Chapter Text
It was more difficult than he expected, keeping his composure knowing that Sanji was not with them.
When the remaining part of the group managed to reach Zou they were reunited with the crew of the Heart's Pirates and the others Mugiwaras, or so it seemed, because they all noticed Sanji's absence. That's when they knew that Sanji was betrothed to one of Big Mom's daughters and had taken him for it — although, from what Brook could understand, the whole thing seemed to have something to do with the cook's family, the Vinsmokes. While Brook and Nami continued to explain everything that happened and passed them the note that the blonde had left as a farewell, Zoro frowned harder and harder. The navigator noticed him, knowing that he would be a problem. Anyway, the skeleton musician was almost certain that Sanji would not return but Nami insisted that he had said that he would come back.The other members were also worried about what might happen to Sanji but they didn't know what options they had or what they could do in a situation involving another Yonkou.
Zoro, fed up with all the silence, spoke up.
"Who cares if we don't see him again?" Everyone looked at Zoro as if he was crazy but they let him speak whatever was crossing his mind at that moment. "We are practically, almost, involved in a damn war with Kaido and in the midst of all this thing, that idiot went to meddle in the affairs of another Yonkou. He could do whatever he wanted and he chose to leave."
"Wait, he didn't get into anything and didn't have a choice, either!" Nami spoke loudly, “also, what you say is independent of what happened to him! And you should know it!” Nami was red but kept raising her voice. “The only idiot is you, pretending that you don't care a fuck of what happens to him!”
The swordsman peered at her for a few seconds until he clicked his tongue before looking away, sometimes forgetting that the witch could be a little terrifying when she was angry. Fortunately, before anyone wanted to inquire further, Luffy started yelling that they should go ask Sanji himself what was going on.
In any case, his captain decided that the best thing would be to go in search (rescue) of Sanji because he was not going to allow a nakama to be snatched from him as if nothing and less if this was his cook. So, they went to talk with Gao, the mink who was part of the Big Mom’s pirates. After that Zoro saw Luffy pass him as he hurried out of the room.
“Oh, you were here,” his captain said when he noticed his presence. “Did you listen to everything?”
“Yeah.”
”Then, you´re worried about Sanji, right?” his captain asked with a smile.
“Don't make me hit you” Zoro replied but Luffy just laughs at it. “I told you to leave that idiot alone.”
“Sanji is our cook and is my nakama, I can’t let them keep him like nothing”
Afterwards, knowing that the Minks and the samurais were allies, they decided to separate again — temporarily. Luffy would have a group to go to Whole Cake, Trafalgar Law would lead another to Wano, Inuarashi would stay in Zou and Nekomamushi would go in search of Marco The Phoenix.
Zoro decided that going to the samurai country would be the best for him, even when his navigator seemed disappointed about his decision; she was judging him like she never had before.
That was how, the night before leaving for their respective destinations, Luffy encouraged everyone to prepare a farewell banquet.
Zoro grabbed the most bottles of rum that his hands could hold and sneaked back to the tent that the Minks had given him to rest. He sat in front of the entrance while he unstopped one of the bottles to start drinking. The first one almost finished with the first drink but he choked just before finishing. He shook off the liquid that had spilled onto his clothes and, without further delay, uncapped the aother bottle.
He sighed before drinking. He could only think of the curly-browed idiot who had gone to marry who knows what woman. Sure, the bastard was happy with the idea and didn't even think about going back to the crew. Well, who cared, he would no longer have to argue with anyone over simple nonsense like his sleep schedules, how much he drank or how hard he snored. At last he would get rid of being his pack mule every time he wanted to shop in a market and of his drooling over every woman who crossed his path. The daily fights, which served as training, would also go away but it was the least of it.
Although, perhaps, he was going to miss the onigiris that he always did not care about those night watches accompanied by cigarette smoke and Sanji's stories. Perhaps, seeing how his face lit up every time he spoke of All Blue or hearing the sound of those laughter that he only gave him when they were alone, he was going to need it.
"I assumed you were going to be around here."
Nami's voice distracted him from his thoughts. He watched as the girl took the bottle from him as she sat down next to him.
"They are all too drunk to continue drinking with me, so I came to look for you," he looked at the bottle of rum before continuing. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"
"You're going with Luffy, you'll be fine."
"But I don't think you were," she replied. Zoro tried to take the rum from her but she wouldn't let him. Nami kept talking, although the tone of her voice sounded annoyed. "You should go and you know it."
"You shouldn't care what I should or shouldn't do,” he said before muttering something about her returning the bottle to him.
"Stop being child," she yelled at him, "You and Sanji have had things pending for a long time, so don't try to play dumb about all this."
"Witch, stop putting yourself where no one calls you."
"I go wherever I want and, I repeat, you should come with us to find Sanji. You two could have a chance to talk"
"Enough.”
Zoro got up. He ran his hands over his face and even hit his head a couple of times before turning his back on Nami.
"It'll be better if I don't go," he gives a little chuckle. "I understand that you do not want the same thing to occur as happened to you in Alabasta but you are enough to bring it back, just... don't delay."
Zoro entered the tent not without first hearing how all that talk was going to cost him a good amount of berries. And yes, the witch was right, he was just trying to avoid the fact that Sanji was not there.
Zoro knew he was feeling like he was betrayed by Sanji. The cook had let himself be taken away so easily that it made his blood boil just thinking about it, but he also couldn't stop thinking that if he had just been there, Sanji would still be with the crew — safe.
Perhaps they could talk when he got back.
Perhaps, then, he could understand why he felt his heart falling to pieces thinking of him.