Disclaimer: Do not own One Piece. Plot and OC belongs to Hitoshirezu Ryu.


July 3 - Effort


Nami stretched her arms above her head after she sat up on her bed. After feeling refreshed, she heard an archeologist make a morning greeting to her.

"Happy birthday, Nami."

"Thank you, Robin," Nami said with a grin as she realized what day it was.

"You're welcome," Robin answered with her own gentle smile then expressed a thought. "I wonder if a certain cook will be making something extra special today."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Nami responded, knowing the older woman was talking about an 'amiable' blond chef among their nakama.

"I'll head out first," Robin spoke, interrupting the navigator's thoughts as she head out of the girls' room. Nami then answered back.

"All right."

Once the door closed, the navigator turned around to face the bed's head behind her to look for a certain object. She spotted the picture of a smiling Bell-mère having arms around young Nojiko and Nami facing the camera. The orange-hair woman gazed lovingly at the portrait as she thought to herself.

Bell-mère…. Nojiko… I'm a year older now and I feel very happy, especially to be with my nakama…

She then randomly noted out loud. "Out of everyone, you would have found Sanji-kun the most perverted, yet the most sweetest gentleman to ever meet, Bell-mère."

Feeling energetic, she proceed to get out of bed and pick out an outfit for the day. Outside of the girls' room, Sanji was holding a tray filled with a plate of heart-shaped pancakes covered with syrup, a pair of sunny-side up eggs and bacon sitting on the side, and a glass of orange juice. He looked over the meal for any imperfections and when he noted there was none, he beamed a proud smile.

I hope Nami-san will enjoy this delectable breakfast I made just for her!

He then commented out loud in 'mellorine' mode with heart-shaped eyes.

"Will Nami-swan give a kiss for my hard work!"

He quickly calmed himself, not wanting to delay the delivery of breakfast to the loveable navigator (in his eyes). Right before he could knock with a free hand, a familiar hungry rubber man voiced a request.

"Sanji! I want food!"

The cook looked over his shoulder with a vein bulging in annoyance as he answered. "You'll get your food soon, bastard! Just wait for a few more minutes!"

Luffy then noticed the tray in Sanji's left hand and quickly became excited. "You already have food right there!"

"BAKA," Sanji shouted, "this isn't for you! It's for-"

"Food!" Luffy shouted as he used an arm to stretch for the railing and catapult himself to the cook.

Before Sanji could dodge, the captain collided against him causing both males to hit against the door in a hard crash. The tray filled with food slipped out of the cook's hand and clattered to the ground as food scattered on the wooden floor and juice sprayed on all wooden surfaces and the individuals. Distraught by the ruined breakfast, Sanji would have continued gazed on the disseminated sustenance with sadness if it weren't for the rubber man pouting with disappointment.

"Aw… the food got ruined."

The vein of irritation bulged bigger as the cook whisperedin rising fury. "And whose fault was that?"

Luffy immediately sensed the cook's hostile aura that he swiftly got up and ran towards to the other side of Thousand Sunny. "I'm going to wait now!"

"BAKAYAROU," Sanji bellowed as he stood up with 'fire' raging around him like an inferno. "You're not getting breakfast!"

"But I'm hungry," Luffy exclaimed as he was no longer seen.

"Just starve!" Sanji appealed to the hiding rubber man. He was going to spew threats till a navigator's voice reached him.

"What was that noise, Sanji-kun?"

The cook quickly turned around to see Nami peeking her head behind a slightly ajar door of the girls' room. He quickly answered as he tried to act casually against the entry, making himself a barrier from the ruined meal on the side.

"Oh, Nami-san! That was… a bird!"

Nami raised an eyebrow skeptically. "A bird?"

"It… collided into the wall after… Luffy chased it around for food," Sanji explained with struggle as he noted to himself.

What a stupid scenario!

"I see," Nami accepted then pointed out something. "What's that orange stuff on you?"

"The… cleaning solution," Sanji replied grudgingly.

"Oh!" Nami answered with concern. "You should change clothes before your skin gets infected."

"I will, Nami-san," Sanji reassured with a small smile.

"I'll see you at breakfast," Nami said before closing the door.

"Breakfast…" Sanji murmured as he looked to the left to see the destroyed meal that a certain rubber man ruined. He let out a deep sigh as he started picking up the scraps of food and place them on the unbroken tray.

"Guess Nami-san will have a 'normal' breakfast with everyone else…"

He made sure the shattered dishware were thrown away before taking the tray of fallen food back to the kitchen and prepared the morning meal. Once he made sure his nakama, even the rubber man was fed and everyone was out of the dining room for their usual activities, Sanji went back to work in his kitchen. An hour and a half later, he topped a clover on a seven-layered colored jelly that was in a tall glass cup.

"Surely Nami-san will love this rainbow jelly! This will make up for the breakfast that was ruined by the rubber idiot."

He then fixed up a teapot filled with water to be brewed for a navigator's tea time. He carefully placed the finished snack onto a prepared tray of a teacup before going into the pantry to fill up his stock for sugar. Chopper came into the dining room from his sick bay to ask for a drink that he always get after doing some research on his medical studies.

"Sanji! Can I please have milk?"

The reindeer then stopped at the entrance of the kitchen and realized something. "Huh? Sanji isn't here? Where did he go?"

He then noted. "Oh! He must be in the stock room. I'll get a cup and wait for him to come back."

Chopper was getting ready to get into his human point until he spotted the colorful jelly glistening under the light. His eyes gleamed at the vibrant snack .

"Ah~! Is that a new snack that Sanji just made!"

He went to the location of the delightful food then tiptoed and grabbed the glass with his hooves. He gaped at the jelly with wonder while twirling the glass in a circular motion.

"Eh~! It looks just like the Round Rainbow we saw back at Spa Island!"

He tapped his left hoof against his chin in a contemplating manner. "I wonder if I can eat this…"

He recalled how Sanji would always present new snacks to the female nakama before bringing out more for the males. Thinking there was plentiful of this colorful jelly stocked in the fridge, the reindeer made a decision.

"I think I'll eat it!"

He grabbed the spoon off the tray then scooped up the first layer of jelly and took a bite. He became starry-eyed as the taste spread in his mouth.

"It's so yummy! Sweet like cotton candy~!"

Within seconds, he gobbled every bit of jelly till only the clover was left sitting in the clean, empty glass. He placed the cup near the sink as he commented with delight.

"That was delicious snack that Sanji made!"

Chopper then heard a door opened and turned around to see the cook that returned with a bag of sugar over his shoulder. He greeted the blond-hair man with excitement.

"Oh, Sanji!"

"Hey, Chopper-" Sanji started to say then noticed a tall glass missing from the tray that he dropped the bag of sugar. "What happened to the rainbow jelly?!"

Overwhelmed with guilt, Chopper quickly explained. "I-I saw the jelly on the counter when I was about to get a cup for you to fill milk with! And I couldn't help but eat it and it was very good!"

Though he knew he shouldn't get mad at the innocent reindeer for the naïve action, Sanji couldn't help but slowly fumed at the sight of the empty glass that once held the wonderful vibrant gelatin. A hissing 'whistle' momentarily brought the cook out of rising infuriation, being reminded of the unattended tea kettle that was now bubbling hot liquid over the stove top.

"Shit! The tea!"

He frantically glanced for the hot pad, which was sitting by the empty glass that held the dessert before. He was ready to bolt for the needed item till the bag of sugar blocked his path, making him fall face down, hard.

"Sanji!" Chopper yelped with alarm.

"Itai…" The cook mumbled as he raised his head and used a hand to touch the nose that earned the impact. The tea pot continued 'whistling' for attention, pushing the man to get back onto his feet, grab the pad and hop over the sugar blockade to 'rescue' the hot beverage. He was able to swiftly, yet carefully removed the kettle to another part of the stove top that wasn't on for heat. He opened the lid to see the amount of liquid 'saved' which was barely a quarter level.

As Sanji gaped at the little fluid with open jaw expression, Chopper decided to speak up to check on the cook's condition from the small fall earlier.

"Sanji, are you-"

The reindeer became silenced by the cook's hard stare that twirled onto him with anger rolling off like a thick cloud. Chopper quivered with fear as he slowly walked backwards from an advancing Sanji steadily marching towards him. The cook was readying his arms to grab the frightened reindeer to give several hard shakes, when a navigator's voice broke his concentration.

"What are you two doing?"

Both males looked to the direction of the dining room and saw Nami glancing over them with curious wonder. The blond-hair man was stupefied by the woman's presence that he responded with an 'excuse.'

"We're fixing… a rat problem."

"A rat," Nami asked with shock, apprehended at the mention of vermin invading the kitchen.

Chopper sensed that the 'rat' that the cook explained was him, which made the reindeer wail as he retreated from the scene. "WUAGH! I'm very sorry!"

Once the reindeer disappeared into his medical haven, Nami blinked at the closed sick bay.

"What's wrong with Chopper?"

"Oh... he tried to help me catch the rat and... he lost the rat that escaped out onto the deck," Sanji explained aversely as he mentally banged his head against the mental wall.

Stupid, stupid scenario…

"He shouldn't feel bad. He tried his best," Nami stated then enquired a 'fact' pointed out. "The rat is out on the deck?"

"Yeah…" Sanji answered slowly then Nami expressed an idea.

"Better have Usopp and Luffy find the rat before anyone or the food get infected by it."

"You're right…" Sanji agreed with a mustered small smile as Nami headed towards the exit. The navigator looked over her shoulder when she was by the door.

"I'll tell Franky to make rat traps in case of anymore rats come into the kitchen."

"That sounds good. Thank you, Nami-san," Sanji answered with the small grin as he watched the female finally leave. He ran a hand through his blond locks with frustration.

"I'll able to make more tea but… Nami-san won't able to enjoy the rainbow jelly after her drink… So she won't able to have a 'colorful' tea time…"

Shortly lunch went by for Sanji to work on another item that will make to the navigator before dinner. Two hours later, he sprinkled cocoa on top of the round cream cheese mixture covered with ladyfingers around the brim of the plate. The cook let out a relieved sigh as he put away the tools and cocoa before picking up the finished cold dessert.

"The tiramisu is finally finished for Nami-san! This will be the best birthday gift she receives!"

He was about to put away the sweet into the fridge until Robin came in and addressed him.

"Sanji, can you please help me out with something?"

The cook couldn't help but forget about the dessert as he responded in a twirling 'mellorine' mode.

"It will be my pleasure to assist in any way, Robin-chwan~!"

The archeologist let out a small chortle as she led the loveable cook out of his domain. Moments later, Brook strode in as he announced to himself.

"Ah~! It's time for afternoon tea! How amazing that I drink the hot beverage without burning my tongue and it's because I don't have a tongue! Yohohoho~!"

The musician was setting up the tea cup and teapot he always used on a available tray that he noticed the dessert. He let out a gasp of delight.

"Sanji-san is very kind to make a snack accompanying my tea! I'll deeply show my gratitude by eating this and sharing with anyone that wants to join me for tea!"

Once he brewed his favorite tea, he carried the tray with the readied beverage and tiramisu out of the kitchen to a spot he can enjoy the two delights. Shortly the skeleton was gone, Sanji returned with a blissful smile on his face.

"What a wonderful time of helping Robin-chan and Rei-chan in picking out an outfit for Nami-san~!"

He sighed dreamily as he went to the spot of the dessert needing to be put away, in which he became slightly distrait when he realized the sweet wasn't there anymore.

"What the hell?! Where is the tiramisu!"

He scanned all over the kitchen for the coffee-colored cream cheese dessert but saw it wasn't in the domain at all. His mind then vaguely remembered noticing a brown-colored item on the tray that Brook had while sitting at the foremast. He angrily marched out of the kitchen, down the stairs and part of the lawn deck to find not just the musician, but also the shipwright sitting comfortably in front of the foremast, drinking tea and eating the precious dessert he made for the navigator.

"Oh, Sanji-san! This is the most delightful dessert you've made," Brook exclaimed when he noticed the cook standing few feet away.

"It has a super taste!" Franky expressed as he postured his upper torso into his custom 'SUPER Pose.'

Sanji clenched his hands into fists as 'fire' started to emit around him like a crackling spark. "You two... have dirtied the perfect dessert... with your filthy mouths!"

Before Brook and Franky could ask Sanji when he meant, they immediately evaded 'burning' kicks that landed where they sat moments ago. The skeleton and shipwright dodged and duck from every kick aiming for their bodies for critical damage.

"Whoa! Calm down, Sanji!" Franky tried to assure the fiery cook as he eluded his large body from another blow.

"Not until I kick both of you, shitheads!" Sanji retorted in a hand stand and twirled his legs circular like a pinwheel.

Brook ducked and gripped his crown with his bony fingers while voicing confusion. "Wait, Sanji-san! Wasn't that dessert for me to share!"

"NO! It was for someone else!" Sanji bellowed with fury. He landed back onto his right leg and quickly twirled, making the limb lit up on 'fire.' He was ready to perform one of his strongest techniques till a certain navigator questioned him.

"What were you kicking at, Sanji-kun?"

The cook quickly simmered down, making the 'fire' decease as well give Brook and Franky make a quick escape to the bow and hide themselves. Sanji kicked the grass as he gave a response to the awaited curious navigator.

"I was getting rid of... giant flies."

"Giant flies," Nami asked as she tilted her head.

"Yeah… I was trying a new recipe when… I heard loud buzzing coming from the deck and I checked outside to see that… giant flies smelled the dessert's aroma…" Sanji enlightened as he mentally slapped himself, several times.

What a stupid, stupid, stupid, scenario!

"Ah," Nami nodded in understanding, imagining the insect to be one of many strange creatures that inhabited New World. "Even bugs like your wonderful cooking."

"Yeah…" Sanji replied with a reluctant smile.

"Did the dessert get ruined," Nami enquired then Sanji responded a half-truth.

"Two 'flies' unfortunately got the dessert."

"Luffy will eat it then. You know how he eats anything," Nami chortled in reassurance.

Sanji slowly nodded. "He does…"

"I better get going," Nami then said, "I'll see you at dinner."

"Yes, dinner…" Sanji answered as Nami made her way to the girls' room. Once he saw the woman disappear from sight, he pulled out a new cigarette and pulled out his golden lighter to lit his comfort item. He inhaled deeply the nicotine before exhaling the smoke in a deep sigh.

"One more time… I should able to make a birthday gift that tops the last three into smithereens…"

When dinner was over, Sanji focused on his goal to make the ultimate gift for the beloved navigator. It was two and a half hours later when Sanji finished the cream cheese frosting onto the cupcake and topping the small sweet with a piece of peeled orange onto the white covering. He placed the cupcake onto a tier tower filled with cupcakes of same design. He exhaled with deep relief.

"There! A seven dozen cupcake tower surely would make up for the other three ruined birthday gifts!"

He then noted to himself that ribbon would be a nice final touch to the tall dessert. He left the kitchen to find certain female nakama as he believed the finished gift will not be ruined. Two minutes later, Luffy slammed the door of the dining room/kitchen to make his presence known.

"Sanji! I want meat!"

"And sake," Zoro added after following the rubber man into the galley. Luffy then commented in confusion after noticing a blond-hair man wasn't around.

"Eh? Where's Sanji?"

"Probably flirting," Zoro remarked on one of cook's attributes, which made him slightly clenched his jaw at an image of the blond rival being 'mellorine' around a ruby-eye swordswoman.

Luffy's eyes then caught the sight of the towered dessert sitting on the counter top which he exclaimed with excitement.

"Oh~! Cupcakes!"

The young captain scurried to the sweet tower then grabbed one of the cupcakes at the bottom layer. With a full mouth, he expressed ecstasy.

"Git's dewilicious!"

As Luffy started seizing random cupcakes to satisfy his hungry stomach, Zoro was going to look for his favorite drink but became curious of the cupcakes when he noted a small orange on top of teach of them. The swordsman was careful to avoid the scrambling stretchy arms as he managed to get one of the small sweets. He took a bite then remarked somewhat thoughtfully.

"Hnn… this isn't bad."

He finished the sweet and got another one right before Luffy picked up the tier and dumped rest of the cupcakes into his stretched mouth. The rubber man placed his hand over his large filled mouth to digest as Zoro yelled in annoyance.

"Oi, Luffy! Why did you ate the rest of them?!"

Once he swallowed, Luffy gave a 'smart' response. "Sanji doesn't like to waste food, so I was making sure the cupcakes didn't go to waste."

Zoro remembered the cook's belief on food as he noted to himself that he wouldn't able to eat much of the cupcakes anyway. He was about to proceed his task of finishing the sweet till the main cook was heard yelling in astonishment.

"What happened to the cupcakes!"

The swordsman didn't felt guilty for standing in a 'red-handed scene' but he couldn't help in hiding the uneaten cupcake from sight by lower his hand below countertop level. Luffy gave a simple explanation to the returned cook that held a roll of auburn ribbon.

"In eating the cupcakes, we didn't waste any food."

Sanji's hands loosened their hold, letting the ribbing slip out of the grasp and roll onto the floor. He then ranted with pent up rage from today's episodes. "…Fucking bastards! I spent hours preparing a perfect dessert then one of you idiots decides to ruin them!"

"…Eating is ruining food," Luffy asked with wonder.

"YES!" Sanji retorted firmly.

"No it's not," Luffy countered then Sanji bellowed fiercely.

"It is by bakas like you!"

For a moment, Zoro thought it would be fun to further provoke the cook by eating the cupcake he still had, but he didn't act upon it. Instead, he walked up to the angry Sanji before revealing the in tact last sweet.

"Here."

Sanji choked on his surprise as he gaped at the cupcake sitting in the palm of the swordsman's hand. "What…"

"I was going to eat it, but I see it was part of something important," Zoro clarified as he did sensed the cook was trying to fulfill a personal mission. When he saw the blond-haired rival wasn't making a motion to grab, he had to use his free hand to grab Sanji's left hand then placed the sweet onto the open palm. The cook stared at the small dessert as Zoro and Luffy proceed to leave. Before going out, Zoro made a suggestion.

"Put saké in them next time."

Zoro then left and Luffy expressed a similar comment.

"Make meat cupcakes!"

Sanji then swiveled around to shout at the closed door. "Make your own cupcakes, shitty bastards!"

Seeing he won't get a reply, he slowly walked towards the kitchen then leaned his upper body onto the counter. He hid his saddened expression behind his right arm as the left arm still held the cupcake in the air.

"Every gift ruined... by idiots... And this one, measly cupcake is the only thing that survived at the end..."

Before he could continue wallowing in self misery of not able to present a wonderful gift to his favorite navigator, he then heard the woman's voice filled with concern.

"Sanji-kun, is there something wrong?"

The cook peeked an eye to see Nami was looking downwards at him with gentleness. Tired of his earlier 'excuses', he decided to respond with some truth as he slowly stood up and placed the sweet on the counter, while refusing to look at the navigator face-to-face due to shame.

"Yes. Out of the four gifts I tried to make for your birthday, this lone cupcake… is the only thing that lasted out of the catastrophes."

Nami was about to question what the cook meant when her eyes then landed upon the small sweet that the male mentioned. She couldn't help but let out a small gasp, which Sanji cringed, expecting the woman's disgust.

"It's so cute!"

Sanji blinked. He braced himself for revulsion of messing up, but the cheerful remark caught him off guard. His blue eyes noticed the navigator's hands gently grabbing the cupcake and being observed by the female's brown gaze. In seeing her favorite fruit on top the white frosting, Nami commented with excitement.

"You put a mikan on it!"

Sanji numbly nodded as Nami twirled the cupcake in her grasp like a child excitedly chasing down a butterfly. Nami then peeled part of the paper off and took a bite of the sweet itself. Her eyes widen with awe.

"And it tastes like mikan!"

Sanji was going to reply but kept silent when the navigator decided to show her gratitude. Nami leaned over to Sanji's right side and place a peck onto the cook's cheek. Sanji was stilled in his spot as Nami decide to head her way to the exit. Before leaving, she glanced over her shoulder with the remained genuine smile.

"Thank you for this wonderful gift, Sanji-kun."

The navigator then left the stupefied cook alone in the dimmed kitchen. Sanji slowly raised a hand to place over the warm touch that remained on his cheek. After realizing that all his work wasn't in vain, he exclaimed excitedly with heart-shaped eyes.

"I got a kiss from Nami-swan~!"

In the late evening of the noisily, yet sleeping Straw Hat males in their designated room, Sanji sat up in his bed when he realized something.

"The Kuso Marimo… actually helped make my night with Nami-san…"

He knew that the swordsman could very thoughtful, but he never thought there would be a day that he would be helped by the man himself. After contemplating over Zoro's 'kindness,' his hearing caught the man himself mumbling in sleep talk.

"Make saké cupcakes, Rasen Mayu…"

"Che," Sanji grunted with amusement then he made a decision as he laid back down to sleep. "Sure, why not."

He decided that the swordsman rival deserved an award, for once.


Baka-Idiot

Bakayarou-Dumb/Stupid Bastard

Itai-Ouch

Mikan-Tangerine or Orange

Rasen Mayu-Spiral Brow

Kuso Marimo-Shitty Marimo


A/N: Another birthday special and it's Nami's birthday! As many might have guessed from reading this, there was Sanji/Nami fluff. I want to hint that the main story, The Dragon Chronicles will have a lot of Sanji/Nami fluff in later chapters when the relationship is established. I know that Luffy/Nami is the most popular pairing, but there are many reasons why Sanji/Nami work. One reason is 98.72% of Sanji's recruitment to the Straw Hats is because of Nami. ;) The main story will address the other reasons for Sanji/Nami pairing, which I hope you'll enjoy.

And again, I repeat another apology for another unprofessional tone chapter but at least the ending isn't awkward, thanks to Volleys-chan, who is still in the process of editing of Sabo's and Luffy's birthdays. Anyway, happy birthday, Nami!