The crew had finally left the cold and boring Samuhana behind them, and had just arrived at a spring island. Leeki appeared to be nothing special. Its main port town was as typical of a port town as one could get. The only exceptional thing about the island was the complete lack of Navy presence, which allowed the pirates to dock at the main harbor. There were a few other Jolly Rogers flying in the afternoon breeze, but no one appeared to want to make trouble, especially not when they recognized the infamous skull donned with a straw hat.

Despite the normalcy of Leeki, Luffy was brimming with excitement, but the only thing keeping him from taking off were the fingers pinching his ear. Nami was holding him down with little effort, keeping him heeled at her side as she passed out allowances to the crew. The rest of the Straw Hats were standing and listening, ignoring their captain. They were used to this routine.

Sanji was standing next to his squirming crewmate, but was far enough away that he was not in the clobber zone. A frown was pulling at his neutral expression, his lips trying to express his annoyance, despite his best efforts. He was only half listening to Nami, since her current words were directed at Usopp and did not concern him. The other half of his brain was watching (glaring at) the mosshead on their crew, who was standing, arms crossed, and eye half-lidded as if he was about to pass out from boredom.

It had taken them a few days to get here, which meant it had been a week since they had last interacted. Zoro had been abnormally distant, and Sanji had definitely noticed. It was not like he was blind, or dumb. He had wanted to confront the jerk about his weird behavior but it had proven difficult. The only time he had seen the other man was during meals, or when they passed each other to exchange watches. The rest of the time, the swordsman stayed out of his way. If they did somehow happen to be in the same room, Zoro would completely ignore him, but them being in the same room was rare since the bastard hurried out of any space they shared.

Sanji chewed on his cigarette, jaw tense and expression dark. Most of the crew had agreed to meet up for dinner, since it was their first night on the island, but Zoro had stayed silent. Not that that meant anything to Sanji, he had also said nothing. He had decided a few days prior that he was going to find a lady and get rid of the sexual urges that Zoro had stirred up but not taken care of. Their brief period of frequent fucking had spoiled Sanji, and Zoro's sudden distance had caused problems for the cook. So, his plan was to go out and spend the evening pleasuring a beautiful woman.

Note, woman. Not a man. He liked men fine, but the extended marimo period had made him decide to switch back to the fairer sex.

His mental tirade was easily derailed by the crew breaking apart and leaving the ship. Zoro walked away from the others, appearing to be on a mission of his own, and Sanji was immediately plagued with semi-desperate curiosity.

What were Zoro's plans? Was he planning on just drinking his life away? Or was he going to fuck someone, too?

Sanji growled in annoyance and turned to walk in the opposite direction of the swordsman.

Little did he know that his movements were being analyzed.

Nami crossed her arms, watching her nakama disperse after she finished giving her orders. She was taking first watch, so she was staying behind. However, Franky and Robin hung back, in no hurry to explore the island. They had noticed the distance between the two men a few days back, and found it concerning. The three watched as Sanji and Zoro split up, the two men not sparing each other a second glance.

"Did they have a fight?" Nami asked once the two men had disappeared into the crowds.

Franky shook his head, being the one who saw them the most. "I don't think so."

"I wonder what happened," Robin commented, her tone vaguely troubled.

"...Maybe it wasn't meant to be?" Franky suggested. He gave a sad shrug. "I mean, they really don't seem to get along. Hate fucking doesn't mean they love each other."

Nami frowned, her annoyance growing as she thought back to the interactions between the cook and swordsman. However, it was Robin who spoke up next.

"Let's just watch and wait, we may be worrying for nothing. They might just need time to process. I can't imagine it's easy for them to realize such things."

At the end of the day, Sanji found himself arm in arm with a beautiful woman. A total goddess. And this angel, sent from above, had deemed him worthy to spend her evening with. He was over the moon!

Sort of.

She was definitely his type. A strong, sexy woman, with long dark hair and flowing curves. The tight, red dress fit her like the luckiest glove in the world, and, when his hand 'accidentally' brushed the side of her ample chest, she had smiled with the faintest hint of a blush. He was in love!

Or, at least, he should be.

For some reason, no matter how many hearts exploded from his eyes, his actual heart felt strangely disinterested. It loved her, that was for certain, but its fiery passions seemed dimmed compared to their usual burn. Sanji was choosing to ignore this, and was putting all of his energy into pleasing her, and forcing that fire back to life in his chest.

He had met her in a fancy bar on the nice side of town- far from where the rest of his crew would be roaming, especially a certain green-haired member of the crew. The last thing Sanji wanted was to run into Zoro while seeking out the pleasures of a dark-haired goddess. Talk about a mood killer. Thankfully, the love of his evening, Aina, was leading him back to her place, and further hiding him away from any awkward encounters.

Her house was small, but elegantly decorated, a fact he pointed out as he helped her take off her lacy shawl. "Your home is as beautiful as you, my flower," Sanji crooned, loving the way she smirked sexily at him.

"Thank you, Sanji," Aina replied back, her lovely voice sending shivers down the blond man's spine. "But I'm sure you'd love to see the bedroom? It is the featured space for the night."

Sanji had to take a second to calm himself down before he covered her red dress with red blood, his nose twitching with the need to burst with aroused joy. Once he had control, he replied, "I would be honored!"

The cook allowed himself to be led to the bedroom, his hand dwarfing hers. He was excited, but the excitement was riddled with a feeling that Sanji could not put his finger on. He was looking forward to spending the evening with Aina, but something was off. He couldn't grasp the sneaky emotion, it was elusive, and Aina, bless her, was doing her best to keep him occupied. However, no matter how attractive she was, that feeling would start whispering again.

Just when Sanji felt like he was about to snatch the thought, he was distracted by Aina opening the bedroom door and drawing him inside. Her room was all dark purples and reds, with unlit candles scattered about the various surfaces. She quickly pulled away from him so that she could light them all, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. With the mood lighting now set, Aina stood before him and slowly let her dress fall to the floor, revealing that she wore nothing underneath.

Sanji feasted on the view of her milky skin, unmarred and as smooth as silk, or at least that is what he assumed. It did not take much prompting for Sanji to step forward and test that theory for himself. He trailed his fingers up her arms, and kissed her as his hands brushed back the hair from her neck. He pressed lips to the sensitive skin of her throat, loving the way she gasped softly. Sanji held back a moan when her hands directed his to her chest, his fingers cupping the soft mounds that were nothing like the hard pecs of a man.

A frown nearly slipped into his expression, but he caught it at the last second. However, he had not caught that thought. Why was he comparing her glorious breasts to a guy's chest? And not just any guy's chest. In that moment, Sanji had pictured Zoro's chest, with that long scar and hard muscles. Why was he thinking of that when he was in the presence of an undressed woman?

In an attempt to dash away thoughts of the marimo bastard, Sanji picked up Aina, wrapping her legs around his waist, the heat of her pressing against his still clothed member. He was already hard, and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself within her wet heat. Except, despite his best efforts, his traitorous brain supplied memories of Zoro moaning beneath him, his tight ass clenching around his dick in a way that made him see stars.

Sanji growled in annoyance, a sound that Aina interpreted as arousal, and then lowered her onto the bed. He would not be distracted again, not when she was demurely removing his shirt, her gaze wanting and excited. Lust burned through him as he finished what she had started and fully pulled off his shirt, watching her watch him. She laid back on the blankets, her eyes eating up the sight of his exposed chest and eventually rising to meet his heated gaze. Aina reached out to draw him into a kiss, and Sanji was quick to comply.

The rest of the night passed in a blur of naked flesh and pleasure. Her moans still echoed in his head, strangely dissatisfying, as he left her house and stepped out onto the damp streets. Sanji had enjoyed himself, even though he had been haunted by thoughts of the swordsman every time he had let his mind wander. He had made sure that Aina had been treated like the goddess that she was, only leaving once she had been satisfied, but that did not change the fact that he felt empty.

He pulled out a cigarette, his hands unsteady as he tried to light it and failed. It took Sanji two more tries before the end lit up cherry red. He sucked in the nicotine and smoke, feeling troubled. That feeling from before, the one that made his insides squirm uncomfortably, had made constant appearances during his time with Aina. If anything, it had only gotten stronger now that he had left, his cock satisfied, but his chest heavy.

No matter what the blond did, his mind continued to return to Zoro. The other man filled his thoughts; pieces of images here, and disconnected memories there.

Sanji had been trying to ignore the sinking feeling all night, but his gut could only be ignored for so long. So, as he walked through the dimly lit streets, he finally gave in and let himself focus on the discomfort. And it did not take long for him to put a name to that prickly emotion.

Guilt.

Sanji's eyes widened. I feel guilty. Irritation immediately rushed in to try and cover the unpleasant realization. "Why should I feel guilty?" He muttered to himself as he took an angry drag from the cigarette. He blew out the smoke like a pissed off dragon. "It's not like we are together. It was just sex. Key word being 'was'." He might have added the last part with a bit of bitterness.

However, no matter how much he tried to deny it with angry puffs of nicotine, the facts were the facts. Sanji felt guilty, for some stupid reason, and even though he had spent his evening with a beautiful woman, his mind could only focus on a shitty marimo.

What the fuck does that even mean?!

Sanji frowned, troubled to his woman-loving core, and stomped towards the harbor. The best way to distract himself was drinks with his nakama, and so that was where he was headed, knowing that it was still early enough in the night that they would still be partying.

Tracking down the rambunctious Straw Hats was easy since they, naturally, had the whole bar in an uproar. The music and cheers could be heard a couple streets over. Sanji pushed inside, his bad mood trailing behind him like a storm cloud. He was immediately waved down by Franky and Usopp, who were ordering drinks at the bar, and he noted that Franky added a drink to the order for him. When he finally made it to their side, Franky pushed the overfilled mug into his hands.

"Have a good night?" Franky asked with a forced smile. Sanji did not notice though, instead his eyes lit up as he remembered the sexy moments with Aina, not aware of the way his usual passion was dampened. The cyborg noticed though.

"Yes, I spent it with an angel," Sanji replied with a grin.

"Well, good for you, bro," The shipwright said with an awkward grin, tipping the cook's drink towards his mouth. "You should celebrate with us then!"

A smirk crooked the blond's mouth as he asked, "Are we celebrating anything specific?"

Usopp laughed at the question and clashed his mug with theirs. "Nope!"

The drink was actually decent, some type of warm ale that went down smooth. While Sanji swallowed a few delicious gulps, he surveyed the rest of the bar. There seemed to be a lot of different crews gathered, and he quickly noted who was present from his own crew. The ladies were missing, but he spotted everyone else. Well, almost everyone. One other Strawhat was missing.

Sanji turned back to his two companions. "Where's the mosshead?"

He did not catch the way that Franky tensed because his attention was fixed on Usopp who, in his haste to turn around, nearly sloshed his drink all over Sanji's nice suit.

"He went out to get laid or something. I saw him heading towards the red light district," The sniper explained, steadying his mug before taking a large gulp.

It was safe to say that Sanji had been confused by his guilt, but he was even more baffled by the jealousy that sprung up at his companion's words.

What the actual fuck.

While Sanji could not quite say that he was in control of his emotions, he could at least say that he was in control of his facial expressions. Keeping a bored demeanor, the cook sipped at his drink again- well, more like gulped. He stared into his mug, thoughts clambering madly, and then decided that his urge to get drunk had conveniently doubled. He began chugging the last of the ale, waving for the bartender before he had even swallowed the last bit.

What the actual fuck.

The brothel did not stand out amongst the rest of the grey buildings. It was a dingy little structure, without any remarkable features. If anything, it looked a bit dirtier than its neighbors, if that was even possible. Zoro was used to it though, it was not like he was able to afford the nicer establishments, with their clean floors, and sparkling smiles. Thankfully, even the cheaper places had pretty girls, a fact that he confirmed once he stepped inside. A few women were milling about, unoccupied and clearly strutting their stuff for the few men who were waiting their turns.

An older man seemed to be in charge, because he quickly approached Zoro, his greedy little smile immediately annoying the green-haired man. "How can I serve you, sir?"

Zoro's immediate thought was that he hoped the man would not be serving him at all. But he knew what he meant, so with a neutral frown, he replied, "What're your rates?'

"Depends on the girl," The man drawled, receiving a deeper frown, so he continued. "Come, let me show you some of our best girls."

The green-haired man was ushered into a separate room that contained a bar and a few tables. Some customers, a bunch of rough looking men, were spread around, talking to various girls in limited attire. Zoro let his gaze wander around the dark space, checking out a few of the working ladies. One girl, perched at the bar, immediately drew his attention. Her hair was long, and a beautiful shade of gold. A man was chatting with her, and it was clear that she was only half-listening, a cigarette hanging daintily between her fingers.

"That one," Zoro grunted, nodding to the blonde woman.

"Kumiko?" The brothel manager asked, following the swordsman's gaze. "A good choice, sir! She will be 100,000 berri for the night."

With a pained expression, Zoro pulled the money from his pocket. It had taken a lot of arguing for him to get this money, and he was already spending it. There were probably cheaper girls, but Zoro knew that this 'Kumiko' would be the only one to keep his interest, which was incredibly annoying. Since when do I have a type?

He frowned, but approached the bar for a drink while the brothel owner collected Kumiko and led her out of sight.

Okay, maybe it's more than just having a type. The girl clearly reminds you of the cook.

He sighed, taking the cheap bottle of sake and downing half of it with ease. With how distracted he felt, Zoro knew that some alcohol would be necessary to relax. However, even after finishing the bottle, his mind would not stop dissecting his every thought and action. He growled with annoyance, and slammed the empty bottle onto the bar.

So what if she is the female version of Sanji? That does not make her him. It does not mean anything.

The moment he set down the empty bottle, the greedy old man appeared again to lead him to the back rooms. Zoro followed, feeling slightly better. He did not want to get lost in the what-ifs of his choice, he just wanted some relief. The past week of celibacy had taken a toll on him, and he needed a good fuck. However, a little voice in the back of his mind was not convinced that it was sex that he wanted.

However, sex was what he was getting, and it was too late to turn back now. He had already paid.

Zoro was left alone in front of, what he assumed was, Kumiko's room. He knocked on the door, hearing a feminine voice give him permission to enter, and stepped inside. It was dark, a bed taking up one side of the room, and the other containing a small table that acted as a bar and a vanity. Kumiko was standing in front of the mirror, fixing her eye makeup. She glanced over at him, smiling mischievously. Her hair covered one of her light eyes, and that, combined with her playful smile, immediately made him hard. It was so similar to Sanji's that his cock could not help but get excited.

"Hey there, handsome," Kumiko greeted, her voice light but touched with the slight huskiness that smokers frequently had. As if she read his mind, she held up a fresh cigarette, "Do you mind?"

Zoro closed the door behind him and shook his head, "Go ahead." She nodded in thanks, and promptly lit the little white stick, the smell of smoke and tobacco filling the room. The swordsman could not help but notice the way that the scent sent a stab of arousal through his system. He frowned in annoyance but was quickly distracted by the blonde prostitute. She walked over to him, her hips swaying with her confident stride.

She came to a stop a few feet away from him, her hands going to the straps of her lingerie. The little black dress fell to the ground, fully revealing her perky breasts and slender hips. Her legs were not as long as Sanji's but they were still nice to look at. Zoro mentally slapped himself for allowing his brain to bring up the cook, and then forced his gaze to admire her chest, a chest he was directed to touch. He did, letting his fingers pull at her nipples, eliciting a small gasp from the woman. When Kumiko reached up on her tiptoes, Zoro tilted down to meet her passionate kiss. She moaned against his lips, and helped pull off his clothes.

It was clear that Kumiko liked the view, because she pushed him onto the bed, his back against the many pillows, and sat on his lap. She rolled her hips slowly, and let her hands trail over his muscular chest. They hovered above his scar for an almost socially rude amount of time but Zoro was used to it. To distract her, because he really did not want to explain his past, he sat up and kissed her again, letting his hands bury in her thick golden locks.

"How do you want me?" Kumiko asked, rolling her hips a bit more forcefully and letting the heat of her entrance burn across his aching cock.

Zoro's mind immediately supplied him with memories of Sanji fucking him that first time.

"Ride me," The swordsman ordered, his voice barely above a whisper.

And she did.

There was no doubt that the prostitute had skills. Kumiko knew exactly how to move her hips to make stars explode in his vision. Her talented hands massaged at his neck and chest, and her soft lips pressed against his throat as he moaned into her hair- that beautiful golden hair that was so similar to Sanji's.

Sanji.

His cock throbbed within her, the silky slide of her entrance pushing him closer to climax. His hands went to her hips, helping her adjust to where he needed her, but when she winced at the harshness of his grip, Zoro mumbled an apology and loosened his hold. She was so delicate, and the green-haired man had to remind himself to be gentle.

A memory flashed through his thoughts, one of him thrusting roughly into Sanji as bruises formed beneath callused fingertips. Zoro found himself frowning, and was thankful that Kumiko was in charge of doing all of the work, otherwise he would have gone completely still with distraction. The woman tightened around him, pulling a small groan from him, and recapturing his attention. Zoro forced himself to try and maintain focus, his eye admiring her beautiful body, but his mind could not fully escape.

Her breasts bounced before him, jerking with each up and down movement, but all Zoro could picture was the defined chest of the blond cook, and the hard abs with his cum dripping between the lines of muscle. His orgasm was close, and he pulled Kumiko down so that he could bury his face in her hair, the smell of smoke heavy in the golden locks. The scent triggered something in him and Zoro came, a breathless sound escaping him as she cried out in exaggerated passion. He didn't mind, his thoughts were elsewhere, too.

Kumiko was saying something to him, some kind of praise. He vaguely heard her say that he could come back anytime, however, Zoro was in a daze. He felt her get off, his limp dick laying pathetically against his thigh. Without thinking, the swordsman got up and got dressed, feeling sticky with sweat and sexual juices. She kisses him goodbye, and he thought he managed a smile before he left.

As he walked down the empty streets, Zoro processed the tides of feelings and observations that were overwhelming him. He felt dirty. Her perfume, which he had not noticed before, was clinging to him, along with the faint scent of tobacco. While it had been enjoyable, Zoro was quickly realizing that it had only stirred up a bunch of emotions that he had been ignoring. Kumiko had brought him physical pleasure, but that was it. There was no passion, no fire. However, that was normal. He did not fuck prostitutes for passion, it was just another means for keeping himself in control.

So, why was he feeling so empty? Why did his thoughts keep returning to the cook? The answer came to him without hesitation, as if it had just been waiting for him to ask.

He liked Sanji.

It was kind of shocking. They had hated each other from the beginning, after all. But Zoro also realized that, deep down, part of him had always known.


Sorry, I was planning on posting this sooner but a rough week threw me off
BUT YAY! New chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed 3