15 Reasons to Fall in Love

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

9. Sanji isn't a girl.

Setting aside the fact that Sanji lacked the parts to be female, Zoro had a protective streak a mile wide for those he cared about. Sanji didn't need to be protected and coddled; he could take care of himself.

That night the Straw Hats threw themselves a party. It was a small party, they hadn't had one without outsiders since before Franky and Brook joined, but the crew had enough energy to make up for the lack of people. Something about being stuck at sea for so long tended to make you a little giddy when you finally reached land, and of course this was no less true for Luffy.

Sanji cooked a fair sized meal (another cause for celebration, in Luffy's opinion) and was far more at ease than he had been in weeks. He was finally able to feed his crew a well-balanced meal that filled them to satisfaction. Luffy's insatiable appetite aside, he knew they'd all been leaving the table just slightly above hungry. No one dared make a comment about the quality or quantity of food to Sanji though, that was suicide.

Tonight though, there had been plenty of food to go around. Sanji had baked, fried, and boiled the various types of shellfish that Chopper and Usopp had discovered on the shore, made a delicate salad with the greens he'd found, and served both baked and fresh apples. Once his crew had been fed, Sanji felt his spirits lift. He sat in front of the bonfire they had started and lit a cigarette, inhaling the sweet nicotine and enjoying the cool night air warring with the fire's blazing heat.

He was so content at the moment that he didn't even get upset when the marimo sat beside him. Sanji chose not to acknowledge the other man's presence, and continued just to enjoy his peaceful moment. Of course, the marimo couldn't let him have that.

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" He asked, gesturing at the younger boys.

The thing the marimo was referring to was a carbon copy of Sanji's cricket friend from earlier, the one that had sent him throwing himself into the swordsman's arms (Sanji still felt embarrassed by his actions, but forced himself not to think too much about it before he started blushing again). Earlier that day, Luffy and Chopper had come racing back to their makeshift camp hauling said cricket in Luffy's rubbery arms. They began to explain in a jumbled rush of excitement that was entirely lost on the rest of the crew. They were able to pick up that Luffy had liked the cricket and considered it a new friend, and Chopper apparently translated cricket speech and determined the cricket harmless.

Since then, Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and occasionally Brook, had been playing games with their new friend. Sanji refused to go near the thing, but it was hard to call for its immediate extermination when Chopper looked at you with those big brown eyes. Instead Sanji made sure he sat wherever the cricket was not and decided to carry on with his evening peacefully.

Of course, the marimo had been putting a small damper on that. From the moment Luffy had dragged the cricket into the camp, the marimo seemed to be permanently glued to his side and had been checking on his wellbeing every couple of hours. It had been an almost touching gesture at first, but it wore on the cook's nerves quickly and it wasn't long before he could feel his patience with the swordsman waning.

So he'd had a moment. A moment of weakness that he almost never showed, but due to an unfortunate surprise he'd revealed directly to the swordsman. He wasn't proud of that, and while he was happy that Zoro had decided not to mock him for it or tell the others, it seemed the marimo wasn't quite letting it go the way Sanji had hoped he would. No, instead he seemed to have elected himself to be Sanji's body guard, a role Sanji could handle just fine on his own.

Sanji turned his icy glare on the swordsman. "I am fine," He ground out, enunciating each word carefully as if the marimo didn't understand them.

Zoro took a swig of his drink and looked sideways at the cook. "I was just checking. Earlier you said you hated bugs," He paused and looked over at their new cricket companion again. "I can get rid of it, if it would make you feel better."

Sanji's patience snapped in two. The fragile, delicate line that had been holding it together split like an overstretched rubber band. He was on his feet before he even realized he'd moved, and his cigarette had been sent tumbling down to the rocks and sand beneath him.

"I. Do not. Need. Your help!" He shouted, catching the attention of several members of the crew, who turned to watch the fight between the two unfold. "I'm Blackleg Sanji! I am not some pushover who needs some shitty marimo to protect me!"

He spun and stomped off to the ship. They had been planning to spend the night on the beach, but Sanji thought he might actually murder Zoro if he had to stay in his presence for another minute. He doubted very much the others would take their nakama killing each other very well. No, for tonight he'd stay on the ship. He'd be alone, but his outburst left him with a swell of rage and he'd much rather simmer down on his own.

The others carefully congregated around Zoro, who hadn't so much as twitched a muscle since the cook had stormed away. The look on his face was indecipherable, and the others grew worried.

"What on earth was that about?" Nami asked, taking a brave step closer to the swordsman.

Despite the expectant looks he was receiving from the rest of the crew, the swordsman remained quiet and unresponsive. Only the slight crease between his eyebrows gave away that he had any emotions at all. It was something only his nakama had come to notice, and even then I was hard for them to tell if they didn't look carefully.

"You and Cook-san seemed to have been getting along so well lately," Robin commented.

"Yeah, I was super surprised when you and Curly-bro volunteered to go out together," Franky added.

Nami and Robin exchanged a knowing look and Usopp regarded the swordsman with some level of understanding. Zoro ignored them all with the determination and concentration he usually only showed in battle. The crew however, would not be deterred, and after a few moments of unnerving silence between them, Zoro suddenly shot to his feet.

"I'm going on a walk," He announced, careful to convey in his tone that he wanted to be left alone.

"Try not to get lost," Nami said to him, her tone mocking and dripping with her displeasure.

Zoro shot her a glare and continued past the crew. Luffy, Chopper, and the cricket were hovering on the edge of the group, and Zoro stopped before he past them. "Luffy, Chopper, that thing is nothing but trouble," He growled out. "Get rid of it or I will," He tapped his thumb suggestively on the hilt of one of his katana before continuing on. Behind him, a chorus of boos and insults rose from the two boys but Zoro ignored them.

True, the cricket seemed harmless enough. It technically hadn't done anything wrong, but Zoro hated the thing regardless. That was the damn cook's fault. He'd never seen Sanji so scared in all the time he'd known him, it rattled Zoro's nerves. All because of a stupid cricket. What an idiot.

Zoro let out a heavy sigh and let his feet lead him to the ship. As much as it pained him to admit it, he'd been wrong and owed the cook and apology. Usually the shit-cook's mood swings were as big a mystery to the swordsman as Usopp's nose, but this time he knew what was wrong. He knew because it was one point he and the cook could agree on; the two of them were strong. Zoro knew that while Sanji may not have enjoyed the presence of Luffy and Chopper's new friend, he was strong enough to overcome that. Zoro had been outright insulting the cook's strength by checking on him like he was a child.

The moment Sanji had in the woods was for Zoro's eyes only, although probably the cook wished Zoro would forget it too. They'd been having a nice day, nothing was threatening them, and they were at ease for the first time in the long time. Perhaps that's why the sudden appearance of a large (and freaky looking, even in Zoro's opinion) insect startled the cook so badly. Zoro caught a rare sight in that moment, but he understood it wasn't something the cook was likely to repeat.

Zoro couldn't forget it so easily though. It had shaken Zoro to see the cook so frightened, and Zoro wondered if he'd ever forget the sight. He was with Sanji on this one, he hoped so. It was because he couldn't shake the memory from his mind that he'd been so concerned when Luffy had brought that thing back with him. He should have known better. The cook had tried to be patient with him (an amazing feat for someone with a quick temper like Sanji). He could see the hurt and anger slowly building, simmering just beneath the surface, held in by Sanji's willpower alone. Until Zoro pushed too hard and caused the whole thing to explode.

Now he just had to hope the cook would forgive him.

Sanji stared into the pantry. There wasn't much left inside it. Half a sack of rice, some jarred and canned preserves, and a small sack of nuts he and Zoro had gathered that day. All in all not much had changed since the last time he'd despairingly looked in it. But Sanji wasn't really seeing the contents of his empty pantry. Once he'd returned to the ship, anger still coursing in his veins, he retreated to the only area that was strictly his: the galley. True he shared meals with his nakama at the dining room table at least three times a day and washed dishes with the marimo after every meal, but for the most part the kitchen was his area.

In the small ship no one could really claim one area to themselves, but they each of them had an area they valued as "theirs". Sanji's was the kitchen, Nami's was her office, and Luffy's was the figurehead. Zoro spent a large amount of time weight training in the crow's nest, so that even when he was not on watch, the room still gave the feeling of being his. Robin spent much of her time in the library, rereading books she'd read a thousand times before. Frank and Usopp split the work shop in two and each had a half to themselves. Chopper was the only one allowed in the sick bay (besides those who were sick or injured), and Brook alternated between the aquarium room and the lawn deck, where he could bask in the sun.

Sanji felt more at ease in the galley, pouring over routines he'd done a million times before but would do again just for the sake of keeping busy. Unfortunately being so low on food meant all his usual tasks were short lived and he found himself hitting a dead end when he opened his nearly empty pantry. A dead end meant his mind was free to wander, and of course it took a beeline course for the swordsman.

Had his actions not been so insulting, Sanji would have been touched by Zoro's concern. It was rare to see Zoro so considerate of someone's feelings, and Sanji thought it was sort of nice to be thought of. For that reason he'd tried to be patient with the other man, despite the fact that the marimo's over protective nature pissed him off as much as it flattered him. After a whole evening of it, Sanji couldn't take anymore. He was Blackleg Sanji, seventy-seven million beri pirate. He did not need the protection of a cabbage-brained marimo.

Sanji wished he could go back and time and undo that afternoon in the woods. He'd give anything for Zoro not to give him that look. The look that suggested the swordsman was pitying him, waiting for poor Sanji to have another break down. A look that seemed to convey the feeling that Sanji was weak and Zoro was there to cover for poor weak little Sanji.

The thought sent a fresh wave of anger coursing through Sanji's blood stream and he slammed the pantry door closed with far more force than necessary.

"You know if you break that door Franky's going to have your head, and Nami will make you pay for it."

Sanji spun quickly in surprise. As if summoned by his rage filled thoughts, the swordsman in question leaned against the galley door with his arms folded across his chest. Sanji's surprised expression quickly changed to a glare that could kill.

"What the hell do you want, bastard?" He spat. "Fuck off somewhere else. I'm busy," He spun and opened the pantry again. He knew there was nothing to do in there, but he just needed to look busy for the span of time it took Zoro to leave the room.

But Zoro didn't leave. Instead there was a long moment of heavy silence before Zoro spoke again. "There's nothing in there, Cook."

"I know that!" Sanji growled, slamming the door shut once again (though with slightly less force this time, as Zoro was right about Franky's reaction). He marched towards the swordsman, building up a menacing aura as he went. "I was just waiting for you to go," He emphasized the last word with a jab at the door, hoping the idiot would get the hint that Sanji was in no mood for him.

However, Zoro didn't move, and there was another stretch of silence which Sanji spent thinking up as many colorful insults as possible. He was just about to open his mouth and let them out when the swordsman muttered out a single word:

"Heights."

Sanji stopped short in front of the swordsman, mouth open and ready to pour insults on to the man like water, but nothing came out. Once again the marimo's completely erratic thought process had thrown him off.

"What?" He finally managed to get out, after working his jaw around the word a few times.

"You asked what I was afraid of. The answer is heights," Zoro explained. He was scowling at the floor hard enough to burn a hole through it.

Sanji wrapped his head around that statement several times. "Bullshit," He finally replied. "You've been in high places loads of times, you've never once looked afraid."

Zoro looked up, meeting Sanji's eyes. "That's because I try not to think about it. I focus on other things, the same way you do," He gave the cook and earnest and understanding look. "And I would really hate it if you tried to comfort me every time we ended up on top of a tall building."

Sanji raised his eyebrow. It was nearly impossible for him to process, but...was the marimo admitting he was wrong? Not only had he admitted his fault, he was evening the ground they stood on again. He knew what scared Sanji the most, and now Sanji knew what frightened the moss-head the most. That alone made Sanji feel loads better than he had felt since that afternoon. They were equals again.

"Is this an apology, Marimo?" Sanji asked, a teasing smirk making its way onto his face.

Zoro's frown deepened and he looked away petulantly. "Something like that," He muttered.

Sanji's smirk widened into a broad smile. "Accepted," He said. "I'll forgive you this time, Marimo, but now that I know you know better, I won't forgive you so easily next time."

Zoro's head whipped back and he fixed a glare on the cook. "Who cares about your forgiveness? I just didn't want the others to have to see you cry!" He shouted.

That of course sparked an argument, which led to a fight, which let the others know that everything was right again between their cook and their swordsman.

Sanji rose with the sun the next morning. It was hard not to with its light filtering blindingly through his eyelids. He was for the moment the first one up as he looked around at his sleeping nakama. After the fight he and Zoro had, Sanji was in a much better mood and rejoined the others to camp outside. Around him now a few of the others were stirring. Robin-chan who was usually the next to rise after the cook seemed to blink slowly into alertness, and Nami-swan's restless turning seemed to suggest she was not far behind. Others, like Luffy, could sleep through canon fire, so the sun's rising was of little consequence to them.

Between the sprawled out Luffy and Usopp who could only be seen by his nose peeking out from his bedroll, was their cricket friend, seemingly asleep if its stillness was any indication. Sanji really couldn't tell as it didn't have eyelids to close. Some feet from the group of new found friendship, between them and the cook, lay the swordsman with his arms behind his head, looking every bit as he did when he was catching an afternoon nap.

Sanji had given Zoro a warning glare when the swordsman had chosen to situate his bedroll between Sanji and his worst nightmare, fearing it was another act of pity on the swordsman's part. The marimo ignored the look though, and after situating his bedroll, he promptly fell asleep, snoring lightly. Sanji still suspected that Zoro had chosen that spot on purpose, but he decided to let it go. It did, after all, make him feel slightly better that the cricket would have to get past the swordsman to get to him. It was that frame of thought that allowed the cook to rest peacefully.

Sanji stretched his arms over his head and gave a friendly good morning wave to the beautiful Robin-chwan before pulling himself to his feet and making for the ship. He'd get a start on breakfast since he was up, and start on some lunches for the crew to take with them on another day of reckless playing in the forest. As he made his way up the gangplank and into the galley he made a mental meal plan with his limited supplies, as well as a list of ingredients he'd like to try to find. He'd also have to make sure to touch base with Usopp about those traps.

The list of things he needed to do continued while he worked, keeping his mind as busy as his hands. Before he realized it he was nearly finished with their lunches, and their breakfast was arranged on covered trays and ready to be taken to the beach. It was then that the marimo entered.

"Need a hand?" He asked while Sanji marveled at his impeccable timing.

Sanji gave the marimo some directions and together they took breakfast out to the crew. The smell of freshly made food woke the last of their sleeping crew members, and they enjoyed breakfast together. With the addition of one creepy crawly bug that received scraps of food from various crew members. Sanji would have protested this, but he had never denied a living thing food before and he wasn't about to start now.

After breakfast the crew began to discuss their plans for the day. Chopper would be joining Luffy and the cricket for a frolic in the woods. Usopp would go with Franky in search of quality spare wood and any other materials they could make useful. Nami would spend the day surveying more of the island with Robin and Brook as company. Sanji glared jealously at the skeleton. He would get to spend the day in the company of two beautiful women while Sanji would be spending it again in the company of a muscle-brained marimo.

Without having to be asked, Zoro had volunteered his services to Sanji again for the day. Deep down inside (deep, deep down) Sanji had to admit he looked forward to another day in the company of the swordsman. Zoro, when he wasn't picking a fight or getting lost, was actually a very nice travel companion. They could walk in silence together without any need to make idle chit-chat.

When breakfast was finished, the lunches distributed, and the dishes done (with Zoro's aid) Sanji picked up his pack. Looping it over his shoulders, he turned to watch the marimo do the same, and together they headed out. Sanji had a good feeling about the day, and he set off with the swordsman in good spirits.

It was a good day for Sanji. Together he and Zoro had found more than enough food to carry them through to the next island. They returned to camp with their packs heavy and very full of edible vegetation and assorted wildlife. Before they'd all separated that morning Sanji had asked Usopp about traps and the sharpshooter had set them up with several easy-to-set and effective traps. Sanji had been a little wary about what they would catch, but the squirrels and rabbits that fell for the traps didn't seem that much different from the ones Sanji had experience with, aside from their unusual appearances and diets.

He was in such high spirits that he and Zoro even made friendly conversation on their way back to camp. Well, mostly he talked since the marimo wasn't much of a conversationalist. But Zoro responded to his comments in a friendly enough matter and didn't seem to mind the cook's endless meal planning. The swordsman even asked a few questions and Sanji was delighted by his curiosity.

Up until this point Sanji imagined Zoro to be a stubborn moron with nothing but swords on his mind, but lately he was seeing a new Zoro. They were fleeting glimpses, like peeks through a crack, but he was seeing a Zoro that was much more than Sanji had pictured Zoro to be. He wondered if this warmer, more open Zoro was the same Zoro everyone else knew, but Sanji had never bothered to see until the swordsman had asked him to.

They emerged from the woods in a bright mood, a mood that was quickly wiped from both men when they caught sight of their nakama on the beach. All of the others had gathered there, and were staring the opposite direction of Sanji and Zoro. There was an almost tangible air of tenseness surrounding them and they each stood defensively, as if they were ready for a battle that could commence at any moment. Robin with her arms crossed loosely in front of her, Nami with her hands reaching for the parts of her Clima Tackt. Usopp had his sling shot armed and ready and Franky had already opened one of the weapons chambers on his arms. Brook had one skeletal hand on the handle of his cane, ready for a quick draw of his sword. Only Luffy looked at ease with one finger in his nose, entirely oblivious to the straining intensity coming from his crew.

Chopper was no where to be found.

Sanji and Zoro followed their nakama's gazes across the beach. There across the sand, just barely emerged from the forest was the most frightening thing Sanji had ever witnessed. It was a cricket, like the one the others had been playing with during their stay, or the one Zoro had killed for Sanji in the woods the previous day. Instead of being the size of a small deer like the others, however, this one was the size of an elephant, and had bright green markings down on his head and down its body that resembled war paint. The green was so fluorescent it practically glowed, and Sanji wondered if it did just that at night.

Carefully so as to not draw attention to themselves, Sanji and Zoro made their way to the rest of the crew. They were greeted by and imperceptible nodding of Robin's head and a relieved look from Usopp.

"What's going on?" Sanji asked quietly.

"It seems the crickets on this island live in a social colony, and we are meeting their queen," Robin informed them. "She was quite upset when she arrived, giving us quite the scare. It seems one of her young has been found dead and she blames us newcomers for her loss," She paused a moment to give Sanji and Zoro a look that suggested she knew exactly who had killed the young cricket. "Captain's cricket and Doctor-san have calmed her down, and Doctor-san is trying to talk with her now."

"So Chopper's alright," Zoro sighed in relief.

Sanji mirrored that relief. He'd been afraid something horrible had happened to their youngest nakama. If he looked closely though, down at the elephant cricket's foot, he could see the hat of the little reindeer, bobbing on his head while Chopper explained their situation.

"How long has that been going on?" Zoro asked, flicking his chin up in Chopper's direction while quietly flicking Wado from her sheath.

"About twenty minutes," Nami answered, eyes never leaving the cricket before them. "And no sign about how it's going, we're at a stalemate for the moment."

Sanji watched the exchange across the beach, searching for any sign that the conversation was swinging either way. Unfortunately, crickets don't have much in the way of facial expression, and Chopper's face remained neutral and cool. The little doctor had a much better head for situations like these than the others did, and even if he weren't the only one that could communicate with them, he'd have been the best man for the job.

Having been filled in on the situation, Sanji and Zoro lapsed into silence like the rest. Together they all watched the little reindeer try to persuade the cricket to leave them alone. The tense atmosphere made Sanji break out in a light sweat, and he could feel the intensity and readiness of his nakama like a vibration in the air, shaking him into action as well. He took out a cigarette and lit it. He needed the nicotine, especially with Zoro beside him standing shockingly still, eyes glued to the situation. The swordsman looked almost at ease, were it not for his intense stare and the thrumming energy rolling off of him in waves.

Finally something changed. Though Chopper was difficult to see clearly from their position he seemed to go entirely still. His wide eyes seemed to widen even further, and without any signal he turned and raced quickly back toward the crew.

"She won't listen to reason!" Chopper shouted. "She's upset! She's calling her family now!"

"Calling her family?" Sanji frowned. "What the hell does that-" Before he could even finish his sentence a loud shrieking noise drowned him out. The grinding squeal was supposed to be a cricket's chirp, he supposed, but it was much, much louder, leaving the some of the crew covering their ears. The noise was sharp and loud, but over fairly quickly. The Straw Hats recovered in time to see a hoard of large crickets convening before the queen on the beach.

"Alright Mr. Cricket," Luffy said quietly, his tone dangerously amused. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles. "You asked for it."

That was all the invitation the Straw Hats needed to wage war.

Crickets were not the hardest adversary. They had little in the way of weaponry besides their blunt antennae and a sharp pair of pincers in front of their mouths. On the other hand they were also not the easiest adversary. They could fly, for one, and were prone to using their higher ground to their advantage, and they were covered in a thick exoskeleton that was a challenge for even Sanji to break through in one go. Luffy quickly put a stop to the first problem but using his "rocket" to climb onto the nearest flying cricket and strike the others down from there. The second problem could be remedied by a few more hits, making the hard casing give way.

The biggest problem was numbers; each time the Straw Hats beat down one wave of crickets, another would surge forward to take their place. It seemed to be a never ending cycle, but Sanji knew the crew had fought harder battles. What concerned him more was the elephant sized cricket. If her children could leave a nasty bruise or a bite on the arm, she could surely easily crush them or bite them in two.

She couldn't be taken down easily either. She was blessed with a thicker shell than her children. Luffy tried to break through it and had his fist bounce off for his trouble. Robin, who had been doing a fairly good job snapping the legs of the smaller ones with her abilities, had hands far too small to grip at the queens large body. Frank and Usopp had both taken shots at her, but for all the good it did they may as well have saved their ammo. Brook's shikomizue merely glanced off the queen's legs. Nami even struck her with a bolt of lightning, but aside from being stunned for a mere half a second, the cricket remained unfazed.

Sanji moved closer. He had the strongest kick in the Grand Line, he was sure of that, and if anyone could kick through an impossibly thick exoskeleton, it was him. It seemed Zoro had a similar idea about his own abilities as he soon appeared at Sanji's side.

"Oi, Shit-cricket!" Sanji called out.

The queen cricket, who had been dancing with Usopp in an attempt to smash him, turned at Sanji's insult. He couldn't understand cricket-speak, but he was sure she was offended by his attitude.

"Are you sure you don't want to call off the rest of your shitty kids before we kill you and the rest of them?" Sanji asked, exhaling a cloud of smoke and stubbing out his spent cigarette.

Whatever he response was, Sanji figured it wasn't positive when one of her antennae swung quickly towards them. Sanji flipped backwards and out of the way and Zoro landed lightly next to him. With an unspoken agreement, he and Zoro split apart, each running towards opposite sides of the cricket. Hopefully one would distract her while the other landed a devastating blow.

Sanji for his part ran full speed for her left, dodging a swing from one of her legs and using it as a stepping stone to her body. Taking out her legs was all well and good, but the sooner she was dead the better, so Sanji would go for a killing blow. With one more leap off the bend of her knee, Sanji readied himself for a final blow.

Before he could land the hit though, the cricket queen fluttered her large wings, and a gust of air knocked Sanji easily aside. He landed in a heap in the rocky sand below, effectively knocking his head on the ground when he landed. He sat up quickly, but he was dazed and dizzy from the blow to his head. He could make out the cricket queen approaching and struggled to right himself, but his legs were being as useful as a new born giraffe's at the moment. Each attempt to stand only resulted in a stumbling fall. He took a deep breath and shook his head, attempting to clear it of the spinning sensation.

It worked, after only a few seconds his vision started to stabilize, and he could feel the steady strength returning to his legs. It was too late though, he cleared his vision just in time to see the cricket queen approaching, her pincers clacking towards him in irritation. Perhaps he could have moved, had he not been paralyzed in fear. He stared at the oncoming pincers with only one thought racing through his mind:

Of course I'm going to be killed by a damn bug.

"What the hell are you doing, Cook?!" Someone called, shaking Sanji from his peaceful pre-death moment. It wasn't just anyone of course; Sanji would recognize that voice anywhere. It was a nice voice to hear before the end, he supposed. Sanji had really been falling for the swordsman lately after all. It was probably okay to admit that now: He had fallen for Roronoa Zoro.

Suddenly a blur of green appeared before him. Sanji's eyes widened in disbelief, but there was Zoro, right before his eyes. The swordsman spared him half a glance, relief plainly written on his face, before the pincers closed around his midsection.

Sanji watched the next few seconds in slow motion. Blood dripped thick and heavy from the swordsman's sides, splashing into the sand below as he was lifted up, up and away from Sanji. Zoro's teeth were gritted in pain, and a sheen of sweat coated the swordsman's head. Zoro's face contorted as the pincers squeezed him harder before releasing.

Never in his entire life would Sanji forget the sight of Zoro's body as it fell limply from the queen cricket's mouth and landed with a final and resounding thud onto the ground below.

A/N:

To my wonderful, amazing, adorable, sweet readers: Thank you! This story past over 100 follows this week. I can't even tell you what that means to me. As this is my first fic, I was not expecting this kind of result. Thank you all so much for reading!

And to you fantastic, incredible, stupendous reviewers: a huge thank you! You guys are the voices of my motivation and sometimes the nagging reminders in my head to fix this and that. You've all been wonderful and thank you so much.

Ah wow. This is chapter 10 huh? We've come pretty far.

I also apologize again for any mistakes. My sleep deprived brain will probably have missed many.

About Zoro's fear of heights, I'll give you a peak into my brain. What else would Zoro be afraid of. I'm pretty sure he's not afraid of anything, but he needed to have a fear. I figured since Kuina died falling down steps, maybe Zoro had a slight thing against high places. It was the only reasonable fear I could think up, but hopefully it's acceptable.

Also, I took some creative liberties on the anatomy of crickets, I know crickets do not have pincers (at least I don't think so). I also know insects cannot grow to the size of a deer or an elephant. So any of my biology and/or insect loving readers, I apologize for my absolutely non-realistic monster crickets. I hope you'll be able to see past that.

Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed!