Chapter Text
A hot breeze danced across the deck of the Thousand Sunny, leafing the pages of the book Robin was reading. The comfortable noises of her crew carrying over to her by the wind. She paused, her thumb marking where she last read as she closed her eyes to listen to them. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper’s excited chatter followed by Franky’s scratchy bass were expressing interest over what they were doing from the middle of the deck. Brook’s violin hummed a spirited tune to match their energy, the ocean harmonizing with it.
The scent of sweet citrus cutting through the salty air caused her to peek her eyes open to see Sanji holding a tray of tangerine tarts and cold juice. Condensation on the glasses dripped down and she realized just how wonderful a cool drink would be to cut through the heat of the day.
“Refreshments for the lovely ladies,” Sanji was saying as he placed the tray on the little table next to her and Nami.
The navigator stretched in the lawn chair, lifting her arms above her head and scrunching her face with a yawn before opening her eyes.
Robin delicately picked up one of the glasses. “Thank you, Sanji. These look delicious.”
“Fhnk hu!” Nami agreed, mouth full, having already taken an eager bite from the tart.
The cook beamed at them, his eyes crinkling up in the corners in the way that expressed his delight when people enjoyed his cooking.
He dramatically twirled, coming to a stop with a bow. “Anything for you angels!”
Robin took a sip of the drink, the cool burst of flavor—both sweet and tangy—was exactly what her parched mouth was needing. She didn’t realize how thirsty she had been until she drank half the glass. She sighed, content.
“You’ve out done yourself once again,” she praised, glancing around to find Sanji fretting over the umbrella shading them.
He ducked behind the stand to hide his smile as he twisted the canopy to block out the sun from where it had moved since that morning.
“Uhg!” Nami exhaled. “This is exactly what I needed.”
The sound of twin sandals landing on the deck to feet shuffling distracted Robin from Sanji’s question about the shade as she turned to look to her right. Seeing no one there but knowing the culprit, Robin sprouted one arm from the table to scoop up her tart before Luffy’s searching hand could grab it. She turned to her pouting captain behind her just as Sanji thrust his heel into the side of his head.
“What do you think you’re doing, shit head?”
“I want snacks too, Sanji!” Luffy whined, ignoring the foot that was pressing into his cheek. His already stretched out arm maneuvering to search for Nami’s glass before she snatched it away to safety.
Sanji pushed the rubber boy away from the table, snapping, “You get lunch at the same time as the rest of those idiots. Don’t you dare try to take Nami-san or Robin-chan’s treats!”
“But Sanjiiii, I’m hungry!”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re hungry all the time.” Sanji shoved Luffy toward the stairs. “Now beat it!”
Robin couldn’t help but feel a little bad as she watched her captain’s retreating form, still moaning about food. Sanji turned back to them with apologies but Robin was too distracted to listen as she looked down at the tart in her sprouted hand. She picked it up and took a small bite. Of course it was delicious. The pastry was perfectly flaky without being dry and the zest of the fresh tangerine jam was balanced with the sweetness of the cream. How badly she wanted to finish it. And yet, she still searched the ship until she found Luffy pouting against the foremast and whispered to him that he could finish her snack.
A joyful whoop exploded from the main deck as Luffy shot himself back up to Robin’s side, ignoring Sanji’s enraged exclamations.
“Robin said!” Luffy announced, like a child who had gotten a parent’s permission.
Sanji spluttered, looking at her. She smiled apologetically as she handed the treat to her drooling captain.
“It is delicious, but the drink was filling enough for me.” It was a lie, but one that the cook wouldn’t argue.
He gave a half-hearted shrug and a shake of his head as Luffy gulped down the desert, fondness and annoyance mixed on his features. Perhaps the tart would have been better enjoyed by herself, but she loved to see the sparkle in Luffy’s eyes as he savored Sanji’s cooking in his own way.
“Well, I’m not giving him my drink.” Nami scoffed, watching Luffy lick his fingers while eyeing her glass.
Robin smiled. But before anyone could make another remark, the rough call of their swordsman over the loudspeaker drew their attention. “Oi! Cast away, starboard side!”
The crew turned their attention to the right, looking out at miles of uninterrupted blue sea.
“Shit, I mean port!” Zoro called again.
“Idiot,” Sanji muttered as he and Luffy walked to the other side of the ship.
Robin marked her spot in her book with a thin strip of wood decorated with flower blossoms. Usopp had carved it for her after seeing her dog-ear her pages in horror, begging her to use it instead of creasing her precious novels. Placing the book on the table, she stood and joined the two men at the railing. It was quite a distance out, but rocking on the waves was a broken board of driftwood and a man clinging desperately to it.
“Jimbei!” Luffy called, a serious expression taking over his prior playful one.
“Aye, Captain.” Without needing further explanation, the fish-man steered Sunny toward the castaway.
As they approached, Luffy, Franky, and Usopp made their way down to the docking room. The rest of the crew gathered at the main deck’s railing in curiosity as they watched Franky’s arm launch out to snag the driftwood and reel it in.
Next to Robin, with his head almost fitting through the bars of the railing, Chopper sucked in a distressed breath. The castaway lay still, his skin an irritated, leathery, red color with some of it peeling away from his face and arms. Parts of his clothes were torn and clinging to the cuts caked in dry blood. From what Robin theorized, the ship that the stranger came from did not make it through the storm that Nami had gracefully navigated earlier that week. They were lucky to have someone as skilled as her to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the Grand Line, like this man’s crew likely had.
“Bring him up quickly and carefully!” The reindeer shouted over the side of the ship. A 'you got it, bro’ faintly responding.
Chopper pulled his head from between the bars and grabbed onto Robin’s skirt—an anxious habit—and dragged the archaeologist with him to the center of the ship. The latch on the floor of the deck opened and Usopp and Luffy were the first out, turning back to help Franky lift the unconscious man through the hole and onto the grass. Chopper let go of Robin and ran to fret over him, checking his pulse and wounds. The rest of the crew circled around, yet still gave a healthy space.
“How long do you think he was adrift?” Usopp asked, tucking his hands under his arms.
“If his ship was destroyed by that storm, several days,” Nami replied.
“Is he dead?” Robin questioned Chopper.
The reindeer looked up at his crew, relief written on his face that had been scrunched up in worry a few moments before. “He’s alive. Just severely dehydrated and sunburnt.”
“Starving too,” Luffy added, crouching next to Chopper. “We should give him meat.”
Everyone looked at Sanji, who in turn raised an eyebrow back at them. “I’m not feeding him that.”
“I thought that was your whole thing.” Zoro crossed his arms, an expression on his face that told Robin that he was trying to get a rouse out of the other man. “Feeding starving people.”
It worked.
Irritation flashed across Sanji’s face and he slammed a foot onto the swordsman’s crossed arms, leaning into it as he griped back, “I never said I wasn’t going to feed him. I’m just not feeding him meat.”
Nami stepped between them, pushing Sanji’s leg down. “Alright, boys, let’s not get into it.”
The cook took a step back, his voice sweet as he responded, “Of course, Nami-san! I would never subject your ears to this man’s idiotic words if I could help it.”
“But I bet she’s tired of hearing your love-sick moaning everyday,” the swordsman countered with a low grumble.
“Huh?” Sanji glared at him. “What do you know about love, moss for brains?”
Nami grabbed both by their shirt collars, a fiery spark in her eye as she snapped at each one, “Knock it off!”
Sanji immediately shut his mouth, shoving his hands into his pockets. Zoro only exhaled sharply through his nose, but didn’t push back against the navigator. Instead, turning away to head back to the crow’s nest.
Trying to hold back a smile, Robin turned her gaze to Chopper. The reindeer had not given any reaction to the argument, his focus solely attentive to his patient. He turned into his human form to lift the man into his arms. “I’m taking him to the infirmary. Sanji, if you could make something with lots of nutrients that could help hydrate and energize him, that would be perfect.”
The cook hummed. Lighting a cigarette, his eyes became distant as he thought through recipes he could make.
Robin followed Chopper as he trotted to the galley, drawing the reindeer’s attention before he could disappear inside. “Allow me to help you.”
Luffy bounded to his other side, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Tell us when he wakes up! I wanna know what happened.”
The reindeer looked back and forth between the two then gave a nod.
Robin followed him into the infirmary, helping to grab the medical supplies he would need. The doctor quickly cleaned and bandaged the man’s wounds and added a soothing solvent to his sunburns.
After they finished, Robin sat the last instrument next to the rest of the freshly cleaned ones. Chopper maneuvered the I.V. stand around the bed to get started attaching it to his patient when Sanji walked in with a bowl in each hand. He sat one on the desk near Robin and the other on the stand next to the patient, observing Chopper insert the I.V. needle with a slight tightness in his poster.
When he finished, Sanji gestured to the bowl. “When he wakes up, feed him this. It’s got carrots and tomatoes to help with the sunburns, spinach for iron, and electrolytes for hydration. It’s all pureed so it’ll be easier for him to swallow. Don’t let him have more than this even if he asks. But you know that, right?”
Chopper nodded. “You got to ease starving people into food or they’ll throw it back up.”
Sanji returned the nod with a satisfied expression.
Robin quietly observed the exchange from the swivel chair she was sitting on. Sanji spoke so easily on the subject of starvation, and perhaps it was due to his chef background, but Robin had picked up on snippets of conversation and subtext that alluded to more. Their cook must have gone through the experience himself once before. Perhaps that was why he insisted on making sure everyone else ate first during meals before he gave himself permission to join. To make sure they were all well fed. Robin wondered how an experience like that had not turned him selfish instead.
As Sanji pivoted on his heel to return to the kitchen, he caught her eye and smiled. “Lunch is ready, Robin-chan. I’m just about to let Nami-san know.”
“You weren’t going to tell me?” Chopper exclaimed.
“You’re busy with that guy,” Sanji retorted, thumbing toward the man, “It’s your duty as a doctor to not leave his side.”
Chopper spluttered in disbelief, tears threatening the edges of his eyes as the cook left the room. The reindeer ran over to Robin and grabbed her legs in a tight hug.
“Sanji’s so mean!” He wailed.
Robin stroked his back, helping him to calm down. “He wouldn’t forget you, Chopper.”
The reindeer sniffed, wiping his nose on her skirt. She didn’t mind, but made a mental note to not wear the garment tomorrow unless it had been washed.
“I know I can’t leave my patient. But I’m hungry too!”
She lifted Chopper’s chin with a gentle hand and directed his gaze to the bowl sitting on his desk.
She smiled when his eyes lit up, and softly said, “He may come off harsh but underneath he cares about you just as much as anyone else. It’s just how he is.”
The doctor sniffed loudly and rubbed cloven hands across his eyes and nose. Once he had taken a few hiccupping breaths to calm his nervous system, she handed him the bowl.
“We’ll be right in the other room if you need anything, doctor,” Robin said, patting him on the shoulder before standing and crossing to the door. “Do let us know if you need anything.”
The little reindeer wiggle in embarrassed happiness waving a hoof to dismiss her compliment. “You calling me doctor doesn’t make me happy or anything, dummy!”
As she left the infirmary, Chopper scrambled onto his seat to enjoy his bowl of soup. Closing the door behind her, she saw that most of the crew had arrived for lunch; sitting at the table in their usual seats. She took her spot next to Franky, her back to the kitchen where she had seen Sanji spreading butter across perfectly toasted sourdough.
The seating situation had been established well before she had become a part of the crew and enforced after some floundering with each added member. The first time Franky arrived and tried to take a seat facing the kitchen, Zoro had huffed and grumbled, almost starting a fight over it until Usopp quietly asked the cyborg to move. To her understanding, the four who sat across from the kitchen, Zoro, Usopp, and Nami, alongside Luffy at the head, did so because they enjoyed watching their cook prepare meals. His fingers and knives danced across cutting boards like a theatrical performance as his body lightly maneuvered back and forth between sizzling, boiling, or frying dishes effortlessly.
It was hypnotizing.
She understood why as she would find herself at the table many mornings just to watch him as she sipped on her demitasse coffee, pretending to read. It brought a peace that she hungered for many times and Sanji was always happy to indulge it. But here, now, with Luffy lifting up his bowl with a demand for more soup, she was content to sit with her back to the kitchen.
As her friends’ voices filled the air with bubbling laughter and excitement, mostly from their captain, Robin took her spoon and stirred it in the bowl before taking a sip. She closed her eyes as she savored each bite. It was thick and creamy and a little acidic from the tomato, but the sweet carrots and spinach helped cut through the sharpness. Orzo and pork chunks made up the base of the soup, which added texture and hardiness. Finally, the notes of lemon, pine, and mild mint from the herbs tied it together into a rich, earthy experience.
A hand gently tapped her shoulder and she looked up to see Sanji with a tray in hand.
“Toast?” He asked, offering her the food.
She nodded and picked up a slice to dip into her soup. Her focus drew away from the flavor profile of her meal and returned to the noise in the room.
“Sanji! Bring it over here!” Luffy called, waving his spoon in the air. He had a soup mustache spread across his smile.
“You know the rules. Ladies first.” The cook retorted, stopping by Nami to offer her a slice. “And wipe your face. You look like a slob.”
Luffy laughed in reply before licking his lips, not wanting to waste even a smidgen of Sanji’s cooking.
“Oi, Swirls, where’s the booze?” Zoro drawled, lifting up a cup.
“Get plastered on your own time,” Sanji shot back.
“Right, it’s barely the afternoon,” Nami agreed. “The only reason we’re having this early of a lunch is because of that castaway. Or did you morons forget?”
“Didn’t forget,” the swordsman grumbled, “just wanted something to wash this shitty food down.”
Sanji huffed, setting the bread in the center of the table before disappearing into the pantry.
“The castaway is very interesting, indeed,” Robin commented. The reins needed to be pulled on the conversation and she was more than willing to take the lead. She recalled her observations of the man while she helped Chopper tend to him. “From the look of the man’s clothes, he may be a fisherman. However, his nails and hair are well kept and the only tears in his clothing must have been from splinters from his sunken ship, which suggests a life not solely dedicated to the sea.”
“Poor guy,” Nami sympathized. Then gave a loud sigh as she sat an elbow on the table and cupped her cheek in her hand. “You think he’ll still be able to afford the rescuing fee and medical fee? Fishermen aren’t known to be very rich.”
“We can’t charge the guy!” Usopp exclaimed. “He just lost his ship and was drifting out in the hot sun for seven weeks!”
It was closer to five days, but Robin didn’t correct him.
“Well, if he turns out to be someone important, I’m charging with interest!”
“You fink fat ship had any ofer survivors?” Franky asked through a thick mouthful of toast.
Robin placed a hand on his arm with a slight frown. He swallowed and gave an apologetic smile.
“That storm was pretty bad,” Nami replied, oblivious to the cyborg’s bad manners, or perhaps used to it, “I think the only reason we made it through was because we had Jimbei.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Nami-san,” Sanji cut in, having returned with a small bottle of sake to sit in front of Zoro. The swordsman gave a pleased grunt and popped the cap to take a large gulp. “You were essential to our survival, and had it not been for you I don’t think even Jimbei could have gotten us out of that hurricane.”
“Regardless, the matter remains on what we should do with our passenger,” Robin continued, watching Sanji return to the kitchen to pick up a teacup and deliver it to Brook who was sitting on the lounge couch. “If he does not die first, would he ask us to deliver him back to his home or should we drop him off at the next island? What kind of trouble might he bring us?”
Luffy gave a large, and very vocal yawn. “Why wonder about these things? We’ll just wait for him to wake up and ask him then. After that we’ll decide what to do.”
Robin smiled at the easy logic of her captain. It was something she always admired about him and was only slightly jealous of. How he took each day by face value, where she needed to understand every possibility before making a decision.
“It’s good to be prepared, Luffy,” Nami shot back before giving a sigh. “Not that you care.”
“Luffy’s right,” Zoro said through a yawn. It must be contagious. “There’s no point wasting energy worrying when we can wait and find out.”
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Brook’s light voice cut through the clinking of dishes and casual discussion, diverting their gaze to him, “Our doctor may give us some insight if you give him your attention.”
Robin’s eyes flickered to the door that led to the infirmary. How had she not heard it open? She scolded herself lightly for being so distracted, but then reprimanded her scolding just as quickly. She was in a safe place, she needn’t be so cautious anymore.
Chopper stood peeking out the wrong way from the doorframe. Once he realized he had their focus he jumped out into the room fully. “Um, Luffy, you asked to see him when he woke up. Well, he’s awake.”
Luffy jumped from his seat in excitement, causing the reindeer to wave his hooves quickly up and down. “But you have to be quiet! He’s pretty shaken up and I don’t want you to make him more upset!”
“Sure thing, Chopper!” Luffy nodded, his energetic smile softening. “Zoro, Nami, let’s go.”
The two exchanged looks, but complied. The three slipped into the infirmary behind Chopper. The rest of the crew’s curiosity burning as they leaned toward the closed door, their breaths caught as they strained to listen. When Brook began to pluck merrily on his violin, the others glanced at him and his cheeky smile before sighing and returning to finish their meals.
Sanji filled a bowl with soup before heading out of the kitchen, most likely to hand it off to Jimbei who had remained at the helm. Robin stood and began clearing the empty dishes, making sure to leave a bowl for their cook. She wished it was more full than it was, but there hadn’t been much left.
Usopp and Franky lingered in the kitchen until Sanji returned before heading out, realizing that they weren’t going to overhear anything with Brook casually playing. Robin was filling the sink with water and soap when Sanji made a displeased exclamation. She turned and saw him rolling up his sleeves as he entered the kitchen.
She held up a hand, stopping him. “Please, let me do this for you. If I am not mistaken you haven’t eaten yet. Correct?”
Sanji glanced across the counter at the lone bowl sitting on the table. “Robin-chan, please, let me clean up. I’ll eat afterward.”
She shook her head. “It’s the least I can do after you made us such a wonderful meal.” Sanji hesitated, looking like he wanted to protest more, but she turned to face him fully and dropped her voice so that it was firm, yet still gentle. “I insist.”
The blonde seemed slightly taken aback, fidgeting with the button on his suit cuff. Finally, and to her relief, he nodded stiffly and walked back to the table. She let out a small breath, happy he was letting her, and returned to the dishes to continue washing.
After she had gotten through half of the bowls, the infirmary door opened and Nami stepped half way into the room. She was about to speak when she noticed Sanji eating at the table and Robin at the kitchen sink. She hesitated, surprise written on her face, but recovered and spoke, “Sanji-kun, do you mind joining us for a moment?”
Robin paused, turning so that she could see Sanji lift his head and tip it slightly. Brook too had paused his melody before smoothly picking it back up as if it was part of the song. The cook nodded, shoveling the last of the soup into his mouth and setting it next to Robin with a displeased expression as his eyes lingered on her soapy hands. She smiled and hoped he could tell that it was her pleasure to take care of this chore for him.
With that, Sanji disappeared into the adjacent room with Nami.
Robin scrubbed a few more bowls before her curiosity got the better of her and she blossomed an eye and ear into the ceiling corners of the infirmary. Standing around the room, the crew seemed to be weary of their new guest who was clutching at the bed sheets. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, his brows drawn up in desperation. The air was static, a tension that Robin was familiar with. It meant the man was indeed in more trouble than they first thought and he had begged them for help.
“Luffy, what’s he talking about? What’s going on?” Sanji finally broke the silence.
“His village is starving,” Luffy replied matter-of-factly from his perch on the desk, one leg up supporting his arm, the other dangling. “They’ve had a bad fishing season, their land’s dry, and the jungle too dangerous for them to forage in. They tried to fish further in the ocean, but it’s all lost from the storm.”
The room fell quiet after Luffy’s explanation, waiting for a response. The man whispered ‘please’ over and over as tears fell from his eyes, fingers tightening in the sheets. Sanji glanced around the room, hands tucked in his pockets.
Finally, with a shrug, he spoke, “Then we feed them.”
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Spinach, Tomato, Bean, Orzo Soup
1 minced clove of garlic
1 cup of onion
Cooking spray
2 cups of cherry tomatoes
1 rinsed can of great northern beans
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
one teaspoon thyme
1 quart of vegetable broth.
3/4 cups of orzo
two cups of chopped spinach.
Instructions
Sauté 1 minced clove of garlic and 1 cup of onion in cooking spray.
Then add 2 cups of cherry tomatoes and swish them around with saute until a little soft.
Add a rinsed can of great northern beans and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, one teaspoon thyme and stir until mixed. Then add a quart of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.
Add 3/4 cups of orzo and stir often to prevent sticking. Let that cook about 7 minutes.
Add two cups of chopped spinach. Once orzo is almost cooked. Stir until desired consistency