Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. It belongs to Oda Eiichiro.
Author's Note: This story mostly tells about Sanji's past. So I'm warning you early that this contains SPOILERS from the latest arc (Big Mom). Sanji's past is from the MANGA. I accept harsh comment but spare me coz it's my first time after all. Yay!
It's already two weeks after the Big Mom accident and luckily that they've got their cook back. Zoro looked at Sanji who is currently swooning and leaping to his beloved Nami-swan and Robin-chan.
"Hey! That's for the girls! You human! Yours' at the kitchen!" Sanji swat their captain's hand and after of what he said Luffy ran at full-speed with twinkling eyes while chanting, "Meat! Meat!"
Zoro felt the cook's presence and well motives if you say and he easily dodged the incoming kick at the head. "What the hell's your problem curly?!" Zoro snarled at the blond. Sanji just eyed him. He settled his cigarette between his fingers, "Ah. Sorry Marimo. I just wanted to ask if you want snacks." He stated.
"Can you just ask normally?"
"Nope. It's boring" Sanji said popping the 'p' to emphasize or to irritate the swordsman. Zoro take the latter, and so he grabbed the tray containing cookies and a juice from the cook.
"After you finished with that, bring them to the kitchen immediately. I'm going to do the washing so remember that Mosshead." And with that Sanji turned back to the kitchen where Luffy is making quite a ruckus. If it's any normal day Zoro will laughed at the Cook's misery but he know that he can't.
Zoro clearly remembered that day, when they comeback at Zou. Luffy with so many bruises, Nami, Chopper, and Brook are all hugging Sanji brawling their eyes out. Pedro is the one who explained that the crew is like that for almost two days. They will just let go of Sanji if it's cooking and meal time only. And bath time, Pedro added and chuckled when he said that the others will guard the door while Sanji is inside. When the people of Zou and the rest of the crew asked why, he just said "Well, they are afraid that Sanji will just disappear and ran away again."
When the rescue squad gained sanity, they finally let go of the poor cook who just laughed and utter a simply, "I'm home" and later smiled. Zoro cringed again at the thought because truly, that's not his usual smile but at that time he only think that maybe Sanji is just tired from all that shit. He also remembered that night when Sanji fell asleep, the crew assembled a meeting. It's mostly the rescue squad explaining what happened to them there. And the next day, they bid goodbyes at the people from Zou and sailed.
Zoro felt somehow giddy. He didn't know why but it makes him sick at the stomach. He can't say that there's something wrong at the Cook because he seems doing well and fine. And the rest didn't seem aware of it. 'Maybe I'm just wary of him because I didn't saw him for almost a month' Zoro clicked his tongue at the thought of him being conscious of the love-cook. But somehow...somehow, he think he's intuition is right.
"Woah! Finally! There's an island!" Ussop shouted while going down from the crow's nest.
"Okay everyone, gather here" Nami instructed and how funny that all of them are all obedient. A miracle perhaps, even Nami widened her eyes.
"OH MY GOD! HAHAHAHAHA. You are all like my pets following my orders! What a view! Hahaha" She laughed her ass out until she felt pain in her stomach.
"Karma" Zoro snorted and Nami glared at that.
"According to the map, that is the Yaone Island. I don't know if it's true but according to what I've heared back from our place, some pirates said that there's a town in there and some claims there's not. So I'm not sure if there is an actual town but we're out of stock as usual so we gonna looked around. The log only needs two hours to set so split up." Nami bring out nine coin purse and set it on the table. She glared at the crew, "Just so you know, THIS is your allowance for the WHOLE month. Spend it WISELY" Nami eyed or rather glared at Luffy.
"Che. Cheapstake" Luffy said while rolling some booger and flicked it. After that Luffy gained some bumps on his head from Nami's fist.
"Back to the topic, I added money to Chopper, Franky and Sanji-kun for our ship, medicine and food. So right, I'm giving a warning first after that incident where we defeat one of the four bosses, we're doomed. The marines are all on high-alert for us and bounty hunters as well because of the rise on our bounty! So please don't make a ruckus, specially you Luffy!"
"Hai!" Luffy saluted at Nami but just one looked at his face you know that it's the opposite. 'Ah! I'm gonna have a heart attack!' Nami cried mentally at the thought.
"Nami-san! I don't have anything to buy so I think I will just rest here. Yohoho!" Brook spoke while drinking his tea.
"Oh, lucky you Zoro! You're relieve from your job for now" Chopper chatted happily for his friend.
"Right. You guys have two hours to comeback! Brook, protect Sunny for us!"
"Yohoho! Can I see your panties?"
Luckily for the strawhats there's a town on the island. It's not an extravagant town but you can feel the homey feeling. The people are all approachable and kind. Nami and Robin buy some clothes and drank refreshers somewhere coz of the hot weather, Chopper and Franky looking for medicine and tools for the ship, Ussop for his and Nami's weapon and Zoro spending his two hours being lost. He didn't even see any blacksmith store.
'Dammit! Why the hell that the buildings and houses are moving? That's why I get lost' Zoro scratch his belly and yawned feeling exhausted from his lost journey. He jumped aboard and heard Nami shouting, Let's go!"
'Seems I'm the last one to comeback.' He didn't like the thought of being last not even on this. Zoro started walking to his favorite spot to take a nap when he remembered something.
"Oi" They all turned to Zoro.
"Where's Sanji?" As soon as the words left Zoro's mouth the crew grew silent and become stiff. Zoro himself twitch and his heart ache somehow. As soon as the words sink in on their mind, they put down their things harshly on the deck and jumped down. Running towards the town.
'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I know we are being paranoid but the cook never comeback late or out of the clock when we go in towns. It's obvious there's something going on for better or for worst. But because of what happened a month's ago, it's understandable that we fear the worst.' Zoro and the rest walked through town shouting Sanji's name and sometimes asking people if they saw that person. Everyone is getting impatient, Zoro can feel it. Even for himself, the thought of Sanji disappearing the second time is unbearable.
The first time he experienced it, he realized that even though the cook is annoying, Sanji is special for him. He likes to teased the cook because his reaction is always out of the world. He likes to pick a fight because he already considered Sanji as his sparring partner. So when the cook disappeared his world became dull, that's when he conclude to himself that maybe...maybe he likes that annoying dartbrow.
"Uh, um..hello young pirates." Strawhats looked from where it came. They saw an old man probably on his fifties walking towards them. "I heard that you're looking for someone? Well, I'm not sure but I might know where he is. Please follow me." He turned and started walking.
"Hey pops, you know where Sanji is?" Luffy is the first one to voice his thoughts.
"I'm not sure actually. He maybe there, maybe not."
"What do you mean?" This time Ussop is the one who asked. Zoro stayed quiet. The old man looked at the forest ahead of them. "This forest, is a magical forest. Our family is the one taking care of it. But for some people it's a scary and dangerous forest so they can't take risk setting foot here. This is where most of the missing persons from outside or inside the towns are found." He explained while the crew are intently listening to him.
"What?! You-you..didn't mean, tha-that..Sanji is..is.." Chopper choked and asked teary-eyed to the old man.
"Ah, no, no, no. I didn't mean that. Just follow me and see for yourselves" Further they go to it, it became darker and darker until you can say it's evening already when the truth is it's only fuckin' three in the afternoon. And there's no need for Franky's beam. It's quite bright because of so many fireflies. It's an amazing view. They continued to walked until they reached the middle of the forest. Zoro is the first one to spot something.
"Cook!" Zoro run followed by the rest. Sanji had his back on the trunk of the biggest tree as far, his groceries sprawled on the ground.
"Hey Sanji! Hey!" They all shouted and shake the cook but there's no sign of him opening his eyes.
"He's sleeping" They forgot about the old man.
"Stop fucking kidding me?! He's not even budging and you called that sleeping? Ha!" Zoro snapped at the man. Robin stopped him and lecture him with 'Respect your elders aspect' so he gave an apology afterwards.
"It's okay. So I will explain. Did your friend have some bad experiences? Memories? Is he stressed recently?" The strawhats remained silent unable to answer the man. "If so, he's just sleeping trust me. But not normally, as I said this is a magical forest. Your friend must just come here a while ago because there are no memories displaying yet." They looked at him confused and not understanding anything. "This forest eat or gain nutrients from the bad memories, experiences, fall-out of the person through dreams. So now, your friend will dream ALL of his bad memories he didn't want to think again"
"What a bastard forest! Digging the past and make them remember." Franky rolled his eyes. Zoro think the same thing and clenched his fist.
"I know right. I walked on memories of some strangers and it's really bad. And right now your friend memories will show up soon. Do you want to stay?" The crew looked at each other before they answered, "Yes" with a determined looked in their eyes.
'Cook, I'm sorry for invading your privacy but this is for you. Can you share your pain with us?'