03/02/22 EDIT: Thanks to KumaZura for proof reading this chapter.

Enjoy your reading.

Chapter 9

You should talk to…

"Zoro, does your tummy hurt?"

The swordsman sleepily looked up at his captain who was waiting for his answer, leaning a few centimeters over his face. He straightened up, grumbling. He could forget his nap at the foot of the mast now. "No," He replied without trying to understand the incongruity of the question.

"It's weird. My stomach hurts sometimes," The dark-haired young man continued.

"You're hungry, Luffy," The fencer assured him, ready to go back to sleep.

"Yeah. But it's not that."

"How do you know?"

"It's not the same."

"Well, you may have caught a cold," The swordsman suggested without conviction.

"You think? I've never been sick before so maybe you're right!" Luffy exclaimed. He was delighted to explore this new adventure even though it was an illness.

"Dunno," His first mate said, shrugging, "If you just have a stomach ache, it'll pass…"

"No, I have other symptoms!" His captain cried out, overjoyed.

"Oh?" Zoro wondered.

"My hands are wet, my breathing speeds up on its own… I feel like I'm gonna plunge into a gigantic fight even if there are none, can you imagine?!"

Luffy was now laughing out loud and the swordsman straightened up, definitely worried. "It's not normal, Luffy, you should talk to Chopper."

"Really?" He asked, surprised by his seriousness. "I don't feel that bad, it's funny!"

"We never know with all the crap we can get on the Grand Line. Remember when Nami got sick after Little Garden, she almost died."

"Okay, I'll go see Chopper!" He promised with a big smile.

The straw hat boy kept his promise and gladly made his way to the sick bay a few moments later.

"What can I do for you, Luffy?" The little reindeer asked when he saw him pushing the door.

"Chopper, I'm sick!" He declared with a grin from ear to ear.

The doctor jumped out of his chair, panicked, and started running in every direction. Luffy was never sick, he had to see a doctor! Oh yes, he was the doctor here… "What symptoms do you have?" He asked, rushing by his side to listen to his chest.

"Well… I have a stomach ache. Hands get slippery. My breathing is going faster."

"Since when?"

"A few weeks," The captain remembered.

"A few weeks?! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

The reindeer moved frantically and rummaged in a drawer to pull out his stethoscope. "I will listen to your heart first."

"Okay."

There was silence for a few moments while the doctor was studying his patient from head to toe. "Everything looks fine," He said afterwards with relief, "Do you have a fever? A headache?"

"No."

"I'm going to draw some blood to be sure."

The captain nodded and let himself be stung before leaving so that Chopper could study his sample.

In the middle of the afternoon, the little reindeer called out to his captain as he was walking past the infirmary and let him into the room. Luffy had already forgotten why Chopper wanted to talk to him and he stared at him curiously.

"I studied your blood sample earlier and everything is normal," The doctor told him.

"Ah yes! Oh… I'm not sick then?" Luffy asked, almost disappointed.

"No but your symptoms are strange. Is this the first time you have felt that?" The doctor questioned.

"Yeah! I told Zoro it's like before a fight! I feel weird and sometimes, it does something to me, here. But I'm hungry as usual!"

He pointed at his stomach and Chopper consciously took notes. "Luffy, does this sensation happen in special moments?"

"No, it can be anywhere," The captain thought.

"Did you eat something different?"

"Different?"

"Yes, compared with the usual."

"I'm not sure…"

"You only ate Sanji's food?"

"Yes!" The straw hat boy proudly said, "I wanted to eat this big fish-ball we caught yesterday but Usopp told me it was toxic so I let it go!"

Chopper sighed with relief and resumed his questionnaire. "No itching? Swelling of the skin?"

"No."

The doctor sighed before tapping his pencil on his sheet of paper, thoughtful. "Have you noticed an element, something common at the times you feel those symptoms?"

The future Pirate King concentrated the best he could. Chopper looked upset because he couldn't find the cause of his illness so he had to help him. "I think there's almost always Nami," he finally said.

The reindeer dropped his pen and his jaw hit the ground.

"Are you okay, Chopper? I don't think she's trying to poison me, you know," The captain reasoned.

"No, no… N-no problem, Luffy. I think I found what's happening to you!" He triumphantly cried out afterwards.

"Wow! You're the best, Chopper!" Luffy exclaimed, impressed.

"Shut up! I don't need you to tell me things like this, it doesn't affect me at all!"

The young straw hat man burst out laughing. Really, his friends were so funny!

"You're in love, Luffy," The reindeer solemnly added.

"In love?" The captain repeated, puzzled, "Is this a serious illness?"

"It's not exactly an illness. Sometimes, you have certain symptoms but everything varies from one person to another…"

"How long will it last?"

"Like I said, it depends on the person and-"

"It's super cool! I'm finally sick!" Luffy shouted, beaming.

Chopper bit his lip. His captain didn't seem to understand what his diagnosis implied. "I know it's not easy for you but you should talk to…"

But Luffy had already escaped from the infirmary, laughing, and Chopper sat down, shaking his head. He really was in a crazy crew…

"So, Luffy, did you see Chopper?" Zoro asked, moving forward to his captain who had sat down at his favorite post on the figurehead a little later.

"Yeah! You were right, I'm sick!" He told him with a huge smile.

"Oh? Is it serious?" His first mate inquired, frowning.

"He said it depends on the people."

"And he's gonna cure you?"

"He didn't talk about that," Luffy shrugged.

"What, you mean there's no cure?" Zoro worried.

"Don't know," He said as if he had never thought of that possibility.

"Holy shit, what's this disease?!"

"The disease of the lover! It's cool, isn't it?"

The swordsman stared for a moment at his captain without understanding or rather, being afraid to understand. "Luffy… You're in love?" He asked cautiously.

"That's what Chopper said."

"So… who is it?" He inquired, more and more astonished.

"What do you mean?" The young dark-haired man asked.

"Well, if you're in love, it's about a person, right?"

"Dunno. Chopper didn't tell me."

Zoro observed his captain attentively. Of course, he hadn't understood anything about the diagnosis of the little reindeer. The fencer could have acted as if he had heard nothing but curiosity was too strong. Besides, someone had to explain to him…

"With Chopper, did you mention someone else?"

"Yes, he asked me to think of something common when I had my symptoms."

"And?" Zoro was really curious to get to the bottom of this story.

"I told him there was almost always Nami and that's when he found out about my illness. He's so cool!" He exclaimed, hitting his feet together.

The swordsman stepped back, horrified. Nami? This… witch? She was gonna wrap him around her little finger and pressurize him to the last berry! He only needs to look at how she behaved with their cook whenever she needed something. Poor Luffy…

"Luffy, do you even know what it's like to be in love?" His first mate asked, now feeling pity.

"Well, it's when you have a stomach ache and you wanna fight! Even though I don't get why Nami's involved…"

"Yeah…"

"Say, Zoro, you think that's gonna pass? It's not very annoying but it's weird and Chopper said it depends on the people."

Now, the swordsman was very embarrassed. The straw hat boy was staring at him with his big innocent eyes and he had no idea what to say to him. This kind of conversation was far too strange to have with his captain.

"You should talk to Sanji, he's the love specialist," He suggested.

"Of course! Awesome!"

Zoro watched Luffy jump up and down at the prospect of having an answer and he walked away, a smile on his face. Not only had he got rid of a thorny issue but in addition, the cook was going to faint when hearing what the captain would tell him. Oh, he couldn't wait to see his face…

Busy cleaning the sink after the evening meal, Sanji suddenly heard the door creak at his back. "No, Luffy. You'll have to wait until tomorrow morning." He didn't even have to turn around to know that it was once again his captain who came begging for a snack.

"But, please, I'm really hungry!"

Sanji wrung his sponge and turned slowly, disillusioned. "You're always hungry, Luffy."

"It's true but it's worse now! Besides, I've got to ask you something!" He begged.

"What's this new scam?" The cook sighed as he put down his kitchen towel while Luffy was sitting down at the table.

"Zoro told me you could explain to me if I'll continue to have the disease of the lover for a long time. He said you were a specialist!"

The blond's eyes widened in bewilderment. Too much information. Not enough information. He took a chair and made himself comfortable in front of Luffy, giving him an apple on the way that his gluttonous captain swallowed whole. "Explain. What's this disease of the lover?"

"Chopper told me. Zoro told me to go see him because I feel weird and I wanted to be sick. And Chopper said I had the disease of the lover but he doesn't know if I'll keep it for a long time and Zoro told me to ask you because you're a love specialist," He uttered in one gulp while looking around for other snacks.

"Wait, wait, wait," Sanji interrupted him, "You think you're sick because you're in love?"

"Yeah!"

"And Zoro said I was a love specialist?"

"Yeah! You are, aren't you?" Luffy asked hopefully.

"Well…" The cook was beginning to suspect that the swordsman had sent Luffy with an agenda but he would take care of it later. The point, as important as unexpected, was that their captain seemed to have succumbed to the charm of love and it really made him happy. "First of all, Luffy, you must know something extremely important," He said in a deep voice.

"What?"

His captain leaned above the table and stared at him with all the concentration he could muster. Sanji appreciated his serious attitude and looked into his eyes. "Being in love is not a disease, it's the most beautiful emotion you can ever experience."

"Really?"

"Absolutely!" The blond got excited. "When you're in love, everything becomes bright and magical! The sky is bluer, the sun is brighter, the scent of flowers is intoxicating, your beloved is beautiful, solar, it's a d-"

"My beloved?"

Luffy scratched his head, totally lost, and Sanji suppressed his desire to kick him. After all, Luffy was new on the subject and he had to choose simple words. "Let me explain more concretely," He suggested and his captain nodded, "Tell me, who are you in love with?"

"I think it has something to do with Nami," The straw hat boy said after a moment, remembering his chat with Chopper and Zoro, "But I don't understand why it'd be her fault…"

"Ah, Nami-san, what a delightful choice!" The cook exclaimed, blissful. "But be careful, it's not her fault! That's the way it is, it's fate! I understand, my dear Luffy, Nami is an exceptional living being…"

"I dunno why but now that I'm thinking about it, sometimes when I look at her and she doesn't yell, I have a stomach ache and it makes me feel funny in my body! Do you know what it means?!"

"It's love," Sanji said, smiling.

"Love?" The straw hat boy repeated as if the word had no meaning.

"Yes," His cook kept on, "What you feel are the classic symptoms of love. You experience unique sensations when you're looking at her because Nami-san is a special person in your eyes."

As Luffy was frowning, Sanji decided to explain a little more. "Tell me, do you wanna spend more time with her?"

"Well, it depends. When she yells, I-"

"Do you wanna please her?"

"Of course!"

"Do you wanna protect her if there's a problem?"

"Obviously!"

"Do you want her to like you?"

Luffy paused. The question seemed more difficult than the previous ones. "I think so…"

"And that's new, isn't it?"

A big smile lit up his captain's face. "You're right, it's special to Nami! You really are a great specialist, Sanji! You know exactly what the disease of the lover is!"

Furious, the cook kicked him under the table. "I already told you it wasn't a disease!" He barked.

"Ouch! Sorry…"

"Now the key issue: have you told her?"

"Told whom?" The dark haired boy asked, painfully massaging the leg that had taken a blow.

"Make an effort, Luffy!" The blond man got angry. Told Nami-san, of course!"

"Oh no, I didn't think about it. Do I need to talk to her?"

"It's up to you. If you want her to like you and see you differently, I recommend thinking about a specific plan because it's a long shot…"

"A plan? Gee, this looks like some serious stuff!" The captain wondered.

"Well, I think that's enough for tonight,"Sanji sighed, "Think about what you wanna do and we'll see, okay?"

"Okay! But, uh, Sanji… Can I have a small snack, please?"

Luffy's smile was so bright that the cook gave in and threw him another apple. Although disappointed that it wasn't meat, the straw hat boy caught it in the air before walking out like a tornado.

The cook sighed and put away his dish towel after wiping his hands. He took a cigarette out of his packet and lit it as soon as he was outside. If it was still necessary, he had the proof that despite his full adoration for the women of the crew, he felt nothing for them that could be similar to love in the proper sense of the word. What he wanted was their happiness and their safety, nothing else. Women were divine creations that he couldn't help but worship and admire anyway.

He had many more questions about being attracted to a man. Had he changed? Moved on? Was it temporary or definitive? What did it mean about his deep personality? Had he always deluded himself? Had he overinvested in women to try to ignore an unconscious attraction?

Sanji sighed and put the cigarette to his lips as he was heading for the deck. He loved his little games with the swordsman but despite his decision that he didn't regret, he couldn't ignore the thousands of questions that came with it.

The cook enjoyed the night air while blowing the smoke that flew quickly around him. A little farther, he saw Zoro come closer at a leisurely pace, his huge dumbbells in his hand. "By the way, cook, have you seen the captain?" The fencer asked him nonchalantly as he walked past him.

"Yeah."

"So?"

The swordsman put the weights at his feet and Sanji shrugged. "So I explained the basics to him."

Zoro shook his head, straightening up. "You sure he understood something ? Because it didn't seem so easy for him…"

"Don't make fun of his feelings," The blond grumbled.

The fencer suddenly smiled. "I'm not making fun of him. It's just that, poor guy… Nami!"

"I forbid you to say anything about our navigator!" The cook threatened him, pulling the butt out of the corner of his mouth, furious.

Zoro suppressed a mocking laugh. "About that, I was wondering… Did you two fight for her pretty eyes?"

"What?" The cook stared at him before remembering Luffy's statement when the swordsman had sent him for advice. The perverse machination of his lover became clear in his mind. "Wait, you really thought I was gonna fight with Luffy because he's in love with Nami?" He got indignant.

"Why not? It'd have kept things interesting," The fencer retorted.

"You are a despicable person…"

"You could have challenged yourselves to a duel or something pushover like that," Zoro continued, amused.

"You're too stupid, marimo," The cook finally sighed while breathing in on his cigarette butt again.

"Is that so? Don't tell me you didn't think about punching him in the face when he told you, huh?"

"No."

Zoro looked at him with arrogance, smirking. "Maybe I'm stupid but you're damn pretentious to believe Luffy has no chance. If you want my opinion, he's more likely to get her than you."

"Because you think your opinion matters to me, stupid musclehead?" The blond ground.

"That's right, the Pirate King will be rich, not like a pathetic cook in the depths of All Blue!" The swordsman sniggered.

Sanji clenched his fists. "Dammit, you really are a shitty bastard!"

"Yeah, don't thank me for opening your eyes," The fencer concluded as he was walking away cheerfully, his weights back in hand.

The cook watched him disappear into the crow's nest and then allowed himself to relax. Zoro had everything wrong but it was convenient. He didn't want to disabuse him about his feelings for Nami since he would always be ready to defend her anyway. In addition, it allowed him to be angry with him and to get free of this kind of attachment he was developing towards the swordsman lately.

He knew it wasn't something too strong but the fact that they were sharing such intimacy, even devoid of feeling, was leading to powerful and complex bonds which he didn't untangle all the consequences for now. Fortunately, he could count on the swordsman's stupidity and with any luck, his idiotic behavior would vaccinate him against himself…

Satisfied with the turn of events, Sanji finished smoking his cigarette before beginning his watch.

Hope you liked it!

The idea of Luffy having a stomach ache because he doesn't know what love is is from Typone Lady, a French fanfic author. I think that's a powerful metaphor!