Chapter Text
They were only supposed to be stopping in this town for supplies.
But like fucking usual, Luffy seemed to have gotten himself into a situation. One where Sanji was innocently trying to enjoy his cigarette before heading back to the ship, two crates of ingredients on the ground at his feet.
Which is the same one where he somehow had multiple guns pointed at his head.
Sanji sighed, snubbing out his cigarette with the toe of his shoe.
Didn’t these idiots know he was bulletproof?
He eyed the marine standing closest to him, his gun-barrel poised inches from Sanji’s face.
Someone had to be the example.
Sanji’s leg shot up, kicking the rifle from the soldier's grip before smashing his heel against the guy’s skull on his downswing.
One down.
Sanji loosened his tie, cracking his neck as his eyes swept over the others, deciding who’d be number two.
But then he spotted a green head at the far end of the square, and he felt himself grin as he shouted out, “Don’t you dare drop it, Marimo!” and kicked one of the crates into the crowd of sailors.
Zoro caught it with ease, just like Sanji knew he would.
The man still shot Sanji a scowl as they jogged from the town-center, each with a cluster of marines following close behind.
“You too?” Zoro asked once they fell in step with each other, heading towards the path that led to the port.
Sanji clicked his tongue, eyeing the crowd behind them. “How’d he even manage to do this?”
There was the sound of a distant explosion, and then they both hesitantly turned to watch the steeple of the city-hall building crash to the ground, a cloud of rubble and dust cloying the air in its wake.
Sanji sighed again, heavier this time.
There were too many people around to actually fight- marines mixing with panicked citizens, children running around searching for their parents.
It left a sour taste in Sanji’s mouth.
“We should go,” he said, knocking his shoulder against Zoro’s as he passed, making sure to periodically check behind him to ensure the marimo was following along.
By the time Sunny was in view, half the crew was already onboard and the other half was clumped around them, with Luffy swinging overhead through the trees.
“C’mon, c’mon,” Sanji urged, waving them all across the gangplank and taking a brief moment to offer his hand to Nami and Robin as they boarded.
He pulled in the plank the moment everyone’s feet were on deck, his eyes darting around as they all took their positions for a quick escape from port.
“Wait!”
Sanji stopped dead in his tracks.
It was a shrill voice, full of fear and brimming with desperation.
A decidedly female voice.
He immediately turned around.
She was standing at the end of the dock, her bare toes curling over the edge like she was prepared to hop on the moment allowed.
She looked beat-up, her shirt torn across her chest and her knees caked with blood and dirt.
And of all people on deck, her eyes locked with Sanji’s.
“Please take me with you!” she shouted over the clatter of chaos, holding her hands together in prayer. “Just until the next island!”
Then Franky’s voice was calling from overhead, “They’ve got ships!”
“Yeah, we need to leave like, right now!” Usopp added, frantically winding the anchor-rope.
“Please!” she shouted, dropping to bloodied knees. “I am begging you,” she urged. “I need to get off this island!”
Likely anticipating Sanji’s inability to refuse her, Nami quickly paced over, staring the woman down as she sternly asked, “Why?”
Sanji turned to her. “Does that matter?”
“Of course it matters!” Nami snapped, gesturing the way they came. “What if she’s a marine?”
“I’m not!” the woman supplied quickly. “I don’t- I’d never…”
Then her hand clenched tightly in the tear of her shirt, her eyes downturned.
Sanji’s heart sank.
And from the look on Nami’s face, hers did a bit as well.
“Hurry up,” Nami said, waving the woman forwards and gesturing for Sanji to push the gangplank back in place. “Get on board and take cover.”
Zoro’s eyes stayed on the woman long after they escaped from the port, his voice low as he approached Sanji and Nami and said, “You sure this’s a good idea?”
“To add to that,” Usopp interjected as he side-stepped into their huddle. “What exactly are we supposed to do with her?”
A shrug of his shoulders and then Zoro asking, “Throw her overboard?”
Sanji immediately rammed his heel into Zoro’s back, knocking the man to his knees. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Um,” the woman voiced, standing easily within hearing distance with her hand slightly raised in the air. “I’d prefer not getting thrown overboard,” she said, shuffling a little closer to Sanji as she hesitantly eyed Zoro. “I-if possible.”
Sanji turned to her quickly. “Of course you’re not,” he assured. “I would never let that happen.”
A smile on her face- a small one, but full of appreciation as she softly said, “You’re very sweet.”
Oh, it was a rush.
She introduced herself as Natalie, claiming she was from the next island over and has been struggling to get a boat back with the heavy Marine presence inundating the port for the past few weeks.
On principle, Sanji wouldn’t normally doubt such a beautiful woman, but when Nami asked for details about the next island’s climate and Natalie couldn’t say, it was made obvious she was hiding something.
Sanji didn’t really care, of course.
On principle.
Not until Nami took her by the hand to get cleaned up and changed, asking Zoro to stand guard outside the bathroom door as they did.
Usually the girls ask Chopper to do that, or maybe Usopp in a pinch.
The fact Nami requested it of Zoro told Sanji that she held no trust for their new guest, and that of all present, she trusted Zoro to be the one willing to do something if needed.
Sanji would’ve been offended if he didn’t already know it was the right call.
When the girls finally returned, Natalie looked recharged, fresh-faced with a small, grateful smile tilting her lips. Upon stepping onto the lawn, she hesitantly looked around as if searching for someone.
Her eyes stopped on Sanji.
She hurried up to him, shocking him immensely when she immediately threw her arms around him, smoothing a hand up his spine as she whispered, “Thank you so much.” She affectionately tapped two fingers against the back of his neck, making his body jolt. “You saved me.”
“I didn’t do that much,” he responded bashfully once she pulled away, scratching at his neck.
She smiled, and Sanji felt something mellow in his brain.
“You’ve done plenty.”
His whole body prickled from the praise.
Her voice was so soft, and pitchy, lilting on all the wrong words like chaotic birdsong.
She sounded awkward, or maybe shy.
Sanji found it so charming it nearly made his knees buckle.
So he tilted his head, crouching down next to the seat she took so they were eye-level. “Do you have a favorite fruit, Miss Natalie?”
She startled a bit, likely not having expected to be addressed again. “Ah, I-” she started, having to clear her throat before softly murmuring, “I like melon?”
He nodded, springing to his feet and circling the loungers, asking, “Orange for you, Nami?” and waiting until she nodded to then turn and voice, “Robin?”
Robin gave him a soft smile, saying, “Just coffee, thank you,” before her eyes returned to her book.
As he paced over the lawn towards the galley, Usopp called out, “Do you care what my favorite fruit is?”
“Don’t you fucking patronize me,” he grumbled, slipping a cigarette between his lips. “I already know all your favorites.”
He heard Zoro laugh. “You keep that written in your diary?” he asked just as Usopp was amusedly tacking on, “Is it under your pillow?”
Sanji blushed.
He had a journal- not a diary- stuffed behind some cookbooks in the pantry.
And there may perhaps be a few pages detailing everyone’s favorite foods.
But that wasn’t weird, it was his job.
It’s why Sanji was here to begin with.
Sanji returned quickly with a tray of drinks held above his head, handing them out to the girls before calling, “Yours are in the galley!” to the vultures watching him like they were incapable of following such an instruction.
He turned to Natalie last, trying to reign himself in because he didn’t want to be too much and risk making her uncomfortable.
So he took the glass in hand, tucking the tray under his arm as he crouched next to her chair and held it out with a small grin.
“T-thank you,” she stuttered, a soft blush dusting over her nose. “That’s very kind of you.”
Wow.
“It’s my pleasure,” Sanji assured.
He handed the drink over to her, and their fingers brushed, and Sanji’s chest soared.
Then he felt a tickle on the back of his neck, causing his shoulders to jerk back and him to slap a hand over the spot, rubbing at the prickling skin as he shifted his eyes around him.
Must’ve been the wind.