With the newspaper in his hand, he had a smile on his face that was bordering on mad. He had ripped the page out from the old man's newspaper. Zeff always got upset when he did that, and he did suppose it was a little annoying to be reading something only to find that a page was missing.
He didn't mind the yelling or the beating though. Slipping the page into his pocket, he walked out of the kitchen and locked himself in his room. Pulling out his chair, he sat at his desk, taking out the page and laid out the black and white photograph on his desk, spreading it flat with his palm, looking down at the picture.
There, in between his fingers was the picture of the man he had been recently been fascinated with. He touched the picture, index finger outlining the strong jaw of the portrait of him. This wasn't usually the type of guy he went for, but there was something about him that made him interested. The headline read Demon of the East Blue Sea.
For a demon he was pretty good looking. He looked like he was around his age, fifteen - sixteen at most. In all the photos he had seen of him, he hadn't been aware of his photo being taken, that was made clear, but in each photo his eyes were narrowed, jaw clenched with a serious expression on his face. He liked that he didn't pose for the photos.
News had been circulating about a new bounty hunter, the deadliest of the East. Articles talked of his massive strength. Normally, Sanji hated bounty hunters and marines. Since Zeff was a pirate himself, Sanji just naturally learned to stay clear from bounty hunters and anyone who stood against pirates.
But there was something about the picture, something about the man called the demon that he wanted to know more about. For now, he would steal articles of him. He appeared in newspapers every few months, but he always checked the paper, just in case.
He knew he had it bad.
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When he was seventeen, well, when they were both seventeen, the name of Zoro Roronoa was widely known. There was generally more information circulating about Zoro by that point, such as the fact that Zoro was the same age as him, though when he scowled he looked older.
By that time, the wall above his bed covered in newspaper clippings of Zoro. It took years of diligent searching through newspapers, but for now he had ten small pictures of him. At night he would look up at the picture of the 'demon' and do nothing but dream of meeting him.
Since he was fifteen he always hoped that Zoro would one day come by the Baratie, looking for a high bounty pirate. God knew plenty of them came around. Most of their clients were pirates, so it wasn't too far-fetched a fantasy to dream about him walking in one day, either for a meal or for the search of a bounty.
Zoro traveled around plenty; that was a guess on his part because every time he went in to collect for a bounty, the newspaper always stated it was in a different city, and far from the last one he was in. So really, he had hope that he would one day stumble into the Baratie.
By then, most of the ship knew about his crush. Zeff pretended not to care but knew the old man was highly amused by his crush, always throwing him a smirk when he saw him looking through his newspaper-even if he did yell at him if he ripped a page out. Patty and Carne had a ball making fun of him.
Every time he was seen flirting with some girl, Patty and Carne teased him mercilessly, saying that he wasn't fooling anyone. He hated it, but somewhere deep inside, he knew they were right. Sanji did have a fair amount of attraction towards women, but in reality, it was mostly for show.
So, whenever someone walked in, Patty and Carne would laugh at how he eagerly looked to see who it was that came in. Sanji tended to watch for someone walking in with swords because he knew for a fact that Zoro carried three. The fact that he knew so much about him worried Sanji a little, but at the end of the day he didn't care.
Night after night he would go to bed; disappointed that Zoro didn't come. He would look at the pictures of him, and try to imagine what his voice sounded like. He imagined he had a deep, smoothing voice. In truth, he tried to imagine many things about him.
One thing Sanji always wondered him was what color hair Zoro had. The pictures were in black in white, so he couldn't tell, but every time he closed his eyes to envision Zoro, he imagined him having either black or brown hair. He didn't seem like a blond.
He found himself staring at the three earrings Zoro had been sporting in his pictures lately. He would gaze at the picture, fingers hovering over his dangling earrings. For some reason, he loved the idea of Zoro having earrings. It was something so different and not what he was expecting but still loved it.
In all his photos, he had seen Zoro dressed in boots and casual clothing. Sanji would try to imagine the man in a suit. He was a sucker for a well-dressed guy. He figured when he wasn't fighting he was a kind gentleman. Surely a man with fame like him, especially someone who traveled so much was bound to be cultured.
He liked to imagine Zoro walking in and them getting along well -being the same age and all- and sharing a meal together, with Zoro complimenting him on his cooking of course. All these ideas were thoughts he repeated over and over in his mind. Every night he would close his eyes and try to think of Zoro, trying to will himself to have a dream with him. Every day he wished Zoro would walk in.
It was a never-ending cycle of daydreaming.
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When he was nineteen he walked into the kitchen, finding all the workers surrounding Zeff as he read his newspaper. Sanji quirked an eyebrow and set to rolling up his sleeves, clearing his throat to make his presence known.
They all looked at him, their faces a little remorseful. It made Sanji worry even more. He lit a cigarette because he couldn't handle the way they were staring at him. "You guys trying to find out how to read or something? That is called a newspaper," he said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Hey Sanji," Patty called him over, waving him over with his hand.
Sanji sucked in a huff of smoke before exhaling. "What?"
"Bad news about your lover boy," Carne gestured towards the newspaper.
Sanji walked over, knowing full well who they were talking about. He wasn't exactly scared, anxious maybe, but he walked over and looked over the old man's shoulder to see the newspaper.
There was a huge picture in the center, only one tiny object in the center. He squinted, trying to see the small thing. He focused, seeing a man tied to a post, rope binding his arms, legs, and torso to the post. He gasped, realizing it was Zoro, despite his face being lowered.
"What happened?" he asked.
Patty flicked the headline of the article. He knew he would get a beating for it later, but he snatched the paper out of the old man's so he could read it. It stated the obvious; that Zoro was captured by the marines. He read quickly, skimming through the article, but found nothing about the reasons why he was tied there.
"Why?" He asked, getting worried, his tone a little snappish. "He's a bounty hunter! Why is he captured?"
"Something about upsetting the marine's son," Zeff cut in. He looked down at the old man and he only shrugged. "Details are iffy, you know how the media is."
Sanji gripped the paper, looking at the tiny picture of Zoro. He knew most people who were captured by Marines and 'detained' were always killed. He had been on a pirate ship long enough to know most men didn't walk out of it alive. Only brave and loyal saved them, and even then, sometimes they failed.
He didn't cry, but he wished that somehow Zoro would make it.
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A week later, there were rumors of a break in at marine base in Shells Town, the very marine island that Zoro was held in. No news was heard of Zoro being executed, so Sanji hoped for the best.
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A month later, there were still no word or gossip over the whereabouts of Zoro Roronoa, or if was even still alive. Sanji figured since his death hadn't actually been reported, there was a fairly high chance that he survived, and managed to escape during the break in. Also, the media wasn't big on reporting about epic fails from the marine's behalf, so he hoped for the best.
Sanji had been working in the back, making a lunch for some customer. He gritted his teeth at Patty's scribbling of the order. Not just because Patty's scribbling was so badly written –his penmanship was not something to be prod of- but because the person was so damn picky. He wouldn't have minded the complex order if he was making it for a woman, but he had no way of knowing so he remained angry.
Patty, who had been working as a waiter, came through the doors, bursting in and running right towards Sanji. He of course regarded him with annoyance. Whenever the older man came in with that kind of smile, it always meant he had something up his sleeve. Patty grabbed his shoulders, shaking him violently, a grin on his face.
"Sanji!"
"What?" he gritted his teeth. He didn't appreciate being shaken so aggressively, so he shrugged out of his hold. "What the fuck?" he asked, smoothing the crease in his now wrinkly suit.
"Go outside," Patty grinned. "Right now."
"I am not falling for one of your pranks," he said.
The retard always made up a story of some hot babe in the restaurant so Sanji can go out, and Patty would steal his job as cook. He hated being the waiter and it was so damn rare that the old man let him cook and he wasn't going pass up the chance.
"I'm serious. Go outside," Patty breathed, still excited over whatever fake hottie had just seen. "Trade jobs with me."
"No. Why the fuck would I want to wait tables today?"
"What's going on?" Carne asked, now fully interested in their conversation. Zeff had yet to show any outer interest, but he knew the old man was listening.
Patty stopped, looking at Carne. He shook his head, "I can't say, it'll ruin the surprise." Focusing on Sanji again, he smiled brightly. "Just listen to me for once you little shit. Trust me, you won't regret it."
Carne looked at Patty's profile, before grinning. He hated how those two could understand each other without really talking. It pissed him off to no end. When Carne nodded at him eagerly, urging him to go out, he sighed.
Sanji went out anyways, ignoring the girlish giggling and chuckling behind him, wondering what was so important that he had to step outside.
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When he stepped outside -thoroughly annoyed that he had been convinced to trade jobs when he wanted to cook -he froze dead in his tracks when he saw just what was so important, more so, who it was sitting there. His dreams since, fuck, four years ago came true.
There he was.
Zoro Roronoa.
Zoro Roronoa was sitting in the Baratie.
He felt his heart pounding hard in his chest, threatening to burst out. His throat felt dry and damn if he got a little light headed. It was stupid to be reacting in such a way but he had no one to judge him at the moment, so he basked in the sight of his crush sitting at one of the round tables, eating at the motherfucking restaurant he worked in.
There was a beautiful red head there with him at the table, along with an afro-sporting long nose, and the new kid. That fucking new kid was shit when it came to waiting tables, but he seemed to know Zoro. The busty red head and the long nose were laughing about the new kid flicking a booger in Zoro's glass. He was thoroughly disgusted, but he grinned when he saw Zoro force him to drink his own booger.
At that point, he was grinning like an idiot, overly excited to see Zoro Roronoa in the Baratie. Behind him, he vaguely heard Patty and Carne whispering at him not to be a fool, and to go for it. Sanji gulped. He had never actually planned what he would say or do when he came face to face with Zoro.
All of it was silly daydreaming, with very exaggerated scenarios, and now faced with the reality, he had no idea how to act in front of him. There was Zoro, not ten feet away from him and he couldn't even muster up anything to say to him. He was just standing there awkwardly, staring at him.
Zoro had ordered a dish that he just made, a non-picky order, so that was good. He noticed he was better looking than his picture. Looking at him in real life, he couldn't stop staring at the way he smiled, laughing with his friends. In all his pictures he had been frowning, so it was a surprise to see him smiling, not a demonic way.
What was a bigger surprise than him being there, and him laughing was that his hair was green. That, he wasn't expecting. All the time he had imagined him, he had thought he had black hair. His eyes traveled to his strong square jaw, long sideburns, three golden earrings, solid build and broad shoulders. His waist was narrow for someone with his shoulders, and the way he crossed his arms on the table revealed muscle under his white shirt. Traveling further down he noticed those three swords, one of his trademarks.
All those times he spent dreaming about meeting him was a waste because now he was in front of him and he had no idea what to do. So he went with his natural instincts, and went for the red head. He flirted with her, watching Zoro from the corner of his eyes. He seemed to ignore him, and treat him with an air of annoyance, but other than that he didn't seem all that interested in him.
Why couldn't he talk to him?
He knew Patty and Carne would demean him later for not having enough balls to talk to him, but for now he studied him and tried to figure out the best way to get his attention-while fighting with the long nose. When the long nose told Zoro to beat him up he responded for him to do it himself.
Sanji couldn't help but groan internally at the deep voice. It was deep and husky just like he imagined. At least he had been right about one thing so far. He wanted to talk more to him, but he was busy flirting with the red head, telling her she didn't have to pay, so he said to him the only thing he could think of.
"You guys have to pay."
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There was so much blood. When Mihawk had sliced him in half he had screamed at the sight.
Zoro was a fool. What did he think, fighting someone as strong as Mihawk? He had yelled that at him, hoping to snap the idiot out of his macho pride and to realize he shouldn't throw his life away. How stupid would it be if the man died after Sanji only just met him? He would never forgive the bastard if he did, that was for sure.
Something didn't settle right in the pit of his stomach when he saw him fall into the ocean. Biting his lower lip to keep from breaking down, he feared the thought that Zoro might be dead. Later, when he saw the raised arm, holding his sword, claiming that he would never lose again, his heart skipped a beat. He couldn't remember being that overjoyed since being rescued from the rock with the old man.
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Before the incident with Mihawk he had learned that Zoro had joined the small pirate crew, captained by the new kid of all people. Never in a million years would he have thought the once pirate hunter was now a pirate himself. He didn't know why, but that made him smile.
Luffy asked him to join because he needed a cook. Apparently Nami was a terrible cook and overcharged for her mediocre cooking skills. He had kicked Luffy's ass for that statement of course, but considered the proposition nonetheless. After the battle with Gin, he realized just how much he wanted to be out in the world and to be a pirate himself, and with the old man practically kicking him off, he eventually came to the decision to leave.
He did want the opportunity to fight and to explore. Also, he knew he would never forgive himself if he missed out on a chance to find All Blue. The bonus was that he would be able to be around Zoro Roronoa.
He cried when he parted from the old man, but knew it was for the best. It was meant to happen anyways, he couldn't always be with the old man. Even though he missed the old man terribly when he parted from him, he couldn't help but grin at the idea of being out at sea and being a pirate himself. He never thought he would be a pirate right alongside the once known bounty hunter.
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The brute wasn't exactly prince charming. Ok, he was no prince charming. Zoro wasn't even half as classy, educated, or refined as Sanji had thought. All this daydreaming of him being a gentleman when he wasn't killing something and hopes of him giving him a compliment were way out the window.
He was a bigger ruffian and scoundrel than he thought. He worked out all day, never listened to anyone, ignoring Chopper when he told him to sit still and heal. He completely under minds Nami-swan's authority, and could completely block out the crew when they got loud and had an air of indifference that pissed him off. He was too serious for someone his age, and drank too much but never got drunk.
The bastard wasn't intellectual or cultured, he wasn't even sure if the bastard knew how to read but the way he could tell where bars were and could read sake labels told him otherwise. Though he did seem to be good at math, always answering Luffy's questions about multiplication, but that was beside the point.
Not to mention he always teased him about just about anything he could get away with. It was more annoying than anything, always making remarks about his eyebrows and generally making him look bad whenever he talked to women.
Sanji had to admit it was his fault, ninety percent of the time he was the one provoking the fights, or took his sarcastic remarks way too seriously, but it was worth it to fight with him. Truth was, he couldn't flirt for shit when it came to men. Flirting with women came easy for him because he didn't really mean it. When it came to Zoro, he was defiantly the kind of boy who pulled on the girl's pigtails to get her attention.
That was exactly what he did. He found as long as he was fighting, all of Zoro's attention was on him. So from then on, he always found a new way to annoy the man. It felt great to fight with him, because then they would get in each other's faces and be close, which was Sanji's intended goal.
Another thing he had come to find out about the swordsman was that he was the laziest son of a bitch he had ever met. Zoro slept all day and it was worrisome at times because sometimes when he was spread out on deck he looked dead. He had also learned that Zoro didn't find all those pirates because he looked for them, he just got lost and got lucky. Sanji had never met anyone with a worst sense of direction than the man.
Despite all those things that pissed him off, he still loved Zoro. Nothing had changed. Just because he wasn't exactly what Sanji had wanted, he still wanted him. A part of Sanji was glad Zoro wasn't refined and classy. He loved that he was a barbarian and rude at times. He loved that he spoke his mind and nothing like manners or feelings held him back from saying things.
He had come to love his green hair, he loved sharing a bunk room with him –and the others but that was beside the point- and he especially loved that the brute was actually not as fearsome as he lead on to be. Underneath it all, he was a bigger softie than most of them. Zoro was a blatant pushover when it came to children. He even got bitch slapped by Nami more than once and though he threatened her, never meant it.
If anything, all those imperfections about the man made Sanji love him more. The fact that Zoro was able to get under his skin and fight with him made him want him more. Even if he was a complete retard with directions and never complimented his cooking, but that was just because he is a stubborn asshole was all.
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After a battle with the marines, they had insulted each other that they were reckless and stupid for getting hurt. At least, that was what Sanji had yelled at Zoro for. Zoro yelled at him that he should mind his own business. They were yelling at the top of their lungs at each other and seconds from adding more to their injuries.
So Sanji was surprised when he was pushed against the brick wall of the alley and was kissed abruptly.
It wasn't romantic at all. There was no sweet feeling, no pleasant or warm sentiment at all was in that kiss. The bastard was pressing into him so hard the bumps from the brick wall were stabbing his shoulder blades. He was sure blood from the retarded marimo was getting on him as well.
The way his hands were gripping his arms could only be described as painfully firm, the taller man's tanned fingers pressing hard into him as if afraid to let go. The kiss was rough, and it hurt his lips, not mention he was going tot have to buy a new shirt because blood never came off, but he kissed back for all he was worth.
It wasn't the first kiss he imagined. Fireworks weren't in the background, his heart wasn't fluttering, there were no butterflies in his stomach, but the feeling he had was so much better. It was frantic, sure, maybe too hard and too rough, the way they held each other too desperate, but Sanji had come to love that about them. It was just the way they were.
When Zoro had pulled away from the kiss he claimed it was the best way to get him to shut up. That, of course started up a whole new fight.
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Two nights later, they were in a hotel on some island. They hadn't been able to be together since that kiss, having gathered with the crew and celebrated their victory from the marines. So as soon as they had the chance, they had sneaked away to be alone.
"Nnggh…" he groaned, eyes fluttering every time Sanji rocked into him.
Sanji had never felt so damn happy in his life. Here was the man he had been obsessing about for years, literally years, and he was lying on his back, breathing hard as Sanji rolled his hips, going deeper inside of him. If he could go back in time and tell his fifteen year-old self that in four years he would be fucking Zoro Roronoa he would have squealed like a little girl.
As soon as they had gotten a room, they had almost sprinted up the stairs to get on the right floor, when they did they had kissed hungrily in the hallway, much like they did in the alley. When they managed to make it through the door, they had gone to work at tearing each other's clothes off.
"Sanjiiii…" Zoro moaned out, arching his back.
It was great, to hear that normally gravely voice weak from lust and moaning out. His normally narrowed eyes and scowling face was now contorted with a hungry desire. It was pure ecstasy; being inside the man he had longed to be with.
Sanji bent down, kissing him passionately. Zoro parted his mouth, inviting his tongue inside. The both of them moaned into the kiss. When he broke the kiss, he leaned back and picked up the pace, listening to Zoro as he moaned out his name, thick tanned hands gripping the sheets as he thrust into him.
"You look hot," Sanji licked his lips, "Calling my name like that."
A retort was on Zoro's lips, but it was lost when Sanji thrust inside of him again, a little harder than the last time. He watched as Zoro threw his head back, all signs of orgasm on his face before the proof spilled over the both of them. Sanji came right after, calling out Zoro's name.
Even though he was making a mess, he landed on Zoro's chest after pulling out. He breathed into his lover's neck, licking the sweat off before joining Zoro in sleep's embrace. Sanji fell asleep with a content smile on his face.
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Sanji woke first. It wasn't a real surprise, Zoro could sleep through storms; of course he'll sleep through the morning hours. He had woken up to find Zoro's tanned arm around his waist, with his own leg thrown over the swordsman hip.
He smiled brightly at the feeling of waking up next to him. Sanji remembered all those times he had clipped pictures of the man, and now he was lying in bed next to him. He sighed contently, watching Zoro's steady breathing, the rise and fall of his large chest.
Zoro then cracked open an eye, thick lashes blinking as he tried to wake. He groaned, rubbing the crust from his eyes. "Watching me sleep cook?" he asked. "Didn't think you were that creepy."
"Shut up, it's not like that." Sanji lied.
"Oh yeah?" Zoro yawned, pausing in his retort for a moment. "Kinda felt like you were admiring me."
"Admire my foot. Your face really isn't the greatest thing to see first thing in the morning."
Zoro grinned, the arm that had been around the lithe torso bringing Sanji closer until they were chest to chest. His body was warm. "I could say the same for you dart brow."
"Whatever marmio, I'm cooler, smarter, better looking, and stronger than you. Just admit you're jealous of me."
"In the smart department, you're just as big a dumbass as me." Zoro said. "You do beat me in the cool department, especially with your pink apron, more specially when you hit on girls and get rejected."
Sanji kicked him under the thick covers. "Sarcastic bastard."
Zoro grinned, not even flinching from the kick. "As far as looks go, your eyebrows land you in the revolting department." He continued, ignoring Sanji's snort. "And my bounty is higher than yours. It means I'm stronger."
"That means shit and you know it!" Sanji argued, upset because Zoro's bounty was higher.
"Uh-huh," Zoro said. "I was out making a name for myself and working on getting strong while you were on a boat full of fairy men burning fishes and poisoning your customers."
"Just because you were a bounty hunter by fifteen means shit. I fought everyday on the Baratie against ex-pirates, just because I didn't collect cash from it doesn't mean you're stronger." Sanji felt Zoro staring at him, and the way his fine eyebrow was arched, he had the feeling he had said something wrong. "What?"
"How did you know I became a hunter at fifteen?" Zoro asked.
Sanji felt his ears and neck getting hot. Damn he had slipped. He snorted, trying to cover it up, shrugging for added effect. "Lucky guess."
"No," Zoro shook his head, giving him a look. "You defiantly knew, and I know for a fact I never shared that information with you." He narrowed his eyes. "Spill blondie."
Sanji turned his head away. "You talk in your sleep."
He felt thick fingers on his chin and he allowed Zoro to turn his head to look at him. He fixed his eyes on grey ones, ones that were searching him for an answer. "Come on curly. I got all day."
He sighed. "I read about you in the paper, ok?" he muttered.
"The paper?" he asked, true confusion lacing his voice. It made Sanji wonder if he knew he was ever in the paper at all.
"The old man read the paper all the time. I just so happened to come across an article about you," he lowered his gaze, not being able to look at Zoro. "Mr. Demon my foot. You're not that scary," he grumbled.
Zoro let go of his chin, using his arm to prop himself up, resting his chin in hand as he looked down at Sanji. "So you heard about me before we met, am I hearing this right?"
Sanji nodded.
"And?"
"And what?" he asked, gritting his teeth.
"What did you think of me?"
He saw genuine curiosity in his eyes. He would have refused to answer that question, maybe lied, but the way Zoro was looking at him meant he wouldn't make fun. He sighed; he might as well.
"I liked you, ok? I thought you were sort of good looking," he felt red in the face when Zoro looked taken aback by the confession. "Of course you came out way better in those pictures, that photographer must have been good because looking at you in real life is gross," he quickly added in a vain attempt to hide his embarrassment. "And let's not forget those pictures were in black and white, which is good because the world doesn't need to see your hideous green hair. I wouldn't have liked you if I had known."
Zoro was grinning madly, an amused look on his face, making Sanji sweat under that gaze. "So you were my fan boy."
"Shut up!" Sanji yelled.
Zoro of course ignored him, lying on his back as he laughed hysterically. He hated the bastard for coming to such conclusions. Sanji sat up, grabbing his pillow and smacking Zoro with it. The marimo continued to laugh, ignoring Sanji, and really, it wasn't like he expected a feather pillow to hurt him.
After his laughter died down, Zoro reached up, grabbing his pale wrist and dragging Sanji on top of him. Sanji huffed, but allowed the bastard to pull him close, not giving a fight for once. Zoro smiled at him, moving blond strands away from his eyes.
"If I had known, I would have fucked you a long time ago."
"Don't get cocky asshole. It's not like I was dreaming about jumping your bones forever," he lied through his teeth.
Zoro grinned. The bastard was so bad at hiding his feelings –despite how hard he tried to hide them- and right now his amusement was getting on Sanji's nerves. What pissed Sanji off more was what Zoro said right after.
"Don't worry, you can be the first of my groupie."
They spent twenty minutes arguing. Zoro kept referring to him as a fanboy, and though Sanji was thoroughly pissed; he didn't deny Zoro when he pulled him in for a kiss. After all, he was Zoro's biggest fan, not that he would ever tell that to the asshole -his ego was big enough already. Sanji kissed him back, grinning like a retard because he was being kissed by his crush.
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END
A.N. I have no clue when Zoro became a bounty hunter, 15 might be kinda of young, but he was kicking adult's asses when he was a little kid, so who knows really. Also, I don't think Sanji would have been that big of a fanboy, but he did walk around with Zoro's wanted poster in his pocket, so I figured him hanging pictures of him on the wall isn't that much of a stretch?
So forgive me for taking liberty with Zoro's age and Sanji's fanboy behavior.