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“You want Luffy to do what,” Nami asked from where her Captain’s older brothers were standing.
Sabo chuckled, “I need to infiltrate a royal party on the next island over and normally Koala would join me but she’d not up for that right now. Ace offered, but we found that he needs Iva to change his gender for a little while and between D metabolism and them not being here we can’t go that route so I need Luffy to dress up like a woman and join me.”
All of the Strawhats look shocked at hearing that, not really knowing what to think about it. Even less so when Luffy looks unbothered and Ace, who had been visiting, looking gleefully on as all of this unfolded.
Looking on as Sabo pulled Luffy with him towards the crew quarters, after asking Robin for help, Ace turned back to the Strawhats; “I usually do this, but seeing as we can’t right now and Luffy’s body is a lot more flexible in the ways of making people see what they want to see Sabo came here. It’s not something we do often, Koala usually fills in, but she isn’t up for that right now so we have to take over.”
Sanji, of all people, looked shocked, “But you’re a man and you like to be a man.”
Ace laughed, “I do, I’m also very comfortable in my skin and I have no shame”, that last was said with a shrug, “I know it isn’t forever and I help my brother with whatever I need so why would that be an issue? Sabo told me you ended up at Momoiro Island those two years you were separated so you must have gotten to know Iva?”
They all see Sanji flinch, before revealing that he didn’t really understand back then. Adding, with him the crew knew about his family, how he had no idea how to go about accepting something like that even if he did like some of the clothing he got to try. His eyes stayed on the ground as he admits to keeping some, but never wearing them because he believed that made him weak.
His eyes stray to Zoro before he adds that he didn’t want to lag behind even more than he already did and this, in his eyes, only made that more prominent. “I wanted to say something after Wano, but with everything happening I didn’t find the time and now this is going on and I don’t know what to say or do.”
Zoro looked shocked, “I wouldn’t care either way, Curly”, he finally said. “As long as you’re happy, as everyone is happy I don’t think it matters how you dress or how you present yourself.”
With a sigh, Ace picks up on that, “I don’t do it because I feel better like that, but it’s fun to be someone else for a change. We used to do it when we were kids. After Sabo’s biological father found out about us and we needed to hide it became easier to just run around as three pre-teen girls and no one was any wiser as to it being us. Once Sabo and I left, I know Luffy would do it alone at times if he didn’t want to get noticed and Sabo would reach out to me at times especially as a revolutionary, because he needed someone who could act with him and no one of his people could do it as well as I or Luffy could.”
There is a soft smile on his face as he steps closer to Sanji, putting a hand on his shoulder, “Luffy won’t care either, he just wants you to be happy regardless of what you present as. There are enough people out there who either crossdress or who find it easier to present as someone else and there is nothing wrong with that.”
Nodding Sanji does admit that meeting o-Kiku and Yamato helped there. To see it be a normal thing and no one even reacting to it all that much. But as he said, things happened and he just didn’t think he’d get the nerve otherwise.
Usopp and Nami hugged him from either side, promising to go and see what he needed to help get him to the point where he was feeling secure in himself and his place in the crew before making the full transition. They didn’t know what Sanji wanted, but they did know that at his core nothing would change.
Before anything else could be said Robin appeared with Sabo and Luffy. Although their Captain was looking very different from what he would usually look like.
Sabo too had dressed up, having obviously asked for Robin’s help to apply make-up as the scar on his eye wasn’t visible.
Luffy’s change was the biggest though, he was wearing a dress for once, one that had been pulled and tightened to give him the illusion of a small chest and a tiny waist. His hair had been lengthened by extensions and a soft look was applied to his face to hide the scar and to enhance his big eyes and high cheekbones so he looked a lot more feminine.
Everyone was shocked, especially as Ace and Sabo just laughed at their reactions before the blond brother mentioned he’d need them to stay here for at least one more day. Mentioning that they, he, Luffy and Ace, would be infiltrating the royal party an island over. They had been one of the few that didn’t respond to the missive after Marigeose fell and the Revolutionary Army was trying to put together a new Government. On top of that, the intel they received didn’t add up so something was going on there which is why they needed to infiltrate.
Grinning as he shared that he had noticed that a man alone brought about too much attention, a woman alone was an easy target, but a couple with a guard meant people believed them to be someone worth talking to and not that easily taken out as there were three of them.
Nami asked if Luffy would be any good at this, to which Sabo laughed, “Lu just has to hang off of my arm and look pretty. He doesn’t have to say anything, just smile.” Grinning wider, he added, “And in case this goes south there are three of us to fight our way out of whatever we land into.”
—
The Strawhats were waiting in a cove on the other side of the island, Sabo and Luffy, or Sebastian and Lucy, together with Trace, their loyal guard, would be appearing at court to see about gaining new alliances. The story was either that they would be looking for a new place to settle after theirs was destroyed by the former World Government or that they were looking for new alliances as their old ones had abandoned their old way of life and made their way to the new Government that was being formed.
Sabo had explained that he had no idea which ideal they kept. Nothing was known and no answer was given which is why they were here in the first place.
Getting inside was easy enough, there was an actual party going on and while it was on invite only, they were easily able to secure an invite without anyone knowing. Sabo did all of the talking, keeping both of his brothers within sight and making sure that Ace (although he didn’t look like Ace right now) looked as menacing as possible.
Nothing betrayed that they were two pirates and a revolutionary, in fact they didn’t even stand out against the other guests which is what they wanted.
To their surprise these people didn’t care about the World Government, not the former one and not the current one. Situated very far into the New World they only ever had Pirates come ashore and those that did never brought any trouble so why should they be the bad guys?
Luffy, even if he didn’t say anything, beamed at hearing that before allowing Sabo to pull him away from the conversation and make their way to where Ace was standing. Letting their older brother know what had been said and making plans to leave the castle and get back to the Sunny.
Except that it was that moment a group of rogue marines entered the castle, making it clear that they were here for a hostile take-over. To make sure there was one country or island still loyal to the former World Government and get back what had been lost through any means necessary. Seeing Akainu at the front of that group had all three of them seething. There was no way they were going to let this stand.
“Ace, the signal, now! Luffy, go have fun…”, Sabo said, looking on as Ace hurried out of range and sent out a fireball into the sky. Luffy meanwhile, was grinning before he let his devil fruit take over to slip into gear 5 and make sure that this time Akainu wouldn’t be getting up again. The rest of the Strawhats arrived very promptly, aiding in protecting the royals once Sabo explained what had been going on. Smiling as he mentioned paying Robin back for the dress Luffy would surely destroy in the coming fight.
With a cheer, and accompanied by fire, Ace threw himself into the fight as well accompanied by Zoro and Sanji. Keeping the other marines clear from Luffy and making sure that no one was able to get a cheap shot in to take him out. Sabo had been very upset hearing what happened in Wano, so after that when he took out Cipher Poll cells, it was with a lot of prejudice.
They had the Marines defeated and out of the castle while Chopper was looking over those that had been harmed by the Marines entering the building, or the few guards which had helped with the fight and had gotten hurt that way. Making sure they were stable and would be alive after the whole ordeal.
Luffy had taken care of Akainu, still wearing that dress and giggling the whole time it seemed to set off the man even more. Going all out, which led to him being carried on Ace’s back so he could preserve his strength as they packed up and left.
Sabo, meanwhile, was explaining what they came here to do. How they didn’t mean harm, but needed to know their stance but as there had been no reply he was sent here to come and find that out. He laughed, loudly, when he pointed out Luffy as his little brother, grinning that Pirates and Revolutionaries didn’t care about this sort of thing and three feral little mountain brats did even less.
Once back on the Sunny, Marco and Dragon called to let them know what happened and what would come out of this, they did set Luffy down to talk about Sanji (despite the blond not wanting to have that conversation).
To their surprise Luffy had already suspected, in part, but didn’t think it was up to him to start talking about it so he didn’t. He did however hug Sanji close and told him that regardless of anything, Sanji was still his treasured Nakama and his cook. All the rest he just had to tell them what he preferred, pronouns, name, clothing, none of that mattered.
Relief was obvious, as Sanji burst out into tears and promised to let them know. He didn’t right now, didn’t take the time to unpack all of it. Even asking Sabo for Ivankov’s number to ask them their opinion and help in finally accepting their true self, as everyone had made it clear that was accepted without issue.
As such, the next time Sabo needed Luffy for an undercover mission, Sanji had a dress they could borrow.