Hey guys! Sorry it took so long. And this turned out to be longer that I expected so... Nothin actually.
Enjoy!
It's been a few days now. It's not even two weeks since he met his captain again but somehow this is enough to cover up for the eternity they all spent alone.
The others joined in soon enough. Chopper, Robin- chuan, Franky and Brook. It seemed that everyone remembered everything. And it was the same case for everyone. They were all going about their own normal life with that gaping hole somewhere in their heart that they had grown accustomed to - when they somehow bumped into Luffy and it all came rushing back. This time, in this life, no one had the slightest reason or will to believe that this was coincidence or fate or destiny or some shit like that. They were living proof that there are some things that are indestructible - like the bonds they share with each other and especially him - some things that cannot be torn apart by something as trivial as death.
They have all practically shifted into Nami's apartment, and boy, were they surprised. Even Sanji couldn't suppress his astonishment. Because Nami's apartment was absolutely beautiful and dainty and perfect, with orange and blues and reds and whites and blacks and it was strange that someone who was so obsessed over money could spend so much on decor.
But it all made sense as well, because each corner reminded them of a strong ship with the ability of sailing a thousand seas and an ocean equally strong and unpredictable.
They all have similar occupations. Marimo is a teacher in a kendo school that is second to none, Nami-suan is a cartographer with skills that are undeniably the best and Ussop is a sharpshooter with skills unmatched at international levels. Sanji himself is the best cook in the country. He might as well be the best in the world, for all he knows, and a few weeks ago that might have attracted him.
Chopper is a world renowned medic and Robin-chuan is unbeatable when it comes to archeology. Franky is still in a league of his own when it comes to architecture and Brook can still move the most stoic of men to tears with his music.
They are all the best at what they do and a while ago, this might have boosted the ego of some of them. Not now. Because now they follow Luffy and they know he deserves the best. They now follow a man who shines brighter than any of them could hope to.
Sanji is preparing the ingredients for the grand party they were going to hold tonight (to celebrate Ussop's new invention- no wait, it was because Chopper came up with a new cure. Screw that. They already had a big enough reason to celebrate. It started with an 'L') when Luffy barges in demanding a snack.
Sanji takes a long drag from his cigarette, and with swift long strides walks over to where Luffy is perched on the table, swinging his legs back and forth.
Moments later Luffy is sent hurtling out of the kitchen with a shout of 'You just had lunch a few hours ago, shithead!'
Luffy just stays the way he ended up, upside down, pouting and then pokes his tongue towards Sanji. It still takes a lot to make Luffy bruise and bleed, even Sanji's kick doesn't affect him. Sanji doesn't know if he should feel proud or annoyed at that.
Sanji walks back into the kitchen. Falling back into his work, he doesn't notice the pleading look that Luffy sends towards Zoro and then Usopp. Zoro promptly returns back to the sleep which had been disturbed by Sanji's yell. Luffy musters up his best puppy eyes look and Usopp groans because he knows that Luffy knows that none of them can refuse this kid when he pulls that look.
Including the always-ready-to-help-Luffy-with-his-mischief Robin, the three of them formulated a plan. Well Robin did most of the formulating, Usopp was too busy visualising how pissed the blonde was going to be and Luffy was bouncing at the prospect of food.
Minutes later, when Sanji noodled his way to Nami with a glass of lemonade, the two figures that slinked towards the kitchen didn't go unnoticed by him. He wasn't bothered by that, he had a whole lifetime of experience of Luffy-proofing the kitchen. What he hadn't accounted was the participation of a certain dark haired woman who was currently on the couch, reading a book with a smile that always suggested she knew more than she let on.
When Sanji returned to the kitchen, he was surprised to find Luffy and Usopp stuffing their faces with food from the now unlocked refrigerator. With practised ease, Luffy and Usopp scrambled out of the kitchen just in time to dodge severals knives that were thrown in their direction.
Sanji ran after them and failed to notice something that Nami-suan, kind and dazzling Nami-suan pointed out for him.
"Sanji-kun, you are grinning."
And it was true, plain as day.
Because they all had a box full of - no, they had a whole lifetime of memories. And they had found each other, gravitating towards Luffy like planets gravitate towards a Sun, like that in a solar system.
Because Sanji was grinning, a smile so wide that it would rival that of his idiotic captain, and his heart had never felt so full.