I do not own anything besides these words and the cover art.

"Hello?" Sanji asked, but he received silence. He was about to pull the phone away when a voice responded.

"Are you alone?"

Sanji grew suspicious instantly. Not only did it not sound like the lovely voice of Tashigi, but it was a man, an angry man at that.

"Who the hell is this?" Sanji whispered back as he left the apartment and the cold air flipped through his hair.

"That is not your concern-"

Sanji reached for his lighter and mumbled with a cigarette in his mouth, "I'm hanging up-"

"Wait! No, sorry! Wait, just wait," the man on the other end pleaded, and Sanji felt looser in knowing that the person was not some criminal. After all, what criminal sounds so scared and nervous when calling a stranger?

"What?" Sanji asked with an exhale of smoke.

"I…I'm a friend."

"Of?" Sanji was losing his patience.

"Just…tell me that, um, I can trust you."

Sanji scoffed, "Are you kidding me? You're the one calling me. Why don't you tell me who you are?"

There was shuffling on the other end and Sanji heard the clicking of a keyboard. Then the man responded, "Sanji Vinsmoke. Three brothers, one sister, one dead mother, and a horrible father."

The phone cracked in Sanji's hand as he gripped the railing and hissed, "Who the fuck are you?"

The silence was on the other end and then a sigh, "I just need you to know that you can trust me. I am not here to let others figure out who you are. You left that life behind…but…you need to help my friend do the same."

Sanji shook his head, his eyes blurred from the tears that rose to them. "What are you talking about? Why…how…"

"Nami," he whispered, "She's my friend. And I know you know about her." Sanji exhaled and the man continued, "My name is Usopp. I…know a lot of things. I find out a lot of things. And right now, I am helping Nami escape her life. However, whereas your family has forgotten you…Nami has no family left. All she has is…an owner. He owns her life because she owes him a great debt…which is why…"

"She found Zoro," Sanji said shakily. This was all a bit too much for him over the phone. "And you call me to tell me that after you bring up things I have long since forgotten?"

"Sanji…I just need your help. I know you had her looked into…but I need you to stop. Arlong's power is not so great that he controls cops, but those he is trying to connect with…they do. They have their hands everywhere."

Sanji spoke adamantly, "I can trust Tashigi. She is good."

"Yeah, a good cop," Usopp chuckled, "But…clearly not that good if she can't find out about you."

"And you? How did you get all this information?" Sanji asked angrily, his grip on the railing turned his knuckles white.

"I'm a genius. A tech genius. There is no system in the world I can't crack. I am-"

"A bit full of yourself?" Sanji questioned.

Usopp laughed, "Well, Nami does call me the greatest liar…but regardless of how I found it, I did. I do. And now…I need your help."

Sanji scoffed, "The hell you think this is? You call me up and just expect me to help you?"

"This is to protect Zoro, too. I know you care for him."

"Now, how the fuck do you know that bullshit?" Sanji yelled.

"Well, all those pictures you take, they end up in the cloud so…" Sanji was ready to pull out his hair as he muttered profanity about his incessant need to photograph everything. "But no matter…I mean, you just proved that I'm right. I mean, at first, I thought you just had an obsession over him…but um, I guess you love him."

"What's it to you?" Sanji mumbled.

Usopp mumbled back, "Well, I love Nami…she's one of my closest friend. Actually, she is my closest friend. And like I said…I need your help."

Sanji readjusted his tie and brushed his hair out of his eye as he turned around to look at the closed curtain window. The light was still on and he could hear the laughter and shouts from inside. It was faint, but there. He liked hearing so much life come from his once empty home. Before Zoro, Sanji was scraping by. Then Zoro bombarded in, and Sanji let him stay a night. He was a friend, and then Sanji realized he was falling for the idiot. Then one night became two, and two became three, and then suddenly it was four years later and Zoro was still on his couch. If it were not for Zeff, Sanji would have had no one from the age of 10. If it were not for Zoro, Sanji would have died at 14.

"Sanji?" Usopp's voice brought Sanji away from the lights and back to the issue at hand.

"What do you need, Usopp?"

"Wow, well, I honestly didn't think I'd convince you so quickly."

Sanji flicked his cigarette to the side and groaned, "Well, it's not every day some stranger calls on the phone and tells me shit I haven't told a single soul. So…I guess I'm following you now, huh?"

"Yes, but…" Usopp sounded unsure, "Please don't think this is blackmail or anything. I…just needed to prove to you how serious I was."

"Right," Sanji said firmly, "You have my attention, God-Usopp…so why don't you tell me exactly what you need?"

"Yosh!" Usopp said cheerfully but grew serious as he continued. "Listen. Nami is trying to get out from Arlong's crew, and she managed to wiggle her way out from his grasp with this con. If she can get enough money together, she'll be able to pay him back. Arlong knows she could steal just as much, but he wanted her to plan…because that meant she'd have hoops to go through and really work for her freedom. Hence, this long-winded…and quite frankly…odd plan."

Sanji cut him off, "Is it fake?"

Usopp was confused, "Is what fake?"

"Her feelings for Zoro. Just tell me if she was playing him the whole time…or…if she truly cares for him?"

There was a pause and a long exhale, "Honestly…I don't know. And I'm not lying. As…as long as I've known her…she's had no one like that. Except for Noj- I mean except for me, she doesn't really allow herself to feel things like that."

Sanji was growing inpatient again, "Her sister?"

"What?" Usopp asked dumbfounded, and quite scared that he may have said too much.

"I know she has a sister."

Usopp was panicked, "She told you about Nojiko? What? Why?"

"She let it slip once that she had a sister who made lavender honey butter. But she is…away." Usopp let the silence take them, but Sanji was not letting him off the hook. "Nami apparently murdered her…burned down their apartment and-"

"No!" Usopp shouted with ferocity and Sanji stood up straight as he listened to the man practically sob on the other end. "You…you don't get to say that. That's…not what happened." Sanji was about to ask more, but Usopp continued, "You want to know why I called you? Because I'm afraid Arlong is having her numbers traced. She has a burner phone that only I call her on, but last time I called a man picked up. I thought it was Arlong but it must have been Zoro. But the point is…I did not know then, so I had to move things and her."

"Her?"

"Nojiko. She's the reason I can't tell you if Nami cares for Zoro as you do. Because she cares for her sister more than anyone."

Sanji gulped, unsure what to do with all this new information, "Wait, if she's alive then…"

Usopp gave him a dry chuckle, "As alive as you would expect someone who has brain damage from smoke inhalation. Nami tried her best to get her out, but by the time they escaped…Nojiko was unconscious and she…just won't wake up. I…I take care of her now, while Nami tries her best to free herself…so that she and her sister can get away and Nami can focus on Nojiko's health. That's why you won't find Nami falling for anyone. She just…can't."

Sanji swallowed and went into his pocket for a fresh cigarette, "I'm…sorry. I didn't know."

"How could you?" Usopp asked wryly, "She doesn't let people in like that. Because like I said…she can't trust them. Which is why…" Usopp cleared his throat and it sounded like he wiped his face, "that is why I need you. I need you to relay to Nami some information about our new whereabouts. I would call, but I don't want to risk it. And well, now you know that I can share your information everywhere."

"I thought you said this wasn't blackmail?"

"I did," Usopp said, "but if you dare to hurt Nami…I will make sure your father and all your vile siblings figure out where you are. You may have been created to be indestructible, but I know better. It's not a threat…it's a promise."

Sanji laughed, "So…God-Usopp…you giving me an ultimatum? You know all about me, so I suppose I can say the same to you. If Zoro gets hurt in any way, I know what to do now."

"What do you mean now?"

"I do not hurt women, but I will hurt you. I will break all your bones if Zoro does not come out of this alive."

"Guess we have a deal then?" Usopp asked with fear in the back of his mind. He had expected the call to be rougher yet calmer at the same time. He had not planned to exploit the weakness Sanji had, but Usopp read the information. Sanji came from a powerful and infamous family of underworld mercenaries, practically European royalty, too. If a man like that was going to help Usopp, he needed Sanji to know whom the captain of this ship was. It turned out tumultuous, but Usopp believed that if Zoro had such a faithful friend, perhaps Nami was not going to get hurt. However, Usopp always worried and with what seemed to be various powerful pieces moving into place, Usopp needed all his plans in order. He would not chance Nami's freedom on his fear of one man over the phone.

"I guess we do. Now stop being self-conscious, and show it to me. Whatever you wanted, step by step, tell me what I need to do", Sanji said, unsure if he would be able to follow Zoro down this path much longer.

Music Inspiration/Theme: "Follow Me" (2NE1)

So, I was going to do "Koyoi, Tsuki ga Miezu Tomo" from the Bleach 3rd Movie, but then I just ended up crying without shedding tears- which means I did that seal clapping thing as I made a wailing noise for half an hour. It…was NOT pretty. However, I pulled myself together and thought, "What will make you laugh right now? Oh, imagine Sanji and Usopp go off each other via a dance battle with 2NE1's 'Follow Me' playing? Yes, that would be great." They switched off being CL, cause you know- lead. LOL

A reader once stated they wanted to see Sanji & Usopp interact, as they have a deeper relationship than Usopp & Zoro and I agree. I believe when Usopp attempted to leave the crew/disagreeing with the Captain; Zoro was very adamant about him being punished, which, to an extent, appalled Nami and Sanji. He even shouted at Chopper to go inside if he can't handle seeing Luffy and Usopp fight. It was…heartbreaking. Also, with Sanji being (SPOILER ALERT EVEN THOUGH I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET) the newest member to be all "What! I don't need you. Forget me! I am leaving the crew!" - he and Usopp now have that together. Them…and Robin and…nope, I think that's it. Franky was physically assaulted to get into the crew, so lol—this dysfunctional family.

Besides that, hope this was fun, as I do plan to work their relationship out more…they deserve it, also Nami & Zoro could be such a pain…the amount of stress these best friends probably deal with is crazy, huh?

Next up, H-O-T-Y-O-G-A-M-O-T-H-E-R-F…I'm sorry, idky I'm being so aggressive. BUT it will be HOT. And it will be YOGA. And it will be ZONA;)

XoXo shipfiend