#( which is Zeff and the Baratie and the Strawhats )

[diabelskoga]

What made you decide to write this muse?

⨳ — MUNDAY; ( accepting! )

*sweats*

here's my answer.

[deecotan]

🌱 Deeco's ZoSan Fic Rec List 🐥

Hello hello! This is going to be a slight rework for my zosan fic rec list, because I wanted to re-organize it and add some new fics while I'm at it, so this is going to be longer than the first. Feel free to check it out!

Latest update: November 2023

Because I started making this list long before August 2023, I won't add any fics that specifically take place in live-action setting because I haven't read much of them yet. I might consider updating this list to add fics with live-action setting in the future.

—GEN/T FICS

Sketches of Life (and Love) by Fledgling (Teen, 2.9k)

An exploration of a headcanon where Sanji likes to draw in his free time. This fic always leaves me with a warm feeling every time I read it because how endearingly sweet it is. It’s basically a domestic fluff story about both ZoSan and the Strawhats crew in general.

green with envy blues by adietxt (Gen, 1.5k)

A cute fic about Zoro being jealous. Jealous!Zoro has been one of those tropes that make me screech like a feral animal every time I come across it and this fic does exactly that. It’s pretty short and simple but it captures the characters very well. It’s set during pre-timeskip which makes it even better to me because pre-TS Zoro possesses that boyish quality that post-TS Zoro doesn’t necessarily have anymore.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Fuck, Marry, Kill (or, how Usopp becomes the best matchmaker of the sea without really trying) (Teen, 4.8k) — Usopp introduces the Strawhats to a game that ends up causing Sanji to overthink things - a lot of things.

Old Men Blues by postmoderne (Gen, 2k)

Quoting directly from the fic’s summary, “Sanji and Zoro: two ancient fucks (in love).” because this is exactly that, a story about old men ZoSan. Old Zoro and old Sanji are both still as stubborn as ever and it’s endearing. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Something Golden (Teen, 1.6k) — Canon reimagining where Zoro met Sanji at the Baratie pre-series.

Meet me under the orange tree by candelina (Gen, 3.9k)

A canon divergence AU where Zoro and Sanji met as kids, as Zeff opened up Baratie in Zoro’s hometown. It’s an adorable and heartwarming story of little Zoro and little Sanji’s friendship. There’s also a part two which is also worth reading. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: The whole world will know (2.3k) — Old men ZoSan fic, this one involves Zoro deliberately showing himself to the Marines for god knows what. It’s sweet, it’s beautiful, and it shows that Zoro is as reckless and idiotic as he is a loving, devoted husband.

Zoro’s Boyfriend, Who Lives In Canada by donutsandcoffee (Gen, 2.6k)

Modern AU, where Zoro’s friends try to stop him from believing that his imaginary, totally made-up boyfriend actually exists. Of course Zoro’s boyfriend doesn’t actually exist, because with the way Zoro describes him he’s way too perfect to exist and how can anyone so perfect actually exist? A hilarious story of misunderstandings.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Prison Blues (Teen, 2.8k) and it’s a long way forward (Teen, 5k) — serve as both a ZoSan story and a great Sanji character study. 

The Three of Swords by 8ball (Teen, 30k, multi-chapters & completed)

A medieval AU with knight Zoro and prince Sanji, a concept that starts to really grow on me after I begin to read this fic. In this story, Zoro is a cursed knight appointed to serve Sanji, a kind-hearted prince whom Zoro eventually pines over. It’s a beautiful take of prince and knight AU; devoted knight Zoro is something that I didn’t know I need. It also has a sequel.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: The Ocean's Child series — a canon-divergence mermaid!Sanji AU

(I Want) Someone to Love Me by three_days_late (Teen, 7.9k)

Sanji is about to turn 17, so he hopes that he can get his first kiss before that. A cute high school AU that involves everyone wanting to kiss Sanji (honestly, who doesn’t) but only one person gets to actually do it.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Blood Red (Teen, 400 words) — this might be a little biased because this fic is inspired by my comic, but it’s also a perfectly good reason why I must add it here; this fic is able to capture the spirit of the comic perfectly. If you want to read a short exposition of Zoro showing his darker, yet protective side, then this fic is worth the read. Warning for blood & hints of violence. The Christmas Swap (Teen, 37k, multi-chapters & completed) — a modern AU in which Sanji and Reiju switch partners during Christmas so they can attend their family gathering without having to come out as queer. It’s a wonderful story about family, relationships, and the struggles of maintaining those things as a queer person. The Only Way Out (Is Through) (Teen, 4.8k) — a beautiful Prince Sanji and Knight Zoro story, where circumstances forced them to separate & unable to be together. It also has a side Nami/Vivi. I Have Loved You for 1000 Years (I'll Love You for 1000 More) (Teen, 8.9k) — Another Prince Sanji & Knight Zoro AU involving time travel & the sacrifices you go through for the ones you love.

Curly Angel by APTX & translated to English by NMTD (Teen, 9.4k, two chapters & completed)

In this alternative canon universe, everyone has a guardian angel, and Zoro’s just happened to be Sanji. Hilarity ensues.

Let me be your Inspiration by TheWanderers (Teen, 19.8k)

College AU where Sanji is an artist/painter - another fic that explores Sanji as someone with an artistic streak, but also so much more. It’s a beautiful story that starts out with Zoro having to model for Sanji’s painting but ends up falling in love with him. I love the way the author adapts the characters’ canon backstory into this universe.

Retrogade by Hazel_Athena (Teen, 21.9k, two-chapters & completed)

Sanji got badly injured after a fight, and ends up losing a big chunk of memories - it doesn’t bother him too much until he notices how weird Zoro starts to act around him. A really good temporary amnesia fic with some really delicious pining!Zoro material. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Medieval ZoSan series — a medieval arranged marriage AU. Renegade Queen (Teen, 76k, multi-chapters & completed) — a canon divergent AU where Sora lives and takes all her children with her - it's more of a Vinsmoke family story with ZoSan on the side.

Nothing Happened (Gen, 16k, multi-chapters & completed)

An angsty survival story where the Strawhats get stranded in a middle of the seas with no means to escape and rapidly declining food stock. This fic does a really good job at keeping you in suspense, and the way it handles Zoro and Sanji's relationship destroyed me emotionally. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Each A Love Song (Gen, 8.6k) — Sanji is frustrated because Zoro’s surprisingly popular with women when he doesn’t even like them back. A story of a confused Sanji trying to find love and being the World’s Most Oblivious Man. Three Blades (Gen, 5k) — a Western AU where Sanji is a saloon owner and Zoro is a bounty hunter.

The Melody of Missing You by BleuReivers (Teen, 11k)

Zoro is forced to confront his feelings in the aftermath of Sanji's departure during the Whole Cake Island arc. I love the way this story examines Zoro's softer, more vulnerable side in a painfully beautiful way, and the whole fic has this hazy, dream-like vibe that really fits with the plot.

Sick Day by Styx_in_the_mud (Teen, 1.3k)

Zoro gets sick, and Sanji takes care of him. A short sick!fic with a simple premise but very cute nonetheless.

—MATURE/EXPLICIT FICS

Deep by CharlieNozaki (Mature, 171k, multi-chapters & completed)

This is There Are Many Benefits to Being A Marine Biologist: The Fic. Okay jokes aside, this is a modern fantasy AU fic where merpeople exist and it mainly tells about marine biologist Sanji and merman Zoro. It has an interesting premise and deals with some heavy subjects in later chapters, hence the Mature tag. It has a sequel, though it's currently ongoing. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: The Game — a Modern AU with slight fantasy-ish element, where Zoro and Sanji are young orphans who find a mysterious game that might be able to change their lives.

Delphinium by toastie_bread (Mature, 39k, multi-chapters & completed)

Set in modern AU, stylist Sanji meets with police detective Zoro after his beauty salon got robbed; a cute rom-com story. There's also a side LawLu.

Steady, As She Goes by auspizien (Explicit, 155k, multi-chapters & completed)

I’ve always loved auspizien’s fics and this is the one fic that made me fall in love with their writing. This is a modern AU story where Zoro is an ex-agent with PTSD who meets and befriends Sanji, a paramedic. It’s a multi-chapter fic filled with humor, angst, pining, action, and good ol’ slow-burn.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: The Android Acquaintance (Explicit, 10k) — dystopian cyberpunk AU with android Sanji and bounty hunter Zoro. This fic partly inspires me to make the Blade Runner 2049 ZoSan art!

The Tribulations of Temptation by SweetyGreeny (Explicit, 18.5k)

Zoro accidentally sees Ace and Sanji doing… the do, and then spends days after that feeling shocked, confused, angry, and disappointed.  A delicious story of pining and jealous Zoro. There’s a slight AceSan in the beginning but the endgame is still ZoSan.   OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: A Siren’s Sinking Song (Teen, 12k) — a canon-divergent AU where Sanji is a siren who one day meets a peculiar swordsman from a wandering ship; this story is beautiful and I love the idea of siren!Sanji, but please note the major character death TW.  The Burden of Blondes (Explicit, 11k) — Sanji finds out that Zoro has a thing for blondes, and for some reason he feels uneasy. A fun story with some good smut, and inspired me to make an art loosely based on it.

Thy Fearful Symmetry by Harubo (Explicit, 14.3k)

A modern AU where Sanji is a tourist visiting a tiger reserve during a family vacation and Zoro is a detective investigating a poaching ring. All of Harubo’s fics are godsend but I particularly love this one because the setting reads like a perfect rom-com drama movie about a stressed, overworked chef meeting a handsome detective. There’s also a nice tidbit where the Vinsmoke siblings are trying to get along with each other.

Done Dirt Cheap by Balderdashfromafool (Explicit, 99.7k, multi-chapters & completed)

A Western ZoSan AU, where Zoro is an outlaw and Sanji is a small town chef. This one is fun and lovely, and as someone who doesn’t read a lot of Western-themed stories, I love the way the author describes the Western setting in this fic. 

The Fox's Heart by Shadowcatxx (Explicit, 32k, multi-chapters & completed)

Historical/mythological AU where fox spirit Sanji falls in love with human samurai Zoro. A pretty heavy story about forbidden romance but ends with a happy ending. The fic deals with some period-typical issues like homophobia, misogyny, sexism, and transphobia, as well as some depictions of violence and (slight) animal abuse, so please be aware of that.

Mine by burnwaywardbird (Explicit, 4k)

A pure PWP fic of Zoro “punishing” Sanji for flirting with strangers. Super kinky and involves slight dom/sub undertones. Also, while this is mostly pure PWP, this fic is technically part of a series and while can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend to read the other parts as well (especially the ones preceding this fic).

pretty sanji series (Pretty & Surprise) by kickingsanji (12.6k in total)

A series of fics exploring Sanji's femininity and Zoro discovering that he has a thing for Sanji being pretty & wearing pretty things. As a Pretty Sanji truther, I love these fics to bits, not only because it handles Sanji dealing with his insecurities when it comes to his gender expression in a gentle, respectful way, but also because the smut is very good.

All Will be Well by thecrownofclowns (Explicit, 17k)

An incredibly sad but sweet zombie apocalypse AU about Sanji trying to survive the zombie outbreak all by himself, before eventually meeting Zoro. One of my favorite hurt/comfort fics.

—OMEGAVERSE (ALPHA/BETA/OMEGA) FICS

Onigiri by himaaneko (Teen, 2.3k)

Very cute domestic family fic of Zoro, Sanji, and their son. For those who prefers a softer omegaverse with family/love-children fluff on the side, this fic is for you.

Bite Me by Shadowcatxxx (Mature, 15k, two-chapters & completed)

Sanji got attacked while he was alone on the ship, causing him to go into heat. Zoro tries to help, but not without consequences. An exposition on how Zoro and Sanji handle their dynamics, and their feelings towards each other. Please mind the tags with this one.

fever by adietxt (Explicit, 6.4k, multi-chapters & completed)

I'm pretty sure that this is the first omegaverse ZoSan story that I have ever read, and one of the best ones I've ever read for a good reason. It involves Sanji, who suddenly got into his heat, and Zoro, the first one to discover Sanji in heat and learns for the first time he's an omega. I won't spoil anything, but I can say that the ending is great, the porn is delicious, and Zoro being possessive is exquisite.

Steps of Calidity by auspizien (Explicit, 42k, multi-chapters & completed)

I'm gonna preface this by saying that the smut here is ungodly good and very, very hot - and to be perfectly honest, one of the main reasons why I like this fic so much. But the plot is just as good and has an interesting take of how omegaverse dynamics might work in a modern world. Don't forget to mind the tags as well.

Sweet by ElAlmaDelMar (Explicit, 1.8k)

Sanji starts lactating during his pregnancy; Zoro finds it very hot. This one is just straight up kinky. It's a sequel to another story but can be read as a standalone.

[one-idea]

Here's an idea: time travel fix it, but the time traveller is Zeff.

Casually fixing what he can for his Eggplant's future Nakama, like bribing Mihawk with a nice wine to mention what Arlong is up to to Jimbe.

I love a time travel fix it with an unlikely hero. Because the Strawhats have a lot of information about what needs to be fixed. Their time travel fix it’s make sense. But the fun ones are their allies who know major events but don’t know everything.

(I saw someone try this with Mihawk and like the man only knows major events that the strawhats get into. Also he’s way more likely just to show up and watch the chaos while drinking wine.)

Zeff being sent back is so fun. 1) he’s a great character who obviously loves Sanji and would want to do what’s best for him. But also 2) he has no idea what half the inciting incidents are! How will he ever know what to stop?

He does have some information though. So let’s say he gets dropped 21 years in the past. He’s still a pirate. Ohara was just burnt last year and Rodger died 3 years ago (fact check me)

Most importantly Sanji is about to be born. His little eggplant is about to be born into one of the worst family on the sea. Well not if he has anything to say about it. He’s still Red-Leg Zeff, the pirate captain.

He knows they can’t do a full frontal assault but some sneaking around gets him to Sora. And a quick “how do you feel about taking all the kids and running?” She’s in. Anything to get them away from Judge.

And it’s stupid easy because they are babies who are only a few days old. Judge only cares about their test results he isn’t watching them. So Zeff and a few of his crew just nab Judges wife and kids, and quite a bit of loot.

Zeff is booking it out of there. But not without kick judge through at least one wall durning the escape.

He makes the decision to quiet the pirate life early. He’s got Sora and the kids to worry about. They open the Baratie early. He knows exactly which cooking staff he’s hiring.

As he separated from the crew he tells them that if they run into a girl named Nico Robin to bring her to him.

He starts establishing the Baratie as a location for all to dine in. But this time he’s focused on making connections. Keeping his thumb on the pulse of both pirate and government movement.

Raising the five kids he’s acquired along side Sora, the genetic programming takes but without it being supported as they grow eventually gets out of their systems. Sanji being the most in touch with his emotions followed by Reiju. Their brothers struggle with emotions but are a lot better and more adjusted than they are in cannon.

About two years into this restaurant one 11 year old Nico Robin is delivered by his old crew. The girl is super freaked out but he sits her down and tells her that’s she’s safe, he’s got ears everywhere and will know if the governmental coming after them, and he won’t let them take her. Plus who’s going to be looking for her at a high class restaurant. It also helps that he’s got a gaggle of children already so she can stay off the floor hanging out with the kids. Sora also dyes Robin’s hair purple and that with age is enough to make people not immediately recognize her from her bounty poster.

5 years later the red hair pirates a bouncing around the East blue and Zeff waits. Waits until one day Shanks comes in one arm short and bragging about his son. (It helps that Sanji and his siblings are helping out so Shanks and Zeff are just casually talking about their kids.) He grabs the captain and pulls him to the side and tells him that Luffy is in danger and that there is another little boy on that island, a boy who is the son of his old captain. Shanks thinks he’s crazy at first but he knows things about Luffy. The scar under his eye, and other things.

Enough to make shanks curious enough to turn around and find Luffy and his TWO new brothers. He quickly collects three children and returns to the Baratie. (Kicks door open while holding three children “you were right!” Zeff surprised by the third child but not mad) (I don’t think he knows about Sabo)

Luffy and Sanji get on like a house fire with Luffy loudly declaring that Sanji will one day join his crew as his chef. And Zeff is standing there watching them with a proud smile, because somethings are just meant to happen.

Meanwhile Shanks as turned to look at Zeff

“anything else I should know about?”

Zeff just snorts “a lot. You still friends with Hawkeyes or have you to made it official yet?”

(With the Baratie around earlier he had to witness young Shanks and Mihawk flirting, it was painful)

Shanks gets sad “he’s mad about well you know…” the missing arm. And Zeff feels bad about that but he had no clue how the man lost it in the first place so there was no way he could stop it.

“If you run into him tell him there’s a crazy kid in the east blue gunning for his title. If he wants to keep things interesting he might want to train him.” (The Baratie is Mihawk’s favorite establishment Zeff could also tell him but he has a feeling the swords master would listen to Shanks over him.)

This is how Mihawk shows up at a dojo where a 10year old Kuina and 9 year old Zoro are training. (A year before Kuina’s death) he sees their skill and hears Kuina’s father’s opinion about females and training. He knows it’s an opinion that is also popular in Wano where this man is obviously from, but it’s not the way the rest of the world works. He approaches and offers to take over the training of the girl “who won’t make anything of herself” and the “feral gremlin using sword handles for teething.” Kuina’s father isn’t to sure about all this but he can’t really refuse the greatest swordsman in the world nor will Kuina or Zoro stay once they hear about the offer.

Mihawk has now obtained one verbally polite girl who will break every rule the moment his back is turn and one backpack leash gremlin.

He and Shanks are regulars at the Baratie for parenting advice. Luffy meets Zoro’s and again claims him as part of the crew. Years later Zoro and Sanji argue over who will be the first official member (Sanji: Luffy asked me first! Zoro: but I was the first one to physically join the crew!)

But currently the three run a muck on the Baratie pulling pranks on their older siblings (Ace, Sabo, Kuina, and Reiju are all the same age) or just Sanji brothers (they are still learning emotions and will sometimes join in on the chaos, other times they are a rival faction but if they ever get to mean Luffy and Zoro put them in their place)

but eventually Luffy runs into Robin (she tries to stay out of the way as much as possible to not get the Baratie in trouble. Zeff tells her she doesn’t have to but Trauma is a thing) Luffy loves her instantly. She quitely reading a book and Luffy joins her for story time and she never gets mad at his interruption and is so patient with him. He looks at her with a grin of a small sun and tells her “when I’m captain you’re going to be on my crew!” Robin is a little freaked out because she doesn’t want to bring the world government down on this little boy. But Zeff talks to her later and tells her that Luffy isn’t a force that can be stopped. It takes time but in the next ten years Robin comes around to the idea of being on Luffy’s crew with Zoro and her little brother Sanji. As soon as Luffy claimed her he told the others. Sanji was pumped! Zoro just accept it but he comes around to really love Robin.

At the same time that the boys are all being adopted Zeff is making some calls and contacts. The Baratie has been open for over 9 years he’s got some high connections. He eventually gets a hold of Jimbei and tells him that Arlong is in the East Blue and causing trouble. (Arlong has just started in the East blue, Zeff has no clue of the time clock) he points Jimbei in the direction of Cocoyashi.

Jimbei gets their right at the time of Arlong raid in the village. He walks in right as Arlong and Bell-mére are having their confrontation. I don’t know exactly what happens (I haven’t met Jimbei yet) but he’s able to stop it.

Bell-mére asks how he knew they were in trouble and he tells them about the Baratie. The village wants to thank the man who alerted Jimbei so Bell-mére goes (she is a retired Marine and probably the best sailor.) and takes Nojiko and Nami with her. Of course Shanks is visiting with the boys and Luffy and Nami instantly hit it off. “This is my Navigator!!!” Shanks is laughing because the kids going to have a whole crew before he has a boat.

Once Luffy is ready to set sail he meets up with Zoro and the two head to the Baratie to pick up Nami, Sanji, and Robin. Zeff points them in the direction of Suyrup village to “get a ship” where they pick up Usopp and save Kaya. (This absolutely does not make Usopp’s feeling of inferiority worse by the time they get to Water 7. No way. It’s not like everyone else on the crew until Vivi and Chopper have known each other for 10 years. He’s not the odd man out in any way.)

Zeff doesn’t have a lot of information about their adventures so he can’t truly stop anything but he does know some thing. (Nami leaving the crew. Luffy and Zoro being from the east blue and having connections with Shanks and Mihawk (Mihawk totally goes the the Baratie to drink during the time skip. Zeff knows Zoro is his kid) he knows Ace is Roger’s son and that he dies. But he doesn’t know anything that isn’t in Sanji’s letters or the news paper (which is full of lies)

He makes the best decisions he can for Sanji.

He saves Sanji from Zeff as soon as possible

Accidentally saving Sora, Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji

After Sanji set sail Zeff decides to expand the Baratie. It’s a chain

Patty and Carne take over the East blue branch

Reiju runs the one in the grandline.

Ichiji runs one in the west blue

Niji runs one in the south blue

The north blue doesn’t get one until Judge is dead they all agree on that

Yonji bounces from place to place helping as he is needed

Zeff and Sora open one in the New World.

Zeff might not know everything the Strawhats went through but he knows the major events and by having a home base in almost every sea he’s got ears everywhere. His old crew is still out there acting as ears for him and bring him news.

Anything he can help the Strawhats avoid or remove from their path he sends word

He tells Shanks about Ace.

Accidentally getting Luffy, Ace, and Sabo adopted

Saving Sabo from the Celestial dragons

Giving all three boys the chance to train with the Red Hair Pirates and learn Haki early while also getting a feel for the Grandline and New World

Ace’s death is prevented because he knows about Blackbeards plans and tells Ace to watch out for the man and to not trust him. It helps that Ace grew up with Shanks who never liked Blackbeard at all.

He tells Mihawk about Zoro

Kuina is accidentally saved

Both get to train with Mihawk far before their adventure. Mihawk loves it because the two are “trying to kill him” but they are also competing with each other and it’s MESSY they are so dramatic in their own weird way and he’s living for watching this gremlins fight while he drinks wine. When Perona shows up he finally has a goth child who wants to dress presentable and drink wine while making his other children. The family is complete.

He puts out feelers for Robin having no real hope she will show up

Accidentally gave her a loving home and help her feel safe while also preparing her for the adventure ahead.

He points Jimbei in Arlong direction. He has no clue what Arlong is truly up to.

Accidentally saves village

Saves Bell-mére’s life and kick starts the Strawhats.

The Strawhats still have a lot going on but because of advance trading some received as children and the stronger bonds.

He can’t do anything to Chopper, Franky, Brook or Usopp because their trauma is already passed Franky/Brook or he doesn’t know their stories well enough to intervene, Usopp/Chopper.

But he does make the safest home possible for his little eggplant.

[ohnoitstbskyen]

So I know you headcanon Nami as a lesbian and Luffy as aroaco (both which is heavily agree with!) What are your romance/sexuality headcanons for the other Strawhats?

Hm. I think Zoro is ace, but not aro, but also the only thing he's really in love with is his dream of fulfilling his promise to Kuina, becoming the greatest swordsman in the world. Once he accomplishes that... well, I am not 100% sure he'll survive accomplishing it, actually, I think the story is signaling pretty hard that his moment of transcendence is going to be connected with the moment of his death (the "King of Hell" thing, all the Buddhism imagery, his tendency to find revelations about swordsmanship on the brink of death) but if he does survive it, that's when maybe romance can become a consideration for him. Maybe. That's when he can figure out who he's even into.

Sanji is extremely romantic - hyperromantic, even - but honestly in a way that's... almost totally disconnected from actual romance? He worships women as divine goddesses and sources of extreme aesthetic and emotional joy for him, but he seems to struggle enormously to actually relate to them a lot of the time. He seems more invested in Being A Gentleman Who Loves Women than he does in... actually being in any sort of a realistic relationship with a woman.

Pudding is the closest he comes to forming an actual romantic relationship, and even then, so much of it is ultimately motivated by his romantic fantasy of Being The Prince, of being the noble, self-sacrificing hero who Saves The Girl, of Being A Good Man. Committing to her is, for him, an act of self-sacrifice, for the sake of his crew, for the sake of his family (Zeff and the Baratie, not the Vinsmokes), and for the sake of her more than it is an earnest desire to build a future with a true partner. He's resigning himself to a life of being her perfect domestic husband servant, in worship and adoration of her, but never in partnership.

In an extremely weird way, the vibe I get from Sanji is he's like a... hyperromantic... aromantic? He's EXTREMELY invested in romantic fantasies, but not so much in the actual day-to-day mundanities of romance, he's in love with the idea of being in love, with the experience of being in love, with the thrill and act and performance of being in love, more than he is in love with any actual person?

Partly this comes down to One Piece just not being a romance story - romance is generally sidelined and elided in most situations, and Sanji's romantic obsessions are played for comedy 99% of the time, they are not taken seriously, so he never has an opportunity to really go through the process of romance as a grounded, flesh-and-blood process, but I can only discuss him as he is presented.

Robin, I think, might be the most straightforward of the crew. I am on board with the Frobin agenda, I think she's probably straight and... if not cis, then about as cis as you can be with a power like the Hana Hana no Mi. And I think she genuinely would be very attracted to a loud, dependable eccentric like Franky, as the other half to her quiet dependable eccentric personality. Especially since he is loudly and obviously an extremely decent man with a heart of gold, and Robin carries so much trauma of being a "devil child," I think she probably needs that kind of uncomplicated light of goodness in her life.

Usopp, again, is probably a fairly straightforward sort. The live action gives him a thing for Kaya, but I could see him being bi or pan, but much like Zoro I don't think he's going to quite have the capacity for Romance™ until he fulfils his dream of becoming a great warrior of the sea (he already has, of course, but he needs to internalize it and realize it within himself). I ONE HUNDRED percent believe he might end up taking a Giant for a spouse.

Franky is... okay this makes no sense whatsoever but I feel that he's gay? But also would fall for Robin? ... but in a gay way???

Look I don't know how that works either, it's a vibe it's a brain feeling it's a wibbly wobbly romance gender sort of situation. Franky is clearly in love with the male body, with masculinity, with maleness, and he especially loves building himself into those images of hypermasculinity, but he does in a way that feels hella queer to me. I don't really think you can be a self-made cyborg building his own body without being some flavor of queer-coded, like, I just don't think that that can be a cishet thing anymore.

He would fall for Robin is my point, in part because they share a knack for creating themselves, in part because Robin would appreciate and need him, in part because she would adore his cybernetic self-creation and find it charming and beautiful, and I think he needs someone who will love his creations (including, y'know, his body) as much as he does.

It's like... y'know how Neo and Trinity in the Matrix are clearly, OBVIOUSLY a t4t couple even though they're both technically cis in the text of the story? It's like that with Frobin for me. Yeah, sure, they're both cis and straight, but also they are trans and gay.

Jinbei I have no idea, actually, he could be into absolutely anything. Kind of a gay bear vibe? That's the best I got. Chopper is a child and I don't think he really has any idea yet either, and Brook... look, I don't think you can be THAT level of flamboyant rockstar and not be some flavor of queer. The Soul King wears Elton John outfits half the time. I don't know that he has a sexuality anymore necessarily (he could be ace, what with the having no carnal flesh and all), but if he's not at least bi romantically then nothing about him makes sense.

[goddessofroyalty]

So this was based on a silly joke I have in my head about hormonal birth control not working for omega!Sanji for (spoilers) reasons and him and Zoro then ending up with 3 kids on the pirate journey because they keep breaking condoms.

Anyway this is just them finally making it back to the Baratie and having to face up to Zeff about it (from Zeff’s POV)

Pairing: Zoro/Sanji

Tags: omegaverse, mpreg

---------

Zeff will admit he is slightly surprised at the swell in Sanji’s stomach when he showed up again as part of what seems to be the new Pirate King and crew’s Victory Tour.

It’s not that Eggplant had given him no indication of it – he had been getting more and more jittery every damn time he’d gotten in touch as the Strawhats made their various stops before reaching the Baratie. Saying how some things had happened during his travels and that he’d needed to talk to Zeff about them in person. But Zeff had assumed it was to do with his damnable family. Not that his woman-obsessed omega son had gone and got himself knocked up. By an alpha, going by the new layer of scent clinging on top of the one he remembers to be Sanji’s.

And, because wonder’s don’t fucking cease, they’ve only just gotten through their tearful hug when a little green-haired girl comes running over. Clinging to Eggplants leg and staring up at Zeff with curious, familiar, blue eyes.

“I thought you were staying on the ship Princess?” Eggplant says, brushing a hand through her hair. And Zeff is equally sure that actually Sanji told her to stay on the ship as he is that his boy was as much a pushover to his daughter as he had been any woman who had stepped foot into the Baratie before he left.

“You know she wasn’t gonna’ as soon as she found out this was your old home.” And there was the newly minted World’s Greatest Swordsman and apparently sire to Zeff’s grandkids walking in like it had been his home as well and not the place he had gotten nearly cut in half by the former owner of the title.

And, fucks sake, there was another little one resting on his hips as he does it with that same matching green hair.

“I do remember teaching you about the importance of making them wrap it,” Zeff grumbles, because going by the age of the older one the two it hadn’t been all that long after Sanji left that he had gotten himself knocked up. “I know you said you weren’t planning on getting with any alphas but I know you were still listening.”

Eggplant goes red at it before glaring at Roronoa who gives a grin back that is entirely too filthy and leaves Zeff sure that he doesn’t actually want to know.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Zeff asks more to move the topic away from his kid’s sex life before he finds out more about it than he wants to.

They had been exchanging letters and calls on and off the whole time and never once had Eggplant mentioned that he was going to be or had become a granddad in any of them.

“I did try to but I couldn’t say anything too direct in case it got intercepted,” Sanji explains, resting a protective hand over his middle while the other curls around the girl at his side.

It makes some degree of sense. Best way to keep the two, soon to be three, pups from being a target is to have nobody know they exist in the first place.

Maybe Zeff should have guessed something like this was up when Sanji had asked him how he had dealt with the stress of raising a kid in the dangerous world they lived in. But he had just assumed his boy had finally matured enough to realize how much of an antagonistic dumbass he had been at times.

“I did want to tell you though,” Sanji continues, his voice guilty.  

Roronoa has moved close to his mate’s side, not touching though. Which is probably what Sanji actually wants – always had been a bit funny about any too direct an offer of comfort. Something Zeff’s probably as much to blame for as anything else in his life.

“You have no idea how many times I nearly did.”

“Probably for the best you didn’t,” Zeff says because he can’t have his kid feeling guilty for doing the smart thing. “I don’t know if I’d have been able to keep away if you did.”

Neither he nor his ship these days are made for the journey to the Grand Line. And it wouldn’t have been good for Sanji or the rest of the crew of his to have an old pirate getting underfoot while they were making names for themselves on history’s pages.

“Hell, I’m gonna’ struggle letting you sail off with my grandkids with you now. You better come visit more than you have been!” He doesn’t actually hold it against them and damn well know the reason why this is the first time he’s seen them since Sanji left to join a pirate crew. But he still missed years of his grandkids lives as a result and they had better make up for it.

[blacklegsanjiii]

Aahh your addition to actually girl sanji was amazing ✨ thank you

Its so funny to have them realising all the way to WCI/Wano, theyre all so silly. ALSO CHOPPER- He's new to the crew and giving them all a check up to get up to date with their physicals and he's all like 'dont worry Sanji your secret is save with me!! I wont tell anybody!!' And sanji thinks he's actually talking about the nr 3 burnmark (hc of mine that judge labeled all his children) so she's very thankful to him

Omg and the ship options... To many possibilities to choose from... Luffy going 'HES NOT A PRETTY BUT SHES A PRETTY GIRL?!!' Literally no fucks given nothing changes but he looveess the clothes and makeup nami gives sanji to wear (the liploss tastes like fruit and the dress fabric is so softt!!!)

Or sanami... Nami feeling attracted to sanji even though she's a lesbian and heaving a sexuality crisis cause is she bisexual??? But no she's still a major lesbian (or even funnier no attraction until its 'stupid guy -> stupid girl??!!!'

Honestly east blue poly would be funny as hell, so many possibilities

Also (sorry im rambling) SHES ZEFFS LITTLE GIRL 💥💥when she left with luffy, zeff 100% threatened the shit out of him (he also did this in canon but with his mind UvU) idk i fucking adore zeff and sanji protective of each other

And lastly??? All the regulars knowing??? Amazing, show stopping, ground breaking. Theyre coming to the baratie not seeing the cute waitress and when asked the staff says she has become a pirate cook of the strawhats

But whenever there's news its always talking about a guy and the wanted pictures are not so helpfull... So many possibility...

Have a nice day! Hope you had/have fun at your con :D

I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Fem!Sanji is fun to write, especially when no one knows she's a girl because how can you not know? She is Zeff's little girl! The dumb brat he gave up a leg for on a rock! She is his pride and joy, and everyone knows this!! Also, I love the idea of the burn mark and the confusion therein for Sanji because Chopper thinks she's trans masc when she's not, she's just waiting for her mom's genes to kick in more. Also the shipping, I agree with East Blue Polycule because you can fit all that in together in one go and no one is going ask questions. But I'm getting ahead of myself and skipping to the regulars first so that I can get some funny scenarios out of my head first.

First, Mihawk has watched this girl grow up and probably saw the fall out after shortly after Zeff butchered her hair. When he asked about it, he gave Zeff the most unimpressed look Zeff has ever received because good fuck he could have just braided it until they got into town? That's all he says about that because Sanji is still upset her hair is gone. Then some years later he's calling Zeff and asking when Sanji changed her gender and Zeff is confused because she hasn't but anyone and everyone are calling her a boy, even that crew she set off with. Mihawk is staring out of his office with the denden with an empty gaze as the greenhaired moron he almost slaughtered on the deck of Baratie is in his castle with one of his fellow warlords first mates and he's having a time but at least that hasn't changed.

Buggy is also probably really confused about 'Black Leg Sanji' and "his feats" and when Garp is arresting him they're debating whether or not Sanji would be a good marine until Garp calls her a boy and Buggy corrects him. Garp is staring down at the clown who looks back and is like 'wait, wait. Zeff's called her "princess" and you never questioned why he would call his son that?' to Garp's non-committal shrug of 'He's Zeff.' which, okay yeah, sure. It's Zeff but Zeff never used it in a derogatory manor. Sanji is quite literally his princess. She is the princess of the Baratie that Buggy used to do card tricks for because Zeff had no idea what the hell to do with kids.

Now onto the hilarity because East Blue Poly would be exceptionally hilarious. They all start dating and Sanji thinks Nami is going through a sexuality crisis because she's a girl where as Nami thinks Sanji's a boy and it's never cleared up. Sanji looks particularly butch because it made her life easier at Baratie, and she doesn't want to ruin dresses and skirts and blouses with cooking or blood. She also just never really wore make up unless Baratie was closed for some celebration or something, when she had a reason to doll up because she was so busy. Also she wakes up and goes to bed before and after everyone else so no one catches she's a girl. I think the hilarious exception of Ace clocking it in Alabasta and telling Luffy he's got the prettiest girl and the best cook wrapped in one is an amazing thing and Luffy goes with it but still asks why Ace called Sanji a girl and Ace is confused now. They never clear it up.

When Sanji is training and everyone is talking about forcing her into dresses Sanji is like 'I don't need to be forced, I love dresses! I just don't like ruining them with blood.' and coming back to Sabaody with a few dresses, skirts, blouses, more fem clothing and everyone is like 'you don't have to wear those if they make you uncomfortable' is sending some weird messages to her so she just doesn't wear them still. For the wrong reasons and everyone is confused. Like WCI when Sanji's in her wedding dress and fighting and mourning the blood on the dress and Luffy and Nami are asking her why she's in one because she doesn't wear that stuff and Sanji says she thought they didn't like them on her and the very quick explanation of 'we thought you were a boy!' is Sanji going 'How?' as Nami complains she had a sexuality crisis for nothing until Luffy asks about him, Zoro, and Usopp; Nami concedes that the crisis wasn't for nothing then.

Nami makes sure she's in a kimono like she and Robin are as an apology because they didn't realize that Sanji was a girl and was just dressing for convenience, she's not a boy and was a princess and she is loved.

Also my con was lovely but I'm so glad it's over.

[snippychicke]

It's Just Business -- Four

Fandom: One Piece (LA mainly)

Rating: Teen so far

Pairing: Sanji/Reader

Warnings: No real warnings, but god, I hope you like pining

Summary: You felt like you had known Sanji forever, considering your family had been the main merchants Zeff used to supply the Baratie. You had a small crush on him, but knew it was hopeless considering you were the one woman he didn't seem to pine over. 

It was fine. Or so you thought until you ended up on the Going Merry as a bookkeeper and supply manager. Being around him 24/7 was a lot more difficult than just a few days a week.  

(Please note 》°《 denotes a scene in the past while -*- will be a regular scene break. Because yeah, I like my non-linear story telling.)

Masterpost | Ao3

Coco village was freed of Arlong after several long years. You had already talked with several of the townsfolk about restarting trade routes to help restore their village-- they did have some of the best tangerines in the region, after all. Plus, being the closest to the Baratie meant even fresher items for the restaurant, as well as a large boost to their own economy. 

Business was your trade, and one of the very few ways you could help out. You also helped Sanji prep food for the entire community as a celebration, which challenged the small set of culinary skills you did have. Still, you would take it any day over the fight had left you wondering how you were even standing. 

(You also desperately tried not to think that this might be the last time you watched him cook. To see the light in his eyes as he mentally went over his recipe, assuring everything was going to be perfect. 

Eventually the evening wore into the middle of the night and you found yourself sitting at one of the few bonfires still burning. You were nestled between Nami and Sanji (Well, closer to Sanji than Nami) with the rest of the Strawhat crew circling the fire as well. You enjoyed just listening to the others, the events of the day leaving you tired. It was probably more than okay for you to slip away to bedrolls Nami’s sister had prepared for the crew, or even trekking back to the Going Merry to crash, but you felt reluctant to leave. Even if you were struggling to keep your eyes open. 

"It'll be nice not to be the only girl onboard," Nami sighed during a lull in the conversation, making you frown as you glanced over at her. "Being surrounded by those three was hard enough, let alone Chef Flirt."

Sanji leaned forward, giving the redhead a wink. “Just want to make sure you’re aware how beautiful you are, Nami dear”

Your chest tightened. You had assumed she had known, but then again, Luffy was still insisting you were part of the crew. "Actually…I'm not staying." Your words caught the attention of everyone else, and suddenly you had five pairs of eyes staring at you, making things even worse. "I came to make sure you idiots got here safe and sound,” You insisted against the looks of disbelief that everyone was giving you. “I can't just abandon my job and become a pirate." 

Even if Sanji was doing the same thing. Even if Zeff himself had encouraged you to embrace the chance if you had found it appetizing. And… you kind of did. Even with the fighting, you enjoyed being around the Strawhat Crew and could see yourself becoming quick friends with all of them.

"But you're part of our crew," Luffy was the first to actually protest. "Even with our Navigator back, we need you at the helm! Plus you’re the bookkeeper!" 

“Your ship isn't that big that you need both a navigator and a helmsman,” You argued. “And surely between the five of you, you can manage your own supplies and ledgers." 

"We have a thief, a liar, and Luffy," Zoro of all people pointed out, opening his eye that had been closed before. "And I'm not keeping track of anything." 

Before you could argue, Sanji nudged your shoulder. "You really want to keep ferrying supplies back and forth to the Baratie the rest of your life? The same thing you've been doing since we were kids?" 

Your stomach twisted at the thought. At seeing the firelight reflected in his eyes as he gave you a pleading look. "Well, no," You admitted slowly. Especially considering he wouldn't be there anymore. You loved Zeff, Patty, and everyone else. But… No Sanji to talk and tease? It would be like the restaurant lost its heart…. 

But it was the responsible thing to do. It was good, steady, profitable work. 

"What's your dream?" Luffy asked, staring at you intently from across the fire, the flames flickering in his dark eyes. (There was just something about this boy you couldn't put your finger on that both scared yet compelled you at the same time.)

Dream? You huffed at the thought as you shook your head. You never really had a dream; just short term goals. You had been happy enough with life that you never really questioned what the future could hold. You had listened to Sanji talk about the All Blue through the years with fondness as well as envy. Nothing brought you passion like that. Nothing called you so much to daydream about it day after day, year after year. 

"I don't have one," You admitted quietly with a half-hearted shrug. 

But Luffy refused to take that as an answer. "Surely there's something you want?” he pressed. “More than anything?" 

Something you wanted more than anything? More than anything, you… just wanted to be happy. But compared to Luffy’s dream of being the King of Pirates, Zoro’s goal to be the world’s best swordsman, and Sanji’s own dream of finding the All Blue, your ‘dream’ (if it could really be called that) would likely fall flat. No matter what Nami and Usopp’s own dreams were. 

You shrugged your shoulders. “Not really? I mean, seeing new places would be fun," You offered, hoping no one could tell your cheeks were darkening in the firelight. “But I don’t know if it's enough to compel me to leave everything I know behind.” 

~*~

Sanji swore he could feel his heart drop into his stomach as you dug your heels into your refusal. The bright future he had just been daydreaming of suddenly grew dark as you faded from it. 

Were you really so against the idea of joining the crew? Of becoming a pirate? Despite pirates being the cause of your parents death, you hadn’t seemed to hold any ill-will to the so-called profession itself. Plus you had just admitted that you didn’t want to stay in the same routine for the rest of your life. 

Without thinking, Sanji placed his hand over yours, bringing your attention to him. Those wide, bright eyes that he loved so much, now filled with doubt, worry. 

“What about finding the All Blue together?” he asked softly, squeezing your hand softly. In all of his daydreams of finding the uncharted area, seeing the mixture of all the four seas together, you had been right there beside him. To the point he couldn’t  imagine the All Blue without you there, grinning ear-to-ear and just as excited as him. 

You bit your lip as you looked away, though you squeezed his hand softly. He could tell you were lost in thought, allowed you a moment to go over the pros and cons in your head as you always did, debating if it was worth the risk. 

(Please, he prayed, let him be worth the risk.) 

You sighed in defeat, leaning against him suddenly with your head on his shoulder. “Okay, fine. I’ll join your crew.” 

He heard the other cheer, but it mostly fell on deaf ears as he untangled his hand from yours so he could wrap his arm around your shoulders, squeezing you tightly as he pressed a kiss to your hair. “Thank you,” he whispered to the crown of your hair. 

"I've sailed the same stretch of water all my life,” you stated just as softly. “It'll be neat to see other places for once."

Sanji was determined to show you the world as you searched for the All Blue. Whatever it took so you didn’t regret your choice. He’d hunt down every natural and man-made wonder to make it up to you if need be.  

》°《

"Oh god, you're gonna be one of those," You swore when you found Sanji on the back deck of the Baratie that was restricted to staff only and mostly filled with crates and barrels of overstock. 

But your focus was on the thin white cigarette in his mouth, the lit tip bright in the shadow cast by the restaurant. A lot of the cooks smoked, so it wasn't surprising to see Sanji had picked up the habit. Yet you couldn't help wrinkle your nose--mainly just to give him grief. 

"Oh shut it. I've heard enough from Zeff," He grumbled as you perched yourself on the crate he was leaning on. 

"He means well." Sanji merely grunted at your defense of the older man. Silence fell and blanketed the air as you both looked out at the ocean, listening to the waves gently lap at the sides of the restaurant. 

"I guess I should break the news," You sighed, and watched his shoulder tense as he took a deep inhale of the cigarette. It had been a few weeks since the death of your parents-- since you found your way back to the Baratie where you had been accepted with open arms by the crew, proving they were every bit the family you had felt. Yet you knew you weren’t one to stay in one place, used to having the wind in your hair as you headed to the next destination. Bussing tables, waitressing, all the jobs you were qualified for on the Baratie drove you up the wall after doing it for a few days in a row. 

He knew you couldn’t stay still, and you knew he didn’t like the idea of you leaving. 

But the suppliers Zeff had reached out to proved that they did not hold to the same kind of quality that you believed the restaurant deserved. "I'm going to take over my parent's route. My vessel will be smaller, so I'll have to make more frequent trips, but like Zeff said, that just means fresher ingredients for the restaurant." 

The relief in Sanji's frame was easy to see, warming your heart. You even caught a small smile on his face as flicked away the ash into the ocean. "Aw, were you worried, lil' eggplant?" 

He rolled his eyes, though his smile didn't fade even as he looked up at you. "Didn't want to have to deal with some random idiots that don't know what they're doing. That's all." 

"Mmhmm," You hummed doubtfully as you slid down from your perch to stand beside him, nudging his shoulder with your own. (You were a little irritated that he had reached his growth spurt and was now taller than you.) "Either way you're not getting rid of me that easily. You're gonna be stuck with me forever." 

You couldn't imagine leaving the crew after everything. Just being alone the few days between the restaurant and port made you nervous enough. But you had to pull your weight, prove that while you may not serve the restaurant directly, you were vital enough to keep around. 

What you weren't expecting was Sanji suddenly wrapping an arm around your waist, pulling you close to him to the point your back was pressed against his chest as he muttered in your ear. "Is that a promise, lil' miss." 

Your heart was pounding in your chest from the near-sultry tone. You knew he was just playing, just seeing if he could get you flustered. A game of chicken. That's all this was. You pushed away the butterflies and twisted in his grip and wrapped your arms around his shoulders with a devious grin, hoping your blush didn't betray you. "It's a threat, my good sir." 

Sanji smirked, his gaze lingering on you for a long moment before he leaned in, pressing a kiss to your forehead. A friendly gesture… or so you had convinced yourself as he let you go. 

Because there was no way he saw you like the fancy ladies that visited the Baratie. Not when you had known each other for so long. You were friends. Friends that playfully flirted just like you bantered and cussed each other out. 

 Right? 

[eiilese]

Love the designs and descriptions you did for the straw hats!! I do want to ask, since they all have different roles and skills do they meet the crew at different points in the story? Like, since Robin is the shipwright would she have met the crew at Water 7 or would it still be Alabasta but under different circumstances? Since she’s not an archeologist she wouldn’t have been raised on O’Hara, right?

Just curious to see what your thoughts are😊 - thanks.

thank you so much for the ask!! sorry this took so long to answer it took awhile to gather my ideas. i’m so happy with how well this au thing was received ;u; TY to people who left tags and replies!! i read everything 🫶

here is the original post for role swap! this post has explanations for backstories! i really did try to have drawings to go with everything but i burned out as this month went on so not every character has doodles :(

—

i kept everything mostly the same in terms of when the strawhats meet each person. i didn’t want to change too much to avoid changing important character moments that happen in canon

this isn’t a super heavy rewrite, there’s a lot of backstory to juggle and i’m not equipped to write such an in-depth au rn 😭 but i might make separate posts for arcs like water 7 or wci!! though i kept a lot of backstory the same theres a lot of rewrite potential for those sagas

i hope these are fun to read about nonetheless ^_^ i included some stuff from @flute-of-pan pan and @onethousandsunnies because they left tags on the original post that were cool ideas

nami, vice capt.

not much changes!! instead of forcing her to chart maps, arlong might just have her around as a servant girl. regardless, the deal to buy back cocoyashi village still stands and nami works hard for it

generally i think her selflessness and loyalty to her village makes her fit to be a vice captain. she looks out for people at her own detriment and was willing to take the fall for such much ahhh

in my opinion she’s good vice captain material!! perhaps a cowardly one but still reliable. also a good treasurer for the crew as always

zoro, cook

zoro grew up training to be a swordsman and competes against kuina, but he also has a knack for cooking as a hobby. he’s mostly the same but sanji’s “stuck on a rock in the middle of the ocean with zeff” happens to him instead (flute-of-pan suggested the cook always suffers the fate of starvation)

kuina decides to run away and zoro is roped into her plans. it goes wrong and they get stranded on a rock, eventually arguing and ending up on opposite sides of the rock with the little food they brought

zoro finds out kuina gave him everything they had soon after she stops replying to him. he’s rescued thanks to kuina’s dad, who tracked them down with vivre cards. kuina’s had long since burned up

similar to canon, zoro continues striving to become the world’s strongest after her death. i think this backstory coupled with him eating those stomped riceballs at the very beginning of the story is so….(GESTURE) it’s very reminiscent of sanji’s no-waste-policy which he would absolutely also have

sanji, sniper

germa 66 has a mafia aesthetic now 👍i only have the willpower to draw reiju here she ended up kind of cluttered but i like my vision

sanji’s backstory is mostly the same: he and his siblings are genetically modified to be the perfect soldiers, but he had a kind nature that made him the target of abuse. after reiju helps him escape, he ends up with zeff and worked as a janitor. zeff loses his leg while trying to save sanji in a maritime accident; though they don’t get stranded anywhere, sanji has to be indebted to him somehow

when the baratie is opened, he works as a busser/guard against unruly guests. flute-of-pan mentioned that he could fire the canons of the ship

when the strawhats meet him on the baratie, sanji still gives don krieg’s crew food. i don’t think his kindness around that would disappear just bc he doesn’t have a whole starving incident

usopp, navigator

on top of bluffing about being the leader of a huge pirate army, he would create fake maps and brag to everyone in syrup village (especially kaya) about these places he so evidently visited. kaya loved his drawings even if the places weren’t real

his dream is to create a Real map of the whole world, not a fake map that he makes up out of stories. drafting the real world makes him a brave explorer of the seas, which he also wants to become :)

when the strawhats meet him, they were basically relying on nami’s limited sailing skills to get around. not only do they get the going merry but they have a real, reliable navigator now! AND he’s multitalented B)

chopper, helmsman

from a young age he set his sights on sailing the seas to escape from the isolation he faced on drum island. he would routinely make little boats for himself to escape the island on, failing each time, and hiriluk would always nurse him back to health

instead of studying to be a doctor, chopper has a general desire to be helpful and acted as an assistant to hiriluk’s medical endeavors

both flute-of-pan and onethousandsunnies pitched that chopper studied stuff like ocean currents!! overall he studied the ocean real hard but would never leave the island without hiriluk

hiriluk’s death would glue him to doctor kureha’s side and it isn’t until the strawhats come that he has the courage to embark on a new journey

franky, muscian

bro grew up running around water 7 trying to get people to join his band. tom and iceberg are still his family. his shipbuilding skills don’t go past an amateur level in this au. he would develop a line of dinky guitars (or instruments in general) that also had lasers/canons/confetti in them. his dream is A FRANKY WORLD TOUR 🤞FREE ADMISSION

many of his weaponized instruments littered the shipyard, spandam uses them in his attack

after the whole tom/spandam situation unfolds, iceberg is the one to find and reconstruct franky into a cyborg after getting run over by the sea train. but he won’t implement piano key abs no matter how much franky asks 🙄

the newly formed franky family protect the city and throw unsolicited concerts in the middle of the street B)

robin, shipwright

though she’s not an archeologist, she still grew up on ohara! instead of archeology, she’s a gifted engineer. her devil fruit made her an outcast and her strange, misunderstood inventions did not help her case

when jaguar d saul gets stranded on ohara, robin constructs the raft for him :) the buster call unfolds the same as canon except this time, everyone’s actually not lying when they say robin can’t read poneglyphs! she never learned!! again flute-of-pan had the cool idea that she is wrongly accused. still, she’s pursued and branded as a devil child

she ends up with crocodile, who believes she can read poneglyphs. she takes advantage of this and earns his protection from the government but her ruse is uncovered when she lies to croc about what alabasta’s poneglyph says (girl cannot read that!)

robin dreams of creating a ship that can carry her and the friends she wishes to have. after meeting robin in alabasta she joins the strawhats!!

brook, doctor

he was the doctor of the rumbar pirates. an injured laboon came to like brook after he nursed him back to health!! when yorki became sick from disease brook tried his hardest to cure him, but failed :(

he was doomed to watch his crewmates die to poison that he cannot hope to cure because he himself was also dying. when he came back thru his fruit it was already too late :( the rumbar pirates Do record a song for laboon though this event cannot be edited 🤞

met in thriller bark; ik that’s a long ass time to go without a real doctor on board

by the time they meet brook everyone’s already so battered that he has to go to town on them with gauze and stitches. the company delights him ^_^

jinbei, archeologist

i mentioned this in the first post abt this au but his interest in history sparked thanks to the history of joyboy and fishman island being so intertwined. at some point in his youth, jinbei frequently visited ohara (prior to the buster call) and grew a strong relationship with the scholars there (i’m just assuming they wouldn’t be racists 🤪) he runs into robin a handful of times

he secretly learns how to read poneglyphs here leading up to the buster call. he wasn’t on the island when it happened so he managed to avoid robin’s fate

his story proceeds the same from there with the neptune army, joining fisher tiger, meeting koala, etc…

i enjoy the idea of getting invited to be a warlord by the government while simultaneously being one of the most wanted people in the world for knowing poneglyph secrets

—

also i’m sorry if there are things i forgot about or details that don’t make sense >—>o

the anime’s pacing has ruined my enthusiasm for awhile lol and i’ve consumed a lot of media since catching up!! everyone’s backstories/canon events aren’t too fresh in my memory but i did some researching to remedy it 🫡

[rainbowmoonstonestories]

Why The Caged Bird Sings | Chapter 6

Chapters: 6/? Fandom: One Piece (Liveaction) Rating: Explicit Relationships Vinsmoke Sanji x F!Reader Characters: Vinsmoke Sanji, Patty, Red Leg Zeff, Original Characters, Strawhat crew. Warnings: 18+ content (minors DNI), explicit sexual content, minor POV switching. Summary: One night, you were brought to the luxurious Baratie Restaurant Ship, renowned for its exceptional cuisine that your family had been intrigued to sample. A particular blond and comely waiter captured your attention with his charming smile and gentle eyes, but while your beauty and sophistication intrigued him, Sanji also observed the profound nervousness that caused your jaw and body muscles to tense whenever your fiancé made contact with your hand or your parents delivered a humiliating criticism towards you. One dinner at the Baratie soon turned into a recurring event, and then more. As your friendship with Sanji slowly evolved into something that burned from within, you strove to make your longstanding dream come true; freeing yourself from a constricting existence. ------------------------- As Sanji looked at you curiously, the gentle smile never leaving his face, you asked him, "Do you know why the caged bird sings?" He thought about it for a moment before answering, "Because it has a song to give?" You chuckled at his response and shook your head. "You're not entirely wrong, but no."

Divider by firefly-graphics

Feel free to read this on AO3 if it is more comfortable for you due to its length. I only ask to support me with a like and reblog if you enjoy my work. ☺️

Tagging: @nerium21

Author's note: Yep, you guessed it; another super long chapter. This one also includes some very detailed smut, which I had to split because otherwise the chapter would become gigantic. You can totally expect the continuation in the next update.

Being with Sanji was everything you could wish for, even though you had to make do with secret moments to steal kisses away from Zeff and the rest of the crew. However, when your deepest desires began to emerge, you discovered that Sanji was even more hesitant than you.

You went to bed with Sanji's taste lingering on your lips, his warmth making your entire body tremble and tingle, to the point that falling asleep felt like an impossible endeavor.

That kiss was the most remarkable and satisfying one you had ever shared with a man. It lasted so long that the muscles around your mouth began to ache, and even your jaw felt strained and exhausted. Neither of you could find the will to pull away. Whenever you tried to step back, your feet remained firmly planted. His lips were irresistible, and the way he held you—strong yet gentle—made your heart swell with emotion the entire time.

Ultimately, it was Sanji who managed to regain his composure. You needed to rest, and both of you understood that if you had continued, you might have crossed a forbidden line—one that you secretly desired but weren't ready to face with him at the time.

Your mind swirled with thoughts as you grappled with anxieties about the day ahead. How could you possibly conceal it from everyone, particularly Zeff, who always had his watchful eyes on you? You were lucky he didn’t catch you in the act; otherwise, you might have dealt with the repercussions, ears pulled in reprimand.

In reality, Sanji appeared just as excited as you were. The last peck he gave you before you left the kitchen was the most reassuring sign you could have hoped for. You contemplated whether this indicated a significant change in your relationship, pondering if labeling him as your boyfriend was too forward or merely acknowledged the truth of the current situation. You were cautious not to appear overly clingy or presumptuous, uncertain if he even harbored enough affection to envision you as a life partner. Would he even be able to resist flirting with any other attractive girl who walked into the Baratie? The mere thought of him offering that same attention to someone else made your stomach churn.

The situation was complex and demanded some introspection. Still, no matter what the future had in store, you were resolved not to let your insecurities hinder you again. At last, you had decided to let go and wholeheartedly embrace the growing affection you felt for the cook. You had no intention of retreating into your shell and pretending it never occurred.

You longed for more. You craved more.

And so, you drifted off to sleep with a smile spreading across your face, Sanji's image etched into your mind.

As dawn broke, your eyes opened instinctively, adjusting to the soft light filtering through the cabin window. You yawned, stretched your arms and legs, and slipped off the mattress, still groggy from sleep.

Your heart pounded as memories of the previous night flooded back like a cold shower. On one hand, you were thrilled at the prospect of seeing Sanji again, while another part tempted you to feign illness to skip work altogether.

Fortunately, you were wise enough to see that such an excuse would have been both childish and absurd. Regardless of how things would turn out from that point on, you were confident in your ability to move forward with your head held high, without retreating or running away. After all, a lifetime of being assertive and vulnerable had taught you important lessons.

You quickly freshened up, applied some flattering makeup, and ensured you looked your absolute best. Aware of Sanji's admiration for beauty, you wanted to give him every reason to notice you (and only you) above the other women vying for his attention. Those ladies better be prepared, because you weren't going to let them win.

As you stepped out of your cabin, the clinking of cups, glasses, and dishes from the kitchen reached your ears. The atmosphere was serene, marking one of the most relaxing moments of the day. You descended the stairs, straightened the buttons on your uniform, and tucked a few loose strands of hair away. Just as you were about to enter the dining room to set the tables and tidy up, someone gently grasped your hand and led you into a secluded area.

Sanji looked at you with a captivating glint in his eyes. A joyful smile formed on his lips as his arms wrapped around your back the moment you leaned into his chest. Surprise and joy surged through you, causing your shoulders to relax as you melted into his embrace.

"Good morning, love," he murmured, gently grazing his nose against yours.

"Hey, good morning," You responded with a beaming expression. "What are you doing?”

"Taking every chance to have you all to myself."

You chuckled, wrapping your arms around his neck. "Then we should probably hurry, we don’t have much time.”

“It will be enough.”

There was no hesitation, shyness, or playful teasing. His lips met yours with a tender, slow, and innocent touch, something that was barely there but electrifying nonetheless. His familiar scent enveloped you, and the hair falling over his left eye tickled your cheek delightfully.

His hands tenderly cradled your face, his thumbs gently stroking your skin. Your fingers threaded through his silky hair as his lips pressed firmly against yours. His tongue traced the seam of your lips, seeking entry, which you eagerly granted. The experience was extraordinary—a perfect way to kickstart your day as you savored his taste and the warmth of his kiss.

When he finally pulled back, a wet sound signaled your separation, and Sanji let out a satisfied sigh. "I could kiss you all day.”

"Wouldn’t that get tiring though?”

He lifted your hand to his lips and placed a gentle peck on your knuckles. "It would be so worth it, my lovely. I can't bear the thought of waiting until tonight.”

His ardor to be with you was invigorating. Regrettably, you were not permitted to indulge in it.

"We need to behave. You don't want to be kicked back to waiting tables, and who knows what Zeff would do to punish me.”

"You're a woman; he wouldn't do anything to you.”

"So the blame would fall solely on you? That's all the more reason to avoid it."

Despite your best efforts, Sanji's arms found their way around your waist once more, pressing you against the wooden wall as your back collided with it. His mouth found yours again, grazing your bottom lip, as your breaths mingled in a sweet, intimate dance.

"I'd be a waiter for a month straigh

t if it meant I could have another kiss from you.”

How could his smooth words and leg-shaking voice resonate from his chest all the way to the depths of your core?

"You can have all the kisses you want," you whispered. "As long as you don't seek them somewhere else.”

You threw out the bait almost impulsively and immediately regretted your boldness. However, Sanji didn't seem offended in the slightest; his smile only broadened at your remark.

"How could I ever do that when I have the most beautiful and perfect woman right here in front of me?”

Your cheeks flushed, and his words sent a jolt straight to your heart. "Right. Why should you?”

"I mean it," Sanji continued, his eyes locking onto yours with such passion that it made your breath catch.

As you stood there, emotions churning within, a mix of excitement and vulnerability cascaded over you. He gave you another kiss before you could respond, making your entire world tumble over and collapse. His tongue ventured into your mouth with a restrained hunger, sending shivers down your spine through deliberate, sensual movements. His free hand traced along your hips, drawing you closer until there was no space left between your bodies.

His lips descended, leaving a path of soft, open-mouthed kisses from your jawline to your neck. It felt unbelievably amazing and intensely hot, exactly the type of contact you had been waiting for. The euphoria, the taste of his saliva, the heat surrounding you. It had been so long since you experienced anything like that, and none of your past encounters could compare to what he embodied.

He was unlike anyone or anything you could ever imagine. It felt utterly perilous.

As spectacular as it was, you couldn't allow yourself to get lost in it. Every passing second heightened the risk of being discovered by your team, and that was neither the time nor the place to explain why you were making out just steps away from the kitchen.

Moreover, you questioned whether your self-control would hold if things progressed any further. Truthfully, you were skeptical.

"Sanji, we... we need to get to work.”

He hummed against your skin, lingering a bit longer before returning to your lips. Finally, albeit reluctantly, he released you.

"Ah, I think we have a problem," he said, amusement in his voice. "Your cheeks are a little red.”

“Wait, what??”

You instinctively lifted your hands to your face, feeling the warmth radiating from it. You muttered a curse under your breath, pressing yourself against the partition, as if you wished to disappear into it.

In contrast, Sanji seemed unbothered by your predicament. He chuckled and rubbed your back as you buried your face in his chest, clearly entertained by your attempts to conceal your spontaneous responses.

"It's not funny," you retorted like an offended child.

"I'm sorry, love. I got carried away for a moment there.”

"…I never said I didn't like it.”

Moved by your heartfelt and courageous words, Sanji pulled you into another strong hold. "What am I going to do with you? You're so adorable I could eat you up.”

"Just great. Now you're making it worse.”

He seemed to be having the time of his life, completely at ease and treating you like the most cherished person in the world. He paused, gently stroking your cheeks, giving you a moment to unwind and steady your racing heart.

Finally, as your heartbeat steadied and your skin cooled, you emerged from your hiding place with Sanji’s fingers still lightly touching yours. While he made his way to the kitchen, you took a different route to the dining hall. The tables were only partially returned to their original positions, still looking barren and unready, requiring your meticulous care and attention.

Parting from him with a knowing glance was even more difficult than you had expected. As it turned out, you simply couldn't get enough of him anymore.

Even though he was close by during the entire shift, those few inches felt like an insurmountable distance. Minutes stretched into hours, and the hours dragged on, feeling as heavy and excruciatingly long as an entire week.

Fortunately, your first day as Sanji’s lover went off without a hitch. The well-known connection the two of you had formed played to your advantage; his customary caring and flirtatious demeanor towards you raised no eyebrows among your colleagues or Zeff. Nevertheless, restraining your desires throughout your work was sheer torture. Every time you were near him, the temptation to cast aside your uniform, kiss him, and whisk him away was practically irresistible.

That night, the times you nearly lost control with each other were innumerable. His fingers played with the hem of your shirt, lifting it slightly to feel you against him. Your hands roamed up and down his chest, drifting dangerously close to the edge of his trousers. No words were exchanged, only smiles, joyful grins, and swallowed breaths to contain the agonizing actions you both longed to savor, waiting for a moment that didn’t feel so rushed.

Mari’s hand slapped her forehead in a defeated facepalm, the sound echoing through the Snail Phone. The reproach that followed was entirely expected, leaving you with no choice but to nod silently as she spoke.

“I swear, I'd give anything to spend just one day inside your head,” she said. “What were you thinking? He was right there in your bed, completely at your mercy. He wouldn't have refused if you had made a move.”

“I know, it’s just….”

"Let me guess, you prefer to take things slowly."

“Yeah.”

“I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled you finally initiated that kiss. I just don’t see why sleeping together at this point would be a bad idea. You’ve been working alongside him for weeks.”

You exhaled deeply and pulled your knees up to your chest. “Honestly? Because I really think he might be the right one.”

“...Oh.”

“Do you think I’m delusional?”

She laughed softly. “No, Y/N, I’m just surprised. I thought you were worried that he might not be serious.”

“Right. My statements are pretty contradictory, I know.”

"To be fair, you also feared that he wouldn't reciprocate your advances to that degree, and that his flirting was actually just a form of kindness, a game he wasn't interested in taking further."

“True.”

“But now, you know that wasn’t the case. To me, it seemed like he really had a difficult time pulling away from you.”

"It was probably the opposite, but... you get the idea."

After a brief pause, she kept the conversation going. "Like I've said before, this is your life. Only you can determine what's best. If you need more time before taking such a big step, then take it."

You smiled. “Thank you Mari.”

“Just let me ask you one thing.”

Uh oh.

"Considering how heated things became in bed, how did he manage to leave under those circumstances?"

“Well, he just… did?”

“Yes, but how?”

“What do you mean by ‘how’? He got up and walked away.”

She cleared her throat ominously. “So, he didn’t have…. you know…”

"Mari, what exactly are you implying?"

Somehow, you foresaw the direction the dialogue was taking, and in retrospect, you should have let it go.

“Jeez, how can you be so oblivious? I’m asking if he got hard, duh!”

As a result, you almost choked on your own breath. “Mari!!! What the hell?!”

"What? Are you saying he managed to avoid it? That would require an incredible amount of self-control. Honestly, I'd find it quite offensive."

“No! I mean, I don’t know.”

“You mean you didn’t even look?”

“Of course not!”

“Ugh, seriously. You’re so hopeless.”

You placed a hand over your mouth and spoke in a barely audible whisper. “Do we seriously have to talk about it?”

"Why not? Men talk about this stuff all the time. And as your best friend, I'm genuinely curious."

You scowled. "As if I'd tell you either way."

“Rude.”

“I’m not being rude. I just don’t think it’s fair. How would you feel if the man you were interested in went around talking about your womanhood?”

"I’d be quite flattered. After all, the way to my heart is through my vagin-"

“Mari!!!”

She erupted in boisterous laughter, wheezing and struggling to catch her breath. You heard something topple over, and her voice straining from the effort. "S-Sorry! You know I love teasing you."

You looked upward, rolling your eyes. “Yes. Could you not?”

“Okay, okay. My bad.”

You let out a sigh, shaking your head. “Thanks for keeping me company. You should all come visit me on my day off.”

"That would be wonderful. The guys can't stop talking about you."

“Really?”

“They miss you, Y/N. And so do I.”

"Aww, I miss you all too. Honestly, you’re my only regret."

You had adapted to your new routine at the Baratie, but the loneliness during your free moments was a persistent downside. As the saying goes, you cannot have it all.

“Well. Don’t you even think about coming back just for us.”

“I love you, but I have no intention of returning anytime soon.”

"Good. The old you wouldn't have even found the courage to leave, so this is a significant step forward."

And she was right. You had spent so much time trying to please your family and everyone they brought into your life that you lost sight of your own dreams. But from the moment you first walked into that restaurant, it felt like you had been reborn. You had an epiphany, quite literally, emerging from a state of comatose subservience.

It was Sanji who sparked your awakening. He instilled in you a newfound belief in yourself and gave you the courage to break free from your chains.

And just like that, the caged bird that loved to sing found its freedom.

Unfortunately, securing a private moment with him away from the kitchen was more troublesome than you had planned. On some nights, Sanji prolonged his stay under the guise of taste-testing, only to end up with you pressed against the counter, his tongue entwined with yours. You reveled in the excitement, but the ever-present risk of being caught loomed, with others potentially noticing a change between the two of you. There was always a nagging worry that Patty or the head chef might walk in at the most inconvenient moment.

For days, you artfully avoided them, finding refuge in the hidden corners of the Baratie or sipping a drink on the starlit balconies. Every instant in his company was extraordinary, and you savored each second, your shoulders occasionally touching as you exchanged heartfelt anecdotes. Sanji often recounted tales from his childhood, emphasizing the humorous incidents he experienced under Zeff’s care. Having lived most of your life under the control of others, with decisions made on your behalf, you found yourself with few stories of your own to tell. Nevertheless, Sanji was always understanding and loving, showing sincere interest in your friends and anything that wouldn't remind you of your family.

When his fingers met yours, enveloping your hand in the most comforting grasp, you realized you needed nothing more. It was so simple—just the touch of his skin or a smile from him, and your entire world instantly lit up.

You secretly longed to explore the ocean with him one day, perhaps even in search of the All Blue together. You hadn't yet discovered a new dream to pursue, because all you wanted was right there beside you.

Your secret rendezvous continued for quite some time, evolving into an essential ritual for both of you. It was a thrilling adventure, a mission to remain unnoticed. Every kiss felt enchanting, and your cuddling grew more assured and daring with every passing day. As long as you remained dedicated to your work and kept your emotions in check, no one had any grounds for criticism. In fact, Sanji's presence seemed to enhance your efficiency, leaving you thoroughly pleased with your job.

He became your confidant and anchor. His cheerful spirit, playful smiles, and secret touches meant solely for you rejuvenated your energy and further bolstered your confidence.

Saying goodbye to him every night was the hardest part of your day. Sanji never imposed on you, never asked for more than what you freely offered, and never crossed boundaries, though he often came close enough to make you consider breaking them.

However, you should have known there was only so much you could do to hold back your physical desires, and that eventually, all that you had would no longer suffice to fulfill them.

One day, you and Sanji were assigned the task of managing the storage inventory. Although it was one of the most tedious duties, it provided a rare opportunity to be alone together at work without needing an excuse. Resisting your natural impulses was a true test of endurance, but despite a few occasional kisses and the usual banter, you both completed your lists diligently and without any improper distractions.

It was only after setting the notebooks aside and leaning against the wall together that things started to escalate.

Again, it began innocently enough—a gentle touch of your hand as he rested his head on your shoulder. You allowed it, softly swirling your thumb over his knuckles and tracing the contours of his silver ring. You kissed his forehead, your free hand gliding along his forearm, where his rolled-up sleeves exposed his skin up to the elbow—his muscles, his tendons.

Your jackets lay draped over a nearby chair, giving you more freedom to move around the room. Inevitably, that brought you closer, leading to more intimate contact between your bodies.

Sanji looked deeply into your eyes, straightening his posture and tightening his hold. His gaze was magnetic, his pupils dilated, but his smile never wavered. He left you breathless, brushing his nose against yours in an affectionate gesture before claiming your lips in another kiss.

"I don't know what to do with myself," he confessed, caressing your cheek and tucking your hair behind your ear. "You're so beautiful I could shout it from the rooftops."

Your eyes dropped as a shy smile tugged at your lips. "You're exaggerating."

“I’m not, my lovely. Every night, the moon envies your beauty.”

His words, delivered with the sweetest tone, were the most sincere you could ever hope to hear.

His eyes shimmered with admiration and tenderness. "I’m the luckiest man in all the seas to have you by my side. You’re the most incredible woman I have ever met in my entire life.”

Your family insisted that you were unworthy of love, and over time, you came to believe it, thinking it was something you could never attain or truly deserve. He had twisted everything you once held as true, exposing it all as one enormous lie.

Driven by urgency, you pressed your lips to his once more, clutching the lapels of his shirt and squeezing your eyes shut. The cook responded immediately, cupping your face—a motion you couldn't get enough of—with one hand slowly trailing down to the sensitive skin of your neck.

The kiss deepened, becoming more passionate and all-encompassing, leaving you both breathless and hungering for more. Enveloped in the sensation of his mouth and the familiar, delicious taste of tobacco, spices and vanilla, you scarcely noticed his hand slipping lower, pausing slightly before coming to rest on your covered breast.

For a moment, you remained still, enjoying the contact and secretly hoping it would last longer. But as soon as it continued, delicately spreading around your mound with a tentative squeeze, familiar alarm bells went off in your head.

Your desire for him was undeniable. Yet, no matter how strong your growing need, a storage room was far from the ideal setting you had envisioned for your first time together.

Reluctantly, you slowed your pace and gently moved his hand away, signaling him to pull back. Panting and at a loss for words, Sanji stared at you with eyes full of unfulfilled craving.

His eyes averted, a sudden wave of embarrassment overcame him. He jolted to his feet, touching the back of his head as he turned his body away from you.

"I'm really sorry, love. I shouldn’t have done that."

If only he had known that stopping was the one thing you didn't want.

“It’s fine,” you reassured him, standing up and placing a comforting hand on his back. “I just don’t feel safe here. We should return.”

Sanji swept his hair aside, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. “You’re right, we should.”

Seeing him so guilt-ridden and defeated hit you hard. You knew it was necessary to avoid future regret, but being so close, so ready for it to become more, now left you feeling completely downhearted. You picked up the notebook filled with inventory notes, reached for your jacket, and put it on as if it weighed a ton of bricks.

Sanji looked away the instant your eyes met his. Shame flooded him as he struggled with the realization that he had lost control and betrayed the principles that had been ingrained in him since childhood. The notion that he might have initiated something you didn't want was a severe blow to his pride.

Yet, he couldn't have been more mistaken.

"Sanji," you whispered, moving nearer to him. "You have nothing to apologize for, I promise.”

You sensed him tense under your touch, but when you wrapped your fingers around his in an encouraging hold from behind, he relaxed with relief.

“I’ll join you in a moment. There's something I need to look into.”

After thoroughly searching the storage room, you assumed he needed some time alone to gather himself from the built-up tension. And so, without questioning him, you kissed the back of his shoulder and left with a heavy heart, silently promising to continue where you left off another time.

Because you needed him. You wanted to be explored, tantalizingly stimulated, and lifted to the highest star you could ever reach.

You simply couldn't bear to wait any longer. That much was clear.

The storage room was oppressively hot, challenging Sanji's physical stamina. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top of his shirt, desperate for air, as his heart raced wildly and pounded against his chest.

What truly kept him unmoved was the unmistakable anticipation straining against his pants, which he successfully maintained hidden from you. He was already ashamed of his behavior and couldn't endure the idea of adding more to his mortification.

How could this have happened? He was taught to view women as the most delicate flowers, deserving of utmost respect regardless of their character or background. Despite your kindness and understanding, the mere fact that he touched you so intimately without your consent was enough for him to harshly condemn himself.

And there he was now, staring in disbelief at his intense, throbbing arousal.

Sanji desperately tried to steady his heartbeat, resting against the storage shelves in a futile attempt to regain his composure. Every second felt like an eternity as his mind spun with conflicting desires and responsibilities.

He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, making an effort to divert his mind from the stifling heat and his persistent erection. Thoughts of you, with your wonderful smile and angelic touch, only intensified his growing excitement. Memories of your lips on his and the sensation of your body pressed against him caused an exhilarating rush through his veins, kindling a deep warmth in his belly.

"Get it together, man," he murmured, raking a hand through his hair.

The process was excruciatingly slow. His arousal continued, pulsing and demanding a release he refused to grant. The temptation was overpowering, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He resisted the urge, staying firm and resolute, not daring to grasp it for even a moment of gratification.

It required considerable effort, self-reproach, and mental affirmations for him to finally quell it.

To Sanji, you were a precious jewel—one he wanted to protect and never part from. No matter how his body reacted, he wouldn't let his primal instincts override his judgment again. Not without your explicit permission.

Eventually, with a final exhalation, Sanji straightened himself, smoothing down his shirt and adjusting his tie. The composed, professional stance he was expected to maintain began to reassert itself, though it was a thin veneer over a tumultuous sea of emotions.

When Sanji returned, his usual confident demeanor was intact, but you could still detect a subtle hint of nervousness that only you seemed to notice around the kitchen.

He wasn't avoiding you—still joking and smiling—but he was moving away a bit too quickly, as if the fear of having offended you was keeping him from staying close.

You went to great lengths to include him and engage in normal conversation, as there was no reason for any resentment on your part. It pained you to see him so troubled, especially since, in your eyes, Sanji's actions were entirely natural and not inappropriate.

If only you were in a more private setting, your mind would wander to all the things he could do with his hands and tongue. That gentle squeeze on your breasts was enough to imagine more—him moving further, undressing you, and caressing your bare skin directly.

No, you couldn't let him blame himself for something that affected you so profoundly.

As you drew closer, organizing his cooking station and providing the needed ingredients, Sanji's tension slowly melted away. A soft touch on his hand, a tender brush of fingers along his back or arms as you walked by, the sound of your joyous laughter, the lightness in your voice—all these gestures brought him a sense of calm and silently affirmed your complete comfort.

Or so you thought.

As the kitchen cleared out and your colleagues departed one by one, you eagerly anticipated the moment you would finally be alone together again. His steady gaze followed your every move, and you couldn't help but smile at the attention, wishing it would never cease.

The moment you recognized that things wouldn't go as planned, you felt completely devastated.

Inevitably, Sanji’s creative freedom had backfired, prompting Zeff to demand an explanation for the new, unapproved dessert he had felt inspired to create again without his supervision. Feelings were already running high, and the discussion quickly turned into a heated debate filled with insults and criticisms. It didn't take long for you to understand the seriousness of the situation, and Zeff kindly suggested that you retire for the night.

In other words, your opportunity to speak with Sanji alone had entirely slipped away.

You had little say in the matter. All you could do was wish them both a good night (as much as it could be, given the circumstances) and shuffle off to your room. Your feet moved heavily along the wooden boards, and a headache pulsed from the tension in your nerves.

With a long, pained sigh, you slumped against the door before collapsing onto the bed, as though you were swimming against the current. You buried your face in the mattress, groaning as your legs shifted restlessly.

It exasperated you to no end. Although you admired and respected Zeff, his harshness toward Sanji often felt a tad excessive. On that particular day, his intervention was especially ill-timed, as Sanji's simmering frustration indicated his emotional turmoil was far from properly resolved.

The prospect of enduring another day without a private conversation with the cook felt unbearable. For a moment, you questioned whether stopping him had been the right choice or if you should have seized the opportunity when it presented itself. The storage room was dim and damp, far from the ideal spot for intimacy. Making love with Sanji was something you had envisioned very differently, and there was too much activity outside for the two of you to act impulsively.

Getting caught with your pants down and his arousal buried inside you was definitely not the way you wanted to lose your job (not that you wanted to lose it in any way). You acted on instinct, fully aware it wasn't the right moment for such a significant step. So why did it feel like you'd made a huge mistake, treating Sanji like a casual fling when he meant so much more to you?

Ever since he touched it, your breast had been pulsing with need, and you found yourself hugging your torso as you curled up in a ball on the bed. He applied only the faintest pressure, just barely cupping it in his hand through your clothes. Yet, for reasons beyond understanding, it felt as though he had done a lot more, causing your nipples to harden against your bra just from the memory.

You shook your head, dispelling the mental images your brain was conjuring. If you closed your eyes and concentrated on the background sounds, you could make out the distant voices of Sanji and Zeff, still engaged in their heated argument with remarkable persistence.

It only lasted a few minutes, with your body teetering between reality and dreams, before you drifted away on a sea of restless thoughts.

You remained like that, fully dressed and lying on your back, your hands resting by your sides for an indeterminate amount of time.

You woke up to the sound of knocking at your door. As your eyes adjusted and the ceiling came into focus, you listened intently. By the time the third, fourth, and fifth knocks reverberated through the room, you realized someone was truly there and not just a figment of your dreams.

You sprang to your feet, strode to the door, and opened it while combing your bed hair. Sanji stood in front of you, his face etched with concern and hesitation. It seemed like he was on the verge of turning away, but the moment he saw you step out of your cabin, his expression melted into a broad, relieved smile.

“I’m sorry love, did I wake you up?”

"It's alright. Would you like to come in?"

"I should probably let you rest."

You laughed softly. "I’m awake now. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't mean it."

You grabbed him by the elbow and promptly pulled him inside, closing the door behind him and locking it to ensure your conversation wouldn’t get disturbed. You were done with any potential or direct interruptions.

Sanji remained silent, hands on his hips, with fatigue written across his features.

“Are you okay?” you inquired, stepping closer.

In response to your question, Sanji shook his head resignedly. "I really made a mess of things today."

"You're not referring to the dessert, are you?"

“Not exactly.”

With a sigh, you sat on the bed and patted the spot beside you, inviting him to join. Sanji obliged, settling beside you, his knee softly touching yours.

"I've said this before, but it looks like it needs repeating: you did nothing wrong today."

“Y/N, you are a sweetheart for trying to cheer me up, but you can be honest with me.”

"I am."

His gaze stayed on you as you spoke, but your words failed to achieve the desired effect. He averted his eyes, looking apprehensive, as he struggled to find the right response.

"You were never treated the way you deserved before. The last thing I want is for you to feel any pressure from me."

"Pressure?"

He swallowed. "I don’t want you to do anything with me that you might not truly want."

Did he honestly believe you didn't find any pleasure in what occurred in the storage room?

"Who said I don’t want that? Because as far as I can recall, I never did."

“Y/N….”

“Sanji, I’m serious. You don’t need to worry about it.”

There was nothing you wanted more than to be with him, and only him, in ways that your mind could barely fathom due to the impropriety of your imagination.

It was ironic that he, of all people, felt so uncertain and afraid. You had always taken his charm and flirtatious nature for granted, assuming it had built up his confidence for moments like these. His fear of destroying what you both had created, and of losing you along with your consideration, reflected your own anxieties before it all started.

If nothing else, it validated what you had been wondering all along: to him, you were undeniably the only one.

You clasped his hand with both of yours, tightening your grip. "There's nothing you could do that would ever push me away."

He remained unsure, his mouth slightly open, but no sound came out.

"What do I need to do to make you believe me? I love everything you do, Sanji. And I genuinely mean everything."

This time, he finally accepted your admission. With a relieved sigh, he exhaled deeply, his fingers gliding over your knuckles. "You're beautiful, intelligent, and have a heart of gold."

Ah, there it was, the exuberant and gallant side of him that you had grown to treasure.

You brought his hand to your lips, kissed his fingers softly, and then rested your chin on them. “Well, we have these things in common too.”

Sanji's face brightened as he pressed his lips together, looking at you with the most genuine, sparly eyes you had ever seen.

He was irresistibly and strikingly handsome. Even though you weren't as vocal about it, you wished he knew that no other man could ever measure up.

You moved forward, meeting him halfway for a sealing kiss. His lips were warm, moist, and delicate, carrying a hint of the fruity dessert he had made when Zeff wasn’t looking. It felt so good that you couldn't bring yourself to break away, the sound of your kisses filling the cabin like a song with a steady rhythm and harmonious melody.

Sanji paused, allowing you both a moment to catch your breath. You giggled, a bit winded, your hands still intertwined.

"Do you have any idea how incredible you are?" he asked.

"You've mentioned that before," you said sincerely. "I don't see myself in such a lofty light, though."

"Oh, my lovely, the old man practically adores you. You outwork all of us put together, and I have to keep an eye on Patty because I'm sure he has a crush on you.”

You arched an eyebrow. "Patty? Interested in me?"

"It's either that, or he enjoys getting under my skin."

“You can’t seriously be jealous of Patty. Or anyone else, for that matter.”

“Men are powerless in the presence of an extraordinary woman like you.”

You shrugged. “Maybe. But I’ve already found my man.”

Damn. That didn't come out the way you intended. Or did it?

Sanji's focus lingered on your face, lost in contemplation, until a sudden spark of realization illuminated his expression. "Have you?"

At that point, with everything taken into account, denying it was no longer an option.

"Honestly, if it weren't for you, I would have never found the courage to leave my old life behind. To step away from my family and all the expectations they placed on me. I did it all because I wanted to know you, to be with you."

His eyes glowed with adoration.

"You made me feel important and special, more than anyone else ever has—even more than my friends."

“Because you are, Y/N,” he whispered with conviction. “You are far better than all those wretched people who made you think otherwise.”

You nodded. “This is exactly why I like you. Without even knowing me, you already understood.”

He played with your fingers, twirling and caressing them in his grasp. “You looked so sad. I couldn't stand to see you like that.”

In truth, he couldn't bear to see any woman in such pain. But now you knew that what began as mere compassion had evolved into something more significant.

“And now that you’re by my side,” he continued, “even my worst days have become the best moments of my life.”

Your heart was racing so intensely that you feared it might burst from your chest and fall right into his lap.

"What will I do when the day comes that you decide to leave?"

Your breath trembled as you blinked rapidly, fighting to hold back the burning tears welling up in your eyes. Your family constantly made you feel worthless and expendable, never able to live up to anyone's expectations. Though your friends loved you and sustained you with their unflinching support through years of emotional turmoil, they often seemed distant and out of reach. Their lives unfolded effortlessly as intended, while you found yourself stuck, aimless, and lagging far behind.

You felt an emptiness, a sense that something important was missing and never meant for you. Unexpectedly, that one casual night at the Baratie restaurant altered the course of your life forever.

“I haven’t been here long,” you replied. “And I have no intention of leaving.”

"Do you really enjoy being here?"

"I do. More than I ever imagined I would."

Sanji's smile widened as his hand slid upward to encircle your wrist.

"And just so you're aware, Patty is a good friend and great company. But he's not you."

His countenance radiated pride and satisfaction. “’Course he isn’t.”

"Right,” you smiled. “So there's no need for you to be jealous of him."

“Nah, I’m not jealous.”

“You’re not?”

“I’m just looking out for my girl.”

‘My girl’…

Your heart skipped a beat as his declaration sank in. No matter how you tried to view it, there was only one way to interpret his words. It was heartening to witness how deeply he cared about your happiness and well-being. He was a refreshing breeze, a guiding light in your darkest moments.

Heavens above, you were truly in love with him. It was a daunting realization, one you hadn’t anticipated arriving so soon. Deep down, however, you had always known.

From the instant you noticed his smile, his eyes, his polite mannerisms, his protective nature, and his physical strength, you struggled against your emotions like a ship caught in a tempest. Finally, your arduous journey had brought you to the safe harbor that Sanji represented for you.

Being with him felt like finding your true home.

"Well, your girl can never get enough of that."

He grinned contentedly, kissed your forehead, and then the tip of your nose. “All you have to do is ask.”

All you needed to do was ask, and he would fulfill your wish immediately.

Yes. You only needed to ask.

Could you find the courage to venture into unknown territory, uncertain of what awaited? Could you even dare to hope for more, after all the dedication you put in to reach that point?

Sanji was always there for you, with his kindness and affectionate gestures, ready to catch you whenever you were about to fall. He was nurtured by exceptional teachings, with Zeff playing a significant role in his upbringing, molding him into the admirable man he had become. But just like you, there was always a part of him that longed for more, for things that seemed so distant and impossible to reach.

You were two solitary souls adrift in a vast ocean, kindred spirits who found each other through challenging times.

Your eyes welled up with tears you could no longer control, one slipping down your cheek and landing on his wrist. Sanji’s smile vanished instantly, replaced by a furrowed brow as he brushed his thumb along your jaw.

“What’s going on, my lovely? Why are you crying?”

How could you possibly explain to him that his mere presence, his voice, and his smile were all you needed to feel whole and satisfied?

“Sanji…” Your voice was low, as thin and strained as a pulled thread.

“Yes, beautiful. What is it?”

“Stay.”

Sanji's gaze immediatly softened. You knew he required no further explanation; your intentions were unmistakable.

“Do you want me to spend the night with you…?”

“I do,” you confirmed. “Please, I need you. Stay with me.”

He swallowed again, more audibly this time, and withdrew his hand from yours. Then, he tenderly cradled your face in his familiar comforting manner, his breath warm against your skin. “Are you sure about this? Because once we start, I won’t be able to hold back.”

“I don’t want you to hold back.”

“Y/N—”

“Sanji, I only stopped you today because I want this to be special, not something that happens in a storage room where anyone from our crew could walk in on us.”

You reached for his tie, your nails delicately tracing the knot. “I actually wished you had never stopped.”

The air around you grew increasingly magnetic, and your body temperature soared to an impossible level.

“Then you’ll have me,” he vowed. “If this is what you want, I’ll be yours until dawn.”

“That won’t be enough.”

“How about for as long as you want me?”

"That's better. But I don't think I'll ever stop wanting you."

His lips barely touched yours, a gentle caress brimming with promise. “Then I’ll keep giving you reasons to want me.”

All your self-control had dissipated, leaving you with an overwhelming desire for his body. With desperate fingers, you untangled the knot and yanked, letting his tie fall to the floor. Sanji happily let you take control, lovingly brushing your hair aside to kiss your cheek, chin, neck, and collarbones.

It felt suffocating, your head spinning like a tornado, but you quenched your thirst by straddling his waist, positioning your knees on either side. Sanji consumed you, relishing the flavor of your lips and tongue, as his hands traced gentle circles on your lower back.

With a sense of urgency, you began unbuttoning his shirt, opening the top and revealing his chest. You fought the impulse to tear his shirt off and reveal him all at once, his delicate touch contrasting sharply with your impatience. His fingertips slipped under your shirt to gently caress your back dimples, causing your upper body to jolt slightly, a moan escaping your lips.

Your breath quickened. As you continued unbuttoning his shirt, you intentionally let your fingers glide over the warmth and smoothness of his skin. Sanji's hands tightened around you as you instinctively moved your hips against his.

Through the gap in his shirt, his chiseled physique was on full display, with sculpted muscles that made your mouth water. Sanji grinned at your evident appreciation, swept his hair back with that characteristic flick, then returned to your lips and began lifting the hem of your shirt. You raised your arms, letting him slip off the garment to reveal the lace of your bra.

Sanji delicately set the shirt on the floor beside his tie. His careful handling of even your clothes was genuinely endearing. Your hair had fallen into disarray, partially obscuring your face. He smiled tenderly, tucking the stray strands behind your ears, his blue eyes locking onto yours.

His ability to remain romantic even in the heat of the moment was something you weren't accustomed to during lovemaking. He valued you, treating you like the most delicate piece of glass, holding back his own desires even as you felt his hardness pressing against your core.

His eyes paused briefly on your breasts, snug within your bra. He cast a fleeting glance, just long enough to admire their shape and the outline of your nipples through the fabric.

"So beautiful," he breathed, pulling you into another passionate kiss.

“Look who’s talking,” you said with enthusiasm, easing his shirt off his shoulders and down his arms.

Sanji quickly discarded the rest of the garment, tossing it onto the growing pile of clothes at his feet. It was amusing to see the stark difference in how he treated his own belongings compared to the care he took with yours.

"Let's get you more comfortable, my lovely."

You bit your lower lip, pressing your hips into him with more insistence. “I’m comfortable right here.”

He took a deep breath, stifling a laugh that came out as a muffled gasp. “Then let me ensure you're even more satisfied.”

With his warm hands gripping your sides, he adjusted his position and gently lowered you onto your back against the mattress. Your legs, already spread with him nestled between them, wrapped fully around his waist. Sanji’s arousal was palpable through his pants, pressing insistently against your trousers. Your inner walls clenched involuntarily and your clit throbbed from the friction of his bulge. The intensity was all-consuming, yet you wished for it to never end.

He kissed you repeatedly, his fingers skillfully unbuttoning your lower clothing. With gentle precision, he slid them down your thighs, prompting you to arch your hips to assist.

Something had clearly snapped inside him. As soon as your pants came off, he quickly kicked off his shoes. He unbuttoned and took off his black trousers with such frenzy that you feared they might rip, but he was too careful for that to happen. You hungrily took in the sight of his hard thigh muscles, sculpted knees, and strong calves, like a woman starved for a long time.

It had been years since your last sexual encounter, and you couldn't remember ever feeling so intensely aroused. This time, there were no fears of disappointing your partner or insecurities about your body not matching his expectations. No, his sweetness and protectiveness left no room for doubt in your heart.

Sanji's hands moved up your hips, teasing the elastic band of your underwear before gliding over your belly. It took all your willpower to avoid staring at the prominent erection straining beneath the tight fabric of his dark briefs, pushing forward so forcefully that you wondered how he could endure such discomfort without flinching.

His fingertips hovered just below your breasts, barely grazing their curves as he sought your permission with his eyes. He remained still, not daring to repeat his earlier move from the storage room. He needed your reassurance, and you had no reason or desire to stop him from doing what you wanted most in the world.

With a confident smile, you placed his hands on your mounds, letting him savor their softness as you let out a delightful sigh. He breathed in deeply, gently wrapping his fingers around your flesh and squeezing as if it were the most precious silk.

"Y/N," he murmured. "Is this all right with you?"

You furrowed your brow. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because my only wish is to make you the happiest woman alive. If anything I do feels inappropriate or makes you uncomfortable—”

“Sanji. I swear.”

How could he be so remarkable? Even as his desire intensified, he held himself against you with a restraint that would drive any other man to madness. Yet, he curbed his impulses and waited for your explicit consent, making your heart race like never before and your eyes well with emotion.

His respect for you was boundless and limitless.

“Do I look uncomfortable to you in any way?”

“No, but I—”

"Believe me when I say you can do anything you want to me."

He wet his lips, his jaw clenched as the tension coursed through his veins. “Anything?”

To prove your point, you kissed him gently, slipping the tip of your tongue inside to caress his. “Anything.”

And that, at last, seemed to evoke the right reaction in him. His pupils dilated, and the corners of his lips curled into the most prideful smile he had ever shown.

"Just relax and let me pamper you, beautiful."

Well, if that didn’t send a shiver of pleasure straight to your core, you couldn't imagine what the rest of the night had in store for you.

You nodded fervently just before his lips crashed against yours again. The kisses were hot, sensual, and ravenous, with your tongues taking center stage in the passionate exchange. His hands squeezed, massaged, and lifted your breasts with the same expertise he used in the kitchen, his culinary skills translating seamlessly into the bedroom. And then, as his forefinger daringly slipped beneath the edge of your bra's cup, your mind went blank.

With a gentle tug, he effortlessly exposed your nipple, pink and stiff, for his eyes to finally behold. You felt a sudden pang of self-consciousness, but before you could fully grasp it, Sanji’s lips were already tantalizingly close to the sensitive bud. Your mind was in turmoil, and your stomach clenched with pleasure as his mouth barely parted, gently grazing your nipple and eliciting an uncontrollable moan.

His tongue darted forward, swirling around it as if relishing a cherry on top of a cake. A sigh escaped your lips, and you squirmed as he uncovered your other breast, his thumb instantly beginning to stimulate it. The sensation was utterly intoxicating, sending shivers straight to your clit and inner walls.

Sanji kept going, adjusting himself between your legs, his eyes locked with yours as he sucked on your hardened nipple. The sight was incredibly arousing, and despite your best efforts, you threw your head back as the pleasure became uncontainable.

Your chest arched, giving him the perfect chance to amplify your pleasure. With one breast in his mouth, his other hand journeyed downward, bypassing your mound to explore further. He traced gentle circles over your stomach, abdomen, and hip bone.

Your fingers wove through the back of his hair. Though you didn't pull, the simple gesture anchored you as your world seemed on the brink of unraveling. You shivered, whispering his name like a prayer, waves of pleasure crashing over you relentlessly.

His fingers slid over the waistband of your underwear, tracing your pubic bone and sensing your warmth through the cotton. Everything he did was meticulously orchestrated and seamlessly executed, setting your nerves on fire and making them sing.

Sanji knew precisely what he was doing, and he carried it out with mastery.

"Are you okay, my lovely?" He asked, his lips just barely parting from your breast.

You spoke with such resolute speed that even you were taken aback by your own zeal. “Yes. Keep going.”

Sanji conveyed his contentment with another kiss on your lips before turning his attention back to your breasts, alternating sides as his fingers continued their exploration. You yielded to his touch, your hips lifting as his tongue circled your neglected nipple, while his fingertips teased just above your covered clit.

He paused, tracing his thumb along your clothed entrance without making direct contact with the pulsing nub.

“Sanji—”

"See how wet you are," he noted casually, with the excitement of a child discovering their new favorite toy.

"Oof. And who do you think is responsible for that?"

“Definitely not Patty.”

“Are you serious? Patty again?”

Sanji laughed heartily, his white teeth gleaming in the dim light of the cabin. His blond hair, though partly uncombed, remained spectacularly beautiful. He appeared both ruggedly sexy and astonishingly sweet, consistently attentive and considerate, no matter the situation.

Even in the throes of passion, he never appeared weathered or out of place.

“I’m sorry, love. Maybe I am a little jealous.”

"But why? I'm practically naked in front of you. There's no other man I'd rather be with or think about. Ever."

Could your friendship with Patty have truly unsettled him, while your biggest worry was never being enough to make him fall for you?

Sanji's smile grew even wider as he propped himself up on his elbows, bringing his lips to your face once more. “Yeah?”

“Yes. Honestly, if you don’t do something soon, I feel like I might burst.”

Oh, he was reveling in every second, covering you in kisses and looking completely ecstatic.

“I would never leave you like this. I like tasting good food before eating it, and right now, you are more delicious than a Clafoutis.”

You chuckled. “A what now?”

"Clafoutis. It's a tart made with whole black cherries, enveloped in a sweet, custard-like batter."

“Great. How am I supposed to compete with that?”

Sanji shook his head, amused. “No dessert on earth could ever rival your flavor.”

‘Except that you haven’t fully tasted me yet,” you said to yourself.

His fingers pressed more firmly against your labia, feeling your wetness seep into your underwear. You nibbled your lower lip and inhaled sharply, another moan escaping as he established a consistent rhythm.

The straps of your bra slid off your shoulders, revealing more of your breasts. Under different circumstances, this might have embarrassed you, but he made everything feel natural and free of shame. Your nipples, erect and slightly flushed, tingled with sensitivity, which only fueled Sanji's arousal. His fingers traced upward, barely brushing your clit and flicking it through the garment with the most delicate touch.

You shivered and gasped, anticipating his next move, only to find him gazing at you, spellbound.

“What…?”

His eyes turned red, and his lower lip trembled faintly, but his feelings were undeniable. "You really are extraordinarily enchanting."

How many times had he complimented you in a single day? His affection was so genuine that you found yourself starting to believe every word.

“Being with you like this makes me question what I ever did to deserve you.”

His reassurance began to dismantle the walls you had built around your self-doubt. It was clear how much he meant it—how deeply he trusted in you.

How often had you yearned for someone who could recognize your true worth without pressuring you to meet their standards? Years of reshaping yourself to fit others' preferences had left you like a clay doll—constantly broken, scratched, and never quite measuring up to what they wanted.

Then Sanji entered your life, lifting you from the mental slums you were trapped in and mending every crack with the purest gold.

You sat up abruptly, wrapped your arms around his neck, and kissed him deeply, channeling all your love and desperation into it.

"Where have you been all my life?" you asked, breaking the kiss with a loud, wet pop.

“I’ve been right here, waiting for a woman like you to walk through the restaurant’s door,” he replied, his voice husky.

“There are plenty of pretty ones, you know.”

"Mm," he whispered against your lips. "But as you said, my lovely, they aren't you."

It felt as if an arrow had pierced the center of your chest, leaving you breathless in an instant.

"Please, I need you to touch me," you begged. "I want to feel you right now."

He cherished your honesty, the richness of your voice, and the comforting warmth of your bare body beneath his.

Gently laying you back, he deftly unhooked your bra, capturing both straps between his thumbs and forefingers. His eyes darkened with desire as the tip of his hardness pressed more insistently along your inner thigh through his underwear.

“Can I take this off?”

He was just too charming to resist.

“Absolutely.”

You felt his strong hands on your upper back, tracing over your shoulder blades and down your arms. With care, he lowered the straps, removing your final piece of clothing and letting it fall to the floor.

Unable to resist any longer, his lips pressed against yours for what felt like the hundredth time, his hands kneading your breasts as he hummed against your tongue. He trailed kisses along your jawline, found the sensitive spot on your neck, then returned to your nipples, sucking one and then the other like a chef savoring the most delectable creation.

But he didn’t stop there, oh no. While keeping one of your buds engaged, his hand returned to your clit without hesitation. Through the delicate fabric of your panties, he located your sensitive spot, swollen and craving more attention. This time, he stroked your clit up and down, faster and faster, making your legs spread wider instinctively.

With his fervent massage and the prior attentions, it didn’t take long for that familiar knot to form in your belly. Your hips moved in harmony with his hand as he caressed your clit in the most exquisite way, at the perfect pace.

"Sanji, I’m almost there," you announced, your voice quivering.

“You’re close?”

“Mhm.”

“Then let me make this feel even better for you.”

Intrigued by his next move, you watched as he eased away from your chest and moved down the bed. He slipped his fingers beneath the elastic, lacy band of your lingerie and began to slide it off. You let him, feeling your panties roll down your legs until you were completely bare and exposed for him to see.

Sanji shifted his position, drawing his face closer to your core and gently spreading your thighs wider. His eyes absorbed every intimate detail of your womanhood. With anyone else, you would have felt extremely uneasy, considering such scrutiny offensive and remendously mortifying. With Sanji, it was different. He sincerely admired every part of you in every way you offered, devoid of any vulgarity or hidden agendas.

“Every inch of you is a work of art,” he expressed, his thumb lightly caressing your clit again. “You’re divine, like a beautiful flower deserving of the utmost reverence and adoration. I’m mesmerized by you."

Hit and sunk. Quite literally. Should he ever, for some absurd reason, abandon his cooking career, you could easily envision him as the most talented poet in the entire East Blue, if not the world.

“Sanji—”

“Shh, I’ll take care of you.”

And so he did, expertly stimulating your clit with precise movements, while two of his fingers effortlessly found their way inside you. You were completely soaked, making his access to your inner walls smooth and easy. He entered you slowly, his fingers advancing and searching for that sensitive spot he knew would make you lose control. Your hands gripped the sheets, your chest heaving as your breath became more rapid.

The moment he found it, your G-spot reacted instantly, making your eyes roll back and your voice falter. You were on the verge of release, holding on the brink but not quite able to soar.

And just when you thought you couldn't handle any more, his thumb was replaced by his tongue, which danced over your clitoris in rapid circles, causing a series of sounds that made your skin flush and burn.

It was unexpected but welcomed nonetheless.

Sanji groaned against your core. The interplay of his mouth and fingers became intoxicating, the sensation in your abdomen intensifying and drawing you closer to an agonizing climax. He pleasured you with insatiable hunger, savoring every moment as if you were his most prized delicacy.

You gathered a handful of his hair, sweeping it aside to get a clear view of his eyes. They were full of pleasure and reverence, connecting with yours in a way that made you want to cry anew.

"I need you," you repeated, your hips trembling.

He smiled knowingly, his fingers skillfully beckoning you closer to completion. "I'm here, my lovely. I'm not going anywhere."

With each touch and stroke, he elevated you to heights of pleasure you had never dreamed of. Your body responded exquisitely, moving in perfect unison with him, as if guided by instinct. He played you like a finely tuned instrument, akin to a bard crafting the most wonderful love song in existence.

And finally, with just the right lick and press deep inside you, your orgasm arrived like a powerful sea wave, sweeping you away from the shore. You covered your mouth to contain your moans, otherwise too loud for anyone else on the ship to ignore. Your legs trembled and your hips bucked, but Sanji's arms kept your thighs secure. Though his fingers had withdrawn, his mouth stayed fixed on your clit, drawing out the pleasure until your orgasm subsided.

You were panting, your body weak and trembling, as Sanji brought his wet fingers to his mouth. His nostrils flared, and his eyes closed as he indulged in your taste with the same rapture he reserved for his finest ingredients.

Your walls were still shaking, pulsing and clenching around nothing, already feeling empty and requiring something else. As soon as he returned to you, his kiss infused with your essence, the evident rigidity of his arousal made it clear that your night had only just begun.

And you were more than enthusiastic to explore every aspect of Sanji’s devotion.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 (currently reading) Go to Chapter 7 (coming soon) ->

[mangooftheshroom]

Sanji's entire journey in Whole Cake Island is amazing.

Not just because the arc is great but also because we've been getting hints of his story before even Alabasta.

Spoilers under the cut. ^-^

The first clue we get is him calling himself a prince in Little Garden, then again in Alabasta. None of us really thought of it much back then cuz why would we? We got his backstory with Zeff back at the Baratie who could've guessed he would've had a 2nd backstory?

Then he drops the info that he came from the north blue back in Jaya.

And as we know of the One Piece world-

It's kind of hard to ignore that big red mountain separating the north and east blues.

Which leaves us wondering on how the fuck he was able to get to East blue and board a ship filled with chefs, then get stuck on that rock with Zeff then get adopted by him.

And let's add Sanji's insistence on being useful to people. We've seen it happen with Zeff, and it was only passed on to the strawhats when he joined.

His need to be useful and him questioning Zeff on why he was treating him so nicely wasn't exactly answered in the Baratie.

Then, we also have his reaction to Luffy and Usopp's fight back in Water 7.

How he tried to break up their argument and then him snapping at Luffy when he told Usopp to just leave.

Sanji knew what it felt like to be useless, hence the reason why he was the one to say those words to Usopp.

Then we have Thriller Bark. How he stepped in between Zoro and Kuma to sacrifice himself.

All these clues end up making sense in Whole Cake Island.

Where we learn of his biological family. Of the abuse, he endured because of his father and brothers.

And when we finally learn his full backstory and we look back on all the little clues Oda put in his story, and we see how far he planned Sanji's story.

Im sure it's highly plausible that he was ad-libbing as time went on, but there's no way you can tease a character's backstory for over 20 years and not have a solid plan involved.

[beanghostprincess]

Ya know there is so much in the Fandom and yet I have noticed a distinct lack of Buggy and Sanji content.

Not in a shipping way either but like. Buggy, the Flashiest Pirate In The East, would ABSOLUTELY go to the Baratie if only for the renown it has for its food. Also I bet he knew - or knew OF Zeff at the very least - when he was still a pirate. Buggy visiting the Baratie occasionally, sometimes in Normal Flashy Fashion, sometimes more toned down because he just needs a bit of a break. Zeff would absolutely take one look at this traumatized little hobgoblin of a pirate and go "oh wow. Someone get this bitch a meal. Bitches love meals"

Sanji, a wee tyke learning the ways of the kitchen, sees this absolute bozo who he, at first, assumes to be a second rate pirate. Zeff is better. Zeff tells all these stories about the Old Ways, the Pirate's Code, and Sanji thinks "this clown doesn't know the meaning of a code"

Then smth happens to completely change his tune. Maybe Buggy says or does something. Maybe Sanji overhears or sees smth. Maybe someone else kicks a fuss, and Buggy responds in the Right Ways. Who knows?

But Sanji is now intrigued. And Sanji is a kid, with lots of trauma sure, but a kid nonetheless. And Buggy Notices.

He gets forcibly assimilated into Sanji's found family. He never agreed to this. He never had a choice.

Sanji grows up with Zeff and uncle Buggy. He happens to leave with the Strawhats at the perfect time to do so - and he keeps avoiding Buggy via near misses, to the point Bugs is SEETHING playfully. How dare. Truly. All of his nephews are EVIL.

It comes to a head when, years later, with Emperors crowned, there is a series of wacky shenanigans which lead to Cross Guild and the Strawhats meeting face to face.

Sanji is flabbergasted by the realization that he now has step-uncles, one of which is the mosshead's mentor/father-figure. The other is the brutal ex dictator of Alabasta who later passed the captain's vibe check and might just be said captain's other father, there is no confirmation.

Buggy meanwhile is having twelve different attacks of a variety of nature bc he's due for his yearly fight to the death with his one nephew, and the other is here and within throttling range and - IS THAT A HICKEY!?!?!

Cue veeeerry awkward Meet The Family where Buggy and Usopp actually get along well while Sanji is debating his chances of kicking these men's asses and if it would dishonor Zoro's dreams if he threatened mihawk....

Both conversations boil down to "he's been through a lot, so be good to him or you'll be hearing from me, okay? Okay. Good."

Usopp actually is chill with this both bc "I would never" and also "even if he came for me, I could kick a clown's ass probably. If nit me, then Luffy. And if Luffy doesn't, then I will deserve it."

Crocodile and Mihawk are mildly amused but also curious - the clown? Having trauma? As if. They think of it initially as smth of a comparison. Severity of trauma is the highest rank. They think of Buggy's past as "his captain died, he broke up with his best friend, the end". They do not know of the interim details. The reasons that Shank and he both refuse to allow anyone below 14 at the bare minimum onto their crews. The reason Buggy was frothing when Shanks told him about Uta - after the fact. The reason Buggy only drinks certain brands of rum because some make him physically sick. The reason he can't sleep in pitch black darkness. The reason he sometimes simply Can't Sleep At All.

There's more to it, to everything, to all of it, than any one person knows.

Just. Back on topic but Buggy and Sanji. I just think they'd have the neatest dynamic.

You just chose two of my favorite characters and did THIS and I love it 😭 The funny thing is that it does make sense that Buggy had gone to the Baratie and met Sanji at some point... I've always thought mostly on Usopp/Buggy parallelisms but Sanji kind of relating to Buggy too because of feeling inferior to his family,,,, Besides I think the dynamic would be hilarious because okay, they get along, but I can imagine them growing closer and caring about each other but arguing all the time Sanji/Zeff style? So at first, everybody thinks he has something against Buggy because when they meet they won't stop yelling at each other but when they ask them about it, Sanji is like "??? Nah, he's something like my uncle don't- Don't think too hard about it". And I am also SO sure Sanji would know stuff about Shanks that Luffy doesn't because Buggy explained Sanji their childhoods,,, Going insane about this one, actually.

[foralternateuniverses]

My sister and I have an au that I like to call "the au where everything is fine and dandy" in which:

- Sora succeded on saving all the boys (12&4 are blondies with at most a couple of colour streaks in their heir), she escapes with the kids but dies on the way, they kids end up briefly separated but reunite when Sanji and Zeff are rescued from the rock and so they all grow up on the Baratie.

- One day a newbie group of pirates arrive to eat, it's the spade pirates who so far consist of Ace (the captain), Uta (the bard) and Deuce (the doctor).

- Because they ate without having money to pay they end up staying a while to work, during that time they get to meet the siblings and Ace grows especially close to Ichiji (who has a special interest in geographical history and dreams of making an universal compound/book recompilation of old vs New maps of places).

- Ace convinces Ichiji to join his crew and so Ichiji leaves as a spade pirate.

- the others follow closely, Niji and Yonji leave to sail and have their own adventures.

- Niji's technological and scientific interests take him to Gecko Moria, whose crew he'll join.

- Yonji winds up with X Drake.

- Reiju waits for Sanji to leave before she embarks on her own adventure.

- Shushu joins the strawhats.

- Niji "fights" Franky in Thriller Bark. Later he'll be sent away by Kuma along by Perona (he saw that Kuma was about to strike her so he ran to her and barely managed to grab her before she was poofed, so they both traveled together.

- He upgraded the monkeys for Zoro to fight, and later accompanied Perona on the "make sure Zoro gets to Sabaody" mission.

- When Ichiji (and everyone else) goes to save Ace, they end up being married then and there by White Beard ( I rather die having been married to you if only for a minute than die without professing my love for you to the world kinda thing, Buggy live streamed the whole deal, Ace fake died but Judge knows he's alive).

- Ace doesn't die.

- All the siblings receive invitations to the wedding-tea party.

- Sanji is the first of the siblings to get to Germa, Judge immediately puts the bracelets on him.

- When the others arrive, Yonji is the first to notice that Sanji has been keeping his hands in his pockets and yanks one out, Niji is the one that recognises the devices and being the tech-maniac and ex cre-member of Gecko Moria and Perona, still, it'll take some days for him to find a way to get rid of them without exploding Sanji's hands

- Later, either Niji or Yonji try to confront Judge on whatever, however, he orders Ichiji to stop them and before anyone can do anything Ichiji's body moves on its own and brings his brother to his knees, turns out that one of the things that did manage to activate was whatever Judge did to them to make them obey him.

- He orders Ichiji to break his relationship with Ace at the first given opportunity.

- the reformed spade pirates had come together but only Ichiji was allowed entry, they stay nearby though.

- when Luffy and Nami confront them on their carriage, after Sanji beats Luffy up, Ichiji takes the opportunity to tell Luffy to let Ace know that their relationship is off, over, Luffy is like "what? But you're madly in love with each other?" So he's even more sure that something's up.

- Nami is the one who finds Ace and takes him to Luffy while explaining what happened, obvs, Ace is like "like hell is our marriage over! Something is up!”

[deecotan]

I’ve been playing around with omegaverse ZS lovechild concept for a while and now here she is! Her name is Minori, she was born sometime during the Strawhats’ voyage so she was practically raised in the Sunny. She exists in an omegaverse canon-divergent AU where the plotline is basically the same as canon, diverging post-Wano and post-Strawhat Jinbe (similar to Film Red situation). 

Ramblings below: 

I created her with the idea of a lovechild who is different from Aoi, the first ZS lovechild that I created. Aoi is an exuberant, happy-go-lucky person, with a tomboyish appearance and a more “unkempt” look that she imprinted from Zoro. Minori is reserved and quiet, if not somewhat shy, with a more feminine, neater appearance and overall looks that is inspired by Sanji, and by extension, Reiju and Sora. Minori is also set in the canon universe and raised on a pirate ship, in contrast to Aoi who is set in a modern AU One Piece and grew up in a family home. 

I originally planned her to use rapier as her main weapon at first, but then I thought it would be a little weird for Zoro’s kid to choose a different type of sword, so I decided to scrap it. The name and the general color palette of the sword remains the same, though.

Additionally, her name was originally supposed to be “Marisol” since it can mean “sea and sun” in Spanish and also because I want to try giving her a more European-sounding name. I decided to scrap it since it won’t fit with the rest of the Strawhats’ naming custom; most of the Strawhats have easy-sounding names that are easy to pronounce both in English and Japanese (Luffy/Ru-fi, Na-mi, Zo-ro, etc), and most of them only consist of 2-3 syllables. Marisol is 4 syllables long when pronounced in Japanese (Marisoru), so I decided to change it to a simpler name.

My Japanese VA headcanon for Minori is Yui Ishikawa. She has the type of voice that gives off “elegant and sophisticated lady who can kill you” energy especially when voicing Mikasa from Attack on Titan and 2B from Nier:Automata. 

She spends most of her childhood in Thousand Sunny, and then her early teen years to the rest of her life in Sanji’s floating restaurant in All Blue together with her parents, Zeff, and the rest of the Baratie crew. She would then travel to other islands by herself from time to time, sometimes saving people and getting into fights on the way, and send letters back to her parents that tell of her adventures.

Personality-wise, Minori is a calm, collected person. She tends to keep her emotions at bay and rarely overreacts to anything, and likes to solve problems in an analytical way. Deep down, Minori is also a kind and considerate person, and is especially very compassionate towards those who are in need. She has a strong sense of justice, and believes in the notion that the strong must protect the weak. She is also a bit socially awkward, having trouble befriending people normally as they would usually get scared of her first. 

Minori is very inquisitive as a child, often questioning many things and finding solace in reading books. Because of this, she looks up a lot to Robin, whom she thinks is very intelligent and “all-knowing”.  

Because she grows up in Sunny, aside from Zoro and Sanji themselves, she is practically raised by everyone in the crew and so has imprinted some of them as well. She appreciates Robin’s morbid humor, has a slightly extensive knowledge in first aid from Chopper, can differentiate between a good and a bad lie thanks to Usopp, and comes to love music from Brook. 

People would often call her the “Miracle Child” due to the exceptional circumstances during which she was born. She is a child born into a pirate crew, with that pirate crew being the Strawhat Pirates and her parents being two of their strongest members nonetheless, and she is born when Sanji is being held hostage. (I’ll delve into that soon. Later. One day.) 

As a result of spending most of her childhood on a pirate ship, Minori has a much more hardened outlook in life, having learned how to fight and defend herself against enemies. She can be downright vicious when circumstances warrant it, especially when dealing with cruel and powerful enemies. 

She trains swordsmanship under Zoro, and as she grows stronger and more skillful in it, she begins to develop her own fighting style utilizing her enhanced speed, agility, and dexterity, of which she inherits from Sanji. 

Her sword’s tsuba (hand guard) is circular-shaped and has a wave pattern that looks something like this: 

Her epithet “Sword Princess” comes from her exceptional swordsmanship, her fighting style that’s been described as being “elegant”, and her overall wardrobe aesthetic that heavily resembles a princess. 

She is noted to have exceptional beauty, and many people have praised her for it. Sanji has been notable for furiously beating people up if he catches them ogling or talking to her inappropriately. 

Her name written in kanji would be 美緑, consisting of 美 which means “beauty, beautiful” and 緑 which means “green, greenery (the colors of trees and grasses)”. I think it’s an amusingly fitting name for Zoro and Sanji’s child. 

Since she technically exists in an A/B/O universe, she does have a secondary gender as well, which is Beta.

[sillypiratelife]

The more I think about it, the more insane the first Mihawk and Zoro encounter is.

Mihawk adopted Zoro right in front of Zeff and went directly to tell Shanks about it???

No, but seriously. There's no way Zeff didn't feel a bit invested in the chaos. He saw Zoro giving his all for his dream and he knew that's how Sanji was too, it's just that Sanji gave up for some reason guilt. It was not only Luffy who convinced Zeff that he needed to kick Sanji out of the Baratie and sent him sailing with those idiots, but also freaking Zoro.

Zoro addressing Luffy as the pirate king in front of everyone??

Fever whenever I think of how you could say Mihawk proclaimed Zoro as Luffy's first mate on the spot. He really said "you two came in the same pack. good". It's like? Oh look, the kid I just adopted is besties with the kid of one of my friends. How convenient.

Mihawk's tiny baby knife. It reminds me of the knife Luffy cut his cheek with when he wanted to prove to Shanks that he was ready to sail with him. Except both Zoro and Luffy gained their mentors' respect, meaning that Shank left Luffy with a hat that identified him from there on, while Mihawk left Zoro with a giant scar all across his chest as the promise Zoro must fulfill to Mihawk.

The fact Mihawk identified Luffy from Shank's stories and he judged Luffy also based on his compatibility with Zoro??????? Sure, only the pirate king would be worthy of having the greatest swordsman in his crew.

Sanji. Sanji's reaction to the whole thing. The desperation in his voice. I still can't believe it was the way Sanji was truly introduced to Zoro. Of course they are not normal about each other. Sanji was screaming for Zoro to give up so he wouldn't die and Zoro was asking for death so he wouldn't be defeated.

"Why are the fighting all the time?" MAYBE BECAUSE THEY STAND DIRECTLY ON TWO OPPOSITE SIDES IN THAT MATTER???

There were already two swordsmen following Zoro?? Calling him big brother?? There were five young men around Zoro's age there and he absolutely didn't disappoint in guiding by example? It was a Zoro masterclass on how to be a strawhat. What a time to be alive.

I just love that everyone was losing their mind over Mihawk and his powers and Zoro just. Jumped to face him. Mihawk told him YOU ARE A KID and Zoro proceeded to impress Mihawk so hard, the man became a fan. It's? Simply?? Idk, idk!

Sanji's family remembers Zoro and Luffy like that. Do you understand what that means? Ussop was kinda there and Nami didn't make the best of first impressions, but Luffy and Zoro made a total show. At that point, Zeff was the kind of dad who almost forced his kid to befriend the other kids he thinks that will be a good influence.

Which again. Insane.

Luffy ready to throw hands over Zoro did not surprise me. The intensity of his panic? The hurt on the way he screamed Zoro's name? He was sweating, using all his willpower to control himself and not interrupt Zoro's fight, he was cursing Mihawk and going wild and— I cannot breathe whenever I remember how Luffy met Zoro, how their friendship started. No one else knows that Zoro was on a Marine base CRUCIFIED. Some freaking pulling this Jesus out of the cross and taking him with me to see the world shit going on here.

The whole Zoro basically crucified image and the whole cross imagery with Mihawk and— I'm not going that route today, sorry.

THE VOW. THE VOW. THE VOOOOOOOOW.

WERE YOU WORRIED ABOUT ME?

AND HE WAS.

The way Sanji calls back to the vow when he criticizes Zoro in Alabasta for being worried about Luffy losing. The Zoro Sanji knows is the one who raised his arm and called Luffy the pirate king, the one who vowed to never lose again to not worry Luffy. Sanji was not happy to see Zoro so out of himself and in a weird (their) way, he was reassuring Zoro. Ugh. My brain hurts.

But then again, Zoro was acting exactly how Luffy acted before. The first fight of Luffy vs Crocodile is clearly paralleling the Zoro vs Mihawk first encounter. I'll need a therapist after this.

I'm just now reading the version of the manga and not the anime and wjdnkdbfjej I just—

The end(?)

[theclearblue]

Is it bad that I feel personally victimised by WCI or am I just being dramatic?

I don't think so anon, I think the themes of family in WCI are some of the most personal and nuanced Oda has ever done and while tragic in so many ways, I think results in the best way of conveying how powerful found family is but also how someone can have complicated feelings towards their blood family.

Throughout all of One Piece, you can see this through line of found family and how blood relations isn't what matters in who you consider family (The ASL brothers, Bellemere and Nojiko for Nami, Kuina for Zoro, Zeff for Sanji, Saul for Robin, Tom and Iceburg for Franky, and while not a strawhat, Corazon and Law deeply affected me as well). This is obviously a trope Oda has liked writing for a long time and one he does well, but (with somewhat the exception of Marineford/Post-War arc with Whitebeard and Ace), WCI is the first time he really dives into these themes of what family is, and what I really appreciated, how messy it can be.

(I uhhh wrote a lot after the cut so be prepared for that)

And it's not just Sanji in this arc (I'll get to him though don't worry), from Germa, from the Big Mom Pirates, and the Firetank Pirates, so many characters are acting as narrative foils to Sanji and dealing with family related trauma, and responding to it differently. The ones that really got me were Pudding and Katakuri though, and they're pretty similar to each other as well. I've talked a little bit about Pudding already here so I'll talk a bit more about Katakuri instead, but it hit me really hard when he made a temple for himself, and he lets the rumors fly about "his back has never touched the ground, he's praying to a god of war, no one has seen him eat" and it's just. Him laying on his back, eating donuts happily. And the scene is kind of silly and funny right, but I kid you not my New Year's resolution this year was to just, try to be more comfortable in my living room/kitchen without thinking everyone is going to judge me for, what? Eating? Watching a show I like? Completely normal things, but if you've ever grown up in a house where just, EVERYTHING you do is picked apart and criticized by family, it's easier to just shut yourself away in a room and hide it. And isn't that tragic? Katakuri projecting this image of strength that his family asks of him so much that he feels he has to hide completely normal things like lying down and eating? I could go even deeper into this character but this is just one example of a character's complicated relationship with his family, where he hides so much of himself for them, but also it stemming from a place of love after what happened to Brulee when they were kids.

And now to talk about Sanji. Ohhhh where do I even start with this guy. As kind of a sidenote, if you've seen any of my posts from Thriller Bark through Punk Hazard, I was really struggling to like Sanji as a character and I didn't make that a secret. Which was upsetting to me because, from Baratie-Enies Lobby (and really good moments at the end of Thriller Bark and Saoboady) he was a favorite of mine! And at times I thought his character was done pretty dirty where he was stripped down to a singular gag and Oda leaned into it way way way too hard. But it's immensely satisfying to me to see all the little seeds Oda planted for so many years come to fruition in Zou and WCI, to the point I think he's turned from being the most one note strawhat to the most nuanced and layered in the span of a singular saga. And that was incredible to see.

I think what really captivated me about Sanji from the beginning were how strong and rigid his convictions are, and that even though he's kind of a rude brat (I say that with love lol), he's so undeniably kind, even to a fault. And with his first backstory we see how a lot of his rigid rules he's made for himself come from, it's from Zeff. He doesn't hit women, he'll feed anyone who's hungry no matter what, and he learns to fight to protect people he cares about, but he isn't really a fighter in the same way Luffy and Zoro are, and that's made clear in his desire to protect his hands in a fight so that he can do what he really loves, and that's to cook. A lot of what makes Sanji who he is today is shown here, but Oda was smart in showing aspects of Sanji that clearly don't stem from Zeff without telling the audience why for the longest time.

He shares the dream of the All Blue with Zeff, but where did it come from? Zeff is kind of similar where he has this hard exterior but underneath is kind as well, but it's taken to another level with Sanji where it becomes self sacrificial. Throwing himself down the mountain on Drum Island, taking the lightning bolts from Enel for Nami and Usopp on Skypeia, boarding the water train alone to try and get to Robin, and most prominently, at least for me, him trying to take Luffy's pain at the end of Thriller Bark instead of Zoro, where he very clearly places more value on Zoro's dream and life than his own. That was the moment to me that made me really realize he does not see value in himself, unless he's providing something he deems useful. And if the situation calls for it, he'll throw his life and dream away if that makes him "useful" not realizing that the crew don't see him as this dispensable thing like he sees himself.

And all of Sanji's strengths and flaws as a character just come to make this perfect storm and mess that is Whole Cake Island. And the kindness that is Sanji's most definitive trait is so clearly not in this family, at least not seen at first. His brothers are made to have no zero empathy and beat down on him constantly, verbally and physically, and Judge just watches and doesn't care, eventually just hides Sanji in a cell and pretends he's dead. Because he was physically weaker and human. And yet he continues to cook because he loves doing it, he remembers his mother's kindness, and his dream of the all blue is formed in a small dark room and just. This got to me big time. Not to get too personal but the set of expectations put onto Sanji by his family, ones he can never live up to and finding passion in something his family finds to be worthless and a waste of time. Finding an escape in books and finding his dream there even though everything around him is hell. Slowly realizing the extent of cruelty that his father will go to as he grows up. Very unfortunately for me this might be the most relatable character I have ever come across in regards to my own experiences. I'm someone to voice my thoughts on things even if nobody else cares (hence why I've been liveblogging on here since Drum Island I think lmao) but while watching Sanji's backstory it affected me like nothing else ever has. It's not even something that made me cry really, I was just in shock after watching it for awhile. And Reiju saying to Sanji, "There are people out there who will accept you for who you are, you need to get out of here" which is so similar to what Saul said to Robin and even similar to what one of my sisters said to me growing up. Yeah. I also felt personally victimized by Whole Cake Island lmao.

But the end result of Sanji's arc is so beautiful and amazing. Sanji putting on this act of looking down on Luffy, and once again trying to sacrifice himself to protect those that he cares about, but Luffy just cuts through the bullshit because he knows that isn't really Sanji talking in that fight. Luffy's speech as Sanji is being driven away where he says that he can't become the pirate king without him by his side. This isn't an original thought but Sanji and Zoro both kind of represent different aspects of Luffy's dreams. Zoro with a seemingly impossible ideal and putting 100% of yourself into it. "I will become the greatest swordsman." "I will become the pirate king." But Sanji's dream of finding the All Blue reflects Luffy's dream of finding the One Piece. They both don't know if either of those things are even real (the audience at this point knows the one piece is real, but to my knowledge and where I'm at, Luffy doesn't). Yet there's this childlike wonder they both have about these dreams, because, what if it is real? Luffy knows that Sanji is irreplaceable because of the ideals that they share, not because of what Sanji can provide or be "useful" as.

It takes so much for Sanji to go running back to Luffy, and even when he does, he obviously gets insecure again and starts listing off reasons why he isn't worthy enough to go back to the Sunny and to the crew. And God is it satisfying to see Luffy absolutely rock his shit for saying that and asking him to just SAY what he really wants. And Sanji breaking down and saying how much he misses the Sunny and the crew and also airing out how he feels backed into a corner and doesn't know the way out, that he wants to help his family even though he doesn't consider them family and he KNOWS it doesn't make sense, he is being kind to a fault again. But Luffy smiling at him and saying "Well, that's just how you are. Let's go crash the wedding." That's when I started sobbing lmao, because there is such unconditional love and kindness in that statement that Sanji has so desperately needed ever since his mother died. Someone who just accepts him and all his faults wholeheartedly, and is that not the most beautiful representation of family??? His relationship with his blood family is so messy and complicated and full of mixed feelings(and that's very common), but his feelings about Zeff and Luffy and the rest of the strawhats are so clearly full of adoration and unconditional love for them, and they feel that same love for him as well! How lucky all of them are where they found their people, and how everyone else in this world has that opportunity to find the space and people they truly belong to, not tied down by blood. Whole Cake Island's themes on family were so well done and also fundamentally changed me as a person I think.

[joyboyish]

i wrote a few fics on ao3 heres one of them lol

--------

Man Made Problems

------

Sanji was a mess.

He knew it. The crew knew it. Hell, even the fish he was cutting up for lunch looked like it was staring at him with pity.

When the Sanji Retrieval Team left Whole Cake Island, Luffy was too busy laughing. The excitement of fighting Kaido and the leftover adrenalin from saving Sanji were both strong, so he was spared the pity party

When they arrived at Wano, the perfect excuse was practically handed to him on a silver platter. All it took was one ‘We really shouldn't interact, we don't want to draw attention to ourselves’ and the conversation was over.

But that's over now. Wano is over. They did their jobs and now they're on the Sunny heading to the next island and Sanji has no way to avoid this eventual talk.

He knew Nami gave everyone a brief run down. He also knew Zoro was pissed at what he did to Luffy, no matter what the reason was. He deserved it though. He's just as mad at himself.

Now that Judge has revealed to the world Sanji's lineage, that's all he’ll ever be. His bounty is seen differently, civilians see him differently, his crew sees him differently. Honestly he couldn't decide which was worse. The fact that everyone on the crew wants him to talk about it, or the fact that they’re all walking on eggshells around him. It made him nervous.

He’s accidentally cut his fingers more times in the last 48 hours than he has since he was 8. This isn't who he is! He’s Blackleg Sanji, former sous chef at the Baratie, chef of the Strawhat pirates, and the man who's going to find the All Blue damn it! He was the son and apprentice of Red Foot Zeff and he wouldn't be told by anyone, no matter what his bounty says.

But he’s been messing up a lot recently.

When Chopper checked on him after his fight, he couldn't hide the look on his face. He started quickly writing notes and asked him to bring another patient in. Later Chopper apologizes and says he was worried about how Sanji was taking these changes, but Sanji wouldn't be surprised if he’s just afraid of him now.

The other day he was talking to Nami when she playfully punched him, and ended up spraining her wrist on his hardened skin. He couldn't look her in the eyes after that. He’s been avoiding her since.

Another time Usopp had given an ashtray he had made, but this time when he took it his grip was too strong and he broke it. The sniper often gave him things he’s made, and every time he takes it carefully and puts it in his room, cherishing every last one of them, knowing he broke them made him tear up.

Not to mention he’s been so lost in thought he can barely do his job! He’s spilled drinks, forgot to cook meals, and even burnt some of Luffy’s meat. Can you believe it? Him! He burnt food!

Sanji was suddenly cut off from his thoughts when Zoro came into the kitchen.

“I haven't forgiven you y’know”

Sanji stiffens at these words.

“I don't want you to. I don't deserve it”

The swordsman was observing him, as if trying to think of what to say

“Luffy forgives you for Whole Cake Island, since you did it to try and protect him. But it’ll take more from me to prove you're really sorry, because right now? I’m not seeing shit”

“I regret hurting Luffy then more than anything in the world, but if you can’t see how fucking sorry I am than thats your fault”

Zoro was thinking, which scared Sanji more than any of his siblings could.

“I’m not talking about what you did then. No matter how mutated your body becomes I highly doubt any of it will be enough to hurt Luffy. He’s too strong. And apparently a God now.”

“Then what the hell are you upset for?!” Sanji said taking his cigarette out of his mouth

“For not realizing how what your doing is affecting him!”

“...What the hell are you talking about?”

Zoro sighed, placing his swords next to him and sitting down. “I know Luffy only talked to me about Marineford, but it doesn't take a genius to understand what he's thinking. Everyone else in the crew knows”

“..Huh?”

“....Ever since Ace died, Luffy has been more on edge. I know you noticed it on our way to Fishman Island. He blames himself for Ace’s death, and since then he’s started to blame himself more and more.”

Sanji turned around, looking at the food he’s cooking and totally not hiding his tears

“Right now, Luffys not thinking ‘Sanji is distancing himself because he feels guilty’ he's thinking ‘Sanji is distancing himself because he knows I failed him.’ Luffy’s become more insecure. He blames himself for almost anything. He says he’s over Ace’s death but he’s not. He’s been holding all of these emotions in and you avoiding him after his help is making him more stressed. He’s been less talkative, kept to himself more, and has been visibly more paranoid. Even if Luffy forgives you, I won't until you clear this up with him. It's gonna take more than your half assed apology to fix Luffys trauma, but it wont get any better like this.”

“...Jesus when Luffys involved you almost sound smart” Sanji jokes, trying to ease the tension, “I’ll talk to him. Tomorrow though. Just… just give me some time”

“Just cook him somethin’ extra till then” Zoro snorts

Just then Luffy barges into the room

“Zoro! I found you! I win hide and seek! Oh hi Sanji!”

“I told you I wasn't playing!"

“Hey there Captain, I have your snack ready.” Sanji said, placing an obscene amount of hamburgers in front of the younger boy

“Wow thanks Sanji!”

They sat in silence for a while, with Sanji cleaning up the kitchen to the sounds of Luffy enjoying his food. It left him on the edge. Luffy was only quiet when he was absorbed into whatever he's eating or when he gets serious, and at this rate it could be either.

“Hey Zoro? I actually want to talk to Sanji about something. Do you mind leaving us be for a bit?”

Fuck.

Zoro smiled at his captain and left the kitchen

“What's up Captain?” Sanji uttered, trying to play it cool and focus on making dinner like he wasn't shaking. He didn’t have his day of mental preparations!

“You’ve been acting strange recently.”

“Hmm? I don't know what your talking about Luffy I’m fi-”

“Please don't lie to me..” Luffy said barely above a whisper, “I wanted to give you space to figure it out on your own but you haven't... a-and if you go another day Usopp will lose all his nails from stress nail biting!!”

“I didn't mean to worry you, I’m fine really, just coming down from fighting Queen, we can talk tomorrow”

“You're still upset about Whole Cake Island aren't you?”

Double fuck.

Sanji tensed. He thought he was a bit more subtle.

“I-I’m sorry I inconvenienced you Captain. You left me incharge of half our crew and sent us to Zou and I couldn't even do that.” Sanji sank to the floor, putting his hands in his lap. He seemed small and quiet, something Luffy would never associate with him.

“You didn't inconvenience me! You did what I would do. You sacrificed yourself to save your crew. I wish you would've told me before that though, I would’ve kicked his ass from the start!!!”

Sanji chuckled at his antics as he put his cigarette out, deciding to come clean and take Zoros advice (don't tell him that though)

“Im worried about Zeff,” he starts, “I hope he isn't mad at me or worried for me or whatever”

Luffy sat next to him, “What else?”

Luffys the dumbest man he knows, but damn he can read emotions well

“My body changed in Wano. I wore the suit twice and now I’m just like them,” he sighed “I don't want to lose my emotions''

“But you're nothing like them!”

“But I’m changing. I can feel it and I don't know when it’ll stop”

“Do you want Chopper to look?”

“Nah, he’s got enough on his plate right now.”

Luffy hummed and played with his fingers, waiting for Sanji to continue.

“Hey Luffy?”

“What's up!”

“I know you’ll be the King of the Pirates and I want to be there when you achieve your goal.”

“Aw thanks Sanji!”

“But I don't know if you need me to be a monster or a chef right now”

Luffy blinked and faced forward, away from Sanji

“I don't need you to be a monster”

“I know Captain”

“I don't need you to be a chef either.”

“...I figured”

“I just need you to be my friend” Luffy spoke

Sanji paused and looked at him

“What do you mean..?”

“I told you at Whole Cake Island. I can't be King of the Pirates without my crew. Without you.” Luffy stared at him, putting his big brown eyes in front of his blue ones “You’re my friend Sanji. You are here because I want you to be. Your food is just an added bonus!”

Sanji felt a weight being lifted off of his chest yet he couldn't speak. With his eyes widened and his mouth slightly open all he could do was stare, until Luffy started lightly hitting his eyes

“H-hey what gives?!”

“You started to cry and I needed to wipe it away!”

“Most normal people would’ve just used their fingers y’know!”

“Why would I poke your eyes?!”

Sanji wiped his eyes, and lit another cigarette

“Tch, shitty captain. We were having a sweet moment and you ruined it!”

Luffy giggled “Sanji thought I didn't want him on my crew anymore didn't he”

“Yeah..”

“Shishishi! Sanjis stupid. Like Zoro”

“Don't lump me with that oaf!”

He’ll be okay. He knows he will. Because he has his crew to pick him up when he falls