Chapter Text
“I’ll be back soon.” He closes the door and turns right.
The celebrations seem to have ended a while ago and only some shadows are now walking around in search of booze, company, or a place to sleep. Or maybe all three of the above.
Finally getting his bearings, he starts running in the direction of the bay where they had docked that same morning. After the past few hours, it feels like a lifetime ago when their captain had yelled about a small island on the horizon, eager about finally having the chance to set foot on land after weeks of endless blue sea.
Restock, gather information, and do some shopping. That had been the plan but, per usual, luck avoided them like the plague and the stars had decided once more to cross above their heads. Nothing new, if it weren’t for the unexpected nature of today’s unluck.
Useless. He feels completely useless at the thought that no amount of food or kicks will be of help this time. This is not the type of misadventure that can be solved with a simple fight and some bloody scrapes.
Finally getting to the seashore, he slows down taking a deep breath to calm his racing thoughts. The adrenaline of the short run is seeping away from his body and a droplet of sweat makes its way down the back of his neck. He is not out of breath nor tired. After all it had taken him only a few minutes to reach the sea.
Fear. That’s what is twisting his guts, making him sweat and constricting his lungs. Dread of not understanding what is happening and being unable to fix the unexpected problem that has invited itself into their lives without even knocking.
Not that chaos ever gives them a heads up before swirling around like a tornado and leaving them bruised and battered as they pick up the remnants and carry on to the next so-called adventure. Or gold hunting. Or country saving. Or whatever other form of mayhem their idiotic captain barges into every time they dock somewhere.
But this is different. It’s as if chaos has finally found a way to shake his insides, twisting his guts and making it impossible to breathe or think clearly.
Trying to find again the thread of his thoughts, he concentrates on walking, putting one foot in front of the other in slow calculated steps.
Words jumble once more in his mind, phrases and explanations take form and dissemble like a disorganized group of fish that are uselessly trying to school their way through the waves. Uselessly being the key word.
How could he offer any insight on the matter if simply thinking about it makes a headache pound behind his temples?
Laughter and voices.
He can hear his nakama speaking loudly as he approaches the Merry and if he squints his eyes, he can see a silhouette with a long nose and another one with a hat standing on deck. A shorter shadow with a hat and antlers starts jumping between the two, laughing at something.
They had returned on the ship and the thought makes him sigh, relieved at the knowledge of not having to run all over the town looking for them.
Steady strides. One foot in front of the other. Concentrate, damnit.
“Oi, Sanji! Where were you? The party was amazing! There was so much music and meat!” The voice stops him in his tracks. Only four long strides and he will be right next to the ship.
Raising his head, Sanji notices his captain looking straight at him. Beaming smile, arms dangling from the railings, hair softly blown by a gentle breeze. Shivering as the wind grazes his skin, he opens his mouth to reply.
He closes it, feeling like a fish out of water. He tries again, lips open and close one more time, voice nowhere to be found.
Taking a deep breath and fishing his cigarettes from the pocket of his pants, Sanji puts one into his mouth and stubbornly ignores the tremor of his hand, tightening his grip around the lighter until the flame sparks to life.
Smoke flows in front of his eyes, taken away like a small cloud by the breeze. Feeling slightly calmer, Sanji resumes walking towards the caravel. Only a few more steps.
“Sunji-kun, is something wrong?” Nervousness must have been written on his face, or maybe in his slow calculated steps. Or in the fact that his head is down while his eyes stare at the dark sand in front of his shoes.
It’s too dark to notice the seashells he hears crunching under his feet, but he can feel the eyes on him without having to look up and Sanji is not sure he can gaze at them without freezing once more.
Stopping short of wetting his shoes in seawater, Sanji finally forces himself to meet their eyes. Worried looks and furrowed eyebrows. If they find it weird the absence of swirling and compliments aimed at the two provocatively dressed ladies, no one says anything.
“Where have you been?” Usopp makes a show of staring at the horizon, his hand over his eyes as if looking for something. “Did Zoro get lost again?”
The name sends a shiver down his spine, the wind stops blowing and the world stops moving.
“Sanji. What happened?” Luffy locks eyes with him, smile replaced by a thin line.
Tell me what happened. He opens his mouth to comply, and once again he closes it, a thousand words swimming in his brain.
“Cook-san, did something happen to swordsman-san?” Azure eyes scrutinize him, searching for something, maybe trying to make sense of the chaos in his brain that is reflecting on his face.
Silence stretches for a few seconds. Or maybe days are passing by since he lost sense of time. Is he dreaming? Maybe that could explain why time is stretching and collapsing all at once. Maybe that’s why today feels like yesterday and now feels like tomorrow.
However, had Sanji really been dreaming, this terror would have already dissipated, and he would be currently sitting in his bunk, sweaty and breathless.
“Sanji-ku-“
“He fell asleep.” Is all Sanji can say, voice faltering as he interrupts Nami.
“Asleep? You mean that Zoro is unconscious somewhere? Did he feel sick? Was it something he drank or ate?” Chopper’s worried questions assault his mind like the blast of a thousand cannons.
“No. I-I mean yes, he did pass out. I-“ Deep breath. In through the nose and out from the mouth.
Words start to stumble out, cascading from his lips like water out of a broken dam.
“I don’t know what’s going on. We were walking and his face was white, and then h-he fell. T-Then this man helped, and this lady told me he was poisoned but not actually poisoned. It’s-It’s like a curse from a plant he must’ve found this afternoon when we were in the forest. I mean… I did lose sight of him for a second and he got lost as usual, but I did find him! And he was okay when I found him! B-But now he’s asleep and he won’t wake up and-”
A hand grasps his shoulder and his jaw cracks with the force of his mouth shutting closed. Copper fills his tongue from the lip he had unconsciously been biting while walking back to the Merry. It’s a nasty habit, he should really stop doing that.
“Sanji.” Luffy had jumped off the ship and is now standing at his side. A hand firm on his shoulder. Grounding.
When they lock eyes, the unwavering look on Luffy’s face reminds him just why he decided to follow him in this journey. Why he’s the captain.
“Where is Zoro?”
That, he can answer.
✽ A few hours earlier ✽
There is nothing special about this bush. Dark green leaves and red flowers he has never seen before. Or maybe he has seen it somewhere, although the colour is not quite right. For some reason, he thinks it should be blue, or maybe purple.
The red of the petals, dark and shimmering in the late afternoon light, reminds him of blood trickling down the length of a blade.
Heart-shaped fruits. That is weird and this time he’s pretty sure he has never seen berries like that before. There is no way he would have forgotten such weird fruits.
Gazing at them, he reaches out a hand, aiming for the red berries nestled among leaves and branches. An image of the cook swirling around the witch sporting delicious sweets topped with heart shaped fruits makes him snicker for a second.
“Ouch.” Stung, Zoro withdraws his hand and looks at a small bead of blood dripping from his index.
Thorns. Of course a stupid plant like this has some stupid invisible thorns protecting its stupid ridiculous fruits.
Shaking his head, he raises the offended finger with the intention of licking the blood away, but he’s stopped short of doing so by an unexpected voice.
“Oi, marimo! Did you find some long lost relative?”
Quickly cleaning the hand on his pants, he turns around to address another type of thorn, the one that keeps twisting in his side more and more every passing day.
Sanji stops a few feet from him, hands risen to light a cigarette. Without sparing a second glance at the stupid fruits, Zoro walks out from the thick vegetation.
Where did the track go? He could swear there was some route swirling around the trees. Stupid roads, always moving around him.
"How did you end up all the way here?" Looking again at the cook, he notices the smug smirk on his face.
“Getting supplies.” Zoro fixes the heavy bag on his shoulder for show, raising a questioning brow. “The witch doesn’t want to spend money, remember?”
“Hey, don’t call her that! Nami-san is doing her best to collect enough treasure to repair the Merry. You should show her more respect.” Sanji waves his pointer finger at him.
“Tsk, whatever. What are you doing here, shit-cook? And where is your bag?” Zoro looks around trying to locate the path he had been following all afternoon.
“I was tasked with retrieving you, mosshead. Everyone went to town for the festival and it’s almost sundown.” Sanji sighs. “I cannot believe I had to leave my lovely ladies to come and fetch your directionless ass.”
“Oh, right. That festival thing.” Ignoring the ongoing comments about the absence of his internal compass, Zoro finally looks at Sanji and notices that the cook is not wearing one of his signature suits.
Light blue t-shirt with golden waves drawn on the hem. Tight black pants and dark dress shoes. The bright blue and yellow remind Zoro of Sanji’s irises and hair when rays of light dance on his face, making his skin glow and his eyes sparkle.
Those blue eyes always twinkle like the waves on a sunny day whenever he is happy, usually accompanied by reddened cheeks and a wide smile. And Zoro really likes that kind of look on Sanji.
“Come on, we can still make it to the Merry and find the others before the party ends.” Unaware of being the cause of the swordsman’s distraction, Sanji turns around and starts walking away.
Ears red, Zoro quickly averts his eyes from the cook’s backside and, thankful for his strenuous meditation, he wills his mind to clear from the inappropriate thoughts that were about to clutter his brain.
Quickly shaking himself out of his haze, Zoro follows the blond out of the forest and towards the bay where they had docked earlier that morning.
Did they move the Merry in his absence? Zoro was certain he had been keeping an eye on it while gathering supplies.
“How the hell did you end up so far away on the western side of the forest? Seriously, this is impressive even for you.” Zoro simply grunts at him as they board the ship.
However, he does raise a brow when Sanji reaches out a hand, palm to the sky and slender fingers stretched towards him. Noticing his confusion, the cook points at the bag on his shoulder, before offering his hand once more.
“I will go through whatever poisonous things you got there while you go get changed. Your clothes are covered in mud, and you still have time to wash yourself. If you know how to do that.”
“Oh. Yeah, whatever.” Zoro answers lamely while passing him the heavy bag.
It’s Sanji’s turn to raise his eyebrows at the lack of retort. He watches Zoro walking away, following him with surprised eyes. He stands alone on the deck, arm outstretched, and fingers clasped around the shoulder strap. After a moment of silence, he shrugs and heads to the galley.
Rummaging through the contents of the bag he is astounded at the complete lack of poisonous items as the marimo is known for bringing back at least a mushroom or some odd fruit that would inevitably stench the kitchen for weeks.
A shiver runs down his spine at the memory Sanji thought he had finally forgotten, but he knows the smell of that hideous thing will haunt him until the end of his days.
Checking that everything is either on the counter or sitting on the table, he opens all the pockets and turns the bag upside down. Leave it to the resident algae to bring some parasitic insect into his kitchen. Not on his watch.
As soon as he starts shaking the bag, a blur of purple and blue slips out, rolling on the edge of the counter and onto the floor. Sanji blinks at it and then bends to collect the item. A flower, probably hidden in a side pocket and carefully stashed away to not crush the petals.
A carnation, if he remembers correctly. Sanji had seen a fair number of men sport the red flower in the breast pocket of their expensive suits, often offering it to their beautiful dates as a gift.
However, he cannot remember seeing one of such odd colours. Purple and blue petals remind him of the sky at dusk, the sun disappearing at the horizon while the world is slowly swallowed by darkness.
Rolling the stem between his fingers, he looks at it with a wary eye. A pretty flower, probably useless in the kitchen. Nonetheless, he puts it in an empty cupboard, stashing it for their resident doctor. Maybe Chopper will find some use for it.
✽✽✽✽✽✽
After cataloguing and putting everything away while leaving some herbs on the table for Chopper, Sanji exits the galley. As the door closes behind him, he stops, lighter frozen in front of the cigarette between his lips, heat slowly eating up his face.
Zoro is standing there, leaning with his back on the mast, arms crossed and a bored look on his face. Tight dark green t-shirt, black pants, and the overly present black boots.
The green cotton stretches on his abdomen, heightening the bulge of his arms and, unlike his usual trousers, those he’s currently sporting hug his legs just right and make Sanji wonder how he had never noticed those muscles before.
Sparkling the flame to life, he takes a drag and hopes all those unexpected thoughts will leave his body with the next exhale. Zoro takes no notice of his presence, head turned to the side and eyes lost on the horizon.
“Didn’t know you owned anything other than your usual ratty clothes, marimo.” The swordsman finally turns to look at him.
“I do.” Sanji raises a brow at the short quick answer.
After a beat of silence his eyes fall on the solitary white sword on Zoro’s hip. It’s certainly odd, almost unsettling seeing only one of the precious blades accompanying the swordsman.
Following his gaze, Zoro closes his hand on the katana. “Nami said something about scaring people away and being too recognizable carrying three swords. That money addict even said she would raise my debt if I didn’t leave them on the ship, but I’m not leaving this one here.”
Taking a long drag, Sanji nods at him. He remembers the day he met that idiot swordsman, too stubborn to stand down a fight obviously lost from the very beginning. Two of his swords had shattered, whilst the white one had survived the attack of the world’s gratest swordsman.
Its name is Wado, Zoro had told him one day. Voice reverent and silver eyes locked on the blade glimmering in the sun. Although he hadn’t delved into details at the time, Sanji knows that the katana is the marimo’s most precious possession.
Slow movements and delicate fingers.
If a few months ago someone had entered the Baratie and told Sanji he would one day sit on the deck of a pirate ship next to the infamous Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro and admire his dextrous and calloused hands gently clean a katana, he would have lit a cigarette and laughed at them. Maybe kicked their heads too. Probably not in this exact order.
However, it had happened, and Sanji is now aware of the fact that Zoro would gladly cut off one of his limbs rather than going anywhere without Wado at his side.
“Knowing Luffy, he could cause an uproar even in a quiet town like this one. Hell, he would be able to find another pirate crew to challenge in some death battle even on a desert island.” Zoro chuckles low at the comment and Sanji cannot stop the smile that appears on his own face.
After a few seconds of silence, Sanji jumps down from the ship and quickly runs away from the tide, shaking water from his shoes. He is not going to spend the whole night walking around with soaked socks and muddy shoes.
Raising his eyes from his pristine footwear, the chef looks at Zoro landing in the water and stopping to shake his head before slowly making his way to the shore, uncaring of the saltwater lapping at his boots.
“Come on, the sun is starting to set. We must hurry if we want to see the lanterns.” Silver eyes lock with his. They seem unfocused, as if staring at something over Sanji’s shoulder.
“Let’s go then.” The swordsman shakes his head again, then walks past Sanji as if nothing amiss.
The blond wakes up from his confusion and turns around, freezing on the spot. Eyes scanning the figure walking away from him, Sanji can feel his cheeks flush and he sprints ahead to surpass his shipmate mumbling about directionless marimos.
Taking one last drag from his spent cigarette, Sanji internally sighs in relief at the thought of not having to walk behind Zoro. Those tight pants leave nothing to the imagination, and he has to force himself to stop thinking about the other man’s backside and thick thighs.
Sanji mentally prays that the drinks are strong enough to make those thoughts disappear from his brain.
Glancing over his shoulder, the cook locks eyes with Zoro, silver like the steel of a blade. Beautiful, elegant, dangerous, and deadly.
Where are these thoughts coming from?
Zoro raises a brow in a muted question and Sanji whips his head around so hard that he thinks something popped in his neck. His heart leaps and, confused, Sanji puts a hand on his chest before shaking his head and quickening his step.
This town better have the strongest drinks of all the Gran Line. He needs his brain to melt and leak out through his ears.
✽✽✽✽✽✽
Having been tasked with gathering supplies in the forest, neither of them had had the chance of strolling around the only town present on the small spring island.
Sanji is currently discussing with a vendor, asking about the food on the stand and some cooking methods. Letting his eyes wander, Zoro takes in the garlands and flowers that decorate the houses and shops all around them.
The wide street is narrowed by numerous stands filled with food and drinks of any sort, while people walk around grabbing plates and cups, exchanging pleasantries, and chatting idly.
Suddenly, there is music resonating from afar and two girls who had been standing around, chatting, and giggling while glancing at him, rush away with a spring in their steps. Hands clasped, beaming smiles and joyful laughter.
Something hits his leg, and he turns his attention at the black mop of hair that is moaning at his feet. The child meets his eyes and smiles, a couple of teeth are missing but taking in the absence of tears, it doesn’t look like it’s Zoro’s fault.
A name is yelled, and the child gets up and turns around. Collecting the white bag that had fallen on the ground and muttering an apology, the kid sprints away with his friends.
“Hey curls, didn’t you say something about lanterns?”
“Mh?” Sanji turns to him, munching on something the vendor had given him as a free sample. Following his gaze, he looks at the child disappearing among the crowd.
“Ah, yes. Robin-chan said something about that. Apparently, it’s tradition for children to let lanterns float to the sky. It’s something about a pure offering in exchange for prosperity or something.” Sanji waves his hand, letting his eyes scan the crowd in search of his lovely ladies.
Zoro simply hums at the half-hearted explanation and looks around for booze. Hopefully, the alcohol will ease the throbbing pain in his head.
After the cook had joined him in the forest, Zoro had suddenly started nursing an unprompted headache that had only worsened ever since. By time they were leaving the Merry to join the festivities, an odd sense of tiredness had started to make his eyelids heavy and his muscles strain at every step.
“Have you eaten anything after lunch?” Startled by the voice, Zoro whips his head around to meet Sanji’s blue eyes.
Had it not been for the pain almost blinding him and the tiredness making it hard to keep his eyes open, Zoro would have sworn that for a second there had been concern swimming in those deep ocean irises.
He simply shakes his head and curses himself as the migraine only worsens at the motion. However, his hands are instantly occupied by a plate full of food. Fried seafood.
“Thanks.” A small smile grazes his lips as Zoro nods at his companion.
Munching on some fish, he notices Sanji slowly eating his own share of fried goods. Sailing by himself, he had often ravished his fair share of uncommon cuisine, but after days at sea with the delicious food prepared by the cook, anything else now seems devoid of flavour.
Glancing back at the cook in question, Zoro notices his blue eyes fixed on him, as if looking for the answer to an unspoken question. When he raises an eyebrow, Sanji simply smiles, seemingly satisfied by his findings, before turning back to scan the crowd.
Zoro wonders what could have been the root of the worry he had swiftly noticed in those blue orbs. After a second, he shrugs, deeming the odd behaviour as part of Sanji’s role in the crew.
As the cook, it’s surely part of his duties ensuring that no one goes hungry, and he must have been simply fulfilling his role by handing Zoro a plate and ensuring he ate enough for supper. Nonetheless, the logic of his thoughts doesn’t make the warmth in Zoro’s chest dwindle at the display of affection.
They had slowly drifted from the crowd, standing against a wall while eating in relative silence and glancing at the mingling crowd. As he mouths the last piece of fried fish, the lights suddenly go out and the music stops.
“It’s starting!” Someone yells from the crowd as the people around them gasp and start shushing one another.
Stumbling out of his stupor, Zoro notices the sudden silence around them as everyone gazes at the sky behind the building he is currently leaning against.
In the dark, Zoro turns around and takes a few steps back. The cook is at his side and their shoulders bump slightly against one another. Without a word, Sanji takes the empty plate from his hands, setting it down on a nearby table alongside his own.
Nodding his head in mute acknowledgment, Zoro turns his attention back to the sky. Straining his ear, he can hear some slow music coming from afar, probably where the lanterns are being lit by the children.
In fact, distant lights are slowly appearing from behind the rooftop, and everyone is watching enraptured the lanterns floating towards the starry night.
“Have you ever seen something so beautiful?” Zoro turns his head towards the whisper. People seem to have multiplied as more townsfolks fill the main street to admire the spectacle.
His cheeks flush slightly when he notices that his entire side is pressed against the cook, arms and legs pushed together by the people surrounding them. However, the blond seems completely unaware of anything, nose turned upwards to take in the view.
Lips slightly open in a tender smile, blond hair turned gold, blue eyes sparkling in marvel. As more lanterns appear, Zoro cannot help but notice how Sanji’s hair is slightly curling at its ends, while the lights dancing in his pupils remind him of sleepless nights spend on watch, the stars reflected on the crests of dark waves and lighting the ocean all around him.
As he admires those features softened by wonder, Zoro is suddenly reminded that Sanji is no more than a boy who decided to sail towards a dream bigger than himself. Just like him. But, unlike himself, Sanji is a pure heart among thieves, a white rose surrounded by bleeding thorns.
Zoro is happy to have him as a crewmate, but he cannot stop himself from wondering if a pirate’s life is appropriate for someone that wears his heart on his sleeve and doesn’t shy away from helping an innocent vexed by misfortune.
Suddenly aware of the inappropriate amount of time spent staring, Zoro scolds his face and turns to gaze at the lights floating away. A gentle smile melts on his lips against his will as the image of Sanji’s wondrous gaze takes its own special place into his memory.
Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Zoro feels himself blushing as his eyes fall onto Sanji’s lips. The cook suddenly turns towards him, a quizzical look washing away the boyish gaze. Ears burning and eyes widening, Zoro can only utter a quick answer at the forgotten question.
“Y-Yeah, it’s really a beautiful view. Breathtaking.” He knows he’s not talking nor thinking about the lights.
“That’s not what I asked, marimo. Did you get lost in your own head?”
✽✽✽✽✽✽
“Oi, marimo, stop drinking and don’t get lost. If we go where there is still food, I’m sure Luffy will be there. Probably someone else too, to make sure he doesn’t end up eating the whole town.”
After the lanterns had flown so high that it had been arduous to distinguish them from the constellations in the sky, the light and the music had returned and people had quickly resumed drinking, eating, and mingling about, some handing plates and mugs to any passerby that glanced their way.
Intent on finding their crew, the cook is leading them along the main street, turning at any mention of redhaired women and men with an incredible appetite.
Zoro is walking with a whole jug of beer in his hand after a woman had smiled at him and shoved it into his chest as he passed by her stand. Zoro, never one to turn down free booze, had simply nodded in her direction and continued walking behind the blond.
However, his pain is deepening at every step, and his eyes are now wandering up and down the cook’s sultry legs. And maybe his rear too. Zoro is a weak man, and a sick one too given the pounding throb hammering at his brain from inside his own skull.
Tilting his head back to drink some more beer, he hastily notices the absence of liquor and discards the empty jug on a random table.
Turning to follow the cook, Zoro stops in his tracks and shakes his head before pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing his eyes. No matter how many times he blinks, there are still two Sanjis walking away from him.
Willing his feet to move, Zoro gazes around and takes notice of the blurry lights and muffled voices while pain doubles behind his eyelids, suddenly heavy from unprompted sleep.
Never in his life had he felt so drowsy and sleepy, not even when he was fourteen and had drunk a whole bottle of sake by himself for the first time in his life.
Nothing he ever felt could compare to the sudden heaviness of his muscles and confusion making his thoughts swim blurrily in his head. Fear starts twisting his guts and Zoro tries to accelerate his steps to catch up with the cook.
Fighting against the pain of his sore muscles, Zoro concentrates on putting one foot in front of the other and, once he’s finally close enough, he slowly raises an arm to grab Sanji’s shoulder while forcing his eyes to stay open.
“S-Something’s wrong.” His own voice echoes weirdly in his brain.
All around him sounds and noises are distant and muffled, as if he’s suddenly surrounded by water.
“What? Who is it?” Unaware of the other’s pain, Sanji looks around for any sign of threat.
Sleep. Zoro desperately wants to sleep, and his body is shutting down without his consent.
Panick grips his heart, and his stomach drops at the realization that he is not in control of his own body and Zoro can feel a tingle in his fingers that starts crawling up his arms. Strained, he focuses on lifting his other arm and putting his hands on Sanji’s shoulder.
“I ca-ca-” Tongue heavy in his mouth and lips tingling, Zoro shakes his head in a desperate attempt to dissipate the haze.
It’s not working, and darkness is now creeping at the edge of his vision. Blue fills his eyes when Sanji finally notices his distress.
“What’s wrong? Hey, mari-whoa! Careful there.” Strong arms encircle his waist as his knees buckle and Zoro cannot feel his legs.
His eyes are unfocused, and everything is a blur of lights and colours dancing in front of him. Blue and yellow fill his vision as a distant voice yells something, a question he cannot understand.
“Did…ink some…weird?”
Zoro can feel his grip loosening as reality starts slipping away from his mind. His eyelids keep shutting against his will.
“San-ji” The name comes out in pieces between his gritted teeth. “I-”
A blurry face with golden hair and deep blue eyes.
As Zoro gives himself up to darkness, that’s the last thing he sees.