"Nami, my swan," Sanji cooed in greeting. "You are looking as lovely as ever. You make my whole day brighter with just your presence."

Nami's stare was deadened and unamused. When she spoke, she spoke only to Usopp. "What brings you guys here?"

"So cruel," Sanji sighed, "but beautiful even in your cruelty, like an angel of vengeance."

"We were hoping we could talk to you, about something important," Usopp replied.

Concern creased Nami's brow, and the brown eyes wavered in their sternness. "What is it?"

"Nami, my love, never fear." Sanji swung his arms wide. "I will protect you from any and all harm that may come your way."

"Will you shut up!" She hissed, anger piercing every word.

Sanji's arms dropped along with his head as sadness washed over him, but his plight went ignored by the other two.

"It's, uh," Usopp hesitated, stumbling over the best words to use. "Something we need to discuss privately." He glanced at Tsuru.

"She's sleeping," Nami shrugged. "You can tell me."

"No, Nami," Usopp's eyes held hers in a stern gaze. "It's not something we can risk."

She opened her mouth, ready to protest, but the words died before they left her lips. She sighed heavily before trying again. "Okay," she said. "When did you want to talk about it then?"

Sanji left Usopp to set the plans. His long-nosed friend could handle it better than Sanji could right now. Sanji felt too… on edge. He was anxious and giddy, and it made him feel silly and irrational. He couldn't quite place a finger on why he felt so off balance. Maybe it was his excitement? They would talk to Nami about leaving today. Usopp would bring it up to Franky tomorrow, and Sanji would approach Zeff about it… well, at some point. Once everyone was on board, they could leave. They would finally be free of this stone cage they'd been confined to.

He wasn't sure that was entirely the reason though. After all, the promise of freedom had been hanging over his head for a while now, and while the prospect excited him, it hadn't made him feel quite so giddy as he felt now. That might have had more to do with how he'd woken up that morning. The alarm bells were much quieter in the little crevice he'd stayed in, but they still managed to wake him. Maybe it was from a lifetime of habit, but he woke to them the same as any other morning. Howhe'd woken, however, was completely different from any other morning. Normally he woke in his bunk, alone and maybe a little stiff from the thin mattress. On a normal morning, he'd sit up, pop a few stiff joints, and hop down out of his bunk to start preparing for the day. Usopp would greet him as they got dressed, and they'd go together to the mess hall.

This morning, however, Sanji had woken feeling warm and comfortable, and sitting up had been made difficult by the arm slung over his waist and the legs twisted in his own. He'd had to prod Zoro several times to release himself, as the marimo's grip only tightened the first few times. When Sanji had finally managed to get himself free, Zoro had grumbled sleepily and rolled over to continue sleeping. Sanji had kicked him gently for being lazy before beginning his routine of getting dressed.

He had been half way through pulling his pants on when he noticed Zoro watching him. Half the marimo's face had been hidden in the pillow, but the one visible gold eye was watching him intently.

"What?" Sanji had asked.

Zoro had stared at him for a moment long before turning his head away and grumbling, "Nothing."

But it hadn't been 'nothing'. At least, Sanji didn't think so. There was something heavy in Zoro's stare, something Sanji couldn't really name, but it was definitely something. Whatever it was, it sent a shiver through Sanji's body, and as he'd finished dressing that morning, he did so with his back to Zoro. It was a useless gesture, Zoro didn't turn back to look at him even when Sanji told him to get up and get breakfast. Zoro hadn't responded, and Sanji assumed he'd gone back to sleep. It wasn't unusual for Zoro to skip a meal, so when he showed no signs of stirring, Sanji left him to sleep.

Something about the way Zoro had looked at him kept and extra beat in Sanji's step. It hadn't been a hateful glare of an annoyed stare, there had been something else behind those gold eyes. Whatever it was, it made Sanji feel strangely… good.

"Meet us here."

Sanji returned in time to watch Usopp hand Nami a small map. It was surprisingly well drawn, but that was just another one of Usopp's many hidden talents. With a map drawn by Usopp, Sanji wouldn't have to worry about Nami getting lost.

"Two hours after dinner," Usopp added as Nami looked the map over. As someone who spent so much time looking at maps of the surface, Sanji could almost see her critical eye passing judgment on it, but she didn't say anything.

"Got it," she agreed, tucking the map away safely.

Usopp nodded. "We should get back then."

"Usopp," she stopped him before he could go. "Is something bad happening?"

Usopp hesitated, unsure of how to answer. "Yes and no," he finally said. "That's kind of up to you to decide."

Nami hardly looked satisfied with that response, but she released him. She was smart enough to know she wouldn't get a better answer out of him right now.

"Don't worry, Nami," Sanji assured her with a gentle smile. "Everything will be okay."

She returned his smile, although it looked halfhearted and forced. He still swooned as if it had been genuine, earning him an eye roll. She looked much more at ease after that, and he was glad.

He followed Usopp back out of the library. They walked back through the stone corridors in silence, both of their minds on other things. It was Usopp who broke the silence first, a concerned wrinkle furrowing his brow.

"Do you think she'll come?" He asked Sanji.

"Tonight?" Sanji asked. "I believe so, she seems curious."

"No, I mean with us." Usopp didn't look at Sanji, instead he glared down the path ahead of them. "Do you think she'll leave with us?"

Sanji was silent. There was no right answer he could give his friend. He wanted to be optimistic and assure his friend Nami would come, but Usopp would know a lie when he was told one, and Sanji couldn't possibly know the truth.

"I don't know," he finally said. "I hope so."

"Yeah," Usopp sighed. His shoulders dropped slightly, a wave of uncertainty and sadness seeming to bear down on them. "Me too."

Sanji jumped when the dinner bells rang. His mind had been entirely somewhere else at the time, stuck on things that were much more distracting than slicing carrots. Zeff shot a sideways look at him and then glared down at the mess Sanji had made on his cutting board. The carrots were supposed to be sliced into thin slivers but had ended up minced in some parts and left untouched in others. It was a disaster, and Sanji could feel Zeff's disapproval radiating off of him.

"Eggplant…"

Sanji winced, the low growl in Zeff's voice already causing his shin to ache with premeditated pain. Zeff didn't tolerate slacking off in the kitchen, especially when it resulted in ruined food. He didn't dare meet the old man's eyes as Zeff turned.

Zeff let out a sigh, heavy with disappointment. "What's on your mind, Eggplant?"

Sanji's eyes widened in surprise. Zeff must've been having a good day if not only was he sparing Sanji the usual kick, but also asking him questions. That, or maybe Sanji looked as distracted as he felt. He did have things he needed to discuss with Zeff. He was hoping to be able to put off asking; he had no idea how Zeff would react to the news about the surface, and he wasn't entirely sure it would be a positive reaction. He had to take the risk though, now, while there was a lull in kitchen activity and they wouldn't be overheard.

"Geezer," Sanji started, his mind picking over the words he wanted to ask. "Were you ever married?"

"What?" Zeff balked. Whatever he'd been expecting Sanji to say, that was certainly not it. Sanji hadn't been expecting to say it. He had every intention of asking Zeff to come with them, to break out of the colony and make for the surface, but the words had popped out of his mouth before Sanji could stop them.

"Uh," Sanji's hands moved as if he was grasping for the correct words to fix the mess he'd created by opening his mouth. He should have dodged Zeff's question entirely. "I was just… did you ever… uh… have a wife or someone important?"

For a tense moment, Zeff stared down at Sanji, his face disbelieving and offended. Sanji truly wanted to crawl inside of the oven and die, it was that humiliating, but there was no escape for him now. He stood his ground under Zeff's gaze and waited for a response, any kind of response.

"You got someone special to you, kid?" Zeff finally grumbled, his angry gaze breaking.

"Uh," Sanji was once again shocked at Zeff's lack of violence in his reply. "I… I'm not sure."

Zeff nodded, picking up Sanji's discarded knife and setting about fixing the carrots Sanji had attempted to destroy. "You'll know when you do," Zeff said as his hand rhythmically moved the knife.

"How?" Sanji asked.

"I don't know!" Zeff snapped. "You just do."

Sanji considered that. It wasn't a very good answer, but if he tried to press, he knew he'd be in trouble. He changed tactics.

"And what happens when I do?"

Zeff's knife froze mid-slice, his hand tightening on the blade. "Well…" he swallowed, and Sanji thought he could see sweat break out on the old man's brow. "Well, there's the story of the birds and the bees… uh… you see…"

Sanji's eyes widened, and his hands slapped quickly over his ears. "NOT THAT OLD MAN!" He shouted, hoping to drown out whatever Zeff was going to say next. "God! I know about that already, please don't!"

Zeff's face reddened. "Well I don't know what they teach you kids these days!"

"That's… fine. I got that," Sanji tried to say calmly. "I mean, besides that."

Zeff shook his head, as if trying to clear away the previous part of the conversation entirely before continuing. "Well, kid, that's up to you. Personally, I'd try to hold onto them. That kind of thing is rare these days."

Sanji nodded and turned to go. The conversation had been sufficiently awkward for them both, and he was ready to meet up with Usopp and have dinner. There was only one more thing bothering him. He wasn't sure he should have asked it or not, but given that at this point things between he and Zeff had been weird enough, he didn't think his question could make it much worse.

"Hey, old man?" Sanji asked.

"What?" Zeff said gruffly.

"What if the person that's important to me… isn't a woman?"

Zeff didn't miss a beat. He didn't turn around to look at Sanji, and his knife never stopped moving through the carrot. "I said, try to hold onto them, didn't I? Why are you still asking stupid questions?"

Sanji smiled a little, only because he was sure the old man could see. "Thanks, old man," he said and left the kitchen before Zeff had a chance to yell at him again.

He'd meant to ask Zeff to come with them. He was kicking himself for not asking. It had been on the tip of his tongue, but what had ended up toppling out of his mouth had been something else entirely. It was a shitty lack of focus on his part, and he was embarrassed by it. This thing with Zoro wasn't a top priority. He would have plenty of time to worry about that later, for now he needed to focus, keep his mind on what was most important.

Despite that resolve, he couldn't help but let his mind wander back to that conversation with Zeff. It hadn't actually answered any of his questions. According to Zeff, he would 'just know' when he had someone important, but did Zoro count? He… liked Zoro, yeah, but was it much different from the way he felt about Usopp?

Well, he certainly didn't have the urge to kiss Usopp.

So maybe Zoro was different, special to him somehow, but…

Sanji scrubbed his hair in frustration. The more he circled this problem in his mind, the less he could figure it out. It was like trying to navigate the tunnels in the dark. He could keep pushing forward, but in the end he was still lost. He needed to let it rest for now. Zoro wasn't going anywhere without Sanji, and for now that seemed good enough. He'd set this whole problem aside for now and address it after they were safe and away from these caves.

He paused in his steps. He'd been going back to Zoro's cave automatically, since he'd left his change of clothes there, and he'd be there to talk to Nami in a couple of hours anyway. It seemed pretty normal to go there. Now he wondered if that was actually such a good idea. He had just resolved to put the whole situation with Zoro aside until they were out, but spending time alone with Zoro was hardly going to be helpful in that regard. Maybe it would be better just to go back to the barracks for now. He wasn't worried about Helmeppo and his gang, he could easily take them all in a fight, and he was going to have to show up there at some point anyway. Maybe he should head that way for now and meet with Zoro when the others would be there…

Zoro's figure appeared in the distance as if summoned by Sanji's thoughts. The man he'd been thinking he should avoid was headed towards him. Sanji's mind whirled through excuses he might give to escape the situation, but a large part of him kept him rooted where he stood, and waited for Zoro to come.

"Oi," was Zoro's eloquent greeting, and Sanji almost winced at how unrefined this idiot was. "What are you doing here?"

Coming to see you, Sanji's mind unhelpfully supplied, but he quickly scrapped the thought. Zoro didn't need to know that. "I came to get my clothes so I'm not stuck in my uniform all night," he said instead.

"Well you're going the wrong way," Zoro frowned.

"No, I'm not," Sanji growled, annoyed by Zoro's ignorance. "I left my clothes in your room."

"Yeah? And my room is…" Zoro cut himself off. His finger had been pointing in the opposite direction, but the incredulous look on Sanji's face must have tipped him off that something wasn't right. "It's that way, isn't it?"

"No, Marimo…" Sanji looked at him, perplexed for a moment before realization lit up his face. "Could you, maybe, be lost?"

Zoro's gaze immediately snapped away from Sanji's, and he made eye contact with the wall while he grumbled, "Who got lost? Stupid."

"Come on, little lost Marimo," Sanji cooed mockingly. "Let's get you back home."

"Shut it!" Zoro snapped, but he followed Sanji's lead anyway, despite the blond's laughter.

"Your sense of direction is a wonder," Sanji commented when he was finally able to put a cap on his laughter. "Do you get lost all the time, or am I just fortunate enough to catch you at it?"

"I said shut it," Zoro grumbled.

"I'll have to ask Luffy then," Sanji shrugged.

Zoro let out a frustrated huff, and Sanji had to fight to stop himself from laughing again. It was too easy to rile the moss head up, and he probably enjoyed it just a little too much. When he'd met Zoro, the man had made him feel uneasy; he was threatening in appearance alone and wore intimidation like a cloak around his shoulders. Knowing that he was able to get under the skin of someone who could set people on edge with his appearance alone made Sanji feel a little impressed with himself.

"These caves are confusing, anyone would get lost in them," Zoro said in an attempt to defend himself.

"And yet you're the only one that does," Sanji pointed out mildly. "Luffy and Robin seem to get around just fine."

"That's cheating. Luffy would get even more lost than me if Robin weren't around," the moss head complained.

"Ah, so Robin is brains as well as beauty," Sanji swooned. "What a perfect lady!"

Zoro's expression soured even more, but he didn't comment this time.

They reached Zoro's room in just a few minutes. Sanji immediately ducked in and retrieved his clothes. They were still strewn about exactly where he had left them, though that really shouldn't have surprised him since Zoro didn't seem like the type that spent a lot of time cleaning. Once he collected them all, he stood there, unsure of what to do next. He hated to spend too much time in his chef's uniform, as the smells of the kitchen tended to sink in and did not blend together well at all. However, he had some reservations about changing in front of Zoro. Whatever he might have felt about the marimo, it was obvious Zoro had some interest in him. Why else would he have kissed Sanji like that? But until Sanji was a hundred percent sure about how he felt, he didn't think undressing in front of Zoro was such a good idea.

"Aren't you going to change?" Zoro asked, seeming to notice Sanji's hesitation.

"I… uh…" Sanji wasn't sure what excuse he could give. The truth seemed a little cruel, so Sanji didn't want confess that, but every other excuse fell flat even in his own mind.

"If it makes you feel better, I won't watch," Zoro shrugged. "I wouldn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

For some reason Zoro's words struck a nerve in Sanji. It was probably the simple fact that the words had come from Zoro. They were as effective as any shot to his pride. It was that stupid, damaged sense of pride that removed the common sense from Sanji's mind.

"It doesn't make me feel uncomfortable!" He snapped. "I don't care if you watch me!"

"Really?" A shitty smile that Sanji hated instantly appeared on Zoro's face. "Then I don't mind if I do."

Sanji wasn't blushing, that would be stupid, but his face did flush in anger. What did that shitty moss head think he was, stupid? There was absolutely no way Sanji was going to back down from a challenge like that.

Heated with anger, he quickly began undoing the buttons on his chef's coat, popping them through the holes at record speed. It wasn't until he was halfway through them that he realized what Zoro watching really meant. The marimo was not sitting casually by, watching Sanji with bored indifference. He was watching intently, his eyes level with the place Sanji's hand had stopped, waiting patiently for him to continue. It was almost embarrassing enough to make Sanji change his mind. Seeming to notice his reluctance to continue, Zoro's eyes snapped back up to Sanji's. The marimo's lips quirked, and the light of challenge still burned in his golden gaze. It pissed Sanji off, and the last of his shirt buttons were undone before Sanji even realized he'd moved his hands.

Zoro's eyes went back to watching as Sanji discarded his top. He stood open and vulnerable under a predatory gaze. It was similar to the look Zoro had in his eyes before Sanji had gotten to know him. Something feral, strong and deadly gleamed in them, and it sent a shiver down Sanji's spine. When those eyes looked up to his own again, they were hungry.

Sanji's fingers struggled with the button of his pants. Sweat made them slick and clumsy, and it took a calming breath to finally work the small metal bit through the hole. It didn't help that Zoro's gaze had shifted down to watch as bit by bit the pants Sanji wore were opened. He slid them down his hips and legs, trying to ignore the expression on the other man's face, and his presence all together. In hindsight, Sanji thought it was probably smarter of him to put a cap on his temper next time, lest he find himself in this kind of situation again. It was humiliating… but there was something else too. For as long as Sanji had known him, Zoro had proved to be an extremely focused person. However, Zoro's focus had only ever been on his goals. To have all of that focus shifted to him now made Sanji feel somewhat powerful. To command Zoro's attention this way, with just his body alone, made Sanji feel incredible.

He stood for a moment, stripped down to his underwear. Zoro's gaze seemed to map out every shape and crevice of his body, admiring it with unchecked interest. It wasn't until Sanji moved again, reaching for his pile of clothing, that Zoro's gaze finally broke from him entirely.

"Damn, Cook," Zoro said, his gaze fixated on the stone wall now. Was it just him, or did Sanji detect a hint of strain in the marimo's voice? "You're pretty fit for a scrawny little colony kid."

"I could kick your ass any day, shitty moss," Sanji snapped, pulling his shirt over his head. The intense atmosphere from before had broken, but the tingle left by Zoro's stare still clung to his skin.

"You're going to have to prove that to me, curly-brow," Zoro said, turning to face Sanji again once he was fully dressed. "It might be a rough exit with so many of us; I need to know you can hold your own if things get tough."

"Any time you want me to kick your ass, moss for brains, just say so," Sanji chuckled. "If I remember correctly, I've gotten some good shots off on you already."

"Those didn't count," Zoro said defensively. "You caught me off guard."

"It was still satisfying," Sanji shrugged.

"But this is serious," the marimo said. His tone implored Sanji not to take it lightly.

"Okay," Sanji said. "All joking aside, I'll prove it to you whenever you want."

"What about right now?" Zoro asked.

"Right now?" Sanji's surprise was evident. "But what about Nami? We were going to explain everything to her today. We have to be there. She doesn't trust you, and if you're not even there while we're trying to convince her, then…"

"We'll be back in time," Zoro assured him. "It will just be a test run. I know you're strong," He rubbed his jaw as if Sanji's kick still hurt him. "And you're injured, but I just want to see what I have to work with."

"Well I'm not fighting here, I can hardly move around," Sanji pointed out. The way he'd learned to fight took a lot of space. It wasn't impossible for him to fight in small areas, but it was more difficult and put him at a slight disadvantage. He had enough of that going on with his injuries anyway, though the pain had been better and almost non-existent today. Fighting would no doubt aggravate the pain once more, but he would have to try and ignore it.

"I know a place," Zoro said. "Just follow me."

"Fated last words," Sanji muttered but stepped out behind Zoro anyway.

Zoro only managed to get them turned around twice before he found the place he was looking for. It was an old storage room, or so Sanji assumed. It was as wide as it was tall, so massive that their footsteps echoed off the rocky walls as they entered. How Zoro had managed to find some place so large and still unused was beyond Sanji, but maybe the marimo's tendency to get lost and end up places he wasn't supposed to had paid off for once.

Sanji could feel the thrill of a fight already in his system. It had begun building on the way here, and it had increased with every step. He was ready to let loose. Zoro was no average bully; he was strong, and Sanji couldn't wait to test his own strength against him. He watched Zoro cross the room, the golden eyes never leaving Sanji as he went. He could see the same excitement and eagerness in Zoro's eyes that he felt, and he knew this was going to be fun.

As Zoro moved further and put distance between them, Sanji undid the first few buttons of his shirt. Looser clothing was easier to move around in, and he didn't need the collar of his shirt bothering him when he was delivering a blow. He also removed the silver cigarette case from his pocket, extracting one of the cigarettes from inside and striking a match.

"You're smoking?" Zoro asked, incredulous.

He was running low on cigarettes, actually, but the expression on Zoro's face made the sacrifice worth it. Besides, as soon as he was out of this place, he'd be able to smoke whenever he wanted. According to what Zoro had told him, cigarettes were easy to come by on the surface. He could make it until then.

Sanji shrugged, flashing Zoro an overconfident smile. "I don't see why not."

That seemed to be Zoro's cue to attack, and he moved blindingly fast despite his build. But Sanji was ready, and he easily ducked out of the way of Zoro's charge, using the marimo's momentum and his own position to piston a kick back up at Zoro. The moss head had already experienced that kind of surprise from Sanji once, though, and had the good sense to jerk himself out of the way before Sanji's kick could land.

"I'm not falling for that again," Zoro panted.

Sanji's breathing was heavier too, the adrenaline of Zoro's attack making his heart beat fast and his lungs work harder. He didn't let it show, however, and masked it under a breath of cigarette smoke.

"Ohhh, so there are some lessons that can sink into that moss head of yours," he said.

This time he led the offensive. Zoro had been fast, but he was faster, and he could see the surprise register on Zoro's face for just a second before he planted one foot and let the other leg fly. His round house kick landed, bone and muscle reverberating against his own, but his satisfaction with the hit was short lived when he realized Zoro had blocked him with an arm. One of Zoro's hands reached for his leg, but he retreated before Zoro could grab him.

They paused again, and Zoro shook out the arm that Sanji had hit. "Not bad," he commented, and Sanji smirked.

"I have more where that came from."

Fighting with Zoro really was on a completely different level than Sanji was used to. Most of his opponents ran scared the moment they realized Sanji wasn't a pushover, and those that stayed were untrained and easily disposed of. Sanji's style was one Zeff had taught him; the old man had been quite the fighter in his prime. Sanji had practiced and practiced, making the style his own and perfecting it.

Unlike his opponents in the past, however, Zoro did not back down. Even when Sanji did manage to land a kick into Zoro's ribcage, the marimo didn't miss a beat in bringing his elbow down into Sanji's bad leg. They retreated again, circling, analyzing each other's strengths and weaknesses and waiting for their moment to strike again.

"Why don't you ever use your hands?" Zoro asked. His voice was curious and conversational, but his focus didn't break in the slightest.

"I'm a cook," Sanji said simply. When comprehension didn't immediately dawn on Zoro, he continued his explanation. "If something happens to my hands, I'll be out of a job. I won't last long in the factories without hands either, so I'll be dead weight." Zoro shifted his weight slightly, but Sanji was ready to counteract, and Zoro backed down. When he was sure Zoro wouldn't take advantage of his talking, he continued. "Nothing good comes from being dead weight on the colony."

Zoro didn't respond, but his brow was furrowed in thought. Sanji decided to press his luck and take advantage of Zoro's distraction, but the moss head wasn't having it. They both walked away from that one clutching their sides.

Zoro turned suddenly, putting his back to Sanji. It was a stupid move, giving Sanji an easy advantage, but Sanji didn't take it. He wanted to fight with Zoro at his best, not take advantage of the moss brain's moment of stupidity. Sanji was almost insulted when he noticed Zoro was going for his swords left by the wall on the far side of the room. Sanji was glad he hadn't attacked while Zoro had his back turned. Now this was going to be interesting.

Sanji discarded the last of his cigarette as Zoro returned, all three of his swords with him. What Zoro was going to do with three swords and only two hands, Sanji had no idea. He withdrew another cigarette from the case and lit it with the same confidence and bravado as before, but the way the steel of the blades shined in the dim light of this enormous cave made Sanji nervous.

"Are you ready?" Zoro asked him.

"I was waiting on you," Sanji snapped back.

Zoro was a completely different opponent with his swords. He was more graceful, almost elegant in his movements. The third sword Sanji had question was positioned in Zoro's mouth, something Sanji would have laughed about had Zoro given him a moment to do so. But Zoro was ruthless with his swords, and Sanji had to concentrate his all into keeping up.

Sanji spent the first few minutes of their renewed fight dodging Zoro's attacks and looking for an opening. With or without his swords, Zoro tended to favor his left side, leaving his right side more vulnerable. With the sword in his mouth, his right side was more covered, but that sword had a limited range of motion. Sanji just needed to get inside Zoro's defense and land one good hit to Zoro's ribs…

It was his reflexes that saved him from losing his head. As it was, the sword in Zoro's mouth sliced through Sanji's cigarette, cutting it clean in half as it was made of air. Sanji froze as he watched the burning end of his cigarette turn end over end in the air and land a few feet away in a spray of red embers.

"Bastard," Sanji spat the remained half of his cigarette out. "These aren't easy to come by, you know!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't waste them," Zoro commented, backing off just enough to allow Sanji to stand once more.

Sanji retaliated with his feet, but Zoro had decided the game was over. Sanji found himself on his back with a sword against his throat before he could even blink. The metal of the blade stung where it kissed against his flesh, and Sanji lay there, immobilized by the threat on his life.

"You're good," Zoro said. "But you can be better."

That being said, Zoro withdrew his blade, and Sanji took a deep breath of air he'd been denied while Zoro's sword was against his neck. He gingerly touched the skin on his throat, feeling a slight mark there. He was bleeding, but only a little, no real harm had been done. Zoro offered him a hand up, but Sanji's pride had been beat up enough for one day, and he got up by himself. Zoro didn't comment, instead he went to go resheathe his swords.

"We should go," Sanji said. "We don't want to miss Usopp and Nami."

"Yeah, yeah," Zoro replied. "Remember where this place is, we'll practice more later."

Sanji nodded, but his body practically buzzed with excitement at the idea.

It took Nami a few minutes to process their request. Both Sanji and Usopp had filled her in on what was happening and told her their plan.

"Come with us, Nami," Usopp offered.

Nami looked torn, she glanced distrustfully at Zoro, who had remained silent while Sanji and Usopp explained. She looked back at Sanji and Usopp, and the uncertainty in her eyes was evident.

"How do you know it's really safe?" She asked. Her brow was knit, and she bit her lip.

"It's safe," Sanji assured her. "I have no way of proving it to you, I only know as much as you do, but I trust Zoro on this."

"I do too," Usopp said. "You trust Sanji and me, right?"

Nami looked unsure of how to answer that. Instead, she asked another question. "What about Tsuru? And the others? Are we just supposed to leave everyone behind?"

"I already asked Franky," Usopp told her. "He said it sounded super and he wanted to come. And Sanji asked Zeff," he turned to Sanji expectantly. "What did he say?"

"Well, actually…" Sanji said sheepishly. "I kind of forgot to ask."

He could hear Zoro's palm smack against his face behind them, but he chose to ignore him.

"What do you mean you 'forgot'?" Usopp asked in disbelief.

"Something came up," Sanji said evasively. "I'll ask tomorrow, that isn't important right now."

Nami watched their exchange with one eyebrow raised, waiting for her chance to speak again. "I'm not leaving without Tsuru. She's always been kind to me since my mom died, and I don't want to leave her here."

"We can't, Nami," Sanji said. He felt horribly guilty for how firm his tone was, but this was important. "Tsuru might be retired, but she's still a member of the guard. If she reports this, and she might, we'll all be in big trouble."

"She wouldn't tell!" Nami cried in defense. "She wouldn't do anything to get me into trouble."

"Maybe not you, but what about the rest of us," Zoro interjected, earning himself a sharp glare.

"I'm not leaving without her," Nami folded her arms over her chest stubbornly.

"Nami," Usopp placed his hands on her shoulders, looking her square in the eye. "I'm not leaving this place without you. Sanji has to go, he's in danger as is, and I want Franky to get out of here too. He could do so much more with space and freedom to create, this place cages him. But if you really want to stay, I'll stay."

Nami stared at him in disbelief, her brown eyes growing watery. "You mean that." It was not a question, but a statement.

"I'm not leaving you."

Sanji wanted to interject, to tell Usopp he damn well was leaving, but he couldn't. He could see the trembling in his friend's knees despite his bold words, but he could also see the serious determination in his eyes. This was important to Usopp, and he knew what he was sacrificing for it. Sanji hated the idea of leaving Usopp behind, but at that moment he was proud of his friend.

"Fine," Nami sighed. "I'll go."

Usopp pulled her close, and both Sanji and Zoro pretended to find the ceiling fascinating for a few moments. Finally Sanji cleared his throat, hoping to call this meeting over with before the bells for lights out rang.

Nami led the way out, but Sanji stopped her. "Nami, you won't tell Tsuru, right?"

He felt horrible, asking. Tsuru probably meant as much to Nami as Zeff did to Sanji, and it hardly seemed fair that Nami had to leave someone so important to her behind. But this was a serious situation, and Zoro was taking enough risks on their behalf. Cruel as it seemed, it was important to keep them safe first.

Nami cast her eyes to the floor and bit her lip again, making Sanji's heart lurch in his chest out of sympathy. She took a few moments to compose herself before speaking. "I won't," she said.

Usopp nodded to Sanji once before escorting her out, and Sanji let out a heavy sigh when they were both out of sight. He felt tired. The high of his fight with Zoro had worn off, and the weight of everything that had happened lately weighed down on him, burdening him with fatigue.

"You look tired," Zoro commented.

"No shit," Sanji snapped.

A smirk formed on Zoro's face. Of course the bastard would be unsympathetic. "Don't wear out on me just yet, cook. Tomorrow the real planning starts."