A/N: Last chapter before I disappear. Getting close to the end! :D
Naghi-tan: It definitely is! D:
Guest: it's a much painful story than I anticipated D: But it is, what it is…until the last chapter. And, yes, Zeff has a peg leg, here. It hasn't been explained why, though. *mysterious tone *
Nattsubihanabi: I've never seen that particular movie (Not an Adam Sandler fan), but it's similar to this? If it is, I definitely have to youtube it. I'm glad you like my stories! They're pretty out there. We can be friends. :D
Chapter Twenty-One:
And The White Knight Is Talking Backwards…
That night, Sanji tossed and turned in the bed Law had said was his. There were so many thoughts running through his mind that he wasn't sure where to sort them out. But as he ran the day's events over and over, he realized that only one thing stood out. So he left the bed, cautiously creeping through the darkness to the other room. He nearly tripped on some books, over empty boxes of takeout containers, but when he reached the bed, he found his way onto the mattress with a brilliant red face. He tried not to think too hard about the moment, but when he settled on his side towards the edge, he did feel a little more tired than he did earlier. He heard the other man snoring slightly, back to him, so Sanji felt better. He didn't feel so alone. He tucked his hands underneath his cheek and closed his eyes and fell to sleep within moments, thinking it was ridiculous of him to seek out another's company just because he felt so lonely.
When he woke up the next day, he was mortified to find himself pulled tight against the other man – his arm thrown over him, the other curled around him from underneath, one long leg over his hip, the other curled around his calf. It was like waking up with Luffy on him, gnawing on the back of his neck, talking in his sleep. Sanji stiffened up, panicking for a few moments as he realized that everything he saw before him wasn't things he recognized – but then he remembered last night, and he squirmed slightly, looking for a way to ease out without waking the other man.
One arm tightened around him, and there was a snort that made him still, heart slamming against his chest. He did not want the other to wake up with him like this. This was mortifying. He'd only wanted the company of another person in the same room – like sleeping with the others. He didn't expect this octopus to curl around him, seemingly moments from devouring him if he moved funny. Carefully, he untangled one leg from his, then managed to sweep out from underneath the other. Next was easing out his upper half, and that entailed lifting up from the arm underneath him and scooting towards the edge of the bed just to climb out from the other. Just as he set a foot down, Law pulled him back up against him, holding him more tightly than before. Sanji gave a frustrated expression, reaching for the edge of the bed, trying to ease away from him once more. Law continued to fake snore and breathe deep, but was sleepily grinning as Sanji tried to escape from his grasp. That full body blush of his was warm through his clothes, and while Law found it amusing to tease the man, he could tell Sanji was getting frustrated. So this time he let the man wiggle free – probably a good idea anyway; having the man's tempting form against his hadn't been easy to ignore – and once Sanji was off the bed, giving a huff, Law continued to pretend to sleep to give him some dignity. But he heard him walk off, muttering to himself.
The place was silent – it seemed lonely, though. He could hear the sounds of neighbors next door, and traffic in the vague distance. The refrigerator hummed quietly and somewhere, a clock ticked. He couldn't imagine where – there were moving boxes sitting in a pile near the stairway, and there were books tossed on a nearby bench. He wondered where Luffy and the others were, and thought about how disconnected he was with them. None of them remembered any of their adventures, and they talked about such different things – Luffy was a little more thoughtful than the one he knew; Zoro was quieter, calmer; Nami was actually a little too bossy and too touchy with him; Robin kept to herself, but seemed more game to speak with him about his life than giving a frustrated look like the others; Ussop was a lot quieter than Sanji was used to. They were just a group of strangers wearing his friends' skin.
Law was a little more difficult to sort out. Sanji didn't understand why he felt the way he did about another man's presence, and this Law was more talkative, outgoing than the one he knew. But that smile of his – it did something to Sanji's knees. Something that wasn't supposed to happen. And skin to skin contact made his own ripple with heat, and his gut curl with want.
He bit his lip, trying to control his thoughts. Once he had breakfast made, he made it 'pretty' – set it on the table with proper settings and retrieved the cup of coffee, setting it near a couple of containers with cream and sugar. Then he went to wake the man up, and he did so with a kick to the hip and a gruff order. Then he left, wishing badly for a cigarette.
When he turned to shout for Law to hurry up and join him at the breakfast table, he was startled to see the man so close behind him that his nose bumped against his chest and he had no defense against the morning mouth tongue that slathered over his ear with an alarming amount of slime. He shrieked and clapped a hand over his ear, then reacted to the saliva that wet his palm.
"Wake me up nicely, romantically!" Law complained as he went to his seat and looked at the breakfast presentation with a cheerful look. He doctored his coffee as Sanji went to clean his ear, and by the time the other man joined him at the table, he was two sips in and two mouthfuls of eggs had disappeared to intermingle with the flavored brew.
"We have a long day, today," Sanji told him, choosing a piece of plain toast to start his meal with. "There is no time to sit and sleep in."
"Oh? What are we doing?" Law asked curiously, having other plans.
"Now that I am assured of my friends' safety and wellbeing, being that they aren't my friends, I need to figure out how I got here," Sanji said. "And you have to help me off this island so I can return to the ones that I know."
"I can do that," Law mumbled. "We'll go ask around."
"'Ask'?" Sanji repeated, making a face at his toast.
"What's wrong with that?" Law asked him, gesturing at the bread. "Besides the fact that it exists at all?"
"It's too sweet."
"Eat something else, then. Don't leave this table without clearing that plate."
"I'm not a little kid."
"We're going to go around the city and ask certain people how you got here. That's all."
Sanji furrowed his brow as he scooped up some eggs and bit into them. He winced and set it aside, sure that he'd made it usual way. Sure the eggs were a little dull in color, but the flavor was supposed to be fluffy and just a tiny bit salty. But it tasted dry and flat, and he didn't care for it at all. He shifted to the ham, but it was too salty and wet and he set that aside as well.
"What's wrong with your food?" Law asked him, clearing his plate.
"Tastes funny. Artificial."
"Eat every bite. Or I will sit on you, again."
Sanji gave him a skeptical frown. "That's something Luffy will do. I can't imagine you doing that."
"Want to try me?"
"No," Sanji decided, thinking he'd be crushed if that bigger man decided to sit on his chest for a couple of minutes. Law was bigger here in this world than he was in the other – broader shoulders, bigger chest, thicker arms and neck – just slightly darker, as well. He had the scowl down, the wild black hair, but the other thing that truly stood out was his smile and the way he looked at him, sometimes. And the attitude. The childish, bullying attitude that made Sanji just stare at him in incredulous silence, sure that the shit that left his mouth hadn't left his mouth and he'd only imagined it.
He bit into his vegetables and tried not to gag. Law only sighed, reaching for a refill.
Later that morning, after he'd showered and dressed in the clothes Law said they'd found last night, Sanji examined himself in the full length mirror in the bathroom. He'd paired a dark blue shirt with a navy paisley tie, a pair of black slacks and his Oxford leather shoes, but this time, he wore his winter jacket over it because he suspected he was going to be active, today. He was aching for a cigarette, leaving the bathroom with a sweep of his leg.
Law was waiting for him, impatiently tapping a heel on the floor with his sword over one shoulder. When he saw him approach, Sanji felt his ears burn. He was fairly certain men shouldn't look at each other like that, but Law looked upon him as if he were appraising some material thing of value. Or just admiring him. Sanji wasn't sure.
"It was worth the wait," Law said with a decided tone, Sanji frowning at him.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Now I feel underdressed," Law said, frowning down at his plain jeans with rolled hems, long sleeve shirt underneath a winter sweater with leather elbow patches and a contrasting color collar, and his glasses. He shrugged on a winter jacket with a furry hood.
"It's unusual, but you aren't that underdressed," Sanji said, reaching out and straightening his collar. "At least you're not wearing feathers."
"Like Cora's and Doffy's jackets? Ew."
"Men don't say 'ew'."
"The real manly ones do. Let's go, then. Time to start our mission," Law decided, looking at his watch as Sanji made their way to the door. He had the urge to reach out and swat the other man's ass, but he feared Sanji would kick him into next week if he did. He also would not touch the other man the way he used to – it wouldn't be right if Sanji didn't know of their relationship. "Today, we start asking people their opinions on what we should so with you."
"Why should their opinion matter - ?" Sanji started to question when Law grabbed his arm, and they reappeared a distance away. Dizzy, Sanji reoriented himself with the world, and saw that Law was walking right up a pathway towards a grandiose restaurant. Sanji hurried after him, a couple of dark suited men reaching out to stop them from entering the main door when Law dispatched of both of them with the scabbard of his sword. Then neatly kicked them aside so he could enter. "What are we doing?"
"Social media is the best way to find out the location of each and every one of these scum bags, and that's how we're going to talk to every one of them," Law told him patiently, peeking in through another doorway very briefly before grabbing Sanji's arm again. This time, Sanji found himself atop of a very crowded wooden table with men in dark suits enjoying a feast, and all of them reacted with surprise at the sight of them. One of them even spit out his shrimp pasta, and another choked on his steak and artichoke dish.
"Goddamn you!" Krieg shouted, slamming a fist atop of the table, causing it to rattle dangerously underneath their feet. Sanji looked at him with surprise, startled to see the pirate of the East Blue sitting there in a maroon suit and a heaping pile of pasta before him, meatballs neatly sliced in half next to it. "I told you! I had nothing to do with anything that you want to know!"
"Calm down, this is just an update," Law told him, nudging a couple of bottles of wine aside so he wouldn't trip on them. "As you can see, I found him. There's no need for me to pester any of you about his whereabouts, any longer. The only questions that remain are things that I will keep to myself. Everyone, say hello to Sanji."
All that he received in reply were glares and threats of death and violence, and Sanji was amused because every single face he looked at had expressions of open dislike their way. Guns were drawn and tempers rose, and while he felt defensive, ready to fight if he needed to, Law said to Krieg, "I just thought I'd make my rounds and introduce you all to him. He has a very troubled memory. I'm hoping with each visit I make, he might remember something of significant value to him."
Krieg looked at Sanji. The man wasn't the brightly smiling teenage boy, anymore. Just a confused looking man with a slightly altered hairstyle and what looked like a dangerous posture. He was pretty sure if anybody made a move, the man would attack.
"All you had to do was send out a text," he muttered.
"That's a cowardly way of avoiding interaction with human beings."
"It's a smart way to avoid interaction with the likes of you."
"Sanji, look at everyone. Anything about this sorry group that rings familiar?"
Sanji looked at the faces nearest him, then landed on two of them. "Gin. Pearl."
Gin looked up at him as if he were in awe. He looked a lot younger from the last time Sanji had seen him – protecting his troublesome captain after a brief fight on the Baratie – with such a clean appearance that he would've never recognized him if he'd passed him on the streets. His hair was combed back, he was wearing very tidy and neat clothes similar to Krieg's gangster appearance – and he didn't look so haggard. Just healthy.
"Hi, Sanji," Gin greeted him warmly. "It's nice to see you again."
"Same here," Sanji said, giving a slightly confused smile. They'd parted on good terms, but he didn't understand the entirely affectionate look to the other man's face. "You look well."
"Can't complain."
"Enough of the chit chat, I didn't come here for that," Law told them both, sword between them. "Nothing jogs your memory?"
"Nothing," Sanji confessed, unsure of what he was even looking for.
"Onto the next, then." But before they disappeared, Law tipped Gin's drink over, Gin scrambling out of its path with a curse of dismay.
"Utterly irritating! What was the point in that?" Krieg asked incredulously. "Like I care if that brat is back! What matters is no more Strawhat visits!"
"I wonder what he meant by 'jogging his memory'?" Gin wondered aloud. "He recognized us just fine."
"It's so embarrassing how taken you are with him, again," Pearl mentioned to him cattily, Gin scowling before looking at him with warning.
"Donquixote!" Krieg roared into his phone. "Leash up that brat of yours! I'm sick and tired of him interrupting my – what do you mean, he's 'adopted'?"
When they reappeared moments later, Sanji wanted to puke. Law teleported them so quickly that there were only flashes of scenery around them before they came to a stop in a massive living room that looked bare and modernized, with just the minimal of decorations in certain sections of the area.
Drake spit out his wine in surprise, Ashley giving a faint yelp as he knocked over his mustache grooming kit at the table nearby.
"Disgusting," Law commented, as Drake threw aside his glass and rose up from his couch with a roar of displeasure. The massive HD Sony tv on the wall was playing 'Jaws', and Sanji watched with a scoff as a mechanized shark ate a man right off his boat. "Listen, I've found who I've been looking for. I'm only visiting everyone out of common courtesy to notify you myself of the rumors you may have heard. This here is Sanji Blackleg – Sanji, this is Drake. You remember Drake, don't you?"
Sanji looked at the enraged man for a few moments, then shook his head. "Never met him."
"Drake, tell us about yourself – or not," Law decided as Drake took on his dinosaur form with a loud roar, Sanji reacting with a startled expression. They were out of there in moments, Law looking at the house on the cliff edge, two heated pools and five unnecessary levels for two people and their minions. Drake could be seen through one of the glass walls roaring with animalistic displeasure, the sound echoing throughout the Cliffside. "Hmf. Rude."
Trying not to heave, Sanji leaned on his knees, looking at the snowy ground underfoot.
"This is leading me no where!" he exclaimed shakily, looking around himself. He spotted the ocean, just miles away. But it looked odd. While the visible harbor led out into the grey body of water, a wall of clouds in the distance beyond that, he had a feeling that it wasn't the ocean, but a lake. "Where's the sea?"
"Not here. Next destination – prepare yourself for this one. Drake doesn't tolerate visitors very well, but this one likes to lash out at anybody that looks at him funny," Law warned him, grabbing his hand. The flash of the world disappearing and reappearing as he teleported to his destination caused Sanji a serious heave of nausea. But as they materialized in a low lit grand office with gaudy lights flashing from a two way mirror nearby, Sanji prepared himself for the worst.
Crocodile slammed his hook down on his desk and threw his scotch cup at the pair just moments after Sanji recognized him. "Damn you! What the hell are you doing here? You got what you needed, stay the fuck out of my area!"
"All I'm doing is visiting everyone out of polite courtesy. Yes, you may have heard the rumors that Zeff's grandson is back, but I needed you to see him in person. His memory is spotty."
"That's not the only thing that'll be spotty after I get through with both of you!" Crocodile roared, sand rising around him and curling around their feet, but Law was pretty quick to get them out of there. Sanji steadied himself with a slight exhale as Law frowned, straightening his glasses. They'd reappeared just a level below the office, and Sanji could only look up and see the two way mirror that allowed Crocodile his own visual onto the casino floor below.
"What are you doing?" Sanji snapped at Law, grabbing his jacket.
"Anything?" Law asked him curiously. "Anything at all?"
"Nothing! I don't know what you're doing! It seems like you're only taking me around these people so that they can see that I'm back, and, to be honest? You're not doing anything to help me understand how I arrived here at this island! I want to leave it! I want to return to my friends!"
"This is the only way I know how to help you, Sanji," Law told him, a row of security guards running their way, guns drawn and panicked people catching sight of the activity. "If I can somehow jog your memory into remembering something, then we can go from there. Are any of these people familiar to you in any way?"
Sanji gave him a reluctant frown, looking at the guards that were fast approaching. Before he could answer, sand swept up from the potted plants nearby, and Law quickly teleported them both away before either of them could be touched. The mid-morning sun barely peeked through the snowy clouds ahead, a plane swooping low on its way to the airport – it caused windows to shudder, and a car alarm to go off.
People moved around them with annoyed expressions, and the traffic was snarled at a nearby intersection because of a collusion between a taxi cab and an armored truck. There was so much visual stimulation in the area that Sanji forgot what Law was asking for.
"What am I trying to remember?" he asked himself vaguely, watching as a bus swerved around a biker, and came rolling near some people waiting for the doors to open before it even stopped.
"How you came to this island, Sanji. Was it by boat, or by car?" Law asked him patiently.
"It was the Navy, so…by boat? Through the harbor?" Sanji looked in that direction, but after all the traveling they'd done so far, he couldn't tell where he'd seen the body of water.
"What was the boat called, Sanji?"
Sanji couldn't remember. He couldn't remember anything other than having woken up in a cell, knowing that the Marines had brought him in after capturing the Thousand Sunny. Finger to his lips, he struggled to remember the moment the Marines had stormed the ship. But all he remembered was pushing Chopper away because the deer clung to him, not wanting him to go –
"Chopper was there," he finally said, thinking about the reindeer.
"Think hard about that scene, Sanji. What was he doing to you?"
"Holding onto my arm. Upset."
"Why?"
In the memory, the tiny reindeer was clinging to his arm, practically sobbing. But even as he looked up at Sanji, mouth moving, Sanji heard absolutely nothing. As if the entire scene had been muted. He shook his head with frustration.
"What was Chopper standing in front of? Was he standing on something? Was there something else in the room that caught your eye other than him?"
Books, Sanji realized. Rows upon rows of books. "But we didn't have those on board Sunny," he said aloud.
"Have what on board?"
"Rows of books. Just shelves. Around Nami's desk."
Why take him there? Law wondered, mystified. To hide him until Hiluluk could come and get him?
"I can't really think of anything other than that."
"So it wasn't the Marines that brought you here – it was Chopper?"
Sanji was sure it was the Marines. They were the only ones that were pursuing them at that time, taking advantage of the chaos at Dressrosa. The ports were all crowded with Navy vessels. So why couldn't he see them clearly?
"It's no use going back to yesterday," he said with a heavy sigh. "I can't remember. I should, because I know – I just can't see the scene very well."
"You did very good, today. You fit in a few pieces of the puzzle," Law told him, reaching out to brush his fingers through his hair, and Sanji let it happen because he felt he needed contact at that moment. "That's all we should do, for now. You're tired."
Sanji enjoyed the feeling of being touched. Of having his scalp lightly scratched – even if it was only a gesture of affection, and nothing in the sense that Law suggested with words. But he pulled away before he could fully relax, too afraid to show that he liked it because he was uncertain with himself. "I'm not that tired, or that big of a pansy. Let's keep going. Seeing all these familiar faces makes me feel like I'm getting closer and closer to home."
"If you make lovey-dovey eyes at another guy, I will not be nice about it, this time."
"What does that mean, you scoundrel?" Sanji snapped, shoving him away. "'Lovey dovey'? I have never - ! In my life!"
"Your entire life?"
"Never!"
"I feel like you should be waving your handkerchief at me."
"Shut up."
Law had to chuckle, looking at his phone for a couple of minutes before he found what he was looking for. Then he grabbed Sanji's arm and soon they were reappearing in a kitchen strewn with takeout food, beverages in glass bottles, and music that caused the windows to vibrate.
Law sighed heavily, as if pumping himself up to approach the situation, Sanji wincing as the music, with its screeches, jumpy beats and booming bass tore at his brain. This was nothing he'd ever heard, before. When they emerged out from the kitchen, the entire place was filled with dancing bodies. All of them sweaty, all of them moving to the beat of the music, all of them oblivious to them even appearing there in the first place. the air was heavy with body odor and smoke, and Sanji covered his nose because it was so thick and putrid that he felt dizzy and hungry at the same time.
He reached out to grab Law's jacket because the crowding bodies moved so intensely around them that he feared their separation. Law kept moving, and suddenly they were reappearing in a massive bathroom with a claw-footed bathtub, and Apoo realized he no longer had an audience.
"WHAT. THE. HELL?" he exclaimed, looking at both of them with annoyance.
"Give me your most recent batch of Tea Party, and I won't remove your arms," Law said to him, almost shouting because of how loud the sound had been outside.
"STOP YELLING, I CAN HEAR YOU JUST FINE!" Apoo returned. "WHAT DO YOU WANT IT FOR?"
"Give me fifty dollars, and I'll tell you."
Sanji watched incredulously as Apoo gave him a single bill. Law looked pretty surprised that he got it, but he folded it up and slid it into his jacket pocket. Sanji realized that Apoo looked pretty shaky on his feet, and his eyes seemed glassy. His face was red, as well, but it might've been from the hot air from the other side of the door, too.
"Your version of the Tea Party has to be the most potent because most of the people leaving your parties seems the most intoxicated," Law said, still talking loudly. "I'm interested in your product."
"MINE'S THE VERY BEST!" Apoo agreed, talking loudly after being in the room next door for so long. "IT'LL FUCK YOU UP!"
"Here's fifty – give me what you can with it," Law said, producing the bill. Apoo snatched it away from him, then held it up to the light to look for the security strip. Law tried not to laugh. Watching the older man mess with the Supernova only caused Sanji to realize why he had such a reputation for himself amongst the syndicate heads.
Satisfied, Apoo pocketed the money, and pulled out a single vial from his shirt pocket. "This is the Butter vial. It will fix time for you. And by time, I mean, you'll lose track of days. It's very potent – make sure you pack for a week!"
"Look, I only have a check on me. How about if I write you the amount needed for two more vials?"
"I'll give you fifty for that blank check," Apoo said with a smirk, plucking out the fifty and waving it in the air. "I got fifty dolla to make you holla, I get paid to do the wild thing! YAS!"
"Here," Law said, producing a slip of paper that Apoo instantly pocketed, handing him the fifty. Sanji tried not to display any reaction, but he couldn't help but place a hand over his own mouth to hide his expression. Once Law folded the bill in one hand, slipped it into the other, and handed it to Apoo again, he said, "Two, please."
"I've also got Riddle, Mercury, and Raven," Apoo said, showing him the half vials he'd pulled from his shirt pocket. "Riddle is important – take it in a small dosage. It'll fuck up your world, make you think you're a ninja – only you're not. You take too much of it, who knows where you'll convince yourself to do. Mercury is straight up liquor – don't worry what kind. Just know it's meant to be the chaser. Raven gives you the power to be the person you've always wanted to be. Mix up Raven and Riddle, and you're just on a bad trip. Mix up Raven, Riddle and Butter, and you have a bad trip while losing track of time. Take Mercury, Riddle and Raven, you're going to have a bad time on the freeway because you think you can take on windmills on a tin horse. Take Mercury, Butter and Riddle, and you'll probably find yourself in the same spot Kid found himself – in Bonney's closet, trying on her clothes. It's all up to you."
"So this is what Tea Party is entirely comprised, of? Butter, Riddle, Mercury and Raven? Doesn't sound that impressive, to me."
"This is directly off of Hogback's formula that he gave to Kid. Each of us gave it a few twerks to make it our own, but, yes, this is the Tea Party! How about you, guy? Interested in a little drinky drinky?"
"He's cut off for the night," Law said, taking the vials. "This is all?"
"That's all that's important," Apoo said, exhaling blowfish style. "For fifty more, I'll sell you a full set. With fuller vials."
"Hmm. Interesting. Can I borrow fifty from you, pay you back when you come back here with it?"
"Sure! I just withdrew some cash from the atm earlier, I'm pretty loaded," Apoo said, giving him the fifty back, and then hurrying out from the bathroom. The partiers cheered as he added to the beats, and Law looked at Sanji with exasperation, holding the sweaty bill between two fingers.
"The syndicates will fall with this sort of chaos," Law told him. "This happened after Zeff left. If he were still enforcing the rules, those three losers would have never taken the step up to rule with them."
"I don't understand," Sanji said. "And how is this getting closer to my friends?"
"None of this jogs your memory? That tea Hiluluk served you – did he ever mention how he mixed it?"
"I'm not certain what tea you're talking about," Sanji confessed, hands in his pockets as he looked up at the ceiling with concern. "I'm very fond of tea, but I haven't had any recently."
Law looked at him for a few moments, admiring the flushed color of his cheeks, the way he stood with so much confidence and strength in himself despite the confusing situation he was in – the colors he wore brought out the colors of his visible eye, and his hair teased just a hint of the other side of his face. He wanted to reach out and touch him, but he knew he couldn't, at that moment. So he smiled at him. "You are so cute."
Sanji looked at him with a startled expression, but he blushed as he looked away. "STOP. That's so weird."
"Can't a man pay another a compliment, nowadays?"
"Not when they're drooling."
Law wiped his mouth in time for Apoo to barge back in with an armful of plastic Walmart bags. He set one aside, and dropped the others on the tub nearby. As they all crashed onto the floor, Apoo said, "HERE. A COMPLETED SET. JUST REMEMBER WHAT I SAID ABOUT THEM. THERE'S A HANDWRITTEN NOTE ENCLOSED THAT EXPLAINS WHAT THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY DO. TAKE AT YOUR OWN RISK."
"I can't wait to get fucked up in here, yo. Here. For your troubles," Law said, passing him the fifty back. Apoo checked the security strip again, nodded in approval, then slid it back into his pocket.
"GO WILD. AND LEAVE ME ALONE! HI SANJI, WE MEET AGAIN," Apoo said to Sanji, giving an uncoordinated wave.
"I don't know you."
"LISTEN, IF YOU'RE EVER INTERESTED – "
But Sanji didn't know what Apoo was going to offer because they were out of the house, and he was swaying over the salt covered sidewalk, Law looking at the vials inside the bag with annoyance. He looked at the post-it with Apoo's crappy handwriting, and realized it meant nothing. He tossed it, having memorized what he'd said, anyway.
"Onto the next," he said with a heavy sigh.
"I'm not taking this too well," Sanji confessed once they arrived at a very ritzy salon and spa, the young woman at the front desk gasping in shock as they appeared suddenly behind her, near a doorway.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Law assured him, kicking open a door, then slamming it shut once he realized what was happening inside. He then grabbed Sanji's arm and teleported away. Once they reappeared some distance away from the spa, he looked pretty embarrassed. "Mental note – do not interrupt a woman during a spa visit to avoid seeing a Brazilian wax job in process."
"What's that?"
"Nothing your innocent little mind should worry about. Here is our next destination," Law said, gesturing ahead of them at a metal door in a narrow side alley that opened up to a slanting stairway leading underground. There were sullen looking men lingering around it, smoking and drinking, and they looked at the pair of them with utter disgust, mentioning their names and reaching for weapons. "Looks like they were expecting us."
"Maybe a little exercise will make me feel better," Sanji commented, pulling off his jacket to have him hold, and then loosening his collar and tie.
"Go ahead, gorgeous. Make me proud."
"Stop talking like that!" Sanji snapped at him, walking ahead to meet a couple of men in the middle.
A few minutes later, Kid burst out from the doorway with a huffy expression, ducking when one of his guys went flying through the brick nearest him. All around him were men lying in the alley, clearly unconscious and battered to within an inch of their lives. What made him really angry was seeing the future love of his life smiling off to the side, watching the fabled "boyfriend" beat up some of his biggest guys as if they were mere ragdolls – all with the use of his legs, only. And while wearing a goddamn tie.
"WHAT. THE. HELL?" he exclaimed, marching forward to Law, throwing up his arms. He was shirtless, tonight, expecting a hot environment in the basement while enjoying a death metal concert with some local bands. His leather pants were barely belted in place, stuffed into motorcycle boots, and his arms were laden with bracelets, studded cuffs, and his wild red hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail that barely qualified as a ponytail. "What'd they ever do to you? And who said you can bring him here?"
"They looked at me funny. I was offended. And what do you mean, 'who said'? I did."
"I never approved of this," Kid snarled at him, looming over him with a threatening gesture. His face reddened slightly because Law wasn't wearing his hat, today, and Kid wanted to clutch handfuls of that thick black hair in both hands and force Law's face up to his, and - "How dare you! How could you do this to me? How could you bring him here, knowing how I feel about the situation? You didn't even consider my feelings at all! You're such a selfish asshole, but I admire that brutality of yours."
"How do you feel about the situation?" Law asked curiously, puzzled by his choice of words. He held his sword between them because Kid was standing much too close to him, and it looked like those painted fingernails were moments from grabbing him.
"No one. Calls me. By. My. First. Name," Kid snarled at him.
"Then let me be the first. Eustass."
"Stop saying my name."
"Eustass."
"I mean it."
"I feel dirty all of a sudden," Law observed, looking at himself with a frown.
"Don't say it one more time."
Sanji suddenly popped up between them, a funny look to his face. He pushed Kid a couple of feet away with an elbow, then looked at Law with an irritated expression.
"I think you both can carry a conversation without either of you having to be so close to do it," Sanji said tightly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Intimacy like that suggests many things to an onlooker."
"He wasn't that close," Law assured him, hand on the small of his back as he leaned in and kissed the back of his neck, amused at his reaction.
Sanji reacted with a scramble away while Kid turned brilliant red and roared, "NOT IN FRONT OF ME! What the hell are you guys doing here, anyway?"
"I don't know if you've ever met Sanji Blackleg, Kid," Law said, indicating Sanji as Sanji frowned at him. "I want you to look at him. Get to know his face. This piece of art is the heart of my life – but he's playing coy, about it. I just wanted to show him off because I'm happy he's back."
Kid looked ready to kill him, Sanji noticed, watching him cautiously from a few feet away. Kid looked like the type to strangle a lover and hide the evidence – or save it for later. But he also did not like the way Kid looked at Law. It made his spine stiffen, and his lips to tighten, and he felt the almost irresistible impulse to kick them both because how could Law just stand there, knowing he was enticing the other man into suggestive violence, and Kid just look at him that way so rudely –
Then he realized he was jealous, and he told himself he didn't need to be, because that would mean he had feelings for the other man, and he must, because Kid really bothered him just standing there, and he just did not like the way Law allowed his space to be invaded like that –
With a growl, Sanji turned to look in the other direction, trying to sort out the feelings inside of him.
"I've seen better, looking into the mirror, everyday," Kid told Law with a snarl.
"Must've been looking in the wrong mirror, then," Sanji heard himself mutter, then froze, startled at his own impulse.
"This is a private conversation between two men," Kid then said to Sanji, having to bend slightly to look at him over his shoulder. "Can you please remove yourself from the situation? Permanently? Again?"
"Are those lips black on purpose? Or did you get bored and decide to draw on yourself?" Sanji asked him snottily.
"What are you talking about? Your eye will match the color of my lips if you don't back off. And you know exactly what I'm talking about," Kid growled, shaking a massive fist near Sanji's cheek. "I did not just create a Pinterest account for shits and giggles."
"Do you shave your eyebrows and redraw them?"
"You take that back."
"They're crooked. Just like your personality."
"You catty little shit - ! Let's talk about yours!"
Law looked at his watch. Then frowned. It was close to Sanji's resetting period, and he didn't want to leave him in such a vulnerable state in the midst of a confrontation with someone like Kid. With a boot placed on Kid's hip and a hand on Sanji's shoulder, he separated the two.
"Enough admiring him. We're needed elsewhere."
"I wasn't 'admiring' - ! Don't you dare leave - ! ARGH!" Kid screamed with frustration, once again left with nothing of the other man's presence as he disappeared away from him. He dropped to his knees, fists on the dirt. "DAMN IT!"
"Give it up, Kid," Killer said with an impatient sigh.
Back at the condo, Sanji looked at Law with a suspicious expression. Law was busy looking at Apoo's Tea Party supplies, sorting them carefully from the ones he'd already taken from Kid. "Both of you guys look pretty chummy," he said, loosening his tie and cuffs, rolling up his sleeves.
"He's not someone anyone can take seriously. Those kids really are the worst," Law said, attaching neon colored stickers to each vial before labeling them carefully with a Sharpie. "That one has weird ideas. He might have a crush on me, or he might just be another Buffalo Bill. It's still the same vibe."
"Buffalo Bill?" Sanji asked, trying to place name with a face.
"Never mind. We've got five minutes. I forgot to ask while we were out if you'd like to pick up cigarettes."
"YES, please!"
"Then we'll get them when we're back on the road. What did you think about today, Sanji?" Law asked him, sitting at the edge of his desk as Sanji fixed his sleeves. "Did any of those losers jostle anything about how you came here? Other than Chopper?"
"Nothing. They're all familiar faces. I've met or seen them before. We've battled each other out there – "
"On the ocean?"
"East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, South –most were on the Grand Line."
"And what is that?" Law asked him, gesturing at him to come close to him, but Sanji looked at his hand with apprehension, then at him with a frown. "In four more minutes, Sanji, you won't remember this at all. Let's spend it close together – I promise you, I won't do anything you aren't comfortable with."
"This is something I'm uncomfortable with," Sanji muttered, gesturing at his hand. "What are you going to do?"
"I just want a hug."
"Geez, if that's all you want, you don't have to make it like I'm walking to my impending doom, or something," he said, blushing as he walked forward, and then gave him a platonic hug – arms around the shoulders and a brief lean of his head against his. When Law wrapped his arms around his waist and hauled him up close with an affectionate air, he stiffened, hands shifting to push at his shoulders to get some space.
"Just a hug. Keep talking about this Grand Line of yours," Law said, feeling the heavy ache in his chest start building with pressure as the familiar smell of Sanji and the feel of his form against his invoked feelings of sadness and frustration. He shifted an arm up to touch the back of his head, the soft strands of his hair slipping through his fingers as he stroked the curve of his skull, feeling him breathe softly against his head.
There was a considerable shift in the air between them, and Sanji found that he couldn't push away. He could sense that Law was really hurting at that moment, hiding his face from his, but Sanji could feel the tension in his arms, in the feel of his fingers against his hair. If he pulled away now, he'd disrupt something desperate and sad, and Sanji didn't want to hurt his feelings. But his own heart slammed hard against his chest, and his breathing felt stilted, as if his lungs weren't allowing too much air – and his skin tingled with awareness, and if he inched in just a bit, he'd fit into the space Law gave him with ease. So he moved into the hug and felt the tightening of Law's arms around him, the feel of his forehead against his collarbone giving him a slight jolt. He didn't know what to say, words leaving him, but he pressed his chin against the top of his head and stroked his hair with his fingertips to give him some comfort. The smell of the man – a spicy musky scent – made his cheeks warm with sudden familiarity. The soft bristle of his hair against his skin, the feel of his body against his, made him feel as if he'd just come home from a long journey.
He enjoyed this sensation so much, thoughts leaving his mind – all he could think about was feeling as if he never wanted to leave this moment. But then he realized that he couldn't think at all – no coherent wording came to mind, and he stiffened as disorientation hit him hard, a tunnel of black surrounding his vision, as if he were moments from fainting. All he heard in the great distance were voices that weren't familiar; yelling, talking, whispering, and none of them made sense. Images flitted by, as if he were viewing them between trees, and dark places beckoned with odd noises and strange looking creatures with human faces pointed him in the direction of a path meant for him. Only one voice began to stand out – an older man telling him to hurry back to his crew, that they were waiting for him on the Thousand Sunny. The sound of the ocean, gentle waves slapping against the wooden walls of the Sunny, caught his attention. Only when he looked, the Sunny wasn't there at all. The waves continued to move amidst the sounds of the city until he realized he was looking at the blank walls of a room, and Luffy shouting at him for food caught his attention. Sanji thought he was still on board until he realized he didn't know his surroundings at all, and feet pounded on the deck as screams of excitement and joy took to the air.
When he pulled away to go yell at the trio to calm down, he was surprised to see Law in front of him with a devastated expression that he quickly hid with a turn of his head. Only he wasn't Law – this man was bigger than him. Dressed weirder. And his expression didn't make any sense at all. Before Sanji could sort that out, before he could realize what sort of position he was in, Luffy and Ussop burst into the room with plastic bags, but even they didn't look like the pair he was used to. They were yelling joyously, but not about food; they were running, not on the deck, but in the hall on carpeted floors.
Luffy had a rounder face, a bigger body, groomed hair – Ussop was darker, his hair braided down his back, and both of them wore clothes that looked odd on them. Skinny jeans, thick sneakers with vivid coloring, winter jackets that weren't made from animal or ghastly prints, and both of them looked at him with confusion, as if they were unsure of whom they were looking at at that moment.
"We did it, Law!" Luffy said instead, holding up the bags. "We got Bonney's and Hogback's last batch! Kid said you had some of his already. And Apoo yelled at us because you made it to him, first, and gave him a receipt from Walgreens instead of a blank check."
Sanji was confused at the mention of names, and finally realized that his hand was clasped tightly within another's. He looked down just in time to watch Law let him go, and his skin burned – wondering how that contact had happened in the first place. He couldn't even remember what was happening where the pair of them were together in this unknown room, or even what conversation had taken place. He wasn't even sure what to say as Ussop continued looking at him with a thoughtful expression, as if waiting for him to say something.
"Sanji, we retrieved Nami and the others," he said stoically, already knowing the story of how Sanji was separated from them. He only added to the tale to make the other man feel at ease. "She's in the kitchen, now. But she told me she doesn't want to talk about it – it was very traumatic. She's trying to move on from the situation."
Sanji understood immediately. "Okay. I won't mention it. It's good that they're alive. Stop running around in the halls. We're not animals."
"Yeesh, fine," Luffy said as Sanji left the room to go find his way back to the kitchen, Ussop going with him, talking all the way. He looked at Law with concern, finding the man with his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. "You okay?"
"I need coffee. All of it."
"You guys were pretty busy, this morning," Luffy said with amusement, setting down the bags near the one Law had taken from Apoo. "Drake's mad, Bonney's accusing you of being a peeping tom, Crocodile's ready to throw fists again, and Doffy sent out this weird Instagram post about how special adopted kids are."
"Idiot."
"I know!" Luffy laughed. "It's so fun! How will you do this, Law? Are you just going to slam them down, one by one? Can I watch?"
"No. This has to be done in a controlled setting. Bepo will be with me, as Shachi is completing his finals and Penguin's finishing his shift."
"Aw. I wanted to watch…"
"It's not entertainment!"
For a few moments, Luffy sensed that the other man was overloaded with thoughts and emotions that he couldn't quite touch. He said gently, "We all miss him. But at least we're all doing something about it. Maybe after you figure this out for yourself – "
"In reality, Strawhat, it's not the chemicals that are causing his – " Law paused suddenly, fingers to his chin. Then he looked at his watch again. Hastily, he turned away from a puzzled Luffy, and started writing down various notes on a sheet of paper nearby. "Do me a favor, Strawhat. Go to his room, find all his yearbooks, photo albums and charge that phone of his. It's in the nightstand drawer. Don't take off with the charger, either! Or I'll kill you."
"I have my own," Luffy said with an impatient sigh, wandering off to the other room to do so. Then he gave an excited shout. "I'm looking through all your stuff, old man Sanji! What are you going to do about it?"
"What stuff?" Sanji shouted back. "And stop yelling!"
"You're yelling, too!"
Law wrote down everything he'd observed of Sanji's resetting period, then added some notes of things he'd experiment with the next time it happened. He looked at his watch again, admittedly anxious for the next time it happened. He drummed his fingers atop of the desk, then pulled his phone out from his pocket, noticing that he'd missed calls and messages from various people. He ignored all of that and found the Instagram icon – he looked at Sanji's old Instagram account, thumbing through all the pictures and videos that he'd taken as a teen, causing Law's chest to hurt again; but when he found the right picture, he screenshot it and saved it to his album, then logged out of the app.
He hollered for Robin and Nami, collecting all the pictures in his phone album to send to his email account, then searched for his laptop amidst the mess.
"Oh, god, what a terrible place to die," Nami observed, looking into the room with dismay, Robin peeking in after her. "Have you seen that show, 'Hoarders'? Or better yet, Cops? You'd be a perfect victim."
"Enough judgment. I need you to do something. You girls like decorating and all that, right? Take this flashdrive – if I find it – and take it the nearest photo shop. Make nice prints out of all of them. Then frame all of them in a way you see fitting of Sanji's style."
"What's this plan?" Robin asked curiously.
"Every time he resets, the first thing he thinks of is his pirate crew. If I can get him to see this life instead, I wonder if it'll create a different path for him to follow out of that madness he's caught in. It's just a theory."
"Brilliant! But what about the world that Hiluluk created for him? Won't he remember that world, anyway?"
"I'm certain that if he sees visuals of the life he lived before he became a pirate, I'm sure he'd remember something different. Meanwhile," Law finally found his laptop underneath some take out boxes on his desk, Nami making a face and shaking her head with sad action while Robin poked at a pile of books leaning dangerously towards the left, "I'm going to go away for a bit. Keep him out of trouble, feed him, bathe him, make sure he gets plenty of walks, that sort of thing – get him cigarettes, he's dying."
"He's not a dog," Nami said crossly, as he started a frantic search for the flashdrive he'd spoken of earlier.
He found it, then looked at her with a start. "He's not? What am I to do with all that dog food I picked up earlier?"
Just give that to me!" she said impatiently, waiting for him to load the flashdrive with the items from his email.
"I know it's a huge thing to ask of anybody right now, but after you're done with all that, please hang them up on the walls. Buy a shitload of houseplants – hang them everywhere, put them in places where they used to be. Obviously, I'm not a plant person, I can barely keep myself alive. But if he has to take care of it, maybe that'll help, too."
"We can do all that," Robin assured him as Nami opened her mouth to protest. She then held her hand out, and Law handed her his credit card. Nami snatched that out of her hand and looked pleased. "What will you be doing in the meantime?"
"Experimenting," Law said, taking his notebook with him, and the bags that were collected.
"Why that and not your laptop?" Nami asked him with a frown, seeing his laptop left behind on the desk, battery nearly dead.
"I trust my own handwriting than I do with Word. Did you know that every time you open up the program, it will send a copy of your last saved document to NSA?"
"Shut up."
"Oh, also, take him food shopping. Not Whole Foods, this time," he then said with impatience. "He's been bitching about kitchen supplies, let him get what he wants."
"Are there limits to this thing?" Nami asked curiously, eyes sparkling.
"It's not for you. I trust you more than I do her, so keep her in line, too."
"Got it," Robin said, one of her arms waving the card in the air, Nami trying to snatch at it with a gasp. "We shall await your return."
"If possible? Have him talk to Zeff on the phone. Maybe it'll be different if Sanji heard his voice, rather than saw him. There has to be a loophole around the situation Hiluluk set up. Anyway, I'm gone."
"How is this man so fine on the outside, and have a room like this?" Nami asked once he left, looking at the room with dismay.
"I think it's sweet," Robin said with a smile. "It shows utter devotion to another human being."
Nami brightened as she thought about it, then carefully made her way out from the mess. "You bastards! We're leaving! All of you better stay out of trouble, too!"
"Where are you going?" Zoro asked curiously, looking up from the coffee Sanji was serving them, the man looking at her with puzzled action.
"But I'm starting lunch. Would you like one packed?" he asked.
"That's okay, hun, save it for Mr Pig, here," Nami said, pushing Luffy as the younger was eating from a plate of breakfast leftovers that Sanji had warmed up. "We're on a mission! Zoro! Take your phone off silent! I might need to make a few calls to you. Let's meet at the grocery store on Seventh and Oak at around…seven?"
"Seven's fine."
"Sanji, hun, Zoro and Luffy will show you where you can get your cancer sticks. All four of you stay out of trouble! I mean it! Luffy, text Law for Zeff's phone number, let them talk for a bit."
"Where is that old man?" Sanji asked, stirring the vegetables he had sautéing. "He's here?"
"He's around. Give him a call. Bye bye!" Nami then called out, making their way to the door.
"I wonder how he's doing," Sanji said, mainly to himself with a slight smile. "I haven't spoken to him in a while. I'm sure he's still alive, that immortal bastard."
"He is!" Luffy assured him, turning in his seat to talk with his mouthful. "He misses you terribly, I'm sure."
"I'm sure he wouldn't. He wouldn't admit that out loud. I hope he doesn't give me shit about my Wanted poster, again."
"What did you do that makes you so Wanted, Sanji?" Luffy asked him curiously. So Sanji had to remind him how much he was actually worth, relaying stories that neither Luffy, Zoro or Ussop had any idea of, but all of them listened patiently and chose their words carefully to indicate that they were aware of the world he lived in, but didn't partake in, themselves.
Later on that evening, Sanji was exhausted. He felt as if he'd run a marathon with weights on his feet, and the others were still chatting and as active as ever – Ussop pushed Luffy through the supermarket in a cart, Zoro picked out various things that the Sanji he knew liked, but Sanji kept putting them back because they didn't fit with his list. Zoro could not read the scrawl on that piece of paper – whatever Sanji was writing, it wasn't English or French. But when Sanji asked him where an item was, Zoro knew where it was. He pushed the cart with languid action as Sanji debated on what brand of onion salt to buy, muttering to himself about prices. Which confused Zoro, because Sanji had no concept of dollars and cents – just this 'belli' business that Sanji had tried to explain to him earlier, but gave up on.
"You feeling okay?" Zoro then asked with concern, noting that Sanji looked stressed.
"It's a little hot in here."
"So take off all your clothes!" Luffy sang, whooping as Ussop pushed him hard enough to sail down the aisle, much to the dismay of some customers that were intending on turning up their way.
" 'Take off all my - ?' No! What? No. There's snow outside!"
"It's a song," Zoro assured him. "But back to the earlier subject, you don't look so good."
"It's nothing. This island is really confusing, sometimes. I hate to bother all of you, but I feel as if I'm disconnected from everything. I feel like everything I talk about isn't something none of you know about," Sanji confessed, looking at both bottles in each hand. None of the words on the labels looked like coherent words. Just squiggles. He blinked hard a few times, feeling nauseous. "I feel like I'm missing something. Something important."
"It'll come. Here. You use this one," Zoro said, taking the bottle that looked familiar. He then frowned at Sanji as he wiped his forehead, revealing a matted hairline. His skin looked flushed and his eyes were glossy. He immediately pushed the cart away, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Let's go home. You don't look good at all."
"I'm fine! Don't touch me. It's just a little hot."
"You either walk out on your own, or I carry you. Which is it?"
"Don't you dare - ! I will filet you into five hundred pieces - ! PUT ME DOWN! APE FACE! GREEN SLUG! LET GO!"
"Luffy, have Nami pay for this stuff. We're going home. He's sick," Zoro said to the two that raced up with puzzled expressions at the man he had over one shoulder. Suddenly Sanji lurched up, face green, and he reached for the closest thing possible to catch his vomit – Zoro's hood. Zoro froze as Luffy and Ussop cried out in disgust, other shoppers looking on with shock. "Yep. Definitely going home."
"It's the Ebola virus!" Ussop cried in panic. "It's back in full force! Everyone! Clear the path!"
"It's not Ebola, it's the dreaded Swine flu! Nami! Pay for our stuff! We have to go home!" Luffy then shouted, hands cupped around his mouth to be heard throughout the store.
"OH my God, just text me!" Nami screamed back from somewhere near the north side, furthest away from them.
"Oh yeah," Luffy mumbled, texting rapidly. He took a picture of the cart, then sent it, grabbing Ussop by the jacket to pull him along. Once they caught up to Zoro and Sanji, Sanji was puking again into a nearby trash can, Zoro tossing off his jacket and throwing it into the can as well. Luffy texted Law an update, then praised Ussop for his quick thinking as Ussop returned to them with a handful of plastic bags.
"Give me your jacket, Luffy," Zoro then said, hand out. Luffy gave it to him, unbothered by the cold, watching as Zoro fitted the hood over Sanji's head, spreading it out over his shoulders. It was so no one could look at him up close; Zoro knew how self conscious Sanji could be if he felt he were 'unkept' or unwell. "Get an Uber, or something."
"Already on their way," Ussop said, showing them the confirmation. "Sanji, you going to be alright?"
"He'll be fine. This is the good part, right? The withdrawal period? I'm pretty sure that's what everyone was waiting for," Zoro said, patting Sanji's back.
Luffy grew delighted, shaking in place while Ussop frowned. "Well, it depends. Sometimes people can die from withdrawal. I'm not saying he is, but if Law still doesn't know what he took, and how much of it over the years, without it, Sanji can very much wither up and die. Chemical dependency is rather tricky. He might need something else to counteract it, or take smaller dosages until he's completely weaned off."
Luffy and Zoro stared at him in silence, Sanji finally pushed away from the trashcan. "I'm not dying! What are you talking about? It's just a damn flu."
"Go back and get some Pedi-lyte," Ussop then advised Luffy. "A lot of Gatorade, maybe. Anything to replace electrolytes. I don't think this will be pretty. It's going to be intense."
"Right," Luffy said, running back into the store.
"Just text Nami - ! Ugh, never mind," Zoro said impatiently, opening a bag as Sanji started to dry heave. A car pulled up to the curb, and both of them helped him get in, the driver reacting with horror. But Zoro convinced him to go with a sword to the throat, and they were off.
Nearly three hours later, Bepo hurried through the front door, carrying recyclable bags of medical supplies, and a suitcase.
"Bear!" Luffy cried joyfully, jumping onto his back. "Where's Law?"
"I lost him. I'm so sorry," Bepo apologized, head low as he adjusted Law's sword over his arms, bags rustling at his sides. "One minute we were talking about Swan's fashionable vest, and the next he was gone. He left his phone. I truly don't know where he went. But I have some things for Sanji. Where is he?"
" 'Swan'?" Ussop questioned.
"For some reason, he was very interested in recounting the adventures of the film classic, 'The Warriors'."
"Sanji's dying in the bathroom," Nami said with concern, Robin assisting her with posting framed pictures on the living room wall. Bepo admired the place for several moments, mouth open with awe. The women had worked hard to make it look as it had when Zeff owned it, and every one of the pictures they hung were from Sanji's past. Pictures of them in school uniform, posing with Doffy and Corazon, with Penguin and Shachi, each Strawhat crewmate, and Zeff. It looked as if they'd taken a step back in time.
"Somehow, Law found a baseball uniform. He may or may not have been carrying a wiffle ball bat with him, talking about how he needed to intercept the Warriors before they return to their territory in the Bronx. This was all after I'd finally cornered him near the harbor, where he had intended on taking a swim to Zou to carry out a hostile takeover of a 1000 year old elephant before he received the announcement of the Warriors' treachery."
All of them stared at Bepo with consternation. He hung his large head. "I'm sorry. That wasn't very comforting, was it? This Tea Party thing is a real jerk. But he made me promise to come over and assist with Sanji if any of you had texted him. So, here I am. Don't worry – I am qualified to medically assist if necessary. Mr Doflamingo was able to contact his friend, Caesar, and Caesar was working on breaking down the chemical compounds of the formulas Law had gathered so he could create a withdrawal drug. Mr Corazon will call Law's phone once it is ready. As it is, a very concerned Mr Corazon is looking for Law as well."
"It appears Sanji is suffering from withdrawal symptoms. He's very modest, and won't let us help him in any way," Zoro said with irritation, indicating a shoe sized bruise on the side of his head.
"Modest Sanji is the worst Sanji," Luffy told Bepo seriously, picking at his nose. He had a similar bruise over his forehead and chin. "Very difficult. I hope you ate your Wheaties, this morning."
"I had a very fulfilling meal," Bepo assured him. "Now, please. Coffee. That is all I request. I also ask that all of you leave and return here in the morning. That'll make my job easier. Or, to make yours interesting, go help Mr Corazon find Law. But beware – he was quite determined to punish Swan and the others for killing Cyrus."
"Ah, how troublesome," Zoro muttered.
: :
Nearly a day later, Bepo heard the front door open and slam. He hastily left Sanji's side and looked out into the hallway, ready to fight if he needed to. Law stumbled in, tossing aside his wiffle ball bat, looking as if he'd stepped away from the Furies after a night of chasing after the Warriors. Bepo had no idea where he'd found face paint, but he stared at his friend with concern.
"NEVER. AGAIN," Law told him firmly, ripping off his hat and tossing it aside, then went to the kitchen to find something to drink. Bepo ventured over to him with a cautious tiptoe, tapping his claws together with a worried look. Washing his face in the sink, Bepo stopped him from dumping dish soap over his face, scolding him for being irresponsible. "Remove that movie from my Netflix library. How's the little Frenchie? I'm assuming he's here if you're here."
"Not good. The withdrawal symptoms are terrible. Mr Corazon said that Caesar hasn't finished with the breakdown quite yet. So Doflamingo went over to check on him, and you should be receiving a call any time, now. He said that if Sanji's withdrawal gets even worse, you need to take him to a hospital. As it is, he's suffering, and I fear that he'll get even worse – being forced cold turkey isn't the smartest thing we can do for him, right now. I suggest, if Caesar doesn't come up with a solution soon, that we should consider giving him small amounts until then. He can crash without it, after years of building a dependency on it."
"I understand."
"Even if it's just a small dosage, it shouldn't hurt him too much."
Law threw aside the towel, stripping out of the baseball uniform he was wearing, revealing only boxer shorts and socks. "Why am I wearing this? Whose dumb idea was it to – this isn't even my underwear!"
"That is horrifying," Bepo muttered, covering his eyes as Law stomped off. He grabbed some clothes, took a hasty shower, then redressed in 'pjs', considering that he had yet to do laundry. Once he made it to Sanji's room, the strong smells of vomit and sweat mixed with a strong chemical scent made him wince. The man was sweating profusely, legs jerking, shivering violently – yet he'd stripped the entire bed of sheets and was only laying in the center of it, teeth chattering. He was clad only in an undershirt and a pair of his sweats, the legs rolled up to his knees.
"Geez, look at you. You're a mess. It's time to clean up, you junkie," Law said to him, reaching for the wash cloth that Bepo must've been using on him earlier. He mopped at his exposed neck and shoulders. "No more needles. You need to think of our baby."
"GET OUT."
"Nope. This is for better or for worse, brat. When you gave me this ring, you promised for life!" Law told him, flashing the plain, silver band on his pinkie. Once Sanji caught sight of it, he snorted, hiding his distressed face behind shaking hands.
"What are you talking about? I said you were only my backup when it didn't work out with Nami!" Sanji said, slurring his words.
Law smiled with relief, wiping his forehead with the washcloth because Sanji remembered that small moment in time, when it seemed like such a long time ago. "And it didn't. And if you forget that again, I demand a divorce. So far, you've been gone for three years, you've taken shameless advantage of my money, and you've turned into a Tea Party slut. I didn't sign up for this."
"Shut up. Go play with your Furie friends. They like you better."
"You heard that, huh? How embarrassing. I had absolutely no control of myself. Now I see how you are the way you are, but I promise you, I'll help you find a way out of the Grand Line," Law said, taking a shaking hand in his, feeling how clammy and weak it felt in his grasp. He hated to think of the time when Sanji had overdosed in front of him, seeing how similar the scenes were, but there was hope in this moment. Maybe there was now an easier path for Sanji to find his way out from the delusions of a pirate life.
"You're a troublesome brat. You've caused me nothing but grief since you intercepted me on the stairs."
"It's your own fault you're a fucking perv."
Law leaned down and kissed his forehead, tasting the unpleasant mixture of chemicals, sweat and dank oils that made the room so uncomfortable. But he was happy because even if Sanji spoke to him in such an incoherent manner, he still remembered the important things. That was encouraging. "That I am."