The days came and went, and soon it was the night before their expected arrival to the next island. There wasn't much to prepare for, just extra precaution to avoid another incident like the previous island. Sanji had second watch that night. He was leaning against the window of the Crow's Nest looking out blankly to sea. Blankly because one eye was blue, and the other, hidden under his hair, was green. That only meant that Sanji was unconscious to the world around him as he was with Zorko in the fox's domain.

Zorko's domain had changed since the last time Sanji had visited. There was a new pond bigger than the first, the swaying grass field held more flowers, but there was always a lack of a breeze. Sanji wondered if Zorko's home was in his head or if his spirit left his body to join Zorko elsewhere. Either way, Sanji still couldn't get over his foxy self. He knew the fox reflecting in the water bellow was him, he even had fur covering one eye and curly locks of fur on his brow. Though he knew it was him, he couldn't push back the thought that this side of him could take over him fully the longer he and Zorko remained joined.

"Sanji?"

Sanji looked up from his reflection in to Zorko's bright green eyes. Zorko had grown some during his time with Sanji. He was a head shorter than Sanji and his fur had grown longer and silkier. Sanji didn't think that spirits grew, but then again Zorko had been born. Born of what Sanji didn't know but wanted to. There was no point in asking Zorko about it since the fox spirit knew just as little about himself as Sanji knew of him.

"Sorry." Sanji shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I still can't get over this. Is this really in my head?"

"Well, not really in your head, but it's in you. I don't really know how to explain it."

"Let me guess, you know how to but not sure why again?" Sanji asked as he followed the bouncing Zorko.

"Precisely." Zorko said happily. "I try not to think too much about it."

"Good for you." Sanji sighed. He looked down to his paws as he walked. It had been surprisingly easy to learn how to walk on four legs. Good to know in case things persisted further. "So what do you do here?"

"What do you mean?" Zorko asked, jumping up to a large rock and crouching playfully. "There's always something to do."

"Yeah but, what?" Sanji asked, sitting and his tail curling around his legs.

"Have fun of course. Questioning gets rid of the adventure."

"You sound a lot like Luffy…" Sanji said, cocking his ears down some. One Luffy was enough as it is.

"I like Luffy. He was fun the last time we played."

"You're not using my body to play again." Sanji quickly stated. "Besides—"

"Cook?"

Sanji and Zorko looked up. Zoro's voice had echoed through the field like a beckoning voice. Sanji sighed heavily.

"Looks like I have to go."

"Already? Alright, tell Zoro I said hi!"

"Yeah yeah."

Sanji closed his eyes. He felt the familiar rush of his body rising and sliding through his subconscious to fit back in place with his physical body. Once back he opened his eyes and jerked back with a yelp of surprise. Zoro's face had been unexpectedly close to him.

"You're back." Zoro said calmly.

"Don't do that again." Sanji growled. "What do you want? I was in the middle of something."

"Like being a corpse? It's weird how you just leave your body at whim."

"You get used to it. Now what do you want?" Sanji asked again with more irritation, to which Zoro huffed.

"My turn for watch. We should be at the island around morning or so. You should get some rest before—"

Sanji raised a hand to stop him. "I know. You don't have to tell me what I already know. Or don't know. This island is as big a mystery as the others."

"And we are trying to avoid an incident like the last island."

Sanji tensed slightly. His hand slid to his thigh and his ears angled back. "Yeah…"

The scarring on Sanji's thigh had healed. He could barely make out the scar that had once symbolized a pirate that had bought him to be used. But just because he couldn't tell what the scar had once formed he could still remember it. He didn't want to admit just what the scar had meant to him. Not that there were creeps hidden everywhere, but that no one, not even the strongest fighter, was safe and he might not be able to do anything about it.

Zoro noticed Sanji's movements. He leaned close to him, his hand sliding over Sanji's hand.

"This still bothers you, doesn't it?" He asked softly.

Sanji scowled and pulled his hand back. "No, it doesn't. Now if you don't mind, I would like some sleep." Sanji moved to stand but a hand on his chest kept him seated. "Marimo."

"Lie down." Zoro commanded. Not forcefully, but in a soft tone wanting cooperation.

"If you think we are repeating what had happened in the Galley here—"

"Not that, Ero Cook, just lie down and trust me." Zoro was serious again, the gleam in his eye made it clear.

Sanji could have said no and Zoro couldn't say anything. But he wasn't in the mood for an unnecessary argument. So, with a heavy sigh, he slumped on his side, tail curling up against the backrest of the bench, his eyes out the window. Taking Sanji stretching out across the seats as permission, Zoro started undoing Sanji's pants. Sanji was quick to retaliate.

"Hey I said—"

"I'm not doing anything like that."

After a bit of a struggle, Zoro had Sanji's pants down to his knees. Sanji's face was flushed bright with rage and embarrassment. Zoro had pulled his pants down but left the boxers on. Sanji wasn't sure if this was a new kink to Zoro or if he really was doing something different. He had no choice but to lie there and find out. Zoro got down on his knew next to Sanji's legs. He pushed up the leg of the boxer to get to the scar. Chopper's cream had helped, but it could only do so much. Several parts of the Jolly Roger were still noticeable and anyone who knew the mark could make it out. Even if Sanji didn't want to admit that the scar bothered him, Zoro was able to read his reactions to it. And Zoro wanted to change that. He unsheathed one of his blades.

"What are you—"

"Relax." Zoro stopped Sanji's freak out. "It's Wado. Kitetsu still can't get over quivering at the sight of you."

Sanji glared. "Who's ero now?" He muttered. "What are you doing?"

"Changing." Zoro answered simply.

Changing? Zoro couldn't be thinking what Sanji thought he was, could he? But he had his sword out. And not just any sword, but Wado Ichimonji, a blade Zoro only used when the need was dire to complete his three sword style. The fact that Zoro chose to use Wado rather than Shusui—Kitetsu was an obvious no—meant that this was important to Zoro. Sanji chewed his lip. He couldn't bring himself to kick Zoro away. It seemed like he was indeed giving Zoro permission to butcher his leg.

"You better not make it worse." Sanji threatened, digging his nails in to the seat in preparation.

Zoro looked to Sanji with mild surprise before recomposing his serious air. "Like I'd ruin your best weapon." He replied.

Sanji was trusting him with his weapons of choice. Sanji was trusting him to put a blade to him. It seemed like they were both advancing on relying on each other. Zoro had one chance and he couldn't mess it up. Sanji would make him pay greatly if he did.

With a deep calming breath, Zoro angled the tip of his blade and cut through Sanji's scarred skin.

Sanji's nails dug in to the cushions at the first cut. His teeth soon found their way as well in to the cushions, biting hard to muffle his groans of complaint. Cuts normally wouldn't affect Sanji as much to a point of holding back pain. Hell, he had taken a punch from Jimbei and Luffy simultaneously and stood back on his feet like nothing. But Zoro was working on already damaged skin that was sensitive from the initial rough scarring. Sanji could feel Zoro cutting open the scars that had already sealed closed. Whatever Zoro was doing, he wanted Zoro to finish quickly.

Zoro soon finished quick and clean work in a shorter time than Sanji felt. The tip of Wado was coloured with the dark red of Sanji's rare blood. But the blood wasn't ill=spilt, it was necessary to make a movement. Zoro tilted his blade so the moon light from the window gleamed over the blood. There was just something to Sanji's blood that was different. What it was, he didn't know. But he would find out sooner than later.

"Ok, I'm done." Zoro said, wiping the blood off with his sash and sheathing his blade.

Sanji, who hadn't realized how tense he had become, relaxed his grip on the couch and slowly sat up to get a good look at what Zoro had done to his thigh. "A fox tail?" He questioned with a raised brow.

Zoro had cut a fox tail over the scars, using what he could to shape the tail and hide what had once been. The smaller scars he used to make a curled background. Surprisingly, the cuts were smooth with little blood pooling in the wound. Sanji couldn't make out what had once branded him. But why a fox tail opposed to something else? Zoro could have easily done a stupid design to spite Sanji.

Zoro lightly placed a hand on Sanji's thigh. "Because Zorko has been a good influence on us. Once he's gone, we'll have something to remember him by, don't you think?"

Sanji looked between Zoro to the cut tail on his thigh. As sappy as Zoro sounded, he supposed that he had a point. Zorko, as weird as it has been, has been a good influence. He sure had triggered some things unexpected, but not despised. Carrying a scar of a fox tail for memory sake wouldn't be so bad, the brand either now that he had accepted what had happened.

"Yeah. I do." Sanji replied. He winced at a slight shift, the open wound was starting to sting.

"I'll go see if I can get anything to patch that up from Sick Bay." Zoro rose to his feet and walked to the Crow's Nest's door.

"Zoro?" Sanji called to him before he left. Zoro stopped and looked back with a questioning look. "Thanks." Sanji said quickly before the kind word turned sour.

Zoro grinned. "I take sake as thanks."

"Fuck off." The sour still came.

Zoro chuckled softly and left down to Sick Bay. Sanji sighed and lay back down. He felt an odd sense of peace. Odd because it was Zoro that had triggered the peace. So many new things thrown one after the other to accept of hate.

"Hey, Sanji?" Came Zorko's voice in Sanji's head.

"What?"

"Thanks."

Sanji arched a brow. "Thanks, for what?"

"Just… thanks, for everything." Zorko answered.

Sanji closed his eyes. "Don't thank me for anything. I don't do it for thanks, only because it is right."

"Still… I have to say thank you."

"Then, you're welcome." Sanji said with a light yawn.

"Thank you."

"Go to sleep. We have one hell of a day coming."

"Goodnight, Sanji."

Sanji yawned again once he felt Zorko drift off to his slumber. Sanji wasn't doing much to block his own sleep. He had his pants down to his knees and was slowly bleeding out a new scar to be. He should have been afraid of getting caught in this position, but his trust in Zoro had grown. He trusted Zoro to tend to the wound and take his watch for anything at sea and anyone coming up the Crow's Nest. And Sanji was okay with accepting his new found trust.

~~O~~

"Sanji, can you tell me more about what you found out?" The bouncing Zorko asked.

"I already told you everything I know." Sanji answered.

"Please?"

"Oh fine, let me think."

Sanji was back in Zorko's domain. The morning had come and breakfast passed. Nami had declared that they had a few hours before the island came in to view. Sanji had gone down to the Aquarium Bar to talk to Zorko where he would least be interrupted; they needed to have a talk.

Ignoring the yells of the fish calling Sanji a traitor, he sat on the bench around the aquarium and joined Zorko. The oncoming island might have the answers they were looking for, so the more prepared the better. Prepared as far as the little information they had would let them. Zorko, though, had insisted that Sanji repeat the information Sanji had already said, thinking it might trigger a new thought. Sanji had agreed to it the first and second time, but the fifth time was a stretch.

"Fine, but this is the last time. I am not aiming for a ninth time. Got it?"

"Yes yes." Zorko stuck out his tongue at Sanji.

Sanji snorted at the childish act. He stuck out his own tongue at Zorko before deciding where to start. "There are four islands they call Sister Isles. We've already been to two. The first was where you were born and the second triggered our being able to communicate with each other." Sanji started.

"So the next islands could trigger something too." Zorko added.

"Which we don't know. Just like we don't know what kind of people live there. The last island was full of crazed hunters." Sanji huffed.

"So the people could be like that or worse." Zorko stated.

"Hopefully not. Anyway, we have to look out for symbols like yours. Other spirits might be near."

"I never met another spirit. Maybe I might be able to, maybe talk to them. I can find out who I am."

"That makes you really happy, but if you do find another spirit they are not hitching a ride in my body. One spirit is enough."

"But how are we supposed to make friend like that?" Zorko said with a pout.

"Not in my body. That's final." Sanji said firmly.

"Oh, fine." Zorko hopped up on to a rock and looked around. There really wasn't much to see in the endless field but Sanji didn't bring it up. "So aside from that, you wanted to see if we could find people like the woman who put me in you?"

"Yeah." Sanji replied, ears angling back some. "And if we find more rocks with symbols on them."

If they were able to find more of those human looking spirits they could have their answers and Zorko would be free. If they found more rocks with the symbols then they were near a birthing stone. Sanji was still hesitant with that. Luffy had insisted on bringing the broken rock they had found Sanji in front of. The rock was put in the storage, and Sanji could still feel something from it every time he went down to get supplies. Zorko had come from the rock. There was still something spiritual about it.

Sanji had gone down there before going to the Aquarium Bar. He couldn't get past the door where the rock was stored. He felt a burning sensation spike in his brand. Zorko had commented that he had felt something strange too, like the rock had been calling him. The cracked boulder was calling to the both of them. But Sanji couldn't bring himself to move closer, not with the burning he felt. Zorko had wanted to get closer to understand what he felt, but he understood that Sanji was close to collapsing in a fit of heated pain as he had the first time around the boulder.

Sanji shook his head and looked down at his furred chest. The brand wasn't there, or it was hidden under the layers of fur. He wondered if the brand would stay on him or not once Zorko was gone. Would he forever be marked with the print of a fox?

"Sanji?"

Sanji looked up. Zorko was looking to him with worry in his green eyes. He couldn't blame Zorko, no matter what happened next. The fox was just as much a victim as he was. The both of them had to figure their way out. They had to take risks.

Sanji let out a heavy sigh. "So we find what we can and use it to our advantage, be it rock or spirit. Alright? You'll have to tell me if you sense anything and I can act on it. Our best solution is to work together."

Zorko's ears flicked up at that. He might be a child, but he still understood the seriousness of their situation. It wasn't fun and games anymore, it was a matter of survival. Zorko nodded his answer. "We'll find our freedom." He said in a tone more mature than Sanji has heard from the young fox.

Sanji knew they had come to a mutual agreement. He was rather proud of the young fox. He crouched down and lunged, tackling Zorko off the rock in a playful attack. Zorko laughed, his tail wagging and playfully bit at Sanji's neck. He didn't think Sanji was one to play like this, maybe he was rubbing off on him. And he loved it. The two played, romped, and chased each other, pushing back the air of seriousness that had hugged them. They needed this time of ignorant bliss, even if it was for a short time.

"Cook?"

The two stopped and looked up, heavy and tired pants rolling off their long hanging tongues. That had been Zoro's voice, echoing through the valley as it had the night before. It was time. Sanji had asked Zoro to get him once the island was in view. The third island awaited them.

"Time for me to go." Sanji said, looking back to Zorko. "Are you ready?"

Zorko bounced to his feet, standing tall and proud. "Ready!" He said with a grin.

Sanji nodded, closing his eyes and traveling back to his body. He blinked, the Aquarium Bar coming in to focus along with the green of Zoro's head. Sanji shifted, feeling coming back to his body.

"Are we there?" Sanji asked, uncrossing his legs. He had been sitting with his legs crossed in a form of meditation to get to Zorko easier.

"Yeah, the island is in sight." Zoro answered, watching Sanji stretch. It was still weird seeing Sanji come out of his spirit trip. The eye that was visible was the one that turned green. The first time he had seen Sanji come back from a trip the uncovered eye had been Sanji's normal eye colour. Maybe they switched it so others could tell when Sanji wasn't all there. Either way, it was still weird.

"Better get up there before Nami-san calls for us." Sanji said as he stood. He took a step and stumbled, wincing as he did. His thigh still stung.

"You okay?" Zoro asked, twitching with the impulse to reach out and help Sanji stand.

"I'm fine." Sanji declared, standing straight despite the pain.

Zoro had done what he could to patch up the work he had done on Sanji's thigh, but he was no Chopper. Chopper, who wasn't going to find out what they did until the wound healed, was going to give them a nagging lecture for sure. Sanji had been taking care of the open wound as he could too. He still had some of the cream Chopper had given him, but he didn't want to use it. The scar Zoro had given him was one he wanted to keep. So, while the wound healed, he'd deal with it. He had suffered worse before anyway.

"Right." Zoro responded. He stood aside as Sanji walked past.

"Coming or not?" Sanji asked, not looking back to him.

"Coming." Zoro followed, staying closer than usual incase Sanji toppled over again.

Sanji rolled his eyes at that. Zoro was being to overprotective again. He had to give Zoro for taking responsibility for something he caused though. Sanji wrapped his tail around Zoro's wrist and pulled the Marimo close for a kiss. It was light, more a sign of thanks and a reward for controlling himself. Zoro smirked and returned the kiss, taking advantage of the situation before it disappeared at the top of the stairs. They really were changing.

AN: Hello everyone! I hope it hasn't been so long. Trying to balance school and writing. I also had to get a new spiral since this fic has taken a second spiral. Going on third and hoping to fill it too! Oh! And it has been around a year since I started writing this fic. Time has sure flown and I am thankful to everyone who has stayed with me since the beginning! It makes me so happy to provide entertainment like this. As for this chapter, it's short but provides a bit of information before the next island, which I have big plans for. Look out for that soon!

Kitsune Out!