#Luffy WILL bite down hard enough to sever something

[revlischarm]

Luffy’s not allowed to suck dick until he can hold food in his mouth and not instantly chomp down.

Bonus Sanji since they were having this discussion in the kitchen

[thepaintpirate]

| One Piece captains and their habits |

Featuring: Luffy, Law, Kid, Shanks, Roger

Luffy -

Tilts his head all the time

It's quite literally canon, he is always tilting his head. Confused? Head tilt. Happy? Head tilt, but with a smile.

If he's not tilting his head, whether unconsciously or on purpose, Luffy is likely in a serious mood or too distracted by something else.

Drifting close to people

He likes touching people, being near them. People, mostly Robin, describe him as having gravity about him. This also happens to affect what he does, not just how people look at him.

When he's talking to people he tends to get way too close to their face, it can be annoying but it's quite cute because he doesn't see anything wrong with it. Of course for people like Law it's a problem.

He also accidentally walks into people, like if they're walking side by side he starts to unconsciously lean towards them. It ends up in minor to major collisions but honestly it doesn't bother him, he'll sit on the dirt laughing about it for a while.

Law -

Bites things

No I don't mean this sexually you nasty people.

I mean he likes to chew things sometimes. Pens, pencils, his nails sometimes. Though the nails one is less common nowadays, he's too much of a nerd doctor who knows what nail biting can cause.

But basically, if he's super concentrated or even stressed you'll see him biting things. A pen once exploded in his mouth and it's made him think twice about this habit before, but it doesn't stop him. He's too stressed.

Talking to himself

Not as in full conversations, but more like short phrases when he's reading or trying to understand something. He'll read little snippets of a text he's studying then finish with "makes sense" or "I wonder if-" then continues to mumble about it.

It's something he avoids doing in public, always, be he's done it near the crew. They don't care because it's pretty adorable to see his face all scrunched up and confused or a slight smile when he's got an answer.

When he has the time, rarely, and he's reading a book for leisure you might hear him chuckle or comment on certain characters actions. He's never done this around anyone.

Kid

Stomps his feet

He's as childish as his name suggests. If he's pissed, he accentuates it with a harsh kick to the dusts. It's funny to watch him do it and if he accidentally gets dust in his eye it's even funnier because of how angry he gets.

Even for little things, Kid kicks his foot like a horse. Dinner isn't cooking fast enough? He'll stand in the doorway, arms crossed and kick his foot like a mad cow. Also tapping his feet while he's sitting down is a habit.

Pulling his eyelashes/eyebrows

Okay so it's a reach but to me, as someone who also has trichotillomania I can see him doing it too. He had eyebrows once, even if thin, but his constant spiking emotions made him start to pull at them. It's a hard feeling to explain because sometimes you don't know you're doing it. He does it on and off so there are traces of hair but it's minimal.

As for eyelashes it's less common, only in severe bouts of anxiety or stress will he pull them. He doesn't, and hopefully won't, ever pull the hair on his head.

Shanks

Ignoring warnings for his health

Shanks is not a very self destructive person in the first place but the lack of care for his own health and safety can be alarming. Of course, safety isn't really too big of a deal to him anyway because he's a yokou but when he was a kid it was bad. He used to rough house, pick up snakes, eat suspicious things and all that. After the damage happens he tends to ignore people asking him to get medicine or rest or bandage himself up.

Nowadays he doesn't have any worry, but people worry about him. Of course all of his crew drink regularly but Shanks is always the most avid consumer, there's a worry for his internal organs every time but he somehow keeps going.

Fixing his hair

His hand is usually on his head, in his hair and brushing it back. Even if there's slight wind, he'll still do it. He doesn't need to because it mostly stays where it is but he does it anyway.

He also likes to touch other peoples hair, it's just the feeling maybe. He does it to crew, to Luffy and kids sometimes. Feels safe to him.

Roger

Repeating himself and others

This is a heavy habit. He doesn't know he does it, he just forgets. If he's repeating himself it's usually because he needs that confirmation that you heard him, you cared to listen. If it's something random then it's probably because he got so excited that he forgot he told you already.

If he's repeating other people, it's a little bit like mirroring. He doesn't do it on purpose or to discredit that person, if you correct him he'll apologise immediately.

Biting his nails

They're so bitten that he has no white on his nails. They're just gone.

Because of this he has little tears and broken parts of his nails because of over biting them, but Rayleigh makes sure he's stopped when he sees him doing it. He promptly forces him to wash and scrub his hands.

[whereistheonepiece]

Missing You

Quick summary: Sanji misses Zoro.

Note: I haven’t outright stated it before, but my collection of short Zosan oneshots is connected to my fic “To Run.” This one makes a few references to it.

-

Sanji woke up to the feeling of Zoro’s lips on the corner of his mouth. His eyes flitted open and his lips curved upward in a groggy smile as he took in the sight of Zoro, partially hovering over him in bed, smiling down at him. Sanji made an amused sound in the back of his throat, laying a hand on his love’s bicep. 

“Hi,” Sanji said, his voice still thick with sleep. Sanji wound his arms around Zoro’s solid, warm torso, and pulled him down so Zoro lay on top of him. He chuckled softly as they both repositioned themselves to be more comfortable. “Morning breath,” Sanji whispered, putting his palm in Zoro’s face and pushing him back when Zoro leaned in for yet another kiss.

Sanji let out a small, undignified yelp in surprise when Zoro’s tongued darted out of his mouth and pushed between the gaps between Sanji’s fingers, poking out at Sanji in defiance. Zoro’s grin grew as Sanji withdrew his hand from his face.

“Child,” Sanji said accusingly.

“You had to know getting licked was a possibility when you put your hand there,” Zoro, incorrigible as ever, shot back.

“Actually, I thought you might just bite me like the savage you are,” Sanji said, staring up at Zoro with partially closed eyes.

“And that wouldn’t have bothered you?”

“No, because I was expecting it.”

Zoro snorted, rolling his eyes. “Dumbass,” he said, the playfulness in his voice turning the old insult into a term of endearment.

“Barbarian,” Sanji said in return, grinning to himself when Zoro laid his head on his chest.

“You love me,” Zoro said, more to annoy Sanji than to state the obvious.

“You’re so sure of that,” Sanji said, his voice glib, his fingers soft as he ran them along the path of Zoro’s spine all the way to his head, pushing through the soft green hair.

Contentment rumbled from deep within Zoro’s throat as Sanji played with his hair. “Yeah,” he said dreamily. “I am.”

Sanji lifted his head to kiss the top of Zoro’s. If only those who called Zoro the Demon of East Blue could see him now. They’d change their minds quickly if they could see him practically purring like a common house cat at having his hair stroked.

They lay there together, Sanji petting Zoro until his hand grew tired, Zoro lying on Sanji like a living, breathing blanket. Usually Zoro preferred to have Sanji lying on top of him, but Zoro had become somewhat clingier as of late, coming to Sanji for physical affection more frequently than he normally did whenever they had time alone together. 

It had been a bit of an adjustment for both of them when Sanji brought Zoro onto the Baratie. Back when they sailed on Sunny, Zoro could come to Sanji when he was preparing food for the next meal. He would hold onto him like the clingy, affectionate pest that he was. Zoro was less clingy whenever he had Sanji’s full attention, but he’d been receiving less of it lately.

It had been easier to give Zoro his attention back when all Sanji had to worry about was keeping a small crew fed and didn’t have a restaurant and its guests to look after, a staff working under him, or the constant pressure to prove himself worthy as Zeff’s successor. It was even harder to give Zoro his attention when he couldn’t let him hang onto him while he was cooking like he used to. Sanji was sorry that he couldn’t give Zoro that anymore. While he used to tease Zoro for being needy or accuse him of being annoying when Zoro grumbled at him for needing to move around the kitchen while they stood like this, Sanji did enjoy it. It was a nice compromise that kept Zoro happy, and Sanji did enjoy the company and the fact that Zoro wanted to be close to him. But Sanji was a boss now, and it was hard to be taken seriously when he had a grown man hanging off him.

So Zoro found a new way to get Sanji’s attention. He’d observe restaurant activity until there was a lull, and then he’d waltz into the kitchen, grab Sanji by the wrist, and announce, “Break time!”

The other chefs were always overjoyed to see Zoro. Sanji was aware he wasn’t an easy boss, especially if the day was stressful, and Zoro pulling him into the office to kiss him always left him in a better mood. The staff had noticed this, and so they welcomed Zoro in the kitchen, showing their appreciation with booze and a snack whenever he and Sanji came out of the office.

“You’re spoiling him,” Sanji would always chide the chefs, although secretly he was grateful that Zoro and the chefs were on good terms.

But maybe Zoro was growing restless with the way things were on Baratie. Sanji had less days off than he did back when they were part of a pirate crew. There were no more islands to explore, less opportunities for them to have a day all to themselves. So Zoro found more reasons to initiate physical contact with Sanji. He pulled him onto his lap when they sat down together. He grabbed him in his sleep and was always hesitant to let go upon waking. He’d touch him in some small way throughout the day whenever he saw him.

And then came the suggestions. It first started with simply telling Sanji what he should do regarding his work schedule.

“You work too hard, Cook,” Zoro would say. “You should ease up a little.”

“That’s what happens when you run a restaurant, Marimo,” Sanji would retort.

“You should go on vacation,” Zoro said one day, leaning against the wall and staring out the window. His arms were crossed and his stance was relaxed. He spoke as if this had just occurred to him, though Sanji was now starting to suspect it had been on his mind for longer than he’d let on. “Take a break from restaurant life. We can go visit the rest of the crew. Or just go wherever. Doesn’t have to be super far.”

“I don’t have time for a vacation,” Sanji said dismissively. He placed a cigarette between his teeth as he lit up.

“Why not?” Zoro asked, looking at Sanji.

“Who’s gonna run this place with me gone?” Sanji replied.

Zoro blinked. “Zeff. It was his restaurant, originally.”

“Zeff’s worked hard enough for three lifetimes,” Sanji said, waving the idea away with his hand.

“Okay,” Zoro said tensely, sounding as if he was forcing himself to be patient. “Couldn’t your cooks manage without you for a little bit? Some of them’ve been here as long as you.”

Sanji abruptly stopped in the middle of a drag of his cigarette, holding the smoke in his lungs as he tried and failed to imagine those idiots getting on without him. It was why he still hadn’t gotten around to appointing a sous chef.

He cringed, exhaling sharply through his teeth. “No,” he said firmly.

“You’re just making excuses now, Cook,” Zoro said, his brows pulling down in a scowl.

“What do you want from me, Zoro?” Sanji snapped. “I told you I can’t go on vacation! Can we talk about literally anything else? I don’t have much time left on my break and I’d rather spend it doing something else other than getting pestered by you!”

Zoro grew silent, his scowl easing somewhat, but not going away completely. “You know what?” Zoro said, pushing himself off the wall. He walked past Sanji, his boots treading heavily across the floorboards. “Forget it.”

And Sanji had, at least until now. And he thought Zoro had, too, since he hadn’t brought it up again, though he’d kept his distance during the next few days, leaving Sanji to himself until they retired to their bedroom. Sanji hadn’t said anything, preferring to leave it alone, and now, with Zoro lying on top of him, he felt guilt gnawing away at his heart.

-

“Hey,” Sanji said some time later.

Zoro took time to answer, his breath coming out in a short puff against Sanji’s bare skin. “Yeah?” he said groggily.

“Did you fall back asleep?” Sanji asked.

Zoro groaned, rolling off Sanji and onto his back. He stared up at the ceiling. Sanji rolled onto his side and laid his elbow on the pillow, propping himself up and cradling his head in his hand while he awaited Zoro’s response. “I think I did,” Zoro said.

Sanji smiled. He stared at Zoro, struck by a moment of clarity as the realization that this life, going to sleep with Zoro and waking up next to him each morning, was actually his. Zoro looked at him and caught him staring. He smirked. “Enjoying the view, Curly?”

“Maybe,” Sanji drawled. “You are pretty easy on the eyes, Marimo. Bedhead notwithstanding.”

Zoro rolled his eye at Sanji as he held open his arm invitingly. “Well, what are you waiting for?” he asked when Sanji didn’t move closer. “Come here already.”

Sanji obliged, laying his head on the junction between Zoro’s shoulder and his chest. Inhaling slowly, Sanji loosely wrapped his arm along Zoro’s stomach, enjoying the quiet stillness of their bedroom on this day off work. Idly rubbing his leg against Zoro’s, Sanji reflected over his decision to close the restaurant one day a week when Zoro had asked him about it. Not only did the rest of the men enjoy the free time, but it gave Sanji and Zoro peace and quiet all to themselves. It may have upset some of their clientele, and Zeff had given him some grief over it, but if it made Zoro happy, then Sanji would gladly deal with a few complaints.

Zoro had his arm around Sanji, rubbing the pad of his thumb against his shoulder. Several minutes passed before Zoro spoke again, and the hesitance in his voice made Sanji pay close attention. “Cook...”

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“What would you say if I told you that Luffy wants to take me with him, Usopp, and Nami on a trip?”

Sanji blinked. They’d spent days, even weeks, apart back when they were searching for the One Piece, including those two years the whole crew had spent apart. In theory, Sanji had no reason to hesitate before answering. But it had been a year since he’d taken Zoro onto the Baratie with him, and they hadn’t spent a night apart since. Sanji had become accustomed to starting and ending his days with Zoro by his side. He found the idea of something disrupting his routine to be daunting.

But he did not voice these thoughts. Instead he said, “How long were you thinking?”

“A few weeks,” Zoro responded. Sanji swallowed. “Maybe a month?”

“Why so long?” Sanji asked.

Sanji felt Zoro shrug. “You can ask Luffy that,” he said. “Something about visiting a few islands before heading back.”

“I see,” Sanji said quietly.

“You didn’t tell me what you think,” Zoro said, his thumb coming to a stop.

Sanji closed his eyes, his thoughts turning to how quiet Zoro had become when Sanji had shot down the idea of the two of them going on a trip together. It wouldn’t kill him to allow Zoro to have some fun with their friends. “I think,” he said, “that I’m going to have to prepare your and the others’ favorite meals before you go.”

-

“All right!” Nami said brightly, looking Zoro up and down. “Got everything you need, Zoro? We’re not turning back once we leave.”

“I made sure he does, Nami-san,” Sanji spoke for Zoro, winking at Nami.

Nami smiled at Sanji, nodding at him. “I know you did, Sanji-kun,” she said, demonstrating her faith in him by turning her attention to the map in her hands as she and the others made the final preparations before they boarded Sunny with Zoro.

Watching her go over the map of the islands she and the others intended on visiting, Sanji felt himself longing for the simplicity of the life he’d shared with his crew. He felt his heart filling up with nostalgia for the days when he and his friends could explore strange islands together, days when they could gather around the same table together and share stories and food. They still occasionally saw each other, but when their crew was scattered around the world, it was difficult to get everyone together at the same time.

Taking a drag from his cigarette, Sanji looked at four of the most important people in his life, and he felt the pull of adventure tugging on his heartstrings.

But he could feel the weight of Baratie and its responsibility all around him.

So Sanji exhaled smoke from his lungs and walked up to Zoro, who had Luffy wrapped around his torso. He held his cigarette between two fingers with one hand and he grabbed Zoro’s face with the other. He pulled him in for a long goodbye kiss, Luffy’s voice in his ear as his former captain tried to convince him to come with them.

-

It was quiet as Sanji got ready for bed. It was often quiet when he and Zoro got ready for bed together, as Zoro was not a loquacious person to begin with, and both had long ago learned to share an easy silence with each other, but this was an empty quiet that Sanji was now unused to.

Sanji stared at his reflection in the mirror as he brushed his teeth, his eyes blank and his jaw stiff, his movements mechanical. He looked at the unoccupied space next to him in the mirror, the beginning of a story about an entitled customer waiting to spring forward from his mouth. If Zoro were with him, Sanji would have pulled his toothbrush out of his mouth and, mouth full of foam, started telling him about his encounter with a customer that had insisted on being served a meal that currently wasn’t on the menu. And Zoro would have listened until Sanji popped his brush back into his mouth to finish brushing his teeth. Zoro, in that straight to the point way of his, would have asked him, “So did you kick his ass?”

Air escaped Sanji’s nose in a small burst of amusement at the thought. He pointed his eyes down toward the sink and spat out the toothpaste, wondering if Zoro was keeping up with the nighttime routine they’d established, and therefore brushing his teeth at the same time as Sanji. Rinsing out his mouth, Sanji could feel the weeks without Zoro stretching out before him, opening a chasm between the two of them.

-

Sanji had intended on waiting at least a week before picking up the Transponder Snail to call Zoro. He wanted to give Zoro time to himself with their friends, but also wanted to prove to himself that he wasn’t so needy that he couldn’t last a week without hearing Zoro’s voice. After all, Sanji thought as he chopped carrots for the stew he was working on, he’d gone longer without talking to Zoro. Surely Sanji wasn’t that needy, that clingy. Surely he had enough going on with the restaurant to keep him preoccupied. Maybe Zoro would end up calling him first.

But Sanji felt his restlessness steadily rising within him as the days passed. Work was as hectic and demanding as ever, and one of Sanji’s primary releases—taking a break in his office with Zoro—was gone, leaving Sanji trembling with an undercurrent of frustration and pent up aggression throughout the day. He’d tried channeling it into work, tried dealing with it on his own in his and Zoro’s room, and he tried calming his nerves by chain smoking like there was a secret prize at the end of each cigarette, all to no avail.

It was when he tried picking a fight with Carne and Patty that he finally gave in. 

Sanji, at the end of his patience, goaded the longtime staff members into a fight that they could not possibly win. Carne and Patty, to their credit, fought back as valiantly as they could, but they were no match for Sanji. They knew this. Sanji knew. Zeff, who’d been watching from a corner, knew this. 

Zeff had given Sanji one look and jutted his chin toward his former office, silently insisting that they talk. And suddenly Sanji was ten years old again, following Zeff until he came to his senses and took a few quick strides to catch up to Zeff and then move past him on the way to Sanji’s office.

Behind the closed door, Zeff simply told Sanji, “Get your affairs in order, Eggplant. You have no reason to bark at your men like that when they’ve done nothing wrong.”

Sanji had bristled at Zeff and told him to mind his own business, telling him, “Oh, you’re one to talk about lashing out at people when they don’t deserve it!” Privately he knew Zeff was right. However, instead of telling him so, Sanji engaged Zeff in a screaming match until their argument had petered out into little more than red faces and heavy breathing. Zeff had skulked out of the office, remaining silent for the rest of the day. Sanji had come out a short time later, angrily adjusting his tie, daring any one of the chefs in the kitchen to look his way.

Everyone in the kitchen, save Zeff and Sanji, kept their heads down as they worked on their individual tasks, the air thick with tension and their collective unease.

Sanji, walking stiffly back to his station, heard one chef mutter to another, “I miss Zoro.”

Sanji deflated a little at hearing that. Clenching his teeth, Sanji pointedly kept his eyes down as he worked, thinking, I miss Zoro, too.

He called Zoro later that evening.

-

“Cook?”

Sanji smiled at the sound of Zoro’s tinny voice on the other end of the receiver. He’d never heard a more beautiful sound in his life. “Hi, Marimo,” he said, reclining on their bed. “How’s the ‘adventure’ going?”

“Pretty tame,” Zoro said. “I was just thinking about how much more dangerous East Blue seemed back when we were all starting out. Now it feels downright peaceful.”

Sanji chuckled. Zoro’s assessment of the sea they called home brought back memories of how young they’d been when they’d all started sailing together, back when the odd Sea King was their biggest threat. They really had no clue what they were getting into back then. “How’s Luffy?” he asked.

“He’s having a blast,” Zoro said. “I think all he cares about is getting to sail with his friends again.”

The longing to be out on the open sea with his friends again awakened in Sanji, manifesting itself as a weight in his chest. He imagined himself on Sunny again, preparing lunch for them while Luffy and Usopp fished, Zoro napped in the sun or polished his swords, and Nami read in a lounge chair.

“That’s good,” Sanji said. He lay on his side, grasping the receiver in one hand. He comfortably draped his arm along his middle and drew his knees up slightly, imagining Zoro lying in bed behind him and spooning him, rather than talking to him on a Transponder Snail on another ship. “And you? How are you, Zoro? Not missing me too much, are you?”

“Missing you a regular amount,” Zoro said cheekily. The Snail, on its perch on the bedside table next to Sanji, mimicked the relaxed smile Zoro would wear while enjoying Sanji’s company. The only thing better than seeing the Snail replicate his love’s smile would be to see that smile in person.

“So you do miss me,” Sanji teased.

“Course I do,” Zoro said. “You know I do. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I know,” Sanji said. He imagined Zoro wrapping an arm around him, right under Sanji’s own. “It’s just nice to hear you say it.”

“I miss you, Cook,” Zoro said for Sanji’s benefit, and it made Sanji melt.

“I miss you, too,” Sanji said softly, hoping the Snail had picked up his voice.

“And what about you, Cook?” Zoro said. “You wanna tell me what happened today?”

Sanji frowned as he thought back to the fight he’d started with Patty and Carne, then the argument he’d had with Zeff. He shrugged into the open air, wondering if the Snail on Zoro’s end was currently mimicking his movements. “Nothing to report. Everything’s the same as usual around here. The men miss you.”

Zoro laughed. “You’re not being too hard on them without me around to help you...ah...relieve your stress, are you?”

Sanji grimaced, covering his face in shame. “Nope,” he said, his voice slightly strained. He made himself yawn, pretending he’d suddenly been overtaken by exhaustion. “Well, I’m pretty tired. I’ll talk to you later, Zoro.”

“Oh,” Zoro said. “Okay. G’night, Cook.”

“Night, Marimo,” Sanji said. “Love you.”

Sanji ended the call before Zoro could respond.

-

While Sanji slowly adjusted to spending his nights alone, it was in the quiet, stolen moments that he most missed Zoro. Finding a patch of sunlight, perfect for napping; stepping out for a smoke when the lunch rush had finished, picturing himself reaching his hand out and threading his fingers through Zoro’s; stepping into his office for a moment of solitude and picturing Zoro sitting at the window seat, inviting Sanji to sit with him.

Sanji decided to go for walk along Baratie’s deck before turning in for the night. He looked up at the moon and brought his cigarette to his lips, his mind on his and Zoro’s conversation earlier that night.

“When do you think you’ll be coming home?”

“Well, I think Nami’s had enough. Luffy’s begged her to let us visit one last island, and then we can go home. So as soon as we’re done with the next one, we’ll be heading home.”

Sanji inhaled deeply, trying to do the math in his head to figure out how much longer until he got to see Zoro again. Zoro and the others had been sailing for a couple of weeks now, but Sanji figured the trip back would be slightly faster since they wouldn’t be stopping at each island they came across. He only had to wait for just a little longer until he could have Zoro by his side again.

He stared up at the full moon, chuckling at himself for how ridiculous he was being. A month was nothing in the grand scheme of things, really. A month was speck of sand on the beach in the rest of his natural life. Just when had he become so soft? When he’d invited Zoro into his life, he supposed, and all the compromises and changes that entailed.

He let his gaze drift across the sky, taking in the map of constellations as familiar to him as the skin on the back of his hand. Was this how Zoro had felt? This yearning for more, this desire to spend more time with someone inaccessible to him? Sanji hoped that he didn’t make Zoro feel as lonely as he currently felt, hoped that the time they did spend together was better than total solitude, but a picture of what Zoro must have felt was beginning to form in Sanji’s head.

Sanji frowned, gaze falling until it landed on the sea. Remorse seized hold of his heart as he remembered all the small ways Zoro had sought Sanji’s touch in recent months, as if trying to squeeze out every last drop of quality time with Sanji in the fleeting minutes that they had. Just a little of Sanji’s time, that was all that Zoro asked of him. A week, at least, to visit a nearby village and spend some quality time together. Was that really so much to ask for? Sanji no longer thought so.

He thought of leaving the restaurant alone for a week. He could let Zeff watch over things, just like he had for so many years, but Sanji still didn’t like the idea of asking him to take over for him just so he could run away with Zoro for a short time. Running a restaurant was hard work and Zeff had more than earned his rest. So that either left one of the chefs onboard or looking for someone new. Sanji was hard on the men, but he knew any one of them was skilled enough to work as head chef, so long as they put in the work. It was just a matter of finding a man with the right personality.

Sanji would tell Zoro this when he saw him again. The idea of finally relinquishing some of his many responsibilities and letting someone else help out was strange, but Sanji had already alienated Zoro to the point of running off on a month long adventure with their captain. He didn’t want to end up losing him. He’d already lost Zoro once and he wasn’t going to let that happen again.

-

Sanji jumped on Zoro the moment he stepped foot on Baratie’s deck, tightly wrapping his four limbs around him. One hundred men couldn’t remove Sanji from Zoro if they tried.

Zoro took this in stride, supporting Sanji by the thighs. “Hi, Cook,” he managed to say before Sanji started kissing him.

Luffy hooted somewhere behind Zoro, shouting, “Sanji missed Zoro!”

Aware they had an audience, Sanji pulled back, but he grinned at Zoro, whispering, “Guess you should let me down now.”

Zoro laughed softly, his eye crinkling at the corner in a way that made Sanji’s heart melt into a puddle of mush. “I guess so,” he said, setting Sanji down.

Slipping an arm around Zoro, Sanji called to Luffy, Usopp, and Nami, inviting them onto Baratie for a meal to welcome them all back.

-

Pleasantly exhausted, Sanji relaxed into Zoro’s arms. Content smile etched into his face, Sanji breathed in Zoro’s scent, felt the heat of Zoro’s skin against his cheek. All was right with the world. Zoro lay there in bed with him, happy to share this moment with Sanji.

Sanji laid his hand on Zoro’s abdomen, relishing the solid feel of Zoro’s body beneath his touch. “I missed you,” he whispered.

“Missed you, too, Curly.”

“I don’t think you know how much I missed you, though,” Sanji continued.

“I dunno,” Zoro said, “you just gave me a pretty good idea of how much you missed me.”

Sanji paused before responding, frowning. “I’m serious, you know.”

“Mm?”

“Yeah,” Sanji said. “I...had a lot of time to think while you were gone.”

“That so?”

Sanji nodded against Zoro’s chest. “Yeah, it is. And I think... I think you were right.”

“About what?” Zoro asked.

“It wouldn’t kill me to take a vacation.”

Zoro paused at Sanji’s admission. “Yeah?” he said, his voice soft with uncertainty.

Sanji wrapped his arm around Zoro’s torso, gently squeezing. They hadn’t talked about it in so long, but he remembered that nightmarish time when Zoro was convinced that Sanji didn’t value their relationship. It made his heart ache to think that he could potentially make Zoro feel that way again. “Yeah,” he said.

He continued, “I mean, I still don’t want to dump this all on Zeff. But I really gave it some thought, and it wouldn’t hurt me to have someone who can step up for me when I’m not around. Maybe even make the workload a little easier on me. I don’t know, the idea of it is still so new to me. But I want to make you happy. And if that means I need to find someone who can watch over the restaurant while you and I take a small trip together, then I’ll do it.”

Zoro tightened his hold on Sanji, saying nothing. Sanji returned his embrace with the same fervor, smiling against Zoro’s chest.

“It’s really not too much trouble, is it?” Zoro eventually asked.

“It really isn’t,” Sanji responded. He lifted his head off Zoro’s chest so he could properly look at him. “And I’m sorry for making you think that it was.”

“Come here,” Zoro whispered, having nothing else to say.

And Sanji did, closing the gap between their mouths.

[greyskyflowers]

Strawhats and ways they might show their love for each other

Luffy pressing a worn, loved thing in their hands or on their heads. It's soft, sun warmed, and heavy like a promise. The red ribbon is sun bleached but still colorful, slightly thin at the edges with age. It smells like sea salt and hay. It's one of the most important things they've ever touched and it leaves inkless tattoos of love and family on their bodies. It's a crown and a promise. It's the future and the past. It's Luffy. He can think of no better place for it to be besides with his crew.

Zoro shows them his back and trusts them with his swords. The only part of him not layer in scars sometime the only thing they see as he stands between them and a threat. Each fight slowly showing them that he trusts them to guard it. He turns his back to them while he naps too, the skin broad and tan with the faintest scars that couldn't be avoided gleaming silvery pink in the sunlight. When he is unable to care for his swords, usually out cold after fighting for their lives, they do it for him. Having carefully watched him, followed each movement he made because each one had purpose. They slowly clean them while next to him, respectful of the blades but not scared. Anything that is part of Zoro, even cursed blades, would never allow harm to come to them. The curses whisper in their ears with promises of loyalty and wrap around them like a sea breeze.

The crew developing a fondness for citrus after Nami starts sharing each fruit that hangs swollen and ripe from long branches. The skin of the fruit dimpled and sun warmed in her hand as she pulls it down and thinks of the hope carefully grown in each seed. The burst of fruit in her mouth when she bites down is nothing when compared to burst of understanding and love in her family when she places one in their hand for the first time. The smell of them clings to her and her home, Sunny will always smell sweet.

Usopp shares his best stories, the truth carefully woven in each one. He always plans the most wonderous of his tales to tell to his family, each word rolled carefully in his mouth before being spoken. His stories have changed over time from a single great warrior to several. And while the characters might have changed, the wonder is always in his words. Creation falls from his hands like stars as he tells each one, eyes glowing and warm. He will honor his family the best way he knows how, with stories told to everyone who listens. Bright eyed children listen to him with dreams of adventure playing in their heads and the beginning of the next generation taking form.

Sanji lets them hold his hand, usually while tugging him somewhere or to see something but sometimes just for comfort, even though everything in him recoils the first time it happened. It's nice though and he starts to like it. Luffy's oddly textured skin, Zoro's callouses, Nami's ink stains, Chopper's hooves, Usopp's with more scars at the fingertips, Robin's long fingers, Franky's little robot hand, and Brook's skeleton. His hands are so important, it only makes sense to have the most important people hold them.

Chopper lets them come to him for healing, even when everything in him wants to go to them and help. Times where he watches them try to hide each flinch or limp or bruise and it's so hard. Especially with people on the crew like Luffy and Zoro who constantly get hurt. Sanji always wanting the others focused on first before himself. Usopp and Nami, who always seem to think they're not that hurt because they weren't in the middle of whatever was happening. Robin and her careful but clear desire to be left alone when she wants to lick her wounds. Brook and Franky with their unique bodies that Chopper doesn't even know how to help sometimes. He waits patiently for them to trust him enough to come to him. He might have urged them along occasionally in the beginning but they have no hesitation in seeking him out now. Their health is safe in his small hooves.

Robin shares her stories and books. Each one special, sometimes old and worn. She sits to reread her favorite ones and eventually someone will come sit with her. They ask questions or read over her shoulder and she talks. She tells of history, strange and beautiful things that no one remembers or cares for. She talks about her own history occasionally, little bits of information that never fail to light up the person listening once they realize what she's offering. Sometimes they remember and will come along with her on certain islands to visit places she read about. It's always the best company she could ask for.

Franky builds a ship of dreams and sets off with strangers inside. Each beam and nail placed with prayers for strength. Every coat of paint done with steady hands. Dreams, freedom, hope are all settled in the nooks and corners like happy spirits. Merry and Sunny dance with them when the sea is full of life and the sky is bright with stars. The lion and the lamb blessing the ship and crew with everything they can. The ship changed somehow and without Franky fully knowing exactly when. It changed to a home. Their roots planted as deeply as Nami's tangerine trees. Somehow they took his ship, his dream and creation, and made it even better.

Brook allows himself to get attached again. He wonders when it went from simple pleasure in the company to a bone deep ache ~yohohoho~ that he almost forgot was what love felt like. The happiness of being with this odd little group and playing the soundtrack for all their adventures. It's hard to be so old around so much youth but it breathes a little more life into him with each day that passes by. So he keeps playing his violin and hoping the world slows down to allow him as much time as possible with them. He's glad his ribcage is empty for once, it gives him room to cradle his affection for them in his chest where his heart would be if he wasn't just bones that is! ~yohohoho~

[tooweirdforyou]

Straw Hats With A Shipmate Who Feels Useless

A/N : this was really sweet and sad to me when I thought about it so I wanted to write it. Hopefully y’all enjoy.

Summary : The Straw Hats react to their shipmate feeling useless and a burden to the crew.

You didn't understand why you were still on the ship.

The group had just left from Water 7 with a new recruit, Franky, Robin came back, Usopp had returned to join the crew once more and you all just managed to get past the marines.

Throughout the whole time on Water 7 and Ennies Lobby, the goal of retrieving Robin back from CP-9 from Lucci and the marines, you were completely of no help at all.

Literally. You couldn’t help Nami and Sanji with their separate battles with the CP-9 members, you couldn’t aid Chopper and Franky with their battles, Zoro and Sniper King with the cuffs and two CP-9 Zoan agents, and MUCH LESS, Luffy with Lucci.

You spent the whole time just struggling to get past the chaotic mess from Franky’s family, trying to find where Robin was, and let’s not even start on trying to even find your way through the maze of the building you were in.

When you found Zoro and Sniper King, you tried to aid them by attacking the Zoan agents to the best of your ability, but it didn’t take long for them to knock you out.

Then with Sanji who was completely soaped up from Khalifah and Nami currently fighting against her, you tried to help Sanji return to normal but only ended up just freaking out and growing frustrated that you weren’t able to do anything so you left him to find the others to help.

When the crew finally made it to the top, where Robin was free and Luffy still fighting with Lucci, you constantly needed to be protected by Zoro, Robin and Franky since you weren’t aware of your surroundings.

When the whole thing was finally over, getting back to Water 7, you just kept to yourself to deal with your injuries, refusing Chopper’s help with a simple smile.

“I’m fine, Chopper. Focus on the others and yourself. You worked hard.”

And then you would avoid them throughout the several days, waiting until Luffy finally convinced Franky to join them on their newly built ship, the Thousand Sunny.

Of course by then, the others got over the whole chaotic mess and were just relaxing. But the thought and memory kept eating at you and you couldn’t relax at all.

Not wanting to bother others, you only kept quiet most of the time and would offer small smiles to them so they wouldn’t worry.

So here you were.

Chopper was in the medical bay with Robin, Nami in the kitchen with Sanji and Luffy, Franky and Usopp on the main deck together, and you were sitting, leaning against the railing, continuously thinking about the events that had occurred.

Unable to stop the deep frown that forms upon your lips, you glance down to the floor of the ship, bringing your hands to your head and knees to your chest with your elbows resting upon them.

"You can stop that now."

Hearing a sudden voice snaps you out of your thoughts and you glance beside you, seeing Zoro with his arms crossed and eyes closed.

"Oh, Zoro.. I didn’t see you there."

Zoro opens an eye and stares at you, ignoring your comment. "You’ve been quiet ever since Ennies Lobby. If it’s about what happened, who cares. Whatever’s bothering you though, we’re here to listen. So don’t keep it to yourself and just tell us."

You purse your lips and turn back to the floorboards. "There’s nothing on my mind, Zoro. Sorry if it seems that way, I’m probably just feeling tired, so I-"

Zoro only stood up and made his way over, you watching him crouch down in front of you with a rather serious expression with narrowed eyes. “What is it?”

By then, the others were all outside on the deck, staring and listening in from where they were.

No one said a word to interrupt, just listening in since they too, noticed how quiet and different you’ve been acting.

You just bit your lip before looking up at him with a smile. “I’m fine, Zoro!”

You stand up and brush off your clothes before smiling at the others who were watching. “I’m okay, I’m just feeling tired lately is all. I’ll go get some sleep.”

Luffy stares blankly at you, the others not convinced either but they didn’t say anything as they watch you begin heading to the bedroom.

When you finally close the door, you lean against it silently before biting your lip and clenching your jaw.

You were silent for a moment, thoughts running through your mind.

‘Even the others are starting to notice huh?’

Unable to hold back the tears forming in your eyes, you silently let them fall as you clenched your fists and held your head down in shame and humiliation.

‘Why did Luffy invite me onto his ship? I’m not fit for a pirate life. I much less don’t deserve to be on the ship of the future Pirate King..’

You punch the ground hard, feeling your knuckles throbbing with pain and a bit of blood forming as you continued to punch the ground in frustration.

‘Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why me?!’

You continued to sit there and cry in silence, unable to stop the flowing tears as you bask in the misery you held.

Unknown to you, the members could hear clearly of your not so silent cries and anger with punching the ship. None of them said anything.

Deciding that it was enough, you knew what you had to do tomorrow.

-

When you woke up from your bed the next day, you were dehydrated and exhausted. You ended up crying yourself to sleep after crawling into bed.

So you got up, made sure your face was washed so it wasn’t so puffy and red. After you deemed yourself decent, you headed up to the kitchen where you found the crew eating.

They all turn to you in silence, a few offering smiles to which you return with your own small one and began heading to the fridge. Sanji was washing dishes, Zoro and Franky sitting on the couch whilst the others sat at the table.

It was quiet.

You open the fridge and grab a bottle of water, opening it up and taking a sip before exhaling softly.

You grip the bottle in your hand after you closed it tightly and then spun on your heel to face the crew, giving them your best smile.

“Hey! So..”

They all look to you, listening closely to see what you had to say.

“Yeah?” Nami asks with her sweet smile, patiently waiting. “What’s up?”

You saw how kind they were towards you, making you chew on your lower lip at their kind expressions.

It made you hesitate on your next words, but you knew you had to.

“Um.. the next time we go stop at an island..” you awkwardly shift your weight to the other foot as you cleared your throat, trying to recollect your thoughts.

“Can..can I maybe stay there? I can stay at the island, or maybe find a trade ship that docks there and ask if they can stop at another island or something!”

Silence overtook the crew.

They certainly weren’t expecting you to say that. They did expect you to insist that you were okay, or maybe talk to them about what happened yesterday.

They never would’ve thought that you would suggest for yourself to leave the crew.

“..No.”

Everyone turns to the owner of the voice, to see their captain with his head lowered and his hat sitting tightly on his head.

“Luffy?” You furrow your brows at his sudden rejection to your suggestion. “Why?”

“You’re asking me why? I already said no, I refuse to let you leave!” Luffy looks up as he shouts, eyes narrowed at you. The outburst startling the crew.

“Why not? I don’t belong here! I’m not fit to be a pirate, much less this one! I don’t understand why you want me here when I’m of no use!”

After having dealt with Usopp’s argument and leave of the crew in the beginning of Water 7, the crew definitely didn’t have the heart to handle another situation like that.

“What the hell are you talking about, [Name]?! I invited you into my crew because I liked you and the crew likes you, so of course you belong here!” Luffy argues, clenching his fists. He didn’t want another repeat of Usopp’s situation either.

“[Name]-Chan, lets calm down and talk this over.” Sanji reasoned, Nami nodding her head in agreement. “[Name], it’ll be okay, lets—“

Usopp couldn’t say anything, the memory of his own event flashing in his eyes and the regret running through his mind.

Chopper was too afraid to interject, tearing up at the thought of you leaving.

Robin frowns slightly, closing her eyes and waited to see what else would happen before stepping in.

Franky was the newest recruit and didn’t think it was his place to stop anything happening yet, but if it grew further, he’d step in.

Zoro was just silent, his eyes closed, but you could see how tense he was.

“Luffy, please! I’m telling you, I’m just useless here! I have no place on this ship. I’m not a cook, a navigator, an archaeologist, a sniper, a swordsman, a shipwright, a doctor and I’m not a muscian!.... I.. I don’t belong here, Luffy.. please.”

Tears welled up in your eyes as you drop your arms to your side, clenching your fists tightly that your nails dug into your own skin to make it bleed.

The others were stunned, unable to say anything as Luffy was growing even more irritated and annoyed with you. “Shut up, [Name]. You’re pissing me off.” He bluntly stated, shocking the others.

He widens his glare at you as he stood up. “YOU’RE MY FRIEND! IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU DONT HAVE ANY SPECIAL POSITION HERE! YOU’RE ON THIS SHIP BECAUSE YOU’RE OUR FRIEND AND WE’RE YOURS, RIGHT?!”

Hearing his words made you gasp as you shut your lips and felt your tears falling faster at it, Luffy getting ready to lunge at you but Franky and Sanji held him back.

“SO STOP CRYING AND DON’T EVER THINK OF YOURSELF AS A BURDEN! I’LL SCREAM IT TO YOU AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS EVERYDAY UNTIL YOU FINALLY REALIZE IT! WE WILL NEVER MAKE YOU CRY TEARS OF SADNESS BECAUSE WE’RE YOUR FRIENDS! ANYONE WHO MAKES YOU SAD IS GONNA FEEL MY WRATH AND I’LL KILL THEM!”

You sobbed harder at his words, dropping to your knees as you brought your hands up to your face to cover it. The bottle long forgotten as the others just stare and Luffy finally calmed down, panting heavily.

They turn to you with small smiles.

“He’s right, [Name].” Nami says softly, Robin nodding along. “Yes. We’re always by your side. You are always our friend, and always welcomed here.”

Nami stood up and began making her way over to your side, crouching down beside you and wrapped an arm around your neck. She smiles brightly at the sight of you sobbing at their kindness.

Franky started tearing up, wiping his eyes. “HOW EMOTIONAL!”

Chopper and Usopp were also sniffling, trying their best to not cry but they couldn’t help it.

Snot already running down their nose as Chopper jumped down and lunges himself into you, clinging on, with his own loud sobs filling the room.

Sanji and Zoro only smiled at their captain’s effect and your figure, knowing that you finally learned how your crew and friends felt.

Suddenly, you felt a hand on top of your head, ruffling up your head a bit and you slowly glance up to see Zoro pressing his hand down on you, a small smirk present on his lips.

"No one is at fault. No one is useless on this ship. The captain invited you onto his ship because you are our friend, someone he cares about and would risk his life for. Everyone on this ship would risk their lives for each other, even if it meant death. You are now part of our crew so that means you too. So don't ever say those words again."

Listening and agreeing with the swordsman, they all offer you their signature smiles, your eyes widening more at them as you wipe your tears.

Seeing their contagious smiles, you couldn’t help but give your own genuine smile through your tears.

"Thank you.. everyone.”

Luffy, no longer feeling the anger from just moments prior, secures the hat on top of his head before grinning widely at you.

“Of course!”

You weren’t a burden. You weren’t useless. There was always a place for you here. You were part of their family, and they’d die for you.

-

A/N : This might seemed a little rushed or all over the place, so sorry ;-;

[chenziee]

Six: The Celebration

Day 6: BBQ/Movie night for @opnamizine​‘s Tangerine Summer :D Barely grazed the prompts this time but in my defence, making up a video dial and coming up with some way for them to find one that made sense would be too complicated so you get an alternative xD

Heads up for minor LawLu again because I have no self-control.

[Read on AO3 | Read from day 1]

----------

“Here you go, Nami-san.”

The navigator smiled as she accepted the plate that was handed to her. “Thank you, Sanji,” she said, admiring the smell of perfectly cooked meat.

Honestly, Sanji had them all so spoiled, like dining at a 5 star restaurant three times a day plus snacks. And yet, he always outdid himself. Apparently, even something as simple as a barbecue could be made into a work of art, even when making it for all the people who had survived their raid of Onigashima—and not just their crew, Torao’s crew, the samurai, and the minks. No, it was for everyone they had picked up along the way as well. Including the Kid pirates, the rebels, the prisoners and the yakuza, and even some of the Beast pirates that were now somehow Tama’s pets, it was hundreds, thousands of people.

Even with help of many other cooks, Sanji still had more than enough work on his hands but… he looked like he was enjoying himself immensely and Nami was glad. When she remembered how sad, cold and unhappy he was when they had finally found him on Whole Cake Island, it was like he was a different person. Like he was alive.  

“You don’t forget to eat, too,” Nami teased, chuckling when Sanji froze and blinked at her owlishly, eyes wide with shock.

“I— Thank you, Nami-san,” he said after a moment, looking away, and Nami was pretty sure that was a blush on his face.

It was cute how he always got caught off guard when someone looked out for him for a change. If this was a few weeks ago, Nami could just hear the ‘Aww, Nami-swan, you’re so beautiful when you’re kind!’ and see his dramatic, love-struck flailing. He always did that when trying to deflect and brush off things that might affect him but at last, it looked like he was putting in an effort to get used to it; slowly learning to accept the care and love his friends were giving him.

Nami smiled, a genuine, happy smile, as she nodded and turned away. They would teach Sanji to be kind to himself yet. After all, the Straw Hats were nothing if not stubborn.

That was a problem for later, however.

Tonight, they were celebrating.

The trip back towards the stage was short but given how the Komurasaki was one of the performing geishas and dancers, it was no surprise that the area beneath was packed. And with a plate overflowing with food, it was almost a miracle that she managed to make her way through the crowd and back to her friends without any incident.

When she finally sat down on the ground in between Robin and Luffy, she let out a relieved sigh. “Here, Sanji’s special barbecue,” she announced.

Immediately, everyone cheered quietly as to not interrupt the music and dancing too much before grabbing for the plate, in a hurry to steal some for themselves before Luffy could get to it.

But then… Luffy didn’t.

Exchanging a worried glance with the rest of the crew, Nami went to ask what was wrong but before she could so much as open her mouth, Tama spoke up instead. “Mm this is so tasty!” she said, the happiness in her voice almost tangible.

“I know, right?” Luffy grinned proudly. “Sanji’s cooking is amazing.”

“Aren’t you going to eat, big bro?” she asked then, her cheeks puffed up with all the food in her mouth.

Luffy shook his head, petting Tama’s head where she sat in between his legs and looked back at him questioningly. With a soft smile, Luffy finally replied, “Nope, I’m stuffed. You can have my portion if you want.”

Tama’s face split up in a blinding smile, nodding enthusiastically before she turned her focus back on the pile of meat in front of her. Luffy simply watched her, that soft expression still on her face and Nami… felt like the whole world turned upside down. Luffy letting someone else have all his food. Luffy. Unbelievable.

Blinking a few times, Nami noticed everyone else was staring at the scene with an open mouth, obviously just as shocked as she felt. It was only a long while later that slowly, she turned to her other side to exchange a look with Robin. The other woman was covering her mouth to hide a smile—or likely muffle her laughter, judging by the way her eyes danced with joy—and, guessing easily that they were thinking the same thing, Nami, too, had to laugh.

Shaking her head, she followed Robin’s example to look at Torao, who was sitting on Luffy’s other side. “I think your boyfriend just adopted your first child. Congratulations,” she told him sincerely, biting at her bottom lip to try and keep her expression at least remotely straight at the face Law made.

"I did not consent to this," Torao replied, frowning deeply as he glared at Luffy, then Tama, then Luffy again.

"I honestly don't think anyone ever consented to anything with Luffy," Usopp noted helpfully.

A large pout appeared on Luffy's face as he crossed his arms over his chest. "But you're fine with it!"

"Again, Straw Hat-ya. That's not the point." Law let go of a long-suffering sigh, looking so incredibly tired. Nami wondered how many years of his life this poor man had lost over the last two, maybe three months since they had run into him.

But well, that was just a part of the course with Luffy—or their crew as a whole, really. And even if everyone complained about it, no one could deny the post-victory celebrations were well worth all the stress and… adjusted plans.

Nami, for one, certainly couldn't.

Ignoring the bickering couple and laughing friends, Nami turned her attention to the entertainment. She had to admit, it was pretty obvious why Hiyori became the oiran; she was beautiful up there, even without full make up or her hair styled the elaborate way she used to wear before. It was as if she was born for the stage. And the happiness radiating off of her, the relief from Wano's hard-fought, finally achieved freedom, was only making her more mesmerizing. Just looking at her move gracefully as she played on her shamisen, full of energy and not fighting her wide smile, it made Nami so incredibly happy as well.

Ever since she had set sail with Luffy, Nami had witnessed several times the pure joy of a country being rid of their tyrants, thanks to Luffy. She had been one of the people he had saved this way. But seeing it, hearing it, being at the centre of it… it never got old.

And if the celebration came with amazing food and plenty of booze, friends and laughter, and gifts of golden dragon statues from the shogun's castle, who was she to turn away?

[purplehairedwonder]

Hearts With(out) Chains Chapter 6

Fandom: One Piece Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Gen (eventual Lawlu) Words: 4125 Characters: Trafalgar Law, Vergo, Donquixote Doflamingo, Bepo, Penguin, Shachi, Monet, Caesar Clown, Sanji, Nami, Chopper, Franky, Smoker, Tashigi, Monkey D. Luffy Note: I’m taking my turn at the Corazon!Law AU because my brain won’t leave me alone until this is written down. Tags will be updated as the chapters come out.

The story title is based on the Ellie Goulding song “Hearts Without Chains.”

Summary: Law is reclaimed by the Family when he’s 17 and, with Doflamingo holding the lives of his crew as collateral for his good behavior, eventually becomes the third Corazon. Years later, trapped by his impossible situation, Law can’t help but resent Monkey D. Luffy for offering a glimpse of something he’s repeatedly had ripped away from him: hope.

Previous chapters: Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Read also at AO3 / FF.N

“And where am I going?”

“Punk Hazard. We’ve had reports of some unwanted pests on the island. I need you to take care of them.”

Law frowned. Punk Hazard was meant to be off-limits to pirates and Marines alike since Caesar Clown’s poison gas bomb had turned the island into a wasteland. The fight between Aokiji and Akainu had only further cemented Punk Hazard as a place to avoid, as their abilities had completely altered the landscape. It shouldn’t even be accessible by log pose. Which, of course, made it the perfect location for Doflamingo’s purposes. Who would be there now?

“What kind of pests?” he asked.

Doflamingo waved a hand. “Vice Admiral Smoker is sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong again.”

Law’s lips curled upward once more, and he inclined his head as he looked at Vergo. “Shouldn’t you be keeping your men under better control, Vergo?” He tsked. “No wonder you can’t handle this yourself.”

Vergo’s expression tightened. “You insolent—” He cut himself off as Doflamingo cleared his throat. “Smoker has been a concern since he transferred to G-5,” Vergo admitted as he turned back to Doffy. “I’ve been waiting for the best time for him to have an accident.” He glanced at Law. “And that’s Vergo­-san, to you, boy.”

“It’s Corazon to you, Vice Admiral,” Law retorted, still smirking, “not ‘boy.’”

“As I am unfortunately reminded,” Vergo sneered. “Truly, my successors have left much to be desired.”

Law’s grip around Kikoku tightened at the reference to Cora-san. He knew Vergo was trying to get a rise out of him and that Doflamingo was watching his reaction, so he forced his fingers to relax and left the smirk playing at his lips.

“And yet,” he drawled, “only one of us can go on this mission.”

Vergo opened his mouth to retort, but Doffy interrupted. “Enough bickering.” He turned to Law. “Smoker and his men aren’t the only pests Monet has reported.” He gave Law a long, searching look, which set Law’s teeth on edge, before elaborating. “The Straw Hat Pirates are also on the island.”

Law’s breath left him in a rush, the name so unexpected on Doffy’s lips that it struck him like a blow. There had been no news of the Straw Hats in two years; what were the odds they would reappear in Doflamingo’s territory?

He thought again of the pull in his chest he’d done his best to bury over the last two years and the urgings of the Sisters back in Flevance to always look and listen for signs of something bigger than ourselves in the world. Even Bepo, when they were younger, had talked about Minks’ connection to the Earth and how they looked to her for signs.

Law swallowed.

“That won’t be a problem, will it, Corazon?”

Law, with no little effort, schooled his features into something he hoped was apathetic. “No problem. I will take care of it.”

Doffy nodded. “I know you will.” Though Law couldn’t see his eyes behind those glasses, he could still feel the intensity in the Warlord’s gaze. “You know how important it is that the SAD production not be interrupted.”

“Of course,” he said, bowing slightly. “I’ll make arrangements to leave immediately.”

“There’s an SAD tanker heading for Punk Hazard in an hour. You can take that.”

Law nodded his understanding and turned to exit the office.

“Corazon.”

Law paused and looked back at Doflamingo, wary.

“I’m counting on you.”

Law stiffened at the implication in the tone, and memories of Doflamingo’s fingers around his throat sprang unbidden to mind. Over the last two years, Doffy had taken an… interest in Law’s neck, as though seeing the marks he’d left behind that day in the Suit Room had awoken some primal urge. Sometimes he touched gently, almost reverently, while others he squeezed hard enough to leave bruises blooming across the abused skin. Once, Law had been forced to sign to communicate for several days as his throat had healed from Doffy’s attentions.

And sometimes it wasn’t bruises left behind but bites. Law regularly sported some type of mark from Doffy’s affections, but the neck markings in particular were nearly impossible to hide the next day, making them Doffy’s favorite way of reminding Law who he belonged to.

As though Law needed any further reminder.

He nodded at Doflamingo. “Young Master,” he said in acknowledgment then left the room.

-----

“You allow him too much,” Vergo said once the door had closed behind Law.

Doflamingo raised an eyebrow at Vergo. “Oh?”

Vergo’s lips curled in disdain. Those two just could not play nicely. “He’s insolent.”

Doflamingo snorted. “That he is. He has been since he was a child.” Once a boy with bombs strapped to his chest looking to destroy the world, Law had risen to second in command of a Warlord and king. Doffy had to admit that he was rather fond of Law’s insolence.

In moderation.

It had taken time and numerous lessons since his return to the Family to break down the boy’s more rebellious instincts, but the Corazon he had become was exactly the second he’d always thought Law could become.

It was too bad that one day his reign as second would have to end in sacrifice to Doflamingo’s immortality, but Law wasn’t ready yet. Doflamingo was patient and more than happy to make use of his Corazon until Law learned it was his fate to die for Doflamingo.

Vergo eyed him for a moment, clearly weighing what he wanted to say to his liege.

“Speak freely, Vergo,” Doflamingo said, leaning back in his chair. Vergo was one of the few people he truly allowed such liberties, as he had been with him since they were children.

“He will betray you. Just like my successor did.”

Doflamingo scowled at the mention of his brother, but Vergo had earned that familiarity. It was an old argument they’d had since Law had returned to the Family nearly a decade earlier. Vergo remembered the boy in the snow helping Rosinante in trying to bring down the Family. And Vergo’s loyalty lay entirely with Doflamingo, so he did not forgive treason.

“I’m well aware of the influence Rosinante had on him,” Doflamingo replied, thinking back to a teenage Law’s snarled defense of Rosinante the day they’d reunited in the North Blue: Cora-san saved me. I am alive today because of him. Little did he know, his precious Cora-san had condemned him by feeding him that Fruit; Doflamingo had never intended for Law to eat the Ope Ope no Mi because Law was more valuable to him as his future second than as a sacrificial pawn. But now there was no choice.

“That’s why I’ve taken precautions to ensure his continued loyalty.”

“He betrayed you at Marineford,” Vergo pointed out, “even with those precautions.” They had argued for days after Law had saved Straw Hat and Jimbei. Despite Vergo’s protestations, Doflamingo hadn’t been willing to rid himself of the potential he saw in Law.

And he’d been right, of course.

“I made sure he learned his lesson,” Doflamingo replied. “His loyalty has been impeccable since.”

Doflamingo could not have planned a better lesson in loyalty than one of Law’s closest friends losing an arm in the Colosseum. Something, it seemed, had broken in Law then, all ideas of rebellion washed away in his friend’s blood on the Colosseum’s stone ring. He’d been the ideal subordinate since. He’d withdrawn from his crew, devoting himself entirely to the Family—to Doflamingo—and Doflamingo took every opportunity to assert his complete ownership of his Corazon, his Heart.

Perhaps Doflamingo liked Law’s insolence because it was a reminder that, even as Law submitted to Doflamingo, he was still in there, the boy who wanted to destroy the world after it had destroyed his.

Still, Doflamingo saw the presence of the Straw Hats on Punk Hazard as the perfect test to make sure the loyalty he now displayed was real.

Vergo was clearly not persuaded by Doflamingo’s assertions, so the Warlord shrugged.

“You know I’d like you to stay,” he said. They never had enough time together with Vergo’s duties to the Marines keeping him away. “But if you’re so concerned about Corazon’s loyalty, go to Punk Hazard to keep an eye on him.” Vergo straightened, surprised but pleased. He’d wanted to be the one to take care of the mess in the first place. “But don’t blow your cover. You are too valuable to me.”

Vergo nodded and rose to his feet. “By your leave, Young Master.”

-----

When Law returned to his room, he found a folder on his desk with a copy of Monet’s reports about Smoker, G-5, and the Straw Hats. He flipped through the pages then closed the folder; he’d look at them more thoroughly during the ship ride. Caesar’s lab was on the snowy side of the island, so he changed into warmer clothing and grabbed his heavy coat from his wardrobe.

Punk Hazard was only a few hours from Dressrosa by ship, and Law did not expect this errand to take long so he didn’t pack anything else. After putting his Den Den Mushi in his pocket, he hefted Kikoku to his shoulder and took the folder and his coat. He thought about stopping by his crew’s wing to tell them where he was going but decided against it. He didn’t have much time before the tanker left.

As he approached the front gate of the palace, he slowed at the sight of three figures. He grimaced as Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin came into focus. They looked up when they heard him approach.

“Captain,” Bepo greeted hesitantly.

“What are you three doing here?” Law asked, looking between them. He had his suspicions about who might have ratted him out.

“Going somewhere?” Penguin asked, nodding at the folder and coat in Law’s arms.

“Mission.”

“By yourself?” Shachi asked, frowning.

“This shouldn’t take long. Just a quick clean up,” Law evaded.

“We could help make it go even faster,” Penguin said.

Bepo nodded. “We want to help.”

Law frowned. “It’s not necessary. I should be back by tomorrow.”

“But—” Bepo started.

“Captain’s orders,” Law interrupted, voice harsher than he intended.

Bepo shrank in on himself and murmured an apology. Law knew Bepo didn’t deserve that—none of them did—but it was the only way he could keep them safe.

“You want to pull that,” Penguin said, crossing his arms defiantly, “maybe you should start acting like a captain again.”

Law recoiled as if Penguin had struck him.

“We haven’t seen you in weeks. And when you do stop by, you barely speak. You don’t take us on missions, even though we’re way more useful than that idiot Buffalo,” Penguin went on.

“I know you spooked when I lost my arm,” Shachi added, voice more neutral than Penguin’s. “But it’s not your fault.”

“Of course it is,” Law snapped, feeling suddenly fragile as his best friends confronted him. Two years’ worth of guilt and frustration had left his emotions jagged and broken, and it was inevitable those sharp edges would hurt them—and here they were. “I made the choice to go to Marineford and save Straw Hat-ya. I made the choice to stay on Amazon Lily for weeks, knowing you all would pay the price. I was selfish and look what happened.”

“No, Law,” Bepo said quietly. Law startled. “That wasn’t being selfish. You saved Straw Hat Luffy and Jimbei when no one else could have.” Bepo swallowed. “And I’m sorry, but you’re being selfish now.”

Law sucked in a breath.

“Locking yourself up in your guilt and pain—”

“And not letting us help!” Penguin interjected.

“—that’s self-centered,” Bepo finished. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re not this person you’ve let yourself become,” Shachi added fiercely. “They might think of you as Corazon,” he said, nodding toward the palace, “but to us, you’re Captain.”

Law’s chest tightened as his friends spoke, his face heating. “I…” He swallowed, unsure of what to do with the twisting in his chest. “I have to go.”

And like the coward that he was, Law fled.

-----

It was mid-afternoon when the SAD tanker anchored at Punk Hazard. Law eyed the island curiously. While he knew about the production going on in the lab, he’d never been to the island. He didn’t bother waiting for the gangplank, switching places with a pile of rope on the dock. According to the map of the lab in his folder, there should be a back entrance Law could use to gain entry. From there, he would need to find Monet and Caesar Clown for any updates before completing his task.

There was gas on the air, so Law opened a small Room around himself to keep the poison out as he walked toward the back door. He Shambled himself inside and made his way down the hallway. The sound of approaching footsteps alerted him to Monet’s presence before he saw her.

“Corazon, you’re here,” she greeted.

Law nodded and she turned to lead him back to the lab. Law fell in step with her.

“Well?” he asked. “What’s happening?”

She gave him a level look, one that belied the apparent chaos happening elsewhere on the island. “Half the Straw Hats are inside the building, trying to remove the children. We have soldiers confronting them, but G-5 is also in the building.”

Law didn’t think she sounded particularly bothered by this, but that could also just be Monet’s overall flat affect. He’d always had a hard time getting a good read on her.

“And the others?” he prompted.

“They’re somewhere on the island. Caesar sent the Yeti Cool Brothers after them.”

Law didn’t know much about them, other than that Caesar employed them as assassins. He rarely needed their services, considering the isolated nature of the island.

“But you don’t think they’ll be successful.” Otherwise, why was Law here?

Monet shrugged. “Hard to know, considering the Straw Hats have been inactive for two years. We have no way of knowing how strong they might have become.”

And as far as Law knew, Straw Hat had been training with Silvers Rayleigh—though he’d done his best not to think about that—for the last two years. There was no telling what he might have learned from the Dark King in that time.

They stopped in front of a large door, which slid open to admit them into the control room. Inside, Caesar stood watching monitors. The clown turned as Monet and Law entered. He brightened when he saw Law.

“Corazon!” he greeted. “You’re here! Finally.”

“Joker sent me to clean up your mess, Caesar-ya,” Law replied, disinterested.

Caesar prickled at that but knew better than to argue with an executive. He nodded at the monitors. “Half the Straw Hats and G-5 have overwhelmed my men in the Biscuit Room.” On the screen, numerous figures in gas suits were scattered across the floor. “They just went running toward the front entrance.”

“Together?” Law asked, raising an eyebrow as he studied the monitors, getting a sense of the scene.

“It seems they both want to retrieve the children,” Monet said, also looking at the monitors. “They must be working together temporarily.”

Caesar waved a dismissive hand. “No matter. The children will be begging to return in no time. But the pirates and Marines are a problem.”

“And the others?” Law asked. He didn’t see Straw Hat on any of the monitors. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

“In the mountains somewhere, probably dead,” Caesar said. “We don’t have a feed out there.” He shrugged and chuckled. “Shurororo. The Yeti Cool Brothers have never been defeated.”

“Don’t underestimate them,” Law murmured as he studied the monitors. Caesar made an irritated noise, but Law ignored him, having made his decision. “I’ll cut the Straw Hats and Marines off at the front gate and take care of them there. I’ll find the rest after.”

If Caesar or Monet had any objections, Law didn’t stick around to hear them; he opened a Room all the way out of the building and switched places with a snowflake. Without dropping his Room, he stood outside then, waiting for his targets to come through the open front gate.

He didn’t have to wait long.

“There’s the door!” a female voice echoed through the hall.

“Hurry!” another yelled. “We’ll get on the ship and take you home!”

Law shoved any concern for the children’s wellbeing down with all his other inconvenient emotions, locking it down in the box he’d created after Marineford. He had a job to do. And it wasn’t like his childhood had been spared either. His had ended the moment Lami had collapsed at the festival. The world was a cold, unforgiving place.

The mixed group of pirates, Marines, and children poured out of the gate moments later but slowed to a halt on the steps when they saw Law blocking their path. At the front of the group, Smoker and several Straw Hats were eyeing him. He briefly noted the presence of the samurai, Kin’emon, who had been mentioned in Monet’s reports as well; unlike the others, he was meant to be kept alive, though Law didn’t know why.

“What the—” Black Leg growled.

“I recognize him from Sabaody!” the cat burglar said, eyes wide.

“Corazon,” Smoker said. “That explains a lot.”

“What does it explain?” the tanuki asked.

“Corazon is the second in command of the Donquixote Pirates,” the swordswoman said. “If he’s here, that means this place must be one of Donquixote Doflamingo’s operations.”

“So, you’re behind this?” the cat burglar sneered. “You can’t have the children back, you monster!”

“When did you get here?” Smoker demanded.

“Just now,” Law replied. “Word was there were some pests on the island that needed exterminating.” He unsheathed Kikoku, the blade humming in anticipation. “And I’m afraid you know too much, White Chase-ya, so I can’t let you leave.”

Smoker drew his jitte, and the swordswoman unsheathed her blade. The soldiers of G-5 drew their rifles. Black Leg and the cyborg stepped forward. Law might have laughed at the futility of their actions; they were in his Room and at his mercy. Despite the reputation he’d earned for himself, though, he wasn’t interested in pointless violence. He’d take care of this quickly.

The soldiers fired a hail of bullets first, but with a twitch of his fingers, he switched the bullets with snowflakes; they fell harmlessly to the ground.

“What the hell happened?” the soldiers yelped.

“How about some bigger ammo?” the cyborg declared, firing a large blast.

Law Shambled out of the way, allowing the blast to destroy a boulder in the distance.

The swordswoman jumped into action, charging at him. “Corazon!”

Smoker yelled a warning at his second, but she ignored him.

Law let her get close before swinging Kikoku. She gasped as her upper and lower halves split in two, falling to the snowy ground. The top of her sliced sword clattered away, useless.

“Captain-chan!”

“Tashigi-chan! Are you alive?”

Black Leg growled and jumped into action. “How dare you do that to a beautiful lady?!”

Law rolled his eyes and threw up Kikoku to block Black Leg’s kick. Black Leg jumped back, and Law sliced his blade. Black Leg and Smoker jumped out of the path of the cut, but the remaining G-5 soldiers suddenly found themselves in pieces. They yelled in surprise at still being alive. Law ignored them, turning back to his remaining opponents.

“What kind of power is that?” the cat burglar asked from where she and the tanuki stood protectively in front of the children.

“The Ope Ope no Mi,” Smoker said. “It gives the user the ability to create an operating room and operate on the world around them. As long as we’re in his circle, we’re at his mercy.”

“Where’s the edge of the circle?” the cyborg asked, looking around for the edge of the blue dome.

Law’s lips twitched. He’d pushed himself over the last two years to drastically increase the size of the Room he could create and the length of time he could hold it. His Room now extended into the water.

“If we take him out, it won’t matter!” Black Leg declared, racing at Law once more.

Law dodged his kicks, deflecting them with Kikoku. He realized too late that he was being driven, though; his haki flared, and he barely dodged Smoker’s strike, the jitte grazing his cheek.

“That nasty energy,” Law hissed. “There’s Seastone on the end of your jitte.” Dangerous. Law had gotten cocky, and it had almost cost him. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Smoker swung his jitte again, and Law deflected it. His haki flared again, and he jumped to avoid another blast from the cyborg then Shambled away to put some distance between himself and his opponents.

“Corazon,” a growl came from his side.

Law looked down, surprised to see he’d Shambled himself near the halved swordswoman. There was fire in her eyes, despite her defeat.

“At least kill me if you’re going to cut me down,” she snapped. “You’ve shamed me.”

Law gave her an unimpressed look. He couldn’t look at a Marine without seeing the carnage of Flevance in his mind’s eye. “Your shame isn’t my problem,” he retorted coldly. “Remember this well: the weak don’t get to choose how they die.”

Doflamingo had beaten that lesson into him more times than Law could count; Law himself wasn’t given that choice. He knew Doflamingo had plans for his death, though the Warlord didn’t know Law had overheard his words on Minion Island.

She snarled her rage and tried to jump at him with just her upper body and her broken sword. Law raised Kikoku, ready to cut her down further, but his blade was kicked aside by Black Leg. Kikoku flew from his grip, and Law cursed under his breath.

“Don’t you know how to treat a lady?” Black Leg barked.

Law threw up his hands, feeling the charge grow in his hands. As Black Leg’s momentum brought him close to Law, Law pushed his thumbs into Black Leg’s chest and let the burst go. Counter shock.

“She’s no lady,” Law hissed as Black Leg flew backward and hit the ground, rolling. “She’s a Marine.”

“Sanji!” the Straw Hats yelled in alarm.

Black Leg tried to push himself up but dropped back down to the ground. Law turned away and walked over to his sword. He picked up Kikoku and surveyed the scene. The swordswoman, Black Leg, and the G-5 soldiers were out of commission for the time being. That left Smoker, the cyborg, Kin’emon, the cat burglar, the tanuki, and the children. The children simply needed to be returned to the lab. Smoker, the cyborg, and the samurai were the most dangerous men left standing.

“Corazon!” Smoker roared and charged Law once more.

Law braced himself for Smoker’s frontal attack then started when Smoker turned partially to smoke. The jitte came at him from behind; Law dodged but the end of the jitte still slammed into his shoulder. Law immediately felt his strength disappear and his Room drop from the effects of the Seastone tip.

Law hit the ground and rolled away, his strength returning. He pushed back to his feet and immediately threw a Room back up. He cursed himself; he’d shown a weakness his enemies could exploit.

Smoker followed Law, stabbing his jitte again and again. Law dodged as Smoker chased him. Law Shambled a bit farther ahead then whirled around, throwing up a hand. He lifted a finger and a rock pillar erupted from the ground. Smoker’s eyes widened but he dodged. Law lifted one pillar after another until Smoker was right in front of him. Smoker raised his jitte to strike, but Law lifted one more pillar, pulling Smoker up short. With Smoker off-balance, Law used Mes to cut straight through the rock and into Smoker’s chest.

Smoker wheezed as his heart was ejected from his body and collapsed against the pillar.

“Smoker-san!” the swordswoman cried.

Law straightened and Shambled the heart into his hand. The heart of a vice admiral could be a good bargaining chip. He pocketed it.

“Is that…” the cat burglar gasped.

“His heart!” the tanuki confirmed, eyes wide.

Law turned back toward the steps, where the remaining figures stood. The samurai put a hand to his sword while the cyborg stepped in front of the group. Law hefted Kikoku but froze at the sound of a familiar voice, that pull in his chest jerking hard enough to steal his breath.

“Oi!” Straw Hat called. “What’s going on?”

Next chapter

[deathlikesdeep-dish]

The Razr (Zoro AU Scenario)

Hi guys!

I’m so flattered that I’ve had some people join me here on this fun writing journey!! I truly truly do a little happy dance every time I get a follow. :D 

I keep meaning to just sit down and write a quick lil somethin somethin, but it always ends up longer than I intend 😅

This is a headcanon I came up with about Zoro having a crazy outdated flip phone that he refused to get rid of and his friends finally forced him to get a smartphone so he could use GPS. 

It turned out a little more serious and emotional than I originally intended, but I’m pretty pleased with it!! Would love to get y’alls feedback. 

xx

Warnings: obscene amounts of fluff, language 

Word Count: 1862

“Zoro, where the fuck are you??” Nami yelled on the other end of the phone. He could hear the irritation in her voice.

He groaned and rubbed his hand over his face in frustration. “I really don’t know, Nami. I think I made a wrong turn,” He paused and sighed. “Or two? Shit, I don’t know.”

Zoro could hear Nami yelling on the other end of the line, and he placed his phone in the cup holder, knowing that this might be a while. He hit his head a few times on the steering wheel of his car, closing his eyes as he waited for her to finish screeching. He was used to this. He knew that he wasn’t the most directionally adept member of his friend group, but he got by….when others were around.

What made matters worse is that Zoro absolutely refused to get rid of his ancient, bulky flip phone, a fact that Nami never failed to bring up in situations just like this. He didn’t see a point in getting a new phone when his old one worked just fine. He thought back to a conversation he’d had about it just the other day with his friends.

-

“Bro, you’ve gotta be kidding me,” Their newest friend Franky said upon seeing Zoro pull his phone out of his pocket. “A fucking Motorola Razr? That thing has gotta be 10 years old!”

“It’s actually 12 years old,” Luffy chimed in with a laugh. “It was Kuina’s before it was Zoro’s.”

“Kuina? Who’s Kuina?” Franky asked. Zoro tensed up at the mention of her name, and the room went silent. Even Luffy noticed that he’d made a mistake in bringing her up. Zoro squeezed the phone tightly in his pocket.

Kuina was Zoro’s older sister. Five years his senior, Kuina had used the phone as her own for several years before she upgraded and passed it to Zoro. At first, he resented that she always got the newest stuff, and that he got the hand-me-downs. Now, he wouldn’t dream of letting it go. Kuina had died in a tragic accident just a couple years back. She was only 25. This phone was one of the only things that she had ever given him that was hers, along with the family katana that had been passed down for generations.

“Sorry, Zoro,” Luffy murmured, stuffing a bite of food into his mouth uncomfortably. Zoro simply grumbled in response with a shrug.

“Still,” Nami ventured tentatively. “Maybe it would be helpful for you to get a smartphone sometime soon. They all come with GPS systems built in.”

“And what’s wrong with a map?” Zoro snapped back.

“Well, nothing…” Nami said.

“Unless you can’t actually read it!” Luffy shouted out, not able to help himself. He cackled. Zoro shot him a glare, and he laughed even more. He crossed his arms over his broad chest.

“Yeah, well whatever. Next time I get lost, I’ll get a fucking smartphone. Deal?” Zoro said, to get them off his back more than anything.

Nami’s eyes lit up conspiratorially. “Don’t say stuff like that unless you mean it, Zoro.”

Zoro waved her off. They all knew that he certainly wasn’t going to purchase his own phone, so it was a moot point. It worked perfectly fine. Plus, it was hers. He’d keep it as long as it worked.

-

He was pulled from his reverie by Nami yelling his name.

“ZORO,” She yelled. He picked his phone back up and placed it at his ear.

“Goddamn it, Nami. I fucking know I suck at directions, please stop bitching at me,” He growled.

She started to say something, but stopped herself with a sigh. “Ugh. You exhaust me.” She replied.

“What else is new?” He snapped back.

“Whatever, Zoro. I just can’t believe you got lost on the way to your own birthday party.”

“Like I even care about this shit anyway,” He said. “It’s you and Luffy that always insist on throwing a party in the first place.”

“Hey man, don’t pretend like you don’t like eating food and getting shit-faced.”

He rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything. He knew he didn’t have an argument there.

“Can you see a street sign anywhere?” Nami finally asked after a few moments when there was no reply.

Zoro looked up towards the streetlight and squinted at a sign in the distance. “Yeah, it looks like I’m at the corner of Alabasta and Logue Town drive.”

“Thank Christ,” Nami sighed. “You’re not that far. I’ll send Franky and Sanji to go get you.”

Zoro groaned. “Why does Sanji have to come? Doesn’t he have a fucking cake to bake or something?”

“They need to go out and get a few things from the store,” Nami said. “Listen, you’re the one that’s lost. Suck it up.”

“Ugh. Fine. See you soon.” He hung up, not wanting to hear anything else.

It took Franky and Sanji about 10 minutes to get to him.Thankfully, they just decided to have Zoro follow behind them in his car rather than ride together. Zoro wasn’t sure he could stop himself from punching that jackass directly in the face if he said anything to him.

They finally got back to Robin’s house where they were having the party. Robin was for sure the most adult out of any of them. She’d already bought this crazy historic home and had a job at an archeology firm while everybody else was living in shitty, thrown-together apartment complexes, eating pizza rolls and beer for every meal.

Sanji had looked like he was going to start some shit when they got out of the car, but decided against it when Zoro gave him a look. Plus, Sanji thought, it’s the guy’s birthday. Probably should lay off for one night.

Everyone was pleased to see him, and only gave him a moderately hard time about getting lost on the way to his own party. And despite himself, Zoro gave in to the jovial atmosphere. A few beers certainly helped. By the time he and Luffy had teamed up to play beer pong against Law and Usopp (“Sniper-king, my ass,” Zoro had thought to himself on Usopp’s third consecutive loss), Zoro was feeling pretty damn good. These were his people. They’d been the ones that were there for him. Even when new friends were added to the group, they’d always fit in. Luffy was the usual recruiter, and he somehow managed to find some cool-ass people.

The best time to give Zoro any gifts, Nami had discovered, was when he was sufficiently plastered enough to not object to them. Zoro was always more affectionate and willing to be the recipient of attention when he was drunk.

“Alright!” Nami announced over the blare of the music. “It’s present time, you degenerates! Sit your asses down!”

Franky turned the music down from his smartwatch, lowering it to a dull roar. Zoro was feeling warm and smiley, so he didn’t object when Robin lead him to the couch in the middle of the living room to receive his gift.

“What did y’all fuckers get me this time?” Zoro laughed, slurring a bit as he talked.

Nami rolled her eyes and Luffy just bounced excitedly from the armchair across the room. No matter how much he had to drink, it would seem, Luffy was always one big ball of energy.

“Remember,” Nami said, handing him a small, delicately wrapped box. “You promised.”

Zoro furrowed his brow, confusedly. “I promised?” He started to open the box, a bit nervous all of a sudden about what he would find under the shiny paper.

When he finally finished unwrapping the box, he froze. In his hand, he found a brand new iPhone. He looked up at his friends, knowing how much something like this cost.

“Guys, this is ridiculous,” He said, not knowing exactly how he felt.

“Stop,” Nami said, holding a hand up.

“Yeah, we all pitched in! Even Sanji!” Luffy grinned from his chair. “So no take backsies!”

He looked up at the room full of expectant faces, flushed from the alcohol and the good company. There was a pit in his stomach. On the one hand, he was angry. They knew how he felt about his phone. They knew what it meant to him. It wasn’t just a stupid phone. On the other hand, he was touched. Touched that his friends had come together to help him out. He found himself putting his hand in his pocket, thumbing over the ancient flip-phone that had once been hers.

“Guys, my phone works perfectly well,” He managed after swallowing. “This is completely unnecessary.”

“C’mon man,” Usopp clapped his hand on his shoulder. “You know it isn’t unnecessary. Do you need a reminder that you got lost on the way to your own party tonight?” He laughed.

Zoro remained silent, one hand gripping the new phone, and the other deep in the pocket of his pants.

“So, of course, we figured that you’d feel this way,” Robin chimed in. “So, that’s only one part of the gift.”

Zoro snapped his head towards Robin, the crease in his brow deepening. She pulled out another box from behind her back and handed it to him. This one was slightly larger, and a bit heavier. He peeled back the wrapping paper.

“It’s a shadow box,” Franky said. “So you can still keep your old phone, too.”

“Just on display on the shelf,” Nami said. “Instead of in your pocket.”

“We know how much it means to you, mosshead,” Sanji grumbled from the doorway. “You don’t have to get rid of the old phone. So, just accept the gift already.”

Zoro felt himself get teary-eyed. He told himself it was the alcohol as he wiped his hand over his eyes before tears could fall down his cheeks. “Thanks guys,” Was all he could manage.

Knowing that he needed the attention off of him, his friends just laughed and cheered, turning the music up to get back to the party. Franky spent the rest of the evening helping set up Zoro’s phone and showing him all of the functions that he would have access to. Zoro was still so overwhelmed, but he tried to make himself pay attention. Finally, and most importantly, Franky downloaded Google Maps and showed him how to use it. Zoro pocketed the phone with a slight smile and a ‘thank you.’ It felt heavy and big in the back pocket of his jeans. His heart felt heavy too. He couldn’t help but feel like this was the end of something. But somewhere, he knew that Kuina would be looking down on him, so happy that he had found such thoughtful friends.

Luffy raised his glass for a toast. “To Zoro! And never getting lost again!”

The rest of them raised their glasses, looking over to Zoro expectantly as they waited for him to raise his glass too. He reached for his beer and raised it slightly with a smirk.

“You motherfuckers are gonna regret this,” He grinned finally. “Getting lost was my only character defect. Now I’ll be unstoppable.”

[citrus-himmel]

   ✉ @shambledsurgeon​ said:    Sorry - Our muses having sex after an argument

This got.. so fucking long. These were only supposed to be drabbles. Apparently a drabble to me is almost 5k words. Whatever. Hope you like. :) Rating: Explicit Words: 4,662

Law was pissed. No, pissed wasn't right; he was livid. The grip on Nami's wrist was a little too tight, his thumb and forefinger digging slightly into the bone. It wasn't painful, not really, but still let her know he wasn't pleased. He probably didn't even realize the strength he was putting into his hold, too focussed on getting them out of hearing range of his crew. This was the first time they'd seen each other in just over two weeks, both crews having gone off to do their own things when they had the chance during a small lull in battles. In that time, the Straw Hats had found themselves in a couple of scuffles, no thanks to Luffy and his uncanny ability to find trouble around every corner, and in one of said fights Nami found herself injured. It was just a couple of bruised ribs, nothing serious, and definitely not something that warranted Law's current rage. But Chopper hadn't let the Hearts Captain know about it despite their mutual agreement to do so with any injury, just in case Law had some input that Chopper didn't know or think about. Nami knew Law would react like this if he knew she was hurt. It didn't matter how severe, his protective nature of those he cared about knew no bounds, something she found out early on in their relationship, which was why she'd requested Chopper keep this from him. Clearly that was a mistake. One look at her bandaged side the minute she boarded the Tang had fury pinching Law's features, and then the argument started. Practically kicking open the heavy metal door to his quarters, Law dragged Nami into the room behind him before letting it slam back shut. The deafening bang that echoed throughout the space was jarring, and it vibrated in Nami's skull long after the sound dissipated. Law seethed silently for a few minutes, not even bothering to turn around and acknowledge her or release his hold until she finally tugged her hand back with a huff of mild annoyance. This was ridiculous. "I don't understand why you're so angry," Nami muttered when she couldn't handle the suffocating silence any longer, bringing her hand up to her chest to gently sooth the slight throbbing in her wrist. There was a scoff, and then Law was turning on his heel to stare down at her, golden eyes smoldering. He brought a hand up to remove his hat, tossing it behind him to land on his desk before he started raking a hand through unruly black strands. "Don't understand? I thought our crews had an agreement, Nami-ya. Any injury, regardless of how small, was to be reported back to me because of my superior knowledge in the field," Law stated, his voice oddly calm and level despite his anger. That wasn't a good sign, and it had Nami taking a cautious step away, back pressing up against the cold metal of the door. "Worse still, it was an injury you sustained. Your entire crew is reckless!" It wasn't a shout, but the exasperation was there. Nami knew this, already accepted that the majority of her crew was headstrong and would throw themselves into battle without a second thought. But for some reason hearing it from Law, right now, had the urge to defend her friends bubbling up. Brown eyes narrowed as she stared at Law, who was no longer holding eye contact. Instead, he was glaring a hole into the wall beside her head. Nami dropped her hands down to her sides, where they balled into fists. "You make it sound like you think my crew is incompetent, Torao. Chopper is an incredible doctor who is more than capable of dealing with our crew's injuries without your input! And as you can see, I'm fine! It was just a couple of bruised ribs, that's all." "That's not the point," Law growled out instantly, eyes shifting back to her face as he took a menacing step forward. His expression darkened before he continued. "What if it was worse? What if you died? Would Tony-ya have kept that from me too?" That made Nami pause, lips still parted like she was going to make a retort but no words came out. Was that why he was so mad? He was thinking about the what ifs? There was no way that would be a possibility. Death wasn't an option for any of them, and they had each other's back. She only got hurt because she was distracted, like they all were, for a split second. But a split second was all that was needed, wasn't it? Slowly, Nami closed her mouth, brow furrowing. She couldn't deny the fact that if something like that did happen, it would be kept from Law until their crews met back up again. Relaying a death through Den Den Mushi wouldn't have been appropriate, they all knew that. It was disrespectful, even. Nami's silence seemed to be all the confirmation Law needed, because he let out a strained groan before running his fingers through his hair again in frustration. That look in his eyes was so feral, something she didn't see on the normally cool and collected man all that often. It was like he was ready to explode at any second and take his anger out on her. Every muscle in her body was pulled taut with apprehension. Really, she knew he wouldn't get physical with her; knew that he would punch a hole through the wall beside her before ever laying a hand on her person. But still, he'd given some pretty colorful threats to her in the past when their companionship was rocky at best, and they were all at the forefront of her mind right now. "How long?" He eventually asked, teeth gritting as his gaze dropped down to the bandages wrapped around her torso. His voice pulled Nami from her thoughts, and she looked dumbly at the surgeon for a second, not quite catching the words that were said. "What?" "How long since the injury," Law ground out, jaw visibly clenching in annoyance at having to repeat himself. Nami hummed softly, one hand subconsciously moving to the right side of her ribcage where the blooms of discoloration in all different stages of healing littered her skin, hidden beneath the white strips of cloth. "A week, week and a half maybe?" Something passed over Law's features at her answer—relief maybe?—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, and then he was surging forward into Nami's space. He crowded her against the door with his larger body, and she had enough time to let out a squeak of surprise at his proximity before his lips crashed down on her's. This was not the reaction she was expecting, and instead of her eyes falling shut like they normally did when Law kissed her, they widened. She figured they would spiral back into another argument about how she should be resting in bed or something so she didn't cause more damage to herself, doubting a week was anywhere close to enough time in his eyes. But this? There was an edge of desperation in the way Law's lips moved against her's. The action was so familiar, so easy to fall into, yet something was wrong, that much was obvious. He wasn't doing this for the simple pleasure of it all. However, as much as Nami wanted to lean back, resolve the issues brought on by her stupidity before they continued, she couldn't. Not when this was clearly something he needed right now. Nami gasped when she felt Law's hands grip roughly at her hips, thumbs digging into supple, unmarked flesh, and he pushed her both further into the metal behind her, and closer to his lean form, effectively pinning her in place. He wasted no time in taking advantage of her vulnerability, tongue slipping easily into her mouth to coax her own into a battle for dominance. Nami knew he would win, he always did, but she wasn't going to go down without a good fight. It was intoxicating, and before long Nami felt like her head was in the clouds, a mantra of nothing but his name echoing in the back of her mind. On instinct, her hands lifted to tangle into the mess of soft raven locks, nails scraping along Law's scalp, and he groaned brokenly into her mouth. The sound shot heat straight down her spine to pool low in her gut, and she knew she could get off on that noise alone. Nami nipped at his lower lip as his tongue retreated from her mouth, a sign that he was about to lean back. Hot, panting breaths fanned across her face, smelling faintly of toothpaste, warm liquor and something that was entirely Law. Nami slowly opened her eyes and was instantly met with molten gold peering back at her, a million different emotions roiling within their depths. She watched in silence as Law's gaze flicked down to her lips, where she teasingly darted out her tongue to wet them, and his eyebrows pulled together. Leaning forward, Law buried his face into the crook of her neck, teeth nipping and biting almost painfully at her skin as his hands pulled her closer. Hips met hips, and in one fluid motion he ground against her, allowing her to feel exactly how hard he was within his jeans. Want pulsed through her, and Nami involuntarily bucked into him as she whimpered, fingers dragging down the back of his neck. "Fuck," Law whispered, voice muffled from how he was continuing to litter her skin in marks. His marks. "Fuck." "Law-" "Don't." Nami froze up at the demanding tone, hands going still where they rested on Law's shoulders. It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head, bringing her back from the edge of her lusty haze. She could still feel his heavy breathing against her neck, coming out in pants through his nose since he'd latched onto her clavicle. There was another whimper on the tip of her tongue, and she wanted to move so badly, but the death grip he had on her waist stopped her from doing anything more than squirm. It was almost like he was trying to get himself under control, and Nami almost asked him what was wrong before he seemed to snap out of it and started to move again. Slowly, Law's hands loosened from her waist and travelled back down over her hips, the swell of her ass before stopping at the back of her thighs where he hoisted her up effortlessly. Nami knew what she was meant to do, and curled her legs tightly around his hips, bringing him as close as was humanly possible in their current position. With her skirt now out of the way, bunched up haphazardly around her hips from being lifted up, and only the thin fabric of her panties and thick denim of his jeans between them, Nami was even more aware of Law's erection. She bit down on her lower lip to keep from whining, arousal flaring back up at the thought of soon having him ramming into her. She pointedly ignored the fact that her ribs felt like they were on fire, punching the air from her lungs, and used her arousal as an excuse for her gasping. If Law knew this was hurting her, he would no doubt stop, and right now that was the last thing she wanted. Law released her skin from between his teeth to lap at the reddened bite mark left behind on her collarbone. It was almost giving her whiplash with how quickly he could go from being rough to laving her in affection. A needling in the back of her mind cut through her arousal for a second time and made her wonder exactly what was going through his mind. What made him say what he did seconds earlier? He sounded frantic, like he was on the verge of losing himself. But just as quickly as the thought materialized her care dispersed. He seemed to be over whatever it was, and if something was happening in his head, she was more than willing to talk about it. Later. Feeling Law's tongue trailing up her throat, Nami felt it was safe to move her hands, and instantly started fighting with pulling his shirt off. She bunched the fabric up at his shoulder blades, and then tugged it over his head, not caring that he was in the middle of nipping at her earlobe. Law leaned back long enough to free himself before he returned back to his previous ministrations, low groans and growls rumbling in the back of his throat. "Tell me if you're hurting," Law mumbled into the sensitive skin just below her ear, the vibrations of his voice causing a full body shudder to ripple through her. "Law," Nami growled out this time, impatience clear in her tone as she tossed the offending garment aside once his arms were free. "You need to shut up and fuck me." Her snark got a deep chuckle from the surgeon, and that sound had all the tension Nami was still holding onto from earlier evaporating all at once. Anchoring herself with her hands back on his shoulders, feet hooking at the base of his spine to dig her heels in, she ground her hips against him teasingly. He wouldn't be able to feel how soaked she was with his jeans still in the way, but she knew he would be imagining it. There was a hitch in his throat that she so clearly heard, and then he was sucking another mark into the space behind her ear. "Eager are we, kitten?" There he was. It seemed her Law was back. Finally. Reaching a hand down between them, Law deftly undid the button of his jeans and pulled down the zipper in as slowly of a fashion as he could, each individual tooth clicking audibly. Nami distracted herself as he took his sweet old time freeing his cock from his jeans by leaning down and sucking the two golden hoops within his left ear into her mouth. Another groan was muffled against her throat when her teeth gently dragged on Law's earlobe, and Nami hummed in reaction, hips rolling to feel his knuckles rub at her clit through the fabric of her panties. Pleasure jolted through her core, and Nami arched her back in response, nipples instantly hardening under the stiff material of her bikini top. It'd been too long since they were last together, and now that they seemed to finally be getting somewhere, everywhere Law touched felt like it was lit on fire. Nami was hyper aware of the one hand he was using to support her at the back of her thigh, and now that he seemed to notice her intentions of getting off using his knuckles, he purposefully angled his other hand so she could get a better angle. It achieved the desired effect, and Nami let out a surprised moan on her next grind against his hand, but now he was going to take even longer, she was sure. "Law, please," Nami whimpered after releasing her hold on his ear, tone pitched with need. Fingers curled at his shoulders to dig perfectly manicured nails into tanned skin before she dragged them down his chest, stopping just before she caught his nipples. As much as she loved the teasing, the build up, now wasn't the time. Not after everything they'd just gone through to get to this point. She wouldn't admit to it, but when Law got angry, even if it was at her, it turned her on beyond belief. "That's it, beg for me. Tell me how much you want my cock." Keeping her distracted with a couple more dirty promises whispered hotly into her ear, even taking the time to suck on her earlobe, Law finished pulling his cock free from his jeans. Precum was already leaking from the tip from how much he had been holding himself back from simply railing her, and like Nami, he was clearly reaching the end of his patience. Nami nuzzled into the side of Law's neck, not paying any real attention to what he was doing between their bodies now, and she complied with his demand of hearing her beg. If that's what it took to get what she wanted, she'd do it, her usual stubbornness be damned. "I want to feel the stretch only you can give me. Fuck me hard, and don't you dare think about my injuries right now. Finish what you started, Law... let me feel you cum inside me," she whispered, breaths puffing against his throat. With a guttural, highly aroused growl, Law rubbed the head of his cock teasingly along Nami's slick folds, which resulted in another whine, and her hips bucked in an attempt to get him inside. It didn't do what she wanted though, and Law simply pushed her more roughly against the door, once again pinning her with his hips. Her legs tightened around him, barely giving him any real room to slide her underwear out of the way and maneuver his cock to her entrance. One swift thrust forward after moving his hand out of the way to grip at her other thigh, and Law was sliding home. Their mixed groans of satisfaction echoed throughout Law's room, and Nami threw her head back to thud against the door. Law stayed still for a few moments as Nami adjusted to his size, simply enjoying the way her walls fluttered around him from the sudden intrusion. She was clawing at his back, and the slight sting only adding to the pleasure he felt. "Shit..." Nami breathed out on a stuttered breath. Creamy, well toned thighs flexed at Law's sides as she tried to distract herself from the pain radiating through her torso because of her ribs. Instead, she put as much focus as she could manage on the undercurrent of pleasure thrumming from her core. "You okay?" She heard Law murmur against the curve of her neck, the slightest hint of worry in his tone. Feather light kisses were pressed into her skin, and Law only stopped to nip at the marks he'd already placed there earlier. "Mmm..." Giving Nami's thighs a squeeze, Law leaned back without jostling her too much to no doubt take in her expression. She knew she probably looked like she was hurting with her eyes closed, eyebrows pinched together. But she couldn't help it, not right now anyway. If he would just give her what she wanted, she was sure she'd be fine. "Nami-ya." "Law. What did I say...? Start moving," she hissed, curling her arms tightly around his neck to bring him closer and gave an impatient roll of her hips. After a moment's hesitation, Nami could hear Law give a resigned sigh before he slowly pulled his hips back, the drag of his cock along her sensitive walls drawing a pleased hum from her. He stopped when only the flared tip was nestled within, before he snapped his hips forward again, burying himself to the root for a second time. Nami gasped at the mixed sensation of both pleasure and pain, and her back arched away from the door, hips angling so on Law's next thrust his cock reached deeper within her. He set a steady pace after making sure he wasn't doing more harm than good, though it was obvious he was starting to care less and less about whether he was hurting her or not, and soon Nami's gasps turned into full blown moans. It was music to his ears, and after letting a smug grin spread across his lips, he leaned forward to attack her neck again. "That's right, kitten... sing for me," Law growled into her ear, seeming to finally give himself over to his more primal desires. His thrusts grew rougher, more frantic; exactly the way Nami wanted him to fuck her. The bruising grip he had on her thighs continued to tighten, making it all the more obvious that he wasn't thinking about her injuries anymore, and she knew his fingers would be leaving marks when this was over. Nami didn't care though, and egged him on by screaming his name at a particularly rough thrust, the length of his cock dragging along one of the most sensitive spots within her core. Luckily, with his bedroom door being solid metal, their actions weren't as obvious as it would have been if they were fucking against a wooden door. But her back was still thudding quite loudly every time Law fucked forward. Anyone who was relatively close would know exactly what was happening. Neither Law nor Nami had any shame, and on more than one occasion the residents of both the Tang and the Sunny knew what they were up to. So the worry of being caught was nowhere to be found. "Oh, Law... Law, shit-" Nami's words got cut off by another cry, and fingers knotted into Law's hair. She tugged roughly, pulling his face from where he was busy sucking yet another hickey onto her shoulder. Dark chocolate met molten gold as Nami took in the pleasure filled expression on Law features, knowing her face was mirroring the look. He grinned, the stretch of his lips almost feral, and she couldn't help but smirk back before she lurched forward and kissed him. It was a lustful, messy clash of teeth and lips, nothing anywhere close to passionate, and he continued to fuck relentlessly into her, rhythm all but gone from the snap of his hips. Nami could feel her climax building quickly now that she was being given what she wanted, the tell-tale tingling starting in the pit of her stomach and working its way outward. Tears sprung at the corners of her eyes and started sliding down her cheeks from how intense the pleasure was. "Mmm... g-gonna cum-" "Yeah? Let go then, beautiful, cum all over my cock," Law crooned, a little breathless, and brought one hand between their bodies again to rub borderline violent circles around her clit. That was the little extra she needed, mixed with the permission he gave, and Nami toppled head first over the edge. A high pitched scream of his name ripped from her throat as she climaxed, walls clamping down in rhythmic pulses around his thick cock. Thighs quivered against Law's sides, features pinching as she rode out the immense shocks of pleasure that had tingles running along her skin from head to toe. Somewhere amongst the post-orgasmic bliss she was floating in, feeling very much like she was on cloud nine at the moment, Nami felt Law still against her with a full body shudder, his hot seed spilling into her more than welcoming body. A drawn out groan of her name reached her ears, muffled slightly from where his teeth had sunk into her throat, and she mumbled incoherently in response, something that sounded like his name repeated over and over again. Nami could feel the beginnings of exhaustion creeping in around the edges of her consciousness when the last bits of pleasured haze lifted, and she sighed softly, angling her head forward enough to press her forehead against Law's shoulder. He was still holding her up against the door with his hands secure at the back of her thighs, just under her ass, and was taking his time with lightly kneading the skin and muscle there. But she was sure it would only be a matter of seconds before he pulled her away to instead make them both comfortable in bed. He couldn't hold her up forever, no matter how strong he was. Sure enough, Law did exactly as she expected he would after slowly pulling his softening cock from her, the action causing them both to sigh in unison. Nami could feel his cum leaking from her cunt now that she was empty, and her nose wrinkled up at the slight unpleasantness of it, but decided to ignore the sensation for the most part. One of Law's hands shifted from her thighs so he could curl his arm around her waist and hold her close while they moved through the room, the sound of heeled boots hitting wood with each step echoing against the walls. Nami unhooked her legs—which, even while not using them, felt like jelly—from Law's waist as he walked, making it easier for him to maneuver her around once they got to the bed. Her arms stayed draped over his shoulders, fingers gently dug into his shoulder blades. Being extra careful with her now that he was back in his right mind, no longer blinded by lust and anger, he laid her down in his bed like she was made of the most precious glass, and made sure she was in a position that would be the least irritating on her ribs before crawling in beside her, shoes and all. Both didn't seem to mind that they were still clothed, or that said clothes were partially askew on their bodies, namely Nami's skirt which was currently bunched up around her hips. None of that mattered to her, though, and Nami wasted no time in curling up against Law's side once he was settled, pointedly ignoring the sound of annoyance that came from his throat at her ruining the position he'd initially put her in. "You're going to hurt yourself more," he grumbled, already knowing that his scolding was falling on deaf ears. Nami allowed a lazy smile to spread across her lips, revealing just how much she actually cared about his statement, and tilted her head from where it was resting on the edge of his shoulder to peer up at Law's face. His gaze was on her own shoulder and neck that wasn't currently covered by the tangled orange mess that was her hair, and from his expression almost looked guilty. Almost. Bringing a hand up, he gently brushed her hair back behind her shoulder, exposing the full amount of damage he'd done to her, and despite the look of guilt, Nami swore she could see some pride welling up in his eyes at seeing the purling bite marks and hickies. "Going to have to start buying you some scarves," Law mused, tracing the marks with a fingertip like he was playing connect the dots. "But I wouldn't mind people seeing these... Lets them know you're mine." Law's possessiveness always managed to strike something deep within Nami, especially after intimate moments like this, and she could feel her cheeks heating up in reaction. It had a smug, knowing grin stretching across the surgeon's features, but before she could retort with a witty remark, or get mad about how there was no way she could hide these from her crew, his expression levelled back out to something a little more serious. "How are you feeling?" The change in subject was only slightly appreciated, and Nami hummed, turning her head enough to press her lips to his chest just on the outer edge of his heart tattoo. "Sore... But I'll be fine. More tired than anything," she murmured honestly into his skin, eyes falling shut because suddenly it seemed like too much effort to keep them open. "Get some rest. I'll give you an examination when you get up to make sure we didn't complicate the healing process." She wasn't against that idea, and sleep was already tugging at her. There didn't really seem to be much of a point in fighting it anymore, either. Though, before Nami could completely succumb to unconsciousness, there was something she needed to say to him. "Mm... Law?" "Yeah?" "I'm sorry for keeping it from you..." "... Go to sleep, Nami-ya."

[one-piece-drabbles]

Skyburst

Notes: A warning for violence and unhealthy family dynamics. Inspired by this post from Nari ( @authenticaussi3 ) - years old now, so I’m either late to the party or just that slow of a writer. Take your pick.

For all that Luffy likes a good surprise, he thinks—and in all honesty, it takes him a few seconds to come to this conclusion—that he doesn’t like hurtling through the sky without any sign of how he got up so high. He’s pretty sure that the white stuff below him is just clouds and not weirdly-colored ocean, but that doesn’t answer the question of what’s below the white carpet. Or how he ended up like this.

Nami would know, but she isn’t around to ask. His whole crew is gone. He twists in the air, wind stretching and pulling his skin, but he can’t see any sign of his ship. Still falling and now blinded by the sun, he brings a hand up to his chin and tries to remember the last thing he did. Were they in a fight? No, he had dinner, Sanji kicked him out, and then he went to sleep in his hammock. And woke up in the sky.

He groans, spreading out his limbs in frustration. He finally stops spinning just in time to hit the tallest cloud. The cold, annoying before, is now biting as water soaks his skin, hair, and clothes. With little choice but to keep falling, Luffy shields his eyes. A rumble he can feel in his bones shakes the air, followed by a teeth-rattling boom. Bright blue light flickers around Luffy in constant flashes. The cheery sunlight of before dies under a suffocating blanket of gray.

He’s falling through a thunderstorm. But the weather was clear when he went to sleep—Nami even talked about it, saying that Usopp would be able to fish for a while before anything hit.

Maybe this is a dream. That would make the most sense, right? Even though he’s never had a dream like this before…

He breaks through the lowest layer of clouds and the water vapor becomes torrential rain. Lightning strobes the sky and thunder roars. Luffy claps his hands over his ears as one thunderclap goes off way too close—only that makes him spin again, so it’s either painfully loud noises or throwing up in freefall. Luffy chooses the former. He’s getting far enough from the clouds now that it shouldn’t be deafening anymore.

Maneuvering himself with plenty of trial and error, Luffy finally gets a look at the ground below, blinking almost continuously against the wind. It’s an island, the only one Luffy can see, not that visibility is all that great. Even in the downpour, fires rage all over. The closer Luffy gets, the more details he can make out. There’s a fight going on between white-clad people and…one person?

He’s going to crash down right in the middle of the plaza in the thickest tangle of it all. Water gets into Luffy’s eyes and he wipes it away. He orients himself one last time and braces for a hard landing.

Something slams into the ground a foot to Ace’s left. It isn’t a cannonball or a bullet, no—the force of the impact knocks Ace off his feet. Several marines try to take advantage of the opening, but Ace catches himself on his hands and spins with his feet in the air, releasing a cyclone of flames that burns them all twice over: first with the fire and then again with the steam.

Flipping back onto his feet, Ace eyes the impact crater. It’s too deep to see to the bottom from his angle, and he’s not getting any closer in case the marines are trying another one of those surprise explosives.

A hand shoots out and scrabbles on the upturned brick of the plaza before finding a grip right on the edge of the hole. A second hand joins it, and then any body parts are just a blur of motion. Ace rolls out of the way of the human missile and comes up swinging, knowing that whoever it was would’ve stopped against the wall just behind him. He catches sight of wide eyes and a panicked expression before the stranger bends impossibly far backwards to avoid the hit, nearly slamming his own face into the wall. A stream of fire easily twenty feet high explodes out from Ace’s fist, leveling the entire block behind the house and roasting all the marines too slow to get out of the way.

The attack sputters and dies when the stranger’s feet hit Ace’s shins and knock his legs out from under him. His jaw cracks against the ground and bloodied rainwater splashes all over. Ace snarls into the shattered brick at his own amateurish mistake. The rainwater isn’t enough to stop him, but there’s just enough ocean in it to stop his full-fire transformation. He slams a fist against the ground and releases an omnidirectional explosion that clears the ground for thirty feet in every direction. Ace gets to his feet, wiping his freshly-sopping hair out of his face, and finds the kid who knocked him flat.

Kid. The realization makes him pause, the pouring rain drowning out all the thoughts in his head for a second before he can bring it all back. The stranger can’t be older than twenty, with short black hair and a scar under one eye. That scar rings uncomfortable bells in Ace’s memory, and fire flickers to life on his shoulders.

“Ah, wait!”

Staring in disbelief, Ace watches as the kid jumps up into the air, fingers grasping at something floating down from above. It moves erratically, battered by the same rain still doing its damndest to drown everyone out in the open, but the kid eventually snatches it and jams it onto his head.

And now, Ace thinks, the universe has to be playing a trick on him, because he knows that hat. He buried that hat. How the fuck does this random asshole have it?

Ace is so caught up in memories he wants no part of that he doesn’t realize for several seconds that the rain has stopped. Water runs in rivulets down his face and bare chest, collecting between his shoulder blades before sliding in freezing lines down his spine. Without a curtain of rain in the way, Ace can finally get a clear look at the kid, more than just random details, and it stops him cold.

It doesn’t matter that Ace’s memories are more than ten years old. It doesn’t matter that this kid is almost three times the age of the Luffy he knew. None of it matters, because this kid—this kid—

He looks like Luffy. He looks like how Luffy should’ve looked if the world let him live, right down to the round features that Ace had always figured he’d grow out of and the straw hat Luffy refused to let out of his sight. He looks so much like the Luffy Ace wanted to grow up with that it makes his chest clench, and he balls his hands into fists on reflex. How long has it been since he thought about Luffy? A year? Two?

He blinks, time restarts, and a bullet chips the ground an inch from his left foot. Ace leaps back, a retaliatory barrage of fireballs consuming the sniper’s chosen roof a second later. As the marine screams and falls to the street below as an inferno himself, Ace goes to work on the stragglers who weren’t cowardly enough to run when they had the chance.

Watching him, Luffy can’t bring himself to move, to speak, to do anything but witness as Ace, alive again, murders scores of marines with uncaring brutality. He isn’t concerned about ending life quickly, only incapacitating until the next attacker is down, so the groans of the dying quickly fill the air until Ace goes back and kills them too.

It’s all too much like Marineford, and that snaps Luffy out of his trance. He acts without thinking and joins his brother against the marines. They’re all retreating now—when Luffy propels himself onto a nearby roof that avoided Ace’s flames, he can see ships pulling away from the harbor—but they’ve left a few dozen to cover their escape. Ace and Luffy make short work of them, and while Luffy could catapult himself after the fleeing ships, he doesn’t want to take his eyes off Ace.

Because it is Ace. It has to be, even if he’s not…right. He’s missing his tattoos and his hat and and he’s got more scars than the old Ace ever had, plus there’s something wrong behind his eyes that makes Luffy shiver. Despite all that, he’s still Ace.

Right?

As they stand there on the beach, watching the disappearing ships, Luffy tries to keep himself together. His own grieving words echo in his head and he sneaks glances at Ace, trying to reconcile what he knows with what he sees. He can’t do it.

Ace catches Luffy’s look and turns fully to face him. There’s none of the warmth that Luffy is used to seeing in his expression and his voice is dangerously bland. “Just who the hell are you, anyway?”

Ace expects hostility, or fear, or at the very least trepidation from the kid in front of him. Even Luffy knew when to be afraid. He gets none of it; the boy just stares at him, gears stagnated and mental trains stalled at the station. Scowling, Ace waves a hand in front of his face. “Hey. I asked who you are.”

“You’re Ace, right?”

Irritation showing in the tongues of flame licking at his hair, Ace crosses his arms. He’s not surprised the kid knows who he is. Every single flat surface has his wanted poster tacked up on it these days. “Yeah, I am. Now, for the last time, who the hell are you?”

The kid gets a furrow between his eyes like Ace just asked him how far away the sun is. The gears slowly begin to turn. “You…you don’t remember me?”

More fire. Steam wafts up from Ace’s skin in deceptively gentle wisps. A rumble of thunder from the retreating storm shakes water from the shoreline trees. “I think I’d remember someone like you. Spit it out. Last warning.”

It’s like someone flipped a switch. The kid slides out of Ace’s reach with unexpected speed and offers up a laughably unconvincing smile. “I gotta get back to my crew, they’re probably looking for me—”

“Hold it.” Ace’s hand fastens around the kid’s wrist like a vice. He yanks him close. “Name.”

Luffy swallows. He’s never seen Ace like this before, not since those first few weeks at Dadan’s hideout. Ace’s eyes are hard, his expression promising retribution if Luffy doesn’t listen. There’s something so…so feral about it, and Luffy can’t get the memories of that haunted young boy out of his head. It’s unlike him, but none of this is right and he just wants a little bit of time to think, but Ace isn’t giving it to him, he isn’t acting right, he doesn’t even know Luffy—

Tugging ineffectually on his arm, Luffy tries to hide the pain from his voice. “You’re burning me.”

Ace’s grip tightens. “I know.”

Every ounce of experience in Luffy’s bones is telling him to run, but he can’t. It’s Ace. “I’m Luffy, okay? Luffy. Let go.” Ace’s fingers go slack in surprise and Luffy yanks his hand away. He stays several yards away from Ace, prodding his burned wrist. The skin is raw and pink.

Ace had burned him and hadn’t cared that it hurt. They’d hurt each other plenty of times growing up, that came with their home and with training, but it was never like this.

“Luffy?” Ace’s quiet voice makes Luffy back up another several steps. Ace is glowing with heat, the air distorting around him. “Is this some kind of joke?” He raises his head and his eyes are alight with rage. “Who sent you? How the fuck did they find out about my brother?”

“Ace—”

“I guess it doesn’t matter,” Ace continues, heedless of Luffy’s interruption. “You’ll either tell me or you’ll die. I mean, you’ll die either way, but you can at least give me the pleasure of putting up a fight.”

Fear—honest, unfamiliar fear—hooks its fingers in Luffy’s head and instinct takes over. Straightening and losing the confused edge to his expression, Luffy meets Ace glare for glare. “You’re not Ace, I am Luffy, and I really don’t like what you’re doing with my brother’s face.”

His sheer certainty throws Ace out of his reflexive rage. He takes a closer look at the kid. He’d thought that he was some kind of government spy, but really, there’s no way CP9 or any of those assholes know about Luffy. Ace has never talked about him. Plus, too many details are the same for this to be coincidence: the hat, the scar, even just his overall appearance. Hell, Ace is pretty sure that this kid has the same devil fruit powers, too.

The more dots he connects, the farther from the present moment he gets. Adrift in memories, he hardly notices Luffy edging away again—hardly, but he does.

“You can’t be,” he whispers. “I—you died.” The phantom blood spray arcs through the air as Luffy’s tiny body smacks into a tree and crumples to the ground. “You died.” The bear’s roar is a declaration, a challenge, and Ace can’t match it. Luffy is unconscious or dead and Ace—

It’s his greatest shame, a burden he will never be rid of, and his right hand curls into a fist.

He runs. Over and over again he runs. Night after night, year after year, he turns on his heel and he runs. Like a weakling. A coward. A selfish, worthless monster.

“Luffy.” The boy freezes, microexpressions flickering like strobes under a cracked mask of confidence. “You really are him. How—” Ace stops. “No, that doesn’t matter. You’re here now. We can be together again. Brothers. Family. Like we used to.”

“You’re not Ace,” Luffy repeats.

“What are you talking about?” Ace takes a step forward. Luffy takes a step back. “C’mon. It’s me.”

Shaking his head, Luffy maintains the distance between them. “You’re not Ace.” His voice hardens. “Ace wouldn’t do what you do. He cared about—about things. About himself. You don’t care about anything.”

A strong ocean wind washes over the island, picking up and spreading the nauseating odor of burning flesh. Ace’s rampage had spared no one, not a single soldier and not a single civilian. It was cruelty of the highest, most callous order. Luffy’s right foot slides back and he sinks into a ready stance.

“You’re not my Ace. I’m not your family. Leave me alone!”

Ace grins, teeth shining with reflected firelight from the village still burning in the background. Something broken and mad bleeds out from behind his eyes. “Leave you alone? No,no, I can’t do that. This is a second chance.” Flames race across his skin and bathe his face in demonic light. “I’m never leaving you alone again, Luffy.”

[whirlybirdwhat]

If It Can’t Be Eaten

Ao3 - Sanji and Nami, Gen, Set During the East Blue Saga. Check out Ao3 for more like this!

It starts when Nami walks into the Merry’s galley, and sees Sanji looking at the molding, unused food in the kitchen with a look that seems deeply troubled - no, more than that; it seems like the very thought of the slightest bit of food being wasted, being tossed aside, uneaten, is like a dagger in the heart.

(Nami does not forget the hint of desperation in his eyes when Sanji made the first meal for them all and declared, with a leg raised threateningly, that no food would ever go to waste on the ship.

A rare possibility, but even with their captain’s appetite, there are no fool proof plans to preserve uneaten foods in the harsh environments of the seas)

He doesn’t even notice when she walks up beside him, a surprising feat given his usual adoring nature when around her, and only starts when she taps his shoulder.

“Sanji?”

“Ah!” He jumps, head perking up and eyes immediately dancing with lust (and still, respect. He, despite his mannerisms, has always backed off when Nami asked him too, or before he had crossed a line. Not that she asked him to back off a lot – no, she liked the attention thank you very much.) “Nami-swan! Would you like a snack? I’m so sorry you had to bother to take time out of your day to fetch your own food! A beautiful princess like you should never have to do that!”

Nami laughs, and waves him off. “No Sanji, I’m good. Just needed to stretch my legs that’s all. What are you doing now?”

It is startling, the way his mood turns somber, the way his shoulders slouch and his one showing eye darkens with sadness. It is not a look she likes on their proud, kind cook and she wants to find out what caused it.

(She had only known the others for a week before Arlong Park, and Sanji even less so. Still, in the few weeks after and all the adventures they had, her love for them all has grown immensely – almost terrifyingly. She knows each of them and cares for them – a somewhat foreign concept still but one she is without a doubt, willing to accept.

Which is why any sadness among her crew, if she can stop it, will not be tolerated.)

“Ah, just… looking at what food can’t be saved and what needs to be thrown out.” The ache in his voice hurts her – and more, she recognizes it from just hearing her own voice in the past. Food to him must be like money to her, Nami realizes. Something important, something needed, something that should never, ever, go to waste.

“Rotten food can’t be eaten after all. It’s my fault for not noticing it was there – normally I use every part of whatever we are eating in our dishes. Sorry Nami-swan.”

God, the guilt. Nami knows Sanji – knows that his food is delicious and knows that the quiet look of pride that lights up his face when the entire table is cleared of any morsel of food is something to be treasured. Knows that he puts effort into every meal he gives the crew (though only his stellar service is for her. Even so – there are always identical snacks waiting in the kitchen for the boys), and knows that smoking is something people sometimes pick up after severe starvation.

She won’t stand for this – this sorrow.

So, she pushes herself off the counter where she had been leaning and smiles at the cook. “Rotten food can’t be eaten, but it can still be used.” She can fix this.

His look of confusion is adorable though.

“Gather up what can’t be eaten and follow me.” She orders. Sanji, as always, hastens to do what she says, even if his movements still have that horrible melancholy lilt to them.

Once he has everything gathered up into bags, she leads him to the top of the Merry, where her tangerine trees are. Along the way they pass Zoro and Luffy, dozing together (cuddling, really, Nami wants to know how long they knew each other before she came along) in the midday sun, and Usopp, fiddling with some new gadget or other, who waves at them as they pass.

It’s a peaceful sort of day, and the waves are calm which means she has plenty of time to show their cook the wonders of composting.

“Uh, Nami dearest, what are we doing up here?” Sanji asks her, setting the bags down as she stops. She only smiles at him, and gestures him further along, to the fenced box of soil she keeps shrouded beneath her trees.

“This, Sanji,” she starts, taking the bags from him, “is a compost pile from my home that I had put on the ship with my Tangerine Trees. It’s purpose is to create nutrient rich organic material that helps the soil in the tangerine trees – which we can then use for food.” Nami opens the bags and grabs her gloves and shovel, ready to get to work. “And you know what we put into the soil?”

With the way his eyes are brightening and his smile is growing wide, she thinks he does. But still, her boys in particular can be idiots so better safe than sorry.

“Any food that we can’t eat.” Nami smiles as she slowly upends the rotten food into the compost pile. “So that no food ever has to go to waste.” Normally she takes organic material from the towns and islands they visit – but this is a much better alternative.

(And – while she doesn’t know what makes Sanji so particular about food now, (No – that comes later, as the two of them sit late at night with midnight snacks (Kitchen locked for fear of their hungry captain) and talk about harsh childhoods that didn’t always have enough food or money for lost little children) but she knows that he does care about wasting food – that if they do, he smokes long and hard outside as if his own meal was not enough to calm the force of starving memories within him, as if every bite was stolen from the mouths of the very people his job it was to feed)

The smile and look of awe he gives her as he realizes that now he will never have to waste food is all the thanks she needs. As the hour passes, she shows him how to compost, how to turn the soil, what few foods couldn’t be used, and how to tell if it was ready to be used on her beloved trees.

As the food is slowly placed into the pile, she can see the sadness dripping off his shoulders, the hurt disappearing from his heart.

(The thought that she did this, is an inspiring one.)

When she gives him a tangerine at the end, he looks as if he had received a gold bar, and promptly sings praises of her name, fully back to his worshipping self.

She is proud her cook is back.

-

Months later, when the Merry is gone yet still living in their hearts, and the Sunny’s warm Adam’s wood are the planks beneath their feet instead, Sanji and Nami start another compost pile. It becomes a tradition to work quietly in the garden after supper and before the sun sets on the last day of the week (if they are not dragged on another dangerous adventure by their beloved captain, that is), slowly turning what would be waste into life for trees and Robin’s Flowers and Usopp’s Pop Greens.

It’s a nice change, and in the quiet hours that they do this, Nami can’t help but be thankful for their wondrously kind cook and his dream to make sure none of them ever have to starve.

[thesecondcircleofkel]

Ambition

Zoro x Reader (gender neutral) 

1.3K

Summary: Zoro reunites with an old flame in the New World. 

Warnings: none 

It was a hard thing to do, surprising Roronoa Zoro. With a captain like Monkey D. Luffy to travel the Grand Line with, he had seen just about everything the world had to offer. From underwater cities to villages in the sky, from behemoth-like creatures to people who could legitimately transform into animals and elements alike, and from cyborgs to talking skeletons (the last two he had become all too familiar with), he didn’t think that there was anything left out there that could take him off guard. He found out just how wrong he was in the New World.

It wasn’t some oceanic anomaly that had proven him wrong, nor some strange island or creature that should have only existed in fairy tales or horror stories. It wasn’t anything new that he hadn’t seen before that had taken him off guard, but instead it was something that he had at one point gotten to be around every day, something that he thought he would never lay eyes on again: you.

The two of you had traveled together in East Blue, helping each other collect bounties. He had known you longer than he had Johnny and Yosaku, and he’d grown extremely fond of you in that time. Being around you only made his desire to become the world’s greatest swordsman grow stronger. He wanted to be strong enough in order to protect you whenever you needed it, to be able to fight beside you no matter how strong the enemy was. It wasn’t until the two of you were separated that he realized that he loved you, but that realization obviously came too late.

He could clearly remember several nights where he stayed up until some ungodly hour just telling you about his dream. You never seemed to grow tired of hearing about it, and he would have given anything to hear about your own ambition, but you claimed that you hadn’t found it yet. He had his doubts about that, especially when he saw the passionate look in your eyes every time you did, well, anything.

It didn’t matter if you were fighting someone or doing something mundane and simple, you always held the same passion in everything you did, showing such tremendous ardor and determination that it even put him to shame. He just knew that your resolve was driven by some amazing dream, but he never got the chance to pry it out of you.

He had woken up one afternoon, and you were just gone. He had grown so accustomed to your presence that he noticed your absence immediately, but before he could go searching for you, Johnny and Yosaku had stopped him, telling him that you were fine, that you just had some business to take care of on your own. He didn’t believe them at first, refusing to think that you would leave him without giving him a reason as to why, but when it became clear that you weren’t coming back any time soon, he had to give up on that notion.

He was angry at first, although his frustration did little to quell the pain of your absence. That anger eventually passed, leaving acceptance in its wake. He knew that he probably wouldn’t see you again, not in such a large world filled with so many twists and turns, but he hoped that you accomplished whatever it was that you set out to do, especially if it was important enough to warrant you leaving him.

That was why he was so surprised to find you in the New World, stranded on a remote island with no other human presence on it, apparently abandoned by your crew for some unknown reason. It was purely by chance that Usopp had spotted you from the crow’s nest, and the fact that you were the only person on the small island had been enough to pique Luffy’s interest. No one on the crew was sure what to expect when they stepped foot on that isle, but they definitely weren’t anticipating the stunned look that Zoro sported once he saw you.

He didn’t have a chance to talk to you before Chopper swept you away in order to give you a medical check-up; the reindeer wanted to make sure that your health was still fine after spending an entire month stranded. Sanji had taken up your time after that by cooking you a proper meal and ensuring that you ate every bite of it. Luffy had wandered in shortly afterwards, asking for your story, which you gladly gave him, although you did forgo mentioning your past with Zoro.

That’s how he found out why you were stranded out in the New World, and it was also how he found out that you had joined a pirate crew in East Blue. You had stuck with that crew until they reached the New World; that part of the Grand Line proved to be too much for them, though, and they were in the process of heading back to Paradise when you refused to go back with them. They abandoned you on the closest island they could find, and then they tucked tail and left.

With all of that happening, it was well into the night before he was able to talk to you alone. He had found you standing out on the deck, just staring up at the starry sky, apparently waiting for him. He didn’t really know what to say at first, but you saved him the trouble, already knowing what was on his mind.

“I wanted to find my dream. I didn’t feel like I could stay by your side without one. Your ambition was just so amazing, you know? It was almost suffocating to be around you because it was so strong, and I just didn’t feel like I was worthy enough to be with you. I wanted my own ambition to be like that, so I could stand by you as an equal, but you had already started working towards your goal, and I didn’t want to hold you back because I hadn’t even made it to the starting line yet. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that I was leaving, but I didn’t want to take a chance on you stopping me. There’s no way I would have gone if you had asked me to stay.”

Zoro was speechless. He had no idea that you felt that way, and that honestly made him feel guilty. You were one of the most important people in the world to him, yet he hadn’t even noticed the pain and anxiety that you were going through. There was no changing the past now, though. All he could do was try to not make the same mistake again.

“Did you ever find it? Your dream?”

“No, not yet.”

“Are you still going to try to find it?”

“If I can. I don’t exactly have a way to get around anymore, though.”

He couldn’t help but scoff at you.

“Then just stay this time, idiot. Let me, no, let us help you find your dream. This crew is full of crazy dreams and goals, so I’m sure you’ll find yours if you stay with us.”

“Really? Just like that? Even after I left you before?”

“Don’t pretend like I’d ever lie to you, Y/N. I’d never hold a grudge against you, either.”

“And why is that?”

“I think you know damn well why.”

You had to look away from him then, the intensity in his eyes too much to bear. It made you feel foolish for every leaving him in the first place, especially when your journey thus far had been fruitless. And yet there Zoro was, in all of his earnest, not only giving you another chance, but also offering to help you in the process. He was also baring his heart to you, as much as someone as proud as Zoro could, anyways. Honestly, you’d be a fool to turn his offer down.

“And here I thought I was the only one that fell victim to those feelings.”

“Not a chance, so now you’re stuck with me.”

“I think I can live with that.”

[whereistheonepiece]

Tactile

Quick summary: Sanji is cold and Zoro is so very warm. Takes place before these idiots are officially together.

Note: I think this was inspired by a headcanon I saw once that Sanji doesn’t do well with the cold. I have known people who put on hoodies in hot weather, and given that we see him wandering around in a full suit, rarely ever taking off his jacket, I’m inclined to adopt that headcanon.

And here’s a tag for @optigeress for being one of my biggest supporters 💖

-

It was cold. Other crew members–Chopper, Luffy, Zoro–might tell him that he was making a big deal out of a slight chill, but Sanji was cold and he was eagerly waiting for the weather to change. And given that this was the Grand Line, that could be in a matter of hours or days, so Sanji had to make do with what he had. It was easy to warm up when he had the stove or the oven running, but he couldn’t keep those appliances running all day, which was frankly a pain in the ass, and it left him suffering in silence. 

So Sanji sequestered himself in the kitchen, where it was warmer than it was outside, even without the oven on. He kept himself preoccupied with food prep, getting a headstart on today and tomorrow’s meals. He was making good time on lunch by the time Zoro wandered into the kitchen.

“Go away, Marimo,” Sanji muttered, keeping his attention on the vegetables he was dicing. “You can wait until lunch.”

“I’m not here for food, Cook.”

Sanji glanced at Zoro, who’d headed straight for the wine and beer rack. Naturally. He clicked his tongue. “It’s not even afternoon yet.”

“What even is time?” Zoro replied, studying the label on the bottle in his hand, as if he had any semblance of standards. “Shouldn’t matter when I get drunk.”

“Flawless argument from you, as always,” Sanji said brightly before a chill passed through him, causing his frame to spasm involuntarily.

Zoro quirked an eyebrow at him. “You really can’t handle the cold, can you?” he asked, calling back the exchange they’d shared earlier in the morning. Sanji had rubbed at his arms and complained about the temperature, and Zoro had stared at him incredulously, asking him how he could possibly be cold. Sanji explained that he hated weather that was even remotely cold, but Zoro remained unsympathetic.

Like he was right now. Sanji sent him a dirty look. His hands were cold and he wanted to blow warm air on them, but he refused to give the green haired bastard the satisfaction. “Not all of us think skinny dipping in frigid waters sounds like a good time,” he snarled.

“I wasn’t completely naked.”

Sanji snorted. He felt his face heat up as he glared at Zoro and he desperately hoped it wasn’t turning red. He’d brought it up to try to embarrass Zoro and it had backfired spectacularly because now he was fixated on a naked Zoro.

Zoro turned back to the alcohol rack, putting up the bottle he’d grabbed and searching for something else. “And that was training,” he continued. “Not because I like to go swimming in the nude.”

Sanji watched Zoro as he picked up bottles of booze and studied them, unable to find whatever it was that he wanted, which Sanji found strange. Zoro only needed to grab a bottle–or two or even three–to be satisfied, so why did he linger? It was almost like he was stalling.

Sanji continued to watch him, setting his knife down on the cutting board, watching Zoro’s torso bend and stretch as he reached for and grabbed the contents of Merry’s alcohol supply. Sanji put one of his hands up to his neck, hoping his pulse might help warm it up. It didn’t.

“Not completely naked, huh?” Sanji asked, eyes traveling from the broad points of Zoro’s shoulders to the narrower point of his waist. So much more room to cover than a neck...

“I had pants on, pervert cook,” Zoro shot back, looking over his shoulder to glare at him. Sanji wasn’t sure if Zoro had caught where he was staring–not that he was being subtle–but if he had, he said nothing, his expression instantly losing its hard edge. He turned his attention back to the rack, his movements stiffer.

Sanji swallowed. He cautiously moved forward, crossing the kitchen until he stood behind Zoro, close enough for him to reach out and touch him. And he did, placing his palm directly on the center of Zoro’s back. Zoro tensed momentarily, then relaxed, setting his hands down on a shelf. Sanji stared at Zoro, transfixed, as he observed the muscles on Zoro’s back moving. “Is–is this all right?” he asked, softly. Zoro was so warm. He wanted more.

“Go crazy,” Zoro murmured, voice devoid of the usual bite it had whenever they were around each other.

Sanji placed his other hand on Zoro’s back and brought both down, running his palms against the smooth fabric of the white cotton. Just like the rest of him, Zoro’s back was hard and firm. Sanji stared at the solid wall of muscle that was Zoro’s back. He’d spent so much time watching it, making sure no enemy came close enough to touch it, and now here he was, allowed full access. It was a strange feeling and he wanted more, wanted to slip his hands past the obstacle that was Zoro’s shirt and run his fingertips against the hot flesh that lay underneath.

Glancing tentatively at Zoro, he circled his hands around Zoro’s waist, slipping his fingertips into the confines of the green haramaki. He stared at Zoro for a sign, but when the swordsman didn’t respond, Sanji started to pull his hands back, feeling his face and neck heating up as he realized he’d probably pushed too far.

“I didn’t say you had to stop.”

Sanji blinked. “Can I–” He stopped himself. “Do you want me to keep going?”

Zoro finally turned his head and looked at Sanji, staring at him like he was an idiot. “Do you think I’d just stand by and let you touch me if I didn’t want it, dumbass?”

Sanji bristled. “I’m trying to be considerate, asshole!”

Zoro opened his mouth to respond, paused, and then closed it. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “Yeah, I guess you are.”

Grumbling under his breath, Sanji gripped the edges of Zoro’s haramaki and started to tug at it impatiently until it came loose. Zoro helped him pull it off, tossing it aside so Sanji had better access. Wasting no time, Sanji shoved his hands up the back of Zoro’s shirt, sliding his palms up Zoro’s torso until they came to a stop midway. Zoro recoiled at the feeling of Sanji’s hands on his skin. “Shit, Cook! Your hands are cold!”

“And your back is warm,” Sanji replied, a content sigh escaping him. Sanji stepped closer, circling his arms around Zoro’s middle, resting his head on Zoro’s back.

“Cook...”

“Shut up,” Sanji mumbled, closing his eyes. He found himself wishing that he didn’t have several layers of clothing separating the skin of his arms from Zoro’s chest, but not everything could be perfect. “Don’t ruin it.”

Zoro chuckled softly. “I hope you don’t think this means that I’m gonna let you feel me up every time the weather gets a little chilly.”

As Zoro spoke, Sanji had begun to idly stroke his abdomen. Zoro responded by flexing his abdominal muscles, causing Sanji to smirk. Feeling emboldened, he said, “Okay, so...”

“Cook.”

“Hear me out,” Sanji pressed on. 

Zoro hesitated. “I’m listening.”

“W-what if I’m not doing this just because you’re a convenient human space heater?”

“Asshole.”

Sanji chuckled, resting his forehead against Zoro’s back. “Seriously, though,” he continued. “This is...nice. And I’m not just saying that because your body’s so warm that it’s taking all of my self-control to not stick my head up your shirt.”

Zoro laughed. He turned around slowly, giving Sanji time to adjust. They stared into each other’s eyes, their breathing in sync. Sanji wanted to lay his ear against Zoro’s chest, listen to his heartbeat. Zoro brushed Sanji’s bangs out of his face, pinning them to the side as he cupped his cheek. “You’re hopeless,” he murmured.

“Yeah, well, then what does that make you?” Sanji teased. “You’re the one flexing your abs for me while saying I have ulterior motives.”

Zoro chuckled. “You got me there.”

Sanji started to pull away, pulling his arms out of Zoro’s shirt. “Okay, I’m feeling pretty warm now. I’ll let you get back to it.”

Zoro grabbed hold of Sanji’s chin. “You said it felt nice, huh?” he asked, staring down at Sanji’s lips.

A small smile broke out on Sanji’s face. “Yeah,” he said softly, wrapping his arms back around Zoro. Zoro let go of his chin and began to lean in closer, and Sanji did too, caught in Zoro’s gravitational pull. “You feel good in my arms, Marimo,” he murmured before their lips finally brushed against each other.

It was gentle and kind of sweet, kissing Zoro. It wasn’t angry or desperate like Sanji had fantasized it to be when he’d looked over at Zoro on the battlefield and watched him attack the enemy in an show of raw, animalistic power. How many times had Sanji looked at Zoro when he was fighting or training and had pictured him swaggering up to him at the end of it, pulling him by the tie, and taking what he wanted?

But he didn’t need that in this moment. Right now, it was all Sanji could ask for. Let the rest of it come later, he thought to himself as he smiled against Zoro’s mouth as their kiss reached its end and they both began to pull away.

“I know what’ll warm you up,” Zoro said, readjusting his shirt and reaching for his haramaki.

“Oh?” Sanji asked, shooting a quick glance at the alcohol rack and wondering just how sturdy it was.

Zoro looked back at him and held up a bottle to the light, shaking it enticingly.

Sanji started laughing, running his fingers through his hair.

“What’s so funny?”

“N-nothing,” Sanji said, shaking his head. “I, uh... I’m not saying no; I’m saying not now.”

Zoro stared at Sanji inquisitively.

Sanji adjusted his tie on his neck, giving his hands something to do. “S-some of us have responsibilities on this ship, Marimo,” he said, walking back across the kitchen to wash his hands in the sink. “Can you wait until after dinner?”

Sanji heard footsteps approach him from behind. A strong arm wrapped around his neck, giving him a small squeeze as lips brushed against his heated skin. Sanji whimpered.

“Sure,” Zoro whispered close to his ear. He pulled away, taking the bottle with him. “See you then, Cook.”

Sanji nodded, though he was sure Zoro wasn’t looking. He stared at the counter in front of him in a daze for a few moments until cautiously looking around to see if he was alone. With the coast clear, Sanji wheezed and gripped the edges of the counter. He laughed softly, shaking his head in disbelief. When he got a hold of himself, Sanji returned to dicing vegetables, his thoughts returning to the muscles of Zoro’s back. Dinner suddenly felt so far away.

[cutiecrates]

Cutie Reviews: Tokyo Treat July 19

Hello all, welcome to July’s Tokyo Treat review!

Besides the fact I’m in a different place taking these pics, I don’t have anything else to say so we’ll just get straight into it.

Also, because I accidentally cut it off, July’s theme is Life’s A Beach.

“With warmer weather on the horizon we were feeling super inspired to bring you a summery box filled with snacks ready for a beach day! This month you’ll be receiving a lot of fun treats and a taste of summer in Japan. We hope this yummy selection of sweet and savory snacks inspires you to go outside and enjoy your treats in the summer weather!“

So in my rush to get these pictures ready, I ended up not getting the Prize or Lucky Treat pictures. So to summarize, Lucky Treat heavily focuses on Kindom Hearts with a dash of Pokemon. While I was lucky enough to win the September one, I can’t deny that this would probably have been the other one I really wanted. Meanwhile, July’s prize features figurines of Sanji and Trafalgar Law (my favorite characters, along with Luffy, Ace, and Perona) in One Piece, and some smaller Pokemon figures for the runner-ups.

As usual I won’t be reviewing the DIY candy kit (see top pic) because we’ve had it several times before and I think I already covered it on the blog anyway.

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

Melon Cream Soda

(Sorry the stand is a mess, this pic was last-second and I was in a hurry, and no the drink in the background is not the same one as on top, it’s cola).

Perfect for summer, we have a refreshing melon cream soda. It’s a really pretty pastel green color, and it’s very foamy on the top which helps emulate the cream soda vibe. It smells like fizzy melon candy (and tastes like one too), and it’s very light and refreshing with a small hint of vanilla in the background.

If you don’t like melon then you probably wouldn’t like this- but if you do then I think you would love it.

Crushed Poteco 4-Pack

If you read the blog before then you will recognize these; we get them fairly often and I won’t be reviewing these because I’ve done it a handful of times.

They’re cute, tasty little potato rings with a slight saltiness, but as good as they are I’m pretty sick of them <_< I actually gave all of mine away because I really didn’t want them.

Soda Soft Candy & Sherbet Perot Cider

I love soda candy and I can’t think of anything more lovely for warm summer weather than cooling, refreshing blue sweets~

First we’ll start with the Sherbet Perot Cider, the equivalent of the cola-flavored lollipop with fizzy candy that we got either back in May. It consists of a neutral-lightly sweetened lollipop with powdered candy you can tip it in, giving it a vaguely fizzy and sweeter, almost sour taste. This specific one is 44.5 calories.

Much like the cola one, I think it’s really yummy. I love the taste of the powder with it especially because in my opinion the lollipop on its own isn’t sweet enough- but like the cola one, I find myself completely forgetting about the powder and just sucking on the candy.

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The other soda candy we got are these cute spherical soft candies. But what makes them special is that they have a hint of lemon for an additional pinch of sweetness~

The entire bag is 63 calories, which seems about right since you get a handful of them. The pamphlet describes these as sweet and sour, but unless you let them sit in your mouth for a few minutes, you taste no sourness- and honestly, they didn’t taste as good as they do if you just chew them up from the beginning.

Mini Chocolate Bat

Next up is an item I’ve had before, but it’s been a really long time so that’s not too bad.These have been around for a long time now if I recall, but I’m not sure if they’re popular. For the entire box (or one stick, not sure) its 51 calories, and each crunchy stick is coated in a thin layer of chocolate, they remind me a lot of those yellow cake donuts... if they were stale and hard.

These aren’t bad or anything but they aren’t sweet either. I love dark chocolate and I can appreciate not having a sugar buzz as much as the next person, but sometimes you just want sugar too, you know? I feel like this would be good with coffee though, and it was nice of them to give us a box, making them a nice little item to bring to a get-together with a friend or two.

Chocolate Mint Candy & Peach Mint Kit Kats

To go with all of our refreshing green and blue sweet snacks, we got two more, but these are of the mint variety!

Our first item is inspired by delicious Hokkaido mint chocolate ice cream (my favorite~!) and takes the form of a spherical hard candy. I know the picture makes it extremely hard, but the candy actually has brown dots covering them to emulate the ice cream. The inside is filled with a cooling white powdery substance, but you don’t have to wait until you get to the center, because there is a tiny hole in the candy allowing the flavor to seep out.

Per-candy or bag (I certainly hope bag), the calories are 290.

These are very yummy but I’m not sure they would be enjoyed by those who aren’t big on choco-mint. They mostly taste like chocolate with a hint of mint, and I really like the cooling effect. The hardness of the coating seems to vary between candies though, because I noticed the first one I could bite through the middle no problem, but the second one was a lot more difficult. 

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Next up is another kit kat like usual. As much as I like these I tend to get tired of them too, but I believe last month we didn’t have one so it isn’t that bad. Anyway, this is a PREMIUM kit kat blend, which means its slightly more special or pricey or something. Each pack is 63 calories, and i love the pretty mix of pink and mint on the packaging~

Before getting these, it never occurred to me to think of a combination like mint x peach. I thought it sounded strange. The outside chocolate oddly resembles cookies and cream while the inside is pure mint, and they are deliciously amazing!

As I said, it sounds unusual, but it’s really good. As soon as you bite into them you get hit by the refreshing peach, followed by a combination of mint until you’re left with a cooling sensation. I recommend these if you can find them!

Anpanman Grape Gummies & Sour Peah Gum

Our refreshing fruity theme continues with these two fun, colorful candies. I’ve had these both before so I don’t think I have too much to say, I’ll start with the Anpanman. These are fun grape-flavored gummies that come in 24 various poses and characters, and each pack is 62 calories.

I was really confused with these, because of summer and them being gummies I assumed they would be inedible because they were stuck to the plastic/wax paper. But it turns out the paper can dissolved! It’s very weird, but my mom pointed it out while I explained my issues with it, and while having them in my mouth it would just slide right off. I wasted half of the pack until finding this out <3< but I am very glad I did because I wasn’t very impressed when I opened them.

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Next is a really fun gum roulette candy that came out a couple of years ago :3 Basically, you have 3 gums (I’ve tried a few flavors so far, but Peach is the only one I’ve had twice now) and each one is different: one is sour, one is sweet, and one is normal. There’s no physical way to tell them apart, nor do they have a scent (except for what the flavor is, in this case peach). The only way to find out which is which is to chew them.

I like sour candy, and I also love sweetness, so this is really fun and the gum quality is pretty good, but the flavors only last a few minutes. This was how I felt about each piece:

Sour - It gets worse the more you chew. I love sourness but Japanese sour candy seems to involve salt; my mouth was starting to feel an extremely faint numbing burn. I never really considered myself a wimp when it came to sour candy but this stuff is on another level; but because it died down fairly quickly, it wasn’t unbearable.

Normal - Sweet and a little cooling. It actually didn’t taste too much like peach but the sour might have ruined my taste buds at the moment :P

Sweet - A lot like the Normal piece, but slightly more peach-ish.

Umai Sugar Rusk & Sour Cream and Onion Doritos

Recognize the guy on the Sugar Rusk package? He’s our adorable Umaibo friend (by the way, am I the only person who thinks he resembles Doraemon a little?), but now he’s featuring a sweet rusk snack. Each pack is 209 calories.

I don’t usually like rusk snacks, but these are tasty. They’re light, crispy, and sweet with a hint of butteryness. The calories for this are high but they’re delicious, would recommend.

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Now, where I live Doritos are not uncommon. We have tons of flavors (my favorite being the original, and the sweet and spicy), at one point we even have mix-flavor bags. I really miss those, but I never met a Dorito I didn’t like so I was excited to get to try something new. Each bag is 277 calories.

These are based on sour cream and onion, which is not something new to me. I used to really like it and the dip with the same flavor, but besides these foreign things I get lately I don’t actually eat too many chips- except for when I’m in the mood for some Doritos since it’s actually my favorite American brand.

These taste really good. Pretty different from the sour cream and onion I’m used to though; they have a garlic-onion-ish taste and while I hate onions (mainly the texture of them), that didn’t really bother me. They actually kind of remind me of the cool ranch Doritos. 

Tonkatsu Sauce Umaibo & Texas Corn Okonomiyaki

(This pic is different because my original was corrupted, which I discovered when I went to save it to my computer.)

Our final 2 items of this months box is a delicious Umaibo I’ve had a few times. It’s Tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) sauce flavored and it’s AMAZING. It’s my second favorite Umaibo flavor behind corn potage, I really recommend this one if you ever get a chance to try it out.

The flavor itself I can’t really describe, but it has a hint of spice. I want to say it’s a bit like a smoky barbecue-soy sauce? It’s not salty though.

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Lastly is a bag of Texas Corn snack in Okonomiyaki flavor. Okonomiyaki is an Asian Dish best known as a savory pancake. It’s a combination of dough and vegetables, sometimes with meat (bacon is pretty popular), noodles, or seafood, then its fried and covered in things like sauce or pickled vegetables. 

These smell kind of similar to the Umaibo, but with a tangy addition and it’s very strong- but the flavor itself is extremely light, it gives me a plain dough (and this next part will sound crazy) and apple cinnamon...

Yeah. I don’t know what I’m on these days o_o

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - 3.5 out of 5. I nearly-loved everything, but I am scoring it down because there was a handful of repetition and two items I refuse to forgive for seeing again for the millionth time. Call me petty but when I look at the content featured in Japan Crate’s box, I feel like its kind of a rip-off because they always have a bunch of unique new types of items in the boxes.

Quality - 4.5 out of 5. Everything was fine, items were good and tasty and nothing was damaged (including my umaibo, which lately has been suffering), while everything but one item held up being open a bit late, a couple of them went stale fairly quick after opening. BUT they still tasted decent so I didn’t entirely mind. I’m only mentioning this because I’m not a person who inhales everything at one or shares them with others. My snacks tend to last a while.

Theme - 2 out of 5. I thought they kind of failed this time around. The theme was perfect for summer, but when I think of the beach I think of flavors like pineapple, mango, coconut (I hate coconut so I am thankful none of that was included), other fruits, and maybe grilled flavors. The mint, soda, and melon flavors were great for the theme to provide a refreshing and light taste, but I wish they had played that up some more.

Total Rank: 6 or 7 out of 10. Lately the boxes are improving I think, I keep liking them more and more and I really loved this one (with the exception of the poteco rings and the DIY, they’re good but I’m just tired of seeing them!). The flavors are all very yummy, but the items correspondence with the theme needs some work. Let’s see if they do better next month with our last of the 3 summer boxes this year :3

♥ Cutie’s Scale of Yummy ♥

1. Tonkatsu Umaibo - It’s a unique flavor but it’s so good! I can only imagine what the real sauce tastes like~

2. Soda Soft Candy - Soft candy is much better than hard in my opinion, I love candy like this. They tasted so good x3

3. Sour Cream and Onion Doritos - I love Doritos and these were no exception- I do wish the flavor didn’t linger in the mouth so long, but it’s not horrible.

4. Sugar Rusk - These are like the sugar rusk Umaibo, and they’re very tasty. 

5. Peach Mint Kit Kat - I love the pink and mint pastel color scheme and for such a unique sweet combination, I thought they were perfect together.

6. Sour Peach Gum - Delicious, but the flavor dies down very quickly. I like the texture of the gum.  

7. Sherbet Perot Cider - Very yummy, but I wish the lollipop was a little sweeter. 

8. Chocolate Mint Candy - I’m not big on hard candies like I used to be, but these are unique and I love the cooling effect.

9. Anpanman Grape Gummies - I love grape and I thought they were too cute not to eat~

10. Melon Cream Soda - It was really good but when I have melon things I feel like I have a point where I lose interest. I’m glad I split this with someone else because I’m not sure I would have drank the entire thing on my own.

11. Texas Corn Okonomiyaki - I like the texture but the weird apple cinnamon cereal vibes I was getting weirded me out. 

12. Chocolate Bat - I hated these initially but the ore I ate the more bearable I found them. 

13. Poteco - I’m extremely over these... thankfully I know people who like them or aren’t as picky.

[wordsdrippinginink]

Imagine a modern au, Luffy talking up his older brother to be this big bad tough guy because Luffy only ever talks about him in context of when they fight or Ace is fighting others and his friends are low-key nervous (high-key, Usopp and Chopper would like to take a hard out) and being so surprised when Ace is super kind and friendly and nothing like the way Luffy describes him. They're all what the heck why didn't you say he was like this? You guys never asked what he's like only how he fights.

Chopper is nervous, not that Chopper isn’t always nervous because he is that, but today Luffy had promised them that they were going to meet his big brother. The same big brother that Luffy said punched someone in the face last week, which wasn’t included in the time that Ace had broken someone’s fingers and then curb stopped broken finger man’s friends. Or Jinbe’s description of the fight he had with Ace, that was better left forgotten.

“What does Ace do?” Zoro asks curiously, hunched forward slightly as he sharpens one of his swords. “I mean, he has a job, doesn’t he?”

“Ace does something!” Luffy offers easily, but doesn’t expand, which isn’t helpful. “But he’s not gonna be doing his job here!”

“I think I have a case of can’tmeetfamily-itus,” Usopp says standing up quickly. “I need to go!”

Nami pulls him down by the back of his overalls, “Sit down and shut up, or I’ll transfer all of the money that Luffy owes me onto you,” Chopper shivers as she glares at all of them. “When will Ace be arriving?”

“Mhm? Don’t know, Ace said that he would be here after work,” he pulls out his phone, fumbling it briefly, before checking his messages. “Ace says that he’ll be ten minutes late because his boyfriend needs him to pick up something.”

“Won’t he have to run it home then too?” Sanji asks setting drinks down on the table to keep them occupied. “Unless it’s something that can wait?”

“Ace leaves nearby,” Jinbe answers. “He and Marco have a place that’s before you reach the Sunny. If you draw a line it’s Ace’s work, Ace’s house, Sunny.”

Chopper bites his straw instead of his lip, because that meant there wasn’t going to be too much time before Ace was here. He could just imagine him. Tall with scars from all his fights, the scowl that Luffy told them was intimidating on his brother, but couldn’t copy himself, and eyes like fire. It’s enough to make Chopper want to hide under the table.

“Ace is hear!” Luffy shouts as someone knocks on the door, hurrying to answer it and throwing it open. “Ace!”

“Luffy!”

Ace is, Chopper tilts his head, not at all what he had expected. He’s tall, taller than Luffy at least, but he’s smiling and there’s no scars on his face like Luffy has.

“Ace come meet my friends,” Luffy drags Ace towards them and Ace laughs, letting him do just that. “Everyone, this is Ace! Ace, everyone!”

Ace shakes his head, before leaning forward slightly, “Thanks for taking care of my brother. I know he can be a bit of a fool, but he seems to like you a lot,” righting himself and waving. “Hey Jinbe!”

“Ace, it’s good to see you. I heard that you’ve been promoted again.”

“Apparently. I don’t get it, I didn’t even apply for it, but now I’ve got a whole lab! And minions!” Ace says excitedly, which makes Chopper think of super villain labs.

“What do you do?” Zoro asks finally, after a long moment of silence. “Luffy never said.”

“I’m the head of research and development at a tech company,” Ace answers, finally sitting in the chair Luffy is trying to shove him into. “It’s a lot of fun and we end up setting the labs on fire or blowing something up at least once a month. Zoro, right?”

Zoro nods slowly, “Luffy’s mentioned us?”

“Well sure, you’re his best friends. He keeps coming by and showing Marco and I all the pictures that he’s taken of you and your shenanigans,” Ace says leaning back slightly when Sanji places a drink down for him. “Thank you very much.”

“You’re-” Sanji trails off.

“Politer than we thought,” Nami finishes for him, because Nami has no sense of self preservation. “Since Luffy isn’t.”

“Luffy is polite when he needs to be,” Ace says, almost diplomatically. “But he also seems to work on rules that no mortal human can. Sabo thinks he’s one of the fae.”

“I’m not a fea!” Luffy shouts, moving to sit closer to Ace. “So mean Ace! Sabo knows my dad!”

“Dragon is a perfect example of fae,” Ace teases, smiling brightly. He doesn’t look anything like what Luffy had told them about his brother. “And you will not convince me otherwise.”

 It’s Robin that brings it up after Ace leaves, several hours worth of laughter and stories about Luffy’s childhood later.

“I thought that Ace would be less polite.”

“Why would you think that?” Luffy asks looking absolutely puzzled. “Ace is super polite.”

“You never mentioned that,” she counters.

“You only ever asked about Ace’s fighting ability,” Luffy frowns. “Not about Ace!”

[wildcardwriting]

Absolute Confusion #3

[One Piece]

Chapter #2 | Chapter #4

Absolute Confusion on AO3

Summary: It was hard enough understanding what drove Monkey.D. Luffy the first time, but the second time-now that’s absolute confusion. A slightly smarter Luffy has time traveled, let the confusion begin…

Please Read: Old fanfiction. Probably terrible.

XXxxxxXX

Chapter 03: The Taven

XXxxxxXX

"Haki…?" Shanks said looking at Luffy again.

The captain of the red-haired pirates still wasn't sure what to make of that revelation, and his thoughts concentrated solely on who could possibly be a carrier of such a rare power—

"Shanks…are you asleep with your eyes open?" Luffy asked leaning closer to Shanks and poking the older man in the cheek. He waited patiently for an answer. He knew Shanks wouldn't do that, not while there was beer present, but he had to ask because the sheer amount of time Shanks had not blinked was something an ordinary person would find difficult to do.

This new quieter Shanks was strange. Even when Luffy had met his friend after he had become King of the Pirates, he'd never seen his friend act like this. Maybe something was wrong, but what?

'Did something go wrong on their last adventure?' Luffy thought looking at Shanks.

"Hey, Cap'n," Ben said stepping forward to help Luffy.

Shanks blinked and turned around barely aware that he hadn't been paying attention. Ben pointed down and Shanks was immediately set his sights on a quiet Luffy looking thoughtful and worried.

"Are you thinking deep thoughts?" Luffy asked a serious tone coloring his voice, his posture different from usual.

Shanks shook his head, displacing the slightly tense atmosphere that had taken root. "Now, what's this about you being the King of the Pirates? Last time, I came you were still talking about being a pirate on my crew…what changed your mind anchor?

Luffy smiled his toothy grin. "You did. You kept saying I couldn't be pirate. So I'm going to prove you wrong, and find One Piece!"

Determination colored his words, and his conviction strong, as everyone in the Tavern was silenced. The leader of the Red-Haired Pirate was pleased, if not a little confused, as he tried to figure out what exactly he might have said to get such a strong reaction from Luffy.

"Shanks…you're better off giving up, what makes sense to Luffy means nothing to us." Ben offered, making his thoughts known to his friend as to how fruitless his quest to understand Luffy was. It wasn't the first time, the first mate had seen someone try and decipher the anchor, and it probably wouldn't be the last, but the fact of the matter was Luffy just didn't make sense.

Shanks shrugged, not really surprised. "I tried."

"Luffy, would you like more food?" Makino asked breaking into the conversation and handing the time traveler a plate full of food. "There's some leftover meat." She offered, and instantly Luffy dug into the food placed right in front of him without saying anything. In between bites, he thanked Makino for the food.

Makino smiled. "I knew that would happen. Well, at least I don't have to worry about any food going to waste while you're around, right Luffy?"

Luffy nodded; inhaling everything on the plate in a single bit, barely taking notice at his mouth stretching….of course just because he didn't notice didn't mean a certain captain and his crew didn't...

The silence from before had come back in force, and for a few seconds, the infamous crew of the Red-Haired Pirates was struck silent by the incredible sight in front of them. Luffy mouth was stretching, and finally, the mysterious whereabouts of the Devil Fruit were becoming clear. Shanksgaped a cross between anger, and concern, as he jumped up from his seat knowing full well where the missing devil fruit had gone. 

The bar exploded in yells as everyone else finally caught to what Shanks was thinking.

"He couldn't have!" They yelled sitting up, letting several plates of food fall to the ground (Luffy glared at them for that. He could just imagine Sanji kicking them if they had done something like that in his presence).

"He apparently did!" Shanks yelled back, picking Luffy up from his seat and pushing him next to Lucky Roux. Luffy didn't struggle, and simply let himself be carried, as he tried to figure out was his friend was making such a big deal over.

So what if he gained his powers back? It was just something normal. He reached across the table and snatched some food from Lucky Roux's plate as well as the other plates at the table.

"Luffy did you eat this fruit?" Lucky asked quickly sketching a picture of the Devil Fruit for Luffy and showing the smaller pirate.

Luffy nodded. "Yes, I did." He said before returning to his food, uninterested to the various reactions from his favorite pirates.

Shanks, on the other hand, was freaking out and didn't see Luffy's nod but he did facepalm hearing Luffy's word of "Yes, I did", and immediately moved forward and placing Luffy on his lap and trying to figure how exactly he was going to explain to the small anchor what eating a Devil Fruit meant.

Luffy was thankfully done with his meal and glanced up at Shanks.

"Because of that cursed fruit, you wouldn't ever be able to swim for the rest of your life, if you fall into the sea you'll drown." Shanks' said waiting for the streams of tears to come, and he wasn't the only one – many of the members within Shanks crew looked ready to bolt at the first sign of tears – Ben himself sighed thinking how incredibly blunt, and tactless his captain was when it came to Luffy.

Seconds passed... and Luffy said nothing, nodding. He looked around, and to the immense surprise of the Red-Haired crew simply patted Shanks on the head before turning away. "I knew that already, Shanks...I've got to go now, my brother's waiting for me!" He said waving bye, and running out before anyone could say a word.

Shanks blinked and looked at Ben trying and failing to find words to describe how...strange it was that Luffy did not freaky about finding out the consequences of gaining the powers from the Devil Fruit.

Heck, just last week the little anchor had been working hard trying to learn to swim and yet today, he didn't make a fuss when he learned he'd never swim.

It was odd.

Ben scratched his head. "Hell if I know...Luffy's something else."

XXXXXX

Market Place, Windmill Island

Finding Ace was far harder than Luffy had first anticipated as thirty-minutes into his search for his older brother. He checked in all of Ace's usual hiding spots including the Library, and the Market Square, as well as the little cliff near the forest yet he still couldn't find his brother. He had asked around and was surprised to learn that his brother had been in the town since yesterday-something that didn't make any sense to the Straw Hat Captain.

'Ace had said he had some errands to run...so then why...?' Luffy thought before something occurred to him. He hadn't check home yet.

Knowing his big brother, he probably had fallen asleep doing cleaning or something, and just wasn't aware he had left yet.

Luffy smiled knowing how true that was when he considered Ace's last two attempts to go grocery shopping. Luffy ran quickly, excited again to see his brother, even though he had seen him only a few hours ago. He sped up happily, and raced out of the town, heading to their house at the other end of the island. For as long as he could remember, he (and later Ace) had lived in that house at the edge of the island, and although he had never known, or asked why when he was younger. He knew why now.

Both he and Ace weren't supposed to be alive; Ace was still being hunted by the Marines, while he was a secret. Neither of them meant to live, but the fact they did mean their options for an honest living was non-existent...

He shook his head, letting the thoughts fall away.

In the distance, he could make out the outline of his house, and as he neared his home, he noticed the door open.

Someone was home.

XXXXXX

Southeastern Edge of Windmill Island, Forest

Meanwhile, Ace looked up to the sky as he sat in a tree branch high off the ground. He was about ten feet from the entrance of the Windmill Forest, and although it had been almost two hours since he had sat down, he still didn't feel like returning to town, or even going home. He'd fallen asleep once climbing up, and had fallen off hitting his head, waking up, but nothing, not even sleep seemed to distract him.

He glanced back in the direction of the village wondering what sort of mischief Luffy was getting up to. Knowing his little brother he was probably still off bothering Shanks' and his crew, asking excitedly for stories about their adventures. It was the sort of thing he imagined Luffy would do, and later when they sat down to dinner he was more than likely going to hear about from his younger brother.

He smiled faintly.

His brother was always full of joy (excluding the time when Garp showed up) and although Luffy didn't quite understand everything that went on around him, he was sensitive in a way other people weren't. Ace could faintly remember when he had first met his brother, he had ignored the other so fiercely and hated him so much that he set out to completely make the younger boy cry. Yet instead, he found himself Luffy's friend, and eventually his older brother after the accident.

Ace's eyes darken thinking about it.

It had been his fault what happened, and yet Luffy was the one to suffer –

CRACK.

Ace bolted up from his seat silently hiding behind some of the huge piles of leaves on his branch as he noticed a large imposing shadow pass near his spot. Down on the forest floor, a pair of scruffy men were arguing in loud voices, causing nearby birds to fly away. Even from his spot high above them, Ace could distantly smell the vile smell of alcohol from the two.

It was two drunken idiots that had stumbled into the forest, and Ace sighed moving out from his hiding spot. If he didn't do something soon, those two were going to end up as food. This forest was no place for the stupid, or weak. Ace moved silently, knowing that even if he did make noise, the two below him were too intoxicated to notice.

He crept closer about to make himself know when some of the words become clear.

"...stupid brat..." One of the men said taking a drink from his bottle. "He...fucking thought he could stop us."

The other man nodded. "...but we showed him...he was a pathetic bastard..."

Ace stopped in his tracks. Listening intently; hoping beyond hope that no one he knew had gotten hurt. He leaned against the tree, hiding in its shadow. If those idiots did anything to Luffy or Makino –

"..Mouthy brat kept saying it was his home... it's his own fucking fault for living out there in the middle of nowhere in a house full of grog..." The first said again.

Ace's blood ran cold.

There was only one house that contained alcohol, aside from Makino's Tavern. None of the other shops carried beer, and often when he was cleaning or when Garp came home there was always beer, stacked high on shelves all over the kitchen.

Red hot fury coursed through Ace. These assholes had crossed the line, they could get lost in the forest for all he cared. Ace moved away from the tree and stepped out into the light.

'Hold on Luffy.' He thought. 'I'm coming.'

XXXXX

East Edge of Windmill, Luffy's House

Feet turned into inches, and Luffy stepped into his house, and into the disaster zone. Along all the shelves, bottles of alcohol and beer were taken down and scattered everywhere, unlike the sight of clutter he knew to be in the kitchen every single alcoholic beverage was empty or missing. Luffy moved through the kitchen, confused. Did his grandpa make a surprise visit or something?

It was hard to tell –

There was noise coming from other rooms, and Luffy walked faster. It sounded nothing like Ace, or like his grumpy grandpa, it sounds like the Tavern when it was full of drunk people. Luffy neared the doorway of the kitchen and glanced around the corner. There before him were no less than ten men all causing a racket, and destroying his home. Chairs and sofas were a scatter and torn mess and all the books were thrown to the floor in a warp representation of a child's messy room.

Luffy's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight.

It was the mountain bandits from earlier!

Luffy gripped the wall that led into the Living Room and moved back keeping his arms gripping the wall tightly. Even at this point, his powers were shaky, and it wasn't like he'd be able to do anything too complicated. His arms were stretched as far as he could go in the hallway, and he waited for the precise moment that all the man were gathered together.

He knew once he attacked he'd be at a disadvantage, so he needed to knock as many of the men out as possible. He watched as the men were walking around in a drunken stupor, watching and waiting for the perfect moment. They were talking about nonsense things, that those other members of the group obviously understood, but that to Luffy seemed incomprehensible.

‘Now!’ Luffy thought throwing himself forward with the acceleration from sling shooting himself.

He slammed into the drunken bandits causing almost every single bandit to slam into the walls, many of whom were knocked unconscious by the impact. Unfortunately, several bandits got off with a few bruises or just having the wind knocked out of them. Six of them stood ready, while the leader looked on, more interested in his beer, rather than the state of his men.

Luffy got to his feet slowly, his limbs still throbbing slightly from the stress of using his new powers. The bandits surrounded Luffy, fists raised. He was still tired from using his Haki earlier, and his devil fruit powers were difficult to use. He needed to defeat them, but how?

They crowded around him, moved closer, fists raised. The man on his left was faster, nearly hitting Luffy as he slid under his fist, and kicked him hard. He didn't get up.

Five more to go…

Another two men on either side of him were drunk out of their minds, crashing into each other as Luffy moved out of their line of sight. Neither moved from the ground, as giant bruises formed on top of their heads.

Three left...

"You little bastard!" One of them yelled from behind Luffy.

Luffy slid, stretching out a foot, tripping the man, making him crash into a nearby wall and knocking himself out. Luffy looked around; the last of the bandits unsheathing their swords. Their stance was sloppy and held none of the grace or form that Zoro's had. Luckily, for Luffy, both were still feeling the effects of the beer, or it would be much harder to take them down with his new powers--

SLAM!

Every window in the house was thrown open as powerful gusts of wind beat against the house. Luffy shielded his face while latching on to a piece of furniture as the bandits were tossed around from wall to wall. The fallen forms of the knocked out man were shot of the house through the open door, cleaning the house of their filth, as the wind died down, just as suddenly as it came.

Luffy lowered his hands, his suspicions raised.

The only man who had the power to control the wind shouldn’t have been anywhere near Fuusha Island–

"LUFFY!" A frantic voice yelled interrupting his thoughts.

The door behind him slammed open once more and there in the doorway was his brother. He looked winded and was panting slightly. His clothes were ruffed, and covered in dirt – no doubt from falling asleep in mid-run – and yet, the look of pure worry on his older brother's face surprised the Straw Hat Captain.

He had only seen Ace with that expression twice.

XXXXX

Twenty Minutes Ago, the Tavern

About a mile away at the docks, a similar situation was repeating itself...

At half past ten, and the crew of the famous 'Red-Hair' Shanks was still partying away. Tray after tray of food was passed around; most of being eaten while some remained on their plates. Alcoholic drinks were long gone, forcing the crew to turn to more tame versions of ginger ale, and soda, moods unaffected by the absence of their favorite drink.

"Makino! Mayor!" A villager yelled coming into the Taven, the door hit the wall. "The bandits – they were sighted near Luffy's house! One of the neighbors saw Luffy enter a couple of minutes ago – I heard loud shouting, and racket coming from it!"

Silence, and then as one the pirate crew stood.

XXXXX

East Edge of Windmill, Luffy's House

Off in the distance, the lights in the D. House were flickering, the door was wide open, and there was a mess everywhere.

Shanks stepped inside and prepared for the worse. Thankfully, nothing of what he was thinking of was happening as his eyes met that of a ruined Living Room, with two small boys sitting on a worn couch. Ace was wrapping bandages around Luffy's arms, where various scratches, cuts and dark bruises littered them. There was still a few bandits were lying in discarded piles around the room, and broken bottles and glass covered the floor but all in all Luffy’s house was still in one piece.

"Remove the bandits," Shanks said quietly, his voiced layered with an angry undertone, that not even Luffy couldn’t miss.

Silently, the pirate crew entered, throwing, and kicking the bandits out, piling them together, as they were tied up. Ben remained with his captain watching the D. brothers, while the others dragged off the mountain bandits.

Ace didn't look up once, and replaced the medical supplies, before he walked away presumably to clean up, leaving Luffy alone with the two men.

"Shanks!" Luffy said running toward him, smiling. Yet, even though he smiles all Shanks could see was the injuries.

"No," Shanks said interrupting him, stepping closer to his little friend to pick up one of Luffy's arms to expect the damage infected. "Did they do this?" He asked his voice like steel, cutting and without mercy.

Luffy yanked back his hand, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Nope." He told him smiling brightly. "I was just using learning to use my gum-gum powers." 

Shanks blinked. "WHAT?"

XXXXX

Glancing in, Monkey D. Dragon smiled faintly, his face going blank once more as he moved on...

"He's like you, Catalina."[1]

XXXX

Author’s Note: From the vault of old fanfictions.... it's terrible. I know.

1: I had plans for this name. She’s not an original character, but I will be changing her backstory to make more sense.

Chapter #2 | Chapter #4

Absolute Confusion on AO3