Disclaimer: If I owned One Piece, Sanji and co. would be back by now.

The four siblings returned to their homes with renewed spirit, and their people welcomed them with open arms. For far too long they had watched their protectors be weighed down by grief, to the point where many had begun to lose their faith in the siblings ever going back to the way they had once been. To see them now, back to their former glory, brought joy to them all.

Or at least... almost all.

Despite his exhaustion, Sanji woke up just before dawn as he always did. He groaned and turned over, hoping to convince himself to sleep a little longer, but eventually lost the battle and got up. The pendant fell to the floor with a small thunk, and for a few seconds he just stared at it uncomprehendingly. Then he picked it up and, after a bit of fumbling, managed to hang it around his neck. He made his way out of the aquarium bar and went through his morning routine mechanically, pretty much sleep-walking through the whole thing. It was only as he stood outside smoking and watching the sunrise that he realized that something was different.

One, his head no longer hurt, and two, the Fish were back.

Sanji blinked once, and then again for good measure. A slow grin broke out on his face, and with a laugh he reached out to a small cluster of Fish, fully expecting them to slip away or disappear altogether as they always did.

He was immensely surprised when they did neither.

They remained where they were and he could have touched them if he wanted, and it was only the sudden and inexplicable feeling of it being horribly wrong to do so that prevented him from acting on the impulse. His hand stopped just shy of the Fish, hovering uncertainly. He started to pull back but froze in place again when the Fish followed. They circled around his hand almost tentatively, and Sanji was struck with the sense that he was being observed. The Fish moved further up his arm and back to his hand again, the feeling of being under scrutiny intensifying and becoming a little unnerving.

"Wha..." The question died before he could finish asking it, as the Fish stopped abruptly where they were just above his palm. The stillness seemed heavy, as if they were expecting something to happen and for the life of him he couldn't shake the impression that their attention was on him. He opened his mouth to say... something, though what exactly that something would be he had no idea.

"What're y' doin'?" Sanji nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice. The Fish dispersed, taking the strange feeling with them, and Sanji whirled around to face the speaker. It was Usopp, looking more asleep than awake, probably having had last watch. Sanji hadn't heard him coming down from the crow's nest at all! How long had he been standing there?

Suddenly aware of how stupid he must look, Sanji stuffed his hands in his pockets in an attempt to pretend he hadn't just been startled by Usopp of all people.

"...Stretching," he answered lamely. The sniper gave him a blank look, but Sanji couldn't tell if it was because he didn't buy it or because he was about to fall asleep where he stood.

"Mhm." Either way, it seemed Usopp decided to let it be. "Since you're up, I'm gonna go get a few hours of sleep...," he paused to yawn, "before breakfast." Without waiting for a reply, Usopp staggered off towards the men's quarters. Sanji, for his part, lingered on deck a little longer, staring at the space the Fish had occupied.

What the hell had that been about?

The youngest sibling's people found it hard to join the celebrations, for despite the fact that few of them had ever even met her and she had been their guardian in little more than name, they still felt her absence. A part of them all had been lost, a part which none had known to be there. They found themselves drifting in uncertainty, their only true connection to the siblings severed.

They did not believe the second sibling would drive them out, of course, but up until now they had been under his protection by request of the fifth. They were grateful but held no real loyalty to him, no sense of kinship. Neither the second sibling nor his people could understand the yearning for the sea they had all inherited, or the strange disconnect they were all experiencing.

None of the other siblings would either, for that matter. The first sibling's realm was distant, overlooking the world, and so empty. The clouds could act akin to waves, the birds akin to fish, but the heavens were truly alien to those who had always lived on the ground.

The third and the fourth siblings would understand their love of the ocean, but wouldn't know the frustration of never being able to have it. The youngest sister's people did not share her illness, but they could not live beneath the waves. Their forms had been decided when she had been forced to choose the land, and no matter how much those forms shifted and evolved, they would never be able to call the ocean floor home.

The more the fifth's people dwelt on it, the more they came to realize that they did not belong anywhere.

Robin was, as usual, the first to enter the galley. Sanji was still in the middle of his prep work, but he'd already made a pot of coffee just for her. The others wouldn't wake up for some time yet, so he relished the time he could spend uninterrupted with the crew's beautiful archaeologist.

"Robin-chwan, here's your coffee, made with my undying love and devotion!" he practically sang as he set down a cup with flourish, followed by the pot in case she wanted a refill.

"Thank you, Cook-san." Sanji danced back to the counter to continue his work with an idiotic grin on his face. Robin sat quietly, sipping her coffee every now and then, but unlike her normal routine she did not pull out a book, opting to observe him instead. He didn't mind, of course, not in the least! He did, however, begin wonder if something was wrong, as her expression was completely unreadable. Perhaps the coffee was not to her liking...?

He was about ask if he had truly committed so grave a sin as to mess up her beverage when Robin beat him to the punch.

"You seem to be in a good mood this morning, Cook-san." That gave him pause. It was an innocent enough comment, but he knew there had to be far more to it than that.

"But of course! I have been bestowed the honor of your radiant presence, after all!"

Robin smiled a little, but shook her head. "While that is flattering, it is not what I meant. You've been rather... stretched thin lately, and I can't help but wonder why."

Ah. She'd noticed, then. Honestly, it should have been pretty obvious that she would, brilliant and observant as she was. Her concern warmed his heart and he briefly debated telling her at least some of what had been going on, but decided against it immediately.

"I'm fine, don't worry," he assured her with his most charming smile. Her expression told him she wasn't having any of it, so he hurried to elaborate just a bit. "Really! Something was bothering me a little before, but it's gone now. Everything's fine, I promise."

Robin still looked skeptical, but seemed to take his word for it. "If you say so, Cook-san. Whatever the case may be, it is good to see you in high spirits again." With one final look in his direction, she pulled out a book and began to read. Sanji got back to work and resolved to work on his subtlety. There was no point in bothering the others with his problems when there was nothing anyone could do about them.

Besides, he hadn't lied to Robin; the Fish were back and his headache was gone. Everything really was fine again.

As time passed, the youngest sibling's people grew more and more distant. The second sibling's people did their best to include them, to treat them as their own, but one by one began to give up as their efforts yielded no results. Eventually, some of that disappointment turned to bitterness, and the youngest sister's people were pushed ever further away.

The siblings noticed this, and the second especially felt guilty. There was nothing he could do to make his beloved sister's own feel at home, nothing he could say to cross the distance they had created. He thought long and hard, and tried his hardest to remind his people that they should be welcoming, not hostile, to no avail. He turned to his family for aid, but they had no answers to provide, no advice to give, no comfort to offer. They were all as unsure as he was.

Yet they shared another sentiment: the refusal to fail their sister in this way, not when they had failed her so greatly before. They would find a way to reconnect her people to the world, no matter what it took.

The rest of the crew filed in one by one, and all semblance of peace was destroyed when Luffy burst in demanding food. They fell into their well-established routine of grabbing whatever they could get, shouting their conversations, and defending their food from one bottomless pit of a captain. Sanji was in the middle of the action, moving between seats and making sure everyone had their fill. He'd eaten a little beforehand, and would finish off what he'd set aside as soon as everyone was gone. In the meanwhile he shouted, laughed and defended unsuspecting plates together with everyone else.

He found his attention a little divided, however. The Fish were moving in a flurry alongside him, and more often than not he found himself following their motions as he ducked and wove around the flailing limbs and utensils. There was a surprising ease to it, as the Fish would always choose the path that was the most natural to follow. Still, their movements weren't unusual. What was unusual was how close they got to him and everyone else. They really ought to have disappeared or moved away by now, but just like earlier they... didn't.

Sanji had no idea what to make of it. He was pretty sure they could do no harm, at least, so he wasn't particularly worried. It didn't make it any less odd, though.

Once breakfast was over and the table was cleared, Nami laid out a map of the area. Sanji listened from his spot by the sink, washing the dishes as the crew revised their plans.

"Alright, so the storm threw us pretty far off course. I think it'd be best to head for the nearest island, let the Log Pose reset, and then move on from there." Nami traced their current course on the map, which was indeed rather far from where they should have been.

Luffy made a face. "Awwww, but I wanna go to Fishman Island!"

"We'll get there, it's just gonna take us a little longer."

"But I wanna go there now!"

"Tough luck."

"But Namiiiii..."

Sanji turned towards the conversation, brandishing a frying pan. "You heard the lady! We'll get there when we get there!" Luffy whined some more, but let Nami get on with it.

"Thank you, Sanji-kun. Now, the closest island to our position is Merchant Island, a few days away." Robin leaned forward to peer at the map.

"Ah, I've heard of it. It supposedly has one of the largest markets in this stretch of the Grand Line, which is rather impressive considering that the island itself isn't all that big. They're also said to be friendly towards pirates."

"Soooo... we won't have to be ready to run for our lives at any given second?" Usopp asked hopefully. Robin nodded.

"As long as we don't cause any trouble, no. The island has no Marine base of its own, but there are always a few ships around they can call in on a moment's notice." Usopp's shoulders sagged.

"We're doomed, then."

"Not as long as everyone behaves," Nami cut in, "which means no starting fights, no angering the locals, and no breaking the market, accidentally or otherwise." All eyes turned to Luffy, who was picking his nose.

"...What?"

"We're doomed," Usopp repeated.

For the first time since her death, the siblings returned to their sister's home. It was just as they had left it, as if no time had passed at all. They paused at the entryway to pay their respects, then ventured inside. Her belongings were untouched, and the siblings were hesitant to break the spell of stillness that pervaded the space.

It was tranquil, this home locked in a moment that had long since passed. It would not have been difficult to believe their sister was still alive, waiting for them just behind the corner, ready to write down the stories they told her or working on the trinkets she'd make to pass the time. Oh, how the siblings wished it were so! If only she were there, smiling kindly as she always did...

But no, she was no more. Never again would she listen bright-eyed to their tales, never again would she accept the little gifts they brought her, never again would she use her hands to create things of beauty from the most mundane of objects. And yet...

And yet her presence lingered here, like she had never left.

They were approaching the island, and would make landfall in a couple hours. In the meantime, Nami was sharing out everyone's allowances.

"I don't care what kind of project you're working on, that's all you're getting! You should be grateful I'm giving you anything at all, after your last 'experiment' ruined my favorite shirt!"

"It was an accident, and I said I was sorry! Pleeeaase, Robin said that they sell just about everything here, so they probably have the tools I've been looking for!" Usopp begged, but squeaked and hid behind Franky at the navigator's glare.

"Don't worry, little bro! I'll chip in, if you'll let me borrow them." Usopp nodded frantically and dragged Franky out of the galley, as far away from Nami as possible. Nami muttered something under her breath before turning back to the others.

"What about you, Sanji-kun? How much do you need to buy?"

"The storm cost me a good number of plates, I'd like to replace those... It wouldn't hurt to do some restocking, either." He ran through the inventory in his head and gave Nami an estimate of how much he needed. She parted with the sum, ignoring the praises he sang her in the process.

As the island came into view, Sanji drafted Usopp into helping him with the groceries, despite the sniper's complaints.

"Oh, shut it! You can't buy whatever the hell it is you're looking for without Franky, and he has to stick around to make some repairs."

"Why can't you just get Zoro to carry stuff instead?"

"Marimo's still too injured to be of any use to anyone, and everyone else had some excuse lined up. So deal with it! I don't even need to buy that much, it won't take that long." Usopp grumbled something which sounded suspiciously like an insult, but agreed when Sanji began to tap his shoe against the deck in a totally non-threatening way. Sanji grinned innocently in response.

The harbor was large, taking up a good portion of the island's southern coast. The amount of traffic was insane. Ships of all sizes were constantly coming and going, including several pirate ships. Beyond the harbor, the wide streets were lined with colorful stalls and shops with merchants loudly hawking their wares.

Luffy was bouncing about in excitement (having changed his mind about the island after all) and it was only Nami's grip on the back of his shirt that kept him from rocketing off before the ship could come to a halt. Chopper shared in the captain's enthusiasm, rattling on and on about medicines and herbs he hoped to find, and what he could do with them. Most of it went right over Sanji's head, but he grinned at the young doctor anyway.

With the ship properly docked, Nami let go of their captain who promptly took off with a "Woohoo!". The Straw Hats let out a collective sigh.

"How long before he gets into trouble, d'you think?"

"Maybe an hour, give or take."

"He'd better wait until the Log Pose sets if he knows what's good for him."

Shouts echoed from the direction Luffy had disappeared to.

"...How about we just leave now and save ourselves the trouble?"

A crash.

"The mosshead might be onto something there."

Somewhere in the distance, their captain crowed in delight.

"They're selling floating rocks! SO! COOL!"

They did not belong. Their bodies were of the land, but their hearts were of the sea and no matter where they went, one was always breaking. With no one to guide them, they began to wander in search of something to call their own. They kept to the coasts, avoiding the second's people where they could, cooperating with them where they had to.

They yearned to follow the winds out to open ocean, but hadn't the means; the small fishing boats they learned to build could not go far.

One place to another, they journeyed without destination. There was nothing else for them.

The shopkeeper gave him a nasty glare as he paid for his purchases, and Sanji was sure to give one right back. What the hell was wrong with these people? This was the third vendor in as many shops to apparently hate the two Straw Hats on sight. Sure, their crew had a reputation, but Sanji and Usopp had been perfectly polite during their shopping trip (although Sanji admittedly had demonstrated his displeasure at the poor treatment).

It wasn't like anyone else was dealing with the same problem, either. Sanji had seen guys armed to the teeth who looked far more likely to start shit than the two Straw Hats being treated like fucking royalty, but as soon as he went up to a stall the duo would receive looks ranging from heavy suspicion to outright hostility. The only reason he could possibly think of was Luffy barreling through and messing things up, leaving everyone wary of the entire crew, but he was sure their idiot of a captain had gone in the completely opposite direction.

With a final glare towards the shopkeeper, he picked up his bags and dragged Usopp off to the next stall. The vendor smiled at them, but his expression quickly changed after taking in their appearance. Honestly, fuck these people.

"How may I help you?" The question was terse, but was significantly better than what they got from the last one. At least this guy was pretending to be polite. He managed to keep up the act to the end too, even though Sanji would guess it took all the self-control the man had.

"This is 'friendly', is it?" Usopp muttered to the cook as they headed to the next stall.

"Compared to some of the other places we've been to?" Sanji pointed out, if only because he refused to believe Robin would ever be so far off the mark. Then again, if he was right about this rudeness only being directed at them, Robin wasn't wrong and the Straw Hats were simply an exception to the rule for whatever reason.

"Okay, yeah, it's better than some, but I didn't think they'd try to murder us with their eyes! We haven't even done anything wrong!"

"Like that's ever stopped anyone before."

Usopp started to argue, but then thought better of it. "Point." He cast a nervous glance around the markets, and added, "I just hope they don't call in the Marines."

By the time they finished their errands and started back towards the docks, they both felt a little uneasy. Every vendor they had spoken to had been phenomenally rude, and while the navy had yet to storm the place, the possibility did not seem far-fetched in the slightest.

Climbing aboard the Sunny, Sanji was surprised to find Robin watching the ship.

"Where's Franky?" he asked, annoyed that the shipwright would disappear and leave his job to the lovely archaeologist.

"He needed more materials for repairs, something about our ropes being too frayed." Sanji opened his mouth to protest, but Robin cut him off. "I volunteered to guard the ship in his stead, and I assure you it isn't a bother."

"Alright, but please let me take over once I've put everything away. You deserve to enjoy your free time, not get stuck here doing someone else's job!" Sanji pleaded.

"Thank you, Cook-san, but that's not necessary. I'll have plenty of time to explore later, Navigator-san says it will take three days for the Log Pose to set." Sanji wanted to argue, but Robin's tone was one of finality.

"If... if you're sure..."

Robin smiled. "I am. Now, allow me to assist you with the groceries."

It was both comforting and painful for the siblings to enter the heart of the home, their sister's workroom. Here, she had always written down and bound their stories. Here, she had poured her creativity into the little things she made, each with their own unique meaning.

She was gone, but here, more than anywhere else, the siblings still felt her presence.

The shelves were lined with all she had made, just waiting to be picked up. The siblings realized that in a way it all belonged to them now, but could not bring themselves to think about it as theirs. Yet at the same time they could not bear to leave everything as it was, to be forgotten and left behind. Their sister's memory deserved better.

They resolved to give their sister's belongings to her people, a final link to the guardian they had never known but loved nonetheless.

Sanji wandered around the marketplace, having been ushered off the ship by Robin. He was looking for any more exotic ingredients the market may have to offer, ones he hadn't bothered to buy earlier because they were not absolutely necessary. He'd already come across several spices he'd only ever heard of, as well as some rather interesting fruits. He would honestly be enjoying himself immensely if it weren't for the shitty attitudes the vendors kept meeting him with.

He was also looking for something to give to Robin, to show his appreciation for her hard work. She deserved it for selflessly giving up her free time to do what should have been Franky's job. Perhaps he'd get her a book? He doubted he'd find anything directly related to Robin's goal, but she was interested in history in general as well. So maybe some kind of historical text...?

He stopped outside of a promising shop. Through the window, he could see shelves upon shelves of books, and he figured the place was his best bet. The bell above the door jingled to signal his arrival, but apart from that the shop was silent. It was rather cozy, and although he had come in to look for something to give to Robin, he kind of wanted to find a book and a corner and sit down to read himself. He still loved a good story just as much as he had when he was kid, but he hadn't really had the chance to indulge recently.

"Hello?" he called. There was some shuffling from somewhere at the back of the store, followed by muffled cursing.

"Hold on, I'll be right with you! I just have to find... aha!" A man who appeared to be in his fifties emerged from behind a bookshelf, carrying a tome which was bigger than a reasonable book had any business being. The man also looked like he had been rolling around in a century's worth of dust. Sanji decided to keep his distance (he did not want dust on his nice clean suit, thank you very much), and waited for the inevitable glare and barely concealed hostility he had come to expect.

"Sorry to keep you waiting! Now, how may I help you?"

Sanji blinked. That... hadn't actually been rude at all. He studied the man carefully for any sign that might suggest what he really thought, but had to conclude that either he wasn't acting or he was really, really good at it.

"Is something wrong?" the man asked, and Sanji realized he'd been staring awkwardly.

"Ah, no! Um, I'm looking for something for an archaeologist friend of mine..."

"Anything in particular?"

Sanji scratched the back of his neck. "Er... something history-ish?"

The man laughed. "Alright, our oldest books are over this way, if you'll just follow me..." He headed for the shelves at the far right corner of the shop, with Sanji trailing behind him. "So tell me, what had you so surprised when you came in? I know I'm not in my prime anymore, but I don't look that bad," the man remarked jovially.

"Huh? Oh. No-one else I've spoken to today has been particularly welcoming is all. I was expecting more of the same," Sanji answered, eyeing the shelves piled high with books. The man frowned for a moment, before a look of realization spread over his features.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry about that." He paused to sidestep around a stack of books which looked like they'd seen better days. "The locals are incredibly superstitious. The stars probably aren't correctly aligned for you to be wearing dress shoes, or something equally absurd."

"...You're not one of them?"

"A local, you mean? Nah. Moved here a good twenty-five years ago, so I've been around long enough to learn most of the customs, but their beliefs will always be beyond me. Ah, here we are..." He stopped in front of a large set of shelves which Sanji thought looked ready collapse under the weight of everything on them.

"I'll leave you to browse. If you need anything, just give me a call." With that, he headed back to the front of the shop and left Sanji to his own devices.

Sanji stepped closer to the shelves, a little afraid that touching something would bring everything crashing down. The books themselves were all worn and faded to varying degrees, and he was pretty sure some of them would disintegrate if he so much as sneezed at them. Since powdered book made for a lousy gift, he moved onto the ones which were in better shape, absentmindedly running his fingers over the spines as he searched for one that looked even mildly interesting.

He pulled one out at random and skimmed through it, but it was nothing more than some old-as-balls record of trading routes that had existed somewhere at some point. Boring, and probably useless. Similarly, the next book turned out to be the log of some ship he'd never heard of and didn't seem to be of any consequence.

The third book he pulled out didn't have a title on the spine or cover, and was bound in thick leather that was clearly meant to last. He opened it in the middle, somewhat curious.

Sanji didn't drop the book, but it was a close call.

Although the siblings had gathered all of their sister's belongings to give to her people, they felt their intended gift was inadequate. Mere items could not convey their sister's essence, nor did they necessarily offer any benefit to the recipients.

It was the third sibling who suggested they add in gifts of their own, as both an apology and gesture of goodwill.

The brothers decided to give the vessel they had built to take their sister far out to sea and the knowledge needed to recreate it. The sisters decided to offer the blessings of the ocean; while they could not forever calm its storms, the seas could become a place of healing and life.

Together, the siblings decided to give their sister's home as well as the island it resided on. Together, they decided to give her final resting place.

As one last gift, they each placed spells on the trinkets their sister had crafted; blessings of fair winds, of good health, of favorable fortune, of strength. Yet when it came to the last one, they knew not what spell to place upon it.

It was then they heard a whisper, felt the gossamer touch of what should no longer be. The silver shadows that had been almost completely lost to their sight since the death of their sister showed themselves again, dancing around the impossible presence.

The shadows converged upon the trinket, engraving their mark into it. The siblings shared a moment of silence, warmth and certainty, then as one placed the last spell.

Sanji had not seen the old tongue written down since the blue book had burned together with the orphanage, and honestly had never expected to see it again. As such, finding it on the pages in front of him surprised him enough to slam the book shut.

He stood frozen for a moment, marshaling his thoughts into some coherent order. Taking a deep breath, he carefully opened it again at the first page.

'Captain Elias Lonn

Ship's log of...'

Sanji closed the book, far more gently this time, and headed straight for the front of the store, all thoughts of Robin temporarily forgotten. The old man sat behind the counter, writing down something, but he looked up as Sanji approached.

"Ah, did you find what you were looking for?"

"What can you tell me about this one?" Sanji asked, forcing himself to sound calm and holding the book up. The man examined it, and frowned.

"Well if I'm quite honest with you, that thing has been a bit of a pain in the neck for me."

Sanji was unable to mask his curiosity. "How so?"

"I bought it off some traveler a few years back. Said he'd found it on an uninhabited island in... South Blue, I think it was? Something to do with a shipwreck, anyhow." The man's brow furrowed as he tried to remember. "I figured something as old as that thing appears to be had to be valuable, so I paid a rather hefty sum for it. Bad move on my part. No matter how many collectors I've shown it to, no-one has ever been able to tell me what it even is, let alone shown interest in buying it. And why would they? It could be a guide to growing turnips for all we know."

Sanji kept his face neutral, and bit down the urge to comment that a turnip-growing guide it most certainly was not. "Does that mean you'd be willing to sell it?"

The old man blinked in surprise. "You think that archaeologist friend of yours will be able to figure it out?"

"...She might," Sanji replied, leaving out that she wouldn't really have to. The man looked him over slowly.

"I don't think you'll be able to afford what I originally paid for it," he said. "But tell you what. Recommend my shop to this friend of yours, and I'll give it to you cheap."

"Are you sure?" Sanji asked, a little thrown off by the man's generosity.

"Consider it an apology for the way you've been treated so far. I promise the islanders are usually far friendlier."

Sanji paid the price the man asked for, and tucked the book into his jacket. Just as he turned to leave, the man cleared his throat.

"If you want to do your shopping without getting harassed, try the areas further from the harbor. That's where all the foreign merchants are set up, they shouldn't give you any trouble." Sanji nodded.

"Thank you. Oh, I should probably ask... Given how much the people here dislike us, do you think they'll call the Marines on my crew?"

"Unless you cause real trouble, I doubt it. Calling in the Marines would mean all the pirates on the island would have to leave, and that would be terrible for business."

"Good to know." With that, Sanji left the shop and headed back towards the harbor.

It took all of his self-control not to run the distance.

A/N

Dear Lord this chapter did not want to be written!

"Merchant Island" is an excellent example of why I shouldn't be allowed to name things.

Thank you to everyone for your patience, I hope I won't end up making you wait such an unholy amount of time for the next chapter...

And finally, a huge thank you to all who followed, favorited and reviewed! You guys rock! (Another special thank you to guest reviewer C, your questions are wonderful!)

As always, any and all feedback is greatly appreciated, and please point out any mistakes you may spot in grammar/spelling!