#sanji will always take the opportunity to make a dig at Zoro

[whispers-of-lilith]

Sanji: "Ah my angel, that cloud over there that looks like a heart reminds me of you~"

You: "Aw, Sanji! You're so-"

*Sanji immediately turning to yell over at Zoro who's just trying to take a nap.*

Sanji: "Oi, Marimo! See that cloud over there that looks like a little bitch? That one reminds me of you."

Zoro: "Wha- I haven't even done anything!"

You: "You're something else..."

[dokojuice]

i see from your blog that you like zosan, do you have any fic recs bc i've basically run out :')

08/29/2022 A/N : this list will be continually updated with new zosan fic recs! I will be adding them chronologically, so all the newer ones will be at the bottom past the cut :D 

how does one RUN OUT of zosan 🤔

but here are some of my favs anyways

SOME OF THEM CONTAIN MANGA SPOILERS BTW

*drumroll* top 5 :

1) and then the sun came out - demonzoro (shrinewreck)

this fic is GREAT, it's quite long so the slow-burn is to die for, the writing style is great and it has stupid fluffy moments, canon-centric and zosan not being very ooc which i personally love, and it includes a link in-story with rlly cute illustrations by huanghying on twitter!

“Maybe there is something to be said that the first time they kiss, they kiss on a sinking ship. As if to say: this too, is inevitable. The waves are gnashing above the sea’s bottomless maw, and the timbers of the sinking galleon groan their own dirge – as far as this space of sea is concerned, the world is ending. Then there they are, balanced on the cusp of it, concerned only with how they exist relative to each other.

There’s an awful devotion to it, and it shouldn’t be romantic. But Sanji is hopeless. He’s always wanted a love like this.”

2) Instinct - LarmB

one of those fics you come back to and read again just because of how great it is

i personally love sanji-centric zosan fics, and the world-building and character-development/analysis in this fic is *fat chefs kiss*, the ending almost had me sobbing but it's really such a good fic

“Zoro took a good look at him. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Why wouldn’t I be? My whole life has been a fucking lie, that’s all.

He wasn’t just not a ladies’ man anymore. And he wasn’t just not disgusted by that fucking brute and inelegant seaweed of a man.

Sanji had a huge, massive, overwhelming, undeniable crush on Zoro.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

*** The Straw Hats end up on a small, seemingly empty island, where they take an opportunity to encounter the thing each of them needs the most, in a series of personal challenges. Sanji, like everybody else, goes on his search alone... until a stupid green marimo gets on his way.”

3) 15 Reasons to Fall in Love - xpiester333x

another sanji-centered, and it's really fluffy. zoro making the first move and leaving sanji to scramble with his feelings is just a trope that I will never get tired of when it comes to these two, especially with how the writer depicted zoro to be the perfect balance of soft with sanji and a marimo-stupidface *happy sigh*

“Sanji knows he and Zoro would be a bad idea, in fact he's written an entire list of reasons why they would be a bad idea. Of course, the marimo won't hear of it. He wants Sanji to give him a chance. So Sanji is just going to have to prove him wrong, right?”

4) for those that sleep on the sea - sanjitea

the latest one i read and it does NOT disappoint, 10/10, so depressing, the brooke-center in this piece is something I really dig, it gives a new perspective in terms of how zosan's relationship can be written and perceived. this fic I think can be seen as either romantic or platonic between them but it shows just how deeply connected they are, how much they respect each other, it depicts their relationship so great, potential chapter 1031 spoilers !!! 

“brook is seeing a ghost.”

5) This Unruly Heart - Hazel_Athena

THIS FIC IS SO DAMN GOOD

i personally love timeskip fics and this one checks all my boxes and BEYOND!!!!!! plus, the perona feature is something wbk I like because perona is my queen and moon and stars

but seriously, this fic is so well-written and the satisfying little twist in the end just made it that much better to read. left me happy and smiling, 10/10 fic

“Perona - in further proof that god either doesn’t exist or has at least abandoned Zoro personally - is on him like a dog with a bone.”

others below the cut !!!

- Make No Mistake - dickyang, vageege

oh. my. goodness. I don’t think you understand how disappointed I am that this fic has not been updated since 2015, genuinely such a shame because it’s so good. the writing, the world-building, the characterization, the dynamics between each strawhat, it’s so unbelievably amazingly written. why is zoro so mean to sanji in this :(( 

there is side sanuso which i love!! and nami and usopp’s friendship!!! and usopp and franky’s!!! and frobin!!! and zolu!!! keep in mind, the romantic aspect is all zosan, but this fic delves into other dynamics which are written crazy good, like seriously something I’ve never seen before, it’s so good AAAAAAAAAA i can’t bro, this fic is honestly like none other i’ve ever read, it’s so amazing and original and it lives restlessly in my head.

I remember being an hour early to work and sitting in the backroom feeling completely empty after finishing it. it’s so good but I am warning you, reading this fic comes at a cost since it will most likely never finish and you’ll be left with an empty hole in your heart over it </3

“College AU. This is an account of a series of events poorly defined as the best days of their lives. Zosan/Frobin+”

- The Sun and the Earth - iguana8llama

this one was so close to making the top 5 because JEEZ what a fic, i remember stalking the writer's page every three days waiting for an update and the ending was sO GOOD!! the worldbuilding is so great, which makes so much of the fic but the zosan part is *GASP* so good

the worldbuilding, the writing style, the plot and smut is all *chefs kiss*

“Over a thousand years ago the God of the Earth awoke from his slumber, insationbly hungry for everything. So hungry that when he looked up to the sky and saw the sun, he thought that only it could satiate him. He shook the ground and raised the mountain of this island to reach the sun, but our ancestors begged and pleaded with the God to not eat the sun, for without it, the sky would stay forever dark and the Earth would grow cold.”

- At the Height of Luxury (Take Me Higher and Higher) - Trixree

i remembered this fic in the middle of the night waking up in a cold sweat and reprimanding myself for forgetting it on this list. I had a screenshot of it and used the date of it to cross-reference over 10 pages of ao3 history to find it again. it’s that good. the writing style is articulated in a way where you can clearly invision what is happening in the moment, and having zoro and sanji’s emotions and mannerisms on display just gives it an OOMPH that’s to die for. did i mention the smut is fantastic? (rip to usopp)

“They’d arrived at the island of Mae to catch the end of a brutal, bloody conflict between the island natives and a band of thugs from further inland. After helpfully settling the conflict, the townspeople of Mae offer to throw the Strawhats an island-wide party complete with food, dancing, music and free credit at the best brothel their town has to offer.

Wherein Sanji smokes a questionable substance prepared by a local devil-fruit user and gets a little bit hornier (and a little bit looser with his inhibitions) than he ever intended to be around a certain swordsman.”

- The Tribulations of Temptation - SweetyGreeny

one of those fics where you come for the smut and stay for the plot because HOT DAMN this is a really good story. we all love a bit of acesan and jealous zoro, do we not?

“It was one quiet night, when Zoro was on watch, that he came across Sanji in the ship's storage room. Except it wasn't only Sanji, there was someone else as well, and Zoro really wished he hadn't looked.”

- Say Something - three_days_late

coming out fics are 1000/10!!! the "zoro is a gay mess" trope is one i love and this fic just makes it that much better, you marimo fool, don’t make sanji feel bad after coming out *smacks him over the head*

“It would be fine, he knew. His friends had already proven they would want him and care about him no matter what. Right? He just had to say something.

When Sanji comes out to the crew, he's met by love and acceptance from everyone. Well, almost everyone. Zoro's been acting weird, but surely he doesn't have a problem with Sanji's bisexuality.

Right?”

- To Grind One's Gears - sh33pish

FUCKING SMUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we love a little hate sex here and there, but the development from “sex with a guy I hate” to “fwb” to “catching feels” is just ‘YEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS’

“Even now, years after they started their journey, Sanji still couldn't shake the irritation when having to do anything with the swordsman. Something about his mere existence ground his gears, got under his skin, made him short circuit and react with unadulterated aggression.”

- Who Did What Now? - @charlottepuddingsama

zosan being their shitty snarky selves towards each other + luffy being his usual absent-minded idiot self = happy juice :D

“Hey, Zoro, I don’t think I’ve ever asked before – do your earrings mean anything?”

Zoro rolled his eyes and turned back to his food, shrugging. “No real meaning to ‘em. Just exactly what you see: three swords. Thought it looked cool.”

“What about the other one?”

Zoro just shrugged again, grabbing a fork full of rice. “Wedding band.”

- Sweet Fruit - PandaMega

smut smut SMUT, it was a bit heavy on the more mature aspects, but it ends up working out

“A mysterious devil-fruit user attacks Zoro while he’s alone with Sanji gathering supplies. The power forces the two of them to engage in lustful acts at the risk of death, making them face their own desire and come to terms with their feelings for each other. Lots of sex.”

- firestarters - adietxt

AGAIN WITH ZORO BEING A GAY MESS

“Zoro doesn’t have a single romantic bone in him, and never once the idea of marriage crossed his mind.

At the end of the day, though, marriage is about loyalty, about devotion and faith in something outside of yourself. And that — Zoro’s good at that. Zoro’s a natural at that.

(Five times Zoro accidentally proposed to Sanji without even knowing what a proposal is, and one time he gets properly proposed to.)”

- this, at least - adietxt

another great one by this author, someone kiss them for me pls

(honestly, anything by adietxt is just so perfect)

“The most annoying thing about this whole falling in love thing, Zoro decides, is the fact that he doesn’t even have a say in it.”

- Stigma by ZephGale

- zosan, but really nakama-centered as well and oh. my. god. this fic is so fucking good. i cried. my heart did improvised advanced gymnastics. it’s so beautiful. sanji’s characterization, and the characterization of the entire crew, it’s so amazingly well-written and it’s just such a good one. 100000/10, i’m just such a sucker for sanji being cared for openly

“They were used to their reputation changing and growing after leaving an island. One doesn’t defeat a few Warlords, Emperors, free kingdoms from tyranny and declare war on the Government without gaining something. But it seemed like they acquired something else after leaving Whole Cake Island, and it was something that was much harder to wear with pride.’

~*~

With Wano behind them, Luffy and the others finally manage to find a nice island where they can relax, restock, and not have to worry about life or death situations.

But the seemingly normal town that welcomes them turns on its head, and it’s one Straw Hat that suffers from their hatred.

~*~

Post-Wano but not dealing with anything that’s going on in Wano”

- Exposure to Sunlight by LibbyLune

- zosan with a little bit of vinsmoke family dynamics thrown in there as well :) ooooooooo i originally found this one when going through the “vinsmoke yonji” tag because i love the fanon, ooc version of him and tbh, i really dig how this story does that while also keeping elements of the original vinsmoke dynamics in there as well. i’m just a sucker for non-canon vinsmoke dynamics, and sanji is just so sweet in this one AAAA this one is rlly nice

“Sanji never escapes from the Vinsmokes as a child, and Zoro finds himself in the path of Germa 66 after the disaster at Sabaody.”

- Say It Again by 8ball

- anything. anything by 8ball. is amazing. their twitter is right here and it’s FULL of the greatest zosan fanart. the comics are genuinely the most entertaining I see, they’re so FUNNY and CUTE and LOVELY

this fic though, is the SWEETEST thing ever

“Zoro tells Sanji how he feels. And then again. and again.”

- Fingers Only by SweetyGreeny

- brb gonna go lock myself in the bathroom in the basement in the corner in the dark to read this smut in attempt to hide from the eyes of God because this smut is so filthy, it’s my one-way guilty ticket to Hell. 1000/10

zoro, get your hands off sanji challenge: failed

sanji, stop being a priss and admit you like it already: also failed

“Zoro and Sanji finally give in to each other, a long-standing desire they both can't deny. The only problem is, Sanji still has his pride, and Zoro definitely doesn't keep trying to tempt him.”

- Fuck, Marry, Kill (or, how Usopp becomes the best matchmaker of the sea without really trying) by adietxt

- BACK AT IT WITH ADIETXT they are my zosan vice, truly a master in the art of writing beautiful fics revolving around these idiots

“Everyone wants to marry Zoro. Hypothetically. Sanji can’t believe everyone would pick that useless patch of growing mold over him, and considers killing Zoro. Not hypothetically.

He has a list on why Zoro would be the Worst Husband Ever, not that he spends a lot of time thinking of a (purely hypothetical!) situation where he is married to Zoro, fuck you very much.

(a.k.a, the one where Usopp invented Fuck, Marry, Kill.)”

- unintended consequences by itsmylifekay

SOBBING ON MY HANDS AND KNEES THIS FIC IS SO CUTE AND IT MAKES ME HAPPY ITS JUST AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA lovely. super flavor. ravishing. sanji getting zoro a bracelet and zoro never taking it off? stupid rivalry turns into stupid pining? feed me this trope for the rest of my days or I will choose to starve.

“Imagine person A making person B a friendship bracelet, expecting person B to never wear it, but when it’s given to them person B puts it on and is rarely seen with it off.

A group of marines charge, Zoro slices through them, and in that instant Sanji feels his own eyes grow wide. Because there, on the arm now outstretched towards him, steel glinting in hand, is the stupid bracelet he’d given Zoro. The bastard is actually wearing it.”

- concorde by olgaphobia

i actually saw this fic on twitter when 8ball posted the most ominous, glorious fanart that I didn’t understand until I actually read the fic. It leads moreso towards being a character study with an undertone of Zosan that I just keep coming back to, because it’s such a HEAVY fic. do not read if you’re looking for something cute or smutty, this one sticks with you like an echo in the back of your head

“Perona used to tell him ghost stories about its previous occupants. Stillbirths and young boys who didn’t come back from the war — spectres for a young Zoro to face sword in hand. She told Zoro not to leave his bedroom on a full moon, to keep his curtains closed once the sun hazed down. She said there were noises at night, that if you lay sweet and still in bed, you heard the thumpings. You heard the wailings.

The Vinsmokes had always lived next door.

***

Modern AU. Zoro met the love of his life when he was four. Three years later, he meets Sanji.”

- An Inexplicable Obsession with a Certain Swordsman’s Chest by Arescore

this is a relatively shorter fic but we all love a little gay-panicky Sanji every now and again, don’t we?

the good news is that it’s incomplete, which implies we’ll be getting more of it :D

At that moment, Sanji knew three things.

1. For the first time in many weeks, Sanji finally found the source of his little problem. 2. Zoro's chest was very big. 3. He was positively, absolutely fucked.

Or: Sanji realises that Zoro has big boobs and he likes them very much

- Technicolour by rkdlkai

this fic almost made me cry, i felt so bad for Zoro in this one until the happy ending, made me wanna hug him the entire way

“Oi. Sanji. What colour’s my hair?”

He could see the incredulous look on the waiter’s face out of the corner of his eye. “How the fuck should I know? Just looks grey to me.”

And there it was, the damning sentence that confirmed Zoro’s fears. He let out a long breath, gritting his teeth as he processed it. Zoro had found his soulmate, but Sanji hadn’t found his.

(or the six times zoro didn’t have a soulmate, not really, and the one time he did.)

- A Perpetual Passing [Ships in the Night] by auspizien

this is THE cutest soulmate fic I’ve ever read. the fact that it starts from their childhood and we watch them grow up together is ADORABLE!!!

and the fact that they wanted to meet by chance??? the times they just almost did????? my heart was screaming throughout the whole entire thing. plus the whole idea of drawing on your soulmate is such a cute concept I haven’t seen in many fics before so it was really cute :)

You only get to meet your soulmate for the first time once... and Sanji was a romantic.

Zoro thinks it's stupid.

- Burning Man by neonglaceon

the most iconic trans! Zoro fic should not be this late to recommend, I apologize. But it’s the most known and appraised for a reason, and I think that there should be no description here so you can all experience it in it’s rawness yourselves. A beautiful fic.

“You’re lucky, Zoro,” she had spat, eyes turned up towards the sky, like she was trying to hold in tears. He'd never seen Kuina cry before. He’d never seen any expression on her face other than her teeth gritted in determination or her grinning in victory. “I want to be the greatest swordsman too. But girls grow up, and their bodies become weaker than men's. I’m never going to be the greatest.”

Kuina tells him this, and Zoro can barely comprehend the words she’s saying. He thinks of the countless hours he’s spent training by the river bed, the green locks of his hair left on the floor after Koushirou helped him shear it all off, of the people he thought of as family a lifetime ago calling him by a name he despised. Zoro puts a hand to his chest, where he’d hastily wrapped bandages earlier that day, remembering how his body had begun changing and he didn’t understand why-

“You’re lucky to have been born a man, Zoro,” Kuina finishes lamely.

Zoro sees red.

- Facade by Hazel_Athena

currently my FAVORITE EVER. I go back to it all the time because it’s the perfect mix of canon zosan and our lovely little fanon romantic ship. the fake marriage trope will never die. plus Zoro secretly being in love with Sanji the whole time and the Strawhats being in on it all??? (plus Law lol) WE LOVE TO SEE IT!!

also judge gets jumped in this one. a win-win for everyone !!!

I found this fic on twitter after I saw @huanghying’s BEAUTIFUL fanart

Left with only three other crew mates, it’s a ready expectation that Sanji will start fawning all over Robin in his usual obnoxious way. However, that’s not what happens. Instead, looking wild around the eyes in a way only someone who knows him well would recognize, the cook doesn’t break stride until he’s firmly within Zoro’s orbit and can wrap both hands around his upper arm, clinging tight.

“Hi, darling,” he chirps, his expression desperately conveying that Zoro needs to play along under pain of death. “Did you miss me?”

- Serendipity by CreepyCoat

ZOSAN PARENTS OF BABY DUCKLINGS. THAT’S IT, THAT’S MY PREVIEW. 10/10

/ˌsɛr(ə)nˈdɪpɪti/

Noun: serendipity; Plural Noun: serendipities The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. "A fortunate stroke of serendipity" Synonyms: Chance, Happy Chance, Accident, Happy Accident

- Sweet Child O’ Mine by Hazel_Athena

(all of Hazel’s works are top tier zosan, we bow to their greatness and superiority)

dad zeff is something that we, as a fandom, need more of. Hazel is a godsend feeding us the crumbs that we sustain ourselves upon

“What are your intentions towards my idiot child?”

[kaizokuwritings]

Hi méli ! I have a naughty sleepover for you (I hope it's ok, if not feel free to delete it!). According to you, which op men would be the most apt to say "I love you" when they cum?

thank you anon for your request! i enjoyed writing this and i hope you like it. however, i'm afraid some of the sentences don't make much sense, or are completely off topic. but I'm tired, and i was lazy to reread it.

T.W -> n.sfw content + lame and unnecessarily long writing

vinsmoke sanji — intentional.

he never misses an opportunity to tell you that he loves you, that you are so beautiful and charming. but in this moment, there, while he is deep inside you, Sanji finds that it is the perfect occasion to declare you again his love in this moment of intense passion. he's only waiting for his last few strokes of the hips to pour into you and while kissing you, whisper a sweet "I love you so much (Name)."

roronoa zoro — unintentional.

during sex with you, Zoro doesn't respond to anything. he thinks even less than usual and all that seems to make sense in those moments is him and you. and the fact that you're taking him so well. he could stay inside you for hours, pounding away at you in the mattress, hearing your moans spread like a beautiful melody through the room. but all good things must come to an end, and even this end is wonderful. when he finally comes inside you, between the grunts, there's a deep "i love you" as his cum is spread in you. he won't realize it at first, but he'll understand from your expression what he's just done, and he'll deny it completely if you ask him to repeat it. he'll become distant if you insist, but deep down he won't regret it. he was sincere, and that's all that matters.

smoker — unintentional.

this poor marine is stressed all the time, on the verge of having a heart attack. but what really relaxes him is fucking you, whether it's gentle or wild. all he wants to do is feel your arms and legs close around him, and he'll take you to seventh heaven. everything becomes trivial except your pleasure and his. he only sees the pleasure on your face and he knows it reflects his own. soon the pleasure becomes too much, and he needs to let go. smoker's movements become uncoordinated, he can't control his actions, and his hips thrust violently, hard into yours mechanically before his cum spills into you. grunts escape from him as well as a "i fucking love you". it was not prepared, not calculated. it's spontaneous and natural, and extremely embarrassing for him. he will blush a little but simply hide his head in your neck, shivering as you respond to his declaration of love.

benn beckman — intentional.

this man loves romance, and for him, his climax is often achieved through sex. benn always tries to make it the most pleasurable and enjoyable for you. he knows exactly where your weak points are, the places where your pleasure reaches its peak. and he gets off on your pleasure. he then lives for your moans, your nails digging into his back, your voice screaming his name. he usually whispers soft words (maybe dirty too) while his muscular body dominates you and makes you cum. when he releases himself onto your skin, benn is often silent, wanting only to hear your moans. but sometimes, especially when the mood is particularly romantic, benn thinks it's a good conclusion to say "i love you" while looking into your eyes. and he's happy to know that this alone can make you come.

x drake — unintentional.

he is undoubtedly the one who becomes almost animal when he fucks you. he doesn't control anything anymore, only his pleasure guides him. he's sometimes hard, with a dirty and almost sadistic speech if needed. everything is good to reach the orgasm. during these moments, the pleasure is so intense, burning everything in its path, as well as the little restraint that drake can still have, that words overflow from his mouth, and that moans intersperse the oldest words in the world.

[sugxrslushy]

Hello Maxx!

I'm..kind of new here and I found your content really interesting to read!

I also read that your requests are open so...Can I ask for headcanon about Platonic! Luffy, Zoro and Sanji with Female! Teen! Reader?

By that I mean, Y/n is pretty shy and actually anxious of unknown people but to embarrassed to tell to others about it. I just wonder how would they react..

But if you feel uncomfortable with this - please ignore this message and do whatever you desire. Take care of yourself!

Have a nice day!

➪ a/n: hello dear, firstly welcome!! I’m so glad to hear you like my content, that always makes my day!! and secondly thank you for the request, I hope I did well on it. I hope you are having a nice day too, it’s rather rainy where I am but I love it

➪ includes: Luffy, Zoro & Sanji (w/ platonic fem! reader)

➪ warnings: none!

Monkey D. Luffy

To say one thing about him, he is quite oblivious. Even if he was the one to drag you onto the ship with the crew he probably didn’t take much of a note to how shy or anxious you can be

He was too bent on becoming your friend to take your anxious attitude as a no, as we all know when he makes up his mind on something it’s pretty hard to make him change it

He’s rather blunt when first noticing, probably questioning how you could possibly feel that way. He’s never personally experienced it so it’s hard to imagine how you’d feel in new situations around new people

Although he will understand why you feel that way and he’s quick to make accommodations for you. You’re his nakama and making sure you’re well is his duty as your captain

Luffy’s carefree attitude can come through as a good thing in many situations, he’ll be the first one to talk and introduce you to people. Just as long as he’s by your side you know things are well

Sticking by his side may drag you into plenty of dangerous adventures so you may not want to rely on him all the time. I can assure you he only has good intentions though!!

He’ll try to pull you into situations to put yourself out there more, but you’ll always have the chance to pull away if you feel uncomfortable. He’ll just go have fun on his own or drag someone else along

But he’s a good person to be around when you want to try out being braver around people

Roronoa Zoro

Zoro doesn’t exactly notice at first… unless there’s danger or free booze he doesn’t really pay much attention to things anyways. He keeps to himself most of the time and doesn’t notice how you act at first

With your tendency to follow him around like a little lost duckling whenever the crew would dock on a new island, it wasn’t like he’d never notice you. Although it does take him some time to even say anything

“Oi, why the hell do ya follow me everywhere on this island?” He asks, his voice gruff but you know that’s basically normal for the sleepy swordsman. You dig your shoes into the dirt under your feet and sofly explain

He just shrugs and turns around to continue walking around. He doesn’t shoo you away or seem mad so you take it as an opportunity to keep following him around. He’s rather chill with it

He might complain about “not wanting to have a babysitting job” but his words have no annoyance or hate to them. He’ll never admit it but it helps that you keep him going the right way on walks

At some point, whenever he’s getting ready to leave the ship he just waits around for a bit, anticipating you to join him. He barely ever leaves without you sticking close to his side

Zoro may not be the best at helping with the getting over you anxiety aspect, but having him near you and keeping a watchful eye over you makes you feel more comfortable meeting new people

If you become more comfortable with people or get to be braver, he’ll give you a kind “good job kid” or something to that degree. Nothing spectacular but it certainly means something coming from him

Sanji

Sanji is both wonderful with people younger than him and dealing with things similar to your own issues. He cares deeply about his friends well beings and that absolutely applies to you

When you first met him and you were shying away every time he tried to talk to you he felt bad and stepped away to give you room. As he learned that it wasn’t just him that you acted like this towards, he made it his business to help you out

He’s been offered so many amazing things by joining the Strawhat crew, from adventures and islands of plenty of pretty ladies, to their kindness and friendship. Why not try and pass it on to you?

Whenever they meet someone new, Sanji is already at your side to help stop you from shying away and try and get you to introduce yourself to them. He’s persistent but incredibly patient with you

He has plenty of advice to give you if you need it at any moment, just call for him and he’ll drop anything to offer you the help you need. His advice is wonderful, very caring and helpful

Sanji always has a careful and watchful eye on you when you’re trying to talk to new people. If you need some reassurance just look back on him and he’ll give you a quick thumbs up or assuring smile

And if you’re having trouble or tripping over yourself trying to be less awkward, he’ll step in for you to try and help. He’s as smooth as ever with his words and knows just what to do

There’s no judgement around Sanji!! He just wants the best for you, if you want to ask for help in private he’ll pull up a chair by the counter and make you a snack while you talk to him, all in the comfort of the kitchen

Tag list: @cjm-cookiethief @acesmarigold @smallhybridart @iman-the-simp @rosiinante

[deathlikesdeep-dish]

Hi! Congrats on having 100 followers! I really like your works😗 can I request for prompt number 2 (SFW)with Law. Thank youuuuu so much!

Hi Anon!

So sorry this took so long, but I hope it was worth the wait!! 

Prompt 2: “In case we don’t make it back...” (Law x Reader) SFW

Word Count: 3k

Synopsis: in the weeks leading up to the events at dressrosa, you find yourself falling for the brooding heart pirates captain. the odds aren’t good. so, in case you don’t make it back...

warnings: language, a little angst, some fluff 

Dressrosa is a hellscape. But only you seem to know it. Everyone around you seems to be content with the facade that has been created--no one ever asks questions, everyone is always smiling. But you know better. You know just how dark the underbelly of this place really is. Everyone seemed to love the Donquixote family--adored them, in fact. From the saccharine persona of Sugar, to the repulsive Trebol, all the way up to the pink bastard himself, Doflamingo--everyone cherished them. The protection that a warlord could provide a country couldn’t be discounted to them, though many of  the citizens of Dressrosa had given their sentient lives for it. But you hoped that one day, the people of Dressrosa would see that though their god wore bright clothing, his soul was nothing but darkness. 

Two Weeks Prior

You’d known of the Strawhat pirates for a while now, keeping track of their movements. Their captain is reckless, but determined to take down Doflamingo, which worked in your favor, certainly. The news of their alliance with warlord colleague, Trafalgar Law was, you admit, a surprise. But you’d been intrigued by the inked captain, so you decided to take advantage of the opportunity and introduce yourself. 

He and the Strawhat captain, Monkey D. Luffy, seemed to be in an argument when you first saw him at the docks. Well, a more apt description might be that Law was arguing with Luffy, who seemed very unconcerned with his ally’s thoughts.

You walk closer, not wanting to alert them to your presence quite yet. As you approach, you hear what they’re arguing about.

“Will you just listen to me, idiot?” Law gritted through his teeth. “This plan is insane, it is not going to work.”

“Lighten up, Tra-guy,” Luffy replied easily, grinning as he slapped a hand on Law’s shoulder. 

He shoved Luffy’s hand off with a huff. “Lighten up?” You took a step closer. “Lighten up?” He asked again, his voice increasing in volume. “Do you little shits have any idea who this guy is? He’s a warlord.” He paused, a sad, distant look on his face, 

“He’s right,” You said, finally within earshot of the two pirates. Their heads snapped to you, alarmed at the interruption. 

“Who the hell are you?” Law said, narrowing his eyes. His body followed the direction of his head, and he now faced you squarely. Now fully upright, you could see just how tall  he was, standing nearly two heads above his pirate ally. Your eyes were drawn to his striking features--dark eyes, dark hair, dark whorls of ink on his exposed skin. You were particularly drawn to his hands. Long fingers stained with black tattoos, the fingers you knew were capable of bringing a person to their knees with just a simple gesture. Room.

You knew he was handsome from his wanted poster, but damn, it did not fully capture the brooding magnetism that you saw in front of you right now. 

“I’m y/n,” You finally replied, closing the gap between you and the pair. “I live here, in Dressrosa.” 

Luffy began to talk, but Law clapped his hand over Luffy’s mouth, silencing him. “Shut up,” Law said with a clenched jaw. Luffy grumbled, trying to rip Law’s hand away.

You dropped your weapon in a show of good faith.. “Just hear me out. Please.” You needed to convince Law (Luffy didn’t seem like he needed much convincing) that you were on their side. Any side that was equally interested in annihilating the Don Quixote family. 

Law looked at you suspiciously, and signaled for you to continue talking. You explained everything to them. You explained how you’d come here to Dressrosa after escaping capture. You’d made a life for yourself, selling your wares at the market in town. Seeing walking toys was jarring, to say the least, but what was even more jarring was the fact that no one seemed to be asking any questions about it. In fact, the citizens of Dressrosa seemed to be downright chirpy. It made your skin crawl. And Doflamingo was too revered, despite his seedy grin and disreputable demeanor. 

So you did some digging, you told them. And you’d inadvertently discovered the awful secret of the country. It all made sense, and it made you despise the oligarchy even more. There were a few that were a part of the underground rebellion, to whom you swore your allegiance. When you found out that Trafalgar Law had potential plans to overthrow the man who once enslaved him, you were practically writhing with vigor and excitement at the prospect. 

The captains listened closely, not interrupting once. Even the rambunctious Strawhat was rapt with attention. When you finally finished your tale, you leaned against the rocky cliff face at the mouth of the dock, waiting for a reaction. 

After a few moments of silence, you spoke again, hoping that with these next words, your trust would be earned. “I’m sorry about Corazon. I didn’t know him personally, but I’ve heard him discussed. It seems like he was a great man.” 

Law’s face went pale at the sound of his friend’s name, and Luffy looked over to him with a puzzled look. But even Luffy could tell that this was not something to ask about right now. He’d never seen Law look like this before. 

He was silent for a long few minutes, and you began to regret your decision. Maybe mentioning Corazon wasn’t the right move. Damn it, damn it, damn it. You needed their trust. Their help. The very lives of the people in this country depended on garnering this rapport.

“Look, I’m sorry. I should have mention--” You were cut off.

“The rebellion,” Law interrupted. “You have strong fighters?” 

Your heart leapt. Maybe this was actually going to work. “Yes, but we need more. Diamante has been on our ass for a few months, so we have a hard time maintaining our numbers.” 

You could see that he was considering, and after another second he said, “Take us to your base.”

That was two weeks ago. 

The plan was made, the date set. Tomorrow, you would join Law, Usopp and Robin in their journey to Green Bit. Aboard the Sunny, one would not think a deadly battle was looming over the pirates’ heads. You’d learned so much about the crew over the past few weeks, and it filled you with such a hope that you’d long denied yourself. 

The Strawhats are fearless, confident. So much so, that despite Law’s ever gloomy pessimism, you cannot find it within you to worry. For the first time since arriving in that dreadful place, you feel at home. You take a deep, cleansing breath in, and exhale fully. Luffy, Chopper and Usopp are restless waiting for the food that Sanji is preparing in the kitchen, jamming their chopsticks childishly into their own noses or ears. Nami smacks Luffy across the back of the head with an annoyed look, and Robin reads quietly to herself. Zoro leans against the side of the ship, a disgruntled look on his face and a bottle of sake in his hand. To Zoro’s right, there’s Caesar scowling petulantly, still confined by his sea prism stone handcuffs.  Franky is waiting for dinner below deck, refueling the ship with cola from the last Coup de Burst, while Brook blankets the whole evening with tinkling violin music. 

The only one missing, you notice looking around, is Law. Standing up from your spot, you approach Zoro and snatch the sake out of his hand abruptly and take a swig. Rather than giving it back, you keep it with you, walking away too quickly for Zoro to object (though you can hear him grumbling irritatedly from behind you, before he calls for another bottle). 

You climb the steps to the helm, and notice him alone at the stern of the ship, leaning over the banister. He doesn’t notice you at first, allowing you an extra few silent moments to stare at him from behind. It’s an usually warm evening, so he isn’t wearing his heavy cloak, opting for black long-sleeved t-shirt, which he has cuffed up to his elbows. With his forearms exposed, you can see how his tattoos wind around the sinews there, seeming to underline toned bands of muscle under the skin. Your eyes rove his back, which is visible through the fitted black shirt. His broad shoulders narrow to a thin waist, and he stretches his arms above his head, exposing a sliver of skin from his lower back. 

You’d been so occupied by the sight of his body, you almost didn’t notice another striking difference in his appearance. Normally covered by his ridiculous mushroom hat, his shaggy hair is exposed and rustling in the salty breeze. He reaches a hand up to run through his hair, pausing to grip the hair at the back of his neck roughly, as if he was frustrated. You find yourself wondering if his hair is as soft as it looks under the light of the moon and the stars. You feel a coil tighten ever-so-slightly within your core, but you approach anyway.

“Don’t you want dinner?” You call, making sure you gave him plenty of time and space before you closed the gap between you completely. He stiffens momentarily, but relaxes as he hears your voice again. “Sanji should be almost done.”

He cranes his head over this shoulder toward you, but makes no effort to turn his body with it before turning his head back face forward, looking out onto the vast ocean. You stand next to him, leaning your elbows on the banisters as he was doing beside you. You offer the bottle of sake to him wordlessly. He takes it, drinking from it for a moment before handing it back to you. 

Though he does not indicate it, he appreciates your silence in moments like these. He never feels pressured to talk around you, to present fake niceties or meaningless chatter. He also, much to his horror, has found that he appreciates your company in and of itself. Your presence simultaneously calms and arouses his nervous system. He doesn’t understand it, but being the man of science that he is, he plans to observe and collect data. For research purposes, he tells himself. Only research purposes. 

“Not really hungry,” He replies, giving you a sidelong glance as you hang on the railing beside him. 

“C’mon, Law, what’s it been? Like three days since you last ate with us?” You jab him in the side in a way that you hope comes off as playful, though you really are becoming increasingly concerned with his disengagement.

He shrugs, neither in confirmation or denial. Over the time you’d spend together, you found yourself growing more and more attached to him daily. You found that you always wanted to have eyes on him, and were viscerally uncomfortable when he wasn’t around. Law, too, had become accustomed to some uneasiness with your absence, or his from you. He had no frame of reference for this feeling, and it scared him. But he wanted to understand it, needed to understand it. 

“You’re starting to worry me a bit,” You say, breaking him from his thoughts. You do your best to keep it lighthearted, but as he flinches a bit at the words, you realize that you have not been very lighthearted at all. 

Law hates that he cares about you, what you think of him. Even worse, he hates that you care about him. He knows from the way you look at him, recognizing your look of longing in his own eyes whenever he dared to look at himself in a mirror. But caring about him has only meant death for the people he’d cared about before. An image of Corazon’s bloodied body flashes through your mind and he cringes again. He casts his eyes downward and presses his mouth into a thin, tight line. 

“Hey,” You say softly. It breaks your heart to see him like this. You want him to feel better. You want to be the one that makes him feel better. You’re warm and brave from the alcohol you’ve consumed and you place a hand gently on his forearm. Recoiling from your touch, he inhales sharply. But you don’t remove your hand. 

“Hey,” You say again even more quietly, afraid that even a decibel too loud will scare the fragile husk away from you. “It’s going to be okay. Tomorrow, that is. We have a solid plan.”

Law finally dares to look at you. Like that first day that you met, his eyes are filled with dejection. He wants very badly to believe your words. Coming out of your mouth, they sound so sweet. Coming out of your mouth, he almost allows himself to yearn. To yearn for a way to change the past, but also to yearn for a new, and brighter future. 

“I’ve lost everyone I’ve cared about.” Law replies. “They’re all either dead, or so far from here that they may as well be, considering the fact that I will likely never see them again.” 

His voice drops to a whisper. “You know as well as I do, y/n. This mission has a very low chance for success.”

You don’t reply. You do know this. It is Doflamingo, afterall. But for some reason, his reply irks you more than it normally would.

“What the hell, Law?” Your irritation is clear in your voice. “Is it so difficult for you to be even a little positive? Is that really so unbearable?”

His eyes narrow. “When you’ve seen the shit that I’ve seen, yeah, it is really so unbearable.” He mocks your tone, making you fume.

“The shit that you’ve seen?” You raise your eyebrows. “The shit that you’ve seen? We’ve all seen shit we’d like to forget, Law! The only difference between you and all of us, is that we don’t carry that shit on our back like a fucking martyr all the damn time.” Your voice climbs to a yell, and it echoes across the dark water in the stillness of the night.

He hates that you’re right. Hates that he’s such a coward, and that he has a martyr complex to top it all off. 

“How arrogant you are,” You continue, your fury propelling you forward. “To believe that everything is always your fault. Sometimes life is just shit, Law. That’s all there is to it.”

Angry tears well up in your eyes, but you don’t back down. You refuse to look away. 

He is silent, but holds your gaze as intensely as you are holding his. You feel the air shift, anger slowly shifting into something altogether new. You notice, with sudden clarity, that you are close to Law. Very close. You are trembling, but he is too. A long, shuddering breath passes through his open lips. His breath smells faintly of the sake, the sweetness of the fruit mingling with the acrid scent of the alcohol itself. 

He places one hand on the railing behind you, brushing against your side as he does. “You’re right, y/n,” He says, never taking his eyes off of you. “Sometimes life is just shit.” 

He leans down and continues. “A lot of times life is just shit. And you can’t deny that this situation is shit too. We’re relying on a lot of variables to fall into place in just the right way, at just the right time, and in my life, that has pretty much never fucking happened.” His tone is hard. 

He is being drawn to you in a way that confounds him. As if he was possessed, he closes the final few inches between you. His chest and yours are pressed against one another, and the tattooed hand on the railing slowly drifts to the back of your head. He leans his forehead on yours and tangles his surprisingly delicate fingers in the strands of your hair.

“So,” He murmurs. Your heart is pounding so hard that you wonder if he has ripped it from your chest already. “In case life is as shit as it’s always been...in case we don’t make it back…”

His lips meet yours. At first, you can’t breathe. You freeze, but you feel him stiffen and try to pull away. He thinks he has made a huge mistake, ruining yet another good thing in his life with his egocentrism. But your hands grasp the fabric of his t-shirt, and pull him back into you, so his lips never leave yours. 

He sighs in relief, moving his mouth deliberately on yours. If this is the last night he has, he wants to make it worth something. He wants one night to be worth something. Your fingers unfurl from his shirt, and you slide your hands up his chest, finally wrapping your arms around his neck. One hand is at the nape of your neck, the other at the small of your back. 

There is not an inch of space between you, not a millimeter. Your lips and his fit together like he and misery always had. He allows himself to believe, just for this moment, that you could replace the misery in his life. He allows himself to believe that this won’t be your last kiss. He gives himself permission to believe that you and he would be here again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day after that.

For once, he grants himself the license to hope.

[doctorgerth]

Could I please request a jealous smut scenario for zoro and his fem/so. Sanji is being more flirtatious than usual towards zoro’s s/o and zoro gets jealous and drags his s/o into her cabin to show her how much he loves her. ‘Face down on the bed. Now’ ‘You can get louder, can’t you?’ . Lots of biting and pure filth please!

YEET for shameless smut + soft endings 🥰 I had a lot of fun writing this idc if Zoro is a lil ooc lmao I really hope you enjoy it honey, and I sincerely apologize for getting it out to you so late!! I hope you can forgive me 💚

warnings: explicit sexual content, cursing, rough sex, unprotected sex, jealous!Zoro, dirty talk

Territorial (Roronoa Zoro)

Word Count: 2177

There was something truly nauseating to Zoro about watching any interaction between his girlfriend and that damned cook. Today was truly sickening, twisting at his gut like a knife as Sanji was being particularly flirtatious with Zoro’s woman, right in front of his eyes. Sanji was flirtatious with nearly any female that had a pulse, and Zoro was far from the jealous type, but the way Sanji flirted with (Name) was absolutely infuriating to him.

He could feel his fists clenching and unclenching at rapid paces as he watched the pair giggling and chatting with one another. It was innocent enough, typical crew mate banter that no one would think twice about, but that cook was laughing a little too loudly, standing a little too closely to (Name). Zoro’s jaw was sore from the tension of biting down so hard and he could feel the pure rage boiling in his blood. He had half a mind to just obliterate that idiot blonde right there, but he knew acting out in front of everyone would not be the best idea.

But seeing her place a hand on Sanji’s arm in a playful fashion was the straw that broke the camel’s back. All sensible thoughts left his brain as he immediately jumped from his seat, stomping over her way before tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. (Name) yelped out in surprise, questioning Zoro the whole trek towards his cabin. The fading complaints of Sanji could be heard but Zoro ignored all of it as he slammed the door behind him.

“Zoro! What has gotten into-”

He didn’t let her finish as he plastered his lips onto hers in desperation. His weight caused her body to stumble and slam back against the door. She became breathless due to the sudden force and Zoro’s hasty lips. His tongue easily made way into her gaping mouth, dancing and tangling with her dormant muscle. His kisses were sloppy, vehement, and it took everything within (Name) not to collapse right there as her mind was so dizzy; body so limp from Zoro’s unexpected domination over her. Thankfully he was supporting her against the door.

His hands were rough as they groped and pinched all along her body, eliciting weak moans from her that he wanted to hear so much more of. She struggled to push him away, chest heaving as she focused on catching her breath. Zoro was ever impatient, taking an opportunity to kiss along her neckline, pulling and ripping her shirt down to nibble harshly on her collarbone.

“Zoro…” She called out, feeling herself slowly melting underneath his embrace. It was as if he was sucking the very life out of her. She tried to look at him, but his face was too focused on burying into her.

His teeth grazed against her sensitive flesh, sure enough to leave marks. He wouldn’t mind that of course, maybe that’d be sign enough for Sanji to end his incessant flirting. (Name) was too enthralled by Zoro’s ministrations to focus or wait for an explanation to his sudden brash actions. Zoro was usually an intense lover, but to surprise her like this in the middle of the day was unlike him. Not to mention there was something dark about his eyes that was entirely unfamiliar. She’d be lying if all of this didn’t turn her on.

Zoro growled, removing her shirt swiftly and distracting her from all coherent thoughts. He didn’t want to talk it out, he simply wanted to take her in the most primal ways possible. Remind her, that pathetic cook, and everyone else in the world who she belonged to. Her independence was something he always admired about her, but right here and now, he wanted to claim her as his, hear her say his name over and over. Possessiveness wasn’t in his nature but he’d make sure she was his possession today.

He scooped up her legs to wrap them around his waist, grinding his hardened cock against her already damp pussy. A squeak left her mouth as she clawed into his biceps and he couldn’t help but smirk against her lips, “Yeah, that’s it.”

Just a few moments ago she was having a normal day, chatting with friends on deck. It was crazy how quickly Zoro made her desperate for his touch, writhing and begging underneath him like a pathetic little virgin. Zoro easily had her under his spell and there was no way she could fight this. Not when her cunt was aching for him so desperately. So she kissed back with the same intensity, fingers tangling in his green locks. Her entire body was alive; quaking with pleasure as Zoro relentlessly humped into her.

His fingers were digging crescent marks into the soft flesh of her ass while he kissed her fervently. Her moans filling up his mouth was making him harder by the second and he was aching to be inside her. His mind was completely hazy focusing on nothing except taking (Name).

Suddenly, he dropped her and tore off her shorts, following with his own afterwards. He leaned against her, whispering lowly in her ear, “On the bed, now.”

She easily complied as she removed the rest of her undergarments and walked over to the bed. Her entire body was shaking with desire and anticipation as she knew she was in for a rough session. Zoro only barked orders when he wanted it rough. (Name) sat along the bed, watching Zoro remove the rest of his clothing and pumped at his cock as he came to join her.

“Nuh-uh. Hands and knees. Face down.” He commanded, demonstrating a flipping motion with his index finger. He licked his lips as he watched her obey his orders, settling herself on the bed just as he had demanded. Her pussy gleamed for him, throbbing and aching for him, and he wouldn’t make her wait. He was going to please her after all, prove again and again that it was he who loved her truly and only he that she loved in return. Zoro was going to make sure everyone knew that she was his.

(Name) felt the bed dip as he crawled behind her, pulling her closer to him by her thighs. Her lower body was so tense from the suspense, she was dying to have him touch her. Just his hands on her thighs was sending electric shocks throughout her body.

Thankfully, Zoro wasn’t very patient, so he wasted no time in tracing around her slick cunt with two fingers. She gripped the sheets, back arching immediately from the stimulation as she whimpered out. Her backside bucked against his fingers, silently begging for more friction. He couldn’t help but smirk to himself at seeing her so desperate for him.

He gave her exactly what she wanted as he plunged his two fingers deep within her. Her walls squeezed tightly around his fingers, practically swallowing them, so he gave her just a second to adjust. As soon as she moaned out, he began pumping into her relentlessly, causing her moans to turn into screams of shock and pleasure immediately. He never ceased his penetrating fingers, sliding them in and out with haste, making sure to curl up against her sweet spot with each exit.

Zoro was loving how she moaned out for him, meeting every thrust of his finger with her eager hips. Only he could make her cry out like this. As soon as his fingers were entirely coated, he added a third finger, filling her up even more and driving her absolutely crazy. Her knuckles were as white as the sheet below her from the pleasurable finger fucking.

“You can be louder can’t you?” He panted arrogantly, increasing his pace.

She moaned louder but it still wasn’t enough for Zoro and his pride. Her head fell into the pillows, muffling her cries of pleasure and he wouldn’t have that, “That’s alright. I know just how to make you scream.”

She gained a few seconds of composure, whining at the loss of Zoro’s fingers inside her, only to scream out once he slammed his dick inside her without warning.

“Fuck! Zoro, yes!”

Zoro struggled to hold himself together as he entered her. Each time with her felt like the first time and god was it both tantalizing and overwhelming. It was embarrassingly difficult to last long with her at times, but he needed to prove a point. It was far more than proving a point, of course, but still, he needed to be in control.

His calloused hands placed themselves at her hips, settling into a good position to easily fuck into her. Using his hands, he pushed her hips down towards the bed and held them firmly in place to drill into her. Her screams filled the room now and she couldn’t help but muffle herself against the pillows once more.

His hand reached out to tangle in her hair and yank her head up, “Scream for me, baby. Let them hear you.”

Normally she would be way too embarrassed, but Zoro was just fucking her too good. It was damn near impossible not to cry out as he was pleasing her so well, “Zoro! Zoro, yes! Harder!”

She couldn’t see the cocky smirk on his face but she definitely felt it. With a swift smack on her ass, he picked up the pace, causing the bed to creak and bang loudly against the wall in response. He leaned down to bite along her shoulders, leaving marks there for her to discover later. His thick cock pounded into her, surely bruising her hips and causing her legs to feel like jelly underneath her. It was all so rough, so primal, and it was absolutely intoxicating. She knew she’d regret it in the morning, but she only wanted him to fuck her harder, faster.

She met each of his thrusts eagerly and continued screaming his name loudly. Zoro was enjoying himself too much watching her reactions, “Better than that ero cook, huh?”

He hadn’t meant to let it slip out, but hardly regretted it anyway. He wanted to hear her confirmation, though realistically, her cries of pleasure were probably confirmation enough. She had a feeling it was about Sanji all along, which is why she consented to his control over her. She didn’t mind him letting his frustrations out on her, especially when she got fucked like this. She also was never against proving that he was the only one for her.

“You’re the fucking best, baby.” She whined, attempting to look back at him, “You always fuck me so good.”

Zoro huffed, gripping at her hair to pull her back again. If she continued talking like that, looking at him like that, he wouldn’t last much longer. He was getting exactly what he wanted but god her reactions were better than anything he could ever expect. He picked up his pace once more, one hand in her hair and the other clawing at her backside. It was evident that Zoro was close to his peak due to the sputtering of his hips.

“Please, Zoro…”

“Yeah? What does my girl want?” He groaned, eager to please.

“Let me cum! Please!”

His hand reached around to fondle her clit once more, rubbing it in sporadic, tight circles. The quaking of her thighs signaled her imminent release and Zoro was sure to follow after.

“Zoro, fuck, I love you!”

He internally stilled for a moment, mind going absolutely blank as those three words echoed in his head. He’d never be used to them, and they were always enough to make his body warm from utter happiness. Those three words were what sent him in a frenzy, fucking into her rapidly and releasing deep within her with low, guttural groans. She came along his cock mere seconds after, his name falling off her lips in praises.

The two caught their breath, haphazardly wiping the mess as they settled into bed beside one another. She was amused to see Zoro back to his normal state so quickly, pulling her into his side for cuddles.

“I love you too.” He mumbled bashfully.

“Then why are you so jealous of Sanji?” (Name) giggled by his side. Zoro’s brows furrowed in frustration and he scoffed at her ridiculous question. Was he really that easy to read?

“I’m not jealous. I’m just…territorial. I’d be jealous if you weren’t mine, but you are, so I gotta protect what’s mine.” He squeezed her tighter into him, a small smirk forming at his lips as he eyed her reaction.

She smiled widely, laying her head on his chest and intertwining their fingers together, “I’m yours, Zoro. Always. You never have to worry about that.” Her soft lips placed a gentle kiss along his knuckles.

As his heart fluttered, he pecked her forehead and pulled the blanket up to her shoulder, feeling exhaustion washing over him. He could hardly stop his heart from racing, the feeling of contentment and pure happiness washed over him as he closed his eyes and held her tightly.

Only she could make him feel like this.

* * *

let it be known that the Straw Hats were mortified after this and couldn’t look either of them in the eye……..Sanji wouldn’t speak to (Name) for weeks lmao

[vannahfanfics]

Could I request a Nami and Bepo friendship fic with the theme "Mittens," please? I'd just love a cute fic starring my two favorite navigators!

Here it is, lovely! I threw some dashes of LawNa in there just because I know you love them so much LOL. Thanks for the wonderful prompts and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

EDIT: This lovely image was drawn by @searchfortheonepiece whom from this moment forth has all my love and affection. 

Even Polar Bears Need Mittens, Too!

Nami was painfully aware of two things upon waking up that morning. Dirst, the ordinarily comfortable warmth of her bedroom had been replaced by a bitter, breath-fogging chill. Second, the soothing rocking motion of the waves beating upon the Thousand Sunny was eerily absent. Panicked, she threw the covers off herself. She immediately hissed in displeasure and flung the warm, soft blanket back on as the winter air leaped forward to dig into the sensitive bare flesh of her legs with eager teeth. 

She rubbed her palm over her legs to find that goosebumps had already sprouted. Treading more carefully this time, she gathered the comforter around her body to serve as a fluffy shield from the cold and eased out of bed. She hopped around, not wishing to touch the icy wooden floors with her bare feet for too long until she found the slippers she always kept at her bedside. 

After a few minutes of digging, she was able to procure a set of winter gear— slim-fitting, dark jeans, black combat boots, a maroon knitted sweater, a black overcoat inlaid with ginger faux fur, and a pair of maroon gloves with a matching beanie complete with a black pom-pom. Dark colors absorbed the sunlight better and made Nami’s tresses of tangerine hair pop all the more (because a girl always had to consider her image!). 

She walked out into the hall, and it was no wonder it was so cold. Snow flurries buried themselves into her hair, decorating her like glitter, while others spiraled down the current into the hall to flutter lazily down to the iced-over wooden floors. Shivering, she carefully walked up the icy steps out onto the Thousand Sunny’s main deck.

The Grand Line’s unpredictable weather patterns had struck again; the Sunny looked like it had ventured into the Arctic. Snow was steadily falling from the cloudy heavens. It had piled up on the deck about half a foot deep and decorated the balustrade in a fluffy layer. Everything else was completely encased in a sheath of fine, crystalline ice. It wove fern-like patterns within the glass windowpanes, the only reference to the green world in this universe of white and gray and blue.

“Zoro?” she called as she tromped through the snow. Sinking up to her calves, Nami had to take extra-large steps to keep from tripping in the thick icy fluff. The swordsman was often awake in the wee hours of the morning. Yet, he was usually taking an early morning nap around the time the others were awakening, and Nami knew that the dense man could easily sleep through a snowstorm and awaken with hypothermia or frostbite— if he didn’t just wake up a solid blue corpse. 

Thankfully, it seemed the chill had roused him plenty. He came stomping through the snow dressed in a coat, though the lout insisted on keeping his chest bared to the unforgiving winter’s bite. Sanji, with a small snow shovel propped on his shoulder and wearing a blue winter coat lined with cotton, came tromping along after him.

“Nami-swan! Please tell me you know when this damn blizzard is gonna end!” 

“Why does that matter? We can just sail out of it,” Nami shrugged. 

“Not exactly,” Zoro grunted and gestured to the railing of the ship. Nami sloughed through the snow until she got to the edge of the boat and immediately groaned in annoyance. The sea was frozen over in a solid block of ice. Even if they attacked it with pickaxes and tried to coax the Sunny to the faint line of warm blue water hovering at the ice’s edge, it would take days to do so. Nami grimaced at the thought. Who knows how long that’ll take, and it’s cold as balls out here! 

“Guess we’ll just have to suffer,” she moaned. Raucous laughter at the end of the deck caught her attention; she turned to see Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy gathering up little handfuls of snow and flinging them in each other’s faces. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth; they were idiots sometimes, but it always did do her heart good to see them having some good plain fun.

“Hey, why don’t you make us all some hot chocolate?” she called to Sanji. “I’ll see if Law is okay in the submarine, too.” 

While the cook tossed heart eyes her way and dashed off to cater to her whim, Nami walked the edge of the boat until she reached the place that the Polar Tang moored against the Sunny.

After the business in Wano, the Straw Hats and Heart Pirates’ alliance had decided to appreciate their company a little longer (which was more Luffy’s doing than Law’s). Franky had rigged up a handy contraption to allow the submarine to the Sunny without damaging it when they were fully underway, and by combining the natural sailing capability with the submarine’s engine, they had improved their speed by fifty percent as well. 

“Law? Hey, are you guys popsicles in there?” she called as she climbed down the set of ladder rungs leading to the submarine. The soles of her boots striking the surface of the uppermost deck made dull clunking noises. She walked across the deck to the door, preparing to knock, but was startled when it was suddenly thrust open. She instinctively jumped backward.

She pinwheeled as she lost her balance and tipped back, but before she could land on her behind, the submarine’s captain grabbed her firmly by the elbow and hooked his foot under one of hers to brace her. He held her up by the strength of one arm, which brought a hint of rose to Nami’s cheeks and reminded her once more of how strong Law was even though he hid all his muscles under that long coat of his.

“Careful, Nami-ya. I wouldn’t want you hitting that pretty head of yours.” 

Nami’s relationship with Law was an interesting one; one never knew what would come out of their mouths, whether it be purred compliments or insulting jibes. They yipped at each other like a couple of cunning foxes in a perpetual game that dangerously bordered on courtship; it was not uncommon that their words and looks mirrored those of two individuals in a saucy game of “hard-to-get.” 

Sure enough, his mouth curled in that undeniable smirk that just begged Nami to retort with some minxy jibe, but with the persistent cold seeping beneath her coat to nibble at her skin, she decided to save it. Using Law’s grip as a bracer, she straightened herself up and ensured that she had a solid stance on the ice. It was only then that she could get a good look at him and see that he too was not immune to the brisk weather, as he had zipped his coat up to hide his sprawling tattoos and had white gloves on his hands. 

“So, I imagine that we won’t be escaping this climate anytime soon,” he guessed with one glance at the surrounding ice.

“Nope.” She glanced up at the sky to analyze the speed of the clouds. “The system is moving pretty slowly, so I guess that we’ll be trapped in this ice storm for at least a few days or so.”

“Damn… It’s taking our heating system all it can to keep all the metalworks from freezing over…”

Before the two of them could exchange any more words, a snowball exploded in Law’s face and sent him shooting back into the depths of the Polar Tang. The furry bulk of the arriving Bepo provided a soft landing, thankfully. Nami made no attempt to stifle her laughter as the Surgeon of Death came stalking back out, shaking snow out of his face and hair. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who had flung it at him, either. “Straw Hat-ya, you imbecile, now is not the time for games!”

“Trafalguy! Come have a snowball fight with us!”

“Did you not hear me?!”

“A snowball fight?! We wanna play!” came the simultaneous chiming of Penguin and Shachi from the entryway, and Law let out a strangled urk! as the two boys muscles past him to scamper out onto the deck of the Polar Tang. They slid around on the ice like a couple of buffoons for a few minutes trying to reach the ladder, eventually resorting to easing over on their hands and knees.

“Aw, come on, Law, they’re just having fun. We might as well play in the snow; there’s nothing better to do,” she smiled as she listened to his crewmates’ raucous hoots and hollers of laughter drift down from the Thousand Sunny with the occasional stray snowball.

“I don’t play, Nami-ya.”

“Law! Will you come build a snowman with me?” 

As Chopper’s innocent sing-song voice preceded his little furry form and hopeful eyes peeking over the railing of the Sunny, Nami watched Law’s body stiffen. He flushed pink and pulled down his hat, mumbling under his breath for a moment, before he thickly called up, “I’m coming, Chopper-ya…” 

Nami chuckled heartily as she watched Law Room himself up beside Chopper, who jumped up and down and hugged his arm elatedly. Not even the Surgeon of Death can say no to our sweet little Chopper.

“N-Nami?” 

The navigator turned her head as the polar bear Mink abruptly addressed her.

“What’s up, Bepo?” His watery black eyes could not bear to meet hers but flickered downward to train on the intricate icy patterns adorning the wood. His nails clicked lightly as he tapped them together in a nervous fidget. “Would you mind teaching me more about maps?” 

Nami blinked slightly in confusion. In the time that the two crews had spent together, the talented cartographer had been sharing her knowledge of maps with him. Still, she wasn’t sure why he wanted to do such an everyday activity when the opportunity to do something new and fun had presented itself.

“Wouldn’t you like to come play in the snow with us, Bepo?” she suggested with a bright smile. The poor thing couldn’t blush, but she could tell that he was embarrassed from the way he flattened his ears to his head and twitched his massive body.

“I can’t… My paws get cold.” 

Nami had no idea how a polar bear’s paws could freeze but considering the circus troupe of colorful people she sailed with, anything was possible. 

“Everyone else can play just fine because they have mittens, but we’ve never been able to find any in my size,” he lamented while holding up his clawed paws. Naturally, no market would sell mittens for a bear. Poor thing! He doesn’t deserve to have to sit out while everyone else has fun! Nami thought as a pang of pity pierced her heart. She grinned brightly and reached up to grab one of his furry paws with both of her hands.

“Don’t worry, Bepo! Come with me. I’ll whip up some mittens for you!” she assured him before whirling on her heel and pulling him across the deck of the Polar Tang. The bear just silently shuffled along behind her. 

She trekked back through the snow covering the spacious deck of the Sunny. It was falling so heavily that the small trench she had produced just a few minutes ago had already largely filled, forcing Nami to track a new path through the thick fluff. The layer had already thickened up to her knees. Nami pulled out her Climatact to help shovel the snow to wither side to help clear her way, but only with marginal improvement; very soon, her arms were aching. 

“Jeez! You wouldn’t think snow would be so heavy. I’ll have to get Franky to shovel some of this stuff off before our deck collapses!” she panted. Bepo, despite his bulk, seemed to have no problem pushing through the snow; after a moment of watching her struggle, he let out a nervous mumble before lightly tapping her on the shoulder. Nami paused to turn around, leaning on her Climatact for support. His tiny ears fluttered, and his little nails clicked together as he considered something silently for a moment. Then, to Nami’s surprise, he leaned down to pull her gently into his big furry arms.

“U-um, I thought it would be easier this way…” he admitted shyly while scratching the side of his head with one claw. Nami beamed, wrapped her slim arms around his thick neck, and nuzzled her nose into his fluffy cheek.

“How considerate! Thank you, Bepo.” She felt the bear’s skin warm as he did the Mink equivalent of blushing, and his words were an incoherent gush of mumbles. Feeling a burning gaze, Nami glanced over her shoulder to see Law staring intently from across the deck. 

“Jealous?” she called over while sticking out her tongue. Law snorted in derision and pulled his hat down over his face, but Nami could see the haze of pink over his cheeks. “Don’t worry, Law, I’m sure Bepo would carry you too if you asked him!” she laughed while rubbing the top of Bepo’s head through his hat.

“Ugh, Nami-ya, that’s not what I—” he snapped at her, then flushed further. Grumbling under his breath, he whirled around to instead re-focus his energy on the half-finished snowman that Chopper was molding with his hooves. Nami laughed mischievously again before looking back at the polar bear, who was just trying to pretend that Nami hadn’t been so boldly flirting with his captain.

“Mittens, right? Let’s go!”

Bepo carried her the last leg across the deck in record time. He gently set her down on the steps once they arrived, and Nami carefully picked her way down them, holding one hand against the frosty wall to aid her balance. She would hate to ungracefully slip and tumble down the stairs to earn herself a bruised bottom or sprained ankle on a day that promised a lot of fun. 

She led Bepo to her and Robin’s room. His massive frame barely was able to squeeze through the threshold, and he took up a large amount of space, requiring Nami to navigate around him as she searched her belongings for old clothes that she could retrofit into a pair of mittens for him.

“I’m sorry if I’m in the way…” he sighed apologetically and resorted to his nervous tick again. Nami smiled brightly up at him as she rifled through one of her trunks of sweaters.

“There’s nothing to apologize for, Bepo. You’re never a bother!” It was no secret that he was a little insecure, and so Nami always tried to do her best to encourage him. He smiled shyly and shuffled his feet, indicating that Nami’s compliments were warming him a little. 

“Ah-ha!” she cried merrily as she procured a lovely yellow wool sweater patterned with black stripes. “It’ll match your jumpsuit, too!” she grinned as she poked at the jolly roger emblazoned on the fabric as she passed him. She walked over to a small sewing machine situated on a table in the corner. 

With how much Nami loved clothes and saving money, she of course knew how to sew, and with the boys tearing their clothes to shreds all the time, she had invested in the small machine to make quick work of the many repair jobs. Bepo lumbered over to stand over her shoulder to watch her work, ears fluttering in curiosity; smiling, Nami leaned back so that he could observe her handiwork.

“You’re going to make mittens from that sweater?”

“Mhmm. There’s no sense in letting this fabric just collect dust,” Nami nodded as she cut out the patterns of the mittens using a large pair of shearing scissors. Tossing the rest of the fabric aside into a little basket for later use, she turned on the sewing machine and put the fabric in place. She felt Bepo release an awed breath over her shoulder as the needle began punching thread into them at high speeds. 

Nami’s nimble fingers guided the fabric to form the seams. In no time at all, she had produced one bear-sized pair of mittens, complete with holes in the fingertips so his claws wouldn’t shred the fabric. His ears flattened to his head as she whirled around in her little stool to hold them up. “Here you go! Try those on.” He very gently took the mittens in his paws before slipping them on, pushing his claws through the added holes and flexing his hands experimentally. He then gave Nami a huge smile that crinkled his already small eyes.

“Thank you, Nami! They’re wonderful! Now I can play in the snow too!” he rejoiced and jumped from foot to foot. Nami giggled and stood up from her chair.

“I’m so glad you like them.” 

“Nami! Will you make snow angels with me?!”

“Of course!” She grinned, then gasped in alarm as Bepo suddenly took off to squeeze out of the doorway and hurry up the steps. “Hey! Not so fast; you’ll fa—” 

She heard a startled yelp followed by a series of rapid thunks that could only be the polar bear Mink tumbling down the stairs. 

She exhaled deeply with a wan smile, shaking her head before walking out to see if he was all right. She found him on his back at the base of the steps in the process of rolling over; it seemed the fall didn’t do much, as he immediately scrambled back to his paws and went shambling up the stairs with an excited, impatient, “Come on, come on!”

“I’m coming!” she assured with another laugh and carefully followed him back up to the winter wonderland that the Sunny had become. For the next several days, the two crews busied themselves with all sorts of winter revelry, and Bepo made sure he showed everybody the marvelous mittens that the gracious Nami had made for him…

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to perusemy Tableof Contents!

[neverwatchedonepiece]

526-528: "Undersea Volcanic Eruption! Drifting to the Fish-Man Island!", "Landing at the Fish-Man Island! Beautiful Mermaids!" and "Excitement Blow-out! Sanji's Life Under Threat!"

HOORAY! :D:D:D

Will this be one of those arcs that’s filled with sympathetic villains? The kind of characters who... well, you get where they’re coming from because they have a cast-iron reason for their villainy and you feel conflicted about cheering for the heroes? Or will it be more complicated than that? 

I hope I like this arc. Ever since Arlong Park, since I learned about the Sun Pirates from Hachi and the racism Fishmen experience I’ve been hoping Oda might dig deeper into the theme. It’s early days yet, but from what I’ve seen in this episode, I’m quietly confident he’ll deliver.

Cthulhu Is... Friendly?

Must admit the Flying Dutchman action was a bit of a let-down. I thought Captain Vander Decken would be the next villain (or at least the henchman of the next villain). It was built up so well. The creepy “Dead men tell no tales” speech, Brook confirming he was the Real Deal, that the legend told of how the captain lost his mind, killed his crew and cursed the gods (who got their revenge by cursing him to drift forever).

I thought that might make a good plot line (that was before Hammond appeared and the Real Plot kicked in).

The Kraken coming back and sucker punching the Sea Bonze was so worth it. I laughed like a drain and could not believe I was cheering a Kraken like it was Hell in a Cell. Top it all off, Luffy, Zoro and Sanji came paddling back in a single bubble. And Luffy had made the Kraken his pet and named it Surume! Only Luffy can get separated from his crew and return with a pet Kraken. And laugh about the fact that he almost died.

The volcanic eruption action scene was fun. The Flying Dutchman crew and the Kraken would not mess with nature. The water glowed an ominous red and before Luffy gave any orders, Surume the Kraken was already checking out. Nami made the call for them to leap into the deep trench ahead to avoid the pyroclastic flow (is that even possible underwater? I have no idea.)

Usopp got to show off some of his skills by shooting a net-like plant weapon that stopped the debris from the eruption from smashing Sunny to pieces. (Could be good in combat for subduing bad guys.) I liked how Luffy was a good captain and praised Usopp and his cute Kraken pet for doing a good job. There’s that leadership shining through.

This was just before a stray rock bonked Surume on the head and the Strawhats woke up... ten thousand meters under the sea?

But... how? I thought. 

It was bright. There was natural light and vivid colours. How? 

Because it was Fishman Island! :D

Cannot lie. I was excited to finally see it. I wonder how it was for manga readers then to see that place brought to life after so long. I mean, how many chapters was it since it was first mentioned in Arlong Park until now when it was animated. I mean, it was huge! And there were entire massive trees inside the bubble. I still have no idea where the natural light was coming from, but pffft, did I care? It was FISHMAN ISLAND! :D

Then the Border Patrol Arrived?

At least, that’s who I thought they were at first.

And they brought Plot, which, let’s face it, is always good.

Three shady-looking Fishmen rode up on massive Sea Kings. They were so tough, they spoke to Surume the Kraken like it was a disobedient pet. Or... more accurately, as if it was a race traitor. “Why are you obeying such fools as humans, Kraken?” Surume fled the scene (obviously scared of these guys).

They recognised the Straw Hats too. I love how Luffy said, “Who are you? How do you know about us?” Um, Luffy... everyone knows about you now. xD

But these guys went way back. Much further than Alabasta, Enies Lobby, Impel Down or Marineford.

“You are the ones who foiled the Arlong Pirates’ plan. You stood up for Hachi and knocked out a hateful Celestial Dragon, just like Fisher Tiger, the hero of Fishman Island.”

They claimed they were the New Fishman Pirates and demanded the Strawhats enlist under their banner or be sunk.

Hammod did most of the talking but two others tagged along (Hyouzo and Kasagon). 

Nami and Franky knew Luffy would say no (and possibly put them in danger because they couldn’t fight back). They took a huge gamble and spent the last of Sunny’s air crashing through Fishman Island’s protective bubbles.

The dramatic tension when the coating shrank, pinning all the Strawhats to the deck was great. But it really ramped up when the first bubble ripped off the coating and the second one turned out to be full of water. I didn’t expect that twist.

Was that the closest the Strawhats have been yet to almost dying? 

Camie to the Rescue!

Luckily, they have a friend who was sort of expecting them. Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Sanji woke up at none other than Camie’s place! (The others were separated. Franky, Nami and Robin are together. I have no idea where Brook is and Zoro is on his own.)

Turns out she works at a Mermaid Cafe on the sea floor of Mermaid Cove. The dorms are more affordable on the sea floor, as opposed to the ones higher up with more natural light. I liked that Oda has imagined an entire class system here. Mermaid Cove seems an okay place. Pappagu the starfish is in the fanciest district: Fishverly Hills (lol!) and is a famous designer. Hachi lives in Fishman District, which Camie said was a ‘rough place’. Luffy still thinks Pappagu is Camie’s pet. I don’t think Luffy completely gets how Fishman Island works yet, but Camie was nice and didn’t say anything. Hammond also hinted at another Fishman Island faction: Neptune’s Army, who were introduced later but I don’t know which side they’re on yet, so they seem like a neutral third party so far. 10/10 world building from Oda there.

Camie showed them around. They took a cute turtle elevator up to the “surface”, where there were clouds, blue sky, trees and rainbows. Luffy mentioned reuniting with Jimbei because “when Ace died two years ago, I didn’t lose heart thanks to him” (yes, Luffy. I’m glad you realise just how much Jimbei did for you!)

But Jimbei was not on the island. Camie seemed to hint the War in Marineford caused a bit of trouble in Fishman Island. She didn’t go into it, damn it.

Then, the royal family’s Fish Boat swam into view, heading straight for them, carrying the Neptune Princes (Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi and Sanboshi). The mermaids hid the Straw Hats, in case they were arrested for illegally entering Fishman Island. One mermaid made the mistake of holding Sanji... let’s just say a little close to her chest.

And Lots of Beautiful Mermaids

You know what, I didn’t want to say but over the past couple of episodes, Sanji’s weakness had been annoying me. Not really badly. Just that the joke was getting a bit thin because it’d been played so many times for laughs.

Now I know why.

Does Oda do nothing without a purpose?

He had to set up all the blood loss stuff because blood transfusions are a central tenet in the hatred a lot of Fishmen have over humans.

When Sanji had his Vesuvius Moment, Dr Chopper bravely came to the rescue. Just as the Princes seemed about to take the Strawhats (though they didn’t want to arrest them. Still not sure what their deal is), Chopper placed himself in harm’s way and shouted, “Stop! I’m a Doctor! Can anyone donate S RH negative blood? If Fishman blood is the same, would anyone be willing to donate?”

Chopper unwittingly referenced an Old, Highly Politicised Grudge.

Fisher Tiger: The Hero of Fishman Island

Hammond, who had been lurking, waiting for an opportune moment to catch the Strawhats, couldn’t stay quiet at that point.

“No one on this island would give blood to lowly humans,” he scoffed. “If anyone did, they’d risk punishment from the Dark Night, from human haters. The Old Law in the kingdom states that donating blood to humans is prohibited.”

When the Strawhats protested, Hammond fired back with some Context.

“You humans set that rule first! You people have a long history of fearing us. Didn’t want your blood mixed up with ours. That’s how the hero, Fisher Tiger, died. He risked his own life to free slaves of all races. But after a bloody war, he died. He could have lived if he had a transfusion. The heartless humans refused to give their blood to him.”

I was gobsmacked by that. Honestly. What a great twist, in terms of both plot and morality! How are the Strawhats going to fight against years of racism, abuse, toxic politics and the veneration of a martyr-like figure who means so much to the people of Fishman Island? 

This is going to be a wild ride.

Usopp dismissed the old law. He begged someone, anyone, to help Sanji. Hammod tried to take Luffy by force but severely underestimated how much stronger he’d become (that Haki, honestly... it is so badass).

Camie hijacked the Royal Fish Boat (the royals here seem pretty laid back because if that was real life, you’d be in your local Impel Down faster than you can say, “But I need a blood transfusion!”)

And it seems something is rotten in the state of Fishman Island. Not only are the Strawhats the first human visitors in a while, the Princes were unable to deliver a message to Jimbei.

I wonder if it’s anything to do with this shady character?

This is the guy who wants to see Luffy. The one Hammond calls “Boss.” Hordy Jones, I think his name was? And here we have a shady face, not entirely revealed, sharp teeth and a good voice actor? This has happened before with Moria and Crocodile. Could this be the villain? Is this Hordy Jones, or is he higher up the chain?

I hope so. Was blue-balled with the Flying Dutchman stuff. Don’t want it happening again, haha.

Also, who or what is Noah? Was confused as to whether it was a location or a person.

*insert Rocky Theme tune*

[zonamievents]

ZoNami Analysis: Before They Even Met

Hello everyone! Welcome to my new series of posts, where I discuss every Zoro and Nami moment to have ever occurred in the entire series of One Piece. Any scene can merely be friendly, but perhaps we can uncover a hint of something more between them as we go through it all? Let’s find out on this journey together!

Also, I am aware that koukihime has done a similar series on her website, zoroxnami.weebly.com. However, I wanted to perform my own analysis of Zoro and Nami’s relationship, so please bear with me if there are any accidental similarities. Thanks!

Our first topic is actually going to take us back to before Zoro and Nami ever encountered each other, to a time when the swordsman was the only member of the Straw Hat crew, aside from Luffy himself.

We start at Chapter 8 of the series, appropriately named “Nami”. After setting sail in their puny sailboat, Luffy and Zoro are ready to officially begin their lives of piracy! Of course, Luffy decides to bring up his stomach, while Zoro calls Luffy out on his surprising lack of navigational skills.

Luffy throws the question back at the swordsman, who tries to sound cool as he talks about “following a pirate out to sea” and earning money along the way…

…but Luffy bluntly unveils the hidden meaning behind his crew mate’s words: that he doesn’t know his way around the sea either.

As they gripe about their hunger after their fruitless conversation comes to an end, Luffy spies a bird, tries to catch it for their next meal and ends up getting carried away in the process! Zoro has no choice but to row their little boat after him! But along the way, he encounters three men stranded out at sea. They manage to hop on board and try to commandeer the boat…

As if that was going to happen.

They end up rowing for Zoro, who then turns around and asks how they were marooned in the middle of the ocean. Instantly riled up, the men tell Zoro how they were tricked by a looker of a woman!

The three men are all having a meltdown about what happened, but leave it to Zoro to focus on the most important aspect of their story: they encountered a navigator who was talented enough to use the weather as a weapon.

Now, the anime completely ignores everything I’ve mentioned here. Zoro doesn’t talk about needing a navigator, nor does he get to hear about Nami from Buggy’s pirates. There will be moments where we discuss the differences in characterizations between the anime and the manga, however, I’m simply going to focus on the manga for the prologue to my analysis series since it comes directly from Oda-sensei himself.

Some may say that this doesn’t really mean anything, that it holds no significance, especially since it isn’t even featured in the anime.

Sure, that’s valid.

It can totally seem like a waste of time to talk about.

If you’re not a ZoNa shipper, there probably IS nothing more than what it is on the surface.

Thankfully, I am heavily invested in digging into anything and everything related to Zoro and Nami!

Yes, I would agree that it makes logical sense for anyone other than Luffy to bring up the need for a navigator. But the fact that Zoro does it is very interesting, as Luffy uncovers that he was lost for most of if not all of his time prior to joining Luffy. It is quite telling for an author to use opposition to relate characters to one another.

Zoro’s only character flaw thus far relates him to Nami’s greatest strength.

Zoro is written to be Nami’s foil from the very start. That is most definitely not his only purpose, but his lack of directional sense is so catastrophic that we see in later moments of the series how it creates problems for not only the crew but for Nami herself.

They haven’t even met yet and Oda-sensei has designed their relationship to be one that already holds friction and challenges and opportunities for all sorts of scenarios. We can also draw upon the fact that Zoro’s greatest strength – his literal physical strength – counters Nami’s lack of combative skill, since she has left him to handle many battles and forces him to sub in for her when need be.

But we’ll stay focused on the topic of directional sense for now.

It is a totally legitimate writing tool to create characters who are each other’s foil, as it gives depth to their interactions without needing to supply them with constant storylines – just their conversations alone spice up any scene they share together.

Here is an example of what it means to have characters act as foils to one another, from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet:

The example at the bottom of the image relates to their first pair of opposing traits mentioned, being Benvolio’s passiveness facing off against Tybalt’s aggressive nature. Tybalt dominates the opening scene by doing his damnedest to instigate a fight between the Montagues and the Capulets, despite Benvolio’s wish to avoid any discourse.

Regardless of them being from opposing houses in the story, it is clear that these two were meant to show the ends of a spectrum – peacefulness versus antagonism. In this one scene, we understand how drastically these two will influence the plot moving forward due to the way they clearly standoff in both their natures and the way they observe and understand the scenes they are placed in.

Zoro and Nami may not be as dramatic as Romeo and Juliet’s first scene, but it goes to show how having two character foils interact with one another can not only create excitement in a scene, it can also present tension between them in a way that is signature to their relationship in the story.

Which leads me to what I really want to mention: the fact that this is used as a motivation in plenty of romantic storylines too.

To quote author Joanna Penn:

Friction between two people can also be a good thing. Attraction, desire, love and lust supply the heartbeat to many a novel. Anticipation can be nerve wracking in a good way, and competition can spur characters on to do their very best. So whether friction is a healthy manifestation of desire and need or filled with unhealthy disagreements, power struggles, and the quest to dominate, readers are pulled in.

Zoro and Nami aren’t the only two who are opposites of one another in One Piece, let alone the crew.

Sanji can cook and Luffy cannot, despite how much he desperately needs to eat.

Robin is a rather serious person who cannot always stand Franky’s eccentricity, causing her to bluntly insult him at times when she cannot understand him.

Usopp’s cowardice has been known to irritate a few members of the crew, as a pirate needs to be brave in order to traverse the Grand Line, let alone the New World.

Regardless of the other oppositions we see amongst the main characters of One Piece, Zoro and Nami are clearly intertwined due to the fact that they are direct opposites of one another in terms of each of their major skill sets, and Oda-sensei knew exactly what he was doing when he made Zoro speak up about their makeshift crew needing a navigator.

At this point in One Piece’s entire history – from the early designs of Romance Dawn all the way up to this chapter – the concepts of Luffy, Nami and Zoro have existed for quite a while. Some more than others, but still, Oda-sensei has been mauling over their characters’ possibilities for a while before finalizing the draft of One Piece that we all know and love.

Meaning there was a reason he pinned Luffy’s first real crew members against each other like this.

Meaning there was an intent in his mind for making Zoro as directionally challenged as he is.

Meaning there was always a plan to create friction between these two from the very start of the serialization of One Piece.

Oda-sensei is a clever writer, one who has said in past interviews he won’t focus on romance in an action-based series. However, as we see his stance on this change over time, it will forever be interesting to note that he gave Luffy and Zoro very different introductions to Nami’s character.

Luffy, in the manga, meets Nami when she tries to make him the focus of the Buggy pirates’ rage.

Zoro, again, in the manga, gives us our first introduction to the character and praises her openly.

Though the anime does this backwards – with Luffy encountering Nami during his scuffle with Alvida in episode one, if only for a moment – and completely removes Zoro’s interaction with information about Nami, it’s clear that Oda-sensei knew what he was doing when he formatted Nami’s debut chapter this way.

It’s obvious that Oda-sensei wanted to showcase the connectivity found in the opposition of Zoro and Nami from the very moment they were both made to be showcased in the series, even before their very first moment shared on screen.