Always Got Your Back

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/21655075.

Rating: Explicit
Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category: M/M
Fandom: One Piece
Relationship: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Character: Roronoa Zoro, Vinsmoke Sanji, Monkey D. Luffy, Nico Robin, Mugiwara
Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates, Usopp (One Piece), Nami (One Piece),
Franky (One Piece), Brook (One Piece), Tony Tony Chopper
Additional Tags: Nakamaship, Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit, Friendship, Soft Roronoa Zoro,
Child Abuse, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Slow Burn, Angst, Angst and
Hurt/Comfort, Confessions, Idiots in Love, Hand Jobs, Anal Sex, Angst
with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2019-12-03 Completed: 2020-09-07 Words: 157,484
Chapters: 14/14

Always Got Your Back

by sydneyxface

Summary

In the heat of a battle, there's no better team than Roronoa Zoro and Blackleg Sanji. But
what happens when a stupid cook loses his footing on a slippery wooden deck, opening
himself up for an enemy pirate to touch him with his Devil Fruit power?
Well, Sanji aging back to his seven-year-old self, is what happens. And Kid-Sanji clings to
Zoro right away, resulting in the swordsman to let down his walls and open himself up to
bond with the little cook. And once Sanji is turned back into an adult, they both find out
their relationship has been forever changed.

In-Universe story. Post-time skip. Takes place between Fishman Island and Punk Hazard
arcs.

INCLUDES ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo!

Notes

See the end of the work for notes

 Slip of the Foot

As was normal, the Strawhat Pirates found themselves surrounded by a small fleet of pirates on the
vast, ocean blue on this rainy day. The greys of the skies swirled together while it cried, drowning
everyone in its tears.

Most everyone was separated onto different ships fighting off the bandits that absolutely picked
the wrong crew to rob, leaving only Franky and Usopp to defend The Thousand Sunny. The two
made a good team fending off the idiots that dared step foot on their precious wooden nakama.

Off on the main boat, the one that overshadowed the rest, Luffy was busy punching his fist as far
as it would go into the captain’s face. The fleet wasn’t entirely too strong, at least not much of a
challenge for the Straw Hats, the only thing slowing them down was their never-ending numbers.
It seemed no matter how many enemies they knocked back, thirty replaced them. The pirates
jumped from ship to ship to get to Luffy. After all, his bounty had grown mighty high and he was
just a kid - how hard could it be to capture the boy with a straw hat?

Even with multiple Devil Fruit users, the fleet’s numbers were slowly being torn down. Left and
right, the pirates clashed, but the Straw Hats were winning. Sanji and Zoro were laying waste to a
ship together when they encountered a particular Fruit user who seemed over-joyous to go toe-to-
toe with Black Leg Sanji and Roronoa Zoro, the infamous Pirate Hunter.

“Oh, how lucky of me that I happen to battle the two of you!” The frilly man shrieked. He was
squat, way too fat, and wore frills on every seam of clothes. “I’ve read all about you - and your
bounties!”

The Sunny’s cook smirked as he looked over at his partner in crime. With a lit cigarette in his hand,
he waved the man away. “This the best you’ve got on this ship? If you’re it then we’re moving on
to the next one.” Sanji lazily said and turned on his heel to leave.

“Wait!” The frilly man called out desperately. “Wait, no, you haven’t even seen my power yet!”
The man was obviously offended he wasn’t considered the time of day from these two big shots.
He had worked very hard to make his Fruit better and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t even get a
chance to show it off!

Zoro barked a laugh into the rainy sky. “Whatever it is, it won’t be enough.”

Lightning struck and lit up the deck around them, casting strange shadows every which way. The
frilly man looked over at his captain’s ship a few boats down and could visibly see his ass being
handed to him. He turned back to the two pirates and swallowed. “I’ll take you both down and then
my captain will see how strong I am. He’ll have no choice but to promote me!”

Before retorting a reply, Zoro cut a man down who tried to sneak up on him. “Alright, whatever.
Yer the last one left on the ship now, give us your best shot.”

The man perked up with cheer hearing Zoro give him the floor. “I’ve got a nice power, you know!
I can mess with time!” He laughed a snorty laugh, one that only overly obese people could pull off.
To show as an example, he picked up a fallen sword from his comrade. The metal of the sword
immediately turned into rust and became so weak, pieces fell off.

Sanji let out a low whistle. “Wow, nice one.” That earned a chuckle from Zoro. The two shared a
look of an agreement to humor the man. “That might just get us, you know.”
“I know!” He shouted and bounced from one side of the ship to the other. Zoro and Sanji side-
stepped a few times to get out of his way, curious to see the extent of his plan. Each time he passed
by, he reached out to try and touch either of them, even though he just showed them that his power
was touched-based.

Smoking the rest of his soggy cigarette, Sanji gave a side-long glance to his partner and asked, “Is
this guy serious?” and proceeded to flick the butt to the floor.

“I dunno, but let’s end this. I’m bored and it sounds like Luffy’s having all the fun.” As if on cue, a
hoard of screams could be heard from their captain’s direction.

Just then, another ship in the fleet crashed into the side of the one they stood on so hard the
mainmast immediately broke and fell into the sea. Piles of men launched themselves off, some
threw fire, some had guns, some had weird Devil Fruits. The once boring standoff was now an
exciting brawl for the two Straw Hat pirates once again.

Zoro and Sanji danced around deflecting everything that was thrown at them with ease. Their time
spent elsewhere for those two years away showed indefinitely as all of this was barely a challenge.

Dodging and slicing away at his opponents, Zoro strayed further into the mass of people, leaving
Sanji’s back vulnerable. The lean cook kicked the other pirates clear into next week, breaking
shoulders, shattering jaws, and making sure none of them ever had kids.

What was supposed to be a fiery turn on his heel ended up being Sanji slipping on the slick wood
of the deck as the very same moment the frilly man jumped towards him with his arms extended,
desperate to lay his hands on Sanji to activate his power. Zoro turned just in time to see Sanji slip
into the splits and before he could stand back up, the frilly oaf landed on him.

“Curly!” He shouted over the roar of the rain. Cutting people down as he made his way over, he
could tell something was wrong as he suddenly couldn’t see Sanji anymore. Zoro freaked and
bolted to the frilly man, kicking him over, thinking he had killed his partner. The man laughed and
laughed saying he did it! Finally, he’d be accepted into a higher rank among the fleet. Zoro’s jaw
dropped when he saw a small boy with golden hair in a pile of what used to be an adult Sanji’s
clothes. The swordsman rounded on the fat man, pointing Kitetsu at his throat, poking it hard into
his jugular. “What did you do to my nakama.”

Lightning flashed across Zoro’s scarred face, creating harsh lines that accentuated how incredibly
serious he had become. The enemy pirate stuttered his answer, understanding full well that he had
royally fucked up. “I - I used my p-power on him!” The man winced. Sanji lay next to him
unconscious from the immense weight of the fat man.

The blonde was turned into a younger version of himself. He lay there, cheek pressed against the
deck as the rain pelted his pale skin. Something about Sanji’s child form made Zoro
uncomfortable, something was off about him.

While Zoro tried to make the man of frills talk, two pirates came lunging forward to capture Sanji
in a burlap sack. Capturing any Straw Hat would be worth their time as they’d be rich! Within a
blink of an eye, their heads were sliced clean off leaving blood to spray out from their shoulders,
their bodies dropped like bags of sand. Zoro snatched Sanji up in his arms, sure to keep the now
oversized button-up wrapped around him for cover, and returned Kitetsu to the Devil Fruit user.
“Turn him back.”

“I - I can’t!” he sputtered, scared out of his mind as he just witnessed his crewmates slaughtered.
Zoro pressed downward making the sword’s point dig into the man’s skin. “I can’t just yet, at
least!”

“Explain before I stick this all the way in,” Zoro said about Kitetsu. The bloodlust oozing from the
cursed sword was leaking right into Zoro’s mind. With the curse’s spell seeping into his mind,
mixing with his anger and heating his blood, it was hard for Zoro to hold back. Sanji getting turned
into a child was not looking good for the man who lay at the end of the sword.

“It either lasts forever or until I change it back! And I can’t change it for at least two weeks!”

Groaning, Zoro shook his head trying to grasp what he meant. Deciding it wasn’t worth asking the
nice way, Zoro sheathed his sword and yanked the man up by his collar and dragged him to the
edge of the boat, letting him dangle over the angry ocean’s waves. “Why two weeks?”

“P - pleeease don’t drop me! I’ll do anything! Please don’t drop me!”

“WHY TWO WEEKS?” Zoro roared. He never got an answer because the man had passed out from
fear, his body had fallen slack in Zoro’s hold. Growling in frustration, Zoro looked down at the
small boy in his arms and grit his teeth. He still seemed to be unconscious but he was shivering
something awful, the button up was soaking wet. The Adult-Sanji was fine in this weather, but a
child? Zoro took note to the dark circles under the kid’s eyes before he lept over the boats to reach
his captain, Sanji in one arm and the frilly man dragging behind in the other.

“Oi, Luffy!” Zoro said as he came in range of the chaotic fight Luffy was in the middle of. The
Sunny’s captain was laughing as he swung people around and broke stuff. The deck was littered
with groaning bodies that Luffy had already pummeled. “Luffy, we gotta wrap this up. Look,” he
said flicked his head to the boy in his arms.

“Hah?” Luffy said over the rain. Thunder clapped and the rubber boy threw a few pirates over the
boat’s edge. “What did you say? Who are those people?” he asked, looking to Zoro’s hands.

“We have to go! This is Sanji!” Zoro brought his arm up a little to indicate he meant the boy with
yellow hair, then glared down at the piece of shit pirate who did this to him. “He’s at fault. Let’s
go,” was all he said before he jumped to the Sunny.

It took a moment for Luffy to register what had just happened. “That’s...Sanji?” Zoro had said the
boy in his hands was Sanji...and the more Luffy thought about it, that little kid did have a swirly
eyebrow just like his chef does. And Zoro was very serious, more serious than he normally is. The
situation clicked in his head and Luffy grabbed ahold of his hat flapping behind him on the string
around his neck and placed it on his head. “You hurt my nakama,”

Luffy blew on his finger until his foot became a bazillion times its normal size and slammed it
down on the ships that were lined up, taking them all out at once. The fight had started off as fun
for him and the others, but now the game had ended.

Zoro hopped onto Sunny and the impact jolted Sanji awake. His small hands clutched Zoro’s green
trench coat, grabbing the man’s attention. “Oh, you’re awake. Look what you got yourself into,
Dumbass,” he said casually and tossed the frilly man towards Chopper’s swing.

“Who are you!” the tiny Sanji voice squeaked.

Before Zoro could reply, Nami appeared and bonked him over the head, causing him to drop Sanji
who fell on his butt. The silky, mustard yellow button-up fell to the side a little, draping down his
small frame. He sat there in surprise as he looked up at the green-haired man who was just holding
him who was now grasping the top of his head and shouting at a woman behind him.

“What are you doing just standing around! Kick these brutes overboard!” Nami yelled and stomped
her heel into an enemy pirate’s back. “And I saw you bring one aboard! What makes you think we
want more!” She yelled and bonked Zoro over the head again with her Climatact.

“Don’t hit him!” Sanji yelled.

Nami and Zoro immediately turned to the small voice. “Why did you bring a kid?” Nami shrieked,
pointing her rod at the boy.

“It’s not just a kid! It’s -”

“We can’t have you bringing things back here, we get too much of that crap from Luffy,”

“I’m not! This isn’t just some kid, this is-”

“And this isn’t a charity, so get rid of him - and the rest of these guys!” she yelled, pointing once
again to the beaten pirates around them. She continued rattling on all while swinging her Climatact
around, occasionally hitting Zoro despite Sanji’s previous protest.

Hating that the witch wouldn’t let him speak, he turned to Sanji for help, always relying on him to
deal with the navigator so he didn’t have to, but Sanji looked horrified, frozen in place.

“Stop!” Zoro shouted at Nami, holding his hand up and crouching next to the boy. “He’s shaking.”
Zoro noticed how the boy’s huge, blue eyes were glassy and his mouth was tugged into a quivering
frown. Knowing his trembling was half from the cold, Zoro tugged his coat off and wrapped the
huge thing around Sanji. Zoro glared up at Nami after she had finally shut the hell up and said
through gritted teeth, “This is Sanji.”

Nami laughed and slapped her knee. “He looks like him yes. Anyway, clean this up and let’s head
out.”

The captain jumped aboard and quickly approached Zoro. “What did you mean that was Sanji?”
He had heard Zoro say that twice now and when it comes to his crewmates, he took their well-
being quite seriously. It was then that Usopp and Franky had come around with the rest of the crew
following behind. Everyone towered over the poor boy, except Zoro who still crouched next to him
holding the giant piece of cloth covering up what little dignity he had left. “That kid is Sanji?”

“Yes,” Zoro said. “And he asked me who I was.”

“You don’t know Zoro?” Luffy asked the boy, already accepting it was Sanji without further
speculation.

The little boy looked from Luffy to Zoro to Luffy again and gave a shake of his head. “I don’t
know who any of you are.” He said quietly, his voice almost lost under the pouring rain.

Something must have registered in Chopper’s brain as he excitedly yelped in his spot and told
everyone to get inside to prevent sickness. Everyone obliged, shuffling their way to the galley.
Luffy had snatched up Sanji like he was a football while Zoro grabbed the frilly man by his face
and dragged him inside.

“Why are you bringing that guy in here?” Usopp asked, avoiding both of them. “Dump him
overboard with the rest!”
“This man turned Sanji into that and he said he could reverse it.” All eyes focused on the man that
loosely hung from Zoro’s fist. “But he can’t do it right away,” Zoro said angrily. He tossed the
man in the far corner away from any doors and flopped on the couch next to Luffy and Sanji.

Everyone in the room watched Luffy toss Sanji into the air and catch him. The little boy, (and
Luffy) giggled a little, glad for playful attention. Nami’s brow twitched as she saw how
comfortable Sanji was with Luffy, as he would be only if he were familiar with him. She stalked
over and stood in front of the couch and eyed Sanji as he went up in down. “Sanji-kun, stop pulling
our leg! You know who we are!” she said and smacked Sanji out of the air and back into Luffy’s
lap.

Luffy glared at her and Zoro shot forward, “Don’t do that to him, you Witch!” Zoro said and
protectively put an arm over Sanji’s small back as he shook in fear against Luffy’s chest,
whimpering. There was a collective gasp from the whole room except the three on the couch.

After her initial shock wore off, Nami leaned forward. “Why do you care, Asshole? You hate
Sanji-kun.”

It was true, the two of them didn’t get along whatsoever unless they were in the midst of a battle
together. But something seemed off and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. “Didn’t you hear
him? He doesn’t know who were are! We’re strangers to him!” He said trying to defend himself
from their accusation. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet. “And can’t you tell something is
different about him?”

“Well, he’s a kid now, so - there’s that.” Usopp chimed in. Zoro shot him a glare and made him
cower behind Brook.

“No, baka! Look at him,”

The Straw Hats leaned in and tried to get a good look at the boy but that made him tremble even
more. He hid his face in Luffy’s shoulder and pulled Zoro’s trench coat over his head to hide.

An urge to shoo everyone away surged through Zoro. He jumped up and grabbed Sanji, placing
him on his hip making his way out of the kitchen. He scooped up Chopper in his other arm when
he passed by. He turned to Luffy and inclined his head towards the unconscious man in the corner.
“When he wakes, I want to know.” Luffy nodded his understanding.

Zoro brought the two smallest Straw Hats in the infirmary. Setting Chopper into his spinny chair
and Sanji on the bed, Zoro looked down at Sanji’s small frame. Knowing it wasn’t his place to do
anything further, he turned to Chopper and looked at him expectantly, gesturing towards the boy.

Understanding exactly what he meant, he squeaked “I’ll do a full check-up, Zoro!” and slid his
doctor’s jacket on and got his tools.

For the next few minutes while Chopper prepared, Zoro avoided looking at the blonde, he felt bad
when he did. It was more like a guilty feeling because something was very wrong with Sanji and
he let his partner down. They were supposed to have each other’s backs! When Sanji slipped in his
loafers, Zoro should have been there not a half-second later to protect him while he regained his
footing.

The blonde looked over at Zoro, who faced away from him. His large frame leaned against the bed
with crossed arms watching Chopper. “Uhm, do you know why I’m here?” he asked politely and
placed his hand on Zoro’s elbow.
Zoro recoiled into himself from the touch. “Cause someone used a Devil Fruit on you, Curly,” he
quickly said and turned away even more so the boy was out of his peripheral. Sanji was going to
say more but Chopper had jumped atop the bed.

“I’m going to use this metal thing here to listen to your heart and breathing, okay? It won’t hurt, I
promise!” Chopper said holding his stethoscope up and twisting it. It shined in the light. Sanji
nodded, allowing Chopper to continue.

When Chopper pulled down Zoro’s coat and unbuttoned the over-sized shirt, he gasped. Zoro
turned to look and couldn’t help but making a noise of shock himself. Sanji looked like he wanted
to cry because of the way they were looking at him, but how could they not freak out when they
looked down and Sanji’s ribcage was almost visible through his skin and bruises littered across his
chest? Slowly, Chopper undressed Sanji entirely and sure enough, the rest of him looked just the
same.

There were scratch marks everywhere, a few knicks here and there, and so, so much bruising.
Knowing that’s what they were looking at, Sanji wrapped his frail arms around himself, his arms
that seemed a little too skinny for someone his age.

Chopper closed his eyes, fighting back tears, and looked at Zoro. “He’s malnourished...and…
and...”

“Abused.” Zoro finished with a fire in his words. Those weren’t marks that all kids got when they
were young. Zoro knows what kids should look like when they play outside, fall from a tree, or
skid their knee - this wasn’t it. Suddenly, the dark circles under his eyes registered to Zoro as
someone who doesn’t get enough sleep, is put through too much stress, and most definitely isn’t
eating enough.

The boy wasn’t entirely too skinny, but he was definitely underweight, even Zoro could tell that.
“Why does he look like that, Chopper? I picked him up the moment he was turned, no one hurt
him.” A sharp pang of guilt hit him in the stomach as he asked even though he knew the answer. It
didn’t happen just now. This happened when the cook was a kid.

Chopper didn’t answer, he only cried while he continued with his tests. He made sure to do x-rays
for broken bones and blood tests to fully know Sanji’s situation. Zoro didn’t leave.

___

Two hours later the three of them came out of the infirmary and into the kitchen. No one had left.
All were impatiently waiting for news of their nakama. Luffy wouldn’t allow anyone inside,
having been switched into his mature-mode and taking charge. He could feel something was
wrong, too, when he held the boy in his arms. Zoro had stepped up to handle it and Luffy trusted
him to do so.

Zoro stood in the doorframe with Sanji on his hip. Chopper had lent him his clothes seeing as how
all of his own was for an adult. Zoro had requested long sleeves and pants to hide as much of the
abuse as possible. Of course, none of the crew would say anything about it, but sometimes you
couldn’t help where your eyes wandered.

While Chopper explained what was going on, Zoro went deeper into the kitchen, the side the cook
normally was on, and leaned against the counter. Zoro felt like a piece of shit now that he knew a
part of the cook he shouldn’t have. Sanji had never mentioned his past which meant it was
supposed to stay that way, yet the whole crew knows now. Resting his head against Zoro’s
shoulders, Sanji didn’t speak, which now that he was thinking about it, he hadn’t done much of
since he’d been turned. Lots of nodding and small ‘yeah’s but that was it. Zoro knew he shouldn’t
pry, it wasn’t right of him to know this part of the cook, but he couldn’t stop himself. “Hey,
Curly,” he said gently into Sanji’s hair. “You’re quiet. Don’t feel like talkin?”

The boy squeezed his little fists over Zoro’s jacket causing it to wrinkle up. Zoro nudged his side
until he finally answered. Quietly, Sanji said, “it’s easier if I keep my mouth shut,”

Shit, Zoro wasn’t expecting an answer like that. The progression of understanding Sanji’s potential
childhood was increasing at a speed Zoro wasn’t comfortable with. Not entirely good with
children, Zoro just talked to Sanji like he normally would, minus all the cursing and name-calling.
“We don’t mind if you talk here, Curly.”

Sanji pushed away from Zoro’s chest, though his hands still clung to his trench. He cocked his
head to the side and asked with a scrunched face, “Why do you call me that? Curly?”

Zoro chuckled. “Oh, you don’t know?” Sanji innocently shook his head and waited for Zoro to tell
him why. “Cause of these swirly things you got goin on here,” he laughed and poke Sanji’s
forehead.

Sanji’s small hands reached to feel for his face. “My...my eyebrows?”

“Yup. Curly eyebrows. That’s you.” Zoro couldn’t help but continue chuckling.

“All of my siblings are like this,” Sanji’s eyes narrowed to look at Zoro’s forehead, seeing his were
‘normal.’ “I kinda like them,” he said with a smile.

Zoro’s laughter died out. “You like your eyebrows all weird like that?” Sanji nodded with a cheesy
smile. Zoro turned to look behind him at the rest of his crew to see if anyone was looking his way,
which they weren’t. All were listening intently to Chopper’s diagnosis. Looking back down at the
blonde and since the coast was clear, Zoro reached for Sanji’s bangs and pushed them away so his
entire face was visible. “If you like them so much, why do you hide your face like that?”

The brightest smile Zoro had ever seen Sanji give was painted across his face right now making
Zoro wince away. He didn’t think he’d make the idiot-cook happy! Then Sanji lunged forward and
hugged Zoro around the neck. “Oi, oi! People will see!” Zoro whispered and tried prying the boy
from him.

“Zoro, you can bring Sanji over here now!” Chopper called out. He clapped his hooves together in
excitement when Sanji was in view again. “Sanji! Did you want to tell everyone what you told
Zoro and me in my office?” Sanji paled at the thought of talking to so many strange people. There
was a skeleton in the room for crying out loud!

From across the room, Luffy spoke up. “It’s okay, Sanji! We like you,” he said and gave the boy a
thumbs up. It seemed all Sanji really needed was a little truth of encouragement.

Zoro crouched down to let Sanji stand on his own, suddenly feeling awkward he was holding his
rival. He tried to stand back up but Sanji wouldn’t let go of his coat, keeping him at his level. Zoro
could feel he was shaking. Feeling guilty, again, the swordsman stayed in a squat and, reluctantly
pulled the little boy between his legs and turned him to face everyone. Sanji placed his hands on
Zoro’s knees before he shyly spoke. “Hi,”
Franky and Brook immediately burst into tears screaming about how utterly adorable Sanji was
and how they could pinch his little cheeks and love him forever. The robotic man was so huge in
comparison to the room, his arms flailing about. The Skeleton cried and cried, where the water was
coming from, Sanji had no idea, but he was scared. The moment the loud noises broke out, he
turned back into Zoro’s chest and hid his face in the coat.

The crying ceased when Zoro growled. “You’re frightening him,” he said and rubbed Sanji’s back.
“Hey, hey, they’re friendly, remember? Don’t you want to tell them what you told me earlier?” he
asked, his voice barely audible as he spoke only to the small boy. Sanji shook his head and began
to cry. Sighing, Zoro glared at Brook and Franky, then looked to Chopper to take over.

“Right,” he said a little sadly. They were making progress in his office with Sanji talking but he
seemed to revert into the scared little boy again. “We asked Sanji a few questions to see what he
knows so we know how to treat him. He told me and Zoro he doesn’t know who any of us are,
where he is, or how he got here. All he knows is he came to in Zoro’s arms.” In the back, Zoro
heard Robin snicker. “Remember when Nami, Brook, Robin, and I were aged backward by that
woman but we retained our memories? Nami was still able to navigate, I was still a doctor,
etcetera? Well…” Chopper looked at the shaking Sanji who still hid his face from them. “That
Fruit works differently from this one, as you know no two Fruits are the same.”

“So, like, he’s just a kid, then?” Nami interrupted, waving her hand before putting it back on her
jutted hip.

“No, not at all.” Chopper said a little choked up. “Those injuries I mentioned...Sanji was
transferred back in time.”

Usopp and Nami shared a look. “What do you mean, Chopper? You all were transferred back in
time, too. What’s different about that?” Usopp asked.

Chopper clicked his hooves together nervously. Pointing out how the Fruit worked in front of the
boy seemed wrong. “No, no!” he squeaked again, tears welling up in his eyes. “The Fruit we were
affected by only aged us backward. Only our age and bodies changed. Our knowledge was still
there. But that right there,” Chopper pointed over, “is the exact same Sanji as he was when he was
seven years old.”

Hearing the news again still hit Zoro like a ton of bricks. The comparison between the two Devil
Fruits was huge when you thought about all the things Sanji no longer knows. The little boy in his
arms seemed to have calmed while Chopper spoke for him, but he still refused to face everyone.

Just then, the fat man in the corner moaned, beginning to stir awake. Zoro was at his side in a flash
with Wado Ichimonji at his throat. This man never showed any sign of strength, nothing that could
ever overpower even the weakest crew member, but Zoro hated him for what he did to his rival.
Sanji was supposed to only be a strong man who was his equal. They were the same age and grew
together on their journey with Luffy, becoming more and more powerful. Now Zoro was exposed
to a weakness of Sanji’s - his past. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, dammit! Sanji didn’t tell them
about this for a reason!

“If you even think of moving, I’ll slice off your legs,” Zoro said through gritted teeth. He held
Sanji in his arm tightly as if the man merely looked at him he would revert even further in time.
“Now tell us why it takes two weeks to turn my nakama back.”

The room was completely silent as they listened to the venom in Zoro’s voice. Even Luffy sat
back, letting Zoro take the lead. The frilly man’s chest heaved up and down with fright and he
began to sweat. The longer he stayed quiet, the harder Zoro pushed Wado into him. “Well...you
see,” he began and darted his eyes around to see exactly who surrounded him. A strange group
indeed. “It used to be a month, you know!” he said proudly as if that mattered at all.

“I’m getting careless,” Zoro growled and slid the tip of his katana down the man’s round tummy
and stopped at his knee cap.

“W-what I mean is, I have gotten better at turning people back! It used to be a whole month before
I could do it!” he explained, waving his hands about. He retracted them when Zoro flicked his eyes
at his exposed hands that could turn anyone else here into a child. “I’m not very good at my Devil
Fruit just yet. I’ve only just started to be able to send people to an exact age, you know. That’s the
easier part, though, what’s hard is putting them back to their original age. It’s like a cooldown on it
- that the same person can’t be affected twice.”

Robin stepped forward, pressing passed the others, and looked down at the man. “What is your
name?” she asked.

“Uh, m-my name? It’s Quillard.”

“Wonderful,” she said with a soft smile that could melt hearts. “Quillard, you say you cannot turn
little Cook-san back into an adult because he’s already been touched by you before?” The man
nodded. “And you’ve only mastered your power enough to touch the same person twice to two
weeks?” The man nodded again, more confidently now that someone as charming as Robin was
being kind to him. She thought the information over for a moment before speaking again. “Well, I
guess that means you’re going to be staying with us for a while,” she giggled.

Quillard paled. Of course, he wasn’t getting away. He was being held captive by the infamous
Straw Hats. “But...but my crew will be looking for me,” he said meekly.

In her special, creepy way, Robin kneeled next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. With a
smile, she said, “My captain laid waste to your ships and drowned your crew.” She stood tall and
let her smile fade before taking her leave from the kitchen.

Zoro always liked Robin. She was a good gal. Turning his attention back on the now crying
Quillard, Zoro sheathed Wado and said, “You’re gonna stay here on this ship until you can turn the
cook back to his right age.” He turned to look at the rest of his crewmates until his gaze landed on
Luffy. The two shared a look of understanding, nodding to each other in confirmation of their
unsaid conversation. “You’ll eat your meals and take your sleep with us. You’re not a prisoner and
won’t be treated as such,” he finished and left the galley as well.

___

Zoro caught up with Robin in the Aquarium room. She was looking through the books when he
entered with Sanji still wrapped around his torso. “Oi, Robin.”

Without turning, Robin hummed letting Zoro know she was listening. Her fingers touched over
each spine as if she was looking for a particular book.

“Uh, I was wondering if you wanted to…” Blagh, Zoro felt so awkward because this wasn’t just
‘some kid,’ it was Sanji, the chef to this ship, his rival! “If you wanted to like, take him?”

Sanji looked up at Zoro who avoided his wounded stare. “You don’t want me?” He said with a
quivering lip.

Zoro’s mouth flattened as he yiked in his head. “No, no, that’s not it!” Zoro tried to retract what he
said.

Robin grabbed a book down and faced the two of them, softly giggling as she liked to do. Her hand
covered her mouth while her eyes closed. “Oh, little Cook-san, don’t think like that,” she said and
handed him a book. Sanji looked at it and his eyes widened with surprise. “You’re very welcome
by everyone on this ship. We are your family, you know.”

“How did you know I liked cooking, miss?” He asked once he read the book title, a blush
spreading across his face as Robin leaned in close.

“I had a hunch,” she said and brought her hand behind Sanji’s head to hold him still while she
kissed his forehead. “And please, call me Robin.”

Sanji’s and Zoro’s cheeks reddened when Robin’s lips came into contact with Sanji. “Oi, oi, don’t
be doin that! This is still the Curly-idiot, you know!” Zoro squawked and waved her away. Once
Robin returned to the bookcase to find something for herself, Zoro knelt and set Sanji up on his
feet. “Look, I can’t hold you all day, Curly. You have to do things for yourself, too.”

Sanji looked up at the back of Robin and smiled, then looked to Zoro. “Will you read with me?” he
asked with hope lined in his voice and held the book out for Zoro to take.

Zoro raised his hand to run through his hair, and Sanji flinched backward, instinctively bringing the
book up to cover his face. Zoro froze in place, shocked that such a small gesture would affect him
like that. Feeling a bit guilty, he didn’t want to leave the kid now, but he had to help do other shit.
Sighing, he plopped his hand on top of Sanji’s head slow enough the kid would know he didn’t
mean any harm. “I can’t, Curly, I’ve gotta go back out in the rain, where you can’t go. But Robin
will be here with you. She likes to read.” Zoro mustered up a smile for Sanji and said in a low
voice, “Maybe if you ask nicely, she will read with you.”

“You think so!” Sanji whispered back, excitement exploding at every seam.

Trying to repress a gag from being so nice, Zoro fake-smiled and nodded. When he began to leave,
Sanji ran to Robin and Zoro heard him ask if he was allowed to read next to her on the seating.

Closing the door behind him, the rain pelted Zoro’s face. Some men groaned and held their
wounds and some who were just plain dead. It was his duty as one of the more ruthless ones in the
crew to take care of the bloody dead things, which was fine with him. As he kicked the last few
dead men overboard, the swordsman looked up to the sky. It didn’t look as threatening as it did a
few hours ago, especially not as bad when Sanji had made that one mistake of slipping across the
wood.

Zoro shook his head in anger. There once was a time when he asked the cook why he wore those
stupid loafers which weren’t ideal for fighting. He could have steel-toe boots like him! Grippies on
the bottom and all! Imagine the damage Sanji could cause with his powerful kicks with steel
behind them! But no0o0o0o0o0, he insisted on wearing those nice leather shoes to match his stupid
suits - which were also impractical to fight in! Zoro shook his head again. It was no use to bring
that shit up. The two of them fought time and time again but it was no use, Sanji would dress how
he wanted.

After Zoro had cornered the rest of the living bandits, he called out for Luffy. The rain lightened
up, allowing some of the sun to shine through the thinning clouds. Luffy and Usopp came barreling
out of the kitchen to answer Zoro’s call.

“Zoroooooo!” Luffy yelled out, grabbing hold of his shoulder from across the ship and flinging
himself to stand next to him. “Where’d you put Sanji?” he asked and looked around Zoro’s torso to
see if a small boy was clinging to him.

“S-stoppit, will you!” Zoro shouted and pushed his captain away. “He’s with Robin!”

“Okay!” Luffy said and looked at the men before him. “Who are they?”

Usopp came over by then and interjected. “Oi, Luffy, those are the rest of the men who attacked
us.”

“Right, that’s why I called you over here. Wanted to know what to do with’em,” Zoro asked. He
leaned on a hip and felt the hilts of his swords as he counted the pirates out. Sixteen, seventeen in
total if you counted Quillard.

Luffy plopped to the ground making the wet grass squish under his butt. “Hmmmmm,” he said
with a hand to his chin. “Well, we could kill’em,” The men perked up and started shouting,
pleading for their lives. Even Usopp chimed in saying that was too harsh, bonking Luffy on the
head. Luffy laughed, “Okay, okay! I guess we can drop them off on the next island, right? We will
keep Frilly for the two weeks, though.”

The men visibly sagged in relief hearing that. Some even thanked Luffy for his kindness. But Zoro
wasn’t all that forgiving, nor was he all that trusting. The swordsman moved to stand more directly
in front of them, making them cower again. “If any of you so much as piss the wrong way, I will
slice you in half without a second thought.” While the men screamed in horror saying they’d never
do such a thing, Luffy laughed. “The only place to hold all of you will be the Aquarium. You’ll
stay there until you’re told otherwise.” Zoro said and beckoned with his hand for them to follow.
They all but tripped over themselves to do as The Pirate Hunter told them, eager to please and stay
alive.

Once they reached the door, he motioned for them to wait and entered alone. “Robin, Cook, yer
gonna have to -”

“Zoro! You came back!” Sanji yelled and jumped off the couch making a beeline towards him. He
wrapped his arms around Zoro’s legs with a warm hug. “Robin is so nice! She read to me the
whole time.”

Zoro’s eye twitched. Kids weren’t his thing and neither was the cook, and this kid was the cook.
“Heh, yeah…” he said and looked to Robin. “Uh, you two should leave now. I’m gonna put the
rest of those bastards in here until we get to the next island.”

Robin made no effort to move. “I’ll stay here, Swordsman-san. Someone will need to keep an eye
on them, right?” She smiled confidently. Robin was strong enough in Zoro’s eyes, her Devil Fruit
being extremely powerful and she used it well.

“Fine. C’mon, we’re gonna go to the training room for a bit until dinner is... shit,” he said. Who
the hell would make dinner if Sanji was a damn child? “Ugh, c’mon, Curly.” Zoro snatched Sanji’s
hand in his and pulled him through the doorframe, then gestured for the pirates to file inside. Most
of them grumbled under their breath that they felt as if they were being held hostage but they were
quickly elbowed in the side to keep quiet lest they die by the hand of Zoro. Once the last man
shuffled in, Zoro reached in to shut the door, seeing Robin grab all sixteen men with multiple
produced hands, twisting their backs just enough so they knew not to fuck around with her. When
the door shut with a small click, Zoro laughed.
 Sleepy Sanji
Chapter Summary

TW: Light talks of child abuse. Nothing too detailed.

Chapter Notes

ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii and @ljubicov on Twitter - thanks, babes!

Nami had suggested Usopp and Brook work together to make dinner while Sanji was still a child,
even though he protested saying he liked to cook and wanted to help.

Once the pirate bandits were safely tucked away, the day was pretty easy for Zoro, even if he was
on babysitting duty. First, he scoffed and tried to weasel his way out of taking care of Sanji any
more than he had to, but when he looked down (he knew he shouldn’t have looked down), Sanji’s
face showed how brokenhearted he was hearing Zoro didn’t want to hang out with him. Stupid,
shitty cook still getting his way even when he’s a stupid, shitty kid.

The only thing Zoro did to pass time during the day was to eat, sleep, and train. And since the food
wasn’t done yet and he couldn’t very well sleep while babysitting, the only thing left to do was to
train. Zoro guided Sanji up to the Crow’s Nest and told him to sit still while he lifted his weights.

Surprisingly, Sanji complied. There wasn’t a twenty-minute argument like there would have been
if he’d had asked the question yesterday when Sanji was an adult. A flying shoe didn’t come at him
to kick him in the face. The blonde simply climbed atop the seating and sat there smiling at the
swordsman as he worked out. It kinda annoyed Zoro, though, he missed the fighting between the
two. The bickering was also part of Zoro’s daily schedule.

The Crow’s Nest, a.k.a. Gym smelled stale of old sweat. Zoro pulled a training mat out and began
his stretches before his official workout. While Zoro squatted massive weights over his shoulders,
he felt the boy looking at him. Looking up, Sanji was there still smiling at him, kicking his feet
over the edge of the seat like the innocent boy he was. Zoro stuck his tongue out and made a
raspberry noise hoping to piss him off, except the boy only giggled and puffed his cheeks and
crossed his eyes back at Zoro. The man sighed but couldn’t hide his smile. Sanji was kinda cute as
a kid, wasn’t he?

At that, Zoro’s mind trailed into darker thoughts. If he’s such a nice kid, why does he have so many
bruises? Who abuses children, anyway? It made Zoro sick to think of such things, so he shook
them from his head and continued making faces at Sanji while lifting weights until dinner was
done. It ended up being an easy task to watch him, having put no effort in at all.

___
The Straw Hats crowded into the galley and sat at their usual spots. Luffy was there first, as
always, at the head of the table where the captain belonged. Zoro to his right, and Sanji to
his...Zoro looked around for Sanji, expecting him to know where to go. There was an unofficial
seating chart, and Sanji was supposed to sit on the left of his captain!

The little blonde was helping set the table for Usopp. He brought in the forks and napkins, trotting
up to Franky to put atop the table, then squeezed himself between Zoro and Usopp, climbing onto
the bench and making himself at home. Zoro frowned. “Your spot is over there,” he growled and
pointed to the place next to Nami. Sanji followed his hand and saw the red-head staring at him
with her huge, chocolate brown eyes. She smiled and patted the bench seat next to her but Sanji
leaned into Zoro’s side and hid his face. Zoro tugged his arm away and was going to tell Sanji to
stop being a baby, but the kid was lightly tugging on his trench coat for him to lean down.

Zoro put his ear close to Sanji to hear what he had to say. Sanji’s little hand cupped over his mouth
while he whispered, “She scares me.”

Quickly pulling away with surprise, Zoro couldn’t believe what he just heard. Nami scares
Sanji?!?! But he’s head-over-heels for her, he thought. Wracking his brain to think of any reason
the small boy would be afraid of her, it dawned on him. The first time he saw the witch after he
was turned, she was hitting Zoro. Then she hit Sanji when Luffy was playing with him. She’s
abusive…

Zoro’s stomach turned. “Fine, just eat your food quietly, then.” Zoro huffed, trying to act casual.
Nami looked crushed, but what else could Zoro do? Make Sanji sit over there, somewhere he
didn’t want to be? “And eat it fast cause of this idiot,” Zoro hiked a thumb to his left at Luffy who
was drooling buckets as Brook brought over a colossal sized bowl of spaghetti.

Dinner was served! Even though Sanji was a small boy, their nakama were altogether happy,
healthy, and alive. Even if Sanji was never returned to his normal age, they’d never give him away.
He was family, no matter what.

A few times Zoro had to stick his fork into the soft flesh of Luffy’s hand before it snagged his or
Sanji’s food. The rubbery arm snaked its way across the table trying to sneak a piece of garlic
bread but was cut short each time. Seeing Zoro hadn’t been exaggerating, Sanji shoveled his food
down faster. When he was done, he sort of made a sour face as if he didn’t quite like the sauce. He
leaned forward to look down the table at Brook and wondered if he was the one who made it but
didn’t say anything, even though he clearly had something on his mind.

After dinner, Robin brought the other pirates and Quillard their share, offering them their bread,
plates, utensils, and their choice of drink. Her Devil Fruit hands carried everything while her wide
hips swayed back and forth, leading the way. Many of the pirates drooled with heart eyes and
making lewd comments, but she was sure to close their jaw with a sprouted hand from the floor,
making them bite their tongue.

___

The rain had let up long ago and the shining sun had dried the grass out on the deck. With their
bellies full, the Straw Hats lounged around. Luffy and Chopper chased little Sanji around the boat,
making him squeal in excitement. The sound was irritating to listen to, but at least the boy was
happy. Wherever he came from, his childhood wasn’t anything near like what he was experiencing
right now.

Zoro leaned back on the mast and fought off the Z’s that threatened to take him over. He was tired
from the busy day but he didn’t feel right letting Sanji out of his sight. He was partially responsible
for what had happened to him and he was going to make sure he made up for it. Although Luffy
was there to oversee the kid, it didn’t guarantee he was going to be okay. Zoro didn’t entirely know
Luffy’s upbringing, but he remembers hearing Luffy say his grandpa would leave him in the jungle
for weeks to fend for his own. Now, Zoro didn’t think Adult-Sanji was weak, but Kid-Sanji…

The swordsman followed Sanji running around with his eye and when he ran out of view, he
listened to where his tiny feet pitter-pattered away until he came back, joyously laughing as Luffy
tickled him and Chopper licked his face, galloping at his side. The three horsed around long
enough that Sanji later crawled over to him, gasping for breath.

As he reached out for Zoro to help him get away from the other two, Sanji was snatched up by
Luffy, his arms extending out from an upper deck and snapping him to his chest. Sanji laughed the
whole time! It was honestly hard not to smile while watching the kid get the attention he probably
needed most. Not until the sun had finally lowered behind the horizon did Luffy let up on little
Sanji, as he tired himself out in the process, too.

Franky had set out the portable campfire so they could crowd around to get cozy, then pulled out
his acoustic guitar while Brook hummed new melodies. Robin had to stop reading as it became too
dark, so she settled for watching the two musicians play. Usopp and Luffy were arguing over what
beetle was cooler while Chopper chimed in here and there. Then there was Nami, who had pulled
her lounge chair next to the fire and looked at Sanji who was sitting behind Zoro out of view of
everyone.

“Sanji-kun, you can come sit with me!” She said and offered her hand out for the boy to take. The
folding chair creaked as she leaned forward to see around Zoro’s bulky frame.

The blonde grabbed ahold of Zoro’s coat and peaked an eye to see if Nami was still staring - which
she was. Her smile looked friendly, and her voice was so angelic, but all day she had been hitting
people. Sanji tugged at the coat for Zoro’s attention. When the man looked down, Sanji darted his
eyes to Nami who called for him again.

“Just tell her no, Curly. Y’aint gotta go.” Zoro lazily said with a shrug.

Hesitantly, Sanji made his way around Zoro to face Nami (from afar). He shook his head no and
then crawled into Zoro’s lap.

“Oi, oi! What do you think yer doin!” The swordsman said with disgust, but Sanji cradled himself
in between Zoro’s sash and coat like a kitten. “You can’t just do whatever you want, you know!”

Sanji nuzzled his head against Zoro’s warm torso. “But you make me feel safe,” he said quietly so
only the two of them could hear.

That made Zoro’s face turn red with embarrassment. “Shhhh!” His head immediately jerked up to
see if anyone else heard. “Don’t say shit like that, kid!” The boy giggled and wiggled his hands
under the thick, green haramaki, his icy fingers making Zoro tuck his stomach in to avoid them.
“OI!” Zoro shouted and grabbed Sanji’s head with a single hand, forcing him to look up at him.
“What did I just say! You can’t do whatever!”
“Please, Zoro?” Sanji asked with a sleepy smile. “You’re warm.”

The entire time this happened, Nami was watching with a pout. “I’m warm too, yanno.” She said
and puffed her cheeks out and leaned back in her chair. Her arms crossed with defiance. “Why
won’t don’t you like me, Sanji-kun!”

The little blonde boy looked over to Nami and stuck his tongue out. “Zoro is nicer,” he said and
both Zoro and Nami’s jaw dropped to the floor. Zoro was going to protest, but when he looked
down, Sanji’s eyes were drooping, sleep finally trying to take over.

With a sigh, Zoro gave it up. He shrugged at Nami who still couldn’t believe Zoro was favored
over her. The swordsman made a stinky face that he was stuck with Sanji falling asleep on him, but
couldn’t help his arms from wrapping under his small body to support him better.
___

Zoro must have dozed off because he was suddenly woken up by Robin, her hand laid gently on
his shoulder. She smiled softly and said, “The fire has gone out and we’re heading to bed. Franky is
watching over the bandits. Would you like me to take little Cook-san from you?”

Blinking away the sleep from his eye, Zoro looked around where his crewmates were some time
ago. Last he remembered, Luffy was swinging himself from Franky’s arm and Chopper was
roasting marshmallows. Sanji would have wanted one, I bet. Speaking of, Zoro looked down and
the little shit was out cold, still curled against him. The moonlight lit the deck up, highlighting
Sanji’s pale skin. Zoro noticed the faintest smile while he slept. When the cook wasn’t running his
mouth or fawning over the ladies, he was pleasant. Without realizing what he was doing, Zoro’s
hand came up to brush golden bangs back to expose his dumb eyebrows.

“I take that as a no?” Robin said, interrupting his thoughts.

Zoro snapped his hand back in a rush, embarrassed he forgot Robin was there. “Yeah, yeah, fuckin
take him!” He said and maneuvered Sanji into her arms. “But don’t let him sleep in the middle of
you and the witch...he don’t like her.”

Giggling as she left, Robin hummed her understanding.

Relief washed over him as he watched Robin take over. He trusted her to abide by Sanji’s wishes
and keep him away from Nami. The sky was clear, showing off its billions of stars, their reflection
in the water multiplying them. Zoro sighed into the night’s air, closing his one good eye. He still
couldn’t believe the damn cook was turned into a child! I should have had his back.

___

After Robin had woken him up, Zoro’s sleep left him for the moment. With his sudden energy, he
cleaned up on deck after everyone, then headed to the kitchen to see if dishes needed to be done.
When he entered the galley, Brook was sitting on the couch. The room had only a lamp on in the
far corner, casting deep shadows over his skull. To anyone but a Straw Hat, walking in on this
scene would have been horrifying, but it was just Brook; a lanky, perverted skeleton.

Zoro nodded his way when he saw those two empty eye sockets look to him. Once into the kitchen,
Zoro turned on the light and looked around for something to clean, but everything had been done
already and even put away. “Who did dishes?” Zoro asked gruffly. He was slightly disappointed as
he was looking for something to do.

“I had Usopp’s help,” Brook said quietly. His body didn’t move, he stayed stone still in his place
on the couch, though his head slowly turned as it followed Zoro coming towards him. His boney
fingers were laced together in a neat pile on his lap. The swordsman flopped on the couch next to
him with an exasperated sigh. “Something on your mind, Zoro-san?”

The room fell silent as Zoro thought about his answer. “Yeah, I guess so. Just the whole situation
the cook got caught up in has been buggin me.” Zoro rubbed his face with his palm. “It’s my fault
he ended up like that. Dumbass slipped with his girly shoes, you know. I was too far away and that
fat fuck flopped on’em faster than I could get over there.”

Brook listened carefully, nodding his head as Zoro opened up to his fellow swordsman. “I see,” he
said. It was quiet again, a comfortable silence. As Zoro continued his inner put-downs, Brooke
hummed a familiar tune, it was one from earlier.

“New song ya workin on or something?”

Nodding, Brook said, “Yes, it is actually. I’m stuck on a certain part. I can’t seem to figure out the
bridge. The chorus and verses are written, in my head of course, but that little space between needs
help.” The tips of his fingers tapped against his thigh bone while he hummed over what he had
again, abruptly stopping when it wasn’t right, then started again.
“M’no good with music, but what you have is nice so far. It’s soothing.” Zoro could feel his
tiredness creeping back upon him. Sitting next to a friend late in the night while he hummed a
melodic tune in his ear was a sure-fire way to put his ass to sleep. “S’nice,” he slurred.

“Ah, Zoro-san, you should get to your bunk,” Brook said, stopping the tune lulling Zoro to sleep.

With a groan, Zoro agreed he was right. He stretched when he stood, thanked Brook for doing the
dishes, and left. “Wait,” he said with his hand on the doorknob. “What are you doin in here all
alone anyway? You could at least be with Franky in the Aquarium?”

Brook huffed a laugh and waved his hand. “I’m fine, I’m fine. I need to wind down by myself
sometimes, say good night to people I haven’t talked to in a long while.”

Realizing Brook meant his old crewmates, Zoro sagged with the burden of understanding. “Don’t
forget about Franky if you need him. Goodnight, Brook.” Zoro said and left the skeleton alone with
his thoughts.

___

Sanji wrinkled his nose. A long, dark strand of hair had found its way to smother his face, tickling
him awake. Swatting the hair away, he sat up and looked around waiting for his eyes to adjust to
the dark. As the inky black shapes slowly molded into chairs, nightstands, and piles of clothing,
Sanji realized he was in a bedroom. He looked over and saw Robin and Nami sleeping in the huge,
fluffy bed with him, and he was changed into some soft pajamas with a snowflake pattern.

Even though he was plenty warm next to Robin, Sanji didn’t want to cozy up with her and
especially didn’t want to be in the same room as Nami. He wanted Zoro. Zoro was safe. He
dangled his legs over the side and began to slide down when a pair of hands popped out of the side
of the bed catching him in place.

“Where do you think you’re going, little Cook-san?” Robin whispered. She grabbed Sanji with her
real arms and pulled him close. “It’s nighttime, you must sleep now.”

The boy wiggled around until he was inches from Robin’s face. “Robin?” he whispered back. The
woman ran her fingers through his hair and asked what he needed. “I wanna sleep with Zoro.”

Chuckling, Robin nodded her head in the dark. “I knew you would. Do you know where the boy’s
bunk room is?”

Sanji remembered running through there when Luffy and Chopper were chasing him. “It’s the
room with the beds that hang from the ceiling?”

“The very one. Now go straight there, no wandering. Zoro will surely cut off my head if something
were to happen to you.”

Sanji gulped with fear. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Robin, sweety. Call me Robin.”

___

Once Zoro flopped his boots across the room, shrugged off his coat, and let his head hit the pillow,
he was out like a light. How the hell did he think he could do the dishes when he was this tired?
His little blast of energy hardly lasted at all!

The bunk room seemed quieter than normal when Zoro entered. Franky’s constant mechanical
whirring and Brook’s snoring were missing, making it eerily empty. It’d only be him, Luffy,
Chopper, and Usopp in the room tonight, at least until Brook decided it was time for bed.

Zoro’s arms lazily lay over his chest while both legs hung over the edges of the box on either side.
His dreaming was heavily influenced by the day he had. They consisted of lots of floating men that
looked like Quillard, and little blonde babies that danced at his feet. He swatted them away but
they cried when he hit them. So noisy!

A creak on the wooden floor alerted him through his Haki. The ever lingering presence of his Haki
was hard to turn off, it almost always being active. The strong sensation of something next to him
pulled him from his deep sleep, his Haki beckoning him to wake up. His senses told him to reach
out and grab it.

When he opened his eye, he was gripping Sanji’s small wrist in his hand. “Curly? What are you
doing out of bed?”

“I don’t wanna sleep by Nami,” Sanji said, half lying, but he knew if he said he had only wanted to
sleep with Zoro that the man would kick him back into the girl’s room. It worked, though, cause
Zoro groaned and loosened his hold on the boy.

“Okay, your bed is right there, then.” He said coldly, pointing to the empty wooden bunk next to
Zoro’s.

Sanji looked behind him, then back to Zoro. “But I don’t want to sleep alone…” he whimpered. He
was always alone. And when he wasn’t alone, he was being kicked and hit for being different. An
outcast in his own family.

“Oh my god, if I let you sleep with me will you shut the hell up?” Zoro snapped, smacking his
forehead in frustration and gritting his teeth. Sanji squeaked in excitement and tried to climb into
the bed, but it was too high off the ground. The wooden box began to sway which, in turn, shook
Luffy’s bed, too. “Oi, just ask for help, dammit!” Zoro angrily whispered and pulled Sanji up.

The boy squirmed about trying to get comfortable before Zoro shoved him to the side and wrapped
his muscular arm around him with a huff. Sanji giggled and squished his face into Zoro’s neck
with happiness. Once Sanji finally calmed down and Zoro thought he was on his way to falling
back asleep, the boy started to trace his finger over Zoro’s grotesque scar. Little fingers felt the
bumpy scar tissue and skidded across the ragged, horribly healed skin.
“How did you get this scar, Zoro?”

“Lost a duel,” he answered quickly, urging Sanji to leave it be and sleep already.

“Will you tell me about it?”

Zoro sighed and groaned and sighed again. Why him? Why was he being pestered?! “Sure. If you
promise to sleep!” Sanji’s head nodded against him agreeing to the promise. “I got this scar the day
we met yo-” Zoro stopped for a moment. Chopper had said to keep Sanji’s adult life out of
conversations so it didn’t influence Kid-Sanji in any way. The Devil Fruit that affected him was
strange and Chopper didn’t want to risk messing anything up in Sanji’s future timeline. “The day
we met a certain chef.”

“A chef?! Was he any good?”

“The best,” Zoro admitted. Not like the little bastard knew it was about him. “The day we met him,
a Warlord visited. His name’s Dracule Mihawk, and he currently holds the title of the World’s
Greatest Swordsman.” Sanji made little aweing noises as Zoro told the story. “But I wanted that
title. Still do. So I challenged him, but I wasn’t strong enough. Compared to him, I was nothing.
An ant to a god. Mihawk swung his mighty sword down across my chest, slicing me wide open.”
Zoro finished with a diagonal motion across his front.

“Wow, that’s... amazing,” Sanji whispered and continued to feel the scar. “Did it hurt?”

Zoro scoffed. “Of course it hurt, baka. It got real infected, too. S’why it’s all gross lookin.”

The air fell silent for a moment, but then Sanji spoke, startling Zoro. “I’ve got a scar,” Sanji
whispered so quietly, Zoro barely heard it even though they were close together. “It’s on the
bottom of my foot. Not a cool one like yours, though.” Not sure he wanted to know where the scar
came from, Zoro waited to see if the boy would tell him or leave it at that. “It’s...a burn,” he said,
his feet wiggling at their mention. “My brothers tried to put me in a fire, but my sister stopped them
before I was all the way in. Only my foot got hurt.”

Zoro wanted to puke. There was a knot in his stomach the size of his fist, it felt so tight he could
dry-heave. Even if this child was Sanji, he was still a child that didn’t deserve the abuse he was
experiencing. Zoro’s eyes stung to his surprise as he could feel water falling from them, his tears
sliding down his face to pool in the shell of his ears. His arms wrapped around Sanji to hold him
tight. There was nothing in this world he could say that would make the boy feel better. The only
thing he thought to do, as he wasn’t very good at this, was to hug him.

He’d only known Kid-Sanji for less than a day, but what he found out in such a short time was
enough to last him a whole lifetime. It was too much. It made him sick. Zoro hated that Quillard
man for exposing Sanji’s horrible childhood to him, to everyone. Adult-Sanji was so normal and
strong despite all the bullshit he had dealt with at home.

And what made it worse? Zoro had thought it was bullies from the neighborhood, but Sanji had
said it was his family who did it. The bruising on his body had to be from them, too.

“Thanks for letting me sleep with you,” Sanji said with a small voice. Zoro had to reign his
thoughts back in.

“Yeah. Sure,” Zoro said. “Prolly not too comfortable, though, all squished up in this box with me,
huh?” He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Beats sleeping outside.”

“Why would we make you sleep outside, Curly?” Sanji went quiet and for a moment Zoro didn’t
think he’d answer. But his body trembled against Zoro’s chest and his breathing became ragged.
“Hey, hey, don’t cry. We aren’t gonna make you sleep outside,” Zoro didn’t know why Sanji
thought such a thing.

“Sometimes sleeping outside is safer...because no one can find you,” he whispered and shoved his
face back into Zoro’s shoulder to sob. His little arms snaked around Zoro’s neck and cried, his
body shaking. The swordsman tried soothing Sanji’s whimpers by running his hands through his
blonde hair and rubbing circles over his back over and over until the boy’s breathing slowed and
sleep finally overtook him.

Zoro promised himself right then and there - if he ever met Sanji’s family, no matter how many
fucking years have passed, he’d kill them all.
___

The sun shined through the portholes letting everyone know morning had come. Franky’s whirring
filled the room again and Usopp was gone to take watch over the bandits in the other room. At
some point during the night, Brook had finally come to bed, too.

Zoro’s chest felt like a rock was sitting atop it. Slowly trying to move his body, he realized it was
just impossible. Wrenching an eye open to see what the hell was so damn heavy, he was shocked to
see both Sanji and Luffy curled up with him! He remembered Sanji coming in here, the sudden
wave of hatred for the boy’s family coming back to him, but he didn’t feel Luffy sneak in at all.
That was very odd of Luffy to do, to be quiet enough he didn’t disrupt either of them in their sleep.

Pulling his arm out from under Luffy’s weight, Zoro tapped on the brunette’s head with his
knuckles. “Oi, the hell you think you’re doin on me?”

As if he had already been awake, Luffy slowly turned his head upward to look into Zoro’s eye.
“Heard you two crying. Wanted to make you feel better.”

Zoro couldn’t fault his captain for his decision to comfort the two of them. He was still surprised at
himself for letting his emotions get the better of him, but sometimes men cried, even if Zoro did it
only once a year or two. “I wasn’t cryin.”

Luffy smiled and lazily blinked. “Okay,” he said, pretending to believe his First Mate. Zoro liked
that Luffy wouldn’t pry into certain things. Instead, his captain laid his head back down to face the
blonde. Softly, Luffy ran the back of his hand down Sanji’s boyishly chubby cheek. “I was
listening, you know. I cried, too.”

The three of them lay there in the morning sun, Sanji still asleep. Coming to terms with the idea of
two idiots keeping him locked in bed, Zoro rested his hands over both their backs and gave a gentle
squeeze before rolling his one good eye with a sigh. Guess I’ll lay here a little while longer.
 Dead Pirates
Chapter Summary

WARNING: Attempted child molestation.

It had been three full days since Quillard turned Sanji into a child, eleven more days to go. Kid-
Sanji had warmed up to everyone, even Nami. Zoro had maybe mentioned something to Usopp
about her behavior knowing damn well he was a gossip and would tell Nami right away. Since
then, Zoro felt everyone’s behavior around Sanji was back to normal, besides the obvious.

The details of Sanji’s abuse weren’t heard by anyone but Zoro and Luffy, but the rest of the crew
could only guess from the bruising and flinching. The dark marks on the boy’s body were already
starting to turn brown, well on their way to fade away. Zoro noticed once Sanji had started to settle
in, his cheeks had turned rosy, no longer completely colorless. It gave him the proper look of a
seven-year-old boy. The dark circles under his eyes had begun to lift, too.

What a difference a few days of decent care can make, Zoro thought sitting next to him at the table
for lunch. The swordsman still wasn’t entirely comfortable being touchy-feely in front of the
others, so when Sanji leaned on him while waiting for food to be set down, Zoro grimaced his
displeasure. For the past couple of nights, Zoro let Sanji sleep where he wanted, which was - you
guessed it - with him in his bunk. So what if Zoro cuddled him, giving into Sanji’s need for
affection.

The ship’s sharpshooter had made them a simple chicken soup to tide them over until dinner time.
If you asked Zoro, it was more chickeny than anything, but at least that satisfied Luffy’s constant
need for meat. Sanji would have balanced the amounts of protein to the veggies perfectly so no
spoonful would have had too much of anything.

Sanji fished around in his bowl for the last noodle for a few tries before it stayed on his spoon long
enough to reach his mouth. He swallowed it down and pushed his bowl away to get up from the
table. Zoro looked down at him with a scowl.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I was going to put my bowl in the sink?” Sanji said with a questioning tone.

Leaning over and peering into his bowl, Zoro arched an eyebrow. “You didn’t drink your broth.”

Sanji wrinkled his nose up. “I don’t like it. I was going to dump it in the sink.”

The table went quiet. It was strange to hear Sanji talk about wasting food, even if that Sanji was a
kid now. It’d only been three days since they had their normal cook and that Sanji would have
never even thought of dumping the broth. If anything, he’d have saved it for another soup later in
the week.

“I’ll drink it!” Luffy shouted and stretched his arm out to yoink the bowl up, but Zoro caught his
wrist in his hand, giving it a firm squeeze.

“I don’t think so, Captain. Curly will finish it.” Zoro said sternly, his steely gaze glaring from
Luffy then down to Sanji. “Won’t he?”

The boy crossed his arms in a pout and looked away. “I said I didn’t like it very much, so I don’t
want it.”

“We don’t waste food on this ship,” Zoro growled through gritted teeth and pushed Sanji’s bowl
closer to the edge of the table for him.

Franky, Usopp, and Chopper started eating again to avoid making the moment any more awkward
than it already was. Nami could barely move her spoon another inch as she was still stunned
hearing these words leave Sanji’s mouth. Brook and Robin had finished their helping and quietly
watched to see how Zoro handled the boy, Robin paying extra attention to the swordsman’s
behavior like the weirdo she was.

Sanji stuck his tongue out at Zoro and told him if he didn’t like something, he didn’t have to eat it,
but Zoro didn’t like that answer at all. The man leaned in close to the boy’s ear and whispered
something, making Sanji’s eyes widen in horror. “No!” he shouted. “That’s so mean!”

“Well, either that or you drink that broth, kid. Choice is yours.” Zoro said and resumed eating his
dinner. He couldn’t help the curl forming at the corner of his mouth when he saw in his peripheral
that Sanji complied.

“I wanted it,” Luffy said sadly. “You don’t make enough food, Usopp! I miss big Sanji!”

“Luffy!” Chopper squeaked. “What did I tell you!”

The captain slapped his hands over his lips and mumbled he was sorry. Sanji set his bowl down
after the last drop had been drunk and looked to Luffy, then to the rest of the crew with a cocked
head. “Big Sanji?”

Usopp wrapped his arm around the boy and patted his head with his other hand. “No need to
worry, little guy! Luffy is just stupid. His brain is rubber, you know!”

“Hey!”

The table burst into laughter and Sanji forgot all about the weird comment. Zoro had told the boy
he was on dish duty for acting out because that type of behavior wouldn’t be tolerated. Sanji
pouted and dragged his feet but did what he was told. Robin thought it most intriguing the way
Zoro managed the situation.

The crew filed out to leave Zoro and Sanji to clean up, Zoro insisting Brook not help because Sanji
was being punished. Robin stayed behind, though, never moving from her seat at the table. Sanji
had cleared her bowl and spoon away with a bright smile but immediately turned around to scowl
at Zoro - a familiar interaction.

The swordsman knew Robin was being her creepy-self by remaining behind. He could feel her
intense gaze boring a hole into his back. It was so strong he felt like he might buckle under it, but
like hell he was giving in to her! Zoro stayed at the sink helping Sanji wash and dry the dishes,
then wipe the counter.

A chair had been pulled over for Sanji to stand on while at the sink. After all was taken care of, he
was told to wipe the counters. Zoro grabbed Sanji by his small waist and lifted him to reach the
surface, then zoomed him along so the rag slid down the counter in one swift motion. Sanji
laughed and giggled even though it was supposed to be punishing, but Zoro didn’t mind.
Unable to avoid her any longer, Zoro kicked Sanji out of the galley and sat at the table. “What do
you want, Robin.”

“Did you have any siblings growing up?” She asked inquisitively. “This seems to be easy for you.”

Zoro winced. “No siblings. Orphan,” he admitted, scratching the back of his head. He wasn’t sure
if he had mentioned that ever to the crew. At least Robin wasn’t a gossip. “And it ain't easy. It’s
hard to separate the way I treat him now from the way I normally do.”

“You’re doing such a wonderful job, Swordsman-san,” she said and placed her chin into her hand
with her elbow propped onto the table, a soft smile warming her dark features.

“Uh...yeah...I’m only doing this because I owe it to’em for getting him into this mess. Otherwise,
he could kiss my ass.”

The woman chuckled. “Of course, of course.” With a sigh, she asked, “Please answer me this,
though, as I’m ever so curious; what did you tell the little chef to obey you so quickly?”

Blush dusted across Zoro’s cheeks making him look away to hide his obvious embarrassment. “I -
I just -” Ah, what the hell was the use of lying to Robin anyway, she already knew everything.
Deflating as he gave in, Zoro said, “Told’em he’d have to sleep alone from now on if he didn’t
finish his food.”

“Oh?” She said with a wry smile.

“Shut up.”

___

The bandit pirates were getting restless being cooped up into the Aquarium, even after such a short
time. When Franky brought them their chicken soup (they better drink that broth!), Quillard asked
if they were allowed to get some sun today. The cyborg said it wasn’t up to him, knowing damn
well Zoro and Luffy were in charge of these men.

“Yow! And that roly-poly man asked to come outside!” Franky said, explaining their distress to his
captain who laid over the lion’s head. Zoro sat directly below him against the wood where he could
easily save Luffy if he fell into the seawater below.

Before Luffy could answer, Zoro growled. “I don’t like’em.” Luffy giggled.

“Me neither, bro, but sometimes ya just gotta stretch! Ain't that right, Captain! OW, OW!” Franky
shouted and struck a pose. “That was SUUUUPER funny!”

Luffy clapped his sandals together as he spurted out his dorky laugh. “Good one, Franky!”

“I don’t trust’em,” Zoro said again. Other than the obvious of them being pirates and all, he still
didn’t like the men. They made too many sleazy comments when it was Robin’s turn to watch
them. Luffy wouldn’t even let Nami take a shift because she didn’t have a Devil Fruit and her
Climatact might wreck the glass of the Aquarium. “But if Captain allows it, I will bite my tongue.”

Sliding off the head and into Zoro’s lap, Luffy rolled away until he was at Franky’s feet. “Hmm. I
dunno what to do. Franky says yes and Zoro says no. Hmmmmmmmm.”

Walking up the stairs to approach the three, Brook softly voiced his opinion. “We are all very
strong, Zoro-san. We will protect each other if anything goes wrong,” he said with a bow. “I swear
my life on it. At least, what’s left of it, yohohohoho!”

Huffing, Zoro rolled his eye. “Do what ya want, Captain. I respect your decisions.”

“Okay! Let’em out! And if they start any trouble, I’ll kick their ass!”

The cyborg told the other pirates they were allowed on the deck. Most of them ran to see the sun as
fast as possible and jumped out into the open air, finally feeling the warm sunshine on their skin for
the first time in days.

To ease his mind, Zoro thought it would be best to put them all to work. This way he knew exactly
what they were doing and it would also make Nami happy. At this news, they slumped forward
and groaned. Though the bitching didn't last long as Zoro unsheathed Wado and spun her around in
his hand. "Unless someone wants to entertain me with a fight?" A devilish grin broke out across his
face as he looked at the small crowd seeing there weren't any volunteers. "Just as I thought. So
grab a mop and get to work. You can stop once dinner is served."

Giving the Sunny a deep clean was a much better pastime than sparing with the Pirate Hunter and
his three swords. The men were out on the top deck on their hands and knees scrubbing the wood
while Zoro paced back and forth, checking their work. Once he felt they got the picture that he
wouldn’t let them slack off, he began his first set of a thousand pushups.

The harsh sun beating down on everyone made cleaning a bit more unenjoyable than it already
was. Their cleaning became sluggish the higher the sun climbed into the sky. Chopper passed out
glasses of water to help keep everyone hydrated. They thanked the little blue-nosed reindeer and
got back to work.

On his nine-hundred and eighty-fourth push up, little Sanji approached Zoro. “Are the bad guys
taking a break now?” he asked.

Zoro stopped mid-push up and looked over. “Does it look like it?” He snapped, nodding his head
over to the men who were now cleaning the railings and stairs.

Sanji shook his head. “Not those ones, the other ones.”

Continuing his workout, determined to get to one thousand, Zoro grunted, “What other ones, kid?”
Pushing himself up and down as he searched around the deck to see if he could count the men.
Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen...shit, he’s right. Three missing. Before Sanji could answer, Zoro
sighed as he got to his feet and wiped his hands on his pants. “Where are they?” Shyly, Sanji
pointed at the Aquarium Room door. “They begged us to come out but now they’re back in that
damn room, huh?”

The swordsman made his way over and entered the room after grabbing his swords, catching three
of the bandits sitting on the floor playing cards. The moment the door opened, they looked up to
see who it was and gasped, scooting backward to increase the distance between them and the
notorious Pirate Hunter. “We - we were just taking a rest! Just five minutes!”

Zoro jutted his hip to the side and planted a hand on it. The other hand grabbed his chin and rubbed
as if he were deep in thought. “Didn’t know breaks were allowed.”

“We only just sat down, honestly! We’ve hardly even stopped working!” one of the pirates said
trying to convince Zoro.

“Liar!” Sanji shouted from around Zoro’s leg, gripping his pants. “I said you should be cleaning
and you shoved me away twenty minutes ago!”

“Shoved?” Zoro snapped. He pried Sanji from him and walked into the room to tower over the
three pirates. “Didn’t I say if you fucked up, I’d slice you in half? ”

The First Mate touched the hilt of Wado Ichimonji and flicked his thumb, pushing her out of her
sheath a few inches. As Zoro wickedly smiled down on them, Chopper trotted in to save the day.
“Zoro! No! What are you doing!”

Smile fading and eyebrows turned up in worry, Zoro looked down at his furry nakama. “I wasn’t
gonna kill’em! Just scare’em a bit!”

“We do not scare the guests!” Chopper squeaked, waving his hands around. He went on and on
about taking care of the body and sometimes you need to take a break, it’s really hot out, they
could have had heat stroke, maybe their backs hurt, whatever, over and over until Zoro squatted
down and placed his big hands on Chopper’s tiny shoulders and said he was sorry. Chopper ceased
his lecture but then turned to the lazy pirates as he morphed into his Heavy Point. “And get back to
work!” he roared, freaking the men out making them run in horror back out on the open deck.

Sanji fell onto his butt in shock as he looked up at what was once a small reindeer that was now an
eight-foot-tall... whatever the hell that was! “So...cool…” he whispered.

Chopper popped back into his regular form and did a small dance. “That - that’s doesn’t make me
happy at all, bakadayo!” he said with a wide smile and squinty eyes.

The blonde raised a spiral eyebrow at Zoro, making the other laugh. Zoro held out a hand for Sanji
to help him up. “He don’t take compliments well.”

___

By the time dinner was done, the ‘guest’ pirates were exhausted! But, the Thousand Sunny was
spotless. Her grass was trimmed perfectly, the wood was all shined up, the ropes tightened, and her
sails washed. Nami was a very happy Navigator when she inspected their work. As she walked
around checking it over, they fawned over her, one even bold enough to grab at her, which she
returned with a lightning bolt to his skull.

Franky helped bring out the food that Usopp and Brook spent hours making. Both could cook just
fine, but neither were anything near as fast at working as Adult-Sanji was. When it came to meal-
prepping and serving large groups of people, there was no one better than Sunny’s personal chef. It
was as if he had superpowers! Usopp was exhausted trying to keep up with over twenty bellies to
fill!

The bandits were moving to file away back into their so-called dungeon room when Zoro stopped
them. “Where ya goin?” he asked.

Quillard turned to face him with hesitance. The man had pointed his swords at him enough times
that seeing his face alone had him trembling. “Aquarium?”
Zoro gave a lopsided smile and beckoned with his hand, “You can eat with us,” he said and pointed
over to where the rest of his crew sat in the grass smiling and waving for them to join. “Ya worked
hard today. Thanks fer helping with Sunny.”

Some of the men that weren’t as afraid of Zoro shoved past Quillard and headed over to the others.
Quillard gave a weak smile before following the rest of his friends.

Robin used her Devil Fruit to pass cups filled with booze, cola, and juice around and offered
second helpings to people who had already finished their plate, minus Luffy. Brook was sure to sit
down in between some of the other pirates to strike up a conversation, interested in stories anyone
had to tell. Usopp quickly ate and then fell back to take a quick nap, having been cooking all day
had sapped his energy.

Zoro located Sanji to make sure he was okay and had a plate in his hand. Seeing him between
Nami and Robin laughing made Zoro smile to himself. He loves those two even as a kid, huh?
Leaning against a railing, he scanned the crowd to count bodies, which were all present. Only then
did he walk over and plop down next to his captain, Robin already placing a plate of food in his
hands with her power before he could even cross his legs. The swordsman nodded his thanks.

Dinner was loud. Usopp had barbequed a sea-king Luffy had punched earlier last week, Adult-
Sanji had chopped it up and put it in the icebox. Everyone loved the meat and was glad that there
was plenty to go around. Mugs full of booze were lifted into the air in a cheer, Franky and Brook
pulled out their instruments, and Luffy and Chopper had started doing weird dances - Luffy
occasionally snatching more chunks of meat to munch on.

When it seemed that everyone had gotten their fill, again - minus Luffy - Zoro and Robin gathered
up the plates, utensils, and other trash that had accumulated, bringing them to the kitchen to finish
cleaning up.

Robin began to fill the sink with water, but Zoro had put his hand to her arm and lightly pushed.
“Go on, I’ve got this,” he said about the dishes.

“Oh, but it’s no problem at -”

“Go,” Zoro said, cutting her off. “Need someone to look after that damn cook. Also need some
peace. Don’t like those bastards out there very much.”

Slowly nodding her agreement, Robin began to make her way out of the kitchen. “They are quite
repulsive, aren’t they?”

“Can’t believe we let them live, especially with the way they speak to you two girls. Fucking
disgusting.” Zoro spat and began to roll up his coat sleeves. He plugged the sink up and added dish
soap, stirring it around with his hand. He hated being nice to them but Chopper had given him an
earful when he threatened them.

Robin giggled. “They will be gone soon. Our dearest Navigator says tomorrow we should be
coming up on the next island.”

Zoro visibly sagged with relief. “Good. I don’t trust them.” With the sink now full and ready, he
started washing the plates and talked over his shoulder. “Seriously, get out of here. Watch that kid
and don’t let those bastards talk to you. I’ll be out when I’m done.”

Robin took her leave doing as she was told. Throughout his cleaning, Zoro found himself leaning
over to look through the porthole that faced the lawn. Even though Sanji was safely tucked into
Robin’s lap laughing and clapping along with the music, he still couldn’t help himself to check
every few minutes - just in case.

There were way more dishes than Zoro had thought, forgetting there were seventeen extra people
to clean up after. He really did mean for Robin to leave, he didn’t want her help, but damn would it
have gone by faster with her power. Doing it all on his own had helped his mood, though. His
initial annoyance of their rowdy behavior earlier had died down and turned into an itch for a few
glasses of whiskey or sake or beer or literally anything containing alcohol.

The green-haired man put the last dish away with excitement as he was that much closer to booze-
time. He looked around to make sure everything was spotless just as the Adult-Sanji would have
had it. Seeing as it was all in order, he left with a trot, eager to catch up on his drinking.

___

Usopp stood by the fire, now completely rested after his power nap, and told his humongous lies
that left the guest pirates in awe. Even Luffy, who knew Usopp never had time to do any of the
things he claimed to do, was sucked into his stories. Sanji sat atop of Luffy’s shoulders with a slack
jaw, surprise Usopp was capable of such amazing accomplishments. The stories rattled on until
Brook loudly plucked on his violin to announce he was going to play a song.

Zoro found a bottle of whiskey and had it halfway gone by the time he ducked under Luffy’s arm as
the rubber boy swayed side to side singing out of tune to Bink’s Sake and pulled on Sanji’s legs
with the beat. Zoro tipped the bottle back to steal a glance up at the blonde. His chest tightened
when he saw how utterly happy he was. This feels right. He deserves this.

The Sunny was lively for hours as the music and storytelling never stopped. The Straw Hat Pirates
were natural entertainers! The booze flowed freely throughout the men and smiles were worn
everywhere. Even Zoro was enjoying himself.

It was getting late though and as much as he loves drinking until the last drop is gone, he had to
keep a clear head to watch over the kid. His last drink was an hour ago and there was nothing else
keeping him awake, so he leaned back and rested his eyes for a few minutes. Sleeping when there
was a party around came fairly easy for him. Imagine if he let something as silly as noise keep him
from sleeping?! With Luffy’s constant cloud of chaos, Nami’s yelling, and Usopp and Franky’s
explosions, he’d never get sleep if he let anything but silence keep him awake.

A few minutes of shut-eye was all he needed. With a belly still full from dinner mixed with tall
glasses of booze, his eyelid became heavier than he could manage. He was asleep in no time.

___

Quillard’s loud laughter had jolted Zoro awake. His Haki pulled him out of sleep telling him
something was wrong. As the roar of laughter from the foreign pirates filled the night’s air, Zoro
looked around seeing his nakama still enjoying themselves.

The flames of the fire reached high into the sky still so Zoro couldn’t have dozed off for too long.
His face and bare chest were toasty warm making him ease back into sleep. The moment his eye
fully closed, that strange sensation pulled him awake again. His Haki was trying to tell him
something. Curious why he felt wrong when all seemed well enough, Zoro scanned over everyone
again. All wearing smiles, so what’s this feeling?

Zoro turned to his nearest crewmate, it was the witch. “Oi,” he said and flicked his head towards
her. Surprised Zoro was awake so early (as he always spends the better half of parties passed out),
Nami turned to fully face Zoro, leaning in to hear him better. “Where’s the kid?”

Nami sat up and looked around for a moment to look for the little blonde. “Oh, right, he said he
was going to use the bathroom.”

Nodding his thanks, Zoro returned his gaze to the rest of the party. Usopp was sitting with his back
to him pointing at a book and waving his hands around at Franky, who was pointing at Brook, who
was sipping tea with Robin.

Chopper was crying tears of joy as he laughed at Luffy’s huge belly, his body swollen five times
his normal size, while Nami had turned her attention back to them and was yelling at the rubber
idiot for getting back into the food. So that’s everyone, counting Sanji in the bathroom.

Now looking over the other pirates, Zoro started to feel that tingly, hair-raising sensation again.
Something felt wrong and he couldn’t quite place it. Instinctively, Zoro’s right hand felt at his hip,
but his swords were safely hooked through his sash and tucked behind him just as they were
earlier. Absentmindedly fingering over the cloth hilt of Wado, he racked his brain to think of what
his Haki was trying to tell him.

Sanji has been gone for long enough, Zoro thought. Then something hit him as if it were painfully
obvious - he immediately started counting pirates.

Four, five, six…

Laughter broke out as someone had told another atrocious joke.

Seven, eight, nine…ten…eleven…twelve...

Zoro craned his neck to see around Quillard’s huge, fat form.

Thirteen and…fourteen. That’s all I see.

In a blink, Zoro was standing and making his way up to the ship’s bathroom. Something isn’t right,
Zoro repeatedly thought. The cool night air stung his eye as he jumped up the ropes to reach the
top faster. The commotion below was too busy to notice Zoro’s sudden movement. A hand over the
doorknob ready to turn it open, Zoro heard Sanji’s muffled voice.

“Let go of me!”

Then another, much deeper voice replied, “Keep him still!” Zoro’s heart slammed against his
ribcage, stuttering with cold fear. Those two voices don’t belong together. “Shouldn’t have snitched
on us earlier, you little shit,” the voice growled.

Zoro tried the handle but it was locked. In one swift motion, his boot kicked the door hard enough
it came off its hinges and flew to the floor. For the second time that day, Zoro caught those same
three pirates doing something they really should not be doing.

His eye darted from one thing to another too fast to completely register what was going on, because
what he was seeing was absolutely impossible. Chest caught in a knot, he forced himself to breathe
again. From the core of his being, Zoro’s blood began to boil.

Two of the pirates had been working together to pull Sanji’s pants down to his knees. The one on
the left was holding his legs, which the boy kicked out with all his strength to no avail, while the
one on the right yanked at the jeans. The third pirate held Sanji up by his middle and pawed at his
naked torso, his shirt ripped and discarded on the floor below. Those dirty, grubby hands felt
around while the man wickedly laughed in his ear, giving it a grotesque lick.

All three stopped in their tracks when the door had been kicked down. The moment Zoro’s brain
caught up with what his eye was seeing, he jolted forward in an instant and swung Kitetsu across
their backs, cleanly bisecting them. A fan of blood sprayed across the room.

Sanji’s eyes were big and glassy, his cheeks stained with red splatter. With a trembling lip, he
looked at Zoro, silently pleading for help.

The man holding Sanji readjusted his grip on him while he pulled a knife from his pocket.
“Don’t!” He shouted. His hand shook as he pointed the knife to Sanji’s throat. “Don’t or I’ll kill
him!” He backed up and hit the wall. The man felt like a trapped rat as a ferocious tiger
approached. “I’ll fucking kill him!”

The Pirate Hunter curled his lip back as he threw Kitetsu like a spear into the man’s forehead, it
piercing straight through his skull and pinning him to the wall. The sword was thrown with such
force, the hilt had caved his forehead in. His body fell slack, dropping Sanji.

Prying Kitetsu out of the man, Zoro gave Sanji one good look to make sure he was okay and was
then gone from the bathroom as quickly as he had come.

___

Down by the fire, all was fun still. No one was the wiser of the happenings above them. At least,
not until Zoro jumped from the bathroom’s deck and zipped through the rest of the foreign pirates.
He’d spent his childhood training to master Santoryu, the three golden earrings that chimed next to
his ear was proof he mastered it, but tonight, these bastards died by only one sword: Kitetsu, the
blade that hungered for their treacherous souls. It’s bloodthirsty need to see them dead fueled Zoro
as he slid it through their bodies, dropping them one after another.

One left. Zoro brought Kitestu high above his head to swing down with an impossible force, one
that would have surely split Sunny in two if it weren’t for Luffy suddenly appearing before him.
His captain’s skin was glowing pink as steamed raised above him. Luffy held Kitetsu in his fist.
The katana vibrated against its hold as it drank the blood that oozed from Luffy’s palm.

“Zoro,” his captain said calmly, staring into this eye.

Zoro hadn’t realized he was screaming in a rage until hearing his name aloud brought him back
from the madness. His throat burned and his lungs were tight as he gasped for a new breath. The
silent air rang with his echoing cry.

“Zoro,” Luffy repeated.

Releasing the tension in his body, Zoro let the sword go slack in Luffy’s hold. When his captain
released it, the steel hit the grass as Zoro loosely held it in his fists. Behind Luffy, Quillard was
quietly sobbing having almost been cleaved in two.

“We need him, Zoro,” Luffy told him. The more he said his name, the more it grounded his First
Mate, clearing his head.

Zoro looked into his captain’s eyes to tell him, “They deserved worse.”

With that, Zoro left and made his way back up to the bathroom to take care of his nakama.

___

Skidding to his knees on the blood-soaked tile, Zoro embraced Sanji into his arms. He had been
gone for less than sixty seconds, though it must have felt like days for the boy. Sanji’s body shook
violently.

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay. They’re gone.” Zoro cooed. He pulled Sanji away to look at him. “Did
they hurt you? Did they hurt you?” he asked, hoping the small child knew he meant something
more, something worse. Zoro couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud, afraid that his carelessness
ruined Sanji’s life.

Curly eyebrows furrowed together as Sanji flung himself forward and sobbed, barely managing to
shake his head in Zoro’s shoulder.

“Shhh, Sanji, it’s okay. It’s okay. I’ve got you. I’m here,” Zoro ran his hand through golden hair
unsure if it was more comforting for him or the boy. “This needs to be cleaned up before anyone
sees. You need to be cleaned up. I need to be…” Zoro couldn’t let anyone see the connection. He
couldn’t let their crew see the aftermath lest they figure out Sanji was almost molested. Imagine if
they knew! They’d pity him for the rest of his life. He couldn’t let anyone know. It was bad
enough he knew, the cook’s rival! No, no, he would clean this up and make sure no one knew the
reason he had to kill those men.

The swordsman could hear his crewmates calling for him. Quickly, Zoro picked the door up and
propped it against the frame, then dragged Nami’s makeup chair over to hold it in place. Zoro
raced to the communal tub and turned both faucets on and dumped the soap in. “Get in and clean
yourself up. I’ve gotta get rid of this.” Zoro gestured towards the enormous pools of blood that
slowly snaked their way across the floor into the drain in the middle of the room. Sanji did as he
was told, sniffling back snot that leaked down his face.

Once Sanji climbed in and waited for the water to rise, Zoro got to work. First, he unlatched the
window that overlooked the sea and gathered the body parts, shoving them through. Various
splashing noises from below confirmed they had made it into the water. With them gone, he
rummaged through the supply closet and pulled out a bucket. He placed it under the sink and filled
it, then tossed the water over the bathroom tiles to wash away the stains, repeating until the
majority of the blood had drained.

To rid the remaining mess, he had to get the mop out and soak it all up, the whole time he
grumbled under his breath that they died too easy, they died too fast, shoulda took my time. His jaw
hurt from grinding his teeth together.

Zoro looked over and the tub had filled up to Sanji’s shoulders. He walked over and turned the
faucets off for him and crouched so he was eye-level with the boy. “Are you okay?” Sanji had been
staring down at the water while Zoro worked. When he looked up, blood still covered his face and
bangs. “Sanji?” Zoro asked again. The blonde slowly nodded. Zoro felt his heart wrench as he
witnessed the horror behind those blue eyes. “Please say something,” Zoro begged and cupped
Sanji’s face with both hands, thumbs lightly rubbing his cheeks.

“I was so scared,” Sanji finally said, lip beginning to tremble again. “I was so scared no one would
come for me,” warm tears welled up in his eyes and spilled over. “You came, though.”

Softly scoffing, Zoro said, “of course I did.” One hand traced over the boy’s face and moved his
bangs out of his eyes. “I’m sorry, Sanji, that I didn’t come sooner. I’m sorry I failed you.” While he
spoke, Zoro scooped a handful of water to dump over Sanji’s head to wet his hair. “I should have
been there sooner...I should have had your back…” he squeezed shampoo over his hair and began
to massage his scalp, lathering up the soap to rid the blood away. “I’m sorry…” Zoro whispered.

While Zoro finished washing Sanji’s hair, he pulled the boy out and put him in Chopper’s fluffy
towel. Kicking the chair and door aside, Zoro emerged from the bathroom with Sanji on his hip
and headed to the boy’s bunk to get the pajamas he had been wearing the past few nights. On his
way, Luffy intercepted him.

“Zoro,” Luffy said from under the brim of his hat.

“Captain.”

Luffy curled a finger for his First Mate to follow him and together they entered the boy’s room.
Luffy closed the door behind them and continued to hide his face. “What’s going on.”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Did they need to die?” Luffy asked, voice stern.

Zoro put a hand over Sanji’s small head and held him close to his chest, relieved his captain wasn’t
looking. “They needed to die.”

“Okay,” he said, slightly more relaxed. “You should apologize to everyone. You scared them.”

“I will. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Luffy nodded his understanding, then raised his head to look at Zoro. “We will be waiting,” and
left.

“Is Luffy mad?” Sanji asked quietly after the door had clicked shut.

“A little, but not at you, okay? You’re fine. Everything is fine.” Zoro couldn’t stop running his
hand over Sanji’s head trying to pet the worry away. Zoro’s chest felt like it was on fire, his legs
trembled with weakness, his breathing ragged. Alone in the deafening silence of the room, he
squeezed the boy close in an impossibly tight hug. “I’m so sorry, Sanji. I’m so sorry.” The two
stayed like that for a while until Zoro finally let go and set the boy down so he could get into his
pajamas.

Zoro picked Sanji up once he was changed and gave him one last hug before he set him in his bed.
“Can you stay here by yourself while I finish up out there? I’ll come right back.” Ugh, the look on
that kid’s face just about broke his damn heart. “I promise I won’t be long.”

“M’kay,” he said quietly and lay down. Zoro tugged his blanket up to his chin and gave his bangs
one last swipe to the side so he could see two curly eyebrows.

___

When Zoro approached the rest of his nakama, they were less than impressed with him. He had
stopped their celebration short with nothing but blood and unexplained violence. The bodies had
been dumped overboard by the time he had come back out but the blood remained. He winced
looking at it, it being a reminder of what had almost happened to Sanji.

“Hey,” Zoro said quietly, avoiding everyone’s gaze. He looked off into the dark ocean. “I’m sorry
for acting without warning you. Thank you, Luffy, for stopping me when I lost control,” he
sounded almost mechanical when he apologized, he had nothing in him for anyone else right now
but Sanji. All his emotions were taken up and claimed for a little boy who needed him. “I’m sorry
you had to see that.”

Stepping forward, Nami crossed her arms. “That was not cool, Zoro.”

Gaining confidence now that someone else had spoken first, Usopp chimed in. “Yeah, Zoro, you
went crazy! You left quite a mess.”

Robin giggled. “So much blood, Swordsman-san. You killed them all very fast.” A few recoiled
from Robin’s strange ways of talking to people.

Luffy stayed back and waited for everyone to say what was on their mind before he spoke. “You
almost killed Frilly. Then Sanji would have had to grow up all over again.”

It stung when Luffy reprimanded him. He couldn’t give two-shits about anyone else's opinion but
his captain’s. He wasn’t there to impress anyone or have a best friend. He was there to help Luffy
become The Pirate King, then he would become The World’s Greatest Swordsman. Anything less
was irrelevant. Except maybe tiny Sanji. Zoro liked tiny Sanji.

“I’m sorry,” he said again.

“You could at least tell us why you went all psycho!” Nami said, throwing her hands up. Usopp
joined in, saying it wasn’t fair.

Zoro couldn’t look at his crew. He was too afraid the turmoil inside him was showing on his face.
“I can’t.”

“You can’t?! Why the hell not!” Nami screeched.

Usopp stepped forward. “Oi, Zoro, just open your mouth and speak. We were having a good time
until you diced those men up, you know!”

He wouldn’t look up, he couldn’t. Zoro stared at the blood-stained grass while Nami and Usopp
continued to berate him. Honestly, if this was all he would get in punishment from his crew, he
was fine with that. Yelling at him, telling him he sucks for being so ruthless, blah blah, it didn’t
matter. What did matter was protecting Sanji. He may forget about this ever happening when he
goes back into his regular timeline of life, but when he’s big, the crew will still remember. It will
be fresh in their minds. Years and years will have passed for Sanji, but for them, it would be less
than two weeks. Zoro wouldn’t let them know about it, he didn’t want them to treat him
differently. The image of that man licking up the side of Sanji’s face had him gagging.

“Nami, Usoppu,” Luffy started, interrupting the two. “It’s done. Those guys are dead and we can’t
bring’em back. Zoro had to do it and I trust him. You should, too.”

___

The blood had been hard to get rid of. Even after pulling the hose out and saturating the main deck
in water, the red still remained. It only seeped further into the grass and soaked into the dirt. It took
a while, but with Franky’s help, the blood and smell was finally gone. Nami and Usopp didn’t feel
like helping and Zoro didn’t care to make them, but everyone else put in the effort to make Sunny
nice and clean again.

When the boys came into their room to crawl into bed, Sanji was fast asleep. Zoro kicked his boots
off and threw his coat under his bunk before lifting Sanji into his arms and maneuvering himself
into his bed.

“Zoro?” Sanji mumbled, sleep in his voice.

“Shh,” Zoro whispered into the boy’s hair. “M’right here. Go back to sleep.”

The boy smiled and nuzzled his face into Zoro’s neck for the fourth night in a row.
 Festival
Chapter Notes

CHECK OUT THE ART BRITT (@Chow_bii) DID FOR THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!
OMG how sweet and living and caring it isss omg!!

CHECK IT OUT on her Twitter here!

Sometimes, sleeping was dangerous. The things your mind thought up could hardly be controlled.
Dreams could be made of true events, lies and deceptions, or a mix of the two, but all three equally
horrifying as your mind was trapped while the images projected onto the backs of your eyelids.
Zoro had spent the majority of the night covered in a sheet of his own sweat as he watched greasy
men over and over paw at Sanji, the whole time unable to help him, always out of reach. He
continuously raced forward to cleave them in two, but his legs felt as if a million pounds were
attached to each of them. He tried and tried to take a step forward, but the pressure held him still.
Reaching out to grasp Sanji’s small, outstretched hand seemed hopeless as the boy seemed to be
further away the more he strained.

Still dreaming of the haunting situation, Zoro’s Haki prodded at the back of his mind again, urging
him something was wrong. The images of the bloodied bathroom flickered in and out as his Haki
tried taking over to wake him. Suddenly, Zoro reached his arm out to grasp whatever it was that
was hovering over him.

“Ah! Zoro!” Usopp squawked and attempted to pry Zoro’s fist from his neck. Both of his hands
clawed at his skin. “Let go!” he managed to say.

As the nightmare faded and the reality settled in, Zoro opened his eyes to see Usopp struggling in
his hold with bulging eyes while Sanji and Luffy slept on either side of him. “Hm?” he mumbled,
still slightly confused. “What were you doin so close to me?”

“Pncksss,” Usopp choked.

“Huh?” he asked, and let his grip loosen. Usopp sucked in air to fill his lungs with a wheeze.

After pounding on his chest to make it move properly again, Usopp darted his eyes around the
room while rubbing his throat as if more Zoro’s were going to jump out and strangle him. “I made
pancakes. You know, for breakfast?”

“PANCAKES!!!!!!!” Luffy screamed, suddenly awake, and darted out of the room to the kitchen
after launching off Zoro’s chest.

“Oh. Yeah…” Zoro said awkwardly, guiltily. “Sorry. Don’t creep around me like that.” Usopp
nodded his head and muttered under his breath that he was boarding with a psychopath, but the
swordsman chose to ignore that part. Although, after last night, Zoro felt it important to emphasize
his apology. Clasping Usopp’s elbow before he turned to leave, Zoro waited until the sharpshooter
made eye contact with him. “Really, Usoppu. I’m sorry. I hope you’re not hurt.”

Seeing that Zoro had put real empathy behind his words and hearing the genuine sorry in his voice,
Usopp waved him off. “It’s no biggie, man. Come eat before Luffy eats it all.”

“I’m on my way,” Zoro said and watched his crewmate take his leave. Once the door closed and
the silence of the room began to be filled with ringing in his ears, Zoro craned his neck to look
down at the sleeping boy, his left arm and leg stretched across Zoro’s middle. Remembering what
Sanji had said a few nights ago about his scarring, Zoro grew curious.

Very rarely was Sanji shoeless, and it was even more rare to see the bottom of his feet. Zoro
untucked his left arm from the boy and grabbed the foot over his front to feel the bottom. Normal,
he thought. His fingers could feel the small grooves and creases that made Sanji’s foot unique.
Digging around between his hip and the wooden box they laid in, Zoro fished Sanji’s right foot out
enough to feel the bottom, hesitant this time. The skin was wavy and abnormally smooth from the
burn Sanji told him about. Zoro’s jaw immediately clenched to grind his teeth together. Does the
Sanji we all know still have this scarring?

___

The island they were promised had come into view a little after everyone had finished their
breakfast. Though, with no extra pirates to drop off, there was no longer a reason to stop, at least
technically speaking. It had been a week or so since the Straw Hats had seen dry land, so Nami and
Luffy had thought hitting the island was still worth their while.

The Sunny was cautiously guided around the island until there was a secluded enough area where
she could rest while the other members of the crew were gone. Franky was the last to jump off the
railings, having to say his goodbyes to Sunny. His bare feet mushed into the hot sand of the beach
making him grimace.

Nami had gathered everyone under some shade before they parted ways to go over their buddy
system, missions, and safety nets. “If anything goes sour, get back to Sunny immediately!” she
began. “The faster we can get everyone back here the better chance we have of avoiding a huge
mess.” Nami turned her glare to Luffy, who was currently being held by the collar of his vest so he
didn’t dart before she could finish her speech. “The Post dropped off the paper this morning saying
there is a festival going on, so be wary of purse-snatchers, small-time thieves, and con artists.”
Usopp coughed at the irony.

“Don’t let the festivities distract you too much if you have any supplies you need to restock. Since
San - uh, since we don’t have our usual person who inventories our kitchen, Usopp and I will be in
charge of that part. Sanji-kun can come with us.”

Zoro’s attention had been grabbed. He didn’t expect anyone else to volunteer to take over Sanji-
Watch. At this point, he just assumed he was the unofficial caregiver seeing as how the boy had
become so attached to him. When he looked down at the blonde, Sanji was already staring up at
him with a slightly worried look in his eyes as if he had the same thought as the swordsman. Zoro
raked his fingers through his hair with a sigh and looked away while he spoke up. “I, uh, I don’t
mind watchin’em. I ain't got anything to do…”

“It’s fine, Zoro, I’m sure you’ve been dying for a break from him,” Nami said nonchalantly with a
wave of her free hand. The other tightened its grip on Luffy’s vest and raised it to gesture to the
Captain. “You’re on Luffy Duty, though. Robin, Brook, and Franky, you’re on Quillard Duty. He
can’t be trusted to stay on the ship alone and I don’t think sending him off with Zoro is...you
know…” she trailed off after the sudden awkwardness of her comment. “No offense,” Nami
apologized with a sad smile.

Ignoring the last part, Zoro went to speak up to voice his protest about who Sanji went with, but
was cut off by Nami speaking again. The uncomfortable feeling Zoro was experiencing had gone
unnoticed by the navigator, but Robin is an observant woman. Once Nami finished her speech, she
let Luffy go, who had raced towards the city without waiting for Zoro and began making her way
towards Sanji.

“I believe we should ask little Cook-san who he wants to spend his time with,” Robin said,
stunning Nami in her tracks.

The redhead looked from Sanji to Robin and then back to Sanji. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind
hanging with us, Robin! Right, Sanji-kun?” Her eyes were full of hope that she wasn’t wrong, but
Sanji didn’t seem excited about the news.

“Uhm…” Sanji tried, twisting his foot in the sand while playing with the hem of Chopper’s shirt he
borrowed. “I wanna -”

“See! He doesn’t mind!” Nami interrupted and reached for his hand.

Knowing the boy wasn’t done speaking, Zoro frowned. He knew Sanji was trying to say he wanted
to stay with Zoro, and as an adult, he should say the words he can’t. But after last night, Zoro found
it hard to say much to any of his crew, the guilt of not telling them about what happened made him
feel shitty. Apparently he cared about what they thought more than he let on. So instead of
stopping Nami right there, Zoro let her drag Sanji away.

“You didn’t let him finish,” Robin said as she approached the two and knelt to Sanji’s level. “Little
Cook-san,” she started, running her fingers through his hair. “Who would you like to spend your
day with? There is a festival in town, you know. Who would be the most fun?”

The little blonde looked up to meet Robin’s kind blue eyes to search for a trap. Surely he wasn’t
able to choose, right? Although the time he spent so far with The Straw Hats has been really easy,
they always gave him what he wanted and treated him with kindness. Knowing exactly who he
wanted to spend his day with, he began to say the name but then felt saddened knowing he might
hurt Nami’s feelings.

Turning to look up at the woman who still held his hand, he tried saying something, anything, but
he just couldn’t. He didn’t have to, though, because Nami knew from the pained look on his face.
She sighed and let his hand go. “It’s fine, Sanji-kun. Go with Zoro.”

As Sanji joyously ran over to Zoro and hugged his legs, the swordsman tried to apologize. “I really
don’t mind watching Sanji,”

Everyone sort of stood stone-still after hearing Zoro say that. Usopp spoke first. “Sanji?” He
asked, perplexed. Zoro cocked his head in confusion.

“Zoro?” Nami asked. “You okay?”

“Huh?”

Chopper asked if Zoro was okay and Brook and Franky mimicked Zoro by also cocking their head
sideways.

“What? I feel fine, what is going on?” Zoro asked.

“You called Sanji by his name,” Usopp said, pointing down at the boy.

Realizing his words, Zoro blushed. “I - I didn’t! It - it ain't a big deal!” He could feel his face
burning as Nami, Usopp, and Robin all smiled at him with their devilish grins. “It’s just a name!”
he shouted again before yanking Sanji’s little hand into his and stomping off into the woods.

“Other way,” they all said in unison, pointing to the big path to the right clearly leading to the city.

___

As the two of them silently walked up the path, Zoro noticed Sanji not able to keep up with him
despite the pace he set to accommodate for Sanji’s short stride. Casually glancing down, he saw
the boy wince a little every other step.

He doesn’t have any fucking shoes! Zoro thought. He felt like the worst babysitter ever. In one
swift motion, Zoro scooped Sanji up and put him atop his shoulders. The rest of the way there,
Zoro cursed himself for not realizing he didn’t have protection for his feet sooner, but seeing as
how Chopper didn’t wear shoes it never came up. The sand was so hot! Even Franky was
squirming in his place as the Witch babbled on. The kid didn’t say a single thing that whole time!

Absentmindedly, Zoro rubbed the bottoms of Sanji’s tiny feet with his thumbs while holding them.
The city came into view in no time...maybe with Sanji telling Zoro to stay on the path once or
twice.

Even as they approached the far outskirts of the city, there were hoards of people bustling about
crowding the streets. Kids ran between adults trying to hide from each other, stray dogs stole food
from unsupervised tables, and hundreds upon hundreds of people laughed and shouted and enjoyed
themselves during the start of the festival.

Looking around, Zoro realized he had no idea what type of store would sell children’s shoes, so
instead of wandering for hours like he normally would, he decided to be the bigger man and ask
someone, despite how much he hated asking people for directions.

“Hey, I gotta question,” Zoro asked the first man he saw wearing shoes (all of them).

“I don’t have any money!” he yelped and sped off in the opposite direction.

That took the swordsman by surprise. “The hell?” he asked aloud. He had no intention of asking
for money, so it was strange the man said that. Asking another person with shoes on (literally
anyone around), he tried again. “Excuse me, could you point me in the-”

“Leave us be!” The woman screamed while clutching to her husband.

Sanji bonked Zoro on the head and leaned to his right so Zoro could see him. “You’re scary
looking, don’t you know?”

“Hah?” the green-haired man asked, stopping in the middle of the street making the crowd part and
forcing them to go around.

“Have you seen what you look like? People aren’t used to men like you coming up to them and
being nice. They’re probably used to them robbing or hurting them!”
“Hah??? I wouldn’t do that, though. And what’s wrong with what I look like, huh?”

Sanji laughed. His little fists tightened in Zoro’s hair as he almost fell backward. “You don’t think
you’re scary looking?”

Zoro thought about it for a moment before answering. “Maybe when I frown, yeah, I guess.”

“You’re always frowning, Zoro.” Sanji laughed more, but then leaned forward to rest his chest
against the back of the other’s head, then gently covered Zoro’s left eye with his hand. “What
about this scar?”

“What about it?” Zoro asked, cupping his large hand over Sanji’s. “It’s just a scar.”

“It’s scary for other people! Watch. When I take my hand away, people will see your scar again.
They will be scared.”

So Sanji did remove his hand. Slowly, just as the boy said, when people walked passed and
glanced towards Zoro and met where his eye was supposed to be, they quickly ducked their heads
and veered their path. Zoro scowled.

“Okay, so they’re just scared of my face?”

Zoro received another bonk on the head. “No, dummy! Your coat is wide open and that shows the
big scar on your chest! Plus, there are three humongous swords on your side!”

Sighing, Zoro rubbed his head where the kid hit him twice now. “Fine, I get it, I get it,” he said and
tugged the sides of his coat to cover his front, then reached up for Sanji’s hand and placed it over
his eye again. “Keep your hand here and maybe people will think I like you.”

“You do like me! Don’t pretend!” Sanji said through a laugh and squeezed his hand over Zoro’s
face. “Okay, try again. Smile this time, too.”

Walking a few paces deeper into the crowd, Zoro turned and asked a group of young men wearing
shoes. “Hello, could one of you please help me and this brat?” Zoro asked as nicely as he could
while hiking a thumb up at the blonde on his shoulders.

“Get away, you creep!” They said in unison and darted away, one stomping on Zoro’s boot
beforehand.

“Hey!” Sanji said and bonked Zoro over the head for the third time. “You can’t call me a mean
name like that. You’re a stranger to them so they don’t know you’re joking.”

“Oh, I’m joking, huh?” Zoro grumbled while rubbing his head.

Ignoring that last comment, Sanji rested his chin over the top of the mop of green hair while he
thought. “Hmmm…” Continuing walking, Zoro waited to see what Sanji was thinking. “How
about you call me your little brother?” Sanji asked, squeezing his thighs and arms around Zoro’s
head. Even without seeing the boy’s face, Zoro knew his smile had to of been a mile wide.

Sometimes it was hard to remember that this bright and cheerful kid was Sanji, his rival. The guy
he, no less than a week ago, was butting heads with. His swords would arc down inches from his
face only to be stopped by his foot, his leg somehow managing to get between the steel and his
lean body. Zoro groaned. The thought of denying Kid-Sanji something so small seemed stupid.
Clearly, he has a shit home life. He prolly won’t remember any of this, right? It won’t hurt to make
him a little happy…
“Oh my god, I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Zoro said. Sanji yipped with glee and hugged Zoro’s
head again with all four limbs. “Except ya gotta stop doin that!” Zoro yelled and clawed to free his
face.

Once again, the two tried to grab someone’s attention. “Hello, sir.” Zoro started sarcastically, but
Sanji pulled on Zoro’s hair at the back of his head to make sure he didn’t mess this up. “Could you
please help me and...and my little... brother?” he finally said, almost gagging as the words left his
mouth.

The older gentleman he stopped looked Zoro up and down, glancing at the swords at his hip. For a
moment, the man looked like he didn’t want any trouble, but when he looked back up and saw
Sanji’s sweet, innocent little face peering over the top of Zoro’s head, he smiled. “O’course I can
help! What did you fellers need?”

Zoro could have died of shock. How did that work! Shaking his head, he cleared his throat. “I’m
looking for a store to buy shoes fer kids,” Zoro said, and grabbed Sanji’s shoeless feet. Even if the
boy didn’t know he did it, Zoro felt the small hand over his eye tighten and a barely audible gasp
escape Sanji’s mouth. Right, I didn’t tell him what I was doing. Zoro smiled and knew exactly what
to say that would be the icing on the cake to make Sanji even happier. “You know, for my little
brother here.”

The man softly smiled, one that reached his eyes, and said he’d be more than happy to help them
find a store. Instead of pointing in a direction, the man brought them directly to the doorstep of a
store called Walk A Mile, then waved goodbye and went on his way.

Once the man was out of sight, Zoro loosened his jacket back to its original aloof look and gently
guided Sanji’s hand away from his scar.

“You want to look scary going in there?” Sanji asked, leaning over to the right side to see into
Zoro’s eye.

“If there’s one thing I learned from the Witch, it’s to never buy anything at full price. We’re gonna
test just how scary I look.”

___

So Sanji had new shoes and was able to walk next to Zoro again. He found it easier to grab ahold
of Zoro’s pointer finger instead of his whole hand being crushed by the idiot’s brute strength. Zoro
groaned because it was too cute, but honestly, what did it matter. The kid wouldn’t remember a
damn thing and then in less than two weeks the two of them can go back to bickering and fighting
like nothing ever happened.

As they walked around, they occasionally stopped at different areas set up for a show. The first
one they watched was made up of very detailed wooden puppets. Even Zoro was a little impressed
with how intricate they were. The show was much more extravagant than he expected. It lasted a
little over a half over and when it was done, Sanji seemed so in awe.

The second entertainment they found was of people putting on a play. This particular show was
packed, the people who couldn’t fit on the grass were spilling out into the street. Sanji had said it
must be interesting so they made their way through the crowd for a better view. Zoro had put Sanji
on his shoulders again, which the blonde loved, and together they watched as many knights fought
to bring down a huge red dragon. Again, when the show had ended, Sanji was left in pure awe, but
Zoro had been distracted most of the time through the play as Sanji kept playing with his earrings.

Zoro set Sanji down and they continued. “Y’seem to really like those performances, don’tcha?”

“Yes! They were amazing! How do you think they did that with the fire?! When the dragon blew it
out, I swear I could feel the heat!”

Chuckling, Zoro said, “That’s cause it was real.”

“Whaaaaattt!!!!!! Oh my gosh, that is SO COOL!” Sanji squealed and jumped into the air with a
fist punching the sky. “I can’t believe they had real fire so close to all those people…”

Zoro nodded along as Sanji rambled on and on about the stuff they had just seen. He zoned in and
out sometimes as most of the things Sanji was saying eventually repeated. The only thing he would
constantly think about is Sanji’s safety and how hungry he was.

“Hey,” Zoro interrupted, stopping in the middle of the street and bending down so the boy could
hear him. A few people bumped into him and grumbled as they walked around. “You want
something to eat?”

“Yes, please!” The kid squeaked and tugged on Zoro’s finger.

The swordsman stood up and looked around. It just so happened they were in the middle of a food
court. There had to of been dozens of street food vendors, there was bound to be something that the
both of them liked. “What do you like to eat? Obviously not chicken broth, huh?” Zoro mocked.

Sanji stuck his tongue out and made a raspberry noise. When he finished, he thought about the
question, but his smile soon faded. “I like...I like…” he kept mumbling.

“Oi, oi, it’s not that hard, just tell me what you like!” Zoro said impatiently. He looked around
trying to spot anywhere selling rice or sushi for himself. When Zoro looked back down, Sanji was
trembling. “Whoa, hey, you alright?” Zoro asked with worry lining his voice. He knelt and put his
hands on Sanji’s small, shaking shoulders.

“Uhm, I’m fine to eat whatever,” the blonde said. He attempted a smile but it ended up only a
weak, half-smile.

Knowing whatever was causing Sanji to act like this had to somehow link to his shitty family, he
took Sanji aside from the crowded streets and sat him on a bench. “Listen, I don’t care what
anyone has told you before, but right now, you can get whatever food you want.”

Zoro watched Sanji silently nod before looking into Zoro’s eye. “I wish you were my real big
brother…”

Fuck, Zoro thought. Why does his family hurt him? Looking around, Zoro made sure no Straw Hats
could see him extend his arms and bring Sanji into a tight hug. Picking him up, Zoro whispered
into his golden hair, “Tell me what you want to eat, and you will have it.”

The boy squeezed around Zoro’s neck to tighten his hold and fought back tears as he said thank
you. “I like pasta.”

“What kind?”
“Seafood.”

“Let’s get you some, then.”

___

The two Straw Hats sat on the ground together against a building as they ate their late lunch. Sanji
had the biggest bowl of pasta they offered and Zoro found some tenmusu. As they ate, Zoro sighed.

“Don’t you like it, Oniisan ?” Sanji asked as he slurped a baby octopus leg into his mouth.

Wincing at the new name Sanji had been calling him, Zoro shook his head. “Nah, it’s not that I
don’t like it. It’s just...I’ve had better.”

“Better?”

Zoro ate the last bite and after swallowing, he looked down at Sanji. “Yeah, this is good food, but
it ain't the best. Did you know we used to eat the best of the best food every single day on Sunny?”

Sanji’s eyes went big. “Really? Why don’t you anymore?” he asked, shoveling heaping piles of
pasta into his mouth.

“We used to have this chef, you see. But he got sick and went away. So now we have to eat
whatever Usoppu and Brook cook up.” Zoro twisted his napkin in his hand until it became nothing
but a shredded mess. “We will get him back, though. He’ll come back. We miss him. I miss him.”

“I want to meet him!” Sanji exclaimed making the noodles almost tip out of his bowl. He waved
his fork around as he talked about meeting a super great chef. Zoro didn’t have the heart to tell him
he’d never be able to.

The last bit of sauce was licked clean and Sanji leaned back against the wall. “I’m so full!” he said,
patting his protruding belly. Zoro smiled and grabbed his bowl and the rest of their trash to discard
it in a bin.

When he came back, a man and a woman were talking to Sanji, pulling on his hand as they thought
he was lost. Zoro ran over and snatched the boy up and immediately pointed Wado at them. “Back
off,”

The surrounding people screamed from the sudden ringing of steel in the air. The crowd fanned out
to expose the Straw Hats.

“Hey, what’s all the commotion for?!” a marine had said pushing her way past the onlookers. As
she stumbled forward out of the crowd, she couldn’t believe her eyes. “Oh! Roronoa!”

“Heh?” Zoro said. His eye scanned over the people until he met a familiar face in a marine
uniform. “Aw, shit.” He said as he recognized a woman who looked exactly like his childhood
friend.

“Kidnapping?! How low could you get!” Tashigi said and pointed an accusing finger at Sanji.

“What? No! This ain't just some kid, this -”

“You lying pirate!”

“What! No, stop!” Zoro shouted, backing up as Tashigi came closer. He was so focused on the
woman he didn’t realize his feet were beginning to disappear in a cloud of smoke. How easy it was
to forget wherever Blue-Hair-With-Glasses-Girl was, Smoker was sure to follow.

“Finally, we’ve nabbed Roronoa Zoro.” Smoker’s gruff voice said behind him before he was
smacked over the head hard enough to knock him out cold.

___

When Zoro came to, he kept his eye closed to assess his surroundings, remembering exactly what
happened before he was unconscious. The surrounding temperature heavily dropped meaning he
was either underground or on stone, or both. He was standing with his back against a wall and his
arms tightly cuffed above his head.

In a cell, most likely, Zoro rationalized. Taking a shallow breath, he took in the smell. Wet, damp -
definitely underground. Cigars - Smoker is near. Listening, he didn’t hear anything at all except a
low hum that he felt deep within his chest. Engines of some sort? Wait... there was the faint sound
of a cigar being inhaled. The crackling sound of paper and tobacco burning as it was sucked on.
Smoker is right outside the cell.

Leaving his head hanging, Zoro pried his eye open. No restraints around his ankles. He could
barely stop himself from smiling. They underestimate me, don’t they?

“I see you’re awake,” Smoker casually said, his voice lightly echoing down the cell halls
inadvertently giving Zoro a better idea of the prison’s layout.

Zoro looked up and sure enough, there sat Smoker in a wooden chair leaning against the wall on
the other side of the hall. All three swords lying on the ground next to him. Between them, only a
single set of bars. “Where’s the kid?” was the first thing Zoro heard himself say. He had meant to
tease Smoker’s carelessness but his mind was set on Sanji, apparently.

“Oh, the brat you stole? Tashigi is busy trying to find his parents.”

“Oi, oi, I didn’t steal’em. He belongs on my Captain’s ship.”

“Mugiwara has taken to kidnapping now, has he?” the marine said, lighting up a second cigar next
to his first. “Didn’t think he was the type. No matter. Seeing you’re here means the rest of the
Straw Hats are not far off. Won’t be long until they’re chained up next to you.”

Looking to his left and right, Zoro saw more of the cuffs hanging on the wall. Some were made of
sea prism stone, yet the ones around his wrists were plain steel.

“So the kid is in this building?”

“Yeah, he’s safe now,” Smoker answered by pointing upward, confirming there were more levels
above. The marine watched as Zoro’s head fell and his shoulders shook. “The fuck you laughin at,
Roronoa? Your ass is jailed.”

Not able to contain himself anymore, Zoro barked his laughter into the air, rattling the chains as his
body jerked around. “Yer slippin, you know.”

“Hah? Coming from the Supernova who is behind bars with a Vice Admiral personally overseeing
his imprisonment? No swords and both hands cuffed to a wall? Three layers below the surface?
That something you call slipping?”

“You hear about any of Luffy’s improvements?” Zoro asked after Smoker gave him plenty of
information on his situation.

“Of course, who hasn’t? He’s in the paper every other day. Who knew rubber could be used in
such powerful ways,” he said, puffing on his cigars. Again, Zoro couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
His stomach hurt from laughing so much, his cheeks were sore from the mile-wide smile that
couldn’t go away. “I don’t see how this is funny.”

“Have you heard about any of my improvements?” Zoro said through a feral grin.

“Not really…” Smoker said slowly as he looked into Zoro’s eye. Realizing what the other was
hinting at, Smoker leaned forward in his chair bringing all four feet to the stone below. “What are
you implying, Roronoa.”

“I’m implying you should have used sea stone,” Zoro said and ignited his wrists in Armament Haki
and burst the steel that restrained him making pieces of metal fly across the room. Smoker didn’t
flinch.

The marine leaned back in his chair, propping his arms behind his head. “And the bars? They’re
much thicker, you know. Busoshoku Haki will only get you so far. Even I might have a hard time
breaking those bars.”

“Oh, I ain't gonna break’em. I’m gonna cut’em.”

Smoker lazily glanced to the floor where Zoro’s katanas lay, then looked back to the pirate.
“With…?”

“No Sword Style,” Zoro said with a smile. Twisting his hands in the same motion he would if his
swords were there, Zoro sent a whirlwind of air forward, the force slicing through the hinges.
Smoker watched slack jaw as the door clanged when it hit the ground. Zoro walked forward
causing the marine to snap out of his state of shock.

Since Zoro could use Haki, it gave him a fighting chance while against a Logia Type. Zig-zagging
in the small space around Smoker, he tried for his swords only to have them swept out of his reach.
The three katanas were enveloped in smoke, hovering a foot or so away from Smoker. “Not so
fuckin fast, Roronoa.”

“We both know I’m gonna escape,” Zoro smiled. The two clashed as Smoker swung his jitte only
for Zoro to block it with Haki infused crossed arms. “So you may as well gimmie my swords back
and send me on my way,” he grunted under the pressure.

“Apparently I’ve underestimated the great Pirate Hunter!” Smoker shouted back. The two pounded
on each other all while Smoker kept the swords out of Zoro’s grasp.

To make use of his surrounds, Zoro leaped at the wall and jumped off haphazardly in random
directions, disappearing in the fog around them. He’d either make Smoker retract his smoke or
fight him blindly, it didn’t matter which.

For several minutes, Zoro evaded Smoker, only twice being nearly bonked on the head by the jitte,
but if Zoro wanted to make any progress, he’d have to knock Smoker out somehow. It had to be
something out of character, something the marine wouldn’t ever see him doing. Again with the zig-
zagging, Zoro ran around Smoker left and right over and over creating a pattern until Smoker began
guessing his next move. Once Zoro was sure Smoker would predict him going left, he quickly
dropped to the ground and forced his leg up into the bottom of Smoker’s jaw with a Haki covered
boot. The man grunted through an audible crack before he stumbled backward.

Smoker teetered as his smoke slowly dissipated. He tried shaking his head to clear the stars from
his vision, instead falling backward on his ass, giving Zoro the few seconds he needed to snag his
swords and bolt away. It would have been so easy to get him permanently off his back, but through
the various interactions he and his crew have had with the marine, he knew deep down that Smoker
was on their side. He was only doing his job by detaining pirates, so Zoro left him alive and
decided to lose him in the island’s prison instead.

When he felt like he went down enough corridors to lose the Vice Admiral, Zoro stopped to catch
his breath. Knowing damn well he had no idea where the hell he was, he was positive Smoker
wouldn’t either. Thinking hard, he wondered where the hell they would keep Sanji at. He wasn’t a
prisoner or a bad guy, but just a small child who they thought was kidnapped. He had to be above
ground and in a safe place. Maybe with Tashigi herself?

Shit, what if they’re already gone and he’s on his way to an orphanage? Zoro began to sweat with
worry, hoping to a god he didn’t believe in that his crewmate wasn’t long gone. Who knows how
long he was knocked out! It could have been hours.

The only thing the swordsman could think of to help him find Sanji was to find stairs first. Luckily
for the marines, Zoro had no sense of direction.

___

It took Zoro the rest of the day, the entire night, the whole next day, and until noon the following
day to make it above ground. Zoro hadn’t slept in almost three entire days! He was running on
fumes, barely capable of keeping himself upright, but he had to find a clue to where Sanji had
gone, he knew there was no way the boy would still be at the base after all this time. Normally, his
horrible sense of direction wouldn’t bother him so much, but because he sucked at knowing the
difference between left and right, Sanji was worse off because of it.

Over the time Zoro tried to make it up to ground level, he had to fight off constant hordes of
marines. Once Smoker had regained his ability to stand, he immediately sent word out that
Roronoa Zoro had escaped and alerted the entire base the Pirate Hunter was on the loose running
amok. Surprisingly, Smoker never caught back up with him as Zoro never moved predictably
when he ran, obviously not on purpose. Any time Smoker heard Zoro was in this section and
thought the best option for Zoro to take was that direction next, he’d beat him there ready to face
off, only to find that Zoro never actually came. It baffled him how the hell he was working and
what his plan was.

Making his way down a hall, Zoro looked out the glass windows to see where the sun was in the
sky, it being a little after noon by the looks of it. The glass-lined the walls entirely, giving off
plenty of daylight. He could see the festival below still going on, completely unaware of his current
crisis.
A tickle at the back of his neck warned Zoro to stop in his tracks just before the window and part
of the wall in front of him was smashed inwards and a giggling Luffy tumbled in. “HI, ZORO!” He
yelled and coiled his rubber arm around him. The green-haired man was tugged to his captain’s
side in a flash. “Why ya with the Marines?”

Zoro opened his mouth to speak but Chopper galloped through the hole in the wall with Usopp
mounted on his back. “Oi!” Usopp said, leaning down and bonking Luffy atop his head. “Was this
really the only way?!”

“I felt him near!” Luffy pouted. “I didn’t want him to get away again like he did last night!”

“Hah?!” Zoro asked loudly. “Luffy, let me go! They took Sanji away, we gotta go get him!”

Luffy laughed while Usopp smacked his forehead, but it was Chopper who spoke. “Sanji’s back on
Sunny! He has been since the first day. He told us everything that happened so we came looking
for you, said you had to be jailed up here still!”

“What?! How the hell is he on the ship!?”

“Apparently when the Marine woman was escorting him to a shelter, they ran into Quillard,
literally. Sanji then saw Robin, Franky, and Brook and well - they got him back no problem!”
Chopper was talking super fast to catch Zoro up.

“What the hell have you been doing here for three days, Zoro?!” Usopp screeched. “Luffy said he
could detect you nearby but you were moving too much for him to locate you. It took until just
now for him to pinpoint your exact location!”

Trying to free himself from Luffy’s death grip, Zoro wiggled around as he answered. “I’ve been
trying to...find stairs.”

Laughing, Luffy squeezed his First Mate against him and jumped over the rubble. Calling out over
his shoulder for the other two to follow.

___

Luffy’s sandals slapping against the deck with a hard smack had jolted Zoro awake. He was so
exhausted from his hunt for Sanji he had fallen asleep minutes after Luffy began making his way
back to the ship.

“Oniisan!” Sanji called out and ran up to him, wrapping his small arms around Zoro’s legs in a
hug.

“Don’t call me that, dammit,” Zoro said, looking around at the other’s who had heard. “Just Zoro.”

Ignoring him, Sanji raised his arms up asking to be held. “I missed you so much! I thought maybe
the marines killed you!”

“He cried SOOOO much!” Usopp said, calling the little boy out.

“I - I did not!” Sanji said with a gasp and a reddening face. Zoro picked him up to set on his hip
making Sanji forget to retaliate against Usopp.
Unable to hide his relief to see the boy again, Zoro ran his fingers through Sanji’s hair to gently
move his bangs away. A smile formed on his lips when he saw the two curly eyebrows again. He
brought their foreheads together. “Are you okay?” he whispered. Sanji nodded against him.

Nami, Franky, and Brook swooned at the sight of Zoro being so soft and protective of their
beloved nakama. When their chattering became too annoying, the swordsman shot them a glare
full of daggers. They weren’t teasing him at all, though, which surprised him, to say the least. He
wondered if they would tell the adult version of Sanji of his actions but tried to not think of such a
horrible betrayal.

Wandering into the galley, Zoro plopped down onto the couch, letting Sanji fall to his side. “I’m
sorry, Sanji, I can’t play with you just yet. I gotta sleep.”

With a bright smile, the blonde looked up and said, “That’s okay. I’ll just color again. It’s what I
was doing before you came back.” He pointed up at the bar. Zoro nodded his approval and propped
his legs up on the bench across from him. Sanji grabbed at Zoro’s neck suddenly, hugging him
tightly before he got up to sit on a stool. “I’m glad you’re back,” he said and jingled Zoro’s
earrings.

“Yeah, yeah,” Zoro murmured, dozing off immediately.

___

Later, Franky came into the galley to see if Zoro needed help with Sanji but saw the boy quietly
coloring by himself while Zoro napped. Almost content with the situation, Franky almost backed
out and closed the door, but he heard scratching coming from where Sanji was sitting. He knew
damn well that crayons didn’t make that sound.

The cyborg walked over and came up behind the boy to peer over his shoulder. “Oh my god, bro,
that is so not cool.”

Sanji looked up innocently. “You don’t like it?”

Franky shook his head back and forth. The kid was holding a switchblade and carving into the
wooden counter instead of coloring like he was earlier when he watched him. It wasn’t that he was
ruining the wood, that could be fixed, it was the fact he had a goddamn knife! “Where did you get
that?” Franky asked and snatched the blade away.

“Hey! Gimmie that back!” Sanji protested and reached up for it.

“No way, little bro. If you got hurt - do you realize how much trouble we would be in by Zo-
Bro?!” Franky half-whispered, his voice spiking at the end. “He’d kill us!”

“Who’d kill you?” Zoro yawned. His arms stretched up above his head and he crossed his legs the
other way for a new position.

Franky turned with the switchblade in his hand with a gesture. “Is this yours?”

Zoro squinted his eye to see better. “Yeah,” he said with confusion and felt inside his left boot,
checking for a blade that was no longer there. “Why do you have it?”
“Little Sanji must have taken it from you.”

When Zoro narrowed his eye at the boy, he quickly turned his attention elsewhere, clearly guilty.
“What were ya doing in my boots?” he asked. Sanji didn’t answer. “Oi, m’talkin to you. C’mere.”
Reluctantly, Sanji hopped down from the stool to stand in front of Zoro on the couch. His head
hung in shame. “What makes you think stealing is okay? And what makes you think playing with
knives is okay?” Sanji shrugged his shoulders in silence. Zoro sighed and rolled his eye at Franky,
who also shrugged. “Franky, can you get Robin in here? I don’t know how to deal with this.”

“Sure, dude.” Franky laughed. “I’ll sandpaper this off later, so don’t worry about it,” he said,
pointing at the drawing Sanji made. When Zoro asked what he was talking about, he got up to look
at it. “Swords?” he asked aloud, turning to the boy who nodded back.

The carving was bad, but Zoro would recognize Santoryu anywhere. It was a simple drawing of
swords. Each being a single long line for the blade and a small line perpendicular at one end for
the crossguard, but it made sense to Zoro. Two swords were in an X shape, while the third was
horizontal above it, mirroring the image of the swordsman himself when he wielded his katanas.
Zoro smiled. “Can we keep this, at least until he leaves?” Zoro said quiet enough for the boy not to
hear. Franky said it didn’t matter to him, then left to get Robin.

While the two waited, Zoro felt over the drawing with his calloused fingers. He shouldn’t feel
appreciated by what he saw, but he did. It warmed him that someone thought he was cool. The
smile on his face was too big, he had to keep his back to Sanji lest he gives himself away. He was
in trouble, after all!

The kitchen door was opened and closed quietly when Robin entered. “You asked for me,
Swordsman-san?” he soft voice asked. Zoro explained what had happened and asked what a proper
punishment should be. He tried pulling it off as being too tired to think of something, but in reality,
he had no idea what to do. If it were just him and Sanji together against the world, he wouldn’t
have cared. Hell, Zoro probably would have bought the little guy a sword and taught him all he
knew! But that wasn’t the case, he had to have manners and respect and blah blah.

Robin looked between the two, contemplating what to say. “My, my, little Cook-san. That was very
naughty of you, indeed.”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry I took Oniisan’s knife and ruined Sunny!” he begged. Robin chuckled at the
nickname, Zoro growled. “I won’t do it again! I promise!”

“That won’t do, little one. You see, when a child is naughty, they must be punished so they for
sure won’t do it again. Isn’t that right, Ototo-kun?”

Zoro gawked, unable to believe how far her teasing could go. “D-don’t call me that, dammit!” he
said with a beet-red face. Robin covered her mouth to giggle.

Ignoring his embarrassment, she knelt down and put her hand on Sanji’s shoulder. “Maybe you
should sleep upstairs with Nami and me, hmm? No more sleeping with Oniisan.”

As if the boy already knew that was going to be his punishment, his lip began to quiver and he
burst into tears, throwing himself into Robin’s chest. As he wailed asking for forgiveness and any
other punishment, Robin looked over to Zoro with amusement on her face. With one hand, she
rubbed Sanji’s back and with the other, she covered her mouth to suppress her laugh.

‘You’re evil,’ Zoro mouthed to her with a small smile. The two waited until Sanji’s crying had
slowed to say anything. “Guess that’s settled, then,” Zoro said with a stretch. He plopped onto the
couch face first to lay down, not getting nearly enough sleep just yet.

“I’ll take care of little Cook-san.”

“You better,” Zoro grumbled into the cushion. The last he heard before sleep overtook him was
Sanji starting his crying back up and fighting Robin as she escorted him from the room. It hurt
Zoro to hear how upset the little guy was knowing damn well the real punishment was the mention
of not sleeping with Zoro. Were the Straw Hats that cruel that they’d punish a child - especially
when that child was one of their own nakama?

The knowledge of Sanji not being in harm’s way anymore let him drift off into a much needed
deep slumber, a smile across his face.
 A Thunder Storm
Chapter Notes

ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo!

While he slept, Zoro dreamt of Sanji, but a Sanji who was back to his normal self, back to an adult.
It wouldn’t have been so bad if the guy could speak, though. Apparently, when he was turned back
to his correct age, his voice had gone missing and was now mute. It’s my fault he can’t speak, I
wasn’t there when he needed me. Zoro tossed in his sleep enough he fell off the couch in the
kitchen, hitting the floorboards with a harsh thunk.

Shaking his head from the lingering dream, Zoro felt himself sliding across the floor a little as the
ship was beginning to tip. It was then the yelling from the deck registered and he jolted to his feet
to run outside.

The sky was covered in a blanket of angry, black clouds. They cried down into the sea and onto the
Straw Hats. The wind gushed past the swordsman, carrying him a few steps to his left before he
regained his footing and slammed the kitchen door shut.

Nami was above him shouting orders at Luffy and Usopp who were by the crow's nest tying the
sails up.

“How’d the storm get the best of you?!” Zoro shouted at the navigator.

“It was so fast!” She yelled over the wind. There was no bite to her words, her genuine shock still
keeping her from being offended. “Hurry and get the - oh my god, Sanji, get inside!” She
screamed.

Zoro turned, following her gaze as Sanji was currently running towards him with his arms held out,
his face scrunched with fear. The ship groaned as it tossed in the colossal sized waves, making
Sanji stumble side to side. Before Zoro could move, Robin’s arms popped out of the ground to
steady the boy and hold his hands to guide him to safety.

Zoro turned back to Nami to await her orders, but the Sunny was suddenly hit by a wave going the
opposite direction, breaking the steady ride Nami had them on. The wave hit against the side of the
ship so hard there was a loud crack mimicking thunder and Sunny lurched sideways. All the Straw
Hats fell to the right.

Usopp screamed out as he lost his grip but Luffy caught him, coiling a rubber arm tightly around
his middle while his other wound around the mast. Chopper had been in his Strong Point and
grabbed Brook’s boney figure before the wind took him away, and Franky held onto the ship’s
wheel. Nami held the railings tightly and Zoro had stuck his sword into the dirt below him to
steady himself.

“No!” Robin called out, her voice barely audible over the storm’s raging cries. Sanji had flown
overboard and been washed away in the enormous waves. The force had knocked Robin to her feet
resulting in her concentration breaking, her hands poofing away with flowery confetti. She tried to
use her Devil Fruit to produce a chain of arms to reach for the blonde and would have succeeded if
a new wave hadn’t washed her away with him.

With the boat dipped so low to the right, the new wave easily came above deck. Everyone had
already been holding onto something, except Robin, who had been worrying for Sanji. Zoro’s
mouth dropped open in surprise as he watched two of his nakama become lost to the sea so
quickly. Without a second thought, he jumped overboard to follow.

With only a few non-Devil Fruit users on the crew, there were only so many people who could
have jumped in after them. Zoro would never allow Nami to go after them, she’d never make it
back, Usopp was tangled up in Luffy and Zoro honestly didn’t think he was strong enough to beat
the roaring waves either, Franky was busy steering the ship to where Zoro assumed was the eye of
the storm, and there was Sanji, the person he could always rely on...but he was a child now…and
he was gone.

So it was Zoro’s duty - he wasted no time at all to plunge himself into the darkened waters below
after flinging his swords in the grass. Once emerged, it was near impossible to see anything. The
water was black, bubbles from the angry storm forced their way up his nose and threatened to
make him open his mouth and drown him, it was almost hopeless the moment he began his rescue.

One working eye was still a working eye, though! Zoro squinted to will himself to see better, but to
no avail. There was no way he could make anything out. As he dove down and swam with all his
might, his arm came into contact with flesh. It’s Robin, he thought and immediately grabbed ahold
of her and swam to the surface. His head popping out from the water now, he gasped for air, but
Robin was out cold. “Shit,” he said and forced his tired arms and legs to move closer to the ship,
which had moved further away in the wind.

By the time Zoro had made his way to the side of the ship, Nami was there to help. Still telling
Franky where to sail, she leaned over the railings and grabbed Zoro’s arm, pulling the two up. Zoro
was quick to think Nami couldn’t do it, that she couldn’t pull both of their weight, but she came
through, stunning Zoro - but there was no time to be impressed!

Laying Robin down, Zoro turned to the cyborg. “Franky!” He yelled after thunder boomed in their
ears. Lightning flashed before he turned to him. “Sanji is out there still! I can’t see anything! You
have to go!” He shouted and pointed out to the sea.

Brook forcefully made his way over, clutching his hat tight to his head, and told Franky he’d take
the wheel while he was gone. The lights that were embedded into Franky’s body turned on and he
jumped overboard after their last lost crewmember.

Zoro counted the Straw Hats just in case, counting six, plus Quillard who clung to the mast.
Looking down, Robin hadn’t come to yet. Her body lay limp on the grass, her chest unmoving. He
called out for Chopper but the roaring winds drowned his voice out, the doctor unable to hear him.
Remembering the little basic first-aid he had trained them all in, Zoro moved Robin’s body flat to
get her ready for CPR.

Pinching her nose, Zoro forced her jaw open and closed his mouth over hers, blowing air into her
lungs. Letting up, he pressed on her chest one, two, three, four times. Nothing. Again, he blew into
her mouth and pressed on her chest. One, two, three - Robin coughed, making seawater bubble
from the sides of her mouth. Zoro immediately sat her up against him and patted her back a few
times, giving her a chance to cough up the rest of the water.

Once she fully regained her consciousness and rubbed the saltwater from her eyes, she looked to
Zoro who was staring down at her with concern. “Sanji-san!?” she asked.
The swordsman looked out where Franky had disappeared. “Franky is out there with him,” he said.
Robin wrapped her arms around his neck in a surprisingly intimate embrace, shocking him out of
his worry for the other two.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save him!” she said behind tears. “I tried!”

Nami had come up beside them and hugged onto Robin which was also hugging onto Zoro, the
whole situation made him uncomfortable. But not nearly enough of a distraction that he hadn’t
noticed how long Franky had been out there after the boy. The cyborg he wasn’t worried about as
he was barely human. He probably could hold his breath longer than everyone here combined!
Maybe his lungs were replaced with some sort of mechanics, he didn’t know, but Sanji was just a
child...and he’s been out there for quite some time, submerged in those vicious waves, twisting and
turning with the unforgiving current…

Just when Zoro was about to jump in and do who-knows-what because he couldn’t even see a
damn thing, Franky climbed over the railings and dropped Sanji down next to him, then proceeded
to catch his breath on hands and knees. “Sorry - hah, hah - it took so long. Kid was down deep -
hah, hah. Tangled in floating weeds.”

Zoro smiled for a split second and then hovered over Sanji’s pale body. Wasting no more time, he
pinched his tiny nose closed and squeezed his jaw open to force air into his spent lungs. Coming
up, he pushed on Sanji’s chest, one, two, three, four times. Nothing. Bringing his mouth over
Sanji’s again, he blew more air into him. One, two, three, four, he counted as he pressed down on
his chest. The boy lay motionless.

Panicking, Zoro looked to the three people around him for help but they looked just as afraid as he
did. Robin had come to so easily, why wasn’t it just as easy for the boy?! Zoro pinched Sanji’s
nose for the third time and blew into his mouth. He pushed down on his chest, one, two, three,
four, nothing! Pinch nose, breathe into mouth, press on chest, one, two, three four! Why isn’t this
working?!!? Zoro could hear himself wheezing as he desperately pushed down on the boy’s chest,
a weird cracking noise beneath his hands went unheard.

“Zoro, no!” Chopper said, skidding to his knees still in his Strong Point. “You’ll kill him!” he
yelled and tried pushing the swordsman away, who stared blankly down at the blonde, crushing his
ribs. “Zoro, stop!”

Franky grabbed Zoro from behind and pulled him away to give room for Chopper. He didn’t even
realize how blue Sanji’s face had become. He lashed out trying to get to his rival, his best friend…

"He can’t die!" not yet! Zoro thought as he reached for the boy. He hasn’t witnessed Luffy become
the Pirate King, he hasn’t found the All Blue! He can’t die because none of us have even begun to
see an end to our journey! he screamed in his head, clawing at Franky’s arms to save Sanji.

Chopper tried CPR on him a few more times in a more professional manner, which seemed just as
hopeless as it was when Zoro had tried. Chopper leaned down to listen next to Sanji’s mouth, then
flipped him over his shoulder and hit hard on his back, forcing out a chunk of seaweed that seemed
to be blocking his airway. It shot out and Sanji began coughing, wheezing for air. Chopper sat him
over his knee and rubbed his chest and back at the same time to soothe the damage that had been
done by Zoro.

Sanji started crying, his hands grabbing at his torso. His wailing stuttered as his lungs weren’t
quite used to working again. Chopper had carried him to the infirmary and Zoro wanted to follow,
but Franky wouldn’t let him go.
“I need to be with him!”

“Help us with Sunny! Chopper-bro has him!”

Knowing his nakama was right, he regretfully stopped flailing and helped with getting the boat to
safety.

___

The storm had passed. The ocean was calm again, giving the Thousand Sunny a break. Her sails
were set free, taut in the wind that carried them to their next destination. Everyone was accounted
for and alive.

Alive, but not well.

The night was horrible for Zoro, as he wasn’t allowed in the infirmary, no one was. He paced the
deck and swung his swords, cutting the air in frustration, until the kitchen door opened and the
blue-nosed reindeer pitter-pattered out.

“He’s fine!” Chopper announced to everyone who had been waiting. It was nearing two in the
morning and everyone was dead tired as the raging storm sapped their energy. There was a
collective sigh of relief. “Four of his upper ribs were broken, but luckily we had plenty of milk on
hand. I forced him to drink a gallon which sped the healing process up…” Chopper spoke more
angrily now, mostly to the green-haired one. “But he’ll need plenty of rest cause he’s not fully
recovered! NO roughhousing!”

“Is he awake? Can I see him?” Zoro asked desperately.

Chopper narrowed his eyes at him. “Yes, only if you promise not to move him! His body is very
vulnerable right now! Milk can only do so much!”

Zoro was already forcing his way past the doctor to run through the kitchen. Bursting through the
infirmary door, there laid Sanji’s small body on the bed, his chest wrapped in bandages while
severe bruising peeked through the edges. Despite how awful he looked, he wore a smile.
“Oniisan!”

That stupid smile. Zoro felt at ease again just from that stupid smile. “Hey, Sanji,” Zoro sighed, all
his worry gone at the sight of the boy. “How are you?”

“I’m fine but Doctor Chopper says I can’t move,” he said happily and looked up at the ceiling. “Is
Miss Robin okay?”

Zoro crossed the room and sat atop Chopper’s stool, adjusting it so his shoulders were level with
the bed. “She’s fine. And doesn’t want to be called that, remember? Call her Robin.” Sanji giggled
at being reprimanded as Zoro’s hand automatically found its way into Sanji’s hair, moving it out of
his face to show both glassy, blue eyes. “I thought you were dead.”

“I wasn’t though! Chopper says I had this huge, gross ball of seaweed in my throat that was making
it hard for me to breathe!”

“I know,” Zoro whispered.

Sanji furrowed his eyebrows, realizing the swordsman wasn’t happy to see him. “Is something
wrong, Oniisan?”

Looking at the boy, Zoro laughed under his breath, shaking his head. “No, not really. It’s
just...hard to take care of a child, I guess,” he stilled his fingers that were tangled in golden locks.
“You can’t seem to catch a break, can you?”

As if the boy wasn’t being abused at home by his own family, or being taken advantage of by
disgusting men, or being stolen away by strange people, or drowned in the sea...he smiled. Zoro’s
heart felt heavy. When did I become such a sap?

“It’s okay! I like living with you guys. You’re fun!” Sanji giggled, but not for long as the
movement hurt his healing ribs. The boy bent forward while he coughed.

“Careful!” Zoro said through gritted teeth. Sanji did his best to suppress his laugh. “Can I…” Zoro
began to ask. He was dead tired, still not fully replenished from his marine base fiasco, plus all the
bullshit from last night. All he wanted was to sleep. “Can I sleep here next to you?”

Eyes widening, Sanji shook his head yes with a smile too big for his small face. Zoro undid his
swords and leaned them against the counter, then scooted Sanji closer to the wall and climbed atop
the cot. Taking extra caution to be as careful as he could with Sanji’s fragile state, he lay on his
side and formed himself around the boy as if to shield him from the world behind him.

As Sanji lay there on his back, smiling up at the ceiling, Zoro thought how this little boy, someday,
somewhere in the world, grows up to be a brash, love-struck, hard-headed fool who will keep him
on his toes from the first day he meets him until now. I don’t like that I was able to see things from
your past, Curly, Zoro thought as he watched Sanji’s eyelids start to droop. But I’m glad that I was
here to give you a glimpse of happiness before you have to go back to your rotten family.

One day you’re going to be able to escape them and you’ll begin your new life of becoming the
world’s greatest chef. You’ll start that dream with us. Sanji’s eyes closed and his breathing became
slow and even. Zoro reached up to cup the side of Sanji’s face and rubbed his thumb over his
cheek. Whoever hurts you, you’ll be free from them. You’ll make it out alive and you won’t ever
have to see them again.

And if we do come across them... Zoro’s teeth clenched and the muscles in his jaw flexed. I’ll kill
them all. They don’t deserve to live. Not after what they did to...my best friend.

Zoro continued to watch Sanji sleep as he came to realize how much his life depended on having
the Adult-Sanji around. It hurt his chest. Even though the cook was right here next to him, it
wasn’t the same without the twenty-one-year-old. He missed the smoke-filled rooms, the swearing
and throwing of kitchen knives, he missed having someone to fight that was on his power-level.

Sanji was the ying to his yang and earlier he honestly thought he was dead. The way his eyes sunk
too far back into his skull and the color of his lips weren’t normal. The fact that no matter how
much he blew air into his motionless body, the boy would not spring back to life. What if Chopper
wasn’t able to get over to him fast enough? How many more seconds of life did he have left in him
before it was too late? Zoro couldn’t imagine a life without Blackleg Sanji, not anymore. Not after
living with him, growing with him.

This tiny, frail body that lay next to him was something worth protecting with Zoro’s life. His
calloused hand pulled Sanji’s face towards him and gave him a light squeeze, hugging the boy
close. Soon, you’ll be back to normal and you can take care of yourself again. You grow up to be
strong, you know. Really strong, Zoro thought with a smirk. You don’t let anyone walk over you or
take advantage of you. Well, except for the girls, right?

When you’re back to normal, I won’t let your back become vulnerable. When you’re back to
normal, I promise I won’t leave your side again.

___

It was morning when Chopper came to check up on his tiny patient. It wasn’t a surprise to see Zoro
with Sanji, almost everyone on the ship had come to the idea that Zoro was the most affected by
Sanji’s transformation than anyone for reasons no one knew - not even Zoro himself.

The swordsman woke to the squeak of the stool being readjusted for Chopper’s height. Wincing
from the bright light that had stayed on through the night, Zoro shielded his face and turned to see
Chopper’s big, brown eyes staring at him.

“Good morning,” he whispered. He stood a little taller to see over Zoro’s torso, peeking at Sanji.
“How was he?”

“Slept like a rock. Both of us did,” Zoro grumbled. Shaking the sleep from his heavy head, he sat
up and moved out of Chopper’s way. He stood there awkwardly as Chopper wrote things down on
Sanji’s chart. “I’m, uh...I’m gonna leave you to it, then.”

“We will be out soon. I want to go over a few things but he should be fine.”

The swordsman went through the door to the kitchen and everyone was already present, only
waiting for Usopp and Brook to pass the food out.

“ZORO!” Luffy shouted in his face. Before the man could walk by, Luffy had hugged him,
squeezing the air out of his body.

“Oi!” Zoro wheezed. “Leggo!”

The captain released his first mate with a laugh. “Sanji okay?” he asked.

“I ain’t the doctor, ask Chopper.” Zoro sat down with a grunt.

Under the table, Nami kicked across, her heel landing on Zoro’s boot. It didn’t hurt, the steel
covering his toes protecting him, but his attention was grabbed. He looked at the Witch, waiting
for her to speak. “Don’t be grumpy. He was just asking you because you spend so much time with
him, you know!”

Zoro’s face felt a little warm with embarrassment. “I don’t spend all my time with him!” he tried to
defend himself.

From the kitchen, Brook said, “Of course, it’s because you were gone for two nights that it wasn’t
all your time, yohohohoho!”

“Yeah, yeah! You must have really missed little Saaannjiiiii!” Usopp teased, his voice going higher
when he said the cook’s name.

“Hah? What’s this all about?” Zoro barked.

“You like Sanji,” Luffy said with an innocent smile. When Zoro’s hackles came up, Luffy laughed
again and said, “You miss Big Sanji, though, don’t you?”

The room fell silent, all sound gone but the frying of the eggs in the pan on the stove. The crew
was really curious to hear what Zoro had to say. The swordsman rubbed at the back of his neck as
he looked around, his eyes lingering when he met Robin’s intense and knowing gaze. That damn
woman! Zoro thought. Lookin at me as if she already knows everything. With a sigh, he didn’t see
how he could avoid the conversation any longer. “Yeah, I miss’im,” he said quietly. “Only cause
everyone else here is too weak to give me a proper fight!” He shouted, slamming his fists on the
wooden table. “Without being made of rubber,” he added before Luffy could object.

The room was filled with murmured thoughts and Zoro couldn’t help but feel his cheeks get hot
again. They didn’t buy it.

At the opposite end of the table sat Quillard. They’d stuck a chair there so he could eat with them.
This entire time he was silent, Zoro forgetting he was even present. As Zoro scanned his crew to
shoot death glares across the table, his eye fell on the frilly man. He looked sad.

“Good morning, mina-san,” Sanji’s small voice announced himself as he and Chopper entered the
galley. “Good morning, Oniisan.”

While Sanji climbed into his spot next to Zoro, the swordsman felt his face flush even more
because Sanji had given him a separate greeting and called him that stupid name! Everyone was
stifling their laughter because it was just too cute.

“Sanji-kun, how are you this morning?” Nami asked cheerfully. The rest of the breakfast went just
as it normally did after that.

___

“And then we should visit a super-duper cold island! That would be fun! I love the snow!” Sanji
rattled on to his ‘big brother’ who grunted every so often to tell him he was listening. “But we
shouldn’t go to a crazy hot island cause we might roast ourselves and become cooked meat!”

“Yeah, sounds bad,” Zoro said as he continued his pushups. For the last hour, he worked out on the
open grass. The boy had climbed up onto Zoro’s back and was sitting cross-legged, waving his
hands about as he continued talking, his body going up and down with every pushup.

“But it doesn’t matter where we go,” Sanji said with a smile. Zoro knew what he meant by that. He
knew he meant it doesn’t matter as long as I am not with my family.

About an hour later, Zoro realized there was someone sitting next to him in the grass. “Need
something?” he asked his captain.

“I wish I was small so you’d be nice to me,” he pouted.

“Hah?”

“Sanji looks so comfy asleep like that!” Luffy whined and pointed to the boy who currently had his
back to Zoro’s and was soaking up the sun while the man worked out.
“Heh? He’s sleepin?” Zoro asked, freezing mid-push up.

Instead of answering, Luffy rolled in the grass towards his first mate until his body was stopped by
his forearm. He looked up at Zoro. “I miss Big Sanji, too.”

Feeling defeated, as if he could hide anything from his captain, Zoro eased himself down to not
disturb the sleeping boy and laid in the grass next to Luffy. “I’m sorry, Captain, for not staying by
his side that day. If I didn’t stray too far, he’d had never been affected.”

Luffy’s large, brown eyes were only a few inches away from his face as he stared. “You blame
yourself?”

Zoro furrowed his brows. “Of course I do.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean?”

“Sanji is strong. He doesn’t need protection.” Zoro looked at his captain as if he had grown an
extra head. He knew that much but why was Luffy telling him that? “Both Zoro and Sanji are very
strong, they help each other, but they don’t need protection. They are the protectors.”

Luffy’s eyes drooped and Zoro watched his thick lashes flutter as he tried to stay awake. The hot
sun that beat down on the three of them was making him sleepy. Even Zoro felt a little tired after
his workout. “You...don’t resent me for letting Sanji fall into this situation?” he asked.

Luffy kept his eyes closed as he spoke. “Nope.”

“I see,” Zoro whispered. Luffy was already quietly snoring next to him, leaving him alone to his
thoughts. Over the past week he’d had thought for sure Luffy was disappointed in him, but...he
wasn’t. It felt like there was a huge weight lifted from his shoulders after hearing that. It was
enough of a relief that he, too, fell asleep for a nap.

___

Zoro woke to Nami and Robin giggling. “Hm?” he groaned. The sun was still high meaning he
couldn’t have dozed off for too long, but he felt hot. Uncomfortably hot. His body was soaked in
sweat.

“Ototo-kun is comfortable to sleep on, apparently,” Robin chuckled to Nami.

“I can see that! It’s so cyuuuute!!” The redhead squealed.

Zoro stirred only to feel an added weight. “Huh?” he groaned and looked behind him. Chopper had
curled up in the little crook of his butt and thighs, Sanji’s feet on either side of his fluffy body.
“God, that’s why I’m so fuckin hot!” He looked over to see a sheen of sweat across Luffy’s face,
too, his black hair matted to his forehead.

“Sweaty and stinky,” Nami said, holding her nose. “You and Luffy smell really bad.”

Zoro was going to retort, but he could suddenly smell himself, too. Even he thought it was too
much to bear. “Pick him up so I don’t hurt him again,” he said, flicking his head backward at
Sanji. Overnight, his bones had fused back together, but his chest was still immensely bruised.

Two pairs of arms popped out of the grass and tickled Sanji and Chopper’s sides until they both
woke in a fit of laughter. Their happy squeals woke Luffy who began laughing seeing how happy
his nakama were. Robin started to tickle Luffy, too, giving enough of a distraction for Zoro to sit
up. Sanji slid off his back landing safely on his feet as the arms disappeared in a shower of petals.

Zoro stretched as he got to his feet making Robin and Nami practically gag from the smell.
“BATH! NOW! ALL OF YOU!” Nami screeched, pointing up at the bathroom.

“Hah?! Ain’t no way I’m taking Luffy with me! He’s too crazy in there!” Zoro shouted back. “And
why Sanji and Chopper, too?!” The swordsman leaned down and smelled Sanji’s head. “Smells
clean enough to me.”

Nami shook her head and stomped her foot, still pointing up. “He hasn’t taken a bath since he’s
been here and you know how he likes to -” she hesitated for a moment before rephrasing her words.
“I’m sure he likes to be clean!”

Sighing, Zoro knew she was right. She didn’t know about Sanji getting a quick bath a few days
ago, but he knew Adult-Sanji was a huge priss and liked to bathe as much as the girls. “Fine,” he
agreed with gritted teeth. “Then why Chopper, too?”

Robin giggled and Nami playfully elbowed her in the sides, shushing her. “Just take him along!”

“Alright, alright!” Zoro said, confused as to why the witch was being weird. Robin is always
weird, but Nami definitely seemed to have a second agenda for Zoro to take the pile of kids with
him. “If we’re not out in an hour, send help,” he grumbled and grabbed Luffy by his collar,
dragging him behind. After beckoning for Chopper and Sanji to follow, he was sure to walk extra
close to the girls and shake his body furiously like a dog, causing the loose droplets of sweat to
spray them. He definitely got a black eye after that.

Once inside the bathroom, Luffy and Chopper had already started washing themselves at the
showers. Zoro turned the faucets on the tub so it was filled by the time they were done cleaning up
and when he spun around to sit on an open stool, he saw Sanji still standing with his clothes on.

“Oi, you heard the Witch, get goin,” Zoro said with a gesture towards the other two. He undid his
pants and wrapped a towel around his waist, then sat down on a stool and turned on the water
above. Sanji watched Zoro, then copied his actions, sitting on the seat next to him. “Ya gonna
wash up or what?” he asked, reaching for the body wash.

The blonde didn’t answer, only fiddled with his hands in his lap. Zoro looked down at him waiting
for a reply. “Uhm…” he tried. Zoro held out the bottle of soap in front of Sanji and told him to put
his hands out, then squeezed a pile in his palms. Looking to his left, Sanji watched Chopper and
Luffy scrub their bodies with the soap with their bare hands. He mimicked what he saw, also
rinsing himself after he watched everyone do it, too.

“What’s wrong?” Zoro asked while he scrubbed shampoo in his hair. He was sure to ask after the
other two had made their way into the tub to soak so Sanji was more likely to speak to him.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” the boy admitted and looked up to Zoro’s confused look. “I’ve
never done it like this.”

Zoro cocked his head to think about what the kid meant but didn’t understand. After rinsing his
hair out, he asked, “What do you mean?”
“I haven’t used that thing before,” Sanji said and pointed at the showerhead. “I have only taken
baths before and the butler always washes me.”

Butler?! Zoro thought. The cook is rich? He couldn’t help to stare down at the boy but soon
brushed the thought away. “You don’t know how to bathe yourself?” he asked to which Sanji
shook his head no. Zoro then remembered how Sanji lamely sat in the tub that night. He thought
the kid was just too shocked to move and clean himself, which was why Zoro took over and helped
him. Sighing, he reached down and scooted Sanji’s stool in front of him and squeezed the shampoo
over his head.

As Luffy and Chopper splashed the water about, goofing off and being the kids they were, Zoro
lathered up Sanji’s head real good and washed out the soap without speaking. It was strange how
easy it was for Zoro to look after Sanji. Never in a million years could he ever imagine the adult
version of the cook coming up to him and asking for help washing his hair - then it would be
another million and one years for Zoro to agree to it!

It had to be something about Sanji turning into a child that changed all that about the swordsman.
It was like his life now revolved around the blonde rather than being the First Mate, or training to
beat Mihawk. For the past eight days, Sanji had taken over his life and had him in a grip he didn't
even try to shake loose from.

While he ran his fingers through Sanji’s hair to make sure the last of the suds were gone, he
thought about Kuina, someone he hadn’t thought of in a long while. He remembered when he was
young that he couldn’t believe something so stupid and simple killed her - but she was merely a
child herself, just like Sanji. Children are fragile, he had come to learn. He had come to learn it the
hard way, though. At any given moment, something stupid and simple could kill Sanji, too. He was
no longer the tough cook from the East Blue who kicked people’s faces inwards, but a child who
could easily fall down the stairs...

Zoro shooed Sanji away to the tub while he sat there deep in thought. Back on Thriller Bark, the
blonde had been willing to give up his life for Luffy, but also for Zoro himself. Sanji had refused to
see Zoro die for them and instead offered his own life. Even back then, Sanji was hella strong,
barely holding on after all they have been through that day, but still strong. Just before Zoro
knocked him out with the hilt of his sword, he remembered how much respect he had for the man
for that bullshit he tried to pull.

Getting up and easing himself into the tub with the other three, Zoro couldn’t stop thinking of how
attached he had grown to Sanji. Kuina died so easily before but Zoro wouldn’t let that happen to
Sanji. He could have died last night, Zoro thought with a wince as he looked at the bruising on the
blonde that peeked above the steaming water.

The two weeks it would take for Sanji to go back to normal was halfway done and Zoro could soon
stop stressing about the damn kid, but he honestly felt a pang in his chest as he knew that also
meant Sanji would be at his throat again. They’d go back to bickering and arguing and fighting and
whatever! Sanji wouldn’t remember a damn thing but Zoro would remember. He’d be left with an
empty feeling inside because he had formed some sort of bond with the boy and it would be ripped
away soon.

“Weeeeeeeeee!” Sanji squealed as Luffy spun him around in the water. Chopper was begging to be
next but Zoro reprimanded the others.

“Yer flingin the water everywhere, Luffy! Franky’s gonna wring us dry if he sees this place!” he
yelled. When Luffy grabbed ahold of Chopper to keep going against Zoro’s yelling, he said that’s it
and launched across the tub to wrestle his captain.
The bathroom echoed with hooting and hollering as the horseplay continued causing water to
splash everywhere.

Luffy had wrapped his arms tight around Zoro’s head from behind and pulled hard, Zoro resisting
and pulling the opposite way. Luffy’s grip slipped and caused Zoro to bash his forehead against the
side of the tub. “Ah, shit! You motherfucker!” He shouted.

“Yeah, you motherfucker!”

The room went quiet. The splashing stopped, the laughter died. Everyone was looking at Sanji.
“W-what did you say?” Chopper asked.

“Luffy is a motherfucker!” Sanji said smiling.

Zoro looked to his captain while he rubbed the sore spot on his head. Luffy just stared at him for a
long time until the three older Straw Hats suddenly burst into laughter. “He is, isn’t he?” the
swordsman said between laughs.

___

It had been well over an hour since they went into the bathroom, but no one had come up to say
anything. Their happiness could be heard across the vast sea and no one wanted to take that away
from them, giving the boys plenty of time to have fun together.

Zoro came out of the bathroom wrapped in a dry towel carrying Sanji in one arm and Chopper in
the other who were also wrapped in fat, fluffy towels. He was on his way to the boy’s bunkroom
for them to change into clean clothes when he bumped into Nami and Robin. “Move,” he said,
trying to walk around them.

The two girls giggled. Nami sighed at the sight of them. “Adorable,” she said and brought up a
snail, clicking its shell to snap a photo of them.

“Oi, oi! What’s this about!?” Zoro said, gripping the boys tighter to him who stayed quiet to see
what the girls wanted.

“I told you he’d come out with them!” Nami said, ignoring Zoro and speaking only to Robin.

“You did, Navigator-san, and you were right - it is quite cute,” Robin said with a soft smile and a
wink to Zoro.

“I hate you both,” he said and pushed passed the two and entered the bunk room. After slamming
the door closed with his foot, he set the two down while he dressed himself. “God, that witch gets
on my nerves.”

Chopper helped pick out some new clothes for Sanji to wear and followed the boy over to the
couch where Zoro had flopped backward, already slouching. “Zoro?” Sanji asked.

“Mm?”

“Will you read to me?”

Slowly, Zoro closed his eyes. He liked this version of Sanji, he really did. He wasn’t sure what it
was about the kid that had turned him into mush so quickly, but goddammit, he couldn’t resist him.
“Sure,” he groaned and slapped a hand to his face.

Chopper brightened up and asked if he could listen in, too, which Zoro said what does it matter at
this point, and proceeded to climb into his lap while Sanji ran to get a book from the Aquarium
Room. When he had returned, he too sat on Zoro’s lap and handed the man the book.

“This is a cookbook,” Zoro deadpanned.

“Yeah! But it has a story, look!” Sanji said excitedly and turned the pages for Zoro. Chopper ooo’d
when he saw how bright and colorful the pictures were alongside some recipes. “If you read the
bottom parts, it will tell you about the author.”

“How do you know about this book?” Zoro asked skeptically.

“It’s the book Robin read to me!”

“You want me to read a story you’ve already heard?!”

Sanji’s smile widened and his face was too bright for Zoro to even bare. “Mhmm! It’s really good!
Please, Oniisan!”

Zoro’s face reddened at the dumb nickname and he gave Chopper a flick on his nose when he
giggled at it, too. “Do you want to hear this cooking story?” he asked the reindeer.

Rubbing his nose, he nodded his head. “It sounds interesting! And if Sanji likes it, it must be good,
right?”
Rolling his eyes and sighing for the one-hundredth time that day, Zoro thumbed back to the
beginning and began reading the dumb cookbook.

After the story had ended, the three of them sat there for a few minutes talking about what they
thought, at least Chopper and Sanji did. The two slid off Zoro’s lap and were blabbing on while
Zoro listened. He couldn’t help himself from watching Sanji’s face as he spoke, the passion in his
words even as a child seemed to run deep in his bones.

“You really like cooking, don’t you?” Zoro asked, surprising himself with the question.

The blonde nodded and said he loved cooking. “I don’t get to cook very often at my house but I try
to cook a lot for my mom! She says I’m really good at it!”

“I bet!” Chopper said with a giggle. “Did you want to be a chef when you grow up?”

Sanji thought about it. “I do…” he said, the happiness in his voice faltering.

Chopper and Zoro immediately noticed the shifted tone. “Sanji?” Chopper asked and put his hoof
on the other’s shoulder reassuringly.

The boy shook his head. “I do want to be a chef when I grow up, but I don’t think I can.”

“Why not?” the other two said at the same time. Chopper sounded concerned and Zoro was already
angry, knowing damn well he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear.

Sanji fidgeted around before answering. “I’ll prolly have to join my family’s army.”

Before either of them could reply, Luffy’s voice could be heard beyond the walls, yelling about
food, then the door opened and bushy, black hair poked its way in. “Hey!” Usopp said with
urgency in his voice. “Come get dinner before Luffy eats it all!” he said quickly and left as soon as
he had come. His voice was heard telling Luffy to wait for everyone else to join.

The reindeer couldn’t peel his eyes away from Sanji. The mysterious horror of their chef’s
childhood was too much for him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he sprang forward and clutched
Sanji with a tight hug. The boy stayed quiet and eventually wrapped his arms around the reindeer,
wincing a little from the pressure on his ribs.

As Zoro watched the two next to him, he seethed. Even though he knew Sanji would either not be
in the army for very long or in it at all, as they found him peacefully in a floating restaurant in the
middle of the open sea, he couldn’t help the rage he felt inside. Who exactly are these people?
They’re rich and abusive with an army?!

When Chopper got up to go to the kitchen, Sanji and Zoro stayed put. “Why aren’t you goin to
eat?” Zoro asked.

“Why aren’t you?”

Shocked that the boy sounded so much like his older self just then, he laughed. His chest felt heavy
and strange with nostalgia, but he laughed. Sanji waited patiently for Zoro to regain himself.
“Come’ere,” he finally said, holding his arms out and wrapped the blonde in a warm hug, careful to
not hurt his bruised ribs. Thinking of Sanji having to return to his home and continue living his
shitty childhood with his shitty family, Zoro felt bad. Guilty, even. “If I tell you your life will be
better, will you believe me?”

Sanji rested his head on Zoro’s shoulder and softly nodded. “I believe you.”
 Cooking For The Last Time
Chapter Notes

ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo!

The next few days had been peaceful on the Thousand Sunny. Besides the fact that Zoro hadn’t
been sleeping well, at least.

It seemed the swordsman’s dreams now only revolved around the blonde on the ship. Sometimes it
was a twenty-one-year-old Sanji, sometimes a seven-year-old Sanji - but every time it wasn’t
anything good. It wouldn’t be long until the man was back to normal, though. Whether that made
Zoro happy or not was a question he didn’t quite have an answer to.

It was tiring, honestly, taking care of a kid that seemed like a magnet for trouble. Zoro had less
sleep than he normally did and as they neared the two-week mark, he could feel how exhausted his
body felt as it was on a constant alert. Sure, during his turn watching the ship his body stretched to
its limits by constantly using his observation haki, but it was a different type of wear than what he
was experiencing now. Sanji’s horrible luck tested Zoro in many ways that he was beginning to
understand he wasn’t capable of handling properly. These scary happenings were solely why Zoro
was desperate for Sanji to become an adult again. Ready for him to be strong again. Able again.
Zoro longed to have his fighting companion back in his rightful place - at his side.

Then there were the mindless moments where he could lay on the grassy deck in the warm sun
with the small boy cradled under his arm that seemed entirely too perfect to him. It was a similar
companionship he felt about Chopper, only...not? It was different, too, though. This was Sanji, the
Sunny’s cook. Curly. Dart-brow. Blondie. The warmness over his chest he felt that day could have
been from the sun beating down on him or something entirely different, something deeper. All
Zoro knew was that he might miss hanging out with Sanji like this when he was turned back into
an adult. These small moments were the ones that made Zoro dread the final day when the kid was
no longer a kid, but a vicious, foot-wielding chef that hungered to crack his skull in two at the drop
of a fork.

But that was okay with the swordsman, too. Sanji was Sanji, no matter what form he was in. The
tiny, leg-hugging, earring jingler that was Kid-Sanji, or the foul-mouthed, fiery foot, jaw-breaker
that was Adult-Sanji. Zoro decided he had no preference, but would still miss moments with the
younger version.

No matter how many bad dreams he had over the idiot blonde, he knew it would eventually be
alright in a few days. His vivid yet confusing dreams involving so, so, so many awful things and he
was more than ready to rid of them. A part of Zoro wasn’t sure how much more stress he could
take before he cracked.

While the Straw Hats sailed onward to continue their journey to find the One Piece, the skies and
seas were kind to them. Their supplies had been stocked back on the island with the festival and
they hadn’t seen a Navy ship or bandits since -

“Hey, there’s a boat out there,” Quillard said to Brook, pointing off into the distance.
The lanky skeleton walked over and covered his empty eye sockets to shield them from the glaring
sun. “And so it seems, my dear sir!” said Brook. He yelled up to the Crow’s Nest. “Usoppu! Look
at three o’clock!”

“I see it!” Usopp replied, now hanging over the edge of the railing. He fussed around with his
goggles until the boat in the distance became clear. “It’s a pirate ship!”

“Can you see the jolly roger?” Brook called. Usopp said the wind was distorting it too much to tell.
The skeleton turned to Quillard’s plump body and smiled a toothy grin. “It looks like we might
have some visitors, doesn’t it? We should inform the captain.”

Usopp had already been on his way to find Luffy. Whether the ship was friendly or not, Luffy
ought to be nearby in case anyone got any funny ideas. When he passed by Franky, the cyborg
thumbed towards the kitchen to point out the captain while he continued tinkering on his arm.
“Luffy, there’s a ship coming into view!” Usopp announced once he entered the galley.

“Ohrewwy?” the captain answered with a mouthful of rice. After swallowing he spoke more
clearly. “Are they friendly?”

The sniper moved further into the room and circled the table. “Say, what’s all this for? Who’s
cooking if it isn’t me or Brook?” Usopp asked. He sniffed over the different dishes and made a
sour face. “And more importantly, why are you eating it?”

Luffy laughed, rice spitting out of his mouth. “It’s Sanji’s! He’s practicing,” he told the other and
pointed into the kitchen. Sanji stood on a chair at the stove stirring something, seeming to be lost in
his concentration, but Zoro faced Usopp with crossed arms, glaring down his nose. Usopp shrunk
into himself.

“He’s trying his best, Usopp,” He said through gritted teeth. “He wants to make dinner tonight.”

With an awkward, shrieking laugh, Usopp nodded his head up and down and backed away towards
the door. “Right, right. Smells great, Sanji!” he yelped and fumbled with the doorknob trying to
claw his way out of the room before his guts were spilled.

“Wait!” Luffy yelled. “What about the ship?”

The color quickly returning to Usopp’s face, he answered, “They have a skull flag so they’re
definitely not friendly!”

Luffy puffed his cheeks out in a pout before saying, “We have a skull flag and we’re friendly. And
Torao has a skull flag and he’s friendly...and Shanks...and-”

“Okay, okay! I get it! I’m sorry. I meant they’re pirates, not marines. Not that marines are friendly,
either.” Usopp quickly said with a hand to his chin. “Just come out here, will ya?”

The Straw Hat Captain hoovered up the rest of the food on the table, taking a few plates and bowls
along with it, and raced out the door. The sound of his flip flops smacking against the wood
stopped once they hit the grass, then very faintly you could hear them again as he reached the front
of the ship.

Zoro sighed as he looked out the porthole to watch his captain and the others stare out towards
what he assumed was the approaching ship.

“What if they don’t like it?” Sanji asked Zoro in a sad voice. “I don’t want them to hate me
because I messed dinner up.”
The slight tremble in the kid’s voice upset Zoro. Of course Sanji wasn’t a world-renowned chef
right out of the womb, but he shouldn’t have to be afraid to try, right? “They will like it, I promise,”
Zoro said and came up behind Sanji to ruffle his hair. There was a sniffle in response. “Hey, are
you crying?”

“No,” Sanji lied. It was obvious in his voice that he, in fact, was crying. The stuffy nose gave it
away. “Yes!” he eventually corrected, the dam bursting, allowing tears to flood down his face.
“Yes, I am! I just want to make good food! I want them to like it! I want them to still be my
friend!”

Zoro watched as Sanji had a mini-breakdown and began to panic, too. He didn’t know what to do!
Sanji as an adult is always so cool, mellow, and confident when it comes to his culinary skills.
Right now, this child had the confidence range of a teaspoon and the swordsman had no idea how
to handle it. “Uh, uhm,” he said, frantically trying to think of something. The only thing he could
think of to soothe the boy was to scoop him up in his arms, so that’s what he did. “Hey, hey, it’s
alright. Calm down, okay?” he said and hugged Sanji close. “Don’t say stupid shit like that. What
makes you think they won’t be your friends if your food sucks?”

The blonde whimpered against Zoro’s green coat, leaving a wet spot on his shoulder full of tears
and snot. Zoro rubbed his back and waited for him to cry it out before answering. Eventually, the
boy stopped shaking and his breathing evened out. “I want to be good at something,”

Zoro’s hands clutched Sanji tighter and then he set him back on the chair to stand. “You’re only
seven, Sanji. You will be good at lots of things when you get bigger.”

The boy’s lip quivered. “H-how do you know? You can’t know that.” Sanji’s face twisted into
sorrow as he began to cry again, his little fist rubbing at his eye. “I’ll always be a failure…”

Both of Zoro’s hands clapped against Sanji’s cheeks, probably harsher than he wanted to, but it got
the kid’s attention. “Don’t say shit like that! You’re not a failure! You wo-”

“I AM TOO!” Sanji screamed and jumped from the chair and ran towards the pantry. “I’ll never be
good at anything!”

“What - get the hell back here, dammit!” Zoro growled. The boat shook beneath his boots making
him turn towards the porthole. The view outside looked normal but he still wanted to make sure
everything was alright. Sanji first, though. “Come out from there, Sanji,” Zoro said defeated. The
poor kid had slammed the pantry door shut and even though there wasn’t a lock, Zoro wanted him
to come out on his own.

The sound of muffled crying could be heard from inside. Zoro leaned against the door and slid
down until his butt hit the floor. It may seem like Zoro wanted Sanji to be his normal age again so
he didn’t have to deal with a child, but the real reason was so he could stop learning new things
about him. Kid-Sanji gave away too many secrets because he was, well, just a kid. He doesn’t
know any better to keep those things to himself. The Sanji Zoro knew had hidden this part of his
life and he did it for a reason, but Zoro learns more and more every passing day.

“C’mon, Sanji. Come on out, will you? How will you ever get better at cooking if you don’t try,
right?” Zoro suggested. “Remember what I told you about the scar on my chest? How I faced the
World’s Greatest Swordsman and he cut through me like a wet piece of paper?” As Zoro spoke, his
hand snuck its way under his trench coat and felt over his bumpy scar, the images of that day
flashing before him. The harsh reality that slashed through him showing the immense range
between himself and the top was overwhelming and his chest tightened remembering how his only
dream had shattered that day. “I didn’t stop training to be the best after that happened. I trained
harder because of it. I knew if I wanted to be better, I had to work for it. Doesn’t that sound like
something you should do, too? Shouldn’t you continue so you can be the best, too?”

The sniffling and sobbing had quieted while Zoro talked. “I...I guess so…” Sanji’s small voice
said.

“That’s not the right answer,” Zoro said and turned around on his knees to open the door. He sat
back on his heels to look at Sanji, who sat on his bottom with his knees curled to his chest.

“Yeah, I should keep trying.”

“There you go. Now come here, dammit.”

Sanji gave a weak smile and sniffled one last time before he got to his feet and buried his face into
Zoro’s neck for a hug. The two stayed like that for a while before the door the galley opened and
slammed closed.

“Help!” Quillard yelled. “Mr. Roronoa, are you in here, still!??!? There are pirates on the ship!”

The swordsman picked Sanji up in one arm and with his left, pulled Wado out of her scabbard.
“How many?”

“Like - like a lot!” Quillard stuttered and backed up behind the dinner table, his back now against
the infirmary door. He cradled his shoulder, Zoro noting the red stain under his hand. “Your
captain went aboard to say hello and well, they swarmed us!”

With a growl, Zoro reached for the door but it burst open in his face making him jump back.

“Ah! Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro! We’ve come to take your head!” a huge man shoved his way
through the small door, ducking to fit under the frame. Two more regular-sized pirates followed
after and tried to make their way towards Quillard, but Zoro quickly moved to protect him.

“Hold on tight to me,” Zoro whispered to Sanji and the kid’s arms wrapped around Zoro’s neck.
“Come take it, then,” he purred to the three intruders.

One of the smaller pirates moved around the bench and pulled out a curved sword. Its base was
skinny and it tapered outward at the end. The hilt swung in a circle around his fingers as he
laughed, his gaze falling on Sanji. “See you like little boys, looks like we’re one and the same,
aren’t we?” he said and licked his lips.

The mere implication that Zoro was anything like that sick fuck made his blood boil. As he
watched the man’s tongue jut out again and scrape across his cracked lips, Zoro felt a twitch form
in his eye. Those three pirates from only a few days ago still haunted Zoro’s mind day and night. It
was as if the sea was littered with pigs and he was only just now noticing because he now had a
child constantly attached to his side. “Close your eyes,” he whispered again and didn’t move until
Sanji turned his head away towards Quillard behind him. Wado was swung to the left and in a
sideways arc, cut the man in half in a clean slice. Intestines splattered out onto the dining room
floorboards and blood began to pool. The less of these bastards on the sea, the safer it is.

The second normal-sized pirate stopped in his tracks, gaping at his dead crewmate. “B-B-Baron!
He killed Baron, Demmy!”

“I see that,” Demmy said and spit out a glob of chew from his cheek. The big guy was shirtless, his
body hair covering every inch of his round form. He may have looked similar to Quillard’s doughy
build, but he was made of pure muscle. A light sheen of sweat formed over his forehead and upper
chest. “It seems The Pirate Hunter is a little touchy when it comes to kids, huh?” His large hand
covered his crewmate's face and pushed him backward without care for his well being. “Seems he
wants to keep the little kid for himself, don’t he? He don’t wanna share.”

“Don’t fucking talk about him like that,” Zoro growled through gritted teeth. He really didn’t like
that these guys were implying he treated Sanji the same way they wanted to treat him. “Get off this
ship and I won’t kill you.”

“We didn’t board this ship by accident, Pirate Hunter. Saw ya leaving port at that island, followed
after ya, got tripped up on a storm on the way. We caught up, though. This ship is full of large
bounties and we came to claim them.”

Same old shit, isn’t it? Zoro thought. “Y’ever stop to think why we haven’t been caught?” Demmy
laughed and began to answer but Zoro swung Wado again at the man’s belly. The large hand
grabbed Wado’s blade, stopping her in her tracks. Shit, not enough room to get momentum. Zoro
pulled the blade from the other’s grasp, slicing Demmy’s palm on its way out.

Only a small wince and then Demmy pulled two swords from each side of his belt. He crouched in
a stance, ready to strike. Zoro could hear Quillard’s knees knocking together behind him and he
rolled his one good eye. Does he not have any faith in me?

“Now it’s time for me to take that bounty. I’ll have your head and that little blondie as my prize.”

It’s like these pirates wanted to die. Zoro felt a shiver run up his spine as his blood surged. Even in
his scabbard, he could feel Kitetsu’s wrath waiting to be released, which was the exact reason he
chose Wado. Kitetsu had been consuming his mind too easily as of late. Sanji’s vulnerability had
made him weak-minded, allowing the sword to possess him. But he can’t live, Zoro argued with
himself. Not because of what he said about Sanji. But because it means he does shit to other kids
like Sanji. I can’t let him go.

With a wicked smile, Zoro held Sanji tighter to him to make sure he wouldn’t fall and launched at
the man. Demmy had to be about Franky’s size but he moved faster, even within the confined
space. He slid over the table making his crewmate stumble backward. The guy gave off a nervous
laugh and ran out of the kitchen in fear he’d get caught up in Demmy’s and Zoro’s duel.

The tableware Luffy hadn’t swallowed earlier clattered to the floor after Demmy went over the
table and Zoro shot over just as fast, following it with another arc into the man’s shoulder, who
dodged and spun himself in a circle with his blades outstretched. The edges swooped close to
Zoro’s face before he backed out of their reach, and the rest got stuck in the wall of the galley.
Zoro grimaced.

“Don’t!” he yelled at Demmy who hacked at the wall with his other sword to loosen the one in the
wood. You’re hurting her! Zoro thought.

Demmy laughed maniacally once both swords could freely swing in front of him again. Each time
his blade came down, left - right - left - right - left, a piercing swoosh breezed past Zoro. “I like that
scared face he has! That mouth looks real pretty, too,” he laughed, his eyes locked to Sanji.

Zoro looked over and the idiot kid had turned around to watch what was happening. “I said to turn
away, dammit Sanji!”

“Aw, don’t listen to him, Saanjii. You can look at me if ya want,” Demmy cooed. “I want you to
look at me with those innocent eyes o’yours.”
Lips pulling up in a sneer, Zoro turned his attention back on the enemy pirate. Chest tightening as
he seethed, Zoro kept Sunny in mind when he swung Wado as he stepped forward, the tip of her
blade just barely grazing across the skin of his belly. This only made Demmy falter for half a
second until he was widely hacking at the air to attack Zoro. Each time he brought his swords
down, they sliced through the ceiling or the table or the wall or-

NO! Zoro thought as one of the blades went through a painting of Usopp’s that hung on the wall.
The Pirate Hunter had to hold back as to not damage his wooden nakama, but this piece of shit
Demmy guy was cutting through her without a care in the world. All the while he oozed nasty
comments about what he wanted to do to Sanji once he got his hands on him.

It was a strange feeling, something Zoro had only felt a few times in his life. Though this was the
second time in less than two weeks where he felt his brain short-circuiting. A dark aura formed
around the three other people that stood in the kitchen. Quillard whimpered as he sunk to the floor
in fear. The edges of Zoro’s vision began to become blurry, clouded with hate.

“-and then I’d prolly finish at just the sight of his mouth around my-”

A blade slashed in front of Demmy’s face, interrupting his sentence.

Zoro felt dizzy. The air was getting thick, becoming unbreathable. When he swung at the pig, his
arm felt heavy as if it were weighed down by wet sand. It was almost like Zoro’s nightmares were
coming true, like he wouldn’t be able to help Sanji because he was too slow or too weak.

“-choke the life out of him afterward. Can’t wait to see those big eyes staring up at me-”

Another arcing slash at Demmy, the blade again only grazing his cheek. It wasn’t enough, Zoro
wasn’t enough.

The sounds of Luffy’s gomu-gomu yells...the sounds of vines growing and snapping...the sounds of
thunder where there weren’t any clouds in the sky...all of those noises that told Zoro his nakama
were fighting against the rest of the enemy pirates...all of those noises faded away and the only
thing left for him to hear was the rush of his blood harshly pumping through his veins. Zoro’s heart
hammered against the backside of his ribcage as he tried to regain his footing as he began to sway
along with his blade when he swung it.

Demmy’s gurgling laughter was faintly heard as background noise and Zoro’s ears began to ring.
The loud buzz started off quiet as it cut off the rest of the noise of the world around him until it
was overwhelming and he could feel the hum in his fucking brain. The swordsman's tongue felt
heavy in his mouth. It wouldn’t form words when he tried to speak. He tried to warn the man to
stop talking about Sanji like that, but he couldn’t.

Zoro’s vision blackened for a brief moment, it flickered in and out and he had to shake his head to
will his sight back. All his thoughts were consumed with hate, the only thing he wanted to do was
to kill this man but he didn’t want to hurt Sunny by going all out. Demmy was already creating
gouges around them and it stung Zoro’s insides each time a splinter of wood flicked up. Trying to
speak again, Zoro’s mouth formed the words ‘stop’ and ‘leave’ and ‘die’ but no sound came out
except for mindless babbling.

“He’s such a pretty lil kid, too. Good to look at, like a lil trophy to keep on a shelf,” Demmy panted
and tightened his grip on his swords.

The light around them that allowed Zoro to see seemed to go out, his vision blackening once again.
When he regained his sight, the dinner table was cut in half along with one of the benches. Demmy
was on his knees and his two grimy fists were clutching Zoro’s arm, desperately clawing at it.
Zoro’s left hand was no longer holding Wado, instead, it held Demmy’s face, barely even able to
cover half of the surface as he was so much larger than the Pirate Hunter.

It didn’t matter, though. Zoro didn’t need to cover his entire face, he had what he wanted. His
pointer finger and thumb lay just under than man’s eye sockets, pressing hard making Demmy
tightly squeeze them shut to protect them. Zoro heard himself laughing, a particular tone he rarely
heard come from his throat. Demmy was saying something to him, his lips moving but he couldn’t
hear what he was saying, only the sound of his heartbeat.

Zoro hungrily watched himself force his fingers deep into Demmy’s eyes, pressing the digits
between his eyeballs and the lids holding them in place. The hand vibrated as Zoro increased the
pressure. The soft spheres were pushing back against the bone in Demmy’s skull causing the man’s
mouth to open in what Zoro assumed was a scream - but there was nothing but his heartbeat.

Demmy’s eyeballs could no longer stand against Zoro’s strength and soon gave out, a small
popping noise as they burst. First the right, then the left. Zoro kept his fingers inside, squeezing
them together to pinch the deflating orbs as the vitreous jelly slowly seeped out and down the
pirate’s dirty cheeks.

Demmy’s hands ripped at Zoro’s fingers trying to pry them away from his face but Zoro’s hold
was too tight, his strength greater than the other’s. His mouth moved, saying something, screaming
something, Zoro didn’t know, only hearing muffled humming in replace of a voice… And the thud,
thud, thud of his heartbeat.

The blurriness around the edges of Zoro’s vision seemed to fade away and he finally seemed like
he was able to control his movements again, though the blood rushing in his ears still drowned out
the sounds around him. The swordsman jerked his hand back as if he were bitten when Brook and
Robin stumbled into the kitchen.

“We...we heard screaming,” Robin said, her usual calm self taken aback by the scene in front of
her. Now that Demmy was released he doubled over as he clutched his hands to his eyes, crying out
in pain. The yell slowly fading its way into Zoro’s mind as his hearing was coming back.

“Zoro-san,” Brook said softly and made his way over to the swordsman. His long, bony arm
reached out as he gently placed his hand over Zoro’s shoulder to ground him. “I’ll take care of the
rest,” he said reassuringly. When Zoro slightly nodded, Brook grabbed Demmy by a wrist and
tugged, urging him to follow. The man who once was overflowing with confidence that he was
going to take Zoro’s head now openly wept from the pain he was in. He stumbled over the upper
half of his crewmate that laid sprawled on the floorboards, boots slipping in his blood.

With a blank look, Zoro watched Brook lead the pirate out and then Robin was standing in his line
of view. “Zoro-san?” she asked, eyes wide as she cautiously approached him. It wasn’t a rare sight
to see Zoro covered in blood after fights, him being one of the few actual killers on the crew. Even
Robin was quite ruthless as she twisted people’s spines or snapped their necks. But seeing Zoro use
his hands to do his dirty work when he normally left that job up to his blades was a little unnerving
to the older woman. “What happened?”

Sanji’s face had once again buried its way into Zoro’s neck to shield himself from what Zoro was
doing but at the sound of Brook and Robin, he peeked his eyes out from under Zoro’s chin to see if
all the scary stuff was done. He waited to see what Zoro had to say.

A numbness engulfed Zoro’s body as he dropped to his knees. His arm barely able to prop Sanji up
anymore, its hold slipping and Sanji moved his feet so they could right himself and stand on his
own. The blonde looked up to Robin, silently wondering if Zoro was okay.

Robin was surprised when she felt Zoro’s body fall against her in defeat. He leaned his head into
her midriff and clutched the fabric of her skirt, it bunching up in his fists. “I can’t take it,” he
whispered, pain lining his trembling voice.

Robin had never seen Zoro lay himself so bare and honestly, she was too shocked to do much of
anything anyway. Her hand automatically rested atop his head and soothed the green hair back in a
motherly touch.

“I can’t do this. And I can’t lose him,” Zoro admitted. His wide frame shook against Robin. As he
continued speaking, Usopp had entered the room to see what had been going on but froze at the
sight of everything. The blood on the floor, the guts spilled next to the table they ate at that was
now in two pieces, Zoro on his knees as if he were crying...what the hell was going on? “I can’t
lose him,” Usopp heard Zoro whisper again.

While the days had crept by, Robin, like basically everyone else, had noticed how fond Zoro had
become of Sanji. Always quick to take him into his arms, to tickle him, to hold him close as they
slept, to scold him when he was wrong, to wipe his tears when he fell. So when Zoro crumpled the
flowery skirt in his fists again as the cramping agony stung his insides, she knew he was taking
everything personal. “Shh, it’s alright, Zoro-san,” she purred. “He’s safe, see?”

Knowing Sanji was safe was obvious. He had made sure of it this time by keeping him in his arms
while he fought. It was the only way he knew that he wouldn’t fall off the ship, or be kidnapped, or
be touched by grimy pig-pirates. It wasn’t Sanji’s safety that was entirely making him break down
this time, though. It was his innocence, too. The thought of someone taking the boy had made Zoro
gag. “I couldn’t allow him to see anymore,” Zoro repeated a few times under his breath as the
images of pressing the jelly out of Demmy’s eyes were seared into his mind. It was something he
couldn’t stop himself from doing like his body was on auto-pilot and he had kicked back to watch
what would happen next.

Robin continued her pets over Zoro’s head with one hand while the other softly rested on his
shoulder to assure him she was listening. “There are still three more days left. I can’t do it, I can’t.
I’m…” Zoro’s voice broke off and for a moment, it was silent in the kitchen. All the scenarios
Sanji has been in so far were dangerous in some way and it was all because of him. He wasn’t
there to help Sanji that rainy day and now he’s standing here as a child in a pool of someone’s
blood. What if he gets permanently hurt? What if he...what if he dies just as easily as Kuina? Kuina
died. Sanji could die. Sanji can’t die, he can’t leave me. He’s my best friend, my other half. I can’t
let anything happen to him but it’s so hard when the world wants to crush everything that I care
for. Zoro’s breathing had quickened and he could feel his tongue beginning to swell back up as he
tried swallowing to bring moisture back into his mouth. “I’m breaking.” The room spun a little at
the confession, but Robin’s hand squeezed his shoulder and glided under his chin to force him to
look up at her.

“You aren’t alone, Zoro-san. You can rely on us, too, to protect the little cook. We love him as
much as you do.” Robin’s low voice was probably more soothing to Zoro than she ever knew. The
clenched muscles in his back began to ease. “Isn’t that right, little one?” she asked Sanji.

With great effort, Zoro reluctantly unraveled his fingers from Robin’s skirt, testing if he was strong
enough to move away from her comforting touch. Absently feeling to his right until his arm came
into contact with Sanji, he pulled the boy close and whispered his apologies to him.

“Why are you sorry?” Sanji asked and gave Zoro’s earrings a jingle to try and cheer the man up.
“You protected me and Quillard.”
At the door, Brook had returned and joined Usopp at his side to check back in on Zoro. The two
silently stood waiting to see if there was anything they could do.

Zoro weakly smiled into Sanji’s hair before pushing away to look into his one visible eye. His hand
swiped the hair over to the side. “You weren’t scared of what I did?”

The boy gave a lopsided smile and a shrug. “I looked away as soon as you dropped your sword.
Had a feeling cause of...you know, what he - what he was saying...” Sanji had cast his gaze
downward at the bloody flooring. “I’m okay, Oniisan, honest.”

“That’s good,” Zoro said. A wave of exhaustion rushing through his body and he felt his head
become too heavy to hold up. The room was darkening again, too.

The swordsman teetered back and forth on his knees and then eventually his weight swayed too far
to one side causing him to fall over, his face landing just outside of the blood from the severed
pirate.

___

Awakening with a pounding headache and a dull throb in his side, Zoro found himself in the
infirmary. Accompanying him was Brook and, to his surprise, Quillard. Wincing as the bright,
fluorescent lights stung his retinas, he sat up and looked for blonde hair.

“He’s with the ladies,” Brook said softly. Zoro jumped a little as he thought the man was sleeping,
but with black holes where eyes were supposed to be, Zoro guessed it was a little hard to decipher
if he were awake or not. “All bathed up and taking a much-needed nap. Something you need, too.”
Zoro opened his mouth to protest because that was stupid but the skeleton held up his hand to stop
him. “Doctor Chopper says you passed out because you’re exhausted here,” Brook pointed to his
skull, “and here,” he said and pointed to where his heart would be if he were fully alive.

“I’m fine,” Zoro lied, forgetting he told Robin he was, in fact, not fine. He was barely holding on.

Ignoring the swordsman, Brook said, “Doctor Chopper almost sedated you to get you to stay asleep
longer, but I talked him out of it. I knew you’d be upset if you weren’t there for Sanji when he
woke from his nap.”

Zoro looked away, slightly embarrassed that he was so obvious to read. Swinging his feet over the
edge of the bed and trying to stand on his own, Zoro’s knees buckled as the pain in his side jolted
through him. “Agh!” he groaned and felt the area. When he looked down, he noticed he was
shirtless with bandages wrapped around his stomach. “I was hurt?”

Instead of Brook, Quillard spoke up. “You were stabbed multiple times by that pirate.”

“Heh? I don’t remember that,” Zoro protested and shot a glare over to the plump man as if he were
lying.

Quillard nodded his head slowly. “Right, right. Your ship’s doctor says you might have blacked
out for a few minutes. I believe it was then when he was stabbing you in your side, pleading for
you to let him go because you didn’t flinch away at all.” Zoro’s eyebrows went up in surprise but
he stayed quiet to hear what else happened. “You were so fast, he didn’t stand a chance. You
forced his swords from his hands and your palm covered his face. He then grabbed a knife from
his belt and began stabbing you. Only when you began to, uhm, squeeze your fist did he stop.”

“And how many times was I stabbed?”

The frilly man winced but took the question seriously by counting on his fingers. “I think seven or
eight times.”

Zoro made a face of disbelief. He hadn’t realized he was being stabbed? “Huh, weird,” he said and
shrugged. He stood more slowly this time to ease the pain in his side and pushed off the bed. “I
should prolly help clean up the mess.”

“It’s already done. Usoppu and I took care of it,” Brook told him. Zoro was surprised Usopp was
on cleaning duty, he normally opted out due to some sort of I-Can’t-Clean-Up-Dead-Bodies
disease.

“Mr. Roronoa, I’d like to thank you,” Quillard said. The man fiddled with his fingers while his
eyes darted around to find the right words. Zoro looked over to him. “I, uh, I know you only
protected me because you need me to help your crew member, but I still wanted to give my
thanks.”

The swordsman saw a bandage on his arm where he had seen the blood. Chopper must have
patched him up, too. Giving a single nod, Zoro left through the door that led to the kitchen to check
the damage to the ship.

There were gouges on the ceiling, floor, and wall that lined the outside of the ship. The painting
that had been sliced in half was gone. Zoro’s gut gave a pang of guilt knowing he didn’t do as good
of a job protecting the ship as he normally does. With Sanji in one arm, Quillard vulnerable behind
him, the confined space, and the worry of keeping Sunny safe made it difficult for Zoro to execute
his job correctly.

Standing against the bar, Zoro ran his hand over the missing pieces of wood in long, triangular
shapes. Of course Franky could fix it but that wasn’t the point. Sunny was hurt in the battle, too.
As he continued sliding his hand over the counter, he saw the little carving Sanji had made of his
Santoryu. A small smile formed on his face.

___

Emerging from the kitchen, Zoro looked around the sunny deck. Only Franky and Luffy were out,
the girls and Sanji still napping.

“Oh! Hi, Zoro!” Luffy said chipper than ever. “Chopper will be mad if he sees you standing,”
Luffy was quick to mention. He smiled.

“I’ll sit down in a few minutes. Have you seen Usoppu?” Zoro asked. Without looking up from his
tinkering, Franky said he was in his shop. The swordsman said his thanks and went below deck.

As he approached Usopp’s workroom, he could hear him talking to himself about his recipes. For a
moment, Zoro hovered outside the door with hesitance. This type of thing wasn’t something Zoro
always did, but he knew he had been acting weird since Sanji had been forced back in time. It was
almost as if he had to do this…
With two terse knocks, Zoro asked if he could come in. Usopp paused, silent as he tried to
understand why Zoro of all people was at his door. “Uhm, yeah come in, come in,” he answered.

The swordsman didn’t entirely enter the room, only stood in the door frame as awkward as ever.
“Hey…” he started, scratching at the back of his neck absentmindedly. Taking a look around, Zoro
realized it had been a while since the last time he was down here. Usopp had put up more shelves
that were now littered with various jars filled with little balls. Probably the weapons he’s created
for his slingshot. “Did you have time, or…?”

“Huh?” Usopp hummed. “Oh, to talk? Yeah!” he said and went to stand up but Zoro put his hand
out for him to stay put. Instead, Zoro shut the door behind him and joined his crewmate on the
floor.

“Look, I - uh...I wanted to say thank you fer cleanin up the kitchen after all that shit. It was my
mess and you didn’t have to.”

Usopp seemed to relax after he knew what Zoro was down there for now. It could have been
anything! But if it was just about that, well, “It’s no biggie,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders.
He wiped under his long nose and puffed his chest out. “I’m pretty reliable, you know. I can do
many miraculous things that would make your eyes - er, eye - pop right out of your head in
surprise! But I keep my abilities in check by cleaning up once in a while. You know, to stay
humble and all.”

That made Zoro chuckle a bit. The first laugh was harder than he wanted and a tight pang in his gut
shot up his side. He rubbed the wound while he searched for the right words. “Right. It’s still
appreciated. Also wanted to apologize, though. One of yer paintings was wrecked. If I had brought
the fight to the open deck none of that would have happened. I’m sorry,” he said and hung his
head. He picked at a few dried blood-pieces on his pants to distract himself from how weak he felt
about the whole fight.

“It’s alright! See?” Usopp said and pointed to the wall furthest from them. There hung the painting,
all put together. “Just a little tape on the back. I’ll make a new one for the kitchen, though. Don’t
want to keep scary memories hanging around.”

Zoro smiled, already feeling better. “I’m glad,” he said and stood to leave.

“Wait!” Usopp squeaked as Zoro’s hand reached the doorknob. “Are you okay, Zoro?” he asked
quietly. Seeing the second strongest person on the ship break down like that was horrifying. It
should really ground a person like Usopp, remind him that even the mightiest of people are still
just that - people. Human. But it didn’t, it scared Usopp.

After a long while of Zoro standing mid-stride facing the door, he finally loosened his stance and
leaned his head against the wood. If he was going to say the truth, he couldn’t look his mate in the
eye. He was too much of a coward. “No, I’m not,” he said with a sigh. Before Usopp could
respond, Zoro continued. “But I’ll be alright. Only a few more days and everything’ll be just the
way it used to be. I’ll be alright. I have to be.”

___

The boy’s bunk room was empty, just as Zoro wanted it to be. Walking around the ship was hard to
do when you were avoiding your doctor catching you not resting like any other person who was
stabbed would normally be doing. Besides Luffy. And maybe Sanji.

Sanji, Zoro thought. God, he missed him. The constant missing presence of the blonde made Zoro
ache with longing to see him again.

Rummaging under his pillow, he found what he was looking for; a pack of smokes. He’d taken the
new box from Sanji’s dresser and helped himself a few days ago. For the fourth time this week,
Zoro struck a match across the bottom of his boot and lit the end of the cig. He took a few puffs
until the cherry was properly lit and sighed as the familiar smell of nicotine filled the boy’s room
once again. Zoro closed his eyes as he took the smell in and fell back into his bunk. While he
slowly smoked the cigarette away, he felt a little proud of himself that he didn’t cough as much as
he did the first time.

Rolling his head over, Zoro let his gaze fall upon the bunk that hung next to his. It had been empty
for almost two weeks. It was weird. Like a weight that had always been there had been lifted, but
not in a good way. Like a comfort-weight that was torn away from him. Zoro took another long
drag and blew it out into the air above him only to breathe the smoke right back in. This was the
best comfort he could think of.

He knew if he drank for comfort, he wouldn’t likely stop, and he needed to be clear-headed to
watch over that Trouble-Magnet of a blonde. His other way of relieving stress would have been to
start a fight with the cook so they could duke it out, but obviously, that wasn’t going to work either.
The next best thing that could take some stress off his mind was nicotine. It actually calmed his
nerves to smell the smoke again, and his aching heart.

___

“ZoroOoOoOoOoOoOo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Sanji sing-songed as he burst through the door of the

men’s bunk room. He made a beeline straight for him and bumped into the wooden box, making
Zoro shake.

“Hmm? Hey, kid,” Zoro said sleepily. As he spoke, the butt of the cigarette dropped from his lips
and landed on his chest, proceeding to roll down between the depths of his bunk. He rubbed his
eyes and then picked Sanji up to rest on his lap. “Have a good nap?”

The boy nodded with excitement but his smile faded as his eyes trailed to the bandages wound
tight over Zoro’s lower abdomen. “I didn’t know that bad man was hurting you,” he said sadly. “I
faced away just like you told me to! I didn’t know!”

Lightly chuckling, Zoro reached up to swipe Sanji’s bangs over to reveal his left eye. “It’s alright,
don’t worry about me. I’ve been through much worse,” he said. Sanji looked about ready to protest
but Zoro tapped at the long, grotesque scar over his chest to remind the boy of what real pain was.
“Are you still up for making dinner for us?”

Sanji lit up with excitement. “Yeah! Robin and Nami talked to me about it before I fell asleep.
They said I should do something simple to start with instead.”

Zoro nodded his agreement as he ran his fingers through Sanji’s hair. “I’m sure whatever you make
will be just fine. Let’s get it started, though. Captain won’t last much longer.”
The two headed into the kitchen, Chopper intercepting them. The doctor had berated Zoro into
telling him he needed to check the stitches and change the salve. Leaving Sanji to tend to dinner
himself for a few moments, Zoro went with Chopper.

“Mmm, smells good, Cook,” Zoro hummed as he reentered the kitchen. Nami was going through
the cupboards and writing things down. “Making a list?” he asked, looking over her shoulder.

“Yeah, we have to restock the kitchen again. Don’t tell them I said anything but Brook and Usopp
did a horrible job going through everything! They missed so much!” Nami said more to herself
than anyone as she continued opening and closing the cupboard doors. “We’ll have to dock again
and this time I’ll go shopping. Can’t leave anything to men, I swear!”

Huffing a laugh, Zoro nodded his agreement. “Need a pack mule for the heavy lifting?”

Straightening her posture with stars in her eyes, Nami clasped her hands together with excitement.
“Oh, Zoro, yes! That would be wonderful!”

“Maybe knock off a few thousand beri for me?”

Nami cackled a laugh, knowing Zoro was speaking of his debt. “Not even in your dreams,” she
said and went back to the list. Zoro shrugged. At least he tried, right?

“So what ya makin?” Zoro asked the blonde. The boy stood on a chair at the stove and stirred a pot
with one hand and flipped some bread over in a pan with the other.

“A tomato soup and grilled cheese!” Sanji said with a smile. Nami hummed in the background,
happy to hear Sanji took her advice to start simple.

“Oh, you really meant simple, didn’t you?” Zoro didn’t mean to say out loud. The boy cringed into
himself hearing that, seeming to lose his confidence. “That doesn’t mean it won’t be any less good!
Ugh, you know what I meant, you dork,” Zoro growled and pulled Sanji in for a quick noogie,
ruffling his perfect hair into a mess.

“Oi, stop it, you motherfucker, I’m trying to cook here!” Sanji squawked, waving the swordsman
away, who froze in place. Zoro could feel the stare crushing the back of his head.

Nami came up beside Zoro and smacked her hand down harshly onto his shoulder, clutching it
tightly. “Zoro- kun,” she started through gritted teeth. “Tell me why I just heard my little innocent
Sanji-kun say something so vulgar?”

“I- I didn’t purposely teach him that, you know!” Zoro stuttered, trying to back out of Nami’s hold.
“Kids pick up on things like that!”

Nami opened her mouth again to reprimand her crewmate, but Sanji waved her off, too. “It’s not
that big of a deal, Witch,” he said casually, his eyes never leaving the stove. The next thing Sanji
knew, Zoro yelped as flesh met flesh, and then the sound of sandals stomping away out of the
kitchen leaving the two alone.

Zoro groaned as he held his throbbing eye. “Thanks a lot,” he mumbled. He turned to the icebox to
grab a handful of ice and placed it in a clean washrag to hold to his face.

Sanji only cocked his head sideways in confusion, not entirely sure what just happened.
___

Usopp and Brook let Sanji take over cooking the meals for the last few days he was with them. The
menu consisted of very basic meals, not entirely full of the right nutrients that Adult-Sanji put into
them, but they got the job done. Luffy still whined for more, as always, and everyone ate every last
speck of food, as always. Sanji didn’t understand how the people around him could love his food
so much that they wouldn’t leave even the crust to bread or a few pieces of rice.

Actually, it amazed him. Once, he saw Usopp crinkle his nose and hesitate to take a second bite of
his fish, and Sanji was sure he wouldn’t like it. His heart skipped a beat as it prepared itself for the
crushing blow of rejection. The look in Usopp’s eyes changed almost instantly, though, and he
tucked in anyway. Sanji knew the older guy didn’t like his food, but he ate it anyway? Why would
he do that? Even when the blonde took a bite of his own fish, he could see why Usopp had made
the face. It was really salty.

Sanji had planned on not finishing his fish and instead was working on his broccoli but his big
brother insisted on him eating it anyway. Of course, Sanji knew he had to eat it if he wanted to stay
on his good side, but it was so gross!

The entire table hadn’t seemed to notice the saltiness of the fish, though. Each person eating their
food as if it was the last thing they’d shove in their mouth ever again. Sanji had said they didn’t
have to eat it. He actually encouraged them to throw it out and he would try again, they had plenty
of fish left and it cooked really fast!

But the murmurs from the other crew members told him otherwise. The boy just couldn’t
understand how they could eat something he knew they didn’t like - at least something they
shouldn’t like. One by one, plates were emptied and cleaned and Sanji sat there with a few bites of
his own fish left.

Luffy even begged him for those last few bites, but his big brother stuck a fork in his palm, like he
did every other meal, to stop it was snatching away what wasn’t his. Sanji knew that meant he had
to eat it himself so he forced it down. It was sooooo salty and he hated it!

Their last breakfast together on the fourteenth day consisted of pancakes that weren’t quite done in
the middle. Sanji cut into his stack of two and saw the center was goopy. A small tear ran down his
cheek at the sight. He couldn’t even cook pancakes right! Yet the people around him ate them
anyway. Usopp, Nami, Chopper, and Brook sat across from him, all eating without batting an
eyelash when they saw their pancakes were just as raw as his. Robin on his right smiled down at
him while she chewed when he looked up at her.

When Sanji looked up at his left and saw Zoro eating the food just as easily as everyone else, he
felt strange. Confused. “Does everyone like their breakfast?” he asked quietly. Heads bobbed up
and down, a few murmurs of agreement, Luffy shouting that he loved them, all the feedback was
positive. “But they’re not done. They’re still runny in the middle.”

“Still good!” Luffy said with a mouthful, each cheek packed with pancake making them rounded.

Sanji felt a gentle hand on his head. He looked up to see Robin smiling down at him again, her
eyes closed in happiness. “It’s fine, little Cook-san. You make yummy food.” She continued to pet
his head a few times and then let her hand fall to his back, rubbing in circles to comfort him.

Zoro grabbed at a few empty plates and stacked them before getting to his feet and putting them in
the sink to wash. As he turned the faucet to fill the sink, he grumbled, “Gotta practice to become
better, right?”

It was quiet, but Sanji heard it. He nodded his head slowly while Robin pulled him closer to her
side in a loose hug.

___

After breakfast, Zoro had kept Sanji busy so everyone could prepare for what was to come.
Chopper had prepared the med room by getting Sanji’s adult clothes ready. He planned on having
Sanji take his clothes off so they didn’t tear, put him in a gown, then when he changed back into
his twenty-one-year-old self, he wouldn’t have to worry about his body being constricted by a tiny
pair of shorts and shirt.

The Straw Hats all gathered out onto the deck to say their goodbyes to Kid-Sanji. The crew stood in
the grass and hugged him one-by-one, which confused the boy.

“Why are you all saying goodbye?” he asked once he got to Zoro, the last person besides Chopper
who waited at the kitchen’s door.

Zoro knelt before the boy and put his hand on his shoulders. “I’m gonna miss this version of you.
You’re so much more tolerable this way,” he whispered and brought Sanji in for a hug.

Sanji looked at the rest of the crew over Zoro’s shoulder. His arms were wrapped around Zoro’s
neck, one hand gripping him tight and the other played with the golden earrings he loved so much.
“What do you mean? I’m not going anywhere.”

Zoro pushed away and looked into Sanji’s one visible eye. Just as he did for two weeks, he gently
tucked blonde bangs away so he could see two huge, glass blue eyes staring back at him. The sight
of those curly eyebrows made him smile. He wanted to see them one last time before Adult-Sanji
hid the second one away from the world. “It’s alright. We’ll see you again soon.”

Luffy was squatting next to them now. “We get to see big Sanji now!” he said loud enough for the
others to hear, and Nami proceeded to slam her fist into his rubber head.

“Don’t say that, Luffy! What did Chopper tell you!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Luffy said, rubbing his head. “I mean, nevermind! Shishishi!” he said and stood,
Zoro following.

“I still don’t get it. What do you mean by ‘big Sanji’? Why are you going to miss me, Oniisan?”

The damn nickname pulled at Zoro’s heart. He hated it but at the same time - of course he didn’t
hate it! Only a fucking devil could hate this tiny, cute child calling them that! “You have to go
with Chopper now,” he said, choking a little, but proceeded to push Sanji towards the doctor.

Confused, Sanji complied and when he reached Chopper’s side, he turned to see the whole crew
was standing there looking at him. “Where are we going?” he asked.

Chopper took him by the hand and led him through the kitchen and into the infirmary. Quillard, the
big man with a frilly outfit, was in there. Sanji had learned that this man wasn’t part of the crew,
but he was important in some way. He gave a weak wave and with Chopper’s help, climbed onto
the examiner’s bed.

Chopper said a few things about his clothing and even though it didn’t entirely make sense to him,
he undressed anyway. The reindeer tied an oversized gown around him, it loosely fitting his frame
and falling over his shoulders. The boy patiently waited as Chopper then said a few things to the
fat man, and then said fat man approached him with his arm extended.

The door opened and Usopp slid in, making Quillard pull his arm back in hesitation. “Zoro said he
wanted me to make sure everything went alright,” Usopp whispered to Chopper who was
wondering why he had come in. He looked at Sanji with a big smile and two thumbs up. “Good
luck going back, buddy!”

Chopper pinched Usopp’s leg making him yelp. “Baka!”

“Go back where?” Sanji asked with fear in his voice. He shrank away from Quillard as the man
extended his arm towards him again. “Chopper, where am I going?!” The boy’s voice was shaking
and his heart was pitter-pattering faster and faster as the silence echoed around the room.
“Chopper!”

“Back to where you were before here!” Chopper said, unable to keep the information away from
the boy any longer. He couldn’t do it, not with his face painted with horror. “Do it now, Quillard!”
Chopper squeaked, ushering the man to hurry and touch Sanji with his power.

Not understanding what Quillard had to do with ‘going back to where he was before’ but knowing
he sure as hell didn’t want to go back home if that’s where they meant, Sanji scurried backward on
the bed and into the wall. Usopp put his hands up to ease his worry but it just didn’t make sense.
Why did they want to get rid of him? “Don’t touch me!” he screamed, kicking out at Quillard. “Get
away from me!”

Usopp came closer with a pained expression and grabbed one of Sanji’s feet, making the boy
scream in terror. Quillard took this opportunity to touch the boy’s ankle and release his power,
sending him back to the date that Chopper had told him.

Except the boy stayed a boy.

“How long does it take?!” Usopp grunted as he tried adjusting his grip on Sanji. The boy was
kicking and screaming.

“It should be instant!” Quillard said, still holding onto Sanji, too. In the confusion, the boy had
kicked himself free and when Usopp launched at him telling him it was okay, Sanji jumped over
his back and dodged away from Chopper.

Sanji ran through the kitchen and burst through the door, spilling out onto the deck in a fall as he
tripped on the huge gown. Chopper and Usopp were behind him in the doorway panting and
looking out at everyone.

“Are you going to do it or what?!” Nami impatiently said.

“He did!” Chopper yelled. “It didn’t work!”

Sanji had gotten to his feet and ran towards Zoro screaming while Chopper spoke. “They want to
get rid of me, Oniisan!” he said and clutched Zoro’s pant leg. “They want to send me back home!
Don’t let them!”

Zoro tilted his head at the sky with closed eyes. Why is this happening to me? He asked himself.
Instead of answering, Zoro ignored the little boy at his feet.

“Oniisan! Help me! I don’t want to leave!” Sanji continued crying, even as Usopp had come up
behind him and wrapped his arms around his middle, pulling him away. Sanji’s fists tightened their
grip and refused to let go. “NO! PLEASE! DON’T LET THEM SEND ME BACK!”

Zoro began to shake. His good eye opened and he stared into the sun trying to blind himself.
Anything was better than what was happening at his feet. He willed his arms to cross so they didn’t
dare have the urge to reach out for the little boy that he had grown so attached to. The light breeze
caressed his face as he closed his eye again. Little red and orange dots appeared behind his eyelids.

Usopp was really yanking on the kid, now. His body was bent in half as he put all his weight into
pulling backward. His brow creased and jaw clenched tight. Though he was determined to get Sanji
back into the med bay and figure out what happened, tears fell down his face hearing Sanji plead
for his life.

“LEG GO OF ME!” Sanji cried desperately. With every word, he sobbed even harder. “PLEASE
DON’T MAKE ME GO BACK! WHY ARE YOU SENDING ME AWAY?”

By now, the other crew members were audibly crying, too. Robin had met with Quillard in the
doorway to ask him what was wrong. He had told her he didn’t know, it was supposed to work.
Robin turned to the crew with confusion, ignoring the tears falling down her face as Sanji wailed,
and said, “It’s been fourteen days, right?”

There were nods and Brook was seen counting on his boney fingers. Nami spoke up, “Yes, today is
the last day, I marked it on my calendar!”

Robin winced when she turned back around to face Quillard after hearing Sanji say he would rather
die than go back to his family. Her lip quivered and she had to take a deep breath to steady herself.
“You said two weeks, the given time is up. Why isn’t it working?”

“I don’t know, I don’t normally send people back to their right age! I’ve only done it a few times!”
Quillard said, clearly worried he was going to die soon if he didn’t figure it out. Thinking of the
only thing that had come to mind, and maybe buy him time to live, he said, “Uhm, maybe it had to
be exactly two weeks?”

Robin narrowed her eyes after sniffling. “What do you mean?”

“Like, like uh,” Quillard looked around but found that it was a mistake. He connected eyes with the
swordsman, his glare stabbing him in his heart and twisting it. The frilly man clutched his chest as
if he truly did have a wound. “I mean wh-what time was it when I used my power on him?” he
asked, returning his attention to Robin.

“ONIISAN! ZORO! DON’T YOU WANT ME?”

Robin could hardly hold her own sobs back as she went to Nami’s side. The two of them huddled
close together as the brunette explained what Quillard had suggested and then they tried figuring
out the time of day it was. Nami had done crazy fast calculations in her head by remembering the
time of year it was and where the sun hovered behind those rainy clouds and as she cried, she came
to the conclusion that it might work in about an hour and a half from now. Robin nodded and
walked past Sanji, Usopp, Zoro, and Luffy to make her way to Quillard. She didn’t want to leak the
information of the power to Sanji in case it affected him in any way, even though so much had
already been said in front of him.

Quillard nodded at Robin when she told him to try again later and was pushed aside by Chopper
who ran across the grass towards Sanji with a syringe in his hooves.

“DON’T SEND ME BACK! I DON’T WANT TO LEAVE! PLEASE DON’T SEND ME BACK
TO THEM! PLEASE!” Sanji cried.

Luffy had turned his back towards the boy, unable to look at the tears flowing down his face and
snot falling into his mouth. Sanji’s face was beyond scared, beyond hurt. Luffy knew Zoro was
having an even more difficult time to stay still. He had his hand wrapped in a death grip around
Zoro’s bicep to keep him strong and hold his ground. The Straw Hat Captain could feel the man
shaking under his hold. Usopp could barely pull the boy away as his strength was sapped from his
heavy sobs.

Chopper approached and stuck the syringe into Sanji’s arm, pushing the butt-end all the way in.
The blonde let Zoro go and clutched his arm as he pulled away from the needle. “What did you
do?”

“Sanji, it’s okay! We’re going to sedate you so we ca-”

“NO!” he screamed. “Why do you want to send me away?! I thought we were friends!” Sanji’s
eyelids had a hard time opening the next time he blinked. His head lolled backward as he looked up
at Zoro, who still avoided eye contact. “You’re my big brother...and you...want to send me away?”

Usopp had sat back on his butt to watch Sanji’s body sway while the sedative worked through his
system. When Sanji began to fall backward, Usopp was there to catch him. “How...could
you...abandon me so easily?” was the last thing Sanji managed to murmur before he fell
unconscious.

Once Usopp, Chopper, and Quillard disappeared into the infirmary once again, Zoro ran to the
edge of the boat and hurled his breakfast over the railing, his side feeling like it was splitting in
two as his retching tested the limits of his stitches. The entire time Sanji pleaded for him, he felt
weaker as nausea crept into his belly. He felt sick when he thought about Sanji returning to his
abusive family. He held out for as long as possible and was thankful Sanji was carried away when
he was because he couldn’t hold back the heave that turned his stomach any longer.

Zoro made a mistake. He had let himself look down at Sanji. It was for less than a second - one
measly second - but it was enough to last him a lifetime. Sanji’s face was contorted with torment
and that image will forever be burned into Zoro’s mind, haunting him long after Sanji was back to
his adult self.
 The Past is Present
Chapter Notes

Hokay, a quick lil blurb before you get started?

I'd like to point out that this fic was marked as a ZoSan from the very beginning, so I
hope no one is disappointed when they see where this story is beginning to turn.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Sanji: Age 7, Germa Kingdom

Sanji came to, his cheek pressed against the cold flooring. The familiar smell told him he was back
in his dreadful bedroom where he disappeared from two weeks ago. At the thought of no longer
being with the Straw Hat Pirates, his lip began to quiver and eventually, tears flooded down his
face. Sanji cried so hard he had no strength to sit himself up, even when his wailing got the
attention of his sister and she burst through his bedroom door.

“Sanji?!” Reiju yelled in surprise to see her brother after so long. “Wha- where have you been?!”
The little pink-haired girl came up next to Sanji. Her blonde brother was slamming his head into
the ground over and over, screaming in agony. “We thought you died!”

“More like ‘we wished you died!’” Yonji said, coming through the door, Ichiji and Niji hot on his
heels. The three boys were also alerted of their stupid brother’s return when they heard his crying
in the castle once again. They wasted no time to race towards him only to continue their tormenting
just as they had been the day he left.

Crowding around the blonde, the boys started poking and prodding his sides, asking where he was
and why he even bothered coming back. Sanji slowly stood to face his horrible family.
Contemplating his answer, Sanji knew he should lie. He should lie to them because it was easier
and more believable. If Sanji said he magically was transferred to a pirate ship in the middle of the
sea somewhere else in the world where he was able to make new friends and experience new
things, his brothers would never let it go and think he was downright crazy.

The thought of lying seemed wrong, though. If he lied, it was almost as if he was denying it ever
happened. It was the best thing that had ever happened to him, besides his mom’s love, and the boy
refused to deny those two weeks no matter how much hell he was put through. He’d never deny
Zoro’s existence.

“I was gone,” Sanji said with a sneer, smacking the invasive hands away from him. “I made friends
with pirates.”

The other boys burst into laughter hearing such a preposterous thing. Even Reiju couldn’t hold
back a snicker. The name-calling and jokes started up and Sanji shrank into himself, the harsh
reality falling over him that he was no longer in a safe place.

The first few punches to his gut weren’t as painful as he remembered, but as his three brothers
continued to kick him when he dropped to the ground clutching his stomach, he tried to remember
how amazing it felt to have strong, warm arms wrapped around him in a loving hug.

___

As the days dragged on, Sanji’s brothers didn’t let up on their teasing. They asked for more details
about his ‘vacation’ and when Sanji said something new, like one of the crew members being a
walking, talking skeleton, the boys roared with laughter again.

“Really! He sang and played so many instruments! He wore a suit and a top hat!”

“God, you’re so stupid, Sanji!” Ichiji said and yanked on the blonde’s hair causing his brother to
scream and clutch his head.

“Your stories are soooooo lame! Can’t you think of anything better?” Yonji laughed.

“You don’t have to lie. You can tell us you went into the garden again,” Niji said and pushed Sanji
down.

Sanji fell back onto his bottom and sat there looking up at his family. “I’m not lying!” he shouted
at them, angry they’d think he’d make Zoro and the rest of the pirates up. “I made lots of friends
and they treated me like their own!”

The blue-haired brother knelt to Sanji’s level and leaned in close. “Oh? If they liked you so much,
why did you come back?”

“We don’t want you! You should have stayed if they were so nice!” Yonji said.

Niji stood and moved to the side allowing Ichiji to tower over Sanji. “You sound pathetic.” A fist
connected with Sanji’s face.

___

“And then I was chased all over the ship! If I slowed down for even a second, the captain would
catch me and tickle me sooooo much I could hardly breathe!” Sanji explained, his eyes wide with
happiness. “You believe me, don’t you?” he said and pet the small chipmunk who listened to his
endless adventures on the Sunny.

The little critter had come up to Sanji while he was on his way to the garden. His brothers were
being especially horrid today so he needed to escape before they did something extra bad. The
young chef had made a small thermos of chicken noodle soup and was going to share it with the
toads that liked to roam around the veggies so he invited Mr. Chipmunk to join them.

“C’mon, we better get going. Don’t want to keep the others waiting, do we?” Sanji said with a
bright smile. He beckoned with his hand for the critter to follow him before turning to walk down
the beaten path.

When Sanji faced forward, he ran into Ichiji. “Thought you could run away, huh?” he said and
pushed Sanji back a foot. “I said I wasn’t done with you but you still ran.”
“You know you can’t hide from us!” Yonji sneered.

Niji looked over his brother’s shoulders. “We’ll be quick about it.”

“Leave me alone!” Sanji shouted and Ichiji pushed him back again. The blonde made the mistake
of looking behind him to be sure he didn’t step on the chipmunk. Yonji followed his gaze and
frowned.

“Oh my god, are you seriously talking to animals again? You’re such a loser!”

“What does it matter if I am,” Sanji mumbled and fiddled with the thermos full of soup. They’re
the only friends I have.

The three boys laughed at their oddball brother. “It’s so pathetic!” Niji managed to say between fits
of laughter.

“It’s annoying, is what it is,” Yonji said and pushed Sanji aside. When the blonde shouted his
protests, the other two held him back. Yonji looked down at the chipmunk, which was cowering in
its place, unsure of what to do. As quick as lighting, before the critter could decide to run or not,
Yonji stomped on it. There was a small crunch as the bones shattered under the boot.

Sanji stopped resisting against his brothers and could only stare blankly at the bloody remains that
Yonji wiped into the grass. Ichiji and Niji released him, shoving him around until that was boring
again, then all three left. Sanji still couldn’t tear his eyes away from the little chipmunk, eventually
dropping to his knees as they gave out, unable to hold him up any longer.

Instead of visiting the toads in the garden, Sanji lay down on the path and cried until it was dark
out, and even then he didn’t move.

___

“I’m not making it up! It really happened!” Sanji pleaded. It had been months since he was on that
pirate ship. Their mom passed away a few weeks ago and it made life harder to deal with for Sanji.
He only had one person left that even remotely liked him and even then Reiju had slowly stopped
sticking up for him. She said he was bringing it upon himself for making those weird stories up.

The three troublesome brothers brought up the pirate ship event every second they could, taunting
Sanji to fight back and get defensive so they could make fun of him and eventually beat him up for
being so stupid.

Reiju pleaded for Sanji to stop saying those things, to stop defending the idea of him meeting
pirates and sailing the open sea. She said it would be easier for him! But Sanji refused. He didn’t
want to let that memory go, even after so long. As the months went by and Sanji still insisted on his
story, Reiju basically gave up and turned away when her three aggressive brothers stomped on
Sanji’s face for being a liar.

“You’re crazy!” his brothers would say, and at this point, Sanji was starting to believe them. He
had checked over his body to see if any marks would prove he was there, but they took such good
care of him! His body was clean of wounds! At least, it was until he came back to his wretched
family again. Now his body was once again littered in bruises and cuts.
After four months of Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji telling Sanji he was batshit insane, they complained to
their father that their brother was losing his mind.

“And he keeps saying there was a deer or something that could talk and walk on its hind legs! I’ve
never heard of that!”

“Even with the family’s super-science, I don’t even think that could happen! He’s such a liar!”

“Make him stop lying to us, father! I hate him!”

It was then that Judge sent the final word of putting a caged helmet to cover Sanji’s head and lock
him away in their dungeon. It was safer to have him separated away from his kids - his good kids -
the ones he wanted. He, too, thought his blonde son had died and was a bit disappointed when he
learned the damn kid had come back.

Even in the depths of the castle, all alone in the dark, Sanji refused to let the memory of Zoro leave
his mind. It happened! It was real! I know it was! He thought to himself over and over. The only
thing that didn’t feel real was the fact that they sent him away. Why did they have to do that? They
liked me, didn’t they? Oniisan really liked me, I know he did. I was a good little brother, wasn’t I?
What did I do wrong? I thought we had fun together.

I miss him.

___

Sanji: Age 9, Passenger Ship Orbit

The kitchen was busy as the chefs around Sanji cooked their asses off to keep up with the dinner
crowd on the cruise ship. Sanji peeled potatoes as fast as he could, nicking his fingers once in a
while. The kitchen was small and boiling but the job still needed to be done. To ease his bottom
from getting numb sitting on a turned over metal wash bin, Sanji had to sway side to side the entire
time.

Waiters and waitresses ran in and out of the kitchen to grab the hot food and serve it to the
customers that could be heard murmuring beyond the swinging doors. Sanji watched them balance
plates with care until they left where he could no longer see them.

He longed to help cook those meals. He’d been on this ship for a few months and they still
wouldn’t let him cook anything! It wasn’t fair! The boy felt he had gotten pretty good at cooking
and tried to prove himself more than once but when he was caught in front of a stove, the head chef
knocked him over the noggin with a wooden spoon and told him to get back on spud duty or to bus
more tables.

The ship Sanji was on before this one let him do lots of cooking! He had begged to be part of the
kitchen crew. It was the same boat he’d climbed aboard after his sister helped him escape a few
years ago. That ship was his first new home. His heart ached to remember how pirates took it over
and he only just barely managed to sneak overboard before he, too, died at their hands.

It was so scary! The pirates he met when he was younger were nothing like that. They were so
caring and fun and nice and - and - and mean! They sent him back to his horrible family, is what
they did!
Sanji knew he couldn’t keep that mindset, they must have had a reason. There was no way those
nice pirates he stayed with sent him back to be mean. There was just no way! He specifically
remembered the warm and loving hugs he’d get from everyone any time he wanted! And every
night he was allowed to sleep with his favorite person ever! No, no way they sent me away to be
mean…

Those weird things they were saying before they forced him back to his home still stuck with him.
They had said something about returning to his adult self? Called him ‘big Sanji’ and said they
were going to miss him, but also see him again soon? It was so strange that he couldn’t get those
sentences out of his head.

But that was years ago. They probably forgot about him. He was just a stupid little kid and they
were done with him so they sent him away, sent him back to his family. Luckily, he didn’t have to
stay there much longer and he was able to start his life as a young chef!

“Oi! Watch what you’re doing, idiot!” one of the cooks yelled and bonked Sanji on the head.

Sanji shook the memories from his mind and saw that the bucket of potatoes in front of him was
overflowing. A few had tumbled out and rolled in various directions of the kitchen. Sanji looked
around and saw a waiter had slipped on one and fell right onto his back. The boy made a scared
face and apologized.

“Don’t waste food! We’re seafaring cooks! You never know what may happen out here. Now pick
those potatoes up and rinse them off!”

As he stood to bring the potatoes to the sink, Sanji thought about Zoro and how he had forced him
to eat all his food, to never waste a single crumb.

___

Sanji: Age 10, Somewhere in the East Blue

Sitting atop a barren rock with another pirate, Sanji looked out into the vast, open sea. It had been
weeks since they washed ashore here and he was starving. The sharp rock had no vegetation on it
and only a few shallow puddles that held little seawater in them. The pirate he was stuck here with
had given him a small bag of food and he was supposed to make it last until they were rescued. But
when would that be?

He needed to survive so one day he could find the All Blue, a magical place he learned of a few
months ago, and to meet back up with a certain group of pirates. He couldn’t remember their crew
name, it was too long ago.

Luffy was the captain, he could remember that. He was such a weird person. His body could
stretch and no matter how many times Nami hit him over the head, it didn’t seem to hurt him. His
laugh was distinctive. Contagious, even. When you heard Luffy laugh or saw him smile, you
wanted to join him.

There was a skeleton, too. And a big robot man! Sanji thought to himself. He smiled as he pushed a
small pebble around in a puddle. A little deer that had a medical license, too. He was really nice.
Sanji lined up rocks in a small arc around him as he sat on his bottom with his knees brought to his
chest. The biggest rock was supposed to be Franky. The two smallest rocks represented him and
Chopper. He scooted those rocks close to one that he scratched three lines into. That one was Zoro.

Zoro. My favorite one. Would he remember me if we ever met again? Would he even care to see me
after sending me away?

___

Two and a half months passed and Sanji and the other man, Zeff he learned his name to be, were
still abandoned on the rock. Sanji had grown so weak. His body barely able to hold himself up
anymore, he laid over the pointy ground and was sure to keep his eyes focused on the water. He
had to be at the ready if even a speck appeared on the horizon.

The sun beat down on the boy, drying his skin out more than the salty sea ever could. The once
pale skin was now reddened and sizzled under the harsh rays of heat. Sanji didn’t care anymore.
As long as he survived, he didn’t care if his skin burned clean off. He had to find the All Blue and
meet those pirates again. Even if his skin melted away and his bones became visible, he’d have to
hold on just a little longer...

The All Blue... such a cool place, Sanji day-dreamed. What if you made a restaurant right on the
All Blue and served all those different types of fish to customers? I bet Luffy would like that. He
loves any food.

Would Zoro like it? Does he like all kinds of fish? Sanji made sure to remember to ask the
swordsman if they ever crossed paths again.

___

Sanji: Age 17, The Baratie

Leaning against the railing on the top deck, Sanji watched the morning sun begin to rise. The
breeze was cool against his face as he sucked on his cigarette and blew smoke into the air only for
it to smack back against him in the wind.

Sanji looked forward to his time alone on the deck before the shift started in the bustling restaurant
below. It gave him time to think about his life and how it had all turned out. Each day he silently
thanked his adoptive father for taking him in instead of letting him fend for himself that day they
were saved.

He still remembers the way Zeff looked at him when he began to walk away. The rough, starving
pirate who looked like he could snap in half if someone looked at him wrong had turned on his
new pegleg, something the ship that saved them gifted him after properly treating it, and smiled.
Sanji cried as he ran into the man’s arms and the rest was history.
The Baratie was everything he could have ever wanted. He had long forgotten of the All Blue and
instead focused his life around becoming the head chef, even if the current one had no intention of
retiring any time soon. It didn’t matter to Sanji. It was his goal to take this restaurant over and
make it his own. He was proud of the man he had become, the man Zeff raised him to be.

A cawing noise sounded above him. It was a bird bringing the morning paper. When it landed next
to Sanji, the man took one of the copies and fished in his pocket for a few coins in return. The bird
cooed in satisfaction as Sanji gave a few good strokes to its back before it spread its wings,
flapping them harshly to take off.

Sanji gave another hard pull on his cigarette before untying the rubber band from around the paper.
When he opened it up, the few Wanted posters slipped to the floorboards as they came loose from
the middle of the folds. When they dropped, they revealed a name in the paper that Sanji had
eventually believed he made up. He hadn’t heard this name in years . Ten years, actually.

“Holy goddamn shit,” he muttered, his cigarette bouncing on his lips and eventually falling to the
deck below. Sanji couldn’t read the article fast enough as he could barely believe his eyes.

Man Takes Law Into His Own Hands! Roronoa Zoro and His Rising Fame!

There is a new unofficial sheriff in town! As the age of pirates continues to grow, the crime rate
rises just as high! One man from East Blue has decided to step up and take matters in his own
hands - or swords, we should say!

Roronoa Zoro, or as we deemed him: The Pirate Hunter, has been turning pirates in left and right,
cleaning various towns up of their heinous antics! The Marines can’t thank him enough and are
glad that someone has the gull to stand up to those nasty brutes! We tried interviewing The Pirate
Hunter himself but he threatened to take our heads off! We were sure it was a joke, but on the off
chance it was not, we didn’t press our luck.

The only thing we managed to find out about Roronoa is that he wields three swords, the strange
sword style called Santoryu, and is only seventeen-years-old! The rest is still unknown but we
applaud him none-the-less!

We’re cheering for you, Roronoa Zoro! Keep taking down those pirates and making this world that
much safer! We can’t wait to see how many pirates you bring down!

Sanji finished reading and returned to the picture of Zoro at the top of the page. It was a bad shot.
It must have been taken while Zoro was moving. The image wasn’t in color and the quality was
grainy. Sanji thought they must have taken the picture from afar and zoomed in on his face to get
the best shot.

Even though it was only the side of his face, it was still Zoro. Sanji would recognize him
anywhere. The man was frozen in time in the picture, his mouth turned into a sneer towards
something the camera didn’t show. Sanji laughed to himself as he thought how lucky the paper had
been to catch Zoro’s good side, as the other would have the swordsman’s permanently closed eye.
He looked slimmer in the picture, too, and Sanji wondered if Zoro dropped some weight?

Hold on, the paper said he was seventeen? How is that possible? I’m seventeen.
___

Sanji: Age 19, The Baratie

It was a beautiful day out on the East Blue sea and the Baratie was so goddamn busy since all the
pussy wait-staff jumped ship yesterday. The chefs had taken turns going out and bussing tables,
refilling drinks, and taking orders. Sanji had been out on the floor a lot longer than he normally
liked to be, but what else could he do?

The ship shook as a loud crash sounded above. The customers gasped with fear, voicing their
opinion of what the noise could have been, some even asking what was going on as Sanji passed
by their table. Knowing the sound came from somewhere around the living quarters, Sanji
shrugged and continued pouring wine for a beautiful woman.

The woman was on a date with a shit marine and he was trying way too hard to impress her. It was
embarrassing, but whatever. He smiled at the woman some more but when the marine got an
attitude and insulted his chef’s food, well, he couldn’t idly stand by any longer. He had a
reputation to keep.

After giving the marine a good beat down, he was about to give him the finishing blow when his
head chef and an unknown boy fell from the ceiling and into the restaurant.

“Oi! Stop attacking the customers!” Zeff shouted at him when he got to his feet and hit him over
the head with his wooden leg.

Sanji yelled back and the two fought while everyone stared. Then Zeff turned around and kicked
the marine clean into next week telling him to leave the building because he sucked as a customer.
As the marine licked his wounds and shook his fist at them, Sanji heard laughing next to him.

“Shishishi, this is a madhouse!” the boy said. That laugh... Sanji cocked his head as he looked at
the guy thinking he looked vaguely familiar. Especially that straw hat…. could that be…?

A gunshot had gone off tearing Sanji’s attention away. There was a pirate at the door and he was
asking for food. When Patty refused to feed him and threw him out onto the open deck, Sanji did
what he knew he had to do: feed him anyway.

Following the pirate named Gin, he set a plate down for him to eat. Gin greedily took the plate and
shoveled the food in his mouth as he cried tears of joy. Sanji smiled around his cigarette as the
pirate thanked him over and over.

“I found my cook!” a voice above him had said. Sanji looked up to see that straw-hatted boy again.
His smile was wide and kind. It looked just like Luffy but the kid looked young as if he hadn’t seen
anything in the world beyond his own backyard. The captain he knew had history behind his eyes
and his face wasn’t as rounded as this guy’s was. The boy talked to Gin while Sanji continued to
contemplate if that really was Luffy or not.

“And who are you?” Sanji interrupted, his curiosity getting the better of him. The boy jumped over
the railing and stood in front of Sanji looking down at him with a grin wider than seemed possible.
He puffed his chest and the chef couldn’t help but notice there wasn’t a hint of a pink scar peeking
over the top of his red vest. Can’t be him. I remember Luffy having a thick X marking his chest.

“Name’s Monkey D. Luffy! I’m going to be King of the Pirates!” Sanji’s jaw dropped to the floor.
“Join my crew!”

___

Sanji looked into the restaurant from inside the kitchen. Peering through the round window in the
swinging doors, he looked at the table that sat three very familiar pirates. How is that them? Sanji
thought as he squinted his eyes. When his gaze fell upon seafoam green hair, his heart hammered in
his chest.

After all these years, Roronoa Zoro was right there in the restaurant he worked at. His idol, the
man he looked up to since he was seven-years-old. The coolest guy he knew was less than fifty
feet away. Sanji took a deep breath to ease his nerves and shoved his shaking hands into his
pockets.

Zoro laughed while talking to Usopp and Nami, Luffy just now approaching and joining their
conversation. Why do they look so...young? Sanji asked himself. It's been twelve years since the
last time he saw these pirates and yet it was so wrong. Luffy didn’t bear an X-shaped scar on his
chest, Zoro had both eyes open, Nami’s bust was tiny, and Usopp was so gangly! What the hell is
going on?! Where are the rest of them? Chopper, Franky…?

Trying to remain calm, Sanji entered the seating area and did what he would do when he saw any
other beautiful woman gracing his presence.

“HELLO, MY DEAR DARLING! SUCH BEAUTY YOU GRACE US WITH!” He cooed and
twirled his way towards the red-head named Nami. As he was struck smitten with hearts in his
eyes, he introduced himself to see what she thought at the mention of his name. When she gave no
recognition, he looked to the other three and saw they, too, didn’t seem to remember him. Usopp
politely introduced himself, Luffy picked his nose, and Zoro...Zoro didn’t even look his way.

Wow. That...hurt more than I thought it would, Sanji said in his head. A dull ache in his chest grew
but he pushed it down while he feigned ignorance of previously knowing the Straw Hat Pirates.

___

The days passed and Sanji still couldn’t seem to wrap his head around the idea that these were
actually the Straw Hat Pirates. Randomly asking questions to get more information, he was
surprised to learn that Chopper, Robin, Franky, and Brook hadn’t joined their crew yet, it was only
these four. He also saw their ship was smaller.

At night, Sanji spent hours trying to remember what Usopp had said before he reappeared in his
bedroom in the Germa Kingdom. He said something along the lines of, “We get to see big Sanji
now!” and Zoro had said he would see me soon, too. What did that mean? Who was ‘big Sanji’
and why did they say that more than once? And Chopper had tried to hide it from me, I remember!
He said he didn’t want to...he didn’t want to what? Meddle with something…
That day a giant pirate ship had docked and it was Gin who brought it there. The captain of the
ship, Don Krieg, had declared war on The Baratie and demanded Zeff turn the ship over, but Luffy
was offended that the Don wanted to find the One Piece, so Luffy dueled him. Sanji had never
seen Luffy in action before and he was amazing. His determination ran deep through his veins and
fueled him to stand back up each time he was knocked down. It was admirable.

Not before a new pirate showed up. A small raft no larger than a rowboat had casually joined their
waters, it held a single man. Sanji heard his name only one time in his life before and only just now
remembered he existed when he saw Zoro tense up next to him, his tanned knuckles turned sheet-
white as they gripped the railing on the edge of the deck.

The swordsman jumped ship to stand on even ground with the Warlord named Dracule Mihawk.
Sanji’s heart began to race as he scrambled through his mind to remember how the Warlord and
Zoro were connected. It was as if it were right there and he could grab the memory but at the last
second, it moved just out of his reach, leaving him unable to connect the names.

Luffy stood next to him and watched on as Zoro battled Mihawk. The duel was easily one-sided
and Sanji wondered why the hell Zoro didn’t just give up! He was going to die! Sanji didn’t want
him to die before he even got to explain who he really was! Maybe if he told Zoro about the time
they shared twelve years ago, he would remember? And then Sanji could see him give that special
smile that he only shared with him. Maybe then he could reach out and touch those earrings that he
loved to hear chime together…

The small knife Mihawk had been using to defend himself was shoved into Zoro’s chest where his
heart sat. Sanji gripped the wooden railing and was going to rush to his side but Luffy didn’t make
a move to save him, so he stayed, too. He had to trust Luffy, he was Zoro’s captain after all.

Seeing Zoro get stabbed felt as if the pain had transferred right to Sanji’s gut. His stomach twisted
into knots as he watched Zoro get hurt. When Sanji thought it was finally done and the idiot would
retreat, he saw him hold his arms out to the sides and puff his chest out to Mihawk. Nervously,
Sanji looked to Luffy who also seemed confused at the strange display.

It was then that Dracule Mihawk yanked his enormous black blade off his back and arced it high
above him, only to slash it down across Zoro’s front, sending him flying into the ocean and
staining it red.

That was it. That was the memory Sanji had been reaching for. The memory was as clear as he was
seeing the events in front of him now.

“How did you get this scar, Zoro?” I asked, touching over the bumpy, ragged mark.

“Lost a duel.”

“Will you tell me about it?”

Zoro sighed into my ear. “Sure. If you promise to sleep!” I nodded my head against him as I
agreed to the promise. “I got this scar the day we met yo-” Zoro stopped for a moment, “The day
we met a certain chef.”

“A chef?! Was he any good?” I asked, completely unaware of the connection until now.

“The best,” Zoro said. “The day we met him, a Warlord visited. His name’s Dracule Mihawk, and
he currently holds the title of the World’s Greatest Swordsman. But I wanted that title. Still do. So
I challenged him, but I wasn’t strong enough. Compared to him, I was nothing. An ant to a god.
Mihawk swung his mighty sword down across my chest, slicing me wide open.” Zoro made a
diagonal motion across his front as I watched in awe.

Sanji blinked as the memory ended. Zoro told me that story when I was only seven, yet it only just
now happened, right here in front of me.

The chaos broke loose, then, and Sanji barely had time to think about the situation. Luffy had
launched himself over to fight Don Krieg and Sanji had to help defend The Baratie against the rest
of the pirates. When it was all over, Gin made everyone retreat, and Zoro was long gone, then
Sanji was again asked if he would join The Straw Hat Pirates by Luffy.

Of course he wanted to join up with them! He dreamed of it since he was a kid. But he also
dreamed of finding the All Blue since he was a kid, and he left that dream to die. He had to think of
his future! One day he was going to take over this restaurant to prove to Zeff that he could become
a great chef, that all his hard work into raising him wasn’t for nothing. He had to repay him for the
food...he’ll never be able to repay him for the food…

The Baratie chefs, including Zeff, had all but physically thrown him out just so he would go with
Luffy on his adventure to become The Pirate King. Since this crazy rubber kid was going to chase
his impractical dream, hell, then why shouldn’t he?

“I’ll join you.”

___

Sanji: Age 19, Whiskey Peak

Sanji held his head, sitting up on the top deck of the Going Merry. Nami had hit him and Usopp in
the noggin for asking too many questions. He was confused about why they left such a wonderful
town that greeted them like old friends! They had such a wonderful time, good food, music,
drinks... and the ladies! The ladies were to die for! Sanji knew that Nami had a good time, too, so
why were they aboard the ship and ready to set sail? Why are we leaving?

There was a slender woman, a stranger, sitting on the railings next to him. So aloof as she looked
down at the rest of the crew. Although, despite her casual demeanor, she oozed of a threat and it
caught Sanji off guard. He stumbled to his feet and grabbed the first thing next to him - a gun.

Pointing it straight at the woman’s face, Ms. All Sunday according to Ms. Wednesday, Sanji saw
how the device shook in his grip. I’ve never used a gun before and I’ve also never harmed a
woman before! He thought to himself. But she snuck up on me! That island of fun threw me off my
game!

“Oi, do you even know what you’re doing with that thing?” Usopp whispered over to him from the
opposite side of Ms. All Sunday. The sniper held the rubber band on his slingshot taught, waiting
for the signal to blast the woman in the face with whatever concoction he made up. Usopp held his
weapon with sureness, his hands steady enough to perform the most intricate of surgeries.
Not Sanji. His heart pounded against his chest and his breathing was ragged. There was no going
back after pointing a gun at someone’s face, but he didn’t want to hold it there anymore. He’d
rather perish than harm a lady.

And Zoro’s right there, too. How can I show weakness in front of someone so strong?

Hands popped up from the railing and pushed Sanji and Usopp over the edge, forcing them to crash
down to the main deck. Everyone was yelling about her having Devil Fruit powers but all Sanji
could think of was how it was a familiar feeling. Sprouting hands?

A laid back woman, dark skin, dark hair, magical powers that allowed limbs to grow in places they
shouldn’t? Doesn’t that sound like…?

“Oh my GOD, she’s BEAUTIFUL!” Sanji yelled at the top of his lungs. He had turned around to
see if it was Nico Robin and was blinded by her youthful glory. She’s just as gorgeous as the day I
met her!

Weeks had passed since Sanji had joined the crew, and with it, he was starting to come to some
conclusion of what the strange happenings around him meant. He wasn’t dumb, so he knew it
wasn’t just his imagination or that he had dreamt it all up. That would have been one helluva dream
if he did. Predicting the future? As if.

No, it was something else going on. Something Sanji had kept to himself despite how much he
wanted to ask the other Straw Hats about it. Over time, he’d been alone with each one of them and
asked different questions to try and further gauge what the fuck was happening.

Sanji learned that Luffy only started his voyage less than a month before he met Sanji himself.
Zoro was a bounty hunter and that’s why he saw him in the paper, and he really was only nineteen
- the same age as Sanji! Nami was eighteen which seemed wrong because when he was seven
years old...she was more mature! And her breasts... well they’re quite small right now, aren’t they?
Surely she wouldn’t get rid of them?

Sanji had learned to keep his mouth shut about what happened when he was a child. For now, he
would live his life like he normally would. Even if they didn’t remember him, he could make new
memories! Ones that would last a lifetime!

Shaking him from his thoughts, a crunch of glass to his right brought him back to the present.
Luffy had crushed an Eternal Pose in his hand and shouted that Robin didn’t decide where they
sailed. Sanji wanted to ask why he was so mad at her when she was only trying to help, but the
woman laughed and jumped ship onto her giant sea turtle... what the hell is going on? Where is she
going? Isn’t she a part of this crew, too?

They kept calling her Ms. All Sunday and not by her real name. The crew, including Ms.
Wednesday, don’t know her real name, apparently. I know it, but I don’t think I should say. Right
now, I don’t think it’s time to expose myself.

___
Sanji: Age 19, The Adventures of Water 7 and Enies Lobby

How could Usopp and Robin leave the crew? They were so happy when I first met them, so content
to live on the Sunny…

Speaking of, the poor Going Merry…

Sanji felt a tear roll down his cheek at the thought of Merry on her last limbs of timber. Usopp was
right to feel heartbroken over leaving her behind, but a broken ship won’t carry the rest of the
nakama to the ends of the world. We’d only be hurting her more if we continued our journey on her
back, we have to let her go.

It hurt to see such turmoil in the crew, especially when this rag-tag family was growing so
beautifully. Chopper and Robin were the newest additions and it felt so right to have them by their
sides.

When I was seven, two more people were in the crew. Well, are they even people? A walking,
talking skeleton and a robot man. If we’re not done growing, how could two of the current crew
leave now?

The newest problems for the Straw Hats had Sanji in a constant state of confusion. His time with
the Straw Hats - as a Straw Hat himself! - became months now and he couldn’t have been happier.
No matter what problem they faced, they beat it down in the ground and then some. Sanji was born
to be with this crew. This was his new life and his new family and he’d never let them go. Robin
and Usopp have no choice but to come back, and he’d make sure of it. He’d sacrifice his life for his
crew if he had to.

___

The giant sheet covering their new ship was pulled away and Sanji almost fell backward onto his
ass at the grand sight. There she was, The Thousand Sunny. It had been too long since the last time
Sanji had seen her and she was more beautiful than he remembered. The rest of the Straw Hats
were hooting and hollering, but Sanji was too busy reminiscing to jump up and down. A wave of
nostalgia washed over him, pulling him towards the ship.

When Franky finally accepted their invitation to join the crew, everyone raced to explore the ship.
It was fun to hear everyone so happy, he was experiencing their reactions first-hand. He had to
hide the fact that he knew where everything was already. All the rooms he’d run through with
Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp chasing after him, all the secret hiding places that Franky pointed out
that not even Usopp knew of, and all the places he spent sleeping curled up with Zoro.

Zoro, Sanji thought with a warm smile. Over to his right, said meat-head was running his hands
over the pristine white railing, a faint grin on his face. It wasn’t much, but Sanji knew Zoro quite
well, knew that small smile actually meant so much more.

“Like it, lil bro?” Franky asked him, pulling his attention from the swordsman.

“More than you could know,” Sanji said with a laugh at his inside joke. Now that they had a few
minutes to breathe, he looked Franky up and down before saying, “So you're a cyborg and not a
robot man?”

The other let out a loud laugh, clutching his belly. “Yup! Part human, part machine! It's suuuuper
cool because I get to make customizations or upgrades whenever I want.”

Without realizing what he was doing, Sanji had stepped forward and pressed on Franky's metal
nose.

“Uhm, lil bro? What are you doing?”

Sanji froze, his fingertip still against the metal. “Oh, I - I thought for some reason your hair would
change if I did that,” He said shyly and pulled his hand away with embarrassment.

The cyborg cupped his chin in thought. “Definitely doesn't do that but that's a damn good idea,” he
said and wandered off muttering to himself.

Pretending he didn’t already know the kitchen, Sanji explored the galley for the umpteenth-time.
Unable to help himself, he looked to the counter and saw there was a small carving missing in the
wood. A tingle ran up Sanji’s spine as he remembered how mad Zoro was at him for taking his
pocket knife. He couldn’t help let an amused chuckle escape his mouth thinking back on that day.

Absentmindedly thumbing the wood where the drawing of Santoryu should have been, Zoro
walked in.

“Whoa, this is huge,” he grumbled, looking around.

“Isn’t it?” Sanji asked excitedly, his smile wider than his face. “It will fit everyone perfectly.” I
know it will.

“You look happy about it.”

Sanji nodded his agreement. “I am.”

“Like when you talk about All Blue,” Zoro said with a soft smile. Sanji turned his head away to
hide his creeping blush. “And the kitchen looks like it’s big enough to fit your giant ego, too,”
Zoro chuckled, craning his neck over the bar only to turn with a mischievous grin at Sanji.
“Currrrly.”

“You motherfucker,” Sanji growled with no bite, but still arced his foot to slam it over Zoro’s fat
head, and when the other jerked out of the way to pull a sword out, Sanji could hear the faint chime
of the three golden earrings clinking together.

___

Sanji: Age 19, Thriller Bark

The sun was finally out again. It had only been a short time without it, but Sanji relished it. His
skin prickled as the rays warmed his fair skin. As he looked over to see his crewmates alive and
well, he couldn’t help but notice how the sun reflected off Zoro’s face, too. The swordsman didn’t
wear a smile, as if that was anything new, but he looked content. It was his little way of showing
his happiness. Sanji liked that look on him.
They all fought well to get their shadows back and as a result, the crew was exhausted. That didn’t
even cover how Luffy felt right now! The poor captain was passed out cold somewhere - but it
didn’t matter. Sanji smiled knowing their last crew member was safely with them. We made it.

After all these years, we made it. My nakama, my life...we’re all together again.

A shadow loomed above them. Nami was shaking. “I forgot to tell you guys! Another Warlord
showed up!”

Everyone whipped their heads up towards a castle wall and saw a monstrously large man, just as
intimidating as Moria. They had worked so hard together, Luffy had done so much for them, and
yet the fight still wasn’t over! It wasn’t fair! They only just now started to relax and then another
threat shows up to crush it! I won’t have this! I have to do something! Something to help my family!

But it was Zoro who stepped forward. The green-haired man shouted at everyone to get back
because the Warlord challenged him and no one else! “It would be humiliating if you butted in to
save me. I can do this on my own. If I die here, then I wasn’t worth much to begin with!”

And with that, the battle began. With every inch of Devil Fruit power that missed Zoro, Sanji felt
him suck in a breath through his teeth. Could Zoro still die? It’s not possible, right?

I saw him! He was older! They were all older! This can’t be where Zoro dies. It’s not adding up,
Sanji thought to himself. The longer he had spent with the Straw Hats, the more he realized what
happened when he was seven had to do with ‘time-traveling’ of some sort. Were Luffy and the rest
time travelers and Sanji got sucked up into their quest? If that was the case, wouldn’t they of
known him from the beginning, then?

Or do they know and they couldn’t say because that messes timelines up? That’s the same reason I
haven’t been saying anything to anyone about it, I don’t want to mess anything up. I’ve been trying
to live my life without bringing up those two weeks when I was a kid...are the rest of the crew doing
the same thing towards me? Do they remember me? What place in time does this moment right
here happen?

“Argh!”

Sanji was snapped from his thoughts to see Zoro clutching at his arm. While dodging the
Warlord’s attack, he fell straight into a sharp rock, it piercing through his skin. Since that day on
The Baratie until now, Sanji knows that’s not enough to kill Zoro. It will never be enough. He’s
indestructible. How could I ever doubt his strength?

Now Kuma, the Warlord, had taken Franky out, repelling him into a wall without even touching
him. Sanji could feel his body shaking because when he looks back at the fight, Zoro is out of
breath and looking more worn than not. As Zoro fights for their lives, Luffy is still knocked out
behind them.

How could they always do this, always rely on only Luffy? Aren’t we strong enough to take this
guy down, too? Sanji looked around hoping to miraculously find the answer written on a fallen
piece of paper, but there’s nothing. Just Zoro’s grunts, heavy footsteps, and the sound of steel
grating against each other.

Zoro is on all fours now, panting tirelessly. He’ll get back up, right? Keep fighting until Kuma is
defeated? This is the Moss we’re talking about, he’s stronger than this...right?

The Warlord towers over Zoro’s small body and waits only a moment before raising his hand to
use his repelling power on him. Zoro doesn’t seem to be able to move because the hand is pushing
down at an alarming speed! He won’t make it in time! Sanji screamed in his head.

The blonde intervened by kicking out his right leg, “Concasser!” he yelled as he slammed his foot
into Kuma’s face. When the side of Sanji’s shoe met flesh, vibration sent throughout his entire
body, shattering the bones in his foot. Crying out in pain, he is left to clutch at his leg, cradling it
for comfort. Zoro is more than pissed, screaming at him to stop butting in, but he can barely hear
any of it, the pain is too much. Is he made of fucking steel?! My concasser had no effect at all on
him!

Kuma asked for Luffy’s head in exchange for their lives. It was funny if he thought for even a
moment that anyone here would give in to that. Maybe some of the islanders, but never a Straw
Hat. Luffy is not just their captain, he’s not just the leader or the protector. Luffy is their family,
their nakama. And Sanji would be damned to ever let a shitty government dog take him away.

A pressurized explosion went off, big enough to topple most of Thriller Bark. Rubble was shattered
everywhere as Kuma let off a compressed bomb in hopes to kill everyone, and it almost did. Sanji
could hear the giant man stepping on the stones and rock as he walked forward. If only he had the
strength to stand up and continue the fight.

To everyone’s luck, Zoro did have more strength. Sanji could hear his swords swipe through more
steel and Kuma hesitating in his spot. Maybe he did it? Maybe Kuma is…?

“Are you a cyborg?!” he heard Zoro yell.

The two went back and forth of what Kuma is and how he was made and who he was made for but
it didn’t matter in the end because the giant still asked for Luffy’s head. Sanji may have heard
wrongly, but he could have sworn he heard the swordsman offer his own life in place... no, haha,
that’s impossible! Zoro can’t die. Zoro can’t die, I won’t let him. He’s the best friend I wished I
had growing up. My life would have been a hell of a lot more fun if I had a rival like him around.
I’ll die before I let him die!

“Idiot, what about your dream? To be the greatest swordsman in the world?! How can you do that
if you’re dead!”

“Stay out of this!” Zoro growled. He was sitting back on his heels, no doubt in a begging position
for Kuma. Sanji’s heart ached to see him stoop to such a level for his nakama.

“No! As if I’d let you die!” Sanji shouted over his shoulder as he passed the swordsman and put
himself between the two. “You,” he said, pointing a shaking finger at the Warlord. “Take my life. I
may not be worth something now, but believe me, I’ll be causing more trouble than anyone here!
You’ll be doing good to rid of me!”

It was easy to pledge his life over Zoro’s, over the rest of his crewmates. Who was Sanji Blackleg,
anyway? Who cared if he died. As long as Kuma thought he was worthy enough to take and to
leave the rest of the island alone, then hell, Sanji would give his life ten times over if he could. But
he only had one life.

It was a good one, honestly. Sanji pulled a cigarette out, lit it up, and took a deep drag from the end
blowing smoke up while Kuma thought his offer over. It was a good life. Short, but good. I was
able to escape my shit home, learn how to cook and prepare meals better than anyone else, I
gained a father that raised me to be who I am today, and...and I met these people. Funny, how I
finally was able to meet Brook again and now I have to die.
Dying is easy, though. And if it’s for them, Sanji inhaled the nicotine one last time before it was all
over, and if it’s for Zoro…

“Hey, Zoro. Give everyone my regards. Sorry that you’ll have to start looking for a new cook,”
Sanji blew the smoke out of his lungs.

The hilt of Wado was jammed into Sanji’s side and everything went black.

___

“Where’s the moss?!” Sanji shouted out to anyone who could hear him. “WHERE IS HE?!” he
repeated, craning his neck this way and that to spot a flash of green hair. The sound of his voice
was being drowned out by everyone celebrating that they were alive still and the second Warlord
of the day was defeated.

The blonde ran around the area and overturned boulders and stone walls looking for Zoro. He has
to be around here somewhere! Or did Kuma kill him to take back to the government?!

Widening his search, Sanji finally saw him. The swordsman was standing alone in a clearing in the
forest, his back to him. Thank god he’s alive! Sanji thought and jogged over to see him. I was so
afraid that he died.

“Holy shit! What’s with all the blood?! Are you even alive?!” Sanji shrieked. Approaching, Sanji
saw Zoro was covered from head to toe in blood and he wasn’t sure whose it was, but he had to
guess at least some of it had to be Zoro’s because the man teetered back and forth trying to hold
himself up. “What - what happened here?!”

Zoro’s body trembled and he looked as if he was on the brink of death. Sanji felt tears welling up
in the corners of his eyes when the swordsman brushed him off. “Nothing at all,” he muttered and
collapsed, the blonde quick to catch him in his arms.

“No, no, no, no, no!” Sanji repeated over and over and pressed two fingers to Zoro’s throat to feel
for a heartbeat. It was impossible to search for it when Sanji’s heartbeat and shaking had become
so violent he could hardly support Zoro’s weight. “No, please don’t leave me,” he whispered,
picking Zoro up and hurrying him to Chopper.

___

The swordsman lay on a bedroll trying to recover while everyone partied around him. Sanji did his
best to ignore the anxiety in his chest by cooking anything and everything in front of him. When
the food got low, he was quick to cook up some more. It was a task that he could do in his sleep,
the best thing he could do to keep himself busy. Zoro hadn’t moved by himself at all since he
passed out.

It took all of Sanji’s remaining strength to make it back to everyone with Zoro over his back. He
was so tired and his muscles were beyond sore, not to mention mentally and physically hurt
because of the marimo’s dumb ass. How dare he put his life on the line when he had so much to
live for.

Ptsh. Me? A lousy cook who only survived his homelife because his sister took pity on him. What a
joke. Even after that, I almost caused someone to starve to death...if I hadn’t been there, he
wouldn’t have had to eat his own flesh…

The sound of the piano began playing again as Brook was happy to hear Luffy accepted him as
their nakama. Even the self-hatred Sanji was feeling right now couldn’t stop his smile as he
watched Brook, Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy being dorks together. Though Zoro is still suffering, it
all turned out alright.

When Sanji pulled aside the two pirates that said they saw what happened after he passed out and
they told him how Zoro took on all of Luffy’s pain, fully accepting death to protect everyone, Sanji
had to hold himself together as tightly as possible. He wanted to gag at the thought of seeing Zoro
being tortured within an inch of his life. The swordsman was so strong - Sanji would never have
survived that. He really did save his life again.

Just another thing to be grateful for.

The chef strolled over to the moss-head after he saw Nami leave his side. After plopping down
next to him, he struck a match against the bottom of his shoe and lit the end of a cigarette. He
silently sat there for a few puffs, then turned to look down on Zoro’s peaceful face, a sight people
rarely were able to see.

Sanji smiled and blew a plume of smoke down at the swordsman to see if it would wake him, but
the man didn’t so much as crinkle his nose at the smell. “Really knocked out, huh?” Sanji said,
talking to Zoro. “Well don’t make it too long. Gotta help me keep that captain safe.”

As Sanji continued to aimlessly talk to his best friend, he had smoked through three or four
cigarettes to ease the stress from the day. Deciding it was getting sort of weird to sit next to Zoro
for so long, he thought he should head over to the ladies and see if they needed anything from him.
Looking around to see if any of his crew’s eyes were on him, Sanji squeezed his hand over Zoro’s.
“Get better.”

Just as Sanji was about to sit up, calloused fingers slowly curled around his.

___

Sanji: Age 21, Reunited at Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 41

Today marked the day Luffy told everyone to meet back up. Two long years have gone by and
Sanji was sure he was bursting at the seams with excitement to see everyone again.

As he walked around the island and grabbed a bite to eat, he spotted a man freaking out over a
missing person.

“He was just right here! Hey, sir, did you see a man with green hair and swords around?!” the
fisherman asked Sanji frantically.
“Three swords?” the man nodded. “Did he look like this?” Sanji asked again and pulled Zoro’s
wanted poster from his pocket. No idea why I’m still carrying this damn thing around!

The fisherman pointed to the left side of Zoro’s face and said, “Yeah, that looks just like him but
he’s missing an eye!”

“Missing an eye, huh?” Sanji said with a smile, chewing on the cake pop he bought. The time has
finally come! The Zoro I remember had a scar across his face.

As if being summoned, a galleon ship just off the coast burst through the water, already split in
half. The pirates aboard were moaning and screaming that Roronoa Zoro ruined their journey into
the New World but Sanji could hear Zoro plain as day saying they kidnapped him.

In a flash, the green-haired pirate jumped ship and swam to shore, climbing up the rocky island
until he arrived next to the fisherman and the cook.

Holy shit, Sanji thought as his blue eye scanned the swordsman up and down. The cake pop fell to
the ground as his grip loosened around the stick, landing next to a polished shoe.

There Zoro was, just as he truly remembered him when he was a child. Threateningly large
muscles and a scowl deeper than the new scar across his left eye. A little taller, a shit ton wider,
and hella grumpier. That’s the Zoro he remembered!

But what he didn’t remember was how absolutely hot he had become. Sanji forcefully closed his
mouth when he realized his jaw had basically hit the ground. Zoro is hot.

“The hell you lookin at, Curly?” Zoro grumbled, shaking the water from him like a dog and then
running his fingers through his wet hair. Sanji could have sworn it all happened in slow motion,
locking him in a daze, but the chime of three earrings knocking together broke him from his trance.

The blonde wanted to touch those earrings. He brought his hand up to do so only to stop halfway,
forgetting that Zoro didn’t go through a two-year sensitivity training session - only he did. Instead,
Sanji pointed a finger at the eye that was glued shut. “What happened here?”

Reciprocating the action, Zoro pointed to Sanji’s fuzzy chin, “What happened here... Number
Seven.”

___

To say that everyone was happy to see each other again was an understatement. The stories went
on and on as each Straw Hat wanted to tell everyone what they had been doing for the last two
years. As they descended the ocean on their way to Fishman Island, the pirates gathered in the
galley at the table as Sanji prepared everyone’s favorite dishes.

Sanji’s time away from his nakama was hard on him, as he was sure it was hard on everyone else,
but just one look around the table told him it was well worth it. Everyone had grown so much,
learned new things about themselves. It gave Sanji a sense of pride in the crew he was a part of.

It was also eerie to see everyone the real way he remembered them. Robin’s and Nami’s hair had
grown so much longer, it accentuated their true beauty! Nami had matured and Robin was more
talkative than what she used to be. Franky was huge! Over time, Sanji had figured he only
remembered the cyborg being so large because he was just a kid, that there was no way such a
huge person could fit on the Sunny! Here he was though, fitting just fine! It was like he memorized
Sunny’s measurements and constructed himself to fit her perfectly. He is the best shipwright there
is, you know.

Then there was Brook who seemed even cooler, and not in the way when the fame goes to your
head, not at all. Fame looked good on Brook, and as a kid, Sanji never knew that’s why the
skeleton was so awesome - because he was a famous rock star! And Chopper and Usopp, grown up
all strong and big. Sanji felt that swell in his chest again as he thought of those two like his little
brothers that he always had to protect. Looks like I won’t need to protect them as closely anymore!

The worst one to notice was Luffy. His cheesy, toothy grin was as wide as the room itself but
behind those big, brown eyes was an ocean full of pain. Sanji thought back to the first day he met
him and remembered the difference in his face. Not only was it more rounded, but there wasn’t
anything behind his eyes besides purity. Currently, his captain was smacking his sandals together
and laughing as snot bubbled from his nose, and to anyone besides a Straw Hat, they’d think that
idiot rubber kid didn’t have a care in the world - and maybe he didn’t. But now...now there was an
aura to him; strong, intimidating, heavy. As if you looked too long and you’d become crushed
under his gaze. Luffy had not only grown stronger physically but mentally as well, all from the
worst possible reason. Death.

That left one last person at the table, the one person Sanji couldn’t stop thinking about each and
every agonizing day on that damned island with Ivankov. Where is Zoro? What is Zoro doing
today? Is he well?

All of those questions were answered. The swordsman was sent to a creepy island with none other
than Dracule Mihawk himself, and Zoro was able to train under him. He didn’t say much else
about his time there, but he didn’t have to. Zoro was so muscular, Sanji was sure his muscles had
muscles. And he looked fucking good. It was hard to turn his attention back to his cooking. The
stupid brute marimo was distracting him. Even though he didn’t quite talk much anymore from his
hardened personality, Sanji knew the swordsman was just the same inside.

Of course, Sanji knew this because this is the Zoro he met when he was a kid. We must be getting
closer to that time, Sanji thought as he took a peek at the wooden counter, seeing if a small carving
of Santoryu had shown up yet.

Setting various plates down to their respected parties, Sanji went back into the kitchen to grab the
rest. After kicking Luffy in the face a few times to get him to keep his fucking hands to himself,
Sanji finally was able to sit down and eat his food, too.

Sanji heard Zoro humming as he ate his food. A blush ran across the cook’s cheeks when he saw
how into it he was! It was as if he hadn’t had a decent meal in - oh. Hadn’t had a decent meal in
years…

“Good, Marimo?” Sanji asked smugly, lighting a cigarette up and blowing smoke across the table
towards him.

If the smoke bothered him, it didn’t show, because Zoro’s one good eye slowly closed as he
chewed and nodded his head. “The best.”

Hearing those words to describe him did not make him giddy! God, he felt like Chopper right now!
Denying his happiness over something like a compliment! “Yeah, yeah, just don’t leave any
behind.”
“Like I could. I’ve missed your food. No one makes this shit like you do,” Zoro said after
swallowing his mouthful. Sanji choked on his cigarette hearing that as it triggered a memory.

The two of us sat on the ground together against a building as we ate our late lunch. I had the
biggest bowl of pasta they had and Zoro found some tenmusu. As we ate, Zoro sighed.

“Don’t you like it, Oniisan?” I asked, slurping a baby octopus leg into my mouth.

Zoro shook his head. “Nah, it’s not that I don’t like it. It’s just...I’ve had better.”

“Better?” I asked.

Zoro ate his last bite and looked down at me. “Yeah, this is good food, but it ain't the best. Did you
know we used to eat the best of the best food every single day on Sunny?”

My eyes went big. “Really? Why don’t you anymore?” I asked.

“We used to have this chef, you see. But he got sick and went away. So now we have to eat
whatever Usoppu and Brook cook up. We will get him back, though. He’ll come back. We miss
him.”

“I want to meet him!”

Sanji didn’t realize until just now that Zoro never once told him that he would introduce their chef
to him. Once he had joined the crew, he assumed he’d eventually meet him but as time went on and
things started to fall in place, Sanji realized he was that chef. He was the great cook Zoro was
talking about.

The look on the swordsman’s face seemed pained and hurt as he ate his street food, but when he
talked about the chef that the Sunny used to have, his face lit up. He was...thinking about me?

___

Sanji: Age 21, two weeks ago

As was normal, the Strawhat Pirates found themselves surrounded by a small fleet of pirates on the
vast, ocean blue on this rainy day. The greys of the skies swirled together while it cried, drowning
everyone in its tears.

Most everyone was separated onto different ships fighting off the bandits that absolutely picked
the wrong crew to rob, leaving only Franky and Usopp to defend The Thousand Sunny. The two
made a good team fending off the idiots that dared step foot on their precious wooden nakama.

Off on the main boat, the one that overshadowed the rest, Luffy was busy punching his fist as far
as it would go into the captain’s face. The fleet wasn’t entirely too strong, at least not much of a
challenge for the Straw Hats, the only thing slowing them down was their never-ending numbers.
It seemed no matter how many enemies they knocked back, thirty replaced them. The pirates
jumped from ship to ship to get to Luffy. After all, his bounty had grown mighty high and he was
just a kid - how hard could it be to capture the boy with a straw hat?

Even with multiple Devil Fruit users, the fleet’s numbers were slowly being torn down. Left and
right, the pirates clashed, but the Straw Hats were winning. Sanji and Zoro were laying waste to a
ship together when they encountered a particular Fruit user who seemed over-joyous to go toe-to-
toe with Black Leg Sanji and Roronoa Zoro, the infamous Pirate Hunter.

“Oh, how lucky of me that I happen to battle the two of you!” The frilly man shrieked. He was
squat, way too fat, and wore frills on every seam of clothes. “I’ve read all about you - and your
bounties!”

The Sunny’s cook smirked as he looked over at his partner in crime, but inside he felt something
strange. This man seemed so familiar to him... that outfit is so familiar. What’s with all those
frills? With a lit cigarette in his hand, he waved the man away. “This the best you’ve got on this
ship? If you’re it then we’re moving on to the next one.” Sanji lazily said and turned on his heel to
leave, though he knew he’d have to encounter him sooner than later.

“Wait!” The frilly man called out desperately. “Wait, no, you haven’t even seen my power yet!”

Zoro barked a laugh into the rainy sky. “Whatever it is, it won’t be enough.” Sanji had thought that
was funny because apparently, it was enough.

Lightning struck and lit up the deck around them, casting strange shadows every which way. The
frilly man looked over at his captain’s ship a few boats down and could visibly see his ass being
handed to him. He turned back to the two pirates and swallowed. “I’ll take you both down and then
my captain will see how strong I am. He’ll have no choice but to promote me!”

Before retorting a reply, Zoro cut a man down who tried to sneak up on him. “Alright, whatever.
Yer the last one left on the ship now, give us your best shot.”

The man perked up with cheer hearing Zoro give him the floor. “I’ve got a nice power, you know!
I can mess with time!” He laughed a snorty laugh, one that only overly obese people could pull off.
To show as an example, he picked up a fallen sword from his comrade. The metal of the sword
immediately turned into rust and became so weak, pieces fell off.

Sanji let out a low whistle. “Wow, nice one.” That earned a chuckle from Zoro. The two shared a
look of an agreement to humor the man. “That might just get us, you know.” And I think it just
might, Sanji thought again in his head. The moment of clarity dawned on him as if the clouds
above had parted ways and the sunshine blinded him - this is the day. For sure that’s Quillard.

“I know!” He shouted and bounced from one side of the ship to the other. Zoro and Sanji side-
stepped a few times to get out of his way, curious to see the extent of his plan. Each time he passed
by, he reached out to try and touch either of them, even though he just showed them that his power
was touched-based.

Smoking the rest of his soggy cigarette, Sanji gave a side-long glance to his partner and asked, “Is
this guy serious?” and proceeded to flick the butt to the floor. So what happened that day? This
lame-excuse for a pirate used his power on me? How the fuck did he manage to get ahold of me in
the first place?! There’s no way a noob like this could best me.

“I dunno, but let’s end this. I’m bored and it sounds like Luffy’s having all the fun.” As if on cue, a
hoard of screams could be heard from their captain’s direction.
 Just then, another ship in the fleet crashed into the side of the one they stood on so hard the
mainmast immediately broke and fell into the sea. Piles of men launched themselves off, some
threw fire, some had guns, some had weird Devil Fruits. The once boring standoff was now an
exciting brawl for the two Straw Hat Pirates once again.

Zoro and Sanji danced around deflecting everything that was thrown at them with ease. Their time
spent elsewhere for those two years away showed indefinitely as all of this was barely a challenge.

Dodging and slicing away at his opponents, Zoro strayed further into the mass of people, leaving
Sanji’s back vulnerable. The lean cook kicked the other pirates clear into next week, breaking
shoulders, shattering jaws, and making sure none of them ever had kids.

Sanji fought off the lesser pirates only to come back to Quillard again. The longer the time went
on, rain pelting away at their faces, Sanji just could not understand how someone of Quillard’s
shit-status could best him! As he slid side to side to move out of reach of the Devil Fruit user, Sanji
stayed stumped from the idea.

This is definitely him, though. This is Quillard, the man Zoro almost cut his legs off because of
what he did to me when I was a kid. Sanji remembered the fat man before him sitting on the galley
floor, shaking like a leaf as Zoro pointed a sword at him. If this is the moment in my life where I’m
turned into a child, then how in the hell did it happen in the first place?

A thought struck the blonde. Wait, hold on. Quillard growled in frustration as he came so close to
smacking Sanji’s shoulder with his open palm. Continuing to effortlessly dodge him, Sanji thought,
what if the only reason this isn’t happening is that...I’m not letting it?

Another swift dodge to the side and Quillard went tumbling forward, quick to his feet to try again.
His breathing was becoming ragged as he tried to keep up with Sanji’s immense speed.

Unsure of how the hell this timeline shit worked, Sanji thought this all had to start with him. It
wasn’t up to Zoro or Quillard - it was up to him to make this event in his history happen. So, like
any other pirate who learned he traveled through time when he was seven years old, Sanji
pretended to make a fiery turn on his heel and feigned slipping on the slick wood of the deck,
allowing Quillard plenty of time to jump on him to use his power.

The very last thing Sanji heard before everything went black was Zoro, his partner, his best friend,
the greatest human he knew, the absolute love of his life, shouting his nickname he had been given
since he was a child.

“Curly!”

Chapter End Notes

Was...that okay? Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. I spent a lot of
time over the past few days rereading the manga to get some details right before I
inserted any Zoro and Sanji moments.
 Welcome Back, Sanji!
Chapter Summary

Sanji is turned back into the adult we all know him as! But...it looks like no one is
celebrating his return. What happened while he was gone?

Chapter Notes

I know it's been a while but I returned with 15K words for this chapter for ya!
Honestly, it wasn't the length that kept me from updating quicker. It was actually how
incredibly hard it was for me to get this chapter right. I feel like I deleted more than I
actually typed! I hope it's enjoyable!

ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The overpowering smell of rubbing alcohol and a sterilizing sanitizer filled Sanji’s nostrils as he
began pulling from unconsciousness. Even from behind closed eyelids, the room was too bright for
Sanji’s eyes and he soon realized he had to be in the med bay. With a groan, Sanji brought his hand
up to cover his face from the lights.

“You’re awake!” A familiar reindeer’s voice squeaked from the floor. Sanji looked down and sure
enough, Chopper was peering up at him with a concerned look on his face. “No, don’t get up yet!
You need to rest!” he said when the blonde swung his feet over the edge of the bed.

Remaining in a sitting position, Sanji saw the Devil Fruit user from the boat he and Zoro were on a
few minutes ago. No, not a few minutes... That must be...shit, this is most likely the point in time
where I was turned into a kid. He returned his gaze to Chopper who was adjusting an IV that Sanji
only just now realized was attached to his arm. There was a crease between Chopper’s brows.
“Uh...I’ve been gone for a while, right?” he asked Chopper.

The reindeer looked up at him in surprise. “Yes, actually. You were affected by-”

“Time travel, I know,” Sanji said with his hand up to stop him. Finally, he was able to express he’d
known all along.

“You - you know?! How…?”

Instead of answering, Sanji instead voiced a concern that was bugging him more than anything.
“Are you not happy to see me again?” he asked, slightly worried to hear the answer. Once he
realized he had woken up from what was the moment in time he had been missing on the Sunny for
a few weeks, he didn’t understand why Chopper looked so upset instead of happy to see him. He
didn’t want to sound conceited or full of himself, but surely he was missed, right?

As if on cue, Chopper started balling crying, wailing about how much he was missed, his cooking
was amazing, he loved him so much, he is so glad he’s okay, glad he survived and -

“What?” Sanji asked about the last part.

Chopper stopped his crying, sniffling a little as he wiped his tears on the gown Sanji wore. The
doctor glanced over to Quillard before saying, “We’re all glad you’re here with us, is all.”

Unsure of what to make of that, Sanji silently nodded and got to his feet despite the protests from
Chopper. Next to him on a chair, he saw he had a freshly pressed suit, shirt, and tie waiting for him,
his loafers on the floor. In one swift move, Sanji plucked the needle from his arm then waved his
hand towards the door. “Get out,” he growled to Quillard.

Without further prompting, the fat man waddled out of the room and once the door was shut
behind him, Sanji dropped his gown to begin putting his suit on.

“How did you know you traveled through time?” Chopper asked again.

Sanji shrugged while he fished his tie around itself in a neat double Windsor knot. “Figured it out
over the years.” Once he was fully dressed and slipped into his shoes, he held his arms out for the
doctor. “I want to see everyone else.”

For a split second, Chopper had a flash of worry across his face and glanced towards the door, but
it was soon replaced by a smile while he giggled with happiness. He jumped into Sanji’s arms and
wiggled around as the chef hugged him tightly.

As the two left the infirmary and entered the galley, Sanji immediately noticed the door that led out
onto the grassy deck was off its hinges. The closer he walked to the doorway, the more he saw
things were wrong. The grass was all roughed up and you could see the dirt below it. It looked like
a scuffle took place. Now that Sanji was standing in the doorway, he saw the door was on the
ground to the left, sword marks scratched across it. Zoro.

“SANJI!” his captain yelled. Sanji knew he had less than one second to set Chopper down lest he
get caught up in the death-hug, too. Luffy grabbed ahold of Sanji’s shoulders and snapped his body
towards him from across the deck. “We missed you!” he yelled in his face.

Sunny's chef couldn’t hold back his smile as his captain continued to squeeze the life out of him.
Despite his own laughing, though, the air out here felt strange to him. It felt almost heavy. He
didn’t have much time to dwell on it because Nami, Usopp, Brook, and Chopper dog-piled onto
him. They all cried their happiness and Sanji was knocked to the ground. Craning his neck from
under a boney hip, Sanji looked around the rest of the deck and saw Robin a few feet away
patiently waiting her turn like the mature woman she was. It was just her waiting, though. No
Franky or Zoro.

Once he was able to get to his feet again, which the pile didn’t let up for well over ten minutes, he
gave Robin a snug hug and received a kiss on the cheek from her. He’d have normally melted into
the floorboards below but he was more annoyed Zoro wasn’t around for his reappearance.
Obviously, for Sanji himself, he wasn’t gone at all, but to everyone else, he was gone for weeks.

“No Marimo? Franky?” Sanji asked, feeling his breast pocket for some smokes that weren’t there.
Apparently whoever prepared his clothes did not think he would need them. How wrong they are,
he thought.

That weird aura returned when Sanji mentioned the swordsman. Even Luffy’s contagious smile
faded and his face was cast in shadow when he ducked his head below his hat. “He’s in the Crow’s
Nest.”

Sanji looked around at his nakama, but they all avoided his gaze. “Uhm, am I missing something
here?”

Usopp opened his mouth to speak but it was then when Franky emerged from below deck with a
quick replacement door for the kitchen. “YOW! Sanji-bro, you’re back with us! Just in time, too,”
he mumbled. “Sunny was taking some harsh blows.”

“Yeah, about that. What went on while I was-”

“Would you make us a meal, Cook-san?” Robin’s cool voice was heard to Sanji’s left. After
blinking away his confusion, he slowly nodded his head in defeat. They won’t talk about it,
whatever it was, Sanji thought to himself. “Let me grab my smokes first,” he said with a wide, fake
smile. It wasn’t as if he was the only one doing so. Everyone else wore a smile that didn’t quite
reach their eyes. I know my nakama, and something is not right. Before disappearing in the
darkness of the boy’s room, Sanji glanced up at the Crow’s Nest. His Haki told him no doubt Zoro
was up there, but the strange thing was why wasn’t he down here?

Once in the bunkroom, Sanji went to his dresser and looked for the unopened pack he knew he had
in there. Rummaging under his clothes, he grew impatient the longer it took. Tossing a few shirts to
the floor to search, he growled when he still didn’t find them. They should be right here, dammit.
The itchy urge he had for a cigarette burned. “What the fuck!?” he shouted. Too annoyed to
continue, Sanji plopped onto his hanging bed making it sway back and forth. “I need my smokes.”

Unable to ignore the problem out on the deck, Sanji’s mind wandered back to the mess. I don’t
remember the galley door being torn off like that at all when I was younger. I know there are
things I’m sure I’ve forgotten since all those years have passed, but it didn’t even jog my memory
to see it lying there like that. So if only a few hours ago I was a child and I don’t remember it being
like that at that time, it must mean it happened just now when I was unconscious. It definitely has
to do with that idiot swordsman, that’s for sure.

What happened that made Zoro act out? Sanji desperately thought. While absentmindedly looking
around the room, his stare fell onto the bed across from his. Zoro’s blankets were all crumpled
around like always because the algae was such a damn slob. Sanji’s eyes fell to the floor under the
bunk and saw a cigarette butt. The hell is that doing in here? He said to himself.

Sanji never left his spent cigarettes lying around the ship. It wasn’t proper and it certainly wasn’t
fair since no one else on the ship smoked. As Sanji bent to grab it, he came face-to-face with a
pack of cigarettes halfway tucked under Zoro’s blanket, it forcefully wedged between the mattress
and the wooden side.

Picking the pack up, Sanji noted it was his Death brand of smokes, the pack he was looking for in
the dresser. Is this the same one? He thought and opened the top to peer inside. There were four
missing cigarettes. The blonde tried thinking if he had any open packs lying around but was almost
positive the only one that had missing cigarettes was down to about two or three left, not only four
missing. This must be the box I was looking for. Just, what’s it doing in Zoro’s bunk? Sanji thought
and leaned forward to move Zoro’s blankets around. Sure enough, he found three more butts and
some burned up matches.

Now that was something he wasn’t expecting. Sanji sat there dumbfounded as he wondered why in
hell Zoro would smoke his cigarettes. In all the time he’s known him, he’s not once seen a cig in
his mouth, so why start over the two weeks he’s been gone?
Sanji’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance. The fucker just thinks he can go through my shit and take
whatever he wants, huh? The chef stood abruptly and stormed out of the bunkroom, headed
straight for the ratlines to climb to the Crow’s Nest and confront the swordsman.

“Sanji-san,” Brook’s voice hummed as Sanji’s fingers tangled into the rope. When the blonde
turned, Brook continued. “Would you like me to help you in the kitchen? I seemed to have formed
a habit in your absence.”

With one last look upwards where Zoro was, Sanji sighed and said he’d like that. The two stepped
around the broken pieces of the door and entered the kitchen. Luffy was sitting up on the counter
with a smile.

“I missed you, Sanji!” his captain said, this time the dark, heavy aura lifted. The lighthearted kid
was back and the smile touched on all his features.

“I’m sure you only missed my cooking, Captain,” Sanji murmured between his own smile and
struck up a match to light a cigarette. Taking a long pull, letting the smoke completely fill his
lungs, Sanji watched Luffy’s face drop in a pout.

“Not true! You’re nakama! No matter how good your cooking is, it will never be better than the
person making it.”

Even though Luffy laughed as he said that, Sanji still froze in place for a millisecond. It didn’t
matter how many years passed since his horrible childhood, it was still strange to hear anyone say
such things about him: The loser Vinsmoke. “Alright, alright, I believe you,” Sanji said, exhaling
the smoke.

The Sunny's chef busied himself with getting dinner prepared, with Brook’s help and Luffy’s
interruptions. While some Sea King meat fried in a giant pan, Sanji pushed the mixed vegetables
around in a wok until they were stirred properly. Feeling content for a few moments, Sanji turned
to face Luffy and Brook. “So,” he said and sparked up a new cigarette. “What happened to the
galley’s door?”

“Zoro-” Brook started but immediately cringed and looked at Luffy, who was boring a hole into
him. The skeleton clearly looked uncomfortable under the heavy gaze and shrugged out from
underneath it, backing away into the dining area and eventually out on the deck, leaving just the
two Straw Hats alone.

The scene wasn’t misplaced compared to how everyone was acting, but it was still strange to see
Luffy so protective over a tussle. “Am I going to be kept in the dark or is someone going to tell me
what’s going on?” Sanji asked, flicking the ashes into a tray on the far counter. He clicked his
tongue as he waited for Luffy to answer.

“What’s done is done,” Luffy said softly. “Don’t worry about it.”

Sanji left it at that. It was obvious his captain didn’t plan on saying anything more, despite how
infuriating it was for the cook to deal with. Seriously, he didn’t understand what the big deal was!
Why won’t he just tell me?!

The rest of the time in the kitchen was spent in silence. It wasn’t awkward for Sanji to have an
audience who didn’t speak while he worked, even if it was the most active member of the crew.
Something in the back of his mind told him that Luffy wasn’t there to keep him company, though.
It felt more as if he was guarding Sanji against the other crew members so the chef couldn’t ask
any questions. This started because of Brook but both Nami and Chopper separately came into the
kitchen and Luffy’s intense warning glare didn’t go unnoticed by Sanji.

Once the food was done and all his nakama were properly served, he narrowed his eyes in the
empty place to Luffy’s right. “Oi, is the marimo coming or what?” he asked as casually as he
could. He’d be lying if he didn’t feel the least bit anxious to see Zoro after this whole mysterious
happening. Surely, it wasn’t that bad that Zoro would miss dinner, right?

“Last I knew, he was still holed up in the Crow’s Nest,” Franky said and glanced at the new door
he had attached while Sanji cooked. His eyes stayed attached to the door for a moment longer than
Sanji would have expected, then he turned them back to his food and happily tucked in like nothing
was wrong.

With a sigh, Sanji grabbed the plate that sat to Luffy’s right and turned on his heel to head for the
algae who apparently thought he was too good to eat with his family.

“Don’t,” Luffy said. Sanji looked back at him. “If he wants to eat, he can come down here.”

“You know he won’t,” Sanji argued, irked Luffy still was hiding something.

“I know,” he said, and when Sanji opened his mouth to protest, he continued. “If he wants to eat,
he will eat with us. Otherwise, he doesn’t get any.”

Shocked his captain would deny him of serving Zoro up in the Crow’s Nest, Sanji looked to his
other crew members to see if they, too, thought his idea was preposterous. Everyone looked
somber and the air in the room changed. Quillard was the only one who looked him directly in the
eye. He did not speak, but his facial expression confirmed shit was not right around here. Seriously,
what the fuck is going on?

Sanji looked out the small, circular window to peer out on deck, the sky darkening around them.
Feeling defeated, he set the plate back down on the table in Zoro’s spot then made his way over to
Luffy’s left to begin his own meal without another word.

___

Zoro never came down to join them for dinner. Sanji even waited to clean everything up for forty-
five minutes after everyone had left the galley. He didn’t expect Zoro to show, but still, it hurt to
know he skipped a meal. The swordsman knew how important it was to Sanji to eat, especially as a
family together at the table, yet he still missed it. Sanji set Zoro’s portion inside the icebox,
wrapped up and ready to reheat if he decided to change his mind.

Once dishes were done, Sanji stood in the kitchen a little longer to enjoy a glass of wine before
heading to bed. Nami had told them they would be landing at another island sometime early in the
morning and that he would need to grab supplies because Brook and Usopp sucked at it. It
temporarily made him happy to hear Nami compliment his efficiencies, but his smile faded soon
after she left.

Sanji felt exhausted. He hadn’t done anything different than normal, but he felt especially sluggish
after waking in the infirmary, and after all the drama that was being covered up, it tired the cook
out. The burning urge to scream at everyone for hiding something from him and the idiot moss-ball
who ignored his return was draining his energy. Or the fact that everyone sort of seemed to ignore
his return. The Straw Hats through parties all the time but Luffy requested none. Sanji ignored the
sting in his chest.

Tossing back the rest of the velvety red liquid, Sanji rinsed the glass and set it in the drying rack
before taking his leave. He turned the light off and left the kitchen, eager to climb into bed to ready
himself for a long day on an island.

But Usopp was walking by. “Oi,” Sanji said, holding his hand up for the sniper to stop. “Where are
you going?”

“Oh, hey. Was going to relieve Zoro from watch-duty.”

That made sense. Without further comment, Sanji grabbed Usopp by the elbow and dragged him to
the bow of the ship, furthest away from prying ears. Usopp protested the whole way, knowing
damn well what Sanji was up to, but the cook had a firm grip that the other couldn’t shake loose.
Sanji shoved Usopp towards the lion head. “Spill it.”

“Heh, uhmmm, w-what do you mean?” Usopp said, his voice shaking. One hand rubbed at the spot
Sanji held while the other fidgeted with the pant leg of his overalls.

“What. Happened. To. The. Door.”

Usopp’s eyes darted around trying to look for an escape route as Sanji stalked forward, pressing
ever closer to the shorter man, whose back was already against the railing. “It-it fell off! Because
of a tsunami! Its great waves almost consumed us but-” Usopp cut himself off when he saw Sanji’s
deadpan face. “I mean, I have the Don’t-Say-Anything-About-What-Happened-Or-Luffy-Will-Do-
To-Me-What-He-Did-To-Zoro disease.”

Sanji’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “What did Luffy do to Zoro?!”

“Eeep! Nothing! I am literally a liar and I have no idea what the hell I’m saying!” Usopp croaked
with watery eyes.

“Cut the shit, Usoppu,” Sanji said flatly. “Did Luffy tell you not to talk?”

“W-well, I mean-”

“Usoppu!”

“Alright! Alright, I get it,” the sniper said, his eyes finally meeting Sanji’s. The tears that suddenly
welled up grew too large and tumbled down tanned cheeks. “You see, what happened to the door
was... it was sliced up. You saw what it looked like.” Sanji nodded and waited impatiently for him
to go on. “Well, it was sliced up by some swords. Not by Brook’s, though.”

“Zoro’s. Got it. Keep going.”

“R-r-right. Zoro’s swords,” Usopp said and warily glanced up at the Crow’s Nest as if the man
himself could hear every word he was saying. “Right, so Zoro might have been a little upset when
it was time for you to go back, you know, to your normal self.”

Sanji waited for the sniper to continue, but it seemed as if he had nothing else to add as if that was
enough of an explanation. “Keep fucking talking,” Sanji said through gritted teeth. The more this
was prolonged, the more anxious he felt. He fingered around in his breast pocket and fished a
cigarette out. He gave a polite step back away from Usopp and lit up, puffing more desperately
than normal.
“I-I really shouldn’t say much else, Sanji, Luffy will get mad at me!” Usopp said as a few more
tears fell, but the cook didn’t respond. He wiped under his nose to rid the snot away and shook his
head in defeat. “Okay, fine. If Luffy comes after me for this, I’m blaming it all on you! That you
forced me!”

“That’s fine,” Sanji answered, blowing smoke into the cool night air.

“Right. Right…” Usopp said, obviously still trying to stall for time. With a heavy sigh, he said,
“Chopper had to sedate you to get you to cooperate, you know. I sort of slipped up and said
something about ‘going back’ and you just went berserk! We couldn’t contain you and you slipped
away and found Zoro.” Sanji listened intently. Everything seemed normal so far, it was as much as
he remembered. He recalled being terribly upset before waking up in his room in the Germa
Kingdom. “You begged him not to send you back to wherever it was you came from. It was really
sad. Everyone was crying. It was...it was horrible, Sanji.”

“I’m sure it was,” the cook said quietly. If only they knew half of what he had gone through before
he managed to escape that wretched place, then they may have understood why he had been so
upset.

“Since you were so out of control, Chopper sedated you, and then you said something to Zoro. No
one but him heard. I sniffled right at the moment you spoke! I just missed it! But whatever it was,
Zoro didn’t take it very well. Once you were completely unconscious, I hauled you away with
Chopper back into the med bay.”

Usopp visibly curled in on himself now, his hands on either side of his head as his blank stare was
aimed at the deck. Sanji realized Usopp was truly shaken by whatever he was about to say next, so
he remained silent, his patience returning.

“Then...then...I set you down on the examiner’s bed, and that’s when the galley door was sliced up.
I could hear Nami and Robin screaming for Zoro to stop! I left the room to see what was going on
and Zoro was…” Usopp trailed off to swallow a sob that tried to form. “Please don’t make me say
this,” he whispered and shamelessly cried into his hands.

The story was making Sanji feel bad. It was technically his fault for whatever happened. Even
though Usopp didn’t want to relive it, Sanji still needed to know. Pinching the end of his spent
cigarette in his fingers, he pocketed the butt and then pulled Usopp into a hug, rubbing his back.
Letting the sniper have a few moments to cry it out and collect himself, Sanji spoke. “I’m sorry, I
really am. But I have to know. You have to tell me.”

Usopp sobbed into Sanji’s chest for the next few minutes and when he came down from his
breakdown, he pulled away from Sanji’s grasp and wiped at his nose again. “It was scary. I’ve
never seen them fight like that,” he whispered.

...

“What was that?!” Chopper squealed. The reindeer looked between Quillard and Usopp to see if
they knew.

With a sniffle, Usopp made sure Sanji’s small body was on the bed completely before leaving to
see what the commotion was about. He knew it was nothing good because there was a loud noise
and now there was screaming. “What in the hell is going on out there!” Usopp said under his
breath and tore the door open.

Staring at him across the dining room was Zoro, his chest heaving up and down and two swords in
his hands that hacked at the door frame to the kitchen. Usopp stumbled backward and almost fell
on his bottom in shock. The swordsman was glaring right at Usopp, but the sniper knew he wasn’t
looking at him - he was looking through him. It was obvious he was looking for the small little
blonde that he’d taken care of these past two weeks.

“ZORO!” Luffy yelled, and Zoro growled in frustration as he tried moving forward. It was then
Usopp realized Luffy’s arms were coiled around his waist pulling him backward, Zoro straining to
pull against his captain’s impossible strength. The aura the two oozed was enough to make anyone
tuck tail and run in the opposite direction, but Usopp was frozen in place. The seriousness behind
Zoro’s pained expression told Usopp he’d do just about anything to get to the boy in the room
behind him.

“LET GO OF ME!” Zoro shouted back to Luffy. To Usopp’s surprise, he dropped his swords and
manually tried prying the rubbery arms away from him. Without the aid of his swords that held
him in place, Zoro snapped backward to the middle of the deck where Luffy stood and the scuffle
began. Usopp hurried from his spot to look out of the kitchen doorway and saw the grass had
already been torn up in places.

Luffy and Zoro tumbled around in the grass, rolling over each other, punching each other, and even
biting each other. Usopp could hardly believe what he was seeing, this wasn’t just some silly brawl
they got into like the buddies they were - this was a full-on fight and the two were using all their
strength! Peering around the deck to look at the others, Usopp saw Nami clutching Robin tightly
while she sobbed into her shoulder while the brunette held a hand over her mouth in shock. Brook
was next to them, holding both in his arms. Franky stood close to the other three with a pained look
on his face probably thinking the exact same thing Usopp was himself; Do I intervene or not?!

It didn’t matter if the two fighting were the top strongest on the crew. It didn’t matter if stepping in
would cause harm to his own body. Usopp heavily debated on what was the right decision and
what wasn’t. But if Franky wasn’t jumping between them, Usopp knew he had to do just the same
and trust his captain to take care of the matter.

“Settle down, Zoro! Let Chopper and Frilly do their job!”

“NO!” Zoro choked while trying to wiggle his fingers under Luffy’s hands that were wrapped
around his neck. “Don’t send him back!” Luffy managed to mount Zoro and immediately began
pounding his fists into his face. With each hit, Usopp winced, knowing damn well Luffy wasn’t
holding anything back. With each hit, Zoro repeated over and over, “Don’t change him back!”

...

“What do you mean, ‘don’t change me back,’?” Sanji interrupted. He was trying to follow the
story as best he could.

“Zoro didn’t want Quillard to send you back to where you came from. And sending you back
meant you’d change into an adult.”
“And why would he want that?” Sanji pressed, still not understanding.

“Well, I d-didn’t know either! I was just as confused as you are right now when I opened that door
and saw Zoro practically foaming at the mouth like a vicious animal! He went absolutely psycho,
Sanji! Luffy could barely contain him! They yelled and yelled, arguing about what was best for
you!”

Sanji frowned. “What were their arguments?”

“Luffy wanted you to be turned back to how you are now because he didn’t want to change your
fate, and if we went with Zoro’s idea, then that’s exactly what would have happened.”

“And what did Zoro want to do?!”

...

Zoro managed to grab ahold of Luffy’s wrists. He looked up at his captain who was panting over
him. Usopp could see Zoro’s face was already beginning to swell up on one side and his lip was
busted open. His blood had sprayed over Luffy’s face. It was quiet, the only thing to be heard was
the girls crying and Luffy and Zoro gasping for air.

Usopp barely heard Zoro when he spoke. “Let me raise Sanji.”

...

Frozen in place, all Sanji could do was stare at Usopp, unable to even blink. “W-what?” he asked,
unsure if he heard correctly.

“I know! Even though you two were inseparable over the weeks, it was still shocking to all of us,
too! Zoro said he’d rather die than send you back to, and I’m quoting him, I didn’t say this! ‘I’d
rather die than send him back to hell!’”

The information seemed to process slowly as Sanji listened. “He...he didn’t want me to be an adult
again?”

“No!” Usopp squeaked and his tears started to flow again. “When he said that, Luffy lost it, too!
Oh, Sanji, it was so scary! I was half hiding behind the kitchen wall to look out at them fighting. It
was horrible! Zoro begged….”

...

Luffy’s face turned sour, his eyes darkening. “What did you just say?” he said through gritted
teeth. His hands clenched into fists and pulled out of Zoro’s grasp.
“I can give him a better childhood here! We all can! Don’t allow him to be turned back, Luffy.
Let’s raise Sanji on the Sunny.”

Usopp could hear how hurt Zoro was, the pain lining his voice stung his chest, even from across
the deck. The sniper watched the two stare at each other, unsure of what was going to happen next.

“No.”

“What! Why not! You heard his cries just now! You heard how scared he was!” Zoro struggled to
move out from under Luffy, but the captain forced all his weight down. “He’s terrified of whatever
awaits him at home!”

“No!” Luffy snapped and brought his fist back behind his head and slammed it into Zoro’s face.
“He will change back to big Sanji!”

It was evident that Zoro started to panic knowing he didn’t have much time. “How could you let
him go back to his personal hell?! Especially after all that you’ve learned!” he shouted, trying to
kick out from under Luffy’s body.

Luffy continued to pummel Zoro’s face while he screamed back at him. “We won’t change Sanji’s
fate! Sanji made it to us once and he can do it again!”

“I’d...rather die...than allow him...to go back…” Zoro said between hits from Luffy’s fists.

Chopper came out from the infirmary and stood next to Usopp. “He’s back to normal again!” he
said quickly before really realizing what was going on in front of him. The doctor could only stare
at the scene before him in horror.

Once Zoro heard Sanji was an adult again, he stopped resisting. Both arms dropped to the sides and
he let Luffy endlessly hit him. His bottom lip had long ago burst open and covered the lower half
of Zoro’s jaw in shiny red liquid. His scarred eye was a dark purple, bordering on black at this
point. It only lasted a few more seconds until both Franky and Brook ran forward to grab Luffy off
his First Mate.

While Luffy tried wiggling free in their hold, Zoro kept muttering under his breath. Usopp had to
strain to hear what he was saying.

“I failed him again. I failed him again. I want to die. Please let me die.”

...

“And hearing him say that made Luffy really mad! Robin had to use her powers to help hold him
back! Then if that wasn’t enough, Zoro flipped over and started slamming his face into the ground!
It shook the entire boat each time!” Usopp was trembling again and Sanji could hardly believe
every sentence that came out of his crew mate’s mouth. “Then there was this strange feeling in the
air. Luffy screamed for him to stop.” Usopp whispered and clutched his chest, remembering the
ghosted feeling. “I fell to my knees and my body seemed weaker when I heard it...Whatever it was,
Zoro hesitated and I guess it was enough to shake him from his suicidal rampage. He didn’t wait
for your sedative to wear off to see you. He climbed into the Crow’s Nest and hasn’t come out
since.”
Hearing Usopp’s description of his reaction to Luffy’s shout sounded like - “Conqueror's Haki,”
Sanji concluded. He had to admit, he was surprised Luffy would use it against his First Mate, but
from what Usopp had said, apparently, it was worth doing to get the marimo to snap out of it.

“Huh?” Usopp sniffled with confusion.

“That’s what Luffy used to stop Zoro. You felt the effects of his Conqueror's Haki,” Sanji said and
let his mind wander to the rest of the events in the story. There weren’t really words to describe any
sort of response to what Sanji had just heard. In fact, if Usopp hadn’t been balling like a baby in
front of him, he probably wouldn’t have believed a word of it. “Zoro wanted to raise me, though?”

“Begged Luffy for it, yeah. Said he could give you a better life on the Sunny and he’d take full
responsibility for you,” Usopp said, and sniffled snot back into his nose.

“I see,” the blonde said. He ran his fingers through his hair and then pat his sniper friend on the
shoulder. “Thanks for telling me. I’m sorry you had to think about it again, but I’m glad I know
now.”

“Mhm,” Usopp hummed while wiping his eyes with his palms. “Can I go now?”

“Of course.” Sanji headed back to the boy’s room. It was quiet already. He wedged himself
between the bunks, undressed to his boxer briefs, then laid in his bunk to stare up at the wooden
box above his. His heart made loud pitter-patter patterns in his chest thinking of Zoro coming into
the room in a few moments. Just a little bit longer and he’ll lay down right next to me, Sanji
thought. What will he say? Will he say anything at all? Should I say something? Should I mention
that I know about the fight?

The door creaked open signaling someone walking in. Sanji closed his eyes and smiled, unable to
contain his happiness but didn’t feel Zoro’s menacing aura approaching. “Usoppu?” Sanji asked
into the dark.

The shadowy figure climbed up in the bunk above his making them both wiggle on the chains they
hung from. “Yeah?” the brunette asked.

“I thought you were relieving Zoro…?”

“Oh,” Usopp started. “He told me to leave him alone and said he was fine. And before you ask,
yes, I pushed for him to sleep but it’s Zoro and I’m me and do you really think I pressed any
further?!” Usopp’s voice whispered harshly.

Sanji couldn’t hold back his chuckle. “Haha, no, I definitely don’t blame you. Goodnight.”

___

Normally, Sanji woke up quite early in the morning to start on breakfast but today he slept in.
When he finally woke, only he, Luffy, and Usopp remained.

Shit, he groaned to himself. The ladies are probably wanting their morning coffee. And Brook
needs his tea. The blonde pulled himself from the bed and dressed in clean clothes. Emerging from
the bunkroom, he saw they were docked.
While making breakfast, Robin had said when she woke a few hours ago the ship’s anchor was
already dropped and the ropes were tied to the docks. She also said she went to visit Zoro to ask
how he was doing but to her surprise, he was gone.

A hollow feeling formed in Sanji’s chest when she had told the room that information. He was glad
to have been facing away because he couldn’t hide his frown. The swordsman seemed upset about
him and he wasn’t sure why it was affecting him so deeply. There were few remedies that made
Zoro feel better and since the moss ball currently wasn’t clashing against him with his swords in a
brawl, he had to be drowning himself in alcohol. Sanji made a mental note to keep track of time for
how long he was gone.

Even though Zoro was missing, everyone ate breakfast normally. There was still a little hesitation
of true happiness, but for the most part, they seemed to be in better spirits than yesterday. It was a
relief to Sanji to see them push past their sadness for him and to continue being their regular selves.
The last person to get back to normal was Zoro and he was making it hard to fix by avoiding him
and the rest of the crew.

Since the marimo wasn’t there for breakfast or lunch, Sanji now had three plates of his wrapped up
in the icebox for when he returned. His absence was becoming less of a worrying ache and more of
an irritating annoyance for Sanji.

When the chef agreed to accompany the ladies and Chopper shopping, he decided to grab the
supplies he needed as well. He could at least appreciate the distraction, even if it didn’t work as
much as he had hoped. The four of them walked the streets of the city and Sanji couldn’t help but
look around to see if they passed any bars or if he saw Zoro wandering about.

“Cook-san, may I speak with you?” Robin’s cool voice said from behind Sanji. He shook his
thoughts away and hummed an agreement. The two Straw Hats veered away from Nami and
Chopper and sat at a table outside of a small cafe. “How are you feeling?” she asked politely once
they were settled.

“I’m over the top with happiness with you in my presence, Robin-chwan!” Sanji said with a bright
smile.

“Mm, I’m sure you are. And what about when I’m not in your presence?” she asked calculatingly.
She leaned forward and rested her chin in her hand, propping her head up with an elbow on the
glass table.

“Whatever do you mean, my dear?” Sanji asked, trying to keep his smile from faltering.

Robin giggled. “I want to know how you truly feel, how you feel right here,” she said and pointed
her free hand to Sanji’s chest. “You have a sharp mind so it is without a doubt you have noticed the
lack of celebration of your return, yes?”

Ah. This is what she wants to talk about. Sanji sighed as he leaned back in his chair and pulled a
cigarette out. The lighter was at the end of the stick and before he flicked the striker, he hesitated,
glancing up at Robin for permission. She nodded her head for him to continue, so he lit his
cigarette up, took a deep breath, and let his head fall back as he exhaled into the air above him.
“Yeah, I noticed. Didn’t feel right when I approached you all.”

“Mmhm, that’s because we had been through a moment of stress, which you know all about now.”
Sanji pulled his head forward to look at Robin again. “You didn’t check if anyone was around
when you pulled Usopp aside last night,” she said with a wry smile.
“Luffy wouldn’t let anyone talk about it but I knew if I squeezed hard enough, Usopp would
squeal.”

“And what do you think of his story?”

“Story?” Sanji asked, flicking his ash behind him. “You mean like a lie?”

Robin gently shook her head back and forth. “My apologies, I should not have used that word when
speaking of our dear sniper. I only meant, what did you think of Zoro-san’s actions?”

Without hesitation, Sanji answered, “He’s an asshole for going against the captain like that. And
for making you and Nami-san worry over his tantrum!”

The woman looked Sanji over, reading his face. “He had good intentions, you know. Swordsman-
san was only thinking of what was best for the little cook on the ship. You can’t hold that against
him.”

The cigarette was already gone and Sanji wasted no time to light up a new one. “Who does he think
he is, trying to take my life into his hands like that?!” Sanji barked. The lighter shook in his hand
while he tried producing a flame. His hands vibrated so intensely, he ended up tossing the lighter
on the table and huffing in defeat when he couldn’t do it. “How could Zoro, of all people, be
willing to take me in as a child? A burden to his dream?!”

This time, Robin frowned. Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows furrowed together and her lip pulled up
with a snarl. “Don’t you ever think of yourself as a burden, Sanji-san,” she snapped. She held
Sanji’s gaze to drive home the statement. “Don’t ever say that about yourself again. Do you
honestly believe Zoro-san would so easily give up his dream? Do you believe Zoro-san thinks so
little of his dream that he’d cast it aside for just some child? Of course not, because it wasn’t just
some child!” Robin clenched her fist over the table and slowly closed her eyes while she regained
her composure. “I agreed with his decision. I never spoke up because I am a coward, but I too
wanted to give you a better childhood.”

“Robin-chan…” Sanji whispered. He’d never seen her lose herself like that. Her facial features had
softened now but the angry look she had given him when he talked down about himself won’t
leave his mind for quite some time.

“Every child deserves a good upbringing. I do not know - and do not wish to know, mind you -
what horrors in your past you have faced. But I do know that if Zoro-san was willing to let his
dream go in order to give you something better than what you had, then...then it had to have been
no childhood at all for you. I am glad you are back with us as you are, but at that moment in time, I
would have chosen to keep you as a child. Every child deserves a good upbringing,” she repeated.

Robin’s last line made Sanji shiver. Her voice was cold when she repeated that and Sanji had to
wonder if maybe she didn’t have a good childhood, either. It was as if she spoke from experience
rather than a simple opinion.

“I promise I am glad you’re back with us. But that chance of giving one more child a better life was
ever so tempting...and then Zoro-san practically read my mind - only he fought for the idea and I
did not.” Robin finished.

“Why are you telling me this, Robin-chan?” Sanji asked carefully.

Robin chuckled. “I’m not so sure myself. I know Captain would be very upset with me if he knew I
felt the same as our swordsman did. I wonder if he would bash my head in like he did Zoro-san,
hm?” she asked with a giggle at her dark humor. And just like that, she was back to her normal self.
No trace of the strange outburst she had moments ago.

It took a few minutes for Sanji to let all new information soak into his brain. How could his friends
want to abandon their dreams for him? Only to give him a better childhood, nothing more. They
would have gained nothing from it. I was only seven and they were ready to commit to years of
bringing me up.

Sanji was reminded of the beat down Zoro got when Robin mentioned it. “Oi, about that. Did that
idiot get taken care of by Chopper after all that? Usoppu said his face was covered in blood.”

“Oh, heavens no. He wouldn’t let the doctor come near him.” Sanji groaned in frustration. “You
seem concerned, Cook-san. Are you worried about our fellow swordsman?”

Sanji’s lip twitched around his cigarette. Instead of answering, he reached for his lighter and tried
sparking up again, successfully producing a flame this time. Taking a few puffs, Sanji closed his
eyes as he let the nicotine fill his lungs. “You already know the answer to that, Robin. You always
have.”

A sly smirk grew on the archeologist's face. “Oh? So it’s true?”

Looking away to watch the city folks walk down the narrow street, Sanji eventually hung his head.
“More than he will ever know.”

___

The day had come and gone and Zoro still hadn’t wandered back onto the ship. Sanji waited at the
bow looking in at the city to see if he could see him, but he never showed. The lights that
illuminated the streets made the city glow. It was honestly so beautiful but Sanji could hardly bring
himself to enjoy it when the moss ball hadn’t been accounted for since late last night.

The chef checked the time and saw it was nearing a quarter past eight. He’s been gone all day,
dammit, where is he? Sanji thought. Luffy, Franky, and Usopp were still somewhere in the city
messing around while Brook, Chopper, Nami, and Robin stayed on the ship. Sanji was pacing the
length of the Sunny and then stopping at the front to look for Zoro, then repeat his pacing. Nami
was growing irritated.

“Sanji-kun, what the hell are you doing?” she asked, looking up from her cards. Her, Brook, and
Chopper sat in the grass around a small propane lantern playing poker. Of course, Nami was
winning. “You’re going to make me break concentration.”

“Sorry, my dearest Nami-swan!” Sanji cooed. He gave a quick glance to Robin who thankfully
wasn’t looking at him. “I think I’m going to head into town, actually. I need to stretch my legs.”

“Whatever. Go, will you?” Nami said, waving her hand behind her. “And bring back that idiot
while you’re at it.”

Unsure of who she meant, Sanji asked, “Uhm, which one, my dear?”

“The thick-headed one.”

“Uhm…?”

“ZORO!” Nami shouted.

“Ah. Of course. Anything for you!”

___

The walk into town served to be less chilly than it was on the ship. The cool air washing over them
from the ocean had Sanji keeping his suit jacket on while looking for Zoro, but now that he was
walking the city streets, he wished he left it hanging over his bunk. Without the wind blowing from
the horizon over the ocean, the air was sticky and thick with the summer heat.

Sanji was lucky that the island was small, therefore keeping the main city small. There weren’t
many places for Zoro to go, so when Sanji veered away from the shops and merchants streets
where he had spent his day with the others and appeared on the night-life street, he was sure he’d
find his crewmate in no time.

There were three bars that were open and Sanji had gone through them all. He took a look around
in the first one and it was easy to tell that the marimo wasn’t there. It was a small bar, something
Sanji knew Zoro liked. The lights were low and no stage in the corner for live music - Zoro hated
live music that wasn’t Brook or Franky’s. He may have drunkenly mentioned once or twice how
no one else compared to their passion behind an instrument. He had said listening to karaoke or the
likes grated on his ears but when Brook took up a mic, he adored it. Sanji held that memory close
to him. Since this bar lacked a space to hold such things, Sanji was disappointed to learn that the
bartender hadn’t seen anyone with green hair all day, which left the blonde confused as this was
the perfect place for his crewmate.

In the next bar, Zoro was still missing. It was slightly larger than the first but it was full to the brim
with people laughing and yelling and dancing - also something Zoro hated when it wasn’t his
nakama doing so. Sanji had to try and find him, though, so he weaved in and out of the crowd to
see if he could spot a dot of green. Every corner was taken up by people making out and grinding
on each other and Sanji made sure to steer clear away the moment his eyes came upon such a
scene. He’s definitely not in this one, Sanji thought to himself.

The third, and last, bar on the street was just as small as the first one, but this, too, was packed from
wall to wall. This bar, called The Drunken Mic, did have a karaoke stage and people were slurring
their ways through songs, butchering every last lyric until the shanty was barely recognizable
anymore. This is the last bar on the street and I know damn well he’s not here with this type of
crowd, Sanji thought as he pushed past a few people to reach the bartenders. Again, he asked if a
muscle-head with green hair passed through and got the same answer as the other two bars - no
marimo.

“The hell…” Sanji said as he left the building and stood in the street. He sunk his hands in his
pockets and kicked a rock at his feet, watching it skip across the gravel road and eventually come
to a stop a few yards away. The cook sighed. “Where the fuck is he if he’s not in a bar?”

Feeling defeated, Sanji made his way down the street and back towards Sunny knowing he
wouldn’t have much luck to find Zoro in a foreign city in the dark. Each building he passed was
some sort of restaurant. They were closing up for the night as it was now pushing ten o’clock. A
few workers were sweeping the patio and clearing tables, some already had their lights turned off
and ‘closed’ signs put in the window.

Then Sanji read the name of a building and was curious as to why it looked closed. It sounded like
a bar name, being titled The Way of Ale, but no patrons spilled out onto the street like the others. It
looked as if only one light was on but the open sign was off, making Sanji wonder why he should
even bother to try there. It was the only bar left that he saw, though, and he had to try.

The cook walked up the two steps that led to the wooden porch, the heels of his loafers clicking in
the night. In the darkness, Sanji almost tripped over a boot in the walkway. He squinted his eyes
and followed the foot to its owner. “Zoro!” Sanji said excitedly, but his smile faded. Something
was wrong.

The Sunny’s swordsman sat slumped against the wall of the bar with his head hung forward, chin
touching his bare chest, which was shimmering in the light from across the street. Sanji squatted
down and was immediately assaulted by the smell of vomit. He slapped a hand over his face to
shield the odor while he looked Zoro over. Sure enough, his chest looked to be covered in his own
stomach contents and a sheen of sweat.

Around Zoro’s waist was his trench coat tied tight, but his katanas were thrown haphazardly next
to him. Something is definitely wrong, Sanji thought, taking note that both of Zoro’s hands were
splayed out on either side of him, neither grasping at his swords to keep them safe.

Then Sanji noticed the white of gauze peeking out from under Zoro’s haramaki. He carefully
hooked a finger in the top of the thick fabric and pulled down, exposing an enormous amount of
blood-stained bandages. He couldn’t hold back the gasp that escaped his mouth. “Zoro…” he
whispered, worry taking over his mind. “Zoro, are you alright?” he asked.

He wanted, more than anything, to reach out and lift his face to see him. To see his steely grey eye
pierce back into his. To see his chiseled jawline flex while he gritted his teeth with annoyance for
waking him. To see those lips move and form the insults he’d no doubt throw at Sanji the moment
he saw he was there to pick him up.

No longer caring of what Zoro might think of the contact, Sanji pushed his hand under Zoro’s chin
and lifted his head. His hand was slimy and wet but it didn’t even register because Zoro’s face was
beaten to hell and back.

Zoro’s scarred left eye was swollen up and a large black ring circled around it. The bruising melted
across his nose and under his right eye. Across his forehead was a horizontal gash with bruising
around it, too. He had a deep cut in his lip which was oozing blood, part of the wetness Sanji felt
on his fingers. The cook leaned in closer, squinting in the darkness to get a better look at him.
“Marimo...what happened to you,” Sanji whispered, more to himself than the other.

Seeing as how Zoro didn’t stir at all from the touch, Sanji eased his head back down to rest on his
chest and entered the bar. “Excuse me,” he said urgently to the bartender who was washing glasses
behind the counter.

“Can’t y’see m’closed, kid?” The older gentleman grumbled.

“I do see that,” Sanji replied, looking around. The chairs were turned over on the tables and the
floor looked to be swept already. Only the stools at the bartop were still down. “My buddy is pretty
messed up outside your bar. Could I have a wet wash rag to clean him up, please?”
“Does he got green hair?”

Sanji quirked an eyebrow upward, unsure of the connection. “Yes?”

“Then fook off,” the bartender growled and continued with the glass in his hand.

“Oi, oi, why are you being hostile? I’m only asking for a washrag, and maybe a pitcher of water.”

“That pirate can bite the dust fer all I care! Bastard drank me dry!”

Looking around the bar again, Sanji realized that must have been the reason why he closed early.
“Isn’t that a good thing, though?”

“NO! It’s not! I’ll have ta close fer the rest o’the week until the next shipment gets here. Fookin
pirate bastard.”

“Wait,” Sanji said, leaning on the counter. “How did he pay for so much booze? That one doesn’t
have a coin to his name.” Sanji hiked a thumb over his shoulder towards the door.

“He didn’t pay for a single drink himself,” the bartender started. Sanji figured Zoro had to of gotten
drunk on someone else's Berry, but to be that drunk? No one was that generous. Sanji was just
about to speak up and ask what happened to his nakama’s face when the older man continued.
“Idiot burst through the door like an arrogant asshole, almost taking it off its hinges! Announced
who he was, ‘I’m Roronoa Zoro, First Mate ta Monkey D. Luffy! Buy me a drink and I’ll let ya
beat the shite outta me’ is what he said, word-fer-word. You can imagine how many drinks he got.
Like I said, drank me dry.”

Sanji’s jaw was hitting the counter, although he shouldn’t be surprised. “S-so he let people hit him
in return for booze?” The bartender grumbled with a nod and continued working at the lipstick on
the glass he’d abandoned. “When did he show up? How long has he been out there?!”

“Showed up a lil before noon. Weren’t many customers yet so the booze supply wasn’t being
drained. But then the day turned ta night and after hearing a Straw Hat was in the building, m’place
was overflowing. The bastard should be dead with how much booze he drank.”

Making a mental note to tell Chopper about the amount of alcohol intake, Sanji pressed the
unanswered question. “And how long has he been sitting slumped against your damn bar like that?”

“Kicked his heavy ass out two hours ago. Closed up three hours ago but he refused ta leave. Had ta
have a regular drag him away cause I couldn’t lift’em m’self.”

Sanji was too shocked to speak. “Y-you left him there for two hours?! He’s shit-faced and bloodied
to hell!”

“He asked fer all that! I ain’t his momma, he can take care o’himself. M’not gonna get involved
with a pirate, especially not one o’that rank,” the bartender spat back. He then eyed Sanji taking a
better look at him. “You one o’those Straw Hats, then? You his mate?”

“Yeah, I am,” Sanji growled, glaring into the other’s eyes. “And you left him in a bad state. He
could have choked on his own vomit and died out there.” Sanji stood and leaned in. “You should
have sent someone down to the docks so we could fetch him.”

Feeling the air between them had changed drastically, the bartender cooled his attitude but stood
his ground. “Look, I get why yer mad, but ya gotta understand I didn’t want ta get any more
involved than I already was. I didn’t call the navy and turn’em in even though I could have.
Shouldn’t I get some credit fer that at least?!”

“A washcloth - please!” Sanji yelled in anger. After grumbling his hatred for demanding pirates,
the man grabbed a rag to wet under the small sink and threw it at Sanji, who scoffed and turned on
his heel to return to Zoro.

The swordsman was where he left him, of course, slumped into himself. “God, Marimo, what did
you get yourself into?” he said and squatted down to his level. “Hey, get up. Let’s go back to
Sunny and we can get you some fluids.” The swordsman didn’t budge. “Zoro, c’mon.”

Sanji shook Zoro’s shoulder again and only received a small groan. When the man was leaning
away under the pressure, Sanji righted him so he didn’t fall over completely. With a sigh, Sanji
reached in his breast pocket for a cigarette and lit up. He blew the smoke out right in Zoro’s face
hoping it would irritate the other enough to wake the fuck up.

When Zoro didn’t budge under the first cloud of smoke, Sanji gave another sigh and sat on his
heels to enjoy the rest of his cigarette. About halfway down the stick, Zoro stirred. “S-Sanji?” he
groaned, voice hoarse.

The sound of his name drunkenly falling out of Zoro’s mouth made chills run down Sanji’s spine.
Very rarely has he heard his name from this particular crewmate. “Zoro,” he answered as calmly as
he could. “What in the hell did you do to yourself?” he asked and blew a fresh puff of smoke his
way. Instead of swatting the cloud away, Zoro leaned into it. Sanji heard him deeply inhale the
smell. Zoro didn’t answer, he only struggled to lift his head from his chest so he could look at his
friend. “You’re still pretty drunk, aren’t you?” Sanji asked and lifted Zoro’s chin for him so their
gaze could finally meet.

Zoro didn’t flinch away from the touch and he didn’t growl with annoyance. His one good eye
struggled to stay open, but he kept it fixed on the blue one that stared back. For a silent moment,
the two stayed still looking at each other. Sanji wished he knew why he saw hurt behind his stare
rather than his usual fire, but there was no mistaking the look he was receiving: hurt. Sanji knew
Zoro like no one else on the ship. The two were best fucking friends, for crying out loud.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, unsure of why he even bothered voicing his concern. They didn’t
normally speak freely with each other, but the moment seemed so raw that Sanji couldn’t hold back
this time.

“M’sorry,” Zoro whispered. The street light highlighted a single tear that rolled down Zoro’s
cheek, it disappearing once it reached Sanji’s thumb that still held onto him.

If he didn’t feel the wetness from the tear himself, Sanji wouldn’t have believed that’s what it was
he saw trailing down his swollen face. The only time Sanji had ever seen Zoro cry was the day
Mihawk sliced him in half and the man’s dream was ripped from his grasp. But here he was, right
in front of him, covered in his own vomit, reeking of alcohol, bloodied all over - crying.

“And why are you sorry?” Sanji asked just as quietly, doing his best to pretend he didn’t see the
tear. In his hold, he felt the weight of Zoro’s head lessen as he was now able to hold it up on his
own. Sanji let go.

“Please leame’ere,” Zoro slurred and looked away, breaking their intense eye contact. “M’not
ready to go back yet.”

“We don’t have to go back. We can stay here for a while longer,” Sanji said, continuing to suck on
his cigarette again.
“I dun wan company, I mean,” Zoro said more firmly. Sanji had to admit that it stung to hear him
say that but there was no way he was leaving Zoro the way he was.

“Shaddap,” Sanji said around his cig. He raised the cloth and started to wipe the blood and puke
from below Zoro’s mouth who tried pulling away in a grunt. “Quit that. Let me help you, ya damn
brute.”

“Leame alone,” Zoro growled, drunkenly swatting at the blonde to go away. With his free hand,
Sanji grabbed one of Zoro’s wrists to cease it from hitting him.

“No. You reek and need medical attention. If you refuse to go back to Sunny so Chopper can take
care of you, then the only other option is for me to do it,” Sanji told the other, his cigarette
bouncing on his lip while he spoke. The blood and vomit from Zoro’s face were wiped clean now,
at least as good as it would get in this lighting, so Sanji folded the washcloth to a new side and
began wiping up the larger chunks of stomach contents off Zoro’s chest.

“Or you could jus ferget you saw me!” Zoro shouted and pulled himself away from Sanji. The
sudden jerky movement made his stomach turn. He grabbed his middle and groaned while his head
desperately tried to stop spinning. A gurgling noise sounded from deep within his throat making
his eye go wide. “S-shit,” he said and leaned to the side to throw up again.

As fast as lightning, Sanji saw the signs of Zoro beginning to hurl and snatched the three katanas
from his side and out of the way before they became soiled. A few minutes of heaving up more
alcohol, Zoro wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and muttered a ‘thanks’ when he saw
what Sanji did.

With a sigh, the blonde knew what he had to do. “Alright, up, up, up,” he told the swordsman and
pushed his hands under his armpits and lifted him to his feet. The muscle-head stumbled forward
but Sanji caught him, wrapping his arms around his waist while Zoro’s body swallowed him. Jesus
fucking Christ he’s heavy! Sanji thought as he sunk backward, lower to the deck under the man’s
weight. Zoro’s head was resting on his shoulder, no doubt blooding it up! “You can’t support any
of your weight, you big brute?!”

With one hand, Sanji pushed Zoro up on his feet and quickly turned around so he fell onto Sanji’s
back, then maneuvered his huge arms over his shoulders, resulting in the drunk awkwardly being
slumped over Sanji, who muttered under his breath that the meat-head was way heavier than he
looked.

With Zoro’s swords tucked under his arm, Sanji wobbled when he took the few steps down the
stairs while he regained his balance. The gravel gave way under his shoes once he hit the street.
Each step left a crunching noise while Zoro’s boots dragged behind him. In the distance to their
left, laughter could be heard echoing in the night’s air from the bars that were still open. Sanji
turned right to head towards the hotel district.

“Where’re you takin me?” Zoro slurred into the blonde’s neck. Sanji shivered from the feathery
light touch of Zoro’s lips grazing against his skin.

Sanji wanted to love every minute of this intimate moment between the two. He wanted to puff his
chest with pride knowing he was finally able to take care of his nakama even if he was the exact
reason Zoro was in this state in the first place. He wanted to relish in the heat that flushed his face,
it threatening to take over the more he thought about soft lips caressing the neck they touched. But
how could he even think of something so gentle when the bastard smelled like booze, vomit, blood,
and sweat. Sanji had to practically repress a gag when he thought of how gross the back of his suit
jacket must be with Zoro’s chest rubbing against it. The washrag he used to clean him up did barely
anything and Sanji knew his jacket was going to have to be professionally dry cleaned if he was
ever going to get the smell and stains from it.

“The nearest hotel,” Sanji said with a grimace, wishing he could hold a hand over his nose. Zoro’s
breath smelled so strongly of whiskey he was sure it could catch fire.

Zoro groaned and struggled on Sanji’s back but the blonde only tightened his hold over Zoro’s
arms, refusing to let him wriggle away. The sound of boots scraping in the gravel again told Sanji
he had given up and just let himself be dragged.

___

“Need a room.”

The short, squat woman behind the counter of the small inn looked Sanji up and down, then, being
very obvious in her judgment, leaned her body over to the side to get a better look at the man that
was leaning over Sanji’s back.

“Please,” Sanji said through gritted teeth, snapping the woman’s attention back to him. It was
already embarrassing enough that his cheeks were flushed from Zoro muttering into his neck and
ear the whole way over here, and now he was asking for a room for them?! God, he could just die!

“Sure,” the woman said skeptically. “A hundred berries.”

“A hundred?!” Sanji shouted, his fingers digging into Zoro’s forearms. “This place isn’t even
worth half that!”

The hotel assistant smiled devilishly. “You two look like trouble. Pirate trouble. Could call the
navy…” she said.

Sanji closed his mouth. She couldn’t know we’re pirates. “We’re not pirates! We’re too drunk to
make it back to camp so we want to stay here for the night.”

“A hundred berries.”

“Sixty.”

“Ninety.”

“Eighty.”

“Eighty- five,” the woman said with a glare.

“Eighty.”

“Fine! Eighty,” she said with a huff and held her hand out. Sanji sighed knowing damn well Nami
would be angry if she found out how much this witch was charging them and be disappointed in
his haggling skills. Balancing the marimo over his back by leaning forward, Sanji fished deep into
his pocket and counted his larger coins out until he had enough. He angrily threw them over the
counter and yanked a key off the wall seeing it was hanging under the little sign reading 5 , then
headed down the hall.
Pushing into the room that matched the key, Sanji immediately headed to the bathroom and set
Zoro down on the floor. The swordsman leaned back against the wall with his eye shut tight.
“Dizzy,” he whined. Sanji watched the color physically drain from his face as he shot forward and
sunk his head into the toilet, each hand clutching the side of the bowl. His back arched, frozen in
tension as he dry heaved and coughed up spit. Wincing in pain, he held the wound in his side.

Sanji sunk to the floor next to him and rubbed his back. His skin was burning up. “I’ve never seen
you drunk like this, marimo,” Sanji admitted quietly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drunk, now
that I think about it.”

“Fuck,” Zoro started, and spit a glob of phlegmy saliva into the toilet. “Off.”

Sanji huffed a laugh. “Yeah, yeah. Save it for tomorrow. Get it all out so we can start forcing water
in you to flush your system.”

The two sat there on the bathroom floor for another ten minutes while Zoro threw up his stomach
and then some. Zoro felt exhausted. He drank for almost nine hours straight, had fists in his face
and abdomen, maybe a few chairs broken over his head too, and now was straining every muscle in
his body while he expelled everything that ever existed inside him. He was tired. He wanted to
sleep for at least twelve days straight. “M’tired.”

“Shower first, then you can sleep.”

“No, jus puttme in the bed,” Zoro said. His one good eye drooped closed as he slowly looked at the
blonde.

Ignoring Zoro’s request, Sanji stood up and grabbed a small disposable cup from next to the sink,
filled it with water, and handed it to Zoro. His hand grabbed it fine but when Sanji let go, it
dropped to his lap causing the cup to spill over. The blonde groaned as he refilled the cup and
squatted in front of Zoro and grabbed his chin, prying his jaw open. “Drink,” he told the other
while tilting the cup and Zoro’s head to match. He repeated this four more times until he felt like
the swordsman had enough water in him for the moment.

Sanji now pulled Zoro up to his feet and held him while he leaned over the tub to turn the faucet
on. He turned the handle up to the hot water and then pulled the small pin to activate the
showerhead.

The blonde faced Zoro and then gestured at the bottom half of him which was still clothed. When
Zoro only drunkenly stared at him, Sanji pointed again, this time letting his eyes wander down.
“Holy shit!” he shouted when he saw the color of the haramaki. He couldn’t tell in the dark back
by the bar, but now that he was in the fluorescent light of the bathroom, Sanji could clearly see the
thick, green fabric was saturated brown from the mixture of the blood. “You’re bleeding!”

The swordsman looked down, swaying back and forth a little. Sanji gripped his shoulder tighter to
balance him. “Yeah, looks like it,” Zoro said lazily.

“Oh my god, Chopper is going to kill me when he finds out I didn’t force your ass back to the ship!
You’re lucky I’m doing this for you, you shitty bastard!” Sanji growled. His voice meant business
but his face betrayed him by showing how worried he was. There was so much blood and Sanji had
no idea what type of wound lay under those wrappings. “Look, get into the shower and clean that
out. I’ll redress it when you’re done. Just - just fucking try and take care of yourself right now!”

Zoro winced hearing those words. That was exactly what he didn’t want to do. He had come out
here to get drunk to forget what a fucking piece of shit he was. Not be taken care of by the very
person he failed!

The chef traded places with Zoro and turned him to face the shower so Sanji was now looking at
his back. With a deep breath, Sanji reached around Zoro’s waist and untied the sleeves of his
trench coat and threw it to the ground. Then he tugged the soiled haramaki up and grunted for Zoro
to lift his arms so he could pull it all the way over his head. The gauze already started to wilt
without the pressure of the belly band holding it in place, so Sanji took the liberty to unwind it the
rest of the way, throwing the remains in the trash.

“You can do the rest, can’t you?” Sanji practically whined, hoping Zoro would get the hint and
undo his own pants himself. The steam from the hot water was beginning to cloud the bathroom,
the mirror already hazy with fog.

“M’yeah,” Zoro said. When he dropped his head to look at his belt, he swayed in place, but two
hands suddenly were at his shoulders again to hold him still. Zoro rid himself of the rest of his
clothes and got into the shower.

“Do you think you’ll be alright for a few minutes while I go to the front desk?” Sanji asked as he
pulled the curtain the rest of the way closed. He heard an affirmative grunt and was glad to know
he was fluent in Ape-Speak because he was dealing with a real neanderthal.

When Sanji came back to the room, he could hear the shower was still running. Just in case, he slid
back into the bathroom and asked how Zoro was doing.

“Marimo? Doing alright in there?” Sanji asked, one hand still on the doorknob. He waited for a
response but was only returned with silence. “Zoro?” he asked, worry in his voice.

Sanji opened up the curtain a smidge and saw the swordsman sitting in the tub while the water
pelted his front. The blood from his side was still oozing. Thin, red rivers trailed down his
abdomen and down the drain. For a split second, Sanji was afraid he had tipped over and fallen, but
in the next breath, he heard faint snoring coming from Zoro. The chef smiled.

Without waking the swordsman, Sanji managed to pull him out, dry him off, and put him in some
pajama bottoms he bought from the hotel. Once he was laid on the bed, Sanji jumped in the shower
himself to rid the horrid smell of puke from him, then slipped into a pair of pajamas as well.

This was the part Sanji was afraid to do. The blonde stood over a small box he asked for from the
front desk and eyed the contents before sighing in defeat. I have to do it or I’ll be in even more
trouble with Chopper, he thought.

Sanji climbed onto the opposite side of the bed of Zoro and sat cross-legged after scooting close to
him, his knees touching the man’s sides. Sanji placed the box in his lap and pulled out a
disinfectant to read the instructions. Chopper showed us all basic first aid for situations just like
this, but it’s much more intimidating when the patient is Roronoa Zoro! he thought, beginning to
freak out. The small cuts all had remnants of stitches left behind but they were all torn open. The
wounds were all haphazardly placed on his abdomen like they were put there in a panic. Each one
looked less than an inch and a half wide and were deep. Knife wounds, maybe? Was Zoro stabbed
while fighting in the bar today?

Saturating a cotton ball in the disinfectant, Sanji carefully placed it over one of the holes in Zoro’s
side. The tanned stomach jerked under the touch pulling Zoro awake and his hands instinctively
reached to his waist in defense.

“Your swords are over there,” Sanji answered.

Recognizing that familiar smoker’s voice, Zoro relaxed back into the bed. “Oh, it’s you.” Zoro
didn’t move out from under Sanji’s care but his eye flicked around the room to access his
surroundings. “I’m out of the shower.”

“Yeah,” Sanji said as flatly as he could knowing damn well what Zoro was getting at. It’s not like
they hadn’t seen each other naked before! They share bathroom space and bunk rooms!

“And I’m clothed.”

“Yeap.”

Zoro frowned but didn’t press the matter. The chef began rubbing a healing ointment into the
wounds and then unrolled a generous amount of gauze. Sanji waved his hand for Zoro to sit up and
the swordsman complied. In silence, Sanji wrapped the gauze around and around Zoro’s torso until
it seemed protected enough, then he cut it away from the rest and tied the two ends together.

Rummaging back into the first aid box, Sanji took another cotton ball out and added more
disinfectant, then grabbed Zoro’s chin and harshly turned it to face him. Zoro glared back but Sanji
ignored him and began cleaning out the gash across his forehead.

“Get this from the bar fights along with the cut on your lip?” Sanji asked, trying to make small talk
so their close proximity wasn’t as awkward.

“No,” Zoro said slowly and ghosted his fingers over the wound while Sanji worked. He let his
hand drop back into his lap and picked at his nails. “That one’s from Sunny.” Zoro seemed to be
thinking back on something, but then he added with annoyance, “And the rest aren’t from those
weaklings at the bar. As if they could mark me up.”

That left Sanji a bit confused, making him stop applying the ointment to the forehead wound. “If
not from the bar fights, then what?”

“Luffy,” Zoro admitted with a sense of great sadness in his voice.

Sanji stiffened, remembering the story Usopp had told. “And...why would Luffy do such a thing?”
Sanji asked, swallowing back the lump in his throat. The gauze was now being wrapped around
Zoro’s head. When he was done, he began dousing another cotton ball in the disinfectant and
dabbed it on Zoro’s lip.

“Cause he was angry with me,” the swordsman whispered. “He was only setting me in my place,
though. Nothing I didn’t deserve.”

“What happened?” Sanji couldn’t hold back, he wanted to - no, needed to hear it from Zoro. “Tell
me what happened,” he asked more desperately. The longer the silence drew on between them, the
further Zoro’s head sunk forward. It was obvious he was suffering an inner turmoil. Squeezing a
dot of ointment onto his pointer finger, Sanji grabbed Zoro’s chin to lift up and face him again and
gently rubbed the cream over the corner of his bottom lip. “Tell me, Zoro.”

The swordsman sat there with his mouth hanging open. “I...I didn’t want you to leave,” he
admitted, hardly able to believe he said such a thing out loud. “I couldn’t let you go back to your
home.”

And so Sanji heard it straight from the source. Zoro truly didn’t want him to return. “It wasn’t for
you to decide my life,” Sanji said softly. He didn’t spit it out in bitterness, only stated a fact.

“I know, but…” Zoro trailed off, breaking eye contact and let his head sink back down. His hands
came up to cover the sides of his face and pulled at his hair. The images of what happened were
still fresh in his mind, haunting him. Hating himself for being so weak, Zoro couldn’t stop his
body from trembling as he fought back tears. “But you didn’t see your face,” he sobbed.

The moment quickly turned to vulnerability. Sanji wasn’t entirely sure of what to say, so he blurted
out the first thing that came to his mind. “Don’t worry about it. It was years ago and -”

“No,” Zoro growled, his voice muffled as he shielded his crying face away from his nakama. “It
wasn’t years ago. It was yesterday. And I wanted to give you a better life. I could have given you a
better life. You could have had a better childhood…”

“If you didn’t let me grow up, I wouldn’t be able to be with you right now. Aren’t we partners?
Don’t we always have each other’s back?”

Zoro whipped his head up to face the blonde at hearing that. “I didn’t, though! I left your side and
you were-”

“And it was the best two weeks of my young life,” Sanji interrupted, placing a hand on Zoro’s
shoulder for reassurance, giving it a squeeze.

“You...you remember it?” he asked, and when Sanji nodded, he continued. “You remember being
on the Sunny?”

“Of course.”

A wave of blush flushed Zoro’s face. He flinched backward and asked, “What exactly do you
remember?! I-I didn’t think you’d have any memories!”

Sanji’s mouth pulled up at the corner in a sly smile. “Oh? Why? You do something you’re
embarrassed about?” He leaned forward, closing the short gap between them, their faces inches
apart. “Don’t want me to know you have a soft spot for kids, Ma-ri-mo?”

“I...I…! That’s not-!” Zoro stuttered, clearly frustrated. His entire face had turned cherry red.

Enjoying his pull over the swordsman, Sanji did something he had been dying to do for years now.
Something he hadn’t done since he was a little kid. Reaching up with his right hand, he let his first
two fingers slide from the back of Zoro’s three earrings up to the front, causing them to dangle
together and create that lovely chiming noise he’d grown addicted to. Hearing them clink around
caused Sanji’s eye to close. “I’ve missed that,” he whispered while sitting straight again.
It had taken years to get to this point, but Sanji was patient. After waiting twelve long years to see
Zoro again, and then only after a few short months, he was ripped away and had to wait another
two...what was another few minutes while he waited for Zoro to speak? So Sanji waited, staring a
hole right back into the other.

“I…” Zoro started, his mouth still trying to make words to come out. “I missed you. I missed you a
lot...You were such a good kid but the younger you made me miss this you. I had never realized
how much I relied on you being there on the Sunny next to me every day until you were ripped
away from us...from me.”

Sanji was positive Zoro could hear his damn heart beating at the underside of his ribcage. The
quiet in the room was deafening. He’d been wanting to hear such words for years and it was finally
happening.

Much to Sanji’s shock, Zoro now held his hand up in front of Sanji’s face with hesitance. “Can I?”
he asked. Unsure of what he meant, Sanji nodded. Zoro reached out the rest of the way and pushed
his fingers into blonde bangs, moving them to the side. Sanji watched with two blue eyes as Zoro’s
face melted into a content smile. “Why do you hide your face?”

Definitely positive the swordsman could hear his heartbeat, Sanji had trouble finding his voice at
first. “H-habit,” he said and forced himself to swallow. His mouth was dry.

Tan fingers brushed against milky white skin. The two Straw Hats held each other’s gaze for
longer than either would have expected possible. Sanji felt Zoro’s calloused fingers slide past his
cheek and sink deep into his golden locks at the base of his neck. The way Zoro’s eye flickered
down to Sanji’s lips hardly went unnoticed by him. The moment seems just right, Sanji thought to
himself. We both are getting along, showing each other we’re capable of doing so. He’s being
surprisingly soft for how beat up he looks. I can feel his grip tightening in my hair, he’s staring at
my lips...all he has to do is pull me in…

With a jolt, Zoro jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom. Sanji’s body bounced up and down
on the mattress from the disturbance. Retching and heaving could be heard echoing in the small
bathroom, Zoro having puked the last of his stomach bile.

Once Zoro had rinsed his mouth, inside and out, he stumbled back onto the bed with a flop. “I feel
a little better, actually.”

“You need to drink more water. Honestly, I don’t know how you have anything left in there to
throw up,” Sanji said pointing to Zoro’s stomach.

“It’s just liquid. Didn’t eat anything all day,” Zoro admitted. As if on cue, his stomach made a
rumbling noise, crying out to tell the cook it was starving. He winced knowing damn well Sanji
was glaring at him, and sure enough, when he glanced over, the blonde was squinting his eyes.

“You drank all day and didn’t eat anything?! No wonder you’re so sick! God, you’re so fucking
stupid , sometimes,” he yelled and made his way off the bed. He looked around the room for a shirt
but found none. The innkeeper only gave him two pairs of sweatpants and a first aid kit, nothing
else. Zoro didn’t wear shirts and his button-up smelled from being in close proximity to the
drunken bastard. Fine, I’ll go without one, he thought with a sigh and headed for the door.

“Where’re you goin?” Zoro asked with concern.

“To make you something to eat! Don’t leave this room.”

“Wh- how?” Zoro asked but the blonde had already left. Zoro laid there half propped up on his
elbows still staring at the door where Sanji was moments ago. When he had said he hadn’t eaten all
day, that wasn’t a demand for food in any way at all! He planned on eating back on the Sunny in
the morning as he went this long without anything, he was sure he could make it another eight
hours.

Only twenty minutes went by and Sanji was already back with a plate in his hands. Atop it was
three perfectly shaped onigiri. Zoro sat up in excitement. “You didn’t have to do that,” he said. He
was being honest about it but his face betrayed him. The food looked so damn good that he could
cry. It had been two weeks since he had Sanji’s food and here it was right in front of him.

“Yes, I did. Now eat up.” Sanji set the plate down in Zoro’s greedy hands and then took a seat next
to him.

“How did you make this?” Zoro asked before taking a huge bite of a rice ball. The middle exposed
a warm salmon filling. “And how dib you mage it so fab?”

“Ugh, don’t talk with your mouthful,” Sanji said with disgust and turned away. “I simply entered
the kitchen and made some. It would have been done sooner but the hag at the counter was yelling
at me to get out saying how much she hated pirates.” Sanji smiled. “I made her some, too, though.
She shut right up.”

Zoro didn’t talk after that, only enjoying the amazing food he’d been given. Something so simple
as fish and rice never tasted simple when Sanji made it. Once he swallowed the last bite and licked
the salt from his fingers, he set the plate on the nightstand and fell backward. “Oh my god, thank
you. Nothing beats your food.”

Sanji’s face lit up bright red hearing such praise again. Everyone on the ship always complimented
his food no matter how many times they had it, but Zoro kept his praise on the rare side. So
hearing it right now, especially after Zoro had looked so intensely at him while his fingers were
tangled in his hair…. shit, Sanji thought.

Next to him, Zoro was laid back and fighting sleep. His feet were swung over the edge of the bed
and resting on the floor and his arms were behind his head. Sanji sat next to him with crossed legs
and picked at his nails. He was going to say something but his mind short-circuited when he
realized Zoro’s sweatpants were riding so low on his hips that the muscular V-shape was fully
exposed. Sanji swallowed back the lump in his throat and pried his eyes away.

“Thanks for coming out here and taking care of me,” Zoro said, pulling Sanji away from his less
innocent thoughts. “I didn’t mean to cause anyone trouble, though. I’d have come back in the
mornin.”

The blonde slowly turned to face his friend, feasting on the image in front of him. He was glad to
see Zoro’s eye was closed. The man looked to be sculpted from marble, every muscle perfectly
chiseled out to create the masterpiece of Roronoa Zoro. “Just returning the favor,” Sanji said
quietly.

Zoro peeked an eye open for a moment then let it droop closed again. “You didn’t need to. You’d
have done the same for me if the situation were reversed. Anyway, we should head back to
Sunny.”

Nodding his agreement, Sanji said, “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sure they’re all wondering where you
wandered off to all day. I feel bad because Nami-san and Robin-chan probably didn’t get any hot
tea before bed. It’s your fault, you know.” Sanji waited for Zoro to bite back but instead he heard
the meat-head’s breathing deepen. “Oi, you bastard, you fell asleep that fast?”

With a roll of his eyes, Sanji mussed his hair back into place, a little embarrassed at the thought of
Zoro tucking his bangs behind his ear. Seeing no point in waking Zoro, Sanji got up and flung the
blanket over the swordsman before heading over to the small office chair at the desk in the room.

Sanji scooted himself under the desk and laid his head down. He didn’t care if he got shitty sleep
or if his back would hurt in the morning. What mattered to him right now was Zoro got some rest
and felt at ease knowing Sanji was by his side again.

___

When Zoro woke, the morning sun was bleeding through the blinds over the window. His head
hurt like a bitch, feeling close to a hangover, which he never got. For a few beats, he wasn’t sure
where he was, completely forgetting he had been taken to a hotel by Sanji.

Sanji. He’s back! I don’t need to worry about his well being anymore. He’s strong again. Capable
again. We can be a team again.

Zoro looked around the room and saw Sanji leaning on the desk fast asleep. It looked so
uncomfortable that Zoro could feel a kink in his neck just looking at him! Why did he sleep at the
damn desk! Fucking idiot! I’d have slept on the floor.

Of course, Sanji put someone else before him, just like he always did. It was one of the things that
was so annoying about him - and at the same time - so amazing. It really was a good and bad
quality to have. Zoro only wished he would sometimes do nice things for himself once in a while.
Put himself before others.

A light throbbing in Zoro’s temple broke him from his thoughts. They really needed to get back to
the ship so he could get a good hangover breakfast. Sanji was good at those.

Well, obviously he’s good at it. He’s good at making all types of foods. Zoro smiled and opened his
mouth to say something to wake the chef but stopped himself. The happenings of the night before
flashed before him and he wondered…?

There was a vague memory of him touching Sanji’s hair. The harder he tried to remember, the
more vivid it became. I can still feel how silky his hair was on my fingers, Zoro thought as he
peered down at his hand. I don’t know what overcame me to do that, but what’s more important is
why didn’t he stop me? Where was the hard kick to the head?

It felt right to do it, though, Zoro reasoned with himself. The Sunny’s chef was special to him, he
knew that. He was his best friend, his other half. It had never occurred to him, though, if Sanji felt
the same towards him. He didn’t recoil at my touch, maybe he feels the connection between us,
too?

Zoro smiled and pulled himself off the bed to stand next to Sanji. Taking a deep breath, he leaned
down and ever so carefully moved the hair that hid his face. “Hey,” he said gently. Sanji’s eyes
squeezed tighter but he didn’t wake. Zoro rubbed his thumb over his cheek and said his name.
“Sanji.”

Blue eyes were suddenly staring back at him. Zoro dropped his hand quickly and took a step back
before he got too embarrassed. God, why did I do that! He’s not a kid anymore!

The blonde sat up and stretched his arms up into the air. “Argh,” he moaned, a hand slapping to the
back of his neck. “Fuck, my neck hurts.”

“Your fault, idiot. Should’ve slept on the bed!” Zoro said, gesturing behind him.

“As if I’d get any sleep next to your snoring ass!” Sanji immediately snapped back, already falling
into their usual banter.

“Yeah, yeah, shaddap. Let’s head back, I’m hungry.”

Sanji scoffed but stood and began gathering his things. The two of them managed to find a reusable
bag in the closet and stuffed their shoes and dirty clothes inside to wash back on the ship. Hand on
the doorknob ready to leave, Sanji looked back to see Zoro tying the strings on his sweatpants and
then heaving his katanas over his shoulder. He flicked his head upward signaling he was ready and
together they left.

The cook felt strange. He felt...light, like his body was defying gravity. Something about last night
felt so intimate and it was almost like something had changed between them. Nothing even
happened, really. I guess for us two it’s a lot seeing as how we’re always at each other’s throats.
Sanji smiled at the innkeeper as he handed over the key and first aid kit to return and glanced at
Zoro as they headed towards the exit. He seems okay now. The apathetic look on his face is gone
and is replaced by his every day stony emotion.

Zoro gripped his swords to shoulder the door open and winced at the bright sky. He held the door
open until Sanji passed through then let it fall closed. When he looked out, they were surrounded
by dozens of men, all pointing their guns at them.
 “Good morning, sleepyheads!” one guy called out and pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang
and Zoro didn’t think it was possible, not after all of the bullshit he went through. But on the off
chance he was right, he looked to his partner on his left.

“Well shit,” Sanji said as he dropped the bag to the gravel at his bare feet. Zoro stood frozen as he
watched Sanji place a hand over the hole in his shoulder. “That’s no good.”

Chapter End Notes

yoooo, what y'all think?! Let a girl know!

 Same Sleepy Sanji, Just Bigger
Chapter Notes

Shit is soft as FUCK up in here.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Time seemed to stop for Roronoa Zoro.

Not moments ago, his life had started to get back on track to where it was supposed to be. Sanji
had made it to adulthood and wasn’t mad at Zoro for sending him back to his shit home, he was all
sobered up, his wounds weren’t throbbing for his attention, and he and his other half were on their
way back to their traveling home. Zoro planned on apologizing to everyone and beg Luffy for his
forgiveness. It was his priority the moment he stepped foot on the Sunny, even before he saw
Chopper.

Not moments ago, he was cracking jokes towards Sanji as they walked to the front counter of the
inn. The bright smile the blonde wore ever since he was a tiny child, even with all the shit he had
gone through, the trauma Zoro could only imagine. His smile was so wide, so blinding. Even the
early morning sun didn’t stand a chance when compared to Sanji.

None of that mattered at the moment, though. What mattered was the blood pumping in time with
Sanji’s heart, it pulsing out of his shoulder and down his pale chest. It was coming out too fast! It
had to hit the main artery for it to be bleeding that much, Zoro assessed.

Darting his one good eye around he counted thirty-one men, thirty-two if he included the man who
thought he could sneak up from behind and take him by surprise. Twenty-seven have guns, the rest
have swords. Zoro heard steel being pulled from its scabbard behind him. Good, another sword.

“Well?! Is that them?!” a female voice sounded from the doorway. It was the innkeeper of the
hotel.

“Yeah, sure is,” the man who shot Sanji said. He stepped forward with a cocky smile and
continued speaking. “Heard The Pirate Hunter was in town but couldn’t find ya. Got a tip this
mornin.” The man flicked his head towards the old woman. Zoro’s eye twitched.

Sanji pulled a cigarette out and lit it up. The trembling hand did not go unnoticed by Zoro. He’s
losing too much blood.

“Came to collect!” one of the guys shouted, aiming his gun for Zoro and pulled the trigger. Two
more guns went off from various angles. Three bullets, Zoro thought as he dropped Wado and
Shusui to the ground and pulled Kitetsu free from its confinement. It was as if the air around them
had gone dark even though the sun was still rising higher and higher above them. Before jumping
out to deflect the bullets, without turning, Zoro sliced the head off of the man who raised his sword
behind him.

The bullets were stopped with ease. One man down, his head had rolled towards Zoro’s feet at his
right. Blood pooling. It doesn’t matter how many times they come, I won’t let anyone touch him!
“Don’t kill them, Marimo,” Sanji said coolly, smoke leaving his mouth as he spoke. “It’s not their
fault their brains aren’t fully developed.”

He was smiling. Zoro was stunned to see Sanji still smiling even though trouble never stopped
following him. Zoro gave a curt nod of his understanding and without hesitance, Sanji launched
forward to plant a bare heel into the leader’s face. There was an ear-splitting crack as flesh met
bone, the man’s jaw shattering instantly.

Only now did Zoro hear the old innkeeper woman crying out in horror. The swordsman joined
Sanji by taking care of the men at hand, hitting each one with the blunt edge of his sword, even
though Kitetsu screamed to taste their blood. It was hard enough to control his own emotions and
with Kitetsu beckoning him to murder every living being in sight, he had to reign in the bloodlust.

Before they could even work up a good sweat, the men were down. Zoro clenched his teeth
together to stop himself from freaking out when he saw Sanji’s entire front covered in red, his body
painted in a sheet of blood that he never deserved.

In a shaky breath, Sanji said, “We should probably get this looked at.” The blonde pointed at the
hole in his shoulder and slightly swayed back and forth as he made his way back towards Zoro.
“Hopefully Chopper has my blood type stocked up...gonna...prolly need some of that…”

Zoro closed the distance between them to catch Sanji right before he stumbled onto his face. “S RH
negative, right? We have tons of it. Let’s go.”

“Eh? How do you…”

“You were a trouble magnet as a kid. Chopper didn’t want to take any chances, especially after
Fishman Island,” he said absentmindedly as he balanced Sanji in his arm while he grabbed his
swords. He leaned down to grab the bag full of their clothes and shoes only to hesitate, his hand
hovering over the handles.

“Marimo?” Sanji asked, noticing Zoro was thinking of something.

The swordsman asked Sanji to stand on his own for a second and when Sanji was clear of him,
Zoro turned towards the woman who owned the hotel. She was so small, shaking in her slip-on
shoes and clutching the doorframe. He lifted his sword above his head to ready himself. Behind
him, Sanji shouted for him to stop but it was too late. Zoro swung his sword down and a razor-
sharp pressure of air split the hotel in two from the ground up and clean to the other side breaking
the entire building apart. The old wood creaked and a few things inside fell, loud crashes filling the
air around them. He spat at the ground, at the old woman who had turned them in.

The innkeeper had crawled away in tears that her business and life were ruined but Zoro couldn’t
care any less. In stride, he grabbed the bag and Sanji, pulling him into a bridal carry and began
jogging away towards Sunny, following the cook’s guidance.

___

“Chopper!” Zoro yelled out as he approached the docked ship. He hoped the little doctor wasn’t
out in the city somewhere because Sanji was looking worse. His skin was paler than he’d ever
seen. How much blood has he lost?!
A head poked over the side of the ship to see what was going on. It was Brook. “Zoro-san? What’s
wr- oh my god! CHOPPER!” he yelled and left from view.

Zoro jumped up on the ship, dropped the rest of the shit in his hold, and ran to the infirmary where
Chopper was on his way to as well.

“What happened?!” he asked, trying to access the situation. It was hard to tell what was going on
because both men were covered in blood.

Placing Sanji on the bed, Zoro spoke as quickly as possible. “Gunshot to the right shoulder. I think
it hit an artery because he won’t stop bleeding.” Zoro’s voice cracked as he said the last sentence.
His eyes felt wet. Obviously Sanji was going to be okay because he was in good hands but it didn’t
stop Zoro from thinking the worst.

He’s an adult again, this shouldn’t be happening! I should have left the hotel first, I should have
been shot in his place, it should have been me. If I wasn’t trying to be nice and hold the fucking
door open for him, I could be here instead. I should have been on alert, I should have been ready.

“Zoro!” Chopper said for the third time, pulling the man from his self-hatred. “You should leave.
You’re too wound up!”

Taking a deep breath, Zoro backed away from the bed and sat in the waiting chair so he was still
close to Sanji. “I’m sorry. I’m fine now. Just...please hurry.”

___

Zoro waited next to the bed until Sanji was able to regain himself. Just as he had thought, Sanji
was fine the moment he was back on the Sunny. Of course they had his blood-type stocked up! As
rare as it was they never left an island without making sure his type had ten bags in the waiting. If
there was anything less, Chopper was always sure to get more. Zoro wasn’t worried about him
getting the replacement blood, no, it was the artery he was afraid for.

Chopper was a doctor, not a surgeon, and this required precision Zoro wasn’t sure hooves could
handle. He stayed in the room to make sure if the reindeer needed anything he was there at the
ready. The fixing and sewing had taken a less amount of time than Zoro had expected, but it was
still hours later when Chopper finally looked up at him with a bright and cheery smile saying all
was well.

Zoro’s shoulders visibly sagged with relief hearing it was over. He helped Chopper clean up the
room and only when Sanji had been fully taken care of did Zoro accept any treatment from his
doctor. His head wound was looked at and retreated and the stab wounds in his gut were restitched
nice and tight, Chopper daring them to split open again.

The entire time, Zoro had to hear the reindeer nag and berate him for being so selfish with his
body, annoyed he wouldn’t let Chopper treat him for over twenty-four hours! He had said he
wanted to be mad at Sanji for not bringing Zoro back after he was told about his drunken state but
shrugged it off. Zoro couldn’t help but smile at the young doctor. His level of caring never
stopped, just like Sanji.

All patched up now. The wrappings around Zoro’s head were simplified to a small bandage over
the cut in his forehead, and the gauze around his abdomen was replaced with a large patch to cover
the holes. Zoro asked if he could bathe with these and Chopper had permitted him. Said he had
long ago invested in better gauze and bandages that didn’t lose their adhesive when wet. The
swordsman was thankful to hear that because he was eager to rest in the bath for an hour or so.

After Chopper had left, Zoro stayed behind wanting to be there when Sanji woke up. The man on
the bed stirred as his sedative wore off. The pain medication in his system made his body feel
numb and heavy. “Marimo,” he said quietly, not at all surprised to find Zoro stayed with him. He
looked like shit. All the blood that he had on him was dried up now and flaking off in some spots,
in addition to his earlier wounds, which Sanji noted were redressed by a professional doctor now.

“Sanji,” Zoro breathed, hurriedly getting up from his chair to meet the blonde at his bedside.

Sanji smiled. “You sure say my name a lot now.”

Zoro froze, his hands clenching the sheets. “I-I don’t. I didn’t say-!”

“Relax, baka,” Sanji laughed. With a slight struggle, he set himself up with help from Zoro. “I
didn’t say it was a bad thing.”

Hearing Sanji’s voice was enough to make Zoro run a thousand miles right now. His chest swelled
with excitement, his hands ready to reach out for the blonde. He’s not a kid anymore, though. I
can’t treat him the same. The urge inside to touch and feel Sanji was trying to overcome the idea of
putting on a front that he didn’t care - because he did care. I can’t help it, Zoro thought and fought
against his instincts to treat Sanji the way he did two weeks ago.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” he eventually said, trying to distract himself.

“Course I’m alright. It was just one bullet,” Sanji reminded Zoro.

Which was true enough for the swordsman. It was only one bullet and the Adult-Sanji could
probably take five more and still live. The immense amount of blood had startled Zoro into
remembering just how fragile his kid-self was. How he had worried for two fucking weeks straight
that the damn kid was going to die in some way and it would be all Zoro’s fault.

Instead of fighting any longer, Zoro pushed himself between Sanji’s legs and placed both his hands
over pale cheeks. Their faces were inches apart, their breath mixing together. Zoro softly laughed.
He laughed because Sanji was okay now. As he laughed, he brought their foreheads together and
closed his eye in complete content.

Sanji’s eyes, though, were wide open. Shocked from the sudden closeness of the swordsman. His
heart was beating and he wasn’t sure if he remembered how to swallow. Breaking him from his
panic, Zoro whispered his thanks to him. “Wh-what?” he asked just as quietly.

“Thank you for being strong enough to survive,” Zoro elaborated.

Sanji wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. Zoro was holding them together and Sanji didn’t know
what was appropriate for the moment. He wanted, more than anything, to angle his head ever so
slightly so their lips were aligned…

Instead, Sanji lightly wrapped his hands around Zoro’s wrists and sighed. “Yeah.” Zoro laughed
again and opened his eye to look into the glassy blue one. The two stayed like that for what felt
like an eternity and eventually, Zoro loosened his hold and raised his head, but was stopped when
Sanji tightened his grip on the other’s wrists.

Zoro looked back at him with a questioning look, waiting to see what Sanji wanted, but even he
didn’t know. He couldn’t kiss Zoro, that would be preposterous. Even though he had fallen for the
man long ago, Zoro only saw him as his best friend, and he would respect that.

Realizing he had no reason to keep Zoro close, he dropped his hands and Zoro walked towards the
door. “I’ll get Chopper.”

___

On his way to the lavatory, Zoro passed Luffy. “Captain,” he said with pain lining his voice. He
had to apologize now. Any longer and he would feel even more ashamed of himself.

Luffy got to his feet and stared at Zoro from under the brim of his hat. The shadow that fell across
his face always reminded Zoro of the man he had become, the man he had been forced to be after
the rude awakening on Sabaody Archipelago and Marine Ford. His boyish looks had hardened, and
so had Luffy. The swordsman felt the weight of his stare and knew he barely deserved this much
forgiveness at all.

As Luffy’s First Mate, his right hand, his friend, his family, Zoro didn’t believe he deserved this
much. How many times can he fuck things up before his captain has had enough? How many times
can things go wrong because of Zoro before it’s too many times?

Patiently waiting, Luffy stayed silent, but it made it harder for Zoro to speak. Multiple times he
tried opening his mouth to begin his apology, nothing but air came out. A few deep breaths later,
he tried again.

“I’m sorry, Luffy. I’m sorry for disobeying you. It was wrong of me to want-”

“It’s fine,” Luffy said with a smile as bright as the sun above them. A rubbery hand reached up and
gently felt over Zoro’s scarred eye. The swelling had gone down a little bit but it still showed the
remains of being pummeled by none other than Monkey D. Luffy himself. “I’m sorry, too,” he said
and rubbed his thumb over the vertical scar as if trying to soothe the emotional pain along with the
physical.

Without another word, Zoro hugged his captain, knocking his hat off his head. It gently slipped
onto his back and held on by the thin strings. Zoro buried his face in Luffy’s shiny black hair while
his captain returned the embrace ten-fold. The swordsman smiled.

Zoro was glad that Luffy had forgiven him. Of course he would have, but it didn’t mean that Zoro
felt any better about it. He had stepped out of line and fought his captain for something he believed
in. Which is probably why he forgives me so easily, because I was fighting for something I believed
in, Zoro thought. Luffy could tell Sanji meant a lot to me.

Means a lot to me. He still does. Will always.

With his haki, Zoro could feel Sanji on the move above him, so when he and Luffy parted, he
looked up and saw the blonde making his way towards the bathroom. “Thank you,” Zoro said to
Luffy and left for the bunk room to grab a change of clothes. The sweatpants he wore were crusted
with Sanji’s blood and he couldn’t wait to take them off.

Entering the lavatory, the water in the tub was filling and Sanji was already sitting on a small stool
with a towel in his lap, hand reaching for the removable showerhead. He didn’t need to turn to see
who it was joining him as he felt the swordsman coming his way long before the door even
opened. Zoro stripped of his clothes and pulled a stool up to sit behind him.

Sanji didn’t know why Zoro sat behind him rather than next to him, but his confusion was
answered when Zoro grabbed the showerhead from his hands. “Let me?” he asked softly. Sanji
couldn’t find his voice so he only nodded and let Zoro take the lead.

Water rained down on Sanji while a strong hand scrubbed through his long, blonde hair. Once it
was fully wet, Zoro handed the head back to Sanji and asked for the shampoo next. Sanji wanted to
stop him, wanted to lash out and say he was being weird, but how could he when this was more
than he could have ever asked for? He’d been wanting to get closer to Zoro and now that it was
happening, he wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Just as he did over the few weeks when Sanji was a child, Zoro took the liberty of taking care of
the ship’s cook. It was easy for him to fall back into that habit as it was only two days ago when he
had carried Sanji in his arms to the kitchen to make breakfast. This routine he had grown
accustomed to had become important to him and Zoro was happy Sanji was letting him continue.

Squeezing a generous amount of shampoo into his hands, Zoro worked the soap into Sanji’s hair.
He made sure to take his time, rubbing the pads of his fingers over the scalp in small circles. The
other groaned and relaxed while his head was massaged.

Once the shampoo was rinsed, Sanji was prepared to begin washing his body. He figured Zoro
would want to clean himself next but was instead surprised to feel arms wrapping around his
middle stopping him from doing anything more.

Zoro didn’t speak, only gently laid his chin atop Sanji’s shoulder. He gave a light squeeze of
affection and hummed a breath of laughter. The two sat there like that for a while, neither
speaking, the only movement was when Sanji had placed his arms over Zoro’s.

“Hand me the soap and sponge, will you?” Zoro said quietly without lifting his chin or letting the
blonde go.

Turning halfway around in the Zoro’s hold, Sanji said, “Wh-what? No, I can do the rest myself.”

“I want to, though,” Zoro said calmly but firmly.

Sanji couldn’t fathom why he was being so nice, why he would go this far for him! Surely this was
too embarrassing, right?! Sanji looked to his right and Zoro’s hand was there, outstretched and
waiting for the supplies he asked for. Taking a deep breath, Sanji reached for the sponge, grabbed
his favorite body wash, and handed them over.

Zoro had asked him to rinse his body while he lathered up the sponge. After Sanji hung the
showerhead up, Zoro immediately got to work. The sponge went in circles on his back, careful to
avoid the bandage that was wrapped around the left shoulder. Sanji had to admit that it felt amazing
to have someone wash him. Had he ever gotten a bath that wasn’t by a servant of the castle? And
when they had washed him, it was never this delicate, never this careful.

Suddenly, Zoro grabbed the stool Sanji sat on and turned it around so the two faced each other.
“Wh- no, I can do the rest!” Sanji stammered and adjusted his towel on his lap, but fell quiet now
that he was face-to-face with the swordsman.

The man wore a look of determination lined with worry, silently pleading with Sanji to let him
finish what he started. Giving another nod for him to go on, Sanji watched Zoro begin washing up
his front. Gentle hands grabbed his arm, rotating it to get every inch, then to the other arm.

Sanji noticed Zoro was washing him as if he were taking care of one of his swords. Each stroke of
the sponge seemed to go as slow as he would while he grazed a stone across a blade to sharpen its
edge. The feeling Sanji had in his chest was...honored?

No, no that isn’t the right word, Sanji thought.

Zoro moved to a leg and pulled it up onto his knee to rest so he could get the length of it. Starting
at the foot and making his way up a toned calf until he was eventually circling Sanji’s muscular
thigh. The sponge left a plume of suds as it was worked in circles. The way Zoro didn’t even flinch
when the sponge met the fabric’s edge of the towel made Sanji realize the feeling he was currently
experiencing.

I feel loved.

Zoro gestured for the showerhead when he was done and while he rinsed Sanji off, the blonde
could only stare at him in awe. It didn’t matter if the love was platonic or not. Love was love, and
Sanji had never experienced it before.

That damn geezer and his mother loved him - there was no question about it. But there was nothing
physical there. His mother was bedridden his whole life, she never once was able to hold him tight,
her arms always too weak from sickness. And Zeff? By the time he made it to him, there was no
need to be bathed by someone else, he had already grown up by then. No hugs from the old man,
or anyone else for that matter. The love he got from Zeff was unspoken, something that was never
said, just always known.

Zoro, though, was different. As the water washed away the soap, Sanji remembered how warm he
always felt as a child when he was near the green-haired man. How he would crawl into his lap and
stick his tiny, cold hands in his haramaki, then fall asleep to the sound of Zoro’s even breathing.

That warmth Sanji remembered is still right here, right now. The intimacy between the two at this
moment had Sanji on the verge of tears. He had always wanted to be loved like this. Not in a
million years would he have ever asked for it - no, never! He’d spend his dying breath making sure
everyone around him was comfortable and set before he even attended to his own needs. And Zoro
was doing just that, washing Sanji thoroughly before himself. The blonde looked Zoro over, seeing
all the dried blood from that morning still caked to his front. A small smile formed at the corner of
his lips as he realized the other didn’t even wet himself to rid of it while he had the showerhead in
his hand, even now, as he continued rinsing Sanji. He made Sanji his priority.

Zoro told him to finish what he couldn’t get and then to get in the tub. Without a word, Sanji
listened and when he finally eased himself into the hot water of the tub, he watched Zoro. With
Sanji all clean and taken care of, finally, Zoro began washing his hair and body.

Leaning over the edge of the large tub, Sanji reached for the smokes he set on his change of
clothes. Quickly sparking up and tossing the lighter back down, he relaxed back into the water with
his elbows over the back. His cigarette was halfway gone when Zoro stepped in and sat down next
to him.

The swordsman lifted his arms to rest on the edge of the tub, his elbow, forearm, and wrist all right
against Sanji’s, who was painfully aware there was plenty of room to his left where Zoro didn’t
have to sit so close, yet he chose this proximity anyway.

After taking a long drag of his cigarette and holding the smoke deep in his lungs, Sanji exhaled
towards the ceiling of the bathroom. In the corner of his eye, he saw Zoro inhale the smell.
Remembering the incident when he found out Zoro had stolen his cigs, Sanji got the idea to reach
over and hover the cigarette right in front of Zoro’s mouth.

“Here.”

“Hm?” Zoro asked, opening his one good eye to see what was in front of him. He was busy trying
to shake the dreadful weight after feeling the scar that still managed to cover Sanji’s right foot.
While he washed the underside of it, he had thought over the years the skin would have healed it
over, but what did he know about burned skin? Zoro shivered at the memory of Kid-Sanji telling
him about it until Adult-Sanji brought him back again.

“Take a hit,” Sanji prompted and touched the butt to his lips, his fingers grazing Zoro’s smooth
chin.

Raising an eyebrow, Zoro looked over at the blonde. “I don’t smoke, you know that.”

Sanji returned the cigarette to his own mouth and sat back against the tub with a shrug. “Just
thought you’d want one since you smoked mine while I was gone.”

Next to him, Sanji felt Zoro stiffen for a split second, only to follow it up with a sigh of what
seemed to be defeat. “Yeah, I did have a few. It was like…” his voice trailed off and Sanji
wondered if he planned on saying anything else. “Nevermind, it’s dumb.”

Sanji flicked his hand against Zoro’s. “Just say it, shit-head.”

Zoro looked down at their hands that were rubbing against each other. The bones of their wrist, the
side of their palm, their pinky fingers...all of it was touching. “I think I was having some sort of
withdrawal or something. Like, my body craved the nicotine that had always been there because of
you, and when you were gone - well, the adult you was gone - but... I missed it,” Zoro finished
quietly. His hand covered over Sanji’s and gripped it tight while he turned to look at the blonde. “I
missed you, Sanji. Even though you were right here on the ship with us the whole time, I missed
you.”

His hand is warm, Sanji thought. All of this attention was starting to make him feel dizzy. Sanji
could hardly believe that a mere two weeks of babysitting turned this stoic meat-head into a pile of
gooey mush!

“Shit! Incoming!” Zoro released Sanji’s hand to cover up his junk below the water and pulled his
knees up to his chest. Sanji’s head whipped towards the door in a panic as he quickly stubbed his
cigarette out and followed suit by cupping his hands over his crotch for protection.

The door burst open to let a blur of red zoom through. It jumped in the tub and laughed as water
went everywhere. “Shishishi!!! I waited long enough!” Luffy said and began entangling himself
over Sanji. The blonde pulled his legs up to further shield himself all while shoving Luffy off,
yelling for him to at least wait until he was out of the bath. “No! Now!” he whined.

“Oi, oi!” Zoro said and grabbed the back of Luffy’s shirt and pulled him into his lap. “Let’em
breathe, will you?”

While the captain and First Mate struggled against each other, Sanji made his escape and started to
towel off before getting dressed.

“You’re always hogging Sanji!” Luffy shouted before sitting in the middle of the tub with a huff.
He crossed his arms and legs to pout.
The cook’s eyes darted to Zoro to see his reaction. The swordsman’s face was beet red with
embarrassment, even as he grimaced at his captain. “Oh my god, you motherfucker! I do NOT!” he
shouted and launched at Luffy, ducking his head under the water.

Each time Luffy managed to force himself above the waterline, he shouted, “Sanji-hogger!” and
then was immediately shoved back under to shut him up.

Sanji could feel his cheeks burning up, too. He knew Zoro spent a lot of time with him when he
was a kid because he experienced it first hand but it was so many years ago that he must have
forgotten the severity of the bond they had formed. Hearing the various crew members, Usopp,
Robin, and now Luffy, all saying things like this had him feeling just as embarrassed as Zoro.

Once his suit jacket was on, he tucked his cigarette pack into the breast pocket after he grabbed
one out. Flicking the flint on the lighter a few times, he lit up another cig and sucked in harshly to
calm his nerves. “Will you two quit it? You’re gonna cave the damn floor in,” he said while
exhaling. He set the stick to sit in his mouth while he buttoned his jacket, then plucked it off his
lips to swing around in front of him as he grew impatient. “Oi, are you listening! I’m sure the
marimo can learn to share me!”

Zoro froze hearing Sanji acknowledge this weird custody battle that arose. Luffy took full
advantage of that hesitancy and pushed a wave of water to smack into Zoro’s face that sent him
backward. “Okay!” Luffy said with innocence and hopped out of the tub. He grabbed Sanji’s used
towel from the rack and swung it around his shoulders in a horrible attempt to dry himself off. “I
came up here to ask you something, though.”

“Oh?” Sanji asked, the cigarette now between his teeth. “Ask away, Captain.” Sanji tried to avert
his penetrating gaze from Zoro as he climbed out of the tub and began getting himself dressed.
With his trench coat still in the queue to be washed, he decided on some black jeans and a plain
white t-shirt that hardly fit him. Sanji wondered if that was one of the shirts he used to wear two
years ago. Damn idiot. Does he even realize how much he’s bulked up since then?

Luffy was talking but Sanji couldn’t tear away from the muscles trapped under the cotton shirt
Zoro wore. Even as the man approached the two of them, he still openly stared.

“You’ll do it, then?” Luffy asked while bouncing on his heels.

“Hm? Huh?” Sanji said, shaking his head. “Do what?”

Luffy’s jaw fell open and his brow creased. “You weren’t listening!”

“Not at all,” the cook said with an arrogant attitude. He was trying to play it off but Zoro’s head
was cocked to the side with an eyebrow raised. Shit, he saw me.

“Did you even hear any of it?!” Luffy asked. “You’re so mean!”

“Alright, I’m listening this time. C’mon,” Sanji said and wrapped his arm around Luffy’s shoulder
to guide him out of the bathroom.

The ship’s captain sighed but started the conversation over again. “I said I was sorry we didn’t
have a real party when you were turned back into Big Sanji! Everyone was in a bad mood and it
wouldn’t have been fair to you to have a lame celebration.”

Emerging onto the top deck, Sanji listened carefully to Luffy’s apology. Now that he knew what he
had originally said, he felt bad that he was ogling the stupid swordsman and tuned Luffy out.
“Thank you, Captain. I understand. No need to worry,” Sanji said with a bright smile, and Luffy
smiled back just as bright.

“Shishishi! Does that mean you’re up for a party tonight, then?!” Luffy asked. “With lots of meat,
of course! Please?!”

This was what Sanji had been waiting for. Providing a huge meal for his nakama always made
Sanji happy. “Duh, baaaaka!” Sanji said and knocked Luffy over the head with his knuckles. “I
was just waiting for the word.”

___

In the kitchen, Brook helped Sanji prepare for tonight’s feast. Zoro entered after a little while,
unable to stay away from Sanji for long periods. Now that he knew Sanji didn’t feel any ill-will
towards him, he wanted to be by the cook’s side as much as he was allowed.

Leaning against the wall directly next to the door, Zoro watched with crossed arms as Sanji called
out to Brook for the ingredients or tools he needed for the next step in his cooking. The man was
no longer the Sous Chef Zoro had met a few years ago. This was the Head Chef of The Thousand
Sunny - Blackleg Sanji! It was a relief, honestly, to see the blonde back where he belongs doing
what he was born to do. Zoro couldn’t stop a laugh that formed in his chest.

“The fuck is so funny?” Sanji snarled without turning. He continued chopping up an ungodly sized
piece of crab meat at an alarming speed.

“Just thinkin,” Zoro said, another laugh spilling out.

Irritated, Sanji slammed his knife down and turned halfway to look at the swordsman. “Well think
quieter, shit-head. You’re annoying me.” Sanji returned to his work, his bristles standing up in a
huff. He didn’t mind an audience when he worked, it never bothered him - including Zoro. But
after what Zoro had done for him in the bath, god, he needed time to think alone without the stupid,
meat-head swordsman hovering around him!

One day Sanji was bickering with Zoro, never thinking he’d get anywhere with the man he had
fallen in love with and the next god damn day he learned that very man wanted to raise him only to
give him a better life! Then the following day, he learned that very man missed him like crazy and
ended up abusing himself because he didn’t feel worthy to be in Sanji’s presence anymore - and
then the next fucking day again - the very man bathed him because he wanted to!

Even when the marimo got close to my crotch, the idiot didn’t even care. He was the least bit
worried that it could have ended up really awkward, instead, he cared for me in the least sexual
manner possible. Rethinking about the encounter, Sanji’s hackles stood on end again. What the
hell was all that about?!

Zoro’s laughing once again tore his thoughts away. “Goddammit, Zoro. What are you laughing
at?!” he yelled, turning to face the other.

Zoro held his hands out in front of him as if he was trying to play nice and show he was innocent.
“Nothing, nothing. Just remembering it wasn’t too long ago that you stood on a chair to reach the
counter to cook,” he said. He looked to Sanji and tried to hold a straight face but then burst into
another fit of laughter. “And how much you cried because you sucked at cooking!!! You cried so
much and hid in that closet to pout!”
By now, Sanji’s face was beet red, his fists balled up at his sides. Brook had backed away deeper
into the kitchen to give way for what was to come. Sanji launched forward and kicked a foot out at
Zoro to swing it down over his head as hard as he could, hoping he’d crack it in half and his stupid,
tiny little brain would seep out! Brook hopped the counter and left the kitchen through the
infirmary, scared for his life (at least what was left of it - yohohohoho! )

With ease, Zoro dodged while still laughing, clutching his stomach with each step back while Sanji
repeatedly brought his heel down to strike. “You looked so pathetic! Crying because you sucked at
cooking! A tiny little snot-nosed kid who couldn’t make a god damn grilled cheese!”

“Shut up!” Sanji yelled. The next kick he tried to land, Zoro caught in his fist, his grip tight enough
that Sanji couldn’t pull loose. The blonde grimaced at the other, practically growling under his
breath.

Zoro’s gaze locked onto a blue eye while he walked forward and pressed on Sanji’s leg, making it
go higher in the air the closer he came. By time Zoro stood less than an inch from him, Sanji’s leg
was vertical to his body, Zoro’s grip still just as tight as he refused to let him go.

Sanji was sure to stand his ground. The swordsman may have caught him but that didn’t mean he
lost. His balance was impeccable, so no matter how far his leg went up, he didn’t falter. Zoro could
bend it further backward past his shoulder for all he cared, it wouldn’t topple him.

“You’re pretty flexible, huh?” Zoro said, breaking eye-contact and tracing up the long, slender leg
he held. “Guess I never realized how easily you bend.”

If Sanji’s face was red from before, it was absolute crimson at this point. Instead of being angry, he
was now fully embarrassed by what Zoro had said so casually! Doesn’t he realize how sexual that
sounds?!

Does this mean he’s like...flirting? Is this Zoro’s idea of flirting? Sanji looked at Zoro for answers
but the brute was still running his eye up and down the length of the leg while squeezing the ankle.
Well, if there's any time to take the next step, it has to be now, right? Sanji lifted his chin to look
down his nose at the other and said in his best low, husky voice, “If you were looking to get my
legs in the air, Marimo, all you had to do was ask.”

Zoro’s eye returned to the chef’s but this time, there was confusion. “Wh...huh?” he asked and
cocked his head to the side.

Immediately realizing Zoro was indeed not flirting with him whatsoever, Sanji used this moment as
a distraction and broke his leg free, letting it slam on top of the green head in front of him. Zoro
used both hands to clutch the sore spot, rubbing it to ease the pain.

“Oi, oi, I was only joking,” he said as he watched Sanji turn on his heel to get back to making
dinner. Zoro made his way over to the bar and sat down. “I was just trying to rile ya up.”

“Well, mission accomplished,” Sanji huffed.

For the remaining time, Brook never returned to give his help, which didn’t bother Sanji in the
least bit. Before this whole ordeal, he made every meal by himself every day anyway. He worked
better on his own because this kitchen was his. All the utensils, tools, spices, everything - it was all
organized by him to efficiently meet his needs. It was nice to have Brook in here, but he could get
things finished faster without him.

Eventually, Sanji forgot Zoro behind him and made up for lost time on the food. The swordsman
had watched Sanji cook but ended up falling asleep, his cheek pressed against the bartop while he
lightly snored.

Sanji walked around the counter to stand next to Zoro. His eyes traced his sleeping form, watching
his back slowly move up and down as he breathed.

Just on the other side of him was a small carving of Santoryu made by Sanji himself, a little token
reminding him of everything that happened those two, short weeks of his seven-year-old self it
really did happen. He remembered the reason he doodled three swords. Zoro was the coolest
person he knew, and that included a robot man, a talking skeleton, and a reindeer with a medical
license. He idolized him. He loved Zoro back then, and now as an adult, he was in love with him.
In love with a directionally-challenged neanderthal who only knew how to drink and cut. Sanji
smiled and returned his gaze to the sleeping swordsman.

“Oi,” he said, gently kicking the stool he sat on. When he didn’t wake, Sanji grit his teeth with
impatience and kneed Zoro in the ribs. “OI!”

“Hah?!” Zoro snapped, lifting his head in a hurry. Rubbing his side, he glared at Sanji. “What you
want? I was nappin.”

“Try this,” Sanji said and held a chunk of white meat in front of Zoro’s mouth. Sanji watched him
eye it and then look up at him for more information. “It’s crab leg.”

“Oh. Give it here, then,” Zoro said lazily and reached to take the piece of meat.

Sanji pulled his hand away and scowled down at the other. Using Zoro’s own words against him,
Sanji quietly said, “Let me?” then brought the meat to his lips. Zoro skeptically opened his mouth,
allowing Sanji to place the meat on his tongue, then quickly brought his other hand around to put
the end of a spoon in his mouth. “Close.”

Zoro complied, closing his mouth over the spoon. Sanji pulled it backward, revealing a creamy
sauce to mix with the crab. At first taste, Zoro’s eye burst open with surprise. The richness of the
sauce accentuated the natural salt of the sea in the crab, not masking it but complimenting it. The
longer he chewed, his eye eventually closed, unable to ignore the earthy, buttery taste of -
“Avocado?” Zoro said around a mouthful. When he looked up at Sanji, he was grinning from ear to
ear, nodding and urging him to go on.

Switching the food to the other side of his mouth gave the immediate electric zip to the tastebuds in
the back of his jaw, clenching tight at the tangy taste of - “Lime?”

“Yes, I added extra!” Sanji said, leaning in as he was all too eager to hear what else Zoro thought.

Zoro swallowed. “That was...perfect,” Zoro breathed. He opened his mouth to continue speaking
but stopped short as the aftertaste began to creep up on him. When he looked back to Sanji for an
answer, it was as if his reaction was expected.

“Hot, isn’t it?” he asked. Zoro nodded, a smile forming at the corner of his lips. “That’s the kicker!
It’s just a simple creamy avocado sauce! You only add in lime, sour cream, cumin, and hot pepper
sauce. I always, always add in heavy whipping cream though to boost the fluffiness. Wasn’t it
super fluffy?” Sanji pressed, inches away from Zoro now. The swordsman put a hand over his
mouth to suppress a laugh, making his eyes scrunch up in the corners when he couldn’t hide his
smile. “What?” the cook almost whined with embarrassment, his smile beginning to fade.

“You’re making that face,” Zoro said after uncovering his mouth. Sanji stood tall again, almost
defensively, unsure of what Zoro was talking about. “The All Blue face. You do it when you’re the
happiest.”

A warming sensation let Sanji know his face had flushed from the sudden comment.
“Yeah...right,” he admitted quietly as he turned back into the kitchen.

“Hey,” said Zoro, waiting for Sanji to look at him. “The crab still tasted like the sea.” Sanji fully
turned with a frown, thinking Zoro was insulting him. “Never had the fishy taste actually be good,
but yours was like...it was like…” Zoro tapped on the counter trying to find the right words to
describe what he was thinking. He wanted to make sure he conveyed his thoughts accurately. He
was no good with words and he was even worse when he was trying to describe food besides
‘good’ and ‘yummy’. “It’s like you took advantage of the salt or...something?”

Zoro must have said the right thing because the All Blue smile returned in a flash, a toothy grin
radiating it’s brightness across the kitchen and blinding the swordsman. The cook didn’t say
anything more as he was busy with the food, but nothing more needed to be said.

Zoro stayed awake for the remainder of the time that Sanji put the finishing touches on the feast
they were about to be served. He felt content seeing Sanji live part of his dream out by being the
best chef there was in the whole damn world - right here on the Sunny. We’re lucky to have him, he
thought to himself. His mouth salivated remembering the bursting flavors from just that one small
piece of meat. He wondered what would happen if he had more, how much could he handle at
once?! God, will Luffy even savor the flavor?!

The cook twirled around the kitchen, humming to himself with a cigarette dangling from his lips.
The fourth batch of crab legs steamed in a giant pot while Sanji whipped up some more dipping
sauce, then threw it in the fridge to chill. Replacing the legs for a fifth batch, Sanji then pulled
some of the more elegant glasses down after producing a few bottles of wine.

Zoro counted seven glasses. “Oi, you got one too many. I ain’t gonna drink that shit.”

Sanji stopped in front of him to lean over the counter with a sigh. “After tasting my food just a
moment ago, you’re still going to doubt my capabilities to pair a perfect wine with it?” Without
waiting for Zoro to answer, Sanji worked the cork top open which came loose with a low pop and
poured a proper glass. Fingers around the stem, Sanji carried the glass to the counter with the
finished steamed crab legs, plucked a chunk off and swiped it in the dipping sauce. Now standing
in front of Zoro, he motioned for him to open his mouth again.

Zoro’s lip twitched in annoyance. “I hate wine,” he growled, turning his face away like the
stubborn asshole he was.

“Zoro,” Sanji warned. “You trust me, right?” he asked and he knew he struck a chord because the
swordsman jerked his head around to meet Sanji’s pleading gaze.

“With my life.”

“Then trust me when I say you will like this. I’m your personal chef, don’t you think I know your
taste by now?”

Hearing it said like that, there wasn’t room for Zoro to argue much further. Quietly nodding his
head, he allowed Sanji to feed him once again. After he swallowed, Sanji wasted no time in putting
the glass to his lips and waiting for Zoro to grab on.

Zoro growled when the cook forced the glass to his mouth too fast because it clinked against his
teeth, but when he drank the wine and let it set in his mouth, swishing it around to gain all the
hidden flavors just the way Sanji instructed him, he had to admit he was wrong. “Well, god damn.”
Zoro threw the rest of the glass back in one gulp and handed it back to Sanji. “Guess you were
right. It was like they were made to go together.”

“It’s a dry Reisling. Goes well with warm crab meat,” the blonde said. “See? I know your tastes
better than you do.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zoro said, lazily waving the cook off. “Your ego is already pretty big without me
stroking it, don’t you think?”

“I don’t need you to stroke it. I already know I’m the best.” Sanji removed the cigarette from his
mouth to stick his tongue out at the other like the mature adult he was. “Make yourself useful and
call everyone in here. It’s done.”

___

All nine Straw Hats sat at the table together for the first time in over two weeks. As always, the
cook was the last one to be seated as he was always busting his ass to care for everyone else
besides himself. Zoro watched him take the spot he normally occupied, the seat to Luffy’s left and
directly across from Zoro himself.

He didn’t even realize how much he had been expecting Sanji to sit next to him instead. The cook
sat and then there was a heavy knot in Zoro’s stomach like someone had punched him in the gut.

“What’s wrong, Swordsman-san?” Robin said slyly in his ear giving him a startle. “Missing the
little cook, are you?”

Zoro recoiled and grimaced at her. “Shaddap.” Robin giggled.

In addition to the meat and dipping sauce, there was a medley of steamed vegetables, thick, chunky
mashed potatoes, and hundreds of yeast rolls. It was astonishing how Sanji managed to make
everything from scratch. It dawned on Zoro how underappreciated Sanji was. He started with the
bread dough a little before noon and he worked this whole time...all for what? Twenty minutes of
people gorging themselves? That’s it? He works all day at three meals, snacks and drinks in
between, and sometimes dessert, but gets nothing in return. Even after being shot!

As Zoro slowly chewed his food, careful to savor every last bit, he thought of what the cook would
want in return. Even while stabbing his butter knife into Luffy’s wandering hand to keep him away
from his plate, he wondered what Sanji wanted most.

“Oh, Sanji-kun! This wine is perfect! You’re so good at pairing!” Nami complimented, and took
another sip.

Hearts for eyes, Sanji swooned hearing Nami say such a thing to him. “Nami-swaaaan! I picked it
just for you! I thought of nothing but satisfying your delicate palette, my dear!”

It was then that Zoro had an idea. Nami would be good for him!
___

Down to the last roll, everyone was stuffed. Chopper cried because his belly had bloated up and
Luffy was stuck in place as his fat had wedged himself between the table and chair.

Sanji tilted his glass back downing the rest of the liquid and placed it down gently on the table. He
fished around his breast pocket for his pack of smokes, lit up, and took a long pull to coat his lungs
with enough nicotine to satisfy their hunger. Leaning backward in the chair, Sanji balanced himself
in place while he exhaled the smoke into the air above them. Then, without even enjoying the
entire cigarette while off his feet, he sat up and began to clear the table.

“Whoa, what are you doing?” Zoro asked, abruptly standing and grabbing Sanji by the wrist across
the table. “You did enough. Me and Robin will take care of this.”

“Hah!?” Sanji shouted around his cig. “As if I’d let a lady do the cleaning!”

With that, Robin stood. “It’s okay, Cook-san. Let us help you.” Robin gave her trademark, closed-
mouth smile followed by a light giggle.

Still not agreeing, Sanji ripped his wrist from Zoro’s grasp and continued stacking plates and other
dishes. “Oh, Robin…” Sanji whispered when two sprouted hands grabbed a hold of his to stop him
from doing anything more.

“Zoro-san and I will do the dishes,” she said once more, this time with that motherly tone you
didn’t dare disobey. Sanji nodded his head weakly displaying he understood properly this time.

One by one, the crew filtered out of the kitchen and out onto the open deck. Usopp had to roll the
captain out on his side because he was still unable to walk by himself. Sanji was the last one to
leave, and with great reluctance, he eventually gave up and left with the others - but not before
grabbing some finger food for Luffy for later.

“Thanks,” Zoro murmured while setting the dirty dishes into the sink. “He would never have
listened if you didn’t insist.”

“I know,” Robin hummed.

It took barely any time at all to do most of the dishes with Robin’s Devil Fruit and Zoro felt a little
guilty that he barely did anything. By the time he had gathered all the silverware for her, Robin had
all the plates, platters, and serving dishes done and sitting in the drying rack. Zoro shook his head
in disbelief while he stored the remaining dipping sauce in the icebox.

Robin leaned against the sink counter and watched as Zoro wiped the table and other counters
down then threw the soiled rag in the small container under the sink where Sanji normally
discarded them. “All done?” she asked.

The swordsman looked around one last time to make sure they got everything and when he felt like
it was up to par for Sanji’s high standards, he gave her a curt nod with hands on his hips. When
Robin pushed away from the counter, Zoro remembered something. “Wait!” he said, probably a
little more excitedly than he had intended.

“Hm? Did we miss something?” Robin asked and scanned her surroundings.

“No, I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

This had thoroughly piqued Robin’s curiosity. “Oh? Whatever about?”

Zoro casually gestured to the dining room table for her to sit and once Robin took a seat, Zoro
followed. “I know I ain’t all that smart when it comes to -” he stopped to flip his hand over and
over while he searched for words. “-uh, a lot of things,” he admitted. Robin giggled but let him
continue. “But I was thinkin something earlier and I wanted to run it by you because you’re...uhm.
You know, not stupid?”

Robin laced her fingers together and set them in her lap. “Sure.”

“Right,” Zoro started, glad Robin was following along. “Do you think San- er, do you think the
cook does a lot for us?”

A smile pulled at the corners of Robin’s lips. “Ah. I see. I can agree Cook-san is very attentive to
our needs, yes.”

“That’s what I thought, too,” Zoro said quickly as soon as Robin answered. “Since he is all caring
and shit, don’t you think he like, I dunno, deserves something...nice in return?” Zoro finished by
picking at a chip in the table, suddenly feeling foolish for bringing this up.

Robin, on the other hand, thought this was very interesting to hear from their fellow swordsman.
“That’s very thoughtful of you, Zoro-san. I think Sanji-san deserves to be treated just as well as he
treats us. Did you have something in mind?” she asked. One of her eyebrows lifts.

Zoro slowly nods and returns his attention to the women before him. “Yeah, I think I have an idea
but I don’t know how to go about it cause I ain’t all that good at that lovey-dovey shit.”

Now both of Robin’s eyebrows were almost reaching her hairline. “W-what?” she stuttered. Zoro
looked at her with confusion as he’s rarely heard her lose her cool before.

“You know, like the romance type of bullshit. I don’t know anything about it so it’s why I came to
you. Kinda trust you’d help me out.” Zoro scratched at the back of his neck with an awkward
smile, hoping it would persuade Robin to his side.

“Romance?” Robin echoed, still unable to believe her ears. “You are interested in Cook-san?”

This surprised Zoro. “What? What the hell made you think I was talking about me?” he asked,
pointing to himself. “I was thinking maybe we should talk to Nami and see how she feels about
him. I don’t think that idiot will ever grow the pair of balls it takes to approach her seriously.”

Robin returned her facial expression to her normal aloof manner and tucked away the idea that
Zoro did not entirely answer her question, but chose to let it slide. “Ah, you think because he
swoons over her that he is interested in being romantically involved with her.”

The swordsman made a sour face and said, “Uh, yes? Isn’t that obvious?”

“Does he not swoon over me, too, though? Does that mean he is interested in being romantically
involved with me, as well?” Zoro shrugged but nodded that he thought so. “What about the other
women he encounters? Do you think because he gives all women that special attention that he
wants to pursue them all?”

“Shit, I guess! I don’t know, Robin! That’s why I fuckin came to you, dammit!”

Robin smiled patiently and rested an elbow on the table to lean her cheek into her hand. “I’d like to
make sure we’re on the same page. You are saying because the cook does nice things for the crew
all the time, you and I should help him...hmm...find love, to put it simply?”

“Yeah, I guess. Sounds silly when you say it like that, though. I just figured what’s a Love Cook
without the happy ending?”

“Hmm. You don’t think that he has already found love?” Robin asks him. Zoro doesn’t speak right
away, only searches in the blue eyes for an answer to her question. Outside on the deck, screaming,
whooping, and yelling can be heard from the others starting the celebration without them. Each
hoot and holler is muffled by the thick Adam wood walls that divide them.

“It sure don’t seem like it the way he twirls around like a goddamn virgin, gettin bloody noses at
the first sight of a pair of tits,” Zoro huffed, and rubbed circles over the side of his temple. “Look,
are you gonna help me or just say all that cryptic shit like you always do? Didn’t I just start this
conversation with ‘I’m stupid, help me’?!”

Robin openly laughed, a hand covering her mouth. Once she settled back down, she beckoned for
Zoro to lean closer to her. He rolled his one good eye but did as she wanted. “What if I knew Cook-
san wasn’t interested in our dear navigator? That his heart has long belonged to someone else?”

Zoro sat back in shock. “Don’t fuck with me. He loves Nami.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Cause - cause he does the twirly thing like I said!”

Reminding Zoro that Sanji does ‘the twirly thing’ for all women, Robin then encourages Zoro to
get to know Sanji better to find out who it is. “That way, you can give him the gift that he wants
most.”

Zoro dropped his gaze and wondered what the absolute fuck Robin was talking about. Does she
honestly believe that Sanji doesn't love Nami? He waits on her hand and foot day in and day out.

“So?” Robin said, interrupting his thoughts. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re nuts.”

___

The sun had begun to set by now, the sky lighting up everything in a bright orange hue, contrasted
against the long, dark shadows across the ship. Franky pulled out the portable campfire and the
flames reached high, licking their way to freedom above.

Brook was tuning up his violin off on the side while everyone chatted happily. Luffy had properly
digested his food and was back to his normal noodle-arm self. At the sound of the kitchen door
opening, Luffy shouted, “ZORO!” and smiled a toothy grin.

On a short, stool-like seat, Sanji sat holding his hands out by the fire. With the sun setting, the cool
air blowing off the ocean and across Sunny made him feel chilly even under the suit jacket. When
Luffy shouted Zoro’s name, he turned to look over his shoulder. “Bout time you got done. Didn’t
think dishes would take that long if Robin-chwan helped,” he pouted.
Zoro grunted his reply and walked over to the railing to isolate himself. He watched his whole
crew all together and happy for a few minutes, then turned around to face the ocean and watch the
last moments the sun would be visible. As soon as the small sliver of gold sunk behind the horizon,
Luffy came up behind him and wrapped his arms tight around his torso.

“Hey, Luff,” Zoro said with a chuckle and raised an arm to look under it at the rubbery man.

“Come sit with ussssss, I missed you these past two days!” Luffy whined and squeezed his arms to
reinforce his request. “Don’t be over here by yerself!”

Zoro told his captain he planned on joining everyone, to which Luffy released his death grip and
instead stood beside his First Mate. “I was just gathering some thoughts together, is all. Needed a
few moments.”

“Oooooh!!!” Luffy said with wide eyes and his tongue lolled out. “Thinkin about that crab meat?!
Wasn’t it good?! I want more! Didja see anymore in there when you were cleanin up?”

“Ha, no, Luff. We ate it all,” Zoro said and patted his hand over Luffy’s head when his captain
sagged with sadness.

“Oh...I guess that’s okay. Anyway, what were ya thinkin about, then?”

Zoro retracted his hand to run through his own short, green hair. “Ah, nothin really. Just stuff.”
Zoro wasn’t sure how much of it Luffy would even understand so what was the point in bringing it
up?

“Hahh? ‘Just stuff’? Sounds mysterious. Orrrr maybe not!” his captain said and hung his arms
around Zoro’s neck, pulling his feet up so the swordsman supported all his weight. “Tell me, tell
me, tell meeeee!”

How was he supposed to deny his idiot captain when he was acting all cute and stupid like this?
Zoro sighed. “Alright, alright. You might know the answer, who knows. Sometimes that rubber
brain of yours works like a real human’s.” The brunette let go and propped himself up on the
railing facing Zoro waiting to hear what he had to say. “Do you think -”

“Not usually,” Luffy quickly interrupted.

“Oh my god, do you want to hear it or not?!” Zoro whisper-yelled before looking behind him to see
if any of the others were listening. Everyone was busy laughing and talking still, but across the fire
sat Sanji, who stared straight back at Zoro with his piercing blue eye. Zoro whipped back around in
a panic. “I was trying to say...do you think Sanji has someone he loves?”

Luffy laughed and said, “Duh! He loves Nami and Robin!”

“That’s exactly what I said! And-”

“And Chopper, and Franky, and Brook, and me, and even you, Zoro!” Luffy continued. “Sanji is a
loving person. He also loves food and-”

“No, not what I meant, Luffy,” Zoro said, waving his hand to quiet his captain. “I mean like, you
know, a romantic love. Like, is Sanji in love with someone?”

Luffy’s smile faded and his face grew more serious. “Oooh. I see.” The Straw Hat Captain looked
over to his chef who was engaging with Usopp and put a hand to his chin in deep thought. He
‘hmmmmm’d’ for a long time and Zoro began to grow impatient but then Luffy blurted, “Why ya
wanna know?”

Zoro’s face crinkled in annoyance that he had to explain himself, it just sounded so childish now!
“Cause I wanna talk to that person and see if they share the same feelings. Sanj- uh, I mean, Curly
does a lot for us and I was thinkin we could do something in return.” Zoro let out a breath of defeat.
“You know, find the Love Cook some love or whatever.”

Luffy burst into laughter and almost fell backward off the railing into the dark sea below. Zoro
grabbed his vest and yanked him up until he regained his balance and waited to see why the hell
his captain was making fun of him. “Ooooooh! You really don’t know, do you, Zoro? Yer stupid.”

As Luffy still spat in his face as he laughed, Zoro yelled, “That’s why I’m askin! You know what,
just forget I said anything.” The swordsman leaned over and rested his elbows on the railing in
defeat. Why did I even bother asking this idiot, anyway?

Eventually, Luffy came down from his fit of laughter. “Okay,” was all he said and hopped down to
join back up with everyone else, leaving Zoro by himself.

___

...a few minutes prior…

Sanji watched Luffy hang all over Zoro, no doubt testing the brute’s patience. His captain yanked
at his neck, pulling the taller of the two down, whining in his ear. For so long it had seemed there
was only one person in this entire world who could make Zoro a pile a mush, and it was Luffy. It
became clear, though, that Sanji should now consider himself to be the same exception.

While Sanji was in deep thought, Zoro had turned around to scan over the crew. They suddenly
locked eyes and Sanji didn’t dare blink, but the moment was cut short because Zoro had a look of
panic and whipped back around to talk to Luffy. That was odd, Sanji thought.

“Here!” Usopp said excitedly and bumped shoulders with him. The sniper was holding a drink out
for him. “You need to loosen up. You’re super tense!” After Sanji took the cup, Usopp clapped his
back a few times with a laugh.

“Uh, right. Thanks.” Sanji took his first sip and continued to stare at Zoro’s back in that impossibly
tight t-shirt from under golden bangs. “What do you think they’re talking about?” he asked quietly.

“Hah?” Usopp asked and fully turned to face his friend to hear him better. “Did you say
something?”

Sanji waited for Chopper to waddle by and hop into Robin’s lap before he repeated his question. “I
asked what you thought Luffy and Zoro were talking about?”

The cook flicked his head over to the two crew members by the railing and Usopp followed his
gaze. He laughed, gulped on his drink, wiped his mouth off on his wrist, and said, “To be honest,
probably you!”
That was exactly what Sanji was thinking but he didn’t think he was being reasonable, only thought
he was being self-centered. Zoro’s eye bulged when they made eye-contact and he turned around
so fast he thought he’d start spinning in place. It was just a hunch but he couldn’t shake the feeling
that his name was being tossed around over there. “What makes you say that?”

Again, Usopp laughed. “Dude, Zoro has been all over you these past two weeks! He was like a
total dedicated babysitter and everything!” Usopp giggled a little and threw back the rest of his
drink. Sanji watched him make a new one, lean over to check if Sanji’s was empty and when he
saw it was hardly touched, he pushed up on the bottom so the cook had to take a drink. “Seriously,
drink. You’re stiffer than a board. This party is for you, you know!”

The party was indeed for him. Sanji looked around and loved how Robin tickled Chopper’s furry
sides, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes because she had no mercy. Franky and Nami were
off to a decent start on the drinking match, Sanji knew Zoro would be upset that he wasn’t
included. By the sounds of it, Brook was almost finished re-tuning his violin and would most likely
be joining them soon to provide entertainment. They all had a wonderful dinner and were ready to
party because he had been safely returned to an adult.

“Yeap!” Usopp continued. “It was either all about you or Robin!”

That grabbed Sanji’s attention. “Excuse me? What’s this about him and Robin?”

The sniper casually pointed to Zoro’s back and elaborated. “He and Robin seemed to get pretty
close while you were gone. If he wasn’t with you, he was with her! Or both, now that I think about
it…” Usopp trailed off muttering to himself.

Luffy was bouncing over to them now, shamelessly climbing up Franky’s back to perch. His arm
stretched until it met with a little snack Sanji had laid out for him, then recoiled and snapped back
into place. Zoro was still at the railing, his back facing them.

Deep in his gut, Sanji felt that he should go over to talk to him but decided against it. The mere
mention of Zoro getting close to Robin made his stomach twist in a knot, especially when he
thought about them staying in the kitchen together after dinner. Instead, he downed his drink in one
go and pushed the cup to Usopp to make him another. “Don’t let me go without a drink in my
hands for more than a minute until I pass the fuck out.”

___

Neither of those conversations helped me at all, Zoro thought. Robin said Sanji already had
someone he loved but it wasn’t Nami...and then I don’t know if I’m thinking straight here, but I feel
like Luffy knows who that person is, too. How the fuck could Luffy know if I didn’t know? Am I that
oblivious to everyone on the ship that Luffy, of all people, knows something about a crew member
that I don’t?! This is coming from the person who falls asleep when he hears anyone’s sob story.
This guy doesn’t give a shit what you’ve been through in your past, he only wants your future. This
guy knows something about Sanji, something personal, and I don’t.

Pushing off the railing, aggravation clouding his mind, he returned to everyone around the fire.
After that, it was easy to let things slip from his mind and enjoy the party for Sanji’s return. Once
he had a strange, mixed drink in his hand from Usopp, Zoro realized he no longer had to keep a
clear head to look out for a kid! In his excitement, he swallowed the whole drink. “Blagh!” he said,
bringing the cup down to his knee. “What in hell was that?”

The bottles of alcohol at the sniper’s feet all looked like they had some sort of fruit in it and Zoro
wanted to throw up just thinking about what prissy-ass drink he just put in his body.

“Drink this instead, bro!” Franky said and tossed him a can of beer. Zoro caught it with ease and
turned it over to read the label. It was some weird brand he’d never heard of, probably something
from that last island they were on.

“Oh, shit,” Zoro said to himself as another thought occurred to him. “Oi, where is Quillard?”

Nami turned to face him, no sign at all that she had been drinking even though there was a pile of
cans littered at her feet. “We let him off the ship while you were gone. Said our goodbyes and Sanji
sent him off with a bento, of course.”

“Huh. I...didn’t get the chance to thank him,” Zoro said more to himself but the others had heard.
The piercing sound of an ice-cold beer can being popped open filled the air. After she had made
Franky match her drink count, Nami returned to ask why Zoro would want to thank Quillard. The
swordsman thought it was obvious. “Uh, because he returned Sanji back without us having to
threaten him again?” he said and when Nami, Franky, and Usopp stared at him, he added, “And for
not making any more trouble by using his power on anyone else.”

Sanji had turned his attention to Zoro when he heard his name, ears pricked. He wanted to engage
in this particular conversation but felt like he didn’t belong. This time-frame they were talking
about was technically when he wasn’t here, at least not this Sanji. He felt as if he would be
intruding if he piped in now.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Nami said with a shrug. “By the way, before he left the ship, he told me to tell
you he was sorry, Zoro.”

“Hah? Sorry?”

She shrugged again while downing her beer, then thumbed for Franky to follow suit. “Dunno, he
didn’t explain.”

Huh. That’s weird. And now he’s gone and I won’t ever get to know what in hell that means. Zoro
growled to himself, though he tried to not let it bother him. That guy was a shit-excuse for a pirate
with an extremely dangerous Devil Fruit on his hands. It worried him that they turned him loose
instead of dropping him off on the Navy’s front porch with a big, shiny red bow wrapped around
his fat tummy. Zoro wondered why Quillard would be sorry at all when he and Luffy laid waste to
his crew. Whatever. He’s gone and I have Sanji back.

Zoro stilled. Little droplets of condensation ran over his fist from the can of beer and Zoro watched
as they trickled down. What was that? He thought and swallowed back a lump in his throat. What I
meant was ‘we’ have Sanji back.

___

The rest of the night ended up becoming way crazier than Zoro had expected. Not that he would
ever partake in all the games, but Sanji got really into them. As Zoro drank in his spot propped
against the mainmast, he watched the blonde let loose and wild out. It’d been a few hours and Sanji
didn’t show any signs of slowing down with his drinks. Each time he finished one, Zoro watched
Ussop push another in his hand.

“Something wrong, Swordsman-san?” Robin asked cooly. Zoro looked up at her with an
inquisitive look. “You’re scowling.”

“Aren’t I always,” Zoro groaned and tried waving the woman away, but to his discomfort, she sat
next to him. “Nothing’s wrong, woman. Go away.”

Taking Zoro’s shitty twenty-one-year-old attitude in stride, Robin hummed a giggle around a tight
smile. “Watching the little Cook still?”

Zoro’s lip went up defensively at the joke. “M’not. Just happen to be lookin that way,” he said and
threw back the rest of his beer, crumpling the can in his fist. An arm popped out of the grass
nearby to grab a new beer, then it tossed it over, the green-haired man catching it. “Maybe I was
done drinkin.”

“Maybe it was for me and you simply caught it,” Robin said and held her hand out for the drink.

Zoro gave it over and let his eye scan across the boat to look at his nakama. Franky had taken up
his guitar to assist Brook with his songs and since then the entertainment had been louder and
crazier, which he didn’t mind. What he did mind, though, was Sanji acting strangely. He never got
this drunk, maybe two or three drinks max but this was his eighth cup of the night. Zoro scoffed to
himself.

Robin waited patiently for Zoro to say what was on his mind knowing damn well it was only a
matter of seconds until…

“So you know who it is but you won’t tell me?” he whined, practically begged. “If it’s not Nami, is
it you?”

“Oh, Heavens no!” Robin said and laughed, a hand came up to cover her mouth.

“Then who?! Some mermaid we met back on Fishman Island?” Zoro desperately asked. It went
quiet between the two of them and for a moment they sat there watching everyone horse around,
raising Hell: Straw Hat Style.

Zoro turned his head to look at the woman next to him. The beer can was resting against her chin
just below her lips. Her big, blue eyes were there waiting to connect with Zoro’s and it would have
startled him if he hadn’t already felt her staring. “You want to help him that bad, hm?

“I want to make him happy,” Zoro corrected.

“Well,” she said and got to her feet, dusting off her bottom to rid little pieces of grass. “Why don’t
you ask him yourself?”

Ptsh, as if I could do that, Zoro thought to himself as he watched Robin slink away. Feeling sleep
creeping upon him, he rested his hands behind his head and closed his eye. Completely ignoring
the pair of eyes he felt on him, Zoro drifted off to sleep while the crew continued without him.

___
After dozing off for a few hours, Zoro was suddenly woken up by Robin, her hand laid gently on
his shoulder. She smiled softly and said, “The fire has gone out and we’re heading to bed. Would
you like me to take little Cook-san from you?”

Blinking away the sleep from his eye, Zoro looked around where his crewmates were some time
ago. This felt a little like déjà vu to him, like he’d already gone through this with Robin.

Last he remembered, Luffy was tangling his fingers in Usopp’s hair and Sanji had four cigarettes in
his mouth. He’s such an idiot, Zoro thought with a smile.

“I take that as a no?” Robin said, interrupting his thoughts.

Zoro snapped his gaze up. “What?”

The brunette pointed her finger at Zoro’s middle with a devilish grin across her face. He followed
to where she was pointing and stiffened at the sight of Sanji laying over him!

The moonlight lit the deck up, highlighting Sanji’s pale skin. Zoro noticed the faintest smile while
he slept. All that partying must have worn him out, Zoro thought. Without realizing what he was
doing, Zoro’s hand came up to brush golden bangs back to expose his dumb eyebrows.

Robin, already knowing the answer, left to the girl’s room for the night without another word,
leaving Sanji and Zoro by themselves.

Awake and staring down at a beautiful blonde, Zoro wasn’t in a hurry to get them to bed. He spent
the next few minutes listening to Sanji’s deep breathing while he combed through his soft hair.
Sanji had planted himself next to the swordsman but his upper half was in Zoro’s lap, his legs
curled around Zoro’s back, and his arms wrapped around his middle. He could feel Sanji’s fingers
under his haramaki and was surprised his usually freezing fingers didn’t wake him when they
wiggled their way in.

Supposing they ought to head to bed sooner rather than later, Zoro sighed and heaved Sanji up into
his arms and stood tall. The blonde stirred a little, his eyes peeking open. “Z-Zoro?” he said
sleepily. When the other grunted in confirmation, Sanji readjusted his arms to hold around Zoro’s
neck and nuzzled his head into the soft cotton of the t-shirt below him.

Entering the boy’s bunk room, Zoro tried to be as quiet as possible when he laid Sanji into his bed,
using the small bit of moonlight to guide his feet across the floorboards. He had a little difficulty
because the damn blonde refused to let him go but eventually he pried his arms off him and Sanji
landed with a thump in his bunk. The collision made his bed shake on the chains it was attached to,
therefore shaking Usopp’s as well. The sniper groaned in his sleep.

Zoro had managed to wiggle the suit jacket off and when he made for unbuttoning the dress-shirt,
Sanji started to giggle like a school-girl. Zoro shushed him as he leaned over and tried hurrying
before everyone woke up. “Shh! Let me get this off you, dammit!”

Then suddenly, Sanji grabbed the front of his shirt in both fists and yanked him down until their
lips crashed together. Sanji moaned into it, snaking his hands over Zoro’s chest to make their way
behind his head.

When Zoro’s brain caught up with reality, he jerked out of Sanji’s hold, hitting his head and back
on the bunk above him. Usopp groaned again, probably a little meaner this time, but Zoro didn’t
notice. All he knew was Sanji had kissed him and was now looking up at him with a drunken
smile. Zoro was frozen in his place, his back pressed so hard against Usopp’s bed he was sure he
 was lifting it up. His heart raced.

Sanji lifted a hand and outlined the scar on Zoro’s chest, right over the shirt as if it wasn’t even
there at all, as if he had memorized its exact placement and could do it in his sleep. The two fingers
traced over the bumpy skin until they met Zoro’s collarbone, then continued up to his neck and
along his strong jaw. Those fingers grazed across Zoro’s bottom lip and then, ever so gently, Sanji
whispered, “I love you.”

Chapter End Notes

 Confession

Zoro didn’t know what to think after what just happened. His brain short-circuited the moment
Sanji kissed him and then when he uttered those...those words, Zoro’s brain gave up all the way
and fried right out. He stared down at Sanji for what seemed like four or five lifetimes while he
tried to voice a response, but when Zoro failed to make any noise come out, Sanji’s drunken state
took over and he had passed out. The swordsman let out a shuddered breath, hardly able to control
his breathing.

What the fuck was that all about?! Zoro thought as he went ahead and undressed Sanji the rest of
the way. The dress shirt was easier to take off without its owner wiggling around. Zoro yanked his
prissy shoes off and peeled the pants down to his ankles and then flung them somewhere behind
him. Fuckin idiot mistook me for a damn woman . Damn shit-head put his fuckin mouth on me like
I was a damn dame that he twirls around for all the damn time. Can’t believe that just happened.

But there’s no way he mistook me for a woman...

The swordsman stripped himself down to his boxer briefs and proceeded to flop onto his bed
making it and Luffy's sway on their chains. He planned on keeping his face right where it was,
mushed deep into his pillow, hopefully suffocating himself because Sanji just kissed him.

Sanji fucking kissed me.

Zoro rolled over to face the cook, watching him sleep. Not only did he kiss me, but he said...he
said...

...

“So?” Robin said and looked at me with that stupid smile. It’s her ‘knowing’ smile and I hate it.
“What do you think?”

“I think you’re nuts.”

Robin laughed when I said that, but she didn’t shy away from the insult. Before I could stand up to
leave, she reached forward and grabbed my hand, squeezing it. I felt uncomfortable and tried to
jerk my hand away but the damn woman held on tight. “I said I knew who our dear cook loved, but
I also know one other thing.”

That got my attention. Finally, she was going to tell me some real damn information. “Well?” I
asked impatiently. “Spit it out.” A cunning smile broke out across her face as if I said something
that triggered some sort of trap. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long.

“I know that the person he loves...loves him back.”

...
Zoro thought about how he spazzed out asking Robin why the hell they weren’t together then if
they both felt the same way towards each other. The whole point of the conversation was for Zoro
to help Sanji find happiness because he deserved it but Robin ended up holding out on him again.
He was so infuriated when he left the kitchen that he needed to step aside from the party and cool
off. That’s when Luffy came up to him to ask what he was thinking about and Zoro hoped to pry
the information from him.

Now I don’t have to ask around for the answer anymore, though. The cook told me who he loved.
Maybe at first it would seem like Sanji mistook me for a woman or something stupid, but after
remembering what Robin said earlier... Zoro shivered. He didn’t dare to even think his next
thoughts in case someone could read his mind.

The idea of Sanji loving someone who loved him back indicated that Zoro loves Sanji, and
although Zoro didn’t deny it, he also wasn’t going to admit it. He’s never been in love before so he
doesn’t exactly know what it’s supposed to feel like. What he knows for sure is that Sanji is his
best friend and he never wanted to lose him.

The cook was a strong, independent man who stood up for people weaker than him, which was a
hell of a lot of people because Sanji was a force to be reckoned with. He could handle his own, talk
trash, and would wipe the floor with his enemy - then turn right around and feed them a meal if
they were hungry. Zoro didn’t quite understand his logic but he respected Sanji’s life code, it was
something he lived by, and a man that stuck to his word was a man Zoro held in high regard.

The cook was surprisingly funny, too. His stupid, witty humor made Zoro chuckle behind his back.
Even if Sanji wasn’t trying to be humorous, the swordsman appreciated how the man could take
serious situations and still make him laugh. And his cooking is beyond this world! Zoro had more
than once thought Sanji couldn't be human when he tasted the extent of his culinary capabilities.
To make a gourmet meal from scraps still perplexed Zoro to this day. The way he incorporated his
fighting style with his day-job was just another way to make Zoro laugh, too. Not in a bad way! He
just liked that Sanji named some of his moves after food, too, just like him. Zoro never got tired of
seeing Sanji flip onto his hands and spin around to knock over dozens of enemies with his steel-like
kicks.

Kicks with his long, muscular legs. No matter how muscular Sanji got, he always seemed to stay
slim, the opposite of Zoro. After his training with Mihawk, Zoro beefed out, doubling in size. But
Sanji stayed his lithe self and Zoro liked the misconception people got when they looked at him,
taking him lightly because of his slender build. Boy, were they wrong. Never underestimate the
seafaring cook, Blackleg Sanji.

The most iconic thing about Sanji, besides his smoking habit, was his silly, curly eyebrows. Zoro
had made fun of them since day one of meeting the blonde, but when he was finally able to look at
Sanji with both of his eyes at the same time, something struck him in his chest and shocked him
into confusion, wondering why the cook wouldn’t want to show his face. Sanji had been just a little
boy at the time but that didn’t stop Zoro from thinking the kid was adorable with those silly
eyebrows. He remembered wondering how it would look on the adult version. Sure enough, when
Sanji brought him to that hotel and he reached out to push his bangs out of his face... sure enough
he was just as stunning as he imagined he would be. The deepest blue eyes he’d ever seen stared
back at him…

Aw, fuck, Zoro thought, inwardly groaning. I do love him, don’t I?

Continuing to watch the cook sleep, Zoro absentmindedly touched the scar that crossed his chest,
slowly feeling up in the same manner Sanji did. The ship’s cook was in the exact position he left
him in; on his back with limbs sprawled out on either side of the wooden box.

It was hard to fall asleep after what had just happened to Zoro. Even with the aid of alcohol
lingering in his system, he still found it impossible to doze off. Instead, his eye was glued to Sanji’s
body. The moonlight made his pale skin glow.

Zoro’s fingers grazed his lips as his mind could still feel the ghosted pressure of Sanji’s mouth on
his. He didn’t know how long he lay there like that but it must have been a few hours as the
moonlight had moved across Sanji’s body.

Sanji, at some point while Zoro was zoned out, had turned onto his side and his back was now to
the swordsman. A sliver of white outlined Sanji’s body leaving the rest in shadow. The light
accentuated every curve on his body. Sanji’s shoulder being the highest point, a deep incline to
reach his trimmed waistline, then back up the sharp curve of his hip bone, only to be followed by
the length of his powerful, thick legs…

As if Sanji felt the weight of his stare on him, the blonde squirmed around until he was facing Zoro
again, then lazily swung his feet over the edge of his bed to sit up. Zoro stared at him while he
looked around the flooring for his jacket and pulled out a few cigarettes and a lighter. He figured
Sanji’s eyes weren’t adjusted to the dark just yet or he’d have noticed Zoro in his shadow
completely wide awake.

Sanji stood and quietly left the room to smoke. Zoro wasn’t sure what he should do. His instincts
screamed for him to follow after the cook, but thinking about what Sanji did and what he said
made him hesitate. One small thing had made Zoro feel overwhelmed in his head, not knowing if
what he felt was considered love or not and at the same time wondering if Sanji meant those words
for him or someone else. He decided on going after Sanji, unable to resist the magnetic pull
between them any longer.

Seeing the cook sit on the railing made Zoro twitch with worry. The man had his feet propped on
the outside of the boat as he leaned over his knees, cigarette lit in his hand. Zoro crossed the grass a
little faster than he had planned and when he reached Sanji, he couldn’t stop himself from snaking
his arms around his middle. Realizing it was too late to retreat, Zoro leaned his forehead against
Sanji’s back.

“Marimo,” Sanji said with a cool, even tone indicating he had slept off the booze. Zoro grunted in
reply. “This gonna be a thing you do now?”

Hearing the cook had sobered up made Zoro feel better about him sitting on the railing but he
didn’t have the strength to let the blonde go. “Prolly. It’s harder than I thought it’d be. Y’know, to
separate the little you from the big you.”

Sanji puffed a few more times on his cig before asking, “Worried?” He felt Zoro nod his head
between his shoulder blades and tighten his grip around him. “And why is that?”

“Don’t want you to fall.”

A quiet laugh made its way out of Sanji upon hearing that. “Idiot,” he whispered and looked down
at the ocean. “Even if I did fall, look at how calm the water is.”

The swordsman didn’t have to look to know Sanji was telling the truth because he could hear it.
The constant sound of large waves always slapping against the side of the ship were absent and
have been for most of the night. It didn’t matter, though. “You prolly don’t remember, but you fell
into the ocean when you were a kid.”
Sanji lifted his head to look at the clear night’s sky and thought back to years ago trying to
remember such a thing. A vague image of monstrous waves swallowing the ship over and over
reached his mind but other than that, he couldn’t recall much else. “I only remember a really bad
storm.”

Zoro knew it was stupid to keep holding onto Sanji at this point so he reluctantly let him go and
moved to lean against the railing on his left. He ducked his head between his shoulders in defeat.
“You were thrown overboard, along with Robin. You were underwater…for a long time.”

Realizing Zoro was recalling a tough memory, Sanji swallowed the jab he wanted to take and
instead said, “It’s alright, stop dwelling on that shit. I’m here now and I can take care of myself.”

Unexpectedly fast, Zoro was in Sanji’s face because the cook just didn’t understand! “I broke your
fucking ribs! I could have killed you if Chopper hadn’t come!” Zoro was seething. He held Sanji’s
gaze for a beat and then broke away to grab fistfuls of his hair. “I couldn’t stop myself. The only
thought I had was ‘live, Sanji, live’ but your face was turning purple. I could feel your bones
crunching under my hands but I didn’t stop. I - I couldn’t stop.”

Sanji realized he accidentally dropped his cigarette into the water below as he listened in shock to
Zoro’s words. His chest ached for the man knowing he had to live with the strange happenings
when he was on the Sunny as a child. “Zoro…” he heard himself say sympathetically.

Zoro rubbed the palms of his hands harshly into his eyes while trying to control his breathing.
“Sorry...it’s just...it’s hard to forget. It wasn’t that long ago for me, y’know?” He felt Sanji’s hand
on his shoulder. “I’m sure I’ll stop treating you like yer made of glass in a few days. Need some
time to adjust. Sorry if it’s weird.”

Sanji’s hand slipped from Zoro so he could strike up his second cigarette. He took a long drag and
blew the smoke into the sky. “It’s alright. I understand.” Sanji debated what he wanted to say next,
unsure if he should expose himself now that he knows Zoro was only being clingy because he was
treating him like the kid he was so used to taking care of. “I...don't mind.”

The way Zoro’s shoulders relaxed made Sanji feel as if he didn’t say anything too sappy. He felt
content now as they sat there in comfortable silence while he finished off his cig. Zoro had
climbed over the side of the boat to sit with him on the railing. “Have fun drinkin tonight, then?
Never seen you down so much in one sitting.”

Sanji’s mood slightly dampened as he remembered the reason he got sloshed in the first place.
Usopp had said Zoro and Robin became close. “Yeah, just wanted to let loose.”

“Oh, you let loose alright,” Zoro said with an exasperated sigh.

Sanji turned to look at his crewmate. “Uh, yeah? Did I do something stupid?” he asked, elbowing
Zoro in the ribs. When the other didn’t answer, his face paled. “Oh my god, I did, didn’t I? It was
bad, wasn’t it?”

“Hm?” Zoro hummed and looked at Sanji.

“You’re not making fun of me which means it was really bad. Oh my god, what did I do!? You
have to tell me! I didn’t pull my pants down or anything, did I?! Did I show my dick to anyone!?
Did the girls see me naked!?!?!? Was that it?! Did I strip?!!?”

Zoro wanted to laugh at Sanji’s mini freak-out, he really did. “Nah, nothing like that.”

Suddenly, Sanji’s hand was grabbing Zoro’s bicep in a death grip. “What did I do, Marimo? Will I
be able to show my face tomorrow?”

The swordsman didn’t answer. He knew Sanji would die of embarrassment if he knew he kissed a
man and would die a second time if he knew that man was Zoro. It was better if he kept that part to
himself, there was no need for him to know. Zoro wasn’t positive the confession was for him, he
had to be absolutely sure...

“Zoro!” Sanji squeaked.

“Ya didn’t whip yer dick out!” Zoro confirmed, swatting the blonde’s hand away.

Sanji ran his fingers through his hair over and over as his mind raced to think of all the possible
things he could have done. He felt so stressed out he wished he brought more cigarettes out with
him. He knew to get that drunk was a bad idea. “I want to die just thinking of the possibilities.”

Zoro looked over to see Sanji had sucked his cigarette down to the filter. He chewed on the end as
the anxiety ate him alive. Zoro set his hand on Sanji’s back and waited for him to turn his way.
“Don’t think too hard, might hurt yourself.”

“Hah? That’s my line!” Sanji said. “And-AHH!” Sanji yelled out after being pushed into the ocean.
When he reemerged and spat out a mouthful of water, he started spewing curses between chattering
teeth up at the swordsman who was clutching his stomach laughing. “You son of a f-f-fucking
bitch! It’s the middle of the n-n-night!”

Following after, Zoro dropped himself into the water next to Sanji. He surfaced and slicked his hair
back out of the way. “Nah, it’s almost morning. You were asleep for a while.”

“Th-th-that doesn’t make it o-k-kay!” Sanji shivered and swam closer to kick Zoro in the gut.

The two fought in the water for a good ten minutes. Each taking turns to dunk each other under and
hold them down until the thrashing was too much to ward off any longer. They probably
swallowed at least a gallon of seawater between the two of them. After climbing back onto Sunny,
they laid on their backs across the grass to catch their breath.

“I hate wearing wet clothes,” Sanji growled.

“Then take’em off,” Zoro said before he could realize what he was insinuating. He whipped his
head to face Sanji and both their faces were glowing bright pink. “I-I mean, just replace your
underwear with dry ones!”

“I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t push me into the water, you damn algae!”

“You’re the one who said the calm water wasn’t a problem!”

“That wasn’t an invitation to throw me overboard! God, sometimes I don’t think you have a brain
at all in that fat head of yours.”

Hardly able to hold his smile back, Zoro looked up into the fading night’s sky, glad to have Sanji
back by his side where he belonged.

___
Over the next two days, Sanji had gone up to the crew members individually to see if any of them
would tell him what he did while drunk. Zoro knew but refused to tell Sanji a damn thing! They
fought over it a few times until Nami knocked them both over their thick skulls to stop wrecking
Sunny.

None of the other members revealed anything embarrassing, though. Sure, some stupid stuff, but
nothing as bad as the way Zoro was making it out to be.

“You danced a lot!” Chopper said happily. Sanji knew he was a good dancer so there was not
anything to be worried about there. Even if he had a few drinks, there was nothing that could
hinder his amazing ability to move his body to the music.

“You laughed at everything I said, even when I wasn’t saying anything funny,” Usopp admitted
with a frown. “It was kinda annoying, now that I think about it.” Sanji could see himself doing that
and vaguely remembered slapping his knee until it hurt each time he talked to Usopp. That’s not
embarrassing, either.

He tried talking to Franky alone quite a few times but it never seemed to work out. The man was
busy in his workshop and Sanji had a cooking schedule to keep. Neither had much free time
between them so it wasn’t until two days later after the party when Sanji was able to snag Franky to
the side.

“Yoooo, what’s up, buddy?”

“Did I do anything stupid when I was drunk the other night?”

The cyborg put his metal hand to his chin and thought about it. “Oh! Yeah, definitely,” Franky
whistled and slapped his huge hand over Sanji’s back, making the other cough from the impact.

“Uh, great. Could ya tell me what it was?” Sanji asked with a wince. Fuck, here it comes. I finally
get to hear what it was but I find myself not wanting to know at the same time! It’s been two days
since the party and I’ve shown my face to everyone! What if it’s really bad! God, why is Zoro
holding out on me!

“You wouldn’t stop smokin, man! I tried to get ya to quit but you lit up at least ten cigarettes and
smoked them all at once. Not good, bro, not good,” Franky finished with a sad shake of his head.

“Ohhh, heh, right.” Sanji didn’t think that was bad at all. Well, maybe for his health but he was
young so he didn’t pay any mind to that. “Right, thanks.”

That was everyone. He couldn’t ask the ladies! What if they were the ones who saw?! Sanji could
hardly even stand the thought of them knowing something so embarrassing! Goddammit , Zoro! If
he would just tell me what I fucking did I wouldn’t be so damn anxious!

___

After dinner had been served and cleaned up, Sanji tried to calm his nerves while washing the
dishes. Zoro stayed behind like he had the past two nights and helped him. He wanted to chew the
bastard out. “Are you gonna tell me what the fuck I did when I was drunk?” he snapped.

Zoro wasn’t entirely shocked to hear him bring that up again. He was aware of the blonde asking
the other crewmembers what happened and Sanji pestered him every few hours about it. Sanji
could ask the others until he was blue in the face and he would never gain what he wanted because
only Zoro knew what went down. He shrugged. “Prolly not.”

Sanji growled and threw a pile of soap bubbles at him. Of course that moss-head wouldn’t tell him!
He sees it’s eating me up and is probably enjoying watching me come undone! Fucking bastard.
This wouldn’t bother me if he didn’t have that look on his face when I originally asked him. If he
didn’t make it worse by saying ‘you let loose alright’ then it wouldn’t have been that big of a deal!
But no0o0o0o0o, he had to be all mysterious and out of character about it! I can handle him
poking fun at me, but he clammed up about it. It has to be something bad if even Zoro wouldn’t
take advantage of embarrassing me even more.

“I hate you. I fucking hate you, Zoro,” Sanji muttered while continuing with the dishes.

“Nah,” Zoro said while handing a clean dish over to be dried. “Even if I told you, it wouldn’t make
you feel any better.”

Sanji paled. “Oh my god, it was that bad, then?! It was something bad! I don’t know if I should
ever drink again...even though this makes me want to drink myself into a stupor to forget how
idiotic I am. Shit, what could I have done?” He whined and weakly punched Zoro in the shoulder.
“Just fucking tell me, won’t you? I thought we were friends.”

“Hah? We are, baka,” Zoro said, trying to sound mean but he had to force the sentence out through
the sudden guilt he was feeling.

The way Zoro had been soft for the cook had Sanji wanting to play dirty to get his way. He knew
Zoro would give in if he played this right. Sanji sagged his shoulders and turned to the swordsman,
furrowing his brows to look genuinely upset. “I thought we could trust each other, you know?” he
said quietly. Zoro stiffened and frowned as he stared a hole into the plate he was washing. “Friends
don’t keep secrets.”

“I’m not going to tell you, Sanji,” Zoro finally said. “So fuck off.” That had a fire burning under
Sanji’s ass now. A well-polished shoe drove itself into the back of Zoro’s knees, collapsing him
into the counter and making his arms slip into the dirty dishwater. “What the fuck!”

“If you won’t tell me on your own, I’ll beat it out of you!” Sanji growled and launched another
kick aimed at a green head of hair. “If you told me, I would stop bothering you! If it’s not a big
deal then just tell me already!”

Zoro left his swords in his bunk so he had to defend himself with his bare hands. Deflecting even
one of Sanji’s kicks with your hands would shatter the bones instantly, so Zoro coated his arms in
Haki and did his best without his weapons. Zoro found it difficult to match Sanji’s intense blows as
he was a swordsman, not a damn MMA fighter!

Being pushed back into the dining area the more Sanji laid into him, Zoro stumbled over his own
feet. Sanji was quick to take advantage and planted a shoe into his chest, knocking the man flat on
his back. He tackled Zoro and entangled his legs around the other’s torso, pinning his arms to his
sides. Sanji squeezed with all his might making Zoro groan under the pressure. “Just tell me!”

“I -” Zoro tried to speak but Sanji’s vice-like grip had to have been worse than a damn constrictor.
He sucked in a breath and tried again. “I can’t,”

“And why the hell not?!” Sanji said through gritted teeth, squeezing tighter.
“Cause I don’t want to,” know the truth. I don’t want to find out you meant those words for
someone else.

“ARGH! You shitty bastard!” Sanji all but screamed and let Zoro go, kicking him in his head one
last time before stomping out of the galley.

___

After three days of torture, Sanji gave in. He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to put his pride aside
and approach the girls to find out what happened. Beads of sweat began to form on his temples as
he imagined all the horrific things he could have done in front of them.

Nami was in her study with her nose deep inside the logbook she kept. Sanji gave a polite knock
before entering. “Hey, Nami. I was wondering if I could have a word with you?”

The navigator was surprised to hear Sanji speak to her so calmly without being followed by his
horrible attempts of wooing her. Interested in what he had to say, she set her ink pen down and
turned in her chair to face him. “Of course, Sanji-kun. What’s up?”

The cook was clearly frustrated. Nami watched him twist his shoe over a knot in the wood while he
fumbled over his next sentence. “Well...the celebration we had the other night…” Sanji brought a
hand to the back of his head and absentmindedly played with the tag in his suit jacket. “I drank a
lot, more than normal, and…”

“You want to know if you made an ass of yourself by doing something you’d most likely regret in
the morning?”

Sanji looked up and saw a sly smile plastered across Nami’s face. It scared him. She knows. She
fucking knows. “Y-yes,” he answered meekly. Her gaze felt like it could laser right through him if
she stared any harder. Shit, I shouldn’t have asked. I don’t want to know what it is!

Nami waved him away and turned back to her writings. “You didn’t do anything, baka. Now go
away.”

Releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding, Sanji felt slightly better. He left Nami to her
work and made his way down to the main deck. Even though Nami had told him nothing
happened, he still couldn’t shake the dreaded feeling that something indeed did happen. If there
wasn’t anything, then why did Zoro act the way he did? It had to be something because the
marimo doesn’t ever skip out on a chance to make fun of the cook. What could it have been?

“Oh! Robin!” Sanji blurted when the two almost collided as they rounded a corner. “My apologies,
dear! I was deep in thought.”

The dark-skinned woman giggled and told him not to worry about it. “What made you so
distracted, I wonder?”

Maybe ten minutes ago Sanji would have been too afraid to ask Robin, but now that Nami had
cleared things up a little, maybe, he thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask Robin, too.

The thought of Zoro talking to her in private crossed his mind and he had to suppress a whine as his
heart wrenched with pain. Here was the woman Zoro was trying to get closer to, the woman Zoro
could quite possibly love. And she was worthy enough for him, Sanji knew that for sure. She was
strong in body and mind, funny, scary, and incredibly smart. And this wasn’t even beginning to
touch on her looks. She was a goddess and anyone who didn’t think so was lying. Of course Zoro
wants to get closer to her. She’s a former assassin, a total badass, exactly the type Zoro would go
for. It’s not like I have any claim over him, I don’t have any right to keep him away from any
potential relationships. And they’re more compatible anyway and she is better for him than me
and-

“Cook-san?” Robin said, interrupting his thoughts with a poke on the nose. “Come,” she said and
beckoned for him to follow her into the aquarium room. Once inside, she stood in front of the glass
watching the various fish swim by. “What has you in such a daze, hm?” she asked, her back to
Sanji.

The blonde sighed and bowed his head in shame for his earlier thoughts. He shouldn’t let that shit
get to him. I’ve lived with it this long, what does it matter anymore. Sanji wasted no time in asking
Robin what he had asked everyone else. “I can’t get the idea out of my head that I did something
stupid while I was drunk the other night, is all.”

When Sanji looked up, Robin was smiling at him. “I don’t think you did anything all that bad,
Cook-san. It looked to me as if you were only having a good time.”

“Huh. You really think so?” Sanji asked again to make sure. “I didn’t...uhm, expose myself?”

Robin covered her mouth to stifle her laugh. “Oh my. No, not at all. Although, that would have
made for excellent entertainment.”

Sanji flopped himself onto the cushioned seating that lined the room and covered his face with his
forearm. “God, I don't know what it is, then!” he groaned. “I’ve asked everyone, even Luffy, the
most unreliable source next to Usopp, and no one has told me something worth being embarrassed
about!”

As she listened, Robin crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side. “Why are
you so sure you did something to render embarrassment?”

“Because! Zoro! That stupid idiot!” he shouted into the room, flinging his arms in front of him.
Robin asked what Zoro had to do with any of this and so Sanji said, “he said, ‘you let loose alright’
when I asked him about it and just the - the tone he said it in has been bugging the shit out of me.
Sorry for my language, dear Robin,” he finished.

Robin found that to be an interesting story indeed. She knew Zoro didn’t think Sanji sleeping on
him was a big deal, it couldn’t be that. Which meant there was something more, something that
happened after she had gone to bed and left the two of them alone on the deck. For now, Robin
gave Sanji a bit of information that he wanted to hear so badly, something to set his mind at ease
until she got the rest of the story. “Do you think he simply meant you ‘let loose’ because you fell
asleep on him?” she asked innocently.

Shivers ran down Sanji’s spine causing him to straighten his back. “E-excuse me? I fell asleep in
my bed.” I stumbled into the bunk room and fell into bed. That’s why I woke up there hours later
wanting a smoke.

Robin slowly walked towards the cook, shaking her head in disagreement. “How do you think you
got there, Sanji-san?”

“I-I walked there myself.”

“Or the swordsman carried you to bed because you were cozied up with him on the deck,” Robin
said in a way that Sanji knew was the truth.

“Why didn’t you stop me, Robin?!” Sanji pleaded as if it could change the past. “Did he seem
mad? Was he disgusted? Is that why he won’t tell me what happened!?” Sanji’s chest felt tight as
he realized this had to be the information he was looking for. This is what Zoro didn’t want to tell
him. “How bad was it? I was just leaning on him, right? That’s it?” Sanji whined, hoping to any
god that it was something as simple as him accidentally bumping shoulders.

“Shhh,” Robin cooed, sitting beside Sanji now. “Slow your mind and take a deep breath. Don’t you
think if he were mad or disgusted that he would be treating you differently, hm?” Her hand was
now rubbing circles over his back to calm him down. “But he hasn’t. He’s the same swordsman.”

Sanji was now leaning forward, his arms resting on his knees while his hands covered his face in
the embarrassment he was hoping to never reveal. “How bad was it,” he repeated.

“What do you mean?”

“How was I ‘cozied up with him’?” Sanji mumbled into his hands. He had to know.

“It was quite cute, actually,” Robin said gently, her hand seizing the circling motion. “But if Zoro-
san didn’t complain, I don’t think it matters, now does it?”

___

After his talk with Robin, Sanji felt slightly better. Now that he knew the situation, it wasn’t as bad
as he initially made it seem. Okay, whatever, so he fell asleep on Zoro, who cares? And Robin was
right, if Zoro didn’t fling him off when it happened, then it must not have been a big deal for him,
either. Especially if he carried him to his bed.

With the mystery solved, Sanji’s body felt lighter from the weight of the unknown finally being
lifted from his back. It was a struggle over the three days to get the answers he needed, but it ended
up not being half as bad as he was imagining. The way Zoro made it seem! It was as if he said
something he couldn’t take back.

And there are things you can do or say while drunk that you will never be able to reverse, Sanji
thought. Thinking back to his times on The Baratie, he remembered the guys getting shit faced
every Sunday night and one guy accidentally spewing racist shit against Fishmen. He tried to make
everyone in the kitchen understand that it was only his drunken state that spoke, not the real him!
None of us looked at him the same after that. His true colors had been revealed that night and no
matter what he said in an attempt to redeem himself, he couldn’t take back what was said.

At least the only thing that happened was falling asleep on Zoro. That was good, he could live with
that. Was he mortified when he first heard what he had done - well hell yeah! But it could have
been so much worse. He knew for sure he wasn’t racist, but who knows what else could have
fallen out of his drunken mouth.

___
Just as Zoro had predicted, after a few day's time, the worried looks and clingy touching had come
to a stop. It had been over a week now since Sanji became an adult. The last time Zoro showed his
soft side was three days ago in the bunk room after everyone went to bed.

Sanji heard the swordsman come in after his shift change from watch duty so he feigned sleep.
Before settling into his bunk, Sanji felt Zoro’s hand brush his bangs over to the side and run his
fingers along his cheek. He could hardly believe Zoro did that and was over the moon about it, but
all affection ceased afterward and the two of them were back to normal as if nothing had ever
happened.

All was well except for one thing; Zoro and Robin getting closer. Sanji had now personally
witnessed them speaking to each other countless times over the rest of the week and it was driving
him mad on the inside. Robin would say something and the dumb plant would turn bright red with
embarrassment. What on earth would Robin say to him that could make him blush?! Were they
openly flirting with one another out on the deck where everyone could see?

The idea of Zoro falling for Robin would have been easier to accept if Sanji’s heart hadn’t been set
on him since before they knew each other. The strange timeline that made up their lives allowed
Sanji to know of Zoro’s kindness since he was a kid. He grew up longing to be as good a person
like him, to be as strong as a person like him. Then once he found out they were the same age, how
could that admiration not turn to adoration? The moment he laid eyes on him, his heart was sealed
shut and only Zoro could open it. He didn’t want anyone else to open it, his heart was for Zoro
only.

Never did he expect Zoro to return the same feelings, it wasn’t entirely about that. What they had
together before ‘the incident’ was perfect for Sanji already. Their relationship was already
something he was happy with. But - but Zoro falling for someone else? Giving his heart to
someone else that wasn’t Sanji? That never occurred to him until now.

Currently, Sanji was finishing dinner and in between tasks, he would glance out the porthole and
that’s when he saw Robin and Zoro talking again. He was in high spirits about the dish he was
preparing for everyone, but the sight out on the deck made him sink into himself.

How could I compete with Robin? Even if I was on the same level as her, I wouldn’t want to go
against her. She deserves happiness in her life and if Zoro is the key to that happiness, well, then
who am I to try and take that away?

At the dinner table, Sanji didn’t feel like taking part in the conversations. He decided the wine he
served tasted especially delicious when depressed. The world went on around him while he sat
there staring at his plate and swished the last swig of wine around in his glass. Luffy had snagged
things off his plate like normal, Chopper squealed at the funny things Usopp did, Franky shot-
gunned his can of cola to impress the younger boys, Nami berated them, whatever, it didn’t matter.

What mattered was Robin was leaning over to Zoro right now, her hand covering her mouth to hide
the whispers she spoke into Zoro’s ear. The marimo’s eye glanced over to him and his face grew
pink. Sanji’s chest tightened knowing they would flirt right here at the dinner table.

Part of him felt a little betrayed by Robin. As much as it pained him to feel that particular emotion
towards his beloved Robin-chwan, it still felt like a betrayal because Robin knew how he felt for
Zoro not long after she joined the crew. She’d always known. Couldn’t she at least do this type of
stuff in private to save the torture Sanji was going through? He felt tormented each time he saw her
breasts rub against his arm when she leaned in. Zoro swatted her away but apparently, she insisted
on whispering sweet nothings to her boyfriend.

How could Zoro resist someone so beautiful? Sanji looked down at his plate and saw it was now
empty from leaving it unattended while he was distracted. Oh well. At least he had a few bites of
the dinner he was so excited to share with everyone…

The crew started filtering out and Sanji was left alone at the table, unable to find the strength to
move. His body felt too heavy and sluggish, weighted down with dread, afraid for the moment
when Zoro and Robin became official and announced it to the crew. Sanji reached to the middle of
the table and grabbed one of the wine bottles and tossed it back, swallowing the last half without
hesitation.

I’ve been in love with him for four years now. It won’t be easy to get over him. Sanji grabbed the
other bottle of wine on the table and feeling that it was light, shook it. “Tsh, fuckin figures,” he
scoffed and stood to cross into the kitchen for more booze. The liquor cabinet was full of a variety
of wines but Sanji was feeling something heavier tonight. Anything to knock him out faster. He’ll
just get up earlier in the morning to take care of the kitchen, he wasn’t in the mood to care about it
now.

Sanji leaned against the counter and drank straight from the bottle of an expensive whiskey he kept
for Zoro when he was being a good house plant. He had overheard Zoro saying he tried a new
whiskey that he loved at some random bar on an island so Sanji made a point to carry a few bottles
since then. It wasn’t easy to find, either. Very rarely could Sanji get his hands on it, but he’d search
each island nonetheless because it made Zoro happy. But tonight, this treat was for Sanji.

The whiskey was stronger than Sanji imagined, the bitter taste going down had his face crinkling
in disgust. I thought the expensive shit was supposed to be smooth, he thought while inspecting the
label. The words blurred together and then doubled as his eyes crossed. Shit, that was fast.

Once the bottle was halfway down and Sanji was plenty drunk, the kitchen door opened and
slammed closed, giving Sanji quite a shock as he was brought back to reality.

“OI!” Sanji heard Zoro screech and shake the door handle. When the blonde lazily turned around,
he watched Zoro pound on the door a few times before giving up and running to the other side of
the dining room in an attempt to pull open the infirmary door. It looked to be locked from the other
side because Zoro swore under his breath and let his hands drop to his sides.

The whole thing was weird but Sanji didn’t have the energy to care what the hell was going on.
The brute and rubber-idiot must be up to something stupid and Sanji was only a victim in the
middle, so he turned back around and continued tossing back the amber liquid.

“You didn’t tell me you were pulling out the good stuff!” Zoro said and came around the counter to
Sanji’s side. “Oh, shit, you’re trashed. How much have you had?” Zoro asked and grabbed the
bottle from the blonde’s grasp. “Oi, this is almost gone, was this full when you started?!”

Sanji shrugged. Honestly, he couldn’t remember such a useless detail. Whether he had the full
bottle or not wasn’t important because either way, he achieved his goal of becoming drunk enough
to forget what the hell he was even drinking for in the first place. “Hm?” Sanji hummed. He tried
lifting his head to peer into Zoro’s steely gaze that he could feel on him, but he couldn’t tear his
eyes away from the muscular chest in front of him. Apparently, Zoro had shed his coat at some
point and right in Sanji’s line of view was perfectly tanned skin with a gnarly scar stretching its
way across.

A pale hand lifted so a finger could trace the scar, but it stopped suddenly in its tracks as its owner
remembered Zoro was pursuing someone else. Oh yeah, that’s why I was drinking…

“What are you doing in here drinkin this shit? It’s not for lightweights like you. One glass would
have been enough. Oi, are you listening?”

“It's not good. Thought it’d be good cause it's expensive,” Sanji managed to say and forced himself
to meet Zoro’s eye.

“Uhm,” Zoro started. There was a light dusting of pink on his face while he tried thinking of the
right words to say. “You alright? You haven’t seemed yourself these past few days, and at
dinner...you know, you were quiet.”

Sanji wobbled as he waved his hand to dismiss the idea anything was wrong. “Nah, s’all good. Jus
lettin loose again. Maybe I’ll become an alcoholic like you, huh?”

Zoro frowned and stepped closer to the blonde. Sanji watched him cup the side of his face and rub
over his cheek with his thumb. His hand was so warm, it felt so good. He closed his eyes to relish
the feeling. I’m sorry, Robin, he thought.

“Sanji, what’s wrong?” Zoro asked again, this time more seriously. His voice carried a slightly
more demanding tone. The hand on Sanji’s cheek slid to the back of his head and pushed it forward
so their foreheads rested against each other. “Tell me.”

The intimate moment was making Sanji’s insides twist into knots making him feel shitty. Aw, fuck,
here it comes, he thought as tears welled up in the corner of his eyes. “N-nothing,” he lied with a
sniffle.

“Hey, are you crying?”

“No,” Sanji lied. It was obvious in his voice that he, in fact, was crying. The stuffy nose gave it
away. “Yes!” he eventually corrected, the dam bursting, allowing tears to fall. He swatted Zoro’s
hand away and buried his face into the crook of his elbow as he wept in front of Zoro. “Yes, I am.
Jus lemme be, dammit.”

“I won’t leave you in here alone while you’re like this,” Zoro said and rubbed up and down Sanji’s
arms to hopefully soothe him. The Kid-Sanji liked the affection so he tried using that knowledge
against the Adult-Sanji. The warm radiating off Zoro was more intoxicating than the liquor Sanji
guzzled but it was only making him feel worse deep inside. He tried shrugging out of Zoro’s hold
but the brute grabbed a hold of him tightly and shook. “Dammit, Sanji, will you just tell me what’s
going on with you?”

Feeling a little childish, Sanji said, “Don’t feel too good when people hold information from you,
huh? Bastard.”

“What? Oh my god, are you still going on about that?!”

“No!” Sanji argued. “Thas not it. ‘Sides, I know what happened anyway.”

Zoro’s grip on the cook loosened. “Y-you do?” he asked. He let his hands drop and looked to the
side.

“Yeah...yer not mad about it?” Sanji found himself asking. Now that it was brought up he was
curious to hear Zoro’s thoughts.

“Well, I mean, no, I’m not mad about it. I guess I was just really shocked.”
“Pfff,” Sanji laughed and gave a good slap to Zoro’s shoulder. “But it's not a big deal, right? It
didn’t mean anything. Just casual, y’know? Casual stuff.”

That was interesting news to Zoro. Interesting and absolutely, terrifyingly gut-wrenching news.
But...but Robin had said…

The past few days Robin had pestered Zoro about Sanji. She told him the cook had come to her to
ask what happened the night of the celebration and now Robin wanted to know, too.

Even when Robin told Sanji what he wanted to hear, she knew it wasn’t the real reason Zoro was
holding information out on the blonde. There had to be more so she went to the source to find out.

The damn woman had her stupid ways of worming her way into Zoro’s head and he spilled what
went down the moment he laid Sanji down in his bunk. How he pressed his lips against Zoro’s and
drunkenly confessed. Zoro had told Robin he was sure it was for someone else, right?

But Robin said it wasn’t. She said it was meant for Zoro. When he asked for her to explain how she
knew for sure, she only teased him resulting in a very embarrassed swordsman. What made it
worse is she wouldn’t let it drop, poking fun at Zoro in secret in hopes that he would confront the
blonde. Repeatedly, he told Robin he was in no way going to confirm that information. The
archeologist had had enough and finally pushed him into the kitchen and wouldn’t let him out,
blocking both exits with her stupid Devil Fruit.

I technically never told Robin how I felt about this damn idiot, Zoro thought as he watched Sanji
sway back and forth trying to keep himself upright. Robin said she knew the person Sanji was in
love with loved him back. She didn’t mean me, did she? Hell, even I didn’t know myself until
earlier this week! How could she know such a thing? But she had to of known because she said the
confession was meant for me...how the fuck did she know before I did?! Zoro noticed the tears on
Sanji’s face had dried. Well, it don’t matter what she thought she knew, because she was wrong.
The man himself just told me it didn’t mean anything.

“I would have chosen someone way better’n you to sleep on if I were coherent. Must’ve fallen in
your lap er something cause algae is a bad...uh, bad sleeping thingy,” Sanji finished rather
dejectedly, the alcohol throwing his comeback-game off.

“Huh?” Zoro asked. What the hell was the cook talking about?

“It’s okay for guys to fall asleep on each other, iz jus casual stuff, Marimo.”

“Wait, what?” Zoro shook his head. “What are you talking about?” He waited for the cook to
explain what he meant but he only cocked his head to the side while he tried keeping his eyes open.
The wheels inside Zoro’s head were turning at an alarmingly fast pace but they weren’t going
anywhere. If only hitting the sides of your head helped you think better. “You think the thing I
didn’t want to tell you was...what? You layin on me that night?”

Sanji raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes. “Yes? S’what I found out from Robin.”

That dirty she-devil! Zoro thought. That sneaky fucking woman! “That ain't what I was talking
about. That’s not it at all.”

“Uhm. So it was something else?” Sanji asked. Zoro noticed he became nervous as the anxiety of
the unknown washed over him all over again. “You gonna tell me or still keep it a damn secret?”

He had to tell him now. I’ll never know if it was meant for me… “It happened after that, after you
fell asleep on me,” Zoro said after a moment of silence. Sanji paled as he waited to hear what the
hell Zoro was about to say. He tried steadying himself on the counter by putting his hands on the
edge. “I carried you to bed because you can’t hold your liquor for shit, just like now,” Zoro said
and quickly blocked a knee to the groin before continuing. “I set you in your bed and tried to help
you undress but you wouldn’t let me. You thought it would be a good idea to...to distract me...by
kissing me,” Zoro said with a wince, gauging Sanji’s reaction. After seeing his jaw drop, he added,
“and then you told me you loved me.”

Zoro watched Sanji’s mouth open and close quite a few times before sound came out. It wasn’t a
sentence, only a garble of noise and then tears started coming down again. The cook dropped his
head and cried until his knees buckled under him. He slid down the side of the cupboards onto his
ass and proceeded to bang the back of his head on the wood behind him.

“Hey!” Zoro yelled and crouched in front of the cook to grab a hold of his head to force it to stay
still. “Stop doing that! What is wrong with you?” With Zoro forcing his head to face him, Sanji
squeezed his eyes shut so he didn’t have to look at him. In his grasp, Zoro could feel Sanji trying to
shake his head over and over.

“M’sorry, m’sorry,” Sanji cried. “I didn’t know. If I’d’a known before, I wouldn’t’ve, I'm sure! It
was the alcohol!” Suddenly, Sanji grabbed at Zoro’s arms. “M’sorry! Is Robin-chan mad at me?
I’d never wanna upset her!”

“What, why would Robin be mad at you?”

“M’so sorry, Zoro, I shouldn’t’ve come between you two,” Sanji said and was now all-out sobbing.
He started to bang his head against the cupboard again until Zoro stopped him.

“Stop it, dammit! Why would Robin be mad if you kissed me? What does she have to do with
this?” Zoro pleaded, desperate to get to the bottom of this whole bullshit. He had finally, finally
confirmed Sanji loved him! The cook wasn’t denying it! Only apologizing for some stupid reason
and blubbering about Robin. He shook the cook in his hands to get him to answer him faster.

“She’s got everything to do with this! I kissed’er significant other!” Sanji cried. The tears wouldn’t
stop falling.

The situation was so unreal, so utterly unreal that Zoro laughed. He had never been in a more
insane situation of drama and he was quick to remember why he never let his emotions get out of
control - for this type of shit right here! This was so stupid, Zoro laughed. “I don’t think I’m
following you, Curly. You’re apologizing for all that because you think Robin and I are, what,
together?” Sanji sniffled and shook his head yes. “You are...so...oh my god, you are so idiotic.”

“Hah?” Sanji said and gave a weak attempt to push Zoro away from him, but Zoro flopped back on
his bottom and crossed his legs under him to stare in amazement at the blonde.

“I don’t know what gave you the idea of Robin and me together, but you are very wrong. She’s
like an annoying older sister to me! Just like that damn witch is an annoying younger sister,” Zoro
huffed. Sanji was coming down from his hysterical crying and seemed to be more level-headed
than he was a few minutes ago. “Look, at this point, I’m not even sure what the hell is holding me
back from saying it so I’m just gonna,” Zoro said impatiently, and took a deep breath before
starting his confession. “Sanji, I love you. I love everything about you. From your god-like
culinary skills, to your filthy sailor-mouth, to your curly eyebrows that make no sense. I love how
stupid you look sitting on the kitchen floor crying with snot all over your face. I want to fight our
way into the New World with you from now until the day Luffy becomes the Pirate King and then
forever after that. There is no one, no one, I’d want at my side more than you because there is no
one else.”
After Zoro had finished, Sanji’s lip was trembling and the tears had been threatening to fall. “W-
what?” he asked, voice cracking.

Zoro sighed. “Don’t make me say it again, shit-head. You heard me!” He crossed his arms and
looked away, blush creeping up on his face from the sappy confession.

“So we love each other?” Sanji said, thinking aloud. It couldn’t have been that easy, could it have?
Sanji’s misconception of Zoro and Robin had been debunked and now he was left with the happiest
of news. “So we love each other?” he repeated.

Getting to his feet, Zoro shook his head in disbelief. He loved a real fool, didn’t he? “C’mon,” he
said and held his hand out. Sanji took hold and Zoro pulled him up into his arms. Zoro kept one
hand around the cook’s small waist to hold him up and let the other rake through the back of
Sanji’s head in his soft hair only to press their lips together for a second time.

Sanji immediately melted in his hold and grabbed both sides of Zoro’s face to properly kiss the
man back. He had wanted this for so long, he never thought it would happen. Kissing Zoro was
more than he had ever imagined, it all paling in comparison to the real deal. Zoro’s lips were soft,
his tongue strong as it made its way into his mouth. The thought of Zoro’s well-disciplined tongue
had Sanji suddenly shaking with desire. Before his mind got too carried away, he pulled away with
a gasp.

“What?” Zoro asked, confused why the blonde stopped.

“N-nothing! I was jus thinkin what you said was pretty romantic,” Sanji said, trying to change the
subject while he willed the tent in his pants to go away.

Zoro made a face and pushed the cook away. “Blagh, I don’t want to say something that prissy
ever again. Had no choice cause your drunk ass wasn’t gonna do it!”

Being pushed into the counter, Sanji stumbled around trying to grab on to anything that would
support his weight. “Dammit, Zoro,” Sanji said after regaining himself. “You had to ruin the
moment? I didn’t even get to tell you how I felt.”

It never occurred to Zoro that Sanji would be interested in spilling out all those frilly feelings,
especially since Zoro felt dorky and lame after saying it. Okay, maybe Sanji was into that seeing
how he acts daily towards the women. “You don’t gotta tell me,” Zoro started, hoping to avoid any
more embarrassing feelings. He wanted to hear what Sanji had to say but he knew the Love Cook
was going to make his face turn red and he most certainly wanted to avoid that. “I do have
something to ask you, though.”

Sanji looked a little dejected but wondered what Zoro wanted now. He could feel the booze taking
less effect. “Hm?”

“That night you kissed me, you did something. You placed your fingers right here,” Zoro pointed
to the middle of his chest where the bumpy skin crossed. “And traced up my scar.”

“Alright,” Sanji said, waiting for the rest. He felt a little shy hearing what he did.

“I had a shirt on, though. You were piss drunk but you found my scar on the first try. How did you
know…?”

Sanji eyed Zoro’s chest again, this time with less lust. The scar was ragged, dividing Zoro’s torso
in two. Sanji reached a hand out and placed his palm flat. Under it, he could feel Zoro’s heart
beating fast. He smiled. “I knew about this scar before you did. It’s the first story you told me
when I met you and every night you held me in your arms, I traced over it. I know this scar just as
well as you do, if not better because I have seen it day after day since you’ve gotten it.” Sanji
closed his eyes and felt up the rest of the scar until it reached the collarbone. It was still unreal to
him to be touching Zoro like this and to be admitting things he has kept inside for so long. “I’ve
loved you since I was seventeen, Zoro.”

Zoro crinkled his brows together. “You mean nineteen?” he corrected, remembering differently.

Sanji’s fingers curled into a fist as he laughed and dropped his hand to place back on the counter
behind him. “No, I mean seventeen. I saw your photo in the paper when you started your bounty
hunting. I’d forgotten about you for a few years, actually. But that day I saw your grumpy ass face
and read you were only seventeen, just like me, and that’s when I started to suspect I had to have
been a victim of some sort of time travel because that didn’t make sense, ya know? That night,
though...that night I couldn’t get you out of my head. I laid awake almost the whole night thinking
about setting out to sea one day just to meet up with the Straw Hat Pirates again...just to be with
you.” Sanji ducked his head in shame. “Of course, I could never leave ol’Zeff, the damn geezer. I
owed too much of my life to him and couldn’t leave, even if it were to pursue my happiness.”

“Sounds like you,” Zoro interrupted with a half-smile. Sanji didn’t raise his head.

“Yeah, I know. Anyway...since that day, I knew you were the only one I could ever want. I grew
up thinking I’d cross paths with a man fifteen or so years older than me. Hell, twenty years, I had
no idea how old you were! But you weren’t older than me. You were seventeen, the same age as
me. It was like fate had aligned our lives together for a reason.” The blonde looked up to peer into
Zoro’s one good eye. “I loved you for so long, but I kept my distance. It was okay to not have those
feelings returned, I had fun with you no matter. Until I thought you were pursuing Robin.” Several
tears made their way down Sanji’s cheek as he massaged the ache in his chest. “I never knew pain
like that.”

Zoro stepped forward to hug Sanji and rubbed his back. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice. I didn’t notice
either of our feelings.”

Sanji gave a pitiful laugh but hugged Zoro back. “Yeah, s’alright now.”

Holding Sanji felt good. Zoro liked it. He didn’t want to let go now that he knew it was alright to
do so. He pressed his face into the crook of Sanji’s neck and breathed his scent in. It was easier
than Zoro thought to admit his feelings. It made him feel awkward saying such soft and mushy
things, but now that it was out and over with, he found he could breathe more comfortably. Zoro
felt Sanji cringe away every time his breath skittered across the skin of his neck. “Ticklish?” he
asked with a chuckle.

“Fuck off,” Sanji said breathily.

“Oh?” Zoro said and raised his head to face the other. “Don’t want the affection, Curly? Have it
your way.” Zoro released Sanji and took a step to leave.

“Wait!” Sanji quickly said and grabbed Zoro by the arm. When Zoro met his gaze he turned away
with a blush on his face. “I...didn’t say that.” Sanji pulled the swordsman back in front of him and
slowly wrapped his arms around his neck. He looked up at him shyly until he mustered up the
courage to lean into another kiss. Zoro was more than willing to pick up where they left off,
eagerly swallowing the cook whole. Sanji moaned and could feel Zoro’s mouth curl into a smile at
the sound of it. He hated how Zoro was winning in this situation but chose to ignore it and instead,
savored the moment.
Together they stood in the kitchen slowly and sensually kissing each other. They explored this new
territory between them, testing the waters. Zoro inched forward to close the gap between them and
pressed up against Sanji’s front, locking him against the counter. Rolling his eyes to the back of his
head behind closed eyelids, Sanji slid his hands down Zoro’s back and dug his short fingernails
into tanned skin.

The door handle to the kitchen began jiggling like crazy, followed by a pounding. “SANJIIIIII!!!!
SNACKS!” came the captain’s muffled voice. “No, I've waited long enough, Robin!”

Reluctantly, Sanji broke free from Zoro’s hungry mouth. “I’ve gotta feed that kid,” he said
fervently, almost panting.

Zoro didn’t let the cook go, instead peppered light kisses down Sanji’s jaw and neck and
whispered, “Why, it was just gettin good.”

Shit, Sanji thought, silently damning that shitty rubber brat who sounded as if he was going to pull
the door off its hinges. “Let go, ya damn brute, he’s gonna break through-ah!” Sanji yelped as
Zoro licked his earlobe.

“Fine,” the swordsman said as he made to leave. He thumbed over his shoulder while walking
away. “Should prolly take care of that.”

Sanji followed where Zoro had pointed, eventually looking down at his pants. Oh.
 Goodnight, Zoro
Chapter Summary

Things gotta get bad before they can get good. Again.

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

To say Sanji was floating on cloud nine would have been an understatement. Zoro fucking loved
him. The idiot, brutish, meathead loved him and kissed him. With tongue. Sanji shuddered thinking
about the electrifying zip that tingled through his body at the thought of Zoro’s body pressed
against his own.

They didn’t get any alone time for the remainder of the night after Luffy had burst through the
door, but it didn’t matter to Sanji. He had the rest of his life to be with Zoro. Although, he could
say he would still have to get used to this new relationship because when Zoro came into the bunk
room after his watch shift, before flopping into his bed like he always did, he leaned down and
kissed Sanji’s forehead.

The two of them were always at each other’s throat but now it had drastically changed. Ever since
his past self was thrown into Zoro’s lap, the swordsman was different. It all worked out in Sanji’s
favor, of course, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t strange. He hoped they could still spar like they
used to, at least. He liked that.

Something about those two weeks between his past self and Zoro pushed their friendship to the
next level. Sanji fell back asleep with a smile on his face as his last conscious thoughts were of the
man he loved.

___

The crew lazily crawled into the galley one by one and Robin was the first to arrive in the morning
as was normal. She liked to sip on a hot cup of coffee while she read a book. Then it was Brook
who would join her and that’s usually when the conversations began.

Most mornings, Sanji hummed to himself as he cooked because Robin liked to keep her nose deep
inside her readings and the chef respected that. If she wanted to engage in conversation then he
would have been delighted to do so but, for the most part, she remained silent.

The same went for that morning. Robin entered not long after Sanji had finished a few cigarettes on
the deck and began getting things ready. He had a cup in her hand before her bottom touched the
chair and he went back to his duties. A prickle at the back of his neck told him Robin would speak
to him but she never did. It was unnerving. Sanji knew Robin was aware of what happened in the
kitchen last night. He knew she had to have been part of why Zoro couldn't leave the galley. He had
plenty of time to think about it while he was making something to eat for Luffy. He realized there
wasn’t a lock on the galley or infirmary door, so why couldn’t Zoro leave? Initially, he had thought
Luffy and him were playing games but when Luffy had begun banging on the door to be let in, that
told Sanji someone else was interfering.

In a way, Sanji was thankful for Robin. If not for her, who knows if Zoro would have ever come
clean with his feelings because Sanji never would have. Sanji would have most definitely
wallowed in self-pity because he was totally convinced the moss-head and Robin were together and
already making love under the moonlight nightly. But - in a different way, Sanji still had this
strange feeling of jealousy when it came to her. He hated that he felt that way towards such a
beautiful and caring woman as her, though he couldn’t help it. Zoro had told him he thought of her
as a sister, but when Sanji saw her whispering in his ears over the past few days he felt like he was
going to burst in a rage of resentment.

Most of the crew had filed in and were all idly chatting while Sanji finished up. He leaned his
hands against the counter and sighed. She doesn’t like him, he doesn’t like her. She helped us come
together. Remember that. She’s on your side and always has been.

Zoro shuffled across the wood and sat down in his normal spot, which is of course next to Robin,
Sanji bitterly reminded himself. It’s not like it was anything new. That’s been her spot since the
beginning. His unofficial assigned seat was on Luffy’s left, Zoro his right. Nami next to Sanji and
Robin next to Zoro. So why does it suddenly bother him so much when he sees them interacting?
Is it because Usopp had said they had become close while his adult-self was missing? What went
on between them? Sanji decided he’d have to ask the moss-head later because this was just too
stupid to keep dwelling over.

Sanji set a stack of plates down at the end of the table for Franky to pass around then grabbed the
rest of the mountains of pancakes and fruit. As he was scooting between the bench and the bartop
balancing four plates, his eye twitched when Robin was again whispering something into Zoro’s
ear, her cleavage growing as she pressed her breasts against his shoulder.

Instead of waiting until he was on his side of the table, Sanji thought to set the plates down on this
side , breaking from his norm. He didn’t particularly like reaching over people at the dinner table
because it was rude, so he always set mounds of food down from the clearing of his own seat. It
was easier and there was more room to do so. The blonde leaned over the two to set the pancakes
down, separating them from their annoying, private conversation.

“Excuse my reach, Marimo, Robin-chan,” he said as cooly as possibly, but inside he felt smug after
successfully breaking them apart. For good measure, Sanji leaned his head down so he was
blocking Robin and gave Zoro a delicate kiss on his cheek before making his way to his spot. No
one had noticed except for Nami, Luffy, Robin, and of course - Zoro.

When Sanji was comfortable in his seat and started making a plate for Nami, he looked to Zoro to
gauge any sort of reaction to see if what he did was alright. He didn’t mean to out their relationship
so soon but his possessiveness had entirely taken over. The blonde handed Nami her plate and
leaned over to grab Robin’s to do the same. He did all of this while still watching Zoro.

The swordsman was either extremely talented at hiding his emotions or he didn’t even care at all
that Sanji had kissed him in front of the crew. Zoro already had a mouth full of pancake and was
hugging his plate to protect it from Luffy’s grabby hands.

Taking a deep breath, Sanji braced himself before looking to Robin when he handed back her plate.
Her intense blue eyes were boring holes straight back into him, down to his soul. She was smiling
her Knowing Smile and Sanji wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing. He decided on mouthing
sorry with an apologetic look. This must have been satisfactory for her because she returned her
attention to her book and began nibbling at her breakfast.

“Sanji,” Nami whispered.

“Yes, my dear?” Sanji casually said after giving another glance to Zoro.

“Did you maybe make a mistake?”

That was unnerving. Had he left an eggshell in the batter and her poor teeth crunched down on it
entirely ruining her morning all because Sanji was distracted? What did she find? “What’s wrong?”
Sanji asked, concerned. He had leaned over her plate to check if he could see the problem himself.

“Did you mistake Zoro for Robin?”

Oh, right, she saw the kiss. Sanji wasn’t sure if this was appropriate to discuss right now. To not
leave Nami confused, he simply said, “Not at all.”

The redhead crinkled her face with distaste before looking to Robin who was smiling innocently
while reading her book. Nami knew if she was going to get the good details she would have to
bribe Robin later. Even with Nami, the damn woman spoke in riddles and mysteries but with the
right motivation she usually skipped right to the point. Nami was good at getting what she wanted.
She nodded her understanding, even though she didn’t understand at all.

When the food had disappeared and the crew members left to go about their day, two people stayed
behind with the chef, and honestly, both were expected. Sanji attempted to leave his seat but
couldn’t move out from under Robin’s heavy stare. Zoro spoke first.

“You can leave, I’ll help him clean up.”

The brunette slowly blinked before facing Zoro. “I wasn’t staying to help clean.”

“Uh, then leave?” Zoro said irritably. “God, yer so fucking weird,” he mumbled and pushed away
from the table to collect plates and silverware.

“I wanted to know what ended up happening last night,” she said cooly, her chin lightly propped in
her hand.

Before Sanji could even speak, Zoro groaned and set the stack of plates back on the table. “Stop
asking, will you! It’s so embarrassing.”

“Sanji-san, will you tell me? Zoro-san’s lips are tightly sealed.”

This had to be some sort of test because Sanji was sweating. Clearly Zoro wasn’t upset over the
idea of Robin knowing about them, but he also kept the resulting details a secret. Did that mean
that Sanji should keep his mouth shut, too? “Uhh, well…?”

Zoro sighed and threw his hands up in the air. “Oh for fuck’s sake! It’s all good now, Robin! You
know it is! You know everything! We confessed our undying love for each other and made out. Is
that what you wanted to hear!?” Zoro yelled. He was glaring at the woman next to him.

The kitchen filled with a feathery giggle as Robin laughed at Zoro’s outburst. “That’s perfect. I’m
thrilled to learn you’re both happy.” Sanji gave a weak smile knowing he didn’t quite deserve her
kindness from all the sour thoughts he’d been having against her. He nodded his agreement and she
took her leave.
Shivering away the freakiness that made up Robin, Zoro started his duties again. Sanji followed
suit by grabbing whatever was left and the two started dishes together. Curious to know what Zoro
was thinking, Sanji mentioned the kiss. “You didn’t seem upset with what I did earlier.”

“Hm?” Zoro grunted and handed him a dish to get to the next one in the soapy water.

“When I kissed you in front of everyone. You didn’t seem to mind.”

“Oh,” Zoro said. “Nah, why would I? As long as Captain don’t care then I don’t give a shit about
what anyone else thinks.”

“Really?” Sanji asked. He stopped drying a cup and turned to face the other. “You’re okay being
open with our relationship?”

Zoro was quiet as he worked a piece of gunk off a plate. When he was done and Sanji didn’t
immediately take it to dry, Zoro looked over. “So...you want a relationship...with me?”

Sanji’s brows furrowed. “What did I expect from someone with moss for brains? I don’t know
what part of ‘ I have been in love with you for years’ you didn’t understand, but that usually means
they want a relationship!”

The clean plate Zoro held was dripping water onto the floor. He stared at it as Sanji spoke. When
he stopped and there was only silence, Zoro looked up. “Yeah, that’s cool,” he said and shoved the
plate at Sanji to take. “Sorry, just not good at verbally expressing myself.”

“I know, you’re more a physical person,” Sanji mumbled, ears suddenly turning red at the
realization of what he just said. “I-I didn’t mean it like that, I just meant you like to use your
swords!”

Slowly, a smirk was growing across the swordsman’s face at the realization that Sanji was easy to
frustrate. Their competitive nature was made for this type of shit. One-upping Sanji in sexual ways
in addition to fighting was going to be very interesting to explore.

Last night when he kissed Sanji, closing into his space and pressing their bodies together, it wasn’t
long afterward that Zoro could feel Sanji hardening under the restraint of his tight dress pants. It
was mind-boggling to learn someone wanted him romantically, and it was the cook nonetheless.
The cook who was capable of going toe-to-toe with him without fear of hurting each other, the
cook who could crumble a stone building with his legs, the cook who went weak for large,
bouncing breasts and not compact, chiseled muscle - that cook got weak in the knees for him. How
had he not seen it before? How had he not interpreted all their nakamaship for something deeper?

One memory came to mind that he had always treasured as deep friendship, but now that all this
bullshit had been confessed, Zoro felt stupid for not realizing Sanji’s feelings for him, or even
worse, his own feelings. After Zoro had taken all of Luffy’s pain back on Thriller Bark, Sanji had
accompanied him while he was bandaged from the top to the bottom of his body. He remembered
fading in and out of consciousness while Sanji talked to him, or when he didn’t talk, the familiar
smell of tobacco filled the silence. Deep inside Zoro’s chest, he remembered feeling more than
relieved to learn Sanji had survived. And then the cook placed a hand over his, something more
intimate than their relationship ever called for, but Zoro had passed it off as Sanji being overly
worried for his best friend.

Zoro squeezed his hand back. He may have told himself that it was out of companionship or maybe
it was out of competition to see who could squeeze harder - but that was stupid. Zoro really did
care for Sanji, even back then.
The green-haired man blinked at the dishes. Sanji was still freaking out over making a small
innuendo like a loser. That damn blonde was gonna lose at so many more games and Zoro couldn’t
wait to play them all.

Zoro dropped the rag and cup into the sink and pulled the towel from Sanji’s grasp to wipe his
hands dry and tossed it aside. “More a physical person, huh?” he said and gave Sanji’s shoulder a
push hard enough to make him falter. Sanji scowled with tinted cheeks but knew the swordsman
was looking for a fight so he squared up, readying himself. Zoro walked into Sanji’s space and
they stared into each other’s eyes to see which would break first.

Eyes flicking downwards, Sanji wondered if this relationship meant he could kiss Zoro whenever
he wanted. He leaned in and quickly pressed his lips to Zoro’s, immediately pulling back to see
what he thought. Zoro’s mouth pulled up on the side in a wry smile.

A calloused hand came up to grab Sanji around the neck. Zoro harshly tightened his grip, crushing
the sides until the other gasped. It was interesting Sanji wasn’t jerking a knee into his stomach to
get him to back off, so Zoro curiously let his thumb wander and play with the bottom of the man’s
chin, scruffing over the short hair of his goatee while his fingers tightened their hold. Sanji was
quick to bear the length of his neck, eager to have Zoro continue.

Zoro slid his thumb up over Sanji’s pale bottom lip, tracing it slowly, causing Sanji’s breath to
hitch as he stared back into a steely grey eye. Zoro pushed his thumb into his mouth to press down
on his tongue, sliding it around over saliva. The blonde whined with need.

Zoro chuckled, releasing his hand and gave Sanji a light slap to his cheek. “Didn’t think I’d ever
see the day you wouldn’t fight back.”

Frozen in place where Zoro left him hanging, Sanji’s jaw fell slack as he realized the idiot had been
only messing with him. “I wasn’t fighting back because I thought - ! I thought!”

“You thought what... Sanji?” Zoro cooed, leaning over to the blonde’s ear to whisper. Sanji
shivered.

“Nothing, asshole,” Sanji grumbled and snatched the towel back up.

___

The day ended with the Straw Hats chatting around the portable fire roasting marshmallows for
dessert. Zoro wasn’t partaking as it was far too sweet for his liking, instead, deciding on dozing off.
He sat there against the mainmast, his designated spot, watching everyone talk and laugh and mush
sticky fingers into their mouths to clean the mallow off. He and Sanji periodically connected eyes
and the blonde would smile at him and Zoro would smile back. It was nice. Zoro was content.

Zoro had been feeling quite warm with the fire and his friends surrounding him, making it easier to
fall back into a good booze-snooze until the next loud noise broke him out of his sleep. The
whiskey he had been throwing back was gluing itself to his insides and luling him to go night-
night.

After Sanji had made sure Nami and Robin had their fill and there were enough marshmallows for
Luffy to continue without him, he sat himself down next to Zoro. Whether he woke up or not
wasn’t of concern, he was just looking for some easy comfort. Zoro’s light snores indicated he
must be extremely relaxed if he didn’t wake to the sound of Sanji approaching. Zoro was overly
attuned to his Nakama's movement so it was surprising when the man slept on. That was a
comforting piece of information right there, Sanji concluded. Zoro must feel entirely at ease about
everything in his life to still be snoring while everyone is moving around him.

Sanji hadn’t realized he had set his hand over Zoro’s knee, casually rubbing his leg through his
thick, black jeans. He looked to Zoro when he heard the snoring stop. He had his eye on him.
“Sorry if I woke you,” he said quietly and removed his hand.

“S’fine.” Zoro closed his eye again and waited to see if Sanji had more to say. The expression he
wore gave the impression he had some things on his mind. “Spit it out,” he groaned.

Sanji pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one up. He gave a long pull and blew the smoke out
above them. “It’s nothing, really. Just riding the high from last night.”

“Which part exactly? The part where you and I said stupid shit to each other or the part where you
turned into a huge hornball cause I kissed you?”

Unable to hold his jaw up, Sanji’s cigarette almost dropped from his mouth. “E-excuse me?! I d-did
not become some fucking hornball!” Sanji hissed, trying his best to keep his voice down.

Zoro chuckled, uncrossed his arms, and leaned over on a hand. “All I have to do is talk real low in
your ear like this and you start to melt.” Zoro drove the point home by laughing quietly, sending a
light wave of air across the surface of Sanji’s neck skin.

Sanji gave another shiver and slapped a hand over his neck to shield it away from the devil next to
him. “Will you quit doing that?!”

“See? Total hornball.”

The two of them looked over to everyone else when a roar of laughter drowned out their next
thoughts. Luffy and Usopp were busy being dorks and Franky, Brook, and Chopper egged them on.
Nami was happily clapping as she, too, laughed at her dumb captain. Robin quietly sat against a
chair Brook was in content with watching the things going on around her.

Feeling eyes on her, Robin turned to look at their owner. Sanji gave a weak smile. He knew she
knew how he felt about the whispering thing and it made him feel awkward. Bad, even. That
shouldn’t be something he has to live with, though, so he made the adult decision and chose to get
this straightened out now.

Abruptly getting to his feet, Sanji curled a finger for Robin to follow him and the two went to the
bow of the ship. Once they reached Sunny’s lion head, he pocketed the butt of his spent cigarette
and began. “Look, Robin-chan, I’ve been an ass.”

The brunette held her hand up to stop him from saying any more. “Me first,” she said. When Sanji
realized he wouldn’t be able to get another word in before her, he let Robin speak. “I already know
what you’re going to say and I deem it unnecessary. I did what I did to get you two to admit your
feelings, which still did not work. I ended up having to force Zoro-san to talk to you. I apologize
for what I did. I know it must have not felt very nice at all.” Sanji was looking at his feet, unable to
look her in the eye. He nodded his agreement that no, it did not feel nice at all. A small hand
cupped his cheek and gestured for him to look up. Robin was smiling, her eyes crinkled closed. “I
don’t hold you accountable for the thoughts you may have had against me, Sanji-san. You’re a very
kind and loving man. Can you forgive me?”
Sanji placed his hand over Robin’s on his face. “Of course. Thank you for understanding and
thank you for… you know, helping us along. I don’t think either of us could have done it without
you.” Sanji took a deep breath in and slowly let it out, giving Robin’s hand an affectionate squeeze.
“Thank you, Robin.”

She answered by wrapping her arms around his torso in a tight hug.

The two rejoined the rest of the bunch, no one noticing they had slipped away but Zoro.

“Get your shit sorted?” Zoro asked without opening an eye.

Sanji hummed it was better but he wanted to talk to Zoro about it, too. It still irked him that Zoro
let her do all those things to him, too. Granted, he swatted her away most of the time but...but...
Ugh, it still bugs me, though! “I was wondering something, actually, and I was hoping you would
explain.” Sanji turned and nudged Zoro to look at him.

Zoro looked down at Sanji’s elbow still on his side, then looked to the blonde who clearly did not
get his shit sorted. Deeply sighing, Zoro pulled his knees up and spread his legs. “C’mere,” he said
and pointed to the grass in front of him. Sanji was embarrassed but Zoro wrestled him over causing
some of the crew to look their way. Sanji covered his face, unable to meet anyone’s gaze. Zoro had
been true to his word when he said he didn’t care what the other’s thought because he wrapped his
arms around Sanji’s torso and spoke quietly next to his ear. “You liked sitting in my lap when you
were a kid,” Zoro slowly started. “It was annoying. Your stupid hands were so cold and you
wouldn’t stop touching me but I grit my teeth because it took all but a minute for you to fall asleep.
And...you looked happy.”

Sanji slowly let his hands fall to rub over Zoro’s in his lap. The memory of being held by Zoro’s
warm embrace was one he would never forget. Most of the details had long been forgotten but
some of those special moments stuck with Sanji over all those years and today he knew exactly
what Zoro was talking about. It felt strange to hear it from someone else’s point of view.

Zoro ducked his head against the back of Sanji’s shoulder. “Even though I grew to enjoy giving
you the happiness you deserved, I still had trouble taking care of you. There were some things I
needed help with or...or some advice. And women have better brains than us,” Zoro grumbled,
clearly hating that he had to admit this. “You already know I’d rather chop an arm off than ask
Nams for help. Plus, I’m sure she would have charged me. So I had to ask Robin.”

Hearing the thought process behind Zoro’s decisions made Sanji feel slightly better, but he still
wanted to know more. “Usopp said you and Robin became close…? Did you guys…?”

Behind him, Zoro knocked his head against Sanji’s back and squeezed him tighter. “God, what are
you implying? Do you think I like her or something?” he growled.

Lowering his voice and turning so he didn’t have to speak anything above a whisper, Sanji asked,
“You don’t?” He could see the top of Zoro’s head on his right shoulder.

“Yeah, I do. I really like Robin, but only as my nakama.” Zoro waited for Sanji to reply. “That’s
what you wanted to hear, right? That’s what’s got you all worried?” he asked and raised his head to
rest his chin over Sanji’s shoulder. The blonde nodded. “Nah, it ain't like that. I care about her as I
care about everyone else on this ship. No one could come close to the connection you and I have.”
That was exactly what Sanji wanted to hear. It was comforting to get the last bit of information he
needed to feel fully confident in this relationship. When he had completely given up and was ready
to hand Zoro over to Robin, he meant it. His happiness meant nothing to him. ‘No one could come
close to the connection you and I have’ echoed through his mind until he relaxed into Zoro, leaning
his body against him and letting his head fall back over the man’s shoulder. Only having to slightly
turn his head, he gave a soft kiss to Zoro’s neck. “Thanks,” he said quietly.

They listened to one of Usopp’s stories for a while. He was jumping over seats as he exaggerated
all the details but regardless if it were true or not, he was a great entertainer. All his rambunctious
tales always had everyone on the edge of their seat or cowering in fear, or laughing hysterically.
Zoro felt Sanji silently laughing, his body shaking as Usopp made a very convincing fart noise with
his mouth to emphasize the part in the story.

“Did you want to tell the crew then?” Zoro asked and pushed his face against Sanji’s cheek. “Might
as well get it over with so there ain’t any weird questions later.”

“Yeah, Nami already asked me at breakfast this morning. Didn’t know what to say,” Sanji said and
fished another smoke out of his pocket. A cigarette dangled between his lips as he spoke. “You
think Captain will be okay with it?”

Zoro looked over at Luffy who was clutching his stomach as he rolled around in the grass and tried
breathing through fits of laughter. Sanji sparked up and blew smoke out in front of them. “I think
he already knows.”

Sanji plucked the cigarette from his mouth and sat up to look at Zoro properly. “Oh? How is that?”
he asked, smoke billowing out after each word.

Zoro took the next few minutes to tell Sanji about his plan to give him the happiness of love in
return for taking care of everyone (to which both Zoro and Sanji turned tomato red) and when he
had asked Luffy who Sanji loved, the idiot-captain said Zoro was stupid for not knowing. “Doesn’t
that sound like he already knows? Is that weird that Luffy knew?”

Sanji’s face was still crimson. His hand covered the side of his face that his bangs didn’t, and let a
shuddery breath out. “How fucking obvious was I?” he seemed to of asked himself only. “Robin
knew right away, you know, but she didn’t get a real confirmation until a week ago. How could
Luffy know? He’s...he’s so stupid?”

“Don’t say that about him,” Zoro growled. “He’s stupid, but he’s our captain. And you know he
has a creepy sixth sense for things. Prolly just that.”

Which was true, Luffy did just know things - it was freaky. One minute he could be picking his
nose and the next he was spitting some crazy knowledge out that made you stop and wonder what
exactly Luffy was made of. “Yeah,” Sanji said quietly. He laid back into Zoro and sucked on his
cigarette. “Yeah, let me finish this and we can tell them.”

It was then that Luffy shot to his feet and stared out at the blackness that lay beyond the ship. Zoro
stiffened at the sight, immediately catching on that something was wrong. He felt around with Haki
and pushed him and Sanji to their feet. The crew had quieted to see what had gotten into the
Monster Trio.

“There’s a ship,” Luffy said quietly.

“A lot of’em onboard, too,” Zoro followed up with. He leaned down to grab his swords and attach
them in his sash.
Sanji pinched the end of his cigarette in his fingers and saved the rest for later. “Feels hostile, even
from here.”

“Try to keep up,” Zoro said and pushed past the blonde. Sanji scoffed but walked after him.

The crew started to move, either to get their weapons or get into a better position, but Luffy
stopped them. “No need,” he said with a smile, turning to face everyone. “We’ve got this!”

One long, rubber arm stretched out and coiled around Sanji’s and Zoro’s bodies, pushing them
together with a groan. The other reached far behind him and then zoomed past the crew to stretch
across the sea towards the pirate ship that was in the distance. Zoro and Sanji looked at each other
with panic-stricken faces for less than a second before all three of them were hurled over the water
at a dangerously impossible speed. They landed with a crash into a wall. Luffy was already up and
kicking ass while the other two were cursing their captain and his rubber body.

This boat was quite a deal bigger than The Thousand Sunny, harboring close to a hundred pirates.
Though some seemed a formidable foe, most were cannon fodder. Luffy made the right decision to
bring the fight to their boat. There wouldn’t have been any room at all to swing swords or throw
rubber fists or do a handstand, kicking 360 degrees around you.

Groans of pain filled the night’s air as the majority of the pirates were already down for the count.
Luffy could be heard laughing atop the ship’s crow’s nest. Pirates were climbing the ratlines to get
at him but Luffy seemed to be having fun tossing them overboard. Some men rained down on Sanji
and Zoro, who was having a slightly different time…

“Oi, take the woman!” Sanji yelled as he blocked a hit with his shin from the man the woman had
been calling her ‘Hunny’.

“I know, I know, ya damn brat!” Zoro retorted over his shoulder. He dodged a giant hammer the
woman was swinging around. “You can’t hit a damn dame, even if it were to save your sorry life!”

“Fuck you!”

“Fuck you!” Zoro sneered back while arching his swords at the woman, one after another.

“Lavender, dear, do be careful! He seems quite the foe!” The man called out to his wife. He was
large, at least twice Sanji’s height, and very muscular. His large build did him little good against
Sanji, though, because it tremendously slowed him down. The blonde was quick to zip around and
kick in all the right places to weaken him. The man swung his colossal fist at Sanji’s head making
the blonde bend backward, his spine almost folding in half. “Wowzers! You are adorably flexible!
Dear, did you see that?!”

“I did, I did!” Lavender said breathily in awe from the sight, though she quickly squeaked in horror
as two blades whooshed past her face. Her long eyelashes had been chopped short by Zoro’s
swords. “This one is a bully, Hunny! Definitely not our type!”

Zoro growled and gave a harsh jab with the tip of his sword to hopefully pierce her skin but she
whirled away in time. The swordsman looked over his shoulder to see Sanji still holding his own
with the husband and also kicking away a few stray weaker pirates. Each time Sanji moved, his
long shadow cast from the flickering torches on the ship danced around with him. It felt good to be
fighting with Sanji at his side again. They were a team and this is what they did best. A feral grin
spread across his face and the woman shrieked.

“He’s so scary, Hunny!” she said and slammed the hammer down over Zoro who slipped out from
under its heavy head just in time. “Trade me! I want the cute one!”

“You like him, right Lav? Let’s keep him!” The husband suggested. The woman giggled and
nodded her small head up and down with a toothy grin. Sanji couldn’t help but laugh, too.

“Hear that, Mossy? I’m better than you!”

Zoro growled and launched a quick attack at Lavender. She jutted a hip to the side and swung her
hammer around to retaliate. Zoro ducked in time and she instead hit a comrade, the man sent flying
across the ship and through the railing, his body splashing into the sea below.

Above them, Luffy could be heard yelling Gomu Gomu no Pisutoru! And a few men would go
flying. A man pounced on Zoro’s back and was hitting him over the head. Zoro barely even
registered the pain as he left a deep cut across Lavender’s arm. She cried out in anguish but soon
recovered to her bubbly self.

“Let’s finish this, Hunny! I want him now! He’s so pretty and strong!” She sighed and Zoro noticed
she had been half in the fight, the other was watching Sanji like a hawk. It pissed Zoro off,
especially when he saw hearts form in Sanji’s eyes from all the compliments. The large man
thought it would be a good time as any to bring a sharp elbow down over Sanji’s shoulder but the
blonde’s lithe body bent away, dodging every attack.

“And bendy!” The man laughed, his muscled belly moving as he did so. “Seems like he really is
perfect for us!”

Zoro’s lip twitched hearing them fawn over the chef. He didn’t like the way they were talking
about him. “Stop sayin shit like that,” Zoro snarled around his sword so only the woman could
hear. Before he threw another attack, he stabbed the man over his shoulder. He cried out in pain
and fell to the floorboards.

As much as Zoro was hating the couple’s conversation, Sanji was absolutely loving it.
“Compliment me more, my lovely lady!” he said with a tongue hanging out to the side.

“I like seeing pets fawn after my wife, it gets me going,” the husband said. Everything about him
had completely changed, his aura turned from aloof to predatory. Both Zoro and Sanji could feel
the atmosphere darken around them. Even the woman seemed a bit scarier, more crazed.

“I want him,” Lavender said, her eyes glazing over. “I WANT HIM!” Small arms lifted over her
head as she raised the hammer then slammed it down to get rid of Zoro. When the swordsman
hopped out of the way, the floorboards exploded under the pressure and her hammer became
temporarily stuck under the wood

Sanji jumped into the air and sent a flaming foot towards the husband. It hurled him backward into
the ship’s wall. As his back thwacked against the wood, the ship shook and torches fell from their
sconces and rolled across the floor. The ship began to catch fire. The once dimly lit boat now
began to glow with orange light as the fire spread.

Instead of being knocked out, or even winded, the man laughed behind hooded eyes. His tongue
darted out to lick across his lips. “You’re feisty...I like it. Means you’ll squirm longer than the
others.”

Raging, Zoro’s grip tightened over his swords in his hands and his teeth felt like they’d crush
Wado’s hilt in two. These pirates were getting on his fucking nerves. He didn’t like the way they
were talking about Sanji like he was some piece of meat. It reminded him too much of those nasty
pirates when he was a kid. The swordsman shook the messy thoughts from his head and
concentrated on bringing the woman down so they could get the hell out of there before the fire got
to them first.

“Yes, yes!” Lavender squealed, her voice going up an octave. “I like it when they squirm! Capture
him, Hunny! Don’t let him get away!” She had momentarily forgotten about Zoro and was now
lazily swinging the hammer in circles as she twirled around on the boat thinking of having her way
with the blonde. With each swipe of Zoro’s swords, she still managed to dodge most of the hits.
Shusui slid across the back of her leg and blood immediately rushed down, but it hardly registered.
She didn’t even falter in her step.

Since the air changed, Sanji ceased his ogling and shut his mouth. It was no longer a game of
fighting, but something closer to cat and mouse, a man simply playing with his prey. The large
man’s breathing became heavy and ragged but it wasn’t because of the challenge Sanji was giving
him or the rapidly increasing heat.

“He’s got a nice mouth, too,” the man whined and clawed forward in hopes to snatch Sanji up in
his fist.

Once Zoro heard that the pressure around them grew impossibly denser as if the oxygen was being
sucked out from the depths of your lungs. A violent surge of lightning coursed through the
swordsman’s veins as he rushed across the deck through the flames, abandoning his current fight
and roaring around Wado as he shot forward between Sanji and the huge, muscular man who
toppled backward from the force of Zoro’s shoulder drilling into him.

Zoro stood over the man’s wide abdomen and, wasting no time, he took his anger out on him by
sinking both Kitetsu and Shusui deep into the tops of each of the man’s pectorals and slid them
down his front, shredding through each rib bone like butter, until the blades reached the man’s
hips. Sanji’s voice could barely be heard over Zoro’s vicious cries of anger.

The man was still hanging on to life, coughing up blood that had filled in places it shouldn’t be. He
tried desperately wrestling Zoro off of him, his once strong arms now weakened. Zoro bared his
teeth and slashed Kitetsu across the man’s thick neck to end him completely. The writhing stopped.

Sanji’s arm had only just now grabbed Zoro’s elbow but the swordsman was already launching
across the way back to Lavender who was screaming, half in rage and the other mourning the loss
of her husband. Zoro readied himself to tear her in two but Sanji called out to him.

“Don’t kill her!” he said quickly, hoping to reach through Zoro’s blind frenzy. “Zoro, don’t!”
Hearing his name brought Zoro back from his rampage for a split second. He turned to the blonde
behind him to see what he wanted. He watched the blonde’s face quickly twist from worry to a
horrified panic, then he was opening his mouth again to yell. “WATCH OUT!” he screamed all too
late for Zoro to dodge in time.

Lavender had sought revenge and whirled her enormous hammer in a sideways arc. Zoro heard its
mass whooshing through the air and turned to see the head of metal racing towards his left. It was
too late to do anything. Zoro blinked and the hammer connected with his temple with a sickening
crack, sending him flying to the edge of the boat and smacking against the railings. He lay there on
his back, unmoving.

“ZORO!” Sanji screamed again, his voice hoarse from raising it so high. The woman was making
her way towards him at an alarming speed. Already, there was a thick pool of blood forming under
Zoro’s upper body. The liquid reflected the flames around it.
The woman’s face had turned from beautiful to horrifying as her tears muddied her eyeliner and
mascara, sending thick, black rivers down her face. Sanji had to take care of her if he was going to
get Zoro to Chopper. There was no other choice.

Before Sanji could go against one of his strictest rules, the woman’s body was plunged deep into
the wooden deck below. Sanji blinked a few times wondering what the hell happened. He stared at
the hole in the ship waiting for her to crawl out, but then there was Luffy springing up and landing
with a slap of his sandals on the surface. “Zoro is hurt,” he said with a serious tone and Sanji
nodded.

The two rushed to Zoro’s side and were taken aback by what they saw. The blood around the
swordsman’s body was a lot more than they expected, most had dripped off the edge of the ship.
His jaw was slack, mouth hanging slightly open and his eye stared blankly at the sky above. There
was no sign of grey in his eye, his pupil had dilated enough to swallow the iris whole.

Sanji immediately started hyperventilating and his heart felt like it had jumped into his throat.
“He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead,” he said with every gasping breath he tried taking.

“He’s not.”

“He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead,”

“HE’S NOT DEAD!” Luffy yelled and slapped Sanji across the face. “Can’t you see he’s
breathing? You have to carry him, Sanji. I can’t bring him back gently.” Shocked back into reality,
Sanji saw how Luffy’s pained expression was urging him to take control. His captain was trying to
stay calm but behind those large, brown eyes, he was just as worried as Sanji. “Please...he’s hurt.”

“Yeah, right…” Sanji said as he struggled to regain his composure. The fire had almost reached
every surface of the enemy's ship by now. He could feel hot tears streaming down the sides of his
face, immediately evaporating from the heat, as he gently scooped Zoro’s limp body into his arms.
He was dead weight as Sanji Sky Walked across the ocean back to Sunny. Zoro’s head lolled
backward over Sanji’s arm, still profusely leaking. Sanji choked back a sob.

___

Robin and Brook kept Sanji company in the galley while Usopp, Nami, and Franky stayed with
Luffy in the aquarium. No one was allowed to interrupt Chopper while he began treating Zoro.

Sanji was pacing the kitchen, chain-smoking, and muttering under his breath. Brook had opened
the galley doors to begin letting the excess smoke out. Sanji hadn’t even realized how many
cigarettes he went through until he reached in the pack to grab a new one and saw there were no
more. All twenty lifelines gone. This was his last pack. Sanji’s lip twitched before a tear fell from
his eye. “Shit,” he said, his voice cracking, and collapsed to his knees on the floor. Both Robin and
Brook had come to his aid.

“Sanji-san!” Brook said, pulling him to his feet. “We must stay strong - for Zoro!”

The blonde’s legs felt like wet noodles. How was he expected to stand when the image of Zoro’s
blank expression, red matted to the side of his head, haunted his fucking mind? He was in
Chopper’s care now and that meant that everything would be alright. He didn’t realize he was
sobbing until he heard Robin shushing him.
“It’s alright, Sanji-san,” Robin cooed. She gently brushed her fingers through his hair to try and
calm him but he was in hysterics. She wanted to convince Sanji that there was nothing to worry
about but even she had her doubts. As Sanji ran past her to bring Zoro’s body into the infirmary,
she had seen the vacant stare he wore. There was nothing behind that eye. Before she knew it, tears
were falling down her cheeks, too. Robin wrapped her arms around Sanji’s torso and pushed his
head down so he could cry into her shoulder. She rubbed his back in soothing circles. She
remembered it worked when he was a young child and sure enough, Sanji’s sobbing slowly turned
into light sniffles as he calmed down.

___

They waited for hours. The sun had long come up but no one had slept. The boat was silent. Luffy
never asked for breakfast.

It was around three in the afternoon when Chopper slowly opened the infirmary door. His body
seemed even smaller compared to the weight of the situation. The three of them surrounded him in
no time but he quietly asked them to gather everyone else.

Once the crew was all packed inside the dining room, Chopper sighed before speaking. It was
apparent that he was exhausted. Under his normally bright, doey eyes were dark circles and his fur
was horribly matted. His white coat was soaked in blood and he had discarded his hat. It gave
Chopper a look that wasn’t suited for his age, he was too young to be put through this type of
exposure.

“I want to first tell you that he’s stable.” The collective sigh of relief around the room didn’t make
him feel any better. “But it’s not good. I’ve given him a GCS Score of three and -”

“What does that mean?” Usopp asked the question most of them were thinking.

“Oh, right,” Chopper said unenthusiastically. “It’s a scale that determines the severity of a coma,
the Glasgow Coma Scale and -”

“Three sounds good!” Sanji chimed in. “That’s not that bad. He’s fine, right?”

The reindeer seemed to deflate even further after hearing that. “No, Sanji, three is the worst rating.
He’s unresponsive in all three categories. Even after the sedative I have him under wears off, he
will not wake up.” The room was silent. No one dared speak lest it hurt Zoro in some way.
Chopper sniffled while shutting the infirmary door behind him and leaned against it. He was
looking down at the floorboards as he spoke. “Since he has a traumatic brain injury, I suspected
severe brain hemorrhaging. I made multiple CT scans and it was proved true; his brain was
swimming in blood. I’m not a surgeon!” He suddenly shouted as big tears welled up under his eyes.

“We heard drilling,” Robin said, looking from Brook and Sanji to Chopper again.

Chopper nodded and wiped under his nose with a shaking hoof. “Yeah, I had to open a small hole
in his skull to drain the blood. As I said, he’s stable now…”

Luffy sat cross-legged against the base of the couch between Brook’s lanky legs. He rubbed the
pad of his finger across the floorboards, tracing the grain of the wood. “When will he wake up?”

Chopper slid down the door and flopped on his bottom. “I...don’t know.”
“Is there anything we can do for him?” Franky asked, his usual spunky voice was toned down for
the situation. Chopper’s crying gave him the answer of no, there isn’t anything they could do. All
they could do was wait.

___

Two days had gone by and Zoro was still unconscious. Luffy made the decision of staying docked
at the next busy island with a city in case they needed anything for Zoro. He didn’t want to be
stranded in the middle of the ocean while his friend was dying. The crew agreed that was the best
they could offer him. Nami mentioned marines but Luffy said if it were a Navy infested island
then he would fight them until Zoro woke no matter how long it took. They couldn’t risk sailing to
a different island, the results were too unknown and Chopper agreed.

Sanji was stressed. His cigarettes had run out and Zoro was in a fucking coma and it was all his
fault. If he didn’t tell him not to kill that woman he wouldn’t have hesitated. Sanji is the only
reason Zoro is laying in the infirmary with a new hole in his head. It ate at him.

The crew was fed on time as always. Sanji did his best to not let this affect him enough that the
crew would notice, he had to be strong for them. He had to be strong.

Day three came and went. Nami stepped out of her office and joined the few people left on the
grassy deck. It was late and most everyone was already tucked in bed. Franky strummed ever so
lightly on his acoustic guitar, playing a melody that would soothe his nakama. Luffy laid in Sanji’s
lap, his eyelids drooping while the blonde pinched his rubber cheeks to keep him awake.

“I think there will be an island we can stop at soon,” Nami said with a stretch high above her head.
Her fingers fished around under her hair tie until she could grab ahold of it and shake it loose from
her thick hair. Orange curls fell in a mess around her shoulders. “Probably late tomorrow evening if
the wind stays this steady. Wednesday morning if the New World shits on us. I’m going to head to
bed now. You guys need to get some sleep, too,” she finished with a yawn and slipped away.

Franky mimicked Nami’s stretch but he was a little more super about it. “I’m off, bros!” he said
with a smile. As he left, Luffy looked up at Sanji.

“What?” the blonde asked, feeling Luffy’s sad gaze.

“He will get better. He has to.”

Sanji let his eyes fall closed. “I know, Captain.”

“Then why are you so sad still?” Luffy asked. He rolled off Sanji and was crouching in his face.
“Zoro will be okay so you have to be okay, too, for when he wakes up.”

Nodding his head in agreement, Sanji broke away to stare beyond the galley door where Zoro laid
alone in the infirmary. “Alright, let’s go to bed. I’m gonna say goodnight to Zoro first, though.”

Luffy’s smile reached his ears. “Tell him I said goodnight, too.”

The two parted ways and the pit in Sanji’s stomach came back the closer he walked to the
infirmary door. His hand hesitated on the door handle. He hated visiting him, hated looking at how
still he was. Pushing through, Sanji closed the door gently behind him as if it would disturb the
man inside.

“Hey, idiot,” Sanji said quietly. “You suck at being strong.” The blonde inched his way over to the
gurney. The lights stung his eyes from being outside in the dark for so long. Zoro lay motionless,
except for his shallow breathing, with tubes hooked into his arms and down his throat for feeding.
The brace around his neck helped keep his head steady and in place, but Sanji knew if Zoro were
awake he would have torn it off the moment the doctor left the room. He smiled thinking of how
stubborn Zoro was.

Sanji ran his hand across Zoor’s dark arm. The swordsman looked so different right now. The
gown Chopper dressed him in made all his sharp edges look soft and round and the creases he
usually wore between his brows were smoothed out. Zoro’s tough-guy front was no match against
the state he was in.

“You look weak,” Sanji croaked around the lump caught in his throat. “Don’t take too long to wake
up. Gotta help me keep that captain safe.” Sanji played with a few pieces of green hair that stuck
out from under the gauze bandages that were tightly wound around Zoro’s head, careful not to
cause him any further harm than he already had. Once satisfied that he gave the Straw Hat’s
swordsman proper attention, Sanji walked to the door and placed his hand over the light switch. He
looked behind him one last time to whisper, “Goodnight, Zoro,” before putting the lights out for
the night and heading to his bunk.

___

The New World did end up shitting on them. The wind had died down enough that Sunny didn’t
dock to the next island until late Wednesday night. Chopper was thankful that Zoro didn’t need any
more special attention in between that time.

Normally, Sanji would have raced off the ship to grab his replacement smokes but he hesitated this
time. It had been five days total since Zoro was in a coma and leaving him behind on the ship, even
though Franky and Brook were staying back, didn’t seem right. Sanji stood at the bow of the ship
looking at the city before him.

Nami told them the island was called Amaryllis, known for their flowers, but this was no humble
village settlement. It was massive. The island was covered in tall buildings with lively street life.
They were all lucky to have stumbled upon a thriving city in this desperate time to keep Zoro alive.
It put Sanji at ease knowing Chopper would have anything they could possibly need if the time
called for it.

Amaryllis was spotted even when Sunny was still quite a ways out. The city was glowing from the
street lights, neon signs, and buildings. The closer the boat sailed, the louder the island became.
Once they had landed, Luffy and Usopp left right away to see what the city had to offer. Chopper,
Robin, and Nami left together to find a casino to rake in some extra money.

“Bro, you don’t have to stay here with us oldies! You can totally let your wild side run free here!”
Franky said and struck a pose by lifting his huge arms over his head. “It looks SUUUUPERRRRR
fun!”
Sanji ducked his head to stare at Sunny’s mane. It wasn’t that Sanji didn’t trust Brook and Franky
to take care of Zoro while he was away, it wasn’t that at all. In fact, he knew those two would be
more than enough to protect him. What was keeping Sanji glued to the floorboards was the guilt.
There was no way he could go and have fun while Zoro lay unconscious because of him. Sanji
sighed. Not like any places that sell cigarettes would be open right now anyway.

Turning around to head into the kitchen, Sanji gave Franky a reassuring smile and said he would
explore tomorrow instead.

___

The afternoon breeze flowed through Sanji’s golden hair, tossing it around while he heaved the
heavy crates up from the dock to Franky behind the ship’s railings. He had spent his morning after
breakfast stocking up on whatever food and liquids that needed replenishing, plus a fuck-ton of
cigarettes. More than he normally bought between islands. He was going to need them if this coma
lasted any longer.

In the kitchen, Sanji took his time putting the supplies away. He chopped the meats into portions
for separate meals and stored them in the icebox with a neat label to identify them by. The kitchen
was soon organized to the highest of standards now that Sanji had the extra time. It was due for a
good deep cleaning, too, but he’d wait until after lunch was served.

Not everyone was back on the ship for lunch, which Sanji expected. Robin and Brook left to visit
the island’s many bookstores. They brought a box with them full of the books the Sunny no longer
needed to see if they could offer a trade for replacement ones. Robin had spent a good deal of time
sorting through the stories she knew by heart and wanted more to fill her mind with. The non-
fictional books stayed, though. Those would never be replaced.

Usopp left before breakfast. He had run into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee from Sanji and
bolted after burning his mouth. Sanji didn’t even have time to ask where he was going or when
he’d be back.

Luffy had been gone since after breakfast but returned right on time for the food. Nami had taken
away his allowance for the day because he got her kicked out of a casino last night. If Luffy
wanted to eat today, he had to do it on the Sunny.

The second wave of food for the day had been a success, as always, and Sanji took advantage of a
quiet boat to get started on diving elbows deep in cleaning products. He scrubbed places that
probably have not seen the light of day since Franky put this ship together. Over two hours,
Chopper had come in and out of the infirmary a few times to take care of Zoro. The chef told
himself if he were going to spend his day on the ship and not explore a luscious city with high-tech
and ladies, then he was going to at least be productive. There were many things Sanji needed to get
done before he thought of wasting his very rare chance of no Luffy or Usopp causing some sort of
chaos to prevent him from doing anything but feeding or cleaning up after them.

Sanji made his way back into the kitchen after a shower to rid the ammonia and bleach smells from
him. There weren’t many other things he could do to keep himself busy. There were still four,
maybe five, more hours until dinner and he didn’t need much prep time. While he thought about
his next task, Sanji made himself a cup of hot tea.
It wouldn’t hurt to check in on Zoro while I drink this, Sanji thought to himself. With a sigh, he
ignored the inner voice that continuously told him Zoro wouldn’t suddenly wake up if he stared at
him long enough.

Sanji pushed into the infirmary with a cup of tea in each hand, ready to hand one over to the tiny
doctor, when he almost dropped the acrylic cups because of what he saw; Zoro was no longer on
his back but now laying on his side facing the wall. A long sliver of his tan, muscular back could
be seen between the ties that held the gown together. “Chopper!” he yelled and readjusted his grip
on the mug handles before he spilled their contents. The reindeer about jumped out of his skin from
Sanji’s outburst. He asked what was wrong with panic in his innocent eyes. “Why didn’t you tell
me Zoro was awake!”

Chopper turned in his swivel chair to look at Zoro who was still deeply asleep. Sanji had set the tea
down and raced to Zoro’s side. “Wait!” Chopper squeaked. “He’s still in a coma!”

Sanji’s outstretched hands hesitated. “What?” he asked and looked back at Zoro. “How did he get
on his side, then?”

“Since it’s been six days now, I thought I’d rotate him so he doesn’t get bed sores. The body isn’t
meant to stay in the same position for that long, especially someone as active as Zoro.”

“Ah,” Sanji said, deflating a little. He was so happy to think Zoro came out of his coma that the
possibility of anything else hadn’t occurred to him. Fishing in his breast pocket, he pulled out a
cigarette and lit up. At the sound of the lighter, Chopper looked up at him.

“Don’t smoke in here!”

Casting a sidelong glance down at Zoro’s unconscious body, he looked to Chopper and said, “He
won’t mind.”

___

Dinner seemed a bit depressing for Sanji. That few moments of happiness earlier in the day had
made the crushing blow of reality that much worse. His stomach felt like it was in his shoes and his
head was starting to hurt from the stress.

Luffy had given Sanji a rib-crushing hug every opportunity he had in addition to him waiting in
Sanji’s bunk every night after the cook had told Zoro goodnight. Sanji was loving the extra
emotional support his captain was providing because he truly needed it. Luffy really did have a
sixth sense for things and Sanji wouldn’t complain. The kid’s high body-temp did wonders to keep
him asleep during the night instead of endlessly tossing and turning, dreaming of a hammer
crushing Zoro’s skull over and over.

Sanji slipped into the infirmary well after dinner to keep Zoro company. He had spent all day
cleaning and organizing and going into town didn’t seem like it would make him feel any better.
Reading a book in the waiting chair while smoking sounded much better to him if he were being
honest with himself.

The room was quiet, the sounds outside the four walls muffled by the strong Adam wood. The
crew had lounged around the portable fire pit tonight instead of running amuck up and down the
streets of Amaryllis. Sanji could hear Luffy’s obnoxious laughter over Brook’s electric guitar,
which was impressive. Sometimes the boat would shake, no doubt making Franky’s hair turn white
as he reigned in the younger Straw Hat’s chaotic energy.

The book Sanji was reading seemed to have lost his interest a few pages back. He knew if someone
asked him to recall what he had just read that he wouldn't be able to, even to save his damn life.
The conversation the two people were discussing ended up turning to monologues and after that,
grey. Sanji shook his head to try and clear the fog and looked over to the source where his mind
wanted to wander off to.

Sanji picked the chair up and set it against the wall at the head of the bed. From this angle, he had
a clear view of Zoro’s face now. This was much better. The blonde laid his head down in the small
space between the wall and Zoro, their faces only inches apart. He smiled as he felt more content
right now than he had all day. Shit, all week, even.

The two of them had just figured things out between them and then this shit happens, putting
everything on hold. They were minutes away from standing up and telling the crew - then those
fucking pirates had to run up on them looking for trouble.

The memory of Zoro taking care of him years ago warmed him in the cold room. Absentmindedly
playing with the green hair, Sanji thought about all the things they would be able to do together
now that they were in a relationship. Long fingers raked through Zoro’s hair and Sanji realized it
felt dirty. He’d have to ask Chopper how they would keep him clean while he was unconscious.

The infirmary door opened and Nami stumbled in. “Sanji-kun?” she asked, her hand still on the
doorknob. “The hell are you doing in here?” Her chocolate eyes widened when she saw how close
Sanji was to the swordsman.

Sanji released Zoro and sat up straight. He could smell the intense aroma of beer pouring off her
and filling the air around them. “Keeping the marimo company.”

Nami looked around the room as if a better answer to her question would be found there.
“Uhm...why? He’s in a coma. He doesn’t know you’re there.”

Getting to his feet and sparking up a cigarette, Sanji leaned against the bed. After taking a long
drag and blowing the smoke up towards the light fixture, he looked to the ship’s navigator and
said, “He will remember.”

Nami jutted a hip out and placed her hand over it. “You know what, I was going to ask you about
that one night, you know, right before you three left for that enemy ship? You were sitting between
Zoro’s legs - what’s up with that?”

Sanji puffed on his cigarette while holding eye contact with Nami. He and Zoro were supposed to
tell everyone together, but that didn’t mean he had to lie in the meantime. Admitting it out loud
without Zoro’s support was a different story, though. Sanji nervously twisted a button on his shirt.
It’s not like he was embarrassed about being with Zoro, no, in fact, it was quite the opposite. He
wanted everyone in the whole damn world to know that they were finally together. Just...in this
moment, with Zoro behind him unconscious and Nami looking at him with her brows furrowed, it
didn’t feel like the ideal scenario he had always dreamed it would be.

“And what about that kiss at the dinner table?! I thought you meant to kiss Robin but you said you
didn’t?!” Nami said, her voice going up an octave at the end of her sentence.

Isn’t it obvious? Sanji thought, hoping she could piece things together and stop looking at him like
that. “I think you know what it means, Nami-san,” Sanji said quietly. He knew where this was
going, where her rising attitude leaned towards. All the tells were there. Her denial to put two and
two together, the repulsed face, the way her eyes couldn’t stop darting between him and Zoro
behind him.

Nami was quiet for a minute as Sanji’s words completely sunk in. “You’re...you’re into men?” She
asked. Sanji nodded. “What? I can’t believe it,” she said and crossed the room to stand in front of
the blonde.

Stiffening, Sanji stood up straight to face Nami. “Why not?” he asked and plucked the cigarette
from his lips to hold at his waist, keeping the smoke from suffocating her.

“Uhm, helloooooo, because you like me! You like me, and Robin, and mermaids! Not - not Zoro!”
She said, practically spitting the name out with disgust. She gestured towards his body while she
continued. “You hate each other!”

“You don’t need to yell, Nami-san, Zoro is-”

“He’s in a fucking coma, Sanji!” Nami snapped. “He can’t hear me! And he can’t hear you, either!
You’re wasting your time!”

“What’s going on?” Luffy said from the doorway. The tension radiating from the room could be
felt by him from out on the deck. He came to investigate.

Nami whipped around and pointed an accusing finger in Sanji’s face. “He likes Zoro!” she said as
if that was all the evidence Luffy needed to convict him of the highest of crimes and send him to
walk the plank.

Luffy’s cheesy grin split his face in two and his eyes turned into crescents from being squeezed
tightly shut. “Shishishi, yup!” he confirmed.

Nami retracted her hand and planted both on her hips. “What do you mean ‘yup’? You knew?”
After letting out more giggles, Luffy nodded hard enough that it looked as if his neck would snap
off. “And - and you’re okay with it?! As captain, you have every right to stop it, you know!” she
suggested. Her voice rose while her anger started to flood her emotions when she realized Luffy
wasn’t going to back her up.

The Sunny’s captain cocked his head to the side then he fell to lean against the doorframe. He
rubbed his chin and made hmmmmm noises indicating he was thinking on the matter. Sanji wasn’t
surprised that someone on the ship reacted this way but he was hurt to know the person it turned
out to be was Nami.

“Why would I stop it?” Luffy finally said.

Nami’s jaw dropped. She fumbled for words while scrambling to win this argument. “I mean - isn’t
that - aren’t you? - is this the best - how is this okay, Luffy?! Sanji just told me he likes men and
you’re asking me why would you stop it?! Because it’s not true! Sanji likes women!”

There were a lot of things Sanji wanted to say right now, to intervene and defend himself, but Luffy
was here and he appeared to be on his side so he waited to see what he had to say. He and Zoro had
to tell them all anyway, so hearing Luffy’s opinion was important.

“No, no, I think Sanji likes Zoro,” Luffy said with a raised eyebrow. “Is that bad?”

“It’s not true!” Nami shouted. “Sanji can only like girls!”
Again, Luffy thumbed over his chin as he thought about Nami’s response. His brows knit close
together as he deeply considered her viewpoint. This time it took longer for him to finally speak up,
but when he did, he simply asked, “Why?”

Growling in frustration, Nami threw her hands up in the air. It was apparent she felt the walls
closing in on her as she was used to getting her way. Eyeing Sanji up and down before turning her
attention back on Luffy, she said under her breath, “It’s weird and I don’t like it.”

“That’s okay,” Luffy said with a smile. “But it’s Sanji’s life and we can’t decide what makes him
happy.” He gave a wave and left to rejoin the rest around the fire.

Nami stomped over to the door to close it then slowly turned to face the cook. “Sanji-kun,” she
said sweetly. “I thought you liked me?”

Sanji knew she was up to something, she had that look on her face that told Sanji to run, run, run.
As she slunk her way towards him, Sanji backed up into the gurney. Nami was less than a foot
away from him, he could smell the beer on her breath. “Uhm, I - I do, sweetheart. You know that,”
Sanji said nervously, his eyes shifting around the room to see if it would be worth it to jet away
from this bizarre situation.

One of Nami’s hands came up to cup the side of Sanji’s cheek to intimately caress it. “If you like
me then why did you tell me you like Zoro, hmm?”

The way her body was now pressing up against the cook’s chest had him flushing. He could feel
his head spinning with lightheadedness. “Heh, uhhmmm, Namiiiii,” Sanji purred, his face melting
into a dorky smile. “I - I don’t like Zoro, dear.”

“That’s what I thought. You like what girls have, don’t you?” She asked and made sure to squish
her breasts between them. She relished in accomplishment when she saw a streak of blood fall from
Sanji’s nose and over his lips.

“Yessss,” Sanji hissed, his eyes slowly falling closed at the feeling of Nami’s soft body on his, the
heat pouring off her now melding with his own. How many times has he thought of Nami like this?
And now she was willingly giving it to him! “But, my dear, I don’t like Zoro, I -”

“Yes, you’ve said that,” Nami interrupted and grabbed his chin harshly to assert her control in the
discussion. She glared into his crystal blue eye just daring him to take his words back.

Taking a deep breath to clear his mind, Sanji gently grabbed ahold of Nami’s hand and set it at her
side. “I think you’re misunderstanding me, Nami-swan. When I say I don’t like Zoro, I really mean
to say that I love Zoro.” He wiped the blood from his face with a handkerchief from his pocket and
sniffled the rest deep inside his sinuses. He gave a weak smile in hopes that the woman who stood
in front of him would understand.

“What?” Nami asked, taking a step backward. “You what?”

“I love -”

“I heard what you said!” Nami spat, twisting her face into a sneer that Sanji recognized as disgust.
“You’re serious, then?”

This was growing to be very uncomfortable for Sanji to handle by himself. As much as he hated
the way Zoro spoke to the ladies, he knew that he would be able to handle this much better than he
currently was. It was a losing battle. He knew the words the idiot swordsman would use but there
was no way he could say them to Nami, no matter how well it worked to explain all of this. ‘Fuck
off, Witch!’ or ‘If you don’t like it, don’t look” or maybe even something as crude as grabbing his
dick and shaking it at her with one hand while flipping her off with the other. Yeah, none of those
are even close to an option for me, Sanji thought. Figuring it was time for another cigarette, he
grabbed one out with shaky fingers and lit up.

Sanji had never wanted to come out to the crew like this. This wasn’t what was supposed to
happen. His crew was his family, and right now part of his family was looking down on him for
simply loving someone. The worst part was that person who was glaring daggers at him was Nami,
his precious princess who he thought he would always have her support. It hurt. Sanji’s chest hurt
badly.

Taking a labored breath through the pain, Sanji spoke as evenly as possible. “Can I not be attracted
to you both?” he asked cooly, already feeling the effects of the nicotine calming his nerves. “I love
you, Nami-san, but I’m in love with this damn neanderthal.”

Nami silently shook her head as the words processed, trying to comprehend what she was hearing.
“I can’t believe it,” she said under her breath. “I can’t believe I lost a hundred beri.”

“W-what?” Sanji asked.

“I pried some information from Robin about that kiss. She told me you and Zoro liked each other
but I didn’t believe it for one second. She insisted, so I bet her you two were just pulling her leg!”
she said and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Looks like I better pay up.”

“W-what?” Sanji asked again, perplexed. “So that means you don’t care wh-”

“Who you love? Gods, of course not, Sanji-kun!” Nami smiled and patted the cook’s cheek. “Also,
you passed the test. Good for you.”

Sanji quirked an eyebrow up as Nami walked away. “Huh? What test?”

With one hand resting on the door handle, Nami half-turned to say, “I wanted to make sure you
wouldn’t fall for me if I gave you the chance. Didn’t want you breaking Zoro’s heart.” And then
she was gone, leaving Sanji to stare at the place where Nami was moments ago.

What in the hell just happened?

___

The days continued around Zoro’s unconscious form. It had been a full two weeks since the
accident. In addition to the easily bored captain, the rest of the crew was growing restless as well.
Keeping stationary as a pirate for this long was gnawing at each of them. At least when they were
all separated for those two long years they had something to do, some goal to work towards. Right
now, all they had to keep them going was the hope of Zoro making a full recovery.

To entertain himself, Luffy ended up working for the fishermen down at the labor docks. He
needed somewhere to release his pent up energy and hauling heavy sea creatures for eight hours
helped. Maybe once or ten times Luffy would be caught gulping a net full of crabs that he pulled
fresh out of the sea, but he still helped the men immensely. The money he earned somehow found
its way into Nami’s possession, which was fine with Luffy because he tended to lose things as
meaningless as money.
Usopp and Robin spent their time with the florists. Usopp gained an incredible amount of
knowledge off the island’s botanists, adding multiple new recipes that he wanted to try out for his
Pop Greens and Stars. Robin cozied up with anyone willing to share a story or two about
Amaryllis’ history, curious to hear how their endless fields of flowers built their booming city.

Occasionally, Chopper could be seen trailing behind the herbalists for medicinal training. This
island had a unique method of extracting juice from the petals and creating potions, salves, and
powders to cure their people of various illnesses. The little reindeer soaked up all the information
he could, writing down all the details with a notebook in his hoof.

Franky busied himself with the local carpenters. Originally, he planned to work under them to kill
some time, but after seeing their methods, he quickly became the teacher and showed them better
and more efficient ways to build that would strengthen their architecture. Since Franky was
extremely charismatic and patient, the laborers warmed up to him right away and looked forward
to working with him.

Each new day, Brook would visit different elementary schools to entertain the children with his
music. To see a skeleton as tall as Brook playing an acoustic guitar was somehow relaxing to them
instead of down-right terrifying. He was very popular with the teachers because he made nap time
that much easier by lulling them all to sleep.

Nami bid her time by earning the crew some serious money. She spent her morning hours by
dealing cards in the casino, but by night, she was on the other side of the table betting humongous
amounts of beri - and won it back ten-fold. Their time on land would not go to waste, she made
sure of it. She couldn’t help that she was blessed with such an amazing ability to gamble.

Then there was Sanji. His time while docked was mostly spent on the ship with Zoro, but when
there was someone else to stay there to keep the swordsman safe, Sanji ventured off into the city.
His main goal was to seek out an orphanage or homeless shelter of some sort and treat them to his
cooking, but thankfully, this city didn’t have that sort of problem. It was an island of paradise. It
had a booming economy, beautiful weather, and happy people that led happy lives.

It took Sanji a few days to find somewhere he could fit in. After learning the infamous Straw Hat
Chef had stepped onto their land, many restaurants reached out to him, asking and begging him to
taste their food. All were eager to serve and impress him. As tempting as they all were, Sanji
turned them down and instead found a small restaurant, named Snowdrop, that looked like it didn’t
get many visitors compared to the higher class ones that had been up his ass. He could hardly
suppress his smile when the owner’s eyes bulged out of his skull when Sanji walked in.

“You’ve heard of me?” Sanji had humbly asked, to which the entire kitchen staff practically burst
into tears that of course they had and he even inspired some of them to become chefs. Sanji took
the liberty to go over their menu and see if he could give them a few pointers and get their business
a facelift. It was his mission to make that little place as good, if not better, than the top restaurants
around the city.

Though, Sanji didn’t spend all his time inside Snowdrop. When he wasn’t retraining the wait staff
or showing the head and sous chef recipes they could use with the Amaryllis and Snowdrop flower,
he stayed tucked away on the Sunny. The new books Robin and Brook had brought back served
Sanji well. He would pick a new storybook and get comfortable in the infirmary to read to Zoro
until the crew came back for the night.

Even deep in a coma, Sanji knew Zoro could hear him. It was important that Sanji stayed on the
ship and didn’t leave him alone for long periods. He couldn’t imagine being stuck in his head for
this long. The least Sanji could do was let Zoro know he wasn’t alone. Chopper hated that he
smoked inside the room but the way Zoro had said he had basically become addicted to the
second-hand smoke had the chef thinking it would do less harm than the doctor foretold. Besides,
having a lit cigarette between his teeth made it that much easier to sit in the room with the damn
moss-head for long periods.

When Sanji didn’t feel like reading any longer and the time called for it, he’d give Zoro a nice
sponge bath. Chopper had shown him how to properly care for him when he wasn’t there so the
little reindeer didn’t have to be the one to do all the work, and Sanji insisted he lightens his
workload. And if the blonde were being honest with himself, it wasn’t a chore to bathe Zoro. He
found it relaxing and he relished in the idea of finally being able to return the favor.

Carefully maneuvering the sponge around the tubes in the crook of Zoro’s elbow, Sanji made sure
to take his time to get every inch of the swordsman. Zoro would occasionally go through heat-
spells and would break out in a sweat, resulting in his body becoming covered in a sheet of grime if
not washed away. Sanji’s favorite part was washing his hair. He found that Zoro’s hair was
actually a lot lighter than he had ever known. After using his shampoo instead of whatever the hell
the marimo used, he must have rinsed years of dirt away because his usual seafoam hair was left
much brighter. After finding that little tidbit out, Sanji was sure to use his shampoo every time
after that, even though it was expensive.

Once the swordsman was patted dry and ‘ready for bed’ so to speak, Sanji would routinely give
him a light kiss on the forehead before turning the lights out for him.

“Goodnight, Zoro.”

___

The rain pelted against the Sunny loud enough that anyone in the dining room had to shout if they
wanted to be heard, lest their voice be drowned out by the storm. The moon was well-hidden
behind thick, dark clouds, causing the surrounding area to look black, an endless void that could
intimidate the strongest willed person.

The Straw Hats had finished their dinner and Sanji was now serving them a special dessert he had
come up with at Snowdrop. The employees at the restaurant were all happy with it so Sanji wanted
to share it with his nakama. The dessert was made of a bouncy cake with a thin, sugary icing
drizzled on top. The loaf breading was dense enough to hold the liquid on top without soaking
through to soggy up the cake. The icing consisted of honey from the island’s farms, nectar straight
from the Amaryllis flower, and a few crushed petals for texture. Sanji only wished all his nakama
could taste this wonderful creation.

All the plates had been passed around with a generous serving on each. Just when everyone was
going to take their first bite, besides Luffy who already swallowed his piece whole, there was a
sudden gagging noise followed by intense coughing, barely audible under the heavy rain. It was
Chopper who realized first that it was Zoro waking up!

Hot on Chopper’s heels, Sanji could hardly believe it took Zoro six long weeks to break free of his
coma. Upon entering the infirmary, Zoro could be seen thrashing about, pulling the various tubes
that had helped keep him alive out of his mouth. The entire crew had abandoned their dessert and
were now bumping into the back of Sanji to get a better look.
Chopper was quick to untangle Zoro and calm him down enough to remain still while he explained
what had happened. When he was done, Zoro blinked a few times at everyone as he took in the
news.

“I’m hungry,” were his first words, causing everyone to laugh. Despite Chopper’s reprimanding to
be gentle with him, everyone took their turn giving Zoro the biggest of hugs and told him to join
them at the table. Sanji hung back until everyone filed out fifteen minutes or so later to have a
moment alone with Zoro.

The swordsman stretched his arms to the ceiling and proceeded to give his neck a good crack on
each side. “What are you lookin at, Curly?” Zoro asked, jutting his chin out towards the chef.
“And where’re my swords? Clothes?”

“Your hair grew,” Sanji said with a small smile and reached out to grab a strand of green hair. Over
the six weeks, his hair gained a good two inches and now that the man was standing up, Sanji had
a proper look at him with his new do, the hair falling over the bandages and onto his forehead. He
looked damn good. Still no facial hair, though.

Zoro smacked Sanji’s hand away. “The hell?” he snapped at the chef. “Tryin to start a fight so
soon?”

Sanji pulled his hand back and slowly let it drop to his side. “No…,” he said hesitantly, skeptical
that something had changed. This wasn’t Zoro’s hunger irritation or the crankiness he gained when
he missed his afternoon nap. The way he dismissed Sanji seemed strange. Off, even. Zoro growled
under his breath while seemingly looking for his things in the room. “I can get you something to
wear,” Sanji said.

The swordsman stood up straight as he turned to face the chef. He looked him up and down as if
he were scanning for a trap. “Alright,” he said curtly and crossed his arms over his broad chest.
Sanji was quick to return to the infirmary with a cigarette hanging from his lips. A pair of black
jeans, a blue t-shirt, underwear, and boots were handed over to Zoro.

“You wanna watch?” the brute asked as he viciously ripped the gown off him, breaking the little
ties in the back. The cloth was tossed on the bed and Zoro was already stepping into his boxer
briefs.

Sanji stiffened and turned around quickly. He could feel the heat flushing his face at the image of
Zoro tearing off his clothes like the stupid gorilla he was, but god if that wasn’t sexy as hell, Sanji
thought to himself.

Zoro came up behind the blonde. “Swords,” he grunted in a gravelly voice.

Blowing smoke in Zoro’s face, Sanji pushed past the marimo and reached above the cupboards of
the room and pulled down three katanas. Zoro sighed in relief at the sight of them. As Sanji handed
them over, he saw Zoro close his eye while deeply inhaling the surrounding smoke, a small smile
at the corner of his mouth.

“Go on,” Sanji said and shooed Zoro out of the room. “I’ll make you a meal to go with that
dessert.” As Zoro headed towards the door, Sanji rested his hand on the small of Zoro’s back to
guide him through the door frame. In an instant, Wado was ringing through the air and arcing
towards Sanji, a well-polished shoe already up and ready to block the steel.

“You messin with me, Cook?” Zoro asked, increasing the pressure of his katana into Sanji.
 The blonde shoved his foot forward to push Zoro off him. “As if, bastard. Now sit down.”

The swordsman sheathed Wado and when walking to his seat, Luffy coiled a rubber arm around
his waist in a tight hug. “I missed youuuuu! You took forever to wake up!”

The conversation consisted of all the events that happened on the island while Zoro was in a coma
and once he was given a plate full of food, Sanji joined everyone at the table, too. Zoro shoveled
food into his mouth while each pirate shared their exciting stories of keeping themselves busy, the
green-haired man listening to every word.

Sanji passed on speaking and instead settled on watching. Any time Zoro’s gaze connected with
his, Zoro would hurriedly look away as if he were caught doing something he should have been
doing.

Something wasn’t right.

___

“Chopper, may I have a word with you?” Sanji asked the young doctor.

After everyone had eaten their dessert and Chopper ran a few basic tests on Zoro, they all moved
out to the deck by the fire. Sanji peeked out of the porthole and saw Luffy in Zoro’s lap. His fingers
lazily raked through black hair. Sanji smiled at the sight.

“Of course!” Chopper squeaked, coming into the kitchen to stand next to Sanji. “What’s up?”

Crouching to the reindeer’s level, Sanji rubbed a palm into his visible eye hard enough he saw little
black dots in his vision when he let up. “Did you check his memory?”

“Yup! He says he doesn’t remember how he was knocked out, which I figured would happen.”

Sanji shook his head. “No, no. Further than that. Did you ask him what the last thing he
remembered was?”

Chopper bobbed his head up and down. “I sure did! The last thing he could recall was a steamy
jungle, crocodiles the size of Sunny, and goopy, pink water. Sounded like Iridale Lagoon to me,
don’t you think?”

That’s exactly what it sounds like, Sanji thought. He gave a kind smile to Chopper and sent him on
his way to join the others. When he stood up again, he watched Chopper through the porthole run
straight for Zoro and climb up his back to sit on his shoulders.

Fuck! Iridale was over two and a half months ago, well before I was affected by that damn fruit.
Shit, shit, shit. Sanji tried suppressing a whine in his throat. He doesn’t remember.

Chapter End Notes

ope
 Will You Tell Me What Happened?
Chapter Notes

Mostly told threw Zoro's eyes, then switches over to Sanji's towards the end.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The cook is acting weird, Zoro thought. While everyone blabbed on and on about the activities
they had invested themselves in over the weeks, Sanji stayed quiet…which wasn’t the weird part.
It wasn’t uncommon for the two of them to not exchange stories the same way the rest of the Straw
Hats did. That much was normal. What was putting Zoro on edge was we’re catching each other’s
gaze too often. Doesn’t that guy always have his attention zeroed in on the witch or Robin? Do I
have something on my face?

Zoro wiped his mouth with the back of his hand self-consciously, the cook following its
movements. When Zoro dropped his hand to rest on the table, Sanji’s bright blue eye darted back
up to meet grey. Zoro looked away. Again.

A heavy pit grew in the bottom of Zoro’s stomach.

___

After climbing onto Zoro’s shoulders, the little reindeer began telling Zoro of the things he missed
before the accident. Usopp and Robin chimed in here and there, Luffy, too. He had told them to
skip that goopy water island, he at least remembered that much. Maybe a day or so after they
departed Iridale Lagoon is where it began to get fuzzy for him.

“And then we ran into a huge pirate fleet! I’m talking like three thousand ships!” Usopp shouted,
his arms flailing around as he described the battles he and Franky fought as they defended the
Sunny. Chopper whispered in Zoro’s ear that it was closer to a dozen boats.

“And where was I?” Zoro asked after Brook and Nami told them their share.

“You were with me,” came a voice behind him. Sanji emerged from the kitchen to join everyone
around the fire. The swordsman could feel him staring a hole into his back as he walked up to
them. His stomach hurt again.

“Ow, Zoro,” Luffy laughed, swatting his hand away. Zoro had subconsciously tightened his grip in
Luffy’s hair.

“Sorry,” he said and tried to look away from Sanji but found it almost impossible. The sound of
Sanji’s voice seemed to have grabbed his attention more than usual.

When Zoro first woke and he and Sanji were alone in the infirmary, he figured the velvety, deep
voice was only captivating because he was still woozy. Now that he had a full belly and felt
perfectly normal again, there shouldn’t be any reason Sanji’s voice affected him like this. But it
did.

Zoro patiently listened to Sanji as he explained the missing information from their time on the
enemy’s boat, describing how bored they were because Luffy had hogged all the strong opponents.
More than once, Zoro had to shake his head to remind himself to listen to the man’s words and not
just listen to his voice.

God, why does it feel like I’ve spent so much time with him? Zoro thought. He could hardly ignore
a magnetic pull towards the blonde. There always was a special connection between them, though.
They were on the same wavelengths, always had each other’s back...but it feels off now. The cook
feels off, too. Something has changed.

“After that, I don’t know. Someone else will have to tell you,” Sanji said sadly, his visible eye
trained on the fire.

“Hah?” Zoro asked, unsure of what the cook meant. “What do you mean ‘you don’t know,’
weren’t you right there by my side?”

Sanji shrugged. “I was still there next to you, but not in this form.”

“What the hell does that mea-”

“Sanji was turned into a little kid!” Luffy exclaimed, looking up from Zoro’s lap. When Zoro
looked down at him, Luffy poked his pointer fingers into tanned cheeks and continued. “He was
touched by Frilly and couldn’t turn back for two whole weeks!”

Raising an eyebrow, he looked to the rest of the crew to see if Luffy was just being a dork, and
what the fuck is a frilly? Brook, Nami, and Franky all spoke up telling Zoro what Luffy meant and
how it was true. Chopper and Usopp started talking at once to explain the rest of the story. Sanji
was quiet.

For the next hour and a half, Zoro listened to a bizarre tale of Sanji as a little kid and how he
volunteered himself as his guardian. Sometimes, Zoro felt as if what they were saying was familiar
to him, like he were inches from grabbing onto the memory but at the last moment, it was snatched
away from his reach. But, for the most part, he didn’t remember shit. They could be making this
whole thing up for all he knew.

Nami and Usopp made a point to remind him of how scary he was sometimes, retelling the part
where Zoro murdered over a dozen pirates in less than thirty seconds for reasons they still didn’t
know. It did not go unnoticed by Zoro that Sanji shifted in his seat. The swordsman watched Sanji
light up a cigarette and look elsewhere.

___

Zoro wasn’t tired. Chopper had insisted he get more rest despite how much ‘sleep’ he may have
had, but Zoro didn’t think he could even if he tried. One by one, the Straw Hats shuffled off to their
beds for the night. All that was left near the dwindling fire was Zoro, Sanji, and a sleeping Luffy.

“Don’t you need yer beauty sleep?” Zoro asked when the silence dragged on for longer than he
was comfortable with. Sanji was laying on his back, arms propped under his head, and an unlit
cigarette dangled from his lips. “Gonna head to bed?”

“I will when you do,” came the soft reply Zoro wasn’t expecting. Zoro looked at Luffy in his lap.
A trail of drool was making its way down his chin and pooling in the dip of his clavicle. “He’s
good comfort, isn’t he?” Sanji asked without turning.

“Hm?” Zoro grunted. “You mean Luf?” Sanji sat up and pulled his knees to his chest. He nodded
as he finally lit his cigarette and took a long drag, filling his lungs with that sweet nicotine he loved
so much. “Uh...I guess?”

“I’ve learned something about him while you were off sleeping our lives away, you know. He does
that when he knows something’s wrong,” Sanji said, pointing at their captain. “Like some damn
therapy dog.”

Rubber arms were sprawled out over either side of Zoro’s thighs and a head of messy black hair sat
at an odd angle, propped too close to Zoro’s front making his chin dig into his own chest. Zoro
deemed the position too uncomfortable for him so he leaned back on his hands in the grass and
Luffy’s head straightened out and lolled to the side.

“Ain't nothing wrong, though,” Zoro said.

“Don’t lie to me,” Sanji said coolly, blowing smoke into the air above. “Even I can tell. Whatever
it is has been bugging you all night. The moss in your head is trying its hardest to figure it out, isn’t
it?”

Fuck, of course he noticed. Can’t hide anything from someone who knows me like the back of his
damn hand. It was quiet between them while Zoro thought about the right words to say. “My
stomach hurts, I guess,” Zoro half-shrugged. This wasn’t a lie; he had no reason to lie. The only
other thing he could have answered was ‘I don’t know’ because he did not know. Zoro had no idea
what was wrong. Something was going on with him but he didn’t know what.

“Has the food not settled well with you?” Sanji asked, concern lining his voice. “Maybe after not
having solid food for so long, your system can’t handle it?”

Zoro laughed, his voice carrying across the quiet ocean. Luffy’s body shook from Zoro’s bouncing
belly. “As if I were that weak, Curly.” Sanji openly stared at him, making Zoro feel vulnerable. He
broke the tension by looking into the fire and saying with a sigh, “It’s hard to explain.” Really hard
to explain, since I don’t know what’s making me feel this way. The coals on the outskirts of the fire
pulsed a burning red. Zoro lost track of how long he sat there, eyes glazed over as he stared. His
trance was broken suddenly when Sanji stood and Zoro thought he was finally turning in for the
night, but instead, he walked over to sit next to him. Under his scarred chest, Zoro could feel his
heart going a million miles per second. “Don’t start nuthin with Luffy in my lap, shit head,” he
warned. He felt for his swords lying next to him just in case the damn cook tried anything funny.

“Relax,” Sanji said. He stubbed out his cigarette on the bottom of his shoe and added the butt to his
ever-growing collection in his can of cola. “I only wanted to ask you a question.”

“You needed to sit here to ask me?” Zoro asked hesitantly and leaned away from Sanji as if he
were going to lash out and bite him.

“No, not at all. I just wanted to be closer to you.”

What the hell? Zoro thought. He could feel his stomach twisting over itself trying to form insane
knots that could never be undone. He swallowed back the lump that formed in his throat.
“Okay...what do you want?”

“Do you really not remember anything before you were hit upside that thick skull of yours?”

Zoro raised a hand and felt the left side of his head where Chopper had drilled a hole through the
bone. A large square of hair was shaved down to his scalp, prickly to the touch. The stitches had
long been taken out and Zoro thumbed over the scabbed line that would soon form a new scar, a
few pieces of the dried blood flaked off. “No, not really.”

When Zoro looked over to Sanji, the man was picking at his nails. There was something more on
his mind, but he didn’t want to press the matter, especially since he was acting weird. Well, okay,
so we’re both acting weird but there’s only so much weirdness I can handle in one day.

A hand came into Zoro’s peripheral and he caught it before it could advance any further. Sanji
didn’t yank his hand back, he didn’t scowl, and he didn’t yell in protest for touching him. The
blonde simply waited. Zoro gave the wrist a squeeze, a warning that if he decided on starting some
shit then he wouldn’t hesitate to return it ten-fold. Letting go, Zoro watched Sanji continue to reach
up and gently tug a strand of hair. “Are you going to keep growing your hair out?” he asked.

“I figured I’d have Usopp cut it in the morning,” Zoro said skeptically. Why Sanji thought he had
to be all touchy-feely was beyond him. He sat frozen under the icy blue stare.

“That’s too bad,” Sanji said with a kind smile, one he reserved for Chopper or Luffy or anyone
other than him. He then raked his fingers through the side of Zoro’s hair before returning his hand
to his lap. “I like it like this.”

The electric tingle that coursed through Zoro prompted him to act on whatever this strange feeling
was inside him. The pit in his stomach made him feel sick and the idiot cook touching him like that
pissed him off, stirred something deep inside him. Who does this bastard think he is? What’s he
playing at?! Zoro reached for a sword behind him but was interrupted by a certain rubber boy.

“Mmmnn, don’t be mean, Zormnn,” Luffy mumbled through a stretch.

Following his captain's orders, Zoro nodded even though Luffy couldn’t see. “I should prolly get
you into bed, huh?” he said and stood up, lifting his noodle captain over his shoulders.

After placing Luffy in his bunk and stripping down, Zoro was the last to be settled in his bed. He
could feel Sanji staring at him, even in the dark.

“Goodnight, Zoro.”

Zoro momentarily stopped breathing.

Those words, Zoro thought with a shocking shiver. A thousand things swirled around in his head at
the sound of those two words said in that deep voice. They were familiar to him, somehow, only he
didn’t know why. He tried remembering if Sanji had ever bid him goodnight, coming up with
nothing. Shit, not even sarcastically has he been told that!

Goodnight, Zoro.

The swordsman never replied.

The swordsman never slept.

___

The gulls squawked overhead, circling the ship in hopes to find some discarded food to swoop up.
If only they knew who this boat belonged to then they would realize they never had a chance. Not
a scrap was ever wasted. It wasn’t allowed. A strict, unspoken rule that each crew member quickly
learned and lived by.

The light breeze blew Zoro’s hair around, a new sensation he hadn’t felt before. He’d always had
his hair cropped short.

'That’s too bad, I like it like this.’

Those words echoed through Zoro’s mind as he watched the waves splash against the side of
Sunny and roll back into the dock she was tied to.

“Ready?” Usopp’s voice came from behind him. Zoro pushed off the railing to follow him below
deck.

Usopp entered his workshop and gestured towards a wooden chair for the swordsman to sit down
in while he pulled open a few drawers in a cabinet to look for his supplies.

Looking around, Zoro realized it had been a while since the last time he was down here. Usopp had
put up more shelves that were now littered with various jars filled with little balls. Probably the
weapons he’s created for his slingshot. “You made some changes, huh?” Zoro asked as he leaned
in close to a jar that looked as if something were writhing in it.

“What?” Usopp said, his head ducked deep in a box now. Sitting up with a small case in his hand,
he said, “I haven’t changed anything since….oh! You don’t remember that part, I keep forgetting
you lost your memory, man!” Usopp chuckled to himself. “You came down here to apologize for -
Uh, well, you know what - nevermind.”

Zoro sat in the chair after laying his trench coat over the back. “Apologize?” he asked, surprised to
hear that word. Apologizing wasn’t a thing he did, at least not lightly. It must have been because
the situation called for it. I must have done something really fucked up if I sought him out.

“It’s no biggie!” Usopp said with a bright smile that reminded Zoro of Luffy. The sniper
maneuvered himself around various boxes and pots full of dirt to get behind the chair. Reaching
over to a shelf where he kept a spray bottle, he began wetting Zoro’s hair and pulling a comb
through it. “The usual, I presume?"

Zoro nodded. He wanted to fill in as many gaps as possible, and Usopp seemed to have some
answers. “Will you tell me what happened, Usoppu? What caused me to apologize?” he asked
quietly.

Usopp stuttered through a few sentences before he managed to sigh in defeat. “Well, alright. It’s
only fair.”

While Usopp routinely cut off the excess hair and gave Zoro his normal hairdo, he explained a
pirate ship full of bounty hunters were following them for a long while, catching up because a
storm had slowed Sunny down. He told him a basic image of what he walked in on in the kitchen,
but Zoro wanted more details because he couldn’t quite picture what had happened.

“I was doing what?!” Zoro balked, jaw slack with astonishment.

“Hold still, dangit! I almost chopped off too much,” Usopp said and held Zoro’s shoulder down to
still him. “And I said it looked like you were crying, I didn’t say you were! There was blood
everywhere and we had no idea some of it was yours! Only after you passed out did we realize you
had like a zillion stab wounds in your side! Sanji cried s0o0o0o0o0o0o much when he saw you
flop over. He thought you died!” Usopp laughed, which hardly sounded like him when describing
such a gory story. “I told him you wouldn’t die so easily, though. Said they would have to try
harder than that if they wanted The Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro dead! And sure enough, you were
just fine, like always.”

Absentmindedly feeling over his newly found scars over his stomach, Zoro hummed in disbelief. “I
wondered where these came from,” he said quietly, fingering the bumpy scar tissue. On the far
wall, Zoro noticed a familiar painting. “Hey, isn’t that the piece you made for the dining room?”
he asked and pointed at it.

Sighing, Usopp said, “Yeah, another thing you wouldn’t remember. It got wrecked by those same
pirates, split right in half! Fixed it with some tape, though. Didn’t you notice there was a different
painting in its place upstairs?”

Zoro had to think about it for a moment. Last night he was too preoccupied with filling his stomach
enough that it might pop, and that damn cook clouded the rest of his thoughts. And during
breakfast this morning, well, he was hardly awake. “No, I guess I haven’t noticed yet. I’ll be sure
to check it out. Sorry this one got messed up…”

“Oi!” Usopp said and chopped him over the head. “You already apologized for it and it’s not like it
was your fault! It’s all good. No one will be able to stop me from creating more art! If evil bandits
want to ruin it, then I’ll just create ten more in its place!”

Zoro gave another hum in response, satisfied that Usopp wasn’t upset. “What about this one on my
face?” he asked and touched his lip. When he looked into the mirror this morning, he was shocked
to see a light pink line that divided his bottom lip and faded into his chin. Zoro heard Usopp inhale
a sharp breath at the mention of it.

“I-I-I don’t know about that one. You should ask s-someone else. All done now, you can leave!”
Standing up and brushing off stray green hairs on his lap, Zoro jutted a hip out, crossed his arms,
and glared at his friend. “Usoppu,” he growled. Usopp kept his back to him as he disinfected his
scissors and combs.

“Between you and Sanji I feel like I’m having déjà vu,” Usopp muttered, turning to face the
swordsman. “Alright, alright. You both have the same stubborn personality; I know you won’t take
‘no’ for an answer.” Zoro smirked, puffing his chest out with a nod. Usopp rolled his eyes. “I don’t
like talking about what happened because it was scary, so I’m going to power through this
explanation fast - so listen up!”

Usopp retold the same story he had told Sanji when the blonde asked him about it. Zoro’s
eyebrows lifted to his hairline throughout most of the tale and he found himself having to hold
himself back from interrupting many different parts. Usopp said he wanted to raise Sanji as a kid?
That seems hardly believable! So unlike me to even think of something as stupid as that. How on
earth would I work to become the greatest if I was tied down by a brat child?

And what seemed even more unbelievable than that was he defied Luffy? There have been times
when he had wanted to wring his stupid rubber neck but he’d never actually go against his orders.

“I fought Luffy?” Zoro asked dumbfoundedly.

“Oh yeah, it was insane. I mean, I didn’t cry watching cause I’m a man, but Nami and Robin
totally did.”

Zoro rubbed the back of his head happy to feel his hair at the correct length again. “Right…” he
said more to himself. “Well, thanks for the cut.” Usopp smiled and returned to putting the supplies
away for the next time while Zoro took his leave.
__

Over the next few days, Zoro distanced himself from the rest of the crew, which had been easy
since he was okay now, everyone left the ship all at once instead of in shifts. Chopper suggested
they stay on the island for an extra week in case there were any sudden hemorrhaging inside
Zoro’s head, wanting to be near the island’s medical facilities just in case.

The small reindeer had explained the crew’s situation to the islanders over the six weeks Zoro was
unconscious, and since everyone had become quite attached to the presence of the Straw Hats, they
were more than happy to lend their help and supplies if they were in need.

Zoro lifted weights to gain back the muscle mass he had lost. It felt good to be left in silence, alone
to concentrate on his workout. The windows in the Crow’s Nest were kept shut, trapping the heat
from the sun high above him. The temperature greatly increased after breakfast, but it was
welcomed. Sweat poured off Zoro’s body, trickling down the deep grooves of his muscles. He had
lost count of how many curls he had done with his right, so he decided to switch to his left to match
the ache with the same intensity.

A strong aura pushed into the outskirts of Zoro’s haki bubble. He paused mid-curl, confused why
the cook would be back so soon, it seemed as if everyone had only just left. He blew a breath of air
out, agitated by the idea of being interrupted, even though Sanji hadn’t actually interrupted
anything at all except Zoro’s mind.

The swordsman set his weights on their rack and walked to the edge of the room. Looking down,
he could see the blonde just now gracefully leaping onto the railing. The chef had a brown paper
bag propped against his chest in one hand while the other was tucked away in a pocket. Zoro
pushed the windowpane open, holding it up over his head. “Oi, what’re you doin back here?”

Sanji squinted his eyes to look up. He pulled his hand from his pocket and shielded his face from
the blazing rays of the sun. “Lunch, idiot. What else?”

Zoro leaned back into the weight room to check the clock on the far wall. It took a few seconds for
him to figure out the minute-hand but he eventually came to learn it was only 11:15 am. He stuck
his head back out to yell at the blonde. “For who? Thought everyone agreed they’d eat on the
island today.”

The blonde had made it to the galley, the door already halfway opened. “Luffy will be here soon.
Nami took his allowance money because he’s reckless, as usual,” he said and before disappearing
completely, he added, “and for you.”

Zoro grimaced, his mouth flattening into a straight line while his brows knitted tightly together. He
couldn’t argue with the cook because of course he’d come back to fix lunch, even if it were just for
him. Damn idiot can’t ever let someone fend for themselves.

A loud thud smacking against the grass told Sanji Zoro had jumped down to join him in the
kitchen. Not a moment later, the galley door swung open and Zoro plopped himself down on a
barstool. “I coulda made me’n Luf a sandwich, you know. I’m at least capable of that much.”

Sanji twirled around the kitchen, setting the fresh veggies onto a cutting board, putting the large
hunk of meat still wrapped in its butcher paper next to the stove, and pulled out various knives and
a pair of tongs. “I know,” was all the blonde said.

For the next ten minutes, Sanji diced the vegetables while some sort of steak meat seared in a pan.
The delicious aroma of the meat browning in a bath of butter and onions had Zoro’s mouth-
watering. He’d been so preoccupied with the smell that he didn’t even realize Sanji had already
begun frying the veggies into a huge wok while a batch of rice steamed in a pot. The chef was so
impossibly fast Zoro couldn’t believe the massive amounts of food he could produce in such little
time. A bowl was set in front of him full of veggies over rice with four perfectly cooked slices of
steak layered neatly atop it all. Sanji then returned to his cooking and Zoro watched as he dumped
the remaining rice into the wok and poured soy sauce atop it all to cook together.

Zoro looked down at his food again. His bowl contained only white rice. “You didn’t...have to
make this separate for me,” Zoro said quietly, stunned Sanji would take the extra step simply
because he preferred steamed rice.

Without turning around, Sanji swished the wok over the high flame to toss the contents around and
said, “I always do.”

The answer came fast. Hearing Sanji’s deep voice speak so little bugged Zoro for some reason. He
felt like he needed to push for more conversation to continue hearing his voice, even if that meant
breaking this sort of ‘truce’ they seemed to have right now. “Yeah, right,” Zoro scoffed and shoved
a pile of rice into his mouth. “Like you care that much.”

Sanji turned this time. He wore a nasty sneer across his face. “Excuse me? Do you think so little of
me to assume I wouldn’t consider everyone’s tastes?” he snapped, voice low and even.

The sound of Sanji’s voice was making Zoro feel so weird, so strange. There was something
different about it that made him long to hear more. The swordsman closed his eyes with a smile,
happy to hear the cook speak. “Yeah, somethin like that.”

The wok was set on an unlit burner to rest, probably a little more forcibly than Sanji had intended.
He turned on his heel and stalked over to the other side of the bar top to tower over Zoro. “Are you
telling me you’ve never noticed after all this time?” he growled.

Zoro finished off his bowl of food before looking up at the angry chef, chewing with big, full
cheeks. “Noticed what?” he asked.

Sanji’s visible eye twitched. He reached in his pocket for a cigarette and snapped the lighter a few
times at the end of it until the flame was successfully produced. His lungs happily filled to the brim
with smoke, then he blew the entirety of it into Zoro’s face. “Fuck you, you piece of shit.”

Under normal circumstances, ones where Zoro had any idea what the hell was happening to him,
he’d have decked Sanji in the jaw. Unfortunately for Zoro, though, the circumstances were not
normal and he had no idea what the hell was happening to him. Because, instead of starting a fight
with the cook, he felt drunk off the smell of cigarettes, desperate for more. This close was causing
him to feel like he craved it. Zoro’s eye flicked to Sanji’s lips that were loosely holding the cig. He
didn’t think he could resist the urge to take it from him. The air only consisted of Sanji’s cigarette
smoke and he’d rather suffocate than breathe anything else.

Brain on auto-pilot, Zoro reached up and plucked the cigarette out of the cook’s mouth and took a
drag. As predicted, he coughed it all out, smoke billowing with every forced exhale.

Gently, Sanji took his cig back so Zoro didn’t drop it. “What did you expect?”
“I - I thought-” wheeze, cough, “I thought I needed it or-” wheeze, “-something!”

With a light chuckle, Sanji rolled his eyes and slapped Zoro on the back with his free hand. “Baka,
when are you going to learn it’s not the nicotine that has you addicted, but the thing it’s attached
to?”

Once he caught his breath, Zoro looked up at the cook wondering what the hell he meant by that.
Ever so slowly, while staring directly into his eye, Sanji set his cigarette onto his lips, as if he were
implying...as if he were implying what? The damn cigarette is attached to him? Zoro squinted his
eye at the floorboards to let the wheels in his head turn and come to a better conclusion than that. If
he’s implying the cigarette is attached to him, and he said I was addicted to what it was attached
to…

Zoro snapped his head up to glare at Sanji. He opened his mouth to ask what the fuck he meant by
that but Luffy’s laughter could be heard at the bow of the ship as he sprung himself up over the
railing.

“Sanjiiiii!!!! Food!”

Both of them looked at the clock on the wall, it reading 12:01 pm; right on time for a food-
motivated captain to arrive.

Sanji quirked his stupid, curly eyebrow up and smirked at Zoro in a way that could only be
interpreted as 'what ya gonna do about it?' and that had Zoro seething. He left his bowl on the
counter without taking care of it and stormed out of the kitchen.

“Oh, Zoro, leaving already?” Luffy asked, almost colliding into Zoro’s broad chest as he entered.
“But I just got here! Eat with meeeee!”

“Oi, oi,” Zoro said, prying Luffy’s arms off him that suddenly coiled around his torso to prevent
him from going any further. “I already ate, ya damn shit-head! Now let go of me!”

Luffy released his hold on his First Mate. “Don’t you want to spend time with me and Sanji?” he
asked, his face turning to a pout. Zoro winced looking at those big, sad eyes. “Please? You were
asleep for sooooo long, I missed you! Sanji missed you, too!” In the background, an annoyed ‘hey!’
could be heard from within the kitchen.

Without waiting for Zoro to reply, Luffy grabbed his hand and pulled him back into the galley. The
two sat at the table in their unofficial official spots. Luffy pounded on the wood and chanted for
food while Zoro flopped his head into his hand with his elbow resting over the bouncing table.

“It’s right here, calm down,” Sanji said and brought a huge bowl over to sit in front of his needy
captain. “Eat up.”

“Yay!” Luffy cheered. He lifted the bowl in both hands and tipped it back to make the huge pile of
fried rice tumble into his widened mouth. Sanji barely had a chance to sit down before Luffy
swallowed and asked for more, to which the blonde sighed and got him the second half that waited
in the kitchen.

“Did you like it?” Sanji asked with a smile. He lit another cigarette, turning his face to blow the
smoke away from his captain.

Zoro caught that. He blows that shit in my face but not Luffy’s?

“Duh! I love it extra salty!” Luffy said as he picked at the stray pieces of rice and broccoli bits
from the bowl. He sucked on his fingers to taste the remaining remnants of his lunch and when he
was satisfied he got everything, he stood and thanked Sanji before zooming away back into the
city.

That left the swordsman alone with the cook. Zoro sighed. “I’m gonna get back to training. Thanks
for lunch,” he said awkwardly. He hated this weird tension between them. The damn bastard
knows something and he’s not telling me. He stares at me as if he’s waiting for me to realize what
that something is, too. Everything between us is a competition and I’m losing this battle quickly.
The only one with the upper hand here is that curly eyebrow’d cook and the worst part about this
battle is my own body is betraying me. I can’t fight this pull like he’s dragging me towards him on
a damn leash.

“Thought you were going to take your leave?” Sanji asked cooly, blowing a bellow of smoke his
way.

Zoro jumped, startled from his thoughts. He watched the smoke creep its way across the table and
when it came in contact with him, it practically caressed his face with invitation. Shit, I can’t stand
up, he thought to himself. He was glued to the seat. He felt like he needed more. “Lemme hit that
again. Prolly just need to get used to it.” Zoro held his hand out for the cigarette, repeatedly curling
his fingers in a needy gesture.

It didn’t go unnoticed by the swordsman when the corner of Sanji’s mouth curled into a small
smile. He hated seeing it. It was another clue he was on the losing end of this round. The blonde
shrugged and passed his cigarette over. Zoro stared at it, twisting it in his pinched fingers
wondering if he just took up smoking if it would help with these random cravings he had started
getting suddenly.

“Fuck!” Zoro wheezed, inhaling too fast.

“What did I just get done telling you?!” Sanji barked, sitting up and snatching his cigarette back.

Zoro wiped a few stinging tears from the corner of his eye. He didn’t want to look at Sanji, not
after that last statement implying he was addicted to...Zoro shuddered at the thought. “I don’t even
know what the hell you mean, idiot,” he grumbled under his breath. This would have been a good
time to move his feet and leave but his boots seemed too heavy at the moment.

“What do you think it means, Marimo- kun? ” Sanji mocked.

“I think it means…” Zoro started. He looked to Sanji who had ceased his joking and sat up straight
to listen. His face looked hopeful. “I think it means you’re annoying me.” The swordsman forced
himself from the table and left to the Crow’s Nest as fast as his feet would carry him.

___

I feel like I’ve been put under a fucking spell, Zoro thinks as he lifts his body up and down for his
second rep of handstand push-ups. Most times I’m not affected as heavily, but there are some
instances where I am completely swallowed by the cook’s existence.

The first time it happened so intensely, the crew had been eating dinner at the table together a few
days ago. Everyone had just about finished all of their food by then; Chopper and Nami seemed to
still be picking at their plates while everyone chatted with full bellies.
As usual, when Sanji finished his portion and made sure the ladies had everything they needed, he
lit up a cigarette. It was a routine that every Straw Hat knew, normal, nothing out of the ordinary.
Except the first snap of the flint wheel roughly spinning against Sanji’s thumb had Zoro’s eyes
flicking to its source. The lighter didn’t light on the first try, snap, snap, snap, and Zoro didn’t
blink. The table chatter melted away and the swordsman could clearly hear the faint whoosh of
flame ignite and the crinkling tobacco leaves burn as Sanji took his first drag, all as if it were right
next to his ear. He’d seen this scene a thousand times yet he was so transfixed by it he couldn't
look away.

“See something you like?” Robin cooed into his ear, winking at the blonde across the table. Zoro
was broken from his trance, blinking away his glazed stare. He watched Sanji lean over the table to
tell Chopper, ‘See, told you he likes it,’ and Robin softly giggled next to him.

The second time Zoro felt as if he had been spellbound by a damn witch was when he had been on
his way to the bathroom to grab Chopper’s brushes and combes. Chopper had taken a bath and the
reindeer asked if he’d brush through his fur, which of course Zoro agreed to.

The bathroom was occupied by someone else now. Sanji had finished his bath and was now
styling his hair with the blow dryer, a fluffy towel loosely hanging from his hips, and a goofy
smirk on his face as he stared at his image in the mirror.

It would have been an easy encounter, after all, this scene had also been done several times before.
Same old things with the same old people. Zoro came up behind the cook and reached for the
cupboard on his left to grab the small black bag full of supplies just for Chopper, but that’s when
he was struck with a wave of an intense and intoxicating aroma. He felt frozen in place, eye slowly
closing while a smile grew on his lips. The smell was familiar to him, he’d smelled it before but
never cared to place its source.

Zoro’s body moved without him knowing. He turned and followed the blissful smell. The loud
whirring of the blow dryer was so loud in his ears making it easier for him to ignore the rest of the
world. He was inches away from golden locks. The ends of Sanji’s hair tickled his nose as he
pressed his face closer.

“Marimo?” Sanji had asked curiously. Zoro’s eye snapped open. The heavy buzz of the hairdryer
had stopped at some point and he was left with an awkward silence. Realizing the source of the
delectable smell was Sanji’s shampoo and he had embarrassingly been rubbing his face against the
back of Sanji’s head, he tried taking a step back to put space between them, but couldn’t.
Something was stopping him. Gradually leaning to the side around Sanji’s head, he looked into the
mirror to view their reflection. He saw huge, tan arms around Sanji’s naked torso. Arms that
looked like they belonged to…?

In a jolt, Zoro had let go and rushed from the bathroom far, far away from the ship’s cook.

Things had been awkward after that, at least for Zoro. It was even more awkward because the
stupid curly-brow idiot would smile at with him one of those knowing smiles that only Robin
gives.

And when the third instance happened, Zoro knew something was up.

It had been five days total since Zoro had woken from his coma. It was a nice day, the boat gently
rocked with the waves, and the whole crew had gotten together for lunch. While the girls lounged
in their chairs under the sun, the three youngest boys ran around the ship to burn off their food.
Zoro sat against the mainmast to fall into a nice session of meditation. He had plenty of practice to
tune out the chaos of the Straw Hats long before this and today would have been no different.

As the sounds of the beach and dock melded away, Zoro concentrated on creating his room of
white. Luffy’s laughing, Chopper’s hooves clicking against the wood, and Usopp’s shrill
screaming soon became nothing to him. The walls had successfully been put up. The salty air no
longer registered as an ocean for him, only another form of breathing. The whiteness of his room
became brighter and stronger. He was fully enveloped.

He didn’t know how long he had been deeply emerged, but Zoro suddenly had an unrecognizable
feeling within his meditation. Where there normally was nothing at all, now there had been a
sensation in the back of his mind. Zoro concentrated harder, thinking he had done a poor job of
losing the constant presence of his Haki. The room was right, though - the walls surrounding him
were high enough he couldn’t see the top, the white was blinding, and nothing existed around him.

Nothing except for that odd sensation. It wasn’t an unwelcome feeling, don’t get him wrong. Zoro
liked this distraction despite knowing what it was. Determined to figure it out, Zoro zeroed in on it
to draw out a stronger connection and he ended up creating a sense around it: sound. It was a sound
that Zoro had been sensing, which struck him as irregular because sound was easy to ignore, it had
to be on this loud-ass ship.

The sound that penetrated the safe walls of his meditation was soothing. He felt at peace hearing it.
Sometimes it would seem as if it were far away and he’d have to strain his concentration to
continue hearing it. Other times it seemed like it was moving around him. It didn’t matter where
the sound went, Zoro would follow it. Never had he felt a new sensation inside his meditation
walls, it was surprising he could keep them up while the intrusion existed.

The sound was loud again. Zoro hardly had to focus on it because it made it hard not to hear it. The
swordsman wished every meditation session from now on would have such a nice sound.

“MOSS-HEAD!” the sound said and hit him on his head. Wait, no, not the sound, Zoro thought as
he opened his eye and rubbed the sore spot. It was the Cook talking to him and night had fallen.
“Wake the fuck up, dinner is ready.”

___

Zoro couldn’t get the idea he’d been bewitched out of his head. He’d never experienced an
interruption while still actively meditating before. Although he wasn’t upset with what had
happened, he still would like to know why it happened, why it was possible. He’d spent two years
perfecting his already impenetrable meditative state, and yet something weaseled its way inside his
white walls and took over his entire being. He ate alone in the Crow’s Nest, too overwhelmed by
the unknown for company.

After dinner, Zoro asked Chopper if he’d go over a few tests now instead of in the morning like he
had been doing all week. Chopper smiled but Zoro could see the concern on his face. It wasn’t like
Zoro to ask for help in any sort and he knew it was a dead giveaway something was truly bothering
him.
Zoro sat on the infirmary bed watching Chopper grab his clipboard and climb onto his spinny
chair. “Okay, Zoro! How have you been feeling since this morning? Anything different? Does your
head hurt?” the reindeer asked, trying to mask his curiosity.

“No, not any more than usual,” Zoro said awkwardly. He wasn’t sure how to bring up the subject
he meant to talk about.

“More than usual?” Chopper whined. “Do you mean behind your eye?”

Zoro nodded to his doctor and waved the subject away. He didn’t want to lose his confidence.
“That’s not a big deal, I just...there’s something I wanted to ask you. I wanted to know if you knew
anything about meditation?”

Chopper cocked his head to the side as he stared at his crewmate. A small arm reached above his
head to pull his hat off and scratch behind a furry ear. “Well, yes, I know about many things. But
don’t you know about meditation, too? Surely, you know more than me!” Zoro shook his head and
said he didn’t have an answer for it. “Oh, I see. Okay, what did you want to know?”

“Uh, I guess I am wondering why-” Zoro stopped, frustrated he didn’t know how to explain the
thing to him. “When I’m submerged, I fall into a state of nothing-”

“Right, that’s what meditation is!” Chopper interrupted. Zoro growled, making Chopper squeak
and apologize.

“I know, dammit. What I mean is, the place I put myself in is empty except for white. I like to
focus on that color. It’s peaceful for me. It’s tranquil. And - and I am good at meditating when
around you crazy hooligans. I have to be.” Chopper nodded for Zoro to continue. “I can’t describe
how easy it is for me to let go of everything around me, but it just is. But today was different.”

Chopper sat up straighter in his chair and Zoro waited for him to quit scribbling away onto his
clipboard. When he was done, he looked back up at the swordsman and nodded. “Has it ever been
different before?”

“No, that’s the thing,” Zoro said immediately. “Maybe when I first started doing it like six or
seven years ago, but I’d like to say I’ve mastered my perfect meditative state for a few years now.
It’s always the same thing, white walls and nothing else. I’ve never allowed anything else.”

“So tell me what made today so different?”

Zoro rubbed his hands over his knees to dry the sweat that began forming on his palms. He didn’t
like sharing his damn feelings or concerns, he was fully capable of handling it on his own. “I heard
something.”

Chopper waited for more but Zoro stayed quiet. “What did you hear?” he prompted.

“I….I don’t know what it was. It was just there.” Again, Chopper waited for Zoro and as soon as
he opened his mouth to tell him to elaborate, Zoro said quietly, “And it was familiar.”

That struck the doctor as odd. “But you said it’s never happened so how could it seem familiar? Do
you mean you’ve heard the sound outside of meditation?”

“Oh.”

“‘Oh,’ what?” Chopper asked.

“I hadn’t thought of it like that, that I’ve heard it outside of my state. Since I couldn’t place what it
was I didn’t think it could actually exist.” Chopper asked Zoro to describe the sound and he said he
couldn’t. “It’s not like that, it didn’t have a form, it just was.”

The whole explanation was stumping Chopper. He may have had plenty of knowledge pertaining
to meditation but he’s never had any experience so this was entirely foreign to him to try to
decipher. “What if you heard the sound again? Do you think if you heard it you’d be able to
know-”

“Chopper? You in here?” the sound asked from behind the door after a light knock. Zoro stiffened
at hearing the sound, alarm bells going off in his head so loud he couldn’t concentrate on what the
sound was currently telling the doctor. The sound had a face! The sound had a voice!

No, no, the voice is the sound! That’s the source! Zoro could feel sweat falling down his temples
as he internally screamed, waiting for the cook to leave the room. His knuckles were turning white
from the forceful grip he had on the edges of the bed.

Once the door was shut, Chopper turned his attention back on his patient. “Zoro, are you okay?
You don’t look well!”

“That was it! That was the sound!” Zoro hissed through clenched teeth. He couldn’t bear to admit
it was the damn chef who had interrupted him while meditating. A zillion thoughts raced through
his head trying to find an answer as to why the cook would be able to penetrate his mind like that.

The doctor had jumped to his feet in his seat with excitement. “You heard it that fast?! What was
it?!” he asked with a huge smile and waved his arms up and down.

“W-what the hell did that guy want?!” Zoro blurted. “Why did he come in here?!”

Chopper’s joy faded when he realized Zoro wasn’t happy to have figured out the sound’s source.
“Who? Sanji? He was letting me know they were making s’mores. I can’t wait to have one!”

The wound on the side of Zoro’s head throbbed. He could feel it pulsing. “Why...why the cook?
Why the cook?”

“What do you mean?” Chopper asked. He quickly climbed down from his chair and grabbed a
thermometer. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look like you’re on the verge of passing out!” he
said and climbed on top of the bed and shoved the device into the swordsman’s mouth to take his
temperature. Zoro swayed back and forth. “What’s going on? What did you hear?!”

“It was him, it was the sound - the cook is the sound,” Zoro groaned. It didn’t make sense. There
were too many things that pointed him in the cook’s direction and he was missing too much
information to know why, why, why!

“Sanji was the sound you heard while in your meditative state?” Chopper asked and pulled the
thermometer out from under Zoro’s tongue. He looked it over and it seemed fine but Zoro’s face
read anything but. “You didn’t know it was Sanji you were hearing, though, until just now?”

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, FUCK. Why does everything start and end with that damn guy? What fucking
happened in all my memories that I can’t remember? There’s more, I know there’s more. “There’s
an explanation, right? Why him and no one else? Did something happen between us that I don’t
know about?”

The doctor jumped down from the bed and went to his desk. He seemed to have been fishing
through a stack of papers and when he finally found what he was looking for, he waved it at Zoro.
It was a small notepad. Chopper flicked through a few pages before reading, his large eyes darting
back and forth as he read through the scribbled words. “It’s possible…” he started, trailing off as
he continued to the next page. “It’s very possible…”

“What is?! What do you know?!” Zoro asked, sliding off the bed and crouching next to Chopper to
read over his shoulder. In the notebook was mostly Chopper's thick handwriting, but mixed in
throughout the notes was a slanted, cursive font that Zoro instantly recognized as the cook’s. It
looked almost comical next to Chopper’s writing, the kid could barely hold a pen with those huge
hooves. Sanji’s was thin in comparison while Chopper’s was blocky, practically night and day.

Looking up at Zoro, Chopper searched in his grey eye for confirmation. “Sanji spent a lot of time
in here while you were unconscious. Every day he-”

“Why was he in here?” Zoro desperately asked.

“I- I don’t know why he wanted to be in here, but he did, and he volunteered himself to help me
take care of you,” Chopper said, returning to the notes. “Like I was trying to say, every day he read
to you. He even wrote the titles down here,” he said, pointing to the papers.

“Read to me?” Zoro asked with a sneer. “Why would he do that? And what do you mean he helped
take care of me? What exactly were his duties?” Zoro leaned against the gurney with crossed arms.
Since hearing the sound outside of his meditative state, his heart hadn’t stopped pounding. Calmly
closing his eye to still his thumping chest, he listened to what Chopper had to say.

“He did many things! Things I’d never expected him to do and things I’d certainly never ask of
him or any of the others. He was very kind, good nakama!” Chopper squeaked, his cheery voice
back. “It was very nice of him, too. I should make him something as a thank you! Yeah, that
sounds like a good idea. Anyway, I think it might be possible you heard Sanji inside your
meditative state because his voice was a constant variable in your subconscious.”

Zoro was about to prompt for more, but Usopp and Luffy barged into the infirmary with sticky
faces and fingers, marshmallows everywhere. All the giggles and wiggles that came from Chopper
let Zoro know he’d already forgotten the current conversation. The little doctor was swept away
and Zoro was alone, the door left slightly ajar.

From here, Zoro could hear the distant cheers and laughter that Chopper had joined the s’mores
party, his sweet tooth too great to ignore by anyone. With such an adorable little face as his, anyone
would want to feed him his favorite foods, it was only natural. He couldn’t be upset with the others
for stealing him away when he was in the middle of a crisis only the two of them knew of. Shaking
his head with a small smile, Zoro pushed off the bed and was going to follow after them, but in the
corner of his eye, he saw the notebook on Chopper’s desk.

It was all too tempting to ignore. Not when Sanji’s handwriting was very present in those notes.
Some pages were filled with more cursive than Chopper’s clunky writing. Zoro had to know what
the cook had to say while he was unconscious.

Sitting at the desk, he tucked his legs under the table and lifted the notebook in both hands. The top
of the page said WEEK 3: DAY 6, so he flipped the pages back until he saw what looked like the
beginning.

There wasn’t a title as obvious as ‘WEEK 1’ but the smear of blood on the page and frantic notes
that Chopper must have jotted down in a hurry told Zoro this had to be the same day he was
knocked out.
11:48 pm

-Blunt force trauma to left side of cranium

-Possible internal bleeding - perform scan(s)

-Severe bruising reaches opposite side of head

-Eye(s?) unresponsive - possible blood-filled eye on left side (can’t open)

-Shallow breathing

2:12 am

-Confirmed traumatic brain injury - severe hemorrhaging

-Mild swelling of brain

6:30 am

-Drained cranial blood

8:45 am

-Cleaned and stitched (13) - wound approx. 2.5in

-Breathing returned to normal

2:40pm

-Room cleaned, Zoro still under a sedative, no signs of waking any time soon. I waited a long
time but I’ve diagnosed him with a GCS Score of 3. I thought for sure he’d wake up in the
middle of me drilling through the bone so I dosed him triple the amount a normal human can
take. Apparently even Zoro couldn’t withstand that blow to the head.

-Dismissed need of ventilator, still breathing normally, keep checking

-Ask Luffy and Sanji to describe the weapon better. How did it take down Zoro?

Zoro sat there with his jaw slack. He lifted his hand to feel the side of his head where the weapon,
he thinks he remembers Usopp telling him it was a hammer, knocked him unconscious. It seemed a
bit surreal to read the aftereffects, the detailed information everyone had left out. Zoro noted the
timestamps Chopper had scribbled and realized the poor kid had been working on him for over
twelve hours.

Skimming the next few days' worth of notes, Zoro saw that Sanji hadn’t started adding his
thoughts until over a week later.

WEEK 2: DAY 2

9:30 am

-No changes

10:20 am

-Not true. He stinks.

Zoro audibly laughed. The first thing Sanji had written about him had been about his hygiene,
which was such a Sanji reaction. He could hardly stop smiling as he read and reread those four
words. They said nothing but at the same time, everything. It was strange Sanji felt the need to
document that particular detail, though. It may have been a Sanji thing to write, but it wasn’t a
Sanji thing to do - why did he care so much to even notice Chopper had been taking notes. Just
how much time did he spend in here? Chopper said he spent every day with me… Zoro’s stomach
began to hurt again. He rubbed his lower abs with a groan, his smile fading.

There was a loud burst of laughter that startled Zoro from his thoughts. He jerked his head towards
the door and realized it was still partway open. Deciding it was best to read such things in secret,
Zoro got up and gently closed the door before continuing to the next note Sanji left.

WEEK 2: DAY 4

9:30 am

-CT scan (#2) still shows no sign of brain damage

-No signs of pneumonia despite my prediction

-Turning Zoro over early has prevented any muscle depletion, do as often as possible

-Feeding and tests, feeding and tests - I feel like I’m not doing enough! He will wake up!

12:30 pm

-Restocked saline and electrolytes (thank you, Nurse Terry!)

12:45pm

-Let me help.

Zoro blinked. The note was even shorter than the first one, yet this carried more weight. This was
the day Sanji decided to go out of his way to help Zoro. He still couldn’t fathom why he’d do such
a thing, so he read on, hoping to find the reason somewhere within the cursive writing.

11:00pm

-Trained Sanji on drip change, syringe feeding, catheter cleaning, and bag changeout. Quick
learner.

Reading that made Zoro want to gag, cringe, and die all at once, but not before shivering at the
memory of pulling out the gross tube up his dick-hole before the crew had fallen into the room
with him that day. Seconds after ripping off the tube taped to his thigh, Chopper burst through the
door and Sanji was on his heels. The thought made his cheeks turn pink, but he was turning red
thinking of the damn cook seeing him like that - and fucking touching it! This bastard fucking took
care of that shit, too!? That’s so disgusting - why would he do such a thing for me? Fuck, that’s
nasty!

WEEK2: DAY 5

6:30 am

-Still sleeping like a log. Looks like an idiot.

7:30 am

-Fed already, Chopper.

-Still stinks.

9:30 am

-No changes.

12:30

-Trained Sanji on proper bathing performances after feeding#2

2:30 pm

-Cleaned.

-Did you know his hair was this light? Does this idiot even use shampoo?!

Oh, for fuck’s sake, Zoro thought. Not only did he take care of my piss tube, but also washed my
dick, too. Good-to-fucking-know! Zoro sighed with a shake of his head. Maybe reading what Sanji
did was not a good idea. They said he was out for six weeks and he was only on the second one and
already regretting what he had learned.

The idea of Sanji seeing his dick wasn’t the problem here. Zoro lived on a ship with a bunch of
dudes and two women...and a skeleton and small reindeer...but living in such close quarters with
the same people, you tend to see things you weren’t supposed to. It happens. He can’t count how
many times he’s walked in on Nami washing Robin’s back or Usopp hunched over the stool
viciously scrubbing his snarly hair. He’s seen the cook change from underwear to a three-piece suit
and knows what a skeleton looks like naked - which he wasn’t even sure if that counted as being
naked. And Franky lives in a speedo - does anyone realize how hairy that guy is?! Regardless, it
didn’t matter if anyone saw Zoro naked because, at this point in the Straw Hat’s nakamaship, it
would be pointless to care.

What did have Zoro’s ass-hair tied in a knot was the Cook handled his dick. It didn’t say anything
specific in the notes but clearly, if he was given a sponge bath then he’d have gotten his crotch,
too, right? And the piss tube had to be cleaned, meaning it had to be taken out and put back in!
Zoro shivered again at the thought of that tube going in such a small hole that it most definitely
didn’t belong in.

At the same time, though, Zoro thought about all the other members of the crew and wondered if
he’d have wanted anyone else to do such confidential tasks. Sanji may be his perfect rival next to
Mihawk, but that didn’t dismiss their obvious friendship. At least, I’d like to think we were friends.
Shit, the guy is my best friend.

Suddenly, reading of Sanji ‘handling’ him didn’t seem so strange. It was weird because he wasn’t a
doctor and Zoro was sure he could never look the man in the eye again, but after reading the
week’s worth of notes from Chopper, the kid had to have been exhausted. I mean, he’s only what -
sixteen? Seventeen years old? I’m probably the first vegetable he’d ever had to take care of. Guess
it was a good thing someone stepped in to help. I hate that I owe the Cook now but I guess if it had
to be anyone on the ship, I ain't entirely mad that it was my best friend.

9:45 pm

-A little late feeding! Sorry, Marimo & Chopper.

-Appetite by Philip Kazan

Zoro wrinkled his brow at the last note. He wasn’t sure who Philip Kazan was or why it had to be
written down.

Oh! Zoro internally said as a thought occurred to him. Is that a book title? Appetite? Chopper had
mentioned he wrote down the books he read to me. Fuckin sap actually read to me every day? God,
didn’t he have anything better to do?

Even though Zoro stayed perplexed as to why Sanji took the time to read to him, he couldn’t help
feel his chest tighten and the pit in his stomach get heavier. Zoro hated that he recognized how
intimate it felt to read Sanji taking care of him so he thumbed through a few pages and skipped to
the later weeks, wondering if Sanji eventually grew bored of taking care of him. To his surprise,
though, it looked the exact opposite. The entries were more frequent and longer. Sanji began to use
full sentences instead of jotting a few words down.

WEEK 4: DAY 3

6:30 am

-Still asleep. The color of his skin seems to have lightened. He doesn’t look well, honestly. I should
ask Chopper if he’s getting enough nutrients and if there is anything I can do to help.

7:30 am

-Fed

9:30 am

-No changes.

10:15 am

-Finished another one. Gonji: Red Blade from the East by T.C. Rypel. I’d like to think the Marimo
liked this one. It had intense battles with loads of blood. Not my thing but I know Zoro has a liking
for violence. Robin suggested it. I’ll have to confirm it was the perfect pick for him.

12:30 pm

-Fed.

-Bathed.

-He smoked two cigarettes with me instead of three. Look how good I’m being!

6:40pm

-Do you think he will wake up soon? I want to talk to him about the samurai and his fighting style. I
know Zoro would have better words to describe how...fluid it was? The author did a fantastic job -
I could picture it clearly!
8:20pm

-Stop smoking in the infirmary!

9:30 pm

-How many times do I have to tell you he likes it? I’ll point it out sometime, then you’ll see.

-Fed.

That caught Zoro’s attention. He had noticed after he woke from his coma that the smell of Sanji’s
cigarettes had become increasingly more appealing to him and he hadn’t known why. Could it have
been because he was laying in a room of smoke for six weeks, breathing in the nicotine alongside
the cook? It would explain why he had become addicted to it.

Addicted. The word echoed in his mind. Sanji had looked at him with a smug smile after
witnessing him choking on the smoke from his first inhale. ‘When are you going to learn it’s not
the nicotine that has you addicted, but the thing it’s attached to?’ he had said to me. He said I
wasn’t addicted to the cigarettes like he knew I was feeling the pull towards them. Did he know I’d
react this way after inhaling the smoke the whole time? Did he fucking condition me?!

WEEK 6: DAY 1

6:30 am

-Still sleeping like a brat. No sores, I checked twice. We’re taking good care of him, Chopper. His
skin color has gone back to normal, I think the uppage in his electrolytes worked.

-Only a few more pages left, I can’t wait to finish it with him. I only stopped last night because I
knew I wouldn’t have been able to sleep so I found a good stopping point. Will continue after
breakfast. Will finish after lunch.

7:30 am

-Fed

-Changed bags - we’re going to need a third one, Chopper. I accidentally snagged the second one.
Sorry!

-Bathed, all clean! Doesn’t he smell so much better? He should use my shampoo all the time, I’m
sure his hair will thank me - which, by the way, has grown quite long, hasn’t it? It’s beautiful.

9:30 am
-No changes.

12:30 pm

-Fed

1:45pm

-The Blade of the Courtesans by Keiichirô Ryû. So good! I wonder what Zoro would think of all the
political warfare that tied into the main character’s life? I know he’s not one for politics but I’d
like to think he has some sort of opinion regarding the fictional ones Ryû-san tied in.

7:10pm

-Smoked three instead of two this time. Sorry. Please wake up.

9:30 pm

-Fed

11:25pm

-Goodnight, Zoro.

Zoro felt light. All of these entries were full of paragraphs of just Sanji taking care of him. Chopper
had left most of the lighter duties to him while the doctor focused on tests, which Zoro saw
happened every morning after he'd had his ‘breakfast.’

It was intimate. What Sanji was doing was very intimate and Zoro felt warm. He didn’t know what
that warm feeling meant but he remembered feeling something similar before. Actually, now that
he is thinking about it, that situation was quite comparable to what he was reading. Back on
Thriller Bark, he had been swimming in and out of unconsciousness after he’d taken on all of
Luffy’s pain. Sanji had been there at his side for a while, and Zoro remembers him speaking to him
as if he could reply and take part in the conversation Sanji seemed to be having with him.

Now that was a strange feeling in his gut. Twisted knots, for sure. I wonder if Sanji always talks to
me when I’m unconscious, Zoro thought as he turned the page to the next entry. It looked as if it
were the last one.

WEEK 6: DAY 2

6:30 am
-Still asleep.

-Brushed his hair. It’s so soft after a good comb through! Who knew?

7:30 am

-Fed

9:30 am

-No changes.

12:45pm

-Late on feeding, sorry Marimo. Sometimes Luffy needs fourths and fifths before returning to his
shift down at the docks. As if he doesn’t eat enough damn crabs down there. If you woke up, I
wouldn’t need to feel shitty for being late! Please wake up?

7:30 pm

-Rolled on right side

-Good job. I was going to suggest a move in the morning!

Zoro must have woken up before Sanji could give him his dose of ‘dinner’ because it ended there.
Weeks worth of writing and all of it was for the sake of taking care of Zoro. Two emotions pumped
through his veins after taking that all in.

The first was gratefulness. He didn’t think he could express anything else fancier than that, but he
was deeply grateful for Chopper and, surprisingly, Sanji. He shouldn’t be surprised, though,
because wouldn’t he do the same for him if the roles were reversed? Usopp had told him Zoro had
claimed the position of Sanji’s babysitter when he was turned into a kid, which confirms Zoro truly
would do the same if the roles were reversed. Does that mean Sanji only did all of this because he
felt indebted to him?

The second emotion was a similar feeling to...hurt? That’s not right, that makes me sound like a
pussy. I don’t know how to describe it. The way Sanji looked at me when he said I was addicted to
the thing his cigarette was attached to rather than the stick itself makes me feel like he smoked in
the room on purpose, like, like he wanted me to think of him every time he smoked? That’s the only
answer I can think of for these episodes I’ve been having any time he sparks up. He’s fucking
bewitched me. Was this part of a competition? Did he think I’d lose at a game like this? What sort
of battle is it, though? How do I win?

Whatever. I’ll thank him for everything, then I’ll confront him about the conditioning. I need to
know what game he’s playing at because I refuse to lose against him.
___

There was only one day left before the Straw Hats were scheduled to set sail from the island of
Amaryllis. The crew, minus Zoro, had spent most of the day saying their goodbyes to the friends
they had made over the seven weeks they’d been there. Nami had said they needed to leave in the
morning before a storm rolled in, preventing them from leaving for another two days.

Since the swordsman had made no contacts during the trip, he thought he’d tag along with Luffy
down at the docks. The bars weren’t open this early in the morning, despite how hard he pounded
on the doors, and he’d seen enough of the ship that he needed a good change of scenery. Luffy
decided for him by coiling an arm around his torso and springing them off into the distance to the
working docks on the other side of the island.

The sun was high and hot, but the wind was present enough to be a welcomed relief. Zoro tied his
trench coat around his waist and helped the fishermen unload crates from that morning’s haul,
loving the sun on his shoulders. Luffy sat on a railing of one of the ships and swung his feet back
and forth. It didn’t bother Zoro to see his captain slacking off, just made him shake his head and
smile because it was Luffy being Luffy.

Many of the other ship’s crewmen ended up surrounding Zoro because they had heard what had
happened to him and also because they were impressed with how easily the man lifted four crates
at once. They asked to see the scar the hammer left and he had to explain the hammer didn’t leave a
mark, but the drill Chopper used to bore a hole into the bone did. The men whistled when they
heard his skull was filled with blood. Zoro had to put a hand to a few men’s chests to get them to
back off, them all too curious to see the scar. Then they asked about his eye and chest scars and
Zoro couldn’t help but think how boring it must be on this stupid flower island if they were so
easily intrigued by his battle wounds.

All the attention had made him feel uncomfortable but he stayed patient with the workers because
as he looked around at them all, he saw their faces clean of scars, their arms clear of tattoos or
burns, and their eyes innocent. Even though their ages ranged from seventeen to over sixty, each
one of them looked to be just as pure as Chopper. So of course, Zoro being the nice guy he was,
humored them by telling a few details here and there to get them to back off. It ended up being
more work than the labor and it exhausted the swordsman. He really wanted that drink.

When Zoro was finally able to shoo them away to get back to their duties, Luffy jumped down
from the perch he’d propped himself on, his sandals hitting the slippery dock with a loud smack.
Zoro turned and nodded to his captain and continued carrying the next load of crates to the wagon.
Luffy followed.

“Do you think you’ll ever get your memories back?” he asked, trailing behind the taller man. Zoro
heaved the stack onto the cart and turned to Luffy, hands on his hips. “Don’t you feel like you’re
missing something important?”

“Well yeah, course I do,” Zoro sighed. “But I can’t change what’s done, Luf. Besides, you all filled
me in well enough, don’t ya think?”

Luffy made a face, his lying face. Puckering his lips and looking anywhere but at his First Mate,
Luffy said, “Yeaaah, we told you everything.”
Zoro rolled his eye. “Will you tell me what happened? The part I’m missing?” Zoro asked. Luffy
started to make a noise that sounded as if he were trying to whistle, clearly avoiding Zoro’s
questions. “C’mon, Luffy! You’re covering something up! Spit it out!” Rocking back and forth on
his heels, Luffy still feigned ignorance. “You little shit, c’mere!” Zoro growled and lunged at Luffy
in an attempt to wring his neck.

“Can’t say! Robin told me not to!” Luffy laughed as Zoro shook him. “Sorry, Zoro!”

“Since when do you listen to anyone?!” Zoro yelled. The wagon driver looked worried he’d be
caught up in the scuffle and hobbled off his seat to put some distance between him and the two
Straw Hats.

Laughing his head off, Luffy said, “Robin said it was important though. Said if I wanted you to feel
better, you had to find out on your own!”

At that, Zoro let out a loud and exaggerated sigh after letting Luffy go. Scratching the back of his
head, he stared down the path that led into town. “S’pose you can’t tell me if it involves that damn
cook, neither?” he asked. He looked to Luffy who now had both hands wrapped tight around his
mouth to prevent himself from spilling anything. He made little whiny noises that told Zoro he was
dying to tell him. “It does have to do with him, doesn’t it?” Luffy viciously shook his head,
squeezing his hands even tighter over his face. Zoro didn’t expect to get anything out of Luffy, but
not because he wouldn’t tell him. He figured Luffy wouldn’t know if anything happened between
the cook and himself, but he did and wouldn’t say. Zoro felt slightly snubbed by his captain, his
shoulders visibly sagging after confirming his suspicions. Realizing he would get nowhere with the
other, Zoro nodded he understood he was under strict orders not to say anything. “Think I’m gonna
head back.”

“Awwww, I didn’t mean to make you sad!” Luffy immediately said and jumped on Zoro’s front.
He wrapped his legs around Zoor’s waist and buried his face into his shoulder. “I want to tell you
sooooo bad! I really do!”

Zoro gently patted Luffy’s back and quietly said, “I know you do. It’s alright. Don’t let me ruin
your day.” Luffy giggled and slid back to the ground. His smile was at least a mile wide, splitting
his face in two. It was hard not to mirror such a joyful grin. And, if Luffy trusted him enough to
learn everything on his own, then he had to trust himself, too. His captain always had his best
interest in mind. “See ya,” he said with a wave and left towards the ship.

___

As the day grew into night, Sanji wondered where Zoro headed off to. A few hours ago he had
come back from helping Luffy, then showered, changed, and left again before Sanji could ask what
his plans were for tonight. Since everyone wanted to eat on the island one last time, Sanji planned
on asking Zoro if he would join him on the ship for dinner.

Deciding the only places Zoro would ever care to go would be a bar or restaurant, Sanji quickly
freshened up before leaving the ship. The ladies were already gone with Chopper so he needn’t
check on any of them. Usopp was rushing Franky along because he was excited to head back to the
casino and Brook was playing babysitter to Luffy for the night somewhere in the city depths.

Sanji ran a comb through his hair a few times, reapplied deodorant, gave a few spritzes of cologne
under his chin, and grabbed his blazer. Today he was sporting a deep navy blue suit with a light
grey tie. He decided on his brown shoes rather than black to spice it up a bit. He looked damn
good and he knew it. There would be people offering themselves up to him no matter where he
went. Sanji smiled as he walked down the gangplank. The light clicking of his heels echoed against
the water below the deck.

There were only two bars on the whole island. Sanji had come to learn this place wasn’t much for
trouble or alcoholics, so two was plenty. The nearest one would have Zoro cringing so hard into
himself he’d turn inside out. Buttercup was for the younger crowd, and although Zoro was of the
right age-range, the activities that went on there were of no interest to the swordsman. Flashy
lights, loud, thumping music, and dancing bodies from wall-to-wall. Sanji didn’t even bother
looking there. Zoro would have steered clear from it just from the outside presence alone.

Meaning he was definitely at Amaranth. It set further into town on a side street and you’d miss it if
you weren’t actively looking for it. Zoro could smell booze from a mile away like some damn
bloodhound, his directionally challenged brain immune when it came to finding bars.

Stepping inside, the air smelled old and stale. They needed to open some windows more than once
a month, that was for sure. Other than that, the place was tidy. Lights dimmed low, your choice
between a booth, table, or bar seating, and one person up on a small stage lightly strumming on an
acoustic guitar while he wallowed into a mic about heartbreak. There was no doubt Sanji would
find the swordsman here.

Scanning over the patrons, Sanji saw a head of moss sitting at the bar. He wore a white t-shirt far
too tight for his bulging muscles and his usual black pants and horrendous boots. He wasn’t alone,
either. A tall woman stood leaning against him, stroking her fingers across his back while
whispering in his ear. Sanji’s eye twitched but how could he object when Zoro didn’t even know
they had gotten together? He didn’t even know they confessed their love to each other, he didn’t
know they knew what the other tasted like.

As much as he loved the ladies, he was going to have to ruin the mood by starting a fight of some
sort with his partner to get her to leave. Approaching the two of them, Sanji was only a few feet
away when Zoro abruptly yelled, “I said I ain’t interested!” and forcefully shoved the woman back.
She bumped into the barstool next to them looking shocked, then burst into tears. She joined a
large group in the far corner, her friends now consoling her.

That was unacceptable! Even if Sanji hated it, that was no way at all to treat a lady! How dare that
asshole! Without a second thought, Sanji spun on his heel and kicked the back of Zoro’s head. It
slammed into the bar top but didn’t bounce back, he sat there motionless, slumped over, face
mushed against the counter. The bar went quiet and light gasps and whispering began. Sanji looked
around nervously, easily forgetting this town didn’t turn to violence as easy as the Straw Hats did.
He smiled and waved his apologies to the nearby tables and bartender.

“You shouldn’t treat women like that, asshole,” Sanji grumbled as he took a seat next to Zoro, who
still hadn’t picked his head up. “Oi, I didn’t even kick you that hard,” did I? I swear I didn’t put my
full force into it. “Marimo?” Sanji asked, shaking his shoulder. Fuck, did I just put him into another
coma?! “Marimo!” he yelled.

Very sluggishly, Zoro lifted his head. A string of sticky blood connected from his nose to the
counter, a small pool where his face had been. Sanji waited for him to say something but he
continued staring at the space in front of him, his mouth slightly hanging open.

“Zoro?”
Hearing his name, Zoro turned to face the blonde. He raised his eyebrows at him and blinked a few
times as if he were ridding something from his vision, then shook his head back and forth like a
wet dog. “...Yeah,” he said, confirming he was listening. He acted like Sanji kicked the life out of
him - as if!

Seeing Zoro was alright, Sanji went on to reprimand him. “I said you shouldn’t treat women like
that. You were too rough with her, you made her cry!” he said and thumbed over his shoulder to
her table.

Zoro shrugged. “I kept sayin no. They hung around askin for me to go home with’em for prolly an
hour before you showed up. I was sick of it.” He rubbed the back of his head feeling the spot
Sanji’s shoe kicked, then trailed his fingers over a few inches and felt his new scar from Chopper’s
drilling. “Plus, I’m pretty sure that was a man.”

Sanji whipped his head to the table with the crying woman to see if he could make out whether she
was male or not, but the lighting was too dim for him to see. “That’s...that’s still not an excuse,
Marimo,” Sanji said, stiffening in his seat. “Ugh, and clean that off!”

Zoro touched his face and pulled his hand away to look at the blood. He turned away and pinched
one nostril and blew then switched to the other side, forcing the remaining blood out to splatter
against the floor. He looked at Sanji when he was done and winked.

It took all of the cook’s willpower to hold back the bile that threatened to come up from his
stomach. “I...I hate you,” he whispered.

“Nah, you don’t,” Zoro said with a shitty grin and downed the rest of his drink. He slapped his
hand on the bartop to signal he wanted a refill. The bartender pulled a hose from the underside of
the counter and filled the mug to the brim with a dark ale. Foam spilled over the sides and over
Zoro’s knuckles. He took another long drink and loudly exhaled with satisfaction.

Even though Zoro was right about Sanji not hating him, it didn’t make what he did any less
disgusting. “It’s still on your face, you fucking monkey. Wipe it off properly.”

“Why? S’not like I’m here to impress anyone.”

Sanji scoffed and reached into his pocket for a handkerchief. When he offered it to Zoro, the other
waved it away. “Don’t be a child!” Sanji said with a clenched jaw and grabbed the back of Zoro’s
head with one hand and harshly rubbed the cloth under his nose with the other.

“Ugh, are you always going to do this now?!” Zoro asked, flailing his limbs around until Sanji
pulled away.

After pocketing the handkerchief, Sanji quirked a curly eyebrow upward. “Do what?” he asked. He
didn’t like the way Zoro smiled back at him. The need for a drink pulled at him so he flagged the
bartender down and asked for a dry martini, straight, extra olives.

“Take care of me,” Zoro said smugly. “I know you helped Chopper.”

Sanji let a smile pull at the corner of his lips for a moment, relishing in the beautiful, domestic
feeling he had when he was in charge of taking care of Zoro’s unconscious body. He was more
than happy to be that person. “Oh, you do, huh?” he said softly. Zoro may not have heard him over
the light banter around them. Zoro from seven weeks ago was different from the one that sat next
to him. This one was the man who hadn’t realized he loved Sanji just yet. He may feel that way
subconsciously, but he never had come to the life-changing realization because he didn’t
experience taking care of Sanji’s child-form.

A few times over the week, Sanji had talked to Robin and Luffy about it, saying he didn’t know
what to do. He couldn’t just go up to the brute and say, ‘Hey, you totally said you loved me and, by
the way, we made out!’ because that would just make him mad and put distance between them,
distance Sanji couldn’t handle. It was already torturing him to have felt Zoro against him, have his
fingers pressed into his mouth...all of that was gone from Zoro’s mind now.

“Wanna get out of here?” Zoro asked. When Sanji looked over, Zoro was staring at him, a steely
grey eye soft with patience. The booze must be kicking in.

“I just got my drink,” Sanji said as he twirled the little black straw around causing the olives to spin
in a mini cyclone. “Also, where did you get the Berri? You owe Nami-san still.”

Zoro downed his beer and flicked his head upwards for Sanji to do the same. “Took pity on me.
Threw me a sack of coins before I left.”

The drink was good but there was too much gin. The pine taste was slightly overpowering,
especially if he was drinking it all in one go as Zoro wanted. He sighed and tipped the fragile glass
back, swallowing the olives along with it. Setting the glass down gently, Sanji asked, “Where did
you want to go?”

“Somewhere with food.”

“Sunny has food,” Sanji suggested. “I could make us something,” as I had originally planned, he
thought. Zoro nodded and left a pile of coins on the table for the drinks. They left in silence.

___

The walk back was quiet. Sanji wanted to bring up the books he read to Zoro but he wasn’t sure
how the man would take to learning that bit of information. He also wondered if he spoke about
the memories he had with Zoro from when he was a child if it would trigger anything. He was
beginning to become desperate at this point. He had waited so long for him to wake up and when
he finally did, he didn’t remember shit. Honestly, it was more depressing than when Zoro was in a
coma.

“What’s got your panties in a bunch?” Zoro asked, elbowing him in the ribs as the Sunny came into
view.

Rubbing his side, Sanji tried lifting his head up but it was just too damn heavy. It took too much
work. He knew he had to break from this pointless depressive episode before he started making
them dinner because this was no way to spend valuable time with the man he loved. Soon, they
would be surrounded by their other nakama and he wouldn’t get another moment like this for a
while. Sanji pushed his bad feelings away and forced himself to cheer up. “Just wondering how
someone as ugly as you could get a girl - er, guy? - to hit on him is all.”

Zoro barked a laugh into the night sky. The two walked the gangplank and as their feet touched the
soft grass on Sunny, Zoro turned to face Sanji to strike a stupid pose. “With a body like this? How
could they resist?” he said, still laughing. He flexed his muscles one last time, stretching the
threads that held his shirt together. “Even men can’t resist me.”
Sanji’s smile faded. He has no idea how true that is, he thought, watching Zoro walk in front of
him as they headed into the galley. The mossball didn't immediately plop down at the bar, instead
waited in the kitchen.

“Move out of the way, you over-sized lawn gnome.”

“I wanna help,” Zoro said to him.

“You’ll only slow me down,” Sanji said skeptically. That was weird for Zoro to suggest. “Just go
sit down, I’ll make something quick.”

That was all he had to say because Zoro abided by his word and waited at the table in his usual
spot. In no time, Sanji had two steaming plates of pasta with a generous helping of sea-king meat
mixed in ready to be eaten. Sanji sat and waited for Zoro to take his first bite.

He watched the man close his eye in ecstasy, slowly chewing to savor the flavor. A small hum of
approval escaped before swallowing.

“Well?” Sanji asked in excitement. “You like it?” Zoro nodded. “The creamy mushroom sauce
normally is never paired with the Giant Oarfish, but, if you add in extra gouda instead of tomatoes
like everyone first tries to mask the powerful fishy taste, then you’ve already come out on top.”

“You’re doing it again.”

Sanji sighed. He missed the old Zoro. Well...the new Zoro? He missed the Zoro who grew patient
to listen to his ramblings regarding food. “Talking too much? Sorry, thought a neanderthal could
understand -”

“The All Blue face,” Zoro said, his head slightly cocked to the side. “You’re happy.” Sanji pushed
a noodle around on his plate with his fork before stabbing it. As he chewed, he silently nodded his
head. Zoro watched him for a few moments before returning to his meal.

Once the two were finished, Zoro turned on the faucet to begin filling the sink. Sanji reached over
to turn it back off. “I’ll do them in the morning.”

“I’ll help,” Zoro prompted. “It’ll go faster.”

“Nah, I’d rather…” Sanji trailed off. I’d rather spend time with you instead. “I’d rather smoke the
rest of this pack of cigarettes.”

If Zoro picked up on Sanji’s weird reasoning, he didn’t show it. Instead, he beckoned for the
blonde to follow him by waving his hand over his shoulder as he walked towards the aquarium
room. “I’ve been meaning to ask you a few things,” Sanji heard him say. He wasn’t sure if he
should be nervous or not. If he starts to ask questions about those missing memories, he might not
feel the sentimental value they created for him and they would mean nothing, rendering this
relationship they were technically in null. Sanji swallowed back the lump in his throat and closed
the door behind him.

Zoro was staring through the glass at the various creatures swimming about. He looked beautiful
there with the turquoise water reflecting off his bronze skin. Very beautiful indeed. Sanji walked
up to stand next to him and sucked on his cigarette. “So,” he started, blowing the smoke out above
them. “What did you want to ask?”

Without turning, Zoro said, “What’s got your panties in a bunch.”

“What? I said-”

“Don’t lie to me,” Zoro interrupted. “Don’t think I can’t tell when yer lyin to me, Sanji.”

Sanji? Did he just…? The blonde moved his eyes to look in his peripheral at Zoro who was still
watching the fish swim about. Sanji swallowed. “Uh...right,” he said quietly. “It’s not important,
really. No need to worry.”

“Not important, huh?” Zoro asked. “You’ve been acting weird towards me since I woke from that
coma. Something happened, didn’t it? Before I was knocked out? Something between us?”

Fuck, he’s getting irritated. What do I do? Tell him I know what he tastes like because his tongue
was down my throat? God, it’s not that easy, Marimo, to just tell you what went on and lead to this
point. “Not really, not anything out of the norm,” Sanji said. He pocketed his spent cigarette and
sighed.

“What did I just tell you, dammit?!” Zoro snapped, rounding on the blonde and pushing his
shoulder. Sanji faltered backward but was quick to regain his balance, raising a knee to ready
himself. “I know yer lyin to me! I know something happened between us so just tell me what it
was!” Zoro was slowly inching towards him but Sanji noticed he wasn’t drawing his swords just
yet.

Sanji turned his head away, unable to look Zoro in the eye. “I said it wasn’t important. It’s nothing.
You wouldn’t understand, anyway.”

Zoro was in his face now, his expression as stoic as ever. His mouth was set in a flat line and Sanji
could swear he heard him growling. “What makes you think I wouldn’t understand?” he asked.
When Sanji didn’t answer right away, Zoro took a deep breath to calm himself. “You’re afraid,
aren’t you?”

The question wasn’t to taunt the cook. Sanji was a little shocked to hear such genuine patience and
care behind those words. “Yeah,” he heard himself say. “I don’t want to mess anything up.”

“And what would you mess up?”

Sanji wanted to meet Zoro’s penetrating gaze but couldn’t. He knew he’d break if he did, already
able to feel the tears prickling the edges of his eyes, threatening to break free and run down his
cheeks. Zoro sighed with what seemed like disappointment and walked over to the couch. He
unwrapped his swords from his sash and laid them over the cushion and flopped onto next to them.
Sanji followed.

With a shaking hand, Sanji lit up another cigarette. The cushion between them seemed as wide as a
mile, too much for Sanji’s liking. He wanted to be closer. Zoro had his arms spread out over the
back and his legs spread wide. His green head of hair leaned against the backing, his one good eye
closed.

“S’pose I don’t blame you,” Zoro said, breaking the silence. “I don’t think I could do it either.
Think yer handling it better than I could’ve.”

Sanji glanced at him, wondering what the hell he was talking about. Taking another drag, he felt
Zoro’s hand tug on a strand of his hair at the back of his neck. Those tanned fingers made their
way to the underside of Sanji’s golden locks and grabbed a fistful. Sanji gasped from the sudden
pull and had no time to speak before Zoro lurched forward to push their faces together for a harsh
kiss.
 When he let up, Sanji immediately started yelling. “HOW LONG?!” he asked with a scowl. Zoro
laughed, loosening his hold on the other’s hair. “You fucking asshole, how long have you had your
memories back?!”

Zoro scooted closer to the chef to play with the collar of his suit jacket. He traced the edges all the
way up to Sanji’s neck, which he buried his face into to begin sucking on the pale skin. Sanji’s
fists grabbed Zoro’s shirt, balling the fabric up in his fists. “Hours,” he admitted through a heavy
breath.

Chapter End Notes

Ope - welcome back, Zoro!

Why is he breathing so heavily, though hmmm...
 Oh
Chapter Notes

Story is less PG-13. Light sexual play.

ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Zoro’s breath was hot against Sanji’s skin. His tongue ran up his neck and he bit just under the ear.
Sanji shivered. It would have been easy, so very easy, to melt in Zoro’s mouth but his anger with
the swordsman was taking priority. “Hours?!” He spat, pushing the brute off of him. “Why didn’t
you tell me?!”

Chuckling, Zoro watched Sanji huff and puff with annoyance. Sanji was glaring at him with a
scowl, despite his flushed face. “You act like you’d do any different if you were in my place,” Zoro
said, leaning back on the couch with his hands behind his head. He held Sanji’s gaze for a beat
before letting his eye fall closed.

Sanji knew Zoro was right so he didn’t argue it much further. It was only a few hours, not like it
was days he held out on him. “A couple of hours ago we were in the bar. What jogged your
memory?”

Zoro peeked an eye open with a raised eyebrow. “Seriously? It ain’t obvious? Maybe when you
took the liberty of showing the back of my head how strong your kicks can be? Yer lucky I got my
memories back from that cause I would have sliced you in three for treatin me so shittily, bastard.”

“Bastard?! You pushed a lady!”

“I told you, I’m sure it was a man!” Zoro argued.

“A man who wants to be treated like a lady!” Sanji said, his chest puffing up again as the anger
rose. “You didn’t have to push them that hard! You deserved that kick! In fact, I wish I did it
harder now, you impossible weed!”

Zoro sat up, slapping his hands over his knees and gripped them tight. “Say that again, Dart-Brow,
and I’ll drop you.”

Skipping straight to the fight, Sanji grabbed the back of the couch for support as he swung his leg
up to bash Zoro’s face. The swordsman caught his ankle and stood, dragging Sanji’s butt off the
cushion, the blonde quickly catching himself with his hands before hitting the floor.

With his free leg, Sanji hooked his foot behind Zoro’s knee causing him to buckle under the
weight. Zoro wobbled forward but Sanji kicked his chest sending him flying to land flat on his
back. The blonde was on him faster than he could get back up, but Zoro was quicker to flip their
positions. Sanji’s wrists were pinned above his head while he had his legs wrapped around Zoro’s
ribs.

Zoro winced against the pain, eye shut tight. He was in no position to hurt Sanji as he only had his
wrists - which did nothing seeing as how the man didn’t even need to use them! He was fucked. He
knew he lost, especially since he could feel Sanji holding back. If the cook wanted, he could break
his rib cage and Zoro knew it. “Alright, you win,” he wheezed. Sanji didn’t loosen his hold. Zoro
opened his eye to look down at him. He was smiling. “I said you win, lemme go!”

“No,” Sanji said with a wry smile and locked his ankles together over Zoro’s back. He increased
the pressure and Zoro groaned.

“Yer gonna crack my bones!” Zoro managed to say. He was trying to read what the hell Sanji was
playing at but all the cook was doing was giving him an evil smile.

“Beg me.”

“What?!” Zoro spat.

“Beg me to let you go and I will,” Sanji said. When Zoro growled in protest, Sanji squeezed
harder.

“You...shit-head…” Zoro wheezed and ground his teeth together. He tried getting to his feet, but
Sanji then jerked their bodies hard enough that Zoro’s knees slipped out from under him, no longer
able to hold himself up. “I won’t.”

“Beg me, Zoro.”

Zoro felt like he was going to be severed in two if the cook didn't let up any time soon. The pain
was becoming unbearable. This was a game he was losing against his rival but he didn’t know how
much longer he could stand the pressure, especially knowing Sanji was hardly trying. Looking
down at the blonde, Zoro glanced at his hands and tightened his hold on them. “If you don’t let me
go, I’ll crush your wrists.”

For a split second, Sanji faltered. Panic flickered across his face but not a moment later it was
gone, replaced with too much confidence. “But you won’t,” he said with arrogance and Zoro sighed
because he was right. No matter how much he didn’t like losing against this fucker below him,
Zoro would never purposely damage something so precious to his nakama . He really did lose this
round, he had nothing to retaliate with. The vise-like grip Sanji had on him was impossible to get
out of. “Beg me,” Sanji repeated.

That deep, velvety voice had Zoro trembling suddenly. Hearing it was hitting him differently,
especially the way he was being commanded. Zoro could feel his body heat up each time Sanji told
him to beg. The rush of kissing Sanji earlier flooded back into him and all he could think about
was the slight part of Sanji’s pale, pink lips.

Sanji must have noticed where he was looking because he slowly grazed his tongue over his top lip
leaving a shiny trail of saliva behind. “Like what you see, Ma-ri-mo- kun?”

Zoro wasted no time in bending forward to press his mouth against Sanji’s. The death-grip around
his torso loosened allowing the swordsman to move freely. Sanji tasted like his cigarettes and Zoro
couldn’t get enough. His mouth opened over Sanji’s to slide his tongue in, licking the inside of the
blonde’s mouth. With each breath through his nose to not let up from Sanji’s lips, Zoro could smell
the minty shampoo the blonde used. It seemed like the combination of taste and smell was quickly
becoming overwhelming because Zoro hadn’t realized he was rutting his body against Sanji’s until
the chef moaned each time Zoro thrust forward. In a jolt, Zoro pulled away with shock.

With a gasp from the sudden loss, Sanji breathlessly asked, “What? What is it?”

Zoro began to sit back on his haunches now that the cook’s ankles weren’t locked around him.
When he looked Sanji over, he could see the man’s erection through his suit pants. As fun as it was
to mess with Sanji and get him to turn to putty in his hands, it was also an extremely new
experience for him. Never in a million years did he think he’d see this side of his rival, and to be
honest, he wasn’t sure how to proceed forward. “Nothing. I just think…” Zoro could feel his own
pants had grown too tight as well. Shit, what do I think? Zoro sighed and stood to walk over to the
couch, flopping backward onto it. Sanji joined him.

The familiar sound of a metal lighter opening and the flick before a flame produced filled the
room. Then, Zoro was breathing in Sanji’s smoke, and the whole feeling like he was under a damn
spell sort of happened all over again. His head lolled to the side to face the blonde. He watched him
bring the stick to his lips and take a long drag then exhale the smoke into the air above them.

“What were you thinking, y’know, while I didn’t remember the things between us?” Zoro asked
quietly. Sanji’s neutral expression turned into a frown as he looked down into his lap. The hand
holding the cigarette laid across the backrest opposite Zoro while his freehand covered his face.

“It was easier when you were in a coma. It was easier knowing you’d wake up and everything
would be fine, pick up where we left off. But, since I’m me and not much good happens to me, you
woke up and I just knew. I knew what we had was gone. When I confirmed it with Chopper, I
didn’t think it could hurt any worse, yet it did.”

Zoro was quiet as he let that information sink in. Sanji’s hand fell to his lap while the other stuck
the butt of the cigarette back between his teeth. Sanji’s face had evened out into his neutral
expression again, but Zoro knew there was more to it. “You handled it well. I didn’t feel as if you
were upset, only felt you knew something I didn’t.”

“Yeah,” Sanji laughed, smoke billowing out as he did. “Yeah, I know. I’m a good actor, you see,”
he said and turned to Zoro to show him a cheesy smile. “On the inside, I was sure you wouldn’t
ever realize you loved me. The way you had come to learn it was just...too unique.” Sanji’s voice
lowered and his smile faded. Zoro watched the other man relive that week of pain. “The universe
was no longer aligned for us and I felt as if I had missed my chance.”

Images of a tiny Sanji giggling as he was being tickled flashed across Zoro’s mind. He smiled at
the thought. What Sanji said was true; their story was indeed a unique one. How long would it
have taken, if ever, if his best friend had never been turned into a helpless child for them to come
together like this?

The swordsman realized as he looked at Sanji right now that he hated seeing him upset now as
much as he did when he was a little kid. The small blonde crying because he was being punished
by him and Robin, threatened to sleep without Zoro unless he was a good boy, made him feel bad.
It was necessary to discipline the kid but it hurt Zoro to see him so utterly sad. A child who
probably never knew love hurting because he was vulnerable to rejection. Thinking back on it,
maybe even something Zoro considered a small punishment was still too cruel for him. He
wondered if Sanji ever got over that feeling or if there were times he still felt alone. When Sanji
turned his head to face him, his eyes were glassy as if he were holding back tears.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Zoro whined, chest hurting with an annoying ache to comfort the
chef. He was feeling particularly soft right now after thinking of a tiny version of the blonde. After
Sanji squeezed the spent cigarette between his fingers and pocketed the butt, he bent forward,
elbows on his knees and palms harshly rubbing his eyes.

As soon as Zoro heard Sanji’s breath hitch, he shot up to wrap his arms around him. Zoro’s chest
felt like it was on fire and the only thing he thought to get Sanji to calm down was to rub his back
because he knew it worked. Lifting Sanji into his lap so he was sitting sideways against him, he
tucked one arm under him to support his back and the other pushed his head down against his
chest. “It’s alright, now. Everything’s back. I’m back.” Sanji’s silent sobs slowed as he nodded
against him. He didn’t cry for long, it seemed to Zoro that Sanji had been holding everything back,
bottling it all in until it was too damn much and his walls were finally crumbling. Zoro continued
to rub his back until he got it all out, understanding the stress he was put through.

A sniffle or two later, Sanji lifted his head to look into Zoro’s one good eye. “Would you have
believed me if I had said you confessed to me?”

Zoro chuckled, shaking his head. “Ain't no way I’d have believed it, not for a second. Prolly
woulda cut ya up just for telling me such a stupid thing.”

“Yeah, I figured. It’s why I didn’t say anything,” Sanji sighed and flopped his head against Zoro’s
chest, relishing in the feeling of being held. Zoro was warm and it was easy to find comfort in his
arms. The two stayed like that for a while, silent in the vast room until Sanji perked his head up
again and asked, “Can we please tell the crew the moment they come back before some other crazy
shit happens?” Sanji asked and cupped Zoro’s face. He traced his fingers along his strong jawline
before leaning in to kiss the man he loved.

When Zoro tightened his arms around him and deepened the kiss, Sanji took that as a ‘yes’ and
then, without breaking away, resituated himself so he was now straddling Zoro’s lap. He could
hear Zoro suck in a breath between their mouths from the new position. Together, they gave slow
and passionate kisses, their lips grazing against each other. Tongues slid across lips, breath was
shared, saliva mixed.

At the back of his head, Sanji felt Zoro’s hand harshly rake through his hair and tug a fistful
enough to pull Sanji’s head back, baring his neck for Zoro to devour. Teeth bit into soft flesh while
his tongue licked up the length of his neck to behind his ear. Sanji shivered when lips clamped
around his earlobe and gave a wet suck.

Zoro was slowly losing himself, he could feel his mind clouding over by the mere smell of Sanji’s
minty shampoo. The way the man whispered his name in his deep smoker’s voice had him almost
gasping for air as if he had forgotten how to breathe without Sanji’s existence. Again, in a jolt,
Zoro pulled away.

“What is it now, you damn moss-for-brains?” Sanji asked impatiently, studying the man before
him.

Panting, Zoro scrunched his brows together and said, “You - you fucking conditioned me, prick!”

“Hah?!”

Zoro couldn’t believe he was still being affected by whatever witchy-shit the cook put him under.
“You got me all messed up cause of what you did while I was in the infirmary,” Zoro elaborated.
His hands fell to Sanji’s hips and squeezed, half with irritation, half with lust. “I feel like I’m...like
I’m drunk, right now,” he mumbled and when he looked back up to Sanji, he was slightly blurry.
He blinked a few times to regain his vision.

Sanji quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head. “What do you mean?” he asked. His hands roamed
over Zoro’s front, feeling the soft cotton of the too-tight t-shirt. As Zoro tried to make words come
out of his mouth, Sanji slid his hands under the shirt to feel those hard muscles and scraped his
short nails down his chest.

Zoro groaned from the touch and hearing Sanji’s low voice wasn’t helping his vision. His heart
was thumping against the underside of his ribcage. The chef leaned in to whisper in his ear and he
felt as if the wave of mint and smoke alone could have knocked him unconscious.

Before he knew it, Sanji was playing with the button at the top of his pants. “Wh-what are you
doing, shit-head?” Zoro said groggily, trying to shake the spell from his mind. His hands tightened
over Sanji’s hips and the blonde answered by grinding against him. It was taking everything Zoro
had to stay aware of his surroundings. “You’re making it worse.”

“Making what worse, Marimo?” Sanji cooed into his ear. The button was unfastened and pale
fingers pulled the zipper down until it couldn’t go any further.

The swordsman was sure he could figure out what Sanji was aiming to do but he barely had the
strength to stop it. Shit, he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to stop it. Through fuzzy vision, he
looked at Sanji in his dark blue suit staring down at him with heavy-lidded eyes. The way his
fingers touched every inch of his skin and how they were now tugging at the hem of his boxer
briefs…

Zoro took the hint and joined in, not wanting to be out-done by his rival, harshly yanking Sanji’s
belt off and practically tearing his pants open. Sanji rubbed his hand over Zoro’s achingly hard
cock, paying extra attention to the little wet spot in the fabric that had formed. The room was silent
except for the moving water of the tank and their heavy breathing.

“Take this off,” Zoro growled, pointing to the man’s suit. Sanji wasted no time in standing to kick
his shoes off and jump out of his pants and jacket. Zoro quickly slid out of his clothes and lazily sat
back with spread legs as he waited.

Sanji stood there, dick standing at full attention and naked, eyes glued to Zoro’s crotch.

“What?” Zoro asked, wondering why the blonde was hesitating.

“I’ve...never seen you like this before,” Sanji breathed. His chest heaved up and down as he took in
all Zoro had to offer.

“Uh, naked? You’ve seen me plen-”

“No,” Sanji said, eyes still unmoving. “Hard.”

Zoro looked down at himself and chuckled. “Yeah?” he hummed and Sanji nodded as he stared.
Zoro cocked his head to the side and grabbed ahold of himself, lazily stroking up and down. “You
like it?” Another nod as Sanji watched Zoro’s movement. “Bet mine’s bigger.”

That woke Sanji up from his trance. “Excuse me? I fucking doubt that.”

“Prolly way bigger,” Zoro teased, and before he knew it a foot slammed into his shoulder, pinning
him to the back of the couch. His one good eye traced up Sanji’s leg and stared at the erection in
his face. He hooked his hand behind Sanji’s knee and pulled the man back into his lap.

“Mine’s more symmetrical,” Sanji huffed and harshly thunked his forehead against Zoro’s in
anger.

“Mine’s better looking.”

“Yours is just as ugly as you are.”

“Surprised yours ain't curly like the rest of you.”

“What’d you fuckin say- mmn!” The rest of Sanji’s sentence was cut off by Zoro’s mouth.

The two of them aggressively kissed, pushing and pulling each other, fighting for dominance to
prove who was stronger. Again, when Sanji started to moan into the kissing, Zoro’s thoughts
shocked him back to reality. He could hardly believe Sanji - the chef, the idiot cook, the ladies
man, his other half - was naked on top of him. This time he didn’t pull away in shock. This time he
accepted the new adventure they would have together.

Being pretty inexperienced at this type of stuff, Zoro felt at a loss of how he’d proceed. But, Sanji
was also a guy so that meant it was a good guess he liked what Zoro liked. Between their kissing,
grunts, and growls, Zoro gripped Sanji’s dick as tightly as he would Kitetsu, causing the blonde to
gasp while sitting up to look between them.

As quickly as the touch came, it was gone. Zoro let go and leaned back, arms folded behind his
head. He wore a shit-eating grin as Sanji looked as if he had just been kicked by his own foot.

“What - what did you let go for?” Sanji asked. Zoro shrugged back at him. Sanji looked down.
“Did you want me to…?”

Zoro shrugged again. “Figured you’d be better with your hands, right?” He said with arrogance, the
grin still as wide as ever. “Just like I’m prolly better with my mouth.”

“Oh,” was all Sanji managed to say as the rest of the images short-circuited his brain. For a few
moments, he sat there, eyes glazed over, thinking of all the things Zoro could do with that mouth
before he snapped out of it. “Right,” he said and positioned himself better to grab ahold of both of
their throbbing erections.

The feeling of Sanji’s hand pressing their dicks together was a sensation Zoro had never imagined -
literally. This was all completely new to him. Since joining Luffy in the beginning, Zoro already
had his mind set on one goal, and sex or relationships weren’t involved. It had never occurred to
him that he could do this type of stuff and be The Greatest Swordsman. But now that it was
happening, he couldn’t imagine anything else. Right now, all that existed were the two of them. He
was more than ready to take this road with Sanji.

“Move,” Zoro hissed, encouraging Sanji to start jerking them off.

“Right,” Sanji parroted. He shook his head again and began moving his hand up and down. He
watched Zoro’s mouth fall open and his head leaned back. Seeing the swordsman come undone
gave him a boost of confidence. “Like this?” he asked.

“Y-yeah,” Zoro answered breathily. He thrust his hips causing Sanji to rise with him. The longer
Sanji pumped them, the more he wanted to touch. He uncrossed his arms from behind his head and
felt up Sanji’s thick thighs. The muscles flexed under his grip. His fingers curled, sinking into
milky skin before he slid them up Sanji’s lithe body. Even if his frame was smaller, the man’s
muscles were just as hard as his and that turned him on. “Feels good.”

Hearing that, Sanji preened. By now, pre-cum had lazily leaked from both of them making Sanji’s
hand slide easier. “Zoro, I’m not gonna last,” he admitted with a throaty gasp.

“Figures, you loser,” Zoro said, but Sanji knew he wasn’t any better off with how heavily he was
breathing and moving his hips against him.

Sanji could feel his orgasm approaching too fast, everything tightening and pulsing and, “I’m
gonna- ahh,” Sanji sighed as he spilled over his hand. His pace was slowing until Zoro’s hand
cupped over his to keep him going. Sanji whined when Zoro wouldn’t let him slow down to ride
his orgasm out, his sensitive skin being over-stimulated had him making noises he never thought
he’d make.

Zoro’s eye rolled just before it closed completely. Sanji loved the way his eyebrows turned
upwards, softening his face as he came. He couldn’t peel his gaze away from Zoro’s face, even
while he felt another wave of hot liquid ooze over their hands. Zoro was perfect in every way.

Once he was sure Zoro finished, he leaned in for a kiss but it was cut short. As quick as lightning,
Zoro lifted him and slammed him against the seat cushions so hard he was sure he would have had
the wind knocked out of him if it were against the wood. He had no time to ask what the hell the
idiot-swordsman was doing before Zoro’s mouth swallowed his spent cock. “Ah, Zoro,” he
whispered, lightly thrusting upward. Zoro’s tongue licked up every last bit of cum and when Sanji
was licked clean, Zoro forcibly grabbed the hand that jerked them off and sucked on each finger
until there was no evidence left.

It all happened so fast that Sanji hardly had any time at all to process what Zoro was doing, and
now that he was done and licking his own tanned fingers, he felt so embarrassed! “Wh-what the
hell was that for?!” he screeched, trying to move out from under the other. The way Zoro looked
down at him made him feel small like a predator had cornered its prey.

“I told you,” Zoro said, thumbing the corner of his mouth. “You conditioned me and I don’t think I
can get enough.”

___

After the two had rinsed off in the tub to rid the smell of sex and sweat off, Sanji thought it would
be a great idea to make a treat for when the crew came back. He had explained to Zoro most of
them usually headed to bed as soon as they got back from the city but if they smelled a fresh batch
of cupcakes, they would most certainly spare a minute or two for him and Zoro to make their
announcement.

They were still alone on the Sunny, enjoying each other’s company in their comfy clothes. Zoro
stayed shirtless, what a surprise, and rocked a pair of black sweatpants rolled up around his calves.
Sanji was a little more modest with some blue jersey shorts and one of Zoro’s old, ratty t-shirts that
probably fit him better than it did Zoro.

The ninth batch of banana bread cupcakes was in the oven and Zoro had Sanji backed against the
counter, finger covered in peanut butter frosting and pressed into his mouth. Zoro’s nose lightly
grazed against Sanji’s cheek as he watched lips close around his finger, feeling the tongue slowly
lick the frosting off.

As Zoro moved to taste Sanji’s neck, kissing, biting, and nuzzling, Sanji thought that he wasn’t the
only one on the Sunny who had an oral fixation. The two of them made for interesting times and
Sanji shivered as his thoughts mixed with the feeling of Zoro devouring him.

The boat rocked as Luffy fell aboard with a harsh landing, laughter echoing through the night’s air.
Brook groaned as he unwrapped himself from a rubber arm and stood up. He was a good baby-
sitter tonight because he came back with Luffy instead of the bouncy-idiot running off on his own.
Zoro let up on Sanji and the two walked out of the kitchen to greet their captain and everyone else
as they took the gangplank like normal humans.

“Oh, you found Zoro!” Usopp said to Sanji.

Zoro opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Luffy flinging his arms across the ship and
snapping his body to wrap around Zoro’s face in a hug. “Zoro0o0o0o0o0!!!” Luffy sing-songed.
There was mumbling under his tight grip while Zoro desperately tried pulling out from under his
captain before he suffocated.

“GAH!” Zoro wheezed when he could finally get proper air. “Ya damn shit-head!”

“What’s got you so affectionate, Luf?” Nami asked while slipping off her heels. Luffy climbed
down from Zoro’s shoulders.

“Zoro got his memory back!”

Both Sanji and Zoro gawked, saying, “How do you know?!” at the same time. Luffy fell back onto
his butt and clutched his stomach with laughter. Sanji looked at Zoro as if to ask what the hell is
with this kid, but Zoro looked just as confused.

“Seriously, how could you tell?” Sanji asked and gave a soft kick to Luffy’s side.

“Shishishishi, it’s so obvious!” the captain laughed. He stood and with one hand firmly planted on
his hip while the other pointed directly at Sanji’s nose, he said, “Cause of your face. It’s happy!”

Blush surfaced Sanji’s skin turning him bright red. He looked to Zoro who was nodding and then to
the rest of the crew who were trying to figure out what was so funny.

“We have something to say,” Zoro grunted, elbowing Sanji in the ribs to break him from his
embarrassment.

“Do I smell treats?!” Luffy yelled, tongue lolling to the side before zooming into the kitchen.

___

The crew gathered at the kitchen table. Platters of perfectly frosted cupcakes littered the table for
everyone to enjoy. A sleepy Chopper sat in Robin’s lap and as she peeled the paper lining off the
bottom of the cupcake for him, he looked to Zoro next to him and asked, “What was it you wanted
to tell us?”

Zoro could feel Robin’s heavy stare on him when he answered the little reindeer. “Something we
were supposed to tell you a while ago. Before that last pirate ship.”

“Before you were hit in the head?” Chopper asked, his eyes widening at the realization of how long
they’d been waiting. Zoro nodded and Chopper stared, mouth hanging open as his little hooves
held the cupcake Robin offered.

Coming up behind the green-haired Straw Hat, Sanji looked around to the rest of the crew.
Suddenly, he was feeling nervous. Even though Nami had only been ‘testing’ him about his
sexuality or decision to choose Zoro, it still put the idea in his head that there was still a chance to
be rejected by the other crew members.

Currently, only Luffy, Nami, and Robin knew of their feelings. What if Brook wasn’t raised that
way? He’s the oldest here and it could be a generational thing...Usopp seems like a traditional
kind of guy, what if the idea of two men is unheard of in Syrup Village? Sanji swallowed back the
lump in his throat as he looked to Franky. He might be okay. He’s...eccentric enough. And Chopper
doesn’t understand human interactions as much in the first place so maybe…?

“Well? What is it?” Usopp said around a mouthful of cupcake. He had frosting plastered around
his lips. Sanji could tell he was only eating to keep himself awake because he sat hunched over
with heavy lids.

Brook hummed a tune and tapped his boney fingers against the table. “Is it bad news?” he asked,
sorrow in his voice.

“No!” Sanji was quick to say, waving his hands. It’d be easier to get it over with and just say it!
Blue eyes flickered to Nami across the table. She winked. With a sigh, Sanji let his shoulders relax.
“It’s about me and Zoro.”

Franky groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t break something, bro. It’s been months since I’ve had
to do any serious repairs and it’s been kinda nice, you know.” Usopp, Robin, and Luffy laughed.

“Heh, no, not at all. It’s that...we’ve come...to like each other.”

Usopp perked up in his seat and tilted his head. “You guys are friends now?”

“SUPERRRRR friendship!” Franky shouted and threw his enormous arms into the air, bonking
Brook on his head and causing the table to jump up an inch or two.

“No,” Zoro said flatly, breaking the chatter from the far half of the table. He got up from his seat to
stand next to Sanji.

“I’m confused, so you're not friends?” Usopp asked with another cupcake in his mouth.

“No. I mean - yes!” Zoro growled in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. “He means we’re
together.” He then wrapped an arm around Sanji’s waist and pulled him closer to emphasize the
difference between friends and lovers.

After a beat of silence, a burst of laughter broke out from Franky, Brook, and Usopp. Chopper had
fallen fast asleep in Robin’s arms. Nami held her cheek in the palm of her hand as she stared at the
clueless half of the crew with a small smile on her face. Luffy’s belly was bloating bigger and
bigger and didn’t seem to be paying attention so long as there was a continuous flow of food in his
face. Robin ran her fingers through Chopper’s fur, quietly waiting for her nakama to get their
announcement right.

“What a good one!” Usopp bleated, cupcake spraying everywhere. He slapped the table with his
hand and banged on his chest to breathe better. Brook was clutching (what was supposed to be) his
stomach, tears welling up at the edges of his empty eye sockets.

Franky had laughed just as hard as the other two, but soon he came down long enough from his
high to ask, “How long you been workin on that one?!”

“Look! He’s still holding him!” Usopp said, pointing to Zoro’s hand around Sanji. Another wave of
laughter drowned out anything Sanji was about to say.
The blonde looked over to his captain for help but he had followed Chopper into falling asleep
right at the table. His belly was fat enough that he used it as a pillow. A gross snot-bubble hung
from a nostril. At his waist, Zoro’s hand tightened and he could hear a deep rumble in the
swordsman’s chest.

“It’s not a joke,” Zoro said through gritted teeth but the laughing trio didn’t hear him.

Usopp and Brook leaned against each other, mimicking the couple in the room with googly-eyes
and kissy-lips. “Mwa, mwa! Suddenly we don’t hate each other and are madly in love!
Mmmmwa!” Usopp mocked with another kiss. “I love you, Grass-Head!”

“I love you, Curly-san!” Brook said in a deep voice to replicate Zoro’s.

Franky started to find the situation less and less funny as he realized Nami wasn’t joining in on the
poking fun. Nami loved teasing those two yet she hadn’t even let out a single giggle. She was busy
inspecting under her nails. Franky turned to Zoro and Sanji. “You’re not joking, are you, bros?”

“No,” The two said in unison. At that, Usopp and Brook ceased their antics.

“That’s n-not r-right,” Usopp stuttered.

“That is indeed strange to hear…” Brook said quietly. He placed a hand under his chin in thought.

Here it comes, Sanji winced to himself. Zoro didn’t seem to be freaking out next to him but Sanji
was sweating. Usopp was still stammering over something, shaking his head in defiance of what he
just heard. Brook was silent. Franky was silent.

Any moment now, the ridicule will begin. I wonder if they will refuse to board with us knowing
where our interests lie.

“Congrats, bros!” Franky said with a smile and reached around Robin to pat Sanji harshly on his
back, as he was closest. Sanji’s body lurched forward from the force but Zoro stopped him from
falling on Robin.

Even though Franky had just given his approval, Sanji was still nervous because Usopp said ‘not
right’ and Brook said ‘strange.’ He could feel his knees weakening. Growing up, all he ever
wanted to be was accepted. Even his own family, the people who were supposed to be there for
you no matter what, rejected everything about him. He didn’t do anything to cause such treatment
except live. Because he was living, he was a burden, defective, hated, tortured, and even
imprisoned for just being him.

And then he was thrown into a different time and place, waking up in the arms of the very man
who held him now. His savior. His hero. His big brother who he eventually fell for. The only man
he’d ever wanted, the only man he’d ever thought of, the only man who always had his back. The
man who loved him. Everything changed for Sanji’s life as a kid when he was cast away back into
that dingy castle. From that day forward, he had a goal: to meet Zoro again.

The time has come for me, I’m finally able to be with him, and I’m met with this. Rejection from my
nakama. I just want to be accepted...I just want to be accepted.

“That’s not right! You hate each other!” Usopp said. “You can’t love each other if you hate each
other!”

Zoro scoffed and rolled his eye. “Shaddap.”

Usopp nodded his head. “Well, alright. If you say so,” he said and reached for another cupcake.
Sanji’s shoulders relaxed but there was still one more opinion he wanted.

Brook sat at the end of the table still rubbing his chin. Very quietly, he asked, “You are
romantically involved, yes?” Sanji and Zoro nodded. “Which means you will be doing sexual
things together?” Sanji froze with embarrassment and Zoro scrunched his face, ready to bark a
remark. Nami sat up to frown at Brook’s observation. “Can I watch? Yohohohohoho!!!”

That was it, that was the last person. There was still technically Chopper but Sanji had a feeling the
little teen would be just as accepting as everyone else. Zoro sighed and flopped on a stool behind
them, arms spread over the counter.

Knowing all was settled, Robin stood and left with Chopper, followed by a dozen hands popping
out of the floor to pluck Luffy from his seat and drag him off to bed. Usopp and Franky continued
to eat the few remaining cupcakes while Brook excused himself, muttering about watching Zoro
and Sanji getting it on.

Nami yawned loudly with a cat-like stretch while standing from her seat. She planted her hands on
her hips and said, “Wow, that was painful to watch! You should have seen you squirm, Sanji-kun!”
she laughed and walked around the table to stand in front of them. She stomped on Zoro’s toes
when he didn’t move his legs for her to get by. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed her hair over
her shoulders and raised an eyebrow to stare at them. “You better not hurt Zoro,” she warned Sanji
again.

“W-what? Nami-san, what makes you think I’d hurt him? An-and why aren’t you telling him to not
hurt me?”

The quirked eyebrow went even higher. “Zoro isn’t the one fawning over a new woman every time
he gets the chance!” She said and poked the blonde harshly in the chest. Sanji rubbed the sore spot
and looked to his feet in shame. Guess he sorta does that, doesn’t he? “But I guess Zoro sucks in
his own ways, too.”

“Excuse me?” Zoro asked, sitting up. “What you just say, Witch?”

Nami held her hand up to stop Sanji from defending her. “I said you suck, Zoro. I am pretty sure
you have the emotional range of a teaspoon so if Sanji does something nice for you - you better
thank him!”

Zoro’s jaw fell slack but he understood Nami’s words. “Yeah, whatever.”

“Awwwww!” Nami suddenly squealed and yanked both Zoro and Sanji by their necks and pulled
them in for a tight hug. The boy’s cheeks were mushed against her soft breasts. “My big brothers
are so cyuuuuute together!”

Sanji’s nose began to dribble a small line of blood and his tongue lolled out. “Yeahhh, cuute,” he
said in a daydream and made to grab at Nami’s chest with a greedy hand. Zoro bared his teeth and
gripped Sanji’s wrist to stop him.

Sanji broke from his horny daze at the sight of Zoro’s angry face. It was then Nami let up on them
and patted their shoulders. She bid them both goodnight and left. At some point in that short
amount of time, Franky and Usopp had shuffled away, as well.

Zoro sat back against the bar with a lazy sigh. Sanji looked at him and asked, “What was that
about?”
Closing his eye, Zoro’s mouth twitched before he spoke. “Didn’t she just get done sayin not to ogle
over every damn dame you see? Pretty sure that means her, too, you fuckin pervy dick.”

Sanji’s eyes widened with surprise by the venom in Zoro’s voice. “Did that upset you?”

Zoro turned his face away so Sanji couldn’t see how annoyed he was. “No.”

“It did, didn’t it?”

“No.”

“Zoro,” Sanji warned and grabbed the man’s chin to force him to look at him. “You’re lying.”
Zoro kept his eye looking at anything other than Sanji. “Iz da ma-we-mo upset cuz I won’t ogle at
him like dat, too?” Sanji teased, shaking Zoro’s head gently in his hold.

“Quit that!” Zoro said and slapped Sanji’s hand away. He stood and started gathering the empty
platters that held only leftover crumbs. “M’not jealous. You just need to respect Nams and Robin
more.”

Zoro passed by Sanji into the kitchen to add the new dishes to the dirty ones from his and Sanji’s
dinner earlier. He started to organize them onto one side so he could fill the sink with water. Sanji
came up behind him and jingled his earrings. When Zoro didn’t react, Sanji sighed and rested his
chin over Zoro’s shoulder, feeling his hot skin. “Not even a little jealous?” he pouted. The quiet
sound of flowing water filled the silence. Sanji hesitantly brought his hands up to Zoro’s trimmed
waist, and after no objection, he slid his arms around him the rest of the way to hold onto him as
he’d always wanted to do. There was a soft chuckle from the green-haired man.

Zoro didn’t answer right away. The two stayed like that while Zoro washed the dishes and set them
in the drying rack. Only once he was done and dried his hands off did he turn around to face Sanji.

“Tell me how this...this ‘relationship’ could work if I ever got jealous of you gawking at the first
sight of tits? Hmm?” Sanji let go and backed away. “It wouldn’t work. At all. And plus, I kinda
like seeing you like that,” Zoro said with a teasing undertone.

“Hah?” Sanji said, confused about what the other meant. “You like seeing me fawn over the
ladies?” The blonde put his hands in the pockets of his sleep shorts and played with the lighter and
pack of cigarettes. It was such a weird statement and it didn’t quite make any sense. Why would
that be something Zoro liked to see?

“Two reasons,” Zoro said with a yawn. “One,” he started and lazily stretched his arms to the
ceiling, giving Sanji a full view of his perfectly sculpted body that he worked very hard on every
day to maintain. As he stretched high, fingers almost touching the ceiling, his stomach flattened
causing the ratty sweatpants to sink even lower on his hips. Sanji’s eyes drank in the image before
him. “You gawk at me, too. Just without all the frilly words and heart-eyes.”

Sanji snapped his jaw closed with embarrassment and could feel his cheeks heating up. He was
caught red-handed, falling right into Zoro’s little trap. The sexiest trap…

“And two, it’s funny to watch cause nothing ever happens no matter how hard you try.”

“Hah?!” Sanji shrieked, offended to hear such a thing.

“Yup,” Zoro confirmed. “Just screams virgin.” Zoro’s grin was evil. He meant it.

There wasn’t anything to bite back with. “N-no, you can’t know that!” Sanji argued. “It doesn’t
matter if they reject me, that can’t mean only one thing!” Zoro was making a face of ‘uh-huh,
sure,’ and that made Sanji feel even more embarrassed. “That doesn’t mean I’ve been rejected by
every woman, you asshole! You haven’t been there every moment of my life!”

Tan fingers ran through short, green hair. After a heart-wrenching, lop-sided smile from Zoro, he
covered his face and laughed. Sanji gave him a swift kick in the ribs making him wince, still sore
from their earlier scuffle.

“So you’re saying you’re not a virgin?” Zoro asked skeptically after he managed to stop laughing,
an eyebrow raised high.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying!”

Again, this made Zoro laugh. He shook his head as he walked away. Halfway through the doorway
to step out into the cool night air, Sanji sent another kick his way, making Zoro stumble forward.
“Oi, will you quit doin that?!”

“Why are you laughing?!” Sanji shrieked, face beet red.

“Cause I don’t believe you!”

Shocked, Sanji set his readied foot down and looked to his partner. “Wha- why not?!”

Realizing Sanji wouldn’t let this damn charade drop, Zoro crossed his arms and jut a hip out.
“Alright, alright. Fine, so you fucked someone, huh? Man or woman?”

Without hesitating, Sanji blurted, “Woman!”

Zoro scoffed. “So your first time was with a dame…” Zoro said and closed the gap between the
two. Sanji wanted to back up because Zoro was too confident but there was no way he’d give in.
“Bet she was real pretty. What was her name, then?” he asked with a devious smile.

Sighing in relief to the easiest question he could have been asked, Sanji waved him away and said,
“It was in the heat of the moment, we didn’t exchange many words.”

“Exactly. Liar. Yer still a virgin.”

“What?!” Sanji yelled. The two of them whipped their heads towards the sleeping quarters to
check if the argument woke anyone. After a few moments confirming everyone was still asleep,
Sanji looked back to Zoro and poked him hard in the chest as he spoke. “I’m not a fucking virgin,
dammit! I had sex with a woman!”

It was obvious Sanji had forgotten how much Zoro knew him. Even if they had never come
together like this, the argument would still stand. Sanji was forgetting one major factor to back up
this supposed story: he was a gentleman. “Oh yeah?” Zoro asked and grabbed Sanji’s wrist to cease
his poking. The blonde stiffened when Zoro rubbed his nose against the soft tissue of the underside
of Sanji’s wrist, planting slow, soft kisses while keeping eye contact. Sanji let out a small gasp
when Zoro pulled them together and started attaching his mouth to the milky-white skin of the
other’s neck.

Sanji shivered at the feeling of Zoro slowly and sensually making his way up to his neck, to his
jaw, and then their lips connected for a deep kiss. It was hard not to melt into Zoro’s touch. He let
his shoulders sag and gently placed his hands over Zoro’s cheeks to return the embrace. The
swordsman was being careful with him, gentle even.
Eventually, Zoro pulled away and Sanji loved how his lips were shiny with his saliva, but there
was something else behind the man’s steely gaze that let the blonde know this discussion wasn’t
over yet.

“The romantic in you would never have gone that far without asking for her name first,” Zoro said
quietly with a sickening grin that oozed ‘I won, I won!’

“I - I…”

“So it was either with a man or you’re still a virgin. Which is it, Sanji?” Zoro said.

Fuck, Sanji thought. He was cornered. The grass-for-brains used his head for once and now he
knows. Especially since I can’t even give a reply. He’s just staring at me with that shit-eating grin
and I probably have a stupid surprised look on my face giving me away. The blonde sighed and
pushed Zoro away, breaking the intense eye contact. “Fine, I’m a virgin. Are you happy now that
you’ve fucking emasculated me?” Sanji felt like dying right there on the spot, humiliated that he
was twenty-one years old and still hadn’t had sex, despite what he tried to project.

Instead of making fun of him, Zoro’s aura became more severe. “That doesn’t make you any less
of a man,” he said seriously. The swordsman knew Sanji would take this the wrong way. He was
feeling more and more sleepy the longer they talked but he couldn’t leave the conversation like
this, especially after Sanji said he felt emasculated! “I don’t think any less of you. I only pried
cause you asked if I was jealous, which I’m not. Not really.”

Sanji returned to look at Zoro with skepticism in his eyes. “‘Not really’?”

“Yeah,” Zoro said and grabbed Sanji by the waist. “It don’t bother me that you drool over girls. As
long as you’re mine, I don’t care where you look. And I don’t care that you never done anything
with anyone, neither. Means your first experience is gonna be with me.”

At the same time, both of their faces lit up with embarrassment, Zoro’s words a surprise to both of
them. Zoro quickly let go of Sanji and started to cough, whether it was genuine or a cover-up didn’t
matter because Sanji was inspecting the mainmast behind the swordsman, taking a particular
interest in it suddenly.

Zoro cleared his throat and scratched at the back of his head awkwardly. “We should, uh, go to
bed. Nami said we gotta leave early to avoid the storm.”

“Right.”

The two pirates snuck into the bunk room hoping they could avoid waking their crewmates. Zoro
flung his sweats somewhere across the room and gently crawled into his wooden hammock to not
stir his captain above. Sanji undressed between their bunks and before he could sit, Zoro grabbed
his hand.

It was too dark to see anything, the moon hidden behind angry, grey clouds, but Sanji knew Zoro
was looking his way. “Hm?” he asked, wondering what the marimo wanted. They’d only get a few
hours to sleep at this point, Sanji even less because he needed to make everyone breakfast. A few
tugs let him know Zoro wanted him to lean down. “What is it?” he whispered, blinking in the dark
to get his eyes to focus.

“Sleep here,” Zoro said just as quietly. Sanji stiffened at the suggestion. “Please?” he asked and
gave another tug on Sanji’s wrist.

The faint snores and gentle whirring from Franky’s mechanical body filled the space as Sanji
debated in his head. He wanted nothing more than to sleep with Zoro but still felt shy, especially
after the suggestion... the suggestion we’d go all the way together, Sanji thought, feeling the
embarrassment from earlier all over again. But he’d be lying if this wasn’t something he’d always
wanted since day one.

“Okay.”

___

“WHERE THE HELL IS ZORO?!?!” Nami screamed over the roaring wind. It tore through her
long hair and tangled over her face, obscuring her view. With practiced hands, she threw her hair
back in a tight bun until they were on calmer waters. “He knew we had to leave early, dammit!”
“Ow!” Usopp squawked. “Why’d you hit me when it’s Zoro you’re mad at?!” The sniper rubbed
his head where he could already feel a bump forming. He was only walking by as an innocent
bystander!

Sanji looked out over the port and onto the shore where the city lay in the distance. It was hardly
visible in this weather, masked by a grey overlay. If he squinted hard enough, he could see past the
zillions of raindrops and under the clouds sat Amaryllis, still asleep in the early morning storm.

Lightning flashed overhead, followed by an ear-splitting boom that rumbled deep in Sanji’s chest,
shaking Sunny in the waters. Usopp and Chopper started to cry, begging for Nami to set sail
without the swordsman because he clearly didn’t want to be with them anymore. Next to Sanji,
Robin looked out towards the city as well.

The ship was ready to go the moment the idiot-marimo got back. Things have been tied down, the
sails were up, and the cola was shaken, ready to explode. The waves only grew the longer they
stayed in port.

Where is he? Sanji thought. He didn’t say anything to me before leaving. Would he do that? Are
we at that point where we tell each other where we’re going now? Breaking his inner worry, Robin
placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her.

Dark hair whipping around her head and water pouring her face, Robin was smiling. Her eyes were
scrunched shut and she wore a tight, close-mouthed smile. “He’s coming back. He just takes a
while, remember?” she said loud enough over the rain so Sanji could hear her.

“Do you know where he went?” Sanji asked. The rain came down even harder now, pelting his
face with greater intensity. It was beginning to hurt. He frowned. Damn idiot! Get back
here...You’re worrying me.

“Oh yes,” Robin said and gave Sanji a ruffle on the head. As she turned to leave, she said over her
shoulder, barely audible over the storm, “I’m the one who sent him out.”

___

Earlier that morning….

A tuft of blonde hair tickled Zoro’s face as he breathed in. He wiggled his nose and scrunched his
face to move it but no luck. After another inhale and the hair came with it, Zoro opened his eye to
glare at Sanji’s head.

That was the plan, anyway. When Zoro looked down and saw how perfect Sanji looked curled
against him, he lost all irritation. A tight feeling within his chest made his breath hitch, giving him
the sudden urge to touch. So he did. Zoro lifted an arm out from under his head and raked his
fingers through Sanji’s soft hair. A wave of that minty shampoo hit him hard and he instantly felt
that drunken sensation overtake him. He relished in the feeling this time, though, rather than try
and break himself out of the trance.

Zoro lightly ran the pads of his fingers over Sanji’s face. He traced a finger over his curly eyebrow
and when he reached his fallen bangs, he brushed them aside to sit behind his ear. Part of Sanji’s
face was mushed against Zoro’s chest making him look silly. Zoro smiled and tried not to laugh in
case he woke the blonde.

Sanji’s hand lay close to his face as he fell asleep tracing over Zoro’s scar just as he used to do
when he was a little kid. Damn idiot always liked touching it, Zoro thought, reminiscing on the not-
so-distant memory of Sanji as a child. The thought of the younger blonde made Zoro’s chest
tighten again. He couldn’t believe it was possible to have lost those memories forever.

Chopper had told him there was a great chance he’d never recover the things he had lost. The mind
is a mystery and Chopper didn’t want to leave Zoro hopeful in case the worst happened. What
would he do if he never got to know a certain seven-year-old boy? A boy who he would have
thrown his dream away for to give him the life he deserved.

Zoro looked up at the bottom of Luffy’s bunk, still dark around him as the rising sun did little to
light the room behind thick rain clouds. That proposal that his captain denied him...his proposal to
raise Sanji... what if he didn’t deny me? What if instead of this Sanji laying on me right now...what
if that dorky little kid was right here instead?

When Usopp had told Zoro how he got the scar on his forehead and lip when he still didn’t have
his memories, Zoro couldn’t believe he had said such a thing. I remember being so annoyed with
Usoppu because it seemed like he was lying to me, just making up another one of his stories. But
now that I know the truth and remember those experiences...I’d sacrifice my dream a thousand
times in a thousand lives if there was even one chance to give Sanji a better childhood.

Wincing, Zoro remembered raising his hand to run his fingers through his green hair in frustration
and the little boy had flinched away from him. It made him sick to think of the possibilities that
had caused Sanji to react that way. Relieved Sanji made it through his shit childhood and back to
them, Zoro squeezed Sanji tighter to him and pressed his face into his hair. The heavy feeling in
his chest turned from happiness to guilt even though that time had long ago passed. The man he
held now was nothing like that little boy. Whoever his enemy was then, Sanji was a thousand
times stronger than them now.

Plus, Sanji had him as an ally.

It still stands, Zoro thought before drifting back to sleep. If I ever meet the people who hurt him,
I’ll kill them all.

___

Zoro woke with a start, a loud crack of thunder jolting him awake. Blinking the sleep away from
his eyes, Zoro looked around the room. It was empty. Must be breakfast time, then. I’ll wait for a
few more minutes…

Something slapped him over the face. “What the?!” Zoro said and looked around again. He
couldn’t feel anyone in the room with him but he was sure something hit him...

Another slap to the face but this time Zoro saw it! A pale hand extending from Luffy’s bunk above
him waited until he registered what was going on. Once he realized it was Robin, he looked around
again for another sign of her. On the floor closest to the door was a second hand. This one was
beckoning for him to follow. He groaned. Nothing ever good came from following her creepy
hand-trails.

Sitting up and rubbing his eyes with his palms, Zoro pulled on his jeans and slid into his boots. The
hand snapped its fingers with impatience and Zoro rolled his one good eye at it. Hanging over the
back of a chair, Zoro grabbed his trench coat and swung it over his broad shoulders. Grabbing all
three swords in a fistful, Robin’s devil-fruit hand had multiplied and they all started tugging on his
coat to move. “Alright, alright, I’m going!” he said, unsure if Robin could hear him or not. On the
way out, he hurriedly snatched up his sash and haramaki as he passed them by.

The hands dragged him into the aquarium room. It was just last night that he was in here with Sanji
straddled over him, buck-ass naked, jerking off the both of them. He shuddered and tried to push
that arousing thought away as he was approaching Robin.

“The hell do you want, Witch Number Two?” Zoro asked sleepily. He set his swords down on the
table in the middle of the room and stepped into his haramaki and as he pulled it over his waist, he
looked up to see Robin staring at his middle. “What?”

“What happened there?” She asked, genuinely concerned. Zoro was slightly surprised to hear such
severity from her so early in the morning, especially since he didn’t know what she was talking
about.

Looking down to where Robin was now pointing, Zoro opened his coat and saw the sides of his
ribs were dark purple. He scoffed under his breath, damning the swirly-brow’d idiot. “Cook
wrapped his legs around me, is all,” Zoro sighed and continued situating the band so it felt right.
He could feel the weight of Robin staring at him as he tied his sash tight and placed his swords in a
looped knot. “What?!” he snapped.

“Cook-san had...his legs wrapped around you already?” Robin asked slowly.

“What do you mean ‘already’? He always does tha -haaatttt- THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT!”
Zoro shouted and slapped his hands over his face to cover his embarrassment. “I meant me’n the
cook got into a scuffle and he fuckin pinned me! It’s why there're bruises, dammit! Are you
listening?!” Zoro asked when he saw Robin stifling her laughter. “That’s not what I meant!”

“I believe you, Swordsman-san. But, that is precisely what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Zoro looked anywhere but at the brunette. He already felt awkward without her creepy stare on
him, but her eyes bore a hole into the side of his head. Another crack of thunder sounded above
them. Light rain could be heard pelting the deck outside.

“Well? Spit it out.”

___

The waves crashed over Sunny, swallowing her deck up and attempted to wash anything away that
wasn’t tied down. Most of the Straw Hats waited in the galley until Zoro returned. Franky quietly
cursed the damn swordsman each time the ship thunked into the docks. Nami loudly cursed the
damn swordsman because he knew damn well they were supposed to leave early in the morning
yet he wandered off by himself.

While everyone else stayed out from under the pelting rain and tried to warm themselves under a
blanket until they had to leave, Luffy and Sanji waited on Sunny’s head for Zoro’s return. Each
separately debated whether or not they should go into town and look for him, seeing as how it
wasn’t that big of a place, but for all they knew, the idiot could be on the other side of the damn
island!

“There! Just there!” Luffy yelled out, pointing to a hill in the distance. A speck of green was
running towards them. With a laugh, Luffy threw a rubbery hand back as far as it would stretch
then launched it forward. Sanji assumed Zoro must have either grabbed ahold of Luffy’s hand or
he was yanked by his jacket because Luffy gave a loud “Yoshi!” and his body flung backward to
pull the marimo in.

In a split second, Zoro arrived, crashing into the railings behind them. Righting himself and
rubbing the side of his head where his new scar was, he turned to his captain and gave a deep bow.
“M’sorry. It shouldn’t have taken this long, I tooka wrong turn and-”

“SHIT-HEAD!” Sanji screeched, arching a flaming foot down onto Zoro’s back. “Let’s go!”

“Namiiiii!” Luffy sing-songed, signaling his navigator to get this ship on the open seas. The
kitchen door burst open and after seeing Zoro was accounted for, the Straw Hats pulled out the ores
to push away from the dock and manually get them out far enough until they could Coup de Burst
the hell out of there.

___

The ocean was calmer but the rain didn’t let up. Occasionally, lightning would flash and light the
sky up for as far as you could see, but no thunder for miles. For now, Nami had suggested they
stay where they were and let the sea take them where it wanted until the storm had completely
passed them by. The air didn’t feel right to her. Knowing the New World was full of surprises, she
wanted to play it safe. They had already lost so much time in the race for the One Piece waiting for
Zoro to recover.

Chopper and Usopp had passed out in Usopp’s bunk together. The sharpshooter snuggled the small
reindeer close to him for warmth as the rain had tremendously cooled the air around them. They
were surrounded by laughter as Franky, Brook, and Luffy played cards on the floor not too far off.
Zoro and Sanji sat on the couch watching the others.

Falling in and out of sleep, Zoro had his arms crossed over his chest with his head leaned over the
back of the couch. His mouth hung open while light snores escaped. If there was a loud burst of
laughter or a whoop from a winner, Zoro startled awake with a snort, looked around, pretended to
be paying attention, then dozed back off.

Next to him, Sanji had an ankle crossed over his knee while he reread a book. The story consisted
of awesome samurai battles, fluidly written that even Sanji could appreciate, despite their
differences in fighting styles. Secretly, he was rereading it because he wanted to better learn the
katana verbiage.

Despite how interesting the book was even on its second read, Sanji couldn’t stop thinking about
the reason Zoro had gone into town without a word to the crew, especially after Robin had told him
she deliberately sent him out there knowing damn well he wouldn’t be able to make it back in time
by himself. The next time Zoro sputtered awake, Sanji elbowed him to keep him from falling back
asleep. A grunt was all he got in reply. “Hey,” the blonde whispered.

“Mm?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving this morning? I’d have gone with you.” Sanji placed his
bookmark on the current page and closed the book, setting it on the cushion next to him. He was
torn between being irritated about Zoro holding the crew up and curious for what he’d go after for
so willingly just because Robin had simply asked him. Surely it was something important, right?

Zoro groaned. “You were busy cleanin up after breakfast. I didn’t have time to wait,” he said with a
shrug. Before Sanji could ask another question, Zoro began snoring again. Another elbow jab.
“Oi!”

“I’m trying to talk to you!”

“Whadya want! I answered you!” Zoro said and tightened his arms over his chest with a huff.

“What did you go do?” Sanji asked, turning to face the scarred man. If he wasn’t so attuned to
Zoro’s reactions and emotions, he’d never have caught the slight stiffening in his body, the flex of
his jaw grinding together. “Zoro…” Sanji warned.

The swordsman opened his eye and looked down at the others playing their game. Luffy was
wrapped in a blanket with only his head popping out. Franky had on a sweater but still no pants
because that made total sense. Brook was in a long, white nightgown making him look like the old
man he really was. Zoro sighed. “Can we talk about it later?”

Sanji clicked his tongue. “Seriously? Like later tonight or tomorrow or when?!”

“After this storm has fully blown over.”

___

The storm didn’t blow over for another three miserable, grey days. Though, Sanji didn’t wait until
the third day. By day two, he was ready to pry it out of the swordsman with his precious, bare
hands if he had to!

From that night until two days later, Sanji and Zoro fought constantly. Nothing had changed
between them whatsoever in that aspect of their relationship, at least. At the drop of a fork, the two
were at each other’s throat, barking in each other's face. They roughhoused until Nami swung her
fists over their heads for them to stop. It was too cramped inside the Sunny for them to be doing
that type of shit and she had had enough of their bickering.

“Go outside in the rain if you want to kill each other! Or the Crow’s Nest where you’re supposed to
spar! Idiots!” Nami spat after giving them another whack over the head for good measure.

The two settled back into their seats at the kitchen table, mumbling and grumbling while Franky
served another round of cards across the table for their fifteenth game of Black Jack. Of course,
Nami won every single round and the Straw Hat’s debt grew exponentially, but at least the ship’s
navigator was having fun, right?

Opposite him, Sanji watched Zoro try to understand the rules of the game. His brows knit close
together and sometimes he chewed on his lip in frustration. Sanji smiled and extended his leg out
to set his foot next to Zoro’s boot. As if nothing had happened, Zoro groaned with a ‘Surrender’
for his cards and flopped his cheek in his hand, shooting a glare at Nami. But under the table, Zoro
gently rubbed his leg against his.

Yeah, nothing has changed between us...except this. This wonderful feeling of reciprocated love
and affection, surrounded by my family who fully supports us. This is worth all the pain and
suffering from so long ago. This is a life worth living.

___

“I can’t take another round of this, goddammit!” Zoro shouted, throwing his cards in the air.
“We’ve been playing for three and a half hours and I’ve quadrupled my debt!”

The table erupted into a roarous laughter because it was true, just about all of them were up to their
eyeballs in debt to Nami. The swordsman snatched up his katanas and stomped out of the galley
into the pouring rain.

Zoro growled under his breath because the weather better make up its damn mind of what it wants
to do! Rain, stop, rain, stop, light, heavy, light, heavy, fuck, fuck, fuck! So sick of looking at grey
skies!

Slamming the hatch to the Crow’s Nest, the sound of the rain outside muffled and was soon pushed
to the back of Zoro’s mind as he focused on training. At least there was that, there was always that.
Or even another long session of meditation would do his body well. It would calm him after that
stressful ‘game’ Nami dragged them into.

He didn’t even want to play to begin with! Zoro said he’d rather take a nap or clean his swords or
jump off the side of the boat than play a game, with real berries, against Nami. But
n0o0o0o0o0oo, Sanji and Luffy tagged teamed to convince him to stay. Idiots! They’re both idiots!
I’m so fucked now, I owe so goddamn much!

Zoro took a deep breath in, held it, then slowly let it out. Yeah, he needed to meditate. If he worked
out in his current state, he’d end up throwing a dumbbell through a fucking window. As tempting
as that sounded right now, he didn’t think Franky or Usopp would be too happy with him. And if
he damaged the ship, Nami would probably charge him even more, so that’s not an option.

Setting his katanas on the bench, Zoro began untying his sash. He was just about to rip his trench
coat off and toss it across his swords when he remembered the purchase he had made the other
day. Suddenly, the small object felt very heavy in his coat, weighing against his thigh. Zoro looked
around as if someone could see him up here and directly into his pocket, knowing exactly what he
was up to.

With a groan and a grimace and a sigh, Zoro eased out of his coat as if it could shatter and folded
it in a way so the object wouldn’t fall out. That was the last thing he needed. He then slid out of his
pants and boots to put his workout sweats on. Zoro wrinkled his nose and bent down halfway to
meet a raised knee. Sniff, sniff. After this session, these pants definitely needed a good wash. They
were stinky even for Zoro. He wondered if Luffy would think they were stinky. The prissy blonde
would definitely think they were too stinky.
Sanji.

Zoro glanced over at his trench and swallowed back the lump that was rising in his throat. There
weren’t many things in the New World that scared Zoro. Not even the possibility of losing his
other eye scared him, blindness wouldn’t ever stop him from slicing Mihawk in half. Losing
nakama was just about the only thing he truly feared.

Until Robin approached him two days ago.

___

In the hopes of Zoro calming down and rejoining everyone, Sanji had let him have his little
tantrum by himself. As the hours ticked by and the day turned to night, Sanji decided the idiot
marimo wasn’t coming back down, at least not on his own accord.

Wrapping a towel over his shoulders and head, Sanji stepped into the pouring rain. The rain carried
him sideways a few feet before he managed to regain his balance and head up to the Crow’s Nest
where he could feel Zoro’s calm aura. When he popped his head through the hatch, he expected to
see the brute with an impossibly large weight in his hands or pushing himself up and down for his
millionth pushup. Instead, Zoro sat in the middle of the room with his legs crossed over each other
and was perfectly still. Meditating again, huh? Sanji thought and climbed the rest of the way into
the room without disturbing the other. He shook the towel out as it did little to prevent him from
becoming soaked. The air felt slightly muggy from the windows being closed and the rainy
atmosphere. Little beads of sweat trickled down Zoro’s temples. Sanji wondered if Zoro knew he
was in here and chose to ignore him.

“You about done with that?” Sanji asked. When there was no response, he concluded Zoro was too
deep within his mind to realize he had company. The first reaction he had was to give Zoro a good
kick in the head and send him flying to the other side of the room. Not entirely feeling a fight since
he was drenched to the bone, Sanji instead sat in front of Zoro, mirroring his position.

Even though he had already decided against using violence, Sanji couldn’t help but feel annoyed
that Zoro still hadn’t felt his presence. Maybe a kick to the skull was a good idea.

With that evil intention seeping from Sanji’s mind, Zoro reached out to grab ahold of Sanji’s throat,
quick as the lightning that surrounded the ship. When he opened his eye, he loosened his hold and
softly ran his thumb up and down. “Sorry. Felt hostility.”

Once the initial shock of suddenly being grabbed with a death grip wore off, Sanji smiled. “Idiot,”
he said with no real bite. “How are you feeling? Any better than earlier?”

“Yeah, meditating helped.”

“You gonna talk to me now or am I going to have to crush your ribs again?”

Zoro stiffened at the reminder of the bruises littering his sides. Robin had thought they appeared
because they... because they…

“That a ‘yes’?” Sanji asked, pushing Zoro’s hand off him. “I don’t see what the big deal is, just tell
me.”
Subconsciously, Zoro glanced over to his jacket, then trailed over to the windows to see the
weather outside. “Said I’d tell you when it stopped raining, didn’t I?” he said, hoping the swirly-
brow would leave it be.

Sanji huffed. “Who knows when it will let up, Zoro! Just spit it out, dammit!” he shouted and
leaned forward into Zoro’s face.

Swallowing hurt because Zoro’s mouth had gone dry. “I can’t tell you,” he said weakly. Sanji
noticed how the swordsman wouldn’t keep eye contact with him. “I mean, I can, I just can’t.”

“The hell does that mean?” Sanji spat and pushed Zoro’s shoulder. “And what the hell do you keep
looking at?!” Sanji looked over to the bench to see if anything was there but only Zoro’s katanas
and day clothes were visible. Zoro whipped his head back and said ‘nothing!’ which meant he was
obviously looking at something. “Will you at least stop avoiding me? I can tell there has been
something on your mind. You know, whether you realize it or not, when you act funny it makes
me act funny. You’re...not making me feel very confident.”

Zoro wasn’t the type of man to lie or fake his feelings to make someone feel better, especially with
Sanji. The chef couldn’t help but feel smaller and smaller, though, the longer Zoro held onto this
weird secret of his. He knew he should be thankful for whatever he was given, consider himself
lucky he had been given this much happiness. But what is he hiding?

“It’s not anything bad!” Zoro quickly said. “I’m just...embarrassed, is all,” he admitted sheepishly.
He scratched at the back of his head and Sanji could feel how awkward Zoro was being and saw
how, again, his eye glanced to the side towards the bench.

There was an easy way to find out what the hell was going on and it was to play a guessing game.
Sanji abruptly stood and walked over to Zoro’s things. About a foot away from his destination,
Zoro had tackled him to prevent him from going any further. This, of course, caused Sanji to
explode in anger because now he knew for sure there was something in the pile of stuff that Zoro
didn't want him to see! The two wrestled each other, Zoro trying to pull Sanji away from the
benches and Sanji reaching for whatever he could grab.

Zoro had wrapped his arms around Sanji’s middle and suplexed him into the floor mats. Sanji’s
neck folded as he hit, causing him to groan. He followed up with a knee to Zoro’s gut when the
man tried pinning him down. “What is your problem?! What’s over there?!”

“Nothing! Leave it alone!” Zoro desperately cried out.

Sanji found himself still trapped under Zoro’s weight, even after the blow to the stomach. Zoro was
a damn muscle machine! Sanji took advantage of his legs being available and grabbed his around
the waist, ensnaring him once again in a trap Zoro so easily fell for. He locked his ankles together
and gave a harsh squeeze. Zoro immediately went slack over him as his ribs were still sore and
sensitive from the first time. “Tell me what you’re hiding, Zoro!”

“I’m not...,” Zoro wheezed, panting heavily. “I’m not good at this.”

“Good at what!” Sanji shouted and tightened his hold. Zoro threw his head back and winced with
pain. Sanji loosened up a fraction amount to let Zoro speak.

“Relationship stuff!”

Cocking his head, Sanji wondered what that had to do with anything. It brought back the anxious
feeling he had a moment ago, suddenly feeling small again because what did that mean? Zoro’s not
 telling him something and it’s because he’s not good at relationships? Did he change his mind
about me? “What do you mean?! What does that mean?!” Sanji asked hysterically. Without
realizing it, he had begun to crush Zoro with a force that rendered the swordsman unable to scream
out. Only when he felt a sharp pain did he realize he was hurting Zoro so much. Tanned fingers
were digging into his shoulders as there was nothing else Zoro could do in this situation. Sanji let
up and Zoro collapsed over him.

Zoro gasped for air after being released. His hot breath fanned across Sanji’s neck while the blonde
waited for him to recover. Eventually, Zoro lifted himself to look down at him. “It means…,” Zoro
started, still wincing in either pain or more embarrassment. Sanji figured it was both with the way
he frantically kept looking between blue eyes and his belongings on the bench. “I’m inexperienced
and don’t know what the next steps I should be taking with you are.”

Hearing Zoro recognize some sort of flaw in himself was already quite baffling to Sanji, but
knowing it was about the two of them in this new relationship they had going made Sanji feel like
there were dozens of butterflies fluttering their wings inside his stomach. “W-what?” he whispered.
Zoro’s eye finally came back from where it was looking to meet his intense gaze again.
“Zoro...what is over there that you keep looking at?”

For a moment, it looked as if Zoro didn’t plan on telling him anything yet again. But after a good,
long sigh, he admitted, “I bought something for us.”

“And what did you buy for us?” Sanji asked, inspecting Zoro's reddened face.

“Lube.”

“...Oh.”

Chapter End Notes

I thought of this picture while writing the "crushing Zoro's ribs" scenes. Obviously less
playful
https://dreamxxdream.tumblr.com/post/158030138597

dreamxxdream is one of my favorite ZoSan artists! One of the many...

 Always Got Your Back
Chapter Summary

I thought I'd give Zoro a nice fight since he hasn't had any action since his coma. And
action he gets >:3

Chapter Notes

Dang, I'm back with my longest chapter ever with 18K+ words - das crazy

ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo! (pssst, she's open for

commissions!)

TW: Violence with blood, violence with fire, & child abuse.

“Lube.”

“Oh,” Sanji said. That wasn’t a big deal. It’s not like Zoro could keep breaking up with him in his
coat pocket, or a written confession to another person, or a middle finger with a laughing ‘surprise!
I was joking the whole time!’ in there . No, none of that. So why make a fuss about a little bottle of
- “Oooh,” Sanji repeats as he stares up at the marimo. He looks uncomfortable. “Oh, I see. You,
uh, bought that...for us, you said?”

Zoro goes red and Sanji would normally take this opportunity to poke fun at his rival, but he can’t
seem to muster up the courage to do so. He feels the tips of his ears burn and his chest gets tight
with heat. Zoro clears his throat, nods, and rolls off him to lay at his side. Both arms are sprawled
out, one laying over Sanji’s chest. Together they look up at the ceiling of the Crow’s Nest.

For the most part, the silence was awkward. The unspoken deed hung over them both, heavier than
they could handle. Zoro spoke first. He sat himself up on his side and propped his head up with a
bent elbow while his other hand covered his face, muffling his voice. “Look, I don’t want to go too
fast with you if you’re not up for it. I just figured we’ve known each other for a while and-”

“It’s not too fast,” Sanji interrupted. Zoro moved his fingers to see between them, staring at the
blonde. “It’s not too fast.”

“Pfft, see? Yer such a hornball,” Zoro laughed and let his hand fall. Sanji squawked and smacked
Zoro in the chest with the back of his hand. “What? Am I wrong? Why else would you think our
pace was fine?”

Sitting up, Sanji scowled. “You said it yourself! We’ve known each other for two and a half years
now. We’re both consenting adults. I’d like to think we can make that private decision on our own,
not letting any outside opinions influence us.” A cigarette was produced and lit up. Sanji took a
deep inhale in, held it for a beat, then let it out into the air above them. “Plus, you’re hot as hell. Of
course I want to go all the way.” What Zoro didn’t have to know is I’ve been dying to do this since
I was seventeen, Sanji thought to himself. His Wanted poster rapidly taped to the wall of my room
so I could think of him with every gasping breath. The fantasy images have gone on long enough.
I’m finally going to be able to do it for real with him. I’ve only gotten a small taste of it in the
Aquarium Room...

Zoro returned his gaze to the ceiling after flopping onto his back. “Alright.”

“Alright, then.”

“Makes sense.”

“Makes perfect sense.”

“Still a hornball.”

“Still a horn-” Sanji stopped short and sighed. “Whatever.” I guess he isn’t wrong. The cigarette
was already smoked halfway down, the blonde’s nerves getting the better of him. He hoped the cig
would have calmed his spiking heart rate but apparently, it had a mind of its own tonight. Blue eyes
glanced down at the swordsman who now had his arms crossed under his head and his eye closed.
“So, uhm...Did you...you know, have a plan for that?” he asked. It was one thing to talk about the
possibility of sex, or to get supplies for it, but did Zoro think all of it through?

Shrugging, Zoro made an ‘I dunno’ noise and left it at that. The First Mate was a simple man.
Either he did or he didn’t, no matter the subject, that was that. Intimacy would be no different.
With another sigh, Sanji blew the last breath of smoke towards Zoro’s face to rile him up. “Did
you want to do it now?” he asked, probably too hopeful for his own good.

A grey eye looked at him. The swordsman didn’t react to the smoke or mention of sex, only stared
as if he were weighing the decision in his head. “No,” he said flatly.

The answer was short and cold. Even though that was Zoro’s true personality, nothing personal
attached to his decision, it still hurt. Sanji shrugged to keep it casual and intended on standing up
and leaving but the pouring rain outside made him stay put and ask a question he didn’t think he
entirely wanted to hear the answer to. “Why not?” he asked quietly. It wasn’t that he was so ready
he couldn’t possibly wait another second without jumping Zoro’s bones, it was more along the
lines of why wasn’t Zoro willing to do it if he had just told him he bought supplies for them to do
so?

Sitting up, Zoro pulled a knee to his chest and rested his arm over it. The other pointed at the chef
as he spoke. “Just because you don't think it’s too fast, don’t mean I’m ready to do it, too!” he said,
cheeks tinting pink. “I only got that shit cause I didn’t know how long we’d be at sea and I’d...well
I’d rather...you know. I’d rather be prepared in case…”

Watching the stoic muscle-head stumble over his words because talking about sex was hard for
him had Sanji wanting to tease him all the more, his earlier embarrassment long gone. “‘In case’
what, Marimo- kun? In case you can’t resist me?” Sanji’s sultry voice said. Zoro’s eye widened
when he saw Sanji start for him. The blonde crawled forward and into Zoro’s lap, grabbing his
shoulders and pushing him onto his back. “In case we’re in the heat of the moment again and you
wanna take it further with me?”

Zoro swallowed. This wasn’t a Sanji he was familiar with. The Sunny’s chef was someone he
knew better than anyone else, but this Sanji?! Where had this Sanji been hiding? This wasn’t the
dorky-spinning-on-his-heels Sanji who had hearts for eyes. This Sanji was suddenly too calm and
confident, a smirk and half-lidded eyes on his face.
This Sanji was hot. Zoro watched as the chef’s tongue slowly made its way past his lips to give
them a lick, leaving them shiny and wet. The wave of smoke had Zoro relapsing back to his
obsessive state, reeling him as tight as the line would go. The damn curly cook was right, though,
because Zoro wouldn’t be able to resist him, not with this newly found attraction that he gave into,
not with this newly cast spell put upon him, and certainly not with this newly confessed love he had
for this man.

Love. If Zoro loved Sanji, and Sanji loved Zoro, what did it matter if it was too soon or too late?
There wasn’t a rulebook on relationships dictating how they should be lived, so why was he trying
to hold out on the other?

“Fuck,” Zoro whined and pulled Sanji down to kiss him.

Sanji moaned when Zoro licked the inside of his mouth, and when their tongues slid over each
other, a shiver ran down his spine. Short nails scratched down Zoro’s arms, then back up again to
caress for more. It was then when Zoro flipped Sanji off him to reverse their positions. The two of
them rolled around on the mats, each trying to gain dominance over the other. There was hair-
pulling, lip biting, and tight grips around necks to achieve the upper hand.

They panted for air between kisses, hardly able to let up knowing they’d lose if they did. Sanji
pinned Zoro down with a knee pressed to his crotch, gaining a deep groan from him, then increased
the pressure with a sadistic smile.

Across the room, the hatch opened and large, brown eyes appeared over the floorboards. The two
were so preoccupied they didn’t notice until a whispering voice caught their attention. “Pssstttt.”
Both Sanji and Zoro’s heads whipped to the noise to see Luffy staring at them. Neither answered,
too embarrassed by getting caught in the almost-act. “Oh, were you wrestling?” he asked, standing
up straight and flinging the door open all the way to slam against the floor behind him. “I wanted
food but I wanna fight, too!”

___

On that third day, the storm let up and they were put back on course to the end of the world. The
Straw Hats were beyond tired from continuously retying things down, sewing and resewing holes
in the sails, and throwing various sea-creatures off the deck after they washed aboard. All of this
chaos resulted in the crew lazing about under the bright sun on a calm ocean.

The only two pirates who were actively doing something were Sanji, making small finger food for
everyone as always, and Usopp, who was rubbing suntan lotion onto the girl’s backs. The
sharpshooter may or may not have received a glare from the cook when he saw that going on, but
he knew if he wanted to stay on Nami’s and Zoro’s good side, he’d have to shape up his drooling.
Sanji sniffled at the loss. That could be him, you know...

The rest were on their backs, sprawled out on the soft grass. Little beads of sweat formed on their
temples and their chests were turning pink, but after those three, grueling days through that
impossible storm, no one cared to move at this point. Since the sail was taut and bringing them
onward, that’s all that mattered. A little sunburn never hurt anyone.

Zoro sleepily ran his fingers through Luffy’s sweat-soaked hair as he watched Sanji wait on
everyone. The captain’s head was leaned over Zoro’s stomach while his feet were propped against
Franky’s huge, round shoulder piece. Every so often, the swordsman would smile to himself when
he’d hear Luffy mumble about meat or being the Pirate King. The kid was never fully turned off,
was he?

The cook was no better, either. The man never took the time to relax as the rest of them did. There
was always something to be doing. Either marinating, peeling, canning, chopping, storing,
inventorying, sweeping, rinsing, and even concocting new recipes in his free time. All of that shit
instead of taking five damn minutes for himself to sit still. It was partially why Zoro wasn’t fully
capable of enjoying his nap.

“Oi, cook,” Zoro called out. Sanji stopped in his tracks on his way back to the kitchen and looked
over his shoulder. “C’mere.” The blonde rolled his eyes but obliged. He stood over Zoro, blocking
the sun from his face. When Zoro curled his finger at him, Sanji squatted. “When you gonna be
done?”

Looking from Zoro to Luffy then to the rest of the crew around them, Sanji sighed. “Not for a
while. I wanted to get started on - ow!” Sanji snapped his hand to the side of his head after Zoro
reached up to tug on a tuft of hair. “The fuck was that for?!”

“Shh, don’t wake him,” Zoro warned, his brows furrowed as he pointed to Luffy. “Help me
keep’em company.”

“I’m busy with - ow! Will you fuckin quit - OW!”

“Hmmnn?” Luffy mumbled and twisted over to his side to see what all the commotion was about.
“Hey, Sanji,” he said quietly with a growing grin.

Sanji gave an apologetic smile back and said, “Hey, Captain. How was your nap?” he asked. Since
he felt bad for waking him, especially after Zoro tried preventing him from doing so, he gave up on
his activities in the kitchen and flopped backward to lean against Franky’s shoulder. He pulled
Luffy’s feet into his lap and fingered a cigarette from his breast pocket, rolling it between his
fingers while the other hand loosened his tie.

“Mmm, s’good. Still tired, though. Sun’s warm,” Luffy mumbled and Sanji saw his eyelids
struggle to stay open. Zoro continued massaging his captain's scalp. It didn’t take long for him to
fall back asleep.

“Stay here,” Zoro said behind a closed eye. “Relax with us.”

A perfectly polished shoe pushed against Zoro’s cheek. “I’m not good at relaxing, baka. I get
jittery.”

“Smoke that, then,” Zoro said. Sanji looked at the cigarette and thought about it. He didn’t want to
interrupt Luffy’s and Franky’s nap by clouding up their breathing room with nicotine. Even though
it’s exactly what he’d need if he planned on sitting still for longer than a few minutes. “No one
cares. Just light it up.”

With a shrug, Sanji did so. The mild burn he felt in the back of his throat traveling down into his
lungs felt euphoric. It was much easier to let his mind wander to whatever instead of constantly
thinking of the next thing to do on his never-ending list. Sanji shifted his weight. Franky was not
an ideal pillow.

As if he could read his mind, Zoro lifted his hand from Luffy’s head and held it out. Sanji looked
to him for an answer but his eye was still closed. Then he gestured for Sanji and he got the idea.
The blonde sighed as he took his jacket off and laid next to Luffy over the swordsman. Luffy was
very warm and the heat radiating off Zoro was no better. The comfort, though, is what kept Sanji
still. He laid his head against Zoro’s chest and kicked his long legs up onto Franky. Zoro had
waited until Sanji stopped moving, indicating he was fully situated, then rested his arm over him.

Sanji continued sucking on his cigarette while Zoro messed with the top button on his shirt. Once it
was popped open, he rubbed circles over Sanji’s sternum for a few minutes, his fingers slowly
coming to a stop as his breathing evened out into deep breaths and light snores. Sanji smiled.

___

The crew woke to Usopp screeching about a fleet of pirate ships coming their way. He yelled down
to them from the crow’s nest informing everyone there were thirteen ships he could see, all with
pirate flags. When everyone began sitting up and was able to shake the sun-sleep from their minds,
they followed where Usopp was pointing and, sure enough, far off on the horizon were a pile of
boats coming their way.

Luffy sprung onto the ratlines to get a better look. They were headed towards their Starboard and if
left on this path, they’d eventually collide.

“Can you see the jolly roger?” Brook called. Usopp said the wind was distorting it too much to tell.
The skeleton turned to his crewmates and smiled a toothy grin. “It looks like we might have some
visitors, doesn’t it?”

“Do you think they’re friendly?” Luffy laughed as he jumped down next to his First Mate.

Usopp made another screeching noise and shouted, “They have a skull flag so they’re definitely not
friendly!”

Luffy puffed his cheeks out in a pout before saying, “We have a skull flag and we’re friendly. And
Torao has a skull flag and he’s friendly...and Shanks...and-”

“I GET IT!” Usopp shouted over Luffy. His captain never truly remembered not everyone was a
monster made up of rubber bones. “Nami! Can we change routes?”

“Yeah, we could go-”

“NOPE!” Luffy interrupted. “I’m bored! Let’s see if they wanna fight. Oooohhh, what if they
wanna party? Sanji, will you make a feast if they do?” Luffy asked and jumped on Sanji’s front,
hanging by his neck.

Sanji stumbled for a moment before regaining his balance, the cigarette pack and lighter in his
hands almost being knocked away. “Yeah, yeah, you know I will,” he muttered. Luffy ‘yahoo’d’
into the air and started running around the ship in joy from a potential party.

Chopper had also begun to run around the ship but in fear. The sound of hooves click-clacking
against the wood as the reindeer ran between everyone’s legs was drowned out by the laughter that
followed Chopper’s worrying.

Robin intercepted the doctor and swung him up into her arms. “Why are you afraid, little one? We
have our captain to protect us, remember?” she cooed in his ear with her soothing, low voice. She
smoothed his ruffled fur down until Chopper became less hysterical, agreeing he was being silly.

“If they know what’s good for’em, they’ll avoid us,” Zoro said while shrugging his trench over his
shoulders. “But I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs after that storm. Right, Curly?”

Sanji rolled his eyes but nodded. What he really wouldn’t mind doing was taking Zoro to the back
of the ship to pick up where they left off before Luffy interrupted them...but it looked like that
would have to wait. Again.

The cigarette between Sanji’s teeth stayed unlit for the time being, Sanji debating whether or not he
should smoke one now or during their possible fight. “Don’t go rushing into it, Marimo. We don’t
know their intentions. If they’re weak, might as well stick our tongue out at them and keep going.”

A few others laughed and Franky struck a pose. Usopp had climbed down from the tower and
joined the rest of the crew. While Luffy ran around to burn off a sliver of his energy, the rest of the
Straw Hats talked about their plan if the pirates turned out to be enemies. It was important to keep
some of the crew behind on the Sunny to protect her, which usually Usopp and Franky landed that
job. Neither minded. Nami also stayed on Sunny to deal damage from afar, but occasionally would
join the fun on the battlefield.

Then Brook, Chopper, and Robin were sent out to the outskirts to handle people who tried fleeing
and keeping all enemies within range. They didn’t want anyone getting away but they also didn’t
want to let too many stragglers wander to the center of the chaos. Zoro and Sanji’s jobs were to
protect Luffy while he created that chaos.

And Luffy? Well, Luffy’s job was to have his fun. Since no one could ever stop him, the crew
went with his antics and supported all his crazy ideas and logic. Besides, some of the crew liked
being thrown into that mess to challenge their survival, to feel if they were alive.

It took the pirate fleet around an hour to sail within range of a rubber body sling-shot or the Shark
Submerge. By the sounds of guns going off and cannonballs flying through the air, it was safe to
assume they would not be having a mingling pirate dinner together that night. Luffy brought
himself and Brook over to what looked like the captain’s ship, the skeleton’s scream could be
heard the whole way over. Usopp went back to the Crow’s Nest to get the best shot as the sniper
while Franky manned a cannon or two. Robin and Chopper were in the water below in the Shark
sub, the top hatch open and waiting for Zoro to hop in.

The Sunny’s cook hopped onto the railing to begin Skywalking across the open sea but was quickly
pulled backward by his sleeve. “Oi, oi!” Sanji spat around his cig, landing next to Zoro. “What is
it, shit-head? Don’t keep Robin-chan waiting for you!” Zoro was glaring at him, brows furrowed
together and teeth clenched. “What?!”

“Just - just don’t get in my way again!” Zoro snapped.

“Hah? How have I ever-” Sanji started but was cut off by Zoro yanking his shirt into both hands,
forcing him on the tips of his shoes.

“Don’t make me hesitate again.”

Realizing Zoro was referring to the giant hammer to the side of the head, Sanji winced knowing the
other was right. “Right, I won’t. Sorry.”

“And don’t get shot.”

“I won’t!”
“And don’t let those fuckers come any closer to you than the length of your leg!”

“Oh my god, I won’t! ”

“And if the waves get out of control, hold onto something!”

“What?!”

Zoro gripped Sanji’s shirt tighter when he tried wriggling away. “And don’t get kidnapped!”

“Where would they take me?!”

“And don’t you dare turn into a stupid, annoying kid again!”

Ah. That’s what this is about, Sanji thought. He relaxed and rested a hand over Zoro’s. “It’s alright,
Zoro. It won’t happen again.”

Zoro’s teeth creaked as he ground them together at the sight of Sanji’s nonchalant smile. “Don’t
take this lightly, you curly-brained fuck! A lot has happened to you!”

“Iz da ma-we-mo worried about- mmpff!” Sanji was cut off by Zoro crashing their lips together,
quickly releasing him with a shove and an eye-roll.

“M’not worried about you. Yer strong. Ya just can’t seem to catch a break, is all,” Zoro said and
stepped onto the railing. “Meet you over there.” He jumped overboard to land in the sub below.
When Sanji looked over the side, the hatch was already closed and the metal shark was sinking
below the sea.

Sanji shook his head to himself then launched into the sky.

___

The ships were absolute anarchy. These pirates didn’t have much organization to them, only their
numbers and weapons gave them their strength. Sanji was reminded of the Don Krieg Pirates way
back when he first met Zoro, the man who had his back pressed against his at this very moment.

Don Krieg was only feared because he had a large crew. Thinking back on it now, he was nothing
compared to the other fish they fried on the daily. The man was mad in the head with a God
Complex bigger than the New World itself, but was no match for Luffy; a nobody who had just
started his voyage.

Sanji laughed as he rolled over Zoro’s back to kick a man’s teeth in, at least what was left of them.
Hundreds of men surrounded them with various pointy objects all aimed at the two Straw Hats.
Guns went off left and right but it only made the fight that much more challenging, that much more
exhilarating . Sanji spun on his hand to send a group soaring clear to the back of the ship. Zoro
swung his sword horizontally, creating a wave of air that blew dozens of pirates off the edge and
into the sea below. When Sanji caught a glimpse of the swordsman's face, he was smiling. His feral
grin went from ear to ear.

Above them, Luffy hopped onto the foremast and slid down the sail to land next to Sanji and Zoro.
“Hiya!” he greeted. The two looked to their captain to see what he wanted, Zoro hacking through
the belly of a man who got too close and Sanji kicking someone’s neck into a ninety-degree angle.
“Gotta show you something!” Luffy said and wrapped one stretchy, noodle-arm around them both
and flung the other out to a different ship, rocketing them forward.

Landing with a roll, the Monster Trio got to their feet. “What the hell did ya need’ta show us, Luf?”
Zoro said, checking Wado was still safely in her scabbard. He readjusted his grip on Shusui and
Kitetsu as he looked around.

“Look!” Luffy said, pointing towards the upper deck. There fighting was a woman taller than
Franky himself, wielding two boning knives with ease. She sliced and diced her way through her
comrades to get to Brook. The long, slim knives spun around her fingers as she danced towards
him, finally striking a threatening pose once Brook stood in front of her.

“OI!” Zoro shouted, almost tripping over himself to get to her before Brook laid her out. “Leave
her to me!”

Sanji held out a hand to stop Zoro but quickly pulled it back to his chest, remembering Zoro’s
words earlier.

Don’t make me hesitate again.

Taking a deep breath and holding it until he felt dizzy, Sanji pulled another cigarette out and lit up.
The woman was beautiful, and a chef no less! Her long, tanned legs stuck out from a white
miniskirt with a chef’s coat buttoned over her voluptuous chest and her long, blonde hair flowed in
the whipping wind. Smoke billowed out from Sanji’s nose as he watched Zoro climb up the wall
and hop over the railing to push Brook aside. Such a gorgeous lady, too. What a waste, he thought
and turned away, unable to watch Zoro destroy her. Instead, he focused his attention on the rest of
the kitchen crew, who had fanned out around him.

Zoro grinned at the woman. “Y’ever fight with a sword?”

With grace, she tossed her hair over her shoulder with the tip of a knife. “Don’t need to when I
have these,” she sneered, spinning them around as she slunk her way closer and squatted into a
crouch, ready to pounce. Zoro measured them to be about two feet in length, no more than an inch
wide at its thickest point at the handle. The way she had cut her own people down to get to Brook
had told Zoro all he needed to know about her: she wanted to fight a swordsman. And Zoro would
give her just that.

“Let’s see you use these, instead,” Zoro said and twirled his blades around to offer the hilts to her.
“What’s yer name?”

The woman straightened, towering over Zoro by more than two feet. When she smiled, a set of
insanely sharp teeth glinted in the sun at him. “Amelia,” she said and flung her boning knives
behind her to land in the wall.

“Think you can beat me, Amelia?” Zoro asked. As his swords were taken out of his hands, Zoro
pulled Wado and gave her a few quick swipes through the air to ready her for the duel.

Amelia sized up Kitetsu and Shusui, tossing them in her hands a few times and giving them a flick
through the air just as Zoro did. “Captain never lets me use swords,” she said with a fake pout, only
to be returned with a grin that split her face in two. “And I know I can beat you, Roronoa Zoro.”

Zoro watched her crescent eyes dart from his earrings to his chest scar. He shivered at the thought
of his reputation growing, the idea of people rising to the top to reach him just as he still reaches
for Mihawk. “I hope you don’t disappoint.”

Just as Zoro thought, Amelia couldn’t resist the bloodlust Kitetsu pulled from her, egging her on.
The cursed blade wasn’t easy to wield and he hoped it pushed her to madness, but not enough to
make her reckless, only enough to make this moment last. The woman threw her head back to
cackle into the sky, her tongue lolling to the side, then she lurched forward.

Some of Amelia’s crewmembers yelped and screamed as the tip of both swords met their backs or
bellies as her arms flailed. Zoro jumped backward to stay out of reach, enjoying every second she
held Kitetsu. The railing pushed against his back and going with the flow, he tipped over in a
backflip, waiting on the deck below.

With a scream closer to a banshee than a woman, Amelia sprung one leg up to the railing and
surged forward. “Stop moving!” she yelled after landing.

Zoro laughed at the sight of her coming undone so quickly from the cursed blade. “Sorry, sorry.
I’ll stay put right here, kay? Shit, I’ll even put one hand behind my back.”

Amelia’s lips curled back over her teeth. “Don’t underestimate me!” she screeched and sliced the
air until Shusui met with Wado, Kitetsu quick to follow. Another scream with each hack, every
attack easily met by Wado and a bored Zoro. When he didn’t falter, she spun on her heel and
jumped back a few steps to put some distance between them.

At the tip of the bowsprit, Sanji kept his eye on his partner and the woman. “Stop playing with
your food! It’s bad manners!” he yelled. When Zoro lifted a middle finger over his shoulder, Sanji
whined to himself that he couldn’t take seeing a precious lady being treated so badly. Damn
bastard!

The Straw Hat’s captain yelled a Gomu Gomu no from the stern and soon after a giant hand could
be seen inflating over the top cabin creating a colossal-sized shadow to loom over them all. The
bow was sent upward the moment Luffy’s fist hit the deck. Enemy pirates were crushed, bodies
and splinters of wood were sent flying.

To avoid being sunk, many surviving pirates jumped to other floating pieces or grabbed onto ropes
that were thrown to them from the surrounding ships. Amelia slid down the incline until her foot
was ankle-deep in seawater. Letting Zoro know she was still game, she gave the swords a spin and
flicked her head at him. Zoro followed, sliding downward, arching Wado, and used his momentum
to crush her. Amelia blocked by crossing the swords over her head, but the weight of the blow
buckled her knees.

“Sorry I had to move, but I’m still using one hand, at least?” Zoro asked, hoping it would suffice.
Amelia frowned when she realized he was right, his free-hand still tucked behind him.

Growling out of frustration, Amelia went red in the face and wildly whipped the swords in hopes to
sever Zoro into pieces. Even under the irritation, she still had room for laughter. Her eyes bulged,
pupils mere slits from the thirst for Zoro’s blood. Kitetsu needed it.

“If you tried to control the hunger, you could prolly stand straight,” Zoro informed her, moving
Wado to his left to block, then above him and to the other side. Zoro’s boot was slipping, causing
him to close the small gap between them, but he couldn’t move from this new spot. He had to at
least give her that much, he gave her his word.

“Shut up!” Amelia screamed, her voice cracking. The edges of her eyes started to show thin, red
veins and Zoro knew she was giving into Kitetsu completely. She hadn’t managed to land a single
blow on the swordsman, despite how skilled she was.

Even after losing herself, Zoro was still impressed. Amelia had confessed she wasn’t allowed to
use swords, only wielding kitchen knives. She handled them well enough. If only one wasn’t
sucking every ounce of control she had, she may have had a decent chance.

The boat groaned. The front end was pointing directly up now and it began to sink into the water.
There were shouts from the enemies to grab a hold of their comrades and, mixed in the confusion,
Sanji yelled for Zoro.

“Get the captain, shit-head! He’s still over there!” Sanji shouted but when he looked to the place he
last saw the green-haired man, he was gone. The woman, too.

“Don’t worry about me, Sanji-san,” Brook said from behind him, the two balancing on the now
horizontal mast. With each passing second, it sunk closer and closer to the water. Soon, their feet
were being splashed by the waves. “I’ll find our Robin-san and head back, yes?”

Sanji nodded. Brook gave off a ridiculously joyous ‘yohohoho!’ and started skittering across the
water to another ship. Only until Sanji was sure he made it did he break his gaze away to look for a
straw hat or a mold infestation. He jumped from one floating piece of wood to another, skirting the
last remaining parts of the boat before it was swallowed completely.

“I’m serious, just take a deep breath and it’ll help!” Sanji heard Zoro say to his left. Quickly
following the voice, the chef vaulted off the piece he was on leaving it bobbing in the water behind
him and landed on another where he could see around a massive wall. There was the woman in
chef’s whites, his partner, and over Zoro’s shoulder was his captain, limp as a wet noodle with his
unruly black hair exposed.

The woman was not looking good. Even from here, Sanji could tell she was going mad. She won’t
ever recover from holding that damn sword, he thought to himself. Zoro truly was messing with
her, it was almost too cruel. “Oi, Marimo! I think she’s had enough!”

Turning, Zoro yelled, “Find his hat!” and returned his attention to the two blades ripping through
the air around him.

There wasn’t any time to think of what Zoro would do next because Luffy’s hat wasn’t tied safely
around his neck. It could be anywhere. Sanji felt his heartbeat accelerate as he panicked. It could
be anywhere!

As Sanji hopped around in search of Luffy’s treasure, he could hear the fading laughter of the
woman and the sounds of wood being hacked into as Zoro dodged.

Amelia winced from Wado piercing her left arm, freezing the hand that held Kitetsu out in front of
her.

“Gimmie this one back. You can’t fight properly with it,” Zoro said, wiggling Wado to shake the
sword free from her grasp. Amelia verbally refused and tried stuffing Shusui into its owner, but
Zoro leaned his and Luffy’s body away. “Drop it,” he said and readjusted Luffy.

“No!” Amelia yelled back. The blood trickled down her arm and dripped off her elbow, landing on
Zoro’s face and chest. “I need you to die!” she hissed while her arm slid further down Wado’s
blade. Zoro was sure her eyelids would soon be incapable of holding her eyes inside her skull. Her
lips were pulled tight over her teeth in a wicked, maniacal grin that would certainly have turned
Usopp’s hair white.

Behind the woman, Zoro saw Sanji reappear waving a straw hat. He blinked the blood away and
shook the sweat from his hair. “Guess I gotta cut this short, lady,” Zoro said sadly, genuinely upset
he couldn’t bring out the woman’s full potential. He was so very bored since waking from his
coma and this was his first battle since then. In a flick, he sliced through Amelia’s arm and caught
Kitetsu when she dropped it.

Zoro quickly put the cursed sword back in its scabbard. Over his shoulder, Luffy groaned, slowly
regaining consciousness from falling into the sea. Zoro knew he didn’t have much time before he
flailed out of his hold and caused him to get stabbed. He had to end this now. Wado stuck through
Amelia’s other forearm to still it, this time causing her to immediately drop it lest he cut that arm
open, as well. “Sorry,” he said and grabbed Shusui before it slid under the waves. All three swords
were tucked into their sheaths, his captain was saved, and Sanji had his hat.

And Sanji is fine, Zoro thought. Finally. All back to normal.

“WAIT!” Amelia called after Zoro when he began to leave. The swordsman stopped to see what
she wanted. “I want that sword. It felt good to hold it. Let me have it.”

A smirk curled its way onto Zoro’s lips. “You’d die by the end of the day if you held it any
longer.” He jumped over a few pieces of floating wood to make his way towards the Shark
Submerge, Sanji cutting him off.

“Here, I’ll take him back,” Sanji said and held his arms out. While Zoro gently handed Luffy over
to him, he took a glance at the woman Zoro had been fighting to see if she was okay. Both arms
were painted red but she was standing….and coming this way at an alarmingly fast pace. Sanji tried
side-stepping out of her path but Zoro’s finger was caught in Luffy’s belt loop. The two fumbled
forward together but managed to dodge the tackle.

Amelia was already on her second round of attacking, Sanji set in her sights as he was the closest.
Zoro jumped between them and slashed Wado Ichimonji across her chest just as Mihawk did to him
so long ago. “Don’t fucking touch him,” Zoro said through gritted teeth, looking down his nose at
the woman as she dropped to her knees. She clutched the gash trying to hold the pain and blood in
but it eventually was too much and fell unconscious.

Sanji bit his lip to prevent him from saying anything. Whether he could have evaded the woman or
not didn’t matter because what happened, happened. He took a deep breath and wished he had a
smoke between his teeth. “See you on Sunny,” he said quietly and launched into the sky.

___

“That was fun, don’tcha think, Zoro?” Luffy laughed next to him on the infirmary bed. Zoro
couldn’t help but smile. He nodded and slapped Luffy’s back a few times.

“You’re too reckless! What if you had gotten seriously hurt?” Chopper reprimanded.

“Uh, which one of us are you talking to?” Zoro asked. As much as he loathed to admit it, he knew
he and Luffy were pretty careless with their own lives. The doctor could very well be talking to
either one of them.

“BOTH! BAKA!” Chopper squeaked and bonked Zoro over the head with his clipboard. “But you
both can leave. I didn’t find any injuries. Looks like all the blood wasn’t yours.”

Zoro scratched the back of his head. “I told you it wasn’t mine,” he grumbled and stood to leave,
dragging a laughing captain with him. “C’mon idiot. Let’s get cleaned up.”

Trying to make a break for it, Luffy began wiggling and flailing. “No, no! I didn’t get any blood on
me!” he cried. Zoro growled and pulled on his torso but Luffy had a firm grip on the frame of the
door. “Noooo!!!”

“Leggo, you motherfucker!”

“NO!”

“ARGHH!” Zoro pulled as hard as he could but it only resulted in Luffy’s body stretching even
further. “Fine!” he said, giving up and releasing Luffy’s body so it could snap back into place.
“M’not on Luffy duty tonight anyway.”

___

After grabbing a pair of clean pants, Zoro headed to the bathroom. Inside, Sanji was getting
undressed. Zoro looked the blonde up and down and quirked an eyebrow at him. “How’d you
know I’d be in here?” he asked.

Sanji pursed his lips into a thin line. “I take a bath every night.”

Thinking about it, Zoro realized he had a point. He wouldn’t comment that Sanji was in the right,
deciding to say nothing instead. Before Sanji could even sit, Zoro was naked and behind him, arms
wrapped around his trimmed waist. “You mad at me?” he murmured. Sanji froze in place, his body
going rigid as Zoro placed a soft kiss on the back of his neck.

“No,” Sanji finally answered, swatting the mold away. “I know you and I don’t share the same
morals when it comes to women.” Zoro guided both of them onto their stools and pulled Sanji’s
closer to sit in front of him. He stuck his hand out, gesturing for the soap and sponge. “Shouldn’t
you clean up first? You’re covered in that woman’s blood.”

Zoro sighed and rested his chin over Sanji’s shoulder. “Name’s Amelia. She wasn’t allowed to use
swords, apparently,” Zoro said.

Turning halfway around, Sanji asked, “How do you know that?”

“Cause we spoke while we fought. I wanted to duel’er, not kill’er.”

Sanji faced forward and felt Zoro lean his chest against him and push his face into his wavy hair.
“Then why’d you...you know,” Sanji said quietly and made a diagonal motion in front of him,
mimicking Zoro’s trademark scar.

“I didn’t know what you’d do if she came at you,” Zoro said. His hand reached out again, this time
more insistently, for the soap. Sanji handed the stuff over, including the showerhead. As Zoro wet
Sanji’s hair and rubbed his scalp, he continued. “Just wanted to leave no room for error. Not this
time. Not when I could prevent it.”

Sanji was quiet because he could understand. The two of them held their similarities but also had
plenty of differences. They dealt with things in their own way . The chef knew he had to keep that
in mind. He also had to give Zoro credit when he deserved it. “Thanks for not killing her.” Hot
breath tickled the back of his neck as Zoro let out a soft chuckle.

“Told you I didn’t wanna kill’er. Just wanted to play a little.” When Sanji mumbled his
acknowledgment, Zoro pulled back on his shoulders to lean Sanji against him. As he rubbed the
loofah in circles creating a thick lather of suds over his front, Zoro’s low voice said into Sanji’s ear,
“But I would’ve killed’er if she had managed to touch you.”

Sanji shivered. He didn’t need the man to add that last bit in there because it was an already known
fact, something Sanji had always known since he was a child. Zoro wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone
if his nakama were in any danger, he had proven that time and time again. Though, no matter how
many times it was demonstrated, it still sent a chill through his body when Zoro would admit it out
loud. “I know.”

For the remaining time Zoro washed and rinsed Sanji, they stayed in comfortable silence. Sanji let
his partner do as he pleased and even when he offered to return the favor, Zoro shook his head and
sent him into the steaming tub. Sanji smoked a cigarette while he watched Zoro scrub the blood
from his face and pick out the dried flakes that managed to get wedged between the bumps in his
scar. By the time Zoro has rinsed all the suds away and was freshly clean, Sanji had another cig lit
up and halfway smoked.

Zoro settled into the spacious tub across from the blonde, leaning his head back on the edge. Sanji
let his eyes roam across his tanned chest, admiring the muscles he worked so hard for. With a
smirk, Sanji blew out a plume of smoke above them and propped his feet over Zoro’s thigh.

“Oi, oi, watch it,” Zoro said, wincing in fear he’d get a heel to the crotch. When he was sure Sanji
wasn’t going to damage anything, he settled back down. One arm hung over the side, messing with
a small puddle on the lip of the tub, the other playfully massaged Sanji’s toes.

Zoro wondered what they would have been like if they had done this type of stuff earlier in their
relationship. If this were two years ago - shit, even a few months ago - Sanji would have his foot
mushed into the side of his face, scraping the skin off because Zoro was too close. Or, Zoro would
have Sanji’s arm bent behind his back as he held his head under the water because his curly
attitude pissed him off for the last time.

But here they were, peacefully resting together in the bath. They sighed as the hot water relaxed
their muscles. Zoro even felt a little sleepy. As he thumbed over the arch in Sanji’s foot, he could
feel his eyelid growing too heavy to hold up. A few minutes of shut-eye wouldn’t hurt...

In a jolt, Zoro sat up. Sanji took the cigarette from his lips and held it away from the water. “You
okay?” he asked, flicking the ash. Zoro’s good eye stared hard, his steely gaze locked onto him.
Even under all the moss in his brain, Sanji could see the wheels turning, his mind onto something.
Zoro opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated, snapping his jaw closed. The wheels worked
overtime to get a sentence out.

“Will you tell me about this?” Zoro asked quietly. Sanji felt Zoro feeling over his scarred foot. The
feeling was minimal, but it was enough he knew what he meant. It was attached to a memory so far
away, from a different time. Zoro squeezed his foot. “Please?”
“Why?” was all Sanji could say, looking away. The swordsman was boring a hole into the side of
his face and he couldn’t handle the pressure much longer.

“I wanna know.”

Of course that was the reason, but it didn’t make it any easier for Sanji to give in. He was having a
nice time unwinding in the bath together, surely Zoro didn’t want to be burdened with a shitty story
like that one. “I don’t remember,” he lied and waved his cigarette around. “Probably stepped on
something stupid.”

“Sanji.”

The blonde returned his gaze to meet Zoro’s. He was making that serious face, the one where low-
life pirates or weak marines would shit themselves if their eyes locked onto Zoro’s. It wasn’t meant
to scare Sanji into telling him. It was meant to say, ‘Why can’t you tell me? You don’t need to lie.’
The blonde winced. “Why?” he repeated with a whine.

“I need to know.”

Another cigarette would help. Shaking, the Sunny’s chef lifted his body to reach for his pack on
the floor. He stayed leaning over the side as he flicked his lighter a few times, only producing
sparks. He swore under his breath until the flame ignited. Sanji sucked hard, pulling in a lungful of
smoke and held it until he settled back into the water. The bathroom was becoming hazy, though
Zoro never mentioned it. “You already know, right? That’s why you won’t let this go?”

“Yeah.”

“Right,” Sanji said and pulled his foot away from the other to cross his legs under himself. His
back slouched as he leaned forward, looking into the clear water. The ever-moving image of his
feet at the bottom of the tub were wavy and distorted, just like the skin of his right foot.
Absentmindedly, he rubbed it. “I...got this when I lived with my birth family.” Zoro already knew
that much but he didn’t interrupt. Sanji was hesitant to move on. His chest felt too tight. “It was a
few days after my sixth birthday…”

Sanji: Age 6, Germa Kingdom

The loud mix of crickets and heat bugs singing their nightly songs woke Sanji with a start. He
looked around the darkness in a panic, forgetting where he was. When he realized he was safe, he
relaxed the tension in his body and sat up, dusting the sand from his cheek and arm.

It had been a few days since he’d been back in the castle. Sanji knew the moment he stepped foot
onto the cold, hard stone of the palace, he’d be surrounded by his identical siblings. It was
practically a full-time job to physically and mentally prepare himself for their surprise attacks. But
he was cutting it close, three days was the longest he had stayed out - he knew he had to go back
tonight. He had to or it would only be worse for him later...

Gathering his things up, Sanji packed away the plates and utensils he had brought out to share with
the forest animals. He promised them a cake, you know! And he never went back on his word. The
night of his sixth birthday, he snuck out of his window and came to this clearing where he said he’d
meet them. They were overjoyed when they saw the huge cake, Sanji lugging it behind him on a
small litter he had borrowed from the servant’s quarters. It took all three days to finish the whole
thing!

Sanji giggled to himself as he looked at the raccoon to his left laying on its back, still with a
protruding tummy. To his right were a pile of chipmunks, all as round as an orange with smiles on
their faces. The birds had gone back to their nests earlier but they thanked him by tweeting songs
while they ate and danced around the fire. It was the best birthday he could have asked for! If only
his dad had let him see his mom, then it would have been perfect.

Shaking that sad thought away to not ruin what little happiness he had, Sanji continued cleaning up.
Luckily, none of the animals laid on the blanket that he brought, allowing him to shake it out and
fold it up before stuffing it into his pack. He’d have to come back tomorrow for the litter, it’d be
next to impossible to drag it over the gnarly roots of trees on the path in the dark. Sanji sighed as he
looked around, squinting his eyes to see if he missed anything.

The campfire was all dimly lit coals by now, no food was left to take back, and everything else was
on his back. Okay, I think I’m good to go, Sanji thought to himself. He whispered goodbye and
before turning around, he saw the animals suddenly perk up, their ears twitching. He felt bad he
woke them but didn’t want to be rude and say nothing before leaving!

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you!” Sanji apologized. He held his hands up to calm them down
in hopes they’d fall back asleep.

The chipmunks squeaked and bolted in every direction while the raccoon hobbled away as fast as
it could with its tummy dragging across the dirt.

“Wait! I said I was sorry! You can go back to sleep!” Sanji called after them.

Alone, now. Which was fine. He was always alone.

Behind him, a twig snapped. Sanji whipped around with a smile, ready to throw another apology at
a chipmunk but the words never managed to come out. Instead of a furry friend standing at the
edge of the clearing, it was his three brothers.

Ichigi.

Niji.

Yonji.

No…

Please...no…

Sanji took a step backward while shaking his head back and forth.

No, no, this was supposed to be my hiding place. My place where they couldn’t find me.

Tears already forming and rolling down his cheeks, Sanji closed his eyes to brace himself for
whatever was coming next. Would it be punches to the gut this time? Pulling his hair until his
throat went hoarse, screaming for them to stop? Kicks to the face or maybe his back while he
curled in the fetal position on the ground? Maybe all three? That was just as likely. It was more
likely. Their antics were so unpredictable to keep their favorite punching bag on his toes.

“Heyyy, there you are!” Yonji sneered, breaking away from the other two. “I thought I smelled an
idiot!”

Niji laughed, holding his stomach.

Ichigi gave a wicked grin. “What were you doing out here for so long, Sanji? You didn’t come to
our birthday celebration,” he said, feigning a hurt voice.

Sanji looked around to double-check all his friends had made it away safely. Once he was sure
everyone was out of sight, he answered. “I-I didn’t want to go. I wanted to see mom.”

Yonji scoffed. “You always want to see mom. She’s sick! Leave her alone!”

“You should have come, Sanji. Dad got you a present,” Niji said. He walked around Yonji and
Sanji saw he had his arm behind his back. For the past few years, Judge Vinsmoke didn’t bother
giving his failure of a son a birthday gift. It was possible he could have forgotten, though, seeing as
how Sanji made himself scarce around the castle. So, maybe this year…?

“Really?! Did he, really?!” Sanji asked, perking up. His eyes formed into little crescents as his
smile grew too large for his face.

“No!” All three of Sanji’s brothers said in unison, then burst into laughter.

“What, in all of the North Blue, would make you think dad got you something?!” Ichigi snapped,
offended Sanji would fall for something so preposterous.

“Stupid!”

“Loser!”

“Defect!”

“I’m sorry!” Sanji shouted as more tears fell. He didn’t even know why he was apologizing, yet he
felt it was the right thing to do. Anything to put them in a better mood. Anything to avoid getting
hurt.

The three brothers fanned out and surrounded Sanji. The blonde felt smaller than he already was
under their penetrating and hateful stares. He wasn’t sure what they wanted from him this time.
Why had they come all the way out here for him? He thought disappearing for their birthday was
something they would enjoy. Wouldn’t that have been the best present he could have given them?

“But,” Yonji started. “We can show you what dad got us.”

The three boys laughed. It scared Sanji how in-tune they were with each other. Niji finally pulled
his arm out from behind his back. Strapped over his arm was a metal device that went from his
wrist to his elbow that looked to be made for someone much older, more responsible. The device
was no doubt Germa technology but Sanji had never seen anything like it before.

“I don’t want to know,” Sanji whispered and took another step backward, bumping against Ichigi.

“Don’t be a baby, ya baby.”

Sanji tried to still his wobbling knees but didn’t succeed. With the weight of his backpack and his
anxiety growing, his legs couldn’t hold him up any longer. He buckled. Ichigi and Yonji pulled
him up and held him under his armpits. “Don’t worry, brother, we got ya.”

The forest was completely silent while Niji messed around on the tech device. The crickets
stopped singing, the owls stopped hooting, and even the wind had stopped blowing through the
trees. Everything ceased its nightly routine, holding its breath as they watched what would happen
to the blonde Vinsmoke.

One last beep sounded from the arm-device, then it clicked into place. “There we go!” Niji said.
Ichigi and Yonji howled in his ear, then shoved him away, putting plenty of space between them.
Sanji knew something was terribly wrong because of that, especially with the maniacal expression
Niji wore when he raised his arm and pointed it right at Sanji.

Help me, Sanji pleaded in his head, knowing it was useless. Even if he screamed for help at the top
of his lungs, no one would come. Whatever was about to happen to him...there was no stopping it.

Help me, Sanji thought. His lip trembled despite how hard he wished it wouldn’t. It wasn’t a secret
he was weaker than his brothers, but that didn’t mean he wanted to give in to that weakness. He
tried to be strong, he really did.

But Ichigi, Niji, and Yonji were stronger.

Sanji sat up, slightly surprised to see he had slouched forward so far his cigarette dipped into the
tub water. It was soggy up to the filter. “Oh,” he chuckled under his breath, blowing air through his
nose. “One sec,” he told Zoro and got a new cig to smoke to finish the story. He hadn’t talked
about this to anyone ever so it felt weird to be saying the details out loud.

When he returned facing forward, he chanced a glance at Zoro. He had one hand covering his face
and the other was gripping the side of the tub, knuckles sheet-white. Sanji wasn’t sure what type of
reaction that was but his partner made no move or mention to stop him, so he continued.

From a small opening at the front of the device, just over Niji’s hand, a bright orange flame
sprouted. It burst forward with such force it sent Niji back a few steps causing him to cackle in
excitement.

Sanji turned around as quickly as he could to use his pack as a shield knowing his legs were not
nearly fast enough to get him away in time. As Niji kept the flame going, Sanji felt his backpack
catch fire. He screamed in terror and flung the bag off.

The blonde jumped away from the growing fire, tripping on his foot and falling on his bottom. His
normally pale face was glowing yellow, the flames reflecting in his fear-stricken eyes. Sanji rolled
over and got to his feet in an attempt to escape his deranged brothers. It was useless, but at least he
could say he tried.
In a flash, Ichigi and Yonji were back on him, each grabbing a hand and pulling him around.

“Please, I’m scared!” Sanji cried out, kicking in every which way to shake himself loose.

“We know,” Ichigi said close to his ear.

The blue-haired boy was busy spinning in a circle as the flames shot out in a straight line, catching
the litter nearby on fire and the small pile of wood Sanji had gathered the first night he stayed out
there. When there wasn’t anything else around him, Niji pointed his arm up and caught the trees on
fire, their leaves bursting into flame immediately.

In no time, the temperature had drastically increased. Thick, black smoke swelled in angry waves,
consuming every ounce of fresh air. The wood crackled and popped loudly and the flame’s low
moans turned to vicious roars, hurting Sanji’s ears.

“Do you like our present, Sanji!?” Niji yelled over the disaster. “Aren’t we nice for sharing?!”

Yonji twisted Sanji’s arm behind his back and pulled up forcing Sanji to stand on the tips of his
toes to ease some of the pain. “Well, Sanji? Aren’t we nice?” he asked.

“We’re nice brothers-”

“-to include the defect.”

“We’re nice brothers-”

“-to let you play with us.”

“Well, Sanji?” Ichigi and Yonji said in unison.

“WELL, SANJI?!!? Do you like our present?!” Niji shrieked.

“NO!” Sanji screamed back and tried kicking out again as best he could. “Let me-” cough, cough,
“-go!” His lungs were beginning to burn.

The three brothers laughed, unaffected by the smoke around them.

“Upsy-daisy!” Yonji said and he and Ichigi lifted Sanji off his feet to bring him towards the
burning pile of wood. The flames were so tall they licked the bottom of the branches above and
snaked their way higher up the tree.

Ichigi grabbed a fistful of Sanji’s hair at the back of his head and pushed him towards the fire.
“This is part of our present, too! Don’t you like it?”

“Please don’t!” Sanji cried, except no tears were able to fall. The moment water formed at the
edges of his eyes, they immediately evaporated from the overpowering heat. Sanji could feel the
heavy wall of fire against his face, an invisible force warning him to not come any closer. His
brother pressed him into that wave of heat, closer...and closer… “Please, I’ll do anything! Please
let me go! I want to go back home, please, please, please!!!”

With all his might, Sanji shook his body and broke loose from both his brother’s grasp and fell to
the ground. He reached out to the earth, clawing at it in hopes to get further away from his death.
Choking back his sobs, the dirt wedged beneath his nails and drove them backward as he scraped
himself to safety.

Help me, Sanji repeated in his head. Please, help me.

A shoe slammed his face into the ground. “Quit wigglin around!” Ichigi snapped. “We weren’t
done.”

Help me, someone...please.

Embers shot out and landed next to Sanji, rolling past him. When Ichigi leaned forward to pull
Sanji’s head up by his hair, the blonde felt blood trickling from his nose and into his panting
mouth. He saw Niji standing in front of him now, staring down his nose as if Sanji wasn’t even
worth the neck movement.

“Ran out of fuel,” Niji told the other two boys. “Let’s get this over with.”

Niji and Yonji grabbed Sanji by his middle, yanking him over their shoulders. Ichigi stood behind
them and caught Sanji’s flailing arms into his hold.

Sanji screamed when he could feel his legs at the edge of the fire. Some of the flames reached out
for him, sticking to his pant leg and burning its way through to sear his skin. Thrashing, kicking,
pleading, crying, nothing helped.

“Stop moving!” Niji said as he almost toppled over. “Hold his feet!”

“I can’t while I got’m like this!” Yonji said to his brother but managed to grab Sanji’s right foot
anyway. The three of them leaned in to force Sanji closer as their heat-resistant skin protected
them. Sanji’s shoe caught fire, igniting Yonji’s sleeve in the mix, as well. “Ah!” he yelled and
flung his arm around to put it out.

The shoe rapidly became too hot to bear, it boiling Sanji’s foot. “AHH, IT BURNS! IT BURNS,
PLEASE!!” Sanji bawled. To prevent it from gluing itself to his skin, he kicked it off.

“It’s supposed to burn, it’s fire, you dimwit!” Ichigi mocked as he readjusted his hold over Sanji’s
wrists. “Do it again!”

Yonji put the fire out on his sleeve and went back to grabbing Sanji’s foot and forcing it inside the
flames straight away. The blonde’s screams echoed through the forest, drowned out by the roaring
fire. He could feel his skin boiling, bubbles expanding and popping against the heat’s pressure. The
boys took a step forward to push Sanji completely into the fire-

Sanji stopped talking at the sound of porcelain cracking. Zoro had snapped part of the side of the
tub clean off in anger. His chest heaved up and down and his teeth ground together.

“What?” Sanji asked with furrowed brows. He squeezed the cigarette butt between his fingers to
extinguish the cherry and set it aside. “Nami-san and Franky are going to have your head for that,
you know.”

“What happened next?” Zoro demanded through his gritted teeth.

Sanji stared at him once he understood the story had upset him. “My sister came looking for the
others. She knew if all four of us were missing, she only had a matter of time before they did
something irreversible to me,” he said with a shrug. “It was only my foot.”
Zoro slapped his hands over his face and clawed downward. “They were trying to fucking kill you,
Sanji!”

“I know.”

“If you know, then how can you tell me this so casually?!”

Heaving a sigh, Sanji leaned against the tub and picked at his nails for something to do. “Because
it was fifteen years ago, Zoro. That place, including those people, are no longer a part of me.”

Zoro sat forward, his knees sticking out of the water. He rested his arms and chin over them and
stared downward. Neither one of them said anything.

Outside the bathroom, Brook’s violin could be heard along with Usopp’s shrill voice going up and
down as he told his tall tales. It wouldn’t be long before Luffy was bursting through the door to beg
Sanji for dinner.

The dripping of the faucet next to Zoro and Sanji seemed almost deafening in comparison to the
silence between them. Zoro couldn’t trust himself to speak without screaming how much he wanted
Sanji’s brothers to die. He wanted to shake the damn curly idiot until he told him where they were
so he could kill them himself. Witness the life leave their eyes as they breathed their last breath.

But he didn’t. Zoro continued holding his knees until he was sure he had himself under control.
Once he knew he was capable of speaking on the same level as Sanji, he simply told him, “You
amaze me.”

Sanji scoffed. Both eyes rolled to the ceiling and he splashed water into Zoro’s face. The
swordsman didn’t flinch or react in any way. Sanji watched the droplets roll down his face and
onto his arms. “As much as I appreciate the compliment...I can’t see how it fits into this situation.”

“Hearing that story, no one would blame you if you were traumatized, especially around a fire,”
Zoro said slowly to keep his rage in check. “But I’ve seen you around fire, we all have.”

“Oh, don’t let me fool you,” Sanji started with a light laugh. “I was for weeks...but it soon faded,
just like everything else. If I had let their antics affect me permanently, I’d have died of fright a
long time ago.” He gave another chuckle before adding, “I mean, what kind of cook would I be if I
was afraid of fire, right?”

Zoro grunted an agreement, though not seeing how this was humorous at all. He truly felt Sanji
was taking this all too lightly, but he also had a point; it happened over a decade ago and he’s had
plenty of time to recover from it. He took deep breaths to calm the rest of his anger.

“I love you,” Zoro admitted, surprising even himself from the outburst.

Sanji’s face went red. “W-why did you say that out of nowhere?”

A wave of water was sent toward Sanji as Zoro stood and offered a hand out to the blonde. “It ain't
out of nowhere,” he said and pulled Sanji up. Once he was on his feet, Zoro grabbed his face to
plant his lips against the other’s. Releasing him, Zoro said, “Your strength amazes me and I
honestly don’t know how I didn’t see that I loved you sooner.”

To avoid looking at Zoro, Sanji buried his face into the crook of his neck. His face was burning
with embarrassment and happiness. They held each other, relishing in each other’s warmth until a
tingle at the back of their head made them separate and hurriedly cup their junk for protection.
The bathroom door burst open and Luffy tumbled in. “Foooooddddddd!” he shouted, running
around. “Oh, Zoro, what did you do?” he asked, looking at the chunks of porcelain splayed out on
the floor next to the tub. Getting dried off and clothed, Zoro asked Luffy how he knew it was him
that damaged the tub when Sanji was just as capable as him. Luffy stopped whining and pulling on
Sanji’s arm to cock his head at his First Mate. “Heh?” he asked. “Cause Nami’s gonna be real mad
when she sees that - Sanji wouldn’t make’er mad like you would!”

Zoro frowned. Sanji smiled.

___

The kitchen was hot as Sanji fried up some fish in a huge wok. Around his waist had rubber arms
wound around three times, the rest of Luffy’s body melted on the floor while he moaned for food.
Zoro sat at the bar watching them. His right hand fingered over the Santoryu carving Kid-Sanji had
made, wondering why Franky never sanded it down but glad he didn’t.

Listening to Sanji’s memory of his kid-self made Zoro ache to be there for him again. That time
travel mix-up was done and over with, but the swordsman had to admit to himself he missed Sanji’s
squealing laughter as Robin tickled him. He was a nice kid, too. He really wouldn’t have minded
raising him and even caught himself thinking of the what-ifs every now and then.

If that had happened, though, he wouldn’t have ever been able to be with Sanji like he was now.
Since seeing the stupid love-cook had grown into a perfectly normal human despite all the horrible
trauma he experienced, Zoro was glad Luffy had stopped him that day. Luffy was right. If Sanji
made it to them once, he could do it again - and he did. Zoro sighed with a lazy grin on his face as
Sanji bonked their captain over his head for trying to sneak a chunk of fish from the basket.

“Would you go sit down, shit-head?! Give me five more minutes!” Sanji shouted, peeling Luffy
away from him. “Go grab the rest of the crew.”

“C’mon, Luf,” Zoro said, getting to his feet and coming to the cook’s rescue. A tanned hand
grabbed Luffy by his collar to drag him away, giving Sanji a few moment’s peace.

By the time everyone had sat down at the table in their spots, Sanji was setting plates down for
Franky to pass out and balancing a huge platter to hold their dinner. He scooched between the table
and bar to get by, making a pit stop to hand over a bowl of plain, white rice for Zoro. When he
leaned down, he was sure to kiss his cheek before he headed over to his side of the table.

Fish was stolen off plates, rice was snorted up noses from obnoxious laughter, cola was
accidentally sprayed everywhere when the can opened, and there was arguing left and right about
who owes who money or whose turn it was on watch duty tonight. And not a single piece of food
was wasted. Dinner was absolutely perfect.

Under the table, Zoro felt Sanji’s long leg rub against his. When he turned his attention to the
blonde, he was staring at him with a small smile that pulled Zoro’s heartstrings in just the right
way that he couldn’t swallow his mouthful of sake.

After confronting the crew about their relationship, Zoro felt like what they had between them was
less of a competition, at least in the romantic sense. The feeling of Sanji rubbing up his pant leg
didn’t make him want to do it back more aggressively or launch over the table to start a fight, but it
did make him feel…something.

He feels like home, Zoro thought, ignoring Luffy screaming in his face while Usopp shot
something onto Zoro’s head. The three youngest member’s cackling went unheard as Zoro
continued to stare at Sanji. Golden bangs were tossed aside so the chef could see again, his fringe
covering his face when he held his belly to laugh at whatever was stuck in Zoro’s hair. The
swordsman wished he could reach over and move his bangs the rest of the way so both blue eyes
were visible. Zoro shook his head to himself, trying to hide a smile as he thought, yeah, I don’t
know how I didn’t see it before. I have been in love with this idiot for so, so long.

___

Before Zoro could leave the galley, Sanji called after him. “Hm?” he asked and saw Sanji was
elbow-deep in dishwater. “Need help er somethin?”

“No, not at all. I just wanted to tell you I’ll come visit you on your shift.”

Nodding, Zoro grunted his acknowledgment and closed the door behind him. His shift didn’t start
until everyone had gone to bed, which made him wonder why Sanji told him that. Couldn’t he have
told me when he came out to sit around the fire?

When Sanji did eventually join everyone once the kitchen was spotless, he sat next to Robin
instead of him. The way he leaned over to talk into her ear made him suspicious. It wasn’t the fact
Sanji was speaking to the woman at all, it was the way he did it that bothered Zoro. There were no
heart-eyes, no twirly hand gestures, and he kept his voice to a whisper. He’s definitely up to
something.

For the remainder of the night, Sanji stayed with Robin. Occasionally, one of the two would
whisper some shit to the other while the rest of the crew laughed at something. It was clear they
were having their own private conversation, about what, Zoro did not know. What else is there to
talk about with her? We’ve already been over all the lovey-dovey shit, we don’t need her meddling
anymore.

Zoro wasn’t irritated with Sanji for choosing to sit next to Robin and not him, but he did have to
admit it had him very curious. At least he had Chopper with him. The reindeer was sitting over his
crossed legs, leaning against his torso with a lazy smile.

Zoro had taken Chopper’s hat off and was absentmindedly scruffing his fingers through the
doctor’s fur on his head while he watched over everyone else. It didn’t take long for Chopper’s
participation in the conversations to fade out as he was overcome by sleep. An almost guarantee to
put the kid to sleep was to scratch at the back of his neck while rubbing an ear between two fingers.

The night ended and eventually everyone headed for bed. Zoro handed Chopper off to Usopp so he
could make his way up to the Crow’s Nest. He expected Sanji to come with him since he had gone
out of his way to say he would keep him company, but the man avoided eye contact and went
straight to the bunkroom. With a shrug, Zoro went without him.

___
It wasn’t until hours later when the hatch opened and Sanji popped inside, bringing the smell of
cigarettes and cologne with him.

“Thought you changed yer mind,” Zoro said as he raised the dumbbell for the six-hundredth time.

“I had to wait until everyone was asleep, you idiot,” Sanji sneered with a roll of his eyes.

Zoro rested the dumbbell on his thigh and cocked his head. “Why?” he asked. “And why you smell
all fancy if you were in bed?”

Sanji stopped in front of Zoro on the bench with crossed arms. There was a light dusting of pink
across his cheeks but Zoro didn’t notice. “Are you serious?”

“Serious about what?!” Zoro spat. “Go away if yer gonna be annoying, Curly, I’m trying to
concentrate.” The blonde watched Zoro continue pumping the weight and when it didn’t click for
him, he began tapping his bare foot on the mat. Zoro huffed and set the weight on the floor. “What
is it now?”

A leg lifted into the air to slam over Zoro’s head. The swordsman caught Sanji’s ankle in his wrist
and stood up, pushing the limb upward as he leaned into Sanji’s face. The leg was pressed against
Sanji’s shoulder, parallel to his body. “You’re pretty flexible, huh?” Zoro said, breaking eye-
contact and tracing up the long, slender leg he held. “You bend easily.”

Sanji remembered the first time around Zoro had said that to him and thought he was flirting,
which he wasn’t, which meant right now he was also not flirting. Which also also meant Zoro had
no fucking clue as to why Sanji had told him he’d meet him up here. “You are the dumbest house
plant, I swear.”

“Hah?” Zoro said and pushed Sanji away. “You wanna fight er something? I’m tryin to train while
I got the peace,” he said and gestured towards the wooden bench. Zoro squared up when Sanji
pulled off his t-shirt and flung it across the room but loosened his stance when Sanji didn’t raise a
leg. Instead of lurching forward ready to begin a match, Sanji slowly walked towards him, one arm
outstretched.

Zoro was pushed back a few steps until his legs met the edge of the bench, then Sanji forced him
down to sit. The swordsman knew this wasn’t going to end up in a fight because Sanji was
touching him with his hands instead of his feet, but that didn’t mean he had any more of an idea of
what the hell was going through that curly brain of his.

Sanji joined him on the bench, lifting one of his legs over to straddle it, flicking his head for Zoro
to do the same. They faced each other in silence, Zoro staying patient while Sanji eyed the sweat
trickling down his chest.

“You weren’t lying when you said you’re inexperienced,” Sanji said, his voice low and serious. “I
came up here because I want to have sex with you.”

Zoro flinched backward. “What?!” He yipped, face turning cherry red.

A small smile formed over Sanji’s lips at the man’s reaction but he knew his face was just as red
because he could feel how warm his cheeks were getting. “I said I wanna have s-”

“I heard you!” Zoro cut him off and slapped a hand over his face to cover at least some of his
embarrassment. Peeking through his fingers, he saw Sanji scoot closer to him and then felt their
knees touch. “You wanna...right now?”

Sanji slowly nodded. “I’ve been waiting for this moment since you confessed to
me...and...I’ve...thought of you many times long before that,” he added shyly, looking to the floor.
“I want you, Zoro.”

Unsure of what to do next, Zoro set his hands over his knees, rubbing his palms against his pants to
rid the sweat that had suddenly formed. “Uh, well alright,” he finally said and glanced at his trench
coat on the floor next to his swords.

Following his gaze, Sanji clicked his tongue, “Oh my god, it’s still in your coat?! You didn’t even
put it somewhere safe? What if it fell out somewhere on the ship?!”

“I know, I know!” Zoro admitted, raising his hands in front of him. He knew he should have taken
care of the bottle of lube in case someone found it. Knowing how invasive his captain was, it was a
miracle he didn’t stumble upon it. In the hopes Sanji would understand, he didn’t try to defend
himself. It was then the chef grabbed Zoro’s hands to hold in his own for a beat, then guided them
to his face. Sanji let go and Zoro cupped the man’s cheeks, lightly pulling to meet him halfway to
connect their lips.

They casually, but passionately, kissed. It didn’t take very long for Zoro to feel Sanji licking his
bottom lip, wanting to insert it inside his mouth. He let out a breathy laugh and pulled away. The
blonde turned his eyebrows up at him in a silent question of, ‘why did you stop?’

“Eager, aren’t you? Ya damn hornball.”

“Yeah,” Sanji admitted, not taking the bait Zoro cast out. He grabbed Zoro’s thighs and sat up to
get in his face. “I’m very eager.”

To slow the horny bastard down, Zoro gently shifted gold bangs to the side to reveal a second curly
eyebrow and tucked it behind the man’s ear. The delicate gesture stopped Sanji in his tracks
causing him to blink in wonder. Zoro then traced his jawline until his thumb came in contact with
his bottom lip. He rubbed over it until Sanji’s jaw relaxed, his lips slightly parting to let a breath of
air out. The swordsman took this opportunity to slip his thumb inside and lock Sanji’s tongue in
place. Feeling that competitive pull surge through him again, Zoro grinned devilishly as he said,
“Take off yer pants then.”

A shiver ran up Zoro’s spine when Sanji quickly stood and yanked his shorts and underwear off
without having to be told a second time. If this were any other situation, the two of them would be
at each other’s throats, arguing about someone giving orders and being bossy. But right now, Sanji
was playing along very obediently. Zoro mentally took the win for this round.

“Take yours off, too,” Sanji bashfully said.

Smiling, Zoro stood and placed his fingers over the button to his pants. “Beg me,” he said, turning
Sanji’s words against him. The blonde’s jaw dropped, practically slamming against the bench with
disbelief. When Sanji made no effort to make words come out, Zoro gave a dismissive shrug and
sat back down. “Fine, suit yourself.”

“No, wait!” Sanji said, placing his hands to Zoro’s hips in an attempt to stop him. “I can’t be the
only one naked, you asshole! How else can we do it if you have your clothes on?!”

Zoro looked around the room feigning disinterest. He set a boot atop the bench and rested his arm
over it, bending towards Sanji’s face. “I said, ‘beg me.’”
Sanji’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed back the lump that formed in his throat. Zoro
thought he looked like he was truly debating on whether or not he would beg, but then the man
crossed his arms and looked away in a pout. “No.”

“Guess you ain't gettin any of this, then,” Zoro said and sat the rest of the way down, twisting to
the side to grab Sanji’s boxer briefs. “You’re gonna need these.”

The underwear landed with a soft plop over Sanji’s face making him angrily yank them off. “Take
off your fucking clothes, dipshit,” Sanji said through his gritted teeth.

“Don’t sound like beggin to me.”

Sanji looked like he was on the verge of snapping back at him, but he hesitated and in Zoro’s
peripheral, he saw his legs twitch together, squeezing the bench between them. He was so
transparent. To move this along a little faster, the swordsman stretched his arms over his head for
an exaggerated yawn, tightening his abs for his partner. Again, Sanji gripped the bench with his
legs. Zoro tried to avoid looking at his erection to keep up the act or he knew he’d give in.

“Come on, Shit-head. Don’t be like this. Please take off your pants for me?”

Zoro stood and returned his fingers to his pants. “You’re getting closer,” he taunted, and undid the
button and pulled on the zipper, watching blue eyes follow it the entire way down. “You can do
better’n that, Sanji.”

At the mention of his name, all of the chef’s fight left him. “Zoro, please take off your damn
clothes. I don’t want to be the only vulnerable one here!” The swordsman stayed stone-still,
grinning down at the other. Sanji reached forward for Zoro’s waist. “Please, Zoro! Please do this
with me, you’re killing me,” he asked desperately, pawing at him causing his hair to fall back over
his eye.

Smiling, Zoro checked that off as a second win. Shimmying out of his clothes and boots, Zoro
returned to straddling the bench, then pulled Sanji forward, yanking his legs to rest over his thighs.
Sanji sucked in a breath and fell back onto his hands.

“Don’t be a dickhead,” Sanji started and jerked a leg from Zoro’s grasp to press it against his
tanned chest. “You think you’re gonna be in control this whole time? Think again, buddy.”

“Hah?!” Zoro replied, losing his calm demeanor. It was so easy to fall back into their familiar,
argumentative pace. “You ain't gonna man-handle me if that’s what yer thinkin.”

Sanji sat up and moved so they were back in their first positions, knees touching. “What do you
mean?” he asked. Zoro watched his eyes dart to his sleep shorts so he gave him a nod of approval,
letting him grab a cigarette. He quickly sparked up and blew the smoke into Zoro’s face. “Are we,
uh, talking about the same thing?”

Zoro let his eye wander from Sanji’s face to his abs, down to his cock, and back up again. “I
dunno,” Zoro mumbled and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. It was obvious the two of
them were dancing around the same subject, both knowing damn well what the other meant. “What
did...uh, how did you want to do this?”

Sanji flicked an ash behind him and rolled his eyes. “Isn’t it obvious?” Zoro shook his head,
waiting for Sanji to tell him. The blonde pointed to the center of the room with his cigarette and
said, “I’m going to lay you over there and make love to you.”

Raising his eyebrows to his hairline, Zoro said, “You think yer gonna stick yer dick in my ass? Not
happenin, Curly.”

Sanji bent forward in a laugh, smoke sputtering out as he did so. As he straightened, he took
another long drag on his cig. “And you think you’re going to have me instead?! In what world did
you think that was possible? The strongest should take that role, idiot, and it ain’t you.”

Even though Sanji wore a playful smile, Zoro knew the man was dead serious. “I’m sorry, I think I
got too dizzy staring at that hypno-brow of yours. Did you just say you were stronger than me?”
Sanji’s grin widened. Zoro sighed. “Look, if neither of us is willing to give in, then how is this
gonna work? One of us has to yield.”

While Sanji smoked the rest of his cigarette down, the two stared at each other, internally thinking
of a solution to this increasingly awkward situation. Once Sanji had placed the butt back in his
pack of smokes, he twitched his mouth side to side and said, “Okay, I’ve got an idea. What if we
mess around with each other and see who likes it better? That way the decision won’t be based on
power, but pleasure instead.”

Thinking it over, Zoro had to agree it sounded right. As much as he didn’t want a finger in his ass
at all, he did have to admit he never tried it so he couldn’t for sure know - at least that’s what he
told himself to get through this. And if Sanji specifically said it wasn’t about power...maybe it
wouldn’t be too bad to let his guard down around him. “Alright, so what did you have in mind?”

“We put one leg over the other’s shoulder so we can reach each other,” Sanji said and moved to do
so.

“W-what?! Over the shoulder?” Zoro asked in surprise. “I can’t put my fuckin leg up that high,
idiot! I actually have bones in my body!”

Sanji made a face. “It’s not that high! Stop being a brat. Give me your leg, I’ll help,” he said and
gestured for Zoro to lift up. The green-haired man growled and cursed under his breath but obliged,
handing over his left leg. Sanji grabbed his perfectly sculpted calf and slowly raised it but Zoro
began to wince once his ankle was at his ear. “Seriously? Don’t you stretch at all!?”

“Not into a damn pretzel, I don’t! I can’t do the splits forty times in a row, either! Yer a bendy
freak - I’m the normal one here!”

“Ugh! Fine, just leave it here, then,” Sanji said and set Zoro’s foot at the crease of his thigh. “Now,
come closer.”

Reluctantly, Zoro scooched closer and hated every second of it because he felt so exposed with his
leg angled like this. Especially when Sanji flopped his calf over his shoulder, allowing him to see
everything, knowing damn well Sanji could see just as much of him, too.

Without flinching, Sanji leaned over to Zoro’s coat and fished the bottle of lube out. The
swordsman couldn’t believe how easy he made it seem to put his body in impossible positions. He
wondered if the man had rubber bones like his captain.

“Hand out,” Sanji said and plopped a generous amount of lube over Zoro’s fingers and did the
same for himself. With no hesitation, Sanji dropped his hand to the bench and pressed his middle
finger right to Zoro’s entrance.

“OI!” Zoro yelped and snapped his legs closed.

“What?!”
“J-just hold on a minute!”

“What for?!”

“Because!”

“Are you scared?!”

“Excuse me!?” Zoro snapped.

“You heard me! You’re being a wimp about this.”

Zoro’s lip was raised in a snarl. “Like hell I’d let you win one over on me,” he growled and opened
his legs again. He sat forward and together, the two of them placed their hands in position.

Zoro held Sanji’s stare, not daring to look away lest the chef think he triumphed. When Zoro felt
Sanji’s finger touch him and slowly dip inside, he matched his movements and together they
sighed from the new feeling.

Slowly moving their fingers in and out of each other caused the stuffy air of the gym to warm up
quick. Sanji’s eyes were falling shut and when they were open, they trailed over Zoro’s sweat-
slicked chest. “A-anything…?” he asked breathlessly.

If he answered how he truly felt, Zoro was sure Sanji would make fun of him for making a big deal
out of this in the beginning, but he didn’t want to lie to him, either. “It doesn’t...feel bad, I guess,”
he admitted.

Sanji nodded his head with a smile. “I like it. I want more,” he said, pulling his finger out all the
way and pressed two inside. Zoro made a face of discomfort but didn’t object. The swordsman
followed Sanji’s lead and added two fingers into the mix. Sanji gasped.

“You like that, then?” Zoro asked, half with a smug attitude, half with concern hoping he wasn’t
hurting him.

“Yeah,” Sanji whispered, letting his eyes fall closed and bit his lip. His fingers gradually became
sluggish, unable to keep up with Zoro’s pace.

“Get your fingers outta me and I’ll give you more,” Zoro said, pressing deep inside Sanji and
curling his fingers upward. The blonde cried out with a moan, startling the both of them to stop in
their tracks. Pink saturated across Sanji’s face as he realized the noise came from him and not
someone else. He ripped his hand from Zoro and crossed his arms with embarrassment. His knees
shook as he ever so slightly tried shutting them to close himself off. Zoro’s brows turned up in
worry as he released his fingers. “Hey, it’s alright,” Zoro gently told him.

“This is so humiliating,” Sanji whined, still not looking at Zoro. “I didn’t think I’d be the one
under you.”

“Are you...that upset about it?” Sanji nodded he was. Zoro sighed and sat up straight. His foot
found the floor again and he maneuvered Sanji’s leg off his shoulder and back to the mat, too.
Looking the blonde over, he wasn’t sure what the man truly wanted. He still had an erection yet
the rest of his body language screamed I don’t like this. If this was going to be their first time
together, there was no way the swordsman was going to let his partner feel like he was the lesser of
the two of them. And it wasn’t as if Zoro hated the feeling when Sanji had his fingers inside him,
he supposed it was just too foreign to him still. “You can be in control, you know. I won’t mind.”
Sanji looked at him. For a split second, Zoro saw a glimpse of amazement or even shock, but it was
quickly replaced with an emotion Zoro knew all too well on that curly face of his: annoyance. The
crease between his eyebrows furrowed together as he frowned. “I appreciate the gesture, but that’s
not the problem here, Marimo.” Zoro cocked his head to the side. “Ugh,” Sanji said, clicking his
tongue. “I wasn’t expecting to actually like it!”

Zoro smiled. He smiled from ear to ear. “You sure?”

“Yeah,” the blonde said with an eye roll. “But only if you…you know.” Sanji’s arms untangled so
one could nervously mess with the bangs over his eye. “Only if you don’t think I’m no longer your
equal or something…”

Leaning to the side and reaching for his coat, Zoro wiped his fingers off and grabbed Sanji’s hand
to clean his off as well, who grimaced because that’s the coat he wears in public, gross! But Zoro
ignored him. Tossing the trench aside and trading it for the bottle of lube, he slicked himself up
and gestured for Sanji to come closer. Zoro helped him put his legs over his thighs to wrap around
his waist. “Ain’t no way I could think that of you, cause it wouldn’t be true.”

Giving a sigh of relief, Sanji smiled down at Zoro and ran his fingers through the green hair.
“Really?” he asked. Zoro confirmed and asked one more time if this is what Sanji wanted. “Who
knew a big brute like you could be so considerate.” He huffed a laugh and traced his fingers down
the back of Zoro’s head, around his neck, and up to his ear to create a perfect song by causing three
earrings to chime together.

Sanji leaned in to press his lips to the other’s. Zoro could feel Sanji smiling against him. The idea
of the Sunny’s chef letting down all of his walls to become so vulnerable for him was borderline
euphoric. This man, who was just as strong mentally and physically as he was, was placing his
naked body in Zoro’s hands to care for, entrusting his all to him.

Without releasing Sanji’s lips, Zoro slowly felt up his thick, muscular thighs, squeezing his fingers
desperately. Passing over his hips and around to his ass, Zoro’s heart rate accelerated and his even
breathing turned into pants of want. Hearing Sanji moan between every kiss, feeling him grind into
him, seeing him come undone for him - it was enough to send him over the edge as is.

Zoro easily lifted Sanji and hovered him over the tip of his cock. He waited until Sanji opened his
eyes so he could watch every expression he was about to make. Two angelic blue eyes were visible
as Sanji looked down at him from under his hair. Zoro didn’t think he could ever get tired of
seeing the man’s entire face at a time.

Leisurely lowering the blonde down onto him, Zoro found it quite difficult to keep his eye from
closing at the feeling of Sanji taking him entirely. It was better than he had imagined and he had
wanted to relish in the feeling by letting his eye lazily shut, but he couldn’t if he wanted to watch.
To miss even a single expression Sanji made would have been a loss that Zoro knew he’d regret for
a long, long time.

Never did Zoro think this was where he’d end up in life and it all started by becoming a pirate in
the courtyard of a small Marine base. It wasn’t soon after, he met this amazing human-being who
sat atop of him now. This single person who pushed him to be better and better every single day,
whether he knew it or not. Neither daring to let themselves fall behind the other. Between all the
crazy shit they had been through with this rag-tag crew, they eventually fell in love? Zoro from a
few months ago would have thought the idea laughable, preposterous even. But Zoro from now had
no idea how he could live another day without knowing Sanji loved him just as much as he loved
Sanji. This idiot-cook who struggled through his childhood and grew up to be a raging, foot-
wielding badass was his. Sanji was his.
Sanji must have adjusted to the feeling because his face had melted into a goofy smirk that he only
gave the girls when they wore their tiny bikinis. Zoro had never received this type of look from
him before. Maybe caught him staring a few times, but never the heart-eyes-and-floppy-tongue
look. Zoro lifted him back up as if he weighed nothing, causing Sanji’s mouth to fall open and
giggle for more. Once he settled into an agonizingly slow pace, Sanji had wrapped his arms around
Zoro’s neck to hold on and let his head flop backward.

Unable to help himself after having Sanji’s chest pressed into his face, Zoro playfully bit a nipple
in hopes Sanji would return his gaze on him. Instead, Sanji gasped and yanked on his green hair.
He clenched over Zoro causing him to falter in his movements.

Sanji continued to tighten over Zoro, whining through deep moans. One hand wedged its way
between them so he could touch himself, it sliding with ease from how wet he had become. The
temptation to witness the blonde pleasure himself was too great and so Zoro broke away from
watching Sanji’s throat flex to see his right hand smearing precum over his dick. Every stroke
stayed in time with Zoro lifting him up and down and each time he squeezed over the head, white
droplets beaded up and leaked over. Remembering how Sanji tasted had the swordsman forgetting
how to swallow properly.

If Sanji was always like how he was back in the aquarium room, Zoro knew the blonde wouldn’t
last much longer with the way he began panting the swordsman’s name under his breath. As if on
cue - “Zoro, I’m not gonna last,” Sanji admitted with a throaty gasp.

“That’s fine,” the swordsman whispered to him, placing a few gentle kisses on his chest before
returning to Sanji’s face. “Look at me, though.”

Sanji’s head fell forward and he was a mess. Zoro suppressed a moan from the sight of him. His
cheeks were flushed, eyes mere slits, and his lips were shiny and pink from biting down too hard
on them. It took everything he had to keep the pace even so as not to disrupt Sanji’s approaching
orgasm.

Sanji came with a curse falling from his mouth and short nails digging into tanned shoulder-meat.
Zoro didn’t let up until Sanji relaxed, bonelessly collapsing against him. While he let Sanji catch
his breath, he snaked his arms around his torso and buried his face into Sanji’s neck, planting soft
kisses against his damp skin.

Eventually, Sanji managed to push himself up. “Did you..?” he asked shyly.

“No,” Zoro said, grabbing Sanji’s hand and bringing it to his chin. “But I will.” He then licked
Sanji’s palm up to his fingers to swallow them, tasting them to taste Sanji.

“Oh,” Sanji whispered to himself. When Zoro removed his hand from his mouth, Sanji bent down
to kiss him.

Deep in his throat, Zoro groaned. He placed his hands under Sanji’s thighs and stood, swinging a
leg over the bench and getting to his knees to lay the blonde down on the mat. Those long, milky
white legs never let go, still locked behind him. As his back touched the ground, his blonde hair
fell to the side enough that Zoro could see a second blue eye peeking through. He helped it by
using a single finger to draw it backward, leaving his hair in a wavy mess. The damn idiot was
beautiful like that, though.

Continuing where they left off, Zoro softly pumped his hips into Sanji while he slipped his tongue
inside his mouth. The new position had Zoro practically seeing stars because he could reach much
deeper than before. He readjusted his knees and pressed back inside a little harder than he meant,
forcing a moan right out of Sanji. The blonde covered his face.

“It’s alright, move your hand,” Zoro said and returned to sensually kissing the other. Part of him
wanted to be rougher with Sanji after seeing that reaction, to pin him down and promise to make
him not able to walk straight for a week. Then there was the part that didn’t want this to end, this
perfect moment of them getting along and just becoming completely lost in each other. The way
Sanji stared up at him with half-lidded eyes full of lust and love, how his mouth quirked up on the
sides in a knowing smile at whatever face Zoro was probably making, how his breath hitched each
time their tongues slid across each other...all of it was amazing.

“Sanji…” he breathed heavily. The tingles running down his spine, tightening his muscles over his
lower back had Zoro thrusting haphazardly. “Sanji, m’gonna…” he tried warning him, but his mind
was turning to mush - his orgasm was creeping up faster than he could control and his mouth didn’t
know how to form words anymore, only sounds he knew he’d be made fun of for later. Every hair
on his body stood on end as the electric surge coursed over his skin.

Below him, Sanji was very supportive by tightening his insides and digging his nails into whatever
surface he could reach. His eyes went wide when he felt Zoro cumming inside, but he didn’t try to
stop him, either. Zoro slowed to a stop and collapsed over the blonde, panting in his ear.

“You know, it’s not very fair you took my idea,” Sanji cooed into his ear. “I was supposed to make
love to you right here, not the other way around.”

“Shaddap,” Zoro said after catching his breath. He could feel Sanji’s fingers running through his
hair and tracing down his back. It felt nice. It all felt nice. Once he was sure he could sit back on
his knees without shaking, he did so, pulling out of Sanji.

“Gross,” Sanji said while sitting up. “I need another bath.”

Zoro knew Sanji would say something like that. “I’d offer to help but I gotta stay up here.”

Dismissively waving his hand, Sanji said, “I can do it in my own, idiot. It’s the ‘getting from here
to there’ part that I don’t want to do.” The two of them stood and while Zoro handed him his
clothes to put on, he added one last thing with an evil smile. “I don’t mind the mess so long as you
remember I’m the strongest.”

“HAH?!”

___

When you’re completely content in your life, time flows by fast, Zoro thought to himself. Weeks
had gone by since the night he and Sanji shared together. It was an experience Zoro would never
forget and he knew Sanji felt the same way seeing as how the man pawed at him after every fight
they got into. He was so easy to read, to know what he was really after. It should come of no
surprise, though, learning how truly horny the damn guy was.

The sun was high in the sky, pelting its rays down on the Thousand Sunny while Zoro stood at the
railing, looking off into the distance. They had just departed from an island and were on their way
to continue their journey around the New World. The adventure never had a dull moment, even
when Sunny was stationary over calm waters, deserting them in the middle of the ocean. Even
then, something was bound to happen. All of their lives were full of ups and downs and loops and
knots but Zoro wouldn't trade it for anything, even the title of The Greatest Swordsman.
That title was something he would gain while with this crazy crew. Luffy would help them all
achieve their goal in some way or another, and vice versa. Zoro wouldn’t rest until his captain
became the King of the Pirates. He’d stay as his right hand for as long as he’d keep him, and on his
left would be Sanji. The two of them surrounding the King to let the world know if you fuck with
one of them, you fuck with them all.

That train of thought reminded Zoro of Sanji’s main goal in life. The blonde never claimed he
wanted to be the greatest chef or cook the biggest meal. All he had said was he wanted to find the
All Blue, a place where all four oceans connected and were home to all types of sea creatures. His
goal was different than Zoro’s or Luffy’s, he wasn’t looking for a title to hold, only wanted to
know the existence of a place. Sure he wanted to use the marine life in his recipes, but his main
goal didn't revolve around that.

Zoro wondered what it would look like, the All Blue. He had seen some of the most insane things
in such a few years as a Straw Hat that he’d believe anything at this point. The idea of four oceans
meeting together seemed pretty unlikely, but the more the nine of them encountered each day, the
less crazy All Blue sounded.

The waves lapped against Sunny’s side, bathing her as they sailed in the afternoon sun. The light
breeze jingled his earrings together and tousled through his short hair. He placed a hand over his
ear to still the metals, thinking to himself about Sanji.

What will his face look like when we find the All Blue? Will his smile ever fade? The grin Sanji
wore any time he spoke of the place was so child-like, making him look younger than he really
was. This magical place seemed to sweep Sanji off his feet time and time again, the blonde never
tiring of such a fantasy. The innocence of his dream will never get tiring.

Jumping, Zoro looked to his left. At some point, Robin had joined him at the railing. “What do you
want, Witch Number Two?”

Long, dark hair swirled in the wind as she turned to face him. She brought her hands up to tie her
hair back in a loose ponytail. “I’ve come over here to grab you for lunch. Sanji-san has been calling
for you.”

Zoro looked behind him. The rest of the crew were sitting out on a red checkered blanket while
Sanji filled cups full of ice-cold lemonade. He had been so caught up in his thoughts about Sanji
and their future that he didn't even hear everyone gathering to eat. “Uh, thanks,” Zoro said.

Robin gave a tight-lipped smile. “You must have been thinking of something important, hm?” she
asked. Zoro shrugged while returning his gaze to the sparkling ocean. The last few seagulls that
dared venture out this far cawed overhead as they circled the ships, hoping to find scraps of food
that didn’t exist. “Maybe you were reminiscing?”

Zoro made a face. “About what?”

“Our little cook. Do you miss him?”

Hackles standing on end, Zoro reared backward from her. “N-no! What the hell kinda question is
that!?”

The archeologist only laughed, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. “Not even a little?”
she asked.

“No,” Zoro grumbled in a pout. He couldn’t believe she’d ask such an embarrassing question. He
chanced a glance to see what Robin’s expression was, to see if she believed even an ounce of what
he was defending. Her face was smug, a perfect eyebrow lifted with disbelief.

“Oh? That means I can throw this out, then?” Robin said nonchalantly as she pulled a card from the
top of her shirt. It was white on the back, whatever it was on the front still a mystery to the
swordsman.

Zoro craned his neck to see the front but Robin tucked it close to her breast. “Well, what is it,
dammit? Why do you always play these mind games?”

“Zoroooooo, Robinnnnnn!!!!” Foooooooddd!” Luffy called, waving to them from the center of the
deck. Both pirates turned to their name. The grass swayed as the wind flowed through it, also
catching Luffy’s hat.

It made it a few feet away but Sanji caught it and returned it to its owner. As he bent to put the hat
on Luffy’s head, he looked at Zoro, silently asking, ‘is there something wrong?’

“Will you just show me, Robin?” Zoro asked impatiently.

“If you don’t miss the little cook, I don’t think you need this,” Robin said, raising the card and
looking at the side Zoro couldn’t see.

Zoro’s lip twitched. He took a deep breath and, as fast as he could, snatched the card from Robin’s
hold. When he turned it over, his heart felt like it had skipped a beat. His chest ached with
excitement, tightening so much it was almost painful from what he was seeing.

It wasn’t a card he held, but a photograph. His own cranky face stared up at him, and in his arms
were Chopper and none other than Sanji when he was just a seven-year-old boy. He remembered
this moment so vividly, too.

...

After our bath, I came out of the bathroom wrapped in a dry towel carrying Sanji in one arm and
Chopper in the other, both in fat, fluffy towels. We were on our way to the boy’s bunkroom to
change into clean clothes when we bumped into Nami and Robin. “Move,” I said, trying to walk
around them. Girls were so annoying.

They giggled, which only irked me more. Nami sighed and said, “Adorable,” bringing up a snail,
clicking its shell to snap a photo of us.

“Oi, oi! What’s this about!?” I said, gripping the boys tighter to me in embarrassment.

“I told you he’d come out with them!” Nami said, ignoring me and speaking only to Robin.

“You did, Navigator-san, and you were right - it is quite cute,” Robin said with a soft smile and
winked at me, giving me the damn creeps.

“I hate you both,” I told them and pushed past the two to enter the bunk room.

...
Zoro couldn’t believe he had forgotten this picture existed. He was speechless, practically
dumbstruck from the photo. A million things were running through his mind at the sight of seeing
that little dorky blonde again. His heart felt like it would burst from his chest, swelling much too
large for his ribcage to hold back. The face he thought he’d never see again was right there, plain
as day.

Sanji was laughing at something Chopper had said right before the snail went off. The brightest
smile, sealed in time, capturing the perfect moment of a perfect child. His little toes were curled
and his eyes were squeezed shut as he giggled. Zoro couldn’t suppress his smile any longer. He
was way too happy to keep up this stupid act that he didn’t care so deeply for the younger Sanji.
He turned to thank Robin, but she was already gone.

Just then, Sanji came up beside him with an arm around his waist. “You coming? Usoppu and
Franky can only guard the food for so long before it’s all gone, you know.”

Zoro shoved the photo into his trench coat. “Yes!” he answered all too quickly.

Sanji asked what he was hiding, but Zoro waved him off. “Well, alright. Come eat, please?” he
asked and placed a light peck on Zoro’s cheek before returning to the others.

Watching the chef walk away and kicking Luffy in the head, Zoro smiled again. He didn’t think he
would ever understand how anyone could ever hurt such a nice kid like Sanji, how anyone could
ever torture such a kind soul. Part of him wanted to know the rest of the blonde’s story, to know
what happened when he wasn’t there to protect him. But the other part reminded him it didn’t
matter because he was here and he was alive.

Right. None of that matters now because you’re here with me, Zoro silently told Sanji. No one will
ever be able to hurt you like they did before, not ever again. You are my best friend, my rival, and
now - my lover. I’d die a thousand deaths just to keep you happy, but I’ll start by always being
there for you. No matter what happens, just know I’ve always got your back.
End Notes

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