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The morning was always the same for Sanji. Wake up, have a cigarette, shower, and start morning prep. This one was much of the same. He was up just before the sunrise, feeling the early morning chill as he freed himself from the confines of his bed and grabbing his pack of cigarettes from his nightstand.
The suit he pulls from his wardrobe is simple, classic black and the blue pinstripe shirt he favours. The rest of his routine flew by in a haze as he woke himself up for the day.
Zeff was a grumpy bastard, as usual. He’s snippy as Sanji is chopping the food for entrées and stomps about the place just to make sure they all know he’s there.
“The carrots are too thick.”
Sanji, arguably, is just as snippy when it comes to Zeff. He tuts, side eyeing his father. “No they’re not, you old bastard.”
“I wouldn’t serve those even if it was the only thing we had left.” The old man grumbles, and shoulders the blonde out of the way to take over. “Move.”
“Oi! No, that’s my job!"
“Well you’re clearly not good at it. Go see if we need to replenish stock, brat.”
Sanji pauses, trying not to bite back at Zeff. He huffs in annoyance and takes off his apron to do as he’s told, albeit with more theatrics than necessary.
That’s how they’ve always been, really. Sanji’s a firecracker, and Zeff knows exactly how to light him up. He also knows how to piss him off.
Which is why he’s stuck in the chiller, taking stock of the fruit and vegetables instead of doing what Zeff literally trained him to do. It’s cold enough to be slightly uncomfortable, but still warm enough that he’s not going to catch his death.
This day is going to be the fucking worst.
—-
Yeah. Today sucks.
Some shitty marine decided to be a smartass and then proceeded to waste food. Sanji’s patience has been tested enough as he holds this pink haired prick up with his bare hands, spitting into his face without shame.
“Provoking a cook is suicide at sea. Remember that.”
The guy trembles in his grasp, and ultimately Sanji decides he’s had enough, dropping him into the mess on the floor. The marine sputters, red faced and utterly embarrassed in front of his date (that was completely out of his league, if you asked Sanji).
If that whole fiasco wasn’t enough, some idiot kid decided to blow a hole in the roof of the restaurant, almost taking out the living quarters entirely. He’s got rubber for brains and not a lick of sense in him, and Sanji hopes he can kick some in there so he can wash a dish and not smash them.
He’s called Luffy, and apparently, he’s going to be the next Pirate King. That’s so not happening. The kid is dead set on Having Sanji be his cook too.
Again, so not happening.
Just as he goes into the back to let Patty and Carne deal with the marine’s mess, the doors slam open and in come the rowdiest bunch of teenagers Sanji has ever seen. He pays them no mind, going back to do his actual job as Sous Chef before Zeff can kick him out to the front again.
Sanji gets to seasoning the next few dishes to be served, trying to decompress from the absolute shitshow of a day he’s having. He never gets any peace though, as the idiot rubber kid comes bouncing over, not a care in the world for boundaries and volume.
“Sanji!” Luffy shouts, “You gotta meet my crew!” He hurries past the blonde in a flash, trying to grab his arm.
“Yeah. Absolutely not.” Sanji scoffs and pulls the kid’s hand off of him, deliberately trying not to question why it’s sticky .
“You’re my cook! You have to!”
“Like I said, I’m not your cook, and I’m not leaving the Baratie.” The chef turns, going back to his original station.
“He’s yours if you want him. Been a thorn in my side for years now.” Zeff grumbles.
“Hey! You know why I can’t go.”
“I know why you can, you little shit.” He pointedly looks Sanji in the eyes, “Now go and wait tables before I kick you out by force!”
Sanji sighs, “Fine.”
Luffy laughs, “Sanji! You have permission, c’mon!”
“No, I have to work- oi!” The kid unashamedly drags Sanji towards the front of the restaurant, still laughing, with the blonde fighting back at every chance he can get. “Luffy, what the fuck- let me go!”
He’s taken to the table where Luffy’s supposed crewmates were.
“Here! That’s Nami, our navigator. And Usopp is a sharpshooter! Best I’ve ever seen!”
Nami is way too beautiful and smart to be with these guys. Usopp looks like he’s scared to even order. Then Luffy introduces him to Zoro.
“Zoro’s my first mate! He’s really strong- oh! When I first met him..”
As he looks at the man, it feels like time stops. Luffy’s words start to fizzle out as his ears start to ring. He registers Zoro standing up to approach him, and the moment he reaches out to make contact with the other, Sanji’s vision whites out.
—-
“It’s time. Wake up, my darlings.”
The voice sounded sweet, with a rasp of age and kindness. Sanji has no idea where he is, or what’s going on. The space he’s in is pure white and seemingly endless. It’s a vast blank fiend of white, stinging his eyes as he tries to find something new.
To his right is Zoro, who seems to be looking around for the same reasons as himself. The sharp edges of the man before him soften as he sees Sanji- a familiar face, yet not familiar at all.
Then, she appears. An old woman, wrinkles aged with time and grace, and hair a grey so deep it almost matches the steel shade of Zoro’s eyes.
Wait.. why does he know that?
“Oh, it sure is lovely seeing Soulmates unite. I’m forever grateful for this job.” She coos, approaching the pair with clutched hands. Sanji swears he can see a glimmer between her closed palms, but he could be mistaken. Is she holding something?
“What are you on about, lady?” Zoro goes to reach for his swords, but belatedly realises they’re not there. A flash of panic appears on his face, but disappears as soon as it arrives. He clenches his fists instead.
“Soulmates? Like in books?” Sanji asks. There's no way this is a real thing. This has to be a dream, some kind of stress-induced side effect from the absolute mess that today has been.
“You two,” She looks between them with a gleaming smile, “Are soulmates. Bound by a higher force to blend together seamlessly. You perfect each other, take pride in having the other by your side, falling into the other's arms because you’re meant to.”
She comes closer, unclasping her hands to reveal two necklaces. One thick, gold and steel with a crystal in the centre as blue as Sanji’s fabled ocean. The other is thin and silver, with a charm matching the droplet of Zoro’s earrings.
“These are yours. Only when you complete our assessments will you be granted the Soul Necklaces. If you fail, the bond will be broken, and you will be eternally incompatible.”
She takes the necklaces and places them in her robes. The old woman then takes each of their hands, and their vision blacks out.
—-
Sanji wakes up in his bed on the Baratie. Was that a fever dream?
He stands up and searches around his room for something that can help him recognise what happened at all . On his desk lies a small little note, written in soft cursive he doesn’t recognise. There’s a simple pen next to it, and he picks both up as he reads the note
It’s time. Send him a message on your skin, my lovely.
On his skin? So this was real? The events of the half day seemed like they never even happened. He has a soulmate? Soulmates are real?
Without thinking, Sanji takes the pen and writes on his left hand.
Where are you?
He then proceeds to get ready and go to work.
Zoro doesn’t even notice the message on his skin until he’s handing in another bounty to the Marines. He tosses the hefty bag over to the base, and sees the neat penmanship on his hand.
He’ll read it later, once he’s settled in to eat at a bar.
The bar he found was equal parts sketchy and dingy, which fits him perfectly. The food is good enough, and as he takes his tankard of ale he reads the message on his hand.
He supposes he should respond, if yesterday was even real. He didn’t write that message, and somehow he found a stray pen in his pocket, so that must be how he has to find the guy. Replying on his right hand, he makes it as quick and short as possible.
In a bar. You in the East?
Zoro also now realises that he never got the blonde’s name at all, so decided to add that too.
What’s your name?
He barely has time to wait for a response. He can see the ink forming on his skin, going towards his left forearm.
Yeah. I’m at the Baratie, the seafaring restaurant. It’s Sanji, by the way.
Sanji. Makes sense.
I’ll make my way there in the morning.
Okay, see you soon.
After that, Zoro heard nothing. He spent the rest of his night in the same place, and found somewhere secluded enough to nap for a few hours.
Turns out, finding a restaurant on the ocean is hard. Zoro has been looking for a port since dawn, and it’s nearing early afternoon now. If the paths don’t stop moving soon he’s not going to get there before nightfall.
“Need help, boy?”
The voice startles Zoro from his thoughts. It came from an old man tending to the flowers in front of what he assumes is his front garden. “This is the third time I’ve seen you circle the village, are you lost?”
The swordsman’s hackles raise at the idea of getting lost. As if! The roads around him just keep moving, and the difference between north and south is hard to figure out.
However, he does really want to get to Sanji. He said he’ll make his way there today, and he wants to make good on that. Biting back a snarky retort, he sighs and turns to face the man fully.
“I need to get to the docks.” Zoro replies simply.
“Ah, I see. Heading out is probably best for a sprout like you, there’s nothing much happening here these days.” The man places down his gardening supplies and walks towards him, “I’ll take you there. It’s not too far, and it’s a great day for a walk.”
Zoro just hummed in response, following the man’s lead. He started talking about a bunch of stuff Zoro was too uninterested to recall, and before he knew it, the docks were right in front of them.
“Well, safe travels kid. Hope the sea doesn’t treat you too rough.” The old man claps Zoro on the shoulder, and turns around to leave.
“Thanks.” He answered, and made his way to the closest boat he could see.
The boat was a fishing one by the looks of it, and there were a couple of people hauling supplies onto the vessel. One of the guys notices him, giving Zoro a once over, eyes lingering a little at the three swords sitting on his hip.
“You here to rob us?” One of them asks. He has a Nakiri sword of his own, and the other guy seems to have the matching one. He also has a tattoo on his face, and looks pretty worse for wear. The other guy has some kind of red headgear on, with a shaved head and is in the same state as his friend.
They seem like they could hold their own in a fight, so Zoro decides that threatening them won’t be a good play to get his lift to the Baratie. “Nah, just need a ride.”
The other guy looks up from the bag he’s just loaded onto the boat and shoots him a questioning glance, “And what’s in it for us?”
“I have cash. And I want to go to a restaurant, so there will be food at the end.” He answers.
“Alright, sounds good enough.” The headgear guy responds, “Help us load up and you’re welcome to come with us.”
Zoro agrees happily, helping the two guys load their stuff onto the small boat. It was a surprise it all fit in there, really.
He finds out that the guys’ names are Johnny and Yosaku, and they’re also bounty hunters like Zoro. It gives them something to talk about, even if the swordsman isn’t too interested in chatting. They seemed fun once they opened up a little, and kept cracking jokes about things he isn’t privy to.
Johnny and Yosaku are impressed over the bounties Zoro has managed to take down in his time, and it’s already earned him their respect. They offered him some of their ale that they picked up, silently wishing he could have something to wash it down with. He hasn’t eaten since last night, and he hopes that the booze doesn’t leave him out of commission.
He told them where he wanted to go before he boarded, and they made a course for the Baratie as soon as they left, keeping the lighthearted conversation going until it hits early evening, which is when they see Zoro’s destination on the horizon.
Now that Zoro can see the place, he can’t help but think about what he’s actually doing. He knows the restaurant a little, and he knows Sanji is waiting for him.
But how will it be when they meet?
It’s not like Zoro to overthink, but this is apparently his soulmate, and this is all a test, according to the old lady. He wants to pass, especially if Luffy is so adamant on Sanji becoming their cook, and also because he can see this working if they both get the Soul Necklaces.
He decides it’s not worth the worrying, and looks to the restaurant with a small smile.
Sanji couldn’t focus the entire day. Zoro said he’d make his way here in the morning, and currently the ship is docked pretty central of all the East’s islands. It shouldn’t take him almost an entire day to get here.
Looking at his hand again, there’s still no new writing. Zoro’s scrawl was hard to make out, but it’s still legible and he is definitely reading it right. Realising he won’t be of any use in the kitchen in this state, he takes off his apron and heads to the back for a cigarette, before Zeff kicks him out involuntarily.
The air is just starting to chill as the afternoon comes to an end. Sanji fishes out his pack of cigarettes and lights one, inhaling the smoke and blowing it out to the darkening horizon. He leans against the wall, gazing blankly into the open ocean.
There’s no way Zoro bailed, right? From the little he knew of him, he didn’t seem like the kind of guy to go back on his word. And he also looked like he could take on a challenge.
Which, really, is what this whole situation is.
Maybe something happened to Zoro? Surely not though, he seems strong enough. And maybe Sanji would sense it if something did. And if he got held up, he had to have some brains to let him know. He had a pen yesterday, he’s surely keeping one on him.
Sanji inhales more nicotine, trying not to let this entire thing cloud his mind. It’s almost dinner rush and he won’t be of any help like this.
He sweeps it all from his mind and grabs the handle of the back door, preparing himself for the coming rush. There’s no need to worry about it, and if Zoro doesn’t show up today, he still has tomorrow, right?
Even through and after the dinner rush, Sanji can’t get the damn idiot out of his head. He’s still working diligently at his station, even after things have slowed down significantly. His actions are all autonomous; not even paying attention to what he’s seasoning and simmering. What if Zoro really had hurt himself?
It was probably the Soulmate thing, but the thought of it made Sanji’s stomach flip. He barely knows this guy, but he can’t stand to think of him in danger, or the simple idea of Zoro not being there. He wants to spend more time with him, actually get to know him more, and right now he’s stuck in the kitchen just waiting for the moron to show up.
“Eggplant.”
Zeff’s voice makes Sanji jump out of his skin. “What, old bastard?” He grits out, trying not to grind his teeth together.
“You’re not focusing, and the food looks awful. Get out the front until you’ve sorted your head out.” For once the old man isn’t being an asshole, so Sanji is definitely not doing a good job on hiding his inner turmoil.
With a small sigh of defeat, he does as his father says and puts his suit jacket back on to start serving customers. Maybe it’ll help him stay distracted.
Sanji mindlessly walks over to a table, not even bothering to look at who he’s even serving. He’s blunt and to the point, not bothering to put on a tone that’s even mildly pleasant. It fits the restaurant’s reputation, after all.
“I’d expect a little more of a warm welcome, blondie.” The guy was snarky, that’s for sure. Sanji looked up to see who was giving him shit and-
It was Zoro?
Sanji, in his blind rage, ended up kicking Zoro out of his chair and onto the floor.
“ Where the fuck have you been?!” No news on where he’s been since last night and he thinks he can just waltz in here like nothing’s happened? Sanji has been worried sick! “You give me absolutely no news on your whereabouts for an entire day and just expect me to wait happily? I thought something had happened to you, you algae infested asshole!”
Zoro groaned as the pain from the kick registered on his body. He was expecting Sanji to be a little upset, but he wasn't expecting him to be so.. feisty. Sitting up a little, he decides to just be honest, and see if it’ll ease some of the anger seeping from the blonde.
“I got held up.” The swordsman says simply, rubbing the sore spot on his chest. Man, Sanji kicks hard .
Sanji whips over to Zoro and pulls him up with his hands like it’s nothing. And he’s strong too. Damn..
“And you didn’t think to tell me?” The chef snaps, adding a light headbutt into the mix.
Having Sanji in this proximity is making Zoro’s head swim. Seeing his show of raw strength, the temper and somehow still managing to care is giving him all he needs to know that Sanji is definitely the one. He can feel the blood in his cheeks, and he’s pretty sure the blonde can feel it too.
Zoro tries to say something, he really does, but his words are utterly failing him. He makes a noise akin to a squeak on his last attempt and huffs in annoyance. Instead, Zoro grabs Sanji’s cheek, running his thumb across the bone and he can see the tension leave the other as soon as he does it. Sanji leans into the touch subconsciously.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” Sanji says finally, holding the hand that’s resting on his cheek.
—
Before either of them could register it, they were back in the void space where they first met the old lady. Sanji and Zoro were dropped very unceremoniously onto the white floor, both landing on their asses.
Sanji exhaled irritably, standing up and helping Zoro to his feet silently.
“You kick hard, blondie.” Zoro says. He’s impressed with how strong Sanji is. He wasn’t expecting that kind of strength for a prissy noodle of a guy, but he managed to knock Zoro to the floor with ease, and then lift him by his shirt like he weighed no more than a dish towel.
“It’s Sanji.” He answers, brushing the invisible dirt from his suit, “And I know, that’s how I fight.”
“I know that, but I prefer blondie.” Zoro smirks, trying to get a reaction out of Sanji.
He sees the anger flare in Sanji’s eyes for a moment before he raises his leg, “Well how would you prefer my foot up-”
“Well done, my darlings!” The woman sings, smiling warmly at the pair. “You did excellent. The next one may be a little disorienting, but I promise you’ll be alright.” She holds her hands out again to them, and Zoro and Sanji blindly follow her lead, holding them. “I won’t see you until the final reunion now, so be sure to take it easy, boys.”
That’s all the two were told before they were taken out of the strange realm.
—
Sanji had to block a Marine as soon as he regained consciousness.
Why the fuck was he fighting a Marine? He brings his leg up to block, but finds himself unsteady on his feet. He wobbles, and goes back to standing on solid ground with both feet, just barely scraping the heel of his shoe across the Marine’s sword.
There was a brief moment where Sanji saw his leg, and then he realised that the leg wasn't his. What the fuck was going on? His whole body felt off, he couldn't see anything on his left side, and his entire body felt heavier as a whole. Had he been body swapped?
“I have you now, Pirate Hunter Zoro!” The Marine shouted, trying to attack again with the same motion of his sword. Sanji managed to barely dodge it, making a small rip in the robe he’s wearing.
So he’s in Zoro’s body? And he’s in the middle of a battle.
This is just brilliant.
“Absolutely not, asshole.” Sanji spat, trying to swing back at the guy with his legs.
Zoro’s balance, while good for a swordsman, is absolutely useless for Sanji’s fighting style. Zoro has barely any strength in his ankles, and no flexibility in his hips, despite all the training, and throwing every single kick he does off balance.
“Curly!” Sanji hears his own voice behind him and it throws him out of sorts. He sounds like that?
Sanji looks briefly at the voice and sees his own body, absolutely out of sorts and trying to dodge bullets with a messy precision that has him reeling.
“Use my swords, you idiot!” Okay, so, from that Sanji can deduce that Zoro is in his body right now.
And he’s asking him to use his swords? Sanji’s brain is automatically registering that these aren’t the swords he has seen the swordsman with, and the aura of one of them is definitely putting him off even touching it.
Another slash from the guy in front of him, and Sanji realises that he won’t be able to get out of this. It’s not like he’s never wielded swords before, but the idea brings up bad memories of a past life and he doesn’t know if he’s ready to face that demon yet.
“Fuck it,” He mumbles to himself. There’s no openings to get a heavy kick in, and Zoro has given him permission to use them. Sanji pulls out one, Wado ichimonji, he knows, despite not knowing, and strikes the Marine’s sword head on at the next blow. He ignores the visions of being a helpless kid on castle grounds, training senselessly, and focuses on slashing the guy in front of him.
Sanji thinks absently that Zoro is definitely going to be out of depth using his body as a weapon. He doesn’t want anything to happen with his hands, but Sanji doesn’t want to see the swordsman suffer. God damn it, he’s going to have to make his body remember wielding a sword as well as his own mind.
Blindly, he reaches for another sword and unsheaths it. He throws it backwards, hoping Zoro has the awareness to catch it. “Damage my hands at all marimo and I’ll be serving you for dinner!”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever cook.” Zoro’s tone sounds dull, but Sanji’s gut knows that he’s actually taking it into account, like he’s known that for years. His Soulmate catches it, and slashes the bullets coming at him with scary precision.
The rest of the fight goes with some hiccups, but nothing that they couldn’t brush off. Once they were safe, Zoro and Sanji flop onto the grassy deck of a brand new ship that neither of them knew, and sighed in relief.
“That was a pain in the ass.” Zoro says, with Sanji’s smoky undertone. Seriously, does he actually sound like that?
“Yeah,” Sanji replies, drumming his fingers across his- no, Zoro’s- torso. He can feel a scar there, and absentmindedly runs his fingers across it. “Let me check my hands.”
Zoro rolls his eyes, but sits up at the same time as the cook to comply, “I said I wouldn’t hurt them, idiot cook.” He places his hands out to let Sanji inspect them.
Sanji was still out of sorts, not used to Zoro’s arms being shorter than his own, so it takes him two tries to grasp his own hands into Zoro’s. He notes how thick and calloused Zoro’s hands are to his own, and it was enlightening to see his own hands from a third person perspective.
He turns them over, smoothing Zoro’s fingers and knuckles for any kind of damage from the battle. Sanji’s hands feel soft compared to Zoro’s and he doesn’t know whether he should get used to the feeling or not.
One more quick look over, and Sanji is somewhat surprised that Zoro didn't even get a single scrape on his own hands. Zoro simply is that skilled as a swordsman, to the point where he can take someone else's body and fight perfectly fine, with little repercussions.
Sanji ends up laughing at the thought, and falls onto his back once again. “You need some lessons in balance, Mossy.” Sanji chuckles, the sounds of Mossy being unfamiliar on Zoro’s own tongue.
“Like you’re one to talk,” Zoro huffs, crossing his arms, instead of reaching to lean on his swords. “You have no grip strength at all.” It’s then that Zoro looks at him, smiling brightly and full of kindness, that Sanji realises what his own face looks like when he’s head over heels.
He wonders if Zoro realised the same thing when he looked back at him.
—
The next time Zoro wakes up, It’s on a soft mattress and a blaring noise through his ears. He blinks the tiredness out of his eyes and looks over to the offending sound, seeing that it was from a… phone?
Somehow he knew the term, but he also didn't. This whole Soulmate thing sure was strange. The room he’s woken up in is decorated absurdly, but somehow also something that Zoro can tolerate. It’s sundown, by the looks of it, and he has no idea why he’d be sleeping at such an absurd time.
He slams off the offending device and sits up, walking to a bathroom blindly. He knew it was his bathroom, but also, it wasn’t his at the same time. It’s like this is still Zoro, just from… a different universe? A different timeline?
Whatever it was, he’s not dwelling on it, and resolves to get ready for whatever day he has ahead of him.
He brushes his teeth and looks in the mirror, seeing a red string tied to his index finger. It’s moving a little, tugging in small gestures despite Zoro not being able to feel it at all.
So this is how he has to find Sanji. It should be fairly straightforward, especially if he’s just following a piece of string. Hopefully Sanji does the same thing so it’s easier to find each other.
His phone once again makes another offending sound, someone is probably calling him. He heads back to his nightstand and as he reads the screen it says Nami, with a photo of her and a little calico cat.
He’s still friends with her even in another timeline, that’s spooky. Zoro doesn’t really believe in divine entities, but seeing these kinds of parallels makes him think that someone had to have done this.
Either way, he swipes to answer the call, and is promptly met with Nami being mad.
“You asshole! You were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago!”
“What are you on about?”
“We literally talked about this at work last week.” Nami huffs. Zoro can feel her exasperation from here, and absolutely despises being in the crossfire. “You agreed to be my plus one to get into Doflamingo’s new place!”
Zoro can't get a word in between the witch’s angry ranting. She’s probably going to keep him in debt for the rest of his life after this. “Do not leave your apartment, I’m booking a cab for you and you’ll be here whether you had plans or not.”
“Fine, whatever.” He grumbles in response. So he isn’t getting out of it, and he probably has a limited time to get ready.
He doesn’t even know what this place is. Assuming it's somewhere he’ll have to look half decent, he frantically pulls out a clean pair of jeans and the sole button up shirt hanging in his closet; finding his only decent pair of boots and hurrying to put them on.
Subconsciously, Zoro grabs his wallet and a set of keys before running out of the apartment, nearly forgetting his phone in the process. His string has been twitching more frequently as he got changed, making minute movements left up and down like something was being… shaken? He couldn’t figure it out, but it’s not like that’s important. It's where the string leads that matters.
As he gets to the sidewalk outside, a cab pulls up for him. He tells the driver the place Nami texted him and they were off.
Sanji was surprised at how much he was being paid for this bartending job. The guy who ran the place looked shady, and gave him half of his pay in cash before he’d even started.
It was a blessing to work here though. He got to see so many beautiful women all dressed up and having a good time, as well as serving them all night. He’s very grateful.
The string on his pinky hasn’t really moved much since he noticed it. The only thing he’s noticed really is that the tension has been lifting on it, like Zoro is actually going the right way and finding Sanji.
Anyways, he’s serving this gorgeous redhead who keeps asking for whisky on the rocks and who is he to deny her? She’s absolutely stunning, wearing a red dress that was made for her, and keeping a pleasant conversation at the bar as he works. Overall, a great start to the night.
The most peculiar thing is that somehow, his string is wrapped around her wrist. He doesn’t think she can see it, otherwise she would have probably said something.
Whatever it is, she’s probably going to be the key to finding Zoro. Maybe keeping the conversation going and trying to get her number won’t hurt.
“Finally!” Nami exclaims, wrapping Zoro up in a hug, “Took you long enough to get here. Now, as punishment you’re paying for half of my tab. I’ve got a booth for us, but I couldn’t claim it until you arrived.”
Zoro just gunts in approval, knowing that whatever she says, goes.
The drinks aren’t too bad, even the cheap stuff goes down easily, so Zoro’s happy. The two of them are both going heavy on the drinks since they know they can both handle it, but Nami is starting to get a little loose-lipped and giggly, showing that she’s had a head start on the drinking. Zoro should probably order some food soon just to make sure she’s not completely gone by the time they’re ready to go.
“Oh! By the way, I was talking to this guy earlier and he totally seemed like your type.” Nami smiled, and it was that innocent, devilish smile that she used countless times to get away with things like robbery, or arson, or maybe murder. Zoro doesn’t know, but what he does know is that a smile like that means absolutely no good for him. “He’s got a pretty face, he’s tall and he has a temper too. Just the way you like it.”
She leans a little into Zoro as he sighs. “I’m not really looking for that right now, witch.”
“Well that’s too bad, since I got his number for you and all…” Nami sighs dramatically, and in a swift movement takes Zoro’s phone straight from his pocket.
This damn woman. It’s like she’s always in Zoro’s business, trying to set him up with someone, even though the string on his finger means he’s accounted for.
Looking at the string again, he follows the trail loosely to.. Nami’s wrist? It's there, and also tangling itself in her fingers that are typing in that guy’s number on his phone. That’s unusual.
As soon as she hands Zoro his phone back, all of the strings fall from the redhead’s grasp and begin to lead to somewhere else. He’s never seen that before- well, he’s never seen the red string before he woke up a few hours ago- but he digresses. That seemed unusual.
“D’you wanna order food?” Zoro asks. “I can go to the bar and order if you want.”
“Yeah, sounds good. I could go for something greasy.” Nami checks the time on her phone and opens an app Zoro doesn’t care to look at. She slides her empty glass to Zoro with a smirk, “Get some drinks too since we're empty.”
“Whatever, he mumbles, and makes his way to the bar. It’s gotten busier since they arrived, and Zoro is thankful Nami booked a booth for them. He’s not fond of crowds, and dislikes the fact that he's currently manoeuvring through a few hundred people to get to a crowded bar.
He finally gets there, with mild distaste as he was pushed about. Zoro doesn’t look up from the dirty marble of the bar until there’s some semblance of peace. He doesn’t like feeling like a sardine, and doesn’t fancy snapping at some random asshole who knocked him one too many times.
“What can I get for you, si- Zoro?” He whips his head up at the sound of his name, and his world gets spun a little, looking at the bartender.
It’s Sanji. He has both of his eyes on display, a hypnotising blue that reminds Zoro of the ocean, along with two curly eyebrows and his long hair tied up in a messy ponytail. Some things really don’t change across universes, but the hair was an absolutely beautiful surprise that he isn’t likely to forget.
Zoro tries not to show the shock on his face, clearing his throat and leaving a little heavier on the bar for balance. “Hey blondie.”
Sanji goes to reach out for Zoro's hand, but they fall into the other realm before he can touch the other.
—
“Oh, congratulations boys, you did it!”
Sanji realises that they’re still in the clothes both him and Zoro were wearing previously, despite the white plains around them. The old lady was beaming, a smile so reminiscent of youth and joy that Sanji was finding it hard not to smile himself.
She stands before them, reaching into her robes to pull out their respective Soul Necklaces.
“Now these are precious pieces.” Sanji smiles as she places Zoro’s necklace in his hands. “They will not break, or rust, or scratch.” Zoro takes the other, only his eyes telling how he’s feeling. There’s a glow to him, it reeks of victory, and happiness, and raw emotion. “They will only start to deteriorate once you lose your Soulmate.”
Instinctively, they know what they have to do. The lady steps back, keeping her distance from the pair to complete the Soul Bond.
Sanji faces the swordsman before him, clutching the necklace, hands twitching with nerves. After this, he’s going to be bound to Zoro. They’re going to be each other’s person, the one they can rely on when it’s tough, the one who will always have their back and keep them company on a cold night.
He takes a deep breath in, and Zoro turns his back to the blonde as the necklace is fastened. It hooks together easily, emitting a small light to fuse the clasp together. Sanji’s hand finds the other’s shoulder, and as Zoro turns, the blonde’s fingers trace the chain of the necklace. It’s warm already, and makes Sanji’s fingers tingle with sparks.
Sanji turns, the same as Zoro, when the necklace gets placed on his collarbones. Again it seemed the clasp was easy, and the fusing of it was painless, feeling like a soft fire in the evening.
Zoro turns him around, and Sanji is somehow surprised to see a soft smile on the man’s face.
“This is it, Curly.”
“It is.”
Their foreheads touch slightly before they’re removed from the realm.
The old woman has a watery smile as she watches them go. “It’ll never get old.”
—
“Moss?” Sanji was blinking, trying to refocus his vision.
He’s back at the Baratie, with Luffy yapping at his side, and Zoro right in front of him .
The necklace sits on his neck, the blue gem shimmering in the overhead lights, and Sanji can’t help but pull the man up for a hug.
The way the swordsman felt in his arms was something familiar, yet something brand new altogether. He was rough yet soft, and his hold was so, so welcoming. Sanji melted into his warmth, huffing a sigh as he took in all of Zoro.
“You-“
“Yeah, it’s me. You’re-“
“Mhmm, finally.”
Zoro only pulls back a little to see at Sanji’s face, lifting his fringe up, looking at both of his eyes. He’s so soft looking, with slight freckles from the sun and the sea, and a newfoundland glow that seemed to be drawing the swordsman in.
“Can I?” Zoro asks, stroking a hand across his cheek.
Sanji nods eagerly, smiling and Zoro’s other hand goes to the back of his head to pull him in for quite possibly the best kiss of his life.
It’s messy, sloppy and inexperienced, but it was also full of fireworks and simmering sparks. The feeling has them hooked, wanting more, probably needing more, but they couldn’t. The pair pull apart hastily.
They can’t while they have an audience.
“You guys are funny!” Luffy laughs, attacking Zoro and clinging to his back. It throws him off balance and he almost falls onto the floor, but Sanji just caught him in time by the wrist.
“Thanks, cook.”
“No problem, marimo.”