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01/13/22 EDIT: Thanks to KumaZura for proof reading this chapter.

Chapter 2

Indecent proposal

Nerwa Island was glowing in the early afternoon, bathed by a faint autumnal light. Its high snow-capped mountains were contrasting with its verdant sides. The lowest portions of land spread along the sea where houses were gathered. The harbor accommodated a few ships, but it was relatively deserted, which suited the straw hat crew.

"Weather isn't that fine," Nami said, annoyed, "I hope no storm will strike the island while we're here…"

Then, she allocated roles to everyone. Franky and Zoro would go to stock up cola, Sanji and Usopp the food, Chopper and Luffy medicine, Brook would watch over the ship and Robin and herself would look for a bank to exchange their treasures for real hard cash.

"Remember, the Marine base isn't far away so no fights and no trouble! We meet again on the Sunny in four hours."

The cook looked blissfully at the beautiful navigator who was going away before Usopp elbowed him towards the market.

The market was small but there were good quality local products and Sanji took advantage of it to refill up with meat and food of all kinds thanks to the money Nami had given him. He didn't know how long they should hold until the next island so he took everything worthwhile.

Usopp was following him the best he could between the stalls, his arms full of enormous bags which blocked his sight. Moreover, the blonde stopped in front of every woman who passed by him to make sheep's eyes at her and the sniper almost lost him more than once. Finally, Sanji judged that they had finished and they headed back to the ship.

While walking, they met Franky and Zoro who were also heading back to the harbor with their arms full of cola. They went past a cutlery shop where magnificent kitchen knives glowed on display.

Sanji came closer, fascinated. His own knives were getting old and these seemed of superior quality. He walked into the shop while his crewmates were waiting outside and Usopp collapsed on the ground, dead tired.

The cook examined the knives carefully and nearly fainted when a charming brunette offered to help him. Batting his eyelashes, he absorbed every one of her words for many minutes until someone clapped his shoulder unpleasantly.

"We need to go, it's time."

"Can't you see I'm busy, marimo!" The blond immediately got mad.

"Hey, chill out, stupid eyebrows!"

"Or what?"

"Or I blow up your cheap perverted head!"

Sanji stopped himself from flinging his foot in Zoro's teeth. He didn't want to create any unpleasantness for the lovely saleswoman who stared at them, dumbfounded. "A thousand pardons, delightful creature. My rude comrade doesn't know courtesy."

"It-It's OK", She stammered before handing him the knife set he had chosen.

The cook gave out the money he owed her before bowing and going to the exit. The swordsman followed him and they found themselves on the square again. The sun was high in the sky but it didn't really warm up the atmosphere and there was a chill in the air.

"It's about time, what the fuck were you doing back there?" Franky grumbled.

"This stupid fool was sweet-talking the saleswoman," Zoro growled.

"Again?" The cyborg sighed.

"Shut the fuck up, you two," The blond threatened, lighting a cigarette, "This young girl had a not insignificant expertise."

"You bet!" Zoro snickered. "What expertise? In her plunging neckline to lure the first moron who passes by?"

This time, Sanji sent his foot into his chest, causing him to step back under the blow's power. A second later, Zoro drew his swords against him, forcing the cook to dodge by moving abruptly. Sanji went back on the attack and stopped the blades a few inches from his face thanks to his right leg. He stuck his cigarette butt a bit more between his lips, furious.

"You're gonna regret your words, greenie."

"You're gonna swallow yours, stupid cook."

The two men charged in and disappeared in a cloud of dust. Usopp spun around them, close to panic. "Stop it! Nami is going to exterminate us!" As neither of them heard him, he turned towards the cyborg. "Franky, do something!" He cried out.

"Like what?" He said, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't want to get beaten up; they're running wild."

"Oh my God! I can't believe it!" The sniper whined, watching Zoro avoid a kick and Sanji bending down when a sword brushed past him.

"Well, what's going on?" Robin asked, seeing a small troop forming at the back of the market.

The bank didn't have much cash and the two young women had exchanged only some treasures but the navigator's eyes sparkled all the same. She quickly took a look and then shrugged. "Probably two morons who are beating on each other. I bet that…"

Nami stared at her friend, a bad feeling suddenly assailing her. "If one of them has already made an enemy…"

"Let's go and see", The archaeologist suggested.

The two young women made their way through the crowd of curious people who had gathered and at last, they traced the source of the clamor. When Usopp saw them, he yelled and hid behind Franky. "It's not my fault, Nami, I swear! I tried to stop them but they can't control themselves, they can't help it!"

The navigator felt herself losing her temper. They couldn't remain quiet a few hours without making a fuss! She was going to put an end to the fight when a huge hand came crashing down on her shoulder.

"What's going on here? Who are you?"

Usopp turned pale and Nami shuddered. The Marines… A small squad of twenty officers. She had to get rid of them without making waves.

"Our friends have drunk a little too much but they're not mean," She replied in her most assured voice, "We'll go away, don't worry, officer."

"It is forbidden to disturb public order," The man reminded her, staring at the two ruffians who hadn't stopped fighting.

"That's exactly what we keep telling them!" Usopp exclaimed to support the navigator. "Zoro, Sanji! We need to go now!"

Nami stared at the sniper with horror and he realized his mistake.

"Who?" The officer repeated, fixing his gaze on him.

"No one! No one!" The young man stammered.

"Chief! One of the individuals is an extremely wanted pirate! The other doesn't have a wanted poster but I think he's part of the same crew!" An officer cried out as he approached.

The man wrested the wanted poster in question from the hand of his underling. "The Straw Hat crew," He smirked while Nami and Usopp were retreating as discreetly as possible. "Yo-

"Run!" The navigator screamed as she ran away, Robin, Usopp and Franky hurling themselves behind her.

Some officers began to chase them but the majority regrouped instantly around the two fighters as the crowd moved away with terror.

"You are under arrest!" The squad leader shouted in the last two present members' ears.

Zoro and Sanji finally agreed to take a look at their environment and found that they were surrounded by naval officers who were holding them at gunpoint.

"How did this happen?" The swordsman growled while repositioning his swords towards his new enemies.

"How the hell would I know?" The cook replied behind his back.

"They're very few."

"It will be quick."

Zoro twirled his swords, a cheerful smile on his lips, and the Marines moved back. They knew the bounty's amount for the former pirate hunter and they were afraid of not measuring up, even in the name of justice…

The swordsman threw himself into the pile and in two blows of his three blades, the group dispersed. Meanwhile, Sanji got rid of the squad's other half in a clear and precise kick, leaving the leader horrified and alone in front of his decimated troop.

"All talk, no action," Zoro grumbled, disappointed.

"Don't be so sure."

A new troop was arriving by the harbor while another one approached them by the north of the market. "We're parting ways," The cook decided, "See you on the Sunny."

The swordsman nodded and ran to the closest officers, jumping cleverly from one obstacle to another to better avoid them. In the meantime, Sanji sped towards the opposite road.

"I'm gonna kill you both!" The navigator yelled, held back by Chopper and Usopp who was crying at his feet.

The four hunted pirates had gotten to the Sunny after having gotten rid of the few officers who had followed them. Then they had to set off quickly, their presence revealed. Fortunately, Luffy and Chopper were already on their way back. They jumped on deck and Sanji turned up a few minutes later, but the swordsman was still missing. Obviously, he had failed to find the harbor.

"It's bad luck that they bumped into the Marines!" the captain said, being philosophical.

"It's because of their stupid bickering!" Usopp sniffed as he watched the land disappear.

"I'm sorry, Nami-san," The cook apologized wholeheartedly, "This cactus head drives me crazy…"

"What are we gonna do for Zoro?" The little reindeer asked, worried. "He's still convalescent…"

"That's his problem now!" The redhead shouted, still furious.

"Without wishing to question his abilities, I doubt he will find us," Robin intervened. "Especially since we can't stay here."

Silence took place a few moments before the navigator spoke again in an icy voice. "Very well. Sanji, you go and get him. We're going to sail around the island and pick you up in the west creek. The Log-Pose will be reloaded by tomorrow at noon, so you have time to cross."

"I can go!" Luffy exclaimed, overflowing with excitement.

"No, you won't!" The navigator barked. "Two morons on their own, you'll end up at Impel Down before tomorrow morning! It's Sanji who takes the job!"

"But Nami-san…"

"It's your fault this happened so you're the one who's going to look for him! And you better hurry up because the weather gets stormy!" She yelled before throwing him overboard.

The cook wrung out his soaked jacket before putting it back on his shoulders, the cool wind making him shiver in his wet clothes. The pack of cigarettes he extracted from his pocket dripped between his hands and he tossed them into the first trashcan he found.

What a stupid swordsman! Because of him, his precious Nami-san was angry and he was forced to go and get him while the city was in turmoil and Marine officers were swarming in the streets…

Sanji bypassed the main roads and quickly left the city to stay out of sight. Anyway, Zoro wasn't stupid enough to stay in the middle of the crowd and knowing him, he probably moved away thinking he was getting closer to his goal…

"What a bastard!"

Sanji discovered the marimo head sleeping peacefully under a tree at the edge of the forest and he didn't refrain from waking him up with a well-placed kick. In return, a blade brushed against his right cheek before the sleeper recognized the blond.

"Fuck, you're totally insane! I almost skewered you!"

"Stand up, you idiot! How can you sleep at a time like this?! Because of your bullshit, we have to cross the island now!"

Zoro put away his swords and started walking. He saw that the cook was particularly angry but he didn't worry too much about it. "If you hadn't provoked me…" He began.

"Shut up, moron! Did you have to run away this far to escape from the Marines?!"

"I didn't run away! I took them out and I raced down a street to reach the harbor but all of you had disappeared!"

"Dammit, I've been looking for you for a whole hour! I had to make at least 15 kilometers!"

"And why did you come to look for me if you're so annoyed?" The swordsman replied, irritated.

"You think I had a choice?! Nami-san was so angry she sent me looking for you as a punishment if you wanna know!"

Silence fell again, only disturbed by the noise of their walk and the birds' song of the forest which lined the road. "What's the plan?" Zoro finally asked.

"They moved the ship to the other side of the island to escape the Marines. We'll join them in the west creek. By then, the Log-Pose will be reloaded and we'll get the hell out of here."

"Is it far?"

"At least 10 hours' walk."

The swordsman sighed. He was feeling hunger coming. He hadn't eaten since noon and he assumed Sanji hadn't taken anything either.

They kept walking and a good two hours passed by without either of the two men opening their mouths. Sanji searched the sky with apprehension. The navigator's forecasts seemed to be accurate because the sky quickly clouded over with thick gray and black clouds. The cook quickened his pace but soon, the fog descended on the valley, completely blocking the view beyond two meters. Sanji fumed. In this real pea soup, it was too easy to get lost. The dirt road was barely visible and a cold wind was rising from the mountain side. The blond began to pray that it wouldn't snow.

After a few minutes of a trudging slow motion's walk, a light and icy rain began to fall. The cook decided to look for a shelter but he couldn't see anything apart from the first trees on either side of the stony road. The island was nearly deserted except for a few coastal villages as Robin had told them and he doubted there was any way to find anything in this mist. As the wind strengthened and the temperature dropped, Sanji turned to the swordsman who was following him a few steps behind.

"We have to find something or we're gonna end up frozen!" He shouted to be heard over the wind.

"Okay."

The two men positioned themselves on either side of the road, hoping to see a makeshift shelter along the way and they slowly went on. While observing the surroundings, the cook was careful not to lose sight of the swordsman. He was able to just vanish in a second and if there was one thing that Sanji didn't want, it was to have to look again for this stupid marimo.

Another hour stretched out and nightfall further dimmed what little sight they had left. Soon, Sanji noticed with anguish that he was no longer feeling his hands and he rubbed them vigorously together to make the blood circulate. The light rain had changed into sleet but no snow had fallen. On the other hand, the cold wind chilled his bones and he had the impression that his hair had frozen into stalactites. Finally, the cook thought he could see the outline of a small building overlooking above the trees and he made a sign to the swordsman for him to follow.

Arriving in front of the locked door, the blond kicked in the unresisting door. Relieved, he rushed into what turned out to be a stable obviously disused for several years. Apart from small enclosures covered with aged straw, a corner contained rusty tools and old pieces of wood.

Sanji wasn't going to complain; he didn't have the strength to do it. Between the last two day's tiredness and the cold, he was feeling totally numb. He cautiously leaned back against an enclosure fence, his whole body throbbing in pain.

Zoro inspected the place from every angle and used a few wood pieces that didn't crumble into dust to block the icy draft as best as possible before sitting down near the cook who had closed his eyes.

"You're cold," The swordsman finally noticed, seeing Sanji's blue lips and his shaking limbs beside him.

"Yeah. I have to say, a suit isn't appropriate for the mountain," The blond replied with amusement, unable to keep his teeth from chattering.

"I'll make a fire."

"With what?" Sanji asked, surprised, but the swordsman didn't reply, sneaking out again.

Closing his eyes for a few seconds to try to control his tremors, Sanji reopened them with a start when Zoro came back with his arms full of logs and twigs. He must have dozed off for a moment without realizing it. Or fallen into hypothermia.

To keep himself awake, he looked at the swordsman who was putting down the wood, not far from him but at a safe distance from the walls and then laying down stones all around to define a fireplace. After having borrowed the blond's lighter which had survived his time in the water, he had to persist for long minutes before the humidity gave way and the first flames reared up timidly.

Zoro sat down again near his crewmate who stretched out his hands towards the small, slowly-expanding heat source. After a few moments, the cook grimaced and squeezed his reddened limbs. "Damn, I hate the cold."

"Yeah, it's freezing," The swordsman confirmed.

Sanji examined his fingers, worried. They were painful and their color wasn't quite usual. No, he couldn't have damaged his hands…

"What?" Zoro asked. He had noticed his behavior.

"Nothing."

The cook tried to shake himself off but his body was still numb and his stiff clothes were freezing his body. He forced himself to take his jacket off and put it down near the fire to warm it up. As soon as it was enough, he took it again and used it as a makeshift cover. He missed his cigarette pack terribly.

He glanced at the swordsman who had set down his blades and closed his eyes with a concentrated expression. He was wearing a tee-shirt but didn't seem to suffer from the cold. Sanji settled as best as he could against the fence. He heard the wind roaring outside and sank back into his jacket before closing his eyes in turn and sinking into sleep.

The blond woke up a few hours later. The fire was still crackling and he was feeling better. He stretched and noticed that the swordsman hadn't moved. Deciding to take a few steps, he stood up and noted through the window with disappointment that the snow had begun to fall in small flurries, covering the ground with a white, icy film. He searched in his pocket and felt the bag of honey cakes he had bought earlier for his princesses. He examined it. The packaging seemed to have protected the cakes from his stay in the water, it was unexpected.

"Marimo." Sanji approached to shake the swordsman but abruptly took his hand away. He was cold as ice. "Fuck, you're freezing!"

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, right."

The cook handed him half of the cakes. "That's all I have."

"Thanks."

After their small snack, Sanji sat back down again near the fire before contemplating the swordsman for a moment. He then gave a hint of a smile that the other noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking that it's been a while since I hadn't wanted to kick your ass. Several hours, can you imagine?"

"Yeah. Same for me."

"It seems that a good storm isn't only inconvenient. Even if it's really too cold…"

The cook returned to contemplating the fire when he felt Zoro getting closer to him. He glanced at him, inquiring, before noticing the spark into his eyes. "I know a way to warm us up," The swordsman said conversationally.

Sanji jumped before staring at him. What had happened was a mistake and if they hadn't spoken about it, it was precisely because it made them feel uncomfortable and the swordsman was thinking the same thing… Wasn't he?

"You do realize what you're saying?" The blonde frowned.

"What? Don't tell me you didn't like last time; I don't believe you."

"That's not it, marimo," The cook replied, blushing in spite of himself, "It's not… normal what happened."

"Not normal?" Zoro looked suspiciously at him for a moment. "Are you homophobic?"

Sanji felt his eyes widen, stunned. "Where'd you get that notion?! I never said anything like this!"

"You said it wasn't normal."

"Yeah, it wasn't normal in the sense that we're beating each other for ages and one day, we end up getting laid on the ship!"

"Oh, that."

Sanji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, "that", as you say. It's not nothing."

"Why?"

"Why?" The blond repeated with annoyance. "Well, because it's not normal for me! Maybe for you it's a usual thing but for me, it was my first time!"

"What?!"

The swordsman stared at him with dread and Sanji sighed loudly. "Don't make that face, moron. This wasn't my first time with a person, it was the first time I let a guy approach me like that and especially in these conditions. It disturbing me makes sense."

"So, it was your first time with a man?"

The blond considered the question for a moment. He could always lie but would it do him any good anyway? The swordsman must have noticed… "Yeah, it was the first time…"

Zoro seemed to think about it for a second before he spoke again. "I should have suspected it. You're always running after girls and I found your way of doing it odd but we were also half fighting so…"

Sanji sighed again. Not only was he humiliated, he was feeling really stupid now. The weekend warrior had apparently satisfied his urges without thinking and he had quietly let him do it, even allowing him to be the first to touch his body…

"I didn't know. Otherwise, I wouldn't have done it."

The cook raised his head, surprised. "Is that so? What does it matter to you?" He asked.

"It doesn't but knowing you, I understand better why you're so much on edge. I guess you didn't plan that."

"Because you, you had planned it?" The blond snapped.

"No, but I don't regret it. It happened and we enjoyed it then no need for drama here."

"You've gotta be kidding!" The cook choked. "So far, you yelled your disgust at me on every occasion and now that we've banged each other, it makes no difference to you?!"

"So far, I never wanted to fuck you, that's the difference."

"And you think that makes sense?!"

"Don't worry, I haven't lost the desire to slap you."

Zoro gave him a provocative smile and Sanji focused on the flames, dismayed. Everything seemed so simple in this idiot's mind, it was utterly unfair. Unfair and incomprehensible. In the end, he turned his attention to the other man again who was also contemplating the fire. Since they were sharing…

"It wasn't the first time for you, am I wrong?" He inquired.

"No."

"What about women?"

The swordsman shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes. But less often."

Sanji shook his head, flabbergasted. "If I had been told, I would never have believed it."

"What?" Zoro asked, turning his head towards him.

"I thought you were more self-sufficient in this area," The blond explained, "Kind of sleep-eat-train, nothing else matters."

"That's true most of the time. But if a person likes me and I like them, it's perfect. That's all."

"I see. No feeling in there."

"What for?"

"You can be so boorish!" The cook grumbled. "You never fell in love?"

"I don't think so."

"Yeah, you've never been. You would know otherwise."

"Why? Is it that good?"

Sanji stared at him, not daring to believe what he had just heard. "Of course, stupid swordsman!"

"And how do you know? You've already been in love maybe?" The swordsman replied, cut to the quick.

"I am in love with all the women I see!"

"You don't know anything either," Zoro snickered. "That's not how it works."

"What do you know?"

"Everybody knows it."

Sanji shrugged and closed his eyes in search of a little sleep. This conversation with the marimo had taken an unexpected turn and he wanted to put an end to it as quickly as possible. He wasn't counting on the so-called marimo who spoke again.

"Even if it's not normal, I'm still in to do it again."

Sanji reopened his eyes, stunned. He glanced at him and the look he gave him made him shiver in spite of the flames. It was a look filled with desire and challenge. A predator's look. His owner gently approached the half-lying cook's body and Sanji swallowed, forcing himself to straighten to not lose composure. "What the hell are you doing, marimo head?" He asked him in an uncertain voice.

"Just stop me if you don't like it."

Zoro left him one second during which the blond remained dumbfounded before pressing him against his body with a firm motion. His lips brutally crashed on his, claiming contact. The cook noticed that the swordsman had recovered his normal temperature when he felt his hot fingers go off to explore his back under his jacket and shirt. It was nice, he couldn't deny it and his own body seemed to want to enjoy it. The cook then slipped his hands under the swordsman's tee-shirt, moving him a little closer while the fencer voraciously leaned closer to his neck.

Sanji didn't know how long had passed but he remembered the events when Zoro pushed him on the ground to increase his touches. Sanji opened his eyes with anguish and felt his breathing stop as his muscles stiffened. What was he doing? He wasn't going to be tricked by this brute again! He brutally straightened up and pushed aside the swordsman's body who, while surprised, didn't refuse to follow the motion.

"It's not… I don't want to," The blond stammered, moving aside from him.

Zoro didn't answer but a smirk stretched his lips. The cook caught his breath by concentrating on the flames in front of him and he mentally thanked the swordsman for keeping his word regarding his decision because his will wasn't as strong as he would have liked. He was feeling his heart racing thinking about the previous minutes and he knew that he only had to make a move to prolong this state but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

What was wrong with him? He had never been attracted to this idiot, he had never thought he was handsome or tall or strong or anything pleasant. So why did he tend to let himself go?

Sanji felt a chill go back up along his spine. Something was wrong but he didn't know what and he was too tired to be able to think about it now.

This new behavior between them was too unseemly, too difficult to comprehend. He didn't understand why the swordsman's contact didn't disgust him like it used to. Okay, they didn't hate each other from day one and the beginning of their cohabitation hadn't been so bad but very quickly, a rivalry had grown. It had tinted all their exchanges with provocations, blows and insults, probably masking the deep respect they had for each other.

The sudden change of their relationship excessively disrupted Sanji, all the more since it didn't seem to bother the man at his side. As if he didn't care about their life coherence since the beginning of their adventures with the straw hat crew…

The cook didn't realize that his thoughts were slowly leading him towards sleep, and he fell asleep without being aware of it.

At the first light of the day, the swordsman decided to wake the blond up. While the cook was painfully stretching, Zoro glanced out the window. The wind had fallen and the snow had stopped but it covered everything with its white mantle and the ground was probably slippery.

They cautiously moved on after Sanji had made sure of their route and their long walk resumed in silence.

Shortly before noon, the Thousand Sunny's profile appeared in a river on the mountainside, making them smile again.

Nami greeted them with a critical look before grimacing in front of their conditions. For his part, Luffy hollered at his cook's feet, whining how much he had missed him. The navigator sent them to take a shower before yelling at the captain that they could finally weigh anchor.