Water Sector

Betting
Of Men at Sea
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: Yes, this is one of the oft-used plots including a modern universe in the c
ity. I've read a few really, really good ones (and a lot of really horrible ones
) and I just had to write one because they were so freaking fun to read, you kno
w? I think my favorite is Memories or Persistent Resistance. There was a HS fic
floating around somewhere a while ago too, but I've forgotten the name, unfortun
ately. After all, shouldn't I pay homage to my predecessors?
But ever since ending The World I wanted to try something like this. Even though
The End of Seclusion is still going on, and there are some stories that I've be
en meaning to write (cough Santoryuu-Zoro) but this was bugging me even as I was g
oing through college interviews.
I won't be updating this very often (yes, I know, terrible!) but I just wanted t
o put that out there right now. The chapters will be fairly long compared to wha
t I'm used to, though. So have fun! The next chapter won't come up for a while,
but I'd love to get some feedback about what you guys think.
---
Hah hah Sharp intakes of breath, painful in the cold air.
Thump thump Boots pounding on the hard pavement in synch with the throbbing of a st
rong, laboring heart.
Zoro jogged through the park, his breathing harsh in the sharp morning air as he
ran. The weights that he had strapped to his thighs were making his muscles bur
n, and the heavy, lead-filled vest that he had opted to wear this morning made h
is shoulders ache wearily. Still, he was almost done with this morning's cardio,
so he might as well grit his teeth and get over with. He needed to be in good s
hape if he wanted to be able to work out with his students without showing any w
eakness. Weakness on his part would only reveal a lack of discipline.
The stopwatch bouncing on his chest beeped, and he heard the sound with a gasp o
f relief. He was done. He turned around and began the long trek home through thi
s concrete jungle that he called home. His head itched under the beanie that he
wore, but if he took it off then he'd get lightheaded from the sudden shock of c
old to his head.
Navarone was one of the largest cities in the world. It was known for its cosmop
olitan nature, although some critics argued that its division into Sectors tende
d to create divisive lines based on wealth and social status. Still, the citizen
s of Water Sector were large and opulent enough to take care of any problems tha
t arose.
"Classes in a couple of hours need to stop by home to pick up my stuff damn, my bus
isn't running today maybe I'll ask Franky for a ride scratch that, Tashigi might pic
k me up on the way to the academy " Zoro mumbled to himself, walking down the stre
et. "Breakfast? Maybe I'll steal something from Tash "
A sharp reminder from his stomach and a loud complaint rectified his last though
t. A passerby stared at him as he walked by at the sound.
"Fine, I'll stop somewhere and get some food. Geez!" Zoro slapped his belly befo
re he dug in his pocket and looked at the pathetic handful of change that he had
dug out. Looking around at the street, he realized that few businesses would be
open at this time of the day, and cursed the time. Even if he was in Fire Secto
r which was known as the culinary center of Navarone it was too early to find a good
cheap place to eat, but too late to go back home and grab something. He looked
around in despair, and brightened when he saw a woman walk briskly into a small
café on the corner of the street. A bell tinkled, and the flash of her red hair
brought his eye closer to the sign that read "OPEN" in neat white script on a bo
ard in the window. Score.
Zoro didn't recognize the name of the café the Paris Baguette but judging by the tan
talizing scent wafting through the door as he pulled it open, it didn't really m
atter. The wooden floor was polished without being slippery, and there were comf
ortable looking couches lined along the walls. Small tables were arranged and ma
de him think vaguely of toadstools in their orientation, although their shape an
d size did nothing to suggest that sort of connotation. The walls were painted a
pastel yellow and were bare save for the occasional decorative wall hanging and
a single, large painting of a fish-shaped boat on the furthest wall. That brigh
t red hair brought Zoro's attention to a granite counter topped with jars of bak
ed goodies biscuits and cookies adjacent to glass display cases full of more food an
d drinks. The aroma of coffee was heavy on the air, and he felt rejuvenated just
to smell it. Zoro scanned a menu propped up on the wall that had been written i
n multi-colored chalk and waited for the woman in front of him to finish her ord
er. When she finally moved to sit in a chair, wrinkling her nose slightly at his
sweaty state, he went up to the counter while still staring at the menu. He nee
ded something with protein and carbs. Minimal sugar, or he'd crash.
"I'll have the " Zoro began, looking down to address the worker waiting at the reg
ister. His words died on his lips as he saw what might have been the most beauti
ful person he'd ever seen.
Smooth, unblemished skin. Long, fine hair the color of fresh butter. Teeth so wh
ite that they made pearls tremble in shame, peeking out under soft, peach lips i
n a smile. Long, pale lashes that blinked slowly over eyes that were a shocking
shade of blue. A graceful neck, leading down
Zoro read the nametag and blanched at the absence of breasts. The tag read Sanji
.
"Um can I help you?" the man asked, looking as though he was losing patience. Sanj
i was still enamored by the redhead's presence, but was becoming irritated as he
tapped his fingers while waiting for this sweaty moron to say something coheren
t. He was also very uncomfortable with the way that this man was staring at his
chest.
"I-I'll have a coffee. No, wait, a fruit juice," Zoro corrected himself, remembe
ring that coffee would only dehydrate him. "And a " He squinted at the name of one
of the pastries in the window. "That sandwich thing right there. With the chees
e and ham."
"Do you mean the Breakfast Croissant?" Sanji asked, his lip curling back in dist
aste. "And what kind of fruit juice would you like to order from this coffeehous
e?"
Zoro was too distracted to notice the tone of the other man's inquiries. "Yeah,
the breakfast croissant. I'll have orange juice, if you have it. Or apple."
"Right away, sir." As Zoro handed over his money and watched the other man move
to pull out a croissant and place it delicately on a plate, he saw how lean and
long the other man was.
He doesn't have a woman's body, but he seems so feminine, Zoro thought hazily to
himself. He accepted the glass filled with orange juice and ice with his breakf
ast and made his way to a table, settling down unsteadily. He opted to sit in a
stool, because he had a feeling that it wouldn't be good if he chose to sit on o
ne of the leather couches next to that woman. Who was still giving him dirty loo
ks. He ignored her as he shook his head, dislodging thick drops of sweat and all
owing them to fall to the floor.
"Naaaaami, I have red bean pastries fresh from the oven~!"
---
Sanji yawned wearily as he unlocked the iron grating that covered the door to th
e Paris Baguette, glancing at his watch and feeling disgusted for being up this
early. As the rusting metal screeched in complaint, he felt like joining in on t
he cacophony. With all the construction being completed in the area, it would st
ill be a while yet before business really picked up, so why bother preparing?
He scolded himself for his slip in work ethic. Even if he had only one customer,
that customer deserved the best treatment. This was especially important consid
ering that he had only opened up for business a few weeks prior. It had taken hi
m years to save up enough to be able to move from Earth Sector to Fire Sector, a
nd even then it had taken a generous loan from the Arabasta Mutual Banks.
Sanji pulled the dough that he had set to rise from the cupboards and twisted th
e dials on the oven to heat. His hands were steady as he fell into his work washin
g his hands, preparing the flour, eggs, milk, and such, kneading the dough, shap
ing it, gently mixing in berries and he sighed happily as he breathed in deeply. T
here was nothing like baking in the morning, especially when he was warm in the
bakery rather than freezing his butt off outside.
A few hours later, he stretched his tired arms and kicked his legs to get the ki
nks out of his joints. It was time to get the coffee ready to brew.
A soft ding from the timer he had set alerted him when the bread was to be taken
from the oven, and when the coffee beans were roasted enough. He flipped the si
gn on the door to let passerby know that he was open for business.
A tinkle at the door alerted him of the arrival of his goddess, who was on her m
orning commute to work at the newspaper. She always stopped by every morning, mu
ch to his delight. He told himself that it was his charming personality and not
the free goodies he gave her that kept her coming.
Wait. There was a small rut in his morning ritual. A very small, very smelly rut
that was still as big as an ape.
That man, who desecrated his temple with his sweaty state and ratty jogging suit
, his bulky build that couldn't have been muscle, his beanie that made him look
like a criminal Sanji was smiling when he first saw the man, but that smile quickl
y faded as he kept looking.
The man was an idiot. Who on earth was incapable of realizing that the little pl
acard that he had placed in front of the trays of goodies meant that the breakfa
st croissant was, indeed, called a Breakfast Croissant?
"That sandwich thing right there. With the cheese and ham."
Sanji gave him his food and went to the oven to check on the new recipe he had d
eveloped after visiting the Wien Bakery in one of the more ethnic parts of the c
ities. He had found a recipe that used red bean, a previously unknown baking ing
redient to him, and was intrigued. He placed one on a plate and blew on it gentl
y before picking it up and taking a bite. It was sweet and buttery, light on the
pastry side and a bit heavy on the filling side, but good and well-balanced ove
rall. It might be fit for his goddess. He plucked another pastry from its brothe
rs and placed it lovingly on a round dish it was part of his special collection, a
nd was one of the last legacies from his old man's business that he had been wil
led. It was a clear blue color, and shone like an amorphous crystalline liquid.
"Naaaaami, I have red bean pastries fresh from the oven~!"
---
Zoro heard the mating call of a dodo and shuddered. He had fallen out of love wi
th this moron. This male moron. No he had never been enamored with the fool at all
! The fact that the person had been a man and not a woman rubbed at Zoro in just
the wrong way. When he had seen that blonde hair, he had to admit that he'd bee
n a bit excited. He had dabbled around in terms of dating Japanese, Native America
n, and even an Egyptian girl but he'd never seen anyone with such angelic blond ha
ir or such a becoming figure in its slimness.
He had also never dated a man before. Well, that was that thing with Usopp, but
they'd both been spectacularly drunk and he suspected that someone had slipped h
im something in his drink, because he never became that inebriated. Ever. The sa
vory taste of the croissant curdled in his mouth at the memory, and he grimaced.
Unfortunately, Sanji had looked up at him just as he made that face, and he fro
ze in his scowl in nervousness? Fear? Of course not!...he fervently told himself.
"Something the matter with your croissant, sir?" Sanji asked. Zoro could have sw
orn that he heard "shitty bastard," but it must have just been him.
Zoro chewed and swallowed carefully. "No. 's good."
Sanji turned around and rolled his eyes as he walked off.
Zoro stared at those swaying hips and slapped himself mentally. He should go to
a club tonight and take a nice girl home. He was sure that Franky knew some nice
girls that he could meet. He finished his meal and gulped the rest of his juice
, wiping the bit that dribbled down his chin on the back of his hand. Covering h
is mouth with a fist as he belched, he picked up the dish and cup and plunked th
em on the counter before dropping a few coins in the tip jar and leaving with a
sidelong glance at Sanji.
Maybe he'd go see Chopper; he had a bit of spare time. Did that kid learn anythi
ng about psychiatry in med school?
---
Sanji watched Zoro walk briskly out of the café with a sigh of relief. Finally,
that barbarian was gone. Hadn't he ever heard of napkins?
"Sanji, could you get me another cup of coffee?"
"Yes, princess!" He picked up her empty plate and cup on the way.
As Sanji twirled to obey, a particularly smooth part of the sole of his show rub
bed against the droplets of sweat that Zoro had left on the floor, creating a mi
niature hydroplaning effect. Just the right set of circumstances to create disas
ter. Sanji's eyes widened in horror as he felt himself slipping. He tried to gra
b the edge of a table to stabilize himself but missed and slammed his forehead i
nto the nearest table.
"Oh my god! Sanji!"
His last lingering thought as he heard the dishes crash to the ground was Fuck,
there goes my good dishware.
---
"No, Chopper."
"What you clearly have is a classic case of Freudian "
"No, Chopper."
"Did your father ever "
"No, Chopper."
"Have you ever had homo "
"No, Chopper. You've known me since high school. When have I ever so much as loo
ked at a guy twice except when they pissed me off?"
"Maybe it was hidden sexual tension."
"I didn't have the hots for any guy. Not even Luffy."
"'Not even?' What about Usopp?"
"Never speak of that again."
"O-okay. I can't really explain your sudden inexplicable attraction to this man,
but maybe he's just good-looking enough to attract even straight men. You know?
The pretty type. Like, the one who has to watch out when he drops the soap in p
rison."
"You've been talking to Franky, haven't you?"
"How could you tell?"
The tiny office that had the name Tony T. Chopper on a bronze plaque on the door
was currently filled to capacity with medical books strewn around the room and
falling off the shelves, bubbling test tubes, candy wrappers, and two humans. Ch
opper shook his long brown hair out of his eyes as he peered down at Zoro carefu
lly. Despite his burly stature and almost animalistic looks, he was a veritable
medical genius who was in an internship with the Department of Diagnostic Medici
ne at the Navarone Public Hospital.
Before they could get any further, a pager beeped from Chopper's waist.
"Oh, damn! I forgot I'm supposed to be on clinic duty!" Chopper shrieked, pushin
g Zoro out the door as he looked for his coat. "Uh, you can come with me, if you
want. This shouldn't take too long." Zoro followed in amusement as Chopper hurl
ed out the door. A nurse caught him and handed him a folder, briefly explaining
the next patient's circumstances before moving on.
"The patient appears to be suffering from a blow to a head. Possible concussion.
He's out cold right now."
Chopper rushed into the room and immediately pushed the red-haired woman who ros
e to greet him out of the way. "Excuse me, excuse me! Is this the patient?" Chop
per crashed onto a stool and pulled the man's eyelid open, pulling out a flashli
ght and examining the man's reaction. Zoro stared hadn't this woman been at the ca
fé? and gaped at the man lying on the table.
Sanji was laid out with a lovely bruise spreading across his forehead, giving hi
m a humorously worried look. Zoro smirked, until the woman smacked him across th
e head. "Ow! You bitch, what the hell?"
"This is all your fault! You and your your sweatiness! It's because of the nasty s
weat that you left on the floor that this idiot slipped and fell on his face!" T
his statement was punctuated by another punch. Zoro grabbed her hand roughly to
stop her, and she gave a yelp of pain.
"Nami ?" a hoarse voice groaned as Sanji sat up. "Who dares hurt my Nami ?"
His Nami? Zoro thought. So he's straight, then. Good
"You idiot, she's trying to kill me."
"Don't dare to try and harm a woman, you bastard," Sanji hissed as he stood unst
eadily. Chopper tried to push him back, but Sanji shook his head and glared at Z
oro. "You " The whites of his eyes rolled back, and he slumped over, to be caught
in Chopper's arms.
Zoro caught him ignoring the pleasantly sweet scent of vanilla and the undertone o
f coffee, plus a little something smoky and dragged him back onto the examination
table. Nami looked at her watch and groaned.
"I have to go to work. Get this idiot back home, would you? He lives over the ca
fé," Nami said. She handed him a key. "I locked up the café with his key, but yo
u should be able to get in. You had better take him back. He's your responsibili
ty." Before Zoro could argue, she swept out of the room. He could hear her high
heels clicking rapidly as she ran down the hall.
"Um it looks like he has a mild concussion, but the only reason he passed out agai
n was from moving around too suddenly," Chopper said. "You can take him home."
"Why the hell am I taking him?"
"Because that other woman left. And because it's your fault, apparently."
"Don't just make assumptions!"
---
Zoro ended up taking Sanji home in a taxi. He carried the blond man slung awkwar
dly over one shoulder (good thing Chopper couldn't see, or he would have killed
him) and opened the door to the café, taking care to avoid hitting Sanji's head
against any hard or sharp objects. Zoro gently placed Sanji on a couch as he exp
lored the café and found the set of stairs that led to the second floor behind a
n inconspicuous door. He carried Sanji up, unsuccessfully try to make sure that
Sanji's head didn't hit the corner of the door, and plopped him onto the bed onc
e he found it. Zoro looked around the apartment curiously and found that it was
neat and modernly furnished. A small kitchen in the corner was all stainless ste
el and clean countertops, with a bowl of fruit (now missing an apple that was cu
rrently in Zoro's mouth). The living room consisted of a worn black leather sofa
and simple stereo that was clearly built for a single inhabitant. The bathroom
and bedroom were also similarly furnished. The general style suggested good tast
e, but little excess income.
So the witch didn't live here, then.
Zoro also noted that there were several boxes strewn around, although they were
mostly empty save for a few Styrofoam peanuts. Had this guy just moved here, or
what?
As Zoro nosed around the closet curiously, he heard Sanji groan behind him and s
aw the blond clutching his head. Zoro went into the kitchen and drew a cup of wa
ter before going to the bathroom and digging a bottle of aspirin from the medici
ne cabinet (curiously, there was a bottle of massage oil that was nearly empty.
Hm).
"What the hell are you doing here?" Sanji growled, but accepted the water and as
pirin gratefully. As he gulped the pills down, one eye glared angrily at Zoro. "
And why are you eating my fruit?"
Zoro leaned against the doorjamb and gave as good as he got. "I'm here because y
our girlfriend had to go to work, and I had time to burn. I have to leave soon t
oo, so just be glad that I took you home rather than just leave you at the hospi
tal. I'm taking an apple because I'm feeling a bit peckish. You're not supposed
to be moving around, by the way," he added as Sanji sat up.
Sanji snorted. "I can take care of myself. You can go now you. I don't even know y
our name."
Zoro hesitated, arguing internally with whether to continue arguing with the man
or to be polite.
"The name's Roronoa Zoro. Er Zoro Roronoa, I mean," Zoro corrected himself. He hel
d out his hand, and Sanji grasped it firmly in surprise at the sudden change in
courtesy. "Your girlfriend said that your name was Sanji?"
Sanji brightened up visibly. "Do we look like a couple? Really?" he asked enthus
iastically. "Yes, my name is Sanji. Sanji Baratie."
Zoro was slightly unnerved by Sanji's reaction, but shrugged it off. "Yeah. The
way you were fawning over her like an idiot means that you're either going stead
y, or you're an idiot."
Sanji's smile instantly turned into a frown. "Oi, I'm not an idiot, asshole."
"So you admit that she's just a girl that you waste time wooing."
"I'm not wasting time. All women deserve the same wonderful treatment."
"What a sap "
"You want to fight?"
"I don't fight pansies who faint from a knock to the head."
"Oh, so you do want to fight! You think you're so tough, in your hobo clothes an
d with that stupid beanie?" Sanji reached out to grab at the beanie, but Zoro im
mediately moved back.
"Tch. I'm leaving," Zoro snarled. "So much for gratitude." He turned and left, s
lamming the door behind him.
Sanji looked at the door and sighed. He'd normally never treat anyone that he ha
d just met that day with such discourtesy, especially if they had been kind enou
gh to take him home, but there was something about that man that just irritated
him.
"Roronoa, eh?" If that man ever stopped by the café again, then Sanji might give
him a free cup of coffee as an apology.
When he saw the shattered remains of his favorite dishware lying on the ground a
s he went downstairs, he decided that he might give him a free cup of coffee lac
ed with rat poison as an apology and as revenge.
---
"I didn't know you liked coffee." Ensign Tashigi glanced over at Zoro, who glare
d right back and looked moodily out the window. She had picked him up in her Vol
vo after he had called her from a payphone, and had been curious to see him walk
ing out of the coffeehouse.
"I don't. I just went for some food before my next class. Aren't you late for wo
rk?" Tashigi worked for the Navarone police station. Navarone was considered one
of the safest cities in the world because of its powerful and efficient policin
g force, and she was proud of her part in it.
"I called Smoker-san and told him that I would be a little late. When he heard t
hat it was because of you, he said it was okay because you're such a moron."
" thanks, Tashigi."
"No problem. Here we are."
The building they stopped in front of was a large white building with the words
Strength through Spirit on a sign in front. The multi-story building was dedicat
ed to the study of martial arts, and Zoro had been lucky enough to land a well-p
aying job here after going through months of hellish interviews and evaluations.
The owner, Juraquille Mihawk, had traveled all over the world in search of tale
nt and brought whatever he found to this one building in Navarone with funding f
rom Sir Crocodile, an businessman with a long history in Water Sector. It was ru
mored that he was searching for an heir to his expansive estates back in Spain,
although Mihawk himself discounted such claims as preposterous.
Mihawk had dubbed the organization Baroque Works.
"Sensei!"
"You're late, sensei!"
"Did you get lost again?"
Zoro glared at the group of children who looked up at him the moment he walked u
p the stairs and entered the room. They were already dressed in their uniforms a
nd ready for action, and he sighed. He hadn't had time to clean up, and hoped th
at Mihawk wasn't thinking about visiting his class today.
"Go do your kata. Fifty reps," Zoro ordered. "Your forms had better not be as sl
oppy as they were last week."
"Hai, sensei!"
"I think the hot and sweaty look suits you, Zoro," an effeminate voice trilled f
rom the doorway. Zoro groaned as he looked around.
"Don't you have class, Bon?" Zoro asked, looking at the flamboyant Bentham "Bon"
Kurei. Bon was a master of both Savate and ballet, which gave him a flexible as
sortment of abilities to draw from in combat he was literally quite flexible. He w
as as renowned for his skill as his cross-dressing tendencies. Bon winked at Zor
o as he wrapped his arms around the other man's neck.
"Oh, don't be so cold! My darlings are all stretching right now. I'll give them
a real workout pretty soon, but I wanted to say hello to my favorite Baroque Wor
ks teacher," Bon said happily while pecking Zoro on the cheek. He dodged the fis
t that Zoro sent flying in his direction. "Tsk tsk, you'll have to be faster tha
n that if you want to catch me!" He pranced off, twirling. "Un, deux, trois!"
"I hate it when that guy does that," Zoro muttered under his breath. "Oi! You! Y
our arms are getting tired, aren't they? Your form is sloppy twenty more for the w
hole class!"
The children whined as they yelled at the kid whose form had fallen apart.
---
Sanji baked, brewed, smoked, and paced. He had received a call from the hospital d
amn, had an intern been examining him? He said that he was a doctor, but you cou
ld never really tell to check up on him, and he had told them that he felt just fi
ne. Great, even. He didn't need to take the day off. He had to prepare for the r
ush of people who were bound to stop by after work.
"Did Zoro take you home? I know he tends to get lost " a youthful voice said worri
edly over the phone.
Sanji chuckled. "Don't worry doctor, I feel just fine. You must have done a fant
astic job, doctor ?"
"Dr. Chopper. Saying that doesn't make me feel happy, you asshole!" Sanji stared
at the phone in his hand that had gone dead, wondering if he'd offended the guy
somehow.
A bell tinkled, indicating that someone had entered the building.
"Coming!" Sanji called, putting the phone down and trotted downstairs to stand a
t the counter. No one was there. "Hello?"
Someone stood, coming from out of sight from beneath the counter. The click of a
cocked gun brought his attention to the barrel of a pistol that was pointed at
his nose.
"Freeze. This is a holdup."
---
Tashigi was driving around in her police cruiser with Jango. Normally, the eccen
tric officer would be with Fullbody, but Fullbody had gotten in trouble after he
had been a bit too zealous in his wooing of Captain Hina. As Jango sang along l
oudly with the disco music he insisted on playing in an off-key voice, the music
 was cut short as the radio crackled.
" armed robbery Wilshire Boulevard Paris Baguette Fire Sector " Tashigi caught those words
through Jango's indignant exclamations.
"We're close by. Let's go, Jango."
They sped to the scene and found a small crowd already clustered around the smal
l café. Tashigi frowned as she left the car and went up to the officers who had
already arrived.
"What's going on, Coby? We heard something about an armed robbery, but a coffeehou
se?"
Coby turned around and nodded, his lean face grim. "Apparently, this place is qu
ite successful and only manned by one worker, making it a prime target for robbe
rs. We arrived before they could escape, but now they've barricaded themselves i
n and have taken the owner hostage." A loud shout drew their attention to the up
per story window.
"Leave! Everyone, leave, or we'll kill this guy flashily!"
"Is that a clown?" Tashigi asked, blinking hard. Maybe she needed more sleep?
"He looks like the Joker from Batman," Helmoppo chuckled. "Wow. What a goofy-loo
king guy."
The man in question turned red under his thick makeup and pulled a tied-up Sanji
to the window. "Shut up, you! How dare you talk about my nose! We'll kill this
guy unless you let us leave peacefully!" Sanji squirmed uncomfortably, not likin
g how vulnerable he was in front of that gorgeous policewoman. If only that stup
id Zoro guy hadn't distracted him, or if he hadn't had a major headache from his
concussion, then he could have kicked this guy to the moon and back without eve
n breaking a sweat.
"You bastards, why are you robbing me? I haven't been in business long enough to
have made that much money," Sanji snarled at Buggy. The man looked vaguely fami
liar, although Sanji was sure that he would a remember a man like this. The clow
n leered at Sanji before replying.
"We don't like your kind. Go back home, you traitorous mud boy!"
Sanji groaned. "What do you mean, traitorous? So this is because of my backgroun
d, red-nose?" Buggy screeched at this sudden insult and punched Sanji in the gut
before turning back to the window.
"How many men are with him?" Tashigi asked Coby, not taking her eyes off of the
clown.
"We looked this guy up. Apparently he's the head of the Buggy gang, but all of t
he members are accounted for in jail for various offenses save for three. The leader
Buggy with his two henchmen Cabaji and Mohji," Coby replied. "What are you plan
ning?"
Tashigi cleared her throat before shouting at Buggy, "You and your men are all c
owards!"
Two other heads shoved Sanji out of the way and began to angrily yell obscenitie
s at her. She grinned grimly as she saw the three men who were jostling for spac
e in order to yell at her, and pulled her gun up in one fluid motion. The gang m
embers fell under the accuracy of her shots. Jango, Coby, and Helmoppo all stare
d.
"You shot them?!"
"They're dead!"
"Wow, that's some good shooting. But you killed them!"
Tashigi chuckled darkly, holstering her gun expertly. "Don't worry. I got this n
ew gun from Vegapunk. It looks and shoots like a gun, but it's actually a tranqu
ilizer dart. All the accuracy, without any of the casualties. Nifty, isn't it? I
always wonder what would happen if I mixed up my regular guns, though. C'mon, l
et's go clean this up." She walked into the building and tried the door. It was
locked. "Is anyone going to help me?"
The three men jumped forward to force the door open. Not because they were scare
d or anything, of course.
---
"Thanks for giving me a ride home, Tashigi."
"It's no problem, Zoro. If I let you walk home on your own then you would probab
ly end up in Jaya again..."
"Oi! That was only once!"
" or Omatsuri or Hyoukaidou "
"You make it sound like it's a regular occurrence."
"It's not? You're lucky that Mihawk likes you so much. Smoker-san would have fir
ed you ages ago."
"Good thing I don't work for a prick, then. Well, less of a prick than Smoker, a
t least."
"He's not a prick. Oh, by the way "
"Hm?"
"There was a little incident at your coffee shop."
"I've only been there once." Tashigi didn't miss the suddenly tightened grip tha
t Zoro held on the armrest. "What happened?"
"Oh, just an attempt at armed robbery. Three men from the Buggy gang."
"What? Are you serious? Did that pansy let himself get robbed?"
"I took the three robbers out with tranquilizers. Easy stuff, they were pretty d
im."
"Nice. Even if that is fighting dirty." Should I go check up on him? Zoro though
t anxiously.
"Darts against bullets, with a hostage? I don't think so. I seem to recall someo
ne who uses three "
"Here's my stop." Zoro clambered out of the car, grabbing his duffel bag. "Thank
s again. I'll see you later."
"Next time, don't just call me when you need a ride!" Tashigi yelled before driv
ing off.
Zoro looked up at the apartment complex where he currently resided. Although Zor
o normally disliked any excess or overindulgence in luxury, he couldn't deny tha
t it was comfortable. He unlocked the gate and walked through past the kidney-sh
aped swimming pool with a Jacuzzi in the curve of the pool. Since they were clos
e to the University of Navarone, the people who lived here were around his own a
ge. He walked up the stairs he hated waiting for the elevator or talking to people
on the ride up and made his way to the seventh floor, down the hall, and to the d
oor at the very end. He kicked off his shoes and put them in the small sunken sq
uare of space designated for that very purpose. His room was on the corner of th
e triangular building, meaning that he had a good view of the city with two expa
nsive windows. His flat was almost completely empty. A dresser and mattress were
in the bedroom, making the relatively large space seem even bigger the closet was
embedded in the wall, so that didn't take up any room, either. He rarely cooked
, and what few utensils and cooking pans that he had were stored safely in the c
upboards in the kitchen. A slice of stale bread was still in its bag on the coun
ter, and he stuffed it absently into his mouth before washing it down with an op
en can of beer from the fridge. A single beanbag chair sat in the corner and he
dragged it to the middle of the room before digging into its squishy depths for
the remote control. An old television sat on the floor and was plugged into the
wall; he had to hit it a few times before it began to work properly.
The Galley-La Apartments were known for their luxurious settings at prices that
matched; still, Zoro's furniture was no indication of his wealth; in fact, he co
uld have even lived in more expensive parts of the city without too much strain
on his banking account. However, housing was given only after the landlords had
personally approved, and he generally liked the people who were admitted into th
e building.
Zoro heard a loud banging on the door. Speak of the devil.
"Shut up, I'm coming!"
Zoro opened the door and a ball of energy burst through, wrapping around his mid
riff.
"Zoro! You're back!" Luffy peered up under a skewed straw hat. He wore a red shi
rt with the words 'Galley-La' printed on it over brown board shorts. His flip fl
ops slapped the floor with his every step as he jumped back and forth excitedly
before he kicked them off and tossed them in front of the door.
"Yes, Luffy, I'm back. I went to work you know what normal people do for a living."
"Shishishi! Being a landlord is work, too!"
"Your brother does all the work. He even cleans the pools himself."
Luffy pouted. "But he said he only does that because the girls like seeing him s
hirtless."
"He still goes around shirtless anyway."
"Well, still," Luffy said, as though that magically explained everything. "Want
to go out and get something to eat?"
Zoro grinned as he grabbed his coat. "Are you treating me?"
"Stingy! Well, Paulie finally paid his rent, so sure!"
Zoro was glad to be home. "Let's meet up with the others, then. We can call Chop
per, Usopp, and Franky."
"I'll call Robin and Vivi, too. What about Tashigi?"
"Er sure. Tashigi, too."
"Cool! Let's go, then!"
"Where do you want to eat?"
"Duuuh. Rain Dinners. They have the BEST food."
"You only like it because it's a buffet. They almost threw us out last time."
"I promise I won't eat ice cream directly from the soft serve spigot. Please, Zo
ro?"
"Hey, it's your paycheck."
"Yay wait, hey!"
Zoro chuckled as they texted their friends to meet them.
---
Sanji sighed as he looked at the mess that the robbers had left behind. He would
have to clean up tomorrow morning or later that night. Now, though, he had work
to do.
Although the Paris Baguette was a successful joint, he had quickly realized that
he needed something to supplement his income if he wanted to live comfortably i
n a place like Navarone's Fire Sector. Thus, he had taken a second job as a chef
for one of the busiest restaurants in the city Rain Dinners. Although it was a bu
ffet and the owners were more concerned with producing quantity over quality, he
still insisted on maintaining flavor. The first day that he began working there
, he used scraps of food that other chefs had deemed as trash and turned them in
to dishes that were emptied almost as soon as they hit the buffet tables. Rain D
inners began to enjoy income on levels that were astounding and unprecedented be
cause of his treatment of food and his hesitancy to waste anything. They had eve
n set up a small booth for him to allow the diners to see him at work, pleasing
both Sanji and the female clientele to no end.
Sanji took one look at the ingredients and grills laid out before him and knew w
hat he would be cooking takoyaki. It was a fast dish that required little time or
skill, but which could be turned into something more spectacular than regular st
reet food with the right touch. The fact that watching it being made was fun was
always a bonus. Sanji immediately pulled his sleeves back, adjusted his chef's
hat, and flashed a winsome smile at the people who were already lining up to see
what he would make next.
---
"Look, Zoro! Takoyaki! I haven't had that since Ace brought some from Little Tok
yo," Luffy exclaimed excitedly as he dragged Zoro along. "It's too bad Tashigi a
nd Usopp and Chopper couldn't make it they like takoyaki, right?" They hadn't been
 to Rain Dinners in a long time because of Luffy's last display of gluttony, but
he was fairly certain that none of the waiters would remember them.
The glares that they received suggested otherwise.
---
Sanji looked up as the manager Chaka tapped him on the shoulder.
"What's up, Chaka?" Sanji asked, flipping the dumplings expertly.
Chaka pointed to the large group that had just entered. "You see that man there,
with the straw hat? Watch out for him. He's a customer of the worst sort. Last
time, we caught him eating ice cream straight from the dispensers, and taking wh
ole trays of food instead of putting it on his plate. He was oh my god is that Viv
i? What is she doing, hanging with that sort of man? Pell!" Chaka waved over his
co-manager. "Is that Vivi?"
"My goodness, so it is." The blond man watched curiously, without as much chagri
n as his business partner was displaying.
"We she what will her father say about this?"
"Who's the babe?" Sanji grinned lecherously.
"Quiet! That's Vivi Nefertari, the daughter of Cobra Nefertari!"
"Nefertari as in of Arabasta Mutual Banks?"
"Yes, 'that' Nefertari."
"Looks like her lady friend is quite the looker too."
"You lecher, do you oh she is, isn't she?" Pell whistled softly as he caught sight o
f the shapely woman following Vivi into the restaurant.
"Pell!"
"Relax, Chaka. I'm sure that Mr. Nefertari approves of them."
"But "
"You're starting to sound like Igaram. Don't."
"Oh, dear god, no."
Sanji shrugged as the two managers left. If they came and bothered him, he would
n't mind, as long as the men kept their hands to themselves.
"Are you sure you should be up and about, pansy?"
Sanji's head whipped up and he winced as a ball of takoyaki rolled off the grill
and onto the counter. Before he could pick it up, it was already in Luffy's mou
th.
"Mmm, this is good!"
"That wasn't even cooked all the way," Sanji informed Luffy. "You're that guy fr
om earlier today, aren't you? The asshole?"
Zoro growled and tugged on Luffy's arm, pulling the cap that he had donned furth
er down over his head. "Come on, let's go get something else to eat. I don't wan
t any of this shitty cook's crap."
"But it was soo good."
"Whose cooking are you calling crap?"
"Yours, crap cook."
"Bold words for a man who's too meek to go out without covering his head. Why do
you wear those hats, anyway?"
"Is there a problem?" Vivi asked softly. Behind them, a line was forming, and Sa
nji worked quickly to whip out the now-cooked takoyaki.
"Mellorine~! No, princess, there isn't a problem. I can only hope that you enjoy
this meager offering that I might give to you," Sanji said grandly. "Please, he
lp yourself. Would you like any toppings? Perhaps some takoyaki sauce?"
"A perverted and a shitty cook. Great combo."
"Hey, bro, don't hate!" Franky protested. "I'm sure he's got a reason for being
a womanizer, you know!"
Sanji slapped his forehead. "All of you, just get your food and keep moving. Tha
t is, except for you, my dears," Sanji said happily to Vivi and Robin.
"Good thing Tashigi couldn't come. She would have put this perv in a headlock,"
Zoro muttered as Franky and Luffy chuckled.
Sanji twitched, but didn't say anything as something niggled in the back of his
mind. As he looked at Zoro, he suddenly remembered an incident that had occurred
earlier that day concerning his blue dish. "Wait. There's one thing we haven't
settled yet."
"Oh? What's that?"
"My dishes. Because of you, I broke my best dishes."
"What the hell are you talking about? Why is this even relevant?"
"How could it get any less relevant, you idiot?"
"I hate it when morons answer questions with rhetorical questions."
"Hey, now just a minute "
"Sanji." A hand tapped him on the shoulder, and Sanji looked around to see Chaka
giving him a stern look. "Please do not argue with the customers."
Sanji sighed. "Alright. You. We'll take this outside after my shift."
---
A/N: So this is the first chapter! How was it? Feedback would be much appreciate
d.
And about Chopper yes, he is large. Imagine him in his human form, with his height
between 178 and 225 cm (5'10 to 7'4.5) in other words, somewhere between Zoro and
 Franky. Yeah. Big.
A short explanation concerning the Sectors, because even I'm confused as I'm wri
ting this. Okay. So basically, Navarone is divided into four different districts
, based on the elements (yeah really original, I know -.-) Water, Fire, Air, and
Earth, in order of wealth and prestige (with Water being the highest). More inf
ormation to come later.
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: Hmm, chapter two. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! This chapter is to estab
lish a bit more of the setting and connections and stuff. Enjoy!
---
Zoro ate listlessly, not noticing what he was putting on his plate as he wandere
d through the buffet tables and piled his plate high. If he was going to eat for
free at a place like Rain Dinners, then he was going to eat until his sides bur
st. He thought back to Sanji's challenge, and shrugged. It wouldn't kill him to
fight a bit on a full stomach. However, if Sanji was so confident about picking
a fight with Zoro, then he must have been capable of packing a punch.
Or maybe he was just a really arrogant bastard.
"Are you sure that it is wise to try and eat stewed radishes with carrot cake, Z
oro?" Robin asked. Her dark skin, almond-shaped eyes, and high cheekbones were e
vidence of her Native American heritage; she was a beauty that captured the eyes
of every man that she passed. She chuckled as Zoro quickly spat out what he had
been eating, after realizing that the taste was not an ideal combination.
"Thanks, Robin," Zoro muttered, separating the hodgepodge of food on his plate.
"Why did I pour soy sauce on my crab? Or put sweet and sour sauce on my oysters "
"Mmmm, that looks good!" Luffy exclaimed, reaching out quickly with his fork. "P
each cobbler and sashimi!"
"That's sick, bro," Franky groaned. "You make me retch just looking at you eat."
"Shishishi, try it!"
"Hell, no! Get that away from me, kid!" The Hawaiian man pushed Luffy away with
all his might, avoiding the offending fork.
"Did you know the chef at the takoyaki booth, Zoro?" Vivi asked, cutting delicat
ely into her fish. Her skin was bronzed by her Egyptian heritage and a life outd
oors, and her clothing whispered softly of old money; there were stories of her
family's bloodline extending all the way back to ancient royalty. "You seemed re
ally distracted after talking to him."
Zoro coughed as he swallowed abruptly, caught off-guard by the question. He clea
red his throat. "I went to this coffeehouse that he works this morning, and saw
him again in the hospital after he fell like an idiot and hit his head. I had to
take him home."
"That's quite unusual, for someone you have only just met," Robin mused. "How in
teresting."
"It's not anything weird, it just turned out like this," Zoro protested.
"Oh, did I say anything about that? I don't believe I suggested that anything ou
t of the ordinary was occurring. However, your flustered appearance and defensiv
e comments make me believe otherwise." Robin smiled sweetly at him as she bit de
licately into a strawberry.
" ."
"She's got you there, Zoro."
"Shut up, Franky."
---
Sanji watched Zoro out of the corner of his eye. He was curious to see what a ma
n like that ate. Probably a lot of steak, or meat in general, he was guessing. S
anji gaped in disbelief and almost missed pouring the batter into the skillet wh
en he saw Zoro piling an extremely random and eclectic mix of food onto his plat
e. Really, sardines with lychee fruit? Even I couldn't make that taste good. Jud
ging by Zoro's sour look once he sat down and looked at his plate, Zoro didn't r
eally want to eat what was on his plate, either. Sanji snorted in amusement as h
e flipped the takoyaki, and grimaced when he saw the straw hat kid gobbling what
ever was on Zoro's plate. At least the food isn't going to waste, then.
"Once this batch is done, your shift is done for the night. Patty and Carne are
working extra hours tonight, so you don't have to worry," Pell said as he stood
by Sanji's shoulder. Sanji jumped Pell was a freaking ninja sometimes and nodded.
It was about time to kick some musclehead's face in, anyway.
---
"We should probably be leaving, Luffy," Vivi suggested gently. "I believe that i
f we stay any longer, then this restaurant will not make any profits."
"But I'm still hungry, Vivi!"
"Do you want them to call Shanks again?"
"Ack! No! Alright, I'm coming!" Luffy jumped up, patting his stomach happily. "T
hat was really good, though. It's even better than I remember!"
Chaka, who had been standing nearby biting his nails as he watched Rain Dinners'
income go down the drain called Luffy, approached the group. "I see that this i
s not your first time frequenting our restaurant? The menu has been altered slig
htly, due to the efforts of a chef we hired not too long ago. You might have see
n him working at the takoyaki stall. I hope you enjoyed your meal." He nodded co
urteously to Vivi. "Miss Nefertari, I hope you are well?"
"Oh, Chaka, I keep telling you to call me Vivi. But yes, I am fine." The two exc
hanged pleasantries as the rest of the group left to wait outside.
Zoro stretched his arms, mimicking Luffy's motion of patting his stomach. "Final
ly, a real meal. I haven't eaten normal food for days."
"Chopper keeps telling you that you should get some real sustenance, though," Ro
bin chided him. "It's not like you couldn't afford to eat normally, after all."
"But it's a pain in the ass to cook."
"Can't cook, eh?" Sanji walked out from the alleyway where he had exited the res
taurant. A cigarette hung from his lips as his coat was thrown casually over one
arm. "Ready to settle our little dispute?"
"Looks, fighting won't resolve anything," Zoro said. "If it could, then I would
gladly beat the shit out of you to cure your idiocy. But beating you up won't ma
ke you less of an asshole, so there's no point in putting you down like that."
Sanji's face twitched violently. "You're really pushing your luck, you bastard,"
he growled angrily. "Let's find somewhere nice and quiet where we can duke it o
ut without disturbing the neighbors, shall we? It'll only take a minute."
Zoro turned to the others. "You guys can go on home."
"But we were going to go out for drinks tonight!" Franky protested. "I really ne
ed to unwind."
"Yeah, we were going to meet Tashigi at Cipher Pol. I heard that Brooke's going
to be playing tonight, too," Vivi added.
"They have the best buffalo wings there! We have to go, Zoro!" Luffy cried, as t
hough that would be great incentive for his friend. "You can bring this guy alon
g, too!"
Zoro sighed, twisting the cap around his head. "We'll see. I'll meet up with you
guys after I take care of this, okay?"
"Okay, Zoro," Robin said with a smile, pulling Vivi and Franky along. "Are you c
oming, Luffy?"
"Nah. I have to wait here so I can take him, or else he'll get lost."
"Good idea."
"Hey, I'm not going to get lost." Zoro turned around back to Sanji. "Ready?"
"Hell, yeah."
Zoro knew that his strongest fighting style was one that involved weapons that's w
hy he was a kendo instructor at Baroque Works. Still, he was confident of his ge
neral physical ability, and had grudgingly accepted hand-to-hand lessons from Da
z Bones whenever they happened to be in the building at the same time between cl
asses. He and the other instructors would often meet up (Daz was just weird in t
hat he didn't like to socialize all the much) and brawl right in the building, w
ith the victor being allowed to treat the other teachers as their students for t
he day. On more than one occasion, Zoro had found himself doing squats with the
other losers up and down the stairs, and had had the opportunity to learn a vari
ety of different styles.
Zoro knew that he was powerful. But this guy was fast. Who knew that a guy who s
pent his time doing diddly-squat in a café or kitchen could move that fast? Zoro
underestimated his range, too; the first kick nearly grazed the bridge of his n
ose, and the second sweeping leg was only barely avoided. Zoro grabbed one leg a
nd they stood, glaring at each other in a stalemate. If Zoro tried to twist Sanj
i, then the blond man could use that momentum and distraction to his advantage.
If Sanji tried to kick out too early, then Zoro had the advantage of holding San
ji's leg down.
Sanji grimaced as he tested Zoro's grip on his leg. He might as well have pinned
his leg in a block of cement. He could tell that this guy would bash his brains
out in a single hit, without any fancy moves or tactical awareness. It was like
fighting a monster.
Zoro scowled when he felt Sanji testing his grip. He had to be on his toes if he
wanted to make sure that Sanji didn't try anything funny. Zoro knew that the co
ok was one who was as slippery as a snake he would probably try to twist out of hi
s predicament and go on the offensive at the same time.
They regarded each other silently, both knowing that they were in equal situatio
ns.
Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all.
In their concentration, they didn't see a monkey-limbed individual approach them
at a sprint and hit them both across the face.
"Luffy!"
"Oi!"
"This is boring! All that you're doing is standing there," Luffy complained. "If
that's all you're going to do, then let's go to Cipher Pol! Jeez!" He picked th
e two of them up by their collars with surprising strength and dragged them in t
hat general direction. Zoro squirmed in alarm as his hat was knocked off in the
scuffle.
"Luffy, wait. I dropped my "
"Kid, you had better not be manhandling my Banana Republic green hair? What the fu
ck?"
Zoro sighed, picking up his cap. "Never mind. If you say anything about my hair,
then I'll kill you, cook."
"You tried. You failed. So, green, huh?" The two men stood of their own accord a
nd followed Luffy. "You weren't drunk when this happened, were you? I mean, guys
usually get tattoos when they get drunk but this?"
Zoro scoffed. "I never get drunk. Apparently it's some sort of recessive allele
from my Ainu roots that hasn't been seen for generations. Centuries, even."
"Well, yeah. It's no wonder it's a recessive gene. Who would want to breed with
a guy who looks like that?"
"You have a problem with it?" Zoro squinted at Sanji's face. "What's up with you
r eyebrow, anyway? You look like a villain from a silent film. You didn't try to
pluck it and mess up, did you?"
" of course not. W-why would I try and pluck my eyebrows?"
The two of them argued and traded insults for the entire half hour walk to the b
ar, having forgotten the original reason for their dispute. Luffy listened in am
usement until they reached the doors, saying things like "You guys are bonding!"
which would only set off the duo into a renewed argument. The wild-looking boun
cer at the door grinned as he saw Luffy and Zoro, but raised a quizzical eyebrow
as he saw Sanji. His long moustache twitched in suspicion.
"A new friend or what?" the man asked, jerking a thumb at Sanji. "If he's giving
 you trouble, Zoro, we can take care of him."
Zoro was sorely tempted to let him beat Sanji up, but shrugged. "Nah, Jyabura. T
his guy's he's with us tonight." Sanji looked at him in surprise.
Maybe this guy isn't so bad after all.
"We're doing that big-brother program for people in Special Education."
Fuck it, this guy is going to die.
Jyabura shrugged. "If you say so. Oh, Luffy, your brother came through tonight.
He should still be inside."
"Oooh, okay! Thanks!" The three of them walked through the doors into the buildi
ng and were enveloped by the music. The three-story establishment was filled to
capacity with writhing bodies on the bottom dance floor and laughing individuals
on the second-story's bar. The second floor was open in the middle, giving ever
yone a view of the dance floor and the poles lined with neon lights that stretch
ed from the ceiling to the platforms on the first floor. The top floor was also
open in the middle, although the entrance was closed off as "VIP only." Luffy gu
ffawed as he pointed to one of the poles and waved wildly. "Ace! Ace!" The figur
e wrapping itself around the pole looked up and waved back merrily.
"Hey, Luffy!"
Sanji stared. "Is that a guy?"
Zoro nodded, slapping his forehead. "He's this idiot's brother. Frankly, I'm sti
ll surprised that his pants are still on. He pole dances here because of the tip
s the girls go wild. See?" He pointed, and Sanji could see a group of girls cluste
red around the base of the platform, giggling and inserting bills into Ace's wai
stband whenever he was close enough.
"It's like a strip club," Sanji said, his mouth hanging open.
"Most of the people here are normal, compared to him," Zoro said. He turned and
saw Luffy already walking upstairs. "Looks like he found everyone else."
They found Franky, Robin, Vivi, and Franky sitting with Tashigi, Chopper, and Us
opp; the latter three had found time to meet up, it seemed. Chopper leapt up whe
n he saw Sanji and pulled him to sit down, checking his pulse and his pupils. Sa
nji looked up at the enormous guy tending to him and was speechless.
Zoro chuckled as he sat down opposite to Sanji. "That's Chopper. He's the one wh
o took care of you at the hospital."
"This guy? He looks like a beast!"
"Hey! I'm not a beast! Oh, you seem to have recovered really well, by the way,"
Chopper said. "Your eyes are responding to the light well, and your body is "
"Alright, doctor, if he's fine then he's fine," Zoro interrupted. As Chopper pun
ched him (he winced and rubbed his arm ruefully) he looked around. "Did you guys
get your drinks already?"
Franky looked at Zoro over his sunglasses. "Are you kidding me? It's Thursday ni
ght. You know what that means."
Zoro suddenly grinned and nodded. "Oh, yeah. The Shigan Special, right? I comple
tely forgot about that." The rest of the group clapped excitedly as Sanji looked
around in confusion.
"Oh! Guys, this is Sanji!" Luffy exclaimed. As introductions went around, Sanji
immediately bent on one knee as he held Robin and Vivi by the hand (Tashigi had
looked at him oddly and refused to give him hers; she recognized him from when h
e had tried to woo her after she had dispatched Buggy earlier that day).
"Ah, for such roses to exist in this garden " Sanji began, but was interrupted by
a cough behind him. He turned around and his mouth dropped open as he saw a slim
woman in a black, fitted skirt waiting impatiently for him to stop. "Ah! Mellor
ine!"
"So where's the booze, Kalifa?" Zoro demanded cheekily. "C'mon, we all know that
you were expecting us."
"Just a moment. Sir, are you aware that your actions could be construed as sexua
l harassment?" Kalifa stated flatly, glaring at Sanji. She slapped his hand away
as he began to spew compliments. "Lucci is bringing your drinks. Blueno was una
ble to make it tonight, but I assure you that Lucci is more than capable." Wild
cheers and hoots could be heard coming from the bar, and she smiled wanly. "It s
ounds like he's on his way."
The man approaching them with the trays balanced perfectly on his arms and head
glowered at the cheering club-goers and set his load on the table without a sing
le drop spilled on his black slacks or vest. The trays held mugs of some form of
alcohol; Sanji could smell the raw spirits and knew that this wasn't a normal c
ocktail party. Lucci was good-looking in a way that was refined enough to be cul
tured, but rough enough to suggest violence and bloodlust. His dark eyes surveye
d the group and stopped on Sanji.
"I don't believe we've met before. My name is Lucci."
Sanji held out a hand, and only barely managed to keep from wincing under the ot
her man's grip. "I'm Sanji. Nice to meet you."
Lucci nodded and gestured to the trays he had set out. "Tonight's Shigan Special
. You know the rules. Two players will face two challengers from the crowd. Each
team must finish their drinks within a specified time limit and will go on the
dance floor to pole dance." Lucci's face twitched when he said 'pole dance,' as
though it was too vulgar a concept for him to mention. "Whoever receives the bes
t reaction from the crowd wins and gets free drinks, compliments of the losing t
eam. Who will be playing tonight?"
Zoro immediately slammed a fist down. "I'm down for it. Who's with me?" Franky o
pened his mouth, but Zoro cut him off. "Hell, no. Last time you were arrested fo
r public indecency. We really don't need to see the tattoo you got from your col
lege frat again."
"I'll do it," a sultry voice said. Sanji looked up and gaped. He got an eyeful o
f tanned skin, hard muscles, and sweat running down a chest exposed by an open s
hirt. Baggy jeans just barely hung on hips that swayed with every movement, and
Sanji found that it was difficult to swallow. Dark, wavy locks of hair covered t
winkling eyes and a smattering of freckles over a gorgeous smile.
What the hell? This guy he's a guy, Sanji thought to himself. Pull yourself togeth
er, you idiot! Look at all these beautiful women!
"Hey, Ace!" Luffy greeted the other man excitedly. "How'd you do tonight?"
Ace pulled a wad of crumpled bills some with phone numbers scrawled across from his
pockets and waist. "Those chicks are so generous, Luffy. I love them all."
"Pimp," Usopp coughed.
Ace laughed. "Of course. So, who's willing to face us? I doubt there's anyone wh
o has the balls to do it."
Two men walked from the crowd that had formed around their table. One had a moha
wk and intricate tribal tattoos that ran across his face and a torso that was re
vealed by a partially-unbuttoned shirt. The other wore round sunglasses and wore
a shorter mohawk. They were both dark-skinned and looked extremely confident.
"Ah, cousins," Robin greeted them. "Everyone, meet Wiper and Kamakiri. They're v
isiting Navarone this week."
"You're related?" Chopper asked in surprise.
"Vaguely," Wiper supplied. His voice was deep and serious, although a hint of hu
mor could be seen in the depths of his dark eyes. "We still consider each other
as cousins, though. Perhaps even siblings."
"Well then, come on and sit down!" Ace said happily. "I hope you fellows brought
your wallets, because we're sure as hell not going to pay for all of this."
Kamakiri smiled thinly. "We could say the same of you."
Lucci and Kalifa arranged the glasses of drinks equally before both groups. "The
time limit for your beverages is one hour. As long as the drinks are collective
ly finished by a team, then that's fine. Ready? Set. Go!" Each man grabbed a cup
and immediately began to drink. Sanji watched in fascination as he saw that all
the men were seasoned drinkers not a single drop fell down their chins, and he co
uld see their throats bobbing expertly as they drank without a hitch. They drank a
nd drank and drank.
"Isn't this kind of dangerous?" Sanji whispered to Chopper. "I mean, you're a do
ctor after all."
Chopper sighed. "I thought so before, too, but Zoro has a general plan with this
game that tends to work. He picks a really good dance partner and does most of
the drinking himself. I tried to talk him out of doing this, but his body metabo
lizes the alcohol oddly. I did blood tests, and the alcohol barely gets absorbed i
t mostly just passes through his system harmlessly. Weird, huh?"
Sanji nodded and turned to the table. He could see that Ace had stopped drinking
, although he could see an impressive number of empty cups in front of the man.
"Alright, Zoro. You do your thing," Ace said with a grin. "I've reached my limit
. Any more and Smoker will be coming after me again if I do something drunk agai
n. He actually fined me the other day just for driving around without a shirt can
you believe that? I mean, he claims that it was because I was driving around 100
miles per hour, but I know he just wanted to take an eyeful."
Zoro snorted into his cup but gulped the last of the alcohol. Sanji picked up an
empty cup and sniffed. It smelled a bit like beer, but he couldn't really tell.
Give him a good cup of wine or coffee, and he could tell from a mile off, but h
e wasn't particularly familiar with beer or hard liquors.
Wiper and Kamakiri were beginning to slow down slightly, but Zoro was still goin
g strong. Kamakiri stopped drinking, and it was a drinking battle between Zoro a
nd Wiper. Apparently, the two challengers had the same mentality and strategy as
Zoro and Ace did.
"Ten minutes left."
Zoro grabbed the last cup at the same time as Wiper did. They drank in synch, an
d slammed their cups down at the same time. "Go!" they gasped, wiping their mout
hs.
"You're a pretty good drinker," Wiper groaned, watching as Kamakiri and Ace leap
t down to the dance floor and jumped onto the platforms.
"You're not too bad yourself. This was fun," Zoro replied.
"They're break dancing!" Usopp yelled, running to the crowded railing. This was
where the real entertainment began. "Aren't they supposed to be on the poles, th
ough?"
"If they both agree to the same form of dance, then that is permissible," Lucci
said flatly. "Do you desire to see them on the poles, Usopp?"
"N-no, Lucci," Usopp stuttered, backing up slightly. "This is fine!"
Kamakiri moved with grace and strength reminiscent of Tai Chi, and he coolly per
formed handstands and flips without a hitch in his movement; he was like water,
flowing and smooth. Ace, however, was on fire his moves were wild and unpredictabl
e, hot and seductive as he rolled his hips and moved his body in ways that made
the girls scream and the guys cheer.
Ace looked at the platform and then back at Kamakiri. "Want to try it out?"
Kamakiri smirked, his cheeks flushed from the drinking and exertion. "If you're
up to it, then let's do it." They jumped onto the platforms and began to dance.
"Woah, I've never seen Ace pull that move before."
"Wiper, where did Kamakiri learn that from? Last time I saw him, he was quite sh
y."
"We've been traveling a lot. You'd be surprised what he could do now, Robin."
"If I was a chick, I'd so totally dig what they were doing now."
"Yeah, you make it sound like you don't enjoy it, Franky."
"Is it safe for him to bend like that?"
"Shishishi, I saw Ace pulling that one off when I walked in on him and this girl
!"
"Luffy...oh, forget it."
Lucci walked the display silently and made his way to the DJ's stage. He whisper
ed to the long-nosed man controlling the music, who nodded in understanding. A l
oud and cheerful voice boomed over the speakers.
"Alright everyone, this is it! This week's Shigan Special will be determined by
the power of your voice! I want y'all to cheer if you're digging Kamakiri, the f
ellow with the shades!" A powerful wave of shrieks and cheers rose from the crow
d. "Now, who thinks that Ace is the " Before he could even finish his sentence, th
e crowd went wild. Sanji winced as he covered his ears, trying to block out the
deafening noise. "Ah, I guess that settles it. The winners are Zoro and Ace! Goo
d job, you guys!"
Zoro grinned and held a hand out to Wiper. "Good try, rookie."
Wiper scoffed and slapped his hand into Zoro's. Everyone watched in interest as
their grips tightened in a test of strength. They finally mutually broke apart,
smiling slightly before Wiper went to find Kamakiri. Ace returned and laughed he
artily.
"Silly boys," Robin sighed as Vivi nodded solemnly in agreement.
"Free drinks! This is the life," Ace said happily. "Kalifa, dear, could you get
us a round of martinis? You know, something nice and fruity to calm down a bit."
Zoro leaned back as everyone settled into conversation. He was still stoked from
his match against Wiper, and looked forward to meeting up with that guy again;
maybe he'd invite him to Baroque Works for a sparring session. Wiper looked like
a pretty fit guy despite the fact that he must have been a heavy drinker, his abs
were still well-defined and his chest was as solid as a warrior's.
"You're a beast, man." Sanji took a seat next to Zoro after Kalifa had told him
that she would call the police if he continued to flirt shamelessly with her. "D
rinking that much isn't human."
"Maybe I'm not human, then."
"Yeah, you must be a Martian. Green hair and all. So, why don't you tell me a li
ttle more about your group? I was kind of just, um, whisked here by your friend
over there, so it's weird, you know? I still don't know why I'm here."
"Well, Luffy's just like that. If he likes you, then he'll just befriend you lik
e it's nothing. He and his brother own the Galley-La apartments. They're pretty
well-off because of it. Franky's an engineer I think he works for the government,
because his work hours are weird as hell. He has blueprints of all these machine
s and ships in his house that no one can understand at all, except for maybe Uso
pp. Usopp's the guy with the long nose. He's well, he does everything, it you ask
him. He's dabbled in engineering and architecture, but he's a writer for the mos
t part. His series of children's books, 'Captain Usopp's Adventures,' are pretty
popular. Chopper's the big one. He might be a giant, but he's a damned good doc
tor."
"What about the ladies?" Sanji asked anxiously. "The guys sound cool but the ladie
s, Zoro!"
"Tch, the ladies." Zoro looked uncomfortable for a moment as he paused. "Vivi's
the daughter of this big-shot banker. Robin is a history professor at the Navaro
ne University. I heard that a bunch of guys take her class because she's hot, bu
t they go crazy because of the work load. Tashigi works at the police department
. She's pretty strong."
"That was a pretty brief introduction. I guess I'll have to speak to them more i
n-depth myself," Sanji said with a lewd smile. "I met Tashigi earlier today, dur
ing a little incident at the coffeehouse." Zoro raised an eyebrow as he remember
ed Tashigi alluding to it before, but was interrupted by Franky.
Franky leaned over and laughed, his cheeks red from drinking. "Ah, Zoro? Yeaaah,
'course he won't be saying much 'bout the ladies. Awkward, you know? I mean, th
're cool now, but the transsssition from dating to being jus' friends wasn't smo
oth at all."
"D-dating?! You've dated all these lovely women?" Sanji growled at Zoro, taking
care to not let his voice carry over too far. "They're so elegant, and lovely!"
Zoro shifted awkwardly. "Yeah. It didn't really end that well, though. I mean, t
hey were all mutual understandings but that doesn't change the fact that being f
riends is weird after you've been screwing "
"ACK! I don't want to hear about your conquests," Sanji sputtered. "I can't beli
eve they went out with a Neanderthal like you."
Robin heard that last comment and sidled over to sit with them, running one hand
lightly along Zoro's shoulders. "Oh, Zoro? He's quite the gentleman, surprising
ly. Of course, it doesn't hurt when he dresses decently." She frowned at his ens
emble. "You're wearing a sweatsuit, Zoro. To the Cipher Pol. I can't believe Jya
bura let you through like that."
"They don't care. My little display with the Shigan Special is enough to draw mo
re people than they could ever get otherwise. Blueno told me that the nights I c
ome for that are the ones that the bar sales peak."
"But still, didn't Vivi and I get you a nice wardrobe?"
"Well it's still in my closet somewhere. I don't need to wear it for work or anyth
ing."
Vivi moved to sit next to them as well, tiring of listening to Luffy and Usopp g
ush about their latest Halo victories. "Zoro, just because you're used to living
like a bum doesn't mean you should keep living like one. What have you been eat
ing at home lately, anyway?"
"Well, there was some bread "
" and I'll bet that it's the bread we dropped off the last time we were there. Rea
lly, Zoro, we need to find time to go shopping," Vivi said firmly. Zoro shuddere
d at the suggestion and didn't respond. Robin looked at Sanji and brightened as
she took in his trim appearance dark jeans accented by a leather belt, a dark blue
button-down Banana Republic shirt that he had changed into after work, and shin
ing leather shoes. Simple, but versatile.
"Perhaps you could help him, Sanji," Robin suggested. "It might be presumptuous
after having just met, but " She leaned over and stroked Sanji's chin gently, maki
ng him shiver delightfully. "It would mean so much to us if you could help him.
You look like the kind of man who knows about style." She smiled, making his hea
rt melt.
"Mellorine~! Of course!"
---
"Why are we doing this?" Zoro grumbled, scratching his neck in annoyance.
"Because Robin asked me to," Sanji replied simply. His face said That's all the
reason I need, isn't it?
"You only met her last night. Don't you have the café to attend?"
"Closing for one day won't kill me. Besides, most people are still working or ar
e at school at this hour, so business is slow. Do you have to work?"
"I have the day off."
"I see. Well, let's take a look at your apartment, shall we?"
Zoro shook his head and led the way. He couldn't believe how things had turned o
ut. It had only been two days since he'd first laid eyes on Sanji, but here they
were getting ready to pick out furniture. What the heck. He hardly even knew th
e guy, and now they were acting like damned newlyweds or something.
No. Not newlyweds. Um really good friends?
Damn Luffy and his friendliness. Damn Robin and her manipulative abilities.
"Wow, this place is pretty nice. You really live here?"
"Yep. I moved here while I went to the University. It's not too far from work, a
nd my friends live around here, so it's a good location." Zoro bypassed the elev
ator and led the way up to his floor.
"We couldn't have just used the elevator?"
"What, are you tired, cook?"
"It would have been faster. And simpler. And more logical."
"Tch. The elevator is still too slow. Here we are. Take off your shoes before yo
u enter."
"Wow, this place is a dump." Sanji looked around at the flat in disgust. "Even m
y place is better than this."
"It's not a dump!"
"Compared to the rest of the building, it is. Or compared to that cardboard box
that I saw a homeless man living in. I mean, it could look really nice if it did
n't look like this. You don't utilize your space at all! A beanbag chair? Really?
You don't even have a couch! And " Sanji walked briskly to the kitchen, throwing t
he fridge door open. He winced. "There's egg yolk spilled in here. And I definit
ely don't want to know what used to be in that take-out box."
"Might've been the Thai food from a few weeks ago. It's still good."
"I think the mold has evolved and eaten your food." Sanji closed the door and we
nt into the bedroom. "The place is pretty big, though. Woah. Where did you get t
his mattress from the University dorms?" Sanji squinted at the worn mattress, as t
hough he was trying to block it from his sight but couldn't quite tear his eyes
away.
"Yeah. Someone threw it out, so I took it after I found it on the street."
" "
"What?"
"You're getting a new mattress. Why don't you have a bed frame?"
"I like to sleep close to the floor."
"Well, we'll find a low one, then." Sanji opened the dressed and scowled. "Pleas
e don't tell me that you store your dirty underwear in here."
"I haven't done my laundry yet. So shoot me."
"I really want to kill you right now." Sanji perused the closet, whose contents
looked untouched. "Your friends have good taste. You should appreciate this a li
ttle more, you ingrate."
"Are you going to just walk around and criticize my house, or are you going to d
o something?"
Sanji sighed. "This calls for an immediate plan of action. How much are you will
ing to spend?"
"Nothing." The phone rang, and Zoro went back into the living room to pick it up
. "Hello?...oh, hey Robin. Is that Vivi I heard in the background? What's up yeah,
he's here. He's being a total asshole what? Wait, say that Robin, just because Miha
wk's paying me well doesn't mean I should just blow it on oh. Come on, Robin. Don'
t bring that up, I was really drunk fine. I understand. Don't think you can just yea
h, you too. Goodbye."
"Was that Robin?"
"Yeah. Er " Zoro sighed heavily and dug into his sweatpants pocket. He pulled out
a beaten leather wallet and reluctantly pulled out a Visa card. "Um she told me well u
se this today." Sanji took the card, after prying it from Zoro's hands.
"So I can go all-out?"
"Don't be wasteful. Get some good-quality stuff."
"You make it sound like you're not coming with me."
"I hate shopping."
"Unless you want me to max out your credit card, I suggest you come with me."
"Ugh, fine!"
---
"This is the worst fucking experience in my life. Even worse than eating stale n
atto."
"Quiet, you cabbage-head. We're almost done."
"Almost? What do you mean, almost? Isn't this our last stop?"
"We're stopping by Trader Joe's to get you some real food."
"I won't eat it if it has the words 'whole grain' or 'organic' on it."
"It's good for you. You'll live longer and better."
"Says the smoker. Just pay for this so we can leave. I don't see why I need all of
these cooking utensils. I'll just go out and eat."
"One day you'll thank me for this. Besides, you should take a cooking class. Wha
t if there's a day when all the restaurants are closed?"
"Panda Express is always open when I need it. It's more faithful than a woman th
at way, and cheaper, too."
"That's a sick metaphor."
"It's not that bad."
"You're right. Well, I'll show you how to boil water so you can at least make ha
rd-boiled eggs and pasta."
"Very funny, cook."
"Did that sound like a joke?"
---
"What the hell is hummus?"
"Try it. You'll like it." The two of them were sitting cross-legged on boxes tha
t held all the furniture that Sanji had bought with Zoro that day.
"That's what my mom used to tell me. I still don't like cauliflower."
"Here. You put it on the pita bread and then put it in your mouth. Basic mastica
tion," Sanji said as Zoro snorted. "Mastication. You know, the art of chewing. E
ven cows can do it. Not Oh, grow up, would you?"
"Can we just set everything up? All these boxes are completely throwing off the
feng shui of my apartment."
"You follow stuff like that?"
"No. But I was convincing, wasn't I?"
Sanji sighed. "Let's set everything up, then. I'm throwing your beanbag chair ou
t, by the way. And your mattress. Your fridge will stay until the new one gets d
elivered. The television, too."
"Sure. Go ahead, gut my apartment. It's only my stuff."
"We got enough stuff to replace all that crap, anyway."
"Hey! That beanbag chair has a lot of memories!" Zoro protested as Sanji gingerl
y picked up the chair.
Sanji looked at the misshapen chair in his hands and made a mental note to thoro
ughly wash his hands later.
"The first thing we'll set up is the TV, since it's smack dab in the middle of e
verything," he said, kicking the beanbag chair near the door. He had to admit, t
hough, that the squashy chair was well-made it didn't even rip a little when he ki
cked it. "Then, there's the furniture. Leather's always nice, and it's easier to
wipe off spills even if it's a pain in the ass to get it cleaned." He pulled a
roll of masking tape from his pocket. "After we set up the TV, I'll show you whe
re to put everything."
"Just throw it all against the wall."
"No. That's stupid."
"You're stupid."
"Okay, this is getting a little too immature," Sanji sighed, ignoring Zoro. "Let
's just put everything together, okay?"
They managed to put everything together without killing each other, although the
re were some close calls. They argued over everything where to put things, how to
angle them, whether Philips screwdrivers were better than flatheads, just to nam
e a few but in the end, all the furnishings were complete.
Sanji immediately took control again. "Okay, take this chaise lounge "
"The what?"
Sanji rolled his eyes and pointed at the long sofa. "That sofa. Lounge chair. The
long one, right there. Yes, that one. We're putting it parallel to the wall so w
e can form a little circle around the TV. Do you see what I'm getting at?"
"No. It's a complete waste of space." Zoro stuck his bottom lip out obstinately.
The two men glared at each other, feeling the tides of impending battle rising i
n their blood.
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: Thanks for reviewing, everyone! It made the next chapter go (a little) more
quickly. Enjoy!
And sentimentalreality, the 'Usopp Affair' will not be addressed for a while...b
ut when it does, it will be quite embarassing and entertaining. :]
---
Zoro woke up groggily on Monday morning to hear someone knocking politely on his
door. He groaned and rolled over, resolving to ignore the sound. The tapping st
opped, but was replaced by the bangs of two pairs of solid fists. Zoro curled up
under his pillow, but eventually resigned himself to the fact that whatever ass
hole was at the door would not give up.
"Fine, I'm coming! Just stop knocking already!" Zoro rolled out of bed that was th
e advantage of not having a bed frame and lurched to the door, pulling it open wit
h a scowl. "What do you want?"
He blinked. Luffy, Franky, Robin, and Vivi were blinking back at him. He could h
ave sworn that he saw Robin's eyes twinkling as she took in his rumpled appearan
ce green and white striped boxer shorts that were in desperate need of cleaning, a
white t-shirt, and earrings that had left three imprints on the side of his fac
e as he slept. He yawned, and they shrank back in the face of his morning breath
.
"What are you guys doing here?"
They promptly ignored him and let themselves into his living abode.
"Oh my, Zoro, your apartment looks fabulous. Go brush your teeth, by the way."
Zoro decided that fighting was a lost cause.
"Thanks, Robin."
"Is that a Kenmore refrigerator? I've been meaning to get one for the house, but
I always heard that Kitchenaid was better," Vivi said, studying the fridge clos
ely and opening the doors experimentally. "Wow! I didn't know you drank organic
soy milk, Zoro!"
"Neither did I. I've never tried the stuff before. The cook said that the Kenmor
e is better, for some reason. I didn't really listen to his explanation." He spo
ke in short sentences, trying to wake up so he could be a little clearer.
"Woo, you have a giant flatscreen! Nice!" Luffy cried, running over and staring
at the television in awe.
"Yeah, now you can bring your Xbox 360 so we can kick some serious ass in Halo i
n high definition."
"Dude, we have to have a party here. Like, now."
" now, Franky?"
"Of course! Doesn't the spontaneity make it more super?"
"That sounds like a good idea, but perhaps we should plan it more thoroughly. Ho
w does Wednesday night sound?"
"Are you planning a party in my apartment, Robin?"
"Well, you're obviously not going to take the initiative to do it."
"What a bold woman."
"Thank you, Franky. Did you thank Sanji, Zoro?" Robin asked pleasantly. Zoro mum
bled something in reply. "What was that?" Her smile was as pleasant as ever, but
he could feel an edge in her tone and shuddered accordingly.
"Er, we started to argue over where to arrange the furniture. I wanted it all ag
ainst the wall, but he said something about arranging it in front of the TV whil
e still having room to move around comfortably. He left after I refused to move
it." Zoro didn't tell her that he had bruises all over his torso with foot and k
nee imprints, and was glad that it was custom to leave shoes by the door; he shu
ddered to think of what would have happened if Sanji had connected while wearing
hard shoes.
"But everything is situated around the television," Robin pointed out. Zoro flus
hed in embarrassment.
"Well, yeah, after he left I moved it. Um it turns out that he was right."
---
"Shitty broccoli-head." Strong hands kneaded the dough firmly, palm against stic
ky dough. "Stupid arrogant ungrateful uncouth " Sanji muttered under his breath as he po
unded the dough. He stopped, realizing that all the air bubbles had been squashe
d out, and sighed as he began to manipulate tiny folds in the substance, fingers
moving on their own. "Damned idiot scoring with those gorgeous women can't even tell
where the furniture should go " Sanji stopped short as he realized that he had mad
e a convincing likeness of the swordsman, wearing the triumphant expression that
 Zoro had worn upon winning the Shigan Special challenge. "Argh!" He smashed a f
ist into the dough, startling Nami.
"Is something the matter, Sanji?" she asked, folding her newspaper carefully.
"Ah, of course not, Nami! Not with you here!" Sanji said jubilantly. "More coffe
e?"
When Nami had left for work she was a newspaper editor who dabbled in stocks Sanji s
ighed heavily as he cleaned up. Today had been busy, as Monday mornings always w
ere, with people rushing in and out for a jolt of caffeine before rushing back o
ut to work or school. He hated how few people stopped to enjoy their coffee or t
o take in the ambiance.
The bell tinkled, and Sanji looked up with the customary "Welcome!"
He stopped short when he saw Zoro looking at him oddly. It might have had someth
ing to do with the pink apron he was wearing.
An apron is an apron. It serves its purpose, regardless of its color, Sanji thou
ght firmly.
"What do you want?" Sanji asked coldly. He put down the cloth he was using to wi
pe down the tables and glared at Zoro. "Going to treat me like the ingrate you a
re?"
Zoro scowled, but braced himself. After he had shooed everyone out of his apartm
ent he had come down to the Paris Baguette fully intending to apologize. He foun
d that it was becoming increasingly difficult while actually facing Sanji.
"I'm just here to say sorry for being a bit unfair yesterday. I'm grateful that yo
u helped me, especially since we're practically strangers," Zoro grudgingly said
. "I, um, moved the furniture around the television."
Sanji stared at Zoro. Was Zoro really apologizing? He seemed more like the silen
t and proud type who would refuse to sacrifice his pride for anything. Well, he
took what he could get. "Oh did you put it on the tape markers I left on the floor
?"
" ?"
Sanji sighed, but smiled despite himself. "The morning rush is over. C'mon, I'll
go and fix it for you."
"Actually, I have to go to work."
"You have a job?" Sanji slapped himself immediately after asking that. He knew t
hat Zoro must have some kind of employment if he lived at a place like Galley-La
(in Water Sector, no less), but he just couldn't see the other man sitting in a
cubicle or working with people at all. "I mean, crap, what's your job?"
"I'm a martial arts instructor."
Oh. That sounded more likely than a secretary or accountant, or anything normal
like that. "I see. That's cool?"
"You can come watch if you want. I'll be heading home afterwards."
Sanji looked around the empty café and shrugged. "Sure. I don't have much to do
until lunchtime around here, anyway. Is it very far?"
"It's a five minute drive."
"I don't see a car."
"It's a twenty minute walk."
"If you didn't bring a car, then just say so!" Sanji huffed, before turning arou
nd and heading upstairs. "I'm going to get changed. I'll be down in a minute."
"Hurry up, cook. My class starts in half an hour."
Sanji went to his room and pulled his closet open. "Brisk morning weather, but i
f we'll be moving furniture later then it should be something comfortable," he m
used to himself. He pulled out a pair of faded jeans that had become stylish, fo
r some reason (he wasn't complaining; he didn't have to explain the holes in the
knees, then) with a plain sky-blue shirt under a button-down Ralph Lauren shirt
. "Okay, Sanji, you're only going to be hanging out with a barbarian. It doesn't
matter what you wear." He jogged back downstairs, grabbing a set of keys from a
basket on the counter on his way out.
"What were you doing, getting ready for a date? C'mon!" Zoro said sarcastically.
"I'm going to be late."
"Don't worry," Sanji said, rolling his eyes. He jingled his keys and pointed to
a dark blue Volkswagen Beetle that was parked next to the café. "We're driving."
Zoro stared at the little automobile and didn't budge. "I'm not driving in that.
That's a girly car."
"It's not girly."
"It's it's a convertible? You need a manly sports car to pull that off. Not a cute
little thing like that."
"Please don't tell me that you just called my car cute. Just get in and shut up.
If what you said is correct, then it's only a five minute drive, right?"
"Fine," Zoro grumbled. He gave Sanji the address and sat sullenly in his seat un
til they arrived at their destination with a bit of cursing on Sanji's part afte
r someone cut him off.
"You work here?" Sanji gaped. "It's huge!"
Zoro couldn't help himself. "That's what she said."
"Oh, now, that's just immature. What is this place?"
"This is where I teach. It's called Baroque Works."
"Funky name," Sanji muttered as they entered the building. Sanji hummed apprecia
tively at the décor. "Now, whoever designed this knew what they were doing." The
tinted glass doors gave way to black tiles and creamy wallpaper. Exotic potted
plants dotted the pathway to the receptionist's desk, which was made of a black
marble similar in color to the floor. Along the walls were black and white portr
aits of instructors in action at regular intervals, as well as of Mihawk and Cro
codile. Plush leather benches created symmetry in the small, luxurious space too l
uxurious, it seemed, for a regular martial arts institute. "How the hell does a
martial arts organization afford things like this?"
"The prices are inflated," Zoro grumbled. "But the pay is good. Coming?"
"Yeah, just a sec," Sanji said. He pointed to a picture of a man swinging swords
in both hands, between the picture of a man wearing makeup? performing a roundhouse
kick and the portrait of another darker man in mid-punch. All he needed to see
to identify the figure was green hair. "Is that you?"
Zoro pulled him along before Sanji could get a closer look. "No. Maybe. Let's go
, I'm late."
Zoro dashed up the stairs and ran down the hall to his class.
"You're late again, sensei," several children chorused morosely as they looked a
t him, waiting in a row while sitting patiently on their knees.
"I got held up. Did you warm up?"
"Yes, sensei."
"Good. Pair up and practice the last defensive stance I taught you. Whoever does
n't defend properly receives punishment. Whoever fails to land a hit also receiv
es punishment."
"Awe, sensei! That's not fair!"
"Yeah, you sadist, that doesn't sound fair at all," Sanji said as he walked thro
ugh the door at a more leisurely pace. "At least half of these kids are already
condemned."
"Then they better pick up their game if they don't want to be the half that has
to do pushups," Zoro shot back. "Oy, still sitting? Go!"
Sanji sat cross-legged on the firm mats that were on the floor after removing hi
s shoes and placing them in a cubbyhole on a shelf by the practice area. He watc
hed Zoro walked among the students, correcting a stance here and rapping a mista
ken student on the head on occasion. Sanji smiled when Zoro looked proudly at hi
s students, before scowling once he thought someone was looking at him.
When the one-on-one practice was over, Zoro began to pull students individually
from the larger group and line them up against the wall. Everyone trembled, wond
ering which group was safe and which was not. Zoro pointed at the students linin
g the wall and ordered, "Wall squats. Hold the position until I say you're done.
"
"Yes, sensei " the children replied in subdued tones before squatting. The others
sighed in relief until Zoro turned to them with a wide grin on his face.
"Who said that they were the ones receiving punishment?"
The other students ended up doing handstand pushups and hopping squats up and do
wn the stairs.
---
"Class dismissed!" The children bowed before running to fetch their shoes and es
cape the classroom, nursing sore muscles and weary bodies. Zoro went into a clos
et and pulled out a cloth and a bucket. He filled the bucket with water and bega
n to clean the mats thoroughly, taking care with every smudge and spot.
Sanji watched in curiosity. Zoro hadn't seemed like the kind of man who could en
dure long periods of time with children, and although he had been gruff with his
students, he had obviously cared enough for their training to put time and effo
rt into making sure that they were good at the art.
"Do you only teach kids?" Sanji asked.
Zoro shook his head without looking up from his task. "No. I teach all ages and
all levels, although most of the ones that I teach lose their interest as they g
et older. Something about swordsmanship being impractical. That's why the other
teachers have more adults to teach than I do. The kids always think swordsmanshi
p is cool, though. For a little while," he said flatly. "The police academy and
department send officers down here for training once in a while, though."
"I see." Sanji absorbed this information with interest. Zoro had spoken without
much emotion, but it sounded as though he disliked the lack of perseverance his
students displayed as they grew up. "What other classes do they have here?"
"Um there's boxing, karate, Savate, Tae Kwon Do, judo " Zoro listed, trailing off. "
The building is really big and there are a lot of classes. I can't name them all
off the top of my head, but you could probably get a brochure from downstairs.
Why?"
Sanji shrugged. "I was thinking that maybe I should get some training in again.
I took lessons from my old man, but nothing formal. Is the Savate teacher any go
od? I'd like to meet him if there's time after the lunchtime rush at the café."
Zoro looked thoughtful as the images of hairy legs, cosmetics, transvestites, an
d other such disturbing things flashed through his head.
"I wouldn't recommend anyone else for it," he said innocently.
---
"I hate you."
"Now, cook, don't be like that. You wanted a good instructor, so I "
"Shut up. I. Hate. You."
"Geez, and you call me an ingrate?"
"The consequences of my actions didn't leave you with LIPSTICK marks all over yo
ur face from another MAN. It left you with a damned good apartment, you shitty b
astard!"
"He was just enthusiastic."
"He was sexually harassing me, you asshole! I swear, when he moved my leg to fix
my stance, he touched things that no man should ever touch on another man. Ever
."
"Bon's just very friendly."
"Friendly, my ass!"
"Actually, didn't he grope your ass ?"
"If you ever tell anyone about this ever again, I swear "
"You'll what, kick me? With the skills you're going to learn from Bon?"
"I'm not going back."
"You won't find another Savate teacher in the city who agrees to teach you for f
ree."
"Believe me, I'm paying him with my fucking dignity. Among other things."
"Seems like a small price to pay."
"Ugh. This is what we're going to do. We're going to go to your place and fix yo
ur furniture. Then, we will go to a bar and you will pay for my drinks. We will
also never speak of this again. Understood?"
"Sounds good. Should I call you Sanji Kurei from now on, or would you like to ke
ep your maiden name?"
The tiny Volkswagen Beetle nearly veered into a postal box as Sanji tried to thr
ottle Zoro.
They took the elevator up to Zoro's room, after Sanji had violently jabbed the b
utton when Zoro had pointed to the stairs.
Sanji looked at Zoro's positioning of his furniture in exasperation. "This is al
l wrong. Help me with this, would you? This loveseat is in the way of where the
couch should go." Sanji gaped when he saw Zoro pick up the loveseat in one hand
and the couch in the other, switching their positions as easily as one would mov
e a book or a lamp. "What the hell do you eat, testosterone sandwiches or someth
ing?"
"You're the one who made that ham and cheese sandwich thing."
"Breakfast Croissant. It's called a Breakfast. Croissant."
"Yeah, whatever."
Once everything was in the right place, Sanji leaned against the kitchen counter
with a sigh. "I don't want to go out anymore. Do you have any beer? Oh wait, I
know you do, because I'm the one who went and picked all your damned groceries o
ut for you." Sanji opened the fridge door admiring his pick as he pulled the door
open and took out two beers.
"Oh, thanks," Zoro said, reaching out for one, but pulled back when Sanji slappe
d his hand.
"These are for me. Go get your own beer."
"Tch " They sat on chairs facing opposite each other. "Are you hungry?"
"A little. Why?" Sanji asked, sipping his beer.
"I don't know what to do with half the stuff you left in my fridge. Make somethi
ng."
"I'm not your servant."
"You're drinking the beer I paid for."
"This is compensation for harm to my mental well-being."
"Man up and make me a sandwich."
(A/N: :D )
Sanji grumbled as he rose. "You can't even make your own sandwich?" he growled,
taking his empty beer cans to put them in the recycling receptacle.
"I can, but it tastes better when someone else makes it." Zoro dodged the two ca
ns that were aimed at his head, catching them deftly and tossing them. "So, what
are you making me?"
"I never said I was going to make you anything. You should be making me somethin
g, since I'm your guest. Scratch that, I'd probably get food poisoning." Sanji w
as already moving into the kitchen and taking cheese and onions from the fridge.
"Is there a market around here? I need a baked chicken." He pulled a bag of tor
tillas from the pantry, checking its freshness.
"There's a supermarket a few blocks away."
"Go get me a whole baked chicken, then. Try to get one without any herbs or sauc
es on it. About this big," Sanji gestured with his hands, "If you see some enchi
lada sauce, grab a can, too. That should be it. I'll call you if I need anything
else." Sanji paused. "Well, I would, if I had your number. Do you have a cell p
hone?"
"Oh, asking for my number? You're not getting fresh with me, are you?"
"Just give me your damned number."
Zoro laughed as they exchanged numbers and hopped out the door to avoid Sanji's
departing kick. He didn't know why he was feeling so playful all of a sudden, bu
t he practically flew down the stairs and ran to the market. He looked at the ro
ws of chickens facing him in the market and felt a shadow of doubt in his mind a
s he looked at the poultry. "Honey Dijon, lemon, barbeque, pepper why don't they h
ave 'normal?' Excuse me," Zoro turned to the woman working at the counter. "Do y
ou have, um, plain baked chicken? Without any of that weird stuff on it?" The wo
man looked at him oddly but pointed it out. "Thanks." He flashed her a relieved
smile and she blushed.
---
"I'm home, Lucy!" Zoro called as he pushed the door to his apartment open.
Sanji turned around with a sour look on his face. "Please don't tell me that you
watch I Love Lucy. If I didn't know any better then I'd say you were acting pre
tty gay right now. Oh, but wait, I don't know any better," he snapped. "Where ar
e the groceries?"
Zoro tossed the bags to Sanji and yawned, checking his watch. "Bah, no wonder I'
m so tired. I missed my five o'clock nap."
"Your nap?" Sanji stopped opening the can of enchilada sauce. "What are you, five?
"
Zoro grumbled as he flopped onto the couch. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Hurry up and
make dinner, mom, I'm hungry. Wake me up when you're done."
Sanji watched in fascination as Zoro began to immediately snore. He shook his he
ad and poured oil into a frying pan, waiting for it to heat. He then proceeded t
o fry the tortillas and dip them in the sauce. As they fried, he sautéed the chi
cken with thinly slices onions and more enchilada sauce mixed in. Cooking and ar
ranging his ingredients today made him feel especially cheerful, for some reason
; maybe it was the new feel of a kitchen being broken in for the first time. He
hummed the lyrics of a song he had heard on the radio not too long ago, eventual
ly breaking out into soft singing as he worked. "Let's spread out this fortunate
night, ooh, when you smile it caramelizes my heart the taste of the evening is, h
mmm, dark chocolate "
(A/N: Moulin Rouge, by Sanji at least, sung by his seiyu.)
---
Zoro woke up to a vaguely spicy scent and the sound of something singing.
"Hmm?" Zoro sat up groggily and looked around. Who was cooking in his kitchen? H
e didn't think he'd let in any of the girls
"Bitter and sweet, Moulin Rouge " Sanji sang, stirring a steaming pot gently. "Sug
arcoat your voice " He took a spoon and tasted whatever was in the pot, smiling ha
ppily as he licked the spoon clean. Sanji looked up and froze, spoon halfway out
of his mouth, as he and Zoro stared at each other.
"Nice," Zoro chuckled as he stood and walked over to the cooking area. "Are you
done, or were you planning on entering American Idol while you were at it?"
Sanji coughed embarrassedly and nodded. "I'm done. Set the table, would you?" Zo
ro laughed at the blush dusting Sanji's cheeks and complied. "Go wash your hands
, too."
"Yes, mother."
"Hrmph "
When Zoro returned, his mouth began to water as he smelled the meal that Sanji h
ad prepared. He swallowed and ambled to the table, looking at the food eagerly i
n anticipation. "Smells pretty good, cook."
"Oh, thanks. I laced it with arsenic just for you," Sanji said sweetly. "We're h
aving enchiladas with Spanish rice and caldo de pollo. I made fresh mango salsa,
too." Sanji gestured to the table. "Let's eat."
Zoro looked at the food dubiously, but after the first bite he dug in heartily.
"You know, I've lived in Navarone all my life, but I've never had Mexican food.
I always see this taco truck driving around everywhere, though."
Sanji looked up in surprise. "You've never had Mexican before? I would have thou
ght that a culinary-challenged guy like you would practically live off the stuff
. It's cheap, but good and fast. Don't trust those taco trucks unless you know t
hat they're okay, though," Sanji warned. "A friend of mine did, and he ended up
with food poisoning because the vendors had left the meat out too long."
"Mm, I see," Zoro said around a mouthful of rice. Sanji watched him eat in sligh
t disgust as Zoro cut up his cheesy enchiladas with the side of his fork and sta
bbed the pieces individually before sticking them in his mouth, chewing vigorous
ly.
"One day I'm going to teach you fine dining manners," Sanji said, shaking his he
ad as he cut his enchilada with a knife. "Oh, jeez, don't use the tablecloth as
a napkin. It's a good thing I chose the machine-washable cloth."
"Isn't that what it's there for?" Zoro asked in surprise, lifting his mouth from
where he'd been scrubbing it with the tablecloth.
"What? No. It's there to protect the table from scratches and stains. Napkins ar
e for wiping yourself."
They finished their meal without any further arguments, although Sanji would win
ce when Zoro wiped his mouth with his hand or burped in satisfaction. Once the m
ain meal was finished and the dishes were left to soak in the sink, Sanji turned
to Zoro and asked, "Ready for dessert?"
After that scrumptious meal, Zoro was definitely ready.
"Almond jelly with maraschino cherries and lychee on top," Sanji said, lifting t
he cover of two small dishes that he had left in the refrigerator. "I prefer to
make this from scratch, but I made it this time with the instant mix that I had
intended for you to use. It's a lighter dessert, since dinner was on the heavy s
ide."
Zoro dug his spoon into the white jelly and slurped it off the spoon with a hint
of curiosity. As he sampled the dish, he decided that it might not kill him to
try and cook once in a while. He polished the dish off and licked the juice from
the bottom of the bowl, licking his lips in satisfaction. Sanji watched him eat
with a pleased look on his face.
"Don't get too cocky, but that was a pretty good meal," Zoro said gruffly. "Goch
isousama."
Sanji looked at him in confusion, nibbling on a lychee fruit. "You didn't just c
urse me out, did you?"
Zoro smirked. "No. It means 'it's been a feast' or something. Basically, thank y
ou for the meal."
"What language is that?"
"It's Japanese."
"You're Japanese, then?"
"Eh, sort of. My family members say that we're full-blooded Japanese, but I susp
ect that they're hiding some Ainu blood somewhere along the line," Zoro said non
committally.
"Why would they hide it?" Sanji asked curiously. "I've never heard of the Ainu b
efore."
"You probably wouldn't have. They're a pretty small minority in Japan. That's wh
at usually happens to indigenous people," Zoro explained. "It can be a social st
igma at times, I've heard. I don't think it's really that important. There are s
ome traditions that my family maintains that don't seem to come from Japan, so I
'm guessing they're just traces from my Ainu side. I'm probably part Okinawan, t
oo. You're French, aren't you?"
Sanji blinked at the sudden question aimed at him. "Yeah. Baratie's about as Fre
nch as you can get. My dad adopted me, though, so I can't be too sure. But I was
raised by a shitty old French geezer, so that's all the cultural heritage I hav
e." Zoro was curious to ask about a mother, but held his tongue he didn't want to
get too personal just yet.
"Ah, I see. Oh, by the way, are you busy this Wednesday night?" Zoro asked blunt
ly. No point beating around the bush, after all.
"I'm working at Rain Dinners the rest of the nights this week. I'd be working to
night, too, but Monday nights are usually slow enough that Patty and Carne are e
nough to keep the tables full."
"Oh." Zoro managed to successful mask his disappointment. "Okay. It's just that
I was having some friends over, if you wanted to join maybe after you get off work
or something. If you don't mind. I mean, you don't have to." Shit, stop babblin
g, you fool!
Sanji was taken aback, but seemed to be flattered that the opportunity had been
offered. "I'll see if I can get off from work early. When are you guys meeting u
p?"
"Around six-ish. They'll probably end up sticking around until midnight at least
, though."
"I think I can make it at around 10, then. The kitchens slow down dramatically n
ear the end of the night, because no one wants to cook if the food will just go
to waste. Should I bring anything?"
Zoro shook his head. "Franky's bringing booze and the women are bringing food. I
think Usopp said something about teaching us some new games, but I don't really
trust that guy."
Sanji grinned. "Sounds good, then." He checked his watch. "I've gotta go. There'
s a group of hot nurses at the hospital who love to stop by for a cup of coffee
on their way to their night shifts. I'll see you Wednesday, then?"
Zoro nodded. "Yep. See you later." Zoro turned once the door closed and looked a
t the pile of greasy dishes waiting for him. "Oh, damn."
---
Zoro stared at the ceiling, watching the way the light streaked across it from t
he street lamps outside. It was not particularly late for him only around midnight s
o he didn't feel sleepy. Even if it had been 3 AM, he probably would have still
been awake. He was thinking about Sanji. He realized that once they got over the
ir initial antagonism, they could have a pretty good time together. He'd never m
et anyone like Sanji before calm, when women or his pride weren't involved, and co
nfident in his abilities with reason. He was the kind of man who stuck to his co
nvictions, and was obviously intelligent and not naïve. Sanji, Zoro realized, wa
s pretty similar to him. Maybe a bit more kitchen-savvy and oriented around mann
ers, though.
Zoro threw the sheets back and walked into his living room. The place practicall
y reeked of Sanji everything had been chosen by the man, after all. Zoro wasn't su
re yet what kind of tastes Sanji had, but he was pretty sure that the items he'd
bought could give him a pretty good hint. Zoro stretched out on the sofa, seein
g that it was just long enough for him to almost stretch out completely, and tha
t it was firm and durable, yet stylish in its simplicity. He reached for the rem
ote control on the coffee table and flicked on the (new, really expensive) stere
o, listening to the bass of the music throbbing in his chest. As the music trans
itioned from techno to trance, he gradually began to fall asleep with psychedeli
c images and colors running through his mind. He fell into a dreamland with danc
ing enchiladas and seas of Spanish rice.
---
"So, Sanji, why don't you tell me who's been on your mind lately?" Nami inquired
over the rim of her coffee cup, smiling sweetly. Her legs were crossed and her
foot tapped gently against the chair, and she held the cup daintily in one hand;
despite this femininity, she looked like a warrior ready for battle with the de
termined gleam in her eyes.
Sanji looked up from watching the coffee beans he was roasting. "What do you mea
n, my love?"
Nami rolled her eyes. "Sanji, I've known you for years. I can tell when you're d
istracted. Just look at your pastries." Sanji looked, and groaned. Normal passer
sby wouldn't be able to tell, but he could, and Nami could; the filling was oozi
ng slightly out of his pastries, they were not perfectly uniform in shape and si
ze, and now that he was thinking about it, his coffee beans were being burned.
Perfect. Things were getting progressively worse.
"So, who's the lucky recipient of your attention? Other than me," Nami said with
a smirk.
"I assure you, my pretty flower, that no woman could ever "
"Who ever said it was a woman?"
"W-what?" Sanji gaped.
She tapped her nose knowingly. "You don't usually pummel the dough when you're t
hinking about women. Plus, I'm pretty sure I heard you muttering 'bastard' and '
asshole' under your breath."
"Ah, I apologize for making you hear such profanities!" Sanji wailed.
"Stow the flowery talk. Who is it, Sanji?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. She on
ly had a few minutes before she had to go to work. Perhaps she would have to fis
h around. "It's not that guy who was here before, was it? The green-haired fello
w?" When Sanji turned red and began stammering protests, she grinned inwardly. B
ingo. "Ah, I have to go to work right now. We'll talk later, neh?" She walked ou
t the door with a pleased smile on her face.
Sanji watched her leave morosely and began to clean up her plate and cup.
As he cleaned the dishes, he couldn't help but wonder if Zoro had washed his dis
hes.
---
Tuesday came and went uneventfully. So did Wednesday afternoon.
Zoro remembered to finish washing the dishes that had been piling up since Monda
y. He had also tried to make almond jelly. He tasted it and was satisfied even he
couldn't mess up when the instructions said to "Mix water and powder. Stir until
dissolved. Put in fridge. Eat (1) hour later."
He was pretty pleased with himself, although he had mysteriously forgotten about
his first attempt at making the dessert. He had ended up with a bowl of goop th
at vaguely resembled nasal discharge.
Zoro had remembered to clean up the apartment and do his laundry he even mopped th
e floors and wiped the counters. The trash was taken out; the bags of empty beer c
ans were left in the recycling bin.
For some reason, he wanted his friends to see his apartment the way that it had
been intended to be lived in somewhat in a state of cleanliness.
He refused to spray the tropical Febreeze that Sanji had pointedly left in the l
aundry room, though.
At six o'clock, Luffy was the first to arrive with Usopp, Chopper, and Franky. L
uffy was carrying his Xbox 360 as Usopp and Chopper carried the controls; Franky
arrived with a crate of bottles.
"Cola, beer, and rum," Franky said with a grin, looking over his sunglasses. "Yo
u have the rest of the ingredients for what I'm thinking about, right?"
"Long Island Ice Tea, right?" Zoro nodded. "Yeah. Don't use your drunkenness as
an excuse for when I whoop your ass in Halo, though."
Robin and Vivi arrived together, laden with aluminum containers of food. They ca
me in the middle of a heated Halo match, and Zoro opened the door while shouting
at the other guys. "I swear, if you try and oh, you think you're good, Usopp? Hea
dshot while I'm distracted? You're going down! I'm not talking about in the game
, either! Come on in, you guys," Zoro turned to the bemused women. "The kitchen'
s over there."
"Is that Halo I see, Zoro?" Vivi asked after they had put the food on the oven t
o stay warm.
"Yeah. Have you ever played before?"
Vivi and Robin exchanged looks.
"Oh, we might have dabbled in it once or twice," Robin said, smiling sweetly.
"Can we play? We're not very good, but " Vivi looked at them innocently. "I'm sure
we could manage." She fiddled with the hem of her skirt shyly.
Luffy laughed excitedly. "Ooh, more players? Usopp, go get your Xbox so we can a
ll play!" Usopp grumbled but ran out the door and came back in record time.
An hour later, the men all agreed that it was time for dinner after an exhaustin
g campaign of being slaughtered by the two women.
"'Dabbled' my ass," Franky muttered.
"We brought Korean food," Robin said cheerfully. "Galbi, japchae, dumplings, and
some banchan side dishes." Everyone eagerly dug into the food, savoring the flavo
r of the beef ribs and clear japchae noodles.
"Oh, is Sanji coming?" Luffy asked around a mouthful of cabbage and meat. Zoro w
iped the food that Luffy sprayed on his face automatically he was almost used to i
t by now and nodded.
"He said he'd be here around ten. You guys'll be here longer than that, right?"
Franky snorted. "Ten? Please. The night will still be young. Like a nubile woman
going to bed with her first lover." Everyone stared.
"Okay, Franky, I think you've had too much to drink already," Usopp said, lookin
g embarrassed for his friend. "After dinner, I have some other activities we can
 play!" Everyone immediately began to eat more slowly, not relishing the idea of
playing Usopp's games.
Still, the food was delicious, and polished off rather quickly with Luffy eating
.
Usopp slapped his stomach in contentment and wiped his mouth. "Alright, we're go
ing to play some games I invented! Ready?"
"No," the group chorused. Usopp continued as though he hadn't heard.
"Excellent! Zoro, do you have any Alka-Seltzer?"
"Yeah. We're not going to feed them to the seagulls, are we?"
Usopp scoffed. "Please, that's amateurish. They don't eat it, anyway. I've tried
. We'll need some cola, too." Zoro went and fetched the required items, prying a
few bottles of cola from Franky's protective grasp.
"Now what?"
Usopp began to pour small amounts of cola into the cups. "So what you do is hold
the Alka-Seltzer tablet in one hand and a cup of cola in the other. You then pu
t the Alka-Seltzer in your mouth at the same time as the soda. Whoever can keep
his or her mouth shut the longest without swallowing or letting it come out wins
!"
" "
" "
"That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard of."
"Amen, brother."
Usopp groaned. "Come on, it's fun. Just try it."
Zoro looked at the opened packets of Alka-Seltzer and sighed. "You already opene
d it, so we might as well play. You're buying me more of this stuff to replace w
hat we're wasting later, okay?"
"Fine, fine. Ready?" They held their tools at the ready. "Set. Go!" Tablets were
popped into dubious mouths and cola was poured.
At first, nothing happened. Chopper was chuckling at the bubbling sensation in h
is mouth, and Zoro rolled his eyes in boredom.
Then, the cola really began to work its magic, and the bubbles fizzed rapidly an
d expanded. Luffy's eyes flew open in alarm as his mouth expanded, and Robin sho
ok her head as she spat neatly into her cup before the liquid in her mouth could
react too much.
"Oh, it looks like I've lost," she said, not looking perturbed at all. Usopp gla
red at her, but stubbornly kept his mouth shut.
Chopper was next to go, and then Vivi. Franky, Usopp, Luffy, and Zoro glared at
each other.
"Zoro doesn't look too bad," Chopper whispered to Robin. "But the other guys loo
k like they're really struggling." Indeed, Franky was beginning to foam at the m
outh. Finally, he spat the almost completely dissolved tablet out and swallowed.
"Can't let perfectly good cola go to waste, can I?" Franky protested as Zoro loo
ked at him in disgust.
Luffy was the next to go in a fabulous spray of cola, bubbles, and bits of food
that had been stuck in his teeth. Zoro gesticulated wildly, pointing at the wall
and floor angrily and gesturing to the bathroom. Clean that mess up! he was ind
icating. Luffy laughed and did so, with Robin's help.
It was a battle between Usopp and Zoro. Zoro watched in amusement as Usopp's eye
s bugged out, trying to keep his mouth shut. However, the long-nosed man had to
concede defeat as he fairly burst and spat into his cup.
"Damnit, Zoro, you weren't swallowing the bubbles, were you?" Usopp cried angril
y, wiping his mouth. "Your mouth isn't even puffed out at all!"
Zoro grinned and opened his mouth. They all looked in and saw that his Alka-Selt
zer was sitting harmlessly on the tip of his tongue, above the pool of cola that
he had kept under his tongue. Zoro spat into his cup and laughed.
"I'd have thought that this was the obvious solution to win," Zoro said innocent
ly.
"Gah!" Usopp yelled. "I've been practicing this for weeks, too!"
"You have no life, Usopp," Luffy stated matter-of-factly as he mopped up the las
t of his mess.
"O-oi!"
---
A/N: Yes, the Alka-Seltzer game is a real game. Well, real in the sense that I'v
e played it with my friends before after my teacher taught us how to play (yeah,
this is what we learn in school). It's really fun if you have a lot of people!
---
Sanji left Rain Dinners wearily, stretching his tired limbs. He had about forty-
five minutes before the time that he had told Zoro to expect him, and he was in
sore need of a shower. Today's menu had included garlic-fried shrimp, and he ree
ked of the stuff. He drove home (taking care to spray Febreeze in the car after
he had vacated it to mask the smell) and showered, willing the hot water to wash
away the ache in his arms and legs. He breathed in deeply, savoring the clean s
mell of cucumber shampoo and soap. After climbing out of the shower, he dried hi
mself and left the towel to dry there was no point in being modest when he lived a
lone, after all.
Should I dress casually? I don't want to look like a slob, though. Jeans should
be okay. But the ladies will be there. Should I wear that shirt I got from Kubo
Inc.? Or would the vest be more appropriate? Maybe I should have made something
and he was too polite to ask. Yeah. Right. Should I bring drinks? But it's a Wed
nesday night. Games? Kind of lame. Myself! Yeah, really cool right there.
It took Sanji ten minutes to drive home, five minutes to shower, and twenty minu
tes to agonize over what to wear.
He finally threw on whatever was at hand when he realized that he was going to b
e late.
Sanji drove like a maniac and screeched to a halt in the Galley-La parking struc
ture. He bypassed the elevators and sprinted up the stairs, only stopping to com
pose himself right outside the door. "Hair? Check. Diesel jeans and Kubo Inc. sh
irt neatly pressed and ready to go? Check. Face and underarms perspiration negligi
ble. Check." He straightened his shirt out and knocked on the door.
---
The next few hours flew by in a whirl of games and conversation. Zoro had comple
tely forgotten that Sanji was supposed to be coming until he heard a knock on th
e door. Sanji stood there, looking tired but clean. Evidently, he had gone home
to clean up before coming, and he was looking pretty good in form-fitting shirt
with the words 'Speaking is Not Communication' emblazoned across the chest and d
ark jeans.
"'m glad you could make it," Zoro said automatically. "Come on in." Sanji took n
ote that Zoro was only dressed in sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt, which so
mewhat comforted him, but not very much.
Sanji smirked. "Don't mind if I do. What've you guys been doing for the past few
hours? Waiting for me?" He winked roguishly at Zoro. Sanji, what the hell are y
ou doing? he thought to himself. Stop that, you beast! He removed his shoes afte
r a pointed look from Zoro and set them neatly beside the pile of shoes that had
grown next to the door pumps, stilettos, sneakers, and boots were already there.
Zoro snorted. "Just fooling around. We're about to start the next activity, acco
rding to Usopp. Want in on it?"
"Sounds good."
"I'll have Franky make you a drink. Oi, Franky!"
Sanji greeted everyone especially the ladies with courtesy, nodding in approval at t
he state of the apartment. Apart from the mess of empty bottles and plates left
around from the party, it was as clean as he had left it. Apparently, soap and w
ater weren't entirely foreign to Zoro.
"So, what're you doing?" Sanji asked Usopp amiably. Usopp grinned and pulled out
a pack of cards from his pocket.
"Ladies and gents, we're about to play poker. But not just any poker. This isn't
for the faint of heart or meek "
"Strip poker, huh?" Sanji interrupted. "C'mon, let's do this thing."
"Oi! You're ruining the atmosphere!"
"You were taking too long, Usopp," Luffy laughed as he tried to shuffle the card
s. They flew everywhere, and they all scrambled to fetch them.
"Not you too, Luffy!" Usopp protested, throwing up his arms.
"How do you play strip poker?" Chopper asked. "Some roommates of mine told me ab
out it a long time ago, but I never learned how to play. You don't use poker chi
ps?"
Franky laughed heartily. "The only chips we use are on our bodies. We bet with o
ur clothes."
"But what if you run out oh oooh," Chopper said, eyes wide. "Oh."
Sanji chuckled. "Yep. That's pretty much how it goes. Whoever loses each hand ta
kes off an article of clothing, right?"
"That's correct, my curly-browed friend," Franky said with a hiccup. Sanji let t
he comment pass due to his drunkenness. After all, Franky was the one mixing the
drinks.
Zoro sat down and rubbed his hands together. "Everyone ready? Let's play, then."
Usopp dealt the cards. The game was on.
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! (and I will try to keep from inserting A/N into
the middle of the chapter). It's very helpful! I've been having a bit of a writ
er's block (especially with 'End of Seclusion,' omg, it's awful) but here is the
next chapter! It's a bit short (a little less than 5000 words) but it's the onl
y chapter that I have written so far that is this short for this story. I'll try
to get chapter 5 out soon.
---
Zoro looked at his poker hand and groaned. It was only the first round, but alre
ady he was steeling himself to remove his shirt. At least he had a good build. H
e looked carefully around the table and chuckled. Vivi, Luffy, Chopper, and Usop
p were as readable as ever; Franky was a bit harder to read, but his inebriation
made him more expressive. Zoro scowled as Robin smiled serenely at him. Trying
to gauge her was like trying to read Arabic. When you didn't know how to read Arab
ic.
Zoro then took a casual glance at Sanji and found that he was being stared at in
tensely. How could he not have noticed such malice aimed at him? It was astonish
ing. Zoro felt the heat rise in his face at his inattention, and wondered whethe
r it was truly malice that was aimed at him. It was hard to tell. Zoro jumped an
d nearly dropped his cards, and Usopp cackled.
"Aha! Zoro must have a crappy hand! Ow!" He rubbed his arm where Zoro had socked
him.
Needless to say, Zoro's was the first shirt to come off.
"You know, bro, I've seen you shirtless I don't know how many times, but that sc
ar always makes me feel for you," Franky said, taking a swig from his cup.
Sanji stared. A wicked-looking gash ate its way up Zoro's torso, cleaving his bo
dy into two distinct halves and giving him a rough and wild look. What kind of i
njury in hell left a man with a scar like that? Zoro was a bronze hue, with scar
s wrapping all over his body. He resembled a bronze statue that had been treated
none too gently, but which was still magnificent. Even while sitting and relaxe
d, those muscles looked to be permanently flexed and toned.
He couldn't stop staring.
"Why don't you explain what happened to Sanji?" Robin suggested as she took his
shirt (she had won the round). "He looks rather traumatized."
Zoro grunted. "It's not a big story. Mihawk the guy I work for now was looking all o
ver Japan for the best kendo master. I just happened to be in a competition to e
arn my airfare back home, and he saw me. That's when he offered me the job. I wa
s being stupid," Zoro snorted, "and told him that he could offer his fancy posit
ion to one of the other participants, because I don't work for anyone that can't
beat me."
"What happened?" Sanji asked in morbid curiosity.
Zoro smiled crookedly. "That was pretty much a straight challenge to him. We fou
ght with our real swords, not that bamboo shit, because I thought that it would
'look cooler.' I've heard of his name before, and I guess I was just looking for
an excuse to fight him. He didn't even need to draw his sword to beat me, but " Z
oro grinned manically. "I guess something just caught his eye, and he said that
he'd deign to use his real blade against me. Cut me clean in half, too. They too
k me to the hospital, but it was so deep that they couldn't do anything about th
e scarring. Not that I'd let them, of course."
Silence followed his words.
"So next round?" Usopp proposed timidly. He trembled, as though cowed by the weigh
t of Zoro's story.
They continued to play, and the rest of the night was far lighter than the first
round was.
"Luffy, you're down to your boxers. Shouldn't you, um, stop?" Chopper asked anxi
ously.
"Shishishi, why? I'll just play naked, then!" He jumped up and began to dance. "
Look! Ace taught me this move!"
"Oh, god! My eyes!" Usopp yelped, exposing his cards as he covered his face. "St
op thrusting, Luffy!"
"Like hell you'll do that! Not in front of the ladies!" Sanji growled, throwing
a pillow at him. "That's indecent."
"You're not in such a good position either, cook. You're this close to losing th
ose expensive pants of yours." Zoro showed his cards. "Yep. Take 'em off, pansy,
unless you're wearing the tighty-wighties that your mama bought you."
"You picking a fight, moss head?!"
Vivi folded when she was just shy of revealing her undergarments. Sanji's face f
ell.
"You know, I'm feeling super in this! Maybe I'll just walk around like this all
day!" Franky danced, swinging his hips and rolling his arms in his underwear. Hi
s very, very tight Superman underwear that made Robin chuckle and watch out of t
he corner of her eye. She was fully-clothed, and had a small pile of their cloth
ing beside her.
Chopper was forced to quit as he blushingly handed his jeans to Zoro.
"I, the great Captain Usopp, once played strip poker and saw the panties of a th
ousand women! All at the same time!"
"Oi, you don't put that kind of stuff in your children's books, do you?"
After many rounds had been played, it was between Sanji, Robin, and Zoro. Both m
en were stripped to their boxers, and had even removed their socks in desperatio
n. Robin smiled sweetly, still fully-clothed as she stared down the nearly-naked
men. Zoro was astonished to see that Sanji was actually muscular, in a lean way
. His pale skin was the same smooth creamy wash from his fingertips to his chest
, without any perceivable change from where the sun was exposed on that flawless
canvas. He could see a few scars on Sanji's hands cooking accidents, no doubt but t
his man was clean. Pure.
Zoro grumbled to himself as he shook his head; he was losing focus on the game.
Robin put down her hand and revealed a full house of queens over tens. Zoro and
Sanji cursed simultaneously.
"Damnit, woman, I swear that you're cheating somehow!"
"Ah, to expose myself to these lovely women wouldn't be proper at all!"
They glared at each other. "What do you have?" they demanded to each other. Huff
ing, they revealed their cards.
They both had a pair of fives.
"Wow, both your hands kind of sucked," Luffy guffawed. "So do you both lose, or
what?"
"It's up to Robin, I guess," Usopp said. "Robin?"
Robin looked at the two mortified men and smiled.
---
"Thanks for having us over, Zoro!"
"Yeah, it was a real blast!"
"We'll see you tomorrow night at Cipher Pol, then!"
"Do you need help cleaning up? No? Alright. Goodnight!"
"Don't get too friendly while we're gone, you two! Ouch!"
Zoro slammed the door in Usopp's laughing face, turning red as he turned around
to face Sanji.
"That woman's a devil, you know?"
Sanji scratched his chin sheepishly. "Well, I'm sure it was all in the spirit of
the game "
"She's a perverted devil. She's kind of like Franky, but on the down-low."
"Don't speak about Robin like that," Sanji protested without much feeling.
They were still kind of awkward after Robin had made them take off their underpa
nts. Luckily, they had been quick enough to be able to cover themselves up, but
Zoro would never touch the pillows on his couch again after they had been used a
s replacement fig leaves.
"I mean, what kind of woman looks at two men with their dignity on the line and
says 'What are you waiting for, take them off'?" Zoro muttered to himself. "Than
ks for agreeing to help me clean up, though. Do you have to get up early tomorro
w?"
"I'll manage. I think I saw a puddle of cola and something bubbling under the co
uch, though."
"It's the Alka-Seltzer game."
"How do you play?"
"You really don't want to know."
They cleaned the apartment quickly and flopped onto the two couches wearily. "Ma
n, I'm tired," Sanji moaned, stretching and feeling his shoulders crack. Zoro lo
oked at Sanji's exhausted face, and was astonished by how tired Sanji was. Rain
Dinners must really take a lot out of him.
"Er, if you want, you can bunk out here for the night," Zoro proposed awkwardly.
"I mean, you'll have to sleep on the couch, but I have some extra blankets and
stuff "
Sanji grinned, despite his fatigue. "Oh, asking me to stay the night? You're bei
ng quite forward."
"Don't mock my hospitality."
"Yeah, yeah. Nah, I can't stay," Sanji said, without any of the regret that he w
as feeling nibbling at his brain. "It'll be easier if I go home now, since I can
just roll out of bed and open up the café in the morning. Thanks for offering,
though." Sanji stood, yawning mightily. "I'm off. Thanks for inviting me. Your f
riends are very interesting." He walked to the door. "I'll see you later?"
Zoro rose and accompanied him. "Yeah. Eh, no problem. You know, they're your fri
ends now too," Zoro said with a slight smile. "Good night." He shut the door wit
h a final wave.
---
Beep. Beep. Beep. Sanji slammed a hand on the alarm clock, grumbling as he looke
d at the time. He could have counted the hours of sleep he had on one hand, and
still have plenty of digits left to pick his nose.
Not that Sanji Baratie picked his nose. Ever.
Yeah, Sanji, that was a pretty bad use of rhetoric right there, he thought incoh
erently before rolling out of bed and landing on the floor with a grunt. Maybe t
he cabbage head isn't too stupid for having his bed on the floor. It makes me wo
nder how many mornings he's had to roll out of bed for him to just stick to a ma
ttress, though.
Sanji yawned as he went into the kitchen to pour a glass of water. He took one l
ook in the mirror at himself and grimaced. He wouldn't be surprised if the mirro
r cracked from just how horrible he looked right now.
"Joy, Thursday morning," Sanji groaned. "Time to wake up." He knew that there wa
s only one good way to wake up on a morning like this. He stripped and stepped i
nto the shower, bracing himself before turning up the cold water. He waited tens
ely, knowing that his faucets took a few seconds to respond. Then, the frigid wa
ter slapped his back.
"Aaaah, that's much brrrrrr .b-b-better," he chattered.
---
Miraculous things happen in which Sanji cleans himself up and is fully awake.
---
"Good morning, Nami!" Sanji said cheerfully as the bell tinkled. She was earlier
than usual today, but he already had her normal order ready, sitting on a plate
next to a cup of her favorite coffee blend.
"I'd say good morning too, if you got my name right," a deep voice said in amuse
ment. Sanji spun around and saw Zoro looking at him in amusement. Zoro was weari
ng a black tracksuit with a black t-shirt underneath. His hair was, once again,
covered by a black beanie.
"You look like you're going to go rob a bank or something," Sanji said sourly. "
What do you want?"
Zoro sighed as he pulled out his wallet. "You really ought to be more courteous
to your paying customers. I'll have " Zoro looked in the display case, and Sanji d
readed what he was going to order. " that yellow thing, with the green and red on
top."
Sanji winced. "Do you mean the spinach and tomato omelet? That one there is only
a display item. I'll have yours ready in a few minutes. Go sit down." Sanji tur
ned and went to the fetch the ingredients he'd need. He looked behind him when h
e saw that Zoro wasn't moving. "What?"
Zoro rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, do you mind if I watch? I like
watching you cook. I mean," he bristled defensively, although Sanji hadn't said
a word, "I want to learn. Just by watching. I won't get in your way."
Sanji regarded him inquisitively, the cogs of his brain clicking rapidly. "Hm, s
ure. Go ahead. Just don't touch anything, alright?" Zoro hastily put down the le
mon zester that he had picked up the moment Sanji had given him an affirmative a
nswer. "I swear, you're like a kid."
"So how do you make omelet, then?"
As Sanji cracked the eggs and whisked them, he couldn't help but feel slightly o
dd with the way Zoro was staring at him at the deft motions of his hands, the twis
t of his wrists as he dashed salt and pepper into the mix, and the sweeping moti
on as he poured the egg into the oiled pan. As he folded the vegetables into the
mix, he couldn't help but be glad that this dish was so simple that he needed l
ittle conscious effort to make it.
"There. Now you know how to make omelet," Sanji said, sliding the omelet onto a
plate. Before Zoro could take it, Sanji paused, and reached into one of the disp
lay cases for a slice of bread. "Here. Pumpernickel bread."
Zoro took the plate with a blank look on his face. "Oh. Thanks." He went and sat
, not seeing the disappointment that flashed across Sanji's face at the bland re
action. As they went back into the main part of the café, they saw that Nami had
already entered and taken her usual order to a table. She smirked when she saw
them coming.
"I don't believe we've been properly introduced," she said in a sugary-sweet voi
ce. "My name is Nami Dorobou." She held out a hand daintily, and he shook it fir
mly.
"I'm Zoro Roronoa," Zoro said, releasing her hand and taking a seat at a far tab
le without another word. She blinked, not quite believing that he had just cut o
ff any further conversation with her, before turning to Sanji.
"So, this is why you were preoccupied, hm? Oh, you don't have to answer," she sa
id airily. "Go and talk to him. Go on, shoo."
Sanji eased himself into the chair in front of Zoro and watched Zoro bite into h
is omelet. Zoro's eyes widened slightly before he began to shovel the eggs into
his mouth.
A bit crude, but that's the reaction I'm looking for, Sanji thought in satisfact
ion. "Want anything to drink?" Zoro looked up and nodded. "Coffee?" Zoro shook h
is head violently as he chewed. "Orange juice?" Nodding. "Orange juice it is, th
en."
"Thanks," Zoro finally said after swallowing.
"Why do you come to a café if you don't like coffee?" Sanji asked curiously. "Yo
u seem like the kind of guy who'd like strong, black coffee."
Zoro shrugged. "It's not bad, but it dehydrates the body. The jolt of energy you
receive also makes you more susceptible to crashing later in the day, which wou
ld be bad if I was teaching at the time."
"That makes sense, I guess," Sanji conceded. "When do you have classes today?"
"I have an adult class today at ten. You know, Bon's going to be there today too
."
Sanji continued as though Zoro hadn't mentioned Bon Kurei. "You teach adults, to
o?"
"Yeah, the police department has its officers take classes at Baroque Works ever
y day. Twice a week, they come to me. There aren't very many of them, though. Wh
y?"
Sanji shrugged. "I can't imagine you teaching adults. I mean, kids are one thing
, but older students need real training, you know?"
"Are you implying that I can't teach?"
Sanji shrugged again, smiling craftily. "Oh, of course I'm not. I'm not implying
that a musclehead like you couldn't teach a real class. Oh, no, not at all."
Zoro choked slightly on his food, pounding his chest to clear it. "You're lookin
g for another fight, aren't you? Bastard. Fine, come and see me teach if you're
so eager to be proven wrong."
"Okay, then." Although he was mockingly serious on the outside, inwardly Sanji g
rinned widely.
Now he had an excuse to come along with the swordsman again.
---
Sanji stared. This class was very, very different from the last. It was smaller,
but more rigid in its discipline. The handful of students consisted of the four
officers that Sanji had seen when Buggy's gang had tried to rob him, as well as
two rougher looking men that Sanji did not recognize. They sat on their knees i
n a straight line, backs straight and mouths firm save for when they stood, bowe
d, and shouted, "Good morning, Zoro-sensei!" Then, they sat down and stared at h
im warily; their eyes didn't even flicker to look at Sanji.
"Yosaku! Johnny! Since you two were late, the class has to do team squats," Zoro
barked the moment the two men slunk into the class a minute after the clock had
struck the hour.
"Awe, crap," Helmoppo muttered, glaring at the two tardy students.
"Shut up, you idiot!" Jango hissed, but it was too late. Zoro turned to them wit
h an evil grin on his face.
"The punishment has been doubled on account of Helmoppo's language. Any more com
plaints?"
"No sensei," the group muttered. Team squats consisted of performing squats with y
our partner on your shoulders. A small scuffle broke out over who would partner
up with Tashigi she was the lightest but eventually settled when Zoro glared at them
pointedly.
"Do you want me to triple that? I can, if you want. Or I could make you do them
up the stairs," Zoro said lightly. "Good. Tashigi, deepen that stance. Jango, st
op choking her with your knees her face is turning blue. Good job, Coby. Uh Yosaku,
if you can't even stand normally with Johnny on your shoulders, then I'll let yo
u use the normal weights for now." When they were done, Zoro smiled in a rather
friendly manner.
Everyone shivered. Even Sanji felt a chill when he saw that warm, paternal smile
cross Zoro's face.
It was like seeing an oasis in the desert. They all knew that it was just a mira
ge.
"Today, I will gauge how much you have improved since your last session by one-o
n-one matches with me. After that, you will pair up according to how I see fit a
nd will spar against one another. Who would like to go first?" Zoro looked aroun
d, and everyone save Tashigi stared straight ahead, sweating slightly.
"I'll go, sensei," Tashigi volunteered. Zoro nodded, and they both picked shinai
from a barrel in the corner of the room. Sanji watched interestedly he wondered h
ow good Zoro really was.
"Ready, Tashigi? Begin when you feel comfortable," Zoro said. Tashigi took a dee
p breath and surged forward, her bare feet nimble on the firm mats. Her first st
rike was a feint, but the true strike that she aimed at his ribs was fended off
easily. Sanji couldn't tear his eyes from the sight. While Tashigi was surprisin
gly graceful (she had shown herself to be quite clumsy during the squats) her fo
rm was still slightly flawed, although Sanji couldn't be sure. The match went on
for a few minutes, with Tashigi on the offensive and Zoro on the defensive. Tas
higi shook the sweat from her eyes, and Zoro merely smiled in amusement.
Why isn't he attacking? Sanji wondered. He saw Zoro's eyes were sharp and focuse
d on Tashigi's form and reflexes, although he kept an eye on where she was attac
king. Zoro nodded to himself as though to reassure his own mind that he had lear
ned all he needed to know, and disarmed her with a single deft motion. The bambo
o shinai flew across the room and smacked Johnny in the face.
"Tashigi, you must open your awareness up," Zoro reprimanded. "Johnny, your refl
exes also need work. You could be a fine swordswoman if you got rid of your tunn
el vision and became more aware of combat as a whole. You are too focused on eac
h step, rather than looking ahead. Your feet were well-positioned, but I would s
uggest a wide stance for greater stability. Your grip is adequate. Good, you may
sit. Next!" Coby came forward, his knees quivering slightly.
Sanji watched the rest of them sparring with Zoro and saw that Zoro would evalua
te each student thoroughly before disarming them with a single motion. He was ob
viously at ease, moving like water to flow between the attacks and to read the s
tudents with a single, experienced glance. Sanji was startled to find himself le
aning forward, yearning to see Zoro fight someone seriously. He wanted to see a
real blade in those large hands, and the fighting spirit of a beast emanating fr
om those dark eyes.
Dark eyes that he found staring right back at him.
"Ero-cook, you've been staring at me and it's kind of freaking me out," Zoro sai
d. His eyes were twinkling in amusement.
Sanji turned red and looked away in mortification, but realized just how express
ive Zoro's eyes really were. The rest of the lesson continued without a hitch, b
ut that changed near the very end.
"Zoro, darling, I've come to oh, my! Sanji!" Bon trilled, leaping through the door
. "I've missed you so much! Why didn't you call?" Bon had written his phone numb
er in lipstick on Sanji's arm. Sanji, in turn, had scrubbed it off the moment he
'd found a bathroom. The students sniggered at Sanji's predicament, and Sanji co
uld have sworn that he heard someone say "It's because he's so pretty, huh." He
was slightly mollified when Zoro rapped all the students on their heads in a lin
e when he couldn't identify the perpetrator.
"Sanji, mon cher amour, how are you today?" Bon asked, sidling up to Sanji and p
inning him in a tight hug. Sanji winced as Bon kissed him on both cheeks, strugg
ling under the surprisingly strong man's grasp. He was sure that when a person h
ugged you, that that person's hands shouldn't have roamed that far down. "It has
been too long, much too long! Have you been well? You must drop by my class I wil
l not allow you to stay in Zoro's presence for longer than is necessary! He migh
t steal your heart from me, neh?" Bon winked lasciviously, making Sanji and Zoro
both wince.
"There's no danger of that, Bon," Sanji gasped, finally managing to wriggle out
of his embrace.
"Yeah," Zoro agreed. "Go for it. Don't let me stop you." Sanji shot a horrified
look at him, but it was too late.
"Ah, c'est tres bien! Come, Sanji, I will teach you everything I know of my spec
ial Savate a blend of ballet, Savate, and karate to create the veritable Okama Ken
po!" Bon dragged Sanji out the door with a airy laugh. Sanji sent Zoro a glare t
hat made even Zoro almost feel bad.
Almost.
Zoro turned to the class again. "Offensive position number eight Singing Phoenix.
I want you to practice this until your arms fall off. The first one to falter or
whose arms go a single inch out of the right path will suffer the punishment ga
me. Furthermore," Zoro turned to Jango. "For calling that idiot 'pretty,' you wi
ll stay after class and do pushups. With me sitting on your back. And, in case y
ou think lightly of this punishment " Zoro pulled open the cloth of his shirt, rev
ealing a bulky cloth strapped to his back. " I'm wearing my training weights today
."
---
After class was over (and Jango was punished) Zoro swung by Bon's class, hearing
strains of classical music being blasted in the room. Zoro walked in and found
a room very different from the dojo he had left. The walls were lined with mirro
rs and rails at waist level. The floor was made of smooth wooden panels rather t
han the mats in the dojo, and speakers were installed in all the corners. There
were several hairy-legged men in knee-length tights and equally tight shirts str
etching on the rails, and Zoro quickly looked away to avoid an eyeful of camel-t
oes*. Zoro snorted in laughter when he saw a familiar flash of golden hair on th
e far left, where Bon was giving his newest student special attention.
"Ah, Sanji, you are far more flexible than I had anticipated," Bon crooned, runn
ing his fingers lightly down Sanji's leg. Sanji shuddered and rolled to the side
, stretching in the opposite direction. Sanji had (most likely been forced to) c
hanged into a similar ensemble as the other men, although his legs were long and
slim rather than short and meaty. Zoro couldn't believe that anyone could possi
bly have such well-sculpted legs that were so well-defined even through the tigh
ts. Sanji looked up, feeling Zoro's eyes on him, and scowled again before switch
ing his stretching legs. His movements were fluid and practiced, indicating that
he was not unfamiliar with the routine.
"So, how's your newest lamb in the flock?" Zoro asked Bon, grinning as Sanji gav
e him another furious look.
Bon positively beamed. "Ah, wonderful! His legs are as graceful as a swan's neck
, and as strong as a horse! He only needs to learn the technique, and he shall b
e perfect! Sanji, perhaps you could grace us with a demonstration? You are a nat
ural, I must say you picked up the forms as though you already knew them!"
Sanji grumbled as he rose easily without the use of his hands, his muscles flexi
ng as his feet slid up to meet in the middle. "My father taught me how to fight,
although his Savate style was a bit rougher than the kind I'm learning here. Do
you want me to go through the whole sequence?" When Bon nodded enthusiastically
, Sanji strode to the middle of the room and tapped his foot patiently. The othe
r men moved out of the way, and Bon moved to the stereo to put on a faster piece
.
The room was silent, save for Sanji's tapping.
Zoro waited patiently, watching with interest.
The first notes to come out were the woodwinds flutes and clarinets, trilling ligh
tly. Sanji's leg swung up quickly, and as he moved, his feet touched the floor l
ike feathers in the wind. His hands were lax at his sides, only moving slightly
to give himself balance in the more extreme steps. It was a blend of the airines
s of ballet with the lively steps of the Irish river dance, with a more lethal e
lement. Zoro felt like he was watching a sword dance graceful, but possibly deadly
.
When the first wave of brass hit the air, Sanji broke loose.
"This is where he begins to improvise," Bon whispered. "But, Savate does depend
on flexibility in various situations, so I have allowed him to add his own moves
."
Sanji's legs kicked out violently, creating a blur with his limbs that was like
a whirlwind. Suddenly, he flipped and did a handstand, his legs pin wheeling and
his body twisting. His muscles were working effortlessly while carrying his lig
ht body from step to step. A peal of trumpets was accompanied by high-energy kic
ks that would leave an opponent missing more than a few teeth; a blast of the tr
ombones was in synch with a series of roundhouse kicks. As the percussion crashe
d and the music stopped, Sanji's arms flexed as he pushed himself into the air a
nd landed gently on his feet.
"Ah, bravo!" Bon cried, clapping.
The other students broke out into applause and Zoro found himself joining in. Sa
nji bowed before returning to Bon and Zoro as the rest of the class resumed thei
r activities.
"So, impressed?" Sanji quipped at Zoro. He grinned in satisfaction as he brushed
his hair from his face; Zoro couldn't help but notice that Sanji hadn't even br
oken a sweat.
Zoro found himself nodding dumbly, before stopping himself and shaking his head
vigorously.
Sanji laughed.
---
"So, you're starting to enjoy learning from Bon, eh?" Zoro teased Sanji as the t
wo of them buckled up in Sanji's Beetle. Sanji snorted with a grimace.
"I'm only cooperating because I saw the prices for a single class," he said. "Ev
en if I took another job outside of the Paris Baguette or Rain Dinners, I couldn
't afford to keep doing it regularly. Bon said that as long as I was dedicated t
o my lessons, then I could continue going for free."
"So it's like you're paying for your lessons with your body," Zoro stated flatly
. "Is he your sugar daddy?"
"Don't put it that way!"
Zoro laughed he found himself laughing quite a lot more than usual and turned on the
radio. Immediately, the car was flooded with the blaring sound of alternative r
ock music. Zoro winced and fiddled with the tuner until he found a station playi
ng techno music, much to Sanji's displeasure.
"What is this shit that you're making me listen to?" Sanji grumbled. "Don't you
know never to touch a man's radio?"
"Good thing I didn't touch a man's radio."
"Get out! Get out of my car!"
---
(*A/N: When I think of the other students, I imagine men like the ones in olafpr
iol's deviantart gallery she has a piece where these guys are like 'THIS IS SWAN L
AKE!' Hilarious stuff.)
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: Ah, thanks for the reviews! They're very helpful (and sometimes slightly di
sturbing, in an entertaining way!)
---
"So, I see that you and Sanji have gotten quite close," Robin observed as she sa
t on the bench in the Baroque Works dojo, watching Zoro train. His classes were
done for the day, and now he was concentrating on his personal workout regime.
Zoro grunted in affirmation as he swung his weights in a slashing motion. He had
learned to tighten his control considerably during his years of training in the
dojo. After having trained in the open outdoors for most of his earlier swordsm
anship education, he had had trouble gauging the range of his swings in the dojo
's walls, and had even torn a chunk out of the roof or floor every once in a whi
le.
"Yeah. I can't believe we've only really known each other for about a week," Zor
o said, his chest heaving as he handled the weights with extraordinary precision
. Had he been holding a sword, the blade could not have moved with more deadly a
ccuracy.
Robin smiled pleasantly. "It's nice to see you with a friend, Zoro."
He paused, his arms steady as he held them parallel to the ground. "What do you
mean? I have other friends, you know." He sounded slightly offended. "You, Luffy
, Franky, Chopper "
"But we can only give you a friendship of a certain type, little one," she said,
crossing her legs demurely.
"Hrmph. Don't call me little one," Zoro protested. "What do you mean, anyway?"
Robin hummed as she thought over it. "Each of us has something to offer the othe
r, you know. Sanji seems to be filling in a gap that the rest of us cannot fill.
Do you understand?"
Zoro shook his head as he returned to his training. "Sort of. I don't see why it
really matters, though. Things just happened to turn out this way."
"You seem to have forgotten how long it took for you to accept us into your conf
idence," Robin murmured. He didn't hear her over the clanging of the metal weigh
ts.
---
Knock-knock-knock.
"Coming," Zoro yelled from his bedroom. "Luffy, you're early," he said when he f
ound the grinning boy looking at him cheerfully from the doorway. "What's with t
he getup?"
Luffy looked down at his clothes and shrugged. He wore black slacks with a deep
crimson shirt and leather shoes. Luffy was actually wearing shoes, and not flip
flops. His hair was styled into neat spikes with mousse, and Zoro caught a whiff
of cologne as Luffy walked into his apartment.
"Vivi told me that I should dress nicely, so I had Ace pick out something for me
," Luffy explained."He said that we're going to be doing 'something special' tod
ay at Cipher Pol."
"The only reason we'd have to dress up for Cipher Pol is oh " Zoro's voice trailed o
ff.
"Yeah. 'That,'" Ace said as he walked through the doorway. His dark hair was sli
cked back to reveal his handsome face in all its splendor, and an all-black ense
mble: a black button-down shirt with black pants and shoes that matched Luffy's
(it seemed as though Ace had lent Luffy a pair of his own shoes, since Luffy pro
bably didn't own any of his own). "I'm supposed to be helping you dress, too."
"I don't need help," Zoro protested. "I can dress myself perfectly fine."
Ace tapped his foot patiently on the floor. "Look, Zoro, even monkeys can be tra
ined to dress themselves."
"Oi!"
"I'm here to make sure you look good. No arguing," Ace barked sternly as Zoro op
ened his mouth to protest. "You know that we have to look better than halfway de
cent if we're going 'there' tonight."
"Why aren't we following the normal schedule?" Zoro snapped. "Who decided that w
e'd be you know?"
Ace sighed. "Apparently, Vivi's dad was able to obtain free access tonight. Even
Kalifa couldn't get us in for free if she wanted to. Since this is the only tim
e we can go without paying then we might as well take advantage of it, you know?
Now, let's take a look at your wardrobe. I know that our lovely ladies have tak
en time to holy shit," Ace gaped as he walked briskly into Zoro's room and threw o
pen the closet door. "Zoro. Why have I never seen you wearing any of this?"
"Because it's uncomfortable?" Zoro said defensively as he scratched his chest.
"Idiot, if you wear it the proper way then it's not so bad," Ace said in exasper
ation. "Take your clothes off. Right now. I'm going to dress you, and you will l
ike the way you look. Okay?"
"You have a scary look in your eyes, Ace," Luffy commented as he plopped down on
his belly on Zoro's bed and watched.
"Ack! Luffy! Don't let your shirt get too wrinkled yet!" Ace cried. "Geez, it's
as bad as having two fashion-retarded brothers. Sit up. No, wait, just stand in
the corner and face the wall. Good. Let's see " Ace flipped through the clothes in
the closet. "Luffy and I are wearing button-down shirts just to be safe, but I
think you could pull off a nice tee with a blazer on top. Armani Exchange? Maybe
I should raise your rent, if you can afford something like this. Here." Ace thr
ust several hangers into Zoro's arms. "Put this on."
Zoro grumbled as he complied.
---
Ring-ring. Ring-ring. Ring-ring
Sanji ran around the café, searching for his cell phone. He grabbed his coat poc
ket and searching it, feeling the ringing device vibrate slightly under his hand
s. "Hello?" Sanji nearly dropped it, and leapt for the phone while just barely m
anaging to pick it up before it switched to voicemail.
"Hello. Is this Sanji?" a feminine voice asked softly.
"This is he. Who might this be ?"
"This is Robin. I was wondering if you might be free tonight."
Sanji's eyes widened. Was this lovely woman truly asking him to escort her tonig
ht? But, Rain Dinners
"I'm truly sorry, but I cannot go out tonight," Sanji said regretfully. "I have
to work at Rain Dinners."
A pause. "Ah. Rain Dinners, the buffet?"
"Yes, that is correct."
Another pause. "Oh, just a moment." Sanji could hear whispering, and wondered wh
at was going on. It sounded like she was conferring with someone else. "Hello? A
re you still there?"
"Of course, mademoiselle."
"This is unfortunate. However, if you do happen to find time tonight, then would
you be so kind as to meet us at Cipher Pol tonight?"
"Ah, how could I refuse? But, we?"
Robin laughed airily. "Oh, yes." She didn't elaborate. "If you can make it, then
meet us at seven o'clock in front of Cipher Pol. Do not feel the need to call b
eforehand." Another chuckle. "Have a nice day." The line went dead, and Sanji re
alized that it had come from a blocked number he had no way to contact her again.
Sanji scratched his head in confusion. "What was that about?" His phone rang aga
in. "Hello?"
"Sanji? This is Patty."
"And Carne," a voice added in the background.
"Oh. Hey, what's up? Do you need me to cover your shift tonight?" Damn, Sanji th
ought, Now there's no way that I can meet Robin.
There was a slight coughing on the other end. "Actually, we're coming in early t
onight, so you don't have to come if you don't want to."
Did Patty sound slightly nervous? It must have just been his imagination. Patty
was not the kind of man who scared easily.
"Are you sure?" Sanji asked uncertainly. "I mean, it's not that big of a deal, a
nd I could use the cash "
"No, no, it's fine!" Carne squeaked (it sounded as though he had somehow muscled
his way onto the phone, which was unlikely considering the difference in size b
etween the two men). "Pell and Chaka said that you can take our shift another ti
me, so don't worry!"
Sanji hesitated, but finally gave in. "Alright. Thanks, guys, tonight was the pe
rfect night." As he hung up, he thought that he heard a sigh of relief.
---
Robin snapped her cell phone shut with a satisfied smile. Vivi sat beside her, c
licking her own cell into the closed position after having made a few phone call
s herself.
Both women wore devious smiles.
---
Zoro stretched as he stepped out of Robin's car. He looked at the sleek white Le
xus GS F wistfully the model was not slated to come out on the open market for ano
ther three years, but she had managed to obtain a prototype and had asked Franky
to soup it up for her. He had complied gladly, although Zoro suspected that he
had used government funding to do it. Robin stepped out of the driver's seat as
she handed her keys to the valet with a single stern look that said If you take
it for a joy ride, I will sue your sorry ass. Luffy and Ace pulled up behind in
Ace's Audi (Luffy's Nissan was at the mechanic's shop after he had scraped the d
oors along the side of the freeway while racing).
"Is everyone else here already?" Zoro asked, looking around.
"Nah, Usopp and Franky couldn't make it," Luffy said. "They had to go to a sym sem "
"Symposium, Luffy," Ace supplied. "They're at the Symposium of Modern Technology
. Apparently, Vegapunk is giving a lecture on the molecular potential of some ne
w metal he invented. I didn't really catch what they were talking about, but app
arently the man doesn't speak in public very often."
"Sounds fascinating," Zoro declared sarcastically. "What about Vivi or Chopper?"
"Hey, guys!" Chopper waved to them from the door, where he had been chatting wit
h Vivi and Jyabura. "We're over here!"
Zoro walked over to them but paused when Robin held back. "What's wrong?" he ask
ed.
She looked around and shook her head. "What time is it?"
"Ten 'til seven. Why?"
"Oh, just wondering. I'll meet you inside. I left my cell phone in my car," Robi
n said innocuously. Zoro shrugged; she could take care of herself, after all.
Inside, the crowd was as crowded as ever on a Thursday night. However, they didn
't stop at their usual table on the second floor. Instead, they made their way t
o the closed doors that led to the third floor. It was situated directly adjacen
t to the bar where Lucci was mixing drinks, and he nodded at them as they waved.
"I see you guys," he said calmly as he splashed rum into a flask. "Is this every
one in your party?"
"Wait," Robin called, walking quickly to catch up to them. She turned around, wa
iting for her escort to catch up.
Sanji straightened his shirt out as he emerged from the crowd, self-consciously
smoothing his hair as he moved to put an arm around Robin's. She maneuvered grac
efully from his hold without making it look like she was avoiding him and pulled
 him by the arm.
"What's he doing here?" Zoro blurted out. Sanji glowered at him without recognit
ion.
"Who are you to say whether I can come or not?" he snapped, but stopped. "Okay,
there has got to be only one guy who's unfortunate enough to have green hair, bu
t I know that he doesn't dress this well," Sanji said in disbelief. "Who the hel
l are you?"
Zoro automatically moved to run a hand through his short hair, but stopped when
he remembered that Ace had spent a considerable amount of time manipulating it t
o make it look neater than a bed of moss. It was gelled into spikes that pointed
backward, giving him a look that was trimmer than his usual 'just rolled out of
bed' style. The new 'do kind of makes him look a bit majestic, Sanji found hims
elf thinking hazily. It's like he's perpetually facing the headwind on a ship. Z
oro also wore a gray Armani Exchange blazer with a black, form-fitting shirt and
dark designer jeans Sanji couldn't tell which brands from his vantage point, but
felt that it would vastly deflate his ego if he were to find Zoro wearing True R
eligion jeans.
"What are you looking at, cook?" Zoro growled, his hand falling into a fist at h
is side.
"Zoro, don't fight tonight," Vivi implored him with wide eyes. "Not tonight."
To Sanji's surprise, Zoro sighed and nodded. "Alright. Are we all ready to go? L
ucci, this is everyone." The other man nodded silently and walked over, pulling
a key from his pocket. Lucci unlocked the nondescript door with the words VIP in
small, brass letters across it and let them in, locking the door behind them. A
tall man with what appeared to be thick eyeliner and heavy white powder on his
face took Lucci's place at the bar. The staircase was wide and well-lit, and lea
d up to the third floor where a far smaller crowd was socializing. The music up
here was muted by distance from the dance floor, and Lucci took his place at the
bar, replacing a rather rotund young man with braces.
"Chapapa. Is this the last group who's supposed to be here tonight, Lucci?" the
man with the braces asked.
Lucci nodded. "Go downstairs and help Kumadori, Fukurou. He'll probably need it.
"
"What is this place?" Sanji asked in slight awe. The furniture here was in very
good condition, indicating that few were privileged enough to grace the expensiv
e black leather seats. The clientele was very well-dressed, but not to the point
of ostentatious flaunting. Sanji felt rather awkward and out of place in this j
oint.
"This is the VIP lounge of Cipher Pol," Vivi explained. "The owner of the club,
Spandam, has recently invested in our bank, and has allowed us to come here toni
ght as a show of good faith. It's very hard to get in, though few people even know
about it."
"Why's it so hard to get in?" Sanji asked.
Ace led the way to an empty table and sat down casually, his legs crossed as tho
ugh he owned the place. The others followed suit, although Zoro and Sanji both l
ooked uncomfortable with the fact that Luffy's feet were resting on the table ma
de of solid endangered Adam wood. "You see," Ace said, "It's not just a question
of wealth. Well, I mean, you'd have to have real money to get in, with plenty s
tock investments in the same interests as Spandam. It's also a social thing, tho
ugh. If you're anything but the golden crowd of Navarone, you might as well not
even try."
Sanji laughed, trying to mask his nervousness was that a bottle of 1800 Coleccion
tequila that he saw Lucci pouring? as he asked, "What, so is this a once in a life
time chance for you guys too?"
They looked oddly at him.
"Ace and I've been here a few times," Luffy said.
"I come here about once a month to get access to certain wines that are hard to
find elsewhere. Vivi often accompanies me," Robin added. "Coincidentally, Lucci?
Could you get us the Rokushiki Set? Thank you. Lucci is the only one in Navaron
e who can mix it perfectly, or who can even get his hands on the liquor that it
requires."
Sanji decided that he didn't want to know what was in this Rokushiki Set.
"Zoro's been here too," Ace said indifferently. "Of course, he prefers the Shiga
n Special downstairs because he never has to pay for it, but there are some drin
ks here that even he can't polish off too fast because they're so potent." Sanji
looked at the fidgeting Zoro in surprise.
"So you're all part of this 'golden crowd?'" Sanji asked. They nodded, as though i
t was the most natural thing in the world, save for Zoro. "How do you even get i
nto this crowd?"
Luffy laughed good-naturedly. "C'mon, Sanji, anyone in Water Sector knows that y
ou have to at least be an Alpha or Beta to reach this kind of status." When Sanj
i only stared blankly, Luffy stared right back. "You know what that is, right?"
"Wow, Luffy knows something that someone else doesn't," Ace muttered to Zoro und
er his breath. However, Zoro didn't laugh.
"Let's talk about something else, you guys," Zoro said gruffly. However, they we
re interrupted when a man wearing a wide-brimmed black hat capped with a red plu
me walked up to them.
"So, what do we have here?" the man sneered, his whisker-like moustache swaying
as he spoke. "It looks like a little mutt snuck in with the thoroughbreds."
"What do you want, Nero?" Zoro asked, his voice just barely teetering between ci
vility and violence. "You know that we can be here."
Nero held his hands up in a mocking gesture of peace. "Ah, of course! I would no
t question even your presence after having served you for all these years. Howev
er, I don't believe I've ever met this man," he said, pointing at Sanji. "He's n
ot in the Letters, either."
"Now, just a minute," Ace said angrily, but was stopped when Zoro put a hand on
his shoulder.
"Nero." Zoro's voice was steady, but his eyes glimmered dangerously. "Do you thi
nk Lucci would let just anyone pass through those doors?" Nero faltered, and ste
pped back. They locked eyes in a standoff, but Nero was the one who folded.
"O-of course I know he wouldn't," Nero stammered. "I'm just here to, ah, you kno
w, make sure things are all right. Your Rokushiki Set is being made as he speak.
" He scurried off quickly to check on another table.
"What the hell is going on?" Sanji asked in bewilderment. "What the hell are the
Letters, or this Alpha and Beta shit you were going on about?"
Zoro sighed as he rubbed his face wearily. "You guys," he said, addressing the r
est of the group, "He lives in Fire Sector." Mouths fell all around. "But on the
border between Water and Fire."
"Oh, really?" Robin asked. Her voice was amused as ever, but slightly taken abac
k.
"That's quite surprising," Ace added. "You seemed to have the composure of a lon
g-time Water Sector inhabitant." Sanji squirmed under their gazes, feeling like
he was missing something. Sure, maybe he lived in Fire Sector, but did that real
ly matter to these people? They didn't seem to be the type who would care about
that.
Surprisingly, it was Luffy who came to his aid. "So what?" Luffy demanded. "He's
still a good guy! I'd let him stay at Galley-La." At these words, everyone visi
bly relaxed.
"Well then, that settles it," Ace said cheerfully. "Sorry about this, dude, but
we just have to be careful. Luffy's instincts are never wrong, though."
Sanji shook his head hard. "What the hell is going on? Would someone please expl
ain this to me?"
Lucci came over with two trays, setting them down before bowing slightly and ret
urning to the bar. Every glass and cup held different liquids, from fruity cockt
ails to raw, undiluted hard alcohol. Zoro grabbed one of the cups at random and
drained it quickly before turning to Sanji with an apologetic look on his face.
"Look, there are things that you have to know about the way we live," he said qu
ietly. "You wanted to know about the Letters?" Sanji nodded. "Alright, but I'm g
oing to ask now that you don't interrupt until we finish explaining. The Letters
are basically ranks in every field and profession you could imagine, from paint
ing to engineering to martial arts. They take the best of the best and grade the
m."
"Like cow beef?" Sanji asked, blindly reaching for a glass and downing it quickly.
He was gratified by a light-headed buzz. "You're all just put onto lists in ord
er of how much people want you or how much you're worth? Perhaps chicken eggs wo
uld be a better analogy than cow beef. Or maple syrup. I hear Grade A maple syru
p is absolutely divine." He grabbed another glass, giggling despite himself.
"Sanji, maybe you shouldn't drink so much so fast," Vivi suggested anxiously. "W
e're not really like that."
"No, he's right," Ace said gruffly. "The Letters are just that."
"So, what are you guys?" Sanji hiccupped.
"I'm an Alpha-level historian," Robin said quietly. "One of the last people in t
he world able to read the Poneglyphs. Franky is also an Alpha-level engineer he ro
se from Beta after his mentor Tom Don passed away."
"The Arabasta Mutual Banks are collectively known as Alpha-level as well," Vivi
said. "By virtue of that, my father and I are also included."
"Chopper's a Beta-level doctor, after the infamous 'Doctorine' in Drum City," Lu
ffy said. "Galley-La is Alpha-level for university housing."
"Okay, this is just getting ridiculous," Sanji grumbled. "Isn't that getting int
o really minute specifics?"
Ace shrugged. "Hey, we're not complaining. The benefits are great."
"What about you, Zoro?" Sanji demanded. "Don't tell me you're the Alpha-level sw
ordsman?"
Zoro shook his head, and Sanji felt a little guilty. "I'm Beta-level," Zoro corr
ected him. "My boss is the Alpha."
"Who decides all of this? And how can you tell?" Sanji queried. "I still can't q
uite believe I've never heard of this before."
"Believe me, people keep track of this," Zoro said irritably. "As for who? Well,
okay, this is going to sound stupid, but "
"But?"
"The answers fall from the sky," Lucci supplied, coming to refill the drinks tha
t were quickly being drained. "I have held the slot for the Alpha bartender for
several years now."
"The sky. The answers fall from the sky. I know I'm getting drunk, but I'm not T
HAT stupidly wasted yet," Sanji groaned. "Seriously. Stop kidding."
"I never kid," Lucci said dispassionately, and Sanji believed it. "Once a year,
several unmarked planes leave from undisclosed locations and drop flyers with th
e numbers over the major cities in the world. One might think that this would be
easy to replicate, but only the frauds are ever caught." He turned around and l
eft without another word.
"Weird guy," Sanji commented. "So, basically, you take this like the word of God
falling from the heavens and follow it religiously." He stopped, thinking. "Wai
t. Did he just say that they drop these all over the world? So these are inter-f
reaking-national rankings we're talking about?"
"Oh, Sanji. City-wide rankings are useless," Ace said dismissively.
"Yeah. Who wants to be called the best swordsman in Navarone when the greatest s
wordsman in the world pays your wages?" Zoro added. "But it's just part of the s
tupid social hierarchy."
Robin nodded. "We would normally say that we need no recognition for our skills ex
cept for Zoro perhaps." He gave her a sharp look, but she continued. "But I know
that personally, if this system was not in existence, then I would not be able
to pursue the history I love without having to worry about things like the rent
or the bills."
"The thing is, even though the Arabasta Banks are well-off as it is, a business
needs connections to stay afloat. This is where the VIP lounge comes in. On any
given day, there will always be someone here with high influence. Unfortunately
for some people " Vivi sighed. "This means that anyone who can reach Alpha or Beta
level will most likely stay ensconced there, leaving little room for promising
talent to rise. You can never really tell, though."
Ace laughed. "Yeah, who would have guessed that Zoro of all people would make it
 this far?"
"Shut up, Ace," Zoro said, without a trace of humor. Ace caught the hint and mov
ed away from that topic of conversation.
"So, um, have you lived in Fire Sector your entire life?" Chopper asked uncertai
nly.
Sanji shook his head. Should I tell them ?
"Air Sector, then?" Luffy asked curiously. Sanji shook his head again, more slow
ly. "Or did you move from another city?"
"Earth Sector." Ace's utterance was not a question. It was a flat statement. "Yo
u come from Earth Sector."
"Lucci! Get me another one of whatever's in this," Zoro called hastily. He held up
a heavy tankard filled with golden liquid. "So," he continued loudly, "Who else
is here tonight?"
"Zoro. Be quiet." Ace was dead serious. "Sanji. Do you come from Earth Sector?"
Sanji grimaced, and nodded. "Yeah. I was born, raised, and taught there."
"Ace! Luffy just said that it doesn't matter! Why do you keep pressing it?" Zoro
snarled. Around them, people were beginning to stare. Ace stood and sat right i
n front of Zoro with a pained look on his face.
"You of all people should know how hard it is to make it in this damned city," A
ce said, his voice tense. "The stupid parties and exclusiveness, the social rank
s and how it fucking affects everything!" Sanji started he didn't think Ace could
get so riled up. "We all have had to deal with it! Do you think I want to send h
im out into that kind of a cage fight when he has no weapons, when he's ignorant
of how "
"Oh, Ace, you've had far too much to drink tonight," Robin said, her voice imper
ious and soothing at the same time. The people who had been staring laughed to t
hemselves and went back to their conversations. "Silly boy," she whispered in a
hushed voice, "Do not speak of this here, of all places. This is a place to buil
d connections, not to sever them. If you speak too freely, the others will know.
"
Ace took a shaky breath and nodded before pulling one of his charming smiles aga
in.
"Is that the lovely Miss Kaya that I see?" he said cheerfully, rising and greeti
ng a thin blonde woman dressed in a modestly long skirt and blouse who was chatt
ing with a wilder-looking woman with multiple piercings and horribly disgusting
eating manners. "Ah, and the delightful Miss Bonney has come, as well."
Zoro heaved a sigh of relief. "Look, let's just do what we came here to do and w
e'll talk about it later, okay?" he told Sanji. "But for now, let's just socialize
." He shuddered before looking around. "Looks like there are quite a few people
here tonight," he noted, looking around at the people who were disseminated arou
nd the area. "Oh, there's Foxy."
"The fatass with the yellow suspenders? What the hell is up with his clothes?" S
anji asked as the rest of the group dispersed to talk to people who were, to San
ji, strangers.
"Yeah. He's the head executive of the Davy Back Fights."
"You mean the mixed martial arts competition?" Sanji asked in amazement. "But he
doesn't look like he'd know jack squat about something like that."
"Apparently he was the champion of some big title years ago," Zoro said. "But he
's the guy I'm looking for. Hey, Foxy, why don't you come share a drink with us?
" Zoro lifted his tankard as a way of greeting.
"For the last time, Roronoa, I will not let someone who uses weapons like you do
into my competition," Foxy greeted him, although he picked up a drink and sat d
own beside them. "Who's your friend?"
"I'm Sanji Baratie," Sanji said. "Nice to meet you."
Foxy looked decidedly unimpressed. "Yeah, whatever. So, Roronoa, now that that's
settled, what's up with you?" He took a gulp from his cup and looked a bit more
amiable. "Now, this is what I call liquor. You really splurged on a Rokushiki S
et, huh?"
"Yep. Good stuff. Oh, I'm not here to bug you about your precious Davy Back Figh
ts," Zoro drawled. "I'm here to ask about a certain competition that may or may
not be the deciding factor in this year's Letters, if you know what I mean."
Foxy's eyes were sharp as he looked at Zoro from over the rim of his cup. "I can
't really say that I'm following you, Roronoa."
"Let's just say that Mihawk isn't going to keep his seat for long," Zoro said as
he tossed back the last of his drink with a satisfied sigh. "Must I elaborate?
Only one man is powerful and influential enough to organize an event like this,
and I happen to be talking to him right now. Isn't that right Oyabin?"
Foxy froze before leaning back carefully, with one hand resting on his ample bel
ly and the other gripping his cup tightly. "How did you hear about that?" he his
sed, eyes darting around.
Zoro shrugged. "Oh, a little birdy told me. So, am I in?"
Foxy grumbled darkly. "What reason would I have to let you in?"
"C'mon. You know that I'm the only one good enough "
"Don't be so sure of that, Roronoa."
Zoro stopped. "Are you implying that there's someone out there who can beat me?
Only one man has been strong enough to do that so far, and he's the Alpha." Zoro
snorted. "You're not talking about Gamma or Delta, are you? Or Epsilon?" Zoro b
egan to laugh heartily. "Don't joke around! If it's an issue of money, that's no
problem, and you know that. Don't you think it'd be great if you had me in that
competition? I bet Mihawk's entering, too. He is, isn't he?"
Foxy picked up another cup to replace his now-empty one. "Pah, that's not the pr
oblem. I just have a general rule of not letting any of my contestants die unnec
essarily. You are not known for your control in battle, and I don't want you beh
eading any of the fighters."
"If they're weak enough to get killed, then they shouldn't fight in the first pl
ace," Zoro muttered under his breath. "You know I've gotten a lot stronger and mor
e precise. How about this. If you let me in, you'll get not only another swordsm
an as well as another Savate competitor. You've been looking for one to fill Bon
's place since he retired from the fighting scene for pure teaching, right?"
"Savate?" Foxy sucked in his breath and looked very interested. "Perhaps I am. T
hey're a dying breed. Most of the new 'talent' is nothing more than crap. What d
o you have in mind?"
Zoro slung an arm around Sanji's shoulder and pinched his cheeks with a grin. "T
his guy. He's faster than anyone I've seen so far." Sanji's eyes widened at this
sudden (involuntary) offering of his body for something like this, and his chee
ks reddened at the unexpected compliment.
Foxy was skeptical. "This guy? Looks like slim pickings to me."
"Trust me," Zoro said with a wink. "Even Bon was impressed."
Sanji watched the two of them speaking as one would watch two merchants barterin
g on an open market. The fish in season, apparently, was Sanji.
"Then it's settled then?" Zoro said triumphantly. "We're in?"
Foxy nodded. "Yeah. I'll have one of my men contact you beforehand. Now, if you'
ll excuse me " He rose unsteadily, waddling towards the bathroom.
Sanji blinked. "What the hell just happened?" He had been too lost in his though
ts to really pay attention to the proceedings.
Zoro emptied his glass triumphantly. "We just were granted admission into the Si
lver Fox Tournament. It's like cage fighting on steroids."
"What do you mean, we? Since when did this become a two person deal?" Sanji dema
nded.
"Since now. Weren't you listening? Rumors are that Alphas and Betas from all fie
lds are participating. If you beat 'em, then you're almost guaranteed admission
into the Letters the following year," Zoro said cheerfully. "Then no one can com
plain about your birth or status, can they?"
"Easy for you to say," Sanji grumbled. "You're already up there." Everyone else
drifted back to the group in ones and twos, and Zoro shrugged.
"How do you think a guy like me got here in the first place?" Zoro asked offhand
edly. "Or any of us, for that matter?" When Sanji opened his mouth, Zoro stopped
him. "We'll discuss this later. Where are we going from here?"
"I believe that the majority of us live at Galley-La, so perhaps we should meet
there," Robin suggested. "Ace, Luffy, your apartment is quite large, is it not?"
They paid Lucci and left a generous tip for him. As they filed out, Sanji realiz
ed that he did recognize a few people in the VIP lounge there was Arlong, head che
f of the prominent Fishman Sushi chain; Donquixote Doflamingo, the lead designer
of the Smiley fashion label; Perona, the famous model and icon for the Gothic L
olicon modeling agencies. He breathed a sigh of relief as they left Cipher Pol a
nd he climbed into the driver's seat of his car.
"You're trembling." Zoro took a seat on the passenger side.
Sanji gripped the wheel tightly, willing his jitters to go away. "I'm not. I jus
t need a cig. Why are you in my car?"
"Robin kicked me out of her car. You alright?"
Sanji turned the key in the ignition and waited for the car to warm up, his thou
ghts racing as his mind was finally up to speed. "Me? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. It's n
ot like I just found out that the friends I just met are really famous and wealt
hy and out of my fucking league. Oh, wait "
"Don't think of it like that," Zoro said sharply. "It's not like we're different
people. It's just your perception that has changed."
"Oh, yeah, Mister I'm-Wearing-Clothes-That-Cost-More-Than-Your-Monthly-Rent."
"Who cares about my fucking clothes, you materialistic idiot?"
"Oh, so I'm the materialistic idiot, am I?"
"You're the one who's freaking out just because of the clothes that I wear and t
he lifestyle that we live."
"How do you expect me to hang out with you guys when I can't even pick up the ch
eck once in a while, or when I'm denied access to where you hang out because I'm
not good enough to even get past the doors? Did you see how Nero looked at me?"
Sanji snarled, swerving sharply around a corner. "Here. Galley-La. Get out."
"Why are you being so self-conscious about this? It's stupid!" Zoro yelled right
back at him, refusing to budge. "I'm not going back inside until I know that yo
u're getting your skinny ass out of this car and into the building with me. Okay
?"
"Screw you."
"All right. That's it." Zoro pushed Sanji's hands out of the way, put the engine
into the parking position and pulled the key out of the ignition. "Come in. Now
." He then left the car and began to walk briskly towards the gate.
"Hey! Wait! This is a 'no parking' zone, you moron!" Sanji shouted out the windo
w. "Augh! You're paying for my ticket!" Sanji slammed the car door. "Lock it." T
he Beetle beeped. "Okay. Fine. We're going up to your apartment."
They went up the stairs after silently agreeing that a slow and inactive elevato
r ride would only serve to aggravate them more. Unfortunately, Ace and Luffy liv
ed on the top floor, which meant that both of them, despite their athleticism, w
ere slightly winded by the time they stopped, which only served to make them eve
n more annoyed. They found everyone already waiting in the large apartment, incl
uding Franky and Usopp.
Sanji hesitated on the doorstep, unable to force himself to walk in. He could on
ly take in the scent of Robin's Dior perfume Franky's Prada sunglasses Zoro's Armani
shirt
"Sanji, you're hyperventilating," Vivi said worriedly.
Chanel. She's wearing Chanel.
Chopper pulled Sanji through the door and helped him to take a seat after gently
reminding him to remove his shoes. Sanji sat, feeling quite overwhelmed. He fel
t old reflexive instincts kicking in as he took in the brand names and values of
their possessions; he wouldn't be surprised if he found himself evaluating how
much he could get from them
"Sanji, why don't you tell us why this seems to be affecting you so much? You li
ve in Fire Sector. Even if you came from Earth Sector, that's no reason for us t
o be so alien to you now," Ace asked, pressing a glass of water into his hand. H
e appeared to be quite sorry about the scene he had made at the club.
Sanji drank greedily, the water spilling down his chin to dribble down his throa
t as he quenched his suddenly dry mouth. "I "
"Let him gather his senses for a moment, Ace," Robin chided him. "I'm sure there
's a perfectly valid reason."
They left Sanji alone for a few minutes, chatting about things as trivial and sa
fe as the weather and the news something that they could all relate to. As Sanji b
egan to calm down, Zoro sat next to him on the loveseat and began to speak to hi
m in a low, soothing voice.
"So, how's the café doing?"
" Business is doing well. If it keeps up, I'll be able to reduce the number of shi
fts I'm taking at Rain Dinners."
"That's good. I made omelet today," Zoro said proudly. Sanji couldn't help but s
mile.
"Have you ever read His Dark Materials? It's a series of books starting with The
Golden Compass," Sanji asked. When Zoro shook his head in confusion, Sanji went
on. "There's a scene where the main character makes omelet for this girl, and s
he said the exact same thing after he taught her. Of course, her omelet turned o
ut to be a disaster, but I expect the similarity doesn't end there." Zoro chuckl
ed, letting that comment slide (for now).
"How are you feeling, Sanji?" Robin asked as everyone turned back to sit around
him. Sanji swallowed thickly.
"I'm feeling better. More rational." He patted his pockets automatically for a c
igarette, but stopped himself. "So, what are we going to talk about?"
"Well, we just wanted to know why you're so uncomfortable with the knowledge of
our standing in the Letters and all," Chopper said. Everyone else nodded in agre
ement.
Sanji took another sip of his water before beginning. "Well, as you already know
, I was born in Earth Sector. I was raised in the slums, and it wasn't until I w
as around nine years old that some shitty geezer found me picking through the du
mpster behind his restaurant and took me in but before that, we stole, scrounged,
and basically just lived like little alley cats to get by "
Sanji ran through the streets, hooting with the other children who called the gh
ettos of Navarone home. Today there was a charity event going on at the church,
and they had heard that many wealthy citizens from Water Sector were going to be
present.
That meant a lot of people so many and mostly so impoverished that a ragtag group
of kids wouldn't be noticed running around.
They stopped, sneaking under a table covered by a clean, white tablecloth. Sanji
scowled as he felt the smooth material run across his face even their linen was o
f far better quality than he could ever hope to touch on a normal basis.
"Ready, Sanji?" A little girl with bright red hair and round, innocent eyes aske
d. Her smile was far too manipulative for a child; her hands twitched as she saw
 a woman walking by with a large gemstone on a ring made of precious metals Tiffan
y and Co. brand. That trinket alone could feed them for weeks.
"Of course, Nami," Sanji replied. The red-nosed boy squatting beside them cackle
d gleefully. "Hush, Buggy!"
"But those people are walking around so carelessly that woman's purse alone is wor
th, oh gee it's a Gucci," Buggy muttered, peeking out from under the table. They h
ad all learned to recognize the most expensive brands out there and to different
iate between bootleg and the real thing, for those would fetch the best prices e
ven when working with the crooked black market dealers.
"Just stick to the program," Sanji hissed. "Let's go." He grabbed Buggy by the c
ollar and rolled out from under the table, immediately beginning to punch the ot
her boy. Buggy gave as good as he got; this part was real, and the injuries woul
d leave bruises that might attract a few sympathetic people who would be willing
to donate a few coins to the beaten children. All around, women were screeching
and men were yelling as they tried to pry the two savage children apart. They d
idn't see the nimble girl dart out from the other side of the table and begin to
relieve the guests of their expensive burdens.
Later, Sanji and Buggy told spectators that the fight was over who would get to
sleep in the warm corner of the run-down and abandoned apartment complex they ca
lled home. With Buggy's naturally bulbous nose which he claimed was from a particu
larly vicious punch and Sanji's angelic looks, they received much kindness in the
form of meat pies, small change, and other goodies.
They met Nami back home and found the girl deep in conversation with Cabaji and
Mohji, discussing how long their new loot would last them. She sat on a pile of
bulging bags that she had concealed under her threadbare skirts, and Sanji grinn
ed in delight when he saw theTiffany and Co. ring that he had seen that woman we
aring roll out from the bag to rest at his feet.
They called themselves the Buggy Pirates. They weren't a real gang or anything,
of course. They were far too young for that. However, they had learned that anyo
ne who wanted to live past their teenage years in this part of the city had to b
e ready for gang life, and that it was better to make a name under an organized
group than individually. It wasn't a question of if but rather when they would e
nter a gang.
They could live like this. Those damned rich bastards had enough money that they
didn't even miss the booty that this little group collected in a single day. Th
ey didn't need sympathy, or a beggar's pittance what they couldn't find, they stol
e, and what they couldn't steal, they learned to live without or die.
That was the Earth Sector way, after all.

When he and Nami had gotten separated from Buggy and his crew during a particula
rly poorly-coordinated heist at the strip mall, he had been forced to abandon hi
s old home when the police began to come around more often. He shuddered as he s
aw the cop cars drive by, with the wire mesh in the windows, like cages for mutt
s being taken to the pound. Nami shivered beside him, cold in the fall chill. He
shook his head regretfully as he separated banana peels from vegetables and con
sumable scraps in the dumpster.
"What the hell are you little brats doing out here?" a gruff voice growled from
the doorway to the restaurant. Sanji froze, pushing Nami behind him protectively
.
"They're just scraps! It's not stealing if you threw it away, is it?" Sanji crie
d shrilly, cramming the crusts he had found into his pockets. The old man frowne
d suddenly when he saw the food that Sanji gripped in his hands, but looked even
more troubled when he looked at Sanji. Was that a flicker of recognition flashi
ng across the old man's face?
"This is no good, no good at all " he grumbled. "I keep telling those idiots not t
o waste that." Sanji blinked what was this geezer talking about? "C'mon. I'll give
you a real meal." Sanji glared at him suspiciously, until Nami sneezed and the
old man said, "I have hot soup. Your friend looks like she could use some nouris
hment, if she doesn't want to succumb to pneumonia." Sanji grudgingly followed t
he old man in.
It turns out that the guy's name was Zeff. He owned a soup kitchen in the middle
of Earth Sector that went by his family name the Baratie. Zeff barely managed to
keep the place open, but always insisted on feeding anyone hungry enough to come
to his doors. The food was dirt cheap or free, but the people who visited often
found ways to scrape together enough change to pay Zeff and to keep the place r
unning. He learned a lot from Zeff cooking and fighting, as well as life lessons but
always felt that he knew the old man from somewhere. Whenever he'd ask, Zeff wo
uld only rub his head and tell him not to worry his little eggplant brain over i
t. The same would happen when he'd ask about the man's wooden leg.
This crowded and noisy kitchen was their new home. Later, he heard that Buggy ha
d become involved in gang life, and he doubted he'd ever see his friend again
There was silence as Sanji finished his story. Suddenly, a loud wail broke the s
tillness.
"Uwaaaah!" Franky keened, tears streaming down his face. "T-t-t-that's s-so m-mo
ving!"
Sanji stared. "What the hell?"
"It's no wonder that you would hold such a strong reaction to us," Ace whistled
softly. "You really lived like that? Dude that's a harsh life and we thought that we
had it tough "
Sanji snorted. "Yeah, real tough, growing up in Water Sector."
"Actually," Luffy interrupted, "We didn't."
Sanji did a double take. "What are you talking about? Isn't this what we've been
talking about the whole night?"
Luffy shook his head. "Ace and I were brought up in Fire Sector. It's only becau
se of Gramps that we live here right now."
"Personally, I want to move up and find something more exciting to do. There are
only so many University girls you can screw before you start to want something
a bit more sophisticated," Ace said with a wink. Sanji scowled. Lucky bastard.
"I'm from Air Sector," Usopp said simply. "I had to take care of my ma after my
da left."
"Me, too," Franky said. Sanji decided that that was to be expected both men came f
rom the part of the city known for its mechanical resources.
"I'm from Drum City. The city is a bit different from here," Chopper said shyly.
 "I didn't learn about the Sectors until I moved here to study at the University
."
"Er, I was born and raised in Water Sector, actually," Vivi said in embarrassmen
t. The others quickly moved to reassure her that 'being born in Water Sector is
by no means embarrassing.'
When Sanji looked expectantly at Robin and Zoro, they shrugged. "Don't worry abo
ut it," they said simultaneously. The impulse to press further was quelled when
they both stared at him with eyes that said, It's for your own damned good.
Fair enough.
"I think that this has been enough for tonight," Ace said with a yawn. "I'm dead
tired. You feeling alright, Sanji?"
"Yeah. I was just being stupid there was no reason for me to flip out like that,"
Sanji said with a discomfited smile. "Thanks for understanding, you guys."
"No problem. Now, get the hell out of here, everyone," Ace said with a laugh. "I
've got work tomorrow."
"Dude, you live at work. You don't even have a boss to answer to," Usopp grumble
d as he put on his coat.
"But there's this hot babe who just moved in that frequents the pool at six AM e
very morning. How could I resist?"
They left, laughing. Out in the hall, Sanji tugged lightly on Zoro's sleeve as e
veryone filed out.
"Can we talk?"
Zoro gave him a long look before nodding.
"Alright. Let's go to my place, then." As they left, Zoro couldn't help but wond
er if he would survive a fall if he jumped out the window to avoid the inevitabl
e conversation that was sure to follow.
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: I've been loving these reviews that have been coming lately. I previously h
ad the Sector divisions in another original story, but I decided to scrap it bec
ause it was getting too hard for my OCs so I'm using it now! Recycling, right? I'm
sorry I haven't been responding to your reviews, but I've been working on four
stories and it gets hectic (yes, I know, only two are out right now .)
Enjoy! Here is part of what you asked for. Zoro's history.
---
Zoro stared at the bathroom sink, his face dripping with cold water as a pair of
dark, weary eyes gazed right back at him. He had escaped to the bathroom after
he and Sanji had entered his apartment, and now wondered if Sanji would notice i
f he just stayed in the bathroom the whole night.
If there is a God, let Him strike me down as I stand here, Zoro thought desperat
ely, so grant me mercy anyone?
There was no bolt of lightning that smote him down, and Zoro snorted. And people
wonder why I don't go to church
Yeah. Sanji would probably think he was having digestive problems or was doing e
ven stranger things if he stayed here too long. Best not risk it.
"Want anything to eat?" Zoro called as he left the safety of the bathroom and am
bled down the hall. Sanji was half-sitting, half-lying on the couch, his legs dr
aped gracefully over one arm of the chair as he waited. He shook his head, and Z
oro sat down after grabbing a couple of beers from the fridge.
"I can't believe you're still drinking," Sanji said in disbelief. "Do you piss a
lcohol or something?"
"Maybe. I've never tasted it to see," Zoro responded, drinking. "So, what did yo
u want to talk about?"
"You're not from Water Sector either, are you?" Sanji asked abruptly. He had to
get the question out there quickly, or he'd lose his nerve. "I remember you said b
efore that when you went to Japan, you didn't even have enough money to get back
home. Was that the turning point in your life? Was Mihawk your Zeff?"
"Hey, slow down," Zoro said. "First of all, you're correct. I wasn't born in thi
s part of the city. Yes, Mihawk was the one who enabled me to live here, althoug
h it was mostly because he wants his employees to live close to Baroque Works. S
econdly well, I guess you could say that Mihawk is to me like Zeff was to you."
"Where were you born then?"
Zoro sipped on his beer, slowly draining the can. "Same as you. Born and raised
in Earth Sector."
"I knew it!" Sanji crowed. "You're not like anyone from around here. You have that
look."
"Oh, and here I was thinking I was one of a kind because of my great charm," Zor
o said sarcastically.
"Yeah, whatever. You've heard my basic life story. What's yours?"
"Woah there, cowboy, not so fast," Zoro said, holding up his hands. "Who said th
at it's any of your business?"
"I did. Spill, buddy."
"I don't know, it was a pretty traumatic experience," Zoro drawled with a lazy g
rin. "It'll make your story look like a tea party."
Sanji snorted in contempt. "Yeah, like you could really say that with an express
ion like that on your face. It's not like you were the perpetrator of any violen
t crimes, right?"
" "
Sanji froze. "What?"
"I told you it's not anything to be taken lightly." Zoro's voice was low and sombe
r.
"Are you serious?" Sanji nearly yelled, backing up slightly as Zoro came closer
to him with a wild look in his eyes. Those powerful hands reached forward, yearn
ing to grasp a slender and pale neck
"Just kidding," Zoro laughed heartily as he retreated. "Pansy."
Sanji breathed a huffy sigh of both annoyance and relief. "Pah. How about this?"
Sanji stood and went to the fridge, bringing out more alcohol. Beer probably wo
uldn't loosen Zoro's tongue, but it might make him get in a better mood and be m
ore inclined to talk. Zoro accepted the cans with a suspicious look, but didn't
say a word.
"So, Earth Sector was pretty rough, huh?" Sanji began, thinking, Start out slowl
y. Drinking beer together is supposed to be a good time for men to bond. Or so h
is old man used to say.
Zoro nodded without saying a word, looking at Sanji with an expression that clea
rly said, I'm not inebriated enough to tell you anything, but nice try.
"Listen," Zoro said. "Maybe you should go home. You've heard what you wanted to,
didn't you? You know about us, so now go rest. You have to get up early tomorro
w."
"It's not that late. I've told you about my life of crime. Why is it so hard for
you to do the same?"
"Because it's not the same!" Zoro barked. "Yeah, you were a pickpocket. Your bes
t friends either moved up with you or fell to even lower levels of despair and p
overty. You lived every day, not knowing if the crumbs you licked off of wrapper
s you found in the trash would make you sick and vulnerable enough for the rats
to eat. You've obviously suffered far worse than any of us can really comprehend
, haven't you?"
"Are you mocking me?" Sanji nearly shouted, only barely remembering that he didn
't know how well these walls blocked sound from traveling to other apartments. "
Look, if you don't trust me then just say so, alright? I've apparently crossed s
ome kind of line or offended you in some way." Sanji rose angrily. "Where are my
keys?"
"It's not like that."
"I said, where are my keys?"
"Sit down."
"Give me my damned car keys or I swear "
"How can you do this after a single freaking week?" Zoro snarled suddenly, throw
ing Sanji off. He had been sitting so calmly, but now was an inferno of hellish
rage. "You! We met one week just one week ago. But now you're acting like we're best
friends or something. Oh, yeah, we're just so chummy that let's share our life
stories, huh? Sounds just fucking delightful! Things don't work this way. You ca
n't just trust anyone with anything." Zoro blinked in surprise when a foot conne
cted with his jaw, sending him flying. "What the hell was that for, you dude, what
the hell are you doing?"
Sanji sat on Zoro's torso, hands rummaging in his pockets busily. "Looking for m
y keys so I can get out of here. What does it look like I'm doing?"
"It looks like you're trying to rape me or something."
Sanji snorted as he fished his prize from Zoro's pants. "Here we are. Goodbye, y
ou asshole." Sanji made to rise, but found himself unable to move due to the pow
erful pair of legs that were currently wrapped around his waist. "You're telling
me that it looked like I was trying to rape you? Let me go." He stood, his own
legs being powerful enough even to lift Zoro. Step by step, Sanji made his way t
o the door with Zoro hanging from him like a strange koala.
Zoro suddenly released Sanji in a motion that sent him flying. "Just wait, would
you? I'm not finished with you yet." He heaved a heavy sigh. "It's just not eas
y to talk about."
"Then don't talk about it."
"Don't be fickle. I it's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just that I don't
want to want to tell you. Do you understand?"
"Not at all."
Zoro slapped his forehead in frustration. "I don't have any reason not to tell y
ou. It's not like I think you're the kind of guy who would go around blabbing ab
out whatever you hear to whoever you meet. You're decent, for an asshole."
"Oh, thanks."
"But I'm just not used to being open to people that I've just met. You must unde
rstand."
Sanji nodded. He was starting to grasp the whole situation. "So this is just bas
ically an automatic defensive mechanism to protect you from any unnecessary pain
."
"Yeah, that's pretty much it."
Sanji suddenly began to laugh, causing Zoro to frown in annoyance.
"Are you making fun of me?" he demanded.
Sanji wiped his eyes, his mirth settling down. "No, not at all. I'm just strange
ly relieved."
"Why?"
"Because this means that it's just some screwed up shit in your head that's keep
ing you quiet, not any fault on my part. It's a bit comforting."
Zoro couldn't help but laugh at that, even as he slapped Sanji harder than neces
sary across the back. "I guess we're both just screwed-up in the head, aren't we
?"
"Hey, don't count me in on that."
The two of them settled back into their original positions, the atmosphere much
lighter and at ease.
"Alright, I'll tell you about it," Zoro said. "Just get me another beer."
"Get it yourself."
"Do you want to hear it or not?"
Sanji got him his beer.
"That's right. Okay." Zoro opened his can with a click.
"You're going to get fat, drinking all that alcohol."
"If I don't take in enough calories then I'm going to be as skinny as you. Well wh
ere to start "
"How about at the very beginning? What part of Earth Sector did you grow up in?"
"Oh, all over the place, really I don't really know who my parents are, or were. I
just remember always wandering around, trying to find things to eat. I guess I
was pretty strong for my age, because I kept bullying other kids into giving me
their food, but "
Zoro walked down the street, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he looked aro
und moodily in search of another target. It was already eventide, and he had not
yet had his fill for the day. His ears perked up when he heard the sounds of ot
her children crying.
"Scram! You don't have anything left to give us, so get away!" A young girl bran
dished what appeared to be a bamboo stick in one hand, although Zoro could tell
that it was meant to be a practice sword for some sort of martial arts. The chil
dren who had been cowering in front of her fled, their pockets emptied of all fo
od and valuables. "Weaklings "
Zoro saw that there was a small pile of loot in front of her. Despite the fact t
hat she stood with a group of four or five children behind her, he was confident
that he could wrest that food from her without much trouble.
"You! I'll fight you for that!" Zoro challenged, looking around and grabbing a c
ouple of sticks that he saw leaning up against the wall.
She looked at him like he was an idiot.
"No one can beat Kuina!" one of the boys behind her piped up. "Go home, before y
ou embarrass yourself."
Kuina stopped him. "Sure. How about this if you beat me, you can take it. But if I
beat you, then you join us. Agreed?"
"What are you, some sort of gang?" Zoro snorted. He'd been offered the chance to
join some of these young pseudo-gangs, but had always declined. Being in groups
cramped his style.
She smiled slightly. "Yeah, we are, actually. Don't judge us until you can beat
us."
He ran at her, fully intending to strike her across the face.
When she moved under his attack and stood far inside his range of motion, he kne
w that he was a goner.
"So you tried to beat up a girl and got your ass whooped?"
"Shut up. She was strong."
"Pathetic "
Zoro joined their group called the Kendo Gang and roamed the streets with them. He w
as constantly improving his use of two swords (that had been 'donated' after a v
isit to a martial arts shop) during his time with Kuina, and together they were
unstoppable.
"We're gonna rule Earth Sector, right, Zoro?" Kuina would say cheekily. "Or rath
er, I'll rule it and you'll be my right-hand man. First and second best swordsme
n in Navarone no, in the world!"
They had dreams. Not especially glorious ones, but ones that they themselves app
roved of. And it was enough.
They were going to reach the top, one way or another.
"Wait, you were part of the Kendo Gang?"
"Yeah, you heard of us?"
Sanji stared. "No kidding! You guys were freaking famous! I remember Buggy alway
s used to go on about how he wanted to beat you guys up, but we never encountere
d you guys. You were very good at staying hidden. I heard that you fell apart, b
ut no one knew how or why. Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to Buggy "
A memory niggled at the back of his mind, prodding him to connect two disjoint m
emories.
"The police were starting to get involved, so we stayed on the down low."
"But wait didn't you say your family said that they were full Japanese or somethin
g? How were you wandering the streets, then?"
"I tracked them down a little while ago with this genetic testing thing. I didn'
t learn much, and I obviously wasn't very welcome, so I didn't bother to keep co
ntact. They were only distant relatives, anyway."
"What are you talking about? How can she be gone?" Zoro shouted at the cowering
boy before him. Zoro was standing in the middle of the run-down building (a 'doj
o,' Kuina had called it) that they had been using as their base. His swords had
fallen to the ground in his disbelief.
"She she went back home," one of the boys whispered, tears running down his face.
"We couldn't stop them! We didn't know anything about it! Some big guys from Wat
er Sector came down here and took her away, saying that her father had sent for
her!"
"No!" Zoro screamed. "She's not one of them! She's one of us, isn't she? Hasn't
she been, for the past years? Isn't she the leader of the Kendo Gang?" One of th
e other gang members handed him a yellow and worn newspaper. Zoro read the cover
in disbelief. He had taught himself to read after realizing that being illitera
te only made him more vulnerable. "'Japanese princess found after ten years of a
bsence, country celebrates'? What the hell is this? Princess?" He crumpled up th
e paper and threw it furiously at the wall.
"Zoro calm down "
"No! I'm not going to fucking calm down!" Zoro roared. He picked up his swords.
"I'm going after her." He left, not knowing that he would never return.
It was too late to retrieve her from Water Sector, but Zoro fought and stole unt
il he had procured enough money to get a plane ticket to Japan. It took him mont
hs and nearly cost him his sanity, but he did it. Upon arrival, he was shocked t
o see the whole country in mourning as he left the airport. The scent of incense
was heavy upon the air, and he could see people wearing grim expressions and ca
rrying around strange charms. This was nothing like the travel brochure he had g
rabbed to read on the thirteen hour plane ride from Navarone to Tokyo. He grabbe
d a morose Japanese boy and shook him, screaming questions. The boy couldn't und
erstand him he was speaking English, after all and merely pointed to a newspaper sta
nd. Zoro grabbed the first one and saw a picture of Kuina on the front cover.
He didn't need a translator to know that she was dead. She had commit suicide.
Sanji was silent after hearing this, feeling completely overwhelmed. His own chi
ldhood had been no picnic, but Zoro's was like a sortie from Hell.
"I " Sanji stuttered, unsure of what to say. "Shit, man, I'm "
"Don't worry about it," Zoro interrupted his incoherent apologies. "I've gone pa
st the point where her death I've accepted it, is all. It's not like well " Zoro sighe
d. "She couldn't adapt to her new life. It was just too different. Her father ha
d refused to see that, and she ended up killing herself after realizing that she
would be a cloistered princess forever. She was like a bird, in that sense she co
uld never live in a cage like that."** Zoro sighed. "You remember Tashigi, right
? I really resented her when we first met, because she looks and acts so much li
ke Kuina. I thought given the fact that they're around the same age maybe it was all
a mistake, and maybe Tashigi was the one they were looking for all along. If th
ey had taken the right girl, then Kuina would be alive and still kicking my ass
today. But I realized that it was useless to think of hypothetical situations li
ke that." He crushed the empty can in his hand. This was something that even Rob
in and Luffy didn't know about.
"So, uh " Sanji mumbled, trying to say something that made a little sense. "What h
appened then? What did you do from there?"
Zoro rolled his neck, listening to his joints cracking. "After that, I went afte
r her father. That probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, since he was royalt
y or whatever, but when I finally made my way to the palace, they he actually welc
omed me." Even now, Zoro looked a little stunned. "I guess Kuina had told him ab
out me. I mean, all she'd have to say was 'green hair' and they'd be able to rec
ognize me, right? But there was a translator and stuff, and he asked me about he
r life. Apparently she was kidnapped and taken here, but something went wrong an
d the kidnappers lost her before getting caught. He was very pleased that she ha
d still taken up swordsmanship, even when she was too young to have remembered t
hat her father was a master at it." He rose, holding his abdomen. "I'll be right
back. Gotta piss."
"You could just say 'I need to use the bathroom' or something, you know."
"Feh, whatever " Zoro shut the door to the bathroom and stared in the mirror befor
e unzipping his pants and doing his business. After flushing and washing his han
ds, he ran a wet hand through his hair tiredly. He washed his face, ignoring the
red rims of his eyes and mingling the hot salt water on his cheeks with the cle
ar, cool liquid pouring from the faucets. Reasonably refreshed, he went back to
where he had left Sanji and found the other man sprawled out across the couch, h
is own empty beer can rolling across the floor. His mouth was open in a silent s
nore, and a thin line of drool was already making its way down his slightly stub
bled chin.
"Idiot," Zoro muttered affectionately, tossing the can into the paper shopping b
ag full of other cans for recycling and arranging Sanji in a more comfortable po
sition. He was sorely tempted to kick him (his jaw was still a bit sore, after a
ll) but instead went to his bedroom and searched in his closet until he found hi
s spare blankets and pillows. "People will take advantage of you if you sleep ju
st anywhere," Zoro chided the sleeping man, tucking the blanket under him and pl
acing the soft pillow beneath Sanji's head. "Man, this would be the perfect time
for blackmail."
---
"Wake up. It's time for work."
Sanji frowned. His body was deliciously warm, and he was in an especially comfor
table position while wrapped up in the comforter like pigs in a blanket. Whoever
was bold and foolish enough to try and wake him up would have to roll him off t
he couch before
The couch. He was on a couch.
Sanji sat bolt upright, his forehead smashing in Zoro's face. Zoro's eyes widene
d as they both heard a loud crack.
"You moron! What the hell did you do that for?" Zoro yelped, clutching his head.
"Urgh "
Sanji rolled unceremoniously off the couch, trying to wiggle his arms out of the
blanket to grab his own aching head. "Why are you standing right above me? What
am I still doing here? Augh, what the hell is your head made of to be so freaki
ng hard?" Memories flashed into his head, concerning a night of drinking and one
beer too many. "Oh, shit. What time is it?"
"Around six thirty. Don't you have to go?"
"Oh, damn." Sanji managed to extricate himself from his confines and patted his
pockets for his keys. "Hey, Zoro, I'm really sorry about this "
"We'll talk later. You have to open up in half an hour, don't you?" Zoro was alr
eady dressed in his workout clothes and looked strangely awake for a man who had
had far less than a full night's sleep.
"Yeah. But, shit, I can't greet my customers looking like this!" Sanji didn't ha
ve a mirror on hand, but he could tell that his face and hair could both use a g
ood washing, and that his breath was absolutely repellant. "I'll see you later,
then."
"Wait." Zoro looked rather hesitant, as though he was considering an option that
he knew he was going to regret. "How about I watch the café while you get ready
? It shouldn't take that long, right?"
Sanji stopped dead on his tracks. Zoro could practically see the ellipses formin
g over the man's head.
He sighed heavily. "I guess that could work today. I'll prep you on what to do o
n the way over." He stopped, looking at Zoro's clothes. "Wear something a little
more presentable too, would you? A nice white shirt with dark slacks will be fi
ne. I'm going to go warm up the car." As Sanji ran out the door after fumbling t
o put his shoes on, Zoro scowled.
"Asshole."
---
"The dough, thank god, has already been prepared and only needs a bit of time in
the oven. I just need you to take out the trays according to their orientation.
Bottom tray at the first ring of the timer, and then so on. Understood?"
"This would be so much easier if you just went out and bought pastries from the
supermarket."
Sanji continued as though he hadn't heard him. "Now, I do have roasted coffee be
ans already ready to be used, although generally I prefer fresh-roasted. You mus
t grind them and use the water I have in the fridge no, not tap water to brew. Do yo
u know how to do it?"
"Robin taught me back while I was still at the University. She loves coffee. Ext
remely hot water, small granules of coffee bean, yada yada."
"Ah, such a sophisticated woman would "
"Shut up and just tell me whatever else."
"Hmph. Well, it would be nice if you could take all the stools down and put them
in their proper orientation, and take off the covers from the couches. You'll a
lso have to wipe down all the tables, wash the fruit in anticipation of customer
s looking for fruit bowls or juice, and oh god, you can't even properly make omele
t can you? I don't even want you to try to make quiche."
"You're hyperventilating again. You should really get that checked out."
"Only you're stressful enough to make me react like this," Sanji snapped. "Alrig
ht. We're here. Do you remember everything?"
"Of course."
Sanji rubbed his temples wearily. "I'll be down after I clean up and oh god, I did
n't even brush my teeth last night, either." He unlocked the café doors and spri
nted upstairs.
Zoro looked around at the dark room, flipping the light switch to illuminate the
space. He set to work immediately moving the trays of prepared dough from the f
ridge directly into the oven in the exact order that they had been placed after
he had allowed the oven to preheat, smacking the timer once everything had been
properly carried out. He then automatically began to prepare the coffee, praying
that he hadn't forgotten anything since the last time he had made it.
No point in taking any risks. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the first
number on speed dial, waiting as the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Robin? This is Zoro. I need your help "
---
Sanji walked into the bathroom and stared at his reflection in utter disbelief.
His curly eyebrow had been darkened with black marker, and he wore a curly moust
ache that mirrored the shape of his eyebrow. His eyes had also been blackened to
give him the look of a strange raccoon.
"ZORO!"
Downstairs, Zoro grinned. He had the pictures on his cell phone.
---
Sanji rubbed his wet hair with a dry towel, breathing in the steam that rose fro
m every surface after he had taken his shower. He now felt suitably refreshed af
ter cleaning every inch of his body, and the bags under his eyes were not too no
ticeable now. He had thought about killing Zoro, but decided that his revenge co
uld wait. It was time to get dressed and make sure that the cabbage-head didn't
burn down his café.
When the scent of roasting coffee beans rose up the stairs, Sanji quickly dresse
d and sprinted downstairs in alarm. He found Zoro taking orders at the cash regi
ster and Robin brewing the coffee, with the normal early morning rush running sm
oothly. The timer dinged loudly, and Zoro turned around to remove the first batc
h of pastries from the oven while laughing with Robin over a joke they were shar
ing. Sanji was astonished to see that Zoro seemed to be enjoying the experience.
As their eyes locked, Zoro winced as he burned his hand on the oven's interior,
but Sanji was impressed to see that his grip on the tray did not waver.
"Ah, I'll get that," Sanji said, putting on a pair of oven mitts and relieving Z
oro of his burden. "Thanks. But what is Robin doing here? Not that I mind in the l
east, of course."
Robin smiled as she watched the coffee dripping. "Oh, Zoro called to ask me how
to properly brew the coffee, and I felt that it would be better if I came and sh
owed him myself rather than let him fumble with oral instructions. I was on my w
ay to the University anyway, and my first class doesn't start until ten." She po
ured the coffee into a cup and tasted it. "Hmm, the quality of your beans is qui
te good, Sanji. You must have been doing this for a long time."
Sanji beamed. "My old man used to be able to make just about anything, from fine
cuisine to rustic hodgepodge. Beverages were no exception. He taught me everyth
ing he knew." Sanji looked around at the number of customers and was pleased. "T
here's a much bigger crowd than usual today, though. How've you guys been holdin
g up?"
"Fine," Zoro replied as he moved quickly to mop up the milk that one of the cust
omers had spilled.
"I called a few of my colleagues and students," Robin added nonchalantly. "Coinc
identally, this café is close enough to most of their commutes to school to stop
by in the morning. It appears as though they are very pleased with it."
"Oh, thanks Robin!" Sanji exclaimed. "I haven't put any ads out yet, so that rea
lly helps a lot. But I can't let my friends keep working. I could pay you for toda
y "
"Zip it, cook," Zoro interrupted. "It's no big deal."
"I'll just take this cup of coffee as compensation," Robin said with a smile. Bo
th of them were adamant. "However, I should be on my way. I promised one of my s
tudents that I would tutor her a little before class started." After she left wi
th a wave, Sanji swooned.
"Such a considerate woman," Sanji murmured. "She is not for the likes of mere mo
rtals."
Zoro chuckled. "You might think that she's an angel, but she's really a devil on
the inside."
"Why'd you go out with her, then?"
"Haven't you heard of that saying? Birds of a feather flock together."
"Hm " Sanji hummed. "Well, I can take it from here. Thanks so much for helping me
out."
"It's no problem." Zoro glanced at his watch. "I should get going too, though. I
've got training to do."
"Oh, by the way," Sanji said, suddenly remembering. "What's the whole deal with
the Silver Fox thing?"
Zoro shushed him with a furtive look. "Don't speak of it here. If you stop by Ba
roque Works later, then we'll talk about it."
When Zoro had left, Sanji saw a mess of yellow, red, and green stuff on a plate.
A note was tucked under it, and Sanji chuckled as he read it.
I told you I could make omelet. -Zoro
Sanji tasted the unfortunate egg concoction and was pleasantly surprised.
He was not so pleasantly surprised when he found the pan that Zoro had used to m
ake it. It was covered in oil, egg, and bits of vegetable matter.
It's funny how he can make me want to thank and kill him at the same time, Sanji
thought.
---
The dojo was quiet, without the raucous yells of his younger students or the gro
ans of his older ones. The window shades were down and the room was dark. Zoro w
as on his hands in the middle of the room, performing handstand pushups. He was
serene in his work, undisturbed by the outside world. The walls were soundproofe
d to keep each class from disturbing the other.
The tranquility was disturbed when Bon burst into the room in a rush of light an
d cries of "Zoro, darling, I'm here!"
"Get the fuck out."
"Now, that's not very nice, is it?" Bon pouted. He stood directly in front of Zo
ro, who was still on his hands, and moved up and down with every movement Zoro m
ade. "You'd be much happier if you settled down like I did, cupcake. There's no
pressure at all, compared to when I was on the fighting scene. I wonder if Foxy
has found a replacement for me, though?"
"He has."
"Really? Who?" Bon twisted his head until he and Zoro were facing the same orien
tation. "If there was anyone worth mentioning, I would already have known " Comprehe
nsion dawned on his face. "No! Sanji?"
"Yeah." Zoro's legs moved to his chest as he rolled into a sitting position. "I
recommended him. It was the only way Foxy would let me into the Silver Fox."
"You Zoro!" Bon's voice was suddenly very stern. "You know very well why neither o
f you should be competing in that!"
"Why not?" Zoro said nonchalantly, stretching out his arms. "We're both perfectl
y capable."
"The only reason anyone enters that is to bump off the competition. If you parti
cipate, you risk losing your rank, even if you win your battle. You should know
when to recognize when you've hit your peak," Bon snapped. "I stopped when I was
recognized as an Alpha Savate user, but we both know that the only reason that
I rose above Beta was because the previous master had disappeared. Unfortunately
for you, Mihawk will not just up and vanish like Baratie did."
Zoro froze. "What was his name? The previous Alpha."
"Baratie. Zeff Baratie. Why?"
"Sanji. His name is Sanji Baratie." Zoro covered his eyes with his hands as comp
rehension dawned on him and the pieces began to connect. "Don't you get it? It's
not just a coincidence. He was taught by the Baratie! The 'Red Leg'! No wonder
he's so good!"
Bon's hands were trembling as he wiped a droplet of sweat off of his nose. "Do y
ou think this has anything to do with that incident?"
"I don't think their meeting was connected to why Zeff left Water Sector, but do y
ou know anything about what happened to him beforehand?"
Bon scratched his chin, thinking. "Apparently, he was in some illegal tournament
out in Earth Sector. I don't know how or why, but rumors were flying about how
his leg was horribly damaged, and that's when he disappeared. No one knows what
happened after that night. His fortune was gone, too, but you know how the Araba
sta Banks are. They don't say anything unless their clients want them to and Zeff
definitely didn't want to say anything about it."
Zoro began to do crunches, thinking furiously. "Do you think Sanji could inherit
the old man's fortune if he stepped up to it? He was adopted by Zeff, apparentl
y."
"I don't know. It would be hard, without the proper documentation. Why?"
"It bothers him, you know. He was raised in Earth Sector and rose to Fire Sector
after working for years. He doesn't feel comfortable, after learning about the
Letters I think he feels like there's too much of a social gap. That's why I wante
d him to enter the tournament. He's definitely good enough to make his name well
-known, even if I'd never let him beat me." Zoro grinned haughtily.
"Who's to say that Zeff didn't already give Sanji everything he owned?" Bon said
with a shrug. "We don't have any way of knowing what he did with his money, do
we?"
Zoro flopped onto his back with a groan. "Believe me, there's very little sign o
f excess in that man's apartment. If he had had any extra cash, he wouldn't have
had to work so hard to reach Fire Sector. There's no point in speculating about
it, I guess. Is there anything else that you know?"
Bon shook his head. "Not a thing. You could probably ask some of the older resid
ents you know, like Shanks. I think they knew Baratie a lot better." Bon looked at
the reclined Zoro with a crafty look in his eye before leaping upon him. "You l
ook so cute and vulnerable like that!"
"What the get off! Get off of me, you freaking pervert!" Zoro struggled, but was p
inned under Bon's legs.
"Woah, did I come at a bad time?" Sanji stood in the doorway holding a plastic s
hopping bag and a jacket slung over one shoulder. He was staring at the two entw
ined men on the floor with an odd expression on his face; his cheeks were red.
"No! Bon, get off of me before I get my hands on my swords and stab you," Zoro h
issed, bucking Bon off and rising. "It's not what it looks like. I swear, Sanji,
he was the one coming onto me." When Bon wrapped an arm around his waist, Zoro
stomped viciously on his foot. Bon decided that it was in his best interests to
leave, but not without pecking Sanji lightly on the cheek on his way out.
There was an extremely awkward silence between the two of them.
"Never speak of this again?"
"Agreed."
There was more awkwardness.
"So, uh, what brings you around here?" Zoro asked, looking curiously at the bag.
"The lunch hour rush is over," Sanji said. "I thought I'd stop by. We were going
to talk about Foxy, remember?" He held up the bag. "I brought sandwiches. Just
leftovers from the café, but they should still be good."
They sat on the bench by the door, eating quietly save for occasional belch on Z
oro's part and a disgusted "Dude," on Sanji's.
"So what is this Silver Fox tournament?" Sanji asked suddenly, swallowing his la
st bite. "You weren't very specific the last time we talked about it."
Zoro coughed, choking on a bit of bread, before answering. "Well, it's this thin
g that's been going on for years. Apparently, Foxy's dad started it, so that's w
hy you see a lot of older generation guys carrying the title. Actually, scratch
that." He stopped, recollecting himself. "Not very many people know about it, bu
t they say that whoever really fights well can rise in the ranks of the Letters.
They hold it in Earth Sector, because the police don't get too happy about this
kind of fight. It really is a cage fight to the death or surrender, although it
isn't necessary for the winner to spare the loser's life."
"So people have died?"
"Yeah. Not a whole lot of them, because it's not good for your image to kill any
one, but a few here and there. Mostly on accident. It's an 'anything goes' fight
too you can use weapons, gouge out someone's eyeballs, kick 'em in the groin " He s
huddered. "But like I said, it's to hype up your image. It's basically a way of
seeing how well you respond to a battle like this, and if you can stay composed
while your enemy is ready to fight dirty."
"So why the hell am I fighting in it?"
"Two reasons. First of all, because it's fun," Zoro said with a feral grin. "I'v
e never had the chance to enter this competition before, but I've fought in ones
similar to it."
"Are you serious? Where? When?"
Zoro drained the last of the bottle of apple juice that Sanji had brought. "Ah,
that's refreshing. Hm? Oh, it was when I was in Japan. I didn't want to take any
of Koushiro's that's Kuina's old man money to get back to the States, but I borrowe
d some of his katana and started to enter tournaments. First they were just smal
l ones, barely enough to cover the rent and the Japanese lessons I was taking. O
nce I could talk to these guys, though I started to hear about bigger competitio
ns, with better money and prizes. I was fighting in the Golden Tiger Tournament,
with reps from all over Asia, and I beat some big-name fighter. Went by the nam
e of Saga or something. That's where Mihawk and I met, when he was scouting for
people to work for Baroque Works."
"So he just walks up to you, offers you the job and then you fought, right?"
Zoro snorted. "Yeah. I was such a dumbass. He broke the swords I was using, too.
But when I found out that this guy would pay for my airfare and even give me a
damned good salary, then I was cool with it. I was fifteen? No, around sixteen. I'
m not really sure when I was born, but I think I was sixteen."
Sanji whistled. "Wow, so you've been working for this guy for what, five years?"
Zoro shook his head. "Seven. I'm twenty-two."
"Damn, and here I was hoping that I was older than you. You said you attended th
e University, though."
Zoro snorted. "Yeah, Mihawk insisted that I take classes, just so I could get a
degree. He said it was to 'look acceptable' or something like that. I majored in
Asian Studies and minored in Biology."
"A bio minor? No shit."
Zoro chuckled. "Yeah, I couldn't believe it myself. But now I know how to stab s
omeone without killing them by missing their vital organs, and I can target thei
r vital organs from a bunch of different directions. Good stuff."
"That's scary. What the hell were they teaching you?"
"Fun stuff."
"So, what was the second reason?"
Zoro paused. He hadn't really planned on bringing this up, but it had just slipp
ed out and there was no way that he could succeed in lying to Sanji. "Well, if y
ou fight really well, even if you lose, then there's a chance that you can make it
into the Letters. You could be an Alpha or a Beta, even."
Sanji paused, and Zoro knew that he was reacting just the way he had thought he
would. Badly.
"I see so, you want me to join your ranks, huh? Can't be seen associating with som
eone unless they're in the Letters? It'll be bad for your cred?" Sanji said, the
words flying quickly and hostilely.
A flying kick shocked them both as Sanji went flying, courtesy of a foot clad in
ballet slippers. Bon stood in the doorway, trembling with rage as he looked at
Sanji.
"You poor fool, don't judge him until he can explain himself," Bon said sadly, h
elping Sanji up and bringing him into a tearful embrace. "I'm sorry that I had t
o mar your beautiful face oof," he grunted as Sanji elbowed him viciously. "He was
 just worried about you and wanted you to feel at home with your friends "
"Shut it, Bon. Don't meddle," Zoro snarled, turning away from Sanji to glare at
Bon with all his might.
"What are you talking about?" Sanji snapped. "You're probably some Alpha or Beta
something or whatnot too, aren't you?"
"Actually, former Alpha for Savate," Bon corrected him. "But that's beside the p
oint. Zoro's intentions are as pure as my maiden heart!" ("Pfft, my intentions a
ren't that filthy," Zoro snorted). "Just moments before you interrupted our litt
le moment earlier today, he was confiding in me how he doesn't want you to think
of your relationship " ("'Relationship'?") " stop interrupting! On your friendship.
He doesn't want you to see it as something that is affected by social lines or
anything. You're just two men who like similar things and have similar personaliti
es."
"We are nothing alike," Zoro and Sanji snapped at the same time.
"See?" Bon sang, already waltzing for the door. "Perfect for each other!" He lef
t, dodging the barrage of shoes that flew his way.
Silence.
"Why does he seem to be able to make things so damned awkward?" Zoro muttered, r
ubbing the back of his neck ruefully. "I mean, what the hell is up with that guy "
"Is it true?"
Zoro looked up to see Sanji wearing a strange expression. "What?"
"Is what he said true? Don't make me repeat myself."
Zoro turned away. " Yeah. You idiot, I've never met anyone like you before. I I kind
of enjoy your company, even if you're a total jackass," he added in a rush. "I
don't want to lose something like this over a discomfort that can be overcome so
easily." He suddenly became very interested in a dust ball that flew near his f
eet, and he prodded it moodily.
Sanji twirled his juice can on one finger, watching in false fascination as the
metal cylinder spun.
"You know, you could have just said that in the first place," Sanji remarked off
-handedly.
Zoro's head flew up as he turned to frown at Sanji. "I did say that."
"No, you didn't."
"Well, that's what I meant."
Sanji sniggered. "Your brain waves aren't strong enough for me to pick up, I'm a
fraid. If it makes you feel any better " He coughed slightly. "I don't get too ann
oyed by your company, either."
"What kind of a twisted way of speaking was that? 'Don't get too annoyed' my ass
." He bumped Sanji on the shoulders with his knuckles in a friendly way. Sanji l
aughed and bumped him back, a little more roughly. Zoro punched him back, a litt
le harder with a shorter bark of laughter.
When Bon peeked through the door to check up on them, he found them wrestling fu
riously on the floor, shoes discarded and juice cans rolling on the tiles.
"Ah, young love," he tittered, a little too loudly.
"What? Bon! Get back here so I can kick your ass!" Zoro howled, his mouth squish
ed slightly by Sanji's knee.
"Yeah, you fruity bastard!" Sanji hollered in agreement around the elbow in his
cheek. "Oi, get off of me."
"You tap out first and I'll get off."
"Mmrmph!"
---
** Both Kuina and Tashigi are named after flightless birds.
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: Just as a warning, there's going to be a lot of skipping around in terms of
time back and forth, or from scene to scene. If there's ever a term that's used a
mbiguously (such as 'it' when there is nothing to reference to mean 'it') then t
hat means it'll be explained later.
And thanks to all my reviewers ^^ whenever you suggest things, I try to incorpor
ate it, so if there's anything you want to see more of then...feel free to ask!
---
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present the Silver Fox Tournament!"
Bright lights flashed from the ceiling; streaks of illumination that lit up the
eager faces of gamblers, the excited expressions of those who came for the thril
l of watching their fellow humans pummel each other to a messy pulp. There was a
general consensus among the audience that the tingle that ran through their spi
nes as they saw the fighters enter the stadium, all together, for the opening ce
remony was just as good as the one felt by the fighters. They all stood in their
respective uniforms, some flashy and silken while others were modest and plain.
Zoro snorted as he stood next to Sanji. They walked in a fairly orderly fashion
to the center of the stadium; the mats were covered by thick carpets to protect
them from unnecessary wear before the match. Zoro couldn't help but run a hand u
p his chest; over his black tank and green haramaki, he wore an open black silke
n shirt that felt absolutely delicious on his skin. Loose black pants over boot-
clad feet flapped slightly as he walked, giving the spectators the impression of
a gentle breeze. He looked up at the dark stands but wasn't bothered by the fac
t that the crowds were hidden by the blinding lights beaming into the stadium. H
e didn't even feel a single tremor in his belly as he saw his opposition he was ac
customed to it. His three earrings swung as he turned to see how Sanji was farin
g.
Sanji swallowed slightly, although he appeared as suave as ever despite his nerv
ousness. He had opted for dark blue loose pants and a loose cotton shirt that he h
ad dug up from the bottom of his drawer. He hadn't known what to expect, but had
 nearly had a heart attack when he picked up Zoro and found the other man to be
clad in silk. Who wore silk to a martial arts tournament? There was also the que
stion of the number of swords that Zoro carried, but he hadn't had time to ask i
n his anxious rush. Sanji looked around and felt a shiver go up his spine as he
recognized several figures walking by. There was Daz Bones, whose portrait he ha
d seen hanging at Baroque Works; Don Krieg, the heavyweight boxer whose face was
appearing more and more frequently on the media in fact, Sanji had heard him bein
g discussed on the radio on the drive over; a few other faces were familiar, alt
hough Sanji couldn't attach a name to them. Judging by the variety of weapons th
at he saw being carried proudly, Sanji wondered whether he should wrap his hands
in athletic tape just in case.
Sanji saw Zoro glance over at him and shot him a smile full of bravado. He scowl
ed when Zoro snorted and looked away.
The announcer's voice boomed as he introduced the fighters, and Sanji recognized
Foxy's rather annoying speaking style. He tuned it out as he considered the seq
uence of events that had followed his last visit to Baroque Works.

Sanji and Zoro sat in the Paris Baguette, drinking coffee and juice respectively
(Zoro began to complain about how Sanji didn't sell anything stronger than coff
ee, but only received insults in return).
" yeah, and I kicked him and altered his freaking bone structure! Can you believe
it?" Sanji said with a laugh, slapping his knee. "I mean, you'd think something
like that would make him look even freakier, but I did a damned good job of it.
'Course, when I kicked his face in again, it went back to looking all nasty."
"Sounds painful," Zoro said as he took a bite out of his last cooking experiment
. He had tried to make a sausage dish that Sanji had proclaimed as 'easy enough
for a ten year old to make.' "Oh, so you're going to be in the Silver Fox for su
re, right?"
Sanji thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Eh, what the hell. Are there any pri
zes? I'm not going to risk anything like this if it's just for a stupid trophy."
Zoro sucked on the straw sticking out of his juice before throwing it aside in d
isgust and gulping straight from the cup. "Hm? I think the third place contender
gets three thousand beri. Second place is ten thousand, and first place is eith
er fifty thousand and a job offering from Mihawk, or the 'special prize.' It's d
ifferent every year."
"Fifty thousand?" Sanji sputtered, spraying Zoro with hot coffee. "Oh, sorry, man.
But that's ridiculous! For a single match?"
"Hey, you're risking your life," Zoro said. "And when I say you, I mean it as a
general you. I'm not going to get killed by anyone, and I'm sure as hell not goi
ng to forfeit."
"If you won't then I won't, either. I'm not losing to you," Sanji grumbled.
Zoro paused, chewing on what might have been a charred potato. "Hrm, about that so
me of these guys fight dirty, you know. Hidden knives and poison and stuff. Don'
t hesitate to tap out if you're against someone who's got an overwhelming advant
age because they fight like cowards. Okay?"
"I can handle myself," Sanji snorted. "When is this thing, anyway?"
"Tomorrow night." Zoro sipped the last of his juice calmly. "I need to carry aro
und a flask or something, seriously."
"T tomorrow night?" Sanji yelped in alarm. "But that's so sudden! Where what what am I
going to wear?"

Zoro looked at Sanji's drawn face and chuckled. "You look fine," he whispered.
Sanji snorted. "That's that's not what I'm worrying about," he whispered back, che
eks flushing. "It's just overwhelming you know? All these people here, watching
us like roosters being thrust into a cage to fight to the death, maybe."
"Just don't think about how much money is being put on us in bets." Zoro's voice
was amused. "Thousands and thousands of beri you're an underdog, you know. I put
money on you getting second place."
Sanji was silent for a long time, staring blankly at the other line of competito
rs that they were facing now in a circle around the center of the ring. "You suc
k. Way to put pressure on me, asshole."
"C'mon, it's only second place. You won't even be expected to beat me."
"How much?"
"Don't worry about it."
Sanji was beginning to wonder whether he'd be disqualified for killing Zoro befo
re the match began.
Foxy's voice boomed even more loudly. " now, gentlemen and ladies bow to each other!"
Every contender bowed, some more stiffly and shallowly than others. "As our figh
ters leave the stadium, we will be matching them up according to skill level and
previous titles, as well as by fighting style." Screams of Oyabin! Oyabin! coul
d be heard from the crowd.
As they left the stage, Sanji felt a shudder go up his spine. He looked around a
nd didn't see anyone who could be the source of that tingling of his instinct. S
till, as he continued walking, he felt a prickling at the base of his neck again
and knew that he'd have to be on guard today.
The fighters proceeded in a single file line down to the preparation rooms under
the stadium. The screams of the crowd were muffled down here, and the cool tile
s made Sanji relax a little as he heard the irregular staccato of steps, indicat
ing that everyone was walking in the same direction, everyone was calmly proceed
ing as though they did this every day. Judging by the hardened expressions and m
uscles on some of these men, it would not be surprising if this was a normal occ
upation. Sanji had noted that the majority of fighters here were men, although a
few may have very well been masculine women.
The end of the hall opened up to a large room that was obviously meant for relax
ing before the big fight. Couches were arranged conveniently enough so that one
might sit in solitude or shift the furniture to allow conversation with an adjac
ent lounger. There was a bar stocked not with alcohol but with water, energy dri
nks, and light snacks ranging from energy bars to fruit. Zoro snorted at the lac
k of alcohol no doubt he could have chugged down a bottle of the stuff and still b
e in good shape but settled comfortable in a two-person sofa that was in front of
the large flat-screen plasma television which currently displayed the stadium, w
ith commentary. Sanji slunk into the chair next to him, watching warily as the o
ther men went around the rest of the room to relax. Several immediately moved to
a oaken pool table in the corner, intent on venting their competitive spirit a
little. A door on the immediate right bore a red cross in a white circle, and Sa
nji assumed that it was an infirmary of sorts.
Well, he didn't plan on having to ever explore that room.
"For a tournament that you treated so gingerly, there are a lot of people here,"
Sanji informed Zoro sourly. "Did you see the people in the crowds?"
Zoro kept his eyes fixed on the monitor, waiting for the brackets to come out. "
Most of the people are Foxy's crowd they take bets from the outside beforehand, an
d come representing the betters. It's to lessen the risk of getting caught by th
e authorities. He he doesn't often deal in legal business ventures. He likes to ca
ter to the wealthy who have too much time and money on their hands. He's like a
mob boss the word 'Oyabin' even means 'Boss.'" He huffed out a sigh in irritation.
"Mihawk didn't come. That pompous "
"Isn't he your boss?" Sanji asked curiously. "Why would you want to fight him?"
"There's no point in winning if I can't juxtapose my strength next to his," Zoro
grumbled. "I might rise to Alpha tonight, but that doesn't mean that I'll be be
tter than him by any means. There's no point to tonight anymore."
"Oh, cheer up. I saw a few other swordsmen tonight. Won't they be entertaining t
o you a little?" Sanji said, elbowing Zoro good-naturedly in the ribs.
Zoro swatted him away. "Them? They're hardly worth my time."
"Still as arrogant as ever, Roronoa." A man who wore an oddly tight suit covered
by a cape with a thick ruff stood behind them, glaring at Zoro down the bridge
of his sharp nose. "It looks like you have a friend this time, though. My name i
s Pin Joker," he said, bowing to Sanji slightly. Sanji could see why this man's
name suited his appearance he appeared to have a red tattoo on one eye, along with
a nasty scar.
"I'm Sanji B " Sanji began, but was cut off when Zoro interrupted quickly.
"Go away, Pin-head," Zoro growled. Pin huffed in annoyance and stomped off, mutt
ering curses under his breath.
"Dude, you really are an asshole," Sanji said with a scowl. "He was being courte
ous. At least, he was to me."
Zoro sighed. "Hey don't tell anyone your last name."
"What? Why?"
"Just I'll explain it later," Zoro muttered. "Trust me on this. It'll only bring t
rouble."
Sanji was about to argue further, but held his tongue. This was Zoro's domain; h
e'd have to respect his boundaries.
"Oh, the brackets are up," someone said, and everyone moved to gather around the
screen.
"Doesn't having my name on the board defeat the purpose of my hiding it?" Sanji
muttered to Zoro out of the corner of his mouth. Zoro shook his head and pointed
.
'Sanji B. vs. Jerry C.'
"Oh."
Zoro snorted in laughter.
"Shut up. Where's your name?"
'Zoro R. vs. Pin J.'
"Lucky you," Sanji said with a grin. Zoro, however, was scowling.
"Who the hell thought that we were similar in ability?" Zoro snarled, pounding t
he chair with his fist. "What kind of a stupid "
"I have improved, Roronoa," Pin Joker said coldly. "Do not treat your opponents
so lightly." He stalked off, and both swordsmen obviously looked very peeved.
"Hey, easy win though, right?" Sanji said.
"Mere victory isn't the only point," Zoro grumbled. "Beating a guy like him won'
t change anything." They sat in silence, watching as the brackets were put in or
der. "Looks like the newbies are up first, though."
"Do you know them?"
"Nah. That's why I know that they're not really important yet. They might be in
the future, though," Zoro said thoughtfully, looking eager. "They usually put th
e newest and weakest guys first to warm up the crowed. Oh your match is the very f
irst one. Look."
Sanji scowled as he stood, glaring at the screen. "They think I'm weak, huh? I'l
l show them." He began to walk down the hall, accompanied by an extremely tall m
an who was, strangely enough, wearing a suit.
Zoro didn't move from his seat, but caught Sanji as he called out, "Hey, cook."
Sanji looked over his shoulder and saw that Zoro was still facing the screen.
Zoro seriously meant to say Fuck 'em up! But it came out as
"Don't fuck up."
Sanji stomped off, cursing under his breath.
Zoro sighed as he leaned back on the couch, propping his legs on the space that
Sanji had just vacated. "Good get mad, go bat shit crazy. Don't take any chances don
't give them any mercy."
---
Sanji stood in the middle of the ring, stretching his legs idly as Foxy announce
d their names. The response from the crowd was half-hearted at best, and he glan
ced up at the enormous screens on either side of the stadium that were focused o
n his face and Jerry's. Next to their faces were statistics concerning their gen
eral fighting styles and abilities, as well as their odds.
He scowled when he saw that even though Jerry was at a fifteen-to-one ratio, he
was at an eighty-to-one ratio. Do I look that weak? Sanji demanded silently.
Jerry swung his fists in the air, warming up his arms as he jabbed at invisible
enemies. "Nervous, kiddo?" he said with a wink. His voice was rough and gravelly
, suggesting that he might have come from the Bronx. "Don't worry. I'll put you
to sleep real quick. I've learned a mix of boxing and karate that's damned formi
dable."
Foxy walked between them, wearing the black polo and slacks of a referee. He hel
d the mike in one hand while the other waved to the crowd. He turned to them and
said, "Alright, gents, you know the rules?" Sanji looked blankly at him while J
erry nodded. "I want everyone in the audience to tell these guys what the rules
are!"
The crowd roared. "THERE ARE NO RULES!"
"That's damned right!" Foxy screeched into the microphone. "Well, except that yo
u can let your opponent walk away if they surrender, but other than that the floor
's all yours. Ready? Fight!" He danced out of the way quickly, obviously expecti
ng the two men to start fighting. As he backed out, Sanji was astonished to hear
a mighty clanging noise as the stadium shook. He looked around quickly and saw
four metal walls closing in on them from the very edges of the stadium.
"Remember, ladies and gentlemen," Foxy bellowed through the microphone. "The wal
ls will move in and down at regular intervals, closing the range and space avail
able to the fighters. The spikes will ensure that if either participant takes to
o long, then they will both lose out."
Sanji looked up and saw that the ceiling of the cage was lined with wicked teeth
that loomed overhead as a constant reminder of the time limit.
Fuck.
Better finish this up quickly, then.
Sanji stood, hands in his pockets, watching Jerry closely. Jerry himself was fei
nting left and right, making use of his height to aim at Sanji from above. He wa
s not fazed, though.
"What, are you giving up already?" Jerry taunted with a sneer.
Sanji smiled pleasantly. "You're full of openings. Collier Shoot!"
The stadium was silent, save for the crack of Jerry's jaw and the thudding sound
he made as he fell to the floor. The spray of blood that spurted from his mouth
and nose were like red flags that signaled his defeat.
Foxy coughed slightly. "W-winner Sanji!" The crowd seemed to regain its voice as e
veryone screamed with more energy than they had when the fight had first begun.
Sanji returned and found Zoro snoring on the couch.
"Oi! Did you even watch?" Sanji snapped, sitting on Zoro's legs.
Zoro opened his eyes. "You're so light, man. What do you eat, air? Yeah, I saw.
Not bad. Of course, Jerry was a pushover. If it had taken any longer for you to
beat him, then I would've kicked your ass for being so weak."
Sanji snorted. "Yeah, yeah. When's your fight?"
Zoro pointed to the bottom of the list. "There. I'm the last fight for the first
round. You'll be fighting another round in about an hour. These fights never la
st long."
The time flew fairly quickly as they watched the other competitors fighting on t
he screen. Everyone either KOed their opponent or allowed them to walk out with
their lives, until Don Krieg's fight. He pummeled his opponent, sitting on the o
ther man's stomach even as the unfortunate man held his hands out in a symbol of
surrender his mouth was long rendered useless after Krieg has smashed his teeth i
n. Sanji watched in horrified fascination as the body was carried out, and sever
al workers clad in black masks the symbol of Foxy's gang, he was informed by a bor
ed Zoro cleaned the blood and gore off the stage.
"Quite the vicious one, isn't he?" Sanji said to Zoro. "What does Foxy do about
the bodies?"
"Ever been to the Navarone Zoo?"
"Yeah, they've got this really cool tiger exhibit " Sanji's voice faltered. "Oh, tha
t's just nasty."
"Efficient, though. You can't even tell which are human or beef bones."
Sanji shuddered at how Zoro didn't even look fazed.
"So, you should be coming up soon, huh?" Sanji said offhandedly, taking a swig f
rom a bottle of water. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"
Zoro shrugged. "I have everything I need right here." He patted the swords that
were safely tucked into the crook of his arm at the moment, and Sanji remembered
what he had meant to ask.
"Why three? Two seems difficult enough, but I can't even imagine where you put t
he third one. Perhaps with your toes, monkey man?"
Zoro scowled. "You'll see. This fight should be a breeze, so you won't be able t
o see me in my top form, but it should still be enough to shut your mouth." He g
lanced up at the board and stood, fastening his swords to his waist. "One day, I
'll explain the significance behind these blades." He walked out, accompanied by
Pin Joker. The two of them glared at one another, but didn't say a word.
"Hey, moss-head!" Sanji yelled. Zoro turned around with an annoyed look on his f
ace.
"What?"
"Don't get lost on your way out there."
Zoro stormed out angrily with an amused Pin Joker on his heels.
Revenge was a bitch.
---
Zoro stood in the arena calmly, testing his blades lightly on the edge of his th
umb. He watched Pin Joker out of the corner of his eye, wondering what had made
the other man improve so much in the ranks. Pin Joker himself was not physically
assuming; he was long and lean, and he fought with a fencing sword for heaven's
sakes. How could he lose?
"Ready, begin!"
Pin Joker swooped in, almost faster than the eye could follow.
Oh. Speed. Just like Sanji.
Zoro blocked the needling attacks of the fencing blade with a single sword, watc
hing Pin Joker carefully. He was fast, but not nearly fast enough to normally be
put on equal footing with Zoro. What was going on here?
"I see that you're still confused," Pin Joker sneered. He reached for his waist,
and Zoro felt his instincts prickling.
The wave of needles that thudded into the floor where Zoro had been standing jus
t moments before hissed, and Zoro frowned.
"You need poisoned needles to win? Pathetic," Zoro snarled.
"Not so pathetic if I win though, is it? Look." Pin Joker pointed to Zoro's pant
leg, and he saw a single long needle that had managed to embed itself deep into
his leg. It must have had some sort of sedative mixed into it, for he hadn't fe
lt a thing when the thin needle sunk in.
"Oh " Zoro groaned; he could already feel the poison sinking in. His movements wer
e more sluggish, and the arena seemed to go in and out of focus. "Sssshit, what'
s in that?" he slurred, tearing the needle out of his leg and throwing it aside.
Pin Joker smiled. "It's a paralysis and sedative. Not lethal, but it's enough to
win. Your vision is already suffering, isn't it? Your reflexes should also be g
reatly impaired. See?" Zoro only barely managed to block the slashing attack, bu
t still somehow received a nasty cut along his torso; his shirt was sliced open,
and a thin line of blood ran down his chest. "What a sad end for the great Roro
noa Zoro. I'll be sure to keep your Beta seat warm for you before I go after Mih
awk."
Zoro's eyes snapped open and he snarled; it was an animalistic roar that reverbe
rated throughout the stadium, hushing the crowds. "I liked this shirt. You basta
rd," he hissed, concentrating fiercely. "You think I'll be beaten by a little po
ison?"
I don't want to use all three against this bastard but I have to finish quickly, b
efore the poison really sets in.
"Still have the energy to fight?" Pin Joker leered, watching Zoro pant as he dre
w all three swords.
In the waiting room, Sanji sat bolt upright.
"Three swords? He's really using oh fuck me, he's putting it in his mouth!"
Zoro panted harshly, struggling against his own leaden limbs. He could hear Foxy
screeching into the microphone, something about " .Zoro Roronoa impaired by poison ch
ange in position "
"Oni "
"You might as well give up with a little dignity, Roronoa," Pin Joker said disda
infully, holding his sword at the ready in preparation for his next attack.
" Giri!"
Pin Joker collapsed in a shower of blood, his fencing saber sliced into pieces.
Zoro cleaned his swords on the fallen man and sheathed them, glaring at Foxy.
"Well? Are you waiting for me to finish him off, or what?"
Foxy scrambled to announce the winner, and Zoro stood unsteadily to drag himself
back into the waiting room.
Sanji ran out to help him in just short of the entrance, but found that Zoro was
far heavier than he looked when he was not in control of his own body. "Oof! Yo
u idiot, you let him get you with that stupid needle! What were you thinking? An
d what's this about three swords? Are you insane? What the "
"Cook."
"What?"
"Shut up. You're giving me a headache. Go get me a freaking antidote. I don't like
the way this poison is affecting my body." Zoro collapsed against the couch, tw
itching slightly. Sanji felt his breath hitch in his throat as he sprinted to th
e infirmary, knocking the door down to find an enormous doctor waiting inside
"Chopper?" Sanji said in surprise. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Chopper looked up in alarm and squeaked, knocking over a row of glass bottles an
d only barely managing to catch them in his arms before setting them gently on t
he table. "Sanji! What the hell! You scared me!" he yelled, picking Sanji up eas
ily and inspecting him. "You're not injured, are you? Zoro said something about
you entering, but I didn't think you'd actually do it."
"Why are you here?" Sanji asked. "Wait, no. Right now Zoro needs an antidote. So
me Pin Joker guy used poison on him, and he's in pretty bad shape."
Chopper immediately dropped Sanji and dashed outside, picking a groaning Zoro up
and sweeping him back into the medical room. "Why didn't you say so?" Chopper s
napped, immediately cleaning the long scratch across Zoro's chest. "This is just
a shallow cut, fortunately, so it won't scar. The bleeding has already stopped.
Is this where the poison came in?"
Sanji shook his head. "No. There was something on his leg." They found the hole
that the needle had made and Chopper clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
"Well, at least it was a thin needle. It doesn't look like the tip has broken of
f." He dabbed at the thin rivulet of blood running down Zoro's leg and began to
mix several clear liquids together, creating a brilliant yellow solution which h
e mixed with the blood. "It looks like a fairly common mix of diluted poison dar
t frog secretion easily treatable." Chopper began mixing other liquids together, a
nd Sanji marveled at the sure swiftness of his movements.
"So, why are you here, Chopper? Don't you work at the hospital?" Sanji asked aga
in. Chopper didn't look up, but responded without a hitch in his movements.
"University classes were expensive, you know? It's hard to find doctors who are
willing to risk their licenses for competitions like this, but it's necessary. T
he pay the pay is good," Chopper said morosely. "Zoro told me about this opportuni
ty. The internship doesn't pay all that well, you know, and I'm still paying off
my student debts. Even though I'm a Beta, I still haven't been accredited long
enough for it to start paying off. Besides, I get a lot of experience!" he said
brightly.
Sanji laughed. "Yeah, Zoro told me about this place, too. I could really use the
 cash "
Chopper sighed. "Even Fire Sector's not easy to live, huh?"
"Yeah "
The two of them watched after Chopper had poured a vial of antidote into Zoro's
mouth, watching his stiffness subside and his face adopt an expression of normal
lethargy, rather than a drug-induced one; soon, his snores rumbled through his
chest.
"This man can sleep through anything, it seems," Sanji grumbled, poking Zoro sli
ghtly in the side. Zoro merely grumbled and turned over, muttering something. "W
hat was that?"
" cut off your " Zoro groaned, making a violent expression as he gnashed his teeth.
" testicles "
"Yikes," Sanji said, pulling away. "So, what happens now?"
Chopper sat on a stool, his long legs tucked up with his feet swinging childishl
y. "Hm? Now they rearrange the brackets according to the skill that they saw in
the previous match. Your betting numbers fluctuate, too. Zoro's was the last mat
ch, right? Let's go out and see what's going on." The two of them went into the
main room and looked at the screen, where the rest of the fighters were congrega
ted. The names and faces of the remaining contenders flashed on the screen, and
Sanji grinned when he saw that his odds had improved slightly.
"Look, they're putting your matches!" Chopper squealed in excitement and trepida
tion. "Looks like you're fighting some guy named Gin."
"So you're Sanji, huh?" The speaker was a gaunt man who wore a vest embroidered
with dragons over a black shirt. His head was covered by a round cap and he lean
ed on a pair of tonfa in both hands. "I'm Gin. I saw you, in your last fight. I'
m surprised that your ranks are so low." He smiled, and Sanji could detect a hin
t of demonic malice in that friendly expression. "I look forward to it." He walk
ed off, swinging his tonfa easily in one hand; Sanji could see two indents on th
e floor where their weight had sunk in.
Chopper whistled. "He looks pretty strong. Be careful, Sanji! I heard that he's
associated with Don Krieg, and we all know what Krieg does to his opponents."
Sanji remembered the man that had been beaten to death and nodded grimly.
"Sssanji," Zoro groaned as he pulled himself unsteadily out of the room and lean
ing against the walls. "Where are m'swords?"
"They're in the infirmary. You didn't see them?" Sanji went and brought them out
. "You should be lying down, you know."
"Yeah," Chopper agreed. "It'll take some time before you can fight again. Good t
hing your fight is last on the list again."
"Sanji," Zoro insisted on saying as he flopped back onto a couch. "Be careful " Zo
ro felt as though someone had stuck cotton into his mouth and brain, and shook h
is head furiously as he grabbed a bottle of water and drank quickly.
"Why?" Sanji asked curiously. "You don't trust my abilities?"
Zoro finished the bottle and sat up more comfortably. "It's not that. He's he's st
rong. He's not ranked high 'cause of his strength. He's a bit like you." Zoro's wo
rds were flowing more clearly as the poison was slowly cleared from his system.
"He hasn't been seen much, since he works in the shadows behind Krieg, but he's
strong. I've seen him fight, once. It was him against ten other men, all pretty
good fighters."
Sanji asked a question he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to. "What hap
pened in his fight?"
Zoro cracked open another bottle of water. "Their bodies were found, with the fa
ces smashed beyond all recognition. Tashigi later told me that the police couldn
't even identify them without their fingerprints. His weapon the tips of the tonfa
are like cannonballs, in both weight and strength. Don't let yourself get hit.
Just finish it as quickly as possible, because he needs even less room than you
do to swing his weapons."
"Your match is up next, Sanji," Chopper said in a hushed voice. Gin was already
walking calmly down the hallway that led to the stadium. "Be careful, okay?"
Sanji nodded, ruffling Zoro's hair lightly with one hand as he made his way out
the door. "Don't think so lightly of me, moss-head," Sanji said lightheartedly.
"I'll be fine. Look at yourself before worrying about me." He left with a wave.
"That idiot," Zoro muttered under his breath. " I'm not worried about you " He settl
ed back with Chopper to watch the fight.
Chopper looked at Zoro's clenched hands, but didn't say a word.
---
"Sanji vs. Gin begin!"
Sanji had planned on watching Gin's movements before finishing him off like Jerr
y, but was shocked when Gin disappeared. Only his reflexes and instincts saved h
im from decapitation when a tonfa swung at his head from behind.
He's fast!
Sanji moved quickly, his feet tapping the floor with as much speed as he could m
uster while he maneuvered to move under Gin's weapons and try to get in his rang
e. However, Gin's speed and strength matched his own, and while he avoided the b
runt of any attacks, he could tell that his legs would not hold up to a direct h
it.
Shit !
---
Zoro watched from the other room, and Chopper didn't have the heart to tell him
that the plastic water bottle in his hand was crushed beyond recognition.
"You shitty cook, stop fooling around!" Zoro hissed under his teeth.
Chopper stepped in when he saw a thin trickle of blood running down Zoro's hands
.
---
The walls they're closing in.
Gin was standing over him, waiting for him to tap out with a tonfa ready to be s
wung for the final attack.
Sanji grinned as he spat out a mouthful of blood. His hands were clenched in a r
efusal to give in.
Feh, like I'll give that musclehead the satisfaction of knowing that I couldn't
live up to his standards.
Sanji stood, his ears pounding with every beat of his heart and an intense sensa
tion running through his body.
Is he toying with me? His movements are suddenly so slow
Gin swung his tonfa with deadly accuracy. "I gave you the chance to forfeit, but
now you must die."
Sanji saw the iron ball whistling at his head
The iron walls clicked a few inches close to the center of the ring, and the iro
n spikes loomed overhead. Time was running out.
---
"Move, you idiot!" Zoro yelled at the screen, pounding the chair with one fist.
He saw the tonfa swinging at Sanji's head with incredible speed. There was no wa
y Sanji could avoid it.
"Sanji!"
---
He saw the ball flying at his face.
Shitty old man, what was it that you used to talk about? An inner peace in the t
urmoil of battle
Sanji dodged the tonfa in a split second. His body was as fluid as water, and hi
s feet were on fire.
You called it
Diable Jambe.
---
Zoro stared at the screen.
"What the "
Sanji had avoided the attack with impossible speed and dexterity, and his leg ha
d swung up to hit Gin hard in the chin. He could have sworn that there had been
a flash of light, a brilliance that shouldn't have appeared on the dark blue pan
ts that Sanji wore.
He wasn't hiding a blade under those pants, was he?
Gin staggered back as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
---
Sanji stared at Gin, who had toppled over with the direct hit to his chin that h
ad forced his head back with a click.
"Winner Sanji!"
He managed to walk coolly back to the waiting room where Zoro was waiting for hi
m with wide eyes.
"I told you I would be fine," Sanji informed him with a smirk, before falling fl
at on his face in a dead faint.
Chopper rushed forward and took him to the infirmary.
---
"Sanji. Wake up."
Sanji opened his eyes blearily.
"What the hell?" He rubbed his eyes with heavy arms. "How much did I drink to ge
t to this state?"
"You moron!" A heavy fist pounded dangerously close to his head as Chopper squea
led in the background. "Do you know how close you were to dying out there? I tol
d you to forfeit if you got in a bad position! You could have died! They would h
ave fed you to the tigers!"
"Ah, is the moss-head worried about me?" Sanji said with a grin as he remembered
what had happened. "How sweet."
Zoro grit his teeth. "Shut up. I don't know how you did it, but you beat Gin. It
's time to go home."
Sanji looked at him in surprise as he struggled to rise from the infirmary bed.
"What? But the tournament can't be over with yet, can it?"
"Can you stand?" Zoro asked. When Sanji nearly toppled over, he sighed and picke
d him up bridal style.
"Oy! At least hold me in a more dignified position!" Sanji protested weakly.
Zoro ignored him. "The tournament is over a course of two days. They want the fi
ghters to be in top condition, after all, and most of the ones who are moving to
the third round are already in bad shape."
"You don't seem to be too badly off," Sanji remarked. Zoro shrugged, but the mot
ion made the smooth silk of his top slide down his shoulder. Sanji gasped as he
saw the myriad of cuts that ran along Zoro's shoulder before he pulled his sleev
e back up with his teeth. "What the hell happened in your fight?"
Zoro shrugged. "There was this idiot who called himself Eric the Whirlwind. I do
n't know how, but he used these knives that seemed to fly all over the place. I
beat him, though. No big deal."
Sanji decided not to comment on the blood he felt seeping through Zoro's shirt.
"So we're done for tonight, then?" Sanji asked.
"Yeah," Zoro replied. "We get a week to lick our wounds before the next tourney.
That's when the big money starts to come in, but I placed my bets on you when t
he odds were bad so I'll get a big return."
"Just tell me how much you bet."
"I'd tell you, but you'll squeal like a little girl."
They somehow reached Sanji's car, and Sanji hopped out of Zoro's arms and unlock
ed the doors.
"Wow, you actually made it on the first try without getting lost."
"S-shut up."
"So, are you going to be alright? Shouldn't we have had Chopper look at those?"
Sanji said, pointing at the blood stains on Zoro's shirt.
"Oh damn, blood is a bitch to get out," Zoro grumbled. "Nah, these kinds of thin
gs will heal on their own. Just take me back home and I'll sleep it out. I don't
have class until Monday, so I can sleep the whole weekend. You, however, are in
worse shape than I am. Can you even drive?"
Sanji scoffed, turning on the engine and promptly driving the car into a pole.
The two of them stared at the impressive dent that the pole had made in the hood
of the Volkswagen Beetle.
" " Sanji was speechless.
"I told you that you needed a manly car. A truck wouldn't have been this effed u
p by a stupid pole. Is that smoke coming out of your engine? Baka "
"What did you call me?" Sanji snapped half-heartedly as he reversed and began to
drive with more composure.
"Ba-ka. Idiot, in Japanese. Or would aho be more appropriate? Kaba-cook?"
"Merde," Sanji hissed under his breath. "Shut up. Damn, it's going to be a bitch
to get that fixed."
As they drove, Sanji tried to keep his eyes on the road without letting them roa
m more than necessary. He didn't want to see the dilapidated buildings and mound
s of trash that he had once lived in during his years as an Earth Sector residen
t, and was glad when they left the vast prison of Earth Sector for the thrumming
streets of Air Sector. He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't realized t
hat he had automatically driven to Galley-La.
"Hey, wake up," Sanji said, poking Zoro gently in the face. "This is your stop."
"Zzz don't touch me there Robin "
Sanji drew his hand away as though burned and hissed, "Get the fuck out of my ca
r, you nasty who dreams about women after a fight? Really?"
Zoro grumbled as he woke up, wiping the drool off of his chin (Sanji noted with
disgust that it had dribbled onto the seat as well). "Alright, I'm going thanks fo
r the ride, cook. I'll see you later." He stumbled out of the car and into the a
partment complex, shutting the gate lazily.
Sanji drove off, scowling as he saw the smoke that was beginning to rise from th
e hood in even thicker clouds.
---
The next day
"T-ten thousand beri?!" Sanji shrieked as he faced the stony-faced mechanic. "Wh
at the hell is up with that price? It's way too much for a little thing like thi
s!"
The enormous mechanic wiped his hands slowly as he looked sympathetically at San
ji. "I'm sorry, sir, but there was internal damage to the engine, and a new hood
will have to be ordered from Germany, as will the new engine parts. I can't giv
e you a better price, nor can any other mechanic around here, unless you want th
em to do a shoddy job."
Sanji ran a hand through his hair as he mentally went over his expenses. "Shit alr
ight," he said finally, "Ten thousand beri. This had better be a good job you're
doing."
"Tilestone! We have a problem with the Audi!" another mechanic called over.
"I'll be right there, Lulu," Tilestone the mechanic yelled back. "If you go to t
he service counter then you can sign all the paperwork."
Sanji groaned. There goes my food money for the next couple of years, he thought w
earily.
---
Zoro looked at the brooding Sanji over his cup of what Sanji had called 'macchia
to' and stated, "You look like shit."
Sanji looked up from where he was scrubbing at a coffee spill and scowled. "What
was that?"
"I mean," Zoro corrected himself, "Erm. You look like there's something big on y
our mind. What's up?"
Sanji sighed. "I really need to win that tournament, Zoro. Ten thousand beri to
fix that stupid dent in my hood. Can you believe it? It's ugh."
Zoro looked up mildly and stirred the cold contents of his cup (he had refused t
o take more than a single sip). "I see where did you take it?"
"Uh, this place called Water 7," Sanji replied. "They have a pretty good reputat
ion, and I know that I won't get a better deal anywhere else. Why?"
Zoro stood, leaving his unfinished coffee and a tip on the table. "Eh, just wond
ering. That's where Franky did his apprenticeship. Air Sector, right? I'll be of
f. I'll stop by tomorrow morning for breakfast. Later." He left abruptly, leavin
g Sanji to stare out the door.
He better not try anything stupid, Sanji thought without much hope.
As Zoro walked briskly back to his apartment, he whipped out his cellphone.
"Hey, Franky? I need you and Usopp to meet me back at Galley-La."
---
A few days later
Sanji swore that he was going to suffer from a heart attack.
"What do you mean, you don't have my car?!"
Tilestone wiped his forehead with the same towel he had been cleaning his hands
with, leaving a long oily streak across his face. "We er, it has been moved. As in
, it's not here anymore."
"Well I can see THAT. Where is it? Do you expect me to pay you after "
Tilestone squirmed uncomfortably. "It has been moved to F. H. Repairs," he said
slowly. "The paperwork has all been taken care of, and any payments will be made
to them as well." He turned around and began to tinker rather unnecessarily, in S
anji's opinion with the engine of a Mazda that had been brought in.
Sanji turned around and ran to catch up to the next bus, cursing his bad fortune
.
---
Zoro looked at it and grinned, giving Franky and Usopp the thumbs up.
"How'd you do it so quickly? Normally this sort of job would take at least a wee
k or two, wouldn't it?" Zoro asked, inspecting it.
Franky shrugged. "I just finished my last project and was looking for something
to do. And you know Usopp writers never have anything to do."
"Oi! Shut up, Franky!" Usopp cut in indignantly. "The quality of writing is dete
rmined not by how much time but how much soul "
"Yeah, whatever," Franky said nonchalantly. "You'd still be a better mechanic th
an a writer."
Usopp was torn between whether to look pleased or insulted.
"And that's not saying much," Franky added.
Usopp decided to look insulted.
Zoro cupped a hand around his ear. "Do you hear that?" Usopp and Franky mimicked
his actions by listening carefully.
"And I swear, if my car isn't running at top condition at the rate I'm expected
to pay "
"Ah, there she goes," Zoro said with a grin. "The bitchy princess has arrived. S
hall we go out and meet her?"
The three of them left the room where they'd been working on it and into the mai
n part of the building, where a furious Sanji was shouting at the poor reception
ist.
"Hey bro, stop shouting," Franky said, clapping a hand over Sanji's shoulder. "N
ice to see you again, man."
"Franky!" Sanji half-shouted and half-said. "Nice to see you too. Um, what are y
ou guys doing here?"
Franky pointed at the large sign that read Franky House Repairs. "This is my dom
ain, man," he said proudly. "I worked hard to get this place running. This is my
workshop!"
Sanji stared as it began to dawn on him, and he remembered what Zoro had said.
Franky did his apprenticeship at Water 7.
"You "
Franky grinned. "Yeah, Zoro gave me a call here and told me about the situation.
I couldn't just let those Water 7 guys take care of something like this, could
I? They're swell people, but yeah, it's better that I took over this case."
"Zoro." Sanji seemed incapable of speaking coherently. "You. Them. Call? Car?"
"And you call me a caveman?" Zoro teased. "Yes. Me call them. Car. You!"
Sanji shook his head. "You guys are insane, you know that."
"Hey, don't say anything until you've seen your ride," Usopp said. "Let's show i
t to him, guys."
Sanji let himself be led away, although he continued to ask questions.
"Why did you do this?" he asked Zoro. Zoro merely shrugged.
"If you're going to pay ten thousand beri, then you might as well get your money
's worth," he said coolly. "Besides, it's the least I could do after seeing you
ram into that pole like that. I don't know how else you could've screwed up, but
I wasn't going to let you take a chance. Besides, Franky's the best mechanic I
know. You should see what he did to Robin's car."
"When did you oh, you did it Monday, didn't you? After you left." Sanji sighed. "D
ude "
"Here it is," Franky announced. "Your Sanjimobile. The only car of its kind."
"I wanted them to just scrap the car and give you a real ride, but they wouldn't
let me," Zoro said gruffly. "So it's still a Volkswagen Beetle."
"It's the coolest mother-effing Beetle you'll ever see though," Usopp said proud
ly.
Sanji couldn't stop staring.
"What the ?"
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: I apologize to anyone who likes cars or betting; I know very little about e
ither. Any of the half-professional sounding components are based on the custom
BHRIFIC custom 2004 Volkswagen Beetle (I think you can find it on Google. It's g
reen, but it looks nice).
---
"A stratmosphere diverter valve, APR ECU performance upgrade, improved suspensio
n, custom brushed neuspeed underhood billet parts streamlined body for better aero
dynamics, and with a new paint job in midnight blue and true gold hues with robi
n's-egg blue trim." Franky continued to rattle off terms and additions to the ca
r. "Auto technic trim pieces. Seats updated to suede, and an upgraded surround s
ound radio system and subwoofer in high definition. New wheels with better tract
ion, and the convertible option has been improved as well for a smoother transit
ion. Tinted interior and exterior lights in shades of blue. A GPS screen that do
ubles as a screen for the fisheye camera on the trunk for when you go in reverse
. Plus, look at this!" Franky jumped into the front seat and eagerly flipped a f
ew switches. Sanji stared in disbelief as parts of the hood and roof slid back t
o reveal gun barrels and what appeared to be lasers.
"Okay, everything is cool but when the fuck am I going to use a gun while I'm dr
iving?" Sanji said, unable to really believe that this was happening. "Laser bea
ms? Are you fucking kidding me? Is this even legal?"
"Oh, it was just there for fun," Usopp said with a grin. "Who doesn't dream abou
t having a car like Batman? You even have a parachute option! But don't test it
out, it only works once and it's only for the driver's side, so your passengers wi
ll be screwed "
"This is this is insane," Sanji said as his mouth still hung open. "You how much is
this all going to cost?"
"This?" Franky said in surprise. "Nothing. I can't take your money, bro. I just
like knowing that this car will be out there tearing up the road. Can you imagin
e Tashigi's face when she sees this going down the road at 200 miles per hour?"
"How did you even get all that stuff in there? I know that a Beetle can't take h
alf of the equipment you named," Sanji said in amazement, running a hand down th
e newly upholstered seats.
"Oh, we can do just about anything," Usopp said proudly. "We could even put wing
s on this thing and make it fly. We're working on these things called aerocrafts "
"Shh," Franky hushed him. "We're not supposed to tell anyone, remember?" Usopp q
uickly shut his mouth. Zoro smirked knowingly.
"Really, though, I can't accept this without paying you somehow," Sanji proteste
d. "Zoro?"
Zoro shrugged. "They really do just do it for the pleasure of making it. Actuall
y, we had a favor to ask "
"What is it?"
"We're holding a surprise party for Luffy's birthday. It's the fifth of May. Do
you think you can cook for him that day? He's been raving about your food since
Rain Dinners," Zoro said. "We'd provide any supplies and stuff, but it's a prett
y tall order. That kid eats like a monster."
"You're giving me this car and all you want is for me to make a meal?" Sanji dem
anded incredulously. " well shit, sounds like a good deal. Alright, then!"
"Well, I should get back to work," Franky yawned as he stretched. "The governmen
t'll be on my ass if I'm not tinkering with one of their projects a bit every we
ek. Later, you guys!" Usopp also waved goodbye.
"The keys are in the ignition already, so you just have to drive her out of here
," Zoro informed Sanji as he climbed into the passenger's seat. "C'mon, let's go
on the highway. I want to hear this baby roar."
" why are you talking like that?" Sanji asked as he slid into the driver's seat. "
You sound like Franky."
"I've been hanging out with them for what, three or four days straight? He's the
kind of person who rubs off on you," Zoro grumbled. "The 110 highway should be
open right now. Let's check that out."
"Hey, gas isn't cheap, you know."
"Usopp gave you a full tank."
"Well then let's go."
As the car roared out of the shop and onto the road, Franky and Usopp exchanged
knowing looks.
---
"Faster!" Zoro yelled as he stuck his head out the window gleefully. "Woooo!"
"Shut up! You're like a kid," Sanji yelled back over the whistling wind and the
roar of the engine. He laughed, though; it was kind of a treat to be able to see
Zoro let loose like this.
Suddenly, Zoro started to hack and cough as he pulled his head back into the win
dow.
Sanji tore his gaze from the road for a moment to shout, "Oi! What's wrong?"
Zoro swallowed with difficulty and spat out the window.
"Gnats."
Sanji groaned in disgust. "Ew. Well, we're hitting around ninety on an empty hig
hway. Want to risk going all out?"
"What the hell did you think we were out to do, cook?" Zoro replied impatiently.
"Unless you're too scared to, of course "
"Oh, go to hell," Sanji laughed as he slammed his foot on the gas. Zoro was jerk
ed back into his seat as the car suddenly accelerated.
"Now this is more like it!" Zoro gripped the armrest excitedly as the scenery we
nt by in a blur of green landscape and grey asphalt. Sanji hooted in delight as
he saw Zoro's reaction.
They almost reached the car's maximum speed, but Sanji groaned when he heard the
faint squeal of a siren and saw a pair of flashing blue lights in the rearview
mirror.
"Oh, fuck."
"Do you think we can lose them?" Zoro asked eagerly, clearly looking forward to
a highway chase. "I bet we could. This car hasn't even "
"Stop being a bad influence," Sanji snapped. "I'm pulling over." He slowed down th
is took quite a long time and eventually stopped on the side of the road. Both men
stared straight ahead as the officer strode briskly up to the driver's-side and
knocked on the window. Sanji rolled it down slowly and said,
"Hello, Offic Meeellorine~!"
Tashigi blinked as Sanji gazed up at her with fawning eyes. Zoro groaned.
"Hey, Tash. 'Sup."
"Don't ''sup' me, Zoro!" she snapped, waving an accusatory finger at him. "Do yo
u guys know how fast you were going?"
"Uh about 200 miles per hour, give or take ?" Zoro replied. Sanji snapped out of his
fervor and pushed Zoro's face away from the window.
"I'm sorry, officer, but I just got this car and I don't know what got into me " h
e said, his eyes downcast as his lower lip trembled. He suddenly looked up with
one sparkling blue eye and an innocent expression. Tashigi blinked in surprise b
efore scoffing.
"Zoro got you into this mess, huh," she said slowly, writing on her ticket pad.
Sanji nodded, ignoring Zoro's protests in the background. Tashigi sauntered arou
nd to the other window and knocked on Zoro's side. Zoro refused to open the wind
ow, but Sanji opened it anyways. "For being a bad influence and not respecting a
n officer, and also because I just feel like it, I'm fining you, Zo-marimo-ro Ro
ronoa, for " She slid the ticket into his hand, and Zoro sputtered.
"Woman!"
"Have a nice day, and drive safely," Tashigi said with a grin and a wink before
walking back to her patrol car and driving off.
Sanji giggled as Zoro scowled at the ticket in his hand. "How much is the ticket
? I'll cover it," Sanji said.
Zoro shook his head as he stuffed it into his pocket. "Forget about it. That wom
an "
Sanji grinned as he turned the engine back on, humming in pleasure as he listene
d to the power under the hood. "Now that's what I call a car. Her name was Tashi
gi, right? She's quite an angel, you know. She helped me out when this stupid ga
ng tried to rob my shop." He laughed. "The guy had this enormous red nose " The memori
es that had been rubbing the back of his brain ever since he shared his childhoo
d stories with Zoro finally connected, creating a spark. "Oh, shit."
"What's wrong?" Zoro asked in alarm as Sanji swerved back onto the road to go ba
ck home. "Dude, careful, you have some precious cargo in the car. Me."
"Buggy. I was almost robbed by Buggy."
"Who?"
"You remember! The one that I grew up in Water Sector with!" Sanji remembered wh
at Buggy had said as he had held him hostage, when Sanji hadn't known his name.
"Go back home, you traitorous mud boy!"
"He called me a traitor. It must have been because I left the group to live with
Zeff and then moved to Fire Sector. God, that guy has a long memory," Sanji gro
aned. "I can't believe he remembered me. I mean, really "
"So what? He's in jail now." Zoro said this as though all of Sanji's problems we
re solved now.
"But he's Buggy! We used to eat together from the same plate, rob the same people,
you know! Bonding!"
"What kind of bonding from hell is that?"
"Oh, you know what I'm talking about. I have to go see him." Sanji turned the ca
r around and began to drive towards the police station.
"Uh, no, you don't," Zoro objected. "He obviously knew who you were when he trie
d to rob you. I doubt he'll take kindly to seeing you again. We have to go to th
e Silver Fox Tournament again tomorrow night. It won't do if you're all out of f
orm after talking to this guy." Sanji didn't respond as his lips tightened and h
is eyes hardened.
"No. And you're coming with me."
"Why am I coming with you?"
"First of all, because you dragged me into the Silver Fox Tournament."
"You came willingly! And you can win money, and stuff!"
"Secondly," Sanji continued, "Because "
"Because?"
"I want to be able to say that I know someone from the Kendo Gang."
" " Zoro didn't say a word as he stared out the window, stunned into silent disbeli
ef at what he would normally call 'dumbassery.'
---
"Here to pay your ticket already, marimo?" Tashigi teased as she greeted them at
the police station.
Zoro scowled. "Don't call me that. Just take us to that clown's cell."
As Tashigi led them to the jailhouse, Sanji whispered to Zoro, "What is that wor
d she's calling you? Marimo?"
"D-don't call me that," Zoro sputtered. "It doesn't mean anything."
Tashigi overheard them and laughed. "Marimo? It's a national treasure in Japan,
you know very precious, indeed."
Sanji raised an eyebrow. "What kind of treasure are we talking about?"
Zoro tried to cover Tashigi's mouth without success. "Oy, don't "
"It's a kind of moss ball," Tashigi informed Sanji with a wink. "Isn't it fittin
g? Oh, here we are. Prisoner number thirty-five, 'Buggy the Clown.' Do you want
to speak through the bars or go into the cell?"
"I'll go in," Sanji said firmly. Zoro rolled his eyes and nodded as he followed
Sanji into the cell.
"I'll be waiting right here, then," Tashigi said as she moved to stand beside th
e cell door.
Sanji went into the cell and sat on the hard bench, waiting. Zoro chose to stand
, leaning against the wall as they watched Buggy. The man was sleeping at the mo
ment, snoozing in some other dreamland where banks were successfully robbed and
revenge was easy. They watched in fascination as his red nose it really was red twit
ched, as his legs shook once in a while, and as he would grunt and snort in his
sleep.
"Should we wake him up?" Zoro asked, already on the move. Sanji shook his head.
"No, he's not very happy when he wakes up," Sanji began, but groaned when Zoro s
wiftly jabbed Buggy in the ribs.
"Yeowch!" Buggy screeched as he sat bolt upright, glaring at whoever had dared t
o disturb Master Buggy's sleep. "What kind of bastards " He stopped speaking and g
ulped when he saw Zoro glaring at him, flexing his muscles in a not-so-subtle th
reat.
"Hello, Buggy," Sanji said calmly as he folded his hands. "How've you been?"
Buggy stared in disbelief. "Sanji, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Well, I thought I'd stop by to visit an old friend who tried to rob me. You kno
w, the usual."
Buggy blanched. "Oh damn look, Sanji, that day we were just being stupid and "
"What the hell have you been doing with your life, Buggy?" Sanji growled angrily
. "Yeah, sure, when we were kids we didn't know and couldn't do any better. But
gang life? Really? You know how short your life expectancy is just by being affi
liated?"
Buggy snorted. "Yeah, like you really care. Once you and Nami were done with us
you just ditched us to live with that old man. You didn't even try to look for u
s, did you?"
Sanji opened his mouth, but stopped. "I thought the police were coming after us. I
f we didn't see you again we just assumed "
Buggy pointed to his heavily tattooed face. "You're right. Once I went to juvy I
was just dead to you, wasn't I? That's where we really learned what it meant to
be in a gang. You have no idea " His eyes rolled to look at Zoro. "And who's your
friend? Another Fire Sector tightass who thinks he's better than everyone else?
"
"I don't think I'm better," Zoro informed him. "I know I'm better."
"You're not making the situation any better, marimo," Sanji snarled. Tashigi chu
ckled.
"Oh, so he's your butt-buddy then, huh?" Buggy sneered. "How much do you get pai
d per hour, fa " Buggy tried to gulp, but found it difficult when Zoro's hand was
around his neck.
"Shut up, you fool," Zoro said in a low voice that promised pain and agony; Sanj
i shivered when he heard it. "The Buggy Gang, huh? Not even a match for a former
Kendo Gang member?"
"K-kendo G'ng?" Buggy managed to squeak out. "Sh't !"
"Zoro," Tashigi said warningly from across the cell. "Don't make me fine you aga
in."
"Tch !" Zoro released Buggy and resumed his position against the wall, as unpertur
bed as ever.
Buggy decided that it was in his best interests to shut up concerning Sanji and
his sexuality. "So, uh, what are you doing here?" he asked, noticeably more frie
ndly.
Sanji shrugged. "I'm really just here to say hello, and to apologize. For never ha
ving tried to find you. Also " His leg whipped out, striking Buggy firmly across t
he jaw. Zoro shook his head; he could tell that Sanji had softened the blow cons
iderably, but Buggy still flew across the tiny cell. "This is for trying to fuck
ing rob me, asshole. And for being bitter about the fact that I made it all the
way to Fire Sector. I'll see you in hell." Sanji rose and tapped Tashigi on the
shoulder. "I'm done here, love."
"Don't call me 'love' or I'm leaving all three of you in there," Tashigi snorted
as she opened the door. "That was interesting to watch."
Zoro and Sanji turned to give Buggy one last glare before leaving. "Say hello to
Cabaji and Mohji for me," Sanji said as he left.
"S-say hello to Nami for me, too," Buggy whispered.
---
"So, the second part of the tournament is tomorrow, huh?" Sanji said conversatio
nally as they loaded themselves back in the car. Zoro nodded.
"This time, everyone will be fresh it's only going to be the best. There will be t
wo rounds. Every year they try something different, but the last round is always
between the last two competitors. Last year, I remember they converted the enti
re stadium into a maze that the audience could see from above, and whoever made
it to the center would be part of the last fight. It was pretty brutal."
"Same place, though?"
"Yep."
They rode in silence for a while.
"Want me to take you home?" Sanji asked.
"Actually, I should be getting to work," Zoro said. "I heard Mihawk's back in to
wn. It would be bad if I was late on the day he chose to visit the classes."
Sanji flicked on the turn signal, making his way back to Baroque Works. "So this
Mihawk guy what's he like?"
Zoro rested his chin on his hands as he leaned forward in his seat. "He's an odd g
uy. Freakishly strong with a sword, stern with his words and mannerisms, a compl
ete pain in the ass. That's Mihawk in a nutshell."
Sanji laughed. "He must be good, for you to admit that. What does he look like?"
He pulled into the Baroque Works parking lot and accompanied Zoro up into the b
uilding.
Zoro walked right by the elevators and took the stairs two at a time. "Apparentl
y he's of Spanish nobility or something like that. His family's known for their
prowess in battle, and I heard that they even date back to the Inquisition. He's
as pale as a vampire, with this uppity moustache and beard that I really want t
o shave off, it pisses me off so badly. He likes to dress well." Zoro snorted in
derision. "The most striking feature is the color of his eyes. They're not normal
. It's like looking into a pool of molten gold. It's fascinating to look at, but
if you fall in "
"It's unusual to hear you speak so poetically, Roronoa," a clipped, cultured voi
ce said as they entered the dojo. "You're actually early to class. How unusual."
Sanji looked the speaker up and down and didn't have to ask to know his name, b
ut the man offered it anyway. "I don't believe we've met. My name is Juraquille
Mihawk. And you are ?" His hand was held out, and Sanji grasped it for a firm hand
shake.
"I'm Sanji," he replied, looking at Zoro. Should I tell him my last name? Zoro n
odded slightly. "Sanji Baratie." Wow, those eyes they're mesmerizing.
Mihawk raised an eyebrow as though he wanted to ask further, but thought the bet
ter of it. "It's a pleasure. So, Roronoa, today there is a slight change in sche
dule. The adult class has been switched to next Monday, and today you will be te
aching the youth class again."
"What? Why?" Zoro demanded. "I was looking forward to beating some uppity police
men up!"
Mihawk's nostrils flared. "It has come to my attention that on Monday, you will
most likely come to class bloodied and bandaged up. I do not want to traumatize
the children."
"Oh you heard about that, huh," Zoro sighed. "Why didn't you enter the tourney?"
Mihawk shrugged. "I have no idea what you are speaking of. Nevertheless, I expec
t you to be back in class on time. Blood loss is no excuse. If you do not return
, then I will be highly disappointed in you. Understood?" Zoro grumbled. "Unders
tood?"
"Yeah, yeah, keep your hair on," Zoro muttered. "I'll be back in one piece."
"Excellent," Mihawk said before turning towards the door. "Have a nice day, you
two." After he left, Sanji released the breath he had not known that he was hold
ing and unclenched the fists he hadn't realized he had balled.
"Woah," Sanji wheezed as his chest eased into a more relaxed state. "That guy ha
s got an incredible spirit force."
Zoro shrugged. "You get used to it after a while. I think he was just doing that
to show off to you. Are you going to stay?"
Sanji looked at his watch and shook his head. "Nah, I should be getting back. Nu
rses, you know. They always stop by, like clockwork."
After Sanji had left, Zoro leaned against the wall as he watched his students be
gin to drift in one by one. He dozed off for a few minutes, dreaming about pierc
ing golden eyes that gave way to a single, startlingly blue iris.
As Sanji got into his car, he breathed in deeply, not realizing that he was savo
ring the scent of steel and harsh soap left behind by his passenger.
---
Bright lights. The scent of polished weaponry, testosterone and confidence. Chee
ring crowds in the background. The sound of flapping cloth, softly padding feet, s
oft breaths and clanking blades.
"Welcome to the final round of this year's Silver Fox Tournaments!"
and one annoying as hell announcer.
The small group of remaining competitors faced each other in a circle, waiting f
or Foxy to announce what tonight's challenge would be. Sanji glanced over to whe
re Zoro was actually yawning in boredom.
"How can you be yawning?" Sanji hissed out of the corner of his mouth. "There ar
e cameras pointed at us from all directions!"
Zoro shrugged, yawning pointedly in his direction.
"And now, for tonight's challenge! The theme today is 'The Coliseum!' Let the ga
mes begin!" Foxy's voice boomed over the speakers, and Sanji looked around in al
arm as the stadium shook. The floor was splitting into eight triangular segments
as the iron cages around the walls were being erected, forcing the fighters to
jump down onto a dirt surface. Sanji dusted himself off and saw that they were i
n a recessed circle reminiscent of the ancient Roman styles.
The fighters all stood and stared blankly at one another.
A cricket could be heard, chirping faintly in the background.
"O-oy, fight each other!" Foxy demanded.
"Explain the theme next time, idiot," Zoro grumbled as he drew his swords. "What
, are you waiting for me to slaughter you? It'll happen eventually, so I guess y
ou're smart if you're just giving up now." The other fighters snarled, and Sanji
groaned as everyone immediately drew their weapons or took fighting stances.
"Just had to goad them didn't you?" he moaned as he moved to stand back-to-back
to Zoro. "So, how are we doing this? Going solo or teaming up to beat these guys
?"
"Don't hold me back, cook," Zoro said with a grin as they slowly circled to the
center of the stage. The other fighters seemed to take this as their cue to form
a loose circle around the two. "Excellent just as I had planned."
Sanji gulped as he saw Don Krieg slipping a pair of "Oh shit those are brass knuck
les you fucking idiot I hate you Zoro" on his hands and grinning. "Zoro, you wante
d us to be stuck in the middle of all these guys? Why?"
"It's more fun that way. Plus we're in the spotlight, aren't we?" Zoro laughed as
the first man ran forward. "If this doesn't get you into the Letters, then nothi
ng will. Oh, here comes the first opponent. Karasuma Gari!" His swords whirled i
n a move that sent the first man flying back, and Zoro scoffed. "See? Weak, all
of them."
"Don't be so arrogant, Roronoa," one of the other men snarled. Daz Bones, Sanji
thought to himself. "I know your style."
"Yeah, but you don't know his," Zoro said as he pointed at Sanji. "Ready? Let's
show 'em what we got."
"Krieg! Come to me!" Daz shouted, and Don Krieg moved so that he and Daz were fa
cing each other on either side of Zoro and Sanji. Sanji kicked Krieg, but was bl
ocked by a massive forearm. As they exchanged blows, Sanji felt a thrill run up
his spine and through his body as his legs flew through the air. The other fight
ers seemed to have broken off, but the main focus of the audience was on the fig
ht in the middle. Sanji felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he mo
ved. This smile was torn off his face by the heavy elbow that collided with his
ribs.
"Urgh Marimo, Lazy Susan style!"** Sanji shouted as he threw his back into Zoro's
and linked arms with him. "Ready?"
Zoro's eyes widened. "Lazy Susan? Oh shit, you're not talking about you are? fine."
He held his swords firmly and cried, "108 Pound Hou!" His swords sliced through
the air and ate away at Daz's defense. As he finished his attack, he surged forw
ard and Sanji flew through the air, his legs milling downward. Daz looked up in
surprise, and Sanji's foot hit him squarely between the eyes.
"One down " Zoro hissed as he spun around. "Oni Giri!"
"Mouton Shoot!"
"Two down," Zoro laughed as Don Krieg fell. "Hell, yes." They let go of one anot
her and looked around. The only man left standing was staring at them, his eyes
wide as he looked back and forth for an escape. "One left."
"P-please, I forfeit!"
"Too late," Sanji sighed as Zoro sheathed his swords. The man fell; dark bruises
were already forming where the dull ends of Zoro's blades had struck him.
"Well, this is an interesting turn of events!" Foxy yelling into the microphone.
"The most and least favored contenders in this year's tournament are facing off
! The final match is Zoro versus Sanji! Men, begin!"
"See? I told you this would work out just fine," Zoro said with a shrewd smile a
s he and Sanji circled around one another.
"Sorry Zoro, but you'll be losing that bet. I'm not taking second place," Sanji
scoffed.
They stopped moving as they stared at one another.
Two pairs of feet tapped the earth quickly as they sprang forth and began to fig
ht.
"Now this is exciting!" Foxy screeched. "Look at those moves! The speed, the for
ce! The very ground is trembling!"
Sanji laughed. "Marimo, you're slower than I had anticipated." He clipped Zoro a
cross the chin, and Zoro flipped backwards to ease the blow and gain time.
"Ah, looks like I'll have to get serious," Zoro said with a grin as he put his s
words away.
"What are you doing?" Sanji asked incredulously. Zoro reached for a black cloth
that was wrapped around his bicep one that Sanji had not seen him wearing the prev
ious week. "A bandana?"
Zoro tied the cloth around his head, and Sanji felt a chill go through his body
as he saw those obsidian eyes looking at him from under the dark cloth. "Hey, co
ok." Sanji blinked, and Zoro was suddenly in his face, swords flashing in the li
ght.
"Shit !" He's fast!
"Guess how much I bet on you."
"Oh, that's playing dirty "
Zoro surged forward, and whispered into his ear. Sanji's eyes widened as his fac
e turned white upon hearing those words and feeling the soft puff of air passing
Zoro's lips.
"One million beri."
Sanji squealed like a little girl.
"I told you you'd squeal."
Zoro took the opportunity to strike him in the chest and topple him over. Sanji
gasped and found himself on his knees, with two blades tickling his throat and a
nother pointed straight at his forehead.
"Looks like I have to forfeit," Sanji sighed, but was stopped when Zoro shouted
at Foxy.
"Are you waiting for me to kill him? Declare the winner!"
Foxy sputtered, but obeyed when Zoro glared at him. "W-winner Zoro Roronoa!" He ho
pped out of his commentator's box and began to run to the stadium, bearing a tro
phy.
Sanji sucked in a breath as Zoro suddenly withdrew his blades and held out his h
and. Sanji grabbed it, still dazed.
"This battle won't go on our personal tallies," Zoro murmured for Sanji's ears a
lone. "It was not a fair and honorable battle. We will settle this another time,
but I did not want you to have to admit defeat." He released Sanji's hand when
the chef was standing and turned away, walking towards the exit.
"One million beri," Sanji gasped. He was still in shock and hadn't even fully regi
stered what had happened. Zoro grinned as he accepted his trophy from Foxy and t
urned around.
"Actually, your odds were eighty to one. So "
Zoro laughed heartily as he left the stadium, leaving Sanji in the middle of the
stadium frozen in disbelief.
---
"See, Mihawk, no injuries at all!" Zoro said proudly as he pounded his chest. "N
ot a single scratch or bruise. Plus I'm a good deal richer. I love betting on th
ese titles."
Mihawk glared at Zoro over the rim of his cup; the two of them were sitting in t
he Paris Baguette, and Mihawk was drinking cappuccino while Zoro was taking sips
from a flask he had brought.
"I was at the fight, Roronoa," Mihawk said waspishly. "I'm well aware of what tr
anspired last night. You teamed up with Baratie. A bold move, but not one that w
ill win you the title that you desire."
Zoro snorted. "You weren't fighting, so I knew I wasn't going to get it anyway.
I wanted to make sure he made a good impression, and it would be more impressive
if he was affiliated with me."
"How arrogant of you."
"It's true, though," Zoro insisted. "C'mon, you know that the Alpha spot for Sav
ate is virtually empty since they're just using Bon's name as a placeholder. He'
s there, they just need to see him showcase his talent!"
"One Silver Fox Tournament will not change his position," Mihawk said calmly. He
nibbled on a biscuit, and Zoro decided not to tell him about the crumbs dusting
his moustache.
"It might. You never know," Zoro said obstinately. "Oy, curly-brow! Gimme one of
those pie things!"
"It's called a quiche, moron, a QUICHE!" Sanji yelled back. "And I'm helping a c
ustomer! Wait a goddamn minute! I'm sorry, mademoiselle, that you had to hear su
ch awful obscenities," he cooed to the girl who appeared to be a University stud
ent. "You wanted a mocha frappuccino with extra whipped cream, correct? Here, da
rling. Oh, the chocolate sprinkles are on me."
Zoro grinned. "Ah, he's so easy to goad. I love this fool."
Mihawk raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
Zoro coughed on his drink, banging his chest to clear his lungs. "Oh, Mihawk, yo
u know what I'm talking about. Don't you have man-love for your buddies?"
"You are beginning to sound disturbingly like Kurei."
Zoro choked again and found himself being pounded on the back by Sanji. He held
a plate with a slice of quiche balanced on one hand. "Problems, marimo? Here. Yo
ur quiche. I'll put it on your tab."
"You're keeping a tab?" Zoro managed to wheeze.
Sanji scowled as he returned to the counter. "Of course. You just won eighty mil
lion beri on me, you can afford to pay for all the food I'm giving you."
Mihawk glanced at Zoro in surprise. "What on earth did you do, Roronoa?"
"Oh, just bet one million on him."
"Even for a man of your affluence, that was a risky amount to bet."
"The odds were eighty to one."
" ah."
"Yeah. I'm going to slip it to him little by little. I picked the 'special prize
' for first place along with the fifty grand, but it just turned out to be a fre
e pass for two to the VIP lounge at Cipher Pol," Zoro said as he jammed a fork i
nto the quiche and stuck a chunk into his mouth. "Mmmpf, delicious."
"Then you can afford to pick up my bill as well. Baratie! Put this on his tab!"
"Will do, Mr. Mihawk," Sanji said cheerfully.
"H-hey! Wait!" Zoro yelled after Mihawk's back as his boss left the café. "What
did I do to deserve this oh, wait, yeah. Earn a fortune through betting." God must
be punishing me, he thought sarcastically. He waited, watching the morning rush
slowly settle down to a trickle, and finally come to a stop.
"Ah, it's good to sit down," Sanji sighed as he slid into the seat across from Z
oro. "No work today?"
"It's a Sunday. Sometimes I have private classes, but not always," Zoro said. "B
esides, I wanted to talk to you."
"About what?"
"The money I won. I want you to have it. Well, minus what you're charging me for
this stupid quiche and Mihawk's food and the original one million I bet."
Sanji stood abruptly; the chair fell over as he pushed it back roughly, glaring
down at Zoro with an eye burning with anger. "No. I won't accept your charity."
"Look," Zoro said slowly. "I didn't win this. You were the one who enabled this.
It's only fair that you get your cut of the profits."
"You're the one who placed the bet on me," Sanji shot back. "Also, you're the on
e who used that dirty trick to make sure that you won the money. Keep it, Zoro."
Zoro sighed. "You're so stubborn. This is your money, you idiot." He glanced at
the clock on the wall. "Hm, I gotta go meet with the girls to plan Luffy's party
. Want to come?"
Sanji looked around at the empty café and shrugged. "Sure."
"Are we taking your car?" Zoro asked excitedly as Sanji locked up. Sanji only ro
lled his eyes as he pulled out his keys and opened the doors.
"Don't you remember the days when you used to hate riding this 'girly' car?" San
ji asked sourly as he warmed up the engine. Zoro stuck his tongue out and pulled
his nose up with his thumb, making a grotesque face. "Oh, really mature."
"That was before you got this sweet ride," Zoro explained. "Now it's not embarra
ssing to ride around in this thing. Didn't you see the spoiler? You'd actually n
eed a spoiler for all the crazy shit that this car can pull off!" Sanji merely s
hook his head as he pulled onto the street.
"So, where are we going?"
"Robin's house. I'll show you the way."
"Oh, we're definitely going to get lost now."
---
"This is Robin's house?"
"Obviously, since I just said that I was taking you to Robin's house. Actually,
Robin is code for Luffy is code for Franky "
"Oh, shut up. It's a nicer house than I had expected, even for a University prof
essor." Sanji gazed at the large brick house set in the middle of the upper-clas
s urban streets of Navarone. A neatly-tended lawn, crawling ivy, and smooth grav
el driveway all indicated that Robin spent a good amount of time taking care of
her property or hiring other people to keep it presentable. They rang the doorbe
ll and waited as the soft chimes faded away and Robin opened the door. She blink
ed in surprise, holding a bathrobe firmly shut around her shapely waist and a to
wel falling from her slick, wet hair. Sanji and Zoro stared at her as she stared
back; the two men couldn't help but take in the fuzzy slippers she wore, or the
slim legs that were visible from under the bathrobe and the slight valley visib
le that indicated the voluptuous curve of her breasts. "A-ah h-h-hello, mademoisel
le," Sanji stuttered as Zoro blinked and shook his head.
"Hey Robin, are we early?" Zoro asked. "Everyone's meeting here to plan Luffy's
party today, right?"
Robin began to laugh. "Zoro, you're three hours early. Come in, you two, I'll ge
t you guys a cup of coffee." They followed her into the house, scuffing off thei
r shoes and donning the slippers that she offered then.
"Hey Robin, who was that " a voice called from the hallway. Sanji and Zoro both star
ed, yet again, at the person waiting for them. Franky rubbed his wet hair sheepi
shly as he adjusted the towel around his waist, wearing a pair of fuzzy slippers
that was identical to Robin's. "Oh, uh, hey you guys. Aren't you a little early
?" A faint blush was present all around.
The two other men decided not to ask any awkward questions. "Oh, we got the time
s mixed up," Zoro said nonchalantly as he pointedly looked in the other directio
n. "I know where your kitchen is, Robin. We'll wait there."
Robin smiled mirthfully. "Oh, and could you call everyone else? They might as we
ll come now, too."
"Sure, no problem."
As Robin and Franky vanished up the stairs, Zoro could have sworn that he heard
her murmur into Franky's ear about 'massage oil' and 'next time.'
"Oh my gosh!" Sanji whispered hoarsely to Zoro as the green-haired man rummaged
in the cupboards for two mugs and poured the coffee. "Robin! And Franky! That's
so weird!"
Zoro shrugged, his eyes fixed on the cupboard whose handle he grasped tightly in
one hand. "Cream? Sugar?"
"Sure. Where is it?" Sanji accepted the condiments and sat at the rectangular wo
oden table, taking in the kitchen's furnishings. It was simple, but showed signs
of sophistication: the dark wood, steel, and granite tiles created a cool feeli
ng that was contrasted by the creamy walls. Sanji looked at the stained-wood tab
le and was astonished to see the word Franky carved in tiny letters along the si
de of the table.
"Oh, that's new," Zoro said in surprise. "Looks like Franky's work. He's got a d
istinctive style."
"How do you know where everything is? With your sense of direction " Sanji asked,
running one hand along the table; it was very well-made, and felt solid but look
ed delicate. There were carvings of birds and flowers etched into the wood with
details so fine that it looked as though they had been made with a wire-thin kni
fe. He smiled wryly when he recognized the intricate carving of a robin gracing
the center of the table.
"It took me a few years, but I got it all figured out," Zoro grunted as he sat w
ith his steaming mug held firmly in one hand.
Sanji choked on his coffee. "A a few years?" he hacked. "How long were you two goi
ng out?"
Zoro rolled his eyes. "You idiot, I was her friend for a long time before gettin
g together with her. She I tried to steal from her, when I was getting my money fo
r my plane ticket."
"From Robin? How could you?"
"She looked rich, and she was a woman. They're generally easier targets than men
, for varying reasons. I got kind of a bad vibe she felt too cunning but I decided t
o do it anyways, when I saw her clothes and her car. You know how it feels, righ
t? To assess someone for the value of what possessions you can steal and sell."
Sanji nodded; he knew the feeling very well. "Well, she caught me somehow, which
was weird because it was one of the most smoothly conducted heists I had ever p
ulled while going solo. Then, she invited me into her house, and we talked, and
she paid the rest of my way. Otherwise, it would've taken me ages to save up."
"Why would she do that?" Sanji asked incredulously. "I'd have killed you."
Zoro sipped his coffee thoughtfully. "She said there was something in my eyes th
at reminded her of someone she knew a long time ago and that she was impressed wit
h my passion." Sanji looked into Zoro's eyes and could tell that he was reliving
a moment that was as fresh in his memory as though it had just happened. "I rem
ember when Mihawk first signed me up for my University classes, she was a part-t
ime professor. That was an interesting semester. She was so beautiful still is, in
fact." His jaw was tight, and his eyes were unfocused. Sanji held his cup firml
y to keep his hands from shaking; this was a side of Zoro that he had not had th
e opportunity to witness, and was afraid to break the mood by speaking. Suddenly
, Zoro pulled his cellphone out and began to quickly punch in numbers. "I'm goin
g to call the others. Want to help?"
Sanji nodded as he pulled his own cell out. For a fleeting moment, he had felt
I want to
"Here's Ace's number, and Chopper's " Zoro scrawled the numbers quickly on a piece
of paper, not noticing Sanji's detached state. He took in the seemingly permane
nt frown on Zoro's face, the downward-curving eyes that indicated a constant dis
pleasure, the stern slant of his mouth, the grace with which he moved that count
ered the rippling of his muscles
find something beautiful for him.
---
** A Lazy Susan is that revolving tabletop thing you see in Chinese restaurants.
So basically yeah, a helping of Zoro with a ladle full of Sanji and two bowls o
f kickass.
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: I had wanted to update this on Luffy's birthday (May 5) because it would be
so fitting, right? But things got in the way sigh. Sorry for the late update, and I
hope you enjoy!
---
"So basically, all you need to keep Luffy happy is meat?" Sanji looked skeptical
ly at Ace as they sat in Robin's kitchen; Sanji had a list in his hand, and so f
ar the only thing on there was 'meat,' underlined and circled numerous times.
Ace nodded, laughing. "He's pretty easy to please. I used to have the greatest t
ime throwing canned food at him and watching him try to open them. There is no s
uch thing as 'bad food' to him, but his favorite is usually just plain steak or
chicken legs. But for everyone else you'll have to ask them. Robin might be able t
o help. Robin!" He waved the other woman over.
"Yes?" she asked politely. Sanji's face burned crimson when she walked closer.
"I need a list of the foods that should be served," Sanji explained as Ace left
them. "So far, all I have is meat."
Robin chuckled. "So Luffy is covered, then? How about a cold fusilli pasta salad
, cucumber salad with sesame dressing " She took the pen and paper from him and be
gan to write the details on the pad in smooth and graceful penmanship. "Enough f
or twenty people."
"T-twenty?" Sanji asked in surprise. "But only half as many people are coming."
Robin arched one eyebrow at him. "Sanji, Luffy has an appetite that nearly ruine
d Rain Dinners when he first learned about buffets. Twenty is a conservative est
imate."
Sanji looked at the list of menu items on his list and shuddered in excitement a
t the impending challenge. "Where is this going to be held?" he asked as he bega
n to mentally prepare for the task.
"Good question. Galley-La would be the most logical choice in terms of location,
but not in terms of practicality. Therefore, Vivi has agreed to host it. You ou
ght to speak with her concerning the cooking arrangements." She pulled him over
to where Vivi was talking to Franky and Usopp about decorations. "I'll take over
from here, Vivi. Sanji needs to know about the cooking situation."
"Ah!" Vivi exclaimed excitedly. "Okay Sanji, I'm not sure about what kind of kit
chen you're used to working around, so I'll take you to my house and I'll have T
erracotta show you around, okay?" She beamed prettily at him, and his heart melt
ed.
Sanji nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed by her bubbly nature. Ah, so cute!
---
Okay, I knew Vivi was rich.
They all stood on the circular driveway in front of Vivi's house; they had decid
ed to all come in order to properly plan the surprise.
But this is a freaking mansion.
They were ushered through the doors by a butler who led Sanji to the kitchens as
the others stayed in the main hall to plan.
And this kitchen is as large as the woman commanding it.
Terracotta looked down at Sanji with a wide smile. "Hello! My name is Terracotta
. You are Vivi's friend, correct? It's a pleasure to be able to show you around.
Any ingredients you see here are available for your use, and Miss Vivi has set
apart part of our own ingredient funds aside for your use." As she led him throu
gh the kitchens, Sanji couldn't stop staring.
Have I died and gone to heaven?
---
Zoro sat in his apartment, moodily swirling a bit of beer that he had spilled. E
veryone was at Vivi's house and he had opted to go back home, but upon arrival h
e had realized that he had absolutely nothing to do. "No classes until tomorrow ma
ybe I'll go to the Paris Ba " He stopped himself, realizing that Sanji would not b
e at the café today. "I guess I'll train or nap."
He sat drinking the beer and eating a piece of flatbread that Sanji had bought o
n the couch Sanji had picked out in the apartment whose entire contents had been
picked out by Sanji. He pushed his food and drink aside and trotted to his bedr
oom for a nap, only to find that his soft orthopedic mattress that embraced ever
y line of his body, bedframe, and dark sheets all shouted SANJI.
He ran out the door, running wherever his feet took him.
He stopped, leaning against the wall, panting far more harshly than he should ha
ve been for the level of exertion he had put into his run.
Zoro looked up and saw that he was standing in front of the Paris Baguette.
"Argh," he growled inarticulately as he clutched his head to keep him from bangi
ng it into the brick walls. "I'm going to Baroque Works." He trotted off, thinki
ng of the many ways he would distract himself with his training. When he arrived
at the building, he found himself face-to-face with a badly bruised Daz Bones,
who smiled unpleasantly as he regarded Zoro with hostile eyes. Zoro couldn't hel
p but smirk at the shoe-shaped imprint on his forehead.
"Hello, Zoro," Daz said coolly. "Care to spar a bit?"
"Hey Daz," Zoro smirked. "I don't know, are you in good condition today?" Daz's
snarling face suggested that he was in fine health, or great pain. "Oh, all righ
t. My dojo or yours?"
"Mine. C'mon, let's go." They climbed the stairs to Daz's studio and stretched a
little, regarding one another with suspicious eyes. "Ready?"
"For you? Anytime."
Daz roared as he charged at Zoro with the force of a bull and the cunning of a s
nake. Zoro grabbed his arms and flipped him, but Daz kept a firm grip on Zoro an
d took him down with him.
An hour later, Bon found the two of them on the floor, panting wearily and drenc
hed in sweat.
"If I had known you two would be scuffling around on the floor today, I would ha
ve joined in," Bon pouted. "Well, here I come!" He performed a running leap, and
both Zoro and Daz looked at the soaring okama with growing dread.
"O-oy, Bon, wait a second oof!"
"You damned transvestite, get off stop touching me there!"
They all grappled with one another for a few exhausting minutes until a slight c
oughing sound made them all freeze and look at the doorway.
"Perhaps I should expand your teaching brackets," Mihawk said dourly as he glare
d at his three most prestigious teachers. "If you three have time to engage in t
his sort of tomfoolery, then you can handle more work for the rates I'm paying y
ou." He turned around and left without another word.
The three men untangled themselves, rubbing sore limbs and purpling bruises (and
pinched asses). Zoro felt much better, and didn't even remember the blond-haire
d and blue-eyed cause for his previous tension.
---
Zoro didn't get much peace from his workout; two days later, Sanji called as Zor
o was leaving work.
"Hey marimo, it's Sanji. You busy?"
Zoro stared at the phone for a moment as he felt increasingly disturbed by what, h
e couldn't say. "I'm free. What's up? Stop calling me marimo, by the way."
Sanji chuckled, and Zoro reflected on how it was kind of a pleasant sound. "I ne
ed to go grocery shopping for food for the party. Terracotta offered the supplie
s from the Nefertari household, but I'd prefer to get it myself."
"More shopping?" Zoro groaned. "Why do you need me there?"
"I need a pack mule."
"Bastard " Zoro muttered. "Oh, what the hell. I'm in front of Baroque Works. Come
pick me up."
"Score! I'll see you in a few minutes."
Zoro leaned against the wall as he hung up, wondering What the hell is wrong with
me? By the time Sanji arrived, Zoro's thumping heart had slowed down to a steady
beat, but was jolted back into erratic action upon seeing that bright smile thr
ough the window of the Beetle.
---
Zoro was beginning to remember why he had been hesitant to go shopping with Sanj
i in the first place.
" so we'll need some garlic powder, and crushed garlic it brings out a stronger flav
or in meats with some of these large cucumbers. No, idiot, the smaller ones are fo
r pickling, can't you tell?...that's zucchini, marimo. Not even the same plant.
You'd think you'd know your own brethren better than this the steaks? Cold meats a
nd frozen food are always bought last to decrease any possible spoiling. No, don
't grab any bread, I'll bake it fresh on the day of." Sanji dragged Zoro through
the aisles of the farmer's market.
"Why couldn't we have just gone to a normal market?" Zoro grumbled as he carried
a basket of produce that was getting heavier with each stop. Sanji stopped, hol
ding a lemon in one hand and a grapefruit in the other, looking astonished.
"For a special occasion like this, the farmers selling their produce out here ha
ve the freshest and oh my gosh!" Sanji dropped the citrus fruits in his hands and
squeezed through the gap between two booths to gently pick up a couple of small,
round red fruits in his hands. "Mister, how'd you get lychees at this time of y
ear?" He sniffed them appreciatively. "They smell fresh, too." The weathered old
man winked at them, beckoning Sanji closer.
"I've got a greenhouse for tropical fruit like this," he whispered to Sanji. Zor
o finally squeezed through the tiny gap after Sanji just in time to see Sanji ho
lding a hefty bag of the delicate fruit towards him after having paid the man. Z
oro groaned as he took the bag and slipped it into a protected compartment of th
e bag.
"Cook, where did you get a pack like this, anyway?" Zoro grumbled. "There are co
mpartments for everything on this."
Sanji looked up as he gently squeezed a few avocados. "Oh, that? Look." He point
ed to the front of the market, where stacks of the same kinds of baskets were be
ing held. Zoro noticed that the baskets were mainly being carried by large dogs
as pack animals. Before he could dwell too much on the fact that he was literall
y a pack animal, Sanji dragged him off in another direction.
"Look! Plantains!"
As Zoro allowed himself to be ordered around he thought At least I'll be prepare
d for married life.
---
"Are we done yet?" Zoro asked, painstakingly making sure to prevent any trace of
a whine out of his voice. He was not successful.
"No, you big baby," Sanji said. "We need to go to the deli now, and then to the
supermarket for milk, eggs, chocolate but first I need to drop this all off at Viv
i's house."
Zoro felt like the day couldn't get any worse.
---
As it turned out, it could.
"Why don't you tell me," Zoro asked flatly, "why I'm standing in this kitchen wi
th you, holding a big-ass mallet, staring at a hunk of beef."
"I told you. You're going to tenderize the meat for me."
"Since when?"
"Do you want food poisoning or not? It can be arranged."
" Fine. What do I do?"
Sanji took the heavy mallet from him and showed him what to do. "Okay, first you
flatten it like so." Sanji struck the meat with enough force to make the table
shake, and Zoro stared in surprise at the power that Sanji's thin arms held. "Oh
, wait, we can't start yet." Sanji looked around and pulled two aprons from a cu
pboard. "Here. Put this on."
"I'm not wearing an apron."
"Yes, you are."
"No."
"Yes. Terracotta?"
Zoro jumped in surprise as two burly arms roughly tied the apron around his wais
t from behind, securing it with a knot that would have taken ages to untie. "If
you try and forcibly remove this, then you will have Miss Vivi to answer to," Te
rracotta said sweetly, patting him on the behind. Zoro jumped forward again, loo
king at her suspiciously.
"Yeah, like I'm scared of Vivi," Zoro said sarcastically as he seized a knife fr
om a rack and made to cut off the apron.
"You know, Vivi and Robin look like pretty good friends," Sanji said offhandedly
as he studied the hunk of meat on the table. "Just saying."
Zoro kept the apron on, and sullenly pounded the meat without another word.
"After you're done with that, I'll need you to wash and peel these potatoes."
The poor meat never stood a chance.
---
After Zoro had finished helping Sanji with what the chef called 'menial labor fo
r a Neanderthal,' Zoro met up with the others to put the final touches on the pa
rty. He found them in the main hall, and everyone wore rather anxious and worrie
d faces. When they saw him, though, their faces brightened up and Zoro knew that
he wouldn't like whatever they were going to say.
"As I was saying," Usopp said loudly, "We'll need someone to distract Luffy long
enough so he doesn't question why any of us are unavailable and to take him her
e. It's a task that I would normally bear the burden of, knowing how difficult i
t is, but Franky and I will be here setting up the sound systems and lighting " Fr
anky nodded in agreement. "So, we need someone else to do it."
"I have to go back to work until 6:00," Chopper said. "I can't do it." Quite fra
nkly, he looks relieved and for good reason, Zoro thought.
"Vivi and I need to stay here to coordinate everything," Robin said with a sligh
t smile.
Zoro looked around at the widely smiling faces closing in on him. "Oh, hell no,
I am not babysitting Luffy while Ace, what are you doing? He's your brother, so "
"No can do, buddy," Ace said with a wicked smile. "Apartment inspectors are comi
ng over today to check the gas and water lines. It's a shame, but I have to be t
here, since Luffy doesn't even know where the control boxes are."
"You'll do it, right? Isn't Luffy your friend?" Usopp said with a devious smile
that made Zoro want to punch his face in. Shit.
Well, today was definitely going on his list of 'WTF went wrong' days.
"It's only for a few hours, Zoro," Robin said sympathetically. "As a matter of f
act, you should go and intercept him now." She pushed him gently towards the doo
r. "Have fun!"
As the door slammed shut behind him, Zoro swore that he could hear them patting
each other on the back.
---
"Naa, Zoro~"
"What, Luffy."
"I'm tired of playing Halo."
"You always want to play, though."
"But it's no fun when the others aren't here. You just sit there and grunt when
I shoot you in the head."
"You only did that once, Luf."
"No! There was that time from the cliff!"
" just be quiet and play, Luffy."
"No, I'm gonna call Usopp. I bet he'll have something fun to do."
"Wait!" Zoro leapt and bodily intercepted Luffy's attempt to pick up the phone.
They were sitting in Zoro's apartment, and Zoro kept glancing back at the clock
as the hours crawled by. Shit, I met up with this kid at 2 and the party is at 6
. Only two hours left. "Say, do you want to go to the zoo? They have that monkey e
xhibit " Please, Zoro thought desperately.
Luffy's face brightened up. "Yeah! Let's go!"
---
The zoo was a bad idea.
"It's time to go, Luffy."
Luffy stuck his lower lip out in an exaggerated pout as he clung to the fence, s
taring at the monkeys in the enclosure who stared right back at him. "Nooo! I wa
nt to stay and watch the monkeys!" He wrapped his arms more firmly around the wo
oden posts, and Zoro groaned at the stares they were attracting.
Zoro looked at his watch; six o'clock already. "Luffy," he said through gritted
teeth, "It's time to go. Now."
Luffy planted his feet firmly on the ground. "Zoro. No."
It was a deadly standoff. The wind blew by dramatically, and even the children v
isiting the zoo clutched their mothers in fear.
"Raaah!" Zoro roared, leaping forward and trying to pin Luffy by the legs. As qu
ickly as greased lightning, Luffy jumped over his arms and began to run in the o
pposite direction.
"Shishishi, too slow, Zoro!" Luffy cackled. "I'm going to go see the pandas!"
Zoro swore violently and glanced at the nearest map. Shit, the panda exhibit is
on the other side of the zoo!
---
Six thirty.
A merry jingling sound told Zoro that the others were worrying about his absence
.
"Zoro! Where are you?"
"It's already six-thirty!"
"Did you get lost?"
Evidently, they had decided that using speakerphone would efficiently allow them
all to yell at him at the same time.
Zoro scowled at the phone in his hand as he ran after Luffy's elusive form. "Ha ha "
he panted. "I'm chasing your stupid brother, Ace Luffy! Not the reptile exhibit "
"You poor fool. You thought that four hours would be enough time to take Luffy t
o the zoo?" Ace's voice clearly indicated that he was none too impressed with Zo
ro's reasoning.
"Shut up! I just need to catch him and goddamnit, where is that little bugger? The
re! I'll see you guys later!"
---
Seven o'clock.
A bedraggled Zoro dragged a whining Luffy from the bus stop to Vivi's house. Eve
ry step of the way was a battle.
Zoro jammed his thumb into the doorbell more forcefully than necessary, and a cr
acking sound told him that he had done permanent damage; whether it was to his t
humb or the doorbell, he wasn't sure.
"Get in, you idiot," Zoro muttered under his breath as he threw Luffy through th
e opening door.
"Eh? It's dark in here!" Luffy squeaked.
"SURPRISE!" The lights went on in a blinding flash of colors, and Luffy blinked
owlishly as his friends all seemed to materialize out of nowhere and greeted him
. A wave of balloons, confetti, and streamers flew through the air as the men al
l took Luffy up on their shoulders and paraded him around, yelling, "Happy 18th
Birthday!"
"Waaah!" Luffy squealed excitedly as he clapped his hands. "A surprise party! Yo
u guys are the best!" He cheered as they paraded him around, and Zoro watched we
arily as he leaned against a pillar, closing the door with one foot. Somehow, th
e click of the door was audible over the cheering and music, and everyone froze.
"Presents?" Usopp suggested.
"Presents! Yay!" Luffy cried, and the momentary awkward silence was bypassed as
they all paraded into another room. Robin hung behind (obviously, the whole 'let
's carry Luffy on our shoulders' thing was not for her to engage in) and smiled
at Zoro.
"Tough day?" she asked sweetly. Zoro scowled at her.
"You're all evil, did you know that?" he grumbled as he followed the others. She
walked with him, lightly brushing his shoulder with one fingertip as she went i
nto the room ahead of him.
Zoro found himself in what appeared to be a drawing room. The plush chairs and t
ables had all been arranged in a circular orientation around a large mahogany ta
ble laden with gifts of all shapes and sizes. Luffy was already sitting impatien
tly, jiggling his leg as he waited. "Zoro, Zoro! Hurry up, they said they won't
let me open anything until everyone's here!"
Zoro sat down between Chopper and Vivi, looking around. "Where's the cook?" he a
sked.
"Still in the kitchens," Chopper replied. "He said that he'll see us when dinner
starts." Zoro nodded, quelling his inexplicable disappointment; he had already
seen Sanji earlier that day, after all, and had seen the mountain of ingredients
that were to be cooked.
Luffy grabbed the first box and shook it slightly, listening carefully as a doct
or would listen to a patient's heartbeat with a stethoscope. "That's my gift," C
hopper whispered to Zoro.
The way he tore through the wrapping paper, however, was only reminiscent of tha
t metaphor if the doctor chose to rip through his examinee's ribcage after being
unable to discern a heartbeat.
"Waaah, a fishing rod!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly as he brandished his gift nearly
poking several bystanders in the eye and leapt up to wrap his arms around Chopper
. "You're the best, Chopper! Let's go fishing this weekend, neh?"
"S-shut up, bastard, that doesn't make me happy!" Chopper protested as he blushe
d and returned the embrace.
"C'mon, Luf, open up the other ones," Ace urged as he nudged Luffy in the ribs.
"There's a really big box right here."
Luffy's eager examination of the boxes led him to discover the other gifts he ha
d received: the (rather traumatized) stag beetle in a glass container from Usopp
; a stack of comic books from Robin; a remote-controlled caravel from Vivi ("We
can sail it when we go fishing!" he squealed); the keys to his repaired and now up
graded Nissan from Ace and Franky; the Halo 3 expansion pack from Zoro ("More Halo
, Zoro?")
The opening of gifts was interrupted by the soft chimes of the doorbell. "Who's
that?" Luffy asked curiously, halfway through revealing the solid block of choco
late from Tashigi that was as big as his head.
"I'll go check," Zoro said, rising and going to the greeting hall. He was surpri
sed to see Sanji walking towards the door as well, his apron covered with sauces
and flour. "I got it, man."
Sanji shook his head. "I'll get this. Nami just texted me."
Zoro blanked out for a moment before remembering who that was. "Nami? The one wi
th the red hair?"
Sanji nodded dreamily as he opened the door. "Robin said that I could bring a fr
iend along, and I wanted to introduce her to the others. Nami! It's wonderful to
see you!"
Nami rolled her eyes as she stepped into the hall. "We just saw each other this
morning when I came for my coffee, Sanji. Wow, your friends are loaded," she gas
ped as she looked around. She caught sight of Zoro and raised an eyebrow. "Is th
is your house Zoro, right?"
Zoro shook his head. "Nah, it's Vivi's house. C'mon, let's go meet them. Are you
done in the kitchens, cook?"
Sanji suddenly slapped his forehead. "My cream!" He bolted back towards the kitc
hen, and Zoro stared at his back in amusement before returning to where Luffy wa
s probably already demolishing the hunk of chocolate. He went back and was aston
ished to see Nami still standing in the doorway looking very, very awkward witho
ut anyone to introduce her.
"Hey Luffy, this is " Zoro began, but stopped when he saw Luffy sitting on the cou
ch. He had a sizeable chunk of chocolate grasped tightly in one hand while the o
ther hand (also carrying a piece of chocolate) was halfway to his half-open, cho
colate-smeared mouth. Luffy's eyes were wide and dazed as he stared at Nami. "Th
is is Nami."
"Er, nice to meet you all," Nami said nervously with a little wave. Robin smiled
and waved her over.
"You can sit here, Nami," Robin said, but was interrupted when Luffy suddenly sp
rang up.
"Actually you can sit here," Luffy sputtered as he elbowed Franky, making room f
or Nami. Nami raised an eyebrow questioningly but sat there. "D-do you want some
chocolate?" Luffy asked shyly, holding out the piece in his hand. When Nami loo
ked incredulously at the half-eaten chunk, Luffy slapped himself in the forehead l
eaving a lovely, sticky brown smear and put the two pieces in his hands aside. "Oh
no it's not enough, here " He grabbed the original block and held it out to her a
s a puppy would offer a sock to its master, looking up pleadingly at her.
"Looks like Luffy's smitten," Ace whispered into Zoro's ear. Zoro merely watched
in fascination as his friend made a fool of himself. Luckily for them all Sanji
chose that moment to come and announce that dinner was ready to be served. Ever
yone immediately stood and followed him to the dining room save Luffy, who linge
red for a moment as he gazed at Nami's (quickly) retreating back. Robin glanced
back and took pity on him as she carefully wiped the remains of the chocolate fr
om his face and hands.
In the dining room, everyone sat around the table as Sanji disappeared into the
kitchens and returned bearing a serving cart. "This is my gift to you, Luffy. It
's not much, but it's the best I could give you," Sanji said. "As an amuse-bouch
e I have morsels of pate and dried plums. The portions may seem small, but I ass
ure you that the other courses will gradually fill you up." He smiled. "After al
l, there are eleven courses after this, including dessert." Everyone around the
table gasped, and Luffy gazed up at Sanji in starry-eyed adoration.
"Sanji," Terracotta said sternly as she emerged from the kitchens. "What did I t
ell you about serving? Sit, sit! I will serve the rest of the meal, and you will
sit, eat, and relax with your friends. You have done more than enough for today
."
"But ma'am "
"No buts. Eat!" She pushed him into the chair next to Zoro and served the rest o
f the mushrooms before whisking the serving cart away.
Sanji looked at the mushrooms on his plate and finally sighed. "Who am I to argu
e with a woman's orders?" he said to no one in particular. He sampled his pate a
nd hummed in pleasure. "Mmm, that's good. How do you like it, marimo?" He looked
to his side and found Zoro staring guiltily back at him, with a speck of pate o
n the corner of his mouth as the only evidence that there had been any at all.
"Er, it was good," Zoro said as he licked away the bit of pate. "Hardly a mouthf
ul though. Look at Luffy." Luffy was staring at his empty plate as if confused o
ver why there was so little. Sanji snorted.
"I marked everyone's plates differently according to how I thought the portions
ought to be made, and the men Luffy in particular all have larger portions. He has n
o reason to complain."
"He's Luffy. He'll never be satisfied," Zoro said as he contemplated licking his
plate.
"I guess tonight it's my job to do just that then."
" that sounded kind of gay "
"Yeah I just realized that," Sanji snapped. "The next course should be coming ou
t so shut your trap and eat." As he spoke, Terracotta emerged from the kitchens
with the pasta course. "Oh, this is the pumpkin ravioli in sage sauce with tomat
o and carrot pillows. You can try this or the cold fusilli and salmon pasta. Onc
e you taste it, carrying those pumpkins around all day will have been worth it."
"I think you picked the pumpkins out at the beginning of the day on purpose, ass
hole. Those were a pain to lug around the whole market."
"Just taste it. Look, spread the sauce a little and or just stuff it into your mou
th, I guess that works too," Sanji said sourly as Zoro ignored him and ate. "Wor
th it?"
Zoro shrugged, but Sanji could see the pleasure in his eyes.
"Sanji, this is simply marvelous," Robin commented as she cut delicately into he
r ravioli and sampled it. "You said that you learned this from your father?"
"Yeah," Sanji said. He laughed. "I remember I used to get mad at Zeff all the ti
me because he would never admit that my food was good. He was a crotchety old ma
n, eh, Nami?"
Nami nodded slowly. "They know about Zeff then?" she asked.
"Yeah. I told them everything," Sanji confessed. "How is it, my love?" Luffy sco
wled at this endearment.
"Delectable as always, Sanji."
They ate their way through the courses as Terracotta brought them out Zoro noticed
that Luffy's portions were considerably larger than everyone else's, and that T
erracotta stood with the serving cart full of extra portions in case anyone shou
ld want another serving. Sanji announced each course with pride, and Zoro did no
tice that he was slowly becoming quite full. Terracotta was also bringing out ba
skets of steaming bread, but Zoro realized that Luffy was probably the only one
who would be able to eat it all.
"A choice of Nouvelle Waldorf salad of red apples, celery, golden raisins, cryst
allized walnuts, and light dressing or cucumber salad with sesame dressing."
"Peasant pot pies with potatoes, corn, peas, and mushroom gravy."
"Carrot-tangerine soup with diced beet garnish."
"Lamb racks roasted with mini pesto and savory mint meringues on a bed of lentil
s."
"Steamed clams on salmon roe and lime mousse."
"Short ribs with vegetables and jicama."
"Broiled salmon with breaded and stuffed cherry peppers."
"Roasted pork tenderloin and filet mignon steaks crusted with hazelnut and unswe
etened cocoa."
At this point, people were beginning to pat their stomachs and stretch in order
to accommodate the plates that were still being brought out. They did notice, th
ough, that the meals were becoming lighter now that the meat courses had been co
nsumed.
"Tomato sorbet with strawberry wine."
"Five-cheese and deli meat platters with an assortment of fresh bread and cracke
rs, with grapes and green apple slices on the side."
"Dessert!" Sanji announced the last one quite cheerfully as he looked around at
the faces full of anticipation. "This is the last course "
"But I'm still hungry, Sanji!" Luffy interrupted. Sanji grinned.
"After dessert I'll let you go at the leftovers," Sanji informed him. "But not y
et. I'll go get it myself." He went into the kitchen and ran back out with the c
art; they could hear Terracotta yelling after him. "Bowls of fresh lychee fruit.
Fried plantains in a sweet lemon sauce. Plum pudding with slices of plum and da
tes. Ice cream cones with orange-chocolate cake inside with orange butter cream
and dried pineapple pieces. Strawberry cheesecake petit fours. Kahlua coffee to
wash it all down." He placed the tiny dishes bearing dessert on the table and bo
wed before sitting again. "I'd suggest trying the lychee fruit first before the
sweetness of the other desserts kicks in," Sanji informed Zoro as he looked at a
ll the little plates with an overwhelmed expression on his face. "Just a suggest
ion."
Zoro stuck a peeled lychee into his mouth.
"By the way " Sanji said, peeling his own fruit and placing the bright red skins d
aintily on his plate.
"Ouch!" Zoro growled as he spat out a seed.
" watch out for the pits. They're a bit annoying."
"You're annoying."
As the meal was finally being wrapped up and finished, everyone sat back and sig
hed contentedly. "That was exquisite," Vivi complimented Sanji. Everyone else he
artily agreed, although Luffy was still looking around for food. Sanji laughed a
s he heaved himself to his feet; he was tired, after running around all day look
ing for groceries and cooking in the kitchens.
"I'll get you those leftovers, Luffy," Sanji said as he wobbled slightly. Zoro n
oticed this and tugged Sanji by the sleeve to pull him back into his seat.
"I'll take care of it," Zoro said. "Just relax and talk with them a little." He
left before Sanji could protest.
"Woah, Zoro's doing something for someone else voluntarily," Usopp whispered to
Chopper. "What's going on?" Zoro grumbled as he went into the kitchen and found
the serving cart laden with covered trays. When he found that even he was having
trouble moving it, he knew that it was for Luffy.
"Go for it," Zoro told Luffy as he rolled the cart out. "Nami, you should probab
ly move."
She heeded his advice as he rolled the cart next to Luffy and saw why; the flyin
g food would have resulted in casualties.
"Let's get the games ready while he finishes eating," Ace suggested as he stood,
stretching widely. "I guess it's a bit too soon for anything active, but we cou
ld play charades. Anyone up for it? We can play in here." The game was picked up
quickly. "Who wants to be a team captain? I'll be one." Franky raised his hand,
and the teams were split up.
Team Ace (Ace, Zoro, Sanji, Robin, Tashigi)
versus
Team Franky (Franky, Usopp, Chopper, Vivi, Nami)
The two groups faced each other as they pulled their chairs from the dining tabl
e (where Luffy was watching in fascination as he ate) and Ace brought out a box
of index cards. "Vivi, do you have the whiteboard I left here earlier today? Fra
nky, your team can go first." He winked roguishly. "You'll need the extra advant
age."
"You're pushing it bro," Franky snorted as he drew an index card. "Ready, team?"
He picked up a marker and began to scrawl across the board with the practiced h
and of an architect. A crystal-clear image was quickly produced on the empty boa
rd, and Franky presented his picture with pride as he placed his hands on his hi
ps and thrust out victoriously.
Everyone stared at the picture as the clock ticked away.
"Look, Franky, I'm pretty sure that the words you got were 'The Dream of the Fis
herman's Wife,' but you didn't have to recreate the whole painting," Usopp said as
he tilted his head to examine the picture.**
"Super!" Franky cheered. "One point for Team Franky!"
"I'm not sure I want him on my team anymore," Nami whispered to Vivi. "Is he a p
ervert?" Vivi nodded solemnly in return, resulting in a giggling fit.
Ace quickly swept the picture off the board and began to draw.
"Dude, your drawing skills are worse than Luffy's," Zoro groaned as they tried t
o figure out what the hell was going on in Ace's picture. "It looks almost viole
nt."
"Shut up," Ace laughed. "C'mon, guess!" His team tilted their heads as they scru
tinized the board. There was a snaking mess of lines, a curving moustache, wicke
d teeth, seven messy circles with tiny dots on them
"Ah, Dragonball!" Zoro pointed at the board. "That's supposed to be a dragon, ri
ght?"
"Bingo!" Ace cheered as he bumped fists with Zoro. Franky grumbled something about
No artistic skills at all as Usopp took the stage.
"You know, I don't think it's fair that everyone on your team has taken art clas
ses of some sort," Ace grumbled to Franky. "Well, except for Chopper and Nami."
"It's not our fault that we have a taste for the fine arts," Franky huffed as Us
opp drew busily across the board. "Oh! It's a Nissan Skyline, right? That model'
s a beauty." He high-fived Usopp and grinned.
"Fine arts? The professors still talk about your college escapades. Something ab
out the guy who ran buck naked through the football field after painting himself
with the cover art of that Pink Floyd album." Ace coughed as he said this, jabb
ing Franky in the ribs. Robin merely chuckled as Franky turned red and muttered
under his breath.
As the game continued, Luffy finally blew out a guttural belch and ambled from t
he table, patting his stomach in a very satisfied manner. "Aaaah, that was good!
Thanks, Sanji!" Sanji waved absently in return from where he was drawing on the
board, and Luffy tilted his head slightly. "What are you drawing? It looks like
a mushroom cat?"
" what the hell is a mushroom cat, Luffy?" Sanji's voice was strained as he strugg
led to draw more neatly on the board.
"It's a mushroom with a cat! Duh!"
"Of course," Sanji snapped. "How could I have failed to have seen that?"
In the end, Franky's team lost.
"Damned Zoro and Robin and their freaking telekinetic communication," Franky gru
mbled. The duo had earned points in a matter of seconds, as it had only take a f
ew simple lines for them to know what the other was talking about. "It's just no
t right, you know?"
"Actually Franky, I think it was perfectly fair," Ace said gleefully. "Now, you
know what happens to the losers the punishment game."
"Er, what happens?" Sanji asked as he tried to mask his sudden trepidation while
fiddling his thumbs. After seeing how eccentric the group's activities were, he
was sure that this 'punishment game' could be nothing good. His fears were conf
irmed as he saw Team Ace smiling disarmingly at him even Zoro was looking pleasant
.
"Oh, we'll discuss it later," Ace said as he waved a hand dismissively. "But now
that the birthday boy has joined us again, we can really get into the meat of t
he party!"
"Ooooh, what's next?" Luffy squealed. He bounced up and down excitedly as he tri
ed and failed to conceal his exponentially expanding excitement. "C'mooon!"
"Where'd we leave the stuff?" Ace asked Franky as he ignored his hyperactive bro
ther.
"We left it in one of the drawing rooms," Franky replied with a grin. His chagri
n at losing the game was rapidly vanishing as he anticipated the next activity.
He led the way back into the house and brought them to a pair of double doors. "
Ladies and gentlemen, this game is not for the faint of heart " He gestured outdoo
rs. "The night is quickly approaching, and visibility will be low even with a fu
ll moon. Are you ready?"
"Yeah!" everyone cheered.
"Then let's get this thing started!" Franky roared as he pushed the doors open w
ith a bang. Inside, they found rows of black combat suits and packs of ammunitio
n; long rifles and smaller pistols were placed in gleaming rows along the wall,
and boots were lined along the floor in various sizes. Dull black helmets with v
isors were visible poking out of a deep bin, as were stacks of leather gloves. "
We're going paintballing in Vivi's gardens!"
"Waaaah," Luffy cried. "This is so awesome!" He quivered as though unsure of whe
re to direct his energy first.
"Here Luffy," Zoro said as he went and grabbed a suit. "This looks like your siz
e." Soon, everyone was being fitted into their gear and equipped with their weap
ons. Zoro slapped the straps of his gloves and boots firmly as he finished and l
ooked around the room. Everyone suddenly looked a lot more menacing when their f
aces were covered and they were armed; the ebony colors of their clothing didn't
help, either. Vivi led the way into the gardens.
"I had the gardeners specially change the landscaping for this kind of activity,
" she chirped excitedly. Evidently, even cloistered wealthy girls could get work
ed up over this kind of activity. "When we pick our teams, there are special str
ips on our clothing that will activate in two different colors to differentiate.
The grounds are mostly grass and dirt, with large stone structures and trees to
offer coverage and bases. There will be stashes of ammunition hidden here and t
here, as well as other surprises," she said with a small smile. She hefted her gun
with a practiced air.
"It looks really well coordinated," Sanji mused as he squinted into the dark gar
dens which stretched for well over several acres of land. He looked down the bar
rel of his gun and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was equipped with a s
cope lens complete with laser pointer. "Have you done this before, Vivi?"
She grinned. "Yeah, I used to play all the time with my friend Kohza. He's the o
ne who introduced it to me. That's how my gardeners got to be so experienced at
changing the layout of the land so quickly. So, teams?"
"Let's just stick with the teams from before," Usopp suggested. "Whose team do y
ou want to be on, Luffy?"
"But then the teams will be uneven," Nami pointed out.
"Never fear," a voice trilled from the background. "For I am here, yohohoho!" An
enormous figure clad in paintballing gear jumped from the steps up to the veran
da and landed gracefully.
"I'd recognize that annoying voice anywhere," Franky chuckled as he grabbed the
stranger by the wrist and clapped him on the back. "You made it, Brooke!"
"Of course!" the tall man said as he pushed up his visor. Sanji had a brief view
of a skeletally gaunt face before the visor was pushed back down. "I will join
Ace's team, as it hardly seems fair to have the two D. brothers on the same side
, no?"
"Yeah! I get to shoot Zoro in the head again!" Luffy cheered.
"Sh-shut up," Zoro protested quietly on the side as he grabbed Luffy and punched
him lightly on the shoulder.
"Hey, get your grudges out on the field," Ace interrupted with a grin. "How are
we going to do this?"
"First " Vivi moved to each person and pressed a small button on their chests. Tea
m Ace sported faintly glowing crimson stripes that ran down their arms and acros
s their shoulders, while Team Franky wore cerulean blue ones. "We'll have one pe
rson run in at a time, and when I blow the whistle we'll begin. Ready?" Everyone
scrambled to line up next to the gate. "Go!" One by one, they ran off and disap
peared into the darkness.
Zoro ran until he found a brick tower to the east of the establishment. He gripp
ed his rifle and peered into the scopes carefully.
"Who to snipe first "
---
**This painting is pretty famous it's a erotic woodcut of the ukiyo-e genre. You c
an find it on Wikipedia.
review replies... (because I suck at doing it as they come)
Primefan: yeah, zoro and robin are pretty similar aren't they? compared to the o
thers...I'm going to try and make their background story good, I promise
BregoArodShadowfax: I love your writing, and if you enjoyed this then I hope to
keep satisfying you!
debzzz: not sure if I replied but I'll reply anyways...yes, this will be slash :
]
dalia76: I'm trying to go slow with them, haha
Santoryuu-Zoro: same as from EOS
sentimentalreality: haha I haven't quite stamped out all the details for what Sa
nji's 'beautiful' thing to Zoro will be yet...but I hope I can meet your expecta
tions!
Paradoxisimminent: oh, they'll always keep upping the ante
ShaolinQueen: haha yeah I've been having a hard time trying to top the last chap
ter...and I'm quite relieved to hear that I'm keeping them in character.
TheDoublemindTwins11: horohoro....I'm sorry I didn't update sooner .
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: Another update after X weeks...graduation has been hectic. End of Seclusion
on hold at the moment. Sorry! No time to say more!
---
Sanji swore that he could feel a thousand eyes staring at him from the darkness.
He stalked silently through the garden, ducking for cover under conveniently pl
aced logs really, he'd have to thank her gardeners one day and behind sandstone bloc
ks, watching carefully. Every nerve in his body vibrated with tension as he wait
ed to come upon someone in the darkness. He felt oddly conspicuous with the glow
ing red panels on his suit reminiscent of embers, but knew that he'd be able to
see his opponent if they could see him.
Well, he hoped.
A faint sound in the distance snapped him back to attention, and he threw himsel
f to the side as a tiny pellet splattered on the ground through a trajectory tha
t would have definitely shot him between the eyes. He cursed in surprise as he c
rouched, looking around wildly. As his eyes fell upon the paint that had splatte
red upon contact with a hard surface, he groaned.
It was a bright neon green color that was almost painful to look at in the darkn
ess.
"If I get hit with one of those things then I'm a goner," Sanji muttered under h
is breath as it dawned on him. "I'll be a walking highlighter! Now, where's the
bastard who was out to get me?"
Another bullet just barely missed his chest as he turned to look around the othe
r side of his shelter.
"Shit."
---
Zoro could hear the yells of the others as they began to contact one another and
grinned. "I think I see an enormous hulking figure of a person who happens to p
ractice medicine " he muttered under his breath as he saw a large shadow tiptoeing
timidly amongst the rocks. "Sorry buddy, but I can't just let a target like thi
s walk around unscathed." He pulled the trigger and shot a bullet with deadly ac
curacy at the figure.
Chopper felt the paint splatter across his torso and squealed in surprise. His a
ttempts to wipe off the paint only served to smear the bright green liquid all o
ver his body, thus making him an easy target for anyone else who happened to wal
k by. Zoro felt a twinge of pity as he heard Chopper wail in dismay, but shook h
is head and honed his senses to find the next target.
"That was dirty, Zoro," a voice said right behind him. Zoro didn't flinch, but t
urned around slowly to find a slim figure pointing a pistol right at his forehea
d. He wasn't surprised that Vivi had managed to sneak up on him, since he had be
en distracted with Chopper and her light body afforded a silence that someone li
ke Brooke or Franky would have had trouble imitating. He could see the steely gl
int of her blue eyes behind the visor as she held the gun firmly with both hands
.
"All's fair in love and war," Zoro quoted with a grin. "But do you really think
you're safe, holding a gun like that?" Vivi's eyes widened in shock as he squeez
ed the trigger of his pistol from his hip. A paintball splattered in a beautiful
 spray of green across her visor, and she shrieked as she moved to try and clean
off her mask while shooting with the other hand. He dodged the bullets with a s
ideways leap and shot her again in the chest. "Have fun avoiding the rest of my
team while shining like a beacon!" he called cheerfully as he darted out the doo
r. He grinned as he heard her spouting obscenities that were not fit for a daint
y mouth like hers. She must have learned that from Kohza too, he thought in amus
ement.
Zoro ran swiftly and silently. He was in his element now.
---
Sanji darted around in a panic. The silent sniper had managed to clip his arms a
nd legs, and he had resorted to ducking under a rocky overhang to avoid getting
any more of the flashy paint on his body. Panting slightly, he looked out at the
ground and inspected the way the paint had sprayed. If it's just one sniper, th
en bingo. Taking a deep breath, he sprinted out as fast as he could while taking a
look at his surroundings. There! Sanji continued to run at top speed towards hi
s goal. Running up rough steps, he hurled his body through the staircase and thr
ough a doorway. He whipped his pistol out with one hand and stabilized his body
with the other, taking careful aim.
"Augh!"
"Yes!" Sanji cheered as he blasted pellets at his adversary. "That's what you ge
t for sniping me, you shitty bastard!" He looked down at his cowering opponent a
nd contemplated the huddled figure for a moment before smiling evilly. "Crotch s
hot."
"No!"
---
Zoro heard someone's agonized and high-pitched scream not far from where he ran.
"Sounds like Usopp," he mused. "No one else could sound that girly."
"Yohohohonoooo!"
Brooke? Zoro darted between two trees as he took in his surroundings. That was d
efinitely Brooke damned tall bastard, he's just a walking target. A burst of ammun
ition and light out of the corner of his eye pulled his attention to where a sli
m figure was busy giving Brooke hell. The sheer brutality of the attack shocked
even him, and he winced as he saw the person shoot Brooke square in the face bef
ore hoisting the pistol over her it was definitely a woman shoulder.
"That was sooo awesome!" Zoro looked sharply to the side and saw a bouncing figu
re run over to the aggressive marksman. "Nami, you're so good at this!"
So it was Nami go figure. I knew she was evil.
"Thanks," Nami replied as she looked around warily. "Hush. You don't know who's
listening." She turned her head slightly, and Zoro ducked behind the tree again
to avoid being spotted. I had best wait until I can pick them off one at a time,
he thought anxiously. Luffy alone is hard enough to get
Zoro decided that this was a good time for a 'tactical retreat.'
---
"So, it comes down to this."
"Aye that, it does."
"Ready, Franky?"
"You're no match for me, Ace."
Sanji watched the duel with interest. The two men had crossed paths in front of
his very eyes, and he was wary of being detected. They were back-to-back, hands
relaxed at their sides.
"Five steps one two "
"Three four five."
The two team leaders spun around and began to shoot, Western-style. Sanji marvel
ed at how they dodged the bullets with such ease while shooting with such accura
cy, but stared in surprise as they stopped.
"You got me," Ace and Franky said simultaneously. "Damn " Each man bore a splotch
of paint on his chest.
"Tie?" Franky offered. Ace shrugged and held out a hand.
Franky smiled. "Just kidding." A jerk of the hand was the only warning Ace had b
efore Franky hit him in the face. Green paint went everywhere, and Franky skippe
d backwards to avoid the rebounding spray.
"Shit Franky, what the hell!" Ace cursed as he stumbled forward. Franky merely c
ackled as he walked off whistling while twirling his gun in his hand.
"Woah " Sanji let out the breath he had been holding. "That was intense."
---
"Tashigi!"
The policewoman crumpled, felled by the impact of over a dozen paintballs lodgin
g themselves into her back nearly simultaneously. "Oh, that hurts like a bitch,"
she hissed through her teeth as she stood. "Get back, Zoro!"
Zoro jumped as their attackers turned their eyes on him.
"Run, you fool, run!" Tashigi yelled at him. "I'll cover for you!"
He leapt into the air and over a fallen log as he dodged the bullets. He had tri
ed to meet up with Tashigi to take down Nami and Luffy the policewoman's aim was f
ormidable, and her training made her an excellent ally but they had been ambushed
the moment they had finally managed to meet one another. Nami and Luffy were sta
lking after him now, although Tashigi did manage to hit them a few times in the
thighs and on their torsos.
Alright, who's left, Zoro thought quickly. The ones I know are down are Chopper,
Vivi, Usopp, Brooke, and now Tashigi. So that leaves Franky, Nami, Luffy, Ace, Sa
nji, and Robin.
"Marimo!" Zoro looked up and saw Sanji waving from the top of a tower. "C'mere!"
Zoro changed his course rapidly and ran into the tower; he could hear Luffy groa
n in dismay as his prey vanished.
"Thanks, cook." Zoro pulled up his visor to allow more oxygen to flow into the c
avity. "What, have you been hiding all this time?"
Sanji snorted. "No, I've been mostly running around while trying to get my beari
ngs."
"You didn't even manage to shoot anyone, did you."
"Shut up, I got Usopp!"
"Oh yeah, really big accomplishment right there. You get a gold star for that!"
Zoro grinned as he pulled his visor down again. "I was being chased by Nami and
Luffy. They already got Tashigi. Who's left on our team?"
"I haven't seen any of the others except for Ace, and Franky already got to him,
" Sanji said as he nosed around the tower. "Did you see anyone?"
"I saw Brooke get mauled by Nami and Luffy, too. We've got to break that team up
if we want to win this thing. I got Chopper and Vivi in one round too, so it lo
oks like we're even in terms of numbers. Where do you think Robin is?"
"She's probably off killing people," Sanji said nonchalantly. "She seems like th
e type who would shoot you and smile."
"Oh, she is," Zoro said absently. "C'mon, let's go find her."
The two men snuck out of the tower as they watched carefully for any signs of th
e others. The bright moon undermined the brilliance of the paint in the open, bu
t the luminescence was very much visible in any shadow. Zoro kept a steady hand
on the pistol at his waist at all times as he led the way as he looked back and
forth. He could hear Sanji panting slightly behind him from the exertion of runn
ing, carrying around the heavy equipment, and high tension. "If you need to rest
then speak up," Zoro muttered gruffly.
Sanji looked up in surprise and snorted. "Don't worry, grandma, I'll be fine."
"Oi! I'm just looking out for you!"
Sanji's eyebrow rose in a question that was missed behind the dark visor. "You a
lways worry too much about me."
"I do nothing of the kind."
"Did you hear that?" Sanji grabbed Zoro's wrist and pulled him into a recess bet
ween two boulders. Zoro winced at the tight space, but was grateful as he heard
Luffy hooting as the hyperactive boy rush past with Nami not far behind. Both he
and Sanji held their breaths as they were pressed with their backs against the
hard granite and their helmets clacking slightly with every movement. Zoro was o
nly vaguely aware of how inappropriate he would find this position to be as he l
istened attentively. As the sound of their footsteps died away, Zoro let out a s
igh of relief.
Unfortunately, this was his undoing.
"C'mon, let's go," Zoro murmured as he turned to leave. Tried to turn to leave.
"What's wrong? Move it, you caveman, you're suffocating me," Sanji groaned as he
pushed Zoro. Sanji was very aware of their position, and it wasn't just his fac
e that burned with mortification. Every inch of his body, from his thighs to his
 hips to his chest, tingled and flared with a peculiar sensation as he felt Zoro
's body pressed up against him more firmly with every breath.
" I can't."
"You can't? What do you mean, you can't?" Sanji hissed. "Just go!"
"I'm, um, stuck." Zoro was glad that he wore a helmet as his face flushed. "As i
n, I can't bloody well get out."
"You're such a bastard."
"Who's the one who pulled us into this hole?" Zoro snapped. "It's not my fault I
was pulled in before I could see that we wouldn't fit!"
"Who's the one who saved us from being detected by Nami and Luffy?" Sanji shot b
ack. "Just take a deep breath so we have more space, and then you'll be able to
move."
Two voices interrupted their squabbling, and the two men froze once again.
"I must say that seeing you in this kind of vestment gives you a dangerously att
ractive air."
"Oh, this clothing does nothing of the kind to you. You're so gorgeous already.
Of course if I had my way you'd never wear anything at all."
"You silver-tongued rogue," Robin laughed as she chucked Franky gently under the
chin. The two lovers ambled out from under the trees, and both Zoro and Sanji w
ere disturbed to see that their gear was rather disheveled, as though it had bee
n put back on in the dark. "Eventually when someone sees us, we'll have to start
shooting at each other."
"We can just shoot them so they can't see anything," Franky proposed with a shru
g.
"I love it when you're brutal."
"And I love you, period."
Zoro averted his eyes as Franky pulled Robin's helmet off and brought her closer
to him for a kiss. Sanji grimaced as he saw both Franky and Robin's hands roami
ng freely over the other's body, teasing and massaging. Oh, get a room, Sanji th
ought darkly. He could hear Robin moan gently as Franky ran a hand down her neck
. Zoro quivered against Sanji's body as he took in the sight.
Sanji felt Zoro suddenly take an enormous breath and tear himself out of the cre
vice, guns blazing. "That idiot!" Sanji growled as he stumbled out of the small
space and after the rampaging swordsman. "Get back here!"
Both Robin and Franky looked up with shock etched on their faces as Zoro pulled
his pistol up.
Bam. Bam.
Luckily Franky had kept his helmet on, or the bullets that collided with his fac
e would have hit him in the eyes. Franky pushed Robin away from him to keep her
from getting sprayed with the paint, but was subsequently exposed to the handful
of slugs that bit into his torso as Zoro shot again and again. Franky clutched
his chest; in such close proximity, the dense paintballs were as solid as rocks.
"Zoro," Robin said softly as she looked at the harshly panting swordsman. Sanji
couldn't see Zoro's face under the helmet, but he could see the way that Zoro's
shoulders were stiff and raised, and the way his body heaved with every laboriou
s breath.
The hand that gripped his gun shook violently.
Before anyone could say another word, they heard someone crashing through the bu
shes and skid to a halt. "Shishishi, so this is where everyone is!" Luffy laughe
d. Nami dashed through the path he had made for her through the undergrowth and
took her position beside him, holding a pistol in each hand she must have looted B
rooke or Tashigi after taking them down.
Everyone stared at one another for a brief moment. Robin slowly knelt and picked
up her helmet before fastening it firmly on her head. With the click of the cli
p, everyone was jolted out of their reverie.
The next few minutes were pure mayhem.
---
"Wow, that was so much fun! Let's do it again!" Luffy grinned widely as he pulle
d off his paint-drenched clothing and dropped it into the bin that had been set
aside specifically for that purpose. As he wriggled out of his jeans, Sanji smac
ked him across the head.
"Not in front of the ladies, idiot!" Sanji growled. "You can do that once they l
eave."
"That was an intense game," Usopp agreed as he dropped his helmet into the bin a
nd gingerly pulled off his outer layers. "But that was uncalled for, Sanji." He
gripped his crotch tenderly. "I mean, really "
Sanji merely shrugged. "Sniping people was a bitch move." Zoro coughed slightly
at these words; it was best that Sanji not know that he had shot Chopper from fi
fty feet away.
Ace glared at Franky as he pulled his gloves off. "Traitor."
"You're too naïve kid," Franky chortled. He helped Robin out of her vest as Zoro
looked away, one hand rubbing his mussed-up hair.
As everyone cleaned up, Sanji looked at the grandfather clock that sat against t
he wall and gasped. "Holy it's already two in the morning? Where did all the time
go?"
"Well the party was started an hour late because someone failed to bring Luffy i
n on time," Usopp said, jumping to the side as Zoro jabbed him in the ribs. They
all stood and made their way to the front door to go home, stretching sore musc
les and tired limbs. "But you'd be surprised how much time we spend paintballing
."
"Did everyone have fun?" Vivi asked, hovering worriedly.
"Oh, you were a wonderful hostess," Nami reassured her with a smile. "So you hav
e my number, then? Let's get together sometime!"
"Ready to go home, Nami?" Sanji asked as he held out his hand grandly. "I'll giv
e you a spin in the Sanjimobile!"
Before she could respond, Luffy suddenly appeared and rubbed the back of his hea
d sheepishly. "You could come with me," Luffy offered with a wide smile, shuffli
ng his feet slightly. "I've got a Nissan GT-R, just out of the shop." As he spok
e, one of Vivi's valets drove up in the sleek red vehicle with a purr. Nami's ey
es practically popped out as she saw the expensive model. She hooked an arm arou
nd Luffy's with a sly smile, waving goodbye to Sanji.
"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll get to know Luffy, right? better. Goodnight!
" As she stepped daintily into the passenger's seat Sanji sighed morosely.
"I'll take these kids home," Ace said, gesturing to Usopp and Chopper. Chopper w
as being (unsteadily) supported by Usopp as he dozed on his feet. "Poor guy, he'
s wiped out. He must have had a hard time of it tonight."
"Might I accompany you home, miss?" Brooke bowed to Tashigi. Sanji looked at his
rickety limbs and gaunt face in interest; he was sure that he had seen this man
before. Brooke twirled his cane and adjusted the bowtie on his oddly formal tux
edo. "By the way, may I see your panties?"
As Tashigi punched Brooke in the face, they all knew that the two of them would
get along just fine.
Sanji looked around and saw Robin touch Zoro lightly on the shoulder, gesturing
to a dirt path that led back to the gardens. "Come talk with me," she said softl
y into his ear. Zoro nodded silently, following her. "I'll be right back Franky.
"
"Take your time," Franky called as he took a seat on the curb. "Waiting for Zoro
, Sanji?"
"Yeah," Sanji sighed. "I guess I am. He'd never find his way home otherwise." He
settled down besides the older man. "So you and Robin, huh?"
Franky grinned as he fiddled with his sunglasses. "Yeah. She's like dynamite."
"When did you guys get together?" Sanji asked nonchalantly. I wonder how much he
knows about Zoro and Robin?
"We've been together for about six months," Franky said. Sanji's eyes widened. "
Yeah, we've been hiding it pretty well haven't we? Even Zoro didn't know, and he
's pretty perceptive especially when it comes to Robin."
"So, Zoro " Sanji hesitated as he struggled with how to word his next question.
Franky smiled thinly. "Yeah. I know, Sanji. They used to be a thing."
"It doesn't bother you?"
"Nah." Franky rubbed his neck wearily. "It used to, especially when I would come
over and find him in his boxers after he had stayed the night even after Robin an
d I had started going out. Of course Zoro didn't know so I didn't have any right
, but I was just a bit envious of their connection, you know? It's not like they
actually did anything after they broke up physically, they didn't try anything."
"I think I know the feeling," Sanji said with a nod. "What do you know about the
m? I didn't want to ask Zoro, because he always looks so odd when we talk about
her."
"You sure you want to know? It might be better to ask him directly," Franky warn
ed. Sanji paused, before nodding.
"I want to be prepared."
Franky took a deep breath. "Don't tell them that I told you anything. They don't
like to talk about it with outsiders meaning, with anyone except for the two of t
hem. They met when Zoro was first 19, and she was 23 "
---
Zoro allowed himself to be led by Robin into the gardens until they found a ston
e bench under a pair of intertwining trees. He sat beside her, staring morosely
at the ground as she watched the full moon in silence. Still, he knew that she h
ad something to say so he waited for her to speak. The air was warm and the cica
das chirped noisily in the background.
"Zoro."
Here we go "Robin?" His voice was as deep and firm as ever, but she could feel the
imperceptible quiver from the break in emotion at merely uttering her name.
"You have to stop this." Zoro looked down at where her hand still rested on his
as a warm and soft contrast to the cold, hard bench.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He turned his head to stare at her lip
s, unable to look into those dark eyes of hers.
"You were one of my brightest if least motivated students. You know what I'm talking
about. You you knew about Franky the moment you saw us interacting six months ago
."
Zoro knew what she was talking about very well.
"Hey Robin!" Zoro ran up the driveway eagerly swinging a plastic bag. "I brought
your favorite cucumber sandwiches and mocha tea cakes!" Digging into his pocket,
he pulled out the spare key she had given him; he knew that she was home after s
eeing her car in the driveway. As he stuck the key into the keyhole, he stopped
and looked back. He didn't recognize the car, but that wasn't unusual; she often
had visitors with questions on her research.
He stepped into the house and called out, "Hello?" He didn't want to interrupt i
f she was having an interview. Closing the door quietly, he scuffed off his shoe
s and stepped lightly into the kitchen. He saw Robin leaning on the table with h
er elbows on the wooden surface while propping her head up with one hand under h
er chin and the other on the table. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped sho
rt when he saw a broad-shouldered man quickly pull his hand from the table and t
urn to wave at Zoro.
"Hey bro, what's up?"
Zoro felt something twist inside of him as he replayed that instant in his mind.
He could still see Franky's rough hands resting gently on Robin's soft and eleg
ant ones as he dropped the bag on the counter and left with a curt nod.
---
"I heard this all from Robin after the fact, but apparently he was forced into t
aking her class," Franky said as Sanji listened intently. "She was teaching a cl
ass on Native American folktales and how they're related to the Poneglyph inscri
ptions found all over the world."
Robin tapped her papers lightly to neaten up the already-straight stack of hando
uts she had printed for her class. She looked around at the faces of the many st
udents taking her class; after all, it was rare to be able to hear about Ponegly
phs from someone who could read them, and Navarone University had a bright and i
nvolved student body.
Of course, she was perceptive enough to see the student who had already flopped
over and fallen asleep in the very back. She could see a tuft of green sticking
out from under a black hood and she smiled in amusement. "Good morning, class. M
y name is Professor Nico "
After class, she walked up the steps and tapped the slumbering student lightly o
n the shoulder. "Class is over," she said as the young man sat up groggily and b
linked unsteadily. "Mister ?"
She was shocked by the color of the man's eyes. At first they were dark, almost
black, as he blinked into awareness. When he looked up at her with his full focu
s, they were revealed to be as flashy a blacs opals flecks of green would flicker
with every blink. When he realized that she was waiting for his name, he coughed
slightly before rumbling, "Zoro. I'm Roronoa Zoro." He showed signs of vague re
cognition, but she didn't expect him to be able to recognize her yet.
"Well Mr. Roronoa, class is over. I'll be expecting a paper on the subject matte
r discussed in class today by next week," she said with a small smile. His eyes
widened in dismay as she smiled at him and turned, walking the rest of the way u
p the steps and out the door.
She could feel his eyes on her, following the swaying of her hips and the swish
of her hair.
"He never meets anyone on good terms, does he?" Sanji wondered out loud. He wond
ered if Franky knew that Zoro had tried to steal from Robin. Franky laughed.
"I'm just surprised that he can keep anyone on good terms. He's a great guy, but "
"I know what you mean. Just not a people person. How'd they get together?"
---
"It doesn't bother me. You and Franky," Zoro muttered. "You're entitled to your ow
n happiness."
"Aren't we all?" Robin hummed slightly. "Especially you. It's been a long time s
ince I've seen you be truly happy, Zoro."
"I'm fine with the way things are. I've always been fine."
"You weren't fine the day that we first met "
Zoro lurked in the alleyway, watching the University students walk to and fro on
their way to their classes. He knew that he was playing a dangerous game to ste
al this deep in Water Sector, but he was desperate.
When he saw the raven-haired student walk by while digging her car keys out of h
er purse Gucci, he was sure he knew that this was his target. Her head was bowed in
distress as she blinked away unbidden tears. As he snuck out of the alleyway, he
froze and leaned against the wall to try and look nonchalant as she stopped and
looked around. He was suddenly reminded of a nature program he had seen in the
window of an electronics shop; a female lion had been shown sniffing the air for
 danger or for prey.

"Put your hands behind your head." Zoro put his knife gently against the student
's neck as an extra warning. His practice swords would be no good in a holdup. "
Drop your purse and take a step back." Was she smiling?
The next few seconds flew by in a painful reminder of why he should scope out hi
s targets before mugging them. She moved swiftly and grabbed his wrist. Although
she had little power to speak of, she was well-versed in the art of manipulatio
n of momentum aikido, perhaps. He surged forward, but felt himself flying through
the air. Shit.
He glared at her as he stood back up and patted his waist for his knife. When he
looked up, he saw her twirling it between two fingers with a devious smile.
"What's your name, young man?" He would never forget that voice it was smooth and
melodious, and as charming as a valkyrie's lullaby.
"My name is Roronoa Zoro," he stated firmly. "Are you going to turn me in?" He s
howed no fear; if this was the end, then this was the end. She regarded his angr
y face and strong features steadily. For one so young, the lines were cut deep i
nto his face and his eyes seemed to be weary. They both knew that he was powerfu
l enough to overpower her, but were both also aware that he would not touch her he
would not sully his stolen goods any further in Kuina's name.
When she invited him home for a hot meal and to chat, he shrugged. He had nothin
g to lose; he had already lost Kuina.
He was only sixteen years old at the time. He didn't know that three years later
, he would meet this mysterious woman again under very different circumstances.
No one else knew about this encounter, not even Franky.
"You had such a pain in your eyes," Robin said softly.
"I wasn't the only one who in pain," Zoro replied. "You weren't exactly the happ
iest woman in the world that day, either. Isn't that the day that the University
told you to stop teaching about the Poneglyphs?"
"Yes, because they were newly outlawed. But you did manage to ease my pain. Do y
ou remember our first date?"
"How could I forget?" Zoro's face softened slightly. "It was one of the best day
s of my life."
Zoro listened to Robin lecturing with an erratically beating heart. He had becom
e familiar with the woman over the years he had been taking her classes he had alw
ays made sure to have at least one class where she was a lecturer. He pulled at
the stiff collar of the button-up shirt he had donned today. The dark green mate
rial went well with his black slacks and the shining leather shoes he had borrow
ed from Ace.
" and we'll be conducting a project this week concerning the validity of using hal
lucinogenic mushrooms for visions. Class dismissed." Robin closed her folder wit
h a snap, and everyone began to file out of class.
"Are you going to lunch, Zoro?" Luffy asked as he leaned against Zoro's desk. "I
heard that they're serving this new meatloaf "
"Nah, I'll meet up with you later," Zoro interrupted. "You can use my meal numbe
r again."
"Yahoo! Thanks, Zoro!" Luffy bounded out of the classroom excitedly. "Meeeat!"
Finally, the room was empty. "Did you fall asleep again Zoro?" Robin teased as s
he pulled on her coat and snapped her briefcase shut. "You only ever stay behind
this long when no one wakes you up." She raised an eyebrow at his clothing. "My
, someone is dressed unusually well today."
"I didn't fall asleep," he grumbled. "Today was an interesting lecture."
"The sentiment is certainly appreciated," Robin said with a smile. "So, what bri
ngs my errant pupil to such a tardy dismissal?" She knew that he had something t
o ask her.
"Professor " He took a deep breath as he pulled his backpack over one shoulder and
walked slowly down the steps. "You're not involved with anyone, are you?"
"History is my only lover. Why do you ask? I'm afraid that I cannot give you ver
y good advice if you're having trouble with another young woman."
"Well, the woman who's been troubling me is quite troublesome," Zoro said slowly.
"She's very intelligent almost too much for her own good and she's the wittiest and
most beautiful creature I've ever seen."
"She sounds like quite a catch."
"Yes. I'm going to ask her out on a date today." He took another deep breath. "W
ould you like to go on a date? There there's an exhibit tonight. The Navarone Muse
um of Natural History just brought in a collection of Mayan pottery that you mig
ht be interested in, and I know a restaurant that makes a killer lasagna." He wa
ited, feeling the perspiration gather on his temple and palms. No matter how man
y times he had rehearsed this in front of the mirror, he was still nervous.
Robin looked up in shock. "I was going to go to that exhibit with the other prof
essors," she said evenly. He looked down in disappointment before turning around
. "But." He stopped. "I would love to go with you on a date."
He didn't learn a thing about Mayan pottery that night, but it was the first tim
e that he had seen her smile with an expression that reached her eyes. He wasn't
aware that she was thinking the same thing about him.
She kissed him gently on the forehead after he dropped her off at her house (and
after looping around the neighborhood several times). "Goodnight, Zoro."
"Goodnight, Professor."
"Zoro?"
"Yes?"
"You may call me Robin."
---
"Wow, they got together in such a normal way. No weird incidents, just a normal da
te." Sanji whistled softly. "Did something go wrong?"
"Oh no, apparently they were getting along beautifully. They even got special pe
rmission from the Dean to continue their relationship," Franky said. "The other
students and staff used to call them the most dangerous couple on campus, becaus
e of their mixed intelligence and strength and the fact that they never seemed t
o be in contention with one another."
"I thought it was unhealthy for a relationship to have no disagreements."
"Eh," Franky said. "They knew all their flaws, but nothing seemed to faze them w
hen they were together."
"What happened, then?"
"Robin left him."
---
Zoro leaned against Robin's shoulder, and she shifted to accommodate the extra w
eight. "Robin, why did you call me out here?"
"To set you free," she replied simply.
"You did that two years ago," he groaned. "Don't remind me, please "
"But when I opened the door of your cage, you refused to leave," she said sadly.
"I couldn't accept your reasoning, your motivation for leaving."
"Can you accept it now?"
He gripped her hand more firmly, as though he was afraid to let go. "Has your re
asoning changed?"
"I have one more reason "
"Quantity doesn't equal quality."
"I love him, Zoro. I love Franky."
He felt his heart stop in the same way it had failed him when she had first told
him that they had to end their relationship.
---
"She ended it? Why?" Sanji let his head fall into his hands. "What went wrong?"
Franky jiggled his leg up and down. Evidently, he was not happy that Robin was g
one so long with Zoro.
"Robin has never been the type of woman who truly opens up to others," Franky sa
id gloomily. "Even after she agreed to enter a relationship with me, she has alw
ays been unwilling to be really natural, you know? She wanted to keep the fact t
hat we were a thing a secret to protect Zoro at least, that was the reason she gav
e me. But I think she also didn't want the others to be affected in case the sam
e problem came up between us as it did with Zoro."
"What problem?" Sanji kneaded his knuckles together. "C'mon, stop beating around
the bush."
"Hold your horses, jeez! Why do you want to know so much, anyways?" Franky deman
ded. Sanji stopped short.
"I I don't know," he said slowly. "I just feel an urge to know why he's in so much
pain."
Franky looked at him sidelong for a long moment. "You see it too, huh? Most peop
le just think that he's naturally gruff and grumpy but he's not. He actually used
to be a very chipper kind of guy when he was with Robin."
Zoro opened the door to his apartment to find Robin already waiting for him. He
smiled brightly at her as he kicked off his shoes and dropped his keys on the ta
ble. "I didn't know you were coming today," he said happily. She put her tea cup
down with a slight clinking sound. When her visits became more regular, he had
invested in a small tea set for her use; it was lavender pottery with a simple w
ave design on the cups and pot. He grabbed a chipped mug all of his dishware was i
n similar condition, but he refused to wash her dishes with anything but the utm
ost care and thus her cups were still in pristine shape and poured himself a cup o
f tea. "What's up?"
She looked at his intense expression with a sad smile. He was so happy.
"I'm going to have to break up with you, Zoro." As always, she was precise and t
o the point. It took a moment for the casually expressed words to sink in.
"What?" He put his cup down to keep himself from spilling the hot liquid on his
hands. "What are you talking about? Is it something I did wait, why? When did you
decide this?" He forced himself to revert back to his meditative stage to stop t
he sudden hyperventilation that was seizing up his lungs. The white teeth that h
ad been exposed by his grin were now gritted.
"Zoro, I don't love you anymore." She said the words flatly and left no room for a
rgument. "I certainly do hold a certain measure of affection for you, but the lo
ve is gone." She left her empty cup on the table. "Don't try to make me change m
y mind. It's over, Zoro." She turned and left, swiftly putting on her shoes and
leaving the apartment. As the door clicked shut, he snapped back to reality and
stared at the empty room in shock.
"She's always been so straightforward," he said to no one in particular. He look
ed at the cup she had been drinking from. It was still warm, and there was still
a smear of lipstick on the rim. He thought of the curve of her lips, so often s
miling with a mysteriously amused expression; her eyes that betrayed no emotion;
the soft lines of her body as he embraced her.
In the hall, Robin leaned against the wall with her hand clasped to her lips to
muffle the sound of her sobs. She heard the crack of shattering porcelain as Zor
o flung her cup against the wall.
"That's harsh," Sanji said in alarm. "I mean, woah. She really said that?"
Franky nodded. "She never told me why she did it. I met her through the other ki
ds at the University, and it never seemed like there should have been a reason f
or her to end it like that. Zoro was just devastated. To this day, she has never
told anyone her reasoning. From what I heard from the others, he continued to g
o to his other classes, but he never attended any of hers and she gave him a pas
sing grade regardless."
"Yeah," Vivi said, curling up between the two men. They jumped in shock they hadn'
t heard her coming and she smiled wanly. "I was wondering why you guys were still
loitering out here. Robin and Zoro, huh?"
"Do you know anything about it?" Sanji asked curiously. Vivi shrugged.
"A little. Everyone seems to know bits and pieces of the story, but no one wants
to talk about it. After the whole Robin affair, it took him a long time to heal
at all. Tashigi and I did date him after that, but we ended it we knew that we we
re just hurting him by being with him."
---
"I don't believe you," Zoro said flatly. "Or rather, if you love him, how long w
ill that last? A few more years, maybe, before you leave him like you left me?"
"Don't say it like that, Zoro."
"Did you really not love me anymore? Is that why you left?" He gripped her shoul
ders and turned to face her face to face. "Look me in the eye and say that you w
eren't lying that day."
She gazed into his eyes. They were so dark that even the moonlight seemed lost i
n them.
"The past is not important," she said. "What matters now is that you must not co
me between me and Franky."
"I haven't done anything for the past six months. I set that incident behind me
and moved on, and we never lost the friendship we had. Why should I do anything
now?"
"The reason I brought you out here is to tell you to set yourself free," she rep
eated. "You must look for love elsewhere, because I have no more to give to you.
" She looked at him sharply. "There's someone out there for you and that person
is moving as fast as possible to meet you, but neither of you know it yet. But t
he only thing I can say for sure is "
" I have to set myself free, huh?" Zoro released her and rubbed his face with his
hands tiredly. "I can't do it unless I know that the open world is safer than th
e cage."
"I never took you for an insecure person," Robin said quietly. Zoro snorted.
"Do you think it would be easy to open up to another person after what you did t
o me?" Zoro asked. She saw his shoulders stiffen and his hands seize, but his vo
ice was even. "You were the only one I trusted, after my first savior died. You yo
u helped me fulfill my dreams, and I thought I was something special to you too.
But then you give me a half-ass reason for leaving," Zoro continued as his voic
e began to rise, "and you expect me to be able to just say, 'oh well, that's lif
e, let's move on!'? I know you're not a fool, so why don't you tell me why I sho
uld open up to someone after being treated like crap by the only person who has
ever mattered to me? I tried with Vivi, and even Tashigi. That was torture. Am I P
rometheus, to have to suffer again and again for all eternity? [1] It would be b
etter for me to wallow in this pit of hell rather than go out into the unknown a
nd suffer from a dozen other torments with each new encounter!"
"Zoro, the decision I had to make was between two evils." Even Robin's voice was
beginning to grow with passion as she spoke. "If I had stayed with you then you
would be in far greater pain than what you are in now!"
He laughed darkly. "How can you possibly know what I've been going through?"
"Because it has happened to me as well!"
Zoro stared, caught off of his guard. Robin's face was flushed with agitation as
her breath hitched in her stomach, and her hands were fluttering on her chest i
n an attempt to calm herself down.
"Robin " He cupped her face in his hands, watching her bite her lower lip and look
to the side. "Look at me." She looked up with tears welling in her eyes, and he
leaned over.
---
"Should we go get those two?" Franky proposed as he checked his watch. "Not that
I mind waiting, but it's late and I don't think Vivi will go to bed unless we'r
e all safely gone."
"I'm not tired," Vivi yawned as she rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes. "Give t
hem time."
"Maybe we can just push the process along a little," Sanji mused. "Let's go." He s
tood, and he and Franky helped Vivi to her feet. "Do you know which way they wen
t?"
"If they've been talking for this long then there's a bench with a lovely view o
f the moon on that side of the house," Vivi said as she pointed in the right dir
ection. They set off in search of their friends.
"How can you possibly know what I've been going through?"
They all heard Zoro's bleak utterance; Sanji frowned at the misery that dripped
from every word.
"Because it has happened to me as well!"
"Robin!" Franky broke into a run. "She never gets that worked up unless " The two
others followed him until they found Robin and Zoro sitting on the bench; Robin
was looking up as Zoro cupped her face and brought her closer for a kiss. "Zoro
Roronoa, what the hell are you doing?"
Zoro pulled his lips away slowly, taking a long look at Robin before turning to
Franky. "Is there a problem?" he asked coolly as he stood to face the larger man
. Sanji shuddered; Zoro's spirit exuded in waves and torrents, threatening to ov
erwhelm everyone present. It was not a good feeling.
"Tell me why you kissed her," Franky demanded as he strode over to Robin and pul
led her to her feet.
"She was in distress," Zoro said flatly. "Why don't you tell me why you haven't
been taking care of her properly?"
Franky's face broke into a snarl until Robin touched him lightly on the arm. "Pl
ease you won't understand," she said softly. "Let's just go home."
Franky looked between them as his anger boiled and finally broke. "Okay." He put
an arm around her shoulders.
"I'll explain " she told him. "Goodnight, everyone." They left without a backward
glance.
Sanji nodded to Vivi, who understood that right now was a good time to let the b
lond man deal with Zoro. She crept off quietly, putting a hand to her ear in a m
otion that said Call me later!
They stood there for what felt like hours. Zoro put a hand to his lips, staring
out into empty space. Finally, Sanji stepped in.
"Come on, big guy. Let's get you home." He nudged Zoro, who numbly followed him
to where Sanji's car had been left by the valets. Sanji knew better than to ask
Zoro if he was alright.
They drove in silence for a while as Sanji drove slowly through the streets. He
knew to be careful at this time of night, because this was when most bars closed
and sent their drunk patrons out to terrorize the streets.
"We're here," Sanji told Zoro quietly as they rolled to a stop in the special ga
rage allotted to business owners on the street. He tapped Zoro on the shoulder.
"Come on, let's go."
"Why are we here?" Zoro asked dully as he looked at their location. They were in
front of the Paris Baguette.
"I'm not letting you go home until I'm sure you're not going to do anything insa
ne," Sanji informed him as he locked the doors and pulled Zoro to the café. "At
times like this, you need help. We don't have to talk if you don't want to, but
I want you to stay the night. Do you have work tomorrow?" Zoro shook his head as
they walked through the back door. "Good. You're spending the night here and I'
ll take you home tomorrow."
---
[1] Prometheus is the man in Greek mythology who stole fire from the gods and wa
s consequently sentenced to being chained to a rock for eternity. Every day an e
agle would come and eat his liver, and every day it would grow back. Yeah. Sucks
to be him.
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: I love all of you that read my story even after all of this time. I won't b
e updating for at least another week or so, because I'm going to be working like
crazy on my Boa Hancock cosplay in time for Anime Expo 09. I might pop up at th
e fanfiction writing workshop--not sure which day it is, but if I can then I'm d
efinitely attending that one.
---
Zoro sat at Sanji's kitchen table and watched the blond man rummage through his
cabinets, occasionally running back downstairs to grab a utensil or ingredient.
On one of these trips, Sanji threw a pillow and comforter onto the couch ("You'r
e sleeping on the couch. I don't have another bed.") Seeing Sanji cook calmed hi
m down; the blond man seemed to offer a source of tranquility and normalcy that
Zoro had lost that night. Finally, Sanji sat down across from Zoro and slid a bo
wl and steaming cup across the table.
"Food and drink. Eat."
"I'm not hungry," Zoro said sullenly as he ignored the scent of the food. It was
enticing enough to bring up an appetite even in the sour knot that seemed to ha
ve replaced his stomach.
"Even if you're not hungry it'll make you feel better," Sanji urged. "Look, I'll
eat and drink with you, so come on."
Zoro sighed and looked down at what was being offered. "Miso soup?" he asked in
surprise. "Why miso soup?"
"Well, it's always comforting to have a taste of home " Sanji said sheepishly. "Wh
enever I miss my old man, I always make the first thing he taught me how to make s
imple tomato soup. Plus, soup is a universal comfort food."
Zoro peered into the cup. "If this isn't alcohol then I'm not interested."
"It has Irish cream in it. Come on, this is my special hot cocoa recipe. I even
put whipped cream and sprinkles on top, just for you."
" " Zoro stared blankly at Sanji for a moment before snorting. "I'll drink it late
r."
"It'll get cold."
"Then you can make me some more."
Sanji sighed. "Give it to me, I'll drink it." He took a sip appreciatively. "Dri
nk your soup."
They both drank in silence. When both the bowl and cup were empty, Zoro leaned b
ack with a groan.
"Damn, I feel like shit," Zoro muttered through his teeth.
"Why?" Sanji asked. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I know why, but "
Zoro glared at him. "I don't regret kissing her, if that's what you mean."
"Then elaborate." Sanji waved a hand. "I can't really say that we have all night
, but we do have a few hours until the café opens."
Zoro put his head on the table. "How much did you hear from Franky?"
"I don't know what you're talking about "
"Don't give me that shit," Zoro interrupted. "Just tell me how much you know."
"Here." Sanji pulled Zoro up and pushed him onto the couch. "You'll be more comf
ortable than having your face kissing the table." Once they were both comfortabl
y settled, Zoro waited. "He said that you met her in class, that you guys were h
appy in the way that people running through fields of flowers are happy, and tha
t she broke it off abruptly and without a concrete reason."
"She told me that she was 'setting me free,'" Zoro said listlessly. "But when sh
e left, it was worse than having lead shackles on all my limbs I couldn't trust an
yone after that."
"I'm sure "
"That she had a good reason?" Zoro laughed bitterly as he rolled over and stared
at the ceiling. Sanji turned to look at him from the floor. "Yeah, that's what
everyone said. I thought I would never forgive her, and I tried to stay away fro
m her on campus, but when we met by chance in the library, I couldn't keep this
stupid smile off my face. I was just so happy to see her. I acted like some idiot,
carrying her books for her and being just happy."
Sanji mulled over this for a few moments. "You know "
"Mm?"
"You're always at ease with her. You interact seamlessly with one another with a
familiarity that is absolutely astounding. She can calm you with a word or a to
uch, and she seems to be the only person that you'll listen to." Sanji didn't st
op speaking even as he saw Zoro flinch from even these unaggressive words. "You'
re connected in a way that I've never seen before."
"Stop. Just stop." Zoro grabbed his head with one hand as he fisted his own shirt
with the other. "She has Franky now. All of that isn't important."
"Strong friendships can be just as important as strong relationships," Sanji sai
d sagely. "Do you want that hot cocoa now?"
" No." He felt sick to the stomach, and didn't think that sugary cocoa would sooth
e his roiling stomach. Something smooth and fermented might work.
"Too bad. You're upset and need something to calm you down."
"Your children are going to be so fat it's not even funny." Zoro suddenly had im
ages of chubby little (Swedish, coincidentally, with the whole blue eyes and blo
nd hair thing going on) children running around, pulling on their papa's apron s
trings and begging for treats. He chuckled inwardly to himself.
Sanji brought over two cups of cocoa complete with whipped cream and sprinkles aga
in and pushed one into Zoro's hands. "Here. Now, what were you going to say before
?"
Zoro held the cup in his hands without drinking. "I don't think there's all that
much you have to know that I can tell you. You can already tell "
"That she was the most beloved person in the world to you? Someone that you worr
ied about regardless of knowing how capable she is, and someone you thought abou
t without rhyme or reason?" Zoro nodded as Sanji continued. "Someone that you ca
n really relate to, who knows what you've been through and who has seen it and f
elt it. Even when you think you should hate her you can't help but be irresistib
ly attracted."
"Yeah " Zoro sighed.
These lips so familiar, yet so untouchable. Zoro felt the warmth and the trembling
of her lips as her mouth parted slightly; he could feel her warm breath as she
inhaled and exhaled, could smell her perfume. He longed to touch her silky hair,
to be able to pull her into bed and simply hold her. When he used to lie in bed
with her, without any need for arousal or sex, he always felt perfectly content
as he felt her heart beating sedately and the heat of her body radiating agains
t his.
Yet there was something odd about this feeling. He was used to the dull ache that
she inspired within him; it was like a canker sore's brutal mutation on his hear
t. However, tonight he seemed to ache for a different reason. It was the pain of
realization; the horrid prick of realizing the utter futility of what had been
such a pivotal point in his life.
Something was wrong. She felt it, and he knew it. After so long
He realized
"I don't love her," Zoro said out loud. He was just as shocked as Sanji was to h
ear those words. "I I don't love her anymore." He felt a renewed shock as he said
the words that he had been unwilling to give voice to.
"What the hell are you going on about? Isn't your love what got you into this be
nt-out shape?" Sanji demanded. He ignored the trip of his heartbeat, attributing
to his own shock at the utterance.
Zoro felt like laughing bitterly. "I've just been so used to wanting her that it
was like an automatic reaction," he said. "But when I kissed her it felt good, bu
t just in the way that it feels good to yawn or scratch an itch. Once you satisf
y the urge, it's gone. I don't know if it's because it's been so long that the f
eeling has just faded on its own, or whether some outside stimulus has helped me
. Regardless...it's gone, in the romantic sense. I'm still going to protect her
with my life."
Sanji sipped on his cocoa. Normally, he would see such a perception of the kiss
as shallow and not chivalrous at all. However, he knew that Zoro wouldn't use Ro
bin for his base needs. "So, what does this mean then? Oh damn, I have a whipped
cream moustache," he grumbled as his tongue flicked out to clean up the sweet c
ream.
"Don't grow any more facial hair, cook. It doesn't look that good," Zoro laughed
. He turned to look again and saw Sanji lick his lips slowly, with his eyes oddl
y perked in concentration. Sanji's tongue would flit in and out of his mouth whe
n he found sprinkles or cream, and Zoro was mesmerized by the way the pink tip s
eemed to go so well with Sanji's lips. Zoro's mouth hung halfway open as he watc
hed, only dimly aware of the fact that Sanji had asked him a question. How oddly
fascinating, Zoro thought. I feel the same way as the day I had met him, before
I realized that he wasn't a chick.
"Hey, marimo? You gonna answer my question?" Sanji finally wiped his mouth with
the back of his hand. "Oi, stop staring it didn't look that bad, did it?"
Zoro shook his head slightly to clear his muddy thoughts. "I think I'm too tired
to talk about this."
"At least answer the last question and I'll let you go to bed."
"Pfft, fine." Sanji was glad to see that Zoro was finally loosening up. "Well, w
hat this means is that she won. I'm free."
"Are you happy about that?" Sanji asked uncertainly.
Zoro chuckled mirthlessly. "I don't know. I used to revel in the feeling of l-lo
ving her, but now I think I'm relieved a little."
"What are you going to do now?" Sanji asked as he relieved Zoro of the cocoa tha
t he wasn't drinking and took a sip. It tasted a little odd, but he continued to
drink it anyways; he had made the brew himself and knew that none of the ingred
ients could be spoiled or off. "Are you going to try the dating scene again, or
just enjoy the feeling?" Neither of them seemed to realize that they had fallen
into a question and answer session.
Zoro shrugged. "I don't think there'll be that much of a difference in my daily
life for the past few weeks this hasn't really been bothering me. I mean, I've bee
n thinking about it a lot, but not half as much as I used to. It's weird."
Sanji chuckled as he drained his cup and hiccupped. "I know why. Because you met
me, the devilishly handsome gentleman Sanji Baratie!" Sanji leapt to his feet a
nd struck a ridiculously exaggerated bowing pose. "You may call me Mr. Prince."
"You're an idiot," Zoro laughed. "How much Irish cream did you put in that cocoa
?"
"I might've accidentally slipped some rum instead It tasted weird," Sanji laughed
as he spun unsteadily. "It must've been the good stuff because suddenly I feel w
asted "
Zoro snorted. "You really are a lightweight, aren't you?" He stood and went to t
he kitchen counter, where he found an assortment of bottles. "Hm, here's the Iri
sh cream and here's the oh god," Zoro groaned as he looked at the bottle in his hand
. "Everclear? This stuff is potent! Why the hell did you even have it mixed in w
ith the cooking liquor? I didn't even think someone who enjoys crap like wine wo
uld keep this in your house!"
"I must've mixed it up after I was drinking it " Sanji slurred as the alcohol bega
n to flow in his bloodstream. "C'mon, yooouu'd make that kind of mistake if you
were hammered too or tired or somethin' "
Zoro put the bottle down and went to survey Sanji with curiosity. The blond chef
was currently beckoning Zoro with one crooked finger and an equally crooked smi
le. "Hmm, red wine," Sanji crooned. "As we walk through a foreign city..."
"Wine? More like 75% alcohol content Everclear," Zoro snorted. "What the hell is
that song that you're singing, anyway?"
"Nice and easy," Sanji's voice rose to a crescendo and cracked. "Moulin Rooouuug
e~!"
"Sit down and shut up," Zoro groaned. "I'm freaking tired, and I don't want to h
ave to walk home or listen to you drone on." Sanji giggled and flopped onto the
floor, rolling around in a manner that would have amused Zoro far more if it had
n't been four in the morning after an emotionally exhausting night.
"You made such a lonely face," Sanji wailed, rolling towards Zoro. The swordsman
was standing with his face in his hands, wondering what he was going to do with
the drunken man rolling on the floor beneath him. Unfortunately, this enabled S
anji to bowl Zoro over. He fell to the floor with a grunt as his legs were pushe
d.
"Shit cook, sober up!" Zoro snarled as he tried to disengage himself from the laug
hing chef. "I swear, if you don't get off of me this second "
"You'll what?" Sanji teased. He flipped Zoro over, and Zoro couldn't help but ma
rvel at how powerful Sanji was even while being this inebriated. He looked up an
d saw pale eyelashes fluttering as Sanji yawned mightily; his cheeks were red fr
om exertion and the Everclear, and his eyes drooped in a manner that was downrig
ht seductive.
Wait no dudes aren't seductive. At all. They're just dudes.
"I'll " Zoro didn't get a chance to finish the sentence as Sanji's eyes rolled int
o the back of his head and he crumpled in a dead faint on top of Zoro.
Your breath smells nice like cocoa, Zoro thought absently as he patted Sanji's hea
d. Fruity shampoo, and you probably use conditioner every day to get your hair t
o be so soft and silky. He inhaled appreciatively. But you do smell nice. "Time
to get up," Zoro said as he poked Sanji on the cheek and tried to stand up.
A grunt and snuffling sound was his only response as Sanji buried his face more
firmly into Zoro's shirt and wrapped his legs around Zoro's.
Zoro groaned and looked around. There! The blanket and pillow he left! He strain
ed and managed to grab the two items with his fingertips before covering them bo
th with the comforter and stuffed the pillow under his head. This idiot seems to
be content to use me as a pillow and mattress, Zoro thought. "Bastard," he said a
ffectionately, before smoothing Sanji's mussed-up hair and settling as comfortab
ly as he could on the hardwood floor. The tension that had seized up his limbs a
nd blurred his mind was gone, he realized, and he had relaxed to the point of be
ing almost peaceful. He looked down to where Sanji was slumbering on his chest,
occasionally twitching as he moved in his sleep. Zoro didn't say a word or move
a muscle.
He didn't want to wake up a sleeping angel.
By the time he felt a trickle of drool coming from Sanji's mouth and sliding ont
o his shirt, he was too deep into his sleeping state to give a damn.
---
"If you want to be my lover, you gotta get with my friends! Make it last forever
, friendship never "[1]
Zoro groped around blindly until he found the offensive device. Fishing it out o
f a pocket, he fumbled until he realized that it was a cell phone and had to be
opened. Once this enormous task was finished, he hissed into the phone.
"What the fuck do you want?"
"Sanji, you did NOT just ask me 'what the fuck do you want.'"
"Who the hell is this, calling at this hour " Zoro groaned as he rubbed his head a
nd tried to get his bearings. He was pretty sure that he wasn't home, but his br
ain was too sluggish to get up to speed.
"It's Nami, you dolt. You even gave me that stupid ringtone so you would know wh
o was calling. I've been calling intermittently for the past two hours! Wait, wh
o is this?"
Zoro blanched. Sanji.
"He'll call you back later," Zoro informed her before promptly hanging up. He lo
oked down and saw a downy head of gold resting firmly on his chest, with arms an
d legs splayed everywhere. Somehow, the blanket had twisted and ensnared them to
the point where he couldn't even move if he wanted to. This feels way too much
like that freaking paintball match. The phone began to ring again, and Zoro snar
led before pulling out the battery and tossing it aside. "What time is it shit. Co
ok! Oi, get up!"
"Mmmaahh my lovely princess ZORO?!" Sanji's eyes bugged out as he looked up and saw
Zoro glaring down at him. "What the hell are you doing here? Get off!" Sanji str
uggled to get loose until he realized that he was still tangled with the swordsm
an. "What did you do to me, eh?"
Zoro snorted. "You're the one who fell asleep on me and refused to move," Zoro i
nformed him. "Earlier this morning. Everclear, singing 'Moulin Rouge,' dancing l
ike an idiot and knocking me over. Ring any bells?"
Sanji clutched his head. "Tell me that it's not the Everclear that's giving me t
his god-awful headache. I didn't even have a full cup did I? Let's just try and fi
gure out how to get out of this. Ugh, my breath smells awful." After much wriggl
ing and squirming, the two of them managed to free themselves. "It seems like th
at was more difficult than it should have been," Sanji panted as he leaned his b
ack against the couch. "But I finally remember what went down last night. Are yo
u okay?"
Zoro shrugged. "Surprisingly, yes. I thought I'd be wracked with all these stupi
d thoughts of guilt and stuff but I'm fine."
Sanji looked at him suspiciously. "Is that 'fine' the kind that people use to me
an 'I feel like shit so don't ask, just smile and go away'?"
Zoro smiled wryly. "No, it was 'fine' as in 'fine.'"
"Are you going to call them?"
"What for?"
"You can't possibly think that your kissing her will just go away. Franky's kind
of a scary guy. Have you seen those biceps? Even his forceps are like Megaman s
tatus!"
"I'll call them. There's something else you should be worried about, though."
"What?"
Zoro tilted his head slightly in the direction of the duck-shaped clock that hun
g against the wall. "It's kind of past noon already."
Sanji's face whitened as his mouth formed an 'o' shape. Zoro would have laughed,
had Sanji not looked so devastated. Without another word, Sanji sprinted to the
bathroom; Zoro heard the sound of clattering and water running as he followed t
he trail of Sanji's clothes. Boxers with little turnips on them? Yeah, really se
xy.
"Cook, are you decent?" Zoro called as he knocked on the bathroom door. "If you
want, I can leave a sign on the door that says that you'll be open in an hour."
"Yes! Please!" Sanji's voice echoed through the tiled bathroom. "And no, I'm in
the shower right now."
Zoro shuffled through Sanji's drawers in search of a marker and paper. As he nos
ed his way through the neatly organized drawers and shelves he found a pad of pa
per under a sheaf of envelopes; as he pulled out the pad, a slip of paper slid o
ut of one of the envelopes. "Hm " It was an old Polaroid photograph centered on a
crotchety-looking old man and a little blond-haired boy. Woah, awesome moustache
, Zoro thought as he inspected the braided affair. He looks a little familiar th
ough The man was glaring down at scrawny the boy, who was shooting just as poison
ous a glance back up at him and at the weathered hand sitting on his head. The w
ords 'With the little eggplant, 3/2/96' were scrawled in an unfamiliar blocky sc
ript on the back. "Thirteen years ago " Zoro murmured as he looked at the photo. H
e left the picture where it was as he wrote on the pad of paper and taped it to
the door after jogging downstairs, but returned and scrutinized it more closely.
The street signs are green, so it must be in Earth Sector. Looks like they're i
n front of a restaurant; is it the Baratie? I can just make out the last couple
of letters. It must be. So this must be Sanji
"What the hell are you doing?" Zoro looked up to see Sanji standing in the hallw
ay, one shaking hand gripping the towel around his waist and steaming faintly.
Zoro dropped the picture like a flaming coal and gestured wildly. "Well you see,
there was a pad of paper under it and it just fell out."
Sanji stomped over, not caring about the water droplets that flew everywhere. "S
top snooping around," he complained as he tossed the Polaroid back into the draw
er and slammed it shut. "Damn, I need to buy more razors " he muttered as he check
ed another drawer and came up empty.
"Was that Zeff?" Zoro asked as he pulled out a chair and sat at the table with o
ne hand propping up his chin. "The guy with the bearded 'stache."
Sanji looked up in surprise as he was in the process of picking up the clothes h
e had thrown off in his rush to get to the shower. "Hm? Yeah, that was the old g
eezer."
"What did it mean by 'little eggplant'?" Zoro asked with a grin. Sanji turned a
deep shade of crimson and snorted.
"Don't worry about it." He turned around and promptly went to deposit his clothi
ng in the laundry room. "How long are you going to stay? Shoo!"
"Oi, I'm not a cat," Zoro grumbled. "But I should get home and clean up. I don't
want to catch oral herpes by using your toothbrush. Ja ne see you later little eggp
lant."
"Hey!" Zoro laughed as he heard Sanji yelling as he left the apartment and went
outside. As he took a deep breath of the warm spring air, he rubbed his hair and
grinned as he stretched and wiggled his fingers and toes. Whistling merrily, he
ran to catch the next bus.
Sanji looked out the window and his departing friend and sighed softly before go
ing to brush his teeth.
I hope everything turns out well, Sanji thought morosely as he scrubbed his teet
h. He'd never admit it, but he might miss the sour swordsman if Franky ended up
killing him.
---
Zoro didn't feel the impact of what he had been through until he was in the show
er.
As he massaged shampoo into his scalp, he suddenly stopped and leaned heavily ag
ainst the black wall tiles. Rivulets of soapy water ran down his body as he stoo
d there, shivering, the cool tiles sucking the heat from his forehead. What have
I done?
He turned on the showerhead and rinsed off. After grabbing a towel and rubbing h
imself off, Zoro grabbed his cell phone and dialed the first number on speed dia
l.
"Hello?" Robin's voice was as even and pleasant as ever, but Zoro knew better th
an to trust that tranquility. This number connected directly to her cell phone,
and she would know that it was his number calling.
"Hey, Robin. It's Zoro." A redundant sentence, but one that social protocol dema
nded. "We we need to talk."
"We had a very extensive conversation last night," Robin reminded him. Zoro coul
d hear someone moving in the background.
"Who is it, babe?"
Oh. It was Franky.
"It's just Zoro. Go back to bed."
'Just Zoro,' huh?
Zoro heard a shuffling sound as the phone changed hands. "Zoro?"
"Yeah?"
"Get your ass down here. Now."
Zoro thought he heard Robin chastising Franky before the line went dead.
"Time to face the music "
---
Zoro saw a neon blue Jaguar sitting in the driveway and knew that Franky was sti
ll at Robin's house. He didn't recognize the model, but knew that Franky had acc
ess to anything he wanted when it pertained to cars, motors, or technology; it w
as one of the perks of being a government agent in the mechanical field. His san
daled feet crunched up the gravel walkway as he approached the door. He dug into
his pocket for his keys but thought better of it and rang the doorbell.
The chiming sound of the doorbell startled him. He hadn't heard it from this sid
e of the door for a long time.
Robin opened the door and smiled slightly. She was wearing a white summer dress
made from some silky material that flowed over her body freely; dark violet thre
at flowered across the hems and her breasts in a swirling pattern that he almost
got lost in.
"Hello, Zoro. You could have just come in. We were expecting you, after all." Sh
e opened the door more widely and gestured toward the kitchen. "I just put a pot
of coffee on. Would you like some?"
He didn't tell her that he was planning to work out later and that the jolt of d
ehydrating caffeine would only hurt him. He didn't tell her the thousand thought
s running through his head at the moment.
"Sure."
When Zoro walked into the kitchen, he found Franky glaring at him with a beefy f
ist gripping a fluted glass with a gentleness that belied his stare. Franky was
the kind of man who practiced a profession that required delicacy and power rest
raint, and could engrave wiry flowers in the ground with a sledgehammer.
"Hello, Zoro." Franky's attempts at civility did not pass as well as Robin's had
.
"Hello, Franky." Zoro resisted the urge to take his cup from Robin's cabinet she h
ad a green celadon teacup delegated to his use and sat down, letting her pour for
him. She used the green cup. Zoro couldn't help but notice that the glass held i
n Franky's hand was tinted blue, just like the man's electric-blue hair. I wonde
r if she'd buy a brown cup if she had a brunette boyfriend?
An awkward silence ensued. Zoro felt that this had been occurring to him quite o
ften lately.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Robin set his cup down on its round green
saucer, and he noticed that it was black and steaming just the way he liked it, w
ith no sugar or cream. Zoro took a sip of the hot, bitter liquid and felt a litt
le rejuvenated.
"It's about last night," Zoro began. "The kiss. And what I said." He swallowed sli
ghtly as he saw Franky unconsciously lean forward and Robin sit back. "I don't r
eally think that you're not taking good care of Robin, you know. I wouldn't trus
t her to anyone else."
"It's not like she's a possession that you can give away," Franky snorts as he t
osses back the rest of the cola in his glass. "But I know that you didn't mean it.
You're not that kind of guy."
"And," Zoro continued as he took a gulp of coffee. He immediately regretted it a
s his mouth and throat were scalded. "When I kissed her I don't know what I was do
ing. It was late, and I was tired, and it's just what I used to do whenever she
needed to be comforted. It was just a subconscious reflex."
"It's been a long time, and you still have that kind of reflex?" Franky asked du
biously as he wrapped an arm around Robin's shoulders and brought her closer to
him.
"I can't bear to see her get hurt," Zoro hissed. He took a deep breath as he set
his cup aside before he upset it. "Franky, I just couldn't bear to see her in d
istress."
"Why would she be in distress? I only saw her in distress after she had been tal
king to you."
Zoro snarled as he stood and banged his fists on the table that Franky had craft
ed so carefully. His chair clattered to the ground, unnoticed. "You weren't ther
e! You didn't hear what she said, you don't know what she's been through! I don'
t want her to suffer at all, even if I don't love her anymore " He stopped, coveri
ng his mouth with one hand.
"What did she go thr wait. You don't love her anymore?" Franky's voice was unchara
cteristically soft. "First things first. Robin. It's time to clear things up. Wh
at happened to you? Why did you leave Zoro?"
Robin looked at the two men, her head turning slowly to look at them. Franky's f
ace was pale and drawn, and Zoro's was red with fury as he slowly lowered himsel
f back onto the chair that he had righted. She sighed slightly, knowing that thi
ngs would be at a standstill until she explained things.
"How much do you know about the Letters?" she finally asked. Both Franky and Zor
o looked confused as to the relevancy of this inquiry, but shrugged simultaneous
ly. "The Letters have been around for decades. The ones who organize them are be
yond the power of the government or the populations, and it has been impossible
to find a single person who works in the organization that delegates who is in a
nd who is not. Its origin is very old, and more ancient than you can imagine "
"What are you talking about?" Zoro asked incredulously. "They're just ranks, rig
ht? How can they possibly be that important?"
Robin shook her head. "The only reason I know this is because I can I can read the
Poneglyphs," she said. "They contain far more secrets than anyone who has read
them is willing to reveal. I found a couple on a University expedition to Brazil
. It was buried, but after much excavation we managed to dig up the entire scrip
t. It told the story of a civilization older than the Aztecs, older than the May
ans, older than the Inca. There was a nation that went by the name of Shandora "
"I've never heard of it," Franky said. "What was so special about it?"
"They were a very meritocratic society," Robin explained. "There was no nepotism
, and they prized skill far more than mere aesthetics or rank. They used to give
every citizen a rank according to their occupation and specialty, and thus thei
r society advanced itself at rates far greater than one might imagine possible."
"So, that was the origin of the Letters?" Zoro asked. Robin nodded.
"Yes. But as they continued to weed out inefficiency and kept people with abilit
y on a pedestal, they suffered from a great pride. There were no warriors who we
re more cunning or stronger, no physicians who could heal their people faster, n
o farmers who could grow healthier or abundant crops and it was this that was thei
r downfall. A great plague swept through the country, and the state physicians w
ent through every individual and deemed who was sick and who was not of course eve
n their techniques were not sufficient to find every case. The ones who were dee
med as healthy fled the city and tried to move north. In the chaos, the populati
on was spread thinly across the Americas, and they were picked off by neighborin
g civilizations. In the end, the strongest and most prominent of them summoned t
heir strength and muscled their way as high into these neighboring governments a
s possibly, but the policy of meritocracy was lost, for the most part apparently i
t had remained as a sort of underground movement connected by the descendents of
the Shandorians." Robin ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. "You know, I w
as never taught how to read the Poneglyphs. It was an inherent skill, and one th
at is shared among anyone who has inherited even a drop of that ancient blood."
"You're Shandorian?" Zoro asked in surprise. "I remember you mentioning them in
one of your lectures while we were at the University."
"So you do retain some information from my classes," Robin said with a smile. "I
'm impressed, Zoro. Yes, I am Shandorian, as are my cousins Wiper and Kamakiri."
"So what does that have to do with us?" Zoro urged when Robin paused, hesitating
.
"When I was studying in the field, I came across a man who was supervising the e
ntire Brazilian excavation. No one said a word about his real credentials, becau
se the ones that he supplied were almost insultingly false. He was a government
man through and through, and we all knew better than to trust him." Robin sighed
softly. "Apparently, the government is very interested in what the Poneglyphs h
ave to say, and this man was there to ensure that anything the government wanted
, they got."
"Who was it?" Franky asked in surprise. "I never knew that those bureaucrats car
ed a whit about history."
Robin sipped her coffee delicately. "His name was Kuzan." She pulled out her wal
let and drew a picture from a slit hidden behind the ragged edge of an old recei
pt. Zoro and Franky leaned in to see the faded photo of a younger Robin, dressed
in the khaki garb of an archaeologist, leaning against the extremely tall and l
ean frame of a man dressed impeccably in a three piece blue suit; a sleep mask w
as secured firmly around his head and only partially covered his curly hair. "He
was very kind, despite his duties, and we often spent many hours talking about
whatever came up politics, history, botany it turns out that he knew my uncle Saul v
ery well, and that they had been very close friends in their naval training. We
ended up becoming romantically involved, for a time."
"What happened?" Zoro asked. He knew that they were getting closer to the core o
f the issue at hand.
Robin slipped the photo back into her wallet. "We found Poseidon." When the two
men only stared at her quizzically, she smiled sadly. "Poseidon was an ancient w
eapon kept by Shandora in case of a foreign attack. By the time we realized what
we had found, Kuzan " A single tear ran down her face, and she wiped it away angr
ily. Franky rubbed her shoulder supportively, and she took a deep breath as she
continued.
"He gave the names of every member of the Brazilian expedition to his superiors.
Every single one of us was taken in for interrogation, except for me." Robin's
voice broke slightly as she said this.
"What?!" Zoro growled. "Why the hell did they do that?"
"I don't know," Robin whispered as she rested her head on her arms.
Robin stared at the empty campsite, where her colleagues had been running about
with excitement just days before. Tents had collapsed, trunks were emptied onto
the earth, and equipment lay on the ground in a state of disrepair. She looked a
t the solitary figure of her lover as he surveyed the damage, his back to her.
"What happened?" she asked quietly as she reached out to clasp his hand. Kuzan m
oved coldly from her touch and she faltered.
"Robin." His deep voice was a mangled mixture of emotions, too complex for her t
o untangle. Before he could say anything else, the sound of other people disrupt
ed him as a group of men in black suits came from the eastern end of the campsit
e.
"They've all been shipped to Guantanamo, sir," one of the men said as he snapped
a salute. He looked at Robin with an air of surprise. "What should we do with t
he woman, sir?"
Kuzan looked at Robin for a moment, examining her appearance. He had sent her ou
t alone two days ago to barter for food supplies from a village a few miles from
their campsite. After her trek, she was sweaty and disheveled. Professor Clover
, her mentor, had expressed misgivings at sending her without any help, but had
given in to Kuzan's quiet and forceful insistence. Clover was gone, too; she cou
ld see that his tent was dark, and that some of his most detailed books on the P
oneglyphs were carelessly strewn in the mud.
"She's not one of them," Kuzan said finally. "She's just a villager who carts su
pplies back and forth when we need them." Robin kept her face carefully composed
into that of ignorant fear as she gripped the sack of food over her shoulder mo
re tightly. She was beginning to understand what had happened, and knew that her
resemblance to the natives was all that saved her.
"Yes, sir."
"Continue with the rest of the procedure," Kuzan said. "There's no need to take he
r in. She's too ignorant to know what we're doing. I will escort her back."
"Yes, sir!" The men began to move into the tents, dragging out all the materials
that had been used in their research. Books, equipment, recorders, and other su
ch materials were gathered into a pile. Robin could smell gasoline as one of the
men liberally doused the pile with the volatile liquid.
"What are they doing?" Robin cried as Kuzan pulled her away by one arm. He clapp
ed a large hand over her mouth as she continued to struggle. "No!" She didn't se
e the match that flared, but could feel the blaze as the work of years was consu
med immediately. "Why are you doing this? Where is Professor Clover? Where is ev
eryone?"
Kuzan continued to pull her along until they were out of earshot of the campsite
. "Listen to me, Robin. The only reason you did not join them is because I owe a
considerable debt to your uncle Saul and because " He stopped, and swallowed hard
before thrusting an envelope into her hands. "There is enough U.S. currency in
here to take you from the village to the nearest train station. From there, you
must go to the airport in Rio de Janeiro. There is a ticket in here for tomorrow
evening that will take you directly to Navarone. You must make your own way fro
m there, and do not allow yourself to be seen or caught. Go to the University of
Navarone and request a job. I have friends there who I have instructed to help
you. Understood?"
Robin clutched the envelope to her chest as she sobbed. "What's going on, Kuzan?
"
He opened his mouth, but the sounds of the black-suited men coming their way int
errupted them. "There's no time to explain. I won't be able to see you again, Ro
bin. Don't come looking for me. It's over. Now, go!"
She ran as fast as her nimble legs would carry her. As she fled, she could hear
one of the men briskly announcing, "Reporting for duty, Admiral Aokiji sir "
When Robin finished her tale, the two men stared at one another in awe. "That's
incredible, yet so sad," Franky said as he sniffed.
"Wait," Zoro said. "That still doesn't explain "
"Don't make her relive this any longer," Franky hissed. Robin shook her head bef
ore sniffing and continuing.
"They found me. Everything I had built up after arriving in Navarone was in dang
er and everyone that I cared about I had to be ready to flee. I couldn't risk it a
nymore. I couldn't risk putting anyone in danger," she said. "Especially not you
, Zoro."
"You don't think that I could have handled it, yet you become involved with Fran
ky?" Zoro growled demandingly.
"Franky is a government agent. They trust him with sensitive information, and he
is partially protected because of this. Furthermore he and his mentor Tom were th
e ones that would have been requested for the building of Poseidon, had the gove
rnment been able to translate its script. However, once they discovered that non
e of the scholars that they had caught would translate the Poneglyph, they came
after me." Robin sighed. "I I came to Franky at first to seek protection. I'm the
last documented Shandorian, and it was only a matter of time before I was caught
. I was hoping that he could help me."
Franky nodded. "She was very frank about her reasons. I appealed to Tom, and he
made a deal with the head honchos. He had initially been against building Poseid
on, but decided that he would build it if they used another translator and left
Robin alone. By the time he died, she was in the Letters, and they couldn't touc
h her. They never found another translator, either. Plus, Zoro. I'll tell you th
is now, because we're in a secure environment. They might have even sent Mihawk
to wipe you out. I heard that he's worked for them in the past."
Zoro nodded slightly. "Yes. Not many people are aware of that, but...he told me
about it, a little." He didn't elaborate, and the others didn't ask.
There was silence as they all absorbed this information.
Zoro knew, in the vaguest sense of the word, that Robin had good reason for what
she had done. In all honesty, he probably could not fend off the advances of th
e government even under Mihawk's protection; if worst had come to worst, then he
would not have been able to protect Robin not with the little influence he wielde
d compared to Franky. The information was more liberating than anything else, an
d he felt as though a constriction had been removed from his chest. He knew that
he ought to feel insulted he did feel a little miffed at the fact that she hadn't r
elied on him, but he couldn't bring himself to feel any negative feelings at the
moment.
Zoro stood and stretched nonchalantly. "Alright, I suppose that's it. I'm off."
Robin and Franky stood and stared as Zoro made his way to the front door. "Zoro ?"
Franky called uncertainly.
"Don't think that all this will get in the way of that project you promised me,"
Zoro said with a chuckle, leaving the kitchen as the other two followed. He sto
pped in the doorway after he slipped his shoes on. One hand rested on the doorkn
ob as he stood in the afternoon sunlight. The bright light streamed like liquid
gold to reflect off of his verdant strands of hair and made the white t-shirt he
had donned today practically glow. His bronzed skin gleamed, and pearly white t
eeth flashed as Zoro smiled brightly.
"Project?" Robin whispered to Franky. [2]
Franky only shook his head slightly. "Confidential, babe. Are you sure you don't
want to talk, Zoro?"
"I understand." Zoro's smile stretched more widely, and his eyes crinkled into a
relaxed beam. "Really." He walked through the door and waved at them as he walk
ed off, whistling.
Robin looked at his retreating back and realized that she hadn't seen him wear s
uch a light-hearted smile for years. She put her hand lightly on Franky's should
er and guided him back into the house.
---
Zoro walked back down the streets, letting his feet take him wherever they pleas
ed.
He found himself outside of the Paris Baguette. A smile slid slowly across his f
ace as he walked up to the door and smelled the scent of coffee and fresh pastri
es, even from outside.
The door jingled merrily as he opened it and walked in yelling, "Orange juice an
d eggs, cook!"
---
[1] This is from a song by the Spice Girls. If you recognized the song then you
know why this is funny. If not, then oh well.
[2] This has been alluded to a few times, by Usopp and Franky. You'll see in the
next chapter. Yes, evil, but...I couldn't fit it in here.
A/N: Yes I'm sorry that the reason that Robin broke up with Zoro was a bit clich
e--"It's to save you! Really!"--but I couldn't find anything dramatic enough for
her. Sigh. But the mysterious Kuzan (Yes, he's our good old friend, Aokiji) wil
l make an appearance. Far off in the future.
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: So I was searching through fanfics and filtered it by only looking for stor
ies with Zoro and Sanji and I started laughing like crazy because there were four
of us 'modern AU' fics all lined up, one after another. 'This Is Your Life' by B
regoArodShadowfax, 'Water Sector,' 'Memories' by StarkBlack, and 'Stay a While'
by endsoftime. All three of the others are fabulous, and I'd recommend them if y
ou haven't already started keeping track of them.
Also, a typo was caught by Amy...thanks!
---
Sanji looked up and saw Zoro burst through the door of the Paris Baguette, a hug
e grin gracing his chiseled features and fair blooming with energy. As he heard
Zoro's demands of "Orange juice and eggs, cook!" he couldn't help but grin in re
turn.
"Hold your horses and get in line, marimo!" Sanji called back with a smirk. By t
he time Zoro had reached the counter, Sanji chuckled. "Someone sure is in a good
mood. Anything good happen at Robin's?"
Zoro nodded. "Knowledge really is power." He picked up the proffered glass of ju
ice and took a sip as he dug into his pocket for his wallet.
"Put that away," Sanji snorted. "Go find a table and you can tell me what happen
ed when I finish making your eggs and tend to the rest of my customers." Clearly
, the chef was in a better mood after his business had been put back into order
and his hangover had subsided.
Zoro took a small table near the window, watching the people in fascination as t
hey streamed in and out of the café in smaller and smaller bursts. Finally, the
café was empty, and Sanji plopped next to Zoro with a sigh. He set down a tray b
earing a glass pitcher of orange juice, an omelet and toast combination plate, a
nd a mug of coffee.
"Man, the afternoon rush just keeps getting busier and busier every day," Sanji
groaned as he rubbed the back of his neck. "So, what happened at Robin's?"
Zoro quickly cut into his omelet and took a huge bite. "Mmmah, delicious," he mu
mbled through a mouthful of eggs. "Well "
That's the first time he's ever complimented my cooking outright, Sanji thought
in surprise. His little bubble of happiness was shooed aside as Zoro continued t
o talk. With his mouth full. Uncultured Neanderthal!
When Zoro finished telling his tale, Sanji leaned back with a whistle. The cups
were empty, save for a few drops of dark brown and bright orange liquid. Zoro's
plate was empty, and the little bits of egg could never be picked up with a fork
had been mopped up by his toast.
"So, you hear all this depressing shit about Robin's past, and you're you're happy
?" Sanji asks in surprise.
"Yep."
I always knew he was a crazy bastard. "Why?"
Zoro shrugged. "Partly because it's a huge relief knowing that last bit of infor
mation, the piece that really finished the puzzle. I kind of understand why she
likes history so much now. Also it's partly because I know that she's in capable h
ands, and I've accepted it. It just gives me closure."
"Is she okay?" Sanji asked worriedly. "I mean "
Zoro nodded. "She seems to have healed emotionally. Franky's there for her too,
and that must be really helpful for her " He scratched his chin slightly. "I don't
have to worry about her so much anymore, huh? She's always been able to take ca
re of herself. Now I just have to worry about me, I guess."
"I don't get it, though. The whole ex-boyfriend thing seems kind of dramatic. Yo
u're alright with that?"
Zoro sat with his cheek resting on his fist. "Mm. That part I couldn't have helped
her. No one could have. I don't understand why it happened, but it did, and the
re's no opposing the government not as a civilian." He seemed fairly disgruntled b
y this fact, but treated it as a discomfort that he had no control over.
"Yeah, no matter how much any of us would have wanted to help her " Sanji shook hi
s head. "There are some things you just can't fight."
"Yeah."
They were silent for a moment.
"Fuck the government."
"Yeah," Sanji agreed.
"Yeah."
" "
" so "
Sanji laughed awkwardly. "So that closes the last chapter of the Robin book, huh
?"
Zoro looked at him as though he was crazy. "Are you crazy?" Yep, he was definite
ly looking at him like that.
"Who're you calling crazy, asshole?" Sanji bristled automatically. Ah, the nicet
ies and tranquility could only last so long.
Zoro grinned as he stood and patted his belly. "There's still the Epilogue, isn'
t there? I'll still stick around to bug her, and Franky too!" He moved swiftly t
o the door and pushed it open, letting in a warm breeze that ruffled his hair. I
t's like grass. Or seaweed, swaying in the ocean. A true marimo. "I'll see you at
the next Cipher Pol gathering, shitty cook."
Sanji stared at the closing door and listened to the bell chime merrily as it sh
ut.
"Wait! Come wash your dishes, bastard! I didn't even make you pay!"
---
Sanji breathed in the heady smell of perfumed bodies, perspiration, and mixed dr
inks as Jyabura let him into Cipher Pol with a wicked wink and a slap on the bac
k. "I heard you gave 'em hell at paintball!" the bouncer cackled. Sanji smiled s
lightly. Word traveled quickly in these places, it seemed.
At least, word travels quickly when you manage to shoot a guy in the crotch, San
ji thought dourly. He spotted his friends and trotted up the stairs, smiling fli
rtatiously at a few girls on the way up and blowing a kiss at a particularly cur
vy young woman. He had dressed well tonight, sporting his favorite black vest an
d blue button-up shirt with dark slacks.
"Hey, you idiots," Sanji greeted the men who were sitting around and drinking at
the usual table. "Where are all the ladies?"
Usopp snorted into his cup, his long nose bent slightly as it poked out from ove
r the rim. "They're all out on the dance floor. Apparently tonight is Lady's Nig
ht, so "
"Hello all my beauties, tonight is Lady's Night!" Kaku's voice boomed out over t
he music, and Usopp's nose sprang back to its original position as he put his cu
p down.
"Yeah, just listen to this long-nosed fogey and you'll find out what it is," Uso
pp said.
"You're one to talk about long noses," Sanji teased. Fortunately, he was saved as
Usopp liked to think by Kaku's announcement.
"Single ladies, on the floor!" The lights went out, to be replaced by strobe lig
hts pulsing on the dance floor. "The floor is off-limits to men until the strobe
s stop! Then " Kaku's shadowy figure at his turntables swirled a few records on hi
s fingers. "When the lights come back on, all you young bucks out there with you
r eyes on these ladies come out and woo your pick!"
"It sounds like hunting season," Zoro grumbled. Sanji looked and saw Zoro knocki
ng back a glass next to Franky, wearing a bulky leather jacket and dark blue jea
ns.
"Shouldn't you be worried? Robin's down there with the others," Sanji said. Fran
ky laughed.
"She wanted to have fun," Franky informed him. "She'll pretend to be single, and
we'll openly let the world know about our relationship this way. She said it wo
uld be 'romantic.'" He gulped the last of what was in his cup, and Sanji noticed
that there was already a row of similarly empty glasses on the table. Clearly,
he's still a wee bit worried.
"That woman has a weird definition of romantic," Zoro grumbled.
Sanji looked around at all the men milling around agitatedly; all the women appe
ar to have disappeared to the dance floor. "Why don't I see any women left?" San
ji asked suspiciously.
Zoro snorted. "They get all weirded out and just end up dancing anyways. Any man
who doesn't let his woman dance obviously isn't confident of his ability to kee
p her, anyway." His eyes widened comically. "Why aren't you dancing, Sanji?"
Sanji snarled at the sudden attack. "Oi! Picking a fight, huh? I haven't had the
chance to really have a go at you for a while, have I?" He looked down at the c
rowds of scantily clad bodies that were moving in the crowd, and an idea began t
o form in his head. "Hey, asshole."
"What? Want me to hold your martini while you dance?" Zoro teased. Sanji growled
.
"Shut it, bastard! If you think I'm such a woman, then let's have a contest!" Sa
nji smiled to himself, knowing that he had this in the bag. Zoro was more compet
itive than anyone. He could instinctively tell.
Zoro rose to the challenge. "What'll it be, cook? I can whoop you in a fight, so
you had better choose carefully."
"Whoever can bag the most women wins," Sanji snarled as he pointed at the dance
floor. "When the lights go on, we'll go down there and see how many women we can
get to dance with us. Agreed?"
"Fuck no."
"Scared?"
" you're on, bitch."
Sanji grinned. "We'll start on opposite ends of the dance floor. See you later,
marimo!"
Zoro glared at Sanji as the blonde man sauntered off. "That argh!" He took another
gulp of his drink and hissed as it hit the back of his throat.
"I thought you didn't dance," Chopper said as he sipped on a sparkling mineral w
ater.
"Yeah, I've never seen him dance before, either. Have you, Luffy?" Usopp asked.
He waved a hand in front of Luffy's face. Luffy was standing near the railing, s
taring intently down into the dancing mass of female bodies. The others peeked d
own and saw Luffy's stare directed at a certain bob of orange hair.
"Nah " Luffy said absently. Zoro chuckled.
"Leave the poor kid alone. That witch has him under a spell," Zoro said with a l
augh. Then, he snorted. "Just because I don't dance doesn't mean I don't know ho
w to."
"Yeah. And just because you've never danced doesn't mean you know how to dance,
either," Usopp jibed.
"You think I can't beat him, longnose? I'll show all of you," Zoro snapped as he
stood, taking another gulp of alcohol. "Damn, I'm going to have to be as shit-f
aced as possible to pull this off," he grumbled. "Usopp, give me that cup over t
here." Usopp handed it to him with a quizzical look. Zoro drained the cup and to
ssed it aside, pulling off his jacket before storming down to the edge of the da
nce floor, where lines of men were already waiting apprehensively for the lights
to turn back on.
Usopp sniffed the cup and laughed, tossing it to Franky. "Take a lookie at this,
Franky."
Franky sniffed. "Ha, I can smell rum, white wine, and menthol?" He laughed uproari
ously. "That sly dog's covering the scent of alcohol with mint! Not bad for some
one who's completely inexperienced on the dating scene!"
Zoro sneezed.
---
The lights flickered on, and a roar went through the crowd. The women continued
to dance, with hips swaying seductively and eyelashes fluttering.
Sanji rolled up and buttoned his sleeves, running a hand through his hair to put
it in just the right state of orderly disorder.
"Let's get this show on the road."
Across the room, Zoro swallowed with difficulty and rubbed his head, adjusting h
is shirt and looking into the crowd uncertainly.
"Oh .shit."
Both men dove into the crowd.
---
"Hey you guys, look! They're actually doing it! Zoro's actually dancing!" Choppe
r squealed as he pointed into the crowd. "Go, Zoro! Go!"
"Don't embarrass him," Franky chided the young doctor. "We'll do that later. Rig
ht now, just enjoy the show as long as it lasts."
"Aren't you supposed to be wooing Robin? I already see some guys swarming around
her," Usopp reminded Franky.
"Oh, shit!"
"There he goes," Chopper mumbled as Franky dashed off. "Are you going to dance,
Lu Luffy? Usopp, where did Luffy go?"
Usopp squinted into the crowd and pointed to a corner of the room. "He's right t
here."
"Where?"
Usopp groaned.
"On the stripper pole."
---
Sanji merged slowly into the group of women, keeping a low profile until he was
in the center of the writhing mass. Flirting, he knew, was an art; it could be d
one silently, physically, and with complete and utter power over the recipient i
f done correctly. He stood still, creating a point of disturbance in the middle
of the dancing women; they quickly noticed his presence and stopped, looking at
him with interest.
He smiled enticingly before pulling his arms above his head and beginning to mov
e, with sex engrained in every fiber of his body.
The girls went wild.
---
Zoro heard squealing and knew that he had to pick up his game. So far, all he ha
d done was alienate a large group of women with his awkward and stiff movements.
I swear, I can hear Usopp laughing
He saw Franky dash into the crowd, barely dodging the indignant women before mak
ing his way to Robin. She smiled in well-masked relief Zoro himself could only bar
ely see it before turning around and pointedly ignoring him. It looks like Franky'
s going to have to work for his prize.
Keep your eye on the prize, Zoro. Your honor. Your freaking manliness. Machismo.
Shabam.
don't ever even THINK 'shabam' again. That's just dumb.
Zoro looked up and saw Luffy gracing one of the stripper poles, his hands on his
hips as he surveyed the crowd. A few women were already looking his way in curi
osity more than anything; surely this lanky boy didn't have anything to offer th
em?
Zoro gaped as Luffy did his brother proud and put his hands on top of his head,
swaying with the music as his muscles flexed (When the hell did Luffy get all th
ose muscles?) and moved up and down his body. Two deft hands stopped on his hips
as he rode the air smoothly, and one hand moved to unbutton the first of what Z
oro now saw as far too few buttons that sheltered the world from Luffy's chest.
Luffy smiled slightly, his raven-dark hair not covered by his straw hat for once
, and he winked as he pointed right at Nami.
Nami started in surprise as Luffy's shoulders and waist rocked together with the
music and swung lower and lower before he rocked back up and snapped his head b
ack. Another button was undone, much to the pleasure of the crowd.
"Tch!" Zoro snorted. I'm NOT being outdone by Luffy.
But damn, Ace must have taught him a move or two.
Luffy's hands paused on the third button, almost teasingly doing the second one
back up. His grin grew more widely as he heard the protests from the crowd, and
he instead opted to simply rip his shirt off.
Has has he been out tanning? Zoro couldn't believe it.
"Atta boy," Zoro heard behind him. Ace was smirking near the sidelines, watching
Luffy dance. "Make your teacher proud."
"What the fuck have you been teaching that kid?" Zoro growled as he pulled Ace t
o the side. Ace cackled.
"That kid's still a virgin! Do you think I'd let him grow up without getting lai
d?" Ace said in surprise.
"Yes! Let him get it when he's ready!" Zoro snapped indignantly. The thought of
Luffy+sex=okay stop thinking.
"Oh, loosen up," Ace grumbled. "From what I hear, you're about to lose a bet wit
h Sanji. Want me to help you?"
"I don't need help," Zoro muttered under his breath. "I just haven't done this i
n a really long time."
"In public, you mean?"
"W-what?" Zoro sputtered. "Ever!"
"Zoro," Ace said, pulling him closer and whispering into his ear. "Let me tell y
ou a secret."
"What?" Zoro said suspiciously. Crap, I'm losing time here!
Ace grinned. "The way that your room is positioned when it's late at night and you
think everyone's partying at Galley-La, and when you blast your techno music be
cause you know that no one can tell which floor it's from "
Zoro felt something twist unpleasantly in his stomach as he paled. Oh, fu
" I can see you dancing by yourself in your living room," Ace finished mercilessly
. "There's an empty apartment across from yours that I sleep in, when Luffy bugs
me. I never knew that you had strobe lights in your apartment." Zoro hacked at
the sudden cough that was bursting from his throat and scrambled to get as far a
way from this man as possible.
As Zoro stumbled into the crowd, Ace laughed uproariously before running up to t
he DJ's table. "Hey, Kaku!"
"What can I do for you bro?" Kaku said uncertainly.
Ace winced. "Don't use slang that Franky teaches you. It sounds unnatural."
"Point taken. What can I do for you, my friend?"
"If you want to see something spectacular then put on Darude's 'Sandstorm!'"
"Techno? Right away, kiddo!"
Zoro heard his favorite song playing and groaned. Fucking. Ace.
Well, I guess it's convenient.
He had danced to this song for years.
In the way that a noose that is given to a man to kill himself is convenient.
---
Sanji jumped at the switch in music. He was fine with hip hop and pop music (he
secretly harbored a fascination with Britney Spears) but techno was way beyond h
im. He was perfectly capable of dancing to it hell, he could even dance to salsa a
nd ballroom but he definitely wasn't very fond of it. Not that it matters. I've go
t this contest in the bag Sanji's thoughts faded away as he saw gaggles of women cr
owding around a figure whose features were obscured in the flashing lights. Comp
etition, huh?
The throbbing of the techno made Sanji's head spin a little as he watched the pe
rson's body turning green, red, blue, and orange with every passing beam of ligh
t from the ceiling. The man's moves were powerful and showed the ease of a perso
n's comfort with his own body; spinning hands accentuated his every move, and a
form-fitting white shirt left nothing to the viewer's imagination.
The beat picked up as Kaku began to mix it up, and Sanji watched in dismay as th
e blossoms of flirtations that he had been hoping to cultivate into phone number
s from the women disappeared. This intruder had swept the stage with his boldnes
s and physique.
I'm not about to lose to this bastard, Sanji thought angrily. He watched as the
song changed, and the man stumbled from the crowd towards the bar. His shirt was
ripped and his body was covered in blots of lipstick, and his green hair was di
sheveled from wait.
Something exploded in Sanji's brain.
"Zoro?!"
Zoro looked and saw where Sanji was staring, dumbfounded. "Hey, cook " His face wa
s crimson with the realization that Sanji had just seen him dancing dancing and he i
mmediately put up a defensive front. "Oh, just a sec." He dug into the waistline
of his pants and into his pockets, pulling out scraps of paper from the most un
likely of places and dropping them into Sanji's hands. Finally, with a look of p
ained concentration, he pulled a few from the front of his jeans (Sanji didn't f
ail to notice that the top button had been undone and that his fly was halfway o
pen).
"What the hell is this?" Sanji demanded.
"Phone numbers," Zoro grunted. "I think it's safe to say that I won this thing."
He turned around, and Sanji saw that someone had scrawled their phone number ac
ross his back in liquid eyeliner. "Is that Luffy up there?"
Sanji let out a sound that was half-groan, half-squeak. "Where the hell did his
shirt go? And why Nami! Why are you dancing with that buffoon?"
Zoro laughed. "Apparently Ace taught him a few moves. He's even more flexible th
an Ace is. It's like he's made of rubber or something, huh?"
Sanji rubbed his eyes. "I don't ever want to see something like this ever again.
Anyways, don't think you've won just yet. Let's go and count our conquests upst
airs." He thrust the papers into Zoro's hands and stomped off, with a bemused Zo
ro behind him.
"Woah, what happened to you? It looks like you just stepped out of a war zone,"
Usopp said as the two antagonistic men sat down and began to viciously count.
"Fifteen!" Zoro said triumphantly.
"Hey, you forgot the one on your back," Chopper pointed out as Sanji hissed and
shook his head.
"Oh. Sixteen. Women are scary, man. I thought Bon was bad, but damn "
Sanji looked at the business cards and scrawled-upon napkins that had been given
 to him by his lovely goddesses. "Sixteen, bitch," Sanji snarled. "Just because
I don't make a scene like you doesn't mean I don't know how to work the field."
"That doesn't sound like a very gentlemanly thing to say," Usopp pointed out sag
ely.
"Quiet, long-nose!"
"Heeey," Franky interrupted as he carried Robin across his arms. She giggled and
patted him on the head as he put her down. "I saw you two out there. I think Lu
ffy's going to beat you both, though."
"Nani?!" Zoro growled.
"What?" Sanji exclaimed. They ran to the railing.
"They're so competitive," Robin said with an airy laugh. "It's good to see them
in such high spirits after "
"Yeah," Franky said, listening to Zoro and Sanji yell things like "Luffy! Not th
e pants!" and "You shitty landlord, don't thrust into Nami like that! It's obsce
ne!"
Usopp looked around. "Hey, where's Chopper?" he asked suddenly. "He said he was
going to get another drink and then he disappeared."
"He's down there," Franky said. They all saw the distinct figure of their reside
nt doctor, hovering near the bar. He whistled softly. "That kid's growing up fas
t. Look!"
They all watched in fascination as Chopper timidly tapped a girl on the shoulder
, blushing as he appeared to be asking her something. Her eyes widened in pleasa
nt surprise as she hopped from her stool and pulled him towards the dance floor.
"I think she's a nurse from the hospital," Usopp said, squinting closely. "I met
her when I was picking Chopper up her name Aphelandra, I think? She moved here to s
tudy medicine a few years ago." [1]
"How cute," Robin beamed. "They would make an adorable couple."
"Yeah," Franky snorted. "She's nearly as tall as he is. What a catch."
"But he really needs to learn how to dance," Zoro said. He had joined them in th
eir stalking cough, in their observation of Chopper.
"Then I'll teach him," Sanji said. He looked slightly put-out from Nami's intera
ctions with Luffy, but smiled as he watched Chopper struggling to keep up with A
phelandra's fast-paced dance moves.
"I don't know, cook. Maybe we should have Luffy teach him," Zoro proposed slyly.
"Oi! That's not funny!"
Needless to say, that night was a memorable one for all.
"Chopper hey, buddy? I'm sure your 'robot' dance moves weren't what prompted her f
riends to pull her away," Zoro said soothingly to the very inebriated doctor as
he dragged him out of the club. After Aphelandra had been pulled away by her fri
ends, Chopper had gulped down every drink he could get his hands on to ease the
pain of rejection. "C'mon, man. Let's get you home. Hey Usopp, can you give him
a ride?"
"Sure," Usopp said. "Actually " He looked pointedly at Franky, who nodded and came
over as they streamed out of the club. "You ought to come, too. Franky and I you
know?"
Zoro stared for a moment before it hit him. "It's finished?" he asked excitedly.
"Really?"
They nodded, and he grinned. "Alright, let's go."
"I gotta take Robin home," Franky said. "Why don't we meet tomorrow night?"
They all looked around and realized that only a few of them were sober enough to
drive. "Yeah, that might be better," Zoro said with a sigh. "Take me home too,
cook."
"I'm not your damned chauffeur," Sanji grumbled, digging in his pockets for his
keys nonetheless. "Where's Nami?"
"That girl? She left ages ago with Luffy," Franky said as he opened the door for
Robin. "She'll be fine in his hands."
"That's what I'm worried about " Sanji muttered. "Let's go, marimo."
The drive home was quiet; after the loud music and conversations, they were pret
ty much wiped out and only wanted peace and quiet. As they rolled up to Galley-L
a, Zoro rubbed his nose and yawned. "Well, that was interesting. Er " He seemed to
make a big decision as he asked, "Do you want to come tomorrow night? To the Fr
anky House workshop."
"Sure," Sanji said. "I was pretty curious about that. It sounds like you three h
ave been in on some big secret for a while, and I've been meaning to ask you."
"Well, you'll see," Zoro said with a slight smile. "'Night, chef."
After Zoro shut the door, Sanji rolled down the window. "Good night, Mr. Techno
Dancer."
"O-oi!" Zoro yelled as Sanji drove off with a roar. "Take that back, bastard!"
Sanji cackled. I'm never going to let him live that down.
Besides he's a pretty good dancer, when he loosens up.
---
The next night
"To Franky House, Jeeves."
"Shut up, Zoro. My name is Sanji."
"Yeah, but isn't Jeeves an awesome butler's name?"
" shut up, Zoro."
They made it to Franky House with little incident, although Tashigi did pull the
m over when she saw them fighting in the car at a stoplight.
"Honestly, I'm going to have to fine you one of these days," she told them with
a sigh as she sent them on their way.
"Franky, Usopp! We're here!" Zoro called as he knocked on the locked doors of th
e workshop.
"We hear you, you big ape," Usopp said as he opened the door. "Don't make such a
racket, you'll bring too much attention. Sanji's here, too?"
"Yeah," Zoro said. "I told him he could be here. Don't worry." After they walked
in, Usopp locked the door and led the way into one of the garages.
"I know the project has been delayed for ages, but it's finally done," Usopp cha
ttered as he unlocked the door. The sound of a buzzing machine squalled as they
walked in, and he yelled, "Franky! If you put any more wax on that thing it'll b
urn like a candle!"
"Hey," Franky greeted them, covering the corner of what he was working on with a
large cover.
"Jeez Franky, just let me see the damned thing already," Zoro grumbled. "It's do
ne, isn't it? One hundred percent, no more bullshit delays?"
"Yeah," Franky said. "We put the finishing touches on a couple of days ago and h
ave been running a few tests to make sure it's ship-shape. I present the FrankOpp
Aerocraft!" He pulled off the cover grandly with Usopp.
"FrankOpp? What kind of a name is that?" Sanji asked.
"It's a mix of our names. We flipped to see whose name would go first," Usopp sa
id. "It's it a beauty?"
Zoro had walked over to run his hand over the machine that had been revealed. "Y
ou really did do everything to my specifications," he said in awe. "How fast can
it go?"
Sanji stared at the contraption before him. What the hell is that thing?
"It can go around 200 on the ground," Usopp said, flicking his nose with a grin. "
But we've never tested it past 250 when the sky is the limit." He said these wor
ds with heavy emphasis, and Sanji blinked.
"Hey, what is this thing? It looks sort of like a really stream-lined motorcycle
," Sanji said in fascination. "I've never seen anything like it."
"The FrankOpp Aerocraft or aerocraft, for short is the first in what we hope will be
a long line of personal motor vehicles," Usopp said proudly. "We've been resear
ching this for years, and had to keep revising it because we kept finding better
stuff to put in it. We had to keep it on the down-low because it's, um, kind of
illegal to ride flying personal vehicles nowadays. If only those idiots hadn't
been sucked into that airplane engine in '95 "
"It runs on a clean energy source," Franky continued. "It can charge up with sol
ar energy even while it moves with a hyper-efficient nickel metal hydride batter
ies, and there are miniature turbines that utilize the wind energy while you mov
e as well as the kinetic energy. The titanium frame resists corrosion and is bot
h strong and light-weight. It uses this new welding method we developed rather t
han screws and bolts, which makes the whole structure even lighter."
Usopp pointed to the seats and the front. "Xenon-halogen bulbs, with a bit of ou
r own mix of gases to make the light softer and purer. Synthetic leather importe
d from Germany that will resist dirt and tears, and that's even machine-washable
. Emergency fog lights that can pierce even the murkiest smog above the city, an
d "
Zoro stopped him with a raised hand. "How does it run? I don't see a keyhole."
"Oh, please," Franky snorted. "Something this valuable? It would be prey to thie
ves in an instant. You just have to register yourself. Right now, the only ones
that it recognizes are me and Usopp." He walked over and quickly plucked a hair
from Zoro's head.
"Ouch! What the hell?"
"Look," Franky said with a smile. He straddled the Aerocraft and gripped the han
dlebars firmly. He fiddled with something before saying clearly, "New master Zoro
Roronoa."
"It's a DNA lock," Usopp explained. "Now this thing will respond to you first an
d foremost. We're just keeping our data in there so we can give it regular maint
enance."
Franky hopped off. "She's all yours, Zoro. Take a seat and I'll guide you throug
h some of the features."
Zoro sat on the seat modeled vaguely after a saddle and put his hands on the han
dlebars. The machine hummed, and Sanji noticed green neon lights flare in the li
nes of the design before fading slightly.
"See this?" Franky said, pointing to the windshield. "You can bring up any infor
mation you need on here. Whether you're navigating through radio stations, or oh y
eah! I put a GPS on here so you don't have any excuse for getting lost," Franky
crowed triumphantly. "Plus, you can even surf the net using wireless connections
, although I wouldn't suggest that you do it while driving. In fact Usopp, where's
the manual?"
Usopp rummaged in a drawer before heaving an enormous book out. "Here. The compl
ete Aerocraft Driver's Manual. It has detailed information on all its features,
as well as what to do should you be stupid and somehow damage it. Even you could
n't hurt it that much," Usopp laughed. "This thing is bullet-proof, and can with
stand heat even higher than the titanium's melting point because of a special wa
sh we put it through. Plus if a driver pisses you off, you can bump 'em without wo
rrying about the state of your own vehicle. Nifty, but you had better not let yo
urself fly off, either."
Zoro took the heavy book, wincing. "Do I really have to read through all of this
?"
"We're not going to teach you how to activate the plasma beams unless you read t
hrough the whole thing," Usopp said. Zoro's face brightened.
"Awesome! Plasma beams?" He dropped the book on the table with a thud and began
to experimentally play with the aerocraft. "This is cook! Hop on, we're taking it
for a spin!"
Sanji looked warily at the machine, but took a seat on the back. "Helmets?"
"I've driven one of these things before. Well, a motorcycle, at least. Don't wor
ry, woman, we won't be out too long, and I won't crash."
" I still feel like we should AAAUUUGH" Sanji screeched as Zoro managed to figure ou
t how to accelerate. Franky opened the door that led outside just in time as the
y roared out of the garage.
"We put plasma beams on this thing?" Franky said in surprise. Usopp laughed.
"Hell, no. I'm not putting a weapon like that in a maniac's hands. He already ha
s three swords. I just said that to give him incentive to read the damned manual
."
Franky grinned. "You do realize he's going to kill you once he realizes that, ri
ght?"
" I was hoping that he'd be too enamored with the thing to remember."
---
"AAAUUUUGGGHHH WE'RE GOING TO DIIIIIIIEEEEEE "
"Shut your piehole, cook, and stop waving your arms around like that! I don't ca
re how strong your legs are. When we take off, I don't want to have to worry abo
ut a death toll!" Zoro roared over the whistling wind.
"Take off?!" Sanji shrieked. "What the hell do you shit shit shit ZORO! There's a
CLIFF! There!"
"I know there's a cliff, you pansy!" Zoro yelled right back. "We're going over,
as soon as I figure out how to work this thing!"
"But we " Sanji lost his voice as he felt them soaring in the air, the stability o
f the ground gone as they went over the edge. " fuck."
"Hm, maybe I should have read that manual before trying to fly."
"AAAAUUUUGH!"
Vrooom!
"Hey, you can open your eyes, cook. We're flying."
Sanji refused to look. He just knew that his brains, and the gray matter that Zo
ro called his brains, were going to get dashed out on the rocks that made up the
coastal cliffs to the west of Navarone. When he didn't feel then descending in
a deadly arc, he cracked one eye open as he clutched Zoro's waist in a deathly g
rip.
"What the hell?" Sanji said in disbelief. "How are we flying?"
"No idea. Ask Usopp or Franky when we get back."
Sanji decided that it was best to give up any reason he had and accept the situa
tion. "The ocean should cushion our fall if something fails, right?"
Zoro smirked in a grin that was pulled back by the whipping wind. "Nah, apparent
ly from this height the water will be as hard as concrete. We'll still die."
"Thanks, Zoro. You could at least try to comfort your terrified passenger."
"Oh, I didn't think even a pansy like you would get scared by a little thing lik
e this," Zoro scoffed.
Sanji pressed his chest into Zoro's back, feeling the other man's heartbeat thum
ping against his own through layers of muscle and bone. Wait "Zoro, your heart is
beating pretty quickly. Are you sure you're not scared, too?"
" hush, you. Just enjoy the view while I figure out how to get us back."
"You really ought to take better care of your life."
"My life is my own to do with as I wish."
"You really ought to take better care of MY LIFE, I mean."
"Heh."
Sanji looked up at the sliver of the moon that hovered in the sky above the roll
ing waves and breathed in the scent of the ocean. Hm, I haven't been out near th
e surf in a while, he thought as his apprehension died away. Zoro felt the chang
e in Sanji's gripped and smiled.
"Feeling better?"
Sanji nodded.
"Good. Let's try some stunts."
"Wait AAAUUUGH!"
---
"I think I see them coming back," Franky said, crushing his can of Cola and open
ing the door all the way. The aerocraft glided in silently, and Zoro grinned as
he looked at the two mechanics.
"That was fucking awesome."
Usopp grinned. "It's great, right? Where'd you guys go?"
"Just through the city and over the ocean a little, not much," Zoro said nonchal
antly. "Hey, wake up, cook. We're here. Stop sleeping."
"Ah, over the over the ocean?!" Usopp exclaimed. "When did you learn the flight ca
pabilities?"
"About two seconds after we went off the cliff," Zoro said as he inspected the a
erocraft. "This thing is great "
Usopp began to foam at the mouth at the absurdity of it all.
"So, Sanji was able to relax enough to fall asleep?" Franky asked, expecting the
worst.
"Nah," Zoro said as he finally slapped Sanji on the cheek. "He fainted after I d
id a few loops and downward spirals."
"I-I see "
Zoro patted the aerocraft fondly before extricating himself from Sanji's death-g
rip (Really, that cook has been falling asleep on me more and more lately) and d
igging into his pocket. "Your payment, gentlemen."
"Zoro," Usopp snapped impatiently as he looked at the paper thrust into his hand
. "We don't need cash. We already told you that the costs are upwards of half a
million just for the materials and research, not to mention oh dear this is a fat
check," he gasped as he read the numbers. "Are you sure you didn't put in an ext
ra zero or two or three on this thing?"
Franky looked at the check, and his jaw dropped. "Bro even someone like you should
n't be able to afford something like this."
Zoro grinned. "Illegal gambling really pays off, you know. I wired half of my wi
nnings to the cook, and I'm going to splurge the rest on this baby. Plus, I'll b
e saving a ton of cash from fuel costs, so just take it."
"Does Sanji know that you wired your Silver Fox Tournament winnings to him?" Fra
nky asked. Zoro shook his head as his cell phone rang. Franky jumped as his phon
e rang as well.
"Hello?" the two men said simultaneously.
"Zoro? It's Vivi."
"Hey, what's up?" It wasn't unusual for her to call him, but when she did, it wa
s usually when all the girls needed something.
"I was wondering what the longest stretch of time you could get off of work is "
"Hm depending on the situation, I could get anywhere from a week to a couple of mo
nths off. What's up?"
"Usopp, Robin wants to talk to you," Franky said as he handed him the phone.
"The girls are planning a trip in two weeks. Want to tag along?"
Something twitched on Zoro's forehead at the words 'tag along,' but he decided t
hat she didn't mean anything malicious by it. "Sure. Details?"
"We'll meet at the Paris Baguette tomorrow morning for that."
"Sounds good," Zoro said. "See you later." He hung up, looking at the other two
men. "I'm guessing that this is all about the same thing?"
"If you just got a cryptic call from a woman about a trip and meeting at the caf
é tomorrow morning, then yes," Usopp said. "If not, then cough cough I don't know wh
at you're talking about, we were just making small talk. Not to exclude you or a
nything."
"You know, you can be an asshole sometimes," Zoro grumbled. "Anyways, I'll ask V
ivi to deposit the Silver Fox Tournament funds into Sanji's account while we're
on the trip. It's perfect." Zoro nodded as he looked back at Sanji with a hint o
f fondness. "Maybe we should ask this fool to come along, too. Do you think the
others will mind?"
"'Course not," Usopp snorted. "He's one of us now, and I'm sure there's a reason
we're all meeting at his café. Besides, he looks like he could use a little vac
ation sun with that pasty skin of his."
---
Sanji heard the door to the Paris Baguette tinkling many times, and he grinned i
n anticipation. A large group, huh? They'll probably be hungry and thirsty, so I
had better get my tough oven mitts on. He stepped out of the oven area and to t
he serving counter, wearing his most winsome smile. "Welcome to the Paris Baguet
te!" He stopped, his mouth half-open as he saw the crowd that had just stepped i
n. Everyone was there, with Zoro in the lead with an impudent smile on his face
and Luffy in the back, his fingers shyly intertwined with Nami's.
"Hey, Sanji!" Chopper exclaimed as he looked around curiously. "Zoro always tell
s us about how good this place is, but I've never been here before!"
"O-oh, does he?" Sanji said as he raised an eyebrow at Zoro. Zoro merely grunted
as his grin faded, to be replaced with an acidic slant of a smile. "What are yo
u all doing here?"
"We're here to order coffee, among other things," Robin said as she surveyed the
menu. "Do you mind if we take your attention for a while, Sanji?"
"Of course not, my lovely violet!" Sanji said enthusiastically. "Just place your
orders and I'll have them out for you faster than you can bat your beautiful ey
elashes!"
"I'll take your house coffee with a slice of graham streusel coffee cake," Robin
said as she turned to Franky. "With one Cola for Franky here."
"You know me too well," he said with a grin. "I'm going to rearrange the tables
so we can talk, is that alright?"
"Go ahead," Sanji said as he scribbled Robin's order down. "Next!"
"One caramel frap," Usopp said as he looked at the display case. "Aaaand one cho
colate croissant."
"Make that two fraps and croissants," Chopper said as he licked his lips in anti
cipation of the sugary treats. "Yum."
"One house coffee, one apple juice, two omelets, three slices of sourdough toast
, one slice of mushroom quiche, Polish sausage, and three oranges," Nami ordered
.
"M-my love!" Sanji gasped. "Surely you're not planning on eating all of that by
yourself?"
Nami laughed. "No, it's all for this idiot," she said as she patted Luffy affect
ionately on the head. "Do you want anything else, Luffy?"
He shook his head happily. "That sounds like a good snack before lunchtime," he
said happily. "Thanks, Nami!"
"Don't forget that you're still paying."
"Of course!"
Zoro pushed them aside playfully, twirling his pinky finger as he rolled his eye
s in a motion that meant She's got him twisted around her little finger. "Orange
juice and omelet," he said. "You know. The usual. Vivi and Tashigi are coming i
n a bit. They said that they'll have a slice of grapefruit, one tall glass of mi
lk, and a blueberry muffin."
"Those two doves are coming as well? My café has never been graced with such fem
inine figures," Sanji cried.
"Well, except for you," Zoro snorted as he went and sat down. "Give me the whole
bill later and I'll cover it."
"Woah, thanks bro!" Franky said. "I can treat you to ice cream later if you want
, Robin."
"We'll see," Robin said with a smile. "Thank you, Zoro."
After a few minutes, Sanji came out from behind the counter balancing trays on h
is arms and even on his head. He set them down easily as he served them before s
ettling down between Robin and Zoro with a cup of coffee in his hands. As he sat
down, Tashigi and Vivi came in and took their seats. "So, what's the occasion?"
he asked. "I know I'm popular and all but "
"Yeah, sure," Zoro snorted. "Actually, we were going to discuss the details of o
ur summer trip, and wanted to know if you wanted to come along, too."
"Yeah," Luffy said enthusiastically. "Vivi's family has their own jet that they
let us use, and it's sooo cool! It's really cool!" He seemed at a loss for what to
say in the face of the awesomeness that was the Nefertari jet.
"Where and when?" Sanji asked. I wonder if I'll be able to afford it but if the ti
cket costs aren't a factor then it shouldn't be too bad
"In ten days," Robin said. "We have our eyes set on Japan for a week. How does t
hat sound?"
Japan? Sanji thought. He looked at Zoro surreptitiously. His homeland
"That sounds wonderful," Sanji said. "As expected of the lovely Robin."
"Oi," Franky said, obviously not liking Sanji's doting.
"I should be able to close the café and let Rain Dinners know," Sanji said. "As
long as I give them notice then it should be fine."
"Yahoo! Then it's all set?" Luffy exclaimed excitedly.
"Luffy, we still have to pack," Ace chided him from the doorway. He walked in wi
th his usual sauntering manner and grinned as he adopted a position stretched ac
ross Vivi, Tashigi, and Nami, running one hand down the cheek of the latter. "He
llo, ladies. Miss me much?"
Vivi's mouth was open in amused surprise, and Tashigi and Nami's fists looked li
ke they were ready to collide with Ace's face. However, Luffy beat them to it.
"Ow! What the hell was that for, Luffy?"
"Don't touch Nami!" Luffy growled. Ace's eyes widened as he looked at the slight
ly blushing Nami and at Luffy's fists, ready for another go.
"Oh ho ho!" Ace cried, jumping up and pointing at the two of them. "You two! Whe
n? How the hell? How far have you two gone?"
This time, it was Nami who punched him on the other cheek. "Sit down in your own
chair so we can finish this meeting," she hissed.
Ace took his seat besides Zoro, looking very amused.
"We'll be meeting on Monday at the Navarone Airport at 7 AM," Vivi said. "The je
t has been reserved for our use only, although my father will be coming along as
a pilot and to conduct business overseas. He'll pick us up the following Monday
at 9PM, according to the time in that zone. Any suggestions on what to pack, Zo
ro?"
Zoro scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, it gets really freaking hot and hum
id in the summer, except for in places like Hokkaido. I just wore whatever the l
ast time I went."
"Really helpful, marimo," Sanji snorted.
"It rains a lot," Zoro added, ignoring Sanji's jibes. "So I guess you should tak
e an umbrella or something."
"There isn't a lot that you need to worry about," Tashigi said. "I haven't been
there for a very long time, but if there's anything you need, you should be able
to get it there."
"Is there anything else we'll need to know?" Nami asked, absent-mindedly petting
Luffy's sleek mop of hair.
"Well, you could get your MMR vaccinations," Robin said as she flipped through a
small pamphlet. "I doubt we'll need to worry about it though. We shouldn't be g
oing anywhere too rural, so encephalitis isn't a problem, either."
"Super!" Franky chugged the last of his cola with a gusto and burped fantastical
ly. This seemed to trigger the end of the official business, and everyone settle
d into casual conversation. Sanji excused himself as he stood and went to the ph
one, intent on calling Rain Dinners right at that moment.
Zoro saw Sanji go to the phone and grimaced to himself. Mihawk would definitely
let him take a week off, but would do so in the most painful manner possible.
---
"Hey, Mihawk "
"How many times have I told you to address me properly, Roronoa?" The Alpha swor
dsman looked up from where he was working at his desk in his office on the top f
loor of Baroque Works. The room was richly furnished with the highest quality fu
rniture and adornments, but Zoro knew that they had all been gifts from his clie
nts.
"If you can call me by my last name, then I can call you by yours."
"I sign your paycheck."
"Fair enough Mr. Mihawk," Zoro said grudgingly. He had the sudden urge to cut some
thing up. Specifically, a mustached and goateed prick. "I'm going to take a week
off starting on Monday in ten days. I'm going to Japan."
"Are you telling me or asking me?" Mihawk looked up sternly from where he was te
nding to his blade with care. Zoro was slightly miffed to see that he was polish
ing the tiny one that usually hung from his neck, not his longer blade; it was l
ike Mihawk was implying that Zoro wasn't good enough to see his Black Blade.
"Uh, both," Zoro said, shifting slightly. "You're not going to, I don't know, do
ck my pay or something because of this, are you?"
Mihawk didn't respond for a moment as he inspected the knife's condition in the
light. Zoro grimaced as he looked at that blade and remembered how it had looked
years ago, smeared with his blood.
"Since you will only be gone for a week then I will let you go," Mihawk finally
said. He returned the knife to its place around his neck and dusted off his hand
s. "However, you will have to face the consequences."
"You let Bones go to Germany for a month and you didn't say anything!" Zoro prot
ested. He was beginning to feel a small knot of dread in the bottom on his stoma
ch. Mihawk's punishments were known to be unusual and horrendously creative at t
imes.
Mihawk ignored this last outburst and took a pad of paper and a pen from a drawe
r in his desk. "When you arrive in Japan, I would like you to take time to visit
the Baroque Works branch in Kyoto. I would also like you to give a demonstratio
n to the kendo class being held there. I will give further instructions to the s
ensei there."
That doesn't sound too bad
"Upon your return, you will train every day with Bon's adult class and accompany
him to the Kamabakka Nightclub every Friday night for four weeks. On the fourth
week, you will perform with Bon and his troupe at Kamabakka."
Zoro stared at Mihawk for a horrified moment.
No.
No.
Nonononofucknoooooo.
Zoro could only continue to gape at this incarnation of the Devil, whose stern s
lant of a mouth was beginning to curl into a cruel smile.
"Have a pleasant trip, Roronoa."
---
[1] Aphelandra is one of the women who find Luffy on Amazon Lily. She's the real
ly tall one.
A/N: Yes, there's a reason the whole project was so secret. It will be elaborate
d upon later.
I just got back from AX09 (second day so far. Would go tomorrow, but parents ..
). I went to the fanfiction panel, which was pretty disappointing in many ways b
ecause a lot of the questions were just plain stupid. The speakers were cool tho
ugh. The expo itself was excellent.
And here's Hancock! http:// timwong . com / ax / photos
Yeah I look a little odd in that picture but it's the finished piece after working
until three the night before Day 1.
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: Yes, I'm back with chapter 13! I apologize (again, and always) for the tard
iness, but prepping for uni has been hectic. Due to the fact that I will be star
ting this semester as a freshman, I am going to finish up both WS and EOS more q
uickly than I had anticipated (save for the next couple of chapters that had bee
n done beforehand) and will go on hiatus, save for the occasional one-shot. This
means that my other projects will be delayed quite drastically...but I will not
stop until my two main stories are finished, I promise.
I hope you enjoy this chapter!
---
Sanji had never seen Zoro in such a foul mood.
"What's eating at you?" Sanji asked as he inspected his closet for light clothes
that would be suitable for a warm climate. He dug out a pad of paper coincidental
ly, the same one that Zoro had used to put up a sign when they had woken up late a
nd began to write a list of things he would need. "Do you think I'll need insect
repellent?"
Zoro shrugged. "The mosquitoes there are about the size of your head. You decide
."
"I guess that means 'yes' " Sanji wrote on his pad. "So, answer?"
Zoro grumbled something about "friggin' Mihawk" and "hate Bon so bad."
"Ah, did he give you trouble about the trip?" I need a luggage bag something sturd
y and easily identifiable.
"Yeah." Zoro was sitting on Sanji's bed as the blond man perused through his inv
entory of belongings. He had been sitting there for the past half hour, saying l
ittle and brooding much. "He don't worry about it. It's nothing important."
Sanji looked skeptically at his friend. "Nothing, you say? Then I guess that the
fact that Bon was so happy in class today after Mihawk visited him means nothin
g?"
"You still go to that class?" Zoro was rather surprised; half of what Bon did co
uld be easily translated as sexual harassment, and the other half was so disturb
ing that it had a category of its own.
Sanji shrugged. "It feels good to work out with other people. So, does it have a
nything to do with that?"
Fuck, I don't want to tell him.
"You'll find out eventually," Zoro grumbled. "Don't forget an umbrella."
"Yes, mother," Sanji sneered. He ran into the hallway and Zoro heard him digging
around in the coat closet. "Where's that aha! Here!" He ran back excitedly and un
furled an umbrella large enough for one person, or two if the space was tight. "
My umbrella!"
Zoro stared. "It has raindrop-shaped zucchini on it."
"Good! You remember from the farmer's market!" Sanji beamed.
Zoro saw Sanji smiling so happily and bit back the mocking remarks that were han
ging from his tongue. "Er. Um. It's cute?"
"I know, right?" Sanji continued to grin as he closed it. "What else will I need "
Zoro chuckled to himself. Sometimes, Sanji acted more like a little kid than the
suave ladies man he tried to be. It's kind of endearing.
"Ugh," Zoro grumbled as he looked at the time. "I had better go. I'm pulling dou
ble shifts all week by helping the other instructors. I'll see you at the airpor
t."
"The airport? That's in a week!" Sanji protested. "But then again I'm doing double
shifts, too alright, I'll see you later."
The two parted, feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
---
"Zoro babyyyyy!"
Oh, fuck.
"Get out of here, Bon." Zoro turned to where he was showing a group of teenagers
how to properly perform the first defensive form.
"But but I'm so excited~!" Bon twirled on one slipper-clad foot as Zoro's students s
niggered. They were a group of snotty young teens who were convinced that they k
new all the answers to the world, and had been forced by their military fathers
to take a mix of martial arts classes. Today was their first session with Zoro,
and they had yet to have a healthy respect for their teacher beaten into them. I
t was only a matter of time. They remind me of Helmopppo a bit, before I got my
hands on him, Zoro thought.
"Excited about what?" Zoro snorted. He turned back to his students. "You, with t
he ugly face wait, that's all of you with the zit under your left nostril. Your stan
ce is too narrow. Look." He walked sedately up to the student and whacked him so
lidly on the thigh. The boy clutched his leg with a howl as he fell. "See how un
stable that is?"
"Oh, you're so cruel!" Bon wailed as he leapt over and embraced Zoro.
"O-oi! Get the hell off of me! You're undermining my teaching methods!" Zoro str
uggled with the flexibly Savate teacher, finally managing to throw him off. He g
rabbed Sandai Kitetsu and brandished it at Bon. "Get out! I'll be seeing more th
an enough of you after I get back!"
Bon slapped a fist into his palm. "That's right! I'll see you later, hon! I can'
t wait to tell Sanji!"
"Wait. Don't tell him," Zoro protested, putting his sword down.
"Why not?" Bon's lower lip trembled in what might have been a pout under all the
lipstick.
"Because I want to surprise him?" Please, please be stupid enough for this to work
"Oh, c'est trés how romantic!" Bon cooed. "Oui oui, je comprende. I will see you,
adieu!"
He waltzed out, none the worse for wear.
Zoro felt a tic throbbing at his temples when his students sniggered behind him
again. He turned and drew Shuusui and Wado Ichimonji.
"Oni Giri!"
The students suddenly lost their swagger when their training clothes fell off of
their bodies in tatters from Zoro's masterfully executed attack.
"Run through the halls! I don't care if you're naked go!"
---
The few days left before the trip passed in a blur of work and weary sleep for b
oth Zoro and Sanji. Because of the trip, there were no meetings at Cipher Pol; i
nstead, they would celebrate at a Japanese nightclub after they had slept throug
h their jet lag.
Zoro looked at the small suitcase he had packed with all his necessities. The in
n that theThe few days left before the trip passed in a blur of work and weary s
leep for both Zoro and Sanji. Because of the trip, there were no meetings at Cip
her Pol; instead, they would celebrate at a Japanese nightclub after they had sl
ept through their jet lag. The inn that they would be staying at belonged to Tas
higi's parents called the Hakone Gora Onsen Tokinoyu Setsugekka [1]. Locals call
it the Oyster Shell, because its interior is so luxurious and it's so exclusive
. It was modeled after traditional Japanese styles, but had all the modern ameni
ties and then some. He wouldn't need to bring all that much.
He looked at his passport for a moment, seeing the number of stamps from differe
nt countries that he had visited on Mihawk's orders and on his own whim to further h
is swordsmanship. Before he had time to reminisce, his phone buzzed; the alarm h
e had set in order to get to the airport on time was going off. He grabbed his h
elmet (Tashigi had nagged him after pulling him over after seeing him ride the a
erocraft on the streets without one) and his keys. Taking one last look at his a
partment, he pulled on his riding jacket and gripped the handle of his suitcase
firmly before shutting the door and locking it. It was time to go.
The streets of Navarone were never truly still, but Zoro had never noticed how q
uiet they were this early in the morning. He yawned, before pulling into an empt
y parking structure and riding silently to the top. There was no one around. He
flipped a switch and felt something shift under his fingers before gliding into
the air and flying in the general direction (so he hoped) of the airport. The ae
rocraft manual lay on his kitchen table; every page was already marred with fold
s, stains, and rips after having been thumbed through thoroughly.
---
"Wow, Zoro actually made it on time!" Luffy laughed as they met at the airport.
Everyone was already there, and they had a bit of time to spare. Sanji peered ov
er the rim of his sunglasses as Zoro rode up to the curb in his aerocraft, drawi
ng envious stares from autophiles all around.
"Very funny, Luffy," Zoro said sarcastically. He didn't mention that his alarm c
lock had been set for 3AM when they were slated to meet at 7AM, and that he had
needed nearly all four hours to find this place. "Where should I leave this befo
re we go in?"
Vivi pointed to a large padded crate where Igaram was waiting, looking around su
spiciously at every passing person. "If you leave it in there, then Igaram will
have it loaded in the jet and we will take it with us. I remember you saying tha
t it'll only respond to you, so we'll just keep it in there." Once everything wa
s done, the large group made their way into the terminal and towards the customs
gate. They drew stares from all around; their faces were not unknown, and a cou
ple of them were downright famous. Sanji felt a little awkward when a group of y
oung girls ran up to Ace and asked for a photograph with him.
Finally, they made their way to the area where their bags would be checked in. "
Oi, cook. Why'd you bring so much crap?" Zoro grumbled as he looked at Sanji's b
ag. It was no larger than anyone else's, but Zoro felt like picking on him.
"Why did you bring so little?" Sanji shot back automatically. "But then again, I
guess all that you need to take care of a plant like you is a watering can and
some fertilizer." Zoro reddened but was hailed by a customs official as his bag
went through the machine.
"Sir, we found a few suspicious items in your baggage. We'll have to search your
bags."
Zoro snorted. "Go ahead. I don't have anything bad in there McKinley," he said, re
ading the man's nametag. The man unzipped the bag, sifting through and pulling o
ut potentially dangerous substances such as Zoro's spare shirts and socks. Final
ly, he reached the bottom, where a long thin case was set diagonally deep in the
case.
"Don't touch that," Zoro hissed immediately, grabbing the edge of the suitcase a
nd pulling it away.
The official held his own and clutched the bag on the other side after this obvi
ously suspicious behavior. "Security!" McKinley screeched. "Security, we have a "
He stopped when he found himself flanked on both sides by Ace and Franky.
"Obviously you're not aware of who you're dealing with," Ace said quietly. His v
oice was low and more intimidating than Sanji could have thought possible from t
he playful man.
"I would suggest that you let us pass," Franky added. His massive arms were a lo
t scarier when he wasn't smiling.
"Or do you want to face retribution from a member of Baroque Works?" Zoro finished
, one strong hang gripping his bag firmly and the other fisted in a not-so-subtl
e threat.
McKinley gulped before waving off the security guards that had come running at h
is call. "False alarm," he said weakly. He quickly and neatly returned all of Zo
ro's belongings to his bag. "My apologies!"
"Are you guys members of the Mafia or the Letters?" Sanji asked in shock. There
had been an oppressively murderous aura on the air, and he wasn't quite sure who
it had come from.
Ace laughed as they finished passing their bags. "We're just people who don't li
ke to be fucked around with."
Franky heaved his hefty bag he had insisted on bringing some of his tools with him o
ver his shoulder and followed Vivi, who was pointing in the direction of their h
angar. "McKinley's just an ass, anyways. It comes with being part of the White B
erets. I've dealt with their kind before, and it's never pretty."
"The White Berets?"
"Airport personnel," Tashigi explained. "They're identifiably by their douche-ba
g white berets." Zoro laughed as he picked up his bag and followed Franky. Sanji
couldn't help but note the rapid change in disposition after someone had threat
ened whatever was in Zoro's bag judging from the size and shape, it was either his
sword case or an extremely long dildo. Either would explain Zoro's reaction, an
d Sanji wasn't going to ask. It's probably just his swords. probably.
Sanji decided to do something incredibly stupid.
"Hey marimo, I guess you didn't want that idiot to touch your giant dildo, huh?"
Sanji gripped the handle of his luggage very, very firmly and dug his feet firm
ly into the ground to prepare to sprint. Zoro smiled at him pleasantly, and Sanj
i thought Maybe I went just a little too far.
"Zoro! Don't kill him!"
"Watch out for that old tourist group!"
"Sanji! Oh, what the hell Sanji, lead him to the hangar and we'll meet you there!
You can hold out until we get there, right? Otherwise, he'll never find it by hi
mself!"
The rest of the group watched Zoro flat-out sprinting after Sanji, yelling somet
hing about "I'm going to impale your skinny ass" and "You're so dead once we get
on that plane"
"They're so energetic," Robin said pleasantly.
"Yeah, usually Zoro would just give someone who had the nerve to say something l
ike that to him the stank eye," Usopp noted. "Of course, the eye enough would ma
ke them grovel on the ground."
"The thirteen hour plane ride should be interesting," Vivi said, looking as thou
gh she was wistfully waving goodbye to a peaceful flight. Nami patted her arm sy
mpathetically. "I'm sure they won't destroy your plane, only each other," Nami s
aid. Everyone looked skeptically at one another. "Or if they do get too rowdy, the
n we'll just knock them out with some chloroform."
---
Zoro panted as he finally caught up to Sanji at the gate leading to the Nefertar
i's jet, who was not looking too chipper after he had dragged his luggage and do
dged other travelers while trying to find the Nefertari hangar. "I'm going .cough to k
ill you ass .hole " Zoro managed to choke out before coughing. "Ugh, I woke up way too
early to do this sort of thing."
"Just hack freaking cigs try it, bas tard " Sanji snapped back as scathingly as he cou
ld. "Can't you cough take a joke?"
"What kind of a freaking urp retarded joke was that? A dildo? Really?" Zoro snarled.
"Don't speak lightly of my swords like that when you don't anything about them!
"
Sanji was about to retort when the ridiculousness of the situation hit him. "Ah ha
haha!"
"What are you laughing at, you dick?" Zoro snapped. "Because we're arguing about
sex toys! It's just so wrong!" Sanji gasped. "It's freaking hilarious!"
Zoro snorted, his bad mood dissipating rapidly. "I still don't think it's funny
but I'll let you off the hook. For now."
"Oh, thank you Lord Roronoa," Sanji chuckled. "I'm oh so pleased to have your gr
acious forgiveness."
"Oh, shut up," Zoro chuckled shortly. "Where are the others?"
"They'll probably need some time to catch up," Sanji replied as he set his suitc
ase on the floor and took a seat on it. "Hey, I have a question "
"Mm?"
"What's flying like?" Sanji looked Zoro straight in the eye, as though he was da
ring Zoro to laugh at him.
"Hm at first it just feels like you're riding a car, but then when the wheels stop
touching the ground it's sort of like riding a really gentle roller coaster." Z
oro tried to remember the feeling that came with riding an airplane, but it was
difficult; usually, he fell asleep the moment he sat down until the moment the p
lane touched the ground. "It's not that scary or anything."
"In case you haven't noticed, I have a bit of trouble when it comes to heights,"
Sanji said, unsuccessfully trying to mask the quaver in his voice.
"Like on the aerocraft?"
"Yes, like that. By the way, why are you bringing that thing to Japan? Isn't it
illegal?"
"Only in the States," Zoro said with a sharkish smile. "In other countries they'
re all scrambling to perfect the technology. Part of the reason that we're going
to Japan is because Franky and Usopp are giving a presentation on the FrankOpp,
and they need someone to show them how it runs while they talk."
"So they're like Willy Wonka and you're like an Oompa Loompa."
"You have a knack for twisting things in the most unattractive way," Zoro growle
d.
"There they are! Wow, they sure got here fast!" Luffy laughed as he swung his ba
g enthusiastically. "We saw you run past us like, five times!"
"Let's go in, shall we?" Robin proposed. "We're ahead of time, but it would be p
rudent of us to be ready just in case."
Igaram (who had apparently already safely deposited the aerocraft in the jet's b
elly) was there to open the door that led to the small luxury plane.
"Wow, I never thought I'd ever ride on a personal aircraft like this," Nami said
in astonishment as she took in the metal machine. "It even has the Nefertari cr
est on the tail."
Inside was all plush leather seating and upholstery; mahogany trimming; state of
the art technology; the seats were arranged to face forward, but upon further i
nspection were shown to be able to pivot and move as the passenger desired.
"Welcome, welcome!" Vivi's father stepped out from the cockpit. "My name is Cobr
a Nefertari. Please make yourselves at home!" He smiled as he spread his arms wi
de. "Feel free to help yourself to anything from the bar or refrigerator once I
turn off the seatbelt sign. We also have an assortment of games and DVDs that yo
u may use. The flight is going to be very long, so I suggest that you make yours
elves as comfortable as possible." He turned and vanished in the cockpit again,
at which point everyone began to find their seats and settle down.
"I'll be right back, I need to check and make sure that the aerocraft is safely
stored away," Zoro muttered, running back out the door. Usopp shook his head.
"He ought to know that the aerocraft is sturdy enough to withstand a fall from t
he edge of a cliff. I think he really likes the FrankOpp, huh?"
Robin smiled as Franky nodded. "It is unusual to see him get so attached to mate
rial objects. Oh, Sanji? Do you mind taking that empty seat over there?" Robin p
ointed to a pair of empty seats. "I'm sure that you would like to sit next to Na
mi, but Luffy may have a problem with that." Sanji looked at the smoldering Luff
y and scowled.
"I'll let you sit next to her this time, but I get to sit next to her on the way
back," Sanji protested weakly. He remembered the first time he had met Luffy, a
nd how the lithe boy had managed to land a hard blow on both him and Zoro at the
same time.
Luffy grinned. "Oh, good. You get to sit next to Zoro!"
"What about me?" Zoro climbed through the door as he took one of the two empty s
eats left. Sanji groaned mockingly as he sat down next to Zoro. "Oh, great. I ge
t to sit next to your sorry ass for half a day."
"You know you like it."
Sanji's eyes bugged out at the implication that he liked Zoro's ass but was inte
rrupted as Cobra's voice crackled on the intercom.
"Testing, testing one two three can you hear me?"
"Yes, papa!" Vivi called. "The plane is so small, do you really need to use that
?"
Cobra chuckled. "It makes me feel so official, though. Erhem, alright. Please fa
sten your seatbelts, we're about to take off."
The engines revved as the plane warmed up and Zoro leaned back with a sigh. "I c
an't wait until we're in the air so I can recline properly," he sighed. "How're
you holding up, cook?"
Sanji's knuckles were white against the seat as he gripped it in a tight hold. "
I-I'm fine."
"We haven't even started moving."
"I SAID I'm fine."
"Oh, now we're moving."
"...shit "
Zoro looked down at the poor seat handle and shrugged before patting Sanji awkwa
rdly on the hand. "It won't be long. We're not even in the air yet."
"Thanks for the reminder."
"Do you want some motion-sickness pills?" Chopper asked, twisting around from th
e seat ahead of them to look at Sanji. "I brought some just in case."
Sanji shook his head. "I'll be fine." His pale skin had a slight red tinge that
was quickly turning green as the nose of the plane lifted off of the ground. Whe
n the back wheels lifted off as well, he groaned and gripped the seat more tight
ly. Zoro saw the leather covers being pursed by Sanji's nails and grimaced as he
made a decision.
"Hold my hand," he muttered under his breath.
"What?" Sanji's voice was strained.
"I said hold my hand, fucker."
Sanji looked at Zoro's open hand and seized it after a moment's hesitation, lett
ing the poor armrest live and instead attacking the warm flesh.
"Why the hell are you squeezing back, bastard?" Sanji hissed.
"Because you're digging your nails into my hand, idiot!" "You were the one who t
old me to hold your hand!"
"Well, you looked like you were going to faint or puncture a hole in the leather
, so shut up!"
"Then stop complaining!"
"Why don't YOU stop complaining, huh?"
"Uh, guys?" Usopp's voice was faint and timid. They ignored him.
"I don't need to hold your hand!"
"Then stop holding it!"
"Oi!" Nami punched them both upside the head from behind. "Both of you, shut up!
You're too loud, and the plane has already stabilized!" Zoro and Sanji looked u
p in surprise and saw that everyone was staring at them.
Cobra's voice came out uncertainly from the speakers. "Er, ladies and gentlemen,
I repeat you may now walk around the cabin. Don't forget that the seats are adjus
table."
Zoro and Sanji looked around at everyone looking at them and turned simultaneous
ly to look at their tightly clasped hands.
"Augh!"
"Shit!"
They let go and the same time and shook their hands off of invisible I-just-touc
hed-another-man-germs. Zoro saw that he had tiny moon-circles from Sanji's nails
in his skin; Sanji noticed that his hands were slightly bruised and sore. Zoro
and Sanji sat pointedly far away from one another; Zoro took a seat next to Fran
ky and the bar as Sanji picked up the game controller thrown at him by Luffy and
looked at the screen blankly.
"How do you play?" Sanji asked as he inspected the controller. "I've never playe
d one of these things before."
"You're kidding me, right? Even Chopper has played!" Usopp said in disbelief. "I
'll teach you the basics, and then we can move on to the finer parts of the game H
alo isn't all that hard, believe me." A few minutes later, the game was on and e
veryone was watching in interest. Zoro looked over the rim of the thick whiskey
glass he was already drinking from and snorted as he saw Chopper manage to shoot
Sanji in the head.
"Pfft, idiot "
"So, I saw you helping Sanji through the take-off. That was very sweet of you."
Zoro groaned as Robin took Franky's place when the mechanic decided to play on S
anji's team.
"Well, it was all in the name of furniture," Zoro said lamely. "You know. The armr
est and all."
"Of course," Robin beamed. "He looks like he could use your help again." They co
uld hear Sanji yelling, "Damnit, Usopp! Not a crotch shot!"
"Karma," Zoro muttered under his breath. "I think I'll just let him suffer."
"How does it feel, to hold a man's hand?" Zoro looked up in shock at the suddenl
y straightforward question.
"W-what? You know what it feels like."
"Yes, but not as a man. Are his hands soft, like a woman's? Or rough and callous
ed from working in the kitchens?" Robin's voice was soft, and Zoro knew that no
one else could hear her over the racket that the gamers were making. She didn't
fail to notice the sudden flush in Zoro's cheeks.
"It feels like I'm holding a handful of shit."
Robin chuckled. "Oh, of course. I'm sure you're quite familiar with the feeling.
"
"Hey!"
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to save our little chef friend," Robin said
, sidling up to Sanji and picking up another controller. "Sanji, I'll join your
team as well."
"Ah, but I couldn't let such a delicate blossom as yourself engage in such oh shit
you just shot him in the face," Sanji's jaw dropped. "I mean, er, pardon my Fre
nch wow. You're really good at ouch that's brutal."
"Robin, that's no fair!" Luffy protested. "Namiiii, can you help me?"
"Knucklehead," Nami laughed as she picked up the seventh controller. "But then i
t's four on three. Isn't that unfair, too?"
Luffy looked as though he was straining to think. "I know! Zoro can join their t
eam! He'll be easy to pick off, anyways!" Luffy announced with a sly look in his
eyes. Zoro knew that this was just a trap but took the bait.
"Let's see about that, bastard," he snarled as he picked up the last controller.
"You're on."
Three hours of intense gaming later they all leaned back, groaning as they stret
ched out sore fingers and backs. "That was crazy," said Zoro as he cracked his n
eck. "But we beat you."
"So, uh, how much longer do we have until we get to Japan?" Usopp said nonchalan
tly as he scooted away from Sanji and looked at him in a leery manner. "I mean,
uh, I'm sorry Sanji for shooting you in the crotch repeatedly."
"It's cool, Usopp."
" not-that-you-didn't-deserve-it-or-anything "
"What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing!"
Robin checked her watch. "I believe it is around one o'clock in the afternoon, J
apan time," she said. "They're a little more than half a day ahead of us."
"So we're traveling to the future?" cried Luffy, throwing his hands up into the
air excitedly. "That's awesome!"
Usopp shook his head. "No, Luffy. See, there's this "
"Are we going to a Mystery City?" continued Luffy, taking no note of Usopp.
Zoro grinned. "Yeah, Luffy. We're going into the future. If you're lucky, you mi
ght even see a flying car or motorcycle." Sanji smirked at these words, as did Uso
pp and Franky. They all sat back and relaxed, falling into fairly solitary activ
ities like reading, or, in Luffy's case, bugging anyone who was half-listening t
o play with him.
"Naaaami ."
"Go bug Ace," she said immediately as she flipped a page of her magazine. "Oh, p
urple nail polish just doesn't work on her "
"Aaaace "
"Hey Luffy, Franky looks like he's working on one of his gadgets," Ace retaliate
s with an almost lazy sort of ease.
"Damnit, Portgas!" Franky swore as Luffy literally leapt over to him and crouche
d on the floor in front of him. "Now this screw needs to go here oy, bro, go bother
Robin. Nothing ever fazes her."
After a few more rounds of hot potato (Luffy style) the last one left was Zoro.
"Kuso " Zoro grumbled, rubbing his head and pulling his chair up from where he had
been ready to take a nap. "What do you want, Luffy?"
Luffy looked up at him plaintively. "I'm boooored, Zorooooo."
"So?"
"Let's do something!"
"And if I say I just want to sit here and sleep?"
Luffy looked around furtively and Sanji watched in fascination as Luffy leaned o
ver and whispered something into Zoro's ear. Sanji leaned forward eagerly to hea
r but when he heard "Usopp" and "tell Sanji," Zoro immediately put his hands up
in defeat.
"Hey hey now, no need for that," Zoro said sourly. "Fine, what do you want to do
?"
"Let's " Luffy looked around with one finger on his lower lip and his eyes wide. "
Vivi, what is there to do on this plane?"
Vivi looked up from where she was talking to Robin. "Hm? Well, we could do more
group activities. Zoro, we should try not to sleep yet," said Vivi. "By the time
we get there it'll be very late at night. If we fall asleep when we get there t
hen we shouldn't have to worry about jet lag." She looked around the cabin and s
ighed as she pulled out a deck of cards. "Spoons, anyone?"
"Spooons!" cried Luffy excitedly. "I love that game!"
Vivi went to a drawer and pulled out a handful of stainless steel spoons. "Okay,
everyone playing, let's get into a circle we'll sit on the floor for this."
"I'll sit this one out," Robin said as she pointed to a pamphlet she was reading
. "I'm looking up other things to do in the area we're going to."
"Oh, Robin is so smart," Sanji cooed as he took a seat next to Zoro. "Budge up,
you big lump." He squeezed in between Luffy and Zoro as he picked up the cards d
ealt to him. "So how do you play?"
Zoro pointed to the eight spoons in the middle of the circle. "See those? There
are only enough for eight of us, but there are nine of us sitting here. We pass
the cards around oi!" Zoro glared at Luffy, who had already started the game in th
e direction away from him and Sanji. "Wait for me to finishing explaining, assho
le!"
Luffy cackled as he looked at the cards and threw them to his left as fast as he
could. "Shishishi, gotta hurry, gotta hurry!"
Zoro snorted as he waited for the cards to come around the circle. "When you get
a card, you can switch it with one in your hand and throw the other card aside
or just keep passing it along. If you get four of a kind, then grab a spoon. If
someone else gets four and you see that person grab a spoon, then you can grab o
ne too, even if you don't have four. Ugh, here we go." He began to flip the card
s and put them face down next to Sanji. "Hurry up, you fool, or you'll fall behi
nd!"
"Ack!" Sanji's hands moved as fast as he could to keep up with this group. I've
never seen anyone's hands move so quickly! he thought in disbelief. I knew that
these people were extraordinary, but hot damn! He looked at the number of spoons
in the middle. One, two, three, four, five, six His eyes widened. When did they
grab two? He surreptitiously snuck a spoon from the middle; he saw that Nami and
Ace were flipping cards without looking at them, and could see a spoon tucked u
nder their fingers. Ah. Suddenly, Luffy's hand shot into the middle as he threw
his cards into the air in the mad scramble for spoons. Zoro nearly punched Sanji
in the eye as he dove for one, and Usopp and Chopper were wrestling on the side
(with Usopp being nearly suffocated in the process). Franky held a slightly ben
t spoon in his hand as he apologized to Tashigi, who he had elbowed. In the end,
Zoro had been thwarted by a particularly vicious pinch on Luffy's end, and his
hands were empty.
"So, what happens now?" Sanji asked. Luffy grinned evilly.
"Weeell, we have a couple of punishment games." Nami sidled up to him with a smi
le. "Perhaps we ought to ask an, ah, impartial person what to do. Robin?"
"Shit," Zoro muttered. Sanji chuckled. Robin was already smiling disarmingly as
she looked at the group.
"Does anyone have a marker?"
Usopp pulled a permanent marker from his pocket. "Here, Robin." Robin stood and
gently pushed the kneeling Zoro onto the ground with one hand as she straddled h
im on the lap with her legs on each side of his.
"Woah," Sanji said. "Nice position."
Franky scowled. "R-robin?"
Zoro was scooting back in a manner that would have been called 'nervous' had he
been a lesser man. She pulled him forward by the front of his shirt and unscrewe
d the cap of the pen with her teeth.
"'S' for 'spoons,'" she said in a sultry voice as she drew a small but visible '
s' on Zoro's forehead. She stood, recapping the pen and smiling again. "Whoever
gets all the letters of the word 'spoons' first will face a punishment that I wi
ll determine once that person gets the last letter. Agreed?" Zoro's "Hell no!" w
as lost in a chorus of "Yes!" Sanji gulped as they regrouped in a circle. He had
a feeling that they were all in danger of grave injuries, now that Zoro was get
ting serious.
---
Eight people nursed bruises. Usopp swore that his nose was broken, again. (Again
? Sanji thought.) Luffy and Zoro had bits of green and black hair stuck under th
eir fingernails, respectively. Nami's knuckles were red and sore from the impact
of fist against face. Vivi was untouched, but Sanji was carrying all of her inj
uries. Tashigi was also relatively unharmed, but that was because anyone who had
gotten in her way learned not to cross her. They all had at least three letters
on their faces. Sanji had five. Zoro had six. Zoro was screwed.
"Zo~ro."
"Shut up, Luffy."
"Zoooo~roooo!" Luffy's voice was joined by everyone else's as they chanted in a
sing-song manner.
Zoro groaned. "Okay, Robin. What's my punishment?" Take it like a man, take it l
ike a man
Robin closed her traveling brochure like Saint Peter passing judgment. "I'll let
you know before we land. For now, you can relax."
Sanji snorted with laughter. Now he won't be able to relax for fear of what's go
ing to happen to him, he thought. I almost feel sorry for the bastard.
"How much time do we have left until landing?" Zoro grumbled.
"You spent an astonishing three hours playing that game," Robin informed him. "S
o we have about seven hours left."
"Seven?"
"Oh my god!"
"That's so long!" A chorus of complaints met Robin's words.
"There's a game that might take up all those seven hours," she said affably as s
he pulled out another book and began to read. "It's called 'Let's see who can si
t on a knife the longest.' Who wants to play?" Everyone quieted down.
"Wow," Sanji whispered. "Even Robin seems to be getting a bit of cabin fever. I'
ve never seen her be so blatantly violent. Usually it's just suggestive threats
and the like." Zoro shrugged in response as he pulled out a battered old book. S
anji snuck a peak at the spine and saw that it was Sun Tzu's The Art of War. "Yo
u read stuff like this? Wait." He paused. "You read?"
"Very funny," Zoro muttered. "Yes, I read. I'm not an illiterate idiot who only
swings swords and drinks beer all day."
"Funny, because "
"Oh, you're such a comedian," said Zoro sarcastically. "Didn't you bring anythin
g to keep you busy?"
"You're here. Why should I have?"
For some reason, Zoro felt strangely pleased to hear this. "Well " Don't act like
Chopper when he's complimented, damnit! Don't do it! "Hearing you say that doesn
't make me happy at all." You dumbass, you did. [2]
"Well, it was an insult, you know. This is why you're entertaining." Zoro rubbed
his temple; for some reason, it was very hard to concentrate on wartime strateg
ies when he felt the urge to kill something with his hands.
"Hey, cook."
"Yeah?"
"Two Truths and a Lie."
" what?"
"Let's play Two Truths and a Lie."
"What the hell is that?"
"You don't play games much, do you?" Zoro sighed. "Okay, so you have to say two
truths and one lie and the other person has to guess which one is which."
"In that order or what?"
"No, moron!" Zoro rubbed his temples. "You say two truths and a lie in any parti
cular order. You go first."
Sanji sighed. "Why do I have to go first?"
"Because I said so, and apparently I'm supposed to be entertaining you."
" maybe I should have designated Vivi or Nami or Robin or Tashigi as my entertaine
r "
"Two truths and a lie. Now."
"Fine, fine um " It's a lot harder to do than it seems. "Okay. First truth or lie! M
y favorite spice is cumin."
"What the hell is cumin?"
"It's a spice, now hush."
"Oh, thanks for enlightening me."
"Hush! Second I'm allergic to honeydew melons."
"You must think about food as much as Luffy," Zoro said drily.
"Third " Sanji persevered. " ."
"Yes?"
"I once kissed a man when a girl asked me to."
Zoro stared before immediately saying, "Number three. It has got to be number th
ree."
Sanji looked up at the ceiling as his pale cheeks flushed slightly. "You know, I
'm not allergic to anything, which is a great asset as a chef "
"Oh, that's interes wooooaaah," said Zoro. "You a guy really? For a woman?"
Sanji twiddled his thumbs. "One day, I'll tell you more about it. When there are
n't as many people around." Zoro looked around at the other travelers. Everyone
else had already fallen asleep or had headphones in their ears, while Sanji and
Zoro were sitting in a corner, slightly secluded from the others.
"I don't think anyone else is listening," he murmured, dropping his voice slight
ly. "Come on. Spill."
Sanji shook his head. I knew it was a bad idea to use that one.
"Er, please?"
"No."
"Pretty please with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry on top?"
Sanji stared. "Please do not do that."
"What?"
" I love maraschino cherries. I was involved with this girl with a food fetish who
would spread whipped cream and cherries all over "
Zoro had a feeling that the fact that they'd been cooped up in the same small sp
ace for such a long period of time was beginning to addle both their brains. "Le
t's, uh stop. I guess it's my turn?"
"Yep. Go."
Zoro furrowed his brow, knowing that he'd have to have some sort of dirt on hims
elf to lure out Sanji's "I kissed a boy and I liked it" story [3]. "I once made
myself sick in Japan when I ate a bowl of wasabi."
"Even you wouldn't be that stupid." Zoro ignored him.
"When I tried dying my hair black, I stole er, I bought the wrong color and ended
up walking around with purple hair until it eventually washed out."
"Okay, that sounds more like something that you would do."
Zoro hesitated slightly before saying number three. "I once woke up in bed next
to Usopp."
"Lies. That last one was a lie," Sanji said immediately. "There's no way in hell "
"I only ate a spoonful of wasabi, not a bowl. How the hell would I get through a
bowl of that crap before realizing that 'ouch, this is extremely painful in the
worst way possible?'" Zoro shook his head. "You're an idiot, cook."
"So, how did it happen?"
"I'm not telling you. You wouldn't tell me about your homosexual escapades."
"That's because it was just one time! For a girl!"
"If a girl told you to castrate yourself, would you do it?"
" that's beside the point here "
"I'll tell you what," said Zoro. "You tell me, and I'll tell you."
"No."
"No?" How could he not have taken the bait?
"Yes, no."
"You really don't want to know about what happened that night?"
Sanji shuddered. "Between you and Usopp? I hope that those tales are buried deep
underground and left to be incinerated by Beelzebub himself. No, I'd rather not
hear about it."
"Fine." Zoro turned away and closed his eyes, fully intending to take a nap. San
ji didn't let on that he was actually burning with curiosity. Damnit, you're sup
posed to press more and I'll give in! he thought furiously. Okay, how am I going
to bring this up without sacrificing my dignity Zoro frowned as he felt someone
poking him in the ribs. "Mm?"
Poke, poke.
"I know it's you, love-cook. What do you want?"
"Love-cook? When did you think that up?" Sanji paused. "I kind of like it."
"Ugh just tell me why you're disrupting my nap."
"Isn't napping now going to mess you up with jet lag?"
"Like I care," Zoro grumbled. "Is that all you wanted to ask?"
"What happened with you and Usopp?" Sanji pleaded. He pulled on his best begging
face. "If you tell me, I'll tell you about the kiss." Zoro looked around and saw
that everyone around them was trying very hard to pretend like they weren't list
ening. Later, he mouthed at Sanji. For now, just sleep the hours away.
Sanji sighed. "Fine," he muttered. "You had better keep your promise." They sat
in silence, save for the brief interval of food provided by the airlines.
---
"Zoro?"
"Nnnggh?" Zoro cracked one eye open and saw Robin looking down at him. "Whassama
tter, R'bin?"
She smiled sweetly. "We have thirty minutes left until landing. I thought you sh
ould get your punishment over with. From the Spoons game."
Zoro groaned as he stood and stretched. "Everyone's sleeping?"
"Yes. I had to put some pills into Luffy's juice to get him to sleep, but they'r
e all sleeping now. I'll wake them up when we're about to land."
Zoro decided not to dwell on the fact that Robin had used sleeping pills on Luff
y just to get him to calm down. "What's my punishment? I'm surprised you're not
waking everyone up to see."
"Oh, they'll see, eventually. Come here?" She led him by one hand into the bathr
oom. While it was roomier than most airplane restrooms, it was still quite small
and cramped for two people. "Take off your clothes."
" what?" Zoro stared as Robin crossed her arms, tapping the floor patiently. "You'
re not on anything, are you?"
She sighed as she shut the door and began to pull at his shirt. "Don't be shy. Y
ou don't have anything that I haven't seen already."
"Robin, why are you undressing me? Not that I mind, of course, but oh hell. No." R
obin was holding up something that was in shades of pastel green and white and t
hat was definitely not for men to wear.
"What?"
"I'm not wearing that."
---
"Please rearrange the seats to their normal positions. We will be landing in fiv
e minutes." Cobra's voice crackled over the intercom, waking everyone up.
"Mmmm, that was a nice nap. Woah, it's dark outside!" Chopper cried as he looked
out the window. "Usopp, look! You can see the lights of the city!"
"That's amazing!" said Luffy as he elbowed Usopp out of the way for a better loo
k.
Sanji went to another window and looked at the cityscape. So this is Japan. From
above, it doesn't look all that different from anywhere else except there's a lot
of ocean. "Hey, Zoro, look." When Zoro didn't answer, he looked around.
"Zoro?"
"Don't say a word." Sanji felt a rough hand on his mouth as he was pulled into a
seat next to the window seat.
"Mmfph!" Sanji struggled. "What are you doing, bastard?" he hissed. Suddenly, he
stopped short as he took in Zoro's appearance. "What the hell are you wearing?"
"Shut up and sit down." Obviously, Zoro had made Sanji sit next to him to block
him from everyone else's sight.
Sanji chuckled. "Really, though. What is that, a dress? And you're even wearing ma
keup!" Sanji poked Zoro's cheek, which was slathered in cosmetic powder. "Rouged
lips, eyeliner you're quite cute, you know." Zoro punched him in the arm, and San
ji winced. It had still been worth it. "I'm guessing this is your punishment?"
"No shit, Sherlock." The light for the seatbelts went on, and they began their d
escent. Sanji swallowed as he felt the plane moving down; it was a bit disconcer
ting. He didn't notice that he had sought out Zoro's hand until he felt Zoro squ
eeze his hand slightly. Despite Sanji's teasing, Zoro was still willing to help
Sanji; the chef smiled slightly. The smile vanished when Zoro kept squeezing; it
was replaced by a painful grimace. Zoro smiled sadistically. When they landed,
Sanji decided to pay Zoro back for crushing his hand.
"Zoro, what on earth are you wearing?" Sanji said loudly. Everyone turned to loo
k as Zoro groaned.
"Zoro, when did you change? Is that a kimono?" Tashigi chuckled as she covered h
er mouth with her hand. "You look so pretty," she snorted.
"Oy! Urusei!" Zoro picked up his bag and stormed out of the cabin as soon as the
door opened to escape the peals of laughter on his tail. Sanji grinned as he sa
w that Zoro was even wearing those quaint little wooden sandals that looked so u
ncomfortable to wear and walk in, and that his movement was restricted by the ti
ght fit of the kimono. The pattern was a creamy white with pale green flowers an
d leaves in the silky material.
"Actually," Robin said, "It's a yukata. A bit lighter, for summer weather."
"Where did you get one that would fit him?" Franky asked in fascination. "I mean
, he's a pretty trim guy, but with those shoulders come to think of it, you're qui
te a bit taller than he is, so it can't have been yours " Robin smiled mysteriousl
y before picking up her bag and following Zoro out the door.
"No way," Ace said. "She must have been planning to make him wear it before comi
ng on the plane. Her foresight and planning are scary." One by one, they left the
plane and entered the humid heat of the Japanese summer climate.
"Oof," Sanji grimaced as he felt a trickle of sweat already forming at his templ
es at the heat. "Isn't it late at night right now? Why's it so hot?" He could he
ar cicadas droning amidst the not-so-distant honking of taxis and roar of other
airplane engines. "Marimo! Wait for us!" Zoro was already far off in the distanc
e, walking as fast as his sandals would let him.
"Do you think he realizes he's going the wrong way?" Usopp wondered out loud. Ev
eryone shook their heads.
---
Zoro stormed through the airport, ignoring the stares he was getting when people
 realized that despite the fact that he was wearing a woman's yukata the design wa
s rather feminine, and Robin had even made him wear a stuffed bra that he was a ma
n, damnit! Wait, where the hell am I? I could have sworn that I walked past this
baggage claim carousel twice already
"Excuse me, miss. Do you need help finding your way?" Ace sniggered as he offere
d his arm to Zoro. "It looks like you're lost. Why don't you come home with me?"
"You guys suck," Zoro growled as he rejoined the group. "Let's get out of here."
"Say 'onegaishimasu,'" Tashigi teased. "Neh, Zoro-chan?" All the way on the ride
from the subway to the inn, Zoro faced similar torments. In the crowded subway,
there was no escaping the stares of the locals as he became increasingly red-fa
ced from the attention and embarrassment. Sanji was surprised that there were so
many people around even at this time of night, but with the population density
of the country on such a small piece of land, it was to be expected. Sanji chuck
led as he saw that even though the yukata was strained at the shoulders, Zoro's
body was still quite shapely through the silk. If I couldn't see his face or sho
ulders, I might think he was a pretty curvy chick, Sanji thought. With curves of i
ron and steel, that is. They arrived at the inn and checked in with the innkeepe
r who had just stubbed a cigarette onto a mound of ashes that sat in a small ash
tray at the front desk.
"Welcome to the Hakone Gora Onsen. Name, please?" Her voice was calm and bore fa
int traces of an accent in her English.
"Obasan!" Tashigi ran forward and embraced the slim woman. "It has been a long t
ime! Everyone, this is my aunt Shakuyaku or Shakky, for short. Obasan, this is every
one."
"Oh, this is your group?" Shakky smiled, her lush lips spread in a smile not unl
ike Robin's. "Welcome to the Oyster Shell. Please, come this way. Tashigi-chan,
your parents are out inspecting their other properties and will not be back for
some time." She led them through many corridors lined with highly polished woode
n walls and rice-paper doors. It was extremely traditional in design, but the la
mps along the walls emitted a soft electric glow, and they could hear the flush
of a toilet as they passed a bathroom. "Here is your deluxe suite enjoy." She hand
ed them all a set of keys and bowed as she left them.
"Wow, these rooms are amazing," Vivi said appreciatively as they spilled into th
e rooms. "It looks like these are all doubles, so we'll go two to a room."
"We get our own pool! Cool!" Luffy crowed as he dashed out through a back door i
nto a steaming pool. "Yowch! Hot, hot!"
Ace shook his head as he watched his little brother dance around to try and cool
himself off. "Well, looks like I'll be rooming with my little brother. No one e
lse would be able to stand him."
"These beds are so comfortable." Chopper's voice drifted out of a side sliding d
oor, and Zoro peered in to see that he had collapsed onto one of the two large b
eds in his room. "Usopp, want to room with me?"
"Sure," Usopp said as he jumped onto the other bed. "Wow, down feather beds! Thi
s is great!"
Sanji yawned as he wandered into a random bedroom and fell onto the bed face-fir
st with a slight flump. "Man, I'm bushed I'm claiming this room." It didn't take l
ong for the weary chef to fall asleep on the soft comforters and mattress. Zoro
looked around as everyone drifted off to their respective rooms in pairs: Robin
and Franky, Vivi and Nami, Ace and Luffy, Chopper and Usopp. Tashigi was staying
with her aunt in another room, but promised to rejoin them after visiting her f
amily in the next few days. That left him with Sanji. Great, just with the most
intolerable bastard, he thought without much conviction. Well, he's not so bad,
I guess. At least he doesn't snore. He chuckled as he went into the room and fou
nd Sanji in a belly-flop position on the bed.
"Cook? You awake?" A soft snuffling sound that he was not unfamiliar with was th
e only response. "You'll wake up with back cramps if you sleep like that. Hello?
" He sighed, dropping his bag on the floor and pushing Sanji into a more comfort
able position. "There we go " Zoro took one last look at Sanji's face before falli
ng on his back on his own bed. For some reason, sleep did not come easily that n
ight.
---
[1] The name of this onsen is real, and it's supposed to be one of the best in J
apan. However the rest is just stuff I made up, haha! [2] Wouldn't it be adorable
if Zoro did the whole Chopper-wiggly-dance? [3] Song by Katy Perry. At the momen
t we have no idea if Sanji did like it or not. A/N: I have been torturing Zoro a
lot, of course but I'm just trying to balance out all the Sanji-fails that I've b
een putting in! I swear!
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: Chapter 14, the only one I had had any work on. These things take a while I'l
l usually go through at least 5 or 6 times to add or take out things, sigh. Than
k you for waiting.
---
Mmmmm, sooo sooooft
Sanji blinked as he felt filtered sunlight warming his face, and grimaced as he
realized from the grittiness of his mouth that he hadn't brushed his teeth; as h
e rubbed a hand across his face, he realized he hadn't washed his face, either.
Man, my hair could use a good washing, too. This climate is just wait. I'm in Japa
n. I. Am. In Japan.
Sanji sat up and blinked again as he took in the surroundings that he had been f
ar too tired to see the morning before. He saw lacquered furniture of the finest
quality, including a bed stand, table, and two chairs over gleaming wooden floo
r panels (Cypress, or cedar?) encompassed by clean white walls framed by ornate
sandalwood carvings. The beds were set low to the ground in a manner similar to
Zoro's, but with ground-set bed frames. Sanji himself was surrounded by a cloud
of airy pillows and comforters that enveloped him in the most delicious way, and
he hummed in pleasure as he looked out a round window and saw a picturesque sce
ne of the hot springs and pine trees.
Looks like there's a plant inside, too, Sanji thought wryly as he turned to look
at Zoro's slumbering form in the bed next to his. I'll let him sleep. Climbing
out of bed silently and padding across the room, he quietly opened the door and
went into the hallway. From the sound of it, everyone else was still sleeping; h
e explored until he found the bathroom, which was equipped with a cabinet full o
f all the soaps and cleaning agents he could want. The floors were tiled with ch
arcoal-black tiles while the walls were covered with pearly white ones. A large
mirror and vanity graced one side of the bathroom while a sink sat opposite; a s
hower and bathtub were visible through a doorway opposite the entrance. He pulle
d off his clothes and dropped them into a basket conveniently located by the doo
r before grabbing a few bottles from the shelves and running the water.
"Ah, that's much better," Sanji sighed as he rinsed off the grime of traveling.
Once he had cleaned up to his own standards (there was a box of toothbrushes and
toothpaste, too) he wrapped a towel (This place is so convenient) around his wa
ist and went back into the hallway, rubbing his head with a smaller towel. He fo
und everyone else waking up and stumbling out of doorways here and there.
"Good morning, Sanji," Robin said with a smile as she came out of her room; Sanj
i didn't fail to notice that she looked perfectly composed and neat, and that sh
e had probably washed up before going to bed last night. "Or, as the Japanese wo
uld say, 'ohayo gozaimasu.'"
"Good morning," Sanji said with a smile. "Hungry? Perhaps I should whip up a " He
stopped short. "We don't have a kitchen in here, do we?"
Robin shook her head. "I believe that they will cater to our needs in that area,
though. Can you smell that?"
Sanji's sensitive nose had already picked up the scent of something delicious in
the air. "Hm, a hint of garlic, fermented soy I had better go wake up the Neander
thal, then."
Sanji stifled a shout of laughter when he saw Zoro in bed. "Wake up, marimo. Do
you realize that you're still wearing the yukata?"
Zoro shot upright at these words as he began to claw at the yukata. It was alrea
dy halfway open from his running and sleeping, and Sanji snorted as he saw trace
s of makeup on the pillows and on Zoro's face.
"You know, I bet there are prostitutes in the red-light district who are reactin
g just like you are right now," Sanji said. He darted out the door as Zoro picke
d up his sandal and threw it at him.
"Is Zoro awake?" Ace asked. "He told me he'd take me to this great bar "
"At this time of day?" Sanji looked at the clock and blanched. "Oh it's already 2
in the afternoon, huh."
Ace shrugged. "I mean, we'll do other stuff on the way. I think I'm going to ski
p this place's hospitality and just explore the area for something to eat. Anyon
e with me?" The guys all chose to go with Ace, while the girls chose to eat at t
he inn and plan out an agenda with Tashigi.
"I'll wait for this idiot to wake up," Sanji said as he flicked a thumb in the d
irection of the bathroom (Zoro had sprinted into the bathroom without anyone not
icing). "I'm sure he knows of somewhere good to eat. Let's meet up again for din
ner at six?"
"Sounds good. Later!"
Sanji sat in a large leather chair as he waited for Zoro to get out of the bathr
oom. He had donned a light blue polo shirt with cargo shorts; comfortable, yet v
ersatile.
Zoro burst out of the bathroom with a scowl, wearing nothing but a fresh pair of
boxers and dripping water everywhere.
"That devil woman!" he roared. "Where is she?"
"They went out for breakfast er, lunch," Sanji said. "What's wrong?"
"Look! At my eyes!"
Sanji looked closely and sniggered. "Why are you still wearing eyeliner, dude?"
"She used permanent marker! On my eyes! I can't get it off!" Zoro wrung his hand
s as he looked around for some solution to his problem.
"Just wait it out. I'm sure it'll come out in a few days," Sanji said soothingly
. "Don't rub at it too much, or your eyelashes will all fall out."
"Pfft, like I care about that. So, why are you still here if they're all gone?"
Zoro asked as he trotted back into the bathroom, his shoulders slumped in defeat
. Sanji followed, feeling a bit odd when he had a whiff of Zoro after he had sho
wered; it was strange to think that after using the same soaps, they smelled the
same.
"I decided to hang back in case you got lost," Sanji jibed as he leaned against
the marble-topped counter. "What do you feel like eating?"
"Yakitori sounds really good right now, actually," said Zoro after he spat a mou
thful of toothpaste into the sink. "Or okonomiyaki you know, good street food."
Sanji shrugged. "I'll just follow you for now. You know what's good, right?"
"Yeah. Good and cheap." Zoro took out a small white bottle and puffed baby power
over his torso, rubbing it in and grunting in satisfaction.
"Baby powder? Don't forget to powder your bottom," Sanji teased. Seriously, it's
like this guy is just asking to be teased.
"Actually, I just like walking around slathered in crack," Zoro said sarcastical
ly. "Come on, there's a little stall not too far by the subway." Satisfied with
his powdering, he pulled on a white shirt and black denim pants with his usual m
ilitary boots.
"Do you have any yen?" Sanji asked curiously as they walked out the door, lockin
g it behind them. "We didn't really have time last night to exchange or anything "
"Pah, I have more than enough yen leftover from my last trip to tide us over unt
il we can get to a back," Zoro snorted as he pulled out his wallet and showed Sa
nji. "I love the currency here."
Sanji picked out a 50 yen coin. "It's quite pretty, I guess. What's the point of t
he hole in the middle?"
"Something about how they used to string them along. Not all of the coins have i
t." Zoro stopped as they stood in front of the subway station; it was very close
to their inn. "Now, how do we get there "
Sanji groaned. "I just realized that I'm relying on your sense of direction. We
might as well wait for the others to get back so we can eat dinner, at least."
"Shut up. I know where I'm going these lines have just changed since last time," Z
oro grumbled as he squinted at the map. "So take the Number Three down two stops
and transfer to the Number Five "
"We're doomed."
---
"Well, I got us somewhere."
"I don't see a yakitori stall anywhere."
"Um "
"Actually, what I do see are high-end sushi bars, and " Sanji gawped as he saw a m
ade-up geisha waving from a window. Despite the fact that she was as heavily mad
e up as Zoro had been the night before, he looked excited. "Nevermind, you're re
deemed for your idiocy. Let's go there."
"Love cook, I have enough yen for a street vendor. Not a ryotei."
"Ryotei?" Sanji asked, already gravitating towards the building that exuded cost
liness and quality.
"No! Come on, if we keep walking we'll find something. Let's go." When Sanji ref
used to budge, Zoro sighed. "Fine. You can stay here, you idiotic hakujin. Witho
ut any yen."
That snapped Sanji backed to reality. He sighed. "Fine. What's a hakujin?"
"White person."
"Is it derogatory?"
"Depends on the way you use it."
" I see "
"Didn't you bring a book on Japanese phrases or something?" Zoro asked in exaspe
ration. "I mean, the language is annoying to learn how to read and write, but yo
u should at least pick up enough to survive for a week. Stuff like 'where's the
toilet' or 'I'm an stupid love cook who will chase after anything with a pair of
breasts "
"That smells delicious." Sanji stopped, sniffing the air.
"You're just like Luffy. Like a bloodhound." Zoro looked around. "Where is the sme
ll coming from?"
Sanji began to walk in one direction, his nose telling him where to go. "Pork br
oth, or beef broth? Maybe even anchovy. Boiled eggs, fish cakes noodles? Yes, nood
les." He led Zoro to a small stand that said "Ramen" under the restaurant's name
in Japanese. "Here we are."
"Man, miso ramen sounds really good, too," Zoro declared as they pushed aside th
e cloth hangings shielding the stall's occupants from the sun (and perhaps rain,
if the weather called for it).
They were greeted by a cheerful "Irashaimase!" and Zoro turned to Sanji, pointin
g to the menu that hung from the back wall.
"What do you feel like eating?"
"I'll trust your judgment." Sanji looked at the other patrons in interest; he ha
d honestly never really tasted or cooked ramen with fresh noodles, only the drie
d and instant kind.
"Miso ramen o futatsu kudasai," Zoro said as he pulled out a stool and plopped i
n front of the man serving them ramen. "Ano koko wa doko desuka?"
The man chuckled as he looked between Zoro and Sanji and began to speak to Zoro
in quick, fluid Japanese. Sanji had no idea what was going on, but scowled as bo
th the cook and Zoro occasionally gave Sanji sidelong looks and laughed. Eventua
lly, their orders came out in two enormous steaming bowls.
"Ittadakimasu!" Zoro said enthusiastically as he cracked apart the wooden chopst
icks given to them and immediately dug into the bowl of hot broth and noodles. "
Ai hot, hot." He chewed and swallowed with his mouth half open to survive the heat
of the noodles.
Sanji sipped the broth at a more sedate pace with a curved spoon. He hummed appr
eciatively. "Fairly salty, but that's to be expected of miso. Strong broth, and
the noodles " He picked up a bit of noodle and sampled it delicately. "Oh, good co
nsistency. Are they handmade? Translator, come on."
Zoro rolled his eyes and relayed the question around a mouthful of noodles and p
ink fishcake. "He said they're handmade, yes."
"Fast food seems to be good everywhere except America," Sanji muttered as he beg
an to eat with gusto. Despite the enormity of the bowls given to them, their mea
ls disappeared quickly and Sanji soon found himself wiping his mouth with satisf
action.
"Gochisousama," Zoro said, belching magnificently. "Phew, it's hard to get good
ramen in the States."
Sanji waved his hand at him in disgust. "Don't burp like that, you cretin. What
does the bill come out to? I'll pay my half to you in dollars."
Zoro shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He paid the man and nodded at him b
efore leaving.
"You sure?" Sanji scrambled to follow Zoro.
"Yeah. You can cover when we go to a ryotei. One of those nice expensive restaur
ants."
"Oh, thanks. Where are we going, by the way?"
Zoro pointed in the direction that the man had told him to go. "He said that thi
s street will take us back to the subway, and that we just need to take the Six
to get back to Gora Station."
"What were you guys saying, anyways?" Sanji asked. "You were acting pretty suspi
cious."
Zoro chuckled. "He asked if the hakujin sitting next to me had gotten us lost, a
nd I said of course, these tourists don't know what they're doing."
"You suck, did you know that?"
"Not as much as you'd think," Zoro said cheekily. He had somehow managed to take
them to the subway entrance and to the correct route. "Yes! Told you I'd bring
us here."
Sanji continued to be surprised as Zoro navigated through the busy crowds much bus
ier than it had been last night, and he had a feeling that it would only get mor
e crowded as the day went on and took them back to the Oyster Shell.
"Say, you don't think that your internal compass corrects itself in your homelan
d, do you?" Sanji asked idly. Zoro scowled.
"It's just as good as it ever was."
"But we came to the right place."
" so?"
Sanji threw his arms apart. "So something must be wrong!"
Zoro stormed out of the subway station all the way to the inn, where they found
the others lounging around and relaxing.
"Hey, Zoro," Ace called as he looked up from where he was viciously tickling his
little brother. "Want to go for a dip in the hot springs?"
Zoro shrugged. "After tramping around all afternoon, sure. Right now?"
"Yep."
Zoro went to his room to change, with Sanji close behind. "Man, that hot water s
ounds really good right now," he sighed. "O-oi, what the hell are you doing?" Zo
ro was already stripping down to his skin in front of Sanji.
"Um, getting undressed?"
"Why?!"
"Because in Japan, you bathe in your birthday suit "
Sanji stared helplessly at his luggage, where his swimming trunks were safely st
ored. When he turned back to Zoro, the green-haired man had already divested him
self of every scrap of clothing and was now tying the belt of a soft gray robe a
round his waist.
"I'll see you outside, then," Zoro said, waving as he left. Sanji stared awkward
ly the pile of clothing that Zoro had left all over the floor and bed and sighed
, pulling off his shirt and folding it neatly; his pants soon followed.
Before leaving, he couldn't help but gingerly pick up Zoro's shirt and sniff it.
It smells like baby powder, and a bit of aftershave, with a bit of whatever it is t
hat makes him smell like 'Zoro.'
Sanji quickly dropped the shirt when he heard footsteps outside in the hall. "Sa
nji?" Tashigi stood in the doorway, hands tucked into the pockets of her own rob
e. "Did Zoro already tell you about the hot springs?"
"About the no-clothes policy?"
"That's the one. Actually, when we want to mingle the sexes we'll be wearing bat
hing suits, so don't worry," she said kindly.
"I don't think Zoro brought a bathing suit."
"Me neither. Don't worry, we can get him one here. Anyways, there was something
I've been meaning to ask you "
Sanji coughed slightly; usually when people said that, it never boded well. "Yes
, darling?"
"What do you think of Zoro?"
Sanji stared. "In what way do you mean?"
"Any way. Platonically, romantically, whether as a rival or a friend "
"Woah woah romantically?" Sanji blurted out. "I don't think of him like that." H
e shifted uncomfortably, suddenly thinking about the texture of Zoro's hands aga
inst his on the airplane. They had been callused along his palms and fingers, an
d Sanji couldn't help but remember running one finger over the top of his hands
and feeling the small scars from mistakes in the dojo. They had been warm, and e
xtremely comforting, which was why he had squeezed so hard; it wouldn't do to le
t Zoro know that he had been exploring his hands like that.
Tashigi smiled gently as she pulled Sanji down to sit on the bed and took a seat
next to him. "You know, when I went out with him I had all these glorified idea
ls of how I was going to heal his wounds and help him out of his slump. Obviousl
y, you saw how that went "
"What happened between you two?" Sanji asked, not sure if he wanted to know the
answer.
Tashigi rubbed the cloth of her belt between two contemplative fingers. "One mor
ning, I woke up earlier than him not a big surprise, obviously and as I was changing
, with my back to him "
Tashigi hummed in pleasure as she smelled the coffee she had put to brew wafting
up the stairs. "Should I wear the blue or the purple chemise?" she wondered sof
tly to herself. She searched for her hair pins to pull her hair back with little
success and decided to just let her long black hair she had been growing it out l
ately fall down her back.
She heard Zoro mumbling something behind her a sort of notification to let her kno
w that he was awake.
The words "Good morning!" were on the tip of her tongue as Zoro said in pure sho
ck and disbelief,
"Robin?"
He realized his mistake when she turned around, and they both knew that it would
never work between them.
"That's a little creepy," Sanji admitted. "So you both just ended it right there
and then?"
"Pretty much," Tashigi said. "I thought that if any problems came up with him co
nfusing me for another girl, it would be for the late Princess but this was just a
complete surprise."
"So what do you want me to do, then?" Sanji asked.
Tashigi patted his hand. "I want you to try and help him when I failed. Don't th
ink of it as a romantic venture he has been far happier lately with you as his fri
end than he ever was with me as his lover."
"I-I don't know if I can not after hearing this "
"Please, Sanji?" She looked up at him, her long black eyelashes fluttering innoc
ently as she drew her hand to her mouth in a coy gesture. "I don't want him to b
e unhappy forever "
It didn't escape Sanji's notice that her robe had slipped down to give him a fan
tastic view of the dip between her breasts, or that this was obviously a ploy to
get him to agree.
"Mellorine~! Of course!"
---
"I could've sworn that the hot springs were this way " Zoro stepped out of Usopp's
room, looking thoroughly confused. "Why am I still here?"
"Zoro?" Nami stepped out of her room, tying a belt around her robe. "What are yo
u doing still in here?"
"I, uh " Zoro searched around for an answer.
"Got sidetracked?" Nami provided as she pulled him in the right direction. "Hey,
Zoro " She stopped at the two doorways that separated the men and women's bathing
areas. "What do you think of Sanji?" The question was unusually blunt for the s
ly woman.
"I think he's a pretentious prick."
"Is that all?" Nami sounded slightly disappointed. "He thinks the world of you,
you know."
"Sure," Zoro said sarcastically. "If he thinks the world of me, then his world m
ust be hell."
"No, really!" Nami said confidently. "I've known him my entire life, and I've ne
ver seen anyone he's been so fond of since old man Zeff. They used to gripe at e
ach other and beat each other up actually, Zeff beat Sanji up but they were very fon
d of one another. When Zeff died Sanji was devastated. He used to only smoke on oc
casion after picking up the habit to spite Zeff and prove that he was a man, but
it got much worse. But lately he's down to a couple of smokes a day. Not a couple
of packs, like he used to."
"Well, good for him. Those stupid cigs are going to kill him if I don't first."
Nami sighed patiently, although Zoro thought he saw a blood vessel pulsating at
her temple. "Zoro, I need you to help him."
"Why should I do that? It seems like one of the women would be better equipped t
o do that," Zoro said, lifting a hand to his breast-less chest pointedly.
"He's never been very successful at dating, you know," Nami said in an off-hand
voice. "Maybe you can teach him a little about it. Killing two birds with one st
one, as the saying goes. He stays happy because he's with you, and he gets a gir
lfriend to boot. How does that sound?"
"What's in it for me?" Zoro said bluntly.
"Aren't you his friend?"
"Yes, but I still remember how you yelled at me at the hospital when Sanji bange
d his head."
Nami thought carefully. "If you can get him to start dating again successfully then
I'll pay for everyone's dinner one night at any restaurant you choose. Drinks, t
oo."
"That's pretty tempting, but I need something a bit well, I need a bit more ince
ntive than that. Do you have any dirt on him from his childhood?"
Nami grinned evilly. "If that's all you want, then I'll give you plenty. Agreed?
"
They shook hands.
---
"Wooo! This water is hot!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Didn't you already realize that the last time you jumped in?" Ace asked as he s
tepped into the water. "My, it is hot, though just how I like it."
Sanji hung back in the room where they had all left their towels and robes. Okay
, Sanji. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You're a virulent man in his prime,
who can okay, let's not think about what I can do as a man in my prime. Images fla
shed in his mind against his own will: women he had seen and wooed, pornographic
clips he had watched and Playboy magazines he had filched from Zeff, a strong t
anned body stiff with frustration as a pair of hands held a pair of cards in a g
ame of strip poker
Sanji decided that he had best wait a few minutes to 'calm down' before joining
the others.
"Oi, cook!"
Shit.
Sanji quickly refastened the robe around his waist. "What, marimo?" There was Zo
ro, with a towel wrapped around his waist and an impatient look on his face.
"You're taking too long. Luffy's already almost drowned once, and Usopp has alre
ady told a handful of lies about how he built the first hot spring," Zoro said.
"You're missing out. C'mon."
"I'll be out in a second," Sanji said uncomfortably. "Cover yourself up, would y
ou?"
"Why? You're going to see me in all my glory anyways," Zoro snorted. "What's kee
ping you?"
The two of them stared at one another for a moment, remembering their missions.
Sanji bit back a biting response as Zoro mentally yelled at himself to Be nice!
Damn.
"Let's go in."
"Er, yeah."
Sanji walked outside and found that the springs were steaming and wide, and deep
er further in the pool. A tall bamboo fence separated them from the women's spri
ngs with thorny bushes at the base to deter any peepers; the ground was lined wi
th broad stones, which were a little slippery when wet. This fact had been disco
vered when Luffy had been running and tripped, skidding until he collided with t
he water. Now, they were all doing it.
"So much for a peaceful soak," Zoro muttered as he threw his towel into a basket
and slipped into the water. Sanji looked away and, after a moment's hesitation,
left his robe in the same basket and quickly entered the hot water.
"Ah," Sanji grimaced as the water washed over him without giving him a chance to
acclimate to the change in heat. "Why are we sitting in this scalding water in
the heat of summer, Zoro?"
"Because it's refreshing?"
Sanji sighed as his muscles began to unwind in the water. "Mmm, this actually fe
els pretty good once you get used to it."
Zoro winced at the sound. "Don't do that, cook."
"Don't do what?"
"Don't make that sound."
"Why not?"
"You sound like a woman."
" "
"Hey, look! Sanji and Zoro are fighting in the water!" Luffy crowed as Sanji sur
ged after Zoro, who quickly dodged and began to swim towards the middle of the p
ool with sure, swift strokes. "Go, go!"
"That can't be easy," Ace noted as he watched the two men circling one another.
"I mean, the heat must drain all the energy out of them." He lounged with his ba
ck against the wall next to Franky, who was drinking a bottle of Cola in the hot
spring.
"Ouch, that must have hurt," said Franky as Sanji managed to kick Zoro in the ri
bs. "C'mon, Zoro. You're not just going to take that, are damn, he just karate-cho
pped Sanji in the windpipe! Harsh!"
Sanji stumbled backwards, clutching his throat; Zoro leaned forward, grabbing at
his ribs. When Sanji's head hit the water, he felt a sudden rush of light-heade
dness and vaguely wondered whether he should try to breath. It sounded like a go
od idea. The water rushing into his lungs did not. Maybe if I keep breathing in
and out it'll get better?
"Get up," Zoro snorted as Sanji turned to float face-first in the water. When Sa
nji didn't move, Zoro looked more closely. "Cook!" Zoro leapt and pulled Sanji's
head up by the hair before supporting him more firmly by the waist. "Oi!" Sanji
gurgled, the hot water still in his throat and lungs. "Shit, how did you inhale
that much water already?"
"Doctor! Someone get a doctor!" Chopper bellowed.
"That's you," Usopp said with the air of one who is tired of repeating this scen
e. "Remember?"
"Oh. Bring him over here and I'll try to resuscitate him!" Chopper cried. Zoro p
icked Sanji up and slung him over his shoulder before setting him down gently on
the paved stones. They all watched in silence as Chopper pressed firmly on Sanj
i's chest.
"No mouth to mouth?" Zoro asked.
Chopper shook his head, shaking heads of sweat out of his shaggy hair. "Studies
have shown that doing that only increases the chance of brain damage. Damnit, br
eathe!"
Zoro pushed Chopper aside. "You're getting tired. Let me try." He pounded on San
ji's chest with enough force to make everyone wince. "You idiot cook! How could
you get like this from such a small injury?!"
"Small?" Franky muttered. "You hit him square in the throat, dumbass."
"Shut up, Franky! Sanji!"
Sanji suddenly coughed, spewing forth a flood of hot water. "Shit," Sanji groane
d between coughs. When he had coughed out all the fluid in his lungs, he looked
around in disbelief. "What the hell happened?"
"You guys were fighting and you went under. I'm assuming you breathed in for som
e reason, and by the time we realized that you were kind of drowning " Chopper's v
oice carried on. "The hot water coupled with a loss of air from the windpipe str
ike must have muddled your senses."
"Bastard," Sanji coughed, glaring at Zoro. "What did you do that for?"
"You attacked me first."
"You verbally attacked me first."
"Fair enough," Zoro said, standing. Only then did Sanji realize that he was surr
ounded by stark-naked men, and that he was on his back on the ground. He quickly
scrambled back with the air of a cornered rat, quickly pulling his legs up as t
hough to defend himself and with eyes wide open.
"What's wrong, Sanji?" Luffy asked, coming closer.
"I think our little friend here is uncomfortable with the arrangements," Ace sai
d with a wicked smile. "You're not used to being naked with other men?"
"Ah, that's it, huh?" Franky's smile matched Ace's. "We'll have to rectify that
if we want Sanji to be comfortable for the next few weeks. This isn't the only t
ime we're going to be dropping our pants."
Zoro saw that Sanji was nearly frothing at the mouth and stepped in front of San
ji. "Okay, guys, play nice. Just because he's a bit of a homophobe to the point
where he can't even be naked in front of other guys "
"He seems to be glad that you're in front of him though," Ace teased, winking to
Luffy. Luffy got the hint and quickly swept his foot against the back of Zoro's
knees, making him wobble precariously.
"Damnit Luffy, what the " Zoro managed to yelp before both Franky and Ace pushed Z
oro over. In a collision of water, sweat, and skin, Zoro fell onto Sanji and the
y both rolled several feet. "Shit!"
Sanji squirmed rigorously to escape the tangle of limbs Seriously, why does this a
lways happen to me? and stiffened as he realized that his body was pressed between
hard stones and hard muscles. God damn, is this man made of muscle? It's a wond
er he doesn't just sink in the water. He looked up and saw, as though in slow mo
tion, the other guys running over and leaping into what was going to be a very u
ncomfortable dogpile. Fuck.
---
Nami looked up and glanced at the fence that divided the two springs. "They're b
eing awful noisy today," she said. "Do you think it's because of our plan?" She
reclined against the rocks, the bottom of her torso immersed in the water.
"I think it's a lost cause," Tashigi said as she braided her hair to keep it out
of the water. "Robin, you don't really think " She was interrupted as they clearl
y heard Zoro shouting obscenities over the wall. "Oh, dear."
Vivi sighed. "They can't even relax in a hot spring what did they say when you pro
posed the ideas to them?"
Nami shrugged. "Zoro was all for it once we agreed on a price. What about Sanji?
"
"It took some persuasion," Tashigi admitted. "He came around though."
Robin smiled. "This might work out, then."
"What makes you think that they're going lavender for each other?" Nami asked as
she soaped her arms lavishly. [1]
Robin shook her head, running a soft cloth across her belly. "I don't think that
they're homosexual, exactly. It's perhaps well, they're very similar, it seems. I
t would be good for them to continue bonding, especially on this trip.
"And if they do end up in a relationship, then any trouble that they make will m
ost likely be self-contained." Robin smiled sweetly. "Wouldn't that make things
much more peaceful?"
On the other side of the wall, they heard two people sneeze.
---
Zoro growled as he felt his body pressed between Sanji and whoever was on top of
him; he couldn't tell, with his face squished between someone's arm and someone
else's leg. He relaxed his muscles, forcing himself to become attuned to someth
ing he really did not want to be attuned with. Breathe in
"AAARRGGHHH!" Zoro roared as he suddenly rose, sending the others flying. Sanji
was still in his original position, looking slightly dazed as he stared at the s
ky. "You bastards!"
That was the cue for the men to start scrambling away, laughing gleefully.
"Hey, master swordsman."
Zoro looked down and saw Sanji glaring up at him.
"Yeah?"
"Get your 'sword' out of my face," Sanji hissed. "I think I'm going to hurl." He
sat upright and stood unsteadily before trotting off as quickly as he could on
the wet tiles. Zoro stood there in disbelief. That ungrateful bastard!
Sanji walked as quickly as he could, grabbing his robe blindly and wrapping it a
round himself as he ran out of the hot springs. I need to get to my room, fast.
The sight of a bed with blankets was comforting, and he flung his wet body onto
the sheets and curled up onto a blanket, hoping that he could dispel everything
that had just happened from his memory forever. Think soft blankets, smooth skin
and curves and Nami and Robin and Tashigi and Vivi Fantasizing usually cheered him up,
but today it couldn't do anything but make him even more miserable as he though
t about what had happened. He was pretty damned sure that his hand had brushed a
gainst something that he had never wanted to touch on another man, and that the
rest of his body had been similarly violated somehow. How the hell are those guy
s not uncomfortable?! They're Americans too, aren't they?...but they're all pret
ty familiar with each other, though
Sanji recalled the way that Zoro had felt right before tossing everyone off. The
swordsman had tried to brace himself on all fours to keep a shell of space over
Sanji, but the cannonballing other men had made that rather ineffective.
Zoro stood outside of the door to the room he was to share with Sanji, one hand
on the handle and the other on the belt of his robe. Okay, Zoro. You're supposed
to be nice. Think of the potential blackmail.
"Cook?"
Sanji froze. "What do you want?"
"You okay?" Zoro sank into one of the chairs and scooted over to the side of the
bed. "I mean, that was probably pretty traumatizing back there. With the nakedn
ess and all."
"Please don't talk to me right now."
"Okay, this is going to sound harsh, but you're going to have to get over it. It
's not like any of us is gay."
"Hey, marimo. What happened between you and Usopp?"
Zoro groaned. "You just had to bring that up now, didn't you?"
"I'm in bed, and I'm wet, and this is not comfortable in this heat. I need somet
hing to make me feel better."
"You're going to have to tell me what went down between you and that guy, then."
" fine. Now, go on."
Zoro sat down on the bed awkwardly, fiddling with the soft robe's material. "Oka
y, so after Vivi and I split I was acting pretty stupid. You know, being aggress
ive and just mad at the world because nothing was working, and I was more angry
at myself for letting another relationship fail rather than because I had split
with Vivi and Tashigi and Robin and " Sanji coughed slightly and Zoro paused. " okay
I get the point. But the guys decided to try and get me smashed, because they'd
never seen me anything but angry and sober and thought that if I was drunk then
maybe I'd be a happy drunk. So they convinced Chopper to mix together something
that would override my high alcohol tolerance."
"Is that legal?" Sanji asked uncertainly. "I mean, I can't even imagine Chopper do
ing something like that."
"They bribed him with a year's worth of cotton candy and sweets whenever he want
ed."
" ah. Has he got a big sweet tooth?"
"You have no idea. That guy will chomp through a block of chocolate the size of
your head as quickly as Luffy can." Zoro smiled a bit fondly. "Anyways, he mixed
something up in the labs at the University and they put a little into every cup
that they were going to give me. I thought they were acting a bit weird that ni
ght "
"Hey Zoro, I bet I can drink more than you can." Ace grinned at Zoro as they sat
in the apartment shared by the two brothers; all the guys were there to try and
cheer Zoro up after his latest romantic fiasco. "I mean, after being chased out
of the Nefertari estate by Igaram, you probably need something to cheer you up.
"
"Shut up," Zoro grumbled as he sat with his arms crossed and face twisted in neg
ative emotions. "Can't I go home?"
"No. Not until we fix you."
" I'm not some dog "
Franky pulled out a clear bottle full of a bright verdant liquid. "Hey, I got my
hands on some Absinthe. You interested?"
Zoro immediately sat up. "Give it here." Something tingled in the back of his ne
ck as Chopper handed Franky an opaque glass, but he took the cup and downed it i
n one gulp. He had never had Absinthe before, and it had an odd flavor to it. "W
hat is this stuff?"
"It's good, trust me," Franky reassured him as he poured him another.
"Why aren't you guys drinking?" Zoro asked suspiciously.
"We're drinking beer. You're the only one who can handle that stuff," Usopp said
offhandedly as he took a seat next to Zoro and plied him with more alcohol.
A few cups later, Zoro was feeling decidedly odd. "Man, that must be really good
because I've neeever felt thiiis " Zoro slurred as he swayed slightly.
"It should be working right about now," Chopper whispered to Ace. The older man
nodded.
"How're you feeling?"
"Great! Just great," Zoro said with a wide grin. "I feel like nothing could go w
rong. Hey man "
"Yeah?" Ace looked a bit nervously at Zoro. The swordsman was acting extremely s
trange; none of them had ever seen Zoro with such a wide smile on his face befor
e.
"I love you, man!" Zoro surged forward, spilling his cup and embracing Ace in a
tight and awkward hug. "You're sho nice, giving me this shtuff." The guys looked
 uneasily at one another, realizing that Zoro was slurring even more.
"Uh, Zoro, maybe you should take it easy," Franky said cautiously, thinking that
they would stop giving him any more alcohol.
Zoro released a wheezing Ace and grabbed Franky by the hand, pumping it up and d
own. "Man, you're a basht'rd but you're not shuch a bad guy either, Franky even if
you and Robin "
"What?" Franky exclaimed in alarm. But Zoro was already moving on.
"Luf! Cap'n Luffy!" Zoro put Luffy in an affectionate headlock. "You little rasc
al!"
"Okay, this is really weirding me out," Chopper cried as Zoro picked him up and
swung him around. "Zoro is really, really strong." They were all amazed to see Z
oro handling the enormous doctor-in-training like a little doll.
Usopp began backing away, realizing that he was the last one left.
"Hey, Ushopp " Zoro put Chopper gently down on the couch and held Usopp by the sho
ulders. "You might be a goddamned liar but I love you too, man. You guysh mean sho
much to me "
"Zoro, put the man down and back away slowly," Ace urged Zoro, trying to pull hi
m away.
"Why? We're all best friendsh, aren't we?" Zoro asked with a silly grin. "Aren't
we?"
"Zoro "
Zoro leaned forward and firmly planted a kiss on Usopp's lips.
"Oh, shit!"
"Someone pull him off!"
"No, screw that, someone get a camera!"
"Hahah!"
"Mmrrph!"
Zoro deepened the kiss and held Usopp like one might hold a princess supporting hi
m in the back as he bent forward. Usopp face was becoming increasingly crimson,
and his hands stuck out awkwardly in the air as though at a loss for what to do.
Suddenly, Zoro's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell forward, lip
s still stuck to Usopp's. A guttural snoring sound could be heard emanating from
the back of Zoro's throat, and a thin whine from Usopp's as he struggled to bre
athe; eventually, he passed out from a lack of oxygen.
Zoro woke up the next morning and nearly screamed in shock to see himself in a b
ed next to Usopp. Apparently, they had been unable to pry his arms off of the po
or long-nosed man, although they had managed to remove his lips.
Zoro closed his eyes, waiting for the peals of laughter that would inevitably co
me.
When he heard nothing, he looked over and saw Sanji staring at him with mouth op
en and eyes twitching slightly. "Cook?"
"What the hell did Chopper give you?" Sanji finally sputtered.
"Some kind of depressant," Zoro said offhandedly. "He said they had tested it be
forehand to try and wean alcoholics off of actual alcohol. Anyways, I woke up to
a hospital room and an envelope full of embarrassing pictures. I burned the pic
tures, hunted down the film, and beat the crap out of them for that little stunt
."
"Wow, that's wow," Sanji chuckled weakly. " you really don't have any pictures of th
at?"
Zoro socked him in the arm and scowled. "Just tell me your story, you ass."
Sanji grinned as he squirmed out from beneath the covers until he was sitting on
his stomach, the covers sloping up his arched back and covering his legs while
his arms were wrapped around an airy pillow. "My story isn't nearly as interesti
ng as that. There was this girl I met while in cooking school. Her name was Carm
en "
"What did she do?" Zoro asked curiously, trying not to stare at that seemingly e
ndless expanse of creamy skin and rippling bones under lean muscles.
"She said that if I wanted her to accept my endless fountain of undying love "
" that you seem to profess for any woman "
" then I would have to kiss her assistants, Leo and Jose."
Zoro did a double take. "Wait, you said you kissed a guy. One. Singular. Not two
."
"Well, I only got around to kissing one of them before she dissolved into laught
er and I realized I was the laughing stock of the whole school at that point. Th
en, I just left."
"What happened?"
"She was later expelled for cheating and lying to a teacher, and I eventually to
ok down all the posters of me kissing Jose. It was not fun."
"See, at least I wasn't sober " Zoro muttered, just loudly enough for Sanji to hea
r.
"Hey! She was gorgeous! Anything for a beautiful woman! Her soft skin, grace, an
d flaming red hair brighter than a well-executed flambé " Sanji stared dreamily at
the wall. "Her cooking was excellent. Not as good as mine, of course, but it wa
s very good."
"You're an idiot. My friends tricked me into doing what I did, but you did it of
your own free will. How sad."
"Shut up."
They sat in silence, and Sanji sighed as he attempted to push Zoro off the bed.
"Get off, I need to dry myself off."
"You're not wearing anything under that?"
"Well, I have a towel and robe. But I need to undress to dry myself. And if I un
dress myself, you must get out," Sanji said stubbornly. "Now. Get out."
Zoro stood grumpily as he walked towards the door.
"Hey, cook."
"What?" Sanji snapped irritably as Zoro turned to look over his shoulder.
"What did it feel like?"
"Huh?"
"To kiss a man "
Sanji felt something squirm in the bottom of his stomach. It had bothered him so
metimes when he brought this memory up, but he usually squashed it as quickly as
he could. While Carmen's assistants were not attractive by anyone's standards,
feeling lips that weren't soft and luscious touching his lips had made him feel
something strange. He had been entirely disgusted by the fact that he had kissed
Jose, but that was as far as his revulsion spread. He had no physical qualms to
touching another man.
Which was why he refused to touch other men.
It simply isn't natural, Sanji thought grimly.
"It feels like shit, marimo. Now get out."
---
[1] Lavender is a color used to denote gay people, sometimes.
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: Wow, it's been a while since I last updated. As last time...and as will pro
bably be for a while. I'm sorry...sigh. But I feel a little better now that my t
wo main stories are updated. Things progress a bit faster than usual in this one
(even I'm impatient, a little) and I tried to make it a little longer to make u
p for my absence.
Enjoy!
(Also, I'd like to thank the reviewers who found errors in my story. I would cha
nge them, but .. I'm kind of lazy).
---
Zoro paced the halls of the Oyster Shell restlessly, wringing his hands and resi
sting the urge to punch a fist through the rice-paper doors. How Sanji's natural,
of course reaction to the kiss managed to rile him so much frustrated him. That fu
cking cook ! Zoro clawed at his chest, looking for some sort of release to his fru
stration. He knew that if he so much as put a door off its hinges, then Tashigi
would be whirling a pair of handcuffs the entire way back to the States.
He needed to relax. Hot water was relaxing.
"Hey, Zoro." Ace smiled uncertainly as Zoro threw his towel back into the basket
and slipped gingerly into the hot water. "How's it going?"
"Fuck you, Ace."
"Not good, huh?" Ace groaned as he waded over to where Zoro was sitting. "What's
up?"
Zoro glared balefully at the freckled man sitting next to him, his head looking
oddly bare without the bright orange hat that usually sat on top of it. "You com
pletely freaked out the cook, you moron. Why'd you have to go do that?"
"He needs to loosen up," Ace said defensively. "It's not like we were really goi
ng to molest him although I don't know if Usopp agrees "
"Oi!" Usopp splashed through the water in indignation. "That was your idea, and
you know it!"
"If it was my idea, of course I'd know it."
"Don't be so restless," Franky said, placating as Robin. "But really, bro, we di
dn't think he'd flip out like that. And you! When'd you get that strong?"
"I've always been this strong," Zoro retorted. "I could lift you with my little
pinky, but I don't want to when you're sitting naked like that."
"Why's the kid so homophobic, anyways?" Franky asked curiously. "Any idea?"
"There was an article in this psychology journal that said that some men have an
almost rabid fear of homosexuality because they think that they themselves are
homosexual," Chopper said, plopping into the water with a massive wave of hot mi
neral water.
Zoro scowled. "Him, gay? That's about as likely as me putting on a dress and dan
cing for you guys."
"You did wear a kimono," Luffy teased as he joined the little powwow. "Remember?
Your eyes still have eyeliner!"
Luffy was only saved from being murdered by Zoro by the handful of men that stoo
d between them.
Zoro panted as he settled back against the rocks that lined the floor and hot sp
ring. "You guys should just let me get all my negative energy out on this guy,"
he grumbled. "Then I won't be forced to kill one of you later."
"Enough about that," Ace said impatiently. "He is a bit metro, isn't he?"
"Yeah," Franky agreed. "He dresses, um, really well. And stuff. I think he uses
the same deodorant as Robin, my nose was right under his pits in the dogpile."
"That's nasty," Zoro shuddered. "He can't be gay. He he's a freaking womanizer! Ar
e you crazy?"
"You never know," Chopper said sagely. "It's not like it's a bad thing. You shou
ld ask him about it, Zoro."
"Why me?"
"Because you're the closest to him," Chopper said. "Just check him for signs. Yo
u're a pretty good-looking guy, you know. You could pull it off."
Zoro looked at Chopper suspiciously. Something was off here; this didn't sound l
ike Chopper at all. Someone was pulling the strings
"Woah," Luffy said, looking up to the sky. Fat raindrops began to pour from the
previously blue sky as rainclouds quickly masked the sun. "Weird! The rain is wa
rm!"
"Yeah," Zoro said, pulling himself out of the water and grabbing his now-useless
towel. "C'mon, let's go in. Soaking in the rain is okay sometimes, but knowing
our luck, if the lightning storms roll in one of us is going to be hit."
In the changing room, Zoro tossed aside his wet towel in favor of a dry one and
rubbed his head absently. Someone wanted him to confront Sanji, and he wanted to
know why.
---
Robin smiled as she saw the majority of the men that had come on the trip enter
her room, still in the robes normally saved for hot spring use.
"How may I help you, boys?" she asked sweetly, crossing her legs and closing the
book she was reading. Nami, Vivi, and Tashigi exchanged knowing looks; they had
been talking about sensitive subject matter and were not surprised that they ha
d been disturbed.
"We can't do this, Robin," Franky began, spreading his arms wide and looking as
though he was about to do battle with a hurricane. "It's impossible. You're aski
ng for the impossible."
"Yeah," Ace sighed, "These guys just won't budge. I nearly got killed out there
doing what you order asked us to do."
"Robin," Chopper sniffed. "It doesn't feel right lying to Zoro. And Sanji."
"But you did very well," Robin said sweetly, standing and rubbing him on the hea
d. She went on a drawer and pulled out a large bag. "Rice candy, from the finest
confectionary store in this archipelago." She handed it to Chopper, who accepte
d it guiltily. "Are you all here to collect your payments?"
Franky, Ace, Luffy and Usopp looked at one another and nodded awkwardly.
---
Knock knock knock.
"Oi, Robin."
No answer.
Zoro sighed as he rested his forehead against Robin's door. "I know you're in th
ere. Let me in." He was about to knock again when the door swung open and Zoro f
ound himself face-to-face with Nami.
"Hush," she scolded him quietly as she pulled him into the room, where Zoro was
greeted by an extremely odd sight.
Luffy sat in the corner next to Chopper; the former was munching on something fr
om a plate (it looked like the mangled remains of beef teriyaki and rice) while
the latter morosely sucked on rice candy. Usopp and Ace were on the beds being g
iven massages by Vivi and Tashigi; Franky and Robin were nowhere to be seen.
"What the hell's going on in here?" Zoro asked. "Are you running a brothel?"
Nami smacked him across the head. "We're not having sex with them," she said irr
itably. Someone knocked on the door again and Nami opened it to find one of the
inn's maids there with a tray heavily laden with food. "Just roll it over to the
guy with the straw hat over there, yes, thank you," Nami directed, gesturing to
wards Luffy. "They were sore after being beat up by you, apparently, so we decid
ed to help them out."
"And why are you feeding Luffy?" Zoro asked suspiciously. "If he was sore, then
that wouldn't help him."
"He was just here with the others and kept whining about how he was hungry," Nam
i replied smoothly as she rubbed Luffy's head affectionately. Zoro felt the hair
s on the back of his neck prickling in suspicion, but decided to let it go.
"Right " Zoro looked at the two men being massaged and grimaced. "You look like yo
u guys have sold your souls to the devil."
"Oh, yeah."
"You'd be surprised as to how true that statement is."
Zoro shrugged. "Whatever. Have you seen Sanji? I went into our room but he wasn'
t there."
Nami looked at the clock. "That idiot, I bet he's hunting for the kitchens here.
He's got an addiction to cooking almost as bad as his nicotine one." She pushed
him out the door. "Get out and find him before he harasses the inn's chefs, sho
o." When Zoro found himself outside, the door slammed in his face.
"Friendly as always," he muttered before going off to sniff out for the kitchens
. He stopped (several) passing maids as he walked along, asking each one for dir
ections as he walked along. He found himself in front of a nondescript wooden do
or with a small wooden plaque bearing the kanji for Kitchen on it. He could hear
people speaking loudly, with occasional swearing in Japanese and English.
"I just want to use the kitchen! Does anyone speak English here?"
"Nanda kore?!"
"Nani??"
"Hey! Put that knife down!"
Zoro grinned as he backed away from the door just in time to miss colliding with
Sanji, who was being bodily thrown out of the kitchen. "The hell's wrong with y
ou?" Sanji shot at the chefs, who were standing in the doorway with their arms c
rossed menacingly. "I just wanted to see what you were cooking, assholes!" One o
f the chefs drew a wicked-looking cleaver. "Okay, put that away man jeez "
Zoro laughed. "What's wrong?" he asked the chefs in Japanese.
The man with a clean white cord tied around one bicep he appeared to be the head c
hef nodded to Zoro cordially. "He comes in here and starts pestering the cooks in
a language we can't understand. When he starts touching our ingredients, of cour
se we have to throw him out."
"This idiot's a cook. He wanted to know how you guys cook your dishes," Zoro rep
lied in amusement.
"Oi, marimo, what are you saying?"
One of the cooks chuckled when he heard Sanji's nickname. "Marimo?" They looked
at Zoro's hair in renewed interest.
Zoro scowled.
"This idiot? He wanted to sabotage your cooking."
---
"You're such a dick."
"Just because I have a really big one doesn't make me one."
" "
"Hm?"
"Just shut up "
"Why should I, curly-cue?"
"Because!" Sanji snapped. "You said something to those chefs and suddenly they s
tart ganging up on me again!"
"You called me marimo. You can't call me that here, you idiot, people actually u
nderstand what it means."
Sanji grinned as he stood in front of the mirror in their bedroom, careful place
a tiny bandage on one of the cuts on his face. He was surprised how fast those
chefs were with their cleavers and knives. "Aw, marimo-chan, are you embarrassed
? How cute!"
"I will cut you, I swear."
Sanji winced as his wide grin pulled at the scratches on his face. "Goddamnit you
owe me one for this."
"Oh, really? Why?" Zoro crossed his arms as he sat cross-legged on the bed.
"Because if I scar, then I will never forgive you," Sanji growled. Zoro felt a s
light shiver go up his spine; it was not unusual to hear the chef's gravelly voi
ce snap at him in irritation, but Zoro had never really heard Sanji growl before
. It just wasn't the kind of thing the chef did.
He kind of liked it.
"Are you listening to me?" Sanji turned around, his first-aid job complete. "My
face! I need it to get the ladies, you know?"
"I really don't think women care about those kinds of scars. Maybe you'll look r
ugged." Zoro managed to keep a straight face for about two seconds before bursti
ng out in laughter. "Haha wow, I can't even sit straight when I think about you be
ing an actual man."
---
"Did you hear that?" Chopper looked around, his bag of candy empty. The room had
been quiet, as they had all been worn out by the day's activities.
Luffy looked up from where he was gnawing on a rib. "Hm?"
Thump. Thump thump thump.
"That sound?"
"Yeah." Chopper put his head to the wall as he listened.
"Maybe Zoro and Sanji are arguing again," Nami said wearily as she looked up fro
m where she had pushed Ace off of the bed.
"Maybe they're having freaky man-love," Ace drawled as he lounged in a squat cha
ir. "You know. That thumping is pretty suspicious."
Bang!
"I think they just broke more furniture," Tashigi said with a sigh. "I am so goi
ng to arrest Zoro for something one of these days "
"Shit face!"
"Asshole!"
"You could fill a book with their expletives," Robin said as she came through th
e door with Franky; both looked immensely satisfied. No one asked why. "Does any
one want to go check on them?" When another thud rattled the walls, no one volun
teered. She sighed before running a hand through her hair, mussing it up slightl
y but putting it in an enormously sexy state of disorder. The men gawped as she
silently went out into the hallway and knocked on the door, stumbling to go afte
r her to see what was going on. Obviously, no one answered the door, and she ope
ned it. Now, they could hear and see everything in all of its glory.
"Boys?" Robin watched Zoro and Sanji grappling on the floor. Somehow, Sanji's le
gs were wrapped around Zoro's head while Zoro's arm was cutting off Sanji's wind
supply. She sighed.
It was funny how they didn't respond to the sound of the door or her voice, but
the sound of a dropping robe drew their eyes immediately.
Nami peeked through the wall of men staring wistfully. "Robin has such nice curv
es," she sighed.
"I think your body's really nice," Luffy said offhandedly as he tore his eyes aw
ay. He raised one eyebrow, and Nami grinned.
No one noticed the playful couple slip away quietly.
"That's better," Robin said with a smile as she bent over and picked up her robe
and wrapped it around her body. "If you cause any more damage, I will make you
compensate the inn in the most unpleasant ways possible. Understood?"
"Yes, Robin."
"Yes ma'am."
"Good."
"Hot damn," was all that Ace managed to mutter before slinking off to his room.
"Give me a few minutes before holy shit Luffy, leave a tie on the door or somethin
g!" Ace nearly shouted as he slammed the door shut and backed away from it. "Wha
t the hell is up with this place? People are doing the nasty everywhere."
Usopp and Chopper merely looked at each other before shrugging awkwardly and lea
ving. They didn't want to have any part in this.
---
Zoro and Sanji were still staring at the door that Chopper had been wise enough
to shut before leaving.
"Man, Robin's such a fox," Sanji said in disbelief.
"Yeah," Zoro grunted in agreement. "Uh, cook?"
"What?"
"Can you get your leg off of my esophagus? I kind of need to breathe."
"Oh. Sorry. Your arm?"
"There we go "
The two men lay panting slightly on the floor, nursing bruised windpipes. Zoro f
inally managed to sit up (sort of) and half-turned to look at Sanji.
"You need a minute to yourself?" he asked. Sanji looked up at him inquiringly.
"Why?"
Zoro rolled his eyes. "You just saw Robin naked. I'm pretty sure the others went
off to 'take care of their business.' So "
Sanji shrugged. "Nah. I'm good."
They both sat in silence for a moment.
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
"But you just saw her naked."
"Yes, you idiot, I did," Sanji said. "Shut up and let me savor the moment."
"Oh."
Sanji held that mental image in his head, wondering. Robin was beautiful hell, she
was hot. Smoking.
So why did he feel so indifferent?
"Oi, marimo."
"Yeah?"
Sanji was silent for another moment. He wondered how to articulate the strange t
houghts going through his head at the moment. "Have you "
For once, Zoro was observant enough of the mood as to not interrupt impatiently.
Sanji let out a whuff of air in frustration. "Never mind. Come on, let's get thi
s mess cleaned up. I think I have splinters up my ass."
Zoro looked at Sanji strangely, feeling as though an important moment had just p
assed.
---
"What the hell is this?"
The group of Americans all looked up at Sanji's expletive.
Sanji sputtered as he looked at what the maids had quietly put in front of him o
n his plate. It was a mess of charred vegetables and raw meat that looked as tho
ugh it had been scraped off of the edge of a grill at a roadside dive.
"Are those chefs fucking around?" Sanji asked the air in exasperation. He stood
and rolled his sleeves back as well as short sleeves could be rolled up. "I'm go
ing again."
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Tashigi said as she put her chopsticks
down. A plate of chilled buckwheat noodles sat in front of her that looked absol
utely delicious. "Those chefs "
"We know," Zoro said. "Idiot here got in their way and got cut up, see?" He poke
d Sanji's cheek roughly, and Sanji yelped.
"Ouch, you ass, that hurts."
"Man up."
"You're sticking a finger right into my cut!"
"Like I said. Man. Up."
"You're coming with me," Sanji snapped as he dragged Zoro away from the table. "
I need a translator."
"No! My beef!" Zoro stamped one foot into the ground to prevent Sanji from dragg
ing him away from his cut of steak over rice.
"Are you Luffy? It'll still be there when we get back." Sanji swept a foot under
Zoro's leg, upsetting his balance.
"What were you going to say about the chefs?" Nami asked as she took a bite of h
er unagi.
Tashigi sighed. "They're, um ex-convicts. My aunt used to be involved in all this
shady business, and she took these gang members in to work for her after she dec
ided to start living cleanly. Even the maids were from this brothel she destroye
d because it was competing with one of her businesses."
The room was quiet for a second, until Luffy said,
"If Zoro's going, can I eat his meat?"
"Oi! Pay attention to the situation here!"
---
"These guys are suspiciously good with knives," Zoro said lazily as he watched S
anji dodge the knife thrusts that had immediately met them upon opening the kitc
hen door again.
"Help me, would you?" Sanji asked through gritted teeth as a knife whizzed over
his head.
"I don't know what you could possibly want to say to these guys they're kind of tr
ying to kill you "
Sanji rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I don't need a translator! I need backup
!"
"I thought you could handle your shit." Zoro smirked as he saw a vein pulsating
on Sanji's forehead. Interesting. I wonder how many veins I can get to pop?
"Don't look at me like you're trying to figure out how to piss me off even more!
" Sanji shouted before grumbling. "Fine looks like I have to do this myself "
Zoro stared as, in a flurry of hairy legs and rubber-soled shoes, the knives and
men went flying as Sanji did a spinning kick that was clearly a mix of somethin
g from Bon's classes and something quiet unique to Sanji. His legs were long and
thin, and strong as steel beams but graceful as a whip. He couldn't believe tha
t anyone could move like that.
"Now will you listen to me?" Sanji demanded as he wiped his brow. "It is way too
hot to be fighting right now. Marimo, tell them I just want to watch them cook.
"
Zoro didn't respond.
"Asshole?" Sanji looked at Zoro strangely; it was uttered more as a question tha
n as an insult.
Zoro shook his head like a dog. "W-what?"
Sanji raised an eyebrow. "Is there something on my leg?"
"Other than hair? No, why?"
"You've been staring at them."
" have not."
Sanji shrugged. He didn't feel like arguing right now.
"Can you ask them to just let me use their kitchen so I can make a proper dinner
for myself? And if I can watch them tomorrow?"
Zoro nodded absently. "Ano " he began, his thoughts drifting as he automatically b
egan conversing with the cowed cooks.
Zoro was a physical man, no one would deny that. He spent his life honing his bo
dy and soul to be in sync, and had once had a voracious appetite for a woman wit
h a body that was as strong as her mind. Robin had had long legs with plenty of
skin for him to grab, and he grinned a little as he imagined her dark skin press
ed up against his in a milky brown sea of pleasure.
His smile faded when Robin slowly began to disappear. She had been like a succub
us dark, seductive, and deliciously evil.
The figure that took her place was an angel pure light and daintiness
And hairy legs.
Very hairy legs.
Very hairy legs that connected to
"Kuso!"
"What?" Sanji and the cooks jumped back in surprise as Zoro suddenly cursed. "Oi
, idiot, what's up with you?"
Zoro took one look at Sanji and fled.
Sanji shrugged. "So you take this ah, no, this laver and mix it in with the rice?
Interesting "
Zoro ran out, somehow managing to find his way outside to where it was softly dr
izzling again. He wanted it to rain a good, hard, cleansing shower that would rid
him of these impurities. He breathed in deeply, savoring the scent of the earth
and the water. This was what he had missed at Navarone. The city was nice in its
own way, but the air was too smoggy for his spirit to relax, and he had always
felt restless.
The mosquitoes, ever-present in this humid climate, buzzing as loudly as the cic
adas, rose in a swarm from the puddles as he walked.
---
Sanji sat in his bedroom, worrying.
Okay, he's a grown man, Sanji thought to himself for the hundredth time that eve
ning. Even if he gets lost, he can take care of himself. He can find his way bac
k, eventually.
He's been acting weird lately.
So have I.
Sanji sighed. He swore to himself that he might have been developing split perso
nalities.
Why, though? What's changed? Nothing has changed. We're still the same old guys
we used to be. Friendlier, maybe. Just a little. I think he's a great guy he's onl
y an asshole sometimes. When he wants to be.
Sanji remembered how Zoro had stared at his legs. If he didn't know better, he'd
say that Zoro had been ogling them he'd seen it plenty of times, when men would s
tare at Nami as they were growing up. The expression on Zoro's face had been dif
ferent, though less lewd, and more astonished. Maybe he was just impressed by my t
echnique.
"Tadaima " Zoro walked through the door wearily, soaked to the skin and looking li
ke he had just seen all the evils in the world pass before his eyes. Sanji noted
with interest that Zoro's gaze fell on him briefly before skittering off like a
drop of water on a windshield. "How was dinner?"
"It was good. They taught me how to "
"That's nice," Zoro said absently, obviously not paying attention; he had a head
ache, and the room was far too stuffy. Sanji huffed moodily.
"Don't ask if you don't care," Sanji said, sticking out his lower lip in a fair
imitation of both Luffy and Chopper at the same time. Zoro took one look and lau
ghed.
"Cute."
Sanji stared.
Zoro Roronoa did not find things to be cute. He was supposed to be a fucking dem
on.
"Did you just call me cute, asshole?" Sanji scowled.
Zoro's head snapped up as he realized what he had said. After meditating for so
many hours, his body had reached a point of tired relaxation where he no longer
realized what he was saying or doing. It was like his body was on autopilot.
And he had just crashed.
"No," Zoro said hastily. "I said 'shut your face and leave me alone.'"
"No, you didn't."
"Of course I didn't, Captain Obvious!" Zoro turned suddenly as he began to yell,
all the benefits of meditation quickly draining away.
"Then why the hell did you call me cute?" Sanji stood, his hands balled into fis
ts. He quickly loosened them; if they were going to fight, he'd need his hands t
o be supple to support his body.
"Accident," Zoro muttered.
"Freudian slip," a muffled voice said from the wall. Both men looked around in s
hock.
"Who the hell said that?" Zoro demanded to thin air.
"Me," the voice said again.
"We can hear you," another voice said. "You guys are so loud."
"Chopper? Usopp?" Zoro asked.
"Yeah," Chopper said.
"Ack, Chopper, don't tell him who we are! He'll kill us!"
"You just called me Chopper. He knows already."
" Ah "
Zoro rolled his eyes. "Forget it. I'm going out into the hot springs. My head hu
rts." Maybe the hot water will clear up my head, Zoro thought as he sniffled sli
ghtly. Maybe he had allergies. He grabbed a robe and went right back out the doo
r, slamming it shut behind him.
Sanji sighed as he flumped back onto the bed.
"You should go after him."
"Great, another voice. Who is it this time?" Sanji asked tiredly as he spoke to
the empty room.
"It's Robin. We're on the other side," Robin said in amusement. "Could you go af
ter him? I worry about him sometimes, but he won't listen to me anymore. Please?
"
Sanji sighed before pulling himself off the bed again and going to the door. "Su
re, Robin. Usopp, Chopper?"
Usopp's voice was slightly nervous through the wall. "Yes ?"
"If you keep eavesdropping I'm going to have to kill you."
---
Zoro heard the splash of another body slipping into the water not far from him a
nd groaned. His headache had escalated from a mild to a head-splitting one in a
matter of minutes. Without opening his eyes, he asked, "Who is it?"
"Santa Claus," a voice as smooth as cream, with a rough, crumbly edge at the end
like the texture of crumbly, hard cheese. Zoro couldn't help but use food analo
gies around this guy.
"You never brought me my pony, Santa Claus."
"Did you want one?"
"No. I never wrote you any damned letters, so how would you know?"
"Because if I can tell who's naughty or nice then I think I can tell what you wa
nt."
"Bah," Zoro grumbled as he slipped lower into the water, letting the light drizz
le that was falling sprinkle onto the tip of his nose. "I actually wanted a good
sword when I was a kid."
"How surprising."
"What do you want?" Zoro asked bluntly, cutting off the banter.
"Just checking on you making sure you don't drown and all," Sanji said. He sat cro
ss-legged in the water, leaning closer to Zoro so he didn't have to shout across
the water.
"Come closer. I'm can't hear you, and I'm not going to bite."
"You can't hear me because your head's halfway under the water," Sanji said as h
e swam closer nonetheless. He took a seat next to Zoro and resumed his position.
"What's up?"
" Nothing."
"Don't lie."
"Don't make me."
Sanji scowled in frustration. He had been doing that a lot lately, probably beca
use this idiot was being such a pain. "Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do."
Sanji blinked at the frankness. "Really?"
"Well, don't you trust me?"
Come to think of it, I do,Sanji thought. "Well, yes."
"There. We trust each other. Now leave me alone."
Sanji resisted the urge to rub his throbbing temples. "Why won't you open up, th
en?"
Zoro stiffened noticeably. "I think you may already be aware of this, but whenev
er I trust people then things tend to go badly."
"You trust the others."
"You mean like Luffy, and Chopper, and Usopp?"
"And Ace, Franky, Tashigi even Robin."
"Of course I trust them," Zoro said softly. "They're nakama. Closer than family.
But that doesn't mean I have to share everything with them."
"You're trying to protect them, then."
Zoro snorted a drop of water out of his nostrils. "Not so much 'protect' and 'no
t burden.'"
"They probably won't mind. They intuitively know a lot about you, but it's hard
for them to help you when you're like this."
"I've known them for years. Why do you think it'll be any different with you?"
"Because I'm special." Sanji held his breath, wondering if he had taken a terrib
le risk.
Zoro's eyes opened for the first time since the conversation had begun. Sanji ma
rveled at those eyes whatever pigment made his hair green must affect his eye colo
r too, because they were a deep shade of brown, almost black, with green flecks
that shone brilliantly. Zoro's eyes they tell more than his words ever have, Sanji
mused. When he's angry, they get darker when he's happy, they shine like light th
rough a canopy of leaves when he's thoughtful, they're like this. Like gems in a b
ed of rock.
"You're special?" Zoro's question was flat, but Sanji hoped that he wasn't just
imagining that hint of amusement.
"Yes. I am special." Sanji thought a moment before adding another risky extensio
n. "To you."
"You're special to me," Zoro repeated, rolling the words over his tongue as one
samples a foreign delicacy to decide whether it was delicious or revolting. "You "
Sanji saw Zoro's mind begin to wander and waited patiently. At least the water w
as warm, so he could stay in for a while.
Zoro's thoughts drifted as he began to ponder. Special, huh Zoro was not a sentim
ental guy, and Zoro himself knew this. The only people who had ever been special
to him had left him one by death, and one by heartbreak. Kuina and Robin. Two wom
en that he would never quite reach or understand. There was Mihawk, too, but he
didn't count; Zoro was just waiting until he had the opportunity to beat the coc
ky bastard.
Zoro's eyes refocused as he surveyed Sanji almost dreamily. "White skin "
Sanji felt goosebumps rise from his skin, even under the hot water. There was so
mething scarier in those half-focused, wistful eyes than the sharp orbs that gla
red when Zoro was angry. Sanji had no way of predicting what Zoro was going to d
o now. "Yes, idiot, I do have white skin. Great observation."
Zoro suddenly uncoiled his legs from each other, and Sanji found himself face to
face with the swordsman. Sanji was certain that Zoro had lost it.
"Flaxen hair "
"Flaxen? Who the hell says flaxen anymore?" Sanji demanded nervously as he began
to back away. Unfortunately, when one sits on a rock bench, there isn't much ro
om for scooting.
"Pink lips." Zoro's fingers rose from the water and gently touched Sanji's lips.
Sanji was terrified. He couldn't even say a word for fear of those fingers.
Zoro was unaware of this terror. In the hazy state of his semi-consciousness, al
l he was aware of was what he felt with those fingers. Unimaginably soft lips th
at opened ever so slightly with the pressure he applied.
Zoro's hooded eyes rose to meet Sanji's wide ones. "Sapphire? No too dark too hard pow
der blue, sky blue " His other hand moved to rest on Sanji's shoulder gently as he
leaned forward. He was no longer thinking, but merely reacting to stimuli as hi
s body met them.
Sanji saw Zoro leaning forward and his heart began to beat like a rabbit's, at a
pace that seemed to be far too fast for a human being to handle. His shoulder f
elt like it was aflame as Zoro touched it, and his lips quivered. He was still c
overed in goosebumps.
When Zoro's eyes looked up towards the sky and into the back of his head, Sanji
thought something was wrong.
He knew something was the matter when Zoro slumped forward, his body limp. Sanji
realized that he wasn't just imagining the heat from Zoro's hand on his shoulde
r Zoro was really burning up. A quick check of his forehead revealed a fever too h
ot to be from the hot springs.
Sanji's throat seized for a moment in panic before he managed to get a word out,
his lips freed from Zoro's touch.
"CHOPPER!!!!" Sanji's scream tore into the air, rending it in two like a jagged
knife, and he almost hoped that it would wake up the swordsman whose body burnin
g from the inside out.
---
Chopper had only had to take one look at Zoro's face, which had rapidly flushed
to a cherry-red hue, to grab a phone and punch in the emergency code. The grim l
ook on the doctor's face was enough to tell them that he could not take care of
Zoro with the resources available. Zoro had been covered with a thick blanket an
d a cold towel on his head until the ambulance had arrived.
They all sat in the waiting room (except for Chopper, who had forcibly made hims
elf a part of the team examining Zoro). Most of them were still in their pajamas
. Sanji wore a worn pair of jeans and shirt provided by the hospital's lost and
found box; he had come in the soaked robe from the hot springs. It was quiet; th
e emergency room was not too busy that night, fortunately, because Sanji was sur
e that he would punch someone if they pressed the wrong nerve at just this momen
t. His anxiety was such that he couldn't even kick anyone.
When Chopper entered the waiting room, everyone looked up in tense anticipation.
"He's stable," Chopper said. His shoulders were slack from exhaustion. "But he mig
ht have to be here for a while. At least a week in the hospital to ensure plenty
of fluid intake and to protect him."
"What does he have?" Robin asked calmly. Her hands were trembling slightly.
"Dengue fever," Chopper replied. "It's more prevalent in especially tropical are
as, but it's not surprising that he got it here considering the number of mosqui
toes that live in this humid climate."
"Is there a cure?" Ace asked unsteadily. "He'll be alright, won't he?"
"He should get better in time," Chopper said. "As long as he isn't exposed to mo
re mosquitoes or infections then it'll just take liquids and time. He'll have to
take it easy, though. I'll stay here with him. You guys go on home, it'll be a
while before he wakes up."
"We can't "
"No, Chopper, please "
"You must," Chopper said firmly, cutting off the stream of protests. "I have bee
n taking precautions, but you are all at risk for catching it as well. Actually,
" he paused, "Sanji. You have to stay here, too. You might have caught it from h
im in the water. Everyone else, go."
When Chopper was in 'doctor mode,' no one could refuse him. The others left, pro
mising to come back as soon as it was allowed (or even before then).
"Sanji." Chopper took a seat next to him. "Are you okay?"
Sanji nodded stiffly.
"You haven't said a word since we got here."
Sanji shrugged awkwardly.
"Sanji, I need to know, did he say anything about his symptoms? We're going to h
ave to know when and where he came into contact with mosquitoes and whether anyo
ne else is at risk.
"He said his head hurt, when we were arguing," Sanji croaked at last. "He was ou
t in the rain before he came back, too, and then we went back out. I don't know
what he did during that time. He's been out of it all day, but it only got reall
y weird in the hot springs. He was almost delirious."
"He might have had a compromised immune system from standing out in the rain all
night " Chopper noted to himself. "Coupled with a mosquito bite or two, he could
have easily caught it. Thanks, Sanji, I'm going to go tell the other doctors so
we can prepare. We have to let everyone know to take measures to keep their immu
ne systems strong."
"Are there vaccinations? Will we get sick?" Sanji asked.
Chopper shook his head. "There aren't any vaccines available. All we can do is p
repare and hope for the best, and pray that the epidemic won't be too bad."
"Epidemic?"
"Yes." Chopper nodded wearily. "Dengue fever it'll probably sweep through the whol
e town, if we're lucky. The whole island, if we're not." He turned and left, lea
ving Sanji to his own troubled thoughts.
A nurse approached Sanji not long afterwards, her face partially obscured by a m
edical mask. "Sir? Please come this way, we'll need to check you in."
The next few hours passed in a blur. Gloved and masked nurses took his temperatu
re, blood pressure, blood samples, and hooked him up to a device that monitored
his bodily functions. He was given a hospital gown to wear and his own room, wit
h a television set in case he got bored. He looked out the window and saw that i
t was still raining.
---
"Mr. Baratie?"
Sanji cracked one eye open. He had fallen asleep staring out the window.
"Mr. Baratie, there's a phone call for you."
"Who is it?" Sanji asked as he took the phone.
"Oi, cook."
Sanji sat up as quickly as though he'd sat on a pin. "You!"
There was a chuckle on the other end. "Yes, me. Are you happy to hear from me?"
Sanji sat back, relaxing a little. "Hell, no. You're still alive?"
Zoro scoffed. "Of course I am. No fucking mosquito is going to kill me."
"That's great," Sanji sighed in genuine relief. "Hey, where are you? Why are you c
alling me?"
"I'm in another room. They've quarantined me and won't let me move around too mu
ch. Something about it not being good for my condition to weight lift pfft "
Sanji smiled as he tried to imagine Zoro lifting his hospital bed to train. "Yea
h, well, of course. Their job is to keep you healthy."
"I won't be happy if I lose muscle mass while wasting away here. Did you know th
at they have beds with straps for your arms and legs?"
" " Sanji decided not to dwell too much on the fact that Zoro was strapped down in
a bed reserved for the mentally insane. "How are you?"
"A bit cold now. They said it's part of the normal symptoms. But my head feels g
reat. I think they put something nice in this IV."
Sanji laughed. "Lucky you, all they've given me is sodium chloride."
"Well, too bad for you."
"Any idea when we'll be able to get out?"
"I don't know about you, but they said that I'll be here until my white blood ce
ll count rises or something. I think Chopper told them to use a lot of medical j
argon so I don't ask too many questions."
"I see "
"Mr. Baratie, it's time for lunch." A nurse (she looked like she might have been
pretty under the mask) wheeled in a cart with plastic boxes stacked high.
"Oh, lunchtime!" Sanji said eagerly.
"Heh, just wait until you taste the food." Zoro's voice was crackling with wicke
d amusement. "I'll call you again sometime later. I'm freaking bored in here, th
ere's nothing to do except watch the paint peel. Bye."
"Later," Sanji said as he hung up. "Thank you, my dear." The nurse smiled as she
left, and Sanji opened the box.
When he took the first bite, he realized that hospital food did live up to its h
orrible reputation.
"Goddamnit."
---
Sanji was abruptly awoken from his slumber by the door banging open and a cheerf
ul, "Hey, Sanji!"
He opened one eye (the other refused to open, you know how it is) and glared as
Luffy grinned cheerfully from his perch on the edge of the bed. "How the hell do
you stay up there without falling off? It looks like you're hanging on with you
r toes."
"He's like a monkey," Nami said as she came through the door. "Luffy, try not to
be so rowdy in a hospital. You might hurt someone."
Sanji beamed as he saw her walk in, followed by the others. "What are you guys d
oing here?" Sanji asked curiously. "Are you allowed to be here?"
Chopper came in last, still wearing a mask but looking pleased. "You tested nega
tive for dengue fever. You're free to go, but I have to stay here to watch Zoro.
 You guys," Chopper said, suddenly serious, "Be careful when you leave. We don't
know how many people might be carrying this strain, so wash your hands often an
d just follow normal hygiene rules."
"What are those?" Luffy asked, picking his nose and then moving to pick at his e
ar. Chopper practically twitched as he watched Luffy, but abruptly turned and wa
lked off, muttering under his breath.
"I'll teach you," Nami said sweetly before smacking his head. "First things firs
t, don't do that."
"Ow!"
"I'm leaving?" Sanji asked. "But it's hardly been any time at all "
"The blood tests only take a few hours," Robin informed him. "So you're free to
go."
Sanji glanced at the phone for a moment.
"Sanji?"
Sanji shook his head slightly. "Ah, I'll join you as soon as I'm decent. Er my clo
thes "
Ace threw a bag on the bed. "Here, I grabbed some of the less fruity looking clo
thes so you can walk out of here in something other than a hospital gown. C'mon,
guys, give him some privacy." A nurse came in to remove the IV and unhook Sanji
from all the medical machinery.
As Sanji slowly pulled off his gown and pulled on his clothes, he thought about
Zoro. He hasn't got anyone to talk to in quarantine it's none of my damned busines
s but
"Sanji, where are you going?" Nami asked as Sanji came out of his room and walke
d briskly off to the information desk.
"I'll get back to the inn on my own later," Sanji said. "I just need to take car
e of some business before I go."
Nami was about to protest, but Robin placed a finger on her lips. "Shh," Robin s
aid. "Watch." She pointed to where Sanji was speaking to the woman at the front
desk.
"English?"
"Yes, I speak English. How may I help you?"
Sanji sighed in relief. "I want to visit the quarantine ward. For Roronoa."
"I'm afraid you can't "
"I'm not going to go into the room, I just want to see him. Isn't there some sor
t of glass wall we can talk through?"
The woman nodded slowly. "Down the stairs into the third basement level. Room 10
8B."
Sanji thanked her gratefully before waving at them and trotting off briskly.
"See? He'll be fine. Let's go," Robin said.
---
Sanji walked down the hall, unnerved by how quiet it was down here. Apparently t
hese guys didn't get many visitors.
"Sanji! What are you still doing here?" Chopper was standing next to a trash can
as he pulled off a pair of gloves.
"I came to visit Zoro," Sanji said. "He said he's been bored."
Chopper's eyes widened slightly. "I'm such an idiot! I should have talked to him
more!"
Sanji laughed. "Don't worry, I'm sure you have enough work to do without having
to worry about entertaining that mossball. Where is he?"
"Here, this is the visiting room," Chopper said as he pulled a door open. "I'll
let him know that you're here."
Sanji went into the tiny room and sank into the white plastic chair that sat in
front of a glass wall. There was a small microphone and speaker at roughly speak
ing level, and Sanji scooted the chair up so he was in front of it.
"Hey, cook." Zoro's voice still sounded as it had over the phone; Sanji supposed
it was because they were speaking through the microphones. Zoro took a seat on
a chair that looked far more comfortable than the one that Sanji was sitting on.
The nurse who had helped him into the room, bowed before leaving.
"Hey," Sanji said, trying to look calm and composed. "How are you?"
"The same as I was the last time I called. Which was less than a day ago, mind y
ou. These guys keep a clock and calendar in the room so I don't go crazy wonderi
ng how much time has gone by."
Sanji took in Zoro's appearance. The swordsman looked odd with an IV hooked up t
o one arm and with several wires attacked to various parts of his body. It was a
s though someone was performing medical experiments on a lab rat. Although the r
ed pallor had faded from his face, it was still not its customary bronze color mor
e like an ashen version of its former self.
He looked like a man who was not fighting an easy battle.
"So um what've you been up to?" Sanji asked in an attempt to not be awkward.
Zoro rolled his eyes. "Well, they haven't got anything to do in there except wat
ch the clock, so I've been counting in increments of sixty, pretty much. Sometim
es one-twenty when I'm feeling adventurous."
Sanji felt a wave of pity wash over him as he saw Zoro grimacing.
"Wipe that pitying expression off of your face. I won't be in here long."
"These things take time, idiot."
"Not for me. Two days, tops, I'm telling you."
Sanji grinned. "You're such an idiot. You can't beat medical facts, you know."
"I can try. It's not like I've got anything else to do down here."
Sanji thought for a moment. "Do you want me to bring anything to you? Like a boo
k, or a game, or something "
"Nah," Zoro shook his head."They'd just have to destroy it afterwards so it does
n't carry any germs out."
Sanji sighed before moving to the topic he had wanted to talk about. "Hey "
"What?" Zoro's eyes were sharp, and Sanji was a little relieved that they bore n
one of the half-conscious haziness that they had when they were in the hot sprin
g.
"You know how, um, we were talking before you collapsed "
" yeah?"
"What well what were you thinking?" Sanji stuttered.
Zoro looking into his hands for a moment, and Sanji wondered whether he was goin
g to dodge the question. "Hell "
"What?"
"I said, what the hell, I'm stuck behind this wall and might as well tell you,"
Zoro said with the desperation of a dying man about to be vindicated. "You I "
Sanji waited. Drops of sweat were beading on his brow and in his hands as he sat
in anticipation.
"You're a damned nuisance, did you know that?" Zoro suddenly shouted. Sanji jump
ed back in shock. "You with your damned curly eyebrow "
"Oi, don't bring my eyebrow into this."
" and your freaking long legs, with your skin it's so white! Good lord, it looks lik
e icing! That blond hair, like gold. You say my hair is unnatural? Yours isn't e
ither! It's just way too golden! Those lips, how the hell are they so pink and s
oft? It's just not right." Zoro leaned forward, his chair tipping precariously a
s he put one hand against the glass. "Those lips that I wanted " Zoro stopped himsel
f. He was this close to messing up whatever kind of friendship he had formed wit
h this man.
"Zoro."
Zoro winced at the use of his name. How many times had Sanji called him by his r
eal name? He could probably count on one hand with plenty of fingers leftover.
If Sanji was trying to get him to confess to something, it wasn't going to work.
"You can tell me anything, you know that, right? Zoro?"
Okay, maybe it was going to work.
Sanji pulled the chair even closer to the glass until his hand was up against to
Zoro's own. He could feel the heat radiating from Zoro's hand even through the
thick glass. Please, Sanji thought, Just say it.
Sanji wasn't sure why he was so desperate to hear something that would normally
freak him out to no end.
"Sanji I wanted to kiss you." Zoro pushed out the words slowly, hoping that it wou
ld make them less dreadful. "I just wanted to " He stopped. He couldn't finish thi
s.
Sanji had somehow been expecting this, even if Zoro had hardly ever given any in
dication of feeling more affection for him than one found in the typical man-to-
man relationship. He just had been afraid that Zoro would actually say it. He di
d value his friendship with Zoro more than with anyone else (except Nami, maybe,
but she was almost family in a sense) but had lately been feeling deeply unsati
sfied by something.
But now he was just confused.
Even though he had expected it, had even wanted to hear it, it was too much for
him to handle.
"Shit " Sanji stood and ran out the door as quickly as his legs could take him.
Zoro looked at the condensation that Sanji had left on the glass in the shape of
his hand. He pressed his hand up against the glass firmly, as though he could p
ass through and grasp the hand that was no longer there.
---
"Hey Sanji, what's " Usopp's greeting was promptly ignored as Sanji tore past him
and ran into his room, slamming the door shut. "Jeez, what's eating at him?"
"Phase two," Robin said. "They're moving along quite quickly. Now is the point w
here they are extremely awkward and jumpy. Like giant rabbit-men."
"Isn't this a bit cruel? What if you were, um " Usopp didn't want to say the last
word for fear of his life.
"If I was wrong?" Robin supplied. Usopp nodded nervously.
"Then I'll just have to make sure that they never see each other again."
"S-s-seriously?!" Usopp exclaimed.
Robin laughed. "No. Don't worry. I'm rarely ever wrong." She walked off, with a
thick book in one hand and a cup of iced coffee in the other.
"Scary "
Sanji lay face-first on his bed, with one blanket wrapped around his body and a
pillow on either side of his head.
"To kiss me, huh ?" Sanji murmured under his breath. "How closely has he been watc
hing me?" Probably as closely as I've been watching him. Not that I've ever real
ized that I have Sanji realized that since the first day that they had begun their
friendship, Zoro had been there to help and protect him. Zoro's influence had,
admittedly, increased the flow of customers that came to the Paris Baguette god, i
t seemed like it had been so long since he had worked there and his strength had b
een there to help him, like when the other guys had jumped him in the hot spring
s. Sanji recalled the way that Zoro's torso had protected Sanji from the brunt o
f the mischief, and the way the scar twisted around a body that looked as though
it had been cut from marble by a god's hand. Yet, despite this, Zoro occasional
ly revealed a soft side
He actually admired the bastard.
"Maybe I should go apologize "
---
"Dr. Chopper, Roronoa-san has started to weight-lift again." A nurse rushed up t
o Chopper, holding two frayed ropes. "He also broke out of his bindings."
Chopper groaned. "Zoro " He ran to Zoro's room. "Zoro! What the hell are you doing
?"
"Training," Zoro grunted as he lifted the bed. Every article of furniture had be
en piled on top, making it as heavy as possible.
"Why? If you compromise your health, you might have to stay here even longer."
"Great. Then I won't have to face him," Zoro muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing " Zoro put the bed down gently and stood. "Chopper, how long do
I have to stay here?"
Chopper checked the chart hanging on the wall and Zoro's vital signs. "You do re
alize that you must be some kind of mutant, right?"
"Chopper, are you insulting me? It sounds like you are."
Chopper shook his head. "Your white blood cell count has gone up drastically, an
d the dengue fever seems to have been chased out of your body I can't tell how, th
ough. You'll be allowed to leave as soon as your blood shows no trace of the den
gue fever bacterium."
"Excellent," Zoro said as he pushed a chair off of his bed and sat on the empty
space. "Hey, Chopper, can I ask you something?"
"Of course you can."
"Well, you know how a long time ago I told you when I met Sanji "
"About how you were showing all the symptoms of being gay for him, right?"
"Are those proper medical terms?"
"No, but you know what I mean."
"Yeah well is there any way I can test if I am?"
"If you're what?"
"Gay."
Chopper slapped a hand to his forehead. "Zoro, being gay isn't a medical conditi
on. The only way to know is to just test it out."
Zoro sighed. "Thanks, Chopper. I think I'm going to take a nap."
Chopper nodded before patting Zoro on the arm. "It'll be okay, Zoro. Don't fret
too much." Looks like Robin might have been right, Chopper thought.
---
It took four days for Zoro to clear the fever out of his system.
Zoro paid little attention to the fuss being made around him as he was made read
y to be released from quarantine like some animal being released into the wild. Th
e pricks of last-minute blood tests and swabs of sterile solutions being rubbed
on his body didn't bother him as he sat listlessly in bed. He caught snatches of
conversation once in a while, but not enough to make it coherent.
"Blood pressure is "
" potassium levels "
"Slower recovery less endorphins..."
" affect it ?"
"Maybe "
"You're ready to go now, Roronoa-san," the nurse said as she patted him gently o
n the arm. "Don't forget to avoid swampy areas or places with high mosquito popu
lations. You're supposed to take it easy for the next few days, and take in plen
ty of fluids, okay?"
Zoro nodded absently as he stood and ambled to the door.
"The hospital's staff will take us back," Chopper said. "They want us to avoid t
he crowded subways just in case "
The ride back was uneventful, but the greeting they received was jubilant.
"Zoro! Chopper!" Luffy sprinted out of the inn and nearly bowled them over in hi
s excitement. "They wouldn't let us visit, and I got sooo mad but then Nami said
it was for the best so it was okay."
"How are you feeling?" Franky asked. "Not going to collapse on us again, are you
?" He ushered everyone back inside. "Come on, Tashigi said something about havin
g prepared tea for us. He can drink tea, right, doctor?"
Chopper beamed. "Yes, he doesn't have a strict diet right now. Actually, that ho
spital food really was awful where's Sanji? Can he cook some real food for us?"
They looked around and realized that the chef hadn't joined the jubilant reunion
.
Usopp sighed. "He was a bit disturbed when he came back I haven't seen him much fo
r the past few days," Usopp said. "I wonder "
"Let's try to avoid too much excitement while we can," Robin suggested. "I'll ge
t a nice futon for you to sit on while we drink tea, Zoro."
Zoro allowed himself to be led around, covered with a light blanket, and general
ly pampered by the women while the men watched in amusement. "Hey, how long have
we been here?"
"What?" Tashigi asked, putting down the squat teapot and passing steaming cups o
f tea around.
"How long have we been in Japan?"
"Ah " Tashigi checked the calendar. "A week. Why?"
"Aren't we scheduled to go back to the States soon?" Zoro asked.
"We've pushed that back a few days. Don't worry," Vivi said. "Just rest. Was the
re anything in particular that you wanted to do before returning?"
Zoro sighed. "I'm supposed to go to Kyoto for Mihawk. I was going to visit Kuina
's old man while I was there, too."
"That can very easily be arranged," Robin said. "Kyoto's supposed to be the cult
ural capital of Japan. There will be quite a lot to do while we're there. We've
already taken in most of the sights while you were in the hospital."
"Oh, great."
The sound of the sliding door drew their attention to the side. Sanji stood in t
he doorway, looking pale and drawn as he stared down at Zoro.
"You," Sanji rasped. "We need to talk."
Never had a room so packed full of people been emptied so quickly. Zoro looked u
p at Sanji, his face devoid of emotion.
He braced himself.
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: A relatively fast update, just for Pamplemoose.
Cameo appearance of another Jump superstar!
---
Sanji lit a cigarette shakily, his hands fumbling with the match. The empty ciga
rette box fell to the floor, crumpled. Zoro watched in vapid interest, rememberi
ng what Nami had said a while ago.
"When Zeff died Sanji was devastated. He used to only smoke on occasion after pick
ing up the habit to spite Zeff and prove that he was a man, but it got much wors
e. But lately he's down to a couple of smokes a day. Not a couple of packs, like h
e used to."
Zoro had only seen Sanji smoking on the day they had fought outside of Rain Dinn
ers. Never after that.
Sanji finally managed to light the cigarette, coughing slightly as he took a dra
g.
"So."
Zoro was silent, his nose twitching in response to the smoke.
Sanji looked at Zoro as he stood by the window. He lacked all of his usual suave
countenance, and his shoulders were stiff while his limbs were rigid. The cigar
ette was clenched between his teeth, and his forehead was wrinkled by stress lin
es. He had the slightly sour air of someone who had not showered or been out and
about for a few days.
Sanji did not need this. First, he had nearly had a heart attack when Zoro had c
ollapsed, and then Zoro had started to pull all this confessing shit on him. He
had thought that Zoro would be the last person to bring more drama into his life
, but apparently he was wrong.
Worst of all, Sanji had no idea how to deal with this situation. He had been con
fessed to by plenty of men and women, for sure he did honestly think he was very a
ttractive and charming but those had all generally been casual things; a classmate
here, or a brief acquaintance there. He hadn't developed such close relationshi
ps with them, nor had he really feared the consequences of losing them. It start
led him to realize that he just wanted the old beer-drinking, belching, and gene
rally macho Zoro who was unbearable in perfectly caveman-ish ways. Not the "thin
gs are awkward because I want you" kind of tension.
"So you're gay, huh?" Sanji's question was blunt, as if subtlety was an art that
he didn't care to practice at the moment.
Zoro felt something twinge in his chest at those words, but merely shrugged.
"Fancy that," Sanji continued, puffing furiously on his cigarette. "You're the l
ast person anyone on earth would suspect of it. The great, manly Zoro Roronoa! M
an among men! Who converted you, Bon?" Sanji felt a great heat rising at the bas
e of his skull, muddling his sense and making him hopelessly open up every thoug
ht that popped into his head.
"Stop it." Zoro felt the twinge continue persistently, and he leaned against the
table for support. If he had been more familiar with the feeling, he would have
recognized the symptoms of a breaking heart. But Zoro had never really had much
experience with this kind of thing; there had been Robin, of course, but that w
as more of a sledgehammer than this persistent aching he felt. Even with women l
ike Tashigi and Vivi it hadn't been this bad. Those had been mutual, after all,
and perfectly rational decisions.
There was nothing rational about this situation.
"Stop what?" Sanji asked. "It's true, isn't it? You're gay."
"I'm not gay."
"Oh, so you're bi," Sanji exclaimed, slapping his forehead with his palm exagger
atedly. "I should have known! After all, there was Robin, and Tashigi, and Vivi
before me. God only knows how many women you've done before realizing that you n
eeded a man to fulfill "
For a man fresh out of the hospital, Roronoa Zoro was fast.
"Listen here." Zoro was pinning Sanji down in a lock that would have been diffic
ult even for Daz Bones to break; one hand held Sanji's wrist with the cigarette
above the wooden floor, and the other was locked on Sanji's throat. "Don't you s
ay another fucking word, you understand? When you said we needed to talk I thoug
ht we were going to talk, not have a stupid barrage of insults. But since that's
what you were obviously looking for then this talk is over."
Sanji coughed, struggling for breath, until Zoro loosened his grip slightly. The
 only intelligible words that came out were " goddamn fu green-haired basta faggo "
Zoro looked down at Sanji in disappointment. "So that's the way it's going to be
?"
An inquisitive grunt of discomfort emanated from Sanji's throat.
"You're just going to dismiss me as some fucking fag and walk off to live in you
r little homophobic world?" Zoro snarled, his grip tightening again. "I'm not Zo
ro fucking Roronoa now, I'm just some stupid fruitcake? Is that it, Sanji?" When
he felt Sanji struggling more faintly under him, Zoro released him and moved aw
ay, sitting on the futon and holding a cup of tea as though nothing had happened
. It was amazing how very easy it was for Zoro to sit there, not letting a singl
e emotion escape. It was easier for him to clamp down on them than to let them g
o.
Sanji rubbed his throat and glared at Zoro.
"Call me a faggot if you want." Zoro leaned in towards Sanji without any express
ion on his face whatsoever. "Just don't let it affect the others. Keep them out
of this shit. Okay?"
"Why would I bring them into this?"
"We have a fourteen hour plane ride back to the States. Think about it."
"Whatever " Sanji turned back to the window, wondering whether his bruised windpip
e could handle the cigarette smoke.
Zoro groaned and flumped back onto the futon. "Fuck my life "
Sanji glared out the window, cursing the series of events that had led up to thi
s. It seemed like he could never catch a break in life. He turned slightly to se
e Zoro prone on the floor, his eyes closed in a frown and his mouth slashing acr
oss his face like a knife wound. He had seen Zoro in every range of emotions, fr
om content to angry to sorrowful; every expression fascinated him. He had seen a
vulnerable Zoro, when they discussed his history with Robin. There was happy Zo
ro too, in the midst of a good fight or among their what was the word? nakama.
There had been that desire to find something beautiful for the swordsman.
What had happened?
Sanji recalled scattered memories of the times he had spent with Zoro. Dancing i
n the club and seeing Zoro twist to techno; paintballing; riding the aerocraft;
many other little instances in which he had seen Zoro let himself relax just a l
ittle.
When was the last time he had seen Zoro smile easily?
He swallowed the anxiety that clogged up his voice and coughed slightly.
He remembered how unruffled he had been after seeing Robin naked. And how he had
responded to Zoro's feverish advances. Sanji knew that it hadn't been simple fe
ar from Zoro's unusual behavior that night in the hot springs. There had been so
mething more primal in his reaction. He had been excited, like a treasure hunter
about to open up an ancient box whose prize has eluded him for ages.
"It's funny how we always resort to violence. Namely you," Sanji finally croaked
with a throaty chuckle.
Zoro didn't smile.
Sanji silently moved and knelt beside the futon, stubbing his spent cigarette in
the ashtray on the table. Zoro didn't move. It was likely that Zoro was very, v
ery aware of Sanji's presence but chose to ignore it.
"It's kind of weird, the word fag," Sanji said conversationally. "It was meant t
o be something that they would burn in medieval times bundles of sticks, actually.
Or a cigarette, depending on what region you're in. You could even say I suck o
n a fag for most of the day."
There was an oppressive aura emanating from Zoro that suggested that Sanji get t
he hell to his point.
Sanji swallowed thickly. He was acutely aware of the room and his own body and f
elt his skin prickle with every inch he moved closer to Zoro. Robin hadn't sent
thrills through his body, but being close to Zoro had set him off like nothing h
ad. It was time to test his idea.
Sanji took a deep breath. "But you know, it takes two sticks to start a fire."
Zoro mulled over that a second before his eyes flew open in realization. "Wha " He
sat up, nearly crashing into Sanji, who had leaned down with lips slightly open
in preparation for what quickly became a rather awkward, painful, and sloppy ki
ss. "Shmmt," Zoro mumbled through a mouthful of Sanji, pulling away hastily. Zor
o ignored his painfully thumping heart and throbbing blood vessels as he tried t
o ignore the elation from the contact and concentrate on giving Sanji some space
.
Sanji's response was to put a hand on the back of Zoro's head and pull them toge
ther into a proper kiss.
Zoro closed his eyes and felt his arm automatically move back to prop himself up
. Sanji's lips were just as soft as they looked, and hot puffs of air warmed the
m with every breath. His breath was overwhelmed by the smell of cigarettes, but
Zoro didn't particularly mind or care all he knew was that he was kissing Sanji. T
he slender hand that was now clutching his hair in a firm grip dispelled any sen
se of doubt he had had about this kiss, and he promptly moved to snake his other
arm around Sanji's waist before the cook changed his mind.
Sanji's heart was pounding in his chest at his own audacity, and he felt Zoro re
lax under him and even hold his waist. There was something about Zoro's kissing
technique that made him excited; it was like someone had injected adrenaline int
o his veins. There was a heady rush. It was impossible to think.
After what seemed to be an eternity, they broke apart. Zoro saw that Sanji looke
d dazed; they probably wore the same expression.
"So."
"Um."
"This is awkward."
"Oh, hell." Zoro grabbed Sanji and flipped him into a position where he was on t
he futon. Sanji's heart nearly burst out of his ribcage when he realized he was
on a futon with Zoro.
"Oi, wait "
Zoro scooted in closer to Sanji, and Sanji closed his eyes in terror. Weren't th
ey moving a little fast?
When Sanji felt something fuzzy on his shoulder, he squinted down and saw that Z
oro had fallen asleep next to him, a look of immense satisfaction on his face. H
is face was smooth and free of worry.
Sanji grinned and settled down as well. "I guess we can talk about it later," he
murmured, gingerly placing an arm over Zoro's before closing his eyes. He hadn'
t been able to sleep well, so he might as well try while he can.
---
"Are they done talking?"
"I don't know. You check, Chopper."
"Me?! Why?"
"Because Zoro's the least likely to kill you."
"I think Robin should go. She can kill Zoro if he tries to attack her."
"Oh, you I'll go."
"But Nami, what if "
"I'll be fine, Luffy. Aw, isn't that cute?"
"They're sleeping together!"
"How cuddly! I just want to pinch their cheeks!"
"Hush! Let's get out of here before they wake up "
Zoro made a mental note to get revenge on the airplane. But for now, he was warm
and comfortable and happy. It was a nice change.
---
Sanji woke up feeling extremely refreshed. The room was dark; it must have been
night time. The day's warmth had tapered off a little, although the humidity had
n't at all. He was about to stretch when he felt something heavy that was defini
tely not a blanket grip him tighter.
He was sleeping with Zoro.
Okay, Sanji. Be very, very calm.
He suddenly remembered what had just transpired.
You kissed him. Zoro. You kissed Zoro. Variations of these words echoed througho
ut his head.
You're sleeping with Zoro.
Sanji opened his eyes and found himself facing the wall. He had fallen asleep fa
cing Zoro. Turning his head slightly, he found that Zoro was now somehow on the
other side, with one arm under his head and the other firmly tucked over his wai
st. A faint, rumbling snore could be heard and felt. This faded away into a slig
ht grunting sound.
"You up, cook?"
Sanji released the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "Yeah. How long ?
"
"It's about eleven right now. I've been up for a while."
"You snore when you're awake?"
Zoro snorted. "I wasn't snoring. I just sound like that when I'm really relaxed.
"
"Yeah. Like when you sleep. Snoring."
"Pfft " Zoro poked him good-naturedly and squeezed him slightly. "Are you okay?"
"Mm. Why?"
"You're on a futon with a man."
"Ah well, I I don't really mind."
Zoro's grip tightened a little. "You 'don't mind'?"
Sanji shrugged slightly. "I'm not stiff, so I must have been in a relaxed positi
on. That indicates that even if my head is about to explode with the apparent ab
surdity of it all, my body's doing pretty well."
"Hm " Zoro sat up a little and looked down at Sanji. His hair was disheveled and h
is clothes were wrinkled and mussed from yesterday's activities. Sanji stretched
and yawned, revealing rows of bright white teeth and the tip of a pink tongue a
s his body writhed in pleasure from the stretch.
Zoro swallowed, with difficulty.
"You're staring again," Sanji said nonchalantly. Might as well play this off as
natural until it becomes natural.
"Of course I am. Look at yourself!"
"What?"
Zoro turned to the side, his eyes averted. "You're too "
"Too what?" Sanji asked, beginning to get impatient.
"Alluring!" Zoro barked before turning over all the way and curling up into a ba
ll while facing the wall. Sanji gaped at Zoro for a moment before laughing.
"You're actually shy!"
"Shaddup."
Sanji grinned. "Things really turned around quickly, didn't they?"
"Yeah," Zoro mumbled. "Hey, cook. Did you plan this?"
"Hell, no. I was planning on just yelling at you a bit and just seeing how that
turned out."
" seriously?"
Sanji laughed. "Of course not. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I came in h
ere. All I'm sure of is that the time I spent after getting out of the hospital
was not fun I was just tormenting myself, thinking about what-if and why and how."
"What do you mean?" Zoro asked. As if I haven't been thinking the same thing.
Sanji shifted his weight until he was on his back, facing the ceiling. "I've bee
n well I've doted upon the ladies just as much as I always have, and I love it whe
n they smile and bat their eyelashes at me, but I'm never satisfied by it. Not a
nymore."
"I can't believe anyone ever would be," Zoro replied.
"But I couldn't figure out why. I thought that maybe there had been a woman who
had caught my eye and I could never be satisfied by anyone else, even if I didn'
t know who she was. I thought I just had to find her again. But then, you said y
ou wanted to kiss me, and when I felt inordinately happy then I knew something w
as off. I couldn't think straight. I just had to run." Sanji sighed.
"It wasn't easy for me either," Zoro said grumpily. "I frickin' open myself up a
nd you stomped on my innards."
"What a lovely way of expressing yourself."
"Anyways, I why did you kiss me?"
Sanji rolled over and jabbed into Zoro's ribs until the other man turned around.
"For a long time, I've wanted to give you something beautiful. Something that y
ou would be floored by, and that only I could give you. I wanted to say 'This is
what I gave to Zoro Roronoa, and this is how he responded.' I think it turned o
ut pretty well." Sanji smirked at Zoro's indignant face. "I was also kind of cur
ious, too. It seemed like the best way to test our sexuality was to kiss."
"So you didn't actually want to kiss me for the sake of it?"
"I never said that, did I?"
"You're so confusing," Zoro said wearily. "You really caught me by surprise."
"That was my intention."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
"Do you think we should go out and tell the others that we haven't killed each o
ther?"
Sanji scowled. "You finally have me where you want me and you want to leave?"
Zoro looked thoughtful. "Good point." He reached out and pulled Sanji closer to
him in an embrace. "I'm really happy Sanji."
"Me too Zoro."
---
Kyoto was hot that day. The streets were crowded with women carrying parasols an
d men holding fans in vain attempts to escape the heat. The Navarone group walke
d through the hordes of Japanese and tourists while taking in the sights. Zoro w
alked next to Sanji serenely, his swords strapped to his back in a leather case.
His usual black and white ensemble with military boots had been replaced by fli
p flops, dark brown shorts, and a crisp button-down shirt (worn open, of course)
over a black undershirt. He looked extraordinarily casual. Sanji had to stop hi
mself from staring too much; it was one thing to admire Zoro in the heat of batt
le or in the men's baths once in a while, but it was quite another to be caught
staring at those firm calves or that curving collarbone
"Hey, look! Geisha!" Sanji darted forward excitedly, bowing on one knee and hold
ing a geisha's hand tenderly, determined not to let Zoro see him staring. "Beaut
iful maiden, I do beseech you to tell me your name?" Zoro rolled his eyes.
Tashigi walked up and whispered something into the woman's ear, who paled under
her makeup and darted off with her friend.
"What did you say?" Zoro asked curiously. Tashigi merely grinned and winked.
"I said, his boyfriend is watching," Tashigi said with a small smile, the Japane
se flowing off of her tongue as naturally as the English. "You can thank me late
r. This building coming up was built in the 18th century for the Emperor after " H
er voice trailed off as she led the others on her impromptu tour, leaving Zoro a
nd Sanji in the rear.
"Kare?" Zoro repeated in disbelief as he looked at Sanji. Sanji raised an eyebro
w.
"You gonna tell me what you guys are talking about or are you going to let the w
hite man live on without a clue?" Sanji asked, dusting off his pants. He had opt
ed for grey pants with a simple blue shirt; he rather liked the way it stressed
the planes of his legs.
"She said that you're a eunuch," Zoro replied, turning to follow the others. He
silenced Sanji's outraged protests by pointing at the building that they found t
hemselves in front of. "You see this? This is Nijo Castle. Let's go in!"
"Wait " Sanji found himself being pulled by the hand into the castle. Zoro looked
over his shoulder with a broad smile.
"It'll be fun!"
Sanji stumbled along helplessly in the rush of excitement. There was something a
bout that boyish exclamation that made his protests disappear with a whoosh.
After spending most of the morning sightseeing, Zoro groaned as they approached
a large white building that looked strikingly familiar in this foreign place. A
sign in front bore the words "Baroque Works" in English under what was presumabl
y the Japanese translation on top.
"I'll see you guys later," Zoro said dully, obviously not looking forward to wha
t was ahead.
"Ah, so that's why you had your swords with you," Sanji said. "I'm coming."
"No, you're not."
"Yes, I am." Sanji stood there obstinately, his hands on his hips. "You guys go
on ahead." The others shrugged.
"If you're going to fight, I'm not sticking around to be picked up by the police
," Ace said offhandedly. "Tashigi, know of any good restaurants in the area?"
"Oh yeah, there's this great tofu place this way." Tashigi smiled at Zoro before
leaving. "I'll take care of our flock from here, marimo-chan. Have fun!"
"Women are evil," Zoro said as he watched the others leave. "They're they're just
evil."
"Good thing I'm here, huh?" Sanji said with a smirk as they approached the entra
nce. "So you won't have to deal with any of those 'evil' ladies, as you call the
m."
"Why? It's just the same."
The Baroque Works receptionist was shocked by the two bodies that flew through t
he front door and through the lobby, only stopping when their momentum was halte
d by the front desk itself.
After a few more minutes of scuffling, Zoro managed to pin Sanji's face against
the floor and panted, "Excuse me, where is the kendo instructor's dojo?"
The woman merely pointed silently up the stairs, struck dumb from the absurdity
of the two men who proceeded to half-wrestle up the stairs.
Zoro was halfway to getting Sanji in a good arm lock when a sword scabbard pushe
d down on the back of his head; from the corner of his eye, he could see a woode
n sandal pressing down on the side of Sanji's head. "Oi!"
"Two no-good Yankees, causing trouble?" The man spoke in Japanese, and although
he sounded old, Zoro was surprised to find that he could not lift his head no ma
tter how hard he tried. "What the hell do you two ragamuffins want?"
"I'm looking for the kendo instructor," Zoro replied, loosening his grip on Sanj
i's arm.
"Well, you found him." The man released the two of them, watching in amusement a
s they helped each other up. "Who are you?"
"I'm Roronoa Zoro. This is Sanji," Zoro said.
"Americans?"
"Hai."
"Well then, I will just speak in English," the man said in lightly accented Engl
ish. "My name is Ryuuma. You two call me Ryuuma-sama."
"Samurai Ryuuma?" Zoro said in shock. "I I heard you had died years ago!"
Ryuuma chuckled. "No, I've been hiding from the public eye in here for a while.
You should know better than to underestimate me Roronoa."
"You're hiding from the public in Baroque Works? Um, isn't this place kind of fa
mous?" Sanji asked. He didn't know who this man was, but if his presence disconc
erted even Zoro then he must be someone significant in some way.
Ryuuma looked at Sanji and then back at Zoro. "Who are you, anyways?"
"I'm Sanji. Umm, Baratie Sanji," Sanji said, inverting his first and last name l
ike Zoro had.
"Baratie, huh?" Ryuuma said in interest. He didn't pursue the subject that had o
bviously caught his attention. "And Roronoa now I remember. Mihawk phoned me a few
weeks ago about your trip. Good thing you came today, I've actually got my adva
nced class today so you won't have to show off to a bunch of wet-nosed snots. I
hear you practice Santoryuu?"
"You say that like you didn't already know."
"Come with me," Ryuuma said, walking down the hall. Now that Sanji could get a g
ood look at him, he saw that Ryuuma wore some sort of oddly pattern yukata with
a wooden sword at his side. A wooden sword? He appeared to be far older than the
m, even older than Garp. His white hair was pulled back into an old-fashioned to
pknot.
"How's Shuusui?" Ryuuma asked quietly. Zoro bowed his head.
"It's in fine condition," Zoro replied. Sanji had never heard Zoro sound so humb
led. "Just as it was the day you gave it to me."
"Roronoa, you fool! I did not merely give it to you," Ryuuma chided. "You took i
t from me, fair and square."
"But "
"Get back in line!" Ryuuma roared, throwing the door to the dojo open and stormi
ng inside, clearly ignoring any more protests from Zoro's side. A small group of
students, mostly adults, scrambled to obey. "I leave to see what all the ruckus
is about and you're already goofing off? Seiza! Now!"
"It's unusual to hear you being such a hardass," Zoro said, slipping his shoes o
ff and walking in. Sanji followed in interest. The dojo was radically different
from Zoro's; while Zoro's was simply an empty room that happened to serve as an
instructional facility, this room was made to house swordsmen. If Sanji hadn't w
alked into the building and gone up the stairs, he would have expected to walk o
utside to find the Japanese countryside rather than bustling Kyoto. This dojo lo
oked like it belonged in such a place; there was even a signboard above the door
. There were barrels of bamboo shinaii and wall hangings on the wall with crisp
poetic script on them. The atmosphere in general was simply not comparable.
Ryuuma shrugged. "I have high standards for my students now."
"None of them are as good as me, huh?"
Ryuuma merely laughed. "Students, this is Roronoa Zoro one of my former students."
"Roronoa Zoro?"
"THE Roronoa Zoro?"
Sanji couldn't tell what the students were murmuring in Japanese, but he had a g
ood idea of what it was based on the number of times he heard them saw Zoro's na
me in awe.
"Your reputation precedes you. In all of the ruckus that's been going on, I'd al
most forgotten that you were a Beta," Sanji muttered to Zoro. Zoro grinned.
"It has its perks. On one hand, none of the weak guys will dare to challenge me.
On the other "
When Ryuuma nodded at the first student in line, who proceeded to attack Zoro, Z
oro sighed.
" the strong ones always target you even when you're on vacation."
Sanji watched as in the blink of an eye, Zoro sidestepped the student (tripping
him in the process) and his three swords appeared to fly of their own volition o
ut of the case and into Zoro's hands. The sheathes fell to the floor in a neat p
ile on top of the leather case.
"You ought to be a magician with that kind of dexterity," Sanji remarked. He had
n't seen Zoro draw his swords since the Silver Fox.
"Stand back or you'll get hurt," Zoro replied with an insolent grin. "Next! C'mo
n, all at once!" He turned his swords to the flat sides. "Anyone who can land a
hit on me gets to come back to America as my personal protégée. Interested?"
"Don't try to steal my students," Ryuuma barked good-naturedly. "Especially not
the good ones."
"Good?" Zoro continued conversationally as he disarmed the students with ease. "
Even those clumsy policemen I'm teaching are more adept there we go!" Zoro had a m
anic gleam in his eye as he looked at the man whose practice sword was quivering
against Sandai Kitetsu. He looked to be around the same age as Zoro and Sanji w
ere. "What's your name, kid?"
"Don't call me kid when you're not much older than I am," the man responded, gla
ring at Zoro.
"What's up with that hair?" Zoro demanded, disarming him with a flick of his wri
st. "Are you some j-pop singer or a mikan?"
"Shut up!" the man roared, his face turning red under his bright orange hair. "Y
ou have no reason to talk, you you "
"Marimo?" Sanji suggested with a cough. Zoro glared at him.
There was a brief lull of silence that quickly gave way to waves of laughter.
"You're going to pay for that later, cook," Zoro growled. "Tatsu maki!" A gust o
f wind from the force of the attack made them all stagger, winded from laughter
and the attack.
Ryuuma wiped his eye on the corner of his sleeve. "So, marimo-chan, doesn't mika
n-chan remind you of, well, you?"
"Don't call me that!" Zoro and the other man barked at the same time. "Oi!"
"Zoro, I want you to meet one of my best students. Introduce yourself," Ryuuma s
aid.
The man glared at Zoro before saying, "The name's Ichigo. Kurosaki Ichigo."
"Hey, do you like fruit?" Zoro asked suddenly. Ichigo looked at him suspiciously
before nodding. "Ichigo and mikan, huh?" Zoro winked roguishly.
"Is there some sort of pun I'm missing?" Sanji asked Ryuuma as Zoro and Ichigo l
aunched into another set of attacks.
Ryuuma chuckled. "Ichigo is the word for strawberry, and mikan is the word for t
angerine. I sure miss Zoro's blatant rudeness." They both turned to watch as Zor
o managed to overpower Ichigo and stood with his sword at Ichigo's throat.
"You're pretty good, kid," Zoro smirked. "Want to come back to America with me?"
"Hell, no. Even Ryuuma is better than you are," Ichigo snarled.
"Oi, it's Ryuuma-sama. Or at least Ryuuma-san."
"Your loss," Zoro said dismissively. "Ryuuma-san, want to show them a demonstrat
ion?"
"Oh, you're even calling me Ryuuma-san. Hell must have frozen over," Ryuuma said
in mock wonder. "You want to beat up an old man like me?"
"If age has made you helpless then you're not the man I thought you once were,"
Zoro said, reaching into his back pocket and somehow tying his black bandana ove
r his head with his swords in his hands.
"You've already beaten me once, Zoro."
"It's been a while. Let's just do it for old time's sake."
Ryuuma thought a moment before pointing one of Zoro's swords. "Then give me Shuu
sui."
"You have no other sword?"
"Do you really think I could have replaced Shuusui? They don't make swords like
that anymore."
Zoro picked up the sheath and handed Shuusui to Ryuuma, slipping the other two s
words in their scabbards through his belt. Sanji realized that without the odd b
it of cloth that he had worn at the competition, it was impossible for Zoro to w
ear his three swords at his hip.
"Ready, fight!" Ichigo shouted before stepping back just in time to escape the f
lash of blades that snipped in front of his nose.
Sanji stared in awe. He couldn't tell whether Zoro's technique was stronger or h
ampered because he only had two swords, but he could tell that Ryuuma was holdin
g his ground easily. The two men were just playing with each other, and Sanji ha
d to pound a fist onto his own leg to keep it from quivering nervously. He didn'
t like all that sharp steel flying so close to his
his what?
What was Zoro? He wasn't quite sure; after they had left their quiet little sanc
tuary to join the rest of the world, they hadn't spoken much of what had transpi
red there. The others simply drew their own conclusions from what they had eaves
dropped upon and what they gleaned from watching Zoro and Sanji's interactions.
Were they friends, or god help them boyfriends?
Sanji blinked as Shuusui flew through the air and buried itself into the wall no
t an inch from his head. He looked up, blinking owlishly.
"Sorry about that, cook. My aim was a bit off I meant to hit that kid," Zoro said
as he walked over, pulling the sword out and pointing at Ichigo.
"What the hell did I do to you?" Ichigo demanded.
"You can be good, kid. I won't go easy on you." Zoro inspected Shuusui's blade b
efore returning all of his swords to his case and slinging it across his back ag
ain.
Ichigo groaned before settling back into the ranks of his peers. Ryuuma was stil
l standing on the mats, a small smile on his face as he gripped his arm. There w
as no blood, but the massive vibrations from metal-on-metal must have hurt him c
onsiderably.
"You've been training well," Ryuuma said. "But you are still distracted. Clear y
our soul of all impurities before challenging him, Zoro."
Zoro nodded. "Yes, Ryuuma-san. Is there anything else you would like me to do?"
Ryuuma shook his head. "Send Mihawk my regards. Actually I'm sure he sent you here
to punish as well as teach you a lesson. Here." Ryuuma hobbled to a room to the
side his office, presumably and came back with a box under his good arm. "This is f
or you."
Zoro began to open the box but stopped when Ryuuma slapped his hand. "Don't open
it here, you fool. Open it when you're on the plane."
"If this gets me stuck at the airport for carrying illegal contraband, I swear,
I'm going to come back and kill you," Zoro glared. Ryuuma merely laughed.
"You've never scared me, boy, not even with that look of yours. Get on going, Ky
oto's a big city. Go meet up with whoever else you came with." He turned and pro
mptly ignored them.
"Clearly this guy isn't one for goodbyes," Sanji said as he and Zoro turned and
put their shoes back on.
"He doesn't like getting attached," Zoro replied. "Do you know where the others
are eating dinner? That didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would."
"There can't be that many good tofu places," Sanji said as he walked in the dire
ction that he had last seen their group going. "I'm guessing that we should just
look for the destruction that Luffy must have left behind." They eventually mad
e their way to a restaurant with a large crowd of people standing outside, chatt
ering curiously at whatever spectacle was in there.
"Oh, god." Zoro knew that this scene simply screamed Luffy!
"Looks like we've found them. Prepare yourself," Sanji said grimly as they made
their way through the densely packed crowd. "Sumimasen, sumimasen."
"Oh, you've been picking up some Japanese, have you?" Zoro noted with interest.
"Even if you have an American accent that's heavier than Franky's arms, that's g
ood."
"Hey, Zoro! Sanji!" Luffy greeted them enthusiastically from his seat. The whole
group was seated at a table near the front of the entrance, unintentionally giv
ing the rest of the world a lovely view of the culinary travesty that was Luffy.
Every dish in front of him had been hastily emptied and cleaned out, with only
tiny bits of rice clinging to a bowl here and there. Nami sat next to him with a
fan in one hand that was splattered on one side with more ambiguous bits of foo
d, looking faintly disgusted.
"We're never taking Luffy to a tofu place ever again. They only serve tofu dishe
s," Nami said as Zoro and Sanji squeezed in next to Vivi. "So none of it fills h
im up, apparently. He's just been eating and asking for "
"More!" Luffy called out to the waitress. "This stuff is really good!" He slurpe
d something from a tiny bowl. Despite its small size, Zoro had no doubt that wha
tever was in that bowl must have cost enough to pay for an entire meal. He grabb
ed a menu and looked at it, not really interested in what he was going to eat.
"What do you want, cook?" Zoro asked, shoving the menu under Sanji's nose. "You'
re the one with the sensitive pallet, aren't you?"
Sanji looked at the menu in interest. "I haven't worked too much with tofu befor
e Zeff always preferred to use meat. He said tofu was too expensive around where w
e lived, and I took classes that focused on European cuisine so just bring me what
ever you guys got."
Chopper nibbled on a bit of green onion, looking at his bowl sadly. "Zoooro, I c
an't pick up the tofu."
"What?" Zoro leaned over and looked into his bowl. The tofu in there was an unco
oked variety, and very soft; it sat in a hot broth of some sort with vegetables
swimming alongside it. "Don't you have a spoon?"
"Luffy used it for the spoon dance. I don't want to use it after it's been up hi
s nose," Chopper said morosely.
"Ai " Zoro sighed and handed Chopper his spoon. "There. All better."
Chopper beamed reminding Zoro that despite his size, Chopper was still a damned cu
te guy sometimes and dug into his meal happily. "Mmm!"
"You know, I bet it'd only take one Heart Attack to fill up Luffy," Franky mused
as he swallowed a piece of fried tofu. "You ever heard of those?"
"You mean like cardiac arrest?!" Chopper cried, nearly choking on his meal.
"Nah, dude, calm down. It's this burger it's actually called the Quadruple Bypass
Burger. Four meat patties with cheese, onions, and tomatoes, all packed between
hamburger buns."
Sanji shuddered. "If you knew how much crap went into the average fast food chai
n ground beef, then you'd stay away from them period. I worked a stint at McDona
lds for a few months. It was awful."
"But you always came home with food," Nami said. "That was always good."
"Yeah, but you can only eat so many burgers and fries before you start to get si
ck of them," Sanji said. "And my clothes smelled like grease all the time."
"You guys, maybe talking this topic in front of Luffy isn't the best idea," Usop
p warned too late. Unfortunately at that moment, one of the other customers had
opened the door and a waft of something delicious blew through the door. Luffy's
head shot out of the bowl he was cleaning up, and he had a slightly manic glint
in one eye.
"Meat?"
Zoro grabbed the check and handed the waitress his credit card as the rest of th
eir group ran to catch up with Luffy, who had sprinted out the door in search of
the meat. "I swear we're not die-and-dashers," Zoro shouted as the other patron
s stared. "Damnit, Luffy!"
Zoro dashed outside and found himself left behind. There were throngs of people
that, despite Kyoto's famous reputation, seemed to be a little too dense for a n
ormal day. "Nanda ?"
A line of people engaging in traditional Japanese dance waltzed by, followed by
the approaching sound of high-pitched wailing music on a speaker system.
"Oh shit, don't tell me I've been left behind in an obon festival," Zoro groaned
. "Oi! Luffy! Where are you?" He walked quickly, trying to find his group. Howev
er, after an hour of searching, he hadn't found them in fact, he had somehow made
his way to a tiny shrine down an obscure alley he hadn't remembered walking into
. "Where am I?"
---
Sanji looked at his watch anxiously. "Where the hell is that idiot?" he muttered
under his teeth, digging into his pocket for a cigarette only to find that he w
as out. "Damnit, Luffy, you couldn't have waited five seconds?"
"What'sh wrong, Shanji?" Luffy asked with his mouth full of pork. The streets we
re lined with street vendors that had appeared out of nowhere, and the smells em
anating from them were absolutely tantalizing.
"We lost Zoro!" Sanji barked. "Or rather, he lost us."
"He'll be fine," Ace said as he looked up from where he and Chopper were sharing
a cotton candy cone. "He can take care of oh hey, is that dango?" Ace left Choppe
r with the cotton candy and drifted off towards another booth.
"Don't worry. It's obon!" Tashigi patted Sanji's arm. "He'll be okay. Tonight's
a big festival, and there'll be a lot of people around until tomorrow morning just
try to enjoy yourself. I'm sure he's doing the same."
Sanji sighed. "Yes, my dear," he said as she led him to sample some of the local
treats being sold. "What's in here, you say? Red bean?"
---
Zoro sat on the hard floor the temple, glaring at the entrance. The man blocking
his way gave him just as good as he got.
"Let me go, old man."
The priest sucked in an annoyed breath. "You have something burdening your soul.
It may be a demon."
"Bullshit."
The priest ignored him, the many charm sewn into his clothing reflecting light f
rom their golden threads, as he approached Zoro with a lit stick of incense. A s
tring of unintelligible sutras fell from his lips, his eyes rolling to the ceili
ng in some eerie ritual. Zoro knew that this man was crazy.
"Oi! Stop that!" Zoro growled, swatting away the incense that was waved dangerou
sly close to his nose and standing. "I'm leaving."
"You cannot," the priest moaned. "Such a demon burdens your soul, it befuddles y
our reason and makes you prone to misdirection, you cannot fight it, it makes yo
u violent and riddled with anxiety " He mumbled on incoherently. Zoro flushed at t
he implication how the hell did the priest know about his sense of direction? but nu
dged him out of the way and poked his head out to where the festivities were sti
ll carrying on.
"If I was Luffy, where would I go "
The smell of meat drifted through the air.
"Bingo. Later, priest-san."
"Wait! The ritual cleansing must be completed with a bath in vinegar and lemon j
uice!"
Zoro ran as fast as he could towards the source of the smell.
---
Sanji put down the dango Ace had thrust into his hands with a guilty look. "Guys
, I'm going to look for Zoro," he said, wiping his hands on a napkin and looking
around. "Where should I start?"
The other guys looked at him with gleeful expressions. "Oooh," Ace cackled. "How
cute! You're worried about him, aren't you!"
"Shut up," Sanji snapped as he began to back away. "I'm not worried."
"He's blushing." Usopp's eyes narrowed craftily. "And I'm pretty sure his pretty
little lips are trembling at the thought of his Zoro-chan being in grave danger
! Why, some little girl might hard his Zoro-chan!"
"Hey!"
Franky continued the onslaught, throwing an arm around Robin's shoulder and insp
ecting his fingernails. "Man, what a beautiful relationship those two have, eh,
Robin?"
Sanji fled.
---
Zoro sneezed.
"Where are they " Zoro muttered as he swung sharply around a corner into the main
street. The sounds of merriment and smells of food ambushed his senses immediate
ly, and he stopped as he took in his surroundings.
A figure dashed towards him, with long legs clad in grey and a head topped with
gold. "Asshole!"
Zoro immediately put up an arm to redirect the kick aimed at his head. "Oi! Bast
ard, who oh. It's you," Zoro said, quickly covering up his relief at finding Sanji
. "What's up?"
"What do you mean, 'what's up?'" Sanji cried, swinging his leg down to give mome
ntum to his other leg for another attack. "You had me us worried about you!"
Zoro grinned as he ducked under Sanji's leg. "Worried about me, huh? Who are you
, my mother?"
Sanji was about to perform an axe-kick when he stopped suddenly and put his hand
s on Zoro's shoulders. "Hey," Sanji said, his voice softer, "What have you been
up to?" His hands gently brushed against Zoro's shoulders. "You're covered in as
h."
Zoro looked down and saw that it looked like he had a bad case of very fine dand
ruff. "Oh. There was some crazy priest I met back there " He didn't elaborate.
Sanji's hands swept his hand gently back and forth, lingering for a moment. "You
should be careful."
"He posed as much of a threat as Chopper," Zoro snorted.
"Chopper can break both of our necks," Sanji reminded him. "He's just too innoce
nt to realize it."
" which is why he's still harmless," Zoro replied. "Where are the others?" A group
of children ran by, clutching tiny bags with goldfish. A couple of elderly wome
n were dancing in line, just as graceful as the slim girls moving in between. A
line of taiko drummers were moving in rhythmic sync, the pounding drums penetrat
ing even the thickest walls with their ancient messages.
Sanji placed his hands on Zoro's shoulders. There was something about their litt
le bubble of intimacy (whether he imagined it or not) that made him feel content
among the throngs of celebrating Japanese. He felt that they were thousands of
miles away from home, from anyone who knew them (except the group that they came
with, but they didn't count), and safe in this foreign paradise.
He was glad he could spend this time with Zoro.
Sanji's hands moved to hold Zoro's shyly. "They're over here," Sanji said gruffl
y, his tone of voice daring Zoro to tease him.
Zoro looked down at their clasped hands and then at Sanji's face, his face passi
ve. Then, his face broke out into a smile. "Okay."
A tiny flower of happiness blossomed in Sanji's chest at this newfound level of
acknowledged intimacy.
---
"Please place your luggage in the designated compartments " Cobra's voice crackled
over the intercom.
"Wow, that hardly felt like a vacation at all," Sanji said as he stuffed his bag
into the overhead compartment. The floor rumbled from the other planes at the a
irport where they were preparing to return home.
"Well I was sick half of the time," Zoro grunted, pushing a bag under the seat.
"I couldn't even go to that aerocraft demonstration that Usopp and Franky were r
unning. Watching Chopper riding that thing was hilarious though." They had watch
ed a video of the terrified doctor riding the aerocraft, and Zoro had been glad
to see that Chopper had quickly acclimated to the air and even did a few loops.
"Please buckle your seatbelts "
"I'm going to miss Japan," Luffy said sadly as he buckled up next to Nami. "The
food was so good! Sanji, can you make it?"
"Yeah," Sanji said. "Those cooks at the Inn finally gave me some recipes."
"Yay!"
Zoro grinned as he settled down. Some things would never change.
"Zoro," Robin tapped him gently on the arm.
"Hm?"
"Don't forget that your little friend has a problem with heights," Robin said sw
eetly as she took a seat next to Franky. Zoro looked over and saw that Sanji was
a little pale as he felt the jet's engines starting up under him.
"I'll be okay," Sanji blurted out before Zoro could say a word. "Don't worry. I
don't need to, um, hold your hand."
"Just don't start smooching," Ace drawled from the row ahead. "Ouch!" he yelped
as both Zoro and Sanji kicked the back of his seat.
"Prepare for takeoff."
The Nefertari jet maneuvered towards the runway and slowly began to speed up.
"Need a hand yet?"
"Fuck you."
The wheels lifted off the ground.
"What about now?"
Sanji's garbled response was unintelligible.
They began to ascend at a sharper angle that could be felt in the cabin.
No one noticed Zoro's hand slide to gently squeeze Sanji's hand, or Sanji's look
of relief as he squeezed back.
---
A/N: I don't know if you're ever listened to the music recorded by the voice-act
ors for the anime but there's this song called "You Are the One" where Zoro and
Sanji (and Usopp too, but you can't really tell in the beginning) are harmonizin
g for this one part. And it made me feel absolutely giddy.
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
A/N: The problem with writing my stories piecemeal like this is that I forget wh
at I wrote about. I sincerely apologize for the wait, but you know uni and all that
gets in the way. I've also started an original novel, and if it ever gets publis
hed then I'll let you all know! (it'll probably take, um, a few years lol). Anyw
ays, this chapter might not feel quite right because I wrote half before the fin
als/exams rush and half near the end [as in, right now] so please let me know wh
at the hell is wrong with it (as in plot holes and such). Warning as a result of s
aid 'not feel right'ishness, characters may be OOC. Now here's chapter 17.
---
Sanji opened his eyes and looked around blearily. "Mmmm, how long've we been in
the air?" he groaned, stretching. The cabin was dark and the shades were closed,
giving the enclosed space a cozy feeling.
Zoro turned his head slightly, an open box in his lap. "We've got a couple of ho
urs left until landing," he murmured, so as not the wake the others.
"What's that?" Sanji asked curiously. "Is that what Ryuuma gave you?"
"Yeah," Zoro said. "I took a look at the inn."
"I see you didn't listen to Ryuuma."
"Of course I didn't. Take a look at this," Zoro said this as though it should ha
ve been obvious, pulling out an envelope. "It's a letter from the Emperor himsel
f."
Sanji glared at Zoro. "It's in Japanese, asshole."
"Oh yeah," Zoro smirked slightly. He cleared his throat slightly. "Dear Zoro-kun H
ow are you? It has been a long time. I hope you are doing well in the States. I
hear that your swordsmanship is becoming quite exceptional. I have been in conta
ct with your old teacher for many years, as well as with your current employer,
Juraquille Mihawk. I hear that you still bear Wado Ichimonji. That's very good Kui
na would most certainly be unhappy if it was any other way.
"I would like you to be aware that because I am a very busy man, it would be imp
ossible for us to meet at the moment. I'm sure you'll understand, Zoro-kun. Rega
rds-Emperor Koshiro. It's a rough translation, but that's the gist of it. He wor
ds it a lot more elegantly."
"That's it?" Sanji gaped. "You come all this way and he fucking says he's too bu
sy to see you? I'm sorry, but that's just "
Zoro pulled out another envelope from the first. "Here."
Sanji looked inside and pulled out a sheaf of photos. There was one of a young g
irl in an elaborate kimono and headdress, sullenly staring into the camera. That
must be Kuina, Sanji thought. Poor girl. Another photo showed Kuina as she was
stepping off the plane, presumably for the first time; her hair was still ragged
ly cut, and her limbs were slim from malnutrition. The photos from there seemed
to depict her story on a reverse reel: there was Kuina sitting in a car driving
away from the streets of Navarone towards the airport, Kuina berating another st
reet rat as she pointed at a small pile of food Kuina and Zoro standing back-to-ba
ck, about to retaliate against another gang of children with swords in their han
ds. Zoro on the ground, with Kuina standing victorious and eating an apple. Kuin
a and Zoro squabbling over said apple. The last photo was of an older Zoro and a
man dressed in regal robes. The Emperor?
"He always looks sad when I visit," Zoro sighed. "I think I remind him of his da
ughter too much. Anyways, Ryuuma probably knew that I wouldn't wait until the la
st day to open this thing. Now I can pay my respects to Kuina at a home shrine w
ithout having to wait years to go back to Japan."
"Still, that's a little harsh," Sanji muttered.
"I'll pester him when I become the Alpha," Zoro said. "Until then, I have no bus
iness going back to him when I haven't fulfilled my promise."
Sanji saw that Zoro was not perturbed at all. He wore the look of a man intent o
n his goal, and who would not let such sentimentalities interfere.
When will Zoro be allowed to face Mihawk?
Sanji leaned over and peered into the box. "Is there anything else in there?"
Zoro turned a slight shade of red under his dark pallor. "There's, um, nothing e
lse."
"You're a terrible liar," Sanji said, his hands the hands of a chef were fast dartin
g out to seize the box.
"Bastard! Give it back!"
A small jar fell from the box into Sanji's lap. "What is this?" He picked it up
and scrutinized it carefully while pushing Zoro's face away with one hand. "It's
full of water what's this green stuff?" The label didn't help, as it was in Japan
ese. "It looks like a mossball," Sanji said, a wicked grin spreading across his fa
ce. "This is a marimo, isn't it?"
Zoro managed to grab the jar and stuff it into his coat. "Shut up. Ryuuma though
t he'd be funny by sending me that."
---
"I hate you, Mihawk."
"That's Mihawk-san to you, Roronoa." Mihawk sipped on a cup of tea with a pinky
sticking up in the most ostentatiously pretentious manner. Zoro knew that Mihawk
must have been doing it to piss him off.
"Why are you making your best teacher do this?" Zoro demanded. "This is unreason
able!"
"You've only had one day of class with Bon," Mihawk chided him, nibbling on a ch
ocolate pirouette. "Surely it cannot be as terrible as you make it to be."
"Look at what I'm wearing,"Zoro snarled. "Look at it. Just shit, Mihawk, shit!"
Mihawk took in the pale yellow leotard and spring green leggings without so much
as a blink of the eye. His eyes travelled down Zoro's thighs to a pair of white
ballet slippers with ribbons that ran up his toned calves.
His moustache twitched a little when he rested on the lacy sunshine yellow tutu
that hugged Zoro's hips.
"It's very becoming on you, Roronoa."
Must not kill the man who pays me...yet Zoro thought as he turned on one heel and sto
rmed out of Mihawk's office, ignoring the catcalls coming from Daz Bones' studio
.
---
"I hear you look hot in a ballerina outfit, dude," Ace said nonchalantly as he f
anned himself with an enormous bamboo fan he had bought in Japan. The two men we
re sitting in Ace's apartment (the one Ace used when Luffy was being annoying) d
rinking beers to cool themselves down in the summer heat.
Zoro scowled. "Shut up. You know why I'm doing it. Mihawk's being an asshole."
"I heard that Bon gave you a different outfit for every day of the week."
"Don't remind me, damnit," Zoro growled. "At least Sanji wasn't there last night
. He had to work late at Rain Dinners. I don't even know what the hell I'm going
to do if he sees me like this "
"You mean 'when' he sees you like that."
"You're a shitty friend, Ace."
"I'm a great friend!" Ace protested. "I'm drinking with you during your time of
sorrow, aren't I?"
Zoro grunted. "Eh, okay, sure. Whatever. Dude, you really can see my room from h
ere, can't you?" Zoro asked as he went to the window. "Shit, that's scary."
"Yeah. The new apartment's looking good, but just remember to close the blinds i
f you and Sanji starting fu "
"We're not going to start getting it on in my living room!" Zoro protested. "I d
on't even know how to you know do that."
"Zoro, you just stick it into the first hole you see," Ace said nonchalantly. "I
t can't possibly be that hard."
"You make it sound really ugh," Zoro groaned. "Disgusting."
"I guess you guys can barely hold hands, and I haven't seen you kiss since we le
ft Japan, so sexy time is out of the question," said Ace.
"Oi! We're taking it slow!" Zoro snapped. "Not everyone gets their pants off in
the first week or two of their "
"Their what?"
" relationship "
"Kyaa! How cute!" Ace said in a mockingly high falsetto.
"Shut up, Ace."
"Make me," Ace said with a wink. "That is, if you can."
---
Luffy sat on Zoro's sofa with a can of pulpy orange juice in one hand and a loaf
of bread in the other. "Hey, Zoro. Have you seen Ace?"
Zoro looked up innocently from where he was chopping carrots for a recipe he was
reading out of a cheap cookbook he had picked up at the bookstore. "Ace ? No, I c
an't say I've seen him lately."
Luffy stuffed the last of his bread into his mouth glumly. "He was supposed to t
ake me to Rain Dinners tonight. Want to come?"
Zoro shuddered. "No, um I've got classes today. You know. Teaching and stuff." Wit
h Bon. Ugh. "Maybe you should check your apartment. He might be hiding under the
bed."
"Ooh! Like hide-and-seek?"
" yes, Luffy. Like that." Zoro watched as Luffy ran out of the apartment in excite
ment. I wonder what Luffy will say when he finds Ace tied up under the bed with
his own shirt and pants. He smelled burning vegetables and swore at the smoking
pan on the stove. "Shit!"
---
"What's eating at you, Ace?" Sanji asked from his little stall at Rain Dinners w
here he was frying up long pieces of squid.
"Zoro," Ace grumbled. "That guy is way too strong."
"What did he do?" Sanji asked with a wicked grin. "Did you actually try wrestlin
g him?"
"Well, sort of. He stripped me and tied me up bondage-style with " Ace stopped as
he saw Sanji's sweeping hand motions come to a grinding halt.
"He did what?" Sanji asked pleasantly. Ace wasn't fooled.
"Um, nothing," Ace said as he tried to grab a piece of squid. Sanji smacked his
hand with the spatula.
"Tell me, Ace."
" don't worry about it, dude "
"Fine," Sanji snapped. He whipped out his cell phone and stuck it between his ea
r and shoulder as he resumed cooking. The phone rang for a few moments before sw
itching to voicemail.
"Oi, this is Zoro. Leave a message."
"Shitty marimo, answer your phone!" Sanji snarled into the phone as he grabbed i
t from its perch and stuck it into his pocket. "Oi! Ace, don't run away. You're
taking me to where he is as soon as my shift is over."
"Okay, okay," Ace said. "Now can I get some squid?"
---
"Un, deux, trois!"
Zoro groaned as he awkwardly sank into a plie. He was surrounded by men in drag ei
ther that, or really ugly chicks who were enthusiastically following Bon's every m
ove.
"Zoro! You must sink lower!" Bon trilled as he pranced over and squatted behind
Zoro, putting his hands high on Zoro's thighs. "Lower, lower!" Zoro shuddered as
he felt Bon squeezing his muscles in the most uncomfortable manner possible.
"I don't think I can sink any lower. I will kill you once I'm done with this," Z
oro snarled through gritted teeth.
"Yes, but for now, you are mine," Bon said with a devious smile. "And goodness!
Your slippers are not tied properly! You know what that means!"
"Oh, shit," was all that Zoro could say as every student turned to look at him w
ith evil looks in their eyes.
Sanji walked quickly down the halls of Baroque Works. "Hey, asshole!" Sanji grow
led as he rattled the doorknob to Zoro's dojo. It was locked. "What? You guys, y
ou said he was teaching tonight."
"That's what he told me," Luffy said.
"Maybe he's with Bon," Ace suggested. He knew that he was already in a shitload
of trouble, so it wouldn't really matter what he said anymore. Zoro would kill h
im either way.
"Why the hell would he be with Bon?" Sanji demanded. "He hates oh whatever, I migh
t as well check." He ran down the hall and kicked open the door to Bon's studio
shouting, "Marimo!"
Sanji stopped in the doorway at the spectacle before his eyes.
Zoro was being pinned to the floor by the majority of Bon's burly students as a
couple of others hovered over him. One was fixing his leotard and slippers while
the others were dabbing bits of powder, blush, and mascara on Zoro's face. The
stream of profanities coming out of his lipsticked mouth surprised even Sanji.
"Z-Zoro?"
Zoro stared at the doorway with wide eyes, pleading with some higher power to te
ll him that it was all just a bad dream.
"Zoro, why don't you tell me what the hell is going on," Sanji said calmly.
Zoro swallowed slightly. "There was a slight condition to the vacation leave I t
ook Mihawk. It was Mihawk, I swear."
Sanji smiled sweetly, and Zoro felt a drop of sweat go down his back. Sanji was
not a sweet man.
Whack. Smack. Crack.
Zoro didn't move from his position as the men holding him down collapsed from Sa
nji's well-executed attacks.
"Marimo, get up."
"Er " Zoro wasn't afraid of Mihawk. He was actually raring to kick the guy's ass a
s soon as Mihawk was willing to use something bigger than the dinky penknife tha
t hung around his neck. However, Zoro also didn't mess with Mihawk, and he knew
that if he left now then he'd have to pay the price later.
Looking at Sanji's fuming face, Zoro had to remind himself several times that he
wasn't afraid of Sanji, either.
---
"Tell me why I'm practicing with you guys," Sanji snarled under his breath as he
bent his knees in a graceful plie. A foot-shaped bruise was growing on his left
cheek.
"Don't you usually practice with Bon?" Zoro asked, his knees creaking from the u
nfamiliar movements. A similar bruise to the one on Sanji's face could be seen o
n Zoro's right cheek.
Bon, after all, did not tolerate horseplay in his studio.
"I do savate, not ballet!" Sanji hissed angrily. "Why are YOU doing ballet?"
"It's a long story "
"According to a complete arbitrary rule of relativity, the more miserable you ar
e, the more slowly time passes. We have plenty of time."
As Zoro told Sanji the details of Mihawk's demands, Sanji snorted with laughter.
"What, asshole?" Zoro muttered darkly as they lined up for swan jumps.
"Your life sucks," Sanji said with a slight grin, bending his knees as he was ab
out to leap.
Zoro glowered for a moment, but then grinned evilly.
"But you make my life so much better, Sanji, my dear," Zoro said cheerfully, pat
ting Sanji on the behind in a series of motions and words that he had picked up
from Bon. It took a great deal of self control to keep from vomiting, but he man
aged to pull it off.
Sanji tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face.
---
"Aaaah " Zoro sighed in relief as he put an ice pack between his thighs. "Those da
mned stretches are just ridiculous. I'm pretty sure part of the function of a ma
n's junk is to prevent him from doing the splits."
Sanji looked up in surprise from the kitchen where he was stir frying vegetables
he had found in Zoro's fridge. He had thrown out Zoro's pathetic attempts at co
oking after taking a single bite. "Really? I feel fine."
"You obviously don't have any gintama between those skinny-ass legs of yours the
n," Zoro said as he shifted slightly to let the ice get a more comfortable posit
ion. He caught the knife that Sanji threw between two fingers. "Don't throw kniv
es. They'll make holes in the walls."
"Do you care?"
"No, but Ace has proven before that he's not above charging me for damages to th
e room. What are you cooking?"
"Shrimp stir-fry," Sanji replied as he put a dash of soy sauce into the pan and
threw in a handful of raw shrimp. The shelled crustaceans were soon a nice pink
color and gave off a savory scent. . Sanji took the pan off of the fryer and sco
oped two steaming bowls of rice before topping them with the stir-fry. "Come and
eat, marimo-chan."
Zoro hobbled over uncomfortably. "Don't call me that."
Sanji began to eat, nodding at the latest addition to the apartment. "Is that Ku
ina's shrine?" The altar was made of a light, highly-polished wood that opened u
p to bare a picture and a small mound of ash in a bowl.
"Yeah," Zoro said around a mouthful of rice. "I picked up some incense and I lig
ht a stick every day."
Sanji stared at the morose photo on the altar for a moment. "You couldn't have u
sed a more cheerful photo?"
"It's the most formal picture I've got."
"Yeah, but still " Sanji sighed. "So, what are your plans for next week?"
"There's another tournament coming in a few months. I'm going to be training mor
e," Zoro said. "It'll be hard with that stupid practice I'm supposed to be going
through with Bon, but I'm going to be pretty busy with that. What about you?"
Sanji shrugged. "Just working at the café. I've been neglecting my work there la
tely, and I want to keep a loyal fan base. Thanksgiving's coming up, so I'm goin
g to start making themed pastries!" He spun around excitedly. "Just imagine! Pum
pkin pirouettes, spiced cinnamon and nutmeg éclairs, cranberry jelly puffs " His f
ace was flushed with anticipation. "And I need a guinea pig to taste them."
"Can't you eat them yourself? Or what about Luffy?" Zoro complained, stuffing th
e last of his rice into his mouth and taking the dish to the sink. He and Sanji
had an unspoken agreement; Sanji would feed Zoro, and Zoro would clean up (usual
ly).
Sanji shrugged. "Luffy will breathe in those pastries without a second thought.
You, at least, take a bit of time to chew."
" thanks?"
"Just come whenever you're free," Sanji said. "It's free food."
"You already give me free food."
"Yes, but if you don't come then you will be devoid of any more free food," Sanj
i replied calmly. "And my food's like crack. You can survive without it, but onc
e you taste it, you won't be able to go back to eating the slop that you're used
to."
"My cooking is not slop," Zoro grumbled. "Slop suggests a gloopy texture. My foo
d is usually crispy."
"You mean burnt."
"Same difference," Zoro shrugged. "Anyways, I'll stop by on my way to and back f
rom work. Have something waiting for me."
Sanji smiled. "Oh, how's your marimo doing, marimo-chan?"
Zoro scowled. "It's doing okay." He had left the jar in the kitchen, and Sanji s
ecretly believed that Zoro had grown attached to the little balls of mossy plant
substance.
Sanji stood and plunked his dishes on the counter next to where Zoro was washing
the dirty ones. "And how are your legs?" Sanji asked. He hopped onto the counte
r and looked at the dishes. "You're not getting any of the oil off either, by th
e way. Wash it again."
"Don't speak down on my dishwashing," Zoro grumbled. "My legs are still sore as
hell, I can hardly stand here."
Sanji hopped back off the counter and left the kitchen. "Where are your towels?"
"Top drawer in the cabinet," Zoro called. "Why?"
"You'll see," Sanji said. He soaked the towels in water and put them in the micr
owave before rummaging in the kitchen for a kettle, which he promptly placed on
the stove to boil after filling it with water. Zoro watched interestedly as Sanj
i poured the water into a couple of bottles and said, "Come into the other room
once you're done here."
"What are you doing?" Zoro asked. He found Sanji sitting next to his long couch
with his supplies laid out on the table.
"Lie down," Sanji ordered. Zoro bristled at the authority in his voice, but comp
lied anyways. "Where does it hurt the most?"
"In my calves and inner thighs," Zoro said, resting his chin on his arms.
Sanji picked up a water bottle and placed it gingerly between Zoro's legs. He th
en placed the hot towels on the rest of his legs. "The heat should help your mus
cles relax," Sanji explained. "How does that feel?"
"Hot."
Sanji rolled his eyes. "I mean, does it feel better? Worse? The same?"
"I'm still a little tense, but it's helping," Zoro sighed.
Sanji moved to Zoro's head and poked his shoulders experimentally. "You're tense
up here, too," he noted. "Odd, since this is where you usually work out." He ru
bbed his hands together and placed them on Zoro's shoulders, massaging where Zor
o was the tensest.
Zoro froze as he felt Sanji's hands running down his back. "Thanks, cook, but I
think I just need to oh dear god, that feels delightful," he groaned. "Never mind.
Just keep going."
Sanji kneaded a knot expertly with his thumbs. "I took masseuse classes at a com
munity college because I met this girl who liked to be waited on hand and foot.
It turns out that she was kind of, ah, famous too famous for a no-name like me, at
least. I wonder what happened to her?"
Zoro gave a noncommittal grunt. "You must be getting out of practice. Keep doing
it on me so you don't lose your touch."
"Is this a gruff, Zoro-ish way of asking me to do this for you more often?" Sanj
i teased, poking Zoro's cheek with his finger. "I'll do it for you anytime you n
eed it. No need to be shy about it."
They sat in silence after that, save for the occasional grunt on Zoro's part whe
n Sanji worked on a particularly stubborn stiff spot. Zoro didn't say another wo
rd until he felt Sanji moving a little too low down his back. "Cook, you are ven
turing into dangerous territory."
"Your legs hurt the most, don't they?" Sanji demanded irritably. "Don't interfer
e."
"Yeah, that's not the part I'm afraid of. It's the transition from shoulders to
legs that worries me. There's this enormous barrier called my "
"If you're going to make dick jokes, don't," Sanji warned. "I can just as easily
make you scream in pain by pressing on just the right pressure point as I can m
ake you feel better. I'm not going to touch your junk." He shrugged. "Unless you
want me to."
Zoro shivered violently. There was something about the expressionless way that S
anji said that that suggested Sanji was more interested than he let on. "What wi
ll you do if I say that?"
Sanji flicked off the towels and straddled Zoro's midriff with a playful grin pl
aying along his lips. "Want a sample?"
Zoro heaved Sanji off and fled.
Sanji laughed silently, his lungs unable to properly release the belly-deep laug
h trying to escape his thin frame. This is just way too easy. He hadn't had any
intention of going there with Zoro just yet. Not only was he unsure of how these
kinds of things usually went (he was still a virgin with men). He also didn't wan
t to rush this relationship.
Plus, he was pretty sure that Zoro would be too proud to be anything but on top,
and no way in hell was he going to let that happen.
---
"You should have let him do it," Ace said the moment Zoro burst through the door
to his apartment. He was sitting at the window with a six-pack of beer and a la
ptop on his lap.
"You were watching us?" Zoro demanded. He felt a little creeped out. "That's nas
ty, man."
"I told you to get drapes."
"You !" Zoro rubbed his hair in frustration. "Well, at least I don't have to expla
in my situation."
"You were about to get some, but chickened out. What more is there to say?"
"Shut up," Zoro growled. "I'm not ready for it yet."
"How sweet!" Ace's eyes became mere slits as he beamed broadly at Zoro. "Are you
waiting until after marriage?"
"Ace, one day someone will get tired if your snarky behavior and kill you. Like
me."
"I'm too loveable to be killed. Except by the Marines."
"The who?"
"I don't know. I'm not making a reference to a parallel universe or anything "
Zoro groaned. "Ace, do you know anyone who could, you know, help me? With my sit
uation?"
"The famous Zoro Roronoa, asking for help!" Ace cackled. "I should milk this for
all it's worth. You want a prostitute to help you learn the ropes?"
"No! Just, I don't know any gay people. I need to know how to be gay."
Ace looked at Zoro seriously for the first time since their conversation began.
"Zoro, you can't go about it like that. There isn't a way to 'be gay,' just as t
here isn't a proper way to 'be heterosexual.' It all depends on the person, the
relationship, and the circumstances. Some people like things to be fast and loos
e, while others like slow and romantic. Just do whatever you think feels right f
or you and Sanji." He took a long draught from his can. "Doing otherwise would o
nly be like you were acting out a scene from a play. It wouldn't be real, and yo
u'd never be satisfied doing things like that."
Zoro groaned. "I was terrible with women in the first place, and Sanji might as
well be one. Toss me a beer?"
Ace shook his can regretfully. "Last one, dude. Go take Sanji to a bar or someth
ing. Get friendly. Maybe alcohol will loosen your inhibitions."
Zoro grimaced. "No. I want it to be real. If it takes booze for me to get comfor
table with him, then things aren't going to work out." He turned and left resolu
tely.
Ace smiled as he saw Zoro return to his apartment and send a casual middle finge
r at the window before turning to Sanji. "Atta boy," he said softly before retur
ning to his laptop. "Go get him."
---
"Hey, Sanji. Dessert," Zoro said the moment he walked through the door. He was n
ot going to let awkwardness get in the way of his Sanji-time, and the easiest wa
y to get over awkwardness was with argument.
Maybe that wasn't so healthy, either.
"Don't you have ice cream or something in the freezer? I thought you didn't like
sweet things, anyway," Sanji complained. "What do you want?"
Zoro thought wildly and spat out the first thing that came into his head. "Fruit
kebabs."
"Fruit kebabs."
"Yep."
"You want fruit kebabs."
"That's right."
"I didn't even know you knew what a kebab is. You have trouble remembering the n
ame of your ham and cheese croissant that you have at the café all the time."
"Am I getting my damned fruit kebabs or not?"
Sanji grinned. "It looks like my presence is making you more cultured already. I
t's too bad the farmer's market isn't open today, but we can go down to the Chin
ese market in Fire Sector and get some good fruit."
Zoro sighed. This involved walking, and driving, and troublesome things in gener
al. "Must we? Can't we use apples or something?"
"Zoro, do you really want fruit kebabs?" asked Sanji shrewdly.
" No."
"That's a good boy. You shouldn't lie to people," Sanji clucked.
Zoro had the sudden feeling that Sanji saw him as a lot less badass nowadays tha
n he used to. It might have had to do with the whole Bon-class thing. He would h
ave to remedy that. Maybe alcohol would work. Yes, maybe showing that he could d
rink Sanji under the table would help somehow.
"Dude, want a beer?" Not good enough. "No, a whiskey? I have some Jack Daniel's
in the cabinet "
Sanji knew he shouldn't have. He had already pushed Zoro around enough, and he w
anted to save some fun for later. But he just had to.
"But Zoro! I wanted to talk about our feelings!"
"Oh, shit." Zoro backed up, his eyes wide.
Sanji laughed. "I'm just kidding. Come here, you big idiot."
"Hm?" Zoro obeyed, sitting next to Sanji on the couch. "What?"
"This is for running out on me!" Sanji cried, leaping at Zoro. They began to wre
stle furiously on the floor, all regard for furniture lost.
"Why, you little shit !"
---
Time went on, and the weeks passed by until it was the night of the Kamabakka Ni
ghtclub's quarterly show. Each season the homosexual-friendly bar would hold a s
pecial performance pertaining to the seasons. This time the title of the show wa
s "So Long, Summer Fresh Fall!" It was a prelude to the crisp weather and grey day
s that were beginning to creep into the blue summer skies and warmth.
Zoro had complied with Mihawk's orders, albeit grudgingly. Once Bon found out ab
out his relations with Sanji (thanks to a casual word dropped by Mihawk, and Zor
o had no idea how Mihawk found out) he told the entire bar, who then saw this as
a signal that Zoro was gay and up for grabs.
"I'm not gay! I'm only into Sanji!" Zoro roared on the second night as he felt h
imself being pawed at as he tried to make his way through the crowd. He thought
a good stiff drink might make him feel better, but was dismayed to find that the
bar only served drinks with fruity flavors and elaborate garnishes. He had been
even more put off by the fact that everyone twittered at him after he had yelle
d his Sanji-feelings bit.
He was in Hell.
"Un, deux, trois! Zoro, dear, are you ready for tomorrow night's performance?" B
on trilled. Sanji snickered; he had escaped being roped into the deal with Zoro
by claiming that training with Bon's troupe would interfere with his Savate.
Zoro didn't answer; he was too busy touching his toes. He hated to admit it, but
he had actually gotten a lot more flexible during his time with Bon.
"Can I watch?" Sanji asked with a grin. "I'll even buy you roses for your specia
l performance, darling."
Before Zoro could snarl at him, Bon swooped in with a flutter of his eyelashes.
"Ah, tres bien! You will accompany him, no? As his escort? I will arrange for fr
ont-row seats for you and all your friends! How lovely!" He waltzed off to admon
ish another man for slipping in his own puddle of sweat.
Zoro couldn't get a single word out that entire class. He was silenced by a mix
of rage and horror.
---
"Oh, don't you look so pretty!"
"I'm telling you, Henrietta, this green eyeshadow totally goes with his hair."
"It really complements his skin tone, too!"
Zoro sat in Kamabakka's dressing room, being primped by the other okamas. He had
been chained to the chair and tethered with duct tape by half of the men not pe
rforming, and they all sported bruises or sore spots. He glared dangerously at t
he men applying his makeup.
"I wonder how we're going to get him into his outfit without smudging his makeup
?" a man asked worriedly, nibbling on his manicured thumbnail.
"He'll do it on his own, ladies." Sanji stood in the doorway, leaning against th
e door jamb and pulling an unlit cigarette from his mouth and pointing it at Zor
o. "I saw Mihawk on the top floor. It looks like he came to make sure you didn't
run off." Sanji winked at the men in drag, who blushed. "So, where are the perf
ormers? All I see are a group of lovely women preparing Mister Roronoa."
"How charming! He's a good one," an okama whispered loudly to Zoro. "And what a
firm behind on that one!"
Zoro groaned. He must have done something appalling in a former life to have to
endure this suffering. He had never felt his testicles shrivel up so much from s
uch emasculating treatment.
Once preparations had been finished, Sanji joined Luffy and company in the audie
nce the bar had been converted to a theater to watch the spectacle.
The nightclub had honestly shocked Sanji when he had stepped through the doors.
Since homosexuality was still a tense subject to the public eye, the Kamabakka N
ightclub didn't advertise too ostentatiously. They appeared to make up for this
with the bright neon lights in shades of mostly pink that lit up the inside of t
he enormous club with an eye-smarting glow. The club itself was large enough to
take up a building the size of a warehouse, and Sanji caught the scent of fried
onions and broiled chicken as he passed by one door on the way to the dressing r
ooms. The club advertised not just the night scene, but fine dining and activiti
es like karaoke in separate rooms. It was a city inside of a city. The enormous
dance floor on the bottom floor had been cleared of all obstacles and fitted wit
h plush chairs and a wide stage.
Light classical music began to play as the lights dimmed and, one by one, the pe
rformers pranced out on stage. At the end of the line came Zoro, wearing a green
 and brown set of tights that matched the rest of the men in line. He shuffled h
is feet slightly behind the man in front of him, but picked them up reluctantly
when a certain Alpha swordsman coughed loudly from the second floor loudly enough
to be picked up by everyone in the room. The men pranced; they leapt; they bent.
Some bent in ways that made even Sanji raise an eyebrow. The lights followed th
e dancers like shadows, flickering with bright colors. Suddenly, the music becam
e much more violent, and the dancers on stage parted to reveal a very red Zoro i
n the spotlight. His muscles were stiff with tension, and his forehead was so fu
rrowed in an angry frown that his eyes could hardly be seen.
"Go, Zoro!" Luffy yelled exuberantly.
"Yeah!"
"Shake that ass!"
"Franky "
"Sorry, Robin. Don't shake it, then! Maybe a little, bro!"
Sanji grinned as he saw a pulsating vein popping out of Zoro's neck, and wondere
d how far it could stick out before becoming detached from the main body.
Zoro breathed in deeply. He was the only one on stage, and the only viewer of hi
s performance. He was standing in the middle of a grassy field in the mountains,
with a river at his side and a temple at his back. He was Zen.
Ace's yelled "Zoro baby, we love you!" didn't even crack the surface of his calm
. This was the place he retreated to when he needed to calm down in the middle o
f the fight. This was just another battle with an ugly opponent.
"Wow!" Chopper gasped as Zoro spun rapidly on the tips of his feet and jumped po
werfully, spinning all the while. "I didn't know Zoro could move like that!"
"It's quite impressive," noted Robin with a smile and a nod.
Sanji gaped. Zoro was actually graceful, for crying out loud. One arm moved one
way while the other moved to balance the motion in a form that was almost like w
ushu, Chinese performance martial arts, in its purpose and controlled strength.
Only an occasional bend and spin reminded the audience that this was indeed mean
t for a ballet performance. Zoro swept his body into a tight spin with his leg b
ent at an angle, gradually opening up until he pulled his body out of it and int
o a pose with one hand reaching towards the ceiling and the other reaching out t
o the audience. Sanji felt his throat tighten when Zoro looked directly into his
eyes with a passion that was both passionately hot and coolly calculating. Litt
le did he know that he himself had once evoked such feelings in Zoro when Zoro h
ad first seen Sanji practicing Savate.
Sanji didn't notice the other men joining Zoro as they bowed to the cheering cro
wd. He didn't feel Nami pull him to the stage to congratulate Zoro, nor did he r
egister that everyone was watching as he pulled Zoro close to him by the tight m
aterial of his outfit and kiss him. He could feel every inch of Zoro's skin thro
ugh the taut cloth, and wished for a fleeting moment that even that barrier was
gone. They broke apart for a moment and Sanji found himself caught by Zoro's eye
s again. He could feel his heart beating erratically against his ribcage, and wo
ndered if the pulse he felt while leaning against Zoro was the other man's or hi
s own.
"That was impressive, Roronoa." Mihawk nudged his way through the slight gap bet
ween Luffy and Chopper. "Bravo."
"Oh, thank you, Mihawk-san," Zoro said sarcastically. He folded his hands in fro
nt of him and bowed slightly. "Now, if you guys will excuse me? I'll go get chan
ged, and then we can go grab something to eat. Someplace that isn't filled with
okamas."
"I was hoping that you and your friends would join me for dinner in the lounge u
pstairs," Mihawk said, his lips curling into something that wasn't quite a smile
. No smile was that menacing. "You're going to have quite a following of admirer
s after that performance, Roronoa." His tone explicitly said that he would not t
ake no for an answer.
" sure," Zoro grimaced. "Why the hell not." He turned and retreated in the dressin
g room, his hands still folded in front of him. Sanji followed and quickly darte
d through the closing door. They were alone; the other okamas had changed quickl
y and left to join their friends on the dance floor to revel in the success of t
heir show. One of them had left a sign on the locker with Zoro's belongings sayi
ng Don't be a stranger, cutie! Zoro shuddered as he tore it down and tossed it i
n the trash. He half-turned and saw Sanji staring at him. "What?"
"That was really good, Zoro," Sanji said slowly. "Like, really good. I didn't kn
ow your body could bend like that."
"It couldn't, as of four weeks ago." Zoro struggled with one of the straps of hi
s outfit as he pulled off the first layer of his outfit. He stood unusually clos
e to the wall, facing slightly away from Sanji.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you standing like that?" Sanji asked curiously.
"Stand naturally. You look like you're standing on the edge of a cliff."
"I'm okay," Zoro said, turning completely away from him. He had a little problem t
hat would be dealt with later in the safety of his home bathroom. "Turn around.
You wouldn't believe what kind of underwear they made me made. Apparently boxers
aren't form-fitting enough."
Sanji covered his eyes with one hand, peeking enough to see a bare backside and
enough cloth to maybe cover a postage stamp. He winced slightly, trying not to i
magine how it must have felt to wear that. He also was fascinated, however, by t
he fact that Zoro was wearing it
"There." Zoro patted his loose black pants and plain white shirt with a look of
satisfaction as he pulled on a black leather jacket. He hadn't wanted to admit t
o Sanji that the little spectacle they had put on outside had affected him in wa
ys that made him, shall we say, uncomfortable with tight clothes. "Ready?"
Sanji decided that he would be merciful. "You're still wearing eyeshadow."
"Shit." Zoro went to the washroom, and the sound of running water carried into t
he dressing room. "Thanks. Hey "
"Hm?"
"What did you think?" Zoro called. He was scrubbing at his eyes carefully he had l
earned how painful makeup was in the eyes as he spoke.
"It was good," Sanji said simply.
"Oh, come on!" Zoro growled. "You give out words to women like crazy, but when I
ask you hardly have enough of a response to fill in two seconds of silence?"
Sanji shrugged. "It was interesting. I really liked it." He smirked. "I thought yo
u didn't care much for this. Why does my opinion matter?"
Zoro smiled behind a face covered in soap. "Thanks, cook." He frowned at what Sa
nji said last. "If I waste my time doing something like this it might as well be
for something halfway decent."
"No problem, marimo. You did great."
Zoro looked in the mirror and decided that no one would say anything about the t
iny sparkles left around the corners of his eyes. "What do you think they'll ser
ve us tonight?"
"I don't know. I've never been here before. You don't know?"
"I stepped foot in here, once, when Bon got a raise and he treated all the instr
uctors at Baroque Works to booze. Biggest mistake of my life." Zoro didn't want
to think about the hands that had gotten in all sorts of questionable places on
his body.
"Hm," Sanji hummed as they stepped back out into the club. They made their way u
p the stairs as quickly as possible, but there was no escaping recognition with
Zoro's green hair.
"Oi! Don't touch," Zoro snapped at a particularly frisky okama, who merely winke
d in return. "I'm never coming here again."
"Hey, guys! Over here!" Nami waved from a long table set for all of them, includ
ing Bon (much to Zoro and Sanji's chagrin). "We already ordered, but what do you
want to drink?"
"I'll take a glass of wine," said Sanji.
"Whatever you have that's strong," Zoro said. "Preferably without any juice, fru
it, or frills."
The waiter or waitress? taking their orders stared at Zoro. "Say, you were on stage,
weren't you? The one who did the last act?" It was a man, speaking in a falsett
o.
"Er " Zoro pulled at his collar nervously.
"You are!" the okama squealed. "I'll be right back!"
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Zoro groaned. "Why "
"Relax, bro. It might be okay," Franky said, trying to placate Zoro without much
hope.
They sat and chatted; Mihawk said little as he sat at the head of the table, but
his eyes bored into the side of Zoro's face; he refused to turn and look. "What
a way to spend a Friday night," he muttered under his breath. Their food began
to come, piled high on white and purple plates. Sanji sniffed one plate passing
by and was playfully smacked by the waiter. He looked in anticipation at the ste
aming plate of sea bass on sautéed asparagus and took a small bite experimentall
y. The fish was cooked, but not to the point of dryness. The asparagus was both
fragrant and buttery. He was satisfied.
"Zoro, how's your oh my," Robin said as placed her fork and knife on the table. "W
hat is that?"
Three waiters came towards them bearing one enormous tray.
Please don't come here, Zoro prayed. Fuck it get the hell out of here, you bastard
s!
"Kamabakka Nightclub's deluxe drink set," the waiter who had recognized Zoro sai
d proudly. "On the house." He set the thing on the table right in front of Zoro
as other tables stared.
"It's big," Usopp said, his jaw nearly on the table.
'It' was a silver goblet yes, a goblet filled to the brim with clear liquid. It sat
in the middle of a circle of shotglasses, and an elaborate heart made of fruit c
ircled the entire thing. It was flashy, it was ostentatious, and it was
"Mmm, delicious!" Luffy said around a mouthful of pineapple heart pieces. "This
is ouch!"
"This is for Master Roronoa!" the waiter said shrilly. "Not for you!" He held th
e tray like a plank in a warning movement before going off to wait on other tabl
es, his stiletto-clad heels clacking with every step.
Zoro was torn between downing the alcohol and leaving the thing alone. Sure, it
was alcohol, but it was just not right. He resorted to sitting with the thing st
aring him in the face for the entire meal as he tore into his brisket.
"You don't like it?" the waiter asked in an injured voice. "When I asked the barte
nder specially " A tear was beginning to form at the corner of his eye.
Zoro grimaced as he reached over the heart and grabbed a shotglass.
It went down like water. It burned like fire.
"Sh it," Zoro said through gritted teeth. "You people don't play around, do you? T
hat's strong," he hissed. He smiled a little. He shouldn't be so hard on them.
The second one was a little easier, but was by no means painless.
By the sixth one, everyone was watching in fascination as Zoro almost looked sli
ghtly tipsy.
The twelfth and last shot was watched over a dessert of ice cream sundaes, fancy
little chocolate cakes, and Knickerbocker Glories. It was barely perceptible, b
ut there was a slight tremor to Zoro's hand as he placed the glass down.
"Maybe you should slow down," Chopper said worriedly. "I know you can handle mor
e than most people, but even you have to have a limit."
"Bullshit," Zoro laughed. Sanji raised an eyebrow; Zoro was usually a lot gentle
r with his words with Chopper. "It's just one more cup and I'll stop, okay, doct
or?" He raised the goblet and smiled at everyone. "Cheers." He took a long draug
ht and set the cup down, licking the rivulet that ran down his chin. He looked a
t everyone with a vaguely cheerful look on his face before his eyes rolled back
to show white. He then proceeded to fall face-first into the fruit platter.
"Hey, Zoro! Oi! Wake up!" Sanji said anxiously, shaking Zoro roughly by the shou
lder. "Get up! You idiot, if you went and got alcohol poisoning, I swear " The oth
ers joined in the clamor, sans Mihawk, who watched in interest.
Zoro's head swung up suddenly and he grinned maliciously. "Gotcha. Just kidding.
" His tongue darted out to taste the fruit juice on his face. "Kind of a messy p
rank, but whatever. Take me home, cook." He stood without much trouble. "I want
to sleep."
Sanji opened his mouth to argue (the evening was still relatively young, after a
ll) but closed it when he saw the way Zoro's eyes drooped slightly at the corner
s and his lips were pressed into a frown. "Alright. Thanks for dinner, you guys.
I'll take him home, you don't have to stand," he said as the others began to ta
ke their things. "Relax. Hang out a bit, maybe dance?"
"I don't know this is almost like last time," Chopper said fearfully. Usopp shudde
red without a word as Luffy chuckled nervously.
"It'll be fine. Sit, mademoiselles, sit!" insisted Sanji, pressing Nami gently b
ack into her chair and putting a hand on Robin's shoulders. "Hey, asshole. Stop
making them worry and tell them that you're fine."
"What? 'm great. Feeling great," Zoro slurred slightly.
Sanji opened his mouth to retort and remind Zoro that he was not doing fine seei
ng as he was actually drunk, but was interrupted when Zoro's face fell into the
fruit platter again. Since he had been standing, his entire body buckled over th
e edge of the table.
"Yeah, nice try, idiot," Sanji said, seething. "It's not going to work again." T
he others laughed, but suddenly went silent when Zoro didn't move. "Um, hey, you
okay?" He poked Zoro experimentally in the head; Zoro didn't move.
Ace's utterance of "Oh, shit" pretty much summed up everyone's feelings.
"Chopper," Sanji said calmly. "You said the last time this happened was when you
placed depressants that would magnify the alcoholic effect in his drink?"
"Yeah," Chopper replied unsteadily. "He's never been like this except for that t
ime."
Sanji stood; a dark aura surrounded his entire being menacingly. "Waiter. Come h
ere." Although his voice was soft, it carried across the room to strike fear int
o the heart of the waiter. The man approached carefully.
"Y-yes, sir?"
"What did you put in these drinks?" Sanji asked with a smile, waving to the empt
y cups. "You know, did you add any special fruit juice alcohol mixes drugs?"
"Drugs? Goodness, of c-c-course not," the waiter said, edging away. He suddenly
dropped his tray and fled.
Sanji picked up the goblet and sniffed it. "Hey Nami, do you have one of those p
apers? The ones that turn colors when drinks are tampered with?"
Nami nodded and drew one from her purse. "I never go drinking without them. Here
." She dipped a white slip of paper into the bottom of the cup, where a few drop
s were left. It turned a bright red color instantly. "Looks like these were full
of roofies."
Sanji's hands shook angrily as he turned to run after the waiter. He was stopped
by Bon, whose face was downcast and ashamed. "Sanji, dear, I will handle this.
No one under my employment is allowed to get away with something like this."
"Your employment?" Sanji asked in surprise. "You own Kamabakka?"
"I manage it while the owner is away. Queen Ivankov has been away on business fo
r a while " Bon sighed sadly. "But rest assured that that monster of a waiter will
be punished. Bunny-chan!" A man rushed over at Bon's call; he wore bunny ears a
nd a Playboy-esque outfit. "Gather the others and track down the waiter who just
ran off, will you? We have a little problem." The man nodded and rushed off. "I
n the meantime, we should get Zoro to a hospital, shouldn't we? I'm sure each on
e of those shots was pumped full of nasty things."
Sanji nodded. "Chopper, help me?" Together, they lifted Zoro off of the table an
d took him out the door. "Where's the nearest hospital?"
"There's one in Water Sector where I work," Chopper said. "You may not remember,
but that's where you were treated for a cranial injury."
Sanji thought for a moment. That was the day I met Zoro
He took care of me. Now it's my turn.
---
Everything was black, and painful. Someone was drilling a hole into the side of
his head with a rusty spoon. It was an unfamiliar feeling.
"Zoro?"
Zoro moaned slightly and opened his eyes. "Shit, that light is way too bright and
your voice is too loud "
"Wow, I think he actually has a hangover," Usopp whispered.
"What's a hangover?" Luffy whispered back.
"Remember that time you thought that rum was fruit juice and how you felt the ne
xt morning?"
"Ooohhh."
Zoro squinted in displeasure. "Shut up, you guys."
"I'll take him home as soon as he's discharged. Most of the toxins have been flu
shed from his body," Robin said quietly. "Is there anything we can do about his
headache?"
Zoro's last thoughts before he drifted off into blissful oblivion were Where's S
anji?
Sanji watched from the doorway quietly. He wondered how things turned out like t
his; whenever they tried to have fun, something bad would always happen (usually
to Zoro). When they went paintballing, he had had an emotional dispute with Rob
in; when they went to Japan, he fell ill; when they were supposed to all have fu
n at Zoro's expense, he got drugged.
It didn't really sound like a good life to lead.
Sanji walked down the halls of the pristine hospital and into a courtyard; it wa
s empty, so he lit up. He took a deep drag of his cigarette. "Man "
"Hello, Sanji." Robin took a seat next to Sanji and shook her head when Sanji mo
ved to stub his cigarette. "It's fine, I don't mind. How are you doing?"
"I'm doing very well, with the company of such a beautiful woman," Sanji said, h
is heart not really in the praise. Robin looked at him shrewdly. "You know, Zoro
was looking for you earlier."
"I heard."
"You make him very happy." She smiled.
"Do I? It seems like all we do is bicker," Sanji said. "I could do better for hi
m."
"But you also speak amiably to one another as well, and kiss," Robin pointed out
. "I'm not exactly sure what you do behind closed doors, but one might guess." S
anji nearly coughed on a hastily inhaled puff of smoke. "Ah, I suppose not, then
."
"Do do you think we should?" Sanji's brain normally skirted around the topic of se
x+Zoro.
Robin laughed. "Oh, I'm not making any suggestions. After all, Zoro is a very ge
ntle lover, and very receptive to his lover's desires. If you don't want it, he
won't try and press it on you."
"I I see," said Sanji, unsure of how to react to this frank analysis of Zoro perta
ining to the bedroom.
"I see I'm making you feel awkward."
"No! Not at all!" Sanji insisted. "Every word that falls from your lips makes me
slip into a further state of bliss! Ah "
"He'll be fine. He's a resilient man. I'm sure this is the first time that anoth
er man has attempted to coerce his way into Zoro's bed in such a manner, but Zor
o must be used to it by now." At Sanji's shocked glance, Robin laughed softly. "
He was quite popular at the University. Girls would approach him, with requests
that ranged from innocent lunch outings to depraved midnight rendezvous. He seem
ed to be impervious to their charms." Robin winked slowly, seductively, and Sanj
i. "I was honored that he chose me to accompany him. He's a good man."
"I'm sorry, my dear, but why are you telling me all this?" Sanji asked.
Robin looked at the sky; it was slowly turning to dawn. "Winter's coming," she s
aid. "Can you smell it on the air?"
Sanji privately thought that maybe Robin liked to smoke marijuana.
"Zoro can handle a lot," Robin continued. "But he has been very happy with you.
I trust that you will act accordingly. He trusts you more than most, and that's
highly unusual for someone he has not known for a very long time. If his trust w
ere to be betrayed "
Wait. Was Robin threatening him?
"He's very precious to all of us. You're doing a good job," Robin said with a sm
ile.
Ah. She was threatening to threaten him, then.
"The point I'm coming to yes, there is a point," Robin said. "Do not make the same
mistakes I did. Don't feel like you have to act to make him safe from any outsi
de dangers, whether it's the authorities or strange cross dressers. Just take it
in stride, laugh it off with him, and carry on with life. Do you think he'd wan
t it any other way?" She stood. "He'll be discharged within the hour. He likes c
ongee with laver and dried fish, and pickled plums on the side." She walked insi
de without a backwards glance.
Sanji stared rather idiotically at her back as the doors closed. "She said she h
ad a point. I think that just went over my head. Shit. What the hell just happen
ed?" He felt like he was missing someone important that her words had conveyed,
silently. "What on earth was she asking of me? Should I take care of him, or not
? Well in the meantime, I think I'll go make some congee then "
---
Zoro woke up to a much more pleasant environment than his last one. His bed felt
and smelled familiar; the blinds were closed, and only a dim light could be see
n outlining the cracks in the doorway to his bedroom. He was home.
"Mizu " he groaned, fumbling around. A reflection of the light brought his attenti
on to the glass of water at his side, and he drank greedily. His headache had su
bsided considerably, although he felt a little weak. He didn't like the feeling.
In the kitchen, Sanji stirred a pot on the stove and sprinkled in a smidgeon of
garlic powder. After stirring it and tasting it, he nodded in satisfaction befor
e scooping a generous portion into a bowl. "Laver dried fish and umeboshi," he mutte
red to himself. "With another glass of water on the side." After grabbing a spoo
n from a drawer, he picked up the tray and made his way to Zoro's bedroom. He pu
shed the door open gently with his foot and poked a head inside. "Are you awake?
"
"Yep."
"Good. I made you something to eat." Sanji placed the tray on the floor next to
Zoro's bed and sat on the floor next to the low bed. Scooping a small spoonful f
rom the bowl, he blew on it gently before asking, "Are you nauseous? Can you eat
?" Zoro nodded. "Open wide."
"Cook, you are not going to spoon-feed " Zoro was shut up by a spoonful of rice po
rridge. It was "Freakin' delicious," Zoro mumbled before swallowing. "It's it's ju
st right."
"I know," Sanji said with a wink. "Isn't it always?"
Zoro shrugged. He opened his mouth wide. "Aaah."
Sanji took a spoonful of congee, saying, "Here comes the airplane!"
"Just feed me, asshole." That got him a spoonful of porridge all over his nose.
"Oi!"
"Oops, I missed. You shouldn't talk while I'm trying to feed you."
Zoro growled playfully and lunged for the spoon with his open mouth. That got hi
m another smearing of rice on his cheek.
"I thought you hated wasting food," Zoro scowled.
Sanji grinned. "I plan on seeing you eat every bit of rice. Including the bits o
n your face. Now, eat up! I've got to go make some calls." He handed Zoro the sp
oon and stood. "I'll be back in a few." He walked out of the bedroom and returne
d to the kitchen, where a pad of paper with a phone number he had looked up earl
ier was scrawled across a notepad.
Sanji clutched the phone in one hand, steeling himself. He knew that once he mad
e this call, then there would be no going back. The person he was about the call
was quite possibly the most dangerous and unpredictable individual he had ever
had the opportunity to meet. He slowly punched in the number, feeling a slight t
rickle of sweat run down his temple.
"Helloooo~?"
"This is Sanji. Bon, I need you to teach me everything you know about Savate in
combat." If he was going to keep an eye on Zoro without being obtrusive or coddl
ing, then he'd have to have a reason for going everywhere with Zoro. With that t
ournament Zoro had mentioned earlier coming up, there was no way he was going to
let Zoro enter it alone just in case.
"Oh, dear Sanji, love, I thought you'd never ask!"
Review this Story/Chapter
Water Sector
aznillusion183
Author of 26 Stories
Rated: T - English - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 211 - Updated: 03-03-10 - Published
: 03-15-09 - id:4924589
"Ichi ni. Ichi ni." Zoro swung the shinaii up and down smoothly as a chorus of "Ichi n
i!" followed him through the dojo. It was crowded today; there was hardly any ro
om to move around.
Zoro glowered at the large group of new students that had joined the class as he
tripped over a high-heeled shoe someone had carelessly left on the mat.
"Oi! Whichever one of you idiots left this here, take it off! No shoes on the ma
ts!" Zoro growled. He could hear titters from the students as one of them ran fo
rward and returned the shoe to the shoe rack. "Good. Now, ichi! Ni! San! Shi! Go
!" He set his shinaii down and continued to glare at the students. He could see
his regulars scattered here and there amongst the crowd of powdered faces and po
uting lips. "Raise your hand if you're a goddamned okama." Hands went up enthusi
astically into the air. "Now smack yourself with that hand if you're only here b
ecause of what went on at Kamabakka." Half of them hit themselves as the other h
alf looked at each other in confusion. Zoro groaned. "Seiza! Now! Stay there unt
il I get back, and if any of you can't hold it for that long then you can leave!
" He bolted out the door, only stopping to bow off the mats and pull on his shoe
s.
"Looks like you have a full class again today, eh?" Sanji said with a grin as he
saw Zoro sprint through the door to Bon's studio. "The day that you think of Bo
n's studio as a haven I think the devil must have the flu after hell froze over."
Zoro ignored him. "Bon!" he roared, storming into the room. "Get those damned ok
ama of yours out of my dojo!"
Bon looked up from where he was correcting a student's posture. "Moi?" he asked
innocently. "Ah, non, mon cher. I'm afraid they're your okama now. As much as it
pains me to let some of my students go, I cannot begrudge them the opportunity
to study under you!" He twirled excitedly. "Perhaps we could create a fusion of
kendo, ballet, and Savate! You could come here after hours for private " His words
 were cut off when Sanji's foot collided with his face. "Oof!"
"Let me take care of them, marimo," Sanji said, rolling back his sleeves. As he
left the room, Zoro thought he heard Sanji say, "Only I'm allowed to harass my m
arimo " Grinning despite himself, Zoro followed.
"Oh, is that him?"
"It's the one that "
"Our dearest "
"Teacher loves. His lover! Sanji!"
The whispers of the okamas didn't escape Sanji's notice. His eyebrow twitched, c
urling slightly in the most comical fashion. Zoro held back the urge to laugh wh
en he saw the dangerous glint in Sanji's eye; the blond man had been going to Bo
n's class, without complaint, nearly every day now during the past few weeks sin
ce the Kamabakka incident. Zoro knew Sanji was annoyed at the sudden attention Z
oro was getting from the transvestites, but they had both thought that the new s
tudents would have been scared away from Zoro's classes after a few days. It had
been much longer than that now, and Sanji was ready to take action.
"Raise your hand if you know who I am," Sanji drawled, looking at the rows of me
n on their knees in seiza. "Now smack yourself with that hand if you're here for
Zoro, and not for kendo." Another round of slapping sounds went around the room
. "Now get up. Off your knees." The men looked up at Zoro, and he nodded. He def
initely wanted to see this. Sanji sauntered to the middle of the room and put hi
s hands in his pockets. "If you can beat me then I'll let you have a piece of th
at fine ass right there," Sanji said with a smirk. "Of course, the operative wor
d here is 'if.' Feel free to come all at once."
There was a tense pause, and one of the men said, "I can actually touch him?" be
fore running at Sanji. The other okamas quickly followed suit. For a second, Zor
o was afraid that Sanji had bitten off more than he could chew these men had train
ed under Bon and Zoro, after all but found his smile widening when the first wave
of men flew away from Sanji. He loved those long legs, the way they moved throug
h the air like blades, and the way Sanji was so easygoing through it all. He als
o saw that Sanji was even more comfortable with his form, if it was possible. Th
e training must have really paid off impressivelyso.
In a few seconds, the room was full of groaning men sporting bruises all over th
eir bodies. Even without shoes on, Sanji was a formidable fighter.
Zoro found himself kicking off his shoes and walking onto the mat, three bokken
at the ready. Shinaii wouldn't be sturdy enough for this, and he was too impatie
nt to go get his swords.
He wanted to fight, damnit!
"Oho?" Sanji said as he saw Zoro facing him, santoryuu blazing. "Marimo wants a
fight?"
Zoro leapt forward, swords swinging.
"Then I'll give you a fight!"
---
Mihawk looked at the bleeding and bruised pair of men standing in front of him,
like a teacher looking at two errant students. The sheepish, yet satisfied, look
s on their faces did not escape him.
Sanji took the time to take in the appearance of Mihawk's office. Aside from the
expensive furniture made from animals and plants that he was pretty sure were e
ither endangered or extinct, there were weapons. Lots and lots of weapons. Not j
ust swords, but knives, maces, axes, javelins Sanji had no doubt that Mihawk could
pick up any one of these and kill him with it.
He swallowed nervously.
"You will both be subjected to Bon's ministrations before you leave. I have give
n him permission to use any liberty he wishes on you," Mihawk said calmly. "You
are dismissed."
Of all the weapons in Mihawk's arsenal, that was the worst.
A few hours later, Zoro and Sanji stumbled out of Baroque Works as if they weren
't quite sure what had hit them. They didn't even realize that they were attract
ing an unusually high number of stares from strangers, or that men would jeer at
Zoro and ogle Sanji. They managed to pass through the gates and up the stairs o
f Galley-La without detection by either Luffy or Ace, and collapsed in Zoro's ap
artment, kicking off two pairs of high heels.
"Shit," Sanji said, pulling his denim miniskirt down.
"Damn," Zoro agreed, scratching his crotch through a pair of leather pants.
Sanji sighed as he went to the bathroom. "Gotta take a leak," Sanji mumbled. Zor
o lay languidly on the couch until he heard Sanji holler from the bathroom. He s
prung to his feet and ran to the bathroom. "Oi, cook! What's wrong?"
"Look at me!" Sanji scowled. Zoro looked in the mirror and nearly jumped out of
his skin. While Sanji was adorned with a tasteful amount of blue eyeshadow, blus
h, and mascara, Zoro looked like a maudlin clown.
"Shut up, cook! Look at me!" They two men took in their appearances before falli
ng to the ground in peals of laughter.
"You look like an idiot!"
"You look like a drag queen!"
A moment's silence.
" how do we get this stuff off?"
Another moment's silence.
Sanji sighed and pulled out his cellphone, pressing the speed dial with one mani
cured finger.
"Hello?"
"Naaaaami!" Sanji's face lit up. "Princess no, my queen "
"Sanji, I'm kind of busy right now," Nami said. Zoro could hear the impatience e
ven from where he was standing. "What is it?"
"We have a slight problem, and I'm just so sorry to trouble you," Sanji swooned.
 Zoro rolled his eyes.
"I don't remember you being this much of a moron," Zoro snapped, snatching the p
hone from Sanji. "Oi, witch, how do you get makeup off of your face?"
"Pardon me? I don't think that's any way to ask a lady a question," Nami said sw
eetly. Zoro could just picture the devious look on her face now.
"Answer the question, woman!"
"Hey asshole, don't talk to her like that."
"I'll talk to her the way I want to!"
"You picking a fight?"
They both stopped at the sound of the dial; she had hung up.
"What do we do now?" Zoro asked. Sanji shrugged.
"Use sheer force to scrape it off," Sanji said. They both retreated to the bathr
oom and went to work.
"Say, cook," Zoro said, gingerly pawing at one eye. "Why are you at Bon's studio
so much?"
Sanji stopped from where he was experimenting with soap at the sink. "What do yo
u mean?"
"We both know he's a fucking touchy-feely kind of guy. But now you're going more
often than ever."
Sanji resumed his cleaning with a snort. "It feels good to kick his ass sometime
s. Do I really need to say more?" Zoro looked at Sanji suspiciously; he would no
rmally expect Sanji to bitch and moan all day about attending Bon's classes, but
here he actually sounded half-willing. "Anyways," Sanji continued. "When's your
next tournament coming up? Soon, right?"
Zoro nodded absently and nearly poked his eye out. "Unngh yeah, in a couple of wee
ks. This one's a bit special."
"Do tell."
"Mihawk's fighting," Zoro said, a barbaric grin creeping across his face. "He ha
sn't fought in an official tournament for years. It's a pretty big event."
"What's making him fight?" Sanji asked curiously. He had never seen the stern ma
n draw his sword, much less fight.
"He has to defend his title once in a while," Zoro explained. "An Alpha swordsma
n won't have any credit to his name if he can't beat off the newbies and teach t
hem their places, you know? This is it," he said. His voice was hot with excitem
ent. "I'm going to beat him. Once word got out that he was in, fighters from all
over the world signed up. Then again, I guess you couldn't really expect any le
ss from the Buddha's Belly."
Sanji stared. " pardon?"
"The Buddha's Belly."
" "
"It's a tournament," Zoro explained with a grin. "The name sounds goofy, but it'
s held by the only known representative of those who name the Letters. No one kn
ows much about him, but they call him Sengoku the Buddha." He stopped when he he
ard a knock at the door.
"Expecting anyone?" Sanji asked, looking at his reflection; most of the worst st
uff was gone.
Zoro shook his head. His face was still a mess of cosmetics, made worse by the a
ttempts to remove it. "Maybe it's Luffy. If he knows you're here, he's probably
going to beg for food." The knock sounded again. "Oi, oi! Hold your goddamn hors
es, I'm coming!" he yelled. "Just a minute, sweetheart," he told Sanji.
"Shut up, asshole," Sanji laughed. He picked at a patch of glitter on his cheek.
For some reason, glitter was especially obstinate when it came to removal.
Zoro opened the door and saw a stranger standing in the doorway. "Oh, sorry abou
t that earlier. What can I do for you?" he asked, looking the man up and down (b
ut mostly up). He looked like the kind of person who should have been sitting on
a porch, drinking beer. Middle-aged, tinted retro sunglasses, but dresses well,
Zoro noted. He didn't know why he was analyzing this man, who was standing easi
ly against the doorway with his hands in his pockets. He was very tall. Zoro too
k note of where his sword case was, cursing the distance. Something was off here
.
"Aaah?" The man looked down at Zoro and smiled pleasantly. "Is this the residenc
e of a Zoro Roronoa ?" If he was surprised at Zoro's appearance, he didn't show it
.
Zoro nodded. "That would be me."
"Oh, very good, very good," the man said, still smiling. "You see, I'm here ah repre
senting the Buddha's Belly Tournament. I'm sure you're well-aware of what I'm sp
eaking of?"
Zoro nodded again. "I've never participated before. Was there something missing
in my paperwork?"
"Ah no, ah no," the man shook his head. "It was all in order."
"Sorry," Zoro said suspiciously, "I didn't catch your name."
"Ah, how careless," the man said, shaking his head."You may call me Kizaru. One
of my duties is, how should I put this " He hemmed and hawed for a moment, thinkin
g. "Once the competitors enter, we sort out the promising from the weak and cast
out the latter. They never get a chance to compete. But my being here means tha
t you're in. There's just one step of the process that hasn't been done."
"Wha " Zoro said, but was interrupted when a long leg swung at his head. "Shit!" H
e rolled backwards out of the way and shook the splinters from his head. Kizaru
looked at his leg, which was embedded in the doorsill, and clicked his teeth.
"Oh dear, I'm not supposed to do too much damage," he said, shaking his head. "B
ut that's very good! Your reflexes are not too bad, young man."
"What the fuck are you doing, you crazy bastard?" Zoro growled as Kizaru tugged
his leg free and kicked at him again. It was nearly impossible to dodge; he doub
ted even Sanji was that fast.
I need my swords !
Sanji heard a crash come from the other room and rushed out. He found a giant at
tacking Zoro, who was dodging with everything he had. Sanji was dumbfounded; thi
s man was terrifying.
"Idiot, why are you just standing there? My swords!" Zoro yelled at Sanji. Sanji
blinked.
"Where?"
"Bedroom!"
" you would keep them in the bedroom " Sanji muttered under his breath. He sprinted
to the bedroom and thanked the gods that he hadn't put too much furniture in her
e. It was easy to see the sword case leaning against the wall, and he grabbed it
before returning to the scene. Zoro and Kizaru had moved to the kitchen, where
Zoro had substituted swords for knives. "You heathen, don't use cooking knives!"
Sanji protested. He threw the sword case. "Catch!"
Zoro caught the case. Sanji didn't see him open it, nor did he see him draw the
swords, but suddenly there were three blades bristling and fending off Kizaru's
attacks. The man had proven that he was an expert not only with kicks but with p
unches as well.
"Explain yourself," Zoro snarled, Sandai Kitetsu at Kizaru's throat. Kizaru didn
't look fazed in the slightest.
"Not bad," Kizaru said appreciatively. "You pass." The blade tickled his throat.
"Oi, now, let's not be hasty, eh? I'm just here because Sengoku wants to make s
ure that his fighters are worth the trouble. And you passed." He pushed the blad
e aside. "Good day to you, gentlemen."
"Hey! What about my apartment?" Zoro objected. He gestured towards the wreckage
of what had been a well-furnished apartment.
Kizaru looked over his shoulder in disappointment. "If you win, then things like
cost will no longer be an issue," he said coolly. "But if you lose " He let the w
ords trail in the air. Then you will be dead. And dead men live in coffins.
Sanji sighed after Kizaru left. "Shit, he's like a glorified bouncer."
"Yeah," Zoro agreed. "Ace is going to kill me."
Across Galley-La, Ace was looking through the window with horrified eyes.
"Did you just hear someone shriek about utility bills?" Sanji asked.
"Nah, must just be your imagination," Zoro said.
"Anyways, I should be heading home soon," Sanji said, looking at the clock. "It'
s pretty late." And I'm expecting a visitor, he thought to himself sourly. He ha
d better not break anything. He still hadn't told Zoro that he'd be participatin
g in the Buddha's Belly. Good lord, what kind of a name is that? I had Bon arran
ge to get me in so I didn't even know the name
He left not without a rough kiss from Zoro and climbed into his Sanjimobile with a s
igh. He did not feel like fighting any crazy giants today. He just wanted to go
home, give his face one last scrub, and sleep.
As he twisted the key in the ignition, he heard a deep velvety voice from the ba
ckseat.
"So, you must be Sanji Baratie. I'm representing the Buddha's Belly Tournament "
"Shit!"
Zoro heard an almighty crash from outside. He ran out, leaving the door open (it
wouldn't close, with the busted doorjamb) and dashed into the street. Something
was telling him to run, as fast as he could.
He found the Sanjimobile crushed against a telephone pole, one laser beam half-o
ut and lights flashing erratically. The driver's seat had been ejected, and was
sitting forlornly on the street.
Sanji was nowhere to be seen.
---
"I said get me on the fucking phone with "
"Mr. Roronoa, you're going to have to calm down."
"Don't tell me what to do, you asshole! Just get me through!"
"Roronoa, what the hell do you think you're doing calling at this time of night?
"
"Smoker!" Zoro felt relief flood through his bones at the older man's gravelly t
ones. "It's about Sanji. He's gone missing."
"Sanji Baratie?" Smoker sounded impatient. "Long, lean, looks like he doesn't ea
t any of his own cooking?"
"That's him" Zoro affirmed. "He just left my place, but I just found his car tot
aled and he's nowhere around. Think you can get some of your guys to check this
place out?"
"The police are not to be used for such things, Roronoa," Smoker snapped. "We've
actually got real duties. If your boyfriend is lost then you can put up some si
gns on the telephone posts or something."
Zoro sighed. "Don't make me do it, Smoker."
"You wouldn't no " Smoker snarled. "I told you that I would repay you after that inc
ident in the alley, but not like this! You said you were only going to cash in o
n this for drinks!"
"I'm calling in that favor. I'll even throw in the cook's first-class cooking. F
ull course meal," Zoro offered. His voice was too close to pleading for his own
comfort.
" fine. I'll get some officers to sweep the area. But our debt is settled now, you
hear?"
"Tell Tashigi I said hello."
"Will do, you bastard."
Zoro waited anxiously, examining the wreckage for clues. Soon, he heard police s
irens blaring in the distance, and smiled. He knew it had been a good idea to sa
ve Smoker's life when the man had been outnumbered. Although Smoker had proven h
is mettle while outnumbered many times, there was no defending against men snipi
ng from dark rooftops. Zoro had been leaving an underground competition at the t
ime, and one sword had been enough to finish off the beleaguered man's opponents
.
He pulled out his phone again. "Franky? I've got a big job for you "
"Shit, did you crash the FrankOpp?!" Franky automatically shrieked into the phon
e. "Dude, I TOLD Usopp that you'd wreck it. We've got a betting pool on how long
it'd take."
"No, it's even worse. The Sanjimobile."
Franky groaned. "Not that sweet piece of work you guys are so goddamned irresponsi
ble. I'm going to kill you both when I get my hands on you."
Zoro laughed as he hung up, but hoped that there would be a Sanji for Franky to
kill when he arrived. He had just spotted a splatter of blood against the seat o
f the Sanjimobile.
---
Sanji staggered through the streets of Water Sector, thanking the stars that he
hadn't been caught injured in the ghettos of Earth Sector.
"Ara ara, you ought to stop now." That same deep voice made him jump as he round
ed a corner. "You're lucky Kizaru wasn't the one sent to test you. He and Akainu
would have killed you in a heartbeat."
"Who are you?" Sanji demanded. The man he was as tall as Kizaru slapped his forehead
.
"Ah, my, I've forgotten to introduce myself. Well, it was hard when you disappea
red like that. Your car ejected you, didn't it? My name is Aokiji." He ran a han
d through his thick afro. "If you just give up now, you can leave with your life
. You don't have to compete."
"Bullshit," Sanji barked. Where have I heard that name ? Aokiji "I'll do what I wan
t." He lashed out with another kick, noticing in consternation that it barely wo
uld have brushed against the man's temple.
"Hey," Aokiji protested. One arm easily blocked the trajectory of his kicks. "Th
at's dangerous, you."
The sound of police sirens interrupted them. Aokiji looked up in surprise, and S
anji took the opportunity to lash out with his other leg.
"Oof," Aokiji complained. He rubbed his jaw ruefully. "I suppose that's what I g
et for getting distracted. Alright, I'll pass you for that." He easily turned on
one heel and walked off in the other direction, whistling.
"Oi! Come and finish what you started!" Sanji yelled after him. Aokiji merely wa
ved.
"Sanji!" A police car screeched to a halt next to him, and Tashigi clambered out
. "Are you alright?"
"Ah, Tashigi!" Sanji stood as steadily as he could. He felt sore all over after
the punches, kicks, and flips he had been subjected to. "Now that you're here, o
f course I am!"
Tashigi smiled in relief. There was something about the way Zoro's voice had sou
nded on the phone (not that she had been eavesdropping on Smoker's conversation,
of course) that had made her worried. "Come on, we'll take you back home."
---
Zoro paced up and down his hallway. Franky and Usopp sat in the living room, ins
pecting the damage Kizaru had left.
"You say he did this with his leg?" Usopp asked, his knees quivering slightly. "
He's not coming back, is he? I think I smell gas, there must be a leak, let's ge
t out of here "
Franky tapped the wall and grimaced when it crumbled under his fist. "This is go
ing to take some time, bro. We may have to reinforce the infrastructure of the e
ntire apartment. These cracks run through the walls, even if you can't see them.
"
"That's fine. I'll pay you for the time and stuff " Zoro said absently. Damnit, wh
y isn't Sanji calling?
"You're going to have to move out " Usopp's voice trailed off when the phone rang an
d Zoro nearly barreled through him to answer it. "My life just flashed before my
eyes," he said faintly.
"Hello?" Zoro shouted into the phone. "Sanji?"
"This is Tashigi. Shut up, Zoro, you're being too loud."
"Oh." Zoro balked slightly. "Hi, Tash."
"Don't sound so disappointed. Sanji's here with me, he's fine. We're taking him
back home."
"Hey, Tashigi-sis!" Franky grabbed the phone. "Stop by here and pick this idiot
up. He's going to have to move out while we fix up his crib. Alright, see you la
ter, Tashigi."
"What!" Zoro protested.
"Face it, bro, you can't live here. Pack up and go home with your boy," Franky s
aid firmly.
Zoro was about to argue when he stopped.
He'd be living
with Sanji.
And no windows for Ace to peek through.
"Wow, that was fast," Usopp said in wonder as Zoro disappeared into his bedroom
and returned in a wink, packed suitcase flying behind him.
"What! He's living with me?" Sanji demanded, aghast. "That Neanderthal?"
"He's not so bad to live with. He generally keeps to himself, and he's pretty go
od about cleaning up after himself," Tashigi said off-handedly. "He was homeless
for a brief period of time when Luffy bust a water main at Galley-La, so he sta
yed with me. It was interesting." She blushed slightly, and Sanji wondered what ha
d been so interesting about that experience.
Images of nudity full-blown, accidental glimpses of nudity flitted through his mind.
"I guess I'll have to put up with that bastard, then."
---
Zoro left his apartment in capable hands and ran down the stairs to meet Tashigi
and Sanji when they arrived.
"Hey, marimo," Sanji drawled, coolly smoking a cigarette against the patrol car
and looking unruffled. When Zoro came closer, he saw that Sanji's clothes were r
ipped, and his hair was disheveled and sticky with blood. He was also favoring o
ne leg.
"Oi! What the hell happened?" Zoro ran a hand across Sanji's shoulder. "Did some
one try to mug you?" His hands kept moving, patting up and down Sanji's torso an
d avoiding the head wound.
"I'm fine!" Sanji pushed Zoro away with his free hand. "Now, go get the aerocraf
t. I can't walk"
"You're 'fine'?!" Zoro threw his hands in the air. "Shit, cook, what the hell di
d you do? Hit the pole as fast as you could and run into the interstate to try t
o finish the job?"
"It's just a sprain," Sanji snapped irritably. He was tired, and annoyed, and thou
gh he wouldn't admit it a little scared. He wondered what kind of monstrous streng
th other contenders might have, and whether he'd even be able to compete at all.
Two weeks was plenty of time under normal conditions, but he had work and train
ing to do. He couldn't afford to rest, but nor could he afford to overwork himse
lf either.
Things were tricky now.
Zoro opened his mouth to argue, but shut it again. He knew that Sanji was just a
s obstinate as Zoro himself was. "I'll get the aerocraft," he grumbled. "Want to
take a spin, Tashigi?"
She shook her head. "I've got to get back and finish my report. Plus, I like hav
ing my skull not crushed from a fifty foot fall. Thanks, though."
Zoro trotted off to fetch the aerocraft. It was parked quietly on the top floor
of the Galley-La parking structure, waiting for him under an unassuming tarp. "H
ello, there," Zoro muttered under his breath. The aerocraft responded to his tou
ch, humming slightly as he gripped the steering bars.
Sanji heard a thrumming sound pervading the air and looked up to see Zoro light
on the ground smoothly. The aerocraft sounded a lot less like an unbridled horse
and a lot more like a staunchly loyal steed; either Zoro had gotten better at h
andling it, or it had resigned itself to its fate under an inept driver.
"Bye, love ah!!" Sanji squealed no, he barked, men don't squeal as Zoro picked him up
bridal-style. "P-put me down!"
"See you two later," Tashigi laughed. The sound of her slamming door and departi
ng patrol car sealed Sanji's fate.
"So, cook. Want to ride in the front or back?" Zoro asked wickedly. "You can eit
her let me put my arms around your waist or hold onto mine."
Sanji groaned and grudgingly wrapped his arms around Zoro's waist. "It's only a
short way to my place. We can take the roads, can't we?" Zoro smiled pleasantly,
much to Sanji's consternation.
"The the buildings look very small, Zoro," Sanji said faintly as they soared throu
gh the air. "I'd rather we augh! Shit, you fuckface!" Sanji dropped all pretense o
f politeness and switched to obscenity. "If you kill me, I'll kill you! I'll hau
nt you until the day you die, you shitty marimo! I'll haunt you to fucking death
!"
"Relax," Zoro laughed. They were already in front of the Paris Baguette. "You're
home."
Sanji released stiff muscles and fingers. "You're going to have to help me up,"
he mumbled in embarrassment. He'd normally tough it out, but he didn't want to e
xacerbate his leg any more than he had to.
The aerocraft cruised before parking in front of the café. "You have your key?"
Zoro asked as the humming of the aerocraft died down into silence. Sanji nodded
and pulled them out. Zoro took the keys in one hand and lifted Sanji over one sh
oulder with ease.
"This is the most embarrassing day of my life," Sanji groaned.
"Being carried ten feet on a deserted street? You've lived a good life, then," Z
oro retorted sourly. He managed to open the door somehow and lock it behind him,
mostly avoiding banging Sanji's head against the walls.
Mostly.
"Ouch! Asshole."
"Sorry."
They somehow made their way up the stairs and into Sanji's apartment above the c
afé. It was quiet; Sanji hadn't spent nearly enough time tending to the café as
he should have, and he regretted it as he passed the cold ovens and dark kitchen
. In his pre-Zoro-and-company days, he would spend such late nights as this tink
ering in the kitchen, sampling and cooking on wherever his whims took him.
"Hup," Zoro grunted, dropping Sanji on the bed. "Do you need anything?" he asked
cautiously. Sanji was either going to be a total diva or a total prick, he just
knew it.
As it turns out, he was neither.
Sanji stretched and arched his back against the soft comforter on his bed. "I'm
just really stiff," he groaned, eyes screwed up in concentration as he worked ou
t the kinks in his back. "That guy " He shut his mouth quickly it wouldn't do to hav
e Zoro find out he was competing. He didn't like hiding the fact, but he guessed
that Zoro would have a very different attitude about Sanji competing in the Bud
dha's Belly than in the Silver Fox.
Zoro, obviously, wasn't fooled. "Who attacked you?" he asked seriously. He took
a seat on the bed next to Sanji and looked straight into his eyes. "Cook, you're
hiding something. I can tell."
Sanji groaned. "Looks like the game is up. You know how that Kizaru guy attacked
you because you passed the preliminary filter for the Buddha's Belly?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, some other guy came after me."
Zoro looked utterly lost. "But only people competing should have been attacked."
Sanji smacked his forehead. Why did Zoro have to suddenly become an idiot at a t
ime like this? "I'm competing, dumbass."
Zoro stared at Sanji quite calmly. "You're competing?"
"Yeah."
"In the most dangerous fighting competition known to man since the gladiators?"
"Yep."
"Like hell." Zoro rose and strode to the door. "You're staying here until the to
urnament's over. You're not competing, curley-cue." He went into the hallway and
shut the door, leaving no room for argument.
"Oi! Wait! The competition's two weeks from now!" Sanji yelled. He dragged himse
lf out of bed and walked on his hands to the door. Much to his dismay, the sound
of something heavy dragging across the hardwood floor could be heard through th
e door. "What the hell are you doing? You had better not leave skidmarks on my f
loor, asshole!" The dragging sound suddenly stopped, and was replaced by a sligh
t grunt as Zoro (presumably) picked up whatever he was dragging and dropped it i
n front of the door.
"You're staying here until I figure out what to do with you," Zoro said. His voi
ce was muffled but perfectly clear. "Understood?"
"Fuck! Marimo, let me out! Zoro!" Sanji pounded on the door with his fist as soo
n as he reached it, to no avail.
Zoro leaned against the couch he had left in front of the door with a heavy sigh
. "I know you're strong, cook," he whispered, more to himself than to Sanji. "Yo
u might win...but you might not. I can't take that chance." He stood. "I'll be b
ack later with food and stuff, okay?"
"I've got to open up at six tomorrow! Do you even know what the world looks like
that early in the morning? Open the goddamned door!" Sanji punctuated each word with
a pounded fist.
"Goodnight Sanji."
---
"I can't believe you locked him in his bedroom, Zoro." Robin peered over the bri
m of her teacup, obviously disapproving. They might as well have been in Univers
ity all over again. Zoro felt just as chastised as if he had been called to the
Dean's office again.
"I didn't know what to do! I just acted automatically," Zoro protested. "If I ha
dn't found out on a night like this they sent assassins after us! Sort of. Except
they would only have killed us if we hadn't given up."
"You don't think he's capable?"
"It's not that. It's just I " Zoro wavered slightly, one hand on his forehead in fru
stration.
Robin patted his shoulder understandingly. "You were scared. You know he's stron
g, and that he could very well win in his division, but seeing him injured after
having both of you attacked in the same night the sight of the crushed car your apa
rtment, demolished by an unarmed man you didn't want him involved in any of that."
Zoro stared at her.
"How ?"
"Zoro, I'm the one who left you because I didn't want you getting caught up in m
y political problems," Robin reminded him gently. "I think I know what you're go
ing through right now, a little."
He sighed. "Did I do the right thing?"
Robin looked around at the café; they were sitting at a table in the Paris Bague
tte as Ace tended the ovens, shooting them sullen glances every once in a while.
He was a surprisingly good chef, and was handling the flow of customers very we
ll. However, he was aware of the destruction that Zoro's 'guest' had wreaked in
Galley-La, and it had taken considerable persuasion on Robin's part to make him
come at all.
"Zoro," Robin said with a slight smile. "We're sitting in the Paris Baguette at
seven in the morning because you didn't have the courage to let Sanji out. Sanji
has been shouting from the bedroom since five in the morning. Ace is decidedly
angry. I have a class to teach in half an hour. You have a class to teach in an
hour. I think you could have handled things a little more delicately."
With an almighty groan, Zoro stood and started towards the stairs. "I guess I ha
d better let him out, then. I'll talk to him."
Robin listened curiously as she sipped her tea.
Scrape, scrape, scrape.
"Marimo, you had better not be scraping my floor," Sanji rasped, his voice still
audible from downstairs.
"Look, chef, let me explain "
CRASH!
"Cook! Stop it! Augh!"
"You fucking "
"Ouch!"
The sound of something fragile smashing on the ground made even Ace look up.
"My, it sure is lively," Robin mused to herself when a great thudding sound shoo
k the ceiling. "Ace, could I get another cup of coffee here?"
---
"Busy night?" Mihawk asked through the doorway of Zoro's dojo. Zoro glared at Mi
hawk from where he was keeping a close eye on his students. They were doing pure
kata today, due to their teacher's physical state.
"This is all your fault," Zoro hissed angrily.
Mihawk stroked his moustache thoughtfully. "I fail to see the logic in that stat
ement."
"It's your fault somehow. I don't know exactly how, but it is," Zoro grumbled an
grily. "Oi!" he snapped at Helmoppo. "Your form is terrible!"
"Don't take out your frustration on your students," Mihawk said smoothly. He too
k in Zoro's black eyes, the busted lip, and the bandages that could be seen unde
r his kendo-gi. "How is Baratie?"
It took a moment for Sanji's surname to register with Zoro; he had never heard a
nyone call Sanji anything other than his first name (or endearments, in Bon's ca
se). "He's, um "
"I saw his name on the Buddha's registry." Zoro noted how Mihawk avoided saying
"belly;" was it not dignified enough for his vocabulary?
"There's a registry?"
"Only Alphas may view it, to see whether it is worth attending," Mihawk said del
icately. "So, for you, no there is no registry for you to look at."
Asshole.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Zoro demanded indignantly.
Mihawk looked down his nose at Zoro in a clear show of scorn. "It is not my busi
ness to be involved in your domestic affairs, Roronoa. You could very well have
asked him."
"How was I supposed to suspect that he'd sign up? He didn't even want to do the
Silver Fox!"
"For good reason. The Silver Fox is a smear of filth on the face of competitive
martial arts, full of poor martial artists hoping to line their pockets "
"Oi "
Mihawk began to stroke his moustache again. Zoro resisted the urge to strangle h
im. "Red Leg and Kurei have both retired. This will be very good for your friend
Baratie. The second Baratie...this will be a tournament to remember. Ranks will
be reshuffled, and lives may be lost but it is rare to have so much fresh blood e
ntering the ranks." He smiled a little. "Blood which may garnish the floors of t
he stadium."
When he left, Zoro felt a chill go up his spine. He had never been so excited, o
r so pumped. He jumped to his feet, ignoring the stabs of pain from the injuries
he had sustained with Sanji. "Alright, you sorry-ass excuses for policemen, ste
p it up! It's time to spar!"
---
Sanji inspected Ace's handiwork with a critical eye. Robin and Zoro had left, le
aving him with the older D. brother. He noted the slightly crisp edges of the ma
deleines, and the way the croissants deflated ever so slightly after being taken
out of the oven.
"So, why am I still here?" Ace wondered out loud, yawning widely. He had trouble
staying up as it was which was one of the reasons he had taken up managing Galley
-La for a living and being woken up after a sleepless night stressing about proper
ty values (mostly concerning Zoro's room) did not do well for him.
"Hush," Sanji chided. "This is not bad, but you need to layer the dough more del
icately to reduce the loss of "
"Sanji."
" and if you leave these in the oven too long then they lose the spongy "
"Sanji!"
"Hm?" Sanji mumbled around a mouthful of pastry. Damnit, the marimo's manners ha
ve been rubbing off on me. "Pardon yes?"
"I'm a landlord. Land lord. Do you hear the words 'pastry chef' in my title?" Ace
asked, struggling to keep his voice even and polite. It wasn't Sanji's fault tha
t he was here, after all.
"Oh. You can go, if you'd like," Sanji said, turning back to the pastries. "Hm,
the way you filled the chocolate in here is kind of interesting unorthodox, certai
nly "
Ace was about to leave Sanji to his ruminations when he heard the bell on the do
or tinkle. He automatically looked up to greet whoever it was (Only three hours
working here and I'm already programmed to this schedule, he thought) and stoppe
d short. Smoker and a pink-haired woman, both in uniform, stepped through the do
or. Ace blinked as the two officers walked casually through the café and stopped
in front of the counter.
"One coffee," Smoker ordered, his voice as deep and gravelly as usual. "Hina?"
"Smoker, you come to one of the most reputable cafes in Navarone and order a cof
fee? Hina thinks something wonderful is in one of those ovens." Hina looked over
the counter and spied Sanji. "You, there. What is today's special?"
Sanji opened his mouth to reply, but Ace beat him to it. "Hello, officers!" the
freckled man said cheerfully. "Today is your lucky day you will be sampling delica
cies made by my capable hands. What do you say?"
"Sounds like food poisoning."
"Hina concurs."
Sanji swooped in before Ace could say anything else. "I put a batch of raisin st
rudels in the oven not too long ago. If you're willing to wait a few minutes, I
can have them piping hot on a plate for you, madam," he said, bowing and kissing
Hina's hand. She did not look amused.
"Fine," she said shortly, retrieving her hand. "Let's get a table, Smoker."
"Alright. Portgas, you had better not explode anything while I'm here," he growled
. "Understood?"
"I haven't ever made anything explode!"
"Six years ago, the University pottery room was demolished because of what appea
red to be an idiot playing with fire and clay balls. Four years ago, a fraternit
y house's toilet exploded after a mix of alcohol was lit and flushed down it. La
st year "
"Enough! I get the point!" Ace put his hands up in surrender. Smoker nodded in s
atisfaction and followed Hina to a table. Ace turned to look Sanji square in the
eye with a look that did not bode well.
"What?" Sanji asked warily.
Ace pounded one fist into his palm. "I'm going to work here until I can make pas
tries to make those sour-pusses smile! Ossu!"
Sanji grimaced. This was going to be a long week, he just knew it.
Somehow, he managed to set Ace to beating eggs. He was surprised to find that Ac
e knew at least the fundamentals of culinary skills.
"So, where'd you learn to cook?" Sanji asked, folding pastries on a board.
Ace's hands didn't lose their rhythm as he replied, "I hung around University a
while, taking classes here and there just so I could keep my status as a student
. Plus, you get free food at the cooking classes, so I scheduled all the ones ar
ound lunchtime. Professor Jessica was as stern as they go, but she was really th
orough with her teaching. I heard that she used to cook at a military academy, a
nd that the cadets cried when she left to teach."
"Interesting," Sanji hummed. "Why the sudden interest in pastries? I never thoug
ht you'd be that familiar with the police."
"I've known Hina and Smoker for a while although Smoker for longer, when Luffy and
I would get into all sorts of trouble," Ace laughed airily. "It's good to be on
their good sides. If only to get out of a parking ticket or two."
"Has it ever worked?"
"Nah."
Sanji had to laugh at that. "Nice, Ace."
"So, how are you and the Zo-man?"
" Zo-man?"
Ace shrugged. "I've been trying to find new nicknames for him. Doesn't work?"
"Not at all." Sanji shuddered at the prospect of Zoro replying to the moniker 'Z
o-man.' "We're not very happy with each other right now. It's about that competi
tion coming up."
"Oh, the Buddha's Belly!" Ace scowled as Sanji took the eggs and inspected them.
After Sanji nodded in approval, Ace was given the task of peeling fruit. "Yeah,
I saw your name on the list."
" the list?"
"You didn't know? I'm fighting! Alpha-level boxer right here, and given clearanc
e to look at the list of competitors." Ace put the knife down long enough to jab
the air with one fist. The air whistled with the speed of his movement. "They c
all me 'Fire-fist Ace' because allegedly, of course my fists can combust with the sp
eed and force of my punch."
" did you give yourself that name?" Sanji asked suspiciously.
"No!" Ace stuck his tongue out at Sanji. "So, what's up?"
Sanji explained the ordeal he had been through, starting with last night with Ki
zaru and Aokiji and ending with this morning's fiasco. Ace listened sympathetica
lly, clicking his tongue and sighing in just the right places.
"You know, he's not unjustified in worrying. Hoi, let me finish," Ace said stern
ly when Sanji opened his mouth. "We Zoro and I have been through this in the rise to
the top, even if he's never been in the Buddha's Belly before. He may not have
expected Kizaru to come after him, or Aokiji after you, but he knows that if he
dies on the way up, then he isn't worthy of getting there. But you're fresh meat
. Kind of. And he doesn't want your flame to get snuffed out so fast, especially
not when he's put so much emotional investment in you."
"Emotional ?"
Ace rolled his eyes. "You're his boo, his honey, his la-la lover. He likes you a
whole lot, you know."
Sanji retched. "What the fuck? What street corner of hell did you hear those end
earments from?"
Ace grinned mischievously. "I made up the last one."
"So, can't I just say I don't want him competing because I worry about him?" San
ji asked, slightly miffed. "I'm not a woman."
Ace suddenly became very interested in the apple he was de-coring. "You cannot d
o that because you would be depriving him of everything vital and important to h
im. He wants you to enter Water Sector life on your own right, but you have othe
r options cooking, for example. He does not. He has made swordsmanship his life, a
nd if you try to take it away, then you might as well take his life."
"That's kind of dramatic, isn't it?" Sanji asked. Ace looked up at him in disbel
ief, and Sanji grimaced. Even he didn't believe his own words. "Fine, I understa
nd that it's important to him. But how the hell do you expect me to just stand b
y as he gets torn apart? How can I let him enter that glorified cockfight withou
t being strong enough to kick ass with him? It's, I don't know, comforting knowi
ng that I can be there with him, you know?"
Ace hummed slightly in response, looking over to where the two police officers w
ere chatting by the window. He knew what it was like, to worry about idiots who
put their lives in danger for their own ideals. However, he had yet to muster th
e courage to do anything about it.
Ding!
"The strudels are ready!" Sanji sang cheerfully. He pulled on a pair of oven mit
ts on and pulled the trays from the oven. Ace's mouth watered uncontrollably as
the smell wafted towards him and as the scent of sugar filled the room when Sanj
i dribbled icing on the strudels.
Maybe it was time for him to reevaluate his own life.
Sanji saw Ace daydreaming out of the corner of his eye and smiled. The older D.
brother surprised him at times, swinging from absurd silliness to serious insigh
tfulness. That quality appeared to be in both brothers.
Ace had also given him much food for thought. I guess I'll go pay that marimo a
visit later
---
"Oh, no!"
Sanji grimaced at the high-pitched wail.
"Bon, shut up and help me," Sanji growled as he hobbled through the door. Bon im
mediately leapt up and helped him take a seat.
"Who did this to you? I'll show them what it means to beat up a darling of mine!
" Bon insisted, tears running dramatically down his face. "They didn't have this
kind of hazing when I competed! But then again, it has been a few years "
"He called himself Aokiji," Sanji replied, massaging his leg. Damn, it's not any
better from last night not even a little
Bon froze. "A-Aokiji? Aokiji the Blue Pheasant?"
"You've heard of him?" Sanji asked, mystified. "Tall guy, afro, goes 'ara ara' a
lot?"
Bon nodded stiffly. "Aokiji the Blue Pheasant. Kizaru the Yellow Monkey. Akainu
the Red Dog. They were in the Letters, once upon a time, until Sengoku decided t
hat it would be more beneficial to take them under the employment of the Letters
to open them up to new blood. Otherwise, they'd never have left their positions
of power. This leg what happened?"
Sanji remembered the moment he knew he was fucked very well. "I tried a kick to
the head, but he stopped it with one arm in a really weird way. He must have hit
a nerve my whole body froze up, and I couldn't move at all."
Bon began to cry anew. "Sanji, you can't compete. You will never be able to comp
ete again."
"What?" Sanji grabbed Bon's shoulders and shook him angrily. "What the hell are
you talking about?"
"Any man who has ever felt Aokiji's attack that way has never been able to use t
heir affected limbs again. It's like frostbite. You might as well amputate your le
gs. Rumor is," Bon whispered, looking around the empty room suspiciously, "Sengo
ku tried to get Baratie your father to compete one last time just to make the transf
er of titles official. Red Leg was old, after all it was time for him to decisivel
y pass the mantle along. At least, that was their reasoning. He refused, and the
y sent Aokiji after him. From there, it's all even murkier speculation."
"He was this before or after he moved to Earth Sector?" Sanji asked. He had never
been able to get a straight answer from his foster father. Whenever he had asked
, all he had received in return was a 'Bah!' and 'Your little eggplant brain can
't understand!'
"The reason he had to move to Earth Sector was on account of this incident. He w
ouldn't have been able to live in peace in Water Sector, and he was too proud to
show those other Alphas what had happened to him. He lost his leg in the fight
with Aokiji." Bon tapped his fingers along Sanji's thigh in thought. Both men we
re so absorbed in the issue that they didn't even realize it. "I've been asking
around, seeing if anyone had any information, ever since you came to my studio.
It was very hard I haven't found any information at all." Bon didn't reveal that m
any of the people he had asked either shut their mouths from sheer obstinate loy
alty to the old man or referred him to people who were dead. Aging was rare in E
arth Sector, after all.
Sanji grimaced as he rubbed the soreness out of his calves, taking care to avoid
the especially injured parts. "That shitty old man wasn't much in his will. He ju
st handed over the kitchen to the city, and of course it's gone to the dumps now
." He snorted. "Nami thought we might be able to sell it sell it! Can you imagine
someone who would want to buy it in such a dump? So we left, found work, struggl
ed to get to where we are now if Nami hadn't been so savvy with the money, I'd pro
bably still be working in Fire Sector washing dishes."
Bon stood and began to twirl absent-mindedly. "What happened to Baratie?" When S
anji didn't respond, he stopped and looked Sanji straight in the eye. "Darling,
what's wrong?"
Sanji had stiffened up, his hands clenched into fists in his lap. "It took me a
long time to remember where I had met that shitty old man. He saved my life in man
y ways. I don't know what he was doing in Earth Sector that night. Maybe he was
just looking for a fight, a way to end his life without giving that Sengoku guy
any satisfaction. I was running, separated from the rest of the gang and I heard s
omeone fighting."
"Is that the best you got, Kuzan?" Zeff roared. "I can still stand, you poor exc
use for an Alpha!"
"Zeff, you ought to just give in. Sengoku's not going to give up on this issue,"
Aokiji said smoothly. "Ara, this is too troublesome "
"Fuck Sengoku. I'm going to live peacefully out here, so let an old man have his
rest," Zeff snapped, his leg nearly decapitating Aokiji.
"Rest? In a place like this? You'll rest that's for sure " Aokiji snorted. "Maybe ge
t knifed in the process, too."
Sanji watched from behind a trash bin. He had never seen anyone move like these
two men. They were perfectly comfortable with their bodies, and were almost ligh
t-hearted in the fight. There was no malice here.
"Aokiji, you're taking too long," a voice said from the shadows. "Finish him."
Sanji couldn't see the speaker. Aokiji must have recognized him, though. "Akainu
, let me finish my job. You go and finish yours, ah?"
A low laugh rumbled from the darkness, making Sanji shudder in fear. "If you don
't do yours, then I can't do mine, can I? Move aside."
Sanji didn't know what he was doing. He knew that the old man was in danger, and
the thought terrified him he couldn't die! He didn't know why, but he couldn't le
t that happen. He also didn't think that he couldn't do a damned thing about it,
either. He ran into the clearing.
"Shit! Where'd the kid come from?" Akainu cursed. Sanji felt something crash int
o the left side of his face, and he fell to the ground. He had never been in suc
h blinding pain before. He supposed it was his fault for running out like that.
"Well, I don't need any witnesses." Akainu's fist was drawn back, ready to deal
the final blow.
"Like hell!" Zeff ran forward and kicked Akainu away from Sanji. "Stupid kid, wh
o the hell are you to try and interfere?"
Sanji managed to garble out something vaguely resembling the words "Couldn't let
you die dunno why."
"I'm not gonna die," Zeff snapped. "You still with me? Oi!"
"Akainu, Sengoku will be satisfied if Baratie is unable to compete, yes? Then I
will take his weapon away," Aokiji said in a low voice. "You will confirm my rep
ort when I say that he will no longer be eligible to keep his title." His leg sw
ung down in an axe kick.
Sanji winced as he heard an almighty crunching sound. Zeff had put his leg up to
protect the young boy.
"Why ?" Sanji whimpered. "I've only just met you " His skinny body shivered from fea
r and cold.
"You remind me of myself, a bit, kid. If there are idiots like you left out there
then I've got to feed you, haven't I?" Zeff panted. He hid his leg from view. "A
re you satisfied, Kuzan?"
Aokiji didn't answer; he merely turned away and disappeared in the shadows; Akai
nu did the same.
Sanji fainted; he later found himself safely tucked in a warm, soft bed. A bowl
of soup sat steaming next to him, with a small loaf of bread waiting to be eaten
. He tore into the food, not caring about where he was or why he was hungry. After
eating his fill, he stole out the door, down the stairs, and into the street. I
t was cold outside, unlike the warm building that had smelled of delicious food
and comfort. Still, he had a family he couldn't abandon Nami and the gang. He soon
forgot about the incident; he was young, after all, and the night had been trau
matic. He pushed it back into the recesses of his mind, only to be recalled long
after meeting the old man again.
Bon listened to the tale with tears streaming down his face. "That that's tragic,"
he said softly. "So that is how Baratie lost his leg "
Sanji nodded. "I think he was prepared to die that night. But after he saw me, may
be he knew I'd be back eventually, whether I intended to go back or not. I don't
know. He wasn't really good at talking about his emotions. Neither am I. But Ao
kiji must be a lot older than I am and he's still strong as hell."
"Aokiji lived a double life for a long time," Zoro said, stepping through the do
orway. He had been listening for the entirety of the story. "He was brought up u
nder the government's eye as a promising secret agent. He still kept the name Ku
zan for his private matters, and that's the name he used to receive his titles.
However, he abandoned it altogether during the Poneglyph incidents."
Sanji jumped; he hadn't expected Zoro to be around. "That's where I knew the nam
e from!" Sanji slapped his forehead in frustration. "It was driving me mad, tryi
ng to remember. He's he's not that old though, is he? He didn't seem to be and how d
id you know that about his name? And why are you here? Were you eavesdropping? D
o you want to die, shitty marimo?"
"One question at a time," Zoro said, casually flicking off Sanji. "Robin?"
The curvaceous woman stepped in after Zoro. "Oh, Zoro, I was hoping to leave wit
hout him being too embarrassed. It's not easy to share a hard past, especially w
hen people keep popping up unexpectedly," Robin said. "Zoro invited me to the do
jo to figure out how to I believe his exact words were 'figure out how to make you
happy again.'"
Zoro turned red. "Oi, Robin, was that really necessary?"
Robin ignored him. "Anyways, if Aokiji has entered the game, then that is very bad
." Her face suddenly darkened. "There is no doubt that if he identifies himself
with the Letters, then the government and the Letters are collaborating. If that
is so, then things will become very complicated very quickly."
"Will they?" Another voice interrupted them from the doorway. "How so?"
Shit, how many surprise visitors are we going to get? Sanji thought in exasperat
ion. His heart nearly stopped when he saw the afro floating near the ceiling, th
e tall, lean figure, the pinstriped suit
Robin's face was dead white. "Kuzan?"
Aokiji looked around at the small gathering. "Fate is cruel " he murmured.
---
A/N: Finally! Another chapter! I know it's been a while. And EOS hasn't been upd
ated in eons either. But college aiya. It's really terrible. I'm sorry! Very very so
rry! But here it is. It has been a while, so there may be some, um timeline discon
tinuities and inconsistencies in storyline, perhaps (it's hard to keep track of
everything!) so please let me know if something seems to be off. Thank you for c
ontinuing to read, and thanks especially to pirategaara for giving me a burst of
inspiration. Your words were very encouraging.
Review this Story/Chapter
Betting
GeckoMoriaShadowLord
Author of 3 Stories
Rated: M - English - Drama/Romance - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 135 - Updated: 03-1
3-10 - Published: 11-17-09 - id:5516666
Betting
Summary:
At East Blue High, you're either in one gang or in another. Otherwise you'll end
up hurt. Here, everyone take sides. You're either from the slum neighborhoods i
n the Water 7 section of the city, tastefully hidden behind a ten foot fence; or
you're from the pristine, clean neighborhoods in the Eneis Lobby portion. East
Blue High is the meeting of these completely different worlds, making it one of
the most dangerous places in Grand Line. Roronoa Zoro was just another guy from
the wrong side of the tracks, until a little lunch time fun at EBH and a harmles
s little bet causes his life to be irrevocably intertwined with a certain blonde
chef.
Eventual ZoSan, other pairings
Warning: Idiocy! Lemon! Yaoi! Drugs! Drama!
Disclaimer: E. Oda, man.
This is like the 30 second preview. Will update! If sounds interesting, drop me
a review!!
Review this Story/Chapter
Betting
GeckoMoriaShadowLord
Author of 3 Stories
Rated: M - English - Drama/Romance - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 135 - Updated: 03-1
3-10 - Published: 11-17-09 - id:5516666
WARNING: This story is full of drugs, violence, sex, language, and real life iss
ues like rascism and rape. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but I'm erring on the s
afe side! Don't read this story if you can't stomach stuff like this. And don't
drop me a review bashing on my story, because I just won't give. I'm taking libe
rties with the characters this time so they might be a little out of character,
but I'll try to stick to their basic characters. Also I know almost jack shit ab
out gangs, illegal substances, and all that tomfoolery, so if I'm making enormou
s mistakes and you want to help out, feel free to tell me because I'll listen if
you're serious and offering constructive critisism. I also take suggestions-If
you have this great idea for my story just tell me, I'd appreciate it! I think t
hat's it .well, enjoy! And thanks again for choosing GeckoMoriaShadowLord!!!!
I'm gonna put those little song things in front of the chapter for this story. R
ead them please, don't just skip over I put them there for a good cause.=)
Where exactly does this story take place? Near Los Angeles, California, in a fic
tional town called Grand Line. Geography isin't important
I can't picture Zoro sniffing coke or any one piece character, so please just go
with the flow it's supposed to be a ZoSan story after all, all the other stuff is
just background..
Chapter One:
Welcome to the Jungle
Welcome to the jungle
It gets worse here everyday
Ya learn ta live like an animal
In the jungle where we play
If you got a hunger for what you see
You'll take it eventually
You can have anything you want
But you better not take it from me
-Welcome to the Jungle-Guns n Roses
"Wake up."
Hmmmmm .Zoro heard the voice, which sounded oddly familiar, pierce through his dre
am haze, and felt the insistent hands shaking his side lightly.
"Wake up Zoro!" whoever it was, was getting annoyed now, and the hands on his si
de shook him harder. Cracking open one eye, Zoro saw it was Ace D. Portgas, one
of his close friends, who was attempting to awaken him.
"What the fuck, Ace?" Zoro mumbled, turning away and digging deeper into the war
m spot of his sleep.
"Don't fall asleep on me, you idiot!" this was punctuated by a sharp blow to his
head.
"Oi!" Now he was awake. Zoro looked around, "Where the hell am I?" he asked, wit
h no real surprise.
"Robin's."
"Robin's!!?" Zoro yelled, vauge images of the wild party last night came seeping
in through his still-groggy mind, "you mean I haven't left since yesterday?! Da
mn it Ace! I told you to get me out of here before midnight! My parents-"
"-don't give a fuck." Ace finished for him, "Admit it. They probably didn't even
notice you were gone last night."
Zoro winced, "Thanks for reminding me, I needed that. Well, at least I have pare
nts."
Ace laughed and bared his teeth in what Zoro assumed was a smile, "Touche."
Zoro chuckled quietly and sat up on the couch, it was a dingy thing, dirty with
cigerette burns scattered over it, but it also had a lot of memories, a lot of h
istory if you could dig that.
"We have to get to school dude." Ace said, and seeing that Zoro had finally woke
n up, he turned around and started rummaging through the clothes strewn across t
he floor, looking for his shirt and jacket.
"Fuck school." Zoro said viciously, flopping back onto the couch where he had ap
parently fallen asleep or passed out on. "You woke me up for that shit?"
"My sentiments exactly. But it's the first day, you know, which is why we celebr
ated last night, one last free party before the school year sets in, and we need
to be there to get all our shit settled. Our schedules and classes that kind of s
tuff." Ace said, he had found his shirt and slipped it on, and was currently dis
entangling his leather jacket from a lacy red bra. "First day is when we learn a
ll that and if we're not there then it's a pain in the ass figuring it all out t
he next day."
Zoro groaned, but he got up and started looking for his own garments from the me
ss on the floor. Empty soda cans and beer bottles lay all over the carpet of the
small one bedroom apartment, and the smell of stale alcohol and weed floated in
the air. Zoro saw a hypo lying next to a used condom on the kitchen counter. Lo
vely. I mean, what a real way to start the day off.
He sighed and located his shirt and jacket from the pile on the floor, "What did
we have, an orgy?" he grumbled to Ace.
"Close enough, I guess." was the cheerful response. "Got your bandanas?"
"Yeah." Zoro picked up his black bandana, folded it carefully, and stuck it in t
he backpocket of his jeans so that it was clearly showing. The second one, he ti
ed around his head where it covered his forehead and shadowed his eyes. Ace had
already positioned his in his backpocket and another one around his arm. Gang ru
les demanded that they go everywhere with their colors emblazoned somewhere on t
heir person-especially in the presence of other rival factions.
"You boys ready?" a calm voice interposed on their thoughts.
Turning, Zoro and Ace saw the host of last night's party and owner of the apartm
ent, as well as one of their close friends. Robin was standing at the entrance o
f her bedroom, and the two men saw a brief glimpse of clean surroundings, a well
-made bed, and tasteful furniture, before the black-haired woman swept it shut a
gain. She was dressed to the nines in a short black dress with long sleeves and
a high collar that showed off her magnificent cleavage, and a pair of black heel
s whose tops went all the way up to mid-thigh. Like them, she wore a black banda
na; it was tied around her throat.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about the mess, Robin." Ace said, clearly embarressed, gestured
to the wreakage around the apartment. "It got a little out of hand.."
"That's all right." Robin smiled, "I quite enjoyed it."
Zoro menawhile was heading toward the door, yawning, "Come on, let's go. Robin,
I'll help you clean up afterschool.."
"Wait a minute," Ace interjected, "How are we supposed to get to school? Zoro, y
ou have a motorcycle. There's three people here. And Robin doesn't have a car."
Zoro cracked his neck, thought for about a second, grinned, and said, "We'll man
age."
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"Are you ready? Yeah? Ok, then I'll be there in fifteen minutes-no, make that te
n. Don't want to keep you waiting do I? Yeah. Yeah. Ok, bye, love you too." Sanj
i crooned into his cell phone. He flipped it shut and kissed the cover in a dram
atic smooch. "Oh, how I love you my precious Nami~"
Sanji Blackleg took one final glance in the bathroom mirror, smoothed his hair o
ver his eye, took one final gargle of mouthwash, sprayed one final dash of colog
ne, fixed his button-up shirt one last time, and was rushing out the door, stopp
ing only to pick up his school binder and his car keys. It would take him only t
hree minutes to reach Nami's house, but he wanted to stop by the store to pick u
p some flowers for her. What could say 'I love you' more than an unexpected batc
h of red roses?
He threw his binder onto the passenger seat and jumped into the driver's seat, n
ot even bothering to open the door. His car was, after all, a silver Mercedes co
nvertible. He turned the keys in the ignition and heard the engine go on in a sa
tisfying purr. The radio turned on, letting out a blast of pop music. Sanji grin
ned and turned it up, starting to hum along. He felt great. It was the first day
of his senior year today. First days were always exciting for him because of th
e new people-the new girls-you met and the new classes you started to take. But
today was even better. He and Nami were now officially 'together' and he couldn'
t wait to start all those 'cute-couple' things that going together in school ent
ailed.
Ten minutes later, he was at Nami's house. Sanji parked at the curb, left the en
gine idling, and hurried to the door to ring the doorbell. The door flew open an
d something his arms were suddenly filled with red-headed woman. Sanji hugged ba
ck fiercely, making sure not to drop the bouqet of roses in his hand.
"I missed youuuuuu!!!" Nami wailed, giving him a last squeeze and drawing back s
o that she could she him better.
Sanji laughed, pleased. Nami wasn't talking about the ten minutes since they had
talked on the phone. Sanji had spent the summer in Paris and had only gotten ba
ck yesterday, late at night. They hadn't seen each other physically for a little
 over six weeks now and Sanji missed Nami like hell. He would have returned from
France sooner, but the old geezer had been adament that he stay until the last
minute, in order that he learn every single last cooking technique.
"Yeah, long time no see." Sanji grinned foolishly, basking in her obvious pleasu
re and beauty. "I have something for you..", he thrust out the roses in her hand
s to her. "Nami, I love you."
"Awww Thank you, " she squealed, and sniffing them, cried out, "they smell amazing
!!" Nami held out her arms once more and Sanji steeped forward and kissed her. T
hey stayed like that, until Nami, gasping, pulled back and said, "We're going to
be late, dummy!"
"Oh, yeah.." Sanji said, not really caring, wanting more.
Nami saw this in his face and giggled. She picked up her purse from where it was
lying on the floor and offered the arm not carrying the purse and roses to Sanj
i, "Will the gentleman escort the lady to the car?" she joked.
Sanji grinned at her, "Of course milday." and walked her to his car, opened the
passenger side door for her and helped her in. pausing to toss his binder to the
floor, before he leaned down to steal another quick kiss before moving back aro
und the car to get into his seat. He buckled his seatbelt, and turned onto the s
treet, but not before he checked both sides and turned on his blinker, to signal
he was entering the street.
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+
"I think you passed a red light!!" Ace yelled.
"What??" Zoro yelled back, the wind was tearing the words out of their mouths-th
ey were going what, eighty, ninety miles per hour? He turned around to hear Ace
better, but this somehow freaked Ace out, for the freckled young man roughly sho
ved Zoro's face frontside again.
"Never mind!!!" Ace screamed, his vocal cords standing out.
Zoro shrugged and continued racing up the streets, blantently ignoring the SCHOO
L ZONE-25 MPH signs.
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X+X
Nami asked about his trip back home. Sanji answered and asked how Nami's cheerle
ading practice was going. They smiled and stole little glances at each other, an
d occasionly Sanji's hand would rest over Nami's on the armrest between the two
seats.
About five minutes from East Blue High, Sanji turned into a narrow street. Nami
made a face, "Do we have to go this way?"
Sanji smiled apolegetically, "Sorry, but we're runnning a little late, and this
is the quickest way."
Nami sighed and shifted restlessly in her seat, "I'd almost rather be late." She
glanced moodily out the window of the convertible. Sanji was taking a shortcut
that cut through Water 7. No one was sure who had named this part of town Water
7 or why or even what it meant, but the slums had always been called Water 7 as
long as the residents had remembered. Sanji could feel the hackles rise up on hi
s neck, part of it was the reputation Water 7 had, and part of it was the deselo
te feeling that seemed to reverbrate from one discarded building to another. Pee
ling paint and windows that had been curtained with decaying yellow newspapers s
eemed to scream out in mute testimony to the poverty and waste that permeated th
e area. Graphiti adorned every wall available and refuse lay piled up next to th
e large recycling bins. The cars parked along the narrow street were old and jun
ky, severel, Sanji noted, with bitter amusement, had been broken into.
"Let's hurry, okay?" Nami pleaded softly.
"Yeah." Sanji said, and swallowed audibly. He stepped on the gas and the convert
ible whisked through the street, its motor purring.
Once they were clear of that part of Water 7, Nami seemed to brighten physically
. She started to chirp on and on about something funny that had happened to her
and her best friend Vivi Nefertari, when they had been at the mall the other day
.
But for once, Sanji wasn't listening. Well, he was, enough so that he could nod
and laugh in the right places, but he wasn't actually paying her any attention.
He couldn't shake the image of that dirty and dishelved neighborhood out of his
mind. It had seemed so full of lost dreams and dead hope. Sure he had lived in Gra
nd Line all his life, and he had known about Water 7, had been through it a few
times, but this was the first time he had ever actually noticed it.
Sanji had lived in Eneis Lobby for the large portion of his life. Before that-bu
t no, he didn't like to think about what had come before the fancy house he now
lived in and the luxary convertible he now drove. That had been in another life.
Just like the bad parts of town had been known collectively as Water 7, the ric
h-and some would argue, white- parts of Grand Line had been dubbed Enies Lobby.
Again, by whom, nobody knew .but the name had stuck.
A few years ago, the town fathers had elected to construct a tasteful barrier ar
ound Water 7, complete with tasteful trees and hedges, but it was a wall all the
same. There had been some protests from the residents of Water 7, but these had
been no more regarded then the indignant howling of a wild animal when the trac
tors come to clear away their habitats. And anyways, real estate value had gone
up, once the beautiful homes in Enies Lobby no longer had to look over the darke
ned wastelands of Water 7. And of course, the wall had become a popular site for
political graffiti.
"Sanji?"
"Hm-what?" he said, jerking out of this thoughts to see Nami peering at him clos
ely.
"I've been talking to you for a while now." Nami complained, "Were you even payi
ng attention to me?"
"Sorry." he said, feeling anying but, and he felt a twinge of annoyance pass thr
ough him at the beautiful female beside that that was so unlike him that he imme
dietlley felt ashamed of himself. "I was just woolgathering what were you saying?"
Nami, satisfied that she had oce again her boyfriend's complete and undivided at
tention, sunk back into the sheepskin lined seat and continued her monologue abo
ut new clothes and parties. Sanji tried to concentrate on what she was saying, b
ut this morning it wasn't working-his mind kept going back to that somehow-terri
bley pathetic-neighborhood. And Nami's voice seemed to vibrate shrilly in his he
ad disturbing his train of thoughts. So Sanji was glad when they finally turned
into the student parking lot of East Blue High so he could take his mind off wha
tever was bothering him and focus instaed on what he should be thinking about-wh
ich was the first day of school and meeting all his friends and finding his clas
ses. Sanji smiled, his good mood restored, and the sight of Water 7 faded slowly
to the back of his mind.
Meanwhile Nami was craning her head out the window, seeing if she could spot any
of her friends, her consatnt chatter not stopping for a second, "Wow, there's V
ivi's car-a Lexus-so she must be here then, you know, she picks up Kohza from hi
s house and drives him? I wonder what her dad thinks about that? He's not really
her social status at all..Oh! Look there's a free space!" She pointed to a spot
further up the row where Sanji could now see a slight gap between the bumpers o
f two cars.
"Yes.." Sanji said, "I forgot how packed the parking lots were over here.." he f
licked on his right blinker to signify that the space was his, and started to pu
ll quickly into it-before he slammed on the brakes, stopping his Mercedes at a s
kewed angle, half-in and half-out of the lot.
A morticycle was already occupying the space, which why Sanji hadn't seen it com
ing from the angle he had-the other cars had blocked the view. His front bumper
had come less than an inch from the back wheel. Sanji had barely time to registe
r this-his heart was still thumping from the nearness of the collision-when he r
egistered the fact that there were people on the black harley. And yes, people,
he saw that there were three-how had they managed that one? he wondered. One had
already gotten off and was glaring at him, but the other two were struggling of
f, looking back over their shoulders at the thing which had almost run them over
. Two men and a woman. None were helmets. Sanji had barely enough time to note t
he black bandanas on all three before the one who had been off when Sanji had al
most collided with the bike raised one large black morticycle boot and slammed i
t one the roof of his silver convertible.
"Watch where the fuck you're going, you asshole!", the guy yelled, Sanji took in
his angry, freckled face and a faint bell of recognition rang deep in his mind.
What was his name? Andrew? Aaron?
"Sorry.." Sanji called out, he had beaten the shit out of people for less than t
hat, but he had almost killed the guy, so he wasn't the one who should start som
ething, "I thought the space was empty.." His hand shifted to the reverse.
"You almost fucking hit me!" the guy shouted, but now the anger in his tone had
been tempered with bitter amusement, "I wouldn't have minded, but then you'd hav
e to wash my dirty minority blood off of this beautiful piece of car. Shit, man,
you'd have to wash it with anti-bacterial soap. Maybe you'd even have to trade
this car in!" He punctuated this statement with another slam to the hood with hi
s boot. Sanji's jaw had dropped and he was openly gaping, he knew he should just
get the hell out of there, but he was completely shocked by this guy's utter ha
tred and contempt for him. Sanji didn't even know him and the guy was acting lik
e Sanji had murdered his mother. He noticed that the other two people who had be
en on the bike as well were leaning back against watching the show with clear am
usement. He had time to note the strange hair color-green-of one and the beauty
of the other, even in the strangest moments this was one thing he alaways found
time to notice-before the guy whose name he couldn't quite remember drew back hi
s attention.
"Hey, I bet this fucking car costs more than my entire family income!" and then
the blackhaired guy jumped lightly onto the hood, hunkering with his elbows prop
ped on his knees and his hands dangling loosely in between his legs. "Hey, beaut
iful." he said, seeing Nami. She recolied as if he had thrown something at her.
He nodded, as if though he had expected this, "Figured."
Meanwhile Sanji had had enough. He slipped into reverse and backed out, not cari
ng that the guy was still perched on the car like some kind of human hood orname
nt. The raven jumped off though, before Sanji had clearly backed up the car, and
stood watching as Sanji raced off, screaming, "That's right! Run away motherfuc
ker!!"
Sanji heard their laughter echoing after him for a very long time.
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+
Zoro couldn't hold back anymore-he burst out laughing, "Ace, did you see his fuc
king face?"
Ace grinned back, "Probably wondering how many diseases I was carrying when I to
uched his car."
Even Robin smiled. It was a well known fact that Robin Nico had suffered at the
hands of people like the guy they had just been harrasing-though no one knew the
details. Except maybe Barbanegra.*
Zoro choked back his laughter enough to ask, "Who was he?"
Ace, by way of answer, struck an effeminite pose and mimed smoothing his hair ov
er his eye. When Zoro only looked puzzled, he said"That, my dear ignorant, was S
anji Blackleg."
Zoro laughed, "The Prince?" Sanji had been Homecoming Prince for three times in
a row now. He had never seen him up close, but he had heard of him."That makes i
t even more funny."
"Why do you think I took it so far?" Ace asked, grinning evilly. "Part that and
part I just wanted to put a little 'fuck you' into his day. A day that probably
would have gone picture perfect otherwise." Ace said, sounding gloomy suddenly,
"Showing up in daddy's shiny new convertible...seriously..Just wanted to wake hi
m up to the charming fact of reality."
Robin glanced at Ace, and then remarked, "But did he really deserve that? He did
n't really do anything to you, and he tried to apoligize. Most wouldn't even hav
e bothered."
Ace frowned, "Fucker deserves it for having a convertible when there's people in
Water 7 using food stamps. Christ, Robin, whose side are you on?"
Robin shrugged.
Zoro yawned again, now that that little entertainment was over, he felt sleepy a
gain. If the day had started out interesting then maybe the rest of it wouldn't
be a total waste. He sighed, "Let's go" he said, walking off in the direction of
the school gates. Ace and Robin fell in step with him, and their talk turned to
other things, but it was mostly about Barbanegra.
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"Why didn't you do anything Sanji??" Nami protested as they parked the car and w
alked off to one of the side entrances of the school.
Sanji felt another rush of annoyance, but suppressed it, "I almost hit them." he
said, "It wouldn't have been right for me to beat them up just because they got
 mad. I would have been pissed off too."
Nami pouted. "But you tried to apoligize! And they didn't have to say all that s
tuff! It was an accident!"
Sanji shrugged. "I should have been more carfeful. I could have seriously injure
d them."
"Who cares?" Nami asked sullenly, "They're just.." her words trailed off, but Sa
nji could feel the unspoken words hanging in the air as clearly as if she had sp
oken them. They're just Water 7s.
Sanji;s jaw tightened and he dropped the hand that he had been holding while the
y walked to the gate and jammed both his hands into his pants pockets. "Why is t
here such a difference?" he demanded.
"Huh? What difference?" Nami said, looking confused and hurt that Sanji had stop
ped holding her hand.
"Between the people who live in Water 7 and us!" he exclaimed. He couldn't get t
he freckled man's expression out of his mind when he had said 'Hey, I bet this f
ucking car costs more than my entire family income!'. Somehow, Sanji didn't thin
k he had been lying.
"Uh, the difference is the marajuana they carry to school and the switchblades t
hey carry in their boots." Nami said sarcastically.
"They can't be all that bad.."Sanji argued.
"Yeah, they're real angels."
He looked at her reproachfully. They were appraoching the large group of people
clustered around the billboard with everybody's name and first period class post
ed.
Nami sighed."Look Sanji, I'm sorry I'm being so bitchy but that little encounter r
eally scared me.."she trailed off.
Sanji looked surprised, "Why?"
She stared at him with an are-you-serious? expression, "Did you even see who was
messing wih you?"
Sanji felt a great unease settle over the pit of his stomach, "Noooo I thought I r
ecognized the black-haired guy what was his name again? Aaron? Andrew?"
Nami gaped at him and hissed, "His name is Ace. Portgas D. Ace. And it was Robin
Nico and Zoro Roronoa too!" She seemed frightened at this last, "Zoro!"
"The guy with the green hair? What about him?" Sanji, like Zoro had of him, neve
r come face to face with Zoro Roronoa, but had only heard rumors about him, none
pleasant.
Nami seemed to lose some of her fear as she expanded on her favorite subject-gos
sip, "Well, for starters, all three of them are in Blackbeard's gang."
"Blackbeard?" Sanji said doubtfully, he had heard of Blackbeard, a notorious dru
g dealer and gang leader who ruled the dark politics of Water 7, but he didn't t
hink he had much to do with a high school.
Nami frowned at him, "There's a limit to ignorance you know. Well, they're membe
rs of Blackbeard's gang. And Ace and Zoro are especially high up in the ranking.
"
"Um." Sanji said, not really knowing what he should do with this information.
"They say Zoro's some sort of demon."
"Um."
"And Ace is a pyro."
"Um. Hey, let's go look at our schedules." he grabbed Nami's hand and tugged her
toward the billboard, greeting friends as he went. The information Nami had fro
ntloaded him with was spinning around in his head. Sanji felt as if he had been
targeted for death by the mafia. He hadn't done anything to any of the three mem
bers. So he shouldn't be worried or anything, right?
But he felt a little sick just the same.
X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X++X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X++X+X+X+X+
X+
we'll get to the bet next chapter =)
sorry first chapters are always bad for me.. please keep reading..review?
Review this Story/Chapter
Betting
GeckoMoriaShadowLord
Author of 3 Stories
Rated: M - English - Drama/Romance - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 135 - Updated: 03-1
3-10 - Published: 11-17-09 - id:5516666
Chapter Two
High Stakes
"Haha, Laugh, It's funny,
I got the money to get you
Killed by someone that has nothing"
-"Square Dance" Eminem
"Ahhh finally." Zoro grumbled as the bell for the end of fourth period sounded, si
gnaling the start of the lunch hour.
Ace glanced over at him and laughed, "I see you're excited to be back to school.
" Ace and Zoro had all their classes together except two. And fourth period, the
y had together-American History-or as Ace called it-How the Rich Wealthy Fuckers
Fucked the Poor People Through the Ages.
They had English, Biology, Algebra, and History for the first four periods, and
then Ace had opted to take Chemistry-'the better to learn to burn things, my dea
r'-while Zoro had picked Weights and Home Ec.
"You get to eat shit in home ec right?" he had asked of Ace, when they had picke
d their classes last year.
"You learn to cook." Ace had replied, rolling his eyes.
"Same thing." He had replied and marked the spot on the card next to Home Econom
ics.
"It's the same boring shit over and over." Zoro complained to his freckled frien
d as they headed toward the lunch area.
"Well, what can we do?" Ace had replied amiably enough.
"Skip." was the logical reply
"No." Ace had replied firmly, "We can't get into trouble until we actually have
to. I hear Barbanegra has a little job for you later on in the week."
"I have to go collect from this one bitch who hasn't paid yet.." Zoro sighed
"Fun. Want company?"
"Nah. I can handle it."
"If not, just call."
"Yeah."
They reached their spot, just a plain wall that they had marked as their own for
the last three years now. Most of them were already there. Zoro could see Robin
, Usopp, Franky, Chopper, Burgess, Auger, Paulie, Tileston, Marco, and several o
thers. They were a colorful group, and Zoro felt a grin rise up on his face as h
e approached them, but the only thing they physically held in common was the con
spicuous black bandana.
"Ace!" "Zoro!" Faces turned toward them and the pair was drawn in with back-clap
ping and hand-slapping, "Ace, you won't believe-" "Zoro, I heard-"
Tileston was the loudest though, "ACE! I HEARD YOU GOT INTO A LITTLE SCRAPE UP I
N THE PARKING LOT???" he boomed.
Ace laughed, pleased, "Yeah, you guys know who Sanji Blackleg is, right?" and th
e raven proceeded to give a detailed account on the little incident in the morni
ng, complete with extravagant embellishments. Zoro noticed with amusement that i
n this version, Ace had whipped out his dick and pissed on the hood, and Sanji h
ad peeled rubber to get away from the switchblade that Ace had taken out to carv
e his name on the door.
Zoro, sat down with his back to the wall, and listened as Ace finished his story
, everybody was laughing, him included. And why not? It was a win for the Water
7s.
Ace made his way over to sit beside the green-haired man, "Isn't it true, Zoro?"
Zoro nodded solemnly, "True shit, buddy."
Ace laughed, "If I'm lying, I'm dying-" he cut himself off as his eyes lit up li
ke a little boy at Christmas time, "Sayyyy, lookie here, friends and neighbors!"
The group turned in the direction of the quad, following Ace's excited gaze. Acr
oss the quad, walking toward his own spot was none other than the group's curren
t source of entertainment, Sanji Blackleg. On his arm, was Nami.
The group burst into shouts of laughter, that made Sanji turn around and look an
grily, but he continued to walk on, not heeding the bursts of mirth. Neither did
he hurry his pace or look around furtively for any sign of school authority, as
was so often the case with other students and as his girlfriend was currently d
oing. Sanji simply continued walking along, not even bothering to shoot them a s
econd scathing glance, acting like they were so much dogshit on the sidewalk. Zo
ro had to admire him.
Zoro watched him thoughtfully. He couldn't help noticing that though Nami was ta
ll for a woman, and had very nice legs, Sanji was even taller-his own height, ma
ybe- and had even longer legs. Also that he had very shiny blonde hair. He had n
ever noticed Sanji Blackleg before so he took his time studying the retreating f
igure.
Ace glanced over and saw the thoughtful expression on his friend's face, and see
ing that he was watching the receding figure of the prince, smirked evilly, "Eve
rybody wants a piece of that ass."
"Huh?" Zoro said, surprised, and tore his eyes away from-damn it, he had not jus
t been staring at another guy's ass, no matter how tight it was!-and into his be
st friend's dancing eyes, feeling a sense of impending doom.
Now they were the center of attention, everybody was watching avidly, as if awai
ting the punchline of a good joke. Robin looked particularly interested.
Usopp laughed, "What was that Ace?" Usopp was a junior and he had joined Barbane
gra's gang a while back. Though he acted like a coward, and was relatively weak
compared to heavyweights like Ace and Zoro and Marco, the long-nosed boy was als
o rather high up in the gang infrastructure. His talents lay elsewhere-he was th
e gang's sniper and one of the many hit men.
"Well, yeah." Ace drawled, "I mean, shit, dude, his legs are longer than that ch
ick she was with and his ass was just as tight. Tighter probably."
Zoro laughed uneasily, uncomfortably aware that Ace had just voiced his own thou
ghts out loud.
Ace sighed dramatically and gave a sorrowful shrug, "Oh well, I guess none of us
will ever find that out. I mean, Mr. Silver Convertible is gonna let none of us
Water 7s anywhere near his precious ass. I mean, not even you, Zoro, with your
rep of bedding practically every woman in Water 7, could part that pair of prist
ine legs."
Zoro laughed."Why would I want to? He's a guy." And then because he sensed the c
hallenge in Ace's words, "But if I really wanted to, I could fuck him, easy." He
grinned cockily, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Several people wol
f whistled. Franky smiled in a nasty way.
Ace's smile turned demonic, "I bet 500 bucks you can't tap that."
Zoro felt the jaws of the trap snap shut with a bang, and winced inwardly. His b
luff had been called, and he couldn't afford to lose an ounce of dignity be aski
ng Ace if he was serious or just joking. Now only two options remained; acceptin
g Ace's insane bet..or backing down. Problem about the latter was, Zoro had neve
r backed down in his life and he wasn't sure how to go about it.
But accepting was insanity. Zoro had no desire to fuck a man, no matter how sexy
, and he didn't think that Sanji would so much as piss on him to put him out if
he was on fire. Especially not after the parking lot incident.
But Zoro Roronoa backing out? Backing down? No fucking way.
Zoro laughed in Ace's face with just the right touch of challenge and shot back,
"Against what?" This snappy remark elicited more than a few grins from the rest
. Ace and Zoro were watched as eagerly as gladiators in the amphitheater.
Ace thought about it for a while, then smiled wolfishly, "Against your bike." Th
ere were a few groans and exclamations of 'Now way Zoro'll agree..'
Fuck, Zoro cursed, apart from his three treasures he kept secretively at home, h
is bike was the only thing of value that he possessed in the world. Certainly no
t as expensive as Sanji Blackleg's convertible, but still something that he care
d about. But since he was in it, he was in it.
"Why don't you just give me the 500 now and save yourself future embarrassment?"
Zoro taunted.
"Then it's agreed?" Ace demanded, grinning.
"Sure. If I manage to fuck Sanji Blackleg, you give me 500 bucks. If I don't, yo
u get my bike." Zoro shrugged casually, then smirked, "You sure you got 500 buck
s on you, Portgas? I don't think you even seen a hundred dollar bill "
Ace laughed too, "I don't need 500 'coz this is one bet you're gonna lose, my fr
iend. I always thought I looked sexier on a motorcycle."
"In your fucking wet dreams, bastard." Zoro retorted.
"How you going to manage that one?" Franky asked Zoro, as he sauntered over towa
rd them. "Sorry, dude, but I'm with Portgas, there's no fucking way that that pr
incess is going to let you anywhere near her ass..And you seriously gonna do it
doggy-style?"
Zoro shrugged again. "It's 500 bucks. All that for a little sex? I'm up for it."
Franky laughed, "Practical man So how you gonna get anywhere near that?" and the b
urly, bright blue-haired guy jerked his thumb to the other side of the quad to w
here Sanji was socializing with his group of friends. No doubt talking about all
the wonderful cruises they had taken over the summer.
"I'll figure that one out later." Zoro answered vaguely. He supposed he might in
vite the Sanji over to a party and slip something into his soda that a high alco
hol content and that would undermine the blond's ability to reason clearly. Then
take him to a back bedroom and then wham, he'd suddenly be five hundred dollars r
icher.
Ace meanwhile was leering in a way Zoro didn't much care for, "That's right. Fuc
k Sanji: 500 dollars for you. Don't fuck Sanji: I'm going to take your bike to t
he graphics shop to get some flames racing up the sides of it. But!." He paused
and raised up one finger mischievously, "It has to be in let's say around two mont
hs before Thanksgiving break and I'm gonna need some proof."
Zoro tried not to look shocked, "Proof?! What the fuck do you mean by that? You
want me to bring back his left nut or something?" Laughter. Usopp winced.
"Well, otherwise we'll never know if you're telling the truth!" Ace protested. "
You're one sneaky sonovabitch, Zoro. Um, it can be photos or videos .." He laughed
, but Zoro thought he looked strangely flustered.
"Jesus Christ!" Zoro exclaimed, "Photos? Videos? How the fuck do I get those? Wh
at, am I gonna say, 'hey Sanji, smile, I want a picture for my fucking scrapbook
!'?
"Idiot, just set up a camcorder somewhere where he can't see it and let it rip."
Ace said, "but then again, I doubt you'll get that far, so don't worry about it
."
"Ok, I'll bring you back your goddamn proof." Zoro grumbled, "But you and only y
ou can watch it. I'm not letting anybody else look at a video of me butt-fucking
some dude."
"Shit." Robin said. Laughter.
"Who says you'll be doing the action?" Ace asked slyly, to general hilarity.
"Yeah, just wait." Zoro answered, and looked across the quad where his future co
nquest stood, obliviously chatting pleasantly with a young woman with blonde hai
r, a shade even paler then his own, his arm was loosely looped around the waist
of the red-head he had walked by with. So unaware of the group of miscreants who
stood across the area, gleefully potting his demise. Zoro felt a pang of sympat
hy, and immediately squashed it-that wouldn't do it all. He turned to Ace, "So m
id-November, you said?"
Ace nodded, "Yeah. We don't want to get bored here, do we? Why? Don't feel that'
s enough time?" he grinned, "You want to get to knoooow him? Ahhhh Isn't that cuuu
te!"
Zoro grimaced, more at Ace's tone, then at the statement, "Nah. By November, tha
t guy is going to be screaming my name. Guaranteed."
Ace spat on his hand and held it out, his black eyes dancing victoriously, "Shak
e on it."
Zoro spat on his hand, and slapped it against his best friend's, the warm saliva
mixed and created a slimy friction against their palms, but Zoro felt no revuls
ion-the feeling was primal, and oddly comforting. This was it. There was no goin
g back. Before the winter month of December approached, he would have had to lai
d Sanji Blackleg. If not, he'd be taking the city bus when he wanted to go somew
here. Mentally, Zoro cursed Ace for getting him into this mess. The freckled rav
en was now talking with Usopp.
He took another glance at the far off figure. Sanji was now laughing about somet
hing, and as Zoro watched, the blonde dipped down and gave his girlfriend a quic
k kiss. Fuck, Zoro thought sourly, Not only do I have to cross the social level,
I have to turn him gay. What's more, I have to steal him away from his girlfrie
nd. His rich, white, hot girlfriend. Suddenly, the prospects seemed rather gloom
y.
Just then the bell rang-a flat toneless buzz-signaling the end of the one free h
our of the day. Zoro sighed, and got up, digging his crumpled schedule out of hi
s front pocket to see what grueling period he had next. Home Economics, oh yeah.
That meant that Ace was headed off to chemistry. That meant no fun.
Fuck.
"Yo, Ace, you want to walk me to class?" Zoro called over to Ace who was talking
to Usopp about something. Zoro caught the words, "-bring the scope.." and didn'
t want to know what they were planning. Usopp looked scared, but he seemed to be
in agreement with Ace, and when Zoro called out Ace's name, the curly-haired ma
n had simply said bye to Ace and had walked off with the rest of the dispersing
group.
Ace turned towards him, "Sure. What you have next?"
"Home Ec "
"Ah, that's right..get to learn all the housewife-y things."
"Fuck you."
"You wish." Ace replied chirpily.
Zoro laughed and shook his head and they continued to walk along comfortably tog
ether to their next class.
Suddenly, Ace shot an elbow into Zoro's arm, "Hey, looky there." He whispered, a
nd motioned with his eyes up ahead.
It was Sanji Blackleg and his girlfriend. They were strolling leisurely along, a
head of them. And as Ace and Zoro watched, the couple stopped in front of a door
, hugged, kissed, and then hugged again, before Nami left, presumably off in the
direction of her class, and Sanji entered the room they had stopped in front of
.
Ace was snickering, "Good luck getting your hands on that piece of ass."
Zoro wasn't bothered so much by the sight of them kissing, as the dawning premon
ition that Sanji had entered the classroom that looked suspiciously like it was
the Home Ec room. Which was to say..his next class.
That was not good. That was in fact, horrible. Zoro had planned on something lik
e a one night stand with the blond. Classes together meant year long interaction
s. That meant after whatever happened between here and thanksgiving break. Repea
t: not good.
"Go get 'em Tiger!" Ace was gloating. He went off toward the science buildings c
ackling wildly.
"Prick..."Zoro hissed between his teeth, and then and turned toward the plain bl
ue door with the numbers 409 written cleanly upon it, took a deep breath and ope
ned it.
X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X++X+X+X+X++X+X+X+X+X+X+X++X+X+X+X++X+XX+
It was a rather large classroom with large blue tables grouped in the middle tha
t could seat up to five people. Around the walls, were sinks and cabinets, and Z
oro could see a separate room that looked like a kitchen off to one side.
As soon as he walked in, he heard his name called out, and turning, saw three of
his friends sitting at one of the tables, the farthest from the teacher's desk.
Gang members tended to gravitate to the back of the classroom because teachers
almost always got nervous whenever they were too close, and then tended to get t
heir backs up by handing out detentions and suspensions as a way of cutting off
any defiance early. Unfair, but there it was.
Luffy, Brooke, and Kohza waved to him to come sit with them, and Zoro nodded and
waved back. He took a glance around to see where Sanji had chosen to sit, and s
aw that he was sitting with two blonde girls a couple of tables ahead of Luffy's
table.
Zoro supposed he should go sit near Sanji so as to start to get to know him, so
he could get this bet over and done with, but his mind balked at the thought of
just plopping down beside him and starting to talk to him. Zoro shuddered and ma
de his way over to his friends.
He wasn't surprised to see Luffy here. Luffy would have taken Home Ec. for all s
ix periods if he could, so he could get a chance to eat something all day. Same
thing with Brooke. And Kohza was probably here only because it was an easy class
. Water 7s usually opted for the easiest courses. Not because they were dumb or
because they didn't care, but because they knew that they were going to be stuck
in Water 7 their whole life toiling at menial jobs, and they didn't see why the
y should waste their time at the advanced courses because they would never use t
hem. It was a cynical view, but one that was realistic. The idea of college was
laughable. Water 7 was a burden chained to the shoulders of whoever was unfortun
ate enough to be born there. If it wasn't ailing parents that needed your help o
r little brothers or sisters that needed your support and forced you to stay nea
rby and work for them; then it was the gang that you joined in your misspent you
th, reminding you that when you joined, you joined for life.
Exceptions were when your knowledge furthered the gang's own edge. Which was why
Ace was taking chemistry. Or why Chopper was taking the advanced science classe
s so he could get into medical school. Barabanegra might even let the kid go, Zo
ro thought, if only because he would come back with the ability to treat the gan
g members that got roughed up and couldn't go to the hospital, either because th
ey were wanted men, or because they had no money. Zoro liked Chopper a great dea
l, he was a small kid, that stuck out like a sore thumb, but he had his heart in
the right place, and he had guts. That was more than could be said for most peo
ple.
Luffy D. Monkey was Ace's little brother, and Zoro liked him a lot. He was a fun
kid. And Zoro sometimes wished that Luffy would join Barbanegra's gang so they
could hang out even more, but Luffy was adamant, and so was Ace. Luffy has refus
ed, when he had been approached, saying something about not wanting to ride to f
ame on someone else's coattails. Luffy could be pretty smart when he wanted to.
Ace, too, had been adamant that Luffy not join. Ace was overprotective of his li
ttle brother. Ace wanted Luffy to get out of Water 7 and make something of himse
lf. Luffy wanted to be a pirate off the coast of Somalia. Luffy wanted to a type
of Robin Hood on the high seas. Ace laughed at this, but he managed to get Luff
y into a few advanced classes, and Ace had practically given the apartment they
lived in to Luffy. Ace was strict about that-no drugs, booze, or weapons in his
apartment- so as not to incriminate Luffy in anyway.
Luffy was probably the only kid in the school that was on good terms with the Wa
ter 7s and with the residents in Eneis Lobby. His magnetic charm seemed to attra
ct damn near everybody, and Zoro had to admit-he was a damn cool kid.
""Hey Zoro!" Luffy chirped as soon as Zoro sat down next to him, "I didn't know
you were taking this class."
"Hey Luffy, yeah I am."
"Oh, Zoro, that's good that you're here." Kohza said, "I was afraid it was going
to be just me and Brooke against everybody."
"Everybody?"
"Yeah." And Kohza flicked his eyes to the left and then to the right, "Kreig's g
uys and Arlong's freaks over there."
Zoro turned casually and saw Gin, Pearl, and two other of Kreig's gang seated at
one of the blue tables. Their bandanas were yellow, and decorated with an hourg
lass. Zoro sneered. "Idiots.." he muttered. Kreig was another leader in the dark
hierarchy of Water 7 that was rather infamous. He had been a backstage kind of
character until now, but lately Kreig had been getting too big in the head and h
ad been trying to unsurp Barbanegra. Kreig dealed mostly in contraband weapons.
Not just unregistered handguns, sawed-off shotguns and spring-clip devices-easy
stuff, but the really heavy junk; semi-automatic weapons and artillery with unpr
onounceable German names.
On their right, were Hachi and three other of Arlong's gang. Arlong's men wore b
lue and decorated their bodies with sun tattoos. The gang was unique in that no
one could join unless they were born to other gang members. And all gang members
came from an island out in the Pacific; they had a strange appearance to say th
e least. Though he commanded fewer members than most gangs in Water 7, Arlong ha
d risen to notoriety due to his ferocity and utter ruthlessness. He specialized
in corruption in authority and bribery.
Brooke spoke up, "Yes, this is going to be an interesting class.. Yohohohoho!" Z
oro winced; Brooke had them most annoying laugh in the history of mankind. Brook
e also came equipped with a huge afro and a tophat. Brooke was also of Barbanegr
a's gang.
Kohza sighed, "Yes, it is going to be rather excitiement-filled, I'm afraid "
Zoro nodded and took another glance at the blonde in front, he was still chattin
g with the two blonde girls; if he had noticed Zoro come in, he gave no sign.
Just then the tardy bell rang-cutting across the talking in the classroom and th
e students quieted expectantly, waiting for the teacher to get up and introduce
themselves.
Zoro waited just as expectantly as the rest, he always had to establish some kin
d of boundary lines with the teacher-he had to see how far they could be pushed
and they had to see how much strength they had to push back.
The teacher got up and strolled over to the front of the room. He was wearing a
long, black cape that covered half of his body, a loose white shirt, and a pair
of battered shorts with sandals. His hair was semi-long and a dark, red-almost a
uburn- and his skin was deeply tanned. But what stuck out was the long scar that
cut across half his face, through his eye. The room was hushed as everybody sta
red at it. The guy simply stared back candidly enough and then said in a cheerfu
l voice that belied his harsh appearance, "Hello everybody! We're all here, I pr
esume? Well, this is Home Economics as I'm sure you know, unless you're some kin
d of idiot Well, my name is Mr. Akammi, but that sounds too stiff to me, so you ca
n call me Shanks, if you dare...I know some of your faces already, let's see Hey t
here Luffy!" At this point Mr. Akammi waved at the raven sitting by Zoro. Luffy
was pumping his hand in the air, and had an ecstatic smile on his face.
The guy resumed, "So I see you've gotten all comfortable, and that's all right.
You can sit where you want as long as you don't cause any trouble. So Home Ec, h
uh? Well, I'll be teaching you to cook and all that kind of stuff We'll start tomo
rrow, and today we'll use the period to get to know each other. So any questions
you want to ask me?"
Zoro gaped at the teacher, this dude is off his rocker, he thought. Luffy raised
his hand, "When do we get to cook meat?"
Shanks shrugged, "The school likes it if we start with small stuff like cookies.
 But I'll see what we can do. But basically we'll be cooking my favorite foods s
o I can eat them." This caused a ripple of laughter through the classroom. "I ha
ve a hangover, so that's enough questions for today. You can talk amongst yourse
lves for the rest of the period." And with that, the red-haired teacher made his
way back to his desk and promptly fell asleep.
"Reminds me of your brother, Luffy." Brooke said, and Zoro laughed and nodded ag
reement. Ace was notorious for falling asleep at all hours.
"Why does he wear that huge cape?" Kohza asked.
"He doesn't have an arm." Luffy said, and Zoro glanced over at him, surprised.
"What happened?"
But Luffy shook his head and wouldn't answer.
The rest of the period passed by uneventfully; Zoro, Brooke, Kohza, and Luffy ch
atted about their schedule and their summer until the bell rang. As they were fi
ling out, Zoro chanced another glance at Sanji and was surprised to see that the
blonde was staring at him as well. When Zoro turned around, his eyes narrowed a
nd he looked away angrily. Zoro thought about it and then said "I got to do some
thing, go on ahead." to his three friends and hung back by the doorway, waiting
for Sanji.
When the blonde neared, Zoro stepped a little in front of him, and said, "Hey, I
need to talk to you." And with a glance at the two girls at his side, added, "P
rivately."
X+X+X+X++X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X++X+X+X+X+X++X+X+X+X+X+X+X++X+X+X+X++X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X
+X+
A/N: Poor Sanji. I feel bad for him. =( . Review?
Hey, I've even started chap three!
Review this Story/Chapter
Betting
GeckoMoriaShadowLord
Author of 3 Stories
Rated: M - English - Drama/Romance - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 135 - Updated: 03-1
3-10 - Published: 11-17-09 - id:5516666
A/N: Read the song thing!!! =)
Chapter Four
I'll never take part in the growing population
Or waste my time with further education
Forget what we know, it's just a big show
What they want to control
So jaded and frustrated
It's all so complicated
Fashion, no passion surrounds me
All I know is I've heard this all before
Reality's a bore
You ask me to believe in something fake,
well I can't bring myself to do what
You want me to
This is who we are and
nothing's gonna change, nothing's gonna change
I can't take part in the business man illusion,
I'll take my chance in the real world confusion
Don't blame us, who do we trust when they're so dishonest
No patience, this nation's obsessed with exploitation
Lying, denying surrounds me
Don't think you can ignore us
Don't tell me that we're to blame
Don't pick our future for us
Or act like we're the same
-Sum 41 "Thanks for Nothing"
Sanji was looking at him like he had just offered to sell him some ecstasy. "Abo
ut what?" he asked, not rudely, but his tone was frigidly polite and clearly not
interested. The blonde continued to move out the door, and Zoro found himself f
ollowing him.
"About what happened this morning." Zoro blurted. Oh, real smooth.
Sanji stopped abruptly, and then to the girls with him, said sweetly, "Conis, Ka
ya, I'm sorry, but can you go on without me? I have to deal with this." They nod
ded agreement, clearly puzzled, and left, shooting scared glances at Zoro as the
y went.
When they were out of earshot, Sanji turned back to Zoro, and said, again in tha
t politely disinterested voice, "I was there this morning-I know what happened-y
ou don't have to tell me."
"Well, I wanted to say I'm sorry about that." Zoro said, he thought that the bes
t way to get on Sanji's good side was to start off with an apology. He would nev
er get anywhere if he didn't broach the subject eventually.
He saw Sanji's eyebrow-it was curly!-raise, and his eyes-his one visible eye!-wi
den ever so slightly in disbelief. "Oh.." he murmured, Zoro could see that his a
pology had not been expected and it had thrown the -pretty!-his mind continued t
o insist- blonde off balance.
Sanji coughed nervously, and when an awkward silence ensued, said, "Well, I don'
t see why you're apologizing. If anyone should apologize, then it should be your
friend." Sanji paused and then added in an undertone, "Or me "
"You?" Zoro asked confused. Hell, he felt confused. Sanji was supposed to be a s
poiled brat who had had his ass wiped for him with golden toilet paper for his e
ntire life. But the guy Zoro found himself talking too was just a regular guy.
Sanji shifted his weight to his other foot uneasily, and Zoro realized with grow
ing wonder that the blonde was slightly ashamed, "Well, yeah ." He said slowly, "I
almost hit you guys with my car "
"That was an accident." Zoro said quickly, giving Sanji an excuse and at the sam
e time hoping to win points with the blonde by covering up for him. But to Zoro'
s growing bewilderment he saw Sanji shake his head, reluctantly but firmly.
"No. I shouldn't have been driving so recklessly .I don't see why I was then I'm usu
ally a more careful driver ", Sanji glanced quickly up at Zoro as though he wanted
to reassure the other of this fact.
"Yeah, I'm sure you are," Zoro said soothingly, "You just had a bad moment. It h
appens to the best of us."
Sanji sighed and shrugged, "Well, thanks for talking about it with me."
Zoro nodded and cast around for something to say. "So what a crazy guy huh?" he
finally said, sounding stupid.
"Huh?"
"The teacher." Zoro said patiently. "Mr. Akaami .Shanks."
"Oh! Yeah!" Sanji laughed, "He's like that. But he's a cool guy."
Zoro looked surprised, "You know him?"
"For a little more than a year now. I met him at the bar he runs with his wife.
And we hit it off immediately; and actually I'm not a regular student in Home Ec
. I'm the teacher's aid." Sanji said cheerfully.
"Oh. That's cool." Zoro said, remembering all the pranks he and his had played o
n all the unfortunate teacher's aids throughout the years, "So, uh, why did you
want to be his aid?"
Sanji laughed, "Hey, we're gonna be late if we don't get a move on. Where's your
next class? I'll tell you on the way if it's next to mine."
Zoro dug out his crumpled schedule for the sixth time that day, "Um, I have Weig
hts."
"Oh,that's cool." Sanji said, "I have track so they're next to each other." He s
et off with a 'come on' glance at Zoro.
Zoro shook his head, bewildered, and started after the blonde.
"Yeah,Shanks is pretty tight." Sanji began, "So when he asked me to aid for him,
I agreed, cuz I knew it'd be fun and anyways, I needed a sixth class."
"So he asked you?" Zoro asked.
"Yeah." Sanji said and then laughed, "Mostly because he's a selfish dick." And i
n response to Zoro's mystified look, "I'm a chef. So I'm really good at cooking.
Shanks just wants me near and in a kitchen so he can get all his goodies firsth
and."
"You're a cook?"
"Chef." Sanji corrected gently. "Cook sounds too much like fast-food restaurant
to me."
"Oh. Then what do you cook?" Zoro asked, more and more fascinated by the guy.
"Um, a little bit of everything Hey, there's your class." Sanji pointed at an appr
oaching door. "I'll finish telling you in Home Ec. tomorrow. Yeah?"
"Yeah " Zoro answered, feeling confused. He made to open the Weights door to slip
inside and so flee from the source of his confusion when Sanji suddenly spoke up
.
"Hey, um Zoro?"
Zoro turned back, feeling another sense of dread creeping up on him, similar to
the one that had loomed when Ace had proposed his little wager. "Yeah?"
Sanji was shifting from foot to foot again, looking a little nervous, "I'm reall
y glad you came to talk to me. So many people think Water 7s are some different
kind of species. " Sanji said slowly, "You know, so many people think you're som
e kind of rabid dog But then I talked with you and you're normal. Nicer than most ac
tually." He paused and then stuck out a well-cared for hand, "Friends?"
Now Zoro knew what that sense of impending doom had foretold. He had never felt
more like a piece of shit in his life. He forced a smile on his face and willed
himself to take the offered hand. They shook perfunctorily and Sanji's smile tur
ned to a grin, "People would shit themselves if they saw this."
Zoro laughed at that-it was pretty funny, and then offered a falsely cheerful "S
ee you tomorrow!" before finally escaping into his classroom.
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Damn it. Damn it all to hell. Zoro thought furiously. This was not the way this
shit was supposed to go down. Sanji was supposed to be an asshole, a self-righte
ous prick. Zoro was then supposed to play a little prank on the princess that wo
uld result in his being 500 dollars richer and would result in a certain furious
laid dickwad.
What Sanji was not supposed to be was a nice guy that wanted to be friends. Frie
nds. Zoro gritted his teeth in confusion and concentration as he lifted his huge
dumbbells. It made his little bet seem even more lowdown and dirty. It would ha
ve been all right if Sanji had been a magnanimous prick who sneered down his nos
e at the Water 7s, but Sanji had turned out to be a regular guy with a talent fo
r cuisine and a genuine desire to demolish the ethnic barriers between Eneis Lob
by and Water 7.
What Zoro planned to do now seemed horrible.
Then don't do it! His mind hissed, Don't do it. Tell Ace you were just kidding a
nd the bet's off.
His challenger spirit winced, Yeah, and everyone can have a good look at Zoro Ro
ronoa backing down for the first time in his life.
That decided him. After all, he had only known Sanji for, what, thirty minutes n
ow? He wasn't going to back down from anything on the basis of such a small meet
ing.
And anyways, Zoro's mind tried to reassure himself, Sanji probably just tries to
look good for his first impression. He's probably just as spoiled and idiotic a
s the rest of the rich brats out there.
But somehow that didn't feel like the truth.
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Sanji hummed as he changed into his track outfit in the locker room. Since he wa
s on the track team, he had sixth period track so it would merge smoothly into h
is afterschool training. His track outfit was simply a pair of gym shorts and a
plain white t-shirt.
He felt pretty good. The day hadn't started out promising, what with the drive t
hrough Water 7, his disagreements with Nami, and with the entire parking lot fia
sco; but things had gotten brighter in a hurry.
Zoro Roronoa.
Sanji mused on him thoughtfully. He had not been the demon that he had expected.
He didn't know what he had expected, to tell the truth. But Sanji could have pa
ssed Zoro on the street without assuming that he was a violent gang member who h
ad been labeled demonic by a frightened populace.
Zoro was tall and well-built, Sanji could glimpse the muscles that rolled under
his skin when he strained or when his clothes pulled taut against his body. And
Sanji supposed he was of a handsome sort. Though his green hair was rather odd.
But it seemed to fit him, strangely. I'll have to ask him later where he gets th
e dye to color it that way, Sanji thought, assuming that it had to be dyed, for
how else could he have green hair?
But the point was that he, Sanji Blackleg, had talked and connected to a Water 7
. What's the difference between us? Sanji had asked earlier, and he was happy to
be finding out that the answer was nothing. Nothing at all.
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"Finally!!" muttered Zoro for the second time that day as the bell sounded out t
he end of the day. The long, confusing, torturous day. Yeah, Zoro had wanted the
re to be some excitement, but there was such a thing as too much excitement. Zor
o had been standing next to the door for a quick exit, and as soon as the bell r
ang, he opened the door and strolled out.
"Zoro!" a voice called out, and turning, Zoro beheld his sense of guilt striding
over to him. Fuck, his mind said tiredly. This day seemed to be going steadily
downhill. If he didn't watch out then he would wind up dead by the end of it.
"Uh, hi Sanji." Zoro said, he noticed that the blonde had changed his outfit and w
as now wearing what looked like a P.E uniform. That's right he has track sixth per
iod.
"Hey, what's up? I'm heading to the restroom right now. Man, you're lucky you do
n't have track, it's like an extra hour of school."
Did he actually say 'restroom'? Zoro wondered, flabbergasted, he and Ace always
'took a shit.' "Oh, really?" was all he could manage.
"Yeah. Damn. So much work." Sanji sighed.
"Then why do you take it?" Zoro asked, in an annoyed voice, and then mentally cu
rsed himself-No! You're supposed to be nice! Nice!
But Sanji didn't seem mad, on the contrary, the blonde's face split into a wide
grin, "Yeah, I know right?"He chuckled thoughtfully to himself.
Zoro glanced over at him, this guy makes no sense at all, he thought, and then a
sked peevishly, "What's so funny?"
Sanji shook his head, his laughter tapering down to quiet snorts, and seemed to
pause shyly before he answered, "Well, it's just that "
Zoro tensed, feeling the recurrent sense of doom returning. Shit, is there a dar
k cloud following me around or something? He inwardly groaned. "Spit it out alre
ady!" he grated. Be nice! His mind moaned.
But again Sanji did not seem perturbed at his rudeness. In fact, the blonde seem
ed to be comforted by it. "It's just that..." he began again, "I hope you don't
take this the wrong way or anything but " Sanji said slowly, and then in a rush."B
ut no one's ever said anything like that to me before."
"Oh. Sorry then." Zoro said, feeling more and more muddled. Did I say something
wrong?
Sanji seemed shocked, "No! Don't apologize! I didn't mean it like that! I meant "
he trailed off and seemed to be struggling to convey his feelings.
Meanwhile Zoro had had enough. This was just too goddamn weird and confusing. It
might lose him his bet but Zoro was far from caring anymore. He wanted out. God
damn it, out. Things were just too fucking hinky. He had enough. Repeat-enough.
Zoro took in a deep breath and then yelled at the confused cook "What the fuck a
re you talking about, you shitty prick?? You're confusing the shit out of me!"
Zoro fully expected Sanji to walk off in a huff, but his eyes widened as Sanji w
hirled on him and yelled back, "I don't know what the fuck I'm saying, you assho
le!! But you're not helping here stupid stupid moss-head!"
This was complemented by a savage kick to his head which he barely avoided by ya
nking his head backwards, but it had been so close that Zoro had felt the wind o
n his cheek.
Did he just say 'fuck'? his mind clamored. And 'asshole'? And what the fuck did
he call me? And what's with the kicks?
"What the fuck you call me??" Zoro yelled and swung with his right, meaning to s
mash the blonde's face in, and hopefully break his nose in the process.
Not many could have avoided that punch, Zoro was lightning-quick, but Sanji seem
ed to draw back with ease, and at the same time managed to shoot out one of his
long legs and connect with Zoro's rock-hard midriff. And Sanji still had wind to
scream, "I'll call you what the fuck I want to, you shit-head! And what the fuc
k is your problem?"
It was the first time in a long time that anyone had gotten a shot at him. Zoro
let out a muffled grunt and grimaced in pain. Yes, pain. That kick had hurt more
than he wanted to admit. He has quite the mouth on him he thought, amused in spit
e of the pain. If all Eneis Lobbeys talked like that, then we'd get along just f
ine
Zoro faked a left, and when Sanji raised his right leg to block, swung with his
right and smashed the side of the blonde's face, though that caused an inward pa
ng of regret.
Sanji reeled to the side and then spat out a mouthful of saliva and blood on the
floor. Zoro was impressed. He had seen older and tougher-looking customers fall
to the floor with a round-house blow like that. It hadn't seemed to effect Sanj
i as much.
Zoro noted that a large circle of onlookers had gathered, cheering lustily. It w
ouldn't be long before some form of security showed up. So much for not getting
in trouble until he absolutely had to.
But the possibility of punishment seemed far away and remote to Zoro's mind at t
he moment. For the first time in a long while, he had encountered someone that o
ffered much more of a competition than the ordinary weakling. Zoro couldn't wait
to see if he could take down this whirling mass of kicks. His competitive spiri
t-the same spirit which had risen to Ace's challenge-soared and Zoro felt exhila
rated-more alive, more there. Damn it, he loved to fight. And somehow, the fact
that his opponent was rather attractive made it more exciting.
But something piqued his curiosity, "Why don't you use your hands?" Zoro asked,
honestly curious.
"Huh?" Sanji said, caught in the act of raising one of his long legs and lashing
out again.
"Yeah, why're you using only your legs?"
Sanji seemed absurdly pleased that the green-haired man had noticed and had been
curious enough to comment on his strange fighting style."My legs are more than
enough to handle you, motherfucker." He laughed, and though his words were harsh
, the blonde seemed to throw them out with a playful air. Sanji then lashed out
again with his right leg, aiming for Zoro's neck.
"Hmm I haven't fucked mine, but yours sure screamed loud." Zoro taunted back, with
the same playfulness Sanji had exhibited, at the same time blocking the kick wi
th his forearm.
Again Sanji surprised him, instead of recoiling from the vulgarity, the blonde l
aughed, genuinely amused at the raunchiness. "If fucking my mother is what compr
ises your sex life, then I feel sorry for you, dude." Another lashing kick.
Zoro blocked again, wincing at the reverberation, "Well, she came on to me, I ha
d to put her out of her misery." And then returning to the original topic that w
as highly interesting, "But using only your legs had disadvantages, you can only
use one foot at a time, you're never going to get anywhere in fight if you can
hit only once at a time."
Sanji stopped in mid-kick, and slowly lowered his foot to the ground. He looked
thoughtfully at Zoro and slowly, grin of pure evil surfaced on the blonde's hand
some face.
"What?" Zoro asked, cautiously, all his senses screaming at him that something w
as definitely up. The ogling rubberneckers also sensed the shift in atmosphere;
they stilled expectantly. Zoro could see a few of his fellow gang members in the
crowd, but he wasn't worried-they wouldn't interfere without being asked. Zoro
turned apprehensively back to his opponent.
Zoro's jaw dropped as he watched Sanji flip into a handstand, as dexterous as an
acrobat, and stick his long legs into the air. Now both his weapons were free a
nd ready to wreak havoc. But Zoro still stood there, gaping at the blonde man, h
e could sense the crowd around him doing the same. Sanji had no such paralysis-
he flipped lithely again, landing on his hands again, and this time right in fro
nt of Zoro. In reach of his lethally long range of attack. Zoro felt the whirlin
g appendages slash forward, and he leaped backward, avoiding a kick that would h
ave broken his nose, but receiving the full impact of a hard shoe slamming into
his shoulder.
"Fuck!" he hissed, that's going to leave a bruise. Zoro had barely enough time t
o block another kick before he had to leap to the side to avoid another attackin
g leg. But far from feeling angry or scared, Zoro felt that wave of exhilaration
sweep through him again. He hadn't had this much fun since he had dueled with K
uina, all those years ago.
Zoro managed to slam into Sanji's side with his fist, causing the blonde to topp
le from his precarious position and tumble to the grassy floor. Before the blond
e could regain his stance and so bring in his legs into combat, Zoro leaped on h
im, struggling to pin Sanji to the floor. This was easier said then done. Sanji,
sensing that Zoro was attempting to place a submission hold on him, struggled l
ike a wildcat. "Arghh!! Get the fuck off me!!" he yelled.
Zoro was heavy and Sanji was having trouble shifting that mass of muscle, he kep
t shifting and writhing like a snake underneath Zoro, spewing the most disgustin
g vulgarities Zoro had ever heard all the while as the green-haired man tried to
subdue him by pinning his torso and hips down with his knees.
Zoro grinned as Sanji suggested a place to stick his bandana in, meanwhile unsuc
cessfully trying to shake free. Zoro chanced a glance at the blonde's face, and
noted with amusement that Sanji was pink with fury. The blonde's mouth was open,
panting for air, the sweat stood out on his face, his head was thrown back as h
e struggled to lift the weighty mass that was Zoro. Zoro could see the cords str
aining in his neck, and the muscles that stood out in his well-developed arms as
the blonde attempted to liberate himself, panting harshly and groaning from the
pain all the while.
It was undeniably sexy.
Zoro felt the warm blood rush to his cheeks. I am not blushing, his mind moaned
in horror. But he could feel his face burning and a soaring pulse beating method
ically in his ears. When was the last time he had blushed? He couldn't even reme
mber-fourth grade? Third grade?
But he couldn't tear his eyes away from the-gorgeous!-his mind clamored, sight o
f the twisting blonde he had almost pinned immobile to the ground.
It was one of the most goddamn erotic sights he had ever seen.
And if the man could provoke such thoughts in him with all his clothes still on,
what couldn't he do if he was bare-ass nak-
Zoro was thankfully interrupted from completing this particular train of thought
-just what the hell had he been thinking?!- by the approaching shouts of school
authority.
For the first time in his life, he was glad of the arrival of a form of authorit
y.
Zoro leaped off Sanji and dodged his first furious kick. It wouldn't look good f
or him if the first thing security saw was Zoro holding Sanji down. From now unt
il they arrived, Zoro would simply dance out of the blonde's offensive.
"Fucking moss-head " Sanji spat, heedless of the imminent appearance of the author
ities, and shot out a leg, meaning to slam Zoro's abdomen again.
Zoro laughed and dodged out of reach, "Pigs are coming." And thankfully felt tha
t his blush was fading. Maybe it had just been the close contact that had elucid
ated it. Had Sanji noticed?
Sanji looked confused,"Pigs?"
"What we call cops."
Now the blonde looked interested, "Why do you call them that?" His voice was cas
ual, as though he and Zoro were discussing it over cups of coffee in the nearby
café. At the same time, he slashed out with his leg again.
Zoro chanced a peek at the school officials, who were running pell-mell toward t
hem, shouting and waving their arms ridiculously, they'd be here in less than th
irty seconds. He avoided the kick and replied, "Coz they're idiots with no sense
of humanity and a warped sense of justice. They're like animals-like pigs."
Sanji looked annoyed, "Not every cop is corrupt. I know-"He never got to tell Zo
ro what he knew for then the school security arrived in a jumble, pushing away t
he spectators and seizing the two miscreants.
Zoro could have easily taken the gruff-looking man that was menacing him but he
allowed the wannabe cop to roughly grab him and jerk him towards the direction o
f the main building-no doubt to have a little catching-up meeting with the head
honcho.
Sure enough, the cop turned toward him and growled, "Just come quietly now and m
aybe you won't get more than a suspension. You're going to the principal's offic
e."
He said it in such a way, as though he expected Zoro to fall back and tremble, o
r as they he had said-You're going to have your innards cut out and then you'll
be burned at the stake- but either this cop was a rookie or he had no dealings w
ith gang activities.
Zoro rolled his eyes and grunted laughter, "Sengoku? How's he been? How's his fa
mily? He tells me he has back problems lately " Principal Sengoku was the main man
at East Blue High. Zoro had known him since his ass had first been hauled into
the administrator's office in freshmen year for having been in possession of a g
ram of China white*.
Since then, Zoro believed he had been in Sengoku's office more than the rest of
the school population put together-his file in the steel cabinet had grown stead
ily thicker now for three years. Zoro admired the forceful principal; he knew th
at Sengoku had a steel trap for a mind and was a master at manipulation. Sengoku
could be more than a little devious-he had majored in military tactics and warf
are at West Point. It said so right on the wall of his large office.
The other facts Zoro had picked up from the man himself. From their constant int
eraction the two men had grown accustomed to the other and had offered each othe
r a grudging respect. If times and places had been different, they might have be
en friends.
Meanwhile the rookie cop glared at him and viciously propelled him forward, "Thi
nk you're such a smartass don't you?" he hissed, leaning close. Zoro grimaced aw
ay from him-the guy had a major case of bad body odor.
Mistaking his grimace for a shying away gesture-yep, he was definitely a rookie-
the cop guffawed loudly and gave Zoro another shove.
"Fuck off." Zoro snarled, "Fucking police brutality here." He glanced back to se
e what had happened to Sanji and noted with wry amusement that he was being chec
ked over by a paramedic and that another pig was listening to what Sanji was say
ing and nodding, scribbling it all down in a little notebook. Shit, I'm screwed
now Who would they believe in the end, him or Sanji? The answer was obvious. No on
e would believe that it had been Sanji who had attacked him first. Even if there
were a thousand eyewitnesses. No one would believe the words of a Water 7. Afte
r all, they had born to lie, steal, rape, and kill weren't they? He felt a bitte
r hate rise in him at the muscular figure of the blonde behind him. Sanji embodi
ed all the things that had hurt him his whole life.
"No better than you deserve.", was the harsh reply, the cop looked around to mak
e sure that they were out of earshot then hissed, "You're nothing but fucking tr
ash from Water 7. Why can't you people just quietly smoke your weed and just sta
y inside your damn walls? All you shit do is cause trouble for us! Look at you,
you have no life, no dream, you make me sick."
Zoro saw red, his jaw clenched so tightly, the blood flowed from his lacerated g
ums and he balled his fists so tightly he felt the icepick of pain drill through
him as his short nails cut semi-circular patterns into his calloused palms. "Li
sten, you fucker." He said thickly, not trusting himself to turn around and stil
l keep his cool, "I'm only going to say this once, so shut the fuck up and liste
n carefully for once in your pathetic life."
He heard the oomph sound as the cop sucked in his breath in fear, and heard the
faltering steps as the rookie hesitated to follow.
Zoro stopped too, his head staring straight ahead and his fists balled into tigh
t fists at his side, trembling slightly, aching to turn the pig's leering face i
nto a pulverized, red mass. "Don't try to judge us. You don't know what the fuck
I've been through. What we've been through. What Water 7 has been through. You
don't know fuck-all about how life is for us. You drive around in a nice shiny c
ar to match your goddamn shiny tin badge on your chest and you stick a couple ki
ds who were stealing food for their families or selling coke* so they could pay
their apartment's rent that month in the holding cells down at Impel Down County
Correctional. Then you go home, hang up your big, bad police-issued revolver, a
nd sit down at a nice hearty meal cooked by your wife, and tell your family how
brave you were that day. And then the next day, you turn the other way if it's a
n Eneis Lobby kid with dilated pupils or that sickly-sweet smell of pot hanging
around them. Because there must be an explanation for that shit, right? And then
you tell me that I make you sick?"
Zoro finally allowed himself to turn around and gaze with contempt at the fright
ened rookie, "No. It's you who makes me sick."
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Sanji watched with baffled anger as Zoro was taken away by someone who looked li
ke they hadn't brushed their teeth in days.
He didn't remember being this pissed in years.
"You don't understand." He said through gritted teeth to the police officer that
was questioning him. "He didn't attack me. I attacked him."
"Hm-hm. Mr. Blackleg Sanji, please understand that we won't tell Zoro Roronoa abou
t the extent of your accusation against him. Don't be frightened to tell the tru
th." The cop spoke soothingly.
"I am telling the truth!" Sanji erupted, "I started it! Hell, he was just acting
in self-defense."
"Mr. Blackleg!" the cop snapped in an authoritative voice, "Please control yours
elf, you aren't yourself after that traumatic incident you suffered and shouldn'
t say things that might incriminate you later. At the farthest extent, you can b
e subpoenaed and if found guilty of perjury, you can go to jail. Now , I know Zo
ro Roronoa is a frightening man, but please just tell me the truth and nothing b
ut the truth. Remember, it's your word against his, and since there were no eyew
itnesses, your word is all I have for your case."
"No eyewitnesses?" Sanji snarled, and flung out a hand to the multitude of peopl
e still milling around the area, whispering and muttering in the aftershock of s
uch an intense brawl. Most, if not all, were of dark hair and eyes, and of dusky
complexion. "What about them, for God's sweet sake??"
"No reliable witnesses." the cop-the pig-Sanji's mind whispered- said stoically.
Sanji heard an echoing of Zoro's words reverberate through the tumult of his mi
nd 'Coz they're idiots with no sense of humanity and a warped sense of justice. T
hey're like animals-like pigs '
Zoro had been right. But he had also been wrong. The cops weren't pigs-Sanji was
friends with some officers on the workforce that strived to maintain justice-wh
oever the person. the people who were pigs were the ones who let this entire atr
ocity simply keep on rolling. Like these cops. But they were also the ones who s
imply did nothing. Like most of Enies Lobby-who sat by because of ignorance and
fear, and like most of Water 7-who did nothing because of bitterness and fear.
"No reliable witnesses?" Sanji screeched loud enough for a sharp jagged pain to
rasp down his throat and for small black spots to dance in front of his eyes. Th
e man that had been questioning took a startled step back and glanced cautiously
at Sanji. "They're people, like you, like me!" he shouted furiously at the bewi
ldered man.
"We're just trying to help yo-" the man began, slowly.
"Stick it where the sun don't shine motherfucker. I'm no fucking pig." Sanji int
errupted and then turning on his heel, stalked after Zoro.
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Author's Space: (Please Read! Thank You!)
(notes)
*China white-Cocaine
*coke-cocaine
(just in case you didn't know)
Wow! Ok, this was a looong chapter for me. Yeah. So Enjoy!! I probably won't upd
ate Sanjina until next year, because of all the holiday bustle. Sorry!!
Kinda weird. I had planned on making Sanjina my main focus, but then suddenly Be
tting grew more in my mind. And people seem to like it more. So now Betting is m
y main Weird are the ways of the world!!!
And very HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all my readers!!!! Whatever you celebrate, whatever y
ou are!! Have an awesome WINTER!!!!
And last but not least: Ive been agonizing over the issue over reviews. Should I
answer them? Do you expect an answer? Well, I usually don't answer them, but th
en a while back, I got a review response from an author, and their story was awe
some! So I felt, I should also answer back But instead of messaging I'll post the
m here!! In order from when I received them!! So if you reviewed, you'll be here
!! So Sorry if I miss you or I misspell your name! Some I answer more than other
s-depends on how big a review you leave..=)
But THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWS!!!!! THEY MAKE ME FEEL WARM AND FUZZY INSIDE!!
! I LOVE YOU FOR DROPPING ME A REVIEW!!!!
Colour Pearl: hahaha!! No, I don't think there'll be Sanji-Gin but I'm pretty sure
he'll show up =) and yeah damn that Zoro. Hahaha. And yes I'm secretly hoping t
hat Sanji dominates!!! Thanks for reviewing. And Hey I recognize you from review
ing Two Men, so thanks for reading that!!! Which one's better?? Yes! Sex, drugs,
and rock and roll!!! I gave them up; and they were the scariest three days of m
y life!! I hope Sanji's more kick-ass in this chapter See how I tried to make him
equal to Zoro??
LutanicV: Thanks for the long review!!!! Uh-huh, sometimes it's a little too clo
se for comfort. And Ace is a demon, yes.! Haha. Yep, I wanted Sanji to be a litt
le more realistic, and anyways, it seemed welcome change from all those fan-fics
with him being romantic fool. Yeah I'm trying to update faster so I can churn t
his story out!!! But im soooo lazy X(. Hahaha, ZoroSan fan, eh? Yep, you see the
small beginnings of it in this chapter? Hehe. I'll try, I'll try. Poor Robin. Y
eah, she seemed to be more an occult figure (to me) then a beacon of citizenship
.. Yes!!! Blackbeard! Well, I've never read a big AU story that has blackbeard a
s the (possible) villain, its always Buggy. Or Kreig so I tried to mix it up. =)
Well, I know what you mean, the SanNa stuff, (ZoroSan or die!!) but I didn't wan
t him to be too out of character And yeah, Nami's kinda mean and small-minded. Bu
t I was hoping to expand her character later on. Nothing big, but just to redeem
her Sad ending? funny thing im not sure where this is going but I know the ending f
or sure, and I guess it could be called sad. Damn. But I won't spoil it!!!
Amywilleat-you: Thanks for the review!!! Awww, feel bad for that poor sucker of
a cook!! And yeah, there will be angst, because there will be sadness. =( Keep r
eading and your English is fine!!!
VivaciousRingo: Awwww!!! Thanks so much for the looooong review!! You know, that
's the longest review I've ever gotten? So thank you a whole bunch!!! Yeah, I wa
nted it to be familiar and One Piece-y. And also I SUCK at naming things. Which
is why my story title is one word long I mean 'betting'? Seriously? Yes!! I wanted
Sanji to be kick-ass and sexy and hot and chill. And I wanted him to be a littl
e more realistic because it was going to be a realistic (kinda) story, so I don'
t want his eyes to 'turn into pink hearts' (Except when he sees Zoro hehe) Oh! I
'm so glad you're reading Sanjina, so many people aren't (Damn!) I hope I don't
mess up that story or forget about it. I'ts going rather slow lately. Maybe I'll
finally introduce Zoro next chapter?? Yes, Robin's one of may favorite OP chara
cters!! She's logical, brave, and has an epic history. I watch her fight with Ya
ma in Skypeia all the time. And when she takes down Igaram (not really), Or her
fight with Pell. Or her 'fight' with Crocodile. And of course the entire Water 7
/Eneis Lobby arc is my absolute fav (maybe why I names the town those two names?
). Hehe, did you check out Ace's reaction to the video tape stuff? Lol well plea
se keep reading!!!
GreenCarambola: Thanks for the review!!!! Great potential, eh? Thanks! I'll try
to really make something good out of this story!!
Bonnenuit: Thanks for the review!!!! I hope you keep on reading and hopefully I
make this story more interesting!!!
Izakinha: Thanks for the review!!! Well, someone .might die you'll still read right?
??
Queenoffiction: Thanks for the review!!! Please continue to read and hopefully t
his story will get even more interesting!! Thanks!!
Green-san: Thanks so much for the review!!! Damn! Small errors in text!! Hopeful
ly, that will fix up now that I have spell check on Word. And I'll try to proofr
ead more. =) Everyone's in gangs!!! Yay!! I love that too! I'll have to bring in
Buggy, Kuro, Foxy, and GECKO MORIA!!! And here's the other chapter!! Read more!
!
Dandy-red: I love Shanks too!! Thanks for the reviews!! Yeah, Shanks..I was kind
a apprehensive about putting him in there, but I guess he worked out right? Mayb
e, he'll have a small backstory to him. Haha, now you see how Zoro and Sanji get
together. Aww..poor Sanji. Yeah, there's some concern over Nami's character. Bu
t I was planning a little redemption for her. Nothing big, but something that co
uld redeem her in a cool way. Haha, now you know about the bet!
Far away yet so near: Thanks for the review!!! Awww, the summary didn't sound in
teresting? Damn. Haha, but weirdly I wasn't planning for this story to get so bi
g? So I didn't put as much work into the summary as I did with Sanjina. But the
story turned out all right, right? Thanks!!
xSadisticMonsterx: Thanks for the review!! Read more please!!! ENJOY!!! Thank yo
u!!
Moutonshot: Thanks for the review!! Yes, I try to make Sanji kick-ass!! He's my
favorite!! But since Betting is more Zoro-centric because my other story is Sanj
ina-and that's Sanji-centric. Well, how's he out of character? Is it messing up
the story? And how should I make him more 'Sanji'? Thanks for the constructive c
riticism!! And please keep on reading!!
Iryann: Thanks for the review!!! Yeah, that poor chef..=( Well, Ace has a point
there!!And Oh yeah, Sanji is going to see a lot more of those three, especially
the demon hehe keep reading and thankya!!
Grace121: Yes, the story is realistic innit? Some of this stuff is too close to
home. =( And sometimes I use it as a steam outlet for my own political steam. =(
. Thanks for the review!! And keep on reading!!
In the Depths of Nothingness: Thanks for the review!! Well, here's another chapt
er!! Love them!! And I love your Gecko Moria picture!!! Kindred spirit!!
Knuckles' girl88: Thanks for the review!!! Keep on reading!!! Thanks!!!!
Whoof~ those are all the reviews!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!
~GECKOMORIASHADOWLORD~
Review this Story/Chapter
Of Men at Sea
Lisuz
Author of 7 Stories
Rated: M - English - Romance - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 66 - Updated: 03-07-10 -
Published: 01-23-09 - id:4812171
Eri bellissima, lasciatelo dire
e anche stavolta so che non mi crederai
eri davanti a me, davanti agli occhi del bambino
e gli occhi del bambino quelli non li danno proprio indietro mai
credimi, mai
ti dico, mai.
(Ligabue)
Enjoy!!
Sanji was humming as he leaned against the wall just outside the kitchen: everyo
ne was dining inside but he didn't feel like getting in anytime soon, not even t
he thought of his dear ladies who now had to provide to themselves all alone, su
rrounded by that bunch of idiots and the fucking-shitty swordsman, made him move
. His head was hurting as hell and his stomach wasn't quite alright, there was a
strange ache there and for a moment he really feared to throw up over deck. But
to say it all, the cook didn't know why on earth he felt that bad.
Ok, maybe he knew pretty damn well why, but thinking of it, it was not such a bi
g deal: they had been at worse terms, far worse than that and he had never felt
sorry, or aching or injured or anything that was even remotely connected with th
e word 'pain', physical or mental as it was, and, more important, he had never,
ever, let his own goodness to overcome his duties as a cook just for the sake of
a stupid quarrel with that green haired man.
He slammed the back of his head against the wooden wall behind and closed his ey
es.
"What got into you, love-cook?" he whispered to himself.
"What really got into you?"
Sanji turned abruptly and stared at the tall form of the swordsman, who clumsily
scratched his head feeling the weight of the cook's intense gaze.
" 'Got kicked out 'coz I had been an ass, as the witch addressed me " Zoro said.
Sanji kept his eyes fixed on Zoro's eyes but the swordsman looked away and tried
to concentrate his attention to a random spot on the railing.
"What's happening?"
"Is this some 'confrontation' time?" the swordsman asked.
"Yes this is some fucking confrontation time, for fuck's sake!"
Zoro looked at him, a questioning expression on his face. He knew something was
happening, he had figured out that as well, thankyousomuch, but it wasn't like i
t was easy to convey into words: all the parts of this something were so messed
up on their own that he couldn't just put them all together. Sanji chewed on his
lower lips frantically as his own thoughts started racing too fast for him to c
atch them, and he found himself at loss of words.
"I don't know what's happening " Zoro tried. "I don't have an answer right now "
The cook looked away: somehow he felt like someone had stabbed him right in his
chest. His heart sank for no reason and his stomach was fucking around again. Da
mn
"Would you " Sanji cleared his throat "Would you mind coming to me when you've fin
d some? I've got quite a mess in here " he pointed his head.
Zoro nodded and made sign for the cook to go inside. The blond simply shook his
head and walked the other way.
--
Sanji walked into the men's quarters and slammed the door behind his back. Damn
it damn it damn it. He hit his head again against the wall, as trying to clear h
is mind. He wanted desperately to cry, to let his feelings get out of his body,
to abandon himself to this strange sensation that was too similar to sickness an
d yet so different. But he couldn't. He wasn't just the kind of man who wasn't a
ble to face his own problems and let them take over. He was strong enough to sor
t everything out he just needed some time.
He sat in a corner and lit up a cigarette. What the hell is going on?
He straightened his back against the wall and tilted his head to each side makin
g his neck bone pop few times. The swordsman. It was pretty obvious that it was
the swordsman the cause of all of this mess. But why, actually? Why was it the swo
rdsman? Why was it a man? Sanji was sure of his sexuality and he could tell he w
asn't gay. At all, okay? I would have got horny every fucking time I've seen Luf
fy of Usop naked, damn it! He instead shivered at the thought. Then what? Why th
e hell was it different with the marimo? The cook had to admit to himself that t
hings had changed a lot lately, but it really wasn't something unusual: the two
of them had always been bound to each other from the beginning, the fact just de
cided to appear and reveal itself of late. And call it 'fighters bond' or whatev
er you want, but it had always been there, it was something that made them deepl
y trust in each other, that connected them in a special way.
Sanji eyes widened and he took a sharp intake of air, like he had now woken up f
rom a long sleep.
"I'm not gay " he said out loud. "I'm not "
But the doubt stayed still, fixed in his mind, and it didn't seem to erase anyti
me soon. Sanji closed his eyes. What if? His prejudices smashed and he allowed h
imself to pretend.
He had always liked everything in the swordsman, even though there were things t
hat pissed him off to no end he admitted that they were freaking appealing: the
marimo's arrogance, his badass attitude and his cocky smirks. Yeah, they would a
lways drive him up the wall, but he thought they fitted perfectly Zoro's charact
er; without them he wouldn't be the same old moss head of ever, he wouldn't be t
he same person he liked to challenge, or the same freaking trusted person who wa
tched his back in battles. Yes, because he knew they would die one for the other
. And yeah, well they would die for the entire crew if it was necessary, but the
thought that he himself was part of the crew made him shiver. They were importan
t to each other. To say it all, Sanji couldn't imagine a world without the sword
sman and his mocking, his dumb expression, his slumbers on deck, his beautiful f
ighting techniques, his amazing smile, his well toned bod
"Hey, hey hold down, love-cook " Sanji said to himself. He thought again on what had
just passed on his mind and, for a split second he felt the urge to throw up. N
ineteen years of indisputable straightness really meant something to him, and th
e hard conclusion he had just come to made the cook a little bit strange
But thinking better about it, it wasn't really that strange
He didn't like the man in his concreteness --well, of course he thought Zoro was
an handsome man, but it was just a consequence of the affection he held towards
the great person the swordsman indeed was. And now, thinking even harder, it di
dn't seem strange at all.
He didn't like men, he liked that man, and he had always had.
But what about the other? What about the dense marimo whose mind was focused on
swords and sleeping only? Was the same for him? Sanji doubted that, but there wa
s a little, almost invisible possibility for the swordsman to have realized the
same thing he had and the cook find himself wishing desperately Zoro felt someth
ing for him too.
--
"You're such a big, walking dork!"
"Hey, hey! You witch! What the hell are you so on about? I said sorry to him!"
"That's not the point, jackass don't you understand " Nami took a quick glimpse towa
rds Luffy, Usop and Chopper, who were staring at them open-mouthed. The navigato
r lowered her voice and neared the swordsman. "The fact is that it's almost obvi
ous to anyone but the three little dumbasses and apparently you that between you an
d the cook there's something more than just a mere friendship got it?"
"Yeah, well we're nakama!" Zoro said.
If look could kill the swordsman would have been burn to ashes, but fortunately
he survived Nami's intense glare, even though everyone would have sworn he was s
hivering in fear.
"That. Is. Not. What. I. meant."
"Then what?! You're always talking nonsense!! Lately you were telling me the sam
e--"
"Are you completely dumb?!?!" Nami yelled and the crew jumped.
"Navigator, maybe you should tell him more openly "
"Okay maybe you're right Robin " Nami took a deep breath "I'm doing it in the wrong
way "
"Do you want me to tell him?"
"No thanks, Franky "
"What?? Even Franky knows about it, while I don't have the "
"You and Sanji are getting closer and closer, Zoro! That means you're starting h
aving different feeling towards each other, and you know fairly well what this l
eads to "
Zoro's eyes grew bigger as Nami kept on " you're falling for him and by his reaction
I can tell he's not indifferent to you like the both of you used to be around e
ach other "
"I-It's just respect, it doesn't mean "
"Zoro, now you're talking nonsense you at least like him don't you?!"
Usop's jaw dropped and so did Chopper's while Luffy tilted his head to one side.
"So " the captain inquired "you and Sanji are now dating!! That's wonderful!!" Luf
fy grinned like the mad boy he truly was while clapping his hands above his head
.
"H-hey!! It's not even true, c-come on!! I haven't said that!!"
"You didn't say anything that was near to be considered a logical and human expr
ession you never do!!" Nami shouted before hitting the swordsman head.
A special thanx to my dear Eleonora who's always looking after me, just for her
the song above.
I thank all the people who add my fanfic to their favs, I never thanked you, sor
ry^^
Love
Lisuz
Review this Story/Chapter
Of Men at Sea
Lisuz
Author of 7 Stories
Rated: M - English - Romance - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 66 - Updated: 03-07-10 -
Published: 01-23-09 - id:4812171
Ma adesso che viene la sera ed il buio
mi toglie il dolore dagli occhi,
e scivola il sole al di là delle dune
a violentare altre notti.
Io nel vedere quest'uomo che muore,
madre, io provo dolore.
Nella pietà che non cede al rancore,
madre, ho imparato l'amore". (Fabrizio De Andrè)
Enjoy!
Sanji gave a quick glimpse outside the window of the men's quarters before reali
zing that he should have gone clearing the kitchen that, with all the probabilit
ies, was a mess thanks to the stupid bunch of unmannered idiots. It was already
dark and hopefully everyone would have been in the huge crow-nest chatting and h
aving fun. Heh hopefully otherwise the cook would have had to deal with the sea of
Luffy's question and the confused looks of the others. But luck decided to turn
its back to him and as soon as Sanji stepped on deck an unexpected thin body ta
ckled him on the floor.
"Saaaaaanji! I heard the ne "
Nami promptly covered the captain mouth and smiled at the cook trying her best t
o look convincible.
"He is babbling as usual eheh are you feeling alright?"
"Yes sure! Nami, you're so nice for caring about me!"
"Yeah, yeah " she waved her hand dismissively and dragged the complaining rubber b
oy along with her. "We are in the tea room" she announced before slamming the do
or behind her and Luffy's back.
The cook was left puzzled on the wooden floor.
"Need some help dartboard?"
Sanji tensed a little bit at first but he had enough self-control to recollect h
imself and stand up: he didn't look at the swordsman and kept his eyes on the sp
ot he had been laying on few seconds before. Fucking hell He tried to lit a cigar
ette but was interdicted when he found his hands trembling.
The swordsman noticed the fact and Nami's words formed themselves once again in
his head, he casually put one hand on his swords and the other in his pocket: he
knew he was on the defensive but never in his life had he felt so vulnerable.
A long silence ensued between them, as none really knew what to say to the other
. But deep down, in their very souls, in the further corner of their being, they
knew far too well what they wanted to say -or do, the fact was that their pride
was bigger than any want or need.
Sanji felt his mouth open but couldn't understand what came out of it. That was
a question, yeah. But what was that about had he really said the word 'care' or wa
s it his mind playing tricks on him?
"What?" the swordsman voice interrupted his thought.
"Nothing " do you care? He hadn't enough courage to repeat himself even though he
now knew what was that he wanted to know.
--
Zoro woke up next morning lacking something. He just laid in bed for a good half
an hour just staring at the hammock above Usop's one with a focused look on his f
ace. He got eventually to a conclusion and covered his eyes with his large hands
smiling sadly to himself. He isn't here. It is hard when you know you could hav
e something you want but still there is the possibility that it all could go wro
ng along the way and your conscience screams at you to hold on and to think befo
re acting. But it had been said before: conscience and cowardice are the same th
ing, and he wasn't a coward, he had never run away from dangerous situations, no
r avoided risking his safety, his life. But the situation was different: a mista
ke, a wrong move and the safety and the life of someone else would have been put
in danger. And that someone was a person a man, he could have easily come to lo
ve: that's why, just for once he obliged himself to be a coward.
--
Sanji stopped all of a sudden setting the table: he felt a strange shiver runnin
g down his spine: he lifted his eyebrow and shrugged, causing some ash of the ci
garette that was dangling from his lip to fall on the table-cloth, hissing he sw
ept it off and just when it looked like nothing happened the cigarette itself de
cided to drop, burning ever so slightly the yellow cloth. That was enough to mak
e the cook burst: he took the closest wine glass and smashed it against the wall
in front of him.
Few seconds passed before in Sanji grew the awareness of what he had just done.
"What " he whispered. He sat at the table while cursing his behaviour and, propped
on his elbows, leaned his head in his hands. A soft sob escaped his mouth but n
ot even a tear was shed, he was a real man after all.
--
"Breakfast is ready!! My dear ladies, please! Assholes, hurry up!"
Everyone stepped in the kitchen slowly, still affected by the sleepiness, and gr
unted at each others as a 'Good morning'.
"Where's the marimo?"
"Uhm he was in bed it looked like he didn't even listened to me when I asked him if
he was coming " Usop answered serving himself.
Nami glanced at Sanji: disappointment was written all over his face and she foun
d herself feeling a little bit sad at the fact.
"Maybe you should go and catch him before our captain eats everything " Robin sugg
ested.
"I don "
"You are the cook after all " Nami said and before Sanji could argue she added "Yo
u're the one who make sure that everyone eats well ".
Sanji nodded and smiled fondly at her, but as soon as he closed the kitchen's do
or behind his back, his full smile faded and his head dropped. The cook waited f
ew seconds before getting going and all the while from the deck to the men's roo
ms he felt as an heavy burden had been put on his shoulders: his legs, so powerf
ul and feared, felt feeble and his heart started racing at the point he had to s
top and take a deep breath to calm down.
He stood silently in front of the wooden door for a good while before his mind r
egistered his position and focused on the next action. He opened it and peered i
nside not seeing the swordsman at first.
"Yo " he called.
Carefully he approached Zoro's bed: the man was laying there with an arm draped
over his eyes the other across his chest, apparently sleeping. But Sanji had kno
wn him for what seemed to be a lifetime and knew better to buy his faking.
"Everything's alright?"
The swordsman didn't move at first but in the end he shook his head, still refus
ing to look at Sanji.
"Breakfast is ready, maybe you'll feel better if you eat something "
Sanji was aware of his almost loving tone and half of himself was ashamed of it;
on the other hand he felt the urge to use that caring voice, because he wanted,
at least a little bit, Zoro to understand.
"I dunno maybe later, ok?"
Sanji saw his body act against his will and in less than it takes to blink, he h
ad his hand caressing the swordsman arm, feeling the smooth and tanned skin unde
rneath his fingertips. Zoro didn't move much because he was pleased by the actio
n, but he kept his eyes covered anyway, not wanting to look into Sanji's eyes. H
e wasn't prepared for it yet. But one thing, a simple, innocent nothing was requ
ested.
He smiled softly at the blond cook.
Sanji smiled back and, ending the contact with the swordsman, he headed for the
door, giving Zoro one last look before going.
The cook didn't know how but he managed to reach the kitchen again anyway: his c
hest was on fire and so were his cheeks God his brain needed a while to process wh
at just took place back in the men quarters but when it did a hurricane of quest
ions and doubts and shit like these filled hurriedly his skull, and they were so
many and so powerful that it felt like exploding. Sanji clenched his fists and
recollected his brain cells before he completely loose control over them: with n
o reason he repeatedly nodded while a sincere smile started turning upward his t
hin lips, softening his features and lightening his heart.
--
His daily duties were perfectly fulfilled and a satisfied cook admired his shini
ng kitchen: damn Franky who built such a wonderful ship, the old jerk! The only
thing to do now was choosing the menu for lunch, but surely it wasn't a big prob
lem actually he felt like preparing something that he had never cooked before for
the crew, something special, one of those things that makes you melt when you ch
ew on the first mouthful. He grinned madly and mockingly compared himself to Luf
fy because of the crazy expression he should have worn at the time: he made his
knuckles pops and approached the fridge.
"So, so eggs, bacon" Sanji groaned finding out it wasn't the one he wanted to use
. " fuck where's the cheese oh here it is "
He absent-mindedly took humming while taking the ingredients from the fridge to
the table and set them down; the cook grabbed salt and ground pepper from the sh
elf and headed for the table again but he had to stop half the way, when he reme
mbered he should have picked up a bowl from the cabinet. Sanji stood proudly in
front of the set table, mentally patting himself on the shoulder for being one o
f the very few cooks able to prepare the original Carbonara's recipe: without us
ing cream. After having rolled up his sleeves, the cook started mixing the ingre
dients.
My dear readers! Here there's the new chap and even if it is pretty short, I hop
e you enjoyed it ^^
Love
Lisuz
Review this Story/Chapter
Of Men at Sea
Lisuz
Author of 7 Stories
Rated: M - English - Romance - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 66 - Updated: 03-07-10 -
Published: 01-23-09 - id:4812171
Il giorno fu pieno di lampi, ma ora verranno le stelle.
(G. Pascoli)
Enjoy!
"Sanji you are the best ever!" Nami exclaimed as she dropped her fork in the now e
mpty plate in front of her; Luffy had tears in his eyes and was whining because
there were no spaghetti left, while Usop and Chopper were staring sadly at their
own plates repeating incessantly "That was awesome": Sanji stood proudly with h
is hands on his bony hips staring at his sat crew mates, just narrowing his eyes
at the sight of Franky holding his guitar but deciding moments later that he wo
uld have let it go for once. He glanced over to where the swordsman was sitting,
just to see whether he had enjoyed the meal as much as the others had. The cook
approached him, and leaned on the table, between Zoro and Robin, but of course,
he couldn't ignore his beautiful lady just for the marimo, so he questioned the
archaeologist about lunch, politely worshipping her gracious beauty first.
"Oh yeah, dear cook it has been extremely good is there something in particular that
makes you so inspired?"
Sanji obviously smiled at her lovingly before kneeling beside her, declaring tha
t obviously she was the 'particular something' she was referring to. The cook, s
till on his knees, turned his head slightly to look at the swordsman.
"Oi marimo "
"Mmh?"
"You enjoyed?"
"It was just edible " he was challenging him, the cook could sense it.
A vein popped on Sanji's forehead, followed by many others as he promptly got on
his feet.
"What did you say, moss-head??"
"I said it was just edible, dartboard"
Nami slapped herself. "They damn flirt but still can't get along retarded jackasse
s ".
Robin chuckled while the two young men beside her started a fight.
"Repeat yourself if you're brave enough!"
A strong leg flew in the air landing hard on Zoro's jaw, who had tried to stop i
t with no success. "Freaking bastard!" the swordsman unsheathed one of his sword
s, and lunged forward after dodging another powerful kick directed to his head.
"I'll chop you!"
"Try it, you ball of musk!". Oh, how the both of them had missed it just few days
without fighting were enough to send them on the edge, and, by the way, it was
a damn good training.
Zoro finally managed to stop Sanji by holding firmly his left foot: he neared it
to his torso, smirking evilly, and took few steps backwards. The cook jumped on
his other leg, trying hard not to lose his balance.
"AH! You're so fucked, dartboard!"
"You think?"
Sanji waited for the perfect moment, when the swordsman loosened his tight grip
just a little bit around his ankle and then he jumped, rotating the trapped foot
into Zoro's hands and himself, turning over in the air few times before hitting
with the free heel the swordsman face.
"New move, marimo, new move " he stood while lightening a new cigarette in front o
f Zoro that was now massaging his cheek, where the impressive kick hit.
"'s a good one " was all he could mutter.
--
"Dry it "
"Mmmh "
"Dry it "
"Mmmh "
"Dry it "
"I damn know what I have to do, eyebrows freak!"
"Still angry for the defeat?"
"NO! I'M NOT!"
Sanji chuckled and passed another plate to the pouting swordsman beside him. He
was kind of cute when he acted like that no, wait no, no, no oh come on, how more of a
pansy can you make of yourself, love cook? But still, he couldn't help thinking
that Zoro was cute. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes.
"What now?" Zoro inquired.
"Nothing, why?"
"Just, you never mind "
"Never mind my ass come on spit."
Zoro turned, furrowing his brows. "You sighed like something was wrong or stuff
like that I dunno I was just asking." Sanji's lips turned upwards as he himself turn
ed to face the swordsman.
"Everything's alright well maybe not everything, everything but "
They kept quiet for a while, the only sound in the kitchen was the splash of the
water in the sink as Sanji washed the crockery.
"I found my answers " Sanji swore he had never heard Zoro's tone so serious while
talking just with him, that's why the cook's heart began melting slowly in his c
hest, making him hot as never.
"I-I think I found mine too " he scratched his head and looked away from the sword
sman, chewing on his lower lip. He feared this moment like he had never feared a
nything before and he felt himself blacking out: fortunately for him, his willpo
wer and self control were enough to overcome the momentary fainting-fit and he g
ripped hard the sink, trying to steady himself.
The swordsman, noticing Sanji's insecurity, decided it would have been better fo
r them if he was the one leading the way.
"I don't know exactly when it started it simply did "
There was a long pause before Sanji turned again, with a half confused, half pis
sed expression on his face. "Just enlighten me what the hell is 'it' for you?"
"It refers to the fact that I " the swordsman massaged his temple and closed his ey
es as a light blush tinted his cheeks. Damn, it was harder than he had ever thou
ght: stupid cook who wasn't really helping. Zoro cleared his throat several time
s all the while having a seemingly inpatient blond cook burning holes into his h
ead with his stare. "The fact that I care about you more than anyone else " .
Here, he had said it ok? He finally made it. The swordsman let out the breath he
didn't know he was holding and swallowed hard as he felt his stomach knot and h
is throat dry all at once: what would happen now? After all the cook was freakin
g straight, a fucking ladies man who couldn't give a damn about anything else bu
t his precious women. Fuck them all Zoro mentally slapped himself for his stupidi
ty. It's driving me insane and it's all the cook's fault
"So "
Sanji voice snapped him back to reality, Zoro had almost forgotten he was still
there beside him.
"Listen, cook scrap it it doesn't really matter, ok?"
"Why shouldn't it matter?"
"Because it simply doesn't you're the love cook, aren't you?"
"What you mean with that?"
"I mean that I'm a stupid for having thought that you possibly could have " Zoro d
rifted, deciding to gesticulate instead. Sanji lifted his visible eyebrow, cross
ed his arms on his chest and grunted before speaking.
"You know that this conversation is leading us to nowhere, right?"
"Uhm yeah."
"And you are aware of the fact that surely words are not the best way for you to e
xpress yourself, aren't ya?"
"Not really nice, but then?"
"Kiss me before I change my mind "
Zoro was taken aback by the cook's words, but before he could muster an adequate
answer to that Sanji continued.
"And make sure it is worth all my hard work to make up my mind, got it?"
The swordsman smiled softly before leaning in, nearing Sanji slightly parted lip
s.
"You'd bet I will " And with that he closed the short gap, giving the cook what he
was asking for.
--
"Are they still inside?"
"Yeah "
"What the heck are they doing in there?"
"You wouldn't like to know, Luffy "
"Mmmh, Nami why?"
The navigator rolled her eyes before walking the other way.
--
It was just in the late afternoon that Sanji emerged from the kitchen and leaned
on his usual spot over the railing to have a smoke. He lighted up and dragged d
eeply from his cigarette, letting the smoke burn lightly its way to his lugs: he
could still feel the large hands of the swordsman holding firmly his neck as th
ey kissed, the chipped lips of Zoro and the strange sensation of holding tight a
flat and muscular chest. Strange yes, but pretty exciting, he had to admit.
Robin approached him and leaned herself against the railing.
"You seem relaxed and pretty happier" she said quietly.
The cook took his time to answer to Robin and recalled the last events that took
place in the kitchen, smiling to himself when he got aware that it was the only
thing he could think about at the moment.
Facing the archaeologist he spoke "Yes yeah I guess I am."
Robin smiled and then left, opening a book as she stepped away.
Like it or not?! Let me know if there's something wrong bout my writing or somet
hing you dislike...I'll try my best to get better^^
Love
Lisuz
Review this Story/Chapter
Of Men at Sea
Lisuz
Author of 7 Stories
Rated: M - English - Romance - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 66 - Updated: 03-07-10 -
Published: 01-23-09 - id:4812171
A great thank you to my beta Dalia76 love you big sis
Le mie mani come vedi non tremano più
e ho nell'anima
in fondo all'anima cieli immensi
e immenso amore,
e poi ancora, ancora amore amor per te,
fiumi azzurri e colline e praterie
dove corrono dolcissime le mie malinconie
l'universo trova spazio dentro me
ma il coraggio di vivere quello ancora non c'è.
(Lucio Battisti)
Enjoy!
The moment Zoro stepped on deck and he met the cook's eyes, his cheeks started g
etting pinker and pinker with each step towards Sanji. He couldn't stop smiling,
but he didn't mind at all because, damn it, he was happy: just the memory of th
eir kisses made him want to grab the cook again, pull him in his arms and do to
him gods-know-what, to feel the warm body pressed up against his own once again.
So he did. The swordsman stretched out his powerful arms to take hold of Sanji's
hips and dragged him closer, grinning madly as the cook didn't make any efforts
to resist him. But he didn't kiss those soft lips, so appealing and skilled, he
just stared at them before sighing.
"The others will see us" Sanji stated calmly.
Zoro took his time and, with an innocence that was oh-so out of character answer
ed.
"They already know "
Sanji's smile faded away and the cook took a sharp intake of air before gripping
tightly the front of Zoro's shirt. "W-what?"
Zoro instinctively let go of the bony hips of the cook, taking his hands to his
swords instead. The cook's turned few shades of red as he widened his legs, read
y to attack: Zoro tilted his head to the side in response, a bored expression on
his face.
"You're such a drama queen, dartbo "
He couldn't finish his sentence because he had to dodge a kick, bending down cat
-like on the wooden floor.
"Are you saying that my beloved ladies know?" the cook yelled.
"They are definitely retarded " Nami sighed and straightened the newspaper in her
hands.
--
A week had passed now since they started their relationship, a week filled with
secret glances and stolen kisses, when nobody could have seen them: that was San
ji's rule; even though the others knew, it didn't mean they should have seen the
m "in action", as the cook said. But that was kind of ridiculous and terribly fr
ustrating for the swordsman, who didn't mind the other seeing as much as he didn
't care them knowing, that's why he couldn't get the cook's worrying and bitchin
g, actually in his opinion, Sanji was fussing way too much about the matter.
They were all nakama after all: the other members already accepted the fact they
were together, they would have done the same with their affectionate exchanges;
but it seemed that Sanji was far from being persuaded by that reasoning.
Zoro, who was lazily sitting in his usual spot over deck, yawned loudly and stir
red: his nerves were on fire because of the cook's behaviour, and so were other
part of his body, much more sensitive and noticeable. The damn dartboard freak w
ouldn't even let him touch anything else than his neck and arms and just when th
e swordsman needed to provide a good grip while kissing. Zoro got to his feet, h
issing at the heat that made it impossible to sleep, and headed for the kitchen
hoping to retrieve something to drink that would have cooled him down a little b
it. But when he opened the door, the thought of drinking was pushed aside in a r
emote corner of his mind because the view of the cook's bare back made his brain
shut down; and when his eyes travelled down to reach the hem of Sanji's black t
rousers low on the bony hips, he found he couldn't breath anymore.
"Whatever you need, just take it and leave, I'm busy marimo "
Few moments later, Sanji regretted saying that: Zoro was holding him from behind
, his firm chest flat against his sweaty back and his tanned arms wrapped around
his slim waist.
"Oh, I will, but I really don't know how long it will take "
"Stop fucking around, I need to finish lunch, I have a crew to feed and "
But Sanji trailed, unable to think straight because of sharp teeth nibbling at h
is earlobe and large hands wandering all over his chest. He couldn't think of th
e next move so he just leaned against Zoro and moaned slightly at the pleasurabl
e ministration.
"Zoro "
"Mmmh?"
"Wait, wait a sec "
The swordsman stopped, releasing his hold on the cook and expecting the blond to
beat the shit out of him for having interrupted his holy cooking; but Sanji did
n't do anything of the like, he instead turned off the gas of the stove and flun
g himself at the swordsman who, taken aback, almost fell to the floor.
"Hey, hey "
The blond cook jumped on Zoro and wrapped his long legs around the other's waist
, balancing himself with his hands on the swordsman shoulders.
"I need to finish lunch " he pecked Zoro's lips.
"Oh really? It doesn't seem "
But Sanji wasn't listening to him, he started licking the swordsman's neck, send
ing chills down his spine and making him shiver: the cook grinned, proud of the
reaction he caused.
"Dartboard, what's got into you?" Zoro laughed and took the man in his arms to t
he table, settling the thin frame down and gripping his hips just to start kissi
ng him even more vigorously.
But he did a move he shouldn't have done as he unintentionally bucked his own hi
ps forward, earning few slaps on his shoulder.
"Marimo, marimo, stop now"
"What?" Zoro snorted and stared, eyes wide at the flushed features of his lover.
"You're aroused "
"Oh really? I didn't notice " the swordsman mocked.
"Really funny "
"What's the problem? I'm making out with you it's normal that it reacts"
"Ok, then but I don't want it near me, okay?"
"What the fuck does that mean?!"
Sanji slapped his own face and shook his head: he found himself wishing he were
somewhere else; far away from the swordsman, because he was damn sure he wouldn'
t have been able to even think of a penis other than his own at that very moment
, let alone deal with the concrete thing. He wanted to throw up or yell at the s
wordsman, or even better, kick him, but a calloused hand caressing lovingly his
cheek prevented him from doing anything stupid. He looked up to meet the other m
an's eyes but when he did, Zoro snapped his hand back as if burnt and turned his
head abruptly to one side.
"What the hell is your problem, Sanji?"
The cook couldn't find the words to form a proper answer; so he just pretended h
e didn't hear, ignoring the swordsman. At that Zoro narrowed his eyes and, grunt
ing, took to glaring at the wooden wall in front of him, almost setting it on fi
re: he was kind of angry with Sanji, they were together now, weren't they? Why o
n earth was the cook acting like a complete ass?
"You had sex with girls you didn't even know the name of " Zoro said all of a sudd
en. "While you had known me for years now." He stopped and stared at Sanji. "You
touched and kissed girls who maybe were thinking of someone else other than you
, but you're not fucking able to make out with someone who just admitted to like
you a damn lot, what "
"You're not a girl "
"Excuse me?"
"I said you're not a girl, marimo!"
"Of course I'm not! Now you want to say you started this this relationship with me
simply because you thought I was a woman?"
"Oh, fuck off that's not the point!"
"Then what's the freaking point?!"
Sanji inhaled deeply before answering: he was sure Zoro wouldn't have understood
his reasons but he had to give it a try.
"The fact is that shit it's that I can't touch you the same way I'd touch a woman I'm
not ready to do it yet "
Zoro didn't move for a long while, he just stood there staring at the cook with
a blank expression.
"Have you ever touched yourself, cook?"
"Yes and I know where you wanna get to "
"Since you already know, then tell me, where are the differences?"
"There are a lot of differences between jerking off myself and jerking off you!
First of all, you dumbass, you are you and I'm myself!"
"Thank you, I wasn't aware of the fact, shithead "
"You know what I mean "
Zoro nodded.
"Listen Sanji I don't want to force you to do something you really don't want I just
want you to stop being ashamed of even looking at me "
Sanji stayed silent and lowered his eyes to meet the floor: few seconds passed b
efore he opened his mouth again.
"I'm not playing with you, marimo, contrary to what you may think..."
"I wasn't thinking "
"Well, you could have I'm sure of what I'm of what we are doing just give me some ti
me, moss head "
"Okay " Zoro whispered before leaving the kitchen.
Love to everyone
Lisuz
Review this Story/Chapter
Of Men at Sea
Lisuz
Author of 7 Stories
Rated: M - English - Romance - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 66 - Updated: 03-07-10 -
Published: 01-23-09 - id:4812171
A big, big, big thank you to my dear Dalia who was able to correct my miserable
mistakes! Love you=)
Mirava il ciel sereno,
le vie dorate e gli orti,
e quinci il mar da lungi, e quindi il monte.
Lingua mortal non dice
quel ch'io sentiva in seno.
(G. Leopardi)
Enjoy!
There was this strange mist surrounding him. It was heavy, so heavy that it was
almost suffocating. He felt like he was wrapped in a thick, snow-white blanket.
And to worsen the situation even more, it was incredibly hot, as only a sunny Au
gust afternoon could be. He felt rivulets of sweat roll down his back as if ever
ything had been real. Because he knew very well it was a just a dream, an awful,
sweat inducing and long dream, but not yet a nightmare. Oh no not a nightmare at
all: he could barely see through the thick fog; but he was sure that there, stan
ding few meters away from him, was the damn love cook.
Zoro gritted his teeth even in my dreams now? Can you leave me alone? In spite o
f his words, the swordsman neared the blonde, who slowly turned his head to face
him Hey, moss head. And with that Zoro's vision went completely black, all he c
ould feel were hands running all over him. All of a sudden he found himself layi
ng on his back on a warm floor, the mist still around him, he could only look ab
ove him because his head seemed to be glued to the floor beneath and he couldn't
move it. Those hands were now pinning him down, pressing hard on his shoulders,
and he was aware of the fact that someone was straddling his hips, but he could
n't see who that person was. He was surprised at first, even though felt extreme
ly excited: soft caresses, slow hip's movements against his own, some intangible
words whispered in a voice that was sometimes manly sometimes girly. And then t
here were other hands, many others massaging every inch of his body. He felt rel
axed and, at the same time, aroused by the steady grind of the stranger's hips.
It was so damn good he wished he could have slept forever to maintain that wonde
rful sensation. A pair of hands reached his face, stroked his cheeks and moved d
own to reach his parted lips, and pull at them?!?
The swordsman woke up suddenly, and was shocked to find out he was staring into
Luffy's black eyes.
"Zoooooro"
Ok. It wasn't that bad. Probably the rubber boy wouldn't notice the erection uns
uccessfully hidden in his pants. Wait, thinking about it, he wouldn't even know
what that was about and would just ignore the fact. Of course he would, his capt
ain was just an innocent, crazy, rubber boy after all. What Zoro didn't consider
was that an old, perverted, cyborg-man, Franky, was standing just at the edge o
f his hammock.
"Hey good morning are you up to some golf?"
"What?"
"Just noticing your morning wood, haramaki "
Fucking hell, hate you, you stupid big jackass.
"Thinking 'bout your dear love cook?!"
"Get outta here Franky"
"Zooooro we need some help Nami said "
"Get outta here "
"Zooooo-"
"Please "
--
Breakfast has been hell that day. Nami kept repeating how disappointed she was w
ith Zoro, who didn't help her carry her working material from her room to the de
ck ("Why would you do something like that?!" "Because, Zoro, it's sunny and I wa
nna sunbathe a little bit while working " "Well, that doesn't mean I have to be yo
ur personal slave!" "Do I have to recall your debt?" "Witch!") and Franky's iron
ical barbs about his 'morning state'. He slapped his face remembering Franky nib
bling at a sausage and remarking "That meat is kinda hard."
And now the swordsman was there sitting in his usual spot trying hard to stop ev
ery kind of sexual thoughts that occurred to his mind, but it wasn't easy at all
; and actually he couldn't find a reason to blame himself: he was young, he hadn
't had sex for weeks before he started his relationship with the eyebrows freak,
and now that he started it he hasn't had any and was sure that he wouldn't have
any for the next century.
He didn't know what to do: he was afraid of getting near Sanji because he didn't
trust himself anymore. Probably he would jump over the cook and try to ravish h
im. He had what he wanted just there but he couldn't have it yet, well at least,
couldn't have it completely. He felt exactly like when everything had started,
like nothing had changed at all, like .fuck.
Zoro hated himself: dammit, he respected the cook's decision, how couldn't he? A
nd ok, sex is just an accessory to a relationship, but it is important too yeah, i
t's important to establish a certain intimacy between two partners. And it was p
retty damn fun too, alright?
A foot connected playfully with his head and told him that Sanji was there "Oi,
Neanderthal "
Zoro didn't even bother to open his eyes, he just grunted to let the cook know h
e was listening, but as soon as he noticed that the blonde was way too quiet, he
cracked his eyes open and peered: Sanji was standing beside him, looking at his
feet and letting his hair hide even more of his face.
"What's wrong, dartboard?" the swordsman smiled when he noticed that both of the
m still used names to call each other even though their manners were much softer
than before.
The cook's expression changed; suddenly he looked troubled and lit up a cigarett
e.
"Listen" He breathed out some smoke "are you ignoring me?"
Zoro stared at him for few seconds yes, I'm completely ignoring you because I'm
so horny I could tie you up to my hammock and--- Here we go again. Zoro looked a
way from Sanji, as if staring at the railing would have cooled him down instead.
"You see? You are ignoring me "
"I'm not " Zoro whispered.
"Oh really? You woke up later, you didn't pass by the kitchen to say 'good-morni
ng' before the others, then you burst in to the room and ate breakfast in silenc
e and left, and now, I'm talking to you and you just mutter and look the other w
ay " the cook took a long drag. "Look, I know everyone has their fucked up days but
if it's my fault I just want to know, ok?"
Zoro nodded.
"So, it is my fault, moss head "
"Hell, no "
"You fucking nodded!"
"You said 'ok?' and I nodded, that's all"
"Then, what's the matter?"
Zoro passed and hand through his short hair. A part of him wanted to tell Sanji,
because, come on, they were both men, he would have understood him! While the o
ther part just kept repeating in his head that telling him would have been a ver
y bad idea: of course Sanji was a man, of course he could understand something l
ike that, but what about the fact that he made clear that he didn't even wanted
to talk about sex, or general sexual activities between the two of them yet. May
be it was a step he shouldn't couldn't take.
"You know you can tell me " Sanji said and looked away.
Zoro chuckled at his own stupidity and covered his face with his hands.
"I'm fucking horny. Damn it! It has been two days: I cannot think of anything el
se than sex and stuff like that, alright?" he chuckled again, and added "And thi
s morning Franky even noticed it "
"Oh now I get the sausage thing " Sanji laughed.
"Yeah, I would have found it funny if it hadn't been about me "
"But still, I cannot understand why you are ignoring me"
"You really don't? I find it freaking obvious "
Sanji then blushed as realization struck him.
"Oh " he needed another cigarette, for fuck's sake. "I don't think---" the cook be
gan.
"No, Sanji. I told you just because I wanted to give you the truth, not because
I wanted something else from you ok?"
There was a long silence. Zoro felt guilty for having worried Sanji, and Sanji w
as embarrassed as hell, both because it was something partly foreign to him and
because he had almost obliged Zoro to this position.
"So " the cook cleared his throat. "Are you gonna ignore me some more, or you thin
k we can work this out together?"
Zoro turned to face him: he blinked few times before getting on his feet and gra
bbing Sanji by the shoulders.
"Sanji, I already told you I don't want to fucking force you, come on! I just sa
id it because " Sanji hushed him placing his hand over his mouth.
"Do you really think I cannot decide with my own head? And most of all do you re
ally think I would be persuaded by something that you, uncivilized bastard, said
?"
Zoro swallowed hard.
"But sex is out, ok? No sex " the cook narrowed his eyes and looked straight into
the other's eyes and repeated "No.Sex." mouthing each word well enough as if tal
king with a deaf.
"I think I get the point, dartboard freak " Zoro snorted.
"Just making sure " Sanji smiled and turned on his heels, heading for the kitchen
once again.
"Cook" Zoro called out and the blonde stopped with his hand on the door's knob.
"Just think about it"
As he entered the corridor that led to the kitchen, Sanji thought that he could
have tried to build a little more intimacy between them, because he was sure it
would have been worth it.
Review please^^ I absolutely need to know what you think about the fanfic....
Love
Lisuz
Review this Story/Chapter
Of Men at Sea
Lisuz
Author of 7 Stories
Rated: M - English - Romance - Zoro & Sanji - Reviews: 66 - Updated: 03-07-10 -
Published: 01-23-09 - id:4812171
Late, late, late, late sorry, sorry sorry, sorry.
What more? I will never thank my lovely big sista enough for what she's doing fo
r me!
(Oh yeah I do not own One Piece, bla, bla, bla )
Sogna, sogna, mia cara anima! Tutto,
tutto sarà come al tempo lontano.
Io metterò ne la tua pura mano
tutto il mio cuore. Nulla è ancor distrutto.
(G. D'annunzio)
Enjoy!
--
The swordsman spent the late-morning that day napping on deck, enjoying the nice
feeling of laying on soft grass, being snapped off of his slumber every now and
then by the yells and screams and cheers of his mates. He could still hear the
cook's words echoing in his head: he was flattered and relieved that the love-co
ok didn't get him completely wrong and decide to kick him, instead of trying and
understand his reasons. Yeah, that was one of the best days ever.
But, even though he was as happy as a madman could possibly be in a world like t
hat, he couldn't get rid of those strange feelings that still lingered in his mi
nd and heart. Who knew that a relationship could bring so many troubles, so many
mixed feelings, so many hidden thoughts and fears? This fact bothered him to no
end. He was enjoying his deep bond with the cook so far and, to say it all, he
was happy he created it with the cook. But still, just out of the blue, insecuri
ties and questions popped in his mind. Am I doing things properly? Am I forcing
him? Why have I asked in the first place knowing that maybe it wasn't the right
thing to do? Whoa the longest question he had ever asked to himself or to anybody
else whatsoever. It was annoying and bothersome. He was Roronoa Zoro, he should
n't feel insecure or uncomfortable around anything or anyone, and he should neve
r question his own decisions, never ever. Why now? Why the hell, since the cook
had taken a different position in his life, had he become so apprehensive? So we
ak the swordsman's eyes snapped open as he registered his thoughts. He silently an
alyzed everything that happened so far: he started thinking more, he had been le
ss impulsive, he had to organize his words more often, to swallow, at times, ins
ults and offensive mockeries just for the sake of somebody else. He started feel
ing the need to have sex. The need! Gods, he had never felt so helpless and need
y in his whole life. He couldn't control himself anymore; he had lost it all, da
mn it: his self-confidence, his self-discipline, his self-everything!
The face of Mihawk appeared in front of his eyes, his dream struggled in his hea
d and his body quivered. Then the dark, evil face of his rival was replaced by a
nother one: it was still a rival but his features were less hard and manly, ligh
tened by golden locks and a challenging smirk plastered on his face. Another dre
am struggled in his head but it was less defined, he couldn't point out what was
that about but his body trembled anyway.
The swordsman was reluctant but he had to put his internal scales to some use.
--
"Lunch!"
"Finally! I'm starving!!"
The whole crew stepped into the kitchen and sat at the set table, literally droo
ling over the dishes Sanji prepared. The cook contently smiled as he offered som
e refined white wine to the ladies; his Nami and Robin were just so pretty and l
ooked so innocent when they blushed from his treatments. Such lovely ladies Few se
conds later Sanji felt that somebody was directly staring at him, literally burn
ing holes in the back his head and the cook grinned. Jealous, aren't we? Moss-he
ad He grasped the bottle again and moved to the other side of the table, filling Z
oro's glass with wine too.
A low "Thank you " was whispered and an even lower "You're welcome" was the answer
that only the swordsman had been able to hear. Those were the rare moments in w
hich both of them could have literally melted onto the floor or launched at each
other desperately, kissing passionately. But they usually would fight their urg
es back; holding themselves back again, deciding to just look intently at each o
ther.
That day was different. Zoro just looked away and Sanji just pretended he wasn't
hurt by the almost unnoticeable fact. He had thought they had stepped into a de
eper level of their relationship that day, at least, he had agreed in taking ano
ther step forward, toward the swordsman and their intimacy. He had agreed in doi
ng something the swordsman really wanted and, of course, he wanted too but that wa
sn't quite the point at the moment and needed, and craved for and Gods he was alrea
dy pissed off. What's wrong with you shit-head, fucking asshole, bastard? He ret
urned to his seat, sulking.
--
"Is something wrong?"
"Again, cook? What's the matter? You always think something's "
"Just because you act pretty strangely "
"You always think I "
"Come on asshole! You got my point! First you act like a crazy horny bastard, th
en when everything seems to be solved it looks like I tried to kill you! Are you
r hormones a bit messy? What are you, pregnant?"
He just needed to calm down a little bit just to avoid yelling. They really didn't
need the whole crew to hear about their own problems.
"Sorry "
"Sorry my ass!"
"Then what, love cook? Uh? What do you want me to say?"
"Just tell me what's going on, for fuck's sake!"
Zoro sighed, quite aware of the fact that usually their arguments didn't take th
em anywhere. Ok. He could admit that maybe, just maybe, he had been kind of mood
y and obviously hadn't really been too nice with the cook too.
"It's confusing " Sanji whispered.
The swordsman turned his head slightly towards the blond cook: no need to be a p
sychiatrist to understand he was hurt, but didn't want to show it with a lame at
tempt at hiding his face with his hair.
"I mean I thought everything was gonna be you know like different in a good way," Sanji
lighted a cigarette. "Like we could get even more into that relationship ".
The way Sanji said the last word made Zoro shiver: he wasn't sure whether he wou
ld have been able to carry on with the conversation anymore; not with Sanji like
that, anyway.
"Sanji " the name slipped past his lips helplessly. "You know how I feel about it yo
u know how bad I want to be with you, just you, in a more intimate way man I think
I made my point clear enough!"
"Uh-uh "
Silence.
"Sanji "
"Uhm?"
"What if this thing will make us ," He stopped.
"Make us what?"
"Make us you know "
"No, I don't."
"Make us weaker, dartboard!"
"What the fuck are you babbling about?!"
"Hey! Chill out I was just wondering!"
"Wondering about absolute bullshit! What is this supposed to mean?"
Zoro grasped the railing and looked up, watching a lonely white cloud slowly mov
ing in the blue sky, he breathed deeply, inhaling the salty scent of the sea.
"I have my dream, you have your dream are we really that sure there's space for al
l that shit?"
It was a damn good point, Sanji had to admit. A really damn good point. He laugh
ed under his breath without any humour: he should have seen it coming, knowing t
he swordsman way too well for his own good.
"I know that you'll probably understand just few random words of my speech but I
'll try and inculcate some reason in your shitty, green head, marimo. I've my dr
eam and you've yours, nothing new, to say it all. In my superior opinion, that w
ill without any doubt and in any case be better than yours, there's enough room
for everything: your suicidal dream, my great one and all the shit we want to st
uff our life with. And with 'shit' I mean things like my kitchen, your swords, y
our seaweed head, my porn magazines and last but not least me and you as an 'us'
. A relationship of any kind isn't able to make someone weaker, stronger if ever
".
Zoro remained silent, deep in thought as he gazed at the horizon. The cook wasn'
t really sure whether the swordsman was even listening to him; with all the prob
abilities his brain stopped processing as soon as Sanji started talking, or was
still trying to understand the meaning of 'reason'. He sighed soundly and decide
d to offer the swordsman an easier translation of what he had just saying.
"What I mean is that I'd rather save your ass if you were fucking me since you'd
be more useful."
With that the swordsman let go of his stern mask and chuckled lightly: it was su
rprising, they couldn't have a decent, serious tête-à-tête without winding up sa
ying stupid things or babbling nonsense or, even better, yelling obscenities. Th
ey matched. Ahah thankyousomuch
Zoro turned to face the cook and held his stare: two strong, fearsome, proud, re
stless men facing each other, both impulsive, both stubborn, both on the same le
vel.
"This relationship isn't for women it's for true men only." The cook whispered.
The swordsman kept silent: how interesting! Not even a day ago he had to talk th
e cook into everything, whereas now he was actually the only one surrounded by d
oubts. He was getting pissed off by his own behaviour, by his own thoughts and,
fuck! he was hating himself for how he made Sanji feel.
Zoro leaned slowly forward and smiled as he saw Sanji closing his eyes: he kisse
d the cook's forehead softly, he lingered a little bit over a funny brow and the
n moved leisurely, his lips ghosting over a pale temple before stopping.
"True men, uh?"
"Oh yeah, extremely manly men "
"Only men?"
Sanji got the hint and, eyes still shut, smiled and leaned in resting his head o
n the swordsman shoulder.
"Only one man "
--
Thanx to everyone who added this fanfic to their favs and to the ones who added
me to their fav authors!
Love
Lisuz
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