Chapter Text
Sanji woke up with a gasp, followed by a hacking cough. His lungs (not the most well-cared-for part of his anatomy at the best of times) felt like hunks of bleeding raw liver doused in Usopp’s favorite hot sauce. Oh right, he recalled. I almost drowned TWICE today! Assuming it even still is ‘today’. Shit. Where’s…
A flailing foot hit something rubbery, which mumbled: “Nggahgh. But Sanji, I’m huuuungry!”
Meanwhile, his hand smacked against a snoring face. The warm presence behind him rolled over and wrapped a large arm around his waist. “Mmm. Pretty cook.”
OK, so THOSE two idiots are alive, at least! Which means the fuzzy lump under my elbow is probably… He opened his eyes and blinked to focus. Yep. Chopper. But where the hell are we? And…What the fuck!
The cook struggled to disentangle himself from the “clinging vine” (as he sometimes referred to his boyfriend) and sit up. “Oi! Wake up, Mosshead! You too, Luffy! This is NOT the time for a cuddle!”
“Urggh, what’s got your panties in a bunch?” Zoro groaned.
Luffy rubbed his head, where the cook's bare heel had struck it for a second time. “Yeah, why are you so grumpy?!”
“That’s part of it, moron! I don’t know where the hell we are, and we’re wearing different clothes!”
Well, that at least snapped Zoro into full alertness, and had him reaching for his swords…which weren’t there!
“Oh, Sanji-chin!” a familiar cheerful voice said. “And Luffy-chin and Zoro-chin! You’re awake!”
“Camie?!” The cook’s state of red alert dialed down to amber at the sight of the green-haired mermaid. And a…halfway underwater kitchen? “What’s going on?”
“And where are my damn swords?!” Zoro rumbled.
“Sorry, Zoro-chin!” Camie said, before Sanji could reprimand him for using that tone with a lady. “I thought you’d sleep better without them. They’re over there.” Camie waved a hand at a set of racks, which also held the fluffy jacket Sanji had last been wearing, and an assortment of other items.
The room was, Sanji realized, intentionally half submerged, allowing the mermaid to swim around freely while also operating the stove (among other things, no doubt). What a clever design!
“Did you change our clothes?!”
Sanji couldn’t help laughing at how much like an affronted maiden the swordsman sounded. “Mossy, it’s fine.”
“Figures you’d say that!!” Zoro huffed.
“Oi, what’s that supposed to mean?!”
“Oops!” the mermaid waved her hands apologetically. “I forgot humans could be sensitive about things like that! It’s just that you were all soaking wet and unconscious after your ship crashed through the bubble wall – I thought you’d be uncomfortable if we left you like that, so Papagu sent over some shirts and things from the shop! I hope I didn’t do the wrong thing?!”
“No, y’r right.” Chopper sat up, rubbing his eyes with one small hoof. “Sleeping in wet clothes c’n lead to a chill and…Camie?”
“Yep. Seems like she found us!” Sanji patted the little doctor’s head, while he turned to Zoro. “See, mosshead? She did the right thing – Chopper approved.”
The swordsman crossed his arms and scowled. “You were the one freaking out at first!”
“Yes, but now we have context.” He beamed at Camie. “Thank you, my dear!”
“Yeah, this shell bed and the shirts are super comfy!” Luffy added, bouncing on the cushions. “I feel lots better!”
Sanji jabbed the swordsman with his elbow.
“Thanks,” Zoro grunted. “Did you find our other crewmates too?”
“Uh huh! Well, really it was Hatchi who saw the crash. He called me and Papagu. Your other friends are staying with my friends Luna and Mamiko from the mermaid café.”
A weight lifted off of Sanji’s heart.
Luffy grinned, echoing the feeling. “That’s great! Say, do you have any food?”
Camie smiled back and swam over to the kitchen area. “Of course! I made a big pot of cold seaweed soup to warm you up!”
Luffy’s face screwed up at the lack of mention of any meat, while Zoro blinked at her in confusion. “You want to warm us up…with cold soup?”
The mermaid’s jaw dropped. Then she began to sniffle. “Oh no! I did the wrong thing, didn’t I?!”
“Not at all!” Sanji said quickly, with his best gallant tone. He picked up a ladle and started helping to dish it up. “I’m sure eating your cooking will warm our hearts perfectly! WON’T IT, captain? Mosshead?”
Zoro caught the undertone of ‘make the lady cry and you’re sleeping on the couch!’ and hurriedly took a bowl. “Uh. Yeah. Sure. I like seaweed. Ate it all the time back home.”
The mermaid brightened up. “Really?”
“Seaweed is really healthy, too,” Chopper said, tucking into his bowl. “Lots of vitamins and minerals.”
Luffy still looked vaguely mutinous…but food was food. After gulping down a bowl and realizing that, despite being vegetarian, the flavor was actually pretty good, the Straw Hat captain was cheerfully requesting seconds, much to their hostess’ delight.