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Blow after blow were traded between the green haired swordsman and the Y/H/C woman in front of him. His attacks were strong and determined as she continued to block with her daggers. Sweat poured from her forehead as she blocked and swung in response to his attacks, their training going on for well more than an hour now.
“Tired already?” Zoro teased, swinging the sword in his left hand at her.
“Of course I am.” Y/N panted as she blocked him. “Not all of us have the strength or endurance to bench like a thousand pounds.” she continued, making Zoro grin at her.
Suddenly, a leg came flying through the air and planted itself into the side of Zoro’s face. Their sparring session getting cut short. The blonde cook of the crew now stood in his place, berating him for attacking a woman.
“What the hell did you do that for you shitty cook?” Zoro yelled at him.
“How dare you attack such a lovely lady! they should be treated gently.”
“She asked me to spar with her!”
“That’s no excuse!” Sanji yelled back before coming up to Y/N and grasping her hands in his own.
“Did that marimo bastard hurt you my lady?” He said with hearts in his eyes. Y/N rolled hers and pulled her hands away.
“She’s fine swirly-brow. Even girls need to know how to fight.” Zoro huffed.
“I wasn’t asking you moss-head! And of course they don’t. I will protect all of the lovely ladies!” He declared.
“Stop it, both of you.” Y/N sighed “Zoro is right Sanji. Women need to learn to fight too. You can’t always protect us and a lot of us don’t need protecting.”
“Ladies are gentle flowers and should be treated as such.” The cook said, not seeming to hear anything she was saying.
“Really? Because, everytime you’ve been beaten bloody, it was by a woman. That gentlemanly charm will be the death of you one day when one of your ‘lovely ladies’ runs you through.”
“Aww, Y/N-chan is so cute when she gets all serious!” He gushed at her.
“Are you even listening to me?” She asked angrily. The cook simply continued to fawn over her and she turned to her sparring partner who decided to move away from the scene and sit up against the wall of the ship for a cat nap. “Zoro tell him.”
“He’s your problem now.” Zoro told her with a yawn.
“Gee thanks.”
Y/N sighed and wiped sweat off her brow as the over-enthusiastic chef asked her if she wanted him to make her a drink or snack. She watched as she danced about with hearts in his eyes, thinking of when she actually enjoyed the attention he was giving her. Even she had to admit he was handsome and he was very good at making a girl feel loved and appreciated but, he took it so far. He talked this was to every woman he saw. So much so, his words lost and value when spoken to her. Y/N stopped taking his compliments to heart and just brushed them off as Sanji being Sanji, a pervert.
She remembered falling for his charm when they first met. His words made her feel special and make her heart flutter in her chest. The feeling was soon extinguished however when she met the other women in the crew and he gave them the same attention. Nami and Robin seemed very used to it, ignoring it as she was doing now. Even so, it kind of hurt when she realized she wasn’t special anymore. Not when there was another pretty face in the room.
“Sanji, stop. Seriously, you’re going to get hurt one day acting this way.” She told him sternly. The hearts wouldn’t vanish.
“I know you would never hurt me Y/N-chan!” He said giddily, spinning in a circle in some weird love dance.
Finally, having enough of him not listening to her, her temper flared and she unsheathed one of her daggers. The blade cut through the air and sliced superficially into the skin of the love-cook’s cheek. Sanji’s actions immediately halted and he stared at her in shock.
“Y-Y/N-chan.”
“Don’t think that just because someone is pretty it means they won’t hurt you. Not all women are kind and gentle souls. A woman will kill you just as easily as a man or in your case much easier. You need to stop or you are going to die!” She screamed at him, attacking him again. This time he easily avoided her attack and kept on doing so as she continued her assault.
“AH! Y/N-chan is trying to kill Sanji!” She heard Chopper cry out. All other heads on the deck turned their way and a pair of long arms wrapped around Y/N’s middle, pulling her away from her target.
“What are you doing Y/N?!” Her captain exclaimed as he held her.
“Let me go! That idiot pervert needs to learn to fight women!” She yelled, struggling futility to get out of Luffy’s grasp. Sanji calmly walked over to them, lighting a cigarette and blowing out a plume of smoke.
“I’m not going to fight you Y/N-chan.” He said seriously. The hearts finally gone.
“Why, because I’m a woman?” She spat.
“Yes.”
“Ugh!” she cried in frustration trying to get out of the captain’s hold again.
“Why are you so angry Y/N? Sanji is just doing what he always does!” Luffy said to her, confusion in his voice.
“Just forget it!” She screamed. Her teeth came down and sunk into the rubber man’s arm, making him release her. She climbed up into the crow’s nest and shut herself in.
“What was all that about?” Nami asked curiously, looking up at where Y/N ran off to.
“Do you think she is okay?” Chopper asked before looking at Sanji’s bleeding cheek. “Ah! Sanji, you’re bleeding! You need a doctor!”
“You are the doctor.” Usopp told him, making him freak out more.
Y/N wasn’t sure how long she sat fuming in the crow’s nest. Nami knocked on the door a few hours ago to tell her that dinner was ready but she was too angry to eat or car, not even giving the navigator a response before she left. After she did, Y/N shoved one of Zoro’s weights over the door as to be sure she was left alone. It wasn’t until after nightfall that the upper body of Robin came through the floor and stared at her calmly.
“Guess there was no point in moving that over the door.” Y/N said, pointing to the weight.
“What is wrong Y/N?” Robin asked her.
“That stupid cook! He’s always so lovey-dovey. It’s annoying.”
“But, why did you attack him?”
“Because he never fights women! He won’t! He’s going to get himself hurt!”
“So, you attacked him so he wouldn’t get hurt?” She asked, amusement clear on her face.
“No. I attacked him so he wouldn’t get killed. He’s my nakama, I don’t want to see him get murdered by some girl who fluttered her eyelashes at him.” Y/N sighed.
“You could attack him everyday and I don’t think Sanji would fight back. That is just who he is. Maybe, you should talk to him.”
“I tried. He doesn’t care what I have to say. he just dances around and stares down my top.”
“Do you hate him for it?”
“No. Sanji might be a pervert but he’s a good person. He’s kind and trustworthy. He always makes sure we are well fed and taken care of. He’s strong and gentle at the same time. I couldn’t possibly hate him.”
“You really like him don’t you?”
“He’s cute, I’ll give him that. He is also sweet but, he’s such a womanizer. I can’t be with someone like that.”
“I understand. I think you should still talk to him. He’s worried about you, we can all see it in his face. Put his mind at rest that you don’t hate him.” Robin finally said before her clone disappeared.
Y/n sighed and stood. She moved her barrier from the door and made her way down the long ladder until her bare feet felt cool grass beneath them. She stood, staring out into the vast ocean around them. Rubbing her arms, she shivered, realizing how cold it had gotten after the sun left the sky. Moments later her shoulders were covered by a black suit jacket and she looked over at Sanji who was lighting another cigarette.
“Hey Sanji.” She greeted awkwardly.
“You’ll get sick if you stand out here like that.” He told her, exhaling smoke.
“I’m sorry I attacked you earlier.” She mumbled, not looking at him.
“I understand Y/N-chan. You were only trying to help.”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt because you wont fight back against a woman who wants to kill you.” She admitted to him. Sanji reached over and embraced the Y/H/C girl, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and holding her close to him. Y/N’s face heated up and her heart thumped against her chest. ‘Dammit why does he still make me feel this way?’ She mentally cursed herself. She brought her own arms around his middle, resting her head against his chest. She could smell smoke and the sea on him. His familiar scent calmed her, putting her mind at ease as she held him close.
“I’m sorry Y/N-chan. I’m supposed to be a gentleman and make you happy and all i have done is worry you but, I can’t change who I am. I will never hurt a lady. It is against my nature.” He whispered against her hair.
“I know but, atleast promise me something.” She said, moving her neck to look up at him. Her Y/E/C eyes looking into his blue.
“If we have to fight a girl, let me do it. I don’t trust you not to get yourself killed.” She grinned before continuing. “I love you way too much to let some bimbo take you down.”
“Y-Y/N-chan! You love me?!” He gushed, letting her go and twirling around with hearts in his eyes. Y/N smiled and shook her head, grabbing him to make him stop and getting on the tips of her toes to give him a gentle kiss.
“Shut up pervert cook. Don’t over do it. Now come on, I haven’t eaten since breakfast and I’m starving.”
“I’m coming my sweet angel!”