Bonjour Friends!

AN/: First chapter of the story! Tell me what you think?

Speaking of which, if you do end up liking this one (or not—but still), then please check out my other fics on my page such as Always a Sin and Not the Same as Them which are Naruto fan-fics. Once again, if you like this story, let me know, send a review my way and follow it up. Thanks so much!

Eggs and Bacon,

CrimsonNi

Chapter One:

Had he been normal, he would have thought the heat was unbearable, but on the contrary, it was the most—the only—pleasant feeling he ever experienced. The feeling curled all throughout his skin, wilting the invisible peach fuzz that existed on his arms and chest. It spread around his organs until each and every one thumped in unison, echoing, thrumming like a small drum. He thought the burn of a cigarette was the only ecstasy a man could feel with fire, but he was wrong. So very wrong. This paled in comparison and he wished he could have been smart enough to learn of it sooner. It would have been addicting, somehow even powerful than the urge to cook, but it would have been worth it if he could feel this. Except that he's tasted this fire, he has to pay with his blood. He has to leave before he could ever feel it again….

The last thing he could recall seeing was the dulling of two blues that so closely resembled his own. Heh, at every opportunity he ever had, he always claimed difference to them, yet now they were exactly alike. Both pale, limb, and eyes that were fading, slowly falling into darkness that was eternal sleep. He knew he shouldn't follow, that he had more than a dream to fight for, but a captain that depended on him to feed him and his crew. He needed to go back to Luffy and beg for forgiveness, for being so weak but this damn sleep was winning and the fire was still pleasantly burning. "Sorry, Lu..ffy."

Unmistakable pain surged through his body like an electrical surge. With a high pitched gasp, he shot out of bed only to find himself wrenched right back down. If he didn't feel so disorientated perhaps he would have kept a cool head, but panic set in and it worsened his senses. He could barely see or hear or feel anything but pain. Were his brothers torturing him again? Or maybe that sick whack-job of a scientist?! His mind would have continued on its dark wonderment if it weren't for the gentle hand patting his sweat-soaked face. His eyes shot up, fearing it would be his sister instead (since the hand was much too delicate to be male) but the gods favored him when he saw it was another familiar face instead. Lavender locks bundled up in a messy bun, smooth caramel skin glowing lightly thanks to the few candles lighting the room, and a pair of rustic eyes peered down at him with concern.

"H-Hiniku?" he whispered.

"You're finally awake, Your Highness, but please take it easy. You are still wounded from the recent battles and have lost a substantial amount of blood." Her accent was thick and her voice was deep but he heard her well, already used to her form of speech.

Sanji looked around the room as best he could due to the awkward position he was in. He couldn't help the painful thud in his heart when he saw he was in a familiar infirmary room. Maybe all that he saw earlier was just a dream? The thought only caused a loud miserable groan to escape him.

"I see you're in pain, let me get the doctor."

"I don't want to see that shit-head! I don't want him touching me," Sanji snarled venomously.

The woman, Hiniku, blinked in what seemed like shock before crossing her arms and raising her one brow in question. "If he heard you say that, I'm not sure if he'd cry or try to scold you."

"Why the hell should I care how he'd react?"

Hiniku added a frown to her expression. "I'm hoping you're cranky because you're injured and hungry."

Sanji accidentally bit his lip, a habit he was sure to never wane from since he was a heavy smoker, before narrowing his eyes at Hiniku in betrayal. "I'm not cranky, I'm fucking pissed! I thought you were on my side!"

"Obviously."

"Then why the hell are you handing me over to that quack?!"

Again Hiniku raised her brow in question but instead of frowning, it was accompanied by an amused smirk. It infuriated Sanji to such an unbelievable level and that only added to his hurt. She leaned down until she was barely a breath away. "Because you're hurt. Suck it up, Your Highness. Once they learn that you're awake, you'll be having quite the busy day."

"Stop! Don't open that door! Hiniku, I swear to god, you open that door and I'll never fucking forgive you!"

She simply rolled her eyes before returning her way to the door. "Come now, you'll forgive me. A real man always forgives a lady's lies, right?"

"You are no lady!" He yelled.

Before Sanji's protest could continue, Hiniku opened the door, letting in a blast of light that blinded Sanji momentarily. She stuck her head out and then yelled for someone's attention. There was a lot of sudden scrambling heard as Sanji tried his hardest to regain his sight—then again, did he want to face that freakish looking scientist? But yet again, another sense of familiarity corrected his assumption.

"Sanji!" That high squeal could only belong to one voice!

"C-Chopper?!" He forced his eyes to widen and open to get a better look. Sure enough, there was little Chopper with his big teary eyes and antlers and fur trembling with so much emotion that Sanji was practically soaked already with it. It wasn't the fucked-up scientist, it was his doctor. He looked to Hiniku who only stood there in all her smugness. "W-What…?"

"Oh, you're awake! Luffy is going to be so happy to hear! Are you in pain?! What the hell am I asking, of course you are, just look at those bandages! Don't worry, Sanji, it'll feel better in just a minute, count on me!"

"Wait, wait, Chopper, why are you here? What the hell is going on?!"

Chopper tilted his head in that adorable manner that always softened Sanji's heart before replying in a calmer tone. "Sanji, what's the last thing you remember?"

"I...," Sanji trailed off and took the moment to ponder. His head felt heavy with words and blurry imagery and he wondered if this is what it felt like to be a human book or Robin-chwan. He took a deep breath and cleared his mind, trying to catch a glimpse of when he was last awake. The first memory to pop up in his head was none other than himself in a battle against one of his brothers but he couldn't remember who. "I was fighting? Um, against one of those blonde-headed idiots—"

"Ichiji to be precise," Hiniku interjected.

"I guess I lost?" A different kind of pain surged through Sanji when asking that. The sheer embarrassment of losing to that fool—again—was too hard of a pill to swallow for Sanji.

"Well you tell us; when we found you guys, you were bleeding out and he already had a foot in death's door and that does not include the severe burns he was covered in."

Sanji sighed. "So he isn't dead?"

"Were you trying to kill him?"

"I wanted to, but I think I chickened out. Ugh."

Sanji noticed that Hiniku muttered something under her breath but before he could ask, Chopper spoke up. "So you remember fighting your…brother; is that all?"

"That's all I can think of right now but what I want to know is why we're in this room and not on the Sunny. What happened after I passed out?"

It didn't go unnoticed the sly glance Chopper and Hiniku shared amongst each other. "There were too many injured so Law and I and some helpful volunteers had to divide them up. I knew Sunny would have been a more preferable choice for you to wake up in but," Chopper paused and a heavy blush graced his face. He looked nervous for some reason. "But truthfully, the uh, equipment here is a lot more advance and—"

"And you wanted to take full advantage of that," Sanji finished with a draining exhale, hoping to disguise the wince at hearing Law's name. Just the mention caused a nasty pulse to go off in his head. "I get it, Chopper, no worries. Wish you'd have mentioned something at least." Referring to Hiniku.

She responded at first with a smile. "And miss the chance to tease you? Never. Anyway, let's get you all cleaned up so the rest of the crew can see you. They've all been anxious."

"Why? How long was I out?"

"Eight days," Chopper replied quietly, bowing his head so low that Sanji had difficulty seeing him any longer.

"E-Eight days?! What the—" Sanji made to get up but he was then reminded of his position. He wondered why he felt so restricted when he woke up but he paid it little mind when he saw Hiniku. Now taking a closer look, he saw both his arms retrained on the rails of the bed, covered in several layers of gauze. "W-Why am I…?"

"Your Highness, I need you to breathe. That's right, take a deep breath, just like me. I'm going to release your hands okay? And any questions you have, we'll answer them once you get a stretch and something to eat."

Sanji just nodded and followed Hiniku's hands with his eyes, watching as she slowly released the restraints around his hands. Although a part of him wished she'd hurry up, he liked the calm pace that she took. She was being careful of his hands, that thankfully, were intact. Still scarless, unmarred, untainted by the demons of his past. The reality of it made him want to cry; his eyes even watered, ready to spill over from even the slightest movement of his being. He tried keeping himself in check, especially since Chopper was in the room, but his hands were safe. His dream, a dream that had long saddled in the minds of many sailors and pirates like Zeff was still a possibility for him. Just reminding himself of Zeff pushed the tears to fall and no matter how hard he tried, there was no longer a way to control them.

"Sanji?!" Chopper gasped in worry.

"Fine, I….fine! My hands!" Sanji sobbed, his speech gurgled in salty water.

Chopper sighed in relief and both he and Hiniku smiled in comfort for Sanjji's revelation. They were as happy as he about the health of his hands. Once Sanji's hands were free, they helped him up but the shift in his mood motivated him to move on his own. He immediately flew from the bed and searched the room for a sign of a familiar black outfit.

"It was ripped up in all places and soaked in blood—there was no way to salvage it," Hiniku said, already knowing of what he was looking for. "I set out that set there until we can find you another suit."

He should have felt sad about the loss of his favorite suit, but at least it just his clothes and not his hands. So he'd take it. However, he still couldn't help but furrow his brows in confusion. "How do you know my measurements?"

A smug grin made its way onto her face. "Cute how you question me on matters so simple."

"You didn't do anything weird while I was sleeping, did you?!"

Hiniku did not respond, and instead, made her way towards the door with a vindictive smile the whole while. Without a sound, she walked out to give Sanji space to dress himself, but Chopper remained. When Sanji looked at him, his eyes were wide and his jaw was slack, leaving his mouth wide open.

"I can't believe it."

"What?"

"I've never seen you speak so casually to a woman before. I mean I figured our earlier conversations were because you just woke up and were discombobulated but…wow. That was so normal."

Now it was Sanji's turn to blush. "I can have normal conversations with women," he muttered.

"No way, not like that. Is Hiniku-san a special kind of lady?" Chopper giggled, trying to have harmless fun to ease the Cook's disheveled nerves.

Sanji could only blush harder because unfortunately, Chopper had no fucking idea. "No, just…no, I swear. She's different, okay?"

Chopper nodded, not really caring what the nature of their odd relationship. When he had first met her, she had been this strange enigma that haunted the curious part of his mind, but instead of her mysteriousness being strange, Chopper found it intriguing. The aura that she exuded at first reminded him of when Robin first joined the crew; beautiful, calm, intelligent, even morbid at times, but after some time, she began changing his perception. The manner in which she loyally followed Sanji and his wishes despite the consequences they'd cost her reminded him of Sanji—but female! After the epiphany had hit, he couldn't not see it anymore. Minus the cooking and smoking obsession, she was an exact replica of Sanji. The manner that she shadowed their battles and calculated scenarios was as if Sanji was right there all along. Granted, she was a bit more violent than Sanji (somehow) but Chopper felt comforted that Sanji had an ally during his troubles.

He shook his head to return to the task at hand. He needed to help Sanji with his bandages. Sanji was already waiting for him, dressed in beige pants that looked a little snug, but Sanji didn't look uncomfortable so maybe they did fit, and a plain black tank top that showed off the entirety of his shoulders and collarbone. Were it not for some scuffs and scratches marring his skin, Sanji would have looked exactly like a painting. Pale sure, but his skin still held a well enough glow that pinked all throughout, his hair was longer and messy but it framed his face so kindly that no one would think PIRATE when you looked at him, and best of all, his eyes were remarkably blue—truthfully, Chopper's favorite feature of his. Sanji's eyes were symbols of adventure and ocean, two things that certainly helped define Sanji's person. He approached Sanji and gently pulled the end of the bandage, ready to peel it back at a snail's pace until it was all removed.

There were stains of blood, but nothing as bad as when Sanji first was taken in. The memory caused Chopper to shiver and grimace. Sanji had truly been in the worst shape he had ever seen him, actually worse than any of the Strawhats so far. It was more due to the blood loss than anything else, but still, Sanji was practically broken. So many bones were clean cut or shattered, this or that organ punctured, wounds so deep that Chopper feared it was an autopsy remake. He wanted to puke when he found him. He did after the surgeries were over. Had it not been for Law and his devil fruit, it'd be a wonder how they'd save Sanji. Sanji wasn't supposed to live, but here he was, in one whole piece with little consequence to show for it. At least not physically.

The silence in the room was so deafening that Chopper needed to hear Sanji to confirm his consciousness. "What are you thinking about?"

"How fucked up my arms look," Sanji instantly replied. The tone sounded relaxed but Chopper wasn't really sure if that's how he actually was.

After the mention, Chopper looked at the skin and had to wordlessly affirm Sanji's deduction. His hands were perfect, but the limbs they were connected to could not be called the same. Most of the skin had been…blown off by cheaply made exploding cuffs so there were wrinkles and veins bulging out, discoloration that made Sanji's arms look rotted and fake, and black patches that defined crisp in new way.

"Some…improvement is needed, but I promise that I'll work on some remedies to grow the rest of the skin back and I'll reconstruct the scar tissues too—"

"Thank you, Chopper, that means a lot, but there's no need."

Shocked was not a strong enough word. "W-What?"

"As long as my hands are fine, I can deal with the rest. Thank you again, Chopper."

"No need to compliment me, you bastard!" Chopper complained despite the wide smile on his face, but he immediately regained focus. "B-But Sanji—!"

He trailed off when he saw Sanji's smile that seem to have silently ended the conversation on his terms. The rest of their moment remained silent as Chopper added ointment to the wounds and rewrapped the wounds. Sanji took a set of three deep breaths before exiting the room, once again being blinded by the natural light of the outside. For a moment, he had forgotten that he was not on the Sunny and was disappointed to not see the grassy deck, tangerine grove, the lion-head, his crew. However, what he did see still surprised him nonetheless. Lined up in perfect lines, perfectly symmetrical in every angle, were dozens of men dressed in the dreaded Germa 66 uniform. Not a hair out of place. Thankfully the weather was kind, but he still hoped they hadn't been standing there long, waiting for him for whatever reason. Actually, whether they were waiting or not, just what the hell were they doing here? No, what was he doing here? He suddenly realized that Chopper's explanation earlier hadn't actually explained anything. Where the hell was the Sunny?!

"You looked panicked again," Hiniku said from his side. Apparently she had been standing by the door for what may have been the entire time.

"What's going on?" Sanji demanded.

"The doctor already told you, the injured had to be split up—"

"So then where's the Sunny? Where's my crew? What are they doing?" Gesturing to the men in formation.

"Do you truly not remember anything aside from the fight with Ichiji?"

Sanji groaned in frustration, wanting to pull his hair out. "No but it would be helpful if you threw a guy a bone."

Hiniku went into her famous position and crossed her arms, huffing in what may have been irritation. "That crazy captain of yours busted the wedding which wasn't appreciated by the Vinsmokes or Big Mom. I think he was going to grab you but your father stepped in the way and then they fought. Chaos ensued until Capone ruined it further."

"Capone?"

"Yes, he tried to backstab Big Mom and admitted an alliance with the Vinsmokes. That didn't go over very well. He was killed off, some more chaos, you stopped an attempted assassination against Big Mom—"

"What?!" He hissed, red-faced from disbelief.

"Let me finish. This is a long story and I'm trying to paraphrase. Anyway, it is exactly as I've said, the Vinsmokes were going to assassinate Big Mom and you stopped it. That won her favor and she then ordered her men to protect you and give you a window to escape. Luffy grabbed you and the rest would have been history had the siblings not followed you all to Wano. An all-out war broke out; first everybody against Kaido and then everyone against everyone else. Ichiji cornered you and I don't know how long you two fought but it must have been a while. When we got there, the battlefield was bloody and destroyed and the two of you were in the middle."

"You would think I would remember that…but that still doesn't explain where everyone is."

"Relax, the ship is on the other side, most of your crew resting. Your captain wanted you on the Sunny but your doctor recommended this ship since the equipment was better suited to your injuries. Plus, since it is technically your ship, it'd give you more privacy by right."

"I don't need special treatment!" He growled.

"Your captain disagreed. He wanted only the best for you and I concur, Your Highness."

"Stop calling me that, I'm not like them."

"I wasn't insinuating that you were. On the contrary, you put them to shame with how regal you've turned out to be. Nevertheless, whether homeless, a pirate, or tyrant, you are my prince to follow."

Sanji blushed and he hated himself for it. "My point is that if other people are involved, I don't need that big-ass room to myself."

Hiniku rolled her eyes again, another famous trait of hers. "Chopper and Law split everyone up by severity and trust me when I say you were on top of the 'severe list'."

"Aside from some soreness and my arms, I don't feel all too bad."

"Thank Law for that. Actually, your captain was the one who ordered him to work on you first—both him and Chopper—and they spent three nights operating on you."

Sanji now felt like a bag of emotions. Elated for the care that was put into his health, happy and loved for Chopper's dedication, scared for the unsaid what-ifs, and frustrated that he was now indebted to the other captain. Of course he was thankful, beyond so, but he didn't want to be this indebted to him. He didn't want to owe Law anything, especially not his life.

"I can't tell if you're happy or upset."

"I'm fine, now what about these guys?"

"What else? They're your loyalists."

"Meaning?"

"That they now belong to you—all 100,000 men."

Not that there was anything to choke on, yet Sanji still found himself chocking, gasping for a lungful of air. All blood drained from his face, leaving him light-headed and dizzy. Once again, Hiniku had to step into his space and command him to breathe, to listen to her deep voice and follow her movements.

"I can't," he gasped.

"Don't think about it now. You said you wanted to see your crew, so let's take that step first. There's still a lot more to discuss, Your Highness."

Sanji nodded. Yes, that was better, his crew. His nakama. They were waiting for him so he needed to focus on that. He saw Hiniku wave her hand and the men down below dispersed, returning to whatever business they were originally tending to. He could feel their eyes on his moving form. What were their thoughts? On the recent war, on the apparent disbandment and eradication of the Vinsmoke family? Sanji wasn't familiar with this type of power, common amongst luxurious folks. Sure, he was born into a wealthy family, but Sanji has only lived a common life and the most he ruled over was a kitchen. Even then, it was only for a short while until Zeff would return. Armies were not like kitchen staff; he couldn't command them to skewer an enemy like he would a cook to a piece of pork. The sensation of nausea suddenly hit him and somehow, within the blink of an eye, Hiniku spun him against a dark wall and lowered him over some empty mop pail where any remaining nutrients within his stomach would land. He prayed he wasn't loud with his gagging but he couldn't really concentrate with the burning feeling scratching his throat as bile rose out.

How embarrassing. He groaned when he finished and when he stood, he immediately rubbed at his face, trying desperately to rid himself of the obvious evidence on his face. Without actually having to look, he knew he looked a mess. Eyes were probably shot, he smelled and now his breath joined in in that department, he was wrinkled and sweaty—he couldn't actually see the crew like this.

"I need to clean up, please. I can't see them like this," he croaked through a constricted throat.

"Of course, Your Highness."

Hiniku kindly tightened her hold around Sanji and escorted him to the nearest showers. The bathroom was thankfully empty but in case, Hiniku felt the need to lock the door; she knew Sanji would have fallen deeper into depression if anyone were to see him like this. She sat him down on the bench and proceeded to undress him, being mindful of any wounds, especially his arms. Sanji had his eyes closed, but she knew he was awake due to how tense he was. When he was stark naked (and surprisingly not fussy that Hiniku was privy to this), she made her way to the knobs to blast the hot water. Within seconds, the steam clouded the bathroom, shrouding them both in a misty bubble. Hiniku made to help him but Sanji softly battered her hands away.

"I'll clean myself. Just please stand by the door. I'll call you when I'm done."

"Of course." She made her way to the door but left it a crack open to keep an ear out for any mishaps. Last thing she wanted was to hear Sanji fall and injure himself further. True to his word, however, Sanji softly called for her name when he finished. Aside from his arms, Sanji was squeaky clean, pink and raw all over as if he scrubbed himself harshly several times over. She handed him a towel and placed some toiletries on the nearby counter (mouthwash and toothpaste/toothbrush) that she had a soldier fetch for her. The clothes from before were still considered clean, so Sanji redressed himself in the same wear and proceeded to brush his teeth as rigorously as he washed himself. As expected, his gums were brushed raw and bloody.

"Okay, now I'm ready."

"Very well."

The two made their way to the other side of the ship where Sanji would find a small bridge that connected the Sunny and the main Germa 66 ship. Hiniku lacked hesitation in crossing over, but did wait patiently for Sanji to follow. Sanji felt weird, almost as if he were crossing between dimensions because unlike the Sunny, the Germa ship was dark and dreary, wood and metal, whereas he could see the luscious grass of the Sunny, the bright colors, the clean wood that he knew Franky worked endlessly to upkeep. He was finally home! With that thought in mind, Sanji raced across the bridge and planted his feet solidly onto the Sunny. Damn, he had the urge to cry again but he'd be damned if he let them loose this time. Despite wearing shoes, Sanji was sure the grass was swaying underneath his feet. The air felt so much lighter on this ship, the atmosphere was honestly so contagious. He immediately felt happy.

However, a more pressing matter was at hand. His kitchen. He needed to see his kitchen again! He heard Hiniku telling him to slow down, but he paid no mind as he ran across the deck and into the kitchen. He opened the door but was hit with a wild and unexpected surprise.

"SANJI!" Multiple voices shouted in glee. The entire crew and then some were all crouched in together in the kitchen, sitting at the tables, on the floor, by the large windows, all with a glass of something to drink and large smiles on their faces. There they were, the main and most important people of his life; Nami, Robin, Franky, Chopper, fucking Ussop man, Brook, Zoro, and Luffy.

He wasn't sure what to do next but he didn't have to worry long since he was bombarded by hugs from Nami, Ussop and Chopper. All three were crying (well Franky too, but at least he was doing it from afar) and tightened their hold on him. They were blubbering a bunch of words into his chest and although he had difficulty in understanding them, he still chuckled, assuming that they were scolding him for his recklessness.

And of course, he was right. "Why are you laughing, BAKA! You scared us half to death; we thought you died!" Ussop screamed.

"He's right! You have no idea, Sanji, how could you!" Chopper threw in.

"Dumbass," Nami cried.

"I'm so sorry, you guys, I…wish it…didn't happen that way."

The three continued to sob on but on remark from Zoro had them quiet down. "Oi, you keep latching on to him and his arms are gonna fall off."

They immediately hopped out of his arms, leaving a whish of cold air before their faces transformed into ones of horror and guilt. Sanji barely had woken up and yet they were already being selfish in their demeanor. But Sanji disagreed and glared at the pig-headed swordsman.

"My arms are fine, Marimo."

"You're bleeding, stupid Love-cook."

Unfortunately, the idiot was right, much to Sanji's dismay. When he looked at his arms, there was some blood seeping through the gauze which furthered the guilty looks of his crew mates.

"Guys, it's okay. I didn't feel it, the skin is just…it's fine."

"Come Sanji, I'll patch you right up!" Chopper declared.

Except the hand that touched his arm was not a reindeer hoof. "Actually Tony-ya, I would like to take a look at Blackleg-ya's condition. Perhaps I can help find a way to improve the skin's fragility."

Fragility. That struck a horrible cord within the confines of Sanji's dark mind. He violently snatched his arm away from Law's and without realizing, fueled the blues of his eyes with intense fury. He shot a gaze so intense that he was confident in thinking he could set Law on fire. "No thanks," he spat. "Chopper can look at it just fine." The acidity of his tone startled everyone in the room. Silence and awkwardness quickly followed.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Law raised his hands in surrender. "Forgive me, that was insensitive. Of course you want someone you're more familiar with."

"C-Come on, Sanji, let me take another look at your arm," Chopper stammered out.

As they were about to turn to leave, Luffy spoke for the first time since Sanji woke up. "Sanji," he called. His voice was loud and clear with a little hint of command in it (as if Luffy were testing out a 'manly' voice) that had Sanji turning around even before he could think it. Luffy was calm and poised, perched on top of one of the benches, his legs knocking into Zoro's arms since Zoro was actually sitting properly on the seating part. Although he was smiling with a wide, closed-eyed smile, Sanji could feel his eyes boring into him. Sanji could almost taste the concern in the air that Luffy was exuding, but ironically, that only calmed Sanji's frayed nerves. And Luffy must have sensed that because he then smiled bigger and rested his chin in one of his hands. "Make sure you're quick. There's a lot of meat we got for you to cook."

"Luffy! Sanji just woke up from some serious injuries! He shouldn't be cooking!" Chopper scolded and Nami and Ussop were ready to join in except they all heard the loud and clear reply from the cook.

"Aye, aye, Captain."

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P.S.: In case you're wondering about Hiniku's accent I mentioned earlier in the chapter, I envisioned it to sound exactly like Salma Hayek but slightly deeper.

P.P.S.: Not all of the 100,000 men are lined up on the ship, only a few dozen of them; the rest are scattered about doing other stuff. In case that wasn't clear.