Disclaimer: You know the drill
Sanji woke up in a marginally better mood than he'd been in the night before. Today was the day they were getting the hell away from Merchant Island, and then they could all move on with their lives. Just a few hours longer. He could manage that.
Chopper gave him another check-up before letting him leave the infirmary, but just like before, it turned up nothing. Sanji felt sorry for Chopper, he really did, but in the end he didn't say anything. Once free, he lost himself in the motions of preparing breakfast for a while, even humming some old song he couldn't remember learning. He was aware of the ever-present Fish flitting about the galley, but decided not to pay them any mind for the time being. It wasn't like they were about to suddenly give him answers.
Breakfast was every bit as lively as always, and while no one mentioned it, Sanji was sure they were happy to be leaving soon too. He felt a little pang of guilt that his presence had soured what had started out as a rather nice visit for the others. On the other hand, it was nice to know they had his back. Kind of… comforting. Not that he was going to go around announcing that to anyone, save for maybe Nami and Robin. Their support deserved to be acknowledged. He'd make their favorites for dinner.
Before everyone dispersed again, Chopper asked to go back to the market one last time.
"I wanna see if I can find any more reference books. I've gone through almost everything I have in the library, but..." He trailed off. Sanji knew what he meant anyway: Chopper still hadn't managed to match his symptoms to anything. Their discussion the night before may have helped ease his frustration, but it had done nothing to abate his determination to get to the bottom of things.
"I'll come with you," Robin offered. Sanji wanted to protest, seeing how the islanders had only become more hostile over time, but couldn't. Chopper would not give up on going, and Sanji couldn't go with him in Robin's stead.
They ended up leaving almost immediately, after a reminder from Nami to be back by noon. Everyone else wandered off to do whatever it was they usually did at this time of day, while Sanji stayed in the galley to clean up and plan lunch. Some time later he heard a commotion on deck, but quickly deemed it the standard kind rather than an emergency, and stopped paying attention. He managed to kill all of an hour cleaning and setting everything up for prep work. Once done, he stepped out on deck for a smoke break.
He leaned against the railing overlooking the deck, cigarette in hand, idly observing the Thousand Sunny. Brook was sitting near the foremast, apparently tuning his violin. He could hear voices from the crow's nest – Usopp and Franky – but couldn't make out what they were saying. The same could not be said for Luffy's voice from the observation deck, loudly asking inane questions and largely ignoring every answer Nami gave. It marked Stage 1 of Luffy's Stages of Boredom. Sanji planned to intervene before Stage 2: Annoying Mischief.
Sanji's headcount came up one short.
"Hey, Brook! You seen the resident idiot anywhere?" he called.
Brook looked up from his instrument, tilting his head in question. "Which one?"
Sanji grinned and headed over to the foremast. Brook was settling in just fine. "The one who thinks a bunch of swords can compensate for a lack of personality!"
"Ah, that one. Zoro-san left about an hour ago." That stopped Sanji short.
"He's loose?"
"Luffy-san knocked his cleaning kit into the water. Zoro-san insisted on replacing it immediately."
"So that's what all the noise was about..." He sighed and took a puff from his cigarette. "We're gonna have to send a search party for him pretty soon. He'll never figure out how to get back here in time."
Or, Sanji's preferred option, they could just leave him behind. It was a happy thought.
"Is he truly that bad at finding his way?"
"Whatever you're imagining? Marimo's worse. I have no idea how he's survived this long." If only the idiot's goal was to become the world's best at getting lost, he would have fulfilled his ambition long ago. It was his one true talent. Such a waste.
"He found this crew in the end, though," Brook said, misplaced faith in Zoro's navigational skills still somehow intact.
"Pretty sure Luffy found him, not the other way around."
Brook grinned. Maybe. It was damn difficult to tell. "So it all worked out in the end!"
"Eh, debatable."
For all that conflict first sparked between only the people of Second and the people of the Fifth, it would not remain there. The ink would stain all it touched.
The people of the First and Third and Fourth attempted to place themselves on the outside, siding with neither one nor the other. Yet soon they found themselves being pulled in little by little, as if caught by the edges of a whirlpool. To say nothing was to condone, to say something was to condemn. There was no right thing to say, no solutions forthcoming. For that, they all were ready to punish one another.
It was easy to get caught up in Brook's playing, to the point where Sanji stayed out on deck longer than he intended, simply watching the ships come and go. Prep work was waiting, but it wasn't urgent just yet.
The harbor was a lot emptier today than it had been up until that point of their visit. A little odd, considering how much traffic a major trading hub always had, although slow days were not unheard of anywhere he had ever been. Ships were still coming in, so it wasn't a complete stop. In fact, not too far off, another pirate ship was pulling in. Sanji couldn't recognize their flag, so they probably weren't all that famous. As he watched, though, a small fishing boat cast off and headed directly for the ship, pulling alongside her in a clear interception. Sanji could just make out people on the decks of both the ship and the boat, and they appeared to be talking. Then just as quickly as they'd pulled up, the fishing boat peeled away and sailed back to the docks. Meanwhile, the pirate ship…
Started to turn around.
An alarm blared in Sanji's head as he watched the ship's sails unfurl and billow in the wind. None of the merchant ships had been turned away, so why was…? A cold feeling settled in his gut as he looked around the harbor again, this time paying attention.
"Oh, fuck." Not one of the docked ships was flying a pirate flag; the only Jolly Roger around was their own. "Shit, shit, shit!"
Off to the side, Brook's playing stopped abruptly. "Sanji-san?"
Sanji ignored him completely. Instead, he craned his head and shouted up at the crow's nest. "USOPP!"
An answer came a moment later, as Usopp leaned out of one of the windows. "WHAT?"
"Keep an eye on the horizon, we might have company!"
"What?"
"Just do it!" Sanji ordered, already sprinting to the observation deck. Nami and Luffy, alerted by all the shouting, met him halfway. Behind him, Franky climbed down from the crow's nest.
"Nami-san! How long until the Log Pose sets?"
"At least an hour, probably closer to two. Why? What's going on?"
Oh hell. He had no idea how much time they had, but with their luck, it was likely not a lot. "The Marines are coming, we need to get out of here as fast as we can."
"They're what?" Nami whirled around to look over the horizon, frowning when she saw nothing. "How do you know?"
"I was told that if the Marines are called in, all the pirates would have to leave. And they have, we're the only ones here!"
This time, when Nami checked the harbor to see for herself, she found what she was looking for. "Are you absolutely sure about this?"
"Yes."
"Alright." Nami took in a deep breath and stood straighter. "We'll get ready to leave, but someone's gotta go find the others."
"Ooh, me! Pick me!" Luffy exclaimed, bouncing up and down.
"Hell no, you're staying where I can see you," Nami shot him down without hesitation.
"But waiting is boring!" Luffy whined, until some thought apparently crossed the void between his ears. "Or are we gonna fight them? I wanna stay if we're gonna fight them."
"Not a good idea, bro. We're still hurting after Thriller Bark."
"But I feel fine!"
"That's because you're a freak of nature," Nami snapped, "but the rest of us are not."
Sanji kept quiet about that.
"I'll go," he volunteered instead. "I'm the fastest, I can cover the most ground."
"No offense bro, but they super hate you," Franky said, and judging by everyone's faces, he spoke for all of them. "Maybe not the best plan."
"Yeah? Well you and Brook stand out no matter what you do, letting Luffy go anywhere is like sending up a flare for all to see, Usopp sure as hell won't go-"
"No I will not!" came a shout from up in the crow's nest.
"- and Nami needs to be here to keep an eye on the Log Pose."
Franky pointed at his face. "You stand out too, bro."
"I can cover it up!" Sanji growled, swatting Franky's hand away.
"Will that help? They already know who you are," Nami pointed out.
"It only needs to fool people long enough for me to walk by. I'm not gonna stop and talk to anyone."
Nami mulled it over for a minute. "Alright, but-"
"Guys!"
They all turned around towards the foremast, where Usopp was climbing down from the crow's nest.
"What's-"
"Incoming, due south-west! A Marine ship just crossed the horizon, we need to get out of here yesterday."
"You're sure it's them, bro?"
"Their insignia's the size of a sail, yes I'm sure!"
"We're not going to make it," Nami realized. "There's no way we can get the others back before the Navy's here."
"They'll be in firing range long before then," Sanji added, trying to figure out a plan and coming up empty.
"So we are going to fight them!" Luffy said, looking far more excited than the situation deserved. "What's the problem? We just have to kick their asses!"
"For the last time, you dumbass, no!"
As the rest of them descended into loud arguing, Nami stayed to the side, staring out at sea. Her expression seemed conflicted, but Sanji had no idea what about. She remained silent for a good minute before finally speaking up. "Franky?"
"Huh?"
"The Sunny is made of Adam Wood, right?"
"Yeah…?"
"So it should be able to withstand the kind of currents that would tear a normal ship apart."
"Yeeeees, to a point. Even Adam Wood has a limit, sis. What're you getting at?"
Nami hesitated for a moment. "I have an idea, but it's risky. We all know about this island's superstitions by now, but it turns out that there actually is a good reason that ships keep out of the northern waters. There's a huge stretch of ocean full of powerful currents, too dangerous to sail through. If we take the Sunny to the northern side, the Marines might not dare to follow. It would at least buy us some time."
"That could work," Franky said slowly, thinking it over. "Probably won't hold them forever though."
"I know, we still have to be fast."
Sanji sighed, having figured out where this was going. "Alright. Luffy, you're with me. You can look for Robin and Chopper, while I look for the idiot." Better that way around, since Luffy and the marimo together were a disaster in the making. Robin could be trusted to both keep Luffy in line and have a sense of direction.
"Yes!" Luffy practically bounced in excitement, apparently having the time of his goddamn life. "Something not boring!"
Sanji ran his hand over his face. This was absolutely a mistake.
"I'll go change into something I haven't worn here, you guys get the ship ready to go." He considered making Luffy do the same, but he doubted it would do any good.
Rummaging around his locker brought up his blue hoodie, which he figured was different enough for people to not immediately connect it to him. Sadly, the hood wouldn't cover his face as much as he needed it to. His hairstyle was probably too distinctive by now, too. He had very few hats, and none of them did much better than the hood. He really had no choices, unless… oh. Oh, gross.
For lack of a better option, he opened Zoro's locker and dug around, careful to avoid touching the stuff inside any more than necessary. He was pretty sure at least some of it constituted a biohazard of some kind. He was going to take so many baths once this was over… aha! He pulled out one of Zoro's spare bandanas, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. It looked clean enough, but the dark material made it hard to tell.
Ah, hell, he didn't have time for this. Gritting his teeth, he tied the bandana in the same style Zoro usually wore it, tucking his hair underneath and pulling it low enough to cover his eyebrows. If he ended up with lice because of this, he'd turn Zoro in to the Marines himself, free of charge. As an afterthought, he grabbed his old pair of glasses. They'd served 'Mr. Prince' well enough.
He ran back up on deck, where the others were waiting.
"Okay, let's get this show on the road. Come on, Luffy."
"The islanders are gonna figure out something's up as soon as we pull out of the harbor, so we'll stick around for a few minutes," Nami said. "Use that time to lose yourselves in the crowd."
"Got it."
"Good luck."
There was no avoiding being seen leaving the ship, so they had to get away from the docks as fast as possible. As long as they could stay ahead of the engine that was word of mouth, they had a chance.
"Most book stores are in that direction, you're most likely to find Robin and Chopper there," Sanji pointed out to Luffy. "Don't let people find out where we're going."
Luffy took off, and Sanji headed for the local blacksmith; maybe, by some miracle, Zoro had made it there by now. Maybe they could still make it before the Marines arrived.
"ROOOBIIIIIN! CHOOOOPPEEEER! WHERE AAAAARE YOOOUUU?"
Sanji regretted ever leaving the Baratie.
As time wore on, relations frayed ever further. To all involved, it all seemed as inevitable as it was horrific, and so in their desperation, they turned to their guardians. Some asked for wisdom and guidance. Others prayed for safety. Others still asked for the strength to overcome hatred, both their own and that of those around them.
Yet soon the prayers, too, changed. No longer for the wisdom to find peace, but for the cunning to outsmart an enemy. No longer for the safety of all, but for the pain of others. No longer for the strength to overcome their own failings, but for the strength to destroy all who opposed them.
Perhaps they did not understand what they asked. Perhaps they did not care.
"I've lost sight of them, Nami-san."
"Good, that should be enough. Start pulling our flag down."
"What?"
"Let the Marines think we're a merchant ship leaving port. Get on it!" The sails were already rolled up, so there was no risk of the Marines catching sight of the Jolly Roger painted there, either. Nami glanced out toward the horizon again, where she could just make out the Marine ship. They were moving at a steady clip, and she had no doubt they would be here soon. With one last look at the town, she signaled Franky to start the engines. They'd decided to use them to get out of the harbor quickly, hopefully preventing anyone trying to stop them.
The Thousand Sunny lurched backward and away from the dock. Nami half-expected some kind of alarm to be raised immediately, but nothing seemed to be happening. Maybe the islanders were still trying to play it safe. She hoped that was the case, since it worked to their advantage.
"Head for the eastern side, Franky!" she instructed, letting him handle the helm for as long as the engines were still running. They would switch back to the regular sails as soon as they managed to put some distance between themselves and the harbor; a head start, while still conserving fuel she was certain they would be needing later on.
"Aye aye!"
"Usopp, how's it looking up there?" Nami called up to the crow's nest, where Usopp was back on lookout duty.
"The Marines haven't changed course, I don't think they've figured us out yet!" Nami breathed a sigh of relief. Any extra time they could buy was good. Still, the tension remained until they finally managed to sail far enough around the island to put both the town and the Marines out of their sight entirely.
Sails up and engines off, the Sunny rapidly neared the northern side. Everything was going as smoothly as it could, but Nami knew better than to fall into a false sense of security. Their luck never held out for very long. Nevertheless, more than an hour later when they entered the edge of what Nami's maps claimed to be the dangerous area, no-one had followed them.
Which was good, because they immediately had to focus on keeping the Sunny on course. The currents threatened to push them towards the shore, ready to slam the ship against the rocks if given even a sliver of a chance. Nami had anticipated this and made sure to leave a healthy distance between them and the island, but the intensity still surprised her. The water was still shallow here. How much worse was it at open sea, where the currents could really gain momentum? Keeping the helm steady was already a chore.
But she had other things to think about, so Nami pushed her concern away for the time being. No-one was there yet, so where were the others most likely to show up? The shore was made up pretty much entirely of rocks, meaning the Sunny couldn't get close, and the currents made using the Mini Merry next to impossible, too.
The wheel almost wrenched itself out of her hands as the ship was hit by another, stronger current. Holy hell, she was not looking forward to sailing through this.
"Franky, come give me a hand!"
Clearly this was no time to get picky. Together with Franky, she managed to steer the Sunny to a relatively calm spot – relatively here meaning that the water was only trying to kill them in passing, instead of with single-minded determination.
"Brook, anchor!"
The ship jerked to a halt; the wood creaked and groaned in protest, but ultimately held together. A quick check showed everything was in working order, and with that, there was nothing left to do but wait.
And so the siblings were faced with yet another horror, another conflict they had failed to prevent. They listened to their peoples' prayers, prayers that ever more asked that they raise a hand against the people of their own siblings.
Soon that hand would be forced, a decision demanded.
Would they choose the ones they had sworn to protect, or would they choose their family?
"ROOOBIIIN! CHOOOOPPEER!" Luffy called, for what must have been the thousandth time. But nope, still no answer. Those two weren't very good at being found, were they? "ROOOBIIIIIIIIII- mmph!"
A hand clamped over his mouth, while several others yanked him sideways into an alley. Then they let go before Luffy had the chance to process this new development; in fact, they dissolved into a familiar blur of petals.
"Robin!" he exclaimed, or rather tried to. The hand over his mouth had stayed right where it was. This did not deter him in the slightest. He let her know just how long he'd looked and how boring it had been, but for whatever reason, she didn't appear to be moved. Rude.
"Let's keep it down for now, Captain," she said, finally letting that last hand disappear as well. Luffy didn't even pause.
"So anyway, we're leaving now," he finished his previously impeded explanation, and was a little offended when only this part garnered a reaction.
"Wait, what?" Chopper asked. "But the Log Pose hasn't set yet, has it?"
"Nope."
Chopper looked like he was going to continue, but Robin cut in again. "Let's head back to the harbor, then."
"Nah, the ship's not there anymore."
"Wh- they left us behind?" Chopper shrieked, voice climbing to an uncomfortable pitch.
"Where are we supposed to go, in that case?" Robin asked.
"Nami said… the northern side? Yeah, that one. They'll meet us there."
Robin stared at a wall for a few seconds. Chopper gave him a flat look.
"You could have started with that part, you know," Chopper grumbled. Luffy didn't see what the problem was. "Why'd they leave instead of waiting, anyway?"
"Oh, the Marines are coming."
Robin stared at him. Chopper tried to throttle him.
"Why didn't you lead with that, you asshole?!"
"Let go!"
"Not until you get your priorities straight!"
Somewhere in the ensuing tussle, Robin grabbed them both and dragged them off. Luffy didn't really pay attention. Robin probably knew where she was going.
The siblings sat together, an uneasy silence woven throughout.
It was the Second who untangled his voice first. Into the quiet, he spoke the only idea he had: to give some of their power to representatives of each of their people. They would choose the wisest, the calmest, those who sought peace instead of bloodshed. That power, then, would allow them to subdue without hurting.
The First pondered this solution, and found he agreed.
The Third and Fourth did not.
Captain Fletcher had already finished giving out his orders by the time the Ardent pulled into port. As soon as the gangplank hit the pier, his men were off, spreading out over the harbor. A few left to find whichever authority had contacted them.
He surveyed the other ships around them, but frowned when he couldn't spot the one he was looking for. Had they missed the Straw Hats? If so, he would have damn well appreciated being informed of that before they bothered sailing all the way to the island. Waste of the crew's time and government resources. An even bigger waste of his time, since it meant he'd have to file the relevant paperwork for responding to a call anyway, without getting the satisfaction of putting some criminals in prison.
Bugger. He'd been in such a good mood.
One of his officers marched back up the gangplank, stopped in front of him, and saluted. "Reporting, sir!"
"Go on."
"The Straw Hats' ship left not too long ago, heading east. However, witnesses claim not all the Straw Hats were aboard."
That caught Fletcher's attention. "Oh?"
"Three of them got off the ship earlier and had not returned, and another two got off just before the ship left. They must still be somewhere in town, sir."
"They left their own behind? Harsh." And based on all reports he'd heard, completely uncharacteristic. This was the crew that stormed Enies Lobby for the sake of retrieving just one crew member. They wouldn't abandon five, more than half of their numbers. It didn't add up.
"Your orders, sir?"
"Spread out, find them, detain them. Keep an eye out for their ship, I don't think it's gone."
"Yes sir!" The officer left again to relay his orders.
So. The Straw Hats must have figured out they were coming. This was either an escape attempt, or some kind of trap. He suspected the first.
Fletcher grinned. Either way, today wasn't looking so bad after all.
"Permission to disembark, sir?"
Fletcher resolutely did not jump. He did not. He was simply getting fed up with Cull's habit of turning up unannounced.
"What?"
"Permission to disembark, sir? I would like to stretch my legs." The lack of intonation was almost astonishing.
"Stretch your- this is not a pleasure cruise, Cull! We have a job to do, and I cannot have you getting underfoot!"
"I will not be in anyone's way. I will return before we must leave. No one will even notice I was gone."
Now that Fletcher could believe. It was a touch creepy.
"Fine. But if you jeopardize the mission, I'm arresting you too. Show up late, and you get to wait for the next ship out of here. If you come across a Straw Hat, report it. You will not engage them under any circumstances. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Captain." Toneless, utterly toneless.
"You're free to go." Maybe he shouldn't be letting a civilian out into a potentially dangerous situation, but he had better things to do than babysit.
And maybe he found Cull's unblinking stare a little unnerving.
When the brothers asked them why, the sisters of the sea proclaimed that such power was too easily abused. They had all seen how even the kindest souls could do such harm, if only they believed in the wrong things.
The brothers argued that they still had faith in the good in peoples' hearts.
An impasse was reached, so a compromise was forged. The brothers would share their powers, while the sisters would not.
Thus decided, the brothers returned to the Fifth's old home. There in the quiet serenity, among a collection of trinkets and crafts, they found several seeds. They took them all with them, and in the gardens outside, they planted them. Each was imbued with a sliver of their power, no more than a piece. This was a concession to their sisters, out of respect.
In the spring, the seeds sprouted. Each plant bore one fruit.
Perhaps it was because they used their sister's garden, but each fruit in turn bore her symbol on their skins.
It had been a desperate kind of hope that led Sanji to start looking at the blacksmith's. Zoro had been wandering around for hours by that point, so there was a chance he had already covered all other ground, and sheer statistical probability had won out.
Of course, that was not the case. Which meant he could be literally anywhere.
Sanji established a search pattern as well as he could, considering he still had to make an effort to blend into the crowd. He was far enough from the harbor for no one around him to have seen him get off the ship, and the bandana and glasses really did give him anonymity. The people around him were nevertheless jittery and nervous, anticipating the arrival of the Marines and on the lookout for the Straw Hats. His behavior had to match.
No one looked twice at him.
That was, sadly, his only victory, because Zoro was nowhere to be found. He hoped Luffy had better luck. They hadn't run into each other yet, so maybe.
He heard the Marines before he saw them, following the crowd as it parted to make way. He made sure to stand behind someone taller than him, and kept his head down. The squadron ran past without incident. He didn't really feel any better, because his job suddenly got that much harder. He could avoid notice for a while, but Zoro was about as subtle as a brick to the face.
Well fuck.
As soon as the squadron passed, Sanji picked up the pace as much as he dared. But still he found nothing, zilch, and nada. He was about ready to tear his hair out. The longer this took, the higher the chance of getting caught, and there was no getting around that. Damn useless swordsmen, couldn't be left unsupervised for five goddamn minutes-
Several Fish streaked past him, startling him enough for him to stumble a little. They wove through the crowd erratically until he lost sight of them. What was that about? They moved like… like fish that had spotted a shark. He quickly turned around to look in the direction the Fish had come from. At first he saw nothing out of the ordinary, but on the second pass his eyes caught on a man standing in the middle of the street some distance away. Brown hair, pale skin, average height and weight, wearing plain clothes in shades of dark gray. He was too far for Sanji to make out any more of his features, but everything he saw was unassuming. He only stood out because unlike the crowd around him, he was holding absolutely still. People stepped past him, but no one bumped into him.
He was looking straight in Sanji's direction. And still he did not move.
The heavy footfalls of another bunch of Marines snapped Sanji out of it, forcing him to move out of sight. By the time he looked back, the man was gone.
Right. Focus. Weird encounters with weird people were a subject for another time, he had an idiot to find. And yet, as he set off again, he could not put it completely out of his mind.
Luckily, or unluckily, he was given something else to occupy his attention with not long after. The Marines had managed to take up whatever formation they were going for, and started to actually look through the crowds, herding people out into the open and interrogating them one by one. Buildings and stalls were searched. It forced Sanji to abandon the main roads and keep to the alleys and back streets, staying out of sight of everyone. It was annoying, but in a way reassuring. If Luffy was still around, Sanji would have absolutely heard of it by now. That meant there was a good chance Luffy, Robin and Chopper had made it to safety.
Zoro, on the other hand, could very well be stuck up someone's chimney, and everyone would be none the wiser. He wished that was an exaggeration. Of all the idiotic, dumb, stupid, fucking moronic-
Sanji threw himself back around the corner he'd come from just in time to avoid being spotted. A Marine officer was there, talking to an elderly islander.
"-three swords, although I can't for the life of me figure out why. When I was that age-" Oho, someone had spotted the mosshead.
"That's very well and good sir, but-"
"Don't interrupt me, sonny. No respect these days… As I was saying, I saw him wandering around my yard. Trampled my petunias, he did!"
"That is truly unfortunate, sir, so if you could just-"
"Unfortunate?! That garden is all I have left! It's downright criminal! You Navy types, always belittling us common folk! Why are you still standing here? Do your job!"
"But sir, you haven't told me where you saw him..." Poor Marine guy, Sanji almost felt sorry for him.
"I clearly told you he was in my yard!"
"I don't know where that is, sir. I'm not from around here."
Sanji listened as Marine Guy slowly wrangled an answer from Grumpy Old Guy, then took off as soon as he had it. The problem was that he would have to take detour after detour to avoid being seen, whereas Marine Guy could take the fastest route. Weighing his options, he climbed up to the roof instead. He kept as low as he could, jumping from rooftop to rooftop quickly and quietly.
Of course, Zoro wasn't there anymore, but unless he could actually bend space to his will, he couldn't have gotten far. And for once, Sanji's luck held out. He saw a familiar face not much later, and had to wonder how idiot supreme hadn't been caught yet.
"Hey, Marimo!" Sanji called, jumping down onto the street.
Zoro turned around and made a face. "Thought you were still grounded, shit cook."
"Someone called in the Marines."
"So?"
Three seconds in, and Sanji already wanted to kick him. "So we're leaving. The others are all waiting for us on the other side of the island," or at least that's what he hoped, "so shut up and follow me."
"Who died and made you captain?"
"If you wanna stay here, go right ahead, but leave the rest of us out of it." Sanji started walking down another alley headed in the right direction. Luckily, Zoro decided to not be too difficult and followed. That didn't mean he decided to be anything other than annoying.
"The hell are you wearing one of my bandanas for, Curlicue?"
"Desperate times, desperate measures. Now kindly shut up already."
Their luck held out all the way to the edge of the cemetery.
"You there! Stop!"
Zoro reacted faster than Sanji could stop him. In a quick, unbroken movement he unsheathed his swords, swung them around in a precise arc, and took out both Marines before they could attack. He also took out a nearby tree. Sanji watched in mute resignation as the tree tipped over, slowly gaining momentum, until it hit the ground with an almighty crash and broke several tombstones in the process.
"Brilliant. Wonderful, even. I'm sure absolutely no one heard that."
Not too far away, a warning whistle sounded.
"It came from over there!"
"Hurry!"
Sanji gestured in the direction they came from, point made. Sometimes the universe had impeccable comedic timing.
"Quit whining, shit cook. I didn't see you doing anything about 'em." Zoro put his swords away again as they both took off in a run, clearly going for unaffected but it came off unnaturally stiff. Sanji was willing to bet he'd just pulled his stitches. Chopper was going to be thrilled.
"And you handled it just perfectly, didn't you? Now we've only got an entire squadron on our heels!" Sanji ducked under a low branch, then reached out to grab Zoro's arm. "And north is this way, dumbass!"
"I know that!"
They could hear the Marines following. No matter how much they dodged and weaved – partly intentionally and partly because the concept of moving straight ahead was not one Zoro was familiar with – they couldn't shake their pursuers. Additionally, Zoro's injury was slowing them down more than he would ever admit. Sanji wasn't about to bring it up either, but he knew that the further they ran, the more obvious it would become.
Throughout it all, Sanji carefully avoided a route that would take them anywhere near the cave. Fish glinted in his periphery, a reminder of what he'd seen, as if every part of him wasn't already screaming that the Marines did not belong there. He was going to listen. They didn't deserve to know. Not when the weapons those people were attacked with hadn't come from the island at all, not when someone else had provided them, not when-
A gunshot snapped his focus back into the moment, evaporating his half-formed thoughts. It missed by a lot; rifles weren't meant to be fired on the move like that. The trees gave them some cover, too. That was the extent of their advantages though, and Zoro's breathing was starting to sound a little wheezy. But they had no other options, so they kept running until finally, finally, they made it past the tree line and to the shore. For a brief, panicked moment, they couldn't see the Sunny, but then they found her anchored some ways west of their position.
They ran.
They ran, even as more Marines opened fire now that there was no cover. They ran as dirt fountained up around them with every missed shot, until they were out on the rocks and had to worry about ricochets instead. They were forced to stop as they reached the last rocks, but by then they were close enough for Luffy to stretch his arms out from the ship, grab them, and pull them back in.
The three of them fell into a heap, where they remained as Sanji and Zoro caught their breath for a few seconds. More shots rang through the air, closer this time.
"Coup de Burst, now! Let's go!" Sanji gasped out.
His order was followed.
The brothers picked the fruits, and carefully selected a wielder for each. The chosen ones accepted their burden with grace and honor, and went on to quell the anger long enough for reason to be heard. For a while, hostilities slowed. At long last, progress could be made.
But there were those who coveted that power. There were others still who found the solution had come too late. Those were the ones who became disillusioned with all people, both their own and those of the other Guardians.
There was a thief.
His motivations are lost to time, but it is said he was approached by someone who wanted the Guardians' powers for themselves. That is not what would be remembered. What would be remembered was that this thief was clever, more so than any before him. Perhaps that is true, perhaps it is not. But no matter, for he was clever enough.
After years of searching and hardship, the thief found the garden. Within the garden, he found the seeds. Within the seeds, he knew, was the power of a Guardian.
His reasons are unknown, but the thief took the seeds not to the highest bidder. Instead, he scattered them throughout the world for anyone to find, for anyone to use, for anyone to wield.
By the time the brothers discovered the theft, it was too late. A new element of chaos emerged in the world, not quite enough to undo all that had been worked for, yet nevertheless an upset that could not be ignored. The brothers, powerless to interfere, summoned their sisters to break the news.
It was now the sisters' turn to find a solution, and find one they did. They had not given their powers over to the seeds. So give they did.
They cast a curse over the seeds and every fruit that had been grown from one.
"Sir!"
Fletcher turned to the officer who hailed him. The man looked exhausted.
"What is it?"
"We…," the officer paused, breathing heavily, "we found two of the Straw Hats sir."
"Detained?"
"No sir. They got away. Their ship...," more panting, "their ship was waiting for them on the north side. We chased them but...," pant, pant, "they were faster. And then their ship...," pant, "it flew, sir!"
Oh, hell. Fletcher had read a report from Water 7 about that ability. He wouldn't have believed it, if not for the sheer number of witnesses who confirmed it. He should have seen this coming. Biting back a curse, he addressed the officer again.
"Which way did they go?"
"North, sir."
"Right." He'd heard nothing of the other three members either, so presumably they were already on board by then. None of the Straw Hats were on the island anymore. "New orders. Tell everyone to get back to the Ardent, we'll see if we can still chase after them."
"Yes…," pant, "sir!"
What a bloody mess. To have come so close… He knew there was a good chance they couldn't catch up, but damn it all, they had to try. None of his superiors were going to be happy if he just let the Straw Hats get away.
He headed back to the ship himself, repeating his orders to every one of his men he came across on the way. They were followed quickly, with the kind of efficiency Fletcher worked hard to cultivate. At least there was that, even if it wasn't enough this time around.
It was only once the crew was back on board and casting off that Fletcher remembered their resident paper-pusher.
"Has anyone seen Cull?"
"Right here, sir."
A bell. He was getting Cull a bell.
"So we didn't lose you after all."
"No, Captain."
"Great. Hope you enjoyed yourself." Surely they both had better things to do, but for the moment Fletcher was stuck wondering if Cull ever even blinked. The unwavering eye contact was weird.
"Immensely, Captain. I also saw one of the Straw Hats."
Fletcher sputtered. "Why the hell didn't you report it, then?!"
"I'm reporting it now, sir."
"Sooner!"
"By the time I found an officer, they were already aware."
Why did conversations with Cull always feel like pulling teeth?
"Fine. Well, if that's all, you're dismissed. I need to see to catching up to the Straw Hats somehow..."
Cull tilted his head slightly and held his stare for just a second too long. "I can track them, Captain."
"Wh- how?"
"The one I saw, sir. I can follow him anywhere now."
"Answer the question, Cull. How?"
"I can… track his energy signature, so to speak."
Hang on a minute. "You're a Devil Fruit user? Why wasn't I informed?" Another unnecessarily long pause.
"You wouldn't have been, Captain."
Alright. Deep breaths, don't wring anyone's neck, that's bad for morale… So Cull wasn't the best at giving reports, never mind the fact that it was his job to read and organize them. Some people were just like that. Okay? Okay. Composure intact.
With what Fletcher deemed admirable restraint, he asked, "If I have you speak with the navigator, will you be able to give him accurate directions?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Right. Get on it, then."
Cull left presumably to do just that, giving Fletcher all the time he needed to wonder if he'd just made a decision he would end up regretting. Trouble certainly reared its head soon enough; they didn't even make it all the way around the island before the navigator stormed on deck, followed closely by the ever expressionless Cull.
"Sir, you can't seriously be suggesting we follow this lunatic's directions!" If Cull found that offensive, Fletcher couldn't tell.
"And why not, Cartier?"
"Because he's leading us straight into some of the most treacherous waters in this hemisphere!"
Fletcher gave Cull a flat look. "Well?"
"I assure you, Captain, the currents won't pose us any problem."
"Won't pose a problem?!" Cartier exploded. "Most ships that venture into the area are never seen again, and the few that make it turn up hundreds of kilometers from where they were supposed to be! Captain, this is a suicide mission!"
"It is not," Cull responded coolly.
Things could never be easy, could they.
"Cartier, if what you're saying is true, how likely is it for the Straw Hats to survive?"
"Not very, if they haven't sunk already."
"They have not," Cull cut in. "And they will not."
Fletcher held out a hand to keep Cartier from lunging at Cull. "You seem awfully sure of yourself, Cull."
"For good reason, sir. The Straw Hats are infamous for their ability to face overwhelming odds and come out on top. And as for Cartier's issue with the currents..."
Cull looked around the deck, until his gaze settled on… something, Fletcher couldn't tell. He raised a hand in that direction and beckoned towards himself, then held that position for a few seconds. Finally, he gestured out at the ocean ahead, and turned to look back at them.
Fletcher and Cartier exchanged a glance.
"Was… something supposed to happen?" Fletcher asked when Cull continued to just stare at them.
"It already did. Full speed ahead, Captain, I assure you there is nothing to worry about."
Fletcher did not feel very reassured.
Curse cast, the siblings found themselves at a familiar crossroads once more, for the fighting had settled but there was no doubt that it would one day begin again. There was still a choice to make.
Weary and faithless and unwilling to let go of that very little good they had left, the siblings chose family.
The next time a prayer was spoken to them, it went unanswered. The world had earned their silence.
Afterward, there would be no tell of battles fought, of wars won or lost. There would be no tales of warriors who refused to back down in the face of overwhelming odds, who triumphed despite it all. None of this would be for a lack of violence, for surely, there was violence. Nor would it be for a lack of stories to tell, for surely, there were many.
It is out of shame that the stories would remain unspoken, out of fear they would remain untold. And true, they would not be forgotten, forever haunting all who remained.
A/N: Heyyyyyy, look at that! It didn't take me a year this time! Sadly, I still can't promise consistent updates; I just finished my BA and I'm heading straight back to do my MA...
Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to read, and for your patience!