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Chapter Text

“Tighten the sails so they don't get wet!” Nami ordered, watching the Straw Hats flit around the deck as they approached the large waterfall in front of them. 

Nami steered the Sunny forward at a leisurely pace within the cove, the pirates watching the sides of the ship like hawks as the vessel approached shallow waters. “There’s a sharp rock pointing out from this side.” Usopp warned with a shout, and Zoro strode across the deck, glancing off the side the sharpshooter had pointed, to cleanly slice through the stone protruding from the crystal blue water.

The waterfall gushed in full force ahead of them, the continuous sound drowning out the Straw Hats’ voices as they got closer. “Get inside!” Franky shouted to the crew, his sigh of exasperation lost as the captain, and subsequently the rest of the crew stayed firmly planted on the deck, looking up at the forceful cascading patterns of water with awe.

When the front tip of the ship reached the downward stream, the ship tilted forwards ever-so-slightly. The rest of the ship was quick to follow, and soon the entire crew came out of the other side of the fall, completely drenched in water. The force of water had knocked Luffy, Chopper, and Brook into a shared heap in the middle of the deck, the three of them giggling happily to themselves.

“Woah.” The skeleton looked up, fully taking in the chamber of the cavern they had entered. It was the perfect place to hide the Sunny, especially given the presence of the marine ships in the main port of the island. 

The water surrounding the ship was a light turquoise, and Sanji leaned against the railing to watch a small school of fish flit around the ship’s hull. Small patches of light came in from overhead, the thin beams surrounding the Sunny, lighting the chamber up completely. It was a small space, but large enough for the ship to turn itself around, just as the locals at the port had suggested.

“I can’t wait to explore the island! It’s so pretty.” Chopper said, and everyone made their way to form a small circle in the middle of the deck as Nami pulled out the straws in her back pocket.

“It seems that everyone wants to explore, which means that we would need to draw straws on who watches the ship.” Nami arranged the straws in her fist, pausing when Sanji shook his head. Sanji hadn’t taken the ship watch in a long time, and this cavern was as good a rest spot as it was going to get, so he had no qualms with taking his turn.

“I can watch the ship this time, Nami-swan!” Sanji suggested, to which the red-head raised her eyebrows and put a hand on her hip.

“Who’ll get the groceries then? We’ll only be here for 2 days.” Nami asked, and Sanji shrugged, pointedly looking at Usopp as he handed the man his list. Usopp was reluctant to take it, but in the end decided it was the better option than taking the chance with pulling straws to stay back.

Sanji watched his Nakama gather their things then walk down the gangplank, treading carefully on the wet stones lining the edge of the cave. They disappeared up a staircase on the far wall, leaving Sanji alone with the steady faraway sound of the waterfall.

~ . ~ . ~

It didn’t take Luffy long to find the local that had pointed the Straw Hats in the direction of the hideaway cave from the docks. The stout woman, Maria, waved happily upon seeing the captain, leading the group of pirates around town and eventually into her tavern on the coastline on the port town’s edge.

By the time Usopp had gathered all the supplies on Sanji’s list and Chopper had restocked on supplies, the clear blue sky had transitioned into dark storm clouds, and the Straw Hats finally ducked into the small establishment for a moment of reprieve from the rain.

Robin let out a small sigh of relief as she settled into one of the couches beside the fireplace, looking outside of the open doors to the furious rainfall outside. Usopp set down his bags of groceries before plopping down beside her, joining the reindeer in begging Nami for a round of hot chocolate for the group.

Nami sighed, then nodded, turning to Maria to place her order. The Straw Hats watched her go, eager for their drinks after a long day of travelling outside.

Maria’s children ran around the tavern, their laughter ringing around the small space as they played. Brook’s gaze followed them endearingly for a moment before being drawn back to the Straw Hats’ conversation.

“Maria’s nice! She stuck by us the whole day, giving us a tour of the island.” Franky noted. He pressed his nose to change his hairstyle into a buzz cut, running his large hand on top of his head to dry off the wet layer that remained.

“Maybe. I think she just wants business from us staying at her tavern overnight. Quarters for nine people isn’t cheap.” Nami grumbled, and she let out a long suffering sigh as she glanced back outside, as if trying to will the storm away.

“Still, I wouldn’t wanna go out there again. It's pouring.” Usopp whined, and he glanced pleadingly in Nami’s direction, watching her carefully as the navigator put her hands on her forehead.

The Straw Hats, now all sitting in a small semi-circle around the fireplace of the tavern, turned towards the entrance when a large group of men in white uniforms entered the building. The Straw Hats’ expressions ranged from unperturbed to distraught at the sight. 

“Marines.” Nami murmured silently, and Luffy straightened his back when the man at the front of the group locked eyes with him, immediately striding over to the group.

He was tall, the front of his uniform unbuttoned to reveal his toned body, and his black hair was greasy and long enough to touch the top of his shoulders.

Zoro reached for his swords, tilting his head curiously to the side when the marine stopped a short distance away, his eyes flicking from pirate to pirate. He said nothing, his lips tightening into a thin line as he assessed the group.

Maria walked over with the drinks, halting in place once she spotted the marines, and she glanced between the two groups, unwilling to step forward with the tension in the air.

Unconcerned, Luffy stretched his arm over to grab his drink, easily bringing it to his lips and jerking away when he burned his mouth. “Ow ow ow ow,” he rushedly put the cup down to fan his lips, the marine visibly losing his patience when he finally spoke up.

“Monkey D. Luffy. Is this your whole crew?”

It was an interesting choice of question, one that took Zoro by surprise. Usually, marines would be up in arms as soon as they saw the pirates. The ones who looked the other way did just that, deciding to ignore their presence, since it was obvious who would win the fight.

“Nope.” Luffy answered easily, his attention more on the cup of hot chocolate than the man trying to make conversation. The other Straw Hats kept their attention on the marines, some of them ready for an impending battle, while some of the younger ones sank deeper into their seats from the day’s exhaustion.

Luffy blew loudly into his cup before taking another large swing of his drink, drawing away from the glass once more as the pain from the initial burn caught up to him.

The marine’s hand clenched into a tight ball, and in a flash, he knocked Luffy’s drink out of the captain’s hands, letting the liquid seep into the hardwood in silence as he seethed. Luffy slowly looked back up to the man, now with his full attention. 

Zoro was close to drawing his swords, just needing the order from Luffy to move. The swordsman leaned forwards in his seat, his eyes locked onto the marine, and he felt the rest of his Nakama tense up from beside him.

“Then where is he?” He asked through gritted teeth. 

The question caught the Straw Hats off guard, and they paused, their confusion overlaying their anger over their captain’s spilled drink.

“Vinsmoke.” The marine said it with a hint of unfamiliarity, then a much softer, “Sanji.”

“He isn’t a Vinsmoke.” The sentence tore out of Zoro’s mouth, startling both himself and his Nakama, some of them giving him teasing glances. “What? He’s not here to say it.” Zoro was quick to defend himself.

The Straw Hats who made the trip to Whole Cake Island tensed up upon hearing Sanji’s surname, watching the man with a more guarded attitude as the marine raised his arms to gesture at his own face. “Swirly eyebrows, blonde hair…”

“Yes, we understand who you’re trying to describe. What do you want with him?” Brook interrupted the marine curiously.

“I want to know where you’ve kept him.” The lieutenant responded, his voice clipped with annoyance. 

“We haven’t kept him anywhere?!” Usopp spurted out with disbelief, the marine wholeheartedly ignoring the sharpshooter when his eyes locked onto Maria. She startled, then hurriedly avoided his gaze, bringing a small smile to his face.

“You know where he is.” The marine noted. Maria’s eyes widened at the man’s accusation, and Luffy leapt to his feet to plant himself between them, facing the marine with a serious expression.

Pure detestation crept up the man’s face as he studied Luffy, and after a moment, he turned his face slightly to his soldiers behind him. “Kill them all.”

Chapter Text

Sanji heaved a heavy sigh before he sat back, admiring his work. The tables and desks dusted, floors swept, and bedsheets changed in all the rooms, so he was due for a break until tomorrow.

Rolling his shoulders back, he lifted a pan and set it on the stove, internally debating on what to have for dinner. He was unsure whether his crew would come back for dinner or stay overnight on the island, so he reached over the table to grab the den den mushi as he watched the water boil.

He dialed the number then leaned on the counter, listening to the snail ring as he waited for Nami to answer.

Puru puru puru puru… puru puru puru puru…

Sanji sighed, looking outside the windows of the galley to the dark cavern, the earlier splotches of light replaced with small streams of water, coming from the top of the cave. He placed a cigarette to his lips, and after lighting the stick, he lit a few candles around the galley, finally setting a large oil lamp in the middle of the dinner table.

Puru puru puru puru… puru puru puru puru…

Sanji glanced at the mushi, frowning to himself when he finally put the receiver back into the shell, cancelling the call.

He wondered why no one was answering, but he wasn’t worried. His captain had become one of the emperors of the sea- any threat on the island could easily be handled by Luffy alone, let alone Robin and Zoro.

A faraway sound startled Sanji, and he picked up the lamp before rushing outside, looking towards the entrance of the waterfall and the source of the noise. His eyebrows furrowed when he realized there were a few hazy lights coming from the other side of the water stream, quickly putting out the light when the front edge of a boat poked into the cave.

“Shit.” Sanji cursed to himself, recognizing the insignia at the front of the helm- marines.

While the cave was a good place to hide, the boat blocked the Sunny’s only potential exit.

Only the front section of the large ship fit through the mouth of the cave due to Sunny’s position, but Sanji could hear the faraway sound of marines barking orders as they advanced on the stones surrounding the edge of the cave, running towards the Sunny.

Sanji returned to the galley, hurriedly pressing the numbers on the mushi again, then looking back at the door as he cut the fire on the stove, waiting for an answer.

Should he fight or run away to get back up? 

The sound of boots clattering on the Sunny’s deck filtered from the door of the galley. Sanji took one last glance to the transponder snail before he locked his jaw and ran outside.

He’d been placed here to defend the ship, so that’s what he’d do.

A sharp snap permeated the air when he hit the first marine, breaking the man’s jaw with one smooth kick. The officer dropped to the ground, his lantern shattering on the hardwood and encompassing the group of invaders in pitch-black darkness.

He knew the Sunny like the back of his hand. That, in addition with his observation haki, would make disposing of the marines light work.

Not missing a beat, Sanji roundhouse kicked the rest of the startled pack off their feet, sending some of them flying through the far railing or embedding themselves into the galley’s outer wall.

Six down.

Sanji straightened out, his eyes flicking between each of the lanterns that were approaching the ship. He pulled one of the downed marines by the collar, hurling him at the next source of light and watching the next group of marines drown in sudden darkness.

He took down the next seven intruders easily, wincing at the sound of bullets flying by and splintering wood, and he whirled around when his observation haki spiked, signaling someone coming up behind him.

Sanji kicked towards the figure, his foot landing heavily on an armoured chest, and he pulled the foot an inch back when his shin prickled with pain. He picked up his other leg, swiping at the man’s neck instead, and relishing in the choked off grunt when the marine was pushed back.

The marine paused, then he stepped back to light a cigar, casually dropping the match he’d used to the remains of the shattered oil lantern on the deck. The light flared, revealing the bottom half of both men’s faces in an orange glow.

Lieutenant uniform.

The marine’s mouth curled upwards with the wave of heat that emitted from the fire, and Sanji made sure he returned a sneer before he dropped his body low to the ground, swiping his leg swiftly through the base of the fire and snuffing it out, engulfing them both back into darkness.

Leveraging his body close to the ground, Sanji put a hand to the floor, then pushed his foot straight upwards to hit the bottom of the marine’s chin.

The man grabbed Sanji’s ankle, throwing a punch into the chef’s side as he was knocked backwards. A small pocket of heat seeped through Sanji’s shirt where the fist made contact, the force of the impact throwing the blonde across the deck.

Sanji flew through the galley’s door, breaking it off its hinges and landing in a destroyed heap. 

Puru puru puru puru… puru puru puru puru… The sound of the mushi still ringing came from the counter. Sanji disregarded it and quickly got back to his feet, facing the next wave of marines bearing down on him. 

Sanji twisted his body and released a series of attacks, taking another eight men at the expense of his table and two chairs, then he hurled one of their lanterns out of the door into the next incoming group, lighting two on fire and slightly burning another one.

The burned marine screamed while the other two threw themselves off of the ship into the water, almost masking the noise of the snail connecting to the other side of the line. Ga-cha.

“Sanji-kun?” Nami’s voice was a mixture of panic, pain, and exhaustion, igniting a spark of worry in Sanji’s chest, “Sanji-kun?! ”

“Nami-san, there are people here for the Sunny. Bring Luffy over here!” Sanji shouted, kicking the burned marine’s face into the counter, then ducking under a pan that another marine had taken off of the stove.

“ No! You need to run!” Nami coughed harshly, and Sanji stilled, distracted enough to be smacked in the head with the pan, denting the bottom of it with the slight shape of his ear.  

“But what about the ship?” Sanji protested, and he kneed the marine in front of him harshly, twirling into an 180 to take down the marine sneaking up on him from behind.

“They aren’t there for the Sunny! They’re there for- ” The snail cut off when the same marine lieutenant snapped the receiver back in place, and Sanji stood up to full height, watching the man from the other side of the counter.

Marines filed into the room from both entrances, standing a respectful distance away from the lieutenant. The candlelight from the countertop flickered energetically, making the shadows of the surrounding soldiers dance on the walls of the galley.

Sanji narrowed his eyes at the lieutenant, watching the smoke rise up from the top of his cigar and disperse into the air as the silence thickened with tension. “You’re here for…?” Sanji asked through gritted teeth, making his irritation for cutting off his navigator known.

The lead marine shrugged easily, a large smile stretching on his face. “You.” He finished, “I’m here to save you.”

Chapter Text

Sanji learned three things as he was escorted towards the marines’ ship.

One; the marine lieutenant - Wyatt - was batshit crazy.

What kind of marine would be interested in saving not only a pirate, but one of the Sea Emperor’s crew members?

Two; Robin had been recently captured by the marines.

Sanji didn’t believe them at first when they’d told him, but decided to be taken away after he heard her voice over a transponder snail call. His heart dropped at her tired tone, and he demanded to see her immediately.

The marines, strangely, complied, and were leading Sanji straight to where Robin was taken prisoner. At first, their ease at following his demands had made him feel like he was walking into a trap, but he was able to feel the archeologist’s presence the closer he got to her, lessening his initial doubt.

Three; Maria was taken and charged with aiding and abetting fugitives.

As they walked, Sanji overheard the topic of Maria’s upcoming trial, some marines sneering at the mention of her name and rejoicing the opportunity to make an example out of her. 

Sanji mentally added her to the list of people he’d save when he escapes. They had said they were holding her in a jail at the center of the island, waiting for her inevitable execution.

The door opened to the stronghold below, and Sanji gasped, running to Robin’s side to inspect the woman’s wounds. Burns lined the outside of her arms and legs, and she barely had enough strength to hold herself up with the seastone handcuffs holding her wrists stiffly out in front of her.

A familiar darkened Straw Hat laid over Robin’s head, slightly singed at the edges. She was sitting on the ground with as much grace as she could muster, though the top half of her body tilted slightly forwards, like she was stopping herself from crumbling inwards. Two marines stood beside her, vigilantly pointing their guns at her body.

“Get away from her!” Sanji shouted, and kicked the nearest marine in the face in a blind fit of anger. Concern quickly smothered the anger, and Sanji knelt down to Robin, grabbing her shoulders protectively. 

The woman faintly leaned into his touch, the uncharacteristic movement shocking Sanji even more, and the chef automatically clutched around her tighter.

“I’m okay, Cook-san. Just drained.” Robin muttered softly, the words doing nothing to calm the man down. His eyes flitted dangerously from marine to marine, finally connecting with Wyatt’s stare as he stepped into the room.

“That man; do you know him?” Robin’s voice came back stronger with a protective undertone, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the marine, and Sanji looked back down at the archeologist to curtly shake his head in response. He had no idea.

Wyatt crouched down to the two pirates’ eye level, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “I wasn’t expecting you to remember me, kid, but we’ll have a lot of time to catch up later.” He reached behind himself, a spark- of amusement, excitement, or delusion, Sanji didn’t know - entering his eyes when the items in his hands came into view. “For now, we need to discuss the terms of your stay.” 

He placed a new marine uniform into Sanji’s lap, smiling expectantly back at the two pirates’ dumbfounded expressions.

~ . ~ . ~

“Kill them all.”

Many things happened at once, right after the head marine had said his order. 

The small group of marines launched themselves in full force towards the Straw Hats with their weapons drawn. The pirates immediately leapt forwards from their seats to meet them, the sudden actions making the flames flicker in the fireplace.

The head marine leapt bodily towards the tavern owner, only to be intercepted by the Straw Hat captain.

Maria drew backwards, her eyes frantically trying to find her two children close by. Her lips curled into a shout in an attempt to tell her kids to run away. Maria’s two sons, however, locked eyes with each other, then started running desperately towards their mother.

What no pirate had expected was the sudden wave of heat coming from the marine lieutenant, radiating off of him with the force of a large explosive. Usopp had been the first to notice, with Luffy and Zoro soon afterwards.

Within the short time the pirates had to react to the Devil Fruit power, Luffy threw himself backwards to shield Maria, with Usopp and Zoro doing the same for the children at their feet. Brook got hit head on, but Robin felt metal wrap around her the moment before the heat wave reached them. The last thing she saw before her vision was blocked by Franky’s arms was Chopper transferring into his human point and jumping on top of Nami.

The impact wave of the explosion took down the tavern with it, and Robin heaved the arm holding her in place, ignoring the ache in her body to take in the damage with an uncharacteristically crazed look in her eye.

Did that man take out his own soldiers?

Robin gasped to herself as she saw her crewmates unconscious forms, surrounded by dead marines and the destroyed wooden remains of Maria’s building. Her eyes whipped to the one man standing, who wrenched Maria out of Luffy’s arms with a triumphant smile.

“You’ll find that the marines are an indomitable force. We only need someone at the top to make the hard decisions.” The marine told the woman, who shivered violently in his hold, whimpering her children's names under her breath.

Robin’s mouth curled in distaste, and she stood up on wobbly legs, making her way slowly towards the two others left standing. She kneeled down to pick up Luffy’s scorched hat on the way to them, which was threatening to blow away in the storm’s wind.

“ Decisions like attacking civilians and sacrificing your own soldiers?” Robin asked, the disgust evident in her voice as she crossed her arms, willing to summon as many hands as she could to bombard the offending man.

He smiled. “Nico Robin. My day got luckier. I think I’ll take you, too.” A small pang of despair shot through the archeologist as the man evaded her attacks, rather easily, given her injuries.

The marine tugged Maria along as he calmly walked towards Robin, and he reached forwards, clutching around her throat and lifting her slightly off of the ground. “All’s fair in the war against pirates.” He finally answered in a low murmur, and Robin glared at him the best she could before everything turned black.

Chapter Text

Pr… upur…. u…

“Chopper?” Nami prodded against soft fur when she came to, gasping to herself when she sat up and observed the unconscious reindeer’s burned skin.

Zoro and one of the downed faceless marines stood up from the debris at the same time, and the swordsman tackled the man when he reached for his gun.

R… pur…. ur…

Luffy groaned, then sat up, wincing at the large burn on his back, watching his first mate tussle with the marine detachedly until his memory came back to him. Then, his head whipped from side to side, taking in the sight of his injured Nakama from beneath the wreckage.

He moved towards Usopp’s unmoving body, tearing the fallen wood boards and stones lying above the sharpshooter.

Pu… u…. pur…

Franky sat up, half of his body stuck in a half-molten shape, and the cyborg frantically searched the wooden piles beside him. “Robin? Robin?!”

Nami swallowed the dryness in her throat, her hazy mind slowly coming back to her. Her ears latched on to the faraway sound of her den den mushi, and she pushed herself to her knees, digging around to try to find the snail hidden in the debris. Sanji! She had to warn him.

Puru puru puru puru… puru puru puru puru…

The transponder snail rang loudly when it was finally free of the rubble, and Nami hurriedly picked up the receiver, her heart dropping when the sound of shouting and grunting was heard.

“Sanji-kun?” Nami asked, trying to quell the rising panic in her chest. When no one immediately answered, she shouted louder, drawing the dazed attention of the rest of her Nakama, “Sanji-kun?!”

“Nami-san, there are people here for the Sunny.” A loud bang, followed by a short scream was heard over the speaker. “Bring Luffy over here!” Sanji shouted, the words immediately spurring the captain to his feet. 

Nami watched Luffy running in the direction of the Sunny, pushing down her growing feeling of helplessness. They were too far away to reach Sanji in time.

“No! You need to run!” Nami keeled over when a sudden coughing fit wracked through her body, the flames from the earlier explosion catching up to her. 

There was the sound of Sanji getting hit, followed by his soft groan and an unfamiliar voice’s shout of pain. “But what about the ship?” Sanji protested. Zoro let out an impatient click of his tongue and Nami’s clutch around the receiver tensed. Sanji didn’t fully understand the danger he was in.

“They aren’t there for the Sunny! They’re there for-” CLICK . The snail cut Nami off of her sentence, and Nami stared at the mushi in disbelief before glancing back at Zoro.

“Zoro-san; Robin and Maria are missing.” Brook cut in, mindlessly patting the singed ends of his hair, “Usopp and Chopper are injured.” He kneeled down, observing the two shaken kids holding onto each other tightly. “Do you have somewhere else to go while we bring your mother back?” Brook asked them, and the older one nodded wordlessly back.

Zoro took a deep breath before he nodded to himself, and he straightened his back when he gave the orders, “Franky, you take Usopp and Chopper to the nearest clinic.”

“I’ll escort the kids to their-” Brook trailed off, and one of the kids answered, “Momma.”

“-Momma, and I will ask around for word on Maria and Robin’s whereabouts.” Brook finished.

 Zoro nodded. “Okay. Nami will go with you. Meet back at the Sunny. I’ll take care of securing our ship with Luffy.”

~ . ~ . ~

Hunger and desperation seeped further into his bones with each step. He wiped the water dripping down his forehead and into his eyes, squinting through the stormy darkness as he ran further from his home.

His foot caught on one of the cracks between the stones, sending the fifteen year old kid tumbling to the ground.

No. He wasn’t running away from home . The word sent a shiver up his spine and made his throat close in on itself. He should never call it that.

“WYATT!”

Wyatt’s head whipped to the sound of his father calling his name from behind him, the restrained anger in the tone making his eyes tear up against his will. His breath quivered, and he hauled himself up once again to run down an alleyway, slowly making his way towards the port of his town.

He ran as far as his legs could carry him, gazing at the starboard of one of the docked ships as he passed it. The Orbit.

“WYATT! COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!”

Wyatt gave one last fearful glance behind him before he rushed aboard, pausing behind wooden boxes to hide himself from the ship’s crew as they unloaded supplies.

He breathed heavily as his eyes searched the hold, his gaze resting on a metal door at the far end of the room. He ran towards it, his hand reaching towards a metal door, and his heart becoming lighter at the prospect of rest- until he ran straight into a small child, sending the two of them crashing into the floor.

Not sparing the kid a second glance, Wyatt continued scrambling for the door in a panic, shutting the door behind him as soon as he was in the safety of the room.

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, gasping when a light knocking came from the other side of the door.

“Hey! Excuse me! I need to get into the pantry! I’ve been asked to bring the chefs their ingredients.” The little boy’s high pitched voice filtered through the door, and Wyatt’s eyes snapped to the food in front of him.

Oh, how he’d been craving anything to eat.

He rushed towards the cans of preserved food and raw vegetables, tearing away at them like a rabid animal. Between all his feral grunts, Wyatt heard the door creak from behind him, the blonde child tentatively peering from the other side of the door.

Wyatt swiveled on one heel to face the kid, clutching the food close to his chest. “Please. Don’t tell anyone I’m here.” He shrunk away at the familiar deep voice that had somehow followed him into the ship.

The blonde looked beyond the doorway, his eyes widening as he heard the conversation close by. “Have you seen a kid pass by here? He has dark hair and is about this tall-”

The kid slowly closed the door behind them, then got on his tip toes to put the latch on the inner pantry door.

“You’re running away.” The kid noted, and Wyatt nodded, not slowing his chewing as he chose his next words carefully.

The kid was what? Eight to ten years old. It was better not to tell him the gory details. “My family is… not kind to me.”

Familiarity dawned on the other kid’s face. “Oh. Well, you can stow away on this ship.”

Wyatt stopped chewing for a moment, hope igniting in his chest. The feeling was so unfamiliar that the warmth of it almost hurt, and he clutched at his chest in disbelief. “Really?”

The kid nodded. “Yeah, it’s what I did. But you need to reveal yourself after we’ve taken to sea. It’s the only guarantee that they’ll keep you.”

There was a way out? It was more than Wyatt had ever dreamed of, and he didn’t know whether to laugh with joy or cry.

Wyatt’s breaths became uneven as tears formed in his eyes, and he felt a small hand on his knee. The kid had a worried expression on his face, his hand reached out in reassurance.

A short wry laugh tore out of his mouth. He’d never thought that he would seek the comfort of a child so much younger than himself. Nevertheless, he grabbed the kid and pulled him into a tight hug, letting himself succumb to years of fear and sorrow.

“Thank you… thank you.”

Chapter Text

The Thousand Sunny was left with splintered beams and scorched deck boards, groaning under the weight of charred wreckage. The scent of gunpowder ash hung in the air within the cavern, and Luffy scrunched up his nose in distaste as he walked forwards. 

Bodies were scattered carelessly around, left from where they’d fallen not long ago. 

Luffy stood amongst the wreckage, his feet braced on the ruined deck, and chest heaving with quiet fury. The air was far too hot against his open chest, thick with the last of the retreating smoke and humidity from the ocean.

They’d taken Sanji. And he had just gotten him back.

Luffy’s jaw tensed. His eyes darted from splinter-to-splinter, scanning the ruins for anything- footprints, scraps of clothing, any clue that could have been left behind- but the more he looked, the more the tension coiled further within his gut.

There were no clues, nor any indication of Sanji being there.

Thinking was never his strong suit. That was Nami’s job and Robin’s specialty. It was even Usopp’s, whenever he got serious. Luffy’s role was simple: Find the enemy, beat them, and get his crew back.

But, there was no enemy here, nor any action to take; only the smoldering aftermath.

As his heart finally slowed down to its regular pace with the lull in action, the sudden feeling of wrongness hit him.

Something else was missing.

His hand mindlessly shot up to the crown of his head, his fingers brushing against the ends of his unruly hair.

His heart stuttered and a small gasp left his lips. His hat was gone.

~ . ~ . ~

Robin clutched around Luffy’s hat harder, resisting the urge to gawp at the lieutenant, and instead choosing to watch with a guarded expression. Sanji, on the other hand, kept his jaw on the floor, his upper body tilting away from the marine uniform placed on his lap like it was on fire.

“If you agree to put this on and follow my command, I will treat our guest with the respect she deserves.” Wyatt stood back with a pleased expression, watching Sanji’s face crumple in on itself with disbelief.

“What?! No. Why the fuck would you even…” Sanji trailed off, his panicked eyes joining Robin’s.

“So, you’d leave your Nakama rotting in the dungeon? That’s fine with me.” Wyatt’s smile widened as Sanji’s face visibly paled. “She really deserves so much more. I loved reading all the reports of how she assisted the marines’ CP-0 unit in the past.”

Robin gritted her teeth. She was tired of the lieutenant speaking like she wasn’t in the room.

“I’m fine where I am, thank you.” She forced her words to come out as smoothly as she could. “Sanji-kun stays with me.”

Irritation briefly crossed Wyatt’s features when his eyes flicked to the woman. He schooled it into a sweet smile when he glanced at Sanji again. “I’ll even have her lose the handcuffs."

Sanji straightened his back, now showing the slightest interest in the offer. Robin shook her head desperately.

“What do you say? Some nice quarters for the lady and no more restraints. Any other pirate couldn’t even dream of such conditions as we hold them in the marine base.”

Sanji turned back to Robin, the two of them sharing silent conversations with their expressions.

‘Sanji, don’t. I don’t want you to do this for me.’

‘What if you can escape without your restraints? We can play them.’

Robin’s eyes narrowed, and her teeth clenched together at the idea of Sanji giving in to the man’s wishes. ‘ This is obviously some kind of trap. Wyatt is not telling the full truth.’

Sanji’s grip became stronger, his expression growing determined. ‘We need to try.’

Wyatt cleared his throat impatient from the silent conversation which he wasn’t privy to. “So?”

Sanji nodded his head silently, then followed the man out of the room.

~ . ~ . ~

“Momma!”

The shout cut through the quiet air, leaving Brook to stand a respectful distance from the small cottage as two dirt-smudged and tear-streaked children launched themselves into the arms of a tall red-haired woman standing in the doorway.

She knelt immediately, her arms coming up to lock around them protectively. Her face twisted with a myriad of emotions as they spoke- anger, relief, dread- and her voice wavered low as she whispered something Brook couldn’t hear.

He softly rested his cane in the dirt and bowed his head forwards as he waited.

Only once the children disappeared inside did she rise to her full height. Her sharp eyes snapped toward Brook. She wasn’t afraid of him.

“Who are you?” She asked, her voice edged with suspicion.

“I’m Brook,” He said with a deep bow, “Musician of the Straw Hat Pirates.”

He straightened, and his voice lost some of its composure, carrying a note of restrained urgency. “I come with unfortunate news. Your wife, Maria, was taken by the marines.”

“I know.” Rosa crossed her arms tightly. “My kiddos just told me.” She bit her bottom lip with a vengeance, her jaw clenching hard enough for her chin to jut out unnaturally to the side. “I’m Rosa,” She offered, at last.

Brook nodded slowly. “Do you know where they might have taken her? The marines also have two of my Nakama.” The faint tremor beneath his calm words didn’t go unnoticed.

Rosa’s expression darkened. “They’ll be at the base on the nearby isle. The islands are too close for the Log Pose to distinguish, so it treats them as one location.”

She turned and pointed inland, toward the coast where the smoky silhouette of buildings hovered on the horizon. “There’s an old amphitheater on this shore- a holdover from before the marines repurposed the city. Now, they use it to parade high-profile prisoners. Maria will be there, and your Nakama will be on the small island beyond the same shore.”

Brook tilted his skull with confusion. “Forgive me, Rosa,” He said gently, “But… Maria doesn’t strike me as someone they’d deem high-profile.”

Rosa’s eyes shuttered for a moment, then she turned her head briskly to the side. “She’ll be there,” She said quietly, with a certainty that left no room for doubt.

Brook hummed in assent, trying to keep the growing suspicion from showing on his face. Maria and Rosa were keeping secrets.

~ . ~ . ~

Zoro squinted up at the cold, stone walls, his expression going flat with vague annoyance.

This wasn’t the cave.

It didn’t even look like the cave.

He blinked once, then gave a light, inward shrug. Whatever .

He moved forward, his boots treading lightly on the stones as darkness slowly engulfed him. The passageway narrowed as it tunneled deeper below the city. It was quiet, save for the light sound of his footsteps.

A voice coming from the end of the hall broke the silence, and Zoro dropped low, his hand already sliding across the familiar worn ends of his hilts. He crept forward, the shadows shifting over his face as he neared a door which was left half-ajar. Without a sound, he pressed his fingers to it and pushed.

It opened with a small creak, revealing walls lined with weapons, perfectly arranged and polished to regulation shine: rifles, sidearms, and arrows aligned in rigid rows, each one marked by the distinct insignia of the Marines.

The armory.

Zoro’s eyes flicked once across the room, then jerked sharply to the doorway as heavy footsteps approached the door.

He ducked back behind the open door in one smooth motion, crouched low behind the frame as the marine stepped in. “Hm. Door’s cracked open.”

Zoro stilled, and he held his breath, allowing the shadow of the door to hide most of his form.

There was a pause, followed by a scoff. “No, nothing’s wrong,” The voice said, “Must’ve left the damn thing open.”

Zoro eased his head out just enough to glimpse the man’s back. He was pacing and talking to a den den mushi.

“I’m telling you, Wyatt. You didn’t kill Straw Hat Luffy. You’re underestimating him. Or overestimating that devil fruit of yours.”

The sound of a foot tapping met the silence for a moment.

“They’ll come to the girl’s execution,” The man continued, voice certain. “We need to be ready.”

Zoro’s jaw tightened. The quiet flick of a tendon in his hand betrayed the anger brewing beneath his still body.

The marine gave a smug chuckle. “Don’t worry. The Commander has a plan for the Straw Hats... Yeah, that one.” A beat passed, then, “How’s it going with your new recruit, Black Leg?”

Zoro’s blood stilled, his eyes darkening as he found himself stalking forward before his mind caught up to him.

The marine kept talking obliviously. “...Damn, touchy subject. Okay, bye.”

The moment the call ended, Zoro struck. He exploded out of the shadows in a blur of motion, the metal of his swords shining with malice as he brought them down on the marine's back.

Chapter Text

Sanji didn’t bother to hide the loathing etched across his face as he stood stiffly in front of Wyatt, the white pristine marine uniform clinging to him uncomfortably. They hadn’t been at the base long; Robin had already been led away, her cuffs finally removed, but the moment still lingered in his mind.

She hadn’t said a word, instead just casting a single glance over her shoulder, eyes burning with a rare, quiet desperation. She was pulled away, her strength seemingly absent despite the lack of seastone chains.

That look hadn’t left him. It gnawed at the edges of his thoughts as he was stiffly escorted up to the top floor of the base, towards the lieutenant’s office.

Through the wide window, he could see the coast across the channel, where a colossal amphitheater stood tall. Jagged letters were carved boldly into its stone face, JUSTICE AMPHITHEATER .

He did the numbers in his head. A hundred marines on base. Sixty more on the battleship that dragged them here. Every scenario he imagined ended in his and Robin’s blood.

Wyatt’s voice dragged him back to the present. The tone was calm and condescending, like he was speaking to a disobedient child. “Robin is now under marine custody,” He said, keeping his tone smooth as he inspected the edge of his desk. “And we’ve agreed to treat her well- as long as you behave .”

Sanji stood tall, but his silence only made Wyatt smile.

“You will follow the rules here,” the Lieutenant continued, settling smugly into his chair. “Rule number one: A Marine follows orders.” His gaze sharpened, and voice gained weight. “ Repeat the Marine Creed. Order above all. Loyalty to the World Government. ”

A beat passed as Sanji stood in rigid silence, and after a long moment, he shook his head. “You can put me in this uniform. But I’ll never swear loyalty to the World Government. I’m still a Straw Hat.”

Wyatt leaned forwards, evidence that his patience was beginning to fray. “Say it.”

“Go to hell.”

“I said, say it . It’s only eight words. Follow my orders.”

Sanji’s voice hardened into steel. “No.”

Their eyes locked, and the silence settled between them, as taut as a tightrope. Then, Wyatt’s mouth twisted into a cruel smile.

Sanji’s jaw clenched tighter. He didn’t need to hear the next threat to know what was coming next.

~ . ~ . ~

The constant ticking of the analog clock on Usopp’s bedside table filled the silence of the waiting room.

Franky sat by the hospital room’s window, his arms crossed and sunglasses pushed up into his hair as he watched the road outside. Brook stood near the doorway, tapping the end of his cane periodically on the tiled ground.

In the center of the room, Rosa knelt beside two hospital beds, her calloused hands gently adjusting the damp cloth on Chopper’s forehead. Beside him, Usopp shifted with a wince and sat up halfway, his entire right side bandaged and bruised.

The room had been quiet for a while- the kind of quiet that sinks into the bones (Brook would know).

Then, the door burst open. “I found something!” Nami’s voice cracked through the lull, pulling the various members of the crew from their thoughts. She stepped inside, her breaths hard and eyes burning with urgency. A rolled-up document was clutched tightly within her fist.

Brook straightened immediately. “Nami-san?”

“They’re holding Sanji-kun and Robin as guests for Maria’s public sentencing,” she said quickly. “In three days, at the amphitheater.” She slammed the paper down on a nearby table, unrolling a flyer with the marine seal branded across the top.

Franky snatched it up, reading it quickly. “Maria’s execution, huh? Those scumbags are putting on a show.”

“They want to make an example out of Maria,” Nami continued, her jaw tight. “But Sanji and Robin are part of it too! It’s bait. They want us to come.”

Brook’s grip tightened on his cane. “So we will.” It was without doubt that the Straw Hats would come, regardless of the risk.

Rosa stood slowly, her face growing determined. “You’d need to move fast. The marines will have the whole square locked down. If you go, you’re walking straight into a trap.”

The Straw Hats didn’t need to think twice about it. “We won't be walking,” Franky joked, cracking his knuckles theatrically for Rosa to see. “We’d be blasting through.”

From the bed, a weak cough broke through the conversation, making everyone pause and turn to Usopp.

Usopp was trying to sit up, using a shaky hand planted on his right knee. “Then let’s go,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m not missing this. Not after everything that's happened.”

Chopper stirred beside him, eyelids fluttering open as his small hooves trembled against the sheets. “We can’t let them take Robin… or Sanji… Maria…”

Nami rushed to the bed. “But, you two are in no shape to fight-”

“We’re always in no shape to fight,” Usopp argued back, his teeth bared painfully into a smile. “But we do it anyway.”

His hands were trembling and Chopper was shaking, but the fire in their eyes had made it clear. They weren’t going to be left behind.

Brook gave a low hum of admiration. “You’ve both grown quite brave.”

Rosa nodded, then gave the room a small smile. “There’s a back route along the cliffside,” she said, standing up. “They won’t be watching it. Let’s go now.”

Franky was already moving toward the door. “I’ll call Luffy, he needs to be there.”

Nami glanced down at the flyer one last time before balling it in her fist. “They chose to make this public,” she said, her eyes narrowing with resolve. “Now the world will get to watch them lose.”

~ . ~ . ~

They had one more night for The Orbit to leave the harbor, then Wyatt would finally be able to come out of hiding. Sanji had been sneaking him meals made by the chefs of the cruise liner, and the two of them had kept the storage room as their hiding place for Wyatt to lay low.

But one week was too long for a 15 year old to remain in the small room, and the kid was starting to get impatient. His mind had wandered during the duration of the week, and a simple idea had soon plagued his thoughts like a song stuck in repeat inside his head.

He hadn’t said goodbye to his mother, whose grave has rested on the outskirts of town for the past five years.

After tomorrow, he would never get the chance to visit her again. Numbness spread from the bottom of his throat to the top of his stomach at the sickening thought, but his heart rate spiked at the thought of leaving the safety of the ship to say goodbye.

‘It is isolated.’ Wyatt assured himself. ‘Father never visits the grave, so it should be safe.’

Sanji had told him he would be back for dinner. It would only take 30 minutes for him to say goodbye and come back. 

Wyatt swallowed thickly before he opened the door, his hands shaking when he passed through the doorway and shut it behind him. He ran off of the ship without any problem, the crew having already loaded up and were settling down for the afternoon.

Wyatt kept his head down, his eyes flitting anxiously from person to person as he passed them, and he let out a deep breath when he finally laid eyes on the clearing where his mother’s grave was placed.

He only took one step before a deep voice suddenly spoke out from behind him, the terror from hearing the voice enough to send him to his knees and grab the grass with clenched fists. “I knew you would come here.” 

Wyatt watched Sanji fidget under his scrutinizing gaze, warmth blooming in his chest at the sight of the man in full marine attire. It was exactly as it should be.

“Robin is now under marine custody. And we’ve agreed to treat her well- as long as you behave .”

Sanji had been making the transition difficult, but it was something Wyatt was prepared to face. Luckily, he had Robin in his disposal, as much as Wyatt loathed to use her.

When his father had caught him and dragged him back home, all those years ago, the man had unwittingly saved Wyatt’s life. A few days later, when the newspaper arrived in the mail, it was revealed that The Orbit sank in the middle of the ocean, taking everyone on the crew with it.

It had broken Wyatt at the time, who had wanted nothing more than to be on that sinking boat with Sanji rather than spend another day with his abusive father.

When it was later revealed from news sources that the boat sank because it was ambushed by pirates , that sadness had turned into rage that would only grow with time. He ran away again, this time enlisting with the marines for refuge.

Back in the present, when Sanji didn’t react to Wyatt’s statement, the marine felt vindicated. He was winning this battle of wills.

The man standing in front of him had turned Wyatt into the marine he was today. 

When he was an ensign, he’d read an article about The Baratie, his heart stopping at the sudden sight of his long lost friend, smiling widely with the same man who had supposedly ambushed and killed him.

He was the only person who truly knew Sanji’s vulnerable position as a child traveling alone. He was the only person who could see the situation as it was.

The manipulation of a vulnerable child. The deception of love and protection. The exploitation of Sanji’s kindness and naivete. 

No, Wyatt could not accept the version of Sanji who was standing in front of him now. He had years of conditioning to erase. If he had to hold Robin over Sanji’s head to do so, then that is what he must do.

“You will follow the rules here,” he relaxed into his chair, “Rule number one: A marine follows orders. Repeat the Marine Creed. Order above all. Loyalty to the World Government. ”

Sanji’s back straightened slightly, his eyebrows knitting together with brief confusion before he shook his head. “You can put me in this uniform. But I’ll never swear loyalty to the World Government. I’m still a Straw Hat.”

The words ‘ I’m a Straw Hat’ grated on Wyatt’s ears. He clenched and unclenched his teeth. The Straw Hats were a group of pirates taking advantage of a chef they found at a random restaurant they’d crashed into. The Straw Hats were a group of killers, while Sanji had never once killed a man- civilian nor marine. Sanji was not a Straw Hat.

“Say it.” Wyatt demanded.

“Go to hell.”

“I said, say it . It’s only eight words. Follow my orders.” Wyatt buried the desperate undertone with the increased volume of his voice.

“ No. ”

Wyatt’s smile slipped from his face like a mask being suddenly lowered. He switched up his strategy on a dime. “Should I bring Robin in?” he asked, voice smooth, but laced with threat. “Or perhaps… we could start her trial alongside Maria’s?”

He watched Sanji closely.

There was a flicker of a reaction- one that was barely there. A sharp breath caught in the blonde’s throat. His jaw worked in silence, as though each grind of his teeth was holding back what he truly wanted to say.

Wyatt chose not to press. Instead, he leaned back in his chair with practiced ease, every inch of him a man who could wait forever if he had to. Because he knew, without a single inch of uncertainty, what was coming next.

And it did.

“Order above all,” Sanji eventually bit out, each word heavier than the last. “Loyalty… to the World…”

The pause dragged out longer than necessary. Wyatt arched an eyebrow, a quiet hum of amusement building under his calm exterior.

“...Government.” The word was spit out more than spoken, and it was etched in poison, forced through clenched teeth.

And god, the fury in the man’s eyes.

Wyatt nearly laughed in the man’s face. Instead, he let his grin bloom again, slowly and smugly across his face. “Good. Robin gets dinner tonight.”

He didn’t notice Sanji stiffening up slightly, like he’d taken a gut punch without a sound, nor the shiver of dread ripple down the pirate’s spine. Wyatt had already turned away, raising a hand to the den den mushi to summon the next phase.

The game had just started, and Sanji had made his first sacrifice.

Chapter Text

Zoro flicked the last traces of blood from his blade with a snap of the wrist, the crimson red arc splattering against the nearby stone wall before the length of his katana disappeared back into its wooden sheath.

The marine was laying motionless at his feet, a thin line of drool trailing from his mouth and a pool of tears drying from under his left cheek.

They were going to plant a bomb.

Zoro’s expression darkened as the words echoed through his mind.

The plan was simple: the moment the Straw Hats appeared in the amphitheater, a bomb would be triggered, regardless of the marines and civilians in the stands. They would simply be collateral; sacrifices for a public display of “justice.”

Zoro scoffed, disgust curling in his gut. Justice, hm? It felt more like cowardice to him. The marines on this island fought dirty.

He let out a slow breath which hissed through his teeth, and he turned sharply, the soles of his boots grinding harshly against the stone as he started back towards the way he came, the new pace quick and full of purpose.

He had to find the marine captain behind the plan- the man calling the shots.

Zoro’s hand lingered near his swords as he moved, eyes sharp and searching in the dim corridor.

Not only has his crew fought through gods and emperors, but they’d faced storms, warlords, and monsters beyond even Zoro’s imagination.

And these bastards thought a bomb would end them?

Zoro’s mouth curled into a confident grin. Let them try.

But first, he had to warn his crew and stop that bomb. It was even better if he had to cut his way through the marine chain of command to do so.

~ . ~ . ~

Robin reached for her earlobe for what felt like the twentieth time that morning, her fingers trembling slightly as exhaustion pulled her deeper into the mattress. She didn’t sigh (she didn’t have the strength), but the groan she smothered still echoed through her head.

Her earrings were seastone. They were pierced through without warning and welded shut before she could even fully register the sting. They drained her in slow waves, like a poison seeping slowly and painstakingly through her body. Whenever she stood, bile would rise up the back of her throat; thinking for too long made her world spin. It was a slow, deliberate suffocation.

Last night, she’d tried everything- the windows, hinges of the door, each of the locks. She’d moved like a zombie around the room, looking for weakness and had found none.

When that had failed, she laid on her back and replayed what she’d say to Sanji the next time she saw him.

“Don’t do this for me. It isn’t worth it.”

“I’ll get us out. I won’t let him do this to you.”

The thoughts drifted, and she clamped her teeth together tightly, letting the new pressure in her jaw ground her.

“I’ll rip the earrings out and snap Wyatt’s neck.”

She’d tried. God , she had tried. She had tugged at the hoops until her ears throbbed and fingers lost grip. If she had an ounce more of strength, she might’ve torn them off and ripped her earlobes open in the process, but all she had to show for her efforts was a sore earlobe and a deeper rage than when she had started.

She smiled faintly to herself, her mind drifting to dark absurdities. ‘ Would I bleed to death if I rip my ears off?’ She giggled under her breath, picturing her head- clean and earless, like something out of a nightmarish cartoon.

The lock to her door clicked, and Robin’s eyes flew open immediately. Her lips curled instinctively as Wyatt stepped inside, smug and composed as ever.

“Get up,” He said casually. “It’s day two of training for our new ensign.”

Robin rose with a proud defiance, her back ramrod straight and voice calm yet sharp. “He’ll never become the marine you want him to be.”

Wyatt’s smirk stayed infuriatingly glued on his face. “We’ll see about that.”

They walked in silence. Her eyes drifted to her hand when she felt Wyatt’s fingers close around her wrist. She didn’t resist, not yet.

The base’s dungeons were cold and they reeked of mold. Sanji was waiting behind the bars, his gaze immediately flicking to Wyatt’s grip on her. They stood in tense silence, observing each other for hidden injuries.

“Let’s get you out of that cell, Sanji,” Wyatt said warmly. “But first, why don’t you repeat the Marine Creed again?”

Robin’s eyebrow scrunched together uncomprehendingly at the request. Had he brought her here to humiliate Sanji?

Sanji didn’t answer immediately, his hands slowly tightening into fists. Robin could feel Wyatt’s palm begin to glow against her skin, the heat quickly becoming oppressive and threatening.

Sanji caught her eyes. ‘Can you fight?’

Robin gave the smallest shrug and flipped her hair to the side deliberately with her free hand, revealing the glint of the seastone hoop against her skin. She couldn’t fight- not well- but she could always try to punch Wyatt in the throat. That counted for something.

Sanji’s expression fell blank. Then, quietly and robotically, he muttered, “Order above all. Loyalty to the World Government.”

Wyatt grinned. “Again. Louder.”

Sanji’s teeth clicked together, and he snapped without thinking. “I’m fine in my cell, actually. Thank you.” 

In one quick motion, Wyatt reached through the bars and slammed Sanji into them, pressing him there. To both pirates’ surprise, however, his voice softened , turning gentle and coaxing. “You always carry the most weight, don’t you?” He whispered. “The responsibility, the guilt. How long will you let them suffer for your pride?”

“What?” Sanji growled, his hands gripping Wyatt’s wrist in an attempt to back away from the man.

“Follow my orders. Protect your crew. Join the marines, and no one you love gets hurt. Didn’t you hear the mushi call? They were all injured- bleeding and fighting to get you back. You can end it all .”

Sanji’s eyes darted to Robin’s. Her stare burned back. ‘Don’t you dare.’

“That is not his decision to make,” Robin cut in, her voice rich with authority. Wyatt’s grip on her wrist tightened, heat flaring beneath her skin until she had to bite her tongue to stay silent.

“No matter Sanji’s choice, we will never stop.” She continued, and the heat intensified, making Robin wince, but she didn’t look away.

“Stop!” Sanji shouted, his eyes fixed on the angry burn blistering around her wrist.

“Say it!” Wyatt roared, and all his composure disappeared, spit flying out of his mouth as he tightened his grip on them both.

Sanji broke. “Order above all. Loyalty to the World Government.”

“AGAIN!”

“ORDER ABOVE ALL! LOYALTY TO THE WORLD GOVERNMENT!”

Wyatt’s rage suddenly evaporated, and he released them both, movements mechanical as he dragged Robin away from the cell and marched her back to her room. He did nothing to break the silence between them, and neither did she.

Once the door slammed shut, Robin collapsed against the wall, clutching her wrist. The burn pulsed with heat, but the fire in her chest burned even hotter.

Back in his cell, Sanji tore the marine insignia from his shirt, ripping up the fabric, shedding his boots, and tearing open buttons with frantic violence. Fury radiated off him, and the heat of it made the cell feel almost suffocating.

But it wasn’t just anger he was feeling- it was shame.

~ . ~ . ~

Wyatt leaned backwards in his chair with his fingers interlocked, his eyes drawn once again to the window. Beyond the glass, the deceptively peaceful ocean shimmered beneath the midday sun, and the amphitheater loomed in the distance, its great stone arches already prepared for a spectacle.

Maria would be executed in two days.

And if any of the Straw Hats had survived the ambush, they’d take the bait. They’d assume Sanji and Robin would be there too, waiting to be saved.

Wyatt smiled at the thought. Soon, Sanji would be free- liberated from the crew that had twisted him into a weapon for their cause. He would see them for what they truly were: manipulators and criminals. Dead weight.

He pressed a button on his desk, and a cadet arrived moments later, saluting in one swift motion.

“Status on Sanji?”

The cadet nodded, his answer coming out efficiently and monotonic. “We haven’t allowed him to sleep, sir. Every time he starts to doze, we douse him with cold water until he recites the creed. If he says it with enough... passion , we let him and Robin eat.”

Wyatt nodded back, satisfied. “Good. And Robin?”

“Weakening by the hour, sir. As expected under constant seastone exposure.”

“Then best not to show her to Sanji. Bring him to me.”

The cadet bowed and left at a near-run. Wyatt waited, his posture relaxed and hands folded together as though he were hosting an old friend.

When Sanji entered, it was clear that the punishment had taken its toll. He was soaked to the bone and his hair clung to his face in damp strands. His uniform was torn, rumpled, and filthy. He shivered from the cold, a faint tremor running through his frame.

The fire in his eyes hadn’t gone out. That spark of defiance, untamed and unbroken, thrilled Wyatt far more than it should have.

“Anything to say to me, Sanji?” He asked, watching the blonde closely.

Sanji’s lips pulled into something between a sneer and a grimace. “Order above all. Loyalty to the World Government.”

Though it was flat and mechanical, it came automatically . It made Wyatt’s skin prickle.

He gestured, and the marines at Sanji’s side stepped back, allowing the pirate to sink tiredly into the chair across from him. Sanji still sat upright, keeping his head high, but it was evident that fatigue had caught up to him.

Wyatt leaned forward slightly, choosing to adopt a conversational tone. “How are you feeling?”

Sanji didn’t respond, instead just staring back blankly.

“I know what it’s like,” Wyatt continued softly, “To feel useless. To want to protect and not know how. Your hands were made to shield, not destroy. I know that. I also know what it costs- to stay loyal to the wrong people.”

Sanji scoffed. “And how exactly do you know me? Do you dream of me when you see my wanted poster? Or did you piece together some fantasy from the tales that follow behind my crew?”

Wyatt chuckled, “I know more than you think. I know what you were like before the Straw Hats got their claws in you. Before you were groomed into the man you are today.”

Sanji’s head snapped up, stunned for half a second. “You think I’m a victim ?” His voice rose in disbelief. “ Is that what this is about? You think Zeff corrupted me just because he raised me?”

Wyatt was on his feet before he realized it, fury surging hot within his throat. “You were not raised! Don’t speak that man’s name like he’s some type of noble guardian!”

Sanji surged up as well, leaning over the desk close enough for their noses to nearly touch. “You don’t get to tell me how I speak about my old man.”

Wyatt clicked his tongue and leaned back, forcing calm into his breath. Different approach, then. “Fine. But your crew ? I can speak for them. They won’t come for you this time. They’ve already chosen Maria over you. I have proof.”

Sanji scoffed and he relaxed back into his chair. “Of course they’ll save the lady first. Luffy knows I wouldn’t feed him otherwise.”

That answer took the wind out of Wyatt’s sails. It was evident that Sanji’s sudden calmness wasn’t any act or just bravado- it was pure, bone-deep conviction.

Wyatt tried again, his voice becoming lower. “You’re filled with the desire to protect. That’s why I want-”

“-And the Straw Hats will come.” Sanji cut in. The words were too clear and confident for Wyatt's liking, making the marine’s body stiffen up defensively.

He thought of the amphitheater’s trap, and how everything was planned out meticulously. It was foolproof- the Straw Hats would surely be dead by the end of it, or scattered and easily taken care of, at the very least. They could not win.

Wyatt imagined the way his ensign would break when the weeks turned to months without a single word back from his Nakama. He grinned.

“We’ll see about that.”

Chapter Text

They’d chosen a nearby building to lay low, right beside where they were planning on entering the amphitheater. The tavern had been cleared for the night, its benches pushed towards the walls, and the lanternlight flickering along the walls of the small room. The Straw Hats were sitting scattered across the wooden floorboards.

Franky sipped on a bottle of cola by the dying fireplace. Brook rested his hands on his knees, seated beside Chopper, who was bundled in bandages and propped up with pillows on a makeshift cot. Usopp sat cross-legged beside him, fiddling with his slingshot.

Nami stood over the large table in the center of the room, a crude map spread underneath her hands. Her brows were furrowed with concentration, and her lips moved silently as she tried setting up the potential fallback routes inside her head.

The door creaked open as Luffy stepped inside, his shadow looming from the doorway.

Everyone looked up from their spots around the room, but Luffy didn’t speak right away, instead walking over to the table and looking around. “We’ll get them back tomorrow,” He said simply. “All of them.”

Brook gave a solemn nod. “Yohoho… it’s about time.”

“I just finished working out where the amphitheater exits lead,” Nami said, tapping the parchment. “If the marines try to trap us in, we can blow through here,” she pointed, “and escape through the canal system behind the stage.”

“Assuming there’s still a stage left,” Franky muttered. “Potential trap or not, I say we turn their center stage into a fireworks show.”

Chopper stirred, wincing. “But Maria- she’ll be at the center stage. We can’t just blast through.”

“I know.” Nami said. “We’re not going there to destroy; we’re gonna save our Nakama tomorrow.”

A light deliberate cough pulled their attention to the corner, where Rosa sat with arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her eyes were rimmed red with worry. “I owe you all something,” She said quietly.

Luffy tilted his head. “You don’t owe us anything.”

“Yes, I do,” She insisted. “I owe you all the truth about Maria.”

The room stilled, and the Straw Hats all peered at Rose with curiosity.

“She was a revolutionary,” Rosa continued. “Not just in name, a real one. Trained under Dragon, fought in skirmishes in the North and South Blues. She saw things that... broke her.”

Usopp’s mouth opened in surprise, and Brook straightened up, watching Rosa with more focus.

“She walked away from it all. From the violence, the title, and her name.” Rosa’s hands clenched in her lap. “We came here to build a life together. I eventually asked her to stop training. Told her she didn’t have to be strong anymore, and that I could protect her now.”

She finally looked up, letting guilt seep into her voice. “I made her soft. She let her guard down, and that’s how they took her. And now-”

“You didn’t make her anything,” Nami cut in gently. “Maria made her choice. Just like you did. That doesn’t make it wrong.”

“I should’ve made her keep up the sword,” Rosa whispered. “She didn’t even try to run when they took her.”

There was silence for a long moment, but Chopper’s voice was firm when he said, “That’s why we’re going to bring her back.”

“She’ll see tomorrow,” Luffy added. “So will Robin and Sanji.”

Rosa blinked at him. “How can you be so sure?”

Luffy gave a small grin- one that was full of promise. “We’ve never lost our Nakama before, and I don’t plan on starting now.”

~ . ~ . ~

Sanji shook the bars of his cell vigorously, his patience fraying thin. His heavy seastone handcuffs clinked against the bars with every shake. “Wyatt! WYATT! Show me Robin-chan! I want to see her again!”

The seastone couldn’t be good for her. He needed to see if she was alright.

“Wyatt!” Sanji shouted at the top of his lungs to the empty corridor, hearing nothing but his echos back.

He had to be close. He was always there for him, whenever he wanted.

“Wyatt? Where are you?!” Sanji cupped his hands as he shouted, a small part of the back of his mind prickling every time he said the name. The sensation would get stronger each time, and somehow, Sanji couldn’t find it in himself to stop.

‘Wyatt? Wyatt? Where are you?! The ship is about to leave!’

Sanji paused his shouting, panting deeply after his one-sided shouting match. What?

“What?” Sanji whispered to himself, and he kneeled down, pressing a hand to his lips as he continued murmuring softly, “Wyatt? Wyatt?”

“WYATTTT!” Sanji screamed at the top of his lungs, half of his body hanging from the rail of The Orbit. His eyes roved the shore and the docks as the ship started drawing away from the port, searching for any clue as for where the kid had gone.

The skies were cloudy, the humid temperature and light drizzle making Sanji’s shirt stick uncomfortably to his skin. The island was drab and lifeless, most of the people having headed home for the night already.

“Where are you?” Sanji whispered to himself, his stomach dropping further as the distance between the pier and the ship increased. He stared in silence when the distance became far enough to know that he’d never see Wyatt again.

Sanji slowly looked up from where he was crouching, his body trembling slightly when his eyes connected with Wyatt’s, and the marine’s lips slowly curved into a knowing smile.

“...Wyatt?” Sanji asked dumbly, in half-a-whisper, his voice barely reaching the ears of the other man.

“Sanji.” Wyatt firmly answered, the edges of his eyes creasing with joy. He kneeled down to join Sanji’s eye level, reaching out in an attempt to hug the pirate through the bars.

Sanji scurried backwards as quickly as he could, until his back hit the wall, and he stared at the marine like he’d grown a second head. “...No.” He shook his head.

“Yes. Please? ” Wyatt waved his arms warmly, trying to beckon the man into his embrace. Sanji was horrified by the prospect. He looked more like a caged animal than an imprisoned man, the pathetic sight tugging at Wyatt’s heartstrings.

“Why?” Sanji whispered again, and Wyatt clicked his tongue before dropping his arms to his sides.

“I’m here to save you, Sanji.” Wyatt repeated again. “I’ll say it as many times as you need.”

~ . ~ . ~

There were only a few more hours until day break and the time of Maria’s hearing, but Usopp kept moving, a quiet desperation fueling his movements.

The ruins of Maria’s tavern were quiet now.

Usopp ignored the dull crunch of scorched wood under his boots as he stepped over what remained of the tavern's threshold. The wind had long since swept away the ash, but the smell of burned timber had long since seeped into the ground.

He stood in the center of the open floor, or what was left of it, surrounded by broken beams and scattered debris. Usopp let out a shaky breath and walked farther in, weaving through overturned tables. His gaze flicked over the wreckage, scanning the corners, behind the bar, under the collapsed beams.

Nothing . No sign of Luffy’s hat.

Luffy hadn’t said anything about it when he’d arrived earlier, but it hadn’t escaped the notice of any of the Straw Hats. It looked wrong to see Luffy without his signature straw hat.

Usopp scratched the back of his head, frustration and worry starting to pool in his gut. “It has to be here,” He muttered, eyes darting again across the room. “He was here. We fought here. We lost here.”

He kicked at a piece of wood, watching it skid uselessly across the floor. “You don’t just lose that straw hat.”

He stopped in his tracks, heart lightening with the realization.

Robin !

She must’ve grabbed it! It was safe . It had to be!

Usopp slowly sat down on the edge of a broken bench, letting his injured arm rest in his lap. The wind rustled through a hole in the wall, brushing gently against his face.

“Hold on to it, Robin,” He said quietly. “We’re coming.”

~ . ~ . ~

Zoro walked forwards until the sun was touching the horizon, frustration bubbling in his chest.

He had places to be! If only he could find the amphitheater…

He set his jaw as he approached another entrance underground. It looked like the same entrance to the armory, so Zoro put his hand on his hilts decisively before cutting down the door.

He walked through the maze-like network of tunnels for hours, sighing with relief to himself when he heard loud voices coming from the junction in front of him.

“We’re fully underneath the amphitheater by now. The blast won’t do enough to kill the Straw Hats, so Captain said to move the crates to the stands before 10 AM. We can’t have them sitting in the sun too long.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. That stuff’s more volatile than my mother-in-law.”

Zoro took them down easily, stalking towards the box that the two marines were carrying. As he stood over the large, half-uncovered crate, he took in the sight of the strange glowing devices marked with red marine seals.

All of a sudden, they beeped to life, with red zeroes appearing on small screens, 00:00, and Zoro whipped around to face the person who’d turned them on.

The marine captain stood with his hand reaching out, posing dramatically with the remote in his hand hovering in the air. He was lean, with dark gloves and a trimmed uniform, and he regarded Zoro with a calculated expression.

He didn’t look very surprised.

“I thought someone might come snooping,” The captain explained, “Wyatt underestimates Straw Hats. I don’t.”

Zoro stepped forward with his hands on his swords, “Then you know what happens next.”

“That depends. Are you here to talk, or to die before you can warn your crew?” A cruel smirk spread across his face.

Zoro narrowed his eyes. “I’m here to make sure you never turn that switch.”

The marine chuckled and he shook his head. “Too late.”

Zoro turned back to face the bombs when they beeped again loudly, this time with the numbers counting down ominously with each passing second. 10:00 . 9:59 . 9:58. 

Zoro’s eyes narrowed, and he leapt forwards, ignoring the soft beeps coming from behind him.

~ . ~ . ~

The crowd had gathered like vultures.

Civilians, nobles, and marines alike filled the amphitheater stands, their voices buzzing with anticipation. At the center of the stone arena stood Maria, her wrists shackled and her body bruised but unyielding. She was surrounded by guards, their guns trained on her as a marine officer read out her sentence with little mercy.

 “Maria of the South Sea is a traitor, insurgent, and threat to public order. She was found housing pirates. She will be executed in the name of peace!”

She lifted her chin and her eyes desperately scanned the stands, searching for a tuft of red hair- anything familiar.

Then, the world froze for a second.

A massive explosion tore through the outer gates. Smoke poured in as the stone archway crumbled as gasps and screams rippled through the audience.

From the dust stepped a silhouette with short orange hair and a climatact sparking with electricity. Brook and Franky flanked behind her, the skeleton’s cane clacking against the stone while Franky pulled back his fists, grinning widely from under his sunglasses. Behind them, Usopp and Chopper charged forward, patched up but wild-eyed and furious.

“We’re not letting anyone else be taken from us!” Usopp shouted, raising his slingshot. “You want a war?!”

“We’ll give you one!” Chopper growled, transforming mid-run into his heavy point.

Chaos erupted.

Maria ducked instinctively as bullets flew. Nami summoned a lightning bolt that struck the platform beside her, scattering the guards in directions outwards, some accidentally flinging their weapons into the air with surprise. In the moment’s distraction, Brook sliced through Maria’s restraints in a clean arc.

Usopp screeched with terror when the guards regrouped with surprising speed, but they were too late.

Maria snatched a falling rifle from midair, and for the first time in over a decade, her body moved with the muscle memory of a woman who had once fought for freedom. She fired a warning shot into the air, spinning the weapon and knocking a marine unconscious with the butt.

Rosa ran straight to her, and the two women clutched onto the other like they were their lifeline.

“You came for me,” Maria whispered, her voice soft.

“Of course I did,” Rosa said, and the two women glanced around the stadium, watching with awe as the large stadium disappeared into a pile of smoking rubble. Marines were taken down with ease, and civilians retreated through the exits on the sides of the circular amphitheater.  

But, as the dust cleared and the last of the marines were taken down, a terrible silence settled over the Straw Hats.

Robin and Sanji weren’t there.

Franky scanned the arena. “I thought this was the big event- where the hell are they?”

Nami’s grip on her climatact tightened. “They weren’t brought here. This whole thing-” Her voice dropped, eyes darkening, “-it was a trap.”

Usopp tilted his head, his mouth opening with disbelief, “Did they really think this could bring all of us down? There’s gotta be more to it.”

Luffy stepped forwards slowly, his hair whipping wildly with the wind as he crossed the arena floor. He looked down with his fists clenched together, “They’re playing with us.”

Chapter Text

The low, steady ticking of the detonator beat in the background of the two men’s unsteady breathing as they reoriented themselves for the second round of their fight. 5:38. 5:37. 5:36.

Zoro stood his ground, and across from him, the marine captain regarded him with calm, predator-like gaze. The detonator device blinked red in his gloved hand, its timer reflected in the man’s pale grey eyes.

“Straw Hat swordsman,” The captain said smoothly, “You’re a long way from the stage. It seems that you’ve already missed the opening act.”

Zoro said nothing back. His hand gripped on Wadou’s hilt, fingers flexing once experimentally. The moment stretched thin between them, then they clashed together in another blur of steel.

Zoro surged forwards, but the captain dodged the strike by a hair’s breadth, pivoting back on his polished boots and responding in kind- a short, whip-fast blade swept out, shimmering with a faint energy that crackled across its surface.

Zoro caught the blow mid-swing with Kitetsu, the cursed blade screeching against the marine’s weapon in a flare of sparks. The katanas locked together for a heartbeat, the two men’s arms trembling from the force, and Zoro caught a flicker of familiarity in the man’s stance. This type of precision could only be borne of battlefield experience.

“So,” Zoro muttered through clenched teeth over Wadou, “You’re not just another desk-sitter.”

The captain gave a brief, respectful nod before disengaging, moving with grace as he spun in a circle and slashed behind him, his sword cutting arcs through the air. Zoro ducked below it, countering the strike with an upward slice that painted a line of red across the marine’s chest.

The wound didn’t slow his opponent.

The captain dropped a smoke bomb from his belt. It burst into a thick, gray fog which billowed outward and filled the room within seconds. The timer on the detonator continued its measured countdown from somewhere within the haze.

4:21. 4:20. 4:19.

Zoro closed his eyes. He didn’t need sight.

The air swirled minutely to his left. There was a breath and a footstep on loose stone, followed by the high-pitched whistle of metal cutting through the mist to Zoro's right side.

Zoro turned and parried without hesitation, while the captain’s strikes grew erratic and sharper, fueled with a growing impatience. Zoro could tell that the man was buying time- he was trying to outlast Zoro until the bomb went off.

It was a mistake to try to do so.

Zoro pushed off the clash and flipped backwards, landing near a stack of crates marked with the marine insignia. His breaths came out slower as he fell back into his well-practiced motions.

The smoke curled around him like a thick fog, and for a second, everything was still again. Then, Zoro launched forwards. Santoryu: Rengoku Onigiri!

His blades tore through the mist as fast as lightning, and the captain tried raising his sword a second too late. Zoro’s slash landed cleanly across the other man’s shoulders, tearing his coat and sending him crashing into the wall behind him.

The detonator clattered from his hand and skidded across the floor.

Zoro stepped forward and crushed the device beneath his boot without ceremony. The ticking behind them stopped. 3:57.

The marine captain coughed, blood blooming at the corner of his mouth and spilling onto the ground. His sword was shattered, and his body was pinned by the wreckage of broken crates and crumbled stones. Still, his eyes met Zoro’s with a strange steadiness.

“You all could have been more than pirates,” He rasped.

Zoro sheathed his blades slowly, without looking away. “You all should’ve cared about more lives that weren’t your own.”

He turned away and walked with urgency in his stride- his crew was waiting. There was still a war to win above ground, and he had to make it to the amphitheater before the closing act.

~ . ~ . ~

Sanji sat curled up in the corner of his cell, his arms wrapped loosely around his knees. His foot tapped faintly against the floor in a steady rhythm and he glared at the wall like it had personally offended him.

Wyatt’s game was obvious now, and far too familiar. Keep him isolated by depriving him of real company. Feed him only what’s earned, then play the savior.

And it was working.

He hadn’t seen anyone else in days . Only Wyatt- always Wyatt- appearing with practiced kindness, soft eyes, and generous hands. He brought food whenever Sanji entertained the Marine Creed. He would hand over a book when Sanji asked thoughtful questions. He’d provided clean clothes whenever Sanji didn’t back away from conversation.

He’d gotten bolder ever since Sanji remembered him. Now, he would join Sanji in his cell instead of just standing outside the bars.

Every time, the bastard got a little closer, a little warmer. And every time, Sanji found himself watching the bars of his cell like a damn mutt, listening for the echo of boots on stone.

It reminded him too much of the Germa days- sitting alone in a cold, stone room, and hoping his brothers might stop by. Even if they would beat the hell out of him, at least he wasn’t alone .

Sanji shut his eyes and leaned back against the wall.

He hated that it was working. He hated the fact that it was familiar. He’s had enough of this. This wasn’t enough to save Robin.

And Robin didn’t have the luxury of time. Not with seastone possibly eating away at her strength, nor with Wyatt’s mind games growing bolder.

Sanji’s jaw tensed. He needed to change up the plan. If Wyatt wanted trust, warmth, even obedience, then Sanji would give him exactly what he wanted.

~ . ~ . ~

Wyatt practically floated down the stairs, his pace smooth and deliberate. A bottle of sake sat chilled in his hand behind his back, a treat he was certain Sanji would earn soon enough.

The rhythm of their visits had become something of a ritual now: a little praise, a little power, a little reward. It was a game of shaping and slowly molding. And Wyatt- the patient sculptor that he was- was sure that he was almost done.

He opened the cell door slowly, already smiling.

Sanji was clearly waiting for him, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Order above all. Loyalty to the World Government.”

Wyatt blinked. Unprompted .

There was something measured and deliberate in Sanji’s voice. There was no mocking or rebelliousness in the tone. Maybe it was a little flat, but the words came out steady. It had sounded like belief .

Wyatt blinked again, then stepped inside. “You don’t have to say that unless I ask,” he said gently, already offering the sake.

Sanji accepted it with both hands, face lighting up with genuine- no, unguarded - gratitude. “Thank you,” he said, and he even smiled when he said it.

A real smile, without the usual infuriating smirk or sarcastic grin. Wyatt’s heart gave an involuntary thump.

He settled on the edge of Sanji’s bed, watching Sanji’s open posture and attentive gaze, as if he were sharing a drink with an old friend. Sanji drank deeply, then looked at Wyatt like he was seeing him for the very first time.

“You... really care about me, don’t you?” Sanji said softly. “Not like Luffy does.”

Wyatt’s breath hitched. “Yes,” He said, reverently. “I do.”

Sanji’s eyes widened. “Thank you. For everything. Could you... teach me? To be like you? A real marine?”

Wyatt could barely speak. Emotion welled in his throat as he nodded eagerly. Stunned, he rose to his feet as Sanji did, and when Sanji opened his arms, Wyatt stepped into them like a man walking into salvation.

The hug was warm and familiar. It reminded Wyatt of the embrace they shared on The Orbit, before everything had gone wrong.

Sanji’s voice was low, almost a whisper. “I’m ready.”

Wyatt fumbled with the seastone cuffs, unlocking them quickly. They fell to the bed with a dull clink, forgotten as soon as they were tossed aside. He turned, words of a glorious future rising to his lips, when-

Click.

Cold metal was biting into his wrists. He looked down. 

The cuffs. On his wrists.

Wyatt froze. “What...?” He breathed, watching woundedly as Sanji took a step back, rolling his shoulders and flexing his now-free hands. In his other hand, glinting smugly between two fingers, was the key that he’d just lifted from Wyatt’s pocket.

“SANJI!” Wyatt’s voice shattered the air, fury rising like the bile in his throat.

Sanji locked the cell door with a casual flick, the smirk returning full force as he walked away.

“Come back here!” Wyatt roared, slamming his bound wrists into the bars. “SANJI! COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!”

But Sanji was already gone, leaving nothing behind but the sound of Wyatt’s voice.

Chapter Text

The marine base stretched across the small body of water, its white walls gleaming under the sun. Just beyond the cliffs, the Straw Hats stood straight, taking in the sight of the large building and gearing up to meet their missing Nakama inside.

Nami slowly adjusted the length of her climatact with her brow furrowed. “Looks like we’re gonna have to get slingshotted in. Luffy, you ready?”

Luffy’s face lit up slightly, and he bounced twice on the balls of his feet. “Heh. I’ve been ready.” He stretched his arm around his Nakama, some of them groaning at the sudden closeness with the others, then threw his other arm towards the base.

THWANG ! They took to the sky- most losing their idea of subtlety and screaming as they started to fall towards the top of the base.

Sirens blared all around them before they even landed.

Smoke curled from the hole Luffy blasted through the roof, but he didn’t even stop to savor the chaos it caused. He dropped straight into the courtyard, the tile cracking under his weight with the force of his own landing. Marines swarmed where each of the Straw Hats landed, though each held their own easily.

“OUTTA MY WAY!!” Luffy’s fist crashed into the first marine he saw, sending a squad scattering like bowling pins.

From the far barracks, more marines came running- only to freeze as the entire wall exploded outward with a thunderous BOOM .

Zoro walked out of the rubble, one sword draped over his shoulder. His gaze swept across the battlefield with a playful smile. “Took you guys long enough.”

“Zoro?!” Nami shouted from a nearby staircase, just as she electrocuted a guard into unconsciousness.

“Been here since last night,” Zoro boasted, casually slashing through a spear-wielding marine without missing a step. “And disarmed a bomb under your feet, by the way. You’re welcome.”

“You what?” Franky blinked, just as an explosion rocked the left tower. “Oh man, I want to do that part!”

“Split up! We need to find Sanji and Robin-san.” Brook shouted before he disappeared around a corner, freezing three marines as he did so.

~ . ~ . ~

Sanji moved quickly, weaving through empty halls and guards. The path to Robin from behind him was scorched and littered with dazed marines. 

The base rumbled with a surge of energy, and a smile crept up on Sanji’s face. The Straw Hats are here.

When he kicked down Robin’s door and saw her slumped with seastone earrings still in, his fury curled harder within his gut. He needed to get her to Zoro, so he could cut the earrings off.

“You came,” Robin whispered, her smile coming out thin, but still warm. Most of her energy was drained, and it was evident that she couldn’t run on her own.

He knelt beside her and carefully picked her up. “Always.”

~ . ~ . ~

Zoro cut down marine after marine, taking a breather after all the enemies on the floor were taken care of. His head moved towards the sound of someone calling something from downstairs.

He walked down the steps curiously, his eyebrow raising when he recognized the man behind the bars of one of the cells.

“Sanji!! Let me out! I can help you!” The Lieutenant shouted, but he immediately fell silent when he noticed Zoro walking past the cell.

“Roronoa Zoro. What are you doing here?” He glared at him the best he could from behind the bars.

“Just passing through.” Zoro would rather die than admit he got lost. Instead, he confidently strode past the marine’s cell, the other furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

“That way’s a dead end.”

“Oh.” Zoro swiftly turned around, then continued walking back to the stairs without missing a stride.

“Wait, don’t just leave me here! Fight me or something!”

Zoro shot him a dubious expression as he passed. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you where you stand.”

He ran up the steps and made a few turns, taking down any new enemies that would pop up with ease. He straightened up again when he heard his name called by a familiar voice, and he turned to meet Sanji at the end of the hallway.

“Marimo!” Sanji looked like shit- darkened eyebags, unkept hair, and worst of all, wearing a pristine marine uniform. 

“What the shit are you wearing?” Zoro asked, but his attention was quickly diverted when he took in Robin’s state as they got closer. She looked even worse.

“Cut off her earrings. They were welded shut with iron, but they are mostly made with seastone.” Sanji explained, and Zoro immediately got to work, allowing Sanji to put Robin down in order to protect his back from the constant onslaught of marines.

When Zoro was finished, he took Robin in his arms, and the three Straw Hats made their way to the front of the base.

The other Straw Hats had gathered there on instinct when they’d realized that Sanji and Robin weren’t in the direction they’d chosen.

Luffy and Usopp cheered loudly at the sight of their three wayward Nakama when they’d joined the group, some sparing some time for relieved hugs in the middle of the battle. When the moment of relief was over, however, the Straw Hats were forced to come back to the situation at hand.

“They're trying to seal the eastern exit,” Franky barked over his shoulder.

“Good thing we weren’t planning to use it,” Usopp said, launching a Smoke Star behind him. 

When the Straw Hats were covered by the wall of smoke, Luffy looked over to his navigator. “Nami! Where do we go?”

“The channel’s dock,” Nami responded. “Franky’s sub should be in range. Let’s go!”

Chapter Text

Chopper hadn’t let Sanji or Robin out of the infirmary for a single second, not wanting them to leave his sight. So, the rest of the crew had gathered inside the small room or close to the doorway, curious about their time with the marines.

Nami sat at the edge of Robin’s bed, carefully fixing up Luffy’s straw hat with the captain watching from over her shoulder.

“Did they want information?” Usopp asked, and Robin shook her head ‘no’.

“Please, Sanji, you gotta give me something! I wanna know what they wanted from you!” Usopp whined, and Chopper and Nami nodded, leaning in closer as Sanji opened his mouth to speak.

“He was just a crazy guy. I don’t even know what to say.” Sanji shrugged helplessly.

“Then explain the marine uniform.” Zoro cut in, and the Straw Hats collectively honed in on the damning outfit that Sanji hadn’t gotten the chance to get out of.

“He wanted me to become a marine, for whatever reason. Something about knowing my true nature? Whatever that means.” Sanji divulged. The image of their shared embrace back on The Orbit flickered in his mind, but he pushed it down immediately .

“Are Maria and her children okay?” Sanji asked, and Brook responded, “Yes, Maria is safe and sound with her wife. They’ve gone back to their kids.”

“Her wife? ” Sanji bit the inside collar of his shirt, sobbing into it dramatically. “It should have been me!”

Luffy snickered when Zoro rolled his eyes at the display. 

“Are you jealous of Maria or Rosa ?” Nami asked halfheartedly, for which Sanji adamantly answered with, “BOTH!”

“Maybe if you weren’t busy daydreaming about women, you wouldn’t have gotten captured in the first place!” Zoro leaned towards Sanji aggressively, ignoring Chopper’s distressed request to stay away from his patients.

“Hah? In case your seaweed brain doesn’t remember, I was alone on the ship when I was captured!” Sanji shouted back with equal vigor.

Zoro fell back into their normal rhythm, “HAH? Say that again?!” He reached for his swords with a playful sneer on his face.

“Order above all. Loyalty to-” Sanji slapped his hand over his mouth, his eyes snapping to meet Zoro’s with shock. The two hovered for a second as silence passed through the galley.

Zoro squinted. “Loyalty to who , curlybrow?”

Sanji stayed frozen, his hand still clamped over his mouth like he wanted to physically shove the words back in.

Robin raised an eyebrow and Nami leaned in, while Usopp was practically vibrating with nervous anticipation. Even Brook looked mildly alarmed.

Sanji slowly lowered his hand, grimacing like he’d just accidentally confessed to a war crime. “... Slip of the tongue,” he muttered.

Zoro narrowed his eyes. “Sounded like brainwashing to me.”

Sanji snapped back to life. “Hah?! Maybe if someone had bothered to get captured instead of napping through Robin’s kidnapping, we’d all have been traumatized together !”

“Sorry, I don’t lose to marine scrubs,” Zoro said with a smug smirk, already halfway unsheathing Wadou.

Chopper flailed between them again. “Sanji’s in bandages! Stop trying to fight!”

“I can smoke him even in crutches if I need to!” Sanji threatened.

“Come at me, Cook!” Zoro yelled, fully enjoying himself.

Nami cracked her knuckles threateningly. “ Try it , and I swear neither of you will be eating solid food for a week.”

That shut them both up.

“Anyway,” Usopp coughed lightly, “I still think Sanji’s secretly a marine now. Look at the uniform and the dead eyes. It’s all very suspicious.”

Sanji rolled his eyes. “If I ever start reciting creeds again, just punch me.”

“You got it!” Luffy grinned.

“Wait- not literally- ”

Sanji’s floundering was cut off when Luffy pounced on him, play-wrestling Sanji back into bed as Chopper panicked, and Robin tried not to spill her tea all over the commotion.

Outside the infirmary, the sun settled on the horizon. The Sunny rocked gently beneath the crews' feet, setting course towards their next disaster.