Chapter Text
Sanji shivered as he swam deeper, traveling from the reef to the depths was always an uncomfortable experience.
He didn’t mind the pressure, he was practically built for it, and even the darkness never fully consumed him, but the creeping chill of the ocean floor always seemed to seep under his skin.
He was from the north blue, and because of that some might assume a merman like him would be suited to the cold, but that was far from the truth. The northern depths had a plethora of thermal vents often muddying the cold and clear surface waters.
Sanji had even used those murky depths in his youth, invisible and safe; from the water’s biting chill, and his father’s cooler demeanor.
Maybe if he’d been able to build up some proper fat stores in adolescence he’d be less bothered by it, but as a teen, staying fast had been safer than staying fed.
Despite that he would endure the cold, it was uncomfortable, but would be well worth the reward.
He smiled thinking about it, truly the fishman of the East Blue didn’t know what they were missing, sticking to shallower reefs and grassy plains they never ventured deep enough for one of the ocean’s greatest treasures.
Hatchi had looked at him like he was crazy the first time he’d brought up the dish, so it was up to Sanji to introduce him to such a rare delicacy.
Sanji had first met the Octopus fishman when he was practically a minnow and Hatchi had taken him under his tentacles when he wanted to learn how to cook. Sharing recipes, tips and tricks, it was a dream Sanji had once thought beyond his reach.
So he’d return the favour, and impress his mentor all in one go. All he had to do was go for a dive.
It was a little over half a day’s swim if his memory served, and since the fishman of the east blue rarely dove so deep so the chances he’d run into any trouble with Arlong’s gang past the drop off was small.
The fishmen of the east blue did have a good reason to stay above the drop off. Sea-kings spawned in the calm belt, but the juveniles couldn’t stay there unless they wanted to risk becoming lunch for their older and larger counterparts. So they dove down, using the darkness to hide them at their weakest until they were big enough and mean enough to surface and strike fear into the hearts of marines and pirates alike.
Which meant there was an unusually high number of half grown sea kings stalking the deep waters snapping up anything that could be considered a meal, anything like a Fishman, or a mermaid.
Still, Sanji wasn’t all that worried, fishman weren’t often made for the depths like he was, hell even the merpeople he’d met in the East blue were more suited to the sunny shoals than the open depths.
He tried not to think too hard about what he was actually built for and by whom, for now he’d simply use it to his advantage. His skin had already taken on the red cast that made him nearly invisible in the dark, and as the surface light dimmed he let his own marks fade with it.
Creating his own light was useful, and he’d always marveled at the swirling pattern along his arms and tail, but having control over the glow meant he could remain unnoticed and make it to the seafloor safely.
He let his lines shine just enough that he wouldn’t have to make the journey in total darkness, but he kept his other senses sharp. While he was more suited to the open water than your average fishman that didn’t mean he was going to let his guard down. Evolutionary advantage wouldn’t save him from becoming something bigger’s lunch.
Sea-kings didn’t care if you were sentient or not.
He took his time, slowing his descent when any sign of danger caught his attention, luckily he only ran into a jellyfish and some drifting debris, usually chunks of pirate ships lost in dogfights, ones small enough to get caught in the ocean currents rather than sinking to the bottom.
He felt like he made good time as the silty sand plumed beneath him marking the end to the vertical part of his journey.
He’d made it to the bottom.
It was a tad anticlimactic. There wasn’t much along the seafloor, barren and dark, his faint light only reaching as far as he could. That barrenness could stretch for miles in one direction or mere metres in another, without any landmarks it was difficult to tell where exactly he was.
Still, he knew he was close. He’d mapped out the spot a decade ago and had done his best to pinpoint where at the surface it would be best to dive, even if he’d veered a little off course it couldn’t be too far.
That was when a flash of white caught his attention. A small crab scuttled just under his fins, moving forward at a pace that told him it had a destination in mind.
The scavenger was a promising sign, he was probably even closer than he’d first thought.
He watched the crab for a moment before following it, just far enough that he could still see it, but not so close that it would feel threatened. He didn’t need to worry about it spotting him, or fleeing his light since the crab, like many other deepsea scavengers didn’t have any eyes to do so.
Not that they needed it in the darkness of the depths.
A distant groan vibrated through the water and he dimmed the light again, staying low and close to the crab. It could have been a sea-king, or something equally as dangerous but after continued silence he surmised it was too far a way to be a true threat.
His guide was unbothered, zigzagging along the sand with wild abandon, intent on its destination.
He flicked his tail to catch up with his quarry only to be forced to pull up abruptly when a wall of something materialized out of the darkness.
He let his tail brighten only to immediately snuff it out as the head of a large fish met his own.
His brain once again screamed sea-king, and he froze hoping it hadn’t seen him. His adrenaline had spiked, and his pupil’s dilated allowing him to take in the massive form.
The pale crab he’d followed skittered up the side of the creature’s face and it didn’t move. He slowly backed away from its head, it remained stationary. He hugged close to its gills to avoid a bite only to notice the white scale to give way to wooden planks.
Taking a closer look showed the fish’s scales were actually flaking white paint. Moving away from it he brightened his light to see if he could get a better view.
Before him lay the crumpled remains of a ship resting on the seafloor. It must have once been a grand feat of engineering, but closer inspection determined its demise. A plethora of holes the sizes of cannon balls dotted the fallen structure.
There was one just big enough for him to fit through and curiosity got the best of him. This wasn’t the prize he’d been diving for but the ship couldn’t have been more than a few weeks old, which meant it probably still had goods worth looting.
He was not disappointed as brightened the room to reveal a kitchen the likes of which he’d never seen before. Prep after prep station, a walk in freezer, and the biggest cooktop the merman had ever seen. It was awe inspiring, and a little depressing.
The room was a mess, some of the equipment had crumpled in the ship’s landing, others had clearly suffered from the egregious cannonfire. But it wasn’t like he could haul a stove out of the ship to the reef anyway.
The cookware though.
He’d brought with him a sailcloth sling, and it was perfect for its new purpose. Hatchi had been kind enough to let Sanji borrow a few pots and pans for practice, but now Sanji could only imagine the wonder on the octopus fishman’s face when Sanji brought up wok comparable to his own.
Though the wok would have to wait, there was no way it would fit in his sling and still allow him to bring along anything else, and there was a roll of knives just calling his name. Plus, he still had his mission and he needed to be able to bring that back as well.
The pots and pan he did take were still of excellent quality, He’d only seen one room of the ship and his sling was already nearly full.
There had been a stocked pantry, but it had already been raided by scavengers, picked clean and the small crab he’d followed had skittered through the kitchen into the rest of the wreck.
He decided to follow, wondering if perhaps his purpose was beyond the damaged ship. So after he finished arranging the sling against his hip, he swam through the door into an elegant dining room, or rather a once elegant dining room.
The plush booths were now occupied with a less discerning clientele, several sea sponges had already attached themselves to the furniture while there were several species of crabs picking away at the upholstery.
Not all the scavengers had seen fit to stop at the furniture. The little crab Sanji had followed still scuttled along through another shattered doorway. A sign that there was perhaps something more appetizing just beyond its lintel.
He was sure it led back out to the open ocean, and perhaps Sanji’s original goal.
He continued through the ship to the door, he thought about returning to the reef with his new cookware and his promised delicacy and couldn’t wait to see the look on Hatchi’s face when he did.
He moved through the door and was met with something he didn’t quite expect.
It was the open ocean, but littered with the ship’s wreckage. Board and rope, chain and mast were all tangled together on an extended deck and all of it was propped precariously over the edge of an even deeper ocean crevice.
Several deep sea vents plumed alongside the splintered wood where it threatened to plunge even deeper.
At first glance the debris seems to be just that, a jumbled mess of parts of what was once a ship, but his eyes follow the crab as it moves along, eventually crawling up an object where a small mass of its brethren had already congregated.
There was something that had drawn the scavengers, and curiosity drove him forward. He couldn’t help but brighten his scales to get a better look.
He almost wished he hadn’t when a pale corpse materialized beneath the cluster of crustaceans.
It wasn’t the first body Sanji had encountered in his lifetime, the ocean took its due from many sailors and coming across drowned men was the result.
Though it was strange that this was the only corpse Sanji had come across in the wreck. Having explored the empty wreck he had almost forgotten that sunken ships were often home to men before they fell beneath the waves.
It seemed this one had managed to claim at least one of her sailors, holding him fast in her so they could share a grave.
Sanji felt bad for the poor sod, though it was probably for the best; were he still alive the man would have been in rough shape. He floated in place tangled in the ropes and chain that had bound him to the wreck.
What was left of his threadbare shirt fluttered in the water revealing a large gash bisecting his chest. It was angry and red with white edges of skin picked apart by the crabs that had been crowding the corpse.
As he inspected the deadman something felt off. Looking at the rest of the wreck Sanji would have guessed it had sat at the ocean bed for at least a fortnight, but the corpse had barely started to decay. Aside from the obvious open wound, the man’s skin looked fresh and unmarred, as if he’d only been dead for hours, and even then hours at the bottom of the sea the dead usually fared worse. The scavengers hadn’t even tried to pick at anything other than the nasty scar.
Still, he had to have gone down with the ship, there was no way he could be so entangled otherwise.
Sanji drifted closer to get a better look, the man appeared young, he didn’t know exactly how humans aged, but by looks alone theirs could be the same. He’d never actually seen a living human but the dead ones he’d encountered were often older.
Curiosity overrode his caution.
The man’s skin had pulled taut, revealing more bone than muscle. Sanji felt the hunger knaw at his own stomach examining the way the man’s ribs protruded through skin.
The man’s face was soft and slack, eyes closed like he was only sleeping. He’d been handsome, or at least more than any of the fishmen Sanji knew.
Sanji’s glow tinted blue and in the light the man’s hair looked a bit like algae floating in the soft current, a stark contrast to the reds and whites of most deep ocean dwellers.
Sanji pondered if it was soft like his own, or coarse like the bristles of a lionfish. Giving into the urge, he reached out just to brush it.
Just as his fingers reached the green tendrils the corpse lurched forward, and Sanji jerked back, his instincts the only thing that kept a set of teeth from snapping down on his hand.
The muscles in his skin contracted, dimming the light from his tail and changing the color of his skin in an effort to disguise him in the dark. Each action was ingrained in his nature, automatic, cowardly.
He looked back at the corpse to be met with a pair of red eyes glowing in the darkness.
Sanji bolted.
Cowardice kept him alive, he wouldn’t be ashamed of that.
He didn’t really think, he just swam. Whatever that thing was, it was dangerous. Humans didn’t have glowing eyes, or sharp teeth, nor could they survive in the depths.
Whatever that thing was, it couldn’t be human.
He stayed low to the sand, darting around the pieces of the wrecked ship as he swam into the open plain of the deep ocean floor.
He used his speed, putting as much distance as he could between himself and whatever that thing was to ensure his survival.
He spent the sprint debating when to head for the surface, sure he’d not found what he’d home for but he’d still collected a bounty in the ship’s kitchen that would be enough to impress his friend.
He’d almost turned up to head back to the surface when something new caught his eye. The ocean floor had been flat and barren, but something pushed out of the sand, something bigger than him.
A bone.
Sanji stopped, his heart still raced but for a very different reason. He’d left the living corpse far behind him and managed to stumble into the very reason he’d ventured down so deep.
The whalefall.
There wasn’t enough light to illuminate the entire whale, but there was no doubt that was what it was. Bones appear like a small city rising out of the sand. In some ways not all that different from the shipwreck he’d just fled, but in truth it was something else entirely.
It wasn’t the vibrant colours of coral glinting in the sun but it held a bounty just as plentiful.
He could see the slowly dancing tendrils of the worms that had embedded themself into the leviathan’s bones and started converting it to something else. Something delicious.
A whale was a massive creature and when it died it not only fed scavengers on the surface, but created entire ecosystems after it sank to the sea floor.
A community as lively as the ones on the upper reefs would build itself from the whale’s flesh and bone and exist for almost as long as the whale had when it was alive. Generations of bottom dwellers would live and die and exist because of one creature’s demise.
It was magnificent.
The most enticing piece was in the bones, broken down by enzymes provided by the creatures latching onto their surface. They would soften and ferment into something entirely new, and incredibly flavourful.
Sanji dubbed it Whale bone tartare.
As far as he knew there was no other way to create such a dish. Certain creatures only found at the deepest points of the ocean would latch onto the whale and break down the fatty bones to the perfect consistency and flavour, it was a process that took decades.
The first time Sanji had tried it he’d been lucky, the whalefall he’d stumbled upon was perfectly cured; it probably didn’t hurt that he’d been near starved and desperate, but it had given him a taste for the treat. His second whalefall had not been properly aged, and nothing had yet been broken down.
Afterwards, he’d done some research. It was a delicacy favoured by the merpeople and fishman of the west blue, and records detailed how the timing for harvest had to be perfect.
So he made a point to remember where the last whalefall he’d found was and to return at a later date.
And here it was.
Fear forgotten he found one of the more prominent bones and set aside his sling, grabbing one of the new knives and set to task. The bone was soft as he cut into it to test the consistency and he carved away all of the pieces that were ripe.
He filled several of his new pots and even managed to fit one of the smaller vertebrae in his sling for the return to the surface.
He looked forward to getting back up to the reef, to the familiar currents, natural light and warm sun. It never mattered how well suited he was for the depths, Sanji never found comfort in the deep, and despite its many obstacles the reef didn’t have deadmen trying to eat him.
He grimaced, that thought was probably unfair.
That thing clearly wasn’t dead, even if it was near enough. He’d assumed the protruding ribs were a sign of decay but in retrospect they were more likely a sign of starvation.
Perhaps it was actually a fishman that had been caught up as the ship sank, one that just appeared a bit more human than most.
Whatever he was, he’d become trapped in the doomed ship’s rigging, not able to swim free or feed himself properly.
Sanji tried to shake the idea free. It didn’t matter what the thing was; human or fishman, he wasn’t Sanji’s problem.
But that didn’t stop the ghost of an ache sympathetically tugging below his own ribs. He’d suffered that kind of hunger once, it had been a traumatic experience, one he was not keen to relive, even vicariously.
His sling weighed heavy, pulling down his shoulders and he mentally tried to shake the memories. Only a sharp pinch at his skin pulled him from his thoughts.
He had a stowaway, a fuzzy white crab had climbed into his sling, and was trying to dig into his spoils.
He pulled the creature free, carefully holding it by the shell watching the pinchers and legs wave uselessly. It was the same species as the one he’d followed into the shipwreck, the same as the ones that had mobbed and trapped the poor starving bastard, picking at him for nourishment while his own body slowly digested itself.
He tossed the creature away and grit his teeth. Begrudgingly he reoriented himself back towards the ship.
The wreck wasn’t as difficult to find the second time, while his escape had taken him a distance away, it had been fairly easy to swim the straight line back until a fish-faced hull emerged once more from the darkness.
He didn’t immediately head for the deck, instead opting to start back in the kitchen. Maybe it was the protective shell of the closed off space, or the fact it was filled with the kind of tools he’d only ever been able to dream of, but the space had a comfort to it that helped him focus and work out a plan of action.
He would feed the strange man, but only feed him. Sanji wouldn’t risk an injury just because he was a bleeding heart.
He pulled out one of the ripe pieces of whale bone, a cleaver still hanging from the rack and a cutting board then he set to work. He convinced himself it was practice, preparing something for the strange creature would let him perfect his technique for sharing the dish up on the reef.
Removing the worms latched onto the bone took a delicate touch, it was their presence that had made the bone so delectable but their own astringent taste would mar the flavour of the dish.
He worked the fatty marrow into somewhat presentable rolls, piling them high in one of the kitchen’s errant bowls. It looked almost restaurant worthy, not that it really mattered, the chances anyone would see it in the dark of the depths was next to none. Even the crabs were blind.
Still, he’d know, and if he didn’t put the same effort in now that he would in a kitchen there was no way he’d ever become a chef.
Task complete he repacked his sling shifting it to his back so he could hold the bowl as he made his way back towards the deck. The dining room felt more ominous the second time through, like the battered upholstery, and ruined fixtures were judging him as he passed.
The door to the deck was just as dark as before, but knowing what lay beyond it made something jitter through his gut. He didn’t worry for his safety, he could handle himself, barring a sea-king he could take on any threat the ocean decided to throw at him. The strange man however felt different.
He was something unknown, despite thinking he might be a fishman Sanji was fairly certain he was from the surface but Sanji had only heard stories of the world beyond the ocean’s embrace.
Perhaps he was making a mistake feeding him, there was a very real possibility that he’d been sent to the ocean floor deliberately and Sanji was about to aid something that should have been left to die.
He shook off his nerves, if whatever the man was was so devastatingly powerful there was no way he’d be so thoroughly bound by rope and rigging. Besides, Sanji wasn't going to free him, he was just going to feed him.
He made his way back out to the uncovered part of the wreck, gripping the bowl of whalebone tartar tightly.
He could feel the man’s gaze fall on him as he approached, this time there was no mistaking the creature for a corpse, even with the crabs still picking at skin around the gaping chest wound.
The attention weighed on Sanji like a cloak heavier than sailcloth. Even if he wasn’t thrashing anymore, Sanji could feel the coiled tension of danger roiling off of him.
Those haunting eyes locked on him with a stark clarity, and Sanji was even more sure of the thing’s sentience.
“Can you understand me?” he let the words vibrate through his gills, a tone deep enough to travel through the water.
Silver eyes narrowed — Sanji could have sworn they’d been red— and the man gave him a careful once over. Sanji had let his markings glow bright enough to fill the distance between them, and its narrow pupils took advantage of the light.
It opened its mouth.
Nothing came out but a horrible choking sound and a few foaming bubbles. It confirmed Sanji’s suspicions that it was from the surface. It had tried to speak but with no air for surface lungs nothing discernible came out. Whatever this man was, he didn’t belong at the bottom of the ocean.
Sanji felt thankful for his gills and the freedom to push water through them. Watching the man struggle for words pulled at his guilt, but he still didn’t understand how it had survived so long without air, he thought most surface dwellers needed it regularly but he wasn’t entirely sure.
“You can just nod.” The creature’s attention sharpened further, glaring at Sanji before finally it nodded carefully.
“Good, good.” Warily Sanji closed the distance, “I’ve brought some food for you.”
He held out the bowl only to feel a bit irritated when all his offer received was a raised eyebrow.
It took a moment for it to sink in and he felt rather dumb. The man’s arms were so entangled that there was no way he could accept, he wouldn’t even be able to feed himself. Sanji almost pushed the bowl to his face out of embarrassment, but that seemed demeaning so eventually he drew it back to his own chest.
“Right, uh..” He hadn’t considered how the man would eat, he could go back and grab a fork but it felt cruel to show up with food and take it away, even if the absence would be brief.
He’d have to feed the man by hand.
It wasn’t his favourite option, Sanji’s hands were valuable, he couldn’t cook without them and Hatchi was always pointing out that unlike the octopus fishman, Sanji’s limbs couldn’t regrow.
With his past in the north he couldn’t say for sure if that was the case, but he wasn’t eager to test it either.
Still, he’d already promised.
“Alright, I’m going to feed you, so behave.”
He matched gazes with the man, until slowly he blinked then nodded, green hair dancing with the movement.
First he brushed away all the crabs on the man’s chest. He debated taking them back to the reef to create another dish but it felt weird to eat something that had been so recently eating the strange man alive so he just let them scatter.
The man didn’t even flinch when Sanji pulled free one that had latched onto his skin, instead he remained still and kept his eyes on Sanji. The Merman could feel them on him heavy as any weight, following his every move.
Task complete he tucked the bowl against his ribs and picked out one of the formed spheres holding it out.
The man obediently opened his mouth but didn’t otherwise move, Sanji hesitated seeing canines sharp enough to rival a seal’s, but what was there to fear? The man was trapped and Sanji was helping. He was hungry, and Sanji had promised to feed him, that’s all there was to it.
Slowly he placed the food in the man’s open mouth, pulling back his hand so the morsel could be chewed. He watched the man’s jaw move slowly, he swallowed, then opened his mouth again for another piece.
Sanji was rather mesmerized. He liked to cook, he wanted to feed people, but aside from Hatchi, and his mother nobody ever tasted his food. While the tartare wasn’t a particularly hard dish to prepare, the man wanted more and that thought struck him to his core.
He offered another morsel, then another, and just as requested the captive man behaved obediently waiting for Sanji to place each piece in his mouth before eagerly swallowing it.
Despite his docile actions, Sanji could feel that predatory gaze, he chose to ignored it in favour of marveling over how the man enjoyed something Sanji had worked to create; even if he was a starving creature with no other options, it was nice.
The repetitive motions, and compliant actions allowed Sanji to let his guard down.
He’d pulled the last piece of tartare from the bowl and placed it in the man’s mouth, not expecting the man to use the opportunity to bite down on his hand.
Sanji’s first impression of those teeth had been accurate; they were sharp, easily slicing his skin and digging deep into his flesh as a tongue laved around the incision.
His eyes shot up to meet the man’s, silver had once again shifted and he was met with a glowing red that bored into him like they could pull out his very soul.
He reacted instantly pulling his hand back, but the other man’s jaw stayed clamped firmly down, Sanji could smell the blood in the water and with it came panic, then anger.
Heat blossomed under his scales, rage bubbled to the surface heating the water around him, he moved before thinking, flicking upwards and slamming his tail into the man’s jaw.
The man’s head snapped back freeing Sanji’s hand, allowing him to pull it back close to his chest.
He probably should have checked to see if the man was alright, he’d hit him hard enough to snap his neck, but Sanji was far too incensed to stick around instead turning to the surface and bolting.
He dimmed his scales and slowed only long enough to tear a strip free from his sling and wrap the still bleeding wound. He readjusted the pots to sit more comfortably before angrily shooting back towards the reef.
He tried to do something nice and had only asked the green bastard for one thing, to behave. Did that mean something different on the surface? Because Sanji was pretty fucking sure it meant no biting in every culture.
His descent had been cautious, but rage had tempered his fear and his ascent went much quicker. He fumed, ignoring the ocean around him until he reached the drawing light of shallower waters.
Sanji’s mood lightened with the dawn, his thoughts turned from anger to how his salvaged treasure would delight his friend and help him hone his craft. The reef was warm and welcoming and it let him forget about the freezing shipwreck far below, and the monster trapped within.