Panic ensnares Sanji as he feels another body curled around him in what he hopes is the next morning. He opens his eyes slowly and is met with Zoro's familiar face. Everything comes flooding back along with a wave of relief.
"The hell has you anxious this early in the morning?" Zoro asks his eyes still closed.
"I forgot you were back." Sanji admits. "I thought it had all been a dream and I didn't know who was in my bed."
"You cheat on me while I was gone Cook?" Zoro opens his single eye and gives him a wicked grin.
Sanji shoves a pillow in his face. "As if Mosshead."
"Like you could find someone else willing to put up with your dumb ass." Zoro laughs, tightening his hold around Sanji's waist.
"Are you trying to pick a fight?" Sanji manages to wrangle out of his grasp and nearly falls to the floor.
"Are you challenging me?" Zoro asks, propping himself up on his elbow.
God's no
Sanji knew that if he were to face Zoro right now he would probably lose. Unfortunately, his pride has him saying, "only if you're up for it Marimo." He runs a hand through his hair and attempts to roll out of bed, but a hand grips his arm. He turns to find Zoro looking at him, a familiar hunger in his eyes.
Gods damn his mouth.
He lets out a sigh. "I suppose it's been nearly a year huh? Want to have a spar before breakfast?" The words are barely out of his mouth when Zoro moves closer and kisses him deeply. Sanji lets out a moan and growls as Zoro's hand grips his thigh, "you can either have me right here or we can spar outside, but you can't have both."
"Oh, I don't know about that." Zoro grins but backs off. "I could probably finish both rather quickly."
Sanji kicks him. "I haven't grown that weak!"
"I didn't say you had, but when was the last time you had a decent fight?"
"One that had me risking my life? Mary Geoise, but just a good spar?" Sanji must think a moment before an image comes to mind. "A couple months after you left our captain decided he wanted to get food from a navy base-don't ask!" He sees the expression Zoro gives him.
Zoro only holds his hand up and laughs. "I know our captain Cook. This is the same idiot who let himself be captured because they promised him good food."
Sanji groans, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It took us three days to find him and get him out of that stupid prison ship." He finally steps out of bed and walks over to his dresser. "We did get a decent chunk of treasure for that though. Anyways, Luffy and I had managed to sneak into the base. We got what Luffy wanted and were on our way out but-well you'll never guess who showed up."
Zoro yawns but rolls out of bed. "If I had to guess I'd say one of the admirals, but if this was after Mary Geoise, I don't know why one of them would've been there."
"You're right though." Sanji finds a deep green shirt and throws it on. "As we were leaving Kizaru showed up."
Zoro lets out a bark of laughter, as he finds his pants. "Just how many times are the two of you going to fight before he accepts that you're stronger?"
Sanji scowls at him. Eventually they were going to have to get Zoro a new wardrobe. What was on the floor of the room was probably all he had. "Pretty sure unless I kill the bastard, he won't ever realize it."
"Which of course you aren't going to do."
"Of course not."
"So, what happened?" Zoro shrugs on his coat and picks up his swords. "Besides you kicking his ass, I assume? The other marines didn't give you trouble?"
Sanji buttons the last of his jacket and digs out a cigarette. "Luffy and I were out by the boats, and we could see Sunny in the distance. Luffy wanted to use his power to swing back, but I argued that it would be easier for me to just sky walk us over there." He lights it and inhales deeply before letting out a stream of smoke. The nicotine shooting through him like a rush of adrenaline. He watches the smoke in the air dissipate and sighs. He looks back to Zoro and continues, "We were still arguing when a bolt of light crashes in front of us."
"Kizaru?"
"Yep." Sanji takes another long drag. "The minute he landed in front of us he went after Luffy, but I blocked it. Luffy seemed to realize that I needed a fight and only told me that the Sunny wouldn't leave until I was done."
"How long did it take?"
"A few hours, give or take?" Sanji finds his shoes and drops onto the bed. "Really, after fighting him on that damn island I knew his tricks."
"Wouldn't he know all of yours though?"
Sanji pauses for half a moment. There was one trick even Zoro hadn't seen yet. He debates telling him, but if they were going to have an all-out spar then he would see it soon enough. He stands up and throws Zoro a wicked grin. "Do you doubt my skills?"
"I already told you I don't think you're weak!" Zoro growls, walking over to him. "I'm just surprised it only took you that long to beat him." In one swift movement Zoro kisses him and grins in that way Sanji knows he's in trouble. "So, I'm in for a good fight?"
"Why don't we head outside and find out?" He grins back, and tugs on Zoro's coat. "You're free to change your mind and just have some fun in here."
Zoro's lips meet his again. "It almost sounds like you're trying to get out of it."
"Now why would I do something like that?" Sanji puts out the last of his cigarette and waves him towards the door. "Like you said, I haven't had a good spar in a while." Gods he was going to regret this. "You coming or what?"
Without another word Zoro follows him out the door and into the early morning sea air.
"Why the hell did I let you drag me out of bed this early?" Zoro groans, as they make their way onto the Baratie. "The suns not even fully up."
"You're the one who wants a fight!" Sanji argues. "And I'm not going to fight you later I have this thing called work I have to get too."
"You can't just call off again?" Zoro yawns loudly. "You did it yesterday."
"It's because I did it yesterday that I can't do it again today." Sanji leads them inside and hurries over to the spiral staircase leading to the kitchen. "Besides, it's my turn to cook dinner." He opens a panel on the pillar and pulls the switch inside. The ship begins shaking, but after a few moments it settles down and Sanji can hear a loud clanging outside, then silence. He walks back over to Zoro who raises an eyebrow. "Where did you think we were going to fight? I won't have us breaking my ship."
"But you're willing to break your old man's?"
"Of course not." Sanji gestures for him to follow again. They walk back outside to find a lot more space. "I had the fins brought up to serve as a ring for us. It's how we have most of our fights here."
"Again, you're not worried about damaging it?"
Zoro's concern over wrecking the old geezer's ship was almost sweet. "There's always a chance of that." Sanji admits. "Especially with the two of us fighting, but the fins have been redone and are made with the strongest steel available."
"I assume that was your doing?"
"It was." Sanji laughs. "The first month I was here I must've broken the damn thing about twelve times."
"I thought you said you haven't had a decent fight since Kizaru?"
"I haven't." He sighs and reaches for another cigarette but manages to stop himself. "Apparently even my weakest attack split the damn thing in two."
Zoro bursts out laughing. "Are you even trying when you spar with the other cooks?"
"I'm just going to end up hurting them and I'd rather not get an earful from the old geezer." They walk out to the middle and Sanji stretches out his arms. "I don't need him pissed off at me for incapacitating one of our workers."
"How much of your abilities do they know?" Zoro asks curiously. "Besides the fact your kicks are stronger than ever?"
"Next to nothing." He admits. "Hell unless the paper spilled it, I don't even think they know I can walk on air, or you know light myself on fire."
"Oh, then this should be fun." Zoro draws a blade. "It seems we've attracted an audience."
Of course they had. Everyone on board knew what the shaking of the boat meant. Hell, they were all probably getting up now. Because who else would be fighting this early in the damn morning if not the two of them. "They probably think you pissed me off or something." Sanji yawns, before moving to the opposite end of their rink.
"I'm sure I could piss you off if you want." Zoro grins. "If that would give me a better fight."
He knew it was a joke, but Sanji just waves him off. "Thanks, but I can give you a decent fight without being mad at you." Zoro draws his other two swords. "Three blades?" Sanji smirks, giving him a mock nod of his head. "I'm honored the greatest swordsman finds me worthy."
"I'm not stupid." Zoro growls, placing Wado in his mouth. "It's been less than a year since Mary Geoise, and even if you have been slacking in your training, I can see you haven't grown any weaker."
"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or not." Sanji admits. "But if you're willing to go all out-"he taps his foot once, causing it to burst into flames. "I won't hold anything back either." He can hear someone gasp from the crowd they had gathered. By his count his whole staff had come to watch, even Zeff, he felt, was leaning against his balcony.
"You don't think they'll actually go all out do you?"
No sooner does someone ask when Zoro charges. Sanji instinctively parries with his legs, sliding his hands into his pockets. It was a game they like to play as a warm-up. See how long it takes Zoro to make him reveal his hands.
Left, right, feint right and slash. Sanji meets every blow with his own with ease. Why had he thought this fight would be unfairly one sided? Zoro was right, it's been less than a year. His body still knew what to do especially when it came to fighting his stubborn mosshead.
Zoro feints right again and this time Sanji flips over him and lands a kick to his side. Zoro recovers quickly but gives him a look of surprise. So he hadn't expected him to dodge that last attack, interesting. Zoro comes at him again and Sanji blocks the attack. Zoro swings low and Sanji is forced to jump back again, nearly falling into the water. He curses, hating that he got himself backed into a corner. Zoro knew it too. The bastard had that familiar demon's grin on his face. Fine but if he was going down Zoro was going down with him. Sanji coats his legs and arms in haki and lights a leg on fire. Zoro's swords are less than an inch from Sanji's skin when he ducks, manages to snake his arms around Zoro's arms, traps him, and swings his leg up to hit Zoro's neck.
The force of the attack throws both of them into the water and Sanji lets go the moment he goes under. He uses sky walk to get away from Zoro as fast as he can, knowing Zoro was a decent fighter in the water. As he makes his way up to the surface an image of Zoro's twister attack flashes through his mind. His blood turns cold at the thought, and he quickly uses sky walk again, throwing himself onto deck just as a large pillar of water breaks the surface behind him.
He takes a moment to catch his breath just as Zoro jumps back onto deck. "Huh. Didn't expect you to be able to dodge that one." He notes, brushing a hand through his wet hair.
Sanji doesn't feel the need to respond to that and only checks his breast pocket. His smokes were soaked through. Damn, he would have to grab another pack later.
"I assume you're all warmed up then?" Zoro continues, gesturing to his hands.
"Sorry we can't all warmup by just swinging a blade around a few times." He retorts, stretching his arms above his head. "Some of us are normal humans."
Zoro lets out a laugh. "Not one person in our fucking crew is normal, including you cook."
Sanji can't deny that. He taps his foot a few times on deck getting the water off before setting both feet on fire. Zoro gives him a look as though He had proven his point and Sanji only smirks. "How about we kick things up a notch Marimo?"
"Ready when you are swirly brow." Zoro gets into a fighting position and charges.
Sanji waits until the last possible moment before jumping over him, Zoro's blades missing him by a hair, and landing on his hands. Sanji spins causing Zoro to go in the defensive. A flash of Zoro using the blunt of his blade to knock him off balance flashes in his mind so he quickly flips back, managing to knick Zoro's wrist in the process. Sanji lands on his feet and swings, managing to land a hit to Zoro's side. He jumps back quickly as Zoro goes on the offensive again. Because of course his damned swordsman wouldn't take a moment to check an injury. Sanji blocks another one of Zoro's blades and barely has time to react as Zoro hooks his heel around Sanji's ankle.
One moment Sanji is glaring at Zoro a blade between them, and the next he's staring at the early morning sky with Zoro grinning down at him.
"That was dirty."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"So I got in your way?"
"You slipped."
"Bastard" Sanji spins again managing to get back on his feet. Zoro steps out of his way and gets into a familiar fighting stance. Sanji quickly ignites his feet and charges before Zoro can swing his blades in a slicing attack he knew would be near impossible to dodge.
It was a trap.
The warning comes too late and Sanji barely has time to drop down as Zoro swings his blade in a different sweep then he had been expecting. Sanji slides past him kicking Zoro's leg in the process and quickly jumps back up. Zoro turns far too quickly for Sanji to catch and lands a hard blow to his side. Without missing a beat Sanji brings a leg up and slams it into Zoro's shoulder.
They jump apart, panting. "Had enough yet crappy cook?" Zoro grins, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Never, shitty swordsman." His hand reflectivity moves to his side. One or two ribs were probably broken, but before Zoro can make a move Sanji charges. Zoro stands his ground ready to hold him off, but Sanji jumps. Using sky walk He goes as high as he dares and spins, encasing himself in flames, before falling. He knew that Zoro wouldn't move. That damn pride of his would be the death of him, or rather the both of them he supposes. As he nears Zoro, who had his blades held above his head in a defensive position, Sanji stretches out his leg and slams into the blades. The force of the impact causes the deck to creak and when Sanji flips again, landing on his feet, he can see that there is a large dent now in the center.
Zoro takes Wado out of his mouth and begins laughing. "You might want to try investing in a deck made of sea prism stone." He was right. If there was anything strong enough to hold out on the two of them it would be that. "I'm sure if you asked Momo or Yamato they would be able to get you one." Zoro continues and Sanji notices how he shifts his weight to favor one side.
So that attack had affected him, if only slightly. Good to know. Sanji lets out a long breath. Gods he needed a smoke. "You know, for once, you might be right."
"Asshole."
"Should we continue then?" Sanji stretches again before igniting his feet again.
Zoro grins, sliding Wado into her sheath, leaving only two blades. "I'm just getting started."
"Come on then." Sanji gestures and holds his position as Zoro charges.
Sanji has no idea how long they had been at it when Zeff calls from his balcony, "someone give in or call it a draw! Some of us have to start working!"
Sanji wasn't sure whether that was a jab at him or just Zeff's normal attitude in the morning, but he drops his foot from blocking Zoro's blade. "That enough of a workout for you Marimo?"
Zoro sheathes the other two blades. "Enough for the morning yeah."
"Your workout regime is insane; you know that right?"
"Coming from the guy who doesn't train enough?"
Sanji makes to move away when his foot steps down to touch nothing and he finds his feet slip out from underneath him. Zoro reaches his hand out to grab him and pulls him back into his chest. "Stupid Mosshead I would've been fine-"he stops when he hears the rapid beat of his partner's heart. A memory resurfaces of an old conversation between the two of them in the crow's nest on the Sunny.
It had been about a month after Wano and the two of them were still adjusting to being in a relationship. Zoro had the night watch and Sanji had just brought him a snack. They had ended up talking and Sanji found himself asking Zoro about his childhood, trying to steer the conversation away from his own.
"I don't remember much from before the dojo" Zoro admits, downing more of the sake Sanji had brought up. He makes a mental note to buy more on the next island, before lighting up a cigarette and taking a long drag. "I realize now that when I got there, I was a little shit and am honestly amazed at my teacher's patience."
Sanji imagined a small Zoro running around and finds himself grinning. "You? A little shit? No."
Zoro shoves him. "Shaddup. Anyways, I was a bit full of myself and managed to beat most of the other students there. All except one." At this Zoro trails off and takes another long swig of his drink. "Her name was Kuina and she kicked my ass every single time." He goes quiet again and Sanji silently smokes beside him, allowing him as much time as he needed to continue. "I considered her my rival and my goal because while I continued to get stronger, so did she." He lets out a long sigh. "We promised to become the best together and I thought that one day we would fight to finally determine which one of us was the better swordsman. She didn't deserve to die in such a way."
He grows quiet for so long Sanji almost didn't want to ask it, "what happened?"
"She fell down a flight of stairs."
He blinks
Cruel that was a cruel way for fate to take a life. He knew Zoro wouldn't want pity and him saying sorry wouldn't do any good, so he stays quiet.
Zoro's hand moves to grasp Wado's hilt. "This was her sword, and I made a promise to her, and myself, to become the greatest swordsman."
Sanji finishes the last of his cigarette and lets out a long breath. "If anyone is going to do it Marimo, it's going to be you."
"You're damn right."
"Idiot."
Sanji blinks and he's back staring at Zoro's chest. A flash of Punk Hazard when Zoro had stopped Sanji from falling in Nami's body comes to mind.
Oh
How had he never put that together? It was no wonder Zoro would always be the first to react if someone slipped or fell. Sanji grips Zoro's coat tightly and pulls him in for a kiss.
"You stink." Zoro grins as he pulls away.
Sanji shoves him, but let's out a laugh. "This coming from the man who only bathes once a week."
"Used too." Zoro sighs, slipping his hand into Sanji's. "You made damn sure of that."
"So what, it's twice a week now?"
"Something like that." Zoro leans in close and murmurs, "So you're going to be late for prepping today."
He says it as a statement rather than a question and it takes Sanji a minute to get it. The familiar gleam in Zoro's eyes sends warmth down to Sanji's stomach. "You're right." His voice turns low, "but I have to be back within the hour."
"It won't take that long." He growls and without another word the two of them make their way to Sanji's ship.
An hour and twelve minutes later Sanji walks into the kitchen sated, clean, and steeled for his staff. Zeff approaches him first, his arms already crossed. "Your form is lacking." Sanji sighs deeply and only shuffles past the old geezer. Hell, Sanji can go sword to foot with the greatest swordsman in the world, but Zeff always has to put his two cents in, "But that was one hell of a fight." Zeff continues making Sanji pause. "Makes me wonder what a fight with the two of you working together would look like."
"Not our style. Sanji answers smoothly walking over to his station.
"No. Of course it wouldn't be, so is keeping secrets a part of your style now too?"
Sanji's blood turns to ice. There was no way he could know, not fully. This damn geezer. First the stupid mark on his hand and suddenly he knows about- "It's never been a secret." Sanji responds carefully. "I'm waiting for the damn fool to realize what it is."
A pause then, "well he better figure it out soon or he's not going to be able to truly beat you."
That was for damn sure. "He's not as clueless as you may think."
"I'm starting to realize that." With that Zeff says something about getting supplies and walks out of the kitchen.
Sanji barley has time to catch his breath when Patty speaks up, "so when you first got here and didn't have a boat- "
"And I told you I walked over from my ship?"
"You were serious?"
The look of surprised annoyance on his face nearly has Sanji laughing, but he only says, "did you think I was lying?"
"I thought you were just being a punk kid." He admits. "So you actually can fly?"
"Not exactly, but it's the general concept yes."
"And the setting yourself on fire?"
"A bit harder to explain, but yes. I've gone through hell to get to where I am."
"And now you're able to trade blows with the right hand of the pirate king."
"Well, I am my captain's left." Sanji turns, A knife in hand, and grins. "I sure as hell better be able to keep up." His staff looks almost frightened and he realizes that before today they didn't really know his strength. He told them stories often enough, but that's all they were-stories. His spar with Zoro gave them a clear picture of the different level they were at. "There's nothing that you can do that will piss me off enough to actually hurt any of you. Besides, the old geezer would rip me a new one if I ever incapacitated any of you."
"And that husband of yours?" Patty asks. "He's not going to wander off again to fight Mihawk?"
Zoro's news wasn't his to share so he only says, "Zoro can, and will, do whatever the hell he wants and if he wants to run off again it's his choice."
"You were pissed the last time though." Someone says.
"Yeah, because the first time he disappeared he left in the middle of the night without a word, and I had to find out from my captain the next morning." At the surprise looks on their faces Sanji quickly counters with, "look we're fine. He's an ass, but this isn't the first time he's pulled this crap."
"So earlier-"Carne shares a look with Patty. "That wasn't the two of you being pissed off at one another?"
Gods Sanji almost wonders what their fights look like from another's point of view. He sets the knife down and walks through the crowd that had gathered to reach the pantry. If he was going to make his dish tonight, he would need plenty of rice. "That was just us messing around. I jokingly challenged him to a fight and it just went downhill from there." He finds one of the larger bags and hefts it over his shoulder, before making his way back over.
"Who jokingly challenges a swordsman like that to a spar?"
"Someone who is able to match him and walk away with barely a scratch." Sanji bites back. Honestly, he may have gotten a bruised rib in that fight, but he had still been able to keep up.
"Yeah, how did you manage that?" Patty asks. "There were some attacks Roronoa used that I thought, 'there's no way he's going to dodge that,' and you did. Hell, there were times you managed to counter them at the last second."
"He's not as subtle as he thinks he is." Sanji laughs playing it off. "We've been sparring together for years. For the most part I know his attacks."
"But there's no way- "
"Drop it alright." Sanji turns to face them again. "I just know how to fight Zoro is all." From the look on several of their faces they knew he wasn't telling them the whole truth-and he wasn't, but he didn't need that skill out in the open.
Finally, Carne sigh. "I know I've asked a variation of this question since you got back, but just how strong are you-both of you? That fight was something else."
"If you're looking for level on a scale I don't know." Sanji admits. "I've taken down an admiral twice, managed to defeat two emperor's commanders, kings-well self-proclaimed kings," he amends. "I've even given a few warlords-back when they were still a thing-a good fight." He looks up to the lights above him and sighs. "Zoro is stronger than I am." It kills him to admit it, but the damn swordsman has always been stronger. "That doesn't mean I can't give him a good workout."
"In more ways than one." Someone mutters.
Sanji walked into that one, but heat goes to his face anyways. He loves Zoro. That feeling isn't going to simply go away because he realizes he can't beat his partner in terms of strength. "Watch it." Sanji finally growls. "I can still kick any of your asses with little effort."
Carne laughs, tossing a few eggs over to him. "Before you start threatening us brat you should figure out how to fix that giant dent in the fins you and your husband managed."
Sanji catches the eggs with little effort and in one swift flick of his hands both yolks are in the bowl. "I'm already dealing with that." He tosses the shells into the trash. "I have a couple of friends in Wano who should be able to get us some sea prism stone. In the meantime, Zoro and I will just have to watch our strength."
"In the meantime like-?"
"Like we're going to make sparing a morning routine."
"Great, so we're going to get woken up every morning with that?"
"You should be up already anyways." Sanji snaps. "And if you're not all back to work by the time I'm done with this I'm going to make today a living hell in here." There was a murmur of your always make this hell' before they all shuffle back to their stations. Sanji returns to his dish smiling slightly, and knowing it had been a quip. Yes, he could run a strict kitchen, but his staff would defend him if needed. It really was good to be back. The empty hole in his heart where Zoro had been, filled back up thanks to his return. things are finally looking up again.
"Fuck Mosshead there you are!" Sanji finds Zoro sitting cross legged and leaning against one of the rails outside the Baratie. "I've been looking for you a good twenty minutes." After assuming Zoro would still be in his ship by noon Sanji had checked there first only to find it empty.
Zoro opens one eye lazily. "Well, you found me." Sanji only shakes his head and hands Zoro a plate of Onigiri, before sitting down next to him.
"We're not exactly crewmates any longer but I'm still your damn chef and it's lunchtime."
He was waiting for the jab, but Zoro only sits up properly and says, "thanks I'm starving."
"I left you food in the kitchen this morning." Sanji notes.
"I can't be hungry again after a few hours?"
"Well no but-"Sanji scowls as he watches Zoro stuff two rice balls into his mouth. "I was just thinking I should've brought you more than just one plate."
"S'fine." Zoro manages between bites. "You always knew just how much we all needed each day. I trust you."
The statement hits him harder than he thought it would. "You never once thought I tampered with the food I gave you?"
Zoro swallows and gives Sanji an almost humorous look. "Cook we may have hated one another at first, but if there were two things I could trust you with it was food and watching my back in a fight. You proved that during Arlong Park."
"I don't think I ever truly hated you." Sanji admits taking out a cigarette and lighting it. "You were an ass, but you were one of the best fighters."
"Besides yourself?"
"Of course." Sanji lets out a stream of smoke. The sea was calm, as the East blue tended to be, and the lazy breeze had an almost drowsy effect to it. No wonder Zoro had wandered out this way.
"How many of those have you had today?" Zoro suddenly asks.
Sanji knew what he was referring to and sighs, "this is my third." He inhales again and allows the nicotine to eat at his stress, before exhaling.
"I don't get it." Sanji turns to Zoro and is surprised to find Zoro's brows furrowed in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Ever since I woke up after Mary Geoise you've smoked less." He states, gesturing to the cigarette in Sanji's hand. "Considering I left for a good six months I assumed that would've gotten worse. Don't get me wrong I don't care- about the smoking I mean- never have, but I've known you for years cook. No matter how many times Chopper tried to get you to at least slow down you never did, so what changed?" Sanji puts out his light and makes sure none of his staff were around to hear before sighing deeply, "you died." Zoro just looks at him, waiting. "You still don't understand? Zoro, when you left, I knew you were going after your dream, and I promised myself I wouldn't let myself die until you accomplished it."
"And you decided less smoking would do that? Didn't you fight Kizaru again after I left?"
"I didn't want to die unexpectedly from something I've been slowly killing myself with for years." Sanji argues. "And I knew Kizaru wouldn't be a problem."
"But why would that have mattered-"Zoro trails off, the realization dawning on his face. "If you die fate will take my life as well."
"I couldn't risk dying from something stupid when you would die with me."
"You really think you would've died because of something stupid like that?"
"I couldn't risk it. Not before you accomplished your goal."
Zoro wraps his arm around Sanji's shoulders and pulls him to his chest. "You really are the most kindhearted fool I've ever met."
Sanji grabs one of the rice balls and shoved it into Zoro's mouth. "Shut up."
"Love you too shit cook." Zoro swallows the food. Sanji lays back against his chest and closes his eyes, a sigh of content escapes his lips and he finds himself smiling. The breeze hits them again and just as Sanji starts to drift off Zoro's body stiffens. They weren't in danger so what had- "Zoro?" Sanji asks carefully, sitting back up. "What is it?"
"I just realized that during my last fight with Mihawk I nearly died twice." Zoro's voice trails off and Sanji realizes that it's horror dawning on his face. "I could have killed you."
"You didn't know." Sanji states quickly. "I wouldn't have wanted you to be careful. Whatever you needed to do to reach your goal- "
"so, you can be careful for my sake, but I can't do the same for you?" Zoro snaps.
Sanji gives him a hard look. "I'm not about to let this turn into an argument, not when you didn't know."
"Why are you always so willing to die?"
"It's not that I'm willing to die." Sanji looks up at the sky, his eyes catching on a lone cloud and sighs. "Zoro, I accepted my death back when I was stuck on that rock with the old geezer. I'm not afraid of death and you can't tell me that even if you had known what would've happened, you'd do things any different."
"Of course I wouldn't have done anything differently, but if I had just dealt with this-"he gestures to the both of them. "Instead of just being stubborn I would've taken you with me."
Sanji looks at him. "To face Mihawk?"
Zoro meets his gaze and his eyes go hard. "Look shit-cook if we're going to die together anyways, we may as well be by one another's side."
"I wouldn't have fought him though." Sanji let's put a laugh. "Hell, I wouldn't have had anything to do with that fight."
"You still should've been there."
"Yeah well, whose fault was that?"
Zoro throws and arm over his shoulder and pulls him close again. "Sorry again crap cook."
"Shitty swordsman." Sanji yawns, settling himself more comfortably on his chest and finally closing his eyes.
"I already told you shit geezer that I'm handling it!" Sanji had walked back into the kitchen after taking a nap to Zeff lecturing him about the broken fins. Apparently, they had tried getting it to close back up with little success due to the giant dent in the center. Zoro walks in behind Sanji hoping to grab a bottle of booze before dinner. Why he hadn't just gone back to his ship Sanji didn't know.
"You two broke it-"Zeff gestures to Zoro. "This one can't fix it?"
Zoro lets out a bark of laughter. "Trust me old man, you let me at that thing and it'll get a lot worse before it gets better."
Sanji is inclined to agree and says, "I already called a couple of friends from the country of Wano. They're going to send something over as soon as they can."
"How much is that going I set you back?" Zeff asks. The slight concern in his voice is almost sweet.
Zoro scoffs from the fridge. "We helped liberate their country, we tend to get most things we want for free." He wasn't wrong, but Sanji wishes he had said it with a bit more tact.
He finds himself saying, "what like you couldn't afford to pay full price?" Honestly, they each had a significant amount of money after everything they had gone through. Even Zoro, after paying off the stupid amount of debt he owed Nami, had enough to live the rest of his days in comfort.
Zoro downs a significant amount of the bottle he found and wipes the dregs off his chin before saying, "I'm just saying we shed a lot of blood for that country."
"Well maybe if you and Luffy hadn't jumped at every chance to fight you wouldn't have bled so much." Sanji retorts and makes his way over to Patty's station to check on the soup.
"You're one to talk. Taking on King and Queen without much hesitation."
"That was only to save your dumbass!" He pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Don't you have a training regime to finish before dinner?" Sanji scowls, moving over to check on his own station. He didn't want to recall that fight either. Half of it was worrying about Zoro and the other half was trying to figure out what the hell had been going on with his body.
"I finished earlier." Zoro leans against a wall and grins. "And let's not forget what happened after everything settled."
Sanji stiffens, knowing exactly what his swordsman was referring to. If Zoro was going to announce it anyways Sanji would do it on his own terms. "You mean when you found us and I kissed you?"
"Is that what you call throwing yourself at me?" Zoro laughs.
Heat goes to his face. "I didn't throw myself at you!" He turns to glare at him. "No one knew where the hell you'd gone and when you sauntered up like you hadn't just worried all of us I got pissed."
Zoro is still laughing as he says, "so instead of kicking me in your usual fashion you stormed up, grabbed me, and kissed me senseless?"
"I feared the worse." Sanji argues. "I thought you had died somewhere so yes when I saw you I chose to stop caring and go for what I wanted." They've had this conversation before Sanji wonders if Zoro was just trying to piss him off or just embarrass him in front of his family. "You certainly didn't seem to mind."
"You know how long I'd waited for you to make a move?"
"About the same amount of time it took for you to ask me to marry you?"
Zoro holds the bottle up in salute. "Fair point cook, and even then it was only because I was pissed off at you."
"You weren't pissed off-"Sanji scoffs. "Annoyed maybe, but not mad."
"You made me fall out of a tall ass tree!"
"That was your own damn fault!"
"Hold on!" Zeff snaps, "before you break my kitchen." He gives a pointed look at Sanji who looks down to see he's gripping the counter so hard it was starting to crack. He immediately lets go and turns away, embarrassed, as Zeff continues. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Zoro gives Sanji a bemused look. "You seriously never told them how this-"he gestures between the two of them, "happened?"
"You weren't here and I was pissed off." Sanji shrugs, "I didn't want to get the story wrong just because I was mad."
"You would've messed it up anyways."
Sanji glares at him but Zeff gives him a look and he only sighs. "The short version is this, after everything settled in Wano our crew gathered together but the Marimo was missing. After hours of looking we all met up again to figure something out when this one-"he gestures to Zoro, who has another bottle. "Came walking up to us like nothing happened."
"I told you I was trying to find you guys!"
"Just admit you got lost!"
"It wasn't my fault the island moved!"
Sanji sighs deeply. He didn't have a response that wouldn't cause them to start physically fighting so he only says, "when I saw him I was more relieved than I was mad." He looks at Zoro again and smiles weakly. "So yes, I ran up to him, grabbed him by his shirt, and kissed him."
"And then said, 'you want to try this or what?'" Zoro takes a swig from the new bottle. "I had been debating doing the same thing since he returned from dealing with his family." He admits. Sanji flinches, not being able to help it whenever they got mentioned. "I never expected him to have any other feeling for me except hate."
"I never hated you." Sanji argues. "You irritated me every damn day, but I never hated you. I didn't even realize I was in love with you until Enies Lobby." Zoro gives him a look and he snaps. "Don't say it! I know I fucked up on that damn island."
"I think the better question is- "Zoro grins, "do you want to tell them one of the reasons I proposed or should I?"
"Even if I try to explain it you're going to say something different." Sanji turns back around to start the side dishes. "You may as well Marimo."
It's silent for so long, the only sound being the cutting of the vegetables, that Sanji is about to start the story when Zoro says suddenly, "it had been a little over a year since Wano when we saw that the four admirals were after us. We had found an island, assigned an admiral to our best fighters, and had broken up into five teams. I was with our shipwright Franky and the cook was with our doctor Chopper." As Zoro talked it was easy for Sanji to remember that fight as easily as if it had happened yesterday. "Franky and our sniper Usopp had created a device that allowed us to communicate with one another without the need of a transponder snail." At this he asks, "speaking of that, did you lose yours cook? I haven't been able to get in touch with you since getting here."
"You still have yours on?" Sanji asks, turning around in surprise. "No. Mines in our room."
Zoro gives him a look. "You realize I had been calling you before I got here, right? I thought you lost it or something."
"Oh. Shit sorry Marimo." Hell, their crew was due back at any time he should probably put the earpiece back in.
Zoro only waves him off and continues, "anyways Franky and I were having trouble finding a good vantage point, so I found a tall tree and climbed to the top. The cook was being weird-"
"I was being weird?"
"You were either talking to yourself or to Chopper I couldn't tell, but yes." Sanji opens his mouth to protest, "so I asked you what was wrong." Zoro steps in. "I thought you were worrying over the fight, and I was trying to make sure you were alright. Yet instead of saying yeah or, like a decent person- waiting until later you decided to say-"
"Zoro- I'm in love with you." Sanji finishes for him, and sighs. "How was I supposed to know you were on top of a tree and would fall?"
"Timing cook. Your timing was shit."
"Sorry-"Patty interrupts, "but why was that such a surprise?"
The whole kitchen was looking at him in confusion. It made sense considering the two of them had been together for over a year at the time. Zoro gives him a pointed look and he sets down his knife before carefully saying. "It was the first time I had said it." It was silent for a good minute as everyone's mouths dropped open and stare at him blankly.
Finally, Zeff lets out a bark of laughter. "That's pretty shitty Eggplant."
Heat rushes to his face as the others follow suit. Zeff was right of course, but he can't help the flush of embarrassment.
"After he said that I lost my footing and fell." Zoro says rubbing the back of his head. "I was more surprised than anything else and I snapped at him. I said we would deal with it later and to focus on the fight ahead." This part was true, so Sanji just turned back around to finish as Zoro told his version of the fight. Sanji was finishing up when Zoro says, "before he could say anything else I said, 'marry me.'" Zoro lets out a laugh and turns to him. "You seemed pretty pissed."
Sanji places the platter down and sighs. "A part of me thought you were joking. You know, just to piss me off for earlier."
"A part of it was to make you mad." He admits," but I was being serious about the proposal." A pause then, "wait Is that why you called Luffy after agreeing? You thought I'd change my mind?"
"That was a part of it yeah." Sanji admits, crossing his arms and leaning against the table. "I was also afraid that I would second guess myself later."
"So we just had to get married right then and there? While fighting two Admirals?"
"We held them off long enough for Luffy to do the ceremony and you were relieved of your boredom." Sanji bites back. "Were you having second thoughts?"
"No!" Zoro says hastily. "No. I just didn't like the thought of those two teaming up."
"They probably thought the same of us."
"We teamed up for a couple minutes at most." Zoro laughs, finishing the bottle he had been drinking and walking over to him. He throws an arm around Sanji's shoulders and grins. "Never again swirly brow."
"Absolutely not." Sanji agrees, shoving a roll into Zoro's mouth. "Though I suppose we're a pair now." His eyes catch the glint of his husband's wedding band. "You are stuck with me after all."
Zoro manages to swallow the roll without choking and shoves him. "Even in death and all that fun crap." He murmurs, wiping breadcrumbs off his jacket. "Dammit cook you trying to kill me?"
Sanji gives him a look. "If I was trying to kill you, you'd be dead shitty swordsman." Zoro only waves him off.
"So you can work together?" Zeff finally says, as Zoro wanders into the other room.
"Old man I can count on one hand the number of times he and I have teamed up." Sanji laughs. "Is it effective yes, but it's not a habit. We argue too much for it to be worth it."
"That and the cook slows me down." Zoro's voice travels back as he reenters the room with yet another bottle.
Sanji's temper rises, but he realizes Zoro is trying to rile him up. Why? He has no idea, but he only flips him off and turns to Zeff. "I don't know about you but I'm starving. Ready for dinner?" If Zoro wanted to fight they could do it after dinner.
"Let's eat." Zeff agrees and they all find a place at the table.
Sanji opens the door to his room a little after midnight to find Zoro sitting up in their bed. "Oh! You're still up." He closes the door behind him and takes off his shoes. When Sanji had returned months ago it had become a type of tradition that he would go up to Zeff's room once a week to talk and to drink. "Everything alright? You didn't want to join us?"
"Wanted to think." Zoro replies, not looking at him.
Sanji makes to remove his jacket and realizes he's not wearing it. Shit had he left it in Zeff's room? Just how much had he had? He unbuttons his shirt and tosses it onto a chair. "You never miss a chance to drink. You want to talk?"
Zoro had never been an open book but had gotten better since they had gotten together. "Your old man scares the hell out of me."
It was such a blatant lie Sanji throws his pants at him. "You don't have to tell me you know, just don't lie to me."
Zoro laughs, shoving the garment off the bed. "I was thinking about our spar earlier ass."
"What about it?"
Zoro lifts the blankets allowing Sanji to crawl into bed next to him. "You're freezing." He growls, as Sanji settles himself. "Future sight Haki." Sanji pauses and slowly looks at him. "I figured it out." Zoro explains, dropping the blanket over them both. "There was no way you could've dodged or countered a lot of my attacks and yet-
"Sanji starts laughing, "I was wondering how long it would take for you to get it."
"When did you realize what it was?"
"Luffy figured it out." Sanji smiles wistfully. "Less than a month after you had left- and I honestly don't remember what I did, it involved Franky and Usopp. Anyways in typical Luffy fashion he jumped onto my back and said, 'you have it too?' The next thing I knew I was training with him on how to use it."
"And how'd that go?" Zoro asks, amusement clear in his voice.
"Not as bad as you might think." Sanji admits. "There's not really a lot of specific training to do with it, you simply have to recognize it for what it is when it happens."
"So you didn't get your ass handed to you every time Luffy wanted to 'train?'"
"Oh no, I lost every time." Sanji concedes, smiling warmly. Having Luffy jump him every time he felt like it had been a nuisance, but it got him to recognize the signs of a vision and work quickly around it.
"When do you think it first awoken?"
"I don't know." He admits. "It's sometimes hard to tell what's a vision or just a thought going through your head."
"You did pretty well with it today."
"I've also had almost a year of practice."
"What's the longest you're able to see up until?"
"You're being awfully nosy tonight."
"Am I not allowed to help you figure out when this started?"
There was something Zoro wasn't telling him. He can see it reflected in his eyes. How long ago had he figured out that Sanji was using future sight Haki? "The longest I've ever been able to predict something was fourteen hours." Sanji says carefully. "Actually, I hadn't even realized it was a vision until Luffy found me and asked if I had seen it too."
"And what was that?"
"That a marine's ship would be attacking us early the next evening. The two of us saw it coming, but Luffy wanted a fight, and I wasn't going to argue." Zoro's body goes rigid and Sanji turns to look at him sighing. "What did you figure out?" The look of actual panic on Zoro's face has his blood running cold. "Zoro-?"
"I'm actually more worried about your reaction." Zoro admits after a moment. "But I think I know when that ability awoken." Sanji is almost afraid to ask, but Zoro beats him to it. "Do you remember the night we found the final red poneglyph?"
He does
The crew had never seen their captain as he was that night. Luffy had finally met up with Shanks again and they knew the location of the last island. The two groups had partied late into the night hell Sanji barely remembers getting back to their room.
"You don't remember what happened after we went to bed do you?"
He doesn't, but dread fills his stomach. "What did I see?" Though he had a sinking feeling he already knew. He remembers what had happened the next day.
Zoro pauses again before saying, "you woke up screaming saying you watched Red-hair die. You said it had been so realistic that you thought it had already happened."
Sanji pales, as the realization hits. "I predicted Shank's death." The look Zoro gives him sends a wave of anger through him. "Why didn't you say anything before?"
"That entire battle was a blur." Zoro says calmly. "The only thing I remember is Blackbeard and Red-hair fighting and Luffy screaming."
"You didn't think it was odd that I had a nightmare that someone died and the next day it actually happened?" He snaps. Gods he didn't even know who he was mad at.
"I thought about it for weeks!" Zoro argues. "Hell, I still think about it, but after it happened you never reacted the way I thought you would. It was like you forgot the vision completely. Not once after that fight did you bring up the nightmare."
Sanji clenches his hands tightly. "I knew Shanks was going to die and I did nothing."
"Thinking about it now won't change what's already done." Zoro deadpans.
It needed to be said, but Sanji still can't help the tears that well up. "I could've warned him I could've-"
"Stop." Zoro grabs his trembling arms and positions himself above Sanji, trapping him. "Thinking about that isn't going to change anything. You didn't know. You had probably already forgotten the nightmare by the time you fell back asleep that night. If it'll make you feel better you can tell this to Luffy when we see him next, but if it's some sort of punishment you want you won't get it from him. He won't blame you. No one will blame you. I'm not going to let this fester into something it doesn't need to be. What's done is done, nothing is going to bring him back."
"I know that!" Sanji snaps and his voice drops. "I know that. But for me not to even remember- "
"You couldn't have known what it was. I didn't even know about that type of Haki until recently."
"Zoro I- "his stomach does a flip, and he quickly moves to free himself.
Zoro holds him tighter. "Cook I'm not going to let you- "
"Zoro I'm going to throw up."
Gods how much had he had to drink? The look of panic that crosses Zoro's features would normally get a laugh out of him, but not now. Zoro quickly rolls off him and Sanji barely has time to extend his head over the side of the bed before expelling the contents of his stomach onto the floor. "Dammit, sorry." He groans, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He moves to get out of bed and a wave of dizziness hits him.
"Stop. Just stop moving around." Zoro gets out of bed and moves over to his side. Scrunching his face is disgust at the mess Sanji knows is there.
"Just let me-"he tries, but Zoro pushes him back on the bed.
"I got it. I'm going to grab you some water and a rag to clean this up." He makes to move to the door and stops to turn and point to him. "Stay in bed. I'll be right back." Sanji was going to make a joke about his sense of directions, but instead only nods and lays his head back down on the pillow, another wave of dizziness hitting him.
"How much did you drink?" Zoro asks later after everything was cleaned up and they were both sitting back up in bed.
"Not as much as you would think." Sanji sighs, "but I think the realization with Shanks mixed with my guilt over it just was not..." He trails off and lays his head on Zoro's shoulder. "Seriously, sorry about that and thanks."
Zoro just waves him off. "It's fine I didn't expect your reaction to be great. Honestly this was mild."
"Gods." Sanji leans back against his chest. "I'm such a fool, how could I not remember."
"Is this still about Red Hair?"
"Of course this is about Shanks-and don't say it I know." He laughs at the look on Zoro's face. "There's nothing I can do now, but I do feel guilty and I am going to let Luffy know the next time I see him. Even if he does simply shrug it off and tell me it's okay."
"He will. You don't deserve to be punished over something you had no control over." Zoro throws an arm around Sanji's chest. "No matter if you think you deserve it."
"Zoro-"
"mhnm?" He murmurs and Sanji can feel his husband's arm go slack as he falls asleep.
"Thanks."
