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The door to the cell slams shut and he tumbles to the ground, the heavy metal mask on his face weighing him down as he falls.
As he scrambles up to his hands and knees Judge is there, looming over him from the other side of the bars.
"Pathetic," he sneers, "What a useless failure you turned out to be."
Tears fall from his eyes as he lunges forward, grabbing the bars in his tiny hands as he looks up at him.
"Please," he begs, "Don't leave me down here in the dark. I can do better, please, just give me another chance."
Judge's eyes grow cold as he stares down at him, "You think you deserve another chance? After all the chances I gave you? The chances you squandered with your repeated failures?" He shakes his head, "I should have never given you a chance in the first place."
Sanji sinks to his knees, tears streaming down his face as his father walks away.
He hears a noise behind him, and turns around.
Rain is pouring down on him, the sickly sweetness of it making him gag. He looks up at Luffy, looming over him has he bleeds.
"You did this to me," he says, showing him a bloody and burned arm.
Sanji wipes the tears off his face, "I'm, I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?" he snarls. The brim of his straw hat is shadowing his eyes, making him look even more menacing, "I took pity on you and let you join my crew, and this is how you repay me?" He sneers, "Pathetic."
Sanji looks back down at the ground and clenches his fingers in the wet grass. He's right. Luffy had given him everything and he just spat it back in his face.
"I never should have given you a chance," Luffy spits at him, "What a useless failure you turned out to be."
And there isn't anything he can say in response, because he knows he's right.
Sanji woke up with a start, his body covered in sweat and tears forming in his eyes.
His whole body was shaking as he climbed out of bed, past his still sleeping crewmates and out on deck.
It was still dark out, maybe only a few hours before he had to get up to make breakfast anyway. He tried to lit a cigarette with his shaking hands, but couldn't get the lighter to catch. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath to calm himself down, and tried again. This time the lighter lit and he took a deep drag from it as he gazed out over the moonlit water.
They were a few days out from Wano, several weeks away from Whole Cake Island. He closed his eyes and gripped the railing tight. It was over and done with, in the past now. Everyone had moved on.
So why was he still having these nightmares?
Arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind, and he jumped, coughing when he choked on his next lungful of smoke.
Luffy rested his head on his shoulder and nuzzled it. "Sanji," he whined.
Sanji sighed as he relaxed slightly, taking another hit from his cigarette, "Can't sleep?"
"Hungry," he said into his shoulder, "Make me something?"
"Yeah, sure," he agreed, tightening his grip on the railing so he wouldn't notice his shaking hands, "Just, give me a minute, okay?"
Luffy stared at him for a moment, then reached up and brushed a stray tear from the corner of his eye, "What's wrong?"
"I," he stared, but stopped. He wanted to lie to him and tell him nothing. Nothing should be wrong. He should be over it, he shouldn't have to drag Luffy down with him. But Luffy had asked, and when he stared at him like that there was no way he could tell him anything but the truth.
"Do you," he paused, trying to turn his complex web of emotions into words, "regret going to save me?"
"No," he answered easily.
Sanji tensed, waiting for the 'but,' but it never came, "Not even a little?"
"No," he said more firmly, "I told you, I can't become the Pirate King without you."
"There are lots of other cooks out there," he said as he puffed on his cigarette, "You could always find another cook."
Luffy hugged him tighter, almost possessive, "I don't want another cook, I want Sanji. I need Sanji."
"But why?" He growled, exhaling a stream of smoke as he stared into the dark ocean, "What's so great about Sanji?"
"Everything." Luffy put his chin on his shoulder, "Is this about what that old guy was shouting as we left Big Mom's place?"
Sanji's teeth clenched around his cigarette, but he didn't answer.
"Because I meant what I said. I like that you cook. I like that you care. I like you. I don't want another chef because that other chef won't be you. It doesn't matter what kind of trouble you get into, whether it's with an Emperor or whatever, I'll always help you get out of it and bring you back home."
"I betrayed your trust," he said, covering his eyes with his hand, "I hurt you. Why would you give me another chance?"
"I know you didn't mean any of that," he said as he held him tighter, pulling him firmly into his chest, "I'll give you as many chances as you need. I want you here."
Sanji took a deep breath as he felt something warm settle in his chest. He turned and kissed the top of Luffy's head, "Thanks, Captain."
"Sure," Luffy said, accepting the affection with a grin and a laugh, "Food now?"
"Yes," he chuckled and ruffled Luffy's hair, "Food now. How does pre-breakfast sausage and bacon sound?"
"Yeah," he grinned and let him go, and they made their way to the kitchen, "Sounds great!"
Sanji took a deep breath as he finished his cigarette, letting the feeling of Luffy and home sink in around him.