Art for this chapter is posted in my tumblr! :)
Chapter 12: A Gaze Worth A Million Words
"Sanji! I need five more trays of croissant!"
"Coming right up!" The blond wore his pot holders and opened the large oven placed against the wall of the small baking area, intoxicating his nostrils with the rich aroma of freshly-baked bread. He took five trays and immediately handed them to Vallo through the rectangular opening on the opposite wall.
"You wanna catch a break first? I can handle the rest," Vallo offered, his body bent low to eye Sanji through the opening.
The blond nodded his head. "Yeah, I think I could use a stick."
With a nod, Vallo took the trays and put the crescent-shaped rolls in the bread baskets. The bakery shop had become considerably busy dating a few years back when Sanji decided to help Vallo and Sora with their business. He came up with different ideas and types of bread to attract customers. Sanji was unsure at first because he was a culinary chef, not a pastry one, but Vallo said that his products were heavenly and instantly put them in the shelves.
His bread became a hit though, magnetizing customers in West Town and even from the farthest corner of East Town. Some travelled from the neighboring town just to buy his masterpiece. With a sense of pride, Sanji dusted off the flour from his apron before taking it off. After the blond went out through the backdoor, he snatched a stick from his pack of cigarettes inside his pants. Sanji flicked his lighter and the flame met the mouth of his cigarette.
Sanji inhaled a lungful, feeling the drag of smoke coursing through his veins and ending up as thick swirls in the air. Whenever his mind drifted to those nine painful months of abstinence, he could only pat his shoulder for the fucking job well done. God, he felt that it was like nine months of starvation. His fingers fidgeted on any material that was rod-like, wishing for a second that it was a stick of cigarette.
Sanji stared up at the afternoon sky, the sunlight slightly blinding his vision but the blues were so comforting, relaxing even. "Been almost four years, huh?" he spoke mindlessly and took another drag of his cigarette.
He wondered how his nakama were. He had a full drawer of old newspaper clippings about his nakama's adventures–the tales of bravery, defiance against the marines, conflicts with other pirate groups and the big war with Kaido. It had been ten months since he had last written to the crew and five months since their last letter to him. The post office in Bartero shut down because of reasons that Sanji wouldn't want to know for he could kick the asses of the perpetrators.
He was thinking of going to another island with an operational post office just to send his letters – which had been quite piled up in his table drawer – but he couldn't actually go anywhere outside this island. He was hiding, sort of. Not that much compared to the time when he was pregnant, but he was still a pirate. A notorious one at that.
That was the very reason why he couldn't establish his own restaurant in this island. If he was lucky enough and his business got popular, without his crew, he didn't know if he could handle a few warships of marines. He could kick their asses, of course. But he had other people to worry about now. Being the pastry chef of Vallo's bakery was good enough. He was able to make a living, bring happiness to his customers and retain his inconspicuous existence. It wasn't a bad call at all.
A few newspaper articles covered "Black Leg Sanji's Disappearance" in the Strawhat crew. Some stated that he was dead, caught a rare illness, or even other stupid speculations that would make the blond laugh in hysteria. But the end point was that he had 'disappeared.' And that many people thought that he was dead except for his nakama, Vallo and Sora.
He hadn't had any news about the crew for the past five months. Maybe, they were lying low? Planning for their next attack with Law? The war with Kaido dragged on for a few years and Sanji didn't have any idea what happened to the crew or if they had already defeated the monstrous beast. He was so goddamn worried.
Sanji shifted in his feet, a few locks of golden hair dropping across the bridge of his nose and his long lashes fluttering at the smoke from his cigarette. Sanji examined the soft tips of his tresses with his thumb and forefinger. He needed to have a haircut. His blonds were already starting to curl around his jaw and neck. His bangs were also longer and he was beginning to grow freaking stubble.
He shaved his mustache and goatee. He wanted to have a 'clean look' and there were actually no beautiful and sexy women around to impress so he went along with the idea. The West Town was composed mainly of the elderly and middle-aged or young men. The town had been kind of progressive in the past years, but it was still less developed if compared to the one in the east.
Sanji drew lazy circles on the coarse soil with his foot as he finished his cigarette. The point of his shoe uprooted a tiny bunch of grass which made Sanji chuckle a little. The grass was green, just like the head of someone he knew. Suddenly, that numbing sensation crawled inside his chest again. He stared longingly at the poor grass with half-lidded eyes.
Was the marimo okay? How was he? A newspaper article talked about his encounter with one of Kaido's men, with the guy named 'Jack.' The freaking guy was a huge mammoth – a rare type of Zoan ability user. Sanji was fucking worried about the events of the fight. He was positive that Zoro wouldn't lose, he trusted the bastard that much, but he always had this tinge of fear inside him, of Zoro losing and dying without Sanji by his side to yell at him, kick his ass for being a loser, revive him from the dead just so he could kick his ass again.
He didn't know what happened after that because the news about the crew had been scarce, or none for that matter. Sanji could swear that he could crack a mountain because of frustration.
"Sanji?"
The blond looked at the brown-haired man standing on the doorway. "Sorry. I need some help. There are ten additional people who are inside the shop now and they've been bugging me about your special cheese roll. Can you make them?" Vallo said with an irritated sigh.
Sanji laughed. "Sure. I've got enough supplies for two more trays."
Vallo smiled apologetically, but Sanji just assured the man it was okay. Willingly, the blond killed the butt of his cigarette under his sole and followed the man inside the baking area.
The port of the island was packed with cargo ships and mercenary vessels. Conversations about tobacco, china, crops, prices and probably a bunch of illicit goods aired around the port area and in the marketplace.
His head roamed around the place, noticing that it hadn't significantly changed since the last time he had visited here. Stone still ran everywhere and making up the majority of the island–the roads, stalls, buildings, commercial centers and even residential houses.
"Oi, Zoro. Do you think he's still here? I mean, what if he went to another island?"
It was possible. But Zoro didn't have a choice. Their trump card was only an eternal pose to this island because he lost that fucking vivre card in a fight! He kept that piece of paper close to him every time and he was actually regretting that he hadn't listened to their navigator's advice of leaving the paper in their ship. Well, fuck. He would find him no matter what anyway. So no shit.
The green-haired man continued to walk nonchalantly. He propped his right arm on the hilt of his three swords dangling beside his hip, tucked under the comfort of his black waistband. He turned around a corner, the popped collar of his long black coat brushing along his jaw due to the motion. His dark boots thudded along wet stone floors as he ascended towards the deeper part of the district.
"Oh come on!" His companion heaved a defeated sigh and blocked his way, arms spanning to both sides of his body. "Where are you going?"
"Shut up, Usopp. I'm going to have a drink," the swordsman spoke with a frown.
The sharpshooter scratched his head. "The bars are that way!" His finger pointed on the road that they were traversing earlier. "We are walking along the bar district! How can you miss that?"
Zoro's eyebrows twitched, a faint blush of embarrassment tainting both of his cheeks. "Shut up! It's not my fault that this place is so confusing!"
"The bar district is a straight line!" Usopp exclaimed in disbelief. He sighed and shook his head, massaging his temple as his mind tried to comprehend the stupidity of his nakama. "You know what? I can't believe that I'm still fussing about your terrible sense of direction after all these years. You're right. Let's have a drink. The bar is actually a good place for gossips and good information. We might find something useful there."
Zoro crossed his arms over his chest and grunted as he followed the long-nosed guy. He didn't get lost! It was this place's fault! Why did it have to have so many corners and alleys? Zoro was perfectly fine with his sense of direction.
The two passed a few bars and gambling houses. The sharpshooter kept a close distance to him which made Zoro huff a bit. He wasn't a fucking kid!
"Okay. Let's go here." Usopp ducked under a heavy mantle with gold and silver design. Zoro did as well and tracked Usopp inside the bar, walking down a few flight of wooden stairs. The two entered the swing door and were greeted with loud snickers and bashing of beer mugs. This was a pirate bar, like the one Zoro had visited a few years ago.
The two men settled down on the bar counter. With a practiced voice, Usopp beckoned for the bartender and immediately ordered two mugs of beer for the both of them. The bulky bald guy grunted in approval, popping up a new barrel and filling their mugs. After a while, the bartender shoved them their order but when he was about to leave, Usopp spoke.
"Hey, man," Usopp said confidently with a grin on his face but Zoro knew that the long-nose was trembling his shit right now. "Do you know a guy named 'Sanji'?"
The man cocked his eyebrow at the sharpshooter and Zoro could swear that he just saw a drop of sweat gliding down his nakama's neck. "You here for information?" the bald man asked. But when Usopp nodded, the man exploded in his fits of laughter which made Usopp tremble a bit more and Zoro frown in annoyance.
The bartender wiped a tear under his eye. "You think that's free, kiddo? What'cha got there so my tongue will be ol'-goodie to 'ya?"
Zoro's hand gripped the hilt of his Wado slowly but Usopp immediately stopped him with a hand, clasping his wrist under the bar counter. "We got a thousand berries. For some sweet sake for your tongue, 'ya know what I'm saying?" Usopp smiled at the man, and Zoro was almost amazed of his skills if it weren't for his trembling hand on his wrist. Seeing that his nakama would handle the situation better than him, he took his beer mug on the counter and chugged the bitter liquid down his throat.
With an amused cock of an eyebrow, the man leaned down his beefy tattooed arm on the bar counter, supporting the heavy weight of his body. "What'cha wanna know, kid?"
The sharpshooter seemed to relax at that and retracted his hand from Zoro's wrist. Usopp scooted closer on the counter, clasping his hands on top of the wood and eyeing the man seriously. "Like I've said, you know a man named 'Sanji'?"
"The missing Strawhat pirate?" the bald man asked as Usopp nodded. "I know the name, but he wasn't around in the island. However, a few of my good tippers said that they saw a blond man with a curly brow on the neighboring island a few months ago."
Usopp felt Zoro tensed beside him. He glanced at the green-haired man for a bit and saw a solemn look on his face, his beer halfway done and forgotten on the counter. Usopp turned to the bald man to ask, "What's the name of the island?"
The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Those good tipper bastards are working in this cargo ship that goes here once a month before. But recently, there's another passenger vessel that comes to the island and the neighboring ones to haul passengers, so their sideline business wasn't going well anymore–"
"Just tell the fucking island's name."
The bartender's eyes landed on the man beside Usopp. Zoro was looking so deadly serious with that glare on his eye. Usopp almost buckled in anxiety at Zoro's harsh attitude. The bald man regarded his presence for a moment, locking gazes with the swordsman who was crossing his arms over his chest and foot tapping the floorboards impatiently.
"'Yar quite impatient there, kid," the bartender spoke with a menacing grin.
Zoro's eyebrows knotted tighter and he opened his mouth to say something but Usopp immediately cut him off. "Sorry, man!" He laughed nervously. "My friend's rude, you see. He's always like this."
"Ah?!" Zoro said irritatedly but Usopp shot him a pointed look saying 'Please shut up for a moment and let me handle this so we're out of trouble.'
Reading the atmosphere well, Zoro just grunted and rolled his eye, which caused Usopp to sigh internally with relief. "So," Usopp started. "What's the name of the island?"
The bulky bald man stared at him intently, and Usopp felt his neck dampening with sweat. However, he remained that interested face in front of the man. With a sigh, the bald man bowed his head down towards Usopp. "The name's Banaru. But I'm telling 'ya, kid. Don't do something stupid. There's been a disturbance in the black market a few days now. 'Ya don't wanna get tangled with anything dangerous, yeah?"
Usopp swallowed anxiously at the man's words. "Y-Yeah. Thanks for the tip." Usopp dropped a thousand berries on the bar counter and promptly held Zoro's arm to drag him out of the place.
"Oi! Let me go, idiot!" Zoro pulled his arm harshly from the sharpshooter's hand when they were already outside the bar. "What's wrong with you?"
Usopp started to look around with panic reflected on his face. "I'm getting my chronic illness of 'Let's-get-out-of-this-island Disease.'"
Zoro rolled his eye heavenward at his nakama's stupidity. "You've been facing Kaido's crew for a few years now and you're scared of a bunch of jackass-wannabes?"
"That's not the point! Ugh!" Usopp turned his back to Zoro and messed his hair with both hands. "I don't get why you, Luffy and Sanji are able to remain calm in situations like this," he mumbled, and after his fit, he turned around to look at Zoro who was standing behind him with a deadpan expression on his face. Once again, the sharpshooter sighed. "Let's go to the port and catch a passenger vessel towards this 'Banaru Island' the man's talking about."
Usopp flipped his body and took a step forward. However, he stumbled at the obstruction in his path and he almost wrestled it down to the ground. "Whoa!" Usopp exclaimed shockingly as his hands steadied the little kid's shoulders. "Are you alright–"
A moment of silence dawned on the sharpshooter. Zoro shuffled on his feet impatiently as he watched his nakama frozen in his spot, looking down at god-knows-what. "Oi, Usopp." The swordsman placed his hand on top of the hilt of his swords and sauntered towards his companion. "What are you doing?"
Zoro's good eye landed on the small cloaked figure in front of Usopp. The little kid's wide eyes were staring at his nakama's face, his small mouth hanging open innocently. And for a second, Zoro found himself lost in a daze just like his nakama.
He tried to perceive the kid's features, those deep blue eyes and those remarkably asymmetrical eyebrows curling to one direction. Zoro's heart thundered in his chest, and a certain emotion rose inside him like lava. No, it couldn't be. The boy had green hair. The one he knew with a stupid face like that was an annoying blond. Maybe there were other people with those weird genes. Maybe the cook wasn't the only one…
"What's your… name, kid?" Usopp asked in strained and silent voice. Shock was written all over his face. And Zoro was quite sure that he was mirroring the sharpshooter's expression right now.
The kid stared at him for a moment before opening his mouth wider to speak. "Kaitarou…"
His wide blue eyes landed on Zoro and the swordsman almost jolted in place because of that gaze. The other kids were afraid of him because of his natural scowl, but this kid's different. He wasn't about to flee, he was looking at him like he had seen Zoro before and had been familiar with him for a long time.
The swordsman felt a pool of emotion inside his chest, like a magnet that was strangely pulling the child towards him. His palms moistened with sweat and his throat constricted. And when the kid spoke again with that soft little voice, Zoro felt his whole world banged on his feet and every bit of his rationality blown away.
"Name…" the child said softly as he held Zoro's gray eye. "Roronoa Kaitarou."
-TBC
A/N: Hi! I have my tumblr account now. :D It's new so it's still a bit empty but I blog about my stories and reblog some ZoSan stuff. I have also fanarts available there so you can check them out. The tumblr name's lady-elocin. :)
