Archive of Our Own ^beta

If anyone asks, Zoro’s going to put the blame for this latest fiasco squarely on Luffy’s shoulders.
After all, it was the Strawhat Captain who’d decided to pick a fight with this weird floating country, and anyone could have gotten turned around in such a free for all of a battle, so the fact that Zoro now finds himself in what appears to be some kind of cellar is really not his fault.

Panting heavily, he adjusts his grips on Enma and Kitetsu, not willing to put the swords away until he’s fully taken stock of his surroundings. Somewhere up above him he can still hear the sounds of the battle raging, although he thinks there may now be fewer explosions than before.

“But is that a good thing or a bad thing?” He wonders, speaking the thought aloud since there’s no one around to hear him. He seems to have given the weirdly similar looking soldiers the slip for the time being, a fact he’s grateful for since their sheer numbers had been getting annoying.

“Honestly, who needs that many troops? Pretty sure the fucker who calls himself the king around here was just using them for target practice anyway.”

He’s not expecting a response to his statement, and technically he doesn’t get one. Someone does make a faint whimpering noise down the hall, however, and Zoro’s eye narrows.

“Hello?” He calls, positive he hadn’t been imagining things. “Is someone there?”

No one answers him. In fact, the sudden silence is so complete it’s oddly deafening. Zoro peers further into the darkness, and it’s as his eyesight finally adjusts to the poor lighting that he realizes he’s not in a cellar like he’d first thought.

He’s in a dungeon.

Rows of cells line the walls on either side, each of them closed off through the use of a heavily barred gate. Notably all the ones near him seem to be empty, but a tingling sensation at the base of his spine sets Zoro moving again.

He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t call out a second time to ask if he’s not the only one down here. Instead, he silently moves forward, twisting his neck from side to side so that he can glance into each cage as he passes.

He finds the source of the whimper in the very last cell, his stomach clenching as he gazes down at the cowering figure it contains.

The furnishings in the cell are sparse, with the space containing an uncomfortable looking bed covered by a threadbare blanket, a toilet and sink combo Zoro wouldn’t force his worst enemy to use, and a small table with only a single rickety chair. Strangely, the walls are lined with shelves that have been stuffed with books, but his attention is quickly dragged from them as he focuses on the room’s sole occupant.

Unsure of what to do or say, Zoro clears his throat, but even this is enough to startle the prisoner again. A second whimper rings out, and the gangly figure continues trying to tuck itself into the space between the wall and the bed, heedless of the fact that it’s too big to fit.

“Hey,” Zoro says softly, belatedly realizing that he probably cuts an imposing figure given the way he’s still holding his swords. He tucks them haphazardly back into their sheathes, and then wraps his hands around the bars on the door, hissing at how cold they are to the touch.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he tries again. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

The figure doesn’t say anything, choosing instead to curl up into an even tighter ball, its knees pressed tight to its chest and its fingers digging uselessly into the unforgiving metal helmet it wears. Zoro can’t make out any distinguishing features like this, can’t even tell if it’s a man or a woman thanks to the awkward position and tattered clothes, but he knows something terrible has happened here, most likely something completely unforgivable.

“You got a name?” He asks then, once again getting no response. “Okay.” He frowns, considering his next move. “You want me to get you out of here?”

The figure jerks like it’s been slapped, its hands momentarily leaving the helmet as its back hits the wall behind it. “Out?” It repeats in a scratchy voice that sounds like it can’t grasp what the word means. “No.” It adds with a frantic shake of its head. “I’m not allowed out. That’s the whole point. No one’s ever allowed to see me. They can’t even know I exist.”

“Well that sounds … horrible,” Zoro settles on. He’s learned one thing, at least, the voice is decidedly male, but otherwise all it’s done is further convince him that he’s inadvertently bearing witness to an injustice of epic proportions.

“Who made that decision, the Germa king?” He asks, confident he’s hit the nail on the head when the man shudders at the mention of Vinsmoke Judge. “Right, figured. Okay then, does it help if I tell you I’m his enemy then?”

“Judge has all kinds of enemies,” the man replies listlessly. “You should run while you still can.”

“Not fucking likely,” Zoro snorts. “My crew and I have been kicking his ass since the fight started. We don’t need to run from the likes of him.”

Several seconds pass in silence before the man speaks again. “ … that’s not possible.” He says, the firmest he’s sounded to date. “Germa doesn’t lose. Germa destroys everything in its path.”

“Yeah, if that’s what they think then they’re probably in for a rude awakening today,” Zoro replies with a shrug. “But hey, if I’m their enemy and you’re their enemy then me getting you out of here makes sense, doesn’t it?”

To his horror, rather than seeing the sense in this, the man starts to sniffle. “I didn’t ask to be their enemy,” he whimpers in a way that sets something furious and protective loose in Zoro’s chest. “I didn’t mean to be weak.”

“Fuck,” Zoro breathes, the word partially drowned out by the sound of explosions going off above. He hopes they’re either Franky or Nami’s controlled blasts, but at this point he’s not willing to stake his life on it.

“Alright, look. There must be a key for your cell. Do you know where it is? Fine, fuck it,” he adds when the man refuses to say anything. “I guess we’ll just have to do this the old fashioned way. Stand back.”

He decides to use Wado for the job, pulling the calmest of his swords free from his belt and using her to make quick work of the cell door. The man burrows even further into his hiding space as the severed bars hit the floor, his breath coming in short, sharp pants when Zoro strides into the room.

“It’s okay, you’re okay,” Zoro uselessly tries to reassure him. “Look, the sword’s going away, you see?” He says, making a show of placing Wado out of sight and holding up his empty hands. “I know I’m not exactly a knight in shining armour, but I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

“You’re lying,” the man rasps. “This is a trap, or - or it’s not real. No one’s coming to save me. They told me. They said no one would care and - and that I’d be down here forever. They laughed.”

A harsh growl makes its way out of Zoro’s mouth before he can stop it. “I don’t know who they are,” he says, “but it sounds to me like they were fucking pricks. If you want to get out, l’ll get you out.”

“ … why?”

Zoro shrugs, not really having an answer for that himself, despite the fact that there’s a nagging sensation at the back of his head telling him he doesn’t have a choice. “Seems like the right thing to do,” he settles on. “Also, Judge is a psychotic asshole, so if he put you down here I can pretty much guarantee you you didn’t deserve it.”

“They said I did. Deserve it, I mean.” The man says nonsensically. “They said it so many times.”

“Repeating something doesn’t make it true,” Zoro notes. “Especially if it was bullshit to start with.”

His carefully measured steps having now taken him within touching distance, Zoro drops into a crouch in front of the man. “So,” he says, balancing carefully in order to hold out a hand and offer it up for inspection. “What do you say? You want me to get you out of here?”

“W - where would I go?”

Zoro thinks it over and shrugs. “Anywhere you want, I guess. That’s kind of the beauty of being free.”

“Free?” The man echoes, like he’s trying out the sound of the word on his tongue. “I could be free?”

“Mhm,” Zoro nods, pointedly flexing the fingers of his outstretched hand. “Completely.”

Up until now the man’s had his head tilted towards the ground, the mask therefore making it impossible for Zoro to glimpse even part of his face. He slowly starts to raise his head, however, and even the dim lighting doesn’t stop Zoro from being snared by a brilliantly blue-eyed gaze.

“You could be lying.” The man says simply, not accusingly, but just making a plain statement of fact.

“I could be.” Zoro agrees because he imagines if their positions were reversed he’d be equally as suspicious, if not more so. “But I could also be telling the truth. There’s only one way for you to find out.”

“C’mon,” he adds, extending his arm a little closer. “What’ve you got to lose?”

Several seconds tick past, during which Zoro scarcely dares to breathe. Then there’s a subtle shift in the other man’s posture, and his right arm slowly unfurls from his body. Pale, slender fingers that are much warmer to the touch than Zoro’s expecting reach out to accept his hand with a grip that’s surprisingly firm.

“Okay,” the man says after swallowing heavily. “Do your worst, I suppose.”

*****
They encounter two problems almost immediately. First, the man flinches in terror when Zoro offers to use his swords to break the clasps on the back of his helmet, and second, that fear quickly spreads through his entire body, leaving him with trembling limbs that he can’t possibly walk on, let alone run.

“Okay,” Zoro says from where he’s currently keeping the man upright with a firm hold on his arm. “The helmet we can sort out later,” he notes, confident that some combination of Franky and Usopp should be able to get the horrible thing off. “We can’t stay here, though, so you’ve gotta move.”

“M’sorry,” the man mumbles, his shaking getting more pronounced. “You should just leave me here. I’ll understand.”

“Yeah, that’s not fuckin’ happening,” Zoro informs him, his mind having long since been made up. “Don’t worry, I’ve got an idea.”

“Wh - ?” The man starts, only for the word to end in a startled exclamation when Zoro uses his existing hold to tug him towards his chest. Once he’s within reach, the swordsman then shifts the hand on his arm to around his back, hooks the other under his knees and hoists him into the air.

“It’s okay,” Zoro assures him when the man freezes in what he suspects is abject terror. “I swear I won’t hurt you or drop you, it’s just so I can get us both out of here. I promise.”

The man still doesn’t say anything, so Zoro opts to take his silence acquiescence. Trying not to think about how light his companion feels in his arms - they’d been almost of height when the man was standing, meaning that by all rights he should be heavier than this - he adjusts his grip until his burden is better centered and then bolts for the end of the hall.

There’s only one staircase leading up, so Zoro takes it, assuming it must be the one he’d originally come down. The sounds of battle grow louder the higher he climbs, and smoke fills the air when he clears the threshold of the doorway.

He lets his feet carry him towards the loudest of the noise, figuring he’s bound to find at least some of his crew mates near the worst of the fighting. This turns out to be true when he rounds the corner and comes face to face with Usopp and Jinbe, the former of whom also has Chopper perched on his shoulders.

“Holy crap!” Usopp yelps, skidding to a halt as he almost slams face first into Zoro. “Where the hell have you been, and who the hell is that?”

“This place is a rat warren, and I wound up getting turned around,” Zoro snaps, daring the sniper to try and make a crack about his sense of direction. “As for the second question, we haven’t quite sorted that part out yet, but Judge had him locked up like an animal and I wasn’t leaving him down there.”

Jinbe and Usopp share a look.

“ … Zoro,” the heavyset fishman says eventually, clearly having lost the battle over which one of them would speak first. “Did it by any chance happen to occur to you that someone Judge felt was dangerous enough to be incarcerated might not be the best person to bring onto the ship?”

Still held securely in Zoro’s arms, with one of his hands now fisted in the fabric of his robe, the man makes a forlorn sound and shifts, almost as if he’s expecting to be put down. Having none of that, Zoro tightens his hold as reassuringly as he knows how.

“It’s not up for debate, Jinbe.” He says, piercing the older man with a fierce stare. “And I’m willing to bet Luffy’ll back me on this one.”

They hold each other’s gaze for a long moment, until ultimately Jinbe breaks away with a grave nod. “Of course,” he says. “You know we trust your judgment.”

Usopp’s expression suggests otherwise, but it’s equally obvious he’s not about to cause a stink over the issue. Reaching up a hand to adjust Chopper’s weight on his back, he shifts his hold on Kabuto with the other and shrugs.

“Like you said, it’s Luffy’s call,” he notes, “and he’s not usually wrong about these things. We need to get out of here, though. Some of Franky’s rockets took out a couple load bearing walls, and this place is coming down around us.”

“The rest of the crew are already somewhere up ahead of us,” Chopper pipes up helpfully. “They’ll get to the Sunny before we do, but it’s better if we don’t fall too far behind.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Zoro agrees, fully able to see the logic in what the reindeer is saying. “Usopp, you take the lead, and Jinbe you watch everyone’s backs.”

The sniper and helmsman share another knowing look, this one one that Zoro can’t parse out. Furthermore, neither of them provides an explanation this time, with the two choosing instead to silently slide into the positions he’s suggested.

“You doing okay?” He asks his passenger as they start to move again, but if he was expecting an answer, he’s sadly mistaken. The closest he gets is a tightening of the white knuckled grip the man is maintaining on his coat, followed by a shaky exhale.

“Don’t worry,” Zoro says then. “We’re going to get you out of here.”

Lifting his head up so he can better see where he’s going, he’s surprised to find that Chopper has rotated around on Usopp’s shoulders and is now facing them. “I’ll give him a proper check up once we’re back on the ship,” he says when his eyes meet Zoro’s. “Where did you find him?”

“There’s some kind of dungeon under the main building,” Zoro replies. “I think he’d been down there for a long time.”

His expression pinching, Chopper makes a disapproving noise as he lets his gaze flip up and down the length of the man’s body. “I don’t like how skinny he is,” he pronounces, heedless of the battle still going on around him. “And I can see bruises where his skin is exposed.”

Having noticed the same thing once they had access to better lighting, Zoro grits his teeth to bite back a snarl. “I know,” he says, only after he’s confident the worst of his fury won’t show in his voice.

Chopper’s expression picks up the edge of a smirk, like Zoro’s let something slip that he didn’t mean to. Not wanting to get into it with him, the swordsman opens his mouth to tell him to turn back around, when the arrival of three newcomers provides an even better distraction.

“Damnit, not these guys again!” Usopp groans as the sound of propulsar jets fills the air. “Can’t they take a hint and leave us alone?”

“Apparently not,” Zoro says, craning his head upwards until he can spot the trio of men in the strange armored suits. Identical but for their uniquely coloured hair, all three look disdainfully down on their little group.

“And just what do you people think you’re doing?” Asks the one in the middle, the redhead who seems to be the de facto leader of the bunch. “If you think we’re letting you get away after the mess you’ve made of the castle, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“Especially if you think we’re going to let you run off with the failure as well.” Sneers the one to his left, his bright blue bangs swishing as he shoves them out of his face.

“Yeah!” Adds the last of the set, the green haired one who’s even larger than his already massive companions. “That’s our favorite punching bag you’ve got there. We’ve spent years breaking him in, and we don’t want to have to find another.”

“I guess that explains the bruises,” Usopp says darkly, his tone suggesting that he’s no longer questioning the idea of getting the prisoner out of Germa. “How do you guys want to play this?”

“If I may,” Jinbe rumbles from the back of the group. “These young punks don’t strike me as being nearly as powerful as they seem to think they are. I’d be more than willing to give the rest of you cover while you escape.”

“I’ll help you,” Chopper says, holding up a familiar looking rumble ball with a dangerous glint in his eye. “They seem like bullies, and I never approve of bullies.”

Zoro’s half tempted to tell them to stand down and let him handle this, always mindful of his chief role among the crew. On the other hand, the man in his arms has started murmuring a desperate “nonono” over and over again under his breath, further solidifying the need to get him out of here.

“Fine,” Zoro says aloud, positive he’s making the right call even though he hates it. “Don’t take too long, though, and definitely don’t get yourselves killed. Luffy and the witch’ll never let me hear the end of it if you do.”

“Fair enough.” Jinbe replies with a toothy grin, and any reply Chopper might make gets lost in the sound of him chomping down on the rumble ball as he leaps from Usopp’s shoulders. “We’ll see you soon.”

*****
Usopp sticks with Zoro when they split up, and although he’d never go so far as to say he needs the help, having the sniper around to provide cover makes things considerably easier when they run headfirst into a horde of yelling soldiers. The heavily armored men all scatter in surprise with the use of a few well aimed pop greens, leaving the way clear for them to run through.

They exit the castle amid a series of explosions, a roar that can only be Chopper in his monster point form echoing above the rest. Ignoring this, Usopp points in the direction of the docks, and they charge towards them, confident they’ll find the Sunny waiting there.

As expected, their ship’s smiling figurehead beams down on them as they approach. Her sails are already unfurled - indicating that the rest of the crew had made it back ahead of them as hoped - and Zoro thinks he catches sight of a flash of blue that’s probably Franky racing for the wheel.

“OI!” Usopp bellows, waving his hands as they draw nearer. “Someone toss a rope down! We’re coming in hot!”

“Ugh, just once I’d like to have a plan go off without a hitch and not end with us running for our lives!” Nami’s voice, pitched irritatingly high echoes down to them, but rather than one of the rope ladders, a series of interlocking arms sprout along the side of the hull, indicating that Robin’s nearby as well.

“I don’t know what’s worse,” Usopp says as he latches onto one of the hands and it begins moving him upwards. “The fact that it’s creepy as hell when she does this, or the fact that after all these years I’m starting to get used to it.”

“Less talking, more climbing,” Zoro snaps, adjusting his hold on the man he’s still carrying so that he can let Robin drag him up as well. “You use the tools you’re given when it comes to survival.”

“You’re deranged,” Usopp retorts.

Rolling his good eye, Zoro doesn’t say anything further until they’ve reached the end of the human ladder and he’s able to hurl himself over the side of the railing. Mindful of what he’s still carrying, he lands carefully with his feet braced on the deck, absorbing the shock of the landing with his legs and allowing as little jostling as possible.

“There we go,” he murmurs as gently as he knows how. “I’m gonna put you down now, okay?”

The man doesn’t say anything as Zoro sets him back on his feet, but just like he had back in the cell, he hunches in on himself, almost as if he’s trying to present a smaller target. Frowning, Zoro nevertheless doesn’t say anything, and instead turns to take stock of the crew.

Robin’s smiling winsomely down at Usopp as the sniper makes disgruntled comments about being manhandled back onto the ship. As expected, Nami’s located not far away, no doubt preparing to chart them the best course out of here, while Franky is indeed standing by the helm.

He doesn’t see Brook anywhere, but he can hear the skeleton’s familiar laughter emanating from somewhere down below them. Assuming this means he’s loading the cola barrels should a coup de burst prove necessary, Zoro decides to let him be and searches around for the last man out.

“Hey, Captain!” He calls after spotting Luffy standing not far from the figurehead - although thankfully not on it for once. “Need you over here for a second,” he says, having caught the younger man’s attention. “We picked up a passenger.”

“He means that literally where he’s concerned,” Usopp adds dryly as everyone turns to look in their direction. “For the record, I had nothing to do with this.”

“You didn’t stop me,” Zoro reminds him.

“Uh yeah, because I’m not an idiot. I know better than to argue with you when you’ve got that look in your eye.”

“Zoro!” Luffy’s voice, pitched high in excitement, cuts off any snide response the swordsman might have made. His straw hat dangling behind his back, the captain pushes his way through the gathering crowd until he’s standing at the front and can crane his neck around at an unnatural angle for a better glimpse of their visitor. “Who’s your friend?”

“He’s not my friend,” Zoro says automatically. “I don’t even know his name. I just found him locked in a cage under the castle and, well … ” He trails off, not really having a good explanation for his actions. “Here he is.”

“Makes sense,” Luffy agrees with an unconcerned shrug. Behind him Usopp rolls his eyes heavenward, while Nami makes an exasperated noise and buries her face in her hands. “Hey, buddy, what’s with your weird helmet? Do you want to take it off?”

“I’m not allowed,” the man says lightning quick, speaking for the first time since he’d come aboard. “I’m - I’m not allowed to do any of this! Judge is going to be furious. He’ll - he’ll send the others, or come himself. I don’t - I can’t - !”

His voice cracking, the man heaves out a ragged sob, and his hands come up to claw at the ridges of the helmet, the same way they’d done back in the cell. Half afraid he’s going to hurt his fingers doing this, Zoro moves to stop him on instinct.

“Hey, it’s okay.” He says, flatting both of the pale hands beneath one of his own. “Like I keep telling you, no one’s going to hurt you here, and Luffy’s right, I’m sure someone here can get that thing off your head if you like.”

“No problem, bro.” Having stepped away from the helm during the commotion, Franky jerks a thumb towards his own chest. “Give me a couple minutes and the right screwdriver and I’ll have you out of there before you know what hit you.”

“But - but - I’m not allowed,” the man repeats. “I’m - no one’s supposed to see my face. They’re not allowed to see what a failure Judge created.”

That’s the second time Zoro’s heard that word directed towards the man, and this new context only serves to further muddy the waters. Frowning, he decides to cut right to the chase.

“Never mind what Judge said or ordered or whatever,” he says. “Do you want the damn thing off?”

“I - yes?” The man says after a moment’s hesitation. “But - ”

“No buts,” Luffy says firmly, apparently having received all the permission he thinks they’re going to need. “You heard him, Franky. Get him out of that thing.”

“On it, Cap,” Franky says, lumbering forward. He shoos Zoro away with a wave of one massive hand, and then places the same limb on the closest of the man’s bony shoulders. “It’s cool, little bro. I know I don’t look it, but I’m great at delicate work like this. Now, how about you turn around so I can get a good look at the locking mechanism?”

Absurdly, the man’s visible blue eye, the one not hidden behind a curtain of dirty blond hair darts to look at Zoro. Not knowing what else to do, he meets the terrified gaze head on, nodding slowly to try and communicate that nothing bad is going to happen.

Shuddering, the man’s shoulders sag, almost as if he’s gone limp, and he shifts to do as he’s told, turning his back to the crew until he’s facing back towards the Germa flagship. “It won’t be long before they come after us, you know,” he says listlessly. “Your friends who stayed behind won’t be enough to stop them.”

As if on cue, the castle turrets start to fall, collapsing inwards one by one while the front wall cracks open. It’s not Germa behind this, however, but rather Chopper, bellowing in monster point form as he strides through the outer gates, trampling everything in his path.

“You, uh, want to run that by us again?” Usopp asks, while in the background Nami starts barking orders about getting ready to set sail. “Anybody have eyes on Jinbe?”

“Down there,” Robin says, pointing with an elegant hand at where the fishman is doing a decent job of keeping pace with Chopper’s long strides. “It’s good he tagged along, as I suspect our dear doctor is going to need someone to carry him shortly.”

Once again proving her to be a master of timing, Chopper stumbles. He manages to stay upright - albeit barely, and by taking out a section of battlement in the process - but then he starts to shrink, the motion continuing until his tiny form lies limp in the middle of the courtyard.

“Jinbe’s got it,” Luffy says when Zoro makes to climb back over the railing, his hands already reaching for his swords. “You stay with your friend.”

“He’s not my - ” Zoro starts, only to trail off in the face of the captain’s blank stare. “Fine,” he huffs, resting back on his heels as down below them Jinbe scoops Chopper up without breaking stride and continues heading for the ship. “I guess it’s being taken care of.”

Luffy gives him a bright grin, which gets brighter still when Franky lets out a triumphant noise.

“I think I’ve got it,” the cyborg says, doing something with a tiny screwdriver that’s held in his miniature right hand. “The damn thing’s stiff as hell - probably from not being used all that often - but that doesn’t mean it’s a match for me.”

“Just don’t do something awful like break his neck in the process,” Usopp mutters, yelling when Nami whacks him with her climatact baton. “What?!”

“You know what,” the navigator retorts, thumping him a second time. “Go make yourself useful while Franky and Jinbe are tied up and get to the helm. Odds are good we’re going to need to make a quick get away, so we need somebody up there.”

“Alright, alright, I’m going! Sheesh!” Raising his hands to ward off any more potential attacks, Usopp races for the wheel with Luffy’s amused chuckles chasing on his heels.

He passes Brook on his way by, the skeleton having begun to make his way out of the hold under the cover of all the commotion. Spotting the group of them near the railing, he makes his way over with his head tilted at an odd angle to signify his confusion.

“Is something the matter?” He asks, drawing close to the scene at the exact same time Jinbe clambers laboriously over the railing with Chopper’s limp form tucked under one arm. “Oh my, it seems we have a visitor.”

“I promise I’ll be good to give him a check up in just a minute,” Chopper insists despite all evidence to the contrary. “I just need a second to get my breath back.”

“There doesn’t seem to be any immediate hurry,” Robin says, her eyes fixed on where Franky is now carefully prying the helmet open, revealing a tangled mess of matted blond hair and not much else. “Unless our guest has been successfully hiding a gruesome injury from which he’s about to pass out, of course.”

“Robin, not now,” Zoro tells her, accepting her affable nod in the manner he figures it’s intended. Satisfied for the moment, he takes a careful step towards the recently freed prisoner, raising a hand until it’s hovering right above the man’s shoulder. “Well, c’mon then,” he tries. “How about you let us get a good look at you?”

His shoulders stiffening, the man clutches his arms around himself, but slowly starts to turn to face the crew. At first all anyone can see is more of that tangled blond hair covering the right side of his face, and then the left side - the extremely recognizable left side - becomes visible.

“Well son of a bitch.” Says Franky.

*****
For a long moment nobody says anything, and the only sounds around them are that of the Sunny pulling away from the Germa docks and slowly starting to cut through the waves. Then the man shudders, his gaze dropping down to stare at the deck.

“I can explain,” he tells the polished Adam wood. “It’s - complicated, but I swear I can.”

“There’s really no need,” Robin says before anyone else can find their voice. “I suspected the princes were a set of quadruplets, not triplets, based on the numbers,” she clarifies when everyone else turns to gape at her. “We met one, two, and four, so it stood to reason that three had to be somewhere nearby.”

“Based on how the others referred to themselves, I imagine you’re called Sanji,” she adds, when even the blond focuses his attention on her now. “You’ll have to forgive me for saying so, but Vinsmoke Judge wasn’t particularly creative when it came to naming his children.”

“That’s because as far as he was concerned he was naming experiments, not children,” the blond informs her, showing arguably his first spark of life since Zoro had first pulled him from his cell. “Not that it matters when you get down to it, since you’re right.”

“Vinsmoke Sanji,” he confirms with a stilted little bow that’s made all the more awkward by the fact that he still has his arms wrapped around his own torso. “The disgraced prince of Germa Kingdom.”

The silence that descends over the ship is such that you could hear a in drop, and it’s Nami of all people who finds her voice first. “I’m sorry,” the navigator sputters, one hand hovering above her mouth like she wants to gasp in horror. “Are you saying your dad did this to you?”

At Sanji’s aborted nod a number of the others begin speaking up, each of them more agitated sounding than the last. It’s clear from the way he flinches that the blond has no idea how to handle their reactions, and Zoro soon finds himself stepping bodily between him and the crew without conscious thought.

“That’s enough!” He barks, his voice easily carrying over the distressed babble. “You idiots are freaking him out, and we’ve got more important things to do anyway. Or am I the only one who hasn’t forgotten that we still need to get the hell out of here?”

“I haven’t!” Usopp calls from the helm. “And I’d really appreciate it if Jinbe would come take over for me.”

“Right away,” Jinbe says, passing Chopper over to Robin with Franky following close behind him.

“I’m coming with you,” Nami insists, although notably she races for her preferred spot on the upper deck, as opposed to the helm itself. “Brook, tell me the cola’s ready if we need it.”

“Absolutely, Nami dear!” He swears, darting up the stairs after her despite the fact that there’s no need for him to do so. “All three barrels, exactly as you requested.”

Sanji watches the pair go, his eye growing wide as he takes in the entirety of Brook’s countenance. “That … is a skeleton,” he says weakly, giving Zoro a somewhat desperate look. “Your ship has a talking skeleton onboard.”

Zoro snorts. “The talking part isn’t the impressive bit,” he says. “It’s getting him to shut up that takes work.”

“Right,” Sanji blinks. “This is all starting to make sense now. I’m dreaming, aren’t I? Or maybe hallucinating. Judge used to run tests on me to figure out why I didn’t turn out like the others, and sometimes the drugs could really send me for a loop. This is probably just more of the same.”

Someone gasps - most likely Robin based on those of them who are left - and Chopper sits upright in the archeologist’s arms, his fur bristling the way it only does when he’s truly furious. “That’s horrible,” he barks. “Why in the world would he do something like that?”

Sanji gives him a flat stare. “You heard what my brothers called me … before you turned into a giant thing and started tearing the building down. I’m a failure. I was supposed to be like the rest of them and I’m not, so first it was tests to see if I could be, and then it was the cell and the mask to hide the fact that I ever existed.”

Chopper's brown eyes turn impossibly sad. “How long were you down there?” He asks.

Humming thoughtfully, Sanji shrugs. “What’s the date?” He asks, his face scrunching up when Robin tells him. “Then I guess … about thirteen years or so?”

Luffy’s eyes narrow, Zoro reaches instinctively for Enma’s hilt, and Chopper squeaks as Robin’s grip on him tightens without meaning to. All three of them share a look, and then silently turn as one to face where the Germa ship is slowly fading into the distance.

“Permission to go back and remove Judge’s head from his body, Captain?” Zoro asks, while next to him Robin’s face twists in the way it only does when she’s considering letting her inner demon loose.

“No,” Luffy says after a moment’s pause. “Not today, anyway. There’ll be other chances, and right now Sanji needs us to take care of him.”

“Chopper’s the best doctor on the Grand Line,” he continues, shifting his attention to Sanji and Sanji alone. “When you’re ready, you should let him look at you. Then we’ll find you something nicer to wear, and you can have a bath too if you like. Actually, you can have anything you want that we can give you, how does that sound?”

“Not real,” Sanji scoffs. “None of this is real. Obviously, I’ve finally cracked after years and years of isolation, which is why I’m hallucinating talking skeletons and cyborgs and - and whatever this is.” He concludes, nodding at Chopper. “There’s no way any of this is actually happening.”

“Yes, there is,” Luffy says solemnly, “and you should let us help you.”

“ … fine.” Sanji says, although it’s clear he doesn’t believe what he’s hearing. “Do your worst, I guess.”

*****
Luffy catches Zoro by the elbow when Chopper moves to lead Sanji into the infirmary. “Go with them,” he says in response to Zoro’s questioning eyebrow. “Sanji deserves to feel safe.”

Zoro blinks. “And you expect me to help with that?” He asks, all too aware of how the average person tends to react around him. “I think you’d be better off sending Robin, Captain. Or maybe Usopp since people don’t usually find him all that threatening.”

A disgruntled noise from the direction of his blindside tells him that Usopp had overheard that comment, but all he does is shrug. Everything he’d said was true, which was why the sniper was a much better option to go sit by their guest’s proverbial bedside.

Unfortunately, however, Luffy appears to be having none of it. “Sanji doesn’t need to feel safe from us,” he says firmly. “He needs to feel safe from everything else. You’re good at that, and right now he likes you best.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Zoro wants to know. The only answer he gets from Luffy is a shrug and a blank stare, though, so he sighs and begins stomping up the stairs to the infirmary.

Chopper already has Sanji sitting on the bed by the time he gets there, and the reindeer doesn’t even bother glancing up from the tray of tools he’s futzing with to acknowledge Zoro’s presence. “I’d like to start by checking your vitals, if that’s okay,” he’s saying now, “and from there will move on to a more detailed examination if that seems necessary.”

“You’re the doctor,” Sanji replies, sounding bemused. “I know better than to argue.”

“I see,” Chopper says, a little guarded. He then sends a look in Zoro’s direction, flashing him a quick grin in the process. “Then I’m afraid that makes you a much better patient than some people I could name. Now, please take a deep breath for me. I’d like to hear your heart and lungs first.”

Doing as instructed, Sanji holds still so that Chopper can slip a stethoscope through the front of his shirt, giving no indication he’s bothered by its temperature or anything of that nature. He then proceeds to be a model patient over the course of the examination, giving Chopper so little difficulty that it’s almost creepy the way he just lets everything happen to him.

Judging by the look on Chopper’s face, Zoro’s willing to bet the doctor finds this as off putting as he does. It’s not long before they both have much more to frown over, however, because the more areas Chopper checks, the more damage he finds.

Sanji is absolutely covered in bruises. Some of them are fairly fresh, likely no more than a day or two old, while others have faded to the point that Zoro’s going to assume he’s had them for weeks. There’s no way all the jostling during their run from the castle hadn’t hurt like hell, leaving Zoro struck with a strong urge to apologize, but no idea how he should do so.

Eventually, Chopper gives up the ghost and asks him how someone who’d supposedly been locked in a cell for over a decade had come to have so many injuries. Looking oddly blasé about the whole thing, the blond shrugs.

“My brothers have known where the keys to my cell are for years,” he says simply. “They get bored whenever they’re stuck on Germa in between missions for too long, and come down to visit me to blow off steam.”

Chopper turns watery eyes on him, but nevertheless does a good job of maintaining his composure. “That’s so cruel,” he says quietly. “Why would they do something like that?”

“Like I said, boredom mainly,” Sanji replies with an easy wave of his hand. “And it’s not as if Judge ever tried to stop them. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if he encouraged them on the off chance it’d make me die quicker.”

“Fuck,” Zoro hisses, feeling a strong urge to go back to Germa and commit acts of violoence. “What a fucking bastard.”

“Mhm,” Sanji agrees. “That he is. He’s always been that way too, although I was too naive to see it when I was a kid.”

“Well, obviously,” Zoro dismisses. “Kids are supposed to be naive idiots, that’s the whole point of being one. Besides,” he adds, belatedly realizing how that might not be the most comforting thing to say. “You’re out of there now, so he and the others can’t hurt you anymore.”

Sanji gives him a funny little smile, taking his time as he lets his eyes roam all over Zoro from the top of his head to the soles of his boots. “I think you’re the strangest hallucination of the lot,” he says contemplatively. “You look like the kind of beast Judge would happily employ, but you’ve been as gentle as a kitten since I first laid eyes on you. Even the skeleton makes more sense.”

“Brook’s a devil fruit user,” Chopper says, effectively preventing Zoro from trying to respond to the blond’s statement. “Like me, and a couple of the others. He ate the Revive Revive Fruit, and it reanimated his body after he died.”

“Weird,” Sanji says. “I know about devil fruits, though. I used to dream about being able to eat the Clear Clear Fruit. It lets you turn invisible.”

“We know,” Zoro tells him, a vision of Absalom’s extremely punchable face now appearing before his eyes. “You probably deserve it more than the current fucker who has it.”

“Zoro,” Chopper chides. “Be careful not to scare him.”

“I already told you, he’s not scary, he’s confusing because he broke me out for no reason,” Sanji says with a laugh. “I guess maybe it makes sense in a twisted way. The idea of me ever being rescued is so ridiculous that my subconscious can’t come up with a realistic way for it to happen even when I’m dreaming about escaping.”

“Look,” Zoro starts, stepping forward despite the fact that he has no idea how moving closer is supposed to help. “You’re obviously confused about some things, but this isn’t a hallucination. It’s real. You’re really out. And safe.”

“Sure,” Sanji scoffs. “I’ve never been safe in my entire life. Good effort, though,” he adds, giving Zoro an awkward thumbs up. “The earnest tone and expression are bang on.”

Zoro gives Chopper a worried look, who sighs. “It’s probably a delayed reaction to everything that’s happened to him today,” the reindeer explains, speaking as much to Sanji as he is to Zoro. “He’s experienced so many new things in such a short time that he’s overwhelmed and drawing these conclusions as a defense mechanism.”

“What do we do about it?” Zoro asks.

“There’s not much we can do until it breaks,” Chopper replies. “Which could either be very soon, or take a while. I imagine the come down’s going to be a lot for him to process, however, so he shouldn’t be left alone.”

“That’s new,” Sanji says. “I’m almost always alone. They even started feeding me by sending food through a shoot years ago so the guards wouldn’t see me. Aside from my brothers, Reiju’s the only other person who ever comes down to the cell.”

“Reiju?” Zoro repeats, while Chopper’s frown somehow gets even more pronounced.

“You didn’t see her?” Sanji asks. “That’s weird. I wonder why my imagination didn’t include her today. Oh well, not like it matters. She’d have fought against you as hard as the others did. She’s only nice to me in secret.”

“He’s not making any sense,” Zoro tells Chopper.

“He’s traumatized,” the doctor replies just as fast. “Honestly, given the details he’s let slip so far, I’m shocked he’s as functional as he is.”

“Hey, I’m right here, you know.” Sanji reminds them, his mouth turning down in an overdramatic pout. “I can’t believe even my own hallucinations are starting to ignore me. That’s so rude.”

“We’re not ignoring you,” Zoro groans. “And we’re not hallucinations. Cut that shit out, will you?”

“Oh, you really are a brute. I knew it.”

“I’m going to go find Robin,” Chopper interrupts before things can degenerate further. “She was supposed to be making up a tray for him to eat, and she should be back by now.”

“It’s not Robin’s turn to cook.” Zoro notes, the daily roster fresh in his mind.”

“I know,” Chopper acknowledges. “But pretty much everyone else was busy, and I wasn’t about to let Luffy’s cooking be the one that welcomes him onboard.”

“Fair enough.” Zoro replies, wondering not for the first time why they’ve yet to ban their illustrious captain from the kitchen. “You sure you don’t want me to go find her then? That way you can stay here with him.”

“No,” Chopper says, scrambling down off his stool and landing on the floor with a quiet thump. “I think you two should get to know each other better.”

Zoro and Sanji’s matching ‘Why?’s follow the doctor out the back door of the infirmary, and they turn to look at each other as one once it’s only the two of them left in the room.

“You really don’t think any of this is real?” Zoro asks, breaking first. “You don’t think I’m real?”

“I mean, you certainly look real, and sound it,” Sanji hedges. “Having said that, you simply can’t be real, so that means you’re not.”

“Why can’t I be real?” Zoro wants to know. “Your old man must have hundreds of enemies thanks to the way he carries on, so today can’t be the first time the castle was attacked, right?”

“ … right.” Sanji admits after a moment, his eyes narrowing into suspicious slits.

“Okay, then let’s look at this logically,” Zoro suggests, dropping down onto the stool Chopper had vacated so he’s not looming quite so pointedly over the other man. “The castle being attacked makes sense, and you’d probably agree, wouldn’t you, that it’s pretty easy to get turned around in the heat of battle, yeah?”

“Sure,” Sanji confirms with a shrug. “I mean, obviously I’m not allowed to fight anymore, but I remember what it was like.”

“Okay,” Zoro says again, deciding he’s simply not qualified to try and unpack all that. “So if someone got turned around during a fight in the castle then, hypothetically speaking, it wouldn’t be impossible for them to wind up down in the dungeons, would it?”

“I guess not,” Sanji says after a few moments spent contemplating the idea. “They’d have to be really confused though.”

“Regardless,” Zoro grunts, already feeling like he can hear Nami laughing at him. “It’s possible that it could happen. And the cell doors, they’re just regular bars, so if someone were strong enough they wouldn’t be too hard to deal with.”

“Fine, I’ll give you all of that,” Sanji concedes, “but there’s still one part you can’t logic your way around, my large, green friend.”

“And what’s that?” Zoro asks, rolling his eye at what has to be a reference to his hair.

“Why the hell would anybody - you or otherwise - save me just because they could?”

Sanji sits back then, a triumphant look on his face that honestly just makes Zoro ache. “Because it was the right thing to do,” he says simply, hating the subtle way his words make the other man flinch.

“In my experience, something being the right thing to do has never been sufficient motivation,” Sanji says stiffly. “So, just because I thought you were real for a bit there, doesn’t mean I’m going to fall for it again.”

Zoro blinks. “You thought I was real at one point? When?”

His face shuttering, Sanji starts curling in on himself again, hunching into a ball in a deliberate attempt to look small, and refusing to make eye contact. “It doesn’t matter,” he insists. “Obviously I was wrong.”

“Nah, c’mon. Don’t be like that,” Zoro wheedles. “Tell me what worked earlier.”

“It - I - you felt real,” Sanji says after Zoro continues to wait him out for several seconds. “When - when you were holding me, I could’ve sworn I felt your heart beating, and I thought it was real.”

“That’s because it was,” Zoro says softly. “Here,” he holds out his hand to see if Sanji will take it. “Let me show you.”

“Oh please,” the other man scoffs. “Like I’m going to fall for that. You’re just trying to get my hopes up, and then - and then it’ll feel even worse when it turns out I was right all along.”

“Only if you actually are right,” Zoro reminds him, his hand staying steady. “So, really, what have you got to lose?”

“You keep asking me that,” Sanji notes. “Maybe I want to live in the land of denial for a little longer, huh? Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve seen the sun, or - or felt air on my face? Maybe I don’t want to go back into the dark just yet.”

“Right,” Zoro agrees. “So imagine how it’ll feel knowing you don’t have to. Go ahead,” he adds as softly as he knows how. “Take my hand.”

“Ugh, fine,” Sanji says, giving him an unimpressed look as he moves to do as instructed. “But I want it known that I resent this, and don’t appreciate how fast you’re making me wake up. In fact … ”

The blond trails off abruptly, his face twitching as he intertwines his fingers with Zoro’s. “That’s - that’s a good trick,” he stutters, a twinge of doubt starting to creep into his voice. “I’m impressed, really. Whatever experiment Judge has come up with this time must be a doozy.”

“It’s not an experiment,” Zoro replies, slowly drawing the other man’s hand towards him. “Or a trick or a hallucination, or whatever else your mind is telling you to try and help you understand what’s happening. I swear.”

“A likely story,” Sanji scoffs, clearly still trying to process everything. “If I’m not dreaming then that means - that means … ”

His fingers slip under the folds of Zoro’s overcoat as directed, brushing against the bare skin and allowing him to feel the swordsman’s furiously beating heart. “That’s - that’s not - I can’t be … I’m out?”

“Yeah.” Zoro confirms, watching warily as Sanji’s trembling free hand comes up to brush against the side of his own face, his fingers trailing over the pale skin like he can’t remember what it’s supposed to feel like.

“I’m out,” Sanji repeats slowly, his eyes growing huge. “I’m out.”

Zoro has just enough time to catch him when he sags forward and starts to wail.

*****
Sanji sobs for what feels like ages, but in actuality is probably only about thirty seconds before his cries draw both Chopper and Robin back into the infirmary. The former bursts through the door with a stricken look on his face, while the latter is moving at a much more sedate pace thanks to the tray of food she’s carrying in her hands.

“You know that inevitable breaking defense mechanism you were talking about?” Zoro asks before Chopper can even fully open his mouth to form a question. “Well it fucking broke.”

“Okay. Okayokayokay,” Chopper says, wringing his front hooves nervously in the air. “Um, Sanji? Can you tell us how we can help you?”

“Oh for - !” Zoro bites back a curse in an effort to not stress out the man clinging to his chest even further. “Does it look like he’s in any shape to answer that question? He’s losing it!”

“Zoro.” Robin says sternly. “I know you don’t mean it, but making him feel guilty about his reaction isn’t going to help the situation.”

“Not disagreeing with you Robin,” Zoro says, “but I am not the person who should be dealing with this. I’m not exactly qualified.”

“I don’t imagine any of us are.” She tells him, stepping over to Chopper’s desk so she can set down the covered tray before she moves closer to the infirmary bed. “If I may?”

At Zoro’s near frantic nod, she leans in even further. “Sanji,” she says softly. “Is it alright if I touch you?”

Sanji makes a noise that’s completely incomprehensible to Zoro, but Robin must take it for confirmation because reaches down to place a hand on his shaking shoulder. “It’s alright,” she says softly. “I can only imagine how overwhelmed you’re feeling right now, but you’re safe here.”

“S-safe?” Sanji echoes, like he can’t grasp the meaning of the word. “N-no I’m not s-safe. I’m never safe. I’m - I’m going to be in so much trouble.”

Surging upwards at this, he turns to stare not at Robin who’s still trying to soothe him, but at Zoro. “I’m not allowed out!” He insists, his voice frantic and his brilliantly blue eyes containing a misery so profound that the swordsman can’t look away. “You let me out, but I can’t be. I can’t be.”

“Sure you can,” Zoro replies, his own tongue feeling heavy in his mouth. “Just look around. You’re out, and nothing bad is happening.”

“No no. It will. It will.” Sanji sobs. “Judge hates losing. He won’t lose. He doesn’t want me, but he hates the idea of people knowing about me even more. He’ll come after me just to drag me back, and he’ll kill you all because of what you know.”

“ … he’ll kill you.” He repeats in a horrified whisper, tears now streaming down his cheeks. “He’ll kill you just because you tried to do something nice for me. You need to send me back before it’s too late.”

“Never.” The word is ripped from Zoro’s throat in a strangled rasp before he has a chance to think better of it, but he sees his own determination mirrored on Robin and Chopper’s faces in the brief moment he’s able to tear his gaze away from Sanji’s to look at them.

“You are never going back to Germa.” He says next, a little quieter, but just as firm. “And you don’t have to be scared of your family anymore. We kicked their asses today, and we’ll do it again if we have to.”

“That was only the one ship,” Sanji says. “I saw. When - when you were carrying me away, I saw. There are hundreds more aside from the flagship. There’s no way you can fight them all.”

“Don’t bet on it.” Zoro tells him, deciding to take a risk and rock him gently, if awkwardly, in his arms. “It might not mean anything to you, but we’re one of the most dangerous pirate crews on this or any ocean.”

“Pirates?” Sanji echoes. “Why would you save me if you’re pirates?”

“Because we’re a very unique pirate crew,” Robin informs him. “Having said that, you shouldn’t be worrying about such things right now, and you definitely shouldn’t be thinking that we’d ever hand you back over to Judge.”

“But - ” Sanji starts.

“It’s not open for debate,” Robin says firmly. Zoro recognizes her tone as the no-nonsense one she uses when she’s adamantly made up her mind about something, and even Sanji’s posture suggests he can tell she’s serious.

“Good,” she says briskly when the blond doesn’t offer up any more ridiculous notions. “Now then, I know we thought a hot meal might be the best thing for you, but perhaps you’d rather something different. I can take you to the main bathroom if you’d like to get cleaned up, and I’m sure we can find you something better to wear than … this.”

“Clean?” Sanji glances down at his dirty hands and ragged clothes. “ … oh. I’m filthy, aren’t I?” He says, starting to release his grip on Zoro for the first time since he’d realized none of this was a dream. “I’m so sorry.”

“Nothing to apologize for,” Zoro says gruffly, confused by the sudden pang he feels at the loss of contact. “Robin’s right though. No one’s going to mind if you want to wash up.”

“Exactly,” she confirms. “You can take as long as you like.

“That sounds … well, it sounds lovely,” Sanji admits, “but I’m not sure I’ll be able to … to … ” He trails off, a brilliantly red blush visible on his cheeks even through the grime.

“Don’t worry,” Robin says, squeezing his shoulder where she’s yet to remove her hand. “I’ll help you if you need it, and as I said, we’ll find you some nicer clothes. You and Zoro look like you’re almost the same height, so no doubt he can lend you something.”

Zoro stares at her, his gut churning. “He’s going to swim in anything of mine.” He points out, figuring the fact should be obvious given Sanji’s obviously malnourished frame.

“Perhaps,” Robin replies dismissively, “but that may actually be more comfortable for him. Just dig out something clean and soft, and I’m sure that will be an improvement.”

And that much Zoro will give her. Along with being stained and filthy, Sanji’s current clothes are torn in multiple places, almost as if Judge had intended to let him wear them until they were literally falling off his body. He’s also, Zoro notes for the first time, not wearing shoes.

He must have been absolutely freezing down in that cell, Zoro realizes, remembering the temperature. Biting down on a sudden urge to growl, he instead gives Robin a nod to show his agreement.

“I’ll go look in my locker,” he says, pretty sure that’s the most likely place they’ll find anything of his that’s clean. “It might not be the fanciest shit in the world, but I promise it’ll be better than what you have now.”

“You don’t have to,” Sanji starts, but stops when Robin gives him another squeeze with her hand.

“None of that,” she says gently. “Now, why don’t you come up to the main bath with me? Since Zoro’s going to take care of the clothing situation, Chopper can bring your meal back to the galley, and we’ll reheat it once you feel up to eating.”

“Just so long as it doesn’t go to waste,” Sanji says with surprising fervor. He then allows Robin to help him carefully to his feet, and the next thing anyone knows, she’s leading him out of the infirmary with the door closing softly behind them.

Zoro blows out a heavy breath, which causes Chopper to turn and look at him. “I’m just gonna - ” He jerks his thumb towards the opposite door. “Go do what she said.”

“Alright,” Chopper agrees with a nod. “You probably have some time, though. I imagine it’s going to take him a while to get all that grime off.”

Not knowing what else to say, Zoro shrugs. He suspects Chopper’s right, but that’s not anything he can help with, so he may as well focus on the things that he can.

*****
Stepping into the men’s bunkroom, Zoro’s surprised to find Usopp already in there tidying up. He and the sniper eye each other for a couple seconds, before the younger man lowers the pillow he’d been busy placing a fresh pillowcase on.

“This place is a mess,” he says by way of an explanation. “I don’t know where we’re going to put Sanji tonight, but I figured the least I could do was straighten things up in here in case this is where he winds up.”

“He’ll probably be in the infirmary,” Zoro replies, thinking back on the cuts and bruises he’d seen during the medical examination. “Knowing Chopper he’s going to want to monitor him until he’s sure everything’s okay.”

“Right,” Usopp says quietly. “I guess that makes sense.”

Zoro eyes him warily for a moment, but ultimately decides to bite the proverbial bullet. “Are you okay?” He asks, well aware there’s something off in the other man’s posture. “You look kind of … stressed.”

“I must look more than ‘kind of’ if you’re forcing yourself to ask,” Usopp says dryly, a bit of his usual spark showing on his face. “It’s just,” he sighs, scrubbing the hand not holding the pillow over his face. “You saw him, and you heard what he said. His dad did that to him.”

“Yeah,” Zoro says quietly, getting hit with another wave of painful images. “I know.”

“My dad sucks.” Usopp says then, catching Zoro off guard because he doesn’t think he’s ever heard him say a single rude thing about Yasopp, no matter how deserved it may be. “It’s an open secret that he decided going on adventures with Shanks was more important than my mom and me. He’s absolutely useless as a parent, but he’d still never do anything like that.”

“Thankfully, I don’t think many people would,” Zoro points out.

“Yeah,” Usopp agrees. Finally done with the pillow, he drops it down onto the neatly folded bunk he’s standing by, and moves onto the next one. “What’re you doing in here, anyway? And how’s Sanji? We - some of us heard him a little while ago.”

Heard him crying, he doesn’t say, but the words come through loud and clear all the same.

“He’s … not great,” Zoro hedges. “He’s kinda overwhelmed. Definitely scared and not sure he can trust us. Robin’s helping him get washed up now. She thought it might make him feel better.”

“Hopefully,” Usopp says. “So what are you doing then? Hiding?”

“No,” Zoro huffs, glaring for all he’s worth. “Robin asked me to find him some clothes to wear, since his stuff is basically in rags. She said she thinks my stuff’ll fit him best because we’re almost the same height.”

“You might be almost the same height, but he’s so scrawny you’ve got to be twice his size,” Usopp says dubiously. “He’ll drown in anything of yours.”

“I may have pointed that out,” Zoro admits. “Robin didn’t much care.”

“Ah, she’s in that kind of mood, is she?” Usopp nods in sudden understanding. “Protective mom mode activated.”

“Whatever,” Zoro grumbles, stepping over to his locker and yanking the door open. “I’m just gonna grab something that looks like it’ll sort of fit, and that’s the end of it.”

“I think we might still have some of those unopened packages of socks and underwear,” Usopp says helpfully. “You know, the ones Nami buys in bulk when she comes across them? Sanji might prefer those to your used ones.”

“Good idea,” Zoro says, willing to give credit where credit’s due. “I’ll look for them in a minute.”

Having already found a pair of clean sweatpants, he tugs them free from his locker. Folding them into an arrangement that’s at least neater than he normally bothers with, he sets them aside and peers back into the depths of the unit.

Clean, Robin had specified, but also soft. Historically, he doesn’t worry too much about the latter when it comes to his clothing, preferring to focus on ensuring that whatever he wears is both practical and functional given the life he leads. Anything he has that qualifies as soft he likely obtained by accident, meaning it’s going to be in short supply.

Groaning, he roots around with increasing desperation, almost giving up on finding something suitable when a flash of blue catches his eye on the very last shelf. Leaning in for a closer look, he catches sight of a blue hoodie with a wave pattern on the front that he hasn’t worn since Thriller Bark.

His interest piquing, he makes a thoughtful noise and hauls it out. Holding it up for closer inspection, he realizes why he hasn’t worn the thing recently. There’s no way it’ll fit him anymore thanks to the muscle weight he’s gained from training with Mihawk.

“What do you think?” He asks Usopp. “It’s still going to be too big for him, but not like the rest of my stuff.”

“I’m honestly surprised you still have that thing,” Usopp tells him. “But maybe it’s fate because you’re right. It’s going to fit him better than anything else you have in there. Looks cozy too.”

“Yeah,” Zoro says, remembering how it’d been a comfy fit while he was recovering from the worst of his injuries inflicted by Kuma. “I’ll let him try it and see if he likes it.”

“You should throw it in the dryer first,” Usopp says, apropos of nothing. “The pants too. It’ll warm them up, make them even more comfortable.”

“That’s … ” Not a terrible idea, actually. “Yeah, I’ll do that, thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Usopp replies. “I know we just met him, but I feel awful for the poor guy. Giving him comfortable clothes seems like the bare minimum, you know what I mean?”

“Yeah,” Zoro says again, his gut twisting. “This whole thing is fucked up.”

“Really fucked up,” Usopp agrees. “Hopefully he likes the clothes.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.” Zoro says, pretty sure Sanji’s going to be unnecessarily grateful for whatever he’s given.

*****
He leaves Usopp to his project in the bunkroom, and begins the trek up to the main washroom, stopping only long enough to hit the dryer as suggested. Once that’s done, he tucks the heated clothes under his arm and finishes his climb.

And eye, ear, and mouth sprout from the washroom door as soon as he knocks. Well versed in this habit of Robin’s, he doesn’t jump like most people would, and instead stares her down with a simple raised eyebrow.

“Hello, Zoro.” The mouth says once it’s properly oriented itself to its new location. “I take it you brought the clothes I asked for?”

“Mhm,” he replies, holding them up so she can see what he’s found. “You want me to bring ‘em inside?”

“I think that might be a bit more than Sanji can handle at the moment.” The mouth says, it’s thin lips curving downwards into a frown. “You can leave them outside the door, thank you. However, while I have you here, is there any chance you could track me down a pair of scissors?”

“For his hair.” She explains when he repeats the word in confusion. “I’m afraid most of it isn’t really in a state where it can be salvaged, but he doesn’t want it shaved completely. I’m going to try and do what I can to help him with it.”

“Right,” Zoro says, understanding sinking in. “I’ll see what I can scrounge up.”

He leaves the clothes stacked in a neat pile next to the door, positive Robin will grab them as soon as she’s deemed him to be far enough away. The sound of the bathroom door opening after he rounds a corner confirms this, so he moves a little faster, wondering who’s most likely to have a convenient pair of scissors on hand.

The answer turns out to be Franky, which in hindsight he feels like he should have seen coming. The cyborg parts with the things easily enough, especially once he hears who’s requested them. Zoro quickly deposits them outside the bathroom door, much like he had the clothing, and then goes to find himself a snack because his stomach has started rumbling.

There’s not a great selection in the galley tonight, so hopefully they arrive on a new island sooner rather than later so they can restock. He snags a few leftovers out of the fridge, unsure of who they technically belong to, but forever willing to beg forgiveness as opposed to asking permission.

He’s not sure how much time has passed by the time he’s done eating, but a quick glance towards the washroom confirms that the lights are still on, yet the door remains resolutely shut. Part of him wouldn’t mind settling in for a nap right about now, but there’s an itchy feeling between his shoulder blades that tells him sleep might be difficult in coming.

In the end he decides he may as well clean his swords because it’s a productive activity, but also one he’s done so many times in his life that it requires next to no brain power at this point. He’s therefore able to lose himself in the motions, thoroughly distracted until he hears the telltale sign of the washroom door creaking open.

Unlike him, everyone else on the crew has made themselves scarce. Belatedly realizing this might be a deliberate attempt to give Sanji some privacy, or at least not overwhelm him anymore than he already is, he thinks maybe he should do the same, but it’s a case of too little too late. By the time the thought occurs to him, Robin’s already through the doorway with another form slinking along behind her.

“Zoro,” Robin calls, no doubt having caught him thanks to the way he’s standing in the middle of the deck like a deer caught in the floodlights. “Just the person I wanted to see. Would you mind helping Sanji back to the infirmary while I go reheat some supper for him?”

“Uh, sure,” Zoro says awkwardly, wondering not for the first time today why people on the ship seem to think he’s a good choice of babysitter. “If he’s okay with it, I guess.”

“Sanji?” Robin asks, turning around. “What do you think?”

It’s as she shifts that Zoro gets his first unencumbered look at the man behind her. Sanji’s adopted a strange, hunched posture that allows him to hide behind Robin, but her movement changes the angle sufficiently enough for Zoro to see him.

As he’d expected, Sanji’s much more slender form is all but swallowed up by Zoro’s own clothes. The sweatpants seem especially loose, quite possibly in danger of sliding down to the floor thanks to how precariously they’re hanging off the blond’s hips. The hoodie isn’t much better, however, given the way it looks like Sanji could burrow into it and never come out, if he were so inclined.

On the other hand, what parts of the blond that aren’t covered by the too large clothing definitely look better. Washed clean of god only knows how many years worth of accumulated grime, his pale skin looks almost porcelain-like in the early evening light, and his blond hair - which had been a lengthy, matted mess once the helmet was removed - now shines brightly and curls almost to his chin with the one eye still covered.

“Wow.” Zoro says, unable to help himself. “You’re definitely looking a lot better. How do you feel?”

Meeting Zoro’s eye for the briefest of moments, Sanji quickly glances away, letting his gaze drop down and go skittering across the floor. “I don’t know,” he mumbles, wringing his hands together despite the way the sleeves of the hoodie get in the way. “It’s - I don’t know.”

“It’s a lot,” Robin says reassuringly. “It would be for anyone.”

“Yes.” Sanji says simply, and then doesn’t add anything else.

If she’s concerned by this, Robin doesn’t show it. Instead, she gives Zoro a pointed nod, the notion that he should get Sanji back to the infirmary abundantly clear.

Able to recognize this and aware of what it’s likely to mean for him if he doesn’t comply, the swordsman nods back. “C’mon,” he says, quietly so as to try not to spook the blond. “I bet you’re tired, so getting you off your feet isn’t a bad idea.”

“Okay,” Sanji murmurs. His eyes track Robin as she heads off in the direction of the galley, but focus back on Zoro once she’s no longer in sight. “I can do that.”

Hoping the guy doesn’t feel like he’s being forced to do something - he’s clearly had enough of that to last a lifetime - Zoro shrugs and turns on his heel.

The infirmary is dark when they reach it, and Zoro’s unsurprised to find that it’s been tidied up after he flicks the light on and takes a look around. “Chopper must’ve put this place to rights,” he says, watching Sanji shuffle over to the bed and sit down. “He’s really … meticulous that way.”

“Miss Robin says he’s a reindeer,” Sanji says apropos of nothing. “I’ve only ever read about them in books, but I don’t think they’re supposed to talk like he does.”

Zoro can’t help it, he laughs. It’s only a small one, but the baffled expression on Sanji’s face is such that he can’t hold back. “Like he told you earlier, Chopper’s a devil fruit user,” he explains. “His gives him the intelligence of a human and the ability to walk and talk like them.”

“And it lets him turn into a giant, rampaging monster,” Sanji notes, his befuddlement only growing. “How does that work?”

“You’re better off asking him,” Zoro replies with a faint grin. “I wouldn’t pretend to be able to explain it.”

“Oh.” Sanji says, and then doesn’t add anything else.

“He won’t be bothered if you ask.” Zoro says, needing to fill the sudden silence in a way he normally doesn’t. “Chopper loves talking about, you know, science and shit. He became a doctor for a good reason.”

“A reindeer for a doctor,” Sanji notes. “And a skeleton for a … what does the skeleton actually do?”

Mainly make terrible puns and ask to see people’s underwear, Zoro thinks but doesn’t say aloud. “He’s a musician,” he explains. “Pretty good one too, but don’t tell him I said that. He’s not half bad in a fight, either.”

“A musician,” Sanji repeats. “Germa would never have a role in a crew just for that.”

Zoro honestly can’t say he’s surprised. “Probably a good thing we’re not Germa then.”

“Definitely,” Sanji replies, and it may be weak, but Zoro doesn’t think he’s imagining the smile lurking at the corner of the man’s mouth. “Are Chopper and - uh, Brook, I think - the only two devil fruit users onboard?”

“Robin didn’t show you?” Zoro asks, and at Sanji’s hesitant head shake he grins. “She probably didn’t want to freak you out this early in the game. She can replicate her limbs, as many times and as many places as she wants. It’s kinda freaky at first, but you get used to it. She’s got a weird sense of humor, though - likes to trip people with legs that have sprouted out of nowhere. That kind of thing.”

“She seems really nice,” Sanji says earnestly, rubbing each of his hands over the opposite forearm. “She’s been lovely so far. You all have been.”

“Yeah, well,” Zoro flaps a hand awkwardly, not knowing how to respond. “We’re nuts, but we’re not monsters.”

“No,” Sanji agrees, his eyes shuttering. “I know what real monsters look like.”

“Right,” Zoro says, clearing his throat to stal forl time as he searches for a safer topic. “We actually have a fourth devil fruit user,” he says finally. “Luffy’s one too.”

“What can he do?”

“He’s made of rubber,” Zoro says, never having come up with a better way to explain it. “And the possibilities are honestly fuckin’ endless. You wouldn’t think it from the sound of things, but he’s the strongest person I’ve ever met.”

“Luffy’s the main reason we’re out here,” he carries on in the wake of Sanji’s skeptical look. “And the main reason our little crew of misfits exists. He draws you in somehow, and once he’s got you, he doesn’t let go.”

For some reason Sanji’s expression has gotten more dubious as opposed to less. “It’s nothing,” he says quickly, glancing down at his hands when Zoro points this out. They’re half covered by the sleeves of the hoodie, but he doesn’t seem to mind. “I was just, um, wondering what you think he’ll do with me, I guess?”

“I mean, he’s the captain, isn’t he?” He asks, talking faster now, almost tripping over himself to get the words out. “So on the ship, what he says goes. Do I have to stay until he says so? Am I allowed to stay? Am I getting dropped off at the first available island? I don’t know anything about the real world, so I have no idea what I’m supposed to do!”

“Whoa whoa,” Zoro says, holding up his hands in an attempt to stem the increasingly agitated flow of words. “Nobody’s going to make you do anything you don’t want to. Least of all Luffy,” he assures him. “That’s not how we work.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Sanji says flatly. “You - none of this makes any sense. A few hours ago I was in a cage and hadn’t seen the sun in thirteen years. Now I’m on a pirate ship crewed by a bunch of people with - with super powers, and instead of being cruel you’re cleaning me and feeding me and - and giving me your clothes. I don’t understand any of it. What do you get from doing this?”

“Nothing,” Zoro replies, hating the way the word makes Sanji’s face fall. He supposes he gets it, though. The man’s had a whirlwind of a day, and the lack of an explanation he can fathom is no doubt only adding to his frustrations.

Sanji’s quiet for a while, but eventually starts picking at the hem of his borrowed hoodie. “I forgot to say thank you,” he mumbles. “Miss Robin told me the clothes are yours. I like the sweater. It’s really warm.”

“Keep it then,” Zoro tells him. “It doesn’t fit me anymore anyway.”

Sanji makes a face, his cheeks flushing. “Thank you. Uh - it’s Zoro, right? I think that’s what I heard some of the others call you.”

“That’s me,” Zoro confirms, thumping his chest with a closed fist. “Roronoa Zoro.”

He watches as Sanji murmurs the name to himself, each syllable evident as his mouth moves around them. “I like it,” he says finally. “It’s pretty.”

Zoro snorts, taken aback. “You’re definitely the first person to ever tell me that,” he clarifies when Sanji blinks at him. “But thanks, I guess.”

They lapse into silence after this, albeit a comfortable kind, as opposed to some of the stilted ones from earlier. Sanji seems content to let his gaze roam around the infirmary, kicking his legs from where they’re dangling over the side of the bed, and Zoro sees no reason to stop him. Neither of them says anything further until the door clicks open and Robin reappears.

“You’re here. Excellent.” She says, which Zoro suspects is a slight against his occasional directional mishaps. Rolling his eye to show he doesn’t think she’s funny, he shuffles out of the way to let her get past him.

“S’not a long trip from the bathroom to here,” he grumbles. “But if you’re good, we can switch out now. I’ll let you get some food into him, while I go see if the others need anything.”

“I suppose that sounds acceptable,” Robin says as she bustles around getting things set up. “What do you think, Sanji?”

“Um, that’s fine?” Sanji tries, clearly not used to having someone ask his opinion on things.

“Then I guess we’ll see you later, Zoro.” Robin says.

“Yeah,” Zoro agrees, taking that as his cue to leave.

*****
He half hears Robin say something as the door closes behind him, but the day’s events must be catching up to him too because whatever it is completely fails to register. Instead, he leans against the closest wall with a quiet sigh, feeling suddenly exhausted for some reason.

“Fuck,” he breathes, the word escaping through clenched teeth as he lets his head thunk quietly against the wall behind him. “What a day.”

He stays where he is for a couple more minutes, just breathing. Then, once he’s deemed himself to be sufficiently calm, he pushes away from the wall and heads onto the main deck.

He’s unsurprised to find a bunch of the others already out there, and quirks an eyebrow when Chopper breaks away from a huddle with Nami and Brook to scurry towards him. “He’s eating now,” he says, already anticipating what the reindeer’s question will be. “Robin’s with him.”

“I’m going to go give him one last check up then,” Chopper declares. “Food and rest are the best things for him right now, so I want to make sure he gets some sleep once he’s done with supper.”

In the back of his head, Zoro can’t help but wonder just how much sleep Sanji’s likely to get in a strange place with his whole world turned upside down. He keeps that thought to himself, however, and instead sidles over to wear Luffy’s sitting by the railing with his legs dangling over the side of the ship.

“Hey, Captain,” he says, dropping down next to the younger man. He rests his arms on the railing, and kicks his own legs over the side. “Hell of a day, huh?”

“Mhm,” Luffy replies, his eyes continuing to stare out into the distance. “I knew Judge was a bad person thanks to what he was doing to the local islands, but it turns out he’s even worse than we thought.”

“Definitely worse,” Zoro agrees, easily able to picture Sanji’s frightened form in his mind. “And from the sound of things it seems like there’s a good chance he might come after us.”

“Oh yeah?” Luffy says. As expected, he sounds more intrigued than alarmed, and Zoro allows a no doubt overly vicious grin to come to his face.

“Yeah,” he confirms. “Sanji says Judge’ll try and get him back to keep people from finding out about him, and he’ll try to kill us because of what we know.”

“Sanji’s not going back there,” Luffy says in a voice of steel, exactly the way Zoro knew he would. “Judge can’t have him anymore.”

“No arguments here,” Zoro confirms. “But … that does kind of bring up the question of what we’re going to do with him.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean he’s got nowhere to go,” Zoro says. “We pulled him out of there with nothing but the clothes on his back, and even those should probably be burned. He has no one to take him in, and probably no idea how the real world works since he’s been locked in a fucking cage for thirteen years. So. What the hell do we do with him?”

Luffy shrugs, looking unconcerned. “He can stay with us for as long as he likes.”

Zoro blows out a heavy breath. “Risky,” he points out, not because he disagrees in the slightest, but because he figures somebody has to.

“We can handle Judge,” Luffy says dismissively. “We just kicked his ass like an hour ago.”

“That was one ship,” Zoro notes. “Sanji says there are a lot more.”

“So we’ll mess up those ones too,” Luffy says. “You know you want to.”

“I really, really do,” Zoro admits, “and I don’t think I’m the only one. He’s so scared, Luffy. Of everything.”

“He won’t be forever,” Luffy says. “We’re going to help him.”

“Mmm,” Zoro hums. “He’s afraid of you, you know.” He says, even though he’s not sure if he should bring it up or not. “Specifically, I mean. I think he’s got some pretty fucked up views about how the people in charge treat those below them. Can’t say I blame him, really, but it’s something we’re going to have to deal with.”

“I’ll be careful.” Luffy says, serious in a way he only gets when the situation is dire. “Maybe it won’t happen right away, but I’ll make sure he knows it’s safe.”

“It’s definitely not happening right away,” Zoro says, and that’s the end of the conversation for the next little while.

*****
It’s fully dark out by the time Chopper and Robin re-emerge from the infirmary, unaccompanied by anyone else. By this time, the entirety of their remaining crew mates are scattered about the lawn, as if each of them had felt the need to stick close while they passed the time away.

“Well?” Zoro asks, the first to break the silence after Robin’s settled down next to Franky and Chopper’s clambered onto the swing that hangs from the mikan trees. “How is he?”

“Asleep,” Chopper replies. “His adrenaline finally started to taper off about halfway through his supper, and he nearly collapsed into his soup. He’s exhausted.”

“That’s not all he is,” Zoro rumbles, crossing his arms over his chest. “I was there when you first examined him. He’s a mess.”

“That’s true,” Chopper agrees. “Having said that, he’s also in remarkably good shape considering the living conditions he described. I don’t think many people would have survived what he’s been through.”

“This is all so horrible,” Nami murmurs, her eyes downcast. “How could anyone do this to their own son?”

No one has a good answer for her, and she sighs. “So, what’s our next move? Do we do something crazy like turn around to fight the Vinsmokes again, or do we keep sailing in a new direction?”

“The second one,” Luffy says, surprising at least a few people if the number of raised eyebrows this comment earns him are anything to go by. “We can deal with Germa whenever we feel like, but right now Sanji needs to heal.”

“So, is he staying then?” Usopp asks. “I mean, I don’t have a problem with it if he is,” he’s quick to add when a number of people turn to look at him. “I’m just curious, is all.”

“He can stay if he wants to,” Luffy declares. “But the only person who can decide what Sanji wants is Sanji.”

“I agree with that, Luffy.” Robin says, speaking up for the first time since she’d joined them all outside. “More importantly, however, I want to be clear that I don’t think Sanji’s in a position to be making any major decisions at this time. He’s frightened and confused, and very very vulnerable. He deserves to be given time to make up his mind about the situation.”

“We also don’t have anywhere to send him right now even if he does want to go,” Nami points out. “Based on the log pose, I’d say we’re a few days to a week away from the nearest island, and it’s not like we can just dump him in the middle of the ocean.”

“Poor guy,” Franky says, looking deflated enough that even his hair is drooping. “He probably feels like he doesn’t know which way is up right now.”

“He thought he was dreaming earlier,” Chopper admits. “That he’d been drugged or someone was trying to trick him. He seems to have come back to reality for now, but there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again.”

Silence descends over the crew as they all digest this, lasting until Brook clears the throat he doesn’t technically have. “As someone who spent many, many years with only himself for company,” the skeleton says slowly. “I can understand how that might happen.”

“Sure, I think we can all get that much,” Usopp says. “But what do we do if it does happen again?”

“Um, Zoro?” Chopper says, effectively getting all eyes on the swordsman. “You were the only one with him when it snapped the first time. Did you do anything specific to make that happen?”

Zoro shifts uncomfortably, not liking being the center of attention this way. “It helps to, I dunno, ground him, I guess,” he says finally. “He kept talking about how he’d thought I was real when I carried him out of the cell, so I thought maybe physical touch might help.”

“I asked first,” he’s quick to add. “And I let him make the first move. Don’t touch him unless he says it’s alright.”

“Yes, that much I think we can all agree on.” Robin says, reminding him of how she’d done the same thing when Sanji was crying. “We have to respect his boundaries at all costs.”

“We do,” Chopper agrees, “but don’t be surprised if those boundaries seem to change at random. Like you said, he’s very confused right now, and I doubt that’s going to change anytime soon.”

“Alright,” Nami says briskly, her voice slipping into the register that means she’s about to try and take charge of the situation. “Here’s how I see it. In the immediate future all we can do is make sure his basic needs are being met. We keep him fed, clothed, and sheltered until we hit land again, and Chopper will see to it that his injuries are treated.”

“Once we find land,” she continues on after the doctor nods solemnly to show his agreement, “we ask him if he wants to stay on the ship or leave, and even if it’s the latter, we make sure he’s properly supplied. We have enough treasure still kicking around from our last haul to take care of that.”

“Damn,” Usopp whistles. “You know the situation’s serious when you’re voluntarily parting with money.”

Nami gives him a dirty look. “Zoro,” she snaps irritably, and Zoro dutifully leans over and punches Usopp in the shoulder. “Thank you,” she says over the sound of the sniper’s disgruntled grumbling. “As always, your debt will be adjusted accordingly.”

“Now, as I was saying,” she adds icily, practically daring anyone else to comment. “If Sanji decides to leave, we can’t just dump him somewhere. He has nothing and no one, so we need to make sure he’ll be able to stand on his own two feet before we go. Hell, for all we know he might decide to leave after several islands down the road, and we need to prepare for that. He’s not a prisoner, but we’re also not going to just leave him and make him fend for himself.”

“Pretty sure everyone’s onboard with that plan, little sis.” Franky says, pausing so that the rest of the crew can nod in agreement. “Yeah, all onboard.”

“Good,” Nami says. “Then I guess for now we should just let him sleep, and maybe someone can try to talk with him in the morning.”

*****
Their impromptu meeting breaks up not long after that, with most of the crew heading to their bunks thanks to the long day they’ve had. Chopper makes noise about planning to detour to the infirmary for one last check on Sanji, but other than him it’s not long before Zoro’s left alone on the deck.

Groaning, the swordsman cracks his neck where it’s gone stiff after so long sitting cross legged on the deck, he then climbs laboriously to his feet, grabbing his swords as he goes so he can head for the main mast and ultimately the crow’s nest.

He’s always taken his role as the crew’s main combatant seriously, and as far as he’s concerned part of that job involves keeping watch while the others sleep. For this reason he takes the first night’s watch whenever he can, usually being relieved in the wee hours of the morning by whoever else has drawn the short straw.

Tonight in particular he thinks it’s especially wise to keep a sharp eye out. The Germa flagship had been in no shape to pursue them thanks to the damage they’d done to it, but Sanji had been adamant that there were many more where it had come from. With no way of knowing how close those other ships were, manning the lookout is a must.

Scaling the mast like he’s done a hundred times before, Zoro makes his way up to the crow’s nest and shoves open the hatch so he can let himself inside. He blinks as the lights come up, having to get used to that after the darkness down below, and then wanders over to his favorite of the benches that line the room.

Settling down among the cushions, he leans his back against the wall, grateful that whoever was up here last had left the windows open so that he doesn’t have to take care of that too. Heaving a tired sigh, he closes his eye for just a moment so he can breathe, but quickly cracks it back open because he knows he has a job to do.

The hours slowly slip past, with thankfully nothing troublesome appearing on the horizon. Zoro shifts positions occasionally in order to keep from falling asleep, but otherwise the night remains uneventful, right up until he hears the sound of a door clicking open.

Having been lulled into a bit of a daze by this point, Zoro’s not entirely sure where the noise has come from. Standing, he moves from one window to the next, peering down at the deck until he figures it out.

The infirmary door is open, and there’s a figure wrapped in a blanket sitting in the entranceway. The lamp is off, making it difficult to see, but there’s enough moonlight streaming down for Zoro to be able to tell that Sanji’s sitting with his back propped up against the doorframe, and his arms wrapped around his knees.

He’s not doing anything aside from watching the water, which it occurs to Zoro might be the whole point. There hadn’t been any windows in his cell, so the sight of the open sky, even at nighttime, must be a novel concept.

Figuring it can’t hurt to leave him there, Zoro retreats to his bench from earlier, satisfied that this no more presents a threat to the crew than anything else the night has so far had to offer.

*****
The infirmary door is closed when a sleepy looking Usopp comes to relieve him around four o’clock in the morning, and it’s still the same when he crawls out of the bunkroom several hours later in search of breakfast. A far too chipper Franky mentions that Robin had carried out another tray earlier on, but Zoro’s too engrossed in his coffee to do more than grunt in response.

He perks up a little once the caffeine hits, and heads out onto the deck to train as soon as his stomach is full. Given that it’s a nice day out - and possibly because curiosity is also weighing on them - most of the crew are already out there, engrossed in various tasks where they’re scattered about the space.

Nami and Robin are sketching map lines and reading respectively under the cover of a large sun umbrella. Luffy, Usopp and Brook are fishing over the side of the ship while Chopper’s nearby sorting through his emergency first aid kit. Jinbe rounds out the lot where he seems to be mediating at the base of one of the mikan trees, with only Franky still inside where it’s his turn to clean up the galley.

Zoro goes through a series of reps until he’s worked up a decent sweat and decides to take a break. He settles for leaning up against the wall outside of the infirmary, which isn’t his most preferred spot, but seems appropriate today.

Enough time has passed that Franky’s done in the galley, and is now tinkering with some contraption not far from where Jinbe’s sitting. Meanwhile, the trio who’d been fishing appear to have given up for the time being, and are playing some kind of intricate game on the lawn that Chopper’s somehow gotten roped into.

Their antics soon devolve into friendly squabbling, with the sound of their happy voices carrying on the breeze, all the way to the upper deck where Zoro’s still perched. Nobody else seems to notice when the door next to him cracks open, and he does his best not to move as it slowly inches wider.

“You gonna come out?” He asks after several minutes have passed with no one emerging. “It’s a nice day, not the kind where you should spend it hiding inside if you don’t want to.”

Sanji’s breath hitches, likely a result of having been caught, but to Zoro’s surprise, he slowly starts easing out into the light rather than ducking back in and closing the door.

Zoro watches him come until he’s all the way out - albeit with the infirmary door noticeably still open in case he needs an avenue of escape. His surprise then rises higher when the blond slowly sidles over to him until they’re sitting with only a few inches of space between them.

“ … hi,” Sanji says, sounding breathless. He’s still wearing Zoro’s clothes from the night before, despite the fact that it’s frankly too hot for the sweater, and keeps his gaze focused on where he’s fiddling with the too long sleeves.

“Hi,” Zoro replies, figuring that’s probably safe enough. “Uh, did you sleep okay?”

“Mhm,” Sanji says, still not looking up. “The bed was really comfy.”

In Zoro’s considerable experience the infirmary bed is both too narrow and too short, but he’d seen the contraption Sanji was forced to sleep on down in his cell. Comparing the two must be like night and day.

“That’s good,” he says lamely. “And what about breakfast? Robin brought you something, didn’t she?”

“Yes. Eggs and toast.” Sanji informs him. “She said Chopper said to stick to the basics for now. Because my stomach might not be able to handle much else, I think.”

“Chopper’d know best,” Zoro says. “He’s the best damn doctor on the Grand Line.”

“The Grand Line?” Sanji repeats, finally looking up. “Not the North Blue?”

“No,” Zoro frowns. “Why would we be there?”

“Because that’s where Germa’s from,” Sanji explains, his lips pursing thoughtfully. “Judge must have been really motivated by something to come all the way out here. He’s never cared about anything besides conquering the North before now.”

Zoro shrugs. “I dunno what to tell you about that,” he says, “but we’re definitely not in the North Blue. “I don’t think any of us have ever even seen that ocean except maybe Robin.”

“You’re not missing much, I don’t think,” Sanji confesses. “It’s cold, and kind of depressing.”

That doesn’t sound like he’s overly interested in going back, Zoro thinks, but now’s not the time to push. “Did you need something?” He asks, afraid he may have misspoken when Sanji turns worried eyes on him.

“Not that you can’t be out of the infirmary,” he’s quick to clarify. “Just that if you want or need anything you should feel free to say so.”

“I just wanted to see the sun,” Sanji admits softly, tucking his knees up to his chest the same way he’d done last night. “And - and to be warm for a change.”

“Right,” Zoro says awkwardly. “Well,” he gestures at the open sky surrounding them, “there’s plenty of that out here.”

“Yeah,” Sanji agrees, glancing curiously down at the lawn where the others are still running around. “What are they doing?”

Following his gaze, Zoro sighs. “I have no idea, but I can guarantee you it’s dumb as hell and that at some point I’m probably going to have to go fish someone out of the ocean.”

As if on cue, Usopp and Chopper slam into each other thanks to the fact that neither of them is watching where they’re going. They wobble precariously near the railing, and it’s only Luffy stretching out an unnaturally long arm to grab them that keeps them both from tumbling overboard.

“One of these days I’m going to get fed up with going in after you idiots!” Zoro calls out of habit, which immediately causes Luffy to look over.

“Hey, you came outside!” He exclaims, and it takes Zoro a minute to clue into the fact that the younger man isn’t talking to him. “Hi!”

This last part is much louder than his previous sentence because he’s stretched his neck out several meters in length until his head is hovering just out of reach. “Shishishi, are you keeping Zoro company?”

“Damnit, Luffy.” Zoro growls, lashing out to grab him by the ear. He then proceeds to tug on his face while the younger man whines, wanting to make sure he gets his point across. “You know you freak people out when you do this. If you want to talk to him, bring the rest of your body up here like a normal person.”

“Fiiine,” Luffy grumbles, narrowly avoiding knocking Zoro to the ground when his lower half abruptly snaps into place. “Is that better?”

“Don’t ask me,” Zoro sighs. “Ask him.”

As directed, Luffy turns to look at Sanji expectantly. For his part, the blond is pressed tight up against the wall behind him, and he’s watching them both with wide eyes. “Um,” he says weakly, once it’s clear Luffy’s still waiting for an answer. “It’s fine. Um. Sir.”

Even though he knows it’s not funny, Zoro’s completely incapable of stopping a burst of laughter from escaping when he hears this. Between the word itself and the disgusted look on Luffy’s face, it’s all he can do not to laugh until he can’t breathe anymore.

“I’m not a ‘sir’,” Luffy says disdainfully. “That kind of thing is for the marines.”

“Easy, Luf,” Zoro says, quick to notice the way Sanji shies away like he thinks he said something wrong. “He didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Yeah, I know,” Luffy replies, giving Sanji one of his trademarked grins. “You’re just new, that’s all. I’m glad you came out, though. It’s no fun sitting around inside all day.”

“No.” That much Sanji’s apparently willing to agree on. “It really isn’t.”

“Did you want to come down and meet everybody properly?” Luffy asks, before adding, “It’s okay if you’re not ready,” when Sanji pales. “You’re not going to get in trouble if you don’t.”

“I think he’s good here, Luffy,” Zoro says when Sanji turns pleading eyes on him, like he’s hoping the swordsman can somehow interpret what he needs. “Why don’t you head back down and I’ll keep him company for now.”

“Sure,” Luffy says easily, “but you should come down if you change your mind.”

“Thank you,” Sanji says quietly, but he’s talking to empty air. His piece done, Luffy’s already leapt from the upper deck to the lower one, a series of startled yelps from down below indicating that he’d landed a little too close to whatever it is Franky’s working on.

“You get used to ‘em.” Zoro says, taking in Sanji’s baffled expression. “They’re kind of always like this.”

“I didn’t make him angry, did I?” Sanji asks, chewing nervously on his bottom lip. “I can go down if you think I should.”

“I think you should do whatever makes you happy,” Zoro tells him. “Luffy - I get that it’s going to take you some time to get this, but Luffy doesn’t lie and he doesn’t say one thing when he means another just to fuck with people. You’re fine up here, or wherever else you’d rather be.”

“Okay.” Sanji says, and because it’s easier, Zoro’s going to choose to believe him.

*****
Sanji has what can best be described as a complicated adjustment period when it comes to him getting used to the crew. Over the next few days he ventures out of the infirmary a little more each time, and on one memorable occasion even makes it as far as the lawn before he gets overwhelmed and goes scuttling back to his doorway. He wants to be outside, that much is obvious, especially during the day, but he also spooks easily and hasn’t quite figured out how to act around other people.

He takes to Robin almost immediately, even if he hasn’t quite shaken his habit of using the honorific ‘Miss’ anytime he speaks to or about her. Nami he’s almost as good with, but he doesn’t like when she yells, and will flinch away when he thinks she’s about to raise her voice.

Chopper’s company is acceptable when he’s in his regular form and only his regular form. Anything beyond the tiny, cuddly version of the doctor puts Sanji on edge, such that Chopper won't treat him in any other shape.

Usopp’s presence is eventually deemed to be acceptable, and the two will occasionally chat in low voices during the times when Sanji’s posted up near the railings. The sniper also shares some hand-me-downs with him, although none of Usopp’s pants reach the end of the blond’s absurdly long legs and he refuses to relinquish the blue, wave-patterned hoodie in favor of something smaller.

Shockingly, Zoro seems to be on par with Robin when it comes to Sanji being comfortable with him. The swordsman chalks this up to the fact that he’d been the person to physically pull the other man from his cell, but most of the others maintain it’s more than that.

“You’re calm,” Chopper says one afternoon when they’re discussing it. “I know you can get riled up during a battle, or when something has you exasperated, but other than that you’re on the quieter side. It makes sense that he’d prefer that.”

“Please, have you seen me?” Zoro asks, gesturing to himself, and more importantly his many, many visible scars and swords. “I know what people think when they see me coming, Chopper. The newsreels don’t call me the Demon of the East for no reason.”

“The newsreels have never had you help them scrub dried mud out of their fur, though,” Chopper says dryly, wrinkling his snout. “You’re not as scary as you think.”

Zoro’s not sure if he should be flattered or offended by that, but currently he’s leaning towards the former. It’s oddly nice that Sanji doesn’t shy away from him the second he approaches because the same certainly can’t be said for everybody else.

Chopper’s monster point form and Nami in pissy bitch mode are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things that freak their visitor out. Deserved or not, Jinbe and Franky have been deemed too imposing for him to feel comfortable around, and the cyborg has the added benefit of being too damn loud. Every time he forgets himself and raises his voice Sanji’s either ducking back into the relative safety of the infirmary, or hiding behind someone who he’s deemed suitable as a shield.

He also can’t seem to wrap his head around Brook’s existence, and eyes Luffy warily whenever the two of them come in contact with each other. In hindsight this makes sense, but it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. More than half the crew put him on edge with relative ease, and no one seems to know how to fix it.

Yet fix it they have to because, while Sanji might be uncomfortable around a lot of them, he’s flat out terrified of the notion of being on his own. They’ve explained to him as gently as they can that he’s free to leave at the next island if he wants, only for him to basically shut down and become paralyzed with fear. His expression had been all that was required to let the subject drop, and it’s largely accepted that he’ll be staying on with them, at least for the foreseeable future.

For his part Zoro’s fine with this. In fact, he’s downright supportive of it. Sanji’s only been with them for a few days, but he’s thoroughly worked his way under the crew’s skin in that short timeframe, to the point that Zoro’s protective instincts kick in every time he thinks about dropping the man off somewhere and leaving him to fend for himself.

Actually, if he’s being honest with himself, Zoro’s protective instincts kick in a lot more frequently than that. He’s always taken his job seriously when it comes to protecting the crew, and Sanji’s somehow managed to land himself thoroughly under that umbrella whether he’d meant to or not.

For better or for worse the blond is one of them for the time being. That may change down the road, but until and unless it does, he’s earned himself all the perks that come with it.

*****
“What do you think?”

Zoro regrets the words as soon as they leave his mouth thanks to the way they make Sanji jump, but he’s relieved to find that the other man’s eyes are shining when he turns around to look at him. “You okay there, Curls?”

For once ignoring the reference Zoro’s taken to making about his strangely curled eyebrows, Sanji turns back to the railing he’s got his hands wrapped around, his gaze completely focused on the island they’re approaching.

“Do they all look like that?” He asks, his voice full of awe.

Zoro glances up ahead at the perfectly normal looking summer island and has to bite back a grin lest Sanji think he’s teasing him. “Nah,” he says instead. “We’ve seen way wilder shit than this. Remind me to tell you about Punk Hazard sometime when we get a chance. Or Skypiea or Zou.”

“I want to hear about all of them,” Sanji says, laughing breathlessly. “Every last one.”

“Okay,” Zoro replies, finding the other man’s enthusiasm infectious. “Nami has them all drawn on her map, and she keeps a daily log book somewhere. If you ask her, she’ll probably let you take a look at them.”

“Really?”

“Sure, why not?” Zoro shrugs, already thinking of ways he could maybe get his hands on the items if the navigator decides to be difficult. “But don’t worry about that right now, we should be landing soon, and then we’ve all got stuff to do.”

Sanji freezes at this, his expression turning guarded, and leaving Zoro wondering what he’s said wrong this time. They’ve all put their feet in their mouths around the blond at least once or twice now, but Zoro prides himself on being one of the ones to do it the fewest number of times.

“You okay?” He asks, pitching his voice low in the way they’ve all learned works best.

“Mhm,” Sanji replies, his gaze skittering evasively to the side. “Yes. I’m fine, thank you.”

“You’re lying is what you are,” Zoro says, already confident enough in his ability to read the man. “C’mon,” he tries, bumping their shoulders together where they’re now standing next to each other at the railing. “What is it?”

“It’s just - ugh.” His fingers clenching and unclenching around the railing in rapid succession, Sanji groans. “I get to come back when everyone’s done on the island, right? You’re not all going to leave me here and sail away, are you?”

“Curls,” Zoro frowns. “How many more times are you going to make someone answer that question?”

Sanji shrugs helplessly, his shoulders slumping, and Zoro sighs.

“You’re coming with us when we take off,” he says, bumping the other man’s shoulder again. “But if you’re that worried about it, you can tag along with me so you always know where one of us is. Sound good?”

“Sounds perfect,” says a new voice from behind them, and they both whirl around to find Nami standing there with an amused smirk. “I was planning to try and force you to come along and play pack mule, but now here you are volunteering for the job. You love to see it.”

“Witch,” Zoro growls, ignoring the questioning noise Sanji makes. “What are you going on about?”

Smiling serenely, Nami saunters up until she’s on his other side. “I want to take Sanji shopping and get him his own clothes. While doing this, I may also opt to pick up one or two things for myself, and it’d be ever so much easier if we had a big, strong someone along to help us carry it all.”

“I was going to offer to lower your debt some to make it worth your while,” she notes, batting her eyes at him. “But since you’re already planning to stick with Sanji anyway, I guess I don’t have to.”

“Witch,” Zoro says again, more forcefully this time.

“That’s me.” She agrees, and Zoro resigns himself to having a very long, very annoying day ahead of him.

*****
Brook’s drawn the short straw as the person who has to stay behind and watch the Sunny, but everyone else is disembarking to go look around. Pretty much everyone is gone by the time Nami’s ready to go, and Zoro gives her an impatient look when she finally exits the woman’s bunk room.

“He’s excited,” he says, nodding sharply at Sanji when she opens her mouth to scold him. “Quit making him wait.”

Her expression softening, Nami glances at where Sanji’s standing near the gangplank, practically jittering in place as he waits for the go ahead to leave. “Sorry, Sanji,” she says sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to take so long.”

“It’s fine,” Sanji insists, bouncing lightly in a pair of borrowed sandals as she approaches. “Do you have everything you need?

“I do,” Nami confirms, and they all wave at Brook as they pick their way carefully down the narrow wooden ramp. “Including the list I made of what you need.”

“I keep telling you, I don’t mind wearing second hand things,” Sanji says for what has to be at least the dozenth time by Zoro’s count. “There’s no need for you to - whoa!”

Having reached the end of the wharf and taken a few strides onto the road, Sanji pitches sideways unexpectedly, his arms windmilling wildly until Zoro reaches out to grab him. Only once the swordsman has him firmly in his grasp does he end up steady on his feet.

“What’s the matter?” Zoro demands, his gaze darting around the open area for the source of any potential conflicts. “Are you okay?”

“I mean, I think so?” Sanji replies. “I’m not hurt anywhere, I’m pretty sure of that, but I feel all … awkward.”

“Awkward?” Zoro asks, wondering what the hell that’s supposed to mean. “Haven’t you ever walked on shore before?”

“No,” Sanji says, as if this is the most obvious thing in the world. “I was never off the flagship until a few days ago.”

“Oh my god,” Nami says, her hands coming up too late to stop a giggle from slipping out. “He’s not hurt.” She explains, nodding when Zoro quirks an eyebrow at her. “He just doesn’t have any land legs.”

“Well damn,” Zoro says, the problem becoming perfectly obvious now that Nami’s spelled it out. “I guess that makes sense when you think about it.”

“It does,” Nami agrees, while Sanji stares down at his own legs like they’ve betrayed him somehow. “I’m sure he’ll get better at it the longer he does it, but I was also going to suggest we try and rent a cart regardless, since we have so much stuff to buy. Under the circumstances, we may as well do it now, instead of later.”

Knowing full well what that means for him, Zoro nevertheless stays put like she orders, contenting himself with standing back and watching Sanji wobble around like a newborn foal with a determined expression on his face.

“If you wind up on your ass, I’m not helping you.” He lies, shifting subtly forward so the blond can’t get too far out of reach. “You’re gonna have to crawl back to the Sunny.”

“I’ve had worse,” Sanji says dismissively. “Before he locked me up, Judge used to have me run obstacle courses that were designed for people who were as strong as he wanted me to be. This is nothing compared to that.”

Zoro’s saved from having to respond to this by Nami returning with a small cart in tow. Exactly as he’d anticipated, there’s no draft animal to pull it, so he resigns himself to being a literal pack mule for the rest of the day.

Sanji hasn’t quite caught on to what’s happening until Zoro takes over Nami’s spot by the handle and the woman has scrambled up onto the seat at the front. She then pats the empty spot next to her, motioning for the blond to come join.

“It’s fine,” Zoro assures him when he hesitates. “Neither of you weighs a damn thing, and I’m used to it anyway. She does this all the time.”

“Those muscles of his aren’t just for show,” Nami agrees with a solemn nod. “Now, come on,” she adds, patting the seat a second time. “You’ll have a better view from up here anyway, and be able to see more stuff.”

Her words are enough to get Sanji moving, and he scrambles up onto the cart with only minimal help. Once he’s safely seated, Nami nods in approval, and motions for Zoro to get going. “I asked the cart vendor for directions while I was over there, so all you have to do is go where I tell you.”

“Has anyone told you about Zoro’s little problem with directions, Sanji?” She asks as the cart lurches forward. “You’re honestly lucky I caught you when I did. Otherwise we’d probably have had to send a search party out to find you both.”

Rolling his eye, Zoro listens to her describe his so-called helplessness where directions are concerned. Luckily Sanji doesn’t quite seem to believe her exaggerated tales, although this doesn’t keep her from telling them.

Eventually they make it to the shopping district Nami was aiming for, and both she and Sanji get down out of the cart. Fully expecting to be left watching the damn thing, Zoro’s therefore confused when Nami motions him towards a storefront with a deliberate wave of her hand.

“He’ll feel better with both of us along,” she murmurs for Zoro’s ears alone when he opens his mouth to protest. “Plus, I may have need of a different service from you depending on how things play out.”

Unsure of what she’s getting at, but confident she knows what she’s talking about, Zoro follows her and Sanji into the shop, preferring to take up the rear of their little gang so he can keep an eye on things.

“Okay,” Nami says, grabbing a shopping cart as she marches further into the store. “We’ll start with the basics - socks, underwear, undershirts, things he needs but that we can buy in bulk. Pajamas too. Then after that we’ll move onto more specific stuff that can be more tailored to his individual tastes.”

“What were you thinking, Sanji?” She asks, turning to where the man in question is letting his wide eyed gaze roam around the interior of the store. “What kind of clothes do you like?”

“Uh, clean?” Sanji replies, shrugging helplessly when he tries to answer. “I don’t really know. Judge always picked out our uniforms when we were little, and after that I just wore whatever the guards brought me.”

“Okay then!” Nami says, far, far too brightly. “In that case we’ll try some of everything until we figure out what works for you. It’ll be fun.”

Zoro makes a noise in the back of his throat to communicate his opinion of this, but all that earns him is a pointed glare from Nami.

They make their way through the first store, and then through several others as well. As planned, Nami buys a bunch of bulk purchases first, after which she moves on to more individualized areas. Zoro eyes the growing pile in their latest cart warily, anticipating that this batch is going to be especially costly.

“We’ll see,” Nami says cryptically. “I still have a couple cards up my sleeve.”

“This is the most high end store we’ve been in all day,” Zoro replies with a snort. “And he’s eyeing the suits.”

“He’s what?” At Zoro’s resulting nod, Nami looks over at where Sanji’s gazing longingly at a row of well-tailored mannequins, his blue eyes shining as he examines the fit. “Oh my god, finally. Someone with taste.”

“Expensive taste,” Zoro notes, but Nami doesn’t seem to hear him. She’s too busy making her way over to the mannequins with a terrifying gleam in her eye.

“Sanji, Sweetie, do you see something you like?”

And that’s how they find themselves spending the better part of an hour in the store, while the woman helping them brings out piece after piece for Sanji to try on. He takes to the suits like they were made for him, although Nami insists on ordering them in a couple sizes too big thanks to Chopper’s declaration that the blond needs to gain weight.

“Doesn’t he look amazing?” Nami crows after Sanji’s come out in yet another sharp cut suit. “I thought he looked good once we got him in the jeans and blazers, but this is so much better.”

“He looks tired is what he looks,” Zoro says, pretty sure Sanji’s starting to flag. “You’ve got enough stuff. We should call it a day.”

“Please, I’ve barely gotten anything for myself.” Nami retorts, but her face softens when she takes a closer look at Sanji. “Still, we’re going to be here for at least another day until the log pose sets, so I guess I could always come back.”

“That’s assuming you have any money left,” Zoro notes. Having been keeping a running tally of the price tags in his head, he knows Nami’s about to spend a small fortune before they leave.

“Oh ye of little faith,” she says when he voices this thought aloud. “I’ll have you know, I’m about to get us out of here with a significant discount, and you’re going to help.”

Intrigued in spite of himself, Zoro doesn’t say anything as she heads for the main counter, insistent that he follow her. Once there, she begins haranguing the shopkeeper about how most of the items should have their prices significantly reduced, much to the man’s obvious indignation.

“Give me one good reason why I should do that,” the man says once Nami’s paused for breath. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are, lady, but I’ve got no idea why you would expect that kind of deal.”

“Zoro.” Nami says sweetly.

Now understanding what she’d meant earlier, Zoro looms over her shoulder and bares his teeth.

“I - I mean, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t expect that kind of deal,” the shopkeeper says, immediately breaking out into a cold sweat. “Wouldn’t!”

Disappointed that he didn’t even get to make a show of reaching for his swords, Zoro lets his face smooth out into a more docile expression and crosses his arms over his chest. He then waits semi-patiently as all the clothes are bagged up, before turning to look around for Sanji.

He finds him peering through the glass of a jewelry counter, his expression suggesting that he’s not sure if he likes what he sees or not. “If there’s something in there you want, you’d better say so now because once Nami’s done draining the owner of his will to live, I don’t think we’re getting back in here again.”

“Hmm?” Startled, Sanji jerks around to look at him. “What - oh, no. I don’t think this stuff is really my style,” he says, nodding back towards the counter. “Besides, Nami’s spent so much on me already today, I couldn’t possibly justify letting her buy me something so impractical.”

“Not that jewelry isn’t nice.” He adds quickly, and Zoro only clues into the fact that he’s afraid he might have offended him when Sanji reaches up to run his fingers through the three gold bands that dangle from his left ear. “Your earrings are lovely.”

Too shocked to know how to react, Zoro stutters out a weak sounding thanks, relieved when Nami arrives with a smirk on her face and what looks like half the store’s merchandise wrapped up in packages. Grateful for the distraction, he takes them as directed and follows her out.

“I want to take a different way back to the Sunny,” Nami declares after she, Sanji, and the bags are safely stowed on their cart. “We didn’t get as much done today as I’d planned, so I want to get a feel for the other areas of the marketplace so I know what to hit when I come back tomorrow.”

“So basically you want an excuse to be lazy,” Zoro says as he starts dragging the cart forward. “I see how it is.”

“You know the best pack mules don’t talk, right?”

“I never said I was good at the job,” he replies, pretty sure he can feel her glaring a hole into the back of his head.

Thankfully, she appears to be on her best behavior for once because she doesn’t throw anything or come at him with a thunderbolt tempo. Pleased, Zoro trundles onwards without any more barbs, enjoying the relative peace and quiet.

“What’s down there?” Since he hasn’t said anything since they’d left the shop, Zoro had almost forgotten Sanji was with them until he leans over the edge of the cart and points at a long alley filled with colorful bunting and people streaming in and out by the dozens.

“I’m pretty sure that’s where all the food stalls are,” Nami says, following his pointing finger. “From what I heard earlier there’s a pretty big market around here, so that’s probably it.”

“Can we go?” Having stiffened in his seat, Sanji sounds the most excited he has since they’d met him, even more so than when Usopp had first spotted today’s island on the horizon.

“We really should be getting back to the ship,” Nami says ruefully. “But I’m not sure who’s doing our grocery run on this trip. If they haven’t gone yet, maybe you can tag along tomorrow.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Sanji’s disappointment is palpable enough that Zoro almost turns the cart around on principle. They’ve been gone for ages, however, and he knows he hadn’t been imagining the way the other man was starting to look tired back in the shop. Unless they all want Chopper on their asses for the foreseeable future, they’re better off getting him back to the ship.

He does make a mental note to find out who’s on grocery duty this time, though. Just in case.

*****
“There you guys are! Man, you were gone for ages!”

Luffy’s voice echoes out over the Sunny’s railing as they approach, and not long after that the captain himself becomes visible. “Chopper keeps going on about how Sanji shouldn’t be spending so much time out of bed yet, so I think you’d better be careful.”

“Tell him we had a good reason,” Nami says as she makes her way up the gangplank, all while actually carrying a couple of bags for once. “Also, Sanji and I spent big chunks of time sitting down, so it’s not as bad as it sounds.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Chopper’s voice pipes up from somewhere. “What part of ‘he needs to rest’ do you people not understand?”

“He’s fine, Chopper,” Zoro says as he boards the ship with the rest of the bags in tow. “Come see for yourself if you don’t believe us.”

Unsurprisingly, Chopper comes scurrying across the lawn as Sanji finally follows in Zoro and Nami’s wake. The reindeer gives the blond a critical once over as soon as he’s within eyesight, humming ominously as he looks to see if anything’s wrong.

“I feel fine,” Sanji says in answer to the doctor’s unspoken question. “And … I had fun. Today was really nice.”

Chopper deflates like a balloon someone has stuck a pin in, no more able to stand firm in the face of that heartfelt declaration than anyone else is. “Fine,” he says tiredly, “no one else takes my advice around here, anyway, so why should you be any different.”

“Hey, we listen when it’s important,” Zoro says, earning him a series of incredulous stares from the rest of their assembled crew mates. “What?”

“Sometimes you actually manage to outdo yourself,” Nami tells him, rolling her eyes. “Now, come on. I’m hungry, but we need to figure out where to put all of Sanji’s stuff before that.”

“Already taken care of, Nami-Sis,” Franky says, flashing her a thumbs up with one of his inner mechanical hands. “I rigged up a locker for him next to the others in the bunkroom. It’s got his name on it and everything.”

“Convenient,” Nami says, sounding pleased. “Alright, Zoro, you heard the man. Bunkroom. Now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zoro mutters, fully prepared to demand that she reduce more of his debt after he’s let her spend most of the day ordering him around. To hell with the fact that he’d had every intention of keeping Sanji company anyway.

And speaking of Sanji, he’s currently looking at Franky with a confused frown on his face, but he’s quick to follow after Nami and Zoro when they move to leave. He trails along in their wake, muttering about how it’s his stuff, so he should at minimum help put it away.

“It’s fine, Curls,” Zoro says once they’re all inside the bunkroom. “We’ve got it covered.”

“Yeah,” Nami adds, gesturing at the freshly installed locker. True to Franky’s word, it does indeed have Sanji’s name emblazoned on the front in the same font as everyone else’s. “It’s not like we don’t know where it’s going. Also, unrelated, but this place is unusually clean for a change. What’s up with that?”

“Ask Usopp,” Zoro says, rolling his eye.

“Not a chance. Nothing good ever comes from following those instructions.”

Willing to see her point on that one, Zoro sets his piles of bags down next to the ones that had previously been held by Nami, and turns to look around for Sanji. “Okay, Curls, how do you think you want all this crap organized? Should we - Curls?”

“Hmm? Oh, sorry.” Having been caught tracing his fingertips over the plaque that bears his name, Sanji jumps a little and flashes Zoro a sheepish grin. “What did you say?”

“I asked how do you want to organize this stuff,” Zoro replies, nodding at the locker. “How about you open that thing up so we can see what options Franky put in it.”

“Sure, that sounds good.” Giving himself a little shake, Sanji grabs the locker door’s handle, and twists until it pops open. Inside it reveals a similar setup to all the other lockers, and also the fact that the wave-patterned hoodie has already been safely hung up.

“Wow, this was really thoughtful of Franky,” Sanji says, as if they don’t all have similar places to hang their clothes. Then again, Sanji hasn’t had anything like this since he was a kid, so maybe it means more under those circumstances.

Noticing that Nami’s managed to sneak out with no one being the wiser, Zoro considers doing the same so Sanji can have a little privacy, but ultimately decides against it. Instead, he flops down onto his personal bunk, curling his arms beneath his head as he watches the other man get to work.

Sanji treats each item like it’s something precious to behold as he unpacks everything. He sorts the various shelves by individual items, ultimately ending up with a meticulously crafted arrangement that puts all the other lockers to shame.

“What do you think?” He asks, having caught Zoro staring.

“Looks good.” Zoro says, which is true. “I’m impressed you managed to fit everything in there.”

“It is a lot, isn’t it?” Sanji says, glancing back inside his locker with something akin to consternation. “I shouldn’t have let Nami buy so much. It’s a waste of money.”

Frowning, Zoro pushes himself up onto his elbows. “Okay, one,” he says firmly, “Nami spent way less than you think she did because she’s a conniving witch who can scam everyone and their mother out of their money. And two, there’s nothing in there you won’t be able to find a use for, so it’s hardly a waste of anything.”

“But - ”

“No buts,” Zoro says, shoving himself all the way onto his feet. “If it helps, think of it this way. We’re pirates, which means taking what we want, whenever we want it, comes with the territory.”

Sanji wrinkles his nose. “I’ll try and keep that in mind.”

*****
Usopp shrieks bloody murder when Zoro corners him in his workshop later that night.

“Holy crap, warn a guy, would you?!” Clutching his chest theatrically, the younger man glares balefully up at Zoro, surrounded by a toolkit that he’s just spilled all over the bench he’s sitting on, not to mention the surrounding floor. “What are you even doing down here?”

“I checked the chore list,” Zoro announces in lieu of a proper response. “It’s your turn to do the grocery run this time around.”

“And?” Usopp asks, his eyes narrowing. “If this is you trying to threaten me into buying more than the allotted amount of sake, it’s not happening. The worst you’ll do is cause some soft tissue damage, but Nami might actually kill me if I spend more than I’m supposed to.”

“So that means you haven’t gone yet,” Zoro surmises. “Good. You’re taking Sanji with you to the market tomorrow, and I’m coming too.”

“What, why?”

“We walked by the market on our way back to the Sunny earlier,” Zoro explains. “He got excited, but then we didn’t have time to go in.”

“Which is why you want me to bring him back tomorrow,” Usopp concludes, a knowing glint in his eye. “Man, the others are right, you are so wrapped around his little finger.”

Zoro bristles at the insinuation, but rather than look suitably cowed, Usopp smirks. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, big guy,” he says, standing up from his mess and having the audacity to pat Zoro on the shoulder. “Sanji’s been through a lot, and he deserves a little pampering.”

“I’m not pampering him,” Zoro retorts, hissing the word like it leaves a foul taste in his mouth. “I’m doing my job.”

Usopp blinks. “Right,” he says dryly. “Methinks the lord doth protest too much, but seeing as I don’t feel like having you break my nose tonight, I’ll drop it. You and Sanji are welcome to come with me tomorrow. What time did you want to head out?”

“Whenever you were planning on leaving,” Zoro replies, letting his proverbial hackles go down with a shrug. “Makes no difference to me, and I doubt he’s got anything planned.”

“Cool, then how does mid-morning sound?” Usopp suggests. “That’ll give everyone enough time to get a good night’s rest, but also not have to rush through breakfast.”

“Fine,” Zoro says, deeming this plan to be acceptable. “We’ll meet you by the unloading bay.”

*****
“You’re sure Usopp doesn’t mind having us tag along?”

Having heard this question no less than three times already this morning, Zoro cracks his eye open where he’s settled on the Sunny’s deck with his back to the railing. Adjusting his hold on the three swords he has his right arm curved around, he does his best to keep any exasperation from showing on his face as he peers up at Sanji.

“How many times are you gonna need me to answer that?” He asks mildly. “Usopp doesn’t give a shit over us coming with him. Hell, he didn’t say anything, but he probably appreciates the extra hands.”

“I don’t mind helping,” Sanji says, so earnestly that it makes something twist in Zoro’s chest. “You’re sure we won’t be getting in his way?”

“Positive,” Zoro sighs, afraid to say anything else in case Sanji takes it the wrong way. “So just settle down, and I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”

Shoving his hands in the pockets of the brand new jeans he’s wearing, Sanji very much does not settle down. He doesn’t move from the spot he’s in, but his right leg starts jittering repeatedly in a clear sign that he’s anxious to get moving.

Knowing that’s the best he’s going to get, Zoro does what he can to tune him out. Taking a deep breath, he closes his eye again, and keeps it that way until he hears the familiar tromp of Usopp’s work boots.

“Finally.” He grunts, getting to his feet and hooking his swords onto his belt all in the same fluid motion. “What took you so long?”

“Not my fault,” Usopp says, raising his hands defensively. “Nami wanted to go over the list one last time, and she wound up adding a few things to it, which also resulted in her needing to get me more money. Luckily, you guys didn’t spend as much as she budgeted for yesterday, so we’re good.”

Sanji makes a face upon hearing this. “She was going to spend more on me?” He says when Zoro raises an eyebrow at him. “That’s just not necessary.”

Usopp and Zoro share a look at this, but make a joint decision not to poke that particular bear. Instead, the sniper adjusts the strap of the bag he’s carrying over one shoulder and nods at the gangplank. “Come on, you guys. Let’s head out.”

Sanji’s a little better when he first hits land than he had been the day before, but he’s still kind of wobbly. Zoro lets one hand hover behind his back for a bit in case he needs a quick save, and shoots Usopp a look that all but dares him to comment.

The younger man must’ve been warned ahead of time, however, because all he does is shrug and mumble something about the same cart rental stand they’d used yesterday. He then vanishes in search of said stand, but not before issuing a stern warning that Zoro and Sanji are to wait where they are.

“Do you really get lost that much?” Sanji asks curiously as the other man trundles off. “Because Nami told me a lot of stories yesterday, and Usopp looks like he’s about to pick up right where she left off.”

Zoro makes a face. “They just think they’re being funny,” he says. “I’m fine.”

Sanji gives him a dubious look, but thankfully lets the subject drop.

It’s not long before Usopp’s soon back with a cart, this one almost identical to the one they’d used the other day. Eyeing it warily to make sure it’s structurally sound, Zoro glances at Sanji. “You going up again?” He asks, nodding towards the front seat.

Sanji wrinkles his nose. “I’d rather walk, if that’s okay,” he says, as if anyone's going to have an issue one way or the other. “I promise I won’t slow us down.”

“No one’s worried about that,” Zoro replies. “Just make sure you stay where someone can see you.”

Sanji nods eagerly and they set off in the direction of the marketplace with Usopp pulling the cart for now because he says he’d rather take his turn while it’s not too heavy. Figuring this means he’ll be the one dragging the thing along on their way back, Zoro shrugs and lets him have his way.

They hear the marketplace before they can see it, which is why Zoro’s not surprised to find it even busier than it was yesterday when it finally comes into view. People are streaming all over the place from stall to stall, and he feels his upper lip curl instinctively, never a fan of crowds.

Then again, he realizes, if he’s got an issue with crowds, Sanji’s is probably manifesting tenfold. Glancing at the other man out of the corner of his eye, he’s unsurprised to find him wringing his hands nervously, but notes that he also has a determined expression on his face.

Having seen flashes of this latent stubbornness a couple of times already, Zoro tries to keep anything from showing on his face as he sidles closer. “We can still put you in the cart,” he murmurs low enough that no one else should overhear. “That way you’ll know where one of us is at all times.”

To his credit, Sanji doesn’t try to misunderstand what he’s getting at. “I appreciate the offer,” he says stiltedly, “but - but I really want to be able to see everything … and maybe try some samples if I’m allowed.”

Confused, but not wanting to stymie such blatant interest, Zoro slows to a halt. He considers the problem from multiple angles as Sanji does the same next him, pretty sure he can feel the tips of his ears burning when an obvious solution presents itself.

“Don’t think you have to do it if it makes you uncomfortable,” he says, holding out his left arm at an awkward angle. “But if you’re worried about getting separated, I don’t mind - ”

Sanji doesn’t give him a chance to finish his sentence. Lurching forward gracelessly, he wraps both hands around Zoro’s proffered arm and tucks himself as tightly into his side as he can manage and still be able to walk. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah, yeah you’re fine,” Zoro stutters. Glaring at Usopp where he’s standing a little further ahead of them, both his eyebrows raised dramatically, Zoro motions for the sniper to get moving. “We’re good,” he says. “We’ll catch up with you later.”

Usopp mutters something that’s probably a slight against Zoro’s directional fortitude, but nevertheless gets the cart moving again.

“Okay,” Zoro says, turning back to Sanji as the other man and the cart vanish into the crowd. “What did you want to see first?”

*****
The answer to that question turns out to be everything. Having been given permission to poke around to his heart’s content, Sanji drags Zoro from stall to stall to stall, his eyes roaming eagerly over all the products the vendors have on hand, and his urge to ask questions palpable.

Through it all, he maintains his grip on Zoro’s arm, refusing to let them be separated, and more than one vendor eyes them with something akin to bemusement, no doubt thanks to the strange sight they make.

“They’re five berries apiece,” one such vendor is saying now. Focusing back on the conversation, Zoro sees that she’s selling tarts topped with berries and cream, the sugary concoctions no doubt incredibly sweet to the taste.

For his part, Sanji’s staring at them with desperate eyes, but he nevertheless starts to pull away when the vendor names her price. “Sorry, I was only looking,” he mumbles apologetically, and Zoro’s moving before he can think better of it.

“You said five, right?” He asks, one hand rooting around in the pocket of his robe where he knows his own share of Nami’s allotted funds is resting. “Gimme a sec, I know I’ve got that on me.”

“You don’t have to,” Sanji starts, but Zoro cuts him off mid sentence with a shake of his head.

“It’s fine,” he says. “The money’s meant to be spent anyway.” To the vendor he adds, “Give him the freshest one you’ve got, and we’ll take it to go.”

“Right away,” she chirps, smirking at him like she thinks he’s a dog who’s learned a particularly good trick as he hands the cash over. “The freshest available sample coming up.”

Rolling his good eye, Zoro takes the small box she offers to him, and carries it carefully away from the stall until the crowd has thinned out somewhat. Only then does he move to hand it to Sanji.

“All yours,” he says, holding it out.

Sanji glances from the box to Zoro’s face and then back again. “I can’t pay you back,” he says, his voice thick. “You know I don’t have any money.”

“Damn, really? That thought never occurred to me.” Rolling his eye again, Zoro gives the box a pointed shake until the other man tentatively reaches out to take it, “You don’t have to pay me back. It’s - it’s a gift.”

“But why?” Sanji asks, eyeing the box in his hand. “I don’t have anything I can give you.”

“That’s not how gifts work,” Zoro sighs. “Just eat the damn treat, Curls. You know you want to.”

“Yeah,” Sanji says, slowly pulling back the lid of the box to reveal the snack inside. “Maybe we could share it?” He suggests, his shoulders immediately slumping when Zoro makes a face. “Or not, I guess.”

Embarrassed, Zoro gives his arm a quick squeeze. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t like sweets,” he explains. “My taste buds just can’t handle ‘em.”

“Really?” Sanji asks, sounding surprised. “That’s too bad. Is there anything that works better for you? Like maybe things that are tart or bitter? Is it anything sugary, or can you handle it in smaller doses? I bet we can find you something too if that’s the case.”

Reeling under the sudden torrent of words, Zoro lets out an aborted laugh. “Damn, you really like food, don’t you?”

Sanji shrugs, the pale skin of his face tinting. “Kinda,” he mumbles, glancing down at the ground. “Kind of a lot, actually. When I was little, I wanted to be a cook.”

There’s a story there, Zoro can tell. It’s visible in the tense lines of Sanji’s shoulders, and the way he won’t meet Zoro’s eye. “I bet Judge wasn’t a big fan of that idea,” he says softly.

“Mhm hm,” Sanji replies, swiping a finger through the cream at the top of the tart and licking the digit clean. “That’s really good,” he says happily, “and no, Judge didn’t like the idea at all. He used to beat me when he caught me down in the kitchens, and eventually the cooks stopped showing me things because he threatened to punish them and their families too.”

“Bastard,” Zoro says, and Sanji surprises him by shrugging.

“I kept going in secret though,” he says, another one of those flashes of determination showing in his eyes. “Even after he let Niji and Yonji break my ribs for it, even - even after my mom died and wasn’t around for me to make things for anymore. I kept going right up until he locked me away.”

“Guess I figured if I was already such a huge disappointment to him, what was one more thing,” he adds self consciously. “Shows what I know.”

“I think it means you know a lot,” Zoro tells him, holding the other man’s gaze when he blinks in surprise. “If you’d stopped it would’ve meant you’d given up, and that’s worse than dying as far as I’m concerned. I’d rather die aiming for something than never try at all.”

“Yeah, well, none of that changes the fact that my cooking career ended when I was eight years old,” Sanji scoffs. “I’ve had to content myself with reading the books Reiju brought me ever since.”

“Reiju?” Zoro asks. “You mentioned that name before, on the first day you were with us. Who’s she?”

“My sister,” Sanji replies, dropping this bomb as if it’s the most minor of details. “She’s three years older. Judge experimented on her too, but she’s different from the others. She’s just as strong, just as dangerous, but she’s not as cruel. She feels things, even if she doesn’t do it as much as most people.”

“Aside from our mom she was the only one who didn’t think I was useless. Well,” Sanji’s quick to amend, “she may actually have thought I was useless, but if she did it wasn’t something she felt I should be punished for. She used to try and help me after the others were done with me - bandage me up, that kind of thing - but only where no one would see.”

“Nice,” Zoro says through gritted teeth. “So she never really stood up for you.”

“She was as trapped as I was,” Sanji chides gently. “Her directly opposing Judge wouldn’t have changed anything for me, but it would have put her in the line of fire too. There was no need of that.”

“We’re going to have to agree to disagree,” Zoro growls. As far as he’s concerned, turning the other cheek to an injustice makes you complicit in it. He’d known that all his life, and had only grown more staunch in the belief since meeting Luffy.

As if he can tell what Zoro’s thinking, Sanji gives him a small smile, but lets the subject drop. “Reiju used to bring me books,” he says instead. “Mainly about cooking, but sometimes about other things she knew I liked.”

Zoro remembers the cell, and the stacks of books that had lined its walls. He supposes they were better than no comfort at all, but they paled in comparison to doing anything substantial to try to help. “If you’re sad about losing your cookbooks,” he says quietly, “maybe we can try and find you some while we’re here.”

“There’s no need,” Sanji says, popping the last piece of the tart in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully before he swallows. “I read them all so many times, I know all the recipes by heart.”

“Seriously?” Zoro asks, impressed in spite of himself. “Damn, maybe I should start calling you Cook instead of Curls.”

Sanji flushes. “I doubt that,” he murmurs. “My knowledge is all theoretical these days. I haven’t actually cooked anything for thirteen years, remember? Reading about doing it isn’t the same, so I’m sure I’m out of practice.”

“That,” Zoro says firmly as an idea occurs to him, “we can deal with.”

*****
They’re a couple days out from the latest island before Zoro’s able to put his plan into action. Not wanting to arouse suspicion, he waits until the kitchen roster has cycled back over to him, and then catches Sanji while he’s on his way to go get supper started.

“Oi, Curls,” he calls, snapping his fingers at where Sanji’s seated near the railing of the upper deck. He likes to sit up there to feel the breeze on his face, while simultaneously keeping him far enough away from the main deck to not get overwhelmed. “C’mere.”

“Hmm?” His attention clearly having been elsewhere, Sanji raises his chin from where he has it pillowed on his arms and blinks over at Zoro. “Sorry, did you say something?”

“Yeah, I said come here,” Zoro says, waving him over. “I’ve got something I need you to give me a hand with.”

“Oh, sure.” Pushing away from the railing, Sanji leaves the vast ocean vista behind him, and trots over to Zoro. “What is it?”

“It’s this way,” Zoro says, rounding the corner to the main walkway and shoving the galley door open. “Come with me.”

Exactly as he’d expected, Sanji balks at the entranceway. It’s become readily apparent that he prefers being outside whenever possible, and Zoro’s well aware that he still sleeps with the infirmary door open every night. Even at mealtimes, he either eats out on the lawn, or only stays in the galley for the bare minimum amount of time it takes him to clean his plate.

Having known this was a potential flaw in an otherwise brilliant plan, Zoro gives Sanji his most beseeching look. He knows from experience that it’s not a very good one, but right now it’s all he has.

“I’m on supper duty today,” he wheedles, hoping Sanji’s desire to get back in the kitchen will outweigh his need to stay out in the open air. “I was hoping you’d help me.”

Sanji gives him a suspicious look, like he’s fully guessed what Zoro’s playing at, but he takes a deep breath and slowly eases into the galley, his footsteps quiet as he carefully crosses the polished floor.

“What are you planning to make?” He asks, unable to hide the eagerness in his voice as he comes to a stop next to the counter.

“Dunno,” Zoro replies. “I usually go for something quick that I can make a lot of when it’s my turn to do this. Have you got any suggestions?”

The eye not hidden behind Sanji’s hair narrows into a slit. “I know what you’re trying to do,” he says after a moment’s pause, “but it’s not going to work. No one on the crew is going to want to eat a meal prepared by someone who hasn’t so much as made toast in thirteen years.”

“You want to bet some of your non-existent money on that?” Zoro asks. “Franky can’t cook anything aside from burgers, Usopp puts hot sauce on everything, and Luffy gives us food poisoning more often than he does a meal we can actually eat. Compared to them, you’ve got to be at least middle of the pack.”

“I’m pretty sure your math is off there,” Sanji scoffs, but Zoro can hear the longing in his voice, so he keeps pressing.

“Come onnn,” he croons. “You told me yourself how much you miss it, and I saw you in that marketplace. You totally wanted to be the one picking out ingredients and choosing the produce. What’ve you got to lose?”

“Every time you ask me that, I get more and more nervous,” Sanji sighs. “There is literally no guarantee I won’t accidentally poison everybody.”

“You can try whatever you come up with out on me first,” Zoro volunteers. “I’ve got a strong stomach.”

“You can’t even handle icing sugar,” Sanji says waspishly, but he’s rolling up the sleeves of the button down he’s wearing so Zoro knows he’s won. “Where do you guys keep the aprons? I’m not adding ruined clothes to the list of mishaps that are about to occur.”

Zoro nods at the pegs that hold the threadbare aprons that most of them don’t bother to use. Sniffing disdainfully, Sanji paws through them until he finds one he deems suitable, slipping it over his head with the practiced ease of muscle memory, and shifting to tie the strings in the back.

“Okay,” he says once he’s finished. “Are there any cookbooks around, or am I just supposed to wing this?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Zoro smirks at him. “You’re the one who told me you have hundreds of recipes memorized in that pretty little head of yours. Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is and prove it?”

For the briefest of seconds he worries he’s crossed a line and pushed too far, but then Sanji huffs and straightens to his full height. “I saw what Usopp picked up at the market the other day. Do you like shrimp fried rice?”

“Sure.”

“Good,”Sanji grins, “then you can tell me where the things I need are, but other than that you’re going to stay out of my way. Sound fair?”

“Sounds perfect,” Zoro tells him.

*****
For all that Sanji claims to be out of practice, he moves around the galley with ease. Zoro’s starting to suspect he may have been some sort of child prodigy where cooking is concerned, either that or the books his sister had given him must have been extremely heavy on the details.

The recipe he goes with is a simple one, but it’s not long before mouthwatering smells begin emanating from the stove. At one point, Zoro even goes to try and steal a piece from the still simmering pan, only to wilt away in the face of Sanji’s withering glare.

“Blow on it. Blow on it, it’s hot,” Sanji exclaims when the meal is finished and Zoro moves in for his promised taste test. “You’re going to hurt yourself if you’re not careful.”

“Am not,” Zoro says just to be difficult. He then shovels a chunk of food into his mouth when Sanji has his back turned. The blond turns out to have been right about the temperature, but that has nothing to do with the moan he lets out, “Fuck me, that’s delicious.”

“You’re just saying that to be nice,” Sanji mutters, the tips of his ears turning pink.

“Please,” Zoro scoffs around a second mouthful. “I know you’ve barely been around for a week, but do I strike you as someone who lies to spare other people’s feelings?”

“Yes,” Sanji says simply.

Zoro glares at him. “Well then you should get that dumbass notion out of your head because it’s a crock of shit. I don’t say things I don’t mean, Curls, and this is really fucking good.”

“It’s an easy dish to make,” Sanji replies. “If it tastes okay, that’s probably why. Also, quit eating so much of it, would you? You need to leave enough to feed everybody else.”

“That’s a dumb rule,” Zoro says, pouting when Sanji takes the pan away from him. “I wasn’t done with that!”

“Yes, you were,” Sanji says, no room for argument in his voice. “Now, come help me set the table so we can tell the others it’s ready.”

“I already did,” Zoro says, nodding at the fully prepared table.

“Oh.” Following his gaze, Sanji eyes the table for a moment before sighing. “Then I guess you can let the others in.”

Zoro cocks his head to the side, not understanding the sudden unhappy lilt in the other man’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

Sanji shrugs, for once not bothering to deny the fact that something’s bothering him. “They’re going to say it tastes good even if it doesn’t just because I’m the one who made it. You’re all too nice that way.”

Confused as to where Sanji’s come up with this belief that the Strawhats are anything other than a group of complete and total assholes, Zoro takes a deep breath. “How about this,” he suggests. “We don’t tell them you made anything, so they’ll eat it thinking I cooked because it was my turn like usual. I guarantee you no one’ll have a problem telling me if it tastes off.”

“That’s cheating,” Sanji says, but he holds up his hands in surrender when Zoro lets out a frustrated groan. “Alright, alright, we’ll do it your way. I’m that case, they’re going to say it sucks, though.”

“I’d offer to bet against you,” Zoro says, “but we’ve already established you don’t have any money to lose. Brace yourself, I’m letting them in.”

He has to dodge out of the way when Luffy slingshots himself inside, but still manages to grab the captain by the back of his shirt with the ease of the long practice. He then keeps Luffy in a headlock until everyone else has crowded into the galley, eyeing them as he waits to hear what they have to say.

“My, that smells divine,” Robin says, immediately taking on the role of Zoro’s favorite crew mate when she sniffs appreciatively. “I can’t wait to try it.”

“No fair,” Luffy whines, wriggling in Zoro’s hold. “If it’s really yummy then I should get to try it first because I’m the captain.”

“If we let you do that there’d be none left for the rest of us,” Nami points out, shooting a quick glare in Luffy’s direction before taking her seat at the table. “Robin’s right, though. This looks delicious.”

“Glad you approve,” Zoro says sarcastically, releasing Luffy into the wild now that everyone else has taken their seats. “Oi, wait your turn, asshole. Curls and I haven’t gotten any yet, either.”

“No, it’s okay, I made us both plates,” Sanji’s quick to speak up from where he’s sitting in the chair across from Zoro’s usual one. “It seemed … prudent given Luffy’s appetite.”

“God, you’re so much more polite than the rest of these idiots,” Nami says, raising her fork to her lips and taking her first bite. She makes a pleased noise of surprise as she chews, and turns to look at Zoro as he sits down. “What the heck did you do to this? Your food is never this good! It’s always bland rice and whatever meat you can find.”

Sanji makes a face at this, but whether it’s over the fact that he’s being steadily proven wrong or Zoro’s go-to choice of meal preparation is anybody’s guess. “That sounds horrible.”

“I mean,” Nami says, taking another bite while around her the others start to dig into their meals with similar appreciative sounds. “It’s fine. We’ve definitely had worse than Zoro’s regular cooking, it’s just boring. How did you figure out how to give food actual flavour?”

“I didn’t,” Zoro says, smirking at Sanji across from him. “But I love the way you’re proving me right without meaning to.”

There’s a none too subtle thump as Sanji kicks him under the table, and the bark of laughter Zoro lets out nearly startles Usopp into spilling his drink. “Nice, Curls. I’m really feeling the love here.”

“I didn’t - oh my god, I’m so sorry.” Having momentarily frozen in place, Sanji turns beseeching eyes on him. “I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know why I did.”

“It sounds like you did it because Zoro deserved it,” Nami says, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them. “Which I’m sure he did. What’s going on, you two?”

“I didn’t make supper,” Zoro says, refusing to beat around the bush. “Blondie did, but he was too scared to say anything because he figured you’d all lie and say it was good even if it wasn’t.”

“But it’s SO good!” Luffy exclaims, turning his huge brown eyes on Sanji. “You really made this? Wow!” He says when Sanji nods hesitantly. “Can you make more stuff?”

“I don’t know - maybe?” Sanji tries. “I know a lot of recipes, but I’m so out of practice I’ll probably screw them up.”

“So cook with some of us like you did tonight,” Usopp suggests. “I don’t think anyone’s going to complain about you helping out on a chore we all hate, especially if this is the result.”

“What longnose said,” Franky chimes in. “I’m up next tomorrow, so if you want to come hang with me, you’re more than welcome.”

“Really?” Sanji asks, his lower lip wobbling in a way that can only mean one thing. “I - oh, sorry. I - ”

“Don’t worry, little bro, I got you!” Popping open the hatch of one of his main hands, Franky extends the inner mechanical limb, a tissue held ready in its tiny grasp. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” Accepting the tissue with surprising ease given his residual nerves when around Franky, Sanji dabs at his eyes with it and then blows his nose loudly. “God, this is embarrassing.”

“Nah,” Franky says, drawing his arm back while the rest of the crew make various noises of agreement. “It’s pretty normal, I figure.”

“Maybe,” Sanji says, still sounding choked up as he crumples the used tissue in his hand. “But, um, if your offer still stands, then yes, I’d like to help you in the kitchen tomorrow. I’d like that a lot.”

Franky gifts him with a double thumbs up, and for his part, Zoro sits back in his seat with an air of smug satisfaction.

*****
The rest of the crew follow suit after Franky and have Sanji take turns cooking with them. It’s not long before the blond is the unofficial ruler of the Sunny’s kitchen, to the point that Luffy’s now taken to loudly proclaiming that he’s found the best cook on the Grand Line.

Sanji makes exasperated noises whenever he hears this, but his face also flushes a pleased pink in color, making it obvious that he doesn’t hate the moniker nearly as much as he pretends. In fact, finding a role that’s his and his alone on the ship seems to go a long way towards helping him settle, and the one on one time with each of the crew smooths away most of his previous nerves where specific individuals are concerned.

That’s not to say that everything’s perfect of course - he’s still far more skittish than he has any reason to be, is reluctant to ask for things he wants, and his hatred of being cooped up indoors remains out in full force. On the flip side, the cuts and bruises he’d arrived with have long since faded, he’s gaining weight at a rate that sees Chopper make pleased noises during every check up, and he’s getting increasingly confident when it comes to talking back to people.

This last one might not sound like a boon to everyone, but Zoro will fully acknowledge that he’d beamed like a proud parent the first time Sanji had called him an idiot to his face. Even the fact that Robin and Nami had had to spend the next hour calming the blond down because he was afraid he’d get in trouble for speaking out of turn had only been able to put so much of a damper on the occasion.

Having said that, Zoro could have done without Nami uttering the words, “I don’t see what the problem is. He absolutely was being an idiot, and you should say so,” quite so fervently.

All in all, the next several weeks seem to fly by in relative peace and quiet, giving Sanji the necessary time he needs to start to heal, even if it’s only a start at start at this point. Zoro figures anything is better than nothing, so they may as well take what they can get.

The only thing is, he should have known better than to let his guard down.

*****
It’s mid-afternoon on a brilliantly clear sunny day when it happens. The warm weather has drawn the entirety of the crew outside, and the smell of cooking meat is in the air because Luffy’d pestered Sanji into getting the grill going.

Always happy to have a chance to cook outside - no matter how much he’s made the galley his own, some things are going to take longer to change - the blond is carefully watching the meat, while somehow managing to keep an eye on Luffy’s wandering hands at the same time. He takes the act of defending the food extremely seriously, and it’s honestly done a tremendous amount for improving his and the captain’s relationship. Zoro wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s put them on completely equal footing, but Sanji’s definitely less wary of Luffy than he initially had been.

Having been contenting himself with watching the antics of the two from where he’s reclined under the mikan trees, Zoro lets his gaze begin to roam around the deck, whereupon he makes the mistake of letting Robin catch his eye. The dark haired woman peeks at him from over the edge of her latest book, smiling like she’s got a secret.

The look makes the skin between Zoro’s shoulder blades crawl, which is why he’s quick to look away. He glances swiftly over Franky where he’s sitting next to his partner, and then abandons the crew entirely in favor of watching the horizon.

He stays like that for a while, half dozing as Luffy whines about how Sanji’s being unfair by not sharing the meat. Later he’ll blame the stupor he’s been lulled into on why he doesn’t initially realize what he’s seeing when the terrain shifts.

“Sail ahead!” Jinbe’s voice suddenly booms from the loudspeaker, startling everyone who hadn’t been on watch duty. “Multiple sails, and it’s the Navy at that!”

“Damnit!” Zoro hisses, grateful that his swords are never far from reach as he surges to his feet. “Why does the fucking Navy always have such shitty timing?”

“Because we’re pirates so their job is literally to make our lives miserable,” Usopp says from where he’s climbed up onto the nearest railing and is looking through a spyglass to better take stock of the situation. “I’m counting six ships that I can see, but odds are good they’ll radio for backup once they realize it’s us they’re facing.”

“Ugh, I thought one of the benefits of Luffy being declared an Emperor after Wano would be that they’d stop doing this,” Nami says, extending her climatact baton in preparation for the upcoming fight. “The Navy never used to go after the Emperors, that was the whole point.”

“Yes, but three of the original four Emperors have been unseated in the last two years,” Robin notes. “Under those circumstances I’m afraid the situation’s become so precarious that they’re willing to risk it.

“Well, I wish they wouldn’t,” Nami grumbles

Privately, Zoro has to agree with her. The Navy doesn’t frighten him the way it does most pirates, if at all, really, but the repeated skirmishes are annoying and hard on the Sunny. She always ends up taking damage no matter what they do, which never seems fair.

Still, there’s nothing they can do about that at the best of times, and certainly not today. He watches the approaching ships with a narrowed eye and his right arm resting over the curve of his swords. Then, once it becomes obvious that the soldiers really do have a death wish because they’re not turning around, he draws Enma and Kitetsu from their sheathes.

The Navy ships move to swarm them as expected, using their superior numbers to surround the Sunny so they can get in close. Once the Strawhat’s ship is sufficiently boxed in, grappling hooks are launched and a number of marines prepare to board.

In many ways the best tactician among them, Nami starts barking orders as soon as she sees what’s happening. “Brook, cut those lines, and Franky you help him! Usopp, Chopper, you two deal with anyone who manages to make it across. The rest of you - get over there and bring the fight to them.”

Since that’s his favorite order to obey, Zoro watches as first Luffy and then Jinbe do as instructed, and prepares to follow suit. It’s only when he spots a shock of blond hair out of the corner of his eye that he jerks around, horrified to realize that Sanji’s still on the deck, fully exposed.

“Curls!” He yells, returning Enma to her sheath even faster than he’d removed her from it and lunging forward with his arm outstretched. He hooks it around Sanji’s waist, drawing the other man back from the railing, and unsurprised to find that he’s shaking in the process.

“We need to get you out of here,” he barks, dragging Sanji further away from the line of fire as he tries to figure out the best course of action. “You need to get inside.”

For once Sanji doesn’t argue against that notion. Instead, all he does is nod, his lips pressed into a tight line and his blue eyes wide with fear.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Zoro tells him when he sees this. “I know it probably doesn’t look it, but this is pretty routine for us.”

“If - if you say so,” Sanji exhales shakily. “However, if I’m being honest - ”

He never gets a chance to finish that sentence. Nami shouts something from the upper deck at the same time Zoro’s observation haki flares. Brook and Franky have missed one of the lines extending from a nearby ship, and now a group of marines are streaming onto the Sunny, weapons at the ready.

“Shit! Move! Move move move!” Hustling Sanji on ahead of him, Zoro does something he hasn’t done in recent memory and turns his back on the approaching soldiers. Trusting the rest of the crew to cover him, he focuses on getting his charge to safety, fully prepared to shield him with his body if necessary.

“Zoro, up here!” Usopp’s voice, pitched high to carry above the sound of the fighting reaches his ears, and Zoro cranes his neck around to find the sniper standing halfway up the main staircase, gesturing towards himself. “I’ll take Sanji, you go deal with the Navy.”

“But - !” Zoro starts.

“No buts!” Usopp snaps, coming partway down the steps at the same time Sanji reaches them. “The best way to keep him safe is to cut the marines down before they can get this far. You and I both know that’s a job you’re better suited for.”

“Fine,” Zoro says through gritted teeth, fully able to see the logic in this, even if he doesn’t much like it at the moment. “Get him into the galley,” he instructs, doing everything but physically passing Sanji over. “I’m trusting you, longnose.”

“Likewise,” Usopp says grimly, already shifting to lead Sanji up the stairs. “Go do what you do best, big guy.”

Grinning in a way that more than one person has described as feral, Zoro turns to do exactly that.

*****
Zoro hadn’t been joking when he’d described this fight as ‘routine’, and now that Sanji’s safely out of the way, he throws himself into the fray with a sword in each hand. He makes quick work of the marines who’ve made it onto the Sunny, aided by Chopper and Robin, and then bolts across the line connecting them to the Navy ship, signaling for Franky to cut it behind him.

A number of marines scream as he lands in their midst, several deck planks cracking beneath the soles of his heavy boots. He allows himself a grin as one moans something about the ‘Demon of the East’, and then he’s lunging forward with his swords outstretched, moving too fast for his enemies to register what’s happening.

The ship is in ruins by the time he’s done with it, and nor is it the only one. Of the six vessels that had attacked them, two have fallen to Luffy’s hands, one to Jinbe’s, and a fourth is taking on water where a massive hole now sits in the side of her hull. The sole unharmed ship is already turning to flee, collecting what survivors it can as it goes.

Zoro gives the ship an unimpressed look, and is contemplating whether or not it’s worth going after it when he hears the familiar twang of rubber snapping above his head. He shuffles slightly to the side, giving Luffy enough room to land without accidentally hitting him in the process.

“You good, Captain?” He asks, his eye flicking over to the other man.

“Yeah,” Luffy says, grabbing his hat where it’s dangling behind him on its strings and planting it on his head. “You?”

“Fine,” Zoro confirms. “Should we go after them?” He wonders, nodding at the still unmarred ship.

Luffy makes a thoughtful noise, but ultimately shakes his head. “No,” he says when Zoro raises an eyebrow, not disobeying, but questioning. “In fact, I think we should get out of here before more come back. Sanji was scared.”

“I know,” Zoro says darkly, thinking back to the frightened look in the blond’s eye. “We should’ve been better prepared for this.”

“Maybe,” Luffy says, not sounding overly concerned. “But it’s too late to change that now. Let’s just get everybody back to Sunny and get out of here.”

“Sure,” Zoro says, following after his captain as they traverse the wreck until they reach the closest point to their own ship. They leap across in tandem, Sunny’s superior decking absorbing their landings without issue, and that of Jinbe’s not long after them.

Brook’s at the helm when they arrive, but quickly cedes that territory to Jinbe, who sets Sunny to cutting smoothly through the water, away from the husks of the former marine ships. Meanwhile, Franky appears to be assessing the damage done to their vessel, but Zoro doesn’t immediately see anyone else.

“Where’s the rest of the crew?” He wonders, only to pause at the sound of Nami calling his name.

The navigator looks a little worse for wear when he lays eyes on her. She has no visible signs of injury, but there’s a haggard twist to her features, and she frowns as she beckons him over.

“You need to get up to the infirmary,” she says without preamble, not giving him a chance to open his mouth and ask what’s wrong. “No one’s badly hurt, but … yeah. Please go see if there’s anything you can do to help.”

His mouth going dry, Zoro doesn’t bother asking her to provide some much needed clarification. Instead, he turns on his heel and bolts for the stairs, taking them two at a time in his haste to reach the top.

The sounds of distraught wails reach his ears as he climbs, getting louder the higher he goes. He can’t make out any words in the frantic babble, but his gut twists at the sheer panic lacing the sounds.

Upon reaching it, he yanks the infirmary door open with such force that he’s surprised he doesn’t take it off its hinges. Inside, the room is overly crowded, containing far more bodies than it’s meant to at once.

Usopp’s sitting on the bed, his face creased with pain as he holds out his right arm for examination. There’s blood trailing down it in rivulets, pooling in the crook of his elbow and dripping onto the floor as Chopper does his best to stem the flow.

Despite the obvious signs of injury, this isn’t where the noise is coming from. Along with the first two men, Sanji’s sat in a corner out of the way, sobbing hysterically in the circle of Robin’s arms.

“Shit,” Zoro hisses, striding forward until he can reach them. “What happened?” He demands, searching the blond for signs of obvious harm. “Are you hurt? Talk to me, Curls.”

“He’s not hurt,” Robin says, deflecting one of Sanji’s hands away from where he’s trying to yank at his hair and stroking it with her own instead. Her other hand is rubbing in soothing circles over his back as she rocks him. “Just very upset.”

“You don’t say,” Zoro says sarcastically. “What happened?”

“Ricochet,” Usopp says nonsensically, gritting his teeth when Zoro turns to look at him. “One of the Navy ships must have had a sniper up high somewhere. His shots missed us when I was trying to get him inside, but one hit a nearby wall and splintered. Hence … ” he gestures at his bloody arm. “This.”

“That’s - ” Obviously not good, exactly, but in the grand scheme of injuries their crew has sustained over the years, it’s hardly a drop in the bucket.

“I know,” Usopp says, as if reading his mind, “but I don’t think it’s that simple for him.”

Zoro purses his lips, unsure of what the hell he’s supposed to do here. “I don’t - how can I help?” He finally asks, feeling useless.

“You can take him for now,” Robin says, her hand never letting up as she brushes it over Sanji’s hair. “I need to check for potential stowaways, but he’s in no shape to be alone.”

“There’s got to be a better option than me,” Zoro says, staring at her like she’s lost her mind. “Hell, I can do that, so you can stay here with him.”

“You can’t do it as thoroughly as I can,” Robin reminds him, no room for argument in her voice. “Now come take him, and I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”

“Maybe bring him outside while you’re at it,” Chopper suggests. He’s finished cleaning and stitching Usopp’s arm, but pauses in the act of wrapping the wound in gauze as he watches Sanji be literally transferred from one person to the other. “Now that the fighting’s over, the fresh air might help make him feel better.”

“Yeah, how’s that sound, Curls?” Zoro asks, shaking Sanji gently when the other man doesn’t respond. “D’you want to come outside with me?”

Tears still trickling down his face, Sanji shrugs raggedly. “Usopp got hurt,” he says nonsensically.

“Usopp’s fine,” Zoro says firmly, shooting the sniper a look that dares him to be otherwise. “He’s not even being all dramatic like usual, so you know it’s just a scratch.”

“Somehow I’m both offended and comforted,” Usopp says dryly. “But Sanji, Zoro’s right, look.” He holds up his arm, twisting it from side to side, much to Chopper’s frustration since he hadn’t finished with the bandages yet. “I’m already as good as new.”

“You’re going in a sling is what you are,” Chopper says, waving his roll of bandages ominously. “Hold still.”

“Whatever,” Zoro huffs, hooking an arm around Sanji’s trembling shoulders and leading him from the room. “Let’s go.”

*****
“What did Robin mean about checking for stowaways?”

“Hmm?” Having slipped into a semi-doze thanks to how long they’re been sitting at the top of the steps that lead up to the back deck, it takes Zoro a moment to register the question. “What was that?” He asks around a yawn.

Sanji shifts where he’s sitting on the step below Zoro’s, for all intents and purposes curled up in his lap. “When Robin said … that you should take me,” he mumbles choppily. “She mentioned something about stowaways.”

“Oh,” Zoro says, clueing in to what he’s getting at. He twists his neck from side to side, feeling something crack as he considers how to explain. “Sometimes during fights with the Navy or other pirates, people get stranded over here if we make a quick getaway, and they’ll hide in the bowels of the ship. It’s only happened maybe once or twice, but Robin likes to make sure we don’t have any surprises waiting for us.”

Sanji makes a noise in the back of his throat and returns his head to where it had previously been resting on Zoro’s chest. “I guess that makes sense. What do you do if you find someone?”

“Depends,” Zoro replies. “If they attack we don’t take that lying down, but usually we just contain them somewhere and drop them off at the next island.”

“Maybe you should do the same thing with me.”

Zoro momentarily stills the hand that’s been moving up and down the other man’s back, but starts it up again when he tenses. “Yeah, we’re not doing that,” he says. “Don’t be stupid.”

“It’s not stupid,” Sanji disagrees. “I’ve been a drain on the ship’s resources the whole time I’ve been here, and today I proved what a liability I am. Usopp got hurt because of me.”

“Usopp got hurt because some bastard marine with poor aim took a shot at him,” Zoro corrects. “Unless you pulled the trigger, it had nothing to do with you.”

“He never would’ve been where he was if he hadn’t been trying to protect me,” Sanji counters. “And he never would have needed to protect me if I wasn’t such a useless failure.”

“Do not call yourself that,” Zoro snaps, remembering the way Sanji’s brothers had uttered that word during their initial fight with Germa. “It’s bullshit and you know.”

“It’s not, it’s the truth,” Sanji insists. “I’ve never been good for anything. Judge was right to lock me away, and you should have left me in that cell.”

Refusing to take that lying down, Zoro hooks a hand under Sanji’s chin, tilting his head back until they’re forced to make eye contact. “Don’t you ever,” he hisses vehemently, “say that again. No one deserves to be locked up the way you were. I don’t care if they’re the most useless person on earth.”

Sanji does a decent job of glaring back at him all things considered, but there’s a bright sheen to his eyes, and as Zoro watches his lower lip starts trembling again.

“Aw, Curls,” he sighs, ignoring the awkward angle to lean down and press their foreheads together. “You matter,” he says softly. “In general, but also to us. If risking ourselves protecting you is part of that package, then so be it.”

“No,” Sanji says thickly. “No, I can’t have that. I can’t be the reason someone on this crew gets hurt. Not after everything you’ve done for me.”

Zoro blows out a heavy breath. “So what do you want to do about it? And don’t give me that crap about leaving the Sunny again,” he adds quickly. “I said what do you want to do, not what do you think you should.”

Pulling back to meet Zoro’s eye, Sanji bites his bottom lip until the skin around it turns white. “I don’t know,” he admits quietly. “I just know I can’t live with the idea of being something the crew needs to protect all the time. I can’t be responsible for you getting hurt. Or worse.”

“Alright,” Zoro says, considering this. “Then from where I’m standing, there’s only one option that I can see.”

Sanji frowns. “What’s that?”

“We need to teach you how to fight.”

*****
Unsurprisingly, teaching Sanji how to fight turns out to be easier said than done. On the one hand, he’s absolutely willing to learn thanks to his stubborn insistence that he not become a liability to the crew, on the other, he associates all forms of violence with his father and brothers, which is a significant hurdle to say the least.

He won’t train with weapons, that much he’s adamant about from the beginning. Swords, spears, pistols, even Usopp’s slingshot - none of it makes a difference. Putting a weapon in his hands has a direct correlation to Vinsmoke Judge in Sanji’s mind, which is something he can’t get over.

Then there’s the issue of his hands in general. Apparently one thing all the books he’d been provided with growing up had emphasized was a chef’s need to take care of their hands. For better or for worse, Sanji’s terrified of damaging his, especially since he’s only so recently been allowed back in a kitchen.

All this combines to put a significant handicap on what they can and can’t teach him. Nevertheless, Zoro’s determined to figure something out, and he turns to the rest of the crew to help him brainstorm.

In the end, unsurprisingly, it’s Robin who comes up with the solution. Her time in the Revolutionary Army had been eventful, such that she’d studied - and more importantly dabbled in - all manner of fighting styles.

“If Sanji can’t use his hands during a fight, then perhaps a better option is his feet,” she says during one meeting where all ten of them are gathered out on the lawn. “Savete, kickboxing, etc - there are any number of martial arts that rely on the lower body instead of the upper. We should start there.”

“How are we supposed to do that if none of us practice that style?” Usopp wants to know.

“We’ll make do,” Robin replies, and since no one wants to argue with her, they leave it at that.

“We need to see what you can do first,” Zoro says once the rest of the group has dispersed. “There should be enough space on the back deck if you want to come with me for a bit.”

“Yeah, okay.” Sanji says, and they’re both quiet as they trudge up the steps single file.

Confident he won’t need them for now, Zoro unhooks his swords from his belt and lays them aside, then he turns back to Sanji. “Where do you want to start?” He asks.

“You’re asking me as if I know,” Sanji replies a little breathlessly. “If this was Germa, you would’ve attacked me by now, and then it’d be up to me to try and defend myself. Which, historically, I’m not very good at.”

Zoro frowns, wondering how best to ask the question now percolating in his mind, and in the end deciding to just go for it. “How old were you when Judge first started training you to fight?”

“If the stories are to be believed - and to be honest, they are - two.” Sanji shrugs when Zoro stares at him incredulously. “We were literally bred to be child soldiers. My earliest memories are of Judge yelling at me because I couldn’t keep up on the obstacle courses he’d designed for us, and then yelling at me some more when I didn’t want to fight my brothers.”

Doing his best to keep anything from showing on his face, Zoro mentally updates his private list of reasons why Vinsmoke Judge needs to die a horrible death. “Okay,” he says aloud. “As much as the reason behind it sucks, that means you’ve still got something like six years of combat training. Even with the break in between, you’re probably still way ahead of the curve and just don’t realize it yet.”

“I never beat my brothers, not even once,” Sanji notes, “but they could always take me down, collectively or individually.”

“Sure, but they’re super fucked up,” Zoro reminds him. “With everything that was done to them, you can’t use them as a yardstick because they’re complete outliers compared to normal people.” A thought occurs to him. “Did Judge ever pit you guys against anyone else?”

“What, you mean like the regular soldiers? Sure, all the time,” Sanji confirms when Zoro nods. “They were basically cannon fodder as far as he was concerned, so he’d use them however he pleased.”

“Okay, and did you ever beat any of them?”

Sanji’s mouth tightens, but he doesn’t answer.

“Curls?”

Sanji sighs. “All the time,” he repeats. “I might have trouble depending on how many there were, but, yeah, I could beat them.”

“Fuck,” Zoro breathes. Eight years old and he’d been capable of not only taking on who knows how many trained soldiers, but winning. “And Judge thinks you’re weak?”

“My brothers can raize entire cities without breaking a sweat, and they’ve been able to do so since they were practically toddlers,” Sanji replies, shifting uncomfortably. “That was the minimum standard he held us to.”

“So you’re not an emotionless monster, congratulations,” Zoro retorts. “Why don’t we just try working through a couple of forms to see what you remember, and go from there?”

“Okay,” Sanji says after a moment’s pause. “But … am I allowed to ask for a break if - if I want to stop?”

Zoro needs a second to steel himself in the face of his pleading tone. “If you want me to stop,” he says carefully, “then you tell me and that’s the end of it. No questions asked. We’re not doing anything you’re not comfortable with.”

Sanji eyes him warily for a bit, his gaze flicking up and down the length of Zoro’s body, almost as if he’s searching for some sign of a lie. He must not find it, however, because in the end he makes a satisfied sound and nods.

“Okay,” he says, and then to Zoro’s surprise he shifts into a fighting stance with little trouble. “Let’s do this.”

*****
It becomes clear almost immediately that Sanji’s not as out of practice as he’d claimed. Not only does he still have the basics down pat, but once he gets more comfortable, he moves with a kind of fluidity that doesn’t support thirteen years of stagnation.

He feints, he dodges, he deflects blows that should have taken the feet out from under him, dancing back out of reach with practiced ease and a faint smile on his lips. He reads his opponents with the kind of observational skills that most people can only dream of, and he’s fucking fast. A lot of the crew can’t keep up with him, and those that can usually have to put actual effort in to achieve it.

For his part, Sanji himself doesn’t think much of it. Multiple people try and ask him about it, but his sole explanation is that he’d had to keep defending himself from his brothers even after he’d been locked in his cell. They’d discovered where the key was early on in his imprisonment, and used to come down to torment him when they felt like it. Since Judge wouldn’t let a doctor see him, he’d had to learn to ease the force of their blows as best as he could.

This explanation works for some of the crew, but Zoro isn’t buying it, and he doesn’t think he’s the only one. Luffy, Jinbe, and Robin have all volunteered to be sparring partners as well - although Sanji won’t to let Robin do anything beyond walk him through forms she thinks might work for him - and he’s seen thoughtful looks on all their faces whenever Sanji pulls off a move he shouldn’t be able to.

He won’t use his swords against Sanji when they spar, not yet anyway, but the more the other man grows confident in what he’s doing, the more Zoro realizes he’s going to have to up his game as well. He has Franky fashion him a few bokken in his workshop, figuring he may as well start there.

It works to a point, right up until Sanji shatters one with a kick that reverberates all the way up Zoro’s arm.

“Damn,” Sanji whistles, his leg still extended as they watch the jagged pieces of wood fall to the deck. “Maybe that one was defective?”

“Not fucking likely,” Zoro retorts. He’d inspected all the practice swords when Franky had handed them over, so he’d known they were up to snuff. More importantly, he’d felt that kick, to the point that he’s pretty sure he’s going to continue feeling it for the next couple of days.

That shouldn’t be possible, not from someone in the league Sanji should be in. Even most of the crew would be lucky to so much as land a hit on him, but the list of those who could do it and then have him feel it for more than a few seconds consists of three people. Whatever’s going on with Sanji, it’s not normal.

“Of course it’s not,” Chopper says when Zoro works up the nerve to mention it to him later that evening. “But it does track with everything else I’ve noticed about him.”

“What are you talking about?” Zoro asks. “And before you try that doctor/patient confidentiality crap on me, remember that he gave you permission to talk to us all about him.”

“Which I’m not sure he meant in this context,” Chopper says dubiously, sighing when Zoro gives him a pleading look. “Fine, but only because I know you’re training him and you should probably understand what you’re up against.”

“You said it yourself,” he continues on, “Sanji’s not normal. I know he considers himself to be some kind of failure because Judge’s experiments didn’t work the way they were supposed to on him, but that’s not the same as saying they had no effect.”

“What do you mean?” Zoro asks, not liking the sound of that.

“I mean he shouldn’t be as healthy as he is,” Chopper replies. “He spent thirteen years in a cold, dark cage without proper nourishment, or any medical care to speak of, and he was regularly assaulted by three horrifically strong men. He should be weak and scarred, if not outright crippled. Instead, there’s not a permanent mark on him and in a couple of months he’s become as healthy as you are.”

“And I mean you, specifically,” the doctor stresses. “I think he could keep up with you if he tried.”

That’s - Zoro isn’t entirely sure how he feels about that, but he’s definitely not opposed. Kind of the opposite of opposed in fact, in the sense that maybe he actually really likes it.

Chopper sighs. “Whatever your face is doing right now, I’d appreciate it if you could make it stop.”

Zoro takes this as his cue to slink out of the infirmary, but he doesn’t go far. There’s a light on in the galley window, meaning that Sanji’s probably picking away at some new experiment given the late hour.

“I don’t have anything ready for you right now,” Sanji says without looking up from where he’s slicing vegetables on the counter. “So, if it’s a snack you’re after, you’re going to have to wait.”

“M’good,” Zoro murmurs, slumping onto the stool across from him and pillowing his head on his crossed arms. “What’re you making?”

“Not sure, yet,” Sanji replies. “I’ve taken to writing down experiments and documenting the results. This is more of the same.”

“Mhm,” Zoro says, but something must show in his voice because Sanji pauses the movement of the knife and shifts to look at him.

“Something wrong?” He asks, a hint of nervousness in his tone.

Zoro shrugs, the motion made awkward by his prone position. “Was talking to Chopper,” he admits quietly.

“Ah,” Sanji says, resuming his earlier motions. “About me, I take it?”

“Yeah.”

“And the fact that I’m probably not as human as previously believed?”

Zoro does sit up at this. Lashing out with one hand, he grabs Sanji by the rolled up sleeve of his blue hoodie, refusing to let go until the other man looks at him. “You’re the most human person I know,” he says when their gazes lock. “So what if you’re freakishly strong? So am I.”

“Because you worked for it,” Sanji retorts, his eyes flashing. “You’re still working for it. You train your body every day to do what you need it to, and this is the result. I’m an experiment a monster made in a lab.”

“Judge didn’t grow you in a tube, Curls,” Zoro says dryly. “And just because he’s a monster doesn’t mean you are.”

“Maybe not now,” Sanji says waspishly, apparently in a mood to sulk tonight. “What if that changes, though? What if - what if I start to become like my brothers? I never imagined that was possible because I was so much weaker so I assumed I couldn’t be like them, but now I don’t know.”

Not thinking about what he’s doing, Zoro leans forward and takes Sanji’s face in his hands. “Oi,” he says sternly, shaking him gently. “You listen to me because I’m only going to say this once. You are not your brothers. I saw them, even fought them a little, and you couldn’t be more different from them if you tried. You got that?”

“Yeah,” Sanji says quietly, but his eyes are downcast.

Zoro sighs. “What’s it going to take to make you believe me?”

“Time probably,” Sanji replies, shrugging free of his hold. “Likely more of it than you’ll want at that.”

Trying not to push, Zoro lets him go back to his vegetables. “I’m not going anywhere,” he says simply.

Sanji eyes him over the edge of the knife in his hands. “Bare minimum you might want to back up at least a few inches. I don’t want you getting in my way while I’m working.”

Snorting, but willing to allow him the reprieve, Zoro does as he’s told.

*****
“Ow, Sanji! Mean!”

When he’d first come onboard, a declaration like that would have sent Sanji into a panic attack. Today, it barely causes him to shift his left foot where he’s using it to pin Luffy’s attempt at a sneak attack, the heel of his polished dress shoe coming down flat on the back of the captain’s encroaching hand.

Zoro laughs from where he’s seated by the upper railing next to Jinbe, half his attention on the sparring match, and the other half on where he’s carefully cleaning Wado in his lap. “Serves you right, Luffy,” he says while Jinbe nods. “You got cocky thinking you could try a wrap around like that.”

“Zoro’s right, Luffy,” Jinbe agrees. “Sanji’s observational skills are too sharp for that. You should have known better.”

Luffy makes an aggrieved noise, trying to tug his hand free yet again, and only managing it this time because Sanji graciously lets him up. He then makes a show of blowing on the limb, as if there was ever a likelihood that real damage was done.

Of course, because it’s Sanji they’re dealing with, the cocky smirk he’d been wearing immediately fades. “You’re not actually hurt, are you?” He asks worriedly. “I’m sorry. I should have been more careful.”

“Shishishi! I’m fine!” Luffy assures him. “And you’re getting really good at that. I knew you were stronger than you thought.”

Sanji flushes, never one to take a compliment well. “I want to take a break now,” he says, and Zoro has to marvel at how far he’s come to be able to assert his own wishes so effectively. “Are you good?”

Luffy nods affably, and follows after Sanji when he comes to settle down in the same area as Zoro and Jinbe. The four of them rest in companionable silence for a bit, with the only sounds eventually being that of Zoro working on Wado, and Sanji rummaging around in a small cooler he’d brought out on deck.

“Here,” he says eventually, pulling free a couple of neatly packed snack plates and offering them to Luffy. “I figured you might work up an appetite doing this, mainly since you work up an appetite doing anything, I guess.”

His eyes lighting up, Luffy descends on the closest plate like a starving man, as opposed to one who’d had a massive lunch all of an hour ago. Arguably the most impressive part of Sanji slowly inserting himself into the role of ship’s cook is the fact that he can somehow manage to keep even Luffy full without seemingly breaking a sweat.

“It’s so good!” Luffy crows, barely bothering to breathe in between finishing the first plate and moving onto the next. “We’re so lucky we get to eat like this everyday now.”

“It’s nothing fancy,” Sanji deflects, “but there’s more in the cooler if anyone else wants something.”

Zoro and Jinbe share a look over the top of his head while he’s busy staring down at his own hands.

Over the past few weeks it’s come to light that Sanji has very strong feelings over things like wasted food and people who don’t maintain a regular meal schedule. Eventually he’d admitted that this was because - either unintentionally or deliberately, he wasn’t sure - food would sometimes stop arriving in his cell, for days and occasionally weeks at a time.

Having therefore feared the possibility of starvation more than once over the years, Sanji now refuses to let anyone go even a few hours without sustenance if he can avoid it. Skipped meals have become a thing of the past on the Sunny, and consistent snacks are now a regular occurrence.

Zoro’s not particularly hungry at the moment because he’d eaten a hearty lunch at the same time as everybody else, and he’s been off his feet ever since, not doing anything to work up an appetite. He nevertheless takes the snack Sanji offers him, having to fight to keep a smile off his face when he sees that it’s a carefully rolled plate of onigiri.

“You’re getting better at these,” he says, nodding in approval. Sanji’s made it his personal mission to discover all of the crew’s likes and dislikes when it comes to food, doing his best to keep them plied without their favorite treats, including the rice balls Zoro loves so much.

“Yes, well,” Sanji ducks his head, but he’s not fast enough to hide the blush that’s fanning across his cheeks. “Don’t think much of it,” he grumbles, uttering the weak lie to try and save face. “You just have simple tastes, is all.”

“That I do,” Zoro agrees, happily taking a bite. “And I don’t see any point in denying it.”

“Ugh, don’t talk with your mouth full,” Sanji says, likely well aware that Zoro’s doing it to get a rise out of him. He’s shown more and more flashes of a sarcastic persona lurking beneath the depths of the terrified man he’d been when he’d first come onboard, and Zoro loves drawing them out. “Jinbe, there’s some for you too, if you like.”

“Thank you, Sanji.” Jinbe replies, nodding gravely as he accepts a plate of his own. “I’m sure it’s as delicious as always.”

“Sanji makes the best food on the Grand Line,” Luffy says happily, still munching away on the extra plates that had been brought up for him. “No - probably the whole world!”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Sanji scoffs, shifting to tuck his knees up to his chest and rest his chin on them. “I’m an untrained beginner who’s only been doing this for like a month, and just happens to have a bunch of recipes in his head. Nothing I make would ever stand up to something prepared by a real chef.”

“Bullshit,” Zoro declares. “We’ve eaten everywhere you could name, Curls - pubs, homes, fancy restaurants, mess halls, even a couple palaces. I’d take your food over any of ‘em, any day of the week.”

“Me too!” Luffy enthuses, while Jinbe rumbles out his own approval. “Lucky for us your dream is to be the best cook in the world, right?”

“That’s not my dream,” Sanji replies, so quickly that Zoro doesn’t think he meant to do so. “Cooking is just something I love to do, but I don’t need to be the best at it.”

“Then what do you want?” Luffy asks curiously. “There must be something. Everybody has a dream.”

“Heh, all of you certainly do,” Sanji acknowledges. He’s had it explained to him what had drawn each of the crew out to the Grand Line - not to mention each other - and while it’s obvious he thinks some of their goals are more realistic than others, he’d appeared supportive of all of them.

“Oi, Curls.” Zoro says, nudging him with his knee when he doesn’t say anything further. “C’mon, spill. If being a cook isn’t your greatest dream, then what is?”

“It’s stupid,” Sanji says self-consciously. “You’ll laugh.”

“No way!” Luffy interjects. “No one on our crew laughs at dreams. It doesn’t matter how silly they sound. Dreams are important, they keep us going, so you should tell us what yours is so we can try and help you make it happen.”

Sanji stares at him for long enough that Zoro doubts he’s going to answer, but then he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Have you ever heard of the All Blue?” He asks, his eyes never leaving Luffy’s face.

“Nope,” Luffy says, glancing at Zoro, who shrugs to show he has no idea either. “What is it?”

“An ocean,” Sanji replies. “Supposedly, if it even exists. It’s said to be the only spot where all the other Blues meet, and to therefore contain every type of fish in the world. I first read about it when I was, god, I couldn’t have been any older than five, if that, and I’ve wanted to go there ever since.”

“So that’s my dream,” he concludes, some of the determination leaching from his voice as he remembers his audience. “I want to find a mythical body of water that probably doesn’t even exist. You can laugh now if you want.”

“Nobody’s laughing,” Luffy says seriously, while Zoro and Jinbe both nod to show they agree. “If you want to find this place, then all we’re going to do is help you. Right, guys?”

“Mhm,” Zoro nods, while Jinbe lets out a quiet chuckle.

“I can’t imagine a more likely place to find a fabled ocean than the Grand Line,” the fishman says when they all turn to look at him. “You’ve certainly come to the right place to look for it.”

“But,” he adds with a wink, “as far as I’m concerned that gives you all the more reason to keep training to get stronger. So, with that in mind, why don’t you and I have a go while these two layabouts finish their snack?”

*****
Sanji accepts Jinbe’s suggestion, and the two of them spar for a little while before taking another break. By this point Luffy’s wandered off to find a new way to amuse himself, but Zoro’s still posted up in the same spot when Sanji comes to join him again.

“You’re getting better,” he says approvingly, noting the way Jinbe’s subtly flexing a shoulder when he thinks no one is looking. The older man soon begs off to go do something else, leaving only the two of them behind.

“You think?” Sanji asks, smiling when Zoro nods. “You’re not just saying that?”

“I don’t say things I don’t mean,” Zoro reminds him. “Besides, there’s a reason you keep breaking all my damned bokkens, and it’s not because I’ve been going easy on you.”

“Liar,” Sanji says. “I know you pull your punches sometimes.”

“I absolutely don’t,” Zoro replies. “I back off if you tell me too. There’s a difference.”

For some reason, this makes Sanji frown. “A real enemy won’t back down in a fight,” he says. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I might be creating my own handicap if I keep letting you guys do that. I’m not helping anyone if I accidentally trick myself into thinking an enemy will stop just because I ask.”

“Just turn those big blue eyes on them,” Zoro suggests, snickering when Sanji glares at him. “If they work on Nami, they’ll work on anyone.”

“That’s dumb,” Sanji declares loftily. “And possibly dangerous. I keep telling you, I refuse to be a liability for this crew, and I won’t let any of you down, not after you’ve done so much for me.”

“No one’s worried about that,” Zoro says. “And your level of value to the crew isn’t dependent on how well you can fight.”

Sanji makes a face, abruptly reminding Zoro of the fact that while that might be true of the Strawhats, it certainly hadn’t been the case for Vinsmoke Judge. Sighing, he bumps the other man’s shoulder with his own. “You wanna have a go with me?” He asks. “Or are you tired after Luffy and Jinbe?”

“Not only am I not tired,” Sanji says, giving him a frosty glare, “but I’ll do you one better. We can spar, alright, and I want you to use your real swords.”

“Like hell,” Zoro starts, freezing in place when Sanji pins him with a look.

“Everyone says I’m getting stronger,” he points out, “and you yourself just noted how many of your practice swords I’ve been breaking lately. It’s time to step up your game and let me have a go at the real thing.”

“My swords are dangerous,” Zoro stresses, already imagining how Kitetsu or, hell, Enma might react to the proverbial fresh meat Sanji would represent. “Part of the reason I train so much is to keep them under control.”

“Yeah yeah, you’ve told me all about the curses and stuff,” Sanji says, moving to get back on his feet. “But you’ve also told me that our fighting styles seem well matched, so unless that was a lie …?” He trails off to give Zoro enough time to begrudgingly shake his head. “Then it seems to me like this is the next logical step.”

It very well may be, but that doesn’t mean Zoro has to like it. “Sparring with actual swords is only meant to be done against people who also use swords,” he tries, “or at least some kind of weapon. Not bare skin.”

“Cocky much?” Sanji asks, a turn of phrase Zoro’s going to find a way to blame on Usopp. “You’re the one who pointed out that I’m not built as normally as we thought, which goes hand in hand with what I’m suggesting.”

“ … fine,” Zoro grits out, recognizing the stubborn lilt in Sanji’s voice for what it is. “But we’re starting out with one sword and one sword only, and I get to pick which one. We also stop right away if I say so.”

“I accept your terms,” Sanji says, looking unsurprised when Zoro reaches for Wado. “Turn about is fair play, though. You’re not allowed to treat me like I’m made of glass.”

Nodding his head in acquiescence, Zoro walks out to the center of the deck, wanting to make sure they both have enough room to maneuver. He also hopes none of the others are watching right now because he suspects both Robin and Chopper would have a thing or two to say about what they’re about to do.

Sanji watches him go, and then shifts without warning. Streaking in from the side, he catches Zoro in the thigh with a glancing blow, although it does minimal damage because he mistimes the strike.

Still, a hit is a hit, and the blond smirks when Zoro rolls his eye. “All’s fair in love and war,” he jeers, “and you didn’t say when you expected to start.”

“Do you see me saying you shouldn’t have done it” Zoro asks, lazily pointing Wado at him. “You need to use every advantage at your disposal in a fight, including if you’re able to catch your enemy flat footed.”

Wanting to showcase this theory, Zoro lunges forward before he’s finished speaking. He pulls back at the last second, but still lets Wado slide down in a graceful arc, stopping her just above Sanji’s shoulder. “See what I mean?”

“Fair enough,” Sanji grins, acknowledging his point. “I think we can both agree not to underestimate each other. Now, let’s do this for real, shall we?”

Zoro nods his head to show his agreement, and then they’re off. Moving with the insane level of synchronization they’ve developed in recent weeks, they dance back and forth across the deck, trading blows as they go.

Zoro’s careful to use only the flat of his blade, but otherwise doesn’t restrain himself during the match. Meanwhile, Sanji lands blow after blow wherever and whenever he can, using the full force of his kicks.

It’s exciting - no, it’s thrilling - and Zoro’s blood sings at the possibility of having finally found someone who can match him in the way that he needs, in a way that’s been missing the whole time he’s been sailing with the crew. There’s something about Sanji that sets him apart from every other opponent he’s faced, something that makes him perfect.

With that thought comes a realization that the more rational part of Zoro’s brain suspects he’s been trying to ignore for quite some time now. It also brings with it a critical misstep that Sanji’s all too happy to take advantage of. He sweeps a leg under Zoro’s overextended arm, catching him in the back of the knees and sending him sprawling onto the deck.

“Oh crap! Are you okay!” Throwing himself to the deck almost before Zoro’s finished landing, Sanji kneels over him, his blue eyes wide and one hand outstretched as if he wants to touch, but isn’t sure he should.

He’s backlit by the sun when this happens, the brilliant rays making his blond hair shine like a golden halo, and Zoro stares up at him like a man who’s just had the ground come out from beneath him. He’s in trouble, he knows, the kind of trouble that’s only going to get worse as time passes.

“Zoro?” Sanji’s voice has picked up an edge, just a tinge that suggests someone had better tell him everything’s alright or he’s going to start getting stressed. He’s also still holding out his hand, like he’s waiting for Zoro to take it.

“I’m fine,” Zoro lies, his tongue feeling too big for his mouth. “Just got the wind knocked out of me, don’t worry about it.”

“If you’re sure.” Sanji frowns and glances around the wide expanse of the deck. “Did you want to stop now?”

“Yeah,” Zoro says, knowing he’s taking the coward’s way out and hating himself for it.

“Yeah, let’s take a break.”

*****
Normally Zoro prides himself on being a man who understands his own ambitions and goes after what he wants. He’s never let himself be distracted from a goal he’s had in mind before, always striving towards them to the best of his ability.

Unfortunately, along with the realization that he wants Sanji in ways that are more than simply platonic comes the strict understanding that he can never, ever do anything about it.

They’re friends. Sanji, who’d spent the first twenty-one years of his life with virtually no one in his corner, trusts him. Asking him for anything more than he’s willing to give would be the very height of irresponsibility, especially because Sanji probably has no idea what he’d be agreeing to regardless.

At the same time it’s so hard not to keep falling harder and faster. He’s only known Sanji for a couple of months now, but already he can’t imagine not having him in his life, and his admiration for the man grows every day.

Even with the recent discovery of his potential capabilities, Sanji still considers himself to be weak and a failure. His concern about potentially being a liability to the crew remains paramount, but he’s fueled by such an incredible determination to change this that most days Zoro finds himself in awe.

Sanji is so strong, is the thing. Not just physically - although Zoro would be lying if he said that didn’t catch his interest and make sparring very difficult at times - but mentally and emotionally as well. The things he’s been through, the treatment he’s suffered at the hands of his own family, would have been enough to break a lesser man, yet Sanji’s determined to overcome them. He’s not only survived, but he’s thriving.

Every island is a new adventure for him. He wants to see, do, and learn everything he possibly can, never once taking the experiences for granted. Each time they make landfall he’s desperate to explore as much as he can, always dragging Zoro along with him as his preferred companion, but also with usually at least one more person in tow because he so hates being alone.

His willingness to help out around the ship is second to none. While taking over the galley and practicing more and more dishes to keep the crew fed and happy is his main way of doing so, there’s no chore he considers beneath him, and no one he won’t offer his assistance to.

He’s also beautiful. Zoro hates himself a little for including this on his list, but he’s trying not to lie to himself, so on it goes. From his sharp features to his increasingly muscular yet lithe form, to his soft golden hair and blue eyes a person could get lost in - Sanji’s a strikingly handsome man, especially now that he’s not spending so much time hunched in on himself and trying to avoid drawing anyone’s attention.

Even his personality meshes well with Zoro’s own. Sanji still has his days when he’s withdrawn and nervous, or when he wants to run and hide because he’s afraid he’s somehow overstepped or done something wrong. Those days are getting fewer and fewer, however, and in their wake they’re leaving behind something starkly different.

As Sanji’s confidence grows, so too does his willingness to say what he’s really thinking, and in doing so he’s unleashed a rather acerbic personality with a quick wit and sharper tongue. He’s got a temper that he’s growing more comfortable in letting flare, and he wears his heart on his sleeve, feeling every emotion tenfold.

At the same time, he’s so, so kind that it’s almost painful. He dotes on the crew, memorizing not only their likes and dislikes when it comes to food, but also borrowing books off Chopper and Robin so he can learn how to tailor each of their diets to their respective needs. Zoro inadvertently finds himself in the best fighting shape of his life because Sanji insists on making sure his body is getting the proper intake of nutrients, and the rest of the crew are the same.

All told, Zoro’s starting to wonder how more people aren’t falling head over heels for the man, and perhaps he should be concerned about exactly that happening. Sanji’s kind of the perfect package as far as he’s concerned, and he figures it’s only a matter of time before people start seeing that.

On the other hand - and Zoro supposes it’s strange that he might consider this a potential saving grace, but at this point he’ll take what he can get - Sanji is also, to put it mildly, deeply fucking weird. Years of imprisonment and abuse have resulted in him having virtually no understanding of social norms, and he doesn’t seem overly interested in learning.

Now that he knows saying what’s on his mind won’t see him be punished, he just does it all the time. Good or bad, rude or not, if he thinks it, he says it. Zoro’s suffered through more plainly stated compliments than he knows what to do with recently, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Perhaps the crew had done it to themselves in the early days of Sanji’s arrival in their midst, but he’s somehow gotten it in his head that if he wants physical affection he should just say so and it’ll be granted. Hell, the more time passes, the less often he bothers to ask, at least where the crew are concerned, such that it’s not uncommon for him to just lean up against someone or wriggle under an arm or curl up in a lap when he’s stressed.

Robin’s one of his favorite people to go to when he wants this, with Chopper and Jinbe being other frequent contenders. None of them, not a single goddamned one of them, however, hold a candle to how often he hangs off Zoro. He’d made the mistake of being more affectionate than he normally is early on when Sanji was still scared of his own shadow, and now has no way to stop without drawing attention to himself.

Walking arm in arm in a crowded marketplace becomes common because Sanji still worries about being accidentally separated from the crew. Being overly touchy feely when they spar somehow becomes routine. Poking and prodding at each other while Sanji’s trying to cook in the galley is essentially a daily occurrence.

And nor does it stop there. If Sanji’s having a bad day, it’s a toss up as to whether it’s Zoro or Robin he’ll go to. Both are typically considered acceptable, but he seems to have a slight preference for the former.

More than once Zoro’s been minding his own business one minute, and been startled to find a distressed Sanji wriggling into his hold the next. A lot of the time the blond doesn’t even say anything, just takes the comfort he’s seeking, confident that Zoro’s going to give it to him.

Naturally, Zoro’s his own worst enemy for constantly letting it happen. Having said that, he’d rather cut open his own throat than turn the other man away, especially when Sanji turns those fathomless blue eyes on him, or throws in a lip wobble for added measure.

Sometimes - okay a lot of the time - he worries that he’s taking advantage, in particular in the wake of his newly discovered feelings. On the other hand, Sanji looks so distraught the one time Zoro tries to shift away from him that he immediately slides back within reach and never does it again.

Zoro holds him, he pets his hair the way he likes, he murmurs haphazard words of comfort that Sanji probably can’t even decipher, all because he can’t help himself. It’s gone beyond the need to protect the crew at this point, leaving him in so far over his head that he doubts there’s a way out now.

More importantly, he doesn’t think he wants one anyway.

*****

“Can’t sleep?”

Usually Sanji senses people coming a mile away when they approach him, but tonight must have him off kilter because he jumps about a foot in the air upon hearing Zoro’s softly spoken question. He then whirls around with one leg raised defensively, a frightened expression crossing his face before recognition dawns.

“Oh. Sorry, Marimo.” He says, once again using the silly nickname he’d picked up from a book on flora and fauna that Zoro suspects Robin had leant him deliberately. “I didn’t hear you coming.”

“No shit,” Zoro replies, eyes him warily and not liking what he sees. Sanji’s tense all over, with his mouth set in a tight line and his hair mussed in the way it only gets when he’s been tugging at in agitation. “What’s up? Can’t sleep?”

Sanji lets out a noise that might charitably be called a laugh, but is more like a verbal grimace. “I can’t imagine whatever gave you that idea,” he says, gesturing at the vast night sky above them.

It’s not an uncommon problem for him to have. He’s been a restless sleeper the whole time he’s been onboard, often being plagued with nightmares pertaining to Germa, and, although he’s come to love the galley and has essentially claimed it as his own, he still doesn’t much like being indoors otherwise.

Back when he’d been staying in the infirmary, this had typically resulted in nights much like the first one, where he’d leave the door wide open and doze in the open doorway until the wee hours of the morning. He’s since moved into the men’s bunkroom, however, and though he likes the company, the cramped space sometimes gets to him.

Which likely explains why he’s here, on what must be an especially bad night because he’s not even trying to go settle down in the galley. Rather, he’s sitting not far from the door, the position having put him in the perfect place for Zoro to nearly trip over him when he’d come down from the crow’s nest in search of a snack.

They stare at each other for a long while, and ultimately Zoro breaks first. “You wanna talk about it?” He asks, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot.

Sanji’s resulting expression indicates that he very much does not want to talk about it, thanks, and also that Zoro should know this.

Sighing, Zoro reverses course on his plan to duck into the galley, and drops down next to the blond instead. Unsurprised when Sanji immediately shuffles over to rest his head on his shoulder, the swordsman takes a deep breath and silently wills his heart rate not to speed up.

“You know I wouldn’t normally say this,” he starts quietly, “but you probably shouldn’t stay out here. Nami said it’s going to rain tonight, a lot, and she’s never wrong about that kind of thing. You should at least head into the galley if you won’t go back to bed.”

“Can’t,” Sanji mumbles. “I tried. It’s not as cramped as the bunkroom, but it just felt really … empty tonight. Neither of them is working, so staying outside felt best.”

Zoro frowns, nudging the top of the other man’s head with his chin. “You’ll get soaked,” he says, confident in Nami’s abilities even if he’d rather die than say so to her face. “And you hate being cold.”

“I really do,” Sanji admits, “but that’s a problem for future me to deal with. Right now this is the best I can manage.”

Letting his head fall back against the wall behind him, Zoro contemplates the issue. “You’ve never been up in the crow’s nest have you?” He says, unsurprised when Sanji shrugs. “D’you want to come up with me? It’s got a lot more space than the bunkroom, plus windows, and I’ll be awake the whole time to keep you company.”

“Really?” Sanji asks hopefully, his voice doing terrible things to Zoro’s insides. “You don’t mind? I wouldn’t want to distract you, or bother you while you’re working.”

Sanji distracts Zoro simply by existing, but there’s no way he can ever tell him that. As for the second part, he shrugs. “All I’m doing is sitting up there and keeping watch, you being there isn’t a bother.”

“Then … okay.” Sanji agrees, fiddling with the hem of Zoro’s t-shirt. “That actually sounds like it might help. Thank you.”

“Nothing to thank me for,” Zoro mutters. “Just let me go grab the snack I was after, and then I’ll bring you up.”

Sanji’s muttered ‘I can do it myself’ follows him into the galley, but the blond nevertheless balks as they approach the mast. Zoro has to coax him up slowly, letting Sanji climb on ahead of him until they’re through the hatch and into the space he largely considers his own.

“Marimo territory,” Sanji giggles suddenly, his thoughts apparently traveling along a similar path. “So this is you in your natural habitat.”

“It’s just a room,” Zoro says, taking a self-conscious bite of the onigiri he’d swiped from the fridge. “S’a good place to store all my training gear, though, and I can kill two birds with one stone by working out and keeping watch at the same time.”

“How practical,” Sanji murmurs. He’s wandered over to the weight racks at this point, and is currently running a finger over one. “I can’t get over how spacious it is. It hardly feels like we’re inside at all, especially with the windows open.”

“Yeah, well, we might have to close a few of those when the rain starts,” Zoro notes. “Depending on the wind direction. Franky’s not going to like it if I ruin the upholstery of one of the benches by letting water in.”

“Still,” Sanji says, raising his arms above his head and stretching languidly. “It’s not even a little bit cramped.”

“Nope,” Zoro agrees, “but I still appreciate the roof up here. The Merry’s crow’s nest didn’t have one, which used to suck during shitty weather.”

“I wish I could’ve met the Merry,” Sanji says in response to this. “Everyone who sailed on her talks about her so fondly, like she was one of the crew.”

“That’s because she was,” Zoro says, swallowing the last few bites of rice ball and sitting down on a bench below an open window. “She carried us all the way from the East Blue to Water 7, and she chose to come save us at Enies Lobby, even though she knew she wouldn’t survive the trip. She was as much a part of the crew as the Sunny is now.”

“Sunny is very special,” Sanji agrees, now running his fingers along the wall as he wanders back towards Zoro. “She’s more my home than Germa ever was.”

“‘Course she is,” Zoro replies, watching him approach. “And she’ll stay that way for as long as you want her to.”

Sanji smiles at this, but rather than say anything, he drops down onto Zoro’s bench, shoving him where he wants him until he’s lying between his splayed legs, with his head pillowed on the swordsman’s chest.

“Are you comfy?” Zoro asks, the last word coming out in a sort of tortured squeak thanks to the unexpected position he’s suddenly found himself in.

If Sanji notices anything amiss, he doesn’t say so. Instead, he squirms around a bit, eventually coming to a stop with a contented sigh once he’s facing the open window.

“Yes,” he says in answer to Zoro’s question. “This is way better than down below.”

“I am not more comfortable than your actual bed,” Zoro informs him. “Not a chance.”

“Are too,” Sanji insists. “Plus, you’re warm and I like when I can feel your heartbeat. It reminds me of when you took me out of Germa, and it makes me feel safe.”

Having Sanji be able to feel his heartbeat is pretty much the last thing in the world Zoro wants right now because he’s positive the traitorous organ must be going insane in his chest. Willing himself to keep calm, Zoro bites back a dozen retorts and concentrates on breathing heavily through his nose.

“Do you think you’re going to be able to sleep like this?” He asks once he thinks he can trust his voice to speak.

“Mmm yeah,” Sanji murmurs, already sounding like he’s halfway to dreamland. “D’finitely.”

Sighing, Zoro, because he’s his own worst enemy, brings a hand up and starts petting his hair. Sanji had once confessed that his mother used to do so when he’d had a bad day as a child, and it usually never fails to make him feel better.

“You’re so fuckin’ spoiled,” Zoro mutters in a poor attempt to save face. “I should dump your ass onto the floor right now.”

“Y’r jus’ sayin’ that cuz y’r ‘mbarrassed,” Sanji mumbles, pressing his face more firmly against Zoro’s chest. “G’night, Mar’mo.”

“Yeah, whatever. Goodnight.” Zoro says, unsurprised to see that Sanji’s breathing has completely evened out. “Fuck, I’m in so far over my head.”

*****
Zoro repeats that sentiment to himself a lot in the coming days, well aware that his feelings for Sanji are growing stronger, not weaker. He’s starting to think that drastic measures might have to be taken to address the issue, but he also has no idea as to what those measures might be.

Spending less time with Sanji isn’t an option. Not only does he not want to do that, but there’s no way Sanji won’t ask him about the change in his behavior. Since that will lead to the very conversation he’s trying so desperately to avoid, Zoro finds himself between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

He tells himself he’s going to have to just soldier on, but that doesn’t stop him from breathing a quiet sigh of relief when they reach a new island. The Sunny has seemed to be growing increasingly small as of late, and even if he spends the whole time on land with Sanji dogging his heels, the change of scenery is still bound to help.

Even better, for once Sanji finds something other than a market to distract himself with. This island is famous for a series of deep sea pools, each of them teaming with dozens of different species of fish, and is apparently a popular tourist destination as a result. Since the log pose is going to need time to set, Nami declares that they should all get their respective chores done first, and then reconvene at one of said pools to have some fun.

Not only does that sound like a good time, but for once it gives Zoro a legitimate excuse for playing babysitter to somebody else. While Robin has more than enough brains in her head to be careful around the water, the same can’t be said for their other three devil fruit users, and Zoro takes on the role of honorary watchdog because somebody has to.

He follows Sanji around the marketplace like usual, accepting packages of food to carry and making sure he stays within sight of the blond. Once that’s done, however, they head to the pools with the rest of the crew, where Zoro plants himself on the rocks to keep an eye on things, while Sanji joins Jinbe in venturing out into the deeper water.

Sanji’s long since confided in the entire crew about his desire to find a mythical ocean, but he’s further explained how that dream and his love of cooking go hand in hand. Having grown up in a waterfaring kingdom, seafood was the one he’d been the most exposed to, and he thinks the creatures located in the All Blue will allow him to prepare any dish he can think of. This has translated to a love of the ocean and water in general, such that Sanji’s probably the strongest swimmer on the crew after their resident fishman.

Even though he’s supposed to be making sure Luffy and the others don’t inadvertently drown, Zoro can’t help but let his attention wander over to Sanji from time to time. The blond is keeping pace with Jinbe, cutting neatly through the water as they swim out to the center of the pool. Once there, he then takes a deep breath and dives down towards the bottom, surfacing about a minute later with a wide grin on his face.

“He told me swimming was essentially the only activity Judge forced him into that he ever enjoyed.”

Having long since gotten used to the way Robin tends to sneak up on people, Zoro doesn’t so much as twitch when her voice is suddenly purring in his ear. Instead, he merely shuffles sideways until there’s enough room for her to join him on the rock he’s occupying.

“Thank you,” she says, claiming the open space for herself.

Zoro grunts, now keeping his attention focused on where Nami is throwing another floatie at Luffy’s head, insisting he add it to the two tubes he’s already wearing because she doesn’t trust him in the water.

“They’re fine,” Robin says, following his gaze with her own. “In fact, I think it’s safe to say that everyone appears to be having a lovely time.”

“Shouldn’t you be keeping Franky company?” Zoro asks. The last time he’d seen the cyborg he was with Brook, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t prefer to spend time with his partner instead. “I know he’s around here somewhere.”

“Franky’s fine,” she replies. “Honestly, everyone seems to be at the moment. For instance, look how happy Sanji is.”

Sighing, Zoro obediently turns to look back at the center of the pool, unsurprised to find that Sanji and Jinbe are enthusiastically talking about something they’d seen down below while they tread water to stay in place.

“He’s having fun,” the swordsman agrees. “You’re right, he loves to swim.”

“Indeed, apparently he was better able to keep up with his siblings in the water, albeit not to the King’s expectations, I’m sure. Still,” Robin muses, “it’s nice that he can find enjoyment in certain activities.”

“Do you maybe want to tell me where you’re going with this?” Zoro asks, unsurprised when she gives him a cryptic smile that tells him she has no desire to do anything of the sort. “Yeah, that’s about what I expected.”

“I just think it’s nice that he seems so happy in general,” she says finally. “After everything he’s been through, it’s good to see him coming out of his shell - or perhaps finding himself, as it were.”

“Are you expecting me to disagree with that?” Zoro wonders. “Because I’m not gonna. Curls is coming into his own, and I think that’s great.”

“Good,” Robin says with another of those cryptic smiles. “I’m very pleased to hear that.”

A few minutes tick by as Zoro waits for her to say something else, but it’s to no avail. Pulling a book from the bag she has slung over her shoulder, Robin buries her face in its pages, effectively bringing their conversation to a halt and leaving him sitting there feeling unsettled.

*****
Zoro does his best to put the conversation with Robin out of his mind because trying to figure out her underlying meanings never ends well for anyone. Down that way lies madness, and possibly soft tissue damage.

Besides, after they’ve spent a few hours enjoying themselves in the pools, he soon finds he has bigger problems on his hands. It turns out Sanji had overheard at the market that this island has a great nightlife, and he’s decided he wants to experience it.

“I’m sorry, what?” Zoro says, certain he must have misheard the other man. “Did you just say you want to go to a bar?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Sanji asks, meeting Zoro’s confused frown with one of his own. “You go to bars all the time when we dock. So do most of the others. Why can’t I?”

Zoro blinks at him, trying to figure out how to respond to this question he doesn’t know the answer to in a way that isn’t likely to get him kicked. “You don’t like crowds,” is what he finally settles on. “Or loud noises. Or dirt. A lot of times all those things and bars tend to go hand in hand.”

“You don’t like some of those things either,” Sanji counters. “But you still go.”

“To get drunk,” Zoro stresses, not exactly proud of that fact under the circumstances. “That won’t be any fun for you either.”

“How do you know?” Sanji asks. “I’ve never been drunk before.”

Which is actually impressive given the way Luffy likes to throw feasts at random on the Sunny, Zoro realizes. However, it’s also not the point, and this conversation is starting to get away from him.

“So are you saying you want me to take you to a bar?” He asks, doing his best to steer it back to the original topic at hand.

“Well, anyone who wants to can come,” Sanji says. “I just figured I’d ask you first because I know you like them.”

“So, what do you think?” He asks, turning pleading eyes on Zoro. “Can we go?”

What Zoro thinks is that he needs to find a way to somehow say no to this man before he winds up being the death of him. Unfortunately, today doesn’t appear to be the day he succeeds. Huffing, he nods his head in acquiescence. “Yeah, we can go,” he says. “And so can anyone else who feels like coming.”

“Great,” Sanji beams at him. “I’ll check and see if any of the others are interested. I’m sure some of them will be.”

Zoro figures as much as well, and is therefore surprised when Sanji’s summarily turned down by every other member of the crew. Some of them seem to have valid reasons, but others not so much, which causes Zoro no small amount of suspicion.

“You’ll still come with me, though, right?” Sanji asks, giving Zoro a beseeching look when he announces it’ll be just the two of them. “I don’t want to go by myself.”

“I said I would, didn’t I?” Zoro reminds him, already thinking of his best way to weasel money out of Nami so that they can find some place better than his usual type of haunts. “You know I’m a man of my word.”

“Yeah.” Sanji says happily, which is why, several hours later, they find themselves seated at a small table in a pub best described as ‘respectable-ish’. It’s far from the worst location Zoro’s ever frequented, but he wishes some of the better places hadn’t been full.

Thankfully, Sanji seems perfectly fine with where they’ve ended up. He’s made his way steadily through a plate of assorted pub foods, having opted to sample a few different appetizers, while also nursing a tankard of ale.

Zoro watches that second option carefully, since Sanji really never has been drunk before, and, in fact, has only had the occasional sip of wine with supper since joining the crew. If he wants to change that tonight, that’s fine, but it doesn’t mean Zoro isn’t going to keep an eye out to make sure nothing untoward happens.

“You’re staring at me again,” Sanji notes, startling Zoro out of his current reverie by jabbing a fork in his direction. “What’s the matter, Marimo, have I got something on my face?”

“Your face is fine,” Zoro mutters. “I was just wondering whether or not your first taste of real booze is going to knock you on your ass.”

In answer, Sanji takes a swig from the mug by his side. It’s not his first sip to date, but the glass is still more than half full. “It’s not bad,” he says as he sets the mug back on the table, “and I’m not feeling any different.”

“Yet,” Zoro stresses, knocking back half of his own glass in a single gulp. It’s not very strong, he doesn’t think, but his own tolerance isn’t exactly the best baseline. “Just pace yourself if you’re going to drink. Hangovers fucking suck.”

“Yes, yes, Chopper said to make sure I have lots of water too,” Sanji says dismissively. “He also said I should try and make you do the same, but added that you never listen to that advice.”

“Chopper needs to watch his mouth,” Zoro grumbles. “Otherwise one of these days I’m going to turn him into a fur coat.”

“You wouldn’t hurt Chopper if your life depended on it,” Sanji says, rolling his eyes. “You couldn’t. Big Bad Marimo’s all soft on the inside when it comes to his crew, and everybody knows it.”

“I am not,” Zoro protests, which just makes Sanji roll his eyes harder.

“Sure you’re not,” he says. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“God, you’re getting bratty,” Zoro groans, bringing his hands up to rub at his temples. “I think I liked you better when you were too scared to open your mouth.”

Rather than be offended by this, Sanji smirks. “No, you didn’t,” he says confidently. “You like that I argue with you. I’m sure of it.”

Zoro snorts. “You better hope I do,” he says as Sanji’s grin widens. “Seeing as you’re doing it all the time now.”

“What can I say?” Sanji shrugs. “I spent years thinking snide comments in my head whenever Judge or the idiot trio would do or say something that deserved it. Feels good to be able to let them out.”

“I’m so happy I can be of service,” Zoro says dryly. “Congrats on letting your inner bastard become your outer one.”

“Thank you, thank you. I’m rather proud of it myself.” Sanji says, swallowing another forkful of whatever it is he’s eating now. Something fried, Zoro can tell that much. “I also kind of have to go to the bathroom, though. Did you see one when we came in?”

“It’s back that way,” Zoro says, gesturing past the main bar and out of sight. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“I can go by myself, Mossy,” Sanji replies, despite the fact that they both know he gets uneasy when none of the crew are within sight for too long. “I’m a big boy.”

“Was only offering,” Zoro says, not wanting to step on his toes. “Trust me, I’m good to stay here otherwise.”

“Just make sure you actually stay here,” Sanji says as he moves to stand up. “I’m not going to be very happy if you wander away and get lost on me.”

“Asshole,” Zoro mutters, rolling his good eye when Sanji flicks him in the forehead on his way by. “Just for that, maybe I should take off.”

“I’ll tell Nami if you do,” Sanji singsongs, fading into the crowd with a jaunty wave. “And then she can deal with you.”

Zoro watches him go until he’s out of sight, and then continues to remain twisted around in his chair so he can eyeball the direction the man had vanished in. He’s not expecting trouble per se, but he’s a firm believer in being better safe than sorry.

A few minutes tick by, and then a few more. Eventually, they pass a long enough stretch of time that Sanji should be back by now, even if there was a lineup, and Zoro feels the skin between his shoulders start to prickle. Standing abruptly, he rests his arm over the swords that are still strapped to his hip, and strides off after the cook.

He finds him just off the short hallway that leads to the restrooms, talking to a tall man who seems to be trying to use his height advantage to block the blond in. Sanji seems more confused than alarmed by what’s happening, but Zoro takes one look at the leer on the stranger’s face and feels his blood start to boil.

His right hand dropping down to curl around Enma’s hilt, he stomps forward until Sanji catches sight of him, suspecting that his expression must be a sight to behold based on the way the blond’s visible eye widens.

“Sorry, Marimo.” He says sheepishly once Zoro’s within earshot. “I must have lost track of time. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“You didn’t do anything,” Zoro says, his eye cutting over to the newcomer. He’s handsome in a bland sort of way, he supposes, but the way his lip is curling over having been interrupted is detracting from that. “Who’s your friend, Curls?”

“Uh, we didn’t actually get so far as to exchange names,” Sanji says, and then adds somewhat apologetically. “I was trying to get back to our table.”

Only to run into someone who doesn’t look overly keen on the idea of taking no for an answer, Zoro thinks, eyeing the newcomer warily. He’s got the cocky stance of a man who’s used to getting what he wants, his entire countenance practically screaming the word ‘bully’ as far as possible.

“We should be getting back to the ship.” Zoro says, and although the words are spoken for Sanji’s benefit, his gaze never leaves the other man. “It’s getting late.”

“It’s not that late,” the stranger drawls in a voice that instantly makes Zoro’s jaw clench. “Besides, I’m sure your friend here can speak for himself.”

“Of course he can,” Zoro agrees. “Curls, are you ready to head out?”

“If you like,” Sanji says, his eyes flicking back and forth between Zoro and the stranger. “My jacket’s back at our table, though.”

“We’ll grab it on our way by,” Zoro says, taking a careful step back. “Let’s go.”

*****
They’ve barely cleared the exit of the bar before Sanji’s mouth is opening on a question. “What the hell was that?”

Surprised by even the mild profanity - Sanji’s been experimenting with such language more and more recently, but he still doesn’t use it often - Zoro quirks an eyebrow at him. “What was what?” He asks, refusing to break stride as he moves further away from the building.

“What was that?” Sanji repeats, gesturing back at the bar before they round a street corner and it disappears out of sight. “Why did you want to leave so suddenly? Did you know that guy?”

“Never seen him before in my life, and hopefully I won’t again,” Zoro replies. “He was hitting on you, and he was going to cause a scene if it didn’t go the way he wanted it to.”

“Hitting on me?” Sanji echoes, sounding confused, and it occurs to Zoro that he might not be familiar with the term.

“It means - ” He starts, only for Sanji to cut him off with a choppy wave of his hand.

“I know what it means,” he says impatiently. “Robin and Chopper explained sex to me. Well, Chopper explained the purpose behind it, and Robin explained all the practical stuff afterwards. Why do you think he was hitting on me?”

“Because I may only have one eye, but it works fine,” Zoro says. “What do you mean, Robin explained all the practical stuff to you?”

“I mean, like, about how to do it, and how to be safe and all that,” Sanji clarifies. “She said it’s supposed to be fun, first and foremost, and not to let anyone talk you into something you don’t want to do. She even explained preferences and that kind of thing.”

“Preferences?”

“Yeah,” Sanji says, looking at him like he’s an idiot. “Like how lots of men prefer women, but others prefer men, and still others prefer both. She said people can come up with all different kinds of arrangements, and as long as everyone’s old enough and can agree, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I mean, sure?” Zoro says, completely at a loss as to how this conversation has gone sideways on him so fast. “She’s right.”

“Robin’s always right,” Sanji says with an air of certainty that Zoro can’t really disagree with. “She said I should know what my options are in case I ever want to pursue something, you know, romantically with someone.”

“My mother used to read me stories when I was a kid,” he continues on, while Zoro’s still trying to process that. “Obviously there wasn’t any sex in them at that age, but usually they involved people falling in love at some point, which I always thought sounded nice.”

Of course he did, Zoro thinks, completely unsurprised by this revelation. Sanji is exactly the kind of person who would love the idea of a fairytale ending, regardless of how the world has done its best to convince him such things don’t exist.

“Well, good for Robin.” He says lamely when he realizes Sanji’s now staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to contribute to the discussion. “That was … smart of her to think of how someone should probably talk to you about that kind of stuff.”

“I guess,” Sanji replies. “Maybe I didn’t do a great job of listening to her, though, because I still have no idea what makes you think that guy was attracted to me.”

“I told you, I could just tell,” Zoro reiterates. “It was in his expression, his body language, whatever. Once you see it enough times, you’re able to recognize it.”

Sanji scowls. “That’s such a cop out answer,” he declares, kicking at the ground as they walk. “Maybe I should go back there and ask him to explain himself. I’m kidding,” he adds, rolling his eyes when Zoro chokes. “Obviously the moment’s past.”

Zoro chokes again. “Were you actually interested in him?!”

“Please,” Sanji scoffs, and if he notices anything amiss with Zoro’s reaction, he doesn’t say so. “I didn’t realize there was anything to consider, but even if I had, he was a complete stranger. Why would I be interested in that?”

“It’s called a one night stand,” Zoro says before he can stop himself. “Sometimes it’s a good way to scratch an itch.”

“If you say so,” Sanji replies, wrinkling his nose. “Me, I think I’d need more than a few minutes of chatting in a bar before I’d let that happen.”

“Good.” Zoro says, again because he’s an idiot. “I just mean - don’t get yourself wrapped up in something if it’s not what you want. You deserve better than that.”

“Robin said so too,” Sanji confirms. “Well, more or less.”

Robin had apparently said a lot of things it seemed, and while Zoro technically can’t fault her for the initiative, he could’ve done without the multiple consecutive heart attacks tonight has given him. “Just - just keep it in mind,” he says, unsure of what else to add.

They walk in silence for a little while after that, until Sanji clears his throat in a way that Zoro somehow knows is going to result in him getting a headache.

“What is it?” He asks against his better judgment.

Sanji’s glances at the ground, apparently fascinated with something down there all of a sudden. “Do you have a preference?” He asks, and yep, there’s that headache arriving right on schedule, along with yet another heart attack it looks like. “I asked Robin, about all the crew, not just you, but she said it’s not her place to talk about anyone but herself. Although, I know she and Franky are together, so I guess that says a bit about him too.”

“Your guess where Franky is concerned is as good as mine,” Zoro says. “I don’t pretend to understand how he and Robin work. All I know is that they do.”

“I didn’t ask you about Franky,” Sanji says, giving him a confused look. “I asked you about you. Although, I guess you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he’s quick to add, his face flushing with embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“You didn’t. It’s fine. It’s not a secret.” Zoro says in a rush. “Men. I like men. Only men. I don’t sleep with women.”

“Huh,” Sanji says. “Then were you interested in that guy in the bar?”

“Absolutely not,” Zoro hisses, honestly impressed with the number of curveballs Sanji’s thrown at him in the span of roughly ten minutes. “He looked like an asshole.”

“Oh well now that’s rude,” says a voice from out of the shadows, and when Zoro turns it’s to find that said asshole from the bar appears to have followed them, and he’s brought friends. A lot of friends. By his count there’s at least a dozen men coming into view, and it wouldn’t surprise him if there were more still hiding under the cover of darkness.

Unfortunately for them, sheer numbers aren’t enough to make up for the level of danger Zoro himself represents. Giving the leader an unimpressed glance, he rolls his eye and lets his right hand hover above his swords.

“Can we help you?” He asks, mindful of the fact that he’s got Sanji with him, and is therefore going to have his attention divided.

The leader grins. It’s as unpleasant here as it had been back in the bar. “You can be on your merry way,” he says snidely. “But I wasn’t done talking to your pretty friend there.”

“Actually, I don’t think I have anything else to say to you,” Sanji says with surprising dismissiveness. “Sorry if you feel like I wasted your time.”

The man’s expression sours momentarily, but shifts into a smirk almost as quickly. “Funny thing that,” he says, pulling a cutlass from his belt and gesturing back and forth with it. “By my count there’s two of you and an awful lot more of us. I figure maybe that means it’s not you who gets to say when the conversation’s over.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Zoro says, exasperated. “Look, at the risk of sounding like an utter twerp, do you have any idea who I am? Because I guarantee you if you stick your head into any bounty hunting or marine office on this island, you’re gonna figure it out pretty quickly.”

All this does is earn him a bemused huff while the leader comes a couple of steps closer. “In that case, then maybe you’d better stick around too. We can always deliver your head to one of those offices once we’re done with pretty boy there.”

Abruptly no longer caring about ending this civilly, Zoro smiles in a way that makes a number of the assorted men shuffle backwards. “I’m going to kill you for that one, buddy,” he says dangerously. “You keep your filthy fucking hands away from him.”

“I can tell him that myself, Mossy.” Sanji says, and his tone is scathing as he moves forward until he and Zoro are standing shoulder to shoulder. “Which I’m going to do because the more I hear him talk, the less impressed I’m getting.”

“Damn,” the leader whistles. “Wasn’t expecting him to be a little spitfire on top of everything else, but I can work with that. Boys,” he adds, nodding to his assembled crew. “Get ‘em.”

“Stay behind me - ” Zoro starts, only to have Sanji kick him lightly in the ankle before shifting into one of his preferred fighting stances.

“I don’t think so,” he says, bracing his legs in a way that means business. “I’ve been telling you for months now. I refuse to be a liability to this crew.”

There’s no time for further protests. The assorted enemies are on them, and it’s either defend themselves or meet a frankly embarrassing ending. Refusing to let that happen, Zoro pulls both Kitetsu and Enma free, and then gives a mental to hell with it before clamping Wado between his teeth.

He hears several gratifyingly shocked exclamations as the thugs realize exactly what they’ve gotten themselves into, but the damage is done. They’re in the thick of a fight now, and Zoro finds himself standing back to back with Sanji as their opponents become more frantic, not less.

What happens next is so unexpected he’s not entirely sure he isn’t dreaming. It’s only the fact that he and Sanji have sparred to get her enough times by this point, always moving in sync with each other, that the way they’re suddenly moving as one is believable.

They match each other move for move. When Zoro ducks to avoid a hit, there’s Sanji sweeping in with a kick. When Sanji has to slip backwards to avoid a slash with a sword, there’s Zoro coming in with one of his own. Their opponents are reduced to groaning messes within a matter of minutes, and neither of them have so much as broken a sweat.

“That was … ” Sanji starts.

“I know,” Zoro says because he does. “Fuck, why the hell couldn’t we have found you back at the beginning? Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for the right person to help me defend our insane crew? To fight back to back with me like this?”

It’s dark out, but there’s enough light coming from the nearby street lamps to see the way Sanji’s face goes pink at his words. “I - none of these men were very strong,” he mumbles, tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear. Of note, it’s the only one that had gotten knocked out of place during the fight. “I’m sure you’d prefer to have someone else with you if you were facing a real challenge.”

Zoro glances around at their swath of fallen opponents, as many of them having been taken out by precision kicks as were by swipes of his blades. “No,” he says after a few moments of careful consideration. “I don’t think that’s true.”

Sanji looks down at his feet, refusing to meet Zoro’s eye. “You’re sweet, Marimo,” he mumbles, and doesn’t say anything else when they leave the fallen men where they are in favor of returning to the Sunny.

*****
Normally when Zoro gets into a scuffle on an island that no one else is present for, he does his best to keep that detail to himself. It doesn’t always work - in fact it rarely does - but it’s preferable to some of the crew’s reactions if he can swing it.

That’s not an option tonight, however. Even though Sanji seems fine, Zoro would never forgive himself if it turned out the man was keeping quiet about a possible injury, and if he’s going to tell the others about Sanji, then he has to come clean as well.

Predictably, Chopper starts flailing as soon as they mention having been in a fight. No amount of assurances that they’re both fine are enough to sway him, which is how they both find themselves in the infirmary with first Sanji and then Zoro being given thorough examinations.

“I told you we were fine,” Zoro grumbles as soon as the reindeer finishes putting the last of his tools away. “You’d have saved yourself a bunch of time and effort if you’d listened to me from the start.”

Chopper gives him a flat stare. “You know, I’d love to be able to do that, I really would,” he says heavily, “but this crew is notorious for downplaying the severity of their injuries, and you, Zoro, are the worst of the lot. Most of us have nightmares about Thriller Bark because it was a traumatic experience, whereas I have them because the image of you ripping all your bandages off after Kuma nearly killed you never fully leaves my mind.”

“I couldn’t breathe!” Zoro insists, the same way he always does. “How was I supposed to heal if I couldn’t breathe?”

“You see what I have to put up with?” Chopper sighs, switching his attention to Sanji. “Don’t be like him. If you get hurt, tell me so I can try and help you.”

“It’s a deal,” Sanji says, although judging by Chopper’s skeptical expression, it’s clear he doesn’t believe him. “I really am fine this time, though. No one even laid a hand on me.”

“That’s good,” Chopper says, clearly deciding to pick his battles tonight. “But what in the world even started the fight?”

“Cook caught the eye of someone in the bar we went to,” Zoro says, still angry about the nerve of the thug. “Fucker didn’t want to take no for an answer.”

Chopper grimaces. “Did you teach him a lesson?”

“Of course.”

“Good,” Chopper says. “You know I try to only use violence as a last resort, but sometimes it can’t be helped.”

“That’s what I keep telling you.” Zoro says with a grin, snickering when Chopper responds to this by chasing him out of the infirmary.

“Oi, Moss, wait for me!” Rather than allow himself to be left behind, Sanji trots after Zoro, equally keen on escaping Chopper’s clutches. “I’m not hurt either, so there’s no reason for me to be taking up space in here.”

“You heading to the galley then?” Zoro asks as they both step out onto the deck.

“No,” Sanji shakes his head. “I finished tomorrow’s meal prep and tidied everything up before we left. There’s nothing left I need to do in there tonight.”

“You were thinking ahead,” Zoro notes. “Sorry the evening kind of went sideways on us the way it did. That probably wasn’t the greatest first experience you could have had with going to a bar.”

“I still had fun,” Sanji says in that blunt way he sometimes uses. “Thanks for taking me. And … thanks for, you know, what you did to that man for saying all those disgusting things.”

“Don’t mention it,” Zoro says uncomfortably. “He had no right to talk to you like that, and he definitely shouldn’t have come onto you the way he did. Don’t just sit back and let people do that to you, okay? They’ll take advantage if you do.”

“I didn’t even know what he wanted until you told me,” Sanji reminds him. “For obvious reasons nobody ever flirted with me in Germa, so it’s not like I know how to recognize it. Or how to reciprocate.”

The thought of Sanji reciprocating to anyone’s romantic advances makes something short circuit in Zoro’s brain, such that he almost misses the rest of what the other man is saying.

“ … should probably figure out how, though, or maybe I can learn how to initiate it. I don’t know. What do you think, Marimo?”

“I - ” Zoro stutters. “Is that something you want to learn how to do? I mean, there’s no need to rush into anything, right? What about all that stuff you were saying earlier about figuring out preferences, or whatever?”

Sanji blinks at him. “Both,” he says nonsensically.

“Come again?”

“I think I like both,” Sanji clarifies. “Men and women, I mean. Maybe women a little more because they always seem to be so nice, but I think a man could be good too.”

“You - uh, good. That’s good.” Zoro says weakly. “Glad to hear you’re figuring that stuff out for yourself. Just - don’t date assholes like that guy from earlier, I guess.”

“I wasn’t planning on it?” Sanji says, clearly confused.

“Good,” Zoro says for what feels like the umpteenth time already. “Anyway, I’ve got the watch tonight and it’s getting late, so I should get up there.”

“Do you want me to bring you a snack?”

“Nah, I’m good.” Zoro says, waving the suggestion off in a rush thanks to a sudden need to put some space between himself and the other man. Any longer down here and he might do something terrible, like offer to show him what a real romantic relationship could look like. “Don’t go dirtying your kitchen on my account.”

“If you’re sure.” Sanji says, a slight frown maring his features. “Goodnight then.”

“G’night,” Zoro replies, and then flees to the relative safety of the crow’s nest.

*****
Zoro does his best to keep from acting any different around Sanji after that, confident the other man will notice if there’s a change in his behavior and demand an explanation. Sanji’s naturally inquisitive by nature, and also cautious if he gets it into his head that he’s done something wrong.

Therefore wanting to avoid any such conversations, Zoro goes about his days much the same way he always does. He and Sanji spend a lot of time together on the ship, they train together, and they roam new islands as a pair. Part of Zoro feels like he’s taking advantage somehow, but he also maintains that the alternative would be worse.

If the crew notice anything, they thankfully keep it to themselves. No one seems to think there’s anything strange with the relationship between the swordsman and the cook - if anything, they find it convenient because Sanji’s presence tends to keep Zoro from getting lost when they visit new places.

Zoro’s rolled his eye more than once upon hearing jokes to that effect, informing his so-called friends that his sense of direction is fine, thank you very much. Still, he doesn’t protest whenever he finds Sanji eagerly waiting for him so they can explore a new locale.

Today they’re doing just that. They’ve already made the grocery run, safely stowing all the food away in the proper nooks and crannies onboard the Sunny, and now they’re free to spend the evening however they please. Given that this most recent island is considerably bigger than the ones they normally stop at, it’s safe to assume there’s plenty to see.

They wander around the inner city for a couple of hours, poking their noses into shops that catch their eye, and sampling the odd bit of food they come across. Eventually, however, Sanji decides they’re in need of a proper meal, so they go in search of a place they can sit down in.

A few casual inquiries direct them towards a seedier side of town where men and women of their ilk are more likely to frequent. Once there, they essentially stumble over a pub that’s purported to prepare a decent meal, and make their way inside.

Almost immediately, Zoro notices two things. First, that the crowd in here is definitely more rough and tumble than the ones they’ve seen elsewhere - albeit nothing they can’t handle, and second, that there are a number of pleasant aromas emanating from the kitchen which suggest this place’s reputation is deserved.

“What do you think?” He asks, turning to Sanji. “Do you want to grab a table, or - ”

“Oi, Zoro! Sanji! Over here!”

Not expecting to find anyone calling their names in a strange place, the pair of them turn in the direction of the voice, quickly finding none other than their captain waving avidly at them from where he appears to be standing on a chair to better see them over the crowd.

“That man,” Sanji sighs, “is … ”

“You don’t have to say it,” Zoro assures him. “But I hope you realize he’s never going to change.”

“Of that much I’ve been confident since the beginning,” Sanji confirms. “Now come on, let’s go see him before he makes even more of a scene than he already has.”

Since that’s decidedly possible, Zoro starts making his way through the crowded room. He also flaps a hand at Luffy to show that they’re on their way, hoping that’ll make him sit down and stop drawing attention to himself.

Either his attempt works, or whoever Luffy’s with yanks him down to sit like a normal person. Whichever it is, the captain vanishes downwards as they make their way towards them, his frantic waving ceasing at the same time.

If he’d been asked beforehand, Zoro would have assumed that Luffy was dining with some or all of the rest of their crew. He’s therefore surprised when he pushes through the last of the crowd, and comes face to face with Luffy, who grins.

“Zoro! Look who I found!” He exclaims, nearly smacking the ever present goggles off Eustass Kid’s head as he gestures wildly behind him. “We’re having a reunion.”

“Motherfuck,” Zoro says, watching as Kid’s eyes narrow dangerously.

For once, the muscular redhead doesn’t immediately start a fight in the face of some perceived insult. Instead, he settles for adjusting his goggles back into place, and leans back in his seat. Meanwhile, next to him, Killer’s face is impassive as ever thanks to the fact that he’s got his mask on as usual.

Stumbling over the Kid Pirates on some random island is unlikely enough, but Zoro’s eye widens further when it lands on the fourth, and last person seated at the table. Looking as perpetually annoyed as always, Trafalgar Law meets Zoro’s stare with one of his own, before returning his attention to the drink in front of him.

“Roronoa-ya.” He says simply, this greeting the best Zoro’s likely to get.

“Law,” Zoro acknowledges with a nod. “What the hell are all of you doing here?”

“The same as you lot,” Kid grumbles out in that harsh voice of his. As Zoro watches, he grabs a handful of fish and chips from a basket in front of him, shoving them into his mouth before he speaks some more. “Resupplying so we can get on our way again.”

“The Punk took some damage on the way out of Wano.” Killer notes, and it’s hard to tell thanks to the mask, but Zoro gets the sense that he’s rolling his eyes at his captain. “We patched her up as best as we could, but there are materials here to let us do a better job.”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t have jumped the poor ship over a raging waterfall.” Law suggests, as if he hadn’t done the exact same thing with that damnable submarine of his. “That’s just a thought, though.”

“Torao, Jaggy. No fighting you two,” Luffy says sternly when Kid bristles. “We haven’t seen each other in ages, and I want to catch up.”

“It’s hardly been ages,” Law huffs, rolling his eyes. “Honestly, Strawhat, with the amount of time I spent stuck on your ship, I’d have thought you’d be sick of me by now.”

“That’s not how he works, and you know it,” Zoro says, striding forward to grab a chair. He leaves the one between himself and Luffy free, unsurprised when Sanji prefers to settle down next to the people he knows, rather than sit anywhere else.

“Who’s your friend, Roronoa?” Kid asks, nodding at the blond. “He’s new.”

“That’s Sanji,” Luffy says, as if he hadn’t shouted the man’s name loud enough for the entire bar to hear all of three minutes ago. “He’s my cook.”

“Then he has my sympathies,” Law says slowly, blinking his strange, golden eyes. “I can’t imagine voluntarily trying to keep the gaping maw you call a stomach full on a regular basis. The man’s clearly a saint.”

“Sanji’s the best,” Luffy agrees, while Sanji wriggles uncomfortably in his seat. “You should try his food. You won’t taste anything better.”

“Luffy,” Sanji hisses, clearly embarrassed. “I’m sure - Law was it? - has better things to do with his time.”

“Undoubtedly,” Law replies, giving Zoro a strong urge to kick him under the table. Almost as if he can sense this, the Surgeon of Death turns his attention to him, flicking those same eyes over him before smirking. “You’re looking well, Roronoa-ya,” he says. “Certainly much better than the last time I saw you.”

“Considering who I’d been fighting the last time you saw me, I figure that’s a given,” Zoro replies.

“Fair enough,” Law says, taking another sip of his drink.

A waitress comes around not long after that to ask Zoro and Sanji if they want anything. Sanji seems oddly distracted, however, so Zoro finds himself ordering for both of them, all while watching the other man out of the corner of his eye.

It takes him a little while to put his finger on it, but eventually it dawns on him what’s caught Sanji’s attention. Although the blond seems largely indifferent to Kid and Killer, he’s watching Law with a sort of rapt fascination that sets something roiling in Zoro’s stomach. He’s actually considering suggesting that they call it a night, when the doctor himself takes matters into his own hands.

“I’m sorry,” he says, catching Sanji’s eye with a snap of his tattooed fingers, “but do I have something on my face? Because you keep staring at me, and I’m finding it somewhat rude.”

“Sorry,” Sanji squeaks, flushing all the way to the roots of his hair. “It’s just … ” He bites his bottom lip nervously for a second, before screwing up his face and muttering something in a language Zoro doesn’t recognize.

Law’s eyes widen in surprise, but then he says something back in the same language. Whatever it is makes Sanji laugh in relief, some of the pink fading from his cheeks as he nods.

Across the table, Kid snorts. “Got yourself a North Blue boy, eh, Strawhat?” He asks, nodding at the ongoing exchange. “Careful, the last time I teamed up with one of those, he helped betray me to Kaido, and then Killer had to kill the stupid fucker.”

Law sighs. “If you want to be technical, Eustass-ya, Hawkins isn’t the last person from the North you allied yourself with, I am. Also, anyone with a half a functioning brain could have told you not to trust that tarot card reading imbecile. Him or Apoo for that matter.”

“Tch!” Kid grumps, crossing his arms over his chest in a huff despite the relative size difference of the mechanical one and the regular one. “At least Hawkins got what he deserved in the end. Apoo’s still out there, though.”

“Yes, the man does have a knack for surviving things he has no right to,” Law agrees. “Also, he’s annoying.”

“Torao, you call everyone you meet annoying,” Luffy laughs. “You don’t mean it though.”

“I can assure you, I do.”

Rolling his eye at the lot of them, Zoro nudges Sanji with his elbow. “How’s the food?” He asks once the other man’s attention is on him. “Decent?”

“Yeah, it’s good,” Sanji says, glancing back at Law for a moment. “Sorry, I guess I’m a little distracted. I haven’t run into someone with an accent I recognized since. Well. You know.”

Since Zoro had busted him out of the damned cell, no doubt. Unsure of what to say, the swordsman shrugs helplessly, and turns back to the table’s conversation.

“ … not the first we’ve heard about someone from the North around here, actually,” Killer’s currently advising. “Rumour has it there’s an entire fleet from a kingdom full of northern assassins traveling the Grand Line right now. Though your guess as to why they’re here is as good as anybody’s.”

“You mean Germa,” Luffy says, his eyes going dark. “We already ran into them a few months ago. They’re not nice people.”

“That’s an understatement.” Law lets out a laugh containing no humour whatsoever. “Germa was infamous for terrorizing nearby countries when I was growing up. They’re a nightmare organization.”

“We know,” Zoro confirms. “But we already sent them packing once, and we’ll do it again if need be.”

“If that’s something you’re after, you might just get your wish,” Kid muses. “When Killer says they’re supposedly around, he means it. The way we heard it they’re maybe looking for the dregs of the Big Mom Pirates. Apparently the crazy old bat was considering an alliance with them before she ran into Trafalgar and I in Wano.”

“No, that’s why they were out here to begin with,” Killer corrects. “From what I heard since, they’re looking for someone else now, and whoever it is has really pissed them off.”

Even though they’re not touching, Zoro can feel it when Sanji stiffens next to him. Doing his best not to telegraph the motion, he shifts his leg under the table until he can hook his ankle around the other man’s in a silent attempt to provide some modicum of comfort.

Sanji shoots him a knowing look out of the corner of his eye, but there’s no mistaking the way his posture relaxes at the touch. Content to stay this way for the remainder of their meal, Zoro looks away and does his best to tune back into the conversation.

*****
Sanji disappears not long after they return to the Sunny. Zoro tells himself to try and think nothing of it, that the man probably just wants a little space to himself, but he can’t help but be concerned. Mentions of Germa don’t tend to go over well, and the news that the bastards may be nearby is bound to cause some stress.

Still, pressing Sanji for information never tends to work well. He’s more likely to clam up than he is to cooperate, so it’s better to let him come to you when he’s ready. Determined to do exactly that, Zoro therefore gets ready to settle in for the night, and then heads for the crow’s nest.

“What’re you doing up here?”

Without bothering to look away from the open window he’s seated in front of, Sanji shrugs as best as he’s able with his legs tucked up to his chest and his chin pillowed on his knees. The motion causes his shoulders to flex, and Zoro absently notices that he’s bundled himself up in his favorite wave-patterned hoodie despite the heat.

Sighing, Zoro pads over to the bench and drops down into the space behind the other man. “Couldn’t sleep?” He asks, nudging him with an elbow.

“Didn’t try,” Sanji mumbles, his voice thick. “I figured that even if I managed to drift off, I wouldn’t like what was waiting for me. Do you mind if I stay?”

“You know I don’t,” Zoro replies.

Sanji’s quiet for a moment, and when he speaks again, his words are hesitant. “Do you also mind if … ”

Knowing what he’s after, Zoro doesn’t bother waiting for him to finish his sentence. Drawing his own legs up onto the bench, he hooks his arms around Sanji’s waist, hauling him into his lap the way he wants.

“That better?” He asks, resting his chin on top of Sanji’s head.

“ … yeah.” Sanji admits, sounding embarrassed. “I know it’s stupid, and probably annoying, but - ”

“Shut up,” Zoro says, digging his chin into the other man’s scalp a little more pointedly. “It’s not stupid, and you know I don’t mind.”

“Mmm,” Sanji hums noncommittally. “Do you think we’re going to run into Germa soon?”

“Your guess is definitely better than mine,” Zoro replies. “There’s no guarantee it’s us Judge is looking for.”

“Oh no, there is,” Sanji says with the most confidence he’s expressed since Zoro had found him up here. “I may hate the man, but I still know how he works. Like I’ve been warning you all from the beginning, he won’t be able to live with the fact that I’m free or that the rest of you know I exist. He’s going to try and kill you.”

“Try being the operative word, as Robin would say,” Zoro stresses. “We’re not the defenseless civilians Judge likes to set his sights on. If he comes for us, we’ll make him regret it.”

“You dealt with one ship the last time,” Sanji notes. “There could be dozens, even hundreds, if he catches up to us with the entire fleet intact.”

“We’ve faced odds like that before,” Zoro says, thinking back on some of the Strawhats’ previous battles. “There’s a reason we’re one of the most feared crews on the Grand Line these days. I know you see Luffy as the idiot you have to chase out of the kitchen every other hour, but his reputation for the rest of the world is deserved.”

“Judge won’t care. He’s cocky enough to believe that Germa can crush anything in its path. Especially once he adds my siblings into the mix.”

“Your brothers are strong,” Zoro acknowledges, remembering the brief glimpse he’d gotten of the trio’s capabilities while getting Sanji out of that hellhole. “They never got a chance to really try us, though. It won’t go well for them if they do.”

Sanji shifts in his hold, turning slightly so that he can bury his face in the crook of Zoro’s neck and fist one hand in the fabric of his shirt. “They got the chance to try me,” he says quietly. “They got twenty one years worth of chances, and they took them every time.”

“They cut me, bruised me, broke my bones,” he continues on while Zoro tries to figure out what to say. “It didn’t matter how much I cried, or begged them not to. They always kept coming back for more, and the thought of them doing that to you or the others - it’s probably the worst nightmare I have these days. That and winding up back in the cell after having a taste of freedom.”

“S’not a taste,” Zoro insists, running a hand up and down his arm comfortingly. “This is your life now. Germa’s not getting you back.”

“Germa,” Sanji stresses, “will likely have a very different opinion on the matter.”

“Let them,” Zoro replies, knowing his confident attitude might not be helping the situation, but not sure how else he’s supposed to take that. “I promise we’ll keep our guard up, but I’m not going to be sorry if I get the chance to kick a little Vinsmoke ass in the process.”

“Technically I’m a Vinsmoke,” Sanji notes.

“No, you’re not,” Zoro says right away. “You’re the cook of the Strawhat Pirates, and that’s how people are going to remember you.”

“Heh, that’s definitely preferable,” Sanji admits. “Good luck getting it through Judge’s thick skull, though.”

“Stop worrying about Judge,” Zoro instructs. “If and when he shows his ugly face, we’re going to kick his ass, and I’m including you in that. Your blood relatives have been underestimating you for your entire life, but that’s going to change the second you get a real shot at them.”

Zoro’s not sure how he’s expecting Sanji to react to this statement, but it’s certainly not for the other man to lean up slightly and press a kiss to his cheek not far from where the scar that cuts through his left eye ends.

“Thanks, Marimo,” he says while Zoro chokes. Speaking around a yawn, he burrows back into Zoro’s chest, apparently starting to drift off as it gets later. “You always know what to say to make me feel better.”

“I try,” Zoro says weakly, and then falls silent.

*****
Zoro does his best not to think about the kiss, and when he utterly fails in that regard, he does his best to tell himself it meant nothing. Sanji had been stressed and upset about Germa, and hadn’t known what he was doing. He’d no doubt meant it in a completely platonic way, likely as a form of saying thank you for Zoro keeping him company in the crow’s nest.

That excuse sounds ridiculous even in Zoro’s own head, but he sticks to it regardless. Even if Sanji had meant something more with his actions, the man’s incredibly vulnerable right now, and Zoro refuses to take advantage of that.

“My, you seem to be training even more rigorously than normal today, Zoro. Is something the matter?”

Pausing in the middle of his current repetitions, Zoro continues to hold his weights aloft, wondering if he somehow just waits long enough to open his eye, he’ll still be alone on the upper deck when he does so.

No such luck. Cracking said eye open reveals Robin standing not far away from him, exactly as he’d expected her to be after she’d spoken. Groaning, he lets the weights come down all the way, going so far as to release his grip and set them on the deck since she looks like she means business.

“What is it?” He asks, bright enough to know there’s no way he’s escaping a conversation if she’s intent on having one. “Do you need something?”

“What do you think?” She replies, and Zoro makes a face. Robin knows he hates it when she plays these games with him, so she only does it when she’s in a mood to cause trouble.

“I think you’re here and I wasn’t looking for you, so you must have some reason for tracking me down,” Zoro replies, going to grab the towel he’d brought with him when he’d set up out here and wiping his face with it. “So, I repeat, what is it?”

She smiles at him in that way of hers that says she’s acknowledging his point. “I wanted to ask you how you thought Sanji was doing,” she says, dropping the playful facade. “We all know the news that Germa may be close by has left him unsettled, but I suspect he’s more likely to let you see the depths of his concern than anybody else.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Zoro asks, immediately on the defensive. “We’re friends, but that doesn’t mean he tells me everything.”

Robin gives him a pitying look at his use of the word ‘friends’. “He tells you more than most,” she says flatly, “and, arguably more importantly, you can read him better than the rest of us can. If Sanji’s struggling to deal with this news, you’re the most likely to pick up on the full extent of that.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Zoro deflects. “Nami told me I have the emotional sensitivity of a post, like, three days ago. I’m not picking up on jack shit.”

“Zoro.” It’s not often that Robin lets any real signs of frustration leak into her voice, so the fact that she does so here makes him flinch. “This isn’t the time for jokes.”

“No shit,” Zoro scoffs, abruptly losing his grip on his temper. “You want to know how he’s doing? Fine. He’s freaking out because he thinks Judge is going to come and kill us all, and throw him back in that stinking, freezing cage. He’s scared, Robin. Is that what you want to hear? He’s scared.”

“It’s not what I want to hear at all,” she replies, “but it’s essentially what I expected. Sanji’s beliefs where Germa’s power is concerned are rather firmly entrenched.”

“Not that I blame him,” she adds quietly. “When one spends two decades being constantly hurt and with nowhere safe to turn to, it can be … difficult to consider the fact that such circumstances might someday change.”

Zoro stares at her, his gut churning. “We fought for you,” he says finally, his voice softer now. “And we’ll fight for him the same way.”

“Yes, I’ve told him about what happened in Enies Lobby,” she says, her eyes sad. “He seems to think the crew’s actions were no less than I deserved, while at the same time not processing the fact that we’d all do the same for him.”

“Yeah, well.” Zoro shrugs. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he’s kind of an idiot that way.”

“Sanji is … complicated,” Robin eventually settles on. “Then again, I suppose all people are.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Zoro snorts. “Curls and complicated go hand in hand.”

“Indeed,” Robin says, and he doesn’t realize he’s walked right into her trap until it’s too late. “I expect your feelings for him make those complications even more difficult to deal with.”

Zoro’s lucky he’d put down his weights early in this conversation because he suspects if he were still holding them he’d just have dropped one on his fool head. As it happens, Robin has excellent timing, however, because she chooses to utter this statement right after he’s taken a drink from his nearby water bottle. His resulting spittake sprays across the deck, leaving him coughing and sputtering in its wake.

“Really, Zoro,” Robin chides. “That’s a little over dramatic don’t you think?”

“You did that on purpose and we both know it,” Zoro manages to choke out as he coughs. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Oh so many things,” she replies. “However, none of what I’ve said just now is untrue.”

“I fucking know that,” Zoro hisses because trying to bluff her never works, and he’s arguably already showed his cards anyway. “How stupid do you think I am?”

Robin chooses not to answer this question.

“Ugh, you’re as bad as the witch, I swear,” Zoro grumbles. “So is that why you’re really up here?” He asks. “Is this your version of a shovel talk? If it is, you can save your breath. There’s no way in hell I’m ever telling him.”

“And why is that?”

“Why do you think?” Zoro retorts. “He’s been through enough to not have to worry about adding me panting after him to the list. He deserves to have a chance to live his life on his own terms and figure out what that means for him. He doesn’t need me adding to that confusion.”

“Sanji is perfectly capable of making his own choices,” Robin says, giving him a flat look. “Your heart might be in the right place, Zoro, but don’t belittle him by trying to make his decisions for him.”

“I’m not,” Zoro insists, pretty sure he’s starting to get whiplash from this little chat of theirs. “If he decides he wants … something where I’m concerned, then he’s welcome to say so. It has to come from him, though. I can’t be the one to make the first move.”

“Because you don’t want to risk inadvertently influencing him, I assume?” Robin asks, shaking her head. “It’s a noble goal, I’ll give you that much, but I think an argument could be made that it also does Sanji a disservice. The fact that he’s had a hard life doesn’t make him a child. He’s an adult who can figure out what he wants for himself.”

“He’s … naive … in ways other people aren’t,” Zoro points out. “It’s not his fault, but he is.”

“I disagree,” Robin replies with surprising force. “But even if that were true, there’s no reason he can’t be properly educated about the outside world.”

Zoro thinks back on his and Sanji’s fight outside that bar, and grimaces. “Trust me. I heard all about the education you’ve been giving him.”

For possibly the first time ever, he sees Robin roll her eyes. “Are you saying I shouldn’t have?” She asks flatly. “At the risk of being too blunt, Sanji’s a very handsome man, and you won’t be the only person to notice that. He’s going to attract potential suitors, and just because the crew will be respectful doesn’t mean everyone will.”

“No shit,” Zoro mutters. “We got a taste of that already, thanks.”

“Yes, well, happily that was dealt with appropriately,” Robin says. “I’d even go so far as to guess that Sanji had fun fighting side by side with you. Perhaps you can add that to the list of reasons why you should talk to him about how you feel.”

Zoro gives her a long look. “You know,” he says slowly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d almost think you approved.”

“And why shouldn’t I?” She asks in return. “You’re a good man, Zoro. A little rough around the edges, to be sure, but not in a way that’s detrimental. You’re respectful and doting, and you say what you mean. It’s refreshing, probably especially so for someone like Sanji.”

“So yes, I approve, and I think you should tell him,” she concludes. “However, I’ll also leave you with one last parting thought.”

“And what’s that?” Zoro asks, already reeling from her comments.

Robin smiles.

“If you hurt him, I’ll break every bone in your body.”

*****
Suitably warned even though he didn’t need it, Zoro spends the rest of the day going through a rigorous training regimen up on the back deck. The rest of the crew give him a wide berth as he works, and it’s well into the evening when his rumbling stomach makes him call it quits.

A quick stop at the bathroom sees him rinse off the worst of the sweat since he knows Sanji will complain if he stinks up the galley. Cleanliness achieved, he then heads towards said galley, wondering what might be available.

Because he can never catch a break, he finds Sanji working away in the kitchen, despite the late hour. The blond barely glances up at Zoro’s arrival, and immediately focuses back on the food he’s preparing on the counter.

“There’s a plate already made up for you in the fridge,” Sanji tells them, his eyes locked on where his hands are busy arranging whatever it is he’s working on. “You’re lucky Robin told me you were busy because you know how I feel about skipped meals.”

“I know,” Zoro confirms because that’s one of the few things he won’t spark an argument over. “Thanks for not interrupting my training.”

“You did seem to be going a little harder than usual,” Sanji notes, brushing a few strands of hair out of his eyes with the back of one arm. “I didn’t want to be rude.”

Zoro snorts as he shuffles past the other man on his way to the fridge, doing his best to keep their bodies from brushing up against each other as he moves. “Liar. You love being rude.”

His back is to Sanji thanks to the way he’s rooting around in the fridge at this point, but he can feel the resulting smirk all the same. “It depends on the circumstances,” Sanji demures.

“Uh huh,” Zoro says, pulling the container marked with his name free and opening it to find a pleasantly arranged meat and rice dish. “Looks good,” he says, sniffing appreciatively. “You mind if I eat in here?”

“Do I mind if you eat … in the kitchen?” Sanji asks slowly. “Marimo, sometimes I really do understand why Nami’s always making concerned comments about your brain. Get yourself a drink and a fork and sit down.”

“Stay out of the good booze though,” he’s quick to add. “I’m onto you where that stuff is concerned.”

“Jackass,” Zoro grumbles, but he does as he’s told and then settles down on one of the stools across from where Sanji’s working. “Whatcha making anyway?”

“If you must know, I’m fighting the good fight against your stupid taste buds,” Sanji replies, grinning when Zoro raises his eyebrows in confusion. “They’re chai cookies, big on spices instead of sugar, so they’re not particularly sweet. I’m going to find a dessert you like if it kills me.”

Zoro feels a blush brewing and ducks his head down to try and hide it. “You don’t need to do that,” he mumbles, speaking more to his food than anything else.

“I don’t need to do a lot of things,” Sanji notes, “but these days I do what I want.”

Unable to argue with that, Zoro digs into his meal, making his way steadily through it as Sanji bustles away to put the tray of cookies in the oven. He then wanders back over to tidy up some of his work space, his strong hands making quick work of the mess.

“You still with me, Mossy?”

“Hmm?” Jerked out of an unexpected daze, Zoro raises his head to find Sanji snickering at him. “Wazzat?” He asks around a mouthful of food.

“Ugh. Swallow, please,” Sanji suggests, waiting until Zoro does as he’s told. “Thank you. And I asked you why you were doing such an intense bout of training today, but your mind was apparently elsewhere. Is the food that good?”

“Your food’s always good,” Zoro says. “As for your question about training,” he shrugs. “I figure I’ve got to keep sharp if Germa’s really looking for us.”

Sanji’s open, teasing expression goes a little tight around the edges at the mention of his birthplace, but he does a good job of maintaining his cool. “I suppose that makes sense,” he says. “Let me know if you’re going to be at it again tomorrow, and maybe I’ll join you.”

“Sure,” Zoro says, having no real counter for that suggestion.

Humming to acknowledge the agreement, Sanji returns to his cleaning and keeps at it until the oven dings to announce that it’s finished. He then opens it up with a flourish, hauling on a heavy mitt so he can pull out the tray.

“Seeing as you’re here, you may as well try one and let me know what you think,” he says, moving to rest the tray somewhere safe. “Just wait a bit until they’ve had a chance to cool down.”

“Sure,” Zoro says again, seeing no real reason to do otherwise. He’s finished with his supper, so he slides the plate a little to the side and picks up the drink he’s been nursing while he ate. Taking a hearty swig, he watches Sanji fuss over the cookies like a nervous parent, wondering why he’s making such a big deal over them.

“That should do,” the cook says, finally satisfied. He grabs a plate that he’s had ready and waiting, and slides the cookies onto it. Rather than simply offering the dish to Zoro, however, he selects one of his own volition, snapping it in two and holding out.

“Here,” he says, the bite sized piece held carefully between two of his slender fingers. “Take it.”

Seeing no reason not to, Zoro holds out his own hand palm sized up, expecting for Sanji to drop the biscuit, only for him to pull it back slightly instead.

“Mhm,” he says, shaking his head. “I want to see you eat it.”

Belatedly grasping his intention, Zoro blanches. “Uhh,” he stutters, eyeing the cookie like it’s a weapon that’s just been trained on him. “You don’t have to - ”

“Marimo,” Sanji says sternly. “Take the damn cookie.”

Doing as he’s told, Zoro opens his mouth and allows Sanji to slip the treat between his parted lips. He takes it carefully, well aware of the fact that his canines are sharper than average, and moves to pull away as soon as he’s got what he’s after.

Sanji largely lets him go, but not without swiping his thumb over Zoro’s bottom lip first.

“Crumbs,” he says by way of an explanation when Zoro’s breath hitches. “We don’t want you making a mess now, do we?”

Not trusting himself to speak, Zoro settles for carefully chewing the bite of cookie in his mouth. It’s as delicious as everything Sanji makes, with the flavors bursting on his tongue in a way that’s exactly as predicted - not too sweet, but instead just right.

“S’good,” he says after he’s swallowed, knowing Sanji’s bound to be waiting for a review. “Really good.”

“Yeah?” Sanji replies, his voice husky and his eyes half-lidded. “Do you want the other half then?”

“Sure.” Zoro says, unsurprised when Sanji moves to feed him again. “I can do that myself, you know.”

“I’d certainly hope so,” Sanji tells him, but continues to hold out the cookie expectantly.

Sighing, Zoro leans forward and allows him to offer up this piece as well. It’s just as good as the first half, and he chews it thoughtfully while Sanji watches him.

“I think you’re the first person I’ve met who goes out of their way to try and work around my taste buds,” he says once he’s swallowed. “Most people just tell me to ignore the desert menu and call it a day.”

“I don’t want people being left unsatisfied after they’ve eaten,” Sanji says flatly. “Least of all you. I know you largely see food as fuel, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t enjoy it too.”

“I’ve literally never not enjoyed something you made me,” Zoro replies on autopilot, watching Sanji’s face flush as red as a tomato. He feels like this is only fair play, however, considering the fact he’s certain his own is still red from this entire experience.

“You’re so embarrassing,” Sanji mumbles, his gaze now fixed on the countertop. “You can’t just say things like that.”

If Zoro were a brave man - and he normally is, but tonight that appears to be escaping him - he’d counter this by pointing out that Sanji can’t just do things like he’d previously done. Then maybe they’d start to have the conversation it’s becoming increasingly obvious they need to have, and begin moving forward from there.

Unfortunately, his bravery seems to have fucked off to greener pastures, because all he does is fall silent with a shrug.

*****
Word spreads quickly throughout the rest of the crew that Germa might be looking for them. Thankfully, no one spirals into a panic, but a tense cloud falls over the ship, as if they’re all now waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Franky and Usopp suddenly find dozens of tiny projects they can work on, each of which will help keep the Sunny in fighting shape. Chopper organizes and reorganizes the infirmary, consulting with Nami to make sure it’s fully stocked with medical supplies in the event of an emergency. Meanwhile, the crow’s nest is never left unmanned, with someone always keeping an eye out to give them the earliest possible warning.

Zoro wants to say something, to ask Sanji how he’s doing in the face of what has to be an incredible strain. The words die on his lips every time, however, and he has to settle for sparing with the other man at every available opportunity, the two of them doing their best to hone their skills for when the fight inevitably arrives.

And arrive it does. Dozens of Germa ships materialize out of the dark in the middle of a calm, clear night about a week after they’d started waiting. Later, once the dispute is settled, Zoro will find this fitting given the type of man Vinsmoke Judge is. Sneaking up on someone in the middle of the night is exactly his style.

For once, it’s not Zoro who has the watch. It’s been made clear to him that he has to start sharing that load better, at least until the danger is passed, because he’s no help to anyone if he’s too tired to fight properly.

That’s why he’s lying in his bunk when Usopp sounds the alarm. He’s been like this for at least an hour, listening to Sanji toss and turn in the bed next to him, as the noise starts blaring across the entire ship, and he finds himself moving with an odd sense of detachment as the others scramble awake around him.

He’s buckling his swords onto his hip as he exits the bunkroom, and nor is he the only one arming himself. Nami has her climatact baton in hand as she emerges from her own room, while Brook’s sword is already half out of the specialized cane he likes to hide it in.

Even Usopp is prepped and ready by the time the rest of them arrive. He’s adjusting a few of Kabuto’s strings as Nami hurries to join him by the railing in front of the galley, his hands moving with an easy surety as his gaze remains elsewhere.

“What are we looking at?” Nami asks him, her voice carrying easily enough for everyone else to hear. “Snail ships?”

“Mhm,” Usopp replies, his keen eyes still fixed on the distance where a few pinpricks of light can just barely be seen. “And a lot of them too. You can borrow my spyglass if you want, but it’s definitely Germa. I spotted the flagship sailing behind a bunch of the smaller boats.”

Much to everyone’s surprise, Sanji snorts. “You guys should be flattered,” he says when they turn as one to look at him. “Judge has always hated having to accept the fact that people more powerful than him exist, which is why he usually charges into things full steam ahead. If he’s actually bothering to cover his own ass for once, it means you’ve got him spooked.”

“Oh we’re going to do more than that,” Luffy assures him, grinning wildly as he punches one fist into the open palm of his opposite hand. “We’re going to kick his ass and make him regret ever messing with you.”

Sanji huffs out a noise that might charitably be called a laugh. “Captain,” he says tiredly, “you could kill him outright while screaming it was all for me, and I still doubt he’ll think he did anything wrong where I’m concerned.”

“Yeah, well I think we should test that theory,” Zoro says, curling a hand around Wado’s hilt. “Judge is a coward, and cowards will do anything to keep their heads.”

Sanji gives him a long look, but doesn’t bother arguing with him. Instead, he casts his gaze back across the expanse of water, his eyes narrowing as he watches the ships creep ever closer. “This is going to be messy.”

“For them.” Robin says simply, and not a soul dares to argue with her.

A number of the ships are fully visible now. They’ve slid into a formation that keeps the flagship at their center, while the smaller vessels stream towards the Sunny. Rather than try to evade them, though, the Strawhats likewise sail forward, Jinbe’s hands steady at the helm as he aims them directly down the throat of the approaching armada.

Soldiers can now be seen swarming the decks of the Germa boats, all of them armored and armed to the teeth like usual. It’s clear they intend to board the Sunny, something that seems odd given how attempting to sink them using long range weapons would see the crew die with far fewer casualties.

“You’re forgetting how Judge’s mind works, dearest.” Sanji says when Robin voices this thought aloud. “If he sinks the Sunny, that means I go to the bottom of the ocean right along with the rest of you. There’s no way in hell he’ll want to let me have such a quick death. He’ll want me to watch everyone else die first, before doing the deed himself.”

“He’s not going to get that chance,” Zoro snarls, pulling his swords free and preparing himself to charge forward now that some of the Germa ships are within reach. “Permission to go raise some fucking hell, Captain?”

“Not yet,” Luffy says, his eyes fixed on the flagship. “There’s something going on over there, and I want to see what.”

Zoro opens his mouth to ask him what the hell he’s talking about, and he doubts he’s the only one. Before anybody can get a word out, however, four multicolored lights flare on top of the flagship battlements, twisting and looping around each other as they streak towards the Sunny.

“Please tell me that’s not what I think it is,” Usopp groans, and Sanji lets out another humorless laugh.

“It’s exactly what you think it is,” he says, and for the first time Zoro thinks he can hear just how strained he is lurking beneath the surface of his voice. “Judge himself may be staying back where it’s safe, but it looks like he’s launching the big guns early.”

“They’re not gonna be a problem,” Luffy insists. “We dealt with them once already.”

“You fled them once already,” Sanji corrects. “You didn’t stick around long enough to see how a real fight would turn out.”

“Well,” Robin quips, her arms already crossed in front of her and a dangerous expression on her face. “There’s no time like the present.”

Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji come in hot. They don’t bother to slow themselves down upon their arrival, and the former two are already letting loose blasts from the weapons built into their suits as they land. Coming in a little behind them, Yonji’s quick to start throwing punches towards anyone he can reach.

The Sunny’s deck quickly devolves into chaos, a fact that’s further aided by the arrival of a number of Germa troops. The heavily armed men scramble onto the ship with no sign of fear in their eyes, or any other emotion for that matter.

Zoro finds himself squaring off against Ichiji, who clearly remembers him if the smirk on the redhead’s face is anything to go by. “Pirate Hunter,” he says, dodging a swipe from Enma and blocking another from Kitetsu. “I was hoping I’d run into you again. You ran away so quickly the last time we faced each other.”

“There’s a difference between running away and strategically retreating,” Zoro grunts, shaking off a blast of sparks that would have punched a hole through a lesser man. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I had more important things to take care of.”

“You mean the failure?” Ichiji asks, his voice pitched low in a taunt. “I see you’ve let him out of the mask and taken a look underneath. Father’s going to be very unhappy about that.”

“I could not give less of a fuck about Vinsmoke Judge and his happiness,” Zoro snarls. “Except insofar as I plan to see him never be happy again once we’re done here. He’s going to regret what he did to the cook.”

Ichiji frowns, clearly needing a moment to process the apparent non sequitur, and then his eyes narrow behind the tinted glasses he wears. “You let that useless mongrel into a kitchen again? I don’t understand you people.”

“Likewise,” Zoro replies, pleased when his latest strike cuts through the fabric covering the other man’s left bicep, leaving a line of parted, bloody flesh behind it in its wake. “Good thing for me I’m not interested in figuring you out either. All I want to do is ruin you.”

Ichiji pauses momentarily to glance at the wound, but if he’s bothered by what he sees it’s impossible to tell. His face remains impassive, and he shows no loss in his range of movement as he swings the injured limb in a heavy punch.

“You’re not going to win this,” he says, his inflection never changing even as Zoro avoids the blow. “Your crew is going to die, and after he’s done watching it happen, the failure will be going back in the exact same cage you pulled him out of.”

“That’s going to be his punishment,” he adds, his voice carrying above the sound of Zoro’s wordless snarl. “Reiju convinced our father that it’d be crueler to make him live with having had a brush with freedom than to kill him outright.”

“Over my dead body!” Zoro barks. “I will burn your entire fucking country to the ground before I let that happen. Me and the others! Sanji’s never going back into that pit you hid him away in.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that if I was you,” Ichiji replies coolly. “I mentioned Reiju for a reason. She’s here to personally deliver him back to Judge, while the rest of us deal with your crew.”

“What?” Having temporarily forgotten that there’d been a fourth body moving with the brothers as they’d headed for the Sunny, Zoro narrowly avoids getting his throat crushed by a kick from Ichiji in his haste to look around the ship.

As expected, the deck is crawling with Germa soldiers. Off to one side he can see Robin and Jinbe dealing with Niji, while Luffy is squaring off against Yonji. The rest of the crew are fighting the ever increasing amount of soldiers, with Sanji in particular defending a cornered Nami and Chopper down on the lawn.

The trio are ringed by at least a dozen soldiers, but if Sanji’s concerned, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he drops down onto his hands, lashing out in one of his favorite spin kicks, and sending their enemies flying.

There’s a hint of a smirk creasing his features as he lands back on his feet, and he turns to Nami, no doubt to ask if she’s okay. It’s as he shifts that a small, finely tipped dart zips out of nowhere, embedding itself in his shoulder as he jerks in surprise.

“Sanji!” Chopper yelps, scrambling forward as the blond pulls the offending object from his body, holding it up between two of his fingers and staring at it with his brow furrowed. “Give that to me! Let me see it!”

His lips moving soundlessly, Sanji moves to do as he’s told, only for his fingers to spasm. He loses his grip on the dart, which falls to the lawn to lie on the grass, while the cook starts to sag nearby.

Nami’s frantic screams join Chopper’s, and they both lunge towards the stumbling man, but get there too late. His knees give out from under him, and he too hits the lawn, although his eyes remain open, indicating he’s still conscious.

“There’s no need to worry,” a woman’s voice says. “Well, at least not in this specific instance. The dart contains a mild paralytic to make him easier to transport. It won’t last very long.”

“ … Reiju,” Sanji gasps, his eyes trailing upwards to stare at the pink haired woman who’s just landed next to him. “Reiju, don’t.”

“I’m afraid you haven’t left me with much choice, little brother,” Reiju replies. Lashing out with a few lightning fast kicks of her own, she sends Nami and Chopper reeling backwards as they attempt to reach Sanji, showing no emotion whatsoever as the two of them fly backwards until they slam into the wall outside the men’s bunkroom.

“Your friends are going to die,” she says, her voice flat as she leans down to grab Sanji’s limp form. A number of soldiers are also circling around her, creating a wall with their bodies to keep any of the other Strawhats from reaching the siblings. “And you are going back to your cell where you belong. You should consider yourself lucky that Judge is willing to be so merciful after this little stunt.”

The crowd’s gotten too big for Zoro to make out Sanji’s response, but he bellows in rage as the Germa princess launches herself above the heads of the soldiers with Sanji slung over her back. She kicks out once, as if to make sure the jets in her boots are working, and then she’s heading back towards the flagship with her burden in tow.

A number of the Strawhats shout in protest as she leaves, all of them furious at the thought of their crew mate being taken. The only one who stays quiet is Luffy, who lands a punch that sends Yonji tumbling into a railing, where the youngest Vinsmoke lands in a heap.

Silence descends over the deck for a moment, and then Luffy straightens to his full height. His hat has fallen to hang off his shoulders by its strings during the fight, but now he moves to settle it back onto his head with the brim pulled down low over his eyes.

“Zoro.” He says in a voice that makes the swordsman’s spine straighten without conscious thought. “Robin. Jinbe. Brook. We’re going to go deal with the fleet, so finish what you’re doing. Everyone else, protect the Sunny and follow us through once we’ve cleared a path. We’re going to follow her and get Sanji back.”

Feeling an odd sense of calm wash over him, Zoro turns to look at Ichiji, who quirks an eyebrow at him in response, his expression condescending. Unbothered, Zoro grins and raises his swords in anticipation.

“Sorry about this,” he says, not really feeling sorry at all. “But you heard what he said, and I’d be a poor first mate if I didn’t follow my captain’s orders.”

“You’re going down.”

*****
The Germa fleet burns. Its ships are reduced to nothing but rubble, their battered and broken husks sinking into the depths of the ocean as the Thousand Sunny sails by, leaving their charred remains in her wake.

An eerie silence has descended upon the area, and Zoro says nothing as he stands on the prow of the Sunny, his gaze locked on the single ship ahead of them. Germa’s flagship had started to flee quite some time ago, no doubt seeing the way the battle was turning in the Strawhats’ favor, and she’s the only snail ship that’s still unharmed.

“We should catch up to them soon,” Jinbe says from his place at the helm. “What’s the plan once we get there?”

“Find us someplace to dock,” Luffy says firmly. “I know everyone wants to help get Sanji back, but unless we’re tethered to that ship somehow, someone will have to stay to man the Sunny.”

“Someone probably should do that regardless,” Nami murmurs, and then raises her arms defensively when all eyes turn to look at her. “I said should,” she stresses. “I’m not willing to be left behind anymore than anyone else is.”

“I’ll get some grappling hooks ready,” Franky advises, already heading in the direction of his workshop. “Normally, I’d be more worried about doing this properly, but I don’t want Cook-Bro to have to be over there one second longer than necessary. I’ll be ready once we’re in range, Cap.”

“And I’ll help him,” Usopp confirmed. “I haven’t missed a single shot yet tonight, so I definitely won’t screw up this one.”

Luffy nods at the pair as they disappear into the hold, and then makes his way over to where Zoro’s gone back to glaring furiously at the flagship. “It’ll be alright,” he says quietly. “Sanji’s strong. He won’t break that easily.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Zoro confesses through gritted teeth. “You’re right, the cook’s strong, definitely stronger than Judge will give him credit for, but he’s probably pissed. What if he says something to make that bastard king take his fool head off?”

“He won’t,” Luffy says with a confidence Zoro wishes he shared. “And it won’t be much longer before we reach them. Sanji’ll be home soon.”

Zoro doesn’t have anything to add to this, so he lapses back into silence. He then maintains his vigil as they finally come up alongside the Germa flagship, and watches as Franky and Usopp carefully undertake some tricky maneuvers to connect the two vessels.

“Don’t try this at home, kids.” Franky quips, tugging at one of the ropes to make sure it’s secure. “Looks like this is as good as we’re going to get.”

“Fine by me,” Zoro mutters, already preparing himself to jump across. “Hey, Luffy, what do we do about - ?” He jerks his thumb behind him, and the captain grins.

“Bring ‘em,” he says, his eyes dancing as some of the others move in to carry out his order. “It’s not like we want to keep them for good.”

“No shit.” Zoro grunts, and when Luffy slingshots himself over to the flagship without any warning, he promptly follows.

A number of soldiers come streaming through the castle gates as they approach, but Zoro barely notices. He cuts down anyone who gets in his way, adding to the blood that’s already coating his swords. Up ahead, he can see a slender figure in pink standing in the middle of the entranceway, and it’s in that direction that he aims himself.

Much like it was during her brief stint on the Sunny, Reiju’s face is impassive as he approaches. She stands in the middle of the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest, looking for all the world like the utter destruction of her family’s fleet is somehow boring to her.

“Where is he?” Zoro demands without preamble, and the princess shifts to glance at him like he’s a bug she’s just found under her shoe.

“With Judge,” she says coolly. “Which is why you’re going to turn around and leave.”

“Yeah, not fucking likely,” Zoro scoffs. “We didn’t just fight our way through an entire army only to trip at the fucking finish line. We’re taking him back, and there’s nothing you can do to stop us.”

Now Reiju looks at him like he’s an especially stupid child. “Sanji, is with Judge,” she reiterates, speaking to him in much the same manner. “If you continue pressing forward, Judge will kill him out of spite, and my little brother’s blood will be on your hands.”

“If Judge is stupid enough to do that, then he’s going to die,” Zoro says flatly. “Slowly and painfully, and likely begging for the end by the time I’m through with him. If he lets the cook go, though - well then maybe we’ll give him a fighting chance.”

“The cook.” Reiju echoes, and maybe it’s the poor lighting, but he almost thinks there’s a sudden sheen in her eyes. “You even gave that back to him.”

“No,” Zoro disagrees. “He took it for himself. And he’s going to go right on doing what he wants, while this hellhole is going to become nothing but an unpleasant memory.”

“You probably don’t believe me, but I do wish that were the case,” Reiju says, now sounding tired. “Unfortunately, given the stakes we’re dealing with here, I can’t afford to bank on it. If you insist on going any further, I’m going to stop you.”

“Funny,” says a new voice, and Zoro catches sight of Robin drawing near out of the corner of his eye. “Your brothers thought they were strong enough to defeat us, and they turned out to be sadly mistaken.”

Reiju purses her lips. “I find it … hard to believe,” she says slowly, “that your crew was able to beat them outright. I imagine you used some kind of underhanded method, not unlike my own poisons.”

In answer, Robin raises her arms, causing a row of hands to sprout behind her. Said hands then proceed to pass along a trio of limp forms, not stopping until Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji’s bodies are lying in an unconscious heap at the bottom of the stairs.

“They’re not dead,” Zoro says when Reiju startles for the first time all evening. “But that could change if you don’t tell us where the damn cook is.”

“I keep telling you, he’s with Judge,” she replies. “Who will keep him within reaching distance until you people leave, and slit his throat in front of you if you don’t listen. Vinsmoke Judge does not like to lose.”

“What a pity then that he appears to be getting a significant lesson in the concept.” Robin says, and her words seem to be in direct response to Reiju’s statement, yet when Zoro moves to look at her, her expression is turned inwards.

Recognizing what she looks like when she’s using her devil fruit to spy on something happening elsewhere, Zoro opens his mouth to ask her what’s going on, only to have the question abruptly become moot. A large glass window several stories above where they’re standing explodes outward, with two struggling bodies tumbling through it.

Swearing, Zoro leaps backwards to avoid the falling shards of glass, while Reiju and Robin likewise duck away. A heavily armored form lands in a heap not far from where he’d previously been standing, while a much more lithe shape lands on its feet nearby.

Zoro hadn’t had the pleasure of laying eyes on Vinsmoke Judge during the Strawhats’ first encounter with Germa, but he has no doubt that the large man hauling himself slowly to his feet is him. The king shakes his head as he stands, the motion causing his mane of blond hair to sway back and forth across his shoulders while blood flows freely into one eye from a gash on his forehead.

Once he’s upright, and in spite of the damage done to his eye, Judge glares furiously at where Sanji’s standing across from him, resting casually on his heels and with his hands shoved in the pocket of the sweater he’d been sleeping in when Germa had attacked. Much to Zoro’s delight, the younger blond matches his estranged father’s glare with one of his own.

“Are we done yet?” Sanji asks tersely. “Only it’s obvious you’ve gone and had your ass handed to you, and I don’t feel like looking at your ugly face for any longer than I have to.”

“You insolent little brat!” Judge snaps in a voice that’s far more nasal than Zoro was anticipating. “I’ve changed my mind about locking you up. I’m going to have you begging for death by the time I’m done with you, and then you’ll finally die screaming.”

“You and what army?” Sanji retorts, pulling one hand free from his pockets to gesture expansively at the courtyard, and in particular where all the Strawhats have now massed around them. “From where I’m standing, you’ve got no one left to help you.”

Judge follows the sweep of Sanji’s hand, his face blanching when he catches sight of the crumpled forms of his sons, not to mention all the soldiers who’d been taken out as well. Words seem to fail him, and he gapes at the destruction like a man who can’t fathom what he’s seeing.

A quiet slapping sound caused by his flip flops brushing against the stone walkway signals that Luffy’s making his way through the mess. The captain comes to a halt not far away from Judge, jerking his head at Sanji, who takes that as his cue to shuffle over to where Robin and Zoro are standing.

“So,” Luffy says once he’s satisfied that the entirety of his crew are where they’re supposed to be. “You’re the guy who hurt Sanji.”

“I am the King of this nation,” Judge corrects icily. “How I treat my subjects, any of my subjects, is no concern of yours.”

“And how’s that working out for you?” Zoro calls from his place off to the side. “Does your fleet usually look like this?”

“Sanji’s ours now,” Luffy says before Judge can come up with an answer. “You can’t have him back, and you can’t hurt him anymore. In fact, you can’t hurt anyone anymore. We’re going to make sure of that.”

“But we’ll let you live,” he’s quick to add when Judge flinches, likely without meaning to. “So long as Sanji says it’s okay.”

As one, everyone present glances at Sanji, who sighs tiredly. “You know I don’t want them dead, Luffy,” he says, his shoulders sagging. “Maybe I really am weak, but I only ever wanted to be able to leave.”

“That’s not you being weak.” Luffy assures him, and then he narrows his eyes at Judge. “You should thank him,” he says firmly. “He’s a lot nicer than you deserve.”

“Too nice,” Zoro grumbles, nudging Sanji insistently with his shoulder. “I get why you can’t bring yourself to do it,” he murmurs quietly, “and I know they’re not a threat anymore without their tech and the soldiers, but say the word and I’ll do it for you. I will tear apart this castle brick by brick, shatter every bone in his body, and rip his head from his neck as he chokes to death on his own blood. I swear it.”

The silence that falls over the courtyard is absolute, and Sanji pierces him with a look that seems to stare into his very soul. For a long moment, he says nothing, and then he lets out a sharp bark of laughter as he brings his hands up to fist then in the collar of Zoro’s robe.

“I love you too, you idiot,” he says, and drags Zoro in for a kiss.

Zoro could’ve done without the catcalls from the rest of the crew, and he definitely could have done without having a single person from Germa present. Nevertheless, he still loses himself in the kiss until Sanji pulls back, the blond’s face flushing a furious red that’s visible even in the pale lantern light.

“Sorry,” he mumbles. “That was … probably not the best timing.”

Zoro blinks at him. “You taking it back?” He asks, relieved when Sanji jerks like he’s been slapped.

“No!”

“Then I don’t care,” Zoro replies with a shrug. “We can put a pin in this for now while we deal with these idiots, and then pick it up again later.”

“Oh boy,” Usopp lets out a low whistle, effectively keeping Sanji from replying. “I think we’re all going to want to stay the hell away from the crow’s nest for the foreseeable future.”

“Longnose, I will end you,” Zoro growls, watching as Sanji’s flush somehow gets impossibly deeper. “Don’t think I won’t.”

“Leave him be,” Sanji says, even though he’s currently refusing to meet anyone’s eye. “But you’re right, we’ll continue this discussion later. Right now,” he adds, a note of ice creeping into his voice, “I’ve got a few things I’d like to say to Judge before we leave.”

“Fair enough,” Zoro replies, stepping back to get out of his way. “My offer still stands though. One statement from you, and it’s off with his head.”

Sanji leans in to press a kiss to his cheek. “I shouldn’t find that as attractive as I do,” he says, grinning ruefully as he pulls back. “You’re a menace, Marimo. An absolute menace.”

Zoro shrugs.

*****
“How many more times are you going to do that?”

Having just pulled back from their latest kiss, Sanji braces his hands on Zoro’s shoulders, and settles himself in his lap, with his legs splayed on either side of the swordsman’s hips. “Are you saying you want me to stop?” He asks, his voice holding a tinge of wariness for all that he clearly means for the words to come out playfully.

Rolling his good eye, Zoro swoops in to steal a quick kiss of his own, before once again resting his back against the wall of the crow’s nest. They’re in their usual spot on the bench by the window, with the main difference being that they’re sitting chest to chest, as opposed to back to front, and not to mention the whole kissing thing.

“I didn’t say that,” Zoro notes, resting his hands on Sanji’s hips and letting his thumbs hook around the hem of the man’s sweater so they can stroke the soft flesh underneath. “I definitely didn’t say that.”

He feels goosebumps appear along Sanji’s skin where his fingers are touching, but the man makes no move to shy away from him. Instead, he makes a face and brings one hand up to flick Zoro in the forehead with his fingers.

“Then maybe you should stop complaining,” he suggests.

“D’you hear me complaining?” Zoro wants to know. “Because I really don’t think you do. Why would I be complaining about getting something I’ve wanted for a while now?”

Sanji snorts. “If you’ve wanted it for a while now, you should have said something. I’ve been practically throwing myself at you for weeks, and you didn’t bite so much as once.”

“You were dancing around the issue,” Zoro insists, willing to see Sanji’s recent attempts for what they really were now that they’re here. “I needed you to man up and say what you wanted outright because it couldn’t come from me. I didn’t want to, y’know, accidentally pressure you or something.”

“Stupid Marimo,” Sanji says, albeit fondly. “Stupid, noble Marimo. No one on this ship has ever pressured me into a single thing I didn’t want to do, least of all you.”

“Good,” Zoro says, relieved.

“Yes, yes it is good,” Sanji agrees, leaning forward to bump their foreheads together. “Just like it’s good that I’ll never have to go back to Germa again, and how they’ve been reduced to a shell of their former selves thanks to messing with the wrong crew. Today was a good day.”

“Technically it’s still the middle of the night,” Zoro points out, laughing when Sanji pinches him in exasperation. “God, you’re such a little bastard sometimes.”

“Takes one to know one,” Sanji replies primly. “You love getting people going, and you know it.”

“Guilty as charged.” Zoro says, and then, at least partly because he knows what kind of reaction it’ll get, he adds, “Love you more, though.”

As expected, Sanji goes red all over, and does an embarrassed wriggle that Zoro can easily feel due to all the places they’re pressed together. “Jackass,” he mumbles into the swordsman’s neck, now hiding his face there thanks to the comment.

“Mhm,” Zoro says, kissing the shell of his ear and holding him close with the help of a hand pressed to his back. “I am that too. Hope it’s not a deal breaker.”

“It’s not,” Sanji says, nuzzling up against him. “Not even close.”

He shifts slightly then, angling himself so that he’s properly lying on top of Zoro, as opposed to hovering above him. “I like it when you let me do this,” he says happily. “For a walking slab of muscle, you make a surprisingly comfortable pillow.”

“Yeah, well you’re lucky I’m so damned fond of you, because you’re fucking heavy,” Zoro says, letting out a mock growl when Sanji pinches him yet again. “You keep doing that and I will toss your ass to the floor.”

“Go ahead then,” Sanji taunts. “I dare you.”

His words are followed by a smug sort of silence when Zoro makes no move to do anything of the sort. “That’s what I thought.”

Knowing better than to argue with him, Zoro keeps his mouth shut, and they sit quietly together for the next little while. Down below, the sound of the waves crashing against the Sunny’s hull rises up to travel in through the open window, but otherwise there doesn’t appear to be anything else going on.

“You know, I think Judge might have cried when Luffy brought down the castle ship,” Sanji says apropos of nothing. “My whole life, I thought he couldn’t feel fear, or anything other than cruel emotions, really, and tonight I got to see him be totally defeated.”

“You didn’t just see it,” Zoro points out, remembering the way Sanji had sent Judge flying through that window. Apparently that had only been the conclusion of the fight that had started once Reiju’s paralytic had worn off too. The Germa king had already been dead on his feet before he’d landed in the courtyard. “You made it happen.”

“Mmm, you should have seen the look on his face when the first kick I landed sent him tumbling across the throne room,” Sanji says with relish. “I’m going to enjoy picturing that for a long, long time.”

“I don’t blame you,” Zoro replies. “I wish we’d gotten there in time. Actually, I wish we’d never have let your sister grab you at all. That must have felt … really shitty for you. I’m sorry.”

“It didn’t, actually, so don’t apologize.” Sanji insists. “I don’t know if I believed it beforehand, but the second she started carrying me off, I knew you lunatics were going to come after me.”

“Course we were,” Zoro says, holding him a little tighter than necessary. “You’re one of us now. Even if - even if I didn’t feel for you what I do, that wouldn’t have stopped us all from coming for you. We’re family.”

“Funny how that happens,” Sanji says. “After enough time had passed, I never dared to imagine I’d ever make it out of that cell - let alone that I’d wind up somewhere like here. Guess I’m lucky that your terrible sense of direction sent you my way.”

“You know, I think maybe you should stop calling my sense of direction terrible,” Zoro suggests. “Maybe it knew exactly what it was doing by telling me to go down those stairs. Did you ever think of that?”

“No, but I’m impressed with your ability to try and rationalize something so ridiculous,” Sanji snickers. “Seriously, you should write that one down.”

“Alright, that’s it,” Zoro says, moving to try and grapple with him. “I don’t have to take that lying down!”

“Oi oi oi! Watch my sweater!” Sanji barks, slapping Zoro’s hands away. “If you tug on it and ruin it, I’ll kick your ass.”

“I gave you that sweater,” Zoro points out, noticing that it’s the blue wave patterned one. “If anyone can ruin it, it’s me.”

“No ruining it,” Sanji says firmly. “Promise right now, or I’m going to go sleep in the bunkroom.”

“Kidding, I’m kidding,” Zoro says, holding up his hands in surrender. “You really do like the thing, don’t you?”

“What’s not to like?” Sanji asks, smoothing his own hand over an imaginary wrinkle. “It’s warm, comfortable, good quality, and frankly I look cute in it.”

“It’s too big for you,” Zoro points out. “Even with all the weight you’ve put on, it’s still loose.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Sanji says simply. “It’s my favorite.”

“Because I gave it to you, right?”

“I’ll never tell.”

Laughing, Zoro reclines back in his seat, content to let the amusement fade as the night’s events catch up to them, and he slowly drifts off to sleep.