The sun is shining outside and spring's finally here! It gives so much energy to write, woho!


Chapter 9

The weather was perfect: sunny with a light breeze, so it wasn't too hot or too windy. The sun reflected nicely in the sharp blade and Zoro had been on the shore training for half an hour, but he was not even sweaty. He couldn't focus. The voice calling his name and the blue eyes had hunted him even more than usual the night before. He had woken up two times with a ragging hard-on, and he didn't even know is wet dream's face; very annoying.

"Let's take a walk Chopper", Zoro said and slid his three swords back in their sheaths.

The reindeer had been sniffing some algae that had been washed up on the shore, but jerked his head up when Zoro called his name, skipping after his master.

Zoro walked for a few minutes, only kicking sand with his black boots and trying not to think of anything. Only listen to the splashing waves and screeching seagulls. That was when Chopper got all excited. Zoro had seen him lift his nose in the air and sniffing, concentrating on a smell. Usually when Chopper smelled a new smell, he often ran and hid (often the wrong way). But this time Chopper brayed happily and started to run along the shore, only stopping to see if Zoro was following, which he wasn't.

"Chopper, what are you doing?"

The bluenose frowned and ran back, jumping around his master and running away again, meaning for Zoro to follow.

"Chopper wait!" Zoro shouted as he started to run after the reindeer.


Sanji opened his eye's slowly, sun shining bright in his face. He turned his head to the side and saw Smoker lying beside him. The royal captain laid on his stomach, head turned at away from him and his lower half in the water, waves splashing up on his back.

'He probably dragged me up here before fainting from exhaustion', Sanji fought with a fond smile gracing his lips.

Sanji rose on his elbow and brushed the hair from his eye. The prince sat up fully and he let his gaze fell, right on a pair of slender, pale legs. He lifted one of them slowly, almost afraid as if he moved too fast it would all disappear. When the foot was in the same line as his face, he wiggled the small toes in a test.

He let it rest in the other leg's knee and turned to Smoker, opening his mouth to tell the captain to wake up. Not a sound left his lips. When Sanji remembered his voice had left him, he shook Smoker's shoulder instead.

The captain stirred and turned around to lie on his back instead, doing the same mistake as Sanji and looking right into the sun.

"Bloody light", Smoker cursed and put his arm in front of his face, giving it some shadow.

Sanji rolled his eyes and poked his arm.

Smoker looked over at Sanji and jerked up fast in sitting position as well. He looked the merprince up and down, mouth slightly agape.

"Sanji... you- you've got legs!"

The shocked captain met Sanji's eyes and the prince nodded his head towards Smoker's own.

'You too'

Smoker looked down at himself too. "Shit!"

"Oh my god!"

Sanji and Smoker both turned to the sea and saw Usopp float close to the shore, lips shaped as an 'O' and mouth looking like a horn.

"You two are humans!"

Smoker face-palmed and Sanji's shoulder shook in mute laughter when a high screech was herd.

All three looked up into the sky to see Franky sail down to them.

"Owwwe, look what the catfish dragged in!" he said and landing on one of Sanji's legs. The one resting over his up-bent knee.

"Yo, Sanji-bro. There's something different about you, isn't it?"

Sanji nodded enthusiastically.

"Wait, don't tell me", Franky shouted and rubbed his head. "Owwe, it's you hairdo! You've been using the supra dingelhopper, right!"

Sanji looked at the bird for a second before shaking his head resignedly.

"He's got legs you bad excuse of a fowl!" Smoker cursed through gritted teeth.

Franky looked down at what he was standing on and his eyes shoot open in surprise, flapping his wings and lifting from it. He landed on a stone beside Usopp instead.

"He's not the only one!" Usopp shouted and pointed on Smoker.

"It's not my fault", Smoker said with an annoyed look. "This prince over here dragged me into it too."

Franky tilted his head in confusion and turned to Usopp, the fishboy started to explained the whole turn out in the Seasorcerers cave, the deal and what they had to accomplish this passing week.

Sanji ignored the accusing tone in Smoker's voice and tried to stand up. His legs were shaking and when he stood fully on them, he wobbled and fell back into the water.

Smoker sighed and rose, not the slightest sign on shaking legs at all. He walked down in the water and helped Sanji stand again.

"Just stand still", Smoker said as he helped Sanji back on the shore. "When your legs have stopped shaking, you can try take one step, then another."

A few minutes later, Sanji could even run and jump; still falling sometimes, but he was walking on sand.

Sanji turned to Smoker in wonderment.

'How the hell do you know how to walk so well?'

Smoker frowned at the telepathic question. He muttered something under his breath and Sanji was about to ask him more firmly this time, but the captain interrupted him.

"This is a disaster!" he shouted out, startling everyone of them. "The king will never allow this, not a chance in any world! I'll be a dead merman when he gets his hands on us. Usopp, get your scrawny as on a roll and fetch the king. Now!"

Usopp froze but didn't move as a 'No' went through their heads.

Sanji rushed up to Smoker, clasping the older man's head between his hands and looked at him with a serious face, head shaking furiously.

"Don't you shake your head at me young man." Smoker said and crossed his arms. "We may still have time, if we can get Crocodile to give you back your voice, we can go back to All blue and..."

Sanji had changed tactics. He had come this far and he was not backing down now dammit! His stern face turned into a pleading one and his eyes begged Smoker for his help.

" and... and then you'd be miserable for the rest of your life." Smoker said with a hopeless sigh.

He shook his head slowly and rubbed his temple. Why did he always ended up in things like this?

"Fine. We'll find that human and win this stupid deal."

Sanji's face lit up and he hugged Smoker hard.

'The castle has made me way too soft' Smoker thought with a heavy sigh.

"Oww Sanji!" Franky shouted and glided over to an old pile of clutter, probably from the shipwreck. "If ya wanna be a super human, you gotta dress like one."

Franky searched around rotten tree and found an old sail and a rope. "Owwwe! Found what I need."

Smoker watched on safe distance as Franky twirled the fabric around the merprince. When the bird was finished, he walked back and they all examined Sanji's new look.

Sanji looked down at himself, then up and between Usopp and Smoker. His eyebrows had risen and you didn't have to have telepathic powers to understand that he wanted their opinion.

The merprince looked as good as you could look in a half wet, half torn sail. Franky had wrapped it over his left shoulder and had knotted the rope around his waist so the rest of the fabric wouldn't fall around his feet.

"Fashionable fop", Smoker snorted.

'Heard that, shitty jerk!"

"You look good", Smoker said. "You're a merman, we're born with beauty."

Sanji pouted and sent him a glare. 'Now you spoiled it'.

Smoker snickered , quite pleased.

Franky turned with the fabric left in his wings, an enthusiastic glint in his eyes, and looked at Smoker.

"No way in hell", Smoker said and out his hand up. "I can find my own clothes. Besides, it will be weird if we both get to the castle the same day in the same attire. We are not supposed to know each other, right?"

Sanji nodded and patted a muttering and disappointed Franky on the head. They were all interrupted when they heard a loud bray and Sanji saw the little bluenose turn the corner, rushing towards them.

Usopp shrieked and jumped back into the water and Franky scattered away hurriedly. Smoker, who still wasn't wearing a single thing on his new human body, ran into the water and ducked behind a stone. He didn't want the reindeer to be curious about him too and reveal him. Sanji looked around feverishly before he ran to a stone and jumped up on hit. The bluenose was circling him and jumping happily. When he jumped up in the air and once again, Sanji got a big wert lick on the cheek. He smiled and turned his head, but a voice was heard and called the creature away from him.

Sanji brushed some stray-hair away from his face and saw when a person turned the corner of the cliff's. Someone with mossy green hair and that made his heart leap. Zoro saw Chopper arrive and he tried to get a hold of the reindeer, but Chopper was way too excited and escaped Zoro's grasp.

"What's gotten into you", Zoro asked as he looked up, locking gaze with Sanji. "Oh, oh I see."

He walked up to Sanji, Chopper still jumping and braying happily.

"Are you okay, mister? I'm sorry if the fluff-head scared you", Zoro said as he stopped in front of Sanji, looking down and rubbing Chopper's head playfully. "He is harmless really, I-"

When Zoro turned back to Sanji again, the merprince had leaned forward and now their faces were only inches apart. Sanji smiled and Zoro's heart skipped a beat.

"You, you seem very familiar to me", he said and rubbed his chin before a light lit in his face. "Have we met?"

Sanji's smiled grew wider and the nodded enthusiastically.

"We have met! I knew it", Zoro said and was pushed forward by Chopper's head and he clasped Sanji's hands in the process. "You're the one! The one I've been looking for. What's your name?"

Sanji was just about to answer when he, once again, was reminded that he couldn't speak. His face faltered and he grasped his throat.

"What's wrong?" Zoro asked concerned.

Sanji tilted his head backwards so his throat was shown and patted it lightly with his fingertips.

"You can't speak?"

Sanji shook his head and Zoro's face also faltered.

"Oh, then you couldn't be who I thought."

Both Sanji and Chopper snorted in annoyance.

'I'm not giving up now!' Sanji thought determent.

He caught Zoro's attention again and started telling with his arms what he had been through.

"What is it?" Zoro asked and tried to find out what Sanji was showing him. "You're hurt? No, no. You need help?-"

And it was about then Sanji lost his balance and fell down in Zoro's embrace and they both fell to the ground.

"Wow, wow careful", Zoro said and grabbed Sanji's thin waist before they could hit their buts against the sand. He pulled them both up in standing position and also pulling Sanji closer to him.

They looked into each other's eyes and Sanji's grasp on Zoro's shoulder tightened, his other hand on the human prince's neck stroking it slowly.

"You've must have been through something really though, huh?" Zoro asked and pushed Sanji away, only a little, and he wrapped his arm around Sanji's shoulder instead. "Come, I'll help you."

As they walked away along the shore, Sanji looked back with a smile grazing his lips. He saw Franky give him thumbs up with his wings and Usopp gave him a smile. Sanji saw Smoker look up from his hiding place and Sanji received a nod. Now they were one step closer to wining the deal.


Yeah I know, nothing was really exciting in this chapter, but I promise you next one will be more interesting! And our favorite rubber-boy will show up to, but that's all I'm telling you for now.