despite their sluggish appearance, tiger sharks are one of the strongest swimmers of the carcharhinid sharks. Once the shark has come close, a speed burst allows it to reach the intended prey before it can escape.

The tiger shark is a near threatened species.

Playing Pirates and Marines

Ensign Tashigi of the Marine walked peacefully down the street feeling slightly off walking on firm ground after a month on water. Pistaciotown on SuckerIce island was friendly with no unusual habits unless you counted their tendency to paint everything in green and pink pastels, and mainly proud of their skilled Ice Cream vendors. She considered staying a couple of days to finish her back load of paperwork and maybe taste the grasshopper-honey appelberry dish, if she dared. The dish was claimed to be the best ice cream in the world, but you shouldn't eat anything else for 24 hours afterward.

The time was somewhat near lunch. She squinted at the glittering clock at the tower of the Town Hall. Yeah, certainly near lunchtime. She turned around to head back to a small restaurant she noticed on her way and bumped straight into someone.

'I'm so sorry I didn't…You!''

She recognized the person standing in front of her and started fumbling for Shigure. Tashigi hadn't seen him for a long time and he was wearing some different cloths and had gathered even more scars, but it was the same green hair the same constant scowl and three swords. He seem to recognize her in the same instant and looked severely displeased.

'Roronoa Zoro!' She exclaimed. 'In the name of justice, I arrest and challenge you!'

His scowl depended and he just crossed his arms. 'I'm not going to fight you.' He stated. 'Go away!'

She felt her hand shake slightly and steadied her sword with her will. Pointing the blade at him she sneered. 'What is it Swordsman, won't you fight me 'cause I'm a girl or don't you dare knowing I've gotten better?'

He looked her in the eyes and hissed through his teeth. 'I don't care about your size, gender, species or you ability to fly or not. I won't fight you. I'm heading back to our ship anyway. Now scat!' The he turned his back to her and started wandering further into the city.

She gaped for a whole half minute. ' What an arrogant bastard,' she gasped. Then the she started running after him.

What to do, what to do she replied to herself. Get him, fight him, claim his swords and then turn him in to the Marines, but how if he won't even look at me! Can I beat him? Of course, Justice is on my side. Where is he now? That self-centered green-haired, that… that pirate.

She stopped, he'd been right in front of her but now she couldn't see him. She turned around, spotted something green in a small alley and turned that way.

She stopped in her tracks when she entered the alley. Roronoa was standing with one sword drawn, in front of him where five lowlifes, looking like the kind of nasty lowlife living in alleys. She stopped and drew her sword again. 'Roronoa Zoro, you're wanted by the Marine and the World Government. Do not try to avoid arrest!'

The second highest lowlife, the one in the middle with metal plates on each cheek, started to gurgle like something slimy was in this throat, she realized he was chuckling.

'Yes,' he lisped, ' Former Pirate Hunter Zoro, now the hunted for the 120.000.000 beri on his head. ' He gurgled again. 'Isn't it beautiful! Now get him, boys!'

The four other lowlifes joined the gurgling and drew various sharp or pointy objects.

Tashigi drew her sword again, drew a deep breath and strode in between the opponents. 'I'm sorry, but this man has already been arrested by the Marine, please go in peace and leave this to me.'

The lowlifes looked dumfound at her for a few moments then broke into a gurgling roar of laughter. The leader with metal cheeks sniffled and gave her a lewd smile. 'Sorry little lady.' He lisped at her, 'But we simply can't take that offer. And I'm sorry that we properly have to kill you so you wont lay claim on our bounty!' The lowlifes charged as one person!

Tashigi felt a hard grip on her left arm, then she was thrown backwards into a stash of barrels. Roronoa send her one glare and commanded. 'Get away. Now!' Then he threw himself into the fight and stopped all the charging lowlifes' weapons at once. Everybody stopped, locked by the weapons. Then the fight continued with increasing speed.

Tashigi got up and spotted Shigure a few paces away, close to the fighting lowlifes. Swiftly she went for her sword, ducking both an ax and a saw-looking saber and got her hand on her blade. Just in time she raised the blade to block an incoming blow and she rolled away from a spiked boot. She got to her feet and tuned towards Mr. Metal-plates. And started a fierce offensive.

'I told you to get away!' she heard Roronoa yell after her. She ignored the swordsman and concentrated on Mr. Metal plate.

'Attacking an officer of the Marine is a severe offense.' She told Metal-plates while cutting at his silly spiked vest and herself getting under his unskilled slashes. She smiled grimly. Lowlife bounty hunters couldn't compare themselves with a trained swordswoman of the Marine. She saw an opening and went for it. Suddenly Mr. Metal plate smiled wicked and she felt something burning across her back. She jumped sideways as the Metal plate roared and flung his saber towards her. Somehow he got her with a cut on the inside of her left thigh. Piercing flames shot up along her spine and she fell down. Everything slowed down. She was painfully aware of the drumming of her own heartbeat in her ears. Looking down she saw arterial red blood covering her lower parts and pulsing out from a gaping wound.

The heartbeat, the pulsing blood. It was almost beautiful. A little voice kept yelling Oh shit oh shit oh shit, in the back of her head.

There was a growl from behind her. Even deeper than anything she'd heard from the lowlife gang. Someone shouted something…about food? Or demons? She looked slowly around, but she couldn't see any of her enemies nearby.

Pain sprang through her leg again and suddenly time started. She saw Roronoa bowed over her. He was shirtless and grim and working very fast.

'Hey! Can you hear me?'

He had been talking to her. 'Hmm?' She mumbled.

'Listen, I used your sword as press for the tourniquet. Hold on to it!' He placed her hands around something; she smiled as she recognized the homely feel of Shigure.

'This is the best I can do, I'll get you to Chopper as fast as possible. Here, hold these too.' More swords landed in her arms. Then she was elevated and everything felt like she was swimming through air. She frowned.

'Marine quarter?' She asked and looked around the busy street. People were staring. It was probably the blood.

'No way. I'm not going to the Marine. Do they have a doctor anyway?'

No, the thought, or did she say it? Properly no doctor at this town's small Marine office. Something was wrong though.

'Left' she was sure she actually said it this time. She tried again to be sure. 'The harbor. Left.' She was turned in the right direction. She had to correct the direction twice. Maybe more. The yelling of her own heartbeat was getting louder and her hands were colder than anything she ever felt. She smelled the ocean and somehow she was sure that someone was running. Don't they say that you black out she wondered. Why's everything getting white? Then everything was a blur.

'Here, help her!' someone yelled. Then a shrill female voice was shouting about having to set sail.

She woke but only half, feeling the soft movements of a sailing ship and looking into soft brown eyes in a face with antlers? 'She's lost a lot of blood,' the face said. In the background someone moved. 'I can spare a few pints.' A deeper voice answered.

Then everything went black.