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Chapter 54

Closure

The next morning, Sanji opened his eyes with difficulty. He had fallen asleep fully dressed on the bed and his clothes were creased. He slowly sat down, remembering painfully his memories of the day before.

How could he have been so wrong about the swordsman? He was in so much pain. He remembered when they became close a few months earlier. That day, he had chosen to engage in a relationship that he would never have suspected. A relationship with a man, and a rival in addition. A relationship that had asked the cook to completely question himself. He had done it, trembling with fear but full of hope. And yesterday, Zoro had ruined everything.

The blond forced himself to get up and slowly tidied up his clothes. Outside, the sun was barely rising. He then took deep breaths to try to calm his breathing and he closed his eyes for a second, his heart pounding.

He was cursing the day he had decided to give this bond a chance now. He should have followed his first instinct and continue to hate the fencer at all costs. Instead, he had chased a wild dream. He had believed his words and his looks. He had hoped that whatever happened one day between them, Zoro would always be honest enough to come and tell him. Just like the swordsman had demanded of him.

Sanji sighed and looked over his trembling hands. Was he so naive? The swordsman had become his lover and then his partner but above all, he was a straw hat crew's member and as such, he had trusted him. Until that moment when the fencer had preferred to flee rather than confront him.

Yet Sanji wasn't an idiot. He had immediately known and ranked in the back of his mind that their unseemly rapprochement could just as suddenly stop. They were so different, their personalities so opposite, it would even had seemed logical somehow. But he had never thought they would end it under these circumstances.

By denying him an explanation, the swordsman hadn't only let the blond be the bad guy but in addition, this way he had betrayed all that they had shared in recent months: their arguments, their fights, but also the discovery of their respective sensitivities, the precarious balance of their communication mode and the consideration of their new feelings.

That Zoro may no longer feel something for him, he could accept it. After all, two have to play this score. But to be treated like that, without regard and without a word, was perfectly intolerable. It was the worst humiliation and the greatest insult he had ever experienced.

The cook finally decided to leave the room and closed it behind him before contemplating the key in his hand. He wasn't sure he would ever set foot here again.

Breakfast was ready on time and the crew turned up with its usual spirit, laughing and eating with a good appetite. Sanji didn't glance at the swordsman when he sat down in his place and this one didn't make any move in his direction.

The cook had taken a long shower and paid particular attention to his appearance and the preparation of the meal. He had only his dignity left to support the pieces of his heart this morning and he intended to preserve it at all costs. So there was no way he looked hurt by what had happened. He just couldn't bear anyone trying to comfort him.

He had therefore locked his emotions for the moment and his constant occupation was helping him to compose an ordinary attitude from an external point of view. He was going to have to learn to deal with events throughout the day, but every moment spent maintaining his apparent carefree attitude was already a victory.

He then listened to the conversation around the table. Everything he could to keep his attention and avoid being consumed by anger and bitterness.

"We'll arrive in the middle of the afternoon on the next island and I suggest we spend a night ashore", the navigator was announcing. "The road has been long and a little change will do us good."

In view of the general enthusiasm, Nami endorsed her decision before speaking again.

"We can afford to have dinner in town and even do some shopping. Have you all thought about your list? I'll get them back when we disembark."

Once again, everyone brightly agreed, not daring to disturb the young red-haired woman rarely in such a generous mood.

"All right. So I'll reserve rooms and I'll also leave the stones for the valuation."

She then pointed out to the archaeologist by her side.

"Robin and I are going to take a room in the guest house in the city to have some peace and work on our next article. If you have special requests, I'm ready to listen but you must know that according to the prices, I'll add it on your debt", she specified.

"Are there rooms with games?!" Luffy asked, eyes bright with excitement.

"Inns aren't nurseries, Luffy", the young woman replied. "Who has a less stupid idea?" she then said, turning to her crewmates.

"I think there's a big river a little away from the city", Chopper who had looked at the maps chimed in. "It'd be nice to be amongst nature, wouldn't it?"

The boys concurred with him and Nami assured them she would look for an inn in the area. Individual conversations then resumed around the table and the cook began to clear.

As Nami was finalizing the last details of their night out, she suddenly called out to the blond busy washing his first plates.

"Sanji-kun, do I get you a separate room? Of course, it won't be free, but if you want to..."

From behind, the cook clenched his lips around his cigarette butt and spoke in a tone he hoped cheerful.

"No need, Nami-san, I'm staying on the Sunny!"

"You're staying on the Sunny?" the young woman wondered.

"Someone will have to keep it and you're already so generous, I don't want to add extra costs to you!"

Nami frowned for a second before shrugging.

"As you wish, it suits me."

Sanji imperceptibly released his breath and continued to rinse his plates as if nothing had happened. He wasn't proud to use the navigator to shy away but there was no way he would share a night with all his crewmates. He needed to take stock and he needed to be alone.

"It's pretty boring out here..." the gunner slumped against the Sunny's rail grumbled.

"You betcha, I don't even have wood to occupy myself", Franky sighed a few steps away.

The excitement over their imminent arrival had finally faded at the prospect of the long hours they still had to face. If Luffy and Chopper had wanted to review their lists for their next purchases, Brook, Nami and Robin were walking around the small garden to take care of the plants, Sanji was listing their reserves and Zoro was linking swords motions in the back.

For their part, Franky and Usopp had used all their equipment during the many previous rainy days and they had nothing left to work on their inventions.

"What could we do?" the sniper thought about out loud. "I don't wanna feed the carnivorous plant. Brook and the girls are enough and this thing creeps me out..."

"Did you hear Sanji earlier when Nami asked him if he wanted a separate room?" the cyborg suddenly said.

Usopp frowned for a second.

"Uh, yes. So what?"

"So Sanji refused. He even said he'd take care of staying on the Sunny", Franky reminded him.

His friend shrugged.

"Okay, he's gonna stay on the Sunny. What does it matter?"

"Let's make a bet!" the carpenter exclaimed, his eyes bright.

"A bet? On what?" the gunner wondered.

"Do you think they'll stay on the Sunny or they'll have a romantic evening planned for just the two of them?!"

Usopp stared at the overly excited cyborg for a moment, jaded.

"You wanna bet on where Zoro and Sanji are gonna spend the night? You really are a pervert, Franky", he sighed. "You're worse than Sanji sometimes..."

"Don't take it that way, we're not gonna spy on them!" his friend protested. "We're just gonna bet on the place! I bet on the romantic room with sea view and breakfast in bed!"

The gunner winced in disgust.

"I can't imagine them in a romantic atmosphere, especially Zoro. No, I think they're gonna stay on the Sunny and that's why Sanji said he would keep watch."

"It's a deal!" Franky exclaimed. "We just have to go and ask them!"

At these words, Usopp stared at him.

"Are you nuts, I don't wanna ask them! They'd be capable of answering with innuendos which will gimme nightmares!" he shivered.

"The winner buys the other the latest hovercraft model", the cyborg suggested with a smirk.

The gunner's eyes widened.

"The one the Lorly brothers used in the last obstacle races?!" he got enthused.

"I hear that it allowed them to sail up Grand Line's currents in half the time than last year", Franky confirmed.

"Wow that must be great!"

The shipwright approved before folding his huge arms.

"So we agree? I'm gonna ask Sanji, you're gonna ask Zoro and the winner has the hovercraft. It'll surely require making a loan from Nami but it must be worth the price."

"Hey! Why am I the one asking Zoro? I don't want him to slice me if he doesn't like my question!" Usopp protested.

The cyborg shrugged in response.

"You think they're gonna stay on the Sunny, it's easy to know. You wanna ask Zoro if he likes little hearts and pink wallpaper?"

Usopp suppressed another shiver.

"You're right, it'll be easier", he reluctantly admitted.

"Super!"

Franky immediately rushed to the kitchen and Usopp sighed. Despite the demonstration of his friend, he was far from imagining himself calmly asking the question to the fencer... He nevertheless set out for the back where he was still hearing the rustling of his blades. He hated this days of boredom on the Sunny, it made him accept anything...

Zoro caught his breath against the Sunny's guardrail. His movements were becoming less flexible and less fluid, a sign that he needed to take a break. It's this precise moment Usopp chose to join him, looking happy.

"So buddy, what's up on the Grand Line?" the gunner inquired with interest, leaning beside him.

The swordsman glanced at him suspiciously while taking a sip of water. Why did Usopp suddenly want to talk to him? In general, he carefully avoided disturbing him, except in case of emergency or in the presence of Luffy to show him one of his new inventions. Even though this guy had his moments of courage, he was still a coward and Zoro did nothing to dissuade him from believing he had an evil aura. Yet today, the sniper seemed in a talkative mood.

"The sky is beautiful and the next island will be in sight within a few hours!" the sniper continued, ignoring the lack of response from his crewmate. "It's the perfect time to finally spend time on land after all these days at sea, don't you think?"

Zoro limply shrugged and took his blades back, eager to resume his training but on his side, Usopp fidgeted.

"Uh, you know, I was wondering... Are, uh... Are you gonna go out tonight?"

Zoro gazed for a second at his friend's nervous face and he sighed.

"You need to go somewhere? You want me to go with you?" he asked him.

"No, no, on the contrary!" Usopp said before wincing in front of the questioning look of the swordsman. "I was just wondering if..."

Zoro frowned. The sniper was obviously trying to know something, but he couldn't ask him directly. Either the gunner had gotten himself into an unpleasant situation and he needed his help, or he wanted to tackle a delicate subject and he was feeling the fencer wouldn't appreciate it. In both cases, this anxious attitude and this allusive speech tallied well with him.

The swordsman then knew that he would soon have the answer to his question when he saw his friend take a deep breath.

"Actually... Sanji said he would keep watch here and I was wondering if you were gonna stay too..."

Zoro narrowed his eyes. Had the cook told him anything? To see his attitude in the morning, he wouldn't have bet on it but the question of the sniper was strange in this context. Did he want to encourage him to explain himself?

"Why do you care?" he replied in a deep voice.

The fencer saw the gunner swallow, clearly frightened, and he increased the pressure of his gaze in his.

"F-For nothing", the sniper finally stuttered. "I was just thinking... It's been a while since we're at sea and you might want to be alone... On the Sunny?"

The swordsman drew himself up to his full height and decided to send a clear message to the gunner to stop his questions.

"I don't give a damn about the cook and I'll do what I like when we're on the island. I don't need him."

At these words, Usopp's eyes widened, visibly surprised by his response. He then shook his head and sighed.

"Okay, whatever you want... Expressing your feelings isn't your thing", he then mumbled to himself as he walked away.

The swordsman felt his breathing slightly loosen. Usopp didn't know anything and strangely, he was relieved. He finally shrugged and repositioned his blades in front of him to regain his focus. Yet, despite being alone again, his mind couldn't help but tend toward his last conversation. Without knowing it, Usopp had shot straight after all: the fencer couldn't determine his feelings about the blond at the moment. For a change.

Indeed, Zoro was feeling both free but also annoyed by the turn of events of the day before. He hadn't wanted to come to that, but if it was the price to pay to get out of the swamp he had fallen into, he would accept it. His relationship with the crew's cook had had its pleasant sides but also its disadvantages and these had become too important. That the cook had kicked him out was a twist of fate and an obvious invitation to get back on track: with proper training and an iron will, he would make up for lost time and get rid of his last obstacles.

He didn't have a choice. He had to succeed.

"I see the island!"

Chopper's delighted voice drew his crewmates towards the deck and the morning excitement went wild again. The sky was particularly bright and sharply contrasted with the last days of grayness they had gone through.

"Calm down", the navigator quickly cut them short. "Those who need money immediately will come with me and Robin for the valuation of the stones. The others, you're free until tomorrow morning."

"Say, you found our inn?!" Luffy wanted to know.

"Yes, there's a camp at the edge of the forest on the outskirts of the city and I reserved six beds by Den Den Mushi", Nami replied. "Chopper, I'm putting you in charge of the money and the group. I'm counting on you so that everything goes well."

"Really?!" the little reindeer got enthused. "I'll do my best"! he solemnly assured her.

"Don't forget to watch Zoro", she added, fixing her gaze on the one of the concerned person. "If he gets lost and spends the night outside, it'll be too bad for him."

"I don't need a babysitter!" the latter growled.

Chopper nevertheless put a reassuring hand on his friend.

"I'll be careful, I promise!"

"It's settled", the young woman concluded. "Franky, don't forget the cola refills and Usopp, you'll be responsible for shopping", she said while handling the list out to him. "You'll bring it to Sanji by tomorrow."

The two friends nodded and received the money accordingly before Nami distributed small sums to each. Finally, she turned to the cook while the rest of their crewmates were counting their berries.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" she asked him. "Someone can get what you want."

"Don't worry, my dearest!" the blond reassured her. "I prefer to keep my money and spend it at the next call when I've got my share of the stones!"

"All right."

A few minutes later, the crew saw the port and Nami and Brook threw themselves on the captain, who was already trying to rush towards the coast while Sanji was maneuvering to moor the Sunny.

A little further on, Franky nudged Usopp.

"So?" he whispered to his friend.

"So nothing", the sniper got annoyed in the same tone. "No way to know anything on the subject without him being on the defensive!"

"Weird", the cyborg mumbled.

Usopp shot him a questioning look and the shipwright came closer to remain discreet. Amidst Luffy's screams and the navigator's threats, there wasn't much risk they would be heard anyway.

"Sanji was strange. He was vague and I couldn't figure out what he was gonna do."

The gunner shrugged.

"They probably need privacy. Everybody's on top of everybody all the time, whatever little they can have alone, they won't tell us."

"Maybe, but he seemed weird", his friend continued. "They didn't even fight all day..."

"That's good news you mean!" Usopp pointed out to him. "Maybe they can't wait to be quiet and they're in a good mood? I wish it was like that more often..."

Franky finally shrugged in his turn.

"With that, that means nobody won so bye-bye our new hovercraft", he was upset.

"Too bad but we still killed time", his friend approved with a sigh.

Nami came out of the jewelry and noticed that only Robin was waiting for her now. Yet all their friends had accompanied them, eager to collect additional berries.

"Where has everyone gone?" she wondered, putting on her sunglasses.

"Usopp and Franky decided to go shopping as soon as possible to enjoy their evening, Chopper and Luffy couldn't wait before joining the playground of the camp and Zoro dragged Brook. It looks like there is a sword martial arts competition in town tonight", her friend replied.

The navigator shrugged.

"Too bad for them, I keep their shares."

"How did the valuation go?" the archaeologist asked her as they set off in their turn.

"Very well", Nami replied with satisfaction. "There were topaz, zircon, emeralds and even some diamond shards."

"Were you able to get a satisfactory price?"

"Yes, but I only exchanged part of it. I want the rates to stay high so I'm going to sell them little by little", the young woman said with a calculating smile.

"It is very clever", her friend agreed, smiling.

"By the way, did they give you their list?" Nami asked as they were turning up on a busier street.

"Yes, I got them all except the one of our cook."

"So? What do they want?" the navigator asked, noticing a dress in a shop window.

Robin took out the lists and read them to her friend.

"Usopp and Franky want to pool their money to buy a new hovercraft."

"A hovercraft?" the redhead wondered, thoroughly looking over the dress. "Meh, why not. It might come in handy."

"Our captain wants "chicken, a giant trampoline, legs of lamb, bubble bumps to play football on the deck of the Sunny and meat.""

Nami slowly turned to her friend, definitely jaded.

"Why am I not even surprised", she then sighed, resuming her observation.

The brown young woman lightly laughed and resumed reading.

"Zoro demands two dumbbells of a thousand kilograms and strong alcohol. He underlined the last word three times", the archaeologist showed her friend.

"What an alcoholic", the navigator growled. "If he believes we're gonna be able to carry these things, he'll have to go and fetch them himself..."

Robin nodded and went over to Brook's list as they were walking through the front door of the store.

"Our musician wants strings, different types of brushes to clean his instruments and a Stradivarius."

At these words, Nami dropped the dress she had just grabbed and stared at her friend.

"A Stradivarius?!" she choked.

"An original Stradivarius", Robin specified, smiling.

"He's completely out of his mind! These violins are selling for more than three million berries by auction!"

Nami then rolled her eyes, exasperated.

"And Chopper, what does he want?" she grumbled.

"He wants the construction of a highly secure shelter on the Sunny in which he can study infectious diseases and the most virulent toxins of Grand Line", Robin read. "He would also like a box of strawberry lollipops."

"God, what was I thinking when I asked them what they wanted", Nami groaned, desperate.

Robin tilted her head to the side, thoughtful.

"Strangely, their requests match them perfectly", she pointed out to her.

"It just confirms that they're completely reckless", the navigator snarled, resuming the examination of another dress. "They have no notion of reality!"

The two young women then decided to forget the stupidity of the boys for a moment and they focused on the shelving of the store with application. However, after a few minutes, Robin looked up again at her friend.

"Have you had the stone our captain gave you examined?"

Busy comparing two shirts a few steps away, Nami nodded.

"Yes, it's definitely a ruby but I didn't exchange it after all."

"Really?"

The navigator put down her items before choosing others, a sweet smile on her lips.

"I had a better idea..."

The sun had just set on the sea and Sanji opened the kitchen door with a determined step to head towards the crew's girls' quarter. When he reached his destination, he reflexively knocked before half-opening the door of the navigator's room. Obviously, there was no one.

He quickly crossed the room and took a deep breath while looking one last time at the key he was holding in his hand. He didn't see the point in keeping it any longer. Might as well being used by someone else, whether for Nami and Luffy or even for other activities if they wanted to. They could even burn this bed and throw it overboard, he didn't care.

He had thought it through. By returning the key, Nami would understand that something had happened and the rest of crew in the aftermath. It would surely earn him some delicate questions but these indiscretions would probably not last.

This act would seal the few words exchanged the day before between him and the swordsman, and Sanji had decided that it was up to him to formalize their breakup to stop suffering the situation. Zoro had obviously not said anything on his side for the moment and by taking the lead, the cook was breaking the circle of passivity in which he had allowed himself to be locked up by the fencer. Thus he was regaining control of his life, and his freedom at the same time.

Sanji slowly put the key down on the navigator's desk before walking away and gently closing the door behind him.

This time, it was really over.

I know it's hard to inflict this insult to Sanji but he's strong. He has an extraordinary dignity and I admire it a lot so I tried to do him justice.

Don't be too mad with our swordsman, he's going to reveal himself. And maybe you already guessed what this is about in his little head...