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Chapter 64

Double-sided

Sanji leaned down to grab his shirt from the bottom of the dirty laundry basket. As he was standing up, a bolt of pain shot through his lower back and he winced before taking a second to breathe. Finally, he bent down again and gathered his clothes more smoothly. He tended to forget his injury, but it was still there despite his efforts to not push himself too hard.

The cook took his clothes to the washing machine a little further in the Sunny's bathroom and began to sort them, being careful not to make unnecessary moves. He was annoyed to note his condition despite his precautions. Even Zoro had realized the extent of his suffering and had changed his attitude towards him accordingly. Indeed, it was the swordsman who had finally stopped his partner the evening of their little party outside a few days earlier. This shows the image he was projecting…

Having set all his dark clothes down in the washing machine, Sanji grabbed the washing powder and fabric softener to pour in the right amount. As he was closing the lid and starting the wash cycle, he sighed, remembering the scene. He was recalling the atmosphere had moved up a notch after the fencer had pulled him against the mast and as expected, he hadn't been able to resist for long. They were gone to their room in no time and the cook was no longer feeling the twitching in his spine, only focused on the pleasure of the flesh. Until Zoro froze on the bed above him and stared, frowning.

Sanji had given him a questioning look, clearly surprised, but the swordsman had only rolled to the side to stay there, panting. As the blond had started to get annoyed in front of his incomprehensible behavior, Zoro had only put a hand on his back when the cook had turned to him. Sanji couldn't help but jump at the touch, suddenly remembering the reality of his body under the adrenaline rush. They had stared each other a few seconds then the fencer had drawn him towards him with a hand on his neck and had put his lips on his temple before getting up without a word.

The cook had been stunned and had watched him go away then leave the room in bewilderment. Even today, Sanji didn't know how the swordsman had understood he was really suffering since he himself had concealed it. Zoro had probably noticed the unconscious startles and involuntary tightening of his muscles under his fingers, he who was so used to being attentive to the physical and bodily elements.

The washing machine began to turn and the cook carefully put away the rest of his clothes and the products, lost in his memories. Instinctively that evening, when the door had closed behind Zoro, his ego had flared with anger at the idea that the fencer had felt compelled to take pity on him. And then his pride had ebbed as his senses had slowly came to him. He had known it wasn't about domination or provocation on the part of the swordsman. They had both made the decision to fully get involved in their relationship and Sanji had noted the silent but real commitment of his partner since their reconciliation. Zoro allowed himself more often to speak about their bond and even if he didn't do it verbally, his looks and moves were clear for the blond. He was letting him come closer and his demeanor that night had been his way of showing the cook he understood. It was his way of telling him he was trying to take care of him.

And Sanji had had his guesses confirmed for three days now. Even if the fencer's behavior towards him hadn't really changed except he hadn't tried to resume their frolics, yet when Zoro was laying down by his side in the evening, he was settling for a kiss a little rough on his lips, which made the cook smile. Strangely, it was one of the best proofs of his attachment the blond could have hoped for.

So although frustrated at the time, Sanji knew the swordsman had been right to stop. Indeed, it had allowed him to discover a new side of his partner and he didn't regret it.

"This island looks ordinary", Franky said.

"Perfectly usual", Brook added.

The entire crew was gathered on the foredeck by mid-afternoon, staring at their next destination looming on the horizon. A pebble beach ran along the coast, and a rocky expanse extended inland as far as the eye could see. The overcast sky and the visible absence of animals gave the island an impression of a totally abandoned place but also of absolute normality.

"Why isn't it listed then?" Usopp pointed out with a frown. "It's weird, isn't it?"

"At first glance, it seems hardly habitable given its soils", Robin noted. "There doesn't seem to be a lot of vegetation."

"We might be on the wrong side of the island", Sanji suggested, dragging on his cigarette. "Maybe there are facilities elsewhere?"

"Yes! Maybe the island is very different from the other side!" Chopper agreed.

"I have no idea how long the Log-Pose will take to recharge", Nami sighed.

"Not sure there's enough to stock up", Zoro added, gazing at the desert landscape.

"It smells like adventure!" Luffy exclaimed with delight, climbing on the figurehead.

Below, his navigator turned towards the cook.

"Can you stay on the ship, Sanji-kun? We better be careful and I don't think walking too long is a good idea in your situation anyway."

"Nami-san is worried about me!" the blond twirled, transcended. "Don't worry, I'll protect the ship and serve you a wonderful dinner when you get back!"

Franky grabbed him by the shoulders so that he stops spinning.

"If you screw up your back you won't be able to watch my Sunny so just be quiet", he muttered. "I'm counting on you."

The cook nodded blissfully, his gaze still on the navigator who was continuing to organize their disembarkation without paying him any more attention.

"I take back what I said earlier. Indeed, this island is extraordinarily gloomy", Brook shuddered.

After having left Sanji in charge of the ship, the crew had disembarked on dry land and had headed for the center of the island. They had been walking like this for nearly two hours, but their surroundings hadn't changed and the hopelessly empty panorama was growing heavy. Everyone was beginning to fear they might not find anything interesting on this piece of rock. In addition, the fog was also starting to come down and it wouldn't be long before it'd be dark either.

"How about we wrap this thing up?" Usopp suddenly said in a cheerful voice. "I bet Sanji'll have cooked us a dinner to die for!"

"I can't wait to get back to Sunny", Chopper agreed next to him. "This place isn't welcoming at all."

"Looks like no one has ever lived here", Robin noted as she gazed at the horizon.

"Nothing's usable", the swordsman growled.

"Yeah, it's completely dead", Franky sighed, looking around for materials.

"If nothing is found within twenty minutes, we'll turn around", the navigator decided.

"Oh, look!"

The crew turned to the captain, who was pointing at something high up. Squinting through the increasingly dense haze, Nami thought she could make out the outlines of a large building a little further away.

"It looks like… a construction?"

"A huge construction", the cyborg added, removing his sunglasses to better observe it.

Curious, the friends walked in its direction and gradually discovered an imposing building carved out of the gray stone of the island. It looked like a large fortified castle surrounded by a walkway perched several tens of meters away and a footbridge was disappearing in the fog to take visitors up above. It seemed to be the only possible access to the building and Luffy rushed in, excited.

"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

"Are you sure it's safe?" the little reindeer asked him, visibly scared. "It looks like a haunted castle…"

"This place is strange", Brook agreed. "I feel like presences in the distance…"

"Presences? What kind of presences? Monsters? Ghosts?!" the sniper panicked, wildly glancing around him.

"I can feel them too", Robin said.

"What is it?" the navigator asked her, tightening her hand on her Clima-Tact, uncomfortable.

"I don't know", her friend replied. "It is disconcerting…"

"I don't like it", Zoro muttered, who had grabbed one of his swords.

"Please, let's get outta here!" Usopp cried, clinging on to his captain.

But the straw hat boy superbly ignored him since he laughed before rushing to the footbridge, disappearing into the haze and dragging the terrified sniper in spite of himself. The rest of his friends followed him suspiciously, attentive to any noises, but silence was total.

The footbridge was huge and it creaked under their weights as the fog intensified while they were climbing. Finally arrived at the other end, they noticed that they had climbed to the top of the walkway and that a large headland gave on a very likely closed door in front of which Luffy was already stomping. His crew quickly joined him and they took a closer look at the building around them.

"It's gigantic", Franky noticed, approaching the rock of one of the walls. "I got the impression it goes back a little too."

"Looks like an old mansion from medieval times", Brook added, gazing at the tiny windows visible here and there.

"Whoever lives here is bound to be disturbed", Usopp sniffed. "It's super creepy…"

Suddenly, Luffy knocked with all his might on the doorjamb, startling his friends.

"Hey ho, anybody out there?!" he called out.

"What the hell, be quiet, Luffy!" the sniper got alarmed. "Imagine there's a psychopathic killer?!"

At that moment, the heavy door in front of them opened and the crew backed away, except for the captain who tried to see through the crack while hopping. Finally, a fat man in an unknown uniform stepped out and quickly stared at them.

"Were you the ones who disembarked from a ship shaped like a giant flower head?" he asked them without preamble.

"That's the Sunny", Franky immediately replied defensively. "And yes, it's ours, is there a problem with that?"

"Quick, come in."

The man yanked them inside and closed the door with the same haste. The crew then discovered a large, fairly modern entrance hall that contrasted with the austere exterior appearance. Surveillance screens on a large desk strewed with papers and files showed various rooms of the castle as well as many plans of the island at regular intervals.

"What's going on?" Nami asked, concerned by the man's worried face.

"You don't know the island?" he asked them, walking towards one of his screens.

"No, it's not listed", the navigator answered. "Why?"

"You're on Jasper Island. The prisoners' island", the man explained, turning to them again.

"The prisoners' island?" Franky repeated. "What you mean?"

"Have you heard of Skypiea?"

"Oh yeah! It's great up there!" Luffy exclaimed, his features lighting up.

"Yes, it seems. But not everything is idyllic there, here as elsewhere…"

"We got a glimpse of it", Robin agreed.

"Are there Skypiea's prisoners here?" Chopper wanted to know.

"Yes, I'm the warder for the still next three months. We trade twice a year."

"You mean you're alone?" Usopp asked him, frowning.

As the man was nodding, the gunner suppressed a shudder. Alone for six months keeping prisoners, you really had to be a solid person not to get depressed…

"What kind of prisoners do you keep?" Robin asked.

"The worst kind", the man growled.

He leaned over to a screen and pointed it out to them.

"But these cells are empty!" Brook wondered.

"They escaped?" Franky asked.

"No, we just can't see or hold them with chains", he sighed. "So all I can do is make sure as few people as possible show up here. I saw your ship thanks to the camera of the southern point and I was about to come to meet you."

"Free invisible prisoners!" Chopper and Usopp yelled, terrified.

"These are the presences you felt", Nami understood, meeting Brook and Robin's eyes.

"It's them", the warder approved. "Some people are sensitive to their aura."

"What did they do to be here?" Luffy asked, examining the different screens.

At these words, the man sighed again.

"They're demonic beings without bodily clips who were once confined to Skypiea. One day unfortunately they managed to get out of it and they took possession of many humans to commit the worst crimes. It went on for hundreds of years. However, two hundred years ago, powerful wizards developed an antidote that prevents demons from appropriating mortal bodies. We were able to capture them but since we don't know how to safely return to Skypiea, we cooped them up here. They can't cross the sea so they roam this island indefinitely. The only thing we need to be sure is that they don't find a body to borrow to escape."

"So… you stay in here to warn those who venture here by accident?" Chopper asked, impressed.

"I'm part of a special Marine unit", the man proudly confirmed. "It's a secret mission which allows to preserve population from the horrors of these monsters!"

"It really is an admirable job given its conditions!" Brook praised him.

"It's super cool!" Luffy added in his turn.

The man nodded in thanks before searching through one of his drawers.

"Now that I've found you, drink the antidote", he said, handing them each a flask. "These demons are taking over your bodies without you realizing it and they're using your strength without you being able to prevent it. The greater your power, the more in danger you are. They're also drawn to the dark side of a life and nowadays, who hasn't experienced an event traumatic enough to make us doubt the limit between good and evil?"

The crew nodded at that and grabbed their flasks.

"We'll also need one for Sanji-kun", Nami pointed out. "He's stayed on the ship because he's injured so he should be okay but you never know."

The man approved and gave her another flask which the young woman gave to the doctor.

Beside her, Franky swallowed the antidote in one go and put the small glass back on the desk before suddenly freezing.

"Holy shit, where's Zoro?!"

Everyone abruptly turned and looked around the room for the swordsman, to no avail.

"He was right next to me when we went up the footbridge!" Chopper recalled.

"Oh no! He got lost!" Usopp panicked.

"Was anyone else with you?" the warder asked them, frowning.

"Yes, our swordsman", Robin replied.

The man glanced at his screens and changed several camera angles inside and outside the building. He then spotted him soon enough and the sniper heaved a sigh of relief.

"That's him! Is he far?" he asked.

"Not really", the warder answered.

"What's he doing?" the cyborg growled. "He doesn't seem to realize he got lost."

"He's rushing towards the ship, that idiot!" Nami exclaimed.

"That's definitely Zoro!" Luffy noted, bursting out laughing.

"No, look."

Robin's suddenly worried voice made her crewmates frown and all leaned towards the screen. The fencer's figure was walking quickly in a clearly defined direction and he didn't seem to be looking for his way.

"Look", the young woman resumed in a flat voice. "He does not seem to be lost because he is not himself!"

"He's possessed", the warder whispered.

At these words, Nami put a hand over her mouth, horrified.

"Oh, my God! Sanji-kun!"

The cook stirred the bottom of his pot and added a touch of paprika to his mixing before putting the lid back on to let its contents simmer. He then stepped out onto the deck and stretched pleasantly. Despite the overcast sky and the progress of darkness, he had hung his laundry outside to dry it faster and he walked over to see if his idea had been good. When he got to the back, he tested several of his clothes before frowning when he heard a thud from below. He pushed the towel away from his view and saw that Zoro had jumped onto the foredeck. He then glanced at the beach but saw no one else. Curious, he decided to go down. He wouldn't be surprised to learn this idiot had gotten lost and had found the Sunny by chance…

"What the fuck are you doing, shitty swordsman?"

Sanji stared in astonishment at the fencer as he was trying to weigh anchor after cutting the mooring rope. The sound of his voice made him turn slowly to him and the cook frowned.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

The swordsman didn't answer but came closer, his gaze fixed on his crewmate. Arrived in front of him, he hungrily pressed his lips to his and the cook staggered under his impulse.

"What's wrong with you?" he growled after pushing him away.

He rand a hand over his lips and saw a trail of blood.

"Stop messing around. I'll be back in a minute, you better tell me what's going on, cactus head."

Grumbling, he hurried to his kitchen to check the cooking of his dish and sighed in relief when he saw it hadn't burned. He turned off the heat and added some paprika again before freezing.

"Zoro, what are you doing?"

Sanji stopped the swordsman's hand on his chest, frowning. He turned around, annoyed, but the dark and absent look on the fencer's face surprised him.

"You…"

The blond felt his breath being knocked out of him when the swordsman violently threw him against the adjacent wall, making him wince in pain. His already injured back sent an electric shock all over his body and he fell to his knees.

"Dammit, you can't be serious!"

Zoro moved closer again and brutally picked him up, still silent. Sanji then pulled away with a sudden move, perfectly furious.

"Are you totally out of your fucking mind?! Don't you dare to-"

The swordsman suddenly threw himself on his lips and bit them until they bleed. By reflex, the cook tried to step back but he was already against the wall and he felt the blood spill in his mouth while the fencer's tongue seemed to mingle with it in pleasure. The blond shivered. Zoro was obviously not in his right mind, he had never been so violent with him. Wild and brutal yes, but always with his consent. And now he wasn't.

He pushed him back with all his might and spat out the blood that had collected in his mouth.

"I dunno what's happening to you, stupid swordsman, but you seem pretty sure of yourself. Where are the others?"

The man in front of him still didn't utter a word, but he had a predatory smile that the cook knew. The one he addressed his preys. Not his lover.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

For answer, Zoro kicked him in the ankles and he collapsed, his back painfully banging again against the wall then the ground and half knocking him out under a shower of glittering dots. Yet he shook himself up when he felt the fencer rip the buttons off his shirt and use his weigh to keep him down.

The swordsman brutally removed the garment to violently bite his left nipple and Sanji suppressed a cry of pain. He then nudged him in the plexus and knocked the wind out of him. Taking advantage of the situation, he tried to roll to the side but Zoro's strong arm stopped him with a punch on the cheekbone. Stunned, he remained dizzy several seconds, unable to make a move. The callused hand of the swordsman then began to go down his chest and then his belly, venturing ever lower until unbuckling his belt.

"Fucking hell, let go of me, idiot!"

The cook furiously struggled again and Zoro finally head-butted him to calm him down. Confused and blood dripping from his nose and mouth, Sanji tried to come to his senses by catching his breath. He soon began to gesticulate again but he had lost his strength and Zoro was managing to pin him to the ground with one hand while the other was beginning to unbutton his own pants.

Panic took over the cook for a second when he noticed he couldn't get away. His increasingly disordered moves were getting him nowhere except injuring a little more his back which was rubbing on the ground. So he resolved to calm down to see what his opponent was going to do. His opponent, because it was no longer Zoro, he knew it.

What could have happened to make the swordsman go crazy, he had absolutely no idea and the most urgent task was to get out of it. The fencer had formidable physical strength and with his injury his only chance was to surprise him. Looking around, Sanji noticed his immobility hadn't bothered his attacker in the slightest, and he was still staring without actually seeing him. Another confirmation that Zoro was no longer himself.

The cook's eyes suddenly gripped the swords of the man on his belt. Zoro hadn't even used his blades, it was unthinkable. Abruptly changing his strategy, Sanji put all his strength to roll the swordsman on the left side and free his own right hand which rushed towards the swords. The fencer tried to stop him, but the blond focused to grab the scabbard of a sword with his fingertips before pulling on it with the force of desperation. The blade shot out and nearly stabbed him as it fell, but he had the reflex to grab it and point it at his enemy's neck.

"Back off, moron", he stammered, spitting blood out again.

The fencer's body didn't move above his and it even seemed that he was leaning more against the tip of the blade.

"Stop, what the hell are you doing?!"

The blond pushed him back somehow to escape his grip before straightening while keeping the tip of the katana in his direction as best as he could. Kneeling in front of the swordsman, he was unable to get up completely.

After a few moments of silence in the midst of their gasping breaths, Sanji finally lowered his weapon which his arm couldn't hold anymore.

"You're not… in your right mind, Zoro."

This one didn't seem to hear him, and he leaned toward him again. Sanji then took a deep breath to lift the heavy sword and rested it against his stomach to prevent him from coming closer.

"Don't make me kill you, stupid."

The fencer continued to lean forward and Sanji kept his own pressure on the sword, pushing it a bit into his stomach. Stopping his move in spite of himself when noticing he was really going to hurt him, the cook then felt more than he saw the swordsman disarm him with a precise move against his weakened arm. The blade slipped away from him and rolled several meters away under his horrified gaze.

The cook immediately returned his attention to the fencer and his heart leaped in his rib cage when he saw he was about to pounce on him again. Without thinking, he sent him a huge kick in the chest that propelled him into the kitchen door before ripped it from its hinges, sweeping them both away to the middle of the deck.

Sanji then tried to stand up a little more, but he staggered. His head was spinning and his back couldn't carry him anymore. He collapsed to the ground, praying that Zoro or whoever had taken possession of his body wouldn't get up. Yet he tried to keep his eyes open for his return and Nami's frantic shouts were the last thing he heard.

With relief, he let himself slide into unconsciousness. If Nami was safe and sound, then everything was fine…

Well, you probably didn't expect such a chapter… and I did it on purpose. I didn't want to go too hard but we need to feel the violence and shock of the moment. I don't do this for nothing or by chance, it's always with the goal of making their relationship evolve.

Until next time!