09/11/22 EDIT: Thanks to KumaZura for proof reading this chapter.

Chapter 28

Change of course

Chopper examined his plants carefully. They had all grown with speed as promised by the seller who had informed him and Brook on the last island; the highest had already reached two meters. With curiosity, he turned the pages of his encyclopedia to spot the different varieties that he didn't know. Several of them had medicinal properties and he was eager to use them.

He stopped in front of a big flower of about one meter and fifty centimeters. With a long, single stem devoid of leaves, her head consisted of a huge, limp green ball. Intrigued, Chopper flipped through his book again.

"What are you doing, Chopper?" Usopp inquired as he was approaching.

"I can't find the name of this plant," The little reindeer showed him. "Yet the retailer assured me they were all listed..."

The sniper looked over her and frowned. "This is weird. This form is characteristic of-"

"Hey! Look at what Sanji gave me!" Luffy barged in near his friends, waving a skewer of meat he swallowed up at once.

"Did he really give it to you?" Usopp wondered.

The captain nodded vigorously. "He's trying new recipes, he wanted my opinion and it's so- Hey!" The head of the unknown flower had opened wide in two and she brutally sucked up the elastic captain whose body half disappeared inside her mouth. His two crewmates screamed with terror before rushing to pull their friend out but the flower was standing firm.

"Give us back our captain, you big drooling ball!" Usopp shouted, pulling with all his might.

"What is going on?" Brook, who had come running with Franky, asked.

"The plant ate Luffy!" Chopper showed them. "She doesn't want to let him go!"

"I remember now; it's probably a carnivorous plant!" Usopp suddenly recalled.

"A carnivorous plant?!" The musician repeated, horrified. "Luffy-san!" Franky and Brook grabbed in turn the captain's body whose feet were flailing but the flower was stronger than she looked. "I got an idea!" The cyborg suddenly said. He then crashed his huge fist down on the green ball that was her head, which had the effect of making her spit out her prey who rolled on the ground, dripping with vegetable slime.

"Are you alright, Luffy?" Chopper asked him apprehensively.

"She thought I was meat, that was so funny!" The captain laughed, sitting on the ground.

"Technically, you are meat," Brook pointed out. "For my part, on the other hand, I don't even have meat on my bones anymore!"

"You should go take a shower, Luffy," Usopp interrupted them worriedly. "Gastric juices of carnivorous plants are formidable and they're digesting you!" The captain's clothes were indeed slowly falling apart and Franky glanced at the plant, which was looking slouched again. "She's starving to death, your flower," He noted. "If you take carnivorous plants, you need to feed them, guys."

"I didn't think it was a carnivorous plant; I wanted her because she was pretty!" The little doctor apologized.

"Plants are the queens of manipulation, Chopper," The sniper sighed while Luffy was gently patting the head of the hungry plant.

Sanji came out of the galley, his tray full of cocktails of all kinds. The weather was rather clear and colorful refreshment was always enjoyed under the sun. He set Nami's and Robin's down in the midst of his usual whirlwind of love and then walked over to the boys gathered around their little garden.

He stared at Luffy for a long time when the straw hat boy solemnly asked him to prepare a snack for the flower by his side before Usopp said that the carnivorous plant had probably not eaten for days. He finally walked away, promising his captain to think about her during the next meal. Although it was only a plant, he refused to let her starve on this ship and in his presence.

Sanji ended his round by the front deck to bring his drink to Zoro. Even though the fencer's company was unbearable for him in recent days, his duty as a cook was forcing him to continue to feed him like the others. When he approached, he appreciated that the swordsman was busy training with the handling of his blades, his back turned. Without missing a beat, Sanji put the glass down at a reasonable distance to avoid the risk of it being knocked over and went away.

Yet on the brink of pushing the door of his galley, Sanji turned again towards the swordsman below and watched him for a few moments. His figure against the light seemed to be dancing in the midst of the whirling of his blades. His quick and precise motions were cutting the air into a harmonious ballet, making the metal glitter under the bright light. The fencer didn't need to locate himself in his environment and he had closed his eyes, leaving his instinct and very nature expressing themselves through his swords.

The cook then noticed he was only using two of his blades and the third was resting against the mast of the Sunny. Sanji recognized the whiteness of Wadô Ichimonji. The sword was sparkling in the sun, almost forcing him to look away.

The cook suddenly shivered despite the heat. His swords. This sword. They represented everything for Zoro. All his life. All his will. All the space.

Sanji brutally felt like the third wheel in front of this almost intimate sight of a man in the middle of his universe and he retreated to his galley. He didn't want to be the indiscreet witness of a relationship he wasn't a part of.

"She's really hungry!" Luffy gushed, throwing another piece of meat at the carnivorous plant that swallowed it at once.

"I can't believe Sanji prepared a meal just for her," Usopp muttered, respecting a safe distance a few steps away.

"By the way, why are you eating her share?" Franky asked, addressing his captain.

"We're sharing!" The straw hat boy showed him, gulping down several pieces in his turn. "This way, I'm sure it's good for her!"

"She seems to like it anyway," Chopper noted.

"It's amazing this ability to dissolve her prey at such a speed," Brook noticed as a piece of meat was melting before their eyes.

"It's creepy," The sniper mumbled.

"Come on, catch!" Luffy waved a piece of meat over the plant, who stretched as far as she could to reach it, without success. "Come on, make an effort!" He encouraged her with a laugh. "You're almost there!"

After a few more unsuccessful attempts, the plant suddenly changed strategy and grabbed the captain's plate within reach before swallowing it completely. At first incredulous, Luffy then stared at her furiously. "We said we'd share, you're going too far! Gimme back my meat!"

"Luffy, it was her share," Usopp sighed.

The captain didn't take no for an answer and tried to hit the head of the flower, who answered by flinging her gastric juices in his face. His friends abruptly moved aside and Luffy found himself covered with mucus for the second time that day. "You gonna gimme back my meat!" He shouted, throwing himself on her and ignoring the acid that was gnawing his skin.

The plant opened her jaw wide before propelling herself forward. She then closed her pod with a snap, swallowing again half the captain who struggled like a madman.

"We're not gonna do that all day," The cyborg grunted, hitting the flower on her head. She couldn't help loosening her jaw then and Luffy landed on the ground before threatening her with his fist. "If that's how it is, you won't have anything anymore!" He said. "I won't give you what Sanji'll prepare anymore; I'll keep everything for myself!" The plant seemed to stare at him in return and the straw hat boy looked at her defiantly.

"Luffy, leave her alone," Chopper gently chimed in. "And go wash up, your clothes are melting..."

Zoro breathed slowly. He had returned to the crow's nest for his nap shortly after training but had woken up after a few moments in an abnormal state of confusion and he had taken a few steps to relax. Usually, he slept soundly and under all circumstances, but this afternoon, all the events of the previous days related to the cook's suggestion were coming back to him in order to shatter his brain. And all their moments since they had started this particular relationship were colliding, mixing with his contradictory feelings. The day before, he had thought he was making a reasonable decision, but the chaos that was reigning in him right now made him sincerely doubt.

In the end, he dropped to the floor and sighed, defeated by the spiral of his emotions.

Yes, he liked the blond's impertinence. Okay, maybe he admired the special care he was putting into everything he did. It was even possible he was looking for their incessant battles because those moments excited his fighting instinct as much as his intoxicated senses by his opponent. Without a doubt, he was gushing about his thin, flexible and muscular body at every occasion. When his legs were whirling as the cook was trying to reach him, when he was nonchalantly plunging his hands into his pockets, when his lock of blond hair was returning to cover his eye in all circumstances…

The swordsman grimaced. He had never noticed how pathetic he could be when he was thinking about the cook and his infuriating odd habits which had become, in spite of himself, charming fantasies. Zoro then sincerely hesitated to hit his head against the wall of the crow's nest.

Was it possible that his way of seeing the cook had evolved without his permission? Did he betray himself in any way for Sanji to notice and for Franky to point it out the day before? At this thought, Zoro clenched his teeth. Of course it must have been the case. He knew the cook was as uncompromising as he was about his principles, and he hadn't only announced a change in his feelings, he had offered to start a new chapter in their relationship. Zoro couldn't imagine that Sanji had dared to suggest such a thing if he hadn't perceived even a possibility of an affirmative answer to his question. Hence his anger when the fencer hadn't said anything, he realized.

The words of the cyborg then hit him again. "Since when you're freakin' out like that?"

Since when, the swordsman wondered. Because the shipwright was right, he was petrified. Dumbfounded by the ease with which the cook had imposed himself in his life until he became essential. Stunned by his total lack of distrust towards the evolution of their relationship he hadn't seen coming. That he wouldn't even have questioned if Sanji hadn't revealed his own feelings. If he hadn't forced him to face reality.

The fencer breathed again to calm himself down. The sensations he felt when he was thinking about the cook were appealing, but they were also confusing. Objectively, he didn't particularly want to stop the experiment because he trusted his crewmate but... What he was feeling was totally unknown to him.

And now that he was aware of their existence, the dangerousness of these emotions appeared in the open. In the midst of temptation, they remained treacherous. Proof was that he hadn't even felt them settle in him!

His goal then came back to him with the strength of the years and sacrifices endured. He couldn't deviate from the path he had drawn.

"This is what having a stomach ache is like, it's full of new adventures and obstacles to overcome!" Zoro didn't thank his captain for this sentence which didn't bring him any comfort.

"Insects are the ideal food for carnivorous plants. Here, she'll be in her element," Chopper said, closing his book.

With the help of Usopp, Franky, Brook and Luffy, the reindeer had moved the plant close to the tangerine trees. In this place, she was protecting the precious fruits of the navigator and she'd stop trying to swallow the straw hat crew's captain as soon as she had the opportunity.

"It's pretty cool!" Luffy agreed. "And Nami is super happy to use a natural method to keep insects away from her trees!"

"Not to mention that the plant'll be able to scare birds that come to eat seeds," Usopp added.

"Let's eat!" Sanji's voice suddenly sounded from the galley. Luffy was the first to dash, not without addressing one last promise to the plant. "If you do your job well, I'll ask Sanji to gimme something for you!"

Sanji put his dish towel back on the galley counter. He had cleaned all the dishes. He had even wiped and tidied up. His table was sparkling, his worktops were shining and the floor had been swept. He had done everything humanly possible. He couldn't back down anymore.

Sighing, the blond came out of his galley and breathed in the fresh sea air to give himself courage. He went down the stairs and quickly saw the figure of the swordsman sitting against the ship's rail. The sun had gone down a few moments before and Zoro was probably meditating. Silence was total around them and Sanji supposed the others had already gone to their rooms except for Chopper who was on watch and had decided to settle in the library to study at the same time.

The cook lit a cigarette before observing Zoro for a few moments. He had truly thought about it. He knew what he wanted and what he was willing to offer. But not at any price. He would probably hurt, but he knew it was better to cut off his arm to stop the bleeding than bleed to death. He had even decided he wouldn't be angry at the swordsman because he couldn't demand something Zoro couldn't give. Yes, it would hurt but he would survive. Nobody had forced him to come to that and he had to take responsibility for what he was feeling, for better and for worse.

So for his own good and Zoro's, he needed to clarify things tonight. He was sick and tired of waiting for the swordsman to "think about it", if he really intended to do so one day. Despite his efforts, the atmosphere had remained tense between them and he just didn't have any more patience. Even if he had to admit that Zoro wasn't provoking him more than usual, Sanji wanted to crash him into a wall every time he saw him. In the end, the fencer had been right when he had told him that putting into words what was happening was more of his domain than his.

So tonight, the blond was going to find words about their relationship. And finish it.

"Nami-san said the next island will soon be in sight," He said as a prelude, coming to lean on beside the swordsman sitting on the ground.

"Good."

Sanji sighed. He was sure Zoro was feeling he wanted to talk to him, but the fencer didn't do anything to make it easier for him. The cook cast him a glance. The swordsman had opened his eyes and was closely watching his swords thanks to the moon and stars' light. This picture strengthened his decision and he turned completely towards him.

"We need to talk."

The swordsman stared at him for a few seconds and then shrugged before getting up. He was coming to the end of his own time limit and he was almost sure his decision was the right one so he may as well get started right away. "If you want to."

Facing him, the blond rolled his eyes. "You could make an effort to seem interested!"

"I am," The swordsman dryly replied. "I told you I needed time to think and you've been insufferable since then. You hardly open your mouth, except for kicking my ass or insulting me! So I know you wanna talk about it, I did my best for my part and I'm listening to you! What more do you want?!"

"It's your fault, stupid musclehead! You get on my nerves with your need to think about obvious stuff!" Sanji responded in the same tone, feeling they were back on the verge of an umpteenth fight the way Zoro was gripping his swords tight.

Yet he raised a hand in the air in surrender as he dragged with the other on his cigarette. "Okay, fine." He took a deep breath. "This relationship thing between us." The swordsman nodded. "I think it'd be better not to try after all."

Zoro frowned. He had understood that he was the most hesitant one of them about it.

"Don't get me wrong, nothing has changed on my side but there's a variable I hadn't considered until then and that closes the case," The blond whispered, breathing out the smoke.

"Which is?"

Sanji pointed with his chin the three swords that were resting on the swordsman's hips and his companion followed his gaze, unsure. "I can't beat this," The cook said the most naturally in the world.

"You think you'll be an obstacle to my dream?" The fencer inquired with interest.

"It ain't me who is the obstacle. It's your dream that keeps us apart."

"Huh?" Zoro was totally lost. Sanji had swept aside his greatest fear, the one he had spent days analyzing and understanding, but something else was happening and he didn't know! "What are you talking about, shitty cook?" he growled.

"Kuina-chan."

"What, Kuina?" The swordsman repeated, incredulous.

"Do you realize the place you gave her?" The cook calmly continued. "Because I have. And I can't beat her."

"But what is-"

"My dream is only to see an ocean even if it's legendary," The blond cut him short. "But you... The dream of your life, it's hers! You promised her father to fulfill her dream! You're ready to die for it. To die for her. I can't beat a ghost," He finally whispered, looking at his burnt cigarette.

"Hell, what's that got to do with anything?" The fencer got annoyed. "I don't understand a thing!"

Sanji sighed loudly before fixing his gaze on his. "You've never grieved, you idiot, you've based all your life on this promise. You're in love with a memory and I'll never be enough."

The swordsman's eyes widened. "Wait... You're jealous of Kuina?" He summed up, astonished.

"I'm not jealous of her, she's dead, moron!" The cook got impatient. "I'm just telling you the connection between you two is too strong to allow anything else to have a place in your life. Gee, try to follow!"

"Yes, you're jealous," Zoro kept on, his smirk back to the corner of his mouth. "Damn, you really are stupid."

Furious, Sanji was about to kick him hard to remind him of the minimum of respect to which he was entitled to when the lips of the swordsman crashed against his own. "I prefer when you don't think so much," The fencer growled against the cook's mouth, who froze with surprise. Sanji then brutally pushed him away and glared.

For his part, the swordsman folded his arms before quietly gazing at him. "Kuina was my best friend. She and I had the same dream and we made a promise, that's all. Whether she's alive or dead, I'll become the best swordsman in the world and there's nothing you can do about it."

Sanji silently stared at him and Zoro went on, looking right into his eyes. "All of this has nothing to do with her, or with you actually. The only question I had to answer was whether I could achieve my goal despite this relationship."

The cook frowned, slowly understanding the logic of the man facing him. "So... you decided something after all?" He mumbled after a few moments.

In reply, Zoro pounced on him again to kiss him and this time, Sanji had neither the courage nor the desire to push him back. He wanted to believe it was the swordsman's answer. A positive answer for him. However, a dreadful doubt was still squeezing his chest and preventing him from fully enjoying the present moment. He stepped back to come to his senses and Zoro was surprised to find him so serious. "What now?" The swordsman said bluntly.

"Zoro..."

The fencer watched without a word Sanji nervously pulling a new cigarette out of his pack. When the flickering flame of his lighter appeared and the shadows emerged on his face, he understood the blond was about to confide totally and he got ready to do the same. He knew the conversation wasn't over and they hadn't tackled the heart of the matter. He wouldn't escape it.

Sanji took a long breath of his cigarette before fixing his gaze firmly on his. "I told you, I can no longer put up with an occasional relationship solely based on physical attraction. I'm not interested in sharing your bed according to your desires and moods without emotional counterparty anymore. Maybe that's stupid for you but that's how it is. I want it to be mutual and exclusive, and if it can't be, I'd rather have nothing at all."

"I know and I don't want to."

Sanji's heart missed a beat. So that was it, he had his answer. Clear, fast, sharp. Like a sword. He might have started this conversation thinking he was going to cut short this hope, but the fencer's explanations had reopened a dent in spite of himself and his refusal was all the more painful. With all the will he had, Sanji took a step back in order to escape from his heavy look. "Okay. We'll leave it there, then," He whispered.

He was going to walk away when Zoro roughly grabbed him by the arm, uncomfortable. "No, you don't get it," He muttered, blushing. "I know what you want and I'm okay. I don't want to be an... occasional thing."

The cook's heart missed another beat, but this time he could barely believe it.

"I told you I was gonna think about all this and that's what I did," The swordsman spoke again more confidently, releasing his grip on the blond's arm. "I'm feeling there's something different between us compared with the beginning of our arrangement and there's no way I'd give up just because this thing is weird."

Sanji frowned. He had heard everything but he wasn't sure he had followed the fencer's logic. "What are you trying to tell me, mosshead?"

Surprisingly, Zoro had a sparkling smile of provocation. "That you're a challenge. And I don't back down from any challenge."

The blond's breathing raced for a moment and he pulled the cigarette out of the corner of his mouth, carefully staring at the swordsman under the dim light of the moon. If he had understood correctly, he had just got the most similar love declaration from him. Zoro was considering his new feelings as a challenge and Sanji appreciated his point of view. He had no doubt for himself that this decision would call into question many elements of his life.

"Are you sure you know what you're getting into?" He inquired suspiciously. "It implies a minimum of bond between us, and you better not use that just to have sex."

"I ain't an idiot," Zoro scowled. "On the other hand, let's make it clear. There's no way you're gonna do or wait for stupid stuff with your shitty romanticism. I ain't no chick, got it?"

"I wasn't counting on it anyway," The cook snapped back.

"I won't make you a declaration of love and it's not even worth thinking about holding my hand!" Zoro added, folding his arms menacingly.

"That's what I was afraid of." In front of the tensed features of the fencer, Sanji relaxed completely and burst out laughing. This evening hadn't gone as he had planned and he appreciated it all the more. "Don't worry, I don't intend to change you, mosshead. That's how I like you."

The swordsman looked him up and down for a moment. He was going to tackle the point he cared about the most, the one he didn't want to go back over at any price. "My dream will always come first."

"I know. Mine too."

Zoro nodded, finally not much surprised by the fact that the blond was sharing his opinion about it. A peaceful moment then passed between them, during which their eyes sealed their words. At last, the fencer spoke again, more determined than ever. "Well. Are we good now?"

"What do you mean?"

"We have a deal?"

"I think so."

"Great." Without waiting a second more, the swordsman suddenly pulled the cook and kissed him eagerly, barely allowing the man to breathe. At first surprised, Sanji didn't refrain from quickly answering with the same impatience. Their breaths mixed for long minutes, their tongues caressing and rediscovering each other in a delicious way while their hands were bringing their body closer to the other.

"Marimo Man is a little desperate," The blond teased him, finally shifting and breathing heavily.

"Shut up," The swordsman growled in a hoarse voice.

"Seriously, whom did you talk to get such reasoning?" Sanji asked him as the fencer was going down to his neck.

"Seriously, don't you wanna shut up for five minutes?"

Sanji applied his order literally for once and he answered the swordsman with a fiery kiss. The cook had missed his skin under his fingers. His harshness and his appetite for him too.

After a time he couldn't quantify, Zoro dragged him unceremoniously to their private place and the cook began to protest. For show. "Can't you be a little gentler?" He grumbled as he felt the bedroom door crash into his back after it closed behind them.

"Don't make me believe you haven't been waiting for days," The fencer snickered, focusing on opening his shirt without tearing it.

"Stupid swordsman."

The insult had been hurled but the tone wasn't right and Sanji quickly let himself get caught by the caresses and kisses of his lover. He knew their reunion would be special. They had just reached an important stage in their relationship and their feelings would fuel the fire that was consuming them.

I really hope you like this outcome and I'm eager to know what you think about it.

This is not the end of my story. We're halfway there. Yeah, I had so many challenges in mind to test them.

See you around!