Chapter Nine: Luffy Insight
"The point is to not kill him. Besides, I've gotta stop being a coward at some point."
//Its time to face up to the past.//
//He
doesn't deserve to be so damn happy and successful. Shouldn't it be
obvious why I left? If I left that day, it means that I went down to
the harbor and saw the horde of pirates. If he hasn't figured it out
he's pretty damn stupid. Why the hell would he even want me back, or
pretend to? Pirate or no, I still have morals that would be bad for
business.//
//Look
at this place. You think pirates are his main costumers
anymore?//
Sanji
waited patiently for Zoro to finish his thought. He discreetly gazed
at the man through his peripheral vision. It was enthralling to be
this close to him and not be overstepping any boundaries.
//Penny
for your thoughts.//
"I
don't know what I'm going to do yet. I need...to put this behind me.
I'd rather just leave, but something tells me it wouldn't be fair
not to let him defend himself."
"Who cares about fair?" Sanji spat angrily. "Was it fair what he did to you? I know what you're thinking Zoro. You've got that manly honor thing going-"
"You're one to talk Mr. Chivalry." Zoro snapped. "What am I even going to say to him? Hey Kell, you're a mother fucker and I hope you burn in hell."
Sanji thought for a moment. "Yup...that sounds about right."
Zoro rolled his eyes. "Easy for you."
//This
isn't easy for me. It isn't easy for me to watch you like
this.//
"ZORO
ZORO ZORO ZOROOO!" Came a horrifying screech from the hallway. Zoro
and Sanji jumped out of the bed and made for the door. Before they
could reach it a colorful blur slammed through the doorway and
knocked them both to the floor.
"Oh, there you are." Said Luffy, who was straddling Zoro's hips. "I couldn't find you."
"Luffy." Came a sinister voice from behind. Sanji descended upon the straw hat boy.
"Ne Sanji, you look mad-"
"Get off of him. Now."
"Woo hoo! Okay okay!" Luffy gripped his hat and jumped off of Zoro and onto Zoro's bed. "Yikes Sanji, you're scary!"
Sanji offered a hand to Zoro, who was catching his breath. He accepted it and Sanji pulled him up. The cook helped the recovering swordsman to his bed.
"Hey! Your bed is bigger and softer than mine! I'm sleeping with you from now-...Ne, Sanji...you look mad again- Yikes! Wait! Stop! No! Hey! I'm the captain-"
Zoro would have laughed, but he was feeling particularly ill at the moment. Luffy knocking him down seemed to have devastated any energy he had built up.
//I'll never get better at this rate.//
Zoro closed his eyes. He couldn't hear Luffy's struggles anymore.
Sanji ceased the process of trying to tie Luffy in a knot when he realized Zoro had passed out. He dropped the boy and sat on the bed beside the sleeping man.
"Luffy...we have to do something for him. He's not getting any better."
Luffy unknotted himself begrudgingly and went to Zoro's side. He peered closely at his nakama's face.
"I know. It's the doctor isn't it?"
Sanji looked at the young captain, surprised.
"He's...not a good doctor. Not for Zoro." Luffy said simply.
"We can't take him away from here, because this is the only place that has the right medicine for him." Sanji said.
"I don't think Zoro is sick because of the disease." Luffy said, thinking hard. "He was at first, but Zoro is strong. The strongest. I think its something...in his heart." Luffy looked at Sanji. There was a moment's silence. Then Luffy smiled. "Or something."
"Then what do we do?" Sanji said more to himself.
"He needs a different medicine."
"Hn?" Sanji said, puzzled.
Luffy grinned. "When you're sick, you feel a little bad for a while. Then you get a real bad fever. Then you beat the fever and you recuperate!" Luffy straightened up. "He hasn't beaten the fever yet!" He stuck his tongue out and ran out the door.
"Luffy! Wait!...What the hell is he talking about!?" Sanji sighed.
//Zoro.
Let me take you away from here. I'll make you leek soup for the rest
of my life if that's what it takes to keep you healthy. But I don't
want to be here anymore. I don't want you to suffer like
this.//
Sanji got
up and went to sit by the window. He looked out on the vast city
before him. Suddenly he thought of Usopp.
//Usopp?
Usopp...stood up for Kaya. He defended her, or so the story goes. He
fought to protect her from someone who wanted to harm her. How is
this situation any different? If someone like USOPP can protect the
one he loves, why shouldn't I? It'd be blasphemous if I, Sanji, did
not protect the one I loved. Zoro isn't exactly what I ever
expected but… I'm going to protect him from Kell no matter what.
Thank you Usopp.//
//It
was an awkward situation, to say the least. I just up and left. And
all this time the dumbass has had no idea why. He could have just
killed me then. He had it in his power. Why didn't he? He said...it
doesn't matter what he said. Maybe killing me was just too
complicated. But what's more complicated than a sexual relationship?
If I were trying to get someone out of my way conveniently
I would just kill them.//
//Honestly?//
//Well...I'd
make it so they were no longer physically able to hinder me. Kell
could have done that. He could have let me die.//
//But
he didn't.//
//And
he used me.//
//Did
he?//
//Yes.
He...he could have killed me.//
//But...//
//He
didn't.//
//Maybe...//
//Maybe
he was trying to save me. I was sick. I could barely move most of the
time. How was I going to defend myself from all of those pirates
being who I was?//
//Maybe.//
//And
I left him like that. Without even asking him what was going on. But
I heard him talking to Fiscal. He didn't have a problem with them
killing me.//
//Maybe
he SAID that.//
//I
don't want to think that all this time I've been wrong. And if he is
such a saint why is he such an asshole now? Forcing himself all over
me, threatening me over the medicine. He can't be that great of a
guy.//
//But
he can't be that bad.//
//People
can surprise you sometimes. Look at Nami. Who'd a thought?//
//But
she was a victim of circumstance. Who says Kell wasn't?//
//
It doesn't matter now anyway. Even if it was all a big mistake, even
if I am the biggest dumbass in the world, I have a different life
now. I have friends, a goal, a promise to keep. It's not like I'd beg
him to take me back. I don't want to come back. I'm just peachy with
being the bad guy here and having broken Kell's certainly fragile
heart.//
//Really?
That person, she would have made a mends.//
