Title: Of Dreams and Desires
Pairings: Smoker x Ace, Sanji x Zoro, and other side pairings
Ratings: T - NC-17
Chapter: 51 of ?
Summary: The road to One Piece is a dangerous one and each individual begins at different times and places. Some paths cross for a fleeting moment but the encounter could be so great that it can alter the initial direction. Every meeting is important and is planned by the souls long before the bodies see each other. Follow everyone's story and see what path they take.
Disclaimer: I do not make any profit from this story; all props go to Eiichiro Oda.
Author Note: I hope everyone had an awesome holiday and enjoy New Years! Go out there, have some fun! (Or if you're like me, enjoy your night in.) 2017 is going to be an interesting year. I have a feeling it's the year of "Just do it!" (Lol, I think of Shia Labeouf every time I say it.)
Shout Outs: Holler to you peeps who made my story have 10k+ views. I appreciate it greatly! Thank you SoulMore for the review! I'm happy to have you on this journey with me! Yuknio76, thanks for the review as well! Thank you RobinStyle for adding my story to your favorites and Elenaiel thank you for favoriting and alerting. Warms my heart that you guys enjoy the story so much. Hugs and kisses for everyone!
Beta Reader: descriptionsalive21, thank you so much!

Monkey D. Luffy

The captain had shaken his second in command awake in the middle of the night, harshly whispering in his ear that they needed to talk. Together they crept across the deck, shivering at the cold morning air. When they made it down to the aquarium, Luffy grabbed two blankets out of the storage closet while Zoro cranked up the heat on the thermostat. Luffy threw one of the covers to the swordsman before wrapping the other around himself. His fingers traced the leather seams of the cushion he sat on while he waited for the swordsman to get comfortable.

When the man was settled, Luffy started, "I've noticed that something is off with the crew."

"What do you mean?"

Luffy shook his head, "I don't know," he mumbled to himself, "I thought maybe getting Usopp and Robin back would set everything right again."

The oldest of the pair rubbed his tired eyes, "Say what?"

Mugiwara pulled the spread tighter around himself, trying to figure out where to start. There was so much that felt... not right. "Others have come to me about him, Zoro. He refuses to defend himself."

Said man crossed his arms, slumping in his seat, "So, it wasn't just Nami who had something to say about it." He threw his head back, watching the sea animals swim around in their aquarium, "Who else?"

Luffy stuck a foot out of his cocoon and wiggled his toes in the plush carpet, "Robin, Usopp, and Chopper."

"Woah," black eyebrows rose in surprise, "Chopper?"

"Yup."

"Well..." Zoro took in his captain's features, noticing the dark lines of distress that ran across the normally carefree face, and the heavy bags under his eyes, "What do you want to do about it?"

Luffy hummed to himself. Ever since they'd been back at sea, the tension in the crew had been thick. Nami pulled him aside as soon as they had gotten away from the Marines to talk to him about what had happened on the Judicial Island. The same conversation that'd happened between the two of them also happened with his archeologist, his sharpshooter, and his doctor.

Their concern?

Sanji.

They respected his morals, but questioned his ability to properly defend himself when his beliefs were tested.

Luffy sighed deeply, "I need to talk to him."

An octopus passed by one of the lights in the tank, briefly shrouding the room in darkness, "You mean you want me to talk to him?"

White teeth flashed when the teen smiled, "He might take it better coming from you."

Zoro grunted, "I don't know about that, but I'll give it my best shot." The swordsman stood, stretching his tired body, "He should be getting up soon." Emerald eyes glanced down at the still-sitting teen, "Was that all you wanted?"

"No, there is something else." The captain gave a once over of his first mate, "What's up with you?"

Zoro's eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"You've been different since Usopp came back."

Roronoa snorted, "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't try and bullshit me, Zoro. You've been giving him the cold shoulder… talking to him less."

Said man ran his fingers through his hair, "I just don't know what to say to him."

The sea animals suddenly began to swim about in a fuss, persuading the men to looked up just as the hatch was opened. An oversized pair of tongs entered the water and clasped onto the nearest aquatic animal, pulling it out. When Sanji was done fishing out breakfast, the door slammed closed, causing the small fishes that were around the opening to scatter. Zoro grunted as he took a step closer to the door. The cook's already up.

"Alright, man, I'll talk to Sanji and figure out something to say to Usopp."

Luffy nodded, "Good. But sit, we're not done talking yet."

There was an air of business about their captain today, and it was impossible for Zoro not to comply.

M.D.L

Sanji scrubbed the built-up food off the saucer. He inhaled from the cancer stick dangling between his lips, holding in the smoke before releasing it through his nose. The cook placed the clean dish in the conjoined sink for a rinse before turning around to the counter behind him and picking up the next pot to be washed. His black eyes shifted over to the captain and first mate's seats. Breakfast had come and gone with neither man attending; only he and Usopp remained in the spacious dining room.

Odd.

He knew there was no way in hell Luffy would intentionally miss a meal; and even if he were to come in late, Zoro always attended the first meal of the day. When he made inquiries to Robin about their location, she said she had heard them in the aquarium when she passed by in the early hours of the morning. Sanji let out the dirty dishwater when the door to the galley opened. Blue eyes followed the swordsman as he walked over to Usopp. Zoro whispered something in the sharpshooter's ear and the thin man nodded his head before gathering his belongings and shuffling out of the galley, leaving just the two of them alone.

Zoro sighed as he sat on the barstool, swinging around to face his lover, "We still have some sake left?"

The blond wiped his hands dry on a towel before he began filling the swordsman's order. While Sanji bartended, green eyes followed him around the kitchen. The silence between them wasn't broken until the part-time mixologist placed a drink down in front of Zoro asking, "How'd you sleep?"

Roronoa sipped his beverage, "Good, while it lasted. I've been up since before dawn."

"Robin said she heard you up with Luffy."

At the reminder of their five-hour conversation, Zoro groaned, "Yeah, he had some stuff he wanted to get off his mind."

Sanji removed the head of the faucet and started to rinse down the remaining dishes in the sink, "I'm sure you'll find some time during the day to sleep."

"Yeah…" Zoro mumbled as he ran his fingers through his hair. He needed to stop pussy footing around. "I need to ask you something."

Done with drying and putting up the dishes, Sanji went to the fridge and started gathering items for lunch, "What's up, babe?"

The swordsman grinned at the nickname; the cook was opening up to the idea of them more and more as the days passed. Pink lips turned into a frown when he thought of how he was going to phrase the question, "Why don't you protect yourself against women?"

The ashes from his cigarette fell to the freshly mopped bamboo floor when Sanji's lips pursed and he turned his back to the swordsman, "It's not that I can't, I just choose not to."

Zoro shook his head, "Yeah, but why?"

Sanji faced the swordsman, "Because every woman deserves to be protected."

A black eyebrow was raised, "Even when they're trying to kill you?"

The blond shrugged his shoulders, "You wouldn't understand even if I explained it in simple terms, Marimo." He walked over to Zoro, placing a kiss on top of his head, "I don't want your brains to explode and leave a mess all over my clean kitchen."

Sanji chuckled as he walked back to the stove and started on lunch. Zoro opened his mouth, but snapped it shut when humming filled his ears. He wouldn't be able to do this. Something this sensitive in nature could only be handled by their captain.

Zoro hopped down from the barstool and approached Sanji, wrapping his arms around the cook from behind. The swordsman kissed the crook of his partner's neck while he moved with him around the kitchen, pestering him as he prepared lunch.

M.D.L

Usopp steeled himself as he raised a hand to knock on the door in front of him. He reared his fist back, but before his knuckles could connect, he took a step away, muttering to himself. He'd been standing outside Nami's room trying to work up the courage to go in. He took a deep breath, holding it in before he finally knocked.

The navigator's muffled voice told him to enter and he gulped, shifting the weight of his tools under his arm as he turned the doorknob and advanced into the room. Nami was sitting at her desk putting the finishing touches on a map she'd drawn. Usopp watched her for a moment before he sat down on the floor under the window opposite of her, "You mind if I stay in here and work for a while?"

She shook her head, "Not liking your workshop?"

The inventor chuckled, "Nah, it's not that. I just wanna be around people today."

Mikan nodded her head, "Yeah, I get that."

A comfortable silence settled over the room as the pair went back to their own respective tasks. As the minutes went on, Usopp questioned the other, "Nami, have you noticed anything weird with Zoro?"

The navigator pushed her hair out of her eyes, "He talks less when you're around."

"So I'm not the only one who's picked up on that."

Nami erased a line she'd drawn, "You should talk to him."

Usopp made a noise in the back of his throat, "I wouldn't know where to start." He threw his head back and it thumped against the wall, "Hell, I don't even know what he's angry about!"

"Well," Nami turned to face the part-time helmsman, "don't automatically jump to the conclusion that he's angry. You'll walk into the conversation wrong."

She stood from the chair and moved to sit next to Usopp. A noise of approval came from the back of her throat, "Tell me about what you're working on."

A smile morphed onto the teen's face and his eyes brightened as he went over what he was doing. They talked for hours about the different kinds of ammo he was making for his weapon. Usopp's stomach growling halted their conversation and he chuckled sheepishly, "Should be time for lunch soon."

"Yeah," Nami stood, pulling down her skirt, "I wonder what Sanji cooked."

Usopp raised an eyebrow at her tone, "You sound like that whenever you bring him up."

Nami sucked her teeth as she walked over to her desk to put her shoes on, "I'm a little at odds with him."

"Whaaat!" he gasped, "Nami-swan is upset with her Sanji-pooh?"

The navigator snorted a laugh, "I guess you could say that." She threw a pencil at Usopp, "Don't talk about him that way."

Rubbing the underside of his long nose, Usopp chuckled, "What did he do now?"

Nami played with a strand of her hair, "If I hadn't come across him when I did back on the Judicial Island, we would be down a cook."

Usopp pushed the items he'd been working with aside, "It couldn't have been that bad, Nami." She glowered at him and he shrugged his shoulders, "I don't understand why he won't fight a woman. Especially when his life is in danger."

"That's what I don't fucking get." She was frustrated with him. The scene she had walked in on when he was fighting Kalifa chilled her. "He was the superior fighter and yet he lost to her."

"Sanji raved about meeting another kick-based fighter; so, that was her?"

Nami bounced the stress ball she'd snagged out of Usopp's bag and began throwing it against the wall, "Yeah, that bitch turned him into a soap doll, Usopp. A fucking soap doll!"

Gathering his items and placing them back in his satchel, Usopp stood from his spot on the floor, "Come on, let's see if lunch is ready."

Agreeing to the statement, the pair departed from the room and proceeded to the grassy deck. The smell of food invaded their senses and Usopp reveled in the pleasant aroma, "How about I make you a deal."

Nami looked at the man out the corner of her eye, "Involving beli?"

"No." Usopp laughed, "Deal is, if I talk to Zoro then you have to talk to Sanji."

The navigator looked down at the pinky he held out and she smiled as she linked hers with his, "Deal."

M.D.L

Lunch came and passed with no issues resolved. Now the Straw Hats were gathered in the galley for dinner. Chopper sat next to Franky, swinging his legs in the air as he fired question after question at the cyborg. It interested the little doctor how the man rebuilt himself and every chance he got, he would ask all he could about it. Nami took her place next to Robin and they chatted about things only women could understand out in the deep blue sea. Usopp took place next to his captain, chatting and laughing with the other teen while they waited for the food to be put on the table.

As the sharpshooter droned on about his newest invention, Luffy took the time to feel out his crew. Some may think of him as a little dimwitted, but he was very sharp when it came to assessing those around him. Take, for instance, Nami. Today, she sat beside Robin instead of in front of her. Luffy rubbed his finger under his nose; Sanji normally sat next to her but Usopp was on her other side, which meant... she's still not on good terms with him.

Luffy looked around Usopp to Zoro at the end of the table. He'd come to him some time after lunch telling him that he was unable to talk to Sanji.

A low groan had passed Luffy's lips. Guess I have to do it.

Usopp ooh'ed at something Franky said and Zoro shifted in his seat, throwing a small glare at the sharpshooter. The captain grunted, his nakama were against each other and they couldn't have that out at sea.

The change of mood on the boat did something odd to Luffy. The air hadn't been right for days; he constantly had a twisting feeling in his gut. He didn't know if it had to do with the tension of the crew, or if it was a warning of some sorts; but what he did know was that his ship was his only place of solace from the crazy fucked up world they lived in, and he'd be damned if he was gonna let his comfort be disrupted because everyone was too afraid to talk about what was bugging them. Not to mention the fact that, bad vibes meant he couldn't enjoy his meal, and he hated it when he couldn't indulge in his food the way he wanted to.

Luffy stood and clapped his hands together, gaining the attention of the crew, "Alright, everyone to the deck."

Sanji snorted as opened the lid to one of the massive pots on the stove and stirred the contents, "We're not having dinner outside, Luffy."

Said man shook his head as he stood and walked towards the door, "Didn't say anything about eating."

The Straw Hats threw questioning glances at each other before they followed the short teen's lead. They made their way to the deck where they found their captain sitting on the ground cross-legged. He didn't speak until they were all gathered near him, "I don't know what's been going on lately, but I don't like it, so everyone just say what they have to."

The silence extended amongst the crew, not sure if they wanted to voice their problems aloud. Luffy bounced his foot and was about to speak when Chopper cleared his throat, "I know you guys are super strong and you all think you're invincible, but I need each one of you to let me give you a checkup."

Collective groans were heard and Tony raised his hove, "The checkups are important for preventive measures. Of all the crazy things on the Grand Line, wouldn't it suck to be taken out by something as small as a cold?" The doctor spun around so he could look at each of his nakama, "Is that clear to everyone?"

Glad that Chopper had expressed himself, Luffy smiled, nodding his head, "Alright, everyone, you heard the reindeer. Checkups are mandatory!"

"At least once a month!" the doctor pipped in.

Various noise of agreement were heard and Luffy drummed his hands on the ground, "Who's next?"

Franky lowered his shades on the bridge of his nose, "Yeah, I have something to say." He crossed his arms, sending a glare to Sanji, Luffy, and Zoro. "You three, if you put one more damn hole in my baby then I'll put a hole in you! Got it?"

The powerhouses of the crew chuckled, giving various replies to the cyborg, all agreeing to his terms.

Nami cleared her throat, gaining the floor next, "I have something that I feel we should all discuss as a crew." She plucked a few blades of grass from her seat on the ground. "Sanji," she looked up at him in his blue eyes, "I feel like your inability to fight women will negatively affect the crew."

The cook looked up, surprised at her words. He glanced at the faces of his nakama and took a long drag from his cigarette, "I didn't know this was some sort of intervention."

Luffy shook his head, "It's not; but her concern is everyone's."

Sanji shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "I've never raised my hand to a woman before and I never will."

The captain stared at his chef, "We need to know that if your life is in danger, you will defend yourself; that's all we're asking of you."

Cobalt eyes slid over to Zoro, "So that's what this afternoon was about."

When the man nodded, Sanji sighed, "Look, you guys will never understand the reason I do what I do, but I will make a promise to prioritize my own safety, even if I'm facing a woman in battle."

Robin sipped the tea she'd brought with her from the galley, "Remember not to underestimate the prowess of a woman, Mr. Cook."

"A woman's prowess is why I admire her, my Robin-chawn."

Trusting Sanji would hold true to his word, Luffy moved the subject onward, "Is there anyone else?"

Usopp stood and stuffed his hands into his pockets, "Yeah, I have something that I want to say to everyone." He looked at his nakama's faces, "I'm sorry for my behavior back on Water Seven."

Zoro closed his eyes and his lips lifted into a small grin.

Seeing the relaxed form of the swordsman spurred Usopp on, "I know I said it before, but I really wanted to express it again. I caused further disruption in the crew when we were already down in spirits. I just…" he trailed off, looking up at the stars adorning the sky, "Merry was all I had of my village and I wasn't ready to let her go yet. But what I've come to realize is that I don't have to hold on to a boat to keep memories alive." He smiled at his nakama, "We are family, and as long as I have you guys, then I can make it through even the most devastating things in life."

Franky let out an "aw" before the water works started. Luffy threw back his head and laughed, "I hope everyone knows that by now." He stood, "Last thing I want to talk to you guys about is the roles of the crew." He counted the positions out on his fingers, "Zoro is first mate and second in command. Sanji, you're my cook. Nami navigates. Franky is our shipwright. Usopp is helmsman and on artilleries. Chop's the doc; and Robin digs in the dirt for history! Everyone got that?"

Laughter rang throughout the ship and the Straw Hats replied in unison, "Yes, Captain."

Feeling a better vibe amongst those he loved, Luffy called upon Gomu, extending his arm to the guardrail near the entrance to the galley. He propelled himself towards the door, screaming something about food.

Knowing their captain could devour the whole ship's supply, the Straw Hats rushed to the galley, prepared to fight over their portion of dinner.

Whew, all's well with the Straw Hats! Personally, my favorite line has to be 'Robin digs in the dirt...' chuckled at myself as I wrote it lol. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please stay tune for the next: Monkey D. Garp - Huredhiel