Zoro is sitting in Shakky's Rip Off Bar polishing his sword, and yes he will continue to describe it as that no matter how many times Perona laughs at him for it. Zoro's attention is diverted when the door swings open and Sanji saunters inside. Zoro's pulse thuds hard just at the sight of the handsome man, he'll never tell Sanji that but it does happen nevertheless. Sanji walks to him and carefully sets a large bag of supplies by the side of the table which Zoro is sat at.
"Just you here?" Sanji asks, lighting a cigarette.
"Were you looking for someone else?" Zoro asks, the room is empty but for Shakky on the other side of it reading a book.
"No, just you." Sanji answers and Zoro can't help but wonder why Sanji even asked then.
"So, we're leaving in the morning." Sanji says, his words shaping the smoke that escapes his mouth.
"I know." He says simply.
"How is Perona getting back to... wherever you were? You still haven't told me where you were." Sanji says with a frown.
"You still haven't told me where you were." Zoro points out. A complicated expression goes over Sanji's face but he can say that it's not positive overall.
"Fine. But what about Perona?" Sanji asks.
"I thought Nami had told you?" Zoro replies and sheathes his cleaned sword, who knows when he'll need it next. Probably soon.
"Obviously she hasn't so why don't you?" Sanji says and kicks Zoro in the ankle. Lightly obviously as nothing is broken.
"She's coming with us." Zoro says simply.
Sanji's mouth falls open and he drops his cigarette into Zoro's beer, ruining both the drink and the cigarette. At least it wasn't hard alcohol or they'd have a fire on their hands.
"Hey!" Zoro protests.
"She's joining the crew?!" Sanji asks in a stricken voice.
"What? No. She's just hitching a ride. There's some place a few islands into the New World that she wants to go to, Luffy didn't mind and Nami said she should tell you." Zoro explains with a laugh.
"She didn't. I thought... I thought you two wanted nothing to do with each other. I mean, I get that you'd get on a bit after spending two years with her..." Sanji trails off. Two years had made him actually like Iva, despite all logic to the contrary.
"I wouldn't say I like her. She's my soulmate and I love her but I want to punch her in the face alarmingly often. I guess I have a type." Zoro laughs. Despite being really different people he does have a similar relationship with both Perona and Sanji, even though one is platonic and the other romantic.
"You never even wanted to meet her." Sanji says, sounding almost... hurt?
"I didn't. But... we're gonna see each other again through the rest of our lives. We've got each other's vivre cards so we can do it. I'm not getting in her way and she's not getting in mine, it's perfect really." He explains and pulls the locket out of his pocket, it's tough steel and when he flicks it open there's a little heart shaped vivre card piece in there. She's got a similar deal for him.
"You love her?" Sanji asks weakly, going back to that point again.
"Yeah. Platonically obviously, it's not like you're competing with her." Zoro points out. He doesn't say, not like Zoro himself has to do with Sanji's own soulmate. So why does he look so distraught over all of this?
"I'm... gonna go put this stuff back in the ship." Sanji says and gets up, grabbing his bag and leaving.
"Hey! You owe me a new drink!" He calls after Sanji but the blond doesn't react. Weird.