The cook had taken off his shirt to change into his desert robes and there had been a cursory glance in his direction to file away what was happening under all those layers of unneeded clothing since the last time he had the chance to look.
A scar. A rather new and fresh scar clearly visible to those not even really looking for it. It didn't belong on the cooks body. Not only cutting a disturbing line through the creamy flesh but because he hadn't seen it done, hadn't heard about it, and had no frame of reference.
Was it a cowardly hit to the back? Was the cooks life on the line? Where had Zoro been?
At some point he must have rushed over to the cooks side because he was running a hand down the cooks back till reaching the scar as if trying to break the illusion. It shouldn't be there. Sanji twisted around with a strange expression on his face. Zoro chalked it up to the chef being ticklish and tried breaking the illusion by starting at the top of the cooks ass and pulling the hand up to meet the stitched flesh this time.
Sanji shoved him off uncomfortably.
"What the fuck!? Stop touching me unless you want to start something!"
The swordsman withdrew his hand.
"Where'd this come from?"
Sanji shrugged and pulled the robes over the scrutinized area.
"Surgery from Drum."
There was surgery?
The swordsman grabbed the mans shoulder in silent, demanding need to know.
"It wasn't really a big deal…well it could have been. There was a fight with lapan rabbit bastards, which was fine until I took a spill into an avalanche. Luffy dragged me up the mountain to Choppers' granny and really her treatment was the worst part of the whole thing."
Zoro silently cursed the mountains and the avalanche and especially himself.
"OI! Let go!" Sanji winced and the swordsman realized his hand hadn't let go and was digging into the cooks shoulder. Without thought he released the hand only to tug the cook into a hug. "Marimo! What's wrong with you! Anyone could come in and see!"
Zoro hugged tighter before releasing him.
Stupid cook. A spill is just another name for a fall…
"Just glad you survived."
I don't think I could have gone through it again.