Chapter Text
After they fished out the two devil fruit users they had shot into the water and after they bound them with sea stone, it was time for some construction work.
If Franky had known that he would have to repair the damage to the bigger ship, he wouldn’t have fought on it!
Oh well, sometimes life gives you its own challenges. “Keep the cross-mast steady! We’re just fixing a clean break here, people!”, he shouted at the carpenters the marines had graciously put under his command. At least for now.
Together they pulled up the big wooden pole and held the whole thing still with the ropes they used.
Franky grinned, checking out the straightness of the whole thing. “Looking good, guys!”
Technically they could probably fasten the pieces together themselves, but it had been a while since the shipwright had gotten to do any actual construction. He loved the sunny, she was a work of art, but she was also sturdy as a diamond and usually only needed some cosmetic touchups.
Behind him he could hear their captain chatting with Brownbeard. Much to the chagrin of their marine friends, who had drawn a line on the ground to mark their territory, in which both of the pirates were sitting.
“That’s your stupid rule not mine!”, Luffy never cared for things like that.
Ignoring the G-5, his captain asked: “So, you guys are getting arrested? That’s too bad we just became friends…”
Brownbeard laughed and wistfully looked at his people. “It turns out we were all given trace amounts of poison. They said the government will treat us if we come quietly, sooo…”
Luffy nodded in understanding.
“Besides”, Brownbeard smiled at the sun coming through the clouds, “I will not be going alone, most of the people under Caesar were brought here as prisoners to begin with. We are all alive and not test subjects for that bastard anymore. What more can you ask for?”
A wide grin split Luffys face as well: “As long as you’re happy, I guess it’s fine. Not like they’ll put you in Impel Down or something.”
“Of course not!”, one of the eavesdropping marines shouted, “You may be dirty pirates, but you still helped save these brats!”
Speaking of… Franky wiped his brow with a stained old piece of cloth he used to clean the metal sheets down holding the mast. The kids were all being led to a room upstairs in the tanker. Chopper was holding the hand of the little green haired tyke, that had somehow endeared himself to the crew.
“I don’t need to be examined. They said that the poison didn’t work on me anyway…”, he heard the squeaked protest of the boy. “And Doctor Law is very strict. What if he get’s mad at me?”
Chopper gently reassured him: “I know Law looks a little scary, but he seems to be a very competent doctor, he even treated Luffy before.”
Franky hefted another sheet against the crack they were fixing, as said scary doctor man looked over, having clearly heard the conversation. The cyborg grinned, the guy was awkwardly tapping a finger against his leg, not quite being able to turn his piercing stare into a softer look.
Social interactions didn’t look to be their new friend’s forte.
“There is no need to stall. Let’s go.”, he rather dryly told the two.
Chopper’s little ear flicked, a movement Franky knew from his time as a reindeer, was reflexively showing his annoyance.
“Well,”, he huffed out, “Maybe Goji would be less scared if you explained what you were going to do during the examination.”
Law looked away for a moment, contemplating his options.
“Fine. I am going to cut their bodies to pieces and then…”, the little psychopath said, before Chopper interrupted with a screeching “You’re what?”
Franky nearly hammered his metal finger to the wood in shock. Maybe he should ready himself to step in, only in case there was going to be a fight
“Stop shouting!”, the darkhaired man shouted himself, “I am just going to use my powers to extract the serum! That’s why I didn’t want you in the room…” The last part was mumbled to the side, as he pulled his head over his eyes.
Their own doctor just huffed offended and dragged the little green boy behind him into the, apparently new, operation room.
Franky grinned as a stunned Law met eyes with him. He gave him a thumbs up.
It was going to be fun to have the man around.
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In another part of the dock two women met to discuss the current situation.
“Catburglar Nami!”, a determined marine captain stepped up to the navigator.
She had figured that Tashigi was a rather serious person, back when they first met, but even after they fought together? Oh well… “It’s nice to meet you in my real body this time.”, Nami linked her hands behind her back leaning forward a bit. “Are your injuries, okay?”
That seemed to catch the poor woman a bit of guard. “Wha…? Yes, I have been treated, but I came here to ask for a favor. And… to officially thank you for saving my life back in there.”
Nami just waved her off: “No need to thank me for that, I bet you would have done the same in my shoes. You’re a good person after all.”
A cute, flustered blush spread over the captain’s cheeks, as Nami smiled.
The dark-haired women didn’t seem to have expected this, stuttering a bit before finding her footing again. “Yes, well… The favor I wanted to ask. Please… Please leave the children with me.”
Tashigi’s back straightened a bit, she looked directly into the others surprised eyes.
“I can’t leave them with you. It’s not that I don’t trust your crew, but…”
“But we’re Pirates.”, the navigator interrupted, not offended in the slightest, “Yeah, we figured it might be best to leave the rest to you guys. I’m sure their parents might appreciate a nice Lady marine also more than a bunch of criminals.”
Nami lifted her pointer finger and gently pushed the glasses back up, that were slowly sliding off the stunned sailor’s face.
The woman blushed again and stuttered out: “I am sorry… I mean I’m flattered, but… It’s not because of the…”
Nami just laughed: “I know, I know. Don’t worry, I have eyes in my head. You already have your ‘older Gentleman’, right?” She winked at poor Tashigi.
The blush spread impossibly further up to the tips of her ears.
The strawhat pirate took the swordwoman’s hands in hers and said: “Take care of those kids for us.”
Then she turned on her heel and left.
A few steps away she paused: “Oh, but if it doesn’t work out with that oblivious fella, fell free to call me.~”
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Everyone was running around, elated after all the stress they went through today.
It was nice to watch, even if Sanji was bound to a stupid chair for now. He’d get a crutch sooner or later, but it wasn’t urgent. There were more important things to focus on at the moment.
Like cooking for, roughly estimated, about 200 people, more or less. And 50 hungry, growing kids.
Sanji smiled, he couldn’t wait to start.
“Oi, Mosshead! Come here for a second…”, he spotted the green haired swordsman sniffing around for booze, probably.
Grumpily the man stomped over, glaring at Sanji’s leg cast.
“What? Already grown bored of the constant Marimo?”
The cook rolled his eyes: “A moss is a moss, isn’t it? I need your… assistance.” Zoro perked up at that, a worried look on his face, bastard would stop pitying him in a moment. Grinding his teeth for a moment, Sanji played up the invalid card: “You see, with my leg being still bound up, I can’t go in the water. But someone needs to feed all this people here… I want you to go fetch me a sea pig.”
The brute threw his head back in annoyance, sighing at the sky. “Why do I have to do it? I’m not your delivery boy!”
Sanji lifted his hand, counting down the fingers: “I couldn’t ask the Ladies, of course…”, he was sure to miss the muttered insult Zoro grumbled under his breath, “Usopp and Franky are doing ship repairs and even if you wanted to fish out one of our crewmembers in addition to our meal, everyone’s busy. Chopper’s fixing up the brats with Law, Brook and Kin’emon are helping the marines recover the bodies of the people caught in the gas and Luffy… I wouldn’t let him near the food even if he wasn’t an anker. That only leaves you.”
More mumbled cursing and complaining, then: “Fine! I’m getting your stupid fish.”
“It’s not a fish.”, Sanji mildly said, as Zoro started to strip. First his boots landed in an angry pile thrown next to the cook’s seat, then two swords were carefully leaned against his chair. The swordsman glared at him as he shrugged out of his Coat and threw the thing at the blond.
“Hey!”, Sanji only caught a glimpse of a smooth back as the sulky manchild dove into the sea. One unsheathed sword between his teeth.
The cook rolled his eyes.
“He’s going to freeze to death in there.”, Nami had suddenly spoken up next to his seat.
He hadn’t even noticed her approach, shame on his preoccupied mind!
“My beautiful Mellorine! Don’t worry about that Idiot, he goes ice diving for fun.”, and then get lost on the way back to the ship. “I would offer you my seat, but alas…”, he gestured to his cast apologetically.
Nami cringed, looking away guiltily. He quickly backtracked: “Oh, I didn’t mean to make any accusations or anything! I am quite alright, standing up might just be a bit of a challenge since Chopper told his marine buddies to keep an eye on me.”
And indeed, there were about 5 pairs of eyes surreptitiously watching him, ready to dogpile the cook if he looked like he planned to overexert himself.
“Get the Lady a chair if you are already eavesdropping!”, he shook his fist at the loitering soldiers.
Nami just laughed as they scrambled away. “It’s fine Sanji. I can stand for a bit. I am sure you could use a bit of rest, before the Kids come down from their checkup.”
Was he that transparent? He thought he had hidden his nerves quite well actually. Sure, he may have started smoking, as soon as he got Usopp to fetch him some cigarettes from the Sunny, but no more than… three, four? Okay, maybe he wasn’t all that stealthy after all.
“I may be a little nervous about Goji’s health, but nothing you need to worry about, my sweet!”, he smiled, everything was alright here, just some familial jitters.
Nami shook her head, clearly disappointed by something. Oh no, that’s not what he wanted…
“I…”, he started, but the Navigator just put her hand on his arm.
She looked thoughtful for a second then said: “You don’t have to be… If you don’t want to talk that’s fine, but it’s okay to rely on us for a change too, you know? We’re you’re friends Sanji.”
He was speechless. It was nice that Nami came to him for a change, but his chest felt tight and not in a fun fluttery way when he usually talked to a beautiful woman.
Nami sighed again, shifting on her feet. When no more words were coming from him, she took it upon herself to cut the awkward tension, kind Lady that she was.
“Nice hairband by the way.”, she grinned looking at the bandana Nami herself had bound over his hair earlier.
This Sanji knew how to do! “Thank you for the sweet compliment my dear, I didn’t dare take it off, after you went through the effort to style me up yourself!” He leaned closer to her on his chair. Truth be told, he hadn’t thought about it in all the commotion. He had even forgotten completely that it was on his head, before Nami had brought it up. A hand automatically went up to his usually hidden left eyebrow, self-consciously.
The navigator sniggered, a lovely sound. “It suits you, but…”, a sly grin spread across her face, “Zoro hasn’t asked back for it yet?”
Sanji blushed violently, were it anyone else he would have snapped at them offended, but with Nami giggling over his expense? He could just sit there openmouthed like a dead fish, trying to piece together a sentence.
Trapped in indecision, he gestured wildly, just as the devil himself rose from the cold like some kind of grecoman god of the sea, right out of an Ilisian epic. Zoro was wiping his sword of with snow from the ground and dragging a nicely sized sea pig out of the depths with him. Water was dripping from his shaggy hair down his thick neck, over firm pectorals…
“I leave you to it then…”, Nami happily sauntered off to who knows where, as Sanji ripped the bandana of his head, angrily snapping at the swordsman: “Put it over here, I’ll do the rest. And for fucks sake, towel off before you catch a cold, you stupid Marimo!”
Looking quite dumbfounded, even after one of the marines actually brought him a towel, the Mosshead trudged over. “What the fuck is your problem, curly? Is that how you say thank you?”
Sanji threw the bandana in his face, followed closely by the two coats hanging from the armrest of his chair. “Dress up, you idiot! We’re not done here. I’ll still need some vegetables for the broth and a few other things for the side dishes!”
Slipping back into his clothes, Zoro hummed thoughtfully. Then he bound the black piece of cloth back over his arm. “I was looking for that. I thought the kid might have lost it.” From his coat pocket he pulled another bandana, brightly colored and a horrible clash with Zoro’s hair.
“Gotta remember to give that one back as well.”, he grunted out.
A few steps forward and the wet cat of a warrior plopped into the unused seat that had been brought over for Nami not for this unwashed brute. “What are you doing, errand boy? I need supplies, chop chop!” Sanji nudged the man with his healthy foot.
A hand grabbed his ankle. “Stop that! ‘m tired. Ask your minions, I already did the hard part.”
The cook tugged against the hold: “I don’t have any minions… Well except maybe you, my trusted errand boy.”
He was met back with a glare. “Who are you calling errand boy? The errand’s over, you can get to chopping now!”
Sanji wobbly tried to stand up, immediately a marine appeared at his side, before he could do something incredibly stupid, like try to kick the meathead into ground meathead.
“Sanji-bro, you shouldn’t stand yet. Big Bro Chopper said to rest. If you need anything just ask!”
At the marine’s words, Zoro smirked and closed his eyes, ready for a nap now that his task was pawned of on somebody else. Typical.
“Vegetables. And a few other things if you have them on your ship.”, Sanji wouldn’t usually dip into another ship’s supplies, but they were both stealing from the same source, he thought, as he rattled off a list of ingredients.
A flurry of movement started around his little makeshift cook station, as he began to prepare for the different dishes he had planned.
First, he wanted to try one of the New Kama Secret Recipes he learned on Momoiro Island: Offal Soup with sea pig meat. Sanji started cutting into the creature, taking out the innards and setting them aside for the hot meal. They’d need a thorough wash before they could be used later.
For now, he cut up the rest of the meat. With a captain like Luffy there could never be enough meaty dishes, besides the other hungry souls Sanji had to feed.
The cuts of pork from the shoulders of the beast would make for some nice steaks, pork chops would be good as well and the ham, he could turn into a soft roast, perfect for the tired crew. The rest of the meat he would smoke or put into the big freezer storage Franky had built him. He should ask the man if he needed some Lard for his workspace as well, while he still had some leftover.
Zoro was still loitering around his workspace, apparently not sleeping after all. “Come and make yourself useful, these need cleaning.”, there was little the oaf could do wrong with washing the ingredients. He also wasn’t squeamish when it came to the bloodier bits that also needed a quick rinse. “Use some lemon juice against the odor.”, Sanji instructed. He only got an assenting grunt as answer, the ogre heaving himself out of his chair and to the sink.
They worked quietly next to each other. Sanji marinading the pork chops and steaks, Zoro shaking the water of his dear cousin Broccoli.
He chuckled, taking out some string for the roast. Zoro glared at him, as the cook trussed up the ham, but didn’t complain. Sanji shifted his weight trying not to think about being bound himself, when he remembered the ill-thought-out comparison, he had made in Namis presence earlier. It was probably good he hadn’t wrapped the bandages around his leg himself…
As Sanji reached over to grab some of the washed veggies, he caught the swordsman looking at the ham as well. For a moment their eyes met and the Idiot smirked at him. Angrily the blond brought the knife down on an innocent carrot, a blush spreading on his face. Stupid Marimo and his stupid sense of humor.
Quickly he grabbed the damn ham and hung it over a fire to roast. Out of sight out of mind.
There were enough vegetables for the soup and then some, he might make Tempura as well. More greens were always good.
The green next to him had finished his task and just watched him cook now, leaning against the makeshift counter. He seemed distracted, not really paying attention to Sanji whisking batter. The blond felt a little guilty over interrupting the guy’s nap, but not enough to send away the help he admittedly, sort of, needed right now.
The G-5 had dragged a gigantic pot out of storage, who really knew where they had found it and he was going to use it for the soup, there was just a little problem:
The improvised staircase to reach the top didn’t look all that sturdy.
Well, he wasn’t a world class chef for nothing and if the Mosshead was actually using his brain to think some thoughts, then the cook was going to drag up the bowls of meat and vegetables up there himself. Someone had even found a wooden staff he could lean against, left quietly next to his workstation.
That was the easy part, the onions and innards were happily pre-frying at the bottom of the pot and the spices mixed in with a healthy dose of tomato paste. How the fuck was he getting the right amount of water up here though?
“What are you doing climbing around, Curly?”, it seemed his Golem assistant had woken up again.
He turned around offended, holding onto the long, thick wooden spoon sticking out of the pot, for balance. One of the traitorous marines was hovering next to the moss, looking unsure if he should step in.
“What does it look like Marimo? I am cooking.”, Sanji felt a grin spread on his face, “If you want to complain, do it while filling this thing here up with fresh water. About to here…”
He pointed at a marking two down from the top. The swordsman stomped up the stairs squinting at the thing. “Fine, now get down from there. Just fill a bucket or something with the stuff that needs to be added. We can’t have our cook die at the start of the new world.”
He rolled his eyes, but slowly hobbled back to the ground. “I’m not dying from a broken leg, you oaf. Some of us are capable of estimating their own limits.”
“Hah?”, a heavy pale shifted precariously in Zoro’s grip, water sloshing as he craned his neck towards the sound of the blond’s voice.
“Don’t drop that!”, Sanji turned his back to the other man. He might as well cook some rice as a side dish. If the mosshead was willing to behave for 5 minutes and help with dinner, he deserved a little treat. And it wasn’t as if he was making it just for Zoro! The Wano residents would surely appreciate it as well. They had a special respect for the grain, if he remembered correctly.
He idly wondered, as he turned the roast over the fire, if he would be allowed to fry the tempura and the meat cuts himself or if the Mosshead was going to make a fuss about that as well.
Well, let that barbarian try and stop him! The oil was the perfect temperature and little mossy was still tending to the soup.
First the battered vegetables went into the pan, they would be done quickly and would leave a bit of a hint of paprika and broth in the oil that went well with the marinade he used for the meat.
Leave those on some clean towels to lose some of the fat…
Now the pork chops and steaks went into the pan.
“What’s the plan?”, Zoro’s voice suddenly chimed up behind him.
Sanji rolled his eyes, now the moss-covered rock was asking. “Offal Soup with sea pig meat, …”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”, Zoro cut in, “I meant, what are you planning to do with the little one?”
Honestly, he hadn’t thought that far ahead. Probably some subconscious move to make the farewell easier or whatever. He left the meat; it be fine for a moment unattended.
“I don’t know yet. Maybe send him somewhere safe?”, it would be better for him to have a stable place to grow up, Sanji thought, as he reached for a tomato, salat was on the menu as well.
Time to tighten the pace.
Zoro hummed: “Where? With the marines?”, a laughable Idea they both knew, he could feel the swordsman’s eyes on his neck. “Back home to his parents?”
Sanji flinched, nearly cutting into his finger instead of the cucumber: “Definitely fucking not! He’d be more at home in this shithole than with his father.”
They both knew that their crew wouldn’t leave Goji here. He didn’t seriously plan to do so either.
“So, we are going to take him then.”, the Marimo said with conviction. Like he was just confirming a fact. The cook poured dressing on the salat, mixing the last of the sides as well.
“He is so small; it would probably be a shit idea to have him on the Sunny. Let alone what Luffy would have to say about it. Maybe Zeff would take him in… He’s probably lonely, empty nesting.”
The smile on Sanji’s face was fake and they both knew it. If there was someone on this earth who knew him better than Zoro, well it probably would be Zeff, but besides that geezer Sanji hadn’t met them yet. He fiddled with his lighter, he had time for a quick smoke, while everything sizzled on the fire.
The swordsman shrugged: “That’s stupid. A lot of kids grow up on the sea, on pirate ships even. And Luffy wouldn’t care. He’s your family, so the kid is our family too.”
His heart skipped a beat. That bastard made it sound so easy, as if he hadn’t heard Caesar or, honestly at this point, the crew’s gossip mill mention his cursed family name. Zoro was a bounty hunter for many years, there was no way he didn’t know about Germa 66. Even just as a cautionary tale about the Garuda of the North blue.
And still that asshole called Sanji his family. He took a happy drag out of his cigarette.
“I guess it’s settled then.” Gods he loved that simple minded fool…
A crash like a clay pot breaking on the floor, rang through his head. What had he just thought?
No.
There was a sudden uptick in panic, as Sanji stood there, the fag in his hand burning out, as marines were running around shouting for one of the doctors.
Someone had knocked over one of the creepy stone incased bodies they were retrieving. It wasn’t a body inside though, but a rather disgruntled looking man, lying in the white remains of his ashy prison.
Sanji related to the confusion, the cook thought to himself, as he mechanically went back to cooking for the increasing number of people around him. He rather felt like something cracked open inside him himself, like he could suddenly see again after being kept in a safe cocoon for a long while, until that broke, only to leave him bereft and a bit out of place.
He fortunately had no time to dwell on that little slip up in his mental fortress, as the commotion brought out the two pirate doctors with their little charges. The children already seemed a lot better than half an hour ago, with Goji and a little boy leading the way, who by process of elimination could only be Momonosuke. Finally, he was in his human body again huh?
He was only wearing a big white sheet though for some reason…
As Sanji watched the heartwarming reunion of Father and son, his own new charge nearly barreling into his legs, only caught by Zoro’s quick reflexes. “Careful kid, you’re going to knock the cook over and then what are we going to eat?”
Excitedly Goji seemed to vibrate in the swordsman’s arms, Sanji’s poor heart…
“I’m sorry! But look: my scars are gone! Doctor Law made my arm scars go away!”, and the blond was back on earth. “What? What arm scars?” As if he could find them through their sheer absence, Sanji carefully wobbled closer and inspected the kid’s skinny little appendages.
“From the needles! You didn’t see? Oh, well it’s all smooth now anyway.”, the boy inspected the inner crook of his elbow as well, just as Kin’emon came over with a newly clothed and still human child by his side.
“Sanji-san, I would like to formally introduce my son to you. This is Momonosuke.”, he bowed his head towards the cook, the boy doing the same, “Thank you, both of you, for helping me find him again!”
Embarrassed, the cook scratched his neck, about to deflect the whole thing, when Zoro bowed as well: “It wasn’t any trouble at all. I heard you will be traveling with us for a while? I hope that those two will get along well then.” He set Goji back on his feet. The boys looked at each other shyly.
“Well,” Sanji clapped into his hands, “Time to serve the food! You two haven’t eaten for some time, right?”
This was what Sanji did best, feed people! No need to think about any revelations when he had dishes to plate and serve, bowls of soup to distribute. And soon he was surrounded by hungry marines and pirates, prisoners and children alike. Not even Luffy’s appetite could hinder him from making sure everyone got their portion.
The festivities were going in full swing, when the stupid, caring musclehead came to bother him again. “The guys can get their bowls filled themselves. Rest already Curly. Have you even eaten yourself?”
He didn’t need Zoro to look after him. Stubbornly he refused to be moved, giving out the next portion of soup. “I’ll eat when I am ready.”
Not one deterred by Sanji’s crappy attitude, the swordsman took a bite of his own portion of rice with fried sea pig. “See if I care if you keel over from stressing your leg. Chopper will strap you down when you get worse.”
The hypocrite would know best what lengths the doctor could go, when his patients didn’t take care of their injuries. They also knew the earliest Chopper was going to try and wrangle them all into a proper once over was after everyone had eaten and rested for a bit.
Goji didn’t know though: “Your leg is getting worse? Should I get Doctor Chopper?”
He carefully touched the cast around his leg, as if he could sense how bad the damage was with his little fingers.
Sanji smiled at his little brother: “It’s not bothering me right now. You don’t need to get anyone.”
Next to them a troll with grass for brains snorted. “It’s not right now, but you’ll bitch about it as soon as we go to the bunks at night, because you can’t get up by yourself.”
“Excuse me, stupid mosshead, this is a private conversation.”, Sanji glared at Zoro.
He had already lost of course, because he wouldn’t be able to do his job now that there was a little green eggplant hovering by his side, waiting for any sign of pain so that he could run and get Chopper.
“Fine. You guys win, I am sitting down, happy?”, he very nearly fell into the chair next to the Marimo.
The smug bastard just shrugged: “Not particularly, with you next to me.”
“You said to sit down, now I am sitting. What’s your problem now?”, Sanji let out an exasperated groan.
Way too happy for the cook’s taste, Zoro leaned back while putting the empty bowl in his hand on the ground. “Didn’t say you had to sit next to me.”
Sanji was confused, sure they didn’t sit next to each other at every meal, but it wasn’t unusual for them to sit together at the after party of their latest escapades.
He narrowed his eyes: “How terrible of you to provoke me just because I can’t pay you back for it at the moment.”
That seemed to dim the swordsman’s mood a little: “Ugh, I forgot about that. Ahh well, I will just have to wait until you’re better then.”
“You guys are funny.”, came Goji’s voice from down by Sanji’s feet. The kid was watching them, planted cross legged on his butt with his thin trousers in the snow.
“Hey”, Zoro reached forward, grabbing Goji under his armpits, “Don’t sit on the floor, you’ll catch a cold.” And he sat the kid on his lap, like he’d let Chopper do sometimes.
First a little shocked and timid, the little Eggplant seemed to have decided that he liked that position.
Zoro had closed his eyes again, already dead to the world until he was needed.
Goji threw both his legs over, sitting sideways on the swordsman’s lap and leaning against the man’s chest. He looked at Sanji.
“Chopper said you cut peoples hair.”, Goji said apropos of nothing.
Sanji took a spoonful of his own warm bowl of soup; it was oddly domestic. “I do for some of the crew. I mean me and Usopp do.”
The boy nodded. He fiddled with his fingers, not looking Sanji in the face anymore. “Would you… maybe can you cut my hair too?”
“Of course!”, the cook chuckled, “Right now?”
With a blush Goji shook that green head of hair. “No,… Uhmm. Later is fine too. Everyone is celebrating.”
“Alright later then.” It would be nice to give the kid a proper haircut. Whatever was on his head right now was atrocious. “Do you want to keep it a little longer?”
Another shake of the head. Hopeful little eyes looked at him again. “Can you cut my hair like Zoro’s?”
Despair.
Sanji groaned. He could swear that was a smirk on the ‘sleeping’ man’s face.
“I mean, I could, but… Don’t you want your own thing? You want to cut it all off?”
The kid seemed to think for a moment then: “Yes! All off! Just like Zoro!”
Terrible. But who was he to argue when he knew how hard it was to make your own decisions for the first time. Goji already looked like he was going to backtrack after Sanji’s lack of enthusiasm.
“Okay then, the short and scruffy it is then.”, he sighed defeated. Now there were going to be two little grass-patches on the sunny, “Why don’t you go play with the other kids for a bit? I am sure Kin’emon would be happy if you and Momonosuke became friends.”
“We’re already friends!”, the little mosshead exclaimed while carefully sliding to the floor and scampering off to the table where the two Wano citizens ate like civilized people with some chopsticks.
“I like your new coat!”, Goji’s voice drifted towards them.
An answering polite “Thank you.”, following from the darker haired boy, “It is only fitting for a samurai to wear traditional Wano garb.”
Kin’emon smiled over towards the cook, as he listened to the two chatter inanely.
“The short and scruffy?”, mocked the current poster boy of that haircut.
“Piss off.”, Sanji sourly stuffed another cigarette into his mouth, “Do something with that windswept rug on your head and then you can complain.”
“Naw, I like it.”, came the laughing reply. “Didn’t know you cared about my hair that much, cook.” Thinking back on it, this was the first time he really heard Zoro laugh since they had met up in Sabaody. Not a huffed out little thing or a sadistic smirk during battle, a happy laugh. It was nice, Sanji had missed the sound.
The blond started to laugh as well.
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The soup was pretty good. A rich broth that warmed you from the inside and from a nutritional standpoint, rather balanced in nutrients. The taste was also pretty high standard, in Laws opinion.
But what do you expect from the palate of a prince? He sourly thought.
Law was watching the cook closely; he didn’t seem like a murderous assassin. But who really knows?
Heavy steps announced the arrival of the Vice admiral, with his own bowl of soup. He took a seat on a boulder, a few feet on the other side of the line on the ground as the crate Law had settled on.
“My men are going back into the Island proper, to get our people.”, he quietly lifted his bowl to his mouth, “Apparently, there is a way to reverse this whole petrification thing.”
Law narrowed his eyes at the man. They hadn’t talked much inside the building, tensions high and the mission more important.
The white chase wasn’t known for his cuddly attitude and that suited Law just fine. They may have fought against Vergo together, but that surely didn’t make them friends.
Even if he might have been someone Cora-san had called a friend.
The expression on Laws face softened. He relaxed as much as he was able to, he wasn’t a cuddly man either. “I’m heading for greenbit after this… If I can get Strawhats to play along with my plan.”
A raised eyebrow met him. “What are you telling me for? You do realize I will have to report that. I am not going to keep my oath to a pirate.” He hadn’t really expected him to.
A smile spread on his face: “Of course not, marine Vice Admiral Smoker.”
He took another sip of his soup, as a moment of comfortable silence stretched between them.
It was the white chase that broke it, again.
“Be careful with what you are starting with the Strawhat.”
Law watched the snow slowly falling, covering the black ash the marines had used to border their territory. “I am wondering how bad an influence you think I am, Smoker-ya. I don’t think I could ‘use him’ if I even tried…”
The Vice Admiral put his empty bowl aside and stuck two cigars in his mouth, nasty habit.
Was he trying to die twice as fast?
“That wasn’t what I meant.”, the older man said with a plume of smoke leaving his lips, “That boy attracts trouble wherever he puts his sandaled foot down. You better be prepared.”
The surgeon contemplated the trouble he already started here all by himself. Buffalo was glaring at them from the corner all the prisoners had been pilled in. Law ignored the childish urge to make a vulgar hand gesture.
Next to him the vice admiral was straightening where he sat. “You know”, the air between them was getting weird again. Law couldn’t quiet put his finger on it, “I might be persuaded to give an old friend’s son a head start, forgetting for a moment that he is a pirate.”
It seemed the marine was getting sentimental in his old age after all. Law pulled his hat down into his eyes, pressing his lips into a thin line.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. The fact that I left you alive means absolutely nothing, Smoker-ya.”
The hardened marine stood, brushing some nonexistent dirt from his pants. “If you really wanted to silence me, you had plenty of opportunities to do so.” With that he turned to walk towards his men, still partying with the Strawhat crew and bringing supplies unto the tanker.
He paused, taking a deep drag of his cigarette. “You know, Rosinante would have been proud of you. So, take care, Law.”
Law watched him talk with Strawhat-ya, about the children, sending Tashigi to put together a Team that would leave with her early, while he was collecting the rest of the prisoners.
He looked away embarrassed.
Well, he hoped Smoker still thought so highly of him after he read the morning Newspaper.
The smile wouldn’t leave Laws face, even as the Strawhats waved the children goodbye, making sure they safely left the harbor. The two kid’s still with them standing at the docks, shouting promises at their friends.
He still smiled as he stepped on the colorful vessel he would be a guest on for the foreseeable future.
This was just the beginning of his journey, but right now, he was happy to have started all this.
Even if his own crew was waiting for him somewhere in the New World.