Injured

Disclaimer: Don't own One piece.


"SANJI! FOOD!" Luffy yelled.

"Just wait!" Sanji shouted, kicking his hungry captain out the kitchen door. Luffy was quickly distracted by three giant fish that jumped over the ship.

"Whoa! Yum!" Luffy impatiently grabbed a fishing pole and tried to catch a fish. One of the giant fish almost ate him as it bit the line! Sanji heard Luffy yell, ran out of the kitchen, and safely kicked the fish away. A whole school of the giant fish attacked the blond, dragging him down into the ocean. The surface became calm as their battle raged underneath.

"ZOLO! HELP!" Luffy yelled. "Sanji's getting attacked by super fish underwater!"

"Luffy, what are you talkin' about?!" Zolo walked toward his captain.

The straw hat boy pointed to where Sanji had gone under. "The fish are killing him! They must think he tried to catch them!" Before Zolo could help, all the fish blasted through the bright blue water, each with an imprint of a foot on their bodies, and landed a few feet away from the ship. Sanji climbed on deck and passed out in a big pool of blood.

Sanji was alive.

Barely.

The fish had torn a big hole in the chef's stomach, leaving a tooth. Luckily, Chopper extracted the tooth without any further damage. The wound itself would heal, but Sanji needed to eat nothing but soup for at least two weeks. The chef got a fever in the middle of the night and was out for a day and a half. The teen was up now, talking with Nami.

"Are you feeling any better?" Nami asked, wringing the rag out, dipping it in a bowl of cold water, and replacing it on his head again.

Sanji smiled weakly, "No, but I'm great right now 'cause you're here." Nami smiled and took his temperature.

"One hundred and ten. A little better than last night." Nami sighed.

Sanji asked, "What was it last night? I think I was asleep."

"It was one hundred and thirteen. You were drifting in and out consciousness all night. Chopper was worried you wouldn't make it. Even Zolo got a little scared when you started throwing your blankets off. Chopper said you might've been having nightmares about the big fish attacking you." Nami stroked Sanji's hand tenderly.

"I was," The teen reached for a worn-looking, brown wallet. "I got this from my dad before I was a chef on Orbit."

"That's nice," Nami said. "What was your dad like?"

Sanji's eye shined. "He was awesome! Dad had a way with the ladies."

"So it's HIS fault!" Nami laughed.

"Yup," Sanji softly laughed, but recoiled in pain as his stomach burned slightly. "It's better for me not to laugh, I guess."

"Ok," Nami replied. "Hungry? Chopper says you can't eat any soup that has chunks."

"Which leaves tomato soup." Sanji licked his lips. Chopper came to check on Sanji.

Sanji waited patiently as the little reindeer checked him. Nami had left the room to cook. "How am I doing?"

Chopper smiled, "Great, but you can't get up until tomorrow."

Sanji groaned. Luffy entered. "Hi Sanji! You're awake!"

"Who's cooking?" The blond teen wanted to make sure his kitchen wouldn't be destroyed.

"Sanji, I'm cooking. The kitchen is as clean as it was when you left it." Nami held a bowl of soup. "Chopper, is it ok for him to eat?"

Chopper felt the bottom of the bowl. "It's fine, but, Sanji, eating might be painful."

"I am gonna fry those fish!" Sanji declared. Luffy helped his injured friend sit as Nami and Chopper left to discuss what the chef could eat when they stopped to buy food. Luffy gave Sanji the bowl. The blond took a sip. He flinched.

"You ok, Sanji?!" Luffy was alarmed.

"Just burns," Sanji continued to eat.

Luffy looked at Sanji's bandaged stomach worriedly. "Is that wound bad?"

"Yea, but I'll live."

"I'm sorry,"

"For what?"

"For letting the fish attack you!" The rubber boy said solemnly.

Sanji looked at his captain. "You couldn't have helped. I was in the ocean."

"But I tried catching them! Why did they attack you?"

"Because I attacked them." Sanji gave Luffy a noogie. "I'm fine!" Luffy laughed. Two weeks flew by. Only Nami hadn't visited the chef at all. Sanji tried his best not to show it, but it hurt him.

"Sanji, you can get up now. No swimming or fighting for a while." Chopper said. Sanji slowly walked to the deck.

"Hey Moss Head, where's Nami?" Sanji asked. He grinned. Even if Zolo wanted to, he knew he couldn't fight with Sanji for a few days.

"In the kitchen, Blondie." Zolo gritted his teeth.

Sanji smiled sarcastically, "Thank you, Sword Boy." Sanji went into the kitchen. Nami was facing the stove. "My sweet little flower, are you busy? May I help you in any way?"
Nami turned around to smile at the teen. "No, Chopper said you need to take it easy, but thanks."

Sanji sat down. "Nami, are you mad at me? You haven't visited me at all in two weeks."

"I'm sorry," The navigator looked down at the floor sadly. "I just don't like seeing you wounded and bedridden."

"I understand completely." Sanji nodded gently. "A lady should never be upset." Nami smiled at Sanji. "I'm fine. I'll always be fine. Sword Boy would kill me if I died before he got a chance to beat me."

"Want a brownie?" Nami asked. "Chopper said you can have regular food now. I baked and frosted 'em myself!"

Sanji's stomach growled. He was glad to have real food. He faltered for a moment in pain. Sanji regained composure and Nami gave it to him. Sanji ate it. "This is so good! Thank you, my beautiful!"

Nami laughed, "You're feelin' better, I see!"

"Yup," Sanji laughed.

"NAMI! SANJI! MARINES!" Usopp yelled.

Nami bit her lip nervously. She was worried. "Sanji, you still can't fight." Sanji knew he would probably get yelled at for this, but he didn't care. He bent down and kissed Nami on the top of her head. The marines barged in, cornering the blond teen and navigator.

Sanji's foot hooked a marine's chin, flipping him over. I must protect Nami! He and Nami fought their way out of the kitchen. The deck of the Merry Go was crawling with marines!
Sanji got into a handstand and kicked twenty marines. Something was wrong. Luffy, who was close by, heard it too. His rib was cracked. Sanji toppled to the deck in immense pain.

A marine saw his chance. He brought his dagger down on Sanji's stomach. The chef's bloodcurdling scream made his cremates flinch.

Sanji was tossed overboard. Zolo knocked the marine away and over the side in a instant. Zolo got Sanji back on deck. "Sanji, you gonna make it?"

"I ain't gonna die before I kick your butt, Sword Boy." Sanji coughed up water mixed with blood. "And that's Blondie to you." The green-haired swordsman laughed. Luffy and Zolo beat the marines while Chopper, Nami, and Usopp carried Sanji below deck. Once examined, Chopper told Nami and Usopp to wait outside so he could work.

"Sanji's hurt bad. The water only made it worse." Chopper told the crew after working on Sanji for an hour.

Worse? What could make this worse? Nami wondered.

"Nami, he wants to see you." Chopper said. Nami went to his room very slowly. Sanji's face lit up when he saw her. He smelled of rubbing alcohol mixed with his Axe.

"My flower has come!" Sanji was laying in bed. Nami eyed the thickly wrapped bandage around the cook's thin waist. It was already a little blood-stained. "It's not as bad as it looks." Sanji attempted a laugh, but he ended up swallowing a scream. Nami knew it was way worse than last time.

"You'll be okay, right?"

"Chopper didn't tell you, did he?" Sanji's face was grim.

"Tell us what?!" Nami almost screamed.

Sanji continued sadly, "I can't eat for a month. If I tried, it would burn my stomach."
Nami had tears in her eyes. "Can't Chopper feed you something that wouldn't burn you?"

"No," Sanji tried to explain. "I survived three months on a rock of an island without food and that almost killed me. One month might not."

"If it does, I'll never forgive you." Nami smiled, hoping that would be a motivator.

Sanji grinned, the way only Sanji could. "For you, my flower, I would never die."

Three weeks went past. Sanji didn't even have the strength to get up. Nami came in with his daily serving of water. The blond teen looked up at Nami and smiled. The light in his eye was dimmer. "Sanji, only seven more days." The navigator handed him the glass of water. Sanji drank it quickly.

"I'll make it." Sanji's voice wasn't very eager. He was looking thinner, but Nami couldn't tell because he was already stick-thin as it was.

"What have you been feeding the crew?" Sanji asked.
Nami was startled by the question. She thought Sanji wouldn't want to hear anything about food. "Sandwiches," Nami cringed at the word.

"Good," Sanji closed his eye. "No one will get sick then."

"You tired? Can I get you any more water?" Nami asked.

Sanji said, "No thanks, I'm fine. I'm going to sleep."

Nami turned to leave. She stopped at the door. "Good night, Mr. Prince."

"Good night, my flower." Nami felt like crying. Sanji, a good friend of her's, was dying. It wasn't fair. Mr. Prince was a good person! Nami flinched as someone touched her shoulder.

"Sorry," Zolo mumbled. "Is the idiot still awake?"
Nami shook her head. "Just went to sleep,"

"Blondie, you couldn't even stay up for three hours?!" Zolo barged into the cook's room. Nami went to the kitchen to make lunch. Luffy was sitting at the table. "Luffy, what did you take from the fridge?"

"Nothin' Nami, honest!" The rubber boy replied.

"Go get Zolo outta Sanji's room. He's needs to rest."

Luffy grinned, "I know it doesn't seem like it, but Zolo cares about Sanji. I think Zolo wants to help. He probably hates having nobody to argue with. Zolo told me he wants to make sure Sanji doesn't fall asleep and not wake up."

"Makes sense," Nami nodded. She made the sandwiches. A day later, Sanji looked like a living skeleton.

Sanji was talking with Usopp since it was turn to watch so Sanji wouldn't die. Usopp's turn was almost up.

"Six more days..." Sanji said.

"You'll make it." Usopp smiled.

"The Great Blue is out there. I need to find it, so the Angel of Death will have to buzz off." It amazed Usopp how Sanji, Zolo, and Luffy would defy Death itself for their dreams.

"But what if the Angel of Death is a girl?" Usopp laughed.
Sanji was able to laugh softly. "Then I'd be screwed! I think the Angel is a guy because ladies are too delicate for that kind of work."

Zolo came in for his turn and Usopp left. "Hey Blondie! Six more days, then I can kick your butt!" Zolo said.

"You wish, Sword Boy." Sanji retorted. "When I get outta bed, I'll have you screaming!"

"Just don't die, Knife Boy. If you die, you're a chicken forever!" Zolo grinned. That was his odd way of saying 'Don't die. I'd miss you.'

"If I died, then you'd get scurvy and die."

"Nami would cook."

"You'd get it anyway!"

Zolo laughed. The next six days were going to suck.
Nami had the dreaded watch. Tomorrow, if he wasn't dead, Sanji would be able to eat. She had volunteered to watch Sanji all night. Luffy and the crew were in the chef's room, talking. Sanji was lying down.

"Sanji, here," Luffy placed his straw hat on Sanji's head. "It's lucky!" The rubber boy grinned.

The teen smiled, "Thanks Luffy,"

"Remember Blondie, if you die, you will always be a chicken!" Zolo said.

"You're on, Sword for Brains!" Sanji replied. "Chopper, if I die, it's not your fault." Sanji knew the little reindeer might blame himself if he died.

"Ok," Chopper responded.

Usopp smiled, "Sanji, you'll be alright. Don't worry."

"The Great Blue is too good to let go." The chef grinned. His friends left Nami alone with him. "Wanna hear a story?"

Nami said, "Sure,"

Sanji drank a little water before starting. "My father got this wallet from a marine ship." He gave Nami the wallet to look at. It had a smooth, worn feeling to it. "Dad was a pirate. Mom was his first mate. They married on the ship and I was born two years after. When I was seven, we were ambushed by enemy pirates. Dad bravely fought. The pirates came toward Mom and I. My dad, sword in his hand, rushed to help, but was cut off by more pirates. Mom ran and put me in a life boat. I sailed for two days, then found by Saul, the Orbit manager."

"Did you hear from your dad again?" Nami asked.

"No, but in the newspaper, it said he was on the Grand Line." Sanji smiled. "I might meet up with him."

"Yea, I'd like to meet him." Nami said. They both fell asleep. The next morning, Nami got up, and qiuckly remembered why she was in Sanji's room. She looked at him and listened for a heartbeat. He was alive! "Yes!" Nami cheered. Sanji awoke and weakly smiled at her.

"May I eat now?" He asked. Nami hugged him and gave him a bowl of cereal. Sanji ate it politely because he was in the presence of a lady, although Nami wouldn't have cared. Everyone was overjoyed Sanji wasn't dead. By noon, Sanji was up and moving like nothing ever happened. Zolo and him fought, but, unlike usual, they fought out of happiness.