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Chapter 34
Beneath the surface
Two days later, Nami pointed her binoculars at the ocean before searching the sky. She then turned her gaze on a part of the crew on deck, namely Ussop, Luffy, Franky and Brook.
"We are in an opposing currents zone there'll be a risk of rogue waves all day. Be careful", she warned them.
"We're gonna be shaken, awesome!" Luffy shouted as he hung on the figurehead.
The navigator rolled her eyes and went to the library after asking Franky to be at the helm. She didn't want to see their captain fall into the water with no other excuse than his impatience to see the waves.
Ussop stood against the rail and took out his own binoculars. He watched the sea for several minutes before pointing north.
"I see one!" he stated worriedly.
Franky turned to the indicated direction before shaking his head.
"It's very small. That kind of waves won't hurt the Sunny."
"Let's be careful though. Rogue waves are by definition treacherous", Brook pointed out.
For nearly half an hour, the friends remained on the alert but the ship was rarely hit by small jolts and soon, activities resumed quietly. In the middle of the morning, the doctor left the boys' quarter holding a big box between his little paws. He approached his crewmates cheerfully and called out to them.
"Luffy, I brought your box!" he showed him. "It's time!"
"How cool!" the captain got enthusiastic, rushing towards him.
"Chopper, be careful!" Ussop yelled, pointing to something behind him.
The poor reindeer tried to turn around to see the threat, but it was already too late. The Sunny was violently hit by a two meters high wave and Chopper was thrown against the rail under the impact. Fortunately, Luffy's elastic hand immediately wrapped around his body and prevented him from tipping overboard while his other arm secured them to the mast. For his part, Franky clung on to the helm and Ussop and Brook tried to hold on to each other before rolling on the deck.
As soon as the rolling faded, Chopper picked up the now empty box of insects that had fallen open.
"Oh, no, they escaped!" he exclaimed, horrified.
'You kidding?!" Ussop became alarmed. "Man, Nami's gonna kill us!"
He dived into the grass again, this time to pick up as many insects as possible. Brook, Chopper and Luffy quickly did the same while Franky was checking the hull's condition. The captain began to pursue ants and tried to put them in the box but the little animals were running everywhere on his hands and arms.
"We absolutely have to find them all", the gunner panicked, putting down a multicolored beetle and a locust.
"In addition, the poor plant wouldn't have enough food until the next island", the little doctor added with guilt as he was spotting a group of bugs.
"They won't get very far, we're on a ship", Brook thought, grabbing two butterflies.
"That's the problem", Franky growled, bringing in several grasshoppers. "They'll come out unexpectedly anywhere."
Suddenly, the library door opened and Nami stepped forward to inquire about the ship's condition. The cyborg immediately reassured her while his friends were speeding up their search, hoping the navigator wouldn't come and make sure herself. Fortunately, she seemed to trust Franky and she closed the door behind her after asking them to continue to be cautious.
The small group was heaving a sigh of relief when an expletive made them jump.
"Holy fucking shit, what the hell is that?!" the cook's voice yelled at the bottom of the steps.
Franky, Luffy, Ussop, Chopper and Brook followed his disgusted gaze fixed on a large moth. Immediately, the straw hat boy rushed to catch it.
"He's beautiful, don't you think?" he then showed him with a broad smile.
"No, it's absolutely repulsive", Sanji firmly replied, putting down his snacks to his crewmates.
"Food!" the captain shouted, eyes bright with excitement.
"Put the moth back in the box first", Franky said. "We're gonna have enough trouble to get them all back."
"What, you lost them?" the cook asked, worried.
"With the bump of the wave, the box fell", Chopper explained.
In front of the taken aback look of the blond, Ussop got the wrong idea.
"Don't worry, we know Nami hates insects and we'll do our best to find them as soon as possible. Just... don't tell her, please..."
Sanji suppressed a shudder but took advantage of his friend's mix-up.
"Hurry up, then. I won't tolerate that Nami-san suffers from your clumsiness."
"Consider it done!" the musician assured him. "We picked up everyone on deck and we are now going hunting on the rest of the ship!"
At these words, he grabbed a landing net while Luffy was applauding, his share of cake in his mouth. The cook didn't add anything and lit a cigarette to pretend to be at ease. He didn't want his fear of insects to be discovered so he shrugged his shoulders before going back to his den, nonetheless casting anxious glances around him.
The secret was discovered nearly two hours later when the crew had been called for lunch. As she was about to join the kitchen, Nami almost fell while discovering a huge caterpillar crawling on the steps. After the shock, she grabbed Ussop, who was coming in his turn and hit him with a broom until he picked up the creature and removed it of her sight. He was then forced to confess the accident of the morning and the navigator demanded that he inspects all the part leading to the kitchen.
At the mad cries of his lady, Sanji had of course turned up and he was also enlisted to inspect the kitchen thoroughly before the young woman enters. So the cook swallowed his fear and gave her a big reassuring smile as he complied. Fortunately for him, he only found a ladybug and some ants, which allowed him to get rid of it easily.
The meal took place in a tense atmosphere. The rolling of some waves a little more powerful was still felt but it wasn't what worried the navigator. The young woman was visibly hesitating between nervousness and anguish and she was regularly glancing around her. Luffy, Ussop, Brook and Chopper were trying to relax the atmosphere by talking cheerfully while Zoro, Robin and Franky were eating in silence, creating two perfectly distinct spaces around the table. For his part, Sanji wasn't as relaxed as he wanted to look and just like Nami, he was also on guard without seeming to.
Before the end of the meal, the atmosphere gets heavier. Indeed, Chopper had spotted a beetle and Brook had picked up another caterpillar. At each find however, Luffy had jumped for joy but he had soon became the only one to be really delighted. Nami was visibly turning pale and Ussop was shaking with fear she would get angry. Meanwhile, Sanji was clenching his teeth trying not to wince. After Franky removed a cockroach attracted by food from the table, Chopper offered the livid young woman to rest in her room and Robin decided to go with her.
As they went outside, the archaeologist suddenly warned her friend.
"Don't look to your left."
Irremediably, the navigator froze and turned in this direction before screaming in terror. Immediately, the rest of the crew barge in and Sanji watched in horror as a huge hairy spider moved in the sun on the wall of the kitchen. He felt his insides constrict and bit his tongue not to scream.
"What a gigantic creature!" Brook exclaimed.
"I didn't remember we had something like that", Franky wondered.
Sanji shuddered again and glanced at Zoro, who was already turning the corner of the kitchen to rest in the shade, totally ignoring the events.
Luffy laughed but Ussop elbowed him in the ribs.
"Go and help Nami by getting this spider, it will get you on her good side for once", he whispered.
His captain stared at him for a second with wide eyes before shrugging his shoulders and moving cheerfully towards the spider. Arrived alongside to it, he greeted it.
"I'm glad to see you again, I looked all over for you!"
"L-Luffy, p-please", the red-haired woman who had taken refuge behind Robin stammered.
"No problem!"
He grabbed the creature with his hand, which snatched a new scream from the navigator before Chopper showed him the box he went to get. He put it inside and turned to her, delighted.
"Here you go, she can't scare you anymore!"
Nami thanked him half-heartedly, her legs trembling, before heading to her room on the arm of her friend. She was probably too shaken to think about getting upset and Sanji understood her. He himself had sweaty palms watching this monster. He then took a deep breath to relax. He would have liked to be the one coming to the aid of the beautiful navigator, but obviously it would have required a superhuman effort. As long as they didn't find all the insects, he wouldn't rest easy either.
Dishes diverted a little the thoughts of the blond who believed to see appearing outlines of insects with each moving shadow from the corner of his eyes. When he had finished, he made coffee and was finally beginning to think of something else when in the middle of his cups ready to receive the hot liquid, a centipede twisted. He took a leap back and considered running for his life before reasoning. This insect was ugly and repulsive but it wasn't dangerous and he couldn't afford to call one of his crewmates to come and rescue him. He couldn't even believe that such a tiny being was bringing him down when he didn't back down in front of any enemy, no matter how strong he was.
He had been frozen for several minutes in his unhealthy contemplation, following with his eyes without being able to stop himself the centipede's progress, when the kitchen door opened and the gunner entered the room.
"Sanji, I've repaired the fishing net, how about fixing it? Sanji?"
The cook came out of his shock and shook it off. Plastering a confident smile on his lips, he nodded vigorously.
"No problem."
"Great!" the sniper got enthused. "The aquarium is really starting to be empty."
The blond approved and as Ussop was about to go away, he called him out in a voice he hoped was calm.
"Oh, while you're here. Can you bring that centipede home?"
Ussop followed his gaze to the table and broadly grinned.
"It can sneak everywhere these little beasts!"
He approached and grabbed it before returning to the cook in front of the door who instinctively moved back.
"Well... I'm gonna make coffee and I'll meet you there", he dodged, dashing to the coffee pot.
"See you later!" his friend cheerfully said before going out.
Ussop showed the cook the fasteners of the net and how to lash it to the Sunny. Franky had stopped the ship to make it easier but the waves were still a bit treacherous. However, Sanji assured the gunner it wouldn't be a problem. After listening to his last recommendations, the blond was about to dive when the swordsman appeared at his side.
"Move it, stupid eyebrows."
"What you want?" he grinded. "You'll have to wait till I get back if you wanna drink."
"Shut up and don't just stand there. I've no time to waste."
At these words, he took off his tee-shirt and put down his swords while Ussop was handing him the other end of the net.
"Marimo is coming too?" the cook understood with disappointment.
"It'll be easier if you tie it up together", the sniper approved.
"I don't need you", the blond still grinded, turning to the man. "I'm much better swimmer."
"Wanna bet, shitty cook?" the other snarled in return.
"No problem, greenie!" Sanji roared, fixing his gaze on his with provocation. "I bet you I've got time to tie the end of my net even before you dive!"
"You're gonna choke before you get to the surface cos of your lungs condition, swirly!" Zoro replied in the same tone.
"Uh, guys", Ussop tried to intervene. "Also pay attention to Sea Kings, we can't predict their appearance..."
"It's okay, Ussop, don't worry. I got this."
Sanji got rid of his shirt and grabbed his side of the net before staring down at the fencer. Zoro grabbed his own side and looked at him. It was a challenge and it would be taken up.
"As soon as the ends are secured, raise the net so that it can be positioned just below the surface. It should be enough to..."
The gunner had no time to finish his sentence that the two rivals had dived and he gazed for a moment at the sea with surprise before shrugging. Even a Sea King wouldn't dare to attack them now.
Sanji came out of the water a few minutes later and was pleased to see he was the first to reach the surface. He hoisted himself up until the water was on his waist against the hull of the Sunny and checked the knots. When Zoro appeared from the water a few moments later, he greeted him with a sparkling smile.
"I won, Cactus-kun."
"That's what you want to think."
The swordsman hoisted himself up in his turn and the net came up, leaving just a little water to hide it to capture fishes that would venture there.
"You sure you correctly fixed the end?" he asked, pointing to a looser side of the net.
The blond frowned and reflexively tightened the net.
"It's perfectly fix-"
His words died on his lips when those of the fencer settle on his.
"Cheater", the cook snickered.
"Liar", the swordsman replied with a smirk.
"Why?" he wondered.
"You're afraid of those fucking insects."
Sanji tensed up against the fencer's chest and frowned. He cursed this fool to be so attentive under his devil-may-care attitude. If he needed someone to notice, it was definitely not him. Clinging to the net on the side of the Sunny, the blond tried to struggle but he was stuck.
"I'm not afraid of these things", he mumbled in desperation.
"Liar", the swordsman repeated, going down to his neck.
"Shut up, moron."
Despite his annoyance, the hot body of the fencer against his was nice. The sun was shining but the water was cool and the contrast was striking. He closed his eyes to enjoy the soft lips that sensually ran through him. At least in the meantime, he wasn't thinking about these abominable bugs...
Sanji sighed. His swimming did him a lot of good but as soon as he had come back to the Sunny, his fear of crossing other insects had reappeared. He had resolved not to be impressed and had prepared drinks for his friends, including two beautiful cocktails to please the girls.
As he pushed the kitchen door out, he looked around for the fencer. After their salty kisses, Zoro had tried to step up a gear and the blond had taken advantage of a wave a little stronger to push his head into the water in revenge. He then had hurried to go back up while the swordsman was hanging on the net for long minutes. When he had finally come back to the Sunny, his aura threatening, the rest of the crew had carefully stood at a distance and Sanji hadn't moved of his kitchen. Not only was he afraid of coming face to face with a new insect but he was also upset that Zoro had noticed his weakness and he didn't want to see him for the moment. Yet being a cook compelled him to do so.
As he walked to the girls' quarter to serve them first, Sanji spotted Robin on her deckchair near the tangerine trees and he walked over, twirling.
"Robin-chan, I prepared you a deliciously refreshing drink made from pink grapefruit!"
He handed her the glass and the archaeologist grabbed it with a smile. He then looked for the other woman of the crew, and Robin pointed the mast out to him.
"I think our navigator stayed close to the boys to feel safe."
"What happened?" the blond worried.
"Two big cicadas landed on the room's windows earlier and she couldn't stand it."
"Poor Nami-san!" the cook exclaimed.
After making sure the young brunette didn't need anything, he promised her to be at her disposal if she also wanted to be protected. Strangely, Robin thanked him in such a way that Sanji thought she had guessed his real feelings about these bugs and he made off to the front deck without asking for more.
Downstairs, he quickly spotted Ussop, Franky, Brook, Chopper and Luffy sitting in a circle and playing cards on the grass. He then noticed that Nami had fallen asleep against his captain. Obviously too scared, she had clung to him and the latter held her with his right hand against him while his elastic hand allowed him to quietly continue playing.
However, as soon as he saw his cook, his eyes sparkled with joy.
"Snack!" he got enthused.
"Don't move, you idiot. You'll wake her up."
Luffy froze before seriously nodding. He then stretched his other arm to the cook's tray to claim his drink. With a sigh, Sanji handed it to him and then gave out the drinks to the others who thanked him. He finally slowly set down Nami's on the small table.
"Have you seen other insects?" he asked.
"Another cockroach and two worms", Brook told him.
"We almost got 'em all back", Ussop confirmed, dealing out the cards.
"Thank God", the blond grumbled.
He then left them to go to the swordsman who was quietly snoring against the aquarium's door and he stared at him for a moment in silence. He'll be waiting for a while before he could take refuge in his arms in front of their friends. At the same time, he wasn't sure he wanted it either. He didn't want to lose a shred of power in front of the fencer despite his fear, but in those moments, he wondered if feeling his presence near him could be enough to reassure him a little. A normal relationship should have given him the opportunity to rely on his partner in this situation. Only thing is, his pride was standing in his way. Besides, he was pretty sure Zoro would reproach him to feel sorry for himself if he told him the extent of his fear.
Sighing, he kicked him in the ribs to wake him up.
"Fucking darts eyebrow!" the swordsman exclaimed while sitting up, furious. "Why did you do that for, bastard?!"
"It's time for hydration, marimo. You're drying out."
The fencer snatched the glass from his hands in a bad mood and knocked it back before throwing it to him.
"Now get the fuck outta here."
Sanji willingly turned on his heels. That was the kind of conversation that was more like them. They were far from being able to speak in a civilized way so he could forget about a possible concern for one another.
"Aaahhhh!"
Sanji took a two meters leap backward and hit the kitchen table. He lost his balance and the contents of his saucepan came dangerously close to the edges. Wanting to catch hold of it, he leaned too fast forward and stumbled over the chairs. The sauce flew into the air, his feet got tangled and he fell on the floor in his turn. When he straightened up, he found his preparation was ruined and his pants too.
Zoro chose to turn up right that second, his blades out.
"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning.
Sanji felt himself snapped. He had tried all day to do like nothing happened and he thought he had managed to do so when seeing dinner time approaching but right now, he was losing it. He hated that the fencer had turn up but he didn't really have the strength to pretend, especially since he knew Zoro had seen through him. So he looked up at the huge blue and green beetle that quietly lay on the wall above his sink.
"Take that thing away", he asked as he stood up.
The swordsman followed his gaze and lowered his blades when he spotted it.
"Seriously, cook?" he grumbled. "I thought you were at least getting sliced up with your scream."
"Shut up and kicked it out of my kitchen, marimo swordsman!" the blond got annoyed.
"I thought you weren't scared?" Zoro insisted with a mocking smile.
"Just get it out, okay?"
Sanji was trying to wipe the damage on his clothes and the swordsman shrugged. He approached the enemy and grabbed it, imprisoning it in his hand since he didn't have the box at his disposal. Seeing him, the cook nearly made another heart attack.
"Don't grab it like that, you moron!" he chocked.
"Why?" he grunted, turning to him. "You wanted me to take it out!"
The cook turned pale and stepped back in spite of himself.
"Fuck, don't come near me!"
The swordsman's smile worried him. With horror, he saw the fencer take another step in his direction.
"Stop", he warned him in a voice he hoped would be firm.
"Or what?" the swordsman nonchalantly asked as he was approaching.
"I'm just asking you to put it in his box", the blond tried again.
"Don't wanna."
Zoro took another step forward and Sanji moved back until he hit the wall with his back. As the fencer's smile was widening, the cook felt the panic come over him.
"Beg me."
Sanji stared at him for a second in astonishment. It was clear he was scared to death but that wasn't enough for the fencer? On top, he wanted to humiliate him? He couldn't believe it.
"Fuck you", he spat, his hands shaking.
Zoro approached his hand that contained the beetle close to his face and Sanji heard the messy beating of the insect's wings in his prison. His heart leaped in his chest and he thought he was going to faint. He then cursed himself for being so weak facing an animal he knew was harmless to him, and he cursed the swordsman even more for taking advantage of his fear. He glared at him in fury.
"You're an asshole, Zoro."
The fencer frowned. The cook's eyes were bursting with rage but his voice was chopped. He watched him more closely and saw that he was shaking. He lowered his hand.
"I was kidding, cook."
"Yeah, sure."
The blond violently pushed him and the swordsman stumbled backwards. He then saw the cook heading for the door and running away from the kitchen, slamming it against the wall.
The evening had allowed the navigator to find some peace. Her friends had assured her all the insects had returned to the box and she was starting to really relax after all these hours of anxiety. Moreover, she had noticed that the aquarium had been filled and that the waves hadn't damaged the ship. She then savored their cook's delicious meal as she listened to the rest of the crew discussing their own fears.
"For my part, I hate monsters!" Chopper said. "And especially Sea Kings!"
"Personally, I'm not afraid of monsters but I don't find them very welcoming", Ussop began.
Franky burst out laughing.
"You're the biggest coward I've ever known!" he scoffed at him. "Tell us what you're not afraid of, it'll be faster!"
Everyone laughed and the gunner scowled before the cyborg tried to relax him.
"Personally, I hate people without clothing style", he said as he knocked back his drink.
"It's not a fear," Nami noted.
"She's right", the sniper grunted. "It's your taste, that's all."
"Not at all!" the cyborg insisted. "Clothes too loose, for example. Well, they conceal people's personalities and then we don't know what to expect, that's creepy!"
Luffy burst out laughing and Ussop rolled his eyes.
"For my part, I'm terrified of ghosts and living dead!" Brook confided, shivering.
"That's a tough break for you", Zoro pointed out, jaded.
"You got that right!" the musician said.
"What about you, Robin?" the reindeer suddenly asked. "Are you afraid of something?"
The young woman thought for a moment.
"I do not like crowds", she finally answered.
"It's true that crowd movement are unpredictable", Nami agreed. "It can be very dangerous."
"I'm afraid there's nothing left to eat!" the straw hat boy suddenly exclaimed very seriously.
His friends stared at him for a second before bursting out laughing again. Sanji then came near him and patted his shoulder before serving him fish again.
"I'll always do my best so that your worst nightmare won't come true, Captain. You can count on me", he solemnly declared.
"You're the coolest!" Luffy yelled back, swallowing his share.
"What about you, master chef?" Robin asked him. "A hidden fear?"
The blond bit his lips before sighing.
"Well, I admit I'm not a fan of insects either..."
"Fear of insects is a very common phobia", Chopper said.
"I didn't say it was a phobia", he mumbled. "But I don't like them, that's for sure."
"And you, Zoro? What are you afraid of?" Luffy wanted to know, turning to the swordsman who was quietly having dinner.
This one shrugged and continued to eat.
"I'm sure you're scared of losing yourself and never finding your way again", Nami snickered.
"Or that we invent something that would keep you from sleeping!" Franky sneered.
Everyone laughed again and dinner continued cheerfully.
Sanji went to the back of the ship and lit a cigarette before leaning on the rail. The newfound good mood had made the straw hat crew want to party and Brook had come his violin out. Musical notes nicely reached him and the laughs of his friends were another pleasant sound to hear but the blond wasn't in the mood for fun tonight. He was still reeling from the shock of the swordsman's attitude towards him and had quickly needed to be alone a little bit.
He spent a few moments staring at the starry sky and the darkened ocean before footsteps pulled him out of his contemplation. Recognizing it, he frowned.
"Leave me alone."
The footsteps stopped, proof that Zoro had stopped a few steps away.
"I told you I was joking", the swordsman simply said.
The blond suddenly turned, glaring at him. All his fury was coming back to him when the fencer was mentioning this episode so casually.
"And you didn't see I wasn't?!" he spat.
"I didn't think you were so scared", the swordsman replied.
"For god's sake, shut the fuck up!"
The cook violently turned towards the open sea, perfectly sickened. Yes, he was irrepressibly afraid of insects and he was feeling so stupid at this sad fact. To show a weakness. To have to admit it. That Zoro knowingly takes advantage of it.
"Why are you acting like that?" the swordsman suddenly asked him as he got closer. "We all have fears."
Sanji dragged harder on his cigarette. Yes, everyone had a weak spot but not the great swordsman that nothing seemed to stop or even scare. And that difference between them was hurting him. There was nothing worse than to find that he was feeling inferior to the fencer. Except perhaps the fact that it was revealing another fear in him: to think that Zoro didn't find he was worthy.
"You having a good time belittling me, don't you?" he grinded at him.
"What are you talking about? I told you if I'd known, I wouldn't have done it", the fencer scowled.
"Of course", the blond sneered. "Why would the great Roronoa Zoro missed the opportunity to show the world he's not afraid of anything?"
At these words, the swordsman grabbed the cook by the shoulder and brutally turned him before fixing his dark gaze on his.
"What's your problem, stupid?" he snarled. "You want me to tell you my worst nightmares so you can enjoy it, is that it?" You'd feel better if you could make me pay?"
Sanji tried to get free, looking away. Deep down, he was angry but especially against himself. He knew Zoro hadn't wanted to belittle him deliberately, his reaction had proved it. His pride simply couldn't stand being so weak in front of him.
"No, you moron. It's just that... what you did... it was humiliating", he finally mumbled.
He sighed and finished his cigarette before throwing it away. When he looked up, the swordsman's gaze was still on him.
"I'm sorry."
Sanji shook his head, embarrassed by the sincerity of his declaration.
"I know, it's fine. Let's forget it, okay?"
Zoro pulled him in a brutal embrace against him. In shock, the cook didn't immediately notice he was speaking again.
"I'm scared too sometimes. It's just that my fear doesn't' lie in things like insects or crowds."
He got free a little and stared at the blond who was listening to him in amazement. He sighed before shaking his head.
"My only fear is to not keep the promise I made to myself and that I made to Kuina. To not become the best swordsman in the world."
He then took a step back and Sanji saw him looking in the distance.
"The rest doesn't matter."
He then turned his attention to the cook's figure and this one felt himself shudder.
"Come back now. Luffy is wondering where you've been."
The fencer left the deck and the blond followed him with his eyes, still under the effect of his contact and words. He was feeling reassured but also surprisingly upset at the same time. As the wind rose, Sanji felt again the distance that still stood between him and the swordsman.
"The rest doesn't matter."
He knew Zoro had confided in him and that definitely was a step forward between them. He also knew the swordsman was referring to his fears at that moment, but still, this sentence strangely resonated in him. Although he refuses to admit it, the swordsman's attitude could frustrate him in his way of appearing sometimes elusive and out of his reach.
Sanji sighed. The patience he had promised to the fencer was a quality he didn't possess. He then hoped to have the strength to stick to it.
This chapter wavers between a lot of emotions and I wanted to finish it with a half-tone, like their relationship now. Ups and downs according to the situations.
I hope you enjoy the journey.
See you soon.