Sanji sucked angrily on a fresh lollipop. He did want to distract his irritation away, but he found himself slumped over the Galley table with little mood to do anything but loathe sourly at his problem. He couldn't smoke since it choked the spirit. He had to suck on some stupid lollipops to get his hit. He had to deal with a questioning Zoro and the lingering feeling he brought. He was starting to communicate with the spirit too! How much worse could things get for him?
Sanji growled and ran a hand through his tousled hair once more. His bangs were near sticking up with how many times he had messed with his hair.
"One thing after another. I just can't get a break anywhere thanks to these stupid things." He glared down at his tail curled over the bench next to him. His gaze moved up to his chest where the brand lay hidden under his dress shirt. That was the real trigger to everything Sanji was suffering.
Sanji groaned and thumped his head down on the table. Why did he have to get himself drunk? Why did he have to follow the woman's voice in to the forest? Well, that really didn't have another answer. She was a woman and Sanji was a slave to their charms. Sometimes he hated that about himself. But he would never change it. Being a gentleman was his pride.
Sanji sighed and sat up. He shook his hair back in place. Snacks were ready to pass out, not that he had the energy to do it, but he had his duty to the crew.
"Snacks!" Luffy called out cheerfully upon seeing his cook exit the Galley with a tray in hand.
Routine routine. Batt Luffy away, flaunt over the ladies, ignore Zoro as he gave him his snack, it all felt mundane to Sanji. The no smoking was starting to get to him already. He looked solely to a fresh lollipop. It wasn't enough.
"This is that famous new crew?"
"Oh yes. Wilder than I expected."
"Weird is more like it. Is that a robot?"
"And a raccoon?"
Sanji's ears flicked up at the two snooty voices he heard. He looked around, nothing or anyone near him save for some seagulls perched on Sunny's rails.
"I'm losing it fast…" Sanji muttered.
"Do you think that Heart Captain can beat this crew?"
"My fish is on the magnetic red head taking control."
The voices again. Sanji watched the seagulls fly away, silence following them. He really was off his rocker. Off his smokes more like it.
"I should see what fish there are for lunch…" Sanji shook his head, pushing back the ludicrous idea that he had heard the seagulls speak. He took the tray back to the Galley then headed down to the Aquarium Bar. "Let's see…" He said to himself, looking to the varying size of fish swimming around the tank.
"Oh no, it's the Cook again."
"We should play dead."
"What good will that do? He'll cook us alive!"
"That Captain can eat twenty of us in one sitting! I don't want to be eaten by him!"
"I don't want to be eaten!"
"Swim!"
"Where? We're trapped!"
"Why did I risk that worm!?"
Sanji slapped his hands over his ears. More voices. High pitched tones chattering away, low baritones moaning, ones that peaked at certain vowels. What was this!?
"What's wrong with him?"
"He looks sick."
"Maybe he won't catch us then."
"Stop it!" Sanji gripped his ears tight.
The fish. The fish were talking non-stop! Voices flooded in to his head. His heart beat faster and faster, becoming the bass to the song of voices. Louder and louder, the tones claimed his senses. Sanji shut his eyes tight, clenched so tight his brows pressed together. He fell to his knees, shaking and trying to drown out the assailing voices. He couldn't hear what was being said, it was all garble that stung his head.
"Aaaaah!" Sanji screamed in agony.
He fell back in to darkness. His scream muffled, dying at the touch of bright shine that stung Sanji's eyes. There was the spirit, asleep and sunbathing, the silver of its underside shimmering like stars.
"Hey!" Sanji called to him, reaching a hand to the fox. He was falling back in to darkness. In a rough throw he was launched in to the now silent Aquarium Bar. Sanji stayed on his back, panting hard and sweating. He swallowed thickly and sat up. A spike of pain struck his head. He hunched over, hugging his stomach.
"Do you think he's okay?"
"He looks like he's going to be sick."
"Stop it!" Sanji snapped his head up and snarled at the fish. "Stop talking!"
He could understand them. When the spirit told him he'd be able to understand, Sanji thought he meant him, not every animal in sight.
"He can understand us?"
"That's absurd."
"Stop it!" Sanji yelled again. He pushed himself to his shaking feet using the bar edge as support. His breathing was raged, disturbed by his discovery. "Just… stop… talking." Sanji slumped over the bar, forehead pressing to the cool wood.
"Hey, cook guy."
Sanji was done. He'll never be able to cook again!
"Cook guy!"
First his smoking, now the thing that gave him a purpose. He might as well throw himself overboard.
"Hey!"
"What!?" Sanji finally yelled at the irritating fish. "What could you possibly want now that I can't cook you!?"
There was silence in the room save for Sanji's heavy breathing.
"Are you like that fox? The one that was chasing us around?" One of the fish asked.
"What?"
"Yeah. You look like it but your personality is way off." Another fish added.
Sanji growled. "That's because I've been cursed by a damn fox spirit that is ruining my life!"
"Fox spirit?"
"Is that what we saw then?"
"Saw what?" Sanji asked bitterly. He was talking to fish, a pleasant conversation with food. What next?
"Your eyes changed."
"Maybe the spirit was around."
"If that's your true story."
"My… eyes?"
His ears rose at the realization. He had seen the spirit back in the field. But it was asleep. It hadn't pulled Sanji to play, Sanji had gone to him. Even if it was for a brief instant, he had had the control. The fish had triggered it. His need to flee had opened the locked door. He could do it again. Sanji looked to the fish who all seemed to be watching and waiting for his move. As crazy as it was, he could use this.
"Hey… I have a deal to cut with you…"
~~O~~
"Hey, Sanji? Sanji can I borrow—" Usopp's question fell short upon entering the Galley.
The Galley was unusually dark. The curtains were drawn over the port hole and the lights were off. In the dull of the darkness Usopp spotted the silver of Sanji's fur. The Cook was facing the sink, back to the rest of his sanctum. He was still, unlike the usual movements he had when cooking. His ears nor his tail moved, even at Usopp's loud opening of the door and the hesitant approaching steps.
"Hey, Sanji? Are you ok? Sanji?" Usopp stopped next to the Cook. He gulped softly. Sanji was staring blankly ahead to the wall, unblinking, seeming to not be breathing either, and a knife in hand. A pot in the sink held two fish swimming around each other. "Sanji?" Usopp lightly gripped Sanji's shoulder and shook him. "Sanji come on…"
Those blank blue eyes finally blinked. The golden fox ears twitched with each of Sanji's blinks. Usopp waited patiently for Sanji to come to, take in his surroundings, and look to the Sniper.
"Usopp? What, did you need something?" Sanji asked.
"Need something? Yeah, I think I do." Usopp dropped his hand from Sanji's shoulder. "I need to know what just happened."
"What do you mean?" Sanji sounded genuine with his question. It might have convinced Usopp if the Sharpshooter hadn't noticed the Cook's ears twitch back. He knew a lie when he saw one. Usopp pressed on, pushing his slight fear of Sanji thanks to his concern.
"You were staring blankly at the wall like a zombie. I wasn't sure if you were breathing or not either." Usopp started. Sanji stared at him in silence, eyes darting with his thoughts. He knew when he was screwed.
"Shit." Sanji cursed under his breath.
"Sanji…" Usopp didn't need to ask, his tone told enough what he wanted.
Sanji sighed, ears folding down. "I need to be more careful." He muttered. His ears flicked up when he met Usopp's eyes again. "I'll tell you, but only if you keep it between us."
Usopp nodded quickly. "It's a secret." He said with a smile. He joined Sanji at the table where Sanji began to explain his trips.
Sanji trusted Usopp. They had a unique friendship similar to the one between Robin and Chopper. If Usopp needed a spice or food for a new weapon, Sanji supplied and even gave tips. In return, Usopp helped Sanji if kitchen gear needed repair or if he had ideas to improve the Galley. But also, they helped each other when faced with dire trials. Sanji greatly tried to boost Usopp's confidence in himself and his skills, like he had done in Enis Lobby. What Sanji earned in return was pride in helping a nakama grow stronger and prouder.
Usopp was also on the mature side compared to the other younger Straw Hats. He was a cowardly liar, but when the situation—whether big or small—called for it Usopp switched to serious mode as fast as Luffy turned serious in a battle. With that, Sanji was able to speak more openly to Usopp and expect serious suggestions or feedback. Usopp was like a younger battle who needed a push every now and then, and Sanji an older brother needing to be checked when the troublesome situations arose.
"So now I understand what animals say, which is really going to affect my cooking. But I cut a deal with the fish that I'd only cook the ones that were old and ready to move on. In exchange they'd talk to me. I realized that if I tune out everything and listen to the voices of nature I can reach the fox spirit." Sanji ended his long explanation with a wound up sentence ladled with his current emotion. He felt good to get the bothersome details off his chest. He waited for Usopp to say something that showed he had put thought in to Sanji's new dilemma.
Usopp leaned back in his seat, one hand rubbing at his chin and the other tapping a finger against the cup of water in front of him. "So what you're saying is, you can talk to animals, like Chopper, and have been talking to the spirit inside you easily?"
Sanji nodded at the simple summary.
"Hm… I think it's pretty cool. You're making progress." Usopp grinned.
"Progress?" Sanji cocked his head with confusion.
"Yeah! You're facing this new problem head on and working to make the better of it. Plus, you're talking to the spirit! A spirit that possessed you but still!"
"Why is that so amazing?" Sanji huffed.
"Well while it's still here it'll be easier to set a boundary to keep from unneeded possessions and maybe things that are still a mystery. The possibilities are endless when you have access to knowledge!"
Sanji stared blankly at the smiling Sniper. What was so positive about spacing out and talking to something that shouldn't be inside him to begin with? He sighed and unwrapped a fresh lollipop. "You're way too positive about this."
"You can't be negative all the time. You have to see the light in things."
Sanji arched a brow. Usopp sounded so confident about that. The Sharpshooter had his ways.
"Can't be negative all the time huh? This coming from the guy that was unaffected by the Hollow Ghosts?"
Usopp laughed brightly at that, Sanji's chuckled joining in the lifting mood. Sanji needed this. He was so grateful to his nakama for putting up with his temper and helping him when he needed it. There was no better crew out there.
"Thanks, Usopp. You helped a lot." Sanji popped the lollipop in to his mouth. It would help keep him relaxed. Usopp grinned and gave him a thumbs up. Sanji smiled and stood. "Now, I have to get lunch ready. Go fish me some geezers."
Usopp left with a hearty laugh. He didn't have to threaten Usopp in to keeping the secret, it was an unspoken agreement. Sanji placed a hand over his chest where the spirit's brand was. Usopp had a point. Make the best of things and the light will show through. Sanji grinned to himself and nodded. He'd overcome this no problem. Now to add some flavor to some old fish.
AN: Hello everyone once again~!
Another chapter as promised. It's shorter than the normal ones but again, the idea I had was too big for one chapter. Besides, I felt this needed its own chapter. I wanted to divert a bit away from the romantic situation to address more of the Straw Hats' friendship. I truly adore their relationships and how they interact with each other. Usopp and Sanji having a unique one alone. Guess that's where that pairing comes from. Not one I personally support since I love their friendship bond more but, to each their own. But don't worry, the next idea I have had plenty of action, and I'm a chapter ahead! So that will come soon. Oh, and I forgot to mention this last time, but the inspiration for Sanji's lollipops was thanks to the sad 4kids dub of One Piece. If you grew up watching it as I faintly remember doing, then you know what I mean. Until next time!
Kitsune out!