Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, that belongs to Oda!
Sanji sighs.
Everyone was asleep by now, and he was alone in the crows nest, watching the night sky.
It was a long day. After he was checked out and cleared by Chopper he spent the majority of the day in his kitchen, making small treats for his nakama, fancy drinks for his lovely ladies. Just taking in the familiarity of his safe haven. When dinner came around he went all out, creating his biggest most spontaneous meal. He didn't care if it was too over-the-top, neither did the others, he was allowed to after all.
That was probably the greatest thing about being back. He was allowed to cook whenever he wanted now. No controlling asshole of a 'father' telling him what to do, no brothers bullying him. Sanji leaned against the window and smiled.
He was finally back home. He was finally with his family again. His real family.
It all seemed so surreal. Just twenty-four hours ago he was certain he would never see his crew or Sunny again. But once again Luffy proved he was keeping this crew for the long run, Sanji was stupid for ever having doubts. Luffy was never gonna give up on them, not unless it was what they truly wanted, and Sanji knew he never wanted to give this life up, especially his dream.
Alot of blood, sweat, and tears got them this far. He wasn't gonna let the demons of his past ruin it.
"This is where you were."
Sanji jumps at the voice and turns around to see Zoro climbing in and closing the hatch door. Sanji watches as Zoro sit right beside him, gently placing his swords on the floor and stare out the window.
"Thought you'd be asleep." Sanji says as he stares at the sky again.
"Could say the same for you." Zoro says.
"I can't sleep now." Sanji says. "Not after everything that's happened."
"You probably should." Zoro says, looking at him. "A little rest can do you some good. You look like you need it."
Sanji smirks. "Worried about me marimo?"
"You wish shit cook." Zoro snorts, crossing his arms.
Maybe it was the fact that they were having such a non-bantering conversation, that Sanji could hear some kind of fondness coming from Zoro. He could be wrong. Tomorrow things will probably go back to normal, and he and Zoro will go back to their everyday bickering, but for now he just wanted to relish in the fact he could continue having pointless arguments with Zoro.
Sanji reached in his pants pocket for a cigarette, but frowns when his hands clenches around a paper. He pulls it out and unfolds it. He freezes.
"What is it?" Zoro asks.
Sanji swallows. He forgot he had this.
"It's a picture of my mom." Sanji says quietly. "My sister gave it to me before I left, this is the only thing that's left of her."
In the corner of his eye Sanji can see Zoro leaning to get a look, his one eye inspecting over the photo curiously. In it his mom was sitting on a bed, her hands delicately placed atop the covers, smiling brightly at the camera.
"That's her? That's really your mom?"
"Yeah."
"Tell me about her."
Sanji glances at Zoro before he looks back at the picture. Memories came back to him, memories he's always managed to block from his mind.
"She was a mom, kind, caring and full of love. This might come as a shock to you, but she was the real reason I wanted to become a cook."
Zoro blinks. "What? I thought-"
"I know." Sanji smiles sadly. "Before she died I remember I used to make her food. She always ate it and she loved it even if it was bad. She never berated me for loving to cook, she encouraged me to. After she died I knew I wanted to become the cook she always knew I would be."
Thinking about all this now, seeing her smile in this picture. For so long he's tried to move on and forget the bad memories that was his former life, he'd forgotten the time he spent with his mom, cooking for her meals she ate without complaint. Those were the memories he should've held onto.
"She was the bravest woman I've ever known." Sanji mumbles recalling the last conversation he had with Reiju. "She sacrificed her life for me and my brothers before we were even born, to save us from Judge's experiments. He wanted to turn us to mindless, unemotional weapons of war, but she wanted us to grow up with a sense of humanity. According to my sister, my mom made a drug that was suppose to counteract the modifications Judge made to us, but instead it made her sick which ultimately lead to her death."
He clenched his eyes, trying to hold back tears, his body slightly shaking.
"All she wanted was for her children to grow up happy, but in the end it was all for nothing."
He hated it. He hated knowing he had Judge's blood running through his veins, he hated knowing he was biologically related to three brothers who did nothing but abuse him the whole time he was there. He hated being from a family who had no sympathy, no compassion and no respect for the lives of other people except there own.
"You're wrong." Zoro says suddenly.
Sanji's eyes widened, his eyes meet Zoro's, who was looking at him with...determination?
"What?"
"Your still here right? You're still alive, and it's all because of her." Zoro gestured his chin towards the photo. "She had the courage to follow her heart and do the right thing, at the risk of her own life."
"But it's-"
He stops when Zoro puts a hand on his shoulder.
"She didn't die in vain cook." Zoro says. "You came out good, you show that everyday. You showed that bastard you didn't need any kind of modifications to be strong. You're living proof her risk wasn't a mistake. That's something to be grateful for, cause if it wasn't for her I'm sure as hell you would have never become a cook, never meet that old geezer, never knew about All Blue and you would have never met us."
Sanji huffs, he never thought of it like that before, he never wanted to think of it like that. Zoro made so many valid points. His mother was the start of everything in his life, if it wasn't for her sacrifice Sanji would have never become the man he was today. She wasn't just his mom, she was his hero.
Not just her, Sanji thinks to himself. Zeff too, and Luffy who came crashing in his life when he didn't even know he needed it the most, and Zoro...
Why the hell is this idiot always good with words?
"Why the hell are you always so good with words?" Sanji says.
"I'm not all muscle head idiot cook." Zoro grunts.
"You're always gonna be a muscle head marimo." Sanji argues. But thanks anyways.
Zoro grins, and they both go back to looking out the window. Maybe it was everything catching up to him, or maybe it was this comforting silence, but Sanji could feel his eyelids droop from exhaustion. He thinks he could sleep for a week.
"You look like her." Zoro says, breaking the silence.
Sanji groggily looks at him. "You think so?"
"Yeah," Zoro nods, then says. "You have her smile."
Sanji could feel his heartbeat skip in his chest. Hearing that from Zoro, he never wanted to kiss someone so badly. Damn marimo.
Feeling his cheeks heat up, Sanji looks down at his mothers picture and replicates the smile amd whispers.
"Thank you, mom."