Enjoy~!
The Strawhats had been docked at sabaody archipelago, they had been forced to gather
supplies from that nostalgic and wretched place.
While walking through the hectic crowds of grove 33, where most shoppers and pedestrians remained for the evening, the Straw Hat's stomachs started to churn from being at such a cursed and unholy island, knowing of the Celestial Dragons that resided and the slave house they praised, they began to grow sick thinking that such humans could exist with such gnarled souls.
After Sanji had proclaimed that he had obtained enough supplies, they each gave curt nods before scurrying back to their ship- finished with this island completely.
But while they were carrying the goods back to their ship, Sanji heard a certain unforgettable voice call his name softly- as if shocked beyond belief.
"...Peace..?"
He heard the whisper and spun his head back around violently, his eyes wide like saucers and his breath becoming slightly labored.
"Who's there..?" He asked slowly, earning confused looks from his silent crew.
"Sanji-kun, what's wrong?" Nami asked silently as they snuck through the streets, fidgeting with the side of her dress while she waited for an explanation.
"How do you know that name..?" Sanji said with a fear shown blatantly though his uncharacteristically shaking voice, that stayed in tune with his quivering fingertips.
"Is that you… Peace…?" The hoarse whisper repeated through the crowd, making Sanji snap his head around in the voice's direction. He then placed the supplies he was carrying through the town onto the floor, before taking off silently, yet quickly, to the mysterious voice's direction.
"What… Sanji-Kun! Get back here!" Nami howled in irritation and confusion, "The hell was that about, Zoro!? Everyone else is at the ship already!" Nami fumed- clearly not very happy.
"I have absolutely no idea what was up with that damned pansy…. But we don't have much time, I thought our plan was to get off this island before we were recognized?!" Zoro yelled in a harsh whisper.
"That was strange, but we have to go get him! I'll take the rest of the supplies back to the ship, which is costing you extra, and you go retrieve Sanji-kun."
"Fuck, sometimes I really hate you, women." Zoro grumbled before placing his supplies onto the ground and taking off in a random direction.
"It's the other way, Zoro! Go left, ya dumbass!" Nami screeched as she started to pick up the supplies.
"Tsk, whatever." Zoro mumbled lowly before taking off in Sanji's direction.
"Idiots…." Nami sighed before running towards the ship.
"How….. How did you find me?" Sanji panted whilst he placed his hands on his hips and tried to catch his breath.
"Actually…. I never thought I'd see you again… I was just buying groceries and I saw your blond hair and swirled brow… I never thought-"
"I know," Sanji sighed sadly, "I wasn't able to contact you… And while I was under his control.." Sanji paused, watching his face scrunch up when he thought of that man, "He never allowed me to speak with you, and he said if I did he would hurt you…" Sanji finished softly, holding back leftover tears that stung his eyes- but he refused to let them fall.
"I understand, Peace…"
"I just wish it could have been different… I wish I could have visited you, asked you how she was doing before she died…" Sanji seemingly forced out, "Even now I have to go somewhere, and I don't know when I can return here… If ever." Sanji said distastefully.
"No, you can't go! Not yet… I'm sure you can persuade your crew to just stay here a few more days… five at least…"
"I… I don't know.. We all have pretty bad memories of this place… And it'd be bad if we were sighted…" Sanji explained as he furrowed his brows.
"But… Please…. Please, Peace…."
Sanji sighed, unable to look at the young boy- well now, teen boy when he made such a sad face.
"Alright, Benevolence…" Sanji gave in, "I'll ask. But thats it."
"Oh my gosh, thank you, Peace! And around them I guess I'll call you… 'Sanji'? I doubt you want them knowing about… Back then… You can call me 'Ben'." Benevolence said shyly.
"Oh, good idea, Ben." Sanji said with a pleased smile as he patted the youngers scruffy blond hair.
"Hey, Peace?" Benevolence started, "Why do you hide your left eye? Our left eyes are seen as treasures here, are they not?" He asked as he slid aside Sanji's bangs- looking into Sanji's eye.
"Ben, you should know this already… If we showed them off, we would definitely be found out. I have a very intelligent archaeologist on my crew, and she would probably guess it in an instant, although I think she'll have a hard time believing it. Just try to stay silent, okay?" Sanji explained.
"Mm!" Ben agreed.
"Love cook!" Zoro called yet again, "Damnit, where are you?!" Zoro fumed as he continued running in that extremely confusing town square.
Zoro let out a yelp of surprise as he fell onto the dark grey bricks, slipping on something. As he began to get up he noticed that it was raining, "Damnit… At least it'll chase away some of the crowd, I guess." He said as he continued to trudge.
"Where are yo-" Zoro started again, but he was cut off when Sanji ran into him.
"Zoro!?" Sanji asked, surprised. Picking himself up and dusting off his dress pants.
"Where the hell were you!?" Zoro yelled, enraged.
"Just some family business... " Sanji finished with a soft and nervous chuckle, "I have to ask the crew something, too." He said seriously as he started to guide Zoro and himself back to the ship, not that Zoro would admit that he had no idea how to get back to the Sunny-Go.
"Sanjjiiiiiii!" Luffy whined, "Why did you run awayyy? I was hungryyyy!" He stretched out his words annoyingly.
"I had 'family business' to attend to." He said curtly, earning wary looks from his crewmates. "I'd also like to ask a favor from all of you," He said slowly, "It may inconvenience us, and you probably wont like it, but just give me an ear for a second, really… It would mean the world." He said seriously- unnerving everyone in the room, but at the same time, gaining their attention.
"Okay, what is it?" Luffy asked bluntly.
"I need to stay here for at least five more days or a week…" Sanji said slowly, "I havent seen some people in around… well, almost a decade and they deserve an explanation and a long, long, talk. I'm sorry, I didn't expect to run into such people here, I just need a couple days, what do you say?" Sanji asked hopefully.
Everyone was silent for a second, shocked that Sanji would think that they wouldn't allow Sanji to see his own family.
"Of course you can see your family, Sanji!" Luffy laughed gleefully, "We'll throw them a party!" Luffy laughed, making Sanji freeze.
'Oh…. This ought to be good….' Sanji thought to himself deadpanned.
"Honey! Honeyyy!" Ben called exitedly, "You wont believe who I ran into this morning! And we're having a partyyy!" He hollered.
"Honey? Since when was I called 'Honey'?" The young girl questioned, "And whoo?!" She asked as she clenched her fists together in front of one of her elder brothers.
"Peace! I ran into Peace, Honesty!" He exclaimed as he launched his fists in the air in one big explosion of happiness, and act Honesty hadn't seen her brother commit to in years.
"...Peace…?" Honey whispered bewilderedly, "H-how… I thought he was…. dead…" She finished in tears.
"I thought so, too! He said that he escaped from that place, changed his name and moved to the South Blue! He was picked up by a pirate crew and became their chef! His crew doesn't know about the whole… Uhmm… 'Aepradus' situation, so he goes by 'Sanji', I go by 'Ben', and you should go by 'Honey'. They must not know." Ben explained.
"But why do we have to have nicknames if we aren't gonna meet them..?" She asked tentatively. Crossing her arms and pouting.
"Because they're kind of really friendly, and when they figured out about us…. They decided to throw a party… All of us were invited." Ben explained.
"Oh gosh… How is Honor going to react? Don't even get me started on Respe-" She started with an exasperated tone.
"We'll figure it out, I know we will. They'll be ecstatic knowing that their brother is still alive."
Hey, this is just a little story I've been thinking about, tell me if you want me to continue it. I promise I'll explain everything that's going on later, it'll all make sense. It has to come together at the end.