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So look how lucky you are, you get two chapters! I've literally been captured by this story so I may get another Chapter out either tonight or tomorrow!

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The Little One That Follows Me
Chapter Twelve: Cupid

Luffy

Luffy had never felt anger like he had when he heard Nami shout those hurtful words at Sanji. He left the swordsman to comfort the man, knowing that Zoro was the one that Sanji needed right now. Not Luffy.
Nor anyone else.

"Give them some space," the raven-haired boy said quietly, ushering the crowd to the door. The left willingly, although didn't want to disperse. "I can understand Navigator-san would be shocked," Robin stated, staring up to the women's room where the sound of the crying girl could be heard. "But I wouldn't expect her to say something like that!" She turned to the others, her eyes fixing on the Cyborg, the Skeleton and the Sharpshooter, all of whom had only just found out… Except… "I don't know the ins and outs of it, but we suspected something wasn't quite right with Sanji-bro when he started being sick all the time," Franky admitted, gesturing to himself and the others. "Usopp and I talked whilst working on the X.R.A machine, about the marine camp, and what the machine would be used for." Usopp nodded. "What Chopper specified in his blueprints was what I've had to help fix in the past once," Franky continued. "In Water Seven, there was a hospital with one called an 'X-Sound machine.' I did it up and made it Ultra, but it's the same schematics as what Chopper gave me so I already had an idea what I was doing."
"But that machine is now finished, isn't it," Chopper piped up, remembering why Franky had burst in on him late last night, before his slip of the tongue and downward spiral of truth. "We can use it now-"
"No. We'll wait first," Luffy interrupted, his eyes not once having left Nami's door. He had his arm's folded, his back against the kitchen door as if protecting those still inside. "Let Zoro calm Sanji down for now. Before anything happens with the machine, we all need to have a discussion. I think it will be better when we're all level headed."
The Captain nodded his head to dismiss everyone, letting them go their own way.

Luffy's anger hadn't faded. It had only been pushed down and ignored whilst he spoke as calmly as he could to the rest of the crew. But now, as he took each step towards Nami's bedroom door, he could feel the disappointment and rage spiking. Luffy didn't knock on Nami's door. He walked in, quietly shutting the door behind him, deciding it was better to keep the conversation private. He didn't need to check the room for Robin, knowing the woman was respectful enough not to spy on him now.
Luffy turned his attention to Nami. The ginger-haired girl was laid face down on her bed, bawling into her pillow. She hadn't noticed the Captain enter, or if she had, she was just doing her best to ignore him.

"What you said to Sanji is unforgiveable."

Luffy's voice was quiet. He didn't sound angry, nor did he sound anything. But Luffy knew that if he poured his emotions into his words, all he would end up doing is shouting at the girl until his voice was hoarse. Nami sat up at the tone of Luffy's voice. "M-me?" She asked, dumbfounded at the target of his emotions. "Sanji is the one that slept with Zoro. They're the ones that did something unforgiveable, something vile-"
"ENOUGH!" Luffy hadn't meant to shout but he could no longer stand Nami insulting her nakama that way. His nakama. They were all nakama.

"It wasn't Zoro that did that to Sanji," Luffy began, his voice quiet once more but Nami wouldn't let him. She stood up, her fists balled as she confronted her Captain. "It doesn't matter what did that to Sanji. It's unnatural. Whatever is inside him is a mons-"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY ANOTHER WORD!"

Luffy lost his composure, taking a step towards the shocked girl. "Sanji is your nakama. He is my nakama and Zoro's nakama. Whatever happened to him in that Marine base was torture to him. They put that child inside him. They wanted to make Sanji suffer by putting the baby inside his stomach although they know that Sanji is a man. The only thing good that came from the marine base is the fact that Sanji is pregnant. Sanji will be having a child and they will be your nakama too."

Luffy lowered his voice. "What happened to Sanji is not his fault. We can only support him whilst he goes through this. We all are. Zoro is the only one who seems to understand how hard this is for him, that's why they are so close."
At the last sentence, Nami stiffened. She folded her arms, turning her back on the Captain. "If the marines put that monster inside of him, then you should just kill it and be done."

Luffy was shocked. How cold could Nami be? He understood sometimes that she was manipulative and uncaring when it wasn't prosperous for her but…

Luffy lowered his hat, turning his won back on the girl. At that moment, the swordsman entered. He looked a little wary, but came to stand beside Luffy anyway.
"You need to apologise to Sanji," the man growled, breaking the silence. Luffy didn't want another confrontation. He knew, if this conversation carried on, he would do something he would regret. He was so close to telling Nami to leave… Luffy laid a hand on Zoro's chest, silently telling him to stand down. "She can't. She's banned from talking to him. And to you."
Luffy heard the girl's intake of breath but he didn't turn to see. Instead he continued.
"For three days. She will eat in her room. She will not leave here until sunset when she will keep watch for the entire night and return to her room for sunrise."

Luffy could feel himself shaking slightly. How had it come to this? He had thought that telling the crew…. They would all be happy for their new baby nakama. The ten of them would sail the seas… But Sanji still wanted to leave the ship. That was something else Luffy needed to discuss. But at the moment.
"If she doesn't do as I have ordered, I will make her stay on the island until we leave. If that is so, she is not allowed to interact with any of the crew." Luffy's word was final. He didn't turn to the girl, instead marching from the room with Zoro in tow.

"Was that really necessary?" the first mate asked, keeping in step with the Captain. "It sounded like you were going to kick her from the crew-"
"I was. If she continued, then I would've sent her to the island." Luffy led the way to the kitchen, with Zoro following. He expected Sanji to be sat on the sofa, nursing a warm drink that he concocted, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Where is he?"
"In bed," Zoro answered, moving to the bags that still hadn't been unpacked. "We walked all over the island since sunrise. He doesn't want to admit that Blue tires him out, so i think it's a good idea that he gets to rest now."

Luffy smiled. "Blue?" Zoro looked up, unaware of what he had said. "Oh, yeah. Sanji's nicknamed the baby Blue. I don't know why, but I like it." Luffy smiled again. "Black Leg Blue." The Captain watched Zoro smile, before blushing slightly. Luffy couldn't help but grin. "But yeah, Roronoa Blue sounds good as well."

"What!" Zoro turned a shade pinker, busying himself with pulling the bags to the kitchen. He started unloading food, copying Sanji as he placed them all in their respective places. "I know what you're thinking," the boy laughed again, setting himself down at the table. He had noticed Zoro's change. The moments helping Sanji, the way his eyes followed him. The slight movement he made as if he was going to catch Sanji when the man wobbled or the times when Zoro would wait to be the last to fall asleep to make sure Sanji wasn't having a nightmare. And the times when he would sit across from the blonde, making small talk after the man would wake from one such dream. The private moments that they shared. Endearing glances which neither understood. The way they gravitated towards each other, even before this whole ordeal.
The way they looked out for one another, the way they protected one another…

"You love him, don't you?"

Zoro froze. Luffy could see his shoulders were tense, from the way he was stood. "I… don't know." Luffy smiled. It was just like Zoro not to run away, or dodge the situation. It was like him to sit and think things through for hours on end, yet now, he seemed to be taking a lot more into consideration. Mainly, Sanji.

"I don't know if it's just the baby, and I want to be a dad to him like sensei was to me, or do I love Sanji. Or am I stepping in to protect him whilst he is vulnerable. Is it love for Sanji, or love for the idea of a family?" Zoro turned to the captain for an answer.

"Do you care for him?"
"Yes."

"Do you wish to keep him safe?"
"Of course but I-"

Luffy continued, cutting the man off. "Is it more than affection. Have you thought of more than spending time with him, caring for him whilst he's like this?" Zoro answered it with his blush and the way he turned his gaze away.
Luffy smiled.

"I think you've found your answer."


It was scary to see Sanji back in the infirmary after so long. He looked pale, a little sickly from the way he had got himself into such a state over Nami's poor reaction of his pregnancy. He was sat on the edge of the cot, his shirt lifted up so Chopper could listen to his heartbeat. He had a drip in his arm for water and another one to test his blood.
Luffy sat opposite in silence, watching Chopper work methodically. Sanji didn't resist once, only asking the occasional question when Chopper made odds noises. "It's nothing," the small creature said, pulling away the stethoscope. "The heartbeat seems to be out of synch with itself. Like a heart murmur of sorts. Give it a week and it should steady itself out."

Chopper couldn't use the XRA machine yet as he didn't want Sanji to be the first test subject. So naturally they tried it on Usopp, although they ran out of cola to power it up. And that's where Robin, Usopp, Franky and Brook were now. On shore with Zoro to search for more supplies. Luffy had sent the swordsman along with them, hoping to get a private word with the Cook….

"Up to cooking much for lunch?" Luffy asked, trying to slide into easy conversation. Sanji laughed. "It's always about your stomach isn't it Luffy." The boy grinned. "So what you cooking?"
"Don't know yet," the man answered, pulling his top back down over his stomach. "I can't remember what we've got left so I'm going to cook something up." Luffy followed the man into the kitchen, leaving Chopper to his notes. "Do you want a drink," Sanji asked, pulling out cups as well as pots and pans.
"With meat in it," Luffy said, jumping over to the table to the bags Zoro still hadn't put away. He dived into the first one, pulling out the books that Zoro had bought for Blue as well as the ones for Sanji. They were healthy food books as well as books about growing children. "Ne ne, Sanji is this what Blue looks like now?" Luffy asked, pointing to a little picture of a tiny baby, the same size as a peanut. Sanji looked at it, pointing to the one on the opposite page. "No, he's about this big now, he said, pointing to the diagram that look more like a baby. "Sugoi!"
But Luffy didn't intend to sit and read baby books. He wanted to ask Sanji some questions.

"Zoro bought all of this for you," he said, pretending to flick through the pages. "Yeah, this morning," Sanji said.
Luffy didn't miss the hesitation in his voice. Or the slight restriction. "I never imagined him to want a family," Luffy went on.
It was fun playing Cupid.

"A family?" Sanji turned to Luffy, midway through peeling a carrot. "Zoro said that?"
"Uhuh. He's quite excited for you Sanji. He is worried though, about how difficult this is going to be for you," the boy said, turning the page of the book. "Look, it's another picture of Blue!"

Luffy pretended not to notice Sanji's reaction. "Zoro told me he liked the sound of Black Leg Blue, but I said that Roronoa Blue sounds nice as well. Ne, Sanji when are you Zoro going to get married. Mommy's and Daddy's are meant to be married before they have kids." Luffy couldn't' help but think that it was funny to watch Sanji's reaction as he slowly changed colour. White, pink, red, white, purple…

"Sanji?"
"Did… did he say that?" Sanji asked, turning back to the cutting board, his hands working twice as fast as usual. "Because I'm not falling for it if he did," the man said quickly. "I mean, it's not like a love him or anything… even if he said… it's not like…" Sanji slowed down, lifting his knife slowly as if he suddenly realised something.

"It's not me. It's Blue. You said that he was in love with the idea of a family. Just like how I am in love with the idea of love…" Sanji dropped his head, moving to cut the onions next. Luffy watched Sanji's eyes tear as he spoke.

"Zoro is just in love with Blue. He's not in love with me."
"Hey."

Both the Cook and the Captain turned to the newcomer in the doorway. His brown eyes were narrowed slightly from confusion, but he looked slightly hurt.
"Yes I'm in love with the idea of a happy family. And the idea of Baby Blue. So why can't I also be in love with you?" The man crossed the room in four large strides grapping the blonde haired cook into a tight bear hug. "Hey watch the knife," Sanji cried out in protest, but his sentence was cut short when Zoro planted his lips against the blondes.
Luffy beamed to himself, using the moment to slip quietly out of the kitchen.

It was fun to play Cupid.


Lunch was slightly later than usual, but Luffy didn't mind. He, and the rest of the crew were in high spirits when they joined Sanji and Zoro in the kitchen. There was a weird feeling in the air, but no one else seemed to pick up on it as they dived for their food in a hopes of eating some before the Captain nicked it all. But first, Luffy took a plate of food as well as fresh drink, to the women's room. He placed it on Nami's writing desk before leaving, not looking once to the girl laid on her bed.
Luffy felt a little bad that Nami didn't join everyone for dinner, but the girl didn't seem sad anymore, as if she didn't want to apologise. The thought made Luffy grow angry again, so he left the room.

Dinner was eaten quickly. Any scraps were demolished by the Captain but before Sanji could start clearing everything away, Robin brought forth a small bundle she had sat beside her through dinner. "Sanji, I bought you something," she said, handing it across the table whilst many of her hands took the dirty plates to the kitchen sink and began to wash up using brightly yellow rubber gloves. Sanji didn't offer to do it as he was too busy staring at the small blue package.

Slowly, Sanji pulled back the blue ribbon, to reveal two tiny outfits. One blue, one pink but both identical with the same swirly writing that read; Daddy Loves Me.
Well that was it. Sanji started crying again.
And that was before everyone else had given their gifts.

Brook gave Sanji a tone dial of lullabies, Chopper gave Sanji medicine for fevers and a book on healthy food for growing children. But it was Franky and Usopp's gift that topped them all. The two led the way down below deck, where the ladder had been replaced with a set of stairs complete with handrail. They led the way to the back storage room, only now, when Sanji opened the door he was met with a beautiful bedroom. A double bed, with two wardrobes stood to one side.
On the other, a nappy changing mat, a mini wardrobe which already had several outfits hung up, for both boys and girls. And in the centre, a beautiful cot, with a expertly decorated mobile hanging above.

There was a figure of a straw hat, three swords, a tangerine and a pair of goggles, a cup of tea, a pink hat and a school of brightly coloured fish, a large robot hand and a carving of nine hands holding one another to make a beautiful flower pattern.

"Its… it's… when?" Sanji asked, unable to find the words.
"It was when you were asleep," Franky laughed. "Brook, Robin and Zoro helped. Think of it as a gift from Sunny as well."
"You guys," Sanji said…

"I have something." There was a small voice from the door. A ginger haired girl was stood there, her hands behind her back, keeping something from view. Sanji looked to the Captain, who simply nodded. If Nami was going to apologise for her behaviour, there was no way he would stop her.
Nami handed over the small parcel. "It's nothing special," she began, but Sanji hugged her anyway, even before opening the gift. She had given him a photo album and a camera, along with calligraphy pens. Ones that Luffy knew were expensive.

Luffy hugged the man first, shortly joined by Zoro and Chopper. And suddenly the entire group bundled together, laughing loudly, sharing the moment as the sunset on another day…


"I think I found a way," Tehran said, saluting to the man on deck. "Good. Then we shall act tonight," Kaine grinned, licking his lips like he did when he got excited. The pair waited until sundown before they made their move. The planned the attack until then, waiting until another scout announced the Strawhats had resigned themselves to sleep.
The man came, and so Kaine gave the order to Tehran. He took a small vile from the safe in his office, handing a long thin implement beside it. Tehran wrapped the small parcel up and placed it in the pocket of the inside of his jacket.
"Don't lose it," Kaine ordered, watching the man climb down the ladder into the small boat that was waiting for him. "I don't want to waste any serum. The stuff is limited as it is."

Tehran saluted, settling himself into the tiny boat. He began to row towards the shore, under the cover of night. Kaine was watching. Kaine was expecting him to return, having succeeded with their plan. He couldn't fail.

It did not take long for Tehran to find the bay where the Straw Hats had moored. The man made sure to get as close to the shore as he could before heading towards the back of the ship, in the blind spot of the observation tower. The marine could see a light in the room indicating at least someone was up but he didn't know who. If it was Nico Robin, the man would be dead before he set foot on deck.
But as it was, Tehran managed to sneak on board. He disguised himself as the swordsman; he being the last person Tehran had 'mirrored.' The disguise worked, because upon coming to the first room, Tehran could see the three-sword warrior asleep in a cot. Surrounding him were other members of the crew.
But not the blonde cook. Maybe it was he who was on watch.

And so, with the serum safely stowed away in his pocket, Tehran climbed the mast and through the trapdoor at the top. "Zoro?" The cook was there, just as Tehran had predicted. He was laid on a sofa, blankets wrapped around his legs, a warm jumper on to fight the cold. "It's my turn to be on watch. What are you doing up?"

Tehran stared. He was glad that he had taken on the swordsman's disguise. Because the swordsman was the one that was closest to the Cook.
Without a word, Tehran stole closer. He laced his fingers around the man's wrist, pushing his sleeve up his arm as he leaned in to nip at his neck. At first the blonde seemed surprised, but from the purring noise the came from his throat, the man seemed to enjoy it some. "What are you doing," he asked in a low voice, but Tehran grazed the man's neck with his teeth, silencing him quickly.

"Zoro-"
"Sssh," Tehran murmured, trying to restrain himself from speaking. He could mirror people's appearances, but that was all. He could not mimic voices nor mimic personalities. That was the limits of his Kikan-Kikan Fruit.

Tehran pushed the blonde to lay down, using his hand to caress the man's skin, and scrape his nails against the man's neck.
The jugular, he heard Kaine's voice whisper to him. The serum will take place quicker that way.
Tehran agreed, moving his mouth once more the area. He could hear the man's raspy breaths under his body, feel the rush of pumping blood under his tongue.
Tehran couldn't help it. Maybe it was the atmosphere, or the man forgetting himself for a moment, but he couldn't help but bite down on the man's neck. The blonde cried out in a mixture of pain and pleasure, but he didn't push away.
His eyes were glazed somewhat, his eyelashes fluttering with the beginning of tears…

Tehran took his chance and used it. Instantly, he pushed the needle into the man's neck, using his position and strength to pin the man still. He used one hand to gag his mouth, concentrating as the steady flow of purple liquid disappeared into the man's blood stream. And then, with the same needle, Tehran drew a few drops.

"You're lucky," Tehran whispered into Sanji's panicked ear. "Kaine doesn't want you just yet. You can have one more month with your boyfriend before he takes you back." Tehran sat up, licking his lips yet he didn't release Sanji. The Blonde had realised that by now, this wasn't his nakama. He struggled against the man's grip but Tehran was a lit stronger…
The marine pocketed the needle and serum vial before resuming his usual form.

"When Kaine has the child, I get to keep you."


I'm off to write the next one now. Leave your thoughts below please :)