Here's my first contribution to this monthly event (and the One Piece fandom as a whole). It's already the 5th here so I'm a bit late for the first prompt (thanks final exams) but here it is. I haven't written in a long time (and I've never written in English to be perfectly honest) but oh well.
Please keep in mind that English is not my first language and that I'm trying my best to improve my skills, so you may find quite a bit of spelling, grammar mistakes and such. I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless!
Rating: T
Genre: Gen (bit of angst, maybe)
Word count: 4279
Warnings: spoilers for the recent chapters (obviously)
Five times they unknowingly met a Vinsmoke + One time they knew.
Or when fate made Black Leg's families cross paths.
1. Nami
Bell-mère was running.
She knew she didn't have much time before the Marines troops' arrival. Her own comrades were probably buried beneath the thick rain and the ruins of the island. But she will mourn them another time.
Deserting the battlefield was treason, she knew that much, however, when she looked down at the little girl safely tucked in a blanket that has seen better days in her arms and the slightly older one running at her side, she couldn't care less. The two newly orphans had no one else in this cold, cruel world and Bell-mère couldn't help but feel guilty about it. Around her was nothing but destruction. This was her doing, this was the government's doing. Was this the Marine's idea of justice? It wasn't hers. So she ran.
There, the harbor! She was so close, a few more steps and… Damn. Marines, only a few of them guarding the ships, but that was more than enough to stop her. Had she been alone, she could have tried to fool them, used her charms, that was an old trick that always worked. But she wasn't alone, she had two little girls and she had already sworn to herself to protect them with her life. She pushed Nojiko in a narrow alley. She needed to use her head a bit to get out of this tricky situation…
"Those are lovely girls you've got there."
… Well, fuck. So much for sneaking around.
She let out a small gasp and turned around at the voice that came from the creeping darkness of the alley, pushing Nojiko behind her and hiding the slightly feverish from the storm and yet almost sleeping Nami inside her open jacket. Her fingers found the trigger of the handgun hanging at her belt. She was ready to shoot at any moment, this wasn't the first life that she would take. The only thing she needed to do was to hide Nojiko's eyes. Not that she could still preserve the girl's innocence that was already tainted with the corpses and blood of the battlefield, but that was the least she could do.
A slim figure stepped out of the shadows, letting out a mocking laugh.
"And what are you planning to do with that?"
Bell-mère clenched her teeth, taking a defensive stance. Not a friendly guy then, her intuition (and maybe paranoia) was right from the start. Said guy seemed a bit older than her, but not that much, so well-dressed that it seemed almost out of place considering where they were and- What the fuck was wrong with that guy'seyebrows?
"I don't know, using it seems like a good start to me."
As much as she tried to hide it, the grin he gave her as an answer sent chills down her spine. He made a few more steps towards her. She wasn't a coward, nevertheless, trying to be brave was foolish in this situation. This man was a dangerous one, she wasn't an idiot. What was he doing here? Why would he try to harm her and two poor small girls? She couldn't fight and protect them at the same time, she needed to act, fast.
"Nojiko, you take Na-"
"There is a boat that you can take, further ahead. It's on a small beach where no soldier should be here. You should probably hurry up before they realize that you are running away from your duty, Marine."
The wet and useless cigarette stick that she had kept in her mouth fell on the ground.
"Wh-Why are you helping me? What the hell do you want in exchange? I haven't got any money."
"I don't need it, you have nothing that interests me. You see, I've got children myself. You should take care of them. Children can always be useful in the future."
His cold eyes (There was something unsettling in those eyes, Bell-mère could see it) looked down at the bundle in her arms. Nami was almost sleeping when she was running towards the harbor, oblivious to the chaos around her. Yet, she was now fully awake and staring back with those big curious eyes. After a few seconds, she seemed to decide that this stranger was a good one and brightly smiled, a childish smile full of life in the middle of this rainy hell.
And then, once again, Bell-mère was running.
She didn't realize it at this precise moment, but when she made it back to Cocoyashi village and when Nojiko and Nami were officially (well, she had said so) her daughters, safely sleeping in her arms, she thought a bit about that mysterious man that had shuddered, like bewildered, not knowing how to react to such a trustful smile.
She also couldn't get that sentence out of her head.
"Children can always be useful in the future."
2. Zeff
"What are you doing, little eggplant, slacking off again?!"
Sanji braced himself for a powerful kick in his ribs, and oh boy he was right. His body was full of bruises now, not that he will ever admit it. That old geezer will die before he'll recognize that his kicks with his damned wooden leg hurt! Grumbling words that a twelve-years-old boy should not even know, Sanji got up again to wash the dishes. The old man wouldn't let him cook for the clients yet, when he knew he was perfectly capable of doing so and he was a much better cook than some of the outlaws they had picked up on a few islands. For now, he was forced to wash the dishes and curse at the entire world for this injustice like any other child would do.
And he wasn't slacking off, he was just… Daydreaming. Hey, that could happen to anyone, especially such a young boy with a fantasy dream. They had received a delivery of colorful fishes from the four seas this morning and he couldn't help but try to take a sneaky look at them while they were being cooked. He could almost recognize them all, a result from countless sleepless nights reading and imagining what All Blue was like. His extended knowledge of a large number of species of fishes and sea kings from all over the world was something he was proud of. It was also something that Zeff didn't make fun of or didn't kick him for.
Speaking of the old man, he had to try to persuade him once more to cook for the clients. Come on, it was a waste of his talents and the old man knew that! With this in mind, like galvanized once gain, Sanji put down the not-so-cleaned plate in the sink and went off to find his mentor.
He found him near the main entrance of the floating restaurant. It was late during the afternoon, the room was empty of clients as they were getting ready for tonight's shift. Zeff was talking to someone else, arms crossed in front of him.
"Are you the owner of this restaurant? May I ask you a few questions?"
Sanji froze. He knew that voice, he remembered that voice. Careless, he was so careless, just walking in there without checking first! Did he really think he would be safe here?
After a few seconds, the boy shook himself out of his petrified state. Driven by his instincts, he dived behind the counter, making himself as small as he could and shaking from head to toe. His heart was beating so fast and so loud, he was sure Ichiji (it was him, he remembered that voice that sometimes appeared in his nightmares) and Zeff could hear it from where they were standing, he put a hand on his mouth in an attempt to deaden his panicked breathing. Careless, he was so careless!
"Depends on who's asking and what you're gonna ask."
"I assure you I won't bother you too long. I was just wondering, have you recently seen this boy?"
Silence. Tears of utter fear and horror were starting to sting Sanji's eyes. That's it. It was over. Zeff was going to tell Ichiji everything. He was going to come back to this terrible place he had called home before. A muffled whimper came out of his mouth.
"Nah, have never seen him. He seems like a nasty little brat if you want my opinion, but it's a damn floating restaurant here and I have a bad habit of picking up outlaws and criminals, we don't need any kid bothering us."
"Outlaws? I… See. Well, I am truly sorry for disturbing your afternoon. I shall search for him elsewhere. It's not like he can run away forever. Can't he?"
Ichiji had raised his voice at his last sentence. He knew, he knew, he knew he was just here listening! Sanji was ready to run, but where? They were in the middle of the damn ocean for fuck's sake! (… He couldn't say that, not out loud at least, because that was apparently not a vernacular appropriate for a boy of his age.) Where could he go? He could try to hide in the supply room for a bit, or maybe he could make a run for Ichiji's boat, he knew he could navigate by himself long enough to get to an island, or maybe he could-
"Mind telling me who the heck that was, little eggplant?"
He didn't even realize that Ichiji was gone while he was trying to plan his escape. Zeff was benched over the counter, his huge hat of his blocking his view. The old man was staring at him with eyes like steel. Sanji's own eyes were filled with tears of panic and he was shaking. Still, he tried to maintain a strong facade.
"That's none of your business, old man! I was going to leave anyway, so you better leave me al-"
"You're not going anywhere, little brat. I'm going to ask again, mind telling me who the hell is that guy with weird eyebrow like yours?"
"…"
"…"
"… Not particularly."
Zeff didn't say anything for a moment. Sanji lowered his eyes, not even bothering with a partial lie. He knew he was being kicked out anyway. He was going to run from them again.
Next thing he knew, Zeff's wooden leg met his hips again and he was sent flying in the kitchen. The old geezer had even perfectly aimed for the sink!
"The dishes won't get washed if you're there doing nothing, little eggplant! Get to work!"
What the actual fuck. (No, he couldn't say that either. But that was something that Patty and Carne said to each other all the time!) Sanji got up again, rubbing his definitely bruised ribs.
"I don't care where you're from, brat. Next time a guy like him shows up, he's the one who's going to get kicked out."
Maybe he didn't have to run after all.
3. Chopper
At the very top of Drum Kingdom, in an empty and frozen castle, Chopper woke up with a gasp. The small reindeer was shaking, but not from the cold and harsh temperature. He was born in it and more used to it than anyone else. Instead, still thinking about the image of a smiling and dying Hiluluk from his dream, he tried to blink back a few tears. He knew he would not be able to get back to sleep, he should as well try to study a bit more. Doctorine had given him a book of at least a few hundred pages in order to learn how to treat open wounds as fast as he could and Doctorine wouldn't forgive him if one single detail of it was left aside.
Jumping from his bed, Tony got out of his bedroom and crossed the wide corridor that led to one of their workshops, checking on a nest of baby snowbirds perched on the edge of a window while doing so. He was going to push the door open when he noticed a stray of light coming from another one that was slightly open. Why was Doctorine up at this hour? He remembered her saying that she was quite tired, they had made at least four visits in the villages below the mountain this week and while she would never admit any weakness, Chopper knew her enough to see right through her rough manners and her increasing drinking. Not that she would listen to what he had to say about that.
Fearing the wrath of his mentor, but curious nonetheless, Chopper quietly came closer to the door. Taking a peak (not realizing that he wasn't subtle at all since he was facing the wrong way), he noticed Doctorine and two other men in the room, one of them struggling to sit up on a bed.
"Look, I don't have anything else to give you right now, but I'll come back with the rest of the money you request later. You need to tend to the wounds of my brother."
Doctorine let out a sinister laugh.
"We'll see about that. You could at least be considerate enough and offer me some booze as a compensation. But I guess I'm feeling quite generous tonight."
She turned around, reaching for her tools, when she noticed Chopper standing in the doorway. The little reindeer stared back, horrified, bracing himself for flying utensils in the next seconds. Instead, the woman gave him a not-so-reassuring smirk.
"How about letting my assistant do the tending? Come on, Chopper, we'll see if you managed to learn anything with that thick head of yours. Make yourself useful for once! You got any problem with that, Blondie?"
"None, even though this is… A rather unusual situation."
"Good, otherwise I would have kicked you both out of here, dying brother or not."
The surgery went well, for his first one. His hooves shook every time the man let out a grunt of pain, but said man couldn't be granted with the sweet relief of unconsciousness, Chopper needed him awake and responding. Doctorine stood behind him, arms crossed on her chest, sometimes swearing under her breath when he didn't do something right, but other than that, she stayed silent. The brother did the same, although Chopper could feel him observing all of his movements.
A few days later, when they were both gone (because Doctorine would never let a patient leave her stone prison until he was completely healed), Chopper's thoughts wandered to the two mysterious blond brothers. They had come had out nowhere, climbing an excessively high mountain and they hadn't exchanged much during their stay in the castle. And those injuries… Chopper could only guess what caused them. He had not dared ask them (and well, he tried to limit his interactions with humans as much as possible). Still, he had a few more questions…
"Doctorine, please tell me, those two humans… Were they sick?"
"What makes you say that, Chopper?"
"Well, they… They seemed really unhappy, like something was bothering them. And they had really weird eyebrows! Are those an illness, Doctorine?!"
At that, the old woman laughed out loud, taking a sip of her bottle of… Whatever it was. Chopper didn't want to know.
"No, Chopper, it wasn't an illness. Although I guess you could say that it was the sign of another condition, like a curse that is passed down from a father to his children."
"What does that mean, Doctorine?"
"I hope for your sake that you will never know the answer.
4. Robin
Robin had just killed a man.
At twenty-four years old, it wasn't the first one. She had just arrived on that great sea that was Grand Line and the battle for her life was already getting tougher. So many years running, running from everyone and everything. She was only defending her life, that's what she kept telling herself. This one was only a man among many others, maybe a bounty hunter hoping to get the demon child's head. Too bad for him. Her nickname might have been a myth at its birth, it was closer to reality now.
She sheathed her knife, not caring about the fact that it was stained with fresh blood. She needed to obtain a new one it anyway. She couldn't stay here. Whiskey Peak was a dangerous island filled with other loathsome human beings and she had nothing to see here. She couldn't die now. After months and months (years!), she finally had a lead on a new Poneglyph, the one that could help her realize her mother's dream and her own for good. But for that, she needed to travel to Alabasta… Considering what she had heard about the criminal organizations wandering at the entrance of the Grand Line, this was not going to be an easy journey. Nevertheless, it was the only path available to her.
She only wanted to study what she loved.
She hurriedly made her way to the island's small port. Ironically, the sea, often assumed to be unpredictable and dangerous for anyone, was be the safest place for her to be. Human company was wicked. She chuckled at that thought. Nothing was really funny about her situation, but she was tired, so mentally exhausted that cruel irony was probably the best thing she could still enjoy.
Someone was following her. She was in no state to fight, she was surprised that her previous opponent had managed to injure her that much and it wouldn't be long before all the bounty hunters on the island came after her. She was tempted to quicken her steps, however, it would only make her a defenseless target. She stopped in a wide street illuminated by the full moon; a large open area was preferable when one's adversary was hiding.
"Show yourself."
"So the demon child finally made it to the Great Sea."
A figure emerged from what seemed like nowhere. Hands in pockets, the man (Robin could only assume it was a man according to the voice) was trying to look nonchalant, as if he was just randomly passing by. Likewise.
"What do you want? My head? My heart? Revenge or fame and glory?"
"Not really interested in that, sorry. How about helping each other a bit?"
Robin squinted her eyes in distrust. She wasn't a fool, did he really think she would allow him to stab her in the back once he was done with her?
"I want to get to Alabasta as soon as possible. Do you want to join me? I'll give you a free ride there."
Nothing was free in this harsh reality, Robin had painfully learned that lesson that she remembered well. Yet, this was a golden opportunity. She reluctantly nodded.
"Don't you want to know why I'm offering you this?"
"I do not care about your motivations. I only care about my own goals. Let's not waste any more time."
"Cold. Well, if you're so impatient, let's go. I've heard there is quite a number of greedy crocodiles in that country, did you know?"
Nico Robin did not answer. She disliked small talk.
5. Usopp
"Haha, did you miss me, Luffy? Of course you did, after all the Straw Hats are nothing without the Captain Uso—WOAAAAAH."
Was that Sanji over there, down the street? Oh yes, that was him, he could recognize that suit everywhere. Oh boy, he needed to hide, now, he couldn't allow a member of the crew to see him now, after all they needed to miss him a bit more so he could make his big return where everyone would shed tears, asking where he was the whole time because they all missed him and-
Oh yeah, the hiding. So much from practicing his theatrical (and hypothetical) comeback.
Water 7 was a big city, but he still managed to cross path with Sanji. Was he cursed or something? He dived in an alley, allowing only his nose to be seen since he was trying to keep an eye on the cook from the corner of the wall. Maybe he would be able to get a few pieces of information on the status of the crew and guess how much time he had left before their departure.
"Quite a handsome man, that Black Leg Sanji, isn't he?"
"I guess you could call him that if he is your kind of- WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"
Usopp promptly spun around, smashing his head against the wall he was previously facing in the process. While he was seeing a few stars dancing around his head, a small feminine giggle reached his ears.
"You're a funny one! But I was just messing around with you. It's not very nice to spy on people even if they are now famous, you know, unless you know him personally."
Usopp paused for a second. Rubbing the back of his head, he stared at the women that had startled him. She was a bit taller than him, long blond hair came out of her hat that hid her forehead. She was still silently giggling, a delicate hand covering her mischievous smile. Usopp swallowed with difficulty. He may not know her, but he knew an innocent and easily impressed woman when he saw one!
"If I know a Straw Hat? I… Well of course I do! And I know each one of them, I even met White Beard himself and he was deeply impressed by my bravery!"
"Is that so? How interesting… Tell me, what is Black Leg like? He seems like such a mature and well-mannered man."
"I wouldn't describe him that way, but whatever floats your boat. You could probably go and talk to him right now yourself, you know, I'm sure he'd be happy to take you out for a dinner or something…"
"Really? I am not so sure about that myself…"
What kind of smile was that? She seemed like an innocent citizen, sure, but that smile… Was really weird and unsettling. Almost fake.
"Thank you, Usopp. It was a nice conversation. I hope we'll meet again and that it will be a happy reunion for all of us."
In a blink of an eye, she was gone. The liar wasn't sure how to react. … Nah, he was probably paranoid, after all this showdown with an organization of assassins, getting back to a "normal life" (normal to the Straw Hats' standards) was easier said than done. Well, it seemed like Sanji's never-ending love for women was finally going to get reciprocal… Right?
Wait… How did she know his name?
1. Sanji
"What's the meaning of this, Sanji?!"
He was there, just in front of them. They have been running after their dear cook for days and nights, and yet each time he was close enough for them to reach, fate decided that no happy reunion would be granted. They had encountered the other Vinsmoke siblings, multiple times, taunting smiles and lies about that now notorious wedding. Like hell!
Luffy had kept a smile plastered on his face the entire time: Sanji was waiting for them, he had said so. Nami wasn't so sure of that herself: the memory of Sanji, all smiles and promises just before being kicked out of Capone's body kept playing in her head. She couldn't help it, she had a bad feeling about this. She could tell she wasn't the only one, Brook was as silent as her when their captain was loudly asking for meat prepared by their talented cook. (Surprisingly, she could tell what those empty eye sockets were saying without words. Dear lord, she was now making skull jokes.) Don't misunderstand, she trusted Sanji with her life, but his last words to them sounded too much like an empty promise.
This was like Robin all over again, except that none of them had had the presence of mind to wander alone and try to plan things ahead like Sanji used to. This time, their (non-official) strategist was on the other side of the rescue team.
He was on the other side of that room from Big Mom's Palace as well. They had been on their way to the Yonkō with the intention of crashing the wedding, fetching their cook, maybe beat up Big Mom a bit for Luffy and then getting out of here. Who needs fancy planning, there was no flaw in their logic. That's what they always did anyway: rush and improvise. What could go wrong?
Well, everything.
Chopper had smelled that sweet mix of tobacco and spices before anyone else. Then Nami had recognized that familiar slender figure. Luffy had not noticed Sanji's defensive and non-welcoming stance.
"Sanji, there you are! C'mon, everyone is waiting for you, let's go!"
"A pity, captain. Unfortunately, I will not be joining you on your little journey anymore."
Flames began to surround his left leg and a knife, a knife miraculously made its way into Sanji's hand. Sanji's blue eyes were cold, cold as ice, they were dead, dead, he was dead, where was his burning passion for his legendary ocean, where was his love for his crew, what was happening? This was a nightmare, this was a nightmare, this wasn't Sanji, he never fought with his precious working tools and hands, and Nami was sure she was going to wake up, it was only a matter of time, the stranger in front of them was— Then she realized.
There was no Black Leg Sanji of the Straw Hats. There has never been Vinsmoke had deceived them all.
I am obviously taking some liberties since we know next to nothing about the Vinsmoke family. But I like to think that they have had influence on pretty much everything in the timeline (pushing Robin towards Baroque Works, because of rivalry between the two organizations maybe… Who knows!) I'm really looking forward to meeting each sibling, since I've also taken some liberties with their personalities, goals and such.
Thanks for reading!
