Work Text:
Cold hands were grabbing Sanji's wrists. He struggled against them, but for some reason, he was so weak. The floor cracked and revealed a pit of water below. He trashed against the cold and clammy hands tugging on his wrist with a painful grip, but nothing seemed to work.
"Sanji."
He froze as he heard a familiar voice call out to him. His mother, Sora.
Sanji tried to call back, but he was plunged into the water which drowned out his voice and he tried to grasp for anything that could pull him out of the water. He tried screaming but it just made him lose air faster. His lungs burned and the panic settled deep in his stomach.
So he gave up. He let himself be pulled by the hands, until he realized that he wasn't in the water anymore. He was standing next to a woman, that was his mother, weeping. She was on her knees, and there was a small bottle of- Poison. Right next to her, pouring out the toxic purple contents out onto the fancy castle floor.
"Please don't become like him, Sanji..." Sora cried out, and Sanji reached out a hand to her.
"I-"
"Sanji!"
Sanji abruptly was awake, and he shot up in the hammock. He gasped for air. What was that?!
"Sanji, I'm hungry!" Luffy's voice was unusually comforting after a dream like that. He just saw his mother. He just felt as if he drowned. God, that was awful.
"Luffy, he's sleeping! Let him be!" Nami's voice cut through Luffy's demands, and Sanji got out of the hammock. The two seemed to be on the deck. The door was open, but soon Nami slammed it shut without looking into the cabin.
Sanji sighed and wiped sweat off his forehead. That was an awful dream. He went and took a bath, and then headed to make sure his hair was alright. He stepped in front of the mirror, and dropped his comb. What. Why.
His hair was growing black. He had clear black roots. Those can't be natural. They're far too long for one day. Oh god. Does that mean- No way.
Sanji stared at his reflection. He looked otherwise normal. But his hair. Why was it growing black? He had always had blonde hair, so why did it start now?! No. It must be because of the raid suit. He knew the enhancements came from it, but if his hair is changing, will everything else?!
(_)
Sanji sat at the table, looking grim, feeling even worse. If he lost his emotions, he would-
"Sanji? Is everything okay?" Robin asked, and he lifted his head to smile at her. She was standing near the table, looking quite concerned.
"I'm fine, Robin-chan!" He grinned, but Robin didn't seem to believe him.
"Are you sure? I noticed your hair is different, and you don't look very happy. Is this about you being invulnerable?" She asked.
Sanji sighed.
"I hope it's not." Was all he simply said.
(_)
"What's with the hair color?" Marimo asked grumpily as he sat eating his lunch. Luffy's eyes flickered to Sanji's hair, and he looked confused.
"Wait, are you not a natural blonde?" Luffy asked, while stuffing the food in his mouth.
"No, I am."
"You looked normal yesterday. That couldn't possibly had grown in one night." Usopp commented, nervous. Nami nodded.
"Oh, Sanji, I can do a checkup if you need it!" Chopper chimed in.
"I don't think that's necessary. I think it has something to do with my genetics and the raid suit. Just like how I'm invulnerable now." Sanji explained, and Chopper nodded. The eating continued and they chatted along.
"But that might mean I'll become like them." He added, and silence followed. The color drained out of Luffy's face. Nami turned paler than a sheet. Marimo made a face.
"That's not funny, Sanji." Usopp shivered, but Sanji kept on chopping up the tomatoes, silent. The room was frozen for a second.
"Cook, you can't possibly mean that you would become like- Like- Those cold-blooded kille-"
"I know what they are, Marimo! That's I'm worried about!" Sanji snapped, and Marimo snapped his jaw shut. There was a clang and the knife Sanji was using bent as it hit his fingers. Of fucking course.
He put down the knife and walked out of the room.
He can't become like them.