Forgive the late update it the only thing I have to say this time... Enjoy reading!

Story set: During Time Skip

A place for the weak

The small period of time where the people of Momoiro Island were waking up and getting ready for a day of torturing him was the only free space Sanji had. He was in Ivankov's room getting what could only be described as lecture on armourment Haki, something he was still struggling with even after a year of training. He had gotten observation Haki down quite fast and Ivankov had been surprised when he had mastered it within two months of his training, but armourment was tricky because it required almost the opposite skills than the ones he used to create fire. To put it in simple terms, it was something like blowing air into a balloon. When creating fire, it was about putting as much air into the balloon as fast as possible so that it would explode, but with armourment Haki it would be like putting as much air into the balloon as you could without it popping. The contrast was hard to get used to, especially when Ivankov wanted him to combine the two techniques. So Sanji was getting a lecture and a scolding, while Ivankov was putting on some make-up.

"Vyou have to imagine it, Sanji-kyun, imagine it! In your head!" Ivankov said for the millionth time and Sanji just nodded, which ended up earning him a shoe to the head, "Don't be rude!"

"Right! I'm sorry!" Sanji apologized harshly, and Ivankov just sighed.

"Well, today vyou will be doing something new."

"Something else?" Sanji tilted his head in confusion, he still hadn't masted Haki so it would be weird to start focusing on something else all of a sudden.

"Well, vyou are part of a crew where half are ability users," Ivankov stated, and Sanji wasn't sure where this was going, "as a person who can swim, would it not be beneficial of vyou to improve vyour underwater skills?"

"Well, I'm already a pretty good swimmer," Sanji said in all honesty, he was the best underwater fighter the crew had, and he really wanted to get that haki down.

"Not good enough!" Ivankov kicked him into the wall before Sanji could react, "Don't underestimate the New World, candy boy!"

"Alright, alright," Sanji said as he got up on his feet again, damn, he should have known better than to let his guard down, "But why now?"

"We'll be going out to sea today," was the answer and Sanji got even more confused.

"Out to sea? Do we have a destination, or?"

"I'll tell you if you beat me in combat," Ivankov closed the lid on the mascara, and they got ready for the first fight of the day, "Now come at me boy!"... Needlessly to say, Sanji got his ass kicked.

Not long after they were aboard a great ship, a ship much bigger than any Sanji had ever been on, yet he wouldn't actually be spending much time on the ship itself. He had been tasked with the much endearing job of fighting sea kings at their turf, and Sanji had to admit that it was truly a good way to improve his underwater capabilities. He learned how to best preserve his air and how to increase lung capacity. His movements became more fluent and much, much faster, as anything else would get him eaten. After the first few days of almost getting eaten every five minutes, Sanji was enjoying all the time he spent fighting below the surface.

By the eight day they arrived at their destination. There was a call from the crow's nest and Sanji ran to the front to see where they had been heading all this time and in the far distance he saw only white. At first he thought his eyes might be deceiving him, but as they got closer he still only saw white and when he sat foot in the island there was still only white. It wasn't snow, no, this wasn't a winter island, if Sanji had to pick, he'd say it was a spring island. The beach had white sand, the cliffs, rocks and mountains were white and the sky above them was white. The place looked deserted and bare, but Ivankov lead them to a system of tunnels and when they reached the other side, there was a great castle carved into the mountain before them.

"This is the island where the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army is located, Baltigo," Ivankov told Sanji and he could do nothing but stare at the sight in front of him. What the world wouldn't give to find this place. How many years and men had been wasted in the search of this place, and now Sanji had been let into the base without even knowing so.

"Why are we here?" Sanji asked as they moved inside the great structure.

"Does vyour time apart from vyour captain change vyour loyalties?"

"Of course not."

"Neither does mine."

They walked for a while through the castle, which could honestly only be described as a maze. Sanji tried to remember where they turned and what each corridor looked like, but he soon lost track of everything and gave up. Then they entered a great hall. So far they hadn't met anyone, but this was a mess hall and there were people everywhere, eating their lunch, chatting and laughing. As they entered Ivankov became the centre of attention and all the people of Kamabaka Kingdom were met with enthusiastic greetings and drinks... lots of drinks.

Sanji stood by a window in the far end of the hall and observed. The revolutionaries were rumoured to be a great army of thousands of blood thirsty and harsh warriors, but what Sanji saw were a people. A people who were happy to reunite with their old friends or just happy to meet new people who shared their ideals. There were all sorts of people gathered in the mess hall too. Men, women and okamas from all around. There were humans, fishmen, sky people, and many other races, who Sanji either didn't know existed or had only heard rumours about, and all were treated equally. Sanji smiled as the place reminded him of his crew, and Sanji stopped smiling as he realized just how much he missed his friends.

And that was when someone jumped into his arms with a quiet whisper of his name and hugged him tight. At first Sanji only saw long black hair, but when he realized he hugged her back tightly and didn't let her go for a long time. Sanji felt for her. All her life she had been alone, unable to trust anyone and as soon as she had found a place she should call home it had been taken from her. They had all lost something that day, but Robin had lost the first thing she had had and loved for a long time.

"So..." Sanji said when they had finally let go of each other, "The Revolutionaries, huh? Are they treating you well?"

"They are." Robin smiled.

"Have you met him? Luffy's father?" Sanji asked, genuinely interested in the mysterious man who lead the revolution.

"I have. He's quite something."

"Well, vi think that's enough small talk," Ivankov suddenly interrupted, "Don't forget that these two years are meant to make vyou stronger. Come now."

Ivankov lead Sanji and Robin out of the castle. A few people followed them, but Sanji paid no attention to them. Instead he and Robin talked about Luffy and what they knew or presumed. It was nice to be with a fellow crew mate again, it would be hard to say goodbye again. They arrived at a wide space with a few rocky structures placed here and there, and Ivankov turned to face them.

"Since vyour captain wants vyou two to become stronger, would it not be beneficial for vyou to train together... and by together vi mean against each other."

"Why?" Sanji protested, "I can't fight Robin-chan!"

"If vyou can't fight her, vyou can't win," Ivankov simply said, "In the New World, you die if you don't win."

"Wait!" Sanji yelled, but Robin attacked him without warning and he could only dodge.

"If vyou want to be of any use to vyour captain, vyou cannot hesitate against any opponent. Vyou are weak against women, boy! The New World has no place for weakness!"

Sanji knew that. He knew that his resolve to not fight women could cost him his life or worse, the life of someone else, but... he couldn't do it. Sanji did not think women weaker than men, he did not think women more fragile than men and he did not think of women as inferior to men. Sanji knew better than to underestimate women, and his so called chivalry had much different roots. Dark roots, which he would rather forget, but still, they haunted him and dictated his actions.

So Sanji didn't fight Robin, he only evaded her attacks as best as he could, for as long as he could. When the 'match' had gone on for long enough and it became clear that Sanji wouldn't fight back even if Robin was actually trying to kill him, Ivankov stopped it.

They stayed at Baltigo for two weeks. Sanji and Robin spent most of their together, and Sanji could feel his heart hurting when he boarded the ship that would take him back to Momoiro Island. As the island became nothing but a white blur in the horizon, Ivankov came to his side.

"As stupid as vyour chivalry is, there is honour in it."

"You're wrong," Sanji said and took his eyes of the island, "There is no honour in weakness."

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