Title: Rumors

Rating: M

Author: EudaimonArisornae

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

WARNING: SPOILERS up end of the Enies Lobby arc. This story is set to take place immediately after episode 324.


Chapter 9

A week passed, and to Franky, the mood aboard the Thousand Sunny seemed to be growing steadily more uptight.

Rather than go to lunch that day, Franky opted to lock himself in his workshop for the afternoon. That way, he could stay away from the tedious demands of Nami and the icy glares of Sanji.

Franky knew he was banging his hammer a bit louder than necessary, but it was the only thing he could do to calm his nerves. He had tried to make light conversation with Sanji at breakfast that morning, and he was startled by the cook's steely response.

"You don't know how to treat a lady," the blonde-haired man had sneered, in response to Franky's idle comment about some of the new fish in the aquarium. The cook had then taken an angry drag off of his cigarette and threateningly waved the cigarette in Franky's direction. "And don't even try to deny what's going on with her, either. The only person in this crew I'll tolerate lying to me is Usopp."

Then Sanji had stormed into the kitchen, leaving Franky standing by himself with his mouth agape.

Worse yet had been Robin's reaction when he had told her. "Well, that's an interesting development, but it's still just his suspicions right now," she had mused nonchalantly, brushing a hand against his cheek lightly, pressing her body against his. "I think it might be entertaining to let them speculate a bit longer."

Franky wanted to protest, but he had a hard time going against her will when her body was so close to him. He wanted to tell her he would rather just tell the truth and deal with the consequences. Instead, he felt himself being drawn into a kiss.

"Besides," she had murmured, her soft lips gently grazing his lips and chin as she spoke, "the rest of the crew are a bit more oblivious. It will certainly take them some time to figure out what's been going on between us. Don't you think it will be amusing to see how the rumors play out?"

And he had sighed reluctantly, still unable to object to anything she told him. "Alright, if that's what you want to do," was his only response.

"Idiot," he muttered to himself, replaying the conversation in his head over and over. He gritted his teeth together, momentarily forgetting that he was still holding several nails in his mouth.

"Dammit!" he shouted, spitting the nails onto the ground.

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Sanji was not in a much better state. After everyone was done eating lunch, he went outside, took a position standing near the front of the ship, and started to chain smoke.

Seven cigarettes later, his state of mind had darkened considerably. He knew that he and Nami had no relationship besides being nakama, and anything beyond that relationship was superficial at best. The tempestuous navigator only flirted with him if she wanted a favor, and every time Sanji tried to make an advance on her, he was promptly met with a painful whack to the back of his skull.

However, the fact that Nami refused to be with him was not what was troubling the cook. What truly perplexed him was that a free-spirited cyborg who was nearly twice her age and paraded around in his underwear all day long had been able to get so close to Nami in just a few short weeks.

"Uh, Sanji?" Usopp said timidly, approaching him from behind.

Sanji tightened his jaw, crushing the cigarette that had been lightly resting between his teeth. The more he stewed over the Nami situation, the more furious he became at the sheer audacity of Franky. He hadn't even been a member of the crew for two weeks, and he was already taking advantage of the woman that Sanji had sworn to protect.

"Sanji?" Usopp repeated. When the lean cook still did not respond, the long-nosed man hesitantly tapped him on the shoulder.

Sanji jolted in surprise. He had been brooding so intensely that he had failed to notice the person standing behind him.

"You okay? You've been standing there for a really long time," Usopp said, scratching the back of his head nervously. "We were getting kind of worried about you." Usopp tilted his head toward Luffy and Chopper, who were standing further down the deck, playing a game that Sanji could not identify.

Noticing Sanji and Usopp looking at him, Luffy waved his arms at them energetically. "Oi, Sanji!" he called out loudly.

Sanji nodded his head in acknowledgement, and turned his attention back toward Usopp.

"I'm fine," the cook said coldly. "Just clearing my head."

"Uh, well, listen," Usopp said nervously, "It's kind of hard not to notice how you've been acting toward Franky for the past couple days, so I was kind of thinking something might be bothering you."

Sanji narrowed his visible eye at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Er, well, you've been kind of short with him, and, well, you kinda stormed off after you talked to him this morning…"

"I just don't like him," he interrupted curtly, flicking the butt of his cigarette overboard.

"Oi!" Luffy shouted again, running toward Sanji with Chopper in tow. "Did you find out what's wrong, Usopp?"

"Nothing is wrong," Sanji growled, loud enough for the captain to hear him.

"Aw, just tell us, Sanji," Luffy whined. "Then you can make us some meat."

"You just ate lunch!" he snapped.

Irritated, Sanji stuck another cigarette in his mouth and lit it up.

"Well?" Luffy asked impatiently. "He's our new nakama! Why don't you like him?"

The cook sighed reluctantly, exhaling smoke through his nostrils.

"Is it kind of like how you always fight with Zoro?" Chopper piped in.

Sanji scoffed. "No, that shitty marimo makes me hate him for completely different reasons." He shook his head slowly and took several long drags from his cigarette. He was surprised the trio was waiting so patiently for his reply.

"Alright," he said finally. "I think there's something going on between Franky and Nami."

"Huh?" said Luffy.

"Why do you think that?" Usopp asked, scratching his head in confusion. "I don't think I've noticed anything strange."

Sanji rubbed his temple. "Nami keeps demanding him to do things for her, and he does it. He's even doing things for her that I used to do for her."

"What's the big deal? Nami makes everybody do things for her," Luffy pointed out.

"Has she made you do anything for her since Franky joined the crew?" Sanji replied sharply.

Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper remained silent.

"Is that a no?" He sighed with frustration. "See what I mean? They also keep disappearing for long periods of time, alone."

"That doesn't necessarily mean there's anything going on…" Usopp trailed off.

Luffy scratched the side of his head in confusion. "I don't see why it matters. I'm glad she's not asking me to do stuff for her all the time!"

"He lied to me about sleeping in his workshop at night," Sanji divulged. He leaned back against the railing and slumped in defeat.

"O-Oh," Usopp stammered. "W-well, even if it is true, there's still Robin for you to flirt with, right?"

"It's not just that," Sanji said passionately. "Nami-san deserves to be treated like a goddess, with people catering to her every desire. That shitty hunk of metal couldn't possibly understand the romantic treatment that Nami-san needs." Sanji took the last drag off of his cigarette, and regretfully tossed it into the sea below. "I'm going to go figure out what to prepare for dinner tonight," he said, abruptly ending the discussion.

"Is he going to be okay?" Chopper asked when Sanji was out of earshot.

"I don't really know, but if what he's saying is true, there's nothing any of us can do to fix it for him," Usopp replied solemnly.

Luffy looked back and forth between the two of them with confusion. "Eh, I still don't get it. Why is he so mad?"