The late morning sun is casting a warm light over the deck of the ship and everything is peacefully still. On most ships this would not be cause for concern, however most ships don't have a captain by the name of Monkey D Luffy. Nor do they possess said captain's group of enablers, namely Usopp and Chopper, but sometimes Franky and Brook too, depending on what the mischief of the day happens to be. Not a single one of them is in sight, right now. For that matter the only person currently visible at all is Zoro who's sprawled out on the lawn fast asleep, as usual.
Sanji scowls at the empty deck and wonders what he missed while he was cleaning up after breakfast. Suspiciously eying every possible hiding spot within sight, the cook lights a new cigarette and takes a deep breath. Blowing the smoke back out of his lungs with a heavy sigh, he heads for the doors across the lawn. Might as well check to see if they just decided to take nap before he starts worrying. He's almost reached the door when it swings open and Usopp exits carrying an armful of blankets, surprisingly enough, just behind him is the ever lovely Nami, carrying pillows and shooing the sniper along as she talks, "Robin's probably got all the stuff from our room by now and I bet Franky's gonna start with out us if we don't hurry so get a m- Oh, hello, Sanji, we were just about to come get you."
"Yeah!" Usopp grins. "We had an awesome idea! Can you make snacks?"
Nami smacks the back of Usopp's head with her free hand and shifts the pillows in her arms. "Save that for later. Right now, carry this stuff to the Aquarium Bar, won't you?"
"Of course, Nami-swan!" Sanji agrees enthusiastically, pointedly ignoring the look of exasperation Usopp shoots him. He gathers all the pillows from the beautiful lady's arms and follows her back across the deck. After a minute or two he finally manages to ask, "Why are we lugging linens across the lawn?"
"Pillow fort!" Usopp exclaims. "I told you we had an awesome idea, didn't I? Well, of course it was me who had the idea to start with. See I was recounting the tale of the time I helped an insomniac bear get some sleep and when I mentioned making it a pillow fort to sleep in-"
"Luffy and Chopper had no idea what a pillow fort is, can you believe it?" Nami questions like it's somehow a crime. "Nojiko and I used to build them all the time when we were little. I thought everyone did!"
Sanji frowns, come to think of it, he hadn't exactly built anything like a pillow fort as a kid either. His childhood hadn't been the right environment for that sort of thing after all. It's not terribly surprising that Luffy and Chopper haven't built one either, considering Luffy can only have been raised by wild animals and Chopper's never exactly had typical human childhood. He'd bet good money that Robin probably hasn't made one. Can't say about the idiot swordsman. Blanket and pillow forts might not have even been a thing at all when Brook was a kid. Still he doesn't want to disagree with the stunningly beautiful Nami, so maybe it's just that their crew is made up of strange people.
Usopp is nodding in agreement with Nami. "Right? I used to build them all the time with the Usopp Pirate crew... Bonding exercise you know? As a matter of fact I'm a kind of an expert in the art of designing the-Hey! You guys got started without us!"
The last part is snapped as Usopp enters the bar ahead of Sanji and greeted by with the sound of Luffy's laughter as Franky's voice responds, "OW! You were SUPER taking too long!"
"Yohohoho, I do suppose we got a bit carried away." Brook says giving further explanation.
"Sorry, Usopp." Chopper finishes, sheepishly.
Sanji steps into the room and gives it a critical look. Blankets and pillows are all strewn haphazardly across the floor, though a few have been arranged carefully near the bar where Chopper and Luffy are helping Brook tie a sheet around the upper part of the pillar in the center of the room. Franky is standing on one end of the couch pinning a sheet to the curtains that frame the aquarium. Robin is graciously using her ability to do the same on the other end.
"Sanji!" Luffy abruptly abandons his post when he notices the cook and practically slingshots himself across the room. "Did ya make a snack?"
"Wait til I put these down, dumbass, then ask me." Sanji watches the grin on his captain's face widen at the insult and wonders what he did to deserve these bastards.
Franky looks down at him and nods a greeting. "So you're getting in on this too, huh?"
"Yeah, maybe." Sanji grumbles. "Can't avoid shit like this on this ship for long. Haven't made a pillow fort in a while."
Ever actually but they don't need more reason to drag him even further into this. Franky just grins at him and adjusts his sunglasses. "Put those pillows down anywhere you like, I'll SUPER get to them in a minute!"
"Alright then." Sanji drops the pillows unceremoniously into the growing pile of bedding.
Right on cue Luffy bobs up beside him again and insists, "Sanji! Snacks!"
"Yeah, yeah." The cook responds not really bothering to hide the fondness in his voice, but not going out of his way to broadcast it either. "What do you want?"
Usopp shoves Luffy to one side, or attempts to anyhow, and butts in to the conversation. "Sandwiches! If it's snacks in a pillow fort it's gotta be sandwiches!"
Luffy, still fighting with Usopp over the spot in front of Sanji, nods like he completely understands, even though it's pretty damn obvious that he doesn't. Sanji gives them both unimpressed looks then glances around the room, but nobody seems opposed to the idea of sandwiches, so he heads back to the kitchen.
He enjoys his time in the blissfully silent kitchen making the sandwiches and makes it back down to the bar in less then forty minutes. Somehow in that time no progress has been made on the fort and everything seems to have broken down into a full blown pillow fight. Brook has already been taken down and Nami is about to achieve victory over Usopp. Robin and Franky are in a stand off each throwing vast amounts of pillows at each other. Meanwhile Luffy has Chopper cornered near the edge of the room.
As he takes in the sight, a pillow from Robin and Franky's battle careens off course and hurtles towards him. Sanji easily blocks the soft projectile with one leg and kicks it, with precisely enough force to come just shy of destroying it, straight at Usopp. A direct hit and the sniper goes down. Perfect.
"Nice, Sanji!" Nami graces him with a brilliant smile and it takes all of Sanji's willpower not to drop the trays of sandwiches.
The cook scuries over to the lovely lady and holds out the tray with the sandwiches he'd made especially for her and Robin to her. "Nami-swan! I made you this special snack to go with your victory!"
She takes a sandwich from the tray rolling her eyes. "Yes, yes. Go set the trays down before- Ah! Luffy! I swear if you break that pillow, I will break you! I paid six hundred Berry for that!"
Luffy freezes mid-swing and Chopper looks like he's been saved from certain death. Unfortunately the captain's attention is drawn in Sanji's direction by Nami's threat and the cook immediately has to fend off the rubber hand that's aimed straight for the tray of sandwiches. "Let me set them down first, shithead!"
"But Sanji!" Luffy gives him the worst puppy-dog eyes ever. "They look so good!"
Fighting off a grin at the captain's antics, Sanji takes two deliberate steps to his left and sets down the tray of sandwiches for the men. "Go for it."
Chaos breaks loose as Luffy catapults himself across the room and starts wolfing down sandwiches and the other men rush to get their share before the captain can eat them all. Sanji lets them go at it, giving it maybe five minutes before the sandwiches are gone, and walks over to Robin offering her the tray of sandwiches he'd made for the ladies.
"Thank you, Sanji." She says with an affectionate smile as she takes a sandwich from the tray.
Sanji almost melts from joy. "Anything for you, Robin-chwan!"
"Hm." She looks thoughtful for a moment then asks, "Will you be staying to help us build the fort?"
The cook sighs and sticks his hands in his pockets. "I should probably-"
"Sanji! Think fast!" A pillow hits Sanji in the back of the head with enough force to knock him forward a step and when he turns angrily with some choice words ready for the culprit, there's Luffy with his stupid, shit-eating grin. "Come on! Play with us!"
"...Oh I'll play with you alright. Get over here so I can kick the shit outta ya, you damn bastard!" Sanji growls fighting the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. He chases Luffy half way around the room, before both of them end up falling into the pile of bedding. Feathers and cotton fly everywhere as laughter lights up the room.
In the end Sanji can't fight getting drawn into the mayhem, helping the ladies and the idiots stack pillows or throw sheets over various supports. The idiot mosshead shows up about a quarter of the way through complaining about being left out. Nami quickly shuts down his argument by pointing out that they'd tried to wake him and if he didn't want to miss stuff he shouldn't sleep so much.
By the time they're done, they've created what amounts to probably the most needlessly complex blanket and pillow fort ever constructed and everyone is exhausted. Even Luffy looks about ready to take a nap. Everyone soon gathers in the only area where they'd left the aquarium wall mostly exposed and watch the fish swim by. Luffy, leaned back against the couch near where Robin is sitting, hums happily. "It's done!"
"So it is." Robin answers with a contented smile.
"We should celebrate!" Luffy throws his hands up in the air, beginning to look like his energy is about to come back in full force, but he's interrupted by a yawn that overtakes his face. He blinks sleepily and relaxes against the spot he's apparently chosen as his. "Mm, later... right now... Robin?"
"Yes?" She questions carefully tipping his hat back so she can see his face as he looks up at her.
He grins. "Read to us?"
"If you like." She says with a soft chuckle.
Sanji reclines against the pillows stacked around the bar and listens as Robin begins reading from a book she had with her. Chopper is slowly falling asleep against his side. The idiot swordsman stands up and stretches before heading for the exit of their construction, muttering something about keeping watch. Nami makes her way over to sit on the couch beside Robin. Franky sprawls out on the floor near Luffy's feet while Usopp leans on the captain's shoulder already fast asleep. Brook sits on the couch somewhat away from the others, turned slightly so he can easily watch the fish swim by in the aquarium.
As Robin's voice tells of a fantastic adventure in some far off kingdom, Sanji closes his eyes. Soon enough this calm will be broken and all their hard work will be torn down, likely in the middle of Luffy's planned celebration of it. That's all in the future though. Right now, Sanji is content in the knowledge that sometimes things really can be peaceful on this ship. Even when all is well.