Work Text:
Sanji's hand halted on the hilt of the knife, the blade frozen in mid-air as he abandoned the diced garlic. The several sets of rambunctious footsteps reverberating on the Sunny's floors announced the crew's eventual return.
He hastily wiped his hands on his apron, initially given to him as a joke but surprisingly served its purpose, and stepped outside, his elbow swinging the door open with a nudge as the crew reunited loudly on the deck.
The group assigned to go to the market that day was laden with wares, bulging in brown paper bags as the other half of the group excitedly spread everything on the floor for inspection.
It was official: his crew were a bunch of children.
Small hoofs clicking his way caused Sanji's mouth to turn up into a smile.
His package had arrived.
"Here's your tobacco", Chopper proudly held up a sizeable pouch.
Sanji nodded appreciatively as he leaned down to pat Chopper's head, balancing on the balls of his heels as he inspected the package.
"Nice work, Chopper. Thank you very much."
"Shut up you bastard! You're not going to make me feel good about destroying your lungs just because you’re complimenting me-", Chopper blushed as he did a silly dance, ‘’Idiot!’’
Sanji snorted at the resident doctor's antics. No matter how often Chopper burst into them, it always served as a great source of entertainment and lifted many a sour mood.
He was opening the pouch to inspect its belongings when the strong smell hit him.
His face wrinkled in confusion. His tobacco never smelled like that before.
Did tobacco expire?
He waved the pouch in the reindeer’s line of vision.
"What is this? Does this smell weird to you?"
Chopper stopped dancing to shrug at him.
"How should I know? The shop-keep said it was a native strain."
He was running low on cigarettes, so he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Plus, Sanji wasn't exactly trying to end up in the middle of the ocean with withdrawals.
A shiver ran down his spine.
Never again.
"Okay, thanks anyways."
A loud crash jostled them as Luffy smashed another barrel.
Cheering and angry shouting mingled in his ears as Sanji turned back to continue lunch.
He officially wanted nothing to do with what was currently transpiring on deck.
Sanji stretched out his arms after he wiped down the final dish, relishing in the satisfaction of a clean kitchen after a busy lunch service.
He patted his front pocket, fingers itching for a cigarette, when they came away empty. The lump of his pack absent from its usual position.
He tamped down the rising panic as he remembered about the tobacco he got that morning.
Sanji sought out the pouch from where he'd left it on the sofa, papers crinkling as he sprinkled some of the powder on it and rolled it tightly.
It had been a while since he had to roll his own cigarettes, but muscle memory had yet to fail him.
Sanji clicked his lighter open and lit up one end, relishing as the inhaled smoke went straight into his lungs.
As weird as the smell was, it did the job well enough.
He leaned back on the sofa and relaxed.
He’ll get up in a few minutes to make some snacks for the others.
Sanji stared at the ceiling as it warped into different set of colours now. He reached out his hand to touch them, his fingers blurring into multiple sets.
Everything was encased in gelatine.
His limbs were drowsy, but his surroundings were also drowsy so really, he was moving at super speed.
He stifled his giggles.
He enjoyed being fast.
What a silly feeling.
Muffled footsteps stopped next to him.
"Are you okay?"
Sanji sluggishly gave them a thumbs up and slurred out, "Never better, bon mademoiselle. Merci beaucoup-"
"What on earth was in that tobacco you gave him?", Usopp asked as he inspected the contents of the pouch, the door held open with a chair to air out the weird smell coming from Sanji’s smoke.
He spared a look of amusement at the cook currently sprawled out on the sofa, Nami and Robin trying and failing to get a more lucid answer out of him.
Sanji took himself so seriously sometimes, it was strange seeing him act so out of it. But also, slightly funny.
Okay, very funny.
Not that he would ever admit it to Sanji directly, he would surely receive a kick to the head.
Or multiple.
"I don't know I don't know I don't know-", Chopper whined as he gripped at his hat, "What did I do to him?!"
A reassuring hand landed on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, it wasn't your fault. He'll be okay."
Chopper stared pitifully up at Robin as she returned to his side, smiling placatingly down at him.
"Now why don't you keep an eye on him in the meantime? You're the ship’s doctor after all."
Chopper nodded, a new sense of determination replacing his anguish, "You're right, I'm assigning him water and snacks stat! Go, Usopp, go!"
Usopp saluted him, "Aye aye Doctor-"
Chopper danced as he glared something fierce at him, "Shut up!’’