Shock, Denial and Anger

It had been a month since the crew of the Going Merry had set foot on an island, so everyone was excited, especially Luffy. He grinned and waved everyone over to the railing. The island was a central point for trade, so it made for a good place to stock up on supplies, though that's not what Luffy was thinking about. His mind was on what type of people he would meet there, and if anything exciting would happen.

Sanji peered over the rail and smiled. A center for trade. This was good. Sanji had begun to get low of food, and had to improvise a bit with their meals. None of the crew noticed, though, but he certainly did. He looked forward to finding some new types of meat, vegetables, anything. Then Nami stood next to him and started to list the things they would need to get aloud, and Sanji's heart sped up.

"Sanji-kun?" she asked with a saccharine voice.

His eye was instantly replaced with a heart, accompanied by several other hearts floating around him, "Yes, Nami-san?"

"Would you help me shop today?"

"Of course, Nami-san!"

His heart was racing and his body almost trembled. The moment she spoke to him, everything felt different. A bit more distant, a bit more surreal, and he looked forward to the day all the more.

Moments after Usopp and Zoro docked the ship, everyone was off on in their separate directions, save Zoro who simply opted to sleep on the ship.

"We'll go into that shop first, Sanji-kun."

Sanji nodded, hearts trailing him wherever they walked. Shop to shop she piled a little more into his arms, but he didn't notice. Truth be told, he didn't notice his arms either. He was just so happy to be with Nami that he didn't notice much. His vision blurred into some sort of hazy dream, and everything he heard sounded far away and distant. The only thing he really noticed was Nami herself. He couldn't feel his heart pound against his chest, trying to break it. He couldn't tell that his arms were straining a little, more and more purchases piled against him, and he certainly didn't know what time it was. When he was like this, when he was with Nami, time didn't matter. Nothing mattered. He didn't think, he just felt, and basked in the glow that was Nami. Being around her made him happy and he had to have it. He needed to pull himself away from the rest of the crew and just be with her. In fact, the month had been a painfully long one. Nami spent so little time with Sanji, and for most of it, she was just trying to get something from him. Speaking to him for a second before sending him to do some chore. This was what he had been waiting for. What he needed. Then, not really certain of his surroundings, and not really knowing of his uncertainty, he was brutally snapped back to reality.

"Just because he listens to your every whim doesn't make him a gentleman," snorted an irritated swordsman.

Sanji squinted at the man, everything seeming suddenly bright and oversaturated, though Zoro took it as a glare.

"You should listen to Nami-san," Sanji hissed.

He was trying to focus on the seaweed head, a sudden headache distracting him. The pain was intense. More intense than he was used to and he pulled out a cigarette, slipping it between his lips and lighting it. He was tense and needed to relax, but his headache kept getting worse. He heard static and ignored it, taking a long drag, starting to fell his limbs again.

"Are you deaf?" Zoro barked, "I'm talking to you, asshole!"

Zoro's words crashed against Sanji's ears hard, and they started ringing. He began to piece together what had been said from the static that were his shouts, the ringing and headache making it hard to think. He looked towards his beefy companion with a harder squint, ready to make his comeback. All he could see was Zoro, and even then not all of him. A black ring surrounded his vision and he didn't have the time to waste thinking about how it was worse than usual.

"You're not worth listening to," he scoffed.

Zoro started talking again. More static, louder than the last, but less defined. He saw Zoro's lips moving, but honestly had no idea what he was saying, or that all he saw were Zoro's lips moving.

Then, all of a sudden, things were normal. He could see again, and hear again, but he was still desperately confused, trying to understand what was going on. He was on a bed and saw Chopper peering over him, and the rest of the crew standing by the doorway. Doorway? Wasn't he outside a second ago? And wasn't he standing up? He grabbed his head, a headache throbbing lightly in the background and a bruise forming on the back of it.

"I guess all gentlemen faint, too..." Zoro snorted under his breath, arms crossed.

Faint? He had fainted?

Sanji sat up quickly, ready to show Zoro what for, before Chopper urged him to lie back down.

"Ah! Sanji! P-please! Lie down! You're in bad shape!" Chopper pleaded, his expression ridiculous and extreme as he ran around frantically.

"What's wrong with him, Chopper-kun?" Nami asked, looking at Sanji slowly lying back, his body pepping up at the sound of her voice.

Chopper looked a bit scared and nervous before speaking, but that was hardly unusual.

"W-well, I think Sanji has an addiction."

"To what? Cigarettes?"

"Ehm, well, uh, no, to girls..."

All the crew but Luffy looked rather confused, and Nami asked the question on all their minds.

"Is that even possible?"

"Well, it's pretty rare, but it has to do with estrogen and how his body reacts to it," Chopper started to explain, before being interrupted by their captain.

"Make Sanji better," Luffy commanded, his eyes wide, a grimace spread across his face.

Chopper watched Luffy with an almost terrified expression, taking his words very seriously.

"Y-yes!" Chopper responded with a jump, sweating more than a reindeer should.

Luffy walked out, fists clenched, the same, intimidating look on his face. Sanji had to get better, and Chopper was the doctor. If Sanji was sick, who would cook the meat?

After a few moments, all but Sanji and Chopper dispersed.

Sanji couldn't believe this. Addicted to girls? How ridiculous. He merely understood and appreciated women for what they were worth. Since when does that mean he has an addiction? This was stupid, and he was fine, and he didn't mind leaving, even if Chopper thought he was sick.

"I have to go, Chopper. I need to make lunch," Sanji told the doctor, as he stood up, his legs a bit weak.

"AH! But, Sanji, Luffy said I have to make you get better! You still have to rest! And what if you see Nami? That'll just make things worse!" Chopper was obviously freaking out.

"I'm fine," Sanji said, blowing Chopper off and reaching for the door.

Chopper spazzed, begging Sanji to stay, "But you have to lie down! You're not better yet!"

Ignoring Chopper's pleas, Sanji left for the kitchen, seeing Nami talking to Zoro on the way. His eyes brightened a bit at her, even if she was with Zoro.

"Nami-san!" he called out, "What do you want for lunch?"

Nami looked a bit awkward before Zoro made his presence very known, his sheathed sword suddenly at Sanji's chest.

"You're not supposed to see Nami. Doctor's orders."

Sanji pushed Zoro's sword aside, completely disregarding the threat.

"And I'm supposed to listen to a seaweed head like you about some imaginary addiction?"

Zoro's sword quickly pulled back up, and was at the blonde's throat.

"Captain's orders are that you get better. Doctor's orders are that you stay away from Nami."

Just as Sanji was prepared to do something to Zoro, his hand already starting to shove the weapon down again, Nami spoke.

"Actually, Sanji-kun, I don't think I'm hungry. I'm just going to go back into town and do more shopping."

She felt very uncomfortable and wanted to get out of there. She tried to ignore how Sanji's nostrils flared up once she said his name.

"Nami-san?" he asked, "Do you need me to help you carry things again?"

"N-no, Usopp-kun already agreed to help me," she said, giving him a fake smile.

"What?" Usopp responded from across the deck, "I didn't agree to tha-"

"Usopp-kun," Nami almost begged, "You don't remember?"

Usopp wasn't so dense not to catch on, and he somehow immediately remembered.

"Right! Right!" he said, sweating a little, "I, uh, guess we should go."

Usopp made his way towards Nami, who was making her way off of the ship. He wore a bit of a woeful expression, as he really didn't want to help Nami shop, but he knew it was important that Sanji didn't help her. Why didn't she get Zoro to do it, though? He was right there, and though in Usopp's stories, he would never admit it, he was certainly stronger than Usopp. Nami turned around.

"And Sanji-kun?" she asked, masking how much she didn't want to talk to him, knowing now what she really did to him, "Could you do me a favor?"

"Yes, Nami-san?"

"Listen to whatever Chopper says, okay Sanji-kun?"

"Of course, Nami-san!!"

Nami and Usopp left, and Sanji gave Zoro a fierce glare before making his way back to Chopper, a little irritated, and with a little bit of a headache.

Nami led Usopp into a bar and heaved a little bit of a sigh. Usopp gave her a confused expression. Wasn't the plan to go shopping? Why were they at a bar? And why was Nami looking so down? She was strong, determined, and though he would never say it to her, kind of a bitch.

She ordered two drinks and traced her finger along the edge of her glass before speaking to Usopp, who was busying himself with actually drinking.

"Do you believe it? That's Sanji's addicted to women?" she asked.

Usopp wasn't sure what to say, or how to respond, so he responded the only way he knew how.

"Of course! A third of my crew was addicted to women! And half of that to men to! Not to mention the ones addicted to defeating their enemies! Why, I myself was addicted to picking up more members of my crew. So addicted that I got ten thousand crewmen before I finally stopped. Of course, I, the great Captain Usopp, could overcome such an addiction. I once got rid of an addiction while defeating a giant bat. It was bigger than you could imagine!"

Usopp had started to ease up, doing what he knew to do, but he didn't honestly know if lying would work at the moment. When he told his stories, it was to cheer people up. And sure Luffy and Chopper loved them, but Nami knew they weren't true. He didn't think she particularly disliked them, but he didn't think she found much comfort in them either. But in a situation like this, this was really all Usopp could do. What was he supposed to say? That he had never heard of anything like this? That he really had no idea what was going on or what was going to happen? How would that help? No, it was better to lie. Usopp had been telling a story for some time now, even though he wasn't really paying attention, and neither was Nami.

"But, as it turned out, the bat was the least of our troubles, because the moment we had finally beaten him, his cousins showed up!"

Nami heaved another sigh, and Usopp hesitated for a second, giving Nami the opportunity to speak.

"Usopp?"

"Y-yes?'

He was nervous. What was she going to ask him? How was he supposed to respond?

"Do you think Sanji will get through this?"

"Of course! Why, my crew..."

He started to ramble on again, and both of them seemed to ignore him. Nami wasn't really thinking about the question she had asked; she was thinking about the question she was too afraid to ask. And is it my fault?

Another small sigh fell from her, but not one so small that Usopp didn't notice. He looked to her, genuinely concerned, and put his hand on hers.

"Sanji will be fine. After all, I'm sure he's been through harder."

With these words, Nami smiled just a little before finding herself acting as she normally does.

"You know, a hand on me like that will cost you," she smirked before taking a gulp of her drink.

'What??" Usopp screamed, his expression of sheer shock.

"Now you really will have to help me shop, unless you want to pay me two thousand beris."

"T-two thousand?! That's ridiculous!!"

"Then shopping it is."

After a while of predictable argument Usopp conceded, and they both forgot how concerned they were, if even for just a moment.

Sanji harrumphed his way back to Chopper, pulling out a cigarette once he was through the doorway. Zoro might think he won, but Sanji only left because Nami had told him to. Well, because Chopper had told him to stay there, and Nami had told him to listen to Chopper, but that was close enough for Sanji. He put his lighter away and took a long drag before closing the door with his foot behind him and sitting on the bed in Chopper's little infirmary.

Chopper was both surprised and glad that Sanji came back, if not a little confused.

"Y-you're back! But I thought you said you were fine. What happened?" Chopper inquired.

"Nami-san told me to listen to you, so I'm listening," said Sanji. Then, without even thinking about what he was saying, "Nami-san is just so wise."

He started to drift into a sea of daydreams before Chopper had to pull him out.

"Ah! Sanji! I need to talk to you!" he almost begged everything he said with Sanji. After all, if he didn't cooperate, what could Chopper do?

Sanji raised his brow.

"Yeah?"
"Well, uh, um, it seems that, ehrm," Chopper could hardly spit out the words. He was the ship's doctor, but he always had so much trouble actually talking to people about their problems, even if he knew exactly what to do to fix them.

Sanji was getting tired of this, and he wanted to leave. He knew he was fine, now he just had to make sure Chopper knew he was fine. He would've just left again, except he had to obey Nami, and she had urged him to listen to this frantic little reindeer. Not that he had anything against the frantic little reindeer. He was alarmingly adorable, and it seemed impossible not to realize that. He was always grateful, one of the few people who actually thanked Sanji for the food he made. Except for Nami, but Nami was perfect. He took care of them, too, tried to make sure they didn't kill themselves fighting. And he never really meddled in anyone's business. The worst he really did was freak out. But that was harmless, and when it came down to it, he could hold his own. Sanji just didn't want to be holed up when he should be making everyone lunch, especially Nami-san.

"That, uh... you need to stay away from girls, erm, your body's sorta, ehm, breaking itself from the inside, and, uh, it's because of girls. So, ah, I'll stay with you until you're better, but you can't see any girls for a while," With every word, Chopper looked like he was about to cry, or maybe burp, but he looked very uncomfortable. He hated this, telling someone what to do. He knew Sanji would be mad at him. He was overwhelmingly grateful that Nami had told Sanji to listen to him, but in a way it petrified him more. It meant that what he said actually mattered, because it would be listened to. Well, Luffy had told him to make their cook better, and that was what he was going to do, even if it almost killed the both of them.

Stay away from girls? This is what Chopper was telling Sanji to do? That jerk. It suddenly dawned on Sanji that maybe their doctor wasn't that great of a doctor. He was obviously delusional.

"You're wrong," Sanji told him simply.

"W-what? But you have an addiction! Y-you fainted today!"

"I just haven't been eating lately," Sanji said, completely blowing him off. It wasn't completely false, but it didn't come close to explaining his fainting. He hadn't been eating as much, but he could certainly handle it. He should know that that was nowhere near the reason, and he did, underneath it all. But he was fooling himself. He wasn't lying to Chopper on purpose. This is what he believed, because this is what he made himself believe.

Chopper was starting to feel desperate. He had to make Sanji understand the importance of this somehow, but other than screaming, he didn't really know how to make himself heard. This was a serious problem, though. Sanji had an addictive personality, and soon it wouldn't just be girls and cigarettes he was addicted to.

"Sanji! I know you've been stealing my painkillers!" Chopper blurted the words, regretting having said them instantly.

Sanji's eyes widened, or maybe it was just the one eye. No one could be sure. He didn't think anyone knew. He had just been getting a few headaches from time to time, and needed something to dull the pain. That's what they were for, so how was that even stealing? What a ludicrous accusation!

"I never stole anything. You must be mistaken."

Now that they were getting into it, Chopper felt that he had to go through with it. He couldn't just drop the subject, however much he wanted to.

"W-well, it's just that, I keep inventory of everything, and my pain killers keep disappearing."

"So? It could've been that freakish body builder," Sanji snorted. Chopper had no proof that he was stealing anything.

"I saw you!"

Sanji snorted again. There wasn't much he could argue against now, but he still doubted that Chopper knew for sure it was him.

"Sanji! Those pain killers are very strong, and very easy to get addicted to," Chopper was practically pleading to him, "if you don't stop all this, your headaches will just get worse until you die!"

Sanji could see that Chopper was genuinely concerned, and that he really believed that he was in danger. Sanji knew Chopper was wrong, but for both Nami and Chopper, he would listen to what he had to say. If he had to stay away from girls, he would do it until he proved to the reindeer how well he was. He would hate it, but it couldn't take more than a few days.

"Alright, fine. What exactly am I supposed to do?"

Once Usopp and Nami returned to the ship, they both went their own ways, and Usopp's own way happened to be towards Luffy and Zoro at the front of the ship. Luffy was sitting comfortably on the sheep head that was the stern of the Going Merry, and Zoro was leaning against the railing. It seemed they'd been talking a moment ago. Usopp felt he had to voice his concerns.

"Are you guys sure about all of this? I mean, even if this addiction thing is true, that stuff's pretty hard to get past. You think Sanji will be alright?"

Luffy leaned backwards and smiled, wearing the blissful ignorance of a seven year old.

"Of course Sanji will be fine! He is one of my friends!"

It was as simple as that.