Title: Almost Easy
Author: kikokus (AoiTsukikage)
Rating: NC-17 overall
Characters/Pairing: Zoro/Sanji, Law/Sanji, Law/Zoro/Sanji
Chapter: 10/?
Word Count: 4044
Summary: Sequel to 'So Good So Far.' Everything was supposed to get easier after Dressrosa – at least, that's what Sanji had assumed. He was wrong. .
Spoilers: Up to chapter 773.

Chapter Ten

"I think we broke him."

Usopp was indeed looking a little broken, already wide eyes even wider as he stared straight ahead, strange clicking noises coming from his throat like he was attempting to speak and failing horribly.

"Hey, long-nose, say something," Sanji snapped his fingers and Usopp's whole body jerked like he'd been hit with an electric shock. He blinked at both of them, noticeably swallowing before he squeaked, "What?"

"Don't make us explain it again," Zoro huffed and Usopp frowned.

"I heard you, I just…all three of you?" he clarified, and Sanji nodded. "I mean, you and Law, yeah, but you and Zoro…you're always trying to kill each other, and I don't think I've even seen Zoro and Law talk to each other."

"Yeah, we've kind of kept it pretty quiet," Zoro admitted, crossing his arms and leaning against the desk in the library. "All of you guys know about Law and the Cook now anyway, so we figured that was enough to begin with."

"Okay," Usopp sighed, glancing down at the book he was holding and then shaking his head. He placed it back on the shelf, seemingly engrossed in searching through the remainder of the books there (apparently Usopp had developed quite a taste for history…or, more than likely, he was trying to buy time).

"That's it? 'Okay?'" Zoro narrowed his eye and Usopp turned back.

"What do you want me to say, Zoro? It's none of my business anyway, so I don't think it's my place to make any sort of comment or…or judgment. You're all my friends…well, Law might be…he didn't kill me when I hugged him…but…" he trailed off and pursed his lips.

"I know it sucks," Sanji knew by now why Usopp was acting so strange, and he also knew that it had nothing to do with the fact that they were all men or that they had some sort of poly relationship going on. "But we're not gonna, like, rub it in your face or anything. You love that girl, right?"

"Yeah," Usopp nodded, looking surprised. "Of course I do! The great Captain Usopp will return to Syrup Village a hero of the high seas, acclaimed Sniper of the Pirate King himself, and reunite with the fair maiden Kaya," he crossed his arms and stood up to his full height, puffing his chest out. "B-but that might not be for years."

"It'll make it more rewarding when it happens," Sanji promised, pulling the younger man into a hug. "And she'd be a fool not to have waited for you the same way you're waiting for her. I might not have met her, but I can see right through your lies by now, and the way you talk about her…I know it's real."

"Yeah, she was pretty taken even back then, and look at you now," Zoro added, Usopp stammering and blushing for an entirely different reason this time as he stepped out of Sanji's embrace and sniffed.

"I know. Thanks," he half-smiled, but he seemed a little more at peace. "I'm glad you guys have…whatever you have."

"So're we," Zoro grunted, and despite his rather nonchalant tone Sanji knew that he was.

Usopp went back to browsing through the books then so Sanji took it as their cue to leave, pulling Zoro out with him and shutting the door gently behind him.

000

"So what do we know?" Nami stepped off onto the abandoned island, looking around furtively. It was a barren place, the beach where they'd landed sparse with scrub-grass and soft sand dunes. A lone seagull squawked, running along the surf line, but from what Sanji could see there weren't even any trees to break the bleakness of the landscape.

They'd decided to send a small party out, especially since none of them could tell exactly how dangerous the abandoned mine tunnels and shafts would be. That meant Luffy had to stay behind, which the captain was not happy about, but Sanji had left him enough food to satisfy even his ravenous appetite and hopefully it would keep him occupied for the next few hours. Usopp and Chopper had happily volunteered to stay with him, to the surprise of nobody, so they were also back at the ship. Franky was doing repairs since they'd taken some damage both from being caught between Doflamingo and Fujitora and from the skirmish before fleeing Big Mom, and Brook had been pretty much ordered by Nami to guard Luffy in case he decided to follow them.

So that left four of them, which was a good enough scouting group…well, four of them and Law, who had assured Nami that he wouldn't be trying to steal any treasure she happened to find, but Sanji was glad he was there. If they had any trouble in the caves, both he and Robin stood the best chance of getting them out of it because of their respective powers, after all.

"From what the town elders tell me, this place was abandoned about fifteen years ago. Apparently the original purpose of the mines wasn't to find jewels, although that was a pleasant bonus, but nobody could tell me exactly what they'd been mining for in the first place," Robin explained, settling her sunglasses over her eyes. "Most people from the village here came to Zou, so there should be enough that remember directly from having worked in the mines, but it seems to be a tightly-kept secret…or, at least, not one freely given to outsiders. The area history books aren't of any more help," she looked disappointed. "I suppose I could always find a way into the mayor's office…"

"That's fine, Robin!" Nami assured her, although the archaeologist looked more than ready to go and do it. "We're just interested in the jewels and the pirate hoards anyway, so whatever it was, it's probably not important."

Robin didn't say anything, merely shrugging her shoulders and starting up the still-visible path from the beach that led past the dunes.

The going was easy, even though it was obvious nobody had traveled this way for several years. The beach grass had grown up, spreading over what at one point had probably been a well-worn trail, but the winds and harsh conditions on the open beach meant that the path itself remained relatively easy to navigate since any sand built up on it would be blown away eventually.

It took them about twenty minutes to get past the last of the dunes, and the sight of the town surprised all of them when it suddenly appeared in front of them, situated near the bottom slopes of a sizeable hill. It was a strategic spot, protected from the harshest ocean storms by being in the shadow of the dunes. The buildings were still relatively intact, although there were signs that the place had been abandoned in a rush: tattered strips of bleached-white fabric still dangled from clotheslines, doors flapped open in the wind as if their owners couldn't be bothered to even close their homes properly, various household items laid scattered in yards, everything from piles of wood to stuffed animals.

Sanji bent down to pick up a glittering object, half-buried in sand that had bypassed the dunes and blown into the town. It was a necklace, the once-bright metal tarnished with age and the elements, but it looked as if it would have fetched a pretty penny if it were still in mint condition. He paused before slipping it into his pocket, not really sure why except it felt wrong to leave it there any longer than it had been.

It might have meant a lot to someone, once.

"This is creepy," Nami shivered, rubbing her arms. "I mean, Zou is literally a ten-minute boat ride away! Why didn't they come back for their stuff?"

It was a good question, especially since at first glance it didn't look like the town had sustained any harm past what the normal wear and tear of the passing years would produce: no evidence of burned buildings, no damage that would indicate some sort of pirate raid, nothing except that it literally did look like one day everybody in town decided to leave as quickly as possible, never to return.

"It's unnatural," Robin murmured, using an extra hand to pick up a teddy bear, missing an eye and with stuffing spilling out of a ripped seam on its back. "I've seen a destroyed island, and this…"

"No, the buildings in this town haven't undergone any sort of attack or, from the looks of it, even the type of damage that a strong hurricane would produce," Law had a haunted look in his eyes, his grip on Kikoku tight and his gaze darting around furtively. "Even if this had been a prompted evacuation, it's unlikely any attacker would have dispersed without razing the place to the ground. That's what…" he stopped and shook his head, trudging through the sand to peer into an abandoned house.

"Torao?" Nami asked quietly, watching as Law leaned back against the house and sighed.

"Forgive me. This is bringing up rather unpleasant memories, as I'm sure Miss Nico can also understand," he gave them a thin smile. "She and I have a fair bit in common, you see: her being the sole survivor from Ohara and myself from Flevance."

Robin gasped, her eyes widening as the hand holding the stuffed toy winked out of existence, letting the bear fall to the ground with a soft 'whumph.' Sanji had rarely seen Robin shocked, but she looked it now. "You…"

"I knew you of all people would know the history. They even gave me a name, same as you," he sneered now. "Although 'Demon Child' is a least a tad more humanizing than 'White Monster,'" he abruptly turned on his heel and stalked off, and Sanji was nearly floored by the dark aura he was projecting.

He'd never gotten this angry when talking about his past: melancholy, yes, but perhaps being in a situation that reminded him of his own city had set him off in a different way.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm the only one in the dark here?" Nami asked, her tone indicating that this had better change, and soon.

They started walking again, not wanting Law to get too far ahead, and Robin explained what she'd read about Flevance and the amber lead syndrome. Sanji half-listened, letting Robin's even tone wash over him, but when she said that the disease was contagious he cleared his throat.

"It wasn't."

"Hmm?"

"The government...they lied about that so they wouldn't have to look for some sort of cure. Everybody thinks it was because that way the…killing all of those people would be understandable, but they just…they just murdered them," he stopped, his own voice shaking a little because even though he'd heard the story a few times by now the idea of the government that was supposed to protect them slaughtering an entire country of innocent people over…over nothing was terrifying.

"Sanji's right," Law looked over his shoulder, making his way back over. "It was a poisoning, not a disease, and only contracted through extensive exposure to the substance…unfortunately, any children born to parents who had been exposed ended up with a higher concentration of the poison. Eventually the population would have died out since no children would ever have reached the age of majority. My father was attempting to find some sort of antidote when…" he paused. "It doesn't matter. Needless to say, there's just me left, and without my fruit I wouldn't be here, either."

Sanji looked over at Nami and Robin, trying to see their reactions to the news. Robin was frowning, tapping her chin thoughtfully, and Nami's eyes were suspiciously wet.

"Law, I…"

"It hardly matters, now, but since I know you're all rather unsympathetic toward the government anyway it's probably information you'll be able to use in some way," he said firmly, and Sanji knew exactly what he was doing: covering up the fact that he'd just opened up to even more people by passing it off as doing it for the sake of information.

He was opening up little by little, first to his own crew and now to Nami and Robin, and that was something Sanji was extremely proud of him for.

"So," Zoro broke in. "'White Monster,' huh?"

"Yes, I'm quite happy that name never stuck. I much prefer 'Surgeon of Death' when it comes down to it…it's got a nicer ring," he grinned, turning his back to the town again. "But come, I think that's the entrance we've been looking for," he pointed to a small wooden structure near the base of the hill, a large black cavern behind it.

"Hmm," Nami pulled out the map, unfurling it and glancing between it and the cavern entrance. "It looks like it. It's hard to tell if there's any other entrances, but at least we can see what the mine tunnels look like," she decided, rolling the map up again and starting toward the mouth of the cave. Robin followed quickly, Zoro glancing back at Sanji before he too made his way up the path.

Sanji stepped up beside Law, reaching out slowly and pressing his fingertips against Law's shoulder-blade, letting him know he was there.

"I didn't think it would hit me this hard," Law said, his voice the barest whisper. "It shouldn't…there's nothing about this place that's like Flevance at all…all the people from here are still alive, but for some reason…"

Sanji sighed, moving his arm to wrap around Law's waist and leaning against him. He didn't know what to say, even though he kind of understood being triggered by something that seemingly had no relation to the source of any actual trauma. There was nothing the same about being stuck on a rock and being hugged by somebody, after all, but he'd felt the same that day when Law hadn't been able to move his metal arm away fast enough.

Law pressed his nose into Sanji's hair, not making any move that indicated he didn't want the comfort although he didn't really do much to show he did, either. "It's been so long and I had assumed it was all in my past, but lately it's like it keeps coming back to remind me and I don't…"

"Hey," Sanji cut him off, unable to bear listening to the utter frustration and growing despair in Law's voice. "It's okay. It's never going to go away completely, and every once in a while it's probably going to hit you harder than you ever thought possible, but you can't let it break you down."

"I know," Law straightened up, his expression set even though his smile was tight. "Well, we'd better follow them," he strode off, just like always acting as if he hadn't been on the verge of breaking down.

Zoro was waiting by the entrance, leaning back against the wall and watching them impassively. He clapped Law on the shoulder as he passed and Law nodded to him, disappearing into the cavern. It was dark inside so he probably wouldn't go far, and Sanji noticed with some relief that Zoro had thought to keep one of their two lanterns for himself (the other, presumably, was with the girls, since they'd certainly need some light). Sanji bent down, lighting the candle inside and watching it flare to life before he stuffed his lighter back into his pocket.

"How is he?"

"He'll be okay," Sanji decided, because Law was the most fucking resilient person he'd ever met and after what he'd been through Sanji didn't think this would beat him. "I guess I should expect it by now but it's still so damn irritating that I can never tell if he wants comfort or if he's going to lash out."

"I don't think he ever would at you," Zoro said honestly, and Sanji shrugged his shoulders. "I'm serious, Cook. I mean, he's never gonna hurt you. He looks at you like you're the fucking sun or something and I don't know how you don't see it."

"I've told you," Sanji growled, glancing into the darkness of the mine. "He's not sentimental enough to ever put so much faith in one person, and me especially," he frowned, because he'd assumed by now that Zoro would know how uncomfortable talking about things like that made him.

"Why are you so convinced it's gonna end?" Zoro asked, and Sanji glared at him even though they both knew that was the root of everything.

"Because it is. This alliance is temporary, and Law's crew isn't gonna fucking follow us all the way to the One Piece. One way or another, it's gonna end," he stopped, swallowing, and Zoro wrapped him in a hug that he returned without hesitation.

He never would have expected Zoro to be more tactile than Law…or, well, he kind of thought they'd be the same in that regard, but while Law was still so touch and go when it came to certain aspects of physical contact, Zoro had no hesitation anymore and Sanji was grateful for it.

That was the difference, he thought absently, laying his cheek against Zoro's broad shoulder and closing his eyes. Sometimes he and Zoro wanted affection without needing to ask for it, but it was always welcomed. With Law it was often a toss-up as to whether he'd accept it or whether he'd shut down entirely, and Sanji had thought by now they'd be long past that.

He realized with a start that they'd actually been well on the way, because the last few days Law had been so…relaxed, and open, and completely free with his affections, but today it was like they'd gone back in time and while Sanji was sure it was just from his past coming back to haunt him, he hoped it didn't mean they'd have to start all over.

Fuck, how did things just keep getting more confusing?

…not that it mattered, really, because of that giant ticking time bomb hanging over them counting down to some unknown date. Whether Zoro would admit it or not, he knew it was there just as well as Sanji did.

"Are you coming?" Law sounded bored, scuffing the toe of his boot on the sandy floor.

Sanji pulled away from Zoro, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he strode past Law. He turned the first corner and stopped, the light from the entrance already fading, trying to tell which way the girls had gone. He could still pick up low voices from behind him, the echoing nature of the caverns making them carry more than normal.

"Look, I know this is tough," Zoro was saying, his voice soft enough that Sanji knew he shouldn't eavesdrop but dammit, it was about him, so he was going to. "But you're so hot and cold that he doesn't know what to think, and no matter what shit you've gone through it doesn't excuse acting like he's some sort of burden you only tolerate when you feel like it."

"I apologize," Law's voice was just as quiet, but it was completely void of any audible emotion. "That's not my intent and I trust you recognize that by now. I feel…very uneasy here and I shouldn't be closing off to any of you because of it, but it's a natural instinct for me after so long."

"I'm not the one you should be telling that to."

There were heavy footsteps then and Sanji tried to look casual as they rounded the corner. He didn't need Law to apologize, really, and he especially didn't need Zoro to constantly be defending him, even though he always would. Somewhere along the way that particular trait had become endearing instead of annoying, though, so he wasn't about to complain.

"Sanji, I…"

"I know," Sanji waved off the apology. "It's fine. I just wish by now you'd have learned that you don't have to deal with any of this alone."

"A few weeks isn't going to undo fifteen years of doing so, Sanji," he murmured. "But I'm trying."

"Hey!" Nami stuck her head around the corner, smiling when she saw all of them. "Come on! Robin thinks she's figured out where the map leads!"

The three of them followed, the tunnel opening up into a large cavern that had several different paths leading away from it.

"Here," Robin had the map on the ground, a hand popping out from beside it to point to what looked like little more than a circle with lines running into it. "This is where we are, I presume, and this is the treasure," her fingers tapped the marked 'X' at the end of one of the thin lines. "There's five lines drawn here and five paths, including the one we came from. Assuming there's only one entrance, that would place the treasure…" she paused, pointing to the second tunnel from the right facing them. "That way."

"Treasure!" Nami jumped up in the air excitedly before snagging one of the lanterns and rushing off toward the tunnel, but a few seconds later they all heard an exasperated groan and followed her to see that barely twenty feet down the path a large cave-in had completely blocked the passage.

"Well. That's going to be a problem," Robin glanced up, but the rocks were piled as high as the ceiling and there was no telling how big the slide had been.

"No," Nami sank to her knees, glaring at the rocks as if the force of her anger alone would be enough to move them.

"There's no sense trying to get through….I'm sure Miss Nico and I could manage it, but if the hillside is already this unstable I fear what trying to disturb it further will do," Law pointed out rationally.

"There may be another way," Robin suggested. "Some of the tunnels might intersect later on, but I think that should be saved for a day when all of us are here so we can cover more ground."

"Yeah. I guess. At least we know the place isn't a total wreck," Nami got to her feet, looking dejected.

"I'm sure we'll find a way, Nami-swan!" Sanji crowed, because of course he had to cheer her up, and she gave him a tiny smile.

"I hope so. At least we can get something out of being stuck here until Kaido makes some sort of move," she got to her feet, brushing off the knees of her jeans and causing a light-grey powder to flutter to the ground.

"What's that?" Zoro bent down, moving the lantern closer. "That doesn't look like sand, and it's too fine to be dust from the rocks."

"Hmm?" Nami rubs her fingers together, watching some more of it fall to the floor. "Probably nothing. It's not going to help us, anyway. Come on, let's go explore the town a little more…maybe there's a map of the mines somewhere…" she wandered away, Robin following with her lantern.

Law dug a small vial out of his coat, bending down and scooping some of the powder into it. He was frowning, eyes narrowed as he examined the substance, even though to Sanji it didn't look all that suspicious.

"What is it?"

"I don't know, but I've got a rather strange feeling about it. I'll take it back and see if Mr. Tony and I can identify it, but it looks to me like some sort of mineral," he tucked it back into his coat. "Shall we? If there's a map in town, perhaps there's more information about what the purpose of these mines were, as well. If we can find what passed for their town hall or records office, we might be in luck."

"Yeah," Sanji agreed, waiting until Zoro had taken the lantern and starting to head out of the cave.

It took longer than usual, of course, because Zoro chose the wrong path about three times even when Sanji stood right in front of him and pointed at the right one, but eventually they made it out into the glaring sunlight and headed back down the road toward the abandoned town.

Notes:

1. I realize that there was a lot of plot in this chapter, but it's necessary to set up what's to come. I hope it was enjoyable to read regardless :)

2. As always, thank you all so much for reading, and do feel free to leave me a review or comment if you feel so inclined! I appreciate them immensely!