Five days until the wedding.
He's gonna be late. Goddamnit.
Goji should have fucking known. His father was an asshole, not an idiot. Of course he'd send him away beforehand, of course he wouldn't tell Goji-When he was the only member who seemed to care about Sanji at all. Want him to keep busy, stay detached, keep out of the way of his stupid fucking empire. Shit. Shit! No wonder he wanted to send just Goji into this damn Broccoli war when they clearly requested two goddamn people. Something about how he could handle the job himself, how he needed to get off his ass and do more work-Goji hadn't known it was so close to the plot kicking up.
Shit.
This meant the Big Mom and the Pudding girl was already pulling their magic veil over everyone's faces. This meant that Sanji would probably get into trouble while he was gone. That meant he had to hurry up and get the hell back. Sanji was back, he's back-
Sanji is back.
My brother is back and if I'm not there, Judge will have hell to pay.
He's back, he's back, he's back. He'll finally be able to see his brother again, after so long. Finally be able to escape. Finally be able to see Germa 66 fall, finally be able to reunite, finally be a part of something like a future.
Goji's lifeline is so damn close he can taste it.
And if Judge thought he could keep him away from that-
"... How long will it take to return?"
"F-Four days, sire, if everything goes according to plan! Brock Colie is only one war." And really, Goji thinks, if there was anything to commit patricide over-This was it. Totally and absolutely. "We only need to collect the payment, then."
Four days. One to return, three for the job. There are a lot of people here, after all, and this revolution is so very old. Bad blood runs everywhere, even if the people are tired of fighting.
(He was here to end it. Deliverance, perhaps, from the war.
In the end, it's all about the gold.)
"Make it two. Cut down on return time." He closes his eyes, voice blunt, "I… Will end the opposition by tomorrow morning." A tall order for a one-man job, but doable all the same. With copious amounts of technology abuse, of course.
They would have died anyway. Goji just needed to make it faster. So it didn't matter so much, did it? He was only doing his job. So it didn't matter, not this.
It never did.
(He doesn't care about much, these days, and if Sanji reminds him just a little bit about what he used to feel and makes him think a little longer about the guilt on his shoulders, then that would be salvation enough.)
He doesn't listen to the reply of the soldier. It didn't really matter, they'd get it done. Absolute obedience had its advantages. Goji heaves a sigh. Yes, quite the advantage. Honestly, with the way his brothers overused them-and quite distastefully so-It's no wonder he's able to one-up them in battle. The technology was cool, yes, but that didn't mean so much when you didn't have your own skill.
… The flight boots were impressive, though...
Well, nevermind that, he had some cannon fodder (lives) to kill.
So he does just that.
(The funniest thing, you know, is that no matter how much empathy or sympathy or humanity you chuck away, there would always be a selfish need for pleasure.
That's how children were, too.)
"Sorry," Goji says, though it's mild and empty and hidden under someone's screams, "I won't make it hurt." That's a lie, of course, but as he feels his haki ripple out premonitions of bullets and swords and desperation that can't even touch him, he can't say that he wouldn't try. His hands are too slow to kill, so he reluctantly removes his blindfold instead. The sudden light hurts, but that's the least of his problems.
He ducks under the swing of a sword, so slow it's almost embarrassing to watch, and skips back. "It's alright." A resignation, preparation. "It won't take long."
No, it won't. Not at all. Fighting these people is nothing compared to fighting Niji and Yonji. Especially when they try to tag-team him, a tactic that he (quite unfortunately) still can't find a way around. Surely, he isn't relieved, but…
For once, the simplicity of a slaughter is something he is grateful for.
A step, a crackle from his heels, and the world blurs. He disappears, a streak of neon violet trailing behind his wake. It's as simple as that, and the show of him vanishing in front of the peoples' eyes is enough to make them pause. They murmur, pulsing in a terror that Goji has near-forgotten how to taste.
He cracks into existence with a flicker and a snap-Ah, he'll surely regret this, he knows-"Medusa Eye."
How quiet.
The man he's looming over isn't a man anymore, merely a statue. Stone, through and through.
They crumble without a sound.
Ichiji and Niji and Yonji, they liked destruction. They liked the rush of power and the sparkly lights from explosions and being the strongest. They liked their dominance and their superiority and being the best. They liked it and loved it and it made them feel happy, so why not pursue such a wonderful sensation?
Nobody else mattered to them, not really. Not in any way that counts. Not even Judge or Reiju or Goji or each other. Not if they were weak. Doesn't matter if they're siblings or family or anything, doesn't matter if Judge might love them or Reiju might hate them or Goji might care. They'd leave them behind without a single look backward. Perhaps he's being unfair to Ichiji and Yonji and Niji because it's really Judge's fault, but sometimes it's hell to think and realize that none of them would really do anything for him.
Yonji is the brashest of them all. He's a douchebag, naturally inclined to be a jerk. He thinks the least and gets himself into trouble the most, does things because he wants to and doesn't think about the consequences until later. Goji has definitely had to deal with his shit more than once.
Yonji's also the one that picks him up after a fight, offers a "Get up, you lazy ass, I know you're not dead, now help me beat up fugly over there," grins at him with lopsided exhilaration during a fight and drags him to a bar afterward. He's the one who yells at him with a laugh and "I can be cooler than you, prick!" before showing off and probably getting his ass beat by Ichiji for being too loud. Yonji is the one that slings his arm around his shoulders to whistle about that hot girl down the street and then Goji has to remind him that he can't see shit.
Niji's a prick. He's stuck up. That's all there is to it. His ego's the size of a mountain. He acts all cool and calm, but everyone knows he's vindictive as hell. Smarter than Yonji, at least, but totally likes gloating about it. He's a picky bastard and won't do anything he doesn't want.
And yet he's the guy who grumbles about being the shortest and eating his vegetables. He bores easily and drags Goji along with a smirk and a laugh and an offhand "Thanks," needling him about sparring and technique and technology. They have their weekly game match- "That move isn't even legal, Niji," "Yes it fucking is, I read the rulebook, damnit,"-And then the loser has to clean up the other's room. They fly together for fun, and Goji has to stop him from punching birds when they get in the way.
Ichiji likes to be the mastermind. He's the worst of them all when it comes to cruelty, likes to gloat in silence and sneer with a look. You can never beat him in an argument, not really, and he knows that just as well as you. Expected, from the leader number one. The worst.
But Ichiji smiles at him when he does well. He's not relaxed, per say, but he's mellowed in a way Ichiji and Niji could never dream of. They talk about things like politics and technology and pirates, and then sillier things like tattoos and food and the best hair care on the market ("I don't know why you swear by Saitama's, he's clearly bald"). His favorite drink after alcohol is tea, and it's safest next to him because Ichiji will watch out for him if he needs it. ("Don't get distracted, just do your damn job.")
…
And none of that matters, in the end.
Goji thinks he might understand why Reiju hates them.
Personally speaking, he runs off memories. He doesn't like explosions, anyway. Power is nice, but he-she remembers that this is wrong. Don't do more damage than you have to. Indiscriminate killing is bad. Don't set the country alight. Spare the weak, the ruined, the hungry. This war has been raging for years. The people are tired. It's more efficient, too.
He'll get home faster. That was his 'pleasure', after all.
The War of Brock Colie might have raged as it burnt out, screaming amidst a blast of screams and glory. Instead, it shudders, trembles, fades away. He'd normally help clean out all the new statues and chunks of rock littering the place, but he's busy today and there's no time for that. The contract is fulfilled. They pack up, get paid, and that's the end of that. He kicks the crew into full speed, anxiety tight in his throat.
Next stop, Whole Cake Island.
He needs to get back, needs to go, needs to see his brother-his dream, his future, his salvation-he needs to see him, Sanji is so close-
And then what?
The knot in his chest tightens and grows. He jitters his leg, paces a hole into the floor, sits and stands and sits down again. They've barely departed. Hardly moved.
He'll be late.
Goji definitely can't have that.
"... I'm going ahead. You can all get back, correct? I will see you at Whole Cake Island." Goji throws the command over his shoulder and promptly jumps overboard, kicking forward with his flight boots at full speed.
Even the wind, gently carding its fingers through his hair, fails to make him feel like he won't vomit.
…
The reaction he gets when he stumbles in through front door a day early (not early enough) is… well, eventful. It's nighttime, so it's not nearly as big as it might have been, but eventful all the same. He's exhausted. It shows.
"Master Goji?" A guard gapes at him. "What-Where are the others-Did you-" He swallows, and his face would be hilarious if Goji wasn't so damn tired.
"Quiet. I finished the job. Wanted to come early." He says shortly, running a hand through greasy hair as he sweeps past the poor guy without giving him a chance to reply. "Don't make a fuss. Tell Judge and Big Mom, if you must. Ship's coming behind."
Now that he's touched down, the pounding in his chest is growing worse. His haki reaches involuntarily, seeping out in waves for that one person, for Sanji. It was nervewracking before, so far away. Now that he's close?
He thinks his heart might beat out of his damn throat. His hands are sweating, his knees might shake. His stomach is doing flip-flops that make him want to scream.
Fucking hell. Goji sucks in a breath. God. Oda. Spare him the heartache. Please.
"You know, you could do to learn some manners, little brother."
Reiju.
He… Didn't notice her. Hopefully she didn't notice him having a mental breakdown, or something. He offers a shrug in return, clearing his throat.
She's the same as ever, his big sister. Pretty in pink. Hard to read, calm, placid. Never telling anyone anything. That was her thing, he supposed. Still, she's the nicest one in the palace, by way of his opinion. They were partners in crime. Used to be partners in crime.
He's never been sure, not since the modifications.
"You aren't hurt?" It's a simple question, neatly given. If only Goji could be more like her. It would make this a lot easier. Did she feel this anxious, when she first met their estranged brother?
"No." A pause, and a swallow rings audibly throughout the hall. "... Sanji?"
"He's here." Reiju confirms, and and smiles. "You'll be able to find him, I'm sure. Go see him."
Goji is moving before she finishes talking. Perhaps it was rude, to brush her off so quickly, but he can't think about it now. Walk? Too long-He doesn't know where Sanji's room is. He's not going to deal with Judge earlier than he has to, and he's not going to get delayed by asking someone. He needs to get to Sanji.
Sorry, Zeroji.
With that fleeting thought in mind, Goji turns on his heel and throws himself out the nearest window. There's a familiar flash of light, and he's gone. Reiju just sighs and smiles, going to run damage control while Goji near kills himself getting to his brother. By that, he means something akin to 'resisting the urge to rip out your own heart before you go deaf from the beat racing in your ears' and 'not screaming his lungs out before he hyperventilates'.
Sanji's here, Sanji's here, Sanji's here, oh shit oh fuck oh my god-His throat is dry, his nerves are absolutely shot to hell, and he nearly trips over the balcony railing instead of landing properly. He's terrified, he knows, and it's such a relief to know he can still be scared. Goji nearly bites his tongue off as he stands up, feeling the irrational urge to wriggle out of his skin and scream.
His throat's dry. He's not even within sight of his brother and he's already having a nervous breakdown. He just got home from a war. He's a mess. He's tired.
What does he say?
Luckily for him, he doesn't have to choose. It's only a couple moments of panic before he hears footsteps behind him instead, nearly giving into the urge to shriek as he spins around-He's got no time for people, who the hell is it-
Sanji.
(Well, they did say Observation Haki worked best when you were calm.)
Please review i'm dying these two reuiniting
how do you think it'll go?
