Dreams
Summary: As Sanji is taken further away from his crew, he has time to think.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
That castle bastard had used the situation against me. He knew I wouldn't risk a fight on already-bloodied ground. The minks had been through enough. I didn't want them to suffer anymore and I knew how concerned Chopper had seemed that there would be a fight. And then they got caught. My sweet Nami-san had been worried about me. Chopper had just been underestimating their numbers. I couldn't blame either of them. At least I had been able to save them. They had escaped. They were safe.
I lit a cigarette, debating whether to let it burn the damn place down. No, it wasn't worth it. Who knew the next time I'd be able to restock? Of course that wouldn't stop me from smoking them one after the other. The stress was already getting to me. My shoulders felt like stiff stalks of rhubarb, ready to snap. My past was supposed to stay buried. I just hoped this wasn't going to turn into a rescue mission like it had in Enies Lobby. Robin was a lady. She needed saving. I didn't. I couldn't risk the crew's safety. The people associated with my past made those CP9 freaks look like kittens playing with a ball of yarn. The crew all had things they wanted to accomplish anyway. They needed to stick to that. Their dreams were more important than my current situation.
Luffy wanted to be king of the pirates.
Mosshead wanted to be the greatest swordsman.
My lovely Nami wanted to make a map of the whole world.
Usopp wanted to become a brave warrior of the sea.
Chopper wanted to find a cure for all the world's diseases.
My angel Robin wanted to find the Rio Poneglyph.
Franky wanted to build and travel with the ship of dreams.
Brook wanted to reunite with a whale named Laboon to keep a fifty-year-old promise.
And me. I wanted to find All Blue. It never seemed as far away as it did now, not even when I was stuck on that rock, dying of starvation. At least then I was able to see the ocean.
Dry land was fine, but I felt itchy if I stayed on it for too long. That had been was just another painful part of that two years spent in Hell. I belonged on a ship, the gently rolling waves rocking me as I slept. I was headed to Big Mom's ship for a wedding so hopefully I'd be able to smell the salty air of the sea soon. It would help me relax. I might go easier on my depleting pack of smokes.
I told the crew I'd be back, but the chances of me finding the Sunny on my own were slim and, without knowing the next island the log pose was going to point to, it's not like I could wait for them on an island. I knew how to read a map, but I couldn't predict the weather or the direction of the sea currents. I wasn't like my beautiful Nami-san.
Ah, Nami-san, Robin-chwan. Would they ever forgive me for making them worry? Nami-san's face was heartbreaking as she begged me to wait for Luffy. It pained me to leave her, but I couldn't risk it. There was no telling what those bastards would do if I had chosen to wait. Knowing Luffy and that mossheaded idiot, it could've taken them days to find us.
I just hope they understood what I was trying to do. I wasn't planning on getting married if I could help it. I still had no plan on how to get out of it though. I could possibly risk jumping overboard. I was a good swimmer. Of course, what if my bride was too? I sighed.
When I first joined up with Luffy, I never expected to find friends I cared so much about. Even that swordsman had become a trusted friend, someone I could trust to have my back in a fight. It was hard to imagine life without those bunch of crazy, loud idiots. I would miss the sweet sound of my name as either Nami or Robin asked for one of my special desserts. Who would feed them while I was away?
Luffy was the most stubborn person I'd ever met and I knew he'd be unwilling to give up on me so easily. There still was the matter of Kaido to tend to and I knew it would be a risky battle. I was sure Mosshead and Luffy could handle it, but I was worried about the girls. Who would protect them? They were strong, but no match for Kaido. If they got hurt...
My blood boiled. This marriage crap couldn't have come at a worse time. We had too much on our plate already. I hadn't seen my family in years. What could they possibly want now? They had changed my wanted poster to Only Alive. Why? And why would they care if I was married? For all they knew, I could already have married Nami. Now, that would be a dream come true.
For as long as I could remember, I was taught marriage was sacred so an arranged one just seemed so...wrong. As a general rule, I treated any lady with the upmost respect and courtesy, but marriage required a bond between two people. Getting married before having that connection was insane. I couldn't ever marry someone I wasn't in love with.
Since I'd saved Nami from that freaky lion gorilla man, I'd felt that type of bond start to grow. I could only hope it would someday grow into a beautiful blossoming flower. Maybe one day she'd even return that love.
For now, I could only dream.
Author's note: SanjixNami forever! Please review!