Matters of Mecha and Mettle

by auspizien

After losing his hands during the disastrous wedding on Whole Cake Island, Sanji begins the arduous task of attempting to continue on with robotic prosthetics. Yet, despite the support of his crew, the last person Sanji expected to help the most with his recovery was a certain grumpy swordsman.

It was dark.

Ever since that initial blinding flash of light had emanated from his wrists, everything around Sanji had been a shadowy haze of pain and delirium. Mind swimming through a warped reality, where some moments he was certain he was dreaming and others, the pain was so excruciating he had no other choice than to believe it was real. All of it twisting around him until he had lost track of how long it had been this way.

There was no way of telling what had happened in the mass confusion of the wedding, but distantly he remembered strong arms and a gentle voice cradling him before the excruciating pain caused him to flail and retch. After that, time became incomprehensible, and it was only when the pain began to morph into a more consistent throb that the darkness behind his eyes began to even out into something less nausea inducing.

Muffled voices broke through Sanji's consciousness as he began to realize that the memories of pain scratching at the back of his mind were distant. It felt like an eternity before he eventually fought his way out of the drug-induced coma he had been blanketed by and came to with Chopper and Franky looking down anxiously over him. Despite the medical prowess of the young buck, Chopper's face was still laced with child-like worry and it was clear unshed tears were shining just behind the calm surface he was fighting to hold onto.

Eyes blinking sleepily, Sanji's head turned minutely to take in Franky who watched him a little less dramatically, but an apprehensive moue had taken over his face. The solemn natures of their stares caused Sanji's brow to crease in confusion at first as he didn't remember anything that had happened before he had been blasted into another world of suffering, but then the chill inducing memory of the resounding click followed by the searing explosion around his wrists returned.

Whatever drugs had been in place to keep him subdued drained out of him in the same moment all the blood drained from his face. The soothing calm was replaced by any icy chill that pricked across his skin and froze his insides as all of it came rushing back with far too much clarity and it had Sanji sitting upright in a panic despite the wave of nausea that immediately hit him. Hands grasping out desperately for the edge of the bed to help support himself as he tried to leap to his feet, only to feel his hand meet nothingness as his body jerked down with the force of his motion and he tumbled off the bed in a pained heap.

Unable to tell between what hurt and what didn't, he once more tried to press his hands into the floor to push himself up only to meet nothing until he felt his elbows collide with the floor. Voices above him a hum of distant panic as Chopper and Franky both tried to help him up, but Sanji was still caught up on the sensation of his hands supposedly phasing through the floor below him.

Head turning, he only got a moment to glance the nub of his forearm - wrapped heavily in bandages - remaining just below his elbow before strong, fur covered arms were hefting him off the floor. Body limp as time slowed and Sanji's entire universe zeroed in on his arm that was now missing.

As he was placed gently back onto the medical table in a seated position, Sanji felt his body slump forward like a limp doll as his head lolled forward to gaze down at the arms currently dangling above his lap and the hands and forearms that were very clearly missing. Not even the extraordinary pain from having slammed his recently injured arms into the floor was able to break through the flood of denial that was steadily drowning him.

Blood was rushing in his ears and it drowned out the words Chopper was desperately trying to say to him as all he could think was that this had to be some horrible nightmare. A vision conjured by someone's Devil Fruit, or a vivid dream caused by the stress of the wedding…

Except the wedding had happened, he remembered it clear as day now; standing at the altar with Pudding, everything going to hell, a cake getting destroyed, and Luffy getting into a massive fight. The order of which he was still not certain of, but at some point the cuffs had been activated and nothing else from the day was clear anymore.

Turning a dazed expression to Chopper, he found the doctor had stopped talking and was now watching Sanji with wide eyed trepidation. That same emotion beginning to take over Sanji as he started to realize that all of this was very much real.

Everything felt muted.

Pain was so acutely firing up his arms but for some reason Sanji wasn't able to acknowledge just how much they hurt at the moment. Even the pressure in his chest from his own panic felt remarkably distant as the buzzing in his ears slowly lessened and he felt himself partially return to reality as he looked Chopper in the eye.

"It was the cuffs, huh?" Sanji asked, surprising himself with how calm and steady his voice was despite the anguish he was currently feeling raging inside of himself. It must have been the shock keeping him so composed, but at least it allowed him to look up at Chopper without freaking out again.

"I – I am so sorry Sanji." Chopper sniffled, hooves tapping softly as he pressed them together in agitation. Shoulders hunching ever higher as he mumbled, "I did everything I could, but there simply wasn't anything left after the explosion to salvage."

"Hey-" Arm extending to place a consoling hand on the little deer's shoulder, Sanji found himself freezing in the motion as his arm raised, but the arm he had expected to be there wasn't. Awkwardly lowering the stump back to his side as he tried to reassure Chopper with a small smile, "Hey, buddy, it's okay. I know you did the best you could. I'm alive thanks to you."

Tears only welled up higher in Chopper's eyes before spilling over and he was throwing himself at Sanji as he broke out into a full on bawl. Words a blubbery mess as he wailed into Sanji's chest, "I'mb tho thowwy!"

Holding the tiny deer as best as his upper arms would allow, he let the kid cry himself out and felt the tears falling echo a pain deep in his own chest he wasn't quite ready to let out just yet. It might have been the shock still keeping him so calm, but in the grand scheme of everything he had thought he'd lose to Big Mom and Judge, his hands were a small price to pay in comparison to everything else he might have had to give up.

"It's okay, Chopper." Sanji held the deer tighter as he nuzzled his face against his plush hat and simply basked in the fact that he was finally home on Sunny. Back with his crew, his real family. Not entirely sure if his consoling words were meant more for Chopper or for himself, but deciding not to dwell on it for now, "It's okay."

~X~

Still confined to the medical bed in Chopper's office, Sanji sat with his back propped up by several pillows as the crew all watched him warily after having crammed into the small medical room. Not one for typically feeling self-conscious around his crew, Sanji found he was remarkably uncomfortable with all eyes on him as he realized everyone was probably as much at a loss for words as Sanji was.

"Will you all stop looking at me like I'm dead?" Sanji finally cajoled with a hollow laugh as he glanced amoungst the crew who were all watching him sheepishly. The fake mirth in his voice obviously not fooling anyone but Sanji knew it was needed if he was ever going to get them to stop looking like he might break at any moment, "I lost my arms, not my head."

That managed to get a few small smiles though they looked extremely strained, Nami in particular looked more like she was grimacing. The sadness in Robin's eyes was enough to make Sanji's heart break, and if anything the horribly forced looks of encouragement on Usopp and Franky's face were easier to bare than either of the girl's. Luffy at least looked somewhat normal compared to the rest of them, and Brook, well, he was expressive as a human skull could be.

Sanji's eyes eventually landed on Zoro, and of the whole crew he seemed the least affected by all of this, though he did look less hostile than he normally did. There was no pity in his stare - unlike the others - but there was something close to it, and being on the receiving end of it had his barely reconstructed resolve crumbling.

Looking away, Sanji couldn't help but feel like a coward for not having the strength to deal with what was clearly being stated in that stare. Instead he offered all he found his thinly stretched mind could manage with a weak smile, "I'm sorry for worrying everyone."

Everyone immediately piped up with defiant responses and stating how much it wasn't his fault, and every single way they could possibly reassure him. Nami finally managing to break away from all the clamouring to reassure Sanji with a tentative hand to his shoulder, "We're family; that's our job. Sunny's not home without you here."

Sanji's heart fluttered at the touch but he couldn't find the energy at the moment to swoon over the woman, so he gifted her with a grateful smile. Usopp piping up loudly causing Sanji to glance over as the sniper agreed, "Yeah, we're just happy to have you back!"

"And to eat your food again!"

An awkward hush fell across the room once more as the subject had obviously been trying to be avoided by everyone and Luffy hadn't gotten the memo. Deciding the best course of action was to keep the conversation light, Sanji rolled with it, "It has been a while since I've gotten to cook for everyone. Speaking of which, how have you all been on your own?"

His mind wandered to the lunchbox he had unwittingly made with all their favourite foods. It felt like it had been ages since he had been able to properly cook for all of them, and now more than ever he wished he could to try and regain a semblance of normalcy between them.

"We've managed. Nothing compares to your food though." Usopp jerked a thumb in Luffy's direction, "But keeping him from eating the stores has been a pain."

All Luffy had for that accusation was a cheeky chuckle.

"Rubber boy." Sanji warned despite putting no venom into his words, "You better have not eaten the durians I had been saving."

"I 'unno." Luffy shrugged, crossing his arms while continuing to grin happily. It was a smile that hadn't really seemed to leave his face since he had gotten Sanji back, "I ate a lot."

"Oi!" Usopp smacked their captain across the back of the head, but it did nothing to stop Luffy's laughter and slowly Sanji began to feel the weight in his chest lift. Things were beginning to feel normal again, and even the way the crew interacted with each other was starting to feel less strained in his presence. Hopefully it wouldn't be long until they could stop looking at him without such cautious looks.

Sanji already felt bad at being blackmailed to leave the crew, and had felt even worse thinking about all of them having to fend for themselves. Knowing that his absence hadn't been too bad made him feel remarkably better. However, that did nothing to explain why the whole crew was currently here and not on their way to Wano, "Not that I'm not ecstatic to see everyone, but what happened after the wedding? Why are you all here? Where's Law?"

"Well, with the cake destroyed Big Mom went on a rampage and everything kind of went to shit." Nami explained, "Chopper took you back to Sunny and we managed to escape with a lot of help, but with the state you were in we couldn't begin chasing down Kaido." Nami placed her hand against her brow as she lamented, "It really has been one thing after another…"

"Traffy went ahead to Wano, I have his Vivre Card and he said for us to meet him there when we can." Luffy agreed with a cheerful nod, "When we meet up with him we can have him use his Devil Fruit on you and get you a new set of arms."

"Huh…" Nami placed a finger to her lip thoughtfully, "I hadn't even thought of that; I suppose he could…"

"Thanks Luffy, but I'd rather not." Sanji declined as politely as he could, oddly enough Luffy's lack of tact regarding this made everything much easier to handle. Looking down at his limbless arms as he already knew he wouldn't be able to tolerate seeing someone else's hands in replacement of his own, at least not yet, "I'd rather have a pair of mechanical hands than one's from someone I don't even know."

"That's true." Robin mused, "They could be from a murderer, or someone who's already dead…"

"Hold up," Usopp raised a concerned hand, "How would you get someone's hands who wasn't already dead?"

"I'm sure, Mr. Trafalgar has his methods."

Usopp shuddered, "Thanks for the thought, Robin."

Glancing over to Franky, Sanji remembered what the cyborg had promised him earlier that day after they'd managed to pry a crying Chopper off of him, "How long do you think it'll be before you have a set of arms for me?"

When Franky had initially mentioned the idea of robotics to replace his hands Sanji hadn't really been able to bear the thought. The very idea of replacing his precious hands with cold steel just seemed so wrong, but in the wake of his crew - of Luffy - all he wanted was to cook for them again. Even if that meant letting Franky make him a set of arms like his.

Besides it hadn't been like Franky's original cyborg body had been too noticeable. Knowing the shipwright's amazing skills he'd probably even be able to make Sanji a pair of arms that would match his skin tone and everything. At times he had forgotten that most of Franky had been made of metal, maybe the same would hold true for his arms...

"A day or two tops." Franky rubbed his chin thoughtfully, before waving his hand about, "but they'd just be prototypes until I can work out something much nicer."

"Great." Sanji grinned, and for the first time it didn't feel forced, "Cause I can't wait to cook again."

"There's no rush, Sanji, sweetie." Nami's voice was honey-sweet as she cooed over the man, "I used to cook before, I can hold everything over until you're properly healed."

"Yeah, and you used to charge us." Zoro grumbled.

"Your next meal is doubled interest."

"OI!"

"Thank you, Nami, but I couldn't possibly let you take on the responsibility of feeding these animals." Sanji cajoled, waving a hand in Luffy's direction before realizing the motion was completely moot without an actual hand for anyone to visibly see. Lowering it once more as he wondered how long it was going to take him to break that habit, "You, Luffy, and that green turd was one thing, but the crew's tripled since then."

Zoro growled but didn't actually say anything.

"We can fend for ourselves for a few days," Robin reassured with a soothing croon, casting a look about the crew before continuing, "I believe we're all adults."

"They're right, bro." Franky argued, "Let them handle it and give me a few days to get your arms sorted, then we can figure it out from there."

Sanji wanted to argue further, but he could tell by the looks on everyone's faces that he was no longer in a position to argue. Slumping back against the pillows on the bed with a huff, he simply nodded before grumbling, "Can someone at least light me a cigarette in the meantime?"

~X~

"They're made from a lightweight alloy that I picked up during our two years apart." Franky explained eagerly as Sanji looked down at the set of arms the cyborg had laid out on the table. Light refracting off the mechanical surface in a brilliant radiance that made the whole piece look like glass. Without any of the coverings the cogs and gears were all visible and just added to the ethereal beauty, "Stainless, extremely strong."

Unconsciously Sanji reached out a hand towards the glistening metal before catching himself and lowered his stump to his side. Leaning in to inspect the piston valves in the hand that lead to each individual finger and the multiple hinges that operated them. Hardly able to believe that they were for him as he looked up at Franky in awe, "They're gorgeous."

"Just remember these aren't the finished product." Franky reminded him with almost childlike glee. Picking up one to display it a bit better and Sanji was impressed to see how fluid the ball joint in the wrist flexed to allow the hand to fall. Waving a hand over it as he elaborated, "It'll all be covered with a skin like vinyl and we'll even be able to eventually link up pain receptors and everything."

"Are they necessary?"

"I mean, not really." Franky faltered with a frown, "But I wanted to try to make them feel as real as possible for you."

A warm smile lit up Sanji's face and he tried to not let it become a teary one as the concern from the other man was something he knew he should have expected but wasn't ready to face. Realizing his voice was a little choked as he muttered, "Thanks, Franky."

"No problem, bro." Franky chuckled before proffering the arm, "Now, wanna try them out?"

"Absolutely." Sanji nodded, holding out his right arm and watching as Franky carefully took off the bandages that had been covering the stump - revealing the metal circuit plate for the first time to Sanji's eyes that Franky and Chopper had hooked up after Sanji had given his permission.

It had required Sanji to be sedated for a second time and as far as he was aware, the operation had taken several hours as Chopper had managed to somehow hook up his nervous system to the plate so it would be able to react with whatever mechanism Franky had invented. It was a brilliant bit of engineering that Sanji didn't understand in the slightest, but he knew he owed Chopper an endless supply of cotton candy, and Franky would be getting specialty meals for as long as he wanted.

Reaching out, Franky alloted all the components of the arm with the circuit plate now coming out of Sanji's forearm, making sure everything was alligened before looking up, "It's going to feel a little weird as the nerves connect to the system, but it shouldn't hurt. Okay?"

"Yeah." Sanji just nodded, keeping his gaze on the forearm and hand nearly connected to him, "Do it."

With a nod and look of concentration, Franky took a firm hold of Sanji's elbow and pushed the mechanical arm forward to insert it. There was a grinding click as several pistons slid into place and locked, before the weirdest sensation Sanji had ever felt to date travelled up his arm and lodged itself in his brain. It was a sudden hyperawareness of something that hadn't previously existed and it was overriding every other emotion at the moment.

Slowly raising his hand, Sanji stared in absolute wonder as the mechanical arm that had moments before been a lifeless hunk of metal in Franky's hand was now held in front of him and following his command. Sanji could absently feel his cigarette fall from between his lax lips as he slowly imagined twisting his arm and watched as the arm followed his command.

Metal conforming to the motion, and pistons and cogs warping to allow it to move as effortlessly as if it were made of skin and bone. Closing his hand, Sanji watched as the fingers followed his command in a glorious display of mechanical engineering. It almost felt like a dream as Sanji thought of a movement he wanted it to do, and then a moment later it would do it; he wasn't certain if the delay was his imagination or not, but at the moment none of it mattered.

Nothing did, because he had a hand again…

Franky chuckled and his laughter managed to pulled Sanji from his daze long enough to look over at the other man. Hands on his hips as he grinned, "If you think that's awesome, wait till you see the real deal. I think they'll really blow you away. Literally."

At that a bit of blood drained from Sanji's face as he suddenly vividly remembered Usopp's proclivity for odd inventions and devices. Not to mention Franky's obsession with anything remotely cyborg, explosive, or mecha. A little dazed as Franky handed Sanji his left arm and began guiding him to insert it himself.

"Nothing... detachable please." Sanji requested as he proceeded to connect the left arm and went through the same brain tingling process of connecting to the machine. Shaking himself to rid the feeling before looking up at Franky with a wince, "I don't need my hands flying off like some sort of action figure."

"Bro..."

"Sorry, Franky." Sanji chuckled before raising his hands, wiggling the metal appendages to emphasize his point, "I'm a cook; not a cyborg."

That seemed to pacify Franky as the man nodded and conceded rather quickly, "Alright. Alright. Nothing fancy. Gotcha."

"Seriously though, Franky." Sanji pushed himself out of his chair - and if that wasn't an amazing feeling to be able to do - before extending his hand towards the shipwright. And he'd be damned if he couldn't stop grinning the whole time he did, "I can never thank you enough for this."

Grabbing up Franky's hand in a firm shake, Sanji was momentarily distracted by the sensation of pressure being put on the mechanical system, but like Franky had mentioned there were no nerves connected yet to allow him to sense the actual texture that was under his palm. Forcing himself to not focus too heavily on it as he glanced up at the cyborg who shook his head and dismissed Sanji, "Being able to do something for you is thanks enough; just get back in that kitchen before I kill myself with my own cooking."

Sanji chuckled at that, pulling out a new cigarette out his pocket to replace the one he had dropped earlier. "I'll get right on it."

Before Sanji could even begin looking for a lighter, Franky's hand extended out and the thumb ignited to offer him a flame to use. Being able to light his own cigarette, and hold it between his fingers again was so viscerally relaxing Sanji had to refrain from groaning in his euphoria. Dragged from his daze, Franky began making his way out of the workshop before calling, "C'mon. Everyone's probably anxious to see how they turned out."

"Alright, I'm coming, I'm coming." Sanji pacified the other man as he followed after, out onto the deck and then further out onto the lawn. Early rough weather had calmed out into a glorious sunny afternoon as Nami had assured the crew a few hours ago that they were likely nearing an island. Both Sanji and Franky barely getting out onto the deck before heads were turning at their arrival.

"WOAHHH!" Luffy had discarded his fishing rod in record time and was vaulting over the upper deck railing in his rush to come see Sanji. Chopper and Brook close on his heels as they both had damned near stars in their eyes at the sight of his new arms. It was odd to be on the reciprocating end of such admiration that was usually reserved for Franky or Sanji, but only when he had food in his hands.

Nami and Usopp made their way across the deck towards the crew much less hurriedly than the others, Robin remained poised along the upper railing, and Zoro hadn't moved from his spot underneath the apple tree where he had decided to take an afternoon nap. Though it seemed he was at least awake and listening in despite him not opening his eye.

"They look so cool!" Chopper shrilled while hopping up and down to get a closer look, "How do they feel? Is there any irritation around the circuit board? Did you take the medication I left out for you this morning? It'll help keep your body from rejecting metal transplant! Sanji!"

"Calm down, Chopper." Usopp chuckled, "Let the man breathe."

"They're gorgeous!" Nami noted, nearing them to take a closer look and Sanji had to agree with her that in the afternoon sunlight the alloy looked even better. Happily letting her caress the metal in awe as Luffy grabbed Sanji by his other arm and began shaking furiously to get his attention.

"Are they like Franky's?" Luffy gushed, "Can you fire rockets and lasers now?!"

"No rockets and lasers." Sanji waved aside Luffy's questions with a small laugh, "I don't plan to use them to fight; just cook."

"Aw…" Luffy lamented his disappointment with a long sigh and a pout. Though it didn't last long as he was instantly back to his normal jovial self as his eyes lit up, "Cook? You're gonna cook?!"

"I hope to." Sanji smiled, remaining cautiously optimistic as he still had yet to find out just how well the arms were going to respond to him once he actually started cooking. However, there was something he needed to do first before he could even step back into the galley with a clear conscious and cook for everyone again. Mechanical hands curling at his sides in aprehension, as he prepared himself for what he had been planning to say for days now. It didn't help that they were fawning over his arms that Franky had managed to provide. "Listen, everyone…"

Sanji may have already been through all of this with Luffy back on Whole Cake Island, and while he may have been blackmailed there were certain choices he made he regretted, and apologies to his crew were needed regardless of what anyone said. Despite their welcoming words there had been an underlying awkwardness Sanji had sensed since the moment he had set foot back on the ship and there was only one way to set it right.

Not doing so when he was still amputated had been a fine excuse, but now that he had an adequate replacement for his hands there was nothing stopping him from fully prostrating himself towards his captain and his crew and letting them know how sorry he was. It may not have been exactly the same as when previous members had left the crew, but Sanji had still disrespected Luffy, his crew, and everything they stood for as a family by trying to leave.

"Luffy..."

Glancing over to Luffy, it was one of the rare times that the Captain was watching Sanji with a serious expression. No doubt the younger man knew what Sanji was about to do, even though Luffy was a rambunctious, innocent lad, there was wisdom there that Sanji would always respect. Everyone fell silent in the wake of the seriousness that had suddenly befallen the two crew members.

Sanji could feel Nami's apprehensive stare on the back of his head as the last time Luffy and him had faced off like this it hadn't ended nearly as well, but that was the whole reason he had to do this. He needed everyone to know how grateful he was for their help, and needed them all to accept him back but only if they wanted to accept his apology.

Keeping a resolute stare pinned on their Captain, Sanji's hands fisted in his slacks at his sides. The feel of the mechanical rods and gears pressing into the muscle of his thigh felt weird, but it wasn't something he could allow to distract him at the moment. All was eerily silent as it seemed even the winds themselves had calmed to allow Sanji to speak. The cook swallowing thickly as he pleaded with resolute, yet soft words, "I'm sorry."

No one said anything.

"I'm sorry for not having faith in you." Sanji choked out as his eyes began to sting but he kept them at bay with a scowl and tightened fist. However, all the resolve in the world couldn't stop his voice from wavering as he amended while glancing around at the caring faces of his crew, "In all of you."

Shutting his eyes against the pain, Sanji looked back down at the ground and subsequently where he could see his mechanical hands balled up at his sides. Knowing they are a testament to his failure to being able to solve this on his own, to even thinking that he could...

"I'm sorry for thinking I could solve this on my own…" Sanji trailed off momentarily as his biggest regret came bursting out on a pained gasp, "I'm sorry I couldn't solve it on my own."

Breaking free from the rest of the crew, Nami stepped forward and Sanji actually had the grace to wince as the last time she had neared him he had gotten a pretty harsh smack across the face. Only this time she took a step forward until she was able to pull him in for a tight hug and he simply stood there for several moments in shock with his hands poised nervously in front of himself.

"It's okay." She murmured softly into his chest.

Eventually he managed to shake himself enough to return the embrace and barely got a moment to thoroughly enjoy the feeling of the delicate woman in his arms before Luffy's elastic arms were encircling them. Realizing what was to come, both Sanji and Nami had exactly one second to go wide eyed in their mutual horror, before facing their doom as Luffy bodily attacked them in his own version of a hug, tackling them to the ground. Brook, Chopper, and Usopp joined in a moment later with sloppy tears and happy cries.

"SANJI'S BACK!"

From where Sanji was pressed face first into the deck, he couldn't tell much of what was going on from that point onward other than he'd forgotten just how aggressive Luffy could be with his embraces. Distantly, he could hear Franky's sobbing as he neared and began desperately crawling out from under the dogpile lest he get mauled further.

Franky barely had his arms around all of them in a crushing hug before Nami was fighting her way out of the dog pile with her staff brandished menacingly, a furious expression on her face, and multiple crewmates receiving a smack across the head for subjecting her to that. Sanji remained on the lawn where he had been dropped, a dopey smile on his face, looking up fondly as Nami lectured Luffy angrily with a hand on her hip.

"I swear to God, Luffy." Nami huffed, "How many times have I told you we're not all as unbreakable as you!"

"Hehe." Luffy adjusted his hat with an innocent smile, "Sorry, Nami!"

"Don't be sorry! Don't do it!"

Things were really starting to feel like they were going back to normal.

Letting his head fall back, Sanji's eyes slid shut while still listening to the reassuring hum of his crewmates talking and general disorder. A salty breeze rolling in off the ocean that tousled his hair and ruffled his shirt collar, taking in a deep breath as he was never going to take the tranquility of these moments for granted ever again.

Head falling back down, Sanji opened his eyes - Nami was still busy reprimanding the boys - as his gaze found the usually confrontational swordsman, napping absently in a patch of sunlit grass with a content look on his face. A small bit of guilt lifting at knowing that acknowledging the mistakes that had been haunting him since his return had been satisfactory in the swordsman's eyes, but knowing he still had a long way to make up for everything he had done since Zou.

"Alright, that's all the emotion a guy can handle for one day." Franky huffed while wiping the last traces of his tears away. Beginning to lumber away as he commented, "Y'all know how to rile me up, I swear…"

Watching the cyborg depart, Sanji figured it was more than time for him to actually try out his arms beyond having to brace himself from a Luffy induced test fall. Pushing himself up, he took a few moments to straighten out his shirt, dust himself off, and just generally enjoy being able to take care of himself again with his own two hands.

"So Sanji," Usopp piped up, making his way over and looking over the cook's new arms, "how are the arms working out?"

"Not bad." Plucking cigarette from his shirt pocket - his previous one having gone missing when he was tackled by Luffy - Sanji brandished the smoke between two mechanical fingers with a smirk, "I'm getting the hang of it."

"Mind if I take a closer look?"

"Knock yourself out." He shrugged while muttering around his cigarette, hands patting his pockets as he realized he hadn't had a lighter on him since he got back. Glancing at Usopp who was already noisily eyeing Sanji's right arm, "Hey, got a lighter in that bag of yours?"

"Huh?" Usopp glanced up, momentarily lost before nodding absently and digging through his bag, "Uh, yeah. Definitely. One sec."

A moment later Usopp procured a lighter, and Sanji took it from him gratefully before immediately attempting to light up. However, he found it a tad more difficult than he had been anticipating as the flint didn't grip the metal digit the same way the skin on the pad of his thumb did. Failing a few times before tapping Usopp on the shoulder and offering the lighter, "Could you?"

A tad taken aback, Usopp took it before nodding happily, "Yeah, of course. Hands giving you trouble?"

"A little." Sanji leaned in as Usopp struck the lighter and held it out for him, taking a much needed drag before pulling back, "I think I'm just going to need to get used to them. They work flawlessly, but the metal handles differently."

"Are you sure you still want to cook tonight?" Usopp shrugged, "I mean, I'm sure we can handle ourselves a little longer."

Brandishing his cigarette warningly at Usopp, Sanji practically growled, "You aren't keeping me out of my kitchen any longer than you all have already, Long Nose."

Hands coming up nervously, Usopp shook his head, "Wasn't what I meant!"

"Good." Sanji pulled away with a congenial smile that completely contradicted the murderous look he had had several seconds ago. Placing the cigarette back in his mouth as he glanced down at his new arms, flexing them in excitement as he murmured, "Cause I've waited long enough."

~X~

Stepping back into Sunny's galley for the first time since he had been forced to leave it was absolutely surreal. Rich, musky scent of Adam's wood permated the floors and walls, and the kitchen itself exuded all manner of spices and oils that Sanji so often used for cooking, even the citrusy aroma of the dish soap was discernible; all of if combining into a beautiful concoction that smelled of home.

For a moment everything felt right again. Even with all that had happened, even with losing his hands, being back in his kitchen, back in his home made it all okay. Making his way around the counter and back into the actually cooking space, a bittersweet smile twisted his face as he couldn't believe he was finally back. A few days ago he was certain he would never see this countertop again and had desperately tried to make peace with that.

Reaching out a mechanical hand, he trailed it across the large wooden cutting board he had left out before everything had went so disastrously wrong on Zou. Aching to actually be able to feel the wood grain beneath his fingers tips, but settling for simply knowing that it was there was enough. That everything here was real and it wasn't just some dream.

Facing the counter, he raised his other hand to place atop the cutting board as well and found it so odd to know that he was pressing against it with his hands, and yet not have the sensation in his hands to affirm it. It was definitely something he was going to have to get accustomed to, or at least deal with until Franky upgraded them.

Eyes shifting towards his knife block, he cautiously reached out and grabbed his favourite santoku from the block and weighed it in his hand. It felt as comforting as it always had despite the way it didn't quite fit into the divets of his mechanical fingers as it had with his real ones.

Deciding to start with something simple to get an idea of just how much control he had over his hands, Sanji began pulling out ingredients for a hot pot that he knew the crew would enjoy. It hadn't been a necessarily cold day, but a warm soup was always a good way to go. A few kebabs for Luffy also probably wouldn't be too difficult and would keep the man satiated just in case.

Going about the prepping, washing, and peeling wasn't too difficult, but when it came time to actually start using the hands for more dexterous work, Sanji found himself a little nervous. He didn't expect them to be as perfect as the real things had been - the muscle memory he had ingrained into those hands was something that couldn't be replicated - but a part of him was worried that he might have lost it all together. That once he started he'd realize he had to start from scratch.

Picking up his knife, Sanji cast a wary look at his mechanical arm before murmuring, "Alright, let's see what you can do."

Snatching up an onion, Sanji poised it how he normally would and moved to cut it; the motion extremely familiar, and yet, not so much. Slicing into the onion with a messy stroke, he found that while he had control over his hands, the mechanism and size of them were different than what he was used to. Not to mention the wooden handle of the blade was much harder to hold in his metal digits.

It was frustrating, but not completely impossible as Sanji realized it was going to take him a bit to train himself out of his old habits and form new ones with these new hands. Adjusting his grip and working at it for nearly an hour before he began to get the hang of it. By the time he was done he had all his vegetables cut and ready, the cleanliness of their cuts getting progressively better as you looked across the counter; onions remarkably more butchered than the chives were.

Sanji came to realize that instead of working the blade using his wrist - like he was so used to doing - a ball joint in his wrist worked his hand in a different motion than it had when it was bone, which allowed him to cut clean strokes without using his full arm. It was really quite ingenious despite the fact that it had completely made all his previous training void.

However, even with having to work around the mild differences in basic function, by the end of the night Sanji had managed to master using the knife to the point where it felt almost as normal as one in his old hand. And as he put the finishing touches on the meals he had prepared for the ladies, he was fairly confident it wouldn't be long until he would have everything else mastered again as well.

After all, he had the entire foreseeable future with his crew to practise.

With a large grin on his face, Sanji threw open the galley door and yelled ecstatically, "DINNER'S READY, YOU FILTHY ANIMALS!"

The sudden rampaging footfalls that followed the statement were music to his ears as he leaned out of the way enough that he wouldn't get in any of their way, as he called out much more cheerfully, "Nami! Robin darling! Your dinner's all done!"

"Thank you, Sanji!" Nami called out, the two women making their way much more casually towards the galley as the men were already at the table digging in. Holding the door open for the ladies, he nodded politely as each of them entered and then waited with a heel against the door as he watched the swordsman lumber his way down.

Sanji wasn't sure how it was possible, but the swordsman always looked like he had just woken up from a nap. Mussed hair and tired expression not helping his case as he paused on the way in to glanced Sanji's way, "Sake?"

Deciding against making fun of the swordsman's monosyllabic tendencies for the evening - considering it was a sentimental occasion - he just nodded and gestured towards the seat near Usopp where a pre-warmed bottle was already waiting for him. However, that didn't stop Sanji from making a stupid face at the man the moment he had passed by the blond to make his way to the dining table.

It was incredibly childish, but satisfied something deep in Sanji's soul.

And it wasn't just being able to be petty with the swordsman again; it was everything that it represented it. That they were all back together again and their normal - as normal as they could be - routine was in place.

Letting the galley door fall shut, Sanji stepped in to survey the table and the hecticness that had begun to unfold. All the men eating like the absolute pirates that they were with little regard for the mess they were making, nor how barbaric they looked. Nami and Robin as classy as always enjoying their meals while making light conversation and avoiding any pieces of food or debris that just so happened to be flung their away. Luffy's elastic arms stretching out in every which way across the table to knab anything he could while stuffing his face happily.

It was such a cathartic sight.

This had been the last thing he had needed. Even after getting back to Sunny and being welcomed by his crewmates; having Franky make replacement arms for him and getting back into his kitchen that he had missed so dearly. It all paled in comparison to seeing his crew eating his food with ecstatic glee like they had from the very first day they had sailed together to now. All the frustration and agony over his hands couldn't possible squash how amazing the sight before him made him feel.

"Sanji!" Luffy crowed through a mouth full of food, "Ish shooooo good!"

"Chew your food, rubber boy." Sanji rolled his eyes but smiled at the compliment nonetheless as he made his way back into the kitchen to grab the last few dishes he had been keeping in the oven and brought them out to the table. He placed another plate of kebabs on table in front of Luffy, much less in fear of losing a hand to the ravenous monster now that they were metal.

Several other crew members piped up in agreeance to Luffy, and Sanji had to fight down a blush at that point. Even Zoro managed to raise an absent sake cup in a weird form of cheers to thank Sanji for the meal, and if that didn't completely put the evening into maximum weird Sanji wasn't sure what would.

Once he was satisfied that everyone was well cared for, he eventually took his own seat at the table and for the first time in a long time enjoyed a meal with his crew. It was just as loud and messy as he remembered it being, Usopp getting a little too drunk on his mealtime drink and beginning to regale a captivated Chopper with a story that definitely never took place.

Everything was devoured in what felt like record time, before one by one, everyone eventually made their way back out onto the ship to tend to whatever they needed to post meal, until it was just Nami, Franky, and Sanji left in the galley. Sanji setting down a pot of freshly brewed tea for her as she smiled up at him happily, while Frankly sipped absently at a mug of cola.

Waiting until Sanji was finished serving Nami before jerking his head towards the cook and asking, "How do they feel?"

"Good." Sanji noted as he began gathering empty plates on the table and stacking them by size. Amending with a serious nod, "Really good. Just still getting used to them is all."

"Any notes?" Franky arched a brow, "Nothing not working for you?"

"You… want my input?"

"Of course." Franky roared happily, slapping Sanji on the back far too hard and causing the cook to stumble forward, "You can never stop improving on these things; look at me!"

"Uh… I suppose." Sanji agreed, returning to gathering up a stack of dishes he had finished compiling and carrying them over to the sink to clean in a bit. Making his way back to the galley table while absently wiping his hands off on his apron even though the alloy tended to pick up a lot less sauces and spills than his hands did, "There are a few things I noticed actually."

"Are you having trouble with your hands?" Nami piped up, taking a sip from her tea before replacing the cup in the saucer delicately. The genuine concern in her gaze had his heart fluttering and it was extremely difficult not to completely flail over the woman.

"Nothing too serious; I can still cook," Sanji rationalized with a reassuring smile, "There's just some techniques I'm having trouble with so I'm gonna have to avoided some of the finer things in meal prep. I also need a lot more time than I'm used to since it takes me a lot longer now."

"Alright, well, how about we take shifts until you think you can take over again?" Nami suggested, snatching up her tea before glancing towards the galley door where some of the crew members could be heard out on deck, "I'm sure us helping will make up for any lost time, and then you don't have to spend as much time on prep."

"No, no, Nami." Sanji waved off the woman, "I couldn't possibly-"

"Let us help, Sanji." Nami implored, looking at him pointedly before adding, "Please."

There was something else to that look that let Sanji know that he wasn't allowed to decline a second time. Maybe this was his penance for what he had put Nami through, or perhaps he was just going to have to put up with allowing the crew to help him to make up for not asking for their help earlier. Regardless, it was clearly a moot point as far as Nami was concerned and Sanji caved.

"You know I can't say no when you ask like that." Sanji sighed through a smile, "Fine."

"Good." Nami turned back to her tea with a haughty smile at winning their tiff, and Sanji simply let it go as he returned to clearing the table.

Just as Sanji was finishing amassing a large stack of plates to take back into the kitchen to be cleaned, he froze along with the others as they all turned towards the galley door. Luffy's boisterous voice penetrating through the wood as he bellowed for them all to hear, "Land HO!"

TBC…