Sacrifice
I got this idea while watching One Piece the third opening, so I thought of this, hope it's worth it… ^_^
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"Damn!" I curse; this storm is kicking up so hard it's getting hard to see!
"Sanji! Tie those ropes tight!" Nami ordered, her voice gone faint because if the raging storm.
"Alright!" I tell her with a smile, and then I turn to my side and look at Zorro, "Tie the other side, I'll handle it here." I informed.
"If I let go of this side, you'll get pulled over." He yelled back, "Idiot." He added curtly.
"Moron!" I hissed back, "Just go!"
We were in the heart of a bloody rain storm, Zorro and I were trying to tie the orange trees with ropes so they won't get blown away by the wind, Nami had pampered these trees and treated them like treasure, if we lose them, or if anything bad happens, she'll never forgive us!
Ruffy is stupidly running around like an idiot, grinning wide. Zorro released the ropes and hoisted the anchor, if the ship shakes any more we could all drown, and I don't know if Nami can swim or not. I could see Robin passing us by in hurry, right then I moved a foot, I saw Usopp rolling around while holding a barrel, 'Oh such idiots!' I growl to myself, 'No wonder we're going nowhere!' that's when thunder struck, poor, blue-nosed, reindeer, Tony Chopper was so terrified he jumped on Zorro and attached himself to the swordsman's face, 'Damn that looks funny!' I mused to myself, but then ignored. I managed to pull down the ropes that fastened the trees and tied it to a few poles that were readied from earlier.
"Kya~!" I heard a scream, and when I turned around, Nami was holding to the ship's ledge, a strong wave had pushed her off her feet and she's going to fall into the ocean.
"Nami!" I shout and dash to her, but the deck is so wet, it's slippery, I can hardly keep my footage! "H- Hold on!" I cry.
"H- Help me!" she whimpered, only one hand held the ledge.
"Hold my hand!" I ordered, holding the ledge with one hand and reached down to her with the other.
"I can't! It's too slippery!" she cried back, hardly able to keep her eyes opened from the needle-like rain that was raining on her face.
"Sanji!" Ruffy cried, and when I turned, this huge wall of water hit my back so hard; it knocked the breath out of me.
I managed to keep one hand on the ledge, now both Nami and I were hanging, but she was loosing grip, the second her fingers slipped I reached and grabbed her quick, I had nothing in mind but to keep her from falling, so I pulled her arm as strong as I could and tightened my grip on the ledge, reflexively, she curled both her arms around my neck and buried her face in my chest.
Oh I felt like I was going to fly!
Snapping back to reality, I told her to hold on tight and started reaching out to the deck with my free hand, I wanted to climb my way up, that's when someone grabbed my hand, and when I looked up, I saw Ruffy, grinning like the idiot that he is, like always, I smiled back and reached out for his other hand-
-but a wave knocked us off… Nami and I fell into the sea.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Gu- Ow…" I moan in pain, I feel like my whole body has been reduced to dust!
"Nami!" I heard a voice, and it sounded like- Usopp? "Guys! Nami is awake!"
"Really?" Chopper rushed in and threw himself in my lap, crying like a little baby, "Oh Nami- Nami you're alive!!" he started wailing in happiness.
I sat up and smiled down at the brown-furry friend; I pat his head and then look at the rest, "What happened?"
"Don't you remember?" Zorry said, annoyed, "You almost fell off the ship and Sanji jumped after you." He told.
"Oh, well I'm fine now, thanks." I smile, "Had the storm ended?" I asked; 'I don't feel anything so think it may've ended; I'm worried about my orange trees.'
Zorro gave me this- scolding look, but he didn't say anything.
"What?" I frowned, 'I already said thank you, what does he want?'
Ruffy looked back from me and Zorro before Robin placed her hand on his shoulder, "Friends, I'll handle this." She smiled softly.
It took a moment to get Chopper off me, but then all agreed and walked out. The room went quiet and then Robin sat besides me on the bed, legs crossed and her arms crossed her chest, she closed her green-eyes for a minute before looking up and back at me, and- there was this seldom- sad look on her face, something I just couldn't read.
"Robin?" I called her, something just didn't feel right.
"Sanji's missing." She said quietly, and she said nothing more.
It took a minute…
"What?" I gasped, 'Sanji is gone? Where? When?' I thought in panic, "-last night's storm! He-"
"We found you floating with a wooden plank, but we couldn't find a trace of Sanji," she began; "Zorro had even gone diving around the spot where we last saw him, but-" she stopped and looked away.
Something- in the middle of my chest hurt, it hurt so much I couldn't bare it…
"How- long was I out?" I whispered, but came out more like a whimper.
"About two days." She replied, paused and then stood up, "I'll leave rest for now." She said with a warm smile before leaving.
I watched Robin while she walked away, and when she closed the door, I hugged my knees in worry, 'I wonder what happened when I was out.' I pondered for a very long time, 'Is Sanji alright?' I drew in a deep breath and then slowly drew my feet out of bed, the floor felt a bit cold but maybe it was just because my feet were bare.
'I'm hungry.' My stomach growled, painfully twisting in my guts, so I tiredly made my way to the door and stepped out.
The sun was warm, it felt wonderful, the guys all looked at me so I simply smiled and made my way towards the kitchen, maybe I'll find something to drink, I'm thirsty, too. Inside the kitchen, the place was a disaster! 'What the-?' I gawked, and clearly enough, it was obvious that Rufyy, Usopp and Chopper were as hungry as I was; they destroyed the kitchen looking for food.
'Sanji is going to be so angry when he sees this.' I sighed to myself; Sanji had always preferred the kitchen nice and clean, if he saw what they have done, he's probably going to slice and dice them before cooking them on a hot stove! 'Sigh…' I shook my head and stepped to the fridge, and when I opened it, it was as empty as Ruffy's head!
"Not- Good."
~*~*~*~*~*~
'How- long has it been? My back hurts and I've been lying here like a log for so long I think I've got sunburn!' I reach out my weary arms and feel my face, and my cheek sting just the tiniest bit.
I sat up, slow and painful it was, I rubbed my tired eye and blinked a few times before noting that I was on a golden shore, I look at myself, all wet and damp and salty! 'I'm a castaway…' I realized, 'I was trying to save Nami, when the wave hit us, we fell into the sea, she blanked out and I had to keep her alive, that's when I found a wooden plank and left her there.' I stood up and my knees hurt, 'What happened after that? I can't remember…'
I forked my fingers through my sandy blond hair, and the sand fell on my shoulders like annoying dandruff! 'I remember that another big wave pulled me down, and when I got back to the surface, Nami was still on the plank, but the waves were parting us…' I remembered.
Squawk~
"Hn?" I turned around and looked up at the sky, there was a seagull! 'Guess I'm not alone here, huh?' I frowned, 'If I die here, they'll get a free meal.' I feel my sore shoulder and found myself limping to the shade of a near palm tree.
The island was like a little slice of heaven, all beautiful, clean and peaceful, but I miss my kitchen… and Nami; I want to know, is she alright or is she still drifting in the middle of the sea? 'Gu!' I felt pain, and it really hurt, I think it's a cramp, so I turn around to realize that it wasn't, it was just a pesky crab pinching my rear!
"Damn!" I jump and grabbed the offending creature and kicked it as hard as I could, sending it flying and back to where it belongs in the middle of the sea. "Keep your stupid claws to yourself, damn it!!" I rubbed my offended, tender-flesh while shaking a threatening fist.
I looked at the great sea, all vast and blue like that, but here I am stranded on an island with crabs crawling around my feet and seagulls over my head threatening to bomb me with their disgusting droppings! I sigh in weariness and walk across the shore, it took about an hour before I found a cavern, not too close to the water and not too deep into land, it would make a nice shelter, I could camp here for a while until Merry and the guys arrive… 'I hope…'
And so, with that I collected food and wood and sought out the cave, discovering it; I had to stay out for the first night to make sure that the waves don't go in or anything, wouldn't want to realize –the hard way!- that the cave drowns in water or not when the ocean flows, thankfully it doesn't.
~*~*~*~*~
"Sigh…" 'I'm starving~' I moan to myself in self pity, Sanji's been missing for a whole week and still no trace of him, he's the only one who can cook, we cant cook for sh** even if we tried! Sadly we found nothing with value, all we found so far was his black jacket and some good that had done us, Ruffy had made a pig-stop of the kitchen and he ate up everything!
"Nami." Zorro walked up to me, his swords clicking a little, "it's- been a whole week now," he began quietly, "maybe we should stop."
"No…" I sighed, hung my head and gripped it tight, 'I'm hungry, I'm tired and I'm cranky!'
"We've looked all around and still no trace of him, and like you said there aren't any nearby islands, and I'm sure he can't stay floating on the surface unless he's dead." Zorro said bluntly.
"Shut up!" I thwack his head with my fist, "Sanji is alive and we will find him!" I cry, and I feel this terrible pain in my chest, it was ripping me apart.
"Geesh, alright!" the swordsman growled before walking away, angry.
I growl to myself and look out towards the sea, 'I can't stand another day with these guys, they're driving me crazy!' I hissed, 'Sanji used to spoil me, making sweets and drinks to brighten up my mood.' I paused, 'Sure feels different that he's gone, how are we supposed to survive without him organizing everything? The whole ship had turned into a mess; and I thought that he was just a flirting-cook!' I rest my elbows on my knees and my chin on my fists, sitting there at the steps, miserable.
'I wonder if he's alright… I'm worried…'
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Uh…" it's been ten days now, no sigh of a ship nor the guys what so ever, 'Sigh… maybe they think I'm dead so they stopped.' I pondered fist to my chin while sitting on a boulder inside the cavern, 'If so then who can blame them? It's been ten days and still no sign of any life form…'
Splat!
"Grr… except for the seagulls, damn it." I hiss, thankfully those dropping missed me! I'm at the cavern right now and the seagulls keep fluttering over the entrance/exit, awaiting me to just walk out and drop dead for them, hell! A crab snuck under my clothes last night and pinched my butt again, it hurts! 'Grr… if I ever get back to Merry I'm making a special Crab-Seagull Soup fit for a king!' I threaten.
I poke at the fire in front of me with a stick, it is night now and a few animals dared to come near me last night, a few wolves I think, but I showed them, I had a hell lot of trouble catching that rabbet; I weren't going to give it up to them all so simply! 'And talking about that, I think the meat is almost done.' I poke the stick at the roasting rabbet meat; the smell was enough to make me drool.
'Talking about drool, I wonder how the guys and Ruffy are doing without having me there cooking for them.' I thought, paused and then shrugged, 'Nah, I'm sure they're doing just fine.' I smile and poke at the meat again; just a few more minutes and it would be ready.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"AH~ I can't stand it anymore!!!" I cried, if I spend one more day with these pigs then I'm going to go insane!
"What is it, Nami?" Ruffy asked, his tongue out of his mouth in thirst.
Usopp and Chopper sprawled on the ship's deck in thirst, under the sunlight, Ruffy had drunk all the water we had earlier after eating up all the supplies! Zorro didn't seam to mind the threat of dieing, though, but thirst was pretty clear on his stubborn face. Robin was- well, she was reading a book, just like usual.
'Sanji~ Oh please come back! I can't stand another day without you!' I moan to myself, 'Please, God bring him back, let him flirt all he wants but just bring him back! I'll do anything! Anything!!!!'
"-Island…" Robin spoke, soft and clear, she placed down her book and looked ahead, "Everyone, look it's an island."
"Huh?" we all jerked around and towards the island, it was like a slice of heaven! It was beautiful.
"Great! We can see where we are and gather some supplies, too!" I grinned, 'And be away from you mugs for a fair while, too!' "Set course! We're heading to the island!" I ordered.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Man, the weather is getting cooler," I muse to myself, standing on a huge rock at a mountain side, "probably the height." I thought at first, 'Or it's because I'm shirtless.' I looked at my bare chest; I left my shirt back at the cavern, it reeked! But back to the wonderful weather, I remember Nami saying something like that about altitude, 'The higher you go, the cooler it becomes.' She said, I grin to myself and continue climbing.
I'm at a Cliffside now, about a mile or so away from the beach, I left a few things at the cavern just incase someone came by, s/he wont think this island is abandoned. I smile and take a nice deep breath of that mesmerizing, fresh, cool air, I look out at the sea, all beautifully vast and blue like that, the seagulls still soaring about, Going Merry at the beach and-
"Going Marry?" I gawk, "The guys- Nami!" I mentally jump in joy, they found me! 'They've finally found me!'
I carefully ran down the path I had climbed earlier and sneaked my way towards the beach; I don't want them to see me just yet. I saw that Nami looked a little pale and they all seemed thirsty. Zorro growled something about Ruffy eating up all the supplies again, 'Well isn't that typical…' I smile to myself.
After that, they moved out to gather up the supplies, so I secretly made my way to the ship and found Robin there, reading a book like usual. Robin looked up at me, paused, she had this- unreadable expression on her face, so I pressed a finger on my lips shushing, she only stared for a minute before smiling widely again, she quietly nodded in agreement and then went back to her reading.
I snuck back towards the kitchen… 'WTH?' I gasped, 'My kitchen! My beautiful, clean kitchen!' I hold myself from crying, 'Those beasts! What have they done to my poor kitchen!' I felt like every particle in my body had been drained out, I collapsed to my knees, 'Why I oughtta-!' I growled, my fists were clinched tight.
'Hn… maybe I shouldn't show myself to them just yet… I need to fix this place before they come back… it's almost dinner time, some cooking should help me relax…' I paused for a very long time, 'Er- and maybe get myself a new shirt, it's getting a little chilly here!' I hug myself and blush.
~*~*~*~*~
"Hey! Nami!!" Ruffy called out, his rubber arm reaching out to grab a handful of seagulls, "Are these eatable?"
"Squawk!!!!" the seagulls cried, flapping for dear life.
"Idiot!" Zorro hit Ruffy's head and in reaction he released the seagull.
"Hey, isn't that a cave?" Usopp pointed to the cavern.
I growled to myself and headed to it, "Yeah! So?"
Clearly enough, the cave was nice, clean and tidy, the seagulls left a few droppings at the entrance though, and they stanched! From the inside, the cave was decorated with a few huge boulders like a bed and a seat, in the middle of a circle there was a campfire, and fruit remains were piled up neatly in a little dug hole, something like a trashcan. The campfire's ashes were a bit warm, meaning that whoever used it had left only a short while ago, and perhaps if we waited, s/he would return soon… Oh, and there on the bed were leaves in green and blue…
'Blue?' I gawked, I hurried to the bed of stone and scattered the leaves away and pulled out the blue object.
"Hey! It looks just like Sanji's!" Ruffy laughed, not realizing that it was Sanji's shirt!
"It is Sanji's!" Usopp, Chopper and Zorro gawked.
"He's alive! Alive! Yeay! He's alive~!" Chopper wiggled, dancing in happiness, Usopp soon joined.
'Sanji…' I felt the most wonderful sensation in my chest, my heart throbbed in my chest, 'Yes! Thank you God, thank you! He's alive!' I hugged the blue garment, 'Finally I can live a normal life with a normal guy on a normal ship!' I paused, 'Someone who understands how I feel and tries everything to make me happy.' I nuzzled it.
'Someone… who loves me?' I blushed.
Only now did I understand it, Sanji wasn't just flirting, he was simply showing how much he loved me! And all I ever did was brush him off thinking that he was flirting! I've always seen him go all guppy around pretty girls, so I assumed he likes to flirt, but he usually does anything for me, heck, I even remember that time when Ruffy met that ship-to-ship salesman in the giant squid, Sanji was willing to give-in Ruffy in exchange of buying me those map-scrolls for me!
"Nami," Zorro called rudely, "you gonna stand there all day?"
"Uh- huh?" I blinked, "Oh, no, no… let's head back to the ship." I giggle nervously.
Zorro only stared for a minute, shrugged at me and then walked away, heading back to the ship.
I silently followed, 'Sanji is on this island, we'd better stay here until we find him.' I assured myself, 'For the sake of my sanity, I have to find him!'
We've reached the ship, and Robin is still reading! 'Damn, I swear that girl is going to give am a heart attack one day, doesn't she ever move?' I frown. The ship was rocking a bit, clearly the waves were getting stronger and clearly from the weather it's going to be a bit or a bristly storm soon, better get as much supplies as we can from this island before we set sail, 'Oh, and find Sanji too, I'm getting worried… what if I never get a taste of those delicious orange-dumplings he does so well, I don't think I can live without those, I cant have enough of them!'
"Dinner is ready." Sanji chirped; a dozen of plates being balanced on his head and arms as he and Robin cooperated on placing them on the table.
"Cool! I'm starving!" Ruffy ran right up to the table and started eating like an idiot.
Zorro and Usopp seemed to just freeze there and stare blankly at the table, as for Chopper, well- he just hid behind Usopp.
"Would you like some pineapple juice, my dear Nami?" Sanji cooed, offering in that flirting manner of his.
Sanji was standing right next to me with a tall glass, that soft loving smile on his face, that cute-swirly eyebrow of his, and oddly enough, he was shirtless! 'Kind of cute…' I found myself musing. Usopp started screaming something about ghosts, but I really weren't paying much attention. Zorro only stared as if something crawled up his spine. Ruffy ate like a pig, Robin ate quietly and Chopper trembled in fear.
I looked at the juice then at Sanji and smiled, "My, I must be hallucinating…" I smiled, took the glass and exchanged it with the blue shirt, "You forgot this, half-naked ghost of Sanji." I said…
That's all I remember…
Everything went black…
~*~*~*~*~
It had been hours now, the day had passed and it's night now, Nami, for some peculiar reason, blanked out on me at dinner and she still hadn't woken up yet, Robin took care of her long enough for me to bathe and get some new, fresh, nice and clean clothes, no salty, sand, bloodstain or droppings stench what so ever… 'Thank God!'
Zorro didn't seem very pleased to see me, but thankful that I'm alive at least, but on the other hand, Usopp, Ruffy and Chopper were a bit confused and frightened if I were a ghost or not at first, when they realized I was till alive they more than happy to see me, that's then I realized that it was Ruffy who invaded my kitchen and burn-crust all my cooking utensils! 'Well now, no sweets for him then…'
"Hnn…" Nami slightly moaned, she was waking up!
"Nami, Nami dearest." I cooed, watching her beautiful face while she slept in her bed was bliss, I sat besides her bed on a little stool, "Get up or you'll miss supper!" I informed, "You'll miss the orange-dumplings I made especially for you, Ruffy will eat them all up if you won't get up." I concluded.
"Sanji?" she tiredly fluttered her eyes at me, took a moment before she bit her bottom lip and started sniffling, "You idiot!" she sobbed, pushed herself off the bed to get a tight hold of my necklace, shaking my head manically as if I were a ragged doll.
"Na-a-a-me-e-e~!" I wheezed, I think my brain turned into milkshake!
"You idiot! You damn, stupid idiot! Do you have any idea how horrible it was? Huh? Do you? Do you have any idea how it feels to live with a bunch of self-righteous pigs? Huh? Huh?" she shouted and released me, making me fall off the stool, she sniffled and started sobbing, "It was horrible, so horrible! Don't you ever leave me alone with them again or I'll turn your kitchen into flames, got it?" she threatened between her sobs.
'That's a personal threat!' I sweated, "Now, now! Nami, honey, you don't have to be so aggressive! Nothing happened, right? I'm here! I'm not dead!" I soothed, but clearly enough her nerves were too frazzled, "Nami…"
"Shut up…" she hissed, sobbing, she covered her face and tried to maintain herself.
It took a minute, so I decided to pitch in. holding her dear in my arms, nice and tight, but also not too tight, I forked my fingers through her hair and kissed her temple, she only sniffled and wrapped her arms around me, her hands flat against my shoulder blades, burying her face in my chest, sniffling and sobbing.
"Sanji…"
"Yes?"
"Don't you never- Ever- Ever- go away like that… alright?" she sniffled; now nuzzling me.
"I wont, you have my word." I hugged her tighter, forking back a few bangs from her pretty face.
She sniffled a bit more, but she seems to have collected herself…
"Sanji…"
"Yes?"
"Do you- love me?"
Thump!
"Uh… well I'm…" I eased my hug, slowly with the need to draw myself out of that conversation. 'How can she even ask me that? I have always told her how much I love her, why does she doubt me?' I thought for a moment.
"Sanji," she oddly purred, "you smell nice." She nuzzled my chest.
"Thank you," I whispered back, "and- Yes. I love you." I nuzzled her head, trying my best not to blush.
She tightened her hug, "I- I guess…. I guess I love you too, Sanji."
For a second, I felt like my heart abruptly stopped in my chest.
"Excuse me?" I asked and then swallowed, "What- did you say?"
"I said: I love you, Sanji." She eased the hug to look up at me, her eyes still glassy from her earlier tears, but she was smiling widely, "I had to learn it the hard way- you were the only one who cared." She sniffled, "I can't even think of how my life could've been like if you weren't there."
I could only stare, baffled.
That was until she drew herself a bit up and pressed her soft lips against mine, took a few seconds and then drew back down, nestling in my arms, hugging me again, I only held her tighter, and she tightens her hug as well, we stayed like that for a very long time, listening to each others heartbeats.
'At last… she understands how I feel…' I nuzzle her with a smile, 'This is the happiest day of my life!'
"I love you, Nami…"
"I love you too, Sanji"
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A/N: sometimes I'm so cheesy I hate myself… sorry but I couldn't find a more fitting way to end this… @_@