Hi, hope you guys still remember this :))

Now this is another chapter of the story, where Zoro and Sanji kinda solve their thread problem and what happens when they both willing to work on their new relationship.

Enjoy!


"Put it down over here, marimo". Sanji instructed as he lowered his own shopping bag on the table. They'd just be back from their stocking trip on this island. Thanks God this island was a famous fashion and entertainment place; therefore they didn't have to worry about marine or other pirate attacks. Plus, the food supplies of this island were really profuse and fresh. Sanji had to muster up all his willpower to turn away from a stall full of red, round kind of roots and some other delicious things, otherwise he would be drowning Zoro and himself in their purchases, and risking breaking his left wrist for good.

Ah, speaking of broken wrists, Sanji curled his fingers a few times and a subtle smile pulled at his lips.

Three weeks ago, the Straw Hat Pirate suffered a sudden attack from another pirate ship. The cruel, aggressive pirates were chasing after Luffy because the stupid rubber boy had pissed their captain off by breaking one of their guy's arm for pissing him off. They announced that they must take revenge and their dignity back or die trying. It was later revealed that Luffy, somehow, stole the poor guy's food in a pub on the island they had just left.

That was what pissed Sanji off the most. Because of his bottomless pit, they had to defend their ship against some nasty yet tough pirates. And because of his stupid Gomu Bazooka that caused Zoro, while they were struggling to fight within the confined length of the thread, to trip over some rolling barrels, crashing into the cook, crushing him down to the floor and twisting his left wrist in a very disturbing way.

However, the part that really pissed the blonde off was what came after the fight. Sunny Go's weapons were used to shoo away the roaring revenge pirates and they sailed off. The green-haired bastard, though not making a fuss like Chopper, or whining apologies like Luff, was really upset with himself. He stared as the little doctor examined the cook's wrist. Guilt, anger, frustration and something else that Sanji couldn't quite read shadowed his eyes, turning his lips downward. That made Sanji more uncomfortable than anything. He didn't like that kind of expression on the marimo's face.

The moment Chopper declared that his wrist was just twisted, not broken, and would be healed in a couple weeks; relief dawned on the swordsman's posture and he then sank down on the deck to get his injuries treated.

It was funny to see the stoic, grumpy, lazy green haired man busying himself in the kitchen under the cook's orders. At first, the blonde felt nothing but annoyed whenever he needed to do something and had to have the swordsman done it for him, whether it was boiling water, chopping vegetables or taking a cigarette out of his pack.

Sanji was like, "Hey, marimo, take this and do this", and Zoro did just that. No arguing, no complaining. No hesitating. The first few days, Sanji had ants crawling under his skin and he felt the urge to take his frustration out on someone. Zoro was right beside him, so he ordered the man around just to get him pissed and start a fight with him. But the confusing marimo just obeyed him like he was his master. And that frustrated Sanji even more, so he kicked his ass for the sake of releasing his double stress.

As time went by, Sanji started to question the swordsman's strange behavior. How the hell did he manage to do whatever Sanji told him to do and not be irritated? If it was him that Zoro was bossing around, the green head would've been dead by now. The cook's first conclusion was that the marimo did that just to see him pissed and laugh inside his head. He tried to provoke Zoro. Asking him if he had eaten something wrong and was loosing the few remaining brain cells in his stupid head. The man surprised him by shrugging and saying that he just wanted to help with the cooking so that the crew wouldn't be starving. It was not like he could do otherwise. They were stuck together. And it was always nice to have someone helping him making meals for the crew and the constantly hungry captain, who caused all this mess. So, Sanji stopped wondering and started enjoying Zoro's helping hands.

He started to observe the other man as time went by. Like how he always pet Chopper's hat and told him it was amazing whenever the little reindeer ran up to them to show them his new inventory on some medicines. Watching Zoro smile while the kid flailing around was quite amusing too. Or how he laughed after scaring the shit out of their sniper. How he liked anything cooked from rice and sea king meat. How he set his jaw and lifted his weights, working hard towards his goal with a determined mind that Sanji really admired (within the small space of his blond head).

Finally, it surfaced from deep inside his conscious and presented to him the concept of this thing between them. He admitted that Zoro was a good guy, an interesting friend and a true nakama. And if Zoro was willing to do anything to make their relationship better, why couldn't he be a big man too and sit down with swordsman to work this out?

He knew he enjoyed Zoro's company. In fact, so much that he was taking advantages of his almost healed wrist.

He liked to ask the green haired man to do things for him, even though his wrist was getting better and he could do quite many of those things by himself. But he asked Zoro anyway, just to see the man scowled at him, complaining about his long lasting injury and yet set off to do what he was told.

"We really need to do all of this just to make a dish, cook?" The swordsman asked from his spot beside Sanji near the sink, annoyance slipping into his tone. He was washing the fifth ingredients for the third times, some kind of leaf he didn't know, just like the other four, root and pea and shit.

"No, dumbass". Sanji scolded as his hands moving with lighting speed on the clean stuff passed to him, cutting them into fine pieces. "We're making more than one dish. How many times have you eaten my cooking to even ask something stupid like that"?

Zoro glared at him, and he smirked. Yeah, they were on good terms now. That didn't mean he couldn't insult the other man anymore, though. It was what he liked to do the best, after cooking. But the moss head wasn't the one to talk. He fished for Sanji to throw insults at him and bit back with full force, if not more. That often resulted in them kicking each other's head in and punching each other's arms. Not allowed to fight for real because of the thread, they both settled down for bickering and some haft-hearted attacks, like…

"An old-married couple".

The archeologist's smooth voice murmured from behind them as she made her way into the galley. Setting her book down on the table, Robin put her chin in her palm and observed the two men with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I beg your pardon, Robin-chan". The blond cook asked politely as he gave her his attention.

"I said, cook-san, that you two act like an old-married couple".

Sanji wanted to protest but he Zoro bit him for it.

"What? Who says I want to be a couple with him"?

"What? I should be the one to say that. I mean, who wants to be a couple with a man who has seaweed on his head"?

"Who wants to be with an idiot who has dartboard for an eyebrow"?

"My eyebrow is fine, dipshit. Who wants a Neanderthal with orientation problem like you"?

"It's not my fault that the streets or buildings decide to move on their own. You're a stupid cook with the stupid hair cut and your stupid cooking".

"You're pushing it, you son of a bitch"! Sanji, all forgotten about the restricted space between them, roared as he lifted his leg high to bring it down on the bastard's kelp head and make him suffer brain damage for the rest of his fucking life. Zoro was ready for the attack. He himself had his sword unsheathed and into a stance to stop the fuming cook's leg.

They completely forgot the raven haired girl's presence until she giggled, far too amused at the sight her nakama fighting over what she said.

"You two might as well get married and get this over with". She dropped the words and turned to leave, uncared about the two flushing men who now abandoned their fight to scream after her.

"Who wants to marry him"?

The cook, beyond embarrassed, whined at the retreating back of his beauty, face red like a tomato.

"Robin-channnnn".

"Crazy woman", Zoro mutterd, as red as Sanji.

That caused another fight and they ended having a much late lunch than usual.

The day went by with more embarrassing events for the swordsman and the cook. When Nami heard of the "old-married couple" thing, she fell into a non-stop laughing session and couldn't hide the smirk on her face whenever she saw the men.

Later on, Luffy and Usopp joined the girls in the smirking and loud whispering. The poor idiots learned it the hard way not to test the mad men's wrath. But when the green man suggested they should shut the girls up too, the cook had kicked him before he had the time to think about it, and they ended up in a limps-tangled mess.

"Stop kicking me, you shitty cook". Zoro howled.

In the evening, Nami, Chopper and Luffy had a hard time to convince the cook to agree to go into the town for the festival. Today was the festival day in the town on the island they were docking. There were going to have a lot of interesting things being sold, and so many games and bets and competitions. And they could use a little fun after an eventful, long trip. In the end, the mention of good food broke down Sanji defense and they all headed into town.

The further they went in, the more regretful Zoro felt. Pink hearts were everywhere he looked. Couples, hands in hands, walked along the paved path to some place the swordsman was sure as hell he didn't want to go to. Is this a stupid love festival or something? And was it just him or the microphone by the fountain had just announced that there was a best couple competition about to take place.

His fear was confirmed when they all were pushed and shoved in the crowd to a small square with eye-hurting lighting. There were plenty of couples forming half a circle. The green-haired man thought he misheard it as the speaker on the stage just called his name and Sanji. It seemed that a while ago, the crew had enrolled them for the competition.

"Are you fucking kidding me"? Zoro roared, horrified while Sanji looked like he was about to faint.

"No!" Nami grinned and pushed them forward into the lines of exciting couples.

That was the most embarrassing, humiliating and horrifying hour in the swordsman and the cook's lives. They were forced to do all the stupid couple thingies like dancing together, drinking with their arms intertwined and so many other things that would never want to remember.

The competition ended and they were rewarded the title of "cutest couple ever". Sanji swore he would kill the speaker right on the spot if he ever dared to put that pink ribbon on him. The crew had the most amazing time ever, escorting the "couple" back to the ship, laughing their lungs out.

"Stupid thread," Zoro growled.


You may find this silly, but I'm having a hard time finding a beta reader who prefers to beta One piece boyxboy, especially silly stories like this. So if you know anyone you can recommend, please let me know. Or if you're willing to beta this, please let me know. Many thanks 3