Chapter Text
Contrary to what might be shallowly thought, Nami didn’t like lying to her crew. When things got dicey during a storm, she doesn't tone down the situation. She was a pirate, a bold one at that, and Cat Burglar Nami wasn't afraid to hit even her captain on the head when he was acting like a fool.
In this case, lying was absolutely necessary. It created a knot in her throat, but anything was better than the chills that went up her spine at the thought of breaking the news to Sanji and seeing his heartbroken expression. It was perhaps selfish in that way, but it was a trait of the entire crew to want to see everyone happy. She was doing just that, until Sanji could properly handle the information, she told herself. Plus, he had already been hit with whatever happened at Thriller Bark. Emotionally, this information would make the weight on his shoulders unbearable.
Returning to the kitchen after dinner brought a wave of conflict. The newspaper was sitting there, just as she had asked earlier. She gently took the missing page and slipped it back into its place. Once again, she opened the newspaper and read those words: FAMOUS EAST BLUE RESTAURANT THE BARATIE SINKS! It was inconceivable, to think that one of the last places she had been in the East Blue was gone. She still remembered the good times they had there, of the jokes told between them and pranks in between. (Of leaving it all, telling herself it was for the best, even though she was crying because it was the most fun she had experienced in a long, long time.)
The Strawhats herded together, no matter what the situation was. And right now, Zoro was in the infirmary, still being treated after Thriller Bark, Chopper was studying and treating him, barely sleeping himself, Luffy had stuck himself to Zoro’s side, and the others had thrown themselves into their jobs in an attempt to find normalcy while simultaneously trying to make their newest crew member feel welcome on the Sunny. Franky had already asked Brook about ten-thousand questions about what home was to him and was working on slight renovations with Usopp in the workshop. Sanji for the most part had only gone back and forth from the kitchen and his bed ever since he had stepped back on Sunny’s deck. Nami and Robin had kept to themselves, trying to get back into their old routines. (Nami still had to mentally prepare herself before taking a bath, her legs shaking at the memory of being pinned against the wall. Absalom, for all intents and purposes, was not only a pervert but a rapist, and she had nightmares about what would have happened if Sanji hadn’t stopped the wedding while she was drugged.) (And Robin sometimes woke up and used her powers for anything she could, just to prove to herself that they worked, and that she could train to be strong enough to fight off anything.)
She was no blind woman, she could tell Sanji was healing not only physically, but emotionally as well along with the rest of them. Nami remembered asking Sanji what happened, his “Nothing, don’t worry about me, Nami-swan”s as he clutched his shoulder, blood dripping down onto his hand. It was an injury gained before the big final fight that had only worsened. She heard Chopper yelling at him for not mentioning a stab wound and she felt like a lot more than just a stop to a wedding happened while she was unconscious. Yes, the Strawhats felt the need to herd together, but often they dealt with their pain alone.
There were the times he looked lost, making a meal specifically for their hard-working doctor, his eyes watching a scene playing in his mind rather than the wooden door of the infirmary. Nami observed him as he plated the food, added an extra one full of meat for Luffy should the captain be awake. Most of the time, Luffy had taken to napping with Zoro. Chopper was trying his best, but since Zoro had gotten up sooner than he should have, he relapsed and needed even more bed rest. She knew Sanji was nervous each time he stepped into the infirmary to deliver food, but she still didn’t know why.
Something happened during Sanji’s fight with Absalom. Something more happened when Kuma showed up and it affected the relationship between Sanji and Zoro. Neither of these somethings had been fully processed, which was the exact reason why Nami refused to share the tragic news with Sanji. On how many home fronts could he stand without crumbling under pressure, giving in to the war surrounding him from each angle?
Nami trusted Sanij. She didn’t trust Sanji’s coping mechanisms.
There was a knock somewhere on the ship, the gentle rap of it automatically letting her know that it was the very man she was thinking about. She focused on that sound (she was a thief, and had not honed her hearing for nothing) and could hear Chopper’s familiar pitch mixed with Sanji’s low mumbles. As she inched her way closer, she could make out words.
“-left the plates by the sink, was that okay?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it… How’s the marimo doing?”
“Zoro’s made a lot of improvement! All he needs is bed rest and he’ll be fine in just about a week to walk around. Still, I don’t think it’ll be a good idea for him to fight for a while.”
“And capt’n?”
There was a silence, and Nami tried to get closer to make sure they hadn’t just started speaking in softer tones.
“Luffy is excited to go to Fishman Island, but he wants Zoro to be better first. We all need to be at our best when we cross into the New World, which means I want all of you to have check-ups until we make it there and I gotta take stock-”
“Chopper, eat. You need your strength too, don’t forget. I’ll stay here with you. I brought an extra plate for Luffy too, he’s probably still up to eat even after dinner.”
“Did you eat, Sanji?”
“Yeah, I ate before the rest of you and I had a bit at the table. Now eat, I won’t leave until I see your plate clean.”
Nami frowned at the conversation the two were having. She heard the door closing, signaling that the two had disappeared into the infirmary and there was no use in listening to that conversation.
Instead, she made her way back to the kitchen, thoughts running around her head. She couldn't do much without more information. She didn’t even know what she would do if she received news that the chefs went down with their ship. Then she would absolutely have to tell Sanji, but she knew that the head chef Zeff was incredibly strong, he had made it out of the Grand Line, out of both Paradise and the New World, alive after all which was an insane feat on its own. She rationalized away her own fears and chose to focus on the future, her next steps. There was always the chance the next day’s news coo would bring a newspaper with more information on the story. Nami decided she would have to rely on that until-
Her heart stopped. Standing by the table, hands steadily holding a newspaper but body shaking, eyes glued to that ever so tragic title, was Usopp.
Usopp turned around and looked at her, his face aghast. “Nami… This story… Does Sanji-”
Nami rushed forward and took the paper from his hands. “He doesn’t, and we aren’t going to tell him!”
“Oy, what do you mean by that?! This is his home, what if something hap-”
“Usopp! Do you think that if we got attacked by marines right now you would be able to defend the Sunny?”
“I- No marine crew would be able to stand up to me, Captain Usopp!”
“Seriously! The rest of us can hold our own, but what happens if there is a rival pirate crew and the captain is crazy strong? We’re all recovering from Thriller Bark. Zoro is in the infirmary, Luffy isn’t in the right mind to put his heart into battle right now! He’s still recovering himself from all that happened with Moria. Sanji is in the best condition out of all of them. Please, understand where I’m coming from on this.” She couldn’t say her real reasons out loud, should they reveal attachment. Never had she been able to break out of old habits, even when her attachments are strengths now instead of weaknesses. She knew, in reality, that they could handle themselves. They weren’t weak by any means.
Usopp was quiet for a long moment. Despite Nami leaving out her real reasons, she could see the understanding on his face. He was not blind to Sanji’s behavior either. As he sunk down into a chair, the emotions in his eyes took on a new layer of fatigue. “The story is real?”
“Yes. The picture is as clear as day.”
“Then we have to tell Sanji, Nami.”
“You know why we can’t.”
Another silence stretched across the kitchen as Usopp rubbed a hand over his face. “It would be dangerous, Nami, I know that. But how long are we going to hold this from him?”
“Until Zoro and Luffy get better.”
“And when will that be? Until we get to Fishman Island? The New World? We have time here, we don’t know if the Baratie cooks do too.’
Nami sat down as well, and the two of them looked at the paper she placed on the table.
“Usopp, we can’t. I… can’t. I can’t look him in the eye and tell him what happened, knowing what he would do,” she finally broke. They were pirates, death wasn’t anything new. But it always left a mark deeper than any physical scar when it was of a parent. (She thought of Bellmere, how she still had nightmares, how she could never wish this fate on another as it drove her to even take a knife to her shoulder.)
The two were silent for a while longer until Usopp picked the paper back up. “We should at least tell someone else. Robin is good at finding out information right? Maybe she can help and we can get in contact…”
Nami nodded. “She already knows too, she was the one to get the paper. I’ll ask her in the morning alright? Chances are we might get more information from another newspaper too. We’ll… work through this.”
Usopp finally agreed, seeing reason in Nami’s point that she wasn’t even sure she could see herself.
They both went to bed, hearts heavier than ever. Nami made sure to tuck the paper under her pillow, as if they left it on the table, early riser Sanji would most definitely see it and the possibility that he would take another look and see the article was too great.
Morning came and breakfast followed as usual:
Sanji spun around with his usual flourish, treating the women more favorably than the men but feeding them all the same. Luffy was there, reaching across the table in every possible direction and only stopped by Sanji giving him a plate with a mountain of food atop it. The cook himself had been feeling a strange elation since he had lifted his head from his pillow at dawn. It was rooted in his nostalgia of the Baratie ever since he had made the fried rice for Brook. He thought of how long it had been since he had made a Baratie dish and felt both saddened he hadn’t pondered his culinary roots for a while and joyful that he had grown so much as a chef and was accustomed to so many more types of cuisine.
So, the crew was treated to a traditional Baratie breakfast this morning. Sanji could almost hear the yelling of cooks in the kitchen, of Taro humming, of Zeff's peg leg hitting the wooden deck as he stepped outside to watch the sunrise. Sappy old man, Sanji thought, but he was no different. The day started early, when the sun’s light was just barely peeking over the horizon like a child who was trying to look at a countertop they were much too short to see over.
Nami and Usopp were on the opposite end of cheer. Neither had slept well during the night, as their dreams were stained with nightmares. If the Baratie, a restaurant that had stood for the majority of Sanji’s life, sunk to the bottom of the sea, then how easily could their own ship share the same fate? The pirate life was never easy, but the thought of a vessel such as the Baratie or Sunny sinking seemed impossible.
The thought wasn’t so impossible anymore, Nami thought as she picked up a piece of potato with her fork. When a ship sinks, the first priority is to keep people’s heads above the waves, and the only person here that was at risk of drowning was Sanji. She couldn’t let him know about the news.
So wrapped up in her own thoughts, she didn’t notice the very man of her pondering slipping outside to smoke a cigarette. Brook’s laugh was louder than the door squeaking open, and Luffy’s yells masked its closing.
Outside, Sanji took a slow drag of his cigarette. The sea air brought him peace in the morning. He could still hear the chaos of the crew back inside, and smiled when he heard them laughing. Making his crew happy filled his heart and there wasn’t a single better way to start a morning on the sea.
The calling of birds above his head led him to look up. A whole flock of News Coo flew overhead. Sanji sighed and dug a hand into his pocket for a coin. The World Economy Newspaper was essential to their travels, it would be a shame for them to be left without this resource just because they couldn’t pay for it.
One of the Coo landed on the railing right next to him and gave him a stern look.
Sanji sighed once more, “Okay, okay, here’s your coin. Now give me the paper.”
The Coo gave a squawk as it flew off, but the paper was in Sanji’s hands. He flipped it open with a snap, no longer worried about the birds that flew overhead. He scanned the first articles that were full of nothing but marine propaganda, which was fine considering it gave pirates names to look out for. There was nothing of extreme importance though, so he flipped through the next couple pages.
The last pages, perhaps, were most usually the least interesting and usually included follow ups from stories released the day before. The newspaper was constantly releasing stories to the public. On a daily basis there were insane happenings occurring within the Grand Line, and the further they traveled it seemed the crazier things got. The World Economy Newspaper was spread across all four blues though, so often stories from outside the Grand Line wormed their way in. Sanji wasn’t expecting much either way from the newspaper. After a while of sailing, receiving papers, being featured in said papers, and hating said papers for their descriptions of him, he grew indifferent to all of the reported stories.
Nothing, yet nothing, had emotionally prepared him for flipping to the last couple pages of the newspaper and seeing the words ‘The Baratie.’ His heart leaped in recognition! Did the old man decide to move, did someone famous visit, were the cooks receiving the attention they deserved?
A pale hand ripped the paper from him viciously. The parts of the paper he had been holding onto tightly remained in his fists, while the bulk on it now was detached.
Nami stood next to him, looking scared and rather sick. Sanji blinked. “Nami-swan, are you feeling well? Did you need the paper for something?”
She didn’t answer, too busy in folding the paper up so that the story on the Baratie was tucked out of sight. His eyes focused on the chunk missing from the sides.
“Nami-swan, may I see the paper? I promise you can have it afterwards, but there was a story about the Baratie and-”
“No! Sorry, Sanji-kun, no can do.”
Sanji was frankly surprised. “But Nami dear, the old man could have said something and-”
“I need to read it first! That’s the way it works around here.”
Frustrated, Sanji pushed a bit further. “The news-”
“Sanji!”
“I don’t understand what’s so wrong about me seeing the paper, Nami-swan.”
“I just… can’t let you read it yet. I promise it will make sense later, Sanji-kun.”
“Nami… It’s… The Baratie… I…”
“Please, Sanji-kun. For me?”
His frustration only grew, but he didn’t know where to go. For once, he didn’t bother saying anymore romantic words to the navigator in front of him, and left without saying much else. Sanji stormed back into the kitchen, unable to properly express his emotions. The crew was just now finishing up breakfast and wrapped up in a deep conversation. Robin and Usopp tracked his every movement though, and he could feel their eyes on his back.
He decided to march right through. He needed to sit down, to process his turbulent emotions. Nami was right, he knew this, but why did he feel so betrayed? It made no sense, he shook his head, she probably knew something he didn’t and had a plan, like she always does. Sanji entered the men's quarters, took a deep breath and sat down on his hammock, feeling better after he had somewhat rationalized away the odd feelings growing in his chest.
Only then, did he uncurl his fists and see the bits of paper still in his palms. Only then, did he flatten them out, in order to try to get any few words. Only then, did he see the word sink laying in his right hand.