#If Sanji had taken Zoro’s place he WOULD have died. And that would have fucking torn Luffy APART

[shima-draws]

The fact that this won’t even be the LAST time Sanji gets horribly manipulated by another woman. I’m just 😔

[kazimakuwabara]

Story below for @sanusoweek

Part 8:

"You're a fucking idiotic moron!" Zoro growled, holding onto Luffy tight as Chopper worked at stitching up Zoro's back.

"Yeah," Luffy agreed, letting Zoro nuzzle and hold him as a means of comfort.

"Usopp loved you!" Zoro snarled, "And you let him go off with Doffy?!"

"He's already married!" Sanji snapped, Nami wrapping up Sanji's ribs. Nami pursed her lips, but shot an uncertain glare at Sanji, as if she thought him a fool.

"He said it himself. That he'd run away from his husband after a fight!" Sanji spat brokenly. "So he said he wanted to go back with him!"

Luffy scoffed, and blinked at Sanji, "Wow. You're really dumb, Sanji. I thought you could tell when people are lying."

Zoro purrered and nuzzled against Luffy, Luffy flicking his tail with amusement as Zoro cuddled, and held him.

Zoro winced a bit as Chopper pulled on a divine thread, and the small angel bleated, "Sorry Zoro! The worst part is next!"

"Good... then I'll use that pain to fuel my anger!" Zoro hissed. And then with disgust, he snapped, "Usopp lied. Lied to save you! Did you have any idea who Doffy was?"

"No... who was he?" Nami asked, pausing to look Zoro in the eye.

Zoro waited until Sanji looked him in the eye, and then with disgust snapped, "He is Donquixote Doflamingo!"

The air in the room went cold.

"The God of Wealth? The crazy one?!" Nami choked.

"Why would Usopp be with that guy?" Sanji asked, reeling over the thought that the God of Wealth had kicked his ass, and taken Usopp.

"The very same! And Usopp isn't his husband... or well he is. But only on paper. He married Usopp after his mother and father died, so he could take Usopp, and use him! Usopp's been his slave for well over a hundred years!" Zoro spat.

Luffy's cheerful face became blank with anger.

"We ran away. It took me years to get him out of that place, but we ran away. Because do you wanna know who Usopp really is?" Zoro spat, glaring at Sanji's face which had grown ghastly pale.

"Usopp is the only surviving son of The Goddess of crops... and her husband. A human. When her human died of old age... she died too of heartache. He's a half God. Christened the God of Lying simply because he is half a human, and half a God. He's not an angel, he's not a god, nor is he a human... he's just Usopp... and he lied about Doffy, to save your stupid, sorry, ass!"

Sanji put a hand around his throat, and dry heaved. Nami, goddess that she was, curled an arm around Sanji's shoulders and tried to comfort him. Even if Sanji knew he didn't deserve it.

"It was a good lie... he made it seem real!" Nami tried weakly.

"Well, of course, he did!" Luffy huffed, hopping to his feet. "Didn't you hear Zoro? He's the God of Lies! He must be the best at them!" Luffy clapped his hands, "Well... get up.! Everyone up... we better go get him!"

Zoro looked at Luffy like he would follow him to the ends of the earth. Sanji looked at Luffy, his light in the darkness, and croaked, "You help me save him."

Luffy smiled a fanged grin, "Of course! He's Nakama! He's one of us. And besides..." Luffy revealed his wings, soft wings, feathered wings, tinted red. A pair of angel wings. Luffy smiled, wagging his devil's tail, "I got a soft spot for halflings!"

[akwolfgrl]

How sweet it is to be loved by them part 3

It was another long day ahead of him, Zoro had been using this time for mediating and training his observation haki. But he missed his husband. He's missed traveling and testing his skills. Curly had promised spicy and soy raw marinated carb in his onigri tonight, so he had that to look forward to. Sanjis scent had long faded, the omega always careful about leaving a trail.

A familer presonos tip toed closer to where he was tied up. The little girl he had saved crept towards him as two unfamiliar people preed from over the wall. As she came closer, he could see she held aloft two lumpy balls of rice in her tiny hands. She wasn't safe. There were marines crawling all around this place, and he didn't want her to be hurt.

“Go away,” He told her before she could say anything. The marines here were under command of someone who cares not for the weak and small.

“I burghtt you food Mr. Marimo, I worked really hard on this,” Rika ignored him. She must be spending too much time with Sanji if she was calling him Marimo. He could smell hints of him along with her mother. Pups always had a soft muted scent. They smelt more like their parents and the people they spent time with. “Please eat it. You must be really, really hungry,”

“I'm not hungry,” He should be more than he was, but his husband kept him from going hungry. He would have gone without, but Curly wouldn't hear of it.

“It was my first time making them, I watched mom and Mr. Sanji a whole lot first,”

“Scram! Go on, get outta here!” He growled menacingly at her. He could feel them drawing near. She had to get out before they found her. But she only shook her head and stepped closer, still her eyes wide and far to trusting. He couldn't remember a time when neither his nor Sanji's eyes were that innocent and naive. He hoped they stayed that way for a long time to come. “Leave or I'll kill you!” Sanji would kick him if he heard him say it, but at this point, time was running out.

“Roronoa Zoro! Is that really any way to talk to a kid? Or are you working together and worried you'll get caught?” The little fucker who put him here suanted over in a guady suit or at least that's what curly called it anyway and reeking of perfume. He was flanked as always by a few Marines to weak and lazy to do anything on his own. “Oh what's this? Thouse sure do look good,” The anyoing fucker stole one of balls of rice and took a bite.

“Hey! That's not for you!” Rika cried out.

“Disgusting!” He spit the food out. “It's to dam sweet! Did you use sugar instead of slat!?” He screamed at the little girl. Zoro wanted to smack the shit out of the guy. His swords were too good to cover with his blood.

“But I thought they would taste better if they were sweet,” She told him, who knows maybe she could turn them into a dessert. Zoro hated sweet thing but he knew better than to waste food and to yell at an inceont child…he was only doing it to try and save her.

The blond with the ass for a face samtched the other ball of rice from her hands and therw both om the ground and stomped on them both. What the fuck was worng with him!? Ever before meeting his husband, even if he didn't know why Sanji and Zeff were against food waste he hated it to. After his prants died and before the dojo had taken him in he hadn't know when his next meal would be. He had gone to sleep many a night curled up with an empty belly.

“But I worked so hard to make thouse,” Rika knelt next to the dirty rice crying. Thire was nothing he could do, nothing that wouldn't make this worse.

[unknown-writing]

Let’s face it. You despise being a Celestial Dragon. You find them absolutely deplorable and want /nothing/ to do with the lot of ‘em.

You’ve seen how they treat other people and fishmen alike. It disgusts you the levels of inhuman actions they’ve done towards the innocent just because the world government /ASSUMES/ they’re the ones that came from God or whatever the fuck.

So...You ran away. You stole some cash, took some of your stuff, and then ran to the open sea. The sea where it held nothing but lowly pirates and Marine forces fighting for a twisted version of what they call “Justice.” You left a note stating that you had “died” in an “accident by falling out of your window”, using ketchup as blood stains to make sure that somebody would just believe you.

After setting all of your slaves free the night before, you knew the only sense of freedom you had left was at sea. After all, setting your slaves free like that would be taken as treason against the Celestial Dragons, and you refused to give them that kind of power over your head just because you had better morals than them.

                                      ---------------------

Warning(s): Mentions of abuse, slavery, Celestial Dragons, angst A/N: Yet another purely self indulgent fanfiction reaction of the Monster Trio, also, sorry, it got a bit angsty for Sanji’s part lmao ^^;

Luffy has had bad experience with Celestial Dragons. He absolutely despises them. And when he hates somebody that much, he never wants to see them again. Unless it’s of course, to kill them.

Hearing your past shocked him to his core. You had kept it a secret for over a year now for the sake of your own safety, but being Luffy’s boyfriend was beginning to be harder and harder, especially since he’s friends with a Fishman. You /had/ to tell him the truth, no matter how scared you were of his reaction towards it, fearing that he may dump you and toss you overboard because of his hate towards your kind.

A brief silence filled the room that you two had been in, discussing your past and why you ran from home, and why there was suddenly a news report of you “Being Dead” in the latest newspaper. He had demanded some answers from you. You sighed, rubbing the back of your neck in awkwardness and gulped, “So....I ran.” 

“I ran away from that place...I couldn’t stand being part of their kind. Seeing them hurt innocent people and fishmen alike just because of their “Social Status” grossed me out so bad that I faked my own death, and ran to the sea.” Using your fingers to create quotation marks with them, your arms fell down to your lap as yet another awkward silence filled the captains room, you hated that he was quiet.

“So...You ran away because you dislike the Celestial Dragons?” He commented, holding the piece of paper that had your face on it, only to then tear it to pieces a few moments later. You saw the pieces fall on the bed, somewhat stunned by what just happened. “Then that version of you is dead!” He simply says with the biggest grin you’ve seen from him. “You’re new name is y/n, and you’re a pirate! And you’re my girlfriend too!” He says cheerfully, pulling you into a tight but gentle hug. You couldn’t help but start to cry of relief, knowing that the captain of the Straw Hats wouldn’t judge you for your past despite his hate towards your kind.

Standing in an area on some Island, you stood awkwardly staring up at the green haired man. Despite the thin air, it seemed like he didn’t give two fucks about what was happening. He just stared down at you for a while, almost like he was judging you for your past, you could sense it too.

He lets out a sigh, a hand reached to your head and he patted it gently, “You’re no longer a Celestial Dragon right?” He asks, still petting your head, “No! Absolutely not! I ran away and faked my own death for a reason!” You responded quickly, feeling your anxiety start to get worse as time goes by almost at a slow pace. “Then it doesn’t matter who you /used to be/. You’re better than them. You freed all of your slaves the night before, and then ran the day after. The fact that you did that just proves to me that you’re one to be trusted.” He says then let’s go of your head and then grins

“Besides....If I felt like you were a threat, you would’ve been dead before Luffy accepted you into the crew.” He admits while rubbing his head. He was right though, he would’ve killed you if he’d sense you where a bad person to be around...A soft smile started to form on your face, you ran up to him and hugged him tightly, burying your face into his body as you felt a weight was lifted off of your shoulders. Zoro only stood there, allowing you to hug him

Much like Luffy, Sanji is disgusted by Celestial Dragons. Even more so coming from a family of Maids and Butlers, as well as slaves to do their work for them as they sat in the lap of luxury.

So, hearing that his darling s/o was born from their kind, made his stomach churn in pure disgust. You could tell by the look on his face that he was disgusted about your heritage, finding out about how you were raised to believe that your family was somehow the ones that “created this world.” But, what he was most disgusted by, was how your parents treated you, despite the fact that you where also a Celestial Dragon...YOU where abused too! Now it all made sense to him.

It made sense why you can barely handle being touched without jumping, or why it looks like your scared at somebody slightly raising their voice towards your general direction. How you flinch whenever you hear somebody bang a wall or surface. How you bite your lip when somebody asks for your honest opinion...All of it started to click into place in his head...It had hurt him to hear the news so abruptly that he left the room to cool his head off and have a smoke or two.

Watching his back leaving the room made you start to panic. You’re heart sank to the pits of your stomach as the door slammed shut in front of you...Even though you had mentioned that you had ran away and faked your own death to become a Pirate, seeing this reaction hurt you the most.

So....You broke down. You broke down and started to softly sob, as it became a habit to hide your crying due to your past. You knew that this would happen...But seeing it happen in front of you right now, it still hurt regardless if you “mentally prepared yourself for it.” All you could do was just sit there and cry. You had cried for what probably seemed like for a few hours.

With how drained you where from crying, you had fallen asleep on your bed, falling to your pillow after the first 45 minutes of sobbing. You didn’t hear the door being knocked on, “Y/n san?...” Sanji spoke out in a more calmer tone of voice. He opened the door to see that you had fallen asleep...Guilt hit his stomach like a two ton truck, “Oh no...Don’t tell me...” he thought as he gently placed the tray of food for the both of you to enjoy together to forget about what had happened and make amends for it.

        He leaned over the bed gently to see that you had cried so much that your eyes were red and puffy, he could see some kind of a shine on your cheeks that could only resemble the shine of tears. “This was my fault...” he thought to himself as he tired fixing your sleeping position so that way it wouldn’t hurt you so bad the next morning, only to get an idea to have you sleep on his chest instead to cuddle you throughout the night.

“I’m so sorry y/n...” He would repeat until he himself had fallen asleep, and the two of you had peacefully slept with each other that night, you had never felt safer asleep than you where with Sanji.

[laws-yellow-submarine]

Together With Fruit Ch. 9 (Snippet)

Omgomgomg I actually finished something omg

Obviously this is not the full chapter, but it’s a pretty major chunk of it, and because I’m just so proud of myself and happy that I actually got something I set out to write forever ago FINISHED, I am posting this snippet here as a one-shot (it’s...more than a snippet really, it’s like 4000+ words, and it’s mostly unedited so...ye’ve been warned lol)

Word Count: 4199 (yikes)

Enjoy! Hopefully I’ll have the rest of the chapter finished within the next week or so!

“We’re finally nearing the Grand Line…” Nami muttered, pointing at a spot on the map. “It looks like the only way into it is through Reverse Mountain here.”

“Reverse Mountain?” Hazel murmured, peering over the girl’s shoulder at the point where the seas intersect.

“What a pain. Can’t we just sail straight through it?” Zoro groaned, glaring from where he sat leaning against the rail. Sanji shook his head.

“Nope, from what the geezer told me, that’s the only way boats can enter.”

“How come?” Usopp asked.

“Cause it’s supposedly dangerous.”

“But how come?!”

“I don’t know any more than that!” Sanji yelled, glaring at the sniper. 

“Boys, please…” Hazel scolded, trying to stop any fights before they could occur.

“The reason for that is-”

“Alright! I got it!” Luffy interrupted Nami, pointing at the map. “Then let’s head straight into it!”

“Are you even paying attention?!”

“But it sounds fun!” Luffy insisted, grin never wavering. “Plus it’d feel way better going straight into it!”

“Fun or not, I’d like to actually make it to the Grand Line before we die,” Hazel told him, side-eyeing her brother’s enthusiasm. Nami shared the sentiment.

“Talking to you makes me feel like I’m gonna go crazy…” the navigator whined, palm to her forehead in exasperation. Luffy soldiered on, ignoring the women’s concerns.

“Anyways, let’s stop at an island first and get meat! Meat! Meat!” Nami reached a finger out to point at a spot on the map, and Luffy and Hazel both peered closer at the paper.

“There’s a famous city on this island...Loguetown.”

“Loguetown?” Luffy asked, puzzled look on his face as he tried to think. “What? Is it famous for its meat?”

“Also known as the city of the beginning and the end…” Zoro chimed in, thoughtful look on his face. “I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that before.”

“It’s where Gold Roger, the former Pirate King, was born,” Hazel supplied, appearing somber, “and where he was executed.”

“The town where the King of the Pirates died...” Even Luffy’s voice was tame, contemplation clear in his eyes. Nami swung her gaze to meet his, sly smile finding its way across her cheeks.

“Wanna go?”

“Yeah! I wanna see it!” As he spoke, his voice grew more excited, though it never lost its reverence. “I wanna see the town where the man who got the One Piece - everything this world has to offer - was born and then died!” Luffy stood up, grin fixed firmly back in place. “Nami! Set sail for Loguetown!”

As the crew scrambled to set their course, Hazel smiled at her brother’s excitement, though she didn’t share the enthusiasm. She didn’t really harbor any opinions on the former Pirate King, good or bad; there just wasn’t enough information available on who the man truly was. She had asked her grandfather once, considering what she knew about his connection to Ace, but after hours of pestering the only thing he’d told her was “don’t believe everything you hear”. Other than that cryptic statement, she knew about as much as anyone else: he was born in Loguetown, he circumnavigated the entire world, then turned himself in (to her grandfather, no less), and was executed in his hometown. For someone who was so famous, you’d think there’d be more to know about him.

Hazel looked down at the notebook in her hand, blank since Shells Town except for the notes she’d taken. She wasn’t going to let Luffy fall into that same level of anonymity. Sure, the boy couldn’t care less about the fame; his views on being the Pirate King weren’t shared by most other pirates, though she found his ideals to be more admirable. What she really didn’t want to happen, though, was for her baby brother’s name to be smeared by the media, with nothing to counteract it.

Which meant she had a lot of work to do.

“Well, before we get to Loguetown, I have to get to work. Which means I’m shutting myself in my room until I’ve finished writing about our adventure so far!” Hazel stated for all to hear. She ignored the odd looks sent her way. “So no one bug me, ok?” When she’d received satisfactory nods, Hazel made her way to the girls’ room, shut the door, and plopped herself down at the writing desk. She ripped out her pages of notes so she could refer to them easily as she wrote, then opened to a blank page, her pencil hovering above the paper.

An hour later and the page was still blank.

Hazel’s pencil had moved, at least. It’d been set on the desk, balanced on her nose (a failure on her part, but no one could see it so she wasn’t too pressed), twirled between her fingers, tucked behind her ear as she stretched in her chair (and changed position at least three times; currently she had her feet on the back of the chair with her head leaning on the desk). She’d doodled little pictures on her note pages; tiny flowers and crude renditions of her crewmates (note to self: hide these so Nami doesn’t see). There’s a reason she hadn’t decided to illustrate this book.

Another hour later and her legs hurt from how much she’d been bouncing them. The page remained blank, her mind void of ideas, and her eyes were fixed on the picture frame hanging on the far wall. Maybe some food would help? She didn’t think she ate much at breakfast…

As Hazel made her way on deck, she couldn’t help but smile at the sight that greeted her. Nami was lounging in the sun on the top deck, being served some fancy drink from their newest member. Zoro was, surprise, napping beneath the mast, his swords propped in his lap. Luffy sat on the other side of the ship, watching Usopp practice with his slingshot. Oh, that could be fun!

“Whatcha guys doin’?” Hazel asked, sneaking up behind the sniper, causing Luffy to laugh at the boy’s frightful shriek. “Oops! Sorry, Usopp!” He just glared at her in return.

“Usopp’s practicing his slingshot! See? We set up some targets against the other side of the deck, he’s really good!”

“Well, you see Luffy, I’ve been using a slingshot for at least 25 years,” Usopp boasted, ignoring the fact that he was only 17. “Which of course makes me an expert sniper!”

“25 years, huh?” Hazel snarked. “Well, mister “expert”, whaddaya say to a little contest? The closer to a bullseye gets you more points. Whoever gets the most points wins.”

“Uhh, ok, Hazel. But where are you gonna get a slingshot?” Hazel just pointed to Luffy. Specifically his arms. “Hey, now, wait a minute! You can’t use him!”

“Why not?” Hazel and Luffy asked, both with blank looks on their faces. The sniper spluttered.

“Because-! He’s not-! And you-!”

“Ok, look - we’re not going for power here, just accuracy, so it’ll still be a fair contest. And we’ll use the same ammo, ok?” She left no room for him to argue back, immediately grabbing one of the pellets from his hand and positioning her brother. Usopp rolled his eyes behind her, but sidled up next to the two, aiming his own slingshot at the first target.

“Ready...aim...fire!” Usopp let the pellet fly, smacking the target right in the center.

“Hey, nice job Usopp! But I’m gonna tie it up right here!” Hazel ribbed, tying Luffy’s fingers together to form a sling. She pulled them back, tongue poking out between her teeth as she aimed carefully. When she felt confident in her position she nodded, waiting for Usopp to give the signal, and then let go.

The target shattered to pieces.

“Oh fuck-!”

“WHAT ARE YOU THREE DOING?!” Nami’s shrill voice called, causing all three to wince.

“Luffy did it!” Hazel immediately yelled while Usopp checked the ship for damage.

“No I didn’t!”

“Now, Luffy, you know you shouldn’t lie.”

“I’m not-!”

“ENOUGH!” Nami yelled again, interrupting the siblings. “I don’t care who did it, you’re just lucky the ship didn’t get damaged! You and you-” she pointed to Usopp and Luffy “-clean this up! And you!” Nami pointed at Hazel, making the older woman feel suddenly small. “You’re supposed to be writing right now! Not breaking things!”

“Well...you see...the thing is…” Hazel trailed off as Nami continued to glare at her. Huh. She didn’t like being on the receiving end of this. “I was hungry…?”

“Then ask Sanji-kun for a snack and get back to work. You told us not to bother you and we’re listening, take advantage of that!” At Hazel’s huff Nami smiled. “If you’d like, you can sit in the tangerine grove. I find it very relaxing when I need to focus.”

“Hmm...a change of scenery may be helpful. Thanks, Nami,” Hazel smiled, rolling her neck. “I better go bug Sanji.” But Nami held up a hand to stop her.

“Nope! You go sit, I’ll get it. I don’t want you to get distracted again.” The orange-haired girl walked away without another word, and Hazel was forced at that point to just listen to her. She made her way to the upper deck, finding a nice spot under the trees to nestle in. She reopened her notebook to the still blank page, and tapped her pencil against her chin as she tried to focus. The breeze up here was nice, as well as the sounds of her crewmates (Luffy and Usopp had made a game out of cleaning up her mess). The smell of tangerines wafted over her, muddying her senses. One of her curls was tickling her forehead.

She’d made zero headway by the time Sanji appeared with a snack. 

“Hazel-chwan!~ I’ve brought you a plate of delicious sandwiches, and a fresh glass of cabernet sauvignon,” the man said, brandishing a platter on one hand and a glass of deep red liquid in the other. She looked to the glass curiously. Despite having practically lived in a bar half her life, she’d never actually tried wine. Her alcohol tended to be of a rougher variety.

“Oh, yeah, alcohol. That’ll help,” Hazel muttered, hoping Sanji didn’t think her rude. For all she knew, it would get the creative juices flowing, so to speak. “Thank you, Sanji.” She smiled at the cook, his feet practically floating off the ground in happiness. He turned to leave her, and Hazel tentatively took a sip of the wine...only to immediately cringe when the bitter liquid hit her tongue. She glanced around in panic, hoping the blond didn’t see, and snuck the glass behind her back, hidden under the trees. “Ooh! Sanji, wait up!” she called, wine forgotten as she grabbed her plate and ran after him.

“Yes, my love?” Sanji asked, twirling around to gaze at her through heart-shaped eyes.

“I just realized that I never asked about what happened at the Baratie! After we left?” The cook’s expression had switched to confusion at her question. “In fact,” she continued, following him into the galley, “I don’t actually know that much about you. Tell me, what’s your dream? Your motivation? Your tragic backstory? Spare me no detail!”

For the first time since they’d met, Sanji wasn’t looking at her with adoration. In fact, he almost looked a little scared. His eyes darted around for half a second while she pulled out her best pout, gray eyes shining like a puppy begging for table scraps. Later, she’d chide herself for being so mean. After all, she used to practically torture Ace with that expression. But for now, she needed answers.

“Well…” Sanji started, pulling himself together before all the blood rushed out of his nose. “I am merely a humble sea cook, mademoiselle. I fought valiantly for my former home, and for the chance to gaze upon your lovely visage once again.” He flourished into a low bow.

“Uh huh,” Hazel chuckled, an amused smile on her face as she raised a brow. “Definitely humble.” Sanji rose back to standing, an easy grin in place at their shared humor. “Come on, lover boy. Sit with me awhile and tell me a story.”

The two sat and talked for a time, Hazel’s pencil scratching across the pages of her notebook as Sanji divulged all the details he felt comfortable sharing: how Luffy had bartered with Zeff for his freedom, the way he’d swatted projectiles with a single kick. She had a feeling he may’ve been embellishing his actions a bit, but having seen the way he’d toppled part of a building at Arlong Park, she knew it wasn’t all bluster.

He told her of Pearl, the man who’d covered himself in armor, only to lose his mind (and catch fire, apparently) at the first drop of blood. How Gin, the man he’d helped, had taken the old man hostage, and how he’d been willing to die to save his mentor’s dream. Hazel filed away that note for later, planning to ask about the clear devotion Sanji had for the old man, even if the blond tried to hide it behind snark.

She tried not to laugh when Sanji told her Luffy destroyed part of the ship. From what he was telling her, it was actually a brilliant stroke on Luffy’s part, and definitely contributed to Sanji’s outlook on the situation; but the way the blond’s curly brow furrowed over his eyes at the memory was, in her opinion, hilarious. 

“So, wait,” Hazel started, pausing Sanji’s tale of his fight with Gin. “How did you come to the Baratie in the first place? Zeff isn’t your father, is he? Why so devoted to preserving his dream?”

Discomfort crossed the cook’s face, as it had earlier, but whether it was his dedication to please the woman in front of him, or because he’d already come this far, he gifted her with the reason. “He saved my life,” was the simple answer. The follow-up nearly brought tears to her eyes. 

Hazel reached across the table, covering his hand with her own, and she sent him a soft smile. A light blush dusted his cheeks, and she allowed him to turn away to light a cigarette; she even grabbed the ashtray off the back shelf for him.

Just as they were about to continue, the door to the galley swung open, a rubbery body bouncing its way inside. “Sanji!! Food!” Luffy yelled, head turning frantically before his eyes finally settled on the cook.

“You just ate, you damn animal!” The cook scolded, and the somber mood was broken as Hazel burst into laughter.

“But I’m hungry! Food!”

“I’m busy!” Hazel took that moment to step in.

“It’s alright, Sanji. I can get the rest from you later. If you don’t start dinner soon, we may not have a ship to sail on anymore,” she laughed, drawing Luffy’s attention. The boy leaped onto the bench in front of her, taking Sanji’s place, and glancing at the notebook for a second without reading.

“Whatcha talkin’ about? Whaddaya need Sanji for?”

“He was telling me about your fight with Don Krieg, since I missed it.”

“Oh! I can tell you! There was a boom! And a woosh! And then I went ‘Gum-Gum Bazooka’! And then there was poison gas, but we’re fine, and then everything went boom boom boom boom! And then I got poked a lot! And then-” Hazel tuned out as her brother continued telling her all about the fight with as little detail as possible. Sanji shot her a confounded look over their captain’s shoulder, and the girl replied with a nonchalant shrug. When Luffy finally finished, he looked to his sister expectantly, proud grin wide across his face.

“Thanks Luffy, I’ll make sure to write that down.” The boy nodded, then looked back at her notes from Sanji’s story.

“Looks like you’ve gotten a lot done!” Hazel flinched, grimacing into her palm.

“Yes and no…” Luffy just looked at her, confusion in his eyes, and Hazel gave a heavy sigh. “To be honest, Luff...I don’t really know where to start.”

“At the beginning. Duh.”

“Wow, I never thought about that,” Hazel deadpanned. “And get your finger out of your nose!” As Luffy stuck his tongue out at her, something struck her. Hazel’s eyes widened, an invisible energy urging her hand to move across the paper. “Actually, Luffy, you’re a genius! Thank you!”

She vaguely heard him say something in agreement, but her mind was too focused on the idea it had. Start at the beginning...she was surprised the thought hadn’t occurred to her earlier; after all, she’d only just told the story a week ago.

--------------

Foosha Village had always been a peaceful town. Even when pirates had settled their sails at its docks the year previous, the villagers had yet to deal with much past the occasional bandit or two. Our lives had been much the same, short as they were; filled with fun and laughter and play. Then one day, the stuff of legends became real, and peace would be known no more.

The sun had shown brightly that morning, though my brother and I had already been up for hours. We always had trouble sleeping the closer to Shanks’ departure. In only a short time, the red-headed man had wormed his way into our lives, and our hearts, and my brother especially was determined to join him this time.

So it was that we stood on the deck of the Red-Hair Pirate’s ship, the hustle and bustle of supplies and crates being loaded around us. A few of the men were singing songs - definitely inappropriate considering the children in their company - but we’d already spent the last seven years in a bar. There was nothing in those songs we hadn’t heard before.

I had been listening to Benn Beckman’s tale of their last voyage when Shanks’ voice had called our attention to the figurehead. Standing atop the dragon’s maw, my brother Luffy stood glaring down at our pirate friends. Unfortunately, none of us had taken his declaration of strength seriously. Not until he drove the knife beneath his eye.

--------------

The paragraphs flew quickly out of her hand, the day in question clear in her mind. Hazel took a moment to shake out her wrist, feeling stiff as she read over her work so far. She liked it, she really did. Now to keep up this momentum.

The door opened once again, and Usopp and Nami wandered in, talking about something she couldn’t hear. Hazel was still glaring at the page, chewing her cheek as she thought about how to word her next sentence. She heard Sanji mention dinner would be ready soon, Luffy’s excitement sounding through the room, then Usopp’s hiss for him to be quiet.

“Don’t distract her! She’s scary when she’s mad!” the boy whimpered out, much to Luffy’s amusement.

“No she’s not!” he laughed, drawing the sniper’s ire.

“You didn’t think that when she made you take a bath!” Hazel stifled a snort.

“Speaking of which,” Nami chimed in, holding a hand to her nose. “How long ago was that?”

“Actually, Luffy, you are due for one. Zoro too,” Hazel said, looking up at her surprised crewmates. What, did they think she couldn’t hear them at all? “Why don’t you go wash up before dinner. Please?” Luffy groaned, glaring at the navigator, but dutifully made his way to the bathroom. Despite what he said, he didn’t want to push his sister. Again.

Hazel took that moment to stand up, stretching her back with a loud pop, grabbed her notebook, and made her way outside to tell their grungy swordsman his bath was after dinner. She couldn’t see him at first when she stepped outside, but after glancing around for a moment, she finally spotted him. She blinked when she saw his bare back, mesmerized for a moment at the way the muscles rippled as he did push-up after push-up. A second later, she blinked the distraction away, and walked down the steps to the grass-haired man.

“Hey, your turn for a bath after dinner,” she told him, practically hearing him grit his teeth at the notion. “Dinner’s actually almost done, by the way, so you may wanna wrap it up here.”

“Not done,” he grunted, prompting her to raise a brow in his direction.

“Well find a way to be done. We’re hungry, and you’re sweaty.”

“If I’m gonna get stronger, I can’t cut training short. I need more weight.” His gray eyes swung up to hers, and Hazel got the distinct sense he was sizing her up.

“What do you want me to do about that?” She regretted asking the instant she said it. Zoro gestured to his back. His extremely sweaty back.

“Climb on.”

“Excuse me? What are you insinuating here?” She crossed her arms, trying to decide if she needed to hit him for calling her fat or not. She caught him rolling his eyes.

“You’re all muscle, it’s heavier. Climb on.” Hazel chewed her lip, weighing the pros and cons. Then, deciding she had nothing to lose except her hygiene (and really, she could do with a bath herself), she stepped closer to him, cautiously sitting down when he paused for her. He reached his arm around, causing a startled squeak as he adjusted her position, then he resumed his training, a new strain in his breath.

While he worked, Hazel puzzled once again over her notebook. Disappointment flowed through her as she stared at the four lone paragraphs, the struggle for where to take the story next staying her hand. She’d gotten nothing done today, and it was difficult not to take it to heart.

“What are you sighing about up there?” her cushion grunted below her. Hazel rolled her eyes, but decided to humor him by answering anyway.

“I’ve been working on this all day, and somehow I have nothing to show for it.” Zoro was silent except for his heavy breathing, but for some reason she pushed on. “What kind of record-keeper am I? What kind of storyteller can’t tell a damn story? I don’t even have to make it all up, it’s all stuff that happened…” A puff of air escaped her as her eyes began to sting. “Maybe I’m not cut out for this…”

She hadn’t meant to say it, at least not out loud, and was startled when her chair suddenly stood up. She cried out as she fell, but before she could hit the floor, Zoro’s arms came out to steady her. She looked up at him in shock, affronted at the small glare he sent her way. “Read it out loud,” he said, pointing to the little book in her hands.

“Eh?!” Hazel shrieked, appalled at the very notion of any living being actually hearing her work out loud.

“Read it out loud,” Zoro said again, shrugging his shirt back on. “Then I can tell you if it’s shitty.”

“No way! It’s not ready for human consumption yet!” she yelled, glaring as he sat below the mast. “Besides, who are you to tell me if it’s shit? You wouldn’t know good literature if it waved a sword at you and said ‘boy, speak your name’!” Zoro rolled his eyes at the reference, but leveled her with a steady gaze as it dawned on her the trick he was trying to pull. “Stop it, it’s mine. Why should I share it with you?”

“Because I like the way you tell stories.” He said it so simply, like it didn’t carry nearly the weight for him that it did for her. Hazel felt the blood rush to her cheeks, but she didn’t look away. Something held her gaze on his, something she couldn’t possibly name.

“So how does me reading it aloud help me write it?” Her voice was so quiet, she was surprised he could even hear it.

“Just write it how you’d say it,” he answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. And when he said it like that, it did seem obvious, and Hazel could kick herself for not thinking of it sooner. Before she knew it, she felt herself nodding, sitting beside him beneath the sail.

“Foosha Village had always been a peaceful town….” she began, reading from the beginning, and surprising herself when her voice continued past the last paragraph. He’d heard the story before, but still Zoro sat, listening with rapt attention. Her voice slowed as she wrote, not allowing herself to forget what she’d said, what phrases she used that flowed from her mouth like water.

At one point Hazel glanced beside her, surprised to see the swordsman’s eyes shut. She let out a sigh, finishing her sentence, but not continuing on. She found herself rolling her eyes at the sleeping swordsman, irked that he apparently found her so boring.

“You stuck again?”

Hazel turned to him again, meeting his gaze through half-lidded eyes. She let out a half chuckle, shaking her head in amusement, before diving into the next paragraph.

It was only Luffy’s call of “Dinner!!” that finally drew the two inside.

[victorie552onepiecespeedrun]

Reading One Piece pt 212: Promise Between Nakama

Chapter 459

Thoughts:

- Fpos/cs: I think flashback’s over cause Enel is kicking space pirates’ asses

- Monster Trio is officially confused

- Their shadows are gone and Luffy is hungry (zombies stole all fresh food), this does NOT look good

- “This is seriously dishonorable… I let down my guard!” Zoro, we all know you got lost and that’s how they got you. By the way, great to see you again, green one

- Sanji is Super mad that Nami was taken

- “A WEEDING!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?” so. Sanji’s all caught up. Why is it so funny

- “He must be brave to wanna marry Nami…” Luffy, never change :D

- Mission: getting shadows back

- Luffy figured out which zombie has Zoro’s shadow after zombies wooden shoes? Sureee. Face blindness headcanon strikes again

- Now they talk about Brook

- “He’s a man!!!” now we’ll learn why Franky cried about Brook before (though honestly, we don’t need more reasons to do that, seriously)

- Mini-flashback and Franky is unnecessary rude?

- Brook speaks!

- “Long ago… our pirate crew left one of our nakama behind in certain place. We knew it was a painful and difficult decision but… We made a solid promise that we would “absolutely return”. We set off on our ship and were annihilated on this sea.” Oh god

- “And so as not to break our promise to him…!”oh god that hurts…

- It’s been 50 years and he’s still… I can’t

- Franky says the guy isn’t waiting cause it’s been so long and yeah. But it is One Piece and also shounen so…

- “I know it’s possible he isn’t waiting, he had the right to leave. But if by some chance he believed in our promise, and he has always been there waiting for us…” YEAH YOU PROMISED BROOK! HE PROMISED, FRANKY!! HE CAN’T BREAK THAT PROMISE!!!

- “How lonely would he be right now? He may think we have betrayed him but if he continued to wait for us there even now… How strong his feelings must be!” my poor freaking heart

- “The name of the nakama whom we swore to meet again on that coast was… Laboon.” Wait

- THE WHALE LABOON!!!!???

- OH GOD OH FUCK

- I CAN’T BELIEVE

- BROOK IS LABOON’S NAKAMA!!! THE ONE LABOON WAITED FOR!!! 50 YEARS!!! THE WHALE STRAW HATS HELPED!!! ODA!!!!!!!

- Can you believe ;_;

- “I don’t think he’ll forgive us for having died irresponsibly, and because of our selfish promise would yell into the skies if his voice could… THAT DEATH ISN’T AN APOLOGY!”

- “BECAUSE A MAN ONCE SAID..!! THAT THEY WOULD ABSOLUTELY COME BACK!!” …god, no wonder Franky cried. I’m surprised I’m not crying

- Straw Hats remember Laboon too ;_;

- “He’s still alive right now at that cape, still waiting for his nakama!!”

- “This is unbelievable… They kept their promise together for more than 50 years..!” “To think that one of the nakama that Laboon was waiting for… was that skeleton.” Usopp, Zoro, at this point it’s fate. You HAVE TO reunite these two, YOU HEAR ME

- Damn

- With Brook, fighting Ryuuma

- JUST THREW SALT AT HIM BROOK IT’S NOT THAT HARD

- Don’t touch the afro

- “Our nakama… have all passed away. In addition to losing our nakama, my face, my body, I’ve lost it all. Even if we met again, you wouldn’t even know who I was in this skeletal form.” Let’s face it, if not for Laboon, Brook would throw himself into the sea on week 2 of being a skeleton

- “I don’t have anything left but… they all… said this head of mine made you laugh!”

- “I’m coming to see you. I hope you are waiting, at our promised cape!” AND NOW I’M CRYING FOR REAL

- Luffy WILL have Brook a nakama. He asks his crew for opinion. What do you THINK they say, Luffy

- “The number of shadows we have to get back just went up one, didn’t it?” Yes, Zoro. It did.            

“WE”RE GONNA BLOW DOWN THRILLER BARK!!!” YES WE WILL!!!!

rOP 211  rOP 213

[sarahwritesss]

franky&usopp + new

“What’re you doing over here?”

Usopp looks up, spying their newest member and nodding shortly in greeting before looking back down at his hands. Officially, he is fishing for Sanji, them not having gotten much fish from Water 7 and Luffy’s gluttony cleaning them out of what they did have. Unofficially, well…

He had left them. He had abandoned them, and for what? A ship that was doomed from the start? Pride that had no place on his captain’s ship?

(Deep inside, he knows why. He had been afraid, so afraid that he would be next. He’s not strong, he knows that. He knows that he’s practically useless in comparison to Luffy, or Zoro, or Sanji, or even Chopper and Nami, who, even being in the “Weakling Trio” have purposes so much larger than themselves. Him? He has nothing, no purpose. He’s just tagging along for the ride, barely being able to do anything to help.

(What good is he if he can’t even protect some measly money? What place does he have on the ship of the future king if he can’t even protect his captain and his dream?)

Worthless, the voice inside him whispers. You’re worthless, is what you are.

He believes it.)

He had had no idea what had happened to Robin, and if he hadn’t been with Franky, he wouldn’t have known about it until it was all over. He doesn’t know what he would have done if he hadn’t been captured and taken as well; if he couldn’t have helped.

Yet, Luffy had taken him back. Luffy, who is sunshine and joy and strength and chaos and love wrapped all into one. Luffy, who deserves only the best and chose him, and he can’t understand why.

A clunk next to him brings him out of his thoughts, and he jerks his head to see Franky sitting next to him on the railing (the new railing –everything was so new. (He misses Merry. He wishes he could go back to the way things were.)) Franky gazes out into the horizon, sighing before starting to talk.

“You know, when I first met you, I thought you were a weakling, someone who didn’t have a place on a crew like the Straw Hats.” Usopp flinches, an awful, full body thing that nearly jerks him off of the railing. He knows all that, he knows he doesn’t belong, but it hurts.

He jerks his head away from Franky, choking out, “I know, alright? I kn-”

“I was wrong,” Franky interrupts, and Usopp twists towards him so fast he almost falls off the railing. Franky continues, “Seeing you in my workshop that day, I didn’t pay enough attention to you to fully realize how brave you are. Even when we were together just before CP9 came, I was so caught up in your denial that I totally ignored anything but that. But,”

And here, Franky turns to Usopp, a piercing look in his eyes, that makes Usopp remember, oh, yeah, Franky stood up to CP9 without batting an eye. He’s just as strong as the rest of them, just as brave, as fierce.

And then there’s me.

“But,” Franky continues incessantly, “I was wrong. The moment I saw you on that pedestal, shooting at the World Government flag, I knew I had underestimated you.” Usopp leans back, mouth gaping as he processes what Franky just said.

“No cowardly person stares the government in the face like that and says, ‘Fuck you.’ No weakling risks their life standing at the top of the Tower of Justice and shooting down across hundreds of yards just to save a friend. No person who isn’t strong will stand, battles surrounding him, and yell down to a captain they had rejected just to see them stand again. Yet, you did that.”

Usopp is speechless, staring at Franky with a gaping mouth. What…what was that? He…he can’t be the person Franky just described. Yet…

He had done those things. He did shoot down the World Government flag, he did protect Robin, he did call out to Luffy to help him up. But that wasn’t bravery, was it? That was just being a good crewmate (he couldn’t even call himself that anymore back then). That was just doing what he could.

Franky shakes his head. “Don’t you see it? You left your crew, you had no obligation to risk your life like this. I can’t even imagine doing that.” Usopp moves to interject. Of course, he had to! Robin is his friend, he couldn’t have just left her to die, and Luffy is so necessary, he can’t imagine living without him. Franky continues before Usopp can put together his thoughts into words, “Yet you did. And that’s probably the bravest thing I’ve seen in my life. You saved this crew back then, Usopp.”

Looking out onto the horizon, Franky says, “Without you, the crew would have died that day. There’s a reason you’re here, Usopp. There’s a reason the whole crew was so happy to see you come back. Don’t go discounting that. Forget what happened last week, it happened, you learned from it, it’s over. Instead, think of this of a…new beginning of sorts.”

With that, Franky pats Usopp on the back and hops off the railing, walking back towards where the rest of the crew is. Usopp watches him go, dumbfounded.

A new beginning. Thinking of what happened, of what he did to his friends, he shudders. But, he thinks, looking at the crew who had saved him (who he had saved), he remembers Luffy’s philosophy. Yesterday’s gone. The only thing that matters is today.

He learned. It’s over. Maybe, a new beginning is possible, he thinks as he hears the laughter and cheers from his friends (his family.)

Usopp smiles, a shaky thing, and looks down at the fishing rod he’s still holding despite everything. He turns back to the ocean, a new strength in his shoulders.

Maybe…maybe he isn’t so worthless after all.

[pingo1387]

Monochrome

Written for @rudimentaryflair for @opvalentines 2020!  Canonverse, Soulmate AU  ZoSan, side Frobin, mention of aroace Luffy 

The left eye held your eye color, and the right eye held your soulmate’s. When you first made eye contact with your soulmate, your right eye would change to its own color. That was what Kuina had told Zoro long ago. He never questioned it at the time, didn’t ask what that word “color” meant, but he did check his eyes in a mirror after that. They were identical as always. 

Kuina died with heterochromia. Somewhere in the world, her soulmate would live on with two brown eyes, one lighter than the other. 

“Sensei,” Zoro said one day after a frustrating training exercise. “What’s color?” 

Koshiro was taken aback by the question, and struggled to answer, eventually standing, leaving, and then returning with two large leaves. “Do you see the difference between these?” 

“Sure.” Zoro pointed to one. “This one’s darker.” 

“Yes. This one is red, and this one is green. Red and green are two colors.” 

Zoro was stumped. “Then, is everything just different shades of red and green?” 

Koshiro let the leaves flutter away in the wind and placed his hands in his lap. “Zoro, you may be color blind.” 

“What’s that?” 

Zoro only sort-of understood after Koshiro did his best to explain it to him. Afterwards, he looked at his eyes in the mirror again. According to Koshiro, colors would almost always have different shades of lightness and darkness, even in his “monochrome” vision (Zoro struggled to pronounce the word, even in his head), but his eyes were both the same shade as always. 

And that was fine. Zoro knew some people didn’t have soulmates, something else Kuina had whispered to him, and that was fine. He put down the mirror and folded his arms. No soulmate meant no one getting in the way of his dream. 

~ 

When Zoro locked eyes with the dark-eyed boy wearing the straw hat, he narrowed his eyes. Those eyes, full of youth and optimism, had changed to a lighter shade, the same one Zoro always saw in the mirror. 

“Hey,” he said while they were sailing away. “I’ve got a question.” 

“Shoot,” the boy, Luffy, said. 

“Your eyes, they changed color, didn’t they? But mine are . . .” 

“Oh, that! Don’t worry about that.” Luffy grinned. “Someone told me it means I don’t have a romantic soulmate, but I have a bunch of platonic ones. My eyes change color all the time if I make eye contact, and they change back after a while.” He stretched, flopping around in the boat. “It doesn’t make anyone else’s eyes change. Yours didn’t.” 

“Okay,” Zoro said, staring up at the sky. 

~ 

They picked up two more, a navigator with an eye for money and a sniper with a mouth for lies. After bumping into some old friends, they reached a seafaring restaurant called the Baratie, and Zoro was itching for a fight. When a waiter with hair covering one side of his face started to serve them, he made eye contact with Zoro, and his eyes widened. Usopp and Nami looked between them, mouths open. 

“What?” Zoro said, scratching his head. 

“Oh, fuck this,” the waiter said, glowering at Zoro. He seized Luffy around the neck. “Come on, chore boy, back to the kitchen.” 

As soon as they left, Nami and Usopp rounded on Zoro. 

“What was that about?” Usopp demanded. 

“What was what?” 

“Why didn’t you say anything to him?” 

“Huh?” 

“Didn’t you see . . . ?” Nami shook her head. “You’ll figure it out. You poor soul.” 

“Figure what out?” 

“You are a tragic, tragic man, Zoro,” Usopp cried. 

“You looking for a fight?” 

~ 

The cook Sanji ended up joining their crew, somehow, and he seemed to love picking on Zoro. Every time Zoro so much as tried to speak to him, Sanji would snap and badger until they were sparring, scowling, and seething. During one of their strange matches, Sanji’s hair flew up, and Zoro caught a brief glimpse of a matching set of eyes. 

“Do you not have a soulmate?” he asked. Sanji stumbled, caught off guard, and Zoro pinned him to the ground with a sword next to his head. 

“I wish I didn’t,” Sanji spat. 

Zoro frowned. “So . . . you do. You met them, and you didn’t get along? Isn’t that strange?” 

Sanji narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck are you talking about? Don’t you know?” 

“I don’t know. I know I don’t have a soulmate.” 

Sanji brought his legs up to his torso and kicked hard, sending Zoro flying. As Zoro sat up from the railing, rubbing his head, Sanji yanked his sword out from the deck and tossed it to him. “Yeah,” Sanji said, turning away as Zoro caught the sword. “I guess I don’t, either.” 

~ 

It had been a perfectly reasonable thing to do. His legs had been stuck in wax. The wax was unbreakable. His legs were breakable. Therefore--- 

“You’re an idiot.” 

Zoro winced as Sanji stuck the needle into his flesh again. “That’s my business,” he said through gritted teeth. 

“It becomes my---our business when it affects the crew.” Sanji jabbed the needle in again, perhaps a bit harder than he needed to. “I hate you.” 

Zoro folded his arms, staring at Sanji. Sanji looked up again, meeting his eyes, and looked back down. 

“I hate you,” Sanji repeated. 

“Yeah.” Zoro wiggled his toes, regaining feeling in his feet. “I know. I don’t know why you do, but I know.” 

Sanji flinched and snapped off the string, standing. “Rest, and don’t fucking try anything stupid,” he said. “Scratch that. Don’t stand up for at least an hour. I’ll bring you soup.” 

Zoro stared after him, and for once, he listened. 

~ 

“What’d you do to get hurt this bad?” Zoro said, tapping Sanji’s back and making him wince in pain. 

“None of your goddamn business,” Sanji said through gritted teeth. “The mountain climb was tougher than it looked.” 

Elsewhere on the deck, Luffy and Usopp were throwing their new crewmate, Chopper, into the air. Zoro and Sanji watched them in silence. 

“Hey,” Sanji said. “Did you . . . growing up, did you want to meet your soulmate?” 

“I told you, I don’t have one,” Zoro grumbled. “But I never wanted one, either.” 

“You don’t make any sense, moss-hair,” Sanji said, folding his arms. 

“Moss . . . ?” Zoro rubbed the top of his head, his hair smooth and silky and not at all like the rough moss he’d felt on trees. “What are you talking about?” 

“Boy, you really are dumb. What were you saying?” 

Zoro glowered at him. “I never wanted a soulmate. I didn’t want destiny getting in the way of my dream.” 

“That’s---” 

“Falling in love is a different story, though. That’s my choice. And I won’t let the person I choose to love, if anyone, get in the way of my dream.” 

“Hm.” Sanji shifted, wincing again. Nami and Vivi chatted with Chopper, pulling him away from Luffy’s hyperactivity. 

“What about you?” 

Sanji sighed “I wanted to meet my soulmate more than anything,” he said, scowling. “I wanted to meet that beautiful lady who I was destined to be with. But then everything went wrong.” 

“Wrong how?” 

“You’re just winning the prize for biggest moron today, aren’t you?” Sanji snapped, standing. He fell down and tried to cover up his pain when Chopper looked over in concern. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.” 

“I don’t.” 

Sanji scowled, but his face softened as he met Zoro’s eyes again. “I hate you,” he said, yet again. 

Zoro’s chest hurt. “I know.” 

Sanji was silent. He soon stood again, using the ship railing for support this time. “Want something to eat?” 

“Booze.” 

~ 

Zoro didn’t hate Sanji, but he hated the way Sanji spun hearts around women, and acted so stupid with them. He hated how Sanji spoke to him, and refused to make eye contact, and did his best to put contempt behind every word. Even now, Sanji was crooning over Robin, the suspicious woman who was their newest crewmate. 

“Oh, Cook-san,” she said as he melted before her. “Have you met your soulmate?” 

For an instant, Zoro thought he saw Sanji look at him. 

“Yes, unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out,” Sanji said sweetly. “And you haven’t, Robin-chan, my dear?” 

“Correct. But that’s my business.” 

“Of course, of course, forgive me,” Sanji crooned. He turned, Robin watching him go with one dark eye and one light, and he bumped into Zoro. 

“The fuck do you want?” he muttered, avoiding looking directly at him, as always. 

“Nothing,” Zoro said, rolling his eyes. Sanji pushed past him and went into the kitchen, slamming the door shut. Zoro spotted Robin staring at him and raised an eyebrow. “What?” 

“Nothing,” she said, looking away. 

Zoro didn’t hate Sanji, but he hated that Sanji didn’t love hated him. 

~ 

There Zoro was, waking up from Enel’s lightning blast, and there Sanji was close to him, still unconscious. He stared at him for what must have been too long, because suddenly Usopp was saying, “He got hit twice. He saved me and Nami.” 

“Oh,” Zoro said. He scooted towards Sanji and pressed his ear to his chest, sighing when he heard the arrhythmic heartbeat. Looking up, he saw Usopp staring at him, and said, “What?” 

Usopp rolled his eyes and looked away. Zoro looked back at Sanji’s face, and brushed some ash out of his hair, his fingers lingering on his cheek. 

~ 

Something happened during the Davy Back Fight. Something happened to Sanji. The way he looked at Zoro when he asked for his help during the Groggy Ring battle, with that stupid ball strapped to his head. The way he slapped Zoro’s shoulders and back during the following celebration party. The way he gave Zoro tentative smiles, as if testing the waters, and the silly way he grinned when Zoro smiled back. 

“I hate you,” Sanji said that evening, joining Zoro in the crow’s nest that evening with a bottle of wine. 

“Yeah,” Zoro said, looking away. He and Sanji were still covered in bruises from their battle, dark and light patches across their limbs and torsos. 

“But I also don’t hate you.” 

“Oh?” Zoro’s heart lifted as he looked at Sanji, his chest hurting again but in a completely different way. 

“Yeah. Do you hate me?” 

“No.” Zoro took the offered bottle, taking a drink straight from the mouth. “I never did.” 

“Huh.” Sanji looked down, blinking hard, and brought a hand up to his suddenly bright eyes. “Huh. Is that so?” 

“What’s up with you?” 

Sanji looked up, swallowing back tears. “You’re just a grade-A moron, aren’t you?” 

“I’m not psychic. What are you talking about?” 

“Keep the bottle.” Sanji stood. “I’ll come to relieve you in time. See you.” 

He vanished down the ropes, and Zoro lifted his head, staring up at the dark, dark sky covered in pale, pale dots. 

~ 

With their journey through Enies Lobby and Water 7 complete, the Strawhats had lost three treasured crewmates, one for good, and gained three, one brand-new. It wasn’t long before Franky and Robin were performing public displays of affection, nothing more daring than pecks on the cheek and yet things that once would have surely driven Sanji to tears with jealousy. As it was, though, he merely gave them thoughtful glances at most. 

“Aren’t you soulmates?” Usopp asked them one day as Zoro lingered nearby and Sanji served them cold drinks, setting Robin’s down lovingly upon a coaster and slamming Franky’s into his hand. 

“We’re not sure,” Robin admitted. Her eyes hadn’t changed from the moment she had threatened them in the glow of the remains of Igaram’s ship: One was light, and one was dark. 

“I had to rebuild my eyes while modifying my body,” Franky explained. “It’s a shame, but I don’t remember the exact colors they were. In any case, since they’re super-artificial and the same color, they wouldn’t change with eye contact.” 

“So, we’re not sure,” Robin repeated. “But we love each other, and if he’s not my soulmate and I meet them one day, they’ll have to put up with him as well.” 

“What do you mean, put up with?” Franky demanded. 

Zoro stared at Sanji from across the deck, looking away as soon as he noticed. 

~ 

Thriller Bark brought them a zany new member of the family, a talking skeleton who was older than dirt and far too cheery. Thriller Bark brought them a dangerous new enemy, a Warlord with the ability to repel just about anything. Thriller Bark brought them a Zoro who claimed to have lost his memory of his fight with Kuma, but who remembered the sleeping face of his captain, the cold eyes of his enemy, and the desperate, pained face of his . . . 

Zoro thought he had finally escaped. Between Chopper trying to mummify him in bandages and the others badgering him to take it easy, he thought he had found refuge in the library, where no one would think to look for him. He lay on his back, pedalling his feet in the air to stretch his legs, as he’d been unable to sneak his weights into the room without drawing attention to himself. 

“There you are.” 

He groaned and dropped his legs as Sanji entered. “Can’t I have peace for one minute?” he said, sitting up. He frowned, seeing Sanji’s face. “What is it?” 

“I don’t hate you,” Sanji said. 

“Oh,” Zoro said, his chest hurting in that good way just hearing the words. “Right. And?” 

“I tried to hate you, Zoro. I really did.” Sanji sat next to him, staring at the floor. “I didn’t want to feel this way about you. I wanted to feel this way about a pretty girl. But I can’t help it. Zoro, I love you. You’re a fucking callous moron, and I don’t know if you love me, too, but---fuck, you have every right not to after the way I’ve treated---” 

“I do love you.” 

Sanji looked up at him, lips parted and breath shallow. “But you---” 

“I love you,” Zoro repeated. “You’ve always been a bitch, but that was the only thing---I can’t help it.” He looked down, wiggling his toes on the floor and staring at the scars on his shins. “I think I’ve loved you for a while. Maybe since I realized the only thing I really hated about you was that you didn’t love me.” 

“But I do love you. I really tried not to,” Sanji repeated, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “I can’t help it, either. Especially with you spouting off those nasty words about not having a soulmate---” 

“I don’t have a soulmate.” 

“Fine. Whatever you say. But you love me, right?” 

Zoro nodded. 

“Then that works for me.” Sanji touched Zoro’s shoulder. “When you were . . . just lying there, unconscious . . . I realized I had to tell you as soon as you woke up. We live dangerous lives. I had to tell you as soon as possible.” 

Zoro smiled, placing his hand over Sanji’s on his shoulder, his heart soaring through the sky. “No regrets, right?” 

Sanji held Zoro’s cheek in one hand, looking him in the eyes. “No regrets.” 

~ 

Sabaody brought them turmoil, and a crew torn apart. The war brought them pain, and news of a bloodline with an early demise. 

The next two years brought them patience, and forced it upon them, day by day. 

~ 

Zoro spotted a familiar head of pale hair in the distance, and grinned, jumping off of the broken ship to stride towards him. 

“I liked you better without the goatee,” he said, stopping in front of Sanji. 

Sanji looked him up and down. “I liked you better with both your eyes.” 

They seized each other and hugged, hoping to never let go. 

~ 

It happened on what should have been an ordinary morning during their trip to Dressrosa. Kin’emon and Mononosuke were having what they called a “Private Father-Son Meeting” in the aquarium room, so everyone else was banned from it for the time being. Zoro and Sanji were sparring on the deck, testing their skills and banter honed after two years, and Luffy was hanging out next to Law on a railing. Nami was drawing maps in her room, Usopp was in his workshop, and Robin and Franky were at the bow, keeping an eye on the ship’s course. Chopper and Brook were cheering on Zoro and Sanji, alternating the names every so often, to their annoyance. 

Luffy leaned over to Law and whispered something, holding up something in his hand. Law took it, nodded, and raised his hand. In an instant, Zoro and Sanji fell over, caught off-balance. 

“What did you do?” Chopper exclaimed as they sat up, shaking their heads. 

“Oh me, oh my, we’re stuck in this situation again,” Brook remarked. “Why did you do that, Law-san?” 

“I got paid,” Law said, flashing the coin at him. 

Two yells echoed across the deck. Used to this, no one was drawn out from inside the ship, and Robin and Franky stayed at the bow with barely a glance behind them. 

“Why is it so bright?!” Zoro in Sanji’s body yelled, covering his eyes. “Do you guys see this all the time?!” 

“Law, swap us back right now,” Sanji in Zoro’s body snapped. “I think I gave this idiot a concussion. I can’t see any color.” 

“Of course you can’t, I’m color blind,” Zoro said. He rubbed his eyes, staring at Sanji in his body. “Is that what I look like?” 

“Wait, what?” Luffy said, coming over with Chopper and Brook. Law hung back, folding his arms and leaning against the railing

“Is that what I look like?” Zoro repeated. “What color is my hair?” 

“Green,” Sanji said. 

“Wait, that’s besides the point!” Chopper exclaimed. “You’re color blind?!” 

“Yeah,” Zoro said. “Did it never come up?” 

“No!” Sanji exclaimed. “No, it didn’t!” 

“What’s the big deal? I’ve never needed to see color to get by.” Zoro stared at his hands and stood, looking around and taking in the colors of his crewmates. “Someone get me a mirror. I wanna see the cook.” 

Brook dug around in his pockets while Luffy laughed. “No wonder you never got why Sanji calls you moss-hair!” 

“Why?” Zoro said. 

“Your hair’s the same color as moss!” 

Zoro gave Sanji a look as Brook passed him a small handheld mirror. As he studied himself (or rather, Sanji) in the mirror, Sanji stood and stared at him, blinking. 

“Zoro,” he said. “Pass me that mirror when you’re done.” 

“Sure. What color are your eyes?” 

“I’m going to talk to you about this later,” Chopper threatened. Luffy wandered away again to bother Law, Zoro too absorbed in the new spectrum available to him to pay much attention. 

“They’re blue,” Sanji said. “Light blue. And my hair’s yellow. Blonde.” 

“Huh.” Zoro twisted the mirror this way and that. “It’s pretty.” 

“Give it!” 

Zoro handed him the mirror, and Sanji stood next to him, staring at his (Zoro’s) one eye and his (Sanji’s) one visible one. 

“Oh,” he said. “Oh, Zoro.” 

He passed the mirror back to Brook and pulled Zoro by the hand up to the stern to have more privacy. As soon as they were alone, he looked at Zoro, opened his mouth, and started laughing. 

“What?” Zoro said, annoyed. 

“Zoro,” Sanji said, his eye starting to tear up. “I thought this whole time you were just obtuse, or plain rude. But you literally didn’t see it.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Your eyes---rather, eye, is silver. Grey,” Sanji said, pointing. 

“Huh,” Zoro said, staring his body in the eye. “Looks the same as before.” 

“Exactly.” Sanji wiped at the tears threatening to spill down his cheek. “Zoro, I used to have one blue eye and one silver eye. Before we met, you had one silver eye, and one blue eye.” 

“Before we met?” 

“Zoro.” Sanji took his hands, grinning. “We’re soulmates. You didn’t notice because my eye color looks the same as yours in monochrome.” 

“I . . . what?” 

“I was so angry. Not just because I wanted my soulmate to be a girl---I thought you were pretending to not notice, or you were really that stupid. But you just didn’t see.” 

“Oh.” Reeling, Zoro stared at Sanji, staring at that one grey eye. “Oh. That. Does that matter?” 

“You had no idea we were soulmates. You didn’t see it, and also, you’re an idiot.” Sanji leaned into Zoro’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around him. “I knew, and I tried to hate you, but I couldn’t. I think I would’ve fallen for you even if I was color blind, or just blind. It doesn’t matter.” 

“Right.” Zoro hugged Sanji back, and they stood in silence for a minute. Then--- 

“Let’s get that dick to change us back,” Sanji said, pulling away. He grinned, the wide smile odd on Zoro’s face. “It’s weird hugging myself. Are you going to miss colors?”

“Nah. It’s too bright.” Zoro held his hand. “And I’ve never needed color anyway.” 

[whirlybirdwhat]

(One Shot, 15k+, Gen, Monster Trio, temporary character death, please see ao3 for more detailed warnings)

“Zoro!” The reindeer shouts, and uh oh that’s his scolding voice. What did Zoro do now?! “Where have you been? I need to check you over I want to make sure cutting that rock did nothing!”

“What do you mean, you’ve been with me the entire-“

Wait.

Had Chopper been with him? Out on deck?

Zoro can’t recall.

“I don’t care, sit down!” Chopper gives him the eyes, and dimly worried, Zoro acquiesces to his pleas.

It’s nothing, surely, he thinks, accepting the drink from Sanji and belatedly (uncaringly) realizing this is nothing like him to be so nonchalant about a lack of skill.

It’s nothing at all.

Hehehehe!

-

The Monster Trio arrive on a strange island.

what the ocean drags down

If he had to pinpoint a moment it all began, Sanji would say it was three days before that island, when he had woken up in the middle of the night to a nightmare -

(Along on a rock with his hands bleeding out and blood on his face, sticky behind the metal mask that locked him in with all his fears all of them all of them and oh, were those bones he could feel along his sides?)

And gone down to the kitchen to fix a snack to calm his nerves.

Nightmares were nothing new, of course. All the straw hats had them, at one time or another. A pirate’s life is rarely free of danger, and before this crew of dreams they weren’t always living the happiest of lives.

Seeing both Zoro and Luffy in the kitchen, however, is new.

Zoro is sitting on the floor in the galley corner, tense and hands white knuckled around the bottle in his hands. He seems high strung, though his swords are laid a carful distance away as if he doesn’t want to reach for them accidentally. His one eye flashes dimly in the light, as if he’s shaken and wary.

Sanji has never seen him look like this, save for the few times he had thought a crew member had died.

(Luffy shot in the back and not getting up, the wretched screaming of their captain’s name wrenching from Zoro’s throat-)

Luffy, next to him, is the exact opposite. Instead of sitting tall and wary, he is hunched and trembling minutely. He looks small, in a way Sanji has almost never associated with their exuberant captain and future king. His hat is laid low over his face as he looks with his head down between his knees. He’s slouching against Zoro, as if trying to keep quiet and on the lookout for someone.

As if to remind himself that he’s not alone.

(After their two years of training, it had been a month before Luffy decided that he could sleep in his own bed. He had been clingy (they all had been) and in quiet moments he had admitted that Rayleigh had left him with just the animals for the remaining six months of his training.

“It’s okay!” Luffy had said. “It was just like when Ace had left to go sea!” His brother’s name hadn’t cracked in his mouth. His captain is strong. “I was alone cause I had to get stronger, so I couldn’t visit the bandits or Makino or anyone! But it’s okay this time, because I knew I had you guys!”

Why did he always have to be alone when it was worse than being hurt?)

“Hey knuckleheads,” Sanji starts, voice soft. He knows not to startle them despite the newness of the situation. “Want something to eat?”

Luffy peeks up from under his hat, revealing one wet eye, and mumbles meat. He’s not getting some, because they do have to ration it and Sanji is checking storage tomorrow, but he will get something to help him sleep. Zoro grunts, his one eye finally focusing in and his body becoming a little less wired. He leans into Luffy more, letting his fingers relax from their tight hold on the neck of the bottle.

Sanji takes that as a yes, and pretends not to notice the way Zoro’s eye zeroes in his trembling fingers and the way Luffy’s eyes don’t but he notices the shaking anyway, uncurling from his ball at the sense of pain in his crew.

Sanji offers him a slight smile, and turns on the stove to a low simmer. Some cinnamon tea to help sleep, and some leftover onigiri from before dinner (because, with Luffy, there was never any leftovers after dinner) would be a good start.  Zoro grunts again and stands up, offering a hand to Luffy before grabbing his swords and sliding into the booth.

The kitchen is quiet, save for the waves crashing against the side of the ship. Robin is on watch, isn’t she? Or were they trying out Franky’s new automated watch system?

Ah. Whatever. Sanji will check once he gets these two (and himself) sorted out.

By the time the tea is done and the onigiri prepped, his hands have stopped shaking. Zoro is slumped into Luffy’s shoulder, and the captain himself has buried his face into crossed arms at the table.  His hat is now falling gently on his back, making something in Sanji calm.

(Luffy only ever pulls the hat over his eyes if he’s far too angry to think, has a point to make, or is making an expression (tears, fear, Sanji never knows) that he doesn’t want his crew to see.)

Sanji slides the tea and onigiri in front of them both, taking care to make sure the food lands more on Zoro’s side so he has a better chance of biting into it before Luffy gets his hands on it. He then takes a place to Luffy’s left, where he can slump into him as well, his own cup warming his hands.

He takes a breath of the steam coming off it, and takes a sip, gently smiling at the pleased sound Luffy makes as he does the same.

The temptation to speak, to ask what brought them to the kitchen is slowly creeping in, but it can wait.

The kitchen at night, when there is no storm or pressing adventure, is a place for quiet and warmth. No nightmares, no shaking hands or tense shoulders, can find them here with a warm drink between their hands.

Eventually, Luffy is the first to doze off, onigiri eaten (but not entirely – worrying) and drink all but gone. He slumps into Zoro who then carries him to the bench behind them, Sanji following, so that Luffy’s stretched out, head in Zoro’s lap and his legs thrown over Sanji’s. A calloused hand makes its way through Luffy’s hair as Zoro recounts the night, breaking the silence.

“I… had a dream.” He begins, voice low and soft. “Wasn’t a good one.” A grimace but no elaboration. That’s okay – Sanji didn’t really expect Zoro too. “Shook me up a bit. Went in here to get a drink and found Luffy on the ground where we were. I don’t know how long he was there, but I think it had been awhile. When I came in he kind of … jumped? Like he didn’t expect me, which was odd, but I couldn’t really feel him either.”

Sanji was a smart man. He could connect the dots – either something had shaken Luffy and Zoro so bad that their observation haki wasn’t focused (Unlikely, considering they primarily used it in battle) or something more was going on…

He couldn’t remember if he had sensed them before entering the kitchen anyway.

Sanji hums and takes their cups away, gently moving Luffy legs first, as Zoro keeps talking.

“He wasn’t doing so good. I think he’s been up most of the night. Don’t know what woke him but… it couldn’t have been good.”

“A dream you think?”

“Maybe. You?”

“Had one too. You sleeping here?”

“Might as well. Sun rise is in an hour unless the weather wants to fuck with us.”

“Mmhm.” Sanji moves back to his old position, this time carrying a blanket. Zoro helps him stretch over the three of them, tucking it gently under their captain’s head.

It may be odd for all of them to be here at once, but nightmares and bad nights were nothing new to all of them. They were crew after all. Family. They helped each other. And truth be told, Zoro and Sanji didn’t always argue.

“Night, Shit Cook.”

“Night, Moss Face.”

Well. Almost.

(If Sanji had been any more awake and not thinking about being along and starving on a rock, perhaps he would have taken notice of the shift in the breeze, the slight lilt of the ship as their observation haki was suppressed under the guise of shaking nightmares. Perhaps he would have noticed the change in their course or the fog creeping in.

But he didn’t.

And that’s when it started.

Come to me, little pirates-)

-

Sanji woke to Nami shaking him awake. A heavenly sight, but an odd one, because he was usually the first up for meal prep.

“Nami-swan?” He asked, tiredly yawning. A part of him registered Luffy’s legs still across his, and the green head of hair his faced was smashed into. The moss-head must have leant over to use Sanji’s shoulder as a pillow while he slept, the bastard.

“Sanji you alright?”

“’Mm fine, Nami-dear.” He blinked the tiredness from his eyes, ready to focus on the wonderful light of his life. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing… you just slept past sunrise that’s all. Robin and Usopp made pancakes for everyone, but you’re going to have to make them for Luffy and Zoro and you. We aren’t skilled enough to keep up with Luffy’s appetite.”

Sanji’s eyes snapped open. He what?!

He took a look around, noting the table being cleaned up by a multitude of limbs and the faint smell of pancakes in the air. The sun was gently shining through the portholes, the brightness signifying it was well past the morning rush.

And Sanji had slept through it.

Hell, Luffy had slept through it if the weight on his lap was any indication.

“I’m sorry, you should have woken me up, I should have done that –“

“It’s okay Sanji. We figured if you weren’t up, and Luffy wasn’t going for our meals, then you three needed the rest… what happened?”

Sanji shrugs, getting up carefully and stretching. “I had a nightmare and woke up, came in here and found Zoro and Luffy, who apparently had the same thing. We drank the usual and had a bite to eat then fell asleep.”

No need to worry Nami about the lapse in haki. While they were in the process of teaching the crew armament and observation, they didn’t have to be concerned of what was going on with those in control of it.

Not yet at least.

Nami still looks concerned. Sanji brushes it off by waking Zoro with a kick to the head.

“Oi. Shithead. I’m making breakfast. You gonna get up or what?”

“Bastard, what’d you do that for?”

“You getting up or what?”

“Mmhm?” Luffy mumbles sitting up and narrowly missing the second foot that is flung at Zoro’s head, blocked with a sheathed Sandai Kitetsu. “Wassgoing on?”

“Breakfast, Luffy. You slept through it.” Nami levels him with a look before shaking her head at his panicked response.

“WHAT!? BREAKFAST? SANJI! FOOD!”

Luffy doesn’t miss this kick.

“Hold your horses shitty captain, it’ll be ready in five minutes.” Sanji relaxes his leg and turns to the kitchen. Least Luffy’s more energetic now. And by Zoro’s wheezing complaints, he’s less conscious of where he’s stepping too.

Just like normal.

(Flash of vibrant pink in the corner of his eye, a skeleton, a man with no legs in the corner of the room-)

Sanji turns and it’s just Chopper and Brook singing outside, Franky tinkering on deck viewed through the door Nami just walked out of.

It’s nothing, surely.

Right?

-

Sanji volunteers to take Usopp’s place for the first half of night watch. He’s not going to get any sleep anyway, so why not take the place of his crewmate and let him rest?

The crow’s nest is warm at night, though the outside sea is foggy and cold. Shadows dance across the deck in the soft moonlight and breeze, a calm unusual to the Grand Line.

It doesn’t help Sanji’s nerves.

He’s sitting on the window edge, cupping a mug of tea in his hands, blanket wrapped around him. Paranoia has been following him all day, despite the fact that he checked the food stores and they have enough to feed Luffy eight meals a day for two weeks. They are fine, and the sea is flooding with food.

His crew won’t starve.

So why does he feel like they might?

(Why does he feel like his former siblings are around every corner?)

Is he this shaken up by that nightmare last night?

Hehehehe~

What the fuck was that.

Sanji stands to his feet and looks out the window.

There’s nothing there, and nothing hiding in the shadows of the crows next.

Everything’s normal.

His observation haki – his observation haki seems fine.

Maybe he should have taken the chance to rest.

Maybe.

Sanji looks out the window, to the rising moon, and decides he can wake Zoro for his turn on watch.

Climbing down the crow’s nest and into the galley, he misses the ship rocking again, sharper this time. He misses the shadows crawling across the deck like mischievous devil children, with holes in their chests and limbs, and the fog that rolls across the deck once in a resounding breath.

Sanji turns his head once, but the view is silent and empy

He continues on, shakes Zoro non-too-gently awake, and collapses in his bed. Time to sleep…

Sanji never feels the devil sink into his skin

(but it doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.)

He falls into a fitful rest, a smile haunting his lips.

(It won’t be there for long!)

-

Zoro has never been one to sleep.

Let’s rephrase that.

Zoro has never been one to sleep when his crew is in true danger. Since he has no problem falling to sleep, he’s sure that there’s no danger here, but he can’t help but be unsure.

The ship has been… off these past few days. Laughter chimes in his ear when the deck is empty, and shadows seem to be full of things he must protect against. Nothings ever there, but it keeps dragging him back to that first night.

When Luffy had been shaking in the kitchen, and Zoro hadn’t noticed him get up.

(The ero-cook’s observation haki is the best out of all of them, though he’s sure once Usopp gets his act together that will change, but he hadn’t noticed either. Luffy is either suppressing his presence (a skill of the conquering king, but damnit, Luffy, we’re your crew!) or somethings wrong.

Zoro hopes it’s the former)

The rest of the crew doesn’t seem to notice anything’s off, beyond the usual bout of nightmares. They don’t notice Zoro’s tenseness or Sanji’s wariness, or Luffy’s almost apathy to the world around him. The crew doestake note of the shadows slowly growing under all three of their eyes, and takes them off the watch rotation, but otherwise do not comment.

Nami probably knows something, as does Robin with her damn eyes, but that’s about it.

Hopefully it is nothing, and Zoro can actually sleep without worrying that his crew is –

(falling down down down, dead and dreamless, smiling gently at him – won’t you help Zoro? Why weren’t you there Zoro?)

In danger.

Ah. Well. Might as well sleep. He’s done his training for the day, Luffy joining him (odd – Luffy prefers his own kind of training to lifting weights), so now he can nap by the figurehead.

A nice… long... nap….

-

He awakes to darkness.

Did he sleep through the day again? No – this is something different.

Something skitters across the deck – Zoro reaches for his swords only to find empty air.

Wha-

This isn’t Sunny’s deck.

This isn’t his home. His crew’s home.

Where is his crew?

(Did they get lost?)

A voice drifts in the breeze, eerily similar to a young child cry.

Zo-ro, Zo-ro, Zo-ro, Zo-ro… Where were you Zoro?

There’s a pawprint in front of him, big and painful and his captain, Luffy, is inside oh hell

His crew is here now, and they are all dead because he wasn’t paying attention, god damnit, no – What kind of hell scape is this?

“Zoro.” The girls voice, high and reedy, is solid now. He turns his face to the left.

Kuina.

A bloody sword is held to her throat. Wado-

“We weren’t strong enough Zoro.” The blade digs in and –

“NO!”

Zoro wakes to red and wetness on his cheeks.

Kuina, no, his crew dead, Luffy –

Luffy’s sitting on his lap right in front him. He’s the red. The wetness on his face isn’t blood but the salty sea spray and (maybe) some tears, slipping down his eyes. He can’t tell.

He hopes Luffy can’t tell.

“Zoro? You okay?”

“Ye-yeah. I am.” I will be.

His captain sounds tired. (Zoro sounds tired.) His eyes are tired too. (So are Zoro’s. And the Shit Cook’s.)  Nightmares? (A reoccurring theme.)

Luffy trusts him, and knows him in a way that few don’t, so he accepts Zoro’s truth and settles back down. A rubbery hand slaps at Zoro’s face.

“Nami says there’s gonna be an island tomorrow but there’s also going to be a storm tonight so she doesn’t know if there is actually going to be an island. There’s no maps of it either, so Nami’s excited.”

Zoro raises an eyebrow and looks around deck. Huh. Usopp and Copper are already climbing the rigging to get ready to pull the sails down.  It’s a wonder why the witch hasn’t yelled at Zoro and Luffy to get their asses moving.

(Or maybe the crew noticed a little more than he thought.)

Speaking of the witch, she’s making her way toward them now. Zoro nudges Luffy out of the way and gets up –

Hehehe-

A shadow, heading straight toward Nami, that seems to be alive and moving and perhaps not entirely real.

It slips and slides until it rests under her feet and the breath is stuck in Zoro’s chest as Nami slips and –

(getting her sword for another midnight duel with Zoro, Kuina had slipped and fallen, blood scattering the steps from the crack in her head. Died, because she was a little too careless; died, for no reason at all.)

Catches herself on the railing.

Nami’s strong, always has been.

(Kuina was strong too.)

She’ll be alright. Why is Zoro panicking?

(Kuina is dead.)

“Zoro?” Luffy prompts already standing, clothes waving in the wind. Storm must be coming faster then… “You coming?”

“Yeah.” Zoro affirms and heaves himself up as the first lightning bolt cracks in the difference. “Be right there, Captain.”

He turns toward Nami, but Nami’s emerging from the galley and already barking orders

(She hadn’t gone down the steps at all.)

The sky is dark, and any shadow mixes in with the chaos of a Grand Line storm. Zoro gets to work, pushing doubt and little dead girls out of his mind.

-

The storm was brutal. Zoro, however, is almost thankful for how exhausted he feels after it. Perhaps he can sleep now.

But no.

Instead of reaching the island tomorrow like Nami had thought, the hurricane and the coup de burst they used to get over the tsunami level swells and the sea king sneaking under the waves, had gotten them within distance of the island.

So they’re anchoring tonight at any available shore so everyone can sleep.

Zoro steadies his stance and watches as the sea smooths and ripples into familiar shore patterns.

“Jungle island,” Nami deduces just by the air, standing to his left. Zoro could ask how she does it, but it’s a talent that’s far beyond anyone but her. “Pretty big too. I think there might be a mountain on the other side, but this area here is just low-level jungle. Humid and hot, with pretty beaches.”  

“A barbecue tomorrow then?” Robin inquires from Zoro’s right. When the hell did she get there?

“Hmph. Maybe. I don’t know what kind of wildlife we’ll find, but we should restock. Depends on what the captain wants. Hey- Where is Luffy?” Nami looks around, eyes narrowing in an odd mix of distrust, concern, and acceptance that her captain has already rocketed his way to the island.

She’s wrong in her suspicious for once. Zoro tosses a thumb behind him. “There.”

Beneath the main mast is a dog pile of Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy. Chopper in Heavy point and Usopp almost protectively sandwiching Luffy between them. Relaxed, soaked and uncaring, the trio sleeps.

Nami’s shoulders slump. “Of course. Well, we’ll be there in thirty minutes. They can sleep till th-”

SKKKRECHHHHK!

There’s a crunching noise beneath them. A rock, glistening and black, jutting from the water.

It had lost to the Sunny’s Adam’s Wood hull but by the sound, it was a close thing.

“What the hell?” Zoro mutters as the rest of the crew wakes or comes up to deck at the noise. “What kind of rock is that?” Can I cut it?

THUMP!

“No trying to cut strange rocks till morning!” The witch screeches, fist still raised from where it wacked his head. By now she had a sixth sense for when the crew was trying to do some dangerous stunt.

“Damn, sheesh, okay.” Zoro mutters, casting a glare at Sanji as he laughs.

Ignoring their squabbling, Franky steps up to the rail and looks over. “That is totally NOT super. Nami-sis, where’d this come from?”

The navigator purses her lips. “Don’t know, it wasn’t there two seconds ago. I was checking the currents – there was no evidence of rocks.” She’s frowning heavily before she starts barking orders. “Bring up all the sails and get out the oars. I want us going slow – this is probably just some weird Grand Line stuff, but I don’t want any more surprises.”

“Aye-aye,” The conscious members of the Straw-Hat Pirates chorus.  Brook goes to wake the sleeping members as the rest prep the oars. They are rarely used, since the engine or a coup de burst can get them through any slow patch of wind but… they are good for going slow and careful.

Luffy takes his place in front of Zoro, rubbing sleep for baggy eyes, and prepares to row. Nami’s at the forefront, watching for rocks while Franky mans the tiller.

Slowly, paddle by paddle, they make their way through the small bay.

Nami’s right, Zoro thinks looking over the railing, these rocks are rising out of nowhere.

His observation haki (now, not at its best form admittedly) can’t even predict them. They look like shadows from waves at first, peaceful and innocent below the surface, before erupting through the surface in a silent, sharp spike.

A particularly tall one almost took out Zoro’s other eye before he sliced it.

Which, good. He can cut whatever this strange rock is. Bad, because the rock started faintly glowing in specks across the remained of the rock, and pins and needles went down his spine.

He doesn’t know what to think.  

Everyone else thinks it’s pretty at least.

It’s well past midnight by the time they reach a place close enough to shore that they can weigh anchor.

“Franky,” Luffy speaks for the first time in a while, once all the navigating’s done. “Will the watch system work?”

“It should, captain.”

“Will it work.”

“Aye.”

“Then everyone sleeps.” Luffy looks out over his crew from his position on the main mast, and Zoro knows he sees how tired they all are. Wet, hungry, exhausted, and paranoid because of dumb rocks, no straw hat is fit to take watch. “We’ll look over the island in the morning.”

And suddenly, as everyone’s shoulders slump out of relief, Luffy’s seriousness wipes away. “Sanji, meat?”

“I’ll whip up a snack.” Sanji agrees, tearing off his gloves on his way to the kitchen. “It’ll be ready in a few, enough for everyone to get dry and everything.”

“Then I’m going to take a shower – Robin you coming?” Nami sighs

“Sure.”

And just like that, the crew disperses off the deck until it’s just Zoro, staring at the shimmering rocks in the moonlit water. Shadows play at the edge of his vision, but he can’t trust him.

Can’t trust any of his sense.

Hehehehe!

Chopper tugs at his leg, and oh, his haki must have decided to work because he hasn’t looked down yet. “I’m coming Chop.” He takes one last look out at the sea and follows the ball of fur inside to get changed.

When he comes up to the galley, Chopper is sitting next to Luffy, bandaging a scape he got from banging his head in the storm.

“Zoro!” The reindeer shouts, and uh oh that’s his scolding voice. What did Zoro do now?! “Where have you been? I need to check you over I want to make sure cutting that rock did nothing!”

“What do you mean, you’ve been with me the entire-“

Wait.

Had Chopper been with him? Out on deck?

Zoro can’t recall.

“I don’t care, sit down!” Chopper gives him the eyes, and dimly worried, Zoro acquiesces to his pleas.

It’s nothing, surely, he thinks accepting he drink from Sanji and belatedly (uncaringly) realizing this is nothing like him to be so nonchalant about a lack of skill.

It’s nothing at all.

Hehehehe!

(Kuina falls down Sunny’s steps eight times that night as Zoro sleeps, each time whisking Wado across a different Straw Hat’s throat.

(And they had all smiled.))

-

Ace has been talking to Luffy in his dreams lately.

It’s nothing new.

Nightmares are always like this.

(A brother there and a brother not, fire licking at his chest – why is it always fire that takes his big brothers? There are holes and Luffy is falling falling falling and there’s no one but him. It hurts more than all the poison in Impel down, this crushing loneliness and oh – when can he wake up?

Thank you for loving me-Brothers forever-SABO-Crybaby- flashes of his childhood in Ace’s voice, still so vivid to this day—)

What’s new is what Ace has been saying.

Luffy knows his brother- his brothers. They are cruel and tough and strong, or were at any rate, but they have never been to cut the ones they care about without reason. Ace would never tell Luffy that he’s worthless, or that he failed, or that he’s alone.

He wouldn’t.

So why is his dream Ace saying things like that? Why is he killing his crew one by one, dying himself, why are his nightmares so twisted and wrong?

Luffy can’t make sense of it.

He tries not to sleep too much, but he’s like Ace and Grandpa and his sleeping schedule is all messed up, so he can’t help it.

It’s been going on for a while now, more than a week, and it hasn’t eased up, sleeplessness painting dark marks beneath his eyes.

(It’s gotten worse)

But there’s an island ahead, one with adventure, and it’s all that Luffy needs if only these dumb rocks would stop trying to trap their ship.

Shitty rocks.

It’s quiet on deck as the rest of the crew retires to bed. Luffy’s soaked from crashing waves, clothes sticking to his damp skin, and he knows he should change and go to bed.

But…

The shadows look familiar in certain lights.

And Luffy misses his big brother.

A cloud shields the world for the moon for a long moment, stirring Luffy out of his daze. He shakes himself, hand falling from his chest and goes inside.

He doesn’t notice the sea fading from sight or the fog rolling onto the deck – permanent, in a final kind of way this time. The water shifts into something darker and the island trees, tall and innocent, shift in place.

Luffy sleeps, curled next to Zoro, and doesn’t notice the island watching him.

-

Luffy wakes alone.

He does not panic.

He has woken alone too many times for this to be a cause of panic.

(Makino worked late and early, Garp rarely stayed, Ace ignored him then loved him then left for the seas, three years spent in the jungle, then one at sea, then Ace left for good and Luffy spent two years (alone) on Ruskuina.

Loneliness cuts deep, but it is a hurt that Luffy knows like he knows freedom.)

This was not where he fell asleep.

Luffy is sitting on soft, white sand on a barren beach. Before him stretches the sea, dark and gloomy, but he can’t see the horizon rising above it. The trees behind him are of the familiar kind – the kind he grew up with on the islands of Goa. Jungle bark and underbrush, thick and threatening unless you know its secrets. They are dark, almost black, like the lush green that should make them up isn’t there.

Luffy looks up, placing a hand on his hat, and doesn’t see the sky.

Wait.

His hat.

It’s not there.

Luffy lurches to his feet, panicking now.

“Hat! Where’s hat! Shit, where is it?!” He can’t see it in the fog that keeps drifting in and dragging like at his clothes like drowning me. “Dumb island, give me my hat back!”

Because, of course, it must be the island which took it. No one else is there, right?

The fog seems to pause and pull away. There’s a path, leading into the forest.

Luffy follows instinct and walks into the dark path.

(His haki, cut and lost, screams at him. It goes unheard.)

The forest swallows him and doesn’t look back.

(A child laughs in the forest.)

Hehehehe!

-

Sanji wakes to the sound of seagulls and the cold press of rock beneath his back. He’s up in a second, praying this is all a terrible dream, and praying he hasn’t woken up not on the ship.

(He’s had worse dreams as of late.)

Blue eyes blink open as a leg raises threateningly. The world around him is dark and covered in a fog. He’s on a raised, rock platform, jutting from the cliff side that rises far above him. Water, black and crashing, is on every side.

The sight is a familiar, demonized version of one of the most terrifying memories of his past.

The sea-damned Rock.

Damnit!

Sanji places his foot down once he is sure that there is no threat that he can sense or see. Something crunches and slides underfoot, and when he looks down, all he sees is gleaming white.

Bones.

A human fucking skeleton.

That hadn’t been there before, had it?

Had it?

He can’t tell.

The world is growing fuzzy as the waves crash higher and the cliff side looms above him.

Think rationally, damnnit. Don’t panic. You are here. Where do you go from here?

Up.

Something slithers over his foot. When Sanji looks, whatever it is has far too many legs and is some sort of a fucking bug.

Fuck.

He screams, not that he’ll ever admit it, wishes for a cigarette, and starts kicking himself into the air. He half expects to start falling with how weird this island is and how weird the past week has been but he gets up fine.

Easier than normal even.

He doesn’t like it.

At the top Sanji finds himself facing a dark jungle and finally goes to light that cigarette. He breathes in the smoke, familiar as a cooking fire, and breathes out a sigh of relief.

He’s alive. He’s off that damn rock. It was only a coincidence that’s all.

Metal slams over his face.

“HGHK-” He chokes as the cigarette falls from his hands. He scrambles at his face as the mask locks over it, shutting him in into a world without food or freedom or friends. It encases his head from front to back, a mimic of that helmet from his youth, and it sends such a spike of fear through Sanji that he steps back.

The mask had flung from the forest after all.

He takes another step back, panic blinding him still.

Another.

Another.

And Sanji is falling down the cliffside where he just jumped up. This time, however, he’s so weak that he can’t kick his legs out, paralyzed by fear as he is.

He falls and falls and falls and falls and –

Crack.

Darkness.

Hehehehe!

-

Zoro wakes up in a new location and shrugs. It’s nothing that hasn’t happened before, but it is odd that the world would change while a crewmate was sleeping next to him. Fate tends to be nice enough to let him nap with the crew, and he vaguely recalls Luffy shoving him aside to curl up in his hammock with him.

(It sometimes stopped the bad dreams for both of them.)

He’s at the top of some mountain, a cave behind him and a jungle, dark and looming, is a good ways below the cliff he’s standing at. The view, despite the height, is pretty shitty due to all the damn fog and no visible sky (why isn’t the sky there?) so Zoro doesn’t spend to long looking at it.

Instead, he looks at the only way down.

The cliffside.

“Huh.” He thinks aloud and reaches for Shusui and Kitetsu. They sink easily (with his strength at least) into the ground and don’t have a lot of give. Should work well enough.

Zoro walks over to the edge and hops down, sticking his blades into the wall before he can drop more than ten feet.

They stick.

Perfect.

Kitetsu’s oddly not whining about being used for something other than bloodshed, which normally would spark alarm bells in Zoro’s head.

Instead, there is nothing but the rushing of wind in his ears as he uses his swords like picks to make his way down the mountain.

It is steady going and good training for his arms. The wind blows harsh making it harder for his grip to stay tight, but he manages and enjoys the challenge.

Belatedly, he wonders where the rest of the crew wound up.

(This isn’t a Kuma situation, is it?)

He shudders, phantom pricks of pain running up and down his body.

(His captain had been hurt worse than that and got up running. Zoro has to get stronger so he can be worthy of the Pirate King. If not, Zoro will turn the promise he made Luffy swear on himself and stab himself through. It would only be right after all.

Zoro can’t lose.)

No, can’t be. The crew must be somewhere on this island, not spread out to the winds again. They have to be.

The wind whistles into his ear, louder and shriller this time. Zoro’s shaken from his thoughts. Focus.

“Zoro!”

He loosens his grip in shock and slips before catching himself. Shit- who was that?

“Zoro! Over here!” He turns his head to his right.

Standing there, on a small out cropping and hugging the cliff side for dear life is Nami.

“Nami!” He calls, smile breaking over his face as the oppressive loneliness to the island that he hadn’t noticed before breaks. “You okay?”

“yeah! Just come and get me! I’ve been stuck up here for the past hour!” She calls back. “And if you don’t I’ll add twenty hundred percent to your debt!”

“Dumb witch.” Zoro mutters but makes his way over anyway.  He pauses next to the outcropping that she’s at and gestures to his back with a nod of his head. “Hop on.”

Nami nods and carefully climbs onto his back. The added weight is difficult, but nothing he can’t handle.

In the back of his mind, he remembers the story Chopper told him of how Luffy must have reached the top of drum.

Zoro can handle this, if only to improve his strength.

Nami curls in tight, though her body doesn’t quite fit right against his. She’s constantly shifting as he makes his way down, hair tickling him and knees digging into his side.

“Could you quit it?” Zoro snarks after another movement.

“Sure, of course I’ll sto-” Nami’s sarcasm is cut off as she slips. “ZORO!” she screeches, still hanging on just by the arms linked around his stomach.

Zoro snarls, letting go of one sword to grab on to her. “Shit!”

It does nothing. Nami looks at him with wide panic in her eyes as she slips further down and further down in the matter of seconds. “Zoro…” She trails off as her grip finally weakens.

“NAMI!!” Zoro screeches reaching out a hand to her. Her finger tips brush his and that’s the last touch he gets with her.

He could have slipped down, he quick enough with his swords to do so but his limbs are locked. He can’t move, and his hand is glued to the hilt of his one katana.

Nami falls

and falls

and falls

until she’s nothing but a smear on the ground below. He should be too high to see the impact but it rushes through Zoro’s mind with sudden clarity.

He sees it all – all the gruesome details and twisted limbs.

Nami falls, just like Kuina did, and Zoro wonders how many more people he will let fall as the darkness sinks in around him.

He stays, hanging on the cliff, for hours.

Too weak. Everyone falls, everyone dies, meaninglessly because of you.

What are you going to tell the rest of the crew?

The fog grows thicker.

Hehehehehe!

-

The forest, Luffy finds, is a lot like Goa’s. Tall and winding and full of things hiding in the underbrush that are either tasty, delicious, or both. Of course, he hasn’t managed to catch anything yet, only glimpses of the rustling bushes, but he’s sure he’ll find meat soon enough.

As he passes by a familiar path and tree and trap, however, something stops in his heart.

There’s a shattered telescope by the roots of a large tree, the kind Luffy wanted when he was a kid. Drops of red splotch the edges and lead up the hardened trunk of the tree.

At the top is a tree house fashioned like a boat, unused and abandon. A flag waves at the top, and Luffy knows that this forest isn’t a lot like Goa’s –

It is Goa’s.

He rockets to the top of the tree house, and ducks in the door.

(Maybe his hat is here?)

Hehehe!

Luffy whips around and the laugh stops.

Wha-

“Luffy.” He turns his back to the voice that shouldn’t be there, it shouldn’t it shouldn’t. “Stop jumping at shadows, crybaby.”

Ace smiles, blood dripping down his chin, and Luffy sighs.

It’s a dream.

(Ace is dead, despite the fact that he’s standing here before him, hole through his chest and just as bloody and smiling and peaceful as the day he died.

Luffy doesn’t dwell on the past much, and he certainly doesn’t travel back to it.

Ace is dead.

This is a dream.

(He wants it to be real.))

“Ace,” Luffy rasps, not flinching as the corpse steps toward him. “Have you seen my hat?”

“No. You should take better care of your things, Lu. C’mon, I’ll help you look.” Ace stumbles out the door and down the ladder.

Luffy watches the blood drip drip drip after him, and follows Ace down.

(Just a dream.

His brother is dead.)

Hehehe!

“WHO’S THERE!?” Luffy yells when he hears the voice again. It stops, just as suddenly as it began.

The forest is silent.

What’s going on? Where’s my crew?

He hopes they aren’t dealing with this too.

“LUFFY!” Ace shouts, voice sounding wet. “YOU COMING?”

“YEAH!” Luffy says and takes one last look at the tree house before jumping down.

-

“The Drifting Fog Peninsula – known for the fact that is not a peninsula at all but an Island of rock and mountain. Those who see the fog should know best to turn back – to be caught in it is to be caught in a trap, and not one of a dumb beast. The island itself is a predator, and does not like its prey easy to dupe, or so the legend says. There’s only one, from the journals of a log forgotten traveler, J.B. This is the Grand Line however, and I doubt there’s much exaggeration, Nami.”

“Right. We can tell the boys tomorrow – I didn’t see any fog, so we are probably good for now. That storm was terrible! I need sleep and not screaming.”

“Fufufu! Aye!”

-

It’s not Ace at the bottom. Or at least, not the Ace Luffy knew last.

It is Ace as a child, angry and mean.

Ace is dead, and this is a dream.

“C’mon crybaby, let’s go find your hat.” Ace says, dashing away into the forest, pipe not clanking against any tree or rock.

Its dark. Luffy wonders how this Dream Ace can see where he’s going.

(At least he’s not being mean or saying things that Ace wouldn’t.)

“Ace! Wait up!” Luffy calls and runs after him, uncaring of the branches that whack at him or trip in his path. This jungle is like Goa if not for the fact that Luffy can’t easily dash through it.

Ace runs and runs and runs. It’s like Luffy is seven again, and chasing after his big brothers who are so much stronger than him. This time, however, his big brother doesn’t wait for him to catch up, and disappears into the thickening fog.

“Ace?” Luffy halts and calls hesitantly.

No answer.

He lost him.

(Again.)

Oh well. He still has to find hat – and this isn’t really Ace that he’s chasing, only a vision from his nightmares that he can’t seem to have a connection to.

(It’s an odd dream. Usually Luffy tries to hug Ace, or be with him, or talk to him more, but he doesn’t trust this Ace.

He’s never known an Ace was a Dream Ace before.)

“Luffy?” That’s not Ace’s voice that’s –

“USOPP!”

He lunges at his friend, wrapping limbs around him on instinct. Strong arms catch him, holding him tight.

“Luffy!” Usopp says again, smiling bright. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

He wonders when he woke up, because this Usopp is alive and solid before him. Usopp lets Luffy down, and starts to drag him deeper into the forest. “C’mon, everyone’s waiting. I swear you’re just as bad as Zoro, the beach is this way. Everyone’s waiting y’know.”

“Yeah?” Luffy stumbles as Usopp’s grip tightens around his wrist, urging him to keep up.

Odd, how Usopp isn’t screaming about the forest. He’s either really worried or he’s even more super than before, Luffy muses.

(He hopes it the latter. He doesn’t like it when his crew is worried)

“The ships okay, and the logue pose is set, we want to get out of here before we lose it or something. You got it, Luffy?” Usopp questions him, pausing in the forest trail. Weird, how the forest seems so much easier to navigate. “Why were you sleeping there in the middle of the forest anyway? Don’t you know-”

Blood blooms in the center of Usopp’s chest, from where he stands in front of Luffy. His words cut off as he stumbles once, twice, before falling into Luffy’s arms.

“Lu-luffy?” Usopp wheezes before growing silent.

Growing cold.

Dead.

(It’s too sudden, the warmth leaving to quickly and a projectile nowhere to be seen. There’s no enemy on this island, no one who would attack Usopp and leave Luffy alone. Luffy doesn’t care about any off the oddities as he sits there with his beloved friends’ body in his arms.

He failed. Again.

He’s too weak.

And now, in the forest, he’s alone again.)

-

Sanji wakes again to cloudy darkness, a pattern forming, but this time he can’t open his jaw or see much past the bars settling over his vision.

The mask.

Fuck.

What the hell, why the hell, is he is this damn thing again? Why why why why? Luffy, his crew, freed him from this, he’s free to chase his dreams and find the All Blue –

So why is he in this damn nightmare scenario? Who put this on his face?

What happened before this?

The rock, the rock, the bugs – fuck the bugs – leaping upward and darkness.

Right.

Take two.

Sanji gets up and touches the mask around his face. It’s heavy, heavier than he ever remembered it being, and weighs upon his shoulders like the weight of the world.

This should be nothing – Sanji is strong, stronger than any mask.

He can’t even jump more than ten feet with it on. Every time his head drags him back down to the ground, slamming him into the ground. He tries countless times, each time feeling his energy wane more and more.

Escape is so close, yet he’s still trapped on this damn rock.

Use your head, Sanji.

He takes a breath, again wishing for a cigarette, and steps back and falling until he is sitting down. The world seems to go a little hazy, a little blurry, and then he’s back.

Feeling so much weaker than before. Did he black out?

No – he hadn’t.

Had he?

Use. Your. Head.

Right.

Sanji looks down, and all sense flies out the window. His hands are practically skeletal in appearance, thin and drawn with barely any muscle. They are trembling as he looks, barely able to hold their curled shape.

What – what happened?

The last time he had seen this was with his Captain, who had starved waiting for his cook to come back. Then had been lost sailors arriving at the Baratie, and the first time…

The first time had been Sanji himself, and Zeff, standing on that rock.

He’s the rock again – again, oh shit, how the hell did he get here, fuck, fuck fuck fuck fuck-

His hand brushes something as he pushes it against the ground, trying to leverage his weakened body up.

It’s not a bug this time, Sanji notes, as he looks over at the item.

No, it’s not even close.

Its Robin, peacefully lying there as if nothing has happened. But –

She’s as skeletal as Sanj,i even as her hand lies outstretched to him. Her open eyes are glassy and her lips parched and cracked.

Her chest is still. She’s not breathing, and there are no wounds on her body.

Robin had starved to death on the same rock as him, probably begging him for food or a way out, and he didn’t even feed her.

Sanji didn’t feed her.

Terror seeps in deep as his heart painfully stops in his just. He didn’t feed her, oh god.

He didn’t feed his crew.

Are the rest of them the same? Starving?

Facing Sanji’s worst nightmare?

-

Zoro’s at the bottom of the cliff and he can’t find Nami’s body. Can’t even bring her to sunny to give her a proper pirate funeral.

What a failure, Zoro, you’re pathetic, Kuina’s voice rings in his ears. Wado hangs limply in his grasp.

Zoro doesn’t fear much. He never flinches, even at certain death (Take my head instead!) and monstrous beings and people hold no charge against him.

But this…

This failure to protect his crew, his dream, his family… To let them die because of something so simple and meaningless as slipping out of his grasp…

It’s like lead is in his stomach. Despair trembles through his veins.

Nami… oh god, Nami –

(Kuina was like an annoying older sister to Zoro. Nami is like her annoying counterpart, ragging on about his debt and how stupid he is but unlike Kuina she has always told Zoro that she thought he was a monster, and never thought of how much weaker she might become. She was family.)

She’s dead.

(Zoro knows death. A warrior’s death is something to be valued – dying in battle, or peacefully after a long life of victory and fall to someone greater than yourself. To die in the path of a dream. This is the death that Zoro can accept.

To die for nothing, for no reason other than accident – Zoro feels his chest tighten at the reality of it.

A thousand hells would be better.)

And he can’t even find her body.

He wants to feel denial. He wants to feel rage, something burning, something how he usually is.

All Zoro can feel is cold.

(A failure. He couldn’t protect her, couldn’t protect her from this horrible, horrible fate. A failure.)

He needs to find Luffy and everyone else so they can help him find her.

He starts walking, wandering the bottom of the cliff (as if some part of him believes he can find her body that way.) Time seems to wax and wane on this island – the featureless sky shifting from bright to dark in minutes, even seconds, as if its day and night all at once.

How long has he walked?

“Yo-ho-ho-h, yo-ho-ho-ho, Yo-ho-ho-h, yo-ho-ho-ho~”

“Brook?” Zoro echoes out at the sudden voice.

Bink’s Sake. He’ll know that tune anywhere. It’s coming from his right but…

That’s not the usual solo. That has piano in it – too many voices for one, single skeleton.

What’s going on?

He follows the song, for once not getting lost as he is prone to do. The voices grow louder in song, followed with suspicious thudding sounds. Zoro finds the coldness in him waning as concern grows. He starts running.

“Brook?” he calls again, waiting for the returning call, the breaking of song as the skeleton greets his beloved crew.

He doesn’t answer.

Zoro’s heart beats faster, his breath constricting in his throat.

Zoro comes upon a small clearing. There’s a small pond in the middle, deep with semi clear waters. Somethings in it, but he can’t tell yet.

The music’s ringing loudly now, but it’s only Brook’s voice now.

He sounds like he’s crying.

There’s a knock against his foot, and the music shuts off, leaving an eerie silence. A look down, and it was not Brook that was singing but a tone dial.

Brook’s tone dial, the one he was going to give to Laboon, the one of the Rumbar pirate’s last living song.

He never lets that out of his sight. Which means…

Cold washes over Zoro once again, like a beast digging into his heart. He steps closer to the pond, and peers in.

Brook, dead in the only way they knew for sure he could die.

Drowned.

Zoro collapses to his knees, and mourns for two of his family.

-

Usopp is left on the forest floor once Luffy struggles past the barrier in his mind (the one that screams just like Ace, all alone, you failed, you failed you failed, your alone, your weak, such a bad captain-) because Usopp had said the others were waiting for him.

What if something bad happened to them too? What if what if what if?

Luffy sprints through the trees and trips over metal, landing face first in the dirt if not for a quick arm.

He knows that clang. He wishes he didn’t, because this time there was no SUPER! shout to accompany it.

It’s Franky, curled into a ball, with his fleshy back bloody and pierced. In the center of his arms is Chopper, lifeless and limp and bloody.

Both of them aren’t breathing. Both of them are dead, no matter how hard Luffy tries to sense their force with his haki.

(Franky, it seems, had tried to protect the already wounded Chopper with his body. He had failed. Had whoever killed Usopp killed them too?)

“Franky?” Luffy croaks, still hoping he wasn’t to late. “Franky? Chopper?”

Denial shatters away like glass when there’s still no response.

His crew is dead.

Who knows who might else be?

“NAMI!? ROBIN!?” Luffy jumps up, looking around. Please not be there, please not be-

There. They are there. With Brook next to them, all dead and Sanji lying slumped next to him and Zoro… and Zoro lying right there. His swords run through him.

A familiar vivre card is burning away in his head. Sabo’s card.

His big brother is dying.

It burns away entirely.

His big brother is gone.

He has no one now.

Luffy’s alone, for good this time.

SNAP.

-

It has been days, Sanji thinks at least, since he found Robin’s body. And the others, a few days later, scattered around the rock. His memory as to how he got here, how his crew starved is hazy, but one fact remains crystal clear.

He let his crew starve to death, and is now starving himself, trapped in a mask.

Something he swore he would never let happen again.

How, he would ask, if he could get past the lead in his veins, how.

But he can’t, except sit there in numb terror as voices laugh in his head and shadows dance before him.

Taunting him, In that dizzying way of theirs.

It’s just like the rock, when every other day a mirage would appear on the water, tricking them into thinking some rescue was upon them.

This time, it was a mirage of his former family, or his friends at times, whispering and laughing at him and with him when he managed a crazed snicker.

(His chest felt tight and his ears were ringing. Is this what it was like to die?)

It was only when Zeff appeared, stretching out a hand to him, inviting him to stand up and get off the damn rock and join his crew did Sanji know he had finally lost it.

He reached out a hand anyway and –

SNAP.

The world flickered, for one, crystalline moment, and Sanji could see again.

That’s not Zeff.

The mirage came back but it was too late.

Sanji knew.

-

Zoro had dragged Brook out of the pond and laid his song in his skull. He would get Luffy, and ask Luffy what they should do about the tone dial – should they leave it with the last of the Rumbar pirates, or bring it to the whale it was destined for.

Perhaps both, and bury Brook at the sea of Reverse Mountain

He stumbles along, after carefully laying Brook down, and goes to keep searching. Each sight he finds is another horrible mockery of his crew, a death they didn’t deserve. He wants to stop and help them, but it’s like a child is tugging him along, insistent and stubborn, leaving him no choice but to follow the shadows further into the woods.

Franky dismantled. Robin collapsed. Usopp shot, Chopper with him. The shit cook dead with a cigarette still burning in his mouth.

Tears fall down Zoro’s cheeks and he’s trembling, eyes wide and horrified. His crew is dead.

(Where’s Luffy?)

(Behind you, hehehe!)

Zoro whips around at the invisible force in his head. Stumbling toward him is Luffy, looking lost and confused and with blood pouring from the wound in his chest.

“Zo..ro” His captain rasps, reaching out to him before stumbling.

Zoro catches him, watching numbly as his captaiin’s light fades from his eyes. His hat is torn and his chest slowly stops moving up and down.

Shadows sink their claws into Zoro’s body as he stands there holding his captains’ body – the man he vowed to protect, to live for, die for, give his dream for.

Suddenly, how far they have come, more than half way across the world in the most dangerous sea, doesn’t seem so far anymore.

(His captain is resting against him that first night in the dinghy, the first solid presence in a long while. He’s smaller than Zoro, but so much stronger, and the hat he wears on his head seems like a crown made of sun. Something settles in Zoro’s chest as the confidence that he will become the greatest swordsman in the world shifts into not quiet but not loud knowledge.

He will be the greatest swordsman, and Luffy will be king. Simple.)

Luffy has died before becoming king. The future King of the pirates is dead and so is his entire crew.

Zoro laws Luffy’s body on the ground and closes Luffy’s eyes with a gentle hand. There’s no smile on his face as Zoro thought there would be when this day finally happened. Just anguish.

Wado finds his way into his hand.

If you step in the way of my dream, Ill run you through with my own swords!

Luffy is dead (someone more than his own pride) and can’t fulfill his promise.

King or Dead. Guess they were dead.

Perhaps Zoro shall fulfill Luffy’s promise to him instead.

Hehehe!

Come on Zoro, Kuina’s voice lulls in his ear, join me at the top of the world.

He unsheathes Wado and –

SNAP.

Luffy fades away and it isn’t Zoro’s hand holding Wado but a shadowy one.

He doesn’t give the shadows a chance to return as the numb terror that has been so uncharacteristic finally flees from his veins. He can see clearly now, observation Haki back for just a moment, and the world makes sense again.

Zoro knows the truth.

And that was Luffy’s, living Luffy who would be the Second Pirate King, Conquerors Haki.

Zoro slashes with Wado Ichimonji and runs for the shores.  

-

The world shutters, much in the same way it did when his big brother died, but Luffy pays it no heed. He doesn’t open his eyes as he falls to ground and lets his haki pour forth. Rayleigh had trained it, drilled it into him so he had nothing but perfect control, but Luffy has never reacted to rage or sadness with anything but self-destruction.

(Before, when his crew disappeared, he had smashed his head into the ground. When his brother died, he destroyed a quarter of the island and reopened half his wounds. People scolded him, but how could he explain that he was nothing without his beloved crew? His family? His brother?)

And how could he react to all of his crew being lost, his last brother dying, with anything but soul crushing terror and rage?

Luffy is alone now. The world is bleak and cold as he opens his eyes. Count what you still have Jimbe said, and Luffy still hopefully has Jimbe, if he too isn’t gone somewhere else in the world.

Around him is a crater, his crew’s bodies suspiciously untouched by the force of his conquering will.

His will feels broken now, out of reach.

Ace sits before him, looking like the day he set out. Young, smiling, ready to brave the world.

He doesn’t say anything, and neither does Luffy. Ace falls eventually, now old again, into his arms, and Luffy feels terror seep into his veins. The body is gone in the next minute, as if it was never really there, but the blood coating his hands tells another story. Its just like Marineford

The world is black. Dark. Luffy is alone on this island with no family or friends. He doubts whatever is hunting down his crew spared Sunny.

He can’t feel anything any more. Just horror, sinking deep. As if something is sapping his soul, his rage, his anger, his fury at his family is being stolen, leaving nothing but the loneliness.

(Luffy has always been alone. Been left to shake in the dark while grandpas and idols and big brothers were at sea (or dead.) It shakes him, that nothing is perhaps real and there’s no one to love and cherish and treasure. It shakes him in a way he can’t understand, leaves him feeling unsteady and uncertain. He’s terrified of it.)

No shadows dance before his eyes and no voice sing out and laugh in his ear. All there is is the crushing void of being alone – it hurts, far more than Luffy thought it would.

He’s collapsed on the ground now, completely boneless, eyes wide and unseeing. His hat is still nowhere to be seen as his clothes still feel sticky with blood.

Luffy doesn’t want this.

(He wants to think there’s a way and if not I’ll make one but something is stopping that train of thought in his head like a sea stone wall. He’s powerless.)

He wants this nightmare to end.

Perhaps if he closes his eyes…

The world fades, little by little.

Hehehehe!

Luffy’s eyes snap open. He’s not alone in this place after all.

Someone else is on this island, and he’s going to stop them, for what they did to his crew. His family.

Then… then he can sleep.

For now, however, Luffy will fight.

(the shadows grasp at him as he runs but there will be time for burial and mourning later. This island, Luffy is sure, will not be their final resting place. Only the sea can have that that honor.

The shadows drag him back, but he will not stop – he will never stop.

Not when his nakama need him.)

-

Flames erupt, turning the world around Sanji hazy. The weight on his head, the heavy metal mask, falls away and when he looks down his limbs are fuzzy, as if their form isn’t truly there. It is though – Sanji knows this illusion of starvation is nothing more than that.

An illusion, designed to turn him insane on this hellish island. Sanji won’t stand for it anymore.

His friends’ bodies are still there, next to him, nearly bone now.

(Impossible, his mind says, knowledge telling him that humans don’t become bone that quickly and of coursethis is some hellish nightmare.)

Sanji ignores them and pushes against the shadows lapping at his legs.

He needs to do something, get to his friends, and the first step to that is to get free and to get off this damnrock.

Feed your friends, something says to him, voice a copy of his own, but you failed.

It’s trying to lure him back in.

“NO!” Sanji yells aloud, flames bursting around him. A cook isn’t afraid of fire but shadows should be – and these ones aren’t, still latching on to him.

Whatever.

He sinks ever so slightly into the ground, creating a crater with the force of his power, and leaps up. He makes it half way up the cliff before he needs to sky jump, and a third before the shadow things latch on to him.

(They are starting to form a shape now that they don’t have a nightmare to feed off of. Some are his ex-siblings, some are his starving friends, some are even Zeff but most are twisted, inhuman things, which act like every limb on their body isn’t theirs but they are moving them anyway.)

Sanji snarls at him and the traitorous thoughts they try to put in his brain and reaches the top of the cliff. This time, when the mask flies at him, Sanji is read. With a fiery foot the mask is kicked into the ground, smoldering and dented.

“Heh,” he says, talking just to hear his own voice again (to see if he was real), and kicks it again. The shadow things are hanging back now.

He’s sure they are thinking up a new strategy to get to him, but that won’t work anymore.

He knows their game – and he knows what he wants to win.

“Where. Are. My. Friends.” He growls out to the shadows, not expecting a response.

And he doesn’t get one – at least not verbally. When he finishes his snarl, the things melt and fly away into the darker forest like wisps.

Pieces of a puzzle he never knew existed are falling into place. Sanji finally finds a cigarette and lights it, taking a drab and billowing smoke into the air.

There’s no sky, he realizes. And no rock behind him at the bottom of the cliff either.

He takes another drag. And the shadows on the ship… the ones haunting him… were they the cause of his nightmares? The ones sinking into him and dragging his will and lifeforce out of him?

Which means…

Mosshead. Luffy.

Shit.

Sanji runs and doesn’t look back.

-

Zoro has been sprinting for a while now, and the shadows are still chasing him. Luffy is out there somewhere, alive, and so is Nami and Brook and everyone else.

These shadows, shifting and shapeless all at once with limbs that don’t belong to him, are just another barrier he needs to cut before he can return to his crew.

Zoro has one eye, but that doesn’t mean his vision is impaired. To be in a fight, to be a swordsman, to be a pirate means to always know more than what is there.

Observation haki just puts a word to it.

Except… his fucking haki isn’t there. And he can’t tell what he needs to cut yet.

Damnit.

Is this what had been going on in on the ship? Had the shadows been reaching out from this island so much that they caused his nightmares?

What is going on here?

When Luffy had let loose that conquerors haki, the world had been cleared for a second.

Assume nothing is real.

Any obstacle he could cut down.

All he needs is Luffy and his haki to cut off the head and find the real culprit of this hell hole.

Damn island! Damn it all! Bringing up memories of Kuina, of Marineford, of whatever the shite cook saw, of dead crew left and right – shit, if this is its tactics, then what is Sanji facing? What’s Luffy facing?

(Sanji’s hand shakes when one of the crew can’t eat and he hates wearing anything metal on his face. Nami had told them all about Whole Cake, about how his ex-siblings and ex-father were assholes, and how he used Sanji’s true family as leverage. Food doesn’t go to waste on Sunny, and the crew isn’t trapped or ignored. Zoro doesn’t want to imagine what it would be like to Sanji if those things did happen.)

(I’d rather be hurt than alone, Zoro, Luffy had told him once, when Luffy was in that post battle fever and had pushed himself too far. Zoro doesn’t think Luffy knows that he told Zoro, but it doesn’t stop Zoro from thinking of the two years where Luffy had thought he had lost it all – and was alone, no matter the reality.)

Zoro needs to get to his captain now.

A shadow swipes at his feet. Zoro jumps, sweeping out Kitetsu in an easy motion. It cuts the shadow, which had the vague appearance of Yosaku, and splits into two shadowy Kuina’s.

Damnit.

Where’s the shore in this place?

Zoro’s so far preoccupied with looking for the moon (moon controls the tides, therefore, follow the moon and you will find water) which isn’t there that he doesn’t notice the hat drifting in front of him, being chased by some other shadow.

Until that hat smacks him in the face that is.

It’s familiar, soft despite its straw material, and with a vibrant, old red ribbon crossed around it.

Luffy’s? Zoro pulls the hat away from his face with a questioning, concerned look. He’s about to examine it further when –

The hat disappears from his hands into some child’s before him. The child is small, freckled, and angry, staring up at him with silvered, unseeing eyes. He’s never seen him before, but there’s something in the shape of the nose and the curl of the hair that reminds Zoro of someone long ago.

He doesn’t know who that is though.

“Hey!” Zoro says to the stranger, reaching for the hat. “Give that back! That’s my captain’s!”

“Yeah?” The child snarls, vitriol practically dripping from his mouth. “It’s my brothers – your shitty captain ain’t ever getting it back.”

Brother?

The child turns and dashes away, leading the swordsman into the forest and anyway from where he thought the water was. Shit, Zoro thinks as he loses the kid, where the hell did he go?

He takes a right (or so he assumes) and then a left at the familiar big tree, and then another right at the big tree – is this tree moving?

Whatever.

The forest is watching him, mocking him, but there’s no child around him. His haki clears in spurts and burst, giving him clarity to see the truths of shadows past shadowy captains and Kuinas.

Zoro slashes them all and pauses in a small clearing, still looking for the brat.

The worlds growing dark again, not that it had gotten that much lighter. The shadows are twisting more and more, staying just outside the clearing, watching him.

Zoro tightens his grip on his sword as he looks out at the shadows. There’s something coming.  

No. Someone.

Red flies out of the bushes and barrels into Zoro, knocking him into the dirt and leaving him disoriented.

But there will never be a day he doesn’t recognize that sloping scar.

“Luffy?!”

-

Luffy feels like he can’t breathe, like his skin is buzzing with a thousand tiny needles under it. His despair and rage had turned into terror that was dragging at his heart making it sink low low low low low and beat so fast he was worried Chopper would yell at him for it.

(Except Chopper was dead now, wasn’t he?)

He didn’t know where he was going, only that he needed to lash out. He felt small, in the way he never did except when he was alone and there was a knife digging into his chest and twisting and twisting and twisting—

Luffy stumbles, breath catching in his throat, and barrels through the bushes. Tears from his panic threaten to fall but he won’t let them he won’t—

He crashes into something as his vision was going blurry, as oxygen refuses to enter his lungs.

But…

The world, previously blurry, zeroes in on a familiar, green shape.

“Zo..ro?” He chokes out, air still not entering his lungs as he looks towards his swordsman.

Breathing. Alive, with no blood or anything, just red tear tracks falling from his one eye.

“ZORO!” He shouts and sobs again, lunging at his first mate whose still lying on the ground, wrapping arms and legs alike around him. “ZORO!” He doesn’t know any other word.

Zoro is the same. “Luffy, LUFFY!” Zoro chokes out just as Luffy did, wrapping arms tightly around his captain. “You’re alive,” And Luffy’s not imaging the wet spot on his shoulder.

“You too, you’re alive, I thought you were dead, Zoro, Zoro!” Luffy clings tighter.

The shadows around his vision seem to bleed away, the longer he clings to his first mate. His chest loosens and he can breathe and he’s no longer alone.

And if Zoro’s alive… that means…

“Zoro.” It must be the thousandth time Luffy’s said it, but he still repeats it as he pulls away just enough to see Zoro’s face. “What’s going on? Where’s the rest of the crew? You were dead.” His heart tightens again, recalling the terror that’s now only just abating

“You were dead too. All of the crew was.”

The shadows titter around them and Luffy tightens his grip. He doesn’t need to ask Zoro more than that, can see it in his eyes that he was tempted too, by shadows with loved faces.

He hates it.

Hehehehe!

“It stopped when you used your haki.” Luffy nods at Zoro’s statement and hauls his swordsman upward. “I think it’s something with the shadows.”

“Hmm,” He hums and glares at the world around him. Fine then.

His hearts wild still, and he may still be holding on to Zoro’s sleeve, reluctant to let his new refound crewmate go but –

He’s not doing it (losing them) again.

Ever.

Luffy wishes he had his hat, but at least he can assume his crew is alive for now. And Sabo to, judging by the slip of a Vivre Card in Wado Ichimonji’s hilt.

Fine.

Luffy drags Zoro forward, and forces the world to kneel to him, in one wave of the Will of Kings.

Conquerors Haki.

The world goes still for just a moment.

Wind.

The shadows melt away, dragging themselves backward from trees and sky and people, as if being propelled by an invisible force field. The inky jungle is no more, and no longer resembled Goa’s lush trees and undergrowth. Instead it is barren, with sickly, endless trees that reach up to a cloudy sky. The fog is gone, apparently made of shadows, and there is a person up ahead, revealed by the force.

Luffy doesn’t dare let his will go, now that Zoro is before him and the shadows that laughed and took his crew away from him are gone.

The figure up ahead stands and waves, familiar hat in hand. Luffy charges forward, not letting go of Zoro’s arm and waved.

“SANJI!”

Sanji smiles and waves back.

-

A moment ago, Sanji was charging through the trees, the next, running over some bratty kid with a pipe and something that did not belong to him in hand.

The kid glares, and swipes at Sanji with his pipe, but Sanji has been mad for a while now and if the kid was looking for a fight, well.

Sanji breaks the pipe in half and snatches Luffy’s hat back from the freckled brat.

“Who the fu-“ He starts to ask before the island shakes.

Kneel. A will commanded that doesn’t end. Kneel.

It is Luffy, sending out another burst of conqueror’s and this time he seems to have gotten the clue that whatever was controlling the shadow’s will isn’t greater than his own.

Thank the seas.

Sanji watches as shadows seem to fling back from Luffy’s will, as if bouncing off a shield. The island becomes bleak as the inky figures melt from trees and shrubbery and sky, leaving a barren landscape.

And, with his captain and the mosshead in clear sight.

(Where’d the kid go?)

“Sanji!” Luffy shouts, running towards him, but Sanji is already moving to meet him. He slams into the both of them, yes, mosshead included, catching them in his arms as arms surrounded him in turn.

“You’re alive,” He cries, tears that his body told him he wasn’t able to shed (starvation) dripping from his eyes. “You’re alive!” He holds on tighter as Luffy and Zoro both tighten their own grip.

A huddle of emotions, for a minute, before instinct kicks in.

“Fuck off shit cook,” Zoro mutters, and if Sanji’s “Shitty-ass mosshead” wasn’t just as wobbly he would have teased him for years.

As it was, reunions could come later. For now…

Sanji plops the iconic straw hat on Luffy’s head. “Missing something captain?”

“Shishishishi! You found it! Thank you Sanji!” And rubbery limbs wrap around him again, damn it, he can’t breathe!

Luffy seems to get the hint and backs off, letting Sanji suck in some much needed oxygen. But still keeps a grip on his sleeve, as he was with Zoro, and Sanji understood.

He switches Luffy’s grip on his sleeve so that Luffy was gripping his head, and took a drag of his cigarette with the other.

“So… I’m assuming personal nightmares?”

The joy that had crossed Luffy’s face was no more. Instead, his lips form a stern frown as his hand made an aborted motion to reach up – presumably to touch his scar.

“Yeah.”

“Mmhmm.”

“Least you guys figured the conqueror’s haki thing out. Now we can actually find the bastard.”

The world is so much clearer now, without the oppressing force of the shadows on his mind, suppressing his haki. Like the glass has been wiped clean and now he can see the world, thanks to Luffy.

He hadn’t even affirmed the lack of haki before, but it must have started when the nightmares started.

Luffy cocks his head to the side. “Oh.” As if he just now noticing the vibrant sense in the world.

“Dumbass.”

“Hmph.”

It’s quiet as the trio looks around them. Luffy lets go of their sleeves to push his hat more firmly on his head and make a fist with his hands.

“It’s the island,” He says “Isn’t it?” Sanji’s captain’s voice is low, but it seems to tremble with anger. “Making us feel all that without our permission.”

The thing hurting them, targeting them, because they were the only ones who could sense it isn’t a person… it’s the entire island.

Puzzle pieces are falling into place. The island attacked them because they were able to sense its power, were strong enough to repel it, and tried to shut it down before it could reach that point but sending out shadows with fears in them.

Preying on them. Sanji feels disgusted.

He doesn’t know why, only knows that the Island had hunted them for sport, leeching off of their fear and despair and something awful. He doesn’t want to know what it showed the others, but judging by his own terror, it can’t have been pleasant.

The island is alive like the shadows in the Florian triangle, and Sanji wants to burn it to the ground.

Luffy’s in agreement, eyes flashing. “The shadows got to come from somewhere, right?” Sanji and Zoro nod. “Then we find the source and smash it to bits. That way it can’t come back.”

Finishing that, Luffy whips out an arm, stretches it, and knocks down half the trees to their left.

“COME ON OUT! IM GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS!” He yells and charges forward. With twin devil grins, Sanji and Zoro follow.

Luffy’s haki pours forth like the flood. He’s keeping it up, strong and steady and unrelenting as they rampage halfway across the island. He’s a conqueror, a true one, even if he never wants to rule over anything but his own freedom.

Sanji lashes out at the remaining foliage and shadows, thankful that his captain is Luffy.

But… the shadows are slipping away into something greater, convalescing at the center of the island, a shallow valley surrounded by the two mountains along the side. Its growing, growing growing, like a dark hole of loveless light. It has no eyes, nothing to give it meaning, but Sanji can tell it’s watching them.

As it grows bigger, so does its effort to fight against Luffy’s will. It can’t beat it, but his captain has to put in quite a bit of effort. Zoro and Sanji start taking up more of the fight as Luffy keeps his will extended, drawing back to protect his crew.

Sanji lets fire fly, and leaves it to Zoro to tell their captain to stop with the haki for a moment.

“If we know it’s there, we can’t be tricked anymore.”

Luffy nods, preps a King Kong Gun, and drops his haki as he unleashes a ground shattering attack.

The island shudders as if its hurt but the shadows don’t stop running. Sanji’s haki is fine.

Good.

It’s time to show this island what it means to be afraid.

-

The island is a lot smaller now without the shadows. The cliffsides that Zoro climbed are no more than perhaps five stories tall – he could have jumped that, if he wanted to, and not climbed down.  The jungle is no more than a mile, and the shore is clearly visible.

The island is a fake and Zoro can’t believe he fell for it.

The laughter stops as they reach the center. The sky’s bright and no fog covers the sea– the island itself is entirely razed to the ground by the force of their attacks.

The black hole like thing that sucked all the shadows in is nowhere to be found.

Instead, the child that Zoro had met before is standing in the center, looking like a glitch in reality. Light does not bend around him, like a painting without depth or reality. He’s there, standing over some pit in the ground, glaring with silver eyes. Blood drips from his mouth and his fists, scrapes across his knees.

The shit cook starts as if he too recognizes the brat. And since Sanji had Luffy’s hat he probably did meet him.

But Luffy…

Luffy freezes, and lets go entirely of the haki of the conquering king. (Zoro had thought he already dropped it. Guess he just made it so that Sanji and Zoro couldn’t feel it, which damnit Luffy that wasn’t the point of stopping it!)

“Ace?” Luffy whispers softly, sounding confused, and Zoro has never wanted to destroy anything more than he has in this moment.

“Luffy,” The brat – Ace, is this how that polite man looked as a child? Angry and lost? – says stepping forward. Zoro unleashes his anger at the surrounding area, which is shifting, and realizes the shadows have changed again. They have condensed into this caricature of their captain’s dead big brother, and melded to the environment, changing it from barren island to warring battlefield.

Zoro recognizes it from newspapers.

Marineford.

It ripples with every sword slice, shadows tearing apart and reconnecting and recoloring, but nothing can be as terrible as this war scene. Bodies strewn about, ice and fire glinting in the light.

The sky, so clear a moment ago, is dark. Zoro feels wrong-footed, and hearing the cook shift next to him, knows Sanji feels the same. What’s real? What isn’t How can we fight this? What are its weak points?

Luffy, before them, hasn’t moved.

“Hehehe!” Ace says, laughing, that laugh that has followed them through the island and laughed at their peril. “Little Brother, you can’t win here. No one can. So many people have fallen already, given their soul to—”

“I don’t care.” Luffy says, and there is ice in his tone. His will, his haki, grows, from when it paused at the sight of his brother. Zoro bares his teeth, and watches as the shadows step back. “I’m going to be King of the Pirates. I don’t have time for shadow guys again who like to hurt my crew. You aren’t Ace. This isn’t Marineford. So shut up.”

His voice reverberates throughout the valley. Luffy has always told people to get out of the way, to shut up or fight him, and this is no different. And Luffy rarely doesn’t get his way, because Luffy fights for want he wants.

(That, or the universe falls to his whims.)

This fake Ace takes a step back at Luffy’s indomitable spirit, then another. Sanji and Zoro as one step forward and attack the shadows around them, taking the mirage of their captain’s worst nightmare away from him.

(Though, hopefully he hadn’t noticed.)

It’s not enough, as the living island realizes it can’t beat them this way  and grows.

Freckled skin turns into scars and a tank top stretches into a marine jacket and flowered shirt. A cigar is bitten between gritted teeth as the figure grows and grows and grows. Blood boils and melts and solidifies into lava as Akainu stands tall in the center of the valley.

“Yeah, boy? Aren’t you scared now?” And Zoro hasn’t seen Akainu before or heard him, but he hates him already. He may just be a mirage, but it’s enough. “Big brother isn’t here to protect you

“Yeah. He isn’t.” And Luffy, without flinching or with a drop of terror, lunges forward in Gear Four.

“I can protect myself now.”

The island splinters as the attack hits, and Zoro knows no fear.

Fight, his captain says without speaking, and Zoro fights.

-

Akainu is here, and the last time Luffy saw him was when he was pulling his hand Ace’s chest. He’s not scared of him now, though he guesses the island thought he would.

Dead brothers, and war, and lost crew.

Luffy has already faced them. This island can’t throw them back at his face again. He might have despaired for his crew, but they are here now. The past doesn’t matter.

What matters is making sure his crew comes out alive wherever they are.

This is just training for when Luffy finally takes down Akainu.

He won’t lose. He isn’t scared.

Luffy attacks, and the battlefield erupts into dust.

-

Time flows differently on the Grand Line. Islands shift in and out of storms and fog, from one century to the next. Some theorize that Raftel is one such island, drifting between the shores one era and the next.

(In some way it is.)

It should come to no surprise that when an island falls it is as if it was never there at all. The sea is as unforgiving as it is beautiful, and time does not care for any rules but its own.

Luffy fights the will of the island for what seems like days. Zoro and Sanji whirling in action beside him, fighting back to back and arm to arm, never letting each other fall. Akainu – the island- falls to ruin with every cut and punch and kick.

Akainu falls, slowly, but surely, over the pit he came from.

A final Gum Gum Pistol and Ace is on the ground, bleeding out. One last trick to play.

But Luffy, nor any of the Straw Hats, like to dwell on the past on their own accord. A force of conquerors haki, and the island crumbles into a small stretch of rock and sand. No valleys or mountains around it.

The hole, the pit of darkness that the shadows came from, is all that remains. In it, a single skeleton, not singing or drinking tea. An unkept sword rests in its grip, wreathed in shadow.

Zoro ignores it, and they all ignore the skeleton.

When they look up, it is night, not sunny nor foggy. Endless stretches of stars, so familiar in the Grand Line, scatter the sky.

Luffy looks up and places a hand on his hat.

Terror does not pump through his veins, nor does horror or despair or grief. Only acceptance, and the feeling of an adventure completed.

Tiredness creeps in after.

“Let’s go home, guys.” He says, turning toward to the Sunny docked in the small bay that the sand and rocks create. The glistening black rocks of shadow, once used to attack and trap

They go home.

(behind them, as they set foot on the Sunny, the island sinks into the sea. Water fills the pit and the sword is swallowed up by the ocean’s force. Shadows seem to leak from it, fleeing into the sea like freedom flies to the wind. In a moment, it is gone, like rocks and sand and trees never existed.

The Peninsula of Drifting Fog, once part of a continent that has since fallen to the ocean floor, is no more.)

-

Luffy wakes to Nami screaming in his ear.

“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!? WHERES THE ISLAND? WHY’S THE ANCHOR IN THE WATER!? WHY ARE YOU ALL BEAT UP!?” She’s standing in front of him as he is sitting on deck, but despite her words her actions as she moves to help him sit and look at his wounds are gentle.

Luffy’s just glad to see she’s okay, and ignoring the multiple scratches and burns scattered about his arm, catches her in a rubbery hug. “Shishishi! Nami!” Spotting the rest of his crew looking at them on neck, he stretches to include them in the hug as well. “Usopp! Chopper! Robin! Franky! Brook!!”

He doesn’t let them go, feeling that frenzied, awful feeling fade away, until Sanji and Zoro wake up and attract the attention of the crew, who scramble for them as well.

They had fallen asleep in a huddle by the mast, too tired to make it to their quarters.

It was the first restful sleep Luffy had had in a while but he still feels drowsiness in his veins.

But he’s not alone now, and his crew isn’t dead.

He can breathe again, without anger or despair coating his lungs.

He can live.

-

Sanji is the one to explain to the others what happened, in a brisk sort of manner. Luffy and Zoro are never ones to ask what happened, only what are you going to do. Sanji’s the odd one out in that regard.

An island, a living island, he tells them, with a cursed sword for a heart. Nami writes in down, in the log, in the passage she titled Drifting Fog Peninsula. There’s a space marked in her map for it as well, in colors of blue and gold, to show that it has been destroyed by the Straw Hat Pirates and is now sinking under the sea.  

(There’s guilt in her shoulders, for being too tired to mention the legend last night. It had truly been only a night, the island fucking with their perception of time, instead of the weeks it felt like.)

It targeted us, because we could sense it. Probably would have gone on to you next. It tried to keep Luffy down a lot, because of his Conqueror’s Haki. He tries to avoid what it used to attack but his crewmates aren’t dumb. They know it takes more than fire and attacks to bring down Luffy, knows something went on when Sanji’s is more frantic in the kitchen and Zoro naps near the bottom of the stairs and Luffy can’t go without clinging to someone for more than fifteen minutes. It used fears.

He doesn’t say what kind, doesn’t know what the others faced, and it certainly isn’t his right to tell them that Luffy saw his brother die again (and who knows how many times before, when he was alone,) and fought the man who killed him.

We figured it out, in the end, what was causing it, and Luffy used his haki so we could all get a clear head. It was easy on out from there.

He doesn’t mention burns, or the way Luffy hadn’t cried. The way Zoro looked distant and agree and the way Sanji couldn’t stop shaking when they got on the ship.

They don’t need to know, though he does trust them.

They’re crew. Family.

Somethings you just hold close to your chest, that’s all.

-

Two nights away from the island, however, Sanji still can’t sleep without nightmares.

Each time he awakes, however, paranoia drives him to he use his observation haki to see if it’s just his regular brain fucking with him, or shadow brains.

It doesn’t particularly matter.  Zoro and Luffy are in the same boat. They all keep quiet about it, and so do their crewmates.

The past is the past on this ship of dreams, and the future is only ever King or Dead. The present is all that matters.

And presently, Sanji finds himself as he was nearly a week ago, and every night since they have been back, stumbling, bleary eyed and shaking, into the kitchen with Zoro and Luffy on the floor.

He doesn’t speak, only whips up some cinnamon tea and a light snack, and unhesitatingly curling next to Luffy, who quickly links their arms as he was doing with Zoro beside him.

Luffy’s eyes are red, Sanji notes, but there’s an ease to his shoulders now that both Sanji and Zoro are here. Seeing his crew, his captain, eat, is also doing wonders for Sanji’s nerves.

Zoro’s tense, but in the way he usually is – almost entirely relaxed but ready to protect his crew if need be.

In a moment, they find their way to the aquarium with a blanket and little conversation other than a whispered Shishi! as Zoro and Sanji fight over opposite ends of the blanket.

They sleep then, huddled in a pile, nightmares frightened away. The next night they will rejoin the crew in the sleeping quarters, crewmates finding their way into bunks not their own, but for now…

They sleep, undisturbed, in the quiet of their home.

No nightmares, no shaking hands or tense shoulders, can find them here, with a warm drink between their hands

[kbstories]

Intrinsic

in·trin·sic (adj.) Belonging naturally; essential.

Just because Trafalgar Law didn't make plans beyond Dressrosa doesn't mean Bepo didn't.

(Or: Law comes home.)

Tags: Reunions, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nakamaship, Trafalgar D. Water Law Gets A Hug, References to (Past) Suicidal Thoughts, Bepo and Law are soft and I love them

Set in Zou. Content warning for references to suicidal ideation (in the context of Law’s plan).

***

Months Bepo waited.

Months he roamed Whale Forest, him and his crewmates, their leader in name only as the days bled into weeks and the horizon remained unchanged. Up until the Beast came a-knocking, there hadn’t been anywhere to lead them to. The Heart Pirates weren’t budging a single inch, hell or high water or freaking Mammoth shifters be damned.

Finally, finally, the forest murmurs with the presence of someone new, glistening leaves and sun-lit meadows welcoming the silhouette of a man Bepo would recognize anywhere, anytime, be it a year from now or another decade.

Then Trafalgar Law smiles and it all disappears in a haze of happily shed tears as the crew rejoices around them.

Things slide back into place just like that, between the excited cheers of the Heart Pirates and the slump of Law’s shoulders as he relaxes into Bepo’s fuzzy-tight embrace.

“Welcome back, Captain”, Bepo tells him, intense with the wave of love and devotion and relief crashing within him, and designates this the best day ever when Law’s smile stays where it is, eyes warm with affection.

“It’s good to be back.”

(Months they spent waiting and yet the world won’t stop spinning for their sake. “We can’t linger”, Law says hours later, arms crossed and expression guarded across one Strawhat Luffy. Strawhat nods, solemnly; he turns around and declares:

“Everyone! Reunion party now but make it snappy! Traffy wants to get going!”

Bepo decides he likes their new ally then and there.)

A party is a party, and with a crew as boisterous as the Strawhat Pirates, the chances of it remaining somewhat contained go towards zero pretty much instantly. A few hours in, Bepo is vaguely gobsmacked that the crew is as crazy as their captain. Then again, they have to be, to follow a force of nature in the shape of a man.

Suddenly, the resigned sigh Law breathes over his mug of beer – technically Pirate Hunter Zoro’s mug of beer, which he had thrown in Law’s direction regardless of his protests – makes so much more sense to Bepo.

It makes him laugh all the harder. His poor captain’s nerves must’ve taken quite a beating in this alliance: He hasn’t even started slicing limbs off people yet. And that after Bepo saw Chopper cling to Law’s head in an effort to hide during an impromptu game of tag with their long-nosed sniper and Penguin, of all people. In fact, Law didn’t even blink. He merely waited for Chopper to leave before fixing his hat, huddling closer to his drink and going back to ignoring them all with icy resolve.

There is a very real possibility the perpetual chaos that are the Strawhat Pirates broke Trafalgar Law somewhere along the way. Bepo has yet to determine if that’s a good or a bad thing.

Two bowls in hand, he settles beside the fallen tree Law perches on, a nice distance away from the bulk of the banquet in full swing. Bepo nudges Law’s elbow with his own and offers him his share of lasagna. “At least Penguin’s having fun?”, he adds with a hopeful smile. Law glances at the bright grin on Penguin’s face – he holds the tiny reindeer over his head like a trophy and yells, “Gotcha!”, only to be tackled to the ground by God Usopp a second later –, then at Bepo’s pleading eyes. He huffs, an undeniable trace of humor hidden in there somewhere.

“It’s something”, Law grumbles into the first forkful of food.

He eats and Bepo does too, humming in appreciation of the explosion of meat and melted cheese on his tongue; even Law seems pleased, picky eater that he is, and Bepo’s spirits practically soar to the stars above them.

A mere day ago, this exact scenario was little more than a pipe dream. Sure, the arrival of the Strawhats had been a much-needed sign that their waiting was coming to an end (and it was pretty fantastic news for Zou, in the grand scale of things). Rarely in his life had Bepo been happier to meet four complete strangers.

That joy had somewhat faded when Sanji answered Bepo’s call for his captain with a sympathetic twist to his mouth and a shake of his head. Don’t worry, he’d said right after, and faith had burned in that unshakeable gaze. Luffy’s with him. Nobody dies on my captain’s watch.

Bepo had thought of a lonely island far away and the anguished cries of a brother mourning another and winced. It seemed downright cruel to bring that up, and so he didn’t. Instead, he’d taken that trust and used it to summon another bout of patience.

It turns out Strawhat's cook was right all along. Bepo swallows another mouthful of lasagna, his fork pausing on its way back to the bowl. Sanji had looked so proud of his crew in that moment. Would he really leave them behind like that?

“What’s up? You’re awfully quiet.”

Law’s voice is low, the concern in it meant for Bepo and Bepo only. He waits for Bepo to come back to himself with a blink and a soft apology before raising an eyebrow. No more words are needed: Law sets aside his mug and the empty bowl, and slips to the ground, folding his legs against his chest somewhat-gracefully. Like the tides follow the moon, Bepo shifts with him and lets his captain lean back against him.

A quiet sigh signalizes that yup, Law is comfortable. Then:

“Bepo. Talk to me.”

Always so impatient. Bepo smiles and relaxes, too.

“Just thinking, I guess… The Strawhats are our allies now, right? Do you think they’ll be alright, going against Big Mom?”

Law looks up at him with mild surprise, tilting his head back to see Bepo beyond the brim of his hat. Bepo doesn’t bother hiding his unease from him; he’d be able to tell, anyways. A decade of friendship will do that to people.

“You’ve barely known them for a day. You’re seriously worrying about Blackleg already?”

Busted. For a moment, Bepo contemplates the merits of feeling embarrassed about it. “It’s been over a week with Sanji”, he negotiates, pulling his snout into a pout when Law just smirks. “Besides. Whatever trouble they start, we’ll catch it too. It makes sense to worry.”

Law huffs one of his rare laughs, a little rough around the edges but so familiar. Perhaps Bepo can forgive his captain for being a jerk.

“Don’t get me wrong: I don’t blame you. We were in Dressrosa all of, what, three days? Strawhat stepped off that island a national hero, him and Longnose. Don’t ask me how the fuck they do it. It’s exhausting.”

Of course, Bepo read all about their exploits in the paper. What kind of first mate would he be if he hadn’t? What happened, it sounded a whole lot like a nightmare and a miracle and a revolution wrapped in one. It sounded like a lot – and Bepo has carefully laid plans to bug Law into opening up about it once they’re safely wrapped in metal and a few hundred fathoms deep.

Trafalgar Law doesn’t do heart-to-hearts, ironically enough. Thus, Bepo’s plan might’ve taken… unreasonable proportions to ensure he does, this time.

Yet Law mentions Dressrosa so casually. He’s not tense in Bepo’s embrace (yet). A mere stone’s throw away, the Strawhats and the Heart Pirates and the minks dance around the bonfires, all smiles and drunken laughter, and Bepo takes a leap of faith.

“So. Dressrosa.”

Law stills.

“…Yeah.”

With gentle pressure, Law pillows his head against Bepo’s chest. Bepo wishes he could see his face; he compromises with a gentle squeeze to Law’s arm, the uninjured one. I’m sorry.

Law sighs. It sounds fond and really, really tired, too. “I’m not gonna lie, Bepo. It was pretty fucking horrible. I knew it was gonna be a shitshow but… Fuck.”

Somehow, that one word tells Bepo more than any newspaper could. Carefully, he wraps his arms around Law's shoulders, loose enough not to crowd him but there nonetheless. “But you made it”, Bepo says quietly. His voice goes soft with emotion, as close to unsteady as Bepo will let it. “You’re alive. That’s all that matters to me, Captain.”

And it’s that that makes Law stiffen, his breathing more measured, tense. An inked hand rises to meet Bepo’s, hesitant. Bepo intertwines their fingers, soothing.

“You knew.”

Bepo huffs at the numb surprise in his voice, hard enough to ruffle the collar of Law’s shirt.

“I’ve been your friend for about as long as that plan of yours exists, Law. ‘Course I knew. It was your decision to make and I’ll always follow your lead, no matter what. Just… I’m glad it didn’t end that way. Your life is so much more than that asshole ever deserved.”

A long bout of silence follows Bepo’s words. Maybe it’s weird for Law, to be the one out of his depth between them – yet Bepo had nothing if not time on his hands to think, and to wonder, and to hope with all he had that Law would be alive long enough for Bepo to tell him he matters.

Here, where Law continues to draw breath in his arms, it’s hard to imagine a world where he didn’t come back. Where the Heart Pirates waited and waited, safely out of the picture while their captain was slaughtered by the man he hates most.

It’s the very stuff Bepo’s nightmares are made of. There’s no point in putting that burden on Law's shoulders, though. That’s all his, and if that’s the price to pay for Law to be alive and free, Bepo will proudly wear those scars to the end of his days.

Suddenly, Law’s fingers squeeze his, and Bepo tilts his head down to watch his tattoos move. D E A T H, a bold challenge to fate that has served them well, despite it all.

“I’m sorry for– Yeah. I didn’t know there was another way. I just… I needed him gone. So Cora can rest, y’know?”

Bepo nods, his chin nudging Law’s hat so he can feel it. “Of course. No need to apologize, Captain.”

Unexpectedly, it makes Law chuckle of all things. “No apologizing, huh?”, he says, teasing, and– Fine, Bepo walked straight into that one. He grumbles and knocks his knee into Law’s without heat.

Then, Law lets go of Bepo’s hand to burrow deeper into his arms, shifting and turning into his favorite position for a nap. Finally, Bepo catches a glimpse of Law’s face – a little pale, a lot tired but comfortable, at peace – before he smooshes it into Bepo’s fur.

And yeah, okay, Bepo can take a hint. Seems like Law decided to enforce his golden rule of no mushy talk in public, after all.

“Oof. Gentle, Captain.”

“Mhm, sorry.” Law’s voice comes out muffled. “I haven’t slept in fucking forever. Strawhat wakes up with the sun like some kid. Seriously, who just does that?”

“Lunatics”, Bepo answers immediately, mostly to feel Law laugh again. “Figures that’s the kind of friend you would make, all by yourself out there.”

“Ugh, terrible”, Law agrees, a little slurred with oncoming sleep but still coherent enough that Bepo can and will tease him later for sounding so fond. For now, he lets him doze off, warm to his core at the sight of Law falling asleep almost immediately.

Bepo makes himself comfortable and settles in for a long wait. Usually he’d fall asleep right along with Law – there’s something so calming about feeling someone’s heart beat so close to one’s own – but for now, he’s happy to listen to Law’s quiet snoring and watch his crewmates make a fool of themselves to match their new allies.

(Much, much later, Bepo startles awake to wide eyes staring at him just inches from his face. Law is still asleep and thus Bepo doesn’t move – instead he blinks and stares back, watching Monkey D. Luffy’s face move into a pensive pout like he’s thinking hard enough to hurt.

When it’s clear there will be no explanation beyond a long hmmm, Bepo clears his throat and whispers: “Do you… need anything?”

Strawhat tilts his head. Bepo expects him to yell as he always does but his voice matches Bepo's, barely a murmur.

“Kinda? I wanted to ask Tra– uh, Law if he wants to go now. He seemed in a hurry earlier and I kinda forgot. Well, everyone’s drunk but we’ll manage, y’know? He’s sleeping though. Hm.”

There’re at least two things in that statement that Law would tear Strawhat apart for, and one of them is the sudden use his actual name. Bepo wonders if Strawhat still thinks he’s confused by ‘Traffy’, even though he already explained the nickname to him.

Reluctantly, Bepo offers: “I can wake him up?”

Strawhat shakes his head, his signature smile quick to appear on his lips. “Nah, it’s fine. Law needs his sleep. He’s always so angry in the mornings. It’s funny.”

And as sudden as he came, Strawhat's gone, jogging back to the bonfires and instead opting to jump on his sleeping swordsman half-way there. Bepo witnesses the ensuing scuffle with amusement.

Yeah, Bepo definitely likes Luffy.)

[neverwatchedonepiece]

523-525: "A Surprising Fact! the Man Who Guarded the Sunny!", "Deadly Combat Under the Sea! the Demon of the Ocean Strikes!" and "Lost in the Deep Sea! The Straw Hats Get Separated!"

A New Challenger Appears...?

These were good episodes. There was world building, with all the underwater scenes and explanation of how the OPverse and its technology works. There was action (the Caribou pirates ramming Sunny and the Kraken fight). There was comedy (Franky’s nipple lights, anyone?) and there was genuine tension (would the air inside the bubble last? Where have Luffy, Zoro and Sanji gone?)

There were also two big reveals.

And this was one of them.

Oh. My. God.

While Sentomaru got his ass burned by Marine HQ over letting the Strawhats escape, Rayleigh had found a comfortable grass tussock. The perfect place to sit and let a fit of nostalgia wash over him.

Could not believe it when I saw that straw hat on young Roger’s head. Luffy’s beloved hat not only belonged to the infamous Yonkou, Shanks, but has sat on the head of the Pirate King himself. I wonder if Roger and Shanks had a moment when the straw hat was passed down, like Luffy and Shanks did at the start of the story?

Rayleigh and Roger’s first meeting was great too. Luffy really does have a similar personality to Roger. He never cared that Rayleigh stole the ship. He just wanted a ship and someone chill to sail with. And Roger had Big Ambitions.

“Hey. Nice ship,” Roger said to Rayleigh.

“I stole it. My house burned down so I live here now.”

“Cool. What’s your name?”

“Rayleigh.”

“I’m Roger! I think we were destined to meet, Rayleigh?”

“Destined?”

“You wanna turn the world upside down with me?”

At the time, Rayleigh reacted like most of us would in that situation. Who was this madman and why was he trying to convince him to set sail.

But Rayleigh must have crumbled.

And the rest is history.

The tear in Rayleigh’s eye as he remembered his old friend was touching. Roger’s death and the break up of the crew must still affect him. But here he is, still alive, happy living with Shakky, coating ships for a living and ensuring the succession of the next Pirate King, who was  at that very moment, heading for Fishman Island on his long-awaited journey.

Good job, Rayleigh. :)

Cyborgs Understand Cyborgs

Have to say, the underwater scenes were beautiful. It really did feel like the Strawhats were leaving the real world behind and passing into a fantastical realm where slow rays of light slanted through clear blue water and the enormous roots of Sabaody’s mangroves dug deep into the bed of the shallower, warmer sea. All the Strawhats were awed by the beauty.

Then, as Sunny submerged and the shadows grew longer and the water colder, Chopper and Usopp began to freak out a little. Didn’t blame them in the slightest. I kept thinking about pressure and what that would do to them if the bubble popped. 

But Oda had thought of that and had it covered! I can happily report that the coating bubble is not that easily popped! Sanji demonstrated that the bubble will not burst even under tremendous deep pressure. Objects, like cannon balls and Luffy’s hands, can pass through the coating (not sure what that would do to the pressure inside the bubble, but I’ll go with it).

HOWEVER, sharp objects like sea king fangs or, say, one of Zoro’s swords would pierce the bubble. Similarly, if the Sunny crashed on rocks and the mast or planking shattered and burst the bubble from inside, it would be Game Over.

Apparently, seventy percent of ships heading to Fishman Island do not make it. Luffy and Zoro nearly made the Strawhats a statistic by trying to catch fish because they forgot they were inside the air bubble! Chopper and Usopp smacked some sense into Luffy and he broke out Hancock’s bento boxes instead (because Sanji had almost died from blood loss and was in no condition to cook. xD)

But, as I said earlier, Franky was a shining star of these episodes.

This was one of his crowning moments. He had an announcement to make concerning the identity of the one who protected Sunny with Hatchi, Duval and the Flying Fish Riders.

It was none other than Bartholomew Kuma, the one who spirited them away from Sabaody (and danger).

Franky must have got to Sunny first, as a battered, singed Kuma was waiting for a Strawhat - any Strawhat - to return. There was no ceremony about it. He simply stood, said, “I’ve been expecting you. Mission complete,” and walked off.

Franky told the others what Rayleigh already knew. Kuma was a member of the Revolutionary Army, like Luffy’s dad. He didn’t have much time left, but he had saved their lives at Sabaody. He had agreed to be turned into a World Government cyborg and has now lost his personality. Chopper asked the question I wanted to ask: how could he wait at Sunny if he was completely drained of sentience?

Franky, who is a cyborg and spent two years in Vegapunk’s lab, probably understands Kuma’s predicament more than most. He said that Dr Vegapunk, who modified Kuma, agreed to Kuma’s request to program a mission into his mind: “Defend the Thousand Sunny until one of the Strawhats comes back.”

Kuma has sacrificed so much. It’s good to know that the Strawhats now appreciate what he did for them.

“I don’t know my dad that well, but that Bear guy was a good guy,” Luffy said.

“Make no mistake,” Franky said. “He’s the one who gave us these two years. We can’t ask him why, but only remember that he did it. Bartholomew Kuma turned out to be our greatest ally. But remember, if we meet him again, he’s a killing machine.”

I like Franky. He can be silly sometimes, but the guy is articulate and intelligent. He has a good turn of phrase. I like the way he speaks.

Zoro believed Franky but wanted more. What was Kuma’s motive for all the weird shit he’s pulled over the years? Why would he agree to become a WG killing machine?

Kuma is still a mystery. I don’t think I’ll find out more about him until more is revealed about the Revolutionary Army.

A Familiar, Bovine Face In The Briny Deeps

While the Strawhats talked about Kuma, something approached in the shadows. Sunny was sinking fast. The silence of the deep ocean was unsettling. Whitebeard whales drifted past. Usopp was on alert. Seventy percent of ships sunk was not good odds in his book. It was just as well he was on the look out because he spotted the Caribou pirates’ ship approaching at speed!

Then they rammed Sunny!

(Honestly, that was dumb. It could have taken out their ship too. Do they even know how bubble coating works?)

But how had they caught up so quickly.

Turns out the Caribou Pirates had Mohmoo to help pull them through the water. 

How cute is Mohmoo, though? (The subs called him Momoo. Is that the correct spelling?) Nami instantly recognised him, ran up to him and said, “I’m Nami! Remember me? I was there at Arlong Park!” I’m not sure how Mohmoo felt about Nami but he definitely saw Luffy and Sanji (and he cried and fled. Poor Mohmoo. Can’t the Strawhats just adopt him?)

Oh, and I was so blinded by Mohmoo’s cuteness, I forgot to mention that the Caribou Pirates tried to board the Sunny but got dragged away by Mohmoo, leaving Caribou himself alone on board the Sunny with the Strawhats looking at him like this.

You Were Saying...? Part I

Look at them. Even Usopp is like, “Dude... you fucked up.”

Once he was tied up, Nami asked where he’d found Mohmoo. Apparently, they just caught him. Lots of experienced pirates have sea cows to pull their ships.

Of course, this was like a red rag to a bull. Luffy decided then and there that he wanted a pet sea monster.

Only you, Luffy.

Luckily, as the ship sunk further, a prime candidate stared out of the murky depths with huge yellow eyes.

Luffy Just Punched Out Cthulhu

Lord Cthulhu A Kraken emerged! A vast, tentacled abomination with fragments of whole ships stuck between its teeth. 

This was the point Caribou must have thought: I am trapped on a ship with absolute lunatics.

For Luffy had set his heart on that evil Kraken to pull his ship. 

“I have a good idea. Let’s tame him. He can pull our ship!”

Usopp, Chopper and Nami were not for the idea.

Brook just looked at it and thought, “It has not bones. I have bones. We’re opposites, ehehehehehe...”

Robin sketched the tentacled abomination. Franky complimented her drawing.

Zoro said he didn’t mind helping Luffy, as long as he had a plan.

“Yes,” Luffy said. “I have one. But our problems is that we’re in the sea.” (lol)

For a horrible moment, I thought something bad might happen to Mohmoo. But no. Everything was fine. Well, for Mohmoo and everyone on Sunny. The Kraken popped the Caribou pirates’ bubble and wrecked their ship. I was like, damn, those guys are all dead. (And Zoro made his “too soon” jellyfish joke. Mihawk would be proud.)

Luffy decided he would fight the Kraken. Coribou showed them how to use individual bubbles so they could fight outside the one protecting Sunny. Luffy, Zoro and Sanji leapt into the bubbles and the fight was on!

I liked how Oda used Franky (rocket launcher), Chopper (guard point) and Robin (gigantic hands) to protect the Sunny. Oda is good at inventing clever ways to have as many Strawhats participate as possible. (It also shows their teamwork is as solid as ever!)

Wasn’t sure about Luffy and Robin’s DF techniques working underwater, or Sanji moving out of the bubble entirely (mainly because of the extreme pressure. At that depth, they would have been crushed) but Oda’s Universe, Oda’s Rules.

Plus, Zoro got carried away and slashed the Kraken (I wonder how much the bubble restrictions will impact their fighting styles?) 

Then a cute little shark wearing a jumper (yes, a jumper) popped out of its severed tentacle, thanked the Strawhats for helping him and swam off.

WTF... XD

Oh, and the ship hit a downward current and all hell broke loose.

You Were Saying...? Part II

Usopp woke up to darkness and freezing cold. Nami, Franky, Robin and Chopper were all awake, fine and still on board. But Luffy, Zoro and Sanji were nowhere to be seen.

Huge fish with glowing eyes stalked the Abyssal waters. Searching for Luffy, Zoro and Sanji, they encountered huge poisonous jellyfish, carnivorous tubeworms, faceless crabs, huge blob fish, dodged undersea volcano vents (Oda has done his research!) and were almost munched by a massive angler fish.

Then, as if cute a shark wearing a jumper wasn’t weird enough, a Sea Bonze (?) which is a deep sea monster that looks like a man, bopped the angler on the head and told it off! 

“Ankoro! How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t eat ships! Captain won’t be happy.”

Then an ominous, shadowy wreck sailed towards the Strawhats. Holy crap, I thought, that’s the Flying Dutchman. (I remember reading about that when I was a kid. The ghost ship doomed to sail forever and never make it to port). Then there was a teaser of an oddly familiar fanged face.

That isn’t Arlong, is it?

“What’s wrong? Snake? SNAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!”

[the-tv-ninja]

Trick or Treat - Pt 2

Summary: Sanji and Zoro take Chopper trick-or-treating for their first Halloween together. Luffy gets to be a pirate for one day and Law makes use of his scrubs. Better yet – this happens to be their first date. (Modern AU, ZoroSanji and LawLuffy)

Link to Ao3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12568336/chapters/28626704

Trick or Treat - Part 2

"Let me get this straight…you want us to go trick or treating?" He demanded, crossing his long, tattooed arms over his chest in indignation.

He was met by an enthusiastic nod from Chopper and Luffy and found it hard to judge which of the two was more excited about the whole deal,

"You do realize we're in our early thirties, right?" the Spaniard grunted, sending Sanji, whom till that day he'd seen as sane, a bewildered look.

"Thirties doesn't mean eighties, Law" the chef reasoned, a smirk over his face.

Trafalgar eyed him suspiciously, the gears in his head turning. He knew it! Of course the damn ero-cook had fallen for that Zoro guy! And now apparently, out of nowhere he was ready to play dress up and act as a parent.

The realization almost made him laugh – a mere month ago the French wouldn't shut up about how straight he was and yet here he was, acting like a damn mother to the kid of another man. It suited him though.

He'd never seen Sanji quite so relaxed, so happy. That on its own made the dark thoughts in Law's mind hush and it nudged him to give a chance to Luffy and his best friend.

"Quit being such a prude," the green haired man reasoned, leaning in against the doorframe.

Trafalgar shot him a surprise look, ready to respond but then he felt a warm hand over his own. The contact alone sent something like electricity through him and he stared at Luffy's tan fingers, the way they contrasted against the black ink of his tattoos.

"Come on, Torao, I know deep down you're not boring!"

The surgeon flinched at the word, the way Luffy had said it…it sounded as though being boring was the worst thing in the world.

He glared at the younger man, their eyes colliding. Luffy's eye colour was an endearing dark brown, full of kindness and optimism. Law couldn't help the tiny smile that spread to his lips – the other seemed to have some weird effect over people, as though spilling his own happiness onto them.

"I don't have a costume," he reasoned to which he was met by a smirk on Sanji's part.

"How about you use your scrubs?"

Law was mortified for one long moment, he was pretty sure it was kind of illegal or at least morally wrong to wear his scrubs outside the premises of a hospital.

And yet…he knew the four wouldn't let him go until he was out, celebrating that damn holiday with them and probably looking like a moron while at it.

In the end he sighed, sending Luffy a bemused glare,

"You win this round, Mugiwara,"

 xxx

They went on to explore the town, in search of treats.

Chopper roamed ahead happily, ringing on doorbells and collecting candy. Acting like a normal six year old as Trafalgar mused. Truth to be told, the kid was growing on him, he was fascinated with his innate talent for medicine and the childish curiosity behind those grey eyes.

Sanji and Zoro appeared to argue about one thing or another but their voices were light and carefree and it made him smirk – he could tell his best friend was starting to fall for the guy and-

"So…Torao,"

It was Luffy's voice that cut him away from his thoughts,

"Don't call me that," Law argued, sending the shorter man a poignant glare to which he remained oblivious.

Luffy plastered on a big smile which he struggled not to call cute,

"But your name is just too long," he complained,

Trafalgar huffed,

"That or you're just not the brightest bloke around,"

The brunette grinned at him, completely unfazed by the remark. It made a smirk make its way onto Law's lips – he could appreciate someone having thicker skin. People got offended too easily these days. Luffy's sense of humour, how easygoing he was different, something surprising but fresh – like dipping your toes in the pool the first time after a harsh winter.

"So…this is our first date, right?"

The Spaniard stopped in his tracks, taken aback by how straightforward the other could be. He searched for traces of ill intentions on his face, the task proving to be a little difficult in the dim street lighting.

He found none, Luffy appeared to be the epitome of honesty and optimism, all garnered with the desire to have a good time and take others along for the ride.

It was something rare, almost precious which Law had hardly seen during his lifetime. It made something awaken deep inside him, something he'd thought long dead.

 Hope.

"Hell, why not," he replied, words flying out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

The result was imminent, Luffy's lips stretched into the brightest smile he's ever encounter.

"Great!" he declared, dark eyes now sparkling with joy.

Law was taken aback as he felt a warm hand wrap around his own, this time it was legit handholding. Skinny fingers locked against the space between his own tattooed ones.

He stared at their intertwines fingers, bewildered. Luffy, as per usual didn't seem to notice.

Who held hands on a first date in the 21st century anyway?

"We'll have such a great time!" the brunette urged, voice high and enthusiastic as it soared towards the night sky.

Trafalgar grunted, caught between the joy that seemed to pour out of Luffy and his own rigid nature, his unwillingness to let people in. Generally when he did they got hurt. Or worse.

"Come on, let's go trick or treating in that house!" the brunette shouted, dragging him along in the direction of some poor stranger's house.

Law attempted to protest but all words died on his lips, something told him once Luffy set his mind on something there was no running away from it.

 xxx

"Your son appears to be very smart," a woman with long, slick black hair claimed, stretching out a hand to ruffle Chopper's hair.

The boy blushed madly but smiled at her,

"Thank you, Miss."

She mirrored his smile, her turquoise eyes full of kindness as she put various colourful candy into his basket. Then she turned to Sanji and Zoro,

"You've raised such a good boy,"

The cook felt his cheeks burn, now they were being mistaken not only for a couple but actual parents. The idea made something nice and warm tingle deep inside his chest as he wished to experience it. And yet, he realized it wasn't his place to do it. Chopper was, after all Zoro and Tashigi's son and he had nothing to do with making him the wonderful, smart and kind child he was today. Sanji opened his mouth to correct the beautiful lady before him, when-

"Thank you," Zoro said, lips stretching into a trademark smirk as he leaned in against the door.

Sanji nearly gaped at him, sensing the blush stretch onto his damn neck and even his chest.

"Some time he should come play with our boys, Franky and I would love that," the woman went on, stretching out a tan hand and offering them a little card that read her name, Nico Robin and her phone number, all written in neat cursive.

"Too bad they're out trick or treating now…I might join them in a little while." She added while Sanji smiled warmly at her, already picturing her as someone he'd like to chat with over coffee.

And Chopper too, he needed to find friends, no child deserved to grow up alone. After all, he'd learnt that the hard way.

"We'll call you sometime," he assured as Robin bid them goodbye and they went on with the trick or treating.

The chef hesitated as he stepped in closer to Zoro,

"Oi, moss for brains…you sure it wasn't a problem that she mistook us for parents?"

The man hesitated, the expression over his tan face hard to read,

"Already told you - I've never cared about people's opinions, don't tell me you do, blondie,"

Sanji couldn't stop the smile at his response, even if he wanted to, feeling as though a weight was being lifted off his shoulders,

"Plus Chopper likes you," Roronoa added, voice quieter, "Maybe we should, uh, try going on dates more often." The cook's heart slammed against his chest, damn the bastard for saying something like that so casually, as though he was reading off his damn grocery list,

"As long as it's without costumes," the swordsman went on, the joke melting away whatever trace of tension there was.

Sanji grinned at him, soaking in the warmth their newfound relationship promised.

He leaned in, so close to Zoro he felt his hot breath dance over his own thin lips,

"We might keep the costumes for some other time," he teased, the look of shock on Roronoa's face priceless.

xxx

"You've ever been on a Halloween first date before?" Law asked, voice slightly annoyed as he struggled to find common ground with Luffy.

Truth to be told he wasn't the best when it came to that frustrating small talk dates called for. He much preferred to talk about science and medicine, about things that actually mattered, rather than to come with twenty different ways of complaining about the weather.

To make it worse, he'd never actually been in a relationship. He was no blush virgin by any means, if anything he had plenty of experience when it came to sex.

It was just that usually things began and ended with sex when it came to him. He's pick up some good looking dude in a bar, take him home, fuck and then by morning the bastard would be out of his bed and by extension out of his head.

Law didn't do dates. And yet, here he was on one, dressed up as the doctor he actually was,

"Nope!" Luffy admitted, sunny grin on his face, "I don't really know much about love and what not."

He had a sheepish look on his face, as though he was a flustered teen. He even proceeded to rub the back of his head, like a kid being scorned by his parents.

Trafalgar licked his lips, something about the innocent look on Luffy's space sparked interested in him. Perhaps there was more to what met the eye when it came to the brunette.

"Neither do I," he replied, honest.

The younger man shot him a surprised look,

"But you look…so hot! I thought everyone would want to be your boyfriend."

Law chuckled at his words, unable to neglect the nice feeling his praise offered. For whatever reason he enjoyed hearing Luffy say nice things about him, even when he usually cared little about people's opinion.

"Must be your bad personality then, I mean all you do is smirk and snicker," Luffy went on to joke, sending him a mischievous look. Trafalgar shook his head, way to ruin the good impression.

He sent him a glare, raising a hand for a playful smack on the shoulder. Before he could touch him though Luffy let out an overdramatic (and perhaps girly) scream and ran towards the nearest house.

 xxx

"A doctor and a…pirate?" the owner of the house asked, leaning in against the doorframe.

Before them stood a tall, skinny looking old man with the wildest afro they'd seen a while. He was dressed as a skeleton, going as far as making his face ridiculously pale and bony.

For a second there Law considered that perhaps it wasn't even a costume but then dismissed it – no way in hell was he starting to believe in the supernatural.

"Every pirate needs a doctor!" Luffy declared, as though he knew everything about life in the sea.

Trafalgar shot him a bemused look, feeling a little offended he was being reduced to the captain's doctor,

"Now, come on, grandpa, give us some candy!" the brunette went on to urge,"

It made Law roll his eyes,

"Hey! I'm not your grandpa, don't you see, I'm a skeleton!" the old man roared with laughter, "And don't you think you're a little too old to go trick or treating?"

Luffy shrugged nonchantly,

"Meh, age is just a number, it's the adventure that counts!"

The stranger's thick lips stretched into a smile, a tint of nostalgia evident in his dark eyes,

"That's the spirit!" he encouraged, stretching out a hand and pouring some candy into Luffy's basket, "Mmm, you know you'd make a really good pirate, I should know, I was one once."

Luffy's eyes went wide and round in childish amazement,

"Really!" he gasped, as though that was the most fascinating bit of information, "You should tell me all about it! Here, Torao, take his number, I'll call him!"

Law sent him a glare, as if to convey, are you kidding me, but still did as told, saving Brook's number on his phone.

"And you, the grumpy looking doctor," the skeleton dressed man turned to him, "You'd better appreciate your boyfriend, he seems really nice!"

Trafalgar opened his mouth to protest but was silenced by Luffy's warm laughter,

"Shishishi, you hear, that Torao!"

Law's lips betrayed him, curling into a nice smile, against himself.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get going, plenty of houses left for you to terrorize."

 xxx

A few hours later and many calories added to their day, they all set contently in the park, enjoying the surprisingly warm October night.

Sanji, Zoro and Chopper looked a lot like a real family, sitting close to one another as they laughed together and took lazy pictures in dim lighting.

The chef would occasionally raise the question of Chopper being way past bedtime but Zoro would brush it away, earning himself a glare. The scene made Law smirk, he could definitely see Sanji filling in the mum role, ever the worrier.

He let out a sigh, allowing himself to enjoy the moment.

Trafalgar looked up towards the sky, mesmerized at the way stars contrasted against the black sky – tiny dots of white. The autumn leaves rustled against one another, creating a soft, pleasant sound.

He closed his eyes, feeling something strangely akin to peace.

Luffy was standing right beside him, munching on the various candies contently. Law sensed his arm brushing against his own and let himself soak in the warmth the shorter man exuded. Literally and otherwise.

There was a pause, a soft silence between them which reeked of familiarity. It was strange, such a rare sight to see Luffy quiet. But it was nice, it felt good and right – as though they had known each other for years and not mere weeks.

Perhaps it was just the way Luffy worked – he was one of those rare people who felt like you knew them all along, who felt a little like home.

"Torao?" the other nudged him in the ribs, taking away from the serene moment,

"What?" Law asked, voice perhaps a little harsher than intended.

"You should let yourself be happy, you know," Luffy said, his tone nonchalant and carefree as ever.

And yet there was something more to his words, some hidden depth Trafalgar hadn't bother to notice. He raised an eyebrow, an unspoken challenge to go on,

"Life's too short for it to be boring," the brunette added, lips curved into a small, slightly melancholic smile.

The Spaniard was surprised his sudden change of mood, suspicious of how mismatched it seemed with Luffy's sunny, carefree personality.

Was there perhaps more to him than he'd let himself see?

The brunette appeared to stare at the darkness right before them but Trafalgar had the strangest feeling he was looking at something else, perhaps reliving times long gone.

"It should be lived without regrets."

The words resonated with him, they sounded like something a man – a father figure, he knew long ago would say. He leaned in against the tree behind him and turned to face Luffy.

His eyes were closed, his posture completely relaxed. The surgeon mused – he could be wrong, but the other seemed as though he was remembering something.

"Sounds like good advice," Law caved in the end, which earned him a broader smile,

"You really came up with those words on your own?" he investigated, raising an eyebrow.

Luffy broke into a laugh, the sound soft and melodic, dissipating into the darkness of the night sky.

It did something funny to Law, melting a piece of the ice he surrounded himself with. He was starting to think, he'd like to hear that laugh more often.

"My brother told me this," he responded after a while.

Law caught something was off in his voice, there was a slight shift in the atmosphere. Blink and you miss it but he still noticed it. He opened his mouth to question him but then –

Luffy shifted, coming closer to him.

He was so close, Trafalgar could sense his hot breath, which smelled of candy, over himself.

They stood like that for a while, staring at each other. Law caught Luffy's eyes, they appeared black in the cheap fluorescent lighting of the street lamps.

The expression behind them was a mix of curiosity and happiness, garnered with tiny flecks of lust.

Law hesitated for a moment too long, caught up between his desire to kiss the man and his own demons who wouldn't let him get close.

In the end Luffy seemed to decide for them both, leaning in and taking his lips.

Trafalgar stiffened at first, unaccustomed to having anyone in close proximity. But as Luffy's lips were on his own, the touch surprisingly warm and inexperienced, he leaned in, melting into the moment.

He bit down on the other's bottom lip, an invitation to let him in which he did.

It was evident the younger man was inexperienced and he even toyed with the idea of this being his first kiss. The thought of it sparked a trace of possessiveness in Law, he took pleasure in the sense of innocence which seemed to surround Luffy.

Law deepened the kiss, pleasantly surprised as the brunette appeared to be learning what to do, how to respond to the contact.

His hands were over his shoulders, then one travelled up, finding its way into his hear. He tugged a little at his shiny black strands and Trafalgar was caught off guard by the sensation, moaning into the kiss.

That seemed to excite the other more than anything so far but in the end they broke apart, taking a deep breath of the fresh, cool night air.

Law smirked as he saw the faint blush over the brunette's cheeks, he truly looked so much younger.

Luffy licked his lips, dark eyes shining with excitement as he scooped even closer. This time Trafalgar didn't shoo him away, his skin craving for more contact.

"See, I told you we would have so much fun!" he exclaimed, taking his hand once more.

"Mm, you might have been right, for once." Law teased, taking strange pleasure in the casualness between them after the kiss.

Luffy treated it as though it was the most natural thing in the world, as though they'd done it a hundred times and more.

"Just wait till you see our next date, Torao,"

                                                    xxx

Author’s Note: Thoughts on Law and Luffy's first kiss? Sanji slowly slipping into the role of a mum? And of course cameo by Brook and Robin?Did you enjoy the Strawhats as they celebrated Halloween (and went on dated at the same time xD)P.S: Did you celebrate? What did you go as? Please comment and share your impressions, I love any feedback!