A/N: This subject is very...new to me(meaning I've never messed with it, ever, in all my life of fanfic writing). So...what better to explore it than to write it? Because this is set with complete uncertainty outside the boundaries of not knowing WTF will happen beyond the current arc, it should be forgiven when certain subjects come up, with certain characters involved.
: : 1 : :
The island wasn't very big, and was located deep within a cluster of surrounding rock formations and heavy fog. It was a perfect place for a respite after all the chaos caused on the New World's tumultuous seas. After all the intense clashing that had taken place between Kaido and Big Mom, when all was said and done, it was time to relax before setting off to Raftel. The villagers welcomed them cheerily; supplies were gathered and restocked, and a celebration took place.
Alliance figures said their goodbyes and went on their separate paths, and friends celebrated with each other and with the island locals.
While perusing for food, Zoro examined his options before him, holding tightly onto a full mug and three larger bottles under one arm. He heard a slight commotion that didn't fit in with the rest of the cheer, and glanced up to see that runaway bride-cook of theirs in the midst of a group of surprisingly adoring women, with a smaller group of disgruntled locals arguing with them. Because of their lack of strength impressions, Zoro wasn't that interested. But he did catch sight of a taller man hurrying over from the shadows of a nearby alleyway, holding aloft a couple of bottles. He announced his way into the argument with cheer, passing a bottle to Sanji. The group of men continued to look displeased, but both the man and Sanji exchanged 'cheers!' before drinking, and, despite it, the possibility of another encounter faded away. Eventually, Sanji and his idiotic oozing of the women's plain beauty had them walking away, while the group of men continued standing there with pouts.
He looked back down at the table of food, completely missing seeing the taller man grin conspiratorially with his friends, who seemed to perk up visibly. All of them were wearing conniving expressions as they walked off, the taller man looking rather satisfied with himself.
Long into early morning hours, Franky found Zoro snoring in the stone doorway of a dry goods store; behind Franky, Brook and Ussop were carrying leftovers to Sunny, with Nami dragging a rotund Luffy from the empty tables, Robin with a pile of books, Jinbei with a snoring Sanji over one shoulder.
"Goodbye! Thank you for your business!" Nami shouted cheerfully, causing Zoro to wonder what she'd manage to swindle from the tiredly plain faces of the villagers, who waved them off. Chopper, in deer form, held overly full burlap sacks of more supplies, looking nervous as he pranced alongside of Robin, Franky joining them once he was sure Zoro was in tow.
"What happened to this guy?" he asked of Jinbei, gesturing with a thumb at Sanji.
"The events finally caught up, I suppose," Jinbei answered. "Found him sleeping on a bench."
Zoro shrugged, because it was probably true.
Once Sunny was repacked with all his occupants, and Luffy was left snoring atop of the deck, Nami helped Franky and Ussop navigate the safe way out from the cluster of formations that towered over them ominously. It was hours before they were back on the open water, and most of the Strawhats took advantage of it to catch up on much needed rest. Appointed as lookout, Zoro sat up in the crow's nest and watched the puffy clouds in the sky pass by harmlessly.
It had been a long journey since they'd entered the New World, and after all the changing events that happened, it was difficult to think that anything stranger could possibly happen while they were this close to completely conquering this side of the world on their way to find the One Piece. But one couldn't drop their guard for very long – there was always the spaces in between that popped up where this innocent way of thinking was interrupted by the insertion of a top-off point to the strangeness inconceivable to most minds.
It was nearly a week later when Zoro happened upon Sanji in the kitchen, the cook looking deathly pale as he stood stock still at the counter, concentrating his vision down on the chopped ingredients in front of him. He paused in mid-step, certain that he was interrupting something.
"If it's that disgusting, why are you feeding it to us?" he complained.
"Because you're worthy of it!" Sanji snapped back, but the ever present cigarette in his mouth dangled dangerously as he resumed looking at the cutting board, that deathly paleness of his returning with startling strength.
Zoro cringed a little. "Are you going to throw chunks? Because I'm going to throw chunks if you do."
Finger up, Sanji indicated that he wait, and Zoro scowled at him. Finally, the cook straightened up with a hard inhale, pushing away from the counter.
"Are you reliving PTSD?" Zoro asked cautiously.
"I think it was just seeing you that made me ill," Sanji said, wiping his brow.
"It's true, my virility does inspire grave fear in weaker men."
"Shut up!"
"You!"
Huffing, Sanji washed his hands, tapped out ash on a nearby tray, and resumed cutting. "One shouldn't brag about his 'virility' when one is incapable of actually being 'virile'."
"Ah, hell, this again…"
"Not that I'm complaining any, I have enough for the entire crew."
"Shut up!"
"I'll make up for it with presence alone."
"I'm already tired of your mouth, and I just woke up," Zoro complained, sitting at the table. "Serve me. I'm ready."
Sanji scowled at him dangerously, sweeping the contents of the vegetable into an already filled bowl. Moments later, Zoro caught the cup and the bottle thrown his way, and he scoffed at the sight of the bright purple juice sloshing inside.
"What am I, nine?" he muttered, pouring grape juice into the cup provided.
"If all goes well, by Miss Nami's calculations, we should be dropping anchor at port, soon. Franky requested some supplies for Sunny, and we're all getting a little stir-crazy with all the news flying around about us," Sanji said, checking on the oil in the pan before carefully shoveling the vegetables in. Amid the sounds, he continued with, "then I can restock the pantry, you can get lost, and Law can catch up."
"That guy again?" Zoro muttered. "After all this, we should be rivals, again."
"Our captain doesn't think so, and I don't know why you try thinking in an individualistic manner when you don't have a choice in the matter."
"After what he did at Wano, I'll never drop my guard around Luffy's impulsive decisions again," Zoro muttered bitterly.
"It was all part of the plan for Law to betray us as he did," Sanji murmured, focused on the meat he had baking. "In the end, Kaido fell to Luffy's fists, Scratchman was sent flying back to wherever he came from, Luffy forgave Law after he ended up accidentally saving your asses, and Kid promised to give us his other hand when we catch up to him. Luffy's more concerned with Blackbeard and Shanks, now. Bygones are bygones for him."
Grumbling, Zoro scowled at the table. He would never trust the Heart Pirates' captain again, but whatever Luffy decided, he would trust in him. Luffy was the captain, after all, and even if the mess looked dire and never-ending, they always emerged victorious. Even at a price.
'We're family!' Luffy had told Zoro crossly, after the sting of Law's betrayal had somewhat lessened. "And every D has the same agenda, don't you think?'
'But his will always be different than yours,' Zoro had pointed out.
'In the end,' Jinbei had interrupted calmly, 'being an enemy of the Gods strings us all together, even if some strings get too tightly tangled together.'
Zoro then looked at Sanji again, finding him stock still in front of the oven, once again looking ill. "What is wrong with you?" he asked impatiently. "I don't want whatever you have."
"You're too dumb to catch anything I have," Sanji said vaguely, shutting the door, and then covering his nose and mouth. "Ugh, I'll see if Chopper has anything for me. Some scents around here are getting to me. Maybe it is PTSD. After all, my bride to be tried to kill me."
"Everyone tries to kill you because you're annoying. I was surprised you had it in you to come back."
"I knew you'd miss me."
"HAH!"
"It's too early for this, boys," Franky sighed as he walked in, yawning noisily. He caught sight of Sanji standing still at the stove, and tilted his head. "What's wrong with you, cook-bro? It smells like it usually does in here."
"Like grass!" Sanji snapped, reaching out to clasp a hand on the counter nearby. "Too much grass."
Franky looked at Zoro accusingly, Zoro sipping his grape juice. "We had a talk about this, kiddo."
"Like Hell we ever had a talk about 'this'!"
"Maybe it'll help if I opened the windows," Sanji muttered, stumbling away to do so. Franky sat at the table, drumming the top with both hands.
"We're an hour from anchor point, and I wanted to make sure you're cool with things," Franky said to Zoro.
"Whatever captain says," Zoro trailed off. "I don't have to like it, but if Luffy decided to trust him again, like there's anything I can say to dissuade it. But I'll kill the bastard this time, no matter what."
"We're all a little wary of that guy, but like you said, if Luffy says it's 'okay', then we just have to go along with it."
"It's mutiny if we don't," Sanji added, fiddling with the windows.
"None of us are happy with the way things happened, but they did, and we've sailed away from that point, so I think the thing we need to remember is that, no matter what, we stay on guard. If he does anything funny, I'm sure Luffy will forgive us, too, considering how long we've been here," Franky said. "I'm sure he'll be just as tense, too, the bastard."
"I don't understand why he doesn't just sail with his own crew," Zoro grumbled. "Just meet us at point C."
"In a way, I think Luffy keeps him close because of this tendency. You know what they say, keep friends close, enemies closer," Franky said with a sigh. "Only he probably doesn't grasp that concept – it's an instinct thing, instead."
Luffy's 'instincts' often had Zoro questioning most of his decisions in life, but so far, after all this time, he admittedly had to give into it. All the obstacles they'd climbed through as a result of Luffy's direction had given the Strawhats many memories, and levels of potential Zoro never imagined he'd reached so quickly.
Franky looked back at Sanji, seeing the cook pushing his head out the window, breathing deeply. He looked back at Zoro. "What's wrong with him?"
"His own toxic fumes are getting to him," Zoro replied.
"As long as I don't catch it," Franky shivered. "I've a fragile immune system!"
: :
They didn't make it to the port Nami intended. Three different adventures – including a run-in with Marines Luffy had befriended on their way to Totto Land, some rogue pirates eager to make names of themselves, and some Neptunians that dashed away with Nami and Ussop – pulled them nearly two months behind schedule.
It was on a hot summer island where the Strawhats found relaxation on a remote beach when Law finally caught up to them.
"You're late," he told Luffy nastily, the rubber boy looking up from the wading pool Nami insisted on him playing in, while the rest of the crew dashed about, soaking in the sun.
"Hi!" Luffy chirped merrily, water sloshing over the brilliant neon blue of the wading pool, shoving his goggles atop of his head. "Wow, you found us! Ha ha! You must have a navigator that rivals Nami!"
"While you're lounging about, Blackbeard's already taken over half of Shanks' crew, and has him cornered in the south!" Law said impatiently, his crew dispersing amongst the Strawhats, wearing their own summer gear.
"Aren't you hot in all of that?" Luffy asked Law with concern, seeing the older man standing there in dark jeans and a dark long-sleeved hoodie, boots sinking in the hot sand. With all the recent events, Law looked years older than he had when they first met – Luffy thought he saw greys in those dark blue sideburns, but it might've been the glint of the sun's effects. "I think Nami has another pool you can have - !"
"Why are you vacationing when there's still work to be done?" Law returned suspiciously, glaring at the rest of the Strawhats. Sanji was preparing something at a table littered with snacks, working on ice cold drinks that contained bright fruit kabobs. Nami and Robin were in their bikinis, sitting in lounge chairs at the edge of the shore, allowing gentle waves to lap at their legs while they indulged in gossip and sun. Franky was working on his latest weapon design, tools and parts laying around him atop of brightly printed blankets. Zoro was glaring daggers at Law, Ussop mimicking the swordsman's stance, with Jinbei snoring atop of some floatie that barely kept him afloat in the surf. Brook was laying in the sand, stiff as a board – a couple of Law's crewmembers were attempting to revive him.
"It's just for an hour, or two," Luffy scoffed, waving off his impatience. "We were hungry and decided to stop for a bit. Shanks is a great guy, Torao. He'll be fine. I'm not that worried about him."
Law resisted the urge to palm his face, gritting his teeth. "The entire New World is in full chaos mode, and the ones responsible for it are vacationing on the beach…"
"It's a hard life," Luffy said with a careless exhale, kicking his legs around the limited depth of water in his pool. "Someone's got to live it…I'm so lucky to be doing it!"
"This isn't the time to lounge about! You have Marines and the World Government on your ass - !"
"We probably could feed them, too, if we can," Luffy said, twisting over to his stomach, splashing as he did so. "But I really don't want to."
"Could you please take my concerns seriously?"
"Heat makes you cranky, huh?" Luffy snickered. "We're not going anywhere, yet! Just relax! Look, your crew is already having fun!"
Impatiently, Law looked around them once again, but it was only to locate his first mate. He stalked away from Luffy, who repositioned his goggles over his eyes and flailed in the pool to cover himself with the pleasing cold, chasing away the heat on his warmed skin.
"Don't get too friendly here," Law warned Penguin, who managed to chase his blush away after forcefully pulling his eyes away from the two women giggling in their chairs. "After my stunt on Wano, they're on edge when it comes to me. Any action they might take will probably hit you lot the hardest."
Penguin wondered how it was so – all of the Strawhats didn't look at them any differently, and their cheerful activities suggested far opposite of Law's warning. But Law was the captain, after all.
"Right! I'll spread the word!" he assured him, wearing a stern frown. "We're on alert as always!"
"Scanning for signs of trouble at all times," Shachi chimed in, hand to his large nose as he somehow managed to turn his head away from Nami and Robin.
"We can't afford to make any mistakes while in the company of enemies," Lola whispered, cheeks pink as her eyes followed Zoro's shirtless figure as he crossed the beach to Luffy's wading pool.
"What are we looking for, exactly?" Mo asked, removing his one-eyed mask to reveal hot, sweaty skin. "Because as the crew's expert sub-tech, I might miss something I should've been looking for."
"That's a scary thought," Penguin said, looking at him sharply.
"Aren't you responsible for maintaining the sub?" Shachi asked fretfully.
"Just…be alert," Law told them impatiently, the crew members nodding with determined expressions – but their eyes continued veering elsewhere. "Blend in, but maintain alertness. We're still amongst enemies, here."
He hadn't finished speaking before his crew stripped off their coveralls to reveal swimsuits, immediately racing for the water and for the available treats that were offered to them. If anything, the Strawhats were more companionable upon seeing them join them, and Law tried not to show his displeasure. He glanced around himself for Bepo, but the polar bear was already dog paddling through the waves, happily crying out with glee over the water's cool temperature. Not wanting to make a scene, Law turned away to head back to Luffy, Zoro immediately facing him with a cold expression. He didn't care for the tension that emanated from the man, and paid him no mind.
"Look, all I'm saying is, we're losing more time. It's been two months!" Law stated tensely.
"We don't abide by your demands," Zoro said curtly. "I think it was made pretty clear that you're an unreliable type of person."
"It's understandable that you feel that way, but unfortunately, your opinion doesn't matter to me. It's wasted breath."
"Say what - ?"
"It's fine, it's fine!" Luffy said, waving a hand airily in front of him. "We did fly off track a few times. That ocean sure has a lot of things that come up between A and B. Oh! I was going to ask you…CHOPPER!"
"WHAT?"
"'MERE!" Luffy said, looking at Law hopefully. "Look, truth is, something came up. One of my dear crewmembers is very sick, and Chopper is having a hard time diagnosing him. Maybe you can do better!"
"I'm here," Chopper said breathlessly, looking fairly uncomfortable with the summer heat. He gave Law a cheery smile. "Hi, Torao! Took you some time to catch up!"
"Tell him about Sanji," Luffy said.
"Ah! Right! Well, to be honest, this type of illness is new, to me," Chopper confessed, misting himself with a portable mister. "In all my travels, I'm uncertain of his diagnosis. It's good that you're here!"
"Well, if it's him, I suppose I can be of assistance," Law grumbled, sneaking a peek at the subject, finding him kicking two of his crewmembers away from the tray he carried on his way to Nami and Robin, catching Lola on the way.
"SANJI!" Chopper bellowed, causing Luffy to jerk with surprise at the volume. "Front and center, jerk!"
"'If it's him'," Zoro muttered, arms crossed tightly over his chest, hand still on his swords as he glared at Law.
Law leveled a deep frown in his direction. "Strawhat-ya abandoned the lot of us to cross the sea on an unplanned maneuver against a Yonkou and a dictatorial conqueror just to ask Blackleg-ya a 'question'. I fear what could happen if this turns into something serious, putting us further behind schedule."
"It's been real tough for us," Luffy said with a suffering sigh. "If he isn't heaving over the rails, it's the complaints. And he's so sensitive to everything, I have to watch what I'm saying to him. It's terrible to see him crying. Oh, please, don't mention the weight gain."
Zoro coughed.
Bewildered, Law tried to understand this as Sanji finished lavishing attention on the women before meandering their way.
"Look, it shouldn't take long, if you're a genius," he told Law, already interpreting the situation. The white linen shirt he wore was loose, settled over his brilliant pink neon shorts with hideous Crocs on his feet. The ever present cigarette was shoved over to the other side of his mouth. "Chopper can't figure it out. I think I've come down with a very stubborn infection of some kind."
"Aren't you melting, Law?" Chopper then asked the other man, looking at him skeptically.
"Let's get this over with. Afterward, you should be fine to leave, right?" Law asked Luffy impatiently, waving an arm to catch Penguin's attention.
"Absolutely!" Luffy agreed. "Fix him! He's the only thing keeping this crew together!"
Zoro scoffed.
"Whatever. Tony-ya, I demand the records you already have on file, and prepare the examination room for one," Law then told Penguin, who hurried off, looking for his coveralls. Chopper changed forms and hurried towards the Sunny while Sanji put out his cigarette, burying the stub into the dirt.
"Look, I'm sure it's nothing, it's probably just a virus, or something," Sanji said irritably, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "If you can just figure out what it is, give me a cure, we can go. I know you're chomping at the bit to stab our backs."
"Never from the back. I like to look at the faces I stab to enjoy the expression there."
"If anyone's stabbing anyone, it'd be me," Zoro said crankily. "After that shit on Wano, you're high on my list."
"Ooh. Scary. That's if you don't get lost walking in a straight line towards me."
"Kabobs," Luffy commented, wearing a dreamy expression while kicking his feet.