2.

Sanji did his best to focus on his two lovely swans and ignore the marimo staring holes in his back. Recently his relationship with the marimo had been strained - but what was he supposed to do? Zoro had gotten himself sliced to pieces in Alubarna - not to mention trying to cut off his fucking feet! And Sanji hadn't been able to stand seeing him like that.

Sure the first day he'd met the marimo, he'd gotten nearly chopped in half by Mihawk, and he'd bled all over the place then… but now.

Now Sanji found himself struggling with Zoro's fucked up ideas concerning self-sacrifice and death. Did that idiot even once think about what would happen to the rest of them if he went and died? How it would make everyone feel? How it would make Sanji feel?

Sanji didn't want to stand in the way of Zoro's dream; it was one of the things he truly admired about the marimo, but he didn't know how many more times he could watch Zoro deliberately get hurt before he fucking snapped and chained the idiot in the hold. There was something about Zoro - something stupidly honest and true - that made Sanji want simultaneously to strangle the man, and to be at his side to support him when he charged headfirst into danger. Recently that desire to remain by Zoro had changed into something else - something dangerously obsessive that forced him to flee into the galley, just so he could stop himself from counting how many times the marimo twitched his left eyebrow, or straining his ears to hear how the ocean breezes made those golden earrings chime…

He would not, could not let himself label this problem as love. If he did then at some point he'd be unable to keep himself from blurting it out. He'd always been terrible at keeping his secrets to himself. It wasn't that his problem was centered around a man, or even that it was Zoro - Sanji believed in all forms of lov… obsession. It was that Zoro couldn't stand him.

Probably due to his competitive nature, Zoro hadn't managed to say a nice word to Sanji from day one, and in turn that abrasive behavior triggered Sanji's own competitive nature. If he fell in love with Zoro, he'd lose. Worse still, if he told Zoro his feelings, the swordsman would probably have Luffy remove him from the crew as cook… Love would only be a distraction and annoyance to Zoro, and Sanji knew the swordsman well enough to know that anything that could distract Zoro from his dream would be cast aside. Although Sanji probably wouldn't even wait to be kicked off the crew; if Zoro coldly rejected his feelings, Sanji would be too heartbroken to remain on the ship with him. If that happened, Sanji would lose his crew, his true love and his dream of finding All Blue. Yes, it was better for everyone that he keep his lov… obsession to himself.

"Hey, where's Zoro?"

Sanji whipped his head around to see that Usopp was right. That shitty swordsman was probably lost again! The group stopped and waited a few moments before realizing that Zoro wasn't simply being a little slow. Nami pursed her lips in an adorable pout. "That idiot is lost again! Sanji, could you go bring him back?"

Sanji was torn. He never denied a request from his sweet angel, but to be separated from her divine presence for the sake of the shitty marimo? No doubt Zoro had already found trouble and was fighting again… alone.

The horrible memory of seeing Zoro's nearly severed feet suddenly attacked his mind, bringing on a wave of nausea. Zoro was ridiculously strong, but he wasn't the best swordsman in the world… Not yet.

"Sanji?"

He blinked and Nami's lovely, worried face swam back into focus. "Of course my swan! I will bring back that shitty moss-ball for you!"

Nami smiled in relief, "Thank you. We'll keep moving along this path, and we'll be sure to leave you markers if we go off the path for any reason. You won't have trouble finding us, right?"

"Nami is so sweet to worry about me! Your radiant light of love will guide me through this jungle! I swear I won't let you down, and I'll return to your side so we can celebrate our love together!"

Even Nami's expression of exasperation was beautiful as she rolled her eyes. "Just go already... If you find him and start trouble on this island I won't give you any money for that locking fridge you want!"

Sanji gave one last happy wiggle before bounding off down the path. "I'll be back sooooon!"

Nami groaned and rolled her eyes again while Robin chuckled softly behind her hand. The others were also amused by their cook's antics. "Shishishishi! Sanji is an idiot!"

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT ABOUT OTHERS, YOU IDIOT OF IDIOTS!"

Usopp cowered in fear and swore he saw Nami's eyes glow red and her teeth turn into monster's fangs as she beat their stupid captain senseless.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Sanji lit another cigarette with a deadpan expression as he stared at the obvious hole in the brush where their perpetually lost swordsman had gone crashing off the road. As always, the stupidity that his crewmate displayed was astounding. What was that idiot marimo thinking?

However, upon carefully examining the marimo tracks, Sanji came to conclusion - Zoro hadn't just wandered off the trail this time. That shitty swordsman had been chasing something. Sanji eyed the trampled path warily. Did this mean there were dangerous things on this island after all? He was sure Zoro could take care of himself for a little bit; maybe he should return to the others and warn…?

Sanji's eyes widened when a feminine figure dressed from head-to-toe in white stepped daintily into the path accidentally cleared through the underbrush. She was too far to see properly, but Sanji's romantic heart could sense a beautiful lady from leagues away…! "Ah, Mellorine! Your beauty outshines the very rainbows! Please grace me with a mere glimpse of your beautiful face!"

Sanji giddily leapt and twirled into the jungle to meet his true love. However, it seemed the lady was shy, because no matter how swiftly he moved she was always in the distance. "Please wait, my love! My heart aches with our separation!"

Before he could muster more convincing words of love to stay his lady's flight, Sanji stumbled quite suddenly into a wide clearing. There was a solemn atmosphere surrounding the ancient white stones scattered here and there, and Sanji couldn't help but feel he had clumsily stumbled into someplace sacred. Somewhat awed, he took in the thick carpet of moss - broken only by white stone once belonging to a path - and large, structural rocks that might have been in a building. Forgetting the mysterious lady now that she had vanished, Sanji strode into the clearing to get a better look. His lovely Robin-chwan would be thrilled to learn of a place like this. There might even be a poneglyph hidden here! Sanji peered into a vast pool of crystal clear water and marveled at its pristine, mirror-like surface. The sand beneath the glossy surface was a shimmering pearl. It was so lovely! Curious, he walked around the clearing, examining some of the larger blocks. If he found some ancient carvings, Robin would give in to her secret love for him without a second thought!

Sanji walked around the corner of a square stone that was at least a foot taller than him when he spotted the missing marimo. Zoro was sitting cross-legged on a small stone that bordered a hidden curve of the strange pond. He appeared to be meditating. His eyes were closed with his palms up and resting on his knees, and a small gleaming ball was cupped loosely in the fingers of his left hand. He could have been sleeping though… However, even when Sanji drew close, Zoro didn't stir or acknowledge his presence in any way - and Sanji found that he couldn't help coming nearer. His breath caught in his throat as he fully took in the sight of the figure before him; for once, Zoro did not look at all like the rude, sloppy bastard that Sanji usually knew. Stained and ripped clothing - including that blasted haramaki - had been exchanged for a pure white wardrobe of loose-fitting pants and a billowing shirt that was unfastened, hanging open, and proudly displaying Zoro's scarred chest. However the clean, bright clothes weren't the only change… The most heart-stopping shock to Sanji's system was Zoro's skin. Every inch of that suntanned body had been painted as white as his new wardrobe. Somehow that blank white expanse of skin made everything about Zoro much more amazing. Seaweed green hair took on a jewel-like emerald sheen against the paint, and even his eyebrows and eyelashes were revealed to be brilliantly green. The dips of his muscles, bones and scars stood out sharply as the white color highlighted every shadowed detail on Zoro's body. It was easy to see the soft curves of Zoro's pectorals, and the crisp cut of his abdominals as they vanished into the waistband of his pants. Sanji's eyes started to burn from forgetting to blink. Looking at Zoro like this was endlessly fascinating. He was seeing things he'd never noticed - not in all the months of actually being physically closer than he was standing now. Like this, Sanji could even see the length of Zoro's eyelashes as they rested against the tops of his cheeks. Zoro looked foreign and peaceful - an untouched object surrounded by a kaleidoscope of color.

"Beautiful…"

The words leapt unbidden from Sanji's lips. He held his breath, but Zoro didn't move in the slightest. Growing brave with Zoro's lack of action - Sanji crept closer and reached out to brush Zoro's painted cheek with the very tips of his fingers. Sanji froze in shock as even such light contact sent warmth rushing up his arm. It was a wonderful feeling. Sanji knelt in front of the swordsman and stroked his fingers along Zoro's jaw. Somehow he just couldn't bring himself to stop touching Zoro.